Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturday, August 04, 2012

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

VOL. 1 NO. 102 SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Jonathan should not think of 2015 -Igbomina leader >> Page 15

. . . putting the people first

RAMADAN 16 - 17, 1433 AH

N150

Bizarre burials that shock the mind >> Pages 12 & 13

Suicide Bomber targets Fika Emir Emir’s orderly killed

Another suicide bomber killed in Kaduna >> Page 5

Economy on crutches *Nigerians gasp for breathe *Politicians bicker over 2012 budget >>Pages 9, 10 & 11

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

News Xtra

Tight and loose race for Attah Igala stool

HRH, late Attah Igala, Dr. Aliyu Obaje

Idakwo Micheal Ameh, may emerge next Attah of Igala

HRH, Chief Abel E. Etu. The Etemahi of Igalamela and Chairman, nine man King maker of Igala Kingdom

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

that certain traditional observations have been breached. It is a held belief that Attah does not die. He is regarded as a supernatural being with attributes of immortality. His being a supernatural being is the reason behind his not eating in the public and not shaking hands with anybody .It is equally a belief that when an Attah passes on, he is merely resting and when this happens, the Ati ebo (high priest) will wear his usual regalia to meet and attends to the gods and subjects until a new Attah emerges.

Some persons in the kingdom hold that the announcement of the death of Attah Aliyu Obaje by the family when a succession has not been selected was a smack on the culture and tradition of Igala kingdom. They hold to the tradition that in the same breath the death of an Attah is announced, a new one is announced. In line with the traditions, the Achadu, that is, the prime minister of Attah is at the center of choosing a new Attah. It is after the Achadu has chosen a successor he, then in consultation with Atemahi Igala mela in-council, will announce the passage of the Attah and then his successor.

It is only when the council could not produce a new Attah that government or native authority could come in. Imposition of Attah without passing through the process has been alien to the culture and tradition of Igala people. The Attah throne which dates back to pre 8th and 9th century has never witness litigation over succession. Although the first recorded Attah was Agenepoje the modern day hierarchy was born when Ayegba Oma Idoko extablished a dynasty.

However, since the announcement of the passage of the last Attah without the selection of a new one, key contenders have emerged from ruling houses to demand for the position. However, each contender is being propelled by certain factors, though there are some of them that the odds might favour over others at the end of the day.

Currently, royal contenders include traditional stool holders, Idakwo Micheal Ameh, Aliyu Obaje and Peter Opaluwa among others.

Attah Idakwo Micheal Ameh. Ameh is a retired Deputy Director, Monitoring and Logistics in the Federal Capital Development Administration (FCDA).

He is the direct son of the 20 th Attah Ameh Oboni.

According to analysts, based on the selection procedure from the Ayegba dynasty, which has been alternating between the descendant of Ohiemi Obogo and Itodo Aduga lineages, the odds seems to favour the prince above other aspirants. Also, he is believed to have good grasp of the culture and tradition of the kingdom as well as having good track record as an administrator.

Attah Aliyu Obaje.

Obaje is another strong contender. He is highly regarded as a thorough bred and highly respected royalty. However, observers fear that the prince might face an uphill task as succession arrangement since the Ayegba dynasty took over has it that no Atta’s son has directly succeeded him. There are fears that this might be a problem for him.

Peter Opaluwa Peter Opaluwa, the present Ejeh of Ugwolawo also has his eyes on the throne but the odds against him is that for one to be eligible to the throne of Attah he must have been a son of Attah and not a grandson.

To Usman Ojochile, a commentator on Igala traditional politics, the next Attah should be one that will undertake all the rites worthy of the making of Attah. He should also be one that will have the unity and prosperity of Igala race at heart.

He prayed the Achadu Attah in council with Etemahi Igalamela to observe the process with the spirit of Igala ancestors to be devoid of partisanship in order to select a man that will reposition the kingdom in the interest of all.

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he recent death of the 21st Attah Igala, His Royal Highness, Aliyu Obaje has created a serious vacuum in the kingdom with traditional and political stakeholders locked up in crucial meetings over two major issues.

The first being the mode of burial that will be fitting to him, since he was a Muslim but held the traditional position. The other is the politics of who will succeed him. Though the apprehensions have been there since the late royal father stopped appearing in the public some few years ago apparently due to his failing health, the discussions has been scaled up since his demise and has become a major subject matter among the Igalas in Kogi state.

There are issues of when the burial should take place and the manner it will take as there are arguments of whether Islamic or traditional rites should be adopted.

The late Attah Igala was the first Muslim to ascend the throne. In fact, the coronation and burial rites of Attah Igalas have always been shrouded in traditions and there are arguments by core traditionalists that that of the late royal father should not be different.

Already, there is a division in the camps. To some, though he was a Muslim, the traditional method of burying the Attah should take preeminence over his religion. Other stakeholders however, insist that he left an instruction to be buried as a Muslim and as such, that should be followed.

Controversial traditional issues Born in 1920 to the Akumabi dynasty the second son of the epochal Ayegba oma Idoko from the genealogy of Itodo-Aduga, Attah died at a ripe age of 92 years.

Since the announcement of the demise of the Attah Igala, some stakeholders have been raising worries

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

News Who is playing politics with Olaitan’s murder?

Olaitan

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro

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he last may not have been heard about the twists over who actually killed Mr. Oyerinde Olaitan, late Personal Secretary to Edo state Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Currently, two different sets of suspects are being held by security operatives for having confessed to committing the offence. While a set of suspects held by the State Security Services (SSS) in Abuja had confessed that they killed Olaitan in an armed robbery operation, the Police in Edo state are holding some suspects, who also confessed to the crime and named human rights activist, the Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor as the alleged sponsor of the murder.

In the midst of the confusion, Ugolor's family is now crying out for justice, insisting that the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) and opposition parties in the state are using their son to settle political scores.

Ernest Edosomwan, Spokesman of the family led

by Mr. Solomon Ugolor yesterday stormed the Edo State Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to

amplify their cry for justice.

Describing Ugolor's detention as illegal, the family said the recent parading of six alleged killers of Olaitan by the SSS in Abuja was a confirmation of

Ugolor's innocence, particularly when other unfounded proofs from another group of suspects arrested by the Police vindicated him.

According to the family, "It is a political issue and our son should not be killed for political matters. If there is a political issue on ground, is it our son that will be punished for it? The SSS and the Police, they are doing their jobs but we want to appeal to them that he should be released to us. We see a lot of politics in the issue.

That is the truth about it. We see his detention as being very illegal with unfounded proofs.

We cannot phantom a situation where the SSS paraded some groups who have confessed to the killing of somebody, while another group will now come out or an individual will now come out to say, otherwise. We wonder how investigation is been done in this country.

"I know why I said it was a political issue. I don't want to go into detail of the conversation we heard with him but we saw a situation where somebody confessed killing somebody in his house and the killer does not know the home of the person who did the job; he does not know where that person lives, neither does he know the home of the person that sent him to do the job.

'We perceive strongly that it is a problem between ACN and parties matter which we don't want to go into that. We want son to be counted out of it that is what we are insisting on.

Already, the family is lamenting that Ugolor's health has started deteriorating and

Suspects paraded by SSS in Abuja

that he is being denied of attention by his personal doctor.

Insisting that Ugolor was innocent and that the Edo suspects were used to perfect a set up, the family noted that the suspects paraded by the SSS have the phone of the victims and gave graphic detail of how they carried out the crime. The family also argued that the suspect who named Ugolor as his sponsor was not able to prove the allegation that he received money from him.

The twists in the murder

David Ugolor

case have become a hard nut for the security operatives to crack. The issue here is that one of the set of suspects must be phony and organised for certain ulterior reasons.

On the whole, the security operatives must ensure that they get the real killers of Olaitan as some stakeholders have started doubting the veracity of the claims of the two sets of suspects. Is somebody high up who has very strong connections in the high places covering something? This hard nut must be cracked and when that is done, a new twist could start.

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News Jonathan celebrates Anenih at 79

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

Jonathan in a letter to Anenih commended the celebrant for his "commitment to the common good, as well as the sustained growth and development of the nation.

In the one-page letter dated July 30th, 2012, entitled "Felicitations," the President said: "On behalf of my family, the Government and people of the Federal republic of Nigeria, I extend warm felicitations to you as you mark your 79thbirthday anniversary which comes up on Saturday, the 4th of August, 2012.

"Given your commitment to the common good, as well as your uncommon wisdom and unwavering dedication to the sustained growth and development of our dear nation, it is my prayer that Almighty God continues to imbue you with robust health and enduring strength in the many years of fulfillment ahead of you.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Stop patronising MTN, Jang tells appointees From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

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overnor Jonah David Jang of Plateau state on Thursday, ordered all his commissioners and political appointees to stop patronising the services of MTN and to switch to other mobile telecom service networks.

The decision of the state government followed the closure of the Jos MTN Call Centre managed

by Communication Network

Support Service Limited (CNSSL) on the grounds that Jos city is insecure for business with attendant threat to the lives of their staff.

The state government took the decision at the state executive council meeting presided over by the governor at government House, Rayfield, Jos. Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yiljab Abraham described the decision of the management of the call centre to

close the centre as baseless and unfortunate. He stressed that the centre was never attacked since its establishment until the recent crisis over poor remuneration between the centre and its staff.

It would be recalled that National Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees (NUPTE) MTN Jos Call Centre branch, had called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to beam its searchlight on the activities of the

Comunication and Support Service Limited (CNSSL) over what the union called unlawful deduction and unjust termination of employment of its members.

The staff of the call centre have been having a running battle with the CNSSL since March this year over their conditions of service which eventually led to protests by the staff and suspension of operation by the CNSSL and the principal partner MTN.

JUTH staff arraigned for calling colleague prostitute

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin 40-year-old man, Adesina Akindele, on Friday appeared before a Jos Chief Magistrates' Court for allegedly damaging the character of, and assaulting his colleague, one Mrs. Hauwa Suleiman.

Akindele allegedly called Hauwa a prostitute.

Akindele, a staff of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) appeared before, Chief Magistrate Ladi Galadima on a two-count charges of defamation of character and assault.

The prosecutor, Mr. Ado Ali, said that Suleiman of JUTH, on April 17, submitted a letter of complaint to the Police Area Commander's Office, Jos alleging that the accused committed the offence.

Ali further told the court that complainant reported that the accused, on April 16, during working hours, called her a prostitute and said that she promptly reported the matter to their office supervisor.

The prosecutor said that the accused was fully aware that Suleiman was a married woman, but decided to address her as a prostitute.

He said that the accused, by such act, had committed an offence contrary to section 392 and 268 of the Penal Code.

When the case came up for hearing, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and applied for bail. (NAN)

A

Governor Kashim Shettima presnting gifts to one of the messengers and cleaners he hosted for breaking of Ramadhan fast at the government house in Maiduguri, Borno State

Police arrests two couples with 17 bags of Indian hemp From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

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he Oyo state police command on Friday, arrested two separate couples in Ibadan, the state capital, in connection with trafficking 17 bags of cannabis known as Indian hemp.

The Deputy Commissioner for Police in the state, Mr. Clement Adoda, identified one couple; Adebowale Moronfoye and Joke Oyebola were arrested for helping to

transport the weed, while the other couple; Dominic Idowu and Zainab Umaru were the suspected dealers.

The suspects were arrested on Friday in Ojoo area of Ibadan, while loading the commodity into a truck.

Adoda said the weed had been carefully covered with used clothes and packed in bags but his men apprehended the suspects after a tipoff.

It was gathered that Umaru and Idowu had contracted Moronfoye to

help transport the cannabis to Kano and Jebba, when they were arrested.

At the point of interrogation, Umaru said she and her husband only owned five of the bags.

"We were planning to transport the weeds to Kano and Jebba with the hope of selling each bag for N15, 000. It may be more than that depending on the quality. However, Idowu denied knowing that what he was helping his wife to load into the truck was cannabis.

He said he had no idea his wife was dealing in cannabis.

On his part, Moronfoye said he was not the one who was going to drive the truck the cannabis was going to be transported in. He said he only helped to load it, after which he would get a fee.

Oyebola, said she was not married to Moronfoye, but they were in a relationship. She explained that she was arrested when he went to the police station to bail Moronfoye out.

Privatisation: PHCN workers promised job security, severance pay

By Udenna Orji

A

gitating workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), have been assured that no worker would be sacked as a result of the ongoing privatisation exercise.

The workers have also been assured that funds for severance benefits were already available and would be disbursed at the appropriate time.

Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji who made these known while

addressing workers and the management of PHCN successor companies at the Corporate Headquarters of the company in Abuja, on Thursday, regretted that there was a lot of misinformation going on about the welfare of workers under the privatisation programme.

The government's position was reaffirmed by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Dere Awosika, who said that she was appalled by the fact that workers of PHCN are being deliberately misinformed about the reform exercise and how it affects

them. She said no amount of chanting or blackmail will deter the government from going ahead with this reform.

Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu, said he accompanied the minister because he is keenly interested in how the parties are comporting themselves as the reform enters the crucial stage.

A statement signed by Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe, Special Assistant to the Power Minister said yesterday's meeting "was at the behest of the Government-Labour Negotiating

Team which requested the Minister to directly address the workers and explain the government position.

Following this, the management of the PHCN met yesterday with the workers at the Corporate Headquarters, and agreed to give the ministers and the negotiating panel a hearing.

The Federal Government and PHCN workers have been at each other's jugular over the unbundling and sale of 18 successor companies of the power utility under the federal government's power reform programme.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 5

News

By Julius Ogar and Agaju Madugba with agency reports

L

ess than a month after a suicide bomber attempted to kill the Shehu of Borno, at the Maiduguri Central Mosque, the Emir of Fika in Yobe state, Alhaji Mohammed Ibn Abali Idris narrowly escaped death when another suicide bomber targeted him at the Potiskum Central Mosque yesterday.

In the same vein, a suicide bomber was killed on Thursday night in Kaduna when a bomb he was carrying exploded on him at Mahuta, on the outskirt of Kaduna metropolis.

Eyewitnesses said there was massive explosion at the Potiskum Central Mosque when the bomb

Suicide bomber targets Fika Emir ...Emir’s orderly killed ...Another bomber killed in kaduna targeted at the Emir and other worshippers exploded just after Jummat prayers, killing the emir's police orderly and the bomber.

The bomber was said to have tried to get close to the Emir but was prevented by a policeman.

The policeman was said to have intercepted the attacker when he suspected his movement as he was making frantic effort to push himself through the crowd to reach

the emir.

Yobe Police Command's spokesperson, Mr. Toyin Gbadegesin told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the policeman suspected his movement and pushed him down. He said that upon falling down, one of the concealed explosives detonated and killed the bomber, while five policemen and two civilians sustained injuries. The emir, he said escaped unhurt.

Gbadegesin stated that the police anti-bomb squad, thereafter, detonated some other un-exploded devices carried by the bomber.

In the Kaduna explosion, eyewitness accounts said that the deceased, along with some others had entered the Afaka district in that area, on an alleged mission to eliminate the District Head, Abduwahab Aliyu.

But the youth were said to have mobilised themselves and were able to apprehend the suspect and disarmed him but unknown to them, he had a bomb planted on him.

According to one of the eyewitnesses, "the incident

happened at about 10 pm on Thursday when some suspicious persons entered the village and some residents started questioning them and discovered that they were armed. The youth were able to disarm one of them who admitted that they were on a mission to kill the Village Head, for allegedly exposing their members.

"The other suspects escaped and it was when the people were pursuing them that a bomb exploded on the one who had been apprehended and he died instantly."

Kaduna Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abdulrazaq Balteh, who confirmed the incident, said that no arrests were made.

According to him, "to the best of our knowledge, the only person killed was the one carrying the explosive device and we have started investigation in the matter."

Four herdsmen arrested with arms in Nasarawa From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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Terrorists now target Mosques

Borno awards N457m contract for irrigation project From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

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n its efforts to address youth unemployment and wealth creation, the Borno state government on Friday awarded N457 million irrigation contract for the development of six irrigation centers across the three senatorial zones of the state.

Signing the contract on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy

Affairs, Alhaji Baba Bashir Garbai, said the idea of the project is to create job for the teaming youth, wealth creation and provide quality food for the people of the state.

He stated that the ministry has constituted a monitoring team to ensure that apart from completing the project according to specifications, it will also ensure sustainability of the irrigation project.

He said the N457 million contract is going to be funded through the subsidy

reinvestment fund, adding that the government has accorded priority to job creation trough agricultural transformation and wealth creation.

Responding, Mr. Daniel Lloyd the executive director who signed on behalf of the contracting firm WM Agro International Limited, assured the government that the contract will be executed according to specifications, even as he thanked the government for finding the firm worthy for the contract.

our herdsmen were recently arrested by the police in Nasarawa state for possessing sophisticated arms and ammunition, with the authorities recovering among others; a sub-machine gun, one locally made automatic rifle and nine rounds of live ammunition.

Confirming the arrest to newsmen on Friday in Lafia, command spokesman, DSP Michael Ada, gave the names of the two suspects as, Usman Adamu and Ali Bamaiyi, both of Kwala village in Quanpan local government area of Plateau state.

He disclosed that the two men were intercepted and arrested in Lafia by detectives attached to the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), following suspicious behaviour

Bauchi spends N100m on special schools From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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auchi state government has undertaken renovation work worth over N100 million in five special

Female lawyers brawl over representation of client in court From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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wo counsels, Mrs. N.G. Lawani and Mrs. Joy Nzube, on Friday engaged each other in a dispute over who should represent two accused persons who were docked at an Igbosere Magistrates' Court, Lagos.

Both lawyers, who appeared before Magistrate O. J Awope, argued that they

were asked by the defendants - Wasiu Jomoh 39 and Waheed Kareem 30- to represent them.

The accused were charged with felony, stealing and receiving stolen property, together with another accused person, Ibrahim Ajayi, 35.

Lawani said that when the two defendants were brought to the court, she was asked to

stand in for them.

"The accused never told me that another lawyer was coming to appear for them. I have collected N10, 000 from them", Lawani said.

Nzube, on her part, informed the court that she was the rightful lawyer for the second and third defendants.

She said that the defendants had called her that the case would be coming up at the

exhibited by the suspects.

The police spokesman stated that upon interrogation, the suspects gave useful information, which led to the arrest of two others; Tukur Usman and Hamza Tukur from Gada-Gwari village in Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He said the suspects confessed to posses two rifles, which they buried in a farm locate at the boundary between Nasarawa and Plateau state.

"Based on the confessional statement, the police followed them to the location and recovered the weapons," Ada said.

DSP Ada added that the suspects were being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation to ascertain the source of the weapons and other possible accomplices

court.

"My Lord, I am surprised to see another counsel standing for them. I am actually the counsel to Jimoh and Kareem and they are my clients", Nzube said.

However, the counsel to the first defendant, Mr. O. Gani, assured the court that the matter would be settled. Gani advised them to jointly represent the accused persons.

(NAN)

schools in the state.

The chairman, Bauchi State Special Schools Management Board, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman revealed this while talking to newsmen in Bauchi. He gave the schools as government colleges in Toro, Kafin Kadaki, and Azare; as well as the jibrin Aminu Model School and the Tambari Model School all in Bauchi metropolis.

He stated that one of the major achievements of the board within the last 12 months was the expansion of students' admission into special schools which raised the students' population from 3, 704 to 4, 322.

According to him, the directorate of schools services of the board has during the period purchased science equipment worth N8.4 million, and chemicals and re-agents worth N4.3 million to equip laboratories for effective teaching and learning of science subjects.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

News FG signs MOU with Rivers, PAHF on auto-disable syringes

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

o improve quality of health services in Nigeria, the Federal Government on Thursday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rivers state government and Pan African Health Foundation (PAHF) for the mass production

and bulk purchase auto-disable syringes in the country, which will flush out the use of conventional syringe in Nigerian hospitals by October 1.

Signing the MOU on behalf of the Federal Government at a short ceremony held in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said

it is one of the important landmarks of the Jonathan administration in health services in the country.

According to Chukwu, decision of the government to enter into the agreement is in recognition of the health benefits of auto-disable syringes in ensuring delivery of better quality of health to Nigerians

Benue executive in row with assembly From Uche Nnnorom, Makurdi

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he relationship between the Benue state government and the state House of Assembly has gone frosty with the executive berating the house for allegedly using arm-twisting tactics against it for pecuniary interests.

The Commissioner of Information, Mr. Conrad Wergba who made this condemnation while reacting to reports on the situation of the state’s finances, expressed regrets that such report was attributed to the House of Assembly which is an essential and integral part of government.

It would be noted that the Assembly few days ago expressed worry over the delay in payment of salaries including those of the members and therefore resolved to summon the Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia to appear before it next week Wednesday to explain the accounts of the state.

Controversy over headship of NASENI

By Lambert Tyem

F

ollowing the decision of the Ministry of Science and Technology to conduct an interview for the post of the Director-General of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Idu, Abuja, a group, Society for Good Governance, on Thursday protested the short listing of candidates without the requisite qualification for

the job.

Speaking in Abuja, the national coordinator of the group, Okwudili Onyeke, condemned a letter of invitation extended to the Acting Director-General of NASENI, Dr. Mohammed Haruna, by the ministry as a departure from the requirement already outlined in its advertisement published in some national dailies.

He said the acting DG and some other candidates shortlisted possess only five

years post-doctoral experience as against some of the better qualified candidates with over 26 years post PhD experience.

“Why do you advertise for a post and give a requirement for 10-15 years post PhD experience and you are inviting people with barely five years experience. We are calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to pay attention to this interview and ensure that best candidate, in line with the advertisement, emerged at the end of the day”, Onyeke stated.

‘Govt’s sole control of education responsible for social vices’

By Augustine Aminu

T

he low standard of education in Nigeria has been attributed to government takeover of schools hitherto owned by missionaries.

The spiritual director of the

Praxis Catholic e-School, Rev. Fr. Narcisse Sega Ogou, said this in a lecture he delivered at the graduation ceremony of the Praxis Catholic e-School held at Efab, Life Camp, Abuja. Fr. Ogou called for the return of such schools to missions so as to restore the dignity of education in

I am committed to leading a responsive government - Jonathan

By Joy Baba

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has said his administration is committed to leading a responsive government that meets the expectations of Nigerians.

Jonathan who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, stated this at the graduation ceremony of National Defense College (NDC) Course 20 in Abuja on Friday. “Nigeria needs a

reformed bureaucracy that is efficient and a competent corps of dedicated professionals imbued with right values that will act always in the public interest” he said.

In his address, the commandant of the college, Rear Admiral T. J. Lokoson, said security of nations does not lie on military alone but dependent on the stability, prosperity and over all state of national power. 130 participants graduated from the NDC course 20.

Nigeria.

“The original sin that led to the fall in the standards of education in Nigeria is government takeover of mission schools. It has led to corruption, social vices, exam malpractices, immorality, drug abuse and cultism,” he said.

The director of the school, Ben Onwudinjo, said the school is built on the Christian foundation and run in the principles of the Catholic Church to ensure sound moral and academic background of pupils and students.

and others alike in the country.

In a remark, the Rivers state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Tamunoiyoriari Parker , who signed on behave

of the state governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, described the agreement as a huge mile stone taken by both parties to improve quality of health service in the country.

Travellers groan under Boko Harm scare in Kogi From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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otorists and travelers from different parts of country passing through Kogi state to tahe Federal Capital Territory have been in for the worst as security men blocked the only route passing through the Lokoja.

Yesterday despite the blockage with heavy stones, security men armed to the

teeth were everywhere intermittently stopping motorists and causing traffic gridlock in the city centre.

When asked about the sudden beef up of security around the state police command in Lokoja, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ile Simon, said the police needed to safegaurd their area first before providing for others.

Yobe procures N250m HIV/ AIDS testing machines From Uche Uche, Damaturu

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obe state government has procured machines worth over N250 million for the testing of HIV/AIDS virus to enable proper discharge of the activities of the Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (YOSACA) in the state.

Speaking when he made an inspection visit of the machines at the office of the agency in Damaturu, Engr.

Abubakar D. Aliyu, the deputy governor who oversees of the Ministry of

Health, said the procurement of the machines is a step towards the fight for the control of the disease in the state, adding that the state government under the administration of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam is giving priority attention to the development of the health sector.

He therefore charged the management of YOSACA to properly maintain the machines to achieve the desired objectives for which they were procured.

I wasn’t at ICPC for fraudBenue MDG coordinator From Uche Nnnorom, Makurdi

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he Benue state coordinator of the M i l l e n n i u m Development Goals, Mr. Timothy Aikyor, has debunked allegations that he was invited by the Independent, Corrupt Practices and other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC), for allegedly embezzling over N1 billion.

Mr. Aikyor who made the denial during an interview

with newsmen in his office on Friday, explained that he was petitioned by a contractor, Alhaji Jubril Yusuf of State Heights Company for refusal to pay him for a project he executed.

Aikyor however, explained that Alhaji Musa was given a contract to drill three boreholes worth over N1.550 million but failed to execute the contract according to specification thereby necessitating the termination of the contract.

Wamakko condemns Sokoto bomb attacks

By Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, Sokoto

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overnor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state has condemned last Monday’s suicide bomb attacks on police formations in the state capital.

The governor, who returned to the state on Thursday evening from Saudi Arabia where he had performed the lesser hajj,

described the attacks and shootings as unfortunate and sad.

Wamakko spoke in Sokoto on Friday, when he paid an official visit to the office of the AIG Zone 10, one of the affected police stations hit by the attack to commiserate with him and officers on the loss of their colleague as well other victims.

Responding, the AIG Zone 10, Alhaji Mukhtar Ibrahim, told the governor that the incident claimed the life of one of them, a corporal and injured five others.

