Peoples Daily Newspaper Nigeria

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 10 No. 27

. . . putting the people first

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Edo Assembly in rowdy session over lawmaker’s kidnap

Employ us, victims of spinal cord injury beg Niger govt

>> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 6

Rabiul Awwal 24, 1434 AH

N150

ACOMORAN rejects okada ban in Kaduna >> PAGE 5

Money laundering

Gov. Lamido’s son remanded in prison From Edwin Olofu, Kano

A

Federal High Court sitting in Kano yesterday ordered that Aminu Sule, son of the Jigawa state Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, be remanded in prison custody following his formal arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a onecount charge of money laundering.

According to the charge, “that you Aminu Sule Lamido on or about 11th day of December, 2012 at the Mallam Aminu International Airport, Kano within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court while transporting in cash, the sum of $50,000 only from Nigeria to Cairo, Egypt, falsely declared to the Nigerian Customs the sum of

$10,000 only instead of the said sum of $50,000 only as required under Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Cap F34 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section 2(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011.”

The accused person pleaded not guilty and the prosecution counsel, Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, requested that Aminu be kept in the custody of the EFCC. But the defense counsel, Efiong Efiong (SAN), argued that the accused was earlier granted an administrative bail and presented himself voluntarily.

Contd on Page 2

KANO STATE ASSEMBLY BYE-ELECTION RESULTS AS DECLARED BY INEC ON 02/02/2013 GAYA PDP ANPP DPP CPP CPC. CAP. ADC. AD. AA.

GARKO 42,696.

2,379 150 155.

979.

55.

77.

82.

44

PDP ANPP DPP. CPC. CAP. ADC. AD. AA.

53,895 2,168 174 1331 62 89 71 39

R-L: Speaker, Sokoto state House of Assembly, Hon. Mohammed Lawal Zayyana, presenting a 2013 Budget to the state Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, during the signing of the budget by the governor, yesterday at the Government House, in Sokoto.

Police ‘denote’ IED addressed to Okonjo-Iweala

By Lambert Tyem

P

andemonium broke out in the early hours of yesterday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Territorial Office of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) in Area 10, Garki, following the discovery of an alleged improvised explosive devices (IED), around the

entrance gate of the premises.

The Area 1 police command was promptly invited to scène following which the explosive was detonated.

Following the incident, rumours of a bomb explosion spread like wild fire causing traffic gridlock as motorists scampered to get away from the scene.

Contd on Page 2

PD INDEX

4th Feb., 2013

CBN RATES $ £ EURO CFA RIYAL

BUYING 154.74 242.87 211.09 0.3029 41.25

SELLING 155.74 244.44 212.46 0.3229 41.52

PARALLEL RATES EURO £ RIYAL $

BUYING 208 254.50 42 157

SELLING 210 257.50 43 158

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

23

Defence

26-27

Agric

28-29

Newsxtra

30 Men of the Police Bomb Disposal Squad examining the suspected IED at the NIPOST office, Abuja, yesterday.

UNEP report: Technical team visits Ogoniland for health impact assessment

By Stanley Onyekwere

A Between the Presidency, Ezekwesili and the accountability debate Page 4

Int’l

31-34

Strange World 35 Digest

36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-46

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

s part of effort towards implementing some of the recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report on effects of oil spill in Ogoniland, the Hydrocarbon Pollution, Restoration Project (HYPRP), is leading a technical team from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States, on a health impact study in affected communities.

Disclosing this to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, HYPRP National Coordinator, Mrs. Joy

Nunieh-Okunnu, said the team is expected to visit the site and meet with kings including other stakeholders in the affected communities, in a bid to not only ascertain the health impact of the spill on the people living there, but to also proffer practical solutions to them.

HYPRP, a special intervention unit under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, set to assume the responsibility of implementing recommendations in the UNEP report such as re-vegetation of the mangrove, health impact assessment, coastal and land restoration as well as clean-up of

the affected areas.

According to her, the technical assessment tour which is part of the UNEP emergency programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and other relevant ministries, would be working with various hospitals and community health centres in all the four local government areas that make-up the Ogoniland.

“This is not another campaign issue, but positive actions that will translate to results in our efforts to restore Ogoniland from this degradation especially its impact on health and social economic welfare of the people”, she

Police ‘denote’ IED addressed to Okonjo-Iweala Contd from Page 1 According to an eyewitness, Jibah John, a traffic officer, the parcel containing the explosive had been there since Saturday and was address to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, with a N50 postage stamp on it. He said when NIPOST authorities discovered that it was

Gov. Lamido’s son remanded in prison Contd from Page 1

He noted further that there was no need to remand the accused arguing that it would amount to an infringement on his right to freedom since it is a bailable offence.

However, the presiding Judge, Justice Fatu Riman, ruled that Aminu be remanded in prison custody until today when the court is expected to hear the application for bail.

His trial was stalled earlier when he was arraigned and the presiding judge was indisposed.

suspicious, they alerted the Area 1 Police Division On the arrival of the police, the Bomb Disposal Units cordoned off the area, instructing that people should stay 50 meters away in order for them to detonate the contents and go to their office with the cylinder.

Responding on the matter, the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba, denied that there was a bomb explosion in any part of the FCT. Clarifying the rumour to newsmen, Shinaba said the rumoured explosion resulted from the sound from a detonation carried out on the suspected explosive object by men of the Anti-bomb Squad.

He said that the sound as a result of information received by the command on the object at about 10 a.m, men from the Explosive Ordnance Department (EOD) were despatched to the scene.

“The true position is that there is no bomb anywhere in Abuja today (Monday). At about 10 O’ clock this morning, we got information that there is

something that is packaged in a carton that looks like bomb at the gate of NIPOST in Area 10.

“And because of the security situation in the country generally, the people became apprehensive and they were scared, so we had to move in promptly”, he said.

The commissioner stated that in order to avoid a similar incident in Kaduna where an explosion went off and killed a policeman, the Anti-bomb Squad men had to examine the object first before detonating it.

“It was that noise of detonation that sent down shivers down the spine of most people and rumours began to fly in the air.

“At the end of the day, what we discovered is that it is a package containing sand as well as tiles, there is nothing to indicate that it has anything to do with any form of explosive.

“It has nothing to do with improvise explosive device (IED)”, he said.

The Police urged the residents of the FCT as well as foreigners to go about their businesses saying that there was no cause for alarm.

explained.

Nunieh-Okunnu assured the visiting team led by Prof. Pat Breysse, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Prof. William Brieger, Health System Programme, Department of International Health Senior Malaria Specialist, (JHPIEGO), Dr. Eliseo Guallar, of the Department of Epidemiology and Medicine, Welch Center for Protection, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, that the community is ready to work with them to achieve goals.

She said: “Apart from visits, HYPRP intends to build centre of restoration in Ogoniland to drive the entire process, introduction of a course on the effects of hydrocarbon on human health into the curriculum of the secondary schools in the country as part of the long term solution to the problem.

Gowon, OBJ, Buhari others at Centenary flag-off

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

F

ormer heads of state, General Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, Abdulsalami Abubakar among others were among guests who witnessed activities marking the launch of the emblem marking Nigeria’s 100th anniversary billed for 2014.

The event which held at the Banquet Hall of the State House yesterday, also had president Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Leaders of the legislature, judiciary, and cabinet members in attendance.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 3

Like football coach, I'm under pressure to perform – Jonathan

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday likened himself to the coach of a soccer team who is under pressure to score goals at this crucial stage of his administration.

The President urged ministers to put in more efforts and help him prove to Nigerians that he was a good coach.

Jonathan who made the appeal when he swore in two new

ministers, Chinedu Osita Nebo (Enugu) and Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (Kebbi), respectively at the State House, said Nigerians would decide on his coaching prowess by the new vigour the two ministers intend to bring into his cabinet. The President however, did not assign potfolios to the duo.

He said: "We are admitting two new ministers into our fold. From the profile we have heard about them, they are eminently qualified

to serve this country at all levels. If it is political they are eminently qualified to serve as councilors up to the President of the Federal Republic by their antecedents.

“But then background qualification is one thing but serving as a minister is another thing because the challenges are different…

"So Nigerians are expecting that if I am bringing ministers in at this time, I must be bringing people that will

strengthen the team and make sure I bring people that will score more goals than we are already scoring.

“So it is quite challenging for me for bringing you in at this time and also to you because they will expect you to perform extremely well.

"Just like when the coach introduces you 10 minutes to the end of a game, you are expected to score the next goal…” he admonished.

Edo Assembly in rowdy session over lawmaker’s kidnap …as police investigate alleged killer grandpa From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

E

do State House of Assembly yesterday had a rowdy session following the reported abduction of member representing Esan Central constituency, Victor Edoror on Sunday evening by unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lawmaker was allegedly abducted while returning from undisclosed location in the Central part of the state.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Uyi Igbe who confirmed the kidnap of Edoror at plenary yesterday, however, adjourned the sitting till next Monday, following rising tension.

He said, the Victim was kidnapped in Irrua, administrative headquarters of Esan Central local government area of the state on Sunday evening in company of his driver.

He said, Wife of the lawmaker who intimated him, said no contact has been established between the abductors and the family.

Contacted the Edo state police spokesman, ASP Ejiroro Awahra, said the police is investigating the matter.

Meanwhile, the state police command has opened investigation on a 73 year-old grandfather, Williams Omobude Uwadia, now in police net for allegedly stabbing 27-year old man to death.

The victim identified as Gabriel Amayahu Aigbosuria, was said to have been killed by the suspect with a kitchen knife, following a disagreement.

Reports have it that the suspect was arrested at the scene of crime shortly after the alleged murder.

L-R: Chairman, National Competitive Council of Nigeria (NCCN) and Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, and Vice-Chairman, NCCN, and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, after the council was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

NASS, Demuren faceoff: Disregard Senate resolution, group tells Jonathan, Oduah

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule, Abuja & Suleiman Idris, Lagos

A

s the agitation for the removal of Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) by the National Assembly rages, the Aviation Sector Civil Society Representatives (ASCSREP) has expressed serious concern over the continued faceoff and warned on the dangers of implementing the National Assembly’s demands.

Towards this end the body cautioned that implementing the Senate’s resolution is capable of dragging the sector several years back and therefore called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah to

disregard the resolutions from being implemented.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday on behalf of the body by Comrade Saidu Razaq of the Medium Term Sector Strategy.

The statement said: “after taking a critical look at the resolutions passed by the Senate and House of Representatives and compared with the reality on ground in the sector under the leadership of the present minister in terms of recorded credible improvement in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and Safety, related functions of the NCAA and other parastatals, there was no basis for the call by the Senate to sack the Director General of NCAA,

Dr. Harold Demuren.

While acknowledging that there had been plane crashes within and outside the country prior to the DANA plane crash, the statement noted that they were handled professionally and not left to whims and caprices of political interference of legislators calling for the heads of those who have nothing to do with plane crashes.

It could be recalled that the Nigerian Senate had last week asked the Federal Government to sack the Director General of NCAA for what it described as negligence of duty and called for the revoking of operating license of DANA after considering the report of its committee on the investigation of DANA plane crash.

Former FRCN staff slams N12m suit against NNPC

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

former staff of the Federal Radio Corporation (FRCN), Mr. Geoffrey Anika, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to pay him a compensation of N12 million for the losses he suffered after a crash caused by the concrete road block/barrier mounted in front of NNPC Towers.

Anika, a former Manager News of the FRCN Headquarters, Abuja stated in the suit that his Peugeot 406, valued about N5 million, with registration number DP41EKY and chassis number VF38BR6F38140275 got damaged beyond repair in the course of the accident.

The Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) are listed as nominal parties in the suit.

Anika averred that on April 1, 2012 at about 11:30 am, while going to work at the Radio House, he drove along the road passing through the First defendant’s towers located at the Central Business District and there was no blockade.

He further averred that he used the road every day he went to work and is therefore conversant with that portion of the road to be without any concrete barrier.

The plaintiff said that the road block/barrier was mounted by officials of the first defendant (NNPC) to protect its tower on the evening of that fateful day.

Anika further averred that the concrete road block was mounted suddenly and without necessary road signs or warnings to road users.

The plaintiff said that having been using the road on daily basis without encountering any obstruction, he did not anticipate any danger and explained further that the barrier was without lights to indicate the sign of “danger ahead”.

Anika further stated that it was shortly after the accident that the officials of the NNPC who mounted the barrier went to put road signs and warnings.

The Plaintiff said that he was rushed to the hospital by passersby, adding that the first defendant abandoned him.

He said that the police investigation and eye-witness account confirmed that the barrier was mounted by the first defendant (NNPC).

Anika averred that he was barred from meeting up with all his engagements and appointments as the result of the accident and his subsequent hospitalisation, adding also that the crash had left him with a permanent chest pains that required further operation and treatment.

He said the nonchalant disposition of the NNPC toward his complaint compelled the litigation, adding that “they also failed to respond to the letter sent to them by my lawyer”.

The trial Judge, Justice Edward Chukwu adjourned the suit to March 5, 2013 for further mention or hearing.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 2013

Between the Presidency, Ezekwesili and the accountability debate

T

he controversy surrounding Nigeria's foreign reserves has heightened since last week Friday when former World Bank Deputy Managing Director, Dr. Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili accused the administrations of Goodluck Jonathan and his predecessor, the late Umaru Musa Yar'Adua of squandering $67 billion foreign reserves left by the Olusegun Obasanjo government in May 2007.

Mrs. Ezekwesili, who served as minister during the Obasanjo administration, made the allegation of financial mismanagement against the administrations while delivering a keynote address at the 42nd convocation ceremony of the University of Nigeria.

According to the former World Bank executive, the country had saved about $45 billion in its foreign reserve account and $22 billion in the Excess Crude revenue Account by the time her boss and erstwhile President Obasanjo handed over power in 2007 to President Yar'adua.

However, "Six years after the administration I served handed over such humongous national wealth to another one, most Nigerians, but especially the poor, continue to suffer the effects of failing public health and education systems as well as decrepit infrastructure and battered institutions," Mrs. Ezekwesili, who served as Education Minister in President Obasanjo's government, alleged.

But while swift and vehement in denying Ezekwesili's allegation, the Goodluck Jonathan's administration is however, short in conviction as it failed to supply figures in support of the refutal.

Instead, all the Jonathan camp could do was to challenge the two times ex-minister to provide facts to back up her claim, even as they challenged her to account for the cumulative N458.1 billion she allegedly collected when she held fort as Minister of Education between 2006 and 2007. As her answer, Ezekwesili challenged the government to a formal debate, a challenge the administration considers as unnecessary.

According to the figures obtained from the CBN by Peoples Daily, Nigeria's foreign reserves as at May 2007 stood at $43,130,301,995.21.

The breakdown put the Federal Government Reserves at $2,182,457,958.35, CBN Reserves at $31,517,490,922.57 and Federation Reserves at $9,430,353,114.29.

On the other hand, the CBN put the country's foreign reserves as at the end of last year (December 2012) at $43,830,418,364.91 representing over $700 million (specifically $700,116,369.7) growth from what obtained as at the time Obasanjo handed over to the late Yar'Adua on May 29,

As the battle of words rages between "Yesterday's Men" and "Today's Men", Aminu Imam and Abdulwahab Isa take a look at the bone of contention.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Oby Ezekwesili

2007.

According to the CBN figures, as at the end of last month the Federal Government Reserves stood at $1,173,317,563.79, CBN Reserves of $31,194,850,492.35 and Federation Reserves of $11,462,250,308.77.

However, an obviously rattled Nigerian presidency hurriedly cobbled together an informal committee made up of top administration officials to respond to Ezekwesili's allegation.

A presidential source familiar with the matter said the administration was especially rattled by the former minister's remark, and that he immediately ordered his top aides to provide a comprehensive response to the claim, considered damaging enough to incite Nigerians against the regime.

Our source said Mr. Jonathan specifically instructed his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe, to coordinate the damage control needed to check the fallout of Mrs. Ezekwesili's remark.

It was Mr. Oghiadomhe who then constituted a committee comprising the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi OkonjoIweala, her Information counterpart Labaran Maku, Special Adviser to the President on Monitoring and Evaluation Sylvester Monye, DirectorGeneral, Budget Office of the Federation, Bright Okogu and the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Nwanze Okidegbe.

Also drafted into the team are the Technical Assistant to the Minister of Finance and coordinator of the YouWin!

government finances, Mr. Maku, according to the source, was said to have requested the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Reno Omokri, to aggressively confront the former minister on Twitter and Facebook.

Mr. Omokri immediately picked up the gauntlet, using his Twitter handle to tear at Mrs. Ezekwesili and describing her conduct as resembling that of a wicked stepmother.

Another member of the task force, the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, began his own part of the assignment by launching an attack on the former minister last week Tuesday.

In a statement, Mr. Okupe accused Mrs. Ezekwesili of grandstanding and deliberately misleading Nigerians and that the administration was unwilling to take up the challenge of debating her on accountability.

Mr. Okupe said, "Ordinarily, the call by Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili for a National Debate with the Minister of Information ought to have been ignored and allowed to fall flat. However, we are compelled to respond in view of

Project, Olasupo Olusi and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe.

Our source said the team met and mapped out the strategy for an aggressive response to Mrs. Ezekwesili's remark. For a start, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala's office was mandated to provide detailed response to all the issues raised by the former minister at the convocation lecture she gave at the University of Nigeria.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala then instructed her aide, Mr. Olusi, to urgently study Mr. Ezekwesili's speech and then provide an ideal response to her.

By Saturday afternoon, Mr. Olusi, was said to have completed a draft which was then circulated to the rest of the team for review before a final copy of the government's response was sent to the information minister on Saturday night ahead of the press conference he addressed in the afternoon the following day.

After the press conference where he described Mrs Ezekwesili's claims as "fallacious", and "betraying a surprisingly limited" understanding of

“

But sophistry, we dare say, is no substitute for the truth. Therefore, until and unless the government takes up the former minister's challenge for a debate, the larger society will be left with no conclusion other than that Mrs Ezekwesili may well be right, after all.

the penchant by some highly placed Nigerians who use government offices to build up reputations for themselves and then later turn on the same government to denigrate it, just to play to the gallery and incite members of the public through dissemination of false, unsubstantiated and malicious information.

"Rather than substantiate her claims, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili chooses conveniently to grandstand, claiming that she will remain silent until "a responsible response" is given to her demand on accountability. A more rational approach would have been for her, being the Accuser or Agent Provocateur to assume the responsibility of providing the facts to back her claims.

"It is obviously preposterous for Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili to be asking for a National debate on the outlandish and reckless disinformation she made to incite the Nigerian people against the government.

This was a deliberately calculated, albeit unsuccessful effort to bring the Jonathan Administration into disrepute unjustifiably."

Sources say Dr. Okupe would continue on the campaign against Mrs Ezekwesili in the days ahead, appearing on TV and commissioning opinion articles critical of the former minister in select newspapers and websites. But sophistry, we dare say, is no substitute for the truth. Therefore, until and unless the government takes up the former minister's challenge for a debate, the larger society will be left with no conclusion other than that Mrs Ezekwesili may well be right, after all.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 5

Offa/Erin-Ile crisis: Kwara govt suspends chairmen, political office holders From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

G

overnor of Kwara state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has suspended the chairmen of Offa and Oyun local government areas of the state and all political office holders for three months for their inability to avert last Monday’s face-off between Offa and Erin-Ile communities which claimed three lives.

The governor has appointed two sole administrators to oversee

the affairs of the councils while the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim SuluGambari was mandated to mediate peace between Olofa of Offa, Oba Muftau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II and Elerin of Erin-Ile, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Ibrahim Olusokun.

The state government which made the announcement at a press conference addressed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold alongside the Commissioner for Local Government and

Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Isa Bawa; and chairman Local Government Service Commission, Alhaji Sulyman Yusuf, said the action was in accordance with local government law.

"In view of the fact that there is a clear and present danger of the breakdown of law and order, security and public safety in Offa and Erin-Ile towns and the need to take further action to prevent the deterioration of the situation, the Executive Governor of Kwara

State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Kwara State Law No. 4 of 2006 (Kwara State Local Government (Amendment) Law 2006), has suspended Offa and Oyun local government councils with immediate effect.

"All public office holders in both councils, including the chairmen, vice chairmen, councillors, secretary to the local government and supervisors are to vacate their respective offices immediately.

"In further exercise of the enabling law, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has also approved the appointment of Sole Administrators as follows: Alhaji Ishaq Abubakar, Offa local government council and Alhaji G. B. O. Bello, Oyun local government council".

The state government disclosed that it has set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry into the Erin-Ile/Offa communal crisis which has six months to submit its report.

ACOMORAN rejects plan to ban Okada in Kaduna From Nasiru Mu'azu Isa, Kaduna

T

he Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), has rejected the proposed ban of commercial motorcycles in Kaduna state.

The proposed ban will include six local governments which are, Kaduna North and South, Igabi, Chikun, Zaria, and Jema'a.

It will be recalled that the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Kaduna state government, Ahmed Maiyaki had earlier released a press statement that an agreement had been reached between the government and executives of the motorcycle association declaring their support for the government's plan to ban okada in the state.

In a chat with our correspondent, the chairman of the association, Auwalu Muhammad, refuted the claims, arguing that and said the plan does not augur well for the members numbering about 800 thousand.

Mal. Muhammad said the association did not agree to the ban but accepted to collaborate with government in ensuring that their members do not suffer untold hardship as a result of the ban.

He said the government's offer to provide the association with 210 tricycles out of 700 procured by the government is not enough, saying the offer to provide the association was made before the issue of banning okada came up.

L-R: Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck Jonathan and Kaduna state Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero, during a solidarity visit by Kaduna state indigenes to the President yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Make report of ‘Peoples Public Sessions’ public, NLC tells NASS

By Muhammad Nasir

T

he leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has urged the National Assembly to make the report of the People’s Public Sessions conducted nationwide public immediately.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the President of the NLC, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, who stated that a public session was to hold last Thursday, 31st January 2013 which was abruptly postponed by the

Speaker of the House of Reps, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal after members of the public had waited for about two hours for the session to commence.

Omar said NLC has reiterated its position that the new constitution provides for full local government autonomy as expected in a federation, while hoping that the National Assembly is not yielding to pressure from some quarters, particularly the Governors Forum who have been widely reported to be against some popular proposals on critical

sections most Nigerians advocated should be included in the new constitution.

NLC also cautioned that the National Assembly should not allow itself to be used to impose tenure elongation for any political office, including the office of the President, governors etc, as Nigerians have consistently opposed it since it was fraudulently introduced to public discourse and legislative attention during the Obasanjo administration, adding that it has opposed to it and will resist any attempt to smuggle it

into the report because Nigerians have consistently been opposed to it.

“We took interest in the proceedings of the People’s Public Sessions because we believed the leadership of the House who promised the Nigerian people that our shared views and presentations would not be supplanted with views and interests of a few politicians who wish that the resources and political direction of the country remain their exclusive preserve”, Omar noted.

2013 Hajj: Sultan tasks stakeholders on Stakeholders seek laws to protect spite of other issues and the male guardian Niger state), said provisions of some laws are hitch-free exercise incontroversy which affected some female pilgrims. whistleblowers found to be bad, and the explanation is that

By Maryam Garba Hassan

S

ultan of Sokoto and the national Amirul Hajj, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and relevant stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free 2013 Hajj exercise.

The Sultan made the call yesterday in Abuja at the opening session of a two-day Hajj Post-Mortem Conference on the 2012 Hajj.

Abubakar expressed satisfaction with the 2012 Hajj operation which he said was a success

“The issue of Muharram for our female pilgrims and some other issues should be taken care of early enough to avoid a recurrence of the confusion that happened in the 2012 Hajj’, he said.

In his opening remarks, chairman of the commission, Malam Muhammad Bello, reiterated its commitment to guarantee a hitch-free Hajj in 2013.

He said, “As a Commission, we are ready to carry out our duties to ensure that every pilgrim goes to Hajj and returns safely and we expect pilgrims to be of good behaviour while in the Holy Land”.

By Umar Muhammad Puma

S

takeholders at a public hearing on the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2011, have recommended that the bill should include provisions that will require entities to take proactive steps by putting internal mechanisms designed to encourage ethics and practices that make disclosures acceptable as well as provides protection and incentives for whistleblowers within organisations.

Chairman of the House of Reps Committee on Justice Rep. Ali Ahmed (PDP

stakeholders and the public did not show sufficient interest and participate fully in the emergence of such laws, " it is surprising that a country like Nigeria that is doing so badly on all corruption indices, has no law protecting whistleblowers from being victimised by government or employees".

He stressed that lawmaking requires public participation, expressing hope that after the hearing, the provisions will not only be consistent with national goals and philosophy, but also international obligations and the provision of the constitution.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

National ID card scheme set to take-off From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

T

he New National Identification Scheme has been described as fundamental to the improvement in security and socioeconomic development of the nation.

Kogi state governor, Capt. Idris Wada, made the assertion when the state Co-ordinator of National Identity Management Commission (NMIC), Agnes Abraham, paid him an advocacy visit on the planned identification scheme which is expected to take off soon.

Represented by his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, Wada noted that the scheme would provide a platform for checking ghost workers and ghost pensioners - a problem that has rocked the state.

Wada noted that when operational, the scheme would solve several social problems especially as the state intends to improve on its tax drive.

He disclosed that the government is happy over the birth of the programme towards having an acceptable data base for planning.

Borno governor's wife weeps over plight of widows, orphans From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

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ife of the Governor of Borno state, Hajiya Nana Kashim Shettima, yesterday wept over what she described as the sufferings confronting widows, orphans and other vulnerable people in the state.

Mrs. Shettima was speaking at the flagging off ceremony of a free vocational training for unemployed persons, sponsored by her pet project, Foundation Support for Women, Orphans and Tsangaya, (SWOT).

Delivering a speech at the event, the governor's wife could not control her emotion as she wept, saying: "our brothers and sisters, who lost their loved ones are suffering, hence there is need for urgent intervention to support them and that was why I initiated this project as part of my contribution to the fight against poverty and unemployment" According to her, the gesture was also in line with crusade Governor Shettima's administration bordering on wealth and jobs creation.

Under the first phases of the programme, Mrs. Shettima said, 41

L-R: Director General, National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), Brigadier-General Okorie Affia, Minister of Youths, Alhaji Innua Abdulkadir, and Captain of Kaduna contingent to the Games, Simeon Yakubu, during the opening of the 2013 NYSC Games, sponsored by Fidelity Bank Plc, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Employ us, victims of spinal cord injury beg Niger govt From Iliyasu Garba, Minna

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pinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN), Niger state chapter, has appealed to the state government to employ some of its members who have the qualifications to work as this will help to reduce street begging.

The secretary of the

association, Usman Nagaggo, made the plea yesterday in an interview with journalists. He said: "most of our members are street beggars; only few are working as civil servants:.

He also lamented that out of 39 inmates of the association, only few have wheel chairs with which to move around to attend to their personal needs, stating

O

wing to the deplorable state of the other access roads to the area, Ibadan residents under the aegis of "Amuloko Parapo Community" have called on Governor Abiola Ajimobi to urgently see to the construction of the Amuloko Road that links Alakia on Ife Road in Egbeda local government through Faosin, Aba Otun and Olode communities.

individuals to emulate them and extend hands of magnanimity to them.

The secretary expressed dismay over negligence of their women who find it extremely difficult to go to the hospital for their antenatal check-ups due to mobility problem and appealed to the state Ministry of Gender Affairs to look into the matter.

Woman bags three-year jail for criminal conspiracy, others From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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he Chief Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Damaturu, capital of Yobe state, has sentenced a woman to three years imprisonment without any option of fine on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy, intimidation and extortion.

Police prosecutor, Corporal Ayuba Dasughul, told the court that on January 1, 2013, at about 1330 hours, one Bashir A. Hassan of Dadin Kowa area of Potiskum town in Potiskum local government area of Yobe state reported to the police that on the December 28, 2012 at about 1000

hours, he received an intimidating phone call from one Fana Hassan, a house wife, of Dogon Zare area of Potiskum, via phone No.0810035506, who claimed to be a Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel informing him that his name is among the Boko Haram members on trial and that if he could deposit the sum of N100,000 into Ecobank account No.004747657, his name would be removed.

He told the court that same amount of money was paid into the said account in compliance with the demand and follow up investigation led to her arrest.

Ibadan community pleads with Ajimobi to of the area in the morning, as well construct major access road out as in the evening due to the increasing From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

that most of these wheel chairs are mainly donated by the Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) service providers, NYSC, National Assembly, members among others.

Nagaggo also confirmed that they have been receiving alms from Christians and Muslims who always come to their rescue, advising other spirited

The community expressed worry over the consistent traffic congestion being experienced along the only Olorunsogo/ Amuloko Road leading to Akanran in the Ona Ara local government area of Ibadan in Oyo state.

Residents of Amuloko area, as well as staff of the Ona Ara local government council head quartered in Akanran, have always been having a hectic time moving in and

population of the area and bad condition of many access roads that could have eased traffic congestion.

Many residents of Amuloko and Akanran, who could easily link Iyana Agbala, Alakia, Airport area, all in Egbeda local government area, and proceed straight to Ife and Osogbo in Osun state without first getting to Olorunsogo and Iwo Road, have continued to face the agony because successive governments in the state had abandoned the major access road.

He stated that the offence runs contrary to sections 397 and 292 of the penal code law.

The trial judge, Gambo Hussaini Jumbam, having found

the accused guilty of the offences, convicted and sentenced her to oneyear imprisonment on each of the offences, adding that the sentences would run consecutively.

'Non-adherence to rule of law, bane of Nigeria' From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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egistrar of the Bauchi Federal Polytechnic, Malam Labaran Ibrahim, has observed that there could not be any change in the nation's psyche unless the country and its people strictly adhere to the rule of law.

"So far as the country and its people do not adhere to the rule of law, citizens are not organised and leaders continued to be corrupt, there wouldn't be any change in Nigeria", Ibrahim sermonised.

The registrar who was speaking as guest of honour at a public lecture organised by the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) at the Bauchi Central Mosque, also described as lawless those who operate the nation's laws.

In a lecture titled: "Hajj Operation in Nigeria: Past, Present and Future", he said so long as those that operate the laws remains lawless, one cannot expect the citizens to be lawabiding.

The registrar who represented the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Shu'aibu Musa at the occasion, said as his personal opinion that unless those in authority refuse to receive gifts such as free hajj seats from airliners, cash or kind, Nigerian Hajj operation will continue to suffer setbacks.

He attributed the suspicions occasioned by non-compliance of Nigerians to the polio vaccination to the inability of those in authority, leaders such as the President, governors, ministers, lawmakers, emirs, among others, to publicly present their children for the vaccination exercise.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Muslim students urged to dress decently From Yusha’u Alhassan, Jalingo

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L-R: Barrister Kabiru Turaki (SAN), and Professor Chinedu Nebo, taking oath of office as ministers of the Federal Republic, before President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Police yet to get clue on medical worker’s murder From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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hree weeks after suspected hired assassins killed a staff of Grimard hospital on Saturday January 19, 2013 at Anyigba, Dekina local

government area of Kogi state, police said they still had no clue to the murder yet.

It would be recalled that four gunmen stormed the premises along old Egume road, Anyigba around 2. am and went straight

Journalists wade into Attah-Akpabio feud From Mike Etim, Uyo

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fter what seemed to be no end to altercation on number of issues bothering on governance of Akwa Ibom State between the former governor of the state Obong Victor Attah and his successor Godswill Akpabio, the correspondent chapel of the Nigeria union of journalist in the state has waded into the matter.

