Peoples Daily

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 10 No. 30

Friday, February 8, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Atiku knocks el-Rufai, calls his book a fiction

Rabiul Awwal 27, 1434 AH

N150

Okada ban: Kano Enough of this govt to supply 100 bloodshed, high capacity buses Almakura warns

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Boko Haram

Borno women protest detention of husbands, children From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

H

undreds of women in Borno state, yesterday, staged a peaceful demonstration in Maiduguri, the capital city, over what they described as the "arbitrary arrest and continued illegal" detention of their husbands and children by operatives of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), for alleged links with the Boko Haram sect.

Our correspondent reports that the protest began at about 11am, when the aggrieved women went to Ramat Square where an interactive session on how to end the security challenges bedeviling the state organised by the Directorate of Civic-Military Relations of the Defence Headquarters, (DHQ) Abuja was being held.

It was further gathered that the women went to the forum, with the impression that their detained loved ones would be released to them, but were disappointed upon realising that the event was just a mere town Contd on Page 2

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of FCT/author of the book, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, Nasarawa state Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-makura, Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and Gombe state Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo, during the launch of el-Rufai's book, The Accidental Public Servant, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Opposition merger is a sham, says Lamido

By Agaju Madugba, Abuja & Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

J

igawa state Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido and his Niger state counterpart, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday canvassed divergent views on the emergence of a new political party, the All Progressives Alliance (APC), a fusion of the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Congress for Progressive

Its good for democracy - Gov. Aliyu Change (CPC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The four parties had on Wednesday resolved to join forces as part of measures to confront the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the scheduled general elections in 2015.

But describing the merger as a sham, Lamido predicted that the union is bound to hit the rocks explaining that APC is a marriage

of strange bed fellows.

According to Lamido, members of the PDP should not express any fears even as he further labeled the new political party as propaganda tool whose leaders hold conflicting views on fundamental issues.

Lamido who spoke at a stakeholders’ forum organized by the PDP in Jigawa held at the party’s secretariat in Dutse, noted

that, “none of the political parties will compromise to one another as the alliance will only create confusion among them and the four parties will not make the ruling and biggest party in Africa to be jittery or intimidated.”

“We are ready to face the socalled merger as it will not make any positive impact on the political struggle because the PDP Contd on Page 2

PD INDEX

6th Feb., 2013

CBN RATES $ £ EURO CFA RIYAL

BUYING 154.74 242.87 211.09 0.3029 41.25

SELLING 155.74 244.44 212.46 0.3229 41.52

PARALLEL RATES EURO £ RIYAL $

BUYING 208 254.50 42 157

SELLING 210 257.50 43 158

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Atiku knocks el-Rufai, calls his book a fiction

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

…as Buhari berates Jonathan for not funding education

Opinion

15

By Lawrence Olaoye

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

23

Islam

26

Int’l

27-30

What provides the country’s insurgents a lifeline, Pages 24-25

Strange World 31 Revue

32-33

Feature

34-35

Digest

36

Politics

37-39

Sports

41-46

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

F

ormer Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday knocked the former Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for presenting fiction meant for self glorification at the expense of truth in his latest book titled ‘The Accidental Servant’ This is coming as the former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at the El-Rufai’s booklaunch berated President Goodluck Jonathan for paying less attention to education in the country preferring instead to spend bulk of the government’s budget on security.

The former Vice President, while reacting to some contents in the book El-Rufai presented to the public yesterday, dismissed his book as a collection of fiction, halftruths, exaggeration and reflection of selective memory.

Atiku in a statement made available to newsmen by his campaign office said he was particularly piqued by the claim by el-Rufai that he had almost resigned as the former Director

General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) because of alleged persistent pressure and interference by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was then the Chairman of the National Council on Privatization.

The organization recalled that el-Rufai had told a Senate Committee then that he had unfettered access to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and that he had the discretion to bypass the Council on Privatization headed by Atiku in order to get the approval of the President.

Atiku wondered how el-Rufai could reconcile his threat of resignation with the accounts he told the Senate about the latitude of freedom he enjoyed at BPE because of his closeness to former President Obasanjo.

On the claim by el-Rufai that former President Obasanjo went on bended knees before former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to seek his cooperation for second term bid in 2003, the media office dismissed the claim as a figment of el-Rufai’s wild imagination. It

said such claim lacked any credibility because Atiku and Obasanjo were alone together behind closed doors and that they alone knew what actually transpired between them.

Rather than el-Rufai feeding the public with such fabrications, the statement read, the former Minister should have provided or quoted the authority for such claim since he was not at the private meeting between former President Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Meanwhile, Gen. Buhari had criticized President Jonathan for neglecting the nation’s education insisting that El-Rufai could excel in life because of his robust educational background.

According to him, former nation’s leaders including Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo spent substantial part of their earnings while in government on education.

The former Head of State pointed out that while Bello invested 46 percent of his budgets in education in the northern region, Awolowo in the west

invested about 55 percent. He however lamented that Jonathan’s administration is spending less than 10 percent of its budget on education with the remaining going for security.

Commenting on the nation’s institutions, Buhari stressed that the British bequeathed strong and virile institutions to the nation’s leaders at independence but that such required leaders with strong determination and will to drive them.

He said that Nigeria had strong institutions established since its colonial period, adding “and what we need now should only be visionary leadership, committed toward sustainable development.

However, the institutions have been destroyed and now we have problems and we need strong people to rebuild them.

“I believe that quality education is very important and should be given maximum concentration. But when you spend less than 10 per cent of the budget on education and the rest on security it means trouble to the economy,” he said.

Opposition merger is a sham, says Lamido Contd from Page 1 is a strong party which cannot be underrated by any group and as such we cannot be intimidated and scared by their merger”.

According to him, the merger of the political parties is just to deceive their supporters and themselves as well adding that, “they are making efforts to gain cheap popularity within Nigeria’s politics.”

As Lamido put it, “is ANPP going to compromise for ACN or will APGA compromise for ANPP? “The PDP supporters should not be scared because the so-called

merger of the opposition political parties was done based on selfish interest and political propaganda aimed at having cheap popularity.”

But speaking at a different programme, Aliyu who is also Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) contended that the merger is a healthy development arguing that alignments and realignments are simple political intercourse expected in every emerging democracy.

Aliyu who spoke in Abuja at the public presentation of Malam

the a Nasir El-Rufai’s book titled, “An Accidental Public Servant” noted further that the emergence of the APC would throw up stiff competition for elective positions and exclude those he called “nonentities” in the political process.

However, according to Aliyu, it will be difficult for the opposition to defeat the PDP in 2015 as, the party will ensure that only competent candidates are presented to run for elective offices.

Aliyu said, “no democracy can grow without credible opposition,

hence the need for an arrangement that will ensure that the PDP sits up.

“But it will be difficult for the opposition to defeat the PDP in 2015 because the PDP is a national party that is deeply rooted across the country and it will be difficult for the merger of the opposition to defeat it even if all opposition parties were to come together.

“The current PDP internal crisis will strengthen the party and the seeming disagreement among the party stalwarts is healthy for democracy as the party will come out stronger.”

Borno women protest detention of husbands, children Contd from Page 1 hall meeting, a situation they found very disappointing.

Trouble started immediately the military hierarchy at the event left the venue of the meeting without any indication that the detainees will be freed. The women then took to the streets in protest.

They marched to the Government House apparently to lodge their complaint before Governor Kashim Shettima.

Peoples Daily gathered that the demonstrators intended to express their displeasure to the military officers from the Defence Headquarters who had equally relocated to the multipurpose hall within the Government House to further parley with the elders, religious and political leaders of the people on ways to resolve the Boko Haram crisis.

The women’s mission was however disrupted along Post Office Road, when they were dispersed by a detachment of heavily armed soldiers who shot into the air at about 12 pm.

Prior to the incident, Maiduguri had been awash with rumours of the impending release of majority of those being held by JTF as part of the military's reaction to the unilateral ceasefire declared recently by the Boko Haram.

Speaking to newsmen over the incident, Deputy Director, CivilMilitary Operations from the Defence Headquarters, Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju, sent to Maiduguri to oversee the discussion by the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, denied that there was any plan to free the detainees yesterday.

According to him, those arrested and detained over involvement in the activities of the sect could only be released after a thorough investigation to ascertain their involvement or otherwise.

"We cannot just release suspects anyhow, an extensive investigation needs to be conducted and those that have no case to answer will be freed, while those found culpable will be made to face the wrath of the law", Onitiju declared.

Onitiju said the terrorists are still seen in military circle as "our people," compatriots and not enemies that should be terminated.

He admitted that there could be human errors in the operations of the JTF in the area but reminded all that the task force

was never sent out to kill the terrorist group but rather to bring peace back into the area.

He said: "We were here to interact with the people to see where we have erred, how the civil populace can help us to achieve peace. How we can smoothen rough edges to achieve peace.

Our operation was never intended to keep people in detention. The Chief of Defence Staff has sent us to tell the people that we did not intend to keep people in detention with impunity but the situation warrants it", he added.

Onitiju also revealed that the Defence Headquarters may soon constitute a strong panel of investigation to separate the wheat from the chaff and rehabilitate those who might have been affected by the crisis.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 3

Okada ban: Kano govt to supply 100 high capacity buses From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

F

ollowing the ban on commercial motorcycles, Kano state governor, Engr.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said the state government would in the next one month bring in 20 buses with the capacity to carry 100 passengers each, to ply the metropolitan roads in the state.

Kwankwaso stated this while signing an agreement with a private firm, Shanzi Auto Logistics at the council chambers of the Government House yesterday.

Kwankwaso said: "The decision was expeditiously arrived at considering the plight of people due to the ban on carrying passengers on the back of

motorcycles".

The governor also added that the company will start with the first phase of 20 buses in the next one month; while the remaining 80 buses will commence operation in the next three months.

The governor affirmed that "the buses will be operating from Kwanar Dawaki to Zaria Road and

Yankura, while another set of buses will operate from Hotoro Dorawar Naabba to Yankura and some parts of Kano metropolis".

He also appealed to the Business Community to use the opportunity and import more buses to provide succour for the teeming youth and to ease movement for the people in the state.

Robbery squad nabs two car thieves in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

P

olice Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to armed robbers hunts man, Alhaji Ali Kwara, has arrested two people suspected to specialise in stealing cars in Kano state.

Kwara made the disclosure while parading the suspects in his country home, Azare in Katagum local government area of Bauchi state.

According to him, the suspects were arrested through useful information from informers when they were about to sell the car at a giveaway price in the city of Kano.

Kwara said the suspects induced the owner of the car to unconsciousness; when he fell into deep sleep they took away the car from Lagos and dropped the owner who was sleeping near one company in Niger state.

He added that the suspects and the recovered 406 Peugeot car will be handed over to the Niger state police command for further investigation and prosecution.

Daily Times tussle: Folio insists on ownership

By Augustine Aminu

F

Suspects arrested by the police in Nasarawa for allegedly going to cause mayhem, on Wednesday in Doma. Photo: NAN

Nasarawa commends NSCDC

…as command arrests vandals of PHCN installations From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

J

ust as the Nasarawa state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested hoodlums that specialise in vandalising Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN) installations; the state government has commended the efforts of the corps in addressing the issue of insecurity in the state.

The state government was speaking against the backdrop of the insecurity that has bedevilled the state in the last few months occasioned by clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers.

State deputy governor, Dameshi Luka Barau who commended the outfit which was led by the state commandant, Andekin Amos Musa on a courtesy call to his office yesterday, noted that the command has been able to tackle headlong issues arising from insecurity in the state.

While stressing that the state government would continue to make issues of security a priority, Luka assured the corps that government would continue to

assist the organisation to enable it carry out its responsibilities.

Earlier, the Commandant of the corps in Nasarawa, Andekin Musa had requested the state government to provide the organisation with more operational vehicles to make its operations felt at all strata of the society, pointing out that the two functional vehicles at their disposals were not enough.

He explained that the corps needed to cover more areas of the crisis and this would enable it carry out its operations more effectively.

Meanwhile, the state

commandant of the NSCDC has arrested two vandals of PHCH installations in the state.

A statement issued to newsmen and signed by the command Public Relations Officer, Soji Alabi gave the names of the culprits as “Manna Tsaku (seller), a 24-yearold citizen of Nasarawa state who is the prime suspect, and one Ahmed Sanni (buyer), 23-year-old, of Boro local government in Bauchi state who specialises in buying such stolen vandalised items”.

He noted that they were arrested last Sunday at the scene of the crime at Dunama College

along Barkin Abdullahi Road, Lafia following a tip-off by members of the community, adding that “the level of awareness and cooperation between NSCDC of the good people of Nasarawa state”, had made it possible.

Alabi observed that earlier in January, Tsaku had vandalised and sold an armoured cable to Sanni weighing about 77 kilograms and estimated at N40,000, however luck ran out on him last Sunday when he was about to vandalise another cable weighing about 120 kilograms and estimated to cost about N150,000.

olio Communications Limited has rejected the recent ruling by an Abuja High Court granting ownership of Daily Times to Ikechukwu Obiora, saying the high court cannot rule on a case already pending before an appeal court.

