Peoples Daily Newspaper, Friday, July 06, 2012 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 8 No. 75

Friday, July 6, 2012

Reps query Okonjo-Iweala over budget

. . . putting the people first

Customs seize pistols, military ware

>> PAGE 2

Shaaban 16, 1433 AH

Air Force plane crashlands in Benin

>> PAGE 3

N150

Dangote to build N1bn industrial academy in Kogi >> PAGE 7

Boko Haram: My lips are sealed, says NSA From Edwin Olofu, Kano

arely a fortnight into his new assignment as the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), has alleged that the news media misquoted him over the Boko

Haram insurgency. Consequently, Dasuki yesterday in Kano disclosed his resolve to stop speaking with the media about the sect. Dasuki, who stated this after a courtesy call on the Kano state Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and

a meeting with members of the state security council as well as the representative of the Kano State Emirate Council, said his experience so far with the media had not been good. He said: “My experience with the press so far is not a very good

one. What normally happens is some people will record what I said and when they go out, everybody is trying to translate what I said and somehow in the process, the meaning is lost. “Some of the things I said were not necessary reflected and things

that I didn’t say were somehow stated as having been said.” Dasuki’s decision might not be unconnected with yesterday’s newspaper reports in which he was quoted as having said that he had obtained the phone numbers Contd on Page 2

L-R: Director General, Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu, and Minister of Finance, Ngozi OkonjoIweala, during the minister's interactive with House Committee on Appropriation, yesterday at the National Assembly, Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Fresh violence fears shut down businesses, schools in Kaduna From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

aduna metropolis, which is just recovering from the shocks of last month’s bomb attacks on churches and reprisal killings, yesterday was again gripped by panic as

reports spread of impending fresh attacks. The reports forced businesses to hurriedly shut down, schools to send their students back home and major streets were deserted. What happened yesterday came on the heels of a warning

by Acting Inspector-General of Police, M.D. Abubakar, that Nigeria would never know peace again unless politicians at different levels of government begin to provide good governance. The Kaduna state

government had on Tuesday reviewed the curfew imposed on the state over the past two weeks, following the violence that erupted on June 17, when bombs exploded in three churches in Zaria and Kaduna metropolis, resulting in the loss

of several lives and destruction of properties. The bomb attacks had sparked a wave of reprisal killings along religious lines, forcing government to impose a 24-hour curfew in the state at Contd on Page 2

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

Op.Ed

Letters

Opinion

Metro

16-17

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

S/Report

Religion

Issues

Tribute

Oteh’s exit won’t stop capital market probe, assures – El- Sudi, Page 37

International 31-34 Strange World 35 Digest

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

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2012 budget: Reps query OkonjoIweala, others over poor performance By Lawrence Olaoye

he House of Representatives yesterday queried the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla and the DirectorGeneral of the Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogwu over the slow pace of the implementation of the 2012 budget. It accused the Federal Government of selective fund releases to ministries and parastatals, an action which, it noted, has greatly affected implementation. The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Rep. John Eno, in particular, expressed concern about the low level of implementation of the budget, adding that most of the ministries complained that funds were not released as they had expected. According to him, “If monies are not released and some of these ministries are complaining to our committees that are going on oversight, we need to see how we could strengthen the implementation.” He maintained that there were issues with the budget

implementation, including alleged selective release of funds to ministries and parastatals with some ministries getting their releases as due to the exclusion of others. According to him, the ministry of Niger Delta got about 50 percent of its allocation while others got less halfway into the 2012 fiscal year. He expressed worry about reports getting to the House that there were so many ongoing projects on which these ministries and parastatals can use their funds on. He said, “I can tell you that Ministry of Water Resources got an allocation of N70 billion but got just about N10 billion, likewise the ministry of Lands and Housing, out of N42 billion allocated to it only N6 billion was released”. While responding to issues raised, the Finance Minister denied that the government was discriminatory in release of funds but explained that the releases in the second quarter were based on performance in the first quarter. She stated: “I am saying this because of the way the implementation is going on. There was urgent need of money in the ministries of

agriculture and power. Some project may have been under funded”. “N3.4billion in the first quarter and N239 million was released. We started a bit later. Where we have contractors working and not paid and they wanted to down tools, we paid them. From time to time, we would intimate you about some challenges being faced in the implementation”. The minister promised to give copy of the releases made and the one that were cashbacked. She said the country would have to diversify its income base because almost all countries in the continent have oil. “It would be very wise to build buffers for this economy; meaning that crude oil money should be allowed to grow to $10 billion and also grow our reserves. With the implementation of the first quarter, some of the ministries have gotten their money. The minister explained further that the ministry is looking at the performance before it releases more funds. We try to encourage them to utilise their money so that we could release more for them in the next quarter. She however acknowledged that the pace of

Fresh violence fears shut down businesses, schools in Kaduna Contd from Page 1 the peak of the violence. Tension began to build again on Wednesday with text messages from anonymous warning residents to remain indoors as attacks would be carried out yesterday. When our correspondent visited parts of the town, most shops along the popular Ahmadu Bello Way were under lock and key while some courageous traders sat in front of their locked shops. The usually heavy early morning traffic between Station Roundabout and Ahmadu Bello Stadium was absent yesterday as only few vehicles plied the route. Reacting to the development later that afternoon, the state government, through text messages and radio news bulletins, urged residents to ignore reports of impending attacks in the town. p According to one of the messages, “the Kaduna state government is calling on people to disregard the rumour being circulated alleging eruption of crisis in Kaduna. The state is calm and people should go about their businesses.” Also reacting, the Kaduna State Police Command yesterday dismissed, a report making the rounds that a group of was

planning to cause fresh crisis in the state. “The attention of the State Police Command has been drawn to a rumour making the rounds in Kaduna state to the effect that there is or (there) will be crisis in the state, ‘’ the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Aminu Lawal, said in a statement. “The rumour is totally unfounded, untrue, baseless and mischievous and should be ignored by the good people of Kaduna state. “The police and other security agencies are very much alive to their responsibilities and have effectively deployed their personnel to all the nooks and crannies of the state”, the statement added. Also, two NGOs, the PanAfrican Leadership (PALL) and Peace Ambassadors, yesterday appealed to residents of Kaduna to disregard the rumour of a fresh crisis in the city. The organisations made the call in Kaduna in separate statements made available to newsmen. The groups issued the statements against the backdrop of speculations of renewed attacks and outbreak of violence in parts of the state. Mr Stephen Achi, the Executive Director of PALL,

advised the residents to continue with their normal activities as there was no security breach or threat to their human life. On its part, the Peace Ambassadors, urged the residents to ‘’disregard rumours of planned protest, attack and crisis on the streets of Kaduna”. It described the speculation as “a lie to cause panic,” stressing that “all is well.’’ Besides, the state Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Saídu Adamu, had earlier called on the residents to ignore the rumour. Adamu said that the state was calm and urged people to go about their normal businesses. Meanwhile, the management of NIGCOMSAT told Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa that it would deploy its cameras at major flash points in the city to enable government take proactive measures against criminal activities in the area. The NIGCOMSAT Managing Director, Alhaji Ahmed Ruf’ai, who was at the Kaduna Government House on a courtesy visit, lamented the spate of violence in the state, noting that the satellite which the Federal Government launched in 201 “is competent to provide satellite images to enable security agencies check activities of miscreants.”

budget implementation is very slow. “We also look at the areas where certificates are piled up. We released in the second quarter on the bases of performance. She appealed with the lawmakers to work close with her to ensure maximum implementation of the 2012 budget.

Boko Haram: My lips are sealed, says NSA Contd from Page 1

of key Boko Haram leaders with a view to opening a channel of dialogue with them. The NSA cautioned the media “to be very careful with what you will report.” He alleged that “at most of the places we have been, the media has been one of the problems and it’s all this idea of sensational journalism. “Everybody wants to put out a story that’s not necessarily a story because it makes a very good headline.” Dasuki asked journalists to “be very cautious about that and be very mindful of your responsibility.” However, the NSA explained that he was in Kano in furtherance of his duty tour to assess the carnage wrought by the insurgents. Dwelling on the economic importance of Kano to the North in particular and the nation at large, Dasuki pledged that the Federal Government would assist the state in mitigating the effects of the Boko Haram attacks there and preventing future crises. He said: “Considering the importance of Kano as a major economic hub, the last place anybody wants disruption is Kano. “This is because of the effect it would have on everything. If Kano sneezes, all of us would not only catch a cold but we would catch fever. It is like Nigeria sneezing in West Africa. That is why we are in Kano.” However, when pressed by reporters to comment specifically on Boko Haram, the NSA pulled the plug on the interview session. Instead, he grabbed his lips with a hand, indicating that they were sealed henceforth on matters relating to the sect.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

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Customs seize pistols, military hardware at airport From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

he Nigeria Customs Service has seized three pieces of military camouflage, two air Berretta pistols, 10 pieces of bullet proof vests and five pieces of jacket knives from a passenger who arrived Nigeria on July 1, aboard a South Africa Airways flight without submitting the

hardware for checking by the authorities. According to the Customs Area Comptroller of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, Mr. Eporwei Charles Edeke, the passenger is simply identified as Bashir Alli and made several attempts to bribe the officers on duty with the sum of US$400 when the officers accosted him

and requested he submit his trolley for routine checks. Eporwei told journalists that “when Alli was rebuffed by the customs officers on duty, he started fidgeting and after hours of dilly dallying, he eventually approved of the search of the bags which revealed the prohibited items.” He further said that the

content revealed that Alli had brought in the prohibited items, which had contravened relevant sections of the Customs and Excise Management Act, as well as other laws concerning the importation of such prohibited items. The Area Comptroller explained that Bashir is in the custody of the command “pending when all investigations are carried out, before he will be handed over to the relevant authorities for prosecution.

Air Force plane crashlands in Benin

Police roll out 110,000 toll-free lines for personnel By Lambert Tyem

olice authorities in collaboration with Globacom Limited, has issued out 110,000 free toll free telephone lines for use by the police in communication across the country. Speaking on behalf of the telecommunication company at the launch yesterday in Abuja, Mr. Babatunde Amunikoro, was optimistic that with the lines it would be easier for the police to fight the new wave of crime in the country. As parts of the benefits police officers will derive from the lines, Amunikoro said, it would bridge the gap between police personnel and their family members. “The facility will also allow members of the force with the Close User Group, to communicate among themselves free of charge for as long as they desire with a monthly access fee of N600 while they pay very minimal charges of calls outside the CUG.

From Bala Nasir, Kano

overnor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano state has over ruled the decision of the management of Sabon Gari market to increase rent on shops by 1000 percent, i.e. from N7,000 to N70,000 as minimum. The new rent which was announced last week by the Managing Director of the market, Alhaji Babangida Sule Garo, was to have been effected this week. The situation however, made various traders associations in the market to rise up against the increase which according to them was unfair and uncalled for.

Suicide bombers motivated by drugs, says NDLEA DG

From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

arely three weeks after Arik air tragedy was averted at Benin Airport, a Nigeria Air force, (NAF) training plane crashed landed at the airport’s runway yesterday at about 10:31am. A source at the airport confirmed that the aircraft is a NAF training plane on a regular training routine with registration number 5N-BKS, and had two pilots on board. According to an eye witnesses the plane landed on the surface of the runway with its tires locked in, but the quick response of the airport authorities who immediately brought in an emergency rescue team saved the plane from bursting into flames. The airport Manager, Mr. Segun Ayodele who confirmed the report to newsmen, said he was not at the airport when the incident happened, and that no casualties were recorded.

Kwankwaso cancels rent hike in Sabon Gari market

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

L-R: Sokoto state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, and Sokoto state Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, during the commissioning of Lodge Road, yesterday in Sokoto.

Tussle over prostitute causes bloodbath in Ibese From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

he rivalry between two men over a prostitute resulted in a calamity in Ibese town in Yewa North local government area of Ogun state, a development which claimed lives and properties. Our reporter reliably gathered that the duo were fighting over the rightful owner of the prostitute, which degenerated into bloody

clash with the use of guns and cutlasses. The subsequent killing and destruction of about 25 trailers occurred at the major market in the town, close to the famous Dangote Cement Company Three people were confirmed dead, and number of others sustained various degrees of injury. Our correspondent further reports that, many shops and five motorcycles were set ablaze. At the

time Peoples Daily visited the scene, some traders who survived the bloodletting were seen carrying leftovers of their burnt goods and properties. About 150 anti-riot policemen were deployed to the area, while an armoured personnel carrier (APC) was stationed in front gate of Dangote Cement Company yesterday. Muyiwa Adejobi, Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command when contacted, equally traced the genesis to the prostitute palaver, which metamorphosed into the violence.

ersons engaged in carrying out several acts of violence including suicide bombing and other terrorists activities in Nigeria have been identified to be under the influence of illicit drugs. The Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Femi Ajayi, made the assertion during the public presentation of three books on drug abuse and prevention authored by an officer of the antidrug agency in Lagos. Mr. Ajayi said there is no normal human being who will happily die in an explosion save under the influence of narcotics. “Death in itself is dreaded even though it is a necessary end but when people subscribe to it happily by bombing, killing innocent lives and creating havoc and ruin, you know it is not normal”, he said. The DG explained that the impact of drug abuse is far more damaging than some people assume because it is related to violent crimes and affirmed that any man under the influence of drugs is as deadly and unpredictable as a mad man playing with a time bomb. He commended the author and pledged the agency’s support as a means of encouraging him and others who will venture to educate Nigerian youth with a similar gesture.

Terrorism: FG arraigns two Al-qaeda suspects By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

he Federal Government yesterday arraigned two Al-qaeda suspects before a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly aiding and abetting terrorist activities in the country. The two accused persons, Olaniyi Lawal and Lukman

Babatunde both pleaded not guilty to the six-count-charge preferred against them by the State Security Service (SSS). The SSS alleged that the first accused person, Olaniyi Lawal, 31 received monies in Saudi riyal and in US dollars equivalent to a tune N1 million from a terrorist organisation known as Al-qaeda

in May 2011 to recruit and transport new members to Yemen for combat training in terrorism. The security operatives also maintained that Lawal alongside the second accused person, Babatunde, 30 allegedly convened a meeting in June 2011 to further the objectives of the proscribed

organisation. The offence, the security operatives said contravened the provisions of Terrorism and Prevention Act 2011. The trial Judge, Justice Gladys Olotu ordered them to be remanded in Kuje prison, and adjourned till October 2 and 3 to hear their bail applications.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

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Bauchi graduates 59,000 youth from skills acquisition scheme From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he Bauchi state government has trained no fewer than 59,000 youth in different skills acquisition initiatives organised by its Youth and Women Commission. Executive chairman, Bauchi state Commission for Youth, Women Rehabilitation and Development, Prof. Musa Maisamari, disclosed this at a ministerial briefing in Bauchi. According to him, “this is part of the government effort to stem youth restiveness in the state.” He stated that abject poverty, illiteracy and moral degeneration were the major factors responsible for decadence among the youth, hence the commission’s resolve to address the problems through introduction of skills acquisition centres where 37 trades and vocations were on offer.

Aig-Imoukhuede heads fresh subsidy verification committee By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday inaugurated a Committee to verify and reconcile the findings of the Technical Committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Finance to conduct a detailed review of all subsidy claims and payments made in 2011. The President directed the 15member committee headed by Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to begin work immediately and conclude its assignment by 1700 hours on Friday, July 13, 2012 as a prelude to immediate action on all identified cases of fraud in the subsidy regime. Other members of the new committee are: Dr. Abraham Nwankwo (DG Debt Management Office), Mr. Bernard Otti (GED Finance & Accounts, NNPC), Mrs. Oyinye Ahuchogu (CBN), Mrs. Sola David-Borha (MD Stanbic/ IBTC, representing the Banking Community), Mr. Mike Osatuyi (National Secretary, IPMAN), Mr. Obafemi Olawore, Mr. Jonah Otunla (Accountant-General of the Federation), Mr. Bright Okogwu (DG, Budget Office), Mr. Reginald Stanley (Executive Secretary, PPPRA), Mrs. Aisha Waziri-Umar and Mr. Jalal Arabi. The Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the State Security Service will also be represented on the Committee.

Reps intervene in Akwa Ibom/ Cross River oil wells dispute T By Lawrence Olaoye

he House of Representatives yesterday resolved to intervene in the dispute involving 76 oil wells between Akwa-Ibom and Cross River states. This is in spite of the fact that the matter has been slated for ruling before the Supreme Court

by July 10th. To this extent, the House has mandated its joint committee comprising of Special Duties, Foreign Affairs and Marine Transport to investigate the matter. The House equally called on both Akwa Ibom and Cross River state governments to, pending the report of the House

committees, seek out of court settlement of issues arising with respect to the disputed oil wells in the spirit of brotherhood, solidarity and well-being of both states. President Goodluck Jonathan was also asked by the House to as a matter of urgency and in the national interest, convene a

R-L: Chief Operating Officer of Peoples Media Ltd, Malam Ali M. Ali, presenting copies of Peoples Daily newspaper to Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, during a visit by the management team of the media house to the governor, yesterday in Maiduguri.

Businessman sues CBN over land, demands N4m damages

Minister decries attacks on Subsidy scandal prisons, assures on security probe now a By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

gainst the backdrop of the current spate of insecurity in the country, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, has assured that the Federal Government has taken adequate steps to contain the excesses terrorists and allied criminals in the polity. Moro, who gave this assurance yesterday at the maiden peace summit of the wives of civil defence officers, also described as “mischievous,” recent reports of jailbreaks in Nasarawa and Yobe states saying the attacks were orchestrated by external forces.

He said: “Let me use this opportunity to differentiate between jailbreaks and attacks on our prisons. There were attempts in the past at jailbreaks. In Koton Karfe, a crop of hoodlums attacked the prison to free inmates. In Damaturu of recent, a crop of sectarian members attacked the prison ostensibly to free inmates there. These certainly will not amount to jailbreaks. “In Nasarawa, there was an attempt at jailbreak but it was foiled by a combined team of prison officials, the police and army. We are taking every step to secure the prisons at all times”, he said.

Niger moves against polio, launches immunisation campaign From Iliya Garba, Minna

orried by the outbreak of fresh polio cases in neighbouring Kaduna state, the Niger state government has said that the state was at risk of the disease spreading to its area and has therefore devised measures to check it. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ibrahim Sule, who spoke with journalists in Minna, said the government has decided to intensify its routine

security meeting to review the status of Nigeria’s maritime boundaries. The Deputy Leader of the House, Hon Leo Ogor had through a matter of urgent public importance entitled “imminent threat to Nigeria’s maritime boundaries” noted that “the maritime delineation drawn up and submitted to the Supreme Court by the National Boundary Commission, NBC in the ongoing dispute on 76 oil wells between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states if allowed to stand, means that Nigeria would lose vital maritime territory the size of a state to other countries”. He added that “the movement and or adjustment of the baseline inward for the demarcation of internal waters from the territorial sea as canvassed by the National Boundary Commission, NBC is in contravention of the International Court of Justice, ICJ judgment that ceded Bakassi to Cameroun with the implication that internal waters of Nigeria will now become part of the territorial sea”.

immunisation of children against the disease. Sule said community, religious and political leaders in the state were being mobilised to lead a sensitisation campaign for the people to bring their children and wards for immunisation, which would flag off at Chanchaga town, Minna. Sule disclosed that Nigeria was still among the countries of the world with the highest number of polio cases while India has completely wiped out the disease.

circus, say unionists

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

earing that the gravity of the core issue is getting lost on the nation, the Integrity Group of Industrial Unions has said that the graft scandal involving the former chairman, House Ad Hoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy, Farouk Lawan and chairman of Zenon Petroleum, Femi Otedola, should not be treated as a scandal between two people but as a heinous crime committed against the Nigerian state. The group, in a statement yesterday by its president, Leke Success, and general secretary, Peters Adeyemi, observed that the subsidy rip-off was being swept under the carpet and turned into a “mere circus show” following claims and counter-claims of bribery between Lawan and Otedola. It condemned “the dramatisation” of the subsidy scam and blamed the nation’s anticorruption agencies for their failure to make the desired interventions and unravel the truth surrounding the entire bribery scandal. The Integrity Group challenged the Presidency and the relevant law enforcement agencies to immediately address the situation if they were genuinely committed to the anti-corruption crusade.

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

businessman in Benue state, Mr. Bernard Asue, has instituted a lawsuit against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), asking the court to award him N4 million as damages against the apex bank for allegedly acting contrary to the Act establishing the bank by seizing his Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), which he used to obtain a loan from a community bank that had been paid. Asue, who deals in petrochemical materials, said he collected a loan of N130, 000.00 using his C of O as collateral from Kunav Community Bank in Vandeikya local government area. Upon repayment of the loan, the CBN liquidated the bank and seized all its assets and liabilities without due and proper notification to the bank. All effort by him to retrieve his C of O proved abortive as the distressed bank told him that it was in the custody of the CBN. The situation, according to the businessman has caused continuous untold hardship on him, including the collapse of his business hence the lawsuit. He stated that the case, which was initiated in 2007 at the Federal High Court, Makurdi was at the point of address presentation by counsel in the matter when Judge Abimbola Obaseki ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to further entertain it, claiming that the CBN was an agency of the Federal Government and as such cannot be prosecuted by the court.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Ajimobi rescues accident victims in Lagos From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state yesterday came to the rescue of accident victims at the Ebute Metta area of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. A truck carrying meat had rammed into two vehicles, a collusion which left many occupants in the vehicles, including the truck driver with injuries. Governor Ajimobi, who was on his way to the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), venue of the launch of Vanguard columnist, Chief Kola Animasaun's autobiography and collection of his articles into a book, had happened on the scene immediately it happened. The governor immediately ordered his convoy to stop and attend to the victims of the accident. He asked the Government House ambulance on his convoy to immediately make a detour and convey the injured to the hospital. One of the relations of the victims, who was appreciative of the intervention, remarked that this was the approach that leaders should have to the fate of the people.

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Mitsubishi to set up $1.5bn fertiliser plant at Onne By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

he Mitsubishi Corporation is set to partner with Notore Industries in establishing a fertiliser plant in Onne, Rivers state at the cost of $1.5 billion. President Goodluck Jonathan disclosed this yesterday at the opening session of the 12th meeting of Honorary International Investor Council (HIIC), taking place in Abuja. The President also commended Xenel Industries of Saudi Arabia for its commitment to investing in

the petrochemical sector in Koko, Delta state. “While I charge members to take practical steps in influencing investment decisions in favour of Nigeria, let me commend the efforts of some council members, especially Xenel Industries of Saudi Arabia for their commitment to investing in the petrochemical sector in Koko, Delta state; Mitsubishi Corporation for the joint venture with Notore Industries to set up a $1.5 billion fertiliser plant in Onne, Rivers state; the efforts of CNBC in the communication of

development and application of the Nigerian Policy Framework for Investments. He continued: “Only recently, I approved the setting up of the Nigerian National Competitiveness Council in line with the recommendation of the World Economic Forum. This Council shall be the focal body responsible for creating awareness on national competitiveness in the country and coordinating the efforts of both the Public and Private Sectors to improve Nigeria’s competitiveness.

19 arrested for voter’s card racketeering in Edo – CP From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

ineteen suspected voters card racketeers across the various local government areas of Edo state who buy cards from electorate and set them ablaze have been arrested by the police. Olalekan, a resident of Benin who claimed to witness the act along TV Road, by Internal Revenue office at about 6.30 pm told newsmen in Benin that each

card was being bought at between N2000 and N5000. A chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Chris Okaiben told newsmen that he witnessed an incident where some youths who ran into some people suspected to be members of PDP were buying voters cards in a building raised the alarm that attracted residence of the area. He said an attempt by one of the PDP members to escape with

Nigeria, UAE partner on tourism reportage reportage By Miriam Humbe

xchanges of members of the travel press from the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and Nigeria have commenced with the aim of establishing a bilateral relationship on tourism reportage and correcting some of the negative perceptions of Nigeria within the international media. The initiative is an effort by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, under the auspices of Ethihad Airways, which recently launched its operations in Nigeria. The essence of the two-way tourism and travel initiative according to the DirectorGeneral of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe is to broaden the scope of tourism and travel reportage while propagating the message that peace and tourism

opportunities abound in both countries. Introducing the visiting journalists to their Nigerian counterparts drawn from several prominent media, Runsewe used the platform to announce to the world that the negative media reports about Nigeria by some foreign media are totally false; adding that every country in the world has its own challenges and that the burden lies on the country to turn its misfortune into opportunity citing as an example, the 9/11 site in the United States which has been turned into a tourist attraction. The first batch of travel journalists from the UAE were led by Damian James of Ethihad Airways and will be on tour in Nigeria to report its diverse tourism potentials to the world after which travel journalists from Nigeria will visit the UAE in a return gesture.

Police kill 3 robbery Body of Benchers suspects in Lagos honour minister From Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

Nigeria’s good image and perception; ACTIS’ various investment interests in the country; and of course, our own Dangote Group’s leading role in showcasing the benefits of investing in the Nigerian economy,” the President said. Speaking on the his administration’s efforts to address Nigeria’s poor global competitiveness rating, President Jonathan said the services of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had been engaged for the

olicemen at Denton, Lagos, have killed three suspected robbers in a shootout. According to a police source, the robbers were said to be robbing residents of No. 62 Jebba Street, off Ibadan Street, Ebute-metta when the police were called in for rescue. The source noted that there was an emergency call to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, James Chu, about the robbery. “The DPO gathered his men and raced to the area only to be attacked by the robbers. “Following the gunfight, three of the robbers were shot dead while others escaped and items recovered from the robbers included laptop a computer, handsets, a locally made pistol and electrical appliances which were later returned to the owners,” he added.

By Morufat Ojulari

he Body of Benchers, the highest body in the legal profession, has accorded the Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdulkadir, Esq., the honour of a Life Bencher. The position which is reserved for individuals of renowned standing in the legal profession, has been awarded to Abdul-Kadir who served the body as a Bencher for many years having also served as the former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in Sokoto state. The Minister has been an active and dynamic “Bar man” having been a member at various times of the national executive committee of the Nigerian Bar Association Sokoto branch; ViceChairman of the branch; member of the Sokoto State Judicial Service Commission; member, Council of Legal Education and member of the Faculty Board of Law, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto among others.

some cards from the scene resulted in a fracas as he was apprehended and handed over to the police with five others who were being interrogated at the police station as at the time he was briefing the press. Edo state Police Commissioner, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, when contacted, said a senior police officer was already handling the matter. Reacting to the alleged sale of voters cards, Edo state governor,

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in a brief state wide television broadcast, advised the people to shun any move by politicians to deprive them of their civic right by offering them money for their voter’s cards. The governor however advised whoever has already fallen prey to the antics of some prominent politicians in the state by selling their cards to report at the Government House for intervention.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Robbers kill police inspector, other in Sokoto

uspected armed robbers on Wednesday killed a police inspector and one civilian at Marina area of Sokoto metropolis. Commissioner of Police, Sokoto state, Aliyu Musa, confirmed the incident to the media. He said that the two persons were killed around 6 a.m. by armed robbers who attempted to rescue a member of their gang detained at the Marina police station. Musa explained that while trying to stop the armed robbers from entering the station, the Police Inspector, Saidu Adamu, was shot dead by the robbers. He said that an attempt by the robbers to rob Zumunci Pharmacy at Sultan Abubakar Road on Tuesday, was thwarted by a police patrol team in the area. The commissioner said the policemen nabbed one Haruna Hamza during a hot chase but that three armed robbers escaped on a motorcycle. He said one of the suspected robbers was detained and had provided useful information to the police that would lead to the arrest of those currently at large. (NAN)

Family planning can reduce maternal mortality From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

amily planning has been described as one the ways to drastically reduce the rate of maternal mortality and morbidity in the society. The chairman of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Nisser Ali Umar, made the assertion yesterday while fielding questions from newsmen in Bauchi. He said the primary health care agency has embarked on creating awareness to the various communities in the state on the importance of family planning. Dr. Nisser noted that the agency has increased the number of service delivery points from 98 in 2008 to 343 in 2011 across the state.

