Peoples Daily Newspaper, Friday, August 03, 2012 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 8 No. 95

Friday, August 3, 2012

NOA rewards taxi driver who returned N18m >> PAGE 3

. . . putting the people first

Perfume cans cause panic in Abuja

Ramadan 15, 1433 AH

Oshiomhole’s aide: Police, SSS hold different suspects

>> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 4

N150

Ramadan Timing for Abuja Magrib 6.52

Alfijr 5.08

See other towns on Page 3

Okonjo-Iweala recants  Says budget 41.3% implemented

By Aminu Imam

inance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday made a U-turn over her earlier pronouncement that the 2012 budget was 56 per cent implemented. Okonjo-Iweala, who took the center stage while speaking at an

interactive meeting with members of the Senate Joint Committees on Appropriation and Finance yesterday, to clarify the variant statistics credited to her over the poor budget implementation, however churned new statistics to disprove claims that spending performance remained poor. According to the minister, of the total N1.3 trillion capital

budget, only N184 billion had been used by the ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, for the execution of capital projects while N140 billion was left unutilised out of the N324 billion cash-backed releases. “We have been implementing for four months because this budget started in April. Now we have so far released N404 billion. We have cash-backed N324

billion. “Of this amount, only 184 billion has been utilised by the MDAs, which means that the budget execution stands at 41.3 per cent between April and July 2012”, she said. The minister said further that while the recurrent budget had been fully implemented, the capital expenditure, which funds developmental projects,

remained at about 14 per cent of the total capital. The House of Representatives had on Sunday faulted the minister’s 56% implementation claims, countering that the Appropriation Act had only enjoyed a mere execution mark of 34%. The minister claimed she was misquoted by the media and that Contd on Page 2

Controversy over VP’s age By Lawrence Olaoye and Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

ontrov ersy yesterday trailed the celebration of the birthday of the nation’s Vice President, Architect Muhammad Namadi Sambo, as well wishers quoted a contradictory age in their messages felicitating him in the media. While some of the well wishers put Sambo's age at 60 years, the VP in a swift riposte stated that he actually marked 58 years of age by yesterday. Prominent Nigerians, including Senate President David Mark, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and the Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, in several congratulatory advertorials placed in some national dailies yesterday quoted 60 years as the Vice President’s age. For instance, in his congratulatory message to Sambo, titled 'Happy 60th Birthday, Contd on Page 2

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (right), defending the executive on the implementation of the 2012 budget before Senate Joint Committees on Appropriation and Finance, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. With her is the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama (left). PHOTO: MAHMUD ISA

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

Op.Ed

Letters

Opinion

Metro

16-18

Business

19-20

Islam Featire

26 27-28

Newsxtra

Discourse

A ‘mechanic’ on a mission impossible Page 37

International 32-34 Digest

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Peoples Daily wants to hear from you with any news and pictures you think we should publish. You can send your news and pictures to: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com pictures@peoplesdaily-online.com contact@peoplesdaily-online.com

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Mpape demolition: Court decides residents' fate today By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

n Abuja High Court sitting in Bwari will today decide the suit filed by Mpape residents asking the court to restrain the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), from demolishing their houses. Justice Ibrahim Kutigi adjourned till today to rule on the application after counsel for all the parties in the matter argued their submissions. Five residents of Mpape, namely, Messrs Jacob Obor, Olasogba John, Isreal Awoyemi, Contd from Page 1 the figures being bandied around on the level of budget implementation were not true, as she told the lawmakers who mandated her appearance yesterday, that the statistics available in the news media were largely misleading. “The Federal Ministry of Finance is not holding back any budgeted funds. The CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) can confirm that,” she added, denying that there had been selective implementation of projects. The ministry had been providing funds to ministries, departments and agencies “in bulk,” she said. “We release resources to MDAs in bulk. There is no discrimination. We don’t have a selective approach,” she further added. She added that the ministry had as at July ending released N1.6 trillion for recurrent expenditure. “I have to make it very clear that there is no difference between what the National Assembly wants to do and what the executive is trying to do with the budget,” she said. “We are only ensuring there is good utility of the released funds.” Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said President Goodluck Jonathan, who has been threatened with

Young Okeugo and Macos Gabriel have sued FCDA on behalf of themselves and other residents of the community. The plaintiffs also named the FCDA minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Department of Development Control of the FCDA as codefendants in the suit. At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the lead counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. Femi Falana, urged the court to restrain the defendants from demolishing the applicants’ houses at Mpape, Bwari Area Council in Abuja pending the

determination of the substantive suit. The applicants have asked the court to declare the marking and proposed demolition of their houses at Mpape as illegal on the grounds that it violates section 44 of the 1999 Constitution since the defendants have failed to compensate them or resettle them elsewhere. But counsel to the defendants, Dr. Amaechi Nwaiwu has argued that the applicants are illegal occupants who are not indigenes and have not been allocated any land in the area concerned.

FCT Minister Bala Mohammed

Okonjo-Iweala recants impeachment by the House of Representatives over the budget, has met with officials weekly to press for efficient use of released funds. Ahead of the meeting, the senators had been angered by remarks purported to have been made by the minister blaming the tardy fund releases and use on the illicit constituency projects smuggled into the Appropriation Act by the legislators. During the meeting with the minister, Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, recalled that in 2009, after late President Umaru Yar’adua threatened to seek the Supreme Court's intervention, both arms agreed that N100 billion be set aside for lawmakers annually, to cover projects named by the 469 lawmakers for their constituencies. According to Ndoma-Egba, even with the agreement, the procurement, contracting and execution of the chosen projects, were, and are still carried out by the executive arm, adding that it was troubling then why N100 billion worth of projects should be blamed for the failure of a N4.7 trillion budget. He vowed that the Senate

would not take responsibility for the failure of any other arm of government and urged the minister to clarify all the issues surrounding budget implementation. “We would like to take responsibility for where we go wrong but we won’t take responsibility for the failing of others. “We would not be scapegoats for those who fail to do their job. Nigerians want the minister to tell them what is happening to the 2012 budget. “We have always been the scapegoat of the Nigerian politics, but what we will certainly not accept is to take the blames of others,” said Mr. Ndoma-Egba, who represented Senate President David Mark, at the meeting. “If, and when others fail in their duties, they should accept the failures; we should not be blamed for it.” He warned that the session was not to be regarded as a “family meeting”, but a “market square meeting. “We have always worked with the executive, but that does not mean we should be pushed to a situation where we have to invoke our full constitutional powers,” he

said. But the senators were calm after Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala apologized for her absence at past invitations citing “miscommunication”, and blamed the media for “miseducating’ the people. On her alleged statements on constituency projects, Dr OkonjoIweala clarified her position saying it was not true that the president has told ministries not to implement constituency projects. According to her, ministries have already launched the procurement process for the constituency projects. She assured that the execution of the budget would be kept within January-December, adding that the current practice of extending it to March of the following year should be discontinued. She also promised that the 2013 budget would be submitted to the National Assembly by September this year. The Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, the Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr Bright Okogwu, as well as the Accountant-General of the Federation, witnessed the interactive session.

Controversy over VP’s age Contd from Page 1 which was published in ThisDay of yesterday, August 2, 2012, Anyim said: "Your Excellency on this very remarkable and joyous occasion of your 60th birthday anniversary, I join your wife, family and friends to congratulate you sir". Senate President Mark and works minister, Onolememen, who were silent on his age in the wordings of their congratulatory messages however ran advertorials with the titles 'Our Vice President is 60' and 'Happy Bairthday @ 60' respectively. The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) in a statement issued on Wednesday on its behalf by its Chairman and

the governor of Niger state, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, equally quoted 60 years as Sambo’s age. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan however joined the fray of those who were completely silent on what age the VP had marked yesterday in both the titles and wordings of their congratulatory messages to Arc. Sambo. On the other hand, Kogi state governor, Captain Idris I. Wada, Group Managing Director of Rahmaniyya Oil & Gas company, and Honorary General Secretary of the Nigerian Institue of Architects, Architect Abdullahi

Shime Abubakar, among others congratulated the VP for marking 58 years of age as at yesterday. An apparently embarrassed VP Sambo however came out yesterday to state clearly that he was yet to attain the age of 60 contrary to some of the advertorials placed in the media to congratulate him on his alleged 60th birthday. The Vice-President clarified that he was born on the 2nd of August, 1954, which means he attained the age of 58 yesterday and not 60. A statement signed by his spokesman, Umar Sani said: "Our attention was drawn to some advertorials sponsored in some

national media by well meaning Nigerians and some respected organizations and bodies, showering encomiums on the person and office of Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, placing his birth age at 60. “To set the records straight, the Vice-President was born on 2nd August 1954, attaining the age of 58 and not 60 as reported”, it added. The statement continued: “We implore such media houses to correct the discrepancy and report accurately, his exact date of birth and age for the benefit of Nigerians. This is meant to set the records straight.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 3

NOA rewards taxi driver who returned N18m By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

s many people make dishonesty and theft a feature of existence, few still believe in the sanctity of the truth and honour in life’s challenges. This was demonstrated yesterday when travelers and workers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, were entertained with a low-key celebration, as the National Orientation Agency (NOA), rewarded Mr. Imeh Esua, an airport taxi driver who in 2007, returned a whooping sum of N18 million forgotten in his car, to its

owner. The bag containing the money was said to belong to a British passenger. Director-General of the Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri who handed Esua a plaque and an envelope containing N30, 000 declared him a proud winner of the Agency’s Civic Responsibility Recognition Award, making him an icon of the “Do The Right Thing” campaign. Esua, who plies Airport Road, Abuja said he was at the car wash when he discovered there was a bag left behind by a man he had earlier dropped off at a hotel.

“My mind went back to the man whom I dropped at the hotel and I immediately alerted my chairman. He instructed me to go back to the place where I dropped him. I saw him and delivered his bag to him,” the taxi driver said. Also honoured was Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state. Fashola clinched N30,000 from the agency for stopping soldiers driving against traffic rules. Fashola had on July 17, 2012 arrested the two military officers who drove on the BRT lane at the Outer Marina in Central Lagos, and Staff Sgt Adeomi A.J.

Military govt intolerable, says Mark By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

res iden t of the Senate, David Mark has reminded the armed forces that military administration is neither in vogue nor tolerable anywhere in the world. Speaking at a farewell dinner in honour of the National Defence College (NDC) Course 20 participants held in Abuja yesterday, Mark also emphasised that democracy has been accepted worldwide as the best form of government due to its participatory and representative nature. He also argued that soldiers are

Bomb scare: Perfume cans cause pandemonium in Abuja suburb By Lambert Tyem & Mohammed Kandi

t was a melodrama yesterday in Nyanya/Mararaba axis, when the rumour of a purportedly planted Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Dunamis Church in Nyanya suburb of Abuja. The news of the discovered suspected IED spread like wild fire, and the entire neighbourhood scampered away in confusion and fright. However, it was later confirmed by the FCT police bomb unit that the suspected bomb in a polythene contained packs of perfume and other materials". As further rumour about n actual explosion intensified, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officially issued a statement denying the speculations. In its statement through the agency’s spokesman, Yushau A. Shuaib, NEMA said: "No report of any explosion was received from any of our alert system, call centre. Already rescue officers have visited the area without any sign of untoward development. Members of the public are advised to ignore such rumours".

better off in democratic government than in military regime, explaining that in the past, it was difficult for a commander to take his men out or socialise with colleagues without being suspected of any ulterior motive, while in democracy, officers and men freely move and interact without hindrance. While citing the global outrage and condemnation that greeted the recent military coups in Mali and Guinea-Bissau as a pointer to the fact that military rule is no longer accepted or tolerated anywhere, he charged the armed forces to continue to demonstrate

unalloyed support and patriotism towards the propagation and sustenance of democracy in the country. Being a former directing staff of the then National War College (NWC) now NDC, he expressed satisfaction that Nigeria’s armed forces have subjected themselves to the authorities of the democratic administration. Mark also commended the course 20 participants for successfully completing their one year sojourn at the NDC, pointing out that they passed through critical period of nation’s security challenges.

Sharia court judge accused of abduction From Iliya Garba, Minna

sharia court judge (name withheld) in Kateregi village in Katcha local government area of Niger state has been accused of allegedly abducting a 25-year lady standing trial in his court. It was alleged that the victim, Hadiza Hajara Umar, who was due to be remanded in Minna prison by the accused judge for deciding to get married to one Philip Makura, a Christian, did not go down well with some relations of the girl who eventually took the matter to court; wherein the judge allegedly abducted the girl. In the writ of summons, the plaintiff alleged that Hadiza, who was already three months pregnant for Philip, had been in

relationship for over five years with the consent of both parents. In his Motion on Notice, an Abuja based human rights lawyer, Barrister Gavers C. Ihematulam slammed N25 million suit against the judge, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Niger state, and four others to be paid to the applicants for damages owing to the violation and threatened violation of their fundamental rights enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. He also said that “the remand of the 1st applicant who is about 25 years of age on the 1st of July, 2012 in prison custody for exercising her freedom of thought and conscience as enshrined under section 38 is a violation of the applicant’s right to liberty contrary to section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution”.

JTF repels attack in Gombe

he Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) Wednesday night in Gombe, capital of Gombe state, repelled an attack by unknown gunmen in the Masalacin Idi area. The encounter, which sources said lasted about 30 minutes, subsided when the the insurgents retreated. Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Abdu, who

confirmed the incident, said that the gunmen opened fire and hurled grenades at the security operatives, who responded promptly. The attackers, unable to stand the heat, fled. The security operatives, according to Mr. Audu, have commenced a thorough search for the gunmen. No casualties were recorded.

RAMADAN TIMING Day 15 Towns

Magrib

Alfijr

Aba Abakaliki Abeokuta Abuja Akure Argungu Ankpa Auchi Azare Bama Bauchi Benin Bichi Bida Birnin Gwari Birnin Kebbi Biu Calabar Damaturu Daura Dutse Enugu Funtua Gombe Gwoza Gumi Gusau Gwadabawa Hadejia Ibadan Ife Ilorin Jalingo Jere Jos Kabba Kafanchan Keffi/Nasarawa Kaduna Kano Katsina Kontagora Lafia Lagos Lokoja Maiduguri Makurdi Malumfashi Minna Port Harcourt Ringim Shagamu Sokoto Warri Yola Zaria Cotonou – Benin Ndjamena – Chad Niamey – Niger Younde – Cameroun

6.49 6 .4 7 7.06 6.53 6 . 57 7.08 6.49 6.54 5.45 6.31 6.44 6.56 6.53 6.58 6.56 7.10 6.33 6.44 6.38 6.53 6.49 6.49 6 . 57 6.40 6.31 7 .0 5 6.58 7.06 6 .4 7 7.04 7. 03 7.04 6.36 6.52 5. 4 7 6 . 57 6.50 6 .4 7 6.54 6.52 6 . 57 7.01 6 .4 7 7 .0 5 6.54 6.33 6 .4 7 6 . 57 6 . 57 6.49 6.52 7.04 7.06 6.55 6.32 6.54 7.08 6.36 7 .1 9 6.30

5.09 5.09 5.26 5 .0 7 5.18 5.10 5.08 5.14 4.50 4 .37 4.56 5.19 4.58 5.12 5.08 5.13 4.38 5.10 4.43 4.55 4.55 5.10 5.03 4.50 4.39 5.10 5.03 5.08 4.50 5.23 5.20 5.19 5.00 5.04 4.59 5.14 5.02 5.02 5.04 4 . 57 4.59 5.13 5.02 5.26 5.11 4.38 5.04 4.59 5.09 5.15 4 . 57 5.24 5.08 5.19 5.22 5.02 5.31 4.41 5.19 4.58

RECOMMENDED DU’A FOR DAY 15 It is one of the highly blessed nights of RAMADAN. Pray a 6 Raka’at Nawafil in 3 sets of 2 Raka’ats each, In every Raka’ah, after the recitation of Al-Faatihah, recite: (i) Yaseen (ii) Surah Al-Mulk (iii) Surah Al-Ikhlas. After the Salaam recite 100 times: “Allaahumma Swalli ‘Alaa Muh’ammadin Wa Aali Muhammad.” Then say this DU’A: Allahummar-zuqnee feehi ‘tha’atal-khaashi-een wash rah feehi sadree bi inaabatilmuhkbiteen bi-amaanika yaa amaanal-khaa-ifeen. Meaning: O Allah keep me alive, in this month, in submissiveness the repentant unpretentious have recourse to and benefit by; instill in my heart the repentance of those who humble themselves before Thee to obtain Thy protection; in the name of Thy sanctuary, O Shelter of the fearful. Source: Mafatihul Jinan

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 4

Court restrains minister, NERC chairman from awarding prepaid metre contract By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

Federal High Court, Abuja has issued an order restraining the minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji and the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, from going ahead with the award of contract for manufacturing prepaid electricity metres. It will be recalled that Justice Kayode Eso of the Court of Arbitration had earlier issued an order restraining the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) from awarding the contract to any other company pending the determination of the appeal brought by a firm, Ziklagsis Network Limited. PHCN had in 2003 entered into a tripartite agreement with Ziklagsis, Unistar High-Tech System Limited for the maintenance of prepaid electricity metres. Ziklagsis in a separate letters to Nnaji and Amadi alleged that the agreement was frustrated by very senior management staff of the PHCN through various manipulations. The judgement of Justice Eso was said to have been disobeyed by the Minister and the NERC chairman, a development that prompted counsel to Ziklagsis, Dr. Alex Iziyon (SAN), to file Form 48 at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Oshiomhole’s aide: SSS, police hold different suspects From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

he State Security Service (SSS) and the police investigating the murder of late Olaitan Oyerinde, the slain Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, are holding two different sets of suspects. While the Edo Police Command has some suspects, including a human rights activist, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor in custody, the SSS

on Wednesday, paraded another set of suspects which it labeled “armed robbers” at its Abuja headquarters. Ugolo’s was arrested shortly after one of the four suspects already in police custody reportedly named him as the alleged sponsor of the murder. However the SSS, contrary to claims by the police that hired assassins killed late Oyerinde, said the killing was done by robbers. Parading the suspected killer robbers, none of whom included the man that claimed Mr. Ugolor hired him to do the killing, the

spokesperson of the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, said the murder was the outcome of a robbery operation that went awry. The SSS spokeswoman said: “Careless statements made by Ali Ihade, the security guard of the late Oyerinde, at various times about his master’s position in government, attracted the attention of the prime suspect, Mohammed Ibrahim Abdullahi. She named the suspects as Mohammed Abdullahi, Raymond Origbo, Chikezie Edeh (who claimed to be a deportee from France), Saidu Yakubu (aka

Imam), Sani Abubakar and Hassan Bashiru. Ms. Ogar listed some of the items stolen from the deceased to include four Blackberry phones, one ipad, two galaxy tab pads, one laptop, a wedding ring, and an unspecified sum of money belonging to late Oyerinde’s brother-in-law, Adeyinka Oletubo. Ms. Ogar explained that Mr. Oyerinde was shot and killed by the prime suspect, Mohammed Abdullahi, when the deceased ran into his bedroom and attempted to go underneath his bed.

DANA crash: Plane had engine problem 2 years before crash, says employee From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

n employee of DANA Airline and first witness from DANA, Mr. Tony Usidamen, yesterday told the coroner sitting at Ikeja, that, the ill fated flight, has had an engine failure two years before the crash. Usidamen, who is the head of corporate communications in DANA, said in April 19, 2010, when they discovered that the engine of the plane was bad, it returned to safety and they change the engine because of the interest of their passengers. When he was asked by a counsel, Mr Adewale Adeniyi if he was aware that the same airline in May 23, 2012 had hydrolick lick, he said he was not aware that the aircraft MD 83 with registration number 9j 992 5N RAM had such problem. When another counsel, Mr Akintunde Bakare, from the ministry of justice, asked for the name of the engineer who certified the air worthiness of the air craft, he said he cannot give the name of the engineer who certified the air line on 3rd of June 2012 before it flied. The magistrate then threatened to arrest him if he doesn’t furnish the court with the names of the engineers.

L-R: First Bank Chief Strategy Officer, Onche Ogbabe, Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, First Bank's Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Bisi Onasanya, Nigerian Ambassador to United States, Professor Ade Adefuye, and Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Kehinde Lawanson, during the envoy's visit to the bank’s head office, yesterday in Lagos.

By Udenna Orji

he Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) on Wednesday, released the breakdown of the 54 bidders that met the July 31, 2012 deadline for submission of technical and financial proposals for the privatisation of the 11 distribution companies (DISCOs) created from the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of

PHCN privatisation: BPE releases breakdown of bidders for DISCOs Nigeria (PHCN). A statement signed by the BPE Head of Public Communications, Mr. Chukwuma Nwokoh said “the prospective core investors, who must be local and/or

international power distributors or investors with power distributors as technical partners, will be responsible for operating the distribution companies, making the necessary investments to

Man, 25, defiles 4-year-old girl From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

he Oyo State Police C o m m a n d yesterdayparaded a 25year-old Femi Owolabi for brutally defiling a four year daughter of his neighbour. Parading the suspect to newsmen at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, the state Deputy Commissioner of Police, Clement Adoda said the

suspect took advantage of the girl in the absence of her parents. According to him, the mother of the victim went to report at Agugu Police Division on the 30th of July, that she found her little daughter coming out of the suspect’s room with blood all over her legs. The police boss further explained that, on a closer observation, the mother of the girl discovered that the girl was

bleeding profusely from her private organ. Owolabi hinted that, on receipt of the report, the men of the command went after the suspect and got him apprehended. He added that suspect is cooling his feet at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku for further interrogation and will be charged to court thereafter.

improve the distribution network and customer service in line with the objectives of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The transaction timeline reveals that the evaluation of the technical bids will take place between August 14 th and 28th , 2012. The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) will approve the results of the technical evaluation by September 11, 2 01 2 . The deadline for the shortlisted bidders for generation companies to submit their letters of credit is September 18, 2012, while October 2 nd , 2012 is the deadline for shortlisted bidders for distribution companies. Consequently, NCP’s approval will pave way for the opening of financial bids of the shortlisted investors”.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Airport lighteningpower project underway By Muhammad Sada

ower outages at airports occasioned by the inefficiency of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has forced BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), to start a multi-billion naira power enhancement project at the terminal. This was disclosed by Steve Omolale-Ajulo, the terminal's spokesperson, who said the operators are determined to provide a comfortable environment and make the most patronised ultra-modern private terminal in the country more conducive for its clients, especially the airlines whose operations require 24 hours electricity. He said the first phase of the project, which would sustain alternate power supply from the PHCN, would begin next Monday, and would last for about 60 days. According to the image maker, "the first phase involves the upgrade of the capacity of two of the four-unit generators supplying power to the terminal, BASL hopes that all the relevant agencies and bodies will cooperate to ensure the success of this project".

Plateau govt warns Jos, Bukuru residents of more flood By Mohammed Kandi

he Plateau state government has alerted residents of JosBukuru metropolis of more flood, barely two weeks after floods claimed scores of lives in the state capital. ``While we mourn the many lives lost to the flood that swept some parts of Jos penultimate Sunday, the Federal Ministry of Environment has alerted us of more floods. Those danger days are not far away,'' the state Commissioner for Environment, Mrs Sarah Yusuf, told newsmen in Jos yesterday. Yusuf listed areas likely to be affected to include Sheleng, Bukuru and their environs. ``It is good that we have this alert in advance. We don't want a situation where people will be taken unawares and many lives will be lost.'' The commissioner advised people living in those areas to promptly leave the areas, and advised residents to ensure that all drains and waterways were not blocked. Following the alert, Plateau state government yesterday convened a meeting of stakeholders to map out strategies to contain the situation. The worst-hit areas in the recent flood disaster included Angwan Rogo, Angwan Osi and Rikkos. (NAN)

PAGE 5

Gaidam approves N5.1bn for grassroots development By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

obe state Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam has approved N5.1 billion for the execution of special projects in all the 17 Local Government Councils of the state. This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Special Adviser on Press Affairs and Information to the governor, Abdullahi Bego. It added that each of the councils will spend N300

million to provide services such as boreholes, wells, hand pumps; drugs, consumables and construction of additional clinics, including construction and rehabilitation of primary school classrooms; construction of culverts and improvement of environmental sanitation as well as the repair of mass transit buses to improve local transportation amongst several others. The governor also urged the local government chairmen to

ensure that all projects and services designated for individual communities were executed according to their specifications, adding that a special committee would tour the local government areas to monitor implementation of the Grassroots Service Delivery initia tive. In addition, Gaidam approved the payment of N307, 241, 268.04 for pension and gratuities to 324 retired and deceased workers at the

L-R: Director, Individuals and Enterprises, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Peter Olayemi, acting Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi, and Director, Communications and Liaison, Mr Emmanuel Obeta, during a sensitisation workshop on personal income tax amendment for ministries, departments and agencies in the Federal Capital Territory, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

local government level from July 2011 to date.

Kogi wants NAPTIP office in Lokoja From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

he Kogi state government has called on the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters, NAPTIP, to locate an office in Lokoja, in view of its gateway status. Capt Idris Wada, made the appeal in Lokoja, when he received officials of the agency who were in his office, to register their appreciation over the role played by the government recently, when over 300 persons mostly children, were intercepted along ItobeAjaokuta road by the military. Represented by his Deputy, Arc Yomi Awoniyi, the governor said the gateway status of Lokoja which borders 10 states including the FCT, with people from thirty two states criss-crossing the State capital on a daily basis, makes the state vulnerable to trafficking. Capt. Wada assured the agency of all the necessary support whenever it chooses to locate its office in the State. While commending soldiers of the Nigerian Army for their alertness that led to the interception, all efforts aimed at securing lives and properties in the state, he restated, would be encouraged. Earlier in his remarks, Ezekiel Kaura, Director Investigations and Monitoring of NAPTIP, described the level of internal trafficking of persons in the country as worrisome, adding that it has downgraded the nations rating to the second tier from the first tier by the United Nations.