In a communiqué issued yesterday at the end of the January congress held in Uyo on January 30, and signed by the chairman of the chapel Inemesit Akpan – Nsoh and the secretary Bassey Bassey, the chapel expressed concern over the protracted frosty relationship between both men as seen in recent publications in the media, and urged the two leaders to show utmost restrain in their utterances both in public and private.

Their behavior, the communiqué stated, tended to expose the state to opprobrium.

It said, “congress observed

that the altercation between the two leaders is an ill wind that does no one any good noting it to heighten tension in the state”.

It would be recalled that the feud between both men dates back to 2007 when the former governor was said to have tried to drop governor Akpabio then a commissioner in his cabinet whom he had penciled down to succeed him in the last hour at the 2007 polls for his son in-law Udoma Bob – Ekarika who also was a commissioner in his cabinet.

Akpabio went on to win the nomination and later the election on the platform of PDP without Attah’s support, thus the gulf between both men.

Recent publications in the media from both camps had seen each other laying claims to execution of some projects in the state.

For instance, former governor Attah had claimed in a recent publication that he built the Akwa Ibom International Airport, a claim governor Akpabio quickly refuted.

to their victim’s room, shot him and removed one of his eyes .

The source further stated that late Mr Luke Egwu who was a senior nurse with Grimard hospital had just resumed work after a one month-long leave.

Woman seeks divorce after winning paternity suit

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housewife, Wasilat Mohammed, has returned to the Kaduna Sharia Court II, Magajin Gari seeking for divorce, two months after the court compelled her husband to accept her six-months-old pregnancy.

The court had in early November 2012, dismissed the case filed by the husband, Dahiru Maibulo, contending the paternity of the boy delivered by the woman six months after their marriage.

The presiding officer, Khadi Ibrahim Inuwa, had ruled that the pregnancy was legally his, in line with the sharia.

Maibulo had since appealed against the ruling.

The 26-year-old mother of one, yesterday asked the same court to compell the husband to divorce her, saying he had neglected her since the judgement.

The judge, however, said in spite of the appeal, Maibulo must pay N3,000 monthly for the upkeep of the child pending judgement by the Upper Sharia Court. (NAN)

The police public relation officer, PPRO who spoke to journalists in Lokoja yesterday stated that police is yet to come out with any clue on the matter, but however expressed confidence that the perpetrators would be brought to book.

Apart from the landlord and one of the co-tenants who were invited for interrogation at Anyigba police station on the day of the incidence, no further probe has been done to reveal the killers.

ewly admitted Muslim students of the Taraba State University have been advised to dress decently while undergoing their studies in the institution.

The chief Imam, Izala Juma’at mosque, Jalingo, Dr. Ibrahim Jalo Mohammed, gave the advise yesterday at the welcome Walima organized by the Muslim Students Society of the Taraba State University, Jalingo.

He said that Islam has its dress code which should not exceed the ankle for male while females clothing was expected to reach the ground saying anything short of that was unIslamic.

Dr. Jalo observed that since Islam was Allah’s religion, it must be practiced according to the dictate of the Almighty.

In message, the vice chancellor, Sani Mohammad Yahaya advised students to shun all vices inimical to the rules and regulations of the school.

Yahaya charged students to read hard and promote the good morals of the University warning that examination malpractice would not be condoned.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Ameer of the Muslims students had urged them to take their studies seriously and be the ambassadors of the MSS in their respective departments.

He said this was the second Walima organized by the Association for the Muslim students since the inception of the school and pledged to organize enlightenment programmes for Muslim students for further Islamic orientation.

Katsina varsity gets pioneer SUG From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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he Federal University, Dutsin-ma in Katsina state has elected its pioneer Students Union Government, (SUG).

Inaugurating the executives of the union, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor James Ayatse noted that the senate of the university gave the approval for the establishment of the union.

He noted that the body was established to represent the interest of the students and assist in improving their welfare.

“I hope you will work hard and lay a solid foundation for a positive leadership and partner with the university administration to produce and train students worthy of character and learning” he added.

The VC was however quick to add that the institution would not tolerate irresponsible unionism, promising that the administration would provide conducive atmosphere for learning.

Prof. Ayatse disclosed that the university has procured a 52seater bus for students movements while assuring that the university’s Library and ICT centre would soon be completed.

In his remark, the elected Chairman of the SUG, Comrade Bashir Muhammad Omenese pledged to carry the students along and partner with the university administration for improved welfare.

Others elected include, Kabir Abubakar, Financial Secretary, Mato Theddeus, SecretaryGeneral, Isa Suleiman, PRO/ Social Director and Achina Lydia Funmilayo as Treasurer.

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Members of the Nigeria National Competitive Council being inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the state, in Abuja.

PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Incoming Commander, 2 Brigades, Port Harcourt, Brigdier-General Osasogie Uzamere, receiving a handover note from his predecessor, Major-General Tukur Buratai, yesterday in Port Harcourt.

PHOTO: NAN

L-R: District Head of Ganjuwa, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu, Bauchi state governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, and commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Alhaji Mohammed Wabu, during inspection of skill acquisition centre, yesterday in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi.

PHOTO: NAN

Alleged suspected criminals paraded by Oyo state police commissioner, yesterday in Ibadan.

PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, receiving the “Do the Right Thing� plaque from Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, during an advocacy visit to the governor, recently in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

NITR senior staff down tool From Nasiru Mu’azu Isa, Kaduna

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enior Staff Association of Nigerian Institute of Tryponomiasis Research, Kaduna branch, has joined the Joint Research and Allied Institutions Sector Unions in embarking on an indefinite strike.

The industrial action was announced by the Chairman Adanma Paul during a chat with journalists in Kaduna yesterday.

Mr. Paul said the strike was called as a result of a breach of agreement between the research associations and government which was signed by three ministers- labour, science and technology and agriculture.

Among the issues in dispute, is the lack of implementation of consolidated salary for research institutes since July 1, 2009, funding of research institutes and also the establishment of a central body of research institutes to be known as NARICOM, Mr. Paul said.

PAGE 9

Wetlands Day: Group tasks Nigerians on water management

By Mohammed Kandi

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n commemoration of this year’s World Wetlands day, a Nongovernmental organisation known as the Wetlands Environmental Protection Initiative (WEPI) has stressed the importance of wetlands in Nigeria as well as the need to harness its resources towards providing excellent life for citizens.

The event, which was organised by WEPI with a theme “Wetlands and water management” was jointly

celebrated world over on February 2nd.

International President of WEPI, Dr Bolere Elizabeth Ketebu, according to a statement issued in Port Harcourt, however, cautioned “all hands must be on deck to preserve our wetlands”.

She urged the government and people of Nigeria to raise awareness on the importance of wetlands which “play an invaluable role not only in water filtration and purification but also in the storage of surplus surface water and aids replenishment of

underground water.”

Ketebu therefore warned against all sorts of human- induced abuses in agriculture, housing, infrastructural development and natural resources exploitation, saying such acts were the greatest threats to wetlands the world over.

She called for appropriate legislation that would prohibit the use of wetlands for waste disposal as well as the institution of inter-sectoral collaboration to ensure best practices in their management.

The environmental activist

also advised the Nigerian government to urgently ratify and domesticate the Ramsar Convention, as well as establish a national directory of wetlands in order of their importance for the sustainable development of the latter.

It would be recalled that following the adoption of the Ramsar Convention which drew global attention to the issue of wetlands across the world, the United Nations designated the 2nd day of February each year as World Wetlands day in 1972.

Taraba vows to eradicate polio From Yusha’u Alhassan, Jalingo

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araba state government has restated its commitment towards total eradication of poliomyelitis and other child- killer diseases.

The Acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, gave the assurance yesterday in Jalingo while flaggingoff the February 2013 National Immunization plus Days.

He urged the good people to support the intention of government and its partner agencies by ensuring that all children received the vaccines during the exercise.

The Acting Governor was represented by the Head of Civil Service Augustine Bazing.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Mustapha Hamman Gabdo said the exercise which starts from February 2-5, was aimed at complete eradication of poliomyelitis in Nigeria as well as ensure a high level of protection of our children from other vaccine preventable diseases.

He mentioned Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan as the countries with reported cases of poliomyelitis adding that the Federal Government has set a target of the end of this year for the eradication of the polio from the country.

Gabdo assured people of the state that the vaccines for the exercise was safe and free from any harmful effects and enjoined parents and care givers to ensure that their children and wards were immunized.

Responding on behalf of the partner agencies, Doctor Cornelius Ali and Ibrahim Bebeji assured their readiness to partner with the state government to eradicate polio and other child-killer diseases in the state.

They expressed concern over reported cases of rejection of the vaccines especially in the Jalingo metropolis and called for change of attitude.

People gather at the scene of a bomb scare, yesterday at the entrance of NIPOST office, in Area 10, Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Approval of Fadama partners begin in Taraba From Yusha’u Alhassan, Jalingo

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ertification and orientation of service providers of the Fadama III projects in Taraba state has commenced in Jalingo.

Speaking yesterday at the opening of the exercise, the NorthEast zonal coordinator of Fadama project, Garba Ahmad described service providers as important

component of Fadama programme whose certification became imperative because people who claimed to be experts did not give good values for the money released to them for the programmes.

He said that on many occasions, service providers just collect money for Fadama projects and disappeared pointing out that 80 percent of the funds for Fadama

projects were channeled through the service providers.

According to him, the certification exercise was aimed at checking the documents of the service providers to ensure that they meet requirement for participating in the Fadama programmes.

In his remarks, the programme Manager, Taraba Agricultural Development (TADP) Baba

Mmman Bose said the success of the success of the sub-projects of Fdama programme largely defend on the quality of service providers.

The State government coordinator of Fadama projects, Habison Timothy Zing said service providers that have been certified at the end of the exercise, would not only render services in Taraba State but in other states of the Federation.

Akwa Ibom to get medical university From Mike Etim, Uyo

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lans are underway for the establishment of a world class medical institutionThompson and Grace Medical University on an 100-acre site in Afaha Obong in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State at the cost of $1.2 billion.

Making this known at a forum where he delivered a comprehensive

presentation of the medical concept of the institution to investors in Uyo on Friday, the president and chief executive of Thompson and Grace Investment Limited, Isaac Thompson Amos, the brain behind the institution, said it became necessary to embark on the gigantic project because of the poor medical services in the country.

He said, this has led to colossal loss of lives while others seek medical

attention abroad.

Adding that key features of the university upon completion in three years, include state-of-the-art research facilities for innovative research in science, technology, medicine, biology and molecular genetics and health care services.

Others he said include 700 bed medical facilities, network of franchised ambulance clinics, stateof-the-art pharmaceutical facilities

and a hospital zone for world class hotel services for visitors to the medical facility.

He added that a number of globally renowned medical and health care institutions such as John Hopkins School of Medicine, Centre for Health System and Designs, Moody Nolan Inc, Caver College of Medicine and Md Anderson Cancer Centre, all in United States of America have already signed into the project.

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 2013

Jang explains concentration of road projects in Plateau North G

overnor, Jonah David Jang of plateau state has explained the reasoned why his administration decided to concentrate some capital projects in Plateau North senatorial zone.

Jang through the State commissioner for Information and Communication Yiljap Abraham who was on project tour of the state said the northern senatorial zone hosts the state headquarters and deserved more attention.

He said, “Being the state capital, the congestion at the city center was becoming worrisome to residents and government as well. To decongest the city center is to open up the size of the city by

constructing roads in the satellite areas so as to attract settlements there.

“Apart from efforts to decongest the city center; most of the roads in the zone were done for security reasons. One could

recall the main challenges security agencies faced in their task to stop violence in the state was access roads to some satellite communities coupled with the facts that lack of such road made some communities vulnerable to

night attacks.

“Because it was obvious that due to the terrains, the security agencies had difficulties in accessing some communities at the satellite areas, for instance the Dogo Nahawa road, Maza road etc”, he said.

Adding that, “Besides, Jos is a metropolitan city hosting residents from within and outside the state, any project in Jos is for every citizens of the state which comprises those from other senatorial zone of the state residing in Jos”.

Sale of Ilorin Eid ground: Ilorin citizens drag govt, others to court From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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ome senior citizens have filed a suit at the Ilorin High Court to restrain the Kwara State government from selling some ancestral lands in Ilorin including the Old Amusement Park to private owners.

The suit centres on the alleged sale or intention to sell what the claimants call the communally-owned Old Eid praying ground, otherwise known as the Ilorin Amusement Park.

The writ, issued on behalf of the plaintiffs by attorneys from Salman Jawondo Esq.& Saka Ayodeji Rasak Esq, of Jawondo & Co, claimed that the disputed land is also home to the statue of the Unknown Soldier.

The claimants are Dr. Ajibola Saliu Ajia, Dr. Saad Omoiya and Alhaji Saleh Duro Garba, elder statesmen and indigenes of Ilorin.

They claimed that the land was dedicated to communal use as Ilorin Muslim community praying ground in 1904 until 1977 when the Military Governor of Kwara State, Brigadier George Innih moved it to the present Eid praying ground situated at the Adinimonle (now Irewolede) Area of Ilorin, due to increased population.

"The land was never at any time acquired by any government but was part of the Ilorin community's decisions and contributions to the Islamic religious rites, practices and festivals of the community and later for the beautification of the Ilorin town and to serve as tourism, recreational, relaxation and event centre for the people of Ilorin in particular and the citizens of the state in general."

The claimants also joined in the suit, the alleged buyer of the land, Artee Industry Limited, owners of 'Park and Shop', and the wife of a former governor as defendants.

L-R: Director of Hospital Services, Ministry of Health, Dr. Patience Osinubi, and representative of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr. Samson Opalula, during the press conference on 2013 World Cancer Day, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Illegal police charges: Journalist petitions NUJ, NHRC

By Sunday Ejike Benjmain

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n Abuja-based journalist, Simon Imobo-Tswam, has petitioned the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police commissioner to the Abuja council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as well as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over allegations of “illegal detention and illegal arraignment”.

He was arraigned at the Gudu Upper Area Court on January 16, 2013 for “breach of trust and theft”.

The pioneer Abuja Bureau Chief of The Moment newspapers, who left the organisation in August 2012 over unpaid salaries, is also demanding a N10 million as compensation from the police, the return of the Picanto car which the police impounded as well as an apology in five national newspapers.

Both petitions, entitled “Petition against FCT police commissioner in respect of malicious persecution, obstruction of justice, illegal arrest, invasion of privacy, illegal search of my house, illegal detention and illegal arraignment on false charges,” were addressed to the chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (Abuja Council) and the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) respectively.

According to the petitions dated January 29, 2013 and February 1, 2013 respectively, Imobo-Tswam is alleging that although he was holding onto the Picanto following his resignation, the matter was in court as he had slammed a N200 million suit against his former employers.

The petition to NHRC reads in part: “In effect, even though I was in mourning, even though there was no complainant, and even

though the matter was in court, the police impounded the car and laptop, clamped me into illegal detention overnight, and arraigned me the following day on the trumped up charges of criminal breach of trust and theft.”

“The man, who did not pay me my salary for eight months, was not arraigned for breach of trust; the Commissioner of Police did not arraign, for breach of

trust, the man, who deducted my tax (10 percent of my salary) for almost two years without remitting it to the appropriate government bodies, for breach of trust; it was me he arraigned”.

He added: “If a neighbour or a junior police officer threatens me in the FCT, I can petition him/her to the FCTpolice commissioner.

But if the FCT commissioner himself becomes my main threat, I am really in trouble”.

Teachers are better than politicians, says Kebbi ASUSS boss From Ahmed Idris Birinin Kebbi

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he chairman, Kebbi state chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary School [ASUSS], Comrade Ibrahim Garba has appealed to the Federal, state and local governments to look into immediate problems of teachers across the country and find lasting solutions to them.

He made this appeal yesterday in Brinin kebbi at the lunching of a Programme tagged

“one secondary school, one DSTV’’ expressing dismay over the backwardness of Nigeria’s education standard.

“The reward of a teacher is in heaven but we also believe that there is part of it here on earth which we are to leave on, we believe politicians are not better than teachers but they are better paid than teachers”, he said, adding that the union, among other achievements last year organised workshop, assisted teachers affected by flood, supply

of laptop, succour to families of deceased member, sick members and also encouraged marriages among male and female teachers.

He appealed to the Kebbi state government to implement outstanding promotions, increment of allowances and other benefits.

He said that the union decried attitudes such as immoral relationship with students, truancy and abscondment, icentnde dressing and examination malpractice.

6 students win NAFDAC consumer safety awards

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ix students, two each in the junior and secondary school categories, were yesterday presented prizes for winning the 2012 NAFDAC Secondary School Consumers Safety competition in Ebonyi state.

Presenting the awards in Abakaliki, Mr. Richard Anichukwu, the head of NAFDAC office in the state, advised Nigerian students as future leaders not to patronise fake, adulterated and unwholesome

medicines.

He said that the NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) was established in secondary schools to enlighten the youth on the activities and functions of the agency.

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 2013

Salary vs. discretionary income O

ne of the ways we measure our financial success (and, in some cases, success as a person) in our society is to look at our salary.

However, just looking at your salary provides an incomplete picture or your financial situation.

This is because your salary does not always provide an accurate representation of how much discretionary income you have.

Discretionary Income In the most traditional sense, disposable income is meant by what you bring home for saving or spending after taxes are paid.

Discretionary income takes it a bit further, including what you have at your disposal for saving or enjoyment after you have made your credit card payments,

your housing payments, loan payments (such as a car loan or student loan), your utility bills, insurance and maybe even your groceries.

If you have money automatically deducted from your paycheck for savings or retirement investing, this is also taken out before you calculate your discretionary income.

Discretionary income is what you have the freedom to spend as you wish, on things that you enjoy, rather than on bills and other obligations that may not give you much pleasure.

In terms of personal finances, I believe that discretionary income offers a better picture of your situation than your salary.

Factors that Influence Discretionary Income Yes, your salary is related to

your disposable income. But what you have left over from your salary to use as you wish depends on a number of other factors, including: *Cost of housing. *Cost of transportation. *How much debt you have. *Cost of food in your local area. *Expense of your utilities These items, and others, that influence discretionary income can vary, depending on where you live.

My husband's cousin recently complained that his salary is smaller since he moved to our town in Utah, than the salary he had where he used to live in California.

My husband and I asked him, though, to take a step back and look at his discretionary income.

Lower Salary Can Equal

Higher Discretionary Income In California, even though his salary was higher, he spent more than half of his monthly income on a rented one bedroom apartment located far from his work. His family spent more on utilities, as well as on transportation and groceries.

Now they live in a twobedroom townhouse with a fenced yard, and it costs less than a third of what they paid in California.

He doesn't have to drive as far to get to work, saving them money on gas, and food and utilities are less expensive.

Indeed, once we pointed it out to him, my husband's cousin realized that in California, even though he made more, his family spent every penny on the basics of survival.

Here, his salary is smaller, but

he has more discretionary income to do things he enjoys: going to a movie occasionally, or going out to eat. Plus, his family's house is the best he's lived in since he married his wife.

Before you go off chasing a higher salary, consider the area. It could be that you enjoy a better quality of life, even with a lower salary. Salary isn't the be all and end all of income.

Paying Down Debt One of the biggest drains on income, though, is debt. No matter where you live, or how much you make, debt is an obligation that cuts into your financial freedom, and limits what you have available.

When you are paying interest, you are no longer using money for what you want. Consider paying down debt so that you have greater financial freedom, and more discretionary income.

Save cost, get the best out of your flight travels

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ave you ever thought of the benefits of cheap flights and not just that that they are cheap, you also get equal value? You may have a thousand reasons for travelling from one place to another- it could be a vacation with your family, a honeymoon trip or even a business trip.

Whatever the reason, you always want to save on travel because the more you save the more money you will have at your disposal during the trip. Cutting down travel costs will be definitely a part of your agenda if you are a typical low- budget (low cost) traveller, adventurous but prudent by nature.

Airlines all over the world offer cheap flight rates and this means you can make the most out of your love for travel. The only reason why air travel has gained more popularity in the last few years is the fact that they offer flights that some people can afford. If you look around on the internet you will notice the influx of ticket prices in

recent years, meaning that cheap air travel is now a reality that anyone can take advantage of.

It is not surprising that most people nurture the wish to travel

to distant lands, to countries faroff. Sadly, they need to reconsider their travel plans since flight rates are way too high. But that was then, a few years back. Today

most airlines have cheap options for the budget conscious air travellers. And finding cheap flights is easier than ever before, since so many booking engines and sites have started operating.

This, in turn, has also increased competition levels between different airlines and they have been forced to bring down their prices. And we as consumers receive the benefits of this increased competition in the form of cheap flight fares.

Benefits of cheap flights are many in number and the most important is perhaps the costcutting feature.

Through cheap flights, air travel becomes cheaper not just for vacationers and honeymooners but also individuals who are required to fly often. If you are one among them, it is obvious that you will try to decrease your expenditure.

In situations like this, there's no better option than a cheap air ticket. Consider a situation where you haven't had the time to make

your air travel booking on time.

If you go for a regular airline, you will have to pay a fortune even if it is a short distance that you need to cover but cheap flights come to your rescue at such times. This is one of the most important benefits of cheap flights.

For those heading overseas on a vacation, a cheaper flight means you can spend more money on your holiday. So why not save on air fares and put the money towards having fun on your vacation.

Through the web, you will not only be able to find the cheapest rates but also will be able to compare airfare rates. You will also get to avail discounted rates on air travel to specific locations on certain website. But when you are looking for cheap flights make sure that you go through all the details carefully. Check the flight schedule to the last detail. The small print is important because your negligence can land you in rather messy situations.

very hard to avoid falling into the hand of scammers.

Having some cash trickle in without too much effort is much

better than having nothing come in after exerting a lot of e f f o r t . ( S o u r c e : www.moneyning.com)

Do you know you can get paid for taking surveys?

T

echnology and the internet in general have evolved so much that those who move along with the trend get to absolutely profit from it. Being technology and internet savvy in this age and time means you do not have to pace the streets with an envelope heavy with resume seeking any job that will hire you.

Many online alternatives have emerged that can help you make money without breaking a sweat literally. One of such is by participating in paid surveys.

Quote

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches Napoleon Hill

This you can do while relaxing, watching a television show or perusing the web from the comfort of your home. You basically get paid for giving your opinion. While you cannot expect to become a millionaire by this method, it is a good nudge to not ever having to say you are broke.

Explaining the activity; paid survey is basically a type of statistical survey where members are rewarded for completing surveys. There are cash rewards and gift cards depending on the points you scored with each survey. Companies both big and small use this system to collect quantitative information about things such as products (To assist them serve customers better), entertainment, economic habits and your personal likes.

Some websites explain in detail step-by-step methods to understanding and joining the

train of paid survey money makers.

These days, it is just not enough to sit at home and agonize at Company A or Company B not calling you for a job after series of interviews; it is not an excuse that despite your many degrees, you still cannot afford some change in your pocket; all you need to do is get with the trend that even people without huge degrees under their belts practice.

Are you computer literate and intelligent? Do you have an opinion (Everyone does)? Do you want some money coming in every now and then while you either wait for the monthly salary or wait for that call to resume work? Take a right step today by reading up on paid surveys and then get started. It really will not cost you anything.

Surf the web also for much more online alternatives and try

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

I

The Arepo pipeline fires

t is said with a bit of cynicism, and some justification, that most nations scramble to learn geology before earthquake strikes, but Nigeria would never do so even after being devastated again and again. That lackadaisical attitude, for which Nigeria has attained universal notoriety, boomeranged with devastating consequence penultimate week in Arepo, Ogun state. To our horror and eternal shame, scores of Nigerians were roasted alive in the heat of the pipeline fire that raged unchecked there.

What makes the Arepo tragedy all the more nauseating is that similar fire incidents had been recorded in this same place in rapid succession, recently. And, alas, all these avoidable tragedies were caused by the desperate attempt of some citizens to scoop fuel from the pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The series of pipeline fires at Arepo is, needless to say, not an exception. Rather, it has been the security agencies that are none the wiser. The level of laxity permeating the oil corporation's security arrangement is as astounding as it is criminal.

Pipeline vandalism, it must be noted, has been a recurring decimal across the land for so long. It is an open secret that many Nigerians, prodded by either hunger- induced desperation or greed, have perished in their bid to squirrel fuel from the ubiquitous pipelines. Given this scenario, a more proactive government agency should have

accorded top priority to security. Not NNPC. Rather foresight, indolence, back- passing and shenanigans have been NNPC's stock - in- trade, even as a conspiracy of silence and criminal connivance pervades officialdom.

We are, of course, not in support of the pipeline vandals and oil thieves. We lament the many lives lost in these tragedies. May their souls rest in peace!

This is even as we earnestly urge all those being tempted to indulge in

“

One of the abiding wonders of 21st centaury Nigeria is that criminals of all hue, notably kidnappers, armed robbers, suicide bombers and pipeline vandals, often strike with impurity, our security agencies caught unawares almost all the time pipeline oil theft to spurn such temptation. Poverty is pervasive in Nigeria, we concede, but this is not an excuse to indulge in the potentially explosive adventure that has interred an untold number of people.

All said and done, the buck however stops on the desk of NNPC, its relevant sister agencies and our legion of security agencies. One of the abiding

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”

wonders of 21st centaury Nigeria is that criminals of all hue, notably kidnappers, armed robbers, suicide bombers and pipeline vandals, often strike with impurity, our security agencies caught unawares almost all the time. The irresistible conclusion is that the basic duty of all security outfits - intelligence gathering - seems to defy the best efforts of our security agencies combined. The result?

Unbridled indulgence in crime across the nation, with predictable consequences.

For a nation that squanders billions on security annually both at the federal, state and local levels, the prevailing situation is, in our view, simply unacceptable. No less sickening is the fact that none of those at the helm of affairs has ever accepted responsibility for the human tragedies unfolding before our very eyes every now and then. Amidst this security laxity, it comes as little or no surprise that some of the criminals have become emboldened to the extent of laying pipes to their homes to siphon fuel. In certain cases, some security officials, who obviously had been compromised, allegedly look the other way as criminals milk the nation dry.

We at Peoples Daily believe that this unwholesome situation has gone on for too long. Too many Nigerians have died in too many avoidable pipeline infernos. The earlier the federal government wielded the big stick against these criminals and their collaborators in the security outfits, the better for the nation.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM EDITOR, DAILY ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI

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HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU ADESOJI OYINLOLA

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 13

Ceasefire? Do not be fooled, Nigerians

By Ahmad Salkida

N

early a fortnight ago, some shadowy character by the name Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, who claims to hold a commanding position within the ranks of the dreaded insurgents, Boko Haram, announced what he called a ceasefire. He said he had sat with government officials in Borno state and they had come to the conclusion that Muslims were also suffering under the sustained atmosphere of terror the sect had visited on people of the state.

Ever since that purported ceasefire was announced, my phone has been subjected to endless calls from individuals who said they wanted to enquire from me whether there was any credibility to this. At a stage I feared that my modest handset could crash. Then a myriad of emotions took over me.

I was upset that people could not read between the lines. The same thing that got me angry and upset however turned out to be the very reason I decided to write this. For, believe it, among those who called me were highly placed security officials, local and international journalists, diplomats and a wide range of well heeled people across the cities of Nigeria. Each enquirer desired to know from me whether truly this was coming from Boko Haram?

I arrived at the conclusion that each of them, particularly those in Nigeria, who called me wanted not to experiment with their personal security but to assess truly the true situation on the ground.

In the course of one's career in journalism one has maintained a direct communication channel with the leadership of the Jama

By Paul Omoruyi

S

ome months ago, I wrote an article titled "Reuben Abati and the Intellectual Dishonesty of Nigeria Intellectuals". In that piece, I attempted to look into the man, Abati, before and after he went to Abuja. Undoubtedly, there is a gargantuan chasm between who Abati was before and after he joined the GEJ Government. I have often argued that I have no qualms with supposedly intelligent and professional Nigerians serving their country. Nigeria needs them now more than ever. They ought to serve in whatsoever capacity they can make meaning impact.

So, Mr. Abati serving as the mouthpiece of the GEJ administration is a good thing as far as I concerned.

Maybe, GEJ would have done far worse than he did in his recent CNN interview if the likes of Abati have not brushed him up a little. The disgrace would not have been only to Jonathan but to all Nigerians.

Last year, Mr. Abati wrote an article that caused intellectual diarrhea to so many Nigerians. If you missed it please find the article titled "The Jonathan they don't know". Obviously, you can tell that GEJ Administration has public perception and image issues and does not know how to turn it around. It appears Abati is also frustrated and has no iota of idea of what to do about it. The marshaling of Mr. Okupe to join the publicity-

'atu Ahlus-Sunnah Lidda'Awati Wal Jihad (Boko Haram).

My recent discussion with this same sect's leadership has highlighted a position that is consistent with the sect's declarations on matters of ceasefire or dialogue in the past couple of years. Over the ceasefire matter, the leadership of the sect is actually miffed that a nation of the profile and magnitude of Nigeria's, with the high level of intelligent people is being so easily encased in official deceit and nobody seems to be asking questions. What, however, seems to bother the leadership of the sect is how to swiftly get its information distancing itself from the ceasefire announcement to its foot soldiers, having several months ago adopted the Taliban model of suspending issuing press releases anymore; as I learnt the sect has reached out to its members asking them not be distracted.

Several layers of contractor businesses have erupted under the Boko Haram security sub-head.

One has the strong sense though that all the hoopla about ceasefire and dialogues are offshoots of the same pecuniary motives rooted in this administration's mindset. It appears that government and the security community are more interested in shadows and bubbles, such as this decidedly fictitious declaration of ceasefire by a suspicious character than in substance and clear headed engagement.

Or how else could anyone describe the make-belief, swift resurrection of Presidential official ceremonies in Borno state marked

by Vice President Namadi Sambo's trip to Maiduguri, the first by any elected official in the Presidency since the escalation of violence.

Evidently, this is intended as a Presidential celebration of some "worthy" achievement as well as a clear message to Nigerians that the country was rapidly returning to normalcy. We all pray it does. But one's information points to a different reality. That reality, sadly, is that there has hardly at anytime been a sincere interest to engage the sect in spite of what is publicly declared by officials of government. What instead has featured prominently in the minds of officials and security players is a fixation to create the impression that there exists a faction in the sect. Nothing has been spared by security agencies to build on that theory. Where and what constitute the evidence, you want to ask?

Nothing, just that pecuniary desires are better fed if you create such a bubble and feed it consistently.

And so, the whole design about a ceasefire declared by one Abdulazeez is the same bubble game. There's nothing there. The only thing one sees there is danger.

polishing stunt seemed not to be working either. The public perception of GEJ administration is still at all time low.

One would have thought that Mr. Abati learnt his lessons last year when he penned his frustration by indirectly insulting Nigerians for having such a low perception about GEJ. But it appears he did not. Abati is apparently sliding further into the abyss of un-intellectual and unprofessional miasma.