L-R: State Coordinator, NYSC, Taraba state, Hajiya Zainab Isah, Deputy Governor, Sani Abubakar Danlandi, and state Chairman, NYSC Governing Board, Alhaji Abdulhadi Haruna Lau, during the swearing-in of 2012 Batch "B" corps members, on Wednesday in Jalingo, the state capital. By Mohammed Kandi

s part of efforts to cushion the effects of their displacement, the Federal Government has donated some motorised fishing boats to the Nigerians formerly living in Bakassi Peninsula through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). NEMA's Deputy Director Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Eze Udemezue, according to a statement by the agency's Head of Public Relations, Manzo

FG donates boats to displaced Bakassi residents Ezekiel, made the presentation on behalf of Director General of NEMA. Receiving the items, Maj.Gen. Panebi Ikumoinnein advised the beneficiaries to remain lawabiding, adding that the 15th regular observer mission of the Mixed Commission was in the area under the auspices of the

United Nations (UN) to monitor the implementation of agreement reached between Nigeria and Cameroun over the Bakassi Peninsula. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Chief Etim Etim of Idabato, said they were excited by the kind gesture and thanked

EFCC rejects petition on $16bn power sector probe

ecretary General, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Chief Willy Ezugwu, has alleged that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, refused to accept a

petition on the $16 billion power probe. Ezugwu stated this in Abuja in front of the EFCC office after he was denied access to the premises of the anti-graft agency to submit a petition on the power sector probe

carried out by the sixth session of the House of Representatives. He said the chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Larmode, declined to accede to the party's demand as he allegedly refused to allow the CNPP and a coalition of civil

INEC gets sensitive materials for Nasarawa by-election From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

fficials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Nasarawa state, yesterday, took custody of ballot papers and other sensitive materials to be used in tomorrow's state assembly bye-

election to fill the vacant Awe North constituency seat. Receiving the materials on behalf of the commission, Alhaji Ahmed Makama, state Resident Electoral Commissioner, who led other officials to the Lafia office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where the materials were kept, disclosed that in the bid to further sanitise the electoral

system, ballot papers to be used in the bye-election have been customised, "with ballot papers for each of the six wards making up the constituency having different colours." "It is no longer possible for desperate politicians to rig because ballot papers cannot be transferred from one ward to another", the REC explained.

Taraba assures on corps Jigawa set to fight floods membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; safety

From Yusha'u Alhassan, Jalingo

tate Coordinator National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Taraba state, Hajiya Zainab Isah, has assured parents and Nigerians of adequate security for the newly mobilised 2012 Batch "B" corps members posted to the state. Isah, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the swearing-in and formal opening ceremony of 2012 Batch "B" orientation course at Government College Jalingo, said the Taraba NYSC, the state government and relevant security agencies have

the Federal Government for showing concern over their plights. The items distributed were six boats, 12 engines and 24 paddles. Beneficiaries included the displaced people living in Abana, Kumbo Abedimu and Idabato areas of Bakassi Peninsula.

put adequate security measures in place for the corps members. One of such measures, she said, was fencing off the temporary orientation camp. She noted that more than 2,000 corps members have reported to camp, urging them to understand that "coming to Taraba state is by no means an accident, as such it behoves you to use the period of the orientation course to equip yourselves towards impacting on the state, thereby improving the lot of the people you will come across."

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

he Jigawa state acting Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Habib Barde, has said the state government is battle ready to confront this year's flood as forecasted by the Nigerian Metrological Agency. The commissioner stated this yesterday in his office against the backdrop of recent listing of Jigawa state as amongst those that may be affected by flood this year. Alhaji Barde who attributed the menace to the blockage of drainages and

erection of structures along water ways, also said farmers sometimes divert the water to other directions which later form tributaries that overflow unto either residential areas or into farmlands. The commissioner also said the activities of construction firms which burrow pits at various points which also forms are responsible for floods. He said already the state has taken proactive measures and the services of credible ecological consultants have been sought to reduce the impact of the menace.

society group to enter his office. Ezugwu said: "It is unbelievable that civil society groups and CNPP have come to EFCC to submit a petition on the $16 billion power probe and the chairman is not cooperating on the matter. "The police on duty also refused our members entry. If this is how the chairman will treat corruption in Nigeria, then we have not started". The CNPP, however, insisted that EFCC should investigate those indicted by the probe, and called on Nigerians to fight corruption. Mr. Ibrahim Ali of the Coalition of Civil Society for Transparency in Governance claimed that he was beaten by the police, who also tear gassed the people at the main entrance to the EFCC headquarters. Ali, who spoke with newsmen, claimed that the police were informed by the EFCC that "we are at the commission to protest and not to submit a petition." Ali urged the acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the policemen who allegedly attacked the petitioners. Efforts by journalists to speaking with officials of EFCC on the issued proved abortive as they were told that they were not invited and so would not be allowed to see the chairman. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Jigawa gets new health commissioner From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

overnor Sule Lamido of Jigawa state has yesterday sworn-in new commissioner for health Dr Abubakar Tafida. The sworn-in of Tafida and his posting to the ministry came barely 24 hours after the state house of Assembly had an emergency sitting to screen and cleared him for the appointment. Dr. Abubakar Tafida until his latest appointment, served as a commissioner in the Ministry of health between 2007-2009 before his voluntary resignation from the cabinet due to some undisclosed reasons. It was gathered that, the reinstating of Dr. Tafida may not be unconnected to his selfless commitment and patriotism to the state, his resignation from the state cabinet has not deterred him from providing free consultancy services to people of the state particularly at public hospitals, also he kept on pursuing donor agencies and other private organisation to visit and render free medical service in the state.

PAGE 7

Poverty responsible for Boko Haram – Perm sec. By Joy Baba

he permanent secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Marti I. Uhomoibhi has said the insurgence of Boko Haram, kidnapping, human trafficking, armed robbery and other crimes are closely linked with poverty. The permanent secretary stated this on Tuesday in Abuja when he received Special envoy of the Italian foreign minister on

humanitarian emergencies in his office. Dr Uhomoibhi said, that is why the present Nigeria government has been calling on business community of friendly countries like Italy to come and invest in Nigeria. This according to the perm sec will accelerate economic growth leading to more employment, improved educational and health facilities and the general socioeconomic well being of the Nigerian people

“Nigeria is conscious of the current volatile global trends resulting to the economic and financial instability, terrorism, financial crimes and religious extremism which have defied National boundaries. These negative global trends have made interdependence and closer cooperation between nations indispensible” Dr Uhomoibhi further stated. In her response, the leader of the special envoy of the Italian

Foreign minister on humanitarian emergencies, Hon Margherita Boniver said the issue of terrorism is something that should be dealt with first of all by Nigerians but also if possible, with the full cooperation of international community. “Peaceful living and peaceful coexistence is something to be treasured by and protected and developed. It is one of the strongest elements of any country,” she further said.

Kebbi to L-R: President, Akwa Ibom state Association Abuja chapter, Engineer Ben Ukpong, Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Ita Okon distribute Ewa, and newly appointed Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Henry Akpan, during a reception in honour of the Permanent Secretary, on Photo: Justin Imo-Owo 47,000 bags of Wednesday night in Abuja. Call Code of Conduct Tribunal chairman to order, NUACI tells FG grains for igerians United Against alleged that the Code of Conduct service regulations that would with the country’s quest for a fasting period Corruption and Injustice Tribunal was being run aground involve the Federal Civil Service corruption free society. “The Code (NUACI) has called on the under the chairman. Commission, Federal Character of Conduct Tribunal was created From Ahmed Idrris, Brinin Kebbi

overnor Usman Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State has said that 47,000 of assorted grains will be distributed free of charge across the state for this year’s fasting period. He stated this yesterday at the Launching of 2012 raining season fertilizer sales to the farmers held at the premises of Kebbi Agricultural and rural development Authority (KARDA), adding that the gesture was to assist the general public during the month of Ramadan. However, Governor Dakingari flagged-off the dry season fertilizer sales to farmers at the official rate of 1,700 Naira per bag while assuring that more of the commodity would be procured and distributed across the 21 local government areas of the state. He, however, warned that diversion of such commodity would not be tolerated by the government, adding such practices should be stopped. He disclosed that both state and federal government contributed 25 per cent each to subsidised the fertiliser while farmers are to pay 50 percent of the amount.

federal government, to investigate the Code of Conduct Tribunal under the leadership of the incumbent Chairman, Alhaji Danladi Yakubu Umar over alleged corruption and maladministration. In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the President of NUACI, Mallam Ibrahim Enape and the Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Adeyinka, the group

It noted with sadness that the chairman had turned the Tribunal into his personal fiefdom through the alleged award of contracts to cronies and recruitment of staff without following due process. The group further alleged that,” promotions were massively carried out single handedly by the chairman without regard to extant civil

Commission and the board of the Tribunal. To worsen the situation, recruitments are done without regards to merit and qualification. It had gotten to the stage where nurses are now employed to do the works that are supposed to be done by lawyers at the organization”. According to the NUACI, the chairman’s high handedness was harming the performance of the Tribunal that was set up in line

by law to help the nation fight corruption, but from all indications it is a responsibility it is ill prepared to carry out under the present leadership”, it added. The group recalled that it was as a result of the high level of maladministration and the loss of confidence under the present chairman of the Tribunal that forced some aggrieved staff to take him to court.

Dangote builds N1bn industrial academy in Kogi By Abdulwahab Isa

ouched by the deteriorating state of education and research in Nigeria, the Dangote conglomerate has started building a N1billion Academy, described as the best in Nigeria when completed in December. The N1 billion Dangote Academy will not only admit students but will offer them employment after 12 months training programme, a statement from the group said. While the building of the Academy complex is continuing, admission and classes have since begun. Last week, the Academy

inaugurated 50 new Ordinary Diploma holders into its vocational class. The Graduate Engineer Trainees (GET) who came ninemonth earlier were drawn from universities and polytechnics (HND) having completed their compulsory NYSC scheme. Speaking to newsmen at the Academy’s location at Obajana in Kogi state, Head of Training and Development, Eng. Haruna Adinoyi said: “Here we are dealing with graduates from universities and those with HND. It is a one year programme before they can be Absorbed into our different plants.” He said: “Our academic programmes are divided into three

major areas: the vocational skill training, the engineering/ technical skill and then the leadership scheme.” According to him: “We started the vocational training scheme in October 2010. We started with an initial population of 50 trainees. That same year, we brought in additional 50, making it 100. In 2012, we want to bring in 200 trainees. “We have brought in the first set of 50 which is in the batch three currently in Oshogbo undergoing there technical training. Today, we are bringing another batch of 50 which will now make it 100. We are also planning the finance cadre and may bring some 50 graduates. So

the academy is in the right direction.” Speaking also Head of Admin, Finance and External Relations of the Dangote Academy Malam Usman Muhammad, Mni, said the facility is the best in the country. “I came from the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and we used to go round to inspect facilities of industries. Of all the facilities I have seen, I don’t think the facility that is found here can be found anywhere in Nigeria,” he said. This is coming as the conglomerate donated about N15.5billion in 2011 to various organization as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

L-R: Wife of Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs Appolonia Petinrin, wife of Minister of Interior, Mrs Jane Moro, and former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, during the maiden peace summit of the Civil Defence Officers Wives Association (CDOWA), yesterday in abuja. Photo: Justin ImoOwo

L-R: Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Director in charge of Rehabilitation, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Mercy Daodu, Acting Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Esther Adeyemi, and Secretary, Challenge Your Disability Initiative, Bauchi state chapter, Hajiya Asmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;u Yahaya, during the distribution of work tools to some disabled persons by the ministry, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

L-R: Member, House Committee on Pension, Hon. Ahmad Kaita, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ibrahim Kamba, and Director General, National Pensions Commission, Malam Muhammed Ahmad, during an interactive session between pension fund operators and the committee, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

L-R: Immediate past Acedemic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETF), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and new ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa, during ASUU executivesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; visit to TETF corporate headquarters, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Muslim, Christian students in Ilorin clash over Maulud Nabbiy From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

wara state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Alhaji Saka Onimago, has urged Muslims and Christians’ students to maintain peaceful co-existence among them. The commissioner, who warned that the state government would not tolerate any breach of peace from any quarters, said appropriate action would be taken against anyone trying to breach the existing peaceful and

harmonious co-existence among people of the state. Onimago was reacting to move by the Muslim students of Cherubim and Seraphim College, Ilorin to hold Maolud Nabiy in the school’s premises which was rebuffed by the youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), of the school. He appealed to the Christians and Muslim communities in the school to embrace peace and give the matter time to resolve the difference between them amicably.

The youth wing of CAN had in a statement made available to journalists in Ilorin alleged that, “it has come to our notice that Muslim students of C&S College, Ilorin in collaboration with the Muslim community want to disorganize the peace of the college by insisting on celebrating Maolud Nabiy in C&S college, Ilorin despite the insistence of the C&S church which own the school, that they should not do so”. The statement which was signed by the state chairman of the association, Pastor James Ataleshe

and secretary, Barrister O.T. Olorunisola, further claimed that, “the Kwara state ministry of Education has advised against such as it may provoke anger”. “We the entire members of the youth wing of CAN want to advise our Muslim brothers and sisters to tread the path of peace by looking for an alternative venue otherwise the reverse will be the case”. The statement further stated that recent events in Northern parts of the country should sadden any patriotic Nigerian, stressing

that there was need for Nigerians “to learn how to conduct their affairs in such a way that will not tamper with the harmonious coexistence of religions in the school and Kwara as a whole”. “We on our part, as is our practice will endeavor to ensure that nothing tampers with the existing peace that thrives in Ilorin and Kwara as a whole. We hope the Muslim community in Ilorin will also ensure that they do all they can to maintain the peaceful co-existence being enjoyed by all.”

Attack on churches misapplication of Islam, says Shettima From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

L-R: Team leader of agricultural experts from California State University, Uni ted States, Dr. Muyiwa Omololu, Dean, Jordan College of Agricultural Science and Technology, Dr. Charles Boyer, Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Ayo Olubori, Special Adviser to the governor on Agriculture, Mrs. Tinuola Sopeju, and a member of the team, Dr. Bruce Roberts, during the team’s visit to the governor yesterday, in Abeokuta.

Nigeria is in big trouble, says senator From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

he Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Market, Senator Ayo Adeseun on Wednesday, said unless Nigeria begins to back track, it will self-destruct. Speaking at the 2012 Press Week Lecture of Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo state Council, tagged: ‘Democracy at 13; the pains and the gains,’ held

at Iyaganku Press Centre, Ibadan, Senator Adeseun agreed that Nigerians are in serious trouble. Specifically, Senator Adeseun said next year is dangerous for the country if some fundamental problems are not properly solved, adding that “we all know these problems.” According to him, fundamental changes must occur and retrace the nation back before greater and un-controllable disaster happened.

"Boko Haram is not a religious war, but born out of frustration, most of sects member are educated kids, some were UK and US graduates, who fell under mere promises of heaven and little money for their families to commit suicide. Everybody is guilty of this bad system. The nation is great potentially; people should be energized to address the issue, though present system is still better than any military regime. Back trace is inevitable this should be a

national concern," he said. The senator, who represents Oyo Central Senatorial District, declared that the seventh assembly cannot successfully amend the 1999 Constitution, alleging that some state governors would never support it. Adeseun, who is the chairman at the event, added that state governors would never allow local government authorities to operate as the constitution envisaged. “National Assembly would

orno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, yesterday condemned the persistent attacks on churches and killing of innocent souls, describing the acts as misapplication of Islamic principles. Shettima made the observation when Management of Peoples Media Limited (PML), publishers of Peoples Daily Newspaper paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, in Maiduguri. The governor who condemned the recent assassination of the General Manager of the state Housing Corporation, Engr. Isa Modu Ngaram, said the wanton killing of innocent individuals and burning places of worship cannot promote Islam, as such actions would not attract spiritual reward for the perpetrators. According to him, government has no option than to continue to call on the members of the Jamaatul Ahlil Sunna li dawati wal Jihad, also called Boko Haram, to hearken to the voice of reason and sheath their swords, as government will ever be ready to dialogue with them. The governor thanked the management of Peoples Media Limited for appreciating the modest development his administration has brought to bear in the last one year.

Minimum wage: Kebbi teachers Kaduna Assembly passes bill on ultimatum the union gave to the without much ado. embark on strike week tourism centres bill Gurara government. said that the law would empower

he Kebbi state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has embarked on an indefinite strike to press for the payment of N18,000 minimum wage and unpaid allowances. Their decision was in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the union, Malam Danlami Ribah, and secretary, Malam Musa Kuta, in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday. The strike followed the expiration of a two-

The union said, however, that it received an assurance through a letter dated July 2, that the State Government would set up a committee to wade into the dispute. "The union subsequently, issued a twoweek ultimatum over the failure of government to set up the resolution committee and at the expiration of the ultimatum, the union was left with no option than embarking on strike," the statement said.

he Kaduna state House of Assembly yesterday passed a bill for the licensing of hotels and tourism establishments. The passage of the bill followed its third reading and a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Mr David Gurara. The motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Dr Shehu Danfulani, while Mr Philemon Gidanmana (PDPMakera) and Alhaji Bala Yunusa (CPCTudun Wada), called for the passage of the

the government to enforce the registration of hotels, clubs and other tourism organisations through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He said the law would boost the internal revenue sources of the state to enable it to deliver social services to the people. After a brief deliberation, members of the assembly unanimously passed the bill. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 11

Bauchi earmarks N297m for land data base upgrade

Unongo alleges govt funds skewed to favour South

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

auchi state government has earmarked N297 million for digitalization of lands and geographical system. The Commissioner for Land and Housing, Akhaji Aminu Hammayo disclosed this while signing an agreement on the project between the government and Sivan Design DS Ltd, yesterday in Bauchi He said digitalizing the ministry’s data base became imperative considering the challenges being faced during operations Hammyo said the ministry required modern techniques and personnel that would compete favorably with their counterpart across the globe.

Firm donates N5m to Ogun security fund From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

he efforts of the current administration in Ogun State to secure lives and properties received a big boost yesterday as De-United Foods Limited, Ota, donated N5 million to the state’s security trust fund. Receiving the N5 million cheque on behalf of the government at the Oke Mosan Governor’s Office, Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, said the Ibikunle Amosun-led administration placed high premium on the security of live and property of residents and was prepared at all times to do the needful in this regard. “Since we declared Ogun State open for business, we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure we keep the state safe and businessfriendly, and I can tell you confidently that our effort is yielding positive results”, the SSG said.

L-R: Deputy Inspector-General of Police, ‘F’ Department, Atiku Kafur, Head, Glo Public Sector and Right of Way, Mr. Tunde Amunikoro, and representative of Acting Inspector-General of Police, DIG Kachi Udeoji, during the inauguration of Police Cooperative Communication Network, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

‘500 units Talba housing estate ready in 2 months’

iger state Commissioner for Land and Housing, Dr Peter Sale Sarki, has disclosed that 500 units Talba housing estate would be ready with all the facilities in place by September this year. Dr. Sarki, represented by

Commissioner of Solid Minerals, Alhaji Nuhu Musa, made this known after Executive Council meeting at government house Minna, said that the government has intervened to ensure the project started two years ago meet the aspiration of the people of the state.

According to him, government will add N500 million into the project though the construction firm awarded the contract at the beginning will still be allowed to continue the construction work but under the supervision of government officials.

Katsina debunks ghost students claims ommissioner of education in Katsina State, Prof. Aminu Kado Kurfi has denied allegations that the state government has inflated the number of students in its secondary schools. Kurfi, who the denied the claim

in an interview with newsmen, noted that there was never a time in the recent past that the government conducted a census of its students. His words: “As far as I know, we have never conducted any students’ census. It was only recently that the minister of education wrote to us on the need for students’ statistics. We have not even started work on it.”

He described the insinuation as mischievous and advised people to always approach his ministry for clarifications over any issue they did not understand. In an interview, a retired civil servant, Alhaji Kabir Badamasi, had alleged that the state government coerced principals of secondary schools into inflating their students figures.

The airline’s spokesperson, Tony Usidame, had said at the meeting that the cheques for sums ranging from N100,000 to N500,000, were an interim compensation to provide succour for the victims. He said that the airline, through its insurance company, would soon provide comprehensive compensations for occupants of the two buildings destroyed by the plane. However, Gbenga Eguntola, a lawyer and aviation consultant, who led the four displaced persons to the meeting, said they acted on his advice by refusing to collect the

cheques. Eguntola said what DANA Air offered the victims was very insignificant. “As I am speaking with you, I have about 10 clients that have no roof over their heads,” he said. “That means if they are asked to leave the camp provided for them by the state government, they have no place to go. What we are saying is that DANA has to take responsibility; they cannot pretend not to know that they are supposed to compensate for the dead and also those whose homes were destroyed by the crash. So this idea of coming to give the victims peanuts is not

acceptable to us. We want them to follow the normal procedure and give the victims full compensation. This is nothing but a jamboree.” However, a mild-drama later ensued after the meeting when Abidemi Adebayo and Sepaye Hezekiah, two of the victims who had earlier rejected their cheques, abandoned Eguntola and demanded for the money from DANA officials. The company officials arranged a short presentation ceremony and handed them their money. “Yes, Eguntola is my lawyer but I do not need his services anymore,” said Adebayo.

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

econd Republican minister, Paul Unongo, has attributed the current spate of insecurity in the country to lack of sincerity on the part of Federal Government to address the plight of the ordinary Nigerian. Unongo, who stated this during a chat with newsmen at his residence, regretted that governments across the three tiers in the country were deceitful, noting that “those in office are not concerned about service to the people anymore.” He said: “We have an oppressive government that shows total lack of concern and is seemingly insensitive to the plight of the suffering Nigerians. This is responsible for the total breakdown of governance and the senseless violence witnessed in the country.” Unongo also faulted the recent Supreme Court verdict upholding the election of Governor Gabriel Suswam, saying “It is unfortunate for the development of democratic principles as right to fair hearing has been compromised in this country”. The former minister of steel also linked the violence in the country with criminality, even as he alleged that sectoral allocation of funds from the Federation Accounts had been skewed in favour of the South and against the North. “The North shed blood to keep the nation united and so it interest must be taken as top priority by government. Attention should be paid to agriculture which is the mainstay of the North’s economy”, Unongo noted. He disclosed that the Northern Elders’ Forum had made presentation to President Goodluck Jonathan on how to move the nation forward, which appeared to have been unheeded, stressing that “the situation now is chaotic. There is total breakdown in the country”.

DANA Air crash: Displaced victims reject initial compensation By Muhammad Sada

s steps are being takento ensure all victims of last month’s DANA Air crash are properly compensated, some of the 38 persons rendered homeless by the crash in IjuIshaga, Lagos, have rejected cheques issued them by the airline as interim compensation. Four of the victims caused a stir at the Ipaja Relief Camp, venue of the cheque presentation, when they refused to take the cheques presented to them by Oscar Watson, DANA’s Director of Flight Operations.

“Initially, I agreed with him to speak for me but I changed my mind later because I felt I needed money. Right now, I don’t have a place I am staying. I am tired of squatting with friends. The lawyer never paid my rents for me in the first place. I think I need my money.” Femi-Oke Osanyintolu, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, who coordinated the meeting, said government would continue to work with DANA to provide more reliefs for the displaced persons.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

SWF: Triumph of wisdom, pragmatism

he announcement, last week Monday, that governors of the 36 states of the federation have finally endorsed the take-off of the controversial Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) came as welcome relief to the nation. The Fund, we recall, was established in May last year after President Goodluck Jonathan signed the enabling law passed by the National Assembly. It replaces the equally controversial Excess Crude Account (ECA) created by the Obasanjo administration in 2003 as an interim pool where excess revenue from the sales of crude above the benchmark in the budget was being kept. Besides its illegality, the ECA was widely criticized for its poor management. One, there were no clear rules on how revenues pooled into it were to be shared between the three tiers of government. Two, it had been subjected to much abuse by political office holders. This executive profligacy, it is believed, contributed in no small way to the impoverishment of the nation's teeming populace as funds meant for developmental activities were diverted into politicking, especially when elections were approaching. Unlike its predecessor, the SWF

primarily seeks to achieve three broad objectives, namely: save funds for a rainy day, provide funding for reversing the nation’s infrastructural deficit and serve as a stabilization fund to protect the national economy from unexpected periodic commodity price shocks. But no sooner had the bill

“

We join millions of Nigerians in rejoicing over the amicable resolution of the SWF dispute. We particularly salute the wisdom and pragmatism the state governments have shown in this matter establishing the Fund been signed into law by the President last year, than state governors rose stoutly in opposition to its existence. The main grouse of the governors centered on their fear that the federal government would monopolize and abuse it as it did the ECA. More so, they were concerned about the “rules of engagement” for the operation of

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”

the Fund in the context of the relationship between the three tiers of government. As genuine and valid as the governors’ concerns and arguments were, we at Peoples Daily commend their wisdom in dropping their opposition to the SWF so that the country could move on. It is commonsensical for all three tiers of our government to agree to set up a collective sovereign pool with a legal backing, from which funds can be drawn to implement projects and social programmes for the good of future generations of Nigerians. As we noted in our editorial on the gridlock over the SWF in April, this year, a sovereign wealth fund is one of the key ways through which other oil producing countries, including Kuwait, have fast-tracked their developmental processes. We join millions of Nigerians in rejoicing over the amicable resolution of the SWF dispute. We particularly salute the wisdom and pragmatism the state governments have shown in this matter. However, we wish to warn that the federal, state and local governments commit strongly to upholding the ideals for which the SWF has been established, if we are to make it a success story as in other economies.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE EDITOR, DAILY AHMED I. SHEKARAU

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

By Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u

uring the 50th anniversary celebrations of Nigeria’s independence in 2010, the BBC aired a number of documentaries on the country. One featured a report transmitted in 1960. The reporter of the programme concluded his narration by saying that the British colonialists came to Nigeria and found a different system (traditional system), they operated under a different system (indirect rule) and they left a different system (parliamentary system), and he wasn’t sure how that was going to work in the future. For a political system to be successful, it has to integrate the cultural heritage, the belief system and family structure of the people. For instance, in the United Kingdom, despite growing political apathy, there is a strong linkage between the individual, no matter how poor he is, or how distant he is from the city, and the local council. From the time a person is born, the local council, or in the Nigerian case, the local government, shows an interest in him. The local hospital will immediately pass the news of his birth to the council, after which the parents will go and register the child. The council through the healthcare authorities would

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Traditional authorities and North’s security challenges bear the burden of the welfare of the child, providing some allowances to cater for it and attach a healthcare official who will be visiting the child at regular intervals. When the child reaches school age the council ensures that it goes to school. This process will continue until the child is 16 years old. This kind of concern shown by politicians makes it very easy for voters to decide between political parties and their candidates when it is election time. If they are not happy a particular set of leaders they will simply oust it and vote in another one. In fact, some people when they go to vote, don’t even care who the candidate is, they simply look for the logo of their party of interest and vote for it. The point here is the state had taken over the entire process of socialisation and economic well being of the people, and that is why people pledge loyalty to the state, and when there is a problem in their local communities they will be the first to report it to the relevant authorities. Because the state has their loyalty even if

they may occasionally disagree with it. Now let us come to Northern Nigeria, and in this case I will use a bottom-top approach. In our local communities, three people are the most respected. The village head, the Imam and the

people. When you purchase a piece of land, he has to approve it. When a man divorces his wife or fails to look after her, the woman may choose to come to the house of the village head because she knows he is the one

“

It is time for traditional rulers, opinion leaders, intellectuals and politicians in northern Nigeria to think critically and devise ways of reviving this structure, modernize and make it work for the people Attajiri, Maisukuni or Dan kasuwa, roughly translated as the businessman. The village head is the main symbol of authority; he oversees the resolution of dispute, ensures stability and is seen and accepted as the representative of the

who would look after her interest by saving the marriage or take punitive measures against the husband. The Imam is the spiritual head of the community. He leads everyone in prayer at least five times a day, does the marriage solemnisation, the

naming ceremony, leads the funeral service and when the village head struggles to find solution to problems, the Imam will intervene by bringing scholarly opinion and useful references on how such disputes could be resolved from the perspective of the Qur’an and the Sunnah (sayings and actions of prophet Muhammad peace be upon him). The businessman is the economic hub of the community; he provides loans, gives out the Zakkat (charity) and his businesses help in providing employment to the people. The loyalty of the people to these leaders is genuine and unquestionable. They do not see them as politicians who steal money and therefore they should go and get their own share of the cake. This structure which is available in every village has a hierarchy and is replicated at the district level with a district head (Hakimi), and the Emir (Sarki) at the state or provincial level. To date, once you go beyond the headquarters of local Contd. on page 15

Buhari: When 2015 comes By S.O.C Okenwa

eneral Muhammadu Buhari does not need an introduction in Nigeria and even beyond our shores. His name rings a deafening bell! When in the early 80’s the military struck it was the Dauraborn lanky General that became the Head of State ably assisted by a strong-willed deputy, the late Gen. Tunde Idiagbon. During their short-lived occupation of Dodan Barracks in Lagos (the seat of power then) Nigeria witnessed something of a moral revolution as the war against indiscipline imposed by the jackboot became a national phenomenon embraced by all and sundry. I remember vividly well that fateful day of 31st December in 1983. I was in the village as a teenager surrounded by my late parents, brothers and sisters. We were all enjoying the new year mood having celebrated Christmas days gone by and waiting patiently to bid yet another year goodbye and usher in a brand new one. And suddenly the military martial music began blarring forth from my late father’s old radio set tuned to Radio Nigeria. During the late 60’s down to the late 90’s coup d’etat in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general was a ‘disease’ that we all lived with. Some of the junta leaders brought with each execution of the violent or non-violent toppling of a government anguish while others gave rise to positive ideals.