Kwara gov orders LGs to pay July salary From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

wara state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has directed all local government councils in the State to pay the July salaries of their workers without further delay. The governor who gave the directive in a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, said that there was no justification for further delay in the payment of local

government workers' salaries since all necessary procedures have been concluded. It would be recalled that the Kwara State government on Tuesday averted what would have been a general strike by members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) over unpaid allowances. The workers had earlier on Monday locked all gates to the local government area office in Pake, Ilorin East Local Government over the delay in payment of June salary before

government's intervention. The workers also threatened to beat up their leaders on the allegation that they have been bribed to stop the strike. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Isa Bawa later summoned the executive of the union to another meeting and pleaded with the workers to shelve their strike and give government time to address their demands. Meanwhile, the State Government has commenced a fresh round of

biometric registration in order to ensure that workers who claimed they were not captured during the recently concluded exercise are included. Alhaji Ahmed assured workers in the State of his administration's commitment to the promotion of workers' welfare whom he said, are critical to the realization of the goals of his administration's shared prosperity programme designed to transform Kwara state into a model state.

Lagos redesigns Apapa-Oshodi expressway From Adesoji Oyinlola, Lagos

agos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), is revamping Apapa-Oshodi expressway for outdoor advertisement in line with the Agency's plan for a new signage and outdoor advertising plan. Speaking on this development, the Managing Director of the Agency, Mr. George Kayode Noah

stated that "this is part of LASAA's plan to redefine Out-of-Home advertising in the State in line with the directives of His Excellency Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN). We have developed a new design for Apapa-Oshodi stretch taking into consideration modern and innovative outdoor structures that will compliment the environment''. Noah added that "all outdoor

practitioners whose structures have been affected particularly the spectacular types (Unipoles) have been notified of this exercise. We have engaged them on the benefits of the exercise to get their buy-in''. He emphasized that all outdoor practitioners whose advertising structures were affected, would have the first right of refusal on the stretch after the exercise was completed. The Agency is proposing structures with

Portrait design types, Tower designs, Cladded columns, V-shaped designs, Boundary wall signs, Bus shelters, and Street furniture. The redesign of Apapa Oshodi Expressway is one of the many steps to be taken by LASAA to implement the new outdoor masterplan. "This in the long run, will eradicate clutter and clustering which Lagos outdoor advertising space was synonymous with a few years ago''.

PAGE 6

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

ravelers and workers yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, were entertained with a low-key celebration, as the National Orientation Agency (NOA), bestowed 'Do The Right Thing' award on Mr. Imeh Esua, an airport taxi driver who returned the sum of N18 million forgotten in his car to its owner. Director -General of the Agency, Mike Omeri, who

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

NOA rewards taxi driver for returning N18m handed Esua a plaque and an envelope containing N30,000, declared him a proud winner of the Agency's Civic Responsibility Recognition Award, making him an icon of the "Do The Right Thing"

charge. Other winners include Lagos Governor, Babatunde Fashola and another driver, Mr. Hudu Idris. The brief ceremony which took place at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe

Airport was graced by other members of the Taxi Drivers Union, representative of the Minister of Aviation, Oche VictorElias, Regional General Manager of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),

Christian pilgrims lament lukewarm attitude of Kogi board

FEC adopts 2nd stanza of National Anthem as national prayer

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

he Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, has said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has adopted the second stanza of the National Anthem as the official prayer at all public functions. Mailafiya disclosed this when she visited the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, at the headquarters of the agency in Abuja. She said FEC now recites the second stanza of the National Anthem as a national prayer in all its meetings and was committed to ensuring that all public functions follow the same example. A statement issued yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary of the agency, Paul Odenyi, said that NOA has been advocating the adoption of a national prayer at public functions to engender the spirit of cohesion and unity, especially in supplication to the Almighty God. According to the DG, the practice of saying separate prayers by different religious faiths at public functions divides the country along religious lines. Earlier, the Governors of Ogun and Niger States, Ibikunle Amosun and Muazu Babangida Aliyu respectively, had similarly adopted the second stanza as official prayers at all public functions and schools in their states.

L-R: Airspace Manager, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Abuja Airport, Mr. Nelson Nwachukwu, Special Adviser (Tech) to Minister of Aviation, Mr. Oche Victor Elias, taxi driver and award recipient, Mr. Imeh Isuah, Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, and Regional General Manager, FAAN North Central, Mr. Chris Bature, jointly presenting a plaque to Mr. Imeh for returning the money forgotten in his taxi, yesterday in Abuja. Photo : Justin Imo-owo

Robbery: Ogun court remands 5

n Abeokuta Chief Magistrates' Court yesterday remanded five persons in police custody for allegedly robbing one Tunde Bisiriyu of a Toyota Camry car valued at N1.5 million. The suspects are Idris Alabi (27), Kehinde Raufu (32), Bidemi Damilola (28), Monday Arewa (20) and Aminat Adekanbi (24). The prosecutor, Sgt. Sunday Eigbejiale, told the court that the defendants committed the offence at Obantoko area of Abeokuta. He said the defendants later re-registered and sold the car to one Alhaji Musa Zakari in Maiduguri. "This gang is very dangerous and notorious for snatching vehicles at gun point within the

metropolis. "Idris, popularly called Aloma, is the gang leader and they have been carrying out their robbery operations with the use of AK47 and other kinds of arms and ammunition," he said. He said the State AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) got a tipoff that the gang members had lodged in an hotel at Asero, Abeokuta, and were planning another robbery. "The police moved in quickly and apprehended these ones while others escaped with bullet wounds. "On interrogation, the gang members confessed that they had sold the car to Zakari in Maiduguri. "The police commenced investigation and later retrieved

the car from the buyer. "Several other cars which had been stolen by the gang were also recovered through information supplied by them", he added. Chief Magistrate Ayoadele Ayobolu refused to grant the defendants bail and ordered that they should be kept in police custody until September 11 when trial would begin. (NAN)

Breastfeeding Week. According to him, "Well, I know that women do breastfeed in this town. It's just that actually not every woman practices exclusive breastfeeding; a lot of people don't. "A lot of people think that there is not enough water in breast, but breast milk has up to 87 per cent water; it has all the nutrients that a baby needs for the first six months of life.

"And the advantage of exclusive breastfeeding is that it also has some protective agents; it protects against infections; the immunity of the baby is boosted when the baby is breastfed and the risk of diarrhea is less. "Breast milk is free and then it also promotes the bonding between the mother and the child; it is known that the cognitive ability of a child that is exclusively breastfed is better than that of a

he intending Christian pilgrims in Kogi state for this year's pilgrimage to Isreal have lamented over the refusal of the acting Executive Secretary of the State Pilgrims Board, Mr. Sunday Aiyeto to sensitise them on the policy direction few weeks to the take off date. The intending Pilgrims who were seen at premises of the board in Lokoja told journalists that the executive secretary has been giving excuses on why the take off activities could not commence yet. One of the aggrieved members, Mr. Rotimi Fashanu, told newsmen that the board is trying to run away from some of the routines such as medical examination and seminar due to an alleged shortage of fund. They lamented that if urgent effort is not put in place to check the activities of the management of the board, the confidence which was built over the years by kogi state government on pilgrim operations in the state will be eroded. According to some of the intending pilgrims, despite their readiness to pay the required money, the exact amount could not be disclosed to them by the executive secretary, a situation which they said has created suspicion that there could foul play. When our correspondent made attempt to speak to the executive secretary, he was said to be indisposed.

Kogi lawmaker sends SOS to Wada From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

he member representing Ankpa 11 constituency in the Kogi state House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulahi Zakari has called on the state government to save Awo community from being cut-off

Bauchi women donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do exclusive breastfeeding - Expert ead of Pediatrics Department, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Dr. Shola Avong, has said that most women in Bauchi state do not practice exclusive breastfeeding. Avong made this known on Thursday in Bauchi in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while commenting on the 2012 World

Chris Bature and staff of the NOA in Abuja. Omeri said the award, as a universal concept, has deep roots in the Nigerian society and that it is not only the bad things that Nigerians are known for.

baby that is fed with breast milk substitute. "I think the activity that we need to concentrate on very much is teaching our women on complementary diets, that is where we've observed that we have a lot of problems.'' She said that it was disheartening to note that a lot of women failed to understand that all complementary foods were available in the markets. (NAN)

from the rest of the state. Speaking with newsmen in government house, Lokoja yesterday, Hon Zakari said the communities which make up Awo in Ankpa 11 constituency may be separated from their kit and keens very soon if something was not done urgently to repair the linking road. Abdulahi said as the representative of the people, what he saw in the area was beyond the finances of the local government, stressing that only the state ministry of works could salvage the situation. "The communities produce enough food items like rice, cassava, plantain and yam, but because the road is bad, these food items are wasted as the road has become impassable, leaving the food items to waste away.", he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 7

SSS nabs 8 susSSS nabs 8 suspected kidnappers, blackmailers pected kidnappers, blackmailers

ive suspects, including a 20-year-old woman, have been arrested by the Delta Command of the State Security Service (SSS) over two kidnap cases.

NDE to generate employment for 80 agric trainees

The command also nabbed three other suspects, including two brothers, for allegedly blackmailing a director in the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun in Delta with a fake pornographic photograph of him. Parading the suspects in Asaba yesterday, the state Director of SSS, Mrs. Florence Ikanone, said that the woman and four others kidnapped one Sunday Elueni, on April 13.

Ikanone said that the incident, which took place in a village near Ozoro, in Isoko north local government area of Delta state, was masterminded by the woman, who was a mistress to the victim. She said that the gang collected N800, 000 as ransom, which was shared among them, but that at the time of their arrest on July 25, two of them were at large.

The woman told newsmen later that she received N100, 000 from the money, while her accomplices received between N80, 000 and N95, 000 each. Ikanone said that the others were arrested for sending threat messages to Mr. David Ighovojah, Senior Special Assistant to the deputy governor of the state. She said the duo demanded “with menace”, the sum of N7

million from Ighovojah to save him from being kidnapped, and also designed, printed and superimposed pornographic pictures of the director. The SSS director added that the suspects sent threat messages to the man to pay some money to them so as to stop the pictures from being made public. She said all the suspects would be charged to court soon. (NAN)

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Bauchi state is to generate employment to about 80 participants of the current Rural Agricultural Development and Training Scheme (RADTS). The state coordinator of the scheme, Malam Isa Jibrin, reiterated this during the flagging off of the training scheme yesterday in Bauchi, saying NDE is ready to contribute towards providing employment opportunities to hundreds of unemployed in the state. He explained that participants would at the end of the four months training, inculcate the spirit of selfreliance through the knowledge acquired to become poultry farmers, fish farmers, animal fattening practitioners, irrigation and crop farmers. Malam Isa Jibrin said participants would become not only self-employed but also employers of labour serving as sponge to suck up unemployed youths in the state.

L-R: National President, Patriotic League, Chief Mike Arinze, former Principal Secretary to PDP National Chairman, Mr. Aminu Yakudima, and Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Privileges, Mrs. Sarah Jibril, during an inter-religious peace summit, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

UN women want Africa to Land dispute: Kwara gov warns communities to avoid encroachment legislate against From Olannrewaju Lawal, Ilorin Governor Ahmed who gave harmony which the state is for farming or other activities this directive at a meeting with renowned for, that we can without the permission of the violence socio-economic Kwara State Bureau of Lands. wara state governor, leaders of the two warring ensure

r. Grace Ongile, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, has urged African countries to show more commitment towards having laws that would stop violence against women and girls. In an address in Abuja during the 5th Session of Africa Unite Campaign Regional Steering Committee meeting, being hosted by ECOWAS, Ongile said despite the progress achieved so far, there were gaps and commitment towards legislation on violence, especially in Africa. Ongile said the problem was compounded by the fact that in many countries, there were gaps and commitment problems towards legislation on violence against women and children. She said in Nigeria, with the support of Legislative Advocacy Coalition on violence against women, a bill to eliminate such violence has gone to the second reading in the National Assembly. She said her office, in collaboration with other stakeholders, was developing a national strategy and action plan, towards mediation issues, peace and security agenda as well as HIV and AIDS, among others. (NAN)

Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed has directed the people of Share and Tsaragi in Ifelodun and Edu local government areas of the state, to desist from encroaching on the Kange Buffer Zone which has been gazetted as state government land.

communities also directed the state’s security agencies to maintain law and order in the area. He further implored the two communities to maintain peace especially as the case was before a court, adding that “it is only in an atmosphere of peace and

Plateau govt acquires 100 hectares land as dump site From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

overnor Jonah Jang of Plateau state, yesterday, disclosed that his administration has acquired 100 hectares of land along Zaria road to be used as a dump site for waste. Jang made the disclosure at the Polymer Institute of Nigeria first sensitisation seminar with the theme “Managing Polymeric Waste Materials for Sustainable Economic Development”. The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mrs. Comfort Piwuna, said the state government has sent a delegation to Lagos state to borrow a leaf in managing

waste stressing that waste management has become a global problem that needs to be tackled with all seriousness. He added that waste is competing with humanity for space, pointing out that the state is very much concerned about the indiscriminate dumping of waste and looked forward to partnering with the institute of polymer and other stakeholders in combating and tackling the problem. Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Hayward Babale Mafugai, said waste has become a serious challenge to the country and there was a need for the country to convert waste to wealth.

development of the communities”. Speaking on the issue, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Kamaldeen Ajibade, explained that no member of the two communities can have access to the Kange Buffer Zone

The Etsu Tsaragi, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi Kpotwa, who led the Tsaragi delegation and the Balogun of Share, Alhaji Olayinola Balogun who represented the Olupaka of Share, assured the governor that peace will prevail between the two communities.

Ministry pledges commitment to indigenous language

he Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mr. Edem Duke, yesterday reiterated the commitment of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) to the promotion of Nigerian lan guag es. Duke, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, said this in Abuja at the opening ceremony of 2012 Nigerian Indigenous Language Programme organised by NICO. He said the ministry was set to encourage the teaching, learning and documentation of indigenous languages. He noted that language was

a vehicle for the transmission of peoples’ culture which must be encouraged through print and other media. Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma, Executive Secretary, NICO, said 90 percent of Nigerian languages would be replaced by dominant languages in the next century if measures were not taken to check the trend. Ayakoroma noted that there was the fear that more than half of the world’s estimated 6,900 languages would also go into extinction. The Executive Secretary, however, promised to foster the preservation of Nigeria indigenous language toward the sustenance of its rich cultural heritage. (NAN)

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Boost national parks for economy, minister tasks committee By Abdulwahab Isa

L-R: Former Director General, National Gallery of Arts, Dr Paul Dike, representative of Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, and Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma, during the opening of 2012 Nigerian indigenous language programme, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Court arraigns man for stealing bush meat From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

in etee n-year-old Lucky Vincent has been arraigned before an Ikpoba Okha Area Customary Court sitting in Idogbo in Edo state for allegedly stealing a smoked bush rabbit. The accused person with charge number IOACC/143c/ 2012 was alleged to have stolen the rabbit from the fire where it

was being dried by the owner, one Osifo Solomon on July 26, 2012 at house No. 5 Amadin street, Upper Sokponba Road in Benin City; an offence punishable under section 390(9) of the laws of the defunct Bendel state of Nigeria 1976 as applicable in Edo state. Vincent pleaded not guilty and President of the court, Princess Esther Eweka, however, granted bail to the accused person in the sum of N10,000 and a surety in

‘BSG committed to growth of private investors’ From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

au chi state government has expressed its commitments towards the growth and sustenance of private investors in the state. The state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hajiya Amina Mohammad made this known during an inspection tour of Sahelian Granites Industry in Bauchi yesterday. She said that the present

administration in the state recognized the significant role of industries to economic development of any community and promised to encourage government ministries, parastatals and agencies to patronize local industries in the state. The commissioner explained that the government also recognized the employment opportunity offered by industries which would ease the high level of idleness among the young people.

like sum. Similarly, an Ikpoba Okha Area Customary Court sitting at Idogbo in the state has sentenced one 20-year-old Lucky Johnbull to three years in prison with hard labour for breaking and entry. The accused pleaded guilty to the offence. The prosecutor, Inspector Victor Ehiorobo who gave the facts of the case told the court that the convict broke into house No. 99 Goody Goody Street,

Upper Sokponba road, Benin City, at about 2am and stole a laptop belonging to one Omosigho Osadebamwen valued at N85,000; five phones valued N61,000 belonging to Eyro Valentino, Stephen Onyka and Lawrence Arop and a wall wine bar valued at N15,000 owned by one Osato Idemudia. President of the court, Princess Esther Eweka said the jail term was without option of fine.

f repositioned, the nation’s national parks could contribute substantially to the transformation of the nation’s economy, Minister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, has said. Towards this end, she charged members of the steering committee on the commercialisation of Nigeria’s national parks inaugurated recently to study the report of the Working Group of the Steering Committee that contains in-depth assessment of the parks. A statement issued by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Chukwuma Nwokoh quoted the minister saying that, though the national parks were well endowed with natural resources, they are bedeviled with numerous challenges such as inadequate and poor infrastructure, land use conflicts, low capacity and security issues. She urged the committee to consider limiting private sector involvement to the eco-tourism component while the “biodiversity aspect is left to the public sector as practiced in other parts of the world”. The minister pointed out that membership of the steering committee “cuts across the relevant government agencies, non-governmental organisations and support zone communities” and deliberately designed to articulate a National Parks Sector Policy that would ensure active participation of public sector in the sustainable management of the parks.

Niger budgets N5.5bn to complete Minna city tower From Iliya Garba, Minna

iger state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development, Engr. Abubakar Baba Jibreel has said that it will cost the state N5.5 billion to complete the 23 storey Minna city centre. Jibreel, who made this known yesterday at the executive council briefing at the government house, said that investors and individuals would be involved in the tower building project that would bring development to the state. Engr.Jibreel said that the

Minna city centre was designed in a calabash form with accommodating drums that portrays the culture of Niger State, “the architectural drawings are in place to buttress what the tower will look like”. He also said that restaurants, parks, banks and insurance would be put in place to make life comfortable in the tower. The Commissioner for Gender Affair, Hajiya Hassan Adamu restated government’s effort to stop street begging in the state, adding that, it has dragged the image of the state to mud.

She regretted the rate of influx of beggars to Niger state, stressing that 90% of beggars in the state are from other Northern states. “Most of the beggars driven away from the capital territory, Abuja were pushed down to Niger State due to proximity which absolutely give bad name to the state”. The commissioner also highlighted some of the reformatory centres established by government to help them learn a particular trade that would help them in life, such as blind centre in Bida and Minna, spinal cord injuries care centre.

Violence against women hinders development, says expert By Maryam Garba Hassan

iolence against women has been described as a menace that hinders development and leads to displacement as well as consequences on women’s health and wellbeing which also carries a heavy human and economic cost. This was disclosed yesterday in Abuja by UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria represented by Louise Setshwaelo, at the 5th Regional

Steering Committee Meeting of the African UNiTE Campaign to end Violence Against Women and Girls. Stetshwaelo lamented that even as advocates for women’s rights have successfully placed the menace on public policy and global security agenda, the rate of violence women and girls face at home and in public places today, has reach pandemic proportions. She reiterated UN’s readiness

to integrate the outcome of the Regional Committee Meeting into the development assistant frameworks of the countries in Africa and urged development agencies to join forces with the campaign coordinators, to address the menace in a more coordinated manner. In her remarks, Director Women, Gender and Development of the African Union Commission, Litha Musyimi Ogana, said her

outfit believes in African solutions to African problems and looks forward to using the 53 grassroots Health Projects on Maternal Mortality, Women’s Health and HIV/AIDS, supported under theme 3 of the Decade in 2011 to strengthen the campaign. Earlier in her opening remarks, Commissioner for Human Development And Gender, Dr. Adrienne Diop, said the menace which is global, affect

women and girls at all stages of their lifecycle adding that even during peace time, women of all socio-economic classes are still confronted with various degrees of violence. She said the violence against women and girls during wars was an extreme manifestation of the discrimination and abuse they face in peace time which she said, contributes to the widespread acceptance of domestic violence.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Kogi commissioner dies after five days in office From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

arely five days after inauguration of Mr. Simon Ige Olotumayin as the Commissioner for Budget and Planning into the Kogi state cabinet, the man has died. Late Olotumayin reportedly died of an undisclosed ailment suspected to be stroke in an undisclosed hospital in Lagos where he was rushed to. Funeral arrangements for the late Central Bank (CBN) staff who hailed from Kpoyon in Yagba East local government area of the state were yet to be disclosed as at press time yesterday.

Ex-pilot questions panel integrity, condemns attack on Aviation minister From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

retired pilot with the defunct Nigerian Airways, Capt. Tito Omagbemi, yesterday, said the report of the Technical and Administrative Review Panel on Domestic Airlines (TARPDA), set up by the Aviation Minister and chaired by Grp. Capt. John Obakpolor were laced with malice as a result of the personnel that made up the panel. The ex-captain disclosed that majority of the members had also contributed to the woes that currently bedevil the country’s aviation industry through their actions and inaction and thus presented the minister of aviation with a lopsided document. He pointed out that the chairman of the panel is hitherto an employee of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the same agency whom the Director General Dr. Harold Demuren was asked to step aside by the Federal Government in the aftermath of the DANA Air crash in Lagos on June 3 to enable the panel carry out its investigation thoroughly. Other prominent members were not left out in his estimation that he said has arouse to grind with difference agencies in the sector which has either refuses to grant their request in time paste or has fallen out of favour with. Omagbemi told our reporter that two other persons, Capt. Mfom and Capt. Austin Omame both were executive directors in Aviation Development Company whose aircraft crashlanded in 2006 killing all its passengers while the third person, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia could have taken his pound of flesh after his application for an Aircraft Operating Certificate (AOC) was rejected on grounds that the said plane was over 40 years.

he Chief Judge of Zamfara state, Justice Kulu Aliyu, yesterday, ordered a man accused of theft to be given 30 strokes of the cane before setting him free from the Gummi Prison. The accused, Abdullahi Garba, 40, who was accused of stealing a sheep, had been languishing in prison custody for the past six months without his trial being concluded. The Chief Judge, who was in Gummi in continuation of her statewide tour of prisons, also set free a handset thief, Sufiyanu Sani, who was also serving a six-months jail term at the prison. She however denied amnesty to one Najib Musa who was accused

PAGE 11

CJ frees theft suspect after 30 cane strokes of homosexual behaviour. The accused had pleaded with the CJ to release him from custody. He claimed that he wanted to perform the lesser Hajj in SaudiArabia to seek mercy for his crime. The judge ordered the Gummi Sharia Court to further investigate the charges against him as his crime was a sin against

the community. Aliyu however expressed concern over the poor condition of prison yards in the state. She urged local councils to assist in the rehabilitation development of the prison yards. The chief judge said it was only when the prisons were made habitable that the prisoners would be healthy. She said such prisoners would

then be made to feel that they were part of the society. According to her this would make their rehabilitation after their jail terms easier. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief Judge had been on tour of the state as part of this year’s Judiciary Week activity during which she visited prison facilities and reviewed some cases .(NAN)

L-R: Minister of Power, Professor Bath Nnaji, and Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, briefing journalists on the state of the power sector, on Wednesday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye.

600 communities scramble for agency dev. projects in Kogi

r. James Odiba, the General Manager of Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency (KSCSDA), has said that over 600 communities in the state are scrambling for the agency’s development projects. Odiba told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview yesterday in Lokoja that the World Bank-assisted agency had so far carried out needs assessment on

119 communities. He said that 96 of the 119 needs-assessed communities had been formulated into Community Development Plans (CDPs) and reviewed by their various Local Government Review Committees for execution. He stated that the agency approved 83 of the projects comprising 215 micro projects for execution. Odiba added that 79 of the 83

community development projects valued at about N695 million were on-going with the agency’s financial commitment of N630 million. He noted that 135 micro projects were currently being executed in various sectors and communities across the state with an outstanding disbursement of N321 million. Odiba described the agency as an instrument and platform for

increased access to more than 70 per cent of Kogi people living in poverty in the rural areas and who were hitherto, denied human development services. NAN recalls that the state governor, Capt. Idris Wada, on Tuesday during the ground breaking ceremony of an office complex for the agency, pledged to partner with development agencies to undertake community development projects. (NAN)

Oyo, choice destination for agric investment – says Ajimobi

government is poised to provide all necessary incentives to attract investors to the state. Governor Ajimobi, who spoke at the New World Nigeria Investment Forum in London, alongside the governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and other

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

Katsina awards N2bn contracts

From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan he governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has declared that the state is one of the choicest destinations for investors who are interested in agriculture in Nigeria and that his

atsina state government has awarded contracts worth N2 billion for the construction of roads and landscaping of the new government house. Briefing newsmen shortly after the weekly executive council of the state, the Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport, Architect Mustapha Maikudi Kankia noted the total sum of N1.6 billion was approved for the phase 10 of Katsina Ring Road.

