Peoples Daily Newspaper, Monday 06, May, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 10 No. 91

Monday, May 6, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Jimadal Akhir 26, 1434 AH

At last, Fulani, Berom embrace peace in Plateau

N150

>>3

Gunmen kill 10 in Adamawa church attack From Umar Dankano, Yola

G

unmen yesterday launched an attack on Jilang village of Maiha local government area of Adamawa state, killing 10 persons while 12 others were seriously injured.

An eyewitness who spoke to Peoples Daily in Yola said that the gunmen stormed the EYN Church at about 11am.

“The gunmen entered the church while the sermon was on and started shooting at the people,” a member of the church said, noting that he escaped death by the whiskers when the gunmen who drove into the church premises in two Toyota Hilux vans, attacked the congregation.

According to the source, “after the gunmen left, we counted 10 dead bodies and 12 persons sustained various degrees of injuries.

“Since I was born, I have not come face to face with death like this one. Blood was everywhere.”

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) at the Adamawa state Command, DSP Ibrahim Mohammed, said however that only four persons were killed in the church attack while six others Contd on Page 2

L-R: Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig.- Gen. Emmanuel Atewe; Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa and Corps Commander, Nigeria Army Engineering, Maj.-Gen. Funsho Owonibi, during the visit of a delegation from the Army Headquarters to Lafia, at the weekend.

Borno: Anxiety mounts over Monguno’s whereabouts From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri & Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

Don’t let him die, Gov Shettima cautions captors

A

the fourth day in captivity yesterday, anxiety and confusion have continued to engulf not only members of his immediate family but the entire residents of Maiduguri.

s the abducted Nigeria pioneer indigenous Minister of Petroleum Resources and elder statesman, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno spent

Amaechi: Jonathan’s government despotic - ACN >> 3

While Munguno’s family and associates were said to be concerned over the whereabouts and state of health of their loved one, discussions at most gatherings in Maiduguri

yesterday centred on what they described as his generosity and philanthropic activities.

This was just as the Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, also yesterday warned

the abductors of Monguno against incurring the wrath of God by allowing an old man die in their custody as he described the former Minister as “a beloved of the Contd on Page 2

Wukari crisis: Stop senseless killings, ACF tells factions >> 2

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch S/Report Law

23 24-25 26

Education 27-28

Curbing the rising menace of hepatitis, Page 4

Health

21-30

Int’l

31-34

Strange World 35 Digest

36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-45

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

Wukari crisis: Stop senseless killings now, ACF tells factions From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna, with agency reports

T

he Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on the two factions involved in the crisis in Wukari, Taraba state, to stop the senseless killings and embrace peace.

Reacting yesterday to the weekend massacre at Wukari, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, said that, “what reactions do you expect from ACF on the sectarian crises in Wukari, Taraba state, beyond calling on the warring factions to stop the senseless killings in defense of God who has not sent them to kill themselves. They should embrace peace.

“We all worship one God of peace and not of violence. Our heart goes to those who lost their loved ones and property.

“We pray for the repose of their souls. And may God make it possible for them to make replacements many folds,” Muslim and Christian youth had engaged in bloody clash at the weekend during a burial of one of the traditional chiefs at Wukari, killing several persons.

Meanwhile, Wukari residents said yesterday that they were running out of food and water as a result of the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on the area in the wake of the crisis.

According to a 46-year-old cement trader who urged authorities to relax the curfew, “life

is becoming difficult for us in Wukari. We have been confined since Friday to our homes. Many of us have run out of food and water.

“Nobody anticipated the crisis, and so we did not stockpile food and water supplies.”

A housewife in the town and mother of four who identified herself simply as Maimuna, said, “we have very little to eat at home.

I pray the authorities have mercy on us to relax the curfew to enable us to look for food.’”

A civil servant who has a wife and three children in Wukari, told AFP that, “food and water have

become very scarce. My family has resorted to rationing our food because we have only rice and palm oil left and we are also running out of kerosene for cooking.”

Taraba police spokesman, Joseph Kwaji, told AFP on Sunday that troops and policemen were patrolling the town.

“The 24-hour curfew is still in force and all residents are indoors.

“Policemen and soldiers are patrolling all the streets to maintain law and order,” he said.He gave no indication when the curfew will be lifted.

Kwaji said Friday's violence

Baga: CPC accuses Jonathan of insensitivity *It’s not true - Presidency

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin & Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has accused President Goodluck Jonathan over what the party describes as his lukewarm disposition to the recent killing of over 200 persons in Baga community of Borno state.

“His nonchalance over the matter contravenes his oath of office,” CPC said in a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin.

The statement argued that the essence of government is to protect the welfare of citizens including the

security of their lives and property.

“We consider this conduct as very unacceptable. We hereby remind the President that part of his oath of office is to preserve the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy in chapter two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement said, regretting further that government has so far shown more interest in controlling the information on the casualty figures.

But the Presidency said last night that the CPC was playing to the gallery arguing that the Jonathan is “actively dealing with issues raised by the Baga incident.”

Borno: Anxiety mounts over Monguno’s whereabouts Contd from Page 1 Creator” with distinguished and purposeful life, with sacrifice for humanity especially in service of the less privileged.

An investigation by Peoples

Gunmen kill 10 in Adamawa church attack Contd from Page 1

were killed at the market square.

At the time of filing in this report, the police command said it had deployed its personnel in search of the hoodlums especially in the border town with the Republic of Cameroun.

The PPRO hinted that it is not unlikely that the attackers might have slipped through the forest into Cameroun.

Earlier in January 2012, unknown gunmen had attacked the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Jimeta, killing nine persons.

erupted when the funeral procession of a traditional chief from the predominantly Christian Jukun ethnic group marched through a Muslim neighbourhood chanting slogans which Muslims viewed as an act of provocation.

Tension has been on the rise in Wukari since February when a dispute over the use of a football pitch between Muslim and Christian soccer teams set off sectarian riots that claimed several lives.

Friday's violence came a day after the state government inaugurated a committee to investigate the February violence.

Daily in various areas of Maiduguri metropolis showed that Islamic scholars have embarked on extensive prayers, seeking divine intervention to secure Monguno’s release.

Our correspondent who visited some mosques observed that special prayers were being offered after each of five daily prayers, for Monguno’s safety.

Reacting to the abduction, a former Military Administrator of Kaduna state, Col. Hameed Ali, said that the security forces should look beyond Boko Haram for the kidnappers.

Ali told reporters in Kaduna that, “the kidnapping of Shettima Ali Monguno is appalling and it shows the level at which our insecurity has gone.

“I do not think Boko Haram members are responsible for it, there must be other forces behind the aabduction.

“There is the need for Nigerians to prevail on the government to unearth the people who are behind the insecurity in

the country because there are some forces hiding under the sect to unleash terror on Nigerians.”

Also at the weekend, the Borno state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), condemned the abduction of the elder statesman.

The union in a communique signed by its Secretary, Alhaji Tahir Isiaku, at the end of its inaugural Executive council meeting, described the abduction as barbaric.

The NUJ also condemned the handling of the Baga crisis which led to the killing of innocent citizens.

The communique called on the military to restrict itself to its rules of engagement in crisis situation to avoid any use of excessive force as seen in Baga and Bama.

According to the statement, “the union is in support of all efforts of government at bringing to an end the security challenges in the state and urges government to explore further means and ways that may be available in the future.”

A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati said that, “if they care to know, President Jonathan has been very pro-active in dealing with the Baga incident.

“He ordered an immediate probe by the Military High Command and the intervention of rescue and aid agencies who have been working with the Borno state government and other agencies of state to ensure that the victims are rehabilitated and assisted with relief materials.

“The reports of the investigations by the Military High Command and the National Emergency Management Agency have since been made public.

“President Jonathan has described the incident as most unfortunate and regrettable and he has made it clear that where there is any established case of misconduct, justice will be done.

“He has also welcomed the plan by the National Human Rights Commission to carry out independent investigations.

“He continues to receive regular briefings on the incident, even as he has directed the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to come up with an assistance programme for the displaced persons in Baga.

Meanwhile, the SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda to visit Baga town in Borno state and other parts of the country to assess the situation, interview witnesses and collect vital evidence to know whether there is a basis for an investigation into the wanton killings.

In a letter dated May 3, 2013 and signed by Solicitor to SERAP Femi Falana (SAN), the organisation expressed “serious concerns about the killings and destruction in Baga and cases of extrajudicial executions in other parts of the country.

The letter stated that, “the ICC following SERAP’s intervention has already opened investigations on the allegations of unlawful killings in Jos, Plateau state of Nigeria.”

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 3

Jonathan’s govt despotic – ACN From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described the President Goodluck Jonathan administration as steadily descending into despotism, with a brazen assault on the freedom of expression and the press, the use of national institutions against perceived enemies and a growing inclination to denigrate opposition leaders.

“The Jonathan administration is anchored on a transformation agenda programme but the only transformation that we can see is the one from a democraticallyelected President to an Emperor, a despot,” the ACN said in a statement in Lagos yesterday.

According to the statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN said that, “if the President is not prevailed upon to change course, Nigeria may be in for

another season of anomie, reminiscent of the days of the maximum ruler who took the country to the brink before his sudden demise.”

The ACN said that the way President Jonathan is handling his political disagreement with a member of his party, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, has portrayed him as a leader who is willing to jettison democratic ideals and principles on the altar of personal ambition.

The party wondered why national institutions have to be bastardized and compromised just to get at a political enemy, specifically citing the role being played by the Ministry of Aviation, its parastatals like the NCAA, NAMA and FAAN, as well as the EFCC and the police, among others, in the presidency's clash with the Amaechi.

According to the statement, “we are not perturbed by what is happening in the PDP, our main

L-R:Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Oscar Onyema; President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and Acting Secretary, Josephine Igbinosun, at the NSE 52nd Annual General Meeting, recently in Lagos.

Photo: NAN

concern is the fact that the party's internal crisis is overheating the polity and threatening the country's hard-won democracy.

“After the theatrics of the aviation agencies and their parent ministry, the EFCC has suddenly realised that the cost of the Rivers state's plane was inflated by US$10 million while the police have sacked the Secretariat of ObioAkpro local government in Rivers.”

The party also expressed concerns at what it called the growing propensity of the administration to stifle the freedom of expression and freedom of the press, citing the report by the media rights group, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), on the occasion of this year's World Press Freedom Day on May as a global testimony to the worsening record of the administration as far as press freedom is concerned.

But the Presidency said last night that the CPC was playing to the gallery arguing that the Jonathan is “actively dealing with issues raised by the Baga incident.”

A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati said that, “if they care to know, President Jonathan has been very pro-active in dealing with the Baga incident.

“He ordered an immediate probe by the Military High Command and the intervention of rescue and aid agencies who have been working with the Borno state government and other agencies of state to ensure that the victims are rehabilitated and assisted with relief materials.

“The reports of the investigations by the Military High Command and the National Emergency Management Agency have since been made public.”

Plateau crisis: At last, Fulani, Berom embrace peace

A

fter years of devastating communal bloodbath with heavy casualties on both sides, the Fulani and Berom in Plateau north say they have forgiven each other and resolved to co-exist peacefully.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the usually guerilla-fashioned violence had been characterised by deadly midnight attacks, killing of farmers and herdsmen on the fields, destruction of farmlands, as well as the killing and rustling of cows.

Thousands were reportedly killed in the bloodbath that persisted, in spite of heavy military presence, the declaration of state of emergency in the affected areas, as well as military-organised peace and security meetings.

The Special Task Force(STF), maintaining peace in Plateau had also initiated various measures including medical outreaches, sports competitions and other social fora to promote togetherness and foster peace, but to no avail.

NAN reports that the peace resolution in the early hours of Sunday (May 5) in Jos, followed series of meetings during which leaders from both sides voiced out their grievances, resolved their

differences and agreed to bury whatever hatchet.

The peace talks, uniquely initiated by the warring communities and supervised by Sen. Gyang Pwajok (PDP, Plateau North), witnessed frank discussions, revelations and ended with a resolve for peace after both sides decried the devastating effects of the violence and opted to return to the past when they communed peacefully.

Pwajok, while setting the tone for the final talks, had described the session as ``unique’’ as it was the first time both sides called out each other on their own volition, without being forced to do so by security forces.

“We resolved to hold this session so that we can listen and understand each other because the STF and the police have failed in enforcing peace on us; clearly, it is only we that can agree to live in peace,” he said.

Pwajok pointed out that the STF was equally frustrated over the persistence of the violence, and advised the people to fish out from among themselves, the individuals responsible for the crises.

“There are complaints about the killing and theft of cows. There are complaints about the destruction of farmlands and

killing of farmers. It is not communities that commit these atrocities. It is individuals. We must identify such individuals and expose them.

“Again, we cannot kill because a cow has been stolen. We cannot take up arms because a farm has been destroyed. We must resolve here to place a high premium on human life and good neighbourliness.”

Pwajok called for concessions from both groups, and pointed out that there will always be farming and grazing “whether we like or not”.

Alhaji Haruna Boro, Chairman, Miyetti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association, who led the Fulani team, urged both communities to forgive each other “from the bottom of our hearts”, and declared that his community had forgiven all and was prepared for peace.

“We have resolved to forgive and forge ahead. The only thing that remains is to take the message to the rural dwellers so that they can equally key into the new resolve.

“We want the Beroms to demonstrate equal forgiving spirit by allowing our grazing cows to move peacefully because we have resolved never to attack anyone

any longer.”

Rev. Dauda Choji, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Riyom, who also declared that the Beroms had forgiven the Fulanis, emphasised the need for mutual respect among the communities and advised all groups to take that message home.

He advised the Fulani to keep faith with the new resolve and cautioned against provocative statements, especially the reference to the Beroms as infidels.

Mr Moday Dalyop, a Berom elder, who also spoke, described the elders from both communities as the ‘devils’ in the society as they were responsible for poisoning the minds of the youths against each other.

“Our parents taught us to love everyone. In fact, my own father built a house for his Fulani neighbour. But we teach our children a different thing and that is why they take up arms against each other.”

A traditional ruler, Davou Manjang, blamed the crises on the haphazard grazing routes that often cause clashes between farmers and herdsmen, and suggested a return to the old routes that were clear so as to ease the movement of cows.

He also called for the clearing

of more farmlands to help the Fulani that had lost their cows and were fully engaged in farming activities for survival.

The ruler also reminded both communities of the presence of cow thieves from both sides, noting that they usually connived to steal.

A Fulani leader, Alhaji Matoh Ardo, noted that there were ``mischief makers’’ in both communities, and advised leaders to be resolute so as to identify any stolen item and insist that it be returned to the owner.

Mr Gyang Tinjang, the chief or Rahoss, advised against the situation where Fulanis and Beroms no more cohabit and called for mixed settlements so as to minimise mutual suspicion and distrust.

Former Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Jonah Madugu, in his contribution, commended the warring communities for resolving to settle the feud on their own, and described that as ``just wonderful’’.

“The governments at all levels have tried. The soldiers and the police have done their best. But none of these outside forces can force us to cohabit peacefully if we do not resolve to do that. I am happy we have realised that and decided to do so.'' (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Curbing the rising menace of hepatitis

By Jacinta Nwachukwu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

T

he National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) recently raised concern on the perceptible increase in reported cases of hepatitis B among voluntary blood donors.

Medical experts have also expressed concern over the upsurge in hepatitis cases, saying that the development poses a threat to the health of future generations of Nigerians if not managed effectively.

They observe that hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver, is categorised into types A, B, C, D and E. They, however, note that the most common categories are hepatitis A, B and C. Dr Baba Ahmed, a public health physician at the NBTS, says that hepatitis B is the main communicable disease that is often discovered during the screening of voluntary blood donors by NBTS. He recalls that in a blood screening by NBTS in 2012, hepatitis B alone accounted for 15 per cent of the discovered communicable diseases, HIV accounted for 4.2 per cent, hepatitis C accounted for 6.3 per cent, while syphilis accounted for 0.89 per cent.

Ahmed adds that the hepatitis virus was detected in the blood of persons with ages ranging between 18 and 30 years old. ``These are people who came willingly for blood donation, they did not know that such virus is in their system and they represent just a small fraction of the society,'' he says.

Ahmed, nonetheless, stresses that hepatitis cases are so rampant because hepatitis has not attracted much public enlightenment campaign just like HIV and AIDS. ``To prevent it, people need to ask questions; let there be increased public awareness on hepatitis; mode of contracting it and how it can be prevented. ``Once you are aware, then, you know what to do; after all, it will take six months to treat those who have hepatitis without symptoms, while those sufferers with symptoms would be managed based on the symptoms,'' he says.

Ahmed, therefore, urges the public to strive to know more about the disease, noting that more than 10 per cent of people screened at any given time are usually infected with hepatitis B. On its mode of spread, Dr Kayode Obende, a gynaecologist at Garki General Hospital, Abuja, says that hepatitis B can be easily be transferred from positive mothers to newborns during childbirth.

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu ``But if given vaccination at birth, the incidence is reduced to 20 per cent; the vaccine reduces the babies' chances of becoming chronic carriers,'' he says.

He, nonetheless, emphasises that the virus could not be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy, saying: ``It cannot cross through the placenta; the transfer can only take place through the process of delivery.

``It is contagious and can be transferred through blood product; one can get the virus through blood transfusion, sexual intercourse and sharing of needles, among others,'' he adds.

All the same, Obende advises pregnant women to undergo routine checks for hepatitis B whenever they attend ante-natal clinic, so as to know their health status.

He stresses that more than 400

“

The goal of treatment is to improve quality of life and survival by preventing progression of the disease and reduce the ability of the virus to reproduce in the body; medications do not cure it

million people worldwide are hepatitis positive, adding that the major problem with the virus is that some people may not even be aware that they have contracted the disease.

The gynaecologist says that in some cases, the virus would not manifest immediately as an acute infection and as a result, some people could retain the virus as chronic carriers.

Obende, however, warns that if the infection becomes chronic, it could lead to destruction of the liver and cause death instantly.

Recounting his ordeal, Mr chukwu Emmanuel, an Abuja-based businessman, says that he once had hepatitis about 12 years ago, adding that the disease nearly killed him then.

He recalls that he initially had some malaria symptoms and after much treatment, it was discovered through blood screening that he had hepatitis, typhoid and pneumonia. ``The virus had even affected my kidney before I got to hospital but I thank God that I am still living,'' he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Godwin Solomon, another Abujabased businessman, recalls that when he fell sick in July last year, he was later diagnosed of hepatitis B. His wife, Mrs Uchenna Solomon, however, says that she did not contract hepatitis B in spite of the fact that it is a communicable disease.

What then are the measures which could be put in place to control the growing menace of hepatitis infections?

Mr Theobald Owusu-Ansah, the President of Theobald Hepatitis B Foundation, Ghana, and a columnist, underscores the need to incorporate counseling into any medical procedures used in the therapy of hepatitis. ``When a person is diagnosed of hepatitis, he or she might suffer great psychosocial and psychological stresses through a fear of rejection, social stigma and the uncertainties associated with it; counseling can minimise morbidity and reduce its occurrence. ``There is no specific treatment for an acute hepatitis infection; symptoms are usually treated with supportive care. ``Treatment for chronic hepatitis does not cure the disease but suppresses it or manages it like diabetes. ``The goal of treatment is to improve quality of life and survival by preventing progression of the disease and reduce the ability of the virus to reproduce in the body; medications do not cure it,'' OwusuAnsah wrote in an online publication.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Borgu youth urge Aliyu to revoke road contract

L-R: Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; Canadian Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Peter Boehm; Vice President Namadi Sambo and President, Canadian Council on Africa, Mr. Lucien Bradet, at the closing ceremony of CanadaNigeria investment conference in Toronto, Canada recently.

By Joy Baba

Y

outh from Borgu community of Niger state have called on the Governor Babangida Aliyu to revoke the 10-kilometre road contract awarded to Messrs G&E Engineering Services Limited over alleged poor performance.

This is contained in a statement signed by the youth leader, Comrade Adamu Kiyawa Kimama.

According to Kimama, "Youth in Borgu township have resolved to remain calm and not take laws into their hands because of the respect they have for the Chief Servant's administration in his efforts to bring development to the area."

The statement urged the Governor to get-rid of those contractors that are "bent on spoiling or soiling the good name and intentions of his government for the betterment and well being of all Nigerlites."

Kimama also called on governor Aliyu to ensure that the mobilisation fee of over N112,360,318.2 million paid to the contractor since 2009-2012 as reviewed, be recovered from the company.

Cleric urges Boko Haram to embrace amnesty

T

he Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Khalid, has urged the Boko Haram insurgents to lay down arms and accept the Federal Government's offer of amnesty.

He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Khalid, the insurgents will reap a lot of benefits from the current peace initiative and the nation will return to normalcy if they accept the offer.

"If they accept the offer, Muslims and non Muslims alike will be strongly behind them and peace will reign supreme in the country, but if they do not accept the offer, it can degenerate into a serious crisis that can cause a set back to the country."

He also expressed optimism that the committee set up by the Federal Government would, at the end of the day, achieve its objective judging by the calibre of members.

Khalid, however, stressed the need for government to show sincerity and commitment to the outcome of the committee's recommendations geared towards salvaging the present situation, once and for all.

(NAN)

Photo: NAN

Illegal arms: Edo lawmaker knows fate tomorrow A

n Edo Magistrate Court sitting at Auchi, in Etsako west local government which last Friday last remanded a member of the Edo state Assembly House of Assembly, Mr. Abdulrazak Momoh, in police custody will tomorrow resume hearing in the charge of illegal possession of firearms preferred against him and 4 others.

The court presided over by Mrs. Caroline Nnurokhai last week heard from the prosecuting counsel how Momoh, a teacher at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, who was elected in 2011 to represent his constituency on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (A C N) was arrested on April

20, 2013, for being in the possession of a shotgun.

Momoh representing Etsako West 1the prosecution added was found carrying a fully loaded pump action rifle with six rounds of live ammunition while his accomplices were also arrested with a double-barrel shotgun with 13 rounds of 55mm live cartridges.

After hearing the plea of his counsel, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, who contested the competence of the charge since no robbery case was mentioned with the legislator's, the court ordered that the lawmaker be remanded with the Police Criminal Investigation Department on health grounds while his accomplices were granted bail.

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

…Arraigned

Ondo tribunal verdict: Group hails ruling The League of Ondo State Professionals, Edo and Delta state chapter yesterday commended the verdict of the Ondo State Governorship Election Tribunal which on Friday returned Governor Olusegun Mimiko as the duly elected governor of the state in the October 20, 2012 governorship election.

A press statement in Benin-City by the Chairman of the group, Otunba Mike Aladenika, said the judgment was reflective of the peoples decision to re-invest their mandate in the Governor.

The group however called on

the Governor to be magnanimous in victory as he consolidates on various achievements of his first term.

Aladenika in the statement also enjoined Mimiko to continue to work for the people of Ondo state as posterity will vindicate him.

The statement also enjoined Ondo state citizens to join hands in building the state irrespective of political affiliation.

"We see this victory as a sign that the peoples wish which they publicly declared in the October 20, 2012 election cannot be changed by any force or forces and we also commend the judiciary for the ruling," the statement said.

Federal Republic of Nigeria and Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act. Ogundeji had lodged his complaint with Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command in a petition.

According to Police First Information Report (FIR), the accused persons had approached the former Deputy Governor and requested him to finance their foreign trip, trainings to foreign clubs in Sweden and Turkey

to the tune of N17m and promised to pay back the money.

The FIR further alleged that when the complainant paid the sum of N17m to various Bank Accounts of the five accused, they took a group photograph and went away.

Counsel to the first accused person, Toyin Onaolapo, appealed to the court to grant his client bail but the police prosecutor, Sergeant Isaac Yakubu, who argued against the accused bail said the suspect may jump bail since he had realised the nature of his offence.

The prosecutor told the Court that investigation by X-Squard office revealed that Unome Jude Udoma did not make any foreign trip but rather spent part of the money to purchase Toyota Camry car which was yet to be recovered from Yenogoa, Bayelsa state where the accused was alleged to have parked it.