I read with dismay Abati's recent raucous and lackluster article titled "The Hypocrisy Of Yesterday's Men" published in Nigerian media outlets. I could not believe the language and tone of the article so much so that I had to read it one more time, line after line. Don't Nigerians have the right to express their views anymore? Is Mr. Abati insinuating that only jobless Nigerians express their views and participate in the governing process? If that is the case, then the GEJ administration will soon have millions of questions to address from the more than 70% of Nigerians who are currently not gainfully employed in the country.

I agree with Abati that those who contributed to the present rot that Nigeria is in should not suddenly become saints and social

critics because their hands are also full of Nigeria's blood money.

However, Abati should advise GEJ to open the files and let Nigerians know of the pilfering committed by these critics. If that is not done, then we will see their criticism as piously legitimate.

In the other parts of the article, one can see that Abati is just being reactionary in the fury of his emotions because legitimate questions are being asked. That is what I call the 'Nigerian factor' venom. Instead of taking proactive initiatives to shape things, Nigerians simply wine and dine. When the shape has finally been defined and we do not like it, then we react and start shouting.

Nigeria officials also display this attitude in the international arena. They hardly have time to sit and engage in proactively formulating global policy that is good for Nigeria. After other countries have formulated the policies to their advantage, Nigerians simply sign-off on them. They tell us not to build factories because of global warming, we comply in a jiffy.

Tomorrow, put scanners in your airport, they say yes sir. The next day, they tell them to take away all the scanners from the airport, yes sir. In fact, the Western world

Nigerians are being given a false sense of rapprochement. The security foot soldiers that find themselves regularly at the war front are being fed with wrong information about the enemy. I am not an expert in deciphering what danger wrong information about the enemy may expose the troops to but I know enough about the leadership of the sect and its protocols to know that the so called Abdulazeez is a grand fiction created by those who want to feather their personal nests.

The leadership of the sect has only acknowledged two attempts at dialogue through their rare YouTube appearances and press releases by Abubakar Shekau and Abul Qaqa respectively in the past.

It was never by some fictitious character sauntering into the gilded meeting rooms of the Borno Government House with governor and security officials in toe to discuss ceasefire. Imam Shekau, following the failure of the two attempts has said that his religion does not allow him the luxury of

“

For the benefit of those who desire truthful information, the fable about second in command within the Boko Haram sect is just what it is, mere fable. The sect runs a council of leaders with the imam as the head. There is no second in command and there has never been

engaging with the same person who has betrayed twice. I know that the leadership of the sect will not declare a ceasefire unilaterally if it has not gotten assurances from its clear and undeniable sources that the President of Nigeria is ready to give a seal of authority to its sustenance.

So who is Abdulazeez? He once called my phone and introduced himself as a Shura member in the sect, requesting that I convey some information to the media. I asked him just two questions and he had no answer. For the benefit of those who desire truthful information, the fable about second in command within the Boko Haram sect is just what it is, mere fable.

The sect runs a council of leaders with the imam as the head. There is no second in command and there has never been. Its leadership model at that level can best be understood if I bring in the catholic body of cardinals. I am not sure there is a second in command to the catholic pope.

He refers to himself as the commander of Southern and Northern Borno and doubles as a second in command to the spiritual leader of Boko Haram. How can a commander of two districts in Borno serve as second in command of an organization that has active cells and presence in many parts of northern Nigeria and West Africa? He also categorically refers to himself as a member of Boko Haram. That was it. No member of that sect in any leadership position would refer to himself that way. In effect, one's intention is to warn Nigerians to be wary and take their personal security seriously because there exists no ceasefire yet.

Ahmed Salkida can be reached at salkida@ gmail.com and @contactSalkida

The hoopla of Reuben Abati has come to know African leaders for that. They do not consult with them anymore when shaping global policies. They only call them to answer "yea" and implement them when it is time.

When the policies start biting them, then they begin to cry wolf.

It was the same reactionary attitude Nigeria officials displayed years ago when the United States government released a report that Nigeria will likely fail by 2015.

Instead of Nigeria Government officials to sit tight, analyze the report and ask for pertinent intelligence that led to that report, they went into emotional and reactionary outburst. Today, we see that report almost happening in what OBJ then called the "prophet of doom".

For too long, the venom of no one should question the "Nigeria big man" has tamed the hearts, minds and creativity of our people and have reduced us to beggars.

Those in position of authority in Nigeria do not like anyone to question whatever they do. It is an attitude so ingrained in our culture and a recipe for societal backwardness and retrogression.

And that is exactly what Abati is still preaching to Nigerians. Let President Jonathan do whatever he likes. Just sit down, look and smile. The days of unquestionable

"Nigeria big man" has gone.

Nigerians will henceforth start questioning everything and anything that involves their government. That is the only way they can hold the government accountable.

In the past three decades, if Nigerians have been questioning and engaging their government, the thievery by past and current rulers would have been drastically reduced. Again Abati is right that "Nigerians are wiser". Yes, we are.

Our mumu don do and that is the reason we will continue to beam the light on the activities and decisions of the government. So please do not attempt to shut down outspoken Nigerians that are beginning to ask pertinent questions.

I will provide a piece of advice for Abati. The panacea to GEJ's credibility, image and public perception problem is not in writing capricious, scathing and reactionary articles. It just does not work. Using derisive words to address public issues is too unbecoming and uncivil for the rational and intelligent minds. The remedy is in listening, learning, consulting, executing and delivering to the people.

Paul Omoruyi is reachable on eng.p.omoruyi@gmail. com

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 14

Complaint against Department of State Services

By Usman Nababa & Muktar Musa

A

t about 1.30 a. m, on Wednesday, 30th January, 2013, armed men, about a dozen wearing jackets with the bold inscription 'DSS', in black pickup trucks, stormed the residence of Mallam Usman Nababa, the Muslim Community Chairman at Kubwa Estate, Abuja, in a most uncivilized manner, banging on his door, shouting and threatening to shoot him if he did not open the door of his house before the count of three. His family members were terribly frightened as they thought they were being attacked a gang of robbers.

When the door was opened they forced themselves into the house without producing any search warrant, and searched all his rooms, ransacking the entire house violating their privacy and other rights in the process. They also seized their phones and demanded to know whether the Chairman knew Mallam Ishaq Abbas and Aminu Muktar these persons are the Community's Imam and Islamic teachers, these two had contact with the officers of the DSS FCT Command, when there came for inquiries earlier in the month and willing gave them their names and the Chairman's Mobile Telephone Number. They have been in the employment of the community for several years. The Chairman took them to the quarters of these teachers within the Islamiyya (Quranic School) and the officers of the DSS immediately descended on them, knocked them to the ground, pointing guns to the back of their heads and threatening to shoot them dead. Their residence was also

necessary searched and approvals n o t h i n g obtained from incriminating the FCDA for the was found and construction of yet, they were Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text the mosque taken away messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written were shown to handcuffed and contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 officials of the blind folded like words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and DSS and they hardened a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed were also criminals to to: directed to take u n k n o w n their enquiry to location where the FCDA they are since The Editor, development and still being Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, control to verify h e l d 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. these facts. incommunicado.

Email: opinion@peoplesdaily-online.com It is This is the most important to SMS: 07037756364 recent act of mention here harassment in a that the long chain of intimidations and harassment by allegation that it was close to a community was never given the the DSS and other State church. The petitioner is a fictitious opportunity to meet its accusers. institutions of the Muslim character who writes from a false Neither the FCDA nor the DSS ever Community. The problem started address. All these petitions were produced these petitioners for issues sometime in 2005, when the investigated by the FCDA and to be properly joined for a just community applied to the FCDA found to be without substance. The resolution of whatever problem for the allocation of a vacant plot of FCDA duly approved the they were complaining about. land in the estate to build a mosque. application for the allocation of the Each time a petition is dismissed Before then there was no mosque plot and also gave approvals for the for lack of substance, another is in the estate while there are several building of the mosque and work written by the same set of fictitious churches within the estate. It began in earnest. Thereafter the characters and the Muslim community leaders are invited for would appear some people were not petitions started again.

This time the petitioners found new investigation. No less than happy with the development. The file in which this application was a willing ally in the DSS. The eight petitions were written in total being processed was missing mosque Imam and some teachers to the DSS and the FCDA. The Punch of Monday 28th several times to truncate the were arrested by the DSS and process. But the community was taken to their office for January 2013 at page 69 and not deterred, and on each occasion interrogation for allegations that ThisDay of Tuesday 29th the community had new files were not disclosed. When officials January 2013 at page 35 carried opened to continue with the of the community went to the FCT identical stories of a possible process. It was obvious whoever headquarters of the DSS to outbreak of law and order in the was against the process had demand for their release, the FCDA Owner Occupier Estate over the collaborators within the FCDA issues raised centred once again Kubwa-Abuja, on the construction of the mosque. construction of the mosque.

Development Control office.

Several petitions were written They were later released after the Copies of both publications are by a certain Barrister Ishaku Golit facts were explained to these attached here. Needless to state Bakori to the FCDA Development officers. Recently, the DSS invited here that this story is completely Control Unit, against the officials of the community to their false and was deliberately construction of the mosque at its office for a chat. This oral planted with collaborators in present location on the false invitation was honoured. All the these media organization to

WRITE TO US

Oby Ekwesili vs. Goodluck Jonathan

By Femi Falana

T

wo weeks ago, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister took the Umaru Yaradua and Goodluck Jonathan Administrations to the cleaners when she accused them of wasting the $67 billion left in the Federation Account by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. As usual, the Federal Government was embarrassed by the indictment.

More so, that ex-President Obasanjo has seized every opportunity to accuse President Jonathan of incompetence, negligence and corruption. of President to superintend over the affairs of the nation. Instead of joining issues with the former Minister over the serious allegation of gross economic and financial crime the Jonathan Administration has decided to divert the attention of Nigerians by resorting to cheap blackmail and vulgar abuse.

While pleading guilty, perhaps unconsciously, to the charge of illegal diversion of the said sum of $67 billion the Jonathan Administration asked Nigerians to believe that Ezekwesili also mismanaged the billions of Naira budgetted for education under her watch. Her bona fides to accuse the Government of economic crime was challenged when the former Minister was alleged to have engaged in the questionable acquisition of a large landed property in Abuja for building a church for her husband. For being

a member of the Board of Soros Foundation the Federal Government wants Nigerians to believe that the former Vice President of the World Bank has become a foreign agent! In her reaction to the diversionary official rejoinder, the former Minister maintained her stand and challenged the Jonathan regime to a public debate on the allegation of financial recklessness on the part of the Federal Government.

Convinced that it could not win the debate the invitation was hurriedly turned down by the Jonathan regime.

It is a shame that the Federal Government has rejected a golden opportunity to call off the bluff of the arrogant officials of the Obasanjo regime who are trying to hoodwink Nigerians to accept that the Nigerian neo-colonial economy was better managed when they were in power. Instead of running from pillar to post over the allegation made by the former Minister the Jonathan regime should have explained how the Account was drawn down to service an unproductive bureaucracy and fund the thriving corruption industry since 2007. Having done that It have proceeded to ask the Obasanjo regime to account for the N26 trillion earned from oil and non oil sectors from 1999-2007.

Specifically, Obasanjo and his ministers should be asked to explain how they generated darkness with $16 billion, wasted over N1 trillion on fixing roads and

refurbishing hospitals that have collapsed, granted duty waivers worth N500 billion to a few importers, sold public enterprises worth trillions of Naira at give away prices to imaginary core investors, plundered and mismanaged the banks which have recently been bailed out with about N3 trillion. Was it not in 2002 that NNPC opened a secret account with J.P Morgan Bank when Obasanjo was the Petroleum Minister and chairman of the NNPC Board? Is it not on record that the regime illegally withdrew N1.5 trillion from the NNPC Account and distributed same to unnamed individuals and organisations? Did the Supreme Court not recently set aside one of the companies sold by the regime without following due process? Has the Senate not asked

the Jonathan regime to annul the highly corrupt privatisation exercise carried out by the regime?

Was it not Mrs. Ngozi OkonjoIweala as Finance Minister who asked Nigerians to celebrate the country's exit from the external debt trap? Did she not assure Nigerians that the payment of $12 billion to settle fraudulent external debts would free funds for poverty alleviation projects ? As the current Finance Minister and Coordinator of the economy has she not turned round to ask Nigerians to bear with the Jonathan regime for taking jumbo loans with dangerous conditionalities? On six different occasions the Obasanjo regime increased the prices of petroleum products to generate funds for education, health and job creation. Mrs. Ezekwesili may

“

For goodness sake, let the Federal Government take up Mrs. Ezekwesili's timely and patriotic challenge. But the debate should not be limited to the withdrawal of $67 billion from the Federation Account. It should be a debate on the reckless diversion of huge public funds and the gross mismanagement of the Nigerian economy since 1999

engineer a crisis from nothing, all in a diabolical bid to frustrate the construction of the mosque, give their collaborators in the DSS to opportunity to harass, humiliate members of the community and force the FCDA to withdraw its several approvals to the community to construct the only mosque in the Estate.

It would also appear the DSS was part of this conspiracy as it swooped on the community a day after the publication appeared in the Punch Newspaper by raiding the house of its chairman and arresting its Imam and teachers.

Those arrested are now labelled and being held on the ludicrous charge that they are members of the Islamic Sect called Boko Haram. Nothing can be farther from the truth. These people are well known people in the community who have been living and working for the community several years without any problem.

We are law-abiding citizens and have been living in peace with our neighbours without any problem. There has never been any complaint to the Dutse Divisional Command of the Nigeria Police Force in the FCT against the Muslim community in the Estate for any threat to peace or whatsoever.

We are being harassed because we are Muslims and have decided to build a place of worship, not an illegal and abode for undesirable characters. We are therefore praying that you use your good offices to intervene in this matter and ask the appropriate authorities to call the DSS (SSS) to order.

Chairman, Mallam Usman Nababa and Secretary, Mallam Muktar Musa wish to find out what happened to the hundreds of billions of Naira saved from the incessant fuel increases!

For goodness sake, let the Federal Government take up Mrs. Ezekwesili's timely and patriotic challenge. But the debate should not be limited to the withdrawal of $67 billion from the Federation Account. It should be a debate on the reckless diversion of huge public funds and the gross mismanagement of the Nigerian economy since 1999. After all, the debate between General Obasanjo and President Jonathan on the Boko Haram insurgency has confirmed that the genocidal attack on the innocent people of Odi in Bayelsa state in November, 1999 was a crime against humanity.

We need such a debate for Nigerians to get to know the roles played by all the dramatis personae and their imperialist collaborators that have shamelessly unleashed unprecedented poverty on a nation that has earned more revenue in the last 14 years than any other period in the history of Nigeria since the amalgamation of 1914. There should be no grandstanding on the part of each of the former and current public office holders who should be pleading "mea maxima culpa" before the people. As far as the pauperised and traumatised Nigerian citizens are concerned the Goodluck Jonathan Administration is an off shoot of the Obasanjo administration notwithstanding the ongoing intra class feud among the members of both reactionary regimes.

Femi Falana is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 15

The 'rain maker' of Nasarawa varsity (II) No person deserves to be congratulated unless he has done the best he could with the mental equipment he has under the existing circumstance… Do whatever you do so well that no man living, and no man yet born, could do it better - Benjamin Elijah Mays, ex-President of Moore College, Atlanta, USA

H

e was President of Moore College, Atlanta for 27 odd years. Benjamin Elijah Mays, therefore, knew quite a few things about leaders, management methods, and service. If there is any Nigerian he had in mind while making the above statement, it must be the distinguished scholar, educator and administrator, Prof.

Shamsudeen Onyilokwu Onche Amali.

What, you may wonder, qualify Amali, the Vice Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, for such accolade? To begin with, it is pertinent to note that he parades a glittering track record of performance and industry which preceded his present appointment. So much so, in fact that in 2008 he won the prestigious "Committee of Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities Award for Distinguished and Outstanding Contribution".

In other words, the seasoned Professor of Theatre and Drama had already earned his stripes before berthing here at Nasarawa State University (NSU). He had paid his due in the truest sense of the word. Which made his "new" assignment all the more challenging. Having sparkled in his previous duty post, Amali must now prove that his achievement wasn't a fluke. He is, in a manner of speaking,

By Bayo Oluwasanmi

O

ne of the most important and dramatic emblem of democratic citizenship is the right to criticize a government. No amount of glorious hyperbole by the government or its agents could stop critics from airing their views.

Reuben Abati's article "The Hypocrisy of Yesterday's Men" is a sharp rebuke of revolving PDP beneficiaries of political spoils.

President Goodluck Jonathan's senior adviser on media and publicity as well as Aso Rock attack dog came out swinging on past and present critics of Jonathan's administration.

I will not dignify the article by responding to the phantom of fear dressed up as substance by Abati.

However, a general comment will be in order. The write-up is undisguised propaganda ploy of Abati's pleasant fantasy to shut up the critics of Jonathan's government and hope they'll for ever remain silent.

The Aso Rock way of operating a democratic government is to hurl accusations and insults on critics who are merely expressing their democratic rights. Abati's writings are anti-democratic.

They amount to democratic apartheid to stifle the freedom of speech and freedom of expression of Nigerians. He has been consistently hostile by trying to gag, coerce, intimidate, and

'condemned' to succeed in Keffi.

But how can success be attained in a challenging circumstance where one must more or less start from the scratch?

Over there at Unilorin you had the advantage of a solid foundation and abundant resources as well as sundry other factors working in favour of the typical old university. At a young varsity like NSU, however, the reverse is the case. You are confronted with the "disability" called teething problems, insufficient resources and paucity of this and that.

"Champions," according to the legendary pugilist, Mohammed Ali, "are not made in gyms.

Champions are made from something deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision." From what this writer witnessed at NSU recently (as hinted in the first part of this piece published last week) the academic champion called Shamsudeen Onche Amali is not the type made in a gym. Rather, he is the type highlighted by Mohammed Ali; the sort of champion "made from something deep inside (him) - a desire, a dream, a vision".

If, from what you have read so far, it sounds as if one is giving the impression that Amali has already steered NSU to the Promised Land, perish the thought. What excited one that day was not the sight of a varsity that has arrived the Promised Land. Rather, what excited yours sincerely was the infectious desire, dream and vision twinkling all over the place.

Passionate desire, audacious dream

That, needless to say, is but one out of the many visionary projects that hallmark the incumbent VC's tenure; space constraint makes it difficult to cite more examples of the action administrator's r e m a r k a b l e achievements.

Suffice to say that despite the legion of teething problems confronting the institution, Amali has been doing "the best he could with asonde@yahoo.com the mental 0803-2159-249 (SMS only, pls) equipment he has under the existing the project was moving at a snail's circumstance", to quote Benjamin speed.

Consequently the Mays.

One compatriot who wouldn't university had no choice than to devote sizeable funds to hesitate to holler "amen" to that is accommodating its chief executive Hajia Jamila Mohammed, the in hotels, with the attendant executive director of Destiny Youths security and administrative International Forum (DYIF), a non challenges. Not only did Amali fast- governmental organisation. Hajia track the project, he made some Jamila, whose daughter-in-law structural adjustments in order to happens to be an undergraduate of make the facility a veritable source NSU, had branched there on her way of pride to the present and future to Makurdi. "I must confess that I am pleasantly surprised with the generations of NSU students. and noble vision translated into concrete action, that is.

Consider the ultra-modern Vice Chancellor's Lodge, for instance.

Prior to Prof. Amali's appointment

SONDE’S DIAR Y DIARY

By Sonde Abbah

“

Champions are made from something deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision." From what this writer witnessed at NSU recently the academic champion called Shamsudeen Onche Amali is not the type made in a gym.

Rather, he is the type highlighted by Mohammed Ali; the sort of champion "made from something deep inside (him) - a desire, a dream, a vision"

tremendous transformation all over the place here, " she said to me during our brief meeting. "Although there is some room for improvement, I dare say without fear of contradiction, based on what is on the ground here, that the institution's management is ahead of its time in terms of being proactive, visionary, and resourceful. " Truly so. One area NSU needs some urgent improvement, in my humble view, is in the packaging of its website. The last time one checked, some glaring copy editing errors stood out like sore thumbs on different pages (particularly the sections devoted to "About Us" and "Administration"). Consider this: "… Amali hailed from Upu-Otukpo LGA of Benue State". Really? I have confirmed from over 768,000 people that "Upu-Otukpo" is not a LGA - at least not yet. Otukpo is it.

And, by the way, would "hails from" not be a bit better in this context? Another: "Here we maximize every of our time so as to produce the best undergraduates that will not only last for the test of time but can utilize every of the available resources to produce the best result". Quite a sentence! But I digress.

As you leave the institution that day in December after a brief personal tour, exchanging views with a number of students and staff in the process, your mind shifts once again to that statement by Benjamin Mays: "No person deserves to be congratulated unless he has done the best he could with the mental equipment has under the existing circumstance…"

Ladies and gentleman, arise O compatriots, let's congratulate the "rain maker" of NSU, Keffi for doing the best he can under the prevailing circumstance.

Abati: 'The Grammarian's Funeral' muzzle voices of dissent and views diametrically opposed to the PDP led federal government.

In representative democracy, the majority that rules has all the powers over the minority that loses.

Elections have consequences. However, the succinct characteristic in the relationship between majority rule and democracy is the right of dissent. Whenever a government sees critics as enemies, and is all out to erect barriers to prevent opposing views, such government is delicately perched on the coat tail of tyranny of the majority.

James Madison warned, "If a majority be united by a common interest (corruption, fraud, repression of people's views as in the case of PDP government), the rights of the minority (those outside the ruling class) will be insecure. He said further that in order to prevent the tyranny of the majority, there must be safeguards to protect "one part of the society against injustice of the other part." The concentration of all powers in the same hands, Madison warned, "whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny." Madison's concern about the tyranny of the majority

is that the majority may not represent the whole. As in the case of the majority rule PDP federal government, the government does not represent all the competing interests of our people.

As the PDP central government has demonstrated through financial profligacy, redundant policies and programs time after time, the majority is self-interested, greedy, arrogant, ignorant, insensitive, and indifferent to the concerns of the people. The majority becomes tyrannical when the selfinterested majority does not give a damn about what the governed thinks, says, or feels.

When the majority is fixed and permanent in power for so long similar to PDP's hold on power for years now, there will be no checks on its ability to be overbearing.

Despotism, Madison insists, must be opposed "whether it came from kings, Lords, or the people."

Abati, no doubt, has taken leave of his senses. He's an obsessive advocate of anything Jonathan.

He believes the critics of Mr. Jonathan are implacably hostile to the person of Mr. Jonathan.

Abati feels the critics are not authenticated Nigerians. The battle for spin control on the views, perceptions, and criticisms of Jonathan's

administration can never be won by propaganda. Rather, it will leave Aso Rock more distracted, more disorganized, more disarrayed, and more paralyzed.

We need a debate on issues not on personalities. What Abati is doing is when the Jonathan administration is criticized, he demonized, when challenged, he demonized some more! Abati no doubt, is willing to be mean, nasty, rude, crude, and raw because he's willing to do anything to deceive the people. It has been said that "differences of opinion make horse races." But in Abati's case they do not. In his pontifical defence of a corrupt, insensitive, and ineffective government; Abati has surnamed thoughtful and creative critics as dangerous radicals.

The fact that the PDP run government supports or initiates a policy/program or enacts a law is no evidence of its wisdom. The people's interests more often than not are excluded in the PDP's scheme of things. I think it is a cruel joke on the part of Abati to attack critics of Jonathan's administration with distorting vituperations and to label them as yesterday's hypocrites.

Political struggles should not be a contest between rulers and people. For a government that

worth its salt, political struggle should be a struggle to make life happier, safer, better, and prosperous for the people. The work of a responsive and responsible government is not to transcend different interests, but to reconcile them.

In days like these when death is busy and loss is common to Nigerians, when hunger, joblessness, and homelessness ravaged the land, when young ones are written off as lost generations, when the country is headed into the abyss, no academic writing can rewrite the situation on the ground. The reality lends no evidential value to Abati's article. Abati reminds me of the great truth which Browning teaches in his poem "A Grammarian's Funeral." There he depicts a scholar "dead from the waist down" because of his fastidiousness to the practice of his craft. Like him, Abati pursues the goal of distortion and disinformation with effortless stylistic literary gem believing that will change the hard life faced by impoverished millions of Nigerians.

"The Hypocrisy of Yesterday's Men" is Abati's 'Grammarian's funeral!

Bayo Oluwasanmi can be reached on byolu@aol.com

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

NGO distributes 1, 200 mosquito nets to families

By Usman Shuaibu

T

Two middle-aged women buying roasted yam, yesterday in Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Recreation park owner cries out over alleged injustice by FCT minister

By Adeola Tukuru

A

n owner of a recreation park in Abuja, Mr. Jimmy Ineke has raised an alarm over an alleged unlawful invasion of his recreation park, Suez Garden, located in Garki, Area 8, Abuja by the police on the order of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed.

Disclosing this to newsmen at

a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, Mr. Ineke said the garden, which is located in a green area was allocated to him by a former Minister of the FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai in 2006 for a period of 30years.

According to him, he has been running the garden ever since, but things took a dramatic turn on 21 st December 2012 when a developer, one Alhaji Hassan Danbaba Marafa, a native of

Bauchi, the home state of the FCT minister came with workers and started building on his allocated plot.

All attempts according to him to get justice have proven abortive as he was detained at the Garki Police Station on the orders of the FCT minister for trespass.

“Alhaji Danbaba and his cohorts have taken over my park, caused me to be detained

despite a court order restraining them from demolishing any structures pending the determination of the Motion on Notice in the suit I instituted”.

Mr. Ineke said.

All attempts to get the Special Assistant on Media to the FCT minister, Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi to comment on the matter proved abortive as he did not pick several calls put to his mobile phone.

70 students undergoes screening for kidney disease

T

he President, Nigerian Association of Nephrology, Prof. Evelyn Unuigbe, has said that prevention of kidney disease is the best way to avoid it.

Unuigbe said this at the weekend during a sensitisation campaign and screening exercise organised for secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign was part of the association’s activities to mark its 25th anniversary.

Unuigbe said the screening for the students was to screen for risk factors and pointers to chronic kidney disease.

“The situation is so grave in Nigeria where we have found that kidney diseases affect a lot of young people between the ages of 25 to 40.

“This is an age where they are expected to be economically

productive, and contribute to national development.

“Hence emphasis is now on prevention of chronic kidney disease and detection of the early stages of the diseases, the adage prevention is better than cure is very true here,” Unuigbe said.

NAN also reports that the association had organised a “Walk for Life” as part of its efforts to enlighten the public on the need to stay healthy to prevent kidney disease.

“When you walk, you are working on yourself, on your body weight, not to get fat or obese, because obesity is a known cause of chronic kidney disease.

“Generally it (walk) keeps you healthy, not just your kidneys but also keeps your heart healthy. So we want to educate people to generally be aware of their health and walk toward living healthy,’’ she said.

Delivering a lecture on kidney

disease, Dr Oluseyi Oniyangi, stressed the need to keep the kidneys healthy because of the essential role it plays in keeping the body in good shape.

Oniyangi, who is a Consultant Paediatrician at the National Hospital, Abuja, said that kidney helps to remove water and waste products from the body.

“It also helps to produce hormones that help in producing blood. The kidney also helps to produce vitamin D and helps to keep the hormone (rennin), which is responsible for high blood pressure in control.

“The kidney also helps to regulate water in the body and helps to keep it in balance,” Oniyangi said.

She told the students that some risk factors of getting chronic kidney diseases included congenital dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, alcohol, HIV and certain

drugs.

Oniyangi advised the students to keep their kidneys healthy by eating good food, exercising regularly, and going for medical checkup regularly.

“Make sure you change your under wear daily, clean up properly and wash your hands after using the toilet and drink plenty of water to keep the kidneys healthy.

“Avoid intake of too much salt, make sure you go to the hospital early when you are sick and complete your medication and avoid indiscriminate consumption of pain killers,” Oniyangi said.

NAN reports that more than 70 students were screened to check their kidneys at the sensitisation programme.

Desk top computers were awarded to schools with first, second and third positions, while cash prices went to individuals, who excelled at the essay competition.

(NAN)

he President of Jummai Aduda Organisation (A Non-Governmental Organisation) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Hauwa Philip Aduda, has said the organisation has distributed 1,200 treated mosquito nets to families across the six area councils of the FCT. Mrs Aduda said the organisation has also empowered about 124 widows financially while 12 female children were awarded with scholarship to pursue their education.

The President, who made the disclosure while delivering her speech to mark one year anniversary of late Mrs. Jummai Tanimu Aduda, mother of Senator presenting the FCT in the Federal Constituency, Hon. Pilip Aduda in Abuja, explained that the organisation was established to focus on the welfare of the poor at the grassroots.

According to her, foodstuffs and clothes of different kinds were distributed to the rural women especially the widows, saying that the NGO would continue to improve the livelihoods of rural dwellers.

She noted that her leadership had organised workshops/ seminars on food security and sufficiency, production of spaghetti using cassava, production of tomato puree, orange juice production, cassava pellets and chips for the FCT residents to build their capacity.

She further added that a lot of HIV/AIDS sensitisation was carried out in different communities in order to enlighten the rural populace on HIV/AIDS pandemic.

She said about 80 people from the area councils were sponsored to perform pilgrimage to Mecca/ Jerusalem every year.

Mrs. Aduda said that plans were underway to focus on the developmental projects that would improve the lives of the masses at the grassroots level.

Speaking at the occasion, the Bishop of the Anglican Church of Gwagwalada Dioceses, Bishop Samari Tanimu Aduda, said that late Mrs. Jummai Tanimu Aduda created the Jummai Tanimu Organisation to cater for the less privileged ones in the society.

He called on the rich people in our society to always endeavour to carry the poor along in the area of their welfare, so that the society could be better for all of us.

Bishop Aduda explained that if Nigerian leaders placed a higher premium on the less privileged, the society would be free of social vices faced by Nigerians today.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to Peoples Daily thanked the leadership of the organisation for caring for the needy in the FCT.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 17

INSIDE FCT COURTS

Engineer admits forging COREN certificate A 57-year-old engineer, Mr Kehinde Obajimi has pleaded guilty to forging a Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) certificate before the COREN Tribunal in Abuja.

Obajimi said he was not willing to get registered but due to pressure from friends, particularly a man called Mr Deji, who is a COREN employee, he accepted to get registered.

He said Deji told him that

with his years of experience, the council would waive some parts of the registration process to make things easier for him.

Obajimi told the tribunal that he was not aware that Deji forged the certificate and that he only got to know about the forgery when the tribunal summoned him.

He said he trusted Deji to help him to do the registration because he was very busy and did not have the time to go through the process himself.

The President of Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr Mustapha Shehu, who was on the panel, said Obajimi had no reason to allow another person to do his registration for him.

He said, “for you to have studied engineering and graduated from the University of Ife, you should have known better. Your attitude makes me doubt the authenticity of your degree certificate’’.

The COREN Registrar, Mr Felix Atume, said it was very

sad that someone, who graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in engineering from the University of Ife would allow a clerk to deceive him.

He said sharp practices must be discouraged, adding that Deji, the clerk, had been sacked.

The President of COREN, Mr Ibikunle Ogunbayo, who presided over the case, said Obajimi knew the process of registration and the implication of forgery and “yet

allowed Deji to drag him into this mess.

“You have pleaded guilty and you know the implication of the offence, the panel will decide on a later date the appropriate judgment’’.

