Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturday 4th, May, 2013

www.peoplesdaily-online.com weekend.peoplesdailyng.com

VOL. 3 NO. 38

SATURDAY 4— SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

. . . putting the people first

JIMADAL AKHIR 24 -25, 1434 AH

Tension, Anxiety heighten over PIB Why the North is concerned Aliyu, Kwankwaso, others spit fire

>>Pages 9,10,11

Ordeal of 92-yr-old ex- petroleum minister Kano’s uncommon mass weddings SOCIETY

page 8

Baga blodbath: Survivors open up INSIGHT pages 14,15

Zidane, others hail Garet Bale’s great feat

SPORT page 40

Gunmen kidnap Shettima Monguno >> Pg 2

World’s 100 most influential persons

Monguno

Why TIME selected Omotola WEEKEND.PEOPLESDAILYNG.COM

N150

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

My Thoughts With Ayodele Samuel 08074420617 (SMS only)

NYCN: Let youth lead the youth

L

eadership crises within youth movements in Nigeria are always disturbing. It saddens me because this makes the youths appear not better than the politicians who have, over the years, grounded our nation.

If the youths are to be the change agent and future of Nigeria, selfish power-seeking, greed and covetousness must depart from the activities of those seen as leaders of a new Nigeria .

Since the struggle and challenge for developing our country rest upon on our shoulders , we need a united front championed for the youths and by the youths; devoid of political godfatherism; where we won’t be divided by the selfish agenda of politicians. It is against this backdrop that the National Youth Council of Nigeria NYCN should take the lead.

Though the debate as to who qualifies as a youth remains a dividing line among stakeholders, the Youth international Charter pegged the age of a young person to below 35.

But, unfortunately, youths organizations in Nigeria are coerced under the leadership of people who you wonder are not grandparents. For example, how do you explain why a typical political party in Nigeria appoints grandparents to lead its youth wing?

NYCN, for some time, has been enmeshed in leadership tussle which could have been resolved in Akure before the national congress was stopped on the orders of the Federal Ministry of Youths Development, penultimate Wednesday. It is intriguing that forces holding the NYCN by the jugular are no longer youths because they are above the 35 years stipulated in the national youth policy.

The Akure congress of NYCN would be nothing but a sham if any individual above the stipulated age emerges into its leadership position. The new leadership of the NYCN must derive its powers from the constitution of the organisation and endorsed by and legitimate members of the council.

Though the Minister for Youth Development deserves some commendation for saving the council the pain of going through a congress that was pre determined to be marred by violence and mass rigging, he must stop at nothing in sanitizing the council.

The council is strategic to youth development in the country, therefore effective sanitation in line with global standards is not only desirable but not negotiable .

Undoubtedly, the NYCN is in dire need of a genuine leadership that would transform the organization into a true youth movement that upholds constitutional principles and ethos to the letter.

Opposition boycotts Kogi LG polls From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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e s s than 24 hours to the conduct of local government council elections in Kogi state, the coalition of opposition political parties have boycotted the election.

The political parties have alleged manipulation of the election process by the Kogi state Independent Electoral Commission, KOSIEC, in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The opposition parties which comprises the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) have jointly withdrawn their participation in today' s election.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Lokoja , the state capital, spokesman of the opposition parties in the State and former Member of the House of Representatives ,Hon Dino Melaye stated that the opposition parties have decided to boycott the local government election

because the SIEC would be biased They alleged that the Chairman of SIEC, Barrister Abraham Ayo Olaniran was a card carrying member of PDP, who had contested the House of Assembly seat in 2011 and therefore, cannot conduct free and fair election.

They stated that while the Electoral Act stipulates that Voters Register be displayed before the election, KOSIEC and the PDP have refused to display it because they dine and wine in corruption.

The opposition parties also pointed out that it was stipulated that 48 hours to the election, all the polling units must be marked and less than 24 hours, no polling units have been delineated.

They noted that INEC recommended the use of youth corps members or teachers as election officers, but in defiance of the electoral law, PDP card carrying members have been recruited for the exercise.

News

Gunmen kidnap Monguno, expetroleum minister

family.

The kidnapped senior citizen has been very critical of the excesses of soldiers and the manner the federal government has handled the endless bloodshed in the Maiduguri and other parts of the restive state.He reportedly expressed this strong when the President,Goodluck Jonathan visited Borno recently.

It was gathered that the phillanthropist was being driven to home when five men, armed with AK 47 rifles, suddenly ambushed his vehicle The kidnappers, reportedly fired several warning shots in the direction of the car, forcing the driver to quickly stop The Elder Statesman has just entered his car after the prayers, but some gunmen fired shots in the direction of the car, forcing the driver to stop before commandeering the car and made away with the octogenerian" Mallam Mohammed Inusa a witness said.

However another witness, who simply gave his name as Goni Umara, gave a different account on the incident, saying the kidnappers approached their victim, pretending to be well wishers, trying to greet the elder statesman before pulling out guns hidden under their dresses to threaten him.

When contacted on phone, Borno state Commissioner of Police Alhaji Abdullahi Yuguda could neither confirm or deny the incident saying

he was current on a trip outside the state.

Our correspondent who visited the house of the victim along the Maiduguri Government House, observed that hundreds of anxious and visibly disturbed sympathizers have thronged the compound, with clusters of people discussing the while some of his family members were seen weeping, but declined speaking to newsmen Though no one has claimed responsibility for the kidnap, Monguno is the second high profile citizen to be violated on a Friday, after the civil war veteran, General Muhammadu Shuwa who was killed in the presence of soldiers assigned to protect him incidentally on a Friday in November 2012 It was also gathered yesterday that family members of the educationist, have been contacted on phone by unidentified persons seeking undisclosed amount of ransom in return for Monguno’s freedom.

Meanwhle, Governor Kashim Shettima has assured that efforts would be stepped up to rescue the elder statesman, The Governor gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen shortly before he went into a close-door meeting with elders and security chiefs in the state at the residence of the kidnapped statesman in Maiduguri.

He described the act as criminal and stupid, but appealed to the citizenry to have solace in the fact that collective and swift efforts had been coordinated to rescue him.

The Governor said President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, and all the relevant authorities had been adequately informed about the situation A top government source who prefers anonymity said Governor Shettima has expressed wonder why “a 92 year old man who has dedicated his life helping orphans, poor widows and vulnerable children in the society, offering scholarships to children for Islamic education, building Islamic schools, feeding the poor and advocate of peaceful negotiation and amnesty for the sect members”, would be abducted.

members are the kidnappers in order to press for the release of their detained members by the authorities, ACF wishes to say they are going about it the wrong way.

Rather, they should press for the release of their members using the mechanism of dialogue put in place by the government instead of causing the old man any untold hard ship.

The kidnappers, said ACF, should therefore heed public appeals and release Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno forthwith in the interest of humanity and peace dearly needed for

meaningful socio- economic and political development of not only Borno state but the whole country.

Meanwhile, ACF has called on the good people of Borno state to keep calm and not take the laws into their hands as the federal and state governments go as far as efforts can go in order to bring to an end the culture of violence under control not only in Borno and Yobe states but through out Nigeria.

“Our heart goes to Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno and his family over this unfortunate situation, the group added.

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

U

nknown gunmen yesterday afternoon abducted Nigerian pioneer minister of petroleum resources and elder statesman,Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno The incident came on the heels of warning by security operatives under the Joint Military Task Force, (JTF) in a statement, alleging that suspected insurgents would resort to kidnapping of top civil servants, politicians, wealthy individuals businessmen and government officials in exchange for money as tight security measures have prevented them from carrying out bank robberies.

Dr. Monguno is the seventh personality to be abducted in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital in the series of kidnappings that engulfed the city in recent times.

Victims of the kidnappings included businessmen, top civil servants, politicians and academicians. Two lecturers of the University of Maiduguri, who were kidnapped about two months ago and are yet to be released, with their whereabouts still unknown. So also the general manager of the Borno state Water Board, Alhaji Baba Gujbawu as well as the former chairman of Abadam local government area, Alhaji Mustapha Gadobe, who were abducted in separate locations were yet to be freed.

However a famous businessman, Alhaji Ari Budun was released by the kidnappers after he allegedly paid a ransom of N50 million. Similarly, an assistant general manager of Maiduguri flour mills, Alhaji Muhammad Maisalati regained freedom after he paid N20 million.

Witnesses said the latest incident occured at about 2pm when Monguno, 92,who is a leading member of the Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought and in the forefront in the agitation for the withdrawal of soldiers from the streets of Maiduguri, was returning home after performing the Juma’at prayers at a mosque in Mafoni Ward of Maiduguri metropolis.

He reportedly lived there before relocating to the GRA for security resaons. He however, continued to maintain contact with his extended

Monguno

... ACF pleads for his release

A

rewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has been saddened by the news that the elder statesman, Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Maiduguri on Friday, 3rd May, 2013. The forum is very sad because given the age of the elder statesman and his services to not only Borno state but the whole country, he is not expected to be subjected to such hardship and humiliation by any group, be it sectarian or men of the underworld.

According to ACF, as is being bandied about, Boko Haram

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 3

News

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state with relatives of the kidnapped elder statesman, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno at the residence of the latter yesterday

Suswam Swears in 4 new commissioners, retains 11 others From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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enue State governor, Gabriel Suswam yesterday swore in 4 new commissioners while retaining 11 former members of his executive.

Suswam sternly warned the commissioners to live above board and be a catalysts for meaningful development of the state.

He further explained that the appointment of some new commissioners and the reappointment of former ones was meant to blend experience and inject persons with new ideas into the system so as to further service delivery.

The governor who expressed optimism that the calibre of appointees would provide the requisite leadership and direction for the achievement and sustainability of his administration's set objectives, also restated his administration's commitment in the challenging task of transforming the state.

He therefore called on political appointees to abide by the principles of transparency, accountability and openness in the conduct of government business.

"Given the myriad of developmental challenges that beset our state, the need to fast-track and reinvigorate the public service delivery machinery has become imperative, Suswam said The new commissioners include Anthony Onu who heads the Ministry of Science and Technology; Justin Amase, Information; Donald Amokaha Ugboho, Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Egbiri Idah, Youths and Sports.

The former Commissioners are: Comfort Ajene, Culture and Tourism; John Tondo, Lands and Survey; and Elizabeth Allagh, Women Affairs and Social Development.

Others are: Alex Atime, Housing, Eugene Aliegba, Environment and Urban Development, Conrad Wergba, Water Resources, John Ngbede, Works and Transport, Elizabeth Ugo, Education, Alex Adum, Justice, Omadachi Oklobia , Finance, and Aondowase Chia, Rural Development.

Members of the Edo NUJ Council on a road walk to mark World Press Freedom Day in Benin City on Friday

Baga: Human Rights Commission to probe killings

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

W

orried by the wanton killings and destruction of lives and property in Baga town in Borno State, the governing council of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) yesterday said it would undertake an independent investigation into the matter with a view to giving appropriate recommendation to the federal government on the matter.

Briefing newsmen after an emergency meeting of the commission in Abuja yesterday, the chairman of governing council, Prof. Chidi A. Odinkalu said, the commission is disturbed with the alarming rate of human rights violations in deferent parts

of the country, especially the North Eastern part of the country.

Odinkalu said the commission will undertake broad consultations with relevant agencies at various levels of governments, the affected communities and civil societies in the course of carrying out the statutory responsibility of the commission in the investigation into the Baga killing.

“In compliance with the Act, the commission will seek and involve all skills and competencies that may be available to aid a dispassionate investigation”, Odinkalu stated and added that the National Human Rights Commission has a duty of ensuring that the rights of every Nigeria citizen is adequately protected.

He said the commission is an independent statutory body and as

such will do the right thing, in accordance with the Act establishing it and also added that the governing council of the commission will furnish the federal government and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Minister of Justice with appropriate recommendations after its investigation.

While appealing to the political class and the federal government to take politics out of the insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country, Odinkalu said the security of lives and property is the responsibility of the government and the government must be seen doing so.

The commission hopes to conclude its investigation not later than the first week of July 2013, Prof. Odinkalu stated.

The Act establishing the National Human Rights Commission empowers it to monitor and investigate all alleged cases of human rights violation in Nigeria and make appropriate recommendations to the federal government for prosecution and such other actions as it may deem expedient in each circumstances.

It would be recalled that about 185 people were killed during a bloody clash between suspected members of the Boko Haram sect and the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Baga area of Borno State.

The high casualty rate, which also involved injury of many people and vandalisation of houses, cars and motorcycles, raises salient questions on the handling of the clash by the military authorities.

Patience not party to Turai vs FCTA land case, says perm sec

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has cleared the air concerning the judgement, Thursday, by an Abuja High Court in the suit between the FCTA and Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF), an NGO of a former First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, over the plot of land allocated to the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), an international institution affiliated to the African Union (AU).

FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr John Chukwu, at a crowded press conference yesterday, said neither the incumbent First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan nor the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) was party to the suit instituted at the Abuja High Court

by Hajia Turai Yar’ Adua.

The Permanent Secretary who stood in for the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, according to a press release issued

by Nosike Ogbuenyi, SA Media

to the FCT Minister, said the FCTA was undertaking a preliminary study of the judgement while awaiting the Certified True Copy (CTC) before further processes.

The FCTA explained that it moved to revoke the purported reallocation as a legitimate action to rectify the anomaly by a past administration in re-allocating a plot meant for public institution to a private organization.

Said Engr. Chukwu: “For the avoidance of doubt, the FCTA wishes to restate that the litigation was an affair between it and Hajia Turai Yar’adua’s NGO, and that neither the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), the original allottee of the land, nor Dame Patience Jonathan, who is the incumbent First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and President of the African continental body, (AFPM), was party to the suit at the Abuja High Court.

“We wish to state that the former First Lady, Hajia Turai challenged the action of the FCTA

in court after turning down several offers to secure an alternative plot in Phase One of the Federal Capital City for WAYEF, her NGO,” the statement added.

Chukwu stressed that the land in question was FIRST allocated to the African First Ladies Peace Mission during the tenure of Hajia Turai Yar’Adua as the First Lady of Nigeria and President of the AFLPM. adding that the records show that the said plot of land was re-designed and wrongly reallocated to WAYEF, Turai’s NGO in her twilight days as the First Lady in 2010.

He said the FCTA found the action of reallocating a public land to a private NGO inappropriate and therefore took proper action to revoke the reallocation and restore the land to the original allottee, the AFLPM. He added that the revocation was done based on the powers conferred on the Hon. Minister of FCT by the Land Use Act and the FCT Act. Thus the action was taken in the overall public

interest and for that reason alone, he explained.

The FCTA Permanent Secretary recalled that a former Minister of FCT who made the original allocation of the said land to AFLPM, Dr Aliyu Umar Modibbo had publicly clarified that the disputed land was actually allocated by him, as the then FCT Minister to the AFLPM and not to Hajia Turai’s NGO, WAYEF. “In view of the foregoing, the FCT Administration wishes to state categorically that the judgment by the FCT High Court is squarely on a case between the FCT Administration and Hajia Turai Yar Ádua," Chukwu emphasized while assuring that the FCTA would make further statements on this matter after going through the certified details of the judgement.

The Permanent Secretary stated that the FCTA remains committed to the rule of law and the development of FCT in line with the provisions of the Abuja Master Plan.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Photo Splash

BEHOLD UMARU DIKKO’S FULFILLED PROPHECY: Then-Minister of Transport, Malam Umaru Dikko, had famously declared that Nigerians were not yet eating from the dustbin. That was then. This photograph periscopes the present situation better.

DIGNITY OF LABOUR: For this gentleman, it is survival against all odds

RISKY BUSINESS: Two men delicately balanced on the back of this mobile bus

TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING: Overloading a vehicle too much, as evident here, is not onlly bad but decidedly dangerous

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

NEWS

of The

PAGE 5

WEEK

Compiled by Gladys Kenneth

‘Chief Servant’ gives Aso Rock red card “

A

nybody who thinks, whether at the party or presidential level, he can clip the wings of the governors is wasting his time". With these words, the "chief servant" of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu issued a red card to the presidency this week.

The Niger state governor spoke against the backdrop of the speculations swirling around to the effect that the presidency is moving to deal with "stubborn" governors;

those who are perceived to be against Jonathan's re-election bid, that is.

Hear him: "The governor's forum is an association registered by Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). An association is not a union and anybody who thinks whether at the party or presidential level he can clip the wings of the governor is wasting his time."

He added: "The major part of the crisis of my party is the desire to clip the wings of

NEWSMAKER

the governors. We must continue to talk the truth because that is the only way Nigeria will move forward."

Typically, Governor Aliyu is as fearless and blunt as always. With this red card (which is reportedly supported by many other governors). The stage appears set for a mother-of-all showdown. Who will blink first? Time shall tell.

“

The major part of the crisis of my party is the desire to clip the wings of the governors. We must continue to talk the truth because that is the only way Nigeria will move forward

Amaechi: Rebel With A Cause?

For varsity applicants, T it’s pain upon pain A

s the popular Bible saying goes, "many are called but few are chosen". And so is it in the case of the candidates who sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Saturday, the April 27.

For some candidates, the examination was hitch-free, for others, it was full of hitches. Nine candidates were said to have lost their lives in an auto crash involving 15 passengers, including the driver and the conductor who also lost their lives, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.

According to an eyewitness, the driver of the Hiace commercial bus was trying to overtake another vehicle when suddenly, a motor from the opposite direction, in an attempt to avoid a collision with the bus,

“

lost control, veered off the expressway and ran into a truck parked by the roadside.

Sadly, the labour of majority of the candidates who wrote that examination may be in vain. According to the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufa'i, only 520,000 of the 1,735,720 candidates who sat for the examination are likely to be offered admission into the higher institution.

She said: "We have over 1.7 million candidates that have registered to go into our tertiary institutions, including our universities, and the space that we have is barely 520,000 for federal, and tertiary institutions -including Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and private universities".

What that means is that even if most of the candidates perform very well, they will still be denied admission for no just reason.

What that means is that even if most of the candidates perform very well, they will still be denied admission for no just reason. The question on the minds of many is: Can a nation develop without education

”

The questions on the minds of many are: Can a nation develop without education? If the answer is no, then when will Nigeria, the so-called giant of Africa, wake up to its responsibility to our future leaders? Is it a crime for our children to aspire for higher education?

he no-love-lost relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, boiled over for the umpteenth time last weekend. According to reports, the governor's plane was grounded in Akure, Ondo state, on the orders of an "oga at the top"- believed to be Jonathan.

Amaechi, Chairman of the Nigerian Governor's Forum, had earned Aso Rock's wrath following speculations that he and his colleagues were out to truncate Jonathan's re-election bid. Ever since then, the presidency has allegedly been baying for the governor's blood. To begin with, a rival body (PDP Governors Forum) was quickly formed as part of officialdom's desperate bid to clip Amaechi's wings.

Almost immediately, the Rivers state chapter of the PDP executive loyal to Amaechi was sacked in a curious manner. With the grounded plane incident coming on the heel of that melodrama, even the blind can now "see" what is happening right before our very eyes.

The question on many lips now is: Is Amaechi a rebel with a cause?

Is he a gadfly of the people? Or is he a "criminal" to be handled without mercy?

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

(Send your crime stories to pmlcrimecycle@gmail.com) 08138559513 (SMS only)

Crime Cycle

Who Killed Samuel?

Family cry out, as Police play hide-and-seek game

From Nuruddeen Hussain, Jos

T

By Matthew Aramunde

F

o l l o w i n g the pathetic tale of how some policemen in patrol vehicle allegedly killed a young man, Samuel Edet Thomas and dropped the bullet-ridden body at the gate of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, in Akwa Ibom state, the deceased family's quest for justice seems to only raise dust as to who really killed him.

The deceased, 30, was an indigene of Ikot Asat Nsit community of Nsit Ibom council area of the state who lost his father last September. He had left home on that fateful Saturday morning of 5th January, 2013 to keep an appointment at Ikot Ekpene road, a densely populated area of the state.

Having fingered some unidentified policemen attached to D. Division, Itam Junction, in Uyo, the state capital, for the killing of their breadwinner in circumstances that they described as inexplicable, police authorities who initially appeared uninterested in the matter later started making efforts to trace the said police van.

However, family sources said the police claimed the deceased was vandalizing vehicles along the highway when one of the officers, in an attempt to stop him, had an accidental discharge from his rifle, killing Samuel.

When our correspondent visited the scene, an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said prior to Samuel's murder, a pandemonium had broken out along the area when the police on approaching the junction, opened fire indiscriminately and in the melee several stray bullets hit the 30 year-old man, killing him instantly.

Narrating the incident, spokesperson of the bereaved family, simply called Imaobong, said few hours after the tragedy, a call came in through the deceased’s mobile phone and the message was not only sharp but shocking Imaobong said the caller who did not identify himself, told the unfortunate mother of the deceased who received the call that, "the owner of this phone is in the mortuary."

The old woman couldn't comprehend what had just assaulted her ears as she collapsed; bemused neighbours who were on hand, helped rush her to the nearest hospital for medical attention.

"Apparently shocked at their findings and in their desperate

Plateau town denies harboring criminals

SUNSET AT NOON: Samuel (middle) with his cousins while he was alive attempt to cover up the killing of an innocent man by one of their own, the Police alleged that the man "mistakenly" killed by their men was a "mentally derailed" person, the family lamented.

This made the family crying blue murder, arguing that the late Samuel had no history of mental disorder, neither has any member of their families ever been linked to any form of mental disorder .

"The lame argument that Samuel was shot by the police who were on patrol, for allegedly damaging cars parked by the roadside, is not only insidious but unfortunate”, they said.

"It cannot be true. The late Samuel had no record of any form of mental disorder, he was a very normal person and never showed any sign of mental disability when he left home in the morning and could not have been engaged in any form or act that is abnormal. The police are not telling the truth.”

The deceased's other, Madam Eka Tom who is still in shock over the unfortunate incident told our correspondent that she had barely recovered from the death of her husband and father of the deceased after a protracted illness, in the same hospital where the corpse of her son is still lying after he was dumped at the gate by the police.

On why the corpse is still lying at the morgue, the family spokesperson said they are still

at a loss on why after five months, the police have refused to release the corpse, insisting that we pay a N250,000 hospital bill which covers the cost of postmortem and mortuary service.

In her words: "They have refused to carry out investigation into the murder, since it involves one their own; a senior officer at that; refused to bear the cost of autopsy and refused to release the body for burial; this is our predicament.”

It is also alleged that the said hospital has been sending emissaries to the family threatening that should the family further delay in claiming the corpse; they would be forced to act the way they feel like.

Also, in response to a petition sent to the office of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, he directed the State Commissioner of Police to open investigations into the circumstances that led to the brutal murder of a 30 year old man by some policemen attached to D. Division, Itam Junction, of the state.

Further investigations revealed that there appears to an attempt to shield the policemen involved in the killing - the personnel on patrol on that fateful day - as they were hurriedly transferred out of the aid station.

The family of the deceased are angry that efforts to get the attention of the Commissioner of Police has met brick walls as he allegedly has consistently

turned down efforts to access his office.