The Magistrate ordered that the accused be remanded in Mandala Medium Security prison and adjourn the case till 21st of May, 2013 for further hearing.

route area radar control for a seamless air traffic service within the Nigeria airspace.

The selected controllers alongside some communication engineers completed their simulator training at the Lagos radar site on Friday to round up their schedule of trainings before embarking on the area radar control.

According to Udoh, the agency had since Thursday, May 2, 2013

issued Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) to all airlines in line with the mandatory 28 days notice required by industry regulation for a full trial of the new air traffic operation.

The NAMA boss explained that the agency had equally upgraded the radar maps and harmonised its data base to allow for accurate coordination of traffic when the enroute area radar control is fully deployed.

Fraudsters dupe ex-Kwara Deputy Gov

F

ive suspected fraudsters have been charged to an Ilorin Magistrate Court presided over

by Justice Muhammed Ibrahim for allegedly defrauding a former Deputy Governor of Kwara state, Chief Joe Afolabi Ogundeji, of the sum of N17 million.

The accused persons were arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust which contravene section 97,315 of the Penal Code Law of the

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

T

he Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is set to commence full area radar control by the end of this month as all necessary logistics have been put in place to run a hitch free air traffic operation.

The NAMA Managing Director, Nnamdi Udoh, who disclosed this in Lagos at the weekend said that 22 air traffic controllers drawn from Lagos and Kano area control centres have been specially trained on en-

NAMA begins area radar control

Udoh said that the operational manual in respect of the area radar control has been submitted to the regulatory agency, NCAA for necessary approval, adding that NAMA has followed industry best acceptable practices before deploying this service to airlines.

He lauded the controllers for their interest and commitment to commence en- route radar control within the nation's airspace.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Briefly Kaduna pilgrims’ board gets new Executive Secretary

T

he new Executive Secretary of Kaduna Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Malam Tahir Umar Tahir, has resumed duties vowing to ensure a hitch-free 2013 Hajj exercise in the state.

A statement signed by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Yunusa M. Abdullahi, said that Tahir described his appointment as challenging called on the staff and other stakeholders involved in hajj operations to assist him in discharging his responsibilities in order to have successful Hajj operations.

According to the statement, “he promised to use his wealth of experience in hajj and other Islamic exercises to implement policies that will continue to showcase the board as pacesetter.

“He promised to run an open door policy with fairness and justice in running the affairs of the board.”

PAGE 7

Participants at peace forum brainstorm on Nasarawa crisis From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

T

he Centre for Interfaith and Multicultural Dialogue at the weekend in Lafia,organised a lecture on the imperative for peace and reconciliation in Nasarawa state.

The lecture, according to the organisers, was aimed at promoting peace, tolerance and reconciliation among communities in the state.

The event which was attended by prominent personalities from across the state, including Hon. Dameshi Barau Luka, state Deputy Governor and Speaker, Nasarawa state House of Assembly, Musa Ahmed Mohammed.

Senator Solomon Ewuga was the lead paper presenter with Sen. Suleiman Adokwe and Mallam Ibrahim Rufa’i, Editor-

in-Chief of Peoples Daily newspaper, as discussants.

Luka commended the centre for organising the lecture series which he said would avail the people of the state the opportunity to reflect on the situation, appraise the fall-outs and proffer workable solutions on areas of conflict, as well as evolve proactive mechanisms for the prevention of conflicts in all its ramifications.

In a welcome address, Suleiman IsmailaNchi, Director of the centre said that his group was concerned about recent communal conflicts in the state.

He noted that the economic, social and political environment of a community may provide fertile ground for the sprouting and justification of communal violence by disaffected groups, adding that

poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and perceived social or political exclusion are fertilisers for insurgency.

According to the university lecturer and former state Commissioner for Justice, “when these factors combine and cloak themselves in religious, ethnic or other partisan robes, they become ready incendiaries for the most brutal and reckless of violence.

“It is necessary that citizens of the state are encouraged to respect each other’s faith and cultures and to uphold the rule of law.”

In the lead paper titled, “Communal crises in Nasarawa state: causes and prevention,” Ewuga said that the crises in Nasarawa predates the creation of the state.

According to him, “the situation calls for a more positive

L-R: Secretary General, Women Right Advancement and Protection Alternative, Mrs. Saudatu Mahdi, Chairman, Governing Council, National Human Right Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu and Executive Secretary NHRC, Professor Bem Angwe, during the 1st Emergency Meeting of the Commission Governing Council on Alleged human right violation in Baga Borno State, recently in Abuja.

From Mohammed Ibrahim, Kaduna

Jigawa spends N400m on work bulls

T

he Jigawa state government has spent the sum of over N400 million on work bulls as loans to farmers, according to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Rabiu Isa Taura.

He said 3,800 farmers had so far benefitted from the scheme while government had distributed 175 tractor loans to various farmers and agricultural associations.

He said over N200 was spent as tractors subsidy to peasant farmers.

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

Abuja airport gets electronic tracking device

A

s parts of effort in addressing security challenge in the country, especially at the various airports, management of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has installed electronic tracking equipment at the entrance of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airports, Abuja.

This device, according to the director, commercial and business development, FAAN, Adeniyi Balogun, will track all vehicles coming in and going out of both local and international airports in the city thereby ensuring safer and secured environment.

Balogun further stated that, ”with the recent and new dimension of security challenges we are facing in the country, it is pertinent for us in Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria to put in place this gigantic tracking electronic equipment that will track all vehicles plying the route.”

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

appraisal of ourselves to be sure that we are in tune with the changing trends in the world.”

“On his part, Rufa’i, regretted that there are imbalances in terms of education, access to opportunities, power and influence, adding that, “where these potentials are exploited by the elite which often happens, then you have crisis.”

He faulted the presenter for not touching on a popular perception across the state alleging that the crisis masterminded by the Eggon elite and their organisation called the Ombatse.

“If he was able to dwell on these issues, we will be able to have a better understanding of it.

“What is this Ombatse? Is it a cultural organization? Is it a cult as some people think? The paper should have addressed these issues since this cultural organisation is at the centre of the allegation.”

Photo: Justin ImoOwo

Sokoto sponsors 300 for post-graduate studies From Mahmoud Muhammad, Sokoto

S

okoto state Governor, Aliyu M a g a t a k a r d a Wammakko, has said that government would sponsor 300 of its indigenes for graduate and post-graduate studies at the International Islamic University, Mbale, Uganda.

Wamakko who spoke in Sokoto on Saturday at a farewell ceremony for 150 of the beneficiaries who will pursue Master’s degree in Educational Development.

According to Wamakko, “the first batch of the post graduate students will leave on May 12, to start with a post graduate diploma in Education for six months while the remaining batch will leave and meet them there in December.

“They will commence the two-year Master’s Degree program in Educational Management in January 2014.”

According to him, another set of 150 NCE holders will leave for the same university in September 2013 for various science-related first degree

courses.

He also noted that arrangements for similar partnerships are on-going with the University of Lagos and the Ahmadu Bello Univeristy, Zaria.

He said, “the gesture is aimed at further shoring up the educational development of the state and Nigeria in general.

“The problem with the educational system in the state is not the lack of teachers at all levels but that of the dearth of the required adequate supervision.

“So, these 300 graduates and post-graduate students are expected to come back to the state in 2015 and help in changing the ugly trend.

The Governor promised that government would make adequate arrangements for their welfare and comfort throughout their stay there. .

“I will visit you soon to see how you are fairing in Uganda. You should be disciplined and be good ambassadors of the state and Nigeria,” Wamakko said.

Group warns on gas import from Niger Republic From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Association of Nigeria (LPGARAN) has hinted that Nigeria imports Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas from Niger Republic.

“The Niger LPG has very high propane content which is dangerous to the public,” the LPGARAN National President, Michael Chika Umudu, warned in a chat with Peoples Daily in Lagos at the weekend.

He said that various companies had been importing the product from different countries but described the

importation from Niger as a recent development.

According to him, “the Niger gas is a very high pressure LP gas which is capable of causing incessant explosion of cylinders, pipes, and rubber hose.

The Umudu explained that local production of LPG by NLNG and refineries is hardly sufficient hence the importation.

“Various companies have been importing the product from different countries but this is the first time the product is being imported from Niger Republic.

“Indeed, there is increase in

incidents of explosions since some LP gas depot operators began to import the gas about two years ago.

“LPGARAN has been raising the alarm on the danger that Niger Republic gas poses to members of the public and market operators.

“The association has reported this to the Nigeria LP Gas Association (NLPGA) led by AlhajiAwalu Ilu. “LPGARAN has been calling on LP gas plant operators to stop patronising the depot owners who import the Niger gas because gas retailers buy their gas only from gas plant operators and not from depots.

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

BRIEFLY

Senate President, Senator David Mark (middle), his wife, Mrs. Helen Mark (right) and Special Adviser to the President of the Senate on Women, Youth, Health Development, Dr. Peter Deshi (left), arriving the Otukpo Golf and Country Club, Otukpo, during the Inter match between IBB Golf and Otukpo Golf Clubs, at the weekend in Benue State.

NIQS canvasses accountability culture

A

s part of efforts to address the present infrastructure deficit in the country, the Abuja chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has expressed its willingness to collaborate with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) on entrenching culture of accountability in building and other engineering projects.

According to the Institute this will ensure efficient utilisation of resources in key critical areas of the economy, in order to accomplish the transformation agenda of the current government and beyond.

The NIQS Chairman, Mohammed Abba Tor, disclosed this at the weekend when he led the Senate members of the institute on a visit to the NOA Director General, Mr. Mike Omeri.

According to him, strong accountability culture is required for the implementation From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin and maintenance of robust he Lamido of Adamawa, infrastructure policies, Alhaji Muhammadu programs and projects which he Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, described as the driving force in has conferred the chieftaincy achieving government's set title of Kaigamma of Adamawa goals. on renowned communication scholar, Prof. Umaru Pate.

By Stanley Onyekwere Former military President and Madawakin Minna, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, is expected to chair the turbanning ceremony of Pate on June 29, 2013, at the Lamido's Palace in Yola.

The title, Kaigamma, means Chief of Defence Staff of the inister of Aviation, Emirate and also one of the 12 Stella Adaeze Oduah, kingmakers. has presented the new The title dates back to the aviation policy designed tagged reign of the Muslim founder of "The Revised National Civil Adamawa, Modibbo Adama, in Aviation Policy 2013 (NCAP)." 1809. Since then, the title has Speaking at the remained with Professor Pate's presentation ceremony family. headquarters of the Nigeria The new Kaigamma, Meteorological Agency succeeds his brother, (NIMET), Abuja, the Minister Abdulrahman Pate, who had said that the policy, "identifies earlier succeeded their father. and addresses the overall Kaigamma Pate, is a benefits of connectivity and Professor of Media and Society globalisation of our economy at the University of Maiduguri with particular emphasis on and a Fellow of the Society for investment in airline Peace Studies and Practice. operations, infrastructure and Pate is also an Associate collaboration with private Chair holding Member of the sector, local communities and Association of Communication other stakeholders."

Professors in the Commonwealth According to her, the policy (Canada) which is an affiliate of covers safety program, the United Nations Educational, accident investigation and Scientific and Cultural prevention, monitoring and Organization (UNESCO). control of general Aviation, Born on January 4, 1964, introduction of an effective Pate is Vice President of the search and rescue mechanism Communication Association of as well as the development of Nigeria (CANI) and was until an effective and sustainable recently, the Head of economic regulatory Department of Mass framework.

Communication at the University of Maiduguri.

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule Also at the same event, the

Pate is Kaigamma Adamawa T

Minister unveils revised aviation policy

M

‌To be turbaned June 29 Lamido will turban Alhaji Lawan Sheikh Muhammad as the Zanna of Adamawa.

Alhaji Lawan is Principal Manager, Procurement, Kaduna

Electricity Distribution Company.

He is the pioneer holder of the Zanna title in the Adamawa Emirate Council.

He is a holder of a BA (Hons) and Msc in Mass Communication from the Universities of Maiduguri and Lagos, respectively.

Nigeria has investment potentials in renewable energy, says Minister

By Abdulwahab Isa & Etuka Sunday

T

he Federal Government said at the weekend that it had put measures in place to reduce both domestic and external debt by pegging their percentages to 19 per cent (domestic) and (external) to two per cent.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, made this disclosed that a group of British investors led by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Mr. Roger Gifford, visited her.

With a foreign reserve of nearly $50 billion, a stable exchange rate, strong banking sector, massive human and natural resources, the Minister noted that Nigeria has indeed become one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.

On the issue of debt management, the Minister informed the investors that due to past experiences, Nigeria is now allergic to borrowing and has also reduced its domestic debt to 19 per cent and external debt to two per cent.

She said that Nigeria's economy, "is currently the largest in West Africa, second largest in Africa with potential to become the largest African economy in the next five years.

"Nigeria has succeeded in bringing down her inflationary rate to a single digit of 8.6 per cent.

"Nigeria is relatively enjoying a stable exchange rate, clean and strong banking sector.

"Despite the huge success the country has recorded in the macro-economic sphere, there are other challenges staring at the nation which include unemployment, poor infrastructure, corruption, governance challenge and power."

The group also visited the Minister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, who noted that the nation's energy sector has huge investment opportunities in the areas of non-fossil fuel power generation which includes, solar, wind, bio-mass and firing of abundant coal to generate electricity as alternative source of power.

A statement by the Deputy

Director/Head of Press at the ministry, Timothy Oyedeji, quoted the Minister as saying that, "we need a robust energy mix as we now have wind turbines.

"Only recently, a South Korean firm agreed to produce for us 1,000 solar panels every year for the next 10 years.

"Some parts of Nigeria are known to be good for wind and this will be good for our off-grid rural folks who we intend to focus under the Rural Electrification Scheme."

"We are ready to receive genuine investors from London to key into our power sector investment.

The Lord Mayor explained that the group was in Nigeria to explore business opportunities offered by the ongoing power sector privatisation programme.

He described the divestment programme as one of the most ambitious privatisation programmes to be undertaken anywhere on the African continent and assured the Minister that Britain was ready to provide the expertise to drive the process.

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Think of the future; make use of great financial gifts for children

T

hink back to your childhood and the toys you played with, and there's probably a toy you wish you had as an adult to either play with or give to your children. It could be a game, favorite doll, bike, little red wagon, or anything else that sparked your imagination.

For me, after a Big Wheel Racer, I was always fond of piggy banks. I was a geek saver even as a child and I too often used my allowance money to buy coin sorters and other contraptions to store my change before taking it to the bank to put in a savings account. My favorite was a small, clear plastic case where you put a coin in at the top, and it would roll down a path and fall into a slot for whatever size coin it was. It was an easy way to count coins and helped get me on the road to being a saver.

I've received plenty of other great financial gifts since then, and have bought some for my daughter in the hope of teaching her some financial life skills.

Here are some great financial gifts for children. Since children through college age can still use financial gifts, not all here are toys, but they are still great gifts.

Piggy banks The pink little piggy is usually a child's first

introduction to saving money.

It's where they (and you) can put extra change, giving them a chance to spill the coins out on the floor every once in a while and learn how to count money.

The banks come in many sizes

and colors, and one of my favorites is the Money Savvy Piggy Bank that has separate compartments to save, spend, donate, and invest. The wooden/ metallic bank compartments would be sizable enough to save,

spend and share just as it is popularity. The best piggy bank, however, may be one without a hole in the bottom that you have to destroy to get into.

Play cash register Having fake naira notes and

coins to count and give out as change for "transactions" from your friends is a smart way to learn how to count and learn the value of a naira. What child hasn't played "store" at home and sold groceries or whatever? A cash register is a necessity for any play business.

Monopoly What better board game to learn about money than this classic that has been around in some form since 1883 (when it was called "Banking")? The Game of life also does a great job teaching about spending and saving, but monopoly is tops for teaching how to manage money.

Should you buy that low-rent property? Is it worth it to build a hotel? How can you negotiate with other players to get the properties you want?

Passbook savings account Believe it or not, banks still have these, which still have written ledgers to keep track of balances. It's the best way to learn how to save because it's real money that belongs to a child. I helped my daughter open one in kindergarten so she could put birthday money in it, with the goal of saving for a car or college.

The interest rates that these pay are low, so consider moving large sums to other investments such as CDs.

Money Tip: Furnish your home without breaking the bank Put time on your side, choose carefully

T

he most important ally you have in reaching your goals is time. Money stashed in interest-earning savings accounts or invested in stocks and bonds grows and compounds. The more time you have the more chance you have of success.

Your age is a big factor younger people (who have more time to build their nest egg) can invest differently than older ones. Generally, younger people can take greater risks than older people, given their longer investment horizon.

In drawing up your list of goals, you should look for things that will help you feel financially secure, happy or fulfilled. Some of the items that wind up on such lists include building an emergency fund, getting out of debt and paying kids' tuitions.

Once you have your list together, you need to rank the items in order of importance.

Quote "The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket." - Frank Hubbard

A

s well as being beautifully furnished and stylishly decorated, it is likely you would want your dream home to include the very latest in technology. However, when you have a budget to work with, the idea of decorating your home can be overwhelming especially when every room seems to need a touch of the latest technology.

While staying on top of the latest releases and still sticking to a modest budget is not as easy as it sounds, it is possible, experts say.

Most experts say you do not have to splash out cash on the most expensive items to enjoy technology. By being a little smarter with your money, you could end up with your dream

home and financial security.

When it comes to the living room, furniture is indispensable.

According to experts the first thing to do is to hunt for freebies, which is actually easier than buying fairly used. Some websites advertise furniture that people are giving away, so it's worth checking these sites on a daily basis to know when such opportunities present themselves.

You can also sign up to their mailing lists to make sure you do not miss out on any goodies.

Obviously, when you are getting furniture for free, you can not have specific requirements.

However, as long as you are prepared to be creative, you can turn something old and scruffy

into something funky and fresh looking, interior decorator experts say. If you've managed to acquire some furniture of your own over the years but it's no longer to your taste or in vogue consider re-upholstering such furniture with updated colored and styled materials.

As tempting as it might be to put another television set in the bedroom, studies have shown that the use of digital devices can contribute to poor standards of sleep. So, forgo the late night shows for a bit of real relaxation and instead of splashing out a fortune on fancy mattresses which might not even work, invest in cheap modern applications like sleep cycle which monitors your level of

sleep and wakes you up at the right moment feeling refreshed.

According to experts most people pay little attention to their bathrooms, however less costly items like shower curtains, shower rods, and bath mats are easy ways to bring color and brightness to a boring bathroom.

Consider changing the theme of the bathroom with paint and add a new colour palette for your new bath linen to match.

Equally, modernise the plumbing feature of your bathrooms by changing the metal finish.

With smart fridge-freezers and slick touch-sensitive hobs, technology in the kitchen is becoming increasingly sophisticated; it can be easy to get carried away. However, experts say you do not need to overhaul the entire kitchen to enjoy a bit of cooking gadgetry.

Instead of investing in big appliances, look for smaller, less expensive items.

From potato peelers to toastiemakers, there are endless inventions which could keep you entertained and well fed in the heart of the home; and by shopping online with vouchers, you could come across some great money saving deals.

Long gone are the days when do-it-yourself (DIY) projects were only for crafts people and those handy with power tools.

However, with the rise of online tutorials, satellite television, DIY networks and the internet the world of savvy and cheap home improvement is at your fingertips, expert's say.

Share your Money Tip: do you have a business/money idea, and you want to share it with our dear readers? Then, send it to: ikabirsule@gmail.com or (text it to 08091904890)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

T

NBC's big stick against Liberty Radio

he Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is a government-appointed agency that oversees the programming of radio and television stations in this country. The idea is to ensure that broadcast content does not incite people to violence, the language is decent and objectivity is observed.

However, overzealousness or a compulsion to please its masters, often has led it to breach its own code.

A good example was a recent decision of the NBC to wield the big stick against a private broadcast station, Liberty Radio, based in Kaduna. Its 'offence' was that it ran a Hausa phone-in programme, Inna Dalili, in March this year. Listeners were asked their opinions about the President Goodluck Jonathan administration's ongoing Good Governance Tour (GGT). What prompted the programme was a report that a state governor had turned a request by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, to finance a tour of his state by journalists handpicked by the minister to see proofs of "good governance". The owners of the radio station identified a moral issue and decided to "resolve" it in the court of public opinion. Condemnation of the GGT was, not surprisingly, overwhelming.

It was at this point that someone in the NBC thought it should move against LRK. First, an unsigned query was sent to the radio to explain "within

24 hours" why it should not be penalized for airing a programme capable on inciting people against the government.

Without waiting for reply, the NBC followed up with a N2 million fine which must be paid "within two weeks".

Implied in that was the ultimate punishment: seizure of its license.

We would not be crying foul if the NBC acted against LRK in a coolheaded

“

Denied the right of appeal, private radio stations stand no chance against "this dictator in the house" manner expected of an impartial ombudsman. But its highhandedness, sometimes not even demanded by its masters, has earned it the unenviable sobriquet of "The dictator in the house".

In the case of the LRK, the NBC went against its rules in its haste to nail a socalled opposition broadcast station.

First, Chapter 13 of the NBC Code (2012) says "the name, address and signature of a complainant should be forwarded to a station against which a complaint is made." Who lodged a complaint at the BC against the LRK? Apparently, there

OUR MISSION “To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

was no written complaint from the information minister. Or was it verbal?

In any case, he had no reason to complain, having spurned a chance offered by the radio station to respond to the views expressed by listeners on the GGT. Secondly, the Code provides that an errant radio station be given 72 hours to explain its action. Instead, LRK got 24 hours only. Why? Because the NBC was too eager to apply to big stick.

Thirdly, the rules say that in the event of a complaint, the commission should try to arbitrate between the complainant and the offending station.

This the NBC did not do. Lastly, it did not publish its findings if indeed it found anything at all. Even its allegation that the LRK aired an inciting programme had no basis because it has been two long months now and there has been violence in Kaduna on account of it. What is worse, in this case, the NBC was the complainant, the prosecutor and judge. Denied the right of appeal, private radio stations stand no chance against "this dictator in the house".

Certainly, this is not the NBC we should allow in the build-up to the 2015 polls. The law that set it up must be reviewed ahead of the polls to give broadcasters the right of appeal against its decisions. Furthermore, government should cease to appoint the commission's head; that power should rightly go to the broadcasting stations, private and public.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM ACTING EDITOR, DAILY HAMEED M. BELLO

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ALI M. ALI

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND JAMILA NUHU MUSA

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU ADESOJI OYINLOLA

“To be a reputable, profitable, innovative and technologically reliant media company offering world class services and products”

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 13

Understanding the Taraba Assembly guards change

By Timawus Mathias

T

he Taraba State House of Assembly woke up midmonth to throw out its entire Leadership. 17 out of 24 members of the House in the afternoon of April met and passed a resolution that impeached the Speaker Hon. Istifanus Gbana and his Deputy Hon. Abel Peter Diah, and with them went, all the Principal Officers. Neither the Speaker nor the Deputy were at the sitting when the impeachment took place, and because those members that did not sign the impeachment were just the Principal Officers impeached, no one was left in doubt that indeed it was a complete guards change.

The impeached Speaker was the immediate past National Chairman of the Speakers Forum. In the place of the removed officers, Hon. Haruna Tsokwa emerged as Speaker while Hon. Tanko Maikarfi was elected Deputy Speaker. Only in February, the impeached Speaker survived a strong attempt at impeachment just by the skin of his teeth when 18 out of the 24 members of the Assembly passed a vote of confidence on his leadership.

Obviously the relief was short lived.

In the notice of impeachment signed by the 17 members, various allegations were made which included unlawful deduction of members' allowances and retention of

By SOC Okenwa

W

hen he was elected governor six years ago (a mandate initially stolen by the PDP but retrieved through judicial dint of hard work), Comrade Adams Oshimhole, a former trade union leader, was up against a potent political force - godfatherism - in Edo state. But he has soldiered on, using service delivery and administrative openness as a 'war' strategy to conquer entrenched anti-people forces.