He said that the tribunal would, however, take Obajimi’s plea into consideration.

Ogunbayo thereby adjourned judgment to a later date which would be communicated to the convict.

(NAN)

Tenant held for allegedly stealing landlord’s electronic gadgets

T

Gbagi natives entertaining guests in a public function in Wuse, Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Robbery gang member get six months jail

A

Zuba Grade 1 Area Court in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) has sentenced one Saminu Ali-Abdul to six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to belonging to a gang of thieves.

The Prosecutor, Corporal Momoh Ibrahim, told the court that Ali-Abdul and one

Mahadi Nafiu were arrested during a police raid of black spots in Zuba, Abuja.

He said that during police interrogation, the convict confessed to belonging t o a gang of thieves, specialised in snatching cell phones and other valuables at RunjiZuba.

The Presiding Officer,

Malam Alhassan Kusherki, sentenced Ali-Abdul to six months imprisonment on the one-count charge of belonging to a gang of thieves with a N20,000 option of fine.

Kusherki said “the sentence is light because he pleaded guilty to his offence and because he is also a first

offender’’.

He expressed the hope that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to other of like the convict.

However, the court ordered that Mahadi Nafiu, who pleaded not guilty, be remanded in prison until March 6, 2013 or further mention.

Man, 34, bags two months imprisonment for theft

A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court has convicted and sentenced 34-year-old Gabriel Shaibu, of no fixed address, to two months imprisonment for stealing another man’s property Senior Magistrate Chinyere Nwacheonwu, who handed down the judgment, however gave an option of N2000 fine

following a plea of guilty entered by the convict.

According to the convict, “Sunday and I stole the items but Sunday was the person that sold them and gave me my share’’.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor, Corporal Paul Anigbo had told the court that the convict and his colleague, Sunday, were reported at the Lugbe Police

Station by one Hassan Aboki of Gaduwa Estate, Abuja on January 23, 2013.

Anigbo said that the convict and Sunday, who is now at large, went into the complainant’s block industry and stole his carburetor, molder and pallet.

“The security guard of the block industry saw them when

they were carrying out the act’’, he said.

The prosecutor added that the convict had earlier confessed to the police during investigation.

He added that the convict committed the offences of theft and joint act contrary to Sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code. (NAN)

he Police have arraigned Olushola Sunday of Zone 5, Phase 5, Lugbe Abuja before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for allegedly stealing some electronic gadgets.

Police Prosecutor, Corporal Paul Anigbo, told the court that the accused was reported at the Lugbe Police Station through a written petition by one Mr Kola Ajibade of the same address.

According to Anigbo, the accused is a tenant of the complainant and that some electronic gadgets suspected to be stolen were discovered by the complainant in the house occupied by the accused.

Anigbo said that the electronic gadgets discovered with the accused were two air-conditioners, one Panasonic flat screen television and one Yamaha flat screen television.

Other items are one LG flat screen television, one Samsung flat screen television, one mini washing machine, one STC standing fan and eight home theatre speakers.

The prosecutor said that three 21 inch LG television and one home theatre machine player were also discovered with the accused.

Anigbo said that the accused was unable to give a satisfactory account of those properties during the police interrogation.

The prosecutor added that further investigations revealed that the accused was already standing trial for a case of house breaking and stealing of electronic gadgets before the Zone 6 Magistrates Court.

The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Chief Magistrate Anthony Ugboi granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in like sum who must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction.

Ugboi added that both the accused and the surety must affix their passport photograph on the court bail bond and adjourned the case to February 18, 2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

FCTA solicits for partnership with security officers

FCTA denies N5bn budget for prostitutes, destitute rehab

By Sunday Etuka

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

T

he Federal Capital T e r r i t o r y Administration (FCTA) at the weekend solicited for collaboration with Senior Military contingents from Jaji, who were on study tour in to move the capital city ahead.

Speaking, through the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Ishmila Adamu, the FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed told the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Senior Course 35 Participants which paid him a courtesy call that the vision of his administration was to build a capital city that would rank among the best 20 capital cities in the world by the year 2020.

He, therefore asked the contingents to look for possible ways of helping the administration in achieving that goal.

Senator Mohammed said that the security agents have been working tirelessly to ensure that there is peace in FCT, adding that the administration has partnered with the House Committee on FCT to host a security summit where stakeholders were brought together to brainstorm and evolve ways of reinforcing the progress being made so far to combat crime and terrorism in the FCT. He listed rapid population growth due to the influx of people to the FCT, hawking, abuse of the master plan, environmental problems, stemming high rent, unemployment and resettlement of original inhabitants to make way for new development as some of the prevailing issues but however said that steps have been taken in that regard.

He added that FCTA was in constant collaboration with stakeholders, especially security Agencies, National Assembly and residents to evolve measures for effective maintenance of law and order in the territory.

Speaking to newsmen after the visit, the leader of team, Air Mashal Gambo Mohammed Ilyasu said the visit was a yearly exercise to expose the student especially the foreign ones to the environment.

According to him, the theme of the tour which was National Integration for Improved National Security was apt since it is on record that a thousand people come to Abuja on daily basis but only 200 return leaving 800.

This, according him, may pose serious security challenges as he promised to submit the recommendations of the tour to FCTA for possible implementation.

T

he Federal Capital T e r r i t o r y Administration has dismissed media reports last week alleging that it proposed the sum of N5billion for rehabilitation of prostitutes and destitute in Abuja in its 2013 budgetary proposals.

“We wish to point out that

rehabilitation of destitute and commercial sex workers (prostitutes) is part of the schedule of the Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

However, the empirical truth is that the entire budget of the Social Development Secretariat for the 2013 fiscal year is N4.7billion only.

Out of this amount, the sum of N931.3 million is for Personnel cost; N1.6billion for overhead expenditure and N2.2billion for Capital expenditure. The sum of N150million only out of this amount is for evacuation and rehabilitation of destitute, prostitutes (commercial sex workers) and other vulnerable persons,” it explained in a statement by the Special Assistant

A middle-aged man hawking baskets in Nyanya market recently.

to the FCT Minister, Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi.

It further explained that t he mandate of the Secretariat goes far beyond the task of rehabilitating prostitutes, beggars, hawkers and other groups of destitute in the FCT as it encompasses improvement of the economic well-being of FCT residents through the implementation of initiatives that

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Community demands for hospital , other facilities

T

he Etsu of Gbaupe Community in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Mr Danjuma Gajere has appealed to the Federal Government to establish a hospital in the community to boost health care delivery.

Gajere told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that lack of basic health care facility in the community affected the wellbeing of the people.

NAN reports that Gbaupe is a suburb located in Kuje Area Council of the FCT. The Etsu said lack of adequate health care facility was affecting the

community negatively, with no access to the treatment of sicknesses and diseases.

According to him, the only available health care centre in the community has just two rooms and three community health workers, established in the third republic.

He, therefore, called on government to intervene by providing a hospital, to enable the community to access health, especially ante-natal services and others.

“The only health centre we have is the one provided by the administration of the third

republic, the more reason we call on government to build a hospital for us.

“Whenever we are faced with health challenges, we often go to private hospitals in Lugbe, which most times are difficult for us, due to the high cost of transportation.

“Women go to private hospitals in Gwagwalada for ante-natal, because there are no adequate workers to cater for residents of the community, sometimes they are not available,” he said.

He decried lack of ante-natal services, access roads, potable water and electricity in the community, saying it disconnected the people

from the rest of the world.

He said lack of such facilities hindered the residents from being part of government programmes aimed at improving their lives and engendering good health care practice.

He said although the residents of the community always complied with the immunisation plus days, more was needed to be done to eradicate polio and address the malaria scourge.

He, however, commended efforts being made by the community to sensitise one another in Gbagyi dialect to health practices. (NAN)

BUSINESS

PAGE 19

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

INSIDE

- Pg 21

GTB sets up mobile money platform <<< Page 20

Mob: 08033644990

Banks mull funding strategy for power projects From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

N

L-R: Managing Director, Maersk Line, Jan Thorhauge, CEO, Africa and Middle East Region, APM Terminals, Peder Sondergaard, Senior Vice-President, Africa Region, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Lars Reno Jacobsen, and Group Chief Executive Officer, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Nils Andersen, during their visit to President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Future budgets to encourage manufacturing sector – Jonathan

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has said that the country needs to encourage the manufacturing sector in order to get out of her present economic position.

He said this yesterday when he inaugurated the 18-member pioneer board of the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria, chaired by the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga.

The President therefore stated that his administration will make sure future budgets are geared towards encouraging the manufacturing sector.

The Council is targeted at increasing productivity and sales for local businesses, and will lead to expansion and creation of more markets for products made in Nigeria.

The new board is to further demonstrate Federal Government’s determination to improve Nigeria’s global competitiveness ranking and revitalise the Nigerian economy.

The Committee’s term of reference include, to benchmark, monitor and evaluate and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness ranking; to make viable recommendation that will achieve consensus on policy measures in order to create a world class business environment and to proactively work with the private sector to improve their competitiveness and productivity.

While wishing the new board a successful tenure, President Jonathan commended the Tony

Elumelu Foundation for its contributions to the ongoing efforts to promote competitiveness in the nation’s economy.

He assured that Government will continue to support private initiatives and encourage private bodies to key into the transformation agenda.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, who also addressed the press, said the council’s objective “is to enhance Nigeria’s

competitiveness by proposing policy recommendations that will create an economy that attracts domestic and foreign investments without focusing on, or benefitting any specific interest group or sector.”He said, Members of the Aganga-led board include the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Chief Kola Jamodu; President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote;

Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mr. Frank Nweke (jnr);Tony Elumelu and Ms. Funke Adekoya (SAN).

Others are: Prof. Esogbue Augustine, Director, Emeritus at the Intelligent Systems and Controls Laboratory; Ms. Ike Yvonne, an internationally acclaimed investment banker; and Publisher, BusinessDay, Mr. Frank Aigbigun, among others.

power sector.

The strategic co-operation agreement was signed in Lagos during a meeting with President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and GE Global Chairman, Jeffrey Immelt. At the meeting, both parties agreed to explore opportunities for investment in infrastructural projects.

The agreement covers projects for the design, production and sales of GE aeroderivative gas turbine power generation packages in Nigeria and other selected

countries in Sub Saharan Africa, strategic co-operation in the independent power production sector in Nigeria with GE serving as a technical partner/potential investor and Dangote Group as financial investors.

Dangote Group and GE are to jointly invest in the upgrading and development of modern railway infrastructure for Nigeria.

They also agreed to collaborate on projects in the oil and gas sector.

Dangote, GE to collaborate on power, transportation, oil & gas

By Abdulwahab Isa

A

s part of efforts to address infrastructural gaps in Nigeria, Dangote Industries Limited, last week in Lagos signed a strategic agreement with General Electric (GE) to collaborate on power, transportation and oil & gas projects.

GE is a global leader in the design, manufacture, supply, installation and maintenance of technology and services for the

Management Tip of the Day

I

Know if your candidate is serious about the job

f you're sitting in the interviewer's seat, you might assume you have all the power. Not so fast. If you're looking for top talent, you're likely interviewing someone who has many options.

You need to spend as much time selling the job and

organization to the candidate as you spend evaluating his skills.

Instead of focusing only on things like "Tell us more about your last job" or "How are you going to add value?" ask: "If you were given this opportunity, would you take it?"

Understanding whether the

applicant really wants this job or if she is just "shopping" is a crucial part of any interview.

The answer will help you determine how much time and energy to put into a seemingly promising candidate.

Source: Harvard Business Review

igerian banks have started a collaborative effort to develop amenable financing framework that would serve as financial industry’s master template for lending and funding of the Nigerian power sector.

The strategic funding plan is being developed under the auspices of the Bankers’ Committee, with active participation of top management of all banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other key stakeholders.

The funding strategy is a linchpin in the Bankers’ Committee’s programme for 2013, which largely focused on aligning the Nigerian banking system to provide adequate financing to meet the peculiarities of the power sector.

Banks’ chief executives, Governor and top officials of the CBN and several experts had brainstormed extensively on the power sector at the recently concluded 4th annual retreat of the Bankers’ Committee.

The funding strategy is expected to provide the banking industry with a kind of master agreement or template that would foster best practices, remove inconsistency, ease access to funding and encourage regulatoroperator understanding as banks move into the still-evolving power sector.

While individual banks may adapt the funding strategy to suit its internal structure and terms, the template would provide overall guidelines, structures, terms and concepts among others for the entire industry.

The CBN would sign on the banking industry funding strategy for power sector, which would give the template a quasiregulatory status.

Banks are also expected to consider inputs of key non-bank stakeholders such as the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ministry of Power, Energy Commission of Nigeria (Encon) and NBET among others in the overall draft of the funding strategy to give the plan a higher level of general acceptance beyond the banking industry.

The funding strategy would enable banks to provide wellstructured finances to support investments in gas transmission pipelines, upstream gas developments, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) plants, gas processing facilities, key infrastructure, port, real estate, pipe milling and fabrication yards and gas supply and gas transportation infrastructure among other.

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COMPANY NEWS

DHL Express

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HL Express has appointed Femi Olaiya and Morgan Uloko as head of Customer Service Process and Performance Excellence, sub-Saharan Africa, and head of Operations, West Africa, respectively, with effect from January 2013.

Before his appointment, Olaiya served as head of Customer Service for Anglophone Africa and was responsible to design, develop and execute customer service initiatives and strategies to ensure best-in-class service is delivered to DHL customers in the Anglophone Africa cluster.

An experienced service desk and customer service expert certified by the Helpdesk Institute of London as well as a seasoned trainer and systems engineer certified by Microsoft Corporation, Olaiya has worked with numerous multinational organisations to develop their service desks and contact centres.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

GTB sets up mobile money platform From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

G

uaranty Trust Bank plc has successfully established its mobile money product as a preferred option for discerning users of alternative banking channels in Nigeria.

Coming pursuant to the license granted by the Central Bank of Nigeria to the bank for the roll-out of mobile money services across Nigeria, the GTBank Mobile Money has recorded remarkable achievement in both the download and usage of the application as a result of the Bank’s penetration strategy and world-class partnership with major Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria.

The GTBank Mobile Money service is a convenient, secure

and affordable way of sending money using a mobile phone.

The service can be accessed by users of smart phones through the various app stores or by downloading the Mobile Money application (“app”) from w w w . g t b a n k . c o m / mobilemoney.

In addition, the Mobile Money app has been automatically installed on the SIM card of all Etisalat subscribers irrespective of phone type. A distinctive feature of the GTBank Mobile Money service is its capacity to allow subscribers send cash to recipients that do not have bank accounts, and such recipients make card-less cash withdrawals from any GTBank ATM nationwide. All that the recipient needs is a mobile phone (any type) to experience the service.

GTBank Mobile Money Application operates on a userfriendly platform specially designed to enable multi-level services such as; phone to phone transfer of funds, airtime purchase, and bank account to mobile phone wallet transfer of funds amongst others.

Commenting on the development, Managing Director of GTBank, Mr. Segun Agbaje said “counting on GTBank’s robust Banking platform and advancement in the telecommunications industry, the mobile money initiative has gone a step further in bringing banking services closer to the population – especially the unbanked who are more likely to have a mobile phone than a bank account”.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc

has remained at the forefront of banking product innovations since its inception. Its most recent introductions include its SMS banking which allows customers to request for their account balances, Nigerian Uniform Banking Account Number (NUBAN) and subscribe for transaction notification service through their mobile phones. The Bank also launched the GTBank Senior Account which avails free banking services to Nigerians aged 65years and above.

Established in 1990, the Bank operates from over 200 offices in Nigeria and banking subsidiaries in Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom.

Sony

T

ime to dust off that hype machine. The next generation of video game consoles may debut as early as February 20. That’s the date Sony has set aside for an event in New York City, leading some to believe this could be the first-ever announcement of the PlayStation 4, the inevitable successor to the company’s current PlayStation 3 game system.

Attached to the invitation is a short teaser video that consists only of a trippy flythrough of the iconic PlayStation shapes, not offering much transparency as to the true purpose of the event. In any case, it has certainly reignited the buzz surrounding. next-gen hardware and added strength to rumors that Sony and Microsoft’s new consoles may debut before their traditional E3 unveiling.

Nokia

I

f you were planning to drop several thousands of dollars on a “luxury smartphone,” what operating system would you insist such an elite device rock?

According to one Russian blogger claiming knowledge of British snobphone maker Vertu’s plans, the company — which was once a division of Nokia before the company sold all but 10 percent of it last year — is looking to launch a fancy Android phone starting at 3,000 euros and running as high as $10,000 (N1,600,000).

L-R: Eze Igbo Sokoto, Chief Ozo Tony Nweke, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe, and Comptroller of Customs, Akande Adahunse, during a conference of stakeholders on Customs Services, yesterday in Sokoto.

Bradford Pharm unveils 4 products for family health medicines

By Bolaji Olasunkanmi

B

radford Pharmaceuticals Limited has joined the growing pharmaceutical industry with the launching of four brands of family health medicines: Bradmol Syrup, Bradcuff Expectorant, Bradferex Blood and Brandferon blood.

Chairman of Bradford Pharmaceuticals Limited, Hon Idowu Obasa, while delivering his speech, he said investing in p h a r m a c e u t i c a l manufacturing is an avenue to contribute to local industrialization, with the collateral benefit of creating jobs for the pool of unemployed youth.

Obasa said all the products are NAFDAC approved and with the confidence that anyone who uses them will find them very effective.

Mr. Anthony Oyawole who represented the president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) said they built it standard from the beginning and that he was part of the team that inspected their site when they started.

He commended the management for providing good health to the door steps of Nigeria.

In his remarks, Managing Director of the company, Dr Tawak Gafar promised that the drug will be available for all at a cheaper rate without reducing the quality.

Expert calls for focus on group alliance From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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he Managing Director, Riskguard-Africa Nigeria Limited, Yemi Soladoye has called on insurance underwriters to come up with products to attract business opportunities within professional groups and alliances.

Soladoye, who gave the admonition noted there are enormous untapped business opportunities within professional and cultural groups which can boost the profitability of operators.

According to him, the business culture of operators has stemmed the growth of the industry, adding that the operators are comfortable with going to brokers to collect cheques.

He said: “The business culture

of operators has not helped the situation. The operators like going to a broker to collect cheques, forgetting the fact that under the Market Developement and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI) there is focus on groups and alliances. Take for an example, a group like the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), I am sure it has about 20,000 members, if an insurance company designs a product for all members of NBA, and each of them pays N10,000 in a year, that would amounts to N200 million.

“The cost on this type of business is always low. This and many other types of business initiatives are what the MDRI focuses, which the underwriters are slow and failed to adopt”, he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 21

Digital TV does not automatically generate content – Team Leader DigiteamNigeria Engr. Edward Idris Amana is the Team Leader DigiteamNigeria, set up by the Federal Government to ensure the success of switching from analogue television to digital terrestrial broadcasting before the ITU deadline of June 17th 2015. He is also the chairman Factora consult an Engineering consultancy firm, he has over 35 years experience in Television broadcasting and has work with the then Benue Plateau Television as part of the engineering group that did the transition from black and white television to colored television in Jos, which was the first station that started colour transmission in Nigeria and indeed the West Africa region. He has held various positions in NTA as head of Directorate Engineering, and Head of Engineering department National Broadcasting Commission NBC when broadcasting was liberalized and was set up to regulate the broadcasting industry; He spoke to our Chris Alu on the task ahead of digital broadcasting and other sundry matters. Excerpts:

T

here is this misconception that the digital television will kill satellite technology what is your take on this?

That is not true; because the satellite technology and digital broadcasting are two different things. Satellite technology has been digitized long time ago, since 1996, and the terrestrial broadcasting has been on analogue all this while and what were are trying to do now is to change from analogue broadcasting on the terrestrial platform to digital platform; so, they are too separate things.

Will the transition from analogue to digital television witness the influx of too many T.V. station in the country?

No I don’t think so; it will not overflow with too many stations. Rather, it will give opportunity for new entrants into the broadcasting industry.

Moreover, there are so many untapped areas in broadcasting with very few channels to accommodate the ideas and inspirations in broadcasting; so, the digital transition will create opportunity for new entrants in the market as well as new ideas, and will enhance better programmes into the country.

Will the transition enhance our capacity to be like CNN or BBC in Africa?

Even in the analogue broadcasting scenario, we can be like them if we have the will to behave like them. Those broadcast stations that you mention did not over night come to where they are today, it took them time, hard work and commitment to personnel development, and equipping the personnel with the skills and the zeal to work; they have giving them the liberty to express themselves before arriving at that level. But that has nothing to do with been digital or non digital. Digital television does not automatically generate the content, content comes normally from individuals; it comes from broadcasters, drama and all strata of people with intellectual property. The

digital broadcasting gives you more avenues for you to express yourself so to say, but the ideas are with the people and are not with the channels.

The channel is just a road for you to carry your message from your ideals translated

into programmes that will help the people at home; so, digital broadcasting is not going to over night make us look or behave like CNN or BBC, so it is our broadcast stations that will elevate themselves to make them reach that level.

Engr. Edward Idris Amana

“

The only thing that is going to change is the signal coming from the transmitters; now, instead of the present analogue signals would be digital signals and once you have your set-up box, between your digital signal and your analogue television you are home-free; you get your reception clean and clear, even in better quality than what you used to get from your analogue T.V.

The ITU deadline for the take-off is just two years from now; As the team leader of the DigiTeam, are you not bothered?

That is why the DigiTeam was set up, to try and met up the deadline; because, by June 17 th 2015, the analogue transmission are supposed to be shut down, so, as a team leader, we are going to make sure we do our best to make sure we transit before that date, Actually, the date set by Nigeria is January 1 st 2015, so that gives us six months to the dealline date, and if there are any mistakes it can be corrected. But, the DigiTeam is working assiduously to meet up before the deadline and for the transition to be smooth and effective.

The converter or the setup-boxes are going to be manufactured here in the country how feasible is that?

It is very feasibly; that is why we are going that way. We are talking about over 20 million pieces of equipment and the economy of scale is big enough to attract any manufacturer or set-up an assembly plant in Nigeria; and we are working beyond that, because if you start the assembly of the set-up boxes, it will naturally graduate into manufacturing of T.V sets locally and infact, digital television set locally, because the set-up boxes is meant to enable people who have the analogue television, which are the majority of television owners in the country to be able to receive the digital programme that would come from the terrestrial digital transmitters in the country.

So, after the transition there would be no need for those set-up boxes; therefore, they can graduate from making setup-boxes to manufacturing T.V sets, because the set- up boxes service is already a tuner of output that you only need a monitor to be able to make it a T.V set, so, the natural progression from set-up-boxes is to go into T.V Set manufacturing, and the

Nigerian market is big enough to accommodate it; and the other thing is that we are meeting with the West African group and the rest of Africa and we have actually in-principle adopted the same technical standard, so that the sets manufactured here can also be sold in Ghana and all other West African groups or any other African country that adopted the same standard like Nigeria.

So, that is the reason why we are going the way we are going. If we are manufacturing the set- up boxes in the country, it is going to create jobs for our youths; even the installation of the set-up-boxes and setting up the analogue will also create little jobs for television installers and Antenna system around the country.

Last mile deployment seems to be one problem that the Digi Team will have to address; what is your take on this?

I don’t really see the problem in the last mile deployment; the last mile is the set-up-box to your analogue television and already you have a lot of people who are doing the installation. in fact, people who have the basic knowledge of these television sets at home, what they are going to do is to connect the existing area into the set-upbox and the output of the setup box into their television; so there is no problem, the infrastructures are on ground and are still going to be used.

The only thing that is going to change is the signal coming from the transmitters; now, instead of the present analogue signals would be digital signals and once you have your set-up box, between your digital signal and your analogue television you are home-free; you get your reception clean and clear, even in better quality than what you used to get from your analogue T.V. Would adult movies be introduced in the digital T.V. Stations?

What we are telling you about digital stations is that the existing stations like, AIT, Channels, SilverBird and every local television would give you their signals in the digital arena. Now, because there would be capacity for new entrance, new broadcasters would be licenses

by NBC, and they must follow the rules of free-to-air broadcasting; so, adult films would be checkmated and no pornography would be allowed.

So, free-to-air broadcast is still guided by the broadcasting code, which NBC has produced and review over the years. So it is not true, because every broadcast has to follow the guide lines as stipulated.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 22

Ecobank Foundation donates to Kanu Heart and Lumina Foundations From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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s part of the bank's corporate social responsibility activities reaching out to communities where Ecobank does business in Africa, the Ecobank Foundation said it has donated cash to both the Kanu Heart and Lumina foundations.

The Ecobank Foundation was created in February 1999 in Lome, Togo, by the Ecobank T r a n s n a t i o n a l Incorporated as a private sector led initiative that supports impactful projects. Its main areas of interest include; Entrepreneurial development, especially in rural communities; Education; Community development and Health.

The Ecobank Foundation achieves its purpose by partnering registered non-profit making organizations.

Handing over the donations, the Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Jibril Aku, who was represented by the Executive Director,

MD ECOBANK, Mr. Jibril Aku

Finance and Risk, Mr. Dele Alabi, said the guiding principle of Ecobank's corporate social responsibility activities is to contribute to the economic development and financial integration of Africa.

In his words: "Our main focus is to give back and contribute effectively to the societies in which we operate. Ecobank is a responsible and caring corporate citizen; assisting communities and underprivileged

groups to enhance their lives; we also encourage creativity, excellence and foster integration within the continent through the Ecobank Foundation".

According to the Managing Director, the choice of Lumina Foundation follows its recognition of the inherent threat of a weak reading culture in Nigeria and its dedicated efforts on literary advocacy amongst youths.

He also acknowledged that the Kanu Heart Foundation has done a lot since its inception to give support to the needy, especially children with heart related challenges.

The Kanu Heart Foundation received fifty thousand Dollars ($50,000) while Lumina Foundation got over sixteen million naira (N16,000,000) to support its project of printing select books by African writers and distributing same to indigent communities through its mobile library service and the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature initiated by the foundation.

N1.806trn non-oil tax revenue is dismal â&#x20AC;&#x201D;WAUTI president From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos with agency report

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he President, West African Union of Tax Institutes (WAUTI), Mr. Kunle Quadri has said that the N1.806 trillion declared as non-oil revenue in 2012 was unimpressive.

Quadri told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that there was nothing to celebrate in the data for the 2012 tax earnings from the non-oil sectors.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) tax earnings in 2012 indicated that the Service made total revenue of N5.007 trillion.The non-oil sectors generated 36.07 per cent of the 2012 net tax income. The figure was N1.557 trillion in 2011.

FIRS said that the earnings from Company Income Tax for 2012 was N847.5 billion, a

marginal increase over the N715.4 billion the service declared in 2011.

Gross income from VAT in 2011 was N659.15 billion, but rose to N710.5 billion 2012.

Quadri said that the poor tax income from the non-oil sectors in 2012 gave the impression that the sectors were underexploited.

According to him, tax revenue from education, hospitality, agriculture, finance and other sectors outside the oil and gas industry were substantial enough for government to reap bountifully if it had exploited them optimally.

"Improving the policy strategy and increasing investments in the nonoil sectors will definitely enhance government's tax income from them and also create massive e m p l o y m e n t opportunities.

"I believe that the

Federal Government can surpass its N5.007 trillion tax revenue feat in 2012 if it invigorated activities in tourism and agriculture,`` he said.

He urged the government to inject more funds into the transport sector as "much can be earned by way of tax from transportation".

Quadri, also the immediate past President, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, said that the FIRS needed to restrategise with a view to collecting more tax from taxpayers.

"FIRS should widen its dragnet to capture more taxpayers to fulfill their civic obligations to the state, `` he said.

Quadri stressed the need to judiciously implement the National Tax Policy to the letter, saying that its implementation would boost the nation tax revenue.

PEOSPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Report as at Monday, February 4, 2013

PAGE 23

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

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PAGE 25

Nigeria’s Igbo Jews: ‘Lost tribe’ of Israel?

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Shabbat service is underway at the Ghihon Hebrew Research synagogue in the Jikwoyi suburb of the nation’s federal capital territory.

Fourteen-year-old Kadmiel Izungu Abor heads there with his family.

They walk alongside stray goats on a road covered in red dust and potholes, lined with open sewage.

They are nearly 20 kilometres away from the modern multi-storey office buildings and sprawling mansions in the capital city of Abuja.

About 50 people gather in the synagogue. They pray from the Siddur, they read from the Torah and as they chant, Abor’s mellow alto begins to rise.

In a country of 162 million people tensions often lead to violent uprisings between Christians and Muslims and being part of the religious minority can be an issue.

But Abor wears his kippah and his identity with pride.

“I am a Jewish Igbo,” he says.

The Igbo are one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups with population estimates ranging from 20 to 50 million. Abor is convinced that the Igbo’s ancestors were Jews.

“The son of Yaakov, Jacob, [was] Gad and I learned that he was among those people who went out of Israel to exile,” Abor says. “So from there he had a son called Eri and a son gave birth to a son called Aguleri and that’s how the Igbo race began.”

From generation to generation, some Igbo have passed down various versions of a migration story framed around Jacob, a patriarch of Judaism.

A popular version of the narrative holds that Gad, the seventh son of Jacob, had three sons who settled in present-day southeastern Nigeria, which is predominantly inhabited by the Igbo. Those sons, Eri, Arodi and Areli (as mentioned in the book of Genesis), are said to have fathered clans, established kingdoms and founded towns still in existence in southeastern Nigeria today, including Owerri, Umuleri, Arochukwu and Aguleri.

Eze A.E. Chukwuemeka Eri, the king of a community in Aguleri, claims he presides over the throne of Gad’s son, Eri. Wearing a white shirt with the Star of David stitched on the front, King Eri points to a calendar on

Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru

the wall of his palace that lists the names of his 33 predecessors. He has no doubts that Eri is his ancestor. He has even acquired land to establish an educational center for the study of Jewish culture.

“Israelites and Igbos are brothers,” he says with a broad smile.

King Eri, like many, claims that the Igbo are the Jews of West Africa. They believe they are descendants of at least one of Israel’s lost tribes. In the eighth century B.C. the Assyrians invaded Israel’s northern kingdom forcing 10 tribes into exile.

Historians say it is not unlikely that these tribes migrated westward to Africa.

Throughout history, large populations of dispersed Jews also became “lost” through forced conversions and cultural assimilation.

“There is evidence that is scientific that the Igbos descended from the people that evolved in Israel,” says

Remy Ilona. He began investigating the stories from his youth more than a decade ago.

“When I grew up I heard, like virtually every Igbo here, that the Igbo people came from Israel,” the Abuja-based lawyer says.

His field work in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Mali led him to conclude that Igbo and Jewish culture are not just similar, but “identical.”

In his latest book, Ilona draws parallels between Igbo rituals and customs and those practiced by Jews. Shared traditional practices include circumcising male children eight days after birth, refraining from eating “unclean” or tabooed foods, mourning the dead for seven days, celebrating the New Moon and conducting wedding ceremonies under a canopy. Some historians have noted that the Igbo were practicing these customs before their exposure to the Bible and missionaries.

Daniel Lis, from the

Institute for Jewish Studies, University of Basel, Switzerland, is one of the foremost researchers on Jewish identification among the Igbo. He says there has been a clear continuity of Jewish identity among the Igbo.

“It’s not just something that happened yesterday,” he says.