He explained that five offices were damaged as a result of the attack, adding “but for the proactive measures already in place, the whole building would have been razed completely”.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 7

Kada News ESSPIN develops education programme for Kaduna Almajirai, disadvantaged children Stories by Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

T

he Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN), in collaboration with the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has developed a model education programme, the Islamiya, Quranic, Tsangaya Education (IQTE), for disadvantaged children in parts of the state.

The model sees local community based schools, run by mallams, using volunteer teachers to teach basic literacy and numeracy.

Already, according to ESSPIN, approximately 3,150 almajirai boys and 1,320 hardto-reach girls have benefitted from the programme across six

local government areas of Makarfi, Kudan, Kajuru, Kachia, Kagarko and Jema’a.

Officials from ESSPIN who disclosed this at a journalism development workshop it organized in collaboration with Development Communications (DevComs) Network, in Kaduna, noted that the cluster model is proving effective in dealing with almajirai boys who now stay in the area where they are under the control of their mallams.

“This has reduced fears of the boys being taken away and put into dormitories where the mallams might not be able to reach them.

“A key feature of the model is that the schools are embedded within the community. The mallams and parents are keen

for the children to become literate but want this to happen in their local environment where they know who the teachers are and can trust the teaching content.

“The mallams are embracing the approach; young men and women are keen to volunteer their services as teachers and parents are releasing their children to attend classes.

“A specific advantage of the approach is that it offers young mothers with a secondary school certificate the chance to be volunteer teachers “A specific success story involves the Gadan Mallam community in Kachia where the community set up a committee to see to the integration of their Tsangaya.

The community insisted that their female children

and in some cases, their wives be included in the scheme.”

ESSPIN says it is committed to supporting schools to become effective centres of learning at the heart of the community insisting further that, “we are working to improve the way education is managed at all levels of government and to get more and better resources in schools.

“Years of neglect have left the Nigerian education system in serious disarray. Among the many areas where improvements are needed, are, access for children of all background to schools capable of delivering basic literacy and numeracy and quality evaluation of school performance.”

According to DevComs programmes coordinator, Akin Jimoh, the workshop was designed to support the development of the media in addressing issues in basic education and build capacity of media practitioners through strategic training.

: A cross section of participants at the workshop on, Journalism Development, organized by ESSPIN in collaboration with Development Communications (DevComs) Network, in Kaduna.

Yakowa names NUJ Chairman member committee on projects for fuel subsidy removal

Y

akowa names NUJ Chairman member committee on projects for fuel subsidy removal Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa has approved the appointment of Kaduna state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), , as a member of the implementation committee of government white paper, on the report of an earlier committee to identify programs and projects as well as activities to be undertaken by government with its share of revenue from fuel subsidy removal.

The committee has Deputy Governor Ramalan Muktar Yero as chairman while the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, Adamu

Atama is Secretary Some other members of the committee are, the Commissioners for Economic Planning, Finance, Education, Women Affairs and Social Development, Youth and Sports, Works and Transport, Special Duties (Poverty Alleviation), Agriculture and Rural and Community Development.

The other members of the committee are, Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Special Adviser (Women in Agriculture), Arch. Ayuba Natsa, Senior Special Assistant, (Projects) Governors Office, Abdulhamid Abdullahi Ikara Senior Special Assistant (Youth Mobilization) Governors office, Samuel Kambai Kozah, Senior Special Assistant ( Youth Mobilization) and the representative of Civil

Society and NGOs, Emmanuel Zwahu.

A statement by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Lawal Samaila Abdullahi, said the committee was expected to work-out modalities and processes for the implementation of the whitepaper in such a manner that will ensure fairness and equity in the allocation of resources to the identified projects and communities.

According to the SSG, the committee will also ensure that project implementation is conceived commensurate with available resources in order to avoid the incidence of abandonment after take off and that all contracts to be awarded under the program meet due process requirements.

NUJ Chairman, Kaduna chapter, Yusuf Idris

KRPC toxic dump: Kaduna House of Assembly urges calm *Journalists probe N2 million bribery scam from refinery

T

he Committee on Environment and Natural Resources at the Kaduna State House of Assembly (KDHA) on Thursday visited the Kaduna Refining and Petro-Chemical Company (KRPC) and called for calm over alleged dumping of toxic waste in Rido village.

At least three persons were reported to have died as a result of the toxic dump alongside several domestic animals.

The lawmakers, who were at the waste dump site, on a fact-finding mission said the only the report of the analysis would eventually determine if the substances are toxic or not.

It would be recalled that the media was awash recently with reports that refuses suspected to be toxic waste dumped by the KRPC had caused the death of three persons and thousands of chicken in the community.

Addressing reporters after the visit, the committee’s Chairman, Haruna Inuwa said; “We cannot say it is toxic because we have not seen the analysis yet. So, we cannot draw a conclusion to it. We are going to put our information together and report back to the House. It is the House that will take the final decision, not the committee.

“We came to investigate and report back to the House.

We will make recommendation and it will be left for the House to either reject or adopt our recommendation. However, we think there was misunderstanding between the KRPC and the community, there was no proper information, they were not communicating very well, I think that was the genesis of everything.”

Meanwhile, the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Kaduna Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has inaugurated a five-man panel to probe allegations of receiving N2 million gratifications from the Kaduna Refining and PetroChemical Company (KRPC), leveled against officials of the chapel.

Reports said that the KRPC management released the money to the officials to enable them suppress reports on the suspected toxic substances which the KRPC allegedly dumped at Rido village.

The committee which was given a week to submit its report has Mohammed Tola as chairman while Blessing Olaifa is secretary.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Insight Zakkat: What you need to know

Selling of hair is big business in India

Many people have different perspectives about the Zakkat. Here, Brother Ahmad Sakr, looks at some frequently asked questions about Zakkah and their answers. Ahmad Sakr studied Islam in Lebanon, where he learned the Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, Seerah and Da’awah. Sakr is also director of the Islamic Education Center in Walnut, California. These are the questions and answers he has raised. (Please note that Imams differ in detail of some of the answers): What is Zakkat-ul-Fitr? akat -ul-Fitr is for fasting Muslims to give food or money on behalf of fasting people. The food or money is equal to one day’s meals for one person. The head of the family pays this amount on behalf of each person in the family. If he is responsible for his mother and father, then he has to pay Zakat ul Fitr for them too.

If a person cannot fast permanently in the month of Ramadan (for instance, because of illness) they have to pay Fitra for each fasting day.

Who is qualified to receive Zakkah?

The Quran describes eight categories of people who are to receive Zakkah in Surah 9, verse 60. “As-Sadaqat (here it means Zakkat) are only for the Fuqara and Al-Masakin and those employed to collect the (funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah’s Cause, and for the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.”

Ahmad Sakr elaborated on these categories: 1. The poor (Fuqara)-this refers to someone who has no income 2. The needy (Masakin)-this is someone who for instance, may have a job, a house and a

Z

car, but their income is below the minimum requirement.

3. Employees of the Zakkah.

This category is sub-divided into the following: a. the group of people who are social services workers who go into the community to evaluate who is Faqeer and Miskeen. b. those who collect the Zakkah money c. the accountant of the Zakkah money d. investors who increase the share of the Zakah e. the clerical worker or secretary who puts the files in order f. those who will deliver Zakkah to the ones who need it

g. the outside auditor.

4. Sympathizers These are those people who might enter or who have already entered Islam. Anyone we feel are good friends or ours (non-Muslim or new Muslims) we give them a gift from the Zakkah money.

5. To free slaves Riqab is the term used to describe the group of people who are slaves. The Zakkah money is used to free the slaves.

Sakr stresses that Islam did not invent slavery, but it gradually abolished it.

6. For the Gharimeen-those who are in debt -Zakkah money is used to pay off debts but these people

are not living in luxury, they are living a normal life. For example, someone who has gone bankrupt because of job loss and is overloaded with debt.

7. Fee Sabeelillah (for the Cause of Allah) This can be anything for the love of Allah. Sakr gave the following examples: a. for the employment of a Da’iyah, Imam, or religious teachers to do Da’awah b. building Islamic schools c. building Muslim clinics and hospitals d. providing money to young men who want to marry but cannot afford Mahr e. to assist poor travelers f. to establish water springs on streets for those walking or travelers (please note, these last three things were done by Khalifa Umar ibn Abdul Aziz) g. to defend Muslims who are under attack h. For television, radio or newspaper project aimed at doing Da’awah i. to help someone publish a book for Da’awah j. to pay for the studies of a student..

8. Ibn as Sabeel This refers to a traveler, for instance who has lost his wallet and has to get back to his home.

Sakr stresses that this has to be verified to see if this person is really telling the truth, since there has been at least one case of a man claiming to be a lost traveler in North America who has stolen thousands from Muslims claiming to be a traveler of this type.

How much Zakkah should we give?

The amounts are the following: 2.5 percent-on annual savings that are Zakatable 5 percent-on agriculture being taken care of by a farmer who is planting and irrigating from his own money. During harvest time, he pays five percent from the total crop.

10 percent-on a farmer’s product if it is being irrigated by rain 20 percent-on resources like oil or precious metals (i.e. gold, silver) which you find on a

piece of land that you own. Sakr notes that this is “your property, no one has the right to nationalize it”. You would pay 20 percent on what you produced in one year.

Should I pay Zakkah on my house and car?

No, as long as you have one house, whether you have paid it off or not. If you have a second house for investment purposes, this is Zakkatable. You would pay 2.5 percent on the total saved from the house. This excludes what is spent on maintenance or property taxes and insurance.

It’s the same thing for a car.

If you are renting a car to someone, this is considered a business entity; therefore, it is also Zakkatable at 2.5 percent.

Are businesses Zakatable?

First of all, the business should be Halal.

There are three opinions amongst the scholars: 1. If a businessman earns a certain amount from his business, whatever he saves after taking care of his family’s needs and his business expenses, he pays Zakat of 2.5 percent on what he has saved.

2. A businessman has to pay Zakkah on the commodities in his store. This would require evaluating the purchasing power of the commodity and then paying 2.5 percent on this amount.

3. Everything is from Allah and everything goes back to Allah. The more you give on your commodities, the better, and it does not have to be 2.5 percent.

Should Zakkah be paid only once a year?

The early Muslims actually paid Zakkah everyday instead of paying in a large bulk once a year.

Some scholars have advised that we plan in advance for our Zakkah because we might die and our inheritors may not pay the Zakkah we owe.

Another group of scholars say for businesses, you should pay in advance. The way you would do this is by estimating how much business you will make and pay 2.5 percent.

If you decide to pay Zakkah daily, give a specific amount to one of the eight categories, but nobody but you and Allah should know that you are giving, since some will feel it demeaning and insulting.

Should Zakkah be paid in Ramadan?

Most Muslims prefer to give their Zakkah in Ramadan because there are more rewards for doing so, but it is not necessary to pay Zakkah in this blessed month.

Sakr noted that Muslims are in need throughout the year, not just in Ramadan, so we can benefit Muslims by paying other times of the year as well.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 9

Cover

Economy on crutches Economy and Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

*As Politicians bicker over 2012 budget *Jonathan desperate for solutions *Citizens gasp for breathe

By Richard Ihediwa

W

hen the Senate, through a motion last year, raised the alarm that the economy of t he nation was in danger, most Nigerians did not fully realize the import. However, with the unfolding of events in the financial sector especially as regards the implementation of the 2012 budget, it has become clear that the nation is indeed in very serious economic problem.

Currently the economy is fast sloping

on dangerous downward trend as greater percentage of the over 160 million population now fear the worse.

Basically, the economic progress of any nation is to a very large extent measured by the extent to which its budget is implemented to provide the needed environment to drive the critical productive sectors.

In Nigeria, it has become a sad story that the nation's 2012 budget has refused to fly, recording a dismal 12.6 percent implementation, eight months into the fiscal year despite the much orchestrated

transformation agenda expected to champion massive infrastructural development in the country.

With the current unfolding of events including the recent trading of blames among government functionaries and the bandying of differing implementation percentage figures, most Nigerians are beginning to form the opinion that government people are simply gambling with the economy and the destiny of the nation.

At the moment, there are serious disagreements over the authentic

implementation percentage as various figures are now being bandied by government officials. While the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala insists that the executive had achieved about 56 percent implementation, the House of Representatives accuses her of being economical with the truth even as angry lawmakers announced that documents available to them placed the implementation at 34 percent.

The nation had received another shocker when the Senate early this week, came up with other documents which it said placed the implementation rate at dismal 21.5 percent. Worrisomely, by Tuesday, the figure had gone down to a mournful 12.6 percent following documents received by the Senate from some officials of the Ministry of Finance; but the embattled minister on Thursday, See pages 10&11

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Cover

Economy on crutches Contd from page 9

recanted when she appeared before the Senate as she placed the figure at 41.3 percent even as she insisted on her earlier position that the National Assembly was to blame.

Currently, the legislature and the executive are at each other’s jugular as they accused each other of being the cause of the problem. While the executive blamed the legislature of tampering with the budget, which it said had made it difficult to implement, the legislature has gone on self defence insisting it did not touch the budget, with threats to oust President Goodluck Jonathan and his government if things do not improve by the end of September this year.

As the two arms engage in endless war, Nigerians continue to wonder over what must have gone wrong in the system. Did somebody siphon the money or is it a question of inability to maximally utilize the funds?

There are already fears that the drivers are fast loosing grip of the reigns even with the economy wobbling dangerously on crutches and may hit the ground soon unless drastic measures are taken at the high places.

This is especially as the problem has started telling on the financing of critical sectors, though Okonjo- Iweala had in her appearance at the Senate yesterday, insisted that the nation was not broke but having cash flow problems.

The problem is also seeping into the states as many of them are now in serious funding problems occasioned by delays in release of statutory allocations apparently due to the cash flow problems cited by the minister. This has led to delayed salaries in some states resulting in harder times for homes especially in the face of rising costs of goods and services.

Also some states are said to be going bankrupt as the statutory allocations from the Federation Account are no longer enough to take care of demands of large bureaucracy and increasing need for infrastructural development.

However, as the masses agonise under the excruciating economic hardship occasioned by biting high prices and collapse of infrastructures, the economic team appears not to have serious answers for now as they have instead, started projecting for 2013 budget which is expected to be presented to the National Assembly next month.

Infact some critics opine that Nigerians should forget about the 2012 budget following growing insinuations of serious cash crunch as some opposition elements are now rumoring that the money that should have been used to finance the budget have already been used to fund some aspects of the 2011 general elections in favour of the candidates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The opposition had refused to buy the idea of cash flow problems especially against the backdrop of increased crude oil output from 2.4 million barrels per day to 2.7 million barrel with

President Goodluck Jonathan

international price soaring at $128 per barrel in March. Though it dropped to $87 by June, critics note that it is still higher than the $72 per barrel the budget was predicated on.

Following growing fear of total collapse of the economy, The House had threatened to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan if he fails to achieve 100 percent by the end of September and ordered Okonjo-Iweala to immediately release withheld allocations to implementing ministries and agencies.

The angry lawmakers took that decision after chairmen of key committees, including the Chairman, House Committee on Finance, John Enoh; Chairman, Committee on Finance, Abdulmumin Jibril; Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Bassey Edet Otu; Chairman, Committee on Gas Resources, Bassey Ewah; Chairman, Committee on Debts and Loans, Adeyinka Ajayi and Chairman, Committee on Defence, Bashir Adamu painted gloomy pictures of the state of the economy and heaped the blames on the inability of the Jonathan led executive to drive the implementation of the budget.

Following the reports, members became angry with Jonathan as some of them insisted that the failure of the Jonathan administration to implement the 2012 Appropriation Act midway into the fiscal year, amounted to gross misconduct and warned that they would “begin to draw up articles of impeachment” if by September there was no appreciable improvement on the implementation of the budget.

The House alleged that while the economy had recorded consistent inflow of revenue even above the projections in the budget, the government had starved Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of funds thereby stalling the execution of various projects nationwide.

Economy and Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The lawmakers insisted that statistics indicate that the budget has attained only 35 per cent implementation mark as at the end of June. They were also angry that of the N1.5 trillion earmarked for capital expenditure in the budget, the Federal Ministry of Finance had released only N404 billion by June.

The following day, the minister had fired back, beating her chest that the executive had already achieved 56 percent implementation. She also dared the House by saying that it would not be possible for the Presidency to achieve 100 percent by December let alone September saying such was not even practicable in advanced economies. In fact she corrected the lawmakers saying the budget was approved in April which means it is currently on its four fiscal months and not seven as earlier posited by the House.

She also blamed the National Assembly for, according to her tampering with certain aspects of the budget which she said had made it impossible to implement.

According to Okonjo-Iweala, “in terms of 100 percent implementation, first in my experience worldwide there is hardly any country where you would implement 100 per cent even by the end of the year and this is based on very broad experience, but people try to get to at least 80 per cent or 90 percent of the budget, as much as can be done. One hundred per cent by September, you know September is the ninth month of the year, so we will definitely be moving. I think the point is that Mr. President is determined to implement this budget as fully as possible and therefore we will be moving towards the figure of full implementation as we can by the end of the year because the budget was made for the whole year.”

Against the back drop of the blames she heaped on the National Assembly an angry Senate on Tuesday, summoned the minister with the leadership fuming that

she misled Nigerians in saying that the legislature tampered with the budget.

Though the minister failed to appear on Tuesday, her absence did not stop the leadership of the Senate from taking her to the cleaners. Leading the leadership of the Senate at the opening of the botched hearing, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremmadu insisted that it was common knowledge that the National Assembly, according to him did not touch the budget but passed it the way it came from the executive.

According to Ekweremmadu, “I recall that when the 2012 budget was presented to us as a draft bill, we in the National Assembly decided that we are going to do everything possible to send it back to the executive the way it came, so that there will be no argument on whether it will be implemented or not, because over the years we have had this issue of non implementation of the budget, and the reason or whatever reason they give surrounds the area of National Assembly input. So, on the basis of this we returned the budget the way it came and even when we identified the areas on which some adjustments needed to be made we had to bend over at the risk of being accused of tampering with the budget.

Unfortunately the level of implementation has been anything less than commendable and that’s why we are worried.

“One of the excuses we have read from the pages of newspapers for non performance of the budget is what they considered as the tinkering of the budget by the National Assembly. So what we had wanted to do today is to hear from the executive what those tinkering are.

Let us hear and let the people of Nigeria hear what the National Assembly did to the budget that made it impossible for it to be implemented so that our committee chairmen here would have the Contd on page 11

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 11

Cover

Economy on crutches Contd from page 10

opportunity of responding”, he said.

Consequently, the minister was summoned to appear on Thursday with threats to arrest her if she failed to turn up.

An embattled Okonjo-Iweala appeared at the Senate on Thursday and stuck to her guns of heaping blames on the National Assembly for tampering with the budget though she tottered between 41.3 percent and 56 percent implementation rates. She denied allegations that the Ministry of Finance had withheld money from ministries and other government agencies and added that the ministry had released all the funds available to it on a quarterly basis, saying that she was not withholding funds meant for the execution of the projects.

The minister pointedly told lawmakers that the adjustments in provisions for MDA projects by the National Assembly led to the implementation problems. She also pointed accusing fingers of the listing of some constituency projects without designs by lawmakers in the budget.

Insisting on her blames, which she said should however not be an issue, the minister said; “On the fact that the budget has been tampered with, we have good collaboration with the national assembly but there has been one or two things we are working to solve. For some MDAs, some projects were moved from one place to another, making it difficult for some MDAs to implement. I want to reiterate that constituency projects are being designed and procured. I do not think that it is something we should make a big deal out of. Rather, we should work together to solve the problem.”

On the issue of implementation rate, the minister insisted that the National Assembly was wrong in stating that the budget has run for seven months instead of four. She explained that her position on the 56 per cent budget performance ratio was based on funds actually utilised from the releases as of July 2012. She however explained that the proper way to look at implementation was to consider it in terms of the money spent However, she posited some technical explanations and ended up giving 56 percent and 41 percent implementation rates.

According to her, “The first thing to note is that this year’s budget implementation started in April after the budget was signed. For the knowledge of all Nigerians, we have been implementing this budget for just four months, starting from April, and that is the way we have been following the budget. We talk about the utilisation of resources since April, and from April to July, what have been released and what has been utilised. ”Out of the total capital budget of N1.3 trillion for capital…we have been implementing for four months, we have released so far, N404 billion; we have cash backed N324 billion, meaning that we have actually made cash available to the

Senate President David Mark

tune of N324 billion for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to use.

“So out of the amount we have cashbacked, they have used 56 percent of the amount we have cash backed, that is what we talked about. If you know how much has been used of the resources that has been released, then you will know how much more room there is.

“Out of the amount that has been cashbacked, N324 billion, 56 percent has been used meaning that there is still 44 per cent of resources not used, so there is room for implementation to progress. So we are working very hard to ensure that the 44 per cent is used.”

She said, “Since this budget started in April, how much should we have released from then to July of the N1.3tr appropriated for capital projects? If we look at that pro-rated for those four months, N446 billion should have been released for capital, but we have released N404billion, and you look at the cashbacking, the utilisation as a percentage of that.

“If we look at that ratio, you will see that we should have released N446 billion from April to July, we cashed-backed N324 billion; N184 billion has been utilised and this gives you, if you want to look at the execution part of the budget, 41.3 percent. I have not talked about budget implementation before, I only spoke about the utilisation of the resources, but now in terms of the budget, this is the way we will present it.”

She pointedly indicted Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the non-utilization of N404billion released to them for the execution of capital projects contained in the 2012 budget.

Responding to questions repeatedly asked by the senators yesterday, on the powers of the National Assembly to tinker with the budget, the minister asked the stunned lawmakers to seek legal interpretation to the question. She said “am not competent to define the role of

House of Representatives' Speaker Aminu Tambuwal

the National Assembly in budgeting process, only a constitutional lawyer or somebody higher than me can say the role the legislature should play in the budgeting exercise”.

However, despite her explanations, Nigerians appear to be more inclined to believe the figures contained in the documents obtained by the Senate showing 12.6 percent implementation.

This is especially against the backdrop of the economic reality on the ground.

The documents were presented in the absence of the minister at the botched Tuesday hearing. The documents collaborated the minister’s position that a total of N324.56 billion was cash backed, but only N184.84 billion was released as at July 20.

Analysts insist that the N184.84 billion, when calculated against the total capital budget of N1.519 trillion is 12.16 percent of performance and not 56 or 43 percent.

The documents also show that the capital budget when subtracted from the SURE-P allocations, totaled N1.34tn and the final percentage implementation with N184.8billion utilisation was 13.79 percent. The distribution of the releases, as shown on the table presented to the Senate, indicated that the percentage implementation was calculated against the level of utilisation.

As Okonjo-Iweala faced the fire in the National Assembly, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, gathered newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, saying that the Presidency was being methodical in its implementation of the budget and attributed the perceived delay in the release of funds to the MDAs to the need to observe due process.

Besides, he said another problem affecting the quick release of funds appropriated for the 2012 fiscal year, was the non-availability of funds, as

more than N1 trillion of the budget needed to be borrowed for its implementation.

He said the Presidency could not order the mass release of the appropriated funds to the MDAs because their receipt of funds was dependent on their capacity to manage the huge release of funds.

However, as government officials go back and forth with arguments over implementation of the budget, there is growing feeling by Nigerians that the people on top are playing politics with their destiny.

It is hoped that government officials should realize that what is important to Nigerians is that the budget is implemented so as to give them a better living standard.

Reacting to the issue, Senate Leader Victor Ndoma Egba said what is important to Nigerians was not the bandying of figures but the translation of such through tangible development of the country adding that the National Assembly was no longer ready to accept responsibility of the wrong doing of the other arm of government.

He said; “The performance of the budget is a major concern to Nigerians because it is through the budget implementation that we deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

Now everything that goes on because Nigerians have gotten used to living without the National Assembly, is blamed on the National Assembly. We will like to take responsibility for where we go wrong but what we certainly will not take responsibility for is the failure of others.

If others fail let them take responsibility.

Where we fail we will take responsibility. We are willing and we’ve always been the whipping boys of Nigerian politics. We will continue to take the whipping but we will not be the scapegoats for anybody. We will not be the excuse for anybody not to have done his or her duty.”

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Special Report Bizarre burials that shock the mind V Compiled by Richard Ihediwa

arious peoples of the world have various ways of paying last respect to the dead and this is accompanied by set of rituals based on the people's religious and cultural beliefs.

While lowering into the soil and cremation remain the most common ways of disposing of the bodies of the dead, many tribes across the world have uncommon methods which may be considered as bizarre to the outside world.

Such burials include, mummification as practiced in Egypt, sky burial as in a Tibetan tribe, hanging of corpse as in the Sagada tribe of Philippines, reburial and burial after decomposition as in some Asian countries, display of skull, exhuming and bone preservation as in the case of Israel, eating of corpse as in some Asian and African tribes, wife burning as in India, dumping as in some Mayan tribes, among others.

In Nigeria and most black African countries, burial by lowering into the soil and cremation are common though the accompanying rituals differ with religious and cultural beliefs. While horizontal laying of body in the grave is common, some tribes bury vertically by trying the body seated on a chair. This is prevalent in the burial of Nze title holders among some clans in Imo state. The head of the title holder is not allowed to touch the ground. As such, the body, seated is lowered into a vertical grave and covered with sand up to the neck and the head covered with a pot. After a period of time, the neck decays, allowing the head to fall into the pot which is retrieved for preservation.

This type of burial is also practice by some tribes in the Philippines and some other Asian tribes. For eight days, the indigenous people from Benguet in Philippines blindfold the dead and then sit it on a chair that is placed next to a house's main entrance. The arms and legs are held in the sitting position by means of tying.

Ghanian bury with fashion coffins

Hanging coffins in Sagada In Ilongot, Philippines, a male is buried in a sitting position. A female has her hands tied to her feet, to prevent her ghost from roaming.

In various parts of the world, some tribes bury their dead under their houses. This is prevalent among the Ngwa people in Abia state. Here it is believed that such will save the soul of the dead from being victimised by wizards.