We were all pleasantly surprised then when a voice came forth and announced audaciously the military takeover of power. Providing solid incontrovertible reasons that justified the coup d’etat Gen. Buhari and his military friends made it clear they came with a mission to sanitize the corrupt system. And position Nigeria for greatness that was eluding her. The speech was a powerful message of hope, one that conferred seriousness a ‘business’ to the coupists. The deep political cleansing had just begun with pride and patriotism combining to demonstrate what was possible in Nigeria. Ex-President Shehu Shagari was thus swept aside with his henchmen in tow: the Umaru Dikkos, Richard Akinjides, etc. Behold a new nation with great prospects and opportunities was born! From Lagos to Kaduna, Port Harcourt to Enugu people trooped out to the streets to welcome the ‘saviours’ who had come to liberate a suffocating populace under the debilitating effects of high-wire corruption and executive mediocrity. The Shagari fall reminded one of executive powerlessness, one manacled by political forces it ought to control but which turned out to be killing the system by instalments to the President’s dishonour and criminal innocence. General Buhari and the late Idiagbon of course meant well and dealt a huge blow to those archaic

primitive practises that stiffled growth and promoted odious corruption. True, some draconian decrees were rolled out to check certain flaws of politicians and businessmen. True, there were certain cases of unjust incarceration of politicians with clean records. Though victims were made and violation of human rights recorded examples were shown of the efficiency of the new administration; what it served us was a shock therapy Nigeria needed at that point in time! To be fair to history it must be emphasized that despite the concomitant brutality and overzealousness of some misguided men in uniform things suddenly began to work wonderfully well again — bonding a nation together in unity, discipline and patriotism! Civil servants went to work early and on time, corruption vanished through the window, people began queuing up in bus stops, discipline was the order of the day! It was during the Buhari/ Idiagbon regime that one saw a pure military government in its best military tradition — disciplined, frugal, patriotic, accountable, strict, mean and altruistic. With the coming of the modern barbarians in military fatigues beginning with the ‘evil genius’ Ibrahim Babangida to the late ‘Khalifa’ Gen. Sani Abacha Nigeria suddenly abandoned the jackboot standards embracing debauchery and national

paralysis with Generals rumoured to be homosexuals and stealing billions of dollars of oil profits! Gen. Buhari never reckoned the menacing danger posed to his administration by a lurking Judas within! The fifth columnist, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, then Chief of Army Staff, struck like viper when Gen. Idiagbon went for a holy pilgrimage in Mecca! The IBB coup became an instant success as the Minna-born gap-toothed ‘Maradona’ mounted the saddle with a new hidden agenda, a new crafty mien and a new giddy era in political engineering and reengineering. IBB ran a government of fraud and duplicity and in the final lap of the lonely long-distance race June 12 was killed with a dictatorial sledge-hammer! Babangida ended up as a failed military leader with an empty legacy! Sorry folks, let’s be fair to this man with many baggages! IBB did manage to leave some ‘unbeatable’ legacy behind the ‘dividends’ of which we are currently ‘reaping’: martial homosexuality, bastardisation of the polity, decapitation of the military by destroying professionalism within, letterbombing of Dele Giwa, killing of democracy post-June 12 and “settlement syndrome”, that is, using money to buy over the loyalty and conscience of opponents or using same to blackmail them. Let us not list

the massive sleaze he supervised which culminated in the embezzlement of billions of dollars of Gulf war oil windfall! Babangida remains an intriguing polarizing figure in Nigeria, a study in kleptocracy! The poverty of political engineering in Nigeria must be blamed for the situation where a former ‘benevolent dictator’ has become the ‘beautiful bride’ behind whom a lot of Nigerians are queuing and investing their prosperous future. In a nation where scoundrels and charlatans are doing their very best to criminalise the state and corrupt good morals Gen. Buhari stands out tall as an embodiment of probity and personal character. He appears to be the only surviving ‘saviour’, a ‘messiah’ being acclaimed to step forward and reclaim the stolen soul of the nation. Compared with most of the politicians milking Nigeria dry, from the top to the bottom, Buhari is indeed a ‘paragon’ of honesty and integrity and his pedigree places him in a better stead to remake Nigeria. Sentiments aside one believes a Buhari presidency in Nigeria will step on powerful toes smashing the Mafian bases and bosses and tearing down the wall of impunity and executive indifference. Leadership entails making enemies even though friendship is welcome. Let us look at Nigeria under President Jonathan from only Contd. on page 15

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Force Headquarters as Scotland Yard of Nigeria By Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele

ave you visited the Louis Edet House, the headquarters of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) recently? Have you seen the equipment, machines and up- todate telecommunication gadgets all over the place or have you seen the environment including the manpower armed to the teeth? What of the different police officers who come from their various divisions across Abuja to man the headquarters as incident duty officers on a weekly basis? A new innovation indeed! If the truth must be told, since M.D. Abubakar was named as the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the image of the police and the welfare of the officers has really changed. The mentality of the average police officer has changed for the better and the new helmsman is not relenting but busy improving and consolidating on his achievements so far. He has done so much in his few months of leadership and his 100 days scorecard encompasses a lot and has left people guessing what next? First and foremost, the dismantling of roads blocks across the country is a major plus for travelers and road users who are being harassed on a daily basis collecting money and extorting whatsoever that is necessary thereby delaying their trips and wasting their time, which has now been confined to the dustbin of history. The discipline amongst the rank and file is uppermost as most officers now dress properly, come early to their

despite the duty posts and are now more the force. The IG is a no-nonsense tranquility motivated to do more for their man who will leave nothing to insurgency. The police and fatherland in terms of security achieve his set objectives; he has community relationship has consciousness and combating also pioneered the community been rekindled. The security crime. The IGP has also stopped police relationship known as threats across the country has the carriage of bags by police ‘neighbourhood viewpoint’ to reduced drastically since he officers for VIP’s warning that gather information at the came on board not minding the any officer caught will be grassroot level for the safety of various challenges caused our disciplined. The introduction of lives and property. The new look fellow Christians in some parts of the country the new and all these can uniform of the also be police has also attributed to the added another gallant strides feather to the Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text brought into the new hierarchy messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written force by the new as officers and contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 hierarchy and men are now the craving for looking their words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and professionalism best and ready a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed of the police. to work. The to: The present new uniform leadership is has gone a long The Editor, w o r k i n g way to Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, assiduously reposition the 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. w i t h police in the Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com stakeholders eyes of the SMS: 07037756364 across the public who country, other now see them s e c u r i t y as very serious people, due to the new leadership. metropolitan police of Nigeria agencies, traditional rulers, Most of the police officers mess is has a zero tolerance for opinion leaders, captains of now being upgraded across the corruption as one of the IG’s industry and the people at the country. The police cooperative trademarks, as marching orders grassroots to see how intelligence across the country is now being has been given to all ranks and gathered can reach the police managed more efficiently. The file to desist from anything that within minutes for effective educational department is well will bring down the name of the counter-measures. With these, equipped and with up- to- date police. The IGP under 100 days new lines of communications library including the computer scorecard in office has raised have been opened to the public department that can compare numerous committees to on how to access and pass quickly and with any in the world and the examine how sports and other information police newspaper has been issues within the force can be efficiently to the authorities. What Nigerians are saying repositioned for effective news upgraded to conform to what coverage and dissemination of exists elsewhere. The 100 days and the feelers across the information while the morale of of the IGP is not only beneficial to country now is that what is the officers is very high with the force but to the citizenry in taking the IGP so long to be as the 16th particular attention to the its entirety having reposed their confirmed seriousness the IG puts-in to make trust and confidence on the new indigenous Inspector General of each day a success. So he has set IGP for the repositioning of the Police for having done these feats a benchmark and he is now a role force and creating an enabling in just a few months? But like I model of the men and officers of environment for peace and have always told my colleagues

WRITE TO US

and friends alike, Mr. President is a listening President and his leadership of Nigeria is a people friendly administration in spite of challenges that the President has his eyes and ears to the ground and that very soon, he will hearken to the voice of the people. That what we need do as a people is to give the security agents timely and effective intelligence that will counter our common enemy and make the country a safer place. The force headquarters can now be compared to the metropolitan police of Scotland Yard with all its apparatus, men and machineries in place. We give kudos to the new leadership and a pat on the back to continue the good works and we are also sure that with the support from every Nigerian, it will be replicated to all other parts of the county. Like the IGP has always reiterated, that Nigerians should unite more than ever before and join hands with Mr. President to move this nation forward. That we have no other place to call home but Nigeria is where we all belong. That we should endeavour to be our brother’s keeper and look out for each other whether Christians, Muslims or pagans and that as one people, we will be able to nip in the bud, this daunting task ahead that with our collective sacrifice of being security conscious, the menace will be tackled once and for all as plans and strategies are already in place to make the country a safer place to live in and do business. Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele is of CAPRRIN and can be reached on kenneth_aigbe@yahoo.com

Michael Donley’s lesson for the Air Force By Ike Willie Nwobu

he Nigerian Air Force is saddled with the responsibility of manning the operation of the air wing of the country’s defence system and structure. It is expected to work hand in hand with the other facets of the national security set-up to defend the airspace of the nation from territorial aggression. Since air command and control has proven inestimable in the overall policing and defence of a territory, the expertise and panache of the air force would readily come in handy in ensuring a safe and secure territory. In a democratic setting such as the one we have prevalent, the political supervision of the Air Force and its sister forces has a lot to contribute in making them a viable and formidable set-up. This is true in the light of the fact that the political climate will determine and influence the personnel, equipping, and even the management of the finances and many such logistics of the air force, which

will in turn spell either efficient and effective productivity and viability, or create leeway for a downward slide into doldrumic rot and even corruption in such organizations, the net effect being their inability to hold their own in the comity of nations. In the United States of America, for example, their worldwide reputation of being the best assemblage of men and material for air assault is the direct consequence of concerted political will and effort in all ramifications that border on their welfare, personnel and equipment. The fact that the United States air force can boast of seasoned and experienced breeds of personnel like Michael Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, and the best contrivances of fighter jets and arsenal, among other feathers to its nest of achievement are all a living testimony to what sound and spirited political supervision and oversight can do to a system. In the democratization process, the role of the air force, like the army cannot be over emphasized. It is one of the major power and security indices, whose negligence or denial

would amount to some serious and dire consequences. The aerial advantage in terms of policing and guarding is one that has proven insurmountable over the ages and in different climes of warfare. The air force, just like the army, is an indispensable agent of change and more so in the democratization of a hitherto non democratic government. Its duty of instilling and installing a democracy borders on its ability to effectively manage and monitor, the smooth transition to civil rule by its process and control mechanisms. It has a duty to reflect the national demography of the people, the air force just like the army owes it to the citizenry under its protective wings to be subject to civil authority, at the same time contributing its just quota to the overall national development plan, as well as respecting the civil rights of its people. The concept of emergency medical response and reaction is one in which the prevalent Air Force needs to draw a lot of lesson using the American model. The air force is one of the

key indices in the effective delivery of sound and efficient emergency response, prehospital care and even medical evacuation. Sadly, this is one field that is seemingly alien to our clime and version of air force operations. Emergency response and safety system has been known to bequeath a myriad of benefits to its recipients and even operators, apart from the traditional salvaging of precious life in disaster situations. The air force is a major lift asset to a country. Its advantages offer the presidency its movement, as well as the national logistics of security support. It also includes critical national assignments like haulage of election materials and paraphernalia, equipment related to population census, as well as traffic intervention, monitoring and support. Again, the United States air force is a major lesson to our operation of air force both in Nigeria and most of the third world. With huge capacity and structure, having men and women numbering over 334,000 on active duty, as

well as 176,000 members of the National Guard and Air Force Reserve, apart from 170,000 ad hoc civilians, the United States air force is one huge mass of capability, with an annual budget of over 119 billion dollars. The icing on the cake is finally the personality of its leadership, an erudite, seasoned and experienced hand who has had almost a life sojourn of air force matters, from the Secretary of Defence to the Pentagon and even the entire American government. His huge managerial ability is depicted in the manner and way he has revolutionized the United States air force in the last couple of years. The mode of operation of the United States air force is a prime case study for most developing countries. There is no telling the effect a sound dose of political will could give to our Air Force. With sound staffing and a coordinated programme and roadmap aimed at expanding and improving our Air Force, its operations could be enhanced. Ike Willie Nwobu can be reached at ikewillienwobu@yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

t is not enough to rightfully employ people who will never work for the establishment, it is better to pay real workers well and pay approved allowances to the unemployed. If government officials must employ ghost workers to survive or augment their earnings, let them place such relations who are qualified on social security payments and do away with the corrupt practice of employing either non-existent persons or persons who will never do the work for which they have been employed. It is comical that by the time some people retire Continued from page 13

governments and an inch nearer to your village, you hardly notice the authority of the postcolonial state structure. The local structure that works for the people is the pre-colonial one. The beauty of this structure is that if a stranger comes to town, even if it is at the middle of the night, the village head or the ward head will know immediately, he will provide shelter and food for the guest until he leaves, if he decides to stay in town the village head will get a portion of the farms under his care and give it to the guest to use and look after himself. If the guest proves to be trustworthy he might be honoured with a girl in the Continued from page 13

one significant inevitable perspective: service delivery. If service delivery is the only yardstick with which to judge Jonathan then his administration has failed to ‘transform’ anything tangible enough to change the disastrous course of events back home. If we decide to compare him and Buhari in terms of who would be better placed to fight corruption then the Goodluck scorecard is zero! Corruption remains the single greatest threat to Nigeria’s survival as a nation. And not terrorism or Boko Haram! And in fighting the scourge a leader must be above board and place his life on the line if need be. A president who has thus far refused bluntly to declare his assets as recommended by the Constitution he swore to uphold cannot fight corruption. A president who is reluctant to take decisions or afraid of vested interests cannot wage war against corruption. A president who believes eating cassava bread in the Villa and pretending to be in charge cannot be trusted to combat endemic corruption. A president who shies away from his responsibilities pleading that he is neither a General nor a Pharoah or that the problems of Nigeria were never caused by him cannot win the battle against entrenched corruption. Few days ago I read online where a Ghanaian US-based economist Prof. George Ayittey lambasted President Jonathan for his media chat outing on June 24 describing GEJ as a “a joke”! According to the President of the Free Africa Foundation in Washington DC “Nigerians should not put up with such

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Make these ghosts real (II) from service at 60 years, they would have been earning salaries for over 50 years! We must also address the issue of child hunger in Nigeria by paying some child upkeep allowance to non-working parents. This can be N3,000 to N5, 000.00 a month. A recent incident really unnerved me during my recent visit to Abuja. I had just been brought home by an official car when a little boy, aged 6-7 years approached us requesting we buy the roast groundnuts he was

hawking. We told him we were not interested ad asked him to go. To our surprise the little boy broke down and started crying. I asked the driver to find out why he was crying and he told me, after interrogating the boy, that the boy said he has not eaten since morning and no one has bought any groundnuts. He is very hungry but cannot go home as he has not sold even one. This was about 6.00 pm. We had to give him some money to go and eat. When I think of the fate of

such children I shudder. Child hawkers must sell before they can eat apart from the other risks they face while going about in more distant locations to sell their wares often times not worth more than N500 to N1000.00. This is worrying in a country where opulence and squander mania coupled with huge sums of money mentioned in corrupt practices abound and are showcased daily. To affect lives positively in our country, we must be effective by doing the right things first: fight

hunger, provide homes and educate our children. Government should start paying social security and child upkeep allowances using proceeds saved or recouped from weeding out ghost workers or earners from our various payment outlets including workers’ salaries and pension schemes. Concluded John Igoli contributed this piece to nigeriavillagesquare.com articles.

village so that he can marry her thereby being co-opted as a full time member of the community. The village head knows the societal misfit in every household. It is this structure that can check who is competent to provide religious guidance. It is the one that can identify those who influence the youth. It is alleged that some of the governors who rigged the elections in 2011

in northern Nigeria actually used this structure to manipulate the polls in the villages. Now let us be honest with ourselves; the traditional institution is not perfect, it has some imperfections, particularly the deficit of trust because some traditional rulers have auctioned the dignity of the institution to money bag politicians. But the truth is that this is the system

that works for the average person. Yet the village head and the Imam who have the loyalty of the people have no say in their affairs because we operate a cut and paste democracy that neglects our local values. So when the society faces security challenges as it does at the moment, I wonder how the postcolonial state structure will solve it when the loyalty of the

people belongs to another structure. It is time for traditional rulers, opinion leaders, intellectuals and politicians in northern Nigeria to think critically and devise ways in which this structure can be revived, modernised and make it work for the people. Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u can be reached on mjyushau@yahoo.com

Traditional authorities and North’s security challenges

Buhari: When 2015 comes mediocrity and should mount a RECALL GEJ campaign. They should check Chapter VI of their Constitution. See Sections 143 and 144 about removing the President and Vice-President from office other than through elections”. Making the sarcastic comments on twitter Prof. Ayittey declared: “Look, this GEJ guy is a joke – a meretricious mediocrity. Nigerians deserve a better leader”. Though he is right in his criticism (but) it is disrespectful of him to castigate the President of a great foreign country in a social media just like that. Gen. Buhari’s dramatic political transformation never started with his ‘desperate’ desire to serve his fatherland again through the democratic channel. After Babangida stabbed him in the back a la Brutus the strongman has remained focused looking for some democratic space that would accommodate his ambition to right the wrongs in Nigeria. That is not powermongering neither can it be said to be a vengeance mission. Buhari must have seen the rot in the land and wished to be given the chance to chase the plunderers away. The recurring allegations of his being an unrepentant dictator, an undemocratic quantity and ethnic jingoist do not hold water. Many ‘dictators’ had metamorphosed into good democrats turning away from their past. Examples abound to illustrate this point. Democracy remains a learning process and one holds that Buhari must have

learnt his lessons as a civilian. Gen. Buhari is proud to be from the north as Jonathan is proud coming from the south-south. When he was in power as a military ruler Buhari was not known to be pandering to any ethnic sentiments. When the dimunitive former FCT Minister claimed that Buhari was not ‘electable’ because of his temperament and background one wants to know from Nasir elRufai if this conclusion is a fair assessment over time. El-Rufai has maintained his controversial status as a rabble-rouser in search of political rehabilitation ever since he came back from his selfimposed exile abroad. With corruption case(s) still hanging over his head is it proper advising this garrulous public commentator to appreciate the qualities of a leader found in Buhari? Or do we conclude here that he has a hidden agenda, that of trying to present himself as a better presidential material in the CPC? With formidable pedigree spanning decades in both the military and political institutions in Nigeria Gen. Buhari has already made name for himself for his exemplary patriotism and integrity. Though he has ‘lost’ presidential ‘elections’ thrice he still remains a force to be reckoned with, the last man standing in the obfuscated federal enterprise whose head is both afraid of taking decisions and challenging the crooks in the system. Betraying no sense of trepidation (for Generals don’t fear!) Gen. Buhari has sought to

be in the mood of the real opposition leader hitting out against the ruling party and those it threw up (sometimes via rigged elections) for the collective failure to clean up the augean stable. He has remained outspoken feeling outrageously cheated at the polls for right reasons. His anger and apparent ‘frustration’ is understandable given the fact that his wellarticulated defined mission has been somewhat misunderstood by some Nigerians. While President Goodluck Jonathan is, no doubt, a patriotic leader whose intentions could be described as altruistic his presidential mediocrity is beyond doubt. Nigeria in the 21st century needs a strong leader, a benevolent dictator if you don’t mind, who will knock sense into the senseless federal arrangement that is killing its inhabitants. We desperately need a morally-upright President who is incorruptible and intrepid to knock corruptible elements out of the system. The emaciated giant of Africa is in dire need of a strongman who will establish a strong democracy with strong institutions to check excesses, curb waste and stop the abuse of the system. President Goodluck Jonathan does not fit into this picture, now or in the future! The Nigerian project appears too much for his immediate understanding. But Jonathan cannot be blamed for his rapid ‘miraculous’ ascendancy to the powerful throne. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo did

the same ‘magic’ in 1979 by ‘coronating’ a Shehu Shagari illprepared for the huge task ahead. Again by single-handedly pushing the late Umaru YarAdua to his eventual death while trying to grasp a complex problem presented by a complex nation in search of greatness Goodluck Jonathan was positioned as a ‘substitute’ in the event of the ‘captain’ getting ‘injured’ in the ‘match’. When 2015 comes the opposition must organize themselves with a view and vision of presenting a united strong opposition (like in Senegal recently) that will challenge and wrestle power back from the misruling PDP. One believes a strong and united opposition can indeed win power and save Nigeria from the abuse of power and mindless looting orchestrated by the PDP bigwigs and godfathers. When 2015 comes and a presidential poll holds and the PDP tries to rig themselves into power again then Gen. Buhari’s stark controversial prediction of the dogs and baboons getting soaked in blood should be the last option for Nigerians. May God save us all from reaching that critical point in time when a peaceful revolution would be ignited by the manipulative tendencies of those who see power as their ‘birthrights’ for 60 years and beyond. The stinking augean stable must be cleaned from within — if only for us to reclaim our ailing humanity! S.O.C Okenwa can be reached at soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr

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Two accused of stealing mobile phone By Kerem Kurugh

wo men, Bala Haruna, 23 and Tijani Ibrahim, 22 have been arraigned at an Abuja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly breaking into a man’s car and carting away his LG mobile phone valued at N40, 000.00. The Police Prosecutor, Francis Tanko told the court that the case was reported at the Wuse Zone 3 Police Station by one Abdulmumuni Shehu of Ebutu Ekiwe estate, Abuja on June, 30, 2012. According to the prosecutor, same day, the complainant parked his car at Wuse Zone 4 corner shops, to purchased drinks. While he left for the shopping, the two accused persons opened his car and stole his LG handset value N40, 000.00. The accused persons however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Magistrate Fatima Malo granted them bail in the sum of N30, 000.00 each with a surety in like sum, adjourning the case to July, 7, 2012 for hearing.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

FCTA to prosecute two women for child abuse By Josephine Ella

wo women Ifeanyinwa Igbeanyi and Vanessa Ayoola have been arrested by the Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration for allegedly maltreating two children entrusted to their care. The victims, simply identified as Amarachi and Blessing were each ill-treated by the culprits, who are their

aunties for failing to perform certain chores assigned to them to their taste. Eight-year-old Amarachi was bathed with hot water by her angry aunt Ifeanyinwa Igbeanyi for her inability to wash her cloths properly while 13-year-old Blessing sustained burns from a hot pressing Iron used on her by her aunt Mrs. Vanessa Ayoola. Some angry neighbours of the two women, who could no longer condone the continued maltreatment of the children,

were said to have reported both incidences to the secretariat to rescue the children. Addressing journalists on the arrest of the alleged culprits, the Secretary of the Social Secretariat Department, Mrs. Blessing Onuh directed the gender department to take custody of both children and initiate reunion of the children to their biological parents. She also directed that both Ifeanyinwa and Vanessa be prosecuted according to the provisions of the Child right

Act. Onuh condemned the attitude of women who pick up children from poor families under the guise of providing them a better living condition but subject them to the kind of torture meted out to Amarachi and Blessing. She advised parents and guardians to ensure that their children and wards are adequately catered for as children are gifts from God for the family and a blessing to the union.

Six arraigned for assulting food vendor By Kerem Kurugh

ix men in Jabi garage, Tunji Yusuf, 22, Abiola Adeoye, 22, Gbenga Olatokumba, 24, Romoki Aselebe, 30, Muftau Oye and Musa Mumuni, on July, 3, 2012 appeared before an Abuja Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge of joint act, inciting disturbance and mischief. A food vendor at the garage, Hafsat Rasheed, who resides in Anagada, Giri village, Abuja, on July, 2, 2012 lodged a complainant at the Utako Police Station that the accused men connived and stormed into her shop, destroying items worth N20, 000. The Prosecutor, Simon Ibrahim told the court that the men destroyed her cooked food, rubber, buckets, fish, meat all valued 20,000.00. He added that they equally made the environment inconducive for people around the vicinity to go about their lawful business. The prosecutor said the offence was contrary to Section 79,114,327 of the Penal Code The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge before the court presided by Magistrate Fatima Malo, who granted them bail in the sum of N10, 000.00 each, with a reliable surety in the like sum. She adjourned the case to July, 18, 2012 for hearing.

On-lookers at an accident scene around Nicon Junction in Abuja yesterday.

Photo: Miriam Humbe

Labourer bags one month jail term for fraud By Kerem Kurugh

27-year-old labourer, Emmanuel Etim of Idu, Karmo village, Abuja has been sentenced to one month imprisonment by an Abuja Magistrate’s Court for converting the sum of N15,000 entrusted to him by his boss for purchase of cement block, to his personal use. Emmanuel is standing trial on

a one-count charge of criminal misappropriation, which contravenes Section 309 of the Penal Code. Police Prosecutor, Christopher Roko told the court that the case was reported to the Utako Police Station by Mr. Okongbegun.S.Boroni of NNPC Estate, Wuye Abuja on July, 2, 2012. He explained to the court that the complainant reported that on

June, 28, 2012, he entrusted the sum of N15,000.00 to the accused to purchase cement block to his building site at Utako district, but he deliberately refused to purchase the block, instead, he converted the money to his personal use. Roko said that during police investigation the accused confessed to the crime, saying that he had something more important to do with the money, so he used it and

told the boss to be deducting the sum from his salary. The convict pleaded guilty to the charge before Magistrate Fatima Malo, who in her ruling sentenced him to one month imprisonment with option of fine N500.00 fine. Malo also direct him to pay the sum of 15,000.00 as compensation to the complainant or serve an additional prison term of three month.

Indiscriminate dumping: AMAC vows to penalize culprits By Adeola Tukuru

he Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has vowed to sanction all residents who violate extant environmental rules and regulations constituted to

ensure cleanliness in the area. The Waste Management Coordinator in the council, Hon. Bulus Dogo-Orozo said violation of environmental laws and regulation is a serious offence in the council, stressing the council’s readiness to bring to

book anyone who contravenes lay down rules and regulations. Orozo said that some people were recently arrested and prosecuted through the mobile courts put in place by the council to ensure cleanliness of all the wards that made up the

council. He blamed the congestion of people in some areas of the council to the untidy condition of the areas, adding that some people are naturally desirous of clean environment why some are not.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

500 shanties demolished for Gwagwalada modern market By Josephine Ella

he Development Control Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has demolished over 500 shanties and make shift shops to pave way for the completion of the Gwagwalada Modern Market lock-up shops under construction. Spokespersons of the department, Mrs. Josie Mudasiru told journalists

yesterday that occupants of the illegal structures within and around the modern market had been served notice on the imminent demolition exercise since November 2011. She said that the department began a partial removal of the temporal structures in February when the earlier served notice had reached five months. Mudasiru added that the exercise became necessary as the notices served

to the occupant were ignored. ”Notice were served in November 2011, the department commenced partial removal in February gave 5 months grace period to quit and was not complied with hence the massive removal of 4 th July”, she said. According to her, the removal of the shanties would continue until the last structure is removed to enable the modern market occupy its place in the development of the territory.

Refuse waiting to be evacuated recently at Wuse bus stop.