During his eventful first term he took on the powerful forces refusing compromises and channelling resources where they were most needed -- towards the improvement of the lot of the poor masses. Roads were built, schools rehabilitated, hospitals constructed, villages electrified, buses bought for cheap mass transit and what have you. Edo state in general and Benin city in particular suddenly became a huge construction site where contractors were competing among themselves to deliver on their commissioned projects. No monkey business, no hanky panky or hocus-pocus, no guile.

As the man of the people was busy performing socio-economic 'miracles', empowering the oppressed to their popular acclaim, however, the old politicians in the state and outside were busy hatching up plot after plot to 'destroy' him and his legacy. A fatal road mishap was organized to snuff life out of Oshiomhole last year and though he survived it by the whiskers some lives were lost in the

N9.3m by the Speaker and principal officers; failure to call finance and general purpose meetings as and when due; abuse of office and failing to lead the House; and failure to Conduct Legislative Council meetings. In one fell swoop, the Speaker and his Principal Officers were harvested from the citadel, to the House floor.

It was bound to happen, as is usual with State Legislatures across the country. After long nights of long drawn knives, all tends to happen very quickly, akin to a coup d'etat. The unfortunate long absence of the governor of Taraba state, Danbaba Suntai, was bound to take its toll on trust, tolerance, and patience. More evidently so was the role of manipulators of the unfortunate medical condition of the Governor, Danbaba Suntai, for the attainment of their 2015 ambitions - manipulations that saw to the mishandling of the truth about the ailing governor's condition to advantage. 2015, though two long years away is really seen as just round the corner.

For months, there has been rumbling in the Taraba State House of Assembly but obviously teleguided by political chess players from outside the House.

Problem in the State seems to be that the uncertainty about Governor Suntai's recovery has in turn affected the postulations of many 2015 hopefuls whose chances it is believed, have

dimmed in the absence of the Suntai godfather and his touted promissory notes.

In the beginning of the ramblings in the House, the skirmishes were even around the Acting Governor Garba Umar mainly because all calculations and permutations towards 2015 did not at any time reckon with someone of his make up being the Chief Executive somewhat. The anti Suntai elements wanted a declaration of the Governor's state of health to favour the swearing in of the Acting Governor, whom they saw as a push over, but the pro Suntai forces would have none of that unless a different "more fitting" personality were to be confirmed as Governor. Anyone but Garba Umar! Yet to remove him without any charges was also a tall order that would have been most unfair.

Whereas Garba Umar's short stint was already showing off some glowing leadership qualities, namely, the courage to go on with the Suntai establishment without being intimidated by a cabal as in the Umaru Yar'adua/Goodluck Jonathan scenario. Many have noticed fiscal discipline, for I am told Garba Umar is tightfisted (krta) in financial appropriation and has not greedily initiated a single project. Instead, he has doggedly pursued the greater Suntai vision for Taraba chief among them being the Takum General Hospital, set to be commissioned in June as

promised by Suntai. On inspection of the hospital at completion, Garba Umar directed that the facility now completed, be commissioned and open to the public in may this year, ending TY Danjuma's hometown wait for a hospital for 18 years. The 250-bed Takum hospital cost the state government N1.4b to build while equipment cost N330m.

Garba Umar has also kept the faith with Suntai, with the Jalingo Airport as well, set for opening in May. Danbaba Suntai had believed that the greatest hindrance to developmental breakthrough for Taraba State was accessibility to the State by particularly foreign investors.

Direct foreign investment in taraba State's vast natural endowments would create industries, absorb labour and bring about wealth. It would dramatically boost internally generated revenue IGR with which roads and rural infrastructure would be sustainably developed. The airport project was therefore of paramount importance and received deserved priority placement.

In addition, Garba Umar has seen to the commendable pursuit of the Taraba State University infrastructure development, and township roads in the State's geopolitical zones.The Taraba Peace Project was close to Governor Danbaba Suntai's heart particularly the worrisome conflict between border area

communities between Benue and Taraba State. Garba Umar has worked with Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State to achieve lasting peace. Only a fortnight ago, the two Governors met at a common border community and took concrete steps to put an end to incessant communal clashes between Takum Local Government in Taraba State, and Katsina-Ala in Benue State. At the end of a long Peace summit which brought together the Communities and the State Governors, a 12 - man committee was set up to workout a peace solution.

These efforts from Garba Umar as Acting Governor in no small way have stabilized Taraba State beyong expectation given the Governor's long absence. Naturally the period has revealed a surprising and promising future for Umar which definitely does not fit into the game plan of some of the political gladiators who have assured themselves of taking the baton from Danbaba Suntai, so to speak. It is against this global picture that one needs to situate the ramblings and the subsequent changing of the guards at the Taraba state House of Assembly - change in which the in-coming lot do not shoot the out-going lot. Pure politics. No ethnic or religious feathers have been ruffled. Fate just smiled on Garba.

Timawus Mathias is reachable on timmathias64@yahoo.com

Oshiomhole versus Igbinedion process. Soon after, his Principal Secretary, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, was murdered in his home at wee hours of the night.

Today the police and the SSS are still trading recriminations over which suspects were real from those presented as fake! Gov. Oshiomhole has clashed with power in Abuja on many occasions over the Oyerinde assassination including the last reported heated encounter with the corrupt conniving Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed Bello Adoke.

One of these entrenched political forces (apart from the vanquished old godfather, Anthony Anenih) is the richest man in Edo state, the Esama of Benin, Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion. Apparently feeling understandably uncomfortable with the positive development taking place from Benin to Uromi, Okada to Auchi, Ekpoma to Jattu (with the recent memory of his son's guber failures still fresh in his mind) Igbinedion decided to present a formidable opposition during the recent controversial local government election in the state. Joining forces with the opposition PDP, the controversial billionaire who had clashed severally with royalty in Benin Kingdom went beyond his limits, infuriating Oshiomhole and forcing him to go public with a scorching rebuke.

Berating Igbinedion over his overbearing conduct on election day in his Okada "Wonderland"

home town, Oshiomhole continued: " If he misleads himself into believing that he has the birth right to continue to appropriate and privatize the resources of Edo state, he is living in a fool's paradise."

The ruling PDP from Abuja through Olisa Metuh weighed in describing Oshiomhole as "a rampaging evil" for cancelling local council elections in Esan North-East Local Government Area. For the PDP "an abrasive display of a very crude form of tyranny, a sustained subversion of democracy, a grotesque pantomime, really, is playing out in Edo State with Adams Oshiomhole, his electoral undertakers, the EDSIEC and his party, the ACN as chief

promoters". And asking pertinently: "should the gods be blamed for the case of Oshiomhole? This is a man who was a civil rights activist, renowned labour leader, a man, who on the strength of the PDP's stricture to the rule of law under late President Yar'Adua was enthroned as Governor; a man whose re-election was chiefly assisted by the firm resolve of President Jonathan to put the era of flawed elections far behind Nigerians; yet, this is the same Oshiomhole who has become a metaphor, a bye word for the brutish truncation of the wishes of the people. Who should be blamed? This Governor surely needs deliverance". Who really needs deliverance by the way?

“

One of these entrenched political forces (apart from the vanquished old godfather, Anthony Anenih) is the richest man in Edo state, the Esama of Benin, Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion. Apparently feeling understandably uncomfortable with the positive development taking place from Benin to Uromi, Okada to Auchi, Ekpoma to Jattu (with the recent memory of his son's guber failures still fresh in his mind) Igbinedion decided to present a formidable opposition during the recent controversial local government election in the state

Oshio 'Baba', GEJ, PDP or ACN (or APC)?

But Oshiomhole has remained undaunted, maintaining thus: "the era of primitive imposition is over. No one will govern this state any more except as determined by the Edo electorate. “We remain resolute in our commitment towards upholding the principle of one man one vote....The PDP has no response to that.�

Of course, power belongs to the people and the land is theirs and not for godfathers and political 'gods' in Abuja. Mr "FixIt" Anenih, Mr CoS Oghiadomhe, Minister Onolememen and others must leave the Governor alone to do his job.

Between power (Oshiomhole) and money (Igbinedion) democracy must prevail in every battle for supremacy. The democratic evolution in Edo State must not be allowed to be sabotaged or corrupted by the randy billionaire and his love of lucre. Any attempt to play "elderly racality" must be met with swift sanction. If a big man plays an 'outlaw' he must be made to understand that money is not everything; there is a law governing every society to which he must submit himself and his activities else cutting him to size becomes the only alternative to maintaining order and preserving the inviolable sovereign will of the people.

SOC Okenwa (soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 14

By Paul Irikeke

T

he Boston Marathon on April 15 in the U.S. can now be considered as a quintessential struggle between fear and freedom, and between hate and heroism. It was supposed to be an event that marked both the beginning of the American Revolution and the deadline for taxes, but it turned out to be a black Monday in which freedom was momentarily usurped and in its place was injected fear, blood, and violent deaths. The choice of explosive devices made from ordinary kitchen pressure cookers, the use of 'kitchen-type' egg timers, and the black duffel bags has nothing fortuitous about it, but only to induce mass panic over the uncertainty of everything else, even the eerily familiar--the car, the airplane, the cell phone, the pressure cooker, and so on.

It did not matter to the terrorists that the casualties involved innocent children and athletes. The goal was to bring down this "great Satan"--a favorite concept of extremists about America around the world, but especially in the Arab world--this licentious, and pervert country, this jaded civilization on the slippery slope of decay and decline.

However what came across was a resolute, and a selfsacrificing nation. One of the most graphic and gripping viral images was that of 53-year-old Costa Rican immigrant, Carlos Arredondo. Not a stranger himself to horror and grief, he had come to mark the day specially by handing out flags in memory of his sons--the one who died in 2004 in the Iraqi war, and the other out of suicide because of grief and depression for his death--and the rest patriots who died for duty, honor and

From Boston to Lagos forward-country. And patriotism, although he heroism, was standing in excellence, the bleachers creativity, by the finish Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text truth, justice, line, as soon as messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written compassion, he heard the contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 sacrifice, explosion and words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and respect, saw the imagination, carnage he a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed hard work, vaulted a to: innovation, and barricade and nationalism. raced straight The Editor, How many into the acrid Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, billions does a smoke and governor or a mayhem 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. president, or a without a Email: opinion@peoplesdaily-online.com member of second thought SMS: 08134607052 national or over his own state assembly safety to help a need before he/ victim reeling from the loss of his two legs. Then of the cows the plane hit as it she considers duty to fatherland? the second bomb went off 100 made a frantic and wobbly Nigeria is upside down and we yards away, but Arredondo kept landing. Many of them were are worst of it. We suffer from a his focus on him, asking his name reportedly saying, "Plane crash! shortened radius of trust and and offering his own. He told the Plane crash, there'll must be identification; from the inability Press Herald, "I kept talking to dollars there!" to set our sight beyond the him. I kept saying, stay with me, Then they made a rush to the narrow confine of ourselves, stay with me." But Arredondo site like scavengers over fallen family or ethnic group. We seem had not been an outlier, had not carcasses, only that the carcasses to live by the ethos of 'amoral acted alone. One man from this time were not human flesh familism' so well described by the Duxbury, Massachusetts, was but valuables--wallets, laptops, great political scientist, Edward reported throwing himself atop bags, cellphones, suitcase, Banfield as the pursuit of his kids when the bombs anything that smelled money, material, short run advantage, detonated, and a stranger threw anything but fellow and the assumption that himself on top of the dad to give countrymen. Mr. Akin Aina, everyone else is doing the same. them more protection! secretary of the Community Now everybody wants Now come the anticlimax Development Area, said he called amnesty, not necessarily for and the nadir of the narrative: 767, which was Lagos State sustainable peace, and certainly Iju-Ishaga, Lagos. June 3, 2012. emergency number, but the not for truth because these are That was the site and date of the number was unavailable. Poor values that do not emerge out of second-deadliest aviation fellows! Plundered by bribery projected as amnesty. accident on Nigerian soil, beside compatriots, failed by The militants have had it, and the Kano air disaster. Something emergency responders, they died many of them are now that was supposed to elicit grief, completely, all 160 of them. billionaires. And why should sympathy, heroism, and even Is a country decent and sane they eat alone? There is now self-sacrifice among compatriots that does this? Why are so many even a call for amnesty for evoked instead greed and Nigerians hungry for dollars, MASSOB, the next could be from plunder. The first object of and everything material at the the West. But one suspects that plunder according to the account staggering expense of things that Boko Haram may not accept it, of eye witnesses was the carcasses propelled nation and civilization because being a motley of forces

WRITE TO US

and demands and channeled by a belief in a cause that trumps life and death, it has a point to make to its audience howbeit devastating and destructive to the country.

What we need in this country are men and women who can rise up to the call of history, who can see life as a profound and passionate thing, leaders who are ideologically driven, and governors who can realize that what gets you into the archive of history is not how much billions you have stashed in Swiss bank accounts, but how many paved roads you have constructed, hospitals you have built, and institutions of education you have reconstructed to become once more truly learning and research centers that can attract the best and brightest minds in the world. Just one governor can tip that balance by redefining the values and the meaning of power, and shunning its banality.

Without such a leader or a coalition of citizens hungry for truth and justice, hungry for greatness and heroism, Nigeria is probably going nowhere. South Africa had it in Nelson Mandela, Botswana had it under Seretse Khama, Japan had it in the Meiji Restoration, Taiwan had it under the Chiangs, China had in Deng Xiaoping, Great Britain had in the Glorious Revolution, so did France in the French Revolution, and now the Arab countries in the Arab Spring. Cultural decay or collapse does not operate or function in a vacuum. Values disintegrate in a society because of how the polity is managed and how power is transferred or manipulated. Certainly things cannot bode well for a nation whose state institutions have long been criminalized.

Rev. Fr. Paul Irikefe is a Catholic priest from the diocese of Warri.

If Barack Obama were Nigeria's president

By Babatunde Omagbolahan

T

he recent bomb attack at Boston in the United States of America was an eyeopener to priceless value America attaches to life. Kill 1 American, you can be sure that the whole of American Police-Interpol; Federal Bureau of Investigation-FBI; Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA); the military-Air Force, Army, Navy, marines; sniffers; secret agents; security cameras and even robots will track you down.

However, reverse is the case in our clime, Nigeria. Kill 1 MILLION Nigerians, you can be sure of becoming millionaire over night! You will force government on her kneels, begging you to take amnesty. Barack Obama's statement aftermath of the unfortunate did not only condemned Boston incident, the statement was very reassuring as it light up the spirit of dampened citizens of Boston. In a blunt voice, Obama had declared "We refused to be terrorized. We will find YOU (Boston killers) and bring you to justice", another PhD President (of Africa's most populous black nation) was quoted to have said, "Terrorism is a global phenomenon; we must learn to live with it..."

The Boston blast that rocked US last week only took less than 96 hours, and I mean JUST 4 days to track down the

masterminds! With all her security paraphernalia churned out for the manhunt, the US wa able to track down the Chechnya, Russian-born Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and supposed brother who was killed in the shoot-out.

Here at home, we have a system which is a fiasco in all its ramifications! I remember in my post of Monday 8, 2013, I made mention of a Closed-Circuit monitor system project which had gone the way of others, after having hurriedly approved over N7 billion for its execution!

Anybody that walks or drives steadily but slowly through the

City Centre in Abuja will agree NO less with me that the project is a SHAM! When the late Prof Chinua Achebe released his book, There Was A Country, which is his memoir of the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970, not many Nigerians agreed with his 'satirical'submission, especially about the roles played by the late Cicero and sage of the Yoruba dynasty, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Although, quite a number of Nigerians described his views as innuendoes which were more of overt mudslinging, one thing remains germane in those choices of words-that there

“

When the late Prof Chinua Achebe released his book, There Was A Country, which is his memoir of the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970, not many Nigerians agreed with his 'satirical'submission, especially about the roles played by the late Cicero and sage of the Yoruba dynasty, Chief Obafemi Awolowo

was indeed a Nigeria! A Nigeria which was meant to prosper, a Nigeria where everyone was meant to be his brother's keeper.

An egalitarian Nigeria. But alas! what we have is a Nigeria perverted by selfaggrandizement since 1966 till date!

An average Nigerian would agree with me that the late president, Umoru Musa Yar'Adua had good intentions of revamping our decaying system.

It was so unfortunate that the caliber of people who surrounded him like Kaase Aondoakaas would not let him perform, coupled with his excruciating ailment. It is so pathetic that the vultures are still there! The Gulaks, the Abatis, the Okupes, the Makus, the Iwealas, name them, they are many.

Kill the economy, in so far our family members are not affected, and bank accounts swell up every now and then, who cares?

They are quick to forget that whatever goes around comes around. I glanced through a piece the other day exposing I was going through a piece two days ago and I said "waoooh, so, crime pays in Nigeria! ?lédàá ooo!!! Kill just five people and become a millionaire, that's propitiously lucrative! And what did I see in that piece? Association of Oil Bunkerers in Niger-Delta wanted "amnesty"from the federal government. After all

what is good for the goose is unequivocally good for the gander.

If amnesty can be given to those killing innocent souls at will, why not them? And I also add, why not "armed robbers"?

Why not "kidnappers"? And why not "prostitutes"? The list is endless! If all these groups and others not mentioned can form coalition and demand amnesty from government, why not give them?

At least we have a leadership who's ready to sacrifice millions of Nigerians for his inordinate second term ambition. A leadership who cares less of how many souls are going to be lost in as much as his bid to return to the "Villa" come 2015 is not poohpoohed or threatened! The leadership however is quick to forget that God is HE who gives "power".

And just like former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair said (in further reiteration of his contemporary, Bill Clinton's earlier statement in recent past), the time to see Nigerians lives as sacrosanct is NOW! It is fundamentally germane that security of lives is sine qua non for any meaningful development to be made. Anything short of this is taking Nigeria and Nigerians on a highway to NOWHERE! Babatunde Omogbolahon resides in wrote Abuja

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 15

Media freedom and the threat of impunity

By Dapo Olorunyomi

T

he past half a decade has been perhaps the most challenging years since Nigeria's return to civil rule in 1999. Literally, the fate of some 160 million citizens have been caught between nationalist insurgents in the south, and Islamist terrorists in the north, with no relief from a distressing canopy of spectacularly poor evidence at governance, and thieving politicians left, right, and centre. Narrating these evidently polarizing experiences on a daily basis, falls on the media, that has had a mixed bag of brilliant moments and, just putting it straight, sometimes appalling results of what looks like a Kafkaesque sequence of events.

What is clear, however, from the perspective of the media, is that these five years also represents perhaps the most dismal period in the over 150year institutional biography of one of our most heroic national citadels. Constrained by intercommunal, inter-faith, minority, and other diversity issues, political reporting in Nigeria can be a test for any journalist, and heightened with the added challenges posed by a swelling climate of intolerance, fueled by the reign of criminal gangs who are sustained through official corruption, oil theft, the now lucrative kidnapping business, politically-financed terror squads, ethno-national mobs, or private security gangs.

These are the notations of impunity, the hydra-headed monster that now threatens freedom, rights, and ultimately, the democratic aspirations of citizens. In all climes, reporting events like these comes at dreadful costs; and the Committee to Protect Journalists

[CPJ], an independent, , nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide, has diligently followed the trails of such reporters, keenly documenting the heroism of such brave messengers, under capricious regimes, through whom daily history is brought to us.

Now, the same CPJ is alerting us in Nigeria that this wave of impunity has finally come home to roost. In its 2013 Impunity Index release in New York today, CPJ states chillingly: "Nigeria has become one of the worst nations in the world for deadly, unpunished violence against the press." The CPJ global index calculates unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of each country's population, and found this year that soaring impunity rates were also recorded in Somalia, Pakistan, and Brazil.

In the five-year matrix taken for this computation, the CPJ cites the unresolved murder of Channels TV reporter, Enenche Akogwu; the killing of Nathan Dabak and Sunday Gyang of the Christian Times in Jos; Zakariya Isa of NTA Maiduguri; and Bayo Ohu of the Guardian Newspapers in Lagos. Blaming "militants in the north and politically inspired aggression nationwide" for the growing impunity in the land, the CPJ Impunity Index puts Nigeria in the category of a dozen countries where journalist murders occurred from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2012, and remain unsolved. The index, published annually, considers cases unsolved when no convictions have been won.

There are strong lessons for Nigeria here. Slamming what he recently characterized as "a choreographed attempt to deliberately cast the administration in bad light," the

spokesman for the Nigerian presidency, Dr. Reuben Abati, a newspaperman and lawyer, pretentiously claimed, "This government is proud of its record on press freedom, its relationship with and promotion of access for the media and civil society." The administration, Abati argues it, actually expects gratitude from Nigerians on account of "its commitment to press freedom times over [because the] Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) was signed by this President into law and under this government the Nigerian print and electronic media has grown in number, reach and in terms of freedom to practice."

True, but it was also under the watch of this president that the most elaborate and illegal assault on the privacy and constitutional rights of citizens had been initiated in the postindependence history of this nation.The online newspaper, Premium Times, [premiumtimesng.com], reported recently that "secretly, and in open violation of lawful contracting procedures, the Jonathan administration has awarded an Israeli firm, Elbit Systems‌a $40million contract to help it spy on citizens'

computers and Internet communications." In case Mr. Abati missed the news, this came only weeks after the administration banned the airing and distribution of a documentary, 'Fuelling Poverty', a 30-minute videography that documents the massive poverty in the land and the slide towards a full blown regime of corruption and greed in the country. To borrow the voice of Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, the film depicts "a seven billion scam perpetrated at the federal government level."

As Nigeria approaches the 2015 corridor, the CPJ Impunity Index offers a valuable compass for advocacy groups working on human rights and media platforms, but it can also help law enforcement and security institutions map their responses to the impunity against journalists. It is always important to stress the point that, however poorly the media do its work; a free media is pivotal to the success of any democracy. It has never happened that democracy flourishes where citizens are not free to publish their ideas and receive the ideas of others; and the gospel remains valid that freedom of expression

“

As Nigeria approaches the 2015 corridor, the CPJ Impunity Index offers a valuable compass for advocacy groups working on human rights and media platforms, but it can also help law enforcement and security institutions map their responses to the impunity against journalists

inspires all other human rights, and that famous demands like the constitutional right to life, to property, to freedom of movement, to religion, to spousal relationship, equality before the law, to non-discrimination, against arbitrary arrest, detention, etc. acquire substance only to the extent that they can be communicated freely.

Already the Nigerian political atmosphere is tense, but in these past five years, political reporting remains the most dangerous beat for journalists all over the world, according to the CPJ. In a total of 265 murder cases documented, 30 percent of the victims were reporters covering political beats. Corruption, not an abstract reality in Nigeria, represented the second most dangerous topic to cover, and that accounted for 20 percent of the reported murder cases. In all the cases, the killers intended to send an intimidating message to the entire press corps and in no fewer than 48 percent of cases the victims were abducted or tortured before being killed.

There is a strong reason for Nigerians to worry about the growing climate of intolerance and the advance of impunity here, 10 of the 12 worst cases of impunity globally have been listed each year since CPJ began the annual analysis in 2008.

The muted lesson here, according to CPJ researchers is that the "static nature of the list highlights the challenges in reversing entrenched impunity and high rates of anti-press violence," which is not like saying it is all bleak news, because, indeed, impunity can be challenged and reversed.

Dapo Olorunyomi is editor-inchief at Premium Times, www.premiumtimesng.com, based in Abuja

Two days at Nigeria's premier teaching hospital By 'Sola Fagorusi

R

ecently, I spent the working hours of two days at the teaching hospital of Nigeria's premier University the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. As much as I remember what I saw there, it is the things I did not see that I continue to recall.

I got to the hospital at 7:42am in company of a friend, meeting 4 other people waiting for medical care. A woman had her son's head gingerly rested on her laps. The boy turned frequently and written over him was the discomfort he was hoping would be assuaged at the clinic.

The time ticked; I watched as the staff trickled in. As we engaged with the administrative staff on preliminary registration processes, I was again reminded of the typical civil service situation where the customer is not yet King! The contacts were awkward at best; failure to have clear information on what you really wanted was met by harsh reproach by some of the staff. On the grounds of culture, I did not like the tone, especially to the elderly ones who had cause to be

at the hospital. The bill had just been raised and registration was now a monthly affair. It was not surprising to hear dissenting voices from those uninformed of the development. I watched a senior female staff address them on the new trend. I was impressed with her civility to people who asked her for clarification.

