Peoples Daily Newspaper, Monday 08, July, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 36

Monday, July 8, 2013

Police stop new firearms licences >>3

. . . putting the people first

Sha’aban 30, 1434 AH

N150

Ramadan: Sultan urges Muslims to be alert >>5

Boko Haram accepts ceasefire deal T

By Lawrence Olaoye, Abuja and Mustapha Isa Kwaru, Maiduguri

lYobe school death toll rises to 43 lPerpetrators’ll be hunted down — Jonathan lGaidam shuts schools, says killings criminal 300 MDAs fingered in pension scam

he protracted insecurity in the northern part of the country following activities of insurgents may soon be over if the agreement reached yesterday between the federal government and leaders of Boko Haram is anything to go by.

A commander of Boko Haram, Imam Muhammad Murwana, told the Hausa Service of Voice of America (VOA)yesterday that the sect has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire at a meeting with the representatives of the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful resolution of Security Challenges in parts of the country.

Imam Murwana who spoke in Hausa language told the VOA that the sect members were satisfied with the Contd. on Page 2

Exclusive

By Abdulwahab Isa and Sunday Ejike Benjamin

O

ver 300 ministries, departments and agencies of government have defaulted in submitting their staff nominal roll to the National Pension Commission (PenCom), a development said to be challenging operational ease of PenCom in remitting contributions on behalf of affected members of staff.

Peoples Daily investigation revealed also that the National Judicial Council (NJC) is conspicuously missing among the names of MDAs contained in the Recurrent General Warrant schedule list forwarded monthly to Contd. on Page 2

Front: Senior Counsellor, Nigerian Embassy in China, Mr. Ecche Abu-Obe, Borno’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Mai Sheriff, Governor Kashim Shettima and the SSG, Borno, Amb. Baba Ahmed Jida. (behind: chief Audu Ogbeh, honorary adviser on Agriculture to Governor Kashim Shettima and a consultant Nigerian Engineer, Sani Tsoho at a four megawatts power equipment manufacturing company in Liwan District, Guangzhou, China, at the weekend.

Adamawa: Tukur, Nyako camps trade blames over emergency rule >>37

PAGE 2

News

CONTENTS News 2-10 Editorial 12 Op.Ed 13 Letters 14 Opinion 15 Metro 16-18 Business 19-22 Stockwatch 23 S/Report 24-25 Law 26 Education 27

Checkmating oil theft through community participation, Page 4

Health 29-30 Int’l 31-34 Strange World 35 Digest 36 Politics 37-38 Newsxtra 39-40 Sports 41-46 Leisure 47 Columnist 48

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Boko Haram accepts ceasefire deal

Contd. from Front Page discussions with the committee and have directed all their commanders and field men to lay down their arms and accept peace.

He said on the strength of the discussion with the FG committee, they believed that the end has come for insurgency in the country, adding that they apologize for all their actions which led to the death of many people and destruction of property across states.

He also said that the sect has forgiven all those who killed their men in the course of the struggle, and that they have ceased all arms and ammunition from their warriors.

He denied link with the killing of school children in Yobe, saying that Boko Haram had no hand in the attack. He said the sect is ready to assist the authorities to unravel the circumstances of the attack on the school.

When contacted, the Chairman of the Committee, and Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki told the VOA that the discussion with Imam Murwana and his colleagues was fruitful, and that they were hopeful that the ceasefire deal will bring permanent solution to the activities of the sect.

Turaki said the FG will do everything possible to ensure the ceasefire agreement works, adding that government will call on the security agencies to implement the terms of the agreement for a lasting peace and security in the country.

Meanwhile, military officials

yesterday confirmed that the death toll from an insurgents attack on a boarding school in Yobe state had risen to 43 students including a teacher.

But, Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, Sanusi Rufai, told the News Agency of Nigeria yesterday that the figure only rose to 26 from 24.

This is coming on the heels of directive by Yobe state Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, for the closure of all schools in the state.

President Goodluck Jonathan also vowed to hunt down the killers, saying they will end up in hell.

Suspected members of the Boko Haram sect attacked the Government Secondary School in Mamudo Saturday, opening fire on students and burning some of them alive, said military Joint Task Force spokesman, Lt. Eli Lazarus.

An English teacher at the school died after he was shot in the chest.

About 1,200 students attend the boarding school. Dozens of them were shot at as they tried to flee into the bush during the attack. Many did not immediately return after the attack ended.

The incident has caused some students at boarding schools in the area to leave for home despite school being in session.

At the regional morgue, Musa Hassan, 15, recalled the horror of listening to the death cries of his fellow pupils. ‘’We were sleeping when we heard gunshots. When I woke up, someone was pointing a gun at me,’’ he said. He put his arm

up in instinctive self-defence, and suffered a gunshot that blew off all four fingers on his right hand.

According to Hassam, the gunmen came armed with jerry cans that they used to torch the school’s administrative block and one of the hostels. ‘’They burned the children alive,’’ he said, horror in his eyes.

Survivors were taken to a clinic a few kilometres away where they were under army guard.

Hundreds more children from the 1200-student school were unaccounted for, having escaped into the bush.

Boko Haram spokesman Abu Qaqa had declared that the attacks on schools would continue as long as government soldiers are involved in the assault targeted at Koranic schools.

Perpetrators destined for hell, says Jonathan Reacting to the weekend killing by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, President Goodluck Jonathan has described the incident as wicked, horrific and barbaric.

The President who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, while condoling with the victims vowed to continue the war against terror in the country.

According to him, the perpetrators who target innocent children as a result of emotional dyfunction are cowards who will certainly burn in hell. He said “the killing is barbaric, completely wicked. Anybody who will target

innocent children for any kind of grief of emotional dyfunction will certainly go to hell.

“Mr. President wants to assure Nigerians that these kind of desperate Nigerians will be flushed out of the system.

“Mr. President is committed to the issue of the protection of lives and properties of all Nigerians and he wants to assure that the war against terrorists has been launched and will continue and the Nigerian government is determined to put an end to this menace.

“The President sympathizes with the families affected and he stands by them at this moment of grief. The killing is most unfortunate most regrettable and Mr. President wants to assure Nigerians that any attempt by any group to undermine this government will be resisted”, he said.

Killings criminal, callous, says Gaidam Me anwhile , Yobe state governor, Ibrahim Gaidam has also condemned in the strongest terms the cold blooded murder of students and a teacher.Gaidam described the attack as horrendous and criminal.

He also described the attackers as callous and devoid of any shred of humanity.

The governor commiserated with families of the victims and condoled with parents who have lost their children in the attack.

He prays Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant eternal bliss to the deceased Contd. on Page 3

300 MDAs fingered in pension scam Contd. from Front Page PenCom for pension deduction by the Office of Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

MDAs are mandated to submit their staff nominal roll at least twice a year to PenCom. The Nominal Roll sheet gives a detailed bio-data of each staff including grade level, salary income and other additional information. A source said it enables PenCOM to remit pension contributions on behalf of the MDAs staff to their respective choice of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).

A reliable source within pension circle who confided in Peoples Daily said PenCom’s records show that about 300 MDAs are guilty of thsi default. He, however, withheld identities of MDAs that are not compliant with filing of nominal roll but said that PenCom has served them a notice on the need to provide the Commission their staff nominal roll.

“We have written to the affected MDAs to provide us their staff nominal roll because we don’t have full control over these MDAs. They are MDAs like us, so we have to apply moral suasion while dealing with them. For instance, you may have an agency of government with 500 staff and the agency only submits nominal roll of just 350 staff. Unless it submits nominal roll for all 500 staff, we can’t remit on their behalf. Here lies the dilemma.

In fact two years ago, we organised

a workshop in conjunction with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) for the MDAs where we put them through on the need to file regularly staff nominal roll,” he said.

The National Judicial Council management has come under intense pressure from the staff alleging non- remittances of their pensions.

A staff told our Correspondent that while pension Act of 2004 excludes some category of judicial officers in the rank of Judges, Registrars of various courts from pension contribution, other staff of the judiciary are required to pay the mandatory 7.5 percent contribution.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, he alleged that the management has willfully refuse to remit deductions, a development he said compelled staff to approach PenCom recently to seek for clarification.

Checks by Peoples Daily at PenCom shows that the NJC is not included in the Recurrent General Warrant schedule prepared monthly by the AGF which contains the lists of all treasury funded MDAs whose pension deduction are prepared and sent to PenCom. A source told our correspondent that “as far as we know, NJC is not among the MDAs whose deduction list is sent to PenCom. They are left to do deduction and remittances.

We had a meeting with them and we told them to go and sort it out

in-house. Deduction is done at source, so we can’t instruct CBN to remit for NJC”.

PenCom Head of Corporate Communications, Emeka Onuarah was not available when Peoples Daily visited and effort to get to speak to him was futile.

But in its reaction, NJC denied it has not been remitting staff pension. Speaking to Peoples Daily, Acting Director of Information NJC, Mr. Soji Oye, debunked the information that the management of the council has not been remitting pension deductions and contributions of its staff to pension administrators.

He said the council has been faithful in the handling of pension contributions of members of their staff, just as he disclosed that NJC has never stopped remitting its own percentage of contribution to staff account to their pension administrators.

According to the spokesperson of the council, the allegation is not true just as he challenged those making the allegation to come out and prove it.

He explained further, “What happens is that the pension administrators will need to check record of those members of staff due for pension to have adequate information before they start paying”.

Meanwhile, The National Pension Commission has presented a 21-point recommendation to the National Assembly joint Committee

on proposed Pension Reform Act aimed at improving pension administration in the country.

One of the recommendations include a push by the Commission that N25bn be made the minimum paid up capital for Pension Fund Custodians just as it confirmed to the National Assembly that abut N3.3tn has so far accrued to the Contributory Pension Scheme.

It said, “An applicant for PFC licence shall be limited liability companies incorporated by financial institutions with the sole objective of keeping custody of pension and retirement benefits assets to avoid engaging in any other activity.

“The minimum paid up capital of such as may be prescribed from time to time , by the commission and wholly owned by a licensed financial institution with minimum net worth of N25bn and annual fidelity insurance cover for the full value of the pension and retirement benefits funds and assets it holds.”

If recommendations made by PenCom sails through, employee contributions may be reviewed upwards from the current monthly contribution of 15 per cent to 29 per cent.

The commissions as well as other stakeholders have come to the conclusion that the current minimum pension contribution of 15 per cent is no longer a fair representation of the realities on ground.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 3

News

FG probes Eagles bonus row

Boko Haram accepts ceasefire deal

F

ormer Special Adviser to late President Umar Yar’ Adua, Segun Adeniyi has been appointed to head a panel to probe the bonus row between the Super Eagles players and the leadership of the NFF. This was contained in a release last night by signed by Julius Ogunro, the SA (media) to the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi stating that the row is being probed.

Members of the Super Eagles had protested the slashing of their $10,000 winning bonus by half without being consulted and had accordingly refused to accept $5,000 offered them for beating Kenya and $2,500 for drawing with Malawi.

To press home their protest they had declined to board a flight to South Africa en route Brazil for the FIFA Confederations Cup until the Presidency intervened.

The terms of reference of the Panel are: to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crisis over the match bonus, develop a code of conduct for players on national assignments, as well as any other recommendations that may be deemed necessary.

Contd. on Page 41

Contd. from Page 2

Block of classrooms at Government Secondary School, Mamudo, in Yobe state destroyed by gunmen on Saturday. Photo: NAN

Gunmen attack police station in Taraba From Yusha’u Alhassan, Jalingo

U

n k n o w n gunmen have raided First Bank in KarimLamido town, headquarters of Karim-Lamido local government area of Taraba state in the early hours of Saturday.

Reports said that the gunmen, riding on a motorcycle, spend almost one hour shorting gun at the bank located at the Ahmadu A ward area in Karim-Lamido and later burnt

the bank.

The gunmen also set ablaze the Karim-Lamido Division police station situated in the same area.

An eye witness Haruna Usman Jauro told reporters that “ around 8 pm, we started hearing gunshot at Unguwan Ahmadu A two kilometers away from where we live and we saw people running for dear life and when asked them what happened, none of them listened to us”.

The Police Public Relations

Officer (PPRO) DSP Joseph Kwaji confirmed the incident, saying that there were no casualties in the incident and no arrest has been made yet. “We sent police men to the area and for now, Karim-Lamido town is calm”.

In another development the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone three, Mohammed Abubakar said lack of commitment, corruption and indiscipline have been identified as some challenges

facing the Nigerian Police force.

Abubakar made this known at a interactive session organized by the Nigerian police force in Jalingo area command.

He said the police was addled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property but wonder why corruption had become the order of the day.

The AIG warned that anyone caught in the act would be dismissed from service.

Yobe killings: Enough of these barbaric acts

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enate President, David Mark, over the weekend condemned the gruesome murder of 28 students and a teacher at the Government Secondary School, Mamudo, near Potiskum in Yobe state at the weekend by gunmen believed to be Boko Haram, saying enough of the barbaric acts.

In a statement issued by the

Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Mark said, “Even in war situations, children and women are protected. Killing children is akin to cutting down the future of a people.

This is inhuman, barbaric and unacceptable to any right thinking member of the society.

“For no reason, the lives of these promising children were needlessly cut down by the heartless people.

This cannot be a way of life. Enough

IG stops new firearms licence

By Lambert Tyem

I

n a swift reaction to moves by the Zamfara State government to arm Vigilante group in the State with fire arms due to rising insecurity, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) MD Abubakar, said that the ban earlier imposed by the force on the issuance of fresh licences for procurement of firearms is still in force.

Consequently, the IGP, who hails from the state, is reminding members of the public and Zamfara state government that the ban which was emplaced in exercise of

the powers vested in the President and the IGP by the Firearms Act, was made in an attempt to restrict the proliferation of firearms within the country.

A statement signed by the Police Spokesman, Frank said “the Nigeria Police Force wishes to state that in The IGP said, “vigilante groups and other sincere community efforts towards safety and security are encouraged to work in partnership with local Police authorities, the conduct and practice of such vigilante groups must be in total conformity with the Laws of the land”.

of these bloodshed”.

Quoting from the Holy Bible to drive home his point, Mark said “Mathew 18 : 10 states: Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my father which is in heaven.

He added Mark 9:42 which says “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me , it is better for him that a milestone

were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea”.

He therefore argued that the perpetrators have committed crime against God and humanity, saying that “ this is barbaric, wicked and condemnable”.

He therefore urged the security operatives to step up their surveillance and monitoring activities to halt the trend and bring the perpetrators to justice.

2015: North ready to bargain — Gov Aliyu From Iliya Garba, Minna

T

he Governor of Niger State and Chairman Northern Governor’s Forum, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu yesterday said that the Northern part of the country will bargain well with those seeking to be elected as the nation’s president in a bid to safeguard its interests.

He disclosed this during the inauguration of office complex for federal workers in Enagi, headquarters of Edati Local Government Council in Niger, stressing that the North was prepared to follow whoever is duly elected in 2015.

Gov Aliyu denied advocating for only northern candidates for the presidency of the country but

stressed the need for the promises made to the region to be fulfilled, in the collective interest of all.

He warned that the state would not accept the introduction of religion into its body politics saying, “here in Niger, we do not play the politics of religion as such attitude would negate the development drive of the state and the country at large”.

According to him, “the state government does not interfere in the allocation of funds to the council, as some of the councils had embarked on meaningful projects that touch lives of their people.

Edati Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Isah Kantigi has proved right by the projects executed today”.

and quick recovery to those who sustained injuries.

Gaidam has directed that students who suffered injuries in the attack be given adequate and free medical care. He has also directed that all secondary schools in the state be closed down.

Gaidam called on the Federal Government and military authorities to order the restoration of GSM service across the state. He pointed out that lack of GSM service has prevented patriotic citizens who have hitherto been collaborating with security agents from reporting suspicious movements in heir neighbourhoods.

The governor however praised the efforts of the JTF in improving security in the state even as he called on security agents to do more to protect the people and ensure peace and security.

Return home, Borno urges refugees in Niger Republic In a related development, Borno state government has urged the 6000 dwellers of Abadam local government area who fled to neighboring town of Bosso in Niger Republic following the military operations against Boko Haram insurgents to return home.

The state Deputy Governor Zanna Umar Mustapha made the call at the weekend when he led high-powered delegation of top government officials to Bosso town in Diffa state of Niger Republic where the refugees were being sheltered.

Mustapha, who expressed serious concerns over the plight of the refugees, pleaded with them to return to their homeland as their safety is guaranteed.

The deputy governor informed the affected persons that normalcy has been restored to the state with the security challenges declining by about 90 percent, saying they have no justification to continue staying in the neighboring country.

“My brothers and sisters you should realise that peace has now been restored to state, with people going about their normal activities without hitches. I therefore urge you to come back home and take away the burden placed on your host as government has unveiled concrete arrangement to provide you with relief materials and other basic needs”, he assured the fleeing persons.

The Secretary General of Diffa state, Hassan Ardo, told the deputy governor that a total of 6,240 fleeing Nigerians were received and registered as international refugees. He also informed the delegation that of the figure, over 1000 children were immunized against polio virus, while the Federal Government had supplied 300 tonnes of assorted grains to the Nigerien authority for onward distribution to the refugees.

The Page 4 Report

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Checkmating oil theft through community participation

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

I

t is no longer news that the country’s economy is gradually deteriorating and may soon slide in to abyss owing to the activities of dare devil oil thieves in the country.They daily employ all kinds of crooked technology to steal the nation’s crude and render its economy comatose.

Sadly, recent reports indicate that between $6 and $12 billion are estimated to have been lost annually to oil theft, while over 20,000 persons have been killed.

Many have been burnt beyond recognition and properties worth billions of naira destroyed in the last 30 years as a result of pipeline explosions.

Another report claimed that some 286,000 barrels of crude oil are daily lost to the activities of vandals, and the response of the exploration companies towards tackling the challenges is limited to hiring locals as security guards to patrol the pipelines.

Meanwhile, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ade Abolurin, recently said its anti-vandal squads arrested 473 suspects across the country.

Abolurin added that 427 of those arrested are under prosecution while 32 have already been convicted, saying 259 illegal refineries were destroyed in collaboration with the Joint Task Force (JTF).

The NSCDC boss, who gave this revelation while reflecting on the first quota report of this year with Corps Commandants drawn from the 36 states of the federation, said the corps has restrategised to clamp down on oil thieves.

“We are here to restrategise and organise ourselves to the fight against vandalism.

We must ensure our core duties of protecting critical government facilities across the country. I have directed all the commandants to give in their best in protecting critical government installations and properties of other law abiding citizens.

It is unfortunate that most of our people and foreigners suffer the slings of criminality in one way or the other and we must end it to create a sane environment for all the people living in our country.

“Also, the illegal oil refineries which has become a brisk business for miscreants

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

in the country must be discouraged. Such activities have affected all sectors of the economy and we must do our best and collaborate with other security agencies to win the war. This is the war that we have been fighting and we must put all our arsenals together. Collaboration is one of the best machinery that will help the security agencies in the fight against vandalism.

“We understand that the criminals are daily improving their strategies to outwit the security personnel in areas of strength. But we are assuring all Nigerians that we are up to

the task and we must contain the situation and restore the respect of the country before members of the international society. It is a serious task and the federal government will not leave any stone unturned in its bid to bring sanity in to the country”, he stressed.

Abolurin, also said that the corps has concluded plans, through the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Dasuki Sambo, to meet with major stakeholders, community leaders and traditional rulers to brainstorm on how to better address the problem at

“

Observers believe that the Federal Government has been treating the issues with kid gloves and that it is high time it realized its responsibility and take the bull by the horn.

CG (NSCDC ), Dr. Ade Abolurin

the grassroots.

“Those at the community level have a serious responsibility in ensuring the security of this country. They know the people better than the security agencies. They are supposed to collaborate with the security agencies in the country and provide them with effective information that will help cripple criminality in those regions “The meeting is going to provide a roadmap that will assist in restoring normalcy in those regions. The Federal Government is not happy with the situation in the country that has so tarnished the image of the country and is doing every thing possible to make sure that the situation is properly addressed.

“Every body is important to the security of this country.

We will meet as a family in August, after the fasting season, to address certain issues of security concern. The people from the communities must be our first point of call and that is why they are key to this meeting. We must keep our own part of achieving the President’s transformation agenda”.

As the meeting is being awaited in August, pundits believe that meeting the community leaders is a right step in the right direction.

They also called on the government to meet some of the youths in the community, to feel their pulse directly and how to better address their problem since they are the ones directly involved.

Observers believe that the Federal Government has been treating the issues with kid gloves and that it is high time it realized its responsibility and take the bull by the horn. It is also a positive venture to put an end to cases of pipeline explosions which has become more deadly due to activities of vandals, miscreants and hoodlums over the years.

Many Nigerians also believe that the federal government should at this point work to blend the age of Methusela with the wisdom of Solomon, as it works towards meeting the major community leaders and other interest groups in those regions to put an end to oil theft.

News

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 5

Nigerians urgent to fight corruption

N

igerians have been called upon to rise up and fight the battle against the corruption that has eaten deep into the fiber of the nation.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Josiah Idowu – Fearon made this assertion at the service of Presentation of merit award to some distinguished members of the church held yesterday in Kaduna.

The Bishop said corruption is a battle that most be won if the nation wants to move forward.

According to him, corruption is the abuse of power by those entrusted with it.

“The insurgency in the North East is as a result of corruption, the general insecurity bedeviling the North is a result of corruption.

Corruption before God Almighty is worse than the sin of witchcraft.

Witches can only kill or maim an individual but corruption can destroy the whole nation.”

Bishop Fearon added the civil service, military, businessmen and “more painfully” the religious organisations have been infected by corruption.

“Today, you’ll see religious leaders running after politicians in the church which is my immediate constituency.

You’ll only have large crowd when a politician or those who stole government money are giving thanksgiving, when their children are getting married and when they donate materials to churches and nobody has cared to ask how and where do they get their money from? People are just comfortable giving them money. All these are acts that promote corruption.

“The recent CAN election also has some element of corruption and that is the genesis of the problem the Christian communities are facing.

Leaders who buy their way into the service of the Lord have nothing to give, rather they are there to abuse power and that is corruption”, Bishop Fearon stated.

The Bishop called on the National Assembly to use the same strong voice against the gay system in condemning corruption because corruption was worse than homosexuality.

L-R: Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, the Son of Kano State Governor, Dr. Mustapha Kwankwaso, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo and Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, during the Wedding Fatiha of his son held in Kano on Saturday.

Ramadan: Sultan urges moon alert From Mahmoud Muhammad, Sokoto

A

s preparation for Ramadan begins, the Sultanate Council and Moonsighting Committee have commenced necessary plans for announcement of the fasting most likely by tomorrow.

For this, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has directed Muslims and traditional rulers in the country to report any moon sighting in their respective domain. The Sultan’s Palace and several mosques in Sokoto are reportedly wearing new look for the event.

A statement issued yesterday quoted the Sultan as saying ‘’ Monday 8th July, 2013 is the 29th

day of Sha’aban 1434 AH and shall be the day to start looking for the new moon of Ramadan,’’ .

The statement gave the following telephone numbers which could be used to report the sighing of the new moon: 0803715-7100;0803-041-3534;0803507-3872;0803-596-5322 and 0803-314-3866.

People Daily gathered that, if the new moon of Ramadan is sighted on Monday, July 8 , Muslims in the country would join their counterparts across the world to commence the 29 or 30 days of fasting on Tuesday, July 9.

However, if the new moon is not sighted on Monday, July 8, the Muslim faithful will automatically commence the Ramadan fast on Wednesday, July 10.

Meanwhile, Sokoto metropolis markets and other locations in the state were full to capacity weekend with traders seen making brisk business.

The regularly high prices of foodstuff have significantly increased from what they used to be some weeks ago. Commodities that have noticeably increased in price include rice, chicken, beef, tomatoes, groundnut oil, palm oil, pepper, yams, onions and potatoes among others.

In the popular Sokoto market where Peoples Daily correspondent visited, a bag of rice which sold for N9,500 few days ago now sells between N10,500 and N 11,500 depending on the brand.

Also, tomatoes which are essential to meals for fastbreaking, is fast going beyond the reach of the common man.

A big basket of tomato now sells for between N9,000 and N12,000 as against N7, 000 – N8,000.

A basket of pepper is also very expensive as it now sells for N5, 000 and N8, 000 respectively.

They previously sold for N4, 000 and N5,500 respectively. The price of onion, also, has steadily been on the rise for some time. A dustbin size basket now sells for N2500- N2800.

Also, a four litre can of palm oil which sold for N3,000 now sells for N4,000. Vegetable which sold for N2,600 now goes for N3, 800 or N4,000 depending on the brand.

adding that it was a trademark of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to exacerbate the falling standard of education in the country.

The party, which regretted that since 2009, the PDP led federal government has met only two out of the ten agreements it reached with ASUU. “The attendant disruption of academic calendar in the Nation’s Universities at this time of our national development is, to us as Patriots, very disheartening indeed”, CPC said.

In addition, CPC noted that the demand of the university teachers for an improved yearly allocation to the education sector in the annual budget to meet the UNESCO minimum standard of 26% should not be an issue for any regime that seeks to radically improve the national educational standard.

He pointed out that between 2000 and 2010, the average allocation to the education sector by the successive PDP regimes is 8.12%. which explained why there has been a ‘meteoric’ rise in fees in tertiary institutions across the country since 2010.

“It is why no Nigerian University could be found among the first 5000 in the world or the first 50 in Africa and over 12 million children of school age were out of school.

“Furthermore, there were 98% and 74% mass failure in the 2009 National Examination Council (NECO) November/ December SSCE examination and 2010 May/June WAEC examination respectively! As

a Party, we have noted that even the military regime before the infestation of PDP rule in Nigeria had an average of 12.87% in sectoral allocation to Education between 1994 and 1996”, the party observed.

The party also lamented that while the successive PDP regimes had been withholding the badly needed investment in education sector, Nigeria’s fellow English-speaking West African neighbour, including Ghana, has consistently shown commitment to improved education within its boundaries.

According to CPC, “In 2012, Ghana’s allocation of 31% of its national expenditure to education paled into insignificance the paltry 8.43% that Nigeria – under President Goodluck Jonathan – spent on Education”.

This is why, he said, Nigerian students have opted for Ghanaian tertiary institution in recent times, saying that a staggering $500million (N81.5Billion) was spent in 2012 to educate Nigerians abroad.

CPC blasts Jonathan over ASUU strike

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

C

ongress for Progressive Change (CPC) over the weekend took a swipe on President Goodluck Jonathan, accusing him of reneging on the agreement he reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2009, hence the lingering strike by the union.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin, CPC said the was strike was an effect of executive irresponsibility,

Cleric tasks religious leaders on peace

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Reverend Samson Ayokunle wants religious leaders to always give priority to sermons that will promote honesty, patriotism and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

Rev Ayokunle made the call in a message to the 7th Year Appreciation and Honorarium

Service for Deacons and Deaconess of First Baptist Church, Gwagwalada Abuja.

The Baptist Convention President who was represented

by Minister in charge of First Baptist[ReceivingText]Nigerians noted that religious leaders have a great role to play in restoring the glory of the country.

The President said NBC had

put in place various programmes aimed at ensuring qualitative and God fearing leaders among its members.

Earlier, Chairman of the Appreciation Committee, Prince Tunji Kofoworola said the event was organised to appreciate the contributions of the Deacons and Deaconess to the progress of the Church.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

News

Interior Minister describes students’ killing as barbaric

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

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he Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, yesterday described the Killing of 42 students by gunmen at Government Secondary School, Mamudo in Yobe State, as barbaric, morally reprehensible and atrocious .

Moro, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, George Udoh , lamented that “It is unthinkable that rational minds will just wake up with only one devilish thing in mind; to cause sorrow to families, wreak deep psychological pain on the society for reasons yet to be known by Nigerians”.

He said that noting in the world could justify the dastardly act taking into account the fact that the Federal Government has repeatedly extended the olive branch to members of Boko Haram even with the recent setting up of a Presidential Committee under the headship of the Minister of Special Duties , Kabiru Taminu Turaki, to constructively engage key leaders of the group in a dialogue.

30,000 artisans get N250m SME loanKwara gov From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has disclosed that over 30,000 Micro, Small and Medium scale enterprises including artisans in Kwara State benefitted from the State Government’s N250million revolving credit scheme.

Governor Ahmed who announced this during the inauguration of the Kwara State Artisan Congress, an umbrella body for all artisans in the State, said another tranche of N100million would be disbursed in the next few weeks.

The Governor who said members of the artisan congress would be part of the beneficiaries said “the forthcoming N100m intervention is part of our continuing efforts to boost the informal sector through entrepreneurship promotion, capacity building through training and the provision of affordable credit”” The Governor who described artisans as major players in economic development, said the group should maximise its restructuring to the benefit of members by taking advantage of the numerous opportunities created by his administration.

Ahmed reiterated that as a labour-friendly government, his administration was one of the first in the country to implement the national minimum wage while workers salaries, promotions and other incentives, including trainings have been regular.

L-R: Registrar, joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, Deputy Governor of Benue State, Mr. Steven Lawani, President of the Senate, Sen. David Mark, and Minister of Education, Prof. Rugayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i Cutting the Tape at the commissioning of joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB), New Zonal Office, Makurdi, Benue State at the weekend.

Delta: Warri North residents flee homes over persistent killings

By Prince Edward, Asaba

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ollowing persistent killings of persons in Warri –North Local Government Area of Delta State byunidentifiedgunmen,apprehensive residents of the area have fled their homestotheneighbouringcommunity for fear of the unknown.

It would be recalled that, there has been feud between Itsekeri/Ijaw youths only last week where eight persons were reportedly killed and some houses razed.

Although the presence of

combined security agents of Joint Task Force and the police are heavily felt in the warring communities, the fleeing residents told journalists at the weekend that the situation might worsen if urgent steps are not taken to forestall the breakdown of law and order, adding that the gunmen, inspite of the state government’s ban on the use of speedboats in the area, have killed four persons making 12 persons so far killed.

Unconfirmed sources said that at nightfall, these unidentified gunmen shoot sporadically around the

waterway thereby creating more fear to residents of the areas.

Thefleeingresidentshaveappealed to the state government to look into the root cause of the persistent communal clashes among various ethnic group in the state and fish out the trouble makers, enable peace to prevail.

An Elder Statesman in the area, Chief Paul Estemiri told our correspondent that the trouble might not be unconnected with the death of anIjawYouthLeaderallegedlykilledby security agents, a situation which had provoked the Ijaw Youth militants into

vengeance as the death of the man was allegedly sponsored by Itsekiri youths.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr.Ikechukwu Aduba confirmed that a practicing lawyer (name withheld) was at the weekend arrested and he is currently helping the police at the State CID for further investigation.

According to the police boss, the suspect has been the mastermind of the ethnic clashes and was arrest over his alleged involvement in murder and breach of the peace especially in Warri North Local Government.

Youth empowerment: Nasarawa to partner with World Bank, DFID

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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he special task force (STF) restoring peace in Jos , named ‘operation safe haven’ said it has secured the entire southern senatorial zone of Plateau state against further attack by assailants.

Commander of STF Major General Henry Ayoola gave this in a chat with newsmen in his office at the STF headquarters in Jos yesterday.

Some gunmen invaded three communities of Langtang south local government of Plateau state last Thursday killing 28 members

of the communities. Several residents fled their homes out of fear.

Gen Ayoola while condemning media reports alleging rising cases of death as a result of continued killings in the communities said, “This is not a case of ethnic crises

Lawmaker donates 200 motorcycles in Sokoto From Mahmoud Muhammad,

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member representing Kware/ Wamakko federal constituency Hon. Abduallahi Muhammad Wamakko has over the weekend disbursed 200 motorcycles and 10 cars to the selected beneficiaries from his constitunecy.

The Suzuki Battle brand motorcycles were distributed in a colourful ceremony organized at his constituency in Sokoto, at the weekend.

Speaking shortly after

presenting the motorcycles to beneficiaries, Hon. Wamakko said that the motorcycles were purchased and distributed in order to relieve the people of difficulties of transportation in his constituency.

Hon. Wamakko also called on legislators to wake up to their responsibilities and execute more constituency projects in their respective constituencies.

The lawmaker who was represented by the Secretary of Gudu Local Government, Alhaji Abubakar Lamido also presented 10 cars to some politicians in the

area. Among the beneficiaries were the PDP caretaker Chairman of Wamakko local government Umaru Habibu Gidan-Salanke who received Peaugeot 406 saloon, and vice chairman PDP, Kware Local government, Bello Dan Sani.

Other brand of the cars distributed at the occasion include Honda and Toyota.

Commenting on behalf of the beneficiaries, the PDP chairman of Wamakko Local government stated that the gesture was first of its kind by any lawmaker from the constituency.

between Fulani and Tarok, it was a case where some gunmen came to attack residents of three communities of Langtang south local government.

“As soon as the STF got the information, we moved in there to confront the attackers last week, the attackers challenged my troops but when they discovered we have superior fire, they fled.

“But before the gunmen retreated, we had killed over 20 of them. My troop traced them in their direction and gunned down several of them days after the attack.

“So far, we have killed more than 100 of the attackers before we succeeded in securing the areas. You know it is the practice of the attackers not to leave any of their members behind wherever they come to attack, they pick their corpses along”, Gen Ayoola said.

News

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

By Maryam Garba Hassan

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ermanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Habiba Lawal, has called on States that have not passed the Child Rights Act into Law to do so to save the future of Nigerian Children.

A statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Saghir el Mohammed, said the permanent secretary made the call at a Capacity Building Workshop on the Implementation of the Child Rights Act (CRA) in Nigeria.

Dr. Habiba also called on those states that have already passed the document into law, to establish appropriate legal structures that will ensure full implementation of the provisions of the document.

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States yet to sign Child Rights Act urged to do so According to her, the Act provides for the survival, development, protection and participation rights of a child, system of child justice administration and care and supervision of the child amongst other things.