Burying under the house is also practiced by the Gbagyi people in Central Nigeria.

In the case of the Gbayi people, the side of the house of the deceased is dug and at a depth, a tunnel is created to access the center of the room where the body is carefully placed with utensils for use in the afterlife.

Also among the Apayaos of Cordillera region of Philippines, the dead is buried under the kitchen.

Like the Apayaos, the Itnegs of Abra have a customary habit of burying their dead under their houses. In many tribes including among the

Igbos in Nigeria, suicides were buried upside down, as a postmortem punishment and to inhibit the activities of the resulting undead.

One of the most bizarre burial methods is found among some tribes in South America said to be involved in Funerary cannibalism.

This is a practice which involves the eating of the deceased.

According to online reports, the Yanomami tribe of South America, the indigenous Amerindians in the Amazon rainforest are said to have the peculiar habit of cremating the remains and then eating the ashes with banana paste. This custom, which has gone under is essentially to enable the living to partake of their strength of the dead and to spiritually "close the circle" by reabsorbing their life into the family or clan This practice was also said to have been obtainable among the Wari of the Amazon and Korowai of Papua. These tribes eat their dead

relatives. They believed that this was the ultimate portrayal of love for the deceased. They would also gain the wisdom and talents of the dead person that was eaten.

Another bizarre burial method is what has been dubbed Sky burial practiced by Tibetan and some other Chinese tribes and the Mongolians.

Sky burial as practiced in the Tibetan culture involves placing the dead strategically on a mountain top and get the relatives watch the body eaten by vultures.

According to the culture, after some burial rites, the dead body is stripped and taken by the relations in the company of Tibetan monks and priests to a stony mountain top and tied to a pole that is stuck on the ground for the vultures to devour in the full glare of the mourners including their families and loved ones.

Nobody knows how the birds are summoned but they are always on hand whenever there is a burial to be performed. Immediately the burial train arrives, the birds descend in their numbers waiting for the meal to be served.

While people believe that the birds of prey which have grown very fat and nourished are used to the tradition and the spot and need no further invitation to the ceremony where they are chief actors, others believe that there are supernatural issues surrounding them.

In the practice which is age long family members stay close by watching their loved one disappearing. When the eating is over, there remains only a skeleton left. After that the second phase of the burial commences.

This involves the crushing of the bones including the skull by a monk while the birds watch and wait patiently. When the monk finishes, he adds flour, sugar, and butter and mixes up a new meal. When his crushing is done the monk steps back and the vultures bash in, once again they go fighting over every

available piece, and in a few minutes, it is all over.

There is a similar practice among the Mongolians. When one dies the family burns incense and leave food out to feed all visiting spirits. When time comes to remove the body, it must be passed through a window or a hole cut in the wall to prevent evil from slipping in while the door is open. The body is taken away from the village and laid on the open ground. A stone outline is placed around it, and then the village dogs that have been penned up and not fed for days are released to consume the remains. What is left goes to the local predators.

This is also similar to the practice of Excarnation by Zoroastrians in the far East.

The custom requires the peculiar practice of removing the flesh from the corpse without interment. The body is then left on Towers of Silence or Dakhma. The flesh of the corpses will be devoured by vultures and other carrioneating birds. Alternatively, it can also mean butchering or de-fleshing the corpse by hand to remove the flesh.

This is almost similar the practice in Haida, the indigenous people of the American northwest coast. They simply cast their dead into a large open pit behind the village. Their flesh was left to the animals. But if one was a chief, shaman, or warrior, the body was crushed with clubs until it fit into a small wooden box about the size of a piece of modern luggage. It was then fitted atop a totem pole in front of the longhouse of the man's tribe where the various icons of the totem acted as guardians for the spirits' journey to the next world.

In some tribes, the dead are sometimes exhumed after decomposition for reburial under varying cultural practices.

In Melanesia, inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands buried their dead twice. First, they would bury them, then dig up the bones and carve them into spoons and other utensils.

They believed this was an act of piety. Also it is common practice among the Malagasy tribe of Madagascar. They take out the dead from the graves and live with them. The belief behind this ritual called Famadihana is that the spirit of the deceased joins the ancestors after the body has decomposed. The celebration is often held once every seven years and is a time of joyous family reunions.

Living with dead bodies is also practiced among the tribes in Edo state and some other parts of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Here fresh bodies are carried in coffins by the youth, who engage in frenzied dancing around the town, throwing the coffin the up and down without it falling.

In Southern Chinese culture, graves are opened after a period of years. The bones are removed, cleaned, dried, and placed in a ceramic pot for reburial (in Taiwan), or in a smaller coffin to be taken home by the rest of the family (in Vietnam). The practice is called Contd on 13

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 13

Special Report Bizarre burials that shock the mind Contd on 12

Vultures deovour the dead in Tibet ji?ng in Taiwan or boc mo in Vietnam literally meaning, "Digging up bones" and is an important ritual in the posthumous "care" of children for their deceased parents and ancestors. Failure to carry out this ritual is considered a failure of filial piety.

Also in Hindu Isle of Bali, the body is bathed and laid out on a table where food offerings are laid beside it for the journey. It is then interred in a mass grave with others from the same village who have passed on until it is deemed there are a sufficient number of bodies to hold a cremation. The bodies are unearthed, cleaned, and stacked on an elaborate float, gloriously Decorated by the entire village and adorned with flowers. The float is paraded through the village to the central square where it is consumed by flames, and marks the beginning of a massive feast to honor and remember the dead.

In Israel, bodies are dug up after many years from the grave. The bones are gathered washed and carefully kept in ornamented boxes called ossuary and then kept in family tombs. Pipes are used to connect the tombs to the surface for spiritual ventilation for the

dead.

Second burials are also practice by some tribes in the southern part of Nigeria especially among the Igbo and the Niger Delta people.

However, the second burials in these parts do not require the exhuming of the bodies but sets of rituals and parade of masquerades representing the dead.

Another bizarre practice is that of wife burning among some Indian tribes. In order to show her devotion to her husband, a woman in India might throw herself onto the funeral pyre of her husband. This ancient Hindu custom was rather rare even at its height, and it has been outlawed. Such women are revered and even deified.

However, among the Tongan tribe, the undertaker who prepares the body of the king for burial is known as the Nima Tapu. Once the preparation is finish, the undertaker is not allowed to use his hands for any other purpose for the next one hundred days. In earlier days, the Nima Tapu would be strangled or have his hands cut off after preparing the king's body.

Wives are made to Jump into fire with bodies of dead husband in India

Hanging of body after dead is another burial practice among some tribes across the world. In the southern part of the Nigeria some clans preserve bodies hanging on an improvised fire place while ceremonies for burials go on.

However, hanging as a sort of burial is practices among the people of Sagada in Philippines and the practice has been since 2,000 years. In Sagada, the dead are carefully placed in coffins and hung on cliffs or inside caves where they rest for life. In the tradition the coffins must not touch the ground.

In many cases, the coffins are hung very high up on the side of cliffs so as to keep them out of reach.

Traditionally a burial team takes the coffin to the top of the hilly landscape and use strong ropes to lower the body filled coffins down the cliff side after which they help by timber or metal scaffolding to keep them steady and secure from vibrations. This practice is still going on. The latest hanging in this manner was said to have been in 1992. Usually people are hung near their ancestors.

After many years, some of the coffins decay and fall from the cliff with their "sacred contents" and for this reasons people are sometimes

prohibited from walking under the cliffs. It is said that after a period the bones from the deteriorated coffins are gathered and preserved in special containers and kept in rock crevice Ordinarily one would wonder if the area will not be overtaken by heavy stench from decomposing bodies. Care is usually taken to avoid this. Traditionally the Sagada people corpses are specially prepared including smoking under special conditions for five days before the hanging.

Some of the bodies have their bones broken in the process especially to make them fit into their coffins. Probably to avoid this, some people, especially the elderly prefer to carve their coffins themselves and keep them in safe places until their death. If they are too weak or ill, their families prepare their coffins instead. The Cliff coffins are popularly made of timber. They are scarcely decorated and are usually ordinary.

Several reasons have been put forward traditionally for this kind

hung coffins of their dead in tall trees or off cliffs. The coffins were designed to look like a macabre chandelier on a moon of Saturn. Also among the indigenous people of Australia, the dead were kept on trees where they allow the weather and animals to devour them.

In the Hawaiian Islands, a traditional burial takes place in a cave where the body is bent into a fetal position with hands and feet tied to keep it that way, then covered with a tapa cloth made from the bark of a mulberry bush.

Sometimes the internal organs are removed and the cavity filled with salt to preserve it. The bones are considered sacred and believed to have diving power. Many caves in Hawaii still contain these skeletons, particularly along the coast of Maui.

Keeping the dead while preparing for funeral is another bizarre system found among tribes including some Igbo clans in Nigeria where relations keep the body of the deceased in the morgue for months and even years while preparations are made for a befitting burial.

Relations Jive with decomposed body. of arrangement for the dead. Those According to reports, funerals who bury in the ground probably in the Tana Toraja region of believe that it is more decent and Indonesia are big affairs. The burial makes for easy voyage to the land ceremony is accompanied by of the dead supposed to be beneath music, dance and a feast for a the surface. Those who mummify number of guests. Understandably, believe bodies must be preserved for death here is an extravagant the after-life. For those who occasion with a huge price tag. So, incriminate bodies, tradition has it the relatives of the deceased are that this is done in some cultures to given a reprieve. They need not liberate the soul from the body for bury the body within a couple of easy journey to the land of the dead. days. They can just wrap it up and However, for the Sagada, keep it in their home while they save several reasons have been put for the wake. The saving can take forward for the hanging burial. weeks, months or even years. Until While some traditions have it that then, the corpse is treated as a sick people believe that the dead are man and included in the daily closer to heaven. Also among the routines and conversations. An Sagada people, mountains and actual burial takes place when the heights attract spiritual reverence family is prepared for it and the and this supports arguments for coffin is placed in a grave, cave or hanging corpses. hung on a cliff.

However, a more scientific Burials with fantasy coffins are explanation has it that hanging also prevalent in some tribes in corpses could have originated from Ghana and it is gradually creeping the need to protect bodies from into Nigeria. In Ghana, tribes, bury indecent exposures from natural their dead in fantasy coffins. The disasters such floods and casket often represents the earthquake which is ravaging the profession of the deceased. Giant area in the recent times. replicas of coke bottles, fruits or The hanging of coffins is also gadgets are displayed in coffin practiced among Chinese, who showrooms.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Man In The News

The return of Doyin Okupe

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

F

ormer spokesman to ex President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Doyin Okupe made a sensational return to the State House during the week as he was again appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan as his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs (SSA).

The appointment appears to be duplication of the office of Dr. Reuben Abati, who presently serves as Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

While reasons for this -new appointment remain a mystery, there are insinuations that the President took the decision to improve his image handling and add a little bit of the effect by the Obasanjo’s former SSA, Femi Fani- Kayode There is no doubting the fact that the President has seen the worst form of bad press in recent times with opposition figures and greater population of the citizenry taking advantage of both the conventional and the social media to cast aspersions on his person and policies.

The January 2012 fuel subsidy removal did not help matters; the Otuoke church donation and his controversial Rio de Janeiro trip, when the country was burning also didn’t help matters. Not even the Presidential media chat that was put together after the Brazil trip doused the media bashing he got.

In fact, Presidential Adviser on Social Development, Sarah Pane recently noted that President Jonathan is the most abused President in the world, accusing Nigerians of using the facebook and twitter for nothing else than to insult their leader.

These image issues, sources say, made the President to considered doing something about Dr. Reuben Abati.

Dr. Abati, a celebrated columnist was on his appointment considered a round peg in a round hole but the fact that the perception of most Nigerians about the President has not gotten better since he replaced Ima Niboro reportedly necessitated the second coming of Okupe.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the mishandling of the just concluded African First Ladies’ Peace Mission summit which culminated media publication, exposing the purchase of 200 cars at tax payers’ expense for the summit. The Presidency found the story embarrassing, though, Dr. Abati issued a statement afterwards to clarify the issue, saying the vehicles were only rented from Coscharis Motors for the summit and were not purchased.

The damage was said to have been done and Dr. Abati they said needed help from a more experienced, combative and aggressive image manager.

National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Republican Party (NRC), Okupe, a medical doctor by profession but an image maker by calling, has one other thing in common with Abati (aside both of them using the title of Dr). They both hail from Ogun state.

As he assumes duty, critics expect that the new SSA on Public Affairs to the President, he is expected to play the

A 27 year old Nigerian married 73 year old white grandma

Senior Special Assistant to the President , Dr Doyin Okupe role of taking the critics of the President to the cleaners just like Femi FaniKayode did for former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Some observers have also opined that the new appointment may generate bad blood and unhealthy rivalry in the President’s media team if the two men began struggling to outwit each other.

This has however been denied by both, who held each others’ hands while addressing State House correspondents during the week and promised to work together to defend the President rather than engage in in-fighting.

Okupe said his appointment does not suggest conflict or friction in the Presidency’s information management process.

He said his office is saddled with distinct assignments from those of Dr. Abati and the Minister of information, Labaran Maku Okupe refuted insinuation from some quarters that his appointment by the president was to usurp the functions of Abati’s office.

He assured that both of them would work in synergy and unity of purpose in interfacing between the Presidency and the public.

“The position of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs is not in any way conflicting with the job of the Special Adviser to the

President. The Special Adviser to the President remains the presidential spokesman.

“All official policies and statements emanating from the President are released through him.”Anything that is official and has to do with what the president has spoken about will be spoken of by Dr. Reuben Abati.

“My job is public affairs. Later this afternoon (Tuesday), Dr. Abati and the President will be travelling to Trinidad and Tobago, while they are away, issues become current, debates surface and somebody in Trinidad and Tobago cannot be the one at the same time engaging the public.

“So, my department which is not going to be in the Villa is to engage the public on issues that are current and of national importance. I am also to monitor development both in the media and the nation and to advise the Presidency and other relevant organisations as to what we are hearing.

We are to interface between the Presidency and the public, that is the job,’’ he explained.

On the issue of insinuations that he was hired to be Jonathan’s FaniKayode, Okupe said he was “not hired as an attack dog” but that he was appointed to engage and enlighten the public, and particularly the opposition on the activities of the administration.

“If President Jonathan hires a 60year-old man as attack dog, then he is employing a weak attack dog. I am not an attack dog. My job basically is public advocacy. We need to engage the public; we need to engage opposition to deepen the understanding of the opposition on what government policies are’’, he said.

Earlier, Abati said Okupe was joining the team with a lot of experience which would help in moving the administration forward.

“He comes to this team with a lot of confidence in the Jonathan project. One thing we both have in common is that we both have a passion for Jonathan’s transformation agenda and we believe in President Jonathan that he deserves the support of all Nigerians,” he said.

All said, it however remains to be seen if they will both, faithfully keep to their pledges and improve on the image of the President and the Presidency.

It is worth reminding the President at this juncture that all Nigerians are asking for is good governance. They want to see results. They want concrete results; not in the mouth of image handlers but in reality.

The appointment has also raised the issue of unnecessary duplication of offices which has been a serious problem in the polity over the years.

PAGE 15

Politics

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JULY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Jonathan should not think of 2015 — Igbomina leader Chief Gbenga Awoyale, is the President of Orisun Igbomina, a socio-cultural group of the people of Kwara South Senatorial District. In this interview with Olanrewaju Lawal, he examines the problems associated with the fight against corruption in the country as well as other national issues.

Recently, the nation was jolted by the $3m bribery scandal involving a member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan and business mogul, Femi Otedola. Today, it is appears as if the matter is gradually being forgotten.

What is your take? ell, like every Nigerian, I have been following that issue. The issue now is that Otedola is saying that Lawan demanded bribe and that the money he gave out was part of agreed sum. On the other hand, Lawan is contending that he received the money to use it as an exhibit. He did not say he did not receive the money. He said he took the money because Otedola had been pressurizing him. To me it is sad because of the personalities involved.

Lawan Faruk had always been seen as a man of integrity. That is the image he had created in minds of most Nigerians and for him to be involved in this kind of deal is most unfortunate. I cannot pass judgment on him but I would have thought that the law enforcement agencies especially the EFCC will give it accelerated investigation and come out with a report. By this, we will all know who is saying the truth. I find it difficult to believe that somebody who collected money is saying, “I collected it to be used as an exhibit” and kept it in the house for that length of time he needs more explanation to make.

Also one other problem I find difficult to understand is that of the said sting operation. If you give somebody marked money, the person should be arrested immediately he takes the money.

Also I don’t know why the House wanted to do their hearing on the matter in camera.

I was not surprised when Otedola said everything should be done in the open. The matter is already in the public domain. It should be done in the open. It is pure criminal case, no matter how you look at it.

Nigerians are worried that this has portrayed us badly to the outside world.

It is very disheartening that we have come this far. Everybody is accusing Nigeria of corruption.

Government agents are saying we should say good thing about our country but when the people who are in government are involved, you begin to ask yourself where we are heading to. My hope is that this matter should not be swept under the carpet. Anybody who is involved should be dealt with according to law and the earlier the EFCC act the better.

It appears that the agencies are losing grip. What do you think is the way forward to

W

Chief Gbenga Awoyale eradicate corruption in Nigeria?

You see, unless those who are in charge of fighting corruption stand up to the challenge, things will continue the way they are.

Nigerians need to speak out. I challenge the media to do more. If journalists hear any case of corruption, they must not keep quiet; they must stand up and fight until the culprits are brought to book. Government must also establish a strong political will to fight corruption. The most painful aspect is the recent revelations of massive fraud in the handling of fuel subsidy fraud. You see a situation where money belonging to all of us is cornered by a few individuals. To me those who committed such atrocities deserve maximum penalty and I hope our judiciary would be alive to their responsibilities this time around. It should not be like Ibori’s case. Let whosoever steals our commonwealth be given maximum sentence of jail term.

There are divergent opinions about whether President Jonathan can handle the problem. What is your take?

Just as I have said earlier the fight is not for President Jonathan alone, it is a fight everybody must be involved in. Though this government looks timid in fighting corruption because of obvious reasons; many of those high brow

cases of corruption, I hear, have to do with people close to those in government. In fact people believe that some of them helped in financing the 2011 election. If that is the case, then how do you expect them to be jailed? You can see those that were arraigned by EFFC. They are children of highly placed PDP members. Ahmadu Ali was former National Chairman of the party and now Bamanga Tukur whose son was among those arraigned is the current chairman of the party.

How do you expect Jonathan to jail any of these people?

Under an ideal situation, Tukur would have resigned because his son has sinned against the state.

There is no integrity in Nigeria.

America will not tolerate this type of thing. The world is mocking us because this government is paying lip service to fighting corruption.

Taking them to court does not thrill me. After the court, what next? I do not want to rush to think that anything will happen to them unless the government proves us

wrong this time by jailing them and confiscating the properties of those who swindled this country so that it would serve as a lesson for others.

The sense of insecurity in the country is worsening by the day. What is the best way out?

I want to appeal to those behind these killings to have a rethink. Let them spare this country another war. Nobody is sure about why they are fighting. Everything is speculation. I want to call on the Federal Government to put in place measure to dialogue with this group. These killings are terrible signal to our leaders that, if not solved, might be the end of this country.

One of the ways to solve this problem is good governance. People are yet to see the dividends of democracy at the grass roots. Let those in government rule with fear of God. There should be equity, fairness in distribution of our commonwealth. The nation’s wealth is in the hands of a few.

Poverty pervades the land and until we get these things right kidnapping, armed robbery and other vices will continue. People are not happy over the way our leaders acquire property at the expenses of the masses. Let there be shared prosperity. If we do this, I think there will be peace in the country.

Some political stakeholders are pushing for the amendment of the Constitution to provide for single term of six years for governors and the President.

What is your view on this?

As far as I am concerned, the suggestion is good. At least it will remove the rush for second term and save us from spending huge sums of money organizing elections every four years. The people’s power to vote out bad leaders will be enhanced. This system of government we are running now is too costly to run. Maybe we should think of reducing the cost of government including the number of political appointees. In any case, whether six years single term or four years two terms, what Nigerians want is good government that will take care of their needs. It is when a government is not performing that there will be clamour for the tenure

“

If the opposition really want to win elections in the state; they must be consistent and persistent and carry their followers along.

When you stay in Abuja or Lagos and you think you can fight a sitting government is a day dream

of such government to end quick.

But I will advice President Jonathan not to try second term in 2015. Also PDP should look for a better candidate if they want to win in 2015 because people are tired of this government which promised to transform life but are transforming hardship on the people. If PDP fails to yield the clarion call it, will be on record that a sitting president lost election he organised because a change must surely come and not through Jonathan as Nigerians are tired of his administration.

What is your view about politics in Kwara? During the re-run of House of Assembly election, the opposition boasted that it will win but that was not the case. What actually happened?

There is no future for opposition politics or parties in the state because the opposition groups are not serious. They are very lazy.

Lazy in the sense that, is only when there is election that you will see them coming out on the eve of election to talk. Is that how opposition should be? Many of the leadership of the opposition parties in the state are far from the people.

I once challenged them to mention one or two instances they spent seven days in Kwara. None! Is that how they do opposition politics?

Secondly, they are busy fighting themselves now because of who will be governorship candidate in 2015.

The last re run election was a clear pointer that they were not on ground at all.

Opposition remains dead in Kwara as far as those who call themselves leaders distance themselves from the people.

Ramadam is here; we saw them distributing sugar, milk and rice after that they left. An Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) leader organized a Ramadan lecture at Oro his town on Wednesday July 25, 2012. Do you know what? Shortly after the lecture and sharing of rice and milk, he left for Lagos that night.

Is that what opposition leader should do? It is left for them to wake up or the party may go into extinction in the state.

If the opposition really want to win elections in the state; they must be consistent and persistent and carry their followers along. When you stay in Abuja or Lagos and you think you can fight a sitting government, it is a day dream. The last re-run election was a test case for those who call themselves leading light of opposition in the state, that you don’t abandon your troop in the middle of battle. Some of them left Ilorin before noon on the day of election. Is that how to do opposition?

They have to learn a lot of things from our neigbouring states on how to be in opposition party.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Weekend

PAGE 17

Cocktail

Yvonne 'Vixen' Tuface Idibia and Annie Ekwere speaks postpone wedding on her stolen car ceremony >>> Page 25

>>> Page 25

‘I’m happy ‘Last Flight To Abuja’ is rated 4 Star’ — Omotola Jalade >>> Page

How to store bananas

Chicken fried rice

>>> Page 28

>>> Page 28

24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 18

Relationship Marriage and Relationship Tips B

eing in a marriage or a committed relationship can be difficult even in the best of times. We can all use a bit of advice about how to handle the stresses that can occur in a relationship and how best to communicate what we are feeling in an effective, healthy manner that will strengthen the bond that exists between loving, committed individuals.

1. Express Yourself One way you can make your spouse feel very special is to put your feelings down on paper. In today’s age of electronic communications, a written letter carries that much more meaning.

It shows that you are willing to take the time to express how you feel. A letter carries more weight than a passing conversation and allows you to collect your thoughts about your partner.

Letters allow for you to condense your feelings, focus on your partner’s best features and express thoughts that you may have been too busy to share otherwise. It also allows you to artfully express your devotion with powerful words that you may not otherwise say during the course of a normal day.

Emphasize Your Relationship Emphasize your relationship in a public way. Make celebrations of your relationship by doing things that demonstrate the devotion you have for each other as a couple. Whether it means taking time to get your portrait done for no other reason than you are together and happy, organizing an anniversary party for yourselves and a few friends, or renewing your vows, every little thing you do to celebrate who you are together makes a difference. It leaves an indelible record for your children and gives you a milestone at which to measure your progress together.

Cut Out the Flirting It seems an extremely rudimentary piece of advice, but honestly—stop it.

Overly playful banter even with the closest of friends can lead to unnecessary

stress in your relationship and your marriage. This includes social media and public displays of affection towards someone other than your partner. Time can be a form of devotion that can be equated with flirting—time equals love.

Are you devoting too much time to friends of the opposite sex and making your partner feel as if you have better priorities than them? Value the time and devotion that they have invested

Constructive advice can go a long way in helping you make the most of your relationship in your relationship and make it apparent to everyone that the most important thing in your life is your relationship with your partner, and your partner alone.

Take Time Between work, parenting and everyday chores, we can find ourselves growing more distant from our partner due to a lack of quality time together.

Getting away for a weekend or even an

afternoon can be enormously helpful in helping you remember why you chose each other—because you enjoyed the other’s company. Simply taking the time to focus on one another and allowing the everyday world to fade into the background can strengthen your bond and allow you to regroup. Think of it as taking a deep breath together and that the relationship is worth the time.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips

How to Improve your Vision with Nutrition V

ision is the most sensitive creation of God. We all take care of all of our body parts but mostly vision remains untouched. We consider failing eyesight to be an inevitable part of aging but its not like that young kids and infants are also having this problem. To get better sight we must take care of our eye health by taking proper eye nutrition.

Here are some of the things which are considered as good for eye health. ·Eye nutrition: Carrot To improve your eye health it is very important to add in your diet things related to eye nutrition. Carrot is a natural vegetable which is very good for your eye health. Carrot eaten raw is best rather than to cook and eat it.

Drinking carrot juice everyday also improves your eye health and this is the best eye nutrition ever. ·Eye nutrition: Spinach Another healthy vegetable good for many things else and off course good for your eye health is Spanish. Using spinach in your diet is very essential if you want your eye health to be at peak.