For a moment, I wished all were like her. I wished the account clerk kept a smile eternally on her face and did not add to the pain of the already pained even as they parted with their cash! I momentarily wondered if they had management trainings for them on at least annual basis. The administrative room was initially dark thanks to power failure, one that was later restored about an hour later.

While we waited in the lobby, I saw a deep use of development communication nuances by Dr. Ojelade. She had a session with us on how the teeth should be brushed and shared tips on how to keep the mouth healthy.

Certain that all of us could communicate in Yoruba; she passed her information across in the language, engaging with us

with a participatory approach at every turn. She did not facipulate; rather, she boldly facilitated. One point she made clearly was the volume of paste that was to be on the tooth brush.

'It's supposed to be small but you know that tooth paste companies want to sell and so they advertise with images showing that it should be throughout the stretch of the brush. It is wrong.' In a flash, I wondered why the Medical and Dental Association could not call these advertisers to order - another regulatory failure in some form. With a smile permanently edged on her face, Dr. Ojelade ended her session with us after colourfully answering a couple of questions showing her own white teeth in the process. I look at the wall clock in the waiting room, it was 4:35! It apparently was not functioning. The television bracket was also blank.

It was finally my turn to see the doctor. I got my blood pressure and weight measured. I could not miss the good nurtured behaviour of the nurse. She apologised that she left briefly to attend to some other things. She enquired if I was fine. She wanted to know if I slept well - all these

while she kept at her work.

'What's your name ma?' I sought to know. 'I am Olowokere, Mrs.', she answered while looking straight into my eyes. The medical personnel who had earlier called my name came again and she apologised to me again for taking too much time.

With a gay spirit, I walked into the oral diagnosis section of the hospital. She was young but confident of what she was up to.

She asked me to lie down and she began to throw questions at me.

She wanted my dental medical history. She apparently was not familiar with a case like mine.

She threw all her knowledge at it.

She had fair theories on what could have been wrong.

Three of her friends later joined her to also take a look and examine the condition. Noticing that one of them was an Indian was a ray of hope that some form of glory still lies in the institution at a time when most medical referrals were ending in her country.

Perceptibly, they were all dental students in training. One look in their eyes and I saw the raw obsession for knowledge. As I lay on the dental chair heads up, I noticed the fans revolve slowly. A row was clean and the other left dusty.

Attempts to modernize the facility were obvious but they were inadequate. Having clerked me, it was time to have the doctor meet the patient. Two hours after, I had met two of the best minds at UCH. With limited equipment and stifling environment, I watched both of them who I guess had sworn under the Hippocratic Oath to do exactly what they were trained to do discuss back and forth on what the painless problem may be. By the second day, I met another two. Offering knowledge from their various specialties and training, they considered all there was to the case. It was literally painless and thrilling watching them do so. I was a happy Guinea Pig! Occasionally, I caught a thing or two about the terms they were using given my science background. Some students were assembled and for a couple of minutes, the lead doctor taught the students. Oh, it's a teaching hospital I recalled. My mind again drifted to what would have been if government could provide all there was to have a world class dental facility.

Sola Fagorusi @SolaFagro on twitter

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

2013 Hajj: FCT Muslim Pilgrims’ board to commence collection of hajj fares deposit today

By Maryam Garba Hassan

T

he FCT Muslims Pilgrims’ Welfare Board is to commence the collection of hajj fare deposit for this year’s hajj from intending pilgrims today.

A statement issued at the weekend by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Lawal Aliyu, said pilgrims wishing to perform this year’s hajj through the FCT should pay minimum deposit of N500, 000 bank drafts to book for a seat pending the announcement of the year’s actual hajj fare by the federal government.

The statement added that intending pilgrims can make deposit via a bank draft to Area Officers of the board at each of the six area councils in the FCT. The board warned that it will not register any intending pilgrim by proxy and that female intending pilgrims must present their Muharram(male guide) who will travel with them at the point of registration.

The statement further stated thatall intending pilgrims must present their epassport before their drafts would be accepted during registration.

Meanwhile the board has introduced measures to ensure proficiency and safeguard against fraud in this year’s hajj operationsto ensure that pilgrims from the FCT get the best service ever in the history of hajj operations in the FCT.

The Fulani herdmen, at their meeting point, discussing their affairs, yesterday in Kwali Abuja.

Turai vs FCTA land disputes: Market women, men urged FCT minister to appeal case

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Coordinator of Kasuwa Da Kasuwa, an association of market women and men in the northern part of the country, Hajia Halimatu B. Jumare has called on the Minister of FCT and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to appeal against last Thursday’s ruling of an Abuja in the suit between the FCTA and Hajia Turai Yar’ Adua’s NGO, Women and Youth

Albino Foundation solicits traditional ruler’s support to fight stereotypes

T

he founder of Albino Foundation, Mr Jake Epelle, at the weekend called on traditional rulers in the FCT to help sensitise their communities with a view to protecting albinos in their midst.

Epelle, who made the call during a courtesy visit to the Ona of Abaji in Abuja, added that the traditional rulers had major roles to play in fighting the cause of albinism.

He appealed to the Ona, who is the Chairman of FCT Council of Chiefs, to help in taking the issue to higher level.

Responding, the Ona, Adamu Yunusa, promised to

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

take up the issue of kidnapping of albinos to the FCT Administration and the Federal Government.

He expressed the hope that the country would be secure enough to stop the killings and kidnapping of persons living with albinism.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Albino Foundation is committed to addressing the plight of persons living with albinism.

It also wants to change the negative mind sets and sociocultural stereotypes about albinism in Nigeria and the world. (NAN)

Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF).

According to her, both parties are locked in battle over the ownership of a plot of land originally allocated to African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) in 2008 but curiously reallocated to Turai’s NGO in February 2010 by a previous administration. She contended that it is immoral for Turai’s private NGO to be allowed to go away with a land duly allocated to a public institution committed to the propagation of peace and harmony.

In an interview with newsmen on Sunday, Hajia Jumare carpeted Turai for allegedly using her NGO as a cog on the wheel of progress of the AFLPM secretariat in Abuja. “Enough is enough. We are peace-loving, progressdriven women and youths who are believers in the Nigeria and Abuja projects. We wish to categorically state that we are in absolute support of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, and the FCT Administration - it is immoral, shameful and ironic for a former First Lady to attempt to convert a public land which was entrusted in her care for her own private NGO,” she contended.

It would be recalled that the decision to make Nigeria the permanent seat of African First Ladies Peace Mission

Secretariat was taken at its 6 th conference held in CongoBrazzaville in 2008 on account of the nation’s status as the giant of Africa. No doubt, several fundamental factors must have been taken into consideration before arriving at that crucial decision.

According to the popular market leader, “Maryam Babangida initiated the building of Women Development Centre; Maryam Abacha also initiated the erection of National Hospital; so, why should Patience Jonathan’s plan for the building of African First Ladies Peace Mission House be different?’’ she asked.

While eulogizing Nigeria’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan for her numerous contributions to women and children development, Hajia Jumare cautioned Hajia Turai to stop ridiculing Nigeria before the comity of African First Ladies who are keen on establishing their secretariat in Abuja for sensitization, mobilization and harmony.

“What we need in Africa is peace. It is disgusting that she even turned down several alternative plots of land offered to her as replacement in the city insisting on the piece of land belonging to the public. That is the height of greed,” she said.

Hajia Jumare argued that the private interest of Turai

should not be placed over and above the collective aspiration of over 50 African First Ladies and the entire African womenfolk. “I call on the FCT Administration not to succumb to this blackmail.

They should go ahead to challenge and up-turn the court ruling and recover the public land from a private NGO.” She contended that if there is anything which the African continent needed desperately at a time like this, that singular thing is peace stressing that nobody should be allowed to obstruct the quest for peace in Africa and Nigeria in particular. “The African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) stands for peace. Without peace, development cannot take place and life will become short, nasty and brutish. We need this essential commodity called peace for the survival of the Nigerian and the sustenance of her democracy,” she argued.

Hajia Jumare challenged all opinion leaders who cherish peace and propriety to speak up against the activities of the former first lady while dismissing her triumph at the Abuja High Court as Pyrrhic victory which cannot stand the test of time. She emphasised that “it will be in the best interest of all of us if we can summon the will to speak up against all forms of immorality”.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 17

NGO trains 486 artisans on skills acquisition in FCT

T

he Coordinator of Good Access, a nong o v e r n m e n t a l organization (NGO), Mrs Adama Ahmed,, says 486 artisans trained by the organisation will graduate after undergoing training in different skills.

Ahmed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja over the weekend that the organisation was currently training 1,000 artisans in skills acquisition out of which the 486 would graduate on May 25, 2013.

She said that the NGO was set up to respond to the needs of disadvantaged people.

She said that youths and women were the major beneficiaries of the skills acquisition, entrepreneurial training and capacity building programmes of the organisation.

She said that this was part of efforts to contribute toward the development and eradication of poverty in the country.

According to her, training and equipping young talents and women in acquiring knowledge in artistic work will go a long way in reducing poverty and corruption in the society.

“If a woman is self-reliant, a great burden will be removed from her husband and the society.

“The same thing applies to youths. Once they have been identified and trained on what to do, they become independent of themselves,’’ said the coordinator.

Ahmed said that skills such as bead making, dress making, soap making and hotel management were some of the areas the trainees were specialising in.

She, however, solicited the financial support of the Federal Government and private individuals to be able to create more centres across the 36 states and in Abuja.

She said that the donations would also empower youths and women who were classified as the most vulnerable in the society to eradicate unemployment and idleness.

“There is a great challenge in training these people as the facilities on ground cannot cover a whole lot of trainees we have.

“We therefore need the intervention of the Federal Government and private donations to be able to reduce corruption in the country.’’

(NAN)

Three of the four suspected vandals of public facilities in the FCT being paraded before newsmen over the weekend, with some manholes and drainage covers allegedly recovered from them by the NSCDC, FCT command.

Photo: Stanley Onyekwere

NSCDC recovers multi-million naira manholes, drainage covers from vandals

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has recovered huge number of major manhole and drainage covers worth about forty million naira from suspected vandals specialised in removing the critical protective infrastructure on major roads in the territory.

Speaking to Journalists while parading three suspected buyers and one supplier of the recovered items, over the weekend, the FCT Corps commandant, Aminu Abdulahi Kofarsoro, noted that the removal of these item constitute a serious threat to national security, especially in the wake of terrorism, insurgency and other issues of insecurity ravaging the country.

According to him, the corps based on a tip off it received, in collaboration with other relevant authorities for more months had employed a complete intelligence gathering operative strategies and mechanism in recovering the items as well as arresting the suspects.

…parades four suspects He said: “The vandals operate at night hour when people are asleep; during the rain time and odd hours when nobody moves around the street; and people doing this are all over the city; and there are syndicate group that purchase these items from those removing them from the streets.

“But what we’re doing and will continue to do is to keep complete surveillance and monitory of these critical infrastructures in the territory; which also calls for the residents of the territory to always report such incidences; because it’s a serious threat to national security It’s a serious threat to national security, when it comes to the issues of insecurity especially terrorism and insurgency activities in the country.”

The commandant said the corps would ensure that due process is followed to prosecute the suspects before a court of law after full investigation into their alleged involvement in the crime.

A representative of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Engr. Aminu Ja’afar, who

gave the approximate cost of the recovered items, said in terms of contractual cost, it stood at not less than forty million naira, as ‘they are not fixed by manual execution but most done through contract.’

On his part, Director, security services, in the office of the minister of the FCT, Bashir Muhammad, the successful recovering of the items wouldn’t have been easy without the intelligent report that FCTA received from other security agencies.

“On the receipt of that report, we decided to inform all the security agencies involved in maintaining security in the FCT”, he explained.

Also, Assistant Director, security services, FCTA, Adamu B. Gwary, said the effects of unwarranted and criminal removal of manhole and drainage covers on major roads, has not only created some environmental nuisance but it also endangers life of pedestals and the general public in the areas affected.

“Over time, the removal of critical infrastructure particularly those of manhole and

drainage covers has become a source of worry to the FCTA, because it will cost huge sum of money to get them replaced; and looking at the quantity of the items recovered it is a commendable action by the NSCDC to have recovered these items.

“The FCT authority will not relent in its effort, in whatever feasible form to support the NSCDC towards checkmating the rising menace of vandalism in the territory, so as to enhance protection of critical infrastructure and public safety”, he said.

One of the suspects, Izuah Nnadozie, who said he only deals in buying and supplying manhole and sewage covers in Dei-Dei Market, also added that he recently bought over six hundred pieces of the items from Jos and Aba, in plateau and Abia states, respectively.

Another suspect, a scavenger (name withheld), who admitted that for about six months, he has been engaged in roaming the streets, and removing the items, which he supplies to dealers located in Dei-Dei , Apo and Tura Gura market areas in the FCT. He said he sold each item for one thousandsix hundred naira, to irk a living.

Cleric urges Nigerians to see crises as pathway to fulfilling country’s destiny

R

ev.

Kefas Balewa, General Overseer, Christian Worship Centre, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, on Sunday advised Nigerians to see the current crises facing Nigeria as “a journey to fulfilling the country’s destiny’’.

In a sermon entitled: “The Pursuit of Destiny’’, Balewa stressed that Nigeria was on the

course of fulfilling its destiny as a great nation that would be reckoned with.

The cleric, however, observed that the road to the country’s greatness was filled with “thorns and various obstacles”.

Balewa, who likened the country’s crises to the time of famine in Israel, gave the assurance that God would surely

deliver Nigeria from the hands of its enemies.

“There are millions of believers who have millions of answers to the problems of our generation; all they need to do is to discover their purpose on earth.

“Let us all take our destiny into our hands by pursuing peace at all costs and showing love as God commanded us. He will

strengthen our steps and enlarge our nation,’’ he said.

Balewa noted that many Nigerians took to violence because of frustration, adding that this was because they failed to discover their purpose in life.

He called on Nigerian leaders to lay a solid foundation for the young generation of Nigerians via the provision of basic facilities, education and

exemplary leadership.

Balewa reiterated that God was preparing a place of leadership and greatness for the country, reminding the citizens that the challenges facing the country were only trials.

He expressed optimism that the trials “will catapult Nigeria to its rightful place among the nations of the world.’’ (NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Couple charged with operating illegal university T

he National Universities Commission (NUC) has filed a suit against one Pius Nwachukwu, 47, and his wife, Chika, at a Karu Chief Magistrates Court for allegedly operating an illegal university.

The commission alleged that the couple founded Temple University at Orozo, Abuja, without its approval.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the accused were arrested in October 2010 in the premises of the said university.

When the matter came up for

hearing on Friday, Nwachukwu told the court that he got temporary approval to operate a private university from Prof.

Julius Okojie.

Nwachukwu claimed that Okojie, “who is the Director General of the National Universities Commission, gave me the approval based on the existing relationship we had for long.’’

He was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Philip Gushit, before Chief Magistrate Shuaibu Ahmed.

“In spite of the temporary

approval given to me by Okojie, some group of armed policemen and staff of NUC invaded the school premises and arrested me and my wife, Chika, and took us to Karshi Police Station.

“We were detained at the station for four days and later charged to court, saying that we are operating an illegal university.

“I have a PhD certificate in Theology from Temple University International, my Alma Mata, and I am the representative of the school in Nigeria,’’ he added.

Asked how much he gave

Okojie to secure the temporary licence, he said, “I gave him N20, 000 to fuel his car as a good friend, that’s all.’’

Nwachukwu said he had so far enrolled 20 students for the distance learning degree programmes and had just three members of staff.

He failed to respond to a question as to whether the courses offered in the university were accredited by the NUC. The magistrate adjourned the case to June 13, 2013 for adoption of written addresses.

(NAN)

INSIDE FCT COURTS Court sentences man to 4 months in prison for stealing phone

A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court sentenced one David Olawale , a resident of Dutse Alhaji to four months in prison for stealing a phone from a man’s car.

Senior Magistrate Abdullazeez Anka handed down the judgment after the convict had pleaded guilty to the charge.

Earlier, police prosecutor David Udeh told the court that the convict was reported at Wuse Police Station

by Chinedu Okorie of Citec Estate, Utako, on April 30.

According to the prosecutor, the convict stole the phone from where the complainant parked his car at Crystal Lounge, Wuse 2, Abuja on April 26.

Udeh said the complainant forgot to lock the car and went into the lounge and that when he came back, he discovered that his Nokia E3 valued at N14, 000 had been stolen.

The prosecutor added that during police investigation, the said phone was recovered from the convict who admitted committing the crime.

However, the convict told the court that he committed the crime when the complainant was sleeping inside the car.

He pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that he would not steal again. (NAN)

Man remanded in prison for alleged intent to commit theft Two young men taking nap on a road, yesterday at Dobi village, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Man, 28, bags 2 weeks in prison for assault, mischief

A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court sentenced has one Timkap Vongdom, 28, to two weeks in prison for joint act, assault and mischief.

Vongdom was however given an option of N2, 000 in fine by Senior Magistrate Asma’u Akanbi after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

The police prosecutor, Cpl. Simon Emmanuel, told the court that Ruth Joseph of Godap Estate reported the matter at Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, on April 23.

Emmanuel said the convict and his accomplice, Nankat Audu, 25, went to Joseph’s shop and ordered two bottles of beer valued N280.

“The duo refused to pay and engaged Joseph in a fight when she demanded for money,’’ he said.

“They slapped the complainant twice on her face and assaulted her. Vongdom and Audu further destroyed two of the complainant’s plastic chairs.’’

The prosecutor said the

offence contravened section 79, 265 and 327 of the Penal Code.

Audu, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 and a surety in like sum.

Akanbi said the surety must live within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the case to May 6,2013 for hearing. (NAN)

Bricklayer, 33, gets six months imprisonment

A

Grade Two Area Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced a 33-year old bricklayer, Adamu Abdusalam of Jabi village, to six months imprisonment for stealing iron valued at N30,000.

The Presiding Officer, Mr Ahmed Ado, sentenced Abdulsalam after he pleaded guilty to the two-count charge of criminal trespass and theft.

The convict was sentenced to three months imprisonment with an option of N3,000 fine for the first count charge, while the second count charge attracted three months jail without fine.

Ado said the reason for the sentence without fine was because the convict had been convicted before and was given an option of fine and yet did not learn any lesson.

He said the sentence

would serve as a deterrent to others who would want to engage in such acts.

Police prosecutor Simon Ibrahim had earlier told the court that the case was reported at the Utako Police Station by one Mr Lawal Hassan of Utako on April 30.

According to Ibrahim, the convict criminally trespassed into the premises of the complainant (Hassan) and stole his irons.

He said during police investigation, the iron rods were recovered from the convict and he confessed to the crime.

The offence, according the prosecutor, violated sections 342 and 288 of the FCT Penal code which could attract up to seven years imprisonment.

The convict, who pleaded for leniency, also asked the court for a second chance. (NAN)

A

n Upper Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State on Friday remanded in prison one Mustapha Jibrin for an alleged intent to commit theft.

The police prosecutor, Mr Samuel Okoro, told the court that one Akilu Umar had on May 2 lodged a report about Jibrin at the Sani Abacha Road Police Station.

Okoro said the accused had allegedly jumped over the fence into the complainant’s compound with an intention to commit theft.

“Jibrin admitted to stealing two gas cookers and cooking pots in September 2012 from the same compound, ” he said.

The prosecutor said the accused thus committed criminal trespass and an attempt to commit theft, saying the two charges contravene sections 349 and 95 of the Penal Code.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The presiding judge, Mr Vincent Gwahemba, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison.

He adjourned the case to May 13, 2013 for hearing.(NAN)

BUSINESS

PAGE 19

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

Mob: 08033644990

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Fidelity Bank Issues $300 million 5-year Eurobond

FirstBank supports Nigeria’s economic growth, sponsors World Economic Forum in South Africa

By Abdulwahab Isa

D

etermined to ensure that Nigeria and indeed, Africa finds its feet among the world’s economic power blocks, Nigeria’s foremost financial institution, First Bank of Nigeria Plc has thrown its weight behind the 2013 World-Economic Conference on Africa.

The three day event, billed to kick off in Cape Town, South Africa on May 08, precedes the World Economic Forum coming up later this year in Davos, Switzerland.

The annual event, which is expected to attract leaders in business, finance, civil society groups and policy makers presents a good platform for African business leaders to brainstorm and come up with a road map on how to tackle issues that encumber the socio-economic development of

Africa. As the Regional Associate partner to WEF, FirstBank was the sponsor of both WEF corporate session in Lagos in 2012 and an active participant at the Addis Ababa conference also in 2012.

During the conference, the Bank will host exclusive breakfast meeting where critical economic issues bothering on deployment of capital in frontier markets, adapting innovative technologies and services, and fostering a friendly regulatory environment will be discussed.

The objective is to come up with strategies that would unlock business and investment opportunities in Nigeria.

Commenting on FirstBank’s sponsorship, Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney said the Bank’s support for the conference is in sync with its

position as a thought leader in Nigeria’s quest to grow its economy and the desire to drive infrastructural development through collaboration with business leaders and institutions

across the continent and the world at large.

“We are enthusiastic at the countless opportunities the conference platform offers to engage attendees from different

spheres of life, throwing up meaningful strategies for maximizing the potential that abounds in direct investment in the Nigeria and the continent as a whole.

FG puts measures to reduce domestic, external debt – Minister

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he Federal Government said it had put measures in place to reduce both domestic and external debt, by pegging their percentages to 19 per cent (domestic) and (external debt ) to 2 percent.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala made this declaration at the weekend, when a group of British investors, led by the Lord Mayor of the city of London, Mr. Roger Gifford visited her in her office.

Besides, it said the investment climate has been transformed rapidly making Nigeria the best investment destination in Africa.

With a foreign reserve of nearly $50 billion, a stable exchange rate, strong banking sector, massive human and natural resources, Nigeria has indeed become one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.

On the question of Nigeria’s debt management, the Minister informed the investors that due to past experiences, Nigeria is now allergic to borrowing and has also reduced its domestic debt to 19% and external debt to 2%.

The British investors are in Nigeria to explore investment opportunities in the country.

Speaking on the country’s economy, Okonjo-Iweala informed the British visitors that Nigeria, currently was the largest economy in West Africa and the second largest in Africa with potential to become the largest African economy in the next five years.

The Coordinating Minister said Nigeria has succeeded to

bring its inflationary rate to a single digit of 8.6%.

She assured the investors that Nigeria is relatively enjoying a stable exchange rate, clean and strong banking sector.

Notwithstanding, the Minister of Finance told the investors that despite the huge success the country has recorded in the macro-economic sphere, there are other challenges staring at the nation which include unemployment, poor infrastructure, corruption, governance challenge and power.

According to her, Nigeria is not relenting in tackling these challenges through several reforms in various sectors in order to rank among the eight strongest economies in the world, in no distant time.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, while detailing the steps so far taken in addressing these challenges said that through the Transformation Agenda of the present administration, Nigeria has tried to diversify the economy instead of depending on oil as the only source of income.

In her words, Agriculture and Entertainment have been given enough priority owing to their capacity to create jobs for Nigeria’s teaming unemployed youth.

L-R: Chairman, Governing Board, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Senator Walid Jibril, Head, Public Relations unit of National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mr. Sa’adu Salahu, and member, Governing Board, Federal Polytechnic, Ede Osun State, Abdul Razaq Lawal, during a meeting, recently in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa students urged to fly NDIC flag

By Aminu Imam

T

he role of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in protecting depositors’ interest has been described as a pivot to the nation’s financial stability and economic development.

This declaration was made by the Deputy Director Research, Policy and International Department (RPID), Dr. Usman Wali, when President and Members of the National Association of Banking and Finance Students (NABAFS), Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa visited the Head Office of the Corporation on an educational excursion.

Dr. Wali emphasised that the visit was crucial to the

enhancement of the NDIC’s public awareness on its mandate and activities. He urged the students to spread the knowledge gained during the visit to their friends, families and colleagues.

The Deputy Director pointed out that the operations of the NDIC were focused on its core mandate which include deposit guarantee, banking supervision, distress resolution and liquidation.