The only opportunity they have had so far with the police, was when they were able to draw the attention of the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, who was in the entourage of the visiting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar when he paid an official visit to the state recently.

Touched by the plight of the bereaved family, Mba was said to have instructed the State Police Public Relations Officer to look into the case.

The result of that instruction, it was gathered is that one Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Samuel Isiek, the Divisional Crime Officer who was said to have led the patrol team that day, and who allegedly released the killer shot that snuffed life out of his namesake, was redeployed elsewhere replaced with one Joseph Phillip. Ever since, the matter has become that of hide and seek game.

The poser agitating most minds now is: Couldn't the Police the police arrest a 'mentally derailed person' whom they claimed was vandalizing vehicles with a stick, without the use of live bullet?

Beyond this, is the call by the family on the police authorities to, as a matter of urgency, order release of the corpse of their slain son and bring those behind the dastardly to book.

he Rafin Pa – Corner Shagari Community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, has said that it is, “disturbed and saddened with the Nation newspapers publication of Monday, April 29, 2013, signed by one faceless Jonathan Pwajok and Azi Bulus, which carried bogus assertions against their community, in other to dent their image, create mischief and equally cause security threat on the people”.

The community, in a press statement signed by its youth leader, Mustapha Ibrahim Bako, said it was not true the allegations made that they harboured foreign assassins, who threatened to kill one Bitrus Kaze, and had “ set out from a place of worship in Rafin Pa.” The statement added that the allegations, “were sheer malicious lies purported not only to dent our good image, but are also targeted at brewing apprehensions among the community members”.

“We make bold to say even if Kaze was trailed, then it wasn’t from our community, our understanding of the matter is that mischief makers are relentlessly bent in their efforts at trying to create a situation that will lead to an attack on innocent peaceful members of our community”, he said.

According to the community, Kaze must have known the assassins having noticed that he was been trailed. “Why did he not report them to the Security at the checkpoint, if such allegations were true?”

The statement said, it recalled that similar allegations was made against it some year’s back, at which several people were innocently attacked and killed by security agencies, adding that the federal high court vindicated the community by giving judgment in its own favour and also ordered the payment of compensation to the affected families.

“The Special Task Force (STF), on security, the Police, and even the SSS, can attest to the fact that we are peace living community, we are very conscious of the present security challenges in the country, and therefore will not allow a breeding space for harboring criminals.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 7

News Court remands Edo legislator over illegal possession of firearms

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

A

n Auchi Magistrate Court sitting in Etsako Wwest local government area of Edo State weekend remanded the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) legislator representing Etsako West State Constituency I in the House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulrazaq Momoh, in police custody for allegedly wielding firearms during the recent local

government election in the State.

The legislator was arraigned by the Nigerian police for illegally possessing six rounds of live ammunition, one pump action gun, a double- barrel shortgun and 13 rounds of 55 live cartridges punishable under the robbery and fire arms law of Nigeria.

He was allegedly arrested with the exhibits during the April 20 local government elections the

State.

The court where he was arraigned was filled to capacity by a crowd of spectators who were on ground to listen to the proceedings.

Counsel to the lawmaker, Barrister Olayinwola Afolabi raised objection to the competence of the charge and argued that no robbery case has been established against him.

But the defence Counsel, Edward Aibangbe urged the

court to rule in accordance with the provisions of the law.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. Caroline Nnurokhai adjourned the case to April 7 after granting bail to four other suspects, Abdulmalik Momoh Abdulmalik Sadik, Emmanmuel Abolo and Abdulsalami Abubakar. who were arrested alongside with the lawmaker, in the sum of N20,000 each with a surety.

Nigeria will not break up, says clergyman From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

h e overseer of Royal Covenant Assembly, Reboth Christian ministries international, Ilorin, Reverend Bola Payimo has said that despite series of crisis in Nigeria, the

country will not break up.

Payimo who stated this while speaking with journalists in Ilorin ahead of the Church’s convention said Nigerians need to stand firm on the unity of the country and pray for peace.

The clergy man who called on all Nigerians to

imbibe the spirit of love in order to take the counter y to greater heights, noted that love could build a strong and virile nation.

The clergyman also implored churches to cultivate the habit of teaching and inculcating the fear of God in the

Delybimb Malaria Foundation sues Yakubu Gowon Center

By Nuruddeen Hussain, Jos

D

elybimb Malaria Foundation that is into Malaria Control, has sued the Incorporated Trustee of Yakubu Gowon Centre for failure to pay the contract of store identification, assessment and distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets in Zamfara, Borno and Plateau States.

The group said it entered into business transaction with the centre in July 2010 for

the implementation of Global Fund Round 8 Malaria Grant and requested for the plaintiff’s services to carry out the store identification, assessments and distribution for the Global Nets that had arrived Nigeria then.

The case which came up for mention and was heard on Wednesday in Jos at the Plateau State High Court 4 before Justice Yargata Nimpar.

Witness of the plaintiff, Mr. Bamidele Olawole, the chief executive officer of the

Kwankwaso tasks Northwest varsity on qualitative education From Mustapha Adamu, Kano ano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has charged the governing council of the Northwest University to provide a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning at the university.

Kwankwaso stated this while inaugurating the newly constituted

K

governing council of the Northwest University at the Government House yesterday.

The governor called on the governing council to follow due process in electing members of the University senate and other important members of the council and to ensure a prudent University's management and law abiding and disciplined students.

group, tendered an agreement of contract, credit sale invoices, email correspondences, waybills, reports of activities in the said three states and consultancy agreement relating to the transaction as evidence before the court.

The witness led by the group counsel Barr. Ibrahim Hamman said, “the defendant did not pay for the services rendered but pleaded through its officers that the non payment was due to the absence of its Chairman- General Yakubu Gowon (GCFR) (Rtd) who has not been in office to sign the cheques for payment because of his official engagements and also because he was bereaved”.

The group is seeking for an order of the court, to grant them the sum of N26, 436, 228.47 being the total money due to the plaintiff from the contract of services in the three states as well as movement and distributions of long lasting insecticidal nets in 17 local government of areas of Plateau state.

The case was adjourned till the 22nd May, 2013, for the defense counsel Barr. Thomas Ochebo to open his defense.

minds of their congregations, stressing that the fear of God would strengthen the nation's amalgamation.

He urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the country stressing that with prayers all things are possible.

1,000 youth mobilised for Kogi council polls From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

K

ogi state chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, (NYCN), Suleiman Farouq, has said that about 1,000 youth have been mobilized to monitor today's council election in the 21 LGAs of the state.

The chairman who gave this indication yesterday, said the youths have been trained for the observer jobs with the assistance of the International Republican Institute, (IRI), USA. While appreciation the IRI for identifying with and involving the youths in the e l e c t i o n e e r i n g observation, he stressed that the youths will continue to work with

reputable organizations to ensure credible elections at the grassroots.

Farouq called on the youths in Kogi state to be law abiding and shun all acts of violence and thuggery, saying that the youths organization will not accommodate any one who violate the laws of the land.

He enjoined the security agents assigned for the election to be vigilant and must not spare any youth who caused civil disorder during the election he described as historic.

The youths chairman called on the participants at the workshop to apply all the skills and knowledge acquired at the workshop for the success of the election.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HONG, ADAMAWA STATE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ADVERTISEMENT 1. PRE-QUALIFICATION TO TENDER The College invites interested contractors to apply for the Pre-qualification exercise for the following. TETFUND PROJECTS, YEAR 2011/2012 MERGED INTERVENTION IN LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT. (i) Procurement of 496 Books & Journals (ii) Procurement of Digital projector (iii) Procurement of 1647 of Book & Reference materials. (iv) Procurement of 20 double library shelves. (v) Procurement of 10 wire mesh pamphlets. (vi) Procurement of 10 foyers Brochure Display. (vii) Procurement of 5 Journal & Magazine Display. (viii) Procurement of 3 carousal & literature.

2. PRE-QUALIFICATION CRITERIA Companies/Firms should have the following: (i) Evidence of Registration with Corporate Affairs. (ii) Evidence of execution of similar project. (iii) Evidence of Tax clearance. (iv) Evidence of Financial capability. (v) Evidence of registration with VAT. (vi) Letter of reference from the Bank.

3. SUBMISSION OF PRE-QUALIFICATION DOCUMENT Pre-qualification documents should be submitted between 10:00am to 2:00pm on working days only to the Registrar, College of Education, Hong in a sealed envelope.

Not later than fourteen (14) days from this advertisement.

4. The college reserves the right to reject any Pre-qualification tendered that does not meet up with the requirements.

Mohammed Ali Balla College Librarian For: Provost.

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Society W

hen the current administration in Kano state assumed office back in 2011, the state governor made it clear that he would not scrap the then much talked Kano state Hisbah Board, whose alleged involvement in the 2011 elections put a serious question mark on the continued existence under the new administration.

However, even with such misgivings, many people in the state believed that the Board’s intervention in civil disputes and religious guidance which the board was rendering were strong enough to salvage it from 'dying', even when some flayed the thousands of people earning living in the "shariah" led board.

The state governor, Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso decided to maintain the board, which, according to him, needed to be redesigned to effectively perform the known function of Hisbah back in Islamic history.

With the appointment of the current Commadant-General, Sheik Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, the board came up with a not-sopopular decision of undertaking mass wedding so as to reduce the increasing number of widows in the state. Some revealed that this mass wedding was the first of its kind in the whole African continent.

The rationale behind the idea of mass wedding for divorcees and widows, according to the Kano state governor, was informed by the need to ease the hardship being encountered by the less privileged in the society. Hear Kwankwaso: "Government will also conduct another round of mass wedding for other couples as soon as possible…"

The decision, which was initially welcomed with much humor and disdain by people in and outside the state, quickly began to yield result as criteria for the intending couples were rolled out by the board. The kind of procedure an applicant has to go through before being enlisted into the each batch indicate the seriousness of the board in carrying a holistic approach, to forestall any foreseeable break-up.

For instance, there was a report of expulsion of about 20 applicants by the Hisbah board owing to their failure to meet up to the health standard. They were said to be HIV/AIDS positive, hence their outright disqualification.

Despite that, many people summoned courage and eventually made it the final but trail-blazing list of 100 people who were to be sponsored by the state government for their marriage.

And this was successfully carried out by the Daurawa-led Hisbah board that ensured the provision of all marriage related chores such as furniture, dowry and even some token money to the husbands to start a business.

The aftermath of this first -ofits-kind mass wedding by any administration in the country heavily favoured the initiative, which further bolstered the conviction of the state government to again sponsor the second batch of 150 mass wedding.

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and wife of Vice

Kano’s wedlock of the masses An uncommon kind of people-empowerment captivates Kano as the state government sponsors the mass wedding of hundreds of indigent citizens. Last week's 1,000 weddings, the largest number of the three batches wedded thus far, was just but a pointer to the growing acceptance of the initiative by the state's indigenes. Ibrahim Kabiru Sule reports.

A cross-section of some of the brides at the mass wedding in Kano last weekend president Namadi Sambo, Hajiya Amina deemed it appropriate to be involved in the second batch wedding, as each of them personally donated materials and money to both the grooms and brides.

The increase in the number of the interested people underscored the growing popularity of the program among the "Kanawas" and attested to the fact that a large number of youth (both men and women) were only constrained by the lack of wherewithal to marry.

Presumably, taking the

burden from the shoulders of those men is what cleared the way for them to throw their hats into the ring of "accepting" the marriage offer by the state government.

Last week's record 1,000 mass wedding by the government, the third in the series, clearly empowered them. The wedding, which attracted many distinguished guests even from outside the state, had governor Rabi'u Kwankwaso as representative of the brides. It was held at the Kano city mosque.

Apart from the Emir's palace

mosque wedlock within Kano municipality, the event was simultaneously held being taking place in the residences of the district heads of the 44 local governments of the state.

While drastically reducing to the minimum level the number of pitiful young widows aimlessly roaming the streets of Kano, the action has recorded success in curtailing the cases of rape, which is becoming a global concern.

Moreover, the initiative either empowered or provided new job opportunities for the teeming

grooms, through the N20, 000 assistance by the state government, apart from the sponsorship of their weddings.

Invariably, government has been consolidating on the previous administration's human development drive, which it encapsulated in its "Adaidaita Sahu" agenda.

Observers said other states in the federations need to imitate Kano state government's mass wedding effort which is capable of putting a halt to the numerous societal vices.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 9

Cover Prologue

Behind the PIB shuffle

S

By Abdulwahab Isa

i m i l a r to the story of a stubborn 'Abiku' child that had sworn against respite for a traumatized mother, the Petroleum Industry Bill (BIP) has evolved into an indefatigable Abiku of a sort. And like the proverbial barber's chair, there has been constant motion without much movement, and sizeable sound and fury that signifies nothing.

An idea that flew originally, in form of a draft framework document prepared by Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) several years ago as part of attempts to deregulate the oil and gas sector and unbundle the behemoth known as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); the PIB has traversed several roads with no clear destination in sight.

Historically, what is known as PIB today was kick-started by the BPE under Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai’s leadership way back in 2001. The Bureau had prepared a

Mal. Nasir el-Rufai draft on the oil and gas sector, detailing a gradual phase by phase disengagement of government’s involvement in the oil and gas business. In the BPE draft, NNPC was to be transformed into commercial entity that would buy crude from government at a prevailing commercial rate. The said draft document seeks to bring transparent process to bear on oil and gas business in Nigeria.

The hue and cry trailing PIB is understood, considering the fact that crude oil is Nigeria's economy main stay. It oils economy wheel of Nigerian nation.

Incidentally, from over ten years ago when BPE made that novel attempt by producing an original draft document, it has undergone several “turnaround maintenance” by various groups to suit their respective purposes. The inherent interests after the PIB, would later lead to several versions of it in circulation before this very 'authentic' version currently being worked on by the National Assembly.

The current PIB before the National Assembly is till steep in contentious controversy arisen from various provisions and clauses considered obnoxious by some

interests.

One of the offending sections includes a provision in the draft Bill which unduly bestows discretionary powers on the President and the Minister of Petroleum. Stakeholders have, with unison, kicked against un wielding powers confer on Minster of Petroleum and President and are pushing for its expulsion.

The aspect of the draft bill that confers power on the Minister, experts have argued, makes the Minster the sole administrator over the entire Petroleum Industry. Apart from chairing most of the institutions and agencies created under the draft PIB, the minister is also saddled with the responsibility of nominating appointees for the different agencies to the President. It does appear that Section 6 of the Bill grants the minister superhuman powers but spectacularly fails to provide appropriate checks on the minister.

But the aspect that has generated intense debate and argument with each section of the country passionately arguing for its retention or expulsion is the provision of 10 Percentage tagged "Community Host Fund" principally to cater for the oil host communities.

Two axis of the country - the South and the North -have engaged in a contentious argument on the desirability or otherwise of this provision. Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom, PDP) dropped a bombshell recently when he accused Northerners of owning 83 per cent of oil blocs in the country. He said the 10 percent host community fund in the draft Bill was rather an under cut.

But the provision has elicited stout opposition from not just majority of parliamentarians of Northern extraction but equally from the region’s governors.

Kano state Governor, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso took the debate to a notch higher as he opposed the passage of the PIB, saying that its passage would add to poverty which the Northern region is already plagued with.

Expressing the position of Kano State in the North-West zonal public hearing on the PIB in Kaduna, Kwankwaso accused President Goodluck Jonathan of tilting the national budget to suit his region against the generality of the Nigerian populace.

He lamented that with the existence of the NDDC, the Ministry of Niger Delta and amnesty for ex-militants, the creation of another fund aimed at catering for petroleum host communities would be unfair to the region.

"What we are seeing today in this country is an addition to the 13 per cent derivation. This country established NDDC purely for the south-south states. We know how much resource the government and companies are putting into it. We now have amnesty, billions of naira; patronage in this country is tilting towards one direction," Kwankwaso posited.

He said the establishment of the Petroleum Host Community Fund would be unconstitutional as section 44 of the constitution also provides that the entire property of Nigeria is vested on the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hence there should be no special treatment of a particular region.

He added that offshore/onshore dichotomy should be abolished while attention is given to exploration of oil in Sokoto, Chad and Benue.

PIB: Petroleum Minister, Madueke

Gov. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso

Tension, anxiety mount over contentious Bill

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

h e Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has remained in the front burner of public discourse in recent time.

This is particularly due to the level of political and economic interests it has attracted across ethnic and political divides in the country, and even beyond.

Oil is indeed an international commodity, hence whenever any a policy is being proposed by the Nigerian government regarding exploration and sale of this product, various ethnic and

“

Oil is indeed an international commodity, hence whenever any a policy is being proposed by the Nigerian government regarding exploration and sale of this product

political classes will definitely strive to protect their interests.

Mother countries of the various IOCs (International Oil Companies), including Britain and United States, among others, have so far raised their own concerns, mostly bordering on favourable extractive conditions.

However, in the face of the various economic benefits which the Bill proposes for Nigerians, the big questions that keeps agitating many minds is: 'why is the north opposing the PIB despite the benefits that are embedded in it?' Ask the typical Northerner and he would tell you that there are sound, valid reasons for their concern.

At the resumed debate on PIB in the Senate, recently the Bill apparently became a tug of war between northern and southern senators, as each of them took turn to defend their regional and ethnic interests.

It would be recalled that in the sixth Senate, various versions of the PIB were in circulation. This impeded the consideration and adoption of the Bill, even though it has become very essential to Nigerians, considering the current economic realities.

In a bid to forestall a possible death of this Bill, Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, immediately moved to harmonise these versions, giving birth to what is today contained in the

Contd on Pg 10

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Cover

PIB: Why North is concerned Contd from Pg 9 harmonised Petroleum Industry Bill.

Nevertheless, the reality regarding this Bill is that there are some contentious issues lying therein, which the North has found offensive and disgusting.

Some of these issues are that aside from the existing 13% derivation funds for oil producing states, the PIB seeks to create an additional 10% oil Host Communities Fund. Then there is the little matter of excessive powers it gives to both the Minister of Petroleum and the sitting President, for both of them to discretionary award oil blocs to oil companies.

In addition to the above, Northern senators are also clamouring that the Frontier Oil Exploration Fund should be made independent of the sitting President.

This fund, which will, among others, be used to pursue exploration activities in new oil frontiers, especially in the Chad basin in the north, is subjected by PIB to the whims of the President.

On the additional 10% Host Community Funds, the view of the northern senators is that there is no moral justification to constitutionally appropriate more funds to the oil producing communities.

Their reason: there is an existing 13% derivation in the constitution for the same communities.

According to them, the oil communities in the south-south have remained impoverished because their governors have mismanaged and embezzled this 13% derivation funds; and therefore, that the north should not be held responsible for it.

Their speculation is that the governors and leaders of these communities will still mismanage the funds if created as being proposed in the Bill.

On this basis, they called on the federal government to, rather, probe the corruption and misappropriation still going on in the utility of this fund, than create additional money.

In addition, it would be recalled that at the height of Niger Delta revolt due to the level of abject poverty in the area, various programmes were also created to douse the tension in the region.

Some informed views contend that these programmes have merely constituted drainpipes for the economy rather than addressing the issues for which they were founded. At best, most of the ugly trends witnessed then in the Niger Delta region are gradually springing up once again.

In specific terms, a legislation was made to create the Niger Delta Ministry, with the primary responsibility to initiate and execute projects that will improve the socio-economic activities in the region.

This ministry, basically, is supposed to undertake projects in the areas of road infrastructure, rural electrification, estate development for rural dwellers, healthcare services, education, etc, for the benefit of Niger Delta communities.

However, the concern presently is over how far it has gone in fulfilling these responsibility has remained the bane of the ministry. This is despite the huge budget allocated annually to it since inception. Observers have argued that

Senator Ahmed Lawa

Senator Godsday Orubebe

the ministry, which was created with interventionist mission, has failed completely.

The argument is that the ministry has only succeeded in putting up an avenue through which politicians, particularly those loyal to the President, enrich themselves to the utter detriment of the communities which they claim to carter for.

To buttress this point of view, just recently, traditional rulers from all the communities in the Niger Delta communities paid a courtesy visit on the Minister of Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe.

During their interaction, the royal fathers, whose mind was bared by their spokesperson, did not tarry in expressing their utter disappointment with the Niger Delta Ministry.

According to them, the ministry has completely failed to impact on the people’s lives as intended before the violence in the region was quenched through collective efforts of both government and traditional institutions.

In the view of leaders of the north, the Niger Delta has received more than enough interventionist attention, even though there are more communities in the north whose poverty ratio is higher than what obtains in the south south zone.

The underlying tread in this protest

Senator Ita Enang is that the whole proceed of the oil revenue should not be abandoned for the region just because the resources is situated by providence in their region.

According to them, if Nigeria is truly

“

The contention, therefore, is that if money is provided by the constitution for the oil producing communities through the NDDC, and the Niger Delta ministry, in addition to the already controversial 13% derivation fund, it would amount to saturating the region with funds.

one, the plight of the poor masses in the communities in the north should not be taken for granted. They therefore insist that poverty does not respect tribe nor religion; that is to say what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

In addition to the Niger Delta Ministry which exclusively cares for the oil producing communities, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), was initially established to fulfil the same purpose for which Niger Delta ministry was later created.

NDDC has equally been compromised by the well known Nigerian enemy; corruption. Though the commission also receives its own percentage from the national budget, what different role it plays for the Niger Delta people, other than what the Ministry is assumed to be doing, remains in doubt.

The contention, therefore, is that if money is provided by the constitution for the oil producing communities through the NDDC, and the Niger Delta ministry, in addition to the already controversial 13% derivation fund, it would amount to saturating the region with funds.

Moreover, the amnesty programme initiated as an immediate relief for the militants in the Niger Delta is gulping huge amount from the federation account.

The amnesty programme, which is an exclusive preserve of the south south, has sponsored many young people, who took arms against the government, for oversea training and empowerment, which other regions in the country also now clamour for.

It is on this note that the battle line was drawn between northern and southern senators, who now talk of what the PIB will benefit the people in their region.

Before now, there were reports that the northern governors have given their senators and members of House of Representatives, a stern warning never

Contd on Pg 11

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 11

Cover

PIB of controversy, tension Contd from Pg 10 to allow the PIB passed. Their reason is that it is another ploy by the federal government to further impoverish the north.

How reliable these reports are, remains uncertain, but the actions of the northern senators towards the Bill somewhat proves this point.

In fact, to indicate the seriousness and depth of the vested interests in this Bill, the Senate President, David Mark, mapped out three days for debate by lawmakers on it. This, according to him,

President Goodluck Jonathan

is to ensure that every shed of opinion, line of argument and points, are marshalled out and exhausted.

On the second day of the debate on PIB, it was Senator Ahmed Lawan (ANPP Yobe) supposedly the North's "lead speaker" in the Red Chamber, that released the first dossier on how the southern governors plundered and diverted several billions of naira which accrued to the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.

This, he released obviously to justify why more funds, in whatever guise or numencleture, should not be approved

“

Enang produced documents revealing how over 90% of the oil blocs in the Niger Delta, was awarded to northern political and economic elite by the senate for the Niger Delta people.