“Implementation mechanism for effective actualisation of provisions of the Act include, the establishment of family courts, allocation of adequate resources for the implementation of the Act, massive advocacy at all levels and capacity building of duty bearers among

others.

“It is one thing to pass the Child Rights Law at the States level and another thing to implement its provisions for the welfare and development of our Children,” she stated.

She emphasised that the CFA spells out stiff penalty of life sentence to child rapists, and expressed optimism that if properly implemented, such rampant cases of teenage and child rapes, and other vices against children will be drastically reduced.

She said the Ministry is putting in place strategies that will ensure widespread awareness of the Law including Capacity Building of the Judiciary to effectively enforce the Law and will also make effort to ensure that all the States of the Federation implement all the Provisions of the Law to protect and provide services that will enable children develop and contribute to nation building.

She explained that through aggressive advocacy to States by the Ministry, a total of 22 states

have passed the Child Rights Law leaving 14 States yet to do so, adding that the Ministry is still embarking on the advocacy to the remaining states to make sure that they also pass the law in the interest of our Children.

The Permanent Secretary said the workshop was aimed at providing additional skills as well as galvanises participants and other stakeholders to complement the advocacy drive of the Ministry on the passage and full implementation of the Law in all the states of the Federation.

chosen to serve as a model where accessibility to health facilities, drugs and qualified Medical Staff won’t be a problem in the future.

Egbon, revealed that the reason for the commitment stems from the fact that Jigawa state had shown serious commitment at the initial stage by sacrificing about fifteen percent of its budgetary allocation to the health sector.

According to him, “A healthy state is a wealthy state” adding that about ten hospitals were selected in Ringim .

He listed them to include; Sintilmawa, Dabi,Karshi,and Ringim General Hospital, to aid in the facitilation of the programme.

“These hospitals would be well equipt and furnish to standard with a view to provide effective health services to the people free of charge”, he said.

The project manager highlighted further that “PATH2 is only looking for the optimum to achieve the minimum” and that it took the responsibility of training its Manpower for effective

service delivery, mobilising the community for constant patronage of the health facility,as well as providing qualitative drugs for the people among others.

On his part the Commissioner of health Alhaji Tafida Abubakar, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Inuwa Tahir, said that the national statistic of 2008 had indicated that Jigawa happened to fall among the most backward states in the country as far as health related issues were concerned but the story seems to be

a far cry from what obtain in the past.

Speaking earlier, the Speaker of the Jigawa state House of Assembly, Adamu Ahmad Sarawa, who was represented by the Chairman House Committee on Health, Yaro Hadi, said the state legislative arm of government were highly committed to the yearning and aspirations of their people; hence the introduction of about seven health related laws which gave health agencies the legal impetus to work for the betterment of the populace.

Jigawa interacts with communities on safe Motherhood From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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he Jigawa state Health for All Initiative of the DFID, under PATH2 Scheme has introduced a Mobilization for Development Method in Ringim Local Government Area to show-case the willingness of the Path2 towards assisting children and pregnant women to attain a healthy condition during delivery.

Speaking at the occasion held at the palace of the Emir of Ringim, the DFID National Project Manager, Mr Mike Egbon, said the local government had been

Kebbi Chief Judge frees 87 inmates From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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L-R President Goodluck Jonathan in a handshake with Minister of State Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada. At the centre is the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, during the 2013 Nigerian Army Day celebration held at the Eagle Square Abuja on Saturday.

Photo Joe Oroye.

I’m behind Oshiomhole’s success-Edo Deputy Gov From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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he Edo State Deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu has confessed to be ‘‘part of the success story’’ of his principal, Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, after years of eventful leadership.

The Deputy Governor, who claimed to have contested election six times since he ventured into partisan politics decades ago, said

he got converted as a Christian by Rev. Father Andrew Obiyan, the parish priest, Government House, Benin chapel.

Odubu disclosed this at a brief church service to mark his 56th Birthday and silver jubilee wedding anniversary with his wife, Mrs Endurance Odubu at the weekend in Benin City.

He paid tribute to God almighty, Benin monarch, political associates including Action con-

gress of Nigeria (ACN), National Vice chairman, south south, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu whom he described as his brother.

Father Andrew Obiyan had in a homily title: ‘‘Celebrating God’s faithfulness’’, urged the couple to always love and cherish each other with Godly counsel.

The Cleric who took his text from the Bible book of Hebrews 12 verse 11, admonished the couple to avoid the temptation of

worldly men syndrome which has hindered most highly privilege Christians from remembering their creature when they become famous.

Special prayers were offered to God for the celebrants who were flanked by House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal before the couple who rendered melodious songs to God and proceeded to the alter to renew their marital vows.

hief Judge of Kebbi state, Justice Ibrhaim Bala Mairiga, weekend told People’s Daily that a total of 87 inmates serving in various prisons across state were over the week released from custody while 33 granted bail with assurance of speedy trials of all pending cases before the courts.

Mairiga, made this known during his visit to prisons in the state.

He said that for the conclusion of his visits to prisons across the three Senatorial District which include Gwandu, Arugungu, Yauri and Zuru emirate, he noted that most of the inmates were those whose cases had not been tried and remanded for many months and year.

The Justice said henceforth all civil cases would be tried and expunged in time as to ensure quick dispensation of justice. He urged the judges and police prosecutors to be alive to their responsibilities towards that direction.

The exercise which lasted barely a week, indicated that 27 inmates were released from old prison yard Birnin Kebbi, eight from Argungu, 25 in Yauri and 27 from Zuru prisons respectively.

Similarly, 33 inmates of Birnin Kebbi and Zuru prisons were granted bail and were asked to forward sureties to effect their release from custody and completion of their trials.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

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USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS ON ANY EMERGENCY Council endorsed the useful phone numbers submitted by the security agents for easy access in case of any emergency on the metropolitan Roads. Accordingly, the general public may easily Contact KAROTA for: Breakdown of Vehicle(s), Traffic Congestion, Accidents, and Illegal/Wrong Parking to kindly Call KAROTA through the following number – 08091626747. Similarly, the State Police Command could be contacted on – 08032419754 and 08123821575. In addition, the State Fire Service can also be contacted on – 07051246833 and 08191778888.

105th KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

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he Laudable feat in the performance of the incumbent administration in Kano State was re – commenced last Wednesday (26th June, 2013) during the 104th Executive Council Sitting at which an expenditure of Fifteen Billion, Fifty Six Million, One Hundred and Ninety Seven Thousand and Eight Hundred and Seventy Five Naira, Thirty Kobo (15,056,197,875.30) was approved for the execution of Seventeen (17) Projects.

Two (2) Sectors prominently stood out in the approvals granted for the execution of projects during the 104th Executive Council Sitting. These include;

This was characteristic of the second incumbency of the present administration.

Credence has been relentlessly accorded to the transformation of the educational, infrastructural development and maintenance sectors from inception as depicted in the table presented above. Further analysis of the approvals granted for the execution of projects during the 104th Kano State Executive Council sitting revealed that about 52% of the number of projects (i.e. 9 out of 17) were approved for execution with about 85% of the expenditure granted for the two (2) sectors (i.e. Education and Infrastructural Development/Water Supply).

So, today Wednesday 3rd July, 2013 (24th Sha’aban, 1434AH) the Kano State Executive Council held its One Hundred and Fifth (105th) sitting under the Chairmanship of Governor Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. Eleven (11) MDAs submitted forty-nine (49) memoranda for deliberation by Council among which thirty (30) were approved for execution with an expenditure of Three Billion, Thirty One Million, Three Hundred and One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty Four Naira, Twenty Kobo (N3,031,301,834.20) covering twenty- two (22) projects.

Thus: 1. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT Twenty-two (22) memoranda were submitted on behalf of some MDAs for deliberation by Council from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government. Eight (8) of them were approved for execution as follows: a. Request for Funds to Cater for the Sponsorship of Thirty (30) Kano State Indigenous Students to Study Pharmacy at Krupanidhi College of Pharmacy and JSS University India as well as the Fifteen (15) MBBS Students to be Admitted at SSMS Institute of Medical Science and Research:In fact, a large part of the services to be rendered by any administration must, generally speaking, consist of the development of human resources through the provision of qualitative education. This is simply called an investment in human capital, which is very much the same thing as investing in machines, equipment and other material capital. This administration is investing in human capital through the sponsorship of indigenous qualified youths to pursue education and other career courses within and outside the nation. Such investment is expected to increase and expand the capacity of the State human capital. The impact may not be immediate but will be seen in the near future. The State has sponsored 501 students to study for second degrees overseas in different academic and professional fields. This is in addition to the 100 youths selected to study medicine and another 100 studying pilot and aircraft engineering in Jordan.

This brings us to the basis of this memorandum, which was on the sponsorship of qualified youths to study pharmacy and medicine in selected Universities in India.

This decision explains the commitment of the State Government in the improvement of healthcare system in the State. This administration has since inception resolved to qualitatively provide for the transformation of the Health Sector in all aspects of healthcare delivery of which management and dispensation of drugs/medicine is among. Laudable policies have been successfully implemented towards this as heralded by the staging of outright war on illegal sales of drugs at Abubakar Rimi Market and the aggressive conduct of training of youths under the “Lafiya Jari” program, which empowers relevantly trained/skilled but unemployed youth. In addition, more than N7 billion was expended on the provision of medical equipment, renovation and expansion of the existing health facilities and the establishment of health institutions for the training of medical personnel.

Thus, this administration has transformed a public health system in crisis into a modern and responsive one with aggressive employment of staff, eradication of a number of infectious diseases and free medication to pregnant women. Reverting back to the request of this memorandum, Council appraised the recommendations for the sponsorship of 30 students to study pharmacy and 15 students to study medicine at the sum of $742,100.00 and $990,000.00 respectively for the duration of the courses. Noting that the request was in agreement with the laudable policies of providing the required professional calibre of personnel for the Health Sector and Empowerment for the students concerned Council approved the sponsorship. b. Request for Funds to Enable the Procurement and Allocation of One (1) Unit of Toyota Hilux Double Cabin Pick Up to the State Secretariat of the NYSC:This administration is always ready to cooperate and assist any Federal parastatal stationed in the State. Of recent, Council approved the procurement and allocation of vehicles to the Prison and State Security Services to enable them carryon with their official assignments and ease their transportation problem. The request for a vehicle by the State NYSC was considered on its own merit and approved by Council at the sum of N6,950,000.00. c. Request for Permission and Release of Funds to Travel to Egypt to Scout for and Interview/Select Internationally Reputable Principal and Vice Principal for the Newly Established “First Lady’s College, Kano”:It is a welcome fact that the unused and wasted facilities available at the famous Magwan Water Restaurant are now converted for use as First Lady’s College by this administration. Several other unused Government facilities have been converted for required use as Schools including the Psychiatric Hospital at Yadakunya, the WRECA Workshop at Tiga, Gidan Ado Bayero, etc.

Nevertheless, the First Lady’s College deserves qualified and competent hands so that it could yield the envisaged quality of products. As such, the Honourable Commissioner, Kano State Ministry of Education requested for permission and release of funds to enable a two (2) member team undertake a trip to Egypt to interview and select competent Principal and Vice Principal of international repute for the College. Details of the financial commitments of the sum of N1,379,750.00

vi. vii. viii.

Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso was requested for release as endorsed by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.

Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requested sum of N1,379,750.00 to enable the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Education and his Permanent Secretary to undertake the trip to Egypt for the purpose stated. d. Presentation of the Need and Request for Funds to Connect Gwarzo and Madobi LGCAs to Garu 132/33KV Electricity Sub – Station:The present administration in Kano State has resolved to take infrastructural development/provision to all nooks and crannies of the State including the rural areas. Such include provision of potable water supplies, motorable roads and steady supply of electricity for elevation of the general socio – economic wellbeing of the citizenry no matter their place of residence.

This fact decided the Kano State Ministry of Rural and Community Development to endorse a request submitted, through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, for release of the sum of N7,986,692.00 by Council to enable the Rural Electrification Board (REB) execute the important project of connecting Gwarzo and Madobi LGCAs to the Garu Electric Power Supply Sub – Station dedicated for use by the Water Board. The Sub – Station has two (2) fully serviceable 30MVA, 132/33KV electricity transformers. Connecting the two (2) LGCAs to the Sub – Station at Garu will not cause any problems or be detrimental to its functions as cleared/assured by the Kano State Water Board.

The request was considered relevant as approval was granted by Council for the release of the sum of N7,986,692.00 to the Ministry of Rural and Community Development to enable the REB execute the project stated above in view of its significance to the Communities in the cited locations. f. Presentation of Handing Over Notes Between the Outgoing Coordinator and Newly Appointed Deputy Director Kano Poultry Institute Tukwui, Makoda LGCA:Main highlights of the presented hand over notes for consideration by Council comprised eight (8) items as submitted by the outgoing Coordinator Implementation Committee to the newly appointed Deputy Director assigned to head the Institute.

Council was satisfied and endorsed the hand over notes while wishing the outgoing Coordinator and incoming Deputy Director good tidings in their future respective endeavours. g. Presentation of the Need to Resuscitate Kano State Central Price Reference and Intelligence Committee and Enforcement of its Functions:The Kano State Ministry of Finance informed Council, through the contents of this memorandum submitted for consideration from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government that, the Kano State Central Price Reference and Intelligence Committee tasked with the responsibility of establishing a realistic price index and data base for goods and services to be procured by MDAs and Local Government Authorities in the State is no longer functioning and, therefore, requires to be resuscitated.

The Committee was established in 2001 and proved its mandate by producing/ distributing eighteen (18) editions of Kano State Central Price Reference and Intelligence System bulleting from February, 2001 to December, 2011 which served as reference materials for Auditors, Accountants, Store – Officers and the general public thereby curtailing unnecessary cost/expenditure.

As such, the Ministry of Finance recommended the resuscitation of the Committee as well as expanding its membership with the following eight (8) Office holders i.

Office of the Auditor General (Local Governments). ii.

Representative from Ministry for Local Governments. iii.

Representative from Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. iv.

Representative from Ministry of Education. v.

Representative from Project Monitoring Directorate.

Representative from SUBEB. Representative from Ministry of Finance – Stores Section.

Representative from Ministry of Finance – Treasury.

Council appreciatively acknowledged the presentation and approved the resuscitation, expansion and enforcement of functions of the Kano State Central Price Reference and Intelligence Committee. Office of the Secretary to the State Government was directed to coordinate the process.

2. OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR/HON. COMMISSIONER, MINISTRY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS This Office submitted seven (7) memoranda for deliberation by Council. Four (4) of them were approved for execution as follows: a. Presentation of the Outcome of Official Representation by the State Delegation for Support from the National Resources Development Fund at the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission Abuja (25th June, 2013):In his Official Executive mandate as leader of a delegated team comprising three (3) Commissioners, two (2) Permanent Secretaries and other supporting Staff, the Deputy Governor/Hon. Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments reminded Council that, the Kano State Government has articulated a submission for financial support from the Natural Resources Development Fund. The Fund is under the Presidency while the solicited support was to the tune of the sum of N272,012,338,600.00 being an intervention fund to be released in trust by the Federal Government for all tiers of Government towards diversification of the economic base of the country from oil and gas to non – oil sectors.

The Kano State delegation presented the submission of Kano State Government to the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (FRMAC) on 25th June, 2013. Power Point E – Presentation was used in showcasing and justifying various developmental strides and diversification efforts of the present administration in Kano State under the astute leadership of the second incumbency of Governor Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE towards developing the non – oil sectors of our economy with existing ecological problems affecting various areas/ communities in the State. Such were presented for remedial actions by intervention from the Natural Resources Intervention Fund.

Notably, the FRMAC acknowledged and favourably responded to the well – articulated precise and comprehensive presentation from Kano State, which was considered best among all the presentations submitted at the forum. Further, the Commission applauded the leadership of Governor Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE for; • Prudent management of Public Funds/Resources.

• Most exemplary translation of transformation agenda in terms of infrastructural and human development initiative compared to others.

These and more gingered the authorities at the FRMAC to resolve to visit Kano State soonest for “ground – truth” assessment of issues raised in the presentation from the State so as to arm themselves with fully verified information to enable them submit comprehensive and factual recommendations to the President of Nigeria for consideration.

In any case, some incidental expenses were incurred in discharging the assignment along with paid usage of external expertise in collation, analysis, synthesis, production of imageries and aerial mapping of graded areas with Geo – Investigation results across the 44 LGCAs. The entire exercise involved an aggregate expenditure to the tune of N8,200,000.00 which was requested for release

by Council according to the details presented for consideration.

Council appreciated the presentation and promptly approved the release of the requested sum of N8,200,000.00 to the Office of the Deputy Governor/Hon. Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments to enable defraying the expenditure incurred which facilitated brisk and well – articulated presentation of the request from Kano State for intervention funds to the tune of N272,012,338,600.00. The good people of Kano State along with the Government wholeheartedly await the fact – finding visiting team from the FRMAC. b. Request for Funds to Enable the Procurement of Tricycles Waste Disposal Vehicles for Use at Local Government Council Areas:Provision of serene, clean and healthy environment for the citizenry in Kano State is among the cardinal resolutions of the present administration. In fact, the monthly executed environmental sanitation exercise was re – introduced courtesy of the present administration. The Ministry of Environment as custodian of general environmental sanitation is continuously provided for qualitatively to rid the State of unwanted heaps of refuse scattered all over the metropolis. Establishment of Shelterbelts against desert encroachment and provision of expertly nursed tree seedlings for planting are among the laudable preoccupations of the present administration.

As such, Office of the Deputy Governor/Hon. Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments deemed it expedient to recommend to Council to consider urging the Local Government Councils to own up to their mandated responsibility of evacuating wastes in their respective domains by providing all necessary equipment required for the execution of the monthly executed environmental sanitation exercise.

Specifically, the desirability to evacuate refuse/waste from the nooks and crannies of metropolitan Kano for disposal at designated/suitable locations is paramount. The equipment required for the purpose is conspicuously unavailable.

Such need to be procured urgently for use. So, five (5) Tricycles Waste Disposal Tippers were recommended to be purchased for use by each of the eight (8) metropolitan LGCAs at the unit cost of N1,739,000.00 (i.e. N8,695,000.00 for five).

Forty (40) units of the Tricycles Waste Disposal Tippers are to be purchased by the eight (8) metropolitan LGCAs at the aggregate cost of N69,560,000.00, which was requested for release by Council to enable the purchase of the Tricycles Waste Disposal Tippers as recommended by the eight (8) metropolitan LGCAs. The request was considered credible as Council approved the release of the sum of N69,560,000.00 from the State/Local Government Joint Account, disaggregated to each of the eight (8) metropolitan LGCAs for the stated purpose. c. Presentation of Negotiation of 2013 Hajj Accommodation Charges on Thirteen (13) Houses and Request for Kano State Government Subsidy on Six (6) Houses Acquired for Kano State Pilgrims:The period for the Holy Pilgrimage to/at Makkah will soon be with us. So, preparations are underway earnestly.

Contd on Page 9

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013 As such, a six (6) – member team under the leadership of the Deputy Governor/ Hon. Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments were assigned to visit Makkah in order to inspect/select and secure befitting accommodation for Kano State 2013 (1434AH) intending Pilgrims in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

The team conducted its assignment diligently in line with the provisions of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) bench mark. Thirteen (13) houses were thoroughly assessed within the clusters of Shara Mansur and Ummul Qura Streets. Details were presented to Council for consideration. In any case, the prices for four (4) of the houses were negotiated downwards while the provision of the Kano State Government subsidy on the prices of six (6) houses was solicited for.

As such, Council was requested to approve the release of the sum of N52,706,250.00 instead of the initial N52,733,250.00 requested earlier for the same purpose.

Council acknowledged the presentation and approved the release of the sum of N52,706,250.00 for the settlement of the subsidy rates for six (6) houses among the thirteen (13) negotiated for accommodation of Kano State Pilgrims for the year 2013 (1434AH) in Makkah so as to avoid any increment. d. Presentation of Report of Year 2012 Hajj Affairs Tribunal:The Deputy Governor/Hon. Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments reminded Council of the Executive directive issued to him at its sitting of 19th June, 2013 to further appraise the submitted report mentioned above.

Reappraisal of the said report along with the Edict that established the Hajj Affairs Tribunal in the State in 1995 yielded the following observations: i. That the contents of the report indicated that the Chairperson of the Tribunal did not carry members along in conducting the assignment of the Tribunal, which was adduced as reason for refusal of the members to endorse the report. ii. That item 4 (i.) of part II of the Edict indicated that the appointment of the Tribunal Members was vested in the interest of the incumbent Governor then. iii. That item 6 of part II of the Edict stated that any sitting with the Chairman and any two (2) members form a quorum. This was not observed in the presided cases by the Tribunal.

So, in view of the need to have a Tribunal that ensures participation of its members in conformity with its enabling Law, Council accepted the recommendation and approved the replacement of the incumbent Chairperson with a new Chairman in the person of Abubakar Haruna Khalil in order to provide the Tribunal with a new leadership capable of leading the Tribunal in line with its enabling/enshrined Law. Details on the qualifications and suitability of Abubakar Haruna Khalil were presented for consideration by Council.

3. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION Two (2) memoranda were directly submitted for deliberation by Council from the Ministry of Education. Both were approved for execution. Thus; a. Presentation of the Need to Install Solar – Powered and Energy Efficient Led Fluorescent Light Fittings in Classroom Blocks in Boarding Schools Across the State:Contents of this memorandum applauded efforts of the present administration in Kano State towards improvement/transformation of education at all levels and ramifications in the State.

Progressively, the Ministry of Education came up with a proposal for a completely new approach for the supply/provision of illumination in Boarding Schools by use of Solar – Powered fittings.

Re – introduction of evening “prep” in schools is to enhance academic activities and improve performance of students in examinations generally. Two (2) Schools were selected as “Pilot” for the essentially required project which are: • GSS Kwankwaso • GGC Kano Such provision will further upgrade the standards of the recently repaired/ renovated two (2) Schools through ETF intervention. Details on the requirements and the aggregate financial cost of the two (2) projects to the tune of the sum of N11,994,042.40, viz; i. GSS Kwankwaso N4,445,332.00 ii. GGC Kano

N7,348,710.40 Total N11,994,042.40 Credibility of the request prompted Council to approve the release of the requested sum of N11,994,042.40 to the Ministry of Education to enable provision/ installation of Solar – Powered energy efficient Led fluorescent light fittings as pilot projects at GSS Kwankwaso and GGC Kano according to the details presented. b. Presentation of Request/Suggestion on Direct Recruitment/Absorption of Voluntary/Casual Teachers Serving in Public and Community Schools in Kano State:The laudable decongestion policy embarked upon by the present administration has resulted in the commendable creation/construction of more classrooms in our Primary and Secondary Schools compelling the need for teachers to man them.

Many such Schools are known to have been sourcing for the services of such teachers on voluntary/casual arrangement in order to augment Government effort. The services delivered are paid for from the collected payment of School maintenance fees from students.

Presently, authentic records reveal that a total of 1906 Casual/Voluntary teachers serve in our Schools with the following qualifications: i.

Degree holders 236 ii.

NCE holders 1067 iii.

ND holders 603 Total 1906 On the other hand, Council was notified of the disturbing fact that Public and Community Schools in Kano State require the Services of 1928 degree, NCE and ND holders as Voluntary/Casual teachers to man all available Classes with adequate number of teaching Staff.

With concern, the Ministry of Education requested Council to consider approving the absorption/recruiting into the State Service the existing 1906 Voluntary/Casual teachers serving in our Schools as well as employing 1928 more of such teachers for deployment to serve in the generally decongested Public and Community Schools across the State.

Council approved as requested but directed the Honourable Commissioner, Kano State Ministry of Education to liaise with Principals/Head Teachers of Schools concerned and make a submission on the issue for consideration by Council at its next sitting.

4. MINISTRY OF WORKS, HOUSING AND TRANSPORT This Ministry submitted three (3) memoranda directly for consideration

by Council. All were approved for execution as follows: a. Request for Funds for the Construction of Three (3) New Shari’a Courts:The Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport professionally submitted a case on behalf of the State Shari’a Court of Appeal originally submitted to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, through the Office of the Attorney General/Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Justice.

The issue involved a request for the release of the aggregate sum of N41,647,432.86 to enable the construction of three (3) new Shari’a Courts previously regretfully omitted from an earlier request for the release of funds for the construction of twenty-seven (27) new Shari’a Courts. The omitted Courts are: • Upper Shari’a Court Gyadi – Gyadi.

• Giginyu Shari’a Court.

• Bunkure Shari’a Court.

So, Council was requested to approve the release of the sum of N13,882,447.62 to facilitate the construction of each Court totaling to the aggregate sum of N41,647,432.86 for the three (3).

Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requested sum of N41,647,432.86 to the relevant authorities to enable construction of the respective Shari’a Courts at the three (3) locations presented above. b. Request for Funds to Facilitate the General Renovation and Provision of Furniture at Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Located at NO.5 Sabo Bakin Zuwo Road, Kano:Contents of this memorandum concertedly notified Council of the deplorable

PAGE 9 condition of the Office of the Kano State Electoral Commission located at NO.5 Sabo Bakin Zuwo Road. This prompted the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to propose for the execution of general renovation of the office in order to provide an enabling and befitting environment as well conducive atmosphere for work for the Staff. Such will enable them perform their duties properly for the smooth running of routine affairs of the Commission. As such, Council was requested to, and approved the release of the aggregate sum of N18,713,892,14 to enable execution of the project. c. Request for the Release of Funds for the Execution of 2013 Constituency Projects in Kano State:The Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport alerted Council, through contents of this memorandum, of the need to embark upon implementation of the 2013 Constituency Projects. The program was provided the sum of N2,200,000,000.00 in the 2013 approved budget.

Traditionally, the two Ministries implement the projects as forwarded by the Honourable Members of the Kano State House of Assembly from their respective Constituencies. The Ministries are: • Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport • Ministry of Rural and Community Development So, considering success of the program, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport urgently requested Council to consider and approve the following: i. Commencement of the implementation of 2013 Constituency Projects. ii. Ratification of the list of Contractors that abided by the due process and qualified for the award including those to be submitted in due course (second batch). iii. Provision of N2,200,000,000.00 as approved in the 2013 budget under the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport.

Council approved as requested based on the genuine need to commence implementation of the 2013 Constituency Projects.

5. MINISTRY OF HEALTH The Ministry of Health submitted four (4) memoranda for deliberation by Council. Three (3) were approved for execution. Thus: a.

Request for Funding of Activities of the State Task Force Committee on Immunization and Polio Eradication:Council was applauded on its continued favourable response in providing for the requirements of Immunization and Polio Eradication Exercise in the State through the State Task Force Committee. This shows great prospects/promise that Kano State is on track towards the total eradication of polio transmission by the year 2013.

Nevertheless, to continue with the laudable achievements, the Task Force requires provision of additional resources for the next four (4) rounds of Polio Immunization exercises for the third and fourth quarter of the year 2013.

Accordingly, the sum of N10,318,500.00 is required and was requested for release

by Council to facilitate the following: • Secretariat Services • Coordination of Meetings • Provision of logistics for high level intensive supervision of Polio Immunization exercises.

Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requested sum of N10,318,500.00 to the State Ministry of Health as funds for the activities of the State Task Force Committee on Immunization. b. Request for Funds for the General Renovation Works Required at Dawanau Psychiatric Hospital (Phase II):Council approved the release of the sum of N65,088,012.00 to facilitate the execution of the phase II of the already approved project stated above. First phase of the project was granted approval for the release of the sum of N50,096,704.89.

Works (phase I) have reached advanced stages nearing completion at male wards 2 and 3 LCT block. This is typical of the present administration, which relentlessly provides for the qualitative transformation of the entire health sector from its inception to date. Examples are ubiquitous across the State. c. Request for Funding of Activities of the State Immunization Plus Days on Polio Eradication:Cognizant of the fact that Nigeria adopted the conduct of Polio Supplemental Immunization as a strategy to eradicate the disease from the Country, special campaigns are periodically organized during which health workers move from house to house to vaccinate eligible children with Polio Vaccine. A total of five (5) rounds of the campaign have so far taken place in the year 2013 alone.

Essentially, each round of the campaign is provided for by all stakeholders; Federal, State, Local Governments and Development partners. Each plays a role with the State Government providing support for supervision, training, logistics and public enlightenment activities.

As such, the Kano State Ministry of Health needs resources to undertake these activities costed at the sum of N18,162,500.00, which was requested for release by Council.

The project was considered relevant by Council as approval was granted for the release of the requested sum to the Ministry of Health to undertake activities of State Immunization Plus Days on Polio Eradication in view of the International and domestic relevance of the project.

6. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT The two (2) memoranda submitted for deliberation by Council from the Ministry of Environment were approved for execution as follows: a. Request for Funds to Enable the Procurement of Additional Two (2) Brand New Pay – Loaders:The incumbent administration in Kano State resolved to rid Kano of heaps of refuse scattered all over the metropolitan area. Adequate management of solid waste within the metropolis as well as management and enforcement of use of officially approved dumping sites has been embarked upon. Council approved the procurement of two (2) brand new Pay – Loader for use by REMASAB to facilitate for timely evacuation of heaps of refuse scattered across the metropolitan area of Kano.

These two (2) procured and allocated Pay – Loaders are judiciously put to earnest use by REMASAB to cover the eight (8) metropolitan LGCAs, which were divided into four (4) zones in two (2) shifts (day and night).

As such, the Ministry of Environment requested Council to approve the release of the sum of N54,284,347.00 to enable the procurement of two (2) brand new Pay – Loaders for use by REMASAB to supplement the services of the two (2) already in use.

Council noted, considered and approved the release of the sum of N27,142,171.85 to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to process procurement and allocation of one (1) brand new Pay – Loader to the Ministry of Environment for use by REMASAB as required to supplement the activities of the two (2) already in use. b. Request for Funds to Enable the Procurement of Ten (10) Brand New Skid Loader Vehicles and One hundred (100) Units of Waste Collection Buckets:Cognizant of the laudable policy of the present administration to rid Kano of heaps of refuse scattered all over the metropolitan area of the State, REMASAB proposed to replace most of its existing open refuse collection points with one hundred (100) units of 8 Cubic metres additional waste collection buckets to add to already existing ones. Provision of these one hundred (100) units of waste collection buckets necessitates use of additional ten (10) Skid Loaders. Cost for each was presented to Council for consideration as follows: i. 100 units of waste collection buckets N127,867,130.00 ii. 10 units of Skid Loaders

N170,369,265.00 Total

N298,236,395.00 As such, the Ministry of Environment requested Council to consider and approve the release of the sum of N298,236,395.00 to enable the procurement of 100 units of waste collection buckets and ten (10) units of Skid Loader Vehicles.

50% of the request was approved by Council. Thus: • 50 units of waste collection buckets at N895,000.00 x 50 = N44,750,000.00

• 5 units of Skid Loader Vehicles at N15,950,000.00 x 5 = N79,750,000.00 Total N124,500,000.00 7. MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES The Ministry of Water Resources submitted two (2) memoranda for deliberation by Council. Only one of them was approved for execution as follows: Request for Funds to Enable the Procurement of Workshop/Laboratory Equipment and Beds/Beddings for the Assistant Works Superintendent (AWS) Training School Challawa:Specialization and use of professionally required skills in the provision of services is a basic ingredient for sustainable development in areas that border on the provision of basic infrastructure. Middle Cadre Technicians with applicable skills are required in all professions. This fact fuels and energizes the thrust of the present administration in its drive and general effort to provide skill and empowerment opportunities by establishing specific skill acquisition Institutes.

The Assistant Works Superintendent Training School (AWS) at Challawa is one such vitally required skills acquisition Institute that has been training middle cadre technicians from time immemorial in techniques related to the provision of water for domestic, agricultural, industrial, etc. usage.

As such, this administration intervened to salvage the pathetic dilapidated condition due to old age in order to revamp/revitalize performance of AWS Challawa. In the year 2012 approval was granted for the execution of projects at the School including the completion of an abandoned hostel and the construction of completely new workshop and laboratory. This was to further expand the capacity of the AWS Challawa to cater for the training of manpower/technicians in the areas of water resources engineering, construction and other related sectors. In fact, the School trains students within the State and beyond reaching Katsina, Kogi, Bauchi, Oyo and Lagos States. Meanwhile, the completed hostel, workshop and laboratory need to be furnished and provided with materials, reagents, beds/beddings etc. at the estimated cost of N26,921,643.00, which was requested for release by Council to enable provision of the requirements.

Council approved as requested based on relevance of the project to the policy of the present administration in the area of provision of skill acquisition opportunities.

8. MINISTRY OF LAND AND PHYSICAL PLANNING Two (2) memoranda were submitted for deliberation by Council from the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning. Both were approved for execution as follows: a. Request for Funds to Enable Payment of Compensation for Structures to be Removed Along Water Pipeline Route on Challawa to Gwaron Dutse (Sheikh Ja’afar Road):Contents of this memorandum presented Sheikh Ja’afar Road project as an important endeavour to ease commuting within the municipality. Work is in satisfactory progress except for the right of way required/needed for laying the giant water pipeline simultaneously with the road. Consequently, KNUPDA, Water Board and the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning collectively identified a total of thirty-six (36) structures that need to be removed in order to make laying the giant water pipeline possible. The structures comprise different items with estimated aggregate value to the tune of N20,105,140.00, which was requested for release

by Council to be disbursed as payment of compensation for the 36 structures to be removed.

Council noted, considered and approved release of the requested sum of N20,105,140.00 to the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to enable paying for the stated compensation so as to accelerate the pace of construction work on Sheikh Ja’afar Road towards completion as targeted. b. Presentation of Request for the Implementation and Provision of Infrastructural Facilities at Kwankwasiyya City (Phase I) and Request for Funds to Enable Payment of Compensation for Land, Economic Trees and Structures:The Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Land and Physical Planning politely reminded Council of its approval to provide infrastructural facilities to the 190 hectares piece of land acquired purposefully for the establishment of low density housing layout at Kwankwasiyya city via Council Extract NO.SSCA/CA/ EX/7/1/21 dated 7th October, 2011.