Monarch appeals to FCDA against facility demolition By Adeola Tukuru

he traditional ruler of Idukoro community in Idu in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Alhaji Ishaku Ibrahim has called on the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA) to rescind its plan to embark on massive demolition in the area, for the benefit of the natives. Ibrahim said that although they are not against the development of the territory but the demolition of houses

in Abuja should be carefully planned to ensure that indigenes are carried along in the process. The traditional ruler, who spoke to journalists, also debunked rumour going around that some traditional leaders are responsible to illegal selling of some plots of land as reported in some media, saying such thing has never taken place in his community. He disclosed that although his communities have been into constant negotiation with the government on

issues that border on their welfare, he has always been monitoring the entire community to ensure that illegal structures that belongs to non-indigenes where pulled down. Ishaku further advised government to create more awareness to the indigenes as well as give them proper time to enable them participate fully in the demolition exercise, stating that in doing so these could create understanding among natives and government in the territory.

11-year-old boy gets 15 lashes for stealing

n Upper Area Court in Abuja ordered that an 11-yearold boy of Tipper Garage, Nyanya, Abuja, be given 15 strokes of the cane for stealing. Police Prosecutor, Silas Nanpan had told the court that on July, 2, 2012 one, Mustapha Haruna of Area B, Block 52 Room 6 Nyanya, Abuja, reported the

matter to the police. Nanpan said that on the same day, the convict broke into Haruna’s shop through the window and made away with his radio, DVD and dryer all valued at N38,500. He said that during police investigation, the items were recovered from the convict and he confessed to the offence.

He said that the offence of shop breaking and theft contravenes Sections 353 and 288 of the Penal Code. The convict pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced by Judge Umar Kagarko for the offence. Kagarko ordered that the convict should be given 15 strokes of the cane. (NAN)

Pickpocket bags one year imprisonment

n Abuja Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 29-year-old unemployed man, Paul Abraham, to one month imprisonment for theft. He was, however, given an option of N2,000 fine. Police prosecutor, Corporal Simon Emmanuel, had told the court that one Moresu Benjamin of the Nigeria Air Force, reported on June 28, this year that

Abraham removed N20, 000 from his pocket. The complainant said he boarded a tricycle at Kado fish market, Life Camp, Abuja, and he sat next to the accused. He said he later discovered that his wallet containing the N20, 000 was removed from his pocket. “He started searching and the accused jumped out of the tricycle and ran into

the bush but was caught by passersby,’’ he said. The accused pleaded guilty to the offence but said: ‘I stole the wallet but the money fell from my hand while I was running ’’. Magistrate, Hajiya Habiba Bello, in sentencing the accused, also ordered him to pay compensation of N20, 000 to the complainant. (NAN)

Abuja female lawyers offer free legal services to women, children By Adeola Tukuru

he Chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Federal Capital Territory(FCT) chapter, Iyabode Ogubseye has assured the general public that the association of women lawyers is always set to give full legal backing to women and children on protection of their legal rights when violated, at no charges. Iyaode, who stated this during the just concluded two decade celebration of FIDA in Nigeria, added that women and children whose rights are breached or abused in anyway should come to the office of the association, located at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Shehu Shagari way, Abuja to get help for free. She explained that the International Federation of women Lawyers was birthed in 1944 and the acronym (FIDA) is derived from the Spanish version of the name of the association: Federation Internacional De Abogadas. “FIDA is a non-governmental and non-profit organization whose objectives are; to enhance and promote the welfare of women and children, to promote the study of comparative law, to promote principles and aims of the United Nations in their legal social and political aspects and establish friendly international relations on a basis of equality and mutual respect for people. “FIDA is all about sharing, caring, giving and loving indigent women and children. It has several branches in 33 states including the FCT. While Abuja branch takes care of cases around the FCT, other FIDA branches across the country does the same in the states they are located”, she said. She further said that FIDA believe that women and children everywhere have a right to live a life void of violence, poverty and play quality roles in achieving central development.

Gwagwalada council pledges to pay staff outstanding allowances By Usman Shuaibu

he head of administration in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Musa Sarki has revealed that the chairman of the area council Hon. Zakari Angulu Dobi is ready to pay the outstanding allowances of staff in the council. Sarki, who made this revelation in an interview with newsmen in his office, said that the leadership of the council is set to send the junior staff for workshops to update their knowledge. He appealed to the staff to put in their best at work and urged them to obey the rules and regulations guiding the civic service. He further called on the staff to continue to give their maximum cooperation to the management of the area council for the upliftment of the council.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 17

Physically challenged people out for alms, yesterday at Kubwa, in Abuja.

A soldier taking photographs of objects of personal interest, on Wednesday at NYSC camp, in Kubwa, Abuja. Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) officials on duty at Kubwa in Abuja.

A motorcyclist loading banana bunches on his machine yesterday in Durumi, Abuja.

A vulcanizer eating his breakfast, yesterday at Apo mechanic village, in Abuja. Photos: Justin Imo-owo

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Pension reform to enforce sanctions, ensure prompt remittance of RSA- PenCom DG

Mob: 08033644990

New pension smart card to save N42.6bn, says Maina

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Hon. Umar Bature, Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, and chairman, Pension Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, during the launching of e-pension smarts card for para-military pensioners, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

he chairman, Pension Reform Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina has revealed that the country will save N42.6b annually from new smart card registration for pensioners. Maina made this revelation yesterday in Abuja, during the commissioning of the new Pension Smart Card for para-

bia Commissioner for Petroleum and Solid Minerals, Chief Don Ubani, says arrangement is being made to re-open NNPC depot in Osisioma near Aba on Monday, July 9. The depot was shut in 2006 by the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) because of activities of pipeline vandals. Ubani said yesterday in Aba that the re-opening was in fulfilment of one of campaign promises of Gov. Theodore Orji. He said that the depot had large quantity of petrol, while

Military pensioners. He said, “The smart card is the apex of the restructuring of the pension administration. The task force has reached 95% because all the information gotten from the biometrics is contained in a chip in that card, with this it is now easier for the pensioners to do verification exercise, as they only have to travel to their senatorial districts after six months with the card to verify

the state government would ensure that it got kerosene and diesel. “We have a large quantity of PMS to last for at least three months at maximum daily loading, but for now no kerosene and diesel. “The state is highly indebted to President Goodluck Jonathan because we are all happy that the moribund depot in the last six years has come back on stream,’’ he said. Ubani commended the

CFA • £ RIYAL $

SELLING 0.298 243.89 195.8572 41.5689 155.9

PARALLEL RATES • £ RIYAL $

BUYING 207 258 40 165

SELLING 209 260 42 169

management of PPMC and NNPC for reopening the depot and gave assurances that adequate security would be provided for the pipelines. The Chairman of Aba Depot Reactivation Committee, Mr Simple Nwankpa said that over 700 marketers with 4000 outlets were lifting petroleum products from the depot. Nwankpa said that the marketers had suffered untold hardship for years due to the closure of the depot.

He commended the state government for its efforts and assured that the committee

many pensioners who have been hijacked by the old rigorous system. Also speaking, the chairman, House Committee on Interior, Umar Bature, who described the new scheme as a victory for Nigeria and pensioners across the country, further challenged anyone who feels otherwise about the new scheme to forward their complaints to the appropriate authority.

he Debt Management Office (DMO) yesterday said it plans to float between 200 billion and 280 billion naira ($1.23 billion - $1.72 billion) in sovereign bonds ranging between 5 and 10 years in the

Reward managers for helping others grow

any bosses say they want their managers to spend time developing people. But then they reward the results of that process, rather than time spent on it. If you truly expect your team to support the professional growth of their direct reports, put your

money where your mouth is. Reinforce the notion that your company values leadership development by rewarding managers who excel at it. Evaluate your managers’ success in this area as a regular part of performance reviews.

would partner with other stakeholders to ensure the smooth running of the depot.

DMO plans to float N200280 bn 5-10 yr bonds in Q3

Management Tip of the Day

4th July, 2012 BUYING 0.278 242.3256 194.6009 41.3023 154.9

was a night mare to most pensioners who lost their lives and valuables due to the hardship and stress they passed through. The minister stressed that the commissioning which was the first of its kind in the history of the country, was meant to ameliorate the suffering and hardship most pensioners passed through, adding that the scheme will put smile on the face of so

NNPC Aba depot to re-open on July 9

EXCHANGE RATES

CBN

claim on the side of the government. The system will save N42.6b annually from the verification”, he said. Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, said that the new smart card for paramilitary officers has come to replace the anachronistic era where pensioners were subjected to rigorous hardship. He noted that the old scheme

Have explicit discussions at review time about what they’ve done to support the growth of their people. Then, tie a portion of their compensation to performance in this area. Source: Harvard Business Review

third quarter of the year, less than its second quarter debt issuance. The DMO said it would sell between N25-35 billion each in 5, 7 and 10-year paper in July and August, while it will sell 2535 billion each in 5-year and 7year bonds in September. The office said all were reopenings of bonds previously issued. Nigeria issues sovereign bonds monthly to support the local bond market, create a benchmark for corporate issuance and fund its budget deficit. The DMO has so far issued a total of N593.37 billion naira worth in sovereign debt this year. (Reuters)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS Market set to buoy on H1 earnings, interim dividend

fter a positive growth of 4.19 percent in half-year (H1) 2012, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, is expected to sustain this momentum in this second-half (H2).

Inlaks Computers repositions to strengthen African operations

Power reform: FG signs MOU with Daewoo to provide 10,000 MW of electricity By Muhammad Sada

he Federal Government has signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a South Korean company, Daewoo Engineering and Construction Company Ltd, to facilitate the production of 10,000mw of electricity projects in the country. Daewoo has undertaken to provide 20 per cent equity in the various projects identified under the scheme, in addition to providing expert advice and guidance on electrical production and construction of power projects to companies wishing to do business in Nigeria

under the agreement. Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, who signed on behalf of the federal government, said that the MoU would change the old system of contractors coming to the country simply to work and get paid, rather, the investors will join in the expansion of the power sector. Today is a very important day for the relationship we want to create between ourselves and Daewoo, and the people of Korea,” Prof Nnaji said in remarks to flag off the signing ceremony. “The President was in South Korea and he gave us an opportunity to reach your company and we agreed with your CEO that we would enter

into a memorandum of understanding on how to work together and how your company would work with us to improve power supply in Nigeria, and we are now making the power sector attractive for investment by international investors,” he said to the visiting Daewoo team members, adding that it was now hoped that they would not only execute contracts but also invest in the power sector under the MoU. Daewoo’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. SangReal Kim, signed on behalf of his company. This is the fifth MoU to be signed by the Nigerian

government and various international investors since the launch of the Nigerian Power Reform Road Map on August 26, 2012. The FG had previously signed an MoU with US Exim Bank to provide a $15billion credit to the Nigerian power sector and with Siemens of Germany to assist in the provision of 10,000MW of power generation infrastructure in the country and 10-15 per cent equity in new power generation stations MOUs were also signed between General Electrics of the United States and Electrobras of Brazil under identical terms with the one signed with Siemens.

nlaks Computers Limited, a major information technology firm in Nigeria, says it is currently repositioning its operations across Africa with a view to offering efficient services while ensuring that customers get the most return on their investments.

AIICO Insurance enhances website to boost customer access

nderwriting firm, AIICO Insurance plc is evolving into a new phase that would give its customers greater access to quality service for efficiency and value creation.

R.T. Briscoe sees 42 % increase in Net Profit

.T. Briscoe Nigeria Plc has reported increases of 30 per cent and 42 per cent in turnover and net profit respectively in its financial year ended December 31, 2011.

Cadbury, Law Union, NASCON, Mobil join 30 most capitalised, liquid stocks

he recent review of NSE30 Index saw the inclusion of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Law Union & Rock Insurance Plc, National Salt Company of Nigeria Plc, and Mobil Oil Plc.

L-R: Senior Banking Officer, Bank of Industry, Mr. Ruseh Oghenekaro, Manager, South-West Office, Mr. Kola Dewole, and Oyo state Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mr Kazeem Adedeji, during a meeting on collaboration between Oyo state government and the bank on development of entrepreneurship, yesterday in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

Sudan signs deals with oil firms for 9 blocks, as Nigeria signs agreement By Muhammad Nasir with agency report udan has signed oil exploration and production-sharing deals with foreign companies on nine blocks, a senior oil official said, sealing investments of $1 billion in Sudan, which is struggling to deal with a big loss in oil revenues. The disclosure was made yesterday by Sudan State oil Minister, Ishaq Adam Gamaa, noting that Canadian firm, Statesman Resources Ltd as well as Chinese, Nigerian, Australian, Brazilian and French companies had signed the agreements. State-owned oil and gas firm Sudapet was included in the deals, he added. Seven blocks were awarded for the first time, while some companies joined previously awarded contracts for two other blocks, Gamaa said. Some of the blocks are near the northern border with Egypt, some are offshore and others are near Kassala in eastern Sudan and in Khartoum state. Gamaa maintained that the

initial investment needed for these blocks is $1 billion. It will not be cash given to Sudan, but money that will be invested by those companies. He also said that there would be no production at the new blocks for several years while companies carry out magnetic surveys, seismic data

and drilling of exploratory wells. Gamaa said Sudan was currently producing 115,000 barrels per day (bpd) and by the end of 2012 would add another 65,000 bpd. A dispute with South Sudan earlier this year also damaged the strategic Heglig oilfield, which is

central to Sudan’s economy. Gamaa said Heglig was now fully operational and producing 40,000 bpd. A source in the oil industry said Heglig’s average production was running around 40,000 bpd a day and had been fluctuating between about 37,000 and 47,000 bpd. The source said he did not know how long it would take to restore the previous production levels of 55,000 to 60,000 bpd.

Pension reform to enforce sanctions, ensure prompt remittance of RSA- PenCom DG By Abdulwahab Isa

he amendments being sought to the existing Pension Act will tackle inherent challenges in payment, including provision of strict sanctions and timely remittances of contributions, Director-General of National Pension Commission (PenCom), Muhammad K. Ahmad said yesterday. The current 2004 Pension Act, Ahmad noted allows loopholes which are being exploited by employers to render Retired Savings Accounts contributory pension scheme ineffective as some employers failed in

remitting their staff contributions. He spoke yesterday in Abuja at one-day interactive session between the House of Representatives committee on pension, PenCom and the licensed pension operators. Speaking in an interview with news men Ahmad expressed optimism that the impending amendments will strengthen the Pension Act both in terms of compliance and strict penalties for breeches. On state governments compliance to RSA , he said 19 states have so far complied to the contributory scheme and harped on moral

suasion for the rest of states to hook up to the scheme. As parts of the commission strategy to get state governments sign up with the scheme, Ahmad said states willing to raise bond at the capital market would be compelled to present evidence of compliance to RSA as precondition for accessing funds at the capital market. He said the interactive session was organised primarily to discuss the implementation of the contributory pension scheme in Nigeria visa-vis its major challenges and future prospects for the industry.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 21

National Tax Policy: Roles, responsibilities & relationship bewteen stakeholders (II) By Muhammad Nasir National Economic Council

he National Economic council (NEC) was created by the Nigerian Constitution and assigned the responsibility for advising the President on economic matters. Given that taxation plays a major role in the economy of the country, the NEC would be required to deliberate on and identify policies, which can be implemented and assist the President draw up roadmaps for the development of the Nigerian economy with particular emphasis on taxation and other fiscal related issues. The NEC would also be required to co-operate with similar advisory bodies to ensure the consistency of advice provided to the President on fiscal issues.

assessment and collection of the relevant taxes. This would include amongst others:

State Governors

tate Governors are expected to play a similar role to that of the President at state level. They would be responsible for the development of State Tax Policy which shall be complementary to the National Tax Policy. In addition, they are responsible for the enforcement of federal and state tax laws in the state and carry out general oversight functions on tax and revenue authorities at the State and Local Government level. State Governors would be required to provide guidance and direction to the state ministries of finance, the State Board of internal revenue service and other relevant revenue generating agencies involved in tax administration in the States.That should also ensure adequate funding and autonomy is provided to these agencies in the discharge of their functions. State Governors would be expected to ensure co-operation among State Boards of Internal Revenue, the Federal; Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service and other revenue agencies for the development of the Nigerian tax system in areas such as information sharing, improved structure and efficiency in tax administration, elimination of multiple taxation and adoption of a nationwide Unique Taxpayer Identification Numbering (U-TIN) system. State Governors would also be required to provide advice to the Federal government agencies and bodies responsible for tax policy, legislation and administration in the country. Overall, it is expected that the state Governors hall provide additional oversight in respect of all tax and fiscal matters at

Ag Chairman, FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi state and federal level. Federal Executive Council in general and the Federal Ministries of finance, Education and Information in Particular The Federal Executive council (FEC) is the highest federal level decision making body in Nigeria and is responsible for decisions, which impact all levels of Government in Nigeria. In addition, the Minister of finance who exercises oversight functions on tax and fiscal issues is a member of the FEC. In this regard, the FEC shall be responsible for approving all matters, which will ensure effective oversight of tax policy and administration. The FEC would be expected to give necessary direction to other levels and tiers of government in this respect as may be relevant. Tax and fiscal matters shall be treated with priority, given the important role they play in the economic and national development of the country. The executive arm of Government is responsible for encouraging voluntary compliance by taxpayers. An effective mechanism for achieving high compliance is by leading by example as well as by making the most efficient use of the tax revenue collected by the Government. Accordingly, all members of the FEC shall on an annual basis ensure that they fully disclose all sources of income and ensure the right taxes are computed culminating in the

publication of their tax clearance certificate by the 30th of June annually. The FEC shall in addition ensure in all of its decisions and actions that tax revenue is judiciously allocated and utilized for the benefit of the entire citizenry. The FEC shall also ensure that on a monthly basis taxpayers are informed of the use to which tax monies are being applied. In this wise, the FEC shall ensure that matters of taxation and revenue generation in general form an intrinsic part of the deliberations and decisions around the annual appropriation budget as well as in discussions at the Federal Executive Council meetings on at least a quarterly basis. The FEC shall co-operate with the Legislature in initiating legislation on tax matters and shall provide the necessary approvals required to speedily implement legislation which is passed by the Legislature. The FEC shall also ensure a cordial relationship with the judiciary and that the independence and integrity of the judiciary is maintained at all times. There shall be cooperation amongst all the members of the FEC in relation to tax and fiscal matters especially with regard to information sharing.

ll federal Ministries, Departments and agencies are required to provide all information that would assist in the accurate

a. Having a revenue generation (as distinct from an expenditure) mindset. Strict implementation of tax laws including overt and explicit support through referrals of major cases to tax authorities(Federal and State) on a continuous basis and integration of tax “psyche” in the day business of government. b. Ensuring proper assessment, collection and prompt remittance of taxes to designated government accounts. c. Ensuring fiscal compliance of every person that they deal with. d. Ensuring that every database maintained in government has a compulsory field for the inclusion of the unique taxpayer identification number for every company, enterprise, individual and other registered organization. e. Use of e-payment systems in all transactions inclusive of direct remittance to the accounts of the tax authorities. f. Use of technology and related systems in the way business is done-e.g. electronic cash registers, automated land registers, etc and linkage of databases and such systems maintained in government to the Federal and state tax authority databases. g. Ensuring tax is a major consideration in the evaluation process of individuals and organizations such as that the lack of taxes is seen as an affront on government and a crime. h. Ensuring that all Tax Clearance Certificates and other tax documents used in government transactions are referred back to the relevant revenue authority for authorization. Some specific roles and responsibilities of respective Ministries are as follows: The Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) shall: • Having primary responsibility for tax policy matters, including initiating proposals for amendments to

tax laws by the National Assembly. • The FMF shall coordinate all requests from other Federal ministries and Agencies relating to fiscal issues as would ensure harmonization of the fiscal policy issues of government. In this regard, no other Federal Ministry or Government agency shall have the right to commit government through the signing of agreements, writing of letters or other communication regarding fiscal policy issues without the authority or consent of the Federal Ministry of Finance. • The FMF and the relevant Government agency, which will administer the tax, shall seek recommendations from the relevant stakeholders to ensure that enactments are regularly reviewed and substantially meet the principles of good taxation and the objectives of Nigeria’s tax system as stated in this document. • The FMF shall partner with the state Ministries of finance and other State and Local Government agencies to ensure the development of Nigeria’s tax system and a tax culture amongst Nigerian citizens. • The FMF shall in this role, work closely with the federal Inland Revenue Service, the Joint Tax Board and the Nigeria Customs Service(in the case of import and excise duties)who have secondary responsibilities to support the FMF on all tax policy issues affecting the country. • The FMF shall support the Federal Inland Revenue and the Nigeria Customs Service (in the case of duties) on all tax administration matters as would complement the efforts of those agencies. Such support shall cover amongst others: • Ensuring that taxpayers monies collected are effectively accounted for and judiciously utilized. • Communicating to the tax payer the use to which tax payer monies are being put. • Demonstrating in action and words that the taxpayer is a priority of government and is well appreciated. (To be continued)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Jaiz Bank Plc to raise N8bn through private placement

aiz Bank Plc, a noninterest bank, on Wednesday in Abuja announced plans to raise N8 billion to enable it acquire the status of a national bank. Umaru Mutallab, Chairman of its board, told shareholders at the bank’s 9th annual general meeting that the fund would be raised through two separate private placements.

“I want to seek your permission and support so that we apply to all the relevant regulatory bodies to raise the share capital to eight billion naira to obtain a national license. “This will be done in two separate private placements, one of which will be through the Islamic Development Bank because they have been part of this way back since the 1990s,’’ he said.

Muttalab said that the bank would also sell shares to prospective investors at N1.50k per share. He said that the bank needed the license within a short time. Mutallab, a former Chairman of First Bank Nigeria, said that the bank planned to have branches across the country, especially in industrial cities of Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Enugu and Sokoto.

“We want to use this medium to commend the Central Bank of Nigeria for the regulatory frame work for noninterest banking in Nigeria and for issuing the company a banking licence. “We hope that it would equally address the issues of taxation and liquidity management for noninterest banks in no distant time,’’ he said. M o h a m m e d

Mustapha, the managing director of the bank, said that the bank was built on strong fundamentals of ethics, fairness, objectivity and transparency. “The bank actually offers all the products and services offered by the conventional banks except dealing in interest. “And it is available to all, irrespective of race or religion. It is all about

building partnership for mutual interests,’’ he said. Jaiz Bank got its regional license from the CBN on Nov.11, 2011 and commenced operations on Jan. 6, 2012 in Abuja, Kano and Kaduna. It currently has technical partnership with IBBL of Bangladesh as well as support and equity investment from Islamic Development Bank (NAN).

NAICOM guidelines on takaful insurance ready July

he National I n s u r a n c e C o m m i s s i o n (NAICOM) determined to increase insurance penetration through grassroots development, will this month conclude the guidelines for implementation of takaful (Islamic) insurance in the country. This will be followed by the licensing of insurance companies and formation of the necessary framework for full take off, which the Commission said would have been concluded by September 2012.

Takaful is an Islamic insurance concept, which is grounded in Islamic banking, observing the rules and regulations of Islamic law. This concept has been practised in various forms since 622 CE. Muslim jurists acknowledge that the basis of shared responsibility as practised between Muslims of Mecca and Medina laid the foundation of mutual insurance. Fola Daniel, Commissioner for Insurance, made the disclosure on the sideline of the 2012 African

Insurance Organisation (AIO) Conference, taking place in Khartoum, Sudan. Daniel said the commission was concerned about the low level of insurance penetration in the country, which is put at less than five percent, stating that it has instituted programmes under its Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI) to increase development of insurance at the grassroots, including Micro Insurance, Takaful Insurance and Agric Insurance.

Daniel said NAICOM was collaborating with international firms, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), GIZ of

Germany and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Department for micro insurance, to do a diagnosis of micro insurance and how it can be implemented in

the Nigerian market. “We have contracted them to do the study and make available the report to us in six months, and from there we take off”, the commissioner said.

South Africa poised for Islamic bond debut • Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania may follow

outh Africa is preparing to launch sub-Saharan Africa’s first Islamic bond, paving the way for issues by other countries in the region, officials said on Wednesday. Thuto Shomang and Monale Ratsoma of the South African Treasury’s government borrowing department told Reuters that South Africa was leaning towards a dollardenominated, five-year sukuk, using an ijara structure. “It’s the one that seems to attract investors’ interest. That’s the one that the recommendations have been on so far,” said Ratsoma, adding that first-time issuers usually chose five-year tenors so that was what South Africa was considering. The bond would be marketed to Middle Eastern countries. There

are large pools of Islamic investment money in the Gulf, which have been buying sukuk eagerly this year as the global financial crisis hurts many other investments. Islamic finance prohibits interest payments so sukuk are structured to provide returns to investors in other ways. In a common form of ijara deal, the originator sells assets to a special-purpose vehicle and then rents them back at a price which gives investors in the sukuk a profit. The South African Treasury is still deciding the precise timing of the issue, and is also considering a sukuk sale to domestic investors. Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania have also been planning sukuk issues, and a successful sale by South Africa could

encourage them to put those plans into operation. Muslims make up only 2 percent of the population of South Africa, which has a BBB+ foreign currency credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, so the country seemed an outside contender to be the region’ leader in Islamic finance. But it has been seeking to diversify its investor base, and its Treasury has the financial sophistication to explore new funding methods. “I know there’s jostling between Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa on who wants to take the lead, but I think the country that actually issues sukuk and attracts investment into the sukuk market is going to determine the key infrastructure for the development of Islamic finance,” said Amman Muhammad, an Islamic banker in South Africa. (Reuters)

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Nigeria: How violence, curfews and border closures hurt livelihoods Potiskum in Yobe state, a three-hour drive south through at least 20 security forces road blocks, was until May this year the largest livestock market in Nigeria, and probably West Africa. A gun and grenade attack on the market by what traders say was armed robbers, and the state government claims was Boko Haram, killed at least 34 people, and has scattered business to smaller markets in the region. Once a week, Potiskum would be packed with trucks and trailers from across Nigeria, especially the southeast, and businessman with cash to spend. Now “the market has halved, even if you bring the cows nobody will buy,” one trader said. Cattle prices are a third lower than before the market was attacked; animals now come from nearby villages instead of the international trade of the past. Call for government to negotiate with Boko Haram ack in Maiduguri, the state government official, as with everybody in the city IRIN spoke to, said peace talks had to begin with Boko Haram. “Whether they are terrorists or whatever they are called, people want the government to negotiate because millions of people are suffering.” He added that the easing of the state of emergency would be a welcome interim measure. Boko Haram says it is at war with the federal government, and its goal is the imposition of Islamic shariah law across the entire country, including the south where the majority of people are not Muslims. “There is a negotiating position, and then there is the true position of a person,” a Maiduguribased analyst told IRIN. “The group has told the world they want their people released from prison, that is their real concern, not shariah.” He added: “If I were the president there would be things I would do behind the scenes. I would work with traditional leaders, as they know the situation. The solution has to be found from inside, rather than imposed from the outside.” Source: IRIN

Scenes of violence like this are becoming common place in the country

ore than 1,000 people are estimated to have died in bombings and shootings by religious extremists in northern Nigeria since 2009, but an additional casualty has been the jobs and opportunities lost in an already deprived region. “The economy has been ground down, people are running from the city,” said Joshua Bullus, a deputy pastor in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, where Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad), better known as Boko Haram, began. Maiduguri, bordering the

Sahelian countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, was the centre of a thriving livestockbased economy, with an ancient trade network extending as far as Sudan and the Central African Republic. But despite its illustrious past, the region is one of Nigeria’s least developed. When Boko Haram declared war on the federal government in 2009, the northeast was already at the bottom of virtually all socioeconomic indicators - its marginalization a clue to the violence, according to several analysts. From literacy to child survival, Nigeria’s Demographic Health Surveys consistently reflect a region that has been

left behind by the rest of the country. Motorbike taxi ban ommercial motorbike taxis, popularly k n o w n as ‘okada’, offer one of the few urban job opportunities for young men across Nigeria - typically those with a bit of schooling. ‘Okada’ riders are key to what makes cities work, and in risking Nigeria’s formidable traffic and the scorn of carusers, they earn well over the national minimum wage. In July 2011, the state government banned both private and commercial motorbikes from the streets of Maiduguri in response to their use in ride-by shootings

by Boko Haram. “The government is not helping the youth,” a University of Maiduguri student, who asked not to be named, told IRIN. “The `okada’ ban is encouraging the youth to join Boko Haram because they don’t have anything.” An additional security measure, a 7pm curfew enforced by a federal unit called the Joint Task Force (JTF), has also effectively closed the “night market” the small kiosks that sold household items and fast food until midnight, serving essentially low-wage earners and an important rung in the informal economy. “A person can leave his house with 10 naira [6 US cents] in his pocket, struggle

for business all day, and then go to the night market to find food for his family,” explained a senior state government official. “Now from 6pm everybody is rushing home.” With Ramadan approaching later this month, when fasting is broken at sunset, the curfew will become even more burdensome. The JTF has struggled to contain Boko Haram attacks that have targeted state institutions, churches, and individuals seen as critical of the group. The insecurity has led transporters to increase their costs, which has had a knock-on effect on food prices: according to Bullus, his household food bill is now one third more than last year. Livestock trade hit

ost traders from the southeast, who cornered the spareparts market, have shuttered their shops and moved on in response to the violence, adding to Maiduguri’s sense of isolation, and denying local land owners valuable rent. The closure of the borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon - to prevent Boko Haram infiltration and escape - has had even more farreaching consequences for the local economy. “The border trade has virtually stopped, people are suffering, the livestock market has dropped by 50 or 60 percent,” said Mohammed Nur Alkali, director of the Centre for Trans-Saharan Studies at the University of Maiduguri.