The company insists it owns 96.5 percent share capital of Daily Times, stating that this was gazetted by the Federal Government and nothing has happened to change that position.

It said in a statement signed by its Group Managing Director, Noel Anosike, that every Nigerian is aware that Folio Communications Limited bought Daily Times through a transparent transaction that conformed with due process and the Acts establishing the BPE. The statement reads in part: “If a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja or anywhere for that matter gives ruling on a case subsisting at the Court of Appeal, that so-called ruling or judgement is null and void and therefore of no consequence. This is the position of the law in Nigeria and this too is well known to even primary school pupils…”

Soldiers assault photo journalist in Borno, apologise From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

A

photo-journalist, Olatunji Omirin of Daily Trust newspaper who attempted to take snapshots of protesting women yesterday in Maiduguri, was manhandled by angry soldiers who slapped him and took away his camera.

Our correspondent reports that it took the intervention of Malam

Abba Kakami, the chairman of the Borno state chapter of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) for Omirin to get back his camera.

Recounting his ordeal in the hands of the soldiers, Tunji said: “The whole trouble started at the Ramat Square where some women came to meet some military officers but the issue could not be resolved.

“Then some women started protesting against the alleged

arrest of their sons and husbands by the Joint Task Force (JTF) and vowed to go and lodge complaints to Governor Kashim Shettima at the government house.

“As the women approached the state television house (BRTV); three soldiers came forth from the nearby sector command of the JTF and started shooting into the sky to scare away the protesters.

“I therefore ran to capture the scene when one of the soldiers

demanded for my camera which I refused to give. The other one slapped my face and the third one snatched my camera”, Omirin said.

He said that was when the NUJ chairman intervened and explained so many things to the soldiers which made them to release the camera.

Tunji said the soldier that slapped him had also tendered an apology.

PAGE 4

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY, 8, 2013

Senate to criminalise company manslaughter

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

L-R: Kogi state Deputy Governor, Architect Yomi Awoniyi, Niger state Deputy Governor, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, and Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, during a meeting on Federal Government Committee on Complementary Intervention for Infrastructural Development of Peri-FCT Communities in Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi states, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Enough of this bloodshed, Almakura warns

By Umar Muhammad Puma

G

overnor Umar Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa state has said that his government would not fold its hands and watch some disgruntled people holding the state to ransom.

The governor was reacting to renewed crisis and secret

killings in Kwandare, the governors village, three kilometers from Lafia the state capital.

In a press statement made available by his senior special assistant on Media and Press Affairs Sani Musa Mairiga, Almakura said he would deal decisively with those behind the crisis. "Enough of this bloodshed,

if we bring to justice those who engaged in this evil, it would serve as deterrent to others who are nursing such machinations against the state and its people".

Al-makura said it was unfortunate that some people are still perpetrating evil against their fellow human beings at a time when the state is counting the gains of

democracy.

The governor debunked insinuations in some quarters that government is playing the ostrich on the crisis.

He added that the administration inherited these crises from the previous governments in the state, assuring that the government is working assiduously to solve it once and for all.

Kano police recover 13 rifles, IEDs in two weeks From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

K

ano State Police Command said it has recovered 13 rifles, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and arrested three suspected armed robbers in the last two weeks in Kano.

Briefing newsmen at the Police Headquarter in Bompai, Kano, the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said the command, after receiving a distress call that there was robbery operation at Jogana Town in Gezawa local government area, pursued and arrested three suspected armed

robbers.

He named the suspected robbers as Hashimu Ado of Rimin Kebe quarters, Mohammed Auwal of Dutsinma, Katsina state and Zailani of Wudil Town, Kano state.

The commissioner added that the suspects were arrested for conspiring with three others to attack a super market in the area and robbed them of undisclosed amount of money".

He revealed that three AK47 rifles, five magazines, 69 rounds of live ammunition and two mobile phones were recovered from the suspects.

The commissioner added

that the suspects at hand mentioned their gang leader who supplied them with arms as one Babangida Baba Salihu of Sauna Kawaji, an indigene of Jigawa state.

Babangida and one Na'Allah SNU, who was earlier been implicated in the attack on the Emir of Kano, had been declared wanted by the police.

In the same vein, the commissioner said that, "two suspicious young men were sighted carrying large bag around Sauna Kawaji by Ya'nkaba."

"Our control room was informed and immediately

mobilised patrol vehicles to the area, on sighting the police, the hoodlums abandoned the bag and took to their heels", Idris said.

Items recovered in the bag included six AK47 rifles, two assault rifles, one Riot gunner, two IEDs, 13 magazines, 723 of 5.5f live ammunitions, 152 of 7.6 live ammunition, 21 of 0.9mm live ammunitions, and 33 empty shells.

The IEDs were detonated safely without damage or injury by men of Bomb Disposal Unit.

Over 500 Nigerian troops already in Mali

Boko Haram: Ndume wants court to stay proceedings T

By Joy Baba

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

S

enator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who is standing trial for terrorism-related charges before a Federal High Court in Abuja, has asked the court to stay proceedings in the matter pending an appeal he filed challenging the decision of the court to admit in evidence certain documents tendered by prosecution at its last sitting.

The matter was slated for

yesterday for continuation of trial but Ndume's counsel, A. O. Jolawo, told the court that his client had filed an appeal against the court's ruling of December 11 and 14, 2012 which admitted in evidence DVD's containing call data records as well as findings of investigations carried out by a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) of the State Security Service (SSS).

Prosecuting counsel, Thompson Olatigbe confirmed that they have been served with

the notice of appeal but urged the court to proceed with cross examining the witness since the motion for stay is not ripe for hearing and that they are yet to be served with the motion for stay of proceedings.

The trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole adjourned till February 19, 2013 to hear the application however and added that he feels rather hesitant to insist that cross examination of the prosecution witness should continue.

enate is currently working on the bill to make criminal, any death in Nigeria arising from negligence, incompetence, or dereliction of any company or its allies, saying that the bill when passed, will create corporate discipline among companies operating in Nigeria.

The bill which passed second reading yesterday after it generated a stiff debate on the floor of the Senate, was sponsored by Senator Pius Ewereidu, from Delta state.

Among other things, the bill seeks to mete out sanctions on corporate organisations which are guilty of manslaughter, as a measure to protect Nigerians from the recklessness and ambitious tendencies of the capitalist class.

Leading debate on the bill, the sponsor, Pius Ewereidu, said the essence of the bill is to make corporate bodies, entities, and agencies culpable for their willful acts of negligence and dereliction of duty or incompetence which lead to any event causing the death of a person.

Countering the bill as unnecessary and capable of running at crossroad with the criminal code of the 1999 constitution, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, emphasised that the bill is hypothetical, saying Nigeria still has a long way to go before the need for the bill will arise.

Senator Solomon Ewuga, falted this argument, saying that what the bill seek to address is already happening in Nigeria. He emphasised the need for Nigeria to enthrone and enforce international best practices in the corporate world.

he Defence Head Quarters, Abuja, has said Nigeria Armed Forces have deployed over 500 officers and men in the ongoing African International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) operation.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI) Col Mohammed Yerima in Abuja yesterday.

According to the statement, "currently there is a company strength of 138 men (all ranks) stationed in the city of Banamba, Mali.

"The AFISMA Headquarters

in Bamako is manned by 17 Nigerian personnel and 24 personnel are currently stationed at the transit camp with a Signal Squadron of 61 personnel currently deployed.

"The Nigerian Air Force which is stationed in Niamey Niger Republic has a total strength of 300 personnel".

The statement also said the remaining troops and equipment will be deployed in due course.

Yerima further said in the statement that a contingent of 140 Nigeria Police personnel who are already on standby are also expected to be deployed soon.

PAGE 6

We are not in custody of 2013 budget - Rep

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he House of Representatives has debunked media reports that the President has refused to sign the budget because of disagreements between the executive and the legislatures over budget figures and has returned the budget to the House.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Zakari Mohammed (PDP Kwara) who gave the clarification at a briefing yesterday, explained that "as far as we are concerned, the budget is still with Mr. President, since 1999, this is the first time that the budget is going through vigorous processes".

Zakari said this at a weekly media briefing that the House has concluded its deliberation on the budget since last year and has passed it to the executive for assent.

He described as false a media report that the House and the senate are in conflict over state creation.

"It is a mere speculation, everybody can say whatever he wants, but as far as we are concerned both chambers of the National Assembly have cordial working relationship, the process of constitutional amendment is very clear; if any of us has issues on constitutional amendment, he should channel it to the proper avenue", he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Court acquits woman of culpable homicide

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

A

n Abuja High Court, sitting in Apo, yesterday discharged and acquitted one Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Abutu of No. 61, Parakou Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja of culpable homicide.

Mrs. Abutu who was arrested and detained since December 28, 2011,

for allegedly killing her husband, Mr. Ibrahim Abutu, was discharged and acquitted of the two-count charge of culpable homicide and attempting to falsify evidence.

Presiding judge, Justice Abba Bello Mohammed ruled that the prosecution failed to establish that the accused committed homicide.

He said the prosecution acted

more on hear-say from witnesses who were not at the scene of the incident, adding that the witnesses were giving their stories based on speculations which are not tenable before the court.

Mohammed said for the accused to be found guilty of homicide punishable by death, the prosecution must be able to establish

that there was a murder, and that the accused actually killed the deceased and to also establish that the action was aimed at killing the deceased.

He maintained that lack of evidence renders the law handicapped to prosecute the accused and therefore discharged and acquitted her of all charges.

Nigerian Army conducts examination From Illya Garba, Minna

I

n an effort to meet up with the contemporary security challenges in the country, Nigerian Army will be conducting her Lieutenant to Captain practical Promotion Examination (LCPPE), 2013 at the Army Headquarters, 1 Division Nigerian Army Kaduna.

According to the press statement signed by Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Texas Chukwu, the practical examination will take place on the 11th of February, 2013as it is an annual event meant to test the ability, quick mental appreciation as well as professional competence of officers of the rank of lieutenant.

"The practical examination is part of the requirements every combatant officer in the rank of Lieutenant must pass through".

The release stated that the examinations' President who is also the Acting Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Brig. Gen. Sani has already addressed members of the examination panel, Representative of the Army Headquarters and OB services on the completion of this programme.

"I want to use this medium to inform the general public that during this period of examination, there will be mass movement of Army officers, military vehicles and as well, personnel within and outside Kaduna".

In view of this, information must be disseminated to avoid panic, the statement said.

L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 2, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, and Principal Secretary to the Prsident, Ambassador Hassan Tukur, during the 12th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, on Wednesday in Cairo, Egypt.

From Illya Garba, Minna

T

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has donated reproductive health kits to nine states adjudged to be worst hit by the 2012 flood that ravaged several states of the federation.

The benefiting states are; Niger, Kaduna, Taraba, Edo, Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Delta and Bayelsa.

Delivering the items which include reproductive health kits 6A, RH 6B, RH8, RH9 and RH 10

NEMA donates health kits to nine states to the Niger state deputy governor and chairman of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto, the Director General of NEMA Alhaji Muhammed Sani-Sidi said the kits were meant for primary health care facilities in the selected states.

Sani Sidi who was represented

by Assistant Director Relief and Rehabilitation in the NEMA head

office, Abuja, Alhaji Saidu Ahmed Minin disclosed that in Niger state three local government areas Mokwa, Bida and Wushishi were selected for the first set of the materials with Mokwa getting seven cartons of the items Wushishi and Bida had 10 each.

Alhaji Sani Sidi assured that the items will be sent to other affected states in the country as soon enough materials were received

from the Red Cross and the United Nations Population Fund who are partnering with NEMA in the procurement of the items.

The Director General therefore urged the Niger state government and other benefiting states to ensure quick delivery of the materials to the flood victims and local government areas adding that the Red Cross, UNFPA and NEMA will monitor the judicious use of the kits.

Sambo urges c'ttee to fix time to develop peri-FCT communities

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

V

ice President Namadi Sambo has directed the Presidential Committee on Federal Government Intervention for Infrastructural Development of Peri-FCT Communities to fix time frame in the recommendations for the development of communities in the contiguous states.

Sambo gave the directive yesterday at the Technical SubCommittee meeting in the State House, Abuja. He told the Committee that the financial involvement of the Federal Government, the states concerned and the local governments should be clearly stipulated, adding that time for

commencement of the project as well as when it will end should also be indicated in the recommendations.

Sambo noted that the idea of complimentary intervention of the Peri-FCT communities is not to build new towns but to develop the ghettos in the boundary communities to the Federal Capital Territory, urging the committee not to go beyond the communities surrounding the FCT. He also cautioned that building schools to be jointly managed by the contiguous states and the FCT would not be necessary given that the Federal Government is building the Universal Basic Education in all states and communities in the

country.