He said that the NDIC insured deposit liabilities of deposit money banks (DMBs), microfinance banks (MFBs) and primary mortgage banks (PMBs) licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), adding that each depositor of insured banks was entitled to receive up to N500,000 for DMBs and

Management Tip of the Day

E

2 strategic choices you have to make

very business leader should be able to create a good strategy. Think of it as the intersection of two critical dimensions: where to play and how to win there. First, decide the regions, customer segments, product categories, and channels in which you will operate.

Strategy is about doing some things and not others, so make clear where you won’t play as well. Then, find a distinctive way to win on your chosen playing field. Going to the same market with the same strategy as your competitors is a terrible move.

Choose specific activities that are

different from your competitor’s.

For example, if your competitor leverages its supply chain to have the fastest delivery cycle, don’t try to compete on speed. Instead, focus on customer experience or product quality.

Source: Harvard Business Review

N200,000 for MFBs and PMBs in the event of failure.

In their contributions, the representatives of Bank Examination Unit (BEU) and Insurance and Surveillance Department (ISD), Mr. Shehu Aladire and Mr. Okechukwu Amadi spoke about the NDIC onsite and off-site operational activities which were aimed at operational efficiency and compliance with banking rules and regulations as well as safety, soundness and stability of the banking system.

Mr. Aladire identified the four types of on-site bank examination as maiden, routine, target and special examinations and noted that majority of the infractions in the banks were largely due to lack of corporate governance, weak internal control system, insider abuses, high volume of non-performing loans and erosion of shareholders funds.

Mr. Amadi informed the students that the off-site examination was conducted through the electronic and financial analysis system (eFASS) to determine the financial condition of the banks and to detect early signs of distress.

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS

ECB

T

he European Central Bank issued the new five euro bill in Bratislava, Slovakia shortly after the ECB lowered interest rates by 0.25 percentage points.

The new bill is the first of the “Europa” series after the five euro banknote was officially unveiled by ECB President, Mario Draghi in Frankfurt on January 10, 2013.

According to the ECB, ‘the new banknotes are to be introduced gradually over several years, in ascending order. The denominations remain unchanged: •5, •10, •20, •50, •100, •200 and •500.”

Insurance Coys

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

NAICOM issues new guidelines for Islamic finance firms Stories from Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

T

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has issued new guidelines to oversee the operation of its Takaful (Islamic insurance) industry, favoring a centralised format that is gaining favour across the Islamic finance world.

Nigeria, home to the largest Muslim population in subSaharan Africa, hopes the

guidelines will boost insurance penetration.

Its insurance sector had total assets of N621 billion ($3.9 billion) as of December 2011, according to official data.

The guidelines, issued last month, require each Takaful firm to establish an advisory council of experts; at least two of the experts must be shari’ah scholars appointed to four-year terms, which are subject to renewal.

F

idelity Bank has issued a $300 million 5-year Eurobond paying a 6.875 percent coupon and priced at a discount to give a 7 percent yield, the bank said on Friday.

A senior official at Fidelity, who declined to be named, said

the bond sale was completed on Thursday.

Citibank and Deutsche Bank were joint lead managers on the deal, a prospectus obtained by Reuters shows.

Fidelity CEO Reginald Ihejiahi told Reuters last month

I

T

he Federal Government is losing at least N3.2bn annually in taxes revenue to the activities of illegal chartered airlines in the country, investigation has shown.

Airline industry sources said about 50 aircraft were currently carrying out illegal charter services in the country. According to the sources, most of the illegal charter airlines are based at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

The illegal charter airlines, it was learnt, often carry rich Nigerians, especially business moguls, politicians and political office holders.

Under the guidelines, sharia scholars can only be members of one advisory council at a time and must undergo a formal assessment to ensure appropriate training and experience. Islamic scholars are experts in financial and religious law, but they are not certified or accredited like other professions, so regulators are increasingly developing ways to ensure the hiring of experienced and financially literate scholars.

Fidelity Bank Issues $300 million 5-year Eurobond

nsurance companies have paid a total sum of N23.5bn as claims in four major flood and fire disasters recorded in some parts of the country in the last four years.

Last year, some insurers were asked to pay N7bn to Dangote Sugar Refinery Company Plc after the firm was razed by fire. The fund was to mitigate the heavy loss the company suffered in the disaster.

Also, the total claims emanating from the Dana plane crash of June 3, 2012 have been estimated at N5bn.

Illegal Chartered Airlines

The commission will in turn establish a takaful advisory council of its own to oversee industry products and practices, mirroring the centralised approach favoured by countries such as Malaysia and Oman.

Advisory council members must comply with eligibility criteria and an internal code of conduct, and attend a minimum 75 percent of meetings or face disqualification.

that the planned bond was part of a funding drive for projects with dollar financing needs, including in oil, power and infrastructure.

Foreign investor appetite for emerging market debt is soaring, as the hunt for yield amid rock-bottom interest rates in Western countries pushes bond buyers further afield.

Samir Gadio, emerging market strategist at Standard

Bank, said the issue price had been 99.48 percent and that the bond gives a spread over U.S. Treasuries of 635 basis points.

He added that fair value would have been between 6.5 percent and 6.75 percent yield, but said he expected the bond to perform well nonetheless, since the deal was not widely marketed and the global environment remains one of low global rates and ample liquidity.

SEC postpones compliance date on E-Dividend

T

Inflation rates from Apr, 2012 to Mar, 2013 Max = 12.9%, Min = 8.6% for period in display.

Current Inflation rate = 8.6%.

Source:CBN

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has postponed the deadline for transitioning to e-dividend payment initially fixed for June 3, 201 indefinitely.

The postponement was consequent upon the feedback received from various stakeholders in the capital market. According to the SEC, the postponement “will enable the Commission to further enlighten retail investors and other investing publics on the merits of e-dividend payment.

“The Commission is also engaging the monetary authorities on modalities for edividend to be paid into both savings and current accounts,”

Earnings Report for Banks Source:Pro-share Nigeria

SEC said in a statement. “We hereby assure all investors that protecting their interest is the key focus of the Commission.

In this respect, the Commission is seeking to ensure that investors no longer lose their dividends due to diversion and loss of dividend warrants. “We also encourage listed companies and registrars to do all that is necessary to reduce the quantum of unclaimed dividends. The Commission has made available a dedicated telephone line: +234 9 4621166 and an e-mail portal: edividend@sec.gov.ng to get feedbacks.

SEC had recently released a Circular to Investors/ Shareholders of Public Companies on E-Dividend Payment requesting that all investors/ shareholders should forward their Bank account details to their respective Registrars/ Stockbrokers on or before 3rd June, 2013 in order to facilitate the e-payment of future dividends.

The Commission explained that the move was dictated by ‘the background of the scandalous situation where the market is beset with the unusual affliction/ situation called ‘unclaimed dividends’; the action should be welcome by all interested in an integrated marketplace.

The introduction of Edividend payment system is expected to reduce to the barest minimum the accumulation of unclaimed dividend(s) in the financial system and also ensure that shareholders/investors get their dividends promptly and as such improving confidence in the market.

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

NSE All-Share Index crosses 35,000 mark in five years From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) reported on Friday that its AllShare Index (ASI) crossed to 35,000 mark for the first time after the capital market crashed in 2008.

The index appreciated by 606.95 points or 1.76 per cent to close at 35,109.33 on Friday from the 34,502.38 posted on Thursday.

Similarly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N11.03 trillion, grew

by N194 billion to close at

T

N11.23 trillion as a result of price appreciation.

Guinness led the gainers’ table by N7.87 to close at N274.02 per share.Dangote Cement appreciated by N6.80 to close at N185, while UACN inched by N5.88 to close at N64.68 per share. Total Nigeria Plc gained N5 to close at N143, while Nigerian Breweries rose by N1.49 to close at N161.50 per share.

Analysts attributed the renewed interest in the equities to improved first quarter results

released by some companies this week. They also attributed the new interest to the dividend of N1.50 and bonus of one for five shares proposed by UACN in the 2012 financial year.

Conversely, Beta Glass topped the losers’ chart by 67k to close at N10 per share. Ashaka Cement dipped by 45k to close at N23.30, while ETI lost 24k to close at N15.21 per share. RT Briscoe dropped 18k to close at N1.62, while UBA Capital lost 12k to close at N1.08 per share.

The volume of shares traded

appreciated by 89.10 per cent due to the exchange of 573.47 million shares worth N5.41 billion in 4,958 deals. This was against the 303.26 million shares valued at N3.75 billion traded in 5,756 deals on Thursday.

UBA was the toast of investors, accounting for 362.55 million shares worth N2.54 billion. Skye Bank sold 33.01 million shares valued at N190.59 million, while FBN Holdings recorded a turnover of 22.20 million shares worth N434.12 million.

Dangote Cement’s Q1 per share earnings rise by 79.5% L

eading cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc has released its first quarter results for 2013 indicating a jumbo rise in its earnings per share to N3.16, an increase of 79.5 per cent over the corresponding period last year.

In its just released unaudited results for the three months ending March 31, the pre-tax profit also rose to N53.7 billion and increase of 80.6 per cent, indicating good returns on investment for its shareholders.

The results came on the heels of new management decision to automate its operations and processes in order to respond more rapidly to its customers’ needs.

The first quarter results, which showed that strong increase in sales outpaced good market growth and improvement in margins is a confirmation of the Company’s promise last year that the management would not relent in its avowed commitment to ensure the Cement company

remains the market leader.

The Consolidated Group’s revenue in the financial highlights came up by 39.5 per cent to ¦ 95.4bn, while the gross profits rose by 64.7 per cent to ¦ 66.0bn. The Consolidated Earnings before interest and Taxation (EBIT) moved up by 77.8 per cent to ¦ 55.4bn at 58.1 per cent margin.

Chief Executive of Dangote Cement, Devakumar Edwin said the year has begun well for Dangote Cement and “our 38 per cent increase in volumes

far outpaced the Nigerian market’s strong growth of 16%.

Our gas supply has been better this year and that has driven margins upwards from the first quarter of 2012, when our new capacity at Ibese and Obajana was just coming on stream.

“We are increasing our focus on delivering directly to our customers and have made it easier for them to order and pay for our cement. This has allowed us to improve our position in the market and we remain confident of a good year”, he stated.

Nigeria will become gateway to African capital markets - Dangote

T

he President, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Alhaji Aliko Dangote says Nigeria will soon be the gateway to African capital markets.

Dangote made the forecast at the 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NSE on Friday in Lagos.

He said that Nigeria would launch the derivatives market in 2014 to increase the number of tradable products.

According to Dangote, the NSE has invested N40 million in the Nigerian Association of Securities Dealers Ltd (NASD) to boost the market.

He said that the investment was made during the financial year ended Dec.31, 2012..NASD is a formal Over-the-Counter (OTC) platform for the trading

Commission (SEC) in December 2012 approved the NASD application to establish the OTC platform. Dangote said that the sum of N50 million was also invested in FMDQ OTC Plc, a newly established firm registered to carry out the business of securities dealings.

Besides, he said that the firm was promoting and Chairman Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote of unlisted equities, bonds and money market instruments adding that the NSE acquired 6.86 percent through private placement offer to diversify its revenue stream.

The NSE president said that the Securities and Exchange

overseeing OTC market platforms for trading securities.”We made a strategic decision to invest in FMDQ to broaden our market reach, diversify revenue stream and to remain at the forefront of an evolving globally competitive financial market,” Dangote said.

He said that the exchange owned 7.79 per cent of FMDQ.

Nestle Nigeria’s Q1 pre-tax profit falls to N7.05bn

N

estle Nigeria said on Friday, its first quarter pretax profit fell by 4.08 percent to N7.05 billion, compared with N7.35 billion a year ago.

Total revenue at the local

Source:Pro-share Nigeria

unit of the world’s biggest food group, Nestle SA, however rose to N30.69 billion from N28.67 billion last year, the company said in a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

INVESTORS NEWS BITS CAC

T

he Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) may introduce new regulations to strengthen the process of registration of new businesses in Nigeria to check fraud.

For instance, prospective directors of new firms seeking registration would be required to submit two passport photographs of each of the directors.

The Chairman of the Commission, Otunba Lawal said by repositioning and putting a new regulation’s in place are necessary to ensure that unfit and improper people do not register firms or use such for fraudulent and terrorist purposes rather to achieve better service delivery.

Union Bank Plc

U

nion Bank of Nigeria Plc has recorded a 33 per cent rise in its gross earnings for the financial year ended December 31, 2012.

Its full year results, released to the Nigerian Stock Exchange showed that gross earnings rose to N112.8bn.

The bank’s profit before tax stood at N7.9bn, up from a loss of N102.6bn the previous year, while its profit after tax rose to N7.9bn as against the loss of N76.7bn of the year before.

Enterprise Bank Plc

E

nterprise Bank Limited became the first among the bridged banks to make public its financial reports as it revealed that its gross earnings increased significantly to N40.4billion as at December 2012, compared to the N10.5 billion achieved in the fivemonth period ended 2011.

The bank also realised a profit before tax (PBT) of N11.3 billion as at December 31, 2012, as against a loss of N5.2billion recorded in the fivemonth period it operated as at December 2011.

Enterprise Bank was created from the carcass of the defunct Spring Bank on August 5, 2011.

UAC

U

AC Nigeria Plc, which has interests in food products, logistics and real-estate services, climbed to a record after saying it plans to pay a dividend and issue bonus shares.

The stock gained a second day, rising 10 percent to 64.68 naira by the close in Lagos, the highest since at least January 2002 when Bloomberg began compiling the data. UAC proposed a bonus of one share for every five held and dividend of 1.60 naira each for 2012, it said in a Nigerian Stock Exchange filing on Friday.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 22

‘No stable power supply in Nigeria until 2050’ - Expert

D

espite Nigeria’s g o v e r n m e n t ’ s posturing that Nigerians will enjoy steady electricity by 2015, experts say darkness may persist until 2050. And stable power supply may never be enjoyed in this generation.

An expert has told Reuters news agency that Nigeria would need about 140,000MW to guarantee stable power supply.

Nigeria is still scores of years away at this threshold. At present, it generates a meagre 4,000 MW for a population estimated at 170 million.

South Africa, with a population of about 50 million people, produces about 40,000 megawatts of electricity and has been trying in recent years to increase output.

“It will probably take Nigeria another 50 years before

it attains the same level of electricity consumption per capita as South Africa currently enjoys today,” David Ladipo, whose company Azura is spending $700 million to build a 450 MW plant, told Reuters.

In comparison, Brazil, with a population of 190 million people, produces nearly 100,000mw of electricity while Egypt, which is half the size of Nigeria, (82 million people), produces 26,000mw and Indonesia, with a population of 240 million people, produces 30,000mw.

The United States with a population of 311 million people and with a total electricitygenerating capacity of nearly 1.3 million megawatts was the biggest producer of electricity in the world until a few months ago. It has now been overtaken

by China which produces close

to 1.4 million megawatts.

In 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan pledged that Nigeria would boost generation from 3,000 megawatts (MW) to 10,000 MW by the end of 2013, and 40,000 MW by 2020.

Analysts view this as a mirage.

Ladipo says electricity output could grow to 6,000 mw in the next two years and to 9,000 MW by 2020, before seeing a potential boom as post-privatization investment kicks in.

“Privatization is months behind schedule and government is struggling to get the funding it needs for crucial transmission and gas supply infrastructure. Powerful labour unions are blocking attempts to pay off 40,000 state electricity workers,” Reuters said.

“The African Development Bank (AfDB) is providing $150

Tablet sales soar as Blackberry boss predicts market’s death

million to aid with transmission and some of the $1 billion debut Eurobond would help with upgrades. But in Nigeria, just making the money available doesn’t always mean it will be used wisely,” Reuters said.

“Nigeria says it has found N340 billion ($2.1 billion) to pay off the workers, but they remain reluctant to leave.

“The AfDB is providing $150 million to aid with transmission and some of the $1 billion debut Eurobond would help with upgrades. But in Nigeria, just making the money available

doesn’t always mean it will be used wisely,” Reuters said.

About $40 billion had been invested in many power reform drives in the last 20 years, with nothing to show for it. Nigeria is in the process of breaking up the defunct state power company into 17 private generation and distribution companies and selling them for about $2.5 billion in total, as part of efforts to increase electricity output tenfold over the next seven years.

(Source: Reuters)

UN signs MoU with PTDF on capacity building initiative

By Etuka Sunday

T

he United Nations through its agency for Training and research has signed a partnership agreement with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to promote innovative ways of managing education scholarship programmes and facilitate job placement opportunities for scholars of the Fund in local and international oil companies at the end of their training.

A statement by PTDF said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was endorsed by UN Assistant Secretary General/ Executive Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Sally FeganWyles and the Acting Executive Secretary, PTDF, Mr. Jolomi Arenyeka during the 53rd

session of the Board of Trustees of UNITAR at the Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research is the UN organ responsible for capacity building, knowledge system management and supports member countries of the UN in local development programmes and issues of governance.

The Board of Trustees, which meets twice a year comprises eminent people of different nationalities, who have made remarkable achievements in governance, literature and human development.

Prominent on the agenda of the first meeting of the Board for the year 2013 was the signing of the partnership agreement with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

Nigeria moves to boost economic relations with Austria, Slovakia

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

A

T

ablet computer shipments soared in the first quarter of 2013, growing by 142.4% compared with the same period in 2012, according to analysts IDC. Figures suggested more tablets were shipped from January to March 2013 than in the entire first half of 2012.

Apple remains the biggest brand in the market with a 39.6% share.

The figures come just days after Blackberry boss Thorsten Heins predicted tablets would be dead by 2018.

In an interview with

Bloomberg, the chief executive said: “In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet any more.

“Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”

According to IDC, there were 49.2 million tablets shipped in January, February and March.

Apple’s iPad range accounted for 19.5 million of those devices.

While that was nearly 8 million more tablets than for the same period last year, it still meant that the US firm no longer dominated the market with the

58% share it used to have.

Other analysts have noted that many newer tablets particularly 7in (18cm) models - were selling at almost cost price, leading to minimal profits despite the boom in units shipped.

Samsung proved the second most popular vendor with 8.8 million tablets shipped and a 17.9% market share, according to IDC. Blackberry’s own tablet, the heavily delayed Playbook, has failed to meet sales expectations since being launched in late 2011.

(Source: BBC News)

s part of Federal Government's efforts to attract direct foreign investment into the country, and consequent upon the signing of the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) in Vienna, Austria between Nigeria and Austria on 8 April, 2013, the Nigerian Embassy in Vienna will, in collaboration with the relevant Nigerian government MDAs and the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce, organise a Business/ Investment Forum in Vienna on 26 to 28 June 2013.

A one day forum will equally be organised in collaboration with the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The Business/Investment Forum will provide the much needed impetus for a renewed and sustainable re-engagement between the Organized Private Sectors of Nigeria and Austria and open the chapter of economic relations between Nigeria and Slovakia.

Austria boasts of a welldeveloped market economy and a skilled labour force. The Austrian economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, a highly developed agricultural sector, and

a well-developed tourism sector which derives from a conserved culture.

These features place Austria among the 12 richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita. In spite of the current crises in Eurozone, the country has maintained an economic growth of about 3.3 percent and an unemployment rate of less than 4 percent, thereby making it a model among EU countries.

The IPPA signed constitutes a platform for increasing Nigeria/ Austria trade relations to our mutual benefit in almost every known sector, be it manufacturing, cottage industries, information technology, petrochemical, medical, tourism, lumber and wood processing, agriculture, agro-industry, food processing, power, renewable energy, textiles, water management, sanitation, construction, transportation, housing, oil and gas, etc.

For its part, Slovakia, which is only 45 minutes' drive away from the Austrian capital of Vienna, has one of the EU member states' highest GDP growth in 2012.

Slovakia itself offers a haven for foreign investors, having undergone major privatization since its separation from the Czech Republic 20 years ago.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

NFVCB 1st consumer parliament: Experts, consumers warn against production of voodoo movies

By A’isha Biola Raji

A

s each day passes by, movie industries improve their production giving room to increase in the number of viewers.

As new technologies grow and become part of our daily routine, it is imperative to be careful concerning movies that are released into the society in order to avoid sending wrong signal.

This carefulness is embedded in the censorship of movies. In Nigeria, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) is the agency saddled with the task of sifting films and videos being released for consumers’ consumption.

This agency,with the mission to contribute to the positive transformation of Nigerian society through the censorship and classification of film and video works, whilst balancing the need to preserve freedom of expression within the law, and limit social harm caused by films was established in 1993 under ACT No 83.

Based on its responsibilities, the agency last Week, called for its first Consumer Parliament of the Nigeria Film Industry. The

event was aimed at sharing ideas especially between consumers of films and videos and producers drawn from different geopolitical zones and tribes in Nigeria.

The idea of the parliament was to enumerate areas that need improvement in film production and also commend the good part of it.

Attention was however drawn to the current trend of voodoo movies which according to experts might not portray the good image of the country.

Setting the tone at the event, Dr. Tom Adaba, former Director General National Broadcasting Cooperation (NBC), also the Chairman of the event said for film production to meet consumer standard, there is need for feedback which is the integral aspect of film production. He said in 1993 when NFVCB was created as a board to monitor film production, there were hues of suggestions, indicating why it was a duplication of NBC but today, the idea of establishing the board is not only commendable but have been able to monitor the activities of film production in the country.

He said, “Today, we credit whosoever

conceived the idea of establishing the board. “We can see the horizon of film and video producers today.”

Comparing the two regulatory bodies, he said as NBC monitors different radio and television stations springing up and having different dynamism, there are challenges that have to do with ‘contents.’

“No stations can just produce anything for consumers, just as no film maker or video producer can produce just anything in the name of content for consumers without NFVCB regulating such content,” he said.

He called on all stakeholders involved in the task of monitoring videos and movies especially producers to shift attention to ideas meant at changing the society to positive.

“Create a blend from what the society stand for and what it should be,” he called.

According to Dr. Adaba, Nigeria, through films are viewed more as voodoo society with no fear of God. “We can do more than this in creative act by portraying positivity about Nigeria, he called.”

In her opening remarks, the Acting Director General of the board (NFVCB) Ms. Patricia Bala said the goal of the agency is to be at the

NFVCB activities which include a consumer parliament forum, could be likened to the current good tour being carried out by the ministry. According to Maku, the good governance tour is giving the people (electorates), the opportunity to air their minds. He said, “There is a platform for people of each state to interact with their leaders just like the consumer parliament of NFVCB is aiming at having public view examined.

The former Director General of NFVCB, Mr. Emeka Mba also in his goodwill message put forth the challenge of moral ambiguity of wrongly projecting the image of Nigeria as a country. He said it is imperative that, the agency will continue to face

this challenge which has to do with how stakeholders in every sector handle issues including movies that are released into the nation’s society at large. “We expect people handling matters in all sectors to do the right thing.

“There is a responsibility we all share and projecting Nigeria in positive light is this responsibility,” he advised.

He said movie production is a cake which consumers eat and that they, (consumers) should work with producers by interacting and aiding nfvcb in the area of pointing out movies that should not have been released and those that are commendable like movies that bring together different ethnic groups in harmonious co-existence.

Sharing experience with

“

Ag DG NFVCB Ms. Patricia Bala with Prof. John Ellah of University of Jos

fore front of all the regulatory agencies in the world anchored on best practices. She said, “This

consumer parliament amplifies the passion and commitment towards moving the film industry to

From right: Ag DG NFVCB Ms. Patricia Bala, Mr. Lodam Ndam Rep of Minister of Information, Dr. Tom Adaba Former DG NBC and Chairman of the occasion and Mr. Emeka Mba, former DG NFVCB at the forum

the next level.”

She said by the end of the forum, producers of movies would have realized the need to widen their imagination by thinking out of the box, producing movies that would stand the test of time.

It would also analyse the view of the general public and see to it that, their expectations are met. “This way, we will build alliances and synergies while we also establish standards to improve on the image of the industry and Nigeria globally,” she described.

According to her, Nollywood’s success as the third largest movie industry in terms of production ought to be one of the major platforms of Nigeria’s upcoming social and economic engagement.