New National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki

A trader in front of his shop in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Photo: Obinna Anyadike/IRIN

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Universal prophetic wisdoms (VI) I

n Islam generally speaking, there is no restriction on mild laughter. It is a sign of good nature. It is praiseworthy. The Holy Prophet (SAW) used to smile faintly. This is a concept which has to be understood properly before we move on to a discussion of the practical ways of dealing with the problem of excessive laughter, which can be dealt with in the following ways: Remembering death, the grave, the Last Day and its reckoning, the bridge over Hell (al-siraat), the Fire, and all the other terrors of the Hereafter. The way to remember all these things is to read the texts that describe these scenes and to study the details and commentaries, as well as sitting with people who are ascetic (zaahid) and whose hearts are devoted to Allah. Thinking about the deplorable and lamentable situations all over the Muslims world, and how they are suffering because they have strayed from their religion, which made to lag behind in all fields of life, facing oppression, hardship and destruction, and subjected to the plots of international conspiracies, will make you cry rather than laugh excessively. When any serious Muslim thinks long and hard about these situations, it then become imperative and impacting on how much he or she laughs and cries. Feeling the weight of his great responsibility towards his Ummah, which needs huge efforts to save it from the danger

of deteriorating furteher, as his Qur'an) is the Word that separates main concern, he will start (the truth from falsehood…). And making active efforts to reform it is not a thing for amusement." his family and friends, and his [at-Taariq:13] and: "…Hold fast society, as much as he can. He to that which We have given will not have the time for c r a c k i n g brainless jokes or for excessive laughter or t r i v i a l By Husain Zakariyya pursuits, in quest for Yawale happiness. S h e i k h +234-8052952900 (sms only) Muhammed islamexplained35@yahoo.com Salih AlMunajjid is an erudite scholar of our time, you…" [al-Baqarah: 93]. The proffer the following steps as Prophet (peace and blessings of remedies to people who are Allah be upon him) said: "If you suffering from humorous knew what I know, you would infection of their senses. The laugh little and weep much, and following steps are good remedies you would go out to the hills, beseeching Allah for help." If we worthy of trying: They are: 1. Avoiding mixing with really understood what is jokers who are well-known for required of us, and what lies making people laugh and trying ahead, we would never even to be funny, and keeping away sleep peacefully. 2. Resisting the urge to laugh from gatherings where they are present, whilst also trying to as much as possible, as well as advise them and the people who tying to stop others from sit with them. We have already laughing. There may be a referred to some Islamic workers gathering where the people are who use the tactic of making accustomed to laughing and people laugh as a means of chortling most of the time. So the winning people over, and in some Muslim must first suppress his cases the general public may own laughter, just as he say, "Where is the Sheikh who suppresses a yawn, then he makes us laugh? We want the should advise the other people Sheikh who makes us laugh!" present and help them to control This is a step backwards, which themselves. It takes a persuasive, we hope the Ummah will avoid, determined and serious person to because the Religion of Allah is do this. There is a lot of goodness great and strong. Allah says in people, praise be to Allah, and (interpretation of the they are ready to respond to the meanings): "Verily! This (the one who wants to reform them

ISLAM EXPLAINED

and improve them. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as telling them how bad it is to laugh and make others laugh, because it can lead to lies and falsehood when the "comedian" cannot find a true story to tell, so he makes up a tale from his imagination to make people laugh. This is the kind of person who was warned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Woe to the one who talks and tells lies to make people laugh… woe to him, woe to him!" (Saheeh al-Jaami', 7136). It can also make him an unstable person who is held in low esteem by others, because the person who makes people laugh is despised by them, even if he thinks otherwise. They have no respect for him at all, and the same applies to the person who laughs too much. 3. Changing the subject that led to the laughter, and introducing another, useful subject. If you see that the people have gone too far with their laughter, try to bring them to their senses, using a proper method, and introduce a serious topic and help them to make good use of their time, by reading a useful book, discussing an important topic, exchanging ideas, or suggesting some charitable project or other good work that Allah likes and is pleased with. As a last resort, if

you have done all that you can to advise them correctly, get up and leave the gathering, to protect yourself from corruption. "…and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another…" [al-An'aam 6:164 interpretation of the meaning]. The Muslim should know better, and should treat worries and stress in the way prescribed by the Prophet (SAW). When something was troubling him, he would pray (Saheeh alJaami', 4703), and if something distressed him, he would say, "Ya Hayyu ya Qayyoom, bi rahmatika astagheeth (O Ever-Living, O Eternal One, by Your mercy I seek Your help)." (Saheeh alJaami', 4777). According to another saheeh hadeeth, when he was overtaken by worries and distress, he would say, "Ya Hayyu ya Qayyoom, bi rahmatika astagheeth. Allaahu rabbee wa la ushriku bihi shay'an (O EverLiving, O Eternal One, by Your mercy I seek Your help. Allaah is my Lord, and I do not associate anything with Him)." (Saheeh al-Jaami'. Another famous du'aa' to relieve stress and anxiety, he use to say: "Allaahumma inni 'abduka, wa'bnu 'adbdika wa'bnu amatika… (O Allah, I am Your slave, the son of Your slave, the son of Your maidservant…)." Whatever comes from the Apostle of Allah is the truth, the whole the truth and nothing but truth! This is the conviction and belief of every Muslim who professed the kalimah in its purest form and meaning. Thus, every admonishing and guidance reaching us from the Apostle of Allah are acceptable to us weather we understand the wisdom or not. Allegiance to him is compulsory and without any reservation or compromise. Thus, the entire sayings of the the hadith in discussion, are all tested to be true to live experience throughout history of human endeavour. These wise counseling are: 1. "Avoid the unlawful (deeds), and you will be the most pious of people." 2. "Be satisfied with what Allah has allotted you, and you will be the richest of people." 3. "Treat your neighbour well, and you will be a believer." 4. "Love for others what you love for yourself, and you will be a Muslim." 5. "Avoid excessive laughter for too much laughter kills the heart." Any society that implement these teachings will definitely prosper, while neglecting any of them will lead to the sorry situation we found ourselves socked to toes! May Allah grant us the sensibility and courage to put into practice all that we learn from our beloved Apostle; Muhammad, sallallah alaihi wa sallam! Concluded

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

he Qur’ân has a distinct place in the site of Allah, our Lord, Creator and Sustainer, Who has decreed the crucial role it plays in our life. The Qur’ân, indeed, is as Allah has said, the source of honour for us, we members of the Ummah of Muhammad (p.b.u.h) in this life and the next. Allah the Most High said in Suratul Anbiyah: “We have certainly sent down to you a Book (that is the Qur’ân) in which is your honour. Will you not then understand?” The Qur’ân is the Clear Book of Allah, the Wise Book, the Noble Recitation, the Arabic Recitation, the Word of Allah, the Light, the Guidance, the Mercy, the Criterion that distinguishes between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, guidance and error, good and evil, benefit and harm. It is the Ultimate Miracle of the Last Messenger, Muhammad (p.b.u.h), and the Irrefutable Proof and Clear Sign of his prophethood and messengership. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: “There is no Prophet among all the Prophets but that he had been given a proof that would make people believe in him. The proof that was given to me is a revelation that Allah has revealed to me, and (by that) I hope to be the one among them all with the most followers on the Day of Judgement”. Bukhârî and Muslim narrated it. This shows that the Qur’ân is a living miracle, that shall not cease to attract hearts to the truth of Islam. Only Allah knows the scores of people throughout history that came to Islam through the Qur’ân, and are still doing so, and will continue to do so. This makes the Qur’ân different from the miracles of the other Prophets which ended with the return of those Prophets to their Lord. The Qur’ân is unique among all the Books of revelation. Its distinctiveness lies in the fact that it is the only book of revelation that has been guarded and protected, such that it cannot be altered by any kind of flexion. Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it. Allah the Most High said: “We are the Ones Who have revealed the Remembrance, and We are the Ones Who shall preserve and protect it”. When the Qur’ân was copied and compiled into a single mushaf (book) during the caliphate of Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, four to eight copies were made and dedicated to each one of the territories of the then Islamic world. Two of these copies are still known to exist – one in Tashkent in Uzbekistan, the other in Istanbul, Turkey. These ‘originals’ continue to serve as written records for the remainder of mankind, and any record of the Qur’ân can be authenticated against these originals to demonstrate the absolute veracity and preservation of the sacred book of Islam. This is such a miraculous proof of the sanctity of the Majestic Qur’ân, that even those who do not profess faith in Islam are constrained by the necessity

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The Barakah in reciting, working with the Qur'an

L-R: Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, in a handshake with CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, during the graduation ceremony and completion of recitation of the Holy Qu’ran of the Zaytunah Madrasah, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye of reason to assert and proclaim it. Dr. Laura Vaglieri writing early in the beginning of the 20th Century said: ‘We have still another proof of the divine origin of the Qur’ân in the fact that its text has remained pure and unaltered through the centuries from the day of its delivery until today’. This is besides its preservation in the hearts of memorizers or huffadh (the plural of hafidh literally meaning preservers) whose number in the present day by a conservative estimate is placed at nothing less than 30 million. We are here witnessing a sample of these reciters and memorizers of the Qur’ân, may Allah increase their numbers. The Qur’ân is also unique in the sense that it contains in it proofs of its authenticity and the fact that it is from Allah. The foremost is the eloquence of its language and style. Poetry and eloquence of the spoken word were the highest skill and most respected art of the Arabs during the time of the Prophet, peace be on him. It was the most sought after affair just as magic during the time of Moses and medicine during the time of Jesus were the most sought after works of wonder. Just as Moses surpassed the magicians of the Pharoah’s court with the miracles given to him, and Jesus humiliated the physicians of his age with the miracles of healing, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him came with a revelation composed in the most beautiful expression

of the Arabic language ever known to man. One passage of the Qur’ân can reduce hardened desert dwellers to tears, while another can elevate the spirits of the faithful to heights of ecstasy. One of the most eloquent Arabs of the time of the Prophet, peace be on him, Waleed ibn alMugheerah who was a disbeliever, when he heard the Qur’ân, he was dumb-founded and bewildered and had this to say: ‘this is not poetry…neither is it sorcery. This has a sweetness in it. It is like the highest fruit in a tree growing in rich soil, and it towers above all and nothing can be above it. I have heard a statement that indeed captures the hearts’. The Qur’ân therefore invited the Arabian orators of that time to reply to even one of its shortest surahs. It challenged them thus:

“And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant then produce a Surah resembling it, and bring forth your witnesses if you are truthful”. Not one of them has been able to imitate it. All of mankind have been unable to write the like of the Qur’ân. This is despite the obstinate opposition of the enemies of Islam, and their utmost desire to disprove its Sacred Book. The Qur’ân confidently asserts that: “Such are the narratives of the Unseen which We reveal unto you. Before this, neither you nor your people knew them. So be patient. The good end is for those who fear Allah”. (Suratu Hud: 49). So numerous are the narrations in the Qur’ân that

“

All of mankind have been unable to write the like of the Qur’ân. This is despite the obstinate opposition of the enemies of Islam, and their utmost desire to disprove its Sacred Book

were told 1400 years ago, but we are only able to understand their real meaning in these times. At the time they were told, no source of human knowledge could claim to be the source of the information in the Qur’ân, neither the books of philosophy, nor the extant copies of the gospels and epistles in the hands of the people of the Book, because the information was simply never to be found anywhere on the face of the earth. These narrations span across various fields of knowledge: from history to astronomy, geology, oceanography, marine geology, meteorology, physiology, embryology, anatomy, medicine, quantum physics and so many other fields. It is not possible within the scope of this short presentation to give examples. But this field of studying aspects of the Qur’ân that modern knowledge only arrived at it in recent times has occupied the attention of a great many scholar, both Muslims and non-Muslims. Shaikh Abdul Majid Zindaani, Muhammad Ali Albar, Mir Anisuddeen, Dr. Maurice Bucaille of France and Dr. Keith Moore the Canadian Professor Emeritus of Anatomy, and the 1984 recipient of the J.C.B Grant Award of the Canadian Association of Anatomists are some of the ones that have published works in this area. It is no wonder therefore, that even the Jinn, when they heard the Qur’ân they could not but declare that: “We have indeed heard an incredible Qur’ân”. The point that all these lead us to is the fact that the Qur’ân is indeed the Absolute Truth, the Infallible. What has been stated in it of the Unseen that has been confirmed by human science and experience and has come to pass, is a pointer to the fact that the remaining aspects of the Unseen will surely come to pass. The Final Hour will come, and all that the Qur’ân has said will happen after the Hour, will without any doubt occur exactly as mentioned in the Qur’ân. Therefore let us not be deluded by the glamour of this world, nor be unmindful of the constant knock on the doors of our hearts by the Qur’ân to awaken us from our deep slumber and enliven us so that we do not become dead before our death. The Qur’ân is a book that is full of blessing, whose meaning is immense and permanent good. Allah has described it as such in four different places in the Qur’ân. Allah said: “And this is a Book which We sent down, full of blessing and confirming what has been revealed before it, so that you (O Muhammad) may warn the Mother of Cities and those around it” (An’aam: 92) He also said: “And this a blessed Book which We have sent Contd. on page 28

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The Barakah in reciting, working with the Qur'an Contd. from page 27 down. So follow it and fear Allah, that you may find mercy” (An’aam: 155) He also said: “And this is a blessed Reminder which We sent down. Are you then denying it” (Anbiya: 50) And He said: “A Book that We sent down to you, full of blessing, that they may reflect upon it, and that men of understanding and insight may be reminded” (Saad: 29). Blessing is firmly embedded in the Qur’ân; it is its inseparable attribute. Every verse of the Qur’ân is full of blessing. Its text is blessing. Its meaning is blessing. Its recitation is blessing. Working with it is blessing. Judging with it is blessing. Anything and anyone connected to the Qur’ân is also blessed by virtue of that connection to it. History is a living witness to how individuals, communities and nations have been blessed by the Qur’ân. The Arabs of preIslamic times were among the lowest of the low in terms of civility, human achievement, culture, civilization and influence over world affairs. But when blessed with the Qur’ân, they became, within less than three decades, the best community raised up for mankind, and established a culture and civilization that has remained strong and vibrant for about a millennium and a half. The great exegesist of the Qur’ân Fakhruddeen al Raazi said: “the custom of Allah has come to pass regarding anyone connected with research in the Qur’ân, who holds firmly to it and works with it, that he will be honoured in this world and attain eternal happiness in the Hereafter. I have lived my life engaged in different fields of knowledge, both philosophical and religious. But I have never experienced blessing and good in all its varieties on account of any field of knowledge as I have experienced as a result of my devotion to the field of Qur’ânic exegesis”. Al-Aloosi, another exegesist said: “All praise belongs to Allah, and we have tasted the fruit of our service to the Qur’ân in this world, and we ask Allah not to deprive us of its bliss in the Hereafter.” The students who have been blessed to pursue knowledge of the Qur’án in this institution have certainly every course to rejoice, because of their connection to the Blessed Qur’ân. Memorizers and reciters of the Qur’ân have been described to be members of the family of Allah and His choicest ones as confirmed in the hadith of Anas bin Malik in Nasa’i and Ibn Majah: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: Allah has a family among mankind. They said: who are they O Messenger of Allah! He said: they are the people of the Qur’ân. They are the family of Allah and His choicest ones. And the hadith is sahih. This includes both those who are proficient in its recitation and

Some students of the Zaytuna Madrasah in Maitama District of Abuja, during the graduation ceremony and completion of recitation of the Holy Qur’an, recently in the school premises. Photo: Joe Oroye strong in its memorization, as well as those who can only recite it with extreme difficulty. In the hadith of A’isha in both Bukhârî and Muslim, the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: the one who is excellent with the Qur’ân is like being in the company of the emissaries (angels) who are noble and righteous. And the one who recites it with extreme difficulty has a double reward”. Another blessing of the Qur’ân is that it will intercede for the one who occupies himself with its recitation. It will come in a form, the reality of which is only known to Allah, and say: O Allah crown him. And the reciter will be crowned with the crown of glory. The Qur’ân will then say: O Allah, give him an increase, and he will be adorned with the robes of glory. Then it will say: O Allah be pleased with him, He will be pleased with him, and it will be said to him: recite and rise, and with every verse that he recites he will be given additional good. All this has come in sound and confirmed hadiths of the Prophet (p.b.u.h). However, the recitation of the Qur’ân and its memorization comes along with it duties and responsibilities. Anyone who feels satisfied to be a certified reciter and memorizer of the Qur’ân, without observing those duties and responsibilities is in danger of not being among the people of the Qur’ân entirely. Allah says regarding the people of the Qur’ân: “Those to whom We have given the (knowledge of the) Book recite it as it ought to be recited. These are the ones who truly believe in it” (Al Baqarah: 121). The meaning of reciting it as

it ought to be recited is following it as it ought to be followed, that is to follow its commandments and work with them, observing its permissions and prohibitions. This is why the Prophet, peace be on him said as reported in Sahih Muslim: “the Qur’ân is a proof for you or against you”. Therefore the one who despite his memorization and recitation of the Qur’ân does not work with it, the Qur’ân becomes a proof against him, and will not be regarded as being among the people of the Qur’ân. The memorizers of the Qur’ân are also duty bound to preserve it and commit themselves to it, so that they do not forget it. The Prophet, peace be on him, in a confirmed hadith narrated by Abu Nu’aim praised one of his companions, Shuraih al Hadrami as being someone who does not make the Qur’ân his pillow. The one who makes the Qur’ân his pillow is a metaphor of someone who sleeps during the night and does not wake up to recite the Qur’ân in the hours of the night. The people of the Qur’ân must also not use their recitation of the Qur’ân as an avenue for begging people and acquisition of wealth from their hands. Imraan bin Husayn passed by someone who was reciting the Qur’ân and was then begging people. He did istirja and said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) say: ‘’whoever reads the Qur’ân let him ask Allah with it, because some people will come who will read the Qur’ân and be asking people with it’’. Tirmidhi narrated it with an acceptable chain of transmission. The real man and woman of the Qur’ân are the ones whose

hearts are full of contentment with Allah, because true recitation of the Qur’ân unfailingly leads to that. The Immense blessing of the Qur’ân is not limited to the Qur’ânic memorizers alone. Anyone who establishes a connection to the great network of the Qur’ân will get this immense blessing in accordance with the strength of his connection to it. The strongest connection is working with the Qur’ân and following its commandments and seeking guidance from it, which is mandatory on everyone. Loving those who are upright with the Qur’ân, in its recitation and working with it, and envying their position will have the same position as them. The Prophet, peace be on him said in the confirmed and famous hadith: “there is no envy except with regards to two categories of people: one whom Allah has given the Qur’ân and he is upright with it day and night, and one whom Allah has given wealth and given him power over spending it in ways of goodness”. Training one’s children in learning the Qur’ân and working with it is also a form of connection with the Qur’án. Buraidah may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah r saying: whoever reads the Qur’ân and learns it and works with it, his parents will be crowned on the Day of Judgement with a crown of light whose brilliance is like the brilliance of the sun, and will be adorned with two garments the like of which can never be found on earth. They will say: what did we do to be clothed in

these garments? It will be said to them: because of your son’s learning of the Qur’ân”. Al Haakim reported it, and it is an acceptable hadith. Frequent listening of the recitation of the Qur’ân is another form of connection to the Qur’ân that brings a lot of blessing. This is important especially in our houses, because the recitation of the Qur’ân causes the angels of Allah to descend as has happened in the incidence witnessed by the great Madinan companion of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) Usayd bin Hudayr. When Allah’s angels descend the evil spirits and demons flee. Allah has blessed several Muslim nations with radio channels broadcasting the recitation of the Qur’ân. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, the Sudan, even the Republic of Benin where Muslims constitute only about 13% of the whole population, all have Qur’ân broadcasting channels. There are satellite television channels broadcasting the recitation of the Qur’ân round the clock for everyday of the week. Establishment of such service in our country will do a lot of good to us Muslims and bring a replacement to the several FM channels that are bursting with music day and night. May Allah shower upon us from the Immense Barakah of the Qur’ân. Ameen. Being the text of a speech delivered during the 1st graduation ceremony & completion of the recitation of the Holy Qur’an of Zaytuna Madrasah, Abuja on 1st July, 2012 (11th Sha’aban 1433)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

t was supposed to be a state-ofthe-art city for 500,000 - but eerie footage shows how a Chinese-built urbanisation is at risk of becoming Africa’s first ‘ghost town’. Constructed on the outskirts of Angola’s capital city Luanda, Nova Cidade de Kilamba has 750 eightstorey blocks of flats, a dozen schools and more than 100 shop units. But, crucially, it has no residents, and many of the nearby slumdwellers cannot afford the £75,000 price-tag to move in. This has sparked fears the £2.2billion project, a fraction of the cash China has poured into Africa in recent years, could lay abandoned for years to come. It has also highlighted the increasing ‘colonisation’ of Africa by China, seen to be wanting the resource-rich continent as a ‘satellite state’, in recent years. It is said to be reminiscent of the West’s imperial push in the 18th and 19th centuries, with critics pointing to trade deals with more than 40 countries. They also flag up the provision of billions each year in loans to states on the continent, which extends

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Why has China built a ghost town in Angolan? China’s political as well as its economic influence. It is seeing local black workers either paid a pittance or pushed out completely in favour of Chinese labourers. And African shops are now flooded with cheap Chinese products. Sebastiao Antonio, 17, who travels on a bus from an outlying area for three hours a day to get to one of the opened schools, told the BBC: ‘I really like this place. But when asked if his family would move there, he said: ‘No way, we can’t afford this. It’s impossible. And there is no work for my parents here.’ Kilamba street sweeper Jack Franciso, 32, added: ‘Yes, it’s a nice place for sure but to live here you need a lot of money. People like us

Empty: It was supposed to be a state-of-the-art city for 500,000 - but eery footage shows how a Chinese-built urbanisation is at risk of becoming Africa's first 'ghost town'.

Handful: Chinese workers were the only people seen on the streets of the city

Heralded: The new flats were supposed to mark a new era for Angola, but many have failed to sell.

Loneliness of the long-distance ruuner: A jogger in the shadows runs past empty apartment blocks in Sesena, a 45-minute drive south of Madrid, Spain, where 30,000 people were due to live but is still almost empty.

Slum: The new development is a world away from the slums of Luanda don’t have money like that.’ He has a point. How can someone who earns an average £1.30 per day afford luxury flats that range from £75,000 to £130,000. It seems it’s a question stateowned China International Trust and Investment Corporation, which built the 12,355 acres development in three years in exchange for oil, has not asked. And it now means the city is at risk of turning into the European ghost towns seen across Ireland and Spain. Built during the property boom, they were meant for people who never move in - leaving those who did with a worthless property they cannot sell. Kilamba is the largest of several ‘satellite cities’ being built by

Chinese firms in Angola, and believed to be one of the biggest newbuild projects in Africa. Real estate adverts show its citizens enjoying a stylish lifestyle away from the dust of the capital’s slums. But the promotional material is misleading, as almost 12 months since the first batch of 2,800 flats went on sale, only 220 have been sold. Hardly anyone has moved in, there are few shops and the only place to buy food is a supermarket at one entrance. A handful of Chinese labourers, who live in containers next to the site, seem to be the only people walking the deserted streets. But despite the perception that flat prices were too high, real estate agency Delta Imobiliaria, in charge

of selling the flats, said the real problem was in accessing bank credit. Paulo Cascao, general manager, told the BBC: ‘The prices are correct for the quality of the apartments and for all the conditions that the city can offer. ‘The sales are going slowly due to the difficulty in obtaining mortgages.’ He also revealed a section of the flats would be designated social housing, for people on low incomes to pay rent at low prices. This is seen as a response to critics who say the government needs to focus on building low-cost housing for the ‘majority of the population’ who live in shacks with no water, electricity or sanitation Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Late Musa Isa: Ten years after professional service. As the given words of his colleagues testified in the event of his demise, hard work was Musa’s swearword, objectivity his motto and resoluteness his guiding principle. In short, Musa Isa typified the persona of a committed journalist. It is unfortunate that at the time of recounting his memorable past the nation is mired in serious insecurity crises with Yobe State, which formed a large part of his credit, alongside Borno being the worst hit. In fact, the night before this write-up witnessed echoing sounds of heavy explosions and gunfire between Boko Haram fighter and security forces in a number of northeastern States including Yobe. This is what the

By Ibrahim Isa Abubakar

he Hausas have a saying: Gaisuwa bata ruba, meaning “condolence time does never run out”. this is purely a smart conventional attempt to play down the natural guilt consciousness usually felt by a person condoling somebody at a supposedly late hour. Deep beneath its literary flavor, however, lies a strong import of philosophical truism only identifiable to the wise and perceptive. if you feel a little confused, or taken for a stroll, I mean just this: the Hausas coined that adage simply for the undeniable fact that death and, if you like its accompanying injury, hardly vanishes completely. While the lost one suddenly escapes our sight and with the passage of time, though this largely depending on our proximities, his memory may keep fading away, there are many points and angles at which we either experience mental flashbacks of his days or we feel renewed agony of his passage. But, come to think of the memories of the lost ones who, owing to their indelible imprints on our lives, had left us multiple years ago, yet continue to feature in our present, the late Musa Isa of FRCN is one of such people. Looking back at his days in the media service, especially through the prism of the near-

behemoth North is currently battling with. In essence, the glorious life of mallam Musa Isa reflected what a decent personality would live on earth. Depicted by family members as reserved though eloquent, as patient but neutral, and by colleagues as both adaptable and diligent, our brother’ really need to be inculcated in upcoming children. Finally, man is mortal, it has been affirmed, and his life is casual; it is therefore a lesson for us the yet living-that we are on our way anytime, we relive the memories of the past among us, may their souls rest in peace. Amen. Ibrahim Isa Abubakar is the brother of the deceased +234-0803-642-3166

“

Late Musa Isa zero objectivity of most of today’s media practices in Nigeria, verging at some points on free-for-all blackmail, an irrestible nostalgia fills the mind

of a vigilant observers. While the late Musa Isa exerted his full energy, sacrificed his time and dedicated his life to the delivery of noble,

The glorious life of mallam Musa Isa reflected what a decent personality would live on earth. Depicted by family members as reserved though eloquent, as patient but neutral, and by colleagues as both adaptable and diligent, our brother’ really need to be inculcated in upcoming children

Akwa Ibom’s budget of infrastructural development Contd. from Back Page Scrutinizing the capital budget of N197.533 billion further indicates that the Economic Sector gets N128.9 billion (37%), Social Services get N60.7 billion (17.7%), Environment and Regional Development get N52 billion (15.2%), and General Administration gets N99.8 billion (29%). The capital spending priorities of the 2012 budget reveal carefully thought out and focused expenditure. In a bid to expand the production base of the state which would directly increase IGR and tax collection, N38.1 billion have been set aside to establish stateowned industries. This policy initiative would work if carefully designed and well-implemented in partnership with domestic and international private sector management. Agriculture gets an impressive N11 billion to build on the efforts started in 2011 when more than 4,000 participants from the 31 local governments were trained and empowered by soft loans of up to N500,000 to build and operate their farms. In the same year, the government through its Akwa Ibom State Strategic Food Reserve Programme spent about N1.5 billion to acquire internal food storage facilities with the capacity for 30,000 tons of grains, 10,000

tons of fish and 50,000 tons of fertilizer, in a bid to improve food security within the state. How these expenditures translate to the life of the citizens is not quite clear yet. Akwa Ibom is home to the 170,000 metric tonne per annum Aluminium Smelter in Ikot Abasi - which sadly cost over four times the international market price to build and complete. The nation’s first state-owned independent power plant - the 191MW Ibom IPP is a commendable model of state contribution to our electricity shortages. These along with some investments like Ibom Meridien and Golf Course and Tropicana Entertainment Complex in Uyo, next door to Obudu Cattle Ranch and Tinapa in Cross River State, can create a successful services, leisure and tourism cluster if successfully managed. The Works and Transport ministry gets N71.8 billion from which the second phase of the Ibom International Airport will be completed while work on the Deep Sea Port in Ibaka would commence. In 2011, the government constructed over 300 roads covering a distance of about 200 kilometers, many bridges, underground drainage systems and three flyovers. A commendable and successful

initiative the state government has launched is the ‘Operation Zero Pot-Holes’ which aims to eradicate potholes on all township roads in Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket. The state’s performance in Education, Science and Technology is decent but need continuous improvement. This sub-sector gets N19.6 billion in the 2012 budget. The state government has renovated many schools, increased teachers’ pay and fringe benefits, including a year-end bonus and has plans to introduce compulsory boarding in all secondary schools. Primary and secondary education is nearly free – fees of N100 and N300 per pupil payable per term respectively, and the equipping of schools and libraries ramped up rapidly. The state has about 12 institutions of higher learning, and out of the 67,852 who sat for JAMB in 2011, 57,080 pupils achieved and excelled beyond the benchmark of 170, this directly translates as an 84.12% pass rate, which is excellent by any standard. Within the South-South zone, Akwa Ibom has the highest JSS enrollment of 156,761 while Bayelsa has the lowest with 42,638. The 2010 National Literacy Survey also shows that Akwa Ibom has a literacy rate in any language of about 79%.