Essentially, the city was designed to have low density housing units, shopping malls, asphalt road network, effective drainage system, bridges, efficient water and electricity supply network, street lights, etc. as required in a befitting modern city.

It was maintained that for the city to have good planning, security and other developmental considerations, it is imperative to expand the size of the city such that its periphery reaches up to Zaria Road.

As such, the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning assessed the periphery of the city and its surroundings especially Dotsa Village under Phase I of the entire project. The following were presented for consideration by Council as the assessed compensation requirements: • Land valued at N1,000,000.00/ha = N40,384,100.00 • Economic trees

= N17,401,250.00 • Structures

= N89,050,550.00 Total

= 146,835,900.00 So, Council was requested to approve the release of the sum of N146,835,900.00 to enable payment of compensation as presented. Approval was granted as requested for the release of the sum of N146,835,900.00 to the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to enable the payment of compensation for land, economic trees and structures (site) acquired for the expansion of Kwankwasiyya city (phase I) up to Zaria Road.

9. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES The two (2) memoranda submitted for deliberation by Council from the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources were approved for execution as follows: a. Presentation of Request for Permission and Release of Funds to Establish Monitoring and Evaluation Teams to Ensure Successful Implementation of the 2013 Wet Season Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) Programme in Kano State:The Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development visited Kano State. He advised that Kano State Government should establish a formidable Monitoring and Evaluation Team between the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kano Office. This is to ensure successful implementation of the 2013 Wet Season Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) program across the 44 LGCAs in the State. The team is to comprise the Honourable Commissioner, Permanent Secretary, Directors; (from the State Ministry of Agriculture), Kano State House of Assembly Committee Members on Agriculture, State Director FMARD. Other members to represent the Kano State Office of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Supply Chain representatives and the ADP (KNARDA) need to be included as is operated at the Federal Level.

Consequent to this development, the State Ministry of Agriculture proposed for the setting up of four (4) local Monitoring and Evaluation Teams to cover the existing four (4) KNARDA zones in the State with each expected to visit designated redemption centers in each of the 44 LGCAs respectively assigned to each team.

Details on the composition of each of the four (4) teams along with request for release of funds for the commencement of their activities were presented for consideration by Council.

Council acknowledged the presentation and approved the release of the sum of N5,000,000.00 to the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the purposes stated in connection with the successful implementation of the GESS program for the year 2013 Wet Season. b. Presentation of the Need and Request for Funds to Establish Local Poultry Extension Service:Contd on Page 43

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Government House Damaturu Office Of The Special Adviser On Press Affairs And Information

For Immediate Release

Sunday 7th July 2013

Governor Gaidam condemns GSS Mamudo Attack; commiserates with families of victims

H

is Excellency, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has condemned in the strongest terms the cold blooded murder of students and a teacher at GSS Mamudo in the early hours of Saturday 6th July 2013.

He said the measure is to allow the state government in collaboration with the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) and community leaders to evaluate and evolve better and additional strategies that would ensure the safety and security of students and their teachers.

In a visit to the school on Sunday, the Governor describes the attack which led to the death of 22 students and a teacher as horrendous and criminal. He also describes the attackers as callous and devoid of any shred of humanity.

His Excellency, Governor Gaidam assures the people of the state that the criminal and condemnable behavior of insurgents and criminals will not deter his administration from continuing with the work of improving people’s living conditions.

His Excellency, Governor Gaidam commiserates with families of the victims and condoled with parents who have lost their children in the attack. He prays Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant eternal bliss to the deceased and quick recovery to those who sustained injuries.

The Governor calls on the federal government and military authorities to order the restoration of GSM service across the state. He said lack of GSM service has prevented patriotic citizens who have hitherto been collaborating with security agents from reporting suspicious movements in their neighborhoods.

In a visit to General Hospital Potiskum,the Governor also directed that students who suffered injuries in the attack be given adequate and free medical care.

Governor Gaidam has also directed that all secondary schools in the state be closed down from Monday 8th July 2013 until a new academic session begins in September.

Governor Gaidam praises the effort of the JTF in improving security in the state and called on security agents to do more to protect the people, ensure peace and security and track and apprehend the perpetrators of the GSS Mamudo atttack.

Signed Abdullahi Bego Special Adviser on Press Affairs and Information to His Excellency Governor Ibrahim Gaidam

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 11

Money Sense

What you need to know about balance enquiries

W

hen viewing your bank account online or probably through ATM machine, you might have noticed two balances related to your account, “account balance” and “available balance.” Although they sound similar, they are different and need to be understood to avoid unnecessary overdraft fees.

An account balance, also known as the “current balance” or “ledger balance” is the actual balance on the account at the beginning of the business day. This is the same balance which is printed on your bank statements. It’s also the balance used to calculate interest payments on interest-bearing accounts. You could think of this as the “official” balance which is used by the bank. It does not update as quickly as the “available balance.”

The available balance is much more up-to-date than the account balance. The amount of money in the available balance is immediately available for withdrawal or other uses. Any activity, that is deposit or withdrawal, during the day will be reflected by the available balance, but not necessarily in the account balance.

For instance, if you send

Money Tip:

Ways to save money Don’t buy designer labels Celebrities are given expensive clothes to wear.

You’re not. At the end of the day, and let’s face it you may only wear the outfit once, can you justify paying hundreds of pounds over the odds because a top designer has had his or her name sewn on the label? And can you honestly say you can tell the difference at a distance between a N6,000 designer bag and a N59.99 one from the market?

Use your talent to earn extra cash Let’s face it, if you’re not a pop star by the time you reach your 20s you’re never going to be. But you may be able to use your talent as a guitarist to teach other wannabes the rudiments of the 12-bar blues.

Quote

“For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me?

Why not now?” - Jimmy Dean: Singer, actor, businessman

a check from your online bill pay system for N50,000, your available balance will decrease byN50,000, but your account

balance will not decrease until that check is deposited by the payee’s bank. Alternatively, if you receive a deposit of

N50,000, your available balance may increase by N50,000, but the account balance will lag behind since banks sometimes

ways, these apps strive to improve our well being. Here are some ways that apps can help you live a healthier life: Sleep Getting the right amount of sleep is vital. The quality of your sleep also has a huge impact on how you feel throughout the day. I recently downloaded a free trial of Sleep as Android and have been pleasantly surprised by its functionality.

It records the amount you sleep, the amount of deep sleep you get (using built-in phone capabilities), and even nighttime noises.

It’s been interesting to experiment with what causes changes in my deep sleep.

My trial has run up, and I’m considering spending some more money to continue using it. There are also sleep apps available for the iPhone.

Food Tracking what you eat and finding new things to cook are excellent ways to stay healthy.

There are apps that count calories and help formulate a diet that works for you, as well as apps that help you find the right recipes to fit your diet.

I use an app called

put a “hold” on deposits to verify sufficient funds.

The difference between account balance and available balance is important to understand in order to avoid unnecessary overdraft fees.

Banks may charge large penalty fees to customers who draw against unavailable funds.

When you are checking your bank account to ensure sufficient funds before writing a check, always base your decision off the available balance. Keep in mind that the balances may be exactly the same. This situation happens when there has been no activity for a couple of days and all deposits have had time to settle.

If your account balance and available balance are not shown on your online banking system, most banks have a toll-free telephone number for customers to check their account’s balances. Banks typically have automated systems, that is, ATM machine which can provide a variety of information about your account, including available balance and account balance.

Use your smart phone for better health

T

he advancement of technology has made many amazing things possible. People across the globe can communicate over the internet without a hitch, allowing news to travel faster than it ever has. Smart phones are a big part of our world becoming “smaller.”

They perform numerous tasks, so users can accomplish a great deal with only one device.

Smart phone applications are available in many different categories, with one of the most beneficial being health.

In a number of different

Epicurious on my iPad. It not only finds good recipes, but will also display meal options based on what you have leftover in the fridge.

There are many similar apps; be sure to check the reviews, as some are rated better than others.

Fitness Working out is another great way to improve overall health. There are many new apps on Android and the iPhone that perform fitness functions.

Looking for new yoga poses?

Need to find a good triceps workout? There’s an app that can help you. Many apps will use GPS to map your runs and can even tell you how many calories you’re burning.

Whether you’re a runner, weightlifter, or just someone who enjoys getting a good workout, there are apps to suit your needs. Newer Nike shoes even have an app for Apple products that will sync your shoes with your device. This allows very accurate recordings of a few different parameters.

Other apps will track weight lifting activity or set up yoga routines. These can be very helpful for beginners and experts alike.

Use apps to better yourself Do some research on the smart phone apps available to you. What could you do to improve your lifestyle? If you want to improve your sleep, eating habits, or fitness, there’s a plethora of apps available.

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

EDITORIAL

amfara state, in the North-west geopolitical zone, has since last year been facing a security challenge of a different kind than the Boko Haram sectarian insurgency in the North-east. Its problem is that of gunmen attacking villages, sometimes in broad daylight, killing people and domestic animals and making their escape, unchallenged. The latest attack, in June, was on Kizara village in which some 60 persons were massacred.

The state government’s reaction has been one of disappointment with the regular security agencies, particularly the police, which it fears have not demonstrated a readiness to stop the marauding gunmen who now feel they can strike at any time and place of their choosing.

Feeling left to its own device, the government of Alhaji Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari has resorted to arming vigilantes for “self-defence and to check incessant attacks by gunmen.”

Indeed, Governor Yari confirmed that arms have been bought and are in police custody, awaiting a federal government permit to distribute them.

On his part, the governor’s Special Adviser (Media), Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Tsafe, said the government was in the “process of acquiring a permit” for the distribution of the arms. Another senior government official justified the action when he told a national daily over the weekend that Zamfara was not alone in taking

matters into its hands as far as security is concerned.”There are some states which legislatures are deliberating on the issue ...Look at the Niger Delta. Who arms the militants in that area who are also civilians?” He also said the now badly fractured Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) is working on “a common position” on the issue. In an attempt to reassure critics of the government’s action, he said the arms would be given

“

Z

Insecurity: Zamfara’s panicky, wrong response

Indeed, it is setting up a state police - something the constitution does not allow - through the backdoor to only “trusted vigilantes” and the distribution would be done by a “highly placed security officer”.

While we at Peoples Daily appreciate the government’s worry about the security of communities in Zamafara, we take serious exception to the way it has chosen to respond to the challenge.

It is panicky, and because it is so the government has been at pains to sell it to an incredulous public, particularly the political opposition in the state that, expectedly, has shot it down. Secondly, that some states are doing it doesn’t

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”

make what Zamfara government has done right. Indeed, it is setting up a state police - something the constitution does not allow - through the backdoor.

Furthermore, the government has no way of knowing whether the so-called trusted vigilantes are also members of the armed gangs terrorizing the state. It may very well be creating a Frankenstein monster that it cannot control, just as the Niger Delta experience has shown. By its action, the government in Zamfara is exposing the population to a potentially greater danger than it is at present. Two wrongs, they say don’t make a right!

We believe that the dire security situation of Zamfara state calls for clearer thinking, not a descent into sentimentalism. It requires that the government and the police authorities put heads together to work out practical and proactive measures to deal with the security threat posed by freewheeling gunmen. Now that it has bought the arms and given them to the police for safekeeping, they should remain with them. They are the people constitutionally empowered to bear arms. Besides, the police can do with some logistics like transport and communication. Of course, they will need a maintenance budget to keep these things in a functional shape all the time. This done the government should pull back and let the police do their work. If they fail, it is then it should complain.

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Head, Advert/Marketing Hussaini Abdulrahman, Cna

Acting Editor, Daily Hameed M. Bello

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Head, Lagos Bureau Adesoji Oyinlola

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion

Spooks, kidnappers and saviour Obama

By Femi Fani-Kayode

I

n an attempt to apprehend the 30 year old American whistleblower, Edward Snowden, a plane carrying the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, was diverted to Austria on its way back to Bolivia from Russia.

France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, based on intelligence reports from the Americans, closed their airspace to the plane because they believed that Snowden was on it and that he was being secretly smuggled to Bolivia. This was a plane that was part of the Bolivian state’s presidential fleet and was carrying the President of that country. Bolivia is a sovereign state which is not at war with anyone.

This act was not only grossly disrespectful to the Bolivian state but it also violated international law and all the norms and rules of international diplomacy and decency. It was a clear breach of the Vienna Convention on international flights which says that the aircraft of the leader of any sovereign state has immunity and cannot be treated in such a manner. To make matters worse, the presidential plane was searched and President Morales, by his own words, was treated as if he were nothing more than a ”common criminal”. I would have to agree with the Bolivian Vice President that in actual fact, Morales was actually” kidnapped by America, her European allies and the forces of imperialism”. This was a truly shameful episode.

When the Americans and their allies treat leaders from the smaller and weaker nations of the world in such a way simply because those nations and those leaders have stood up for truth and justice and have resisted their ignoble quest

to persecute the innocent and conquer the world, it diminishes us all. From this incident alone, it ought to be clear to every rightthinking and discerning person that America, under President Barack Obama, is a nation that has literally been driven mad by its own paranoia and obsessions and that is completely drunk on power. Their ultimate objective is to control the entire world and impose their will on each and every one of us.

I commend the courage of those truly progressive nations and leaders that have condemned the Americans and their allies on this issue, that have defied American imperialism and that have stood up for Snowden for exposing the illegal and immoral acts of the Obama administration.

These nations include Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba, Nicaragua, Argentina, Iran and a number of other countries. I also commend some of the key figures in the opposition political parties in Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Norway, Finland, Australia, India, Brazil and a number of other countries and Julian Assange’sWikileaks organistation for standing by Snowden. I also commend Russia and China for refusing to hand him over to America.

Both Nicaragua and Venezuala have now offered asylum to him and the Scandanavian nation of Iceland has gone even further by actually considering the possibility of conferring Icelandic citizenship on him even though he has never set his foot on their soil and even whilst he is still in hiding in Russia.

It is the courage of those world leaders that are strong enough and that have cultivated the fortitude, the resolve, the decency

and the humanity to rise up to the occasion, to stand up for the weak and defenceless and to look the American bully in the eye and say ”thus far and no further” that keeps the rest of us going.

Yet, the revelations of the excesses the American state did not stop there. During the course of the week, they were also caught spying on some of their own European friends. The fact that the American National Security Agency (aka ”No Such Agency”) have bugged the telephones and internet activities of government officials, government buildings and foreign embassies of their closest allies in the world was brought to the attention of the international community. The Europeans, quite rightly, have not taken the matter lightly.

The implications of this are frightful and obvious to even the dullest amongst us. It sounds like a scene from George Orwell’s book ”1984”. And frankly speaking it is disgraceful. Such is the angst that even the most powerful intellectuals and true patriots in America itself such as the celebrated author Professor Naom Chomsky and the revered film producer Oliver Stone have condemned it. On July 4, at the Karlovy Vay International Film Festival, Oliver Stone said, ”it is a disgrace that Obama is more concerned with hunting down Snowden than reforming these George Bush-style eavesdropping techniques.

To me, Snowden is a hero because he revealed secrets that we should all know that the United States has repeatedly violated the fourth amendment. He should be welcomed and offered asylum but he has no place to hide because every country is intimidated by the United States.This should

not be. This is what is wrong with the world today. And it is very important that the world recognises and gives asylum to Snowden. Everyone in the world is impacted by the United States’ Big Brother attitude towards the world. We need countries to say no to the United States”. These are courageous words spoken by a true American patriot. And in my view he is absolutely right.

Where are the defenders of America and the Obama-lovers now? Will they seek to defend this illegal, despicable and treacherous act of the Americans who have shown that they are prepared to go as low as to spy on even their own allies as well? I say shame on them and kudos to Snowden. He has exposed the illegal and indefensible acts of the American state and he has proven to the world that they seek to secretly watch, monitor and record the activities of every single non-American on the planet.

It is left to the rest of us to either resign our fate to God or to resist it as best as we can with our loud protests until we get our privacy and our security back. I am highly encouraged by the fact that even our very own President Goodluck Jonathan was also taken aback by this appalling spying scandal and that, through one of his officials, he actually cultivated the courage to ”warn the Americans” about their unacceptable excesses and spying ways.

This brings me to the issue of Obama’s visit to Africa. There can be little doubt that when President George Bush Jnr., was in power, he did a lot for Africa with his Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR) initiative which pumped in millions of dollars that saved the lives of millions of Africans and protected them from AIDS. He also

provided more financial aid and grants to African countries than any American President that ever came before him and he supported Nigeria’s bid for debt cancellation between 2005 and 2007.

Quite apart from that he fully implemented the provisions of the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) which helped African businesses to grow, created jobs and wealth and reduced poverty on our continent by opening up the lucrative American market to some of our consumer and agricultural products. These are just some of the things that George Bush did for Africa. By contrast, President Barack Obama has done next to nothing for us and has, in fact, dramatically reduced American aid, trade with and support for our continent. It is ironic that Bush, who has no links with Africa and who is a conservative Republican, did so much for us whilst Obama, who is of African descent and who is a liberal Democrat, has done very little. Other than a relatively paltry pledge of 7 billion USD for the generation of power on a continent which is home to over 500 million people and in which there are 53 independent countries, the only things that Obama appears to want to export to Africa are “homosexual rights”, “same sex marriage”, “same sex parenting”, drones and drone bases, AFRICOM and the PRISM spying system.

His utter disdain and contempt for Nigeria in particular, though cleverly veiled, is interesting and significant. Despite our size, our standing and our relative strength on the African continent he has snubbed us twice on his two visits to Africa by not coming here.

Femi Fani-Kayode is a former Nigerian aviation minister.

A country deserted by hers, embraced by others

By Ugochukwu Ugwuanyi

I

t feels good to hear the Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) announce, on Friday in Akure, Ondo State, that it has arrested 147 illegal immigrants from various spots of Akure metropolis and will soon repatriate them to their respective home countries. This is coming on the heels of an earlier report that the NIS has arrested 110 illegal immigrants in Enugu who would soon be deported. Why am I pleased by these you may wonder?

It affords us the opportunity to boast that we are of a country that repatriates illegal immigrants as well. Pedestrian, isn’t it? Even though it is, it, nonetheless, shows that we are not doomed to always be at the receiving end, we are about proving ourselves to be at the giving end as well.

But sincerely speaking, it is rare coming by the news of Nigerian government, better still, the NIS deporting illegal immigrants. What we always hear is that they have been arrested and are going to be deported. We hardly get to see when they are actually deported.

Check this out: On March 25, 55

illegal aliens were handed over to Immigration for deportation while on 27 of the same month, 102 illegal aliens were handed over for deportation. Similarly, on April 2, the police handed over 14 illegal aliens to Immigration for deportation. The Lagos State Police Command on April 16 also handed over another 271 illegal foreigners to the authorities of the NIS for deportation while another 146 aliens are still being screened.

One explanation for this may be that there is no money to effect their deportation. Nonetheless, NIS has shown to be very hospitable for it to be accommodating these aliens without deporting them, yet, possibly bear the cost of feeding them. Perhaps, it is safer to believe they are deporting them clandestinely without engaging the usual media hype. No matter the matter, NIS deserves our approbation for doing their job.

As bad as people portray Nigeria to be, there are others who still want to come here and get a piece of the action. To them, Nigeria becomes an el dorado.

Yes, the same Nigeria you know!

Though it is true that the aliens

being arrested are mostly from neighbouring West African countries like Chad, Niger, Benin, Mali and the likes, this does not detract from the fact that they see Nigeria as having more opportunities than their home countries. And that they could travel into the country without the required papers seems to reflect their desperation to come and partake of ‘Fascinating Nigeria’.

They must have said to themselves; let me still go, for the returns from the venture will be worth the crime of entering Nigeria without visas.

Ergo, they came.

Posers: Is it still not the country that its youth will want to desert for ‘better lands’ at the slightest opportunity subjecting themselves to extreme danger in the process? Is it not the same country about which many have asked “can anything good come out of Nigeria?” Yet, these illegal immigrants in their numbers have resolutely answered the last question in the affirmative, hence their coming, albeit illegally.

However, I’m sure the risk they took in coming was nothing compare to what young Nigerians subject themselves just to check out of the

country.

As if the country is a gulag they are trying to escape from. Permit me to apply the brakes here and allow one of my unpublished articles to complete the story: Some time ago in March 2010, it was reported of a Nigerian youth whose corpse was found in the nose wheel portion of an aeroplane operated by the United States carrier- Delta Airline. Few weeks ago, another story broke of a young Nigerian whose corpse was discovered in the wheel well of an Arik Airline plane that returned to the country from New York in the United States. The young man is suicidal, you may say, but I can wager that he didn’t see it as such.

He may have been told tales of stowaways who succeeded in the ‘escapade’. But, is it really possible to succeed as a stowaway in the external compartments of an aircraft? I doubt! To use the wheel wells or other external portions of an airliner to get to one’s destination brings about hazardous dangers difficult to overcome. If such a stowaway is not crushed by the wheels, he is likely to die from cold or suffocation due to lack of oxygen since they are neither

pressurized nor heated.

There are other ways that Nigerians have shown their determination to go abroad. Some are hard-hearted enough that they tread the Sahara Desert en route Europe and other western countries. Those who undertake this option suffer to no end as they even condescend to drinking their urine just to quench thirst.

One thing that can’t be taken away from Nigerians is their cando and never-say-die spirits. This disposition should be an asset, not a liability. We should leverage on it to make our nation one that other nationals would take great risks to come and savour the milk and honey we made to flow in our land.

Yes, we can do it; after all, we have the can-do spirit. The government should aassist in making this come to pass. The onus is on it to create the enabling environment and incentives to make the youths succeed. Those running the government should desist from actions and inaction that would make our citizens flee the country courting death in the process.

Ugochukwu Ugwuanyi is on LinkedIn.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Letters & Opinion Two years in the saddle

By Rogers Edor Ochela

W

hen he was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory two years ago, not a few skeptics gave Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed any chance to succeed. The basis of their unyielding skepticism was understandable. His predecessors in office, even with the ministry’s huge budgetary allocations at their disposal, failed woefully to make any serious positive difference in the deplorable fortunes of the nation’s capital city. But two years down the road and with the picture getting clearer and better, the army of irredeemable malcontents is already eating their hearts out.

The political arena in decent societies is not meant for lilylivered people who are at home with mundane issues. It is an arena for minds that are resolved to selflessly contribute to nationbuilding.

Being appointed to manage any portfolio in the public realm is a call to patriotic service. This involves vacating all personal goals, dreams and activities for the attainment of the collective objective. For the period one invests his personality in this endeavour, family life, business interest and other personal considerations are relegated.

These are the sacrifices that provide the undercurrent for responsible leadership.

Unarguably, he is providing such leadership in his current assignment at the FCT. Devoid of politics, he has been able to make Nigerians feel the impact of his stewardship in the area

of positively primary school turning around teachers for the hitherto their uncommon ailing fortunes sacrifice in Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, of the FCT. Two training the years on, his students for the text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written unprecedented championship contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters revolutionary title, which led - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your approach to to the defeat name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be governance of Britain, addressed to: is already America, Japan, generating a Russia and deafening nay Taiwan three The Editor, appreciative consecutive Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, ‘oooohs’ times; 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. and ‘aaaahs’ commissioning Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com from ecstatic of basic life residents of the support and SMS: 08134607052 city. thirteen At this transport juncture, the question that readily on land sales. He followed it up by ambulances worth N361m to comes to mind is: what are the sacking the directors of Lands and tackle emergency cases. achievements of this Bauchi Deeds Registrar and instituted a The minister in the last State born minister that should probe into the activities of AGIS, two years has also been able to warrant crowing from the rooftop a development that helped restore accelerate the development of as this writer is trying to do? sanity to the hitherto corruptionFCT through construction of Now let us go down the memory ridden AGIS. flyovers; expansion of Airport lane by unfolding the minister’s Equally worthy of mention is Road, Zuba/Kubwa/Tipper scorecard, at least in a sketchy the removal of illegal structures Garage from 2 lanes to ten form. and frontal attack on prostitution lanes; provision of sewages and Despite the several attempts in the FCT. This has improved infrastructural facilities like the made early in the life of his the ascetic beauty of Abuja. on-going gigantic multi-billion administration such as the Also, through the Senator naira Katampe Infrastructure botched plan to foment religious Saidu Dansadau Committee Concession; introduction of a crisis and the spurious allegation which the minister set up, comprehensive transportation of his deportation from Mecca, land administration has been policy premised on multi-modal the minister refused to be upgraded and repositioned for land transportation approach and distracted and has ever remained better service delivery. Others are the new transport policy banning focussed in the discharge of his the review of the concessioning of ‘Araba’ from within the city the mandate. And boy, the results Eagle Square and International centre; tackling of traffic snarl were not late in manifesting.

Centre to private facility in the city centre; addressing Due to space and time managers, which was fraught with of environmental challenges constraints, I shall be brief security implications. through prompt waste disposal in highlighting his numerous Bala displayed his sense and clearance of beggars from the achievements in the last two of civic duty by awarding streets; extension of mass housing years. On assumption of office, scholarships to 30 students estates to the area councils. the first thing he did was to that participated in the 2009 And that is not all. The break the vicious cartel of land Students’ Advancement World minister has also tackled security racketeering by placing embargo Championship; promoted six challenges via synergy between

WRITE TO US

FCTA and all security agencies; enforcement of Abuja Master Plan and the significant raising of the internally Generated Revenue profile of the territory; attracted foreign investors in the expansion of the $700million Abuja Botanical Garden and Parks.

The most audacious achievement of the minister to date is the introduction of land swap policy premised on ceding lands to private investors in lieu of provision of infrastructure.

Keenly aware of the adage that says opportunity is a haughty goddess that wastes no time with those who are unprepared, Bala Mohammed views his current assignment as once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leave positive imprints on the canvass of history.

Unlike his contemporaries, he has a great concern for public good and equally a wonderful manager of scarce resources with utmost frugality. Also, as a puritan, he wields his moral authority like ‘koboko’ (horsewhip). In apparent obedience to the biblical injunction that says anyone with his hands on the plough and looking back is not fit for the Kingdom, the minister has refused to look back since he put his hands on the plough two years ago.

For chroniclers of history who crave to do justice to the Bala Mohammed phenomenon in the Nigerian context, that extra attribute of wisdom which demands fairness, thoroughness, sincerity of purpose and a good application of the contending issues within the unique circumstances needs to be applied. Bala Mohammed has indeed justified the confidence reposed in him by the president.

The amiable minister, may your days be long!

Rogers Ochela, a public affairs analyst is reachable via edorochela@yahoo.co.nz

Have we really gained independence?

By Ogunjimi James Taiwo

I

was reading a recent interview granted by the leader of a faction of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state, to National Mirror, and what I read was disheartening. Perhaps he was ignorant of what his comment meant. He said: “...the NGF was based on the United States of America’s constitution... the committee had told us that they just copied the American Governors’ Forum constitution with very little amendment.”

To me and to every rightthinking Nigerian, the questions that we should ask are: Are we not mature enough as a nation to make our own rules? At 53, should we still have to copy from other nations? At 53, should we still have to grovel at the feet of other nations? At 53 and with the number of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs)that we have produced, are we not ‘learned’ enough to draft our own constitution? At 53 and with our

false claim of independence, should we still run after other nations like dogs and have their laws shoved down our throats?

When we say it that the Nigerian government is a pawn of western nations, some people are prepared to go to war on it. That is why the US will ask Nigeria to either implement this policy or that policy or risk having some diplomatic ties severed. That is why they want us to

“

legalise homosexuality against the wish of common Nigerians. That is why the UK can slam a £3000 bond on Nigerians before entry and our government can only grope and beg to have it stopped. That is why we can all be sad that President Obama has cancelled his trip to Nigeria, as if his coming will suddenly alleviate poverty in the country and provide jobs for the countless unemployed youths in the country. That is why

we need the US to tell us that the 2011 elections were free and fair for us to believe it. That is why they can tell us that our union as a nation won’t exceed 2015 and we’re running helter skelter.

Whoever said Nigeria had gained independence must be one of the funniest comedians and this must be his funniest joke ever. We are not yet free; economically, we are still in chains. Democratically,

To me and to every right-thinking Nigerian, the questions that we should ask are: Are we not mature enough as a nation to make our own rules? At 53, should we still have to copy from other nations? At 53, should we still have to grovel at the feet of other nations? At 53 and with the number of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs)that we have produced, are we not ‘learned’ enough to draft our own constitution? At 53 and with our false claim of independence, should we still run after other nations like dogs and have their laws shoved down our throats?

we remain as shackled as ever. We claim to be free, yet at the slightest sign of trouble, our leaders run to their imperialist masters to grovel in the dust. When it comes to policy implementation, our leaders are slaves of the IMF; they prefer a pat at the back from IMF than a full embrace from Nigerians.

The very concept of independence is an illusion in Nigeria; we are not yet independent as a nation, and we can never be as long as our leaders continue to bow their knees in order to get crumbs from their imperialist masters.

Nigerians must collectively demand for a Nigeria of Nigerians, a Nigeria that makes policies to favour Nigerians; a Nigeria that caters for them. A Nigeria whose leaders are answerable to Nigerians and not to some western masters; a Nigeria where the voice of Nigerians count; a Nigeria that makes its own laws; a Nigeria where the people are the masters and the elected officials are truly the servants. God bless Nigerians!

Ogunjimi James Taiwo wrote in from Lagos.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment

Egypt’s revolution and our own Nigeria

By Taju Tijani

E

gypt’s political trajectory has remained thorny. It has defied solution. After the shameful exit of Mubarak’s dictatorship, an amicable coagulation of different political operators in that country has remained a crushing dilemma. The dream of majority of Egyptians to air brush the remnants of Mubarak’s anti-democratic legacies is now at a cross road. The charge sheet against Mubarak will read or sound familiar with majority of Nigerians. It is the same anti-people policies favoured by virtually every ruler in Africa.

During the uprising Cairo was described as “a war zone” and the port city of Suez saw frequent violent clashes. The protesters defied the government imposed curfew and the police and military did not enforce it. The presence of Egypt’s Central Security Forces police, loyal to Mubarak, was gradually replaced by large, restrained military troops. In the absence of the police, there was looting by gangs that opposition sources said were instigated by plainclothes police officers.

Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak’s tragic regime of despoliation, despotism, denial, disease and death was finally laid to rest on February 11, 2011. Mubarak was able to hold the centre for 30 years and this political stability suited the socio, economic and

political interests of the West quite well. After Mubarak’s exit, nothing hounds the West than the political tornado that was on the way. Eventually, what the West mortally feared became reality. Bearded, stern-looking and unsmiling Mohammed Morsi rode on the popular vote of the 85 year old Muslim Brotherhood party and thus began the onset of Western nightmare.

Though Morsi was elected through a free and fair democratic process, every Western capital was drowned by paranoia. Debates raged in smoky cabinet meetings on what to do with this mysterious dark horse who defied the Western partisan logic of backing malleable, docile, errand politicians across Africa. Morsi is neither docile nor ready to be an errand boy of the West. The West would not wait for long to unveil its hidden hypocrisy. The West strident

“

fuss over partisan logic would eventually marked the downfall of a democratically elected government of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood. The gross illogic and injustice of Western democratic orthodoxy would evade the West in Morsi’s case. That President Barak Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron could not hear the blaring dissonance of their partisan positions shows that imperialism would remain an ever present threat to African politics.

That aside, what really focuses my mind is the prospect of a coup d’état in Nigeria. Nigerian politicians tend to believe that Nigeria is revolution-proof. That is achingly true when politicians are feasting on corruption and the spoils of office. It is true when you imagine the symmetry of our tribal composition. Again, that sounds true when you realise that Nigerians are the world’s worst

amoral survivalists. It is true when you realise that Nigerians are endowed with copious baggage of amnesia of political wrongs of their politicians.

Yes, Nigerians have had a surfeit of amoral official negligence.

As I write, we run the most expensive democracy in the world.

As I write, we do not know the monthly salary of our president.

As I write, the president of the Nigerian Senate is the highest paid senator in the world. Senators, ministers and other principals of state live in billion naira homes across Abuja. They have gentrified real estate in Abuja so bastardly that the once sleepy ghost town is now the most expensive city in Africa. Nigerian air space now teems with gleaming private jets of politicians. As I write, 75 million Nigerian youths are jobless.

Nigerians live on meagre N250 per day. Many Nigerians survive

We have lost the capacity to blush at excessive opulence and public wastage. From the president, governors, senators, legislators, ministers and even commissioners, the symbol of political oppression and social insensitivity remains the hated convoy of expensive SUVs. That, in a democracy! Why can’t we simplify governance and cut off the annoying dross of monumental squandering of the common wealth?

…Egypt: The true price of freedom

By Frank Onuoha

A

few months ago I could have sworn that what Nigeria desperately needed was a revolution. The high level of impunity and political filth found at every corner is appalling and would certainly compel one to lean towards a totally revolution like the Arab Spring that began on 18 December 2010 in Tunisia and overthrew several sit-tight leaders and supposed dictators in the region. Nigerian people deservedly NEED to be free from the charlatans and corrupt leaders that trout the corridors of power but they have to champion it like the Arabs have done. Freedom cannot be given it has to be taken, makes a great argument.

The July 3 coup by the military - or intervention as some apologist chose to call it - in Egypt has made me reflect on that stand. Egypt was the second state to experience the Spring which crippled the government and forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign on February 2011. It will be recalled that the success of that movement was largely hinged on the support the people got from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. On Wednesday it was the military that again came to the rescue of thousands of anti-Mohammed Morsi protesters. Again the chants of “freedom” rend the air at Tahir

Square – the protesters have won.