Sambo said the immediate items to consider are transportation, electricity, housing, potable water, health issues and sanitation in these areas, adding that the amount already envisaged by the committee is on the high side.

He set up another committee headed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to work on the report presented by the main committee.

In his presentation, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, said "a combination of factors particularly those associated with uncontrolled human population influx have created

development challenges in the Peri-FCT Communities of Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi states resulted in severe infrastructure gaps". He said the situation led to the contiguous states and the FCT to appeal to Federal Government for special intervention towards providing some relief to the affected communities.

He highlighted that the main communities being proposed for Federal Government complimentary intervention for infrastructure development are Suleja and environs in Niger state; Karu/Mararaba axis in Nasarawa state and Chikara in Kogi state while for FCT, the satellite communities of Karshi, Jikwoyi, Nyanya, Karu and Zuba are to be considered.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

The Guardian correspondent receives death threats From Nasiru Mu’azu Isa, Kaduna

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Senior Correspondent o f T h e Guardian newspapers in Kaduna, Mr. Saxone Akhaine, has petitioned the Kaduna state Police Command over death threats through anonymous telephone call and text messages.

In the petition, copies of which were also sent to the Director of State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Akhaine

said that an unidentified male voice called him on Tuesday and later followed with a text message warning him of an imminent attack on his person.

According to the petition, “it is with a sense of urgency that I am drawing your attention to a telephone call that I received

at about 8.33 pm on Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 from telephone number08168638494.

“The strange male voice told me -are you Saxone? We would soon get at you. We know where you stay, but before I could say a word, the caller switched off

the telephone.

“Again, at 10.17 pm and 10.18 pm, text messages of same wordings were delivered to my telephone stating-I called you. Your days are numbered.

We will get you very soon.”

Akhaine urged the police and other security agencies to

investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Aminu lawan, who received the petition on behalf of the Police Commissioner, Femi Adenaike, pledged readiness of the police to look into the matter.

‘Early detection can prevent cancer’ From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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arly detection and a p p r o p r i a t e interventions remains key to cancer prevention and control across the country.

This was the submission of all speakers at the symposium held to mark 2013 World Cancer Day at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) yesterday in Lagos.

They noted that all hands must be on desk to ensure adequate awareness on the best way to stay healthy and be free of the disease.

The speakers urged all participants at the event as well as the press, to continue the spread of the message to all nooks and crannies of the country especially the interiors areas.

Delivering a speech at the event, the Director General, MIMR, Professor I.A.O Ujah urged all women of reproductive age and men aged 40 and above to avail themselves of the available screening methods within and outside the institute to know their status rather than indulging in the current skepticism about whether cancer was real.

He noted that the institute is not relenting in its effort in preventing some cancers, particularly cancer of the cervix as well as screening of the Human Papilloma Virus (the virus that causes cancer of the cervix).

Ujah lamented that cancer is increasing globally with an expected 20 million new cases per year. In Africa, he said, an estimated 667,000 new cases of the disease were reported in 2008 adding that cancer related deaths were estimated to be 518,000 in the same year.

He noted that studies has proved that common cancers in Nigeria include breast and cervical cancers among women of reproductive age and prostrate and cancer of the lungs among adult males.

Earlier in his address, former Provost, College of Medicine, University of Lagos and Chairman of the event, Professor Wole Atoyebi stated lamented that Nigerians do not care to know their cancer status.

L-R: Director Research, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Ado Abdullahi, Director, Industrial Plant and Equipment, Dr. Sabastine Obasi, and Director General, RMRDC, Prof. Peter Onwualu, during media briefing on RMRDC 11th Technology Exposition, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Akpabio orders Sure-P to employ 150 cleaners From Mike Etim, Uyo

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he Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has directed the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme [Sure-P] Committee in the state to employ 150 persons and post them to each local area in the state to handle environmental sanitations of the area.

The Governor gave the order while expressing displeasure over the poor state of environmental sanitation in the

local government areas of the state.

At a meeting with chairmen of the 31 Local Government Areas in the state, the governor directed the Chairman of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area to stop motorcycle mechanics and block moulders from working on the covered drains as dirt from repairs or moulding could deface them.

The Governor also directed the chairmen to forward the list of new development projects this year, including those that

have been completed and those not yet done.

Akpabio pledged to meet with them regularly to enable them iron out their differences and problems with a view to finding lasting solutions to them.

He expressed his commitment to work with the local government councils in overcoming some of their teething problems especially finances and to direct the state Attorney-general and Commissioner for Justice to

send a legal amendment to the state House of Assembly in order allow them access the one per cent Agricultural Funds now in a fixed deposit.

The state Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Mr. Nse Ntuen lamented the financial difficulty in local government councils for the past six months, resulting in some councils not paying salaries and other entitlements to staff and political office holders.

Lassa fever kills over 5,000 Nigerians annually- expert

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medical consultant with the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), has said that over 5,000 persons die of the Lassa fever yearly with over 300,000 others infected with the disease in the country yearly.

He revealed this on Wednesday in Jos, the Plateau State capital during a sensitization workshop on Lassa fever in the state.

According to Ogbonna, the patient experiences symptoms two to three weeks after the

infection.

Meanwhile, the federal government has said that it is determined to nip in the bud the spread of the fever in the country.

The minister of health, Professor Onyebuchi chukwu,

FG, Yobe to partner on airport

T

he Yobe state government is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Aviation for the establishment of an international airport in Damaturu, the state capital.

Yobe state Commissioner for Transport and Energy, Mohammed Lamin, who disclosed this to our reporter in Damaturu, said the facility would be located about 24 kilometers away from the state

capital.

“Right now we are collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Aviation to ensure that we get the right facilities for the airport which will eventually be managed by our people.

“We have experienced a lot of incidents where some of our pilgrims were attacked by robbers along the way to or from Maiduguri airport and their allowances were taken

away from them and in some cases loss of lives were involved,” he added.

He said Damaturu is strategically located and would be the shortest link to most of the North-east capitals that can be reached within four to five hours.

He stated also that when the construction of the airport commences, the company would be employing some of the state’s indigenes.

who stated this at the workshop added that government is aiming at preventing further mortality arising from the disease in the state and the country in general.

Onyebuchi who was represented by his Chief Press Secretary Alhaji Yusuf said the fever was a dangerous viral disease, which could lead to the death of so many persons.

The minister also donated drugs to the state to combat the spread of the disease in the state and advised the people to maintain clean environment and safeguard food items from rats, known to be carriers of the disease.

He said Lassa fever for which no vaccine had been developed is usually found in the faeces and urine of infected rats.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Gov yero reaffirms commitment to polio eradication From Muhammad Adamu, Kaduna

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L-R: Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, and Leader, House of Representatives, Hon. Mulikat Akande Adeola, during the stakeholders' preparatory meeting on the 57 session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Pension scam ruling: Lawyer describes petitions against Talba as frivolous

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he National Judicial Council (NJC) has been urged not give attention to frivolous petitions against judges in the country.

In a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, an Abuja based lawyer, Mr. Osuagwu Ugochukwu condemned the public outrage that followed the judgement of Justice Abubakar

Talba of an Abuja High against Mr. John Yusufu, an assistant director in Police Pension Fund.

Last week, Justice Talba sentenced Yusufu to two years jail term with an option N750,000 fine for committing N32 billion fraud.

In the letter, Ugochukwu said, “We are writing with a view to expressing our disenchantment over the spate of frivolous petition against judges in Abuja. Most of these petitions are frivolous.

“Interestingly, in the present one (petition against Justice Talba) the petitioners are never parties to the suit and have not showed how the judgment affected them personally or directly.

In fact, they are meddlesome interlopers. It is our view that where a party is not satisfied with a judgement, there is recourse to higher court for appeal. “ situation where every Tom, Dick and Harry petition a judge, including

a meat seller or mechanic over a judicial proceeding or a matter is to say the least, unacceptable.

“Does it mean judges are now subject and object of public bashing?

Are Judges/Judicial Officers now endangered species or scapegoats?

“The NJC should not allow themselves to be used by idle Petitioners for selfish ends and/or motives.

It could be any person’s turn tomorrow. The same people can tomorrow libel even members of the NJC”.

Okada riders’ deaths heighten tension in Benin

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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ension appears heightened in Benin City, the Edo State Capital, following the deaths of two commercial motorcycle riders popularly called Okada.

The two bike riders were killed when a vehicle ran into them, following an attempt by a commuter to escape arrest by the Edo traffic officials after beating traffic light when he killed the two bike riders.

The deaths which set authorities the State War Against Indiscipline (WAI) and the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA) on edge angered other bike riders who witnesses said, descended on officials of WAI and EDSTMA, beating them mercilessly.

The bike riders set-up bonfires and took to the street protesting the killing of their members.

Officials of WAI and EDSTMA were chased away

from their duty post in different parts of Benin City and some were beaten-up.

Officials of WAI however chased some motorcyclists who were heading towards their office along Ezoti street away.

Some motorcycles were destroyed at the Third Junction along Murtala Mohammed (MM) Way but the owners claimed they were not aware of the fracas when they were attacked from behind by officials of WAI. than 15 motorcycles that

were destroyed, were counted and the owners claimed dangerous weapons were used freely on them.

Chairman of WAI, Engr. David Olukoga said two missing officials were yet to be seen as at press time.

He explained that it was traffic officials that had problem with Okada riders but the anger was vented on his men.

Olukoga threatened that Okada would be banned in the state if the two officials were not found.

North, south leaders Report sacks Kogi education secretaries meet Saturday From Ayodele Samuel,Lagos

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minent Leaders of thought under the aegis of Project Nigeria (National Consensus Group) led by Elder statesman and Eminent Jurist; Prof Ben Nwabueze will on Saturday in Lagos hold a major consultation with Northern Leaders under the umbrella of Northern Elders Forum chaired

by Elder statesman, Dr. Yusuf Maitama Sule, the Danmasanmi Kano on the state of Nigeria The closed door interface of eminent

political leaders from northern and southern Nigeria, scheduled to start at 5pm on Saturday February 9, 2013 is expected to be led by both men who had initially met in Lagos in December 2012 to broach mutual cooperation and understanding under the umbrella of Project Nigeria The national consultation also becomes crucial against the backdrop of popular concern for political stability in Nigeria beyond the expiration of the 100 years amalgamation of Nigeria foisted by colonial Britain.

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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ll education secretaries in the 21 local government in Kogi state have been indicted by report which recommended that they be sacked immediately if education could have meaning in the state.

The report was submitted by the Nigeria Union of Teachers Committee set up to ascertain the exact number of teaching and non-teaching staff in each of the 21 local

government areas.

Table payment embarked upon by the committee revealed that most of the secretaries have been syphoning money without qualms or fear of God urging the state government not to spare them.

Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education SUBEB, Alhaji Jibrin Usman while presenting the report at Lugard House, declared that financial mismanagement should be blamed on the secretaries.

overnor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna state said the state would improve its counterpart funding of immunisation campaigns and re-strategise its activities to strengthen routine immunization programme to achieve the December 2013 interruption and June 2013 zero wild polio virus (WPV) in the state.

In a statement made available to journalists by the governor's spokesman, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki Wednesday evening in Kaduna, Gov Yero said the challenges faced by the campaign against polio in the state since December 2012 was due to the local government polls and the death of former governor Patrick Yakowa last December, adding that with the assumption of the task force leadership by the Deputy Governor, Amb. Nuhu Audu Bajoga, the state would improve its immunisation activities against polio.

Speaking when he received the delegation of the World Health Organisation (WHO) led by the Kaduna State Coordinator, Dr. Fureratu Zakari at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Yero said they would address the issue of border local government areas where cases are rampant adding that he would participate fully in the immunisation activities from the March 2013 Immunization Plus Days (IPD) round as well as review meetings.

“Part of the challenges was due to the local government election that we had in December 2012. The local government chairmen who are the drivers of the programme wanted to hand over and the incoming local government chairmen are trying to settle down but also our governor died within the same time, which led to us not having effective December round" Gov Yero said.

“The ongoing transition in government also affected the ongoing February round, but I can assure you that we will come out strongly in the March immunisation exercise and you will see a difference.

“At the level of the Governors Forum, we want to address the challenges, we are aware of what is going on and we are going to work hard to eradicate polio in Nigeria, even the governors whose states are free of polio they would be visiting the high risk states to assist in the immunisation campaign from the next round.

We have assured Mr President of our hope to eradicate polio this December 2013. I am happy that we don’t have any new case since November 2012 but the virus is still around.”, he added.

Dr Fureratu said their visit was to intimate the governor on the challenges facing the state in the area of polio eradication adding that the state recorded 15 WPV cases in 2012 in 11 wards of seven local government areas.

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY,FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Investing in stocks‌your ignorance is someone's gain O

ne of the greatest risks one can take in life is forcefully trying to be part of a club one does not know how it operates.