The Swiss-Israeli anthropologist says that Igbo-Jewish identity can be traced back to the 18th century.

Cross-cultural comparisons have been documented by people ranging from George Thomas Basden, the influential Anglican missionary and ethnographer who proposed that the word “Igbo” evolved as a corruption of the word “Hebrew,” to Olaudah Equiano, a freed Igbo slave living in 18th century British society.

The oral stories and historic notations of cultural resemblances between the Igbo and the Jews have proven

compelling enough to lure a diverse array of people to southeastern Nigeria.

Michael Freund, an American Jew based in Israel, is planning his first trip to Nigeria to get a firsthand look at the culture of the Igbo.

“I’ve read about them but of course there is nothing like actually hearing the stories of the people themselves,” he says.

Discovering “lost” Jewish communities around the world is what Freund does.

He is the founder and chairman of the independent non-profit organization Shavei Israel.

According to its media spokesperson Arik Puder, Shavei Israel is the only organization in Israel that focuses on finding descendants of the legendary lost tribes.

He says the Israeli government does not recognize ethnic communities in various countries claiming to be descendants of lost tribes.

“They cannot prove that they have a Jewish grandfather or grandmother,” Puder says.

“But they do have an interesting story.”

Freund says he has received numerous letters and emails from Nigerians trying to connect to Israel.

But with a rising number of groups around the world attempting to link their ancestry to the ancient Israelites, he is aware that some of those claims are “wishful thinking.” He hopes that the future will yield strong genetic evidence to help the search for the lost tribes.

“As DNA technology improves there will be a growing stock of scientific evidence which can perhaps buttress the claims of an Israeli ancestry,” he says.

A 2012 documentary called “Re-Emerging: The Jews of Nigeria” featured the country’s Jewish community.

“I embrace them and support them as brothers and sisters,” he says. He ships books on Judaism to synagogues in Nigeria.

More support comes from groups like Kulanu, a New York-based non-profit group.

Kulanu assists emerging Jewish communities around the world, like the one in Nigeria. But most of the Igbo who practice Judaism were not born to a Jewish mother and have not converted according to halakhah, Jewish law, so many Orthodox Jews would not recognize them.

Even among Igbo people, the claim to be Jews elicits strong criticism. One critic, Catherine Acholonu, attributes Jewish identification among the Igbo as a result of Christianity brought by missionaries, since most Igbo people are Christians.

“Everybody is excited to say they belong to the people of the Bible because the Bible is reigning — it’s in,” says Acholonu, a prominent researcher on Igbo history and culture.

Forest Whitaker & Danny Glover reclaim their Igbo heritage

In her award-winning book “They Lived Before Adam” Acholonu proposes that Igbo civilization is older than that of the Israelites.

She feels that Igbo people are whitewashing their history and diminishing the value of their own culture by attempting to link their heritage to the Jews.

Peter Agbai, who says he is a “proud Igbo man,” strongly disagrees.

He started practicing Judaism in 1991 after leaving the Methodist

“

As DNA technology improves there will be a growing stock of scientific evidence which can perhaps buttress the claims of an Israeli ancestry

church. He says that the more he followed the commandments in the Torah, the more he realized that he was doing what his parents had always done as followers of traditional Igbo culture and spirituality.

“I have seen that the traditions of our people are similar to those in the Bible,” says the 66-yearold, making references to aspects like ritual bathing and polygamy.

Agbai is one of the founders of the Ghihon synagogue. He plays an important role as a spiritual leader in Abuja’s community of Igbo Jews.

He attended Abor’s bar mitzvah last year, an experience that Abor says made him feel like a man, and feel closer to the Jewish culture.

He wants to go deeper into Orthodox Judaism and take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

“I want to live in Israel,” Abor says. He hopes that there, he will get a better understanding of his forefathers.

CNN NewSource.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 26

Britain assures Nigerian troops of support on Mali mission Stories by Joy Baba

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he United Kingdom (UK) Chief of Defence Staff General Sir David Richards has assured Nigerian troops that led the African intervention force in Mali of logistic and intelligence support of the UK. Sir Richards gave the assurance when he paid an operational visit to his Nigeria counterpart Admiral Ola Ibrahim over the weekend in Abuja.

The UK CDS said it was very important to resolve the Mali crisis for the well being of African continent and that of Nigeria in particular noting that transparency must be a key factor in

resolving such enormous crisis.

Richards further described the relationship between Nigeria and the Britain as a historical and emotional one adding that he was in the country to meet with his counterpart to discuss and identify areas of strength on the part of the Nigerian Armed Forces and that of Britain so that they could agree on areas of support particularly regarding the Mali challenge.

Recalling his earlier visit to Nigeria in 1999 and year 2000, UK CDS said he would be more frequent in Nigeria considering the situation Afghanistan to complement her role in the sub-region.

Earlier his welcome

T

remarks, Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) Admiral Ola Ibrahim commended the UK CDS for his interest in Nigeria saying noting that the country needs great support from Britain over the crucial role she is playing in tackling the situation of terrorism in Mali.

According to Ibrahim “Your prompt decision to come and identify with over the troublesome situation in Mali which is a cause for concern to nations in the sub-region, is appreciated and together, the challenge would be surmounted.

“At the local level, we have our challenges but we cannot afford to look the other way when a

he Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has donated an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre to the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Quorra of the Nigerian Navy (NN).

The ICT centre which is a 100-seat work station centre, was said to cost around N60 million.

The centre was handed over to the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) recently at their base in Apapa, Lagos, is one of such structures constructed by PTDF in several institutions of learning.

The e-learning centre, which was established for the sole aim of encouraging computer training in the Navy, has 100 computer systems, server room and VSAT equipment amongst others. These features according to the donor will avail the centre facilities to train the officers and ratings on more advance courses such as hardware and software maintenance, database management, networking and website design.

Also, the centre would be used as an instrument for

brother African country is being consumed. So in spite

of our challenges, we have to show our support. Your coming

demonstrates your level of understanding of the

L-R: Nigeria Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim welcoming the UK Chief of Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards when he visited him in Abuja over the weekend

PTDF donates ICT centre to Navy

the promotion of academic activities through electronic academic studies otherwise known as elearning which includes all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching, including educational technology.

The centre was built under the command of the Commandant NNS Quorra, Commodore M Adeoye, and is to be managed by the Acting Commanding Officer, Computer Training School, Sub Lieutenant SV Abaver.

Commending the gesture, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, who was represented by Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) NAVTRAC, Rear Admiral Azubuike Ajuonu said the partnership was an expression of PTDF’s commitment to government’s transformation agenda in ICT noting that the centre would assist the training and retraining of both officers and men of the NN

in basic and advanced computer training.

He pledged that the officers and men of the force would make maximum usage of the facilities, adding that it would be maintained to stand the test of time.

In his response, Acting Executive Secretary PTDF, Mr. Jelomi Areyinka said asides constructing the centre; they also trained the handlers and placed great value of manpower development in the NN. In his words “This is the computer age and our mandate in PTDF is to propose a positive building of the oil and gas industry, engineering and so we are creating more centers across the country.

“We are a critical agency of government that sees about intervention in development institutions. At the last count, we have 214 centres developed in phases in educational institutes all zones.

COAS charges officers to be apolitical

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he Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika has charged officers and men of the Nigerian Army to be apolitical at all times as their major work is to protect lives and properties of

Nigerians.

Ihejirika gave the charge recently at the commissioning of some direct labour projects at the Nigerian Army Barracks, Sokoto.

The Army Chief further stated that his

challenge our armed forces will face” Nigerian CDS added.

vision which is “to transform the Nigerian Army into a force better able to meet contemporary challenges” also include troops welfare, adding that renovation of barracks are ongoing

throughout the country.

Ihejirika also said the Nigerian Army would not discriminate against any tribe or religion, emphasising that he was impressed with the quality of job

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika presenting a sourvenir to the Governor of Sokoto state Aliyu Wammako during a courtesy visit to the governor’s office in Sokoto

embarked upon by the Nigerian Army

Engineers.

He commended

that cordial relationship existing between the soldiers and the good people of Sokoto state.

… Assures that army won’t waiver in protecting Nigerians

I

n the same vein, while on a courtesy visit to Sokoto state Governor Aliyu Wamakko, Ihejirika said the Nigerian Army was poised to protect the nation’s territorial integrity and would not waiver in its c o n s t i t u t i o n a l responsibility of protecting the citizens.

He assured the governor that he would continue to do his best to transform the army by ensuring that the resources made available by government were applied towards enhancing the welfare of troops which would translate to optimal performance of the various units of the force.

The COAS told the governor that he was in Sokoto on a tour of military formations in order to see the living conditions of the soldiers.

In his remark, Wamakko lauded the

army for its role in keeping the nation united in spite of the challenges that have bedeviled the country acknowledging the commitment and sacrifice of the military towards ensuring peace and unity in the country.

W a m a k k o maintained that such

efforts by the Nigerian Army have c o n t r i b u t e d immensely to the socio-economic development of the country.

He also acknowledged the roles played by the Nigerian Army in peacekeeping keeping missions across the globe.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika making his remarks at the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar during his visit to the Sultant palace in Sokoto

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 27

Navy calls for joint patrol with Customs

T

he Chief of Naval Staff, (CNS) Vice Adm. Dele Ezeoba, has called for joint patrol with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigerian Navy to secure the nation’s maritime borders.

Ezeoba made the call when

he paid a courtesy visit to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko in his office in Abuja recently.

According to Ezeoba“It is my belief that in the nearest future we will be able to extend our

CDS commends Nigerian troops in Mali Stories by Joy Baba

T

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba

he Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim has commended Nigerian troops in Mali for their effort and contribution at ensuring peace returns to the Mali.

The CDS stated this while on tour of duty to see Nigerian Air troops in Niamey and ground troops in Bamako Mali.

Admiral Ibrahim said he was proud of the troop’s efforts so far as the report he has been getting on their conduct is on the positive side.

“We are so proud of you and happy so far about the reports we have been getting that is

very encouraging. In due course, I have every reason to believe that we will do more, because as soon as the French force disengaged, Nigeria will get busier and busier by the day.

Your place here is strategic” CDS said.

He also expressed appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan for his support to Nigerian Armed Forces and the speedy approval for the deployment of Nigerian troops adding the situation in Mali is peculiar to most African countries.

The CDS further charged Nigerian troops to relate very well with their counterparts so as to have a smooth operation.

J TF embarks on peace tour in Plateau

T

he Joint Task Force (JTF) led by the Commander of Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, Major General Henry Ayoola has embarked on a sensitisation tour in the Plateau in a bid to promote peace among warring factions and to proffer long lasting solution to the security challenge

in the area.

While addressing community leaders, Ayoola said the time has come to find lasting solution to the security challenge in the state noting that everybody should be involved in the peace building process.

He called on all warring factions in the Plateau crises to

NPA, Navy to partner on safe Navigation

T

he Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has reiterated the Authority’s readiness to partner with the Nigerian Navy to ensure safe navigation on the country’s territorial waters.

The Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi stated this while playing host to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ibok Ibas.

Abdullahi further said NPA has received additional boats that will complement the functions of Nigerian Navy.

The NPA boss added that the organization will give all the necessary support and assistance to Nigerian Navy in performing its constitutional responsibility especially in the area of strict compliance of ships at the anchorage to security regulations assuring that the Authority would liaise with the Nigerian Navy on their specification of boats when purchasing more boats in the future.

Abdullahi also appealed to the

Navy to fast track approval for NPA to dredge and widen the protruding jetty which will improve shipping operation and would be mutually beneficial to both NPA and the Navy.

Earlier in his speech, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Western Naval Command Rear Admiral Ibok Ibas commended the management of NPA for its supports and assistance over the years adding that the Navy would appreciate, if NPA would in future provide boats that are in excess of 32 meters to the Command, in order to further make the waters safer and more customer friendly since both organisations operate within the maritime domain.

The FOC who said the visit was his first outing to any establishment since he took over the office, pledged continuous collaboration with NPA by sharing in the Authority’s vision of “delivering efficient port services in safe and secure environment” for the improved economic benefits of the maritime industry and Nigeria at large.

put behind them all forms of acrimony and bitterness by forgiving one another and embrace peace, tolerance and peaceful coexistence as well as have mutual respect for one another.

In his address, the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba urged members of the task force to engage the rule of engagement by exhibiting professionalism in their conduct and remain neutral in the cause

of maintaining law and order.

Plateau State Government also stated its commitment to collaborate with the task force and any other agencies in finding lasting solution to the incessant attacks in some communities across the state.

The special task force also offered free medical services, portable water by sinking boreholes in the affected areas as well as other social amenities in order to promote peace in the state.

level of partnership by exercising joint patrols as appropriate within a clearly defined operational command and control structure”.

He further said that Nigerian Navy was constitutionally required to assist the NCS in the enforcement of customs laws and regulations adding that within the context of the emerging challenges, the two organisations needed to “strike a chord of strategic partnership” to help discharge their duties effectively.

The CNS also said it was common knowledge that security agencies tend to exercise authority “within their comfort zone.”

He, however, cautioned that such practice did not augur well for synergy of efforts, and requested for training of naval officers on items on the import prohibition list under the Nigeria customs and excise law.

Ezeoba, commended Dikko for his ongoing reforms and transformation of the NCS adding that the Navy had a lot to learn from his experience.

Earlier in his welcome address, the ComptrollerGeneral of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko assured Ezeoba that NCS would continue to work closely with the Navy, particularly in the area of operations and training.

He also said that both security agencies enjoys very “cordial and good relationship”.

“In most cases where we have had difficulties (in the waters) we have always called on the Navy for assistance” Dikko added.

L-R: Former Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR) Maj. Gen. Mobolaji Koleoso handing over to the new DAPR Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Atahiru at the Army headquarts in Abuja yesterday Photo: Joy Baba

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 2013

PAGE 28

Agricultural transformation and rural development through mobile technology (II)

By Dr. Oyeleye Olukayode

Narrowing the digital divide is not a subject of debate.

It is fundamental to the nation's goal of becoming one of the top 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020.

Nigeria presently has an estimated population of 160 million people with the number of unbanked populations placed at about 70 per cent.

Because it is upon this category of people that Nigeria depends for local supply of food,, the agricultural sector has a huge transformational prospect in this case.

It is critical and important for financial inclusion. It would serve as a key driver of funds from the informal sector to the formal/banking sector and is directly linked to economic development, hence reduction of poverty.

The introduction of mobile money services, a viable tool to provide basic financial services, by the CBN was seen as a veritable tool to create payment access to these unbanked Nigerians in the rural areas, and also help drive financial inclusion in the country. Mobile money is therefore a tool that would allow individuals to make financial transactions using mobile cell phones.

It is important to distinguish between mobile banking and mobile money. Mobile banking entails banking transactions through a mobile device such as a mobile phones or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

Mobile payments (mpayments) are financial transactions undertaken using mobile wireless device. Put in its simplest form, Mobile Banking gives you access to your bank account details and allows you to perform most banking and nonbanking transactions - balance enquiry, transfers, bill payments, purchases etc) right on your mobile phone.

In essence, you must have a bank account to use a mobile banking service. Mobile money, however, is targeted primarily at the unbanked/under-banked market segments. At the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid therefore lies a significant percentage of the unbanked and under-banked population.

Unlike the commercial banks and savings organisations, mobile money transfer (MMT) services attract no ledger fees and minimum balances.

By facilitating cheap and timely transfer of small amounts of money across large distances, MMT can improve the investment in, and allocation of, human capital as well as physical capital.

One element of banking not offered by MMT services is lending.

The advantage of Mobile Money lies in its reach to the

larger population of the unbanked/under-banked. It is a veritable tool that is capable of transforming traditional banking for those at the bottom of the pyramid to the present level.

For people who live in isolated areas, the service means no longer having to carry lots of cash to markets or towns.

It reduces the risks of losing huge amounts to banditry and theft. For people without bank

supplementary service data (USSD) transaction channels available on mobile money is another simplified advantage which the common man can use without any complication.

Nigeria is one of the fastest growing telecoms nations of the world and the adoption of mobile money will help a great deal to solve the problems associated with remittances, transactions and savings.

products and services which may eventually encourage the unbanked to own a bank account.

In Nigerian agriculture, the women occupy a significant position numerically and in terms of volume of activities.

Nigerian women farmers constitute 70 per cent of the country's agricultural workforce and produce 80 per cent of the country's food, yet most of them lack access to almost everything

Agricalture made east with the aid of cellphone. accounts, the service means they can pay cash in exchange for mobile credit, making payments and transfers and building up savings - becoming participants in an economy from which they had previously been locked out.

The cell phone is a portable, revolutionary tool. More people in the world have access to mobile phones than they have to running water, electricity, or even toilets.

It comes across as a tool for bringing the rural dwellers into the mainstream economies. As of May 2012, Nigeria's mobile telecommunications subscribers' base hit 101.1 million. According to the African Journal of Business Management, published on 15 February, 2012, majority, about 70 per cent of the population in developing countries, particularly in Africa, live in rural areas and have no access to financial services.

The benefits of mobile money implementation in Nigeria to all stakeholders are enormous.

Mobile money and mobile banking will increase the number of customers' reach particularly at places where the banks ordinarily would not have gained access to or where setting up a bank branch would not have made a good business justification in terms of running cost. For the beneficiaries, in addition to mobile apps that are common to mobile banking and mobile money, short messages services (SMS) and unstructured

Analysts at Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited stated that the high level of mobile telecommunications penetration, placed at over 105 million by data in the country, released by the Nigerian Communications Commission, is expected to translate into an increase in bankable Nigerians if properly harnessed.

The mobile operators obviously have a greater access to a large percentage of the population as well as to infrastructure for the deployment of the mobile money service.

A senior executive at Accenture Nigeria recently posited that the success of mobile money services, acceptance of the services by the rural dwellers and investment in mobile payment infrastructure would only come when people realise the opportunities inherent in that industry.

She noted that capital would always go to where there is an opportunity, adding that mobile money subscribers far outnumber personal computer users and the banked in Nigeria; a great opportunity the providers have failed to utilise.

It is hoped that over time, mobile money operators - most especially the banks - will leverage on the database of their unbanked and under-banked mobile money users to gain market insight and for marketing purposes for other banking

that could make farming worthwhile and gainful.

They are not only susceptible to the whims and caprices of weather; they also face challenges such as lack of funds, inadequate agricultural information, inability to preserve farm produce, and poor access to the market.

Others are lack of information about crop production, pest control, treatment of animals, economic and health information.

The time has come for Nigeria, a developing country, to enhance the contribution of women entrepreneurs to the creation of meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities and poverty alleviation.

Improving access to financial services, including savings accounts, can make all the difference.

Women are considered good savers, and research has demonstrated that they are more likely to reinvest their savings in their families and communities.

The World Bank notes that gender equality is smart economics as it can raise productivity, improve other development outcomes, including prospects for the next generation, and contribute to more representative decision making in societies.

However, various researches have shown that one of the easiest ways to enhance financial

inclusion is by enhancing women's welfare and participation in the nation's economy.

Women, especially, have a niche in rural agriculture, operating at various points, and sometimes throughout the length, of commodity value chains. It is therefore imperative for the female farmers to have access to adequate information in order to boost agricultural and rural development. The plight of the female, rural-based farmers has received attention of Nigerian government at the highest level. In this context, the mobile phone, as a device, can turn the lives of rural female farmers around. According to experts, the mobile phone is both an engine of opportunity and convenience.

Recognising that ICT holds great potential for rural dwellers, particularly female farmers, President Goodluck Jonathan, in his widely reported 2013 budget presentation to a joint session of the National Assembly, said his administration will give millions of mobile phones to women farmers.

President Jonathan, who describes this as part of efforts to prove the gender friendliness of his administration, said: "To further integrate women in the various sectors, we have developed an innovative approach to mainstreaming gender issues starting with five pilot ministries - agriculture, health, communication technology, water resources and works."

The president had explained that "these ministries are signing MOUs with the Ministry of Women Affairs to deliver on specific services for women. " According to him: "The Ministry of Agriculture, for example, will work with its ICT counterpart to ensure that five million women farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs receive mobile phones to be able to access information on agroinputs through an e-wallet scheme," and announced that "N3bn has been set aside to be disbursed to participating MDAs as incentives for them to deliver on these targets."

In a December 25, 2012 edition of the Punch newspaper, Chairperson, Women in Technology in Nigeria, Mrs. Martha Omoekpen Alade, who lauded the gesture, said: "It is an excellent initiative.

Rural women need such to keep abreast of technology.

This will, to a great extent, bridge the digital divide.

Rural women are important to economic stability.

It is a good thing the Federal Government is positively gender sensitive. " She revealed that WITIN has developed a mobile app for illiterate rural women, adding that the app currently runs on affordable mobile phones.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 2013

PAGE 29

Nigeria has over 8, 000 species of medicinal plants, says NMPDC

By Mohammed Kandi

F

ollowing the announcement

by Minister of State for Agriculture andRural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, that the ministry was ready to inaugurate about 62 agro input centres across the country, the minister has commissioned a One-Stop-Sales outlet for Moringa Oleifera and Artemisia plant products.

While speaking at the commissioning of the outlet on Thursday in Abuja, Managing Director, Nigerian Medicinal Plants Development Company (NMPDC) Hajia Zainab Sheriff, informed that the country has

about 8,000 species of medicinal plants untapped, urging that the plants must be promoted in comparison to other foreign herbal products.

Sheriff, who noted that the concept of harnessing the potentials of the small medicinal plants in the country was in line with Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), advocates the promoting of home made products so as to create job opportunites for the Nigeria's teeming youth population.

She also expressed optimism that the company would by 2014 showcase other products that are commercially viable to the attract investors.

In his remarks, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, charged the youths to emulate their contemporaries in othe parts of the world, calling them to ensure value addition to some of the natural medicinal plants in the country and run the job as a business venture.

The minister said that adding value to some of the natural plants the country has, will not only help in medicinal purposes but also boostthe country's business project within the value chain.

"We need people who are innovative; who can add value to what we have. We have so many products but value has not been added to them; moringaprovides

very high quality products, herbiscus is one of the best medicines for high blood pressure," he explained.

"The youths, especially, must take advantage of these plants, add value to it so that we can begin to show case them; they have business potentials," he said.

He reiterated the present administration's commitment to compete with the world in showcasing Nigeria's agricultural products, saying that it would attract youths into agro-business.

According to him, "Moringa Oleifera has been identified as one of the best immune boosting plants, that has the potential to improve nutrition and it is also a

natural antioxidant and a nutritional supplement, while Artemisia Annua is used by Chinese herbalists in ancient times to treat fever but neutralised throughout the world and it is also an anti-malaria herb."

The minister said that in as much as taking natural plants was encouraged among the people; the contents of such products must be well known and familiar among the people to avoid complications.

"We have so many plants with so many medicinal purposes and people get all sorts of medication from them without knowing their contents. You must take the natural medication that its contents are known," he said.

He also said that Nigerians must begin to "accept and patronize our home made products which are far better than the foreign ones."

FG to provide feeds, fingerlings to fish farmers

T

he Federal Government on Tuesday pledged to provide fish feeds and fingerlings to boost fish production in the country.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, said artisan fish farmers would be the target beneficiaries.

Tijani spoke in Abuja at a meeting with the officials of the Nigerian Union of Fishermen and Seafood dealers (NUFAS).

He said that the ministry had reviewed the registration forms for farmers under the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) to provide fish feeds and fingerlings to the farmers.

The minister noted that ` without fishery, the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) was incomplete''.

Tijani said that the FAO had recognised the fish sub-sector as the fastest growing sub-sector in the country's food security quota. ``Bayelsa, Kogi states and other flood affected areas will be given free input first, while others will receive fish feeds at 50 per cent subsidy but free fingerlings."

He listed outboard engines, fish nets, twines and water testing kit, among other input, to be provided also at subsidised rates to the farmers to boost production.

The minister also said that the programme was expected to boost the supply of additional 200,000 tonnes of fish and additional number of job opportunities in the sub-sector.

Earlier, Mr Anthony Ashagye, President of NUFAS, reiterated the union's readiness to partner with the ministry to achieve the objective of ATA. "The transformation agenda of Mr President, the MDGS target of 2015 and the Vision 20:2020 can be achieved if the core fishermen and fish farmers were carried along in the policy and management.

"NUFAS is ready to partner with the ministry to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of fish to reduce diseases and death in the society in line with the ATA,'' he said. (NAN)

Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, commisioning a One-Stop-Sales outlet for Moringa Oleifera and Artemisia plant productsnin Abuja recently.

Release grains from reserves-- Benue Perm. Sec.

P

ermanent Secretary, Benue Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Andy Uwouku, has urged the Federal Government to release more grains from its reserves to meet possible shortfall of food items in the country.

Uwouku told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi recently that the flood disaster in 2012 in the country was capable of affecting food supply to the populace.

He said in Benue alone, all the major rice producing local governments were affected, and that rice worth millions of naira was washed away by the floods.

"We are likely to experience food scarcity in the country because our major source of food has been destroyed by the recent overflow of River Benue.

"The damage was much and the ministry has no remedy at

present because the problem is beyond us.''

He said about 60 percent of rice fields in Makurdi and Guma Local Government Areas was destroyed, 50 per cent of the farms in Logo, Gwer West were washed away while in Agatu, 80 percent of rice cultivations were devastated.

The permanent secretary disclosed that rice production programme was targeted at places where the crop had great comparative advantage in soil compatibility.

He regretted that the Federal Government's rice farm in Agatu Local Government, which was a co-sponsored project by the USAID, was completely washed away by the natural disaster.

Uwouku said the other crops that were affected were maize, cassava, yams and sugar cane.

He warned that unless frantic measures were taken to guarantee food security, the country might experience food shortages.

Uwouku also regretted that the state still suffered food wastages through post-harvest losses.

He expressed regrets that the state was not making use of its comparative advantage in the cultivation of tomatoes, oranges, mangoes, pepper, yam, cow peas and grains.

Uwouku said most of those produce ended up as wastes owing to the non-availability of processing factories in the state.

He, however, gave assurance that Gov. Gabriel Suswam was making concerted efforts to establish factories that would utilise such raw materials for people's consumption.

The permanent secretary praised the governor for

establishing a fruit juice factory at Wannune in Tarka Local Government Area for that purpose.

Uwouku also said that the government had plans toward establishing yam flour mills for the processing of yams to reduce the risks of post-harvest wastages.

He explained that the government had embarked on elaborate rural roads construction as an alternative way of ``ensuring that farmers transport their crops to towns for immediate sale to avoid wastages.''

He regretted that at the moment, the crops were really wasting as postharvest management was still poorly handled.

The permanent secretary called on investors to establish industries in the state for the processing of the fruits into juice concentrates for export. (NAN)

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 2012

Mugabe's son expelled from top private school .Expulsion for gross indiscipline follows history of run-ins

Spoiled ... Bellarmine Chatunga

By JACK LOSH TYRANT Robert Mugabe's teenage son has been expelled from a top private school for gross indiscipline.

Unruly Bellarmine Chatunga, 16, was removed from St

school administrators are said to have "agonised" over possible repercussions for their decision.

A school source said: "It's a case of power corrupts early."

His expulsion follows that of

university degrees in the Seventies Zimbabwean President Mugabe was a star pupil, renowned for his dedication at the Catholic mission he attended.

George's College after a history of run-ins with authorities and a week-long suspension for bad behaviour last year.

He was removed after a meeting last week during which staff and

Mugabe's elder son Robert, now 21 - nicknamed the "undertaker" by his father for his six ungraded A-Levels - who was expelled from the same school eight years ago.

Mugabe earned five

He earned an impressive five university degrees by correspondence while in detention under the white minority Rhodesian government during the '70s.

The rector who presided over the expulsion of Mugabe's older son Robert said the boy was "a victim of absent-father syndrome".

Mugabe's daughter, Bona, now 24, passed through Harare's

Dominican Convent High School with ease. An Irish nun there said: "The girl never gave us a moment's trouble."

Source: TheSun.co.uk

The king in the car park... dug-up skeleton was Richard III

A

Skull's out ... first picture of the discovery

SKELETON found under a car park was King Richard III, it was confirmed today. It came after researchers yesterday revealed an image of the battlescarred skull found at the burial site.

Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist at the University of Leicester, said tests on the full remains proved they were the king's "beyond reasonable doubt".

The skeleton, which has a metal arrow in its back and severe trauma to the skull, was exhumed from a car park in Leicester last September.

Archaeologists said there was strong circumstantial evidence at the time that the bones belonged to the monarch who died in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

Now the discovery that they are indeed the bones of Richard III was described as "truly astonishing".

The skeleton had been found in the same area of Grey Friars church and where Richard III was recorded to have been buried after his death during the Wars of the Roses.

Richard III's demise was dramatised by Shakespeare, who had the king calling out "a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse" before he was killed on Final resting place ... bones are battlefield.

Source: TheSun.co.uk monarch's 'beyond reasonable doubt'

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

ANALYSIS

T

hembikosi Gumedze, the curator of the national seed bank in cashstrapped Swaziland, has been unable to supply much-needed drought-tolerant food crop seeds to farmers for more than two years.

He has not been able to source the US$7,000 to $10,000 a year needed to produce enough seeds to distribute to the country's smallholder population.

For almost a year, the bank did not have money to repair its defunct vehicle. Once the vehicle was repaired, the bank was unable to afford the petrol needed to get it on the road.

"We have been grounded essentially," Gumedze said over the phone.

As farmers in Swaziland grapple with an increasingly erratic climate, the shortage of funds has affected the bank's production of climate-resilient maize seeds and hardier legumes, like pigeon peas, that can thrive in drought-like conditions.

Two years ago, the bank could supply maize seeds to at least 40 percent of the country's farmers - the number dropped to 10 percent in 2012. "And these are farmers who are able to come to us," said Gumedze.

The seed bank only managed to produce 10kg of pigeon peas last year, he said, sounding both apologetic and embarrassed.

The public-sector seed bank is one of several in developing countries that have been affected by global funding shortages, a result of the recession and slowing domestic economies.

Many national seed banks rely on funds that trickle down through theCGIAR Research Program for Managing and Sustaining Crop Collections.

The programme provides funds to its regional centres, like the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Plant Genetic Resource Centre (SPGRC) in Zambia. The SPGRC, in turn, supports seed banks in the SADC member countries.

Paul Munyenyembe, the head of SPGRC, says the centre has had to cut back on this support, which has had repercussions for poor countries. "Funding shortages mean that poor countries have had to drastically reduce their plant genetic resource conservation activities, especially collection, multiplication and characterization. What this means is that the use of conserved plant material in breeding drought-tolerant and other varieties of staple grains is negatively affected."

The national banks not only produce and distribute extreme-climate-tolerant seed varieties but also collect seeds of hardier plants bred by farmers.

Should a major flood,

PAGE 31

Swaziland: no seeds to weather climate change

A woman makes ridges in her farm. drought or disease wipe out a country's entire crop, its seed bank would offer a back-up to ensure farmers have a supply of seeds with which to start over. The bank's collection also gives countries the option to plant a diverse variety of crops.

This is particularly critical now, as farmers race to keep up with a changing climate.

Gumedze, of the Swaziland bank, said, "These indigenous varieties of seeds will give us a fighting chance to face climate change and have some food security in the future, especially when development activities in our country are encouraging the growth of nonfood crops like sugarcane."