Kankia similarly disclosed that the three Katsina metropolis roads were also awarded at the cost of N413 million while the landscaping of the new government house was awarded at the cost of N92 million. He noted that the three roads and the Ring Road were initiated as part of government efforts to decongest traffic along major roads in the metropolis. In another development, the state’s Head of Service, Alhaji

dignitaries said the government has identified five priority areas in the state’s quest for investment. The five areas identified are agriculture and transport, infrastructure, manufacturing and small to medium enterprises, solid minerals, culture and tourism

Lawal Aliyu Daura, has disclosed that a committee set-up by the state government to verify workers arrears has uncovered that N11 billion was needed for that purpose. He said the arrears are for workers in the state service, local government workers and primary school teachers, adding that another committee under the state commissioner of finance was set-up to work out modalities of the payment.

and power. He said the state hopes that investors would be attracted to the state by virtue of its pacesetter status in Nigeria, a landmass of 32,000 square kilometers, a large population of 6.7 million people, the existence of world class research institutes like IITA and the University of Ibadan, numerous tourist attractions and a largest deposit of solid mineral resources. Sen Ajimobi said the government had outlined a 6-point strategic agenda to facilitate radio investments in the state, notably the establishment of a Public Private Partnership Unit, establishment of a functional socioeconomic management team for the state, preparation of a10-year development plan and the enhancement of e-governance.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 12

EDITORIAL

Dame Patience is overplaying role of first lady

irst lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, seems to be taking her position rather too seriously for our liking. For a position that is not even in the Constitution, Patience’s determination to confer extraordinary relevance upon it beats the imagination and we strongly feel she should be called to order. Last week, for example, she weathered all manner of controversy to host the African First Ladies’ Peace Mission Summit here in Abuja, the real purpose and relevance of which is only clear in her own imagination. The first controversy was in relation to the purchase of about 200 exotic BMW cars from Coscharis Motors by the Presidency for use at the summit. Though Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, denied that the cars were bought, arguing that they were hired and would be returned after the summit, officials of the motor company, however, said that the cars were indeed paid for. The second controversy came quickly afterwards when it emerged that the Presidency again sent an Air Force jet to fetch the Malawian President, Joyce Banda, for the summit. Suffering Nigerians who are daily emasculated by the harsh economic climate in the country would have benefited more from such presidential largesse instead of a foreigner who, to all intents and purposes, can fend for herself. The land where the proposed secretariat of the first ladies’ mission is

to be built was another source of controversy over its ownership. The dispute between the wife of late President Umaru Yar’adua, Turai and Patience is still raging in court after failed attempts by the Federal Government to resolve it amicably. We believe the just concluded summit was another spirited effort by Patience Jonathan to seek relevance for wives of political office holders. We recall that

“

The Abuja summit, in our opinion, is nothing but another needless jamboree and a brazen display of profligacy and misplaced priorities that have become the hallmark of this administration after taking the oath of office as a Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa state civil service, she made a call for lawmakers to create a role in the Constitution for wives of political office holders. This dim witted and embarrassing suggestion does nothing but reflect the intellectual emptiness of our first lady for which we think she deserves a strong reprimand from her husband. Platitudes aside, we are at a loss as to

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how the summit will achieve the objectives of promoting peace across the continent. It is true that women and children bear the brunt of wars and conflicts especially in Africa but if truth be told there hardly is much the first ladies can do in practical terms to stem this if their husbands in power continue to fail in providing good governance for the people. Since its establishment in 1997, very little has been achieved in terms of prevention of conflicts by the first ladies; we are hard pressed to point at instances when their interventions have made any significant impact. The Abuja summit, in our opinion, is nothing but another needless jamboree and a brazen display of profligacy and misplaced priorities that have become the hallmark of this administration. The opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) aptly summed up the nation’s mood in a statement: “What is stupefying is that this un-budgeted spending is coming when many states of the Federation are on shoe-string budgets because of the depressed economy. Indeed, the May allocations from the Federation Account have not been fully released to the states; it is at this time that the Jonathan administration has chosen to host a rather feckless and utterly profligate jamboree. Many patriotic leaders in other climes would have used times like this to invest the scarce resources in invigorating the productive capacity of the economy”.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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Gonin Gora: Where Makarfi erred By Ahmed Abdallah

onin Gora village located on Kaduna-Abuja express way has become a killing ground of unsuspecting travelers during sectarian crises in Kaduna state. Since the sectarian crisis in the year 2000, during which a serving federal lawmaker was butchered by militant youth at Gonin Gora, the village has degenerated into a death zone. There is no other part of the country where innocent travelers are hacked and roasted to death like the Gonin Gora axis. The most recent occurrence and the now obvious negative multiplier impact it portends, has forced stake holders to put on their thinking caps on the best way to tackle the dangerous dimensions of the Gonin Gora menace. It is now apparent that should the rascality and barbaric act of murderous ecstasy of the Gonin Gora youths be allowed to continue, there could come a day when such will lead to a major national crisis, the magnitude which could now only be imagined. The people usually killed at the village were travelers-breadwinners from various parts of the country. Imagine a situation where relatives of all the victims scattered all across the country degenerate to seek vengeance. As the dust from the last crisis settles, there is need to find a lasting solution to the Gonin Gora madness. The killings must By Muhammad Ajah

ith the naming of Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar to the leadership of Nigerian Judiciary, the ratio in top government appointment has for the first time in the history of the country, balanced. Two men to one woman is a good ratio, and it should be a basis of comparison between the leadership of the male and that of the female at the end of this administration. This development is a good omen for the government of President Goodluck Jonathan if the opportunity can be utilized to the best for the interest of the citizenry and enthronement of democracy and the rule of law. The executive and the legislative arms of Nigeria’s government have never been entrusted to Nigerian women politicians. The first female Speaker of the lower Chamber of the National Assembly, Hon. Patricia Etteh, which was then the highest elective position for the Nigerian women, was conspicuously set up and removed by the same people who are now facing the nemesis. How God works should caution human beings of not just looking at their feet but imagining the pregnancy in tomorrow. Aloma’s appointment is another outstanding achievement by President Goodluck Jonathan because, assuredly, there were a lot of

stop. In that regard, several suggestions have been made on ways to check the matter. There have been harsh suggestions from very senior citizens for the entire village to be relocated from its present land. Harsh as it may seem, it is not a bad idea regarding that some dwellers of Gonin Gora have insatiable thirst for human blood. The federal government on its part had shortly before the recent crisis tagged the village as a dark spot of violence and killings. The decision was based on past crisis and the government decided to build a mobile police barrack at Gonin Gora to protect travelers. But it is pertinent to trace the history of how such a homogeneous and blood thirsty settlement came to be situated at such a strategic location. Gonin Gora as it is today came to being during the administration of former governor and now Senator Ahmed Makarfi. It was Makarfi who approved land allocation to persons mainly from the southern parts of the state. That administration defied all warnings and allocated the vast land which is now mainly populated by people from a certain part of the state. Makarfi’s decision then was driven by his selfish plans to secure another term in office. The situation of Gonin Gora is one of the ugly fall outs of the so called peace brought to Kaduna by the Makarfi administration. It was during Makarfi that Kaduna city became balkanised

into Christians and Muslims settlements. Today Kaduna is sharply divided between adherents of the two main religions. For instance a Christian dare not reside or even venture into Rigasa area of the town while a Muslim cannot reside or move freely in Ungwar Romi. This ugly situation was one

much due to inadequate personnel. A unit of the force had about four military personnel. Imagine just four soldiers trying to contain thousands of armed rampaging youth. The current Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo as governor of Kaduna state decided to reorganize the security

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There should be a plan that will bring back the Makarfi era where Christians, Muslims, Hausas, Katafs, Igbos etc can live side by side in Gonin Gora, Ungwar Shanu and all other parts of the state for that matter of the legacies bequeath the state by Makarfi. The former governor recently attributed the attack at Gonin Gora to the dismantling of the strike force units he put in place during his time. However, contrary to the former governor’s claim, the strike force was never meant to be a permanent security arrangement. It only succeeded in heightening the tension that slowly dragged the people apart. The strike force could not achieve

arrangement in the state, by establishing ‘Operation Yaki’. The outfit was well equipped to respond swiftly to all security challenges. At that time, crime was reduced to the barest minimum and there was no single case of a major sectarian crisis. People in the state related and aided the ‘operation yaki’ in policing the state and confidence was gradually returning to the state. This is in addition to the creation of observation posts at major highways leading to the

state, as can be evidently seen on Kaduna-Abuja expressway and more. Unfortunately, soon after Sambo’s elevation to office of VP, the operation began to lose its steam due to poor funding. The joint patrol team which used to boast of hundreds of functional and well equipped patrol vans and motorbikes almost grounded. Only recently the state Police commissioner was reported as saying that some stations even hire commercial vehicles for patrol. Imagine that! Gonin Gora can become safe again in the interest of everybody. But first there has to be a commitment on the side of the present administration in Kaduna to gradually build confidence for genuine peace to return. There should be a plan that will bring back the Makarfi era where Christians, Muslims, Hausas, Katafs, Igbos etc can live side by side in Gonin Gora, Ungwar Shanu and all other parts of the state for that matter. The Beirut-style peace achieved by Makarfi in Kaduna is unacceptable and is the major reason why travelers are becoming major targets during crisis. A mobile police station would be a good development at Gonin Gora, but the ultimate peace is not forced on the people. The people of Kaduna are desirous to co-habit happily again as it were before Makarfi’s reign. God help Kaduna state. Abdallah wrote in from Tudun Wada, Kaduna

Aloma Mukhtar: A feather in Jonathan’s cap interests against her emergency as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). The President, who has shown clear disposition to the empowerment of Nigerian women and the recognition and promotion of the excellence in them, withstood all the pressure and made a history as the first Nigerian president to appoint a first female CJN. More women (at least 35% of the executive members) are in his government. The oil cartel is being fought for the first time and oil industry is up for repositioning to enhance the nation’s economy. On July 30, 2012, President Jonathan sent a letter of Aloma’s appointment to the Senate for confirmation in conformity with Section 231 Sub-section (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended. The letter read, “I have the honour to forward the nomination of Honourable Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, CON, CFR for confirmation as Chief Justice of Nigeria. These appointments have been necessitated by the impending retirement from service of Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher, Chief

Justice of Nigeria and Hon. Justice F.F. Tabai,” he said. A woman ordained to excel and triumph, the political profile of Justice Aloma is great. Born on November 20, 1944, she attended St. George Primary School, Zaria and St. Bartholomew’s School, Wusasa, Zaria, Kaduna State, Rossholme School for Girls, East Brent, Somerset, England, Reading Technical College, Reading, Berkshire, England and Gibson and Weldon College of Law, England. She was called to the English Bar in Absentia in November, 1966 and to the Nigerian Bar in July 1967. She began her career as Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Northern Nigeria, 1967,Office of the Legal Draftsman, Interim Common Services Agency, Magistrate Grade I, North Eastern State Government, 1971, Chief Registrar, Kano State Government Judiciary, 1973, Judge of the High Court of Kano State, 1977-1987, Justice of the Court of Appeal, 1987-1993 and Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, 1993-2005. She was was the first woman

on the bench and the first woman Justice of the Supreme Court. She was also the first woman to be appointed into the Appeal Court. In 2000, she served in the Court of Appeal and ranked third in seniority behind his predecessor, Justice Dahiru Musdapher and the President of the Court of Appeal. In 2005, she was confirmed as Supreme Court Justice and was much later joined by Justices Olufunlola Adeyeye and Mary Odili. She is the 13 indigenous CJN Nigeria had produced. The past CJN’s included justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, who retired in 2011. Others are, Adetokunbo Ademola 1958–1972, Teslim Olawale Elias, 1972–1975, Darnley Arthur Alexander, 1975–1979, Atanda Fatai Williams, 1979–1983, George Sodeinde Sowemimo, 1983– 1985, Ayo Gabriel Irikefe, 1985– 1987, Mohammed Bello, 1987– 1995, Muhammad Lawal Uwais, 1995–2006, Salihu Moddibo Alfa Belgore, 2006–2007, Idris Legbo Kutigi, 2007–2009, Aloysius Ignatius Kastina-Alu 2009 -2011 and Justice Dahiru Musdahper 2011- 2012.

Forces for and against her emergency stood stark. This had been the greatest force. A woman heading the judiciary! The odd forces had haunted her from the early parts of her service. She was said to be senior to the immediate past CJN, Dahiru Musdapher, in the old Kano State judiciary, having joined service some six months before the retired CJN, though younger in age, but was sidelined when it was time to appoint the Chief Judge of the state. It is said that she was then asked to transfer her service to the Court of Appeal where she served for 17 years. Unfortunately even while qualified, but still being a woman, she was allegedly kept at the Court of Appeal as one president emerged after the other in that court. And to seal any possibility of heading that court, her promotion to the Supreme Court was engineered. There were even alleged moves to make her the full time Chief Justice of the Republic of Gambia. But God had heard her cry and encouraged President Jonathan to fight off the forces and insist on her merit and competence. She is described as a trailblazer in her career and one Contd. on page 15

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Who owns the land: Turai or AFLPM? By Sampson Giwa

n the last few days, there have been publications in the national dailies about the “disputed” land which was purportedly allocated to the former First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar’adua. There had been claims and counter claims over the said land which has pitched the former and current First Ladies against each other. Now, before I go into the facts of the matter, would someone tell me if all these comments and opinions being sponsored in newspapers are not subjudice since the case is still in court? Be that as it may, I think there is the need for someone to put the records straight and put the facts on the table so that Nigerians will be able to make sound and unbiased comments about the issue at stake. My suspicion was ordinarily stirred by the obvious inconsistencies in the different media comments and analyses, such that I was constrained to dig into the matter and lay the facts

bare to Nigerians. Here are my • Turai was elected the • Patience inherited this and findings; President of African First Ladies commissioned it as Interim • The African First Ladies Peace Peace Mission in the Republic of Secretariat of the Mission during Centre (Mission) was granted Congo in February 2008 and got the 7th Summit of AFLPM. Statutory Right of Occupancy the mandate of her colleagues for • A new file no MISC 116519 with the file No. MISC 101173 Nigeria to host the Permanent was open to cover Plot 703 over plot 703 in 2008. Secretariat of the Mission. originally allocated to AFLPC • The AFLPC (M) when the was issued a need arose for the Certificate of building of the Occupancy Permanent site Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text after accepting of the AFLPM messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written the offer on • Plot 1347 11th August, was allocated in contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 2008.(this was respect of words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and after the Women and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed meeting of the Y o u t h to: s t e e r i n g E m p o we r m e n t committee of Foundation The Editor, A F L P M ( W A Y E F ) , Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, Presidency, Turai’s NGO (no 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. chaired by date available as Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com T u r a i at press time) SMS: 07037756364 Yar’Adua and (all applicable attended by fees paid as at then FCT N o v e m b e r Minister, Aliyu Moddibo Umar) • Turai secured the use of part 2 0 1 1 ) • The then Minister, Aliyu of the Institute for Peace and • FCTA maintains that plot Moddibo Umar told the meeting Conflict resolution as the Interim 1347 was the same allocated to that the plot allocated to the Secretariat of the Mission pending the African First Ladies Peace Mission was centrally located the Building of the Permanent Centre (Mission) in 2008. opposite the Ministry of Justice. Secretariat. Matters Arising:

WRITE TO US

• Where is Plot 703? • Where is Plot 1347? • When was Plot 1347 allocated? (none of the sponsored articles made any reference to that) • Was Plot 703 converted to Plot 1347? • Why would Aliyu Moddibo Umar and his successor, Adamu Aliero not clear the air about these allocations? It appears to me that someone is trying to play smart here. This is a game plan that only discerning eyes would see, not even the eyes of the law. From the above stated facts, Plot 703 seems to me to be Plot 1347. If this is so, the former ministers owe us a duty to explain the riddle behind the two allocations. With that, records will be put straight and Nigerians will know who among the two is greedy and guilty of abuse of office, and who is following due process. I rest my case for the judicious and unbiased minds. Sampson Giwa wrote in from Lagos.

Bonga oil spill: Stubborn Shell shrugs off hefty fine By Nnimmo Bassey

hell’s reaction to the fine announced by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) over its Bonga oil spill of December 2011 is in line with the oil companies’ stance of avoiding responsibility whenever possible. We recall the case of the Ijaw Aborigines who took their complaints of years of environmental despoliation by Shell to the National Assembly (NASS) in 2000. The complainants demanded compensation of US$1.5 billion from Shell and this was granted by the NASS. However, Shell rejected the outcome with almost the same reason given in the Bonga case. Shell claimed then that the NASS did not have the powers to penalize it or ask it to compensate the claimants. Their resistance was premised on a claim that the NASS was not a competent body to impose such a fine. The Ijaw Aborigines went to the courts and obtained a ruling that the US$1.5 billion should be lodged in an account pending appeal. At the appeal, Shell among other pleadings wanted the court to decide ‘whether or not the investigative power or any of the powers of National Assembly under the 1999 Constitution…extends to the exercise of judicial powers and award of damages…Whether or not the Political Resolution of the National Assembly or any of its Committee made pursuant to a petition brought before the National Assembly or any of its committee, or at all, has any legal effect and/or legal consequences whatsoever.’ The appeal was recently decided with the justices agreeing with Shell that the

National Assembly had conferred on itself judicial powers only the courts had constitutionally. They also saw the NASS as having breached the Doctrine of Separation of Powers. The oil company must be popping champagne on gaining this reprieve. However, the issue of the damaged environment and livelihoods remains unaddressed and the aggrieved people are still stuck in the mire. Another case that highlights the way corporations frustrate poor communities is that of the heavily polluted Ejama-Ebubu community of Tai Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. The community sued Shell over a spill that occurred in 1970/1 and after a long-drawn and tortuous process won the case in July 2010 with an award of N15.4 billion or US$100 million as compensation for the massive pollution of their community. The case was first filed in 2001. This judgement has not been executed because the powerful oil company can always find a tiny technical point on which to delay or avoid acceptance of responsibility for their actions. Reacting to their fine on the 2011 Bonga oil spill as announced by NOSDRA, a Shell spokesman reportedly claimed: ‘We do not believe there is any basis in law for such a fine. Neither do we believe that SNEPCO has committed any infraction of Nigerian law to warrant such a fine.’ Ghana is a new player in the oil sector. However, oil spills and oil company impunity started showing up before their first commercial shipment of crude oil. After three oil spill incidents in 2010 that country’s minister of environment set up a committee to review the situation and to aid the government decision on what steps to take. After due reviews the

government slammed a $35 million fine on the oil company, Kosmos. Its response was an outright rejection of the fine with the argument that the fine was ‘totally unlawful, unconstitutional, ultra vires and without basis.’ Kosmos argued that they couldn’t find where the Minister derived the power to fine it. They could not find any such authority under the Ghanaian Constitution or any other law of the country to impose a fine on any person on account of an oil spillage incident. Kosmos’s kicking, screaming and bullying eventually earned it a drastically reduced fine. The company eventually paid US$15 million as a fine for the spills as well as for withholding data information on their operations. The outlaw nature of the corporations is entrenched by weak regulatory frameworks within which they work. Consider the case of the several attempts in Nigeria to stop gas flaring. The numerous deadlines set for snuffing out the noxious flames have never been respected. And the fines paid for routine gas flaring are both miniscule and suspicious. Attempts by the previous NASS to criminalise the act could not be carried through as only the Senate did any significant work on the issue. Just when we thought the current executive draft of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was setting a December 2012 deadline for halting the harmful practice we hear from the Presidency that the copies in the public space are ‘fake’ drafts of the PIBs. The ‘fake drafts’ also seek to place the burden of spills attributed to sabotage on local and state governments. Several issues arise from the shifting of burdens. First it would empower the oil companies to make more strident efforts to

attribute spills to sabotage when actually they are the result of their faulty equipment and negligence. Secondly, local governments and states do not have control over any of the existing security forces and so cannot be expected to police oil installations. Fourthly, it would further criminalise the victims and leave their environments degraded while the companies and their partner federal government dance to the bank without responsibility for their acts. And more. A copy of the ‘authentic PIB’ obtained as this piece was being concluded shows that the provisions on gas flaring are hardly different from the status quo. There is no deadline for ending gas flaring and fines can only be as determined by the minister from time to time. The ‘fake’ PIB had stated that offenders would pay the commercial value of gas flared as a clear deterrent. With regard to the duty to restore environments polluted by oil spills due to sabotage, the ‘authentic PIB’ places the burden on local and state governments just as the ‘fake PIB’ provided. A cursory review of the ‘authentic PIB’ shows that there may be further watering down from the draft that went to the Federal Executive Council (FEC). But we cannot say for sure until we obtain the ‘authentic draft’ that went to the FEC. It is clear that weak regulatory environments do not just happen. They are politically engineered to suit certain players. We recall that WikiLeaks reports revealed a top Shell official, Ann Pickard, boasting that the company had infiltrated vital government ministries in Nigeria and so had privileged information about the

internal workings of government. At another occasion she brashly stated that the company would not accept any new petroleum law that does not suit them and the politicians. At an Oil and Gas conference in Abuja, Nigeria in February 2010, she stated that Nigeria’s crude production had been dwindling since 2005 and that the proposed PIB would worsen the situation. She described the draft PIB that was before the last National Assembly as a ‘cumbersome document’. Analysts suspect that this posture may have sparked the numerous doctoring that the PIB drafts have seen over the past years. An analysis of the Oil and Gas Conference noted that Shell’s alarmist position was unfounded. The report informs that Pedro Van Meurs, a world-renowned energy consultant, who was at the conference, dismissed Pickard’s alarm as a common past time of major oil companies. He saw Shell’s opposition ‘as the natural track taken by a company which mandate is chiefly the making of more and more profit for its shareholders.’ He added that he had ‘been advising governments all over the world for over 40 years and I know that this is a battle whereby the oil company will try to get out of the parliament the highest possible share. So they make loud noise so maybe somebody out there might be listening to them.’ These instances of oil companies shrugging off penalties go deeper than the surface. Nations that depend on export of primary resources for revenue are essentially rent collectors as they often depend on external agencies or corporations to exploit resources Continued on page 15

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

By Yushau A. Shuaib

igeria’s Vice President, Muhammad Namadi Sambo, is a man with a strong conviction. At 60, on August 2, 2012, he has come a long way as an architect, businessman, commissioner, governor and presently the second most powerful person in the most populous country in Africa. This writer has never seen, not to talk of meeting Sambo faceto-face, except in the media, like most Nigerians. Nevertheless, this writer has a clear perspective on the person of the Vice President since his days as the Governor of Kaduna State between May 2007 and May 201 0. Working on a project that promoted developmental journalism and economic development, with a special focus on the North, I was introduced to the then Commissioner of Finance in Namadi’s administration, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero by former Managing Director, Bank of the North, Alhaji Yakubu Shehu. Within a short period, Yero made a case on the project to Gov. Namadi who in turn instructed his Principal Private Secretary, Mallam Zakari Aliyu, to provide all the necessary support for its success. During the three years of his administration in Kaduna, the project received tremendous supports from the government. In fact, Sambo’s spokesperson Mallam Sani Umar, was always on the phone reminding our team of the annual gesture. The point I’m trying to make is Sambo’s readiness to support worthy projects from any

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Namadi Sambo: Between loyalty and humility quarters. The politics of his nomination as Vice President in 2010 by President Goodluck Jonathan was a shocker to most political groups and factions that were engaged in supremacy battles to control the new administration after the death of President Yar’Adua. There were indeed pressures from various groups including the so-called Obasanjo’s faction, IBB Boys, Governors’ forum, Legislators camp, Danjuma team and other regional groupings. Pressures were so tensed that almost created divisions in the ruling party PDP, before Jonathan decided to pick a neutral and noncontroversial candidate that was not in the contention. Since his appointment as the Vice President, looking at Sambo from a distance, especially in the print and electronic media, one could see a person who has demonstrated ‘excessive’ loyalty to his boss in utterances, acts and deeds. His humility is unparalleled even among cabinet members whom he relates with seamlessly, unperturbed with his eversmiling trademarks on his face. He had encountered and surmounted some challenges, especially during the 2011 elections, where, not only was he defeated in his constituency in Kaduna, some groups and

individuals were alleged to have booed and jeered at him. Surprisingly with well-armed security guards, he never allowed anyone to use force to fight back in retaliation. While some saw his defeat at the home front as humiliation to his person as a vice president, afterall almost every top elected public figure, governors inclusive used every trick, cohesion, intimidation and harassment to deliver their constituencies, Namadi believes in the will of God and the voice of the people. Few months after the assault and even up to date, Sambo does not begrudge those that antagonize him but reestablishes and sustains mutual relationship with their leaders. He accords opposition leaders their due respects and attends social gatherings where loyalists and adversaries do converge in the spirit of exceptional statesmanship. Going by his personality traits, he doesn’t display aura of arrogance and desperation for public office as the Vice President. His public outings and statements are devoid of ulterior motives. His positions on various issues, whether as representations of his Boss, the President, or personal remarks, are done maturely, responsibly and sometimes eloquently delivered in tune with the public sensitivity and reality

on the ground. Unlike dichotomies that exist among some past Presidents and their deputies as well as governors and their lieutenants in ambitious cat-and-mouse games, President Goodluck is truly lucky to have Sambo as a humble, loyal and unambitious Vice President. Even while sometimes one could read some handwritings on the wall by fifth columnists and political sycophants, the situations are usually maturely controlled with the help of Sambo’s office before damages could be done. Born on the 2nd of August 1952 in Zaria, Kaduna State, Sambo had his early education at Baptist Primary School, Kaduna in 1959 before moving to Kobi Primary School in Bauchi. He later attended Government Secondary School now Alhuda-Huda College in Zaria Between 1967 and 1971. He gained admission to study Architecture at the Ahmadu Bello university where he graduated with Bachelor of Science Degree in 1976 and Masters Degree (M.Sc.) Architecture in 1978. He was among the first set of architects in Bauchi State after its creation in 1976 were he was involved in the design of various offices and staff housing schemes to accommodate the inflow of new government officials. He was the

architect responsible for the upgrading of the Yankari Games Reserve Holiday Resort during the period. Later he was responsible for development of master plans for Bauchi Town and other environs. Between 1986 and 1990, he was appointed Commissioner in various ministries including Agriculture, Works, Transport and Housing in Kaduna State. He later left the government to continue with his career in private architectural practice. His firm was involved in the developments of the National Olympic Sports Complex and and the infrastructural facilities for the Games Village, Abuja. Arc. Sambo who currently chairs some performing organs of government including councils of National Boundary Commission (NBC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Chairman of National Economic Council (NEC) , is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Fellow Institute of Corporate Administrators of Nigeria among others. This unassuming and loyal Vice President has shown some qualities which are disparaged by few and emulated by many who have a picture on his humility and simplicity to life. Yushau A. Shuaib is reachable on yashuaib@yahoo.com

Aloma Mukhtar: A feather in Jonathan’s cap Continued from page 13

who has risen to this pinnacle in the judiciary on account of her brilliance, resilience and hard work. Mr. President himself summed up her fate and qualities saying, “There is the hand of destiny in the life of this distinguished jurist. From the records she was the first female lawyer of the Northern extraction, the first female high court judge from the North, first female second in command Kano State judiciary, the first Nigerian female jurist to be

elevated to the Court of Appeal where she served for over 17 years at the appellate court. Her lordship’s achievement is an inspiration to all citizens especially womanhood not only in Nigeria but also in Africa and the rest of the world”. “The Honourable CJN now joins an eminent and exclusive list of achievers recognized throughout the world as beacon of hope in this century,’’ Mr. President believes. Since her appointment by the President, reactions have been