The same is applicable to the capital market; you cannot stake your money in a market where you have little or no knowledge about. Isn't that pretty risk?

When the stock market came suddenly under pressure from all angles, finding workable strategies work became a bit difficult for market players, operators and regulators.

Even at that state, there were still smart people whose job it was to figure out how to make money in any state of the market.

Without prior knowledge of the market, the money you would lose in the market becomes their gain.

The stock market can go down as well as up, but experts recommend that if you are interested in investing your own money in the stock market you

need to educate yourself to the highest possible level before you invest. This is because investing

in the stock market is not in any way so easy but a process that is based on Fundamentals.

"There is no easy money in the stock market. It does take hard work. Anyone promising instant riches in the stock market should not be believed.

There is considerable risk of financial loss if you do not know what you are doing. Have a risk management strategy in place.

If in doubt do not invest", said Barry Moore, an analyst at Liberated Stock Trader.

"No matter what the conmen, penny stock newsletter writers or gurus tell you, I can really tell you this. There is only one way to make money in the 'share market/stock market'.

Education!", he added.

But if you really want to make money in the stock market and understand why and how the market moves the way it does, you need to understand the Fundamentals. These include the business climate, market cycles, economics, monetary and fiscal policy, and the role of the government and central

late.

So, if no one is going to help you learn about personal finance, who will? The answer is YOU and only YOU. Every ounce of responsibility falls on your shoulders now. Mom and Dad are no longer around to hold your hand through life. It's "go time" and the race is on.

Now that you understand the severity of the situation, I'm going to share with you some tips that will help you on this quest for financial knowledge.

Automate, automate, automate This is huge for a college student. I remember when I was in school; I barely had time for managing money. With finals, studying, fraternity events, the

gym, flag football and endless list of activities, I didn't have much time left over to manage my money. This is why it's critical that you automate a majority of your finances. Everything from automatic savings to automatic bill pay should be setup. There is no excuse for late payments or saying you doesn't have the tools to save money.

These opportunities are in front of you, you just need to take them.

Budget and track your spending Tracking where your money goes is critical to a successful personal finance life. Because of technology, this is extremely easy to do. Tools like Mint.com exist now and even smart phones have the ability to sync up and

track budgets and spending patterns. The tools are at your disposal. No longer are the days of ignorance. If someone doesn't get their finances in ordered, it's out of laziness. Harsh? Yes. But I bet if college students managed their finances and took control, they would be much better off and graduating with much less debt.

Find a mentor Not just any mentor, but someone who has a track record of successful financial decisions.

This should be someone older than you who have been around the block a few times. This could be a parent or someone who is working full time and living on their own. To be the best, learn from the best. Here's the deal,

don't ask your close friends for personal finance advice. Chances are they're not thinking about money management yet. You will need to pave your own path and seek someone out. Who knows, your friends might start asking you what you're doing.

Take it as an opportunity to help them take charge of their finances as well.

Ready, Set, Go! I'm not going to end this on a negative note. Quite the contrary!

Now that you have some tools and guidance in the right direction, you are equipped to go out and make strong financial decisions.

Take hold of your finances and don't rely on others. Ignore the other students around you in college and pave your own way.

become the bane of every country and Nigeria is no exception.

Households are struggling to cope with the ever increasing prices of basic necessities. It is common to see women cutting back on purchases while shopping due to unexpected price hikes. Men (and women) dread the landlords coming round to inform them of rent increase. School fees go up without warning. Everyday life has become a nightmare for many as their incomes can no longer cater for their current lifestyles.

It's a gloomy picture of hopelessness. But does it have to be? Are there ways of coping with the current financial climate?

Yes, there are a few things you can do to relieve or reduce the financial pressure.

Prepare a budget I'm still amazed by the number of people I meet living without a budget. This gives a true picture of why there is more financial hardship than is necessary. In Nigeria, it's wellknown that majority lack a regular source of income. For many, it's quite erratic, indeed.

The percentage of employed to self-employed or unemployed is terribly high. But, having an irregular income is no excuse for living without a budget. A budget will not only show you where your

money should go but also how much you need to earn to maintain or improve your lifestyle.

Shop weekly Shopping on a weekly basis will help when you are living on a small budget. Even though there is no hard and fast rule about shopping, as many shop monthly.

Weekly shopping has a number of advantages. It makes sure that your family's needs are covered each week. Second, due to the unpredictable nature of electricity, weekly shopping will prevent you throwing away perishable goods, saving you money. The third advantage,

when you stock weekly you reduce the chances of giving food away to family and friends who come visiting. It's great to be charitable but remember, it's bound to affect your budget as you'll need to restock before your next planned shopping date.

Get a small generator and small freezer Save up for a small generator and freezer. I know this sounds farfetched. But having a place to freeze food and other cooked dishes for the week will save you a lot of money. Yes, you'll spend a bit on fuel but you won't be running it all day, schedule running times for it.

(Source:www.moneyning.com)

bank in the fate of the stock market.

"Combining a solid knowledge of the fundamentals of business economics with technical analysis is the key. Only then can you understand if the business climate is worsening, what effect it will have on the stock market," the expert added.

"There is a combination of tools that works. Once you have a grasp of why the market moves in a certain direction (Economics and Governments), and an understanding of the way it moves (Cycles & Waves), then you can interpret charts (Technical Analysis) in a whole new way. Understanding 'Supply and Demand' within a given economic climate is critical. Then we can combine Price, Trends, Volume and the Price Volume relationship to give us something akin to a true visualisation of what may happen. This will put you in the top 5 percent of stock market investors," Barry added.

Take control of your finances, or else!

I

know, that title sounds quite ominous doesn't it? Well, that was the point! If you're about to start college, you need to perform a reality check. Where do you stand with your finances?

Have you even thought about creating a cash cushion? Chances are you probably haven't.

And don't assume that you'll learn personal finance and money management skills in college. Here's another reality check: college professors could care less about your financial success. College is about knowledge and learning, not about practical skills that have a huge impact on your day to day life. Don't rely on others to teach you how to budget or save money. Start now before it's too

Ways to cope with financial hardship E

xcept for a few, the issues and challenges of hardship are common with us, particularly in the last few years of global financial crises that lead to loss of jobs and collapse of many organizations. Coping with these challenges, either as individuals or households is what Expert has tried to discuss in this article.

Financial hardship has

Quote

Quote: Surviving a failure gives you more self-confidence. Failures are great learning tools... but they must be kept to a minimum Jeffrey Immelt

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 13

I want Ihejirika out for different reasons

By Rudolf O. Okonkwo If the Super Eagles had lost last Sunday's match against Ivory Coast, calls for Stephen Keshi's head would have flooded the airwaves.

I, too, would have supported his immediate firing. But not for the same reason that some Nigerians would have advanced.

I would have argued that Keshi failed to utilize the enormous talents that Nigeria has to make a decent showing at the African Cup of Nations. Some Nigerians, on the other hand, would have contended that Keshi should be removed for fielding predominantly Igbo players. The rumbling was already approaching a crescendo before Sunday's game.

I must confess that I do not know anything about contemporary football. I have since swapped soccer, as we call it in America, for American football. So I do not know these players wearing the Nigerian jersey. I have no idea where they play their professional football careers and how good they perform for their respective teams.

I am not sure how fit these players are. All I know is that when Keshi was given the job of assembling the team to represent Nigeria, I expected him to pick the best Nigerian players at home and abroad, irrespective of their ethnicity or states of origin.

Having said that, I am not naĂŻve about the Nigerian peculiarities and propensities. I know it doesn't often happen that the best are picked. I am not even arguing that it happened in this case. As an invested outsider not

By Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman

D

isability in Nigeria has become more of an afterthought issue rather than a matter of priority with about 19 million people in Nigeria experiencing a form of disability, and more than 1 billion people worldwide. In South Africa, a 2005 study evaluated the country's legislation and policy implementation from two key angles: (1) How effective has this legislative and policy environment been in making real changes to the lives of disabled people? (2) Are policies being implemented and acted on, or do they 'evaporate' the closer one gets to the grassroots?

South Africa possesses one of the most comprehensive disability rights legislation and policy regimes in the world, and disabled people are involved at all levels of government. This research was commissioned to investigate the extent to which policies and legislation have been implemented by the South African government.

Some of the achievements linked to the development of new legislation and policy in South Africa are: (i) The development and the adoption of the White Paper on Disability on an Integrated National Disability Strategy, known as INDS; (ii)The South African government can currently determine employment-equity quotas that apply to the private and public sector regarding the employment of disabled people through the Employment Equity Act (EEA) of 1998; (iii) Increasing the basic disability grant and the extension of its provisions to a wider

involved in the processes of choosing a team, my eyes are focused on the results. My refrain for Keshi is, perform or pafuka. And I am sure that Keshi is aware of that. I am sure he is not that dumb as to intentionally jeopardize his coaching career just to advance some ethnic agenda.

I am aware that in the past someone must have intentionally chosen to pursue an ethnic agenda even as it jeopardizes his job. As you read this, it is probably happening in one or more sectors of life in Nigeria. Actors like that are often people who feel so connected with the powers that be that they fear no repercussion no matter the public outcry. In the lifetime of a nation such discriminating acts have shown, time and time again, to be temporary and ultimately futile. But I honestly believe that the most important case Nigerians can make in their everyday life is

to insist that people given responsibilities must perform. We must raise our expectations and reduce our indifference. We must denounce their excuses and demand results.

A similar scenario is perhaps playing itself out in the military.

A lot of stories are emerging of how the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika is alleged to be promoting Igbo army officers over others. First and foremost, I must say that I lost respect for Ihejirika when his brother was using military boys to terrorize political opponents in Abia state and he did not stop him.

Like the Keshi situation, I do not know anything about the military. I have no idea the courses they take and how they earn their promotions. Again, I am sure there must be a guideline for promotions that is based on competence and merit. I am sure it has not always

“

I do not know anything about the military. I have no idea the courses they take and how they earn their promotions. Again, I am sure there must be a guideline for promotions that is based on competence and merit. I am sure it has not always been followed. As an invested outsider, I want to insist that it should be followed. If it is vague it should be made clear and specific

been followed. As an invested outsider, I want to insist that it should be followed. If it is vague it should be made clear and specific.

And in all things, transparency must be paramount. Often when we champion accountability and transparency it is not just for the governed. It benefits the office holders too. When things are transparent both the goat and the chicken will concur.

The information that leaked out to the media about promotions, or lack thereof, in the military showed a concerted effort to discredit and ultimately get rid of Gen. Ihejirika for favoring Igbo officers in promotions. Apparently, like such allegations, the examples used were selective and subjective.

I personally favour getting rid of Ihejirika for a much more serious reason - failing to restore security in Nigeria.

I deplore those who say that if, truly, Ihejirika was favoring Igbo officers in promotions he should go ahead because others before him had done the same. Maybe this is a teaching moment for us to go in the right direction - the path to excellence through merit. Maybe it is time to ask the question; Who's afraid of excellence? Who is afraid of merit?

I understood that there was a time when Nigeria's railways used to function well. There was a time when Nigeria's civil service was something of pride to the nation.

There was a time, not long ago, when people earned their positions.

There was a time when people could account for the things they owned. Those were the days that

we should all work to recapture.

This sad detour to mediocrity has failed us all. Meritocracy inspires competition, increases standard and advances the whole society.

The opposite of it is what we have now.

After wallowing in mediocrity for such a long time, having people of our own ethnicity represented is more important than what they represent. We have become so mentally screwed up that we confuse presence with substance.

Twenty percent of zero is still zero.

Andy Uba as Obasanjo's domestic aide did not fix the roof of my hometown school or provide a path for genuine drugs to get to my town's general hospital. Instead, it opened illegitimate doors for him to own mansions and a private jet.

Most decent people do not care how many tribal marks are on the faces of the men and women who are keeping their electricity on for twenty four hours, maintaining their road from Lagos to Okitipupa and performing dialysis on their relations with renal failure. My greatest fear is that we have degenerated to that point when meritocracy is synonymous with Igbo dominance. Now that will be a point of no return.

The day Nigeria died was the day we dethroned meritocracy and enthroned mediocrity. That was the day the race to the top reversed to become a descent to the bottom.

The day Nigeria will be buried is the day this trend becomes a habit.

Or is it a habit already?

Please, correct me if I'm right.

Rudolf O. Okonkwo is reachable on LinkedIn

important to note that Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and its accompanying Optional Protocol. However, it is important to note that Article 4 of the UN Convention identifies general and specific obligations on States (including Nigeria) and parties in relation to the rights of persons with disabilities. One of the fundamental obligations contained in the Convention is that national law should guarantee the enjoyment of the rights enumerated in the Convention.

Part of those mandatory rights are enacting and passing a bill, which must include the establishment of a monitoring commission.