Foods rich in carotenoids are leafy green vegetables such as spinach is excellent to use as eye nutrition especially when you are aging. ·Eye nutrition: Fish Omegas 3 oil is also eye nutrition and improves your eye health.Cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, cod, are rich in the healthy Omega 3 oils. Omega 3 cold-water fish is considered the best foods for optic nerve. Omega 3 is also associated with numerous other eye

Constructive advice can go a long way in helping you make the most of your relationship

Did You Know That

Want to live longer? Ditch the diet, cancel your gym session - just eat less

F

orget exercise, fad diets or socalled miracle pills – if you want to live longer simply eat less, a leading scientist has claimed.

Dr Michael Mosley, a presenter on BBC science show Horizon, said ongoing research suggested that a high metabolic rate – how much energy the body uses for normal body functions – is a risk factor for earlier mortality.

And he revealed that communities in Japan and the U.S. which follow strict, low-calorie diets appear to have a lifespan longer than the global average.

The 55-year-old said of calorie restriction diets, which are often as low as 600 calories a day: ‘The bottom line is that it is the only thing that’s ever really been shown to prolong life.

‘Ultimately, ageing is a product of a high metabolic rate, which in turn increases the number of free radicals we consume.

‘If you stress the body out by restricting calories or fasting, this

seems to cause it to adapt and slow the metabolism down. It’s a version of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.’

Dr Mosley said he did not believe it was necessary to eat three meals a day because ‘what we think of as hunger is mainly habit’.

In a new Horizon programme, he also suggests that intermittent fasting could offer the same benefits as calorie restriction by reducing the growth of hormone IGF-1.

While the hormone maintains and repairs tissue, high levels have been shown to contribute towards cancer and ageing.

His comments, made to the Radio Times, come after the Institute of Health Ageing at University College London suggested eating 40 per cent less could extend a person’s life by 20 years.

A researcher said: ‘If you reduce the diet of a rat by 40 per cent it will live for 20 per cent longer. So we would be talking 20 years of human life.

‘This has shown on all sorts of organisms, even labradors.’

health benefits. It is certainly one of the best foods for clear eyesight and eye health. ·Eye nutrition: Eggs Among other eye nutrition things eggs are also beneficial to your eyes. Eggs and egg yolks in particular, carry an abundance of nutrients that are beneficial to your eyes and the rest of your body. Typically, the darker the egg yolk, the more nutritious it is for your eye health. ·Eye nutrition: berries Any type of berries bilberries, blue berries, straw berries are very good for your eye health. Eating blueberries has been associated with the reduction of eye fatigue. Blueberries are related to cranberries, and both also help the body resist urinary tract infections. Beside its other benefits, they increase your strength of vision and you don’t get tired early so we can use it as eye nutrition element. ·Eye nutrition: Vitamins Vitamins A, C, E and the B vitamins, zinc, selenium, chromium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids are just a few of the nutrients which contribute to better vision and can be used as an eye nutrition nutrient. All these vitamins add a lot to your eye health care.

Sitting for long time in front of the Computer or reading a lot or having less light and keeps on reading and writing effects our eye sight. We have to take care of it by our self. No one will come for our eye health. Taking proper eye nutrition improves our eye health and the eye nutrition elements are mentioned up.

Citrus fruit can calm your nerves.

German researchers subjected 120 people to a public speaking task, and those who took large doses of vitamin C, found in oranges, felt less stressed and had lower blood pressure

Cramp Crisis

New approach: Forget exercise, fad diets or so-called miracle pills - if you want to live longer simply eat less, a leading scientist has claimed

What causes it? One theory is that these sudden painful muscle contractions are caused by dehydration. The lack of water leads to a reduction in salts (such as sodium, calcium and potassium) which are needed for muscles to work efficiently, says Priya Dasoju from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

THE FIX: Gently re-stretch the muscle ideally by walking. It's also important to rehydrate yourself, so drink water of a soft drink. A potassium-rich banana may also help.

PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Learning Book Review

By Augustine Aminu

Shehu Sani's recipe for peaceful co-existence

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o say the security situation in Nigeria has reached an alarming rate is to understate the obvious.

For, unlike the recent past when only some parts of the country were identified with incessant crises, everywhere across the country today is either in crisis or sitting on a time bomb that might soon explode. In fact, sensitive crisisprone issues are being toyed with on daily basis by both government and individuals without regard to the fact that lives and property are being lost to preventable and senseless violence.

While the causes of the widespread bloodshed could be traced to many factors, the major rootcauses are, ironically, religion, politics and ethnicity, which are supposed to be unifying factors. Specific examples are the recent postelection violence that engulfed most parts of the Northern part of the country, the Boko Haram saga, which has claimed many lives and the Plateau State ethnoreligious crisis which has refused to go away. Only recently there were cases of bomb blasts and attacks on some villages, claiming innocent lives, including women and children.

This is no doubt a cause for concern. It is no wonder, therefore, that well-meaning Nigerians

have expressed their concern. Some have even gone a step further to produce books that would sensitise the public on the need for peaceful coexistence irrespective of ethnic, political or religious differences. One of such concerned Nigerians is Comrade Shehu Sani, the renowned human rights activist and writer. In the past few years the president of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria has produced close to twenty books dealing with this contentious subjectmatter. He has written and published works on this theme in all the genres of literature; poetry, prose, drama and essay. The latest addition to his relentless fight against violent crisis in Nigeria is a children’s book titled The Children of Jos. The work, which is aimed at educating children on the issues of peace and is distributed free to children in Jos, is not the usual run of children’s book where acquisition of language skill is the main focus. As the author himself pointed out in the introductory part of the book, the motivation for writing the book is to inculcate in the children the ethics of peace building and good neighbourliness, serving as their brothers’ keepers and vanguards of peace.

What Is a Flash Drive?

A

flash drive is a small storage device that can be used to transport files from one computer to another.

They are slightly larger than a stick of gum, yet many of these devices can carry all your homework for an entire year! You can keep one on a key chain, carry it around your neck, or attach it to your book bag.

Using a Flash Drive A flash drive is easy to use. Once you have created a paper or other work, simply plug your flash drive into a USB port. The USB port will appear on the back of a desktop computer’s PC tower or on the side of a laptop.

Most computers are set up to give an audible notice such as a chime when a new device is plugged in. This is normal.

When you option to save your work by selecting “Save As,” you will find that your flash drive appears as an additional drive.

Why Carry a Flash Drive?

You should always carry a backup copy of any important work you’ve completed. As you create a paper or large project, make a backup on your flash drive and save it separate from your computer.

A flash drive will also come in handy if you are able to print out homework at school. You can write a paper at home, save it to your flash drive, then plug the drive into a USB port on a school computer. Then simply open the document and print it out.

Check with your teacher or librarian to see if this is an option.

A flash drive is also handy for working on your paper or project on several computers at once. Carry your flash drive to your friend’s house for a joint project or for group study.

Another reason to use a flash drive is that they are sturdier than floppy disks. A flash drive will survive teenage abusers much more successfully than floppy disks or CDs.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Healthy Living

PAGE 21

Children who spend more time outside ‘are half as likely to become short-sighted’

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Outdoorsy: Spending time in natural light has been linked with improving sight

hildren who spend more time outside are less likely to become shortsighted, a study claims.

Researchers found youngsters who played outdoors between the ages of eight and nine were half as likely to develop shortsightedness when they reached 15.

The protective effect of being outside for longer is unrelated to whether children have parents who are shortsighted, or how much time they spend reading.

A team from the University of Bristol led the study, which is the first in the world to establish the direct link between poor eyesight and time enjoyed outside.

Study leader Dr Cathy Williams, said: 'We're still not sure why being outdoors is good for children's eyes, but given the other health benefits that we know about we would encourage children to spend plenty of time outside, although of course parents will

Having a pet ‘helps autistic children to develop their social skills’

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hildren with autism can improve their social skills if they have a pet to play with after they turn five.

Researchers found youngsters with the developmental disorder were better able to both offer comfort and share things if they had a furry friend, while those who never had a pet showed no improvements.

However, this effect wasn't seen in autistic youngsters who had pets in the family from birth, according to the team from the Hospital Research Centre of Brest in France.

The researchers said this could be because a pet brought in later could have novelty value, whilst also strengthening family bonds by increasing their interaction with each other.

Dr Marine Grandgeorge and colleagues performed two studies, which have been published in the open access journal PLOS ONE. In the first they analysed 24 autistic children with an average age of 11 who were attended a daycare in France.

A dozen had received a dog, cat or rabbit after turning five while the rest had never had a pet.

The children's parents had completed a survey commonly used to diagnose autism when the children were five, and filled it in again at the time of the study. They also answered a questionnaire about their pets.

The results revealed that the children with pets were better able to share food or toys with their parents or other children and also

improved in offering comfort to those who were sad or hurt.

However, no such improvement was seen in a second study that compared eight children who had pets in the family from birth and eight who had no pets.

The scientists said children spent time playing and petting an animal if they got one when they were young, while those who had always had a pet in the family showed fewer interactions.

They noted that other research has found pets enhance skills in children with typical development, including improving self-esteem and empathy.

A pet could help children learn how to share and show empathy (posed)

still need to follow advice regarding UV exposure.

'There is now a need to carry out further studies investigating how much time outside is needed to protect against short-sightedness, what age the protective effect of spending time outside is most marked and how the protective effect actually works, so that we can try and reduce the number

of children who become shortsighted.'

Between a quarter and a half of young people in the West and up to 80 per cent of young people in parts of south-east Asia are affected by shortsightedness, or myopia.

More than a third of adults with the condition need to wear glasses in order to see distant objects clearly - a figure that

has doubled over the last 30 years.

Previous research in Australia and the United States has previously suggested a link between the amount of time spent outside by children and their chances of needing glasses.

But the studies failed to show whether this was linked to exercise or simply being outside.

how full we feel as well as the way the body uses insulin, a hormone crucial in the processing of sugar into energy.

Mice that were made to make more Ucn3 than usual began to show the first signs of diabetes, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports.

Ucn3 also seems to trigger a taste for sugary and fatty foods providing the body and brain with extra fuel when under extreme stress.

But when the system is constantly activated by everyday stresses and strains, we can become fat and ill.

Dr Chen, of the Weizmann Institute-in Israel, said: 'Stress is good when you have to cope with an event, like when you meet a lion.

'Your metabolism is changing, you consume more sugars and more glucose goes to the muscles to help you escape the lion.

'But the stress response needs to be a tightly-regulated system.

The genes need to kick in at the right time. If they are not working properly it can lead to psychiatric and metabolic disorders.'

Drugs that target the 'comfort eating gene' or the Ucn3 protein could help prevent diabetes and keep weight down.

Previous work by British researchers has shown that almost two-thirds of people in the UK carry other 'junk food genes' that cause them to crave fatty and sugary foods.

Those with the genetic flaw eat 100 calories more at each meal the equivalent of a Kit Kat or a bag of Wotsits.

Over the course of a week, that amounts to an extra 2,100 calories - or an extra day's food.

The findings, by researchers at Dundee University, help explain why some people find it hard to resist fast food - and why some diets are doomed to fail.

Britons are also the world's worst junk food addicts, beating even the Americans in their appetite for fat and sugar-laden snacks.

Figures show the average adult in this country eats just over three portions of fruit and vegetables a day and will get through 22,000 ready-meals, sandwiches and sweet snacks in a lifetime - little short of one a day.

Having a pet ‘helps autistic children to develop their social skills’

F

orget that punishing exercise regime or elaborate diet.

The key to losing weight could be as simple as putting your feet up and relaxing.

Scientists have found a gene that makes us crave sweet and fatty foods and pile on the pounds when under stress.

The 'comfort eating gene' has also been linked to type 2 diabetes the form of the disease that usually occurs in middle-age and is related to obesity.

It is hoped that studying the gene will lead to new diabetes drugs as well as weight loss pills.

But it seems finding time to relax could also do us the power of good.

Researcher Dr Alon Chen set out to find out why so many people reach for the biscuit tin when under pressure at home or at work.

In studies on mice, he pinpointed a gene that pumps out a protein called Ucn3 at times of stress.

Produced in the brain, the protein has profound effects throughout the body, affecting organs including the heart, muscles, liver and pancreas.

It increases appetite and affects

Weight problem: Stress activates a gene which affects the metabolism and contributes to our cravings for sweet, fatty foods, according to a new study

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds

The Ka'aba

PAGE 23

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

A merchant and his donkey

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T

he Ka’aba (literally “the cube” in Arabic) is an ancient stone structure that was built and re-built by prophets as a house of monotheistic worship. It is located inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

The Ka’aba is considered the center of the Muslim world, and is a unifying focal point for Islamic worship.

The Ka’aba is a semi-cubic building that stands about 15 meters high and 10-12 meters wide. It is an ancient, simple structure made of granite. In the SE corner, a black meteorite (the “Black Stone”) is embedded in a silver frame.

Stairs on the north side lead to a door which allows entry to the interior, which is hollow and empty. The Ka’aba is covered with a kiswah, a black silk cloth which is embroidered in gold with verses from the Qur’an. The kiswah is re-done and replaced once a year.

According to the Quran, the Ka’aba was built by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael as a house of monotheistic worship.

However, by the time of Muhammad, the Ka’aba had been taken over by pagan Arabs to house their numerous tribal gods. In 630 A.D., Muhammad (SAW) and his followers took over leadership of Mecca.

Muhammad destroyed the idols inside the Ka’aba and rededicated it as a house of monotheistic worship.

It should be noted that Muslims do not worship the Ka’aba and its environs.

Rather, it serves as a focal and unifying point among the Muslim people. During daily

prayers, Muslims face toward the Ka’aba from wherever they are in the world (this is known as “facing the qiblah”).

During the annual pilgrimage (“Hajj”), Muslims walk around the Ka’aba in a counter-clockwise direction (a ritual known as “tawaf”).

One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so.

This circumambulation, the Tawaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage).

However, the most dramatic times are during the Hajj, when about 6 million pilgrims gather to circle the building on the same day.

The Kaaba is located inside the Masjid al-$arâm (the “Sacred Mosque”) in the center of Mecca.

It is a cubid-shape masonry structure which is made of granite quarried from nearby hills.

Inside the Kaaba, the floor is made of marble and limestone. The interior walls are clad with marble halfway to the roof. The marble is inset with Quranic inscriptions.

The wall directly adjacent to the entrance of the Kaaba has six tablets inlaid with inscriptions. The top part of the walls is covered with a green cloth embroidered with gold Quranic verses.

Caretakers anoint the marble cladding with scented oil used on the Black Stone outside.

Three pillars stand inside the Kaaba, with a small altar set between one and the other two.

Lamp-like objects (possible crucible censers) hang by a rope above the platform.

ne beautiful spring morning, a merchant loaded his donkey with bags of salt to go to the market in order to sell them. The merchant and his donkey were walking along together. They had not walked far when they reached a river on the road.

Unfortunately, the donkey slipped and fell into the river and noticed that the bags of salt loaded on his back became lighter.

There was nothing the merchant could do, except return home where he loaded his donkey with more bags of salt.

As they reached the slippery riverbank, now deliberately, the donkey fell into the river and wasted all the bags of salt on its back again.

The merchant quickly discovered the donkey’s trick. He then returned home again but re-loaded his donkey with bags of sponges.

The foolish, tricky donkey again set on its way. On reaching the river he again fell into the water. But instead of the

LYRICS OF THE WEEK Miss Mary Mark Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack All dressed in black, black, black With silver buttons, buttons, buttons All down her back, back, back.

She asked her mother, mother, mother For 50 cents, cents, cents To see the elephants, elephants, elephants Jump over the fence, fence, fence.

They jumped so high, high, high They reached the sky, sky, sky And they didn’t come back, back, back ‘Til the 4th of July, ly, ly!

load becoming lighter, it became heavier.

The merchant laughed at him and said: “You foolish don-

key, your trick had been discovered, you should know that, those who are too clever sometimes over reach themselves.”

HIS & HERS CORNER

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

The sleeping princess

MODEL OF THE WEEK

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his sleep extended over the whole palace, the king and queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to go to sleep, and the whole of the court with them.

The horses, too, went to sleep in the stable, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons upon the roof, the flies on the wall, even the fire that was flaming on the hearth became quiet and slept, the roast meat left off frizzling, and the cook, who was just going to pull the hair of the scullery boy, because he had forgotten something, let him go, and went to sleep. And the wind fell, and on the trees before the castle not a leaf moved again.

But round about the castle there began to grow a hedge of thorns, which every year became higher, and at last grew close up round the castle and all over it, so that there was nothing of it to be seen, not even the flag upon the roof.

But the story of the beautiful sleeping Briar Rose, for so the princess was named, went about the country, so that from time to time kings’ sons came and tried to get through the thorny hedge into the castle. But they found it impossible, for the thorns held fast together, as if they had hands, and the youths were caught in them, could not get loose again, and died a miserable death.

After long, long years a king’s son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar Rose, had been asleep for a hundred years, and that the king and queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather, that many kings, sons had already come, and had tried to get through the thorny hedge, but they had remained sticking fast in it, and had died a pitiful death.

Then the youth said, “I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar Rose.” The good old man might dissuade him as he would, he did not listen to his words.

By this time the hundred years had just passed, and the day had come when Briar Rose was to awake again. When the king’s son came near to the thorn hedge, it was nothing but large and beautiful flowers, which parted from each other of their own accord, and let him pass unhurt, and then they closed again behind him like a hedge. In the castle yard he saw the horses and the spotted hounds lying asleep, on the roof sat the pigeons with their heads under their wings. And when he entered the house, the flies were asleep upon the wall, the cook in the kitchen was still holding out his hand to seize the boy, and the maid was sitting by the black hen which she was going to pluck.

He went on farther, and in the great hall he saw the whole of the court lying asleep, and up by the throne lay the king and queen. Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower,

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

and opened the door into the little room where Briar Rose was sleeping.

There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away, and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Briar Rose opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly.

Then they went down together, and the king awoke, and the queen and the whole court, and looked at each other in great astonishment. And the horses in the courtyard stood up and shook themselves, the hounds jumped up and wagged their tails, the pigeons upon the roof pulled out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the open country, the flies on the wall crept again, the fire in the kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat, the joint began to turn and sizzle again, and the cook gave the boy such a box on the ear that he screamed, and the maid finished plucking the fowl.

And then the marriage of the king’s son with Briar Rose was celebrated with all splendors, and they lived contented to the end of their days.

How to make bead and button teacup

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ive someone an unusual gift with this bead and button teacup. It’s a great creativity task for you who enjoy decorating things with fashion accessories.

What you will need: ·Solid colored teacup with saucer ·Assorted decorative buttons and beads of different shapes, sizes, and colors. ·Hot glue gum and glue sticks. ·Tweezers What to do: 1. Make sure the

teacup is clean before beginning.

2. Use the hot glue and glue all of the buttons and beads onto the surface of the teacup. You can just do the top half or the whole cup if desired.

3. Continue to glue buttons and beads to the saucer as well.

4.Use the tweezers to help you place the beads and buttons on the cup.

This will prevent you from getting burned, and will make it much easier.

Ebubechi Ihediwa Ebubechi clocked 9 on July 1, 2012. He attends Jewel Model School in Kubwa, Abuja. He likes reading, playing video games, singing and running errands. His shout-out goes to his dad and mum, Aunty Nneso as well as sisters, Adaeze and Enyichiya

ACTIVITIES Colour the images below, you can also decorate your book with it by cutting and pasting it on it. Cheers!

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Kannywood

Entertainment

Comedian, Owen Gee, Lepacious Bose Join Omotola, Jim Iyke As UN Peace Ambassador

Owen Gee

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op Nigerian comedian, Osemwengie Owen better known as Owen Gee and comedian, Lepacious Bose have

been made a United Nations Youth Ambassadors for Peace. The entertainers were recently bestowed with the honour by the Universal

Peace and Youth Federation for Peace.

The two humour merchants have now joined top Nigerians who

are UN Youth Ambassador for Peace like Hajia Sambo, wife of the Vice President of Nigeria; Hon Abdul Mummin Jibrin, Chairman House of Reps Committee on Finance; Omotola Ekeinde-Jalade, D’banj, Yaw, Oge Okoye, Jim Iyke, Gbenga Adeyinka D’1st, Julius Agwu , Sound Sultan and Weird M.C. Explaining why Owen Gee was made a Peace Ambassador, the Federation stated that the comedian’s lifestyle exemplified the ideal of living for the sake of others.

The Federation stated further that he has also dedicated himself to the practice of promoting universal moral values, strong family life, inter religious cooperation, international harmony. He has cultivated a responsible public relations image and has helped to establish a culture of peace over the years, which transcends racial and national barriers.

Owen Gee has now been charged with the honorary task of working towards achieving a unified world of peace, where the spiritual and material dimensions of life are harmonised.

However, Owen and Lepacious Bose would work closely with each other in achieving the task ahead of them in making the world a better place.

Aisha Musa Ladan and Salihu Abubakar Gimba ‘I’m happy ‘Last Flight To Abuja’ is rated 4 Star’ — Omotola Jalade

A

-list actress and singer, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has tipped the new Nollywood flick, Last Flight to Abuja to go places.Omotola who played the role of a busy lady based in Abuja and had to cut short her stay in the Federal Capital City in order to surprise her fiancé who is based in Lagos, only to meet another lady in her pyjamas. On seeing the stranger in her fiancé’s apartment, Omotola decided to go back to her base thereby boarding the doomed last Flamingo flight to Abuja.The Amnesty International Ambassador was pleased with the positive review the movie got in the UK.I am totally pleased to hear that it has been Rated in four star by Odeon cinemas, UK; it’s a testament to our faith, perseverance and hardwork. Thank God, this is only the beginning”. Last Flight to Abuja (LFA) was produced by Obi Emelonye, the producer of one of the highest grossing movies of 2011, Mirror Boy, a film that received several awards last year. Obi Emelonye’s new movie features a delightful slew of superstars and fast rising acts; the amiable Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Jim Iyke, Hakeem Kae Kazeem, Ali Nuhu, Jide Kosoko, Celine Loader and a host of others.LFA premiered recently and was shown to a capacity crowd of 1500 people at the popular Troxy Cinema in East London; the London premiere was also dedicated to the memory of the ill-fated Dana Air crash.

The movie was shot on the Arri Alexa, the most expensive camera in the world. Last Flight to Abuja is expected to double the amount the previous film, Mirror Boy sold at the cinema. Mirror Boy was one of the highest grossing movies of 2011 with sales to the tune of N20m (twenty million).

Aisha Musa Ladan and Salihu Abubakar Gimba during their wedding on 6th July 2012.

Happy married life.

PAGE 25

Nollywood

Yvonne 'Vixen' Ekwere speaks on her stolen car

Yinka Quadri fights Dele Odule over Bisi Komolafe!

T

hat TV gal, Yvonne ‘Vixen Ekwere who presents a programmes for Silverbird Television a.k.a. STV lost her 2000 model grey Toyota Camry, EX 123 BC Lagos, to unidentified robbers at Oriental Hotel last Saturday is no longer news, the young lady tells her own story.

While regaling her ordeal, she said the Police authority is yet to come up with any useful information about the car’s whereabout: Hear her, on Saturday, the 28th of July 2012, at about 6:46pm, I drove into the new car park under construction at the Oriental Hotel, Ozumba Mbadiwe str, V/I Lagos. The “security” guard stationed at the gate; as usual did not take my plate number, issue me a parking ticket or try to identify the driver of the car, as normally done with other guests who drive into the car park.

I had been invited to cover two events; the ‘YNaija Hashtag’ party and senator Ita Giwa’s daughter’s dinner party.

After I finished work at both events at around 11:15pm, I noticed that my car was not at the spot I left it on. I, and the hotel security men combed the entire car park several times to be sure I did not forget where I parked but still did not find my car.

Though an empty carton which was in the area where I parked was still at the same spot, close to where parked, but surprisingly, the car wasn’t.

I ordered the security men (who were rather dismissive and unprofessional) to take me to their head security officer and security control room to watch footage of the recordings in the car park.

The Chinese men, whose names I can’t recall, seemed un-sure, confused and spoke in their native tongue amongst themselves while checking for footage; still they were not able to give me tangible results on camera. I never saw footage of when I drove in or how and who drove the car out; instead I was shown footage of what was happening in LIVE time.

My suspicion is that the cameras at the car park are dummies; they do not work, they were not recording at that particular time or the camera was switched off when the theft took place.

The hotel management did not bother to take my name, personal contacts, apologize or try to sort out the situation; instead they all backed out, one after the other, giving flimsy excuses.

I asked to see the head of security again, or a proper management staff and we were told that the situation was being sorted out and I would not see anyone until it was sorted.

I was asked by an acquaintance to call the CP of Lagos who asked me to report the issue to the nearest police station (which was Maroko police station). I did and I’m yet to get feedback from the police.

Till now, none of the management staff from Oriental has tried to reach me and I hear this is not the first case of

Badmus

Yinka Quadri

car theft in the hotel.

This is not in any way acceptable, as a hotel of such status should be seen to be keeping guests and their personal

property safe at all times.

The car park, which has the company’s security men and police officers assigned to the different floors

of the parking lot should be one of the safest places, if not the safest place for guest’s parked cars, but this hotel’s safety is in question.’’

Tuface Idibia and Annie postpone white wedding ceremony

T

he much awaited white wedding between African Queen crooner, Tuface Idibia and his Annie Macaulay has been postponed. The wedding as widely reported, was supposed to have taken place in July.

According to Stella Dimoko Korkus of Encomium, no new date has been fixed.

Annie and Tuface Idibia dated for many years before they eventually agreed that it was time to formalise things, and live together as husband and wife.Tuface proposed to Annie at Club Number 10 owned by Nigerian born soccer star, Austin Jay Jay Okocha.

Tuface has two other women who have children for him but Annie had no problem saying yes to his marriage proposal as she gladly collected his ring on

Bisi Komolafe

O

February 14 this year.

Tuface’s profile skyrocked after he released his popular song ‘African Queen’.

He is one of Africa’s most

Dele Odule

decorated music stars. Annie on her part is an actress.