After this dossier was released, other northern senators gathered the impetus to argue on the same track, justifying why no more funds should be approved for oil producing communities.

Gov. Babangida Aliyu

By the time the senate resumed debate on the third and concluding day, Itah Enang, who, this time around, was the lead speaker for the Southern senators, returned the attack.

Enang produced documents revealing how over 90% of the oil blocs in the Niger Delta, was awarded to northern political and economic elites.

In the document, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Sanusi Lamido, among others were pointed as owning majority of the oil blocs in Niger Delta.

This is even as the Governor of Kano state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has warned that the PIB will impoverish the north.

His argument is that if the PIB is passed, and the 10% host community funds will reduce what the north receives from the federation account. This, he said will worsen the already dangerous level of poverty in the north.

Hear him: “This Bill also calls for community rehabilitation fund for oil producing communities which, for me, amounts to cheating on our people because these communities already have the Ministry of the Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Development Commission and the amnesty programme.

“Therefore creating the fund shows that the revenue from the petroleum industry is targeted to one particular area and this cannot be tolerated by our people.”

In the same vein, Governor Babangida of Niger State recently joined the fray. Aliyu, who is Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, stated that: “Niger State stands against the removal of the need for legislation on oil royalty regime. National Assembly must determine fees, royalties and rentals through an established regulation and NOT the Minister of Petroleum Resources.”

He added: “We strongly recommend abrogation of multiple derivations in the names of NDDC, oil-producing communities and Ministry of Niger Delta. Rather we recommend upward review of a consolidated derivation that will capture all the development aspirations of the states. While the organs of implementation should be subsumed under the State’s development and implementation master plan to avoid current duplication

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Interview

‘Bush House’ of a kind

Michael Bush

wonderful presenter, who runs the Monday edition; there is Ali Michael, who runs the Tuesday edition; there is R Etal, who runs on Wednesday; there is Allison Jonathan and Joy Monu who run the programme on Friday; and of course there is me, who runs on Saturday, on Network service of Radio Nigeria. And then the internet radio itself is coming live, as we are trying opening a live studio for it, so that we can be doing 24- hours programming every day.

What would you say are the achievements and challenges associated with BHN over these ten years of operations?

For me, I would rather talk about challenges than achievements, because the greatest achievements of BHN are those ones we are looking forward to have tomorrow. In Terms of challenges, I think there are essentially man-made challenges; from the ones that sometimes, it is very difficult to find people to patronize or sponsor the programme; or sometimes, you have to people doing business and they will not pay, and sometimes guests standing up in the middle of the programme after they agreed they are going to be guest, and as a presenter, you are right there, you must have signed on the programme, and the guest chickens out or does something capable of disrupting the programme. So they are manmade challenges, but my reaction to challenges is that: challenges are only stepping stones, as I see them as things that God allows, so that we can step on them and fly higher in life. When you bring on challenges to BHN, what we do essentially is to make sure that we can hit the skies flying.

what it is today, because it is unique. It is unique because is BHN, I mean you won’t find another BHN anywhere in the country.

Also it’s so, because on our programme series there is something for everyone; whether is in terms of education, you have BH Schools; whether it’s in the area of hospitality, there is BH hospitals and wellbeing; whether is in terms of internet technology, we have BH cyber; whether is in terms of interviewing people, we have BH living room; and whether is in the aspect of properties, there is BH properties Ltd. So there is always something for everyone on the programme. And the fact that we can run as an independent producer, we can run programmes for six days every week on radio stations that one has to pay for. And I think that in a sense makes it unique. Another thing is that the fact that we have different set of presenters of BHN. For instance, there is Toby Oyetunde, a

Talking about the composition of a 10-Man committee, why restricting it to ten?

Actually, we arrived at the 10-Man committee, because we are marking tenth anniversary, and we are people, who like to play with numbers a lot. This is why the events lined up for the celebration itself, since it is our tenth anniversary, it’s going to be planned by ten people; and it’s going to happen in ten days.

Even the awards we would be giving are going to ten special people. It’s going to be special awards; it’s not just going to be all these awards you find around town where, you look for the highest bidder stuff, but it’s going to be a different kind of awards.

And the people that have been brought into the committee, six of them represent the six political zones of Nigeria, is makes it a pan Nigerian committee. The idea behind it is that we want to reflect

Meet Mr. Michael Bush, Chief Executive Officer of the Bush House (BH) Group. BH, the independent producer of Bush House Nigeria (BHN) Radio, a compelling series which runs on Kapital FM 92.9 Abuja, and on the Network Service of Radio Nigeria, has been creating excitement across the land in the past ten years. In this engaging chat with Stanley Onyekwere, he highlights the journey so far for BHN in the emerging mass media frontiers.

H

ow is the journey so far for Bush House Nigeria?

It’s been good. BH Group as a company is into media, properties, and virtually everything. But BHN which is the media arm BH Group, started on television on Friday, the 26th of July, 2003 will turn ten years old on the 26th of July, this year. We started in Akwa Ibom, my home state; we ran on television for about two year and then third year went on independent radio production. By the fourth year, we also added print; a Magazine and a newspaper as it were.

Then after six, some happened, and we decided to move to Abuja. And four years on, we are still here in the nation’s capital. Today by the grace of God we are not only on Kapital fm 92.9, but also on FRCN. We are on air every weekday on all weekdays 11am to noon and on the Network Service of Radio Nigeria, on Saturday at 4:30pm - 5:30 pm. It is an educative, informative & entertaining radio programme with unique features.

More than that, whether we are on Abuja studio or Network service of Radio Nigeria, anybody in any part of the world who has; say A Black berry device, Android device or a Laptop computer device, and it could be anything can listen to us live from anywhere. And think that is huge for me. And that’s something I would like the world to celebrate with us at BHN via internet radio.

And so preparatory to that exactly three months ahead to the anniversary, we decided to set up a 10-Man Pan Nigerian planning Committee, for the 10th anniversary.

Currently, we are working on opening our own radio station; which I’m sure it’s a sure destination for BHN after all these years. Because personally, I think it’s a natural thing for us at the BN group to own a private radio station; and equally a private television station. And we will continue to search for answers; we continue to look for higher and better grounds to explore.

What makes Bush House Group what it is over the years?

BHN has evolved to become

“

Personally, I think it’s a natural thing for us at the BN group to own a private radio station; and equally a private television station. And we will continue to search for answers; we continue to look for higher and better grounds to explore

all of Nigeria.

These appointments were not just made in the name of appointments, but the members of the committee were carefully chosen to reflect the areas that we want to cover.

Apart from giving out awards, what are other activities mapped out for the 10th anniversary celebration?

Ordinarily, this is not what can answer as it’s is the responsibility of the committee to map out events and activities for the anniversary. But on my own, for instance I’m looking at the possibility of underling the tenth anniversary of BHN by doing something very special. And what is that? I want us to build two houses; if you like three of fourbedroom bungalows, for two widows; one in the northern part of the country, and another in southern part of the country, where I come from. At the moment we are already trying to find the two widows that would benefit from that, and then we go into building the houses for them. The second thing I think we can do on Day 2, if the committee approves it, is organise a football match. I had always been a lover of football.

So I would want us to bring a team from down south over to Abuja for a testimonial match just as we did during the sixth anniversary.

There would be surely a number of other things that would happen that I would like to see, and hope that the committee would add flesh to those bones.

How do you intend build these houses and hand them over to the would-be beneficiaries within three months?

Of course, one can build a house if he or she has the money within a month. In our case, we can do that within a month, two or three; so we have three months to play with. But I can confirm that on the July 26, if not earlier we would actually be handing out keys to two homes to two widows; one from the southern part, and the other up north.

What informs the desire to build two houses for widows?

It’s something we have always been doing. As a person, my life is really about the underprivileged in the society. I like to do things to help reduce the plights of the under privileged amongst us. Like I earlier mention we have BH hospitals, it used to be something we just did to support people; in which we had to go out on our ways to generate money to help the poor. So, this is only a tradition in BHN, trying to things for the needy or people who cannot pay us back.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 13

Society

When folklore held sway at Bayero varsity For Ambassador Dandatti Abdulkadir, an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) it was like a prophet being honoured at home as distinguished personalities flocked to his old school in Kano recently to celebrate this illustrious compatriot in style. Sonde Abbah periscopes the memorable event, including the seminal paper presented by the prolific writer, Dr. Bukar Usman

A

prophet, it is said, is honoured everywhere except in his hometown. Not quite so. Recently at the Bayero University, Kano, a "prophet" was honoured in his old school, right before our very eyes.

Take a bow, Ambassador (Prof.)

Dandatti Abdulkadir, an erstwhile Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and former Nigerian Ambassador to Libya. Thanks to Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, incumbent Vice Chancellor of BUK, an "International Conference on Folklore" was held in Abdulkadir's honour.

Given that Abdulkadir used to hold sway as President of the Nigerian Folklore Society, the choice of the conference's theme is obviously striking. The wellattended opening ceremony was chaired by the Emir of Kazaure (Mai Kazaure), Alhaji Hussain Adamu and many other distinguished personalities.

Professor Hassan El-Shamy of Indiana University, USA, presented the keynote address while Professors Bade Ajuwon, Segun Adekoya of OAU; G. G. Darah of Delta University; and Abdu Yahya Bichi and Maikudi Karaye of Bayero University, Kano, presented lead papers.

Over 100 papers were presented by participants from outside and within the country on different dimensions of Folklore, National Integration and National Development, The participants made various insightful observations with respect to Folklore, National Integration and Development. Folklore, they stated, is an important vehicle for socialization, as well as national integration and development.

This is even as they decried the tendency to "reduce folklore to commodity" and "the ignoring of indigenous Technical Knowledge".

According to them, indigenous languages and cultures seem neglected, although the National Policy on Education provides for these.

Lamenting that globalization and an increasing dominance of electronic media have impacted negatively on our lives,

the participants also bemoaned the poor reading culture in our schools (primary, secondary, tertiary and universities) In their view, the federal, state and local governments are not doing enough to protect, preserve and promote Nigerian's folklore. No less worrisome is that there is a shortage of published reference materials on folklore in Nigeria.

All hope is, however, not lost. Tis is more so as "the great interest generated by the conference within and outside of academia confirms possibilities for the funding of folklore research, conferences and workshops in our universities".

Given that "Folklore is rich, complex and dynamic", the participants felt that it "ought to be studied at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels in Nigerian universities". They, therefore, advocated, among others, that "provisions on Folklore in the National Policy on Education should be more scrupulously implemented and the curriculum in our schools should emphasize reading at early age to inculcate National Integration and Development".

In the same vein,media practitioners such as filmmakers and television producers were urged to rely more on folkloric items for films and cartoons to capture the attention of young and elderly audiences". And "the Federal, State and Local Governments should seriously consider dedicating a percentage of their annual budgets for the protection, preservation and promotion of Folklore in Nigeria".

"The Nigerian Folklore Society should be revived and empowered to intellectually provide the leadership required," they added. "A nine-man steering committee should be set up to revitalize the society, under the chairmanship of Dr Bukar Usman, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary".

The Bayero University, Kano was also urged to publish a peer-reviewed book from the papers presented and consider immortalizing the name of Professor (Ambassador) Dandatti Abdulkadir, OFR

“

That folklore and history are among the two most treasured world of traditions is no longer in doubt, going by the forceful argument and (our) comparative study," Dr. Usman stated.

Dr. Bukar Usman through the endowment of a Chair and funding of a mega research project in Folklore.

One of the highlights of the event was the composition of a nine-man steering committee on Nigerian Folklore Society.

Chaired by athe CEO of New Hacylon Ventures Ltd, Dr. Bukar Usman, members of the committee included Prof.

G.G. Darah, Dr. Asabe Kabir, Prof. Sani Aliyu, and Prof. Bade Ajuwon, among others.

No less remarkable was the seminal paper presented at the ceremony by Dr. Buka Usman. Entitled 'Folklore and

History: The Twin Rivers of World Heritage', the well-researched paper delved into "forays into world of folktales", the historical significance of folklore, and "the future of folktales", among bother subthemes.

"That folklore and history are among the two most treasured world of traditions is no longer in doubt, going by the forceful argument and (our) comparative study," Dr. Usman stated.

"They maintain a symbiotic relationship as history tells tales just as the tales tell the history of communities and mankind."

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Insight

Baga tales of horror Survivors recount untold stories of the violence that claimed their loved ones in Baga, Borno state, recently

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

A

first time visitor to Baga town in Kukawa local government area of Borno State, which is about 180 kilometers north of the state capital, Maiduguri, will be forgiven for mistakenly thinking that the town is in a state of war. This is, of course, due to the high level of collateral damage that has befallen the ill-fated land following the now infamous massive insurgents versus military action.

Similarly, the large number of heavily armed soldiers and dozens of Armored Personnel Carries, (APCs), and armored tanks, among others, will equally serve as an indication that the town suffered a war.

Socio-economic activities in the hitherto commercial town, famous for having the largest fish market in Nigeria, were entirely paralyzed, with the area deserted. Everywhere one looked, remains of household items from the over 200 houses allegedly burnt to

ashes and scores of burnt vehicles, bikes, shops and other buildings, held sway.

The killing of an army officer attached to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) was said to have prompted a military operation in Baga , leaving at least 185 people dead, with scores of others wounded, according to residents.

The Army, however, denied mass killings, insisting that only about 30 persons died in the tragic incident.

At least 10,000 people have lost their homes in the violence, which military authorities said started when troops surrounded a mosque that housed Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnah Lid Da'awati Wal Jihad members who had earlier killed an officer. Several others were still missing as they fled the town into bush. The entire township was razed down when the Nigeria-led multinational force and suspected members of Boko Haram engaged in a gun duel. The Federal Government had set up the MJTF in collaboration with

the governments of Cameroon, Chad and Niger, to maintain security at the border areas with each country manning its territory.

The level of destruction and loss of lives, according to some sources, remains one of the most unprecedented since the insurgency by the Islamic sect commenced. Residents of Baga have since then been counting their losses.

One of them, Kolomi Modu said: "Only God can understand what we have done to deserve this. But the soldiers were mindless that night in their approach; they killed and burnt our houses, chased everyone into the bush, including women and children. So far, we have buried 185 corpses. Some were burnt beyond recognition; others are hospitalized, with various degrees of burns."

An official, Lawal Kole told the state Governor Kashim Shettima that at least 185 bodies were found and buried, and residents said yesterday more bodies were recovered from the bush. Reports

from the area revealed that many residents of the town were still missing since the deadly confrontation between the security forces and Boko Haram militants. Relations of the seemingly missing persons and local volunteer groups have embarked on extensive search into the nearby bush.

Food, water and other basic needs have become a problem in the town. A grocery merchant, who lost his house and business stall in the conflagration, Malam Musa Hassan, said, "Everyone has been in the bush since Friday night; we started returning to town because the governor came today. To get food to eat now is a problem because even the markets are burnt. We are still picking corpses of women and children in the bush". Some of the residents of Baga who sneaked into Maiduguri told journalists that they have found it difficult to get to their people in the troubled town as they had to run for their lives.

Another Baga resident who escaped to Maiduguri said that about 20 corpses were recovered from the bush while a number of others had gunshot wounds and burns. "Hundreds of people have been hiding in the bush since the beginning of the onslaught; we started returning back to town because the fear of the unknown ."

One of them, who simply identified himself as Modu, said all attempts to get to the people back home had proved abortive as the network there were down. He said the last he heard from them was that many people are still missing and that there is house to house search for sect members.

The displaced persons were resettled in camps set up by the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) within the town's major clinics and the agency has so far commenced distribution of relief materials to victims of the violence. Materials distributed included foodstuff, mats, clothing materials, toiletries among others while some of the victims who need medical attention were also attended to by the agency and the Nigerian Red Cross team. Director of Rescue and Search operation of the agency, Air Commodore Charles Otebegde who led the delegation said they were in the town A following directive from President Jonathan to provide immediate relief to the affected victims.

The North East zonal coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar led a team to some villages where some of the victims were took shelter and

Contd on Page 3

“

Only God can understand what we have done to deserve this. But the soldiers were mindless that night in their approach; they killed and burnt our houses, chased everyone into the bush, including women and children. So far, we have buried 185 corpses.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 16

With Sonde Abbah 0803-2159-249 (SMS only) asonde@yahoo.com

Encomium for a creative genius

I

t is not everyday that the erstwhile military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, showers encomiums on all and sundry. He could, however, be liberal with his praise whenever the need arises.

Such a need did indeed arise recently when the renowned man of God, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Soja Anyembugu, unveiled his newest book, Shadows of Existence.

Hear the gap-toothed retired General: "In ….'Shadows of Existence' I meet a creative mind finding expression in proverbs and aphorisms (and) I commend this innovation."

Truly so. Among those who chorused "amen" to that encomium were Senate President David Mark; the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, the Senate Minority Leader, George Akume. They all hailed the priest-cum-author for his insightful work.

‘Presidential’ touch for Aishatu

M

eet one of the newly elevated officers of the Nigeria Police Force. Aishatu Abubakar, take a bow.

The “brand new” Assistant Commissioner of Police is seen here being decorated by Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, President Jonathan’s Chief of Staff (right), assisted by a Police Chief and a fellow female officer.

Reef is a year ‘younger’

Will it be Buhari or Tinubu?

T

he seasoned journalist, Musa Simon Reef, was a year younger (or is it older?) recently.

As Reef likes to tell whoever cares to listen, quoting Hugh Downs, “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”

Indeed, Reef’s “set of attitudes” has seen him triumphing against many odds over the years.

Here is wishing him and his family birthday blessings.

T

he mega merger involving Buhari’s CPC, Tinubu’s ACN and other political parties is virtually sealed and delivered. A big poser,

however, lingers: Who will fly ACP’s flag come the 2015 presidential poll? Buhari?

Tinubu?

WEEKEND PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 17

COCKTAIL

PREVIEW

‘Spoil yourself with ‘Faten Dankali’ CUISINE Pg 28

Children’s chic ‘Baloon Gown’ style

Rihana Dazzles With Fashion Show

>> Pg 26

KIDDIES Pg 22

New New Ideas Ideas for for your your skin skin care care

FASHION Pg 19

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 18

Relationship Signs that your guy wants to get serious

Heart Matterz With A'isha Biola Raji E-mail: rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com Phone: 08082071393 (Text only)

What should I do to forget him – Bolade

I

I

f you're enjoying time together, having lots of fun and sharing late night secrets, these are all good signs There are many signs a man is getting serious about his relationship. Look for a combination of signs, versus a single sign, as the ultimate information that the relationship is progressing toward a serious relationship.

Remember that men are looking for signs from you, too, so be sure to reward their 'I'mserious-about-you' signs with your own best behavior and romantic inspiration.

Love shack If you're spending most part of your time at his family house or he is enjoying the bulk of his time at your own house, consider this a sign your guy wants to get serious.

The next step might be finding a home suitable for both of you.

Before this happens

though, rest assured that spending quality time together is one of the signs a guy is serious about his girl.

Think of it like this, If he is choosing time with you over time spent with buddies, watching sports or at work, then you are a priority in his life.

Gifts A man is serious about a woman when he is giving her gifts like love notes, romantic poetry, jewelry and flowers. Of course, men also give practical gifts. If your man is giving you a new DVD player or an iPad, this is just as good a sign as a romantic gift. A gift, regardless of the value, shows he is thinking about you and your interests and wants to express his feelings. Men aren't verbal creatures, and giving you fun, practical or sentimental gifts is their way of telling you that you are on their mind and in their heart.

Meeting his people

If you've been invited to lunch with his Mom and Dad and met his best friend, this is a very good sign. Men introduce the lady in their life to friends and family only when the courtship gets serious. Make a positive first impression by dressing with class and taste but also relax and have a good time. Keep the conversation on light topics, like travel and pets.

Communication Sending you text messages, calling you on the phone and having open, honest communication is another sign your guy is serious about your relationship. A relationship grows and intimacy deepens through effective communication; investing in phone calls and emails, even when he is traveling or busy with work, is one of the best signs your man is thinking about you

If you have any relationship story you want to share with our readers, please send to the above address.

Let's share your love story.

was 18 when I met him.His name is Jay. Actually there was something weird about me; I easily got attracted to matured guys rather than my age range.

Jay was 28 then, hewas a scout ranger and hehad come into my life so unexpectedly.It wasn't really on my plan to take him seriously but unfortunately I fell in love with him.

It really felt good being with him and just taking a glimpse of him is as if I was always floating. Everything seems so good and inspirational but then like what they said, reality hurts.

Suddenly, I just woke up and he was gone. The most painful part is that he left me hanging. It was so painful that, I would just findmyself crying in the middle of the night.

Thank God he left me during vacation.

Months later, I went back to school, I must admit I was still not over him, everything was just an empty shell even myself, I was an empty being.

It was so hard for me to go on with my life when I had got used him always by my side.

It took so much effort to

plaster a fake smile to show people that I wasdoing fine and OK but deep inside I was slowly dying.

A lot of guys courted me and I never took them seriously. It was then I realized life had been unjust and unfair to me It took about 7 months before I finallyrealized that it was no good for me to cry over spilled milk.

Right now, I have decided to give someone else a chance in my life, he is currently my boyfriend. He is the ideal type of boyfriend but there is a problem, I still can't forget jay and I have this feeling that, he is irreplaceable.

This is creating a bridge between me and my new boyfriend as he had noticed that, my mind is still with Jay despite his effort to make me forget him.

I know I have to move forward and learn to let go.Now I'm trying to be the best girl to my fiancé most especially now Jay is a happily married man.

I really have to look at the brighter side and continue my race with the new guy but I'm finding it difficult. Is there anything I should do in order to completely forget Jay?

I will do anything for her ... – Mr. Thomas

I

was 50years old when I became involved with this lady. I first met her at work; I could hardly bring myself to look at her because I was still living with my ex-wife even though I was planning a divorce.

I have never been the same man since the time I set my eyes on her. I later got a divorce.

8 years down the line, I'm still single and still trying to woe her into a genuine commitment/relationship but she still won't commit.

She says she was married twice already and didn't want another man to control what she now wanted to do now. I

have been buying hergifts, I even bought gold ring and proposed but she refused.

I would do anything for her but she prefers the single life style and also has some male friends she likes to hang out with.

She gets bored easily, I was thinking of proposing to her at public place again but I'm afraid of rejection.

Help ME, I can't convince her to settle down with me, my heart is breaking, I feel I am losing her.

She is my dream girl, I don't want to lose her but she keeps me on hold. I am lost and confused pleaseadvise me.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips 5 unexpected beauty tips:

New ideas for your skin care Instead of chasing the latest skincare products, embracing some deliberately 'slow' beauty practices might just improve your skin and change the way you view your beauty routine.

S

o while the right creams can hydrate, smooth and protect, taking the time to add a few gentle beauty steps into our routines pays dividends to the appearance and the quality of our skin. Like slow food and

fashion, slow skincare makes the most of what we have. Here are five slow beauty practices that, taken with some deep, slow, meditative breaths, have the potential to transform your everyday routine into a daily

Woman brushing her lip for a nice pout

Effoliating with muslin cloth can be sootihing

beauty practice.