Bonga oil spill: Stubborn Shell shrugs off hefty fine Continued from page 14

found in their territories. As rent collectors they have limited control over what the actual operators do in the field as the operators actually present themselves (and are seen) as benefactors of the rentier states. And the states in turn are ready to pay scant attention to human and environmental rights abuses perpetuated by these operators. Examples abound in the case of Nigeria where human and environmental rights abuses have been documented continuously over

the past decades. It is thus no news when these corporations ignore court orders or blatantly challenge government agencies that attempt to enforce any form of redress. Companies will keep calling the bluff of Nigeria and other countries to which they pose as benefactors while in reality they are rapists. This will only stop with strengthening of citizen-driven democracy, legislative activism and systemic change. Nnimmo Bassey is a Nigerian based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

pouring in as to whether she is capable or not. What is paramount is that the country needs concerted efforts by the three arms of government. It is never impossible for any arm of government to prove its integrity and discharge its duties according to the constitution. The executive and the legislative arms are headed by men. Now that the judiciary is headed by a female for the first time, it is a challenge for both genders. Some Nigerian patriots, including the writer has advocated for a Nigerian vice president. Let us see how the proverb that what a man can do a woman can do it even better works in Nigeria with this development. So, this is a very heavy task that has been placed on the shoulders of Justice Aloma. She must tell the world that Nigerian women have come of age. Not minding her marital status, she is now a leader of a complete arm of the nation’s leadership, and by extension the most herculean because it the last hope of every Nigerian. Even as the new CJN has been favoured by Mr. President, it should not be a base for her to subject the office – the people’s real office - to the dictate of other two arms. Although there are believed to be a lot of rots in the

judiciary which demand the employment of judicial officers with wealth of experience in criminal jurisprudence and terrorism to preside over the courts, she should base her own appointments on merit and ensure that she fulfills her promise of cleansing the system. Cleansing an already established system in Nigeria is not just as easy as reeling out measures to do it. Can she step on the toes of them who have aided corruption and indiscipline in the management of the nation’s affairs? Rhetoric and oratory are the mostly employed in solving Nigeria’s problem. Practically, none of both yields positive results. Can there be any change? Can our judiciary really become a house of incorruptible judges and justices? There have been serious complaints of delayed trials particularly in cases of corruption, terrorism and other matters of serious concern. Many citizens have been behind the bars for very minor reasons while others have been moving freely on the streets in Nigeria and abroad, yet with very serious punishable offences. Such uncountable complaints have forced many Nigerians to seek the creation of special courts or designation of

special judges to handle them with the required experience and speed. As the CJN seems to have opted for the second choice of designating special judges, she has to ensure that the judges to be appointed into such positions are incorruptible. But as a woman, will the men judges obey her orders? Will they not conspire against her in that enviable appointment? Her promise of reforming the judiciary as made clear during her confirmation by the Senate is a heavy burden. If the reformation of the Nigerian judiciary can be possible under a woman, then in the next few years, the women should take over the National Assembly leadership. If they can reform the legislative arms, then Nigerians will resolve to give them the backing for the first Nigerian president. This is the beginning, nay, the testing beginning! The judiciary needs to be independent so as to ensure that only the people of the people are in power. If that is assured, then the national development and survival are come by. Can the new CJN ensure timely justice delivery and reform the nearly rotten system? Muhammad Ajah can be reached on mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Demolition: Sokale residents threaten to sue FCDA over alleged injustice

Scene from the demolition site By Josephine Ella

owncast over the demolition of the houses they had built from the sweat of their labour, residents of Sokale community in DutseAlhaji have vowed to go any mile, even with the last drop of their blood to ensure that justice is done. It was Thursday last week when officials of the Department of Development

Control of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) rolled its bulldozer to the community. The aftermath was the rubble of over thirty buildings owned by the affected residents which spans the low class. Victims of the exercise which started at about 10am and lasted till 12pm on that fateful have alleged injustice on the part of the development control officials, as according to

A victim of the demolition, Mohammed Usman

them, they were not given adequate notice to make alternative arrangement of where to move their families to. While some of the victims managed to salvage some of their personal belonging, the exercise was said to have caught up with many others unawares as they claimed to be out of town when the alleged “less than 12 hours verbal notice” was handed to the community by officials of the FCDA. Narrating the episode, a victim Mohammed Usman said: “The development control officials came to demolish our houses here without prior notice and this came as a result of a crisis between two people” Usman, who led other residents that addressed Peoples Daily, alleged the abuse of authority by the development control as he went on. “There is a man who happens to be a senior official in development control who purchased a land for his driver from an indigene who sold another land very close to the plot to another person against the senior officer’s wish”, he said. He claimed that the man in question mobilised the

development control officials to demolish the building in the area in retaliation as the development did not go down well with him. “Out of annoyance, he said hence they have sold that land close to his and there is not enough space for his comfort, he will make sure development control come and clear all this place so what we have suffered is as a result of one person’s

“

The development control officials came to demolish our houses here without prior notice and this came as a result of a crisis between two people

anger leading to hundreds of people becoming homeless,” Usman told our correspondent. Peoples Daily gathered that the displaced victims, including a nursing mother with a one week old baby are now putting up in uncompleted structures in the area not certain, what would befall them the next seconds. Usman, a father of five, whose family has also taken shelter in an uncompleted building where they are constantly battling the rains, like others, could not fathom why their houses were pulled down in the first place. He observed that the affected houses were not under Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) high tension power line like others that were pulled down in some parts of the community, so he could not imagine what their offences were to warrant the demolition. In his rather confused state he said: “Agreed, close to us, there is a gutter that passes through this place but we left enough gap between our houses and the drainage when putting up our structures, you can see this for yourself. When they came they should have given us adequate notice. Continued on page 18

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Sokale residents threaten to sue FCDA over alleged injustice Continued from page 16 “They came on Wednesday 25 of July. They told our women that were at home that were returning the following day to demolish all our houses place. When they came here the following day, Thursday at about 10am-12pm they started bulldozing this area. “What we are saying here is that if really Nigeria is a constitutional country, were everybody has a right, privilege should be given to us. By right we should have been given adequate notice. Now all of us are homeless, we are stranded; we are putting up in an uncompleted building as I am talking to you. Where are we going? Are we saying we have no right here and no compensation should be given to us”. He therefore, urged the federal government to intervene by investigating the matter with a view to compensate the victims, who Peoples Daily gathered, lost properties worth millions of Na ir a. Usman, who lost a threebedroom flat and two shops, which according to him, cost him over N1.8m to build however threatened that: “We will take this matter up with the last drop of our blood. If in the season we are, the FCT authority will render people homeless, the administration will not go successfully. God is on our side, we will carry this matter anywhere until justice is done”. According to him, more than 30 houses were demolished while others in the area were spared because the officials were bribed. “The owners of the other houses here that were not demolished gave N30, 000 each to them to spare them. If really they are talking about the drainage, it links up down to the main road, so why did they stop here and not demolish these other buildings near the drain,” he argued. Continuing, he added: “Based on the Abuja Master Plan, Dutse-Alhaji is a

Wreckage of the demolished houses resettlement area for the indigenes. It is a customary land. It is not allocated, therefore in view of this, we are urging the FCT administration to compensate us based on this or otherwise, we are carrying this matter to court”. Another victim, Odo Christopher, said he lost 5 units of one bedroom flat and his personal belonging to the demolition. “I had travelled and was on my way on Thursday back to Abuja when I got a phone call that my house has been pulled down. I got here around 4pm and the whole place was levelled down. It was a very surprising story,” he narrated. He continued: “Being a citizen of this country, I have never seen a demolition like this. No notice, If I had got a notice I would have secured by properties. We are

poor people but I believe that God knows our plight and he will do justice”. “Government supposed to compensate us. Even if we were slaves in this country, we were supposed to be notified on the exercise. Now we are requiring for adequate compensation for this damages because we are human beings, not animals,” the dealer on electrical materials said. Also lamenting, a 62-yearold carpenter, Baba Kola said he lost seven structures which he built and rented out to tenants to the exercise. The father of seven said the houses were the source of his income, that he was looking up to survive with his family soon when he retires from the job. Kola, who spoke in pigin recounts the incident: Wetin happen be sey on Wednesday, I

Some of the houses that were spared by the FCDA officials during the demolition exercise

won travel, so I as I won pass Abaji, my wife call me. She sey they don carry bulldozer come o with mopol and soja. I se wetin happen, she sey no be small thing o. Na in I sey driver wait o, na in I come back. I reach here true-true, for that night our people sit down, we sey me we go meet our chief for that topic. Before chief sey he wan go meet the chairman for Bwari council, they demolish this place”. Meanwhile, reacting to allegations by the affected residents, the Public Relations Officer of the Department of Development Control, Mrs. Josie Mudasiru dismissed as false, allegations of officials of the department halting the demolition exercise after receiving bribe from some residents. According to her, the removal of illegal structures in Dutse-

Alhaji, which took place because the structures were under high tension and gully/flood plain, was stopped on the second day due to heavy down pour. Mudasiru however, said that it would ”continue next week because it is for safety of lives. We do not want to wait until people get electrocuted or drown”. She disclosed that 70 structures under high tension were removed while 50 on flood plain/gully were removed in the course of the exercise. Contrary to the claim by those affected that they were not notified, the PRO, who spoke to People Daily in a telephone conversation added that adequate notice of more than six months was given to the affect residents since last year but they failed to evacuate the marked areas.

The structure in the middle, alleged to be owned by the driver of a top official of the development control. Next to it by the left is the controversial building that allegedly prompted the invasion. Photos: Mahmud Isa

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

FCTA to resolve Apo resettlement dilemma by Dec – Akinjide By Stanley Onyekwere

he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), is determined to resolve the lingering Apo resettlement dilemma before the end of December 2012, says Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide. According to a statement signed by Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the minister, Akinjide, made this known yesterday, in Abuja while inaugurating a Committee to look into the complaints by the indigenes on cases of

omission of allocation of houses and plots. Akinjide explained that the Hon. Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, was deeply concerned over the lingering of the Apo resettlement problem since 2007, adding that the administration would proffer a win-win solution on the matter. “It is the wish of the Hon. Minister of FCT and my goal to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of everyone before the end of December 2012. The vision of the FCTA is to provide a befitting capital and a conducive environment for the Federal Government to

A trader hawking some pillows, yesterday along Jabi motor park in Abuja.

effectively work’, she said. The statement continued; “When the Federal Government is working effectively, the FCTA will also be effective as well as the whole of Nigeria. We don’t want a resettlement issue that brings disharmony or the Administration to ridicule. We want this issue to end this year.” Responding on behalf of the committee members, the Solicitor General and Chairperson of the Committee, Mrs. Helen Oloja, commended the minister for her commitment towards resolving the Apo Resettlement quandary.

Photo: Joe Oroye

NHRC boss kicks against demolition of Mpape, others By Stanley Onyekwere

hairman, Governing Council of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu has kicked against ‘forced evictions and arbitrary demolition of human settlements’ going on in several parts of Nigeria including Abuja. Odinkalu, who spoke against the backdrop of the move by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to demolish 19 communities in the territory, including Mpape, said in a statement in Abuja that the

commission proposes to initiate and adopt a set of guidelines against forced evictions and arbitrary demolition of human settlements in Nigeria. According to him, the commission’s attention has been drawn to a recent and increasing pattern of demolition of human settlements in different parts of the country respectively by federal or state authorities. “In all case of evictions and demolitions in the country, there have been allegations that due process was not followed, inadequate notice to the affected communities, no thought given to alternative accommodation or resettlement

of the affected communities, populations have been rendered homeless and destitute; and that governments have over-reached their powers with arbitrary and unjustifiable measures against poor people”, he alluded. He continued: “These allegations are serious and far-reaching. Commission will be investigating them and this public statement is issued without prejudice to the outcome of these investigations as the Commission will make adequate arrangements to hear from both the affected communities and the agencies of both State and Federal Governments involved”.

FCTA commences sales of grains at 50 per cent discount By Josephine Ella

he Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), yesterday, flagged-off direct sales of the 2012 Buffer Stock Grains to Abuja residents at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10 in Garki at 50 per cent subsidy of the prevailing market prices in order to cushion the effect of the high cost of grains on residents. This followed the approval by the Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide of 11, 548 bags of maize, 2,196 bags of guinea corn and 5,070 bags of millet all in 50kg sizes for sales to the public, area councils, government agencies and various farmer associations at the discount.

Consequently, maize and guinea corn are to be sold at N1,800 while millet are being sold at N2,250 per bag. While flagging-off the sales, Akinjide said that the FCT administration was concerned that prices of staple foods were usually high at this period of the year; hence it had over the years released stored grains from the buffer stock programme. “In keeping with its mandate, the FCTA has deemed it necessary to order the release of buffer stock grains to FCT inhabitants with the hope that as a short term measure, it will reduce the high costs of staple food items,” the minister said. She revealed that currently, the buffer stock storage capacity is about 1250mt, adding that the FCTA was working towards increasing the storage capacity by another 1000mt with the

completion and handover of the modern specialized warehouse at Tungan Maje. She charged all stakeholders to ensure transparency and fairness in the distribution and sales of these grains so that the objectives of the programme are achieved. Earlier in her welcome address, the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, FCTA, Mrs. Olvadi Bema Madayi, said the administration remained responsive to the alleviation of the hardship faced by the citizenry who have requested that it intervene in the stabilization of the soaring prices of grains. ”The programme is the second tier of the tripartite food storage programme and is replicating the activities of the National Strategic Food Reserve in the FCT. The grains to be sold are subsidized to cushion the prevailing high prices,” she added.

Africa regional youth crime prevention confab for Oct in Abuja By Josephine Ella

o fewer than 300 delegates comprising 52 youth leaders from African countries, 148 from all states in Nigeria, 70 adult leaders and 30 others are expected to converge in Abuja for the African Regional Youth Prevention and Development Conference, slated for October 16-19, 2012. The event is being planned by a nongovernmental organization (NGO), Africa Centre for Citizens Orientation in collaboration with the Office of Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, International Telecommunication Union(ITU), Child On line Protection, USA and relevant stakeholders like youth wing of Christian Association of Nigeria and Muslim youth groups. Speaking yesterday at a press conference to herald the event, the convener of the conference with the theme ‘Safer, Secured and Developed Africa: Creating Opportunities, Reducing Challenges’, Casey Olugbenga Adeleye said it was aimed at proffering proactive solutions that would bring about a safer, secured and developed Africa engineered by the youth, who are the leaders of tomorrow. He lamented that youths have become an important agent in criminal activities, saying that the conference targeted at them would enhance a safer environment free of crime and violence in order to foster good citizenship and develop young people to proactively work together, creating resilient communities and country resistant to terrorism, crime and violence. This was as he noted that the “high level of crime and violence being experience across Africa pose serious threat to African emergent sociopolitical and economic development and results in the deprivation of the rights and dignity of citizens. He disclosed that the conference “would bring to the fore, issues of citizencentered crime prevention, security and durable peace needed for the growth and enhancement of Africa as well as economic and political development both at the rural and urban centres”. According to him, various papers and lectures would be presented by carefully selected resource persons among whom are the SecretaryGeneral, International Telecommunication Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, Geneva, Switzerland, Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, Dr. Sarah Jibril, Chairman, Impendent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barr. Ekpo Nta, a representative from the US embassy, Nigeria, culminating in resolutions and commitments etc. “They shall be in addition to core security topics, cover issues like creativity, innovation and sustainability which will help Africans especially young people catch-up with their counterparts in other regions of the world,” Adeleye said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 19

BUSINESS Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

INSIDE - Pg 20 Dangote Sugar nearly doubles H1 profit

Mob: 08033644990

NERC tightens noose on new power licences By Udenna Orji

he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said it would no longer issue power generation licences without clear evidence that all necessary inputs are in place to guarantee project would actually deliver electricity. NERC has repeatedly come under fire for the many nonperforming power licences issued by it. The licensees often blame their inactivity on inability to access gas or finances, among others. The chairman of NERC, Sam Amadi, made this declaration on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja, where he also informed of the commission’s final approval

of the revised methodology of estimated billing and methodology for connection charges. He said, “Many of the licensees have not been able to develop or produce power four to five years after receiving the licence. Many have their projects in places where they can’t access gas supply or where there are no transmission facilities for evacuation. “Going forward, with the bulk trader now in place, the changes going on in the transmission component of the sector, we are now building a system that allows for systematic planning of power. This means that we are no longer going to be licensing people except where the gas, feedstock, transmission and everything is in place.

Keystone Bank delights customers with ‘Awuf’ promo By Abdulwahab Isa

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, addressing delegates, during the high level trade and investment summit on Nigeria, on Wednesday in London. Photo: NAN

s a follow up to its recently launched ‘Never say Never’ corporate campaign, Keystone Bank has embarked on a promo to reward its loyal customers. Tagged: the Keystone Daily Awuf Promo, the initiative is developed to reward the teeming loyal customers of the bank and to encourage saving culture among Nigerians. The promotion, which will run from August 1, 2012 to October 31, 2012, is open to existing customers; both active and dormant account holders and new customers. Keystone Awuf promo offers multiple benefits to all customers who participate during the period.

The Executive Director, Retail Banking, Mrs. Yvonne Isichei stated that “the promo is designed to give back to our esteemed customers as Keystone Bank marks one year of providing innovative and best-in-class services”. She also hinted that activities during the savings promo would include daily cash gifts for 20 qualifying customers, instant gift items for all new customers and reactivated accounts. At the grand finale regional draw, three lucky customers would drive away with one brand new 14-seater bus each, while four customers per branch would receive consolation prizes. The consolation prizes are Generators, Rechargeable Fans, Satellite TV decoders and DVD players.

CBN bars banks, discount houses from WDAS lending window By Aminu Imam

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has barred Deposit Money Banks (DMB) and Discount Houses from accessing the Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS) window throughout the term of a repurchase or Standing Lending Facility (SLF) transaction with the CBN. This is a follow-up on the early prohibition of these authorised EXCHANGE RATES

CBN CFA € £ RIYAL $

1st August, 2012 BUYING 0.2709 190.5397 241.9688 41.2916 155.36

SELLING 0.2909 191.7701 243.5313 41.5582 155.86

PARALLEL RATES € £ RIYAL $

BUYING 207 258 40 165

SELLING 209 260 42 169

dealers from accessing the WDAS and the SLF on the same day. According to a circular signed by CBN’s Director, financial market department, E. U. Ukeje, authorised dealers that have entered into repurchase or SLF with the CBN prior to the issuance of the circular, which takes immediate effect, will not be affected as the transaction would

be allowed to run its full course. Part of the circular on ‘Review of the Revised Guideline for Accessing CBN Lending Window and Repo Transactions’ reads: “Further to the prohibition of authorised dealers from accessing the WDAS and the Standing Lending Facility (SLF) on the same day, authorised dealers are henceforth not

allowed to access the WDAS window throughout the term of a repurchase or SLF transaction with the CBN.” Last week, the CBN prohibited DMBs enjoying facilities from the CBN from interbank transactions. The circular, which also affected Discount Houses, also bars actively financial

Management Tip of the Day Create an office space that encourages teamwork

usiness today requires collaboration, but we rarely design our workspaces to support this. Here are three ways your company can restructure your office to better support people working together. Vary the types of workspaces. Employees need group spaces for co-creation, but there should also be areas for

concentrated work (unassigned individual workstations), emergent social exchange (freeflowing hallways), and learning (rooms equipped with technology and tools). Provide the right tools. Make sure meeting rooms include tools like whiteboards that allow employees to record ideas and create a visual, side-by-side review of alternative solutions.

Give project teams a dedicated space. Returning to the same workspace each day, keeping meeting notes on the board, and leaving work on tables between meetings can help teammates maintain a shared mindset, sharpening their focus and speeding up the collaborative process. Source: Harvard Business Review

institutions engaged in interbank transactions from accessing funds from the CBN window. The circular signed by A. O. Idris for director of banking supervision, according to the CBN, is part of its process of unwinding stringent measures put in place in the wake of the global financial crisis. This, the apex bank believes, is to ensure effectiveness of its monetary policy. The circular to all banks and Discount Houses on ‘Revised Guideline for Accessing CBN Lending Windows and Repo Transactions’ reads in part: “Any institution that contravenes any provision of this circular will be suspended from CBN’s money market window. In addition, the institution shall forfeit the profits it would have made on the transaction…. This circular takes immediate effect and supersedes all others relating to the above subject.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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COMPANY NEWS Liberty Holdings eyes Nigeria

iberty Holdings, Africa’s third-largest life insurer by market value, posted an expected 43 percent rise in first-half earnings yesterday and said it was looking for expansion opportunities in the western part of the continent.

Consolidated Hallmark gets top ranking on investment in Web

Sokoto Cement suspends N45bn rights issue By Abdulwahab Isa

nstable economic climate of the moment has compelled the board of Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) Plc to put on hold shareholders’ approval authorising N45 billion rights issue, Chairman, Board of Directors of CCNN, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu said yesterday. Rabiu, while presiding over 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sokoto-based

cement firm yesterday in Abuja, told the anxious shareholders that “ taking in to consideration the size of the offer and the economic situation in the country which may make the offer unsuccessful , the board resolved to appoint a consultant to carry out a technical study on the existing plant with a view to upgrading it and to convert the source of energy to solid fuels which is cheaper and more readily available”. However, he said the CCNN, also referred to as Sokoto

Cement, has a three million capacity cement plant in Edo state which would be ready for commission by next year. The Edo plant, which has existing gas to power plant requires between 48 to 50 megawatt of electricity. The company’s shareholders last year gave their nods to the board to raise up to N45 billion with a view to erecting a new line to produce one million tonnes of clicker together with coal grinding mill and accessories.

During the year under review, the company’s production recorded significant improvement, producing 467,866 tones of cememt and clinker with a turnover of N13, 915,099,146 as against 397,185 tonnes and a turnover of N11, 181,438,919 of last yea r. It recorded a profit after tax of N2, 304,516,057 as against N1, 269,034,103 last year. The board, consequently, approved 45 kobo as dividend pay out to shareholders.

nderwriting firm, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance plc has emerged the overall winner in the insurance category of the 2012 Web Jurist Award of Phillip Consulting, a premium consultant for companies and financial services firms.

AfDB project approvals for 2012 hit N552 bn

frica Development Bank, AfDB’s, infrastructure projects accounted for the largest approvals of projects in Africa. The largest project approval so far for 2012 is the Integrated Wind/ Hydro and Rural Electrification Programme in Morocco, which is funded by a loan of €359 million from the bank and a further loan of $125 million from the CIF.

UTC decline profit by 19.3% in second quarter

TC Nigeria Plc reported a decline of 19.3 per cent in profit for the year in its second quarter result for the period ended June 30, 2012.

Ethical investors on board via Shari’ah compliant equities

n a stock market with a limited number of players, the introduction of Shari’ah and ethical products could be the way forward to bring ethically minded investors on board.

Pfizer Q2 numbers beat analyst’s expectation

fizer Inc, one of the world’s leading drug manufacturers with strong presence in Nigeria, has reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Tuesday, due largely to lower spending on research and marketing, and said it may fully divest its animal health unit following an initial public offering of up to 20 percent of the business.

L-R: Company Secretary, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, Chairman, Board of Directors, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Mr. AlfaKarlsen, during the company's Annual General Meeting (AGM), yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

UAC H1 pre-tax profit up 11% to N3.5bn

igerian conglomerate, UAC yesterday said its pre-tax profit for the first half rose 11 percent year-onyear to N3.5 billion ($22 mln), compared with N3.12 billion a

Samsung and Telefónica sign partnership agreement for multinational customers

year ago. It said turnover rose to N30.5 billion during the period, from N26.3 billion last year, it said in a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange. By Muhammad Sada

e le f ón i ca Gl o ba l Solutions and Samsung h ave a n no u nc e d a p ar t ne r sh i p ag r ee m en t t o s up p or t e nd to en d s er vic e d el i ve r y t o m ul t in a ti o na l customers globally. T he ag r ee me n t d ef i ne s

Shares in the conglomerate which has interest in its food business with South Africa's Tiger Brand, were trading flat at 34 naira at 1235 GMT on the news. (Reuters) how Telefónica and Samsung will collaborate and how both c om p an i es wi l l w or k t og e th e r, c o ve r in g m ar k et i ng , p r e- s al e s, bi d m an a ge m en t , p r od u ct an d s er vic e s, gl ob a l p ro j ec t m an a ge m en t, de vic e m an a ge m en t a n d c u st o me r services and operations.