She also took part in Sola Fajobi’s Next movie star reality TV show.

nce upon Good friends Yinka Quadri Chairman of the Odunfa Causus had cause to exchange words with Dele Odule over rising Star Bisi Komolafe.

Bisi and Dele Odule were working on Sanyeri’s movie set when they had a little issue and Bisi apologised to Dele by kneeling down and everyone thought it was all over, until the following morning when Bisi walked past and didn’t greet Dele. Dele called her back to complain about her behavior.

She apologized but Dele went ahead to insult her and in the

process called Yinka Quadri, who trained Bisi names. Bisi quietly walked away and put a call through to Yinka Quadri, explaining the details of the incident including the fact that Dele called him an illiterate.

Few minutes later Dele called Yinka to report Bisi to him. Yinka simply asked why Dele called him an illiterate behind his back. It will be recalled that Yinka Quadri, Taiwo Hassan and Dele Odule used to be inseparable friends, before irreconcilable differences affected their relationship.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood Macaulay Culkin's camp forced to deny tabloid claims actor has '$6,000-a-month drug habit'

Rapper Eminem Takes The Lead From Lady Gaga On Facebook

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aCaulay Culkin’s representatives have issued a fiercely-worded denial over claims the Home Alone star has a $6,000a-month drug habit.

A spokeswoman for the 31-year-old actor branded the claims published in the National Enquirer as ‘ridiculously fictitious’ and ‘insulting’.

The American tabloid reported today that Culkin regularly shoots up heroin and the highly addictive painkiller oxycodone - dubbed hillbilly heroin.

The article went on to say the former child star turned his Manhattan apartment into a drug den where he gets high either by himself or with friends.

Responding to the allegations, Culkin’s publicist Michelle Bega told MailOnline: ‘The report in the National Enquirer that Macaulay Culkin is addicted to heroin and assorted hallucinogenics is not only categorically without merit, but it is also impossibly and ridiculously fictitious.’

Ms Bega added that the story was ‘destructive and insulting,’ to her client.

The Enquirer claims Culkin’s drug use

R

Drug addict?

Macaulay Culkin is said to be spending $6,000 a month on hard drugs and prescription pills, according to a new report, pictured here in February intensified 18 months ago - around the time he split from long-term girlfriend Mila Kunis, who is now dating Ashton Kutcher.

Iconic role: Culkin as cheeky Kevin McCallister in 1990 film Home Alone

Ekta plans sequel to ‘KSKHH’

T

he makers of ‘Kyaa Su per Kool Hain Hum’ are planning to make a sequel to the film, which has raked in nearly Rs 29 crore by the fifth day of its release. “Yes, we’ll try to do a sequel to the film,” said director Sachin Yardi at a press conference in Mumbai. The film, which is a sequel to the 2005 film ‘Kya Kool Hain Hum’ has been panned by critics for is vulgar content.

However that is the least concern for Ekta Kapoor who is overwhelmed by the box office response to ‘Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum’. “We were told that since our brand was seven years old, we’ll have a Rs 10 crore opening. We had the highest opening during Ramzan.

I’m totally overwhelmed,” she said. “When I started this film, I had a profit and loss sheet. The film had cost us Rs 13 crore and we thought it will make Rs 15 crore. We said if it crosses Rs 20, we’ll call it a hit and if crosses Rs 25 crore, it will be a super hit. Today on the fifth day, it has crossed Rs 29.5 crore,” she said.

apper Eminem h a s pulled ahead Lady Gaga and in fact, has set a record with the amount of likes on his music page has received to date.

According to recent numbers, the rapper has a whopping of 60 million fans on Facebook, the first artist ever to reach this milestone. While Lady Gaga has 53 million likes to her name.

But on twitter, it’s the way round has she’s head and shoulders ahead of Eminem, with more than double his followers.

Gaga has close to 28 million Tweeps, whereas Eminem is “only” approaching 12 million lol.

Mallika is in love with LA

E

veryone is used to the fact that if you have Mallika Sherawat as a headliner it can’t possibly be good news. Miss Sherawat is now making her “country proud” by singing praises of Los Angeles where she seems to have shifted base while pooh-poohing her home country. Moreover, in a display of complete ignorance, she confessed that if she had her way, her film’s (Kismat, Love, Paisa, Dilli) first look would have been unveiled at the Cannes film festival! Wise Vivek Oberoi, her co-star in the film, could only shake his head in dismay!

The actress seems to be enjoying her infamous reputation; she says she loves being called ‘sex-citing’!

“There is really no reasoning on anything she does anymore. She’s become the Rakhi Sawant of Bollywood. She keeps comparing Mumbai and Los Angeles, making it sound like she had a tough life in Mumbai, with the “traffic and polluted air. It’s another matter that the entire Bollywood fraternity lives in Mumbai! An international postal address is her only accomplishment,”

Mallika Sherawat

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, JULY, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

Give your interior decor a facelift

E

ach space at home has to be welcoming and comfortable to live in. When you are unsatisfied together with the physical appearance as well as the sense of your home, start working to improve it. You can use these home design tips to get started turning your property to the place that you really feel most secure and satisfied.

Lamps are a great addition to any home because they might be in the living area or right with you inside the master bedroom. Furthermore these units present you with more gentle to read and publish, however they may give your house a classical seem and go with a variety of variations.

The best way to liven up an otherwise unexciting or complicated place is to produce a point of focus within the room.

This center point will end up the showcase of the room, and anything else that’s within the room work to assist the focal point.

An excellent decor tip is usually to always keep in mind room when you’re designing. If you go ridiculous having an area it may possibly end up getting messy. Regardless of how great hunting and effectively adorned a room is, if there isn’t enough space to maneuver no person can even bother to go in it.

When you find yourself putting your television with your living room and looking for a nice spot for it you must feel your location sitting down. The base of the TV must be about at chest level from your location seats inside the room.

This may create a more pleasant television set encounter.

Avoid employing deep, dark hues for color and home furniture except if the room is effectively sizeable. Darker painting and household furniture

makes a space sense smaller. If you truly want to utilize darker shades within a room, make an effort to offset it with lighter weight hues to even the have an impact on.

Every time you’re overhauling the decor within a room, take time to change common on-away light-weight switches with dimmer changes. These offer you significantly increased control over a room’s lights.

Dimmer changes will allow you to give you a space a variety of distinct seems without having altering something about it.

Additionally, they create a little but certainly good distinction in the resale worth of your residence!

As time goes on so when you read more about home design you need to feel a bit more and at ease with generating decisions which will impact the style of your home.

Make use of the info which you discovered right here these days and discover what you can use for your residence.

Source: Destin de lAfrique

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Cuisine

Pots & Pans

With Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Ramadan Special

How to store bananas

W e give thanks to the Almighty Allah for making it possible for us to see this year's Holy month, the month of Ramadan. Here's wishing you the best of every day of the blessed month and beyond.

B

ananas are the most difficult fruits to preserve. In no time you will see them getting rotten, only good for the dustbin at that point. But there is something you can do about bananas you can keep them for a few days or more.

Don’t keep the bunch intact, separate them. They stay longer separated.

Keep bananas in the original plastic bag you bought them in, especially if you plan to refrigerate them.

Buy unripe bananas if you don’t want to eat them within a couple of days. Always keep unripe bananas at room temperature, as the fridge will stop the ripening process and can cause the fruit to taste fresh, even if the skin is getting brown. Avoid bananas that are already going brown, it means they are not fresh. Sometimes bananas could be bought unripe. To ripen, tie in a sack or store away from light to ripen in a few days.

Chicken fried rice

Pour 1 1/2 cups rice in a strainer.

Rinse it under running water to drain it. Cook the rice with adequate salt with enough water to cook. Add the rice once the water is boiling. Reduce the heat and allow to cook slowly until the water is completely absorbed.

Pour out rice in a big bowl and allow to cool or cool in the refrigerator for few minutes, from 30 to 45 minutes.

Crack two large eggs into a small bowl. Use a fork to lightly beat the eggs.

Pour 1 tbsp. groundnut oil in a pot.

Heat the oil over medium heat until it starts to shimmer. Pour the eggs into the oil. Use a wooden spoon to stir the egg in the hot oil, cooking them for 30 seconds. Use the spoon to remove the egg from the pot unto a plate. Keep aside.

Flour bean cake Ingredients4tins of flour, 4eggs, salt & seasoning cube, -Chopped onion & attarugu, ¼ teaspoon of yeast -½ teaspoon baking powder for deep frying, water Method: -Sieve flour, add chopped onion and attarugu, that is bell pepper,

-Add yeast & baking powder, add little water & mix until it forms a light dough -Cover and allow to rise for 1-2hrs.

-Heat groundnut oil then break the eggs & add to the risen mixture and beat thoroughly.

-Fry flour bean cake like. Kosia or akara until golden brown.

-Serve with tea or pap.

Slice two large chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces.

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and other spices.

Add 1 tbsp. groundnut oil to the pot and heat again over medium-heat, until the oil shimmers. Add the chicken to the pot.

Cook the chicken pieces for four minutes to five minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring occasionally.

The

chicken should turn golden brown.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside with the eggs.

Scrape four small carrots with a vegetable peeler or use a knife. Dice the carrots and 1 1/2 cups of cabbage.

Add 3 tbsp. groundnut oil to the pot. Heat the oil to be very hot. Add the vegetables to the pot. Stir them with a wooden spoon for two minutes. Add the cooked rice to the vegetables. Stir the rice and vegetables for two more minutes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.

Chop 3/4 cup of onions and two garlic cloves. Add the onions, garlic, eggs and chicken to the pot. Pour in 1/3 cup soy sauce. Stir the mixture for one minute longer before serving.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Womanhood

Teach your child about strangers

Teach your child to never accept gifts or candy from strangers.

T

he thinking that strangers lurk around every corner seeking opportunities to kidnap children has long been discarded. Most abduction happens at the hands of someone close to the child’s family. But that certainly doesn’t mean that strangers pose no danger to your child; on the contrary, strangers can and do kidnap, harm and assault children. Teaching your child about what a stranger is, how to handle a stranger and how to recognize a dangerous situation can greatly reduce the risk of your child being abducted or hurt.

Teach your child what a stranger is. Your child may

have a very dramatic idea of what a stranger looks like in her mind; she likely pictures a stranger as someone who looks scary, acts frightening and talks with a certain demeanor.

Unfortunately, children don’t realize that the most dangerous stranger is the one who can easily gain their trust because there’s nothing obviously frightening about him. Explain to your child that a stranger does not look a certain way, and anyone your child meets on the street should be considered a stranger.

Warn older children to beware of strangers who seem “too” nice. Something may seem eerily perfect about them, and the stories they tell tend to

make too much sense. Explain to your child that if something doesn’t feel right about the person he is talking to — or perhaps something feels too right — the child should trust his instincts and walk away.

Explain that the child should never “help” an adult stranger. Naive children are often duped into “helping” strangers because they are raised to believe they should help anyone in trouble.

Children don’t yet possess the ability to tell a legitimate situation from a staged one.

But what children can easily learn is that an adult would never ask a child for help with anything. Adults will always ask other adults for help, and

children can ask adults for help, but an adult has no business asking any child he doesn’t know for help with anything. If an adult asks your child for assistance with something, teach your child that this is a sign that something is very wrong, and it’s time to seek help and get away.

Go over the common scenarios that strangers will use with children to gain their “help” and trust. These scenarios include help searching for a lost puppy (often with a leash in hand), needing directions somewhere, needing the child to help with a broken-down vehicle and looking at something inside the stranger’s vehicle or home.

These are all signs that the stranger is attempting to abduct the child, so remind your child that if an adult approaches her with any of these situations, the best thing to do is tell the stranger you can’t help him, and run.

Tell your child to never accept anything from a stranger. Children, especially younger children, are often enticed by offers of free candy

or toys. Explain to your child that it’s okay to accept these things only when a parent is present with her, and you give her permission to do so. If a stranger ever offers your child anything when an adult is not present with her, she should never accept the offer. Also, teach your child to never walk away with a stranger, go into a house or another building, or enter a car with a stranger who promises a toy, candy or anything else. Tell your child to simply say, “No, thank you,” and leave immediately.

Tell your child to find help if he feels scared. If your child ever faces one of these situations, he should be taught to seek help from the nearest trusted adult immediately. Simply walking away from a stranger who is intent on abducting or harming the child could cause the stranger to take pursuit, and render the child helpless. Tell the child who feels in harm’s way to get to the closest “safe place” he knows, like a neighbor’s house, school office or the police station.

Even a well-lit and busy store is a safe spot for a child to enter and ask a worker to call the police. ehow.com

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Archives

Jane Tipping's father John Dunkley (right, with map) surveying the Niger river with his colleague Jimmy Brown and some Sokoto indigenes in 1948.

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

Supporters for the Nigeria football team in England for the first time are pictured enjoying a match during the 1949 tour .

MARY SLESSOR (DUNDEE) NIGERIA 1900s Mary Slessor (2 December 1848 - 13 January 1915) was a Scottish missionary to Nigeria. Her determined work and strong personality allowed her to be trusted and accepted by the locals, spreading Christianity and promoting women’s rights. She received the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1913.

Recurring illness made her very weak and in 1915 she died of a fever. She was buried in Nigeria after a full state funeral.

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Leisure DOG WORD SCRAMBLE PUZZLES

Answers for last week

With Augustine Aminu

Unscramble the first four words in each set of scrambles.

Then use the circled letters to unscramble the final word. Some of the words may unscramble into more than one word, but only one word is related to the puzzle.

Cat word scramble puzzles 1.t-rex,reptile,land, jurassic,extinct 2. age, humid, jungles,conifer, large dinos 3.beak,plate,horns,tail,plant-eater 4. tyrant, lizard, bipedal, dinosaur, predator

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

QUOTABLE QUOTES Equality consists in the same treatment of similar persons, and no government can stand which is not founded upon justice.

-Aristotle

One man protest squad:

Men’s happiness or misery is [for the] most part of their own making.

-John Locke Everything is good as it comes from the hands of the Maker of the world but degenerates once it gets into the hands of man.

-Jean Jacques Rousseau, Emile, Book I Punishments inflicted with signs of anger are useless.

-Immanuel Kant If it can make no practical difference whether a given statement be true or false, then the statement has no real meaning.

-William James When you kill the individual you also kill the person.

-Jacques Maritain

This desperate job seeker recently stormed the National Assembly seeking attention of lawmakers to end his sufferings. He even put his telephone numbers in his protest banner.

Photo: Richard Ihediwa

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

F Compiled by Jamila Nuhu Musa

A

ctivities planned for the day, especially if it's on a weekend, sometimes determine whether a man would dress casually or not. After deciding, mix and match for different outfits for your relaxation. Casual dressing is by far the easiest, most forgiving of all fashion styles. So don your best casual outfit and be smart and elegant all day with family and friends.

Accessorise with Rubber, canvas shoes and sandals fall under men's casual shoes category. There are several forms, colours and sizes to choose from. These days, men's casual bags have incorporated digital lifestyle in the designs.

Casual Mix n Match

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 33

Business

Revamping the automobile industry will boost national economy

Kenya Airways to shed staff, as costs skyrocket

K

enya Airways plans to shed staff through v o l u n t a r y retirement, redundancies and outsourcing of noncore roles in order to contain soaring costs and protect its bottom line, it said on Friday, but unions said they would fight the job cuts.

The airline, which is 26.73-percent-owned by Air France KLM, first indicated it would look to slash costs in June, after its full-year pretax profit slid 57 percent due to higher fuel costs and a rising wage bill.

Its wage bill had more than doubled over the previous six years to 13.4 billion shillings while the total number of staff had risen by just over 16 percent to 4,834.

The carrier, one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa alongside Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways, did not indicate the level of savings it was targeting or how many jobs would be lost in the exercise.

The Aviation and Allied Workers Union (AAWU), which includes 3,800 members from the carrier, promised to use all means at its disposal, including going to court, to stop the job cuts.

"We think what they (Kenya Airways' management) are doing is just a sideshow because they are sacrificing workers for their failures," Perpetua Mpojiwa, head of AAWU, said.

She questioned why the exercise was announced soon after the airline unveiled an ambitious fiveyear expansion plan, which would inevitably require hiring staff, rather than job cuts.

Kenya Airways said in March it would spend $3.6 billion, mainly to buy new planes and start new routes between Africa and Asia.

D

angote Group has begun the process of recruiting two thousand workers for its Dangote Super Fleet in a move seen to bolster its supply chain and provide employment opportunities for Nigerian graduates.

The recruitment process is taking place through the Dangote Academy and seeks to provide the talent pipeline for the Dangote Group while at the same time filling the industrial skill-gap in the country.

The scheme which will revolutionalise the road transport sub-sector of the

Adamawa releases N30m counterpart fund to NGO

By Augustine Aminu with agency report

T

he Adamawa Government has paid N30 million as counterpart fund to the Sasakawa Global 2000 agriculture-assisted programme in the state, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Lucy Ishaku, has said. ``A counterpart funding of N30 million was paid to Sasakawa Global 2000 last year following its remarkable performance. And the state

government is ready to pay another counterpart funding this year," Ishaku said.

She explained that about 60 commodity associations were formed by the government to assist farmers to gain access to market outlets, and to check the problem of peasant farmers in the state.

“A base-line survey was also carried out for the state last year to enable us know where we stand at the moment and the progress we are going to make in the future,'' she said.

The commissioner said

government was doing everything possible to collaborate with meaningful Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to see that Adamawa became the food basket of the nation.

She said that reports reaching the ministry indicated that there was a remarkable development and change in the lives of beneficiaries of Sasakawa programme and the African Development Bank-assisted projects in the state, especially the women groups.

“The output per unit area

has drastically increased in the state as a result of this important collaboration between the state government and the NGOs. “The decision by the organisations to provide post-harvest technologies and agro-processing machines to service providers and women groups is a welcome idea," she said.

Ishaku appealed to the farmers to give maximum support to the government to enable it provide more dividends of democracy to the people

Dangote recruits 2000 graduates economy is designed to improve the professionalism in the transport division of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) by engaging graduates and other educated Nigerians as drivers after months of training.

According to the Group's spokesman, Tony Chiejina, "the Academy seeks to provide the talent pipeline for the Group while filling the industrial skill-

gap in Nigeria. As a result, the Academy just initiated a project called, 'The Drivers Academy' which aims at recruiting and training 2,000 Nigerian graduates to become professional heavy-duty vehicle drivers for the newly established Super Fleet of the Group.

"It is hoped that this initiative will assist to uplift the operating standards in road transport industry, promote entrepreneurship and open up various career

opportunities."

He explained that Dangote Academy would be partnering the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, to offer intensive training programme to successful candidates on safe and defensive driving, as well as basic vehicle maintenance and upkeep.

"Road regulatory agencies such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Federal Vehicle

Inspection Office (FVIO) are collaborating with NITT to provide a comprehensive training package," he added. "On completion of training, successful candidates would be issued with heavy duty vehicle driving licence and offered employment in Dangote Transport."

Dangote Group had earlier announced that it had taken delivery of 5,000 new trucks for distribution of its products.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Business

Our licence is valid - Jaiz Bank MD

The Managing Director of the non interest bank, JAIZ Bank, Dr. Mustapha Bintube in this interview with Bala Nasir in Kano speaks about the challenges of non interest banking in the country and prospects by the JAIZ Bank to get to the top.

Considering the initial uproar that trailed the introduction of Islamic Banking in the country and being the fist bank to acquire licence to run Islamic banking in the country, what have been the challenges so far? hey were unnecessary uproars and that was very unfortunate because this is a banking product that is available to all irrespective of race or religion and it is the same thing with JAIZ bank. Here we have non Muslims who are shareholders. We have non Muslims as customers, staff, vendors and contractors. You can go and check. So, the controversy was very unnecessary. We were here in Kano; we went to the Chambers of Commerce; everybody was there, Muslims, non Muslims, Hausas, Igbos, Yorubas, everybody was there. I don't know why people raised issues.

It was unnecessary.

T

How was it at the beginning when you started?

At first, we were disappointed with the turn out; maybe due to that uproar and controversy that you talked about, but now that we are fully established, we have connected with all our branches nationwide; all the branches are online now and we expect customers to start coming in droves. Within the next one month, we hope to offer people internet banking. Now we have ATMs; we have POS. As we speak you can go to shops like SAHAD stores and use your JAIZ card to buy whatever you want. It is convenient and is also very flexible. We do the entire things conventional banks do except for the issue of interest. We don't give interest and we don't give interest.

You are relatively new in an industry which is already highly competitive.

How are you coping being a new arrival with a new concept that has never been practiced before in the country?

There are some advantages in starting late sometimes because we are now coming afresh. We have seen the problems on ground, so we will learn from the mistakes of others that came before us and like I said, that was why it took us a long time to kick off even after we have obtained the licence. We worked to make

sure that everything is on the ground and that we avoided the mistakes of the others. But I can assure our customers and other stakeholders that this bank is not going to be like any other bank; we are not going to gamble with peoples' money; we will be very careful; we will offer first class professional services; we will use ATMs, computers, internet banking, POS, all the convenient means of banking; we will do it. We also went out of our way to bring in highly trained professionals from some of the best established banks in this country to work with us so that we have best practices for the benefit of our customers.

How about your relationship with the bankers' bank, that is, the Central Bank in the face of the earlier misgivings expressed by some individuals and groups against the new banking concept in the country?

The Central Bank of Nigeria

is treating JAIZ Bank the same way it is treating any other bank.

They have their rules, their procedures, they give us all these rules and procedures and we follow them one by one. It went to the Department of Banking Supervision and from there it went to the management committee of governors to the board of directors. It is also in the Banks and other Financial Institutions Act; it is also in the Central Bank of Nigeria Act. So, let me use this opportunity to assure our people and our customers that the court case doesn't have any impact on us; our licence is still valid; customers are still coming in.

They deposit and withdraw money. The court in any case threw out the case saying the person who brought the case have no locus standi, that is, they don't have ground. So, our licence is still valid and we will continue and we will take all the necessary measures to see that this bank moves ahead and we assure you that we will continue to grow and grow.

Dr. Mustapha Bintube

Why use a POS system in your business?

O

ne of the focal points of any retail or hospitality business is the cash register. The ability to process transactions and tender cash are essential to the efficient operation of the enterprise. If you have a lot of cash transactions, replacing the cash registers with a Point-Of-Sale (POS) system save you money. A POS system is computer software and hardware networked together to track sales and inventory as they occur. POS systems will solve

a multitude of problems in your business.

Since implementation of a POS system is requires a large investment in time and money, the selection of software and hardware requires careful research into the features available and associated costs.

Here are some of the advantages of using a POS system to track and manage your business: “Reduce Shrinkage - since

inventory quantities are tracked in real time, understanding shrinkage becomes easier. Every modern POS system includes receiving and inventory functions.

Proper use of these functions helps pinpoint the causes of inventory loss, reduces "out of stock" conditions and makes overall business management easier.

“Manage Specials - POS systems automate the process of tracking current and marked down pricing. Discounts, coupons and promotions are often critical to attracting and retaining business.

POS systems excel at managing and reconciling short-term discounting automatically.

“Maintain Control - Many business owners discover that efficiency and customer service suffer when they're not on site. POS systems give you the ability to track volume and performance when you're not on the floor or you're busy with other tasks.

“Improve Efficiency - POS systems allows your staff to tend to revenue generating tasks such as helping customers. It eliminates the need to double-check inventory disparities and cash register reconciliation. POS systems dramatically reduce the effort required to do inventory and other repetitive paperwork. Improved efficiency means higher customer satisfaction, lower costs and higher sales.

“Timely and Accurate Reports POS systems give you the ability to

analyze sales data. You can measure the effectiveness of pricing or advertising campaign. You'll know what items need to be ordered and in what quantity. You can identify high margin items and promote them further. You can easily calculate daily gross revenue, cost and profit. Historical data analysis helps to forecast your future needs.

“Improve Customer Satisfaction - Using a POS system with barcode scanner will significantly speed up the check-out process. It gives you the ability to recognize your best customers and reward them for their patronage. It can easily collect customer data (from credit card transactions) that you can use for targeted advertising and incentive programs.

“Manage Using Remote Access - Many POS system software packages give you the ability to manage the system while mobile.

Whether you're traveling between stores or taking a day off, remote access gives you the ability to see what's going on at the location and take action when needed.

“Flexible Expansion Options Most POS system software gives you the ability to add registers and administration computers. If you have an eye to expansion, make sure that you can connect the multiple stores via the web or other connection method. This will allow you to use a single system to manage all your locations.

Source: Carolina Barcode

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, JULY, 2012

PAGE 35

Business Analysis

Bridge banking: A misunderstood innovation in failure resolution Maryam Sadauki

B

ridge Banking and Liquidation are both failure resolution options that are at the disposal of many explicit deposit insurance systems with failure resolution as part of their mandate, including the NDIC. Failure resolution refers to a series of systematic action designed to end a bank’s distressed condition. An effective failure resolution mechanism is critical for sustenance of public confidence. A number of other failure resolution options exist, some of which are used for salvaging a distressed institution from total collapse.

Notwithstanding the option used, an effective resolution option should among others, focus on: maintaining public confidence and stability in the banking system; ensuring fairness, equity, transparency and accountability; instilling market discipline while discouraging moral hazards; and achieving minimum disruption to the payment system.

A Bridge Bank refers to a temporary bank established to acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of a failed bank until a final resolution is accomplished. The concept could be said to have originated from the United State of America (USA) through the establishment of the first bridge bank in 1987 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

It subsequently became popular amongst deposit insurance systems because of the numerous advantages associated with its implementation in resolving failure of distressed banks.

Currently, countries such as Japan, Korea, Colombia, among several others, had at one time or the other used Bridge Bank in resolving the failure of banks and the experiences had been rewarding.