Lip brushing: Ever wondered how those celebrities get such luscious pouts? Brushing your lips with a toothbrush every night is a simple tip that can make such an impact, no needles required. Not only do you gently remove any dry skin on the lips to keep them soft, the technique also promotes blood flow to the lips, which stimulates and makes them look plumper. Slick on some lip salve first and brush away.

Exfoliate with muslin cloths: If you're looking for the best way to cleanse your skin, you might be tempted to try the very expensive cult cleansing balm that Vogue called "probably the best cleanser in the world." While the cleanser can easily be substituted by any oil-based formula, the included muslin cloths are the true 'magic' of the product. Made from finely woven 100 per cent cotton, they gently exfoliate and help to improve blood circulation and tone creating a virtually poreless finish to the skin. Track down some simple muslin and make your own. Use daily or more infrequently depending on how sensitive or reactive your skin is.

Cold water rinses for skin and hair: Everyone loves to take hot showers but horrifying as it sounds, turning the water to

Surprisingly a frown might do the magic

A model flaunts her beautiful skin cold is one of the best ways we can keep our skin's radiance without resorting to cosmetic surgery.

Finish every shower with a freezing cold blast of water for super smooth hair and increased skin tone, not to mention an exhilarating start to the day.

Frowns: While it's one thing to embrace those smile and laughter lines, there's a reason why no one ever thought up a nice word to describe those lines between your brows. If Botox isn't for you, consider trying Frowns.

The original stick-on wrinkle remover patches were first developed in 1889 and have been worn by stars like Renee Russo, Raquel Welch and many of Hollywood's great beauties.

Designed to gently reeducate the underlying muscles to assume their correct and relaxed appearance, they're a great tool to prevent the formation of new wrinkles and a physiological reminder to stay

serene and beautiful throughout the day.

Chinese medicine massage: Do you eat well and work out but still can't shift those last few pounds of belly fat? It sounds too good to be true, but according to Kimberly Snyder, celebrity dietician and New York Times best-selling author, a gentle Chinese stomach massage twice a day could be the trick that finally melts those bothersome pounds away. Snyder says the reason belly fat is so hard to shift is because stored fat's purpose is to protect you from all the toxins you take in by living in the modern world.

Rubbing the tummy in a circular fashion for two minutes when you wake up and before you go to sleep is all it takes to speed up your digestive system and allow you to eliminate the toxins that build up in the intestines, which might be the best weight loss advice we've ever heard.

Tummy massage keeps extra fat away

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5 MAY, 2013

PAGE 20

Learning

With Emmanuel Eko 08165618872 junioremma419@gmail.com

Did you know that?

Book Review

The Book of Khalid

C

elebrating its centennial last year, Ameen Rihani's The Book of Khalid is a beautiful example of the lasting power of creative spirits in a complicated world. One hundred years seems miniscule in Rihani's masterful microcosm.

The first Arab-American novel written in English, The Book of Khalid has been newly re-released as part of Melville House's The Neversink Library series, devoted to

overlooked literature.

Rihani weaves a tale of two characters on a crossAtlantic voyage that develops into a lesson in the balance of pleasure and pain, spiritual discovery, and friendship.

Narrative observations reflect Rihani's autobiographical insight from life - as an Arab American and pioneer in bridging gaps between the perpetually opposing forces involved in Eastern and Western philosophy.

Laced with predictive

views of the modern Arab Spring, the novel's themes include a perceived universal need for reform, the nuances and beauty of human interaction, and the precarious teeter-totter of a dreamer's life. Heady and poetically intense, this book is a work of art.

The Book of Khalid tells the story of two friends' round-trip adventure to New York from their hometown in Lebanon. Divided into three parts, the novel is framed as a found manuscript, describing the joint journey of Shakib and Khalid, yinand-yang adolescents full of wanderlust and hope.

Once they arrive in New York and begin to navigate the city's underground artistic mecca, their paths start to split. Khalid, the dreamer, pursues massive philosophical endeavors, drifting further into realms of the artistic and spiritual unknown (and developing a penchant for peaceful pyromania). His social circle expands to include witches, psychic mediums, beatnik literary oddballs, and other generally belligerent individuals.

Meanwhile Shakib, everfaithful, ever-watchful, records in his journal Khalid's adventures,

including jail time and the two men's journey home to Lebanon. Upon their return, idealistic Khalid's struggles hit fever pitch as he attempts to inspire an educational, spiritual, and intellectual revolution that predictably does not go over well.

As if Rihani had a crystal ball, Khalid's motives and actions are reminiscent of the Occupy movement, the Egyptian revolt, and other recent global events of political and social awakening.

Rihani provides an ingenious glimpse of both progressive beliefs and hesitancy toward change in this cerebral and poignant work of fiction.

He also uses humor and wit to tackle the big job of explaining the fragility of the human body and the complexity of the soul.

Despite some occasional Yoda-esque syntax, his flowery linguistics strike an amusing balance between piety and irreverence.

Rihani's tendency to run the tangential gamut requires reader dedication, but his funny snippets of reality-biting plot points create a captivating dynamic, and plot insertions of booze, food, and sarcastic but strategic dialogue pleasantly thin the heavy word gravy.

Bellringer: A St-Cyr and Kohler Mystery

F

o r

r e a d e r s drawn to adventures in violence and h u m a n depravity, Nazi-occupied territory during World War II is an i d e a l destination, and it would be hard to find a better guide than J. Robert Janes. Like its 1 2 predecessors, Janes's new n o v e l , Bellringer, takes place in o c c u p i e d France during World War II. That the stories are

about a pair of police investigators who solve homicides during the biggest lollapalooza of murder in history is only the first of many stimulating ironies in store for you. Shoptalk between the two detectives is enlivened considerably by their divergent backgrounds: Hermann Kohler works for the Nazi occupiers and Jean-Louis St-Cyr for the Vichy French.

Both are honest policemen, however, dedicated to the task of solving grisly crimes and setting the wheels of justice in motion. They also share the traditional cynical attitude endemic to not only policemen but all professions - their bosses are clueless, heartless bureaucrats with a talent for mucking up the simplest of jobs and

making difficult cases near-impossible.

Meanwhile, the locals despise both sides, and everyone misses what they had before the war.

Whether visiting a homicide scene or listing suspects, St-Cyr and Kohler can be counted on to complain almost as much about the scarcity of good cheese and wine as the ambiguity of forensic evidence. In Paris renowned for its naughtiness even before the war - the local police already have their hands full. The Nazis run it as a wide-open town so the Aryans can experience first-hand the glories of the future world they're fighting for, but during the blackouts, muggin gs, rapes, and murders get out of hand.

• A shrimp's heart is in its head.

• The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.

• Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.

• W e a r i n g headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

• If the government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16, 1969 make it illegal for U. S. citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or

their vehicles?

• In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.

• A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

• 23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.

• Most lipstick contains fish scales • Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.

• If you sneeze too hard you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die. If you keep your eyes open by force they can pop out.

Notes From a Kitchen: A Journey Inside Culinary Obsession

I

n my mind, the most appealing aspect of Jeff Scott's two-volume culinary art book series, Notes From a Kitchen: A Journey Inside Culinary Obsession, is the series' focus on a generation of chefs avidly pursuing their culinary passions with seeming disregard for the trappings of the cult of culinary celebrity.

While it's likely that many an aspiring culinary student approaches his or her studies with Food Network fame stars in their eyes, I suggest that Notes From a Kitchen would be a much healthier and more sustainable source for inspiration. Owning this series involves no small investment, and it isn't even a cookbook. There are no recipes to follow or formulas to memorize, and not one of the chefs profiled offers tips on how

to land a television show or a branded line of cookware. What Scott captures when photographing chefs Sean Brock, Johnny Iuzzini, George Mendes, Emma Hearst, Michael Laiskonis, Jason Neroni, Zak Pelaccio, Joel Harrington, Matt Gaudet, and Neal Fraser is actually much more revealing. His photos and interviews manage to get right to the heart of the matter, revealing what drives and inspires each of these 10 talented young people to be the chefs they are continually striving to become.

After spending a couple of months with these volumes, dropping in on different chefs from time to time, I have renewed hope for the American culinary profession.

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Wellness

Healthy Living

Diet and diabetes management (II) C

a r b o h y d r a t e s contribute most to increase in blood glucose level, followed by protein and fat in that order. Appropriate blend of all the groups is required in a good meal plan.

Why should I eat carbohydrate?

Carbohydrate is the main and preferred energy source for the body with an end product called glucose. It is classified into sugars, starches and fiber and recommended as an important part of a healthy diet.

Carbohydrate is very important as the end product glucose is very beneficial in the following ways; -It is important as a source of fuel by all the body's cells especially the brain.

-Carbohydrates high and rich in fiber such as wheat and fruits play a vital role in the health of the digestive system.

-Some carbohydrates may help you to feel fuller for longer after eating.

How the body uses carbohydrate When carbohydrate is consumed, it is further broken down into glucose which the cells in the body take up to use as energy or which the liver stores as glycogen for future use. Your body is able to regulate the levels of glucose in the blood by secreting insulin which in turn unlocks the cells to take-up glucose to be used as a source of energy. When you exercise, you use more glucose and less of your diabetic medication.

Healthy eating guidelines for people with living with diabetes -Weight management -Have regular meals: Having regular meals will help avoid large swings in blood sugar levels, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner.

It is also appropriate to include between meal snacks. All meals

should be taken at the same time every day.

-At each meal include starchy carbohydrate foods such as bread, yam, potato, noodles, cereals and pasta.

-Cut down on saturated fatty foods such fatty meals, butter, cheese and full cream milk.

Instead choose fats high in unsaturated fats such as olive oil, sunflower oil. Opt for skimmed milk or semi-skimmed milk.

-Do not use diabetic labeled foods or drinks. They have no benefits and contain high levels of calories.

-Cut down on salt -Eat more fruits and vegetable: aim to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. This will help to lower your food glycemic index (GI) which is a way of ranking carbohydrate foods by their effects on blood sugar level as well as provide you with the right source of antioxidants and vitamins.

-Limit intake of sugary foods: your diet does not need to be sugar free, but contain your consumption of sugary foods and drinks.

-Keep safe drinking habits and never drink on an empty stomach especially if you are on antidiabetic medication. Women can drink up to 2 glasses per day and men 3 glasses per day.

-Grill, steam or oven bake rather than frying.

The Glycemic Index (GI) GI is a ranking guide of 0-100 for carbohydrate foods by the effect these foods have on blood sugar levels. It is a very useful tool to help you manage your carbohydrate intake. This idea of ranking foods is quite useful in helping you choose the right carbohydrate foods to eat for the right occasion.

Choosing low-medium GI diet can help you maintain your blood sugar level and reduce

fluctuations.

The way food is been prepared has a significant impact on GI of foods. In general, raw foods have a lower GI than cooked food; mashed or pureed foods have a higher GI than chopped foods as they are digested more quickly.

Ground cereals and all-purpose flour have a higher GI than nonground foods and whole wheat meal. It is preferable to choose low GI Below are GI classifications of our common foods; -Low glycemic index foods -Fresh fruits -Porridge (Quaker Oats) -Sweet potato (peeled and boiled) -Sweet corn -Medium glycemic index foods -White basmati rice (boiled) -Irish potato (boiled) -Wheat bread -Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni and noodles) -High glycemic index foods -White bread -Mashed potato -Cornflakes -White rice (boiled) Recommended dietary changes for someone with diabetes Ensure that you eat at most 5meals a day (Breakfast-morning snack-Lunch-afternoon snackEvening meal).

The recommended mid-meal snacks should constitute of fresh fruits, nuts and oatmeal biscuits.

Shopping Tips -Choose low-fat dairy product such as skimmed and semiskimmed milk, low fat yoghurt.

-Buy lean meat, goat meat and poultry.

-Buy canned fish -Stock up with a range of cooking oils such as olive oil, soya oil.

Cereals like porridge oats, rice, pasta form the basis of a good meal -Dried fruits are useful midday snacks

With Isaac Yakubu Akogu www.diabetesguidenigeria.blogspot.com, 08176179496, diabetesconcepts@gmail.com Eating out Living with diabetes does not mean that you cannot enjoy meals out with family and friends. It does, however mean that you have to take simple measures such as snacking before

you go out, delaying your medication (i.e. injection or oral diabetic medication) until you arrive the restaurant. As a general rule, drink alcohol with food rather than before a meal or before the meal is served.

A Diabetes expert, Mr. Isaac Yakubu Akogu, is also Pharmacist with over 16 years experience with specialisation in Diabetes Education.

Eat more whole grains as they contain more fibre

All sugar drinks contain carbohydrate. Water and low fat milk are the healthiest to drink most often.

All grains and grain products contains Carbohydrates

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds

3rd Mainland: Longest Bridge in Africa

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our visit to Lagos is incomplete without riding on this 10km bridge across the Lagos lagoon. 3rd mainland bridge, also known as IBB Bridge (it was built by Nigeria's former military Head of State- Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and commissioned on his birthday!). 3rd mainland bridge is the longest bridge in Africa and it's one of three bridges linking Lagos Island to the mainland.

The Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria to the mainland, the other two being the Eko and Carter bridges.

It is the longest bridge in Africa. The bridge starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi express way and Lagos-Ibadan express way, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.

There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to the Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. The bridge was built

by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990; it measures about 11.8 km in length.

The 3rd Mainland Bridge is an important connection between Lagos mainland and Victoria Island for commuters especially due to the traffic problems for which Lagos is known. Once the entire street light were gone, the lamps and all and there were no lane demarcations, you can then behold the light on the 3rd Mainland Bridge in Lagos Nigeria! It is always a great sight!

“

The bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990; it measures about 11.8 km in length.

”

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

Why the bat flies by night

A

bush rat called Oyot was a great friend of Emiong the bat; they always fed together but the bat was jealous of the bush rat.

When the bat cooked the food, it was always very good and the bush rat said, "How is it that when you make the soup it is so tasty?" The bat replied, "I always boil myself in the water and my flesh is so sweet, that the soup is good."

He then told the bush rat that he would show him how it was done; so he got a pot of warm water, which he told the bush rat was boiling water and jumped into it and shortly afterwards, he came out again.

When the soup was brought, it was as strong and good as usual.

The bush rat then went home and told his wife that he was going to make good soup like the bat's, he therefore told her to boil some water which she did.

Then, when his wife was not looking, he jumped into the pot and was soon dead.

When his wife looked into the pot and saw the dead body of her husband boiling, she was very

angry and she reported the matter to the king who gave orders that the bat should be made a prisoner.

Every one turned out to catch the bat but as he expected trouble, he had flown away into

the bush and hid himself.

All day long the people tried to catch him so he had to change his habits and only came out to feed when it was dark and that is why you never see a bat in the daytime.

HIS AND HERS’ CORNER

The world of balloon gown: Short and long

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 23

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

With Aunty A'isha

AFRICAN TALES

MODEL OF THE WEEK

Clever jackal gets away “

H

awu, hawu, hawu, my children," Gogo began one evening.

"You know cleverness is a very important thing to own! Why, cleverness has helped Nogwaja out of the cooking pot more than once!"

"The Jackal is also a clever animal, isn't he, Gogo?" asked little Sipho who was quite proud that his nickname was Mpungushe.

Gogo, in fact had given h i m t h a t n a m e because of the loud howl he had made as a b a b y .

Sipho liked to think it w a s because he was quick and agile as the jackal.

G o g o laughed and looked at the child at her feet. "Yes, my boy! You are right! Jackal is a very clever animal, sometimes too clever for his own good!"

"I remember how he helped Jabu the herd boy by tricking Bhubesi back into the snare. Tell us another tale about jackal Gogo!"

Begged Sipho. "Yes, Gogo," her other grandchildren chorused. "Please tell us...."

"Alright, my children but listen and learn!" Gogo settled down more comfortably upon the tree stump and told this story.

One day long ago, jackal was trotting through a narrow, rocky pass as he often did. He kept his nose to the ground as he ambled along to catch the odd scent. "Never know when I'll stumble on my next meal," he thought to himself, although it was highly unlikely that he would find a rat out in the midday heat but perhaps he c o u l d

catch a lizard or two.

Suddenly he was aware of a movement ahead of him. "Oh, no!" jackal moaned and stopped dead-still in his tracks. Lion was coming toward him. Realising that he was too near to escape, jackal was filled with fear.

He had played so many tricks on the great Bhubesi in the past, he was sure that lion would take this opportunity to get his revenge. In a flash, jackal thought of a plan.

"Help Help!" cried jackal, he cowered down on the cliff path,

looking above at the rocks. Lion stopped short in surprise.

"Help!" jackal howled using the fear he felt in the middle of his chest to emphasize his cry.

Jackal glanced up at Bhubesi.

"Oh great Nkosi Help! There is no time to lose! See those great rocks above us? They are about to fall! We shall both be crushed to death! Oh, mighty lion d o something, save us!"

J a c k a l cowered even lower, his paws covering his head.

Lion looked up, most alarmed before he even had a chance t o think, Jackal w a s begging him to use his strength to hold up the overhanging rock.

Lion put his brawny shoulder to the rock and heaved.

"Oh, thank you, great King!" yelped Jackal. "I will quickly fetch that log over there to prop under the rock and we will both be saved!" With that jackal bounded out of sight.

Lion was left all alone to struggle under the weight of the unmoving rock. How long he remained there before he realised that it was another trick, we will never know but this much we do know: Jackal continued to live by his wits!

Sam Morgan is saying hello to friends

ACTIVITIES Name and paint the object below with colour of your choice. Show your work to your teachers for correction. Cheers!

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY Cool off with these homemade frozen fruit pops made with fresh fruit puree.

Aren't these the prettiest things! You will just love the vibrant colors you can get from using fresh fruit, and the flavors are refreshing and sweet.

Use any fruit you wish, you can add a little sugar because fruit may taste a little tart but you can leave it out if you prefer.

What you need: 9 tbsp. of water 2 tbsp. of sugar

Make frozen mango, water melon and pear pops water melon mango, peeled fresh pear, peeled What to do: Make simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil; boil for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Set aside.

Blend fruit separately in the blender, set aside in 3 small bowls.

Divide the simple syrup between the fruit purees and mix in.

Equally fill four small cups with the pear puree and place in the freezer; freeze for one hour.

Add mango puree and freeze for 20 minutes. Insert sticks and freeze for at least 2 hours. Add watermelon puree and freeze overnight.

Your pops are ready!

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 25

Entertainment Abuja artiste, Gina, pays $85,000 surgery fee for ‘Angelina Jolie lips’

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edia reports have revealed how a married Abuja based artist, Mrs. Regina Adeola, popularly aka GINA, allegedly paid a whopping $85,000 as surgery fee to have her lips restructured to be like the American super actress, Angelina Jolie's.

According several online media report, strong Facts emerged earlier this week, indicating that the Lips of the not too sexy singer also known as "African Jolie" are complete fake.

Nigeriafilms.com reported that the secret of her artificial lips was disclosed by her intimate friend simply identified as Aisha, after the duo were said to have been at loggerheads over matter relating to men, and Aisha spilled the beans of Gina's deal in Spain where she went to do the lips surgery for $80,000 and additional $5000 for 'after surgery', maintenance and healing drugs.

Further details revealed how the house music hit single "Tele e"

Why TIME named ‘Omosexy’ as one of world's 100 most influential people

AGN Intensifies health insurance scheme for actors, embarks on tour

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r e s i d e n t of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima has intensified her efforts in making members of the Guild to embrace the health insurance scheme she promised during her inauguration.

The former beauty queen, upon her assumption of office in November 2012, promised to make the poor health of members a thing of the past.

Before assuming office as the boss of AGN, many veterans had problems with their health which caused them to solicit for help from the government and kind-hearted members of the public.

As a way of changing the situation, Ibinabo initiated a health insurance scheme to handle actors'

R

crooner, traveled to Spain sometime last year, and paid a whooping Sum of $80,000 for an American movie star, Angelina Jolie Lips Cosmetic Surgery!! And $5,000 for "After Surgery" maintenance & healing drugs.

Also, Naijagists.com source confirmed that days before the Pop-Star's surgery,, she (the Pop-

Star) kept on bragging about becoming "African Jolie" but they never understood until weeks later after the Cosmetic Surgery which was done in Madrid, Spain..

It was also revealed that the Pop-star even threw a great party for the successful arrival of her new lips.

This however, raises dust about

the lifestyle of entertainers in Nigeria, which has massively taken a new turn. These new generation artistes imbibing all sorts of habits from their fellow American counterpart and the plastic surgery which was popularized by American celebrities seems to be the in-thing for these Nigerian celebrities these days.

ecently, one of Nollywood's sexiest actresses, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, fondly called Omosexy, became the first Nigerian celebrity to be named by a prestigious American journal, TIME Magazine, as one of world's 100 most influential people.

According to findings by Nigeriafilms.com, the actress made the list because of her exemplary works as an activist. Just few years ago, she staged a protest against Shell Petroleum's environmental degradation in the Niger-Delta region where she comes from.

This became a feat achieved by the Nigerian movie icon, who has been outside Nigeria for most part of the year to receive different international awards; no wonder the news was well received by many Nigerians, who lauded the feat by Omosexy.

A development that points to the fact that despite the bad image Nigeria earned by the activities of its corrupt leaders and some dubious citizens, there are still few individuals that are portraying Nigeria as a great country.

Not too long, she travelled to the US for the dinner organized by the Magazine for the 100 Most Influential People in The World. The event had the high and mighty of the world in attendance.

Also, Omotola has taken her trade internationally; though she joined the music long time ago, but she became the first contemporary actress to do a duet with an international artiste.

This, was when she hit the studio with, an R&B artiste; 'American Valentino.' This shot Omotola into another international world as a musician.

D'banj, Davido, others are fuji singers —Adewale Ayuba F Stephanie Okereke bombs Nollywood

u j i music icon, Adewale Ayuba, recently in an interview with Global Excellence opened up about the hiphop genre of music in Nigeria and

why he thinks hip-hop is fuji.

He said, for those conversant with the happenstances in Nigerian entertainment industry, will find out that all my brothers that claim they

are doing hip-hop like D'banj, Davido and the rest are all fuji singers. When you listen to the way they sing, you can see that the voice is fuji'.

"The beat they put behind it is

what changes it to hip-hop and R&B. What they are doing here is 'tungba', because immediately you press play, you start dancing all the way", he said.

Stars: "you need training in film making"

P

regnant Nollywood actress Stephanie Okereke has said most of her colleagues need training, especially in film making, just as she urged her unprofessional colleagues to rise to a new standard for the benefit of the industry.

Naijagist.com reports that the actress, in a recent interview, said revealed that New York Film Academy officials will be paying a courtesy visit to Nigeria soon, urging her colleagues use the opportunity to retrain themselves to bring out the expertise in them.

"Most of our colleagues need training, especially in film making. We need to be trained in lightings and props to bring out quality films and story lines. We will be able to tell African story properly through good quality pictures," Okereke said.

Genevieve Nnaji turns 34

U Stephanie

Mercy Johnson

narguably, the most eligible spinster in Nollywood, actress Genevieve Nnaji is became a year older on Friday, May 3rd.