PEF defends non-remittance of N27bn to Federation account

he Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board (PEFMB) has defended its decision not to remit N27 billion to the Federation Account following directives by a House of Representatives committee to do so. The Executive Secretary of the fund, Mrs Adefunke Kasali, gave her reasons in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday. “The PEF uses cash basis of accounting, because the feeling is that as a fund we should recognise what comes in and what goes out. “Cash basis of accounting does not recognise receipts, receivables

that you are expecting and it basically does not recognise payables that you haven’t been able to process and pay. “The starters of our payables as at the time these audited accounts were submitted was not taken into cognition. “And so asking the board to payback money at that time doesn’t necessarily really even take into the account if the money is still there. “Because when you are looking back at an account you do not even know what that situation is a few years down the road.” Last month, the House Committee on Public Accounts had

given the agency three months to refund the amount, being 80 per cent operating surpluses of the agency in the last five years. The committee also directed the agency to refund another N20.22 million for expenses incurred on a plot of land acquired in 2001 for the building of its headquarters. The allocation of the plot was revoked in 2006 by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). Kasali said that the agency did not receive funds from the federation account, which implies that it would be difficult for it to remit monies into the account and

Dangote Sugar nearly doubles H1 profit

angote Sugar Refinery said on Wednesday it nearly doubled its half-year pre-tax profit year-on-year to N8.5 billion ($53 million), compared with N4.4 billion last year. Turnover at the sugar refiner grew to N53.6 billion during the period, compared with 48.6 billion naira a year ago, it said in a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Dangote Sugar shares were flat at N4.54 on the bourse. (Reuters) later apply for funds to pay marketers’ claims. The executive secretary said it was noteworthy that the committee found “no untoward or corrupt act’’ in the agency, except a directive to refund what they called “surpluses”. “Certainly there was no untoward act, no corrupt act. On the refund of N20.22 million for expenses incurred on the revoked plot of land, Kasali said a substantial part of the amount was spent on license fees to FCT authorities and engineering design and drawing for the building. The executive secretary expressed regret that appeals to two former FCT ministers to cancel the revocation failed, even when the agency was ready to build. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 21

Guiding Principles for Stakeholders: Roles, responsibilities and relationship between the stakeholders (5) T Tax Authorities

he tax authorities as represented by the FIRS and the states Board of Internal Revenue are responsible for the administration of tax laws and are also entrusted with the responsibility for advising government on all tax related matters. Tax authorities have a responsibility for ensuring that tax administration at all levels of Government is carried out in a transparent manner and in accordance with statutory provisions, so as to safeguard the integrity of the tax system. In the discharge of their functions, tax authorities should obtain necessary approvals from the Ministry of Finance in respect of policy and relevant operational matters. However, this should be done in a manner, which would not prejudice the independence and autonomy of the tax authorities. With respect to the Legislature, tax authorities are required to provide assistance and necessary insight in respect of new legislation or the review of existing legislation being considered by the Legislature. They should provide technical input and know-how to aid the legislature in the discharge of its functions. Tax authorities should also ensure a cordial relationship with and provide necessary information to the legislature in the discharge s of its oversight functions on tax authorities. Tax authorities should also partner with the judiciary in relation to training and provision of technical assistance to the Judiciary on tax matters. Tax authorities are expected to maintain a cordial relationship with all other stakeholders in the tax system and be responsible for the provision of timely and up to date information on developments in the tax system. They shall also, along with the Ministry of Finance and other relevant Government organs, provide information to tax payers on the allocation, disbursement, expenditure and utilisation of tax revenue. It shall be the responsibility of tax authorities to carry out proper tax payer education and public enlightenment along with other Government agencies such as the Ministry of Education and Information. Tax authorities shall publicize proposed changes to tax laws and new legislation to taxpayers. They shall also provide guidance to the public on all aspects of tax compliance and other issues relating to the tax system in the form of information circular, bulletins,

and administration in Nigeria and in the discharge of its functions, provide technical assistance and support to tax authorities on all relevant matters and work towards the creation of standard processes and procedures for the activities of tax authorities. This will make compliance easier for tax payers and also lead to higher compliance rates for the tax authorities. In particular, the JTB shall co-ordinate the country-wide introduction of the Unique Taxpayer Identification Number nationwide which is a more effective and technologically enabled system of tax-payer registration that would lead to a nationwide database to which all federal, State and Local Government authorities shall subscribe and other initiatives which may be introduced from time to time. Taxpayers

Acting Chairman, FIRS, Alhaji Kabiru Mashi handbills, media adverts or newsletters. In creating a sustainable tax culture in Nigeria, tax authorities shall partner with educational institutions and the Ministry of Education to create a workable framework for the introduction of taxation in the curricula of all levels of educational institutions in Nigeria. Generally, tax authorities shall ensure that their functions are discharge in an efficient and effective manner. Ancillary to this, tax authorities shall ensure that core tax functions, such as assessment and collection of taxes are only carried out by career tax administrators, who are public servants, and not by ad-hoc consultants or organs. In this regard, only self assessments or assessments duly issued by tax officials shall be recognized by tax authorities in Nigeria. In addition, the tax authorities should create a conducive tax atmosphere and environment which will engender tax payer confidence at all levels of tax administration. In this regard,

tax payers, shall be provided adequate time and space to review, challenge and appeal every tax assessments or demand made by the a tax authorities and every claim, objection, appeal, representation or the like made by any taxpayer must be sufficiently considered. Where the tax authorities diligently carry out their functions as set out above, it will ensure taxpayer confidence in the tax administration and create a workable and sustainable tax system to benefit all stakeholders. Joint Tax Board The Joint Tax Board (JTB) is the body created by the Personal Income Tax Act to regulate the relationship between tax authorities at the State and federal level and is expected to act as an effective supervisory and advisory body on shared activities of State and Federal tax authorities. In this regard, it shall work towards the harmonization of tax processes

Taxpayers are the single most important group of stakeholders in the tax system. They are the bedrock of the tax system and the source of all revenue generated to tax authorities. Taxpayers are the primary focus of all tax authorities, due to the significant role, which they play in the tax system. Following from the above, taxpayers shall be required to discharge their roles, by ensuring strict compliance with tax laws at all times. They are required to ensure voluntary registration with tax authorities and make timely, correct and complete tax returns and payments as required under the law. Taxpayers shall co-operate with tax authorities and all other stakeholders in the tax system to ensure effective and efficient tax administration in Nigeria. Other than their formal compliance roles, they shall act in an informal supervisory role, as they have the right to demand for transparency and accountability in the collection, allocation, disbursement and expenditure of tax revenue. Taxpayers shall assist tax authorities in the discharge of their functions by providing necessary information and such other assistance as may be required by the tax authorities. There shall be effective linkages and co-operation between taxpayers and other stakeholders in the tax system to enhance the overall quality of the Nigerian tax system. Tax payers are entitled to submit disputes with authorities to the Judiciary for adjudication when necessary in order to aid the development of Nigerian tax

jurisprudence. They are also entitled to make necessary input to proposed tax legislation and suggest changes to existing tax legislation. In this regard, there should be ferequent interaction between tax payers, tax authorities and other stakeholders in the system, in a forum where ideas may be freely exchanged and suggestions made for the improvement of tax practice and administration in Nigeria. Overall taxpayers shall see themselves as part and parcel of the Nigerian tax system and not outsiders and shall therefore carry out their Constitutional and civic roles as their contribution to National development and growth. Professional Bodies, Tax Consultants and Practitioners Nigerian Law provides a statutory role for professional bodies in the tax system. In this regard, the chartered Institute of Taxation Act provides powers to the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CITN) to amongst other things determine standards of knowledge and skill to be attained by tax practitioners, the establishment and maintenance of a register of its members and the regulation and control of tax practice. It is therefore expected that the CITN shall exercise its powers to enhance tax practice in Nigeria and for the overall benefit of the tax system.the CITN shall partner with other relevant bodies and associations to ensure that all stakeholders in the tax systems are carried along in the discharge of its functions. It shall also strive to act as bridge between the tax authorities, tax payers and tax practitioners at all times. The role of the CITN is however, without prejudice to the roles of other stakeholders and professional bodies existing within the tax system. Tax consultants and practitioners are also key stakeholders in the tax system, which are expected to use their skill and expertise to simplify the tax compliance process, properly advice taxpayers on compliance requirements and also provide necessary insight and assistance to tax authorities. It is expected that tax practitioners and consultants shall discharge their duties with integrity and patriotism at all times and shall not be willful or negligent non-compliance with tax laws. They are also expected to partner with tax authorities and other stakeholders to enhance the effective communication lines with tax authorities at all times.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 22

Elizabeth Donnelly

hether by accident or design, Nigeria is destined to become Africa's largest economy. The kind of economic growth it will experience in the coming years and the extent to which this will transform the lives of its 160 million people is yet to be determined. With two dollar billionaires, many more millionaires, but with 61 per cent of its population living on less than a dollar a day, Nigeria is a country of extremes, a reality that makes grappling with its challenges and taking advantage of its opportunities altogether more complicated. Look towards the northeast of Nigeria, and the country seems on the verge of collapse; turn around and cast your glance southwestwards, and it is on the verge of take-off. Growing international interest in Nigeria is dominated by terrorism and business opportunities, the two factors that divide opinion on its future prospects. In January, after Nigeria was immersed in nationwide protests and strikes over the controversial removal of a generous fuel subsidy, it was shaken by a devastating terrorist attack on its second city, Kano. As the year has gone on there have been more horrific bombings and shootings in the streets, markets and places of worship of the north as well as a suicide bombing in Abuja, all carried out by Boko Haram. This evolving Islamist terrorist organisation has killed hundreds of people and is damaging the North's already struggling economy. But terrorism is just the latest addition to Nigeria's mix of concerns that includes corruption, prospects for reform, human security, levels of poverty and the sanctity of contract law. Nigeria's roads are still more dangerous than Boko Haram. Observers hope a handful of reformist governors will create

Nigeria: Big problems but a big future

President Goodluck Jonathan islands of best practice in some states and some sectors - and that this positive influence will spread nationwide. Lagos is Nigeria's 'poster-boy': 30 per cent of the country's GDP is concentrated in this state and more than 60 per cent of Nigeria's industrial and commercial activity occurs here. Investor confidence in Lagos is strong, thanks to a reformist governor, Babatunde Fashola, who has focused on delivery of basic services and improving

infrastructure. He has worked to implement policies based on a longer term vision than many of his counterparts, and has sought to institutionalise change providing some comfort to Lagosians and investors who know that this is his last term as State Governor. But there is an awareness and a nervousness - in Lagos about the negative consequences of success. Credit Suisse reports that in the run-up to 2025, the state capital will be the sixth

fastest growing city in the world. Seen as the land of opportunity in a nation where, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, 23.9 per cent of the population is unemployed, the immigration pressures on Lagos are growing. The 'islands of best practice' approach cannot on its own put Nigeria on a path that will avoid future calamities. This is not a country where the 'trickle-down' effect works - patronage networks notwithstanding. Lagos and those other states that are breaking away from a reliance on oil rents

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Nigeria needs to move away from short-term transactional politics and policy. It is longtermism and institutionbuilding that will bring this country the prestige that many of the elite believes it already deserves, and economic growth that will reduce the extremes. A typical Nigerian market in Lagos

from the centre cannot carry the nation: Nigeria's population is too large, its potential too great and its challenges too complex and intertwined. Nigeria needs to move away from short term transactional politics and policy. It is longtermism and institution-building that will bring this country the prestige that many of the elite believes it already deserves, and economic growth that will reduce the extremes. Nigeria never provides straightforward answers. Sheer scale means that it will continue to be of global significance, even with a passive leadership that is happy with the status quo. What would emerge under such leadership would be a country that, though a contender for a G20 spot and a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, would still be bedevilled by internal problems, including more intense localized violent conflict, increased inequalities and rising crime, poor development indicators and worsening social tensions. As such, it would remain in the popular imagination a surprising choice for an investment or a visit. The alternative is that incremental change continues and is used strategically, that key points for change are exploited with faster gains creating momentum for delivery at all levels of government - so that there is economic growth with equity and the extremes are reduced. The problems won't go away, but would be greatly undermined. Nigeria would become an active international player - not a passive one that made it by chance. Elizabeth Donnelly is manager of Chatham House's Africa Programme.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

How Turkish foundation puts smiles on faces of less privileged Nigerian Muslims Recently, UFUK Foundation, in collaboration with the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges and a group of Turkish investors in Nigeria, launched a second annual Ramadan free meal distribution to 1000 less privileged Muslims in Abuja. The gesture is to enable the poor enjoy a decent meal during the Ramadan, Maryam Garba Hassan writes.

he free iftar meals provided by UFUK Foundation do more than fill the empty stomachs of the less privileged Muslims in the FCT and those who come from neighbouring Nasarawa state to take advantage of the programme; they are spared the health hazards that result from having to move from one place to another in search of alms. The beneficiaries of the well organised food distribution assemble at the distribution venue – the National Mosque, Abuja- in the afternoon in their droves. They are made up of old men and women, the young and people with disabilities; they hang around in the shades provided by the trees on the mosque’s grounds, waiting for an instruction to fall into queues. However, the organised manner the people form lines and waited patiently for their turn to collect their meal, in the mosque premises and under the watchful eyes of a retinue of security personnel, comprising the police, security and civil defence

side of it – which is to strengthen the 16-year-old cordial relations between the Nigeria government and Turkey. Dirican said UFUK, which means “the view”, gets donations from the Turkish government, relations of the members and Nigerians, adding that “Nigeria is a rich country with a lot of wealthy people who can do more than the foundation is doing if they make up their minds to do so.”We don’t only collect money donations from the members but also encourage them to come to support us in whatever way they can and to come to the venue with their children to see what other people from the other side of life go through to get food.” According him, UFUK and the management of Turkish colleges in the country work in conjunction with the management of the National Mosque, Abuja to distribute the 1000 meal tickets provided by the

People queuing to receive their food, during distribution.

corps as well as Islamic first aid organization officials and distributed by experts to ensure hitch-free distribution of the food, makes the

programme unique. The President of UFUK Foundation, Mr. Oguzhan Dirican, who spoke to Peoples Daily, said the charity

Officials of NTIC arranging the Iftar meal before distribution at the National Mosque, in Abuja.

organization was founded in 2003 and the annual free distribution of iftar meals which he described as a ‘small contribution” to the Nigerian Muslim ummah, commenced in Nigeria in 2011. According to him, “the aim is to ensure that the less privileged and physically challenged Muslims in the FCT and neighbourinng states get food to eat during Iftar. Dirican said UFUK has Turkish members who are in the management of Nigerian Turkish colleges and Nigerians who are mostly academicians. On what motivated the group to feed the poor in Nigeria, he said the group wanted poor Nigerians to enjoy decent meals during the holy month, adding that a similar programme is organized in Turkey for the poor by the government every Ramadan and Turkish investors in Nigeria are emulating to encourage wealthy Nigerians to do the same in other locations in the country. Besides, there is a diplomatic

Officials of the school presenting the food, during the Ramadan Iftar Programme organised by the Nigerian Turkish International School, at the National Mosque, in Abuja.

foundation to people they are meant for. He said the Abuja Mosque’s management provides security on the

Mr Oguzhan Dirican President Ufuk foundation

premises to ensure the safety of physically challenged people who cannot join the long queues. “We ensure that physically challenged people who have meal tickets get their shares before the ablebodied people; we are also going out of Abuja with 3000 packages before the end of the fasting Ramadan for people in other parts where we do not have schools so that they, too, benefit from the programme. “Besides Abuja, there are Turkish colleges in Kano, Kaduna, Damaturu, and Lagos, the latter being the only state that gets 700 packages a day. “In total, we prepare 3500 meal packages every day of Ramadan.” An interesting aspect of the programme is that it is extended to the adherents of other faiths Eid el Kabir celebrations (Sallah), on which occasion 2000 cows are slaughtered at the NTICs in Kaduna, Damaturu, Lagos, Abuja and Kano and the packaged meat is supplied to churches for distribution to the needy. Other activities of the foundation include workshops, conferences and

retreats for Nigerian interfaith groups in Turkey. Last November, the foundation organized an interfaith conference for 1200 people, including imams, bishops and archbishops from Nigeria. And three months ago, the foundation sponsored

interfaith trips to Turkey for Nigerian Christian and Muslim chapels as well as newspaper editors. Dirican who expressed his gratitude to God for giving the foundation the chance to be helpful to the needy in “the blessed month of Ramadan,”

People waiting for their turn to collect the food.

encouraged well-to-do Muslims to reach out to their poor brothers and sisters especially during the holy month. Malam Abdullahi Danjuma, 65, who was one of the beneficiaries of the programme, thanked the

organisers for their gesture especially at a time he said he found it difficult to provide decent meals for his family after hours of fasting. “I come from Kubwa everyday for the Tafsir, also hoping for alms from our wealthy brothers as the mosque is one of the venues where alms are brought for people like me,” he said. “My iftar is complete with the rice, meat, drinks, dates and water given to me in the package I get. I pray to Allah to guide and protect the organizers and make them prosper in their businesses.” A Muslim cleric and acting Deputy Chief Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, Ustaz Shehu Othman Muhammad, who commented on the programme said “the organisers are doing what every able Muslim is encouraged to do by Allah (SWA), which is to feed the poor and the needy at all times, but especially during the holy month of Ramadan which attracts more rewards for the giver and pleases Allah.” They are reaching out to our poor brothers and sisters and children in a country where we have a lot of the poor and needy, by making them happy and saving them the trouble of going the extra mile to get what to eat during iftar.” He thanked the organisers and prayed to Allah to continue to give them the means to serve him better and urged the Muslim Ummah to emulate the gesture.

Photos: Mahmud Isa

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

My name is Ramadan... I am here again! (III) Allah says: “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you As it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,. (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. for those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. but He that will give more, of His own free will,- it is better for Him. and it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.” [al-Baqarah: 183184]

n the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah! We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our evils and bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and final messenger to mankind. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His last and final Apostle, his Household, his companions and all his followers until the end of time. Assalmu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa bara katuhu my dear readers! This is our third Friday in this blessed month; you can bear witness that this year we are especially blessed with five Fridays instead of the usual fours in some months. I will help you count this as special gift from Allah (SWT). Today, because I have series of assignments and appointments somewhere, you just have to bear with what I am able to tell you about my significance and honour. You see, some people from either

amongst you or from somewhere, hadiths about my humble self. have invented series of fabrications 1. “If the servants knew how and related them to have great Ramadan was, then they originated from the Messenger of would wish that Ramadan lasted Allah (SAW). At this juncture, my all year. Indeed Paradise is dear brothers and sisters in Islam, I would like to sound to a very strong warning that under any By Husain Zakariyya circumstances, none of should Yawale create or fab r ica te +234-8052952900 (sms only) statement and islamexplained35@yahoo.com relate them the Messenger of Allah (SAW). The decorated for Ramadan from the Apostle of Allah warned sternly start of the year till the next that whosoever fabricate lies year...” and it is a long Hadith. against me knowingly, let him Reported by lbn Khuzaimah, lbn take his sit in the hell-fire. al-Jawzee in Kitaabul-) and Aboo Thus, for the purpose of clarity, Ya’laa in his Musnad This Hadith I will give you few examples of those is a fabrication (mawdoo'), because types of fabricated or very weak of the presence of Jareer ibn

ISLAM EXPLAINED

Ayyoob in the chain. Ibn Hajr quotes his biography in LisaanulMeezaan (2/I 01) and said: “Famous for his weakness.” In fact Abu Nu'aim about him: “He used to fabricate ahadith,” As for the position ofBukhari, he condemned him to the lowest level of “Munkar in n a r r a t i n g Hadith,” and AnN a s a ’ i , “Abandoned!” 2. “O people a very great month has come upon you, a month containing a night better than a thousand months. Allah has made it an obligation to fast in it, and standing in prayer in its night is a supererogatory action. Whoever seeks nearness to Him with a good deed in it will be like

lbn Abi Salih: from Aboo Hurairah that Its isnad (chain) is weak. Abu Bakr al-Athrum said: “I heard Ahmad say - and he mentioned the narration of the people of Sham from Zuhair ibn Muhammad, he said: ‘They report ahadith from him that are munkar.’” 4. “He who abandons fasting during a day of Ramadan without a valid excuse, or illness - then even if he were to fast forever it would not make up for it.” This Hadith is quoted in disconnected form by al-Bukhari in his Sahih (Fathul-Bari, 4/160) without an isnad. Ibn Hajr says in Fathul-Bari: “They disagree greatly in their narration from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, it has three weaknesses: (i) contradiction of its narrators, (ii) the condition of Abul-Mutawwas is unknown, (iii) doubt about whether his father met Abu Hurairah or not.”

one performing an obligatory action in other months... It is a month the beginning of which is a mercy, the middle Forgiveness, and its end is a granting of freedom from the Fire...” It is also a long Hadith; this is the most wellknown parts of it. This Hadith is also reported by lbn Khuzaimah (No.1887), al-Mahamuli in his Amali (No.293), and al-Asbahani in at-Targheeb by way of 'Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jud'an: from Sa'id ibn al-Musaayib: from Salman. This isnad orchain of transmission is da'if (weak) due to the weakness of Ali ibn Zayd. In fact Ibn Abi Khaithumah said: “Ali ibn Zaid is weak in everything.” 3. “Fast and you will be healthy.” It is part of a Hadith that was reported by lbn 'Adiy in al-Komil by way of Nahshal ibn Sa'id: from ad-Dahhak: from lbn 'Abbas. AtTabarani reported it in al-Awsat and Abu Nu'aim in at-TibbunNabawi as occurs in Takhrejullhya' by way of Muhammad ibn Sulaimaan ibn Abi Dawud: from Zuhair ibn Muhammad: Suhail

These are four ahadith which have been declared weak and unreliable by the scholars, yet we still hear them and see them every day in the blessed month of Ramadan. It is apparent that some of these ahadith contain parts whose meaning is correct and established in the Sunnah. It is important, however, to know that they are weak, and put them in their proper perspective. In fact, I want to advice you that you should always stick to authentic naration from reliable and impeccable sources. Such as this one that will my final words to you this week due to what I told you; time constraint! Abu Huraira (RD) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “...whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Imam Bukhari). Wassalaamu alaikum. We meet next Friday when Insha Allah I will have time to discuss on issue of the week!

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

By Francis Onyeukwu

ennett Ezechukwu, 55, is a headmaster in one of the primary schools in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo. He is visibly worried that five years to his retirement from service, he has yet to build a house in his hometown, Mgbele. Ezechukwu knows that it is somewhat a mirage for him to think that he could build a house with his gratuity, which will run into millions of naira. This is because many civil servants in the state, who retired over 10 years ago, have yet to receive their gratuities. “My main worry is not about my retirement from service; it is about what I will do whenever I retire. “I am afraid because in the last 10 years, most of the retirees, especially teachers, have not received their gratuities, not to talk of their monthly pension,’’ he moans. Ukaegbu Arisa is a secondary school teacher in Abia State. The man combines teaching with some business in order to make ends meet. Arisa often tells a willing listener that he is ready to retire at any time if the payment of his terminal benefits is guaranteed, as he would be able to channel his gratuity into strengthening his part-time business. However, teachers are not the only group of workers that are having problems with the prompt payment of their terminal benefits, as other public servants in the employ of federal, state and local governments are having similar problems. Many pensioners blame the harrowing experience they usually encounter in getting their terminal benefits on the old pension scheme, which they describe as defective. They note that the old Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) arrangement is fraught with many problems, adding that it has, therefore, exposed the pensioners to some traumatic experience. Mr Daniel Amaugo, a retired Chief Veterinary Officer, formerly working in Abia State’s Ministry of Agriculture, laments that the agonising delay in the payment of retirement benefits has led to the death of many retirees. He urges the government to address delays in retirement benefits’ payment, stressing that such delays tend to encourage government workers that are still in service to engage in corrupt practices. “After seeing the treatment meted out to retirees, serving officers are usually tempted to falsify their age in order to remain in service; they also engage in fraudulent activities to amass wealth, in preparation for life after service,’’ Amaugo says. However, the contributory pension scheme, which was introduced by the Federal Government, is aimed at redressing some of the problems associated with the payment of terminal benefits to retirees.

PAGE 27

Addressing the plight of pensioners in Nigeria

Pensioners of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) protesting non payment of their 21 years pension arrears, recently in Lagos. Photo NAN Under the scheme, workers and their employers jointly contribute 15 per cent of each worker’s salary and the contribution is managed by Pension Fund Administrators. In spite of some minor drawbacks noticed in the scheme such as delay in the registration of prospective retirees, many pensioners have praised the government for introducing the scheme. For instance, Chief Chiadikobi Abarikwu, the Chairman of the Abia chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), lauds the Federal Government for initiating the contributory pension scheme. He urges all the government workers to sign up for the new scheme so as to avoid facing harrowing times after retirement. “To avoid difficult times after retirement, I advise civil servants to embrace the contributory pension scheme,’’ he says. Abarikwu, however, urges the government to decentralise the operations of the old pension administration for retirees who are not accommodated by the contributory pension scheme. He stresses that due to the nature of the old pension system management processes, some gaps are created for the embezzlement of pension funds. Abarikwu underscores the need to restructure the old pension administration system, saying that it will save the country’s pensioners from their troubles, largely induced by the

prevalence of fraud in the system. “It is also wrong to always ask pensioners to go to zonal headquarters and Abuja for revalidation and verification exercises,’’ he adds. Abarikwu insists that such exercises ought to be decentralised in a way that will enable pensioners to verify their status at liaison offices in their states and local government areas. Nevertheless, Simeon Muforo, a retiree who now runs a building materials’ business, says that workers have nothing to fear about retirement if they “have been able to save for the rainy day. “Truly, life begins after retirement if one has something to fall back on immediately he or she joins the league of senior citizens. “If you intend to enjoy your

retirement, you should start planning right from the day you join service. You must be aware that you will certainly retire one day; you should, therefore, start putting things in shape, it is wrong to wait till the last year. “If you adopt this approach, you will certainly not gallivant around when you are old, all in the name of politics,’’ Muforo says. However, some pensioners blame their plight on officers responsible for the payment of pension benefits, alleging some of them often demand for bribe and other forms of inducement. Chief Daniel Egbeogu, the Chairman Abia State Local Government Service Commission and Pension Board, insists that life will get better for pensioners, if the government tackles the myriad challenges facing pension management in the country.