Again, it would be unfair to say that the Nigerian government is not sensitive to the plight of people living with disability. Currently in the 7th Senate of the National Assembly, a bill titled an Act to Ensure Full Integration of Persons with Disabilities and to establish a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and Vest it with the Responsibilities for Their Education, Health Care and the Protection of their Social Economic and Civil Rights is before the Senate. This bill, which is sponsored by me with the support of my colleagues, is an improved version of a similar bill sent to the 6th Senate. It brings together attainable standards from other countries including the two cases examined. This bill seeks to secure the rights of Nigerians living with disability. Protect them, and reaffirm their faith in themselves

but most especially in their country, Nigeria. The Disability Bill has faced challenges such as funding. The commitment of donor agencies dependent on an initial commitment from the Nigerian government is commendable and appreciated.

This bill will address the issues of poverty; unemployment; education of children and young people with disabilities; access to security and assisted devices; access to housing, public health services and transport. I believe that Nigeria can gain immensely from countries that have effective legislation and policy implementation regarding disability, not using them merely as case studies or examples but as standards to be emulated. We should also learn from how other countries have been able to overcome some of the challenges in policy implementation.

We recognize that even after the adoption of the new legislation; we will face implementation challenges probably similar to the case in South African, where robust legislative framework has been challenged by: limited conceptual understanding; poor championing awareness; inadequate or inappropriate institutional arrangements; a general lack of capacity; and lack of allocated fiscal resources and commitment by government, and agencies responsible for such implementation.

Senator Nurudeen AbatemiUsman is Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs.

A case for Nigerians with disabilities sector of people through the Social Assistance Act; (iv) Introduction of policy on inclusive education through the White Paper on Special Needs Education; (v) Actively participating in continental and international initiatives on improving the lives of disabled people, such as the Africa Decade of People with Disabilities, and participating in the development of the United Nations Convention on the rights of disabled people; (vi) Providing free primary health care to disabled people affected by poverty; (vii) Establishing the Equity Court; (viii) Establishing the Office on the Status of Disabled People in the Presidency, and at provincial levels; (ix) Establishing Disability Desks and Units in many departments within all spheres of government.

While support by the South African government for the formulation and adoption of policy has been excellent, policy implementation remains a challenge. Worthy of note is the fact that there are capacity constraints at every level that limit the effective implementation of policy.

Policy implementation issues are not addressed consistently, for various reasons, at different levels of government. These reasons include: (i) Limited conceptual understanding; (ii) Poor championing awareness; (iii) Inadequate or inappropriate institutional arrangements; and (iv) a general lack of capacity.

Two other factors that have contributed to the poor implementation of legislation and

policies are: (i) the definition and nature of disabled people's participation have not been adequately reviewed and articulated; (ii) policy requirements for disability mainstreaming are not adequately linked to performance management, thereby undermining commitment to implementation.

The major setback of disability Policy implementation in South Africa is: Legislation and policies are not implemented, due to a lack of allocated fiscal resources and commitment by government, and agencies responsible for such implementation. In the South African example, one reason that can be given for the huge success of the disability campaign is political support. Political will power is present from both ministers and senior civil servants in charge of departments. The other reason of course is the outstanding sustained commitment and ongoing advocacy by the disability sector, led by Disabled People South Africa (DPSA). The current legislation, in the form of the Employment Equity Act; Social Assistance Act; Skills Development Act; Skills Development Levy Act‌etc, have all helped to create a new sense of awareness of the needs of disabled people.

Let us now look at what obtains at home. Unfortunately, Nigeria does not have any legislation currently safeguarding the rights of people with disability. It would be unfair to say Nigeria does not care for the disabled and it is

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 14

The leadership model imperative

By Evaristus Bassey

W

hether the operators are aware of it or not, every business has a model. Business here is not limited to profit making enterprises but entities that render a service with intended beneficiaries, whether they pay for such services or not and where the survival of such entities depends on the rendering of such services. It is better there is awareness of a model rather than thrusting blindly; for awareness enhances intentionality and conscious effort towards putting the model into use and maximizing results.

People or organizations may be doing the same things, but what may bring a two-pronged job satisfaction is effective deployment of a sound model. A model alone is no magic. If the necessary systems are not well aligned, it is doomed from birth.

There are four main building blocks. The first is what I may paraphrase as client or citizen value proposition. Basically this entails answering the questions: What pressing needs do the client/ citizen have?

What are the existing gaps in providing these needs? What can be done to ensure the client/citizen enjoys full satisfaction in the provision of these needs? With the way various governments have run the business of government leaving in

By Ogaga Ifowodo

A

s the world moves away from capital punishment, Nigeria, always to be found in the rear-guard of progress, has embraced it with renewed vigour.

Recently, the House of Representatives, that august gaggle of expensive and visionary lawmakers, woke up from its legislative coma to propose a bill to eradicate through the death penalty the crime of kidnapping that currently plagues the country. As far back as 2009, Imo State had made kidnapping a capital offence. If the reports are true, several other states have since enacted a similar law; among them Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Enugu.

Rivers State, commendably, was not seduced by the siren call of capital punishment, opting instead for life imprisonment.

Under our penal codes, the crimes of murder and armed robbery are punished by death. In the latter case, the law is very specific regarding the manner of carrying out the sentence: "by hanging the offender by the neck till he be dead or by causing such offender to suffer death by firing squad." The justification for such state-sanctioned savagery is that it deters crime. Simply put, the evil means of capital punishment is more than compensated for by the glorious end of societal peace and harmony. This was taken to its extreme in the seventies when the federal military government, still steeped in the depredations of the Civil War, valorised firing squads and subjected the nation to the televised bloody rituals

present an their wake mass image of dissatisfaction efficiency, not to on the part of the talk of our citizenry, each Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text soldiers. Within successful Nigeria there messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written government are tremendous has a huge contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 human and potential for a words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and m a t e r i a l fresh citizen a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed resources, v a l u e to: sometimes with proposition. the latest Take the matter The Editor, technology. If of electricity for Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, equipment can instance and 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. be bought, then the huge it can be Email: opinion@peoplesdaily-online.com opportunity available in that exists in SMS: 07037756364 Nigeria.

The creating a issue is not that citizen-value proposition. And yet, gradually it without minding if they would do there aren't enough key resources is appearing more to be a missed the same thing if the cost were to therefore. Complementing this is be borne by themselves or by an the fourth element: key processes. opportunity.

The second building block is the entity desiring to declare dividend. This involves mostly the recurrent The third element in tasks such as routine activities, profit formula or in the case of a sessions, budget not-for-profit entity what may be considering a model is key planning called the cost formula. The resources. What to consider here is processes, standard trainings and balance to ensure here is how value whether we do have the needed updates, routine production can be created for the entity as well human resources, equipment, activities etc. Key processes include as the client or citizen. For a profit technology, and channels to also the policies and regulations making entity the task is to ensure deliver the necessary client or that guide the personnel and that there is enough profit while citizen value proposition. It is operations in an entity.

Nigeria is not in want of there is satisfactory service amazing that when Nigerians live manifest in a huge clientele. Many and work abroad, they become processes. During the Obasanjo businesses fail in this regard, part of the driving force of those years there was an addition called service is compromised for profit economies. I was delighted when due process, which aimed to put a or profit for service. A not-for-profit an American priest friend of mine check on the corrupt, and considering a cost formula would remarked that most of the arbitrary manner contracts were ensure value for money. Many Nigerians he encountered in the awarded. It actually did save a lot NGOs have the temptation of US were solid professionals. of money for the country, spending money just because it is Nigerian policemen on missions although the major complaint was available and budgeted for, outside the shores of this country that it added to the bureaucracy

WRITE TO US

and tended more to slow things down.

Several institutions monitoring government processes were also established. Government at some point may have become efficient. But efficiency could not translate to effectiveness. A welloiled entity would ensure that processes do not emasculate intended activities and results.

Nowadays, in several states where such policies have been enacted, they have become another arm of the octopus called corruption and may have contributed in making projects executed by government more expensive and shoddy. It goes a long way to show that the culture or the ethic in an environment is critical to the effective implementation of any model.

The truth is that as a country Nigeria budgets and spends huge sums of money on key resources, but if the processes do not become right, we will still be dancing around a particular spot. As Jonathan is desperate to succeed as a president with a transformation agenda, how the business of government is conducted has to become a top priority to him. He should work towards changing the perception of the institutions that ensure checks and balances as scapegoating agents to agencies that promote a sustainable culture of transparency and accountability. This would mean granting more powers to operate independently.

Fr. Evaristus Bassey is the Executive Director of Caritas Nigeria at the Catholic Secretariat.

Punishing corruption as armed robbery infamously dubbed "the Bar Beach Show." The current state of armed robbery in the country presents a perfect measure of the amount of deterrence achieved.

I am against the death penalty for all the good reasons that prove it to be unjustifiable, chief of which is that it fails to acknowledge human error. As the use of DNA evidence has shown, many wrongly convicted persons have been killed by the state, but who will go to hell or heaven to bring them back to life and restore them to their former lives and status?

What possible humane goal can the death penalty achieve that life imprisonment cannot? Yet, in spite of this I am willing to suspend, temporarily, my opposition to the death penalty and argue for its application to all cases of corruption involving amounts up to and above one billion naira. Conviction

for any amount above N100 million but under one billion would be punished by life imprisonment; one million to under N100 million by a jail term of 5-25 years; and any sum under a million naira would be treated as a misdemeanour.

Corruption is eating Nigeria alive. If we must have capital punishment, then it shouldn't apply only to the poor and weak who must die irrespective of the amount stolen, insofar as armed with a gun, a knife or even a wooden club in the act of robbery but as well to those armed with a pen and who steal astronomical sums in one heist. The rich and powerful cannot be immune to the great good of deterrence that the death sentence purportedly serves.

This discrepant morality of crime and punishment was shown once again by the scandalous sentence

“

of two years imprisonment or a fine of N750,000 given to John Yakubu Yusuf assistant director in the federal service, accused together with six others of stealing N32.8 billion from the, an Police pension fund. It wasn't the first time such a travesty of justice would issue from our courts, aided or condoned by the Minister of Justice. We are all reminded of the many high profile felons who, having been convicted of stealing staggering amounts, were literally told to reach in their back pockets or purses, put whatever they found there on the table and go home.

By contrast, barely a day after billion-naira-thief Yusuf dropped his back-pocket change and became a free man (until he was re-arrested for supposedly different crimes), a Magistrate's Court sitting in Ikare, Ondo State, sentenced one Adepoju Jamiu to

Corruption is eating Nigeria alive. If we must have capital punishment, then it shouldn't apply only to the poor and weak who must die irrespective of the amount stolen, insofar as armed with a gun, a knife or even a wooden club in the act of robbery but as well to those armed with a pen and who steal astronomical sums in one heist. The rich and powerful cannot be immune to the great good of deterrence that the death sentence purportedly serves

three years imprisonment without the option of a fine for stealing a mobile phone worth N17, 000. As Premium Times which reported this case pointed out, had Yusuf and Jamiu been judged under the same law and "ratio of years of sentence ... relative to the amount stolen," then Yusuf would have bagged at least 110,000 years in jail.

Under the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, any person who commits the offence of stealing with the aid of a firearm "or any offensive weapon" or is merely "in company with any person so armed" is liable upon conviction to death. While an ordinary pen or any virtual signature or authorisation tool cannot be defined as a "firearm," it seems to me that given its lethal role in inflicting grievous harm to our body-politic, in the massive dispossession and "wounding" of the nation, and so the consequential death of countless citizens denied life-saving provisions or support, it can and should be included in the definition of "offensive weapon."

The phrase, "adapted for use for causing injury to the person" in the interpretation section of the Act renders it amenable to this redefinition. Perhaps then, the moral warriors of the national and state assemblies may speak convincingly of the death penalty for deterrence. And I would reconsider my "strategic" prodeath penalty stance after the first execution of a billion-naira thief!

Ogaga Ifowodo is reachable on omoliho@gmail

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 15

Forces against constitutional amendment

By Emmanuel Onwubiko In Nigeria the very ordinary and noble idea of improving upon and amending certain fundamental bobby traps enshrined by the military in the extant constitution of Nigeria of 1999 has encountered problems, including ethnic irredentism and the overbearing retrogressive force of the state governors . Again, because the ruling elite in Nigeria have amassed so much illegal wealth and have cornered substantial percentage of the nation's wealth to their private bank accounts, they are prepared to go the extra mile to bribe some reactionary forces in the National Assembly to scuttle the process of amending the Nigerian constitution to create strong institutions whereby equity, fair play and social justice would become sacrosanct and inviolable.

It is no secret that most state governors have emasculated the functions of the local government councils in their states and have implanted their surrogates as managers of these councils in clear violation of section 7 of the 1999 constitution as amended which prescribes democratic elections for local government councils. Section 7(1) of the constitution states unequivocally that; "The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the Government of every state shall, subject to section 8 of this constitution, ensure their existence under a law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils."