Sometimes when I reflect the prize of most ‘freedom’ I ask myself is it really worth it? The truth of the matter - or as I have always argued, Man is not really free. If you think you have freed yourself from one bondage, you may realize you signed up for another form of bondage. The Egyptians who chanted for “freedom” from Mubarak years ago suddenly found themselves at the mercy of an “incompetent government” led by Morsi and now - I must add, an allpowerful military that hides behind the toga of the “people’s defender” to perpetrate their devise. The revolution may have won in Egypt but not democracy.

Revolution is a two edged sword. While it worked for the English migrators to the new world in the eighteenth century and relieved them of the obnoxious policies from their motherland, it only worked for the French Third Estate in the nineteenth century for a little while before thrusting them into the hands of an all-ambitious Napoleon. I am sure most Germans in the twentieth century would have given anything to take back their support for a young revolutionary called Adolf Hitler years after his designs became apparent.

Years ago Egyptians were celebrating the birth of freedom from Mubarak today they have a coup d’etat led by the army.

Again the street is cheering widely meanwhile by the corner lay disgruntled pro-government supporters – the Muslim Brotherhood, who will soon demand for their pound of flesh.

Such is the prize of most ‘freedom’.

Man is never really FREE. The Egyptian protesters may be right in demanding that the president stop monopolising power, institute a clear system of Separation of powers and encourage press freedom however I think it is unreasonable to expect all these changes in less than one year in a country that have been through a

“

lot. Their support for the army is even more grotesque in that they have surreptitiously endorsed the same thing they fought against a few years ago - dictatorship. The army has flexed their muscle and majority are happy. Freedom has come once again by the boots.

A week after the coup, the cost is already being counted: the constitution has been suspended living the window open for dictatorship or arbitrary decisions.

Morsi is under house arrest. Pockets of resistant led by the Muslim Brotherhood have already forced the army to declare a State of

It is certainly not the type of freedom I will propose for Nigeria.

If we let that door open for the Egyptian type of revolution and allow the military to dictate our lives, are we ready for the consequence? The Egyptians are paying a high price for an uncertain future. It is in this time that I tend to believe that the voice of majority is not after-all the voice of God.

on pure water. Treatable, piped, public water is the preserve of the privilege. There is no more political accountability. Widespread insurrection and capital flight. The infamy is legion!

We have lost the capacity to blush at excessive opulence and public wastage. From the president, governors, senators, legislators, ministers and even commissioners, the symbol of political oppression and social insensitivity remains the hated convoy of expensive SUVs. That, in a democracy! Why can’t we simplify governance and cut off the annoying dross of monumental squandering of the common wealth? Who cares what machine you drive as long as you deliver?

Why all the galactic-shielded, bomb proof, shiny and blackened SUVs if it is true that Nigerian politicians are servants of the people? Why the emperor mentality? Over half a century of patchy nationhood, no Nigerian leader has earned a perpetual mention for shining public service, except Obafemi Awolowo in the Western Region.

Our love of power is oceanic, but the ability to govern and deliver cannot fill a teacup.

While Nigeria continues to regress into the Stone Age of infrastructural underdevelopment, casualties of this neglect either fight, take flight or stay fallen. Our past leaders’ serial missteps are enough fodder for a lesson.

Taju Tijani via tajutijani@ hotmail.com Emergency in South Sinai and Suez Canal. The Presidential Palace is currently surrounded by antagonists of the new government. While the army may be trying very hard to convince the outside world that it has the situation under control with minimum force being applied, that may not be the case. Reports coming from the country show ample use of force leading to deaths and injuries of pro-Morsi protesters. On Friday 5 July the aftermath of the conflict left 30 people dead as supporters of Morsi and clashed with the security forces. At least 1077 were injured.

Another spring may just be doors away.

Certainly, the new interim leader, Adly Mansour, is wearing an over-sized hat and may find himself in the rain few months to come. The Islamist supporters of Morsi will be out for him. Sleep will be suspended. Such is the prize of freedom. According to the Guardian UK, “One of the consequences of deciding the fate of regimes with military coups, however popular is, once you stage a coup once, you can stage another one again...” It is certainly not the type of freedom I will propose for Nigeria. If we let that door open for the Egyptian type of revolution and allow the military to dictate our lives, are we ready for the consequence? The Egyptians are paying a high price for an uncertain future. It is in this time that I tend to believe that the voice of majority is not after-all the voice of God. Frank Onuoha is an historian and public affairs analyst.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 16

FCT flags-off polio immunisation in Dakwa community

By Adeola Tukuru

F

ollowing the Polio outbreak in Dakwa community under Bwari Area Council in March, 2013, the FCT Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCDB) over the weekend flagged off July’s Immunisation Plus Day (IPD) in the area.

The Executive Secretary, FCT PHCDB, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said the essence why they selected in Dakwa was

to allow the children in the area to be immunised against polio virus.

He recalled that over 35 families in the area had previously rejected immunisation of their children.

In his words: “We had issue with this community before on non-compliance .Up till date, there are still some families who did not want their children to be immunised,’’ he said ``Immunisation is the only

preventive measures against polio; the vaccine is safe and there is no over dose; a child can take it more than three times and nothing will happen to the child,’’ he said.

Mohammed assured that they are wiiling to kick off Polio in the FCT before the end of the year, adding that the vaccinators would go from house-to-house and visit places like churches and mosque to administer the vaccine on children from zero to

five years.

He said that the board would soon commence enlightenment campaign against Yellow fever and measles, adding that children would be vaccinated against these diseases.

In his remark, Deputy Chairman, Bwari Area Council, Alhaji Abubakar Matawalin, pledged the commitment of the council to curtail the spread of polio in the area.

He advised mothers to present

Rehabilitation at FCT NYSC Kubwa Camp nearing completion – Coordinator

L-R: Traditional ruler of Dakwa community, Alhassan Musa, the Executive Secretary of the FCT PHCDB, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed and the Vice chairman of Bwari Area Council, Hon. Abubakar Matawali, during the flag-off of the IPD in Dakwa community over the weekend.

T

he FCT NYSC Coordinator, Mr Frank Ekpunobi, has said that the ongoing renovation and rehabilitation exercise at Kubwa orientation camp is at 80 per cent completion stage.

According to him structures like Bakassi hall and toilets attached to it were completely renovated, while the female hostels from A to E though have renovated toilets but are still under renovation. ``Mens’ hostel, new kitchen, all cubicles have been fully renovated, so also the flood lights at the parade ground are functioning effectively,’’ he said.

He also said that new ceiling fans were provided in such places where there were none and where they were not working, they had been repaired.

Ekpunobi said that if not for the orientation exercise going on at the camp the contractor could have continue with the job and might have gone far. ``We appealed to the contractor to hold on to the end of the orientation exercise

by July 16, by then the corps members must have finished their orientation exercise.’’

On the remaining buildings to be completed, the coordinator said that they included male hostel from A to E, staff quarters, Coordinator’s lodge and the Accounts Department.

He further said that two new bore holes were sunk, bring the total to five, including the existing three at the camp, adding that they were functioning optimally.

(NAN)

their children for immunisation, saying ``prevention is better than treatment’’.

Matawalin stressed the need to enlighten the people on the importance of immunisation, adding that some people reject immunisation out of ignorance.

An official of the World Health Organisation, Dr Williams Komachwe, who spoke on behalf of partners like UNICEF, pledge their commitment to eradicate polio in the Nigeria.

Photo: Adeola Tukuru

Jiba charges supervisory councilors, advisers to resist temptation of corruption

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon Micah Y. Jiba has called on the newly sworn-in Supervisory Councilors and special Advisers in the council to be of good conduct and resist the temptation of corrupt practices in all forms.

Jiba noted this at the weekend during the Inauguration/Swearingin ceremony of Supervisory Councilors and Special Advisers, adding that he will not tolerate any act of indiscipline and disloyalty.

According to him, all hands must be on deck to work as one united family towards aggressive distribution of projects and policies that have direct bearing on the people of AMAC. In his words: “In shopping for passengers that would join my transformation train, concerted efforts were made to indentify professional grassroots politicians, men and women of proven integrity that are expected to serve and be of help to our teeming electorate and

also those that share my core values and vision” “I further wish to assure the people of AMAC that the template of this program may not be too different from the former. With that in mind ,the next three years therefore ,shall be committed to tackling critical infrastructures, capacity building and the maintenance of existing ones”, he said.

Hon Jiba also enjoined the

newly supervisory councilors and Advisers to be guided by the oaths of allegiance and secrecy, adding that he will wish to receive bold and constructive advices from them in order to translate the vision for the years ahead.

“As politicians, I want to remind you that each of them represent all the 12 electoral wards which makes them responsible to everyone irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political

affiliations”, he said.

Also, on behalf of the newly elected supervisory councilors, the Supervisory Councilor of Health, Hon Josephine Nnodim thanked the Chairman for appointing them and promised to put in their best from the advice given to them.

She assured the residents that they will carry everybody along and learn from their past mistakes, calling for their support in order to work well.

Bwari chair tasks officials on commitment

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he Chairman of Bwari Area Council in the FCT, Hon Peter Yohanna Ushafa has called on the newly sworn in Supervisory Councilors to remain committed to their duties in the council.

Ushafa, who made the call during the swearing- in ceremony of the supervisory Councilors at the Council chamber, urged the Supervisory Councilors to consider their appointment as a call to serve

and not for self- aggrandizement.

He said that his administration would continue to provide the dividends of democracy, for the electorates as was being promised during the electioneering campaign.

His words: “As we journey through our second term, I also urge you to extend more support to this administration so that we shall be able to provide more developmental projects that would better the living standard of our people”.

He appealed to those politicians

who were not appointed as the supervisory councilors to consider it as an act of God and urged them to wait for God’s appointed time.

He called on the residents of Bwari and its environs to be good ambassadors of peace in the area at all times irrespective of their religions, tribal and political inclinations.

The Bwari Council boss, however, thanked the religious leaders, traditional rulers as well as electorates for the support accorded to him during his first term in office.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 17

Metro

Cleric tasks parents on discipline

By Stanley Onyekwere

R

R-L: Reverend Anthony Tede, of ECWA Goodness Church, Mpape, presenting a child dedication certificate to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Akota, during the dedication of their son yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Stanley Onyekwere

Abuja residents cautioned to reduce use of old generators

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has urged residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to reduce the use of old generators in order to prevent carbon emissions in the environment.

The acting Director of the board, Mrs Aishat Adebayo, gave the advice at the weekend during the FCT Residents Sanitation Forum in Abuja.

The forum is a meeting that brings together the AEPB and representatives of various neighbourhoods in the FCT to discuss challenges facing environmental sanitation within their domain.

Adebayo said that the amount of carbon emission in the neighbourhood and the noise pollution from the old generators was a concern to the board. ``The amount of carbon that comes out from our power generating sets, especially the old ones is very dangerous to our environment. ``We are very much aware of the problem of power supply that make people to go for generators, but we still encourage residents to service their generators as at when due.’’

Adebayo said that the board would allow the planting of only vegetables around resident’s backyards, adding that tall crops and other unauthorised crops within the neighbourhood would not be allowed.

The acting director also urged residents to evacuate construction waste, noting that such waste were not part of the AEPB mandate.

``Construction waste is not part of our mandate and as such our contractors will not pick such wastes. ``It is good for people to renovate their houses, but after renovation, come to AEPB and we can tell you how to evacuate such waste.’’

Adebayo advised residents to collaborate with the board to sustain environmental sanitation in the city, adding that government alone would not be able to do all. ``I believe so much in this forum because it gives us the opportunity to identify our areas of strength and areas of weakness as we discuss issues bordering on our environment. ``I am appealing to residents that nobody should constitute an environmental nuisance to his neighborhood.’’

Mr Ogbunike Ohiegwu, the FCT Commissioner of Public Complaints Commission (PCC), said that the commission would

commence prosecution of erring chief executives of some agencies.

Ohiegwu lamented the attitudes of some organisations for refusing to responds to PCC whenever they are asked to clarify some issues.

He, however, said that the AEPB was not on the list, and commended the board for their quick response to public complaints issues. ``I am happy to be part of this forum, because we have done so many things together with AEPB. ``For us to survive as a nation, we must have strong institutions and not strong individuals, and AEPB is one of the vital institutions that anyone can think of in the FCT. ``I encourage residents to keep their environments clean because your environment speaks about you. ``Our commission is going to prosecute some chief executives for their failure to respond to the commission on issues demanding

clarification. ``It is also an offence not to respond to PCC, but AEPB is not on our prosecution list due to its quick responds to the commission at any time.’’

Mr Moses Akala, the Chairman of the Mombasa Street, Wuse Zone 5, commended the FCT administration for tackling both environmental and social nuisance in Wuse market. ``Mombasa Street is opposite Wuse market and it is the most notorious place in the FCT, thank God that today, the nuisance has been reduced to its barest minimum,’’ Akala said.

Mr Nicolas Obiajunwa, the Chairman, Uromi Close, Garki Area 2, also commended the board for initiating the forum.

Obiajunwa said that the dialogue between the neighbourhood and AEPB would go a long way in giving residents a sense of belonging as stakeholders in the environmental sanitation industry.

everend Anthony Tede, of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Goodness, Mpape, has called on parents to instill discipline on their children, so as to ensure that they grow with the right values and represent them well wherever they may be in life.

Tede, who is the ministerin-charge of the church, yesterday, gave the advice on the occasion of dedication of the child of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Akota, a staff of the Peoples Media Ltd, Abuja.

He said: “Being a successful parent particularly the father is making sure that your children take after you or grows even better than you, but it should not be anything short of what you children to be.

“And to make sure that your children represent you well wherever they may be in life; the rule is discipline; the bible says: ‘Do not spare the rod and spoil the child.”

The cleric however pointed out that the place of education in the life of any child is very important, “as the best a parent can give to their children is education from the basic to first degree, after which if any of child wants to further his or her learning that would then be the person’s palaver.”

Also the Reverend while urging singles to marry early warned them against late marriage, as more often than not, it’s not good for proper upbringing of children from such union.

“At least as a man when you are 30 years old you should get married; and for a lady, may be 20-21 years old, that is a good time for you to get married; so you can have children you can train while you are still in active service and strong to work”, he expressed.

FCT GES program to be extended till July 12

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he FCT Growth Enhancement Scheme GES programme, which began in May this year and expected to end in June, have been extended to July 12 to ensure the participation of all registered farmers.

FCT GES Co-ordinator, Alh. Isa Ovurevu Ademoh, said the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat is assuring FCT farmers of

adequate farming input this cropping season.

On the fear of not getting fertilizers by farmers who have lost their handset, he said as long as farmers are registered officials at the various centers have been directed to redeem them.

Alh. Ademoh, who is a Deputy Director in the secretariat, further said that only 53,700 farmers benefited in 2012 but this year 111,276 farmers registered to purchase

farming inputs in the GES programme and already 65,000 have purchased their inputs.

He disclosed that the GES programme is targeted at small scale farmers whereas the large scale farmers are expected to buy their inputs from various agro dealers at prevailing market prices.

Under the scheme, he said, a farmer having children above 18 years can register them to get more inputs since on is entitled

to only two bags of fertilizer at a time.

He revealed that besides the GES programme, FCT have numerous activities for farmers which include giving farmers improved seedlings to grow fruits and economic trees.

The Secretariat, Ademoh said, is also into a public private partnership arrangement with M/S Prime Soil Ltd. to develop 15,000 hectares of land in Kwali Area Council which will be leased to interested farmers.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 18

Metro INSIDE FCT COURTS

Painter bags 4 months for theft

A

Kuje Area Court in the FCT has sentenced a 20-year-old painter, Abdulahi Ibrahim, to four months in prison for criminal trespass and theft.

The judge, Mr Nuhu Ibrahim, explained that Ibrahim was sentenced to two months in prison on each count and gave him an option of paying N10,000 fine. ``You have the option to pay N5,000 fine for each count, totaling N10,000. In the alternative, you may face four months in prison,’’ he said.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Ocheche Samuel, had told the court that one Mathew Patrick of Kayarda in Kuje, Abuja lodged a complaint against the painter on June 29.

Samuel said the convict, who resides in Kayarda, was arrested after stealing three planks from Mac Miller Building Coy in Kuje. ``During interrogation, it was discovered that Ibrahim had sold the planks to a vehicle scraps trader in Kuje forest,’’ he said.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 342 and 287 of the Penal Code.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ibrahim pleaded guilty to the charges leveled against him. (NAN)

Two men jailed for causing public nuisance

A

Kuje Area Court in the FCT on Tuesday sentenced two men, Umar Garba, 32, and Abdulrasheed Surajo, 20, to four months in prison each for causing a public nuisance.

The suspects were arraigned on a two-count charge of constituting themselves into a public nuisance and making the atmosphere unhealthy.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Ocheche Samuel, told the court that the accused were arrested by a team of policemen on patrol led by Insp. Sunday Appolos, attached to the Kuje Police Division on June 21.

Samuel said the convicts, who were arrested when the police raided a black spot behind Oando Filling Station in Kuje, were found smoking dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

He also said that during interrogation, the accused failed to give satisfactory explanation of their action.

Samuel said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 183 and 192 of the Penal Code, but the accused pleaded guilty to the charge.

The Judge, Mr Nuhu Ibrahim, who sentenced Garba and Surajo to two months in prison on each count, however, gave them the option to pay N10,000 fine each. ``You have the option to pay N5,000 fine for each count, totaling N10,000 or face four months in prison each.’’ (NAN)

Traders hanging on a truck with their goods from the market yesterday at Giri Junction, Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Welder in court over possession of stolen ATM, voter’s cards

T

he police on Friday arraigned 20-year-old welder Afolabi Tolani at the Grade 1 Area Court, Mararaba, Nasarawa State, for allegedly being in possession of a stolen ATM card.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Inuwa Maigida, told the court that on June 29 at about 2 a.m., Cpl. Michael Jimba, attached to the Nigeria Police Force, ‘A’ Division,

Mararba, arrested Tolani.

He said the accused was arrested behind ‘A’ Division Police Station in Mararaba with a First Bank ATM card and a voter’s card, belonging to one Agber Aondohemba.

Maigida said six passport photographs of an unknown man as well as two photographs of an unknown man and woman were also found in his possession.

He added that during police investigation, the accused could not give satisfactory account of the owner of the ATM and voter’s cards.

Maigida said the offence contravened provision of section 319A of the Penal Code.

If convicted, the accused is liable to six months in prison or the option to pay a fine.

The accused pleaded not

guilty.

The presiding judge, Mr Albert Maga, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum.

Maga said the surety must be responsible, possess a landed property and reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

He adjourned the case to July 18, 2013 for hearing. (NAN)

Court convicts security guard, labourer for joint act, theft

T

he Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates Court, Abuja, on Friday convicted two men - 30-year-old security guard Umar Alhassan and Ali Koko, 30, a labourer - for joint act and theft.

The convicts reside at No. 56, Lome Street, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.

Senior Magistrate Vera TomTukura sentenced Alhassan to one year in prison with the option of paying N400,000 to the nominal complainant, Sani Dahiru, in

compensation. ``In view of the criminal records of Koko, I hereby sentence him to three years in prison or he pays the sum of N430,000 as compensation to Dahiru in lieu of imprisonment,’’ Tom-Tukura ruled.

She said that the punishment was to serve as punishment to them and a deterrent to others.

The convicts, who have been standing trial for the offences

of joint act and theft, were first arraigned before the court in August 2012, but they pleaded not guilty.

On their first arraignment, police prosecutor Francis Tanko said Dahiru reported the convicts at the Maitama police station, Abuja, on Aug. 7, 2012.

Tanko quoted Dahiru of the same address as the convicts as saying that on the same day, at about 7:20 p.m., the convicts stole

some items from his shop.

He said the stolen items included 21 pieces of new water heater, 21 pieces of old water heaters and 19 pieces of old bath tubs.

The prosecutor said the stolen items were all valued at N830,000.

He also said that while in prison, awaiting trial, Koko stole N10,000 from a suspect.

The convicts pleaded guilty.

(NAN)

Police arraign 7 men over grievous hurt

T

he police on Wednesday arraigned seven men in an Abuja Grade 2 Area Court at Kado for alleged joint act and causing grievous hurt.

The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Christopher Roko, gave the names of the accused persons as Abubakar Iliyasu, 27, Peter Abba, 28, Murtala Hannafi, 30, Kabiru Isah, 22 and Bala Abbah, 20.

The others are Kabiru Abdullahi,

31, Garba Abubakar, 25, and one other now at large, all of No. 23 Dan Suleiman Str.,, Utako in the FCT. Roko told the court that on June 22, one Emmanuel Augustine of Games Village, Abuja reported the matter to the Utako Police Station.

He said that the complainant reported that while he was on duty at Big-H Garden, Utako, the accused persons on the same day, formed a common intention and beat him up.

He said that in the process of beating him, they caused him injury on his face and that in the process, he lost fout thousand naira and a Nokia phone, valued at seven thousand naira.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 79 and 246 of the Penal Code.

If found guilty the offence carries one year imprisonment

or with fine for anyone who voluntarily causes hurt.

The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the twocount charge.

The Presiding Judge, Mr Ahmed Ado, granted bail to the accused persons in the sum of N20,000 each with two sureties.

He adjourned the case to Aug19, 2013 for further hearing.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Abia state shuns bond market A

By Abdulwahab Isa

bia state Government has ruled out accessing bond market as a means to overcoming its developmental challenges.

In its place the state will effectively put to use, monthly allocation from the federation accounts and the Internal Generation Revenue(IGI).

Abia State Governor Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji said over the weekend in Umuahia when he engaged Business Editors and Finance Correspondents on several issues bordering on socioeconomic development of the state.

Abia monthly allocation from federation accounts is put at N4.5 billion and a monthly wage bill of N3.5 billion.

“Parastatals are the headache of the state. They are supposed

to be self sustaining but the state caters for them on monthly basis. Our monthly allocation is N4.5 billion and we pay N3.5 billion as monthly wage bill.

How much remains for me to embark developments”? queried the governor.

Asked how he managed to built several health centres, construction of first class diagnostic centre with six dialysis machines and several other landmark projects scattered all over the state, Orji said the state was efficient in its IGR drive and would not approach bond market as done by other states.

“It’s better I manage what I have prudently and expand my IGI. IGI is our salvation and we have not taken any loan or bond and I will never go to bond market because I’m happy with what I put on ground”, he affirmed.

He spoke of effort by his administration to revive hitherto comatose state’s industries which have provided employment to jobless youths.

He said the resuscitation of Golden Glee industry located in Aba has helped greatly in curbing kidnapping by providing youths employment.

On youth empowerment scheme, he said his administration on realising that jobless youths had taken up kidnapping as a means of survival evolved an empowerment scheme to get them engaged. “ We started with kidnappers who were young boys under age 30. We reached across to them and we engaged 4,500 of them on monthly payment of N18,000. We also devised another strategy which was to buy them tricycles as means of

L-R: Head, M&A, UBA Capital Plc, Mayowa Amoo,; MD/CEO, NEO Media & Marketing, Ehi Braimah;, MD, Investment Banking, UBA Capital Plc, Wale Shonibare and Cyril Odu of Africa Capital Alliance, at the “Nigeria 50” Breakfast Seminar hosted by UBA Capital Plc in Lagos recently.

Investment in free zones hits N1.6tr – NEPZA

By Aminu Imam

T

he Managing Director, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Mr. Oluwagbemiga Kuye has put the total investment generated in the nation’s free zone at N1.6 trillion ($10billion).

Kuye also stated that with the new drive and the various reforms being undertaken in the sector, the investment is expected to be upped to $15 billon, (about N2.4trillion).

So far, out of the 25 free zones in the country, nine are fully operational, six under construction, four in design states and six zones which are

largely owned by the states.

Kuye, who gave the projection while briefing Journalists on his plans and programme for the agency in Abuja, noted that his dream is to transform the agency from its regulatory role to an industrialisation agency.

Giving an update on investment in the zones, he said, “To date, we have $9 billion investment in all the free zones in Nigeria. This is without the $1billion we just successfully gotten through DE. I believe we should be looking at investment in the sector to the tune of $15 billon in the next five years.”

In line with the planned

industrialisation status, the MD added that unlike before when the free zone scheme only favour manufacturing, the agency had mapped out four key sectors which would form its major focus.

According to him, the four key sectors include agriculture and agricultural related sector, solid mineral, manufacturing Petroleum and petroleum products and other sectors that have to do with population, like housing. For instance, in the agriculture sector, he stated that the agency is in talks with investors in Netherland to come and set up an agricultural park in Nigeria.

transportation. In Umuahia, we bought and gave out 200 new cars free of charge without a condition and we replicated the same at Umuahia north” adding that the youths in the state have become focused and productive with strategies adopted by his administration.

Speaking on the political temperature of the state, the governor noted that, while his emergence as governor was through another political platform,certain political development compelled him changing a platform.

“Before now Abia was a pariah state, a state that was characterised with rancour, dis unity and stakeholders ran away because of what was on ground.

We had in place, a governmemt that was personalised and non-inclusive . This is what I inherited. I said to myself: how can I be a governor where your people don’t want to come not because of me but because of mask behind me. The leaders of this state took the challenge and liberated Abia out of bondage.

With freedom achieved, things started turning around for better. I left our party and joined the mainstream which is Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). This has brought Abia some positive development. Before, now it was a constant fight between Abia and Federal government, an everyday quarrel and the state was strangulated. The partnership has brought to state some milestone development due to peace and tranquillity that now endures”, he said.

The governor listed some of the key projects executed by his administration to include, construction of a befitting civil servant secretariat to accommodate scattered offices, building hospital in all the 17 Local Governments,construction of major roads and service roads, construction of more court rooms and reviving of most industries located in Aba to a thriving state.

CBN sets aside N220bn micro, small, medium scale devt.

- Pg 21 Fund

Private investors may run railway facilities — FG - Pg 21 CBN

Exchange Rates

as at 7th July, 2013 Buying Selling

$

154.76

155.76

€

236.30

237.82

£

200.61

201.91

Riyal

41.26

41.53

Parallel Rates Buying

Selling

$

157.50

158.40

€

250

253.00

£

206.00

210.00

Riyal

43.00

45.00

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY

To influence others, listen to them

P

eople don’t like being pushed, or even nudged, to do something. So when you need others to take action— change their behavior, adapt a new strategy—inspire them to commit rather than forcing them to. The best way to do this is to listen, without your own needs and biases getting in the way.

Try to understand where your colleagues are coming

from. Resist the urge to defend yourself, explain yourself, or offer quick fixes. You can help more effectively later, when the time is right, if you don’t pre-judge what they need (which might be very different from what you think).

Instead, remember that you are listening to learn. Ask questions like: What does that mean for you? How do you feel about it? What’s your perspective on it? This is listening of the highest order.

Source: Business Review

Harvard

Money Market

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 20

Company News

LG Electronics

B

lue Ocean Nigeria Limited. Known for the introduction of world class technological products and Business Solutions has partnered with LG Electronics, a global leader in consumer electronics, to showcase a wide range of products during the 2013 Federation of Construction Industry Exhibition.

The exhibition took place in Abuja from the 25th to 27th of June 2013.

Products on display include, Hotel TVs, Commercial Air Conditioners, Closed circuit camera TVs, Network Monitors, LED Solar Panels and Commercial displays.

Samsung Electronics

S

amsung Electronics West Africa, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Company Limited, a leading manufacturer of air-conditioners is focusing on delivering healthy air conditioning along with saving on energy.

Samsung’s unique, Virus Doctor Technology, helps eliminate all bacteria and air borne viruses up to 99.9percent efficiency, including the infamous H1N1 virus.

The Virus Doctor feature has helped consumers in not only enjoying cool air, but hygienic environment through the Samsung air conditioners.

Advertising Agencies of Nigeria

T

he governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has tasked the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, AAAN, to articulate clear ideas on how government can effectively communicate its policies to the citizenry.

Amosun said this during the associations Conference and Annual General Meeting hosted by the governor in Abeokuta penultimate week. in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of advertising in Nigeria.

Speaking at the conference tagged: “Advertising in Nigeria: 40 years done, the next 40,” the governor acknowledged that it’s been 40 years of creative excellence for the profession but challenged the practitioners to brace up for the challenge of globalisation.

CBN sets aside N220bn micro, small, medium scale devt. Fund

A

s part of efforts to integrate more people into the formal economy and enhance financial inclusion, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has set aside another N220 billion for on-lending to micro, small and medium scale enterprises across the country.

According to the deputy director, Development Finance Department of the CBN, Uzoma Onuoha, 60 percent of the fund will be used to empower the womenfolk.

Onuoha, who was speaking at a discussion panel as part of the ongoing CBN seminar for business editors and finance

correspondents in Umuahia, Abia State, also said the fund will be launched August this year.

The CBN hopes to reduce the size of the population presently excluded from the financial system from 46.3 per cent in 2010, to 20 per cent by 2020.

Already, some mileage has reduced to 39.7 per cent at the end of last year.

Also speaking as part of the panel discussion on the topic “strengthening and enhancing financial inclusion,” Prince Emeka Obasi, publisher of Hallmark Newspapers, explained that financial empowerment of the populace is the prerequisite

for financial inclusion.

According to him, “once a man is lifted out of poverty, he is included automatically. It is not a monetary but fiscal policy issue.”

Obasi noted that while the CBN has done very well in the area of development financing through its myriad of interventionist funds, there is need for the Finance Ministry to get serious in the poverty alleviation drive.

“The Ministry of Finance should not just be about preparing budgets, but looking into developmental financing,” he said, warning

that unless the government at all level gets involved, “the 2020 initiative may not be attained, because it is not a monetary policy issue alone.”

The government, he continued, can get involved, for example, by constructing rural roads to link farms, adding that “financial inclusion is not just about saving money, but participating in the process of life and governance.

“The financially excluded are those who are poor,” he said, listing the various intervention funds such as aviation, power, SMEs, agriculture, among others.

Okonjo-Iweala to launch Africa economic report

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he 2013 Economic Report of Africa jointly produced by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) will be launched in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) in Abuja on July 11, 2013.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala will deliver the keynote address at the public presentation in Nigeria at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

This year’s report focuses on taking advantage of Africa’s commodities to industrialize the continent in a bid to produce growth, jobs and economic

transformation, a statement issued

by Dr. Ebere Uneze announced.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s address is expected to give a policymaker’s perspective to the question whether Africa can leverage on primary commodities to industrialize.

To assist her perform the presentation will be Prof.

Emmanuel Nnadozie, Director, Macroeconomic Policy Division of UNECA. This year’s document sees commodity-based industrialization as an engine of growth for Africa. “It argues that African countries have a real opportunity, individually and collectively, to promote economic transformation and to address poverty, inequality and youth unemployment,” the

NCRIB advises policy holders to use brokers in insurance transactions

T

he President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mrs. Laide Osijo has advised Nigerians to use the services of brokers in insurance transactions.

Osijo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, at the weekend, that insurance policy holders would benefit more by using brokers.

According to her, most issues with insurance claims arise because most policy holders do not go through the insurance contract before taking a policy.

“Once a broker is involved, the broker already knows the technicalities of each policy and will be able to educate the person on what to expect.

“With a broker, when an insured risk occurs, the policy holder needs only to inform the broker who will take it up.

“The policy holder can then go to sleep, waiting for a call from his broker to pick a cheque for his claim.”

Osijo said that the broker could also help the policy holder to get the best bargain from insurance companies.

The NCRIB president said that insurance companies could also help their policy holders by encouraging them to use the services of brokers.

She said that the consultative forum set up by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), would help practitioners to address issues that would help the industry and the insuring public.

According to her, the forum will also encourage cooperation among insurance associations, Institute of Loss Adjusters of Nigeria, the Nigerian Insurers Association, CIIN and NCRIB. (NAN)

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

statement said.

“The report is based on nine studies of African countries, which have helped to generate evidence-based policy recommendations. The policy framework offered underscores, inter alia, the importance of designing and implementing effective development plans and industrial strategies to address constraints and tap opportunities that will trigger value addition and commoditybased industrialization.”

Prof.

Chidi Uwazurike,

Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-committee on Petroleum and the Niger Delta of the House of Representatives, is billed to lead discussions at the event.

Other speakers include Prof.

Akpan Ekpo, Director-General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Mr. Frank Nweke, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, and Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Bank Plc.

Shell reports largest oil spill in Nigeria this year

By Etuka Sunday with agency report

R

oyal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) said on Friday that a June incident on a pipeline operated by its Nigerian joint venture resulted in the company’s most significant oil spill in the country this year.

In a report published on the company’s website, Shell said the June 19 incident released 2,699 barrels of oil into the environment, though it added that 1,881 barrels were burned off as a result of a fire.

Shell’s Nigerian joint venture, Shell Petroleum and

Development Co., said the June spill that forced it to shut down its 150,000 barrel-a-day Trans Niger Pipeline was the result of oil theft.

Shell had initially said there was “practically” no spill as the oil had burned and said it had nothing more to add when asked again about the spill Wednesday.

Oil spills are common in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta both as a result of problems with aging infrastructure and the high incidence of oil theft that sees criminals tap into pipelines to siphon off the oil.

Capital Market Speculative trading Securities and persists as market zigzags Exchange Commission

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 21

Investors Newsbit

Stories from Ngozi Onyeakusi,

T

he equities market closed on Friday on a positive note, as the NSE ASI appreciated by +1.56% to close at 36,509.64 points, compared with the depreciation of -0.26% recorded previously. Its Year-to-Date (YTD) return currently stands at +30.03%.

The appreciation in the Index is as a result of the gains recorded in the share prices of Oando, Ecobank Transnational Corporation, Dangote Cement, FirstBank of Nigeria Holding Co., Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty trust Bank Plc and Nigerian Breweries.

The market capitalisation also appreciated by +1.56% to close at N11.56trn (US$72.26bn), compared with depreciation of -0.26% recorded previously to close at N11.34trn (US$71.15bn).