The Imo state-born single damse actress l, who has a daughter whom she gave birth to in her teenage years, came into limelight when she was just 8year-old doing soap operas.

Wishing her many happy returns.

health challenges.

The tour has seen her visiting some South-South states of Nigeria in a bid to enlighten members on why they should embrace the idea.

Already, she has visited Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States for the programme.

Nigeriafilms.com said it reliably gathered that Ibinabo and her team were accepted in all the state chapters of the Guild they visited, and the idea was well embraced by members of the Guild in the states.

Ibinabo became the first elected female President of AGN in 2012 after defeating Emeka Rollas in a keenly contested election.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Hollywood

Rihanna creates second fashion collection R

hythm &Blues star, Rihanna is these days busy working hard on her second fashion collection, after she debuted her fashion range at the London Fashion Week in February, reports Contactmusic.

According to the report, the 'Umbrella' hitmaker, 2012, who reunited with her design partner Adam Selman on April 27, to finalise their latest new set of items for the upcoming autumn/winter season.

"Me and my better half Adam Selman in design mode!! We went to Werk (work) on the upcoming Rihanna For River Island Autumn and Winter collections! No really, we took it there! Like it`s not fair that you could," she posted on Twitter.

Rihanna's first fashion collection, which featured belly-baring tops, sheer dresses and high-slit skirts, was released earlier, in March this year.

Madonna`s daughter Lourdes dyes hair green

M

a d o n n a 's 16y e a r - o l d daughter, Lourdes Leon seems to be following in her diva mother's tentative footsteps, as was spotted sporting her new emerald-tinted hair in New York

Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Bhansali remake another southern Hit

City over the weekend, People magazine reported.

Though her new hue looked quite wild, Lourdes kept rest of her outfit relatively simple, wearing a graphic T-shirt and high-waist jeans.

H

ow Johnny Depp, Amber Heard kept relation secret for Vanessa Paradis Los Angeles: Actor Johnny Depp`s relationship with Amber Heard had begun immediately after his breakup with girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, but they kept mum about it.

Depp and Paradis ended their 14-year-long relationship in June last year, but Heard didn`t want to go public about her relationship with him because she found it unethical, reports radaronline.com.

"Johnny and Amber began dating pretty soon after he split with Vanessa; but at first, Amber

was a little apprehensive, because she didn't want to be seen as the mistress. But Johnny won her over with his generosity and he was constantly giving her gifts," a source said.

The report further disclosed that Depp and Heard recently parted ways, but they have now reconciled their relationship.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 27

Bollywood

Action Queen Katrina shuns 'Dhoom 3' K Shahana Goswami, Milind Soman part ways

B

ollywood actress Shahana Goswami and ex-super model Milind Soman have called their relationship off after dating for more than four years, Zeenews.com has disclosed.

A leading daily reports, the couple that posed for a magazine cover in February this year, was

facing commitment issues despite being together for a long time.

According to the report, while Shahana was eager to tie the knot, Milind, on the other hand, was in a dilemma over rushing into marriage too soon, as he has been in the news for his multiple

affairs.

Milind, married Mylene Jampanoi, a French actress, but his marriage lasted till 2009, however, when a much-younger Shahana entered Milind's life, the hope of the couple settling down for good was pretty high among their well-wishers.

atrina Kaif appears to be going out of her way and performing some raw action like 'Ek Tha Tiger', which is a glowing reminder of the same, and in 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', too, the girl was seen in some stylish motorbike stunts.

However, this time around, Katrina Kaif is reportedly not indulging in action sequences herself - but would use a body double, so reports Zeenews.com.

Kaif, who has two highoctane flicks in her kitty up next - 'Dhoom 3' and 'Bang-Bang' - has made herself clear to the

filmmakers as far as her heavy stunts are concerned.

Disclosing further, the report has it that while the action queen will be seen performing acrobatics and indulging in light action, it remains unclear who would take care of the heavy stunts.

Despite it being reported widely that Katrina is practicing to perfection her stunts in 'Dhoom 3' alongside Aamir Khan, she is actually not be doing the same.

The reason for the same is reasonable enough - Kaif doesn't want even the lightest of injuries on her to make the shoot schedules go for a toss.

Anushka Sharma turns 25

B

ubbly, spontaneous, vivacious and pretty Anushka Sharma, who infused a breath of fresh talent the day she debuted in Hindi films, on May 1st, marked her 25th birthday.

Born on May 1 to an army officer and a home maker

mother, Anushka was groomed for the cut-throat glam business, thanks to her army background.

Zeenews.com reports, although she has done only a few films till date, her acting prowess has catapulted her to the position of one of the most loved stars today.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Cuisine

Faten dankali (potato porridge)

Pots & Pans

Rich cucumber juice Preparation: Boost your nutrition with rich cucumber juice. Start with an organic cucumber.

Rinse the cucumber thoroughly with water. If you use non-organic cucumbers you can wash the cucumber with a natural cleanser to remove pesticides. If you want to make sure that you are

Ingredients: Three to four medium sized sweet potatoes, meat or chicken, tomato, hot pepper, onions, ginger, kanufari da masoro, curry, groundnut oil, palm oil, garlic, magi and salt.

Method of preparation: Before you boil the meat add chopped onions, salt and garlic.

Peel the potato.

Grind tomatoes, pepper, garlic and ginger together and pour on the boiled meat.

Add your peeled sweet potatoes to the sauce.

Add salt, maggi, curry and any other kinds of spices according to your taste.

Allow to cook for 30mins and serve.

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

juicing 100% pesticide free and you are not able to buy the organic one, you can peel the skin off before use.

Look over the cucumber.

If you see visible bruises you can slice them off using a paring knife.

Once the cucumber is prepared, simply run it through the juicer and enjoy!

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Womanhood Confession of woman trapped in abusive relationship

He seized my baby, stopped me from Dad’s funeral Continued from last week

J J

ust before my baby came, Chris found a basement suite and we moved in there. I paid the damage deposit and the rent. I prepared for my baby to come. Chris was a functioning illiterate. He could barely read or write, and when you had a conversation with him, majority of what you said would go right over his head. He had some excellent cover-up methods for sure, and the more I studied him, the more I realized that everything that he did was a smokescreen, a cover for his being illiterate, and that he was more or less blind and deaf in a world like Canada where everything was on paper, or signs.

If I asked, what are you doing? He would always say I am making notes. I pointed out to him that just copying words from a book to his notebooks was not ‘making notes’ that he was just copying. He would get very angry and I would always run away and lock myself in a room to avoid his fists.

Nobody knew of the anguish that I was in, and if they suspected anything, well nobody ever said a word to me. People kept coming to me for different reasons. That was a really disgraceful aspect of him. He was a gigantic gossip, and he soon came to be known all around the community that you could never tell him anything and expect it to be kept confidential. It didn’t matter how big or small it was, he would soon spread the news around. I really attributed this to his having too much time on his hands, and also he had absolutely no concept of time. Up until I ran from him in 2009, I had never, ever, seen him be on time for anything, not even once.

Also, a lot of the women would constantly call and complain that he dropped in unannounced at their family homes. This reminded me of the same way that he used to do that in his morning praying and begging rounds in Ghana, just dropping in on people and expecting them to drop everything and host him, and this without prior notice. I was constantly troubleshooting. He would keep on asking everyone for money. It was humiliating, shameful, and mortifying for me, and I was very deeply saddened every day that I was even remotely connected to him.

He still had his relationship with Mary Stacey going on. I never asked anything about it. I never asked about money, and I didn’t want to know. He sometimes volunteered that he never got any money

because they had to pay the bills and there was never anything left over. I thought it must be true, because I figured if he was getting paid then he would not keep begging people for money.

I began to fall into depression. To make matters worse, I got pregnant in November of 2002, and went into severe hyper emesis. I spent a lot of time at the Nausea and Vomiting Clinic. Once in the hospital Chris came with two people from his church to see me, and I finally asked him. “Chris why all the beatings? You have beaten me almost every week since I met you. Have I done anything wrong to you? To my great astonishment he answered me. He said “My friend John Agalaba told me in Ghana that educated women need to be beaten all the time, or else they will think they are the head. He said if you beat them for about a year, or two years if they are very stubborn, that they will start to obey you and do everything you tell them to.” I couldn’t respond at all. I pushed the call button, and asked the nurse to get them all to leave.

In September 2003, my son, David, was born. I have never known such joy in my life. David was a delightful baby. He was very good, he was healthy, he was strong, very peaceful, and I just disappeared into him. He became my every moment. All the love in me that I had hitherto had no outlet for, suddenly found an escape. I loved my child with every fibre of my being from the moment I set eyes on him.

I was beginning to find some peace at last. I had my son and nothing could compare to that. Also, my dad, who had

been quite ill, suddenly took a turn for the better. I spoke with him over the phone on Thursday the 27th of November 2003, and he said he was feeling much stronger.

I promised him that I would try to visit home very soon, that I loved him, and that I missed him.

On Saturday the 29th of November 2003, my friend Rosaline came to visit me. She came to the church and we had become friendly. Chris was in the house, so I breast fed David, and I handed him to Rosaline, and I said, “I’m going to run to the store to buy a few things for the baby.”

I quickly drove to the store and came back, and as I opened the door and stepped in, Rosaline got up and started towards me with her arms outstretched. She said, “Amaka, my dear…” but Chris beat her to it, “The old man is gone,” he said. I looked around confused.

Chris said to me, “Your father. Your father is dead.” He said extremely callously. I fell to the floor with a grocery bag in each hand. I heard Rosie scream, “No, no, Chris, no!” as she came and picked me up in her arms where I wept uncontrollably. I wept for my dad, for all of his pain and his sickness, and for all the comfort and care that I had not been there to provide him, even though I knew he had been properly looked after by my mom.

I mourned my dad so much. I couldn’t believe he passed away just like that, after sounding so well, and after he seemed to have rallied. It was as though he was doing better, and he suddenly passed. I would carry my 2-month-old baby in my arms and just weep. I started to get ready to

“

He said if I ever said anything again about going to Nigeria with the baby he would suffocate the baby, and he would tell the people that I had slept on him, seeing as I was so fat.

attend the funeral in Nigeria. I had gained a lot of weight both from my pregnancy and from my depression, but I still felt I would be able to explain it away by blaming it on the new baby that I had.

The funeral was to be in January, but I asked my family to wait for February so my baby would be over 4 months old, and of course they were quick to agree.

One morning, on the second week of January 2004, I dressed myself and David up. I was going to go to my family doctor to get anti-malarial shorts in preparation for my trip to Nigeria for my father’s funeral.

When Chris came out of his room, he said, “Where are you taking the baby to on this cold morning?” I said, “I’m going to the doctor to get my shots.” He said, “Make sure the doctor doesn’t give anything to that baby.” I said, “I don’t know if they give babies anti-malarial here. What I plan to do is buy baby anti-malarial medicine when I get to Nigeria.” “Nigeria for what!?”

He shouted.

“For my father’s funeral.” I said. “Am I not going to bury my father? Chris said, “You are free to do anything you like. You can go wherever, but that child is going nowhere.”

I could not believe it. I refused to believe it actually. I went to the doctor, got my shots, and kept planning to attend my father’s funeral. I refused to believe that Chris could try to stop me from going to bury my precious dad. At the end of January I told Chris that I would be going and that I would be back, as I had to go to school when I returned. I told him as rationally as possible that I would not give up living in Canada just because of him, and that I wanted to raise my son here. He went into a huge rage and yelled and screamed, and told me that if I thought I would take my son with me, that I had a mental problem.

He said if I ever said anything again about going to Nigeria with the baby he would suffocate the baby, and he would tell the people that I had slept on him, seeing as I was so fat.

That was the end of my talking about going to Nigeria to bury my dad. I did not attend my father’s funeral. The last time I had seen him was four years prior when I moved to Canada. I also stopped crying to the best of my ability, and if I cried, I would wash and make my face up before Chris showed up. I settled into a sort of numbness after my father’s funeral had passed in February. I also gave up any hopes of being away from Chris.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Archives

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to junioremma419@gmail.com

From left: Nigerian poet, Christopher Okigbo with Chinua Achebe and Alex Ajayi in the 50s

First ILO (International Labor Organization) African Regional Conference, Lagos, Nigeria, December 1960.

Louis Armstrong meets Ahmadu Bello

Oba Adenji Adele ll (a Yoruba chief) and his wife are welcome by the Duke of Devonshire at the Commonwealth Relations’ Office.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 31

Leisure WORD SEARCH

Photo of the day

Find the words which are listed at the right side of this page in the Word Search grid. The words can be forwards, backwards, up, down, or diagonal. Circle each letter separately and keep in mind that the letters in each words may be used in more than one words name.

Word Search

DRINK MUSIC TOAST LINE PHOTO GREET

MEET PRIVATE GRAND LEAD BATON ANT TEA TEEN

Motivational Quotes

It is important to give it all you have while you have the chance – Shania Twain

Never let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present.

If God is the DJ, then life is the dance floor; Love is the rhythm & you are the music.

A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions

Historical events in Nigeria 1851 (December 26-27): Royal Navy warship bombards Lagos. Oba of Lagos (Oba Kosoko) is wounded and flees to Epe. On board the ship was Lt. Labulo Davies, probably the first Nigerian to be commisioned in a naval force.

1862 (January 1): Lagos Island is annexed as a colony of Britain 1862 (January 22): Mr H.S Freeman is appointed as the first Governor of Lagos Colony.

1877: George Taubman Goldie arrived in the Niger Delta in 1877 1885: Oil Rivers Protectorate proclaimed by the British after they had defeated of King Jaja of Opobo, the Oba of Benin and subdued all prominent oil merchants of the Niger Delta.

1892 (19 May): At the Battle of the (sacred) Yemoja River the British wreaks havoc amongst the Ijebu infantry with a British Maxim (capable of firing 2000 rounds in three minutes).

1893: Oil Rivers Protectorate renamed Niger Coast Protectorate with its capital at Calabar.

1890's: British Journalist Flora

Shaw, later wife of Lord Frederick Lugard, suggests the name "Nigeria" after the great Niger River.

1897: The British overthrow Oba Ovonramwen of Benin. One of the last independent West African kings.

1900: Niger Coast Protectorate was merged with the colony and protectorate of Lagos and renamed Protectorate of Southern Nigeria 1914: Formation of Nigeria under Governor Frederick Lugard 1929 (October): (Aba Women's Riot).

Women in Aba demonstrate against high taxes and low prices of Nigerian exports.

1954: The position of Governor was created in each region after the Federal System of Government is adopted.

1958: Nigerian Armed Forces came under Federal control. The Nigerian Navy is created.

1959: The new Nigerian currency is introduced 1959: Northern Peoples Congress(NPC)and Niger Delta Congress(NDC) go into alliance to contest parliamentary elections. The alliance earned the Brass Division a seat in the Federal Parliament for the first time.

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase , just take the first step – Martin Luther King Jr. Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like – Will Smith A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances , but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes – Hugh Downs Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you built against it – Rumi

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

CARTOON

PAGE 32

F

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Compiled by Emmanuel Eko

‘Check’ shirts C

heck shirts offers a rugged from sought after menswear and relaxed aesthetic for names. the season. It ranges from Check shirts are different directional manufactured using high designs, with grade fabric and threads in everything from compliance with the gingham current fashion shirts to trends, it vibrant comes in p l a i d attractive shirts designs.

PAGE 33

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY , 2013

Style

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi:

Beyond bow ties

By Emmanuel Eko

D

id you say Sanusi Lamido Sanusi adorns only suits and bow ties?

Think again. The CBN Governor also sparkles in a variety of outfits, including traditional attires.

As evident in the a c c o m p a n y i n g photographs, Sanusi’s satorial elegance speaks for itself.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 9 — SUNDAY 10, MARCH, 2013

Business News AFAN urges farmers in Delta to plant in safe areas

F

L-R: Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr, Anthony Anuforom; Director, Air Transport Management, Ministry of Aviation, Engineer Hassan Musa; and the Special Assistant to the President on Aviation, Ms Anne EneIta, during the Public Presentation of National Aviation Policy, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Fuel subsidies gulp over N4.9tr in 7 years

By Aminu Imam, with agency report

I

n the last seven years, Nigeria may have spent more than this year's budget of N4.987 trillion on fuel subsidies, analysis of figures on fuel subsidies from 2006 to 2012, has shown.

In 2006, subsidy cost on petrol was N151.9 billion (bn), N188 bn in 2007, N256.3 bn in 2008 (from January to July); in 2009, N421.5 bn was spent, N673 bn in 2010, and N1.3 trillion spent in 2011 was revised up to 2.19 by the Ministry of Finance, after arrears were paid in 2012 for petrol consumption in

2011.

In 2012, the sum of N888bn was allocated for subsidy payments in the budget for petroleum product importers, but in December a supplementary budget of N161.6bn for payment of arrears of fuel subsidy was submitted by the president and later approved by the National Assembly.

For 2013, the government has already earmarked N971bn for petroleum subsidy in this year's budget. An analysis of the 2013 budget shows that allocation for fuel subsidy constitutes about 20 percent of

the entire budget. It is ten times more than the appropriated sum for agriculture and rural development (N81.41bn), three times the amount set aside for health (N279.23 bn), and twice the amount appropriated for education (N426.53 bn).

The amount appropriated for capital expenditure N1.54 trillion is just a little above the amount set aside for fuel subsidy.

According to analysts, the continued provisions for fuel subsidy have yet to translate to sustained economic growth for

the nation, as its management has been fraught with corruption and inefficiencies. They further add that the purpose for which the subsidies were put in place, such as making energy more affordable and to distribute the wealth from the country's fuel resources, was not being achieved.

According to a recent research from NOI Polls, many Nigerians purchase fuel at prices way above the official pump price of N97 stipulated after the partial removal of fuel subsidy by government last year.

tested, the CEO said today in an interview in Lagos. Arunma Oteh, the head of Nigeria's capital market regulator, said in December it would probably take all of 2013 to make the system functional.

The platform will allow the bourse, sub-Saharan Africa's largest after South Africa, to trade options in 2014 and futures in 2015 to help deepen the market, Oteh said last year. Nigeria is targeting a $1 trillion market value for the exchange by 2016 from the current $67 billion estimated by Bloomberg.

The Nigerian All-Share Index has advanced 23 percent this year, the best performance in Africa after Ghana and Kenya.

"We've seen a vote of confidence

from foreign and local investors with regards to reforms that have taken place," Onyema said. "The locals tend to be more momentum traders and so I believe they're coming back in a faster pace than the foreigners who were the thrust to actually start to get the market going."

Domestic investors, who accounted for as little as 33 percent of trading in 2011 after a market crash in 2008, have now flocked back to the exchange, overtaking foreign buyers with 58 percent of volumes last year, said Onyema.

The bourse saw N14 million ($88,523) of bonds traded on its retail investor platform last month, the highest amount since its

February start, the CEO said.

Trading was previously restricted to institutional investors through the over-the- counter market, where banks and brokers set prices with typical minimum trades of 100 million naira.

"We're not where we'd like to be," Onyema said. "If you think there are five million investors in the market place and if each one was to have balanced portfolios we should be seeing significantly higher numbers."

New trading floor licenses aren't being considered after media reports that the exchange is considering the applications from some global investment banks, Onyema said.

First Bank Q1 pretax profit up 29 %

F

irst Bank Group's first quarter pre-tax profit rose by 29 percent year-on-year to N31.41 billion ($198.8 million), from N24.36 billion in the same period last year, the company said on Thursday.

Gross revenues rose to N99.47 billion during the period, compared with N87.62 billion the previous year, the bank said. (Reuters) Nigerian Stock Exchange says Nasdaq platform to start by third quarter The Nigerian Stock Exchange's Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. trading platform will be operational by the third quarter of this year, said Chief Executive Officer Oscar Onyema.

The system is currently being

3.77mn workers contribute N106bn to NHF – official From Ayodel Samuel, Lagos

F

ederal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) says 3.77 million workers nationwide had so far contributed N106 billion to the National Housing Fund (NHF) as at March.

The Managing Director of the bank, Gimba Ya'u Kumo disclosed this at the on-going 2013 Lagos Housing Fair on Thursday in Lagos.

According to Ya'u Kumo, out of the amount, N101 billion has been disbursed to beneficiaries to enable them build, buy or renovate their houses.

"This amount is contributed by 28 states. To date, eight states are still not contributing to the fund.

"This is not good as they are depriving their workers from benefiting from the fund.

"It should be noted that in

spite of the challenges, NHF fund is being used nationwide to develop housing estates for workers," he said.

Ya'u Kumo spoke on:"Partnering for Housing Delivery through the National Housing Fund (NHF)".

Ya'u Kumo, who was represented by Mr. Kabir Yagboyaju, the Head, Loans and Production Department, said that the bank was now providing

Estate Development Loans and Informal Sector Cooperative Society Loans Schemes.

According to him, developers and cooperative societies can get these loans at 10 per cent interest rate.

He said that for the informal sector to access the loan, each member of a cooperative society must have contributed N4, 600 for a period of six months to the fund.

ormer state Chapter Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Jerry Ossai has urged farmers in Delta to avoid planting in flood-prone areas where their crops could be washed away.

Ossai told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Asaba that though there had been a prediction of heavy rainfalls, it should not translate to flood.

He said that a lot of factors including the opening of dams, blocked water channels among others challenges, caused the 2012 flooding and not just the rainfall.

He noted that both the federal and state government had taken proactive measures to deal with the challenges by opening up blocked drainages among others.

Dangote Cement rises to unprecedented high From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

N

igerian stocks rose to their highest level in more than three weeks on Thursday, lifted by a 10 percent gain in biggest listed firm Dangote Cement to an unprecedented high, traders have said.

The Nigerian stock index rose 3.18 percent to 34,504 points, its highest since April 9th.

Dangote Cement, which accounts for a third of market capitalisation on the bourse, jumped the maximum allowed 10 percent to N178.2, its highest price since it was listed on local bourse.

Traders said it had taken a hit last week because of a disappointing dividend announcement, but that the market had over reacted and was now re-positioning.

Diamond Bank's shareholders approve share capital raise to N15bn From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

S

hareholders of Diamond bank Plc have approved the raising up of the company's share capital to N15 billion from N10 billion currently.

The bank tends to achieve this through the creation of additional N10 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each, ranking pari-passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of the company.

The shareholders also approved the raising of additional capital up to $750 million through the issuance of any form of debt and/or equity and/or any other instrument which may be appropriate to meet the bank's capital requirements, to be undertaken by way of a rights issue and/or an offer for subscription.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 35

Business/Executive chat

Nasarawawas wasin in Nasarawa messwhen whenII aamess becamegov gov became —Al-makura —Al-makura “

I had serious problems to address at the time of my inauguration. No sooner had I come into office than the issue of the new minimum wage became law

Recently, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa state, shortly after his arrival from Singapore, hosted journalists to a media chat in Lafia, where he shed more light on the activities of his administration in the economic and other critical sectors. Ali Abare Abubakar, our Lafia correspondent, was there. Excerpts:

I

t 's getting to two years since your inauguration.

How can you assess you administration so far, midway into your first tenure?