The state has invested in improving healthcare by providing better working facilities, recruitment of qualified healthcare professionals and incentives. It has renovated more than 100 primary healthcare centers and hospitals. In 2011, five new general hospitals were built and a specialist hospital at Ekim Itam is still under construction. In 2012, a total of N16.9 billion was voted out of which N11.3 billion is for capital expenditure with new cottage hospitals planned for Ibiono Ibom, Nsit Ibom, Mbo and Obot Akara and completion of the specialist hospital. Akwa Ibom (like Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe and Nasarawa States,) is one of the few we have come across which has a well detailed and structured budget. Unlike Lagos, Akwa Ibom’s ordinary revenue (IGR) is only a paltry 8% of its total revenue; therefore it is one of those many states that rely on Abuja for monthly survival handouts. The state like most other Nigerian states should learn from Lagos, copy its ‘business- like’ model of operation, and strive to make every parastatal and MDA a significant revenue center capable of funding itself to the extent possible, and then cut the size and cost of its bureaucracy. Governor Akpabio has the

unique opportunity of governing a state with immense revenues at a time when he can put the state on a path of sustainable development. This he has done reasonably well so far, with his noteworthy achievements in the provision of physical infrastructure. Preparing the state for a post oil economy requires more – human capital investments and leveraging on the state’s endowments. That means the paltry N16 million for the scholarship board must be increased. Akwa Ibom should sponsor as many people as possible to acquire masters’ and doctorate degrees in the best universities in the world. The state can afford it. The level of transparency and accountability in state finances must be enhanced by domesticating the federal fiscal responsibility and public procurement legislations. The current personality cult and ‘heroworship’ around the state governor must give way to building lasting institutions, depersonalized structures and systems of governance. That way, Mr. Akpabio may end up being another odd-fellow – a truly performing PDP governor leaving behind a sustainable legacy. Our prayers are with him to make the right choices.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

ANALYSIS By Nick Turse

n operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, a failure to recognise, acknowledge and accurately define the operational environment led to a mismatch between forces, capabilities, missions and goals," reads a new draft report by the Pentagon's Joint Staff. In Decade of War: Enduring Lessons from the Past Decade of Operations, the authors admit to failures in Iraq and Afghanistan and lay out a series of lessons for the future, including more effective efforts aimed at winning hearts and minds, integrating regular troops and special operations forces, coordination with other government agencies, coalition operations, partnering with the forces of host-nations and paying greater attention to the use of proxy forces. The report has created a buzz in military circles and has been hailed as offering new insights, but the move away from ruinous large-scale land wars to a new hybrid method of war-fighting, call it "the Obama formula", has been evident for some time. For the past several years, the US has increasingly turned to special operations forces working not only on their own but also training or fighting beside allied militaries (if not outright proxy armies) in hot spots around the world. And along with those special ops advisers, trainers and commandos, ever more resources are flowing into the militarisation of spying and intelligence, the use of drone aircraft is proliferating, cyber-warfare is on the rise, as are joint operations between the military and increasingly militarised "civilian" government agencies. The Obama administration has, in fact, doubled down again and again on this new way of war - from Africa to the Greater Middle East to South America - but what looks today like a recipe for easy power projection that will further US interests on the cheap could soon prove to be an unmitigated disaster - one that likely won't be apparent until it's too late. The US war in Pakistan is a veritable poster-child for the Obama formula. Beginning as a limited drone assassination campaign backed by limited crossborder commando raids under the Bush administration, US operations in Pakistan have expanded into something close to a full-scale robotic air war, complemented by cross-border helicopter attacks, CIAfunded "kill teams" of Afghan proxy forces, as well as boots-on-theground missions by elite special operations forces, including the SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The CIA has conducted clandestine intelligence and surveillance missions in Pakistan, too, though its future role may be less important, thanks to Pentagon mission-creep. In April, Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta announced the creation of a new CIA-like espionage agency within the Pentagon named the Defence Clandestine Service (DCS). According to the Washington Post, its aim is to expand "the military's espionage efforts beyond war zones". Pakistan is a probable candidate for future deployment of DCS operatives. Africa is also likely to see an influx of Pentagon spies in the coming years. Interestingly, Decade of War devotes space to decrying the use of

PAGE 31

The decade of war to come

Remotely piloted drone aircraft have reduced troops' exposure to danger, but have reportedly resulted in the deaths of many innocent people proxies by adversaries and suggests that the Pentagon team with State Department diplomats and US spies to break up sponsor/proxy relationships and disrupt financing networks. As the report puts it, the military must "oppose proxies and surrogates through a global campaign that combines direct action and law enforcement with indirect approaches that address the factors that fuel support for terrorism". Proxies are, however, also a linchpin of the Obama administration's formula - most especially when it comes to operations in Africa. "The Obama administration has been ramping up operations south of the border using [drones]." Under President Obama, operations on the continent have accelerated far beyond the limited interventions of the Bush years: Last year's war in Libya; A regional drone campaign with missions run out of airports and bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia and the Indian Ocean archipelago nation of Seychelles; A flotilla of 30 ships in that ocean supporting regional operations; a multi-pronged military and CIA campaign against militants in Somalia, including intelligence operations, training for Somali agents, secret prisons, helicopter attacks, and US commando raids;oAmassive influx of cash for counterterrorism operations across East Africa; A possible old-fashioned air war, carried out on the sly in the region using manned aircraft; Tens of millions of dollars in arms for allied mercenaries and African troops; A special ops expeditionary force (bolstered by State Department

experts) dispatched to help capture or kill Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and his senior commanders, operating in Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic (where US Special Forces now have a new base); And a mission by elite Force Recon Marines from the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 12 (SPMAGTF-12) to train soldiers from the Uganda People's Defense Force, which supplies the majority of troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia only begins to scratch the surface of Washington's fast-expanding activities in the region The US is also ramping up missions in its near abroad. Since its founding, the United States has often intervened throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. During the Bush years, with some notable exceptions, Washington's interest in America's "backyard" took a backseat to wars farther from home. Recently, however, the Obama administration has been ramping up operations south of the border using its new formula. This has meant Pentagon drone missions deep inside Mexico to aid that country's battle against the drug cartels, while CIA agents and civilian operatives from the Department of Defence were dispatched to Mexican military bases to take part in the country's drug war. In 2012, the Pentagon has also ramped up its anti-drug operations in Honduras. US forces have taken part in joint operations with Honduran troops as part of a training mission dubbed Beyond the Horizon 2012; Green Berets

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

have been assisting Honduran Special Operations forces in antismuggling operations; and a Drug Enforcement Administration Foreign-deployed Advisory Support Team, originally created to disrupt the poppy trade in Afghanistan, has joined forces with Honduras' Tactical Response Team, that country's most elite counternarcotics unit. A glimpse of these operations made the news recently when DEA agents, flying in a US helicopter, were involved in an aerial attack on civilians that killed two men and two pregnant women in the remote Mosquito Coast region. No withdrawal from the Middle East Despite the end of the Iraq and Libyan wars, a coming drawdown of forces in Afghanistan and copious public announcements about its national security pivot toward Asia, Washington is by no means withdrawing from the Greater Middle East. In addition to continuing operations in Afghanistan, the US has consistently been at work training allied troops, building up military bases and brokering weapons sales and arms transfers to despots in the region from Bahrain to Yemen. "[Cyberwar efforts] were begun under the Bush administrtion but significantly accelerated under the current presdent, who became the first American commander-inchief to order sustained cyberattacks designed to cripple another country's infrastructure." In fact, Yemen, like its neighbour, Somalia, across the Gulf of Aden, has become a laboratory for Obama's wars. There, the US is carrying out its signature new brand of warfare with "black ops"

A regional drone campaign with missions run out of airports and bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia and the Indian Ocean archipelago nation of Seychelles;

troops like the SEALs and the Army's Delta Force probably conducting kill/capture missions, while "white" forces like the Green Berets and Rangers are training indigenous troops, and robot planes hunt and kill members of al-Qaeda and its affiliates, possibly assisted by an even more secret contingent of manned aircraft. The Middle East has also become the somewhat unlikely posterregion for another emerging facet of the Obama doctrine: cyberwar efforts. The recently revealed "Olympic Games", a program of sophisticated attacks on computers in Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities engineered and unleashed by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Unit 8200, Israel's equivalent of the NSA. As with other facets of the new way of war, these efforts were begun under the Bush administration but significantly accelerated under the current president, who became the first US commander-in-chief to order sustained cyberattacks designed to cripple another country's infrastructure. Even the State Department has, albeit modestly, become involved in cyberwar efforts. In a categoryblurring speaking engagement, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a speech at the recent Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Florida where she talked up her department's eagerness to join in the new American way of war. "We need Special Operations Forces who are as comfortable drinking tea with tribal leaders as raiding a terrorist compound,"' she told the crowd. "We also need diplomats and development experts who are up to the job of being your partners." Clinton then took the opportunity to tout her agency's online efforts, aimed at websites used by al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen. When al-Qaeda recruitment messages appeared on the latter, she said, "our team plastered the same sites with altered versions... that showed the toll al-Qaeda attacks have taken on the Yemeni people". She further noted that this information-warfare mission was carried out by experts at State's Center for Strategic C o u n t e r t e r r o r i s m Communications with assistance, not surprisingly, from the military and the US Intelligence Community. Such efforts are exactly the type of integration the Pentagon touts in "Decade of War": "Initially in Iraq and Afghanistan, interagency unity of effort was a resounding failure," says the report. To avoid this in the future, the report calls upon the Pentagon to regularly seed its people into other agencies and also develop policies for "greater inclusion of interagency involvement in planning, training and execution to increase interagency contributions, including expansion of their expeditionary capabilities". Across the globe from Central and South America to Africa, the Middle East to Asia, the Obama administration is working out its formula for a new American way of war. In its pursuit, the Pentagon and its increasingly militarised government partners are drawing on everything from classic precepts of colonial warfare to the latest technologies. Culled from Aljazeera. Nick Turse is a historian, investigative journalist, the associate editor of TomDispatch.com, and a senior editor at Alternet.org.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 32

S New EU project to ensure free birth registration in Nigeria From Etuka Sunday with agency report

uropean Union (EU) has announced that its new project would ensure free birth registration in Nigeria and other seven countries so that they could enjoy access to healthcare, attend school and vote in elections. The birth registration which would be implemented in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Mozambique, Uganda, Kiribati, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands would replace existing registration processes of poor quality that records are lost or cannot be retrieved. Speaking, the EU Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs said "Thanks to our new project, for the first time, millions of children in eight countries will now be registered which will give them the opportunity to attend school, receive healthcare and to make their voice heard by voting in elections when grown up. Registration is the 'first right' of any child, and I am delighted that this new project will provide a whole generation of children with their rights; not just at birth, but throughout their lives. This will also help countries to have a clear picture of their demographic trends, which is key to defining sustainable development strategies for the future." According to EU, the new registration systems, which for the first time, will make registration free, will use more efficient digital techniques and include mobile technology that allows people to register, even in remote areas. They will also help to set up better links with healthcare services - making sure that people are registered for health facilities and immunisation. UNICEF Associate Director, Child Protection, Susan Bissell said "UNICEF welcomes this partnership with the European Union to make sure the right of children, especially the most marginalized and excluded, to a legal identity is met. Many parts of the world, millions of children are still missing out, and by not being

ome 2,000 people have joined a sit-in protest at Bamako's Independence Square monument, calling for army intervention in the north where pro-Islam groups have enforced strict Sharia law, destroyed ancient shrines and trapped residents with landmines. "If the army doesn't want to go to war, then give us the means to liberate our territory!" Oumar Maiga, leader of a northern citizens' collective, who took part in Wednesday's protest said. Islamist groups Ansar Dine and MUJAO, believed to have links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, took control of the ancient towns of Gao and Timbuktu last week after violent clashes with the MNLA, a former ally that in April helped them oust the Malian government from the north. They have applied Sharia law to the region, and since last weekend destroyed seven sacred sites in the ancient town of Timbuktu, including a sacrosanct door leading to an internal shrine in the 15th century Sidi Yahia mosque. In the key northern city of Gao, Ansar Dine's al-Qaeda allies have planted landmines around the city to prevent a counter-offensive by the Tuareg fighters they violently expelled last week. The protest came as the international community mulled ways to help Mali's embattled interim government save its vast desert north, a territory larger than France or Texas, from the armed Islamists.

Mali protests rebel occupation of north

Pro-Islam groups Ansar Dine and MUJAO took control of the ancient towns of Gao and Timbuktu last week Mali is being ruled by a 12month interim government set up after a March 22 coup and which has proved powerless to deal with the partition of the country since the Islamists and Tuareg rebels captured key northern cities. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

will hold a mini-summit in Burkina Faso on Saturday to discuss the formation of a unity government that could request military intervention from its neighbours. Mali has continued its descent into chaos since then and is de facto split in two, with Islamist groups

linked to al-Qaeda controlling the north. Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, on Wednesday denounced an "accumulation of horrors" in rebel-held northern Mali, saying women were raped, men beheaded and ancient treasures destroyed.

trapped residents with landmines. In a statement calling for "restoration of territorial integrity," the parliament "calls on the entire Malian people for

implacable resistance to the occupation and boosting solidarity by all possible means." Protesters from northern Mali demonstrated in the capital Wednesday against the proIslam groups takeover of the immense northern region. Some 2,000 people braved pouring rain to join the sit-in protest at Bamako's Independence Square monument, chanting: "We want weapons to liberate the north." "If the army doesn't want to go to war, then give us the means to liberate our territory!" said Oumar Maiga, leader of a northern citizens' collective. Tuareg lawmaker Nock Ag Attia said the tribes present in the north -- the Tuareg, Fulani, Songhai -- did not "share the foolishness" of the Tuareg rebels

and Al-Qaeda-linked pro-Islam groups. The protest came as the international community mulled ways to help Mali's embattled interim government save its vast desert north, a territory larger than France or Texas, from the armed Islamists. The presence of the rebel Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith), which is openly allied with AlQaeda's north African franchise, has sparked concern that the region may become a new haven for terrorism. Mali is being ruled by a 12month interim government set up after a March 22 coup and which has proved powerless to deal with the partition of the country since the Islamists and Tuareg rebels captured key northern cities.

It said that the food had gone bad and needed to be destroyed, the website reported.

At one stage six districts of Somalia were declared famine zones last year.

â&#x20AC;ŚParliament calls for army intervention in north

ali's national assembly called for army intervention in the north where pro-Islam groups have enforced strict sharia law, destroyed ancient shrines and

The rebel Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith), is openly allied with AlQaeda's north African franchise

Somalia facing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fresh hunger emergencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

oor rains and continuing conflict in Somalia are threatening the recovery from last year's famine, the charity Save the Children has warned. This could put hundreds of thousands of children at risk of hunger again. The charity called for an urgent increase in aid as a huge number of families in Somalia are still unable to cope with the effects of drought. Last year, East Africa was hit by the region's worst drought in 60 years and many thousands of people died. It also triggered a major refugee

crisis with hundreds of thousands of Somalis fleeing rural areas, much of which are controlled by Islamist militants who have banned international aid agencies. Many people walked over the border to camps in Kenya and Ethiopia or to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, which is secured by African Union forces helping a UNbacked government. On Monday, a website affiliated to the al-Qaeda group al-Shabab printed photographs of the militants burning sacks of food in the central Hiran region that it allegedly confiscated from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Thousands of people fled to Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, in search of food aid.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 34

Air France crash: Faulty data misled pilot F rench investigators have released a final report into what caused the midAtlantic crash of a Rio-to-Paris Air France flight that killed 228 people in 2009. The report, published yesterday by the French aviation safety authority BEA, was eagerly awaited amid a bitter row between Airbus and Air France, over who should

bear responsibility. It blamed a combination of pilot error and faulty speed sensors. This was the finding of a preliminary report and also, according to a source, of a separate judicial inquiry to be released next week. The report also recommended a series of actions on training and cockpit design to try to avoid a repeat of the

disaster over the Atlantic that has pitted pilots against the maker of the plane. The Airbus A330 vanished at night and during a storm on June 1, 2009. It took days before debris was located in the remote equatorial Atlantic Ocean area, and far longer until the wreckage was recovered. The black boxes were finally located by robot submarines

after a search spanning 23 months and costing about $40m. The BEA in a preliminary report into the crash last July said the pilots had failed to react correctly when the Airbus jet stalled and lost altitude after its speed sensors froze up and failed. The aircraft had entered turbulence two hours into the flight when the autopilot suddenly disengaged, it said.

Shortly after, an instrument showed a sharp fall in airspeed and a stall warning sounded, indicating the plane was no longer being lifted by the air pushing under the wings. As the two co-pilots struggled to understand the situation, the captain, who had left the cockpit to take a rest, returned but did not retake control of the plane, the BEA said last year.

Russia says no plan to offer Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assad asylum

ussia dismissed suggestions yesterday that it was planning to offer political asylum to Syrian President Bashar Assad and said two prominent opposition leaders were coming to Moscow for talks next week. "It (the rumor of Russia granting asylum to Assad) is either an attempt to mislead serious people dealing with foreign policy or a lack of understanding of Russia's position," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council agreed at talks last week that a transitional government should be

set up in Syria to end the bloodshed there but left open the question of what part Assad might play. Lavrov said the issue of political asylum for Assad first came up during talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Berlin last month, adding that it was first raised by the German side. "Our delegation took it as a joke and responded also with a joke: Why don't you, Germans, take Mr.Assad if he wants to go somewhere?," Lavrov told a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

Air France had been insisting the pilots were not to blame, saying the stall alarm had malfunctioned

Peru protests ensue despite emergency decree

t least four people have been killed and 21 injured after security forces clashed with demonstrators protesting a planned $4.8 billion gold mine by US-based Newmont in northern Peru. The latest death came a day after Peru's government declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in three Northern provinces after protests against the mining project turned violent. Prime Minister Oscar Valdes announced the death at a Lima news conference though without providing details. A former Roman Catholic priest, Marco Arana, was also arrested hours earlier in Cajamarca, where the emergency was imposed, further inflaming tensions. Arana, a 49-year-old veteran of anti-mining protests, complained via Twitter that "in the police station they hit me again, punches in the face, kidneys, insults". Chief local prosecutor Johnny Diaz told The Associated Press that he had designated a prosecutor to investigate Arana's claim. Diaz said Arana was arrested for organising meetings, an activity prohibited under the state of emergency. He said authorities had not issued any arrest warrants or made any mass arrests on Wednesday. The state of emergency was imposed late on Tuesday in Cajamarca province and two neighbouring provinces after three people were killed during a violent protest in the region.

L-R: VicePresident Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Co-ordinator, Honorary International Investors Council (HIIC), Baroness Lynda Chalker, and President Goodluck Jonathan, during the HIIC meeting with the president, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja, Photo: Joe Oroye

Mexico conducts partial vote recounts

exican electoral authorities have said they are recounting more than half the ballot boxes used in the weekend's presidential election after finding inconsistencies in the vote tallies. Of the 143,000 ballot boxes used during Sunday's vote, 78,012 will be opened and the votes recounted, Edmundo Jacobo, executive secretary of Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute said on Wednesday. With 99 per cent of the vote tallied in the preliminary count, Enrique Pena Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, led with 38 per cent of the vote. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Democratic Revolution Party had 32 per cent. The presidential front-runner

expressed confidence Wednesday about the recount. "I trust that the final tally will be consistent with the preliminary count," Pena Nieto said. Lopez Obrador has refused to accept the preliminary vote tallies, saying the election campaign was marred by overspending, vote-buying and favourable treatment of Pena Nieto by Mexico's semimonopolised television industry. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Pena Nieto denied the allegations. "None of it is true and what I say is, present the proof! Which they haven't been able to do and no matter how hard they try to present proof, they will simply not be able to do it because they don't exist.

Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

PAGE 35

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

US apologises, Pakistan opens Afghan supply lines

nding a bitter sevenmonth standoff, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton apologized to Pakistan for the killing of 24 of its troops last fall and won in return the reopening of critical NATO supply lines into Afghanistan. The agreement could save the US hundreds of millions of dollars. Resolution of the dispute also bandages a relationship with Pakistan that will be crucial in stabilizing the region. The ties have been torn in the past year and a half by everything from a CIA contractor who killed two Pakistanis to the unilateral US raid on Osama Bin Laden's Pakistan compound. But the accord carries risks for both governments. It threatens to make Pakistan's already fragile civilian leadership look weak and subservient to the United States, while Republicans including presidential candidate Mitt Romney can argue that President Barack Obama says "sorry" too easily. The first trucks carrying NATO goods should move across the

A Pakistani man prays between oil tankers which were used to transport NATO fuel supplies to Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives." "I am pleased that Foreign Minister Khar has informed me that the ground supply lines into Afghanistan are opening," Clinton added in her statement. It marked the first time any US official formally apologized for the deaths, a step hotly debated within the Obama administration and one demanded by Pakistan before it would reopen the supply routes. Pakistani lawmakers also wanted Washington to halt all air strikes in the country and stop shipping weapons and ammunition to Afghanistan through Pakistani airspace, demands the US has ignored. The November incident was the deadliest between the allies in the decade-long fight against AlQaeda and other extremist groups. A US investigation found that Pakistani forces fired first and US soldiers responded in self-defense. It blamed bad maps, poor coordination and Islamabad's failure to provide the locations of its borders for the failure to determine if Pakistani forces were in the area. Pakistan argued that its troops shot at militants who were nowhere near coalition soldiers, and it accused the US of launching a deliberate attack.

panel added, a finding that could have serious implications as Japan seeks to bring idled reactors back on line. The panel also criticized the response of plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co, regulators and then Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who quit last year after criticism of his handling of a natural disaster that developed into a man-made crisis. "The ... Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and Tepco, and the lack of governance by said parties," the panel said in an English summary of a 641-page Japanese report. Regulators, it said, had been reluctant to adopt global safety standards that could have helped prevent the disaster in which reactors melted down, spewing radiation and forcing

about 150,000 people from their homes, many of whom will never return. "Across the board, the Commission found ignorance and arrogance unforgivable for anyone or any organization that deals with nuclear power. We found a disregard for global trends and a disregard for public safety," the panel said. The panel's finding that seismic damage may well have played a role could affect the restart of reactors that were taken offline, mostly for maintenance and safety checks, in the months since Fukushima. "We have proved that it cannot be said that there would have been no crisis without the tsunami," Katsuhiko Ishibashi, a seismologist and panel member, said in the report. Experts have said that an active fault may lie under Kansai Electric Power Co's Ohi

plant in western Japan, whose No. 3 unit began supplying electricity to the grid early on Thursday. Ohi's No. 4 unit will come on line later this month after the government approved the restarts to avoid a power shortage. "This means that all of Japan's reactors are vulnerable and require retro-fitting, calling into question the hasty decision of the (Prime Minister Yoshihiko) Noda cabinet to restart reactors before getting the lessons of Fukushima," said Jeffrey Kingston, Asia studies director at Temple University in Tokyo. The report by the experts - one of three panels looking into the Fukushima disaster - follows a six-month investigation involving more than 900 hours of hearings and interviews with more than 1,100 people, the first such inquiry of its kind.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani (L) shakes hands with Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai in New Delhi.

their respective ministries will hold further talks today -followed by a joint press conference. The atmosphere of the talks was soured by India's recent arrest of Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, suspected of being a key handler for the Mumbai attackers who were members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. India says Ansari has admitted helping to coordinate the deadly assault from a command post in Karachi, and his testimony has renewed Indian accusations that "state elements" in Pakistan were involved. "It is no longer possible to deny that though the incident happened in Mumbai, there was a control room in Pakistan before and during the incident," Home Minister P. Chidambaram said

yesterday. "Without state support, the control room could not have been established." Returning Tuesday from a visit to Tajikistan, Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna said the information extracted from Ansari would have to be corroborated with other sources. "That is when we will have to make a value judgement whether Pakistan can be trusted or not," Krishna told reporters. He also said it was a "matter of great regret" that Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed - accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks was still "moving freely in Pakistan". The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Saeed's conviction.

Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Wednesday, US officials said. Around two dozen impatient truck drivers celebrated the news in a parking lot in the southern city of

Karachi by singing, dancing and drumming on empty fuel cans. "We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military," Clinton said, recounting a telephone

conversation she had with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. "I offered our sincere condolences to the families of the Pakistani soldiers who lost their lives.

Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s atomic disaster caused by â&#x20AC;&#x153;collusionâ&#x20AC;? - panel report

apan's Fukushima nuclear crisis was a preventable disaster resulting from "collusion" among the government, regulators and the plant operator, an expert panel said on Thursday, wrapping up

an inquiry into the worst nuclear accident in 25 years. Damage from the huge March 11, 2011, earthquake, and not just the ensuing tsunami, could not be ruled out as a cause of the accident, the

Japan's atomic disaster caused by "collusion"

Fresh tensions overshadow India, Pakistan talks

op Indian and Pakistani foreign ministry officials met yesterday to bolster a fragile peace dialogue undermined by fresh tensions over the 2008 Mumbai attacks and political flux in Pakistan. New Delhi suspended a fouryear peace process with Islamabad after the attacks on India's financial capital by militants that left 166 people dead. The full peace dialogue only resumed in February last year. Yesterday's meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani stretched to two sessions covering peace and security, confidence building measures and Kashmir. The two top civil servants in

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUY 6, 2012

How a desk job can make you fat B

eing desk-bound and bored at work is fuelling Britain’s obesity epidemic as employees are reaching for unhealthy snacks to pass the day. Competition to bring the best cakes into the office on special occasions like birthdays is also contributing to bulging waistlines, according to a recent survey. Researchers found 42 per cent of office workers have gained up to a stone in a year as they graze on snacks such as cake and biscuits during their working hours. Boredom was cited as the biggest factor in workers reaching for a treat while others needed a sugar rush to get them through the working day. Men were found to be the worst culprits as 50 per cent of those questioned admitted they had a snacking addiction. Thirty per cent of men said they felt left out if they avoided calorieladen goodies being passed around the office while just 17 per cent of women said they find it impossible to resist office treats. However, despite having greater willpower, the survey by men’s fashion retailer High and Mighty found more of the women polled put on weight over the course of a year.

Half of the women surveyed said they put on weight in the last year in contrast to 40 per cent of their male counterparts. Gill Politis, managing director of men’s fashion retailer High and Mighty, said: ‘You’re going to lose and gain weight throughout your life, it’s unavoidable. But our research seems to show that you’re more likely to gain weight during your office life.’ She blamed the ‘tremendous camaraderie as well as competition’ in the workplace with people bringing in treats leading to a ‘competitive spirit that says “my chocolate cake is better than yours”’. ‘It’s the perfect storm that conspires against the dietconscious,’ she added. The research into office weight gain was instigated by High and Mighty as part of a programme aimed at matching fashion with lifestyle changes. For those who do change size during their office life, Ms Politis recommends wardrobe alterations. ‘The worst thing you can do if you put on or lose a couple of pounds is to stick to the same clothes. They’re unflattering and will exaggerate your size,’ she said. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Snack time: Almost half of the office workers questioned in a survey admitted they have gained weight in the last year thanks to eating unhealthy treats at work.