NSE-IND, NSE-Food and NSEBNK stocks were the most supportive as captured by NSE sector

….NSE ASI reclaims 36,000bpts

indices. Champion Breweries and Portland cement led the price winners with above 9% gains each; NSE30 inches up by +1.60% as NSEInsurance also moved northward by +0.41%. Eterna Oil lost 9.87% to close at NGN3.38kobo leading on the losers’ chart.

Market outlook reveals sustained speculative trading with improved optimism as investors maintain healthy appetite towards investment in equities despite the price volatility while the key benchmark indices resettles above 36,000 psychological lines amid positive breadth.

Nigerians invested N10.4tn in NSE in five years Local investors staked a total of N10.4tn on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in the last five years.

The investments made by Nigerians covers the period 2007 to 2012, and represent an increase of N6.34tn or 156 per cent compared

to the N4.06tn investment by foreign investors in the same period.

In 2007, just before the meltdown of the market, domestic transactions peaked at N3.55tn compared to N615bn worth of foreign transactions in the year, while domestic transactions accounted for N3.97bn in 2008 as against the foreign investments of N787.4bn that year.

In 2009, total domestic transactions stood at N946.84bn as against foreign transactions of N424.6bn, while 2010 saw local investments peaked at N1.02tn compared to N577bn.

Figures obtained by our correspondent from the NSE showed that 2011 marked the lowest year for the local investors as the volume of transactions stood at N421bn compared to the N847.9bn worth of transactions by foreign investors following the nationalisation of three banks by the Federal Government.

L-R: Group Executive Director Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engr. David Ige in handshake with President ,Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Mustafa Balarabe Shehu, during the Conferment of the Fellowship of Nigerian Society of Engineers on Engr.

David Ige, at the weekend in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

In 2012, however, domestic transactions rose to N508.6bn, while foreign investors staked N808.4bn on equities at the Exchange.

As of the first quarter ended March 31, 2013, the total value of transactions of listed securities on the NSE stood at N510.1bn.

This amount represents an increase of N152bn or 42.4 per cent compared to N358.16bn recorded at the end of March 2012.

Total transactions represent the aggregate purchase and sale of listed securities within a defined period.

Analysts said the trend of increase in local participation showed that more local investors are returning to the Nigerian market.

According to them, this shows the growing interest of local and retail investors, who had previously been participating minimally, in the market compared to the interest showed by the foreign investors.

The Chairman, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Madubuike, agreed that there had been increased participation by local investors, who had fled the market in the past.

He added that this was largely due to efforts aimed at sanitising the market by the regulators and key stakeholders.

Madubuike said the association had been involved in various interactions with major stakeholders in the capital market on ways to ensure that the growing interest showed by retail investors in the market in the last few months was sustained.

He said, “Since stockbrokers are the frontrunners in the market and the major interface between the investors and the market; we, as an association, have decided to come together to seek ways to increase investor confidence in the market. We will be involved in various investor education schemes to allow investors to become more aware of the happenings in the market.

“We have done a lot in this regard already, and we know that a lot of work still needs to be done; as we want to refocus to ensure that retail investors return to the market. Already, we have seen some improvement in this regard and we hope to see more as the month’s progress.”

Private investors may run railway facilities —FG

T

he Federal Government is considering giving out railway facilities to private sector operators on a concession arrangement, Vice-President Namadi Sambo has said.

Sambo, who said this on Thursday in Abuja during the commencement of the laying of tracks on the Abuja (Idu)-Kaduna rail line, said the concession of the facilities might be done on completion of the different projects in the railway sector.

He said, “This administration is considering the concession of rail-

way facilities to private operators on completion, and it is the hope of this government that Nigerian railway operations will eventually transform to a world class status.

“The Federal Government is determined and will continue to provide the necessary enabling environment through the enactment of relevant legislation for publicprivate partnership in the provision and operation of the rail corridors.

“We may in the process negotiate and offer opportunities for Foreign Direct Investment in this very

important sector.”

The vice-president also said the government had successfully secured a concessionary loan of $500m from the Chinese government to part finance the Abuja (Idu)-Kaduna railway project.

“As part of his engagement during the upcoming proposed state visit to China later this month, Mr. President is expected to discuss with the Chinese government possible sourcing of concessionary loans to guarantee the funding and the execution of the project,” he added.

Sambo said the Federal Government signed the contract for the Abuja (Idu)-Kaduna railway modernisation project in December 2010, adding that the project would cost $874,308,704, with a completion period of 36 months.

He said the segmentation of the Lagos-Kano railway modernisation project was based on the recommendation of a presidential committee, which divided it into six segments, with the Abuja (Idu)Kaduna project picked as Addendum 1.

T

he Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, has approved the shares of Conoil Plc, Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc and that of 15 other quoted companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange , NSE, to be used by investors for margin lending activities.

It was gathered that the margin lending list, as released by SEC, was based on the Commission’s rules and guidelines which it instituted with a view to curbing excessive speculative activities of investors.

The list is composed of securities which shares have been adjudged by the Commission to have enough liquidity and fundamental strengths to serve as margin securities.

Access Bank

A

ccess Bank Nigeria Plc aims to grow its customer base to between 15 and 20 million across its African markets by 2018, from around 6 million, as it shifts its focus to retail banking.

The in-coming Chief Executive, Herbert Wigwe, who takes over at the end of the year, said retail banking will account for around half of its total business in five years’ time, up from 30 percent.

“There’s so much room for growth. A tie up with one telecom firm, for example, will give us access to 15 million customers,” Wigwe said, referring to the growing market for wireless money transfers.

Aviation Service & Logistics Plc

O

ne of Nigeria’s leading service delivery firms for the aviation sector, Aviation Service and Logistics Plc (ASL), on Friday, visited the stock exchange to present their financials and perform the ceremonial closing bell ringing for the day.

The CEO of ASL, Mr. Richard Akerele who led his management team to the ‘Facts behind the Figures’ presentation, reported a five (5) percent increase in turnover for 2012 to post a N3.83 billion return.

He described the ASL dividend yield and value as impressive since its listing on the exchange.

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Biz Feature

Nigeria seeks farming revival to break oil curse

D

own a winding dirt track in this sleepy village in northern Nigeria lies a corn farm which looks much like the dozens that surround it. The difference is, this one is turning a profit.

“I can barely lift my 8-yearold. He’s the fattest in the village,” said Ibrahim Mustapha, 50, drawing laughter from his fellow farmers as he pretends to lift up his chubby son.

The Babban Gona or “Great Farm” project, in northern Kaduna state, is one of a handful where private investment is helping former subsistence farmers like Mustapha make profits for themselves and the companies backing them.

When President Goodluck Jonathan was elected two years ago, he pledged reforms that would transform the lives of tens of millions of farmers who live on less than $2 a day despite occupying some of Africa’s most fertile land.

Oil remains the main source of foreign currency and state revenues, but agriculture is by far the biggest contributor to GDP, making up 40 percent of Africa’s second largest economy.

With 170 million mouths to feed and a growing food import bill thanks to the disarray in the farming sector, agriculture ministry officials say there’s no time to lose.

If productivity does not improve Nigeria could face a food crisis within a decade, its current account surplus would be wiped out and the credit worthiness of Africa’s second biggest debt issuer would be under threat.

“If we did nothing, it would be a disaster,” Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina told Reuters in the capital.

“We don’t eat oil, we don’t drink it ... We cannot sustain the amount of money we use to import food,” Adesina said, a Nigerian flag hanging behind his office chair.

In some cases, the imports substitute for things Nigerians are growing but can’t get to market or lack the means to process.

The country is the second largest grower of citrus fruit in the world after China and yet it spends $200 million a year on imported fruit juice while its own produce rots, Adesina said.

It also produces 1.5 million metric tons (1 metric ton = 1.1023 tons) of tomatoes annually of which 45 percent perish, while consumers spend $360 million on tomato paste

imported from countries such as Italy and China.

Curing Dutch Disease To succeed, Adesina’s reforms will need to reverse the inadvertent damage done to the sector by Africa’s earliest and biggest oil and gas boom, which crowded out other commodities.

In the 1960s, Nigeria was the biggest exporter of peanuts in the world and had 27 percent of the palm oil trade. It remains one of the world’s top cocoa growers, but production and bean quality have declined since their heyday in the 1970s.

While an elite allied to a series of military dictatorships grew rich on the spoils of the energy sector, millions of mostly subsistence farmers were given little or no help at all.

The result: Nigeria is now the world’s second largest importer of rice and the biggest buyer of U.S. wheat, while much of its own fertile land lies fallow.

A booming population has sent its food import bill rocketing to around $11 billion a year equivalent to more than a third of the federal budget.

Agriculture also offers the best chance to cut unemployment, which feeds an Islamist insurgency in the north and oil theft in the south.

Unemployment is 23 percent and youth unemployment doubles that, national statistics suggest.

“Poverty is the source of a lot of the insecurity problems we have. A hungry man is an angry man,” Adesina said.

The minister plans to create 3.5 million new jobs in agriculture and boost food production by 20 million metric tons by 2015, the year of the next national election.

To achieve this, he wants to boost access to microfinance for farmers and draw in $10 billion of foreign investment into farming and food processing.

He has received tentative praise for early successes from foreign diplomats, bankers and aid agencies, but big agrobusiness projects have yet to take off.

Adesina took a corrupt fertilizer subsidy out of politicians’ hands and now farmers are texted subsidy vouchers directly to their mobile phones so they can recoup from fertilizer sellers, a policy used in Kenya’s farming reforms.

Seventy percent of farmers now receive subsidized fertilizer and seeds, compared with 11 percent under the corrupt program previously run by state

A rice farm

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina governments, Adesina said.

Long Road Ahead Production of rice, cassava, wheat, sorghum, and corn are rising and cocoa, Nigeria’s most important export crop, looks set to go up by more than a third this season.

In 2012, agriculture exports rose by 128 billion naira ($788 million) and food imports fell by 850 billion, Adesina says.

Foreign investors such as food giant Cargill, seed company Syngenta, brewer SABMiller and Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote are planning to build everything from fertilizer plants to food processing factories.

Yet rice imports still soak up $7 million a day, while poor infrastructure and policy flip-flopping have in the past seen farming potential wasted.

Farmers need infrastructure to get goods to market -- and rural Nigeria’s is as woeful as it gets.

Nigerian billionaire Dangote

has pledged to spend $35 million on a tomato paste plant in the northern city of Kano and $45 million in Cross River state to process pineapple juice.

Adesina says he has received $8 billion in commitments but such promises are often not kept in Nigeria. Cargill and SABMiller told Reuters they are only “considering” investing.

“I would estimate that no more than one dollar of investment actually occurs for every $100 of announced commitments,” said Fola Fagbule, an Africa-focused investment banker in Lagos.

A central bank initiative has issued guarantees on around 25 billion naira of agriculture loans since it began in July last year, lifting lending to the sector to around 4 percent of total loans, from 1.5 percent at end-2009, the bank says.

The World Bank is putting in $100 million into agriculture, while British and U.S. aid projects pump in tens of millions.

This barely scratches the $10 billion Adesina says the sector needs by 2015. Smallholders say banks still don’t lend to them, while the scheme doles out cheap money to big firms.

“We’ve heard it all before and I have never seen it get better,” says Alhaji, a farmer wrestling with two scrawny long-horned cows dragging a rusty plough through a field.

“I have 15 children and ... we barely get enough food to feed ourselves,” he said.

Bearing Fruit?

A few success stories nonetheless give cause for

optimism.

Farmer Mustapha says he made $1,350 per hectare from his harvest after paying back private firm Doreo Partners, which runs the Babban Gona project, compared to previous years where he might earn $200 per hectare.

“Now I want to grow my farm, I have so much space I never used. Now I will send my children to school,” he said, while behind him mostly unused farmland stretched to the horizon.

Doreo is working with 600 farmers. It has ambitious plans to boost this to 500,000 by 2020, and 5 million by 2030.

“I know it sounds ambitious but it’s been done elsewhere and Nigeria has so much easyto-reach potential,” said Kola Masha, the company’s head.

Masha is attempting to emulate giant food cooperatives like CHS in the U.S. or India’s dairy franchise Amul, who make huge profits while helping millions of smallholder farmers.

He gives farmers high-quality fertilizer, seeds, equipment and expertise on credit to massively increase their yields, while negotiating with firms like Nestle to buy the produce at higher prices than the farmers could get themselves.

Farmers working with Masha, he said, are using 40 times more fertilizer than neighbors who could never afford that amount.

“It is early days but I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been,” he said.

(Source: Reuters)

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Friday, July 5, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Special Report

Boko Haram: How 20,000 fleeing Nigerians turned to refugees in Cameroon From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, who was in Ashgashiya, Barawa and Chigide in Nigerian-Cameroon border

T

he deadly offensive launched by the Nigerian military against the Boko Haram insurgents has provoked fresh controversies in the area.

In some parts of northern and southern senatorial zones of Borno state, after the declaration of emergency rule by President Goodluck Jonathan, the activities of these soldiers have led to the massive influx of refugees into the neighboring countries of Niger and Cameroon Republics.

Thousands of border communities crossed over there as they were seriously scared by the heavy presence of large numbers of ‘strange’ troops, hundreds of armored tanks, fighter jets, combat helicopters and other sophisticated military hardwares, among others.

No fewer than 6,000 border communities in Malamfatori town of the Borno north, the administrative headquarters of Abadam local government council fled to Niger and took refuge in Bosso town to escape from cross fire due to heavy military presence. Also, at least 20,000 border communities living in Gwoza local government council of the southern part of the state said they were forced to flee into the neighboring town of Ashgashiya in Cameroon to escape what they termed as ‘extra- judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and intimidation’

allegedly perpetrated by special troops deployed to battle the Boko Haram insurgents.

Gwoza, about 130 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state capital and one of the major epicenters of the Boko Haram insurgency which witnessed series of killings and bombings in the last three years. The affected persons, comprising women, children and the elderly, from over 40 villages have now turned to refugees in Cameroon Republic after trekking for a 10 meter distance to cross over a stream which serves as a border between the two countries.

The affected communities said they had fled to Cameroon to seek for safety when soldiers invaded their respective areas and allegedly embarked on selective killings. Our correspondent, who visited the affected areas in company of the top officials of the state government recently, reported that there was no single socioeconomic activity going on there as all the towns were deserted as people abandoned their homes and crossed over to the Cameroonian territory. Some youth were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions protesting their return, with one of the inscriptions reading ‘no going back to Nigeria’. It was observed that some of the fleeing Nigerians were sheltered in empty primary and secondary schools as Cameroonian authorities normally shut down schools during rainy season. Others were equally accommodated

in the homes of some Cameroonians with whom they share some historical, religious and cultural ties, even as they sometime intermarry.

In a bid to prevent the situation from getting out of hands and calm down the fears of the refugees, Governor Kashim Shettima, who is now on an official visit to China has quickly swung into action. He directed his Deputy, Zanna Umar Mustapha to visit the areas to ascertain the situation of the communities, with a view to persuading them to return home. Ashgashiya town was the first place of call visited by the Deputy Governor, Umar Mustapha and was accompanied by members of the state executive council, permanent secretaries, heads of the various government establishments, security chiefs and other top government officials. Before the arrival of the entourage to the area, the affected residents who got hint of the visit had already gathered within the territory of their ‘new country’ even as they were seen visibly piqued. the deputy governor was obviously shocked on seeing the high number of people who abandoned their homes and fled In their separate remarks, community leaders

of the aggrieved refugees told the deputy governor that they resolved fleeing to Cameroon following the ‘merciless killings and other atrocities’ allegedly meted out on them by the security forces, under the guise of hunting suspected terrorists.

Narrating their ordeals to the deputy governor, the community leader of Ashigashiya village, Alhaji Abdu Ashigashiya said that it was fear of death that informed their fleeing to Cameroon and vowed never to return to Nigeria because they believed that those killed by the soldiers were not Boko Haram insurgents but innocent civilians. he said some people hid under political and religious sentiments and gave their names to soldiers as members of terrorist group. Also speaking, another community leader in Ngoshe village Malam Abubakar Saddiqi alledged that sometimes last month soldiers came into Ngoshe town with a lists of people and arrested three who were killed almost immediately without given the

opportunity for fair hearing.

According to Malam Siddiqi, in the history of Ngoshe they had never experienced violence of any kind not to talk of involving soldiers as Christians and Muslims had been leaving together peacefully.

“But we wonder why the security forces visited their anger on us even after one of the commanders deployed to the area, assured us that no soldier who would kill anybody unlawfully, five days later, precisely on 20th June 2013,

we woke up with the sound of gun shots everywhere, which resulted in the killings of eight persons including a principal, head master and an Imam of the Friday mosque.”

Malam Suleiman Dalhatu, an agric extension worker told the deputy governor that he ran to Cameroon because his name was included in the lists as member of Boko Haram, but that he has nothing to do with the sect. “We would not return as Nigerians to our country unless and until government

“

The affected persons, comprising women, children and the elderly, from over 40 villages have now turned to refugees in Cameroon Republic after trekking for a 10 meter distance to cross over a stream which serves as a border between the two countries

brought to book those who because of sentiment of religion and politics gave our names as members of the sect group”, he alleged While in Barawa community, it took the intervention of Umar Mustapha to avert a fresh religious violence that would have erupted when Muslim comminity accused their Christian counterpart for leaking the names of some innocent people to the security forces as members of the Boko Haram sect. But for the quick mediation of the deputy governor, the matter was amicably resolved. He called for a unity, reconciliation and forgiveness among the residents so that they can return home. The deputy governor, who was visibly piqued over the incident, said government would provide relief materials for the refugees pending their final return to their homes. He directed the community leaders to select 300 from the affected areas who would be giving allowances by government to help in securing their towns and prevent indiscriminate killings.

A member of the state Assembly representing the local government, Ahmed

Photos: Showing different scenes of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, as they protest the unlawfull killing of their neigbours and kinsmen in Maiduguri Jaha also informed the deputy governor on what they where able to do to convince the people but all efforts prove abortive. He said that, over 20,000 people have been declared international refugees in the area . Jaha explained that

the Cameroonian authorities had duly received and register the fleeing persons as international refugees as they were given shelter and feeding. According to him, the refugees lack basic needs as they were resettled in

schools, while Cameroonian authorities deployed their military operatives to ensure their safety. He called on the government to expedite action and checkmate the excesses of the troops so that residents can return to their homeland.

LAW

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Alleged $15m Ibori bribe: Court to resume hearing on FG’s suit Stories by Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

Federal High Court in Abuja will Wednesday resume hearing in the suit instituted by the Federal Government over the ownership of the $15 million that former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori allegedly gave the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu to stop the probe of financial scam allegedly perpetrated when he was governor of Delta state.

This followed the striking out of a motion brought before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal by a Lagos based refrigerator repairer, Olalekan Bayode seeking to stop a Federal High Court in Abuja from further hearing on the matter.

The artisan had, in the motion prayed that the Federal Government suit on the ownership tussle of the money be stopped pending the final determination of his appeal case at the Appellate Court.

Justice Amiru Sanusi leading two other Justices of the Appeal Court struck out the motion for being defective and grossly incompetent.

The grouse of the Appeal Court was that the motion did not contain the grounds upon which it was filed by a United Kingdom based lawyer, Mr. John Kayode Olufemi Aina.

Justice Sanusi held that the motion was grossly defective beyond immediate remedy as it did not; in any way comply with the Rules of the Court of Appeal.

Bayode had, at the Federal High Court applied that he be appointed as a manager to disburse the $15 million bribe money to the indigents, especially widows and orphans through a charitable organization.

His application for a joinder cum intervener in the suit for the money to be released to him was however dismissed by the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole for being frivolous and lacking in merit.

The Judge held that the appli-

cant did not show sufficient ground and interest upon which the huge sums of money should be released to him other than his claim of being a Nigerian and refrigerator repairer based at Alagbo in Lagos State.

Justice Kolawole held that the Federal Government which instituted the case did not ask for manager to manage the fund but applied for those having interest on the $15 million to come forth before an order of forfeiture would be granted in its favour.

The applicant was described by Justice Kolawole as a busy body, meddlesome interloper and one who was out to mock the judiciary and the serious matter in dispute.

However, not satisfied with the pronouncement of the Federal High Court made on November 23, 2012, the applicant headed for the Court of Appeal to ventilate his dissatisfaction.

His counsel who flew into the country from the United Kingdom to argue the motion for stay of proceeding said that he would decide the next line of action in due course.

Ibori, a former Governor of

James Ibori Delta State was alleged to have offered the $15 million as bribe to Ribadu, the then EFCC Chairman to compromise on the probe of his administration.

Due to Ibori’s denial, the money

was kept in the vault of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) since 2007 until last year when the Federal Government approached a Federal High Court to order that the money be forfeited to it.

Igbeke denies complicity in leaked S/Court judgment

S

enator Alphonsus Ubanesse Igbeke has dissociated himself from the leakage of a Supreme Court judgment in his appeal challenging the declaration of Mrs. Margery Okadigbo as the senator representing Anambra North Senatorial district.

Reacting to a statement from the Supreme Court which linked him to the leaked judgment, Igbeke said that he read the leaked judgment on the internet just like every other Nigerian.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Mr Uchem Obi, Igbeke said he read with palpable shock the widely reported story linking his name with leakage of the Supreme Court judgment in the appeal he brought against Lady Margery

Okadigbo.

He said he did not conspire by himself or with any person or persons to leak the judgment even as he described the act as irresponsible from which he stood not to benefit anything.

Igbeke said he read the said judgment on the internet as many other Nigerians who first read it and alerted him and therefore rejected any insinuation linking him to its leakage.

He also said he was ready to make himself available for investigation, adding that the allegation was the handiwork of his political opponents to devise other means of stopping him from contesting Anambra governorship election.

Last week the Federal Judicial

Service Commission (FJSC) dismissed five Supreme Court workers and a staff of the Court of Appeal of Abuja Division for their involvement in the leakage of the undelivered judgment in the case of SC 179/2012 Senator Alphonsus Uba Igbeke Vs Lady Margery Okadigbo and 3 others.

A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr Sunday Olorundahunsi gave the names of the affected workers as: Russell Ndenu, Nathaniel Abraham, Olayinka Abiodun, Bada Kayode, Festus Ilurimi and Stephen Izonebi The commission also recommended to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN) to consider whether the alleged

mastermind of the leakage, Senator Alphonsos Igbeke has breached the law for which he should be prosecuted.

The commission has requested the justice minister to further investigate the motive behind the leakage and possibly take legal action against Igbeke and Mr Collins Okechukwu for allegedly masterminding the leaked undelivered judgement of the Supreme Court.

Olorundahunsi said that the six judiciary workers were found through investigation conducted internally as well as police investigation to have conspired amongst themselves and allegedly with two outsiders, i.e. Senator Alphonsus Igbeke and Mr Collins Okechukwu to leak the judgment before it was

delivered on May 31, 2013.

Igbeke had put up a paid advert on page 42 of the Daily Sun of May 30, 2013 alleging that the said judgment had leaked which forced his counsel in the matter, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) to write to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court to dissociate himself from the publication. He also withdrew his service to Igbeke on the matter.

Olorundahunsi said: “The FJSC considered their act as serious misconduct that runs contrary to Regulation 48 (1)(xi) of the Federal Judicial Service Commission Regulations, Regulation 49 and Regulation 60 (1)(i).

“Their acts are also in violation of the Public Service Rule (PSR) Cap 3 section 4 (030401) and (030416).”

grant Lawan and Emenalo’s application, where-in they prayed the court to stop their trial pending the determination of their appeal at the Court of Appeal.

The duo had appealed against the decision of the trial court which held that they have a case to answer in the criminal charges preferred against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Lawan and Emenalo are being prosecuted by ICPC for allegedly receiving $620,000 from a Lagos based oil magnet, Mr. Femi Otedola to influence the report of the committee in favour of Zenon Oil

and Gas Limited.

Justice Oniyangi had, while dismissing the application by Lawan and Emenalo, held that the duo has a case to answer in the alleged $620,000 bribery charge.

Alleged $620,000 bribe: Court slates July 10 to decide Lawan, Emenalo’s application for stay

A

R-L: House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on Subsidy Probe: Farouk Lawan and the committee’s Secretary, Boniface Emenalo.

n Abuja High Court sitting before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi will on July 10, 2013 rule on whether or not to stay proceedings in the trial of former Chairman, House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on Subsidy Probe, Farouk Lawan and the committee’s Secretary, Boniface Emenalo.

The judge slated the date at the last hearing of the matter after entertaining arguments from the counsel representing the accused persons, Rickey Tarfa (SAN) and prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).

The arguments were on whether or not the court should

Femi Otedola

PAGE 27

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Education

wallybabe2010@gmail.com, 08050639900

FG sustains investments to improve basic education

By Maryam Garba Hassan

M

inister of State for Education Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has declared that investments in the basic education sector will be sustained by the Federal Government to address the out-ofschool challenge confronting the nation.

The Minister spoke at the weekend in Abuja while receiving the Most Outstanding Minister of State Award 2012 from the West African Society for Communication and Administration (WASCA).

The Minister expressed happiness that WASCA, an association of communication professionals appreciates the investments made by the present administration in the areas of Almajiri and girl child education programmes, phased rehabilitation of Federal Government Colleges, mass literacy, enhanced teacher training and free distribution of textbooks to Nigerian children.

He said the Federal Government is working to ensure that all less privileged Nigerian children have access to quality basic education.

“The Jonathan administration seeks out from the very beginning to ensure access to basic education for less privileged Nigerian children. We have completed more than 90 Almajiri schools, out of the 125 we started.

We have completed majority of our girl child schools and more than 50 libraries have been completed in Federal Government Colleges across the country.

“We have trained more than one million teachers to improve their teaching ability, while the total phased rehabilitation of Federal Government Colleges has been a remarkable success”, the minister said.

Wike assured Nigerians that the tempo of improvements in the basic education sector will not

only be sustained, but it will be stepped to achieve greater success.

According to him, the Jonathan administration is recording huge successes in the creation of access to basic education because the implementation of programmes has been premised on careful planning by the government.

He called on other tiers of government

saddled with the responsibility of overseeing basic education to live up to their responsibility.

Presenting the award to the Minister, WASCA Executive Secretary, Mr. Simeon Charles, said the award was in recognition of the minister’s dedication to youth development, innovation in the education sector and the implementation

of turn around projects in the sector.

He added: “Your laudable strides in the education sector are a confirmation of your overall contributions to the nation’s economic development”.

The WASCA award ceremony was graced by top government officials, professional associations, Paramilitary officers and fellows of WASCA.

R-L: General Manager, Allanwoods Test and Preparatory School Abuja , Mrs. Comfort Davut in a group photograph with the graduating students, during the school’s 2013 graduation ceremony, on Saturday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Buhari attributes ineffective leadership to poor education

From Muhammed Ibrahim, Kaduna

F

ormer Head of State, retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has attributed ineffective leadership in the country to the inability of government to provide effective education for Nigerians.

Buhari said this at a conference in Zaria with the theme, ``Uniting our People for Change’’ organised by a group called

``Movement for a Better Future, at the weekend.

Buhari who described education as a vital tool for human existence and development, blamed the problem of ineffective leadership in Nigeria on lack of education adding that, when people are denied effective education, they are finished.

In his remark, Gov. Ra’uf Aregbesola of Osun, who was the special guest of honour

at the event, appealed to Nigerians to elect credible candidates into various elective positions who would help to develop the country, stressing the need for Nigerians to work together to actualise national cohesion, a bright and progressive future.

Chairman of the occasion and former Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Food Security, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, lamented that Nigerian history was not being taught in secondary schools and that

teaching Nigerian history would enable students have better understanding of the country.

He however attributed the crisis facing the country to politics of deceit, ethnicity, religious bigotry, selfishness and greed adding, that the number of people dying in the country from hunger, disease and poverty is more than those dying as a result of the present insecurity in the country.

National Open University to widen access to tertiary education - VC “We are very flexible and operate From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

V

ice Chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Vincent Ado Tenebe has said that the motive behind the creation of the National Open University of Nigeria by the federal government was to further widen access to tertiary education for Nigerians.

The Vice Chancellor made the remarks yesterday in Jega, Kebbi state during the official handing over of facilities to National Open University of Nigeria by Kebbi State Government to serve as Kebbi Study Center.

He said with the establishment of the university in the state, Kebbi would be the first beneficiary to run women programme centre within the university.

Prof. Tenebe said that what the open University offers was in line with world standard and that the system offers Nigerians flexible opportunity to further their education at their door step other than the normal conventional system of education.

according to world standard, providing door step service to Nigerians which is an attempt by the federal government to ensure that Nigerians have access to tertiary education”, he said.

He further declared that the Open University has centers in all the 36 states of

Nigeria with the exception of Ebonyi state and have special centers for the Military, Para military and the prisoners including programme centers for life planning for skill acquisition. ‘’The National Open University of Nigeria has over 120,000 students and have

Atiku receives honorary Doctorate degree

By Abbas Aminu Bamalli ounder of American University of Nigeria (AUN) and Nigeria’s former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has received an honorary Doctor of International Relations (DIR) from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations (GSD).

A statement signed by the Assistant Vice-President, Public Relation & Communications of the University, Abubakar Abba Tahir at the weekend in Yola, disclosed this.

Tahir stated that during the prestigious commencement ceremonies in Geneva, Switzerland, GSD President Colum de Sales

F

Murphy cited Atiku, “For his exemplary leadership as Vice President of Nigeria; for his democratic and courageous resistance to the militarization of national politics and his rightful insistence that political opposition not be treated as enemies of the state but rather, respected for needed loyal opposition”.

Murphy further said that the award was given to the former Vice president for excellence not only at the highest political levels but as an entrepreneur and a role model in the business arena and for his dedicated fostering of development and education as evidenced in his visionary and historic founding of the American University

since last year gotten approval to run 30 programmes’’ he said.

In his remarks, the state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji. Khalid Aliyu, expressed his happiness that the state has joined the league of states with National Open University study center. of Nigeria”, the statement added.

Thanking President Murphy and the GSD Community, Atiku said “as a little boy growing up in a small village in North East Nigeria, I could not have imagined myself standing before you today to receive an honorary doctorate degree from this prestigious school, in this city of diplomacy, in this prestigious country. I never dreamed of a day like this”.

He said education is what helped him to make the modest achievements that he has made in business and politics and the contributions that he has made in improving the lives of others adding that education has also informed his determination to give back to society, especially through education.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

NASARAWA: ENOUGH OF OPPOSITION SHANANIGANS

By Rayyanu Bala

of potentialities that could add to beautification of the city to attract investors but filth and defacement hen Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura thwarted these potentials. The demolition of illegal came on board, he never, even for once, structures in Karu axis as well as the on-going pretended that business would be allowed exercise in Lafia and other urban centers in the to go as usual in the state. He, in fact, stated state could at best be seen and appreciated within categorically clear that all areas of defects in all the sectors this context. of the state economy would be looked into with a view to And besides, it was in recognition of the gearing it up to the level of best practices around the world. importance of improving environment to He further vowed not to leave any stone unturned in the conform to the world best practices that this issue process of ensuring realization of these objectives. However of demolition of illegal structures appeared like a this effort of government has, in the last years, started peer review of the Nigerian governors, as almost all yielding positive result with noticeable but appreciable states of the federation have at one time or the other changes in virtually all the sectors of the state, including embarked on the exercise. Therefore demolition of our environment. illegal structures is not only restricted to Nasarawa As a government, conscious of vital role which clean state. Other states have done it while in some other environment plays in improving not only the economic states the exercise is still on-going. status of a given society but also in enhancing health status Umaru Tanko Al-Makura The PDP in Nasarawa state, having failed of the people of a given area, Al-makura led administration Executive Governor, Nasarawa State woefully in the 12 years that they held sway, have paid serious attention to the squalid and defacing nature of now turned to chasing shadows in their desperate the environment with which our people were forced to contend with as a means to return to power in the state. It is therefore not surprising when result poor environmental management occasioned by lack of exposure of PDP went to town telling whoever that cares to listen that the on-going the extend to which environment meant to economy and the health of the demolition of illegal structures in Lafia, the state capital and other urban people by the previous PDP administrations in the state. centers was in their words ‘design to deprived people of their means It is, of-course, true that before Al-makura came on board, our of livelihood’. And just like I observed in one of my piece at the heat of environment, apart from been filthy, has been defaced by illegal structures Karu demolition, entitled ‘Of Greater Karu Demolition and the Rest of Us’ such that breathing by human and vehicular movements has become (LEADERSHIP SUNDAY March 3, 2013), those who criticized government almost impossible as a result of waste dump odour and traffic obstructions of Nasarawa state for demolition exercise are the type that always find relish in all highways and urban roads in the state. From Keffi- Karu axis to in playing politics with every intention of government however good the Lafia- Jos axis, Lafia-Makurdi road axis, Lafia-Shendam road axis down intention appears. Thus what the PDP are insinuating was not only politics to Lafia- Doma road axis, the story is the same. Likewise, Akwanga- Jos but was an attempt to cover their failure as regards to enhancing our road, Akwanga- Lafia road, Akwanga- Wamba road and Akwnaga- Keffi environment while they were in power. road, the story wasn’t anything different. In fact the story is equally the For example, during 12years of PDP reign in the state, there was nothing same in Nassarawa Eggon highway. Like in all our major highways, our concrete that was done to rid our society of defacement of structures and urban roads too, were indeed, taken over by illegal structures as well as filth, as wastes dump stayed for months without evacuation making our filth. These were few of the scenarios, among many, which confronted environment to become not only an eyesore but our people prone to all Al-makura led administration upon assumption of office relating to sorts malaria- related infections. One patent medicine vendor who environmental filth. operates along Makurdi road Lafia and who gave his name simply as However, as a government which came with clear-cut direction as well Muhammad Sulaiman in an interview sometime ago confirmed that as philosophy of improving the lots of the people of the state, Al-makura visitation to his store by people with cases of malaria, typhoid fever and led administration, as apart of efforts towards improving the environment diarrhea reduced drastically compared to what it used to be before and for a healthy development of both human and infrastructures, confronted attributed the drop to the efforts of the present government at sanitizing this monster called environmental filth head on by first tackling Keffithe environment from filth and illegal structures.