Within my competence and ability and resources available at my disposal, it has been such a trying time. When I assumed office, in spite of all the fanfare, jubilations and euphoria for fresh air, for change, deep down in my mind, on that 29th of May, 2011, which is about one year and eleven months today, it was such a torment, such an overwhelming situation.

This is because when I received the report from the transition committee, I knew after the jubilation, the euphoria for change, there is tremendous amount of challenges ahead, there is tremendous amount of work to be done. And I just looked at myself, looked at the people in Nasarawa state, I looked at the resources available to me to deliver the expectations of the people of the state and I was taken aback.

This is because I discovered it was an insurmountable amount of work that one has to do. So right from the word go, I

didn't take my assumption of office as governor as an attainment of a certain aspiration, rather, I looked at it as a beginning of a challenge, to make or mar a state that has found itself in a situation that I met.

I don't want to pass any comment for now but for the next one week after my inauguration, I lost a lot of sleep. I didn't know from where to start, not because I don't know what to do but you find the challenges are hydraheaded and each one of those challenges appeared to me as critical and vital. I could only attend to one thing at a time.

That was the kind of paradox that was boggling my mind and I have to be collected, composed and look critically at what are the most important things I need to do quickly to bring relief, not only to people who voted me but to the entire citizens of the state. Because now I have assumed the new status of the father of the state, who has to care for everybody.

You have given an inkling of the gory picture of the situation you met on ground.

When you came in, your vision was very clear, so also was your mission and you

went to work. After two years, how far so far?

Thank you very much. I want to run away from a situation where I assess myself and pass certain judgement. But the challenge I had to tackle headlong is the challenge of foundation. And when I say foundation, engineers among us here know that no building can stand without a good foundation. The gory picture I mentioned earlier is as a result of our faulty foundation. If I look at Nasarawa state, among the 36 states in the country, it is so peculiar to itself, it is one of the newest states, a state where the basic infrastructure that will serve as a springboard or fulcrum for effective development were either completely absent or are not measuring to the level that one could safely say he has a solid foundation.

So the first thing I did was to embark on the construction of infrastructure, and this I categorised into three to enable me achieve certain level that could bring relief to the people immediately. I concentrated on physical infrastructure which you will virtually find in every state capital across the country

and other towns but for which are lacking in Lafia. Road networks particularly in the state capital and other townships, headquarters of the three senatorial districts.

I also discovered that the issue of power is one of the biggest challenges that has caused so much stagnation to our development and also the issue of portable water, which is the concomitant requirement for good living. At the beginning I embarked on a self - assessment to know what type of road to build that will give the people flexibility to move around within the cities and other areas.

Also, we discovered that the issue of power has to do with insufficient transformers and we got about 50 transformers. In the first one hundred days, we were able to bring relief to certain critical zone within the state and so also the issue of water. For instance, Nasarawa local government area have a problem of water more than any other local government and they deserve immediate attention.

And I took that headlong and revitalised the plant and kick started it. So these are the major plank and centre piece of my administration; rural and city roads, power and water.

I don't want to go into details but these are the things I have started and Iam still continuing while other things are coming along.

You are among the first set of governors to implement the new minimum wage.

What informed your decision on that and what are the challenges?

went straight away to implement it because my party, the CPC, is built around social justice and I consider the civil servants to be very critical in the development of the state. And for the state to develop, there should be some kind of support, encouragement and care for the civil service.

I know Iam doing that at the expense of public works, I am doing that at the expense of capital project but one thing that gave me courage was that when I looked at it, there were so many ghost workers, there were a lot of fraudulent acts that are reducing our capacities to use our resources. I felt at that time, after paying the minimum wage, I will be able to cut cost, reduce waste andblock leakages.

While I was able to do that, I will be able to handle those critical infrastructure that I came to fix.

So the challenge that I had was to support the civil service so they can support me in implementing the programmes that will move the state forward. And that was for them to show appreciation and as soon as I did that, virtually all the civil servants, labour and everything became so friendly.

And a rapport was developed that tremendously helped in bridging the lack of communication that existed before.

Nasarawa state has been identified as the home of solid minerals and considering its proximity to the federal capital, how are these potentials being maximised in terms of revenue generation, because without internally generated revenue, it may pose a challenge to the development of the state?

You see, I had serious problems to address at the time of my inauguration. No sooner had I come into office than the issue of the new minimum wage became law and as a government that has found itself through due diligence, through the rule of law, I was duty bound to comply.

Without being immodest, I will like to say I was the first governor, one of the first set of governors to implement the minimum wage for Nasarawa state.

And I did that at great risks because while some of my other colleagues are wondering whether to implement it or not, I

Thank you very much. Like you rightly said, our proximity with the federal capital has given us some kind of edge, in terms of available services we will be able to access and some good amount of revenue. For you to be able to access that revenue, there are certain basic things you have to provide otherwise the revenue you are likely to get, will just be peanuts. So we took a study and looked for how we can maximise the access of the right kind of revenue to the state and we discovered that we couldn't do that without, first of all, having a land reform.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

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What manner of awealth super woman!

Re: Sovereign fund There is a certain former “queen” of Aso Rock whose name I will not mention her name, but who is allegedly running from pillar to post because she took a certain land from government but instead of using it for what it was meant for, she turned it into her private land for her own personal NGO. When the authorities wisened up to what Super Woman had done with the land, they said, "No, madam super woman, you can't use the land for this!" They took it away from her and said, "We must use this land properly - for what it was originally meant for."

Super Woman was ready for a fight and headed for the law courts and repeatedly said she would fight

WRITE TO US Peoples Daily Weekend welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor, Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com

any one who gets in her way; she is even trying to drag other people's name into the fray, but they are clever, dem just de sidon look am.

Some government officials bearing olive branches and carrying white doves of peace, met her to settle the issue out of court and allegedly offer her all sorts of

mouth-watering offers which she roundly rejected. Super Woman said of the offers - this land is too small…this land is too far….So, sadly, the peace makers went back from where they came sorrowfully.

Madam Superwoman, you cannot hold the country to ransom. Listen to the peace makers. The holy book says blessed are the peace makers for they shall inherit the kingdom of God. What does one profit if you gain the world but lose your soul? Listen to the peacemakers so that you can have peace. It must be very lonely to be such a super woman.

Mariam Saka, a poet and freelance journalist, wrote this article from Jos

Boko Haram: Why amnesty is vital T hank God at long last the federal government has kick-started amnesty programme for Boko Haram insurgents. In my view, this is the right step to take.

Many people have said that Boko Haram do not deserve amnesty because of the crime they have committed against humanity.

Personally, I totally agree with this view point but at the same time, we have to bear in mind that to err is human, to forgive is divine.

Against this backdrop, I sincerely believe that we should all join hands together to make the amnesty programme as successful as it should be in the national interest.

There is a saying that whenever a chiken strays into the bush and is grabbed by a lion, the community should first save the chiken from the lion mouth before any other thing follow.

It is against this backdrop that the Boko Haram radicals should be forgiven in the interest of national

unity and brotherhood. After the amnesty programme, then we shall all know what to do with a view to ensuring that something as terrible as this shall never happen again.

Gabriel Anthony, a social critic wrote in from Katsina, Katsina state.

The virtues of being patient will triumph

A

ruling was given on Thursday May 2, 2013 in an Abuja court concerning a certain parcel of land that was revoked from a former First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar'Adua, who is using the land for her personal NGO called WAYEF. The land, which is in the Central Business District Area of Abuja was revoked "in the public interest" by the FCT Administration in its wisdom.

The Abuja court judgment however, gave some reprieve to the former First Lady by setting aside the revocation a judgment which the FCT

Administration said it will promptly appeal.

My interest is not in the court judgment. What has aroused my own interest and disdain is the way some media reports are saying Mrs. Patience Jonathan, wife of the President, is "involved" in a land tassel with Hajia Turai. What a terrible falsehood! What a lie!! What a fabrication!!! What a concoction!!!!

The only thing that links Dame Patience in any way to this matter is the fact that the land in question is the land originally set aside for the African

First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) and we all know, if we follow the news, that Dame Patience is the sitting President of this organization after being unanimously voted in, (unopposed) at the last Summit of the African First Ladies Peace Mission in Abuja.

Dame Patience, like her name says, is a lady of patience and tolerance; she is a peace-loving, Godfearing philanthropist. She has no quarrel with anybody; she is not dragging land with anyone so let nobody mention her name in any land matter.

My advice to Dame Jonathan is that she should continue to ignore all those people peddling falsehood since they cannot make you what you are not. Do not relent in pressing for a better lot for Nigeria's women folk as you have been doing.

Continue with the good works you are doing with the orphans and widows. Continue opening your soup kitchens to the less privileged and your virtue of patience will triumph.

Kaita Lawal is a social critic who sent this article from Bauchi

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 37

Opinion

By Aderonke Sarah

H

ello Nigerians, where are we heading to when our love and friendship towards one another has gone cold?

It is said that divided we fall and united we stand, and that a lost kingdom is a kingdom divided among itself.

I know the pain of every Nigerian, especially the commoners like myself.

Recently, the opinions of over hundred Nigerians was surveyed to get their view concerning the stifling challenges of insecurity and corruption facing the country over the years - over ninety percent of those surveyed are of the opinion that the country should be divided and that the three major ethnic groups be on their own to put an end to regional crisis, nepotism, favoritism and acrimony.

To this end, I will not be surprised if you as a Nigerian reading this article presently is of the same view, but what I want you to understand is that; we cannot use violence to stop violence, disputes to settle disputes, or pay back evil for evil if peace must reign.

Look around you and reflect on the issues surrounding this country critically; do away with your negative thoughts towards the country, think of the horrible things our fathers must have gone through before we got to where we are now. Remember that the natural resources discovered in this

By Abdullahi Mohammed Dan Maliki

I

t ’s quite amazing to have read an interview by one Dahiru Kurfi who tried to argue out of context.

Ordinarily, it wouldn’t have been necessary to respond to the interview he granted to the Peoples Daily Weekend edition of Saturday 27 – Sunday 28th April, 2013 but this rejoinder is important owing to the fact that Dahiru popularly known as (Dahiru Gul...) bears Kurfi in his names and claims to be a grassroots politician, a PDP member and bonafide indigene of Katsina state.

The writer’s presentation was a clear display of gross incompetence, utter ignorance of the subject matter he was dealing with, lack of patriotism and total bias in expressing his subjective opinion.

Notably, this piece is mainly aimed at highlighting some basic facts in relation to where Dahiru goofed in his opinion as well as setting the records straight and clear with a view to disabusing the minds of Katsina people and Nigerians.

It is improper for Dahiru who is above 50 years, and who spent more than forty years of his life outside the borders of Katsina state, to comment on the affairs of the state the way he has done.

Nonetheless, what baffles us most is the fact that the “Baba Dahe” we know (as head of sanitation, Ajaokuta Steel mills) can accuse the Katsina governor of being a bully, the same attribute he exhibited hundred percent as testified by many of his staff at many FORA. On the other hand, Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema has been known to be humble, magnanimous, ebullient, calm and a down to earth leader.

There is no denying the fact that the Shema administration is headed by a learned person in Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Shema, deputized by a learned person; Barrister Abdullahi Garba Faskari, secretarized by a learned person; Muntari Ibrahim Katsina and a cream of other administrators, technocrats and seasoned civil servants, some of whom are Professors, PhD’s, M.Sc’s and M.A holders as members

Let Nigeria be country are not the doing of any man.

Ponder this and you will understand that Nigeria is blessed indeed as a nation.

Shifting blames of our deteriorating socio-economy on our opportunistic politicians on how things have gone from bad to worse cannot take us anywhere but only increase our pessimistic and frustrated thinking.

The bitter-sweet experience we have had since 1914 when the northern and southern protectorate were amalgamated as one entity by the then Governor General Lord Frederick Lugard cannot be ignored as we at one time or the other have enjoyed the much inter-dependent nature of brotherhood among ourselves.

Our diverse values, norms, traditions, beliefs, and religions which we have had as individual groups and have learnt to respect among our fathers who fought interdependently side by side to gain our nations independence from the colonialists in 1960 is being jeopardized today by so called leaders who are supposed to be leading us on the road to achieving our long aspired dreams as envisioned by our nationalist leaders.

If only Nigerians, both home and abroad, will realize that being one Nigerian

is our destiny and open eyes to see what these circuits of gluttons have been using us to accumulate for themselves and their tenth generation after them on the basis of ethnicity, then we would realize we are missing it all.

These individuals are very much aware of the ethnicity syndrome amongst us in addition to the glaring fact that we do not have one voice, such that they use it as a bait for us to fall into their traps of being against ourselves, rather than looking at their incapability to lead us to our nations dream, thereby creating headway for them to capture the power seat.

Majority of our politicians are selfish, greedy and corrupt but, I believe God never allow his children to suffer purposefully without providing a way out for them, however, we have been blinded by the seed of antagonism and hatred being planted into us towards one another and the repercussion fall back on us the common Nigerians at the grassroot, who are used as scapegoat, by this way we cannot see the part God want us to thread.

Dividing this God blessed nation is not the solution to our numerous socioeconomic problems. Nigeria is one, let us learn to support a politician because he is

good and no longer based on religion, ethnic group, geographical location or zone and tribe. This way our eyes will be open to see that good, selfless, patriotic Nigerian that will lead us home and give us a better Nigerian of our dream.

You might be thinking it can never be possible, but I tell you it is not far from us by the time every one of us stop to fold our hands and watch this individuals use us as bet for gamble... love every Nigerian as yourself irrespective of tribe or religion, be positive in your thinking towards this great nation then I tell you we are heading home.

By the time we have put an end to sectionalism, tribalism, nepotism and chauvinism towards one another, those exploiting us will vanish because we would be too much to chew. this is our country, we are stronger in unity, let us put our enemies who do not know what it means to have so many brothers and sisters from different parents to shame and those who know nothing but to scramble for the seat of the economic house of the country. We are one Nigeria in PEACE AND UNITY. Sara is of the Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytecnic, Bida. She can be reached via Aderonkesarah@Gmail.com

Re: We miss Yar'Adua of its Executive Council. How can these well respected personalities be termed as “pseudo intellectuals and semi illiterates”.? Except malice was the intention of the interview.

Another laughable aspect of Dahiru’s interview was his claim that he misses the transparent leadership of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua (of blessed memory). Dahiru was neither a supporter of Mallam Umaru Musa Yar’adua as Governor or as President to the best of our knowledge and he did not feature anywhere in the late President’s political road map. Until his misleading interview, he had never spoken about the late President throughout his 8yrs as Governor and almost 3yrs as President, and if Dahiru disputes this he should refer the public to any of such past records. It is obvious therefore that Dahiru is a small time politico who is unknown to people in Katsina state.

As for the Government under the leadership of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema it is common knowledge not only within Katsina but outside its borders that developmental politics for the advancement of the course of our people and our state has been the hallmark of this administration with clearly defined focus on Education, Agriculture, Infrastructural development, Health, Water supply, Solid minerals development and indeed, Youth development & empowerment.

Dahiru may not know this because he does not live with us here in Katsina state, that state and Governor have won numerous awards nationally & internationally in various sectors of Government activities.

Education for example has been accessible and FREE to every school age going child in Katsina state. Primary education is free, secondary education is free, tertiary education has been with scholarships from 2007 till date. 168 new secondary schools have been built, 33 primary schools upgraded to story buildings. Student scholarship allowances have been doubled and are paid regularly. There are also 70

Allo model schools where Alamajiri (students) are being given three square meals and taught hand crafts like sewing, laundry, barbing, carpentry etc, and the teachers are paid monthly stipends as a special programme introduced by the Shema administration to improve the Almajiri educational system.

Examination fees for WAEC, NECO, NABTEB etc are being paid since 2007 by government to encourage children of less privileged families to have access to education at all levels.

More than 3000 teachers have been employed while implementation of the TSS salary scheme has been in place since 2009.

Tertiary institutions enhanced salary structure has also been effected, while over 400 students are enjoying special foreign scholarships studying currently in U.S.A, U.K, Egypt, Jordan and Sudan.

On tertiary education, the Shema administration completed the State University started by late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua then Governor of Katsina State within a record period of 18months and named it after the late President. Other institutions like the Isa Kaita College of Education Dutsin-ma, Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal Studies Daura, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic have received tremendous improvements.

Dahiru claimed he could only see wall fencing of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic but this is aimed at securing the safety of our children in these challenging times.

On Health sector, the Government of Ibrahim Shehu Shema has carved a niche for itself. It embarked on purchase of drugs and distributes to hospitals across the state at regular intervals. The Government purchased and distributed fully equipped mobile ambulances to all 34 Local Government areas of the state, as well as engaged over 100 qualified and competent health personnel in each of the Local

Governments Areas. Free Health care to pregnant women and nursing mothers, free care to children from birth to age 5, free care to malaria patients and accident victims for first 48hrs as well as free dialysis for patients with kidney problem are also in place.

68 hospitals have been built and several upgraded including a new one being built in Kurfi town . The child and maternal care hospital started by Yar’adua and completed by the Shema administration plus the new 250 bed orthopedic & specialist hospital built by the current administration are in place.

Dahe you don’t live here!!!

Another critical area enjoying the concern of the government is agriculture.

The government makes it a duty to procure and distribute fertilizer to both dry and wet season farmers at subsidized rates; provision and distribution of 340 tractors, seedlings, irrigation implements to mention but a few.

Similarly, in its effort to boost food production in the state. Jibia irrigation project has been revamped with all necessary requirements.

The Shema led-administration also committed itself to Songhai- Katsina – Initiative, an agricultural programme aimed at boosting food production in all its ramifications using modern agricultural skills and equipment.

Coming down to the immediate constituency of Dahiru i.e Kurfi, it is noteworthy to state that he is ignorant of the development recorded in the area hence he has lost touch with his own community. The all important Birchi-Rawayau and KurfiBatsari roads have been constructed by the Shema administration. This development has paved way for economic activities in the areas.

The historical Maradi Ahmadu Primary school Kurfi that has been existing for over thirty years now wears a new look. It has been completely restructured and expanded to a storey building. I believe that Dahiru is not aware of this, perhaps that is why he ventured into castigating and accusing Governor Shema for non-performance.

PAGE 39

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

International U.S. military plane crashes in southern Kyrgyzstan

A

U.S. military refueling plane on its way to Afghanistan exploded in mid air and crashed in

Kyrgyzstan on Friday when its cargo of fuel ignited, the Central Asian country's Emergencies Ministry said.

The aircraft took off from the U.S. military transit center at Kyrgyzstan's international

U.S. military plane

Manas airport, which U.S. forces maintain for operations in Afghanistan, with around 70 metric tons of fuel on board, a local ministry official said.

The plane, used for inflight refueling, disappeared from radar screens at 3:10 p.m. as it flew near the Kyrgyz village of Chaldovar, the ministry said.

The three person crew was unaccounted for, it said.

The ministry said witnesses saw the plane explode in the air, and a local government official said debris was scattered over a 4 to 5 km area in a nearby mountainous area.

"The chassis, the fuselage have all been extinguished and now we are searching for the crew members and the plane's black box," ministry official Bolot Sharshenaliyev said.

"There are three crew members.

According to preliminary information it flew from Bishkek and was on its way to Afghanistan, with approximately 70 metric tons of fuel on board."

Cellphone video footage obtained by Reuters showed an

armed guard around the crash site where burning debris had scorched the ground.

Rescue workers on horseback were scouring the area before night fell in the rural area on the border with Kazakhstan, regional governmental official Kanat Davletov told Reuters.

The U.S. transit center confirmed the crash of the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and said it was under investigation. The center did not give a cause for the crash nor confirm the number of crew members on board.

A Kyrgyz civil aviation official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said storm clouds over the region could have caused the explosion, Interfax reported.

Manas, established as a military base in December 2001, is used to transport U.S. personnel in and out of Afghanistan and has been used by other international forces in the country.

U.S. forces lease the facility for $60 million a year.

Lawyer for Jodi Arias makes closing arguments

Girl charged With a Felony After Science Experiment

J

S

odi Arias' lawyer implored jurors yesterday to take an impartial view of the case and his client - even if they don't like her - as the murder trial neared an end after four months of testimony.

Arias smiled broadly when defense lawyer Kirk Nurmi told the jury during his closing arguments, "It's not about whether or not you like Jodi Arias. Nine days out of 10, I don't like Jodi Arias. ... But that doesn't matter."

Arias says she killed her one-time boyfriend Travis

Alexander in self-defense, but prosecutors say it was an act of premeditated first-degree murder that could carry a death sentence or life in prison.

Jurors also have the option of finding Arias guilty of second-degree murder if they don't believe she planned the attack, but instead think it occurred in the heat of the moment. If convicted on that charge, she could face up to 25 years in prison.

A manslaughter conviction carries a sentence of seven to 21 years.

Nurmi told jurors the entire case was about "fear, love, sex, lies and dirty little secrets" and repeated over and over that the prosecution's theory of a planned attack "doesn't make any sense."

The trial has become a tabloid and cable TV sensation and has attracted spectators from around the country who line up as early as 2 a.m. for a chance to score a few open seats in the courtroom.

Authorities say Arias, 32, planned the attack on Alexander in June 2008 at his

suburban Phoenix home. They say she was enraged because he wanted to end their relationship and was preparing for a trip to Mexico with another woman.

Arias initially denied any involvement and later blamed it on masked intruders. Two years after her arrest, she said she killed Alexander in selfdefense when he attacked her after a day of sex.

"Fear, love, sex, lies and dirty little secrets," Nurmi repeated several times Friday. "Each one of these aspects of the human condition plays a prominent role in the relationship that Jodi Arias shared with Travis Alexander."

American states fear loss of health care aid

T

housands of people with serious medical problems are in danger of losing coverage under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul because of cost overruns, state officials say.

At risk is the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, a transition program that's become a lifeline for the so-called "uninsurables" - people with serious medical conditions who can't get coverage elsewhere.

The program helps bridge the gap for those patients until next year, when under the new law insurance companies will be required to accept people regardless of their medical problems.

In a letter this week to Health

and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, state officials said they were "blindsided" and "very disappointed" by a federal proposal they contend would shift the risk for cost overruns to states in the waning days of the program. About 100,000 people are currently covered.

"We are concerned about what will become of our high risk members' access to this decent and affordable coverage," wrote Michael Keough, chairman of the National Association of State Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans. States and local nonprofits administer the program in 27 states, and the federal government runs the remaining plans.

President Barack Obama

cience experiments don't always go the way they are intended. A 16-yearold Florida teenager knows this all too well.

This week Kiera Wilmot went to school and mixed some household chemicals in a tiny eight-ounce water bottle. It looked like a simple chemistry project, but then the top popped off when a small explosion occurred.

Wilmot, who is in good standing as a student, said it was an accident. The Bartow High School principal told a local television station that the teen made a "bad choice" and called her a a good kid who has never previously been in trouble.

"Honestly, I don't think she meant to ever hurt anyone," Principal Ron Pritchard told a Tampa Bay television station.

"She wanted to see what would happen [when the chemicals mixed] and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked too."

In another era, Wilmot may have gotten scolded and sent back to class. But in this age of zero-tolerance policies, Wilmot is in deep trouble. She was arrested on Monday morning after the incident and charged with possession and discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device.