“

Truly, life begins after retirement if one has something to fall back on immediately he or she joins the league of senior citizens. If you intend to enjoy your retirement, you should start planning right from the day you join service. You must be aware that you will certainly retire one day; you should, therefore, start putting things in shape, it is wrong to wait till the last year

“For instance, before my appointment in October 2011, pensioners in Abia State were owed 13 years’ gratuity. “I sent a memo to Gov. Theodore Orji and in the last four months, he has released N100 million for the payment of some gratuity arrears,’’ he says. Egbeogu says the state government has been able to settle workers’ gratuities up to 2002, urging the three tiers of government to live up to their responsibilities to pensioners. He, nonetheless, advises pensioners to be courageous enough to report any official who demands inducement before treating pension matters to appropriate authorities. Egbeogu, however, pledges that the commission will continue to be transparent in the management of local government pensions. “I am not unaware of reports of some aberrations by pension officials, but pensioners should come forward and report such incidents, ’’ he says. Egbeogu stresses that if pensioners report cases such as fraud and demands for bribe, it would a long way in checking corruption and other forms of malfeasance in pension administration. Observers, nonetheless, stress the need to tackle the plight of pensioners in a pragmatic way. This is partly because all things being equal, today’s workers are tomorrow’s pensioners, some of the observers add. Source: NAN

PAGE 28

By Constance Athekame

y most accounts, the fundamental role of the army of any country is the defence of the country’s territorial integrity. However, due to the exigencies of contemporary security challenges, soldiers are increasingly involved in internal security operations as well as peacekeeping missions abroad. The participation of the Nigerian Army in peace missions dates to the early 1960s when Nigeria contributed troops to the first-ever United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo. Years later, Nigeria became the fourth largest troops’ contributor to UN peacekeeping missions across the globe, while contributing the highest number of troops to ECOWAS peacekeeping missions. Observers, nonetheless, notes that the Nigerian Army is now playing increased roles in internal security operations in Nigeria, particularly due to the emergent security challenges induced by the Boko Haram insurgency and the campaign of Niger Delta militant groups. However, some of the observers bemoan the involvement of soldiers in internal security operations, saying that soldiers are not trained to manage internal security crises “in diplomatic ways’’ like the police. Aware of the apparent drawback, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, on assumption of office, pledges to restructure the Nigerian Army to enable it to adequately respond to contemporary security challenges. Ihejirika compared the current security situation in the country to a wartime situation such as the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970, which threatened the very existence of the country. “My vision is to transform the Nigerian Army into a better force that is able to meet contemporary challenges. “Apart from the civil war period, at no other time in our nation’s history has the army been tasked as in the current security situation in country. ’’ The army chief stressed that the current security situation necessitated a paradigm shift from conventional warfare role of the army to Counter Terrorism (CT) and Counter Insurgency (COIN) roles, among others. Ihejirika said that as part of efforts to prepare the army for its emerging roles, its personnel ought to be adequately trained and motivated. “The changes in our force structure, necessitated by the spate of security threats in the country, call for greater emphasis on functional and mission-oriented training in order to improve Nigerian Army’s operational efficiency. “We have established a ‘Dog Centre’ at Ipaja, Lagos, for the training of dogs in explosives’ and narcotics’ detection, tracking and guard duties, while an operational ‘Dog Unit’ has

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Preparing Nigerian Army for future challenges

Officers and men of the Nigerian Army been established at Abuja to support the Guards Brigade,’’ he said. Going from the general to the specifics, Ihejirika said that the army had been rendering training assistance to the Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). He said that more than 2,000 officials of other security agencies had been trained by the army in counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations. Besides, he noted that not less than 40 pilots and technicians of the army had been trained by the Nigerian Air Force. Ihejirika vowed that the army would go all out to protect the territorial integrity of the country, stressing that the army had always been in the forefront of all efforts to keep Nigeria as one country since her independence in 1960. “So, when people talk about breakup, they seem to have forgotten so soon that they have an army that paid dearly to keep the country together. “The army is still ready to pay the supreme sacrifice to keep the country as one united entity. “So, we should forget about any talk of Nigeria breaking up; the army will never agree to that. “However, the Nigerian Army is determined to meet the citizens’ expectations in handling contemporary security challenges and we will continue to be the pride of the nation,’’ he said. President Goodluck Jonathan, who spoke at the 2012 Army Day Celebration, held in Jaji, Kaduna State, on July 6, also conceded that the country had been facing many

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika security challenges, particularly in the last one year. He, nonetheless, vowed that the Federal Government would use all the available resources at its disposal to ensure the restoration of peace and stability in the country. Besides, Jonathan said that a National Counter Terrorism Policy was now in place, adding that the policy had been designed to give clear direction to the nation’s anti-terrorism efforts. The President commended the interface between the army, the police and other security agencies in the fight against terrorism and insurgencies in the country.

Jonathan pledged the government’s continued support for the Nigerian Army in its efforts to tackle the current security challenges facing the nation. He, nonetheless, urged the army’s leadership to “reengineer’’ and re-train the soldiers so as to reposition them to effectively tackle the emerging challenges confronting the nation. Also speaking, Gov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State urged the citizens, particularly politicians, to adopt the army’s spirit of togetherness, as part of efforts to engender a truly united country.

He said that he had observed the military’s spirit of togetherness, urging other groups in the country to emulate the soldiers’ virtue. “If we imbibe this spirit of the military it will help us greatly because it will contribute to the thing we are looking for, that is true national unity. “To the Nigerian military, I can assure you that we are watching you and we are also learning from you,” he said. While commending the role the military and other security agencies in efforts to restore peace to the state, Yakowa conveyed the gratitude of the government and people of Kaduna State to the security agencies, saying that they were much obliged to the agencies. However, Dr Olusola Obada, the Minister of State for Defence, urged the Nigerian Army to be resolute and firm in efforts to tackle the current security challenges facing the country. She pledged that the ministry would continue to give the army the necessary support, while promoting the soldiers’ welfare. Obada noted that the army had always demonstrated its readiness to guarantee the survival of the nation’s democracy “I urge you to continue to distinguish yourselves wherever you have a duty call; either within the country or outside,’’ she added. The minister commended the officers and men of the army for promoting the fulfilment of the country’s democracy and “the Nigeria project’’. “What I have seen so far has further reinforced my conviction that Nigeria has one of the best armed forces in the world. “We are all proud of you — our men and women in uniform — for your combat readiness, loyalty and commitment to our country, Nigeria,’’ she said. Retired Maj.-Gen. Dave Enahoro, who delivered a lecture entitled “Using experiences of the past to address contemporary challenges of the Nigerian Army’’, underscored the army’s role in protecting the lives of the citizens succinctly. “This is because the first duty of any social entity is to protect the lives of its members,’’ he added. Sharing similar sentiments, observers note that the government’s understanding of the fundamental duty has propelled it to put in place pragmatic measures to ensure the security of lives and property in the country. They, nonetheless, urge the government to properly fund the army and other security agencies, as part of strategies to enhance the security of the people’s lives and property. Source: NAN

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Man given up for dead comes home after 23 years, 15 of which were in a Pakistani jail

man who was given up for dead has returned to his home village in Bangladesh after 23 years - the last 15 of which were spent in Pakistani prison. Family members who long believed they would never see him again were stunned when Moslemuddin Sarkar returned home for the first time since 1989. Sarkar was helped home by the International Committee of the Red Cross after he was imprisoned in Pakistan for 15 years. Hundreds of well-wishers lined the streets of Bishnurampur village, in Bangladesh’s northern Mymensingh district, to catch a glimpse of him and congratulate his tearful and jubilant family. In a telephone interview, Sarkar said he had entered India without valid documents in 1989 without informing his family. He was then caught as he tried to cross into Pakistan in 1997 where he was jailed for trying to enter the country illegally. Speaking in a combination of Urdu and Bangali, he added: ‘I went to Pakistan believing that I would get a better job there. But they caught me at the border. I was beaten and tortured in prison. ‘I wrote dozens of letters to my village address, but did not have any clue that they were never posted. At one stage I lost all hope of returning

home.’ He added that he was ‘delighted’ to see that his mother is still alive. He added that he was ‘delighted’ to see that his mother is still alive. The Red Cross became involved and facilitated Sarkar’s return after

Fiji scraps Queen’s birthday bank holiday, declaring it ‘unimportant’

iji is to scrap the public holiday to mark The Queen’s birthday because the government there believes she is irrelevant. Officials on the former colony also said the move, which comes 25 years after the country was made a republic, was because the day off was a ‘burden’ for the country. The Queen’s likeness had already been removed from Fijian coins and has been replaced with images of local flora and fauna. Fijians will now only have nine public holidays a year from 2013. The Queen’s birthday had been celebrated early in June as opposed

Finally home: Moslemuddin Sarkar has made it back to his home village in Bangladesh after 23 years

to her real birthday on April 21 and was particularly valued by low paid workers as a chance to take a break and be with their families. Jone Usamate, a spokesman for the Labour Ministry in the capital, Suva, said: ‘The Queen’s birthday’s importance disappeared from Fiji when we became a republic and now our status is an independent nation. ‘There is a focus on more

Queen no more: Former colony Fiji has decided to scrap The Queen's birthday public holiday because the government believes it to be irrelevant

his family received a tip-off that he was locked up in Pakistan and turned to the organisation for help, according to spokesperson Onchita Shadman, who described him as ‘frail and overwhelmed’. Julhas Uddin, Sarkar’s younger

brother, said most of the family had feared the worst. ‘We searched for him for years and finally gave up hope believing he might have drowned in the sea. But our mother always believed that her son would return home one

day,’ he told AFP. ‘My mother passed out as he hugged her after returning. It was a heartbreaking scene. He could not control his tears for hours,’ he said. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Emotional reunion: Mr Sarkar, 52, who has been missing since 1989, is hugged by his brother Sekandar Ali (right)

productivity and growth, so as a result the decision was made to cut down on the number of holidays in Fiji, as holidays can be a burden on business and government.’ Whilst The Queen ceased to be the ruler of Fiji when it became a republic in 1987, its Great Council of Chiefs continued to honour her until now. Other former British-ruled countries such as Australia, New

Zealand and Canada still mark her birthday with a public holiday. Fiji has undergone a period of unrest in recent years and in 2006 the military ousted the government which its commanders had installed in 2000 in the last such upheaval. In 2009 Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations, a move supported by Britain, because of its failure to hold elections, which it still has not done today.

Polls are now scheduled for 2014. Fijian leader Voreqe Bainimarama made sure the currency’s new designs of its ten coin and note denominations did not feature the Queen. He said in 2011 when the new designs were announced: ‘Important and iconic flora and fauna of Fiji has been selected to replace her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

No importance: While The Queen drew huge patriotic crowds here for the Jubilee, in Fiji she holds no relevance since the country became a republic, officials say.

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By Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde

ow, having sacrificed our primary motivations, fasting takes us closer to God. At least in a year, for thirty days we share a common feeling of belonging to a congregation whose only goal is the satisfaction of God and getting closer to him through fasting, prayer and different forms of worship. The soul, debased of the primordial need of food and sex, transcends ordinary position and walks an extra mile in the spiritual sojourn that takes it ever closer to God. The movement is massive, just as the congregation: a billion people, sharing the same philosophy and culture doing the same thing for a month. It is also most assuring because as we try to move closer to the target, the target itself moves closer to us at a rate, according to a hadith, that is at least double our pace. That is why God said, in the segment regarding fasting: “When my servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth Me: Let them also, with a will, listen to My call and believe Me: that they may walk in the right way.” (2:186) I am not attempting to exhaustively expound the rationale behind fasting. I cannot. The late Sayyid Qutb was correct when, in his Fi Zilal, he refused to discuss at length the wisdom behind fasting, saying, “the horizon of human knowledge is limited; it does not have the capacity to encompass, nor to discover, the Wisdom of God …” Our intention rather was to capture, albeit in a glimpse, something of the importance of fasting during Ramadan and narrate it, within the short space available, to a generation given to discourse and reason. Through the fasting of Ramadan, in a nutshell, an avenue is created that allows us to transcend the animal level of eating and propagation to that of proximity with the Highest Assembly in a constant preparation for a struggle to remain on the path of God. No wonder therefore, it was prescribed the very year that the Muslims were to fight their first and most decisive battle in their history: Badr. Revelation The second gift of Ramadan is the Holy Qur’an, the primary text of Islam. It is not possible to exhaustively list down the teachings of the Qur’an. We will therefore restrict ourselves here to its peculiarities. First, a peculiarity which Muslims in particular must note about the Qur’an, is that it is meant to be a guide (2:2) for them. It is thus a divine manual meant to be consulted, read, understood and applied in everyday life. In other words, unlike the books that other religions use today, the Qur’an is a book of practice. It has no ‘old testament’ that is discarded as irrelevant for today, nor a ‘new’ one that is modified according to exigencies of times. Thus anyone accepting Islam is discarding all sources of legislation and adopting only that which agrees with the Qur’an. Obedience to its commandments is obligatory, as much as possible. This explains why Qur’an alone has the capacity to furnish

Ramadan (II)

yardstick of difference between people. Therefore, no one should be segregated against except who chooses to abandon the path of virtue. That is why Islam has the fastest growth rate ever recorded in the

Holy Kaaba, Makkah humanity with a divine guidance upon which they will base their everyday life. The followers of other religions have long ago denied the relevance of their books as their sole source of legislation. Today we see them depending on human reason alone which cannot be separated from whims and which is limited in scope by the limitations of our faculties to encompass the entirety of knowledge and wisdom. Secondly, the source of the Qur’an is another peculiarity that makes it distinct from books of other religions. Its origin is 100% divine. The Qur’an has never claimed to be the only revealed book though. On the contrary, it acknowledges the revelation of others before it: like the Psalms of David (17:55), the Law (Torah) of Moses (2:53); the Gospel (Injil,, not the present day Bible) of Jesus (5:46), etc. In fact there was no nation except a messenger was sent to it (16:36), from among its people who would convey and explain the Message of God to them (14:4) and who will serve as a witness in the Hereafter that the Message has reached them (16:89). And no nation was ever destroyed except a book was sent to it (15:4). The Qur’an has gone further to acknowledge the noble message of these books: the Law of Moses for example is described as “guidance and light” (5:44) or “guide and mercy” (46:12) and the Gospel of Jesus as “therein was guidance and light and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear God.” (5:49) Belief in the divine origin of earlier revealed books is a pillar of the Islamic faith (2:136). Notwithstanding the above facts, the difference between the

previous books and the Qur’an is that, in their present form, the former are not completely divine. There have been adulterations, contents that clearly originated from people recounting their experience, as expressed in the differences between the numerous versions of what is supposedly the same text. The purity of the Qur’an on the other hand arose from the promise of God to protect it from adulteration (15:9) through memorization (29:49), an act He deliberately made easy (54:17; 22; 32; 40). No other book is so protected such that “no falsehood

preserve of the Jewish race. Jesus too was sent to the Israelites (61:6) and the Gospel with which he was sent was a confirmation of The Law (5:49) and relief from its rigour (3:50). As was reported in the Bible, he once refused to heal a gentile woman, explaining that he was not sent except to the lost sheep of the Israel. That is why Christianity did not spread among the gentiles, until the conversion of Paul, decades after the death of Christ. The Holy Prophet of Islam and the Qur’an are the property of the entire mankind (7:158). Only in the solvent of Islam can we find the

“

The second gift of Ramadan is the Holy Qur’an, the primary text of Islam. It is not possible to exhaustively list down the teachings of the Qur’an. We will therefore restrict ourselves here to its peculiarities. First, a peculiarity which Muslims in particular must note about the Qur’an, is that it is meant to be a guide (2:2) for them can approach it from before or behind it.” (41:42) Thirdly, the Qur’an is the universality of its message. It is sent to the entire mankind, living in all ages since its revelation (21:107; 33:28). Contrarily, other revelations and Messengers were sent only to their tribe. For example, Moses (61:5) and The Law given to him (32:23) were only sent to the Children of Israel. This is why even today Judaism is the exclusive

practical dissolution of differences due to race, class, gender and political boundaries. In a single declaration, the root of humanity was traced to one source, Adam (4:1); the phenotypic and linguistic differences being purely for identification purposes while “the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most Righteous of you.” (49:13). Righteousness therefore becomes the primary qualification and

history of mankind. Even today, it has widely been acknowledged as the fastest growing religion. The reason behind this is that God has in it struck a balance between fundamental principles that can stand the test of time on the one hand and flexible details that will suit various cultures, peoples and environments. The concepts of human purpose, reward and punishment, equality of human race, freedom of the human species, social justice and so on form the basis for the unity of mankind. They do not change. On the other hand however, under its flexibility, peoples are allowed to differ in their traditions like dress, food and even in details of marriage and forms of government. Fourthly, concomitant with the universality of the Qur’an is the comprehensiveness of its legislation – the shariah. It covers both the secular and the religious in a way no religion could claim to accomplish. In it, there is nothing like giving “to Caesar what is to Caesar, and to God what is to God.” All belongs to God. It means that legislations have to meet the basic guidelines provided by the Qur’an without violating any of the provisions. What is astonishing however is how Islam also recognizes the relevance of human reason and made allowance for its accommodation within the paradigm of divine legislation. In the West, divinity and reason are often regarded as mutually exclusive given the experience of Europe under domination of the Church and its attempt to subdue the Renaissance. Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde is a renowned columnist based in Jos

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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In East Jerusalem, the separation wall forces many Palestinians to pass through checkpoints every day

ANALYSIS By Ben White

t was recently revealed that a senior official in the Jerusalem municipality has asked the Israeli military "to take responsibility for handling civilian matters pertaining to Jerusalem residents east of the separation fence". Jerusalem municipality's director-general Yossi Heiman told the meeting a few weeks ago that the city "wants the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] to take responsibility for monitoring construction and providing sanitation services". Ha'aretz reported that "the meeting concluded with a decision to form a committee that will present a plan to the government". Tens of thousands of East Jerusalem residents with blue Israeli identity cards living in Palestinian neighbourhoods beyond the Separation Wall are "cut off from the bulk of the city" and forced "to pass through checkpoints on a daily basis in order to get to work, attend school, obtain medical services, visit family, etc". This "physical separation", in the words of the UN's OCHA, means "residents suffer from impeded access to services on the 'Jerusalem' side of the Barrier, the lack of municipal services in situ, a security vacuum and increasing lawlessness and crime".

Israel wall used for segregation, not just security "In a few years, Israel can turn around and say that those on the other side of the Wall are no longer part of the city." Behind a new checkpoint, and hemmed in by the Wall and Israel's colonies, Shuafat refugee camp typifies the bitter irony behind Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat's hollow claim to oversee a "united" city. Household waste gathers in piles, construction is unregulated, and crime is unchecked. As local doctor Salim Anati told me during one of my visits to the camp in 2010, Shuafat camp is "a problem" for the Israeli plan of making "a continuity of settlements on

the east side of Jerusalem" thus the camp is "on the wrong side" of the Wall. He predicted that "in a few years, Israel can turn around and say that those on the other side of the Wall are no longer part of the city". That same year, Jerusalem city councillor Yakir Segev made a speech in which he said that the Palestinian areas east of the Wall were "no longer part of the city", noting that the "separation fence… was built for political and demographic reasons - not just security concerns". In December 2011, Mayor Barkat publicly proposed "relinquish[ing] areas of the municipality that are located

“

outside of the fence", adjustments that, "according to a municipal source", would mean "a very small territorial gain for Jerusalem, with a loss of approximately 40,000 Arab residents". It is a familiar story. Speaking to BBC's Hardtalk in July 2011, Mayor Barkat confirmed that he wants to maintain a Jewish majority in the city. A 2010 US diplomatic cable records Barkat's belief that the natural growth of Jerusalem's Palestinians is a "strategic threat" (comments that the cable notes "reflect longstanding GOI [Government of Israel] policy regarding the

Jerusalem municipality's director-general Yossi Heiman told the meeting a few weeks ago that the city “wants the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) to take responsibility for monitoring construction and providing sanitation services”.

desired demographic balance in Jerusalem"). A previous mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert, said while in offi ce that it is "a matter of concern when non-Jewish population rises a lot faster than Jewish population". Th e d esi re t o b e r id of Pa lest ini an n eigh bou rhoo ds east of the Wall thus shatter tw o pe rsi sten t m yth s. T he first is that t he route of the Wa ll w as des igne d f or "security", rather than as an element in a regime of colonial segregation. The second myth is that Jerusalem - where, in th e wo rds of Dep uty May or Meron Benvenisti, "an ethnic po pula tio n r atio se rve s as a philosophy" - is a city whose re side nts en joy equ ali ty. In ot her wor ds, the my th a nd reality is a microcosm of Israel as a whole, where the motto co nti nues to be "ma xim um la nd with mi nim um Pa les tini ans , m aximum Palestinians on minimum land". Ben White is a freelance journalist, writer and activist, specialising in Palestine/Israel. He is a graduate of Cambridge University.

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Madagascar to hold presidential election next May Kenya lawmakers want minister, central bank governor probed

Madagascar will hold presidential elections on May 8 next year, officials said on Wednesday, as the Indian Ocean Island follows a political road map aimed at ending three years of unrest. Madagascar has been in crisis

since 2009 when then-opposition leader Andry Rajoelina ousted President Marc Ravalomanana with the support of the army after opposition protests. Ravalomanana was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for the killings of demonstrators by

elite troops in the coup. Beatrice Atallah, president of Madagascar's electoral body, announced the election date in a statement on Wednesday and said July 3 had been set aside for a possible run-off in the presidential poll. Parliamentary

Kenyan parliamentary committee has asked that a cabinet minister and the central bank governor be removed from office and be investigated over the loss of money it says was lost in a currency printing deal. The powerful parliamentary committee, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), also wants the country's anti-corruption watchdog to investigate the two government officials and take legal action to recover the lost money from them. The group, which monitors government spending, said in a report presented to the country's national assembly it also wants parliament to approve a resolution that the two are unfit to hold public office in east Africa's biggest economy. The report was presented to parliament on Wednesday and could be debated and voted on by the assembly within weeks. Ndung'u faced a similar test earlier this year when the same group demanded he step aside from his post over how he handled the local currency's plunge to a historic low late last year. He was however cleared of responsibility after a majority of Kenyan lawmakers voted in his favour. Chaired by fiery legislator Boni Khalwale, the PAC has for months been conducting public hearings to investigate the currency printing contracts between the Central Bank of Kenya and London-listed De La Rue PLC. The PAC concluded that Amos Kimunya, a former finance minister and now transport minister, and central banker Njuguna Ndung'u should step aside from their posts and be probed over the loss of over 1.8 billion shillings in the currency printing deal. The PAC concluded that while holding the finance brief, Kimunya terminated a long-term contract for the printing of banknotes, opting for four shortterm contracts that cost the taxpayer much more. "The Committee is therefore satisfied that the taxpayer lost Kshs.1,830,909,616.00 being the price difference between the interim orders and the cancelled contract," it said in a report. Neither Kimunya nor Ndung'u could be reached for comment.

(L-R) Madagascar"s President Andry Rajoelina, former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano and former Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana sign a peace accord in Maputo, August 9, 2009.

elections will also take place on July 3, she said. In September, Madagascar's main political parties signed a road map mediated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which confirmed Rajoelina as president and allowed for the unconditional return of Ravalomanana from selfimposed exile. The deal also recommended holding elections within a year. However, the two rivals for Madagascar's presidency have so far failed to agree terms under which Ravalomanana could return to Madagascar. The sticking point is that the former leader could be arrested upon his return, which may prevent him attempting to come back. The two men are under pressure from the SADC, which wants them to hammer out a final agreement by the time the bloc holds a summit in Mozambique in mid-August. The impoverished island's mainstay tourism industry has suffered badly from the years of turmoil, and foreign companies have been wary of committing to investment in its oil, gold, chrome and nickel reserves.

Guinea-Sierra Leone â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to end Yenga dispute

uinea and Sierra Leone have agreed to pull back troops from their disputed border, Guinea's foreign minister Edouard Nyankoi Lamah has said. The two sides have pledged to resolve the dispute over control of Yenga town through dialogue, he said. Guinean troops entered Yenga more than a decade ago, to help the Sierra Leonean army fight rebels. They refused to hand the

town back to the Sierra Leonean government after defeating the uprising. Mr Lamah, speaking after a trip to Freetown, said the two governments had agreed to demilitarise the area. "The first point is to demilitarise the zone - that is to say the Sierra Leone army reverts back to its own territory and the Guinean army also reverts to its own territory," he said. "The second point is that both

armies should together work out the modalities on how this buffer zone will be demarcated." He said Sierra Leone and Guinea would set up committees - assisted by experts from Britain and France, the former colonial powers - to help find an agreement. "These committees should help us demarcate the borders and show either country which is their territory," Mr Lamah said.

Sierra Leone's ambassador to Guinea, Adikali Suma, said both countries were determined to avoid confrontation. "It is necessary to put all other things aside and resolve this issue diplomatically," he said. In 2005, Sierra Leone and Guinea signed an agreement confirming Yenga - a tiny town on the banks of the Makona River - belonged to Guinea. However, Guinean troops have remained in the town.

Congolese in street protests over eastern violence

housands of protesters took to the streets across Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday to call for an end to violence in the east of the country, where government troops and United Nations peacekeepers are struggling to halt advancing rebels. The four-month-old uprising by the M23 rebel group has displaced some 470,000 civilians in the mineral-rich North Kivu province on the border with Uganda and Rwanda. A U.N. experts' report found that senior officials in Rwanda were providing support to the Tutsidominated insurgency, and on Saturday Congolese President Joseph Kabila called Kigali's backing of the movement "an open secret". Rwanda has repeatedly rejected the allegations and accused the report's authors of failing to verify their information or consult Rwandan authorities. Early on Wednesday worshippers poured out of churches

and into the streets brandishing banners calling for peace in the east and for unity in the vast country, which is home to nearly 70 million people and around 400 different ethnic groups. "We're marching to say no to violence, to balkanisation and to the pillage of our resources," said Augustin, a young resident of the capital, Kinshasa, where the largest march was organised by Catholic Church leaders. Smaller protest marches took place in cities across the country, including Lubumbashi in the southern mining heartland, and in Bukavu in South Kivu, which is also plagued by armed militias. A planned march in Goma, the capital of North Kivu which has come within the rebels' striking distance in recent days, was called off for security reasons. "Our country is being threatened by Rwanda and for the first time our government has understood this, that's why they've

allowed us to march," Benoit Marcel Tshissambo, another Kinshasa protester, told Reuters. Congo's government is regularly accused by human rights groups of using authoritarian methods to clamp down on dissent. Congolese authorities repeatedly stopped the Catholic Church from organising prodemocracy marches in protest

against Kabila's controversial reelection last November in polls widely denounced as fraudulent. Congolese soldiers have been routed and pushed back in recent weeks in a replay of a 2008 rebel advance which saw the insurgents, then known as the CNDP, encircle Goma and clash with the army and U.N. soldiers on the outskirts of the city.

M23 rebel fighters dance in celebration in the rain at Rumangabo, after government troops abandoned the town, 23km (14 miles) north of the eastern Congolese city of Goma, July 28, 2012.