Adults smack as children have higher risk of mental illness – study A

dults who were hit or smacked as children face higher odds of mental health problems, including mood and anxiety disorders and problems with alcohol and drug abuse, researchers say. The study is the first to examine the link between psychological problems and spanking while excluding more severe abuse in order to better gauge the effect of corporal punishment alone. Those who were hit as children were between two and seven per cent more likely to encounter mental issues later, according to the study from the University of Manitoba in Canada. That figure may seem low as around half of the US population recalls being spanked in childhood. However, it still shows physical punishment can raise the risk of problems later on, experts said. ‘The study is valuable because it opens the conversation about parenting,’ said Victor Fornari, at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York. The rate ‘is not dramatically higher, but it is higher, just to suggest that physical punishment is a risk factor for developing more mental disturbances as an adult,’ said Fornari, who was not involved in the study. Previous research has

repeatedly shown that children who were physically abused as youngsters suffer from more mental disturbances as adults, and are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior than kids who were not hit. But these studies have typically included more serious abuse. The latest study, published in the US journal Pediatrics, was based on a retrospective survey of more than 600 US adults. It excludes both sexual abuse and physical abuse that left bruises, marks or caused injury. Instead it focuses on ‘harsh physical punishment,’ defined as pushing, grabbing, shoving, slapping or hitting as a form of punishment from elders. While 32 nations around the world have banned corporal punishment of kids, the United States and Canada are not among them. In the UK parents are allowed to smack their offspring without causing the ‘reddening of the skin’. Using a nationally representative survey sample of 653 Americans, they found that those who recalled experiencing harsh punishment as children faced higher odds of a range of mental problems. Between two and five per cent of disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar, anorexia or bulimia were attributable to physical punishment as a child, the study said.

From four to seven percent of more serious problems including personality disorders, obsessivecompulsive disorder and intellectual disabilities were associated with such punishments in childhood. Researchers stressed that the study could not establish that spanking had actually caused these disorders in certain adults, only that there was a link between memories of such punishment and a higher incidence of mental problems. The survey data came from

the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions collected between 2004 and 2005, and included adults over age 20. Participants were asked: ‘As a child how often were you ever pushed, grabbed, shoved, slapped or hit by your parents or any adult living in your house?’ Those who answered “sometimes” or greater were included in the analysis. Roya Samuels, a pediatrician at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York, said the

Disciplining: The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes striking children for any cause.

parents’ genes may influence both their response to raising an unruly child as well as their likelihood of passing down certain ailments. ‘Parents who are resorting to mechanisms of corporal punishment might themselves be at risk for depression and mental disorders; therefore, there might be a hereditary factor going on in these families,’ she said. Future research could shed more light on the issue. In the meantime, the study offers a reminder that other disciplinary options such as positive reinforcement and removing rewards are viewed more favorably by doctors. ‘The reality is, if 50 per cent of the population has experienced being spanked in the past year, most kids are resilient. It is just that there are better ways for parents to discipline kids than spanking,’ Fornari said. ‘And for some vulnerable kids, the spanking may increase their risk for the development of mental disturbances. So for those reasons it is important to really minimize or extinguish physical punishment.’ The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes striking children for any cause and the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends that doctors strongly discourage the use of physical punishment. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

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Oteh’s exit won’t stop capital market probe, assures – El- Sudi Hon. Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi is the Chairman of the ad-hoc committee probing the near collapse of Nigeria’s Capital Market. In this interview with Umar Mohammed Puma, El-Sudi says the suspension of the Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission will not affect the outcome of the probe. Excerpts:

INTERVIEW

s a member of the 7th Assembly, how do you assess it performance in the last one year? The 7 th Assembly has performed creditably in the last one year. It is the only Assembly that draws for itself a legislative agenda from 2011 to 2015. And it has critically followed the set up legislative agenda, which has to do with the review of the internal processes of the House. This include the improvement of the committee system of the House; the number of public hearing on probes that are going on; it is a part of the oversight functions of the National Assembly, which equally goes to the Ministries departments and Agencies (MDA) to find out what is happening in order to access its performances. And another thing is the eparliaments, and documentations that are going on. We have gotten ipads and computers. So most of our transactions will be based on the internet. We are looking at the constitutional reform process; we have had several bills sponsored by members and individuals that have been forwarded to the ad-hoc committee on Constitutional Review. The first setting was done in portHarcourt, and the committee will be visiting the 6 geopolitical zones in the country. That will have a far reaching effect, and we look at legislation, we are trying to make it conform with international best practices. Stakeholders including the passed civil society groups, and other professional bodies have been partnering with the National Assembly in order to look at the various segments of our society, like the economy, political and social aspects. Generally, we have been having a very good relationship with these organizations; they have been gingering us in a positive manner that would

Hon. Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi

eventually yield result that is people oriented. Even the number of bills that have been out so far is much more than what the past Assembly has done, just within one year. With about more than one hundred bills and over two hundred motions that has been deliberated and passed, and so many petitions in the committee of the whole and we were able to make recommendations to that effect. With the probe panels that we undertake, irrespective of what may have come out of it, I’m taking about Farouk saga, that may have been the shadow of the whole saga of the exercise. I think Nigerians know that the decisions reached are not mere sigments of our own imaginations, but they emanated from testimonies and fact that came out from the investigative hearing. What has happened has happened, but we as an institution have shown commitment to fighting corruption and we cannot spare anybody, no matter how strong or powerful he is. If we

can sacrifice one of us so that the institution could have integrity, then both the Executive and the Judiciary should also take cue from us; that we want Nigeria to move, progress; we want Nigeria to develop, and become a corrupt free country irrespective of whoever is involved. You talk about the number of bills and motions passed in the 7 th Assembly. Recently the Speaker was quoted as saying that the executive doesn’t implement House resolutions. Do you share his concerns? The executive arm has exhibited lackadaisical attitude towards implementing our resolutions and, in fact, they described our resolutions as mere expression of opinion. That is unfortunate, as far as I know, in the case of Mallam Nasir ElRufai vs the House of Representatives, the Court of Appeal clearly stated that we have three arms of government, which is the Executive, Legislature and the

Judiciary, and that a resolution passed by the second arm of Government, which is the Legislature, cannot be a mere expression of opinion, it has a force of law. That is the decision of the court of law, therefore for anybody to come and say so is total violation of the pronouncement of the Judiciary. Lack of assenting to our bills by the President, I believe is not anything that should be an issue. The same constitution that empowers us to pass a bill or motion for assent says that after 30 days, if the president, or the Governor as it were in the state, refuses or neglects to assent to it, it can come back to the National Assembly or the House of Assembly as it were, and by two third majority, that bill can be passed into a law. Therefore it is not a problem, if the President refuses to assent to a bill; nothing will stop us after 30 days to exercise our constitutional duties, and it becomes law, whether he likes it or not. As the Ad- hoc chairman of House committee that probed the near collapse of the Capital Market, what are the challenges you faced in the course of your duties? I have not submitted the report to the House, and by our rules and conventions, I cannot comment on it. It is only when it has been tabled before the House that I can begin to make comments on the challenges I have faced. There were series of bribery allegations rocking the ad-hoc committees of the House, were you in anyway approached by any individual or group in whatever guise to effect some changes in your report? I cannot elicit any controversies. Like I said, I have not submitted the report, and I stand by it, you should wait till after I have submitted my report, then I can respond to that. Recently the Director General of SEC Ms. Aruma Oteh was forced to a compulsory leave, don’t you think the executive should have waited for the outcome

of your report before embarking on any action against her? It is not duty bound, but this is what they supposed to have done even before the probe came up. But that will not stop us from making our observations and recommendations. If it has been overtaken by the event fine, but it has nothing to do with our probe! it is the Executive arm that has the constitutional powers to do what it wants with it. What has been your achievements in the last one year as a legislator? Basically the function of a legislator is to enact laws and to represent his people and I have done my best by supporting bills that encouraged good governance; I have made submissions and have contributed on motions that touched on the lives of both my people and the generality of Nigerians. What I was elected to come and do, I’m doing it and I would continue to do more for the benefit of my people. I have been able to influence the employment of more than 70 people in my constituency, both in the Police, Immigration, Customs and other Federal establishment. In fact it is close to 85, because in police alone, at least 77 of my constituents benefited. I have been able to influence the rehabilitation of 14 abandoned boreholes in two local Government areas. I have been able to give scholarship to many. Recently I have influenced the rehabilitation of road from Balli to Gembu and the electrification of Marraraba to Gwanda in Kurmi Local Government. It is also in the budget and I’m vigorously working round the clock to make sure it is being executed. I empowered my ward coordinators, I have 31 wards in my constituency comprising of Gashaka, Kurmi and Sardauna Federal Constituency. I bought and distributed 32 trycycles, the big ones that can carry 8 passengers, to ease public transportation in my constituency.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Court sacks Anambra PDP exco, voids state congresses By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

n Abuja High Court yesterday declared the ward, local government and state congresses of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) purportedly conducted in Anambra State that produced the Chief Oguebego Ejike led Executive Committee of the party as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void. Justice U.P Kekemeke, in his judgment ordered the PDP to liaise with the plaintiff, Hon. Emma Mbamalu and his executive to organize and conduct ward, local government and state congresses in the state. Before arriving at this decision, the court threw out the objections raised by the party challenging court's jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter as well as the competence of the suit. The court had earlier thrown out an application by the purported state Chairman of the party, Kenneth Emekayi, to be joined in the suit on the ground that he was not a necessary party to the action. The Judge held that it was clear from the affidavit evidence and the claim of the plaintiff before the court that his court was clothed with the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the case. Besides, he held that the case before his court was tailored around a breach of the party's guidelines and constitution regarding to the conduct of congresses in the state and not a dispute challenging the election of principle officers of the party in the state. "The administration of a political party is guided by its constitution and if a political party derails from its constitution, it has opened its doorway for the court to come in. So the argument of the party that the matter is a domestic affair does not hold water. So a breach of the party's constitution and guidelines is no longer a matter within the domestic affairs of the party." "From the facts of this case, the complain of the plaintiff is the failure of the party which has its headquarters in Abuja

to conduct congresses in Anambra state as stipulated by its constitution. "The non-conduct of the congresses in the state is a breach of the party's constitution and guidelines. From the affidavit evidence before me, it is clear that no congress was conducted in the state on March, 3, 16 or 17, 2012. In addition, the court further held that the congresses was purportedly conducted in defiance to an order of its court, was a nullity as the court has not vacated its order or was it set aside by the Court of Appeal. "There was an order restraining the defendants from conducting congresses in the state and there is no record before this court that that order has been vacated or set aside. An order of court subsists until it is vacated or set aside by a superior court. "A party who knows of an order of court

cannot be permitted to disobey it. The defendant counsel was in court when the order was made. The plaintiff went ahead to publish the order in two national dailies. The congress purportedly conducted in defiance to the order of court is a nullity and I so hold. To hold otherwise would amount to lawlessness. This suit succeeds, the ward, local government and state congresses conducted in Anambra state on the 3rd, day of March, 2012, 10th day of March, 2012 and 16 or 17thday of March, 2012 is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void", the court held. In his supporting affidavit to the originating summons, the plaintiff who is the Acting State Chairman of the party averred that the congress monitoring committee from the party's headquarters in Abuja who were sent to monitor the

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday denied insinuations in certain quarters that it had conceded Ondo state to the Labour Party. The party in a release signed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Binta Masi-Garba said the party,

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Compliance, Hon. Moroof Akinderu Fatai, Deputy Chairman, Hon. Dr. Abass Tajudeen, and a member, Hon. Ahmadu Fons Nwangubi, during a meeting of the committee with officials of CBN, AMCON, NDIC and Mainstreet Bank over disengaged 41 staff of former Afri Bank, on Wednesday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

contrary to a report in a national newspapers (not Peoples Daily), the Presidency did not enter into any pact with the state governor, Olusegun Mimiko to that effect. She stated “The PDP wishes to state in no uncertain terms that the report is completely untrue and a complete fabrication of the reporter calculated to deflate the rising profile

and prospects of the PDP and our candidate in the forthcoming 20 th October, 2012 Governorship election in Ondo state. The PDP therefore calls on all its members and supporters to not only disregard the said report, but intensify efforts in the ongoing campaigns to ensure our victory at the polls for the good of all Ondo people.”

Borno female Rep delivers poverty palliatives to constituents By Lawrence Olaoye

female member of the House of Representatives, Rep Ka’amuna Ibrahim Khadi, (PDP), representing Jere federal constituency in Borno state, has promised to deliver more poverty eradication palliatives to her constituents. Khadi who recently distributed items running into millions of Naira to her constituents at Alau-Agari village of said her preoccupation in the House was to pursue legislation that will advance the main occupation of her constituents which, according to her, including

Edo polls: Oshiomhole denounces ethnic campaigns From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

PDP denies conceding Ondo to LP By Lawrence Olaoye

congresses did not arrive the state but holed themselves in a hotel and wrote results of the congresses even as the entire members of the party were waiting for them to release materials for the conduct of the exercise. That the ward congresses were not in compliance with the PDP constitution and guidelines for the congresses and the Electoral Act 2010, as amended in that no registration of members, voting, no accreditation took place in any of the wards in the Anambra state.

farming and rice production. The lawmaker said as a token of appreciation to her constituents for their support during her one year in office, she recently gave out 22 Golf cars; 300 units of sewing machines, 300 Spaghettimaking machines and 300 water pumping machines. This according to her, was just the first phase of her poverty alleviation programme targeted specifically at women but not excluding the men-folks in her constituency. She said “We intend to do this for my constituents every three month until we have sufficiently touched the lives of my

loyal and supportive constituents. I did not make any promise to them during my campaigns because I hate promises. But what Allah has allowed us to do was better than empty promises.” The lawmaker who is also the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Marine Transport said she has resolved to dedicate her tenure in office to the service of the people and ensure that she strives within her capacity to better the lots of the people not only in her federal constituency, but the generality of Nigerians through proactive initiation of bills and motions in the House.

do state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has denounced ethnic campaigns of the opposition party in the state, saying the state government will work to unite all peoples in the State, since “we are one and the same”. The Governor who also warned against the collection of land rent from Cocoa farmers in Okada, Ovia North East Local Government Area, during a campaign rally to members of the Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo and Aqua-Ibom communities said they should not pay money to people who own farmlands. According to him, the land belongs to the government and His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin. “In Edo state we will not discriminate, instead, the government must to reunite the people, we are all one and the same,” he noted. According to the governor, “the threat that if the cocoa farmers who are non-natives do not vote the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, their land will be taken from them is not possible. “If you vote against the Action Congress of Nigeria you are still entitled to live on that land. Never pay money as cocoa farmers to any individual and if anybody threatens you, that person will be arrested. But when you make profits, you are entitled to pay tax to Edo state government,” he clarified. The governor who disclosed that under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, land is vested in the government and only government can revoke the land title stressed that, ”if anybody harasses the cocoa farmers they should report to the government.” In his words, the tax will be used to build more schools, more roads, provide street lights, hospitals and take water to the various communities in the state. The governor who was also at Ohosu, Nikoroga and Ofunama in Ovia South West, assured the riverine communities of government’s attention in the provision of basic amenities. “In the first tenure of the administration, we have shown that it is possible to bring development to our communities as you can all see with the quality of schools we are building and the roads we are constructing across the state. It is a gradual process, what we still have to do is still much and if we have completed them, we would not have asked for a second tenure,” he added.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 39

to Maternity deaths: Mimiko solicits Ondo implement residency help from faith-based homes card project G G

ov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state, says services of qualified midwives employed by faithbased maternity homes will complement the state government’s efforts toward curbing maternal mortality. Mimiko made the remark on Wednesday at the 2nd Ondo State Annual Ministers’ Conference in Akure. According to him, the government’s Abiye Safe Motherhood initiative has drastically reduced avoidable maternal deaths in the state. He said the state government had enacted a law mandating all health institutions to report maternal deaths, adding that adherence to the law had been impressive. On the theme of the conference, the governor said leaders should exhibit acts of doggedness and integrity and stay focused in their determination to transform their followers. He said the programmes initiated by his administration were all targeted towards changing the lives of the common man in the state. Such programmes, he said, included the Mother and Child Hospital, the Mega School initiative, Free Shuttle Buses, Modern Markets, Auto Mart and Modern Motor Park. He noted that 12,000 safe deliveries had been taken at the Mother and Child Hospital in Akure free of charge, adding that 20 per cent of the beneficiaries

were from the neighbouring states. “I’m very sure of one thing that for you to be a transformational leader, you don’t need to be a governor or president. In whatever position we find ourselves, we have to be focused, vigilant and stubborn. “For instance, when we started our mega schools, some people went about saying all sorts of things but we remained focused and vigilant. We never

allowed anything to distract us. “When we began to build markets, they were also murmuring, we built a Auto Mart, 21 st century 21st century Motor Park, first of its kind in Africa, today our people can see and appreciate what we are doing. “They keep thanking God for all these programmes. I want to tell you also that when the process of transformation is going on, we have to be vigilant.”

He also commended the clergymen for their prayers and called for more prayers so as to sustain the prevailing peace in the state. Delivering a lecture, Rev. Ndu Akuchie, appealed to Christians to take part in politics to rescue the nation from the present challenges. According to him, the essence of democracy is touching the lives of the ordinary people in positive ways.

L-R: Minster of State for Niger Delta, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Yusuf Ozigies, during their meeting with House Committee on Niger Delta, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kogi speaker urges members to shun corruption

he Speaker, Kogi House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, has urged members of the House to shun corrupt practice and guard against being lured into taking bribes during their oversight functions. Bello made the call in Lokoja on Wednesday at the plenary when the House resumed from a four-week recess to commence the second legislative session of the Fifth Assembly. The speaker said: “I urge you to learn from the recent happenings in our political environment and guard against any conduct that could portray

the House in bad light.’’ Bello enjoined them to discharge their assignments with all sense of commitment and responsibility. “We should not allow ourselves to be lured into collection of bribe or any ill-fated favour to cover up the atrocities of ministries, parastatals and contractors in the course of our oversight functions. “Let us shun any act that is capable of tearing us apart or that may drag the name of this glorious House into the mud. “As honourable members, let us remain honourable and be seen to be honourable in our

homes, constituencies and in our various outings in the state.” Bello commended the legislators for their maturity and steadfastness in the discharge of their primary assignments to the state and their various constituencies. He said the House had overcome many challenges in the past one year. “We triumphed amidst several challenges that stared us in the face. Even all through our recess, we were confronted with numerous problems that tended to threaten our unity of purpose and determination. “I have come to serve and not

to be served and I shall serve with humane conscience of justice, equity and fairness.’’ Bello assured the members of his commitment to good governance and members’ welfare. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the House at plenary, adopted a motion calling on the state government to connect Ankpa Federal Constituency to the Geregu Power Plant. The motion was moved by Mr Damian Adejoh, representing Olamaboro Constituency and it was seconded by Alhaji Abdullahi Zakari of Ankpa constituency.

ov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state has said in Akure that his administration would soon implement residency card project. He said during a visit to the Mother and Child Hospital in Akure that the card would afford all legal residents of the state an opportunity to enjoy government’s social services and facilities without stress. Mimiko said government was aware that many nonresidents of the state were currently enjoying its free medical services for pregnant women. He said pregnant women who travelled to the state to deliver their babies would have to be charged some amount with the implementation of the residency card project. ”On the high rate of pregnant women from outside the state trooping to our hospitals unhindered, the moral question is, whether we have the responsibility to give these outsiders free health and whether we can afford it. “However, the state will soon be ready with its residency card, also known as `Kaadi Igbe Ayo’, with which only bonafide residents identified with the card would be eligible to enjoy government’s social services. “Whoever that does not have the card will have to pay premium to enjoy social services being rendered by the state.” Mimiko, who reviewed the success of the Safe Motherhood (Abiye) programme, explained that record showed that there had been an upsurge in the number of beneficiaries from neighbouring states. The governor said that one of the unacceptable health indices in the country was its high maternal and infant mortality rate, hitherto an issue in Ondo state before the current government’s intervention. “We believe that government should have responsibility to these people because if we take care of them, it will have impact on our economy. Something radical must be done, hence the `Abiye’ project.”

Niger govt will intensify polio immunisation campaign – Commissioner

he Niger Commissioner for Health, Dr Ibrahim Sule, said on Wednesday in Minna that the Ministry of Health would intensify routine polio immunisation to curb the spread of the virus in the state. Sule told newsmen in Minna at the end of the state

executive council meeting that a strategy had been worked out to curb any possible spread of the disease among children in boundary communities with Kaduna. Meanwhile, the Kaduna state government has announced the discovery of eight new cases of polio in the

state. He said that the State Government adopted the strategy because of the need to prevent the spread of the disease from the neighbouring state. Sule said that the northern states were leading other parts of the country in the number

of polio cases and urged governors in the region to step up campaigns to check the menace and eradicate the disease completely. The commissioner said that Nigeria was still among the three countries in the world with the highest number of polio cases after

India. He said that community, religious and political leaders in the state were being mobilised to lead sensitisation campaigns at all levels for people to submit their wards for immunisation due to be inaugurated on Saturday in Chanchaga, a suburb of Minna.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

approves Kogi Assembly ignores appeal, PDP salaries for NWC members swears in new member T F By Lawrence Olaoye

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

ollowing the advice by the legal department of Kogi state House of Assembly, the former Chairman of Olamaboro local government , Mr. Gabriel Yinusa Olofu has been swornin as a member representing the constituency amidst tight security. The ceremony which was the only function by the Assembly yesterday came up at about 1pm after much deliberations by the members of the House as both new and former member were present. Prior to the swearing-in, the Majority Leader had stepped down Order 5 [1] and invoked rule 209 to empower the Assembly to sit beyond 1pm to enable the swear in the new member representing Olanaboro constituency in the state House of Assembly. The Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Information, Honourable Salihu Akawu, stated that there was a delay in the proceeding to the swearing in to enable them deliberate on fundamental issues. He explained that the executive section which was held at the office of the Speaker was to trash out the issue of the commencement of second year of the 5th legislative Assembly and the legal implication of the swearing in of Gabriel Olofu. According to him, the speaker had read the Federal High Court Judgment to the hearing of the members present and called for legal interpretation of the Judgment setting aside the electoral act 2010 as

amended, "person elected should remain in office pending determination of appeal".. He pointed out that after the deliberations, the legal department advised that the Assembly must obey the consequential order that Gabriel Yunisa Olofu be sworn -in having set aside the primary that brought in the former members of the House. On the notice of appeal filed by Damien Adejo, the law maker pointed out notice of

appeal is mere application for appeal and an injunction,stressing that the House has no option than to obey the court. While speaking to Journalists after been swornin at the House Assembly,Olofu gave glory to God and to those who had help to reclaim his mandate. He restated that Judiciary is still the hope of common man,stating that he will cooperate with other members of House Assembly to move the

state forward. However,the head of public Affairs Department of the Independent Nation Election Commission INEC, Mr.Biambo Bagudu stated that the action of the House of Assembly was in order. He explained that even without Certificate within the 48 hours the house can still go ahead to swear -in the person in involve, adding the Certificate of return is now ready and would soon be delivered.

L-R: Member, House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Ibrahim Ebbo, Deputy Chairman, Hon. Isa M. Ashiru, and Chairman, Hon. John Enoh, during the committee’s meeting with the Minister of Finance, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Atiku lauds Bamanga’s peace initiative in PDP By Lawrence Olaoye

ormer Vice President Atiku Abubakar has lauded the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur over his reconciliatory efforts in the party within his first 100 days in office. In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, the former Vice President noted

that Tukur has cut the image of a unifier, peacemaker and bridge-builder at a critical point the party requires his strong leadership. According to Atiku, the PDP Chairman has kept faith with the reconciliation policy, aimed at rebuilding the party, which was once torn apart by division and acrimony. “The passion and sincerity with which Alhaji Bamanga

Tukur is trying to introduce a system in the way the party is run is a reflection of his determination to put his wealth of experience at the disposal of the party,” Atiku said. The former Vice President commended the revolutionary style of modeling the party after democratic parties like the ANC in South Africa where loyalty to the party subsumes

allegiance to individuals and groups. He said these steps by Tukur are promising signs that the Chairman is committed to the task of rebuilding the party, restoring discipline and bringing a system in which the party is run. The Turaki Adamawa wished Tukur more good health to offer more service to Nigeria, PDP and Africa at large.

Dakingari appoints 3 permanent secretaries, re-deploys 8

ov. Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi, has appointed three permanent secretaries and re-deployed eight others. The appointments and redeployments were contained in a statement by Alhaji Abubakar Mua’azu, Chief Press Secretary to the governor in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.

The appointees and their postings are Alhaji Labaran Kalgo, Mininstry of Water Resources and Rural Development; Dr Usman Umar, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Alhaji Aminu Maigari, Ministry of Justice. Those re-deployed are Dr Abdullahi Gobir, from Ministry

of Youth and Sports Development to Budget and Economic Planning; Alhaji Sani Sarki, from Ministry of Water Resources to Finance and Dr Sani Kaoje, from Ministry of Agriculture to Health. Alhaji Musa Kamba,was redeployed from Ministry of Budget and Planning to Works and Transport; Alhaji Muktar

Diri, from Establishment to Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and Alhaji Shu’aibu Abdullahi from Cabinet Affairs to Establishment. Alhaji Udu Idris moved from General Administration to Youths and Sports while Tanko Magaji moved from Special Duties to General Administration.

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved monthly salaries for its National Chairman and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC). This, it was learnt, was to ensure financial independence for the members of the NWC. This development is a deviation from the tradition in the party since its formation in 1998 as all previous NWC members are paid only sitting allowances. It was gathered that the party’s Chairman has been placed on N2 million monthly salary while the National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, will cart home N1.5 million. Other 10 members of the NWC are now receiving N1 million every month. Apart from the new monthly salaries, members of the NWC will continue to collect the N50,000 weekly sitting allowance which was all that accrued to their predecessors. Aside the new salaries, members of the NWC are equally entitled to housing, furniture, vehicle allowance. It was gathered that the leadership of the party resolved to commence payment of monthly salaries to NWC members to financially empower them and discourage the tendency of the national officers running cap-inhand to PDP governors, a practice that compromised the party leaders in the past. Efforts to reach the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, were unsuccessful as he was said to have travelled outside the country for official engagement.

Agency urges NASS to sanction non-compliant LGs on polio eradication

he National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), has urged the National Assembly to make a law to sanction any local government chairman that fails to take adequate measures on polio eradication. The Executive Director of the agency, Dr Ado Mohammad,made the call at the launching of a poliofree campaign on Wednesday in Sokoto. He said it was the responsibility of local government chairmen in the country to ensure that all children were immunised in their domains. He explained that Nigeria could not afford to remain among nations with polio virus, hence the need for all stakeholders to cooperate with the Federal Government to ensure eradication of the disease. Mohammad commended Gov. Aliyu Wamakko for his personal commitment towards eradication of the disease in the state.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 41

Pitch award idea great, says Okocha

ormer Nigeria great, Jay Jay Okocha has commended the initiative of football awards that will reward all areas of the football pitch on an annual basis. The Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) has endorsed a drive by Matchmakers Consult International Limited to organize a Nigeria Pitch Awards, for which a world press conference will hold in Lagos on Tuesday and which inaugural edition is scheduled for December

this year. “The idea of an Annual Football Awards is long overdue. It is a good thing that the present NFF administration has decided to endorse and support the private initiative of Matchmakers to start something. “As a former player and as a Member of the NFF Technical Sub-Committee, I give my full support to the drive. There is really nothing like due recognition,

which is the purpose of Awards,” Okocha said today. Born Augustine Azuka Okocha on August 14, 1973, Jay Jay won 73 caps for the Super Eagles and played at three FIFA World Cup finals, in 1994, 1998 and 2002. He captained the Super Eagles at the 2002 finals in Korea and Japan and also played in five African Cup of Nations finals, winning gold, silver and bronze. He was named the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer of

the 2004 African Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia and later that same year, was named the BBC African Footballer of the Year. Seen globally as Nigeria’s most successful midfield impressario of all time, Jay Jay Okocha played club football in Germany, Turkey, France and England, becoming Africa’s most expensive football player when he moved from Fenerbahce in Turkey to Paris Saint Germain in France for a fee of about $24 million.