In turn, she was expelled and will finish her high school years in an expulsion program.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

SPORT

Gareth the greatest Zidane Zidane, others hail totenham Hotspur star, Gareth Bale as the world’s best footballer this year.

EMMANUEL EKO periscopes England’s newly crowned PFA Footballer of the year.

S

tep aside, Messi: Give way, Ronaldo. So far this year, the football world belongs to Gareth Bale.

So says none other than one of the greatest footballers of his generation, Zidane Zidane.

Zidane, a World Cup winner with France who also featured for Real Madrid and other top European clubs in his glittering career, delivered that verdict following Bale’s aweinspiring performances this season.

Bale became only the third man to be named the English Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) player of the year and young player of the year in the same season.

The 23-year-old Wales international, who also won the main award in 2011, has scored 19 Premier League goals this season - a tally bettered only by Manchester United striker Robin van Persie with 25 and controversial Liverpool forward Luis Suarez (23).

"It's a massive honour. To be voted by your peers is one of the biggest things in the game. It's great to win it and I am delighted," Bale said.

His frightening pace, agility and clinical finishing have marked him out again this term and his successful switch from left wing to a roving central midfield role has also helped fifth-placed Spurs in their pursuit of a Champions League spot.

He took the main award -

presented at a glittering ceremony - ahead of secondplaced Suarez, last year's winner Van Persie and fellow nominees Manchester United's Michael Carrick and Chelsea pair Eden Hazard and Juan Mata.

Bale joins Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer and Mark Hughes in earning the main award twice. Ronaldo in 2007 and Andy Gray in 1977 won both awards in the same year.

Flying Bale's form has made him one of the most feared players in the Premier and Europa League and manager Andre Villas-Boas has said the Welshman's ability to take free kicks compares favourably with the likes of Real Madrid's Ronaldo.

“

His frightening pace, agility and clinical finishing have marked him out again this term and his successful switch from left wing to a roving central midfield role has also helped fifth-placed Spurs in their pursuit of a Champions League spot.

THE PROFILE FOR GARETH BALE Name in native country: Date of birth: Place of birth: Age: Height: Nationality: Position: Foot: Market value: Player's agent:

Gareth Frank Bale 16.07.1989 Cardiff 23 1,86 Wales Midfield - Left Midfield Left leg 42.000.000 • Stellar Football Ltd

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 41

Weekend AFN names crack technical team for 11th Africa Junior Meet Stories by Patrick Andrew

T

he Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has named a crack technical crew that will sharpen the technical reflexes of Team Nigeria for the 11th Africa Junior Championships scheduled for Pretoria, South Africa from June 27 through 30.

This was disclosed yesterday by the AFN's Technical Director, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, who stated that the federation intends to groom athletes that would excel at the youth fiesta.

"We want to try and repeat the clean and good sheet we recorded at the AYAC in Warri, in South Africa. We are aiming to be the overall winner at the event,'' he said, stressing that the team would commence its camping programme soon after the inuagural Okpekpe 10KM Marathon Race, at the High Performance Centre (HPC), University of Port Harcourt.

"Nigerians should expect that we will make appropriate selections, a scientific approach will be adopted, and the appropriate parameters will be

used, just as we did with the youths in Warri. We will be objective in selecting them,'' he said.

The girls invited to camp for the 100m/200m 4X100m are: Peace Alphonsus, Isoken Ukoigbinosun, Ese Brume, Deborah Adewale, Cecilia Francis and Oluwatobi Amusan.

In the 4x400m categories are: Rita Ossai, Ada Benjamin, Edidiong Odidiong, Abimbola Junaid, and Funke Oladoye.

Others are: Abike Egbeniyi for 800m, Aminat Olowora, and Esther Asamu for the 5,000m For the 100m hurdles are:

Favour Efe, Rebecca Oshibanjo, and Aderonke Ademosu, while Fausatina Oguh was invited for walking.

Onome Nathaniel and Sarah Kadiri were among those invited for the 400m hurdles. Ese Brume, Mercy Abire and Ayomide Amusan will feature in the long jump, while Kasie Ugeh was invited for the triple jump.

Chinonye Anslem and Ese Brume were invited for the high jump. Theresa Edah will feature in the pole vault, while Kasie Ugeh and Anwulika Aniefuma will throw the javelin.

For the boys 100m are: Divine Oduduru, Yusuf Ismaila, Kolawole Toyin, Olubodun Kehinde, Anthony Egode, Victor Ikhazobor and Charles Okezie.

For the 400m and 4x400m are Nathaniel Oghenewegba, Omotoye Oluwabusayo,

Ololade Durojaiye, Kolawole Toyin and Odele Tegah, while Daniel Agboola is for the 800m.

For the 110m hurdles are Ifeanyi Atuma, Bashiru Abdulaih, while Gbenga Bakre will feature in the 400m hurdles.

For the jump are: Babajide Okunlaja, Bode Akintokun, Joseph Edafiadhe, Oke Ejumeta and Stephen Okulaja, while Fabian Edoki, Theophilus Ejovi and Stephen Okulaja will feature in the triple jump.

Theophilus Ejovi and Moses Chizoba are slated for the high jump, while Valentine Udeh will feature in Javelin.

The coaches invited are: Endurance Ojokolo, Tobias Igwe, Ayodele Solaja, and Raymond Agboro for sprints, 100m, 400m and relays, while Saheed Alabi is for the middle distances, the 800m and the 1,500m races.

Rangers seek Nigeria's Champions League succour

N Nigeria relay team that won the maiden championship held in Warri last February

IBB Golf Club storms Oturkpo for friendly encounter

N

o fewer than 50 golfers from the IBB Golf Club, Abuja, will exchanged hostilities with their turkpo Golf Club, Benue in a friendly contest this weekend.

Ado Gonji, the General Manager (GM) of the IBB Golf Club, confirmed this stressing that the event would be used to advance the relationship between the two clubs.

Matches are to be played in two categories namely the doubles match-play which would take place today and the singles match-play which is expected to tee-off

tomorrow.

He expressed optimism that his club would emerge victorious at the Oturkpo invitational, which is being sponsored in collaboration with Senate President, David Mark. ``The intention of anybody going for a competition is to win.

Our case will not be an exception. I guess our opponents will be preparing very well too because they won't want a visiting team to come and defeat them at home. ``It's a friendly encounter, however, and we are going to do our best because we have quality players in our team,'' Gonji said.

Further, he said that the friendly encounter would help the club prepare for the tour of the famous golf facilities at the Parador de El Saler Golf Club in Valencia, Spain.

He noted that the tour, which would take place between May 8 and May 14, would promote business transactions and social ties between the two countries.

The IBB Golf Club embarked on a similar tour to Cuba and YaoundĂŠ, Cameroon, last year, as part of efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries and Nigeria.

igeria's only surviving club on the continent Enugu Rangers are under pressure to reach the group phase of the CAF Champions League, which will be decided today.

However, Rangers have a stumbling to their qualification in Recreativo Libolo of Angola, who managed a goalless draw in the first clash two weeks ago in Enugu.

The domestic league leaders, who finished as runners-up last season, will be boosted by the return to full fitness of central defender Ekene Iwuorie after he missed the first leg.

The form of Razaq Adegbite should also encourage them

Okey Emordi

against a team that have won their previous Champions League matches this year bar the draw in Nigeria.

Adegbite scored four goals in a local cup tie before the return leg and he will most likely start in Angola after he unsettled Recreativo as a late sub two weeks ago. The team have been promised a hefty cash reward if they scale the Recreativo hurdle.

The coach Okey Emordi-led side face an onerous task as their hosts have won all their homes games in this year's Champions League and would be best remembered as the team who trounced Sunshine Stars 41 in last year's competition.

What has been so intimidating about the Angolans is that bar the draw at Rangers they have beaten their opponents in the previous rounds Al Merreikh of Sudan and Simba of Tanzania, home and away. They have also scored six goals and conceded just one at home.

Goalkeeper Landu stood between Rangers and goal in Enugu and he will again be expected to ensure he keeps a clean sheet and propel his club to an historic passage to the mini-league stage of the continent's foremost club contest.

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

PAGE 42

4,000 athletes for Okpekpe Int'l Road Race N

o fewer than 4,000 athletes are to compete in the 10km Okpekpe International Road Race on Saturday in Okpekpe, EtsakoEast Local Government Area of Edo. The Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Sixtus Omokhagbon, who confirmed the figure yesterday in Okpekpe added that about 3, 500 athletes had registered as at Thursday night, while another 1000 was expected before the race this morning.

He said the race had athletes from South Africa,

Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and other African countries.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Area Commander, Mr David Jimmwan, has said that adequate security arrangement had been made to cover the area before, during and after the competition.

Jimmwan said the Commissioner of Police, State Security Service and Divisional Police Officers from the Etsako Federal Constituency had already met on the security arrangements.

He said that over 100 police officers would be deployed for

this sleepy community that is surrounded by mountains has good and hospitable people," he added.

The winner of the male category of the competition will go home with N2.5m, while the female gets N1.8m and N100,

000 would be for the first indigene of the community in the race.

The race is being organised by the Edo government, in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and other organisations.

the race, assuring visitors and residents that there was nothing to fear. "We will be working in concert with other security agencies, to ensure a smooth race.''

Reacting to the race, the monarch of Okpekpe, Chief Peter Osigbemhe, said the sleepy community was waiting to host the world.

Osigbemhe said the race had placed the community on the world map and would also help to expose the rich tradition of the people. We are also benefiting economically from the race. We will use it to show the world not only our rich tradition but the people's hospitality. ``The world will see that

NFF rethink CHAN qualifier

A

top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said Nigeria have not formally withdrawn from the 2014 Championship of African Nations(CHAN).

Weekend Peoples Sports recalls that a broke NFF had first raised alarm over their financial disability and opted to prune down on spendings including prosecuting the CHAN qualifier against West African rivals Cote d'Ivoire at the end of June.

The football federation had equally scale down the size of the backroom staff of the national teams as well as

reduced the technical crew of these teams.

However, an unnamed a top official was quoted by a wire service to have confirmed that the NFF was making a rethink and would accordingly take up the qualifier since it did not officially communicated with CAF in that respect.

"The NFF are yet to officially communicate CAF of their position on the CHAN qualifier.

We have not given up on the Eagles participation.

"We are hoping that we can raise the money to ensure that the efforts of the federation in camping these home boys in

the last one year are not in vain.

"You would agree with me that we are yet to make an impact in the CHAN. It's not a thing of pride that Nigeria have not featured in CHAN since its inception."

Nigeria have failed to feature at the first two editions of the CHAN, losing out in the qualifiers first to Ghana and then Niger.

The 2014 CHAN, which is for players who are featuring in their respective domestic leagues, will be staged by South Africa.

Emenike's surgery successful, to be out for 6 weeks

S

uper Eagles and Spartak Moscow forward, Emmanuel Emenike, successfully went through the knife last Thursday to correct a nagging meniscus injury and would now be out for between four to six weeks.

The development means that the AFCON 2013 Golden Boot winner is sure to miss the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Kenya and Namibia in June and FIFA Confederation Cup finals billed for Rio, Brazil, also next month.

"Emenike underwent a successful operation on his meniscus and will miss four to six weeks," Spartak Moscow announced on their website yesterday.

The former Fenerbahce man

has also been ruled out of his club's last four matches of the Russian Premier League season.

It was earlier believed that Emenike will miss just the World Cup match in Kenya until the surgery on Thursday confirmed he will be out for much longer.

Nigeria will face Kenya and Namibia in crucial World Cup games on the road next month.

Emenike finished as joint leading scorer at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, where Nigeria emerged champions after defeating Burkina Faso.

The striker will be available at the earliest in mid-June when the African champions would start their quest at the Fifa Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Kasie Ugeh, will feature in Okpekpe race today

NCF selects 18 for U-19 tourney

T

he Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), yesterday selected 18 cricketers from the 33 it had earlier invited for camping, ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup qualifiers later in the year.

George Wiltshire, NCF General Manager, confirmed that the qualifiers would hold from May 25 to May 29 in Uganda and revealed that the 18 cricketers were selected after its four-day trial held at the cricket pitch of the University of Lagos (UNILAG). ``The first phase of our fourday trial from April 29 to May 2 had enabled us to select the best 18 male players.

"The second phase which started today, May 3, will end

on May 17 at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Cricket Oval, Lagos. A total of 14 male players will be finally selected for the qualifiers,'' Wiltshire said.

The manager added that although, ICC was yet to name the venue and date for the World Cup, the NCF was not ready to take any chances in its preparation for the world competition.

Meanwhile, the federation has appointed Seyi Sonde as the coach of the national U-19 team, while Okon Ukpong was named the Team Manager.

The national male senior team recently got promoted into the World Cricket League (Division 6) at the World Cricket (Division 7) League in Botswana.

Ivorian referee to officiate Kenya, Nigeria match

D

Emenike

ezire Dove will officiate as centre referee in Kenya vs Nigeria match and will be assisted by countrymen Yeo Songuifolo and Burundian Jean Claude Birimushaha World governing body FIFA has already sent out names of match officials, who will officiate the next two 2014 World Cup qualifiers slated for June.

The Kenya and Nigeria match slated for June 5 in Nairobi will be officiated by a referee from Ivory Coast while

Comoros officials will officiate the match against Malawi in Blantyre.

Dezire Dove has been assigned as the centre referee for the decisive Kenya versus Nigeria showdown and will be assisted by countrymen Yeo Songuifolo and Jean Claude Birimushaha from Burundi.

Dembele Dennis from Ivory Coast will be the fourth official while Idrissa Sarr from Mauritania will be the referees assessor.

The Match Commisioner is Mazen Marzouk from Egypt.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 43

United out to dent Blues' top four hopes

Victor Moses

P

remier League Champions Manchester United will be looking to dent Chelsea's top four ambition this Sunday when they clash at Old Trafford in what may be Rafeal Benitez defining moment as Chelsea's interim manager yet.

Already, United have secured the secured

the title, but they would be forgiven for taking their foot off the pedal, if they failed to beat Chelsea.

However, a fighting display in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal last weekend demonstrated that Sir Alex Ferguson's side are determined to end the season strongly.

Besides, United are on a revenge mission c9onsidering that the FA Cup ambition was thwarted by the Blues.

A win would therefore serve as a fitting revenge for them and thus assuage the pains inflicted by Demba Ba in the FA Cup quarterfinal replay last month, a goal that handed the Blues a narrow but deserved 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

While United cannot set a new points record in the Premier League, they can establish the largest winning margin in terms of points if they rack up wins from all three of their remaining matches.

Chelsea come into the game placed third on the log with 65 points, one ahead of Arsenal (who have played a game more) and three ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. They look well set to finish in the bronze position, but it has been a long and exhausting season, and coach Rafa Benitez will be aware of the danger of fatigue.

This could be especially key to the match at Old Trafford, as the Blues will have played on Thursday evening in the UEFA Europa Cup semifinal second leg match against Basle of Switzerland.

As ever, the acrimonious rivalry between managers Ferguson and Benitez will be one of the key underlying themes of the match.

While Ferguson remains secure and successful at Old Trafford, Benitez is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after what has been an unpopular tenure with the Blues supporters.

Bruised Barca close in on La Liga title

B

arcelona will look to move one step closer to securing the La Liga title when they host Real Betis at the Camp Nou this Sunday and should be vengeful especially after setting a dubious UEFA Champions League record.

The Catalans are still sitting comfortably at the top of the log standings with 84 points, eleven clear of their closest competitors Real Madrid.

PSG set to clinch first in 19 years

P

aris Saint-Germain are confident they would seal the deal on Sunday to lift their first Ligue 1 title since 1994.

Les Parisiens are nine points clear at the top of the table with four games remaining and a win against Valenciennes on Sunday, coupled with Marseille dropping points against Bastia, would be enough for the club to be crowned champions.

Already, Javier Pastore says that the team are exuding in confidence ahead of the decisive game It's been a very positive season with a great run in the Champions League and in Ligue 1.

It may have been a difficult start, but the year has been very positive. We are calm and confident because we have a good lead in the table. It all comes down to us. We know what we have to do. We are masters of our own destiny.

The former Palermo man then brushed off rumours linking Carlo Ancelotti with a move to Real Madrid and said the PSG boss is firmly focused on adding a French title to an already glittering CV. The Argentine scored the only goal of the game in his side's last league outing, as they defeated Evian 1-0.

With only five matches left to play this season, should Madrid fail to beat Valladolid on Saturday, Tito Vilanova's side could secure the title win a win over Betis.

Barca were held to a 2-2 draw by Athletic Bilbao in their last league encounter and their egos maybe slightly bruised after suffering a 7-0 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in their Champions league semi-final tie.

Real Betis also have a lot to play for as they are currently occupying seventh place with 49 points and desperate to hang on in order to qualify for Europe next season.

However, the Beticos are not enjoying the best run of form as they are winless in their last three matches, the latest being a 1-1 home draw against Deportivo La Coruna.

Nonetheless, defender Mario Alvarez says there are going to put up a fight on Sunday and do their best to delay Barcelona's celebrations.

Earlier this season, Lionel Messi scored a brace to help secure a 2-1 win for Barca, but it is unclear if the Argentine will feature on Sunday after missing Wednesday's clash against Bayern Munich.

WEEKEND FIXTURES Barclays Premier League Fulham

v

Reading

Norwich

v

Aston Villa

Swansea

v

Man City

Tottenham

v

Southampton

West Brom

v

Wigan

West Ham

v

Newcastle

QPR

v

Arsenal

Liverpool

v

Everton

Man Utd

v

Chelsea

Sunday

CAF Champions League Sewe Sport

v

FUS Rabat

Esperance

v

JSM Bejaia

SM Bamako

v

Cotonsport

v

Orlando Pirates

Kedus Giorgis

v

Zamalek

R/ Libolo

v

Enugu Rangers

Al Ahly

v

Bizertin

Sunday TP Mazembe Lubumbashi

CAF Confederation Cup S. Sport United

v

ENPPI

LLB Academic

v

ASEC Mimosas

Etoile Sahel

v

R/ da Caala

Diables Noirs

v

CS Sfaxien

FAR Rabat

v

Azam

US Bitam

v

USM Alger

W/ Casablanca

v

L/ Muculmana

Sunday

German Bundesliga VfB Stuttgart

v

Greuther

Hannover 96

v

Mainz

Werder Bremen

v

T

S

Nurnberg

v

B/ Leverkusen

E/ Frankfurt

v

F/ Dusseldorf

B/Dortmund

v

Bayern Munich

SC Freiburg

v

Augsburg

Hamburg

v

Wolfsburg

Sunday

Italy Serie A Chievo

v

Cagliari

Fiorentina

v

Roma

Udinese

v

Sampdoria

Parma

v

Atalanta

Sunday

Bayern, Dortmund in Champions League final dress rehearsal

Lazio

v

Bologna

Juventus

v

Palermo

B

Genoa

v

Pescara

Catania

v

Siena

AC Milan

v

Torino

Napoli

v

Inter Milan

o r u s s i a Dortmund and Bayern Munich will clash at the Signal Iduna Park this evening in a Bundesliga clash, but which is more of a UEFA Champions League dress rehearsal for both teams.

Bayern have already won the Bundesliga and have qualified for the German Cup final, but the Champions League date with Dortmund in London has them on course for a treble.

On the other hand for Dortmund, they have ceded their Bundesliga title to their fiercest rivals and were also booted out of the German Cup by Bayern in the quarterfinals, and this match will serve as an opportunity for Dortmund to get some revenge on Bayern for dominating the domestic league that they had bossed for the past two years.

G

Hoffenheim

There is though relatively little at stake this time considering the duo's often title-defining clashes over the past couple of years. The championship plate is in the bag for the visitors, and the hosts are already guaranteed their berth in the group stages of next season's UEFA Champions League.

Dortmund hope to wrap up second place ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, while Bayern will to equal their own all-time top-flight best-mark of 15 consecutive single-season victories - as well as extending their new record points total, having topped Dortmund's own 81-point tally from just last season with their latest victory over Freiburg.

Many key players will be rested for this clash.

Spanish Primera Liga Valencia

v

Osasuna

Granada

v

Malaga Los

Real Madrid

v

Valladolid

D/ La Coruna

v

Atletico Madrid

Mallorca

v

Levante

Real Zaragoza

v

Rayo Vallecano

Sevilla

v

Espanyol

Barcelona

v

Real Betis

Sunday

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

The weekend's return leg in the second round of qualifying for the CAF Champions League will determine which teams reach the group stage of Africa's biggest club competition, and some giants have a lot of work to do.

Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo will retire from international duties after the 2014 World Cup, insisting he must make way for younger players to break into Cesare Prandelli's side

Godolphin's Dawn Approach leads the 13 colts confirmed for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket today.

Three more former champions will return to Queen's Club in June, but last year's runner-up David Nalbandian will be absent

After a painful period of decline, Cameroon have leaped back up the FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking, and the Indomitable Lions have their eyes set on reaching the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

P I C T O R I A L

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 45

Interview

Why Bauchi patronises China — Mahiru Wundi, Commissioner of Environment Bauchi state Commissioner of Environment and Forestry, Alhaji Mahiru Maiwada Wundi, in this interview with Ahmed Kaigama,he spoke on the recent collaboration between the state government and the Chinese government to train Bauchi citizens on assembling, installation and maintenance of air-condition. Wundi also spoke on the donation of airconditioners to the state by the Chinese government worth 1N billion .

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hat have are the activities of your ministry since the coming of this administration?

We have so many activities one of which is the great green wall programme that involves planting of trees. We want to embark on planting of economic trees that can provide income to the people of the states. It is not only Bauchi state that is participating, it is a programme designed for eleven Northern states in the federation that are very close to the sahara. It involves the establishment of shelter belt from Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.

These are the seven frontline states; you could recall that, president Goodluck Jonathan has inaugurated this committee under the able leadership of the vice president, His Excellency, Architect Namadi Sambo sometimes in January this year.

All the commissioners of environment of these eleven state are members of the national council on shelter belt, because the programme is to be implemented through the state governments and through the state ministries for environments. We also have a forum, a forum of eleven frontline states and we are pursuing it.

Right now His Excellency the Bauchi state governor, Alhaji Malam Isa Yuguda has graciously approved for us to upgrade our logistics so that we can start using

our seedlings to establishing our own shelter belts. In this programme is what we have on the ground that would determine how the federal government would come to our aid as far as that green great wall programme is concerned. That is why the state government under Yuguda is doing everything possible within its reach to ensure that we have something on the ground, so that when the federal ministry of environment comes to inspect what we have on the ground, it would give us the opportunity to access the money being approved

by Mr. President.

And I wish to tell you that his Excellency has approved the sum of ten billion naira for these projects it is only when we have what we have on the ground that we can access from that money so that we can implement our programme.

The programme is being welcomed by almost everybody in this part of northern Nigeria because if during the tour and survey, a farm is earmarked for this programme we'll raise these seedlings for the farmer. After sometime we hand it over to the owner of farmland, so every farmer is eager to surrender the farmland for the programme, well' soon embark on tour of the all the local government concern to educate and enlighten them by telling them the benefits they can derive from this particular programme. This is one of the programme that we want to

embark upon and it has been approved by His Excellency too.