Despite his funding dilemma, Gumedze tries to attend local seed fairs to collect seeds from farmers. "I could have left, but I know if I do the place will shut down, and we cannot let that happen - we will have no future."

Maize production in Swaziland has been on the decline for the past decade, aided by a combination of factors such as erratic weather, high fuel and input costs, and a high HIV/AIDS rate, which has reduced the number of people able to work in the farms.

Poor rainfall in earlier seasons will leave 11 percent of the country's population food insecure this year, according to the World Food Programme.

The kingdom of Swaziland, whose king's lavish lifestyle has been frequently publicized in the media, has been cash-strapped for a while. The country was forced to ask for a R2.4 billion bailout from South Africa in 2011 (over $264 million, using current exchange rates). But the money came with conditions, which Swaziland did not fulfil, so the funds never materialized.

Seed banks like the one in Swaziland do not receive

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

adequate support from their national governments, according to Gumedze. Despite agriculture being described as the "backbone of the country, it never gets sufficient funding [from the national budget]. Priority is given to other sectors like defence or education," he said.

But some help might be on its way to Gumedze's bank and others.

The Global Crop Diversity Trust and the CGIAR Consortium announced on 31 January that they would provide $109 million over five years to the CGIAR Research Program for Managing and Sustaining Crop Collections, which maintains 706,000 samples of crop, forage and agroforestry resources. These resources are held in "gene banks" at 11 CGIAR research centres around the world.

"Given all of the turbulent issues surrounding agriculture and food today, from high commodity prices to threats from

Fortunately, all its contents have safely been replicated in other CGIAR gene banks, with national partners, and in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway.

weather extremes, I think the international community is waking up to the enormous value of preserving crop diversity," said Margaret Catley-Carlson, the outgoing chair of the Trust's executive board and former president of the Canadian International Development Agency.

"We want to put the seed banks on a more firm financial footing to make sure they remain prepared to respond to any new challenges, expected or unexpected, that could threaten agriculture production anywhere in the world."

In addition to the lack of funds, crop diversity collections have been threatened by political unrest and weather disasters. For example, the gene bank at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and its valuable collection of wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, fava bean and forage crops were recently threatened by fighting around ICARDA's headquarters in Aleppo, Syria.

Fortunately, all its contents have safely been replicated in other CGIAR gene banks, with national partners, and in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. Despite the current situation in Syria, the materials in the ICARDA Aleppo gene bank remain safe, says the CGIAR. Source: AlJazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Top rebel leader arrested in northern Mali

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he number-three leader of the armed group that controlled Timbuktu in northern Mali until last week, Mohamed Moussa Ag Mouhamed, has been arrested near the Algerian border, sources say.

Mohamed Moussa, as he was known in Timbuktu, is being taken to the northeastern city of Kidal, the last bastion of rebels who controlled northern Mali for 10 months before being ousted in a French-led military operation launched on January 11, a Malian security source said on Monday.

"The number three leader of Ansar al-Dine, the one who sowed terror, who ordered people's hands cut off, who supported the strict application of sharia, was arrested by an armed group," the source told AFP news agency.

The information was confirmed by a Kidal regional official, Abdoulaye Toure, though the two sources gave conflicting accounts on which of the area's rival groups had arrested him.

The arrest was believed to have been carried out either by the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA), a Tuareg separatist movement, or an Ansar al-Dine splinter group, the Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA).

Azawad is the Tuareg name for northern Mali.

"He was the ideologue of Ansar Dine in Timbuktu," Toure said.

"He was called Ansar Dine's number three, but in reality he was the brain of the organisation, the doctrine in Timbuktu. He was arrested in Hallil near the Algerian border by a [formerly] allied armed group."

Toure also said a man accused of taking part in the kidnapping of a French hostage in November had been arrested in the same area.French officials say seven French hostages are believed to be held in the area,

which is near where 30 French warplanes carried out major air strikes on Sunday.

Kidal, which French and Chadian troops have been working to secure, was an Ansar al-Dine stronghold, but the MIA recently broke away and renounced "extremism and terrorism".

Meanwhile, French warplanes have continued to attack rebel camps near the northern town of Tessalit, close to the Algerian border.

Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman for the French army in Paris, said that the overnight

raids targeted logistics bases and training camps reportedly used by al-Qaeda-linked fighters.

"These were important airstrikes," Burkhard told the Reuters news agency on Sunday.

Tessalit, about 200km north of Kidal, is one of the main gateways into the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains, where the rebels have sought refuge after fleeing major towns.

France says the rebels are also holding hostage seven of its citizens in the mountains, who were kidnapped in the Sahara region in recent years.

N

mines.

President Mahamadou Issoufou told French media that security was being

tightened at the Arlit mine after the recent hostage crisis in Algeria.

French company Areva plays a major part in mining in Niger - the world's fifthlargest producer of uranium.

Islamist militants kidnapped five French workers from the mine in Arlit three years ago.

Four of them are still being held - along with three other French hostages - and it is believed they could be in the north of Mali close to where French troops are battling alQaeda-linked militants.

Asked if he could confirm that French special forces were guarding the uranium mine,

President Issoufou told channel TV5: "Absolutely I can confirm.

"We decided, especially in light of what happened in Algeria... not to take risks and strengthen the protection of mining sites," he added.

France's Agence FrancePresse news agency said a dozen French special forces reservists were strengthening security at the site.

Areva gets much of its uranium from the two mines it operates in the country, at Arlit and Imouraren.

Last month, at least 37 foreign workers were killed when Islamist militants seized a gas plant at In Amenas, eastern Algeria.

Mohamed Moussa Ag Mouhamed (second left) in an interview with journalists recently.

France protects Niger uranium mine

iger has confirmed that French special forces are protecting one of the country's biggest uranium

Arlit mine, Niger.

South Africa farm workers get 52% pay rise after strike

S

outh Africa has increased the basic daily wage of farm workers by 52% following a violent strike in the wine-producing Western Cape region, the labour minister has said.

Mildred Oliphant said the new minimum wage would be $12 (ÂŁ8) - up from $8 but less than the $17 the workers had demanded.

At least one person was killed during January's twoweek strike.

The strike was suspended after the government promised a wage review.

Most of the Western Cape's 3,000 farm workers are not

employed on a permanent basis - despite working on the farms for many years.

They work seasonally to pick and pack fruit and said they could no longer survive on their previous wages.

Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to end protests last month, when striking workers blockaded roads and burnt the cars of journalists.

An owner of a small shop was killed, allegedly by police, after being caught in the crossfire in the town of De Doorns, a top grapeproducing area in the Western Cape.

Two people were also killed

in a similar strike last year and $11m-worth of damage

was caused when some vineyards were set alight.

Labour Minister, Mildred Oliphant.

15 Russians are being held in custody in Lagos for overt three monthsEnvoy

T

he spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Alexander Lukashevich, has said that 15 Russians are being held for over three months without formal accusation.

In a press statement, Mr Lukashevich expressed his dismay in the way the case is being handled. He said, "No formal accusations have been brought so far against the Russian sailors, while the hearing of the Embassy's bailout appeal have been postponed to February 14, 2013".

The spokesman also lamented the way Nigerian authorities have been handling diplomatic issues with the Russian federation in the past, stating that it spells a bad omen for both countries. "In fact, it is not the first time when the assurances of "good will" towards Russian nationals given by the Nigerian authorities have proved to be totally untrue. For decades we have been building friendly relations between the two countries, and now it seems that the Nigerian authorities are eager to put it to the stress test not worrying much about possible negative consequences" he added.

However, he expressed the readiness of the Russian Foreign Ministry to follow the case to a reasonable conclusion saying, "Russian Embassy in Abuja in collaboration with Moran Security Group will keep on undertaking vigorous efforts to defend Russian citizens' rights and to dismiss all absurd and far-fetched charges against our compatriots. Detained sailors will continue to be provided with comprehensive consular, logistic, moral and medical support, which has so far allowed us to secure basically satisfactory conditions of their detention and to keep the crew in high spirit".

The envoy insisted the sailor's were arrested with no fault of their own.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Asia and Middle East

S

yrian opposition leader Mouaz alKhatib has urged President Bashar al-Assad to take a clear stance on his initiative for dialogue, adding that it was aimed at ending the bloodshed and to "help the regime leave peacefully".

PAGE 33

Syria opposition presses Assad over dialogue

Al-Khatib, speaking to Al Jazeera after meeting Russian and US officials in Germany, said major powers had no vision for a solution to the war in Syria and only Syrians could decide

on a way forward.

"The regime must take a clear stand [on dialogue] and we say we will extend our hand for the interest of people and to help the regime leave

peacefully," he said.

"The ball is now in the regime's court. They will either say yes or no," Last week al-Khatib said he was ready to hold talks with Assad's

representatives if the government released around 160,000 detainees and renew passports for Syrians stranded outside the country. But his call was met with criticism from within his own coalition, which refuses dialogue with Assad and says he must leave.

Iran's President Ahmadinejad offers to go into space

I

ranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has volunteered to become the first person sent into space by his country's fledgling space programme.

"I'm ready to be the first Iranian to be sacrificed by the scientists of my country and go into space," he is quoted by state media as saying.

Iran announced last week that it had successfully sent a monkey to space.

Western nations have expressed concern that Iran's space programme is being used to develop long-range missiles.

Such missiles could potentially be used to carry nuclear warheads.

Iran denies it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons and insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.

President Ahmadinejad made his space-travel offer during an

address to scientists on Iran's national day of space technology in Tehran, state media report.

It comes a week after Iran said it had successfully sent a monkey to an altitude of some 120 km (75 miles) for a sub-orbital flight. The monkey returned unharmed.

Pictures released by the Iranian presidency website on Monday showed President Ahmadinejad meeting the animal.

He also unveiled two small satellites "Nahid" and "Zohreh".

In 2010, Iran successfully sent a rat, a turtle and worms into space.

President Ahmadinejad announced in 2011 that the country planned to send a man into space by 2019.

A domestically made satellite was sent into orbit for the first time in 2009.

Mouaz al-Khatib

Pakistani girl shot, doing well after surgery- doctors

A

Pakistani schoolgirl who underwent reconstructive surgery in Britain after being shot in the head by the Taliban said on Monday she felt much better and was focused on her mission to help others.

A team of doctors carried out a five-hour operation on fifteen-year-old Malala Yousufzai on Saturday to mend parts of her skull with a titanium plate and help restore hearing on her left side with a cochlear implant.

Speaking 24 hours after waking up from surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, Yousufzai said she was already walking around.

"I can walk a little bit, I can talk and I'm feeling better," she said from her hospital bed in a video clip released by the hospital.

"I think I will just get better very soon, and there will be no problem. The thing is my mission is the same, to help people, and I will do that," she said.

Yousufzai was shot in the head at point-blank range in October by the Taliban for advocating girls' education, and was brought to Britain for treatment.

Doctors at the hospital said they were impressed by her recovery so far and hopeful she would be discharged fairly soon, describing her as focused and enthusiastic.

"She should be feeling sorry for herself 24 hours after an operation like that, not talking about helping other people," said Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (right) met the monkey that Iran says it sent into space last week

South Korea, US begin naval drills amid nuclear tension

S

outh Korea and the US have begun three days of naval exercises in what is being seen as a show of force aimed at North Korea.

The scheduled drills, involving a US nuclear submarine, come after North Korea said it was planning to carry out its third test of a nuclear device.

The US and South Korea have promised "significant consequences" if it goes ahead with the underground explosion.

The North has criticised the naval drills as "war-mongering".

The exercises, taking place off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, involve live fire,

naval manoeuvres and submarine detection drills.

Officials have stressed they were planned before the latest rise in tensions.

But South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Jung Seung-Jo said the presence of the nuclearpowered submarine USS San Francisco in the region "would itself serve as a message to North Korea".

North Korea says its launch of a rocket in December was for the sole purpose of putting a satellite into orbit, but the US and North Korea's neighbours say it was a test of long-range missile technology banned under UN resolutions.

Malala Yousufzai (C) waves with nurses as she is discharged from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 34

Europe and Americas Pentagon chief says torture not needed

L

eon Panetta, who as CIA director oversaw the US operation that killed alQaeda leader Osama bin Laden, said the job could have been done without resorting to torture.

The outgoing defence secretary, in remarks aired Sunday on the NBC program "Meet the Press," said there had been many pieces to the "puzzle" solved to find bin Laden, who was held responsible for the September 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

"Yes, some of it came from some of the tactics that were used at that time interrogation tactics that were used," said Panetta, who headed the CIA from 2009 until he became defence secretary in 2011.

"I think we could have gotten Bin Laden without that," Panetta added in response to a question about what the interviewer called "enhanced interrogation," or torture.

Panetta did not elaborate on how this might have been done, but said most of the intelligence used to find bin Laden had been stitched together without resort to torture.

He was commenting on the 2012 film "Zero Dark Thirty," which portrayed the hunt that led to the successful 2011 raid on the al-Qaeda leader's hideout in Pakistan.

Some CIA veterans have defended the use of harsh techniques such as sleep deprivation, hypothermia, stress positions, slapping and waterboarding, to obtain information that helped get bin Laden.

Jose Rodriguez, who played a key role in setting up and administering the CIA's "enhanced interrogation" program, recently traced an early break in the bin Laden hunt to a detainee subjected to what Rodriguez called enhanced interrogation short of waterboarding.

From this detainee came, in 2004, the first substantive information about bin Laden's courier, according to Rodriguez, author of "Hard Measures: How Aggressive CIA actions after 9/11 Saved American Lives."

"After obtaining this essential lead on the courier, years of meticulous intelligence work followed," he wrote in an essay last month in the Washington Post.

Obama takes gun control campaign to Midwest P

resident Barack Obama on Monday took his gun control campaign to Minneapolis, making a visible push for reform ahead of his State of the Union address in a state with an active hunting culture where efforts have helped curtail violence.

Obama wants to move quickly to pass laws before memories fade of the December mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults.

On January 16 he proposed requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales, including private sales; banning so-called assault weapons; and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.

Gun control efforts face an uphill climb politically in the face of a powerful pro-gun lobby and a strong U.S. tradition of hunting and gun ownership. A right to bear arms is constitutionally guaranteed to Americans.

An effort to ban assault rifles is seen as the toughest sell among the president's proposals in a country where many Americans see gun control as an infringement of their rights and an example of government overreach.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama still supported the assault weapons ban despite lackluster backing on Capitol Hill, including from members of his own party.

"The president supports, as he

long has, the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban," Carney told reporters on Air Force One on the way to Minnesota.

The state is emblematic of the challenges Obama will face in advancing gun control in Congress.

While Minnesota's two Democratic U.S. senators have said they are sympathetic to measures to curb gun violence, the National Rifle Association, the largest U.S. gun-rights group, has backed all four Republicans and two of the Democrats who represent the state in the House of Representatives, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Obama's visit to Minneapolis,

which in January hosted a regional gun summit led in part

by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, is the Democratic president's first trip outside of Washington to promote his gun violence agenda.

After the meeting, Rybak, a Democrat, called on Congress to amend or end restrictions on the ability of federal officers to share information about guns with local law enforcement.

He urged federal lawmakers to name a permanent director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, a post that has been vacant for almost 10 years. Obama is urging Congress to confirm his nominee to the post, B. Todd Jones.

Spain's PM Mariano Rajoy pledges to battle on

S

panish PM Mariano Rajoy has fiercely denied corruption allegations, pledging that Spain will see off its worst financial crisis in recent years. He said his Popular Party (PP) was committed to reforms that would steer Spain away from the financial crisis.

Mr Rajoy rejected opposition calls for his resignation after a newspaper published images of documents allegedly showing secret payments to PP members.

He said the claims were "totally false" and denied

receiving illegal money.

Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Mr Rajoy said his government remained strong and would overcome the accusations, which have sparked protests and an online petition for his resignation signed by 850,000 people.

"The government is stable.

The PP has a majority," Mr Rajoy said. "It's carrying out its agenda based on reforms."

Mrs Merkel said Germany would support the Spanish government's efforts

Mrs Merkel (R) said Germany would support Mr Rajoy's (L) efforts to steer Spain through the crisis

Castro's visit to the voting precinct in Havana's El Vedado neighbourhood was the main event in Sunday's elections, during which Cubans chose 612 members of the National Assembly as well as deputies of local legislatures.

The 86-year-old is said to have

spent up to an hour talking to other voters and the media after casting his vote.

About 8.5 million Cubans took part in the polls that featured no opposition candidates.

Authorities billed the event as a celebration of Cuban democracy,

Fidel Castro votes in Cuba election

A

iling Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro has made a surprise appearance in Havana to vote in parliamentary polls, expressing confidence in the revolution despite a decades-long US trade embargo.

Fidel Castro (3rd left) casts his ballot in Havana.

"which is different" from those in other countries.

Cuban dissidents dismissed the vote as a farce, however.

"What strange elections, in which there is no choice and all the candidates think the same," Yoani Sanchez, the dissident blogger, commented.

"It's an electoral farce."

Before Sunday's appearance in Havana, Castro had not been seen in public since October 21, when he accompanied Elias Jaua, the current Venezuelan foreign minister, to the Hotel Nacional.

"I am convinced that Cubans are really a revolutionary people," Castro told reporters who surrounded him at the polling station.

"I don't have to prove it. History has already proven it. And 50 years of the US blockade have not been - nor will it be - able to defeat us."

The US issued a commercial, economic, and financial embargo against Cuba in October 1960 after Castro's revolutionary government nationalised the properties of US citizens and corporations.

It was broadened to become a near-total embargo in 1962 as Cuba's alliance with the Soviet block became apparent.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Minister advocates private sector partnership with NYSC

By Albert Akota

T

he Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, has called on the private sector and nongovernmental agencies to partner with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as part of their corporate social responsibility initiative to help develop the scheme's sport festival.

Abdul-Kadir made this call while declaring open the finals of the 2012 NYSC Sport/Cultural Festival held at the Old Parade ground yesterday, appealing to all established sports associations, cultural groups and performing arts societies to partner with NYSC in nurturing the talents which will be discovered at the festival.

"It is my conviction that the core private sector and non governmental agencies can partner with the NYSC as part of the corporate social responsibility initiative to help take this festival to the level where it can contribute significantly to the nation's developmental efforts," he said.

Kogi LGSC chairman calls for suggestion

PAGE 35

Jonathan urges Gov Yero to stabilise politics in North

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday told Kaduna state Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, to stabilize the politics of the

Northern part of the country, saying that the state remains the heart of Northern politics.

Speaking when the governor led a delegation of top functionaries in the state to the State House yesterday, Jonathan

observed that governing Kaduna state comes with a lot of responsibilities.

Yero was at the State House to condole Jonathan on the death of his predecessor, Patrick Yakowa and former National Security

Court refuses to grant order to stop publication of Newswatch magazine

J

ustice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterdayrefused to grant an interlocutory injunction to stop the publication of Newswatch magazine.

The injunction was sought by some minority shareholders in the Newswatch Communications Ltd through their lawyer, Mr. Adekunle Oyesanya.

Oyesanya filed the application along with a substantive suit seeking to stop the transfer of the ownership of Newswatch Communications Ltd to a business mogul, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim.

The Newswatch

Communications Ltd, Global Media Mirror Ltd, Newswatch Newspapers Ltd and the Corporate Affairs Commission are defendants in the suit.

Buba held that the court would proceed with the hearing of the substantive suit.

He said the court did not grant the injunction because the plaintiffs failed to show special grounds that entitled them to the order.

The judge, therefore, ordered an accelerated hearing in the substantive suit, and promised that the case would be determined in a month's time. ``I have no doubt that the

applicants would be adequately compensated by damages if they eventually win their substantive case,'' Buba ruled.

He did not award any cost.

The judge adjourned the case to Feb. 11 for hearing in the substantive suit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the shareholders, Mr Nuhu Wada Aruwa and Prof. Jibril Aminu, are seeking an order to quash a share purchase agreement which transferred ownership of the Newswatch Communications Ltd to Jimoh Ibrahim, one of its directors. (NAN)

Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Owoye Azazi, who died in a helicopter crash on December 15 last year.

The Governor also commiserated with Jonathan on the death of his younger brother, Meni Jonathan.

Thanking Yero and his delegation for the visit, Jonathan observed that governing Kaduna State was beyond making food available on the table of the people of the state, stressing that the governor has the duty to stabilise the politics of Northern Nigeria.

Vice President Namadi Sambo, who was also a former Governor of Kaduna state thanked Yero for the visit, saying that Nigerians should continue to pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate helicopter crash.

Earlier, Yero thanked the President for attending the burial of Yakowa, stressing that it showed a mark of his great leadership as well as a display of love and concern for the people of the state.

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

C

hairman of Kogi Local Government Service Commission, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu has disclosed that his leadership would welcome suggestions and contributions from organisations to ensure success at the councils in the state.

Alhaji Ahmed made the disclosure yesterday at the commission head office when leadership of National Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE) visited the office in Lokoja along Okene-Kabba road.

He said the constitution of the commission keys into the zero tolerance for corruption of Governor Idris Wada's administration which must be sustained, stressing that the commission is not on a mission to condone corruption.

Earlier, the President of NULGE, Kogi Chapter, Comrade Tom Abutu, urged the commission to remember staff promotion as at when due, to go with the philosophy of Capt Idris Wada, noting that local government workforce in the state desire adequate training both at home and overseas.

L-R: Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mr. Gimba Kumo, FCT Minster, Senator Bala Muhammed, and Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amal Pepple, during the groundbreaking ceremony of FMBN Goodluck Jonathan Legacy City, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

FoI Act: Lawyer sues Energy Commission over unspent budget

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

public interest lawyer, Bob Olukoya, has sued the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and its Chairman, Dr. Franklin Osaisai, over unspent budget of 2010 and 2011.

The Plaintiff is seeking an order of mandamus compelling the Defendants to disclose the total amount returned to the treasury as unspent budget for 2010 and 2011.

The motion was brought

pursuant to Section 7 and 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and Order 34 Rules 1, 3 (1), (2) and 6(b) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

The lawyer is also demanding for the total amount allocated to the Centre for Nuclear Energy Research and Training (CNERT), University of Maiduguri, and Centre for Nuclear Energy Studies (CNES), University of PortHarcourt for 2010 and 2011; copies of its annual report and

amount payable to a named contractor for the provision of services in 2011.

He is also demanding for details of the recruitment of additional staffs upon which interview was conducted on September 25, 2012, and details of the competitive bids from companies interested in the provision of security services to the commission.

When the matter came up yesterday before Justice Ademola Adeniyi, the Defendants raised a preliminary objection, asking the

court to dismiss the suit because the "Plaintiff's affidavits are improper, fishy, and baseless".

By virtue of Section 4(a) of the FOI Act, the Plaintiff said, when a person requests for information from a public official, institution or agency, they are "under a binding legal obligation to provide the Applicant with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within 7 days after the application is received".

"The information requested for, apart from not being

exempted from disclosure under the FOI Act, bothers on issues of National interest, public concern, social justice, good governance, transparency and accountability", he stated.

In an Affidavit, Karik-Antyak Cynthia averred that since November 6, 2012 that Olukoya requested for the information through a letter, the Defendants have "failed, refused and or neglected to provide the details.

Justice Ademola yesterday fixed February 12, for hearing of the preliminary objection.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Eating lunch too late may make you fat I

t's not just what you eat it's also when you eat that is key to losing weight, according to a new study.

Researchers found that people who eat their main meal earlier in the day have a better chance of beating the bulge.

Meanwhile those who tucked into a late night kebab lose 'significantly less weight' than early eaters, and also put themselves at greater risk of developing diabetes.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Obesity, could help develop more effective weight-loss plans.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the University of Murcia studied 420 overweight people who followed a 20-week weight-loss treatment programme in Spain.

Senior author Dr Frank Scheer, from BWH said: 'This is the first large-scale prospective study to demonstrate that the timing of meals predicts weight-loss effectiveness.

'Our results indicate that late eaters displayed a slower weight-loss rate and lost significantly less weight than early eaters, suggesting that the timing of large meals could be an important factor in a weight loss programme.'

The team divided the particpants into two groups: early eaters and late eaters.

During this meal, 40 per cent of the total daily calories were consumed.

Early eaters ate lunch any time before 3pm and late eaters, after 3pm. They found that late eaters lost significantly less weight than

examined other traditional factors that play a role in weight loss such as total calorie intake and expenditure, appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin, and sleep duration.

Among these factors, researchers found no differences between both groups, suggesting that the timing of the meal was an important and independent factor in weight loss success.

Study co-author Doctor

Marta Garaulet, from the University of Murcia, added: 'This study emphasises that the timing of food intake itself may play a significant role in weight regulation.

'Novel therapeutic strategies should incorporate not only the caloric intake and macronutrient distribution, as it is classically done, but also the timing of food.'

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Obesity is a growing problem in western countries. 26% of adults in the UK are obese early eaters, and displayed a much slower rate of weight loss.

Late eaters also had a lower estimated insulin sensitivity, a risk factor for diabetes.

The researchers found that timing of other, smaller, meals did not play a role in the success of weight loss.

However, the late eaters who lost less weight - also ate fewer calories during breakfast and were more likely to skip breakfast altogether. Lateeaters also had a lower estimated insulin sensitivity, a risk factor for diabetes.

The researchers also

Late eaters displayed a slower weight-loss rate

Kidney disease 'biggest threat' for diabetics

K

eeping your kidneys healthy could be one of the best ways to extend your life if you have Type 2 diabetes, researchers have suggested.

The University of Washington study found that having kidney disease meant a much higher risk of early death.

UK experts say that the NHS is still not putting enough effort into detecting and controlling kidney problems caused by diabetes.

Figures from 2012 suggest only seven in 10 patients get vital annual checks.

Approximately 5% of people in the UK have been diagnosed with diabetes, and careful management of their condition through a combination of medication and lifestyle changes can mean it has relatively little impact on their lives.

However, if the disease has been present for some time prior to diagnosis, or is poorly managed afterwards, the risk of life-changing complications

rises.

These include eye and lower limb problems, and kidney problems.

The research, in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, looked at mortality rates over a 10-year period in more than 15,000 adults, with and without diabetes.

Kidney disease was present in 9.4% of the people without diabetes, and 42.3% of those with diabetes.

They found that 7.7% of those without diabetes or kidney disease died over the course of the decade-long study.

This rose to 11.5% for people with diabetes but no kidney disease, but soared to 31.1% for people with diabetes and kidney disease.

Kidney disease can be a complication arising from diabetes

'No excuse' Lead researcher Dr Maryam Afkarian said: "People with typetwo diabetes have many other risk factors for cardiovascular disease and mortality, so we expected that kidney disease

would predict a part, but not a majority, of higher mortality."

Singling this group of patients out for intensive treatment, or working harder to prevent kidney disease from taking hold, could be a powerful way of reducing deaths among people with diabetes, she added.

Cathy Moulton, a clinical adviser at Diabetes UK, said that if detected early, diabetic kidney disease could be controlled using blood pressure medication.

However, the charity's 2012 report found that as many as three in 10 patients were missing out the simple blood or urine tests that would reveal their kidney problems.

She said: "There really is no excuse for this - there is clear guidance saying that kidney function should be tested.

"Very often the doctor will be taking blood for other purposes, such as checking cholesterol levels, so it is the easiest thing in the world to do."

Source: BBCNews.com

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 37

2015: Rise of sectionalism against national interest

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

o say that the battle for 2015 has started is to state the obvious. That it has garnered enemies and pitched political big wigs against each other to muscle strength is equally to put it mildly. That the cloud is already hot, waiting to melt down is to mention the obvious.

That it is "a do or die affair" aptly captures the scenario.

Sometimes in 2009, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo single handedly presented late President Umaru Yar'adua under the platform of the PDP, he told the nation on a national television that the election was "a do or die affair". No one said anything; in fact it was seen as a usual political statement.

However, recently, when General Muhammadu Buhari told news men in Kaduna that if certain things are not rightly put in place against 2015, "the monkey and the gorilla will be soaked in blood", the country went berserk, saying the general was inciting the people to be violent.

Regardless of the criticism against the General who seems to have problem with most of the political class in the country and the media, pundits saw it as just "giving the dog a bad name to hang it".

Meanwhile, realities on ground concerning the journey towards 2015, have already pointed to the direction of what the General had alluded, even with two more years to the election.

Presently, the polity is already heated with various determination geared towards winning the 2015 general election. The major political parties in the country are courting each other for a possible merger so as to oust the ruling PDP in the election.

On his part, the President and his attack dogs are not helping matters to clear the air on whether the he will recontest or not-even after declaring publicly during his last campaign that he will run only for a single term.

Notwithstanding, the Presidents' demeanor has indicated that he is not ready to relinquish power to any section of the country or any of his close allies in government who are romancing him for the baton in 2015.

Not unexpectedly, former Information Minister and Ijaw National Leader, Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, recently declared that nobody could stop

Kwara CPC moves to resist removal of Offa LG Chairman From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

President Gooluck Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan from seeking a second term in office, unless Nigerians reject him at the polls in 2015.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the opening of the Southern Leaders Conference in Enugu, Clark said it would be wrong for the South to return power to the North in 2015 when the incumbent President had all the rights to re-contest. He said since the North had ruled the nation for 38 years and the South had done only 13 years, there was need for the purpose of equity, justice and fair-play, for power to still remain in the South.

Also, Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze said it would go along with President Goodluck Jonathan's decision to either run or not in 2015.

Addressing a maiden news conference in Lagos, the newly elected National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Chief Tonnie Oganah, said the President was constitutionally empowered to seek re-election at the expiration of his tenure except he declined.

He said: "After Jonathan's tenure is completed either in 2015 or 2019, it will be the turn of the Igbo for the Presidency. What we are saying is that the Igbo, being a major player in the country, are entitled to the Presidency and it is their turn.

"If President Jonathan declines to run in 2015, it then

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari makes it quicker for the Igbo.

The bottom line is that an Igbo man will succeed Jonathan whether in 2015 or 2019.

Either way, we are not against him. We will urge Nigerians to give him the necessary support needed to make life better for Nigerians until his tenure expires."

Stressing the need for Igbo presidency, Oganah tasked political parties to have the Igbo Presidency in mind in selecting their flag bearers for the presidential election. He said all Ohanaeze and indeed the Igbo wanted was to get their fair share of leadership of the country.

Recently, the PDP told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that nothing forbids it from re-nominating President Goodluck Jonathan in the next electoral contest. The party, which stated this on a day it urged the court to join it in a suit seeking to stop President Jonathan from seeking reelection, argued that "by the very tenour of the reliefs sought by the plaintiff, this suit questions the right of the applicant to sponsor one of its members for the 2015 presidential elections. The applicant herein seeks to protect its interest in the present action by this application", the party said.

From the foregoing, commentators believed that politicians are laying more

credence to the section of country they came from instead of working towards producing a capable candidate that will work in the interest of all Nigerians and not that who will treat militant with kid gloves and even grant them appointment and pay them huge sum monthly to earn their support.

The court of public opinion is suggesting that Nigerians should work towards electing a candidate that will keep thieves and criminals in prison instead of paying them, there by impoverishing law abiding citizen for the crime of doing what is right. Nigerians are waiting to have a President who will ensure that all the sectors of the economy are working and not that who will empower a single individual to dictate the market; a President whose result will be counted and known only after the ballot is cast and not that which is known before voters set out to exercise their franchise.

However, politicians in the country should reposition their mind set and work towards improving the lots of the people instead of working to enrich their pockets at the mercy of the people.