Marraraba- Karu axis believing that doing so could help in transforming Verily, Al-makura led administration meant well for the people of the state the axis to make it look like what Maryland is to Washington DC USA, by the on-going demolition of illegal structures to eradicate defacement thereby improving our yield in terms of IGR. The commissioning of and filth in our midst and to also improve on our environment to make it NAGIS in Karu which gulped over N2billion some times ago by Almuch more attractive and lucrative. But if the PDP sees it differently, then makura would come to naught if efforts of government were not focused it is not only most unfortunate but rather a height of insensitivity to the on improving the environment to attract land developers as well as plight of the people of the state who are now more than ever before, willing investors. What Al-makura led administration is doing at the moment and to move away from all past vices that constituted a cog in the wheel of as regards to demolition of illegal structures is designed to enrich the their progress to greatness. Of-course, the PDP in Nasarawa state, from all environment in order to make it not only more attractive but to also make intent, now result to what Harry Truman would say: If you can’t convince it conform to what is obtainable worldwide. them, confuse them. Even the attempt, sometime ago, by the PDP to There is of course, no denying the fact that Keffi- Mararaba-Karu, confuse people between projects executed by Nasarawa state government being a gate way to Abuja, has a lot of potentials which, if adequately under Al-makura and MDG’s projects in the state was all part of this ploy. harnessed, could in no distant time stand Nasarawa state on its feet even But then the people of Nasarawa state are indeed, not only wise to all these without any allocation from the federation account and this can only be shenanigans but are saying enough of it. achieved if attention is paid to environment. Like Keffi –Karu axis, Lafia the state capital, as well as other urban centers in the state, also have a lot Bala wrote from Lafia, Nasarawa state.

W

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Healthy Living

FG committed to polio eradication – Minister

T

he Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate, has said that the Federal Government is committed to eradicating wild polio virus in the country.

Pate gave the assurance in Awka during the presentation of an award of best performer of the Nigeria immunisation leadership challenge in the South-East to Gov. Peter Obi of Anambra.

“The issue of polio is close to the heart of Mr. President and is aware that we have spent over 20 years in trying to eradicate polio after smallpox.

“We now have less than 20 cases of wild polio virus this year, while for almost nine months, we did not have any case,” he said.

He thanked state governors for their roles and efforts at ensuring that the country recorded zero report of the

virus.

Pate expressed worry over the transmission of HIV and AIDS virus from mother to child and called for collaboration in the reduction of the transmission and stigmatisation.

The award with N120 million prize money, presented to the governor, was jointly sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

Responding, Obi expressed the administration’s determination to continue to collaborate with relevant agencies in the health sector.

He said that the N120 million would be matched with N180 million by his administration to build 10 maternal centres in disadvantaged communities.

He listed some of the communities as Ogbaru,

Isseke, Lulu, Umunze, Awka North and Oba-ofemmili.

The Immunisation Adviser, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Zikrullah Giwa, said the forum remained resolute in the fight against polio.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof.

Chinyere Okunna, said the award was another testimony and recognition of Obi’s outstanding performance.

She said that government would complete all ongoing projects in the state before the expiration of the administration in 2014.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Lawrence Ikeakor, said the state had remained polio free for more than six years.

He said that 60 per cent of the Primary Health Care Centres in the state had been rehabilitated. NAN

Pate

Menopause does affect Oral health: Preventing cavities at a glance women’s memory, especially ral health is often receive timely treatment for Most oral diseases are those that suffer flushes taken for granted, tooth decay, and they are preventable

O

W

omen who have hot flushes during the menopause experience more memory problems, new research suggests.

The study, published in the journal Menopause, showed that there is a direct link between hot flushes and memory problems.

Researchers at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University in Chicago, U.S., tested the attention and recall of 68 women.

All of the participants were aged between 44 and 62 and each was experiencing at least 35 hot flushes a week.

Women who have hot flushes during the menopause experience more memory problems than those who do not. They also have memory problems for longer.

The women were also asked to complete questionnaires about their menopause symptoms, mood and memory.

The results revealed that the women who had the most hot flushes performed worst on the memory test and the worse the hot flushes, the longer the period of memory loss.

The findings back-up support previous research on menopauserelated memory loss.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New York found that fluctuating levels of female hormones can affect the memory.

They found that women tend to be worst affecting during the first year of the menopause.

However, they also discovered that the effects are unlikely to be permanent.

Another previous study revealed that people who are overweight, smoke, or drink heavily, are more likely to suffer unpleasant symptoms during the menopause.

Researchers at the University of Queensland found that women with unhealthy lifestyles are more likely to experience menopausal night sweats.

People who are overweight, smoke, or drink heavily, are more likely to suffer unpleasant symptoms during the menopause They also found that welleducated women are less likely to develop these symptoms.

Characteristic symptoms of the menopause include hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and irregular periods.

But there are many symptoms that relate to hormones during the two to three years preceding the menopause (the ‘perimenopause’), says Professor John Studd, a consultant gynaecologist at the London PMS and Menopause Clinic.

Among the other reported problems are headaches, formication of the skin, an itchy sensation like crawling insects and thinning hair and skin, as well as memory problems, brain fog, confusion, depression and the inability to concentrate.

Not everyone will experience these symptoms, it depends how sensitive they are to oestrogen and progesterone.

but it is an essential part of our everyday lives.

Good oral health enhances our ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey our feelings and emotions through facial expressions.

However, oral diseases, which range from cavities to oral cancer, cause pain and disability for millions of people each year.

Tooth decay (cavities) is a common, preventable problem for people of all ages. For children, untreated cavities can cause pain, dysfunction, school absences, difficulty concentrating, and poor appearance, problems that greatly affect a child’s quality of life and ability to succeed.

Children from lowerincome families often do not

more likely to suffer from these problems.

Tooth decay is also a problem for many adults, and adults and children of some racial and ethnic groups experience more untreated decay.

• Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection caused by bacteria that gets under the gum tissue and begins to destroy the gums and bone.

Teeth become loose, chewing becomes difficult, and teeth may have to be extracted.

Gum disease also may be connected to damage elsewhere in the body; recent studies link oral infections with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature, low-weight births.

Further research is under way to examine these connections.

Many children and adults still go without simple measures that have been proven to be effective in preventing oral diseases and reducing dental care costs. An example is water fluoridation.

Fluoride prevents tooth decay, and the most cost-effective way to deliver the benefits of fluoride to all residents of a community is through water fluoridation, that is, adjusting the fluoride in the public water supply to the appropriate level for decay prevention. .

Fluoridation is cost effective. One CDC study found that in communities with more than 20,000 residents, money invested in community water fluoridation will yield about 38 times in savings each year from fewer cavities treated.

PAGE 30

Healthy Living

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Painkiller overdose: A growing epidemic among women

N

early 48,000 women died of prescription painkiller* overdoses between 1999 and

2010.

Deaths from prescription painkiller overdoses among women have increased more than 400 per cent since 1999, compared to 265 per cent among men.

For every woman who dies of a prescription painkiller overdose, 30 go to the emergency department for painkiller misuse or abuse.

About 18 women die every day of a prescription painkiller overdose in the US, more than 6,600 deaths in 2010. Prescription painkiller overdoses are an underrecognized and growing problem for women.

Although men are still more likely to die of prescription painkiller overdoses (more than 10,000 deaths in 2010), the gap between men and women is closing. Deaths from prescription painkiller overdose among women have risen more sharply than among men; since 1999, the percentage increase in deaths was more than 400 per cent among women compared to 265 per cent in men. This rise relates closely to increased prescription of these drugs during the past decade.

Health care providers can help improve the way painkillers are prescribed while making sure women have access to safe, effective pain treatment.

When prescribing painkillers, health care providers can • Recognize that women are at risk of prescription painkiller overdose.

• Follow guidelines for responsible prescribing, including screening and monitoring for substance abuse and mental health problems.

• Use prescription drug monitoring programs to identify patients who may be improperly obtaining or using prescription

painkillers and other drugs. *”Prescription painkillers” refers to opioid or narcotic pain relievers, including drugs such as Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), Opana (oxymorphone), and methadone.

Prescription painkiller overdoses are a serious and growing problem among women • More than 5 times as many women died from prescription painkiller overdoses in 2010 as in 1999.

• Women between the ages of 25 and 54 are more likely than other age groups to go to the emergency department from prescription painkiller misuse or abuse. Women ages 45 to 54 have the highest risk of dying from a prescription painkiller overdose.* • Non-Hispanic white and American Indian or Alaska Native women have the highest risk of dying from a prescription painkiller overdose.

• Women are more likely to have chronic pain, be prescribed

prescription painkillers, be given higher doses, and use them for longer time periods than men.

• Women may become dependent on prescription painkillers more quickly than

men.

• Women may be more likely than men to engage in “doctor shopping” (obtaining prescriptions from multiple prescribers).

• Abuse of prescription painkillers by pregnant women can put an infant at risk.

Cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which is a group of problems that can occur in newborns exposed to prescription painkillers or other drugs while in the womb, grew by almost 300 per cent in the US between 2000 and 2009.

Ways government can curb painkiller overdose • Government should track prescription drug overdose trends to better understand the epidemic.

• Government should educate health care providers and the public about prescription drug misuse, abuse, overdose and the risks for women.

• Should develop and evaluate programs and policies that will prevent and treat prescription drug abuse and overdose, while making sure patients have access to safe, effective pain treatment.

• Should work to

improve access to mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Health care providers can: • Recognize that women can be at risk of prescription drug overdose.

• Discuss pain treatment options, including ones that do not involve prescription drugs.

• Discuss the risks and benefits of taking prescription painkillers, especially during pregnancy.

This includes when painkillers are taken for chronic conditions.

• Follow guidelines for responsible painkiller prescribing, including: o Screening and monitoring for substance abuse and mental health problems. o Prescribing only the quantity needed based on appropriate pain diagnosis. o Using patient-provider agreements combined with urine drug tests for people using prescription painkillers long term. o Teaching patients how to safely use, store, and dispose of drugs. o Avoiding combinations of prescription painkillers and benzodiazepines (such as Xanax and Valium) unless there is a specific medical indication.

• Talk with pregnant women who are dependent on prescription painkillers about treatment options, such as opioid agonist therapy.

States can: • Take steps to improve PDMPs, such as real time data reporting and access, integration with electronic health records, proactive unsolicited reporting, incentives for provider use, and interoperability with other states.

• Identify improper prescribing of painkillers and other prescription drugs by using PDMPs and other data.

• Increase access to substance abuse treatment, including getting immediate treatment help for pregnant women.

• Consider steps that can reduce barriers (such as lack of childcare) to substance abuse treatment for women.

Women can: • Discuss all medications they are taking (including overthe-counter) with their health care provider.

• Use prescription drugs only as directed by a health care provider, and store them in a secure place.

• Dispose of medications properly, as soon as the course of treatment is done. Do not keep prescription medications around “just in case.”

• Help prevent misuse and abuse by not selling or sharing prescription drugs. Never use another person’s prescription drugs.

• Discuss pregnancy plans with their health care provider before taking prescription painkillers. www.cdc.com

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 31

International

Greece: Blank TV screens and a blank reform agenda ANALYSIS

By Nicolas Katsaounis

L

ast month, New Democracy, the biggest partner in Greece’s ruling threeparty coalition, took the unexpected decision to cease operation of the country’s national broadcaster, ERT. Within a day, all broadcasting stopped and a blank screen was displayed in its stead.

The move was intended to display the government’s bravado in dealing with the unions, to display its assertiveness in public-sector reform and to capitalise on anger against the perceived corruption and ineffectiveness of everything public in Greece. But the political calculus behind the decision was flawed, and it threw the government into a crisis.

The move did not go down well with the public. A wave of protest and solidarity erupted in Athens in opposition to the decision, and the latest polls show that a full twothirds of the electorate opposes it.

New Democracy’s coalition partners - PASOK and the Democratic Left issued stern warnings and indicated that government stability would be threatened if New Democracy insisted on going through with its decision. They claimed, with considerable merit, that the decision was illegal, since it was issued with a legal mechanism reserved for passing emergency measures and did not have the entire cabinet’s approval.

But New Democracy refused to back down, asserting that the broadcaster’s closure was a necessity: First, the Troika - comprised of the IMF, European Commission, and the European Central Bank - mandated layoffs in the public sector. Second, corruption within ERT made reform impossible; a clean slate was required. After many sharp exchanges and a media firestorm, the Supreme Court decided that the decision was illegal and ordered ERT reopened until a new broadcaster takes its place.

The decision vindicated the coalition’s minority parties. After much wrangling, New Democracy refused to back down and the Democratic Left withdrew from the government, refusing to ratify what it considered an illegal decision.

Among those were appointments of non-qualified party loyalists to key positions, scandalous sinecures, and attempts to intervene in news reporting to serve the government’s agenda. Furthermore, just 18 days before the decision to close down ERT, New Democracy had appointed loyalists of all three parties to the board of ET3, one of the three channels operated by ERT. It is one thing to aim for reform and fail. It is another to use public anger to shut down institutions that the government itself not only has failed to reform, but has corrupted

Greeks opposed the government’s move to shut down the national broadcaster, ERT [AFP] further. If the unions share part of the blame, so does the political leadership for not devising a longterm plan to address these problems, letting them fester instead and buying votes in the process.

These developments highlight a wider trend in the way reform - or the pretense of it - is carried out in Greece. The political modus operandi goes something like this: The Troika proposes measures of varying harshness and popularity.

The government drags its feet and, depending on the issue, attempts to negotiate while currying favour with various special interests that oppose reform. When things come to a head, there is some sort of crisis.

The minority partners are not absolved of all blame. PASOK, formerly one of the two biggest parties in Greece and an allpowerful political machine, has seen its popularity plummet from 40 percent to about 7 percent. Fearing that a reform-minded agenda will undermine whatever is left of its

strongholds in the public sector, PASOK dodges contentious political decisions and constantly attempts to square the need for reform with maintaining what popularity it still has with its traditional base, the public sector and the unions.

The Democratic Left is in a similar quandary. Fearing it will lose votes to the radical left, it merely tries to control the media cycle by issuing vague and half-hearted statements.

Both parties lack a clear, long-term political agenda.

It should be no surprise, then, that both those parties, along with New Democracy, have signed an agreement with the Troika that mandates public-sector layoffs.

New Democracy asserted that the coalition government couldn’t achieve any, and this is what the majority partner was willing to do with or without them. The minor partners neither had a proposal as to how that goal could be achieved, nor proposed a realistic alternative for ERT. They merely stalled and

“

complained, presenting an image of being strong-armed by the prime minister’s party.

This pattern is not new in the country’s political life - it has repeated itself many times over. But it could only last as long as external pressure kept a lid on dissent. Sooner or later, a secondary issue would emerge in which Greece’s European partners exerted no influence and the differences between the coalition partners would burst into the open.

The closure of ERT is exactly such an instance, and highlights the fault lines within Greece’s government. It is a coalition of the lowest common denominator, formed to gather enough votes to pass measures that satisfy the criteria for the country’s external funding to continue. But a true coalition government’s purpose is to form a broader social platform enabling measures to pass in parliament with the widest possible social acceptance. If there is no genuine consensus, a crisis is bound to erupt when international

It should be no surprise, then, that both parties, along with New Democracy, have signed an agreement with the Troika that mandates public-sector layoffs.

pressure is absent.

The decision to shut down ERT backfired in a way commensurate with the amateur way it was planned and executed, putting considerable strain on government cohesion. In the wake of the Democratic Left’s withdrawal, the government is scrambling to reshuffle, but there are open questions.

The Democratic Left could have negotiated further with New Democracy to publicly pressure it, but it abruptly chose to withdraw i n st e a d . It i s w ort h a sk i n g whether ERT was the true reason that Democratic Left withdrew, or whether it was trying to find an excuse to do so. For its part, New Democracy is asserting that Democratic Left’s ministers were stalling, implausibly insinuating that the minority partner was the true obstacle to ERT’s reform.

This crisis signified a departure point in Greek politics. The government had gone a long way in stabilising the country, but a new modus vivendi was needed. The crisis could have forced the coalition partners into closer cooperation, with genuine consensus-seeking mechanisms in place, to pass reforms and see the country through this difficult time.

Unfortunately, this didn’t happen. Instead, petty squabbling lead to a weakened government that will have difficulty passing measures in the new fiscal year, likely leading to early elections and prolonged instability.

Source: Aljazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

International Mandela’s grandson removed from tribal position

F

ormer South African president Nelson Mandela’s grandson has been removed from his tribal position on Sunday as a family feud over gravesites continues to grow.

The news was confirmed

by King ZwelibanziDalindyebo of the Thembu tribe, to which Mandela belongs.

Mandla Mandela has been expelled “from all rank of duties” over the family feud, King Dalindyebo said in Qunu, the Eastern Cape Province.

King Dalindyebo said Mandla, a chieftain in the Mvezo area of the province, would not be allowed any involvement in tribal affairs until he apologizes.

This came as Mandela remains in a critical but stable condition, spending his fourth week in the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria for treatment of a recurring lung infection.

After the family feud erupted, the king, a cousin of Mandela, has accused Mandla of disrespecting

his culture and his family.He called Mandla “controversial” and “opportunistic.”

The family feud centers on where Mandela’s three children would be buried. Mandla wanted them to be buried in Mvezo where he took over the tribal chieftaincy from Mandela after the latter became president in 1994. But other family members insist on the family burial in Qunu, where Mandela spent his childhood.

Mandela was born in Mvezo,

but he has expressed his willingness to be buried in Qunu, according to his family.

Mandla removed the remains of the three from Qunu to Mvezo in 2011 without the approval of other family members, who filed a lawsuit against him late last month.

Under a court ruling, the remains were exhumed from Mvezo and reburied in Qunu on Wednesday.

Source: Xinhua

Egypt PM dispute stalls government

media on Saturday, but just before midnight a presidential spokesman told reporters that the prime minister had not in fact been chosen.

The abrupt U-turn came amid opposition to the appointment by the Nour Party, Egypt’s second Islamist force after Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement, highlighting

the challenge the military faces in finding consensus among liberals and conservatives on who should run the country.

Clashes betweentens of thousands of pro- and anti-Mursi protesters swept the Arab world’s most populous nation on Friday and at least 35 people were killed and more than 1,000

wounded.

The violence, which saw rival factions fighting street battles in central Cairo and many others cities and towns, underlined the pressing need for a swift political solution seen as inclusive to all.

“We extend our hand to everyone, everyone is a part of this nation,” the spokesman told reporters. “The Muslim Brotherhood has plenty of opportunities to run for all elections including the coming presidential elections or the ones to follow.”

Minutes after he spoke, state media reported that the public prosecutor ordered that four top Brotherhood leaders held this week be detained for a further 15 days on accusations that they incited violence against protesters.

The four included Saad el-Katatni, head of the group’s political wing, and Khairat El-Shater, its political strategist.

The Brotherhood has said it wants nothing to do with the military’s plans for a new interim government. It believes Mursi should be reinstated, and has pledged to keep protesting until he is.

The Nour Party, however, had agreed to the army-backed transition plan leading to new elections. Its withdrawal from the process would strip that plan of vital Islamist support.

campaign,” Traore said.

Some 28 candidates, including four former prime ministers, are standing in the election.

Experts and some Malian officials have expressed concern about holding the ballot so soon, saying the administration has been badly damaged, particularly in northern regions that were occupied

by Islamists for 10 months. There are also concerns that hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the fighting might be unable to vote.

But diplomats say Western nations led by former colonial ruler France and the United States are pushing for the election date to be maintained because the interim administration is unable to tackle Mali’s problems.

One presidential candidate, former government peace negotiator TiebileDrame, has called for a delay,

warning that Mali is not ready and it could be heading towards chaos.

Drame pointed to continuing instability in Kidal, stronghold of the

Tuareg separatists whose rebellion was hijacked by the Islamists. Mali signed a ceasefire with the Tuareg in June.

Egypts interim president Adli Mansour (R) meets with opposition leader and former U.N nuclear agency chief Mohammed ElBaradei at El- Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo.

E

gypt’s political transition after President Mohamed Mursi was ousted by the military stumbled at the first hurdle, after the choice of liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei as interim prime minister was thrown into doubt by Islamist objections.

ElBaradei’s nomination had been confirmed by several sources and state

Mali state of emergency lifted ahead of election

M

ali has lifted its state of emergency to allow campaigning for a presidential election being held on July 28 after a French-led offensive to drive Islamist militants from the West African country.

But attacks on U.N. peacekeepers in a former rebel stronghold on Saturday underlined the continuing insecurity in the Sahara Desert north.

The state of emergency, imposed when the French offensive began in January, was lifted at midnight (0000 GMT), army spokesman Captain ModiboNamanTraore said.

The emergency measure had given sweeping powers to the army and banned gatherings of more than 50 people.

“The military situation has now stabilized. Lifting the state of emergency will allow the candidates in the presidential election to

Malian interim President DioncoundaTraore (centre, in white scarf) watches a graduation ceremony for gendarmes in Bamako

Zimbabwe opposition party launches campaign

Z

imbabwe’s main opposition party has launched its presidential election campaign, a few days after incumbent President Robert Mugabe began his re-election bid for the July 31 national vote.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, party leader and main candidate for the Movement for Democratic Change, had earlier asked for a delay of at least 25 days to give time to institute democratic reforms and changes to electoral laws to allow for a free and fair ballot.

Tsvangirai is Mugaba’s principal rival in the presidential vote.

Mugabe’s partners in the coalition had also appealed against the July election, but the Constitutional Court, the nation’s highest court, upheld the date on Thursday.

Mugabe said on Friday that his ZANU-PF party would put up a “fight of our lives’’ to regain waning support in urban areas, strongholds of Tsvangirai, and extend his 33-year rule.

“You are our soldiers, you have a battle to fight. Go into the battle well-armed,” he said as he launched an attack on the 15-nation Southern African Development Community which had asked him to delay elections.

“Go into the battle with the full knowledge that there is a political enemy. This is a do or die struggle.”

The 89-year-old president, who was forced to form a tenuous coalition government with Tsvangirai by regional leaders after violent and disputed elections in 2008, has ruled the country since independence from colonial rule in 1980.

Mugabe’s party has been repeatedly accused of political violence, intimidation and voterigging in the past three general elections since 2000.

Al Jazeera’s HaruMutasa, reporting from the site of the opposition campaign launch in Marondera, said that most voters wanted the election to be over and done with.

She said that the main issues voters would be looking at was the economy and many hoped that the elections were free and fair.

Mugabe set the national vote date for July 31 after a May court ruling which ordered him to call for early polls.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 33

International

Kaesong talks: North and South Korea reach agreement O

North Korea’s chief delegate Park Chol-Su (L) and his South Korean counterpart, Su Ho reached an agreement after at least 15 hours of talks.

Officials will meet at Kaesong on Wednesday to “restart operations, prevent an operation suspension in the future and normalise the zone as soon as both sides are ready to do so”, South Korea’s chief delegate SuhHo told reporters after the talks.

“We got an impression that the North was very willing to resolve the Kaesong issue and is making great efforts as well,” SuhHo said.

As part of the deal, both sides agreed to allow South Korean company managers to inspect their factories, as well as retrieve finished goods and raw materials.

Prior to operations being suspended, there were around 120 South Korean businesses in the factory park. The firms have been unable to reach their goods for three months.

Some have since threatened to abandon the zone entirely and relocate their equipment.

Seoul suggested the workinglevel talks on Thursday, a day after Pyongyang said Seoul businessmen could visit the closed complex to inspect and maintain equipment.

Late on Thursday, North Korea accepted the offer, the South said.

Pyongyang withdrew its 53,000 workers from the complex in April, apparently angered by tightened UN sanctions in the wake of its nuclear test in February, and annual South Korea-US military drills.

ourteen soldiers and 64 Taliban fighters have been killed in fighting and roadside bombings across Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, officials say.

The Ministry of

fficials from North and South Korea have agreed in principle to reopen the Kaesong industrial complex.

The deal, which includes facilities inspections, was reached after marathon talks held at the truce village of Panmunjom in the

demilitarised zone.

Work at the factory park was halted in April amid high regional tensions.

Correspondents say the closure of Kaesong, seen as a symbol of interKorean ties, showed how serious this year’s political tensions were.

The industrial complex is a major source of income for the North.

Attempts to hold high-level talks last month failed on procedural grounds.

The meeting on the North Korea side of Panmunjom started on Saturday and lasted at least 15 hours.

Scores killed in Afghan violence F Defence said on Sunday the casualties included 10 Taliban fighters killed in a single operation in Wardak province, west of Kabul.

Three soldiers were killed in Wardak by artillery

fire and roadside bombs.

Seven more soldiers were killed in Helmand province by roadside bombs, and four others were killed in other attacks across the country.

The Afghan army and police, which took over s e c u rity operations from N A TO - l e d c o a l i t i o n f o r c e s this year, have lost 927 troops through June, according to an AP news agency count.

Singh has condemned the blasts at the complex saying “such attacks on religious places will never be tolerated.”

Indian home secretary Anil Goswami called the blasts “a terror attack” but no one has so far claimed

responsibility, according to the Press Trust of India.

The national government has sent two teams of investigators to probe the blasts, said Goswami, the top interior ministry official.

District police official N H Khan told AFP that “additional security forces were deployed” while the NDTV channel reported that another unexploded device had been discovered.

Serial blasts hit Buddhist site in India

A

t least two people have been wounded after multiple lowintensity blasts hit a Buddhist temple complex in the eastern state of Bihar, police say.

Police said that eight blasts took placeearlyonSundayonthecampusof the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya.

Three other explosions were reported at the nearby Karma temple and a shrine with a 55m-high Buddhist tower.

The site attracts thousands of pilgrims every year, the centre of attraction being a huge tree under which Buddha was supposed to have sat and gained enlightenment.

“The holy bodhi tree is safe and there is no damage to it,” Bihar police chief Abhayanand told the AFP news agency while confirming the blasts and injuries.

Senior police officer S K Bhardwaj told the AP news agency a gate at one of the shrines was badly damaged.

No other damage was reported to the Buddhist centres.

One Tibetan and one pilgrim from Myanmar received minor injuries and weretakentoahospital,Bhardwajsaid.

Another explosion damaged an empty tourist bus parked near the Mahabodhi Temple, he said.

IndianPrimeMinisterManmohan

The temple at Bodhgaya

Asia & Middle East

Abu Qatada deported from UK

Abu Qatada

R

adical cleric Abu Qatada has appeared in court in Jordan after being deported from the UK. His plane left RAF Northolt at 02:46 BST for his home country, where he was formally charged with terror offences, which he denies.

Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “delighted” at his removal.

Abu Qatada was first arrested over alleged terror connections in 2001. He was rearrested in 2005, when attempts to deport him began.

The Palestinian-Jordanian cleric’s deportation was finally able to proceed after the UK and Jordan signed a treaty agreeing that evidence obtained through torture would not be used against him.

Home Secretary Theresa May said she was glad that the government’s determination to remove him had been “vindicated”.

“This dangerous man has now been removed from our shores to face the courts in his own country,” she said.

She added that she wanted to streamline such deportation processes in future.

“I am also clear that we need to make sense of our human rights laws and remove the many layers of appeals available to foreign nationals we want to deport.

“We are taking steps including through the new Immigration Bill - to put this right.”

Mrs May said she also hoped to look at Britain’s relationship with the European Court of Human Rights.

“Nothing is off the table” when it comes to negotiating with Europe, she said.

Abu Qatada was accompanied on the flight of around five hours by six people from Jordan, comprising three security officials, a psychologist, a medical examiner and his Jordanian lawyer.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

International

Two dead in San Francisco plane crash

U

S authorities have confirmed that two people have died in a plane crash at San Francisco International Airport, while the rest of the passengers have been accounted for.

San Francisco airport spokesman Doug Yakel said that 182 of the 307 people, 291 passengers and 16 crew, on board the Asiana Airlines flight 214 from Seoul, South Korea, were being treated in local hospitals.

Of the 182 injured people taken to hospitals, at least 49 were in critical condition late Saturday.

The remaining 133 had minor to moderate injuries, while many of the other passengers or crew members had more minor injuries that didn’t require extra treatment.

Peter Goelz, former director of the National Transport Safety Board told Al Jazeera that the engines of the plane would be carefully examined due to similarities with a similar Boeing 777 crash in Heathrow five years ago.

Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said that Yoon Young-doo, CEO of Asiana told a press conference that he did not believe the crash was caused by an engine failure or any other mechanical failure as the aircraft was relatively new.

US officials examined flight

information recorders and began investigating the crash and said that there was no immediate indication of the cause of Saturday’s accident but Asiana said mechanical failure did not appear to be a factor.

Some eyewitnesses said the aircraft seemed to lose control and that the tail may have hit the ground.

China Central Television said on Sunday evening that the two

victims who died were students at Jiangshan Middle School in China’s eastern Zhejiang province citing a fax from Asiana Airlines.

The two students were identified as Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia.

The airline said the two victims were 16 years old.

Witnesses said the tail of the plane appeared to hit the approach area of the runway, which juts out into San Francisco Bay, as it came

in for landing.

The tail came off and the aircraft appeared to bounce violently, scattering a trail of debris, before coming to rest on the tarmac.

Rob Reynolds reporting from San Francisco, said that the casualty numbers were low because of the quick thinking of the crew who immediately deployed emergency slides and calmly evacuated the plane.

The Asiana Airlines flight 214 being rescued at SF airport.

Death toll rises in Canada train blast

A

nother two bodies have been found after a runaway train carrying crude oil exploded in the Canadian town of LacMegantic, police say.

The death toll from Saturday’s pre-dawn explosion now stands at three, and there are fears it may rise further.

The blast sent a fireball and black smoke into the air, forcing the evacuation of 1,000 people.

Dozens of buildings were destroyed in the town, about 250km

(155 miles) east of Montreal.

Police are trying to account for dozens of missing people.

“People have been reported missing or disappeared but... we are not going to issue a figure,” police spokesman Michel Brunet told reporters.

“We know there are going to be more deaths.”

Two of five cars that exploded are still ablaze nearly 36 hours later, officials told a press briefing on Sunday morning.

Firefighters have been battling the flames with water and a fire retardant, but are staying at least 500 ft from the burning tankers for fear of more blasts.

The train’s 73 cars carrying pressurised containers of crude oil reportedly uncoupled from an engine parked outside the town around 01:00 (06:00 BST) on Saturday, gathering speed as they rolled down the tracks before derailing in Lac Megantic.

Eyewitnesses said that by the

time the cars reached the town they were travelling at considerable speed and that bars in the town centre were crowded at the time.

Local media have reported up to 100 people missing.

The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic train had five locomotive engines and 73 cars filled with light crude oil, and was parked in the village of Nantes - about 7km (four miles) from Lac-Megantic - during an overnight driver shift-change, said a company spokesman.

crisis, when bankers were blamed for taking their institutions and in some cases their national economies to the brink, the register is part of a wider effort by the EBA to standardize the way countries across the EU 28 decide which bankers are fit and proper for the job.

The EBA lacks the power to compel countries to set the same standards for bankers across the EU but has brought in new guidelines on how countries should evaluate bankers’ suitability and will “name and shame” countries that don’t comply, Vaillant said.

The EBA was given the power to collect the information under the latest version of new European banking regulations dubbed CRD IV. “We will build a database here

only for the purposes of this,” she said, adding that while the database could not include information obtained from the police it would include other information collected by supervisors, including whether candidates had received the regulatory nod for a role.

All the authorities will have to consult the database when they are assessing candidates who present themselves for new roles that are captured by that country’s fitness and probity regime, a group that usually includes directors, senior managers and heads of major divisions.

National authorities will have to submit information to the centralized system, but a regulator’s refusal to allow a candidate to take a position in one country will not automatically mean a rejection in another, Vaillant

said.

“It (the result) has to be circumstantiated and scrutinized,” she said. “Why did you have a refusal? Was it because you were not an investment banker, but a retail banker in a small bank? Is it because you were not of good repute? This has more weight, probably, and may ban you everywhere. But you need to consider the individual case; there is no tick box approach.”

Most EU countries have signaled their intention to comply with the guidelines, and Vaillant hopes they will be implemented effectively within the next two years.

Though the guidelines are not binding, Vaillant said the ability to name and shame was a form of policing.

European regulator preparing database on bankers

T

he European Union will soon begin sharing information on how bankers fare in ‘fitness and probity’ tests in member states, making it harder for errant bankers to evade regulatory scrutiny by crossing national borders.

The European Banking Authority’s regulation director Isabel Vaillant told Reuters that work will begin on the new fitness and probity database next year, ending the current system of ad hoc sharing between national authorities.

The database will contain details of national supervisors’ assessments of newly appointed bank directors, senior management, divisional heads and some other key functions like internal control.

In the wake of the global financial

Europe and Americas

Police quell thousands of Turkish protesters

T

urkish riot police have fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse about 3,000 demonstrators who tried to enter a park adjacent to Istanbul’s Taksim Square, the heart of recent protests against the government of Prime Minister RecepTayyipErdogan.

The Taksim Solidarity Platform, made up of a combination of political groups, had called for a march on Saturday to enter the sealed off Gezi park, but the governor of Istanbul warned that any such gathering would be confronted by the police.

“Parks are not places for protests. They must serve as a place of calm and tranquility for all people,” Istanbul governor HuseyinAvniMutlu said.

The protesters, however, attempted to enter the park and were stopped by the police.

Protests over proposed redevelopment of the park had snowballed into massive protests that swept the nation last month.