We want to crave for the cooperation of all stakeholders particularly the local government council itself traditional rulers, youth organisations, women groups and so on. That would create jobs for great numbers of people, because this is going to be a wall, jointed wall from Kebbi state to Borno and it's not only Nigeria that is involve in this programme.

It was reported that Bauchi state government has been patronizing Chinese government for long?

Yes, His Excellency Malaam ISA Yuguda was in China last year with me as the state commissioner for environment. I had made several trips to China and had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the Bauchi state government with the Chinese government. Part of the dividends of that trip is that we have right now received five thousand units of air-conditioners from the Chinese government.

The Chinese government during the signing of the MOU was represented by the national development and reform commission of China while the Nigerian ambassador to China Dr. Aminu Bashir Wali signed the MoU on behalf of the Bauchi state government. We had actually wanted the Bauchi state governor to sign the MoU but he could not make it to China because of his tight schedule here in Bauchi.

That is why the Nigerian ambassador signed the MoU on behalf of the Bauchi state government. After the signing, the contract for the manufacturing of the five thousand units of air-conditioners was awarded to HAEIR electrical appliances company of China at the cost of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars, excluding freight, which is almost a billion naira in Nigerian currency donation from the Chinese government as technical support to government of Bauchi state.

HAEIR also manufactured the items and supply to Nigeria and a training programme is right now going on where a technical team from china are training our technical team here in Bauchi in installation and maintenance of these air-condition. This is part of the fruits of our various trips to China. The items are energy saving to mitigate climate change effect, that is why it is meant for the ministry of environment at least to address the problem of climate change Who are the beneficiaries of the whole project?

We want to target the health sector as beneficiaries of these items; we have twenty local governments in Bauchi state and each local government has a general hospital. We'll ensure that we install these energy saving air-conditioners in all the general hospitals in Bauchi state, then we'll look at the comprehensive health sector.

And then we want to make sure that the state university in Gadau and all the campuses in Itas Gadau, Misau and in Bauchi local government will be fully air-conditioned in the educational sector.

Then we'll look at the other

tertiary institutions too, especially the lecture halls. The quantity is much we'll then consider offices to provide conducive working atmosphere for our team of staffers in the various ministries in the state, including the Government House. This month, May, the Bauchi state governor will lead a team of Bauchi delegation to sign another MoU with the Chinese government for the procurement of two hundred units of twenty seven-seater buses that are low emission and environmentally friendly too. So this is the result of our various trips to China.

How many people are expected to be trained?

When we incorporated the association of Nigerian Technicians we had over fifty of them but the trainees are drawn from the twenty local government areas of Bauchi state, so that we can have them in all the nooks and crannies of the state and they will be issued certificates at the end of their training if the technical team from China is satisfied that they have acquired enough knowledge on how to assemble, install and maintain the air conditioners. The training will last for forty days and is not all about HAIER airconditioners but different brands of air-conditioners not only airconditioners but most of these electrical appliances. Any of them, after the training can go open his workshop and can positively engage and sustain him and even employ others, it's a great thing that is going on, and the government is putting more emphasis on it. That is why I always attend the training venue from morning till evening.

NIMET has already predicted more rainfall this year, what is your ministry doing over flood mitigation?

NIMET has predicted that there will be more rainfall than last year. During the earth day celebration I was able to informed Bauchi state citizens that we are expecting more rainfall this year than another year and therefore there is the need for everybody to contribute his own quota to ensure that the environment is well protected. Houses that are built on waterways should be destroyed to ensure that once there is rainfall the rain will find its way to the river so that there will be no flood, there will be no destruction of property, not to even talk of losing a life. We are trying to an advocacy as I told you; we are going to embark on tour of all the twenty local governments of the state to educate the people on the importance of environmental protection.

What is happening to those people cutting trees in the bush discriminately?

His Excellency, Malam Isa Yuguda has inaugurated a high powered committee under the leadership of his deputy, His Excellency, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh, with me the commissioner of environment, and the Hon. Commissioner for local government; as members. We have made it very clear that we would not relent in our effort and anybody caught cutting trees to make charcoal or timber will be prosecuted.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

Online comments Man jailed 45 years for stealing Aregbesola's phone!

E

phraim

Osazuwa says:What is wrong with the Nigerian judiciary?Amangets45years in jail for stealing a cell phone, and a "rich" man steals N32billion and walks home.

Theworldiscomingtoanend.

Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

Oshiomhole's

stirring

Don't take bribe – Kano CP registered transactions warns officers also quickly, supplying the total Complete Currency Trader Bonus says: ill not head out dwell until eventually you've utilized with a simulated consideration. James taped him or her self as well as screen for virtually every weeks time as they quite simply analyzed your marketplaces and

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remarks of the products he / she was thinking plus the reason your dog needed the trading he managed. There is usually practically nothing cherry picked.

James Edward may be a experienced person forex trader whom built swells last year as he started off operating many reside broker schooling lessons.

sparring with Igbinedion Okodoro Oro says:

O

sho baba, tell them that u nobe"uchop,ichop"governor to the detriments of the poor masses,but a God-sent messiah to create a footprint of good history, conduct and reputation. Go on sir , wedeyurback.Ifigbinedonnhislikes refuse to take their position then break their ankle with urauthority !

–Sillies

North-West govs shun Maku's tour

U

zomaNwachukwu says: This is obviously the height of irresponsible and inflammatory trashy pseudo-journalism. This report is not only false and misleading but also wicked and malicious. The tour has already visited Kebbi successfully where the executive Governor was with the team throughout.

The tour team is presently in Zamfara where, in the absence of the Governor, the SSG has been leading the team. Desist from falsehood – Reply

R

akiya says: This is frictional, a SLANDER. The Good Governace Team is currently in Zamfara State on inspection.May I remind you that yesterday was Wednesday& the Federal Executive Council meetings are held on Wednesdays.It is very,very important that the Hon. Minister of Information has to attend.Please I will advice you to get your FACTS right before you post.

Thank you.

– Reply

2015: S/south group endorses Buhari/Oshiomhole's ticket For the Igala, a new Attah mounts saddle Francis says: ood write, it portray the good culture of the Igalas, ASUP, KadPoly members disagree over conversion to varsity.

polytechnic system of education has its role to play in development and are such there should be no atom of difference amongst the poly and uni folks.

Do you know that polytechnic students do more reading and Sanmsondrums says: pratical work e.tc. So many f we need to move forward words to express now, this in all form of development, differences has to stop. Because, then we have to realise that the nothiny is static.

G

I

H. L says: For God sake, Buhari should step aside and be a good states man, why does he want to rule this country by all means, he should allow the younger ones to come on board and encourage them. He cried last time, and told Nigerians, that he will never contest any election again, am surprised to hear, he is coming out.

Oshiomhole should join someone else, not Buhari, if he is really interested in the presidency.

– Reply

K

ogi Harvest says:I feel very sorry for those who

feel that Buhari has anything to offer, he is the most visionless politician in Nigeria, so in you push to make him your president you should remember all the ill's feeling true people of the south has for him. He is a tribalist, lack vision and a very sore loser.

– Reply

R

absoo says: oooo….!Tribalistic,lacks vision and sore looser!urconvinations are not semoltanious.Nd it defict how ur mind is.so do'ntasume as u are,naso everybody be,think it again.

– Reply

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit Walking with God

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his is the first edition of this column this New Year. I therefore want to say to you Happy New Year! What a great privilege I have to bring you the Word of God again this New Year.

This New Year you need to take a personal decision to walk with God. This should not be a year of playing games with God. You may have walked with God last year but you can't be complacent; you need to walk closer with Him. Joshua told the Israelites, "So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly.

Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:14- 15 NLT) Joshua's mind was a decided man; he couldn't care what others' decisions were. That should be your attitude too. You don't have to wait for your friends, your colleagues at work or your siblings. No! The Bible gives us examples of people who walked with God, and each of them took personal decision to do so. Let me show you of some of them briefly.

-Enoch walked with God. Gen 5:2124 says, "When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah.

After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for

Matthew 5:6

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e s u s Christ, the all-knowing Lord and Master, knew that the greatest desire in the heart of His listeners was to be happy. Surveys have been conducted over and again to ascertain what people need most out of life; the findings of such surveys have confirmed that the bottom-line of man's need is happiness. This is true all over the world. People commit suicide because they are unhappy. Nobody gets into psychiatry case because he is so happy. People are in depression because happiness is missing. Jesus knowing what they lacked told them, "Blessed [happy] are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Man was created in the image of God, with the nature of holiness and righteousness (Psalm 17:15). Any departure from the original creation will make him incomplete, unfulfilled and unhappy. It is like removing fish or other creatures from their natural habitat; they cannot survive there. Jesus knew that His audience was not happy because they had been removed from the original habitat of righteousness where they had been created. For you to be happy, you have to thirst and hunger after the righteousness of God and then the blessedness of being filled with God's righteousness will be yours.

1. PASSION FOR TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS Matthew 5:6; Philippians 3:7-10; Romans 10:3,8-10; Isaiah 64:6; Matthew 5:20; Luke 16:15; 18:9; Matthew 23:25,28; Romans 3:24; 5:1721.

People work from dawn to dusk because they want to draw salary to

another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. (NLT) Walking in close fellowship with God is the same thing other translations of the Bible call walking with God. So walking with God is walking in close fellowship with God. Notice that Enoch only started walking with God after the birth of Methuselah at 65 years of age. So we can safely say that he took a decision to walk with God only after becoming 65years old. It doesn't matter how old you are now young or old, you can take the decision to walk with God and develop a personal work with Him. -Noah walked with God. Gen 6:89 says, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." (NIV) Noah took a decision to walk with God in a wicked generation. He chose to be different. The Bible tells us the condition of his society then: "The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." (Gen 6:5 NIV) Gen 6:11-12 gives us more information on that so that you and I don't have any excuse not to walk in close fellowship with God: "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.

God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways" (NIV) No matter what others do this year, decide to walk with God.

-Joseph walked with God. Joseph's walk with God made him not to do what will displease Him. In the midst of a corrupt people, Joseph chose to live for God. "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways" (Gen 6:11-12 NIV) Because he steadfastly walked with God, "The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master" (Gen 39:2 NIV) When you walk with God, you will enjoy His presence in every situation.

-Abraham walked with God. Abraham was 75 years old when he set out of Haran to obey God after the death of his father, Terah. (Gen 12:4) And in Gen 17:1, God told him "walk before me and be thou perfect" Abraham walked with God so intimately that he was called the friend of God. You can't be called somebody's friend except you walk with him. 2 Chro 20:7 refers to this: "O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?"

Your name can be added to this list if you will make a personal decision today that notwithstanding what others do or don't do, your past mistakes, your previous failed decisions etc. you will take a fresh decision now and walk with God this year. Don't forget, Enoch started his walk with God only after he was 65 years old. You don't have to wait till you are 65 years or give up because you are well over 65 years.

Remember Abraham left Haran to

GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 finally obey God at 75 years. Are you up to 75 years? Even if you are, God has not excluded you from close fellowship with Him. He is eager and willing to receive you. "When Abram was ninetynine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless'" (Gen 17:1 NIV) That was when Abraham was 99 years old, 24 years after he left Haran inobediencetoGod.Ihaveaskedmyself many times what God thought Abraham had been doing since leaving his country, his people and his father's household to go to the land God wanted to show him. Our walk with Him on earth can never finish; it must be continuous.

Are you up to 99 years yet? I'm not sure you are. But whatever your age is, God wants you to come into fellowship with Him and develop a personal walk with Him. If you're not born again, you must give your life to Jesus. Will you take that decision today?

TAKE ACTION! If you are not born again, I urge you to take the following steps:*Admit you're a sinner and you can't save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of

life - your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Biblebelieving, Bible-teaching church. There you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God. Kindly say this prayer now: "0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God" I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May the Lord make you a Cedar Christian. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be.

Passion for righteousness satisfy their hunger and thirst. The life of a human being, in whatever occupation, profession or place, is to be able to satisfy hunger and thirst. Our relationship and fellowship with God are to satisfy spiritual hunger and thirst.

Once we lose this focus, there is no point wasting time. We attend retreats, church activities, study the Bible, pray and do other things so that we may learn spiritual things to satisfy the spiritual hunger in our lives and that of other people.

Just as people sell what they have to satisfy their hunger, so Paul, wanting to satisfy his spiritual hunger, disposed off things that were gainful to him in order to gain "the righteousness which is of God by faith." There was hunger and thirst in his inner man. However, unlike Paul, many people do not dispose off the things that compete with the essential things in their lives. They did not dispose off their self-righteousness soastogettherighteousnessofGod.This was why Paul pitied them. Like the Jews, there are many people today who, though are hungry for God, have been feeding on the wrong kind of food which do not give the righteousness of God. These people think that righteousness must be worked out by their human power. Isaiah had told them many years earlier that in the presence of God, that such "righteousnesses are as filthy rags" because it is not based on the blood of Jesus nor did they trust on the atonement of the blood. Such filthy rags ormereoutwardrighteousnessthatdoes not have inward cleansing usually attracts the displeasure of God but the one that attracts God's blessing is the one

FAITH DISCOURSE WITH

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi of the heart that happens when we believe on the Lord and passionately desire it.

This hunger and thirst in the soul after the image of God is the strongest of all spiritual appetites. It swallows up all the other desires in our lives. Such hunger and thirst become more craving, more importunate until they are satisfied and there cannot be any substitute that will satisfy the soul that truly seeks after righteousness. It will find no comfort or satisfaction in anything else, only in the righteousness that comes from the heart of God to the heart of man.

2. PRAYING FOR TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS Matthew 5:6; Jeremiah 29:13,12; Zephaniah 2:3; 2 Timothy 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 6:6-11; Matthew 6:33; 7:7,8; Luke 11:5-10; Psalm 51:6-10; Hosea 10:12.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness…" Hunger and thirst implies asking and praying for righteousness. Hunger makes us to ask for food in the natural. So also, spiritual hunger makes a believer to pray so as to be filled and satisfied with righteousness.

Spiritual hunger will always make you to ask and seek the Lord.

Spiritual thirst and hunger drives a true believer to make necessary preparations so as to be filled and satisfied. He goes into his closet to purge himself from stains as a requirement for receiving the righteousness of God. He first flees and separates himself from things that defile. Then, he follows after righteousness. "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:21,22).

Seeking righteousness is by importunate prayer of faith. Following after righteousness also requires commitment and consecration from the believer. These virtues will make the Christian obey God's instruction to "…flee these things [destructive and defiling things]; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" (1 Timothy 6:11).

Believers must pray for righteousness

with focus, fervency and faith because it is the most indispensable virtue in the life of a child of God. 3. POSSESSORS OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS Matthew 5:6; Ezekiel 14:14,20; Daniel 6:1-6,10-23; Psalm 106:28-31; Luke 1:5,6,67-75; Mark 6:20; 1 Thessalonians 2:7-10; Romans 6:17,18; 1 John 3:5-10.

There have been people who have possessed righteousness. If you meet an expert and he tells with facts that you cannot find anybody that has got what you are seeking, you are likely to get discouraged and stop seeking. But if on the other hand, you find those that have lesser privileges and exposure than you who have got it, you will keep seeking. That is why it is important to know about those that have received the righteousness of God. Some saints who have gone before us have had the experience.

This knowledge will stir up faith in us to seek God for it. Besides, Jesus never tells any man to seek what he will never get. He knows you will get it. He says, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled " (Matthew 5:6).

Many years after their death, Noah, Daniel and Job were confirmed possessors of true righteousness of God. Like these people had it, you will have it and live it out everywhere you are. Not only your friends, relations, spouse or members of your church will recognise your righteousness; even your enemies, will also be able to confirm it. You can be filled with righteousness now if you pray to God for it.

BIG PUNCH A GOVERNOR IN ACTION: Following the recent terror attacks in Ringim, Jigawa state, Governor Sule Lamido promptly cut short his 11-day annual leave. Lamido suspended his leave and rushed to the scene of the gruesome attacks.

This is, indeed, a living example of an empathetic leader in action.

SATURDAY 4 — SUNDAY 5, MAY, 2013

There was an Army '...when the baby girl buried alive is made to ask, for what crime she had been killed..' [Quran 81:8]

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he Quran, as quoted above, refers to the Ultimate Day when Mankind will stand for judgement before the Almighty God as individuals, communities, nations, epochs, as a race. That is the Day, in the inimitable words of the Quran [81:1-15]: 'When the sun is shrouded in darkness... when the seas boil over...when all human beings are coupled [with their deeds] ... when the scrolls [of men's deeds] are unfolded, when heaven is laid bare, when the blazing fire [of hell] is kindled bright, and paradise is brought into view: [on that Day] every human being will come to know what he has prepared [for himself].'

A climax of that cosmic cataclysm will be when humankind is made to confront a bloody ghost of its past, the sum of all crimes. A baby girl, whose life had been abruptly, unjustly and brutally cut short, will be brought forth, in order to demand to know from her parents, society, nation or indeed the human race as the case may be, what crime, what sin, she had committed to warrant her murder! Crime against God, crime against humanity, starts with the murder of one innocent soul - not ten, a hundred, a thousand, a million.

Unfortunately this crime is committed habitually, over and over and over again, at the slightest excuse, by nations and their armies with astonishing brutality and incredible impunity. Worst of all, there appears to be a psychology of mass murder which singles out a baby girl - the symbol of life - as prime target. We offer three examples.

In the Deir Yassin Massacre of April 9, 1948, young girls were specifically targeted for murder by the Israeli army and Zionist terrorist militia. Richard Catling, a British Police officer, reported: 'One story is current concerning a case in which a young girl was literally torn in two. Many infants were also butchered and killed.'

Deir Yassin was a small peaceful village, but the

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unforeseen consequences of its destruction continue to haunt Israel and imperil the world. The renown Jewish theologian, Marc Ellis, wrote in Herald Tribune [9/ 4/98] that Deir Yassin had assumed the character of the 'shadow side of Israel's birth'.

Robert Fisk reports on what he saw at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps after the massacre of Palestinians by Israeli-sponsored militia on September 18, 1982. 'One of the women also held a tiny baby to her body. The bullet that had passed into her breast had killed the baby too. Someone had slit open the woman's stomach, cutting sideways and then upwards, perhaps trying to kill her unborn child. Her eyes were wide open, her dark face frozen in horror.'

Robert Fisk goes into some detail, in a book he appropriately named Pity the Nation: This was a mass killing...an atrocity...a war crime. There were women lying in houses with their skirts torn up to their waists and their legs wide apart, children with their throats cut, rows of young men shot in the back after being lined up at an execution wall.

There were babies - blackened babies because they had been slaughtered more than 24-hours earlier and their small bodies were already in a state of decomposition - tossed into rubbish heaps alongside discarded US army ration tins, Israeli army equipment and empty bottles of whiskey.

Down a lane way there lay a pile of corpses. There were more than a dozen of them, young men whose arms and legs had been wrapped around each other in the agony of death. All had been shot point-blank range through the cheek, the bullet tearing away a line of flesh up to the ear and entering the brain. One had been castrated, his trousers torn open and a settlement of flies throbbing over his torn intestines.

On the other side of the main road, we found the bodies of five women and several children. The women were middle-aged and their corpses lay draped over a pile of rubble. One lay on her back, her dress torn open and the head of a little girl emerging from behind her.

The girl had short dark curly hair, her eyes were staring at us and there was a frown on her face. She was dead. Another child lay on the roadway like a discarded doll, her

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WEEKEND with

Ibraheem Sulaiman sa427420@gmail.com

Nigerian soldiers white dress stained with mud and dust. She could have been no more than three years old. The back of her head had been blown away by a bullet fired into her brain.

We leave this most extraordinarily sordid scene with the words of one of the perpetrators, as quoted by Wikipedia: 'The question we are putting to ourselves is - how to begin, by raping or killing?'

In Baga, the Nigerian Army engaged in the sum of all crimes by willfully subjecting babies, male and female, to gruesome death by burning during the massacre of April 16 and April 17, 2013. Adam Nossiter, [The New York Times 29/4/13] quotes Antony Emmanuel, a fish buyer, as saying concerning the massacre: "Small children, their parents left them, they were burned." He also quoted another resident Isa Kukulala as saying concerning the Nigerian Army: 'They took a small child from his mother and threw him inside the fire. This is what I have witnessed.'

Adam Nossiter tells the world in some detail what had happened in Baga. He wrote: Even by the scorched-earth

standards of the Nigerian military's campaign against Islamist insurgents stalking the nation's north, what happened on the muddy shores of Lake Chad appears exceptional. The village, Baga, found itself in the cross hairs of Nigerian soldiers enraged by the killing of one of their own, said survivors who fled here to the capital of Borno State, 100 miles south. Their home had paid a heavy price: as many as 200 civilians, maybe more, were killed during the military's rampage, according to refugees, senior relief workers, civilian officials and human rights organizations.

Some Baga residents who did not perish in the flames drowned while attempting to escape into Lake Chad, some refugees here in the state capital [Maiduguri] said.

Others were attacked by hippopotamuses in the shallow waters, officials said. Soldiers shot people as they ran from the burning houses, refugees said.

"Many dead, many dead," said Mohammed Muhammed, 40, a taxi driver from Baga. "People running into the flames, I saw that.

If they didn't run into the flames, the army will shoot them." As

flames enveloped the houses "they used petroleum," he said of the soldiers. "If you come out" from the flaming houses "they will shoot you," he said. "Please, sir, charge them in the international court!" he shouted. Isa Kukulala, 26, a lanky bus driver who had left Baga that morning, gave a similar account: "They poured petrol on the properties. At the same time, they are shooting sporadically, inside the fire.

Hundreds of residents fled into the bush, where they lived for days in harsh conditions, and are only now trickling back into the town. "The aged people, the people that couldn't run, most of those people were burned," said Antony Emmanuel. "They were firing from the armored vehicles," said Alhadji Adamu, a clothing seller at Baga's market. "I saw them putting fire on people's houses. They are the security of the state. They have no right to kill anybody. They are supposed to protect the people."

One iconic picture which sums up the Baga Massacre is now in the public domain, preserved for the world and posterity. It is the picture of a mother lying on the ground, her baby beside her - both are naked, both are dead, both are burned alive, both are decomposing.

The Nigerian Army now faces a profound crisis of credibility and legitimacy, yet in this testing moment it is still unable or unwilling to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And the world has learned to ignore its lies and cover-ups. But how has this most important national institution sunk so low? For this obviously is not the Army that once saved Nigeria, and nurtured it to maturity and cohesion.

That Army has since decayed, and is being systematically taken over by legions of cold-blooded murderers, armed robbers, drug addicts, tribal supremacists, rapists, arsonists, and common thieves. Certainly the trust of Nigeria has been betrayed, and the Nigerian Army has perhaps been damaged beyond recovery.

Chinua Achebe, the most accomplished Nigerian novelist yet, had chronicled the rise and fall of Biafra in his last book shortly before his death. Its title: There Was A Country. The book is about an era since gone. So it is now: There Was An Army.

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