Bridge banks have certain characteristics that are unique to them, which differentiate them from other types of banks.

They include: i) Capital may and may not be required to set up bridge bank depending on the jurisdiction. For instance, capital is required for bridge bank in Colombia and Japan, while in USA and Korea it is not; ii) It is owned by the deposit insurer and it remains a member of the deposit insurance system; and (iii) It is usually operated for a short period, within which it is either handed over to an interested investor or put into

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi outright liquidation.

As a failure resolution vehicle, bridge banking has certain conditions, which are necessary for its adoption, some of which include the following: i) When a bank has an attractive franchise but in danger of failing before acquirers can be found; ii) Usually adopted to maintain daily operations of a failed bank; iii) In situations where a liquidator is reluctant to proceed with formal liquidation because either the failed bank is too large and there is no adequate funds available for payout or no enough time to market the bank’s assets to investors; and iv) When the number of failed financial institutions is very large and the failures have occurred during a short period of time and could assume a systemic dimension.

Some of the advantages of Bridge Banking include the following: i) It affords timely intervention in the preservation of the functions of a failing bank; ii) It gives depositors and creditors of financial institutions more confident by ensuring continuity of banking business; iii) Its establishment can provide the insurer with more time to find the right investors for the failing bank; and

iv) It preserves jobs in the affected banks.

Unlike Bridge Banking, which allows for continuity of operations of the distressed banks, liquidation is the termination of the functions and services being provided by the bank, when all efforts to salvage it have failed. It entails the winding up of the affairs of a bank for the reason of paying off its creditors in order of their preference and distributing what is left to the shareholders.

The process of liquidation commences with the closing of the affected bank and determining its assets as well as liabilities and it ends with the settlement of claims of both insured and uninsured depositors and other creditors.

It is a very long process, which sometimes could span a period of between 10 and 20 years depending on the level of development of a country’s financial system and the economy.

Liquidation of banks could be too demanding in terms of resources, both human and financial as well as time. Little wonder that deposit insurers resort to liquidation as a failure resolution option only when it becomes absolutely necessary.

Some of the conditions that usually guide the choice of Liquidation as a failure resolution option by a deposit insurer include: i. Quantum of deposits of the

bank(s), which must not be large but should be what the deposit insurer could handle with its Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF); ii. Limited branch network so that the manpower resources of the deposit insurer would not be overstretched; and iii. Market share of the bank(s) should not be significant enough to trigger systemic crisis in the system.

The Nigerian experience in the area of failure resolution would make a good case in point when comparing Bridge Banking with Liquidation of distressed banks.

The Corporation commenced the liquidation of banks in 1994 and to date it had adopted the resolution option on 48 distressed banks whose licences were revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). In adopting liquidation, the Corporation had used two methods, namely, Payout and Purchase and Assumption. It adopted pay-out option for 35 banks that were closed between 1994 and 2003 while the 13 banks closed in 2006 were resolved using Purchase and Assumption. The decision to use liquidation as the most appropriate failure resolution option was informed by the size of the institutions in terms of assets and liabilities, branch network and aggregate market share of the institutions in the banking system, such that their

outright liquidation would not trigger any form of run on the system.

At the time of closure of the banks in-liquidation, which brought to an end their operations in 582 branches, their total deposit liabilities stood at ¦ 187.23 billion, out of which ¦ 17.87 billion was insured deposit. Also, the total number of depositors of the banks inliquidation stood at 2,716,257.

Under this option, a total of 5,781 jobs were lost and the uninsured deposits amounting to ¦ 212.21 billion were put in a condition of uncertainty subject to the amount of recoveries made from the assets of the closed banks.

The NDIC commenced the adoption of Bridge Bank as a failure resolution option in 2011.

Three banks among the eight recently intervened banks by the CBN that could not meet the recapitalization deadline were resolved using that option.

Although the industry market share of the three banks in terms of their assets and deposits, was less than 5% at the time of closure, the number of employees, branches and customers across the nation, gave them the status of significantly important banks.

Hence, the adoption of outright liquidation was considered undesirable.

Contrary to the use of liquidation in resolving the failure of banks by the NDIC, the adoption of the Bridge Bank option for the three banks produced the following results: i. Preserved and sustained daily operations of the three failed banks by ensuring that all the 577 branches serving about 4.7 million customers, continued to function; ii. Enabled all depositors to have access to a total deposit of N809.4 billion as against only N115.5 billion insured deposits guaranteed by the NDIC under a liquidation scenario; iii. Safeguarded 6,667 jobs in the affected banks; and iv. Enhanced confidence in the banking system.

From the aforementioned, it is very clear that the adoption of Bridge Bank as an alternative failure resolution option by the NDIC had resulted in saving numerous jobs and deposits, particularly the uninsured portion as well as save the Nigerian economy of the social costs associated with bank failures.

This no doubt has helped in enhancing the confidence of both the depositors and creditors of the banks as well as prevented the systemic repercussions of the failure of the three banks on the entire financial system thereby ensuring financial and macroeconomic stability in country.

Maryam Sadauki is a public analyst based in Abuja.

NSE Index records 0.86% gains in the week; CBN retains MPR at 12%

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

OUR MISSION “To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE EDITOR, DAILY AHMED I. SHEKARAU

DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ALI M. ALI

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND RICHARD IHEDIWA

GM PUBLICATIONS ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU ADESOJI OYINLOLA

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

“To be a reputable, profitable, innovative and technologically reliant media company offering world class services and products”

A bright star cannot be fund eclipsed Re: Sovereign wealth T

By Surat Bello he press has the duty to inform, educate and entertain. It serves as the bridge between the government and the governed. It is a sacred calling that confers on it the esteem title, “the Forth Estate of the Realm.” When the fourth estate departs from its duty to inform fairly and impartially, we witness the kind of journalism portrayed in an article captioned “Patience Jonathan: First Lady As Power House,” published in The Nation online recently.

The basic tenets of journalism stipulate that a report should be factual and balanced.

The aforementioned article was however, riddled with lies and sprinkled with half truths at best.

The writer purports to be well versed with respect to knowledge about the

WRITE TO US

Peoples Daily Weekend welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor, Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com

antecedents of Mrs. Patience Jonathan stating, “Patience Jonathan, who hails from Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, had it rather rough financially, shortly after her marriage to Dr. Jonathan from the Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.”

Who gave the writer this information?

Was the writer privy to authentic

information about the marriage of Dame Patience? Obviously not! To correct this misinformation, the truth is that before she was married, Dame Jonathan was not rich but pretty comfortable as she operated an investment company.

It is reprehensible that the article is full of conjecture and speculation while

as the Comptroller General, our borders were so porous to the extent that infiltration and influx of foreigners witnessed alarming dimensions. Illegal migrants appeared to be founded on most streets of our majour cities and in the rural communities. When Mrs. Uzoma assumed office as Comptroller General, she quickly mobilized resources to checkmate this trend as such practices portend danger to the security of the country. Men and officers were strategically located and positioned in all local government areas across the country for intelligence gathering and close monitoring of immigrants while border operations were enhanced.

On assumption of office she pledged her commitment to transforming Nigeria Immigration Service around by putting in place all effective management structure to guarantee speedy national development, improvement of the welfare of immigration officers and men, protection of Nigerians of Diaspora, strengthening of border control and automation of passenger clearance at land borders; phasing out of the machine readable passport and improving the Nigeria passport regime, capacity building invigoration of the operational activities of the service in

the local government areas; review of the Immigration Act and the nations visa policy.

Mrs. Rose Uzoma has done well in the area of information Communication Technology. The service under her has taken giant stride in the use of Information Communication Technology in it operations. The use of ICT is to ensure efficiency and productivity in NIS. The issue of ePassport, e-Payment and eAdministration is as a result of ICT. Another major achievement is on Passport intervention Programme. The service embarked on the Passport intervention programme where their staffs were sent of foreign missions abroad to get acquainted on the issuance of the electronic passport to its citizens in Diaspora. This project also has been reciving commendations from both Nigerians in Diaspora and international Community.

The project also exposed the need for sending immigration officers an foreign Service as it was discovered that the epassport equipment supplied to some missions abroad were laying unutilized owing largely to the fact that the Nigeria Embassy officials abroad could hardly operate them and when they did, lots of errors were made.

On the area of Anti-Human Trafficking,

it falls abysmally short of minimum journalistic standards.

The writer says, and I quote, “For example, it is widely believed (the emphasis mine)that former Governor Timprye Sylva’s trouble with Jonathan began in 2009 when the then governor decided to do a biometric record for all civil servants in the state.”

When making reference to weighty issues involving public figures, it is wrong, unfair and inappropriate to make statements simply on “belief” when verifiable information and records are available to make reference to.

Where has professional rectitude and impeccable research gone to?

-Surat Bello is a freelance writer and political commentator who sent this article from Yenogoa.

Rose Chineyere Uzoma’s visionary leadership

W

orld over, government do not joke with its border agencies entrusted with the movement of people and goods commonly known as Immigration and Custom.

In this case, Immigration is an agency of government legally entrusted with the regulation of movement of persons in and out of a country; issuance of visas and other travelling documents among other such vital functions related to it and control of foreigners in the country. The responsibilities vested on this agency are no doubt very sensitive and central to the security of the nation.

This, no wonder was why manning such government agency requires such individual with requisite and expertise knowledge of immigration duties. This is why government decided to put a round peg in a round hole by entrusting the management of Nigeria Immigration Service under Mrs. Rose Uzoma. She is an accomplished, dedicated, visionary an resilient officer. Nigeria Immigration Service under her leadership has witnessed tremendous improvements in virtually all departments of the operations of the service.

Prior to her assumption of office

she has done marvelously well. In order to combat the spread of human trafficking and forced labour, the service created the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit headed by an Assistant Comptroller General. The unit is charged with tracking down of syndicate (S) involved in this ignoble trade. On Border Patrol, the service has equally live up its expectations. The service equip the Border Patrol Unit with both communication gadgets and other equipments such as aircrafts, boats and vehicles under her administration. Her administration got federal government approval to award contact for the provision of PKD facility and installation of Night Vision/ICT equipment in NIS. The Night Vision equipment will enhance air border patrol and night surveillance around the nation international boundaries to guarantee national security.

Training and re-training of staff have been of paramount importance in line with the Comptroller General’s specifications. Training and re-training of staff have always been observed as a way of improving man power development in Immigration Service. Greater attention is being paid on capacity building by exposing officers and men to various training programmes, courses, workshops and seminars. - Christian Nwachukwu (Jr.) Writes from Abuja

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 37

Opinion Deaths on the Plateau; our collective burden!

By Abdullahi Haruna Haruspice

D

eaths on the Plateau; for how long shall we continue to mourn the deaths of nature. The land is riddled with the symphonies of deaths.

No day passes without the cries of anguish reverberating from a long dead present on the plateau. To the harbingers of deaths, aren’t our tears enough to bath your smelly hearts? For how long shall we remain sorrowful in this perennial waste of blood? Oh Nature, send down your pour and cleanse this evil pervading our land...For everyday a soul is lost the sky cries in mockery of our stupidity as a people.

Tragedy took over the pleasant domain of Plateau when the quest for personal survival became an open theatre of conflict. Men assumed lords of sort as they hacked each other to early deaths. Children were maimed with worst cruelty and women scattered in tearful memories. Instantly, friends became foes and the orgy of killings took the land.

Calls were made, inquiries were instituted and approaches made, but alas! Like a cocky bull the people prefer the theatre of death rather than the table of dialogue. And the anthill of hatred and the orgy of death continued to mount in accelerating scores.

Jos, the tin city of Nigeria, the bed hub of tourism, and the architectural masterpiece of nature lies in ruin with sorrow, tears and blood adorning every available space of the land. And unfortunately, the lamentable irony of this situation is that no one is worried and the cries of the orphans and widows keep piling in embarrassing glare.

Regurgitated spate of hate pervades the air, tribal warlords and wandering

Gov. David Jang marauders chant in shameless echoes to the sky. Painfully, those messengers of hate are far from the circle of deaths.

Rather than beat the drum of dialogue we fan the amber of hate, turning the language of love to that of bloodletting.

But one thing is certain; there is limit to your witnesses to these sorrows.

This is the tenth year of the Plateau

genocide, one decade of the Jos carnage and who knows a continuous sore of our collective insensitivity to a plight of the helpless people of Jos. It is an open secret that the government has lost it, its strategies is weakened and like the stranded bird in the storm, it has retired to fate. Not even the assemblage of Nigeria’s over bloated security apparatuses seem to be on hand to offer any form of respite. A government that has allocated almost a trillion naira for its formation could not provide a clue to a single intelligence.

What is more pathetic than to lose your life in a funeral house! It’s a lamentable reality of our time. You kill people simply because you have the gun and they had nothing to fight back. You maimed them and fled in joyous symphony forgetting that your happiness is only but momentarily. One day and very soon, the vultures and the jack ass shall feed on your smelly carcasses!

It happened in Hitler’s Nazi, it manifested in the chenchenya massacre and here in Africa, Rwanda was an experience. But like the prediction of

“

Jos, the tin city of Nigeria, the bed hub of tourism, and the architectural masterpiece of nature lies in ruin with sorrow, tears and blood adorning every available space of the land. And unfortunately, the lamentable irony of this situation is that no one is worried and the cries of the orphans and widows keep piling in embarrassing glare

nature, these days of evil was cut short.

The same way the world watched as the genocide in Rwanda thrived is the same way Nigerians are watching saying nothing and doing nothing! The simple explanation is that this is a northern problem and soon it will fade away.

As they say, the tragedy is not on he who is killed in the battlefield but the one who idly sit and see a generation exterminated. It is indeed the shame of those who are witnesses to these cruelties. It is the people of Jos today, who knows who would be the next victim?

The lamentable irony of this logjam is the Nigerians appetite to send gory pictures of these gruesome killings using especially the social media platform.

What exactly could be the reasons for sending photographs of mangled bodies strewn across fields? You not only provoke hate but offend people’s sensibilities. For whatever reasons you do this, God is watching you!

While the Senate may suspend session over the death of their colleague, one thing remains embarrassingly clear that the Nigerian elites have failed the nation.

The trio of late Sir Ahmadu Bello,Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo will be turning in their graves as they efforts are wasted on the altar of ego, nepotism, corruption and tribal and religious distrusts!

As for the innocently killed, rise up from your graves, look up the sky and locate your killers. Make sure they never find peace; sorrows and agonies shall be their eternal companions. Rise in your multitude and stop their existence because he that murders sleep stays awake.

Abdullahi Haruna Haruspice wrote in from Abuja.

TRIBUTE

Late Senator Usman Albishir - The Phenomenal

By David Anchaver

I

n the sixty-something years Late Sanator Usman Albishir lived on mother earth, this global Phenomenal endeared himself to so many, to some as a philanthropist, to some as a teacher, to some as an employer, to some as a friend, to some as a politician, to some as a father, and so on and so forth, note, a phenomenal is to be exceedingly or unbelievably Great. To me, Usman Albishir was a phenylephrine (a powerful vasoconstrictor used to dilate the pupils and relieve nasal congestion). This great Phenomenal ‘dilated’ so many eyes:- eyes of great and mighty people, eyes of weak and helpless people, eyes of widows and orphans, eyes of haves and have note. He relieved great a nasal congestion in the north, east, west and south of this country - an Iroko Tree

has fallen.

Language, tribe, culture or religion was never a barrier, he always added details to any account or idea, Usman was tolerant, and forgiving even under provocation, agreeable and too conducive to comfort. His nature was tender, considerate and helpful.

At the collapse of Vegetable and Fruit Pocessing Limited (Vegfru) in 1997, Savannah Integrated Farms Limited (SIF) one of Usman’s numerous companies bought over the assets of Vegfru in 1999, and having worked as a keyman in Vegfru, a link brought me on board-SIF and that was the beginning of a relationship with this very goodman, an upper case, a man who achieved distinction and honour in various fields; that beginning saw Usman paying salaries to staff uninterruptedly (undisturbed continuity) without commensurate productive output, saw

Late Senator Usman Albishir

Usman contributing to the plight of friends, associates, kinsmen, neighbours, employers etc in the area of house rent payment, medical expenses, burial expenses, upkeep, travel and children’s school fees etc. At the impulse of a little note, Usman will respond positively.

Nigeria has lost a great phenomenal and if testimonies to a deceased good person remains a passport to heaven, Usman has sailed home. May 1 on behalf of “we” – the beneficiaries pray for the repose of the soul of this benefactor. May Aljannah – Firdausi be his portion forever.

We share this grief with his family notably Kashim, Mohammed, Ummi and Ali, may God comfort them and grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. Peace to those this death have placed in servitude.

Rest in peace, oh Usman.

ANCHAVER wrote in from Abuja

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5 , AUGUST, 2012

Issues

Social Media:

Where did David Mark go wrong?

By Kola Ologbondiyan

R

ecently, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, delivered a keynote address at the Senate Press Corps Retreat in Umuahia, Abia state. The theme of the Retreat was the Role of the Media in Promoting Good Governance. The event had in audience the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji; Senators Ayogu Eze; Eyinnaya Abaribe; Nkechi Nwaogwu; a host of media practitioners and activists as well as other eminent Nigerians.

When Senator Mark was invited to the podium to deliver his address, he recalled his interaction with the members of the Senate Press Corps who came to invite him to the occasion. According to him, the members of the Corps gave him the liberty to speak his mind on the workings of the media adding that the power conferred on him by the Corps also granted him the authority to criticize the media.

He however noted that he would thread with caution “because a goat will not visit a lion’s den on the pretext that the lion is sick and return home in one piece.” As his observation sent the large audience laughing, the President of the Senate quickly added that he is wise enough to know that the liberty given to him by the Senate Press Corps was a Greek gift.

Senator Mark also informed the audience that since he was quoted out of context on the telephone is not for the poor myth, he had learnt to read a prepared text wherever he went to deliver an address. “I have challenged anybody to show me a quote in my own words where I said telephone is not for the poor. Nobody has been able to produce yet I have to defend this everyday that what I said was if you must use a phone then you have to pay for the service.”

Noting that he always love to speak from the heart, the President of the Senate said he hoped and prayed that whatever he would present in his address to the Senate Press Corps at the event would not be misconstrued and misrepresented to Nigerians who were not present at the event.

It was as if Senator Mark saw tomorrow or had a premonition of how his

innocuous remark on the social media would be misinterpreted and misrepresented by mischief makers who have been lurking around to attack him.

In his address, the President of the Senate had asserted that “the emergence of the social media like facebook, twitter, blackberry messenger, YouTube and so on have changed the face of the media practice by making information sharing easier, faster and quicker. But this is not without its demerits. Social media has become a threat to the ethics of media practice and good governance because of its accessibility and absolute freedom.

Every freedom carries a responsibility. Even in the advanced democracies, where we all agree that good governance is practiced, there is no absolute freedom . “ Continuing, Senator Mark expressed the belief that “there must be a measure to check the negative tendencies of the social media in our country. I say this because media practice, particularly journalism, process news gathering and dissemination.

It also operates a feedback mechanism and where the practitioners erred there is room for rebuttal. But in the social media a faceless character can post any information that is absolutely false and misleading but will never retract it. At the end of the day one is bombarded with questions over what one has no business with.

“I suggest that schools of mass communication and journalism should review their curricular to include the operations of social media,” Senator Mark submitted.

But hardly had he returned to his seat after the address when mischief makers began to work on their blogs in the social media. The message of the President of the Senate delivered in a simple language

has not only been misconstrued, it has become misrepresented and had begun to spread like a wildfire. Mark had become the victim of the fear he had expressed before his address.

The wildest among the reactions said Senator Mark had called for censorship of the social media. There were those who said the President of the Senate stated that social media was being used to insult the leaders of the nation like him while others became as mundane as alleging that he wanted the social media to stop criticizing those in authority and to write only their good sides. All these are absolute falsehood.

From the excerpts of the speech quoted above, it is manifest that the President of the Senate neither called for the censorship of the social media nor alleged that the medium was being used to insult the Nigerian leaders like him. He also did not ask the social media to stop criticizing the Federal Government and write only on its good sides.

Rather, he called for measures that would check the negative tendencies inherent in the use of the social media. That, I believe, is a genuine call that would help refocus the medium.

One would therefore have expected on-line publishers to join the clarion call made by Senator Mark that the assault to news gathering and dissemination being perpetrated on the social media be checked. There are several instances when social media activists have posted falsehood and readers believed them only to discover later that the post was bogus. How does this help the credibility of the social media as a medium? For instance, few days after members of the National Youth Service Corp, (NYSC) posted to Bauchi State went to camp, a section of the social media posted falsehood that Boko

“

Senate President David Mark Haram sect had attacked the Bauchi camp and about 50 people killed.

It was soon discovered that the information was false and totally mischievous. How can this be justified. Yet Senator Mark did not call for sanctions against those who made such posts but called for a check against such negative tendencies.

For the avoidance of doubts, the President of the Senate’s interest in the media has never been hidden and he demonstrated this in his several interfaces with the stakeholders of the industry before the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill by the 6th National Assembly.

Even at the Umuahia event, he expressed kind words for the media and its conscientious operators by saluting “the courage, doggedness and steadfastness of the Nigerian media.” Senator Mark also acknowledged the fact that “the press has been in the vanguard for the promotion and sustenance of democracy we now enjoy. Even the struggle for independence was pioneered and fought for by the Nigerian media.

“Sometimes I do disagree with you, but the media generally has

I suggest that schools of mass communication and journalism should review their curricular to include the operations of social media,” Senator Mark submitted.

fared well. They can still do more by deliberately planning and sustaining the efforts to bridge the information gap between the leaders and the led.

The press can achieve this if it applies the basic principles of patriotism, accountability, transparency, and objectivity in the discharge of its duty,” he further said.

Is it not curious that some social media activists turned the table against Senator Mark by concocting lies and ascribing them to him? Was it for nothing that they ignored the details of his printed speech? Was there an agenda to deliberately denigrate his personage and cast a slur on his hard earned reputation?

How else can one rationalize the insistence of some social media activists that Senator Mark called for the censorship of the medium even when his speech showed clearly that he never made such a call?

Perhaps one would have ignored some of the ridiculous posts but for the successive analysis that have been following. It is suspect that in most of these analyses of this hoax, there are subtle attempts to foist a label of “social media must be censored” on the Senate President.

This is mischievous, irresponsible, wicked and unjust agenda that will not stick.

Senator Mark did not make any gaffes in his keynote address to the Senate Press Corps on the role of the media in promoting good governance. Rather, his critics, who have continually ignored the text of his address which he read in the public, are mischief makers.

Ologbondiyan is the Special Adviser to the President of the Senate (Media & Publicity)

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 39

International Al-Qaeda suspects arrive in Spanish court

T

hree alleged al-Qaeda suspects with possible plans for an attack in Europe have arrived at Spain's National Court for questioning by a judge.

Police with automatic weapons closed streets as the suspects arrived in a police van. The judge was expected to decide Friday after the closed-door hearing if they will remain in detention.

A Russian, a Russian of Chechen descent and a Turk were arrested Wednesday. The Turk was arrested in the southern city of La Linea bordering the British colony of Gibraltar. The Russians were picked up traveling by bus toward the French border.

Authorities say enough explosive material was found in the La Linea house where the Turk lived to blow up a bus. Authorities found evidence suggesting they were experimenting with ultralight planes.

In a news conference on Thursday, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, the interior minister, said: "There is a clear indication that those arrested could have been planning an attack in Spain or in Europe."

Fernandez Diaz said that the operation was conducted with the help of other international police forces, and that the explosive material was being analysed.

Uganda races to stop spread of Ebola virus

U

gandan health officials are monitoring over 200 people who had close contact with Ebola patients, as the country attempts to curb the spread of the deadly disease that has claimed 16 lives since early July.

A total of 30 patients are in isolation wards, including eight health workers in a national hospital in the capital, Kampala, Uganda's Health Ministry said on Thursday.

"The ministry team is actively and closely following up to 232 people suspected to have had contact with the dead and sick," said the ministry's Dennis Rwamafa in a statement.

"These contacts have not shown any signs of the disease but continue to be monitored," he said.

Ebola has hit Uganda four times, including in 2000 when it left 224 people dead in the north of the country.

The government is encouraging people to report suspected Ebola cases and has urged people to avoid shaking hands and large gatherings.

But many people say they are afraid of contracting the disease.

Local authorities in Kibaale - the epicentre of the outbreak - and the neighbouring district of Kabarole have banned social gatherings and ordered the closure of all markets until the outbreak is under control, according to local media.

Clinton in South Sudan as part of Africa tour

H

illary Rodham Clinton, the US secretary of state, will press South Sudan to resolve disputes with its former rulers in the north, on her first visit to the world's newest country.

Clinton arrived on Friday in South Sudan's capital of Juba for a brief visit to congratulate the new nation on its anniversary and offer US support. It has been reported that she will stress the urgency of ending disputes with Sudan over oil and territory.

Clinton, who is on a sevennation Africa tour, is the highest-ranking US official to visit South Sudan since it achieved independence last July.

Her visit comes as the two

sides had faced a Thursday UN Security Council deadline to reach agreement on the issues

or face possible sanctions, but the council deferred action until at least Wednesday.

Senegal was the first stop of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's seven-nation Africa tour [Reuters]

Clinton will underline US support for the government of South Sudan, which Washington helped guide through years of negotiations with Khartoum that finally led to independence following a decades-long civil war.

But Washington has been dismayed by disputes over border demarcations and oil that at times appeared close to tipping the countries back into war.

Washington wants South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to "meet urgently on an on-going basis until all of these issues are resolved", a senior US official said, briefing reporters travelling with Clinton.

UN assembly set to vote on Syria resolution

T

Kofi Annan, the joint UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, has resigned after his peace proposals failed [AFP]

he UN General Assembly is expected to vote on a resolution that criticises the Security Council for failing to take action on Syria.