Meanwhile, an amateur video showing two men armed with machetes attacking protesters who were fleeing from the tear gas has emerged hours after the police intervention.

One of the men was seen kicking a woman on her back while holding a machete in his hand.

The video has since gone viral and Mutlu said the two men had been arrested.

“Our police will continue to do its duty with carefulness and rigour against such attacks,” the governor wrote on Twitter, as security forces were criticised for not intervening to prevent the machete-wielding attackers.

Protesters on Saturday were seen holding up copies of a recent court order which cancelled the redevelopment plan for the park.

Authorities can appeal against the court ruling, which was considered a victory for the protesters and a blow to Erdogan.

Four people were killed and about 7,500 wounded in the police crackdown on the protests that the park redevelopment triggered, according to the Turkish Medical Association.

Tayyip Erdogan

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 35

Strange World

The Amazing Stone Jumpers of Nias Island

Photo: South Nias Tourism

H

ombo Batu or Stone Jumping is an ancient ritual of Nias Island, North Sumatra, with young men leaping over stone walls over twometers tall. The tradition was born out of inter-tribal conflicts and was once potentially deadly as the walls were covered with spikes and sharpened bamboo sticks.

Centuries ago, Nias Island was divided into several regions ruled by landlords or warlords.

It was not a hereditary position, nor was it gained by force, but rather through entertainment of the masses. Whoever threw more parties known as “owasa” gained the favor of local communities and became their leader.

But organizing these festive events didn’t come cheap, and the island’s landlords would constantly fight each other and use the spoils of war as funding.

To start a war, they needed able brave men who had to prove their

worth at drafting challenges.

Becoming a soldier was a big honor for the young men of Nias and earned them a higher social status in the community, but physical attributes and weapon mastery were not enough to convince their leaders. They also had to jump over a 2.3-metertall stone wall without touching it. To make things even harder for candidates, the top of the obstacle was covered with spikes and sharp bamboo sticks, and

the jumps often resulted in serious injuries and even deaths.

According to some sources, Hombo Batu was also a way of training soldiers to jump over walls during a siege and light the enemy’s camp ablaze with torches.

After the warring period ended, the stone jumping ritual of Nias Island became a rite of passing for young boys. Those who managed to pass the test and leaped over the tall obstacle

were considered men and gained the attention of local girls. The ritual of Hombo Batu is still practiced today, minus the sharp spikes, but sadly the women are more impressed by men who own a car or a motorcycle than by those who can jump really high. Tourists on the other hand are always mesmerized by the bold men wearing traditional costumes who run toward the wall and use a stepping stone to fly-kick over it.

a rather unusual solution. Inspired by motorcycle helmets, he decided to build a metal wire cage that would prevent him from lighting up no matter how badly he craved a cigarette.

Yücel went to some blacksmiths with his idea, but they refused to help, so he was forced to build the device himself. He made sure the birdcage-like headgear had the copper wires as close together as possible to make it impossible to fit a cigarette through and added two locking mechanisms. He gave one key to his wife Kawthar, and the other to his 14-year-old daughter Ayse. This makes it impossible for the avid smoker to take off the head cage when he leaves his home. So far, the quirky headgear has helped İbrahim stave of smoking for four days, but the worst is yet to come. After hurting his hand in an accident, he was confined to his home for a few days, but he starts work again today, and that’s where his big idea will truly be tested. Not only will he have to face the temptation

to smoke at the workplace, but he’ll also have to deal with the embarrassment of wearing his cage in public. But İbrahim Yücel is willing to go through it all if it

means finally being able to quit smoking for good.

His wife, Kawthar, who been constantly pressuring him to give up cigarettes in the 16 years they

have been married, says İbrahim’s idea seemed a bit extreme at first, but after realizing how determined he was to kick the habit, she began supporting him.

Turkish man wears copper wire cage on his head to quit smoking

T

he things people will put themselves through to give up smoking. Case in point İbrahim Yücel, a 42-year-old smoker from Kütahya, Turkey who recently decided to wear a locked metal cage over his head to fight his addiction. İbrahim Yücel has been smoking for the last 26 years, and despite several attempts to quit he couldn’t break his two-packsa-day dirty habit. Every year, on his three children’s birthdays and on his wedding anniversary he would give up cigarettes, but he never went more than a few days without them. His family, his friends and co-workers all tried to convince him to stop using tobacco cigarettes, but he just couldn’t do it.

After losing his father to smokinginduced lung cancer a few months ago, İbrahim realized smoking just wasn’t worth losing his life over and putting his wife and children through the same hardships. But the Turkish technician also knew he lacked the willpower to quit by usual means, so he came up with

Yücel wears his copper protection

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 36

Digest Good night’s sleep ‘protects heart’

By Helen Briggs BBC News

S

even or more hours’ sleep a night boosts the benefits to the heart of a healthy lifestyle, research suggests.

According to a large study, traditional advice on exercise, diet, drinking and smoking reduced deaths from heart disease or stroke, but even more lives were saved by also having enough sleep.

Advice on getting enough sleep could have a substantial impact on public health, say European researchers.

In theory, many heart and stroke deaths could be prevented or postponed.

A team in the Netherlands tracked heart disease and strokes in more than 14,000 men and women for more than a decade.

By the end of the study, about 600 individuals had suffered heart disease or stroke, and 129 died.

The study found that deaths were less likely in people who followed all four positive lifestyle recommendations - taking exercise, eating a healthy diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking.

Observing all four behaviours was associated with a 57% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 67% lower risk of dying from stroke or heart disease, they say.

But when sufficient sleep - seven or more hours a night - was added to the other four lifestyle factors, the beneficial effect was amplified - resulting in a 65% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and an 83% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

The researchers say other studies have shown a link between poor sleep and cardiovascular disease, but this is the first to look at whether sleep - added to

the other four healthy lifestyle recommendations - can further reduce risk.

“If all participants adhered to all five healthy lifestyle factors, 36% of composite cardiovascular disease [heart disease or stroke] and 57% of fatal cardiovascular disease could theoretically be prevented or postponed,” say the researchers, from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, and Wageningen University.

“The public health impact of sufficient sleep duration, in

addition to the traditional healthy lifestyle factors, could be substantial.”

Commenting on the work, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Prof Grethe S Tell, of the University of Bergen, Norway, said the benefits of sleep should be considered by public health experts and parents alike.

“The main message of the study is that we need to consider sleep as an important factor for health,” she told BBC News.

“From a public health point of

view we should encourage people to get enough sleep and like all other healthy lifestyle factors this needs to be taught at home.”

Sleepless nights Doireann Maddock, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said people suffering sleepless nights should not be alarmed.

“This research shows that combining a good night’s sleep with other healthy lifestyle choices can reduce your risk of heart disease,” she said.

“But troubled sleepers should

not be alarmed - this study doesn’t mean sleepless nights cause heart disease.”

She added that further research was needed to fully understand the link between sleeping habits and the heart.

“If you find it difficult to drift off, avoiding caffeine and heavy meals too close to the end of the day may help.

“But if lack of sleep is becoming a problem, make sure you have a chat to your doctor.”

Source: BBCNews.com

Sleep is good for the heart as well as the mind, say researchers

Drinking 4 cups of tea or coffee a day is better

By Emma Innes

I

t is the perfect excuse for a cuppa tea and coffee lovers have lower blood pressure than those who never touch the stuff.

And those who drink the most have the lowest readings of all, a study has found.

It is possible that flavonoids in tea could help to relax blood vessels, therefore reducing blood pressure

The NHS advises that drinking more than four cups of coffee a day may increase blood pressure and that lovers of coffee, tea and other caffeinerich drinks should consider cutting down.

But the findings, by the Preventive and Clinical Investigations Centre in Paris, run counter to most medical advice which recommends people with high blood pressure should cut their caffeine intake.

About one in four middle aged people have high blood pressure, as do about half of those over 65.

High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious conditions.

The new research involved monitoring the blood pressure of men and women aged between 16 and 95, over a ten year period.

The subjects had been asked to record their intake of coffee and tea and the results allowed the group to be divided into three categories for those who abstained, those who drank

between one and four cups a day, and those who drank more.

The results showed that heavy tea drinkers benefited the most and had the lowest systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. They also had the lowest pulse pressure and heart rate.

Avid coffee lovers had only slightly higher blood pressure readings.

The groups with the highest blood pressure readings, pulse pressure and heart rate were those who drank neither tea nor coffee.

Overall, the difference between the groups was small but scientifically significant, the authors said.

Medics have been arguing over the relationships between coffee, tea, and blood pressure for many years.

While some studies suggest that modest intake of the drinks can reduce blood pressure, others have been inconclusive.

Many experts fear that drinking too much caffeine can make hypertension even worse.

According to current guidelines by the National

Institute for Health and Care Excellence, GPs should ‘discourage excessive consumption of coffee and other caffeine-rich products’.

Although the new study does not prove that coffee and tea are the cause of lower blood pressure, it suggests that it may not be necessary to tell people with hypertension to cut down on the drinks.

Dr Bruno Pannier, who presented his findings to the European Society of Hypertension in Milan, said

it was possible that flavonoids in tea could help to relax blood vessels, therefore reducing blood pressure.

‘The vasorelaxing compounds included in these beverages might be involved in these results, something that has been suggested by the experimental data,’ he said.

However, he admitted that his study had made no distinction between black tea, herbal teas and green tea.

Source: Dailymail. co.uk

Drinking four cups of coffee or tea a day may be better for you than not drinking any - because caffeine can cause your blood pressure and heart rate to fall

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 37

Former Reps Deputy Speaker, Nguroje, bags Garkuwan Sardauna in Taraba

By Lawrence Olaoye

F

ormerDeputySpeakeroftheHouse of Representatives, Honourable Babangida Nguroje, has been selected the new Garkuwan Sardauna for the entire Sardauna Province in Taraba and some parts of Cameroon.

The seat of the Garkuwan Sardauna hadbeenvacantsince2006whenthefirst holder of the title, Alhaji Saidu Mairiga Nguroje,his father passed on, just as the search for the successor produced no result ever since, until the elders in council within the province lately settled for the former Deputy Speaker.

Garkuwan Sardauna, according to a statement by the elders-in-council, is a highly respected traditional title in communities within the Sardauna Provinces which stretch to some parts of Cameroon.

The turbaning of the Former Deputy Speaker for the title, according to the statement made available to newsmen, would take place after necessary arrangements had been put in place for the ceremony.

A prominent indigene of Taraba, Alhaji Umar Haruna who spoke with newsmen on the significance of the title, said the Garkwan Sardauna, came about from efforts by the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, to prevent the province from being ceded to Cameroon before the independence of Nigeria in 1960.

Haruna, former Managing Director Nigerian Beverages Production Company Ltd, said anyone conferred with the title must be deemed to be imbued with high integrity, wisdom and wealth, just as he is also expected to have come from a sound religious background.

With the title to be conferred on him, Nburoje now qualifies to sit in council with other respected traditional title holders with the Chief Of Mambila, His Majesty Dr, Shehu Baju while deliberating on the progress of the community and the entire state.

L-R Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, Minister of State Finance, Dr. Yarima Ngama, the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar and the Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere during their meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Tukur, Nyako spat over Adamawa emergency declaration From Umar Dankano, Yola

F

ollowing the declaration by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, that the government may soon lift the emergency rule slammed on Adamawa state, supporters of both the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and the state governor, Admiral Murtala Nyak (Rtd.) have begun to exchange hot words.

Tambuwal had on a visit to the state recently noted that there was a remarkable improvement in the security situation in the state

and thus the government would consider easing the emergency in the state.

“I am sure at that at the appropriate time Mr President will respond to the yearnings of the people of Adamawa State for the ease of the emergency rule,” Tambuwal had assured.

But Chief Joel Madaki, the chairman of Tukur’s faction of the PDP, has blamed Nyako, for the emergency rule in the state stressing that it was the governor that wrote officially to security agents that the state is under the siege of insurgents which made Mr. President to include Adamawa

state in the troubled states in the North East.

He however, called on Adamawa citizens to hold Nyako responsible for the hardship they are going through.

But the state Secretary of PDP, loyal to Nyako Mr. P. P. Elisha, has warned Joel Madaki not to play politics with human lives stressing that since the emergency rule was imposed, Tukur, as an elder statesman from the state, has never visited Adamawa talk-less of commiserating with the people.

According to him, Tukur and members of his family are based in Abuja and are being

careless about the effect of the state of emergency in Adamawa state. “The Speaker of National Assembly who visited us here has passed the message across to the whole world that Adamawa is peaceful. We therefore beg our senior citizens based in Abuja to quench the fire they put on us here because of their difference with Nyako,” he pleaded.

Elisha explained that Nyako told Adamawa people who elected him that the news of emergency rule imposed on the state came to him as a wondering why Joel would be accusing the governor wrongly.

PDP lauds Jonathan over Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the successful kick-off of the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos- Ibadan Express Way. He party in a statement released by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Barr. Caesar Okeke, also commended the Ogun state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, for being the only South West governor and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) stakeholder who attended the function.

The party lamented that the

South West ACN stayed away from the flag off of the project meant to transform the lives of Nigerians and boost economic and social activities in the South West states in particular and the nation at large because of their parochial interests.

“The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commends President Goodluck Jonathan for the successful kick-off of the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos- Ibadan Express Way which has been in a state of disrepair for many years.

“Indeed this is a testament to the President’s resolve to completely deliver on his promise to revolutionize the road sector in line

...commends Ogun governor, Amosun with his Transformation Agenda to give Nigerians a new lease of life.

“The Lagos-Ibadan Express way is of course one of the busiest and most important roads in the country and the reconstruction and expansion project will not only boost economic and social activities in the South West in particular and the nation at large but put an end to the incessant loss of lives recorded yearly as a result of accidents on account of the bad state of the road”, the statement said.

The PDP said the project also “put the lie” to insinuations

of marginalization against the South West by the Jonathan administration adding that the PDP-led government has, in the last two years embarked on several other strategic road projects in the region including the repair of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge, rehabilitation of Benin-OreShagamu highway, rehabilitation and reconstruction of IjebuAjegunle-Araromi-Ife-Sekona Road in Ogun state, reconstruction of Ibadan-Ilorin road among others.

Berating the ACN governors for not attending the event, the

PDP said such was a sign of “partisan parochialism and political immaturity.

The party said the project is for the benefit of the people and wondered why the ACN governors did not show full support with their presence.

“We wonder when the ACN governors will jettison such political parochialism. They have been so blinded by partisan politics that they fail to see when to draw the line and show support to a good cause even if such is not being executed by their party,” the party stated.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Politics

Oil theft suspects should be made to face the law, says Rep Madaki INTERVIEW

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ecently, you raised a motion that has to do with oil theft in which you sought for the investigation and prosecution of some influential people allegedly involved. What informed your decision to come up with such a motion?

Like I said on the floor of the House, it has become, to me, as a very clear and present danger to the economy of Nigeria. Our economy is largely dependent on oil, and a situation where you have Nigeria producing approximately 2.5 million barrels of crude per day - that was the estimation – in certain days, the country can only produce 1.8, 1.9 or 2.1 barrels per day, I think it is very alarming.

I believe as those trusted with representative position in this country, we must do all that which is in our powers to make sure that what belongs to the people goes to them. A situation where you have few powerful individuals; people who are highly connected; people who feel they don’t have fear of God and men because they feel they are protected by certain quarters for one reason or the other, I feel, as a country, we should all be alarmed.

That was why I raised the alarm on the floor of the House and thank God, my colleagues supported me. We have agreed that this issue should be investigated by a special adhoc committee. God willing, the committee has already been set up by the Speaker. Hopefully, the committee will start work in earnest. From what I gathered, they will invite me, and if they do, I will go and give them my own part of the story and the evidence I have concerning some of the allegations I raised.

The Nigerian Navy was reported recently to have said that it could not stop oil theft. If the Nigerian Navy should say that, do you think that this intervention by the House of Representatives will make any difference?

Hopefully, the intervention of the House of Representatives as an arm of the government will definitely try to find out the reason behind the statement by the Nigerian Navy. If you will recall, when I raised the motion, I had copies of about five newspapers that were all carrying leading stories on oil theft, which I showed as evidence. I told my colleagues that these days, when you buy

Rep. Aliyu Sani Madaki, a member representing Dala Federal Constituency of Kano state in the House of Representatives, recently raised a motion urging his colleagues to investigate and prosecute oil thieves in the country. In this interview with some newsmen in his office, Madaki sheds more light on the motive behind his motion just as he insists that the Aviation Minister has done nothing to make the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) functional. Umar Muhammad Puma was there. Excerpts:

Rep. Aliyu Sani Madaki

newspapers, what you read is oil theft.

We have to set up an intergovernmental committee to be able to tackle this because you need the assistance of other countries, including the so-called developed countries, as most of the stolen crude oil is taken to them. They know it is stolen, yet they are buying it from these people who are stealing it.

So, first of all, I want us to know who those people are.

When somebody comes and steals something from you, you should be able to identify that person. It was all over the papers recently that the DG of NIMASA came out and said they know those who are involved in the oil theft, and, in fact, they have arrested some of the ships used in loading the crude and taking it to other countries to sell; that they are in possession of some of the ships. I said the DG should be invited so that he will throw more light on who those powerful Nigerians are.

The issue of tackling

oil theft has proved to be a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the system, what do you think is responsible for this?

We cannot go out of this until and unless Mr President says ‘enough is enough’ and is ready to act on who and who are involved, no matter how highlyplaced. These people should

be investigated; they should be taken to court and should be dealt with within the law of the land. Nobody is above the law, no matter how connected he is.

It seems those involved in this oil theft are more or less like a cabal in the industry, and here you are calling for their prosecution, don’t you think you’re putting yourself in danger?

Honestly, I don’t think I’m putting myself in danger, because I call a spade a spade.

Whatever you’re doing in life, you should be truthful, sincere and you should do it with the fear of God. I believe I don’t fear anything. If anybody feels threatened because of what I said, it means he is guilty and should be arrested.

There is this issue of Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano which was grounded after renovation.

You once talked about it in the House, but what we hear is that the Airport is still not working. What will you say about this?

The Minister of Aviation is not a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

She does not have the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria at heart.

She went to Kano in March and commissioned the Airport, saying she has done this and that. She has one errant guy who went there and who happens to be from Kano, who is a big man holding our money here in Abuja.

He went to Kano and was saying that who are those people saying this minister does not like Kano? Look at what she has done and that in two weeks time

“

The Minister of Aviation is not a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She does not have the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria at heart. She went to Kano in March and commissioned the Airport, saying she has done this and that

she has promised everybody that Emirates and Turkish airlines would start landing. When I read that in the papers, I laughed. I said Alhamdulillah, since she said two weeks, let’s wait for one month and see.

I have been following this issue every day. Just recently, I met some of the airliners. They told me they had written to her.

They have documents in her office. She told the Emir of Kano in March at his palace that she would give permission to the international airlines to start landing in Kano in two weeks. It is three months today.

This woman is creating enemies for Mr President because the people in the North will start thinking that it is he who doesn’t like Kano, but the truth is that it is the woman, that minister.

I’m using this opportunity to call on Mr President to caution this woman and ask her to allow these airlines that requested for permit to be landing in Abuja and Kano. I don’t know any reason why an international airline like Emirates will ask for more slots, why will you say ‘I won’t give you more slots.

You have two slots that you’re using to land in Lagos and use the other to land in either Kano or Abuja?’

Concerning the repairs they said the minister has done, if you go to Kano airport now, all the things she commissioned are obsolete; they’re not working.

Nothing is working. They just went and did what I will call voodoo repairs and called people to go and see and cut tape. All the things they put are not working now from March to date, and the airlines are still not in Kano.

If you say you’re trying to attract investment into your country, what is the difficulty in giving them extra slots so that they can be coming to Abuja and Kano? These airlines want to come. She came to the National Assembly and lied that there was no request from any airline that wants to come to Kano. They came, but she refused to come; she only sent her Permanent Secretary because she knew she was lying, and she was going to be exposed. They brought the documents, which she denied a day before. So, Mr President should compel this woman to allow these airlines to be landing in Kano.

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

PAGE 39

News Extra

Katsina Rep subsidises fertilizer for farmers T

KSJ set to immortalize Onwuliri

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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member of House of Representatives, representing Kankia/ Kusada/ Ingawa, Ahmad Babba Kaita, over the weekend distributed five trucks of fertilizer worth N14 million to farmers in his constituency at a subsidized rate.

Distributing the fertilizers in Kankia, Kaita noted that each bag of the commodity would be sold to farmers in the area at the subsidized rate of N2000 per bag,

as against the normal price which is far above the amount.

He noted that the gesture was to appease those that were allegedly excluded from enjoying the Federal Government’s fertilizer distribution, through the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES).

“Farming is the economic mainstay of our people and it is clear you can’t engage in farming activities without fertilizer.

Some farmers were deliberately excluded from the GES and it is imperative on us to come to their aid” he added.

The lawmaker stressed that the fertilizer would be distributed without consideration of political affiliation, but pointed out that the distribution would commence with CPC members that were denied fertilizer by the state government.

The CPC Representatives member applauded the fertilizer distribution programme of Kano State, where he said fairness, justice and equity was respected, adding that if not for the politicization of GES policy, it would have been a success in the

state.

Speaking at the event to mark the distribution, a former secretary to Katsina State Government, who is a CPC stalwart, Mustapha Inuwa, applauded the gesture of the lawmaker whom he said was among the few that remember their constituencies.

Inuwa also used the occasion to drum up support for the APC, which he was the only party that would salvage the country from further drift in all facets of life of the country.

L-R: President, Yoruba Community Council (YCC), FCT Chapter, Prince Adewale Adelabu, Matron of YCC FCT, Princess Ebunoluwa, and Founder YCC FCT, Chief Mike Orurinde, during the Formal Inauguration and Swearing – In of newly elected Executive Officers for the Six Area Councils, on Saturday in FCT. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Mass transfer looms in Delta From Prince Edward, Asaba

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trong indication has emerged that the Delta State government may have concluded plans to massively transfer workers within its state’s public service.

The State Coordinating Commissioner for Finance and Economy Planning, Olorogun Kenneth Okpara, who confirmed this to Peoples Daily, disclosed that the move is aimed at strengthening efficiency within

the state’s workforce.

He added that the state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, had given directive to the state’s Head of Service to, in line with the civil service rules, effect transfer of workers between the ministries.

According to him, “The process is just a change and change is bound to happen anyway and anytime. The process again is that the governor had to introduce such measure with a view to monitoring the workforce especially with the

workers in the state and by this a lot of people are going to be moved from one ministry to another and from one local government to another to know how effective they are”.

He also pointed out that the governor took the decision in his belief that when workers stayed too long in a particular place, they may not function effectively.

While explaining that the exercise is not to witch-hunt any worker, the commissioner further

disclosed that dedicated workers would be enhanced and motivated to enable them perform the duties effectively.

On contractors who failed to execute projects awarded, the commissioner said that government had taken measures to prosecute them; especially those who abandoned their projects, stressing that as a result of the prosecution, some money had been recovered from such contractors.

FAAN accuses Ilorin LG of land grabbing From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has accused Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State, of encroaching in its land in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, saying it can resulted in plane crashes in the future.

The Airport Manager of the Agency in charge of the Ilorin International Airport, Usman Saka,

stated this while speaking with journalists in Ilorin, adding that some nearby communities had also encroached into parts of the agency’s 2, 248 hectares of land.

“It is sad to inform you that the Ilorin West Local Government Secretariat is sitting on the land originally owned by FAAN. The land is the extension of the second runaway proposed for the safe landing of aircraft and to avoid issues of air

disaster which we never prayed for.

“I am glad to inform you that the Ilorin International Airport is functioning optimally. With the transformation agenda of Mr. President, the airport is really growing and people are getting to know more about the airport both nationally and internationally.

“In fact, apart from the Cargo terminal built by the Kwara state government, another one is also

coming soon. Aviation College which is the second of its type nationwide is also here. Navy training school will also be established soon. These developments mean that our airport will soon become a hub for economic and social development for Nigeria”, he said.

In his remark, the contractor handling the project, Architect Abubakar Bukar, of the Archivisual Solution, disclosed that the project,

he Knight of Saint John International (KSJ) is planning to immortalize Professor Celestine Onwuliri, the late husband of the Minster of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Violet Onwuliri, who died in the DANA Air crash of June 2012.

The Grand President of KSJ, Brigadier Gen. Tony Okechukwu, disclosed this during a memorial Mass and lecture for the late Onwuliri held in Kaduna over the weekend.

In the lecture themed, ‘The Celestine I Know’ Brigadier Gen. Tony Okechukwu said the late Professor Onwuliri was a leader that could not be faulted, saying he had an answer to every question and was always ready to hear everybody out without prejudice.

In view of his qualities, he said a standing committee, chaired by Michael Okafor has been constituted to work out the modalities for his immortalization, adding “I met late Celestine at the University of Nigeria Nusuka when he was my senior and at the age of 34 he was already aspiring to be a Knight and he was inducted into the Knighthood at the age of 35, a feat not common with young men of our days” He revealed that immediately the late Tony was inducted as a Knight, his life style changed, adding that he never looked back.

He further said the young Celestine started showing leadership qualities which culminated in his becoming the National Grand Commander of the Knight in Nigeria.

“Late Tony who was a Major Gen. of the Knighthood in honesty moved the group to a higher ground that none of his predecessor has achieved. He introduced the four point agenda for the knighthood which are dedication, services, mercy and commitment.

“He was a prayerful leader that was never too busy to say his prayer and recitation of the Rosary. He died with the rosary intact in his hand and I believed that the rosary in his hand led the search party to where his body was found intact and it is in view of this quality of his that a committee was set up to immortalize him”, he said.

In his lecture titled ‘True Leadership’, Rev. Fr. Tony Zakka said the Late Celestine Onwuliri was an epitome of what leadership should be, adding that in his lifetime, he mixed with everybody without discrimination.

which is at its completion stage, would be formally handed over in less than two week.

Bukar assured that with the modern facilities in the airport, Nigerians will have a taste of a standard air-travel experience as obtains in developed nations.

He commended federal government for upgrading the standard of the airports across the country, saying it will guarantee maximum comfort for Nigerians; in addition to ensuring the protection of lives and property of travelers.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

News Extra

Presidential c’ttee on peace lauds Almakura on security From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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he Presidential Committee on Dialogue Peace and Reconciliation set up to find solutions to security challenges across the country, particularly in the North, has lauded the efforts and initiative put in place

by Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko A-lmakura, towards ensuring that peace is restored in the state despite the recent security challenges.

The chairman of the committee and Minister of Special Duties and Inter-

Government Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), disclosed this when his committee visited Lafia, the state capital, in continuation of its nationwide tour, saying they were in the state to find ways of addressing the underlying causes of the breakdown of security in the country, particularly the north.

He lauded Al-makura’s effort at sustaining the peace, stressing that his committee was in the state to learn from the governor’s model of peace making.

Noting that they were in

the state as a result of the recent Ombatse incident, which made Nasarawa part of the states to be visited by the committee, the Minister added that the other mission was to find a workable framework that would guarantee safer and more secure society taking into cognizance, the religious, ethnic and political implications.

On the issue of amnesty to the members of Boko Haram, Turaki said “if we see that there is need for members of the group who renounce their membership and help in finding a lasting solution

to the security problem, we shall recommend it to the president”.

He said the committee would soon embark on discussions with members of Boko Haram, as well as commence strategic disarmament and deradicalisation of radical youths.

On his part, Governor Almakura regretted that before the emergence of Ombatse insurgency, Nasarawa state had enjoyed relative peace and was reckoned as one of the most peaceful in the federation, promising that he would not rest on his oars at ensuring peace.

L-R: Wife of Oyo state Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi; Gov. Abiola Ajimobi; the celebrant, Olori Ramat Adeyemi; Alafin Of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Speaker of Oyo state House of Assembly, Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu, at the 70th birthday anniversary of wife of Alafin of Oyo in Oyo on Saturday

2013 engineering confab targets food production

By Miriam Humbe

T

he 2013 engineering conference and annual general meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, slated for December later in the year will focus on the theme, “Strategies for transforming of the agriculture and water

resources sectors of the Nigerian economy”.

NSE President, Engr. Mustafa Shehu said this yesterday in Abuja at the second quarterly dinner for 2013 and conferment of the Distinguished Fellowship of Nigerian Society of Engineers on some 39 members of the engineering profession.

“We have targeted this theme because of the fact that no nation can be adjudged to be great except it can meet the food requirements of its people”, he said.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO of the United Nations, according to him, have identified causes of food losses in Sub-Saharan Africa which is up to

50 percent of the amount of food produced as poor harvesting, poor storage and lack of infrastructure and inadequate marketing system.

He said the conference will gather experts to brainstorm on these issues so as to advise government and the public on ways to move the agricultural sector forward.

Ekiti: Mind your business, ACN tells PDP From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has said the PDP overstepped its bounds by criticising, in the crudest of language for which it is now notorious, the decision of the party’s (ACN’s) leadership to settle the rift between Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and a member of the house of Representatives from the state, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its National Publicity

Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party wondered why the PDP, beset with a humongous crisis of its own making, would use the time it doesn’t have to dabble into what is strictly the internal affairs of the ACN, an issue that has no bearing on governance at the national level where the PDP has been bumbling.

It said the ACN leadership has no regrets for saying Gov. Fayemi should be allowed to go for a second term because he has performed well, adding that a student who does well deserves

promotion. ‘’This is unlike the situation in the PDP where even a President who has failed woefully, using his own lowered ‘marking scheme’, is being offered an automatic ticket! ACN rewards excellence, not indolence, and we have no apologies for this,’’ the party said, asking when Mr. Bamidele appointed the PDP as his defender.

ACN wondered why the PDP leadership has been gallivanting from one zone to another trying

to reconcile its ever-warring members, if indeed the ruling party believes that other parties have no right to do the same. ‘’It seems, however, that what has irked the PDP is that where its own reconciliation efforts have failed woefully, because they were insincere, ACN’s have succeeded, due largely to the discipline in the party and the sincerity of its efforts. After all, we don’t go around suspending or destroying our best performers in the name of ‘reconciliation’.’’ it said.

Presidency supports LG autonomy

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

here are strong indications that the Presidency has also thrown its weight behind the proposed autonomy for Local Government administration and scrapping of the State-Local Government joint account being proposed by the National Assembly.

Speaking at the inauguration of pioneer executives council of the 419 Northern Local Governments’ Chairmen’s Forum (NLGCF) from the 19 northern states of Nigeria held in Abuja, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youths and Student Matters, Jude Imagwe said there was no alternative to Local Government autonomy.

Chairman, Board of Trustee of the Forum, and former minister for Information and National Orientation, Prof. Jerry Gana, in his remarks, hailed the proposal of the National Assembly on the autonomy for Local Government, which would allow local government administrators to carry out popular and people-oriented programmes.

The Chairman of Dekina Local Government Area in Kogi state, Muhammed Ali was sworn in as the pioneer NLGCF Chairman, while Hon. Hassan Bappa, of Jalingo LGA in Taraba state and Alhaji Haruna Haruna of Jega LGA in Kebbi state were swornin as Deputy Chairman and Secretary of the Forum respectively.

Alli in his acceptance speech commended President Jonathan for deploying military troops to tackle security challenges and insurgency raging in parts of the region.

He noted that the aim of the Forum was purely developmental; adding that the northern part of Nigeria was faced with numerous challenges ranging from infant and maternal mortality, street urchins, youth restiveness continuous shutdown of factories and high rate of insecurity.

“I wish to explicitly and expressly state for the avoidance of doubt and misrepresentation that this forum, unlike others, is purely developmental.

The NLGCF aspires to use its strategic proximity to the rassroots to engender unity, economic growth, religious tolerance, ethnic harmony and cultural understanding,” he said.

He however demanded that President Goodluck Jonathan should assent to the Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) which has been passed by the National Assembly, at the same time demanded that the federal government should resuscitate the Textile Industries by adopting bailout funds for the industries.

“May I briefly commend Mr. President for his unrelenting effort in ensuring the completion of Almajiri education programme, the deployment of military troops to frontally tackle security challenges and insurgency, dredging and construction of River Ports across states of the federation to boost business and economic development, we equally call on Mr. President to extend similar River Ports to Makurdi in Benue state , Yelwa in Kebbi state, Ibbi in Taraba state and Yola in Adamawa state,” he added.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Murray ends Britain’s 77 years wait for Wimbledon trophy

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ndy Murray wiped out 77 years of pain and hurt as he became the first British man since 1936 to win the men’s title at Wimbledon with a 6-4 7-5 6-4 victory over world No 1 Novak Djokovic yesterday.

The Scotman man won and lost three match points, leaving 15 000 fans gasping in disbelief, even as 60 million Britons leapt up in appreciation.

Djokovic had denied Britain that relief last year but Murray deployed more telling survival instincts to earn three break points before a wondrous volley winner gave him another championship point.

Murray took three hours and nine minutes to finally lay Fred Perry’s ghost at 5.24 local time on Sunday.

Djokovic, who survived a four hour 43 minute semifinal epic against Juan Martin Del Potro two days earlier, showed his super-human ability to recover quickly as he ran down everything Murray could throw at him.

The Serb rattled Murray by going for the lines and broke for a 3-1 lead when Olympic and US Open champion Murray flicked a forehand into the net.

In the final game, when tension mounted and thoughts of last September’s US Open final started flashing though the mind of everyone packed on to Centre Court, when Djokovic rallied to win the third and fourth sets, Murray made sure that there would be no repeat.

An eleated Murray was comment later.

“That was one of the toughest moments, today was unbelievably tough match,” Murray said after fulfilling a lifelong dream of holding aloft the gilded Challenge Cup. “I don’t know how I came through the final three points, I’m so glad to do it. I understand how much everyone wanted to see British winner at Wimbledon and I hope everyone enjoyed it.”