According to Acting D.G, there are challenges which the board face in terms of monitoring since the agency need to go out on the field in order to achieve its monitoring goal. “We need to check and make sure that, the films are distributed out there are films that have been approved by the board but this hasn’t been easy because of inadequate fund.

“We only have vehicles in

our zonal headquarters and we have about thirty offices in thirty states which imply that, we only have six vehicles in the six zonal offices,” she lamented.

The Acting D.G also pointed out the challenges of piracy, appropriate content suitable to the Nigerian brand that is expected to be projected to the world, marketing and distribution standard that fit into international best practice, competitiveness in the global world and other various challenges.

Despite all the challenges, she said the board is intending to spread the interactive forum to the states in order to preserve the rights of consumers. “We are trying to make sure that the portrayal of wrong impression movies are minimized,” she said.

Ms. Patricia however commended the emergence of different branches of Nollywood like Kannywood and so on.

She described them as tools for proper coexistence among the numerous ethnic groups in

Nigeria.

Also in his remarks, the Information minister, Mr. Labaran Maku who was at the event represented by Mr. Lodam Ndam said

Participants at the forum

We only have vehicles in our zonal headquarters and we have about thirty offices in thirty states which imply that, we only have six vehicles in the six zonal offices

NFVCB, Mr. Tony Ojobo of Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) said the similarity between NCC and nfvcb is that, both are regulating public service. He described the purpose of organizing a parliament as a means of getting feed-back from consumers in the presence of consumers.

He said, “NFVCB is doing the same through this consumer parliament.

“There is a synergy between NCC and NFVCB that is based on movies that are produced via the telecommunication channel.”

According to him, regulation should be complied with and enforcement should be put in place to achieve proper regulation. He said, “There is power in branding and producers should be careful about how they project Nigeria especially as concerns voodoo movies.”

Professor John EIlla, University of Jos, Theatre Arts and Creative Writing called on the need to change school curriculum in order to have suitable theatre arts and creative writing curriculum for the present day generation and the ideas therein. He said Nollywood should partner with Nigerian police in order to project its responsible image. “There should be policy in place to finance the movie industry,” he called.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013 08028402920 sbejike@gmail.com

Federal High Court and 40 years of justice delivery

4

0 years ago and precisely on the 13th day of April, 1973, the Federal Revenue Court came into existence by the Promulgation of Decree No. 13 of 1973 by the General Gowon Administration.

In the Second Republic, the Court metamorphosed into Federal High Court by virtue of Section 228 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979.

The idea of having a High Court of the Federation first cropped up during the Constitutional Conference leading to Independence.

The conception was to establish a High Court for the determination of Cases and Matters within the Exclusive Legislative List as is Customary in Countries with Federal System of Government like Nigeria.

Unfortunately, no concrete step was taken in this direction until 1973.

The Court started with the Head of Court, then known as the President with four pioneer Judges, viz: Hon. Justice S.O. Lambo, Hon. Justice A.A. Adediran, Hon. Justice J.O. PhilEbosie, Hon. Justice F.O. Anyaegbunam and Hon. Hon. Justice M.B. Belgore, all of blessed memories.

Controversies over the Court’s jurisdiction from inception plagued every decision of the Court, but the controversies were settled with the enactment of Section 230(1) of the 1979 Constitution.

Furthermore, Section 231 of the 1979 Constitution was replicated in the Federal High Court (Amendment) Decree which amended Section 7 of the Federal High Court Act (1973); and conferred exclusive jurisdiction on the Court with regard to subject-matters covered

by Section 7 of that Act as amended.

At present, Section 7 of the Federal High Court (Amendment) Decree of 1991 dealing with civil causes and matters had been reenacted as Section 251 (1)(a) – (s) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

On the other hand, the Criminal Jurisdiction of the Court are provided for in Section 251 (2) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

The Court has concurrent

The Federal High Court in Nigeria under the leadership of Justice Ibrahim Auta has commenced activities marking 40th year of its existence. Sunday Ejike Benjamin takes a look at the court’s 40 years of justice delivery in the country.

jurisdiction with both the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and State High Courts in respect of Fundamental Rights matters by virtue of Section 46(i) of the Constitution.

At a time when the adjudicatory system of the Court became extremely slow, ineffective and frustrating for Litigants and the need for reevaluation and re-appraisal became apparent, Hon. Justice Abdullahi Mustapha, as the then Head of Court rose to the challenge. He enacted Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009 pursuant to powers conferred on him by Section 254 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

The enactment of the Rules was to enhance expeditious determination of Civil Cases and Matters before the Court.

In the same vein, Hon. Justice D.D. Abutu as head of Court in 2011 enacted a new Admiralty Procedure Rules.

The Federal High Court as a Premier Court of first instance from a humble beginning with five pioneering Judges, now has 65 Judges and has recorded impressive growth and has also

become a pillar in the Federal Judiciary.

The Court now has 37 Judicial Divisions and has put up its own Permanent Buildings in 26 Divisions including, Abuja which is the Headquarters of the Court.

As part of activities marking

FCT Minister Sen. Bala Mohammed

the 40th Anniversary of the Court, the Chief Judge of the Court, Hon. Justice Ibrahim N. Auta, in company of his brother Judges and Staff at the Headquarters of the Court, on 23rd April, 2013 declared open the colourful Photo Exhibition of the Judicial Officers, Heads of Departments, Court Buildings and activities of the Court from inception till date.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Judge said: “We have made our mark in stabilizing the polity and given hope to the proverbial ordinary man”.

He added that the gallery will tell the visitors brief history of the Court. The Chief Judge also launched the Court’s Electronic Cause List that displays among other things: Suit/Charge numbers, parties and date of adjournment.

Justice Auta described the Electronic Cause List as the first of its kind in the entire Nigerian Judiciary.

Other ceremonies marking the Court’s 40th Year Anniversary are scheduled to hold between 9th and 13th of December, 2013 at the Headquarters Complex of the Court.

The ceremonies will, among other things feature, Devotional Thanksgiving Services at the

National Ecumenical Centre and National Mosque, Abuja respectively, Prison visits by the Chief Judge, Novelty football match between Federal High Court Judges and Members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Legal Symposium involving legal icons in Nigeria as Guest Speakers and Discussants and Ceremonial Court Session.

Other programmes to mark the anniversary include, Cutting of Anniversary Cake, Chief Judges Annual Merit Award/Long Service Awards, Send-forth of 2013 retirees, End of Year Get-Together and Cultural dances.

“As we reflect on the evolution of the Federal Revenue Court and its constitutional metamorphosis into Federal High Court, we say to God be the Glory for the impressive growth, development and contributions of the Court in the administration of justice in the country.

“We wish the Hon. Chief Judge and his brother Judges a robust adjudication and excellence in the years ahead. Congratulations to the Federal High Court of Nigeria”, were the simple submissions of the Chief Registrar of the Court, Mrs. R.O. DugboOghoghorie.

Hearing in alleged certificate forgery suit against Akume resumes tomorrow Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

Federal High Court, Abuja will tomorrow begin hearing in the alleged certificate forgery suit against a former governor of Benue state and Senator representing Benue North-West Senatorial District of Benue state, George Akume.

Akume was dragged to court over alleged forgery of his West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate.

The Plaintiff, Comrade Philip

Agbese, through his lead counsel, Chief Amobi Nzelu wants the court to declare that Akume did not possess the certificate number SCO 39633 allegedly issued to him

by Government Secondary School Oturkpo, Benue State in 1971.

He joined WAEC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Inspector General of Police and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as 2nd to 5th defendants in the suit.

Agbese, a civil rights activist is also asking the court to declare

that the result allegedly issued to Akume by WAEC did not belong to him and that the defendant did not obtain any degree from the University of Ibadan or any recognised university in Nigeria.

The plaintiff also asked the court to declare that whatever documents that were presented to INEC by Akume consequent upon which he was cleared to contest the gubernatorial election in Benue state especially the West African Certificate No SCO 39633 and the University of

Ibadan certificate and NYSC discharge certificate No. 043655 were false.

He also wanted a declaration that the senatorial seat of Benue North-West senatorial district of Benue state being occupied by Akume was vacant having not possessed the requisite qualification to contest for the said position.

Agbese also asked the court for an injunction restraining Akume from parading himself as a senator representing Benue North- West

senatorial district of Benue State.

In a 24- paragraph affidavit deposed to by the plaintiff, he averred that the document submitted to INEC by Akume for clearance for the senatorial election were not made known to the public as required by law to enable people raise claims and objections.

He also averred that the documents submitted to INEC by Akume consequent upon which he was cleared to contest the election were fake and forged.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Jonathan promises to promote African University of Science,Technology P resident Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said Federal Government would promote the emergence of African University of Science and Technology (AUST) as a research institution.

He said that this would enable the university to contribute new discoveries and innovations vital to the growth of knowledge-based economy in the country.

Jonathan made the pledge at the 4th Convocation of the University in Abuja.

The president, represented by the Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Ita Bassey-Ewa, expressed the hope that Nigeria would make its much desired mark in the global economy.

He said that science and technology were the engines of economic growth and prosperity in any country.

The president said that the development of science had been apparent in western and eastern countries over the last few centuries.

He cited China and India as countries that have advanced their economies significantly through science and technology. ``However, in the case of Africa, the number of scientists and engineers per million people is still largely inadequate."

Jonathan stressed the need to urgently develop strategies that would enable Africa develop into the knowledgebased player in the global market which the time demands. ``Here in Nigeria, our target is to develop into one of the top 20 global economies by 2020. ``This is a goal that can only be achieved if we consolidate on our development of world-class capacity in science and technology," he said.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Chairperson of the board of AUST, called on the graduates to be worthy ambassadors of Africa.

She congratulated the class of 2013 on the successful completion of their degree programmes at AUST, noting that ``this year is a historic year in the life of AUST." The minister said that AUST also at the convocation graduated its first PhD student, Mr Yekini Shehu, in Pure and Applied Mathematics.

She called on the students to

remember that much ``is expected of them in the years ahead.'' ``We expect you lead lives of service in which you use your knowledge of science, technology and innovation to contribute to the sustainable development of Africa."

The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, hailed the efforts of President Jonathan in promoting science

M

continent and its people."

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 64 MSc students graduated in Computer Science, Materials Science, Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Pure and Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.

Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of awards to dignitaries who had contributed to the growth of AUST. (NAN)

Standing (2nd left), Mr. Joe Kyari Gadzama, SAN, Chairman, Board of Trustees, University of Maiduguri Alumni Association addressing members on the 1st annual general meeting (AGM) of the body on Saturday, in Abuja. 1st left is Dr. Rukayyat A. S. Gurin, member of the BoT; 2nd right is Malam Imamudeen Talba, National President of the UniMaid Alumni Association; while 1st right is Mrs. Affiniki Hananiya, Secretary General of the body.

Adeboye urges NYSC members, students to involve God in their dealings

P

astor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), yesterday urged Nigerian students and NYSC members to involve God in everything they do to ensure success.

He gave the advice at a special prayer session organised for students and NYSC members at the church's national headquarters in Ebute Meta, Lagos.

Adeboye urged them to always put their trust in God, assuring them that He would bless the work of their hands.

He stressed that unless God blessed a

Mixed reactions trail UTME results ore reactions have followed the result of the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examinations released by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Friday.

Some parents and candidates in Bwari, Abuja, on Saturday complained of some challenges in accessing the JAMB portal to check results.

A worker with Federal Government Girls' College in Bwari, Mrs Grace Okoronkwo, said her son had not been able to access the results since they were released on Friday.

While others have been able to check their results, many students complained that their results were being withheld for various reasons displayed on the portal.

A candidate, David Okoronkwo, said he had been making efforts at accessing the portal for a long time but expressed optimism that with time he would access

and technology in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

President and Provost of AUST, Prof. Wole Soboyejo, called on the graduating students not to forget the mission of the institution to use science and technology to develop Africa. ``You are the agents of change that we hope will transform our continent. You should, therefore, use your skills and knowledge to do things that add value to our

his results.

Mr Chris Abah, a teacher, however advised that JAMB could take more time to scrutinise the results before releasing them to ensure that results were not withheld in error. `` I don't know why the board should rush in releasing the results; ordinarily, one would have expected that the board would take time to address some challenges of some candidates before the results are released,'' he said.

NAN recalls that more than 1.7 million candidates wrote the UTME on April 27, compared with more than 1. 4 million candidates who wrote the examination in 2012.

The examination board had announced that 10 candidates scored more than 300 marks in the examination as against three candidates who performed at the same level in 2012. (NAN)

man, his efforts would remain futile. ``Unless God blesses the work of a man's hand, he will be labouring in vain; if God is not involved in any activities you are doing, it will be futile. ``When God is behind you, there is always a success story, anything you touch will become manna,'' he said.

Adeboye, however, urged the students and NYSC members to be hardworking; while resisting any form of slothfulness.

He appealed to them to obey God in totality, saying: ``Obey all God's commandments, as the blessing of God upon man is irreversible.'' (NAN)

Literature award is to encourage reading, writing among Nigerians -- NLNG official

M

r Kudo Eresia-Eke, General Manager, External Relations, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), said on Friday that the Nigeria Prize for Literature was aimed at encouraging reading and writing among Nigerians.

Eresia-Eke spoke at the handing over ceremony of the entries for the 2013 edition by Prof. Ayo Banjo, the Chairman, Advisory Board for Literature, to the panel of judges.

He said that 205 authors in Nigeria and in the Diaspora had submitted entries for the 2013 award of the most prestigious literary prize, sponsored by NLNG. The general manager said that the yearly prize was awarded for fiction, poetry and drama as well as children literature and that this year's award would focus on poetry.

He said that the NLNG would continue to be in the forefront of

improving literature and helping to better the lot of Nigerians.

Banjo, a former Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, who is said in his remarks that the award would be given to the best author to reward excellence and celebrate outstanding literary works.

He described the number of entries as impressive, although 214 authors submitted entries in 2012.

"Literature scholars should be exposed and that is what this award is all about; it is all about excellence.

"We are putting our writers in the limelight, they are worth celebrating," he said.

Prof. Romanus Egudu, head of the judges, said that the parameters for selecting the winner would be excellent creativity.

"We expect nothing less, either the best or nothing," he said. (NAN)

PAGE 27

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

AUN to honour Abubakar Imam, Charlayne Hunter-Gaut Stories by Maryam Garba Hassan

T

he American University of Nigeria, AUN will honour the late Nigerian author and politician, Dr. Abubakar Imam for his

contributions to education in the country as well as outstanding African American journalist and author Ms. Charlayne HunterGault with honorary doctorate degrees.

A statement from the institution's Deputy Director Communications, Innocent Okorie Nwobodo, said the award presentation will take place at the university's fifth

Commencement ceremony in honour of more than 270 graduating students of the class of 2013.

The statement added that the 270 students are of the three faculties of the

University, Arts and Sciences, Business and Entrepreneurship and Information Technology and computer, on 11th of May, 2013, in Yola, Adamawa state.

as a critical avenue for widening knowledge base and international cooperation in the technical and vocational education sub- sector.

He noted that the Czech government is happy to collaborate with Nigeria through the teachers' exchange

programme as it will afford teachers from both countries the opportunities to share best practices, the statement said.

He said details of the programme will be worked out by officials from both countries to ensure maximum output and success.

Technical and vocational education: Nigeria, Czech Republic begin teachers' exchange programme

I

n a bid to promote functional technical and vocational education in Nigeria, the federal ministry of education has facilitated a teachers' exchange programme with Czech government.

A statement issued Thursday in Abuja by the Special Assistant, media to Minister of State for Education, Simeon Nwakaudu, said the collaboration was brokered at a bilateral meeting between the minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike and his Czech counterpart Prof. Petr Fiala at the ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Headquarters, Prague.

According to Wike, the programme was necessary to assist Nigerian technical and vocational education teachers acquire functional skills to train quality middle level man power for national technological development.

He said that the federal government chose Czech Republic as one of the countries to partner with in the quest to revive technical and vocational education, because the programme being implemented in Czech can easily be replicated in Nigeria.

"We are interested in collaborating with your country on the development of technical and vocational education because of the cost effective and practical programmes you run.

"We believe that the teachers' exchange programme will also have a profound impact on our technical and vocational

education sub-sector. With better trained and exposed teachers, the youths will have access to functional skills and be self- reliant", he said.

The statement further said that Wike urged the Czech government to offer more scholarships to Nigerian

L-R: Nigeria's Ambassador to Czech Republic, Mrs Kate Okon, Minister of State for Education, Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala and Acting Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Prof. Charles Onocha after the facility tour of Vitkovice Secondary School, Czech Republic leading vocational training institution in Ostrava, over the weekend in Czech Republic

Kano state Govt. spends N6bn on North West University - Kwankwaso

K

ano State Government on Saturday said it spent more than N6 billion on

Sokoto State Govt sponsors 300 indigenes for graduate, post graduate studies in Uganda

By Maryam Garba Hassan

G

overnor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State on Saturday said the state government would sponsor 300 indigenes of the state for graduate and post graduate studies at the international Islamic University, Mbale, Uganda.

Wamakko said this in Sokoto while bidding farewell to the first batch of 150 students for Master's programme in educational development .

The first batch of the post graduate students will leave on May 12 to start with a post graduate diploma in education for six months ``The remaining batch will meet them there in December. They will together commence the two-year Master's Degree program in educational management in Jan. 2014," he added.

Wamakko said another set of 150 holders of the National

students to study technological course in the Eastern European country and called for cooperation between Nigerian universities and their Czech counterparts.

In his response, Minister of education, Czech Republic, Prof.

Fiala, described the programme

Certificate of Education (NCE) would also leave for the same University in September for various sciencerelated first degree courses .

He said arrangements for similar partnerships were ongoing with the University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. ``The problem with the education system in the state is not lack of teachers but that of the dearth for the required supervision. ``So, these 300 graduate and post graduate students are expected to come back to the state in 2015 and help in changing the ugly trend," Wamakko said.

The governor said the state government had made adequate arrangements for the students throughout their stay in Uganda. ``I will visit you soon to see how you are faring in Uganda. You should be disciplined and be good ambassadors of the state and Nigeria." (NAN)

its newly established NorthWest University, Kano.

Gov. Rabi'u Kwankwaso said this at the matriculation of the 1,083 pioneer students of the university in Kano.

The governor, during the event, installed the Emir of Argungu, Kebbi, Alhaji Sama'ila Mera, as the first Chancellor of the university.

Kwankwaso said the money was spent on the provision of structures at the permanent site and facilities at the temporary site for conducive teaching and learning atmosphere.

According to him, the construction of classrooms, theatres and senate building have reached advanced stage of completion.

``We are optimistic that by next year the university will move to its permanent site. ``'Projects such as this, among others in the institution, will continue to attract an appreciable level of our government's funding.''

He said government introduced a legislation known as Kano State Education Trust Fund to sustain the development of education sector. ``This law has now made it mandatory for the state government to set aside two per cent of its internally generated revenue and five per cent of local government allocation from the federation account for the development of education.''

He, therefore, called on

wealthy individuals and corporate organisations to contribute to the fund.

He also urged the students to conduct their affairs in accordance with the rules and regulations of the university.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Dato Agus, said 1,083 students registered in 24 new programmes.

He also said that the university would add new faculties, including the basic medical science, information technology and computer science.

Others are biotechnology, faculties of islamic finance and banking, pharmacy as well as Islamic Studies and Translation.(NAN)

Fayemi nominates Prof. Adelabu, 63, as Deputy Governor of Ekiti

G

ov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has sent the name of Prof. Modupe Adelabu, 63, to the State House of Assembly for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the state.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Yinka Oyebode, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor in

Ado-Ekiti on Saturday.

Adelabu, a Professor of Education at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife since 1980, and the Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), is to replace Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka who died 28 days ago.

A princess of Ado-Ekiti,

Adelabu hails from the same town with the former occupant of the office.

According to the statement, Fayemi had since sent the nominee's name and credentials to the legislature through the Speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin for screening and approval by members. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 29

Nigeria needs more midwives now than ever

Minister of Health Prof C. O. Onyebuchi Chukwu,

By A'isha Biola Raji

C

elebrating the International midwife Day on 5th May, Nigeria has been reported in a data published in the State of the World's Midwives report to have less than 50% of the midwives required to take care of the 6 million deliveries occurring each year.

MamaYe, a campaign initiated by Evidence for Action (E4A), has however called on the minister of health, Prof C. O. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to urgently address the shortage in the required number of midwives, unequal distribution of available midwives and ensure obligations to all midwives fulfilled to motivate their stay at facilities in order to help Nigerian mothers

deliver safely.

Midwives play a vital role in supporting women throughout their pregnancy as well as being highly trained to manage complications at birth.

Many midwives travel long distances and work long hours to give high quality care to women in their community. Experts in maternal and new-born issues have calculated that, if all Nigerian women had access to the services provided by midwives, then the lives of over 840,000 mothers and babies could be saved by 2015.

Speaking on behalf of the MamaYe campaign, Dr Tunde Segun said, "It is right that we honour our midwives on International Day of the Midwife.

We applaud the Government's

commitment to strengthen its free maternal health policy and progress made from the midwives service scheme, but more needs to be done to expand this critical workforce."

According to the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, only 39% of deliveries were attended by skilled birth attendants. This corroborates data published in the State of the World's Midwives report, which shows that Nigeria has less than 50% of the midwives required to take about 6 million deliveries taking place in Nigeria every year.

Dr Segun added, "We are calling on the Nigerian government to do everything in its power to ensure we have required number of midwives, they are equitably distributed and to continue fulfilling financial and other obligations to

enable all women access skilled care. We are also inviting Nigerians to show their appreciation for midwives and help inspire our youth to become midwives in the future.

He said, "You can do this by tweeting a thank you message for their hard work or send a picture of an inspirational midwife from your community."

MamaYe is a campaign initiated by Evidence for Action (E4A), a multi-year programme which aims to improve maternal and new-born survival in subSaharan Africa.

Funded by the UK Department for International Development, the campaign focuses on using a strategic combination of evidence, advocacy and accountability to save lives in Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.

The campaign however has on record; commitments made by generally improve the well-being of Nigerians including mothers and babies.

Government has committed to, "The Abuja Declaration, a commitment to ensure that, 15 per cent of the annual budget is used to improve the health sector, the Maputo Plan of Action which is to ensure universal access to reproductive health services, the UN's Every Woman Every Child, a commitment to save the lives of 1 million women and children by 2015 and the Family Planning Summit, which is to mobilise contraceptive information, services and supplies."

All these according to Dr Segun, should be looked into in order to bring to pass, the burning issue of maternal and child mortality.

Selfless midwives who are being celebrated on the occasion of International Midwife Day

Phoebe Peter: Midwife donates her own blood to keep mothers and their new-born alive

Nomso Ibe: A midwife with a big heart, she spent her mid-wife school registration fee to pay hospital bills of pregnant women because they could not afford it.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

NAFDAC to improve on vitamin A fortification reduce malnutrition through sustainable strategies aimed at improving the health and nutrition of populations at risk.

We will need a long term partnership. We need to look to the future."

NAFDAC's Director of Drug Evaluation and Research, Hauwa Keri in her speech said the agency had created a new directorate of food and nutrition to strengthen its work in the area of food fortification nutrition.

She said, "We hold food fortification very highly in this government and we will do everything possible to push it.

The new directorate of food and nutrition was just created and would need support in terms of training among others."

According to her, since malnutrition continues to plaque our children, the agency had developed a social marketing strategy to enable it reach more grassroots people with the fortification message.

She said the new directorate at NAFDAC would step up monitoring, noting that illegal importation of unfortified food still constitute major nuisance.

As agency bags award‌ The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at the Weekend received Nigeria Arise Award organized by a media organization BEN Television which is based in United Kingdom.

By A'isha Biola Raji

T

According to Mr. Alistair Soyode, Founder, BEN television, the award was organized in recognition of Personalities, Projects and Programs (PPP).

He said the motivation is about the project rather than the award and the project is to empower Nigerians. "We got our project name from the first words of the national anthem, 'Arise O compatriots, Nigeria call obey.'