Should octogenarian Clark and other ethnic jingoist continue to promote ethnicity against national interest, then the 2015 will be worse than the General has pointed out.

he chairman of Kwara State chapter of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, has declared the readiness of his party to resist any attempt by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state to remove Offa Local Government Chairman, Prince Saheed Popoola.

The state Chairman in a statement issued in Ilorin and made available to journalists insisted that state government should not use or blame the Offa-Erin-Ile crisis as an excuse to remove the ACN only chairman in the state.

Though the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold during a press conference has denied the allegation that the state government wanted to use the crisis to remove Offa Council Chairman stressing Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed was following local government law, the CPC said it was reliably informed that there was an ongoing evil plot to illegally remove the Chairman of Offa Local Government Area over the OffaErinle communal clash.

“While not holding forth for the Council Chairman, who we believe has done everything humanly possible (including alerting the security agencies to the latest clashes) to keep peace between the warring factions, we however find this alleged sinister orchestration by the PDP-led administration in the state as a dangerous ill wind that blows no good.

“We find it out rightly beyond comprehension that Mr. Fatai Ahmed, the Chief Security Officer of the state and the one in whose hands the security apparatus of the state resides would shift the blame of the communal crisis on the innocent Council Chairman.

“We make bold to say that since the obviously mismanaged bottomless pit called security vote is an exclusive preserve of the governor and his PDP goons, then the buck of securing life and property of the people of the state stops squarely on his table.

The PDP-led Government in the state must therefore admit its stack incompetence to stem the tide of communal hostility and bloodletting across the state. At no time in the history of the state has our corporate existence as a people been so dangerously threatened by communal strife, statewide orgy of violence, hooliganism and cult clashes.”

The party said it would not take lightly to any plot to illegally remove the duly elected Chairman of the Offa Local Government over a communal violence that preceded his administration.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

CPC rejects Hanga’s candidate for Kano by-election

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

L-R: Customs Area Comptroller, Tin-Can Port And Terminal Multi-Service, Mr Jibril Zakari, Chairman, House Committee on Customs, Hon. Sabo Nakudu and Comptroller, Tin Can Island Port, Mr Tunji Aremu, during the committee's destination inspection at Apapa Tin-Can Port and Terminal Multi-Service (PTML), recently in Lagos.

Photo: NAN

Kano bye elections: Nigerians not fooled by opposition alliance – PDP

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the party’s sweeping victory in the last Saturday’s Kano state Assembly bye elections as a sign that the people still strongly believe in the PDP despite the much talked about alliance by opposition parties.

The PDP had in landslide victory in Gaya and Garko Local Government Areas of the state swept over 80 percent of the total votes cast in the two areas respectively, leaving the opposition parties to collectively scramble for the remaining less

than 20 percent of the votes.

Savouring the victory, the PDP said it was a sign that the people still have confidence in it and are not fooled by the said opposition alliance.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement in Abuja yesterday said the victory in the bye elections, is a clear indication that PDP is still the party to beat and a sign of weakness on the part of the opposition despite their alliance and much talked about mega party.

He said the victory clearly indicates that the PDP is still very popular among Nigerians including the people at the

grassroots in spite of the unnecessary attacks against its image by the opposition elements.

“The sweeping victory in the two bye elections is a clear indication that the people still have faith in the PDP. It shows that the PDP is still the most popular party among Nigerians despite the much touted alliance and mega party.

“The results of the bye elections show that the PDP won over 80 percent of the total votes in the two areas respectively leaving the other parties to collectively scramble for the remaining 20 percent. It shows that the PDP is still the party to beat”, he said.

The party leadership also congratulated kano State Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso, the PDP leadership in the state as well as entire people of Kano State for the outcome of the elections. It urged the people to continue to show support for the PDP at all levels.

In Gaya, the PDP candidate scores 42,696 while candidates of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) scored 2,379 and 970 respectively. In Garko, PDP candidate scores 53,895 while ANPP scored 2,168.

CPC scored 1331.

2 defected Kogi Assembly members return to ANPP

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

wo lawmakers who have earlier defected from the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) to the PDP and the ACN respectively, yesterday returned to the ANPP. Receiving the lawmakers in his office, national chairman of the party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, affirmed that the ongoing merger talks between major opposition parties will solve many of the problems Nigeria is currently faced with.

The returnees are Hon Michael Foluso Daniel (Mopa-Muro) and Hon Barrister Henry Ojuola [Yagba East) and were accompanied to the National Secretariat of the ANPP by the state chairman of ANPP Kogi State, Comrade Patrick Daudu who presented them to the leadership of the party.

Daudu said ‘‘I am here to present our honourable brothers who defected to other parties but have returned to us, we are happy to receive you. It is a thing of joy to welcome back two of our very important members; we welcome you with open hands. We will continue to utilize your experiences and skills in rebuilding our party,’’ Onu said. ‘‘We are working with other major opposition parties, to ensure that we enter into a relationship, so that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, major opposition parties will come together to form a strong party, stable and prepared to do what is necessary to ensure that there is change in the country” ‘‘Nigeria needs this merger, Nigeria wants change. This is the only way we will have effective competition, and then ensure that

the will of the people will remain supreme. We can see that competition is very good. It engenders zeal; we see it in the performance of the Super Eagles.

Our Super Eagles in South Africa have done us proud, they just reached Semi Finals, and by the grace of God, will reach the Finals.

The coach ensured that there was competition between home based players and foreign based players, for positions in the field. If that did not happen there wouldn’t have been success particularly in our encounter with the Elephants of Cote D’ivore”.

“You can see competition is productive. It is healthy and productive. It has also happened before in our country, in the telecommunications industry.

Before, not everybody could afford phones, but now after many companies entered and there was

competition, even market women and students all have telephones. So with competition in the nation’s political arena we will find that many of the problems troubling Nigeria will be solved.’’

Reacting on behalf of the two lawmakers, Ojuola assured the party that they are back for good, and will do their best to ensure that every member of the ANPP in Kogi state join the efforts for the merger of the opposition.

He said, ‘‘thank you very much for receiving us back. We are back and we are back fully. We will do our best to ensure that the councilors and others of the ANPP join the merger.

ANPP has won in Kogi state before and we can win again. What we need to do now is to go back and restrategise and re-evangelise in the state, and take our party back to the path of greatness.’’

he national body of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), has rejected Sen. Rufai Hanga’s candidate for the Garko and Gaya by-election in Kano state, slated for February 2nd, 2013.

Hanga, had on the 25th, January, 2013, endorsed a candidate on behalf of the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party in a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Mustapha M. Kuta, on behalf of the National Chairman, Tony Momoh, said the name could not be accepted because Hanga is not the National Chairman of the party.

CPC also said it observed that a similar letter signed by Alhaji Ahmadu Haruna Zango as Kano state Chairman for CPC was submitted to the Kano state office of the commission on the 21st January, 2013, contrary to the usual procedure of forwarding such list through the National Chairman of the party, insisting that the Commission will not accept the name.

Taraba: a Deputy gubernatorial candidate of ACN dumps party From Yusha’u Alhassan ,Jalingo

A

Deputy Gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria ACN in Taraba state during the 2011 general election, Habu Isa Ajiya, has resigned his membership of the party.

Ajiya who announced his decision yesterday in Jalingo while speaking with our reporter said he was in the ACN just by providence describing his resignation from the party as a personal decision.

Ajiya said he has been a founding member of the PDP and held the positions of Local Government chairman, Speaker Taraba state House of Assembly and Commissioner under the platform of the PDP. According to him, he would continue to be a politician and contribute his quota in the development of democracy and Taraba state.

He said for now he is making consultations with a view to return to the PDP within the shortest possible time, saying that when the time is ripe for his return, he would make a declaration.

Ajiya whished the members of the ACN in the state well and called on them to gear their energy towards the progress of Taraba state.

The politician advised Tarabans to come together and have the unity of purpose, emulate the founding fathers and forget their differences to move the state forward to catch up with other states.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 40

Ex-ALGON chairman, PDP, ACN members decamp to Accord in Oyo From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

F

ormer ALGON chairman in Oyo State, Hon. Ademola Ojo led over 12,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and that of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in three councils of Ibarapa area of the state have decamped to Accord Party(AP).

The defectors were received by the former governor of Oyo State and National Leader of Accord, Senator Rasheed Ladoja last weekend at Old Garage, Igboora in Ibarapa Central Local Government.

The PDP and ACN members cited neglect by the party and its leaders insensitivity to the plights of the people said; " we have resolved to bury monster party,

the retrogressive party that parading themselves as progressives, they are smart thieves. We have no choice than to dump Association of Criminals' of Nigeria."

The National Leader of Accord, Senator Rasheed Ladoja had earlier commissioned newly furnished computerized party office donated by former ALGON chairman and the former chairman of Ibarapa Central, Hon Ademola Ojo. Some of the PDP and ACN decampees were from Ibarapa Central, East and North local governments; Hon. Ademola Ojo, (Central) Hon. Olasunkanmi Olaoniye(Central), Hon Adeoluwa Oyedokun(Central), Franics Ilori(Central), Ogunleye Morenike(East), Ilesanmi

Bolaji(East), Omobola Aladeyelu(East), Oluyeba Omolayo(North), Adegoke Titilayo(North), Ogunleye Bose(North), Oluwatuyi Oyeyemi(East), Aina Bosede(Central), Grace Shitu, Grace Paul (North), Anifowose Sunday (North), Omowaye Rotimi (North), Onileowo Segun(East), Samuel Osanyinlusi(North), Bakare Tobi(East), Aina Sunkanmi (North), Modupe Aderoju (North), former ACN youth leader, Adepoju Owolemi and host of others.

Addressing the crowd of decampees dressed in Ankra uniform, Senator Rasheed Ladoja said their decision to join Accord was a right step in the right direction, saying; "more goodies are coming and when these goodies

start to come, you will all partake in them."

He assured the decampees that they will be accorded the same recognition as the old members, adding that; "We are not going to discriminate against you. From today, you will enjoy all benefits available to members of our great party."

"PDP is dead already and Lam who brought ACN to the state has gone with the party reason for its factional crisis. The only real party is Accord". Ladoja said.

Speaking on behalf of the decampees, the two term chairman of Ibarapa Central Local Government and former ALGON chairman, Hon Ademola Ojo said their decision to leave the PDP was as a result of total neglect by the party.

L-R: Chairperson, House Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Abike DabiriErewa, Trinida and Tobago High Commissioner to Nigeria, M, Nyahuma Obika, and House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande Adeola, during a one day capacity building workshop organised by IOM for the Diaspora Committee, yesterday the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Elders condemn attack on Benue Minority Whip From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

E

lders of Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State have out rightly condemned the “unwarranted” attack on the Minority Whip of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange.

The elders who were at the

residence of the lawmaker at the weekend in Makurdi to commiserate with him over the attack wondered what offence Ikyange may have committed to deserve being attacked in such manner.

“Hon. Ikyange was attacked probably because of his vibrant posture in the Assembly. Has it been become an offence in democracy to

voice out one’s opinion on issues?

They queried.

It would be recalled that Ikyange who represents Ushongo State constituency along with his family only recently narrowly escaped death when two of his cars, a Toyota Avensis, 2011 model and official car simultaneously went up in flames in a suspicious manner.

Leaders of the elders, Mr. Isaac

Mtu, Haagher Chubu, Iortim Kpam and 45 others said they will return home and meet with the Ter U Ushongo who is the paramount chief of the area and as well summon all Ushongo sons in government home to clear themselves of any involvement in the incident. The elders urged the Police to thoroughly investigate the matter with a view to bringing the culprits to book.

Gov's wife empowers blind mother of 2 with freezer, generator

T

he wife of Kwara Governor, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed, yesterday, donated a deep freezer and a power generating set to a blind mother of two children, Mrs Emily Ojo. The donation was part of the governor's wife's contribution in her pet project, the LEAH Charity Foundation, aimed at empowering the less-privileged in the state.

Other items given to the woman include cartons of assorted soft drinks and bags of sachet water.

Represented by Mrs Bukola Akinleye, the Adminstrator of the foundation, Ahmed said the gesture was to prevent the blind woman from begging for alms.

She advised the mother of two to use the deep freezer for commercial purpose, noting that the cartons of soft drinks were to enable her to start business. ``She can use the freezer to chill the drinks and sell so that she can raise money to take care of her two children,'' she added.

The blind mother, a resident of Opeyemi St., Saw-Mill area, Ilorin, was empowered in line with her desired trade.

The governor's wife also said that the woman's two children would benefit from the ``Adopt a Child'' programme.

She explained that the programme was part of the foundation's education support programme for indigent pupils in the state.Ahmed narrated that

the husband of the woman allegedly abandoned her and the children when she became blind.

She added that a NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO), Life Care Health Advancement Initiative, brought the matter to her notice.

Responding, the Director of the NGO, Dr Margaret Aina, thanked the wife of the governor for the prompt response to the plight of the beneficiary. (NAN)

Bayelsa prioritizes education, spends N3.1bn on scholarship

By Lawrence Olaoye

B

ayelsa state governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, yesterday declared that education remains a priority of his government as he disclosed that his government has begun the process of spending a whopping sum of N3.14 billion on schorlarship this year.

According to him, the government had already given scholarhsip to 789 indegenes of the country in various categories to sturdy in 20 countries around the world.

Speaking in an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Seriake-Dickson said 137 PhD scholars, 260 Masters, 142 undergraduates and 250 secondary school students are currently enjoying the Bayelsa scholarship in Nigeria and different institutions across the world.

He said the total amount budgeted was N3.1billion for the sponsorship of the studies of the scholarship awardees for the 2012-2013 tranche.

Dickson said that his administration has also built 400 state of the art primary schools apart from instituting a Teachers' Institute in the state to buoy the quality of education in the state.

The governor who spoke extensively on the need for human development not oly in Bayelsa but in the entire country disclosed that of 137 PhD scholarship awardees for the year 2012- 2013, 34 people were in the United Kingdom, 65 in Nigeria and 38 others scattered across the globe.

For the Masters Programme, of a total of 260 scholars, 132 awardees were in the United Kingdom, 40 in Nigeria and 88 others scattered across the world.

Seriake-Dickson said his administration also inherited undergraduates from the former Bayelsa administrations whose studies were ongoing in Malaysia, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

Commenting on the ongoing debate on the autonomy of local government councils and State Houses of Assembly, the governor said he has never argued against local government and state Assemblies' autonomy.

He disclosed that he has never deducted any funds, except the statutorily allowed, from the local governments' allocations in his state and would not be meddle with the administration at the local levels.

The governor however suggested that the issue of local government should be expunged from the constitution to allow equal development in the federation.

According to him, issue of creation of local government should be the responsibilities of the states.

He also recollected that state Assemblies' autonomy was passed in the 6th Assembly but was rejected by the state lawmakers themselves just as he wondered why the opportunity they rejected has suddenly come to the fore now.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 39

Re-Nasarawa: The limit of demagoguery

By Rayyanu Bala

T

he Publicity Secretary of the Nasarawa state chapter of the PDP Mr Mark Neto like any other individual has a right to comment on any issue affecting not only Nasarawa state but the country as a whole. This is of-course, a right nobody could deny him. And like I always said, I'm in fact, totally averse to responding to issues particularly in the pages of newspapers concerning matters that have to do with one's personal opinion, but I was indeed forced to respond to this issue in question simply because it was in response to my earlier piece entitled: "Nasarawa: putting the devil to shame" in which I stressed some basic facts about Nasarawa state especially on the communal violence that refused to fade-away in the state, despite the concerted efforts of the government and the security agencies. The Nasarawa state publicity secretary of the PDP, Mr Mark Neto in his response to my piece which he titled: 'Nasarawa the limit of demagoguery' clearly confirmed what I have been saying all through, particularly on this communal violence.

But to start with, we all know that demagoguery is the tactic that the PDP not only in Nasarawa state but all across the country employ to confuse and blindfold the public into submission. We are in fact all living witnesses to how the PDP employed emotions of the people through religion to returned President Jonathan to power in 2011, even in Nasarawa state same tactics was employed to retain Aliyu Doma through the ethnic card but proved a hard nut to crack due to poor performance. The people of Nasarawa state, since the return of democratic rule in 1999, for the very first time said enough was enough and in the alternative choose to vote the CPC having become tired of PDP misrule.

However, one must important point to note which I believe nobody will disbelieve me is that the PDP certainly lack what to tell the people of the state for their failure in the last 12 years, thus the communal violence must be sustained. For one, let's consider the allegation by Mr Neto that Governor Al-makura 'connives with the fulanis to unleash terror in the PDP dominated areas in the state' this of-course was but a self indictment on the part of the PDP and a further confirmation of what I have been saying. We all know that the only recognized paramount chief or rather the Sarkin fulanis of Nasarawa state is no any other person than Senator Walid Jibrin, and we again know that Senator Walid Jibrin is not only a strong stakeholder in PDP in Nasarawa state but he is also a secretary of the highest ruling body of the PDP otherwise known as BoT. Logically if we are to take what Mr Neto is saying, then it implies that Al-makura is conniving with the likes of Walid Jibrin, who is the Sarkin Fulani of Nasarawa state to unleash terror on the PDP dominated areas.

Mr Neto's assertion that Governor Al-makura is administratively incompetent to handle sensitive state matters is another clear pointer to what I have observed in my earlier write-up which Mr Neto quoted in his piece, when I said to effect that the ethnic crises in the state was designed to demonstrate to the people that the CPC led administration lack the capacity to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state. In addition to this, Mr Neto also went ahead to stress that despite this incompetency, Al-makura is still seating pretty in the office and calling the shots as the governor of the state mostly due to the magnanimity of the state legislators, majority of who are PDP members. These outbursts by Mr Neto like I said earlier further reenforces the crux of what I have been repeatedly saying about PDP in Nasarawa state. With what Mr Neto is saying, I believe the people of the state are no longer under any illusion about the antics of the PDP which primary goals is to return to power in the

Nasarawa State Governor

UMARU TANKO AL-MAKURE state using all means necessary, including fomenting trouble.

Hon Godiya Akwashiki who is the majority leader in the state House of Assembly and a member representing Nassarawa Eggon west constituency, during the visit of Governor Al-makura to Egga, one of the flashpoint, penultimate week to assess the extend of damages done and to distribute relief materials to the victims of Eggon/ Fulani crises, was apparently quoted as recognizing the administrative acumen of Governor Al-makura when he poured praises on Al-makura for his efforts at curtailing the crises and for his prompt responses in provision of relief materials to the affected victims. Mr Chris Mamman, President of ECDA, an umbrella cultural organization of Eggon nation was not left out as he also commended Al-makura for his concern and for the efforts he has made to bring both the Eggon and the Fulani leaders to a roundtable. He made this commendation when Governor Al-makura visited Mada Station to commiserate with the victims of the unfortunate crises who were camped at primary school in Mada Station. These views about Almakura as expressed by these two prominent Eggon leaders put to shame the claim by Mr Neto that Al-

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

It is no longer a hidden fact that today in Nasarawa state, demagoguery has become a trade mark of PDP as in the whole of 12 years that they held sway, it was exploitation of people's emotions rather than reasoning that took the centre stage or rather constituted the center- peace of their policies which boomeranged and ensured their fall in May 2011, the limit of demagoguery indeed.

makura has not done anything in the face of the crises to safeguard the lives and properties of the people of PDP dominated areas.

On issue of thuggery in the state, in the first place it is the PDP that bred and nurtured it to this level, so if the state House of Assembly which majority of membership belongs to PDP no longer sees thuggery as desirable, so be it.

But Al-makura should not be dragged into it. The state government has made its position known on issue of ethnic militia and the ban imposed is still in force, there is therefore no any two ways about it.

One remarkable thing about the CPC led government in the state is marching words with action, the government does not believe in rhetorics to attain popularity or to gain cheap propaganda which has been the practice when the PDP was in power in the state. Already white paper in respect of Assakiyo communal violence has been released to guide all on how government will go about implementing the report. And government assured that there would be no sacred cow, any person indicted by the report will be punished according to stipulated law. Worthy of note is the fact that the era of wishy washy governance, which has been the lot of the PDP has since gone in the state.

Of-course I have said it before and I will repeat again that in terms of contest PDP cannot match CPC in Nasarawa state, CPC's performance in just less than 2 years superseded that of PDP which has spent 12 years with nothing to show. I have expected Mr Neto to name few of what the PDP was able to achieved, glossing over under pretext of 'so much have been written on it in the media that recounted here would amount to belabouring the issue' could not serve.

Indeed on the issue of street lights in Lafia Mr Neto put his fact in the reverse order as it was Aliyu Doma who expended over N1billion in the project having changed the contractors for over three times each with contract variation. Despite the huge tax payers money spent, the light ceased to function soon after commissioning. What Al-makura led administration is doing at the moment is trying to make the street lights not only function well but last longer.

It is no longer a hidden fact that today in Nasarawa state, demagoguery has become a trade mark of PDP as in the whole of 12 years that they held sway, it was exploitation of people's emotions rather than reasoning that took the centre stage or rather constituted the center- peace of their policies which boomeranged and ensured their fall in May 2011, the limit of demagoguery indeed.

Bala wrote in from Lafia<rayanubala@yahoo.com>

PAGE 46

Controversies over off-sides and its interpretations may be laid to rest following plans

by FIFA to have a second at the present rules and the manner in which are they are applied.

FIFA’s rules-making panel will consider changing how

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

FIFA to ponder offside rules changes the offside law is interpreted at its annual meeting next month to clarify when attackers can legally influence play.

FIFA said yesterday the panel, known as IFAB, will also examine closing a loophole regarding uncontested dropped balls

after a controversial goal scored by Shakhtar Donetsk against Nordsjaelland in the Champions League in November.

A progress report on introducing goal-line technology before the 2014 World Cup will be submitted when the rules body meets

Super Eagles celebrating victory over the Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire on Sunday

Eagles soar from underdogs to topdogs

By Demola Olajire

M

ournful faces in A b i d j a n .

Celebration noises in Lagos. Morose, forlorn figures in Yammousoukro. Happy figures in Abuja.

The story of Super Eagles’ incredible show of character and strength against an Ivorian team rated as the best in the continent and among the best in the world, shall be fully told one day.

For now, we can only tell a part of it.

Did the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire walk into a sucker punch? Before Sunday’s Cup of Nations quarter-final match at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, the Eagles were a lowly 52nd on the FIFA ranking while the Elephants were high up there on 14th position.

The Ivorian team are fully matured and seasoned, with thoroughbred gladiators and warriors who take no hostages. They were the only team at the championship that guaranteed quarter-finals ticket for itself after maximum points in their first two matches.

In contrast, Nigeria are rebuilding, and following 1-1 draws against Burkina Faso and Zambia, and 78 minutes of a drab, scoreless tie with Ethiopia, looked to be on the way out of the tournament. Victor Moss rescued the situation by

winning and converting two penalty kicks within the last 10 minutes and the Eagles limped into the last eight behind Burkina Faso.

On Sunday afternoon, NFF President Aminu Maigaria and Chairman of Technical Committee Chris Green met players and officials of the Super Eagles at lunch in their Hunters’ Rest nest. Maigari told the players that they could do it, that the match was the final before final and that President Goodluck Jonathan, insists that he wants to come for the Final match, on condition that the Eagles get there.

Skipper Joseph Yobo responded by saying that the boys were battle-ready. “We are ready for this match. We all realize it’s a massive game and test of character and we will go in there to do Nigeria proud.”

At the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, the majority of the 25,000 crowd rooted for the Ivorians. To some, it was a mis-match. But when the game started and the Eagles took the match to their more fancied opponents, the voices of Nigerian supporters became louder.

A titanic match it was, comparable to some of the best matches that the Cup of Nations has seen in its 56 years. There was no time during the game that anyone could say for sure

which team would win.

Emmanuel Emenike’s thunderbolt from a short free-kick was almost cancelled out immediately from another free-kick.

Before these, Emenike had blown over a good pass on the edge of the box by Ideye and Didier Drogba came close after controlling a pull-out in the box.

Victor Moses stung goalkeeper Boubacar Barry’s hands with a rasping shot and Yaya Toure, in the second half, got into his nomiss position only to see Enyeama parry the ball away.

And who could have guessed that the winner would come from home-boy Sunday Mba, who ran the length of the Ivorian half of the field before cracking a shot that Souleman Bamba deflected high above Barry into the net?

NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, said: “I am very happy because the analysts gave the match to the Ivorians even before a ball was kicked. But I knew that we could do it and I told the boys that 170 million Nigerians were banking on them to make them happy.

“Now, we have to try very hard to put this behind us and concentrate on the semi final with Mali in Durban on Wednesday. We don’t have too many hours to celebrate and linger over this win before that game.”

NFF Executive

Committee member Shehu Adamu added: “Certainly, the Eagles have delivered.

Everyone knows that we’re re-building, but for them to have shown this much character and triumph over this fantastic bunch of Elephants shows that we now have a team that will always make us proud.”

Victory over the Elephants means that Nigeria have lost only ONE of NINE Cup of Nations quarter-final matches since the quarterfinal round came with the

installment of 12-team finals in 1992.

The Eagles defeated Zaire (now DR Congo) at that stage in 1992 and 1994, edged Senegal in 2000, piped Ghana in 2002, overpowered Cameroon in 2004, eliminated Tunisia on penalties in 2006, skipped past Zambia in similar manner in 2010 and on Sunday edged Cote d’Ivoire.

The only loss at that stage was to host Ghana in 2008.

Demola Olajire is the Assistant Director Media of the Nigeria Football Federation.

March 1-2 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The group comprises officials from Fifa and the four British football associations.

The main proposal comes from Fifa’s refereeing department to clarify the interpretation of rules regarding attackers standing in an offside position.

Proposals state that an attacker should be considered offside when “gaining an advantage by being in that position.” This would include receiving the ball from a rebound or deflection from the goal frame or a player in the defending team attempting a tackle, block or save.

However, an attacker should be allowed to continue play when receiving a deliberate pass, such as a backpass, from the defending team.

“A player in an off-side position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage,” the proposed new text of “Law 11 - Offside” states.

FIFA said the Denmark Football Association made a proposal after one of the most disputed goals of the season.

Shakhtar forward Luiz Adriano provoked outrage when he ignored the sportsmanship code against Nordsjaelland after play was stopped to treat an injured opponent.

After play restarted with an uncontested drop ball, he chased the ball down and scored when the Danish champion’s defenders stopped to let it to reach their goalkeeper.

UEFA accepted that the Brazilian forward acted within the laws of football yet banned him for one Champions League match and ordered him to perform one day of community football service.

The Danish proposal calls on IFAB to ensure that a goal cannot be allowed if one team expecting to receive the ball after the uncontested drop has not touched it.

NFF dismisses alleged Keshi sack threat

By Patrick Andrew

T

he Nigeria Football Federation has expressed shock at a statement credited to its former First Vice President, Amanze Uchegbulam, in which he claimed that the football federation had planned to sack Super Eagles’ head coach Stephen Keshi on the directive of the Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi.

Uchegbulam was quoted in one of the national dailies yesterday to have alleged that the leaderships of the NFF and the NSC had been prepared to ease out Keshi from the saddle stressing that they had not appreciated the former Eagles rebuilding work on the Eagles.

According to Uchegbulam, most of those applauding Keshi after Sunday’s victory had

anything but foresight and appealed to the President Goodluck Jonathan to recruit aides with depth of knowledge on sports administration to advise him.

However, the NFF in a release forwarded by email to Peoples Daily Sports, denied the allegation instead said the statement was meant to discredit both the minister and the football federation.

“This statement is odious because at no time did the Honourable Minister/ Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi sat down with the NFF or sold idea to the NFF to sack Stephen Keshi as the Head Coach.

“We reject this statement in its entirety because it has no legs to stand on and is coming at a period that we are all focused on the very important project of

supporting the Super Eagles to win the Africa Cup of Nations,” said Chief Emeka Inyama, Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee.

Inyama went on to say that the relationship between the NFF and the NSC has been cordial adding that the minister has worked hard to build rather than destroy as Uchegbulam seems to allege.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls that though the minister had sometime last year pointedly told to the leadership of the NFF to be ready to remove all obstacles on the path of the Eagles AFCON success even if that roadblock turns out to be Keshi. The minister had following public outburst against the implication of his statement severally denied directing the federation to sack the coach.

PAGE 45

PICTORIAL

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

1

2

1] The Football Association will not take any further action against Michael Owen following his clash with Mikel Arteta during Stoke City's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

2] Xavi faces a race against time to be fit for Barcelona's upcoming Champions League last 16 tie in Milan after tearing a hamstring muscle against Valencia.

3] Seven-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal says he will need weeks on the circuit before he can return to his best after a knee.

4] In the build-up to the UEFA Champions League quarter-final between Arsenal and last year's runners-up Bayern Munich on 19 February, FIFA is offering users a special opportunity to ask questions to Jens Lehmann .

5] Stephen Gallacher wins for the first time since October 2004 as he triumphs at the Dubai Desert Classic.

6] Carl Froch says his world title fight with Mikkel Kessler, the first man to beat him, will be an "epic contest".

3

4

6

5

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Semi-final: Eagles lift Malians’ spirit, says Maiga

M

ali forward Modibo Maiga says that progressing to the last four of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations has brought no little relief to their war-torn countrymen and women.

The Eagles of Mali ousted the hosts-Bafana of South Africa 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time in Durban on Saturday to book a semi-final clash with the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

“Our biggest motivation is to

By Patrick Andrew

C

aptain Didier Drogba said the chances of he and a golden generation of Ivory Coast players ever lifting the African Nations Cup had gone for good after a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat by Nigeria on Sunday.

“It’s over for me and may for many others like Yaya and Kolo Toure, Didier Zamora, Boubacar Barry and Arouna Kone. We had hoped to win something, yes the Nations Cup trophy before we bow out, but it seems that dream can’t be realised again. It’s over for us.”

The 34-year-old striker, who missed a penalty in normal time in last year’s final shootout loss to Zambia, quietly summarised in an emotion-laden voice.

On his international future, the former Chelsea legend who only last month signed for Galatassaray said, “We now look ahead to the World Cup, with or without me.”

The trophy has eluded the country since 1992 - the Elephants, who have twice been runners-up in the last four editions, were semifinalists in 2008 and were knocked out in the last eight in 2010.

For a fifth successive tournament, the Elephants were tipped to win the title with a squad boasting such talents as Drogba, Yaya Toure and

Didier Drogba

make Malian people and all the supporters happy. Even if it was difficult for us to qualify, we do not want to repeat what happened last year. We want to do better than last year,” striker said.

Last year in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, Mali skipper Seydou Keita also made statements about the need for peace in his homeland, and this weekend the team’s 33-year-old leader continued to drive his team forward on the field and

plead for his country’s search for stability off it.

“I won everything in football,” said Keita, who has lifted trophies in France and Spain and won the Champions League and Club World Cup twice. “I won all the titles. Today the only thing I want is to bring joy to my country.”

Coach Carteron said of skipper Keita: “He practically is some of the players’ spiritual father. He is an extraordinary man.”

Trophy dream over for me, Toure, Drogba admits

Romaric of Ivory Coast battles for the ball with Super Eagles’ Emmanuel Emenike during the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa 2013 Quarterfinal match between Ivory Coast and Nigeria at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa on Sunday.

Salomon Kalou.