The UN prepared on Friday to denounce Syria for unleashing tanks, artillery, helicopters and warplanes on the people of Aleppo and Damascus. The resolution will reportedly demand that the Assad regime keep its chemical and biological weapons warehoused and under strict control.

The anti-Syria resolution was expected to easily pass in the 193member General Assembly after its Arab sponsors were forced to drop two key provisions in the original draft: a demand that President

Bashar al-Assad resign, and a call for other nations to place sanctions on Syria over its civil war.

The resolution also calls on authorities in Damascus to cease human rights violations and withdraw troops from population centres.

As with all General Assembly resolutions, this one is non-binding and carries only symbolic power.

But UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the Security Council on Thursday that UN military observers in Aleppo are seeing "a considerable buildup of military means, where we have reason to believe that the main battle is about to start".

The rebels have commandeered

tanks, and are bringing them into combat as Syrian warplanes strike back.

"Even in Damascus, I was there a few days ago, one could hear explosions regularly, interminably,'' Ladsous told reporters after briefing the council.

UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon urged restraint on all sides, saying, "Both the government and the opposition forces continue to demonstrate their determination to rely on ever-increasing violence."

The resolution that began to circulate on Monday reaffirmed its support for Kofi Annan, but he resigned on Thursday as the joint UN-Arab League envoy to Syria after his peace proposals failed.

Mongolia ex-president UN urges food aid for jailed for corruption flood-hit North Korea

F

ormer Mongolian President Nambar Enkhbayar has been sentenced to four years in jail for corruption, a charge he dubbed "groundless".

On Thursday, a Mongolian court found him guilty of misappropriating gifts intended for a monastery and illegally privatising a hotel along with other corruption charges, in a hearing broadcast to the nation.

The court originally sentenced him to seven years, but reduced it by three years, citing an amnesty law.

Enkhbayar, 54, served as prime minister and then president for almost a decade until losing office in 2009. He was arrested in April in a dawn raid broadcast live on national television.

Enkhbayar, who was barred from running in Mongolia's June parliamentary elections, called the charges "groundless".

"I served the posts of president, prime minister and speaker of parliament. I never thought I would be accused groundlessly," Enkhbayar said in his testimony.

UN report says heavy rains have damaged homes, infrastructure and farms, maize, soybean and rice fields[Reuters]

N

Enkhbayar, 54, served as prime minister and then president for almost a decade until losing office in 2009 [Reuters]

orth Korea needs immediate food assistance after heavy rains killed scores of people and submerged vast swaths of farmland, according to UN office statement.

Thursday's UN report said torrential rains caused severe damage to homes, public buildings, infrastructure and farms, affecting maize, soybean and rice fields.

The worst-hit areas are Anju city and Songchon County in South Phyongan

Province, as well as Chonnae County in Kangwon Province, where residents are in dire need of emergency food aid, it said.

Some 36,000 families in Anju do not have access to clean water; wells are contaminated due to overflow of pit latrines and open drainage, raising the risk of a diarrhea outbreak, the report said.

A city official told The Associated Press earlier this week that it was the worst disaster in Anju's history.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, JULY, 2012

Wellness Zone

Phyllis Ogo Ogah phyllisogoogah@gmail.com +234 80 58425746 (sms) only

101 "Everyday" tips for losing 10 pounds (6) D

ear friends happy new month, welcome to the first weekend in August.

It’s a party month for me, so I’ll be extra careful not to pile up the pounds. I look forward to the August break too. A little bit of calm weather will be welcome after all the rains. For those of you who went for summer holidays, welcome back, and don’t worry we reserved seats for you on the weight loss train. We are still on the everyday tips to losing 10 pounds so sit back and enjoy your reading. Once more thank you for your comment.

61. Select an exercise pattern to suit your life style. All f us have different life styles and professions so there is no sense in trying to follow the book strictly. Try and follow an exercise routine that is suitable for you. You have to understand that even more important than the exercise itself is sticking to it. So unless you choose something that can suit your lifestyle, you are not going to stick on to it.

62. Don’t stand, walk. If you can walk about then do so. Do not stand in a fixed position. Pacing about is a good thing to do. If you are thinking deeply about something, try pacing about, it will aid in your thinking.

63. Don’t sit, stand. If you can stand, then do not sit. The golden rule is to choose a position that is less comfortable.

64. Don’t lie down, sit. The rule that we mentioned above rings true here as well.

65. Do not be a couch potato. It is the easiest thing in the world to become a

couch potato. You know what we are talking about don’t you? That shapeless thing that sits or reclines on a shapeless chair in front of the television and stupidly munches away at something fried! If you are inclined to become a promising old couch potato, break the habit, cut at the very root of the vine.

And you want to know what the best way is for that? Take away that favorite chair of yours. In fact, it would be a very good idea if you could keep a chair that isn’t too comfortable in front of the TV. This will discourage any tendency to become a couch potato.

66. If you have a sitting job, stand up and stretch yourself every half an hour. Most of the jobs today are indeed sitting jobs that are in one word sedentary. This is especially true for those who sit and punch away at the keyboard or toy with the mouse all day long. So if you have such a job, make it a point to get up at least every half an hour and stretch yourself.

Always use the staircase safely as often as you can instead of the lift or elevator.

67. While making telephone calls try walking up and down. I hope you will agree with me that this is an excellent suggestion.

68. Use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can. Elevators are one hell of a convenience particularly if you have to go up or down some twenty floors. But elevators also

make us very lazy. There may be no sense in trudging up some twenty flights of stairs because by the time you get there you will be totally pooped. But while coming down, if you have the time, you can easily come down the stairs instead of using the elevator.

Coming down is not at all exhausting.

And talking about the time factor; I don’t think that there is much of a difference. Sometimes waiting for an elevator door to open at your floor after you hit the button can take up all of eternity.

69. Smoking is bad for weight loss.

Smoking as such may not contribute to weight loss but smoking leads to other conditions like erratic eating habits and excessive dependence on beverages like regular coffee.

70. If you hate running, remember, you do not have to run a marathon to stay fit. 10 minutes of cardio each day is good enough for most.

71. And if you can’t run, try walking. 15 minutes of brisk walking a day is enough to keep most fit.

72. Any distance is walk able if you have the time, so consider walking to places that you would normally drive (such as work or the market if they’re not too far away). It may take you longer, but the health benefits will last you a lifetime.

HEALTH TIP FOR "Getting Fit. . .

One Step at a Time"

Resist the urge to become a couch potato. If your favorite chair is making you sit too much in front of the TV, change it.

Choosing healthy habits over unhealthy habits can be challenging, but it is easier than facing early aging of the mind and body. Looking for motivation, visit a nursing home to see the results of unhealthy habits. Keep moving!

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 28 — SUNDAY 29, JULY, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend Beating Argentina, France now D'Tigers' top priority, coach says D 'Tigers Head Coach, Ayo Bakare, has declared that today's game against Argentina and the subsequent one with France are delicatebutdecisivematchesfortheteam.

According to the coach, the matches arenowNigeria'smajorprioritystressing that they were not surprise they lost to the USA but insisted they still have a quarterfinals chance.

BakaresaidyesterdayinLondonthat his team's real challenge would rather be beating the duo of Argentina and France.

Nigerianlost73-156totheU.SDream TeamonThursdaynightattheBasketball Arena in a Preliminary Round Group A match.

ThelossmeantNigeriamustnowwin atleastonegameandavoidanotherheavy defeat to be sure of a place in the last eight on Aug. 8.

It was D'Tigers second consecutive loss in the six-team group after the 60-56 opening match win against Tunisia on July 29.

"Playing against the U.S was just a testforus,abarometertolaunchourselves onto the world basketball stage, and not necessarily about beating them. We did know it was going to be difficult against them, and we never expected much.

"Butwedidknowthattherealgames for us are against Argentina on Saturday and France on Monday," the coach said.

He said a win against the U.S by his team would have only created some surprises.

"We would still have needed to win those two games. Now that it is as it is, we have to win the matches against Argentina and France. And I believe we can and we still have a chance to be in the quarter-finals," Bakare said.

He regretted that the game against the USA did not quite work out the way they had anticipated stressing that they had hoped to use it as a launching pad against Argentina on Saturday, and that it was unfortunate it turned out bad.

"It was a very tough game, and I am still stunned at the fact that the U.S used us to create so many records.

Our egos have been badly bruised.

"For us, we also have the dubious record of being part of history where the heaviest score line in a game at the Olympics was recorded.

"But our players had wanted to use it as a launching pad for the clash with Argentina which is a must-win for us. Now we must find a way of

motivating the players back into being inspired to do what we all know they can do on Saturday," he said.

Bakare however regretted that there were no positives but lessons to draw from the match against the U.S which saw the point's record falling.

This was when Andre Iguodala hit a three-point shot with four minutes 27 seconds left in the game to make it

139-68 for the U.S. This had helped the U.S to surpass the previous record of 138 scored by Brazil against Egypt at the Olympic Games of 1988 in Seoul, South Korea.

The Americans had also scored 78 points in the first half alone, beating the previous Olympic record of 72 which was set also by Brazil against

China in the same 1988 Games.

Furthermore, their winning margin of 83 points beat their previous best of 72 against Thailand, when they won 101-29 in 1956.

The D'Tigers will take on Argentina in their fourth Group A game today at 22.15 hours, and France in their final Preliminary Round match on Monday at 14.30 hours.

Medal Table Rank Country 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

United States China South Korea Great Britain & N. Ireland France Germany Italy North Korea Kazakhstan Russian Federation South Africa New Zealand Japan Cuba Netherlands Hungary Ukraine

21 20 9 8 8 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2

Total

10 13 2 6 5 8 5 0 0 11 1 0 8 2 1 1 0

11 9 5 8 6 6 3 1 0 8 0 3 11 1 3 2 4

42 42 16 22 19 19 12 5 4 22 4 6 21 5 6 5 6

Ramzy relieved trio available

E

gypt coach Hany Ramzy has confirmed that overage players Mohamed Aboutrika, Emad Meteab and Ahmed Fathi will be available for today's quarter-final clash with Japan at Old Trafford.

There had been some doubt about their availability but Al Ahly gave permission to allow the trio to remain with the squad after they finished second in Group C following a 3-1 victory over Belarus on Wednesday.

Al Ahly have a Group B match in

the CAF Champions League against Berekum Chelsea on Saturday. But Ramzy revealed all three will be in contention to start against Japan following negotiations with Al Ahly officials.

Today's matches (men) Japan v Egypt Mexico v Senegal Brazilv Honduras GBR v Korea Rep.

D' Tig er s tried in v Tiger ers vain ain to contain their par ts in the London Ol ympics Olympics counterpar parts USA counter bask etball e vent. The Nig erians tak e to the basketball ev Nigerians take cour ya gainst Ar gentina in another courtt toda today ag Arg cr ucial g ame ame.. crucial game

Keitany ready to deliver marathon gold

S

uccessive London marathon victories have given, Mary Keitany the belief that she can beat off a strong field, and finally win women's marathon gold for Kenya on Sunday.

400m women Heats results Regina George NGR. 51. 24 Yulia Gushchina Rus. 51.54 Marlena Wesh Hai. 51.98

Antonia Krivoshapka Alina Lohvynenko Lee McConnell Sanya Richards-Ross Carol Rodriguez Tjipekapora Herunga Deedee Trotter Rosemaire Whyte Jenna Martin Omolara Omotosho Amantle Montsho Christine Day Shana Cox Aliann Pompey

RUS. 50. 75 UKR. 52.08 GBR. 52.23 USA. 51.78 PUR. 52. 19 NAM. 52.31 USA 50.87 JAM. 50.90 CAN. 51.98 NGR. 52.11 BOT. 50.40 JAM 51. 05 GBR 52.01 GUY 52.10

The softly-spoken 30-year-old, seekingherfirstglobalchampionshiptitle, will start as favourite after becoming the third fastest woman at the distance in scorching to a 2:18:37 time; on the streets of the British capital in April, following up her 2011 victory.

"After I won twice in London I was happy.Itgavemethebelieftounderstand that I am strong. I think I am in shape because after the marathon I went home and I ran uphill to prepare myself for the Olympics, so I think I am ready for Sunday,"shesaidinaninterviewyesterday.

TheKenyansboastastrongteamwith world champion Edna Kiplagat, second behind Keitany in London, and Priscah Jeptoo who finished third that day, also in the field.

Kenya have twice taken silver in the race with Catherine Ndereba finishing second in 2004 and 2008.

AskedaboutherrivalrywithKiplagat, Keitany laughed and then gave the questionafewmomentsthought.Smiling again, she then crossed her hands and declined to answer. Keitany, instead, said the "whole field" were her rivals.

Regina, Omolara impress in 400m heats

R

egina George and Omolara Omotosho beat off strong challenges in their respective heats to secure qualifications in the 400m race.

Regina clocked 51.24 seconds to clinch the first place while Omolara ran 52.11 seconds to place fourth but still made it to the

next round.

Meanwhile, Samsung Diamond League winner Amantle Montosho of Bostwana showed the stuff she's made off by running 50.40 seconds to qualify along with Sanya Richards-Ross, Christine Ohuruogu, Deedee Trotter among others.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 42

CAF Champions League: It’s win or bust for Sunshine I

t will be a winner-takes-all clash when Nigeria's Sunshine Stars host ASO Chlef of Algeria in a CAF Champions League group game on Sunday.

Sunshine Stars are third in the standings in Group A with a point after two games, while the Algerians are bottom having not won any points after two rounds of matches.

Tunisian clubs Esperance and Etoile du Sahel are top of the group on six points and four points, respectively and both will come face-toface in the other group game this weekend.

A victory is therefore very crucial for both Sunshine and ASO Chlef if they are to keep pace with the Tunisians. Sunshine are very much aware of the importance of a home win on Sunday.

Goalkeeper Moses Ocheje said a win would boost their chances of going beyond the group stage of this competition.

"We have to go for the three points in the match. We need it to get chance to progress beyond the group stage. We know what is at stake and won't underrate ASO," said Ocheje,

whose showing in the Champions League has been rewarded to the Super Eagles.

However, a disturbing statistic for the Nigerian club is that they are yet to score a goal in the group stage of CAF Champions League.

Ajani Ibrahim, who missed from inside 18yard box when he was set by Dele Olorundare at Etoile, promised he and his colleagues will have their shooting boots on against the Algerians.

Sunshine Stars leading scorer in this season's league, Dele Olorundare, also maintained the goals will come beginning on Sunday.

"We did our best in both games to score but could not convert the chances we got. We know how important this game is to our aspiration in the competition and so we will do our best and see that we see off ASO Chlef," said Olorundare, who has netted 11 goals in the domestic league season.

"It is a do or die, we must win the game."

"We will do our best to win our next game and we know that to win, we must score and

we will do that," added Izu Azuka, who has been courted by clubs in Turkey.

Meanwhile, Zakaria Haddouche, who rejoined ASO Chlef after playing for the country's team in the Arab Cup, has insisted Sunshine will be the team under pressure.

"Everybody is focused and we have been working with a great purpose. There is a collective desire to redeem ourselves after the two defeats. We are therefore determined to a great performance in Nigeria."

He would even tip ASO Chlef to turn the tables against Sunshine right in front of their fans as was the case when defending champions Esperance beat the Nigerians 2-0 in Ijebu-Ode on the first match day.

"There is also a great solidarity among the players. We need victory in Nigeria and anything is possible in a football match. We will have nothing to lose as all the pressure will be on the opponents, who are at home," he said.

"This is a game in which sacrifices must be made. We will keep alive our hopes with a good result on Sunday."

Esperance celebrating after a victory

ASO Chlef may be bottom of the standings, but they a decent team who will go all out against Sunshine Stars to claim the three points at stake.

They have featured in CAF Champions League previously in 2009, but could not go beyond first round. They have also featured in CAF Confederation Cup twice, in 2006 and 2007.

In other matches, Esperance are well positioned to duplicate the historic achievement. They are leading the league and in the national cup and on top of Group A with two wins from two matches on the continent.

In the midst of a break for Ramadan, the two-time African champions have done some bolstering to their defensive half of the pitch, adding a pair of experienced Tunisia internationals to the mix - Houcine Ragued and Chaker Zouaghi - the latter of whom played for Sahel before a couple of seasons in Switzerland.

The Red Devils reached the Champions League final three times in four years, winning it in 2007, and they have not been resting on their laurels either, signing Nigerien Moussa Maazou in July, and the forward dynamo could replace the injured Hamed Namouchi.

Al Ahly are in the same position atop Group B as Esperance, and the six-time champions are at home against Berekum Chelsea looking to move to a commanding nine points after three rounds.

But they will be without in-form Mohamed Aboutrika and Emad Meteab, who are away with the Olympic team at London 2012. With Ivorian striker Oussou Konan out with injury, the pressure could fall on Walid Soliman up front.

The attacking focus on the other side is most certainly with Chelsea's Emmanuel Clottey, who has been linked with a host of major clubs in Africa and Europe after tallying 11 times to be top scorer in the event.

Both Zamalek and TP Mazembe have suffered from Clottey's form over the last month, and the five-time and four-time champions need to come good on Saturday.

The Congo DR side have just one point after giving up a two-goal advantage to Clottey and Chelsea a fortnight ago and opening with defeat at Ahly.

Japan beat Brazil book semi-final with France

J

apan booked their place in the semifinals of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament, where they will face France, by beating Brazil 2-0 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Norio Sasaki's side weathered a bright start from their opponents and took a first-half lead through Yuki Ogimi, and sealed their berth among the competition's final four when Shinobu Ohno struck in the second half.

The two heavyweights of the women's game traded blows throughout an entertaining first half which the Brazilians dominated during the opening 20 minutes.

It was the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup champions who could have taken the lead within seconds of kick-off,

though. Ohno latched onto a weak clearance and sent a delicious halfvolley towards goal which was parried out by Brazil goalkeeper Andreia.

The South Americans responded and dictated the tempo thereafter, with Renata Costa - a goalscorer in Brazil's first match of the tournament against Cameroon - firing over when well placed in the Japanese six-yard box after 16 minutes.

Four minutes later, Formiga tested the reflexes of Japan 'keeper Miho Fukumoto with a thunderous effort from distance which had to be tipped over the crossbar, giving Brazil the latest in a succession of corner-kicks.

The Asian side then came alive, however, and could have broken the

deadlock midway through the period.

Homare Sawa released Ogimi, whose cross found Ohno. The forward's first attempt was blocked, though, and her second sailed too high.

Japan would not have to wait long for a goal, however. Another incisive through ball from Sawa allowed Ogimi to run clear of the Brazilian defence and the Turbine Potsdam forward kept her composure to slide a cool finish past Andreia.

Needing an equaliser to earn a foothold in the match, Brazil spent much of the second period camped in Japan's half while their opponents tried to use the pace of their forwards on the counter-attack.

Five-time FIFA Women's World

Player of the Year Marta sent a whistling free-kick wide of Fukumoto's post on the hour mark before Cristiane was found free in the penalty area from a Rosana cross but could not keep her header down.

Brazil's spirit was crushed in the 73rd minute when the Japanese gameplan came to fruition. Retrieving the ball on the left wing, Ogimi found strike partner Ohno beyond the Brazil defence. Ohno took a touch, worked a yard of space and curled a shot beyond Andreia to finish the contest.

The goal brought Brazil's participation at London 2012 to an end, but Japan's odyssey continues and they will now prepare for a semi-final against France at Wembley on Monday.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Transfer The season is over. Clubs are counting their blessing as well as losses and would like to make amends and even beef up their squads where noticeable lapses exist. And the transfer market is agog barely 24 hours after major European leagues dropped the curtain.

And so to keep abreast with latest rumours, we begin daily doses of movements within the market both for players and coaches like.

PAGE 43

Etuhu joins Blackburn Rovers B

Mourinho happy to keep Kaka

J

ose Mourinho insists he hopes Kaka remains at Real Madrid but said it would be up to the player to decide his future.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has confirmed that he is to hold talks with Madrid president Florentino Perez over Kaka, though both Galliani and Rossoneri director Ariedo Braida have acknowledged that the player's salary would be a significant impediment to any deal.

Madrid are said to be keen to remove Kaka from their wage bill. It has been reported that the midfielder has been informed it is in his best interests to move on, but Mourinho, speaking after the 5-1 friendly victory over LA Galaxy, claimed he would be more than happy to accommodate him.

Gunners signs •16 million Cazorla from Malaga Cazorla

Cole seeks £200k contract

C

helsea defender Ashley Cole is seeking a final big contract that would push his earnings close to the £200,000-a-week mark.

Cole, 31, wants to stay at Stamford Bridge, but there are now genuine fears that the club will allow his contract to run down as they did with Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack because of the player's salary demands.

Cole is attracting the attention of former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti at big-spending Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, and is understood to be keen to go abroad rather than move to another club in the Premier

League - with Manchester United recently linked - if he leaves Chelsea.

Cole has indicated his desire to stay with Chelsea for the

final few years of his career, but it is now up to Roman Abramovich to sanction a pay rise of around £70,000-a-week to keep him.

Aquilani signs for Fiorentina

Gunners table offer for teenager

Krasic heads to Fenerbahce

L

A

rsenal benefits from the turmoil at Malaga by wrapping up a cut-price •16 million deal for Spain international Santi Cazorla.

Cazorla joined Malaga just 12 months ago for •19 million, and the playmaker's performances in guiding the club to fourth spot in La Liga and a Champions League qualifying spot should have increased his value even further.

Pellegrini, who also managed Cazorla to Champions League qualification at Villarreal, is reportedly deeply unhappy with the current state of affairs and considering his position.

iverpool has confirmed that midfielder Alberto Aquilani has joined Fiorentina.

Aquilani, 28, joined Liverpool from Roma in 2009 during Rafael Benitez's reign, but he struggled with injury in his debut campaign and spent the following two seasons on loan with Juventus and AC Milan.

New Reds manager Brendan Rodgers had indicated he would be happy to accommodate Aquilani this season, and the player's agent insisted on several occasions that he would spend the campaign at Anfield, but he has now completed a move to Fiorentina.

lackburn Rovers have signed Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal.

The Nigeria international, 30, had been at Craven Cottage for four years, scoring six times in 127 appearances since joining from Sunderland in 2008.

Etuhu will team up with his former team-mate at Fulham, Danny Murphy, who joined Rovers earlier this summer.

The highlight of Etuhu's time at Fulham was a starting place in their Europa League final defeat by Atletico Madrid in May 2010.

He also started all three group games for Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup

Lindegaard signs Manchester United’s new fouryear deal

F A

rsenal has tabled an offer for France youth international M'Baye Niang, the Caen president, Jean-Francois Fortin, has confirmed.

Niang, 17, had a trial spell in North London earlier this summer, and the Gunners have now made an official move to bring him to the Emirates on a permanent basis.

However, Fortin said Arsene Wenger's side were not the only party interested in signing a player who came through the Caen youth ranks before making his debut for the Ligue 2 club last year.

enerbahce has announced the signing of Serbia international Milos Krasic from Juventus. Krasic, 27, joined Juve from CSKA Moscow in 2010 but had fell down the pecking order and was made available for transfer last season.

The winger, who had been linked with a loan move to Fenerbahce in January, has now agreed a four-year deal after the Ramirez Turkish side agreed to pay a reported •7 million for his services.

A

nders Lindegaard has signed a new four-year deal with Manchester United, extending his stay at Old Trafford until the end of the 2015-16 seasons.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper sustained a serious ankle injury in January having just forced his way into the team.

"Anders is still relatively young for a goalkeeper, he has come on leaps and bounds since joining us last year," manager Sir Alex Ferguson said.

The Dane is in the United squad for the pre-season tour of Scandinavia.

Ferguson said he was delighted that Lindegaard, who has fully recovered, had extended his contract.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 44

France will face either Japan or Brazil at Wembley on Monday after beating Sweden 2-1 in the quarterfinals with goals from defenders Laura Georges and Wendie Renard.

France beat Sweden while the United States defeat New Zealand to qualify for the semifinals of the Olympic women's football tournament

USA claim a semifinal place with a 2-0 victory over New Zealand, Abby Wambach said the Americans are "bound for glory" at London 2012.

Kazakhstan's Svetlana Podobedova pips Natalya Zabolotnaya to win the Olympic women's heavyweight gold medal

British basketball player Luol Deng says he is "honoured" to become the first Briton to play in the NBA's annual All-Star Game on Sunday.

Britain's Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer give Great Britain a strong start in their quest for a first Olympic dressage medal

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 45

OLYMPIC: The gods and the games

By Richard Ihediwa with reports from Wikipedia

L

ast Friday, the world was held spell bound as England stunned spectators with an intriguing and breathtaking opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics games holding in London.

Over the years, Olympic Games have become popular across the globe especially as the TV and other mass media have continued to increase the scope of live coverage using satelite based technology.

What is the origin of Olympic Games? Who decides the sporting events? Who set the rules? What are the medals worth?

Olympic.org, the official website of the Olympic Movement states that the first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC. It notes that they were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia. They continued for nearly 12 centuries, until Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such “pagan cults” be banned.

Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of “Pelops”, the founder of the Olympic Games. Imposing temples, votive buildings, elaborate shrines and ancient sporting facilities were combined in a site of unique natural and mystical beauty. Olympia functioned as a meeting place for worship and other religious and political practices as early as the 10th century B.C. The central part of Olympia was dominated by the majestic temple of Zeus, with the temple of Hera parallel to it.

The Olympic Games were closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus, but were not an integral part of a rite. Indeed, they had a secular character and aimed to show the physical qualities and evolution of the performances accomplished by young people, as well as encouraging good relations between the cities of Greece. According to specialists, the Olympic Games owed their purity and importance to religion.

The Olympic victor received his first awards immediately after the competition. Following the announcement of the winner’s name by the herald, a Hellanodikis (Greek judge) would place a palm branch in his hands, while the spectators cheered and threw flowers to him. Red ribbons were tied on his head and hands as a mark of victory.