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Cameron and Putin in London confab P rime Minister David Cameron yesterday held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin with the focus on boosting trade rather than anger over Moscow's sheltering of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime from tougher international action. With relations thawing since the end of a five-year freeze on top-level contacts between Britain and Russia, Cameron also plans to take Putin to the Olympics to see matches in the

Russian leader's beloved judo competition. The visit by Putin, an honorary president of the International Judo Federation, will be his first to Britain since he was reinstalled as Russia's chief in May and follows talks with Cameron on the sidelines of May's G-20 meeting in Mexico. Cameron will push Putin over Russia's refusal to back a new resolution at the United Nations aimed at helping to halt Syria's violence. Britain called the decision

by Russia and China to veto a resolution two weeks ago "inexcusable and indefensible." But, as with much of Britain's frantic round of Olympic diplomacy - aimed at winning 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) in new trade on the back of the Summer Games - talks will stress efforts to increase the country's exports to Russia. "We will be at the judo, so it may be a bit off-putting, but nonetheless, I know my major priority is to get

those trade deals to get that investment and not to concentrate on what's happening on the mat," Cameron said last week, addressing an audience of business leaders. Relations between Britain and Russia soured over the 2006 poisoning death of dissident exRussian security agent Alexander Litvinenko in London. Litvinenko made a deathbed statement accusing Putin of authorizing his killing. Russia has refused repeated

British requests for the extradition of the chief suspect in the case, exKGB agent Andrei Lugovoi, who denies any involvement. Intelligence cooperation between Britain and Russia remains suspended as a result of Litvinenko's killing. Leaders of the two countries didn't meet for five years as a result, but in a visit to Moscow last September Cameron acknowledged that the two nations must set aside their disputes to nurture new trading ties.

Spain arrests Serb central suspected bank al-Qaeda trio governor panish police have arrested three suspected members of quits over al-Qaeda in the southern province of Cadiz, the interior draft law Ministry has revealed.

Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz in a news conference yesterday said:"There is a clear indication that those arrested could have been planning an attack in Spain or in Europe". The suspects were identified as a Russian, a Chechen and a Turk and were in the possession of explosives and poison when they were arrested, the ministry said. Fernandez Diaz said one of the two arrested near Ciudad Real was a senior al-Qaeda operative who had extensive experience in bombmaking. He said that said the operation was conducted with the help of other international police forces, and that the explosive material was being analysed. No details were given on how much material was found, though the minister said it was enough to blow up a bus. "The western world faces a global threat from the terrorist organization al Qaeda. Spain does not suffer more or less of a threat than the entire western world. I want this to be clear," Fernandez Diaz siad. "What is clear is that at the level that it is a global threat, the intelligence services and police in the West, those who together make up our allies, are working very closely together," the minister said. Two of the suspects were travelling in a bus towards France when they were arrested in a lay-by at Valdepenas by a police special operations group, according to El Pais. The Turkish man was reportedly arrested in a flat near La Linea de la Concepion where the group was storing explosives. They will appear soon before an investigating magistrate at the National Court in Madrid and be detained while the judge studies the case and decides on possible charges. That process could take anywhere from days to months, and authorities are not likely to release more details about the case until the judge finishes that work. Spanish police have arrested dozens of al-Qaida suspects since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, and more after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid.

he governor of Serbia's central bank resigned yesterday, saying a draft law being debated in parliament threatened the independence of the bank. The law, proposed by lawmakers from Serbia's new Socialist-led ruling coalition, would step up government control over the bank and has been criticised by the European Union and International Monetary Fund. In a statement, Governor Dejan Soskic said he had resigned because the draft amendments "violate the independence of the National Bank of Serbia" and would degrade decision-making.

US Congress approves lifeline for African clothing

he U.S. Congress voted yesterday to renew a trade measure supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs in Africa's clothing sector, just two months before the measure expires. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved the legislation on a voice vote, sending it to President Barack Obama to sign into law. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), first passed by Congress in 2000, allows eligible countries in sub-Saharan Africa to ship thousands of goods to the United States without paying import duties. A provision that expires September 30 waives duties on clothing from most AGOA countries, even if the yarn or fabric is made in a "third country" such as China, South Korea or Vietnam. It provides sewing jobs for hundreds of thousands of African workers, about 70 to 80 percent of whom are women. The legislation extends the provision through 2015 and also makes the new country of South Sudan eligible for AGOA benefits. "The apparel industry has been a major driver of employment growth in Africa under AGOA. In Lesotho alone, jobs in the textile and apparel industry have more than doubled growing from 19,000 to 45,000 because of AGOA," said House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, a Republican.

(L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister David Cameron

National Bank of Serbia Governor Dejan Soskic talks during the second day of the Conference on European Economic Integration (CEEI) in Vienna, November 22, 2011.

Kenyan workers pack clothes for export at the Alltex export processing zone (EPZ) factory in Athi River, near the Kenyan capital Nairobi, July 31, 2009.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

New Egyptian cabinet sworn in by President Mursi

gypt's new cabinet was yesterday sworn in by newly-elected President Mohammed Mursi at a ceremony in Cairo. The ministers were selected by Prime Minister-designate Hisham Qandil, who earlier called for Egyptians to rally behind "a people's government." Only four ministers from President Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood were given posts. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who ruled Egypt after Hosni Mubarak stepped down, remains as defence minister. The military retains broad powers, including legislative authority. President Mursi has been criticised for the time he has taken to name a prime minister and form a government. He promised an inclusive government, with women and Christians represented. The cabinet line-up includes only two women - one of them is a Christian. His nomination of Mr Qandil, the outgoing water resources minister, surprised many observers, who had been expecting a well-known figure. Speaking at a news conference in Cairo ahead of the ceremony,

Mr Qandil appealed for Egyptians to pull together to support the new government. "I call on all Egyptians to rally behind our elected president and to work with the government to achieve all of our goals. "We have to stop asking who is a Copt, a Muslim or a Salafi. I don't see that. All I see is that we are all Egyptians and this should be the main principle." Mr Qandil will hold a meeting

with members of his government on Saturday to discuss the next steps on seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, he said, according to the Reuters news agency. Seven ministers will remain from the outgoing militaryappointed cabinet - including Mumtaz al-Said, who will serve as finance minister, and Mohammed Kamal Amr, who stays on as foreign minister.

Egypt's first government under President Mursi has a low-profile feel - many of the ministers are technocrats with little political experience. Critics, including the young secular liberals who sparked Egypts uprising 18 months ago, will say it does not have the air of a revolutionary government. Many of the new ministers worked under former President Hosni Mubarak. Crucially, Egypt's long-

Prime Minister Hisham Qandil appealed for public support

standing Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi will keep his job. He runs the country's military, which seems reluctant to hand over power to civilian rule. In one respect, President Mursi has avoided confrontation, approving only a handful of Islamist ministers from his own Muslim Brotherhood movement. But the battle for who actually controls Egypt will continue to be fought out in the coming months. The new government will have its work cut out. Egypt's economy is floundering and many Egyptians say they've seen little improvement in their day-to-day lives. President Mursi has listed his main priorities as security, fuel, rubbish, bread and traffic. Former prime minister Kamal Ganzouri becomes a presidential adviser. The re-appointment of Field Marshal Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf), is in line with an interim constitutional declaration issued after June's presidential election run-off. The Scaf assumed presidential powers after Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down as president in February 2011.

Obama Myanmar forces continue to persecute Muslims yanmar security forces reports of beheadings, stabbings, it added. "I was just a few feet away. I was on Okays â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;secret opened fire on Rohingya shootings and widespread arson in It quoted one Rohingya man in the road. I saw them shoot at least committed Rakhine, also known as Arakan the Rakhine state capital Sittwe as six people - one woman, two orderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to aid rape andMuslims, stood by as rival mobs state, the report added. "What is saying that security forces children, and three men. The attacked each other during a remarkable is that if the atrocities watched as a Buddhist mob started police took their bodies away." recent wave of sectarian violence, that we saw in Arakan had torching houses. "When the people Decades of discrimination have left Syria rebels a rights watchdog said yesterday. happened before the government tried to put out the fires, the the Rohingya stateless, and they

S President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorising US support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, Reuters news agency said quoting sources familiar with the matter. Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an intelligence "finding", broadly permits the CIA and other US agencies to provide aid that could help the rebels dislodge Assad from power. The shift towards supporting Assad's armed opponents intensified following last month's failure of the UN Security Council to agree on tougher sanctions against the Damascus government. The full extent of clandestine support that agencies like the CIA might be providing also is unclear. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor declined comment on the matter. The White House has apparently stopped short of giving the rebels lethal weapons, even as some US allies have been doing just that. US and European officials have said that there have been noticeable improvements in the coherence and effectiveness of Syrian rebel groups in the past few weeks. That represents a significant change in assessments of the rebels by Western officials, who previously characterised Assad's opponents as a disorganised. Separately from the president's secret order, the Obama administration has stated publicly that it is providing some backing for Assad's opponents.

The authorities failed to protect both Muslims and Buddhists and then "unleashed a campaign of violence and mass roundups against the Rohingya", New Yorkbased Human Rights Watch said in a report. The violence which erupted in June in Rakhine state between Buddhists and Rohingya has left about 80 people dead from both sides, an estimate that HRW said appeared "grossly underestimated". Hundreds of Rohingya men and boys have been rounded up and remain incommunicado in the western region of the country formerly known as Burma, it said. Members of both Muslim and Buddhist communities committed horrific acts of violence with

reform process had started, the international reaction would have been swift and strong," said HRW Asia deputy director Phil Robertson. "But the international community appears to be blinded by a romantic narrative of sweeping change in Burma, signing new trade deals and lifting sanctions even while the abuses continue," he told a news conference. The report, based on dozens of witness interviews, said that the events in Rakhine "demonstrate that state-sponsored persecution and discrimination persist" despite the government's pledge to end ethnic unrest. Police and paramilitary forces "opened fire on Rohingya with live ammunition",

Annan quits as Syria peace envoy

ofi Annan is quitting as UN-Arab League peace envoy for Syria, UN leader Ban Ki-moon has announced, as the 17-month-old civil war spiralled further out of control.

Ban announced "with deep regret" the resignation of Annan on Thursday, who was named to the

Annan cited "fingerpointing and namecalling" in Security Council as one of his reasons for stepping down

paramilitary shot at us. And the group beat people with big sticks." Another Rohingya man said:

are viewed by the United Nations as one of the world's most persecuted minorities.

Protesters carrying placards

post on February 23. Annan told Ban and Nabil El Araby, the general-secretary of the Arab League, of his intention not to renew his mandate when it expires on August 31, 2012. Ban said in the statement that he and El Araby were in discussions on appointing a successor to Annan. "Kofi Annan deserves our profound admiration for the selfless way in which he has put his formidable skills and prestige to this most difficult and potentially thankless of assignments," Ban said. Vitaly Churkin, Russia'a UN ambassador, was quick to react, suggesting to reporters outside the Security Council in New York that Moscow was disappointed that

Annan was bowing out. "We understand that it's his decision," Churkin told reporters. "We regret that he chose to do so. We have supported very strongly Kofi Annan's efforts. He has another month to go, and I hope this month is going to be used as effectively as possible under these very difficult circumstances." Churkin added he was encouraged that Ban was looking for a successor to Annan. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Annan cited "fingerpointing and name-calling" in the 15-nation Security Council as one of the reasons for his decision to step down.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Doctor saves his pet tortoise by giving it mouth to mouth for six minutes after it nearly drowns in a bowl of water

Heroic act: The doctor said his colleagues at the GP's surgery thought the episode was 'hilarious'

One shell of a rescue: Ben Waterfall spent six minutes giving Atlas mouth to mouth after the animal fell into his water bowl

quick-thinking doctor saved the life of his pet tortoise after it nearly drowned - by giving it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The eight-year-old reptile, Atlas, appeared to have drowned in his water bowl at Ben Waterfall's home in Swimbridge, Devon. The horrified family doctor saw the tortoise half submerged in the bowl and picked him up to find he was not breathing. But the determined 34-yearold acted fast, and spent six minutes giving his pet mouth to mouth until the tortoise started breathing again.

Dr Waterfall had been tending his garden when he had walked past Atlas's run and noticed that his pet was in serious trouble. He said: 'I saw his back feet sticking up out of the water. I pulled him out but he was not breathing and was completely floppy. 'I did six minutes of mouth-tomouth before he slowly started breathing and blinking.' The doctor, who works at a GP's surgery in Barnstaple, North Devon, admitted: 'I was quite emotional at the time. 'I first started doing it and I had my mouth over his whole head,

mouth, nose and nostrils. Then I changed it to sort of breathing into his nostrils. 'He has a run outdoors which had some water in a concrete container about ten inches long the same width as his shell. He had just fallen in. He was essentially dead.' Dr Waterfall's wife Subhani had been putting the couple's twoyear-old son Harry to bed when her husband saved the life of their pet. The doctor told his son that Atlas had 'been swimming' because the boy was too young to understand what was really going

on. The family, who also have a cat, have had Atlas for a year and Dr Waterfall said that to lose him would have been devastating. He said: 'When my wife came downstairs she said that Atlas is supposed to outlive us. He is not supposed to die young at eight years old.' Tortoises generally have

lifespans comparable with those of human beings, and some have lived for more than 150 years. The pet owner took Atlas to the vet to be checked out and he was given antibiotics in case he had any water in his lungs. 'The guys at work think it is hilarious,' added the doctor. 'There is a mixture of laughter and them kind of saying well done for giving it a go.'

State budgets: Wrong priorities, pathetic outcomes (II) Contd. from Back Page The World Helath Organisation (WHO) recommends that 15% of national budgets be allocated to healthcare. The 2012 federal budget of N282.77 billion is just about 6%. With many of the sampled states, the budgetary allocation is higher than the dismal FGN number, though nowhere near to the 15% benchmark. For instance, the only sensible thing about Bauchi's generally hopeless budget was the allocation of N13.7 billion or 9.8% to health; Gombe 7.4%; Lagos 6.7%; and Nasarawa 6%. Edo's allocation is 5.5%; Kaduna 4.3%; Benue and Akwa Ibom 4% and Zamfara's, a very low 3%. Zamfara in particular is plagued by a tragic lead poisoning crisis that has claimed the lives of hundreds of children and it would need well above 15% of its budget to sanitize its health sector. With the widespread dysfunctions in governance that

we are experiencing as a country, the under-budgeting for the sector is worsened by the fact that actual releases are usually far less than the amounts allocated. Additionally, effective utilization of the little that gets released is hindered by the corruption and incompetence that exist in the public sector agencies. We conclude with a brief comment on the huge sums state governments allocate as security vote. The bulk of these funds are usually budgeted under the Governor's Office, the Chief of Staff or the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and spent at the discretion of the governors. Take for example, in a state like Bauchi, its security vote under the SSG’s office is about N17.6 billion (12.6%) of its budget. This senseless amount is higher than the state's allocation to each of Agriculture, Health, Education and Water Resources. Indeed, the state’s combined budgetary allocations of N13.7 billion for Health, and N3.2 billion (2.3%)

for Water Resources, would account for 12.1% of its budget, and less than Yuguda's 'pocket money' called the security vote. This is not the picture of a government that takes the interests of its citizens seriously. The situation is slightly better in other states; happily my state of Kaduna allocated only N1.6

billion (1%); Nasarawa about N2 billion (1.9%); Lagos N2.4 billion (0.4%); and Edo N4.5 billion (2.9%). Some other states have hidden these votes in their budgets, but know where to find it. The need to beef up security to counter threatening forces currently terrorizing our states is understandable, but Nigerians

“

The bulk of these funds are usually budgeted under the Governor's Office, the Chief of Staff or the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), and spent at the discretion of the governors. Take for example, in a state like Bauchi, its security vote under the SSG’s office is about N17.6 billion (12.6%) of its budget. This senseless amount is higher than the state's allocation to each of Agriculture, Health, Education and Water Resources.

are aware that security is mostly a federal responsibility today. And the solution to the rising wave of insecurity is immediate job creation, investing in the future and transparent governance, not bloated security votes, which add zero value to their state governance. In conclusion, the budgets’ analysis has exposed the administrative and political incompetence of many state governments. We therefore need to rethink the role and size of states as constituted, as units of governance and economic development. There is therefore an urgent need for a constitutional review that will among others restructure the federating units to give way to a smaller number of states, regions and regional governments as political and economic management units. This calls to question the current and senseless clamour for creation of more states which would be even more unviable!

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

Fizzy drinks, frankly they’re evil, says leading biologist (I) B

iological scientist Dr HansPeter Kubis, who’s just led a study into what soft drinks do to our bodies, has reached some shocking conclusions. When you read what he discovered, you may well choose never to touch the fizzy stuff again. Once upon a time, fizzy drinks were an occasional luxury treat. Now, many of us think nothing of having at least one every day — maybe a lunchtime can of cola or a ‘natural’ lemonade from Pret. We use them as instant pickme-ups, and even as ‘healthy’ sports aids bought from vending machines at the gym. No trip to the cinema is complete without a supersize soft drink, either. It’s no surprise to learn, then, that our consumption of soft drinks has more than doubled since 1985 — from ten gallons per person a year to more than 25 gallons. We know this is not entirely good for us — but could sugary soft drinks be so dangerous that they should carry health warnings? This may sound alarmist, but new medical studies have produced worrying results. Even moderate consumption — a can a day, or just two a week — may alter our metabolism so that we pile on weight. The drinks also appear to increase the risk of heart disease, liver failure and hypertension. In children, soft drinks have been linked to addict-like

cravings, as well as twisting kids’ appetites so they hunger for junk food. Already, countries such as Denmark and France are introducing soft-drink taxes to cut consumption. In the U.S., around 100 medical and consumer organisations are now calling on the Surgeon-General to investigate the health effects of soda and other sugary drinks. Should we in Britain follow suit? Sugary soft drinks come in numerous guises — from ‘innocuous’ fizzy elderflower to ‘health’ drinks such as Lucozade and ‘sports’ beverages like Gatorade. Last year, we swallowed an astounding 14,585 million litres of soft drinks, an increase of more than 4 per cent in 12 months, according to the British Soft Drinks Association. Our spending rose by nearly 6 per cent to £13,880 million in 2010 — the fastest growth in the past seven years. We clearly like our soft drinks. But the medical evidence is stacking up against them. Last week, a study suggested they can cause weight gain and long-term health problems if drunk every day for as little as a month. The research, by Bangor University and published in the European Journal Of Nutrition, reported that soft drinks actually alter metabolism, so that our muscles use sugar for energy instead of burning fat. It seems that exposure to liquid

Fizzy drinks appear to increase the risk of heart disease, liver failure and hypertension. sugar causes genes in our muscles to change their behaviour, perhaps permanently. Not only do we pile on weight, but our metabolism becomes less

Fake it till you make it: Even a forced smile can reduce stress levels

efficient and less able to cope with rises in blood sugar, say the researchers. This, in turn, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. ‘Having seen all the medical evidence, I don’t touch soft drinks now,’ says Dr Hans-Peter Kubis, a biological scientist and expert in exercise nutrition who led the research. ‘I think drinks with added sugar are, frankly, evil.’ In fact, the Bangor study is only the latest in a long line of reports warning of the link between soft drinks and serious health problems. A study in March, for example, warned that men who drink a standard 12oz can of sugar-sweetened beverage every day have a 20 per cent higher risk of heart disease compared to men who don’t drink any sugarsweetened drinks. The research published in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, followed more than 42,000 men for 22 years. Blood tests found soft-drink fans had higher levels of harmful inflammation in their blood vessels, and lower levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. The study suggested this may be a result of the sugar rush these soft drinks cause. This increased sudden sugar load on the body may also explain research which found

just two carbonated drinks (330ml each) every week appears to double the risk of pancreatic cancer, reported the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Meanwhile, soft drinks with high levels of fruit juice may cause severe long-term liver damage, according to an Israeli study. People who drank two cans of these drinks a day were five times more likely to develop fatty liver disease — a precursor to cirrhosis and liver cancer. In the Journal of Hepatology, the lead investigator, Dr Nimer Assy, warned high levels of fructose fruit sugar in the drinks can overwhelm the liver, leading it to accumulate fat. Perhaps most disturbing is the picture emerging from various studies that suggest sugary drinks expose children to a perfect storm of obesity threats. Four years ago, researchers at University College London’s Health Behaviour Research Centre discovered a powerful — and lucrative — effect sugary soft drinks have on youngsters. The study of 346 children aged around 11 found drinking soft drinks makes them want to drink more often, even when they’re not actually thirsty — and that their preference is for more sugary drinks. Children who drank water or fruit juice in the tests didn’t show this unnecessary need to drink. The researchers expressed concern that this may set the children’s habits for life — in particular, giving them an ‘increased preference for sweet things in the mouth’, without compensating for the extra calories by eating less food. More recent research suggests fizzy drinks may sway children’s tastes towards highcalorie, high-salt food. Part of this worrying phenomenon was revealed earlier this year by Oregon University investigators. Their study of 75 children aged between three and five found those given sugary soft drinks avoided eating raw vegetables such as carrots or red peppers, but went for foods high in calories, such as chips. This did not happen when the children were given water to drink. The researchers said this wasn’t about simple fussiness. Instead, our tastes for food and drink seem to be shaped in a like-with-like manner. This discovery comes on top of an earlier finding, by heart experts at St George’s, University of London, that children and teenagers who consume sugary soft drinks are far more likely to prefer foods high in salt. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

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A ‘mechanic’ on a mission impossible Alhaji Bamanga Tukur braced the odds to emerge the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a promise to reform, recorganise and reposition the party. In this piece, Mohammed Umar Puma, reviews Tukur’s efforts at managing the self acclaimed biggest party in Africa and posits that his leadership experience will help in accomplishing a mission ‘impossible.’

ANALYSIS

hen he took charge of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in March, few gave Bamanga Tukur any chance to walk his talk. The road leading to the party’s highest office was rancorous as it was exciting. Few equally gave him any chance of clinching the post of chairman of Nigeria’s biggest political party. Lined up against him were formidable forces. His biggest hurdle was from his home constituency, the North East zone. Disturbingly close was the perceived opposition of former President Atiku Abubakar reportedly eyeing the presidential chair in 2015. Tukur and Atiku are both from Adamawa state. Both are traditional title holders. The former is the Tafidan Adamawa while the latter is the Turakin Adamawa. Watchers of the politics of zoning enshrined in the PDP concluded that the emergence of Tukur as chairman has effectively sank Atiku’s presidential dreams. Opponents of zoning however countered that zoning died with the election of President Jonathan last year in violation of the party’s constitution. Tukur came brandishing a 12 point agenda of transforming the PDP.It would rest on a three-prong categorisation, which included Triple-R, Triple-E and Triple-D.It would offer a road map in addressing the myriad of problems confronting the nation including terrorism, insecurity and corruption. Triple-R agenda would start with a genuine RECONCILIATION process for members to embrace the party and its programmes while aggrieved members would be given a sense of belonging. The REFORMATION of the party and a process of total REBUILDING based on equity and justice. The Triple-E agenda, centres on Energy, E n v i r o n m e n t a l Sustainability/Food Security and Education. He unveiled the agenda with such pride

and passion. Some expectedly sneered and dismissed it as mere rhetorics. They argue that the party’s biggest problem is the lack of internal democracy and the ‘do-or-die’ tendency espoused by the former president, chief Obasanjo. No sooner than he settled down he faces an acid test. His chief of staff Habu Fari clashed with the Secretary of the Party, Ogunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun state. Fari has proved to be a wily politician and a master of intrigues seen by many as an integral part of Tukur. He was seen therefore, as indispensable. For the period the rift lasted, the National Working Committee of the party was severed right down to the bottom along two camps. The Tafidan Adamawa was clear as to what he would do to unite his exco. To the amazement of many he fired Fari and moved on with the task of reforming the party. Watchers expect that Tukur will bring to bear his wealth of experience in reforming the party. For example, unlike his predecessors, Tukur has the stature and clout to whip into line recalcitrant members of the party ranging from senators to governors. Similarly he has sufficient business exposure internationally to hold his turf against any usurpers of party functions. Even his critics acknowledge that he is like a mechanic on a mission not totally impossible. In the days leading to his election as chairman, Tukur faced his biggest opposition from home state-Adamawa. He shares the same constituency

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

with Atiku Abubakar. The former Vice President has proved a dogged fighter. In the latter part of his reign as No2 to former President Obasanjo, he successfully challenged and reversed in court, his sack as Vice President by a temperamental principal. It was not the only victory he has had in court. Even his critics credit him with an uncommon ability to turn political foes into allies. This quality makes him formidable

“

For example, unlike his predecessors, Tukur has the stature and clout to whip into line recalcitrant members of the party ranging from senators to governors. Similarly he has sufficient business exposure internationally to hold his turf against any usurpers of party functions

as a political foe. It was therefore, understandable that Tukur would face a stiff opposition from an Atiku opposition. But Tukur glided past that hurdle with the grace of a ballerina. It was not the first time he would face such political odds. In the short lived Second Republic, he made history, uprooting from Government House Yola, Abubakar Barde of the defunct Great Nigeria People Party (GNPP).Not many gave his party, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) a chance against the more entrenched GNPP. Though his stint as governor lasted precisely three short months because the military overthrew the regime on 31 st December 1983 that Republic, he left his signature indelible marks acquired as the General Manager of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) earlier. Among others, Tukur is known for vision and discipline. Once he identifies a goal, he remains unwaveringly committed

until it has been achieved. These traits characterize his sojourn both as an administrator and as a politician. Long before he became governor of Gongola state in the last quarter of 1983, Tukur had literally worked wonders managing the nation’s ports. In the mid 70s, the nation’s ports were a mess. Massive congestion defined them. It was the era of the cement “armada” massively imported to rebuild and heal the scars of the civil war that ended a few years earlier. It was here that Tukur’s managerial acumen began to manifest. It was also here that the urge to serve humanity on a larger scale took roots leading to his exit in 1982 to run for governorship of the old Gongola state. Under his guide, the government built more seaports and operations phenomenally grew. Expectedly it helped in easing the transaction cost associated with shipping and to ensure adequate facilities for Nigeria’s import and export needs. It is instructive to note that since his departure from the Ports 30 years ago, none of his successors has come near his record. On exiting Government House Yola, Tukur went into full scale entrepreneurship becoming the President of Africa Business Roundtable, and was the founder and chairman of BHI holdings (DADDO group of companies). In 1992, he took a shot at the nation’s political plum-the presidency on the platform of the National Republican Convention, (NRC). His entrepreneurial skills might have informed the late Abacha regime to appoint him minister of industries in 1994. A maze of intrigues has defined the PDP since it metamorphosed from G18 to G34 that cautioned late Gen Abacha from transmuting to a civilian leader. In both groups, Tukur was a visible member and therefore, a founding father of the PDP. This and the previously listed factors, have placed him a notch higher than his predecessors in his mission of party reformation

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

APGA crisis: We won’t recognise wrong faction, says Jega From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

ational Chairman of Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC), Prof. Atttairu Jega has said that the electoral body would not recognize any wrong faction of the APGA but the only one that has a constitutional backing. Prof Jega who made this clearance in Ilorin during the conference of INEC and State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) noted that the party has been advised to toe the path of legitimacy. “In INEC, we do not recognize factions. We recognize legitimacy; properly and legally recognized registered political parties. And we have already communicated that to the party so I do not want to start mentioning names or so. As far as we are concerned, we have looked at the quarrels and we have advised those that we know

that are wrong to go and look at their constitution and take appropriate measures. We want to know who you are dealing with? We deal with the one that is properly registered under the law.” The INEC boss added that the electoral umpire was partnering with other stakeholders in the country to ensure that the nation democracy was consolidated. “In order to keep on improving on the electoral process, it is important that we develop partnerships and relationships with all the statutory election monitoring bodies. In Nigeria, in addition to INEC, there are also the state independent electoral commissions. And these are mandated to organize local government elections. It is very important for the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria to have democratically elected government. “And we need to share

experiences and ideas together in order to continue to improve the conduct of elections in Nigeria from the local government to the national level. This is an excellent platform for all of us to put our heads together to learn from each other and to continue to improve on the electoral process in this country.” The state chairman of Anambra SIEC, Prof. E.C. Onukaugu also in an interview with journalists noted that the major reason Anambra has not been able to conduct local government election in the past was due to series of political crisis in the state. “There are a lot of issues involved why LG elections had not taken place in Anambra state. In 2004, the then Governor, Ngige wanted to conduct election, there was three days mayhem. Peter Obi, came on board, hee wanted to conduct the election, they impeached him. He came back,

there was election which he was excluded from contesting. He went to court and recovered his mandate. He wanted to have the election and we were prepared in 2010, the materials were ready. Conference of Nigeria’s Political Parties, went to court that we should not use the flawed register used by (Prof.) Maurice Iwu that we should wait till a new register comes out. “By then some of the materials for the election were already procured. So we had to wait. After that we were on course to do the election again, then there was a problem. The then Chairman, Prof. Titus Eze was removed. I was asked to handle the leadership. We were getting ready but unfortunately we have four court cases. Somebody went to court protesting that nobody should be appointed chairman and elections should not hold till the cases is disposed and other cases too disposed.