But since 1999, most state governors have breached this

strategic section of the law for their selfish agenda. They have relied on the misreading and misinterpretation of a certain nebulous judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria which appears to have ruled that states have control over the affairs of local councils but the fact remains that the Constitutional provision that guarantees democratic elections in local councils of Nigeria is nonnegotiable.

Accusations are rife of governors' interference in administering the finances of these local government areas making use of their boys appointed to head these councils to divert funds allocated from the federation account meant for the development of the local councils.

These state governors who are opposed to the move by the National Assembly to grant autonomy to local government councils are fingered as the masterminds of the ongoing moves in the National Assembly particularly in the House of Representatives to scuttle the assignment of the constitution review committees headed by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his opposite number in the federal House Mr. Emeka Ihedioha.

From day one of the inauguration of these constitution review committees some governors like that of Kano state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Nigerian Governors Forum have voiced out their opposition to the process of amending the Constitution. Some of the reasons adduced by these persons bordered on the bizarre, incongruous. For instance, the Kano State governor generously made use of the media to engage in regional campaign

and played the ethnic card by asserting that the National Assembly was hiding under the guise of amending the Constitution to grant additional state to the South East because according to his line of thinking, chairmen of both constitution review committees are from the South East. This is the worst form of ethnic politics for a governor of an important state like the Cosmopolitan Kano with diverse ethnic and religious make up to voice out this type of parochial sentiment in an important matter as amending the bad aspects of the extant constitution so as to make the institutions of government stronger and better transparently administered.

The Nigerian Governors Forum is known to have kicked against any suggestion that section 308(1) which grants immunity to themselves, their deputies, the President and Vice, be amended. It is believed in rational circles that governors' opposition to expunging the immunity clause stems from their fear of the unknown because

of certain skeletons in their cupboards. It is said that clear conscience fears no accusation. It is therefore shocking that governors will stand in the way of the mass movement to remove a strong impediment to the anti-graft fight.

I have never underestimated the power of money that have allegedly been amassed by these state governors who are now up in arms against the popular clamour of the majority of the citizenry to amend the constitution.

Last Thursday, the first sign that the state governors have deployed their resources to undermine the process of amending the constitution emerged when suddenly the leadership of the Federal House of Representatives postponed the public presentation of the constituency-based national constitution review conducted by the House of Representatives which cost the tax payers heavily.

The individual members had proceeded to their respective constituencies few months back to

“

But on the day the Federal House invited Nigerians to witness the presentation of the collated result, last Thursday, the session was called off in circumstances that questions the credibility of the parliament. Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who spoke to the disappointed members of the public that waited patiently for three hours, said the committee would need to correct certain hitches 'here' and 'there'

brainstorm in publicly televised sessions with the citizenry on areas that they would want amended.

Votes were transparently conducted and the reports from the constituencies forwarded for collation to the central constitution review committee headed by the Deputy Speaker who has indeed worked so hard to convince Nigerians that the process would be participatory, transparent and open which however was the case.

But on the day the Federal House invited Nigerians to witness the presentation of the collated result, last Thursday, the session was called off in circumstances that questions the credibility of the parliament. Speaker Aminu Tambuwal who spoke to the disappointed members of the public that waited patiently for three hours, said the committee would need to correct certain hitches 'here' and 'there'.

The Nigerian Labour Congress has already called on the National Assembly to transparently present the collated results of the constitutional amendment process. It is the view of Nigerians that the Federal House of Representatives and the Senate must not allow reactionary forces that are opposed to the amendments to carry through with their selfish agenda to scuttle this democratic process. The hierarchies of the National Assembly must note that Nigerians are watching their every steps and indeed any clandestine moves to undermine the growth of democracy and the principle of transparency and accountability would be resisted vehemently.

Emmanuel Onwubiko is reachable on www.Facebook. com

Motion without movement in Nigerian democracy

By R.A. Ipinyomi

R

esearchers have developed a technique such that when the colours of a static image are togged together on a screen, the illusion of continuous movement in a certain direction is produced.

We see this type of apparent moments on our computer screen often. Politicians worldwide have mastered and extended this phenomenon in their attempts to keep us busy while they leave all our problems unsolved. They only engage us in oratories and speech deliveries, but beyond that they are empty. The phenomenon has found comfortable homes in African democracies and other places where accountability is low and where people worship their leaders. The Arab uprising is attempting to change that but they are building with pillars erected by those who perpetuated pseudo-democracy that produces no positive effects on the lives of its citizens. We all queue patiently on the long lines. Even when our choices are elected there is no guarantee that its effects will trickle down enough. How long should this no-movement continue?

This opens a fresh argument, especially after the Middle-East Uprising episode. Do we need a people friendly constitution or just the elections? It is our view that a good constitution for the citizenry

is to be preferred to just any election. The constitution is a better guarantee of fairness and level playing ground for all.

Elections are beautiful but any set of damn candidates can emerge as winner-team. Once they are elected their election manifestoes are thrown away until another round of elections.

Egypt is an example where the Brotherhood, expected to win, also won. It has proved that managing people and meeting their expectations is a greater art than winning their votes. If only the constitution had been written, and written to protect both the rights of the majority and also the rights of the minorities, and protect the right of the youth and every other sector. One general election cannot restore over 30 years of anarchy and a no-constitution regime.

Each community should protect its own peculiar rights, but do so under the constitution. Results of elections are often very disappointing whereas the constitution remains a source of consolation and providing strength for a redress, if necessary.

Efforts devoted to writing a working national constitution is beyond a crop of elected officers there in Abuja, or any capital city.

It is illogical for one to write a constitution about oneself while in government. This was clear in the Obasanjo regime's attempt at

constitution reform. So far it has proved that Obasanjo's regimes in Nigeria are still the most preferred over time, in my own opinion. The constitution reform embarked on during his second term almost rubbished all his very good work because people suspected he wanted a third term. A constitution is a guarantor over and above elections.

In fact the constitution details how and when elections are to be held in addition to who could contest and who to be regarded as winners.

To move our society forward we need a great constitution. I travelled the other day from Ilorin to Abuja through Lokoja. On the way, I came across a co-traveller between Kabba and Okene; his car had developed some problems. He was a well known face and I stopped over to greet him and also to offer some assistance. The second day I returned from Abuja only to still find him there. He had been moving around and spending his way out. The car was not repaired and the correct diagnosis had not been ascertained. It is one of these newly imported second-handle vehicles imported to the country from only God-knows-where. He was exhausted and had taken advantage of his ATM cards to the limits. This is typically motion without movement.

In a similar fashion the federal government claims it is intensifying effort to generate and

distribute energy to the entire Nigeria community. Through the annual budgetary allocations a lot must have gone to that sector since 1999 and to date. Its impact is yet to be felt within the country. Only those who got the contracts may be smiling to their banks, but the amount of dark period in Nigeria is still more than the light period, if we are to depend on Nigeria Power Holding Company alone.

However their tariffs have gone up in multiples since 1999 more that the rate of inflation.

Another sector taking the attention of the three levels of government in terms of monetary allocation is our roads. The roads are now extremely bad. For example, before 1999 it was possible for me to use Ilorin-EgbeKabba-Lokoja road, about 320 km, and arrive in four hours. Today many parts of that same road can sink several trailers and tankers.

Travellers going to Lokoja from Ilorin now have devised several strategies to bye-pass the usual and expected routes.

Wherever one may choose to go through is wrought with potholes and outright dangerous spots. To be fair to these governments their annual budgetary allocations on paper can defend them but the results in the life of the people bring them condemnations and curses.

To cap it up, several investigative and prosecution organs have been

set up to ensure that government policies, especially on funds are well accounted for. However opposition parties often cry out that the ruling party is using selective arraignment in court of those allegedly involved in corruption.

Meanwhile we wish that these organs evolved independently from the constitution and are not overlapping or duplicating in effort and funding. They must show that they are friends of the nation and justify their existence from thence. In particular they must not confuse anyone on whose side they are by staying completely apolitical. Still there is motion but no movement.

What will it take a nation like Nigeria to move forward? China is an example of a growing economy in a period of global economic recession. After years of state control of the economy's commanding heights, the government embarked on a major programme of economic reform in 1978. The effort was to awaken a dormant economic giant and it resulted in the formation of rural enterprises and private businesses, liberalized foreign trade and investment, relaxed state control over prices, and investment in industrial production and the education of its workforce.

Prof. R.A. Ipinyomi can be reached on ipinyomira@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Accountant in court for alleged missappropriation of N1.7m A 44-year old accountant, Adejoh Okpanachi of No 7, opposite Figesi Street Utako, Abuja, has appeared before the Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrates Court for allegedly misappropriating N1.7 million.

The Police Prosecutor, Monday Akor, told the court that Okpanachi was an accountant with the Association of Retired Police

officers in Nigeria (ARPON).

According to Akor, on September 1, 2012, a lawyer, Timothy Anyira, petitioned the Commissioner of Police for FCT, over the offence.

Akor told the court that after auditing the account of the association from January to June 2012, it was discovered that some monies were missing.

“After an audit of the account, it was discovered that the accused had fraudulently stolen over N1.7 million belonging to the association,’’ Akor said.

Akor said the offence of theft, criminal missapropriation and breach of trust which the accused was charged with, was contrary to the Penal Code.

The accused pleaded not

guilty to the offence.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Shaibu Usman, admitted the accused to bail for N1 million and a surety in like sum.

He said that the surety must be resident within the FCT and be a civil servant of not below grade level 10.

Shaibu adjourned the case to March 4, 2013 for hearing.

(NAN)

Fura da nono sellers waiting for patronage, yesterday along Airport Road, in Lugbe, Abuja Photo: Justin ImoOwo

Teenage bus conductor arraigned for theft

T

he Police on Wednesday arraigned one Bassey James, 26, a bus driver at Idu Karimo village, Abuja, before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for alleged careless driving.

The Police Prosecutor, Cephas Rinmark,

told the court that, Emurode Ziregbe, of Block 27, F.H.A, Airport Road, Lugbe, Abuja, reported the matter to the Utako police station on January, 23, 2013.

Rinmark said the accused was driving carelessly along Obafemi Awolowo Way by Arab Junction, Abuja,

heading towards Jabi.

“He rammed into and caused serious damage to a Toyota car driven by the complainant,” he said.

According to him, the offence contravene Sections 28 and 29 of the Penal Code.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Khadijah Dahiru, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

She said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the case to February 11, 2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

Middle aged man in court for allegedly stealing wallet

A

middle aged man, Auwalu Danladi, of no fixed address, has been arraigned by the police before an Abuja Magistrates Court for allegedly stealing a wallet.

Police Prosecutor, Abdulahi Alhassan told the court that one Joseph Galadima reported the matter at the Wuse Police Station on February 5, 2013.

Alhassan said the accused criminally dipped his hand into the complainants pocket and stole his wallet contained N3,000 cash and four passports.

He said that while at the station, a search was carried out on the accused and three Sim cards, a Nokia phone, foreign currencies and N3,000 cash

were found on him.

Alhassan also said that during investigation the accused confessed to committing the crime, but they pleaded not guilty of the crime.

Magistrate Aminu Eri

granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 and two sureties in like sum.

Eri said the sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and have traceable addresses.

He also ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody if he failed to fulfil the bail conditions, and adjourned the matter to February 19, 2013 for hearing.

(NAN)

INSIDE FCT COURTS Man, 27, jailed for stealing bottle of wine

A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court has sentenced a man, Patrick Akpo, 27, of Karu, Abuja, to one month imprisonment for stealing a bottle of wine.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Nafisat Ibrahim, who handed down the sentence, however, gave the convict an option to pay N2,000 fine.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor, Monday Akor had told the court that the case was lodged at the Maitama Police Station on February 1, 2013 by James Idoko of Exclusive Stores, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Akor said that on that day, Akpo, who pretended as if he was going to buy something, went into the Exclusive Stores and stole a bottle of Don Perignon Rose Wine, valued at N96,000.

He said Akpo was arrested by the security guard as he tried to leave the store with the wine.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 288 of the Penal Code, and Akpo pleaded guilty to the charge and begged for mercy.

He said “I work as a security guard in an organisation and I have not been paid for about two months now; as a result of this I am owing my landlord rent.

“I have problems with my landlord because of the rent and I was advised to buy a bottle of wine and take to him, but I did not have enough money. I have a wife and a kid and I feared they might be sent packing from the house in my absence. I pray the court to have mercy on me as this is the first time I am being involved in a case like this and I promise not to do it again”.

Magistrate Ibrahim, while sentencing Akpo, said she decided to be lenient with him because he was a first time offender and because of his plea. (NAN)

Man remanded in prison custody for alleged use of criminal force, assault

J

ohn Eze of Apo new site, Abuja, has been remanded in prison custody for alleged use of criminal force and assault.

Eze was arraigned before a Gudu Upper Area Court for allegedly using criminal force and assaulting one Chinedu Okonkwo, and inflicting

severe injuries on him.