Stressing further, he said the idea is identify and honour ordinary Nigerians and cooperate bodies who are involved in doing wonderful things for the country.

He said, "As media organization, we know the importance of encouraging ordinary people doing extra ordinary things in order to develop the nation."

Receiving the award on behalf of NAFDAC, Alhaji Jimoh Moshood, deputy director of Protocol said the award will be treasured especially as it is coming from the mass media. He said, "Coming from a Nigerian in diaspora. It shows that Nigerians in UK have been watching the activities of NAFDAC." He said the award is an encouragement based on the fact that other countries have continued to send emissaries to Nigeria in order to learn, most especially the cutting edge technology in which NAFDAC is at fore front.

he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) based in Geneva at the weekend agreed to advance in the area of Vitamin A fortification in the country.

NAFDAC and GAIN are expecting to realize a malnutrition-free country, which according to a Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) Report is partly responsible for 53% of child mortality in Nigeria.

The Country Director of GAIN in Nigeria, Dr. Larry Ummuna, who led the Geneva team to NAFDAC headquarters in Abuja, presented the malnutrition situation in the country and called for greater effort in its direction.

He said, "The issue of malnutrition in Nigeria is quite a challenging one. The picture is not good. We need to get the private sector to self-regulate when it comes to food fortification."

The visiting Chief Executive Officer of GAIN, Mr. Marc Van Ameringen called for the need for a renewed partnership with both organizations to ensure compliance by industries concerning the fortification Program of the country.

He said, "GAIN's mission is to

Dr. Orhii, NAFDACBoss

A

Lumps on the back - What are they?

ccording to research, the reported cases of patients having lumps on the back are very minimal. In fact, this condition is very rare. Most often, the cases reported are not of a serious nature. At times, if lump is present, within days it can disappear without any medical interventions. Hence, you need not be alarmed.

However, there are also painful or discolored lumps that don't disappear quickly and may persist over a longer period. You need to let a physician evaluate such a lump as soon as possible in order to determine the reason behind it.

Causes Lumps on the back can either be found on the neck or head.

There are various etiologies, or reasons, why they might occur.

There are two primary reasons why there are lumps on the neck; they might be due to swollen lymph nodes and salivary gland enlargement.

Swollen lymph node: These lumps on the neck might be due to bacteria, cancer, thyroid, and viral or allergic reactions.

Salivary gland enlargement: This may be caused by infections such as mumps, salivary gland tumors and stones in the salivary duct.

1. Lumps may be bacterial in origin, which may be due to: " Atypical mycobacterium: This is a type of bacteria that also affects HIV patients who have a CD4 count of 50 or less. When this kind of bacteria show positive in a person, it can manifest swelling

and painless lymph nodes in the neck area. " Cat scratch disease: This is caused when a cat has scratched a person. After being scratched by a cat, within three to five days, the signs may appear. One sign is the development of a red bump. It will later progress into non-itching papules and will then turn into crust after three days and will eventually heal with a scar.

Three to four weeks after being scratched, the person may manifest solitary lymphadenopathy (having enlarged lymph nodes). This will be painful but can be resolved within four months. " Pharyngitis. This is an inflammation of the pharynx or the tonsils. It is a viral and selflimiting disease. If it becomes severe, it may lead to having tender lymph node enlargement on both sides of the neck. " Peritonsillar abcess or strep throat: This is an extension of the infection of the tonsils which is beyond the capsule. It also involves abscess formation which is located behind or above the tonsil region. It can cause swelling or lumps in the neck which are tender to touch. " Tuberculosis: This condition usually affects the lungs. Systemically, tuberculosis can affect any part of the human body. If this condition is present in the nodes of the neck, it will

result in a large lump having an irregular margin. " Tonsillitis: This is an infection of one or both the tonsils.

It manifests as swelling or a lump in the neck area.

2. Lumps may be due to cancer, such as: " Hodgkin's and NonHodgkin's Lymphoma. These are known tumors of the immune system. Both conditions share similar symptoms, which are swelling or lumps found in the neck. The neck has a region where lymph nodes can be found and when these lymph nodes are infected, they enlarge and cause lumps or swelling in the neck. " Leukemia. This condition causes the white blood cells to increase in number, which may lead to inflammation. One of the signs of inflammation is having lumps or swelling in areas of the body, such as in the neck region. " Mouth Cancer. Oral or mouth cancer is a tumor located in the mouth. Once the tumor progresses, it manifests sores or lumps in the neck area, especially if it is in an advanced state.

3. Lumps may also be due to thyroid problems, such as: " Thyroid cancer: This is abnormal thyroid tissue with uncontrollable proliferation and has a tendency to invade the lymph nodes that are found in the neck, causing lumps which are non-tender and hard.

" Goiter: This is the enlargement of the thyroid gland and can manifest in lumps or swelling of the neck region. " Grave's disease: This condition is similar to Goiter, it is an autoimmune condition and is primarily due to over activity of the thyroid gland.

Treatment: " Pharmacological Intervention. When the etiology of the lumps of the back of the neck

is due to bacteria or viral cause, antibiotics may be given. You may also be given antiinflammatory medications to reduce swelling. " Surgical Intervention.

When pharmacological intervention has been done and yet the lump is not resolved or treated, then, the last option left would be its Surgical Intervention. www.eHealthwall.com

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 31

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PAGE 35

Man has eaten over 5,000 bug species in the last 11 years D

avid Gracer is an entomophagist, which means he consumes insects for sustenance and flavor.

During the last 11 years, he claims he has munched on countless creepy crawlies from 5,000 different species.

Eating bugs may seem disgusting to a lot of people, but mankind has been doing it for most of its existence. The Greeks and the Romans loved them, and many cultures throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas actually raise insects for food or gather them through foraging. It is

Photo: Swordlaw.com

estimated over half the world's population regularly feasts on a variety of flying and crawling bugs, and entomophagy experts advocate that they are almost as nutritious as beef, contain considerably less fat and have a low impact on the environment.

47-year-old David Gracer, from Providence, Rhode island has been living on bugs since 2001, while trying to convince others that it's the sustainable way to go. His basement freezer is constantly packed with over 12,000 insects from 20 different species, but the convinced enthomophagist claims he has eaten over 5,000 kinds of bugs during the last 11 years. He consumes them sautĂŠed, filleted and roasted, and says he is working hard on making insects taste more appealing.

Gracer traps creepy crawlies using a net and kills them via a painless freezing method. Then he puts them all in sealed plastic bags or Tupperware boxes and stores them in the freezer. It all started in 2001, when a friend gave him a box of Larvets, flavored meal worm snacks, as a birthday present. He didn't like the taste but it was enough to get him thinking about the reasons so many people around the world eat bugs on a daily basis. He realized people must have good reasonfor that, and it couldn't be because they are all starving and desperate. He started reading up on

Photo: Fit Fool entomophagy and trying new kinds of insects. He soon became one of the most well-known enthomophagists on the planet.

David has been lecturing on the benefits of eating creepy crawlies for years, and was invited on several TV shows, including the Tyra Banks Show and the Colbert Report.

The married father of one says "there is this double standard that people have. Bugs, as long as they're in the ocean - crabs,

shrimp and lobster - are just fine to eat and people can spend quite a bit of money for them. But whereas bugs on the land, suddenly it's all ewww." He believes land insects are pretty much the same as marine ones, "so much that anyone who is allergic to shellfish is going to be allergic to insects, it's the same thing". Florence Dunkel, an entomologist and editor of The Food Insect Newsletter, believes Westerners' aversion to insects

has a lot to do with the way we grew up. "For most Americans, fear of insects is a social aversion.

It's not rational," she says. "People in other societies were introduced to bugs at an early age. It's just not the way we grew up."

David Gracer and his bug addiction will be featured on the next episode of TLC's My Crazy Obsession.

Sources: NY Times, Discovery Magazine

Chinese boy has been living and sleeping with a python for 13 years

A

family from Dongguan, China, has recently made headlines after it became known that their 13-year-old son's best friend is a 15-foot Burmese python. The predator even looks after the boy when his parents are away.

Most grownups would turn away and run for their lives at the sight of a 220lb python, but 13-year-old Azhe Liu can't

Azhe Liu with his Python friend

get enough of his slithering friend. Ever since he was just a few months old, the two have been sharing the same bed, and today they are simply inseparable. Six years before Azhe was born, his father, Chen Liu, found a snake egg, brought it home and hatched it out.

When the boy came, the python already weighed 20 kilograms, but having a snake

around the house didn't seem to bother the family. "I'd always thought them the most beautiful creatures and I was interested to see what would happen when my son came along," Chen says. "After a while we were certain the snake wouldn't hurt him and we began to leave them together alone. They really are inseparable." Azhe and his

Burmese python started sharing the same bed, and when he was just 9 months old, he was left alone with it, as the parents left to work. They would play and cuddle all day long, and during the hot summer months, the snake's cold body acted as a natural airconditioner.

Chen Liu says his boy has never really had an interest in other toys, and always prefers to spend his free time in the company of his python. They have spent every day and night

together, and the father swears the snake has never once hurt Azhe. "She's very careful with me and never squeezes to hard," the 13-year-old confirms. "If people understood animals more they'd be kinder to each other." In 2012 Azhe had to go to school, and could only sleep at home on Saturdays, which made him really sad, but now he's set a goal to become a zoologist when he grows up, so he can spend all his time with animal friends.

Source: ChinaSmack

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

How the way you sneeze can reveal your real personality

By David Gardner

T

he way we sneeze tells a lot about our personalities, according to an American study.

A loud, explosive sneeze is likely to come from an outgoing, demonstrative person while someone who's shy will try and hold back, resulting in a stifled, MinnieMouse style expulsion, says neurologist Dr Alan Hirsch.

'Sneezes are like laughter,' he adds. 'Some laughs are loud, some are soft. And it's similar with sneezing. It will often be the same from youth onward in terms of what it sounds like.

'It's more of a psychological thing and represents the underlying personality or character structure,' Dr Hirsch, also a psychiatrist and founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tells NBC in the US. Sneezing is a reflex action caused when irritants such as germs, pollen and dust infiltrate the nose lining and the brain sends out a message to get rid of it, triggering a deep breath that gets held in the lungs, tightening the chest muscles and building pressure.

The tongue gets pushed against the roof of the mouth,

forcing breath to rush out through the nose - all in the time it takes to go achoo!

'I have world famous kitten sneezes,' says Susan Frykholm, a 31-year-old multimedia sales specialist from Seattle, in the report. 'I'm not trying to be cute but people usually start

laughing at how 'precious' they are.'

'Mine are like a revolutionary war cannon,' adds Dan Fine, a 54-year-old IT consultant who is also from Seattle.

Tara Spicer, a 29-year-old copywriter from Washington,

has her own reasons for her sneezing habits.

'I'm a sneeze stifler. I've always pinched my nose to mute the noise. I think it's a subconscious rebellion against my grandmother, who raised me much of my life, and took pride in her ear-shattering

Personalities: A loud, explosive sneeze is likely to come from an outgoing, demonstrative person while someone who's shy will try and hold back, resulting in a stifled, Minnie-Mouse style expulsion (file picture)

siren-sneeze,' she says.

Others describe sneezes sounding like screams or in rapid succession.

'In general, sneezing is an involuntary phenomenon, part of the body's mechanism of defense, a way of clearing out bacteria or other agents that would be injurious,' Dr Gordon Siegel, a Chicago ear, nose and throat doctor tells NBC. 'That being said, you can control to a degree the way it comes out.'

Dr Siegel, an assistant clinical professor at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, tells how a friend used a colourful expression to punctuate his sneezes.

'When he sneezes, he likes it to come out saying 'horses***' and he's got it down,' he says. 'There is partial control of the final product.'

The experts say the bone structure of the face and shape of the nose may play a smaller role in the different sneezing styles.

But Dr Siegel insists: 'What we perceive as the sneezing sound is not really affected significantly by the nose structure.'

Most people don't think too much about sneezing. They just happen naturally, he adds.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Could picking your nose be good for you?

By Rachel Reilly

A

Canadian academic is encouraging his students to pick their noses in a bid to see if the habit has any health benefits.

Professor Scott Napper is requesting his pupils to investigate the possible health benefits of eating their mucous in a bid to understand the human immune system better.

He believes that eating mucous in the nose may boost the immune system by introducing small and harmless amounts of germs back into the body.

His theory follows others that suggest improved hygiene has led to an increase in allergies and auto-immune disorders.

His proposed study involves splitting his class into two. Half will eat their pickings whilst other will not engage in the antisocial behaviour.

They will then observe how the immune system responds to the new habit.

Professor Napper said: 'All you would need is a group of volunteers. You would put some sort of molecule in all

Getting stuck in: Parents discourage their children from picking their nose but it could be good for their health, claims one expert their noses, and for half of the group they would go about their normal business and for the other half of the group, they would pick their nose and eat it.'

'Then you could look for immune responses against that molecule and if they're higher in the booger-eaters, then that would validate the idea.'

Professor Napper added that the greatest value of the snoteating question is that, when he brings it up with his firstyear science students they are instantly engaged in the class.

'Get the student to think, rather than just sitting there taking down notes,' Napper said. '[Science] should be about the exchange of ideas.'

But the associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan is a firm believer in the powers of picking your nose.

He said: 'Nature pushes us to do different things because it is to our advantage to have certain behaviours, to consume different types of foods.

'So maybe when you have an urge like this to pick your nose and eat it, you should just go with nature.'

'From an evolutionary perspective, we evolved under very dirty conditions and maybe this desire to keep our environment and our behaviours sterile isn't actually working to our advantage,' he told CBC News.

Experts such as Dr Hilary Longhurst, consultant immunologist from the Bart's NHS Trust, believe a similar thing occurs when we bite our nails.

'Unless your hands are filthy, the bugs we encounter when biting our nails could boost our immune system,' she said.

The immune system works

by developing a 'memory' and making a note of how to fight each bug it has ever encountered.

When a bug is encountered a second time, the immune system reaches into its 'memory' and releases weapons - called memory lymphocytes - that know how to kill it.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Other bad habits such as nail biting may also help boost the immune system

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2012

PAGE 37

ACPN canvasses autonomy, more resources to local govt

Participants at the opening ceremony of the 19 Northern states meeting of the National Association of Persons with disabilities, recently in Gombe

T

2015: We’re in trouble if PDP loses, Katsina Speaker warns From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

S

peaker of Katsina State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ya’u Umar Gwajogwajo, has warned members of the party against the dangers of its loosing an election in 2015.

“We will all be in trouble in an event we lost an election,” the Speaker warned.

Gwajo-Gwajo who gave the warning at the PDP Daura Zonal meeting yesterday in Kankia, averred that ‘ in case we lost an election even a messenger from our side will

see hell; will not have it easy with the opposition’.

The speaker lamented that despite the goodies enjoyed by the PDP members and the good job done by the party in the state, members could not come out to defend their leaders in case of attack by the opposition.

He said “I wonder why our members could not talk when opposition are attacking our leaders. Governor Shema has done a lot that opposition have no mouth to attack him. But unfortunately our members watched helplessly while our leaders are being attacked’

The speaker admonished members of the party to put m ore efforts in propagating the ideals of the party at all levels, adding that the party must revive regular meetings to discuss the way forward and woo new members.

Also speaking at the meeting, the former governor of defunct Kaduna State, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal Kaita, urged members of the party to imbibe the culture of regular meeting as according to him ‘it is through such meetings that issues of the party addressed’.

Kaita tasked them to be

disciplined and eschew the culture of greed which he said was a mojor factor militating against the growth and stability of the party at all levels in the country.

In a remark, the Chief of Staff, Government House Katsina, Alhaji Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, has enumerated some of tne achievements recorded by the governor which he said include quality roads network, building of orthopaedic hospital, free education, payment of WAEC/NECO/ NABTEB fees among others.

forum held in Ibadan on April 18, 2013.

According to them, the commendation had become necessary in view of the outstanding performance of the governor and the monumental achievements he had recorded since his assumption of office two years ago.

They particularly commended the governor for restoring peace, which they said had served as the foundation of the economic development of the state. “Before your assumption of office, Oyo State faced serious security problems unleashed by armed robbers, political thugs as well as NURTW factions struggling for ascendancy. You have now changed the violent

situation to a peaceful one.

“You have restored peace and made good use of law enforcement agencies to ensure same. The notoriety of the NURTW factions has been checked and by so doing, you have ensured that miscreants are not allowed in any guise to make Oyo State a haven for their nefarious activities,’’ the elders noted.

The governor, they also said, had changed the face of the state through his restoration and transformation agenda. “Apart from the construction of a flyover at Mokola, you have rehabilitated/constructed or are rehabilitating/constructing many roads and bridges across the nooks and crannies of Oyo State.

Drains were cleared, rivers,

canals and streams were dredged to prevent flood.

“Much work has been done to improve the environment and people have been mobilized in various forms to partner with government to make the environment beautiful, clean and healthy. Positive impacts have been made in the sectors of health, education, agriculture, manpower development and skills acquisition.

“Women generally and in particular, widows, able-bodied and disabled persons were not neglected. Provision of free transport for workers, regular payment of salaries and the 13th month salary, training and retraining of personnel also featured. Retirees were not neglected,’’ the said.

Ibadan elders commend Ajimobi From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

I

badan elders have commended the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for the restoration of peace in the state and for his administration’s urban renewal programme, saying that they were proud of him.

The Elders, under the aegis of Ibadan Elders’ Forum, gave the commendation in a letter dated 30th April, 2013 and addressed to the governor.

In the letter signed by Ambassador Olusola Sanu and Chief Ona Ajibola, the Chairman and Secretary of the Forum respectively, stated that the commendation was sequel to the decision taken at a meeting of the

he National Secretary of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima, has urged the National Assembly to grant the local government system autonomy in the constitution.

He made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Galadima, the autonomy will facilitate development at the grassroots.

He condemned the call in certain quarters that the local governments should be scrapped, saying it is the tier of government accessible to the people at the grassroots.

Galadima noted that no significant improvement could be made at the grassroots without the involvement of the local authorities.

The scribe canvassed for more power and resources to be allocated to the local councils so as to enable the system operators live up to expectations of the electorate.

He lauded the National Assembly for amending the 1999 Constitution as it is not a perfect legal document, saying constitution review is an on-going process in countries practising democracy. “ It changes as the people and the organisation interact with each other.’’

Galadima, however, emphasised that the process of Constitutional amendment in Nigeria is too cumbersome, considering the various interests the exercise will generate on issue that are germane to the development of the country.

“If care is not taken, some of the issues that are being listed by the National Assembly for amendment in the constitution may not see the light of the day.

“The status of Local Government is a source of concern to every Nigerian, but I find it difficult to see how the autonomy of the Local Government Areas could be restored, if the bill has to be endorsed by 2\3 of the State Assemblies.”

“I remember that in 2011 amendment of the Constitution, some state assemblies danced naked in their respective states by endorsing financial autonomy to the National Assembly, but declined autonomy to the state assemblies.’’

Galadima stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the task of restoring the status of the Local Government as a third tier of Government was accomplished.

“The challenge lies with the National Assembly as the governors will want to continue milking the local councils and will do everything to sabotage the exercise.‘’ He insisted that some governors were opposed to the retention of the local governments as the third tier of government and would not hesitate to scrap them at all costs. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2012

PAGE 39

NGE urges law enforcement agencies to cooperate with journalists

M

r Femi Adesina, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), at the weekend urged Nigerian law enforcement agencies to work harmoniously with journalists, rather than see them as adversaries.

Adesina made the call at an event organised by United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) to mark 2013 World Press Freedom Day in Lagos.

He said that journalists and security operatives had no good working relationship.

The guild president said this in a lecture entitled: ``Building partnership between the media and law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of journalists``.

“Over the years, Nigerian security operatives, especially the police, have always seen journalists as their adversaries and that of government.

“They have special apathy towards journalists.

They continue to trample on journalists rights.

“There is therefore the urgent need for law enforcement agencies to begin to engage cordiality with journalists, `` he said.

Adesina also called for the deliberate building of trust between them, while discharging their duties.

He said that such engagement and understanding would reduce the existing tension between them.

Mr Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police, said there was an existing mistrust and unfriendliness between police and journalists.

Mba said it was imperative for the current mistrust between them to be addressed.

“We need to learn to deal with the present negative perception existing between us.

“This wrong perception, if not checked, could lead to more conflicts, `` he said.

The PPRO urged journalists to always discharge their duties by not breaching their ethical responsibility.

He enjoined journalists to close ranks with the police in crime prevention and control through investigative journalism. (NAN)

L-R: Head of Mass Communication Department, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Hassan Alhaji Hassan, Bauchi State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Mohammed Dhamina, Chairman, NUJ, Bauchi state Council, Comrade Dahiru Mohammed, Bauchi state Head of Civil Service, Mr. Abdon Gin and Commissioner for Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Ubati, at the 2013 World Press Freedom Day celebration in Bauchi on Friday.

Photo NAN

2015: PDP vows to probe Fashola, Tinubu From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC to probe the activities of the Lagos State Government, led by Babatunde Fashola alleging massive corruption in the administration.

Speaking to Newsmen yesterday, after a Church Service to mark his birthday, Lagos State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Tunji Shelle, alleged that the state was trying to hide the massive misappropriation of public funds by gagging its officials from speaking to the media.

“Come 2015 when the PDP takes over, we will bring the present administration and its predecessor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to book and expose a corruption never unheard of in

the history of this nation” he added.

“Recently, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Ikuforiji had disclosed plans by House Committees to begin probe of Ministries in the state.

This move we learnt has been vehemently opposed to by Governor Fashola and the leadership of the ACN” he said.

Shelle said that there was need for Lagos state to give statistics on projects it is handling and allow the public to have access to such information to know if its claims were true or false.

“What Fashola, a so called progressive governor had done was to warn his commissioners never to speak to the media on the state projects as well as activities in their ministries” he said.

The PDP Chairman described as hypocrisy, the stand of a state government that

pretends to be open yet was the worst dictatorship in democratic setting.

“Media personnel covering the government house including the deputy governor’s office are now forced to swear to an oath of silence.

“Media houses that have in the past tried to reveal happenings in the state house were banned from covering the governor/deputy and the ministries” shelle said.

According to him, there is need for the governor to explain the utilisation of the over N23 billion realised from Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) Money .

“Lagos has now become a hub for armed robbers and kidnappers. In Festac, Lekki as in most other parts of the state, people no longer sleep conveniently because of daily robbery in their homes. They have recently denied security

cameras in the State contrary to the claim by the LSSTF” “Recently the Ejigbo local Council development Area Chairman, Mr Kehinde Bamgbetan was kidnapped. There has been over 20 kidnapping recently of foreigners and these incidents were kept away from the public by the state”.

“We are worried that the continued silence of the state government has become very dangerous and is unfair to the entire people of Lagos State.

“The security and peace for residents of Lagos must not be politicised because anyone can be affected” the PDP chairman said.

Shelle however expressed uncertainty in completion of the Light Rail project by June 2013 as promised by Governor Fashola inspite of the over a Trillion Naira he claimed to have spent!.

ACN to appeal Ondo gubernatorial election tribunal judgment

T

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) will appeal the judgment of the Election Petitions Tribunal on the 2012 Ondo State Gubernatorial Election, a party stalwart has said.

The party’s Okitipupa Chairman, Chief Ile Olalude, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Okitipupa, Ondo State that the

judgment was yet another rape on democracy.

He said the party would seek redress at a higher court because it felt the lower court’s verdict did not do justice to the case.

“Although the tribunal has given its own ruling, but that is not the limit as permitted by the law.

“It has left untouched the

nitty gritty of the petitions filed before it. When we go higher, the whole truth will be unfolded,” the party official said.

NAN reports that the threemember tribunal presided over

by Justice Aondover Kaka had dismissed the petition filed by both the ACN and PDP against the result of the Oct. 20 election.

The candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Gov. Olusegun Mimiko, had won the election then to retain his office.

Olalude said his party would not only appeal the ruling but will also not stop until “our mandate is given to us’’.

In his reaction to the judgment too, Prince Adegbenro Adenikinju, the

Odigbo Chairman of Labour Party (LP), told NAN the judgment was another success for democracy.