Niger lawmaker registers 100 students for WAEC, GCE By Usman Shuaibu

member of Niger State House of Assembly representing Suleja Constituency, Hon. Jibrin Bawa, has disclosed that he has registered 100 students for the 2011/2012 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as well as General Certificates of Education (GCE) in order to complement the efforts of their parents. He also said that plans are underway to empower 100 boys/ girls in different skills acquisition to reduce unemployment in the area. Bawa disclosed this while delivering his speech to mark one year in office in Suleja, saying that he had secured admissions for some applicants at the various higher Institutions across the country. Commenting on education, the lawmaker said he had purchased a Golf station Wagon for the Suleja Emirate Education Trust Fund (SEETF) to encourage the students in their studies, while promising to dole out the sum of N20, 000 to SEETF every month till the end of this tenure. The occasion was attended by the speaker of Niger state House of Assembly, Hon. Adamu Usman ESO, the chairman of Suleja Local Government, Hon. Adamu Yunusa London and a member Niger State House of Assembly representing Muye/Ebbo Constituency, Hon. Usman Magaji among other dignitaries.

Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide (middle), handing over a bag of grains to one of the buyers, during the flag-off ceremony of the sale of buffer Stock grains at 50% subsidy, yesterday at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Garki, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

“You are a deceit,” PDP slams Akeredolu over 30,000 job promise From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest has described as cheap deceit and fraud a promise by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) to create 30,000 jobs within his first 100 days in office if elected. The PDP said it was fraudulent for a governorship aspirant to be asking youths to submit their Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) to his campaign office, adding that “Ondo State people must beware of the conmen in the ACN.” The party in a statement signed by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade, which was made available to

newsmen in Ibadan, the PDP said it was necessary to call the attention of the people of Ondo State to the “419” jobs promise because it appears as the only tangible programme the ACN has for the people. “Before heeding Akeredolu’s call to submit their credentials to his campaign office, youths in Ondo State should first ask him (Akeredolu) how many youths from the state he assisted in the past. “Akeredolu should tell the people how many youths he gave scholarship before now? How many youths did he use his position as NBA President to provide jobs for? Is it now that he wants to be governor that he suddenly realises that Ondo youths need jobs?

“Most importantly, is Akeredolu’s 30,000 jobs the same as the N8,500 per month for graduates Osun state OYES job or Ekiti State N10,000 per month for graduate volunteer job? “If that is the kind of 30,000 jobs he intends to create, Akeredolu should better reserve the jobs for members of his family and children of his party leaders, who will be happy with N120,000 per annum employment,” Babade said. Calling on the people of Ondo state to shine their eyes, and reject the ACN, which he described as a party of deceits, Babade said; “We in the PDP have delivered on our promises to the people of Ondo State before. The records are there and we will deliver again.”

“We do not want to commit contempt of court to fix election. But I want to tell you that the governor has adequately funded us. If you come to our office, we have procured nearly all the materials except the sensitive ones. The INEC Chairman has provided everything for us. When the court resolves the issues or if God willing there is out of court settlements, definitely you will have one of the freest elections in Nigeria conducted by Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission.”

Plateau Assembly gets new Majority Leader

he Plateau House of Assembly has elected Assemblyman Dem Daniel as its new Majority Leader. Daniel, a fresh PDP lawmaker, represents Riyom constituency in the House. The new leader replaces Mr Gyang Fulani, the former Majority Leader, who died on July 8, in a stampede when gunmen attacked mourners at Maseh, a village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Sen. Gyang Dantong (PDP, Plateau North), died in that same stampede. A top official of the House, who would not want to be named, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Thursday that Daniel became the choice because he is from the Plateau to which the post is zoned. “Daniel will be sworn in later in the day (Thursday)’’, the official, said.

LP calls for credible governorship election in Ondo

he Labour Party has urged INEC to ensure a hitchfree governorship election in Ondo State on Oct.20. The national chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, made the appeal in a communique issued in Abuja on Wednesday at the end of the party’s National Executive Council meeting. Nwanyanwu urged INEC to stick to its promise to create a level-playing field for all political parties and to ensure a free and fair election in the state. He commended INEC’s performance during Edo governorship election, and appealed to the electoral body to do same in Ondo on Oct. 20. The party chairman also lauded President Goodluck Jonathan’s electoral reforms which gave special attention to the principle of one man, one vote.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

PAGE 39

L-R: Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amal Pepple, Minister of Police Affairs, Captain Caleb Olubolade, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Administration, Mr Matt Osayaba Aikhonbere, and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Alhaji Mohammed Musa Sada, during their official meeting with Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, on Wednesday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

Gbajabiamila: CPC accuses PDP of hypocrisy By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

he Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has described as hypocrisy and illogical the demand by the South-West leadership of PDP that the House of Representatives’ minority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, should resign over his motion which seeks impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan if he fails to fully implement the 2012 budget. In a statement issued yesterday by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin, CPC regretted that it had always been the strategy of the PDP-led federal

government that the messenger of a good message must be smeared and vanquished even where there is no justifiable basis for it. The party, which pointed out that the ruling party felt rattled by the impeachment motion, also argued that though Gbajabiamila was indicted for professional misconduct by a Georgia Bar Association, the brewing saga has thrown up some unanswered questions. In addition, CPC said that although the Nigerian Constitution stipulates a ten-year ban for anybody in the polity to hold political office after criminal conviction by a Court of competent jurisdiction, the call by the PDP

may be the natural consequence of Gbajabiamila‘s effrontery in challenging the Presidency. It also argued that Gbajabiamila was not convicted by a Court of law, insisting that every professional indictment is not coterminous with criminal conviction. “Is this PDP’s call an attempt in extirpating the hope of ensuring scrupulous implementation of the 2012 budget? Is it any coincidence that the top echelon of the SouthWest PDP leadership making this call had been found culpable of electoral fraud and deceit by Courts of Appeal in the Nigerian state?” CPC questioned. The party also described the resignation call by PDP as a likely

attempt in discrediting the messenger of a good message as a trick for perpetuating extravagance and impunity in Nigeria’s political governance, adding that it is capable of truncating the constitutionally entrenched separation of powers by the three arms. “As Party, it is our considered view that this PDP’s call is unpatriotic, selfish and ludicrous; it must be condemned by all patriotic Nigerians. We view this as an unpatriotic attempt to muzzle a federal Legislator who has progressively contributed to national discourse with courage and demonstrable candor.” The statement read in part.

Opposition’s negative comments won’t distract me, says Gov Ahmed From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

he Kwara state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has said that his administration would not be distracted by the negative comments of the opposition in his resolve to positively transform the lives of the people even as he assured the people that the administration would succeed. The governor who gave the assurances at the swearing-in of two new Special Advisers, a Commissioner in the State Civil

Service Commission and the inauguration of the Board of Harmony Holdings Limited, pledged that as a “responsible administration we have made the economic empowerment of our people and the prosperity of our State the number one priority”. “Within a year the administration’s shared prosperity has yielded massive youth jobs, immense physical and social infrastructure, bold agricultural reforms and wealth creation. Governor Ahmed therefore urged the newly sworn in commissioners

and board members to internalize and imbibe the tenets of the programme and make valuable contributions to its effective implementation. Ahmed added that Kwara State Holdings Limited with 20 companies in its fold was expected to deliver minimum annual revenue of N50billion by the year 2032 as one of the top three government owned holding companies in Nigeria in the next ten years. He said the Holdings Company will further diversify its operations into other sectors such as finance and

investment, Mortgage, Agriculture and Construction. In his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, said the injection of new blood into the State Executive Council was part of the efforts to fast track the development of the State. Speaking on behalf of the appointees, the Chairman, Kwara Holdings Limited, Professor Haliru Abubakar, described their appointments as a challenge to contribute to the deepening of the culture of good governance in the state.

Administrator calls on traditional rulers to be vanguards of peace

he Administrator of Akun Development Area in Nasarawa State, Mr Monday Nanza, has called on traditional rulers in the state to be the vanguards of peace. He made the appeal on Thursday in Akun at the palace of Aren Akun, Alh. Usman Umbugadu. Nanza reiterated his administration’s readiness to tackle

security issues by securing the lives and property of his people. He, therefore, appealed to the traditional rulers to maintain peace in their respective domains. The administrator also urged them to follow the proper channel in resolving their differences for peace to be maintained. Nanza said the monarchs should caution the youth against being

engaged in any act that would lead to misunderstanding and destruction of lives and property. “Let peace be maintained in your respective domains in order to enjoy the dividend of democracy. “ Nanza appealed to all Nigerians to live with one another in peace, irrespective of religion, political and ethnic background. “It is when there is peace that

there will be development. “ He said peace was the necessary requirement for the development of every nation. The administrator commended the understanding between the Fulani and farmers in the area. He called on the monarchs to support the administration of Gov. Umaru Al-Makura in transforming the state through his change agenda.

Fight corruption, Cleric tells FG By Usman Shuaibu

he pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Pastor Jide Oluwajobi, has urged the Federal Government to fight corruption that had made the country ungovernable. He also urged security agents to wage war against corruption in order to change behavioral patterns of Nigerians towards the malaise. Oluwajobi stated this in an interview with our reporter during the Youth Special Programme, held at the church’s premises in Gwagwalada. He noted that no nation achieves greatness by allowing its citizens to engage in corrupt practices unchecked. The man of God, however, appealed to Muslims and Christians to continue to tolerate one another in the interest of peace and progress of Nigeria.

Ekiti Govt explains new workers’ pay system The Ekiti Government said it introduced the Integrated Human Resources Payroll System to ensure that only genuine employees of the State Government and pensioners were on its payroll. The state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr Dapo Kolawole, made this known in an interview with the told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday. Kolawole said this was contrary to the belief in some quarters that the new policy was deliberately introduced by the government to cause unnecessary delay in payment of workers’ salaries. He noted that the introduction of the system would not only enhance timely payment of salaries but would also block fraudulent loopholes and eliminate ghost workers from government payroll. The commissioner said the new regime would also improve efficiency in the management of resources as well as ensure timely payment of stipends of pensioners. He stressed that the policy also known as e-payment, would also eradicate double bank charges (COT). Kolawole said government would issue monthly pay slips to all civil servants in the state Civil Service. He assured that the present challenges being faced under the system, most especially overdeduction or non-deduction of money of members of cooperative societies in the civil service would soon be resolved. He stressed that payment of the outstanding gratuities of workers, who recently retired from the state’s civil service had already commenced.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

ACN senator makes case for Bamanga Tukur

en. Babafemi Ojudu, representing Ekiti Central, says the critics of the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, should desist from calling for his resignation. Ojudu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that Tukur could not be asked to resign until he had been linked with the alleged scandal involving his son. It will be recalled that the National Publicity Secretary of

ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had urged Tukur to step down immediately following his son’s indictment in the fuel subsidy scam. Ojudu, a member of the ACN, reasoned that Tukur’s son was an adult and should be answerable for any offence he committed. “I disagree with my party a little on the call for Bamangar Tukur to step down. “This is because the moment somebody is above 18 years of age

such person is an adult and could be held responsible for his misdeed. “For now, Tukur is innocent until he is proved guilty. The sin of the son should not be visited on the father,’’ Ojudu said. According to him, if after all the investigations, it is discovered that Tukur assisted his son to commit the alleged crime, then he could be made to face the wrath of the law. Ojudu said the PDP chairman had not been arraigned before any

court of law, noting that his critics should refrain from making hasty conclusion about him. However, the senator stressed that the senate would pursue the issue of fuel subsidy scam to a logical conclusion, adding that it would not be swept under the carpet. Ojudu said Nigerians were waiting to see the end of the case as the probe had attracted so much interest and attention in Nigeria and the world at large.

L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Ahmed Maccido, Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Adbdul Ningi, and Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, during committee's interactive session with Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on 2012 budget implementation, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Committee chairman pledges revenue generation

he Chairman of Finance

Committee, Benue House of Assembly, Mr Baba Odeh, has pledged to bring innovations that will enhance revenue generation in the

state. Odeh made the pledge yesterday in Makurdi during the inauguration of the committee in the House. He said that sustainable development could best be achieved through an

enhanced revenue generation drive. Odeh said the committee had resolved to partner with the mother ministry to achieve great things for the state. He sued for the cooperation of other members of the

committee to enable it achieve its mandate. Messrs Ianna Jato and Terhile Ayua, both members of the committee, in their separate remarks, expressed readiness to serve the committee to the best of their abilities.

INEC and FOSIECON sign 10 point MoU By Umar Mohammed Puma The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) yesterday signed a 10 point Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) that will create the framework for sustained collaboration in order to ensure free and fair elections in the country. The INEC in a resolution read to newsmen after a Conference with State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja also passed some far reaching

resolutions. The forum, recognizing the critical need for regular local government elections as provided for by law and the importance of the autonomy of Electoral Management Bodies, observed that the independence and financial autonomy of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) are critical to their capacities to conduct free, fair and credible elections. It noted that nine states namely Nasarawa, Bauchi, Kano , Bayelsa, Delta, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo and Anambra have no SIECs; that of the 36 states and FCT, only 13 have elected local governments and these

include Lagos , Akwa Ibom, Enugu , Sokoto, Cross River , Rivers, and Ebonyi. Others are Kwara, Taraba, Jigawa, Ogun, Niger and Zamfara. The Forum equally noted that while security of elections has visibly improved, there was yet a need to further address recurring incidences of violence in elections; that voter education is still inadequate as evidenced in the high number of voided ballots in both national and local elections. It lamented low levels of voter consciousness about basic operations of the electoral process; that there was a need for a model state electoral law that can serve as a benchmark

for the conduct of elections by SIECs. It also resolved to have increased capacity building and professionalization of Electoral Management Bodies even as it recognised that development partners are playing significant roles in the effort to consolidate and deepen democracy in the country. Part of the 10 point MoU are that there was the need to amend relevant provisions of the law to strengthen the independence and financial autonomy of SIECs; that states that do not have duly constituted SIECs are strongly urged to establish same without further delay.

Olaitan: Apologize to Nigerians for raising false alarm, PDP tells Oshiomhole From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

outh wing of Edo State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday issued two weeks ultimatum to the governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to tender unreserved apology to Nigerians for indicting some of the party chieftains in the murder of his Private Principal Secretary, Mr Oyerinde Olaitan, ahead July 14 governorship poll in the state. The party's youth leader, Barr. Vincent Ose-Akhere who dropped the hint at a mdia interaction in Benin requested Oshiomhole not to undermine his constitutional role as governor of the state in providing security for the protection of lives and property of residents. Akhere noted that with the confessional statements of six suspects arrested and paraded by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) in Abuja, it was clear that "the cat had been let out of the bag." "Consequently on behalf of the PDP youths in Edo state I am using this medium to call on Governor Oshiomhole to within the next 14 days tender an unreserved apology to Edo PDP and its leaders failing which we shall legitimately seek legal redress." According to him, "You will recall that some time ago Governor Oshiomhole accused the PDP and its leaders of being responsible for the killing of his Private Secretary by unknown gunmen in his private residence in Benin. I am happy to inform you, gentlemen of the press, that the cat has been let out of the bag through the confessional statements made to the police and SSS by about six suspects arrested so far in respect of the dastardly act." “Oshiomhole accused our innocent leaders wrongly and unjustly in his desperation to curry favour from the Edo electorate" adding that he has "known Chief Tony Anenih for more than two decades as a God fearing man, leader and very passionate father who detests anything that is evil. Oshiomhole even named a street in Benin where Chief Anenih's residence is located after the late Oyerinde…this is the peak of lawlessness and man's inhumanity to man." He commended Security Operatives, the SSS in particular "for their proactive efforts at unraveling those behind the dastardly act". Meanwhile, a body of Stakeholders on Conflict Resolution and Early Warning (SCREW) yesterday described as "spurious and baseless" the investigation carried out by the team of SARS drafted from Ajuja to investigate the contentious murder case which in the process accused Rev. Ugolor as a suspect in the entire matter. Members of the SCREW in a statement issued and signed by the Executive Director of the body, Comrade Igbotako Nowinta called "for the immediate release of Rev Ugolor because he is innocent and has no case to answer."

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

. . . putting the people first

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012

QUOTABLE QUOTE The doors of the federal government are still open for dialogue with all who may be aggrieved as a way out of the menace. — Senate President David Mark on insecurity

SPORTS State budgets: Wrong priorities, LATEST

Olympics b/ball Russia advance to quarter finals

italiy Fridzon sank a 3pointer with four seconds left to put unbeaten Russia into the quarterfinals of the men's Olympic tournament with a 75-74 victory over Brazil yesterday. Russia fell behind 74-72 on Marcelo Huertas' layup with 6.1 seconds left. Russia called timeout and threw the ball to Fridzon along the left corner, who knocked down the jumper to hand Brazil its first loss in three games. Earlier, San Antonio teammates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili put on separate clinics to lead their teams to important wins. Parker scored 27 points and Nicolas Batum added 21 to lead France to an 82-74 victory over Lithuania. Ginobili scored 24 points and keyed a secondquarter run to help Argentina beat Tunisia 92-69. France and Argentina are now both 2-1 in Group A, while Russia tops Group B. The top four teams from each of the six-team pools advance to the quarterfinals. Andrei Kirilenko scored 19 points and Timofey Mozgov had 18 for Russia in its third straight victory, but it was Alexei Shved who led the Russians' late rally after they fell behind by five with under two minutes left. Shved, headed to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Kirilenko, finished with 17 points. Leandro Barbosa scored 16 points and Larry Taylor had 12 for Brazil (2-1). Nene finished with eight points and 10 rebounds. Kirilenko, who came in leading the Olympics in scoring with 25.5 points per game on a tournament-best 72.4 percent shooting, had only five points after halftime, part of the reason Russia nearly blew a second-half lead. Kirilenko, the longtime Utah Jazz forward, stayed in Russia with CSKA Moscow last season and was MVP of the Euroleague. Europa Cup results Anzhi 2 - 0 V/Arnhem PS Kuopio 1 - 0 Bursaspor A/Kiev 3 - 0 Mura Dila Gori 0 - 1 Famagusta AIK Solna 3 - 0 Lech Poznan A/Nicosia 2 - 1 Aalesunds B/Yehuda 0 - 2 Paok Kalmar 1 - 0 Young Boys R/Chorzow 0 - 2 Plzen SV Ried 2 - 1 Legia Tromso 1 - 1 Metallurg Heerenveen 4 - 0 R/Bucharest Gomel 0 - 1 Liverpool

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pathetic outcomes (II) T

he paltry amounts allocated to agriculture exemplified the misplaced priorities of most of the states’ budgets. Rural Anambra budgeted less than 2% for agriculture, Bauchi with 80% of its population engaged in farming allocated only 5.5% of its budget to agriculture, Edo allocated only 1%, and Gombe with its arable land and 80% of its population engaged in agriculture allocated only 5% to agriculture. These poor allocations are in contexts of high levels of poverty and unemployment. In Kaduna and Gombe the rate of unemployment is respectively 25.7% and 29%, which are above the national average of 21.1%. For states like these, attracting businesses and encouraging SMEs should be the front-burning issue. Increasing the budgets of agriculture, mining and tourism to address constraints in the value chains should be the governors’ priorities. The budgets’ analysis therefore showed that most states in the country are not viable economic entities, and the socalled ‘rich, oil-producing states’ are far more dependent on the federation than the rest in proportionate terms! Standing alone, virtually all states will be unable to perform their basic functions like providing education and healthcare to citizens. Most states in the country will be illiquid in months without federal allocations, which in turn are largely derived from oil and gas revenues. The six Northern states in our sample are engaged in significant borrowing to sustain their operations. An example of this is Bauchi where 40% of its 2012 budget is funded by loans. To develop their states and meet the needs of the people, governors will have to change their strategic focus in a manner that will enable them to increase their IGR and reduce dependence on federal allocation. Among others, these will require increased capital investment in social and physical infrastructure and to create conditions to diversify their economies, including promoting manufacturing-based industrialization. Each state needs to develop a blueprint for a post-oil economy and identify and promote investments in sectors that will generate jobs. Finally, as we can see from states like Lagos, developmentally-oriented leaders are required to pilot the affairs of the regional governments that

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NASIR EL-RUFAI ON FRIDAY elrufai@aol.com

Gov. Isa Yuguda will emerge from such political rearrangement. With these steps, may be our children will have a nation that has truly attained its potential. Not only have the states neglected the economic sector but also the social sector. It is generally acknowledged that investment in healthcare is necessary to maintain a healthy and quality population. Similarly, investment in education is important for human resource development. In effect, education and health sectors are necessary for social and economic development. A healthy and educated population enhances the competitiveness of

a nation. Unfortunately, these two sub-sectors are neglected by both the federal and states governments. Given the contribution of education to development, the United Nations recommends that countries allocate 26 percent of their resources on education. In 2012 neither the federal government nor state governments meet this budgetary target. The federal government allocated only 8 percent of its budget to the education sector, which is lower than comparable African countries such as South Africa (26%), Cote d’Ivoire (30%), Ghana (31%), Kenya (23%) and Uganda (27%). Like the federal government, the ten states reviewed in this column did not meet the recommended benchmark. Gombe - the best of the sample allocated about 17% of its N93.5bn budget; Edo (14%), Nasarawa (10%), Lagos (10%) and both Akwa Ibom and Zamfara (5%). This poor funding partly accounts for the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s education system. Using the 180-point benchmark in JAMB amongst the 10 states analyzed, Lagos

“

Most states in the country will be illiquid in months without federal allocations, which in turn are largely derived from oil and gas revenues. The six Northern states in our sample are engaged in significant borrowing to sustain their operations. An example of this is Bauchi where 40% of its 2012 budget is funded by loans

State had the best performance of 80% achievement improved upon by the large number of private schools in the megacity, in addition to investing a whopping N45 billion in public education. This amount is over a third of Zamfara’s entire 2012 budget. As expected, Zamfara State which invested least in education also had one of the lowest pass rates of 44%. What is striking is that Nasarawa which invested the second highest percentage in education (14%) in 2012 did so mostly in response to poor performance of the state (43% pass) in the 2011 JAMB UTME. An open ended question here is, with our paltry allocations to education, is it possible that we can be among the 20 most developed economies in 2020? Budgeting for education is one thing, getting commensurate outcomes is quite another thing. Most state governments invest in building schools and classrooms instead of the improvement of teacher quality and welfare, providing books and materials and ensuring that children remain in school. A free meal daily, free transportation to schools and back and enhanced welfare and incentive packages for teachers improve academic performance far more than spending on lucrative building contracts for political party apparatchiks. In education as in everything in public finance, the quality of spending is as important as amount and proportion of the total budget. The health sector across Nigeria reveals an area of national life that is in dire need of rescue through new policies, regulations and strengthened institutions. In the two-part column titled "No Health, No Wealth", we x-rayed these problems at national level. Across the country, treatable diseases like malaria and cholera are still killers, infant and maternal mortality rates are amongst the worst in the world, while our life expectancy seems to be dropping. The state governments have greater responsibility for healthcare than any other tier, being in charge of primary and secondary healthcare. We had hoped that our states' budgets would be more effective, and higher in both quantity and quality. Sadly, that is not the reality the budgets revealed. Contd. on Page 35

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos, Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 803 606 3308. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141