Police Prosecutor, Patrick Obetta said the matter was reported at the Garki Police Station by Okonkwo on January 31, 2013.

Obetta told the court that the complainant lost N50,000 in the process of the assault, adding that the offences

contravened the provisions of Sections 263 of the Penal Code.

Eze, however, denied the charges levelled against him, and the Presiding Judge, Mr Adamu Wakili, ordered that he be remanded in prison custody.

Wakili also ordered the accused to engage the services

of a lawyer, who must file an application for his bail in writing.

“If you find a lawyer, let him or her apply for your bail in writing, and it will be determined on its merit,’’ he said, and adjourned the case to March 5, 2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 17

Gynaecologist advises women on irregular menstrual cycle

A

gynaecologist with Garki Hospital, Abuja, Dr Kayode Obendek, has advised women with irregular menstrual cycles not to panic but seek early medical care.

Obendek told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that those who menstruated twice a month should see a doctor.

“The woman who sees her period twice in a month, if she has 28 days cycle in a month, with 31 days she can see it twice in a month.

If there are 31 days in a month and a woman’s cycle is 26, she will see her period twice in a month,’’ he said.

Obendek said that when a woman finished menstruating and started again in three or four days, it could be termed to be abnormal and so many things could be responsible.

He said the cause could be hormonal or a fibroid but that the persons needed to do was to go to the hospital for investigation and get treatment.

He said that there were medications for uterine fibroids targeting hormones that regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and treating symptoms, such as heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pressure.

He added that the 14- day counting of ovulation starts from the first day of menstruation up till day 14.

“However, depending on the menstrual cycle, there are women whose cycle is 28 days and some 26, 24, some 30 or 32.

It will only change the period cycle, to come later or earlier,’’ Obendek said.

He said that was why ovulation could also be from day nine up till day 16.

Obendek advised that women should develop the habit of self examination, knowing their body signs and consulting a doctor for clarification.

He, however, said that women with irregular menstrual cycles should not panic but to seek for medical care early. (NAN)

Head, Emergency Operations, Disaster and Crisis Management, Nigeria Red Cross Society, Mr Steve Mcandrew (left), receiving relief materials donated by flood relief committee of the news agency of Nigeria (NAN), yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

Police arrest eight motorcyclists for alleged rioting, incitement T

he Police on Wednesday arrested eight c o m m e r c i a l motorcyclists at Jikwoyi in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) over alleged rioting and inciting the public.

Those arrested include Saidu Isah, 25, Usman Adamu, 21, Zakari Inuwa, 29, and Timothy Danjuma, 25.

Others are Bello Sam, 22, Ambali Umar, 23, and Dogo Sabo, 20 and a 17 year-old-boy, all of no fixed

address.

A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that the the FCT authorities had directed all cyclists to register their motorcycles.

“Some commercial motorcyclists feel that the N9,500 registration fee is exorbitant, thus their refusal to pay.

“They staged a demonstration which turned

violent and in the process, burnt tyres and blocked the Jikwoyi-Nyanya Road.

They also destroyed vehicles belonging to innocent individuals,” the officer said.

According to the officer, the DPO at the Jikwoyi Police Station led a team of policemen to the scene of the riot, dispersed them and made some arrests.

The police source told NAN that the eight arrested motorcyclists would

be charged to court on February 8, 2013.

A commercial motorcyclist, Isah Mohammed, told NAN that the registration fee of N9,500 was too much.

“After the registration, they said we will be issued with a reflective jacket, an identity, card and a helmet. How much do we make in a day for which they are charging us N9,500.

“Only God will save poor men in this country,” he lamented. (NAN)

Over 3,000 job seekers throng Fed. Judicial Com. for forms

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ore than 3,000 job seekers on Wednesday thronged the Federal Judicial Service Commission, Abuja to obtain application forms.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent at the Commission’s premises in Abuja reports that applicants were seen in long queues waiting to get the forms.

According to some of the applicants, this has been the situation in the last two weeks and this will continue till February 28, 2013 which is the supposed closing date.

A cross section of applicants, who spoke to NAN, decried the

poor process of collection of forms as there was only one point.

Mary Iveh, who studied English Education from Benue State University said, “I am not comfortable with what is happening here, they should employ more people who will stay and give us forms,’’ she said.

Iforma Ezeogwu, a law graduate from Imo State University, was of the opinion that the online registration was better, saying that Nigeria must decide to move forward.

“I just hope I get the job, most of the times they just choose a hand full of those on

the queue for the job. I need the job and all I can do is to hope,’’ she added.

Benjamin Michael, who studied History and International Studies from Nasarawa State University said, “in developed nations, things are not done this way.

In Nigeria, we are treated like second class citizens. This is my seventh day here and there is no guarantee that I will get this job at the end of it all,” he said.

However, some of the job seekers expressed satisfaction with the process, saying that it was a sign of better things to come.

Francis Okeke, another applicant said “based on how they have organised this process, I think it is okay.

Anybody that has patience will get the form.

“The only thing I am asking them to do is that they should be transparent. They should tell us the criteria for getting the job and everybody should be given an open chance,’’ he said.

David Achor, a graduate of Electrical Engineering from Federal Polytechnic Idah said, “there are not much challenges here but the problem is that the available vacancies are only for degree

holders not for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders.

“If HND is not relevant, let the Federal Government scrap polytechnics or convert them to universities.

This discrimination is very bad,’’ he said.

One of the coordinating officials who did not give his name told NAN that they tried creating several collecting centres but some of their officials were beaten up by the applicants.

He said that every Wednesday and Friday 1,300 forms were given to applicants and this would continue till February 28. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Principal lauds corps member over school electrification

By Adeola Tukuru

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he Principal, v e r n m e n t Secondary School, Hajj Camp in Gwagwalada , Mr Abubakar Ibrahim yesterday applauded a corps member, Miss Rachael Dibal over the execution of electrification project of the school.

Ibrahim who gave the commendation in Gwagwalada at the commissioning of the project said the electrification of the school would enhance academic performance of students.

The ceremony also featured award of scholarship and presentation of study materials to four rehabilitated dropout secondary school girls due to teenage pregnancy by the corps member.

The corps member also donated a flat screen personal computer and printer to Gwagwalada Zonal Office of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

“At first when she approached me about her intention to engage in this gigantic-money-consuming project, within me, I saw it as a child’s play, little did I know that it will become a thing of reality,” Ibrahim said.

He appealed to relevant authorities particularly the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to offer immediate employment to the corps member.

In her remark, Dibal said her desire to embark on the school electrification project followed the fact that the school had existed since 2008 without any form of electricity connection.

She attributed poor commitment to duty and study on the part of staff and students of the school to poor learning facilities resulting from lack of electricity in the school.

The corps members said her involvement in the award of scholarship to dropout secondary school girls over teenage pregnancy followed her desire to address illiteracy among young girls.

According to her, my earlier intention is to rehabilitate and award scholarship to 10 school dropout girls over teenage pregnancy but could not meet up due to financial constraint.

She said arrangement was concluded to ensure that the four beneficiaries were adequately carted for academically from the classes they resumed till the end of their secondary education.

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Old women waiting for alms in Nyanya.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

FCTA partners NLC, private investors to build waste recycling factory •••Sets up task team on Waste to Wealth Business Venture

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

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rrangements are on by the Federal Capital T e r r i t o r y ( F C T ) Administration, the FCT Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress and private investors are to build a recycling factory through a joint waste to wealth business venture.

This business venture, it was gathered, is aimed at creating jobs, managing the huge waste generated in the FCT and also generating profit for the stakeholders.

According to the Chairman of NLC FCT Council, Comrade Yahaya Abdullahi, who made this known yesterday in Abuja during the presentation of a feasibility study on the project by the executive of the Council to the Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, the Labour Congress would own 40 per cent equity in the joint business venture while the FCT Administration and private investors would take up 60 per

cent equity in the business venture.

“The NLC FCT Council had during a meeting last year with the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed and Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, raised the issue of helping to mop up sachet water waste by setting up a recycling factory.

“The establishment of a recycling factory is aimed at creating employment and helping to keep the environment clean as well as generating little income for the partners. The Council has acquired a 75-hectare of land and has also paid the sum of N5 million being the cost of feasibility study.

“We are seeking for the FCT Administration to partner with the NLC FCT Council and other interested members of the Community for this project, as the required capital outlay is presently out of our reach,” he said.

He explained that the waste to wealth project would comprise of a recycling plant, a clinic and restaurant and would provide jobs for drivers, waste collectors,

doctor, nurse and pharmacist, among others.

“The project is our contribution towards reducing unemployment in the country and ensuring a clean environment. We don’t want the Administration to be the sole proprietor of the project. It should partner with labour and private investors,” Abdullahi added.

Responding, the Minister of State for FCT commended the leadership of the FCT Council of NLC and gave assurance of the Administration’s commitment to partner with the NLC towards transforming the territory.

“The FCT Administration will be creating jobs through the recycling project and getting rid of waste in the federal capital city, area councils and satellite towns.

The action of the NLC FCT Council is highly commendable. I can say with all honesty that the Labour Congress is truly working,” she said.

This was as she approved the constitution of a Task Team headed by the Director of Establishment

and Training in the FCT, Alhaji Nuhu Ahmed, to work with the NLC FCT Council to produce a business model for the project.

Members of the task team include: the Director of Economic Planning, Research and Statistics in the FCT, Alhaji Ari Isa Mohammed; Director of Satellite Towns Development Agency, Alhaji Tukur Bakori; Director of Admin and Finance, Area Council Services Secretariat, Alhaji Yusuf Tsaiyabu; Managing Director of Abuja Infrastructure Investment Company, Mr. Farouk Sani; Managing Director of Abuja Enterprise Agency, Mrs. Altine Jibrin; Special Assistant to the Minister of State on Environment, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, and representatives of the Minister of FCT, Permanent Secretary and Abuja Environmental Protection Board.

The minister said: “The task team is expected to immediately commence work with the NLC FCT Council and come up with a business model for the waste to wealth project”.

Man, 21, sentenced for car theft

By BeautyAmaike

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Karu Upper Area Court has sentenced a 21-yearold Mohammed Luka of Angwan Ungwo local Government Area of Kaduna state to six months imprisonment for joint act and

car theft which he pleaded guilty.

The presiding Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, however gave him an option to pay N60, 000 fines.

The Police Prosecutor, Abiola O. told the court that on November, 6, 2012 that one Mr. Mohammed Taiwo of Durumi II

Abuja came to the police station and reported the accused.

Abiola said that on October, 26, 2012 that he parked his car with registration number GS372ABC in his shop at Kaduna state and the accused conspired with one Abubakka Salha of Zarma L.G.A of Kano state now at large and stole his car.

He further noted that in the process of selling the car they were both arrested.

He said that during police investigation, they confessed to have stolen the said car which was discovered from them, adding that the charges contravene the provisions of Sections 79, 287 of the Penal Code.

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BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 22

Governor Fayemi partners ICAN

Mob: 08033644990

10,000 Nigerian bank branches, ATMa, PoS now on Google Maps From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

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ver 10,000 Nigerian bank branches, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Point of Sales (PoS) and businesses are now on Google Maps.

According to search engine giant, Google, more Nigerian businesses now consider map listing as a mandatory business strategy.

Google Nigeria Country Manager, Juliet Ehimuan said in the last quarter of 2012 alone, 14 banks in Nigeria took their branches and ATMs locations closer to Nigerians by listing them on Google Maps.

He said about 10,000 bank branches , ATMs and POS outlet

locations were already on Google Maps. Among the maps on the map are: Access Bank, Diamond Bank, Ecobank, Enterprise Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, GTBank, Keystone Bank, Mainstreet Bank, Skye Bank, Sterling Bank, UBA, Union Bank and Wema Bank.

Ehimuan, who said research, indicated that mapping was creating jobs and driving global economic growth, noted that 20 years ago, “we used paper maps

and printed guides to help us navigate the world. Today, the most advanced digital mapping technologies—satellite imagery, GPS devices, location data and of course Google Maps—are much more accessible. This increase and growth in mapping technology is improving lives and helping businesses in Nigeria realize untold efficiencies”.

According to her, with Google maps, irrespective of location,

anyone in or outside Nigeria can find and locate a bank, ATM or POS location in cities within Nigeria.

She said a simple search for banks in Nigeria will present a results that would help everyone find a bank easily and because Google Maps can be used on mobile devices, a search can be done while on the move.

“The implication of this is an increased potential for additional business will be huge via the

billions of people around the world using Google Maps. Apart from the banks, other Nigerian businesses using Google maps to reach their customers easier include Forte Oil, Chicken Republic, Mr. Biggs, Etisalat and a number of others”, Ehimuan said.

“We’re proud to see that the contributions being made by our team is helping to drive economic growth In Nigeria, but there’s a long way to go”, she stated.