But Africa’s top-ranked team once again failed to live up to expectation and go home emptyhanded.

Also speaking after the game, some of the players expressed shock stressing that they never believed they could not beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria whom they thought paraded inexperienced bunch of players.

“It is heartbreaking. We were the strong favourite, but unfortunately we didn’t manage to do what we wanted to do, to win this competition.

“The start of the second half was very good, we’ve scored an equaliser, but for some reason we didn’t manage to make more goals and that’s the big disappointment,” said centreback Souleman Bamba, who deflected a shot from Sunday Mba over his own goalkeeper for the Eagles’ winner.

Subdued coach Sabri Lamouchi defended his team following the match at the rainsoaked Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace.

“I assume all the responsibility. We had our

chances to take control of the match but we lacked simplicity in our build up,” said Lamouchi, who only took over the job months before the tournament.

With the Nations Cup dream once again shattered, Ivory Coast are now turning their eyes towards the 2014 World Cup. “When you are down you learn and you have to stand up,” Bamba said. “Tonight we are disappointed but we are not finished at all. We have the qualifiers for the World Cup to play and we look forward to that.”

Stallion coach,Put, upbeat ahead of Stars clash

C

oach Paul Put of the Stallions of Burkina Faso is delighted the team have surpassed expectation with their qualification for the semi-final of the 29th editotion of the AFCON currently ongoing in South Africa.

The coach believes despite the credentials of their semifinal opponents-the Black Stars of Ghana- that the Stallions have enough arsenals in their armoury to outwit and outpaced them for a berth in the final.

He said after drilling a result against the hosts and beating hard-fighting Hawks of Togo 10 on Sunday night at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, anything could be possible in the match with the Stars on Wednesday.

Put said Burkina Faso still has the advantage of playing hosts to The Black Stars on their ‘sand pit’ home ground of Mbombela Stadium where they are unbeaten in all their last four games since January 21.

Put believes that the experience the team garnered against Zambia-who defending champions and the fleet-footed and sleeky Super Eagles, would serve them well when they confront the robust Black Stars.

“We have nothing to lose we are playing on our home pitch it is not a very good pitch but it is at least our home stadium but we are happy we can still play here,” Put said.

Put said playing exchampions Zambia and Nigeria in the group stages had helped prepare them for things to come.

“We have to think positively, we will see. We know Ghana is a very big team but we have played Nigeria, we have played Zambia in football anything is possible.you never know,” Put said.

Black Stars must ‘pack the bus’ to beat Stallions

G

hana coach Kwesi Appiah must ditch the Black Stars slick passing game when they take on Burkina Faso in the semi-final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday because of the bad state of the stadium in Nelspruit.

The surface at the Mbombela Stadium, which also hosted six group games, has been criticised by players and coaches.

The sandy and bumpy field is from the lush surface in Port Elizabeth where the Black Stars has played all its games so far in

the competition.

This means the surface will be an uncomfortable experience for the skilful Ghanaians who rely on their smooth passing to create changes and unsettle their opponents.

The Nelspruit surface impacted on group games, not least in the final Group C tie between Zambia and Burkina Faso - which saw the defending champions eliminated after a 00 draw - with players losing their footing on the sand-covered surface throughout.

The Black Stars don’t have the advantage of previous experience at Mbombela at this tournament unlike their opponents Burkina Faso.

Conversely, Burkina Faso has made the last four for the first time on foreign soil by flooding the midfield and shutting down more expansive teams on the Nelspruit sand.

This is the area where coach Appiah must match the Stallions by bringing in his best and strong midfielders like Rabiu Mohammed, Derek

Boateng and Agyemang Badu to the party to challenge the strong Burkinabes.

The state of the pitch means that the skilful Ghanaians like Kwadwo Asamoah and Christian Atsu must limit their time on the ball by quickening their pace to ensure that the Black Stars have a fighting chance of creating openings in the Stallions defence.

The winner of Wednesday’s tie will reach the final of the competition.

Coach Paul Put

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Mikel won’t look past Mali

J

ohn Obi Mikel says it would be calamitous to underrate Wednesday’s semifinal opponents, Mali at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Nigeria qualified for the last four at the expense of the Ivory Coast with an impressive 2-1 victory at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg to set up a semifinal date with Mali’s Eagles.

Mikel is calling on the fans of the Super Eagles to exercise restraint ahead of the game against Mali which he predicts will be tough.

“We cannot afford to look beyond the semifinals now because that would be disrespectful to Mali,” Mikel said.

The Chelsea midfielder however stated that the Super Eagles would go through if the players approach the game with the right spirit.

“We just have to keep doing what we are doing and keep our feet on the ground. We have to keep training hard and believing in ourselves and hopefully we will qualify for the final,” he said.

PAGE 43

Coach begs corporate bodies for C’Wealth Championships sponsorship

N

asiru Bello, the head coach, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), yesterday appealed to corporate organisations to sponsor the country’s budding talents to participate in the f o r t h c o m i n g Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships.

The championship is scheduled to hold from May 5 to May 10 in India and Bello, who spoke on the essence of the fiesta, said the youth may not attend without corporate assistance.

“The forthcoming championships in May are very important for the upcoming players because they are good and need all the exposure they can get.

NTTF will also use the competition to gauge the performance of the

players.

“These home-based players also need to start improving on their world ranking and if they do not attend championships, they can never get the needed points,’’ he said.

Further, Bello said the NTTF was working hard to build a formidable squad that would eventually graduate to the senior category.

“The senior players are ageing, these home-based players are our hope and we intend to build up a strong team entirely.

“After the championships in India we hope to attend the ITTF Individual championship scheduled also for May in Paris to boost the players’ confidence,’’ he added.

Bello said that participating in the

C o m m o n w e a l t h Championships, would also boost the country’s profile on the international rankings.

“For now, we are building up a new team; we are not expecting them to have to sweep the

medals table, but at least to get up the medal stage.

“By the time we work on them and they gain the needed exposure, I believe that they will make great impact by the next C o m m o n w e a l t h championships,’’ he said.

Edem Offiong , Nigerian table tennis player

Sturridge, Defoe, Carrick will miss Brazil vs England game

D Mikel Obi

Victory raises hopes Eagles can reach final, says Okorocha

G

ov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo has praised the Super Eagles for their quarter-final victory, saying it typified hard work and dedication.

It has also raised the hopes of Nigerians that the Eagle could win trophy, Okorocha said.

The governor made the commendation in a statement signed by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Chinedu Ofor, yesterday.

The governor said the 2-1 victory over Cote d’Ivoire in Sunday’s quarter-final was an indication that the players could win the trophy.

Okorocha said the players impressed Nigerians in the match, stressing that the game was enough commitment for Nigerians to support the team.

He commended the team’s coach, Stephen Keshi, for “a wonderful team formation’’.

The governor said the lineup was perfect and urged the coach to be more focused in future challenges.

Youth minister optimistic Super Eagles can win Nations Cup

T

he Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, says the Super Eagles have all it takes to win the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.

Abdulkadir, who made the remark yesterday in Abuja, said that the Super Eagles’ defeat of pre-tournament favourites, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, in the quarterfinal of the 2013 AFCON was enough indication that they could do it.

“The performance of the team of late has been exciting and thrilling. This has to do with the concerns and the support of all Nigerians.

“I call on the team to be more resilient about what they did on Sunday against Cote d’ Ivoire,’’ he said, urging them to, however, be wary of the Malians too.

The Super Eagles are to confront Mali on Feb. 6 in Durban, in the first semi-final encounter in the tournament.

Winners of that encounter would play the winners of the second semi-final game between Ghana’s Black Stars and the Stallions of Burkina Faso in the final on Feb. 10.

aniel Sturridge has joined Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick in pulling out of England’s squad for Wednesday’s prestigious friendly against Brazil.

Liverpool forward Sturridge, 22, joined up with the squad but has been ruled out with a thigh injury.

Tottenham striker Defoe, 30, suffered an ankle injury in a win at West Brom, while Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, 31, has a hip injury.

No replacements have yet been named for the 24man squad. Defoe’s injury appears the worst and Spurs

boss Andre Villas-Boas said: “He rolled his ankle.

Defoe went off after 39 minutes of Tottenham’s 1-0 win at West Brom, while Carrick played the full 90 minutes of his side’s win at Fulham on Saturday.

Sturridge was substituted after 90 minutes of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Sunday and later joined up with the England squad at St George’s Park before withdrawing on Monday.

“He got a knock just before half-time on his thigh and he wanted to give it a go in the second half,” said Reds boss Brendan Rodgers.

DG says NYSC will provide platform for competition in sports

By Patrick Andrew

T

he Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Nnmadi Okore-Affia, has said that the scheme will provide a platform for corps members to compete in sports, dance and drama.

Okore-Affia, who made the statement at the Grand Finale of the 2012 edition of the Annual NYSC Sports and Cultural Festival in Abuja

Brig. Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Offia, DG, NYSC

yesterday, said the activities would facilitate the realisation of the objectives of the scheme, which are unity, national integration and selfreliance.

“The festival, which started about 20 years ago as the NYSC D-G Annual football competition, has evolved over the years to become an all encompassing sports competition.

“It has become a means of engagement for our graduate youths to harmonise in the spirit of sportsmanship, healthy competition, friendship and appreciation of the multi-cultures of Nigeria,’’ Okore-Affia said.

He said the forum would provide scouting ground for sports administrators and movie makers for the next generation of sportsmen and women as well as movie stars.

He advised the players not indulge in“ win-at-all-

cost’’ syndrome but play based on the spirit of sportsmanship.

He warned that the management of the NYSC would not hesitate to carry out necessary sanctions on any erring competitors or officials.

Okore-Affia lauded Fidelity Bank, the cosponsors of the competition, for providing kits as well as accommodation and transportation. The bank also sponsors the trophies, medals and the publicity of the event.

Also speaking, the Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, said despite some criticism against the relevance of NYSC, the scheme had in the last 40 years recorded lots of achievements.

Abdul-Kadir said the scheme had also contributed in “social cohesion and other enduring legacies that

border on unity and faith in Nigeria in line with its founding ideals and objectives’’.

He appealed to all established sports associations and cultural groups to partner with NYSC to nurture the talents which would be discovered at the event.

At the opening football match, the Delta State NYSC team defeated the Kaduna State NYSC team 4-2. The four-day event, which commenced on Sunday, will end on Friday.

Bolaji Abdullahi, Minister of Sports

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Froch says ‘blood boiling’ against Kessler

Rivers U-15 team to represent Nigeria in France, says NSSF president

Carl Froch claims his “blood is boiling” ahead of his rematch with Mikkel Kessler at the 02 on May 25. The pair will face off for the second time, after Kessler inflicted a first career defeat on Froch in 2010.

Froch and his promoter Eddie Hearn were alongside Kessler to confirm the finer details of the fight, which will be shown live on Sky Box Office, and the Cobra is looking to “set the record straight”.

Kessler’s victory in Denmark was narrow, and contentious, and Froch claims he still struggles to come to terms with the loss.

“It is difficult to put into words and rationalise what this fight means to me,” Froch said. “I have fought nine or ten title fights back to back, but Mikkel Kessler is a proud man, a strong man - tough in any way. He has got everything: toughness, skill, desire, strength, guts, courage - all the things I’ve got and I have so much respect for him.

“But this man inflicted my first ever career defeat and it is a bitter pill to swallow.

When my head hits the pillow at night, I still think about that loss. He took away my title, he took away everything that meant anything to me at the time.

“My professional career, I felt at the time, was in tatters. I won the title back in my next fight, I have had some epic battles with top fighters, but I have still not had the chance to avenge that defeat.

“This is a chance to set the record straight and come close to securing my legacy.

“It is difficult to put into context what this means to me. That loss still hurts and is painful, so to get the chance to right that wrong, we will make sure we do all we can to right the wrong. My blood is boiling; I am ready.”

Froch will defend his IBF title, while Kessler’s WBA strap will be on the line and Hearn has described the fight as the “biggest night’s British boxing has seen in many years.”

T

eam Rivers would represent the country in France as winners of the football event of the just-concluded National School Sports Festival in Port Harcourt.

Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, President, National School Sports Federation (NSSF) announced this at the end of the 10-day Games in Port Harcourt adding that Team Rivers was awarded the right for its victory over Team Niger in the final match.

“Team Rivers have done well in football, so we have to reward them to the benefit of the nation and by so doing, we can further develop the game,” he said adding that he was grateful to the Rivers government for making the competition ‘smooth and successful’.

Mr Paulinus Nwakwoala, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Sports, said he was happy to see a new dawn in the nation’s sports scene.

Nwakwoala added that Rivers would continue to work with the NSSF to ensure that the country’s sports reached its optimal in development.

“I commend NSSF for making the festival successful; Rivers is ready to support and contribute its quota to sport development. I also urge States, Schools and Principals to support the Federal Government because with NSSF, Nigeria can join the best sporting nations in the world,” he said.

Avwerosuo Emojevu, the Delta Chess player, commended the organisers of the event, saying that he was happy to know other parts of the country. “I have made new friends and I am happy to be in Rivers,” Emojevu said.

Delta, Akwa Ibom and Ondo states announced their bid to host the 2013 edition of the festival. The Port Harcourt Games was originally scheduled to hold in 2012.

Carl Froch

Investigation reveals 380 match- Ideye says critics fixing, 425 corrupt officials fired Eagles up

A

n investigation has uncovered allegations of match-fixing in around 380 games across Europe. APEuropol reveals its findings of a probe into match-fixing Europol said the joint investigation had also identified about 425 corrupt officials, players and serious criminals in 15 countries.

The 380 matches included fixtures from World Cup and European Championship qualifying games, Champions League ties and top-flight league matches in several European countries.

Speaking in The Hague on Monday, Europol director Rob Wainwright said the investigation uncovered “match-

FIFA President Sepp Blatter

UEFA Boss, Michel Platini

fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before”.

“This is the work of a suspected organised crime syndicate based in Asia and operated with criminal networks around Europe,” he said.

“It is clear to us this is the biggest-ever investigation into suspected matchfixing in Europe. “It has yielded major results which we think have uncovered a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe. We have uncovered an extensive criminal network.”

Wainwright said the investigation had uncovered •8 million in betting profits and •2 million in bribes to players and officials and had already led to several prosecutions.

S

uper Eagles forward, Brown Ideye, has revealed that they were fired up by the many criticisms against their previous performances.

Also, he said that the fact they were completely written off by pundits who believed that they would be easily swallowed up by the better rated Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire provided them the needed ginger to up the ante against the continent’s top ranked team. “”We prepared very hard for the game and targeted victory because we have criticised and written off as no match for

CAF President Issah Hayatou

2013 AFCON: West African teams make history

W

est Africa has made history by becoming the first sub-region since the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament started in 1957 to have only teams from the sub-region in the semi-finals.

All the four semi-finalists at the ongoing 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa are from West Africa: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.

The sub-region has produced three of the four semifinalists at past competitions six times: in 1965 (Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal) and 1992 (Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria).

In 1994 (Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Mali); 2002 (Senegal, Nigeria and Mali); 2006 (Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria

and Senegal) and in 2012 (Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and Ghana).

However, North African teams have won the most titles at the continental football extravaganza (10), followed by West Africa and Central Africa (7 each). East Africa and Southern Africa have won only two titles each.

With all the semi-finalists at the ongoing competition coming from West Africa, it is certain that the tournament trophy will return to the sub-region for the first time since 1994, when Nigeria beat Zambia 2-1 in Tunisia to win. The semi-final stage was introduced after the first two editions of the tournament in 1957 and 1959.

Brown Ideye

Cote d’Ivoire. That did the magic as that was why we put everything in the game,” Dynamo Kiev forward Ideye said after the game on Sunday.

“I am very proud of our attitude and approach to the game. We showed great potentials that we can conquer and rule Africa. We also showed we can improve on this going forward.

It was a determined victory by us and we will keep pushing for the big one which is the trophy.”

Nigeria face Mali in Wednesday’s semi-final in Durban. Kick-off time is 4pm Nigerian time.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 41

President Jonathan to watch Eagles live if team hit final

By Albert Akota

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan will fly to South Africa to watch the Nations Cup final live if the Super Eagles beat the Eagles of Mali tomorrow to secure a berth in the grand final on Febraury 10.

Confirming this yesterday, the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu said president had made promise prior to the team’s

departure to the fiesta and reiterated same on Sundaty following the Eagles defeat of top favourites the Elephants of Ivory Coast.

The Eagles had shocked pundits that had written the off by not only beating the continent’s number one ranked team but doing so convincingly and Amadu said President Jonathan’s promise of personally cheering the Eagles in the final remains.

Amadu, who set for South Africa

today ahead of tomorrow’s crucial match, said that the football federation is working assiduously to ensure the Eagles keep the country’s hope of clinching the trophy alive by overcoming their Malian opponents. “ Of course, the Eagles can’t wait to see President Jonathan in Johannesburg in the final personally cheering them to victory. So, the Eagles are focused and will play to win Mali and then ready to face Burkina Faso or

Ghana in the final.

“We at the NFF will be delighted to see the President fulfill his promise of coming to South Africa to watch his boys play in the final of the 29th edition of the AFCON. “I know Nigeria are very impressed with the Super Eagles’ performance against Ivory Coast, It’s the proved of hard work and relentlessness of the boys, technical crew and the NFF. We are working hard to return to the glorious days of the Super Eagles,” he said.

Super Eagles will win Nations Cup, Drogba confesses

Nigeria train rumbles into Durban

the tournament. They keep improving by each game and level of the competition. That shows it’s a hardworking and resilient outfit. If they must take the trophy home they have to keep working, be creative and challenge any side like they engaged us.

“I feel this is Nigeria time but they must deserve it by proving it more on the pitch. The fact that the team arrived with a number of home-based players means we have to give them praise because that tells us there is football even within the continent,” he said.

The former Chelsea striker also sent comforting words to his home fans, a number of whom are holding him responsible for the team’s debacle at the tournament.

“Fans ought to know that football is sometimes funny and bizarre.

Sometimes you play well and you lose and others time you don’t put up a good game but you win. We did our best, it didn’t work out. We’re taking responsibility and also thanking fans and asking them to bear with the team that better days are definitely ahead.”

he Super Eagles departed Rustenburg for Durban, where they will their semi final match against the Eagles of Mali tomorrow.

Wednesday’s showdown at the Moses Mabhida Stadium is a big opportunity for the Eagles to make amends for disappointing Durbanites in particular and South Africans in general during the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

After losing their first two matches against Argentina in Johannesburg and against Greece in Bloemfontein, the Eagles still stood a chance to reach the World Cup Round of 16 if they defeated Korea Republic.

At the Moses Mabhida Stadium on June 22, 2010, the Eagles, roared on by a capacity crowd, could only manage a 22 draw with the Koreans, following a couple of horrendous misses, and crashed out of the first World Cup on African soil at group stage.

Tomorrow, the Eagles will have the same capacity crowd on their side as South Africans have switched allegiance to Nigeria following a gorgeous display against Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday, and the fact that their own Bafana Bafana were eliminated by the Malians.

Nigeria will welcome back midfield lynchpin Fegor Ogude, who missed Sunday’s clash after being suspended for earning two yellow cards in the group stage.

By Patrick Andrew with agency report

A

fter falling to the superior force of the Super Eagles, the skipper of the Elephants of Cote d’ Ivoire ,Didier Drogba, says nothing but the Eagles themselves will stop them from lifting the Nations Cup trophy in South Africa on February 10.

Drogba, who confessed that the Eagles were technical and tactical superior to the Elephants, said he was shocked at the resilience and savvy of the fledgling Eagles whose seemingly inexperience had been deceitful.

“I was very impressed with the Super Eagles’ performance against us (Ivory Coast). It’s proof of hard work, relentlessness and the sign of a worldclass team in preparation,” he said, after the game that shattered the AFCON dream of the highly-rated Ivorian side.

“I don’t really see any team that can withstand Nigeria for the rest of

Emenike celebrating after his terrific shot exposed Boubacar Barry for Eagles’ opening goal against the Elephants

Eagles want to be African champions again, says Emenike

L

eading scorer at the on-going AFCON tournament, Emmanuel Emenike, says the Super Eagles breathe, think, and dream nothing but to be African champions again, 19 years after it last won the continent’s bragging rights in Tunisia.

Emenike, who along with Alain Troare, Wakaso Mubarak, lead the top scorers’ chart, says that the Eagles determination to clinch the trophy is evident by their deliberate resolve, focus and

commitment in their quest to stand taller than its rivals.

“We all gave our best to beat Cote d’Ivoire because we all knew the importance of the game to our title ambitions. We are proud to have beaten Cote d’Ivoire hands down and we have redeemed our image in the football world, but we are not there yet,” Emenike said.

“We are not celebrating yet.

We have more to offer the country. We cannot just wait to make Nigeria proud here. But we are not been carried away by this

victory, rather I can just tell you now that the battle has just begun.

“The only way to answer the critics is by victory. We have done that now, and I think we deserve some respect from them now. We are here to make Nigeria proud.

We are here to lift the trophy.”

Further, Emenike said that the Elephants were carried away by the hype that they will send Nigeria packing from the competition, but they got the sucker punch from the Eagles and

were shown the exit door with a classy performance.

“I said before the game that we are ready to shoot down the Elephants, which we did. We are better than the Ivorians, who were carried away by the hype that they will beat us, so they thought it could be easy for them, but met their waterloo in us.

“All of us want to be remembered as champions but I will still not like to sound over confident, we are not going to take the next game lightly.”

T

The elated Emenike has netted three goals thus far on his AFCON debut, but would want to do more in South Africa.

“Some years ago, I never thought I will be wearing this jersey, but today I am happy with what I am doing in the national team. I am proud of my achievements so far, my family is proud and all my fans home and abroad are very much proud of me.

“But I will still like to say it again and again that my best is yet to be seen. I have a lot to give Nigeria.

I want to break records, but I am not desperate,” he revealed.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 47

Yesterday’s solution

SUDOKU

Say what?

Some Interesting Facts •A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/ 100th of a second.

•A jumbo jet uses 4,000 gallons of fuel to take off.

•A male emperor moth can smell a female emperor moth up to 7 miles away.

•A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 6 years. Wow. •A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.

•A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana.

•A pig's orgasm lasts for 30 minutes.

•A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.

•A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee.

•A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

•A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove.

•A shark can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water.

•A skunk can spray its stinky scent more than 10 feet.

•A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.

•A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans!

•A walla-walla scene is one where extras pretend to be talking in the background -when they say "walla-walla" it looks like they are actually talking.

•A whale's penis is called a dork.

•About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30.

•About 70% of Americans who go to college do it just to make more money. [The rest of us are avoiding reality for four more years.]

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A merry mum, Serena Curtis, 31, had to be freed by a fire crew after she got trapped in her son's Source: TheSun.co.uk highchair during a tipsy prank.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2013

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE It is so devasting how some men of God will give out to theircongergation scorpion instead of fish, and stone instead of bread. It is indeed sad and unfortunate.

— Justice Fatima Akinbami while sentencing Rev. King to death for murder

SPORTS Yusuf: Criminal law inadequacy LA TEST LATEST

Sturridge, Defoe, Carrick out of Brazil friendly

D

aniel Sturridge has joined Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick in pulling out of England's squad for tomorrow's prestigious friendly against Brazil.

Liverpool forward Sturridge, 22, joined up with the squad but has been ruled out with a thigh injury.

Tottenham striker Defoe, 30, suffered an ankle injury in a win at West Brom, while Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, 31, has a hip injury.

No replacements have yet been named for the 24-man squad.

Defoe's injury appears the worst and Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas said: "He rolled his ankle.

“Hopefully, there is not a lot of ligament damage. If there is, he could be out for two to three weeks.

Carrick played the full 90 minutes of his side's win at Fulham on Saturday.

Sturridge was substituted after 90 minutes of Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Sunday and later joined up with the England squad at St George's Park before withdrawing yesterday.

“He got a knock just before half-time on his thigh and he wanted to give it a go in the second half," said Reds boss Brendan Rodgers.

“I think he will be a doubt for the game on Wednesday, which is unfortunate because he was terrific [against Manchester City].

“He will have a chat with our doctors and he will speak with the England set-up.

“They might want to have a look at it but at the moment he is obviously struggling.

Daniel Sturridge ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

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or charge perfidy?

O

n Monday, January 28, 2013, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, presided over by Hon. Justice Abubakar Talba convicted John Yakubu Yusuf (JYY) of the offence of criminal appropriation and sentenced him to a prison term of 2 years with an option of fine of N250, 000 for each of the 3 counts in a 20-count amended charge to which JYY had specifically pleaded guilty. Since the judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, JYY was, in effect, sentenced to a prison term of 2 years with an option of N750, 000 fine. However, in addition to the custodial punishment or fine, JYY was ordered to forfeit, to the State, 32 real property in Abuja and Gombe, and N325 million, proceeds of his crime, stashed away in banks and frozen.

JYY, a former Assistant Director in the Police Pension Office and the 8th accused person in the in a suit in which he was convicted, had pleaded guilty to counts 18, 19 and 20, which accused him of conniving with Essai Dangabar (Director of Police Pension Fund), Atiku Abubakar Kigo (Permanent Secretary), and others to convert a total sum of N27.2 billion, belonging to the Police Pension Office, to their own use; an offence defined by S. 308 and punishable under S. 309 of the Penal Code Act (PCA), Cap 532, LFN, 1990 That sentence was the first in the trial that followed the February 2012 revelation that very senior government officials, offices and banks were involved in an elaborate thieving spree in which several billions of naira was stolen from the police pension funds. The scam was said to have involved several transfers of huge sums between banks, use of illegal accounts and falsification of names.

The Nigerian public is reacting angrily to the sentence of JYY, contending that it is not only too light but that it is also capable of encouraging corrupt practices in the public service. While some have condemned the Judge for giving JYY a gentle slap on the wrist, others have castigated a resort to plea bargain in resolving the criminal charges brought against JYY. The sentence handed down by Justice Talba is not acceptable. It is an abuse of sentencing discretion.

Our view is that the sentence does not meet the goals of criminal punishment in anti-corruption cases, under the prevailing circumstances in Nigeria. This sentence is not a just desert. There is no retribution, deterrence or incapacitation.

Many critical questions arise

311 689 606 327 454

7458 1765 3308 1969 0344

GUEST COLUMNIST Jiti Ogunye from this sentence. Is the sentence a result of a faulty or inadequate law, an inappropriate charge, an unfair and wrongful plea bargain or an injudicious exercise of sentencing discretion? Was the sentence a product of an infamous script or an outcome of a loose and unbinding plea bargain "understanding", which is subject to an unpredictable exercise of judicial discretion? Is the EFCC genuinely dissatisfied with this sentence or is it implementing, in line with S. 14 (2) of the EFCC Establishment Act, a consistent prosecutorial policy, which prioritizes asset seizure and forfeiture over custodial sentences for criminal defendants? Was the sentence tainted with corruption or was it given by the Court in genuine appreciation of the first time offender status of JYY, without due regard for Nigeria's public policy on corruption? Did the Judge faithfully and correctly apply the criminal law or did he exploit the loopholes in the law, in sympathy with the accused person?

Section 308 and section 309 of the PCA, pursuant to which JYY was charged, convicted and sentenced define and prescribe punishment for criminal misappropriation thus: "whoever dishonestly misappropriates or converts to his own use any movable property, commits criminal misappropriation"; and "whoever commits criminal misappropriation shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years imprisonment or with fine or with both." It is obvious that the iudge could have sentenced JYY to a term of 1 day up to 2 years imprisonment, to a fine without a prison term or to both fine and imprisonment. Therefore, this judge acted according to the letters of the law. But did he act according to the spirit of the law and the dictate of justice?

And this leads us to ask three questions. First, why did the EFCC charge JYY under that Ss. 308 and 309 of the PCA and not under Ss. 311 and 312 of the PCA, dealing with criminal breach of trust, which, we contend, are the sections more appropriate for and applicable to JYY's criminal conduct. S. 311 & S. 312 of the PCA

defines and prescribes punishment for criminal breach of trust thus: "whoever, being in any manner entrusted with property or with a dominion over property, dishonestly misappropriates or converts to his own use that property or dishonestly uses or disposes of that property in violation of any direction of law prescribing the mode in which that trust is to be discharged or of a legal contract express or implied, which he has made touching the discharge of the trust, or wilfully suffers any other person so to do, commits criminal breach of trust; and "whoever commits criminal breach of trust shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine or with both" If the EFCC had charged JYY under Ss. 311 and 312 of the PCA, the judge still would have had the latitude of discretion to sentence him as he did under Ss. 308 and 309, since the sections merely provide statutory maximum sentences, and not statutory minimum sentences, and without stipulating the quantum of the fine payable. But if the EFCC had done that, and the judge still had returned a non-custodial sentence, the EFCC would have come out blameless.

The second question is why did the EFCC not charge JYY under the S. 14 of Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2004, which, prescribes a punishment of "not less than 2 years and not more than 3 years" without an option of fine for money laundering? If this had been done, the EFCC would have been assured of a custodial sentence upon conviction. Was the EFCC of the view that JYY, who laundered his loot by banking several sums of money and building several houses in order to conceal his crime, could not be charged and convicted under the Act; or is the jusdem generis shibboleth usually raised by defence attorneys regarding the construction of the phrase "illicit traffic in narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances" in S. 14, to challenge the applicability of S.14 to all forms of money laundering, the drawback which dissuaded the EFCC from charging under the Act? The third question is why was the EFCC and not the ICPC the investigating and prosecuting

authority? S.19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other related Offences Act provide that any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for 5 years, without an option of fine. S. 20 of the Act provides for forfeiture of the gratification and fine, in addition to the sentence of imprisonment.

In the light of this third question, is it not appropriate at this juncture for all the anti corruption agenciesEFCC, ICPC, Police SFU, and CCBto have an inter-agency coordination platform, under the auspices of the AGF, to ensure that the agency most suited to prefer a particular charge does so to achieve maximal custodial punishment possible under our criminal laws?

Short of prescribing the death penalty for cases of corruption involving these mind-boggling larceny, our anti corruption laws ( substantive and adjectival), including the relevant provisions of the criminal codes, penal codes and the criminal procedure laws, pursuant to which corruption cases are charged, ought to be reformed and harmonized.

Penalties prescribed for corrupt practices, especially in the public sphere ought to be more stringent.

Why, for example, should the punishment prescribed in the PCA not be aligned with that prescribed in the Criminal Code?

Under S.383 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Vol. 4, LFN, 2004, the penalty for stealing is 3 years imprisonment. If the offender is a person employed in the public service and the thing stolen is the property of the State, or came into the possession of the offender by virtue of his employment, he is liable to imprisonment for 7 years.( S. 390{5}); There is no option of fine.

And to narrow or fetter the discretion of trial judges in cases where there are no statutory minimum penalties, a body of sentencing guidelines in anti corruption cases ought to be issued as a practice direction by the NJC or the Chief Judges of the Courts, as an interim measure, pending a comprehensive legislative intervention.

While the stringency of criminal law is not, per se, a guarantee of its efficacy, we must realize that criminal laws are "like clocks, (which) must be occasionally cleansed and wound up, and set to true time." If this is not done, Nigeria may reach a point when a judge may sentence a criminal defendant convicted of criminally appropriating billions of naira to one day imprisonment or to a fine of one naira.

Jiti Ogunye is an Ikeja, Lagos-based lawyer

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