Champions League: NFF charges Sunshine Stars to do Nigeria proud Jay Jay Okocha

Federation Cup draw holds today

he Draw for the group stage of this year’s Federation Cup competition will hold at the Ekiti Hall, NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja today. NFF’s Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said yesterday that all arrangements are in place for a glamorous ceremony that will see the 16 surviving teams shoved into four different groups of four teams each, with the quarter finals to follow, and the semi finals, before the grand finale that is already fixed for Lagos. Also to be revealed today’s Draw will be the four centres for the group stage matches, as well as the centres for the quarter finals (which may not necessarily be the same as those hosting the group stage) and the venues for the two semi final matches. Sanusi also confirmed that performances in the past two editions of the Federation Cup competition (2010 and 2011) will go a long way in determining the teams to be seeded for the group stage, which has been scheduled for 16th – 20th July. THE 16 TEAMS GOING INTO THE DRAW: Heartland FC of Owerri, Enyimba FC of Aba, Rangers International of Enugu, Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, Wolves FC of Warri, Plateau United FC, Pillars FC of Kano, Lobi Stars of Makurdi, Kwara United of Ilorin, Gombe United of Gombe, Crown FC of Ogbomosho, Prime FC of Oshogbo, Dynamite Force of Benin City, El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, Nasarawa United of Lafia, Samba FC of Enugu.

Stories by Albert Akota

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has issued a call to players and officials of the Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure to do Nigeria proud when taking on CAF Champions League defending champions, Esperance of Tunisia in IjebuOde on Sunday. Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the NFF, High Chief Emeka Inyama said yesterday that as the only Nigerian club left in the campaign for honours in the continent this year, the NFF would back Sunshine Stars FC all the way. “Sunshine Stars FC has been consistent in the continent and deserves our total support and the support of all Nigerians, whether individuals or corporate entities. Last year, the team got as far as the semi finals of the CAF Champions League, and that was no mean feat. “Now, they are again in the group phase of the most prestigeous club competition in Africa, and surely deserves has demonstrated a capacity to go all the way. The NFF is pleased with the team’s valiant efforts in the earlier rounds but the truth is things will get tougher in the group stage and you cannot get a tougher draw than playing against the Cup holders in your first match in this stage,” said Inyama. On Sunday, at the Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Sunshine Stars FC lock horns with the Blood and Gold, one of the most successful football clubs on the African continent. They are also to play against another illustrious Tunisian side, Etoile du Sahel, as well as ASO Chief of Algeria in their Group A campaign. Inyama added: “The entire NFF Board and Management, and the Nigeria football family is behind Sunshine Stars FC as they begin this campaign. We want them to go out there and fight for the country. They are representing a whole nation and that message must be clear to the players and officials.” Emeka Inyama

CJN to declare NASAJ games open

he Chairman of the Cyber Security and Accountability Centre of Nigeria, (CSACN) Hon. Bassey Etim has assured that this year’s opening ceremony of the National Sports Association for Judiciary, (NASAJ) annual games billed at Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital on 12th next week, will be free and fair. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, will hit Uyo to declare the 19th edition open along with top dignities in the state. Etim who disclosed this in Abuja, said that the state has what it take to host judiciary games as well as securing all participants and spectators before and after the games.The former House committee on judiciary member, further said that the competition will witness unprecedented turn out following the increased of awareness about the essence of physically and mentally

fitness among the judicial workers.He noted that the games will serve as encouragement and strengthen the spirit of good sportsmanship in the relevant courts and judicial bodies.” I am happy Akwa-Ibom state is hosting the 19th edition of NASAJ game, because we know what the game mean to judiciary.” The participants are also happy to hit the state and see the new look of the city.” I want them to come to Uyo because the state is good in all ramifications following what my amiable Governor is doing in the state by transforming the state to suit sports, business, tourism, he said. The CSACN boss commended Governor of Akwa Ibom state Godswin Akpabio for his support to ensure NASAJ achieve it target as well as sports development within the judicial and the country.Speaking earlier, the

president of the NASAJ Emeka Ndili, said the game is geared toward tapping the hidden talent of Judicial staff, both in the federal and state offices of the Attorney-General to contribute its quota in sports development.He noted that the

Hon. Bassey Etim

competition is put together by the courts and other judicial bodies throughout the federation to honour the grand patron of the CJN.” We have athletes in the judiciary that can do this country proud if given the opportunity. I called on sports stakeholders to come to Uyo to pink prospective athletes that will represent Nigeria in continental as well as internationals engagement,” he saidNdili lauded Godswin Akpabio for given priority to the two weeks event that will go a long way in harmonising the existing relationship between the state and judicial family.No fewer than ten thousand are set to storm the venue of the competitions as well as participating in the ten events that include Football, Handball, Badminton, Chess, Table Tennis, Athletes, Scrabble, Draught, Ayoo and Volleyball.

PAGE 42

Erelesusi warns NPL

ising Stars coach, Sunday Erelesusi has said that Nigerian league is doomed should the outcome of Wednesday’s Matchday 33 against Lobi Stars in AdoEkiti be altered. The encounter was abandoned by the visitors 14 minutes to regulation time with the home side still in the lead. Left winger Shedrack Francis put the home side forward in the 73rd minute. Erelesusi said that his wards are looking forward to the next game as the Lobi tie has been won and lost. “We’ve won the game and I dare say that if anything happened to the result Nigerian league is doomed forever. “I can’t imagine any sensible person calling for a replay of the match. “We’re thinking now of the next league match and no more of Lobi. “Nobody complained nor protested over our goal, there was no fight throughout the duration of the game. “He said he was stoned from the stands, held up his hands but after thorough search for the stone none was found. Erelesusi said his headache at the moment is how to pull his side out of the relegation water.

Rising Stars’ coach, Sunday Erelesusi

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Football stakeholders work against FCT clubs, FA chairman

he Chairman of the FCT FA, Alhaji Musa Sa’eed Talle has said that some football stakeholders who ought to work for the interest of football growth in the country were working for the interest of their clubs at the expense of others. The chairman, who spoke to Peoples Daily Sports in angry manner, noted that FCT clubs received the highest humiliation and traitor in the hands of those that want FCT clubs to be relegated to lower division. Talle who further said he worked assiduously within his reach to ensure one of the clubs get promotion to the premier league, he said his effort was humiliated by some set of people who are working against the interest of the centre of unity to have a club in the elite league FCT paraded three clubs at the Nigeria National League, FC Abuja, NAF FC and FRSC FC at the just concluded football season by which FRSC was relegated to lower division, NAF FC is facing Nigeria Football Federation Disciplinary Committee of relegation battle. Only FC Abuja scaled through. “I am disappointed at the way manner people treat FCT clubs both

home and away, we don’t get favour from anybody rather they used us as a scapegoat, every club come here and beat us because the territory is for every club but we are not complaining. “We take it in good fate but the worse part of it is that they work against us whenever we go out, “he said. He however, called on football stakeholders in the country to shun the habit of winning at all cost at the expense of the game.

irst Bank of Nigeria Plc has unveiled its Brand Ambassador to the London 2012 Olympics, Blessing Okagabre as well as its involvement with the games. The Executive Director, Public Sector, South, Mr. UK Eke who made the declaration during a media parley on the Bank’s 2012 Olympics activities, lauded Okagabre for her reliance to win medals for Nigeria. He commended the Nigeria fastest women for her brilliant performance at the just concluded Africa Athletes Championship held at Ponovo in Bennie Republic. Eke noted that the Bank has been supporting the Nigeria Olympic Committee by providing various platforms of support to ensure the success of Team Nigeria at the event.

Alhaji Musa Sa’eed Talle

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of Thursday’s Matchday 33 clash between Heartland and Enyimba in Aba. Heartland lost the reverse fixture 2-3 to the People’s Elephants at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu earlier this season and de Kruif is keen to see his wards exact revenge on their bitter rivals.

Blessing Okagabre

First Bank unveils Okagabre

Katsina Spotlight dole out N6.1m to players From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

he management of Katsina Spotlight Football Club Professional Football

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS RUKKAYYA HUSSEIN, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS RUKKAYYA YAKUBW UMAR. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. NYSC AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

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the but that is usually difficult to attain during the away matches. We want to win in Aba and we will give it our best shot. “We don’t have any injury concerns ahead of the game so we have a chance,” he said. Heartland currently sits in 11th place on the NPL log with 46 points from 31 matches

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league side has doled our N6.1 million as 50 per cent sign-on fee for its 67 players. The team manager of the Club, Alhaji Muhammad Yusuf

CHANGE OF NAME

Pay us, Naze Millionaires players tell “We always want management heDesaid. Kruif also spoke ahead officiating to be fair layers of Nigeria Premier League (NPL) club, Heartland (also known as the Naze Millionaires), are yet to be paid 80 per cent of their signing-on fees for the 2011/2012 season. Manager of the club, Lodewijk de Kruif said the sponsors of the club promised the players would receive their contract fees by the end of June. “We were promised that the players would get their payment by the end of June but they have still not been paid. “We hope the monies are paid soon,”

First bank unveils Okagabre

Heartland squad

Shema disclosed this, yesterday while hosting the players and management of the club to end of season get together. Shema noted that at the mid-season the players were paid 50 percent of their signed-on fees, stating that the gesture was to make the players comfortable to enable them concentrate in winning honours for the state. The team manager, who satisfies of the team performances, noted that the management of the team is mapping out plans to ensure the promotion of the team to the elite premier league. He added that last season the team had performed well in both the pro-league and the challenge cup adding that they lost the challenge cup slot to Warri-wolves through penalty shoot-out.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

Transfer

The season is over. Clubs are counting their blessing as well as losses and would like to make amends and even beef up their squads where noticeable lapses exist. And the transfer market is agog barely 24 hours after major European leagues dropped the curtain. And so to keep abreast with latest rumours, we begin daily doses of movements within the market both for players and coaches like.

Fulham eye Robinson

ulham are the latest club to show interest in Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson, whose move to Besiktas has stalled. The Turkish side is on the hunt for a new No 1 after veteran Rustu Recber announced his retirement. The Blackburn keeper was unable to prevent his club from being relegated to the Championship at the end of last season and wants a new challenge. Robinson has a year left on his contract at Ewood Park having joined the club from Tottenham for £3.5million in 2008. He made over 150 appearances for the Lancashire club.

Roma signs Sveadkauskas

oma have signed Lithuania Under-19 international Tomas Svedkauskas from FK Suduva. Svedkauskas, 18, has put pen to paper on a five-year deal with Roma having spent last season on loan at Fiorentina. The Serie A club has also announced they have bought the sporting rights of Adrian Stoian from Bari for •1 million. The Romanian midfielder, 21, made 29 league appearances while on loan at Bari last season. Svedkauskas and Stoian are currently with Roma in preseason training.

PAGE 43

Benfica target United midfielder

enfica are weighing up a move for Manchester United midfielder Anderson, according to reports in Portugal. The Portuguese side is preparing to cash in on the sought-after Belgium international Axel Witsel, who has attracted interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. And, according to Portuguese newspaper Record, Benafica boss Jorge Jesus has identified Anderson, who once played for Benfica’s rivals Porto, as a potential replacement for Witsel. Anderson, who moved to Old Trafford in 2007, enjoyed a strong start to his United career, making 76 appearances over the

Anderson course of his first two seasons, before succumbing to injuries, indiscipline and loss of form. The 24-year-old, who was once billed as the long-term replacement for Paul Scholes, managed just eight Premier League starts last season with injuries cutting his campaign short once again.

oalkeeper Fraser Forster has completed a permanent £2 million move from Newcastle to Celtic after spending the last two seasons on loan at Parkhead. Celtic have tied up a permanent deal for Fraser Forster Forster, 24, has signed a fouryear deal with the Scottish Premier League champions and told their official website: “This is a massive club, and I feel like this is a step forward in my career. “I want to win things as a team and improve as an individual, and I think I will be able to do that at Celtic. “It also gives me a great opportunity to play in the Champions League if we get through the qualifiers. I really enjoyed my time in Europe last season, so I will be looking forward to it if it happens again.

Fraser Forster

Swansea plan Jonathan, Chico swoop

ew Swansea boss Michael Laudrup is planing a double swoop for Chico and Jonathan de Guzman.The Danish coach is eager to be reunited with the duo that starred for him at previous club Mallorca. Former Spain Under-21 -international Chico, whose full name is Jose Manuel Flores Moreno, 25, is rated at £3m by Serie A outfit Genoa. The centre-back has also attracted interest from Real Betis in his homeland, but Swansea is expected to tie up the deal in the next 48 hours.

ewcastle United is closing in on the signature of Lille right-back Mathieu Debuchy, despite Inter Milan’s attempts to try and hijack the deal. All action defender Debuchy is currently on holiday after turning out for France at Euro 2012, but is expected to return later this week, to hold talks with Lille over his future. The French club expects Debuchy to confirm his intention to quit the club this summer, and Newcastle is hopeful they will be able to finally get their man, after a lengthy pursuit.

Laudrup is also keen to link up once again with attacking midfielder De Guzman, 24, after the club missed out on Gylfi Sigurdsson after he joined Tottenham, despite the Icelandic star agreeing to join the Swans last month -following his loan spell from Hoffenheim last season. De Guzman excelled under Laudrup at Mallorca during the 201011 seasons, but was sold to Villarreal for a fee in the region of £7m. However, the Canadian-born star, which has a Dutch -passport, is keen to leave following relegation to the second division.

Newcastle re-open Debuchy deal Magpies boss Alan Pardew reopened talks with Lille late last week, in a bid to finally agree on a transfer, after the Ligue 1 side snubbed his opening £5 million offer for Debuchy a fortnight night ago. However, Newcastle are set to face strong competition to tie up the transfer, with Inter Milan now ready to show their hand, as they prepare to offload

veteran defender Maicon to Chelsea. Inter have agreed a £6 million deal with The Blues for Maicon, and will use that money to try and tempt Debuchy to Italy, where he is likely to be offered a more financially lucrative package. Newcastle is desperate to land a new right-back this summer, after Danny Simpson walked out

Mathieu Debuchy on the club at the end of his contract last month.

Real, Chelsea United battle for Brazilian

Sigurdsson joins Tottenham from Hoffenheiam

Tomas Svedkauskas

“I enjoyed last season as a whole and we have a great young squad here. The players and the coaches make it an enjoyable place to be and I like being a part of this team.” Forster’s move was sealed after Celtic failed in a move to bring Scotland international goalkeeper Craig Gordon to the club when he was unable to agree terms on a three-year contract.

ottenham have beaten Liverpool to the signing of Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, who had a spell on loan at Swansea last season. The 22-year-old Iceland international is the first recruit for new Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas in a deal reported to be worth £8m. Sigurdsson was linked with a move to join former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. He scored seven times in 19 games on loan under Rodgers at Swansea.

Michael Laudrup, who succeeded Rodgers at Swansea, conceded defeat last month in his efforts to resurrect a deal. The move to Tottenham comes as speculation continues over the future of Spurs midfielder Luka Modric, who has been linked with a transfer to Manchester United or Real Madrid. Sigurdsson won the player of the year award in his first full season at Reading, before being sold to Hoffenheim for a reported £6.5m fee at the start of the following campaign.

Sao Paulo

PAGE 44

Alba seals Barca move

ordi Alba has completed his •14 million move from Valencia to Barcelona, signing a five-year contract at the Camp Nou. Spanish full-back Alba had agreed the move in principle a week prior to La Roja’s victory in the final of Euro 2012 but passed a medical, completed the necessary paperwork and was presented to the media on Thursday. The 23-year-old is Barca’s first signing of the summer as they build towards next season under new coach Tito Vilanova, who has replaced Pep Guardiola. Alba, whose contract with Valencia was due to expire in June 2013 and had a •90 million buyout clause, is no stranger to Barcelona, having spent seven years at their La Masia youth academy from 1998 to 2005. At the Mestalla, Alba was part of the Valencia reserve side that was promoted to Segunda B before spending the 2008-09 season on loan at Gimnastic Tarragona. On returning to Valencia he soon became a regular in coach Unai Emery’s first team, making 74 league appearances in three seasons, scoring five goals. That earned him i n t e r n a t i o n a l recognition, with his debut coming against Scotland last October. He has won 11 caps to date and was an ever-present in Spain’s Euro 2012 winning side, scoring his side’s second goal in the final against Italy.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

London 2012: Barnes falls out of world rankings

elfast Olympics medal prospect Paddy Barnes believes he may not be seeded for the London Games after falling out of the world rankings. The Beijing bronze medallist was ranked sixth in the lightflyweight division in June but, one month later, is no longer in the 33 who are ranked. Barnes, the 2010 European champion, said the latest AIBA rankings could make his Olympic

erena Williams moved within one victory of a fifth Wimbledon singles title with a formidable straight sets win over Victoria Azarenka. The American produced a Wimbledon record of 24 aces to overpower Azarenka 6-3 7-6 (8-6) and set up a meeting with Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska. Third seed Radwanska convincingly beat Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-3 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Paddy Barnes

The American served beautifully throughout on Centre Court to surpass her previous Wimbledon women’s record of 23 aces, set in the third round last week, and in the process took her tally of aces at this year’s Championships to 85. Radwanska, the first

Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam final for 75 years, performed with verve and poise during her win but has not won a set against Williams in their previous two meetings, including a quarter-final defeat at Wimbledon in 2008. Williams, who hit 45

winners during her demolition of second seed Azarenka, expects her opponent to return well tomorrow. Williams, bidding for a 14th Grand Slam title, was frighteningly good in the first set, producing eight aces and 20 winners during 33 minutes of

Wimbledon 2012: Williams, Radwanska through to final

Serena Williams

Victoria Azarenka

Bolt withdraws from Monaco after suffering slight injury’

Jordi Alba

task more difficult. If Barnes is not seeded, it raises the possibility of him being drawn against the world number one in his first contest. After being beaten by Mark Barriga of the Philippines at the World Amateur Championships in Azerbaijan last year, Barnes had to secure his London 2012 place through a qualifying tournament in Turkey in April. The rankings cover a two-year period, which means his win at the

European Championship in Moscow no longer count. Barnes described the latest rankings as unfair and said he would be raising the matter again. “I have gone from sixth to not be ranked at all in the world. It is a joke if you ask me,” the 25-year-old told the Irish Times. “There have been no tournaments this year that you can get ranked from.” The top boxer in Barnes’s 46-49kg weight division is Shin Jong-Hun of South Korea who won silver at the 2011 World Championships in Baku.

sain Bolt has withdrawn from his final race before London 2012 after suffering a “slight” injury problem. Bolt, 25, was scheduled to run the 200m at the Diamond League meet in Monaco on 20 July. But the three-time Olympic gold medallist has withdrawn so he can undergo treatment. His coach, Glen Mills, said he wanted to “give him sufficient time for treatment and time to

train and prepare for the Olympic Games.” Despite the withdrawal, Bolt said he would be in London to defend his three Olympic titles, which also includes the 100m and the 4 x 100m relay gold he won in Beijing four years ago. The world record-holder had his right hamstring stretched out on the track after finishing second to Yohan Blake in the 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials last weekend.

He was also beaten by world champion Blake, who won in a time of 9.75 seconds, in the 100m in Kingston. The only people faster in the world are Bolt, who holds the world record of 9.58, American Tyson Gay, who has run 9.69, and Asafa Powell, whose quickest time is 9.72. “I am happy to have earned my spot on the Jamaican Olympic team despite the challenge,” said Bolt, who ran 9.76 in Italy in May.

Usain Bolt

almost faultless tennis. But Australian Open champion Azarenka, who will return to the top of the women’s rankings should Williams win on Saturday, temporarily halted the sixth seed’s momentum by breaking in the sixth game to force a second-set tiebreak. The 22-year-old from Minsk saved one match point but netted a tame backhand to allow Williams to serve for the match, which she did with a stylish ace. Earlier on Centre Court, Radwanska needed only one hour and nine minutes to secure victory. The 23-year-old, who could top the world rankings if she defeats Williams in the final, admitted nerves, played a part in her poor start. She secured victory when a disappointing Kerber hoping to become Germany’s first women’s finalist since Steffi Graf 13 years ago followed a wayward forehand with a backhand into the tramlines.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

PAGE 45

PICTORIAL

1. Manchester City chairman Khaldoon al-Murabarak believes the club's resistance to selling Carlos Tevez in the January transfer window marked a victory in the battle against player power. 2. Ray Parlour has told Arsenal to cash in on Robin van Persie, insisting Newcastle's Papiss Cisse would soon have Gunners fans forgetting about him. 3. NBA star Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls is included in Team GB men's basketball squad for London 2012. 4. Arsenal's second biggest shareholders have written an open letter to owner Stan Kroenke expressing their concern about how the American is running the club in the wake of Robin van Persie's declaration he will not be signing a new contract at Emirates Stadium. 5. England back-row forward James Haskell is left out of England's 32-man senior squad for the forthcoming season. 6. Serena Williams plays Victoria Azarenka for a place in the final while Angelique Kerber battles Agnieszka Radwanska. 7. Juan Roman Riquelme has confirmed he has played his last game for Boca Juniors after the side's 3-1 aggregate defeat to Corinthians in the Copa Libertadores final.

L-R: Nigerian Soccer Legend, Mr. Segun Odegbami, Executive Director, Public Sector, South, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr. UK Eke, and First Bank's Brand Ambassador to London 2012 Olympics, Blessing Okagbare, during a media parley on the bank's 2012 Olympics activities, on Wednesday in Lagos.

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Arsenal cancels visit to Nigeria

he match between Arsenal and the Super Eagles has been cancelled as the London club will no longer visit Nigeria this year English Premier League giants, Arsenal FC, have cancelled the proposed friendly match with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, scheduled for August 5, and "reluctantly" postponed their planned trip to Nigeria for their pre-season preparation. Arsenal said it was taking the decision because of the complexities linked to the planned game against the Super Eagles. The London club's marketing director, Angus Kinnear, said on its official website that the decision was unfortunate. "Bringing a top-level club to an international market is always complicated and logistically challenging," Mr. Kinnear said. "With the proposed match in Nigeria planned for early August, we could not get comfortable on everything needed to satisfy our requirements, so we have reluctantly taken the decision to postpone the team's visit," he added. The marketing director stated that Arsenal has "a huge and loyal following in Africa," and "are sorry that the team will not be visiting this summer." "However, we have a longterm commitment to Nigeria and we are already making plans for a visit next summer," he said. "In addition, we also have some exciting forthcoming activities planned with our commercial partners in Nigeria - Emirates, Airtel and Malta Guinness, which will kick off in the next few weeks," Mr. Kinnear said. Emirates are the official sponsor of Arsenal, and the presenting partner of the Arsenal 2012 Tour. Boutros Boutros, the divisional senior vice-president, corporate communications of Emirates said that "Emirates shares Arsenal's disappointment that the team's visit to Nigeria has been postponed. We look forward to working with Arsenal to bring the Club closer to its loyal Nigerian fans through new initiatives over the coming months."

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Akwa Ibom’s budget of infrastructural development W

ith Akwa Ibom state, we have finally found a budget that allocates more than 70% to capital expenditure – the recommended minimum to achieve accelerated and meaningful development in an under-developed setting. But is that enough? Or is the quality of spending of the capital budget as important? How about the split between human and physical capital investments? Does that proportionate allocation translate into prudence, enhanced transparency and accountability? And do these guarantee a better quality of life for citizens of the state? We will explore some of these with the analysis of the 1,095-page document titled “Approved Estimates of Akwa Ibom State for 2012.” Located in Nigeria’s oil-rich South-South zone, Akwa Ibom State was created in 1987 out of the old Cross River State. The state is bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State, on the South by the Atlantic Ocean and the North by Cross River and Imo States. The state has a population of 3.9 million in 2006 spread over 31 local government areas, and Uyo is its capital. Akwa Ibom is the 14th most populous state in Nigeria, and is the 3rd most populous in the South-South zone: Bayelsa has the lowest population of 1.7 million in the zone, and Rivers the highest with 5.1 million people. Its urban centers include Uyo, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Ikot Abasi and Oron. The dominant ethnic groups are Ibibio, Anang, Oron, Eket, and Mbo. The main spoken languages are Ibobio, Annang Eket and Oron in addition to English. According to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Akwa Ibom covers a land area of some 6,800 square kilometers, smaller than the federal capital territory of Abuja. However, with an estimated GDP of $11bn in 2010, has an economy larger than at least 30 African countries including Gambia, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Sao Tome and Principe. Its modest population exceeds that of Botswana, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Gabon, and Sao Tome & Principe. From the arable land of the saline water swamp forests in the South, to the rainforest in the North, most of Akwa Ibom State is naturally endowed with enormous agricultural, mineral and hydrocarbon potentials. Its

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Gov. Godswill Akpabio tropical climate with abundant, year-round rainfall enables the growth of oil palm, cocoa, rubber, cassava, maize, rice, yams and cocoyam. There are large deposits of oil and gas within the land and the waters adjoining the state, and other minerals like limestone, clay, gold, salt, coal, silver nitrate and glass sand exist in commercial quantities. According to a UNDP survey in 2010, Akwa Ibom has the 3rd highest poverty rate of 27.1% in the South-South zone after Cross River (31.9%) and Bayelsa (32.5%), but these are better than the nation’s poorest -Yobe’s (58%) and worse than much better Lagos

with 14.5%. According to the NBS as at 2010, the state’s unemployment rate is the second highest in the South-South zone with 25.8% while Delta State has the worst (27.2%). On a brighter note, Akwa Ibom leads all states in the zone in the ease of Doing Business 2010 based on a World Bank study with an overall ranking of 20th out 36 states and FCT, with Edo ranked 21st, while Cross River was 33rd. Tunde Ogbeha was the first governor of the state, with seven other governors succeeding him since 1988. Obong Victor Attah, a distinguished architect was the first governor elected in this republic. He laid the foundations for the future growth of the state Akwa Ibom’s Budget of Infrastructural Development through the formulation of deliberate and thoughtful plans and designs for infrastructure, human capital and tourism development. The current governor, Godswill Akpabio was first elected on the platform of the PDP in April 2007 and was reelected in an atmosphere of violence and arson to contain the challenge of the ACN candidate in the 2011 contest, John Akpanudoedehe. In spite of this

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The 2012 budget for the state is N407.8 billion, as against the N419.78 billion in 2011. Out of the 2012 figure, N66.244 billion (16.2%) is for recurrent expenditure while N341.5 billion (83.7%) is earmarked for capital expenditure. This indicates the government’s commitment to achieving real development and improving the living standards of its people

Akpabio appears to enjoy the support of his people, and he is adjudged to be performing well above average by development partners, Akwa Ibom citizens and outside observers. Godswill Akpabio studied law at the University of Calabar and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. He first taught at Afaha Secondary School, Essien Udim for a short period, before joining a law firm in Lagos as an Associate. In 1995 he was employed as Director, Corporate Affairs/Legal Services of EMIS Telecoms, which was a telecoms services provider. His career in public service began in 2002 when he became the state Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources, followed by positions in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and then the Ministry of Lands and Housing in 2006. He was a key member of the Obong Attah cabinet that governed the state between 1999 and 2007. The 2012 budget for the state is N407.8 billion, as against the N419.78 billion in 2011. Out of the 2012 figure, N66.244 billion (16.2%) is for recurrent expenditure while N341.5 billion (83.7%) is earmarked for capital expenditure. This indicates the government’s commitment to achieving real development and improving the living standards of its people. The budget would be financed from federation account (N242bn), internally generated revenues (N21.65bn), local and foreign loans (N65bn), grants (N2bn), an opening balance of N21 billion and N100 million from the ecological funds. Analyzing the recurrent budget further, N33.28 billion is earmarked for personnel costs and N13.10 billion for overhead costs. The personnel cost budget covers the 20 commissioners, 39 permanent secretaries and equivalent, 6 special advisers, 36 special assistants, Chief of Staff, SSG and Head of Service, 57 chairmen and members of executive bodies and the bureaucracy below them of some 26,000 employees. It is clear that the state’s IGR of N22 billion will not cover its personnel cost. The state needs to reduce its dependence on FAAC. In realization of this, the state has completed the construction of 13 new tax offices in various local governments last year, and is actively increasing its equity investments in blue chips through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI). Contd. on Page 30

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