The official award ceremony would take place on the last day of the Games, at the elevated vestibule of the temple of Zeus. In a loud voice, the herald would announce the name of the Olympic winner, his father’s name, and his homeland. Then, the

The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens.

Hellanodikis placed the sacred olive tree wreath, or kotinos, on the winner’s head.

According to Wikipedia, the origin of these Olympics is shrouded in mystery and legend and one of the most popular myths identifies Heracles and his father Zeus as the progenitors of the Games According to legend, it was Heracles who first called the Games “Olympic” and established the custom of holding them every four years. A legend persists that after Heracles completed his twelve labors, he built the Olympic Stadium as an honor to Zeus.

Following its completion, he walked in a straight line for 200 steps and called this distance a “stadion, meaning, a “stage”.

The games featured mainly athletic though there were combat and chariot racing events. During the games, all conflicts among the participating city-states were postponed until the games were finished. The most widely accepted date for the inception of the Ancient Olympics is 776 BC; this is based on inscriptions. Tradition has it that Coroebus, a cook from the city of Elis, was the first Olympic champion.

The Olympic Games reached their zenith in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, but then gradually declined in importance as the Romans gained power and influence in Greece. While there is no scholarly consensus as to when the Games officially ended, the most commonly held date is 393 AD, when the emperor Theodosius I decreed that all pagan cults and

practices be eliminated. Another date commonly cited is 426 AD, when his successor, Theodosius II, ordered the destruction of all Greek temples. After the demise of the Olympics, they were not held again until the late 19th century.

The first modern Olympic Games under the auspices of the International Organising Committee (IOC) was hosted in the Panathenaic stadium in Athens in 1896. These Games brought together 14 nations and 241 athletes who competed in 43 events.

From 241 participants representing 14 nations in 1896, the Games have grown to about 10,500 competitors from over 204 countries.

Currently, there is the Winter Olympics designed to accommodate sporting events like ice skiing that cannot be done during the summer in addition to Paralympics, a special event for physically challenged persons.

The Olympic flag.

The Olympic Movement uses

symbols to represent the ideals embodied in the Olympic Charter. The Olympic symbol, better known as the Olympic rings, consists of five intertwined rings and represents the unity of the five inhabited continents (America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe).

The colored version of the rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—over a white field forms the The Olympic Games were started to honor Olympic flag. These Zeus, the king of the gods. The winner was colors were chosen Apollo, the sun god. because every nation had at least one of them on its national bear cub Misha reached international flag. The flag was adopted in 1914 but stardom. The mascots of the most flown for the first time only at the 1920 recent Summer Olympics, in Beijing, Summer Olympics in Antwerp, were the Fuwa, five creatures that Belgium. It has since been hoisted represent the five feng shui elements during each celebration of the Games. important in Chinese culture.

The Olympic motto is Citius, Olympic Games program Altius, Fortius, a Latin expression The programme consists of 35 meaning “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. sports, 30 disciplines and nearly 400 The most important thing in the events. Athletics, swimming, fencing, Olympic Games is not to win but to and artistic gymnastics are the only take part, just as the most important summer sports that have never been thing in life is not the triumph but the absent from the Olympic program. struggle. The essential thing is not to Cross-country skiing, figure skating, have conquered but to have fought ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski well.[97] jumping, and speed skating have been Months before each Games, the featured at every Winter Olympics Olympic Flame is lit in Olympia in a program since its inception in 1924. ceremony that reflects ancient Greek Current Olympic sports, like rituals. A female performer, acting as badminton, basketball, and volleyball, a priestess, ignites a torch by placing first appeared on the program as it inside a parabolic mirror which demonstration sports, and were later focuses the sun’s rays; she then lights promoted to full Olympic sports. Some the torch of the first relay bearer, thus sports that were featured in earlier initiating the Olympic torch relay that Games were later dropped from the will carry the flame to the host city’s program.

Olympic stadium, where it plays an Olympic sports are governed by important role in the opening international sports federations (IFs) ceremony. Though the flame has been recognized by the IOC as the global an Olympic symbol since 1928, the supervisors of those sports. There are torch relay was introduced at the 1936 35 federations represented at the IOC. Summer Games, as part of the A medal ceremony is held after German government’s attempt to each Olympic event is concluded. The promote its National Socialist winner, second and third-place ideology. competitors or teams stand on top of The Olympic mascot, an animal a three-tiered rostrum to be awarded or human figure representing the their respective medals. After the cultural heritage of the host country, medals are given out by an IOC member, the national flags of the three medalists are raised while the national anthem of the gold medalist’s country plays. Volunteering citizens of the host country also act as hosts during the medal ceremonies, as they aid the officials who present the medals and act as flag-bearers. For every Olympic event, the respective medal ceremony is held, at most, one day after the event’s final.

For the men’s marathon, the competition is usually held early in the was introduced in 1968. It has played morning on the last day of Olympic an important part on the Games competition and its medal ceremony identity promotion since the 1980 is then held in the evening during the Summer Olympics, when the Russian closing ceremony

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY JUNE 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Interview

‘Capital market crash: Govt has to refund retail investors’ losses’

Would you say that the Nigerian economy is endangered by the recent developments in the nation’s capital market? ot really. The stock market is vital in the economic development of a nation, but in Nigeria, less than 250 companies are listed on the stock exchange and less than 20 are of national interest. The companies we are talking about employ only a small percentage of the workforce, contribute very little to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and have little or no foreign operations. That is why a short-term instability in the capital market will not have a catastrophic effect on the economy.

Recently, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc, Mr. Bisi Onasanya frowned at what he described as “lack of an intervention fund” for the nation’s capital market sector, a measure he said would enable the sector recover fully. How far do you agree with him?

That’s a very interesting view from the Group Managing Director of FBN. I do agree with Mr. Bisi Onasanya on a lot of things he has said about Nigeria’s stock market and the need to bring new and exciting products such as derivatives, mutual funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs), and unit trusts to the market.

I do not agree with him, however, that an intervention fund is a critical solution to the capital market’s revival.

The notion of forbearance and an intervention fund is preposterous. How can the government reward the greedy market operators who ran the stock market aground? Yes, the government regulators slept behind the switch by overlooking excesses that went on in the market, like over-leveraged margin lending, churning of customer’s account without detection, and price manipulations. But, the market operators are the ones that benefited from the crash. They make commissions on sell and buy orders from clients; the investors suffered irreparable losses. A great idea it would be for the government to compensate or refund a significant percentage of investors’ losses so as to enable them come back to the market on a clean slate. The individual investors have been hurt more than the market operators. The investors have just refused to pump in new money in the market. In fact, many are selling off and closing their accounts at stock-broking houses. These investors must feel protected and have a strong belief that market regulators are equipped to police, arrest, prosecute, and sanction violators before they will return in large numbers.

How critical to the economy is the interface between the retail investors and professional investors in the operations of the nation’s capital or stock market?

The differences between retail investors and professional investors are the depth of investment knowledge, years of experience in capital market investing, and most importantly the amount of funds committed to stock

N

Mr. Tavershima Adyorough is the Special Assistant on Investment to the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr Samuel Ortom. In this interview with some reporters in Abuja, he insisted that losses incurred by retail investors have to be refunded by the government. Abdulrahman Abdulraheem was there.

Mr. Tavershima Adyorough market investing. A small retail investor either invests for fun or bragging right amongst his peers that he is also a player in the capital market.

The retail investor might just commit a few millions to take a long position in stock. Finally, a retail investor rarely shorts a stock because his liquidity is limited and does not want to have a short interest call to maintain margin requirements.

The only similarity is that both investors want to realize profits. Retail investors collectively are a formidable group in the stock market as they pour in billions of naira, but acting individually in their offices or homes, they are like small sail boats in the Atlantic Ocean. Professional investors, especially institutional portfolio managers, such as pension fund managers, endowment managers, mutual fund managers, and hedge fund managers tend to dominate daily trading in stock market. These investors individually can drive up or down the price of a stock, because they are buying in large blocks and usually commit billions to take a single long position in a stock. They are the investors to be watched by the individual retail investors and the regulators. Because these investors are driven purely by short-term profit making in order to enhance portfolio returns and establish proven track records of performance, they can go to lengths to achieve that edge. For example, they can buy inside information that is not available to the public so as to take huge long positions

for a potential blockbuster or short stocks to profit on price declines.

Since retail investors do not have enough funds to influence price fluctuations of stocks, they need stockbrokers or financial advisers to help them invest wisely in the stock market. Also, retail investors should not be market timers but, must have a long-term outlook when investing in any shares. At the end of the day, when professional investors push the price of stocks up, the retail investors profit as well because the rising tides carry all boats, small and big.

How would you compare the Nigerian Capital Market experience with that of the US where you studied and worked?

Truly, there is no basis for comparison.

But, you have asked so I’ll attempt to compare the Lagos orange from the New York apple. You’ll appreciate the differences only if you’re exposed to the two markets. First, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is over 130 years old and is anchored in the most advanced capitalist country in the world. I began my investment career there under the tutelage of a 70-year old Jewish man, a retired obstetrics and gynecologist, who became a stockbroker at the age of 60 years old. He told me to ‘take a message to Garcia.’ That means, to do as he said and I would be successful. I did and we raised million of dollars in private placement deals. After my post-graduate studies, I joined the third oldest member of the New York Stock Exchange, a firm that was established in 1880. There too, an 80 year

old semi-retired Jewish man took me under his wings for six months before he let me loose to gather assets for management. Finally, at the time I came to Nigeria, I resigned my appointment with the 10th oldest member of the NYSE, a firm that was established in 1890. I was registered and licensed to transact business in 27 states and trade on all exchanges. That is, buy and sell all securities except, commodities. I needed a series 3 license to trade commodities and futures options. I could trade stock options under my series 7 license. You can see how broad my capital market experience was over there versus what is available here in Nigeria. Second, a stockbroker in the USA is exposed to a much broader range of products than a stockbroker in Nigeria. As I have alluded previously, I was licensed and registered to trade on all exchanges in the USA., namely; NYSE, American Stock Exchange (AMEX), NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations), Over-the-counter (OTC), Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Boston Stock Exchange, Cincinnati Stock Exchange, Pacific Stock Exchange, and Chicago Board of Option Exchange. The NYSE had more than 4,800 listed stocks, 2,500 listed corporate and municipal bonds, the AMEX had over 1,500 listed stocks, and the NASDAQ with its small and medium-sized capitalization companies had over 10,000 listed stocks, and 5,000 listed corporate, municipal bonds, and mutual funds that traded in OTC market. Also, I was registered and licensed to offer annuity, life and health insurance products to clients. This experience is superior to what is found here. A stockbroker in the USA is better equipped and skilled and has more products to meet customers’ investment needs.

What is your take on the recent SEC crisis?

Nigeria’s capital market was in trouble before Ms.Oteh was appointed as the Director-General of SEC. The DG has done her best to calm down the waves in the market. She is not responsible for the Capital Market collapse, and I say once again that government has to refund retail investors’ losses to revive the Capital Market.I was in Nigeria in 2009 when Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was drilled by the Senate during his confirmation hearing. He took the stand and ensured that the Senate and Nigerians understood where he was coming from and where he intended to go as the CBN Governor. As a risk expert, he set the tone that risk management was going to be on top of his agenda.

Mallan Sanusi identified immediately that some of Nigeria’s banks were in trouble due to their risk management behaviour. He took actions immediately and we all know the results achieved by those actions.The investors will come back to the market when they feel protected as I have mentioned earlier.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit Controling your tempers

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rov 14:29 says, “Those who con trol their anger have great un derstanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes.” (NLT) The ability to control your tempers is a proof that you have great understanding. Fools act in rage. Many people have destroyed their career, marriages, families because of lack of control of their tempers, David said to Jonathan concerning the plan of his father, Saul, to kill him: “If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. If he says, 'Fine!' then you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, then you will know he was planning to kill me.” (1 Sam 20:6-7 NLT) Did you see that phrase? – angry and loses his temper.

What was Saul’s reaction after enquiring about David’s whereabouts from Jonathan? “Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. ‘You stupid son of a whore!’ he swore at him. ‘Do you think I don't know that you want David to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you'll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!” (1 Sam 20:30-31NLT) Did you see how angry Saul was? Did you notice the type of language he used on his son which showed how much he had lost his tempers?

But Saul wasn’t done yet with his rabid show of anger. ““But what has he done?’ Jonathan demanded. ‘Why should he be put to death?’ Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David. Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat all that day, for he was crushed by his

father's shameful behavior toward David.” (1 Sam 20:32-34 NLT) Jonathan was so ashamed at his father’s show of lack of control of his tempers.

If you don’t control your tempers, you are bound to act shamefully. You will conduct yourself in an embarrassing and a condemnable way that you may regret later. Prov 14:17 says, “He that is soon angry will deal foolishly.”

(ASV) Therefore, you must learn to always bring your temper under control so that you don’t say what you shouldn’t say and do what you shouldn’t do. Do not be quick-tempered or easily provoked. (Titus 1:7) Samson’s tempers Samson was quick tempered and revengeful. He didn’t control his tempers. In Judges 14:19, the Bible says that after the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went to Ashkelon where he killed thirty of their men and gave the changes of their clothing to those who had explained the riddle, “his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father's house.” Samson was so angry that he just left his in-law’s house without taking away the wife he had come to marry. The father-in-law could do nothing but hand over his daughter to Samson’s best man to marry. This showed that he even left his best man behind! It is true what they did to him was bad but what kind of anger was that?

But Samson came back sometimes later for the wife. However, by then she had been given away to Samson’s best man. And what did Samson do again? He went into rage taking a rash decision not thinking about the consequences of his action.

A wise man doesn’t do that. He was

offered the younger sister of the lady she was supposed to have married before but Samson decided to punish the Philistines for his own folly. “And Samson said to them, ‘This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them!’ Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.” (Judg 15:3-5 NKJV) Of course, when the Philistines found out it was Samson who burnt their farms, they also retaliated by burning the woman Samson was hell bent on marrying and her father.

Samson should have known that the Philistines would not take it lightly with him for burning their farms for no just cause. He should have expected they would react. And they did by getting rid of the woman and her father. But Samson wouldn’t give up.

He moved against the Philistines in retaliation. “Samson said to them, ‘Since you would do a thing like this, I will surely take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.’ So he attacked them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; then he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.”

(Judg 15:7-8 NKJV) At Lehi in Judah, the Philistines tried to capture Samson. The three thousand men of Judah who went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, told Samson; “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?” What was Samson’s simple reply? “As they did to me, so I have done to them.” (Judg

GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 15:11NKJV) Samson’s reply is a summary of his lifestyle.

As a child of God, be careful that your actions are not motivated by anger. Be careful that you don’t react to any wrong against you by losing your tempers. Two wrongs will never make a right. Don’t live a life of “tit for tat” and “an eye for an eye” as it was in the Old Testament. (Ex21:24, Lev 24:20, Deut 19:21) You are in the New Testament, a new dispensation.

Always control your tempers in the face of provocation. Don’t take revenge rather repay evil with good.

Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:18-21) Instead of being easily angry, forgive.

(Matt 18:21-22, 6:14-15) Col 3:13 says, “You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (NLT) Some situations or actions can make you angry but never allow anger to control your action otherwise you will sin. Be in control of your temperament not the other way round.

“And ‘don't sin by letting anger gain control over you.’ Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.” (Eph 4:26-27 NLT) TAKE ACTION! If you are not born again, I urge

Exercise your dominion (1) LIBERA TION LIBERATION AREN A ARENA

By Rev. Abel Duniya Gospel Power Liberation Ministries, Abuja GSM: 08033155167

I

t is disheartening to see that many Christians do not exercise the dominion they have as they sojourn here on planet earth. This situation can be traced to a number of factors. While many believers are unaware of the dominion they inherit through Jesus, others know but refuse to put such into practice. This is why many believers pass through many problems and continue to suffer untold hardship in many areas of their lives.

Look at Hosea 4.6. God speaking said, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge”. The scripture acknowledge, that lack of knowledge is the problem believers

have and the devil capitalize on that and oppress them. This scripture leads one to draw a mental picture of a man who has certain advantages, certain powers and certain privileges and inheritances and does not know.

Look at this in Psalm 49. 20. It says ;”a man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish”.

This is the situation many believers find themselves in today and that is why many of them have not been able to excel in life. That is why many people are suffering under certain limitations placed by society and the devil. They carry burdens that they should not carry and be in slavery when they ought to be kings.

Jesus speaking in John 8.32 said ”and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. This shows us that those who are ignorant of what they ought to know in bondage and can only excel if they encounter the truth.

What truth is Jesus talking about here? Of course, He is taking about the truth that brings success and everlasting life to human being. You must know this truth to overcome the vicissitude of life and the wiles of the devil.

This truth encompasses a lot of things. Basically, it has to do with the realization of His Lordship and acceptance of the work He accomplished for mankind on the cross. That truth involves knowing that salvation comes from no other source except His name. It involves understanding His role in the issues of life that concerns our day to day living.

The Scripture tells us in 1 John 3.8 that “for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

What are these works of the devil? Jesus said in John 10:10 that the devil “cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to

destroy: but that He, the Master had come that people may have life, and have it more abundantly.

You must understand that Christ has wroth the work of salvation for mankind on the cross.

Look at Col 2:13-15. It says “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Based on the work Jesus did, he declared that we are free from the vicissitudes of life. He declared us conquerors. See John 8:36. Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

However, the devil has continued to carry out his evil works by means of lies and deception. He strives to take away the eyes of people from the work that Jesus had already done so that they will continue to grope in darkness and in perpetual defeat.

you to take the following steps:*Admit you’re a sinner and you can’t save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. There you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God. Kindly say this prayer now: “0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God” I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus.

I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May the Lord make you a Cedar Christian. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be.

He tells people that they cannot make it in life and put them in the bondage of fear, anxiety and unbelief.

When he had succeeded in taking people’s eye and consciousness from the work Christ had done, they become open to attacks which lead to sin and ignorance which in turn, open the way to poverty, diseases, hatred, death and so on.

Brethren, it is time for us to understand the work Christ has done for us and begin to appropriate it in our lives. Jesus has already given us victory over the devil and we must know that.

He said in Luke 10, 18 – 1999 Constitution. “beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” Also see 1 John 5:4-5. “ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” Next week, we will look at how to appropriate this accomplishments in our lives and live in dominion as God as intended.

BIG PUNCH “We will like to take responsibility for where we go wrong but what we certainly will not take responsibility for the failure of others. If others fail let them take responsibility. Where we fail, we will take responsibility.”

—Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba to Minister of Finance, Okonjo-Iweala, over the poor implementation of 2012 budget.

SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, AUGUST, 2012

Muhammad, Messenger of God ‘Most certainly yours, Muhammad, is a sublime character!’ [Quran 68:4]

L

et us, in the spirit of Ramadan, reflect a little bit on some issues arising from Prophet Muhammad’s liberation of Makkah, which marked, indeed, the climax of his career.

Islam never referred to the event in military terms. Rather the conquest of Makkah marks the day in which, as the Quran puts it and the Prophet proclaimed it on that momentous day, ‘The truth is now manifest.

Falsehood is truly confuted.

And it is right that it should be!’

[17:81] The victory was so complete that never since that day has an idol been worshipped in the Sacred Sanctuary, and never since that day has the message of God - in its pristine and final form - been amenable to distortion or corruption. Again it was seen as liberation day for the human race, when perhaps for the first time ever, the equality of mankind was proclaimed. The Prophet addressed the great and mighty men gathered before him saying that the day was over when one race would feel superior to another race, when people measure their worth by mere accident of ancestry or color of the skin: for all humans spring from Adam, and Adam is from clay. He proclaimed to them the words of Almighty God, as written in the Quran: “O men, We have created you from male and female and constituted you into peoples and tribes that you might know and cooperate with one another. In the eye of God, highest among you is the most virtuous. God is omniscient and all wise.” An aspect of the ultimate manifestation of truth is evident from the nature of the victory itself. Here is conquest like no other, conquest wrapped in compassion. Here is victory like no other, victory enveloped in humility.

‘Oh, the beauty of pardon and forgiveness on the part of the mighty and powerful! How great is the soul of Muhammad which rose above hatred and above revenge, which denied every human feeling and ascended to heights of nobility man had never reached before! There were the Quraysh among whom were people whom Muhammad well knew had plotted to kill him, had persecuted him, and inflicted upon him and his companions all kinds of injury and harm, who fought him at Badr and at Uhud,

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who blockaded him in the Campaign of al Khandaq, who incited the Arab tribes to rise against him, and who would even then tear him apart if only they had the power,’ Muhammad Haykal writes. ‘There, the whole of Quraysh stood totally under Muhammad’s hand, indeed under his feet, totally subject to his command. Indeed, their very life depended upon the first word

emerging from his lips. All these thousands of men, of Muslims in battle array, stood on the ready waiting for that one word to wipe out the whole of Makkah and its people within minutes.

Muhammad, however, was no less than Muhammad! He was no less than the Prophet of God! No alienation, antagonism, or hostility could find any permanent abode in his heart. His heart was absolutely free of injustice, of malice, of tyranny or false pride. In the most decisive moment, God gave him power over his enemy. But Muhammad chose to forgive, thereby giving to all mankind and all the generations the most perfect example of goodness, of truthfulness, of nobility and magnanimity.’

The Prophet’s career which culminates in the liberation of Makkah explains the true nature and character of Islam.

Muhammad is the Messenger of God. His mission is to convey the message of God to humanity, while at the same time striving to realize the essence of the message in real life, in real community, in real world. To that end he established and nurtured a community on the basis of his beliefs, principles and values.

When this community matured,

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it had gathered such energy and strength to transform the world and change for ever the course of human history. The example he has bequeathed to mankind is that truth must be backed by full strength and evil combatted with full force. Were the Prophet not morally and militarily formidable, were he not politically sagacious and astute, were he not a true statesman, a genius and a strategist, nothing would have been heard about Islam, and truth and its bearers would have perished. Islam lives today and lives for ever because Prophet Muhammad supported it from the start with intellectual power, spiritual power, political power, economic power, military power.. This is how the world works.

Prof Montgomery Watts, in his Muhammad at Madina, sheds some light on the matter, when he notes as follows: ‘Muhammad’s own tact, diplomacy, and administrative skill contributed greatly. Above all, however, his consummate skill in handling the confederacy he now ruled, and making all but an insignificant minority feel they were being fairly treated, heightened the contrast between the feeling of harmony, satisfaction and zest in the Islamic community and the malaise

elsewhere; this must have been obvious to many and have attracted them to Muhammad. In all this one cannot but be impressed by Muhammad’s faith in his cause, his vision and his farseeing wisdom. While his community was still small and devoting all its energies to avoiding being overwhelmed by its enemies, he had conceived a united Arabia directed outwards, in which the Meccans would play a new role — a role no less important than their old role of merchants. He had harried them and provoked them; then he had wooed them and frightened them in turn; and now practically all of them, even the greatest, had submitted to him.

Against considerable odds, often with narrow margins, but nearly always with sureness of touch, he had moved towards his goal. If we were not convinced of the historicity of these things, few would credit that a despised Meccan prophet could re-enter his city as a triumphant conqueror.’

Prof Watt goes further to enumerates some of the causes for the rise of Islam and its continuing relevance as a global religious and political force. Among them, he states, is Muhammad’s wisdom as a statesman, apart from his spiritual prowess: ‘The conceptual structure found in the Qur’an was merely a framework. The framework had to support a building of concrete policies and concrete institutions. Much has been said about Muhammad’s farsighted political strategy and his social reforms. His wisdom in these matters is shown by the rapid expansion of his small state to a world-empire and by the adaptation of his social institutions to many different environments and their continuance for thirteen centuries.There is his skill and tact as an administrator and his wisdom in the choice of men to whom to delegate administrative details. Sound institutions and a sound policy will not go far if the execution of affairs is faulty and fumbling.When Muhammad died, the state he had founded was a ‘going concern’, able to withstand the shock of his removal and, once it had recovered from this shock,

to expand at prodigious speed. The more one reflects on the history of Muhammad and of early Islam, the more one is amazed at the vastness of his achievement.’

Furthermore: ‘Had it not been for his gifts as seer, statesman, and administrator and, behind these, his trust in God and firm belief that God has sent him, a notable chapter in the history of mankind would have remained unwritten.

It is my hope that this study of his life may contribute to a fresh appraisal and appreciation of one of the greatest of the “sons of Adam”.’

Prof Montgomery Watt goes on to bring to the fore a fundamental issue which is bound to have a direct and critical bearing upon the future of mankind. In a world so thoroughly corrupted and demeaned, is there a single universal personality whose life can inspire humanity to rectitude and hence to a moral rebirth?

Proceeding silently from the premise that Muhammad is perhaps the one and only candidate, Prof Watt puts forward a proposition. ‘Since the world is becoming increasingly one world, and in this one world there is a tendency towards unification and uniformity. Because of this tendency the day will doubtless come when there will be a set of moral principles which not merely claim universal validity but are actually accepted almost universally throughout the one world. Now Muslims claim that Muhammad is a model of conduct and character for all mankind. In so doing they invite world opinion to pass judgement upon him. Up till now the matter has received scant attention from world opinion, but, because of the strength of Islam, it will eventually have to be given serious consideration,’ he writes. ‘Are any principles to be learnt from the life and teaching of Muhammad that will contribute to the one morality of the future? Will Muslims be able to turn to the life of Muhammad and by sifting the universal in it from the particular discover moral principles which make a creative contribution to the present world situation? Or, will they at least be able to show that Muhammad’s life is one possible exemplification of the ideal man in the unified world morality? In the wider sphere of religion they have probably something to contribute to the world, for they have retained emphases on the reality of God, for example which have been neglected or forgotten in important sections of the other monotheistic religions.’

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