“When we won the election, they (ACN) did not accept defeat and they went to the arbiter, and the law has proved to the whole world that we won.

“Our party is a party of success and we shall continue to succeed,” he said.(NAN)

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2012

Fire guts Kogi SIEC office in Bassa LG

F

ire at the weekend gutted the Bassa Local Government office of the State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) in Kogi.

The incident came few hours after three opposition parties had announced a boycott of Saturday’s local government elections in Kogi, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident

occurred at about 8 p.m, shortly after the office had taken delivery of election materials from Lokoja ahead of Saturday’s polls.

The fire however destroyed all the election materials and other office equipment.

Mr Adejoh Idachaba, the state Electoral Commissioner in charge of Media and Public Affairs, confirmed the incident to NAN. He however alleged that the fire

incident was the handiwork of arsonists, saying their aim was apparently to stop the elections.

Idachaba said Saturday’s elections would nonetheless still hold in the area as fresh materials would be delivered in the morning under tight security.

“The loss of the materials to fire will not stop the elections,’’ he said.

When contacted on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer,

ASP Ajayi Okasami, said he had only heard about the incident.

“I am yet to confirm from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Oguma,’’ he said.

Three parties — Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) — had on Friday announced their withdrawal from the elections.(NAN)

L-R: Mother of Celebrant, Mrs. Cecilia Ujubuonu, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Husband of Oby, Pastor Chinedu Ezekwesili and Celebrant, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, at 50 year Birthday Celebration of Oby Ezekwesili, recently in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Yelwa urges Nigerians to show keen interest in monitoring public expenditure

T

he Chairman of the Fiscal R e s p o n s i b i l i t y Commission (FRC), Aliyu Yelwa, identified violence, poverty, corruption and underdevelopment as symptoms of bad governance in African countries.

He made the observation after receiving the Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award conferred on him by the All Africa Students Union in Abuja.

Yelwa said African countries needed strong institutions such as

the FRC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to promote accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.

He urged Nigerians to show keen interest in the budgetary spending of their respective state and local governments to check corruption and bad governance.

“In the fight against corruption and financial profligacy, all hands must be on deck. We must all become whistle blowers.

“Nigerians must take advantage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) Section 51 that grants individuals unhindered access and locus standi to enforce compliance.

“It states: a person shall have the legal capacity to enforce the provisions of this Act by obtaining prerogative orders or other remedies at the Federal High Court without having to show any special and particular interest,’’ he said.

Yelwa said the commission had

been supportive of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Imo to be change agents for the purpose of monitoring federal budgets in the state.

He lauded the Imo initiative as it is a step in the right direction toward checking abuse of the budgetary process and perceived misconduct in public expenditure management.

The chairman, therefore, called on CSOs in the country to emulate the Imo example. (NAN)

Ekiti: Slain politician buried, family calls for justice

A

member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Ayo Jeje killed by suspected party thugs at ErinjiyanEkiti on March 30 in Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti has been buried.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the family of the deceased on Saturday called for the prosecution of those indicted by security agents in the murder.

Jeje, 38, was killed while preparing to decamp with over

1,000 members of Action Congress of Nigeria to the PDP. His death had attracted public outcry across the state.

The Chairman of ACN in the state and native of the community, Chief Jide Awe, had been arrested by the police in connection with the murder and taken to Abuja for interrogation.

Addressing journalists at the burial, Pastor Michael Oladunjoye, who spoke on behalf of the family, said that justice must be done in the

case.

He described the death as painful and uncalled for, saying the family had no option than to bury the deceased after collecting the post mortem and death certificates at the Aramoko Ekiti General Hospital, where his body was deposited.

“This is a clear case of murder.

The death is not natural and nobody will say justice should not be done.

“To us in this family, we have left the matter in the hands of God and government to do the needful

in the matter by bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

Oladunjoye, who is an elder brother of Jeje, advised politicians against killing and maiming, saying it was baffling why people would resort to killing in the name of politics.

“People should desist from playing do-or-die politics. I wonder why people would have to kill because they want to get positions.

This must stop for the nation to move forward.” (NAN)

Egwu dismisses opposition threat in Ebonyi

A

former governor of Ebonyi, Dr Sam Egwu, has dismissed the threat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any opposition party from wresting power from the ruling PDP in the state.

Egwu spoke at Ezzamgbo, the headquarters of Ohaukwu Local Council of Ebonyi, on Friday during a tour by PDP to show appreciation to the people of the area.

He said that even if all opposition parties in the country merged, the PDP would dominate the state’s political landscape.

“The PDP has found its way into the hearts of the people due to the democratic dividends provided by our government.

“All forces against the party in the state will fail, as we have remained united in the quest to develop the state,” Egwu said.

He urged PDP members to “strive to sustain such dominance by shunning acts that would give the opposition room to operate.

“Those who want to divide the party should have a rethink.

“They should imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and concentrate on issues that will enhance the growth and sustainability of the party.”

Egwu also said that his relationship with his successor, Gov. Martin Elechi, had remained cordial because they shared the same ideal of developing the state.

Elechi described Egwu as his mentor and thanked the people for their support and peaceful disposition. (NAN)

Senator condemns Monguno's kidnap in Maiduguri

S

en.

Maina Lawan representing Borno North at the weekend condemned the kidnapping of an elder statesman, Alhaji Shettima Monguno, by unknown gunmen.

Monguno, a former Minister of Mines and Power, was reportedly abducted as he left the mosque in the Mafoni ward area of Maiduguri after Jumat prayers.

In a telephone interview with the News Agency of Agency (NAN), Lawan (ANPP-Borno) said: ``It is shocking and perplexing and must stand condemned.

“May Allah return him to the comfort of his home and safety.''

On the possible motive for the kidnap, the senator said:`` It's simply criminal.

“I have spoken with the family.

Our security agencies should get to work and rescue our father.''

Meanwhile, in a separate interview, NAN correspondent in Maiduguri quoted eyewitnesses as saying that Monguno was kidnapped in his car.

“The elder statesman had just entered his car after the prayers.

“Some individuals stopped him for a chat before four gunmen invaded the vehicle and ordered other occupants, at gunpoint to move out,'' a witness, Malam Mohammed Inusa, said. (NAN)

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GOSPEL BANKERS

KIZITO CARE AND SUPPORT INITIATIVE

THE ASSOCIATION FOR PROMOTION OF PARLIAMENTARY RELATIONS

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR CHANGE OF ITS TRUSTEES AND AMENDMENT OF ITS CONSTITUTION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1. FREDERICK JOLOMI TORITSE RETAINED 2. AGHAMA IMADE REMOVED 3. CHARLE NWANKWO OGBONNAH RETAINED 4. CHARLE NWANKWO OGBONNAH RETAINED 5. RICHARD OGHENEVWEREEN SEROVHE ERNIAWARIEN-REMOVED NEW TRUSTEES ARE: 1. FREDERICK JOLOMI TORITSE RETAINED 2. CHARLE NWANKWO OGBONNAH RETAINED 3. CHARLE NWANKWO OGBONNAH RETAINED 4. MICHAEL IHEMEKWALAMOZO IRONKWE APPOINTED 5. EGHOSA IGUNBOR APPOINTED 6. GREGORY AKPOKERHERHA ONOKPUVIE APPOINTED 7. CORNELIUS OLAYIOYE ADIGUN AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION AREA TOUCHED ARE: ARTICLE 3 (Z) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARTICLE 5 - BOARD OF TRUSTEES )A-I) ARTICLE 6 - (A) (C) GENERAL ASSEMBLY (IV,V) (D) THE GOVERNING COUNCIL (I,II) & (III,VII,VIII) (E) THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (I) J,II,III,VI,VII,VIII,IX) (F) ZONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (A,B,E, & III, IV) ARTICLE 7- (A) (I) II,III B VICE PRESIDENT (I) C GENERAL SECRETARY (I,II) AIMS & OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME ANY OBJECTION TO THERETO SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: PRESIDENT

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BABARA PEPOLI 2. ALDA GEMMANI (DR) 3. ALBA GIANFERRARI 4. NDIDIAMAKA NKEIRU NWOSU (DR) AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO ASSIST THE INDIGENT PATIENTS IN THE AREA OF HEALTH ETC. 2. TO CATER FOR THE GENERAL WELFARE OF MEMBERS. 3. CARING FOR ORPHANAGE HOMES. 4. ASSISTING THE WIDOWS IN THE AREA OF HEALTH ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BIMBO CHRISTOPHER AGBOGUN (TEL: 08055335519)

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

DIVERS WELFARE CLUB OF NIGERIA

MARCH INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REMOVAL OF TRUSTEES, APPOINTMENT OF NEW TRUSTEES AND REAPPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

RE- APPOINTED TRUSTEES ARE: 1. COMRADE ELIMIGBE MONDAY 4. CHIEF. (DR) EUGENE OJUKWU 2. MR FRANCIS NYANG 5. CHIEF AUSTEN EZENABOR 3. MR AZIEGBE PHILIP APPOINTED TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MONDAY OBOH 4. OTARU ATANAME 2. MRS AMAKA OVIE 5. REV. GEOFFREY DAFA CHETO 3. ARCH. AYUBA YAKUBU REMOVED TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ENGR. GODSENT DANIEL 4. PRINCESS VIVIAN ANAZODO 2. AGUELE ERNEST THUNDERBOLT 5. ALHAJI ZAMANI KOFFA 3. CHIEF CLEMENT OKUEFUNA AIMS & OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME ANY OBJECTION TO THIS CHANGES SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BASHIR MOH’D HUSSEIN 4. ABUBAKAR SHEKARA 2. LAWALI SIRAJ 5. BUDA GARBA 3. ALIYU UMAR AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO SENSITIZE THE COMMUNITY ON DEVELOPMENT ISSUES 2. TO REACH OUT TO THE GRASS ROOT ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PAUL ONWUDE 2. MRS RUTH MIKWOET DAKIENI 3. MR. BARTHOLOMEW ODAH AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO BRING ALL PARLIAMENT TOGETHER AND TO PROMOTE THE CAUSE OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE SOCIETY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SOLOMON OYAKHILOME UDUEBOR 08036411184

PUBLIC NOTICE FOUNDATION FOR PEACE ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ALH. MALIK AUDU 4. REV. ASHAYI DANJUMA AGI 2. BISHOP PATRICK HADDISON EFFIONG 5. ALH. ANGO ABDULLAHI 3. ALH. ALHASSAN SADIQ 6. CHIEF MRS UZO PRISCILLA AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROMOTE PEACE AND UNITY IN THE SOICETY. 2. TO CATER FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY. 3. TO EMPOWER CHILDREN AND YOUTH FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW. 4. TO TEACH AND EQUIP THE YOUTHS ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL METHODS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: BARR. ONUORAH CHINANUEKPERE

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: BARR. S. M. ABBA TEL; 08035339654, 08025313018

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

REHOBOTH SUPPORT INITIATIVE

THE INNER SANCTUARY CHURCH

AKOKO DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MRS NONYE RAJIS-OKPARA 3. MR ADEWALE OTEGBOLA 2. MR JOHNSON RAJIS 4. DAME PAULINE TALLEN AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO STIMULATE AWARENESS AND ASPIRATION OF SELF RELIANCE IN YOUTH AND INDIGENT PERSONS TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE. 2. TO SENSITIZE AND SUPPORT THE ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS IN SOCIETY. 3. TO INITIATE OR SUPPORT MEASURES AIMED AT PROMOTING ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE LIVING IN YOUTH, AND TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL 4. TO PROVIDE SEMINARS AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS ON AREA OF THESE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES. 5. TO LIAISE AND COLLABORATE WITH GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, INDIVIDUALS, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER CHARITIES, AND PARTICIPATE IN OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF LIKE KIND COMPATIBLE WITH THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS INITIATIVE; AND GENERALLY PROMOTE THE PROVISION OF CARE FOR THE NEEDY.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

SIGNED: G. A. UGGAH (08035866377)

SIGNED: IKECHUKWU OKOROAFOR & ASSOCIATES, LEGAL PRACTITIONERS.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. CHIEF TUNDE ADEFARATI CHAIRMAN 2. MR AKIN ADARAMOLA SECRETARY 3. CHIEF JOSEPH SANUSI MEMBER 4. CHIEF (HON.) DR. JAIYEOLA AJATTA MEMBER 5. CHIEF FELIX AYEGBUSI MEMBER AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO FOSTER UNITY AND COOPERATION AMONG THE PEOPLE OF VARIOUS TOWNS AND VILLAGES IN AKOKO LAND OF ONDO STATE. 2. TO FOSTER SPIRIT OF UNITY AND FELLOWSHIP AMONG MEMBERS. 3. TO INITIATE, PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT SCHEMES OF EDUCATION, ECONOMIC SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN AKOKO LAND. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. FELIX ABIODUN 08065313166

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

BIGMIKE EMEKA EROKWU FOUNDATION

GOODNEWS HOLY GHOST POWER MISSION INTERNATIONAL

EMMANUEL FAMILY FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. CHUKWUNIEKE JOHN EROKWU 2. OBIAGELI EROKWU 3. OBIORA EROKWU 4. OBIANUJU EROKWU 5. STEPHEN OSADEBE 6. VINCENT CHUKWUKELU AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO CARE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV. DANIEL DAVID 2. MRS. TOLUSHE FAITH IRUKERA AIMS 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THROUGH MASS EVANGELISM. 2. TO WIN SOULS FOR CHRIST AND PLANTING OF CHURCHES. 3. TO PREPARE BELIVERS FOR THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: (1) SCHEVONE EMMANUEL (2) BOLA EMMANUEL (3) JUNE TINUADE JAMES AIMS 1) TO FINANCIALLY ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY. 2) TO EMPOWER WOMEN, YOUTH, CHILDREN AND THE LESS PRIVILEGE THROUGH SKILLS ACQUISITION PROGRAM FOR SELF RELIANCE. 3) TO EMBARK ON HEALTH EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY CAMPAIGNS AND PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING LIFESTYLE AMONG THE RURAL COMMUNITIES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: NNADI ANAYO 08028571632, 08187216006

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. EVANGELIST FIDELIS OKWUOSHA AZOGU 2. PROPHETESS TONIA ADOBI AZOGU AIMS & OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROPAGATE AND SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 2. TO ENGAGE IN EVANGELICAL PREACHING OF PEACE, MORAL VALUES AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE. 3. TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, SOCIAL CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL CENTRES E.T.C. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: ATASIE & ATASIES’ ASSOCIATES 08033497280

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

Some Interesting Facts •The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating its letters is uncopyrightable.

•Windmills always turn counter-clockwise.

•The "Sixth Sick Sheik's Sixth Sheep's Sick" is the hardest tonguetwister.

•The longest English word without a vowel is twyndyllyngs which means "twins".

•1 x 8 + 1 = 9; 12 x 8 + 2 = 98; 123 x 8 + 3 = 987; 1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876; 12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765; 123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654; 1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543; 12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432; 123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321 •The word "dreamt" is the only common word in the English language that ends in "mt".

•Albert Einstein never wore any socks.

•The average human will eat 8 spiders while asleep in their lifetime.

•In space, astronauts cannot cry because there is no gravity.

•Hummingbirds are the only creatures that can fly backwards.

•An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

•Cockroaches can live 9 days without their heads before they starve to death.

•A flamingo can eat only when its head is upside down.

•The lighter was invented before the match.

•It is physically impossible for pigs to look up at the sky.

•The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year!

•Scientists with high-speed cameras have discovered that rain drops are not tear shaped but rather look like hamburger buns.

•The first Internet domain name ever registered was Symbolics.com on March 15, 1985.

•When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone back in 1876, only six phones were sold in the first month.

•Approximately 7.5% of all office documents get lost.

•Business.com is currently the most expensive domain name sold: for $7.5 million.

•In 2001, the five most valuable brand names in order were Coca-Cola, Microsoft, IBM, GE, and Nokia.

•In Canada, the most productive day of the working week is Tuesday.

•In a study by the University of Chicago in 1907, it was concluded that the easiest colour to spot is yellow. This is why John Hertz, who is the founder of the Yellow Cab Company picked cabs to be yellow.

•It takes about 63,000 trees to make the newsprint for the average Sunday edition of The New York Times.

SUDOKU

PAGE 47

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Last edition’s solution

Star attraction: A seagull stands on the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, during the second Source: Dailymail.co.uk day of voting for the election of a new pope

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

MONDAY, MAY 6, 2013

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Chelsea sink Manchester United at Old Trafford

J

uan Mata struck an 87thminute winner as Chelsea won 1-0 at champions Manchester United yesterday to reclaim third place in the Premier League and tighten their grip on a Champions League place.

A lacklustre game at Old Trafford was drifting towards a goalless draw when Mata collected a pass from Oscar and dispatched a low shot that took a slight deflection off Phil Jones on its way into the bottomright corner.

Mata's goal means that Chelsea will now go into Wednesday's crunch clash against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge with a threepoint lead over their London rivals, who are bidding to crash into the top four.

Arsenal is sandwiched between the pair in fourth, a point behind Chelsea, having played a game more.

United had right-back Rafael da Silva sent off late on and although their lead over second-place Manchester City remains 13 points, they have failed to win in two games since clinching their 20th league title.

United made five changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Arsenal last weekend, with Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and goalkeeper David de Gea among the players dropping to the bench.

Everton remain on course to finish above Liverpool for the second season in a row after holding their city rivals to a 00 draw in a scrappy Merseyside derby at Anfield earlier in the day.

The draw left Everton somewhat marooned in sixth place in the table, five points above their neighbours and five points below the European qualifying positions with two games to play.

Distin had earlier seen a header ruled out by referee Michael Oliver for a foul that was far from evident, but Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers felt defeat would have been harsh on his side.

ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

0803 0805 0803 0805 0803

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE The Boko Haram crisis will not end until governmernt arrests some very powerful politicians in Borno state.

— Alhaji Yerima Shettima, National President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum

Boko Haram as govt facility The best way to predict your future is to create it - Abraham Lincoln

By Ali M. Ali

T

he "kidnap'' of old man Shettima Ali Monguno didn't surprise me. What left me gawking was the sheer temerity of the act itself. What kind of desperation will make those involved in this clearly silly misadventure to over play their hands? Only the naïve in today's Nigeria will swallow the tale that Boko Haram is the bad guy.

I smelt something fishy when the Joint Task Force (JTF) warned that these chaps were going to resort to kidnappings to fund their pastime - mayhem. So I held my breath thinking who it was going to be. The JTF has designed a future, I strongly suspected, and it had predicted it.

But in choosing Monguno, it has misfired. For several reasons, the elder statesman didn't, still does not, look like a candidate for abduction by gun totting, bomb throwing, cash seeking juveniles.

He was more like a bad dream the state would wish away. One, he was known to be critical of JTF operations. Not once or twice, he had sought to have them expelled from the troubled city of Maiduguri. When the President went visiting, he did the unlikely…he told truth to power.

Send the soldiers packing. Second, he had a better understanding of the insurgency that is called Boko Haram than most. So why would they abduct the octogenarian?

Seventy two hours after the abduction, the usual suspects have not claimed responsibility.

And the usual suspects are not shy of taking responsibility for misguided bravado. Expectedly the Monguno family is skeptical of the insurgents' link to this latest drama.

And the state?

The authorities clearly have over reached themselves this time around.

The kidnap is reminiscent of the witch crying in the night and the baby dying the following day. I recall a scene in a romantic comedy I watched 20 years ago with Tom Hanks as the lead character. In a defining scene that established him as the leader of the comical pack, he swore on his mother's grave to his unimpressed heartthrob who reminded him that his mother was alive and therefore his oath

311 689 606 327 454

7458 1765 3308 1969 0344

was null and void. To this he retorted ''I will kill her if I go back on my words''.

This is exactly the Monguno situation. The state has cried foul where there was none. And to justify that, it had to create a 'phantom' abduction. The CIA and the FBI routine conduct 'red flag operations'. The Pearl Harbor attack in the second world war was an example; 9/11 attack was another.

In the preceding three years, I have seen a lot of bizarre events including the unlikely instance of an elephant passing through the eye of the needle. But this kidnap carries the prize in sheer inanity.

Don't be carried away by the title of this piece. I am aware that it is not a 'transformative' or 'revolutionary' revelation. All Nigerians informed enough to know the difference between 'transformation' and 'degeneration' agenda know this.

There is a puppeteer somewhere in the cosy chambers of power where political decisions are hammered out on the anvil of provinciality wearing an elaborate head dress, pulling the strings.

The President, Goodluck Jonathan, himself admitted this. Once in a moment of Freudian slip, he revealed that Boko Haram elements have permeated his government.

Early in 2012, a sure footed president told a bewildered nation before the least amused worshippers that elements of Boko Haram were ubiquitous.

Listen to him: "Some of them are in the executive arm of government; some of them are in the legislative arm of government while some of them are even in the judiciary.

"Some are also in the armed

forces, the police and other security agencies. Some continue to dip their hands and eat with you and you won't even know the person who will point a gun at you or plant a bomb behind your house. That is how complex the situation is.''

This was at an interdenomination church service to mark the 2012 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. I trembled.

But I trembled too early. The uninitiated about presidential perfidy jumped for joy. They expected the president, being the Commander-in-Chief and 'the oga at the top' to name names.

But the shout of joy stuck in their throat because months later, Jonathan made a u turn. He recanted. In his 3rd media chat since he mounted the saddle, in June last year, he described Boko Haram as faceless and, therefore, talking with them was fruitless.

Incurable optimists were not crestfallen. They waited and prayed. But those who don't trust the president (I am among the legion) knew that to expect a change of heart on his part is like persuading the sun to change its timeless monotony of rising in the east and setting in the west. The idea looks as remote as to invite the word "impossible''. Jonathan didn't disappoint both optimists and pessimists.

During a visit to Yobe and Borno states after much prodding ,he declared emphatically that Boko Haram members have moved a notch higher from being 'faceless' to being 'ghosts'. He told another bewildered crowd in Yobe state "…. you cannot declare amnesty for ghosts… Boko Haram is still operating as ghosts. You don't see the person…. …… you don't see anybody who says he is a Boko Haram (member). As such, you cannot declare amnesty. For you to declare amnesty, you have to be communicating with people. You cannot declare amnesty for people that are operating under a veil, so we cannot even discuss the issue of amnesty''.

I have had this gnawing feeling that Boko Haram has been a handy facility for some elements in the precincts of power. The President's Awilo dance steps with it, are giving credence to the fast spreading idea that it is, indeed, a government tool. But either for bread or safety, those who could tell truth to power about

government complicity have kept mute except perhaps for the likes of Monguno.

Not too long ago, maverick politician, Orji Uzor Kalu, said something profound. I was expecting a firing 'cover' for those genuinely interested in ending the mayhem in this troubled region. But his 'transformative' insight was conveniently swept under the carpet. Obviously alarmed by the scope and the spate of destruction in the north, Kalu accused security agents and, by extension, the state for being responsible for the 'bombing campaigns' that have become to the region what spots are to a leopard. The former Abia governor is not your typical myopic politician from the east.

Having been a representative in the ill fated Third Republic and governor for eight years, he wouldn't say something as weighty as accusing the state of complicity just because he wanted to exercise his voice box.

Hear him: "When people like me speak, they label us. The security agencies are planting some of these bombs, not Boko Haram.

This is the truth I am telling you, and people wait to see Nigerians die for them to say this is Muslims and Christians fighting."

He was on target. It is reprehensible to blame the dead.

Turn-coats wishing to rewrite history like to present the late Abacha regime as the worst in human rights records. No doubt, it was a dictatorship. It was not known anywhere to be 'voter friendly'. I recall with morbid fascination how NADECO was routinely blamed for occasional bombs that went off in Lagos and elsewhere. Years later after the exit of the regime, it came to the fore that it was actually an internecine battle between some elements within the army. And the fall guy was NADECO. In most traditional African societies, leaders are seen as gods or their earthly representatives.

Their words are viewed as sacrosanct, bordering on divinity. Leaders don't lie or double speak for political or material gain. I am, therefore, convinced that the president said the truth about Boko Haram being 'ghosts'. They couldn't have abducted Monguno except those the president said have infiltrated his government.

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141