Andy Murray displays Wimbledon trophy

the

CHAN 2014: Keshi to fortify squad with new players

•Team regroups July 15 Stories by Patrick Andrew

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t least three new players have been penciled down by the Head Coach Stephen Keshi and would be called up when the Super Eagles will regroup July 15 in Abuja ahead of the return leg of the African Nations Championship qualifier (CHAN), against the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire in Abidjan schedule for July 27.

Keshi, who revealed after the

first leg match in Kaduna, said the flesh call up would be necessary to beef up areas where some weaknesses were observed.

According to him, at least three new players are needed to fortify the squad for the return leg even as some players found wanting in the first leg in Kaduna would be dropped.

Meanwhile, Keshi has advised the players after the 4-1 mauling of the Ivorians on Saturday to return to their club sides and make valuable contributions to their

teams while awaiting the list of those who will make it to Abidjan.

He warned that any invited player who fails to make it to Abuja on the said date should forget about the return leg game as there is plenty of work to be done despite the wide margin first leg victory over the Elephants.

“We cannot afford to take our feet off the pedal because we have won here, the Ivorians are a very good side and we must be very ready for the return leg so that we don’t get shocked,” Keshi

enthused.

Also, NFF technical subcommittee chairman, Chris Green, is convinced that the 4-1 victory was a good result but regretted the Eagles wastefulness in front of goal.

“We won well, but we could have done better. How can we explain a team that was two men down still threatening us and even being picked for off sides, it means we have a lot of work to do and I trust the technical crew will handle the situation”.

Iraqi players celebrating after eliminating Korea Rep on penalties to qualify for semifinal of the FIFA U-20 yesterday Results Enyimba 1 Rangers 0 Nembe City 2 Heartland 0 Warri Wolves 1 Sharks 0 Kaduna Utd 2 Sunshine Stars 0 Kwara United 0 ABS 0 Gombe United 3 3SC 2 Dolphin FC 2 Akwa Utd 0* Lobi Stars 3 Bayelsa United 4 Kano Pillars 3 Wikki Tourists 1 • The game was suspended by the match commissioner as rain over-flooded the pitch.

The game will be continued this morning by 10h00.

Home-based Eagles will get better with time, says Keshi

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uper Eagles’ head coach Stephen Keshi has assured that the local league Super Eagles team would improve with time as the players continue to feature in tournaments.

Keshi, who was reacting to the team’s 4-1 trouncing of the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in a 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) Qualifier final round first leg match in Kaduna on Saturday, was delighted with the performance of the team.

“Considering the fact that this is a new team, and we only had four days of training sessions, I think we have a team in the making. ``They were able to understand

themselves and still went on to win against the visiting team, I think we only need to wait for this team to mature, and it won’t be too long,’’ he said.

He revealed that a lot work was done to get the players to blend and understand themselves adding that going by their performances it would not be long before the team starts delivering to expectation.

“I want the team to qualify first for the championship, so as to make Nigeria proud. Thereafter, all other things will follow,’’ the coach said adding that the players’ performance level was growing every day.

Meanwhile, Keshi expressed disappointment at the poor

defending that led to the only goal scored by the Ivorians on Saturday in Kaduna.

“We have practised how defenders close down attackers in the box area in training, but unfortunately the defenders didn’t do well to defend. It only means we still have a lot of work to do,” he said.

“However, I must confess that the experience of several players, Sunday Mba, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubike Egwuekwe and even Gambo Mohammed who were at the Confederations Cup, paid off in this game.”

The coach gave reasons why he did not use Nigeria league leading

scorer Dele Olorundare noting that my two holding midfielders had become weak and because Gambo Mohammed was doing well, he could not risk substituting him for a midfielder.

FG probes Eagles bonus row

Contd. From pg 2 Other members of the panel are: Onoche Anibeze (Group Sports Editor, Vanguard), Aisha Falode, Shehu Dikko (Member of the League Management Company), and Ayo Oshuntokun (Former MD of the News Agency of Nigeria).

The panel would be inaugurated Thursday, 11 July 2013, and has two weeks to submit its report.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

Sports

Obuh dismisses critics, says ‘I am not a failure’ F

ormer coach of the Nigeria Under-20 national team, John Obuh has insisted that he did not fail after the Flying Eagles were eliminated in the round of 16 of the 2013 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Turkey.

The Flying Eagles lost 1-2 to Uruguay in the round of 16 and predictably returned home to harsh criticism from the ever demanding Nigerian public, the majority whom expected a better outing in Turkey.

Obuh has now hit out at critics of the team insisting that uncomplimentary comments directed at him and his wards are not justified.

“Anybody that says I failed does not understand the game. I do not think the team did badly at all because most of the sides we played against had players who were very established,” Obuh argued.

The former Sharks gaffer pointed out that the team “suffered a lot” in their last game of

the tournament against Uruguay.

“We suffered a lot in that loss to Uruguay. We played more than half of that game with only 10 men against a side with players who are professionals at top clubs.

We must be commended and not criticised,” he said.

He then rounded off by discussing his decision to resign from his post in the aftermath of the world cup.

“I did not resign because I failed; far from it. I did that because I considered many things and decided it was for the best.

“The under-20 job is not my birthright so I feel it is also time to step aside for someone else to see what he can do for Nigerian football at that level. I am proud of my achievements in the team,” he said.

Obuh was coach of the Nigeria Under-20 side that reached the quarterfinals at FIFA World Cup in Colombia in 2011.

Olarenwaju Kayode, Obuh’s arrowhead Nicolas Lopez, whose goals sent the Flying Eagles crashing out of the 2013 FIFA U-20 finals

2014 CHAN: Amadu says Eagles won’t fail again

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he Super Eagles would not fail to secure a ticket to the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN), but have the depth to go all the way at the finals proper.

This was the view of Musa Amadu, the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), after watching the domestic league Eagles demolished their Ivorian counterparts in Kaduna on Saturday.

Nigeria beat Cote d’Ivoire 4-1 in the first leg of the final phase of the CHAN fiesta, a result Amadu is convinced may have put the second leg beyond redemption for the Elephants, who host the return leg in about a fortnight.

Amadu said that the score line would however not make the Eagles become complacent ahead of the

second leg game scheduled for Abidjan on July 27. ``It was a good game, but it was tough. However, having seen how tough it was to win today (Saturday), we will not get complacent at all. We are not going to sit back and think we have a big first half lead and go to sleep. Rather, we will go and prepare as we never did before,’’ he said.

Amadu said that he was even confident the Eagles could go on to surprise the Ivorians in the second leg match. ``Even though we can see that the Ivoriens are very good too, but we believe we have a team that can get better with time and go on to surprise them in Abidjan and win. ``To our advantage, one or two

good players on the Ivorien side are already out through red cards, and we should be able to capitalise on that to get the right result in two weeks time. ``All we need do is prepare hard and well, and the right result will come. We cannot afford to fail again this time around,’’ he said.

According to him, the football federation had learnt from the lessons of the past when Nigeria failed to qualify for the first two editions of the championship. ``We have really learnt our lessons, after failing to qualify for those two editions. But we must be at this third edition. This is why we have done all we need to do, and we are hopeful that our efforts would be crowned with success,’’ he said.

…Morocco stun Tunisia in qualifier

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unisia seriously compromised their chances of qualifying for the next African Cup of Nations after losing 1-0 to Morocco on Saturday in the coastal city of Sousse.

In spite of the expulsion of two Moroccan players, the Tunisians did not manage to create serious goal opportunities.

However, Morocco’s Abdessamad

Mbarki stunned the Tunisian side during the last minute to score the only goal in the game, further complicating Tunisia’s task during the return match in Morocco next week.

The Tunisians are now condemned to win the return match against Morocco to hope to qualify for the next round of the continental event.

Results Tunisia 0 Senegal 1 Mali 3 Nigeria 4 B/Faso 1 RD Congo Burundi

Morocco 1 Mauritania 0 Guinea 1 Côte d’Ivoire 1 Niger Rep. 0 Congo Sudan

Coach urges employment of specialised coaches

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asak Hamzat, Head Coach, Lagos State Deaf Sports Association, has appealed to state sports councils to employ more coaches to scout for talents from the streets.

Hamzat, who believes that talents abound in the nooks and crannies of the country, said that talking the step would enhance the drive for talents as well as discover many persons with disabilities who could be made world champions.

Speaking particularly about deaf athletes, he said that the step would empower deaf athletes to excel at the 2014 National Sports Festival in Calabar. ``The state has to employ more skillful coaches to realise its dream of separating the physicallychallenged people in the state from street beggars to sports heroes and good performers. ``The empowerment of physically challenged persons begins with the employment of sound coaches and technical directors who will go out to scout for them. ``Let government, through the association, look for more coaches and send them to schools. Many are deaf, but are highly talented and wasting away,’’ he said.

The coach said that this task was beyond the capacity of regular school teachers, noting that it was only specialist coaches who can bring out the best from these athletes.

Hamzat said that the association had only three persons in its coaching department, two able-bodied coaches and one deaf coach, which he said, could not do much in talent hunting.

The coach, who said that the deaf delivered 10 gold medals for the state at the last National Sports Festival in Lagos, said that the state could do with more coaches. `` Much improvement has been recorded in the deaf sports in the state, but we need to do more to encourage the athletes, `` he said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Sports African players lack collective discipline, says Obuh John Sam Obuh came tantalisingly close to clinching a global crown in the same year, when he steered Nigeria’s U-17s to the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup on home soil.

The erstwhile forward will not get a chance to better that achievement at Turkey 2013, however, as his side were eliminated by Uruguay in the last 16, and he has now stepped down as Nigeria’s U-20 coach.

The man famous for his flamboyant headgear – wearing a Stetson in Colombia and beret in Turkey – is not about to give up his convictions. The 53-year-old is a man of steadfast principles.

Obuh and Sellas Tetteh were former team-mates at Nigerian club Julius Berger, the two men were therefore excellent company when they sat down with FIFA.com for a frank and passionate discussion of the tournament, their own teams’ performances and African football in general. Here’s Obuh version of the discussion.

“

What were your respective goals when the FIFA U-20 World Cup began?

It’s an important competition because if you don’t do things well at this level, you won’t go on to succeed at the level above. It’s a final hurdle before joining the elite. There are a lot of players who will move from the U-20 team to the senior team, so it’s important to perform well. keep them focused for the duration of the tournament.

What do you think players Of course, we let them go out learn in an environment like from time to time as a group, to also this? create a good atmosphere and give JO: For us, the situation is them a little freedom. We didn’t a little different as we’ve been do it too often, though, as that eliminated. The players need to doesn’t work well with the African understand, in particular, that mentality. in tournaments like this it’s the At this level, do you think it referee who decides everything. is more important for the players Whatever they may be feeling, it’s to develop psychologically or to the referee who has the final say, improve their football? and that’s just the way it is.

The psychological aspect is The referee has his reasons, crucial and that’s what you can and he’s doing the best he can have the most influence on. The as well. In the context of that goal is to make sure that, later on, match [against Uruguay], the lads they’re strong enough mentally to needed to stay calm and not react get through the difficult moments too quickly – but human nature is that inevitably come. what it is.

This is the best time to talk to them, explain this crucial side of You have been involved football and make them understand in several international that everything is linked: you have tournaments as a coach, to be strong in your mind as well as and no doubt experienced physically fit. a whole range of emotions.

Which was the greatest Are there differences challenge? between African, South For me, this tournament American and European has undoubtedly been the most teams at this age, and if so difficult. We had a lot of pressure what are they? on us to get results, so we had to For me, there are a lot of build a team with that in mind. differences. African players have It’s a real challenge to combine technical qualities, there’s no doubt building for the future with getting results in the immediate present.

In a tournament like this, do you let your players go out and make the most of being in the host country, or do you prefer to keep a close eye on them?

You need to understand that the African mentality isn’t similar to the European one. Our boys might be distracted by certain things, which isn’t necessarily the case with European players.

Because of that, you have to try to

“

European sides are more respectful of the instructions they get and, as a result, they obey the tactics decided on at the start until the end of the game. about that, but they lack collective discipline. That’s something that’s tough to teach them because they believe so much in their own personal talent – too much.

In fact, you see matches where the individual takes precedence over the team. European sides are more respectful of the instructions they get and, as a result, they obey the tactics decided on at the start until the end of the game.

You played the game yourself. Has that helped you to be better coach?

If you played at a certain level, there’s no question that it helps you become a coach. It’s like a child who watches his dad and tries to take something on board that’ll help him grow. Later on, that child will try to pass on his own knowledge and experience.

What do you remember about playing together with Sellas Tetteh?

He was one of the best midfielders of his era, a very good player. I was a forward and he gave me a lot of good passes, and it was a real pleasure to play together. Plus he’s still my friend, which is what matters most.

This tournament has undoubtedly been the most difficult. We had a lot of pressure on us to get results, so we had to build a team with that in mind. It’s a real challenge to combine building for the future with getting results in the immediate present.

John Obuh, the Stetson wearing coach, resigned after failing to meet the target in Turkey

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013 Sequel to a report received from the Deputy Director, Poultry Institute Tukwui on the need to establish a Poultry Extension Service to the beneficiaries of Poultry Institute, the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources submitted the following recommendations for consideration and approval by Council: i.

Setting up of Poultry Extension Committee to comprise of • Area Veterinary Service Officer • Agricultural Programme Coordinator • Sectional Head Veterinary • CRC Chairman/Representative(s) ii.

Functions of the Committee • Supervision of administration of routine medication/vaccination.

• Continuation with extension training up to 17 weeks. iii.

Expected Outcome • After 17 weeks the beneficiaries can stand independently.

• Mortality of the birds currently encountered will be reduced.

• Huge savings to Government on replacement cost. iv.

Total cost of routine medication/vaccinations/allowances = N37,320,000.00 Relatedly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources requested Council to consider the presentation and approve release of the sum of N37,320,000.00 for the stated purpose.

Council noted, considered and approved the release of the requested sum of N37,320,000.00 to the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to handle item (iv.) presented above.

10. OFFICE OF THE HEAD OF CIVIL SERVICE The Head of Civil Service submitted two (2) memoranda for deliberation by Council. Both were approved for execution. Thus: a.

Presentation of Report from the Executive Council Committee on the Directorate of Societal Re–orientation (Adaidaita Sahu) Repeal Law 2013:Contents of this memorandum adequately presented the stand of the Committee mentioned above on the issue concerned as submitted by its Chairman (the Head of Civil Service) for consideration and approval by Council.

The Committee’s stand after in depth deliberation based on careful appraisal of contents of the Draft Bill yielded the following observations: i. That the Draft Bill is premised upon the desire by the then Government to determine obsolete Laws whose instrumentality lacks bearing on the responsiveness of Government Policy direction. ii. That the Directorate (Adaidaita Sahu) lacks functional qualified manpower to run its affairs, hence the need to deploy its Staff to the mainstream Civil Service. Its perceived mandate is apparently adjudged a duplicity in content as it relates to other Institutional Official engagements. iii. The Directorate is as moribund Institution as its Law both of which lack value for continued existence and therefore un-called for.

So, the Committee recommended to Council to consider approving repeal of the Law establishing the “Adaidaita Sahu” Directorate.

Council noted, considered the presentation and approved the repeal of the Law establishing the “Adaidaita Sahu” Directorate in line with the proposed Draft Bill as presented by the Ministry of Justice, Kano State. The proposed repeal was to be submitted to the House of Assembly for assent. b. Presentation of the Proposed Draft Bill on the Prohibition of Street Begging in Kano:The Executive Council Committee on the proposed Draft Bill on the Prohibition of Street begging in Kano State submitted highlights of its report/recommendation for consideration of Council as endorsed by its Chairman (the Head of Civil Service).

Main observations were presented as follows: i. The Bill is intended to provide the Legal Instrument that will allow the realization of part of Government Social Policy reform program aimed at eliminating the menace of street begging. ii. The Draft Bill is auspicious and timely as the hitherto trends being grappled with by Government on matters of development in human Capital for productive and constructive engagement by active youth in addition to rural – urban drift by young and the aged population would be checked. iii. The Law will also provide safeguard against migrant beggars from across the borders that overstretched usage of facilities meant to curtain the menace, in addition to providing legally subsisting measures for deportation and/or deployment. iv. As part of the safeguards, appropriate penalties were also provided in the Draft Bill.

Specifically, the Committee recommended to Council to consider the observations submitted and approve for forwarding the Draft Bill to the Honourable Kano State House of Assembly for passage into Law. Council appreciatively acknowledged the presentation and approved the transmission of the Draft Bill on the Prohibition of Street Begging in Kano State to the Kano State House of Assembly for passage into Law. 11. MINISTRY OF JUSTICE Presentation of Draft Bill to Repeal High Court (Civil Procedure) Edict 1988:Council was professionally notified by the State Attorney General/Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Justice, through contents of this memorandum that: i. The High Court (Civil Procedure) Edict 1988 is the current legislation governing Civil Proceedings in the High Court. ii. The Edict also makes provisions on the various fees payable in High Court for commencement of action and other processes. iii. The fees payable are however too scanty and do not conform to the realities of the present situation. iv. There is, therefore, the need to review the fees upwards.

As such, it was recommended to Council to consider and approve the Draft Bill as amended for transmission on to the Honourable State House of Assembly for passage into Law. The presentation was appreciatively acknowledged as Council approved the passage of the Draft Bill onto the Honourable State House of Assembly for passage into Law. UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES OF THE 105th EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SITTING 1. COURTESY VISIT BY THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, BANK OF INDUSTRIES Council acknowledged the official visit to Kano by the Managing Director, Bank of Industries (BOI) and her entourage and the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State Government and the BOI. 2. PRESENTATION OF AWARDS TO GOVERNOR ENGR. RABI’U MUSA KWANKWASO, FNSE Council witnessed the presentation of various awards to the Governor Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE by the Igbo Community residing in Kano for his commendable execution of developmental projects and ensuring peaceful co-existence among different tribes in the State. Similarly, Council witnessed the presentation of the following awards to His Excellency the Governor: • Award of excellence by the Association of Nigerian Writers • Award of Leadership, Excellence and recognition by Baseline Global Ventures • “Excellence award for the uplift of Sports in Kano State by the ‘Swimming Association of Nigeria’.

• Award by the Association of Northwest Youths for improving the welfare of citizens, job creation, youth empowerment, etc. in Kano State, and • Award of Excellence by the Justice & Fairness Organization.

3. SWEARING-IN OF 6 NEW PERMANENT SECRETARIES Council witnessed the swearing-in of six (6) newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and implored them to be honest, dedicated and prudent in the discharge of their official responsibilities toward attaining overall objectives of the State Government.

4. INAUGURATION OF CITY WALL COMMITTEE Council witnessed the inauguration of the State Committee on the protection & revival of Kano city Wall headed by Dr. Sule Bello with representatives from the History and Culture Bureau, Tourism Board, Emirate Council, Senior Special Assistant (Emirate Council) and National Museum and Monuments.

5. LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONE AT LOKOGOMA HOUSING ESTATE, ABUJA Council acknowledged the successful foundation stone laying ceremony at Lokogoma Housing Estate in Abuja by Governor Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE. 6. CONDUCT OF SANITATION EXERCISE ACROSS THE STATE Council acknowledged the successful conduct of sanitation exercise on the last Saturday of every month across the State and called on the citizenry to ensure future compliance for a healthy and clean surrounding.

7. NATIONAL COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (NEC) MEETING Council acknowledged the conduct of the National Council on Education (NEC) meeting held in Abuja where Kano State was commended for its stride in the transformation of Education in the country.

8. NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGRICULTURE MEETING Council acknowledged the conduct of the meeting of National Council on Agriculture held in Abeokuta where various issues toward the improvement and enhancement of the Agriculture were discussed. Council also upheld that Kano State will host the next meeting.

9. PROGRESS REPORT ON REPAIRS OF DAMS IN THE STATE Council acknowledged the progress report of the ongoing repairs of Dams across the State with a view to improving the provision of adequate water supply to the teeming population in the State.

10. CIVIL SERVICE DAY CELEBRATION/FLAG-OFF OF PRE- RETIREMENT WORKSHOP Council acknowledged the conduct of the Civil Service Day Celebration during which five (5) Senior Officers and five (5) Junior Officers were meritoriously awarded for their honesty, dedication and selfless service to the State. During the occasion three (3) Organizations were also awarded. Further, Council noted the flag off of pre-retirement workshop for Permanent Secretaries, Directors and other Officers due for retirement from the Civil Service.

Signed: Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture, Kano State

Sports

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PAGE 43

Eaglets’ technical crew to screen new players in Abuja

he Golden Eaglets will next weekend resume preparations for the forthcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates with the screening of new players in Abuja.

According to the head coach, Manu Garba, the twoweek exercise is meant to fish out new talented players that would augment the team in areas where deficiencies were observed at the 10th CAN Under-17 Championship in Morocco last March.

The Eaglests were silver medalists and many believed had the team been more deadly in certain areas the trophy won’t had escaped them.

A release yesterday indicated that players scouted across the country during the break are expected to report to FIFA GOAL Project Site in Abuja on Sunday. But it won’t be an all comers affairs as only those called up would be screened.

“It is important that we have a look at some new players for some specific positions because what we want is the best for the country,” said Garba, a gold medal winner at the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Korea.

It would be recalled that Garba had promised to audit the Golden Eaglets in a post-mortem analysis of the African Championship after his wards were trumped 5-4 on penalties by Cote d’Ivoire following a pulsating 1-1 draw in the finale.

Meanwhile, players picked from the screening exercise would undergo the mandatory Magnetic Image Resonance (MRI) test to ascertain they are within the stipulated age bracket before the team’s close camping ahead of the World Cup in UAE between October 17 and Caption for Isaac Success November 8.

PAGE 45

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

Sports 1. Thiago Silva’s (right) agent has told Spanish radio it would be “stupid” to reject Barcelona amid reports an offer has been made/ 2. John Obi Mikel who played for Nigeria at the just concluded Confederations Cup in Brazil may join Galatasaray from Chelsea next week.

3. New Paris SaintGermain coach Laurent Blanc has said he “would be happy” if Edinson Cavani was added to his squad.

1

4. Former Lions hooker Keith Wood says the decision to drop centre Brian O’Driscoll for Saturday’s deciding Test with Australia is a “terrible mistake”.

5. Ex-world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis backs David Price to prove his defeat by Tony Thompson was a “fluke”.

2

Lobi set for Al-Ittihad partnership

L 3

4

obi Stars, are ready formalise a partnership with perennial Libyan champions, Al-Ittihad, according to Dominic Iorfa.

Although details of the agreement are yet to be unveiled, it was learnt that the transfer of Lobi’s homegrown youngster, Tony Okpotu, triggered interest from Al-Ittihad, who became the first Libyan club to qualify for the semifinals of the CAF Champions League in 2007.

Okpotu recently entered Lobi’s folklore as the first talent developed from the youth structure established by Iorfa, who played club football at Queens Park Rangers and Galatasaray, to join a foreign club.

“Al-Ittihad has invited Lobi to compete in a six-club invitational tournament from July 20 through 28.

“Since we’ve attracted foreign interest, we hope the League Management Committee (LMC) will grant us permission to market our brand abroad,” Iorfa said.

Al-Ittihad are likely to be granted the first chance of accessing young talents developed at the club, which have the best development structure in Nigeria’s Glo Premier League, when the partnership becomes operational.

In 2012, the club paraded five players from their development side, Lobi Stars Feeders, in the final of the Federation Cup against Heartland, while three were on the bench.

Interestingly, others have since made debuts in the top flight this term. This is the first time the 1999 Nigerian champions will travel abroad for an invitational competition.

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Sports

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

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PEOPLES DAILY| MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

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PEOPLES DAILY, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

Some Interesting Facts

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efrigerated rubber bands last longer than at room temperature. So do apples, apples can last up to 10 times longer refrigerated. *Regulation golf balls have 336 dimples. *The Mona Lisa doesn’t have eyebrows. *Honey Is the only food that doesn’t spoil. *Thanks to you and others in various corners in all countries around the world, these Interesting Facts pages have now been viewed 2.4 million times. That’s awesome! *Why are private sector psychiatrists in the U.S trading their cozy lives for 4 years in the U.S Army ? For the $272,000.00 Sign on bonus currently being offered. *The automatic popup bread toaster was patented before the bread slicing machine. 1919 and 1928. That’s right, people sliced their own bread for the toaster for almost a decade before sliced bread was sold. *Meteorites were very important to ancient Egyptians, they created jewelry from meteorites by hammering it into shape making beads and other designs. The jewelry was often buried with loved ones. *After spending 17 years underground, 2013 is the year the Cicada bug is expected to emerge by the billions on the east coast of the United States. Some estimate trillions will arrive. *The worlds largest yacht is 590 feet (approximately

197 yards) long and 94,000 horsepower. *The restaurant ‘White Castle’ is Americas oldest and 1st hamburger chain. *Mystery solved! 9 cases with 12 bottles in each case of 100 year old historic whiskey was found in the walls of a mansion during a renovation with the whiskey bottles still full. The cases were stored in the living room but when later checked discovered 52 bottles appraised at over $102,000 were now empty.

DNA from the mouth of the bottles pointed directly to the 62 year old caretaker who has denied the accusations. *A Jet Blue flight was grounded and placed out of service after a woman spots a

Leisure

4 inch scorpion between her legs. The scorpion reportedly crawled from between her legs to under the seat while the flight continued to it’s destination where it was then placed out of service. *Vaejovis Brysoni is the name given to the latest species of scorpion discovered by biologists. The scorpion was named in part after the individual who originally found the specimen in February 2013 (Robert Bryson Jr.) The scorpion was found in the Santa Catalina mountains of Arizona. *In January of 2013 security officials at O’Hare International airport in Chicago found 18 human heads still covered in skin.

In 2010 an Arkansas airport found 60 human heads and pieces of heads. Both were in route to medical facilities but had errors in the paperwork.

Weird! *In February 2013 a komodo dragon said to be approximately 2 meters (6 – 6.5 feet) long wondered into an office and attacked two men with it’s razor sharp teeth leaving them injured with stitches and in the hospital. *In 1938, Time Magazine chose Adolf Hitler for man of the year. *Twelve people have walked on the moon. *Other than the Earth, the moon is the only other known natural astrological object ever walked on.

Say what?

SUDODKU

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Door to Hell: Standing at the edge of the Darvaza Crater in Turkmenistan. Known as the Door to Hell, this flaming crater has been burning for decades, fueled by the rich natural gas reserves found below the surface.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

FIFA U-20: Assifuah settles sevengoal thriller for Ghana

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dramatic 121st-minute goal from Ebenezer Assifuah has taken Ghana through to the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup with a thrilling 4-3 win over Chile at Istanbul’s Ali Sami Yen Arena.

The Black Satellites hero’s strike, his second of the match, completed a remarkable comeback in extra time and set up a last-four date with France on Wednesday.

This was a match that always promised goals and it did not take long for it to live up to expectations, with Ghana taking the lead inside 11 minutes.

They did so with a strike that is sure to feature in the goal of the tournament, with 16-yearold Moses Odjer the player responsible.

But Chile always looked threatening on the break and midway through the first half they levelled matters with an equally spectacular goal. Christian Bravo was its architect, stealing possession in midfield and playing in Nicolas Castillo at the angle of the box.

The in-form striker still had plenty to do but he continued his goal-a-game record at Turkey 2013 with a rocket of a shot, sent crashing into the roof of the net at Eric Antwi’s near post. Ghana levelled in the second half.

Neither side could find a winner within normal time, so an additional 30 minutes was required, and it was during extra time that Henriquez scored for the second time.

However, the drama wasn’t over yet and with seven minutes of the 120 remaining, Oboagye threaded another pass through for Seidu Salifu to slot under the body of the advancing Melo.

And Ghana’s remarkable escape act was completed with the final attack of the game, one minute into stoppage time in extra time, when a disastrous breakdown in communication on Chile’s line allowed Assifuah’s tame bouncing header to sneak over the line.

ADVERT: 0803 BUSINESS: 0805 NEWS: 0814 LAGOS: 0805 0803

. . . putting the people first

QUOTABLE QUOTE Let me appreciate Nigerians, especially the more than 50% of the key economic players in the southwest, from Lagos to Ondo state, that use this road for the pains they have experienced....

— President Jonathan apologizing for the delay in reconstructing the Lagos-Ibadan expressway

If the Brits holler, let them have it

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ast week, I played ‘the disappearing act’ trick. I didn’t feature on this page.

At the back of my mind, I thought only a few would notice. Fewer still, I told myself consolingly, would bother to make contact. I was wrong. There were calls. And there were emails. All were demanding an explanation why I played “Jonathan at AU 50th anniversary summit” without a warning. I apologize. I didn’t know that I had a ‘following’. One told me that on a day like this he reads this column only because it is ‘therapeutic’. I am is still bewildered. What is “therapeutic” about the disjointed thoughts of a harassed Nigerian and an even more harassed journalist?

The feedback, however, taught me an important lesson. Once started, columns assumed a life of their own. Often they compel the writer. They are tyrannical. They write the writer. A micro example of the ‘hunter hunted’. There is a columnist I know who has been as consistent as the monotony of the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. In the last ten years, he has not, on a weekly basis, failed to deliver a resounding treatise.

His views are extreme. You may disagree with him but he always makes the point weekly. Like the column, he is a tyrant. His view is sacrosanct. It can’t be challenged.

He is like Tyson, the disgraced boxer. He can give punches but he can’t take them.He has a glass jaw.

Hit him a little and he screams and yells. He betrays a healthy disdain for procedure but tap him mildly, he runs to the court foaming at both ends of the mouth.

Columns are a public platform.

The columnist may own the views expressed therein but actually are the real owners and the writer owes them some obligation in keeping them informed on occasional misses. Henceforth, I would prepare the minds of my readers any day the muses fail to inspire.

Having said that, this may seem belated. But I figure that it is better late than never. I had wanted to comment last week on the ill advised and ill-timed UK visa bond slapped on travelling Nigerians but at the eleventh hour, I faltered.

The gods deserted me. Personally, I welcomed it but as a patriot, I kicked. Time to really place Britain where she should be.

There are some of us who were never and will never be fascinated

by Britain. The attraction it held for some of us was its educational excellence. Beyond that, she is certainly not my favourite destination for holidays or any form of tourism. Even the historical accident of being a former colonial mistress is as impressive to me as Obama asking African leaders

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MONDAY with

Ali M. Ali aliyumaliyu@yahoo.com

British Prime Minister David Cameron to legalize gay rights. As a patriot, I was miffed by the connotative implication of a visa bond. The reasons advanced confirmed my suspicion that it was malicious in intent. I digress.

The globe is chaotic. Bedlam everywhere. Too many troubling issues agitating the mind presently.

The midweek coup in Egypt for instance, is one. The Egyptian Army has walked its talk. Egyptians should swap places with Nigerians.

They had no idea what hell was.

Let them come. Morsi is a perfect contemporary example of the corrupting influence of power.

The plane crash in the US is another. And poignantly, the mindless killing of defenseless students by cowardly dissidents in

“

the state of emergency in Yobe state on Saturday was another chilling reminder of the inefficacy of brute force in tackling rebellion. All these warrant commentary away from the UK affront. But the urge to fume at the not so great and economically depressed Britain was over powering.

Precisely two weeks today, the United Kingdom did what travelling Nigerians are accustomed to. It slapped a 3,000 pounds (N800,000) “visa bond”.

At a N25,000 minimum wage, that is the salary of 32 Nigerians.

We were not alone. Citizens of Indian, Pakistan, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were similarly affected. These countries according to Home Secretary Theresa May

Even the historical accident of being a former colonial mistress is as impressive to me as Obama asking African leaders to legalize gay rights. As a patriot, I was miffed by the connotative implication of a visa bond. The reasons advanced confirmed my suspicion that it was malicious in intent.

constitute“the most significant risk of immigration abuse.”

Expectedly there was and still is an ocean of emotion. Most citizens were aghast. Most yelled for retaliation. The Foreign Affairs Minister Olubenga Ashiru was diplomatic in sending home the message. He summoned the British High Commissioner and told him in ‘diplomatese’ that “It is incompatible with the strong and cordial relations built over the years between the UK and Nigeria.”

It was a subtle way of telling the envoy to advise ‘Home Government to’ to rescind.

But the Senate though was unequivocal. Henceforth it is tit-for-tat. Speaking through its leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, it said “reciprocity is not an option lost on us’’.

This may seemed extreme, but I am a firm believer in the doctrine of tit-for-tat in international relations. Some call it an eye-foran-eye. I disagree with India’s foremost patriot and proponent of non-violence, Mahatma Ghandi on this. Ghandi had reportedly argued that an eye for an eye would leave the world blind. I counter.’ The only thing power respect is superior power’ according to Mao Zedong.

So I agree, for a change, with our Senators totally.

The Brits have been treating us rather shabbily. We gave them the chance. Our government treats citizens even more shabbily. Before UK considered this option, smaller less significant countries in Africa have treaded this path.

There was the case of South Africa that deported Nigerians last year on account of yellow fever vaccines. There was also Kenya.

And now UK. This time the Brits must eat humble pie. They must reverse this. The underlying and unmistakable motive for this idea is to scapegoat us, hapless Nigerians for Britain’s economic woes. The assumption that Nigerians are inclined to crime and extreme disposition in UK is balderdash.

Consider the recent hysteria in the wake of the grim murder of a British soldier by Britons of Nigerian descent.

Juxtapose the contributions and the deafening silence of the scholarly and medical contributions of Nigerian academics and medical doctors resident in Britain.

Nigerians in the jet set category are the biggest spenders during holiday season. They contribute a significant percentage to UK’s GDP. This is not exhaustive. I could go on. Throughout the years IRA made parts of the Kingdom restive, not for once did Nigeria consider UK or her citizens as likely to risk ‘immigration abuse’. So if the Brits Holler, Let them have it.

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 814 292 9046. Cell: +234 802 443 2099; 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdailyng.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141