CBN issues new fiscal policy measures for 2013

By Aminu Imam

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he Federal Government has approved new fiscal policy measures to take effect from January 01, 2013.According to a circular issued to authorised dealers and posted to its website on Wednesday, machinery and spare parts imported for the establishment of sugar manufacturing industries shall attract zero percent import duty.

Similarly, sugar cane - tosugar value investors shall enjoy a-5 year tax holiday while Low sugar (H.S code 1701.11001702.1200) shall attract an import duty rate of 10% plus levy of 50% while refined sugar (H.S Codes 1701.9110.0 – 1701.1200.00) shall attract an import duty 20% plus a levy of 60%. The apex bank also stated that Husked brown rice (H. S 1006.200.00), semi milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or Glazed (H. S 1006.3010.00) shall attract an import duty of 10% plus a levy of 100% The circular further stated that, "All commercial aircraft and aircraft spare parts imported for use in Nigeria shall attract an import duty of zero percent plus zero VAT."Machinery and equipment for the development of solid mineral sector shall attract an import duty rate of zero and zero (0%) import VAT."Import duty rate on Completely Knocked Down (CKD) components for mass transit buses for at least 40-seater capacity have reduced from 5% percent to 0% to encourage the production of mass transit buses in Nigeria."Polymer of polyethylene and polypropylene ( H.S codes 3901.1000.00, 3901.2000.00 and 3892.1000.00) shall attract an import duty rate of 5% and a levy to encourage import substitution."

R-L: Executive General Manager, JVA Onshore Asset, Mr Jean-Claude Vachet, former Director, Community Affairs, Rivers state Ministry of Chieftancy and Community Affairs, Mr Sunday Emeyi, and Paramount Ruler of Eneka Obio-Akpor Lga, King Rowland Woko, during the northern offshore pipelines project MoU signing ceremony between Total E and P Nigeria Limited and Etche/Ikwere/Obio-Akpor/ Owaza cluster communities, on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

Photo: NAN

‘Nigeria’s oil reserve may hit 40.05bn barrels by 2015’

By Etuka Sunday lthough, Nigeria had since 2010 been itching to raise its oil reserve to 40 billion barrels (bb), an international research agency said yesterday that the country will have to tarry a while to be able to actualize its reserve target.

The agency said the country’s oil reserve will exceed the 40 billion target by 0.5 billion barrels by

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2015. It also predicted that gas reserve will hit 5.95 trillion cubic metresbetween 2014 and 2016.

According to the agency, the country may experience a downward trend in gas reserve which it said might go down to 5.80tcm by 2021.

The Business Monitor International (BMI), in its Nigeria Oil and Gas Report for first quarter 2013, said that oil production will hit 2.62 million barrel per day, as

future projects are expected to play a major role in the proposed production growth.

“With several projects in the pipeline or due to come on-stream over the next few years, such as Usan (180,000bpd) and Egina (150,000bpd-200,000bpd), we expect Nigerian oil output to rise substantially over our forecast period to 2021,” it stated.

The BMI however, noted that attempts to cut gas flaring in the

Management Tip of the Day

Y

How to respond to a customer revolt

ou might not think of customers as a threat to your business. But thanks to social media, consumers can now incite insurgencies that overturn even the most strategic initiatives (see the Gap logo and Netflix debacles).

Here are three steps for reacting to a customer rebellion:· Listen and respond. Many brands get into trouble by failing to notice warning signs. Be sure your company has

tools for monitoring social media, a crack team of social analysts and customer advocates, and a genuine commitment to act on what you see and hear.· Engage and dissipate. Potential insurgents are far more likely to trust a fellow customer than you.

To neutralize a problem before it spreads, encourage brand advocates to speak on your behalf.· Involve and transform. Prevent

riots from happening in the first place by involving customers in making key strategic decisions.

This could be as simple as establishing and moderating online customer support communities; or as involved as innovating your customer strategy, relationships, and processes to be more collaborative.

Source: Harvard Business Review

country would boost the outlook for gas production.

The main trends and developments as highlight for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector includes: “BMI expects oil production to increase from an estimated 2.53million barrels per day (bpd) in 2011 to 2.62million bpd by 2021, as ambitious projects such as Usan (180,000b/d) and Egina (150,000b/d- 200,000b/d) come on-stream.

“Consumption of crude is forecast to rise at an annual average of 6.29 per cent rate between 2011 and 2021, boosted by anticipated strong GDP growth.

We forecast consumption rising from an estimated 286,000bpd in 2011 to 549,000bpd by 2021,” it stated.

The BMI forecasts gas production increase from an estimated 34.71billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2011 to 82.61bcm by 2021, as the authorities and companies reduce the practice of flaring to start monetising associated gas resources.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS AIICO Insurance

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nderwriting firm, AIICO Insurance Plc has paid N6.3 billion as claims to its clients between January and December 2012. The amount represents a 53.6 percent increase or N2.2 billion over the N4.1 billion claims paid by the company during the corresponding period of year 2011.

David Sobanjo, Group Managing Director said that the company’s focus is to ensure prompt settlement of all genuine insurance claims, which will continue to be the business philosophy of the company in the future.

He explained that a total claim of N4.003 billion was paid from the life aspect of the business, while N2.393 billion was paid as claims from general insurance business.

Keystone Bank

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he Board and Management of Keystone Bank has appointed Philip Ikeazor as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive of the bank. He is to replace OtiIkomi, former CEO, who resigned his appointment citing personal reasons.

It was learnt that the name of Ikeazor has been forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) for approval.

If the CBN gives its approval, the new CEO will work in conjunction with the CBN and Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in managing the process of selling the bank which was one of the three banks taken over by the AMCON on a bridged arrangement, to save depositors’ money.

National Identity Management Commission

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he National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), an agency responsible for providing Nigerians National identity card and database system, has upgraded its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), first deployed in 2010, to 100 million capacity.

According to the Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Anthony Okwudiafor, the ABIS, when it was first deployed, had only two bimodal functionalities – fingerprint and face, but a third functionality had already been added. It is called ‘Iris’.

Okwudiafor said the NIMC will henceforth be able to process volume databases from institutions like Independent National Electoral Commission and Nigerian Communications Commission, since the ‘deduplication’ system, the ABIS, now has a larger record size capacity capable of taking all the records.

Good governance is critical to sustaining IGR growth in Nigeria –CEO, Discovery Cycle Professionals Illiya B. Gashinbaki is the Global Partner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Discovery Cycle Professionals. He is also Policy Consultant/ Adviser on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). In this interview with Stanley Onyekwere, he identifies good governance as a critical factor for sustaining Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) growth in Nigeria, just as he lists four other critical intervention areas needed to have an efficient tax system in the country. Excerpts:

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s a consultant on I n t e r n a l l y Generated Revenue (IGR) to the Nigeria Governors Forum, how viable is IGR in Nigeria?

As a whole IGR, as we all understand, it is just like other classifications of taxation and revenue in the country is an option that has not been properly explored in this country, because we live in an economy that is oil dependent and a rent seeking economy.

So, when you have an economy that is tied to rent collection definitely, taxation and revenue will not be as developed as it ought to be.

What are these unexplored IGR potentials and how best can the government explore them?

The potentials are so many; in the first instance, at the level of state governments, that is the sub-nationals, they have incredible potentials of IGR. Although some are doubling or tripling their current collection without taking some practical steps needed to make it work even more efficiently.

There are basically three areas in taxation that governments globally must have to adopt, in order to get it right. It is a global benchmark that everywhere you go, it is like that, and once you get it right, you are done. And where are these important areas?

They are assessment, collection and accountability. These are the three frameworks that enable a people to build any efficient tax system or administration upon. Once you

Illiya B. Gashinbaki perfect the areas of assessment and collection, and accounting for the process, then you would have an efficient tax system. However, to achieve this, one would have to look at four other areas; that means; for the three areas to be perfected, there must consideration for four critical intervention areas.

In Nigeria, I think we have gotten it right, because at the federal level; we have the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and at the state level, which is the sub-national governments, there are states boards of internal revenue.

“

As a state, you don’t struggle with IGR issues, what you should is just go to Lagos, and they would show you how were able to develop theirs, so that you can easily replicate same in your state.

Because the governor is the number citizen in a state and the chief executive officer of the state; but we now added another title to them, as the number one tax person in the state.

And these states boards of internal revenues are established by personal income tax Act (PITA); they are the ones that designate the various states internal revenue boards as tax authorities across all the thirty-six states. However, the only abnormality we have is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In the FCT, there is no designated tax authority; why, because the Personal Income Tax Act, which designated various tax authorities in the country did not make provision for the Territory. By the virtue of the law establishing the Abuja as the nation’s capital, FCT is not considered as a state; so it does not have same status with that of a state in the country to qualify it to have a designated tax authority.

As it is today, Personal Income tax of residents of the Territory are been collected by FIRS But there other taxes that ordinarily if FCT her own designated Revenue authority would have boosted her IGR base. Of course Abuja has huge potentials when it comes to IGR but because there is no designated revenue authority that would have complimented or even completely substitute what FIRS is doing, these potentials are not adequately explored. Also, you would find that at the FCT the collection system is not as organized as

what you would find across the states, no thanks to her inability to have an independent tax authority like the states do.

Lastly, there is the need f o r t e c h n o l o g i c a l infrastructure sufficient enough to drive the tax system in place. Apart from this, with the technology in place, it makes tax compliance very easy as it is friendly. As a taxpayer, of what sense does it make for me to spend say N500.00 transport fare to enable me go and pay one thousand Naira tax to government? It doesn’t make sense. So there should be a way or window that makes it easy for people to pay their taxes as friendly as possible.

Notwithstanding, with the right mechanism in place, I have confidence that IGR potentials at the sub-national governments would be adequately explored. So, there is the possibility of state governments doubling or even tripling their current IGR growth.

As a consultant and adviser on IGR to the NGF, what have you done and intend doing to water down the need to harness the huge IGR potentials in the 36 states by their governments?

In 2009, we had the first ever IGR conference, where we brought all the governors to participate. The idea at that time is that there was a global recession; there was dwindling fortunes of the total revenue collection, as a result revenue base reduced drastically. But as a consultant to the governors’ forum, I was asked to organize the conference, and we were able to successfully hold that conference and came up with a clear path of what the states should go and initiate and implement. It was designed for state by state on how their IGR base can be enhanced.

And the good news about it is that a lot of governors adopted the plan and went ahead to start implementing them in the various domains.

Also, we have a peer review system, where we had opportunity to go round the whole 36 states of the federation. And going round all the 36 states gave us the opportunity to talk one on one with the their various revenue departments, during which we were able to advise them on best practice and then, what they can learn from their neighbours; because they don’t need to go to America and or the United Kingdom (UK) or any developed country so as to learn from them.

As a state, you don’t struggle with IGR issues, what you should is just go to Lagos, and they would show you how were able to develop theirs, so that you can easily replicate same in your state. Because the governor is the number citizen in a state and the chief executive officer of the state; but we now added another title to them, as the number one tax person in the state.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Self-assessment can drive tax growth in 2013

By Frank Obaro

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any tax jurisdictions now rely on selfassessment as the major means of tax collection; it has become a tax modern administration trend. Indeed it is now a measure of how up-todate a tax authority is. By way of definition, it is a tax regime whereby the taxpayer is granted the right, by law, to compute his own tax liability, pays the tax due (at a designated bank, as is the case in Nigeria) and produces evidence of tax paid to the Tax Office, at the time of filing tax returns, on due date. On the part of the tax authority, it accepts the tax returns as filed, subject to completeness, and carry out audit in due course.

Very much unlike an administrative assessment were the tax authority raises an assessment where a taxpayer has failed to file returns and pay taxes due on or before the due date or where there is an understatement of tax in the returns filed.

With the taxpayer's assumption of the role of assessing self, an obligation arises for the tax authority to ensure that the taxpayer understands the procedures involved in tax administration and how to compute tax liabilities and complete tax returns (if the option is selfservice). In addition to taxpayer enablement, it is the responsibility of the tax authority to ensure compliance with all tax administration processes especially accuracy of declarations made and the timeliness of tax returns.

In Nigeria, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) introduced the self assessment regime in 1992 following the enactment of the appropriate law in 1991. The FIRS Board in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Section 61 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service(Establishment) Act 2007with the approval of the Minister of Finance gazetted a Regulation dated 19December 2011 modifying the processes and procedures for self assessment returns.

The Regulations cover tax returns under the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA), Education Tax Act(ETA), Petroleum Profit Tax Act (PPTA), Personal Income Tax Act (PITA), N a t i o n a l InformationTechnology Development Act (NITDA), and Value Added Tax Act (VATA).

However, the method has not been as successful as envisaged.

Many will argue that risk based audit which is a major feature of self assessment has not been fully optimized. Risk based audit assist in risk

FIRS boss, Alhaji Kabiru Mashi identification, analysis, assessment, evaluation and prioritization, with the predetermined risk ratios drawn from a risk framework, every tax return is subjected to risk analysis and assessment. This in itself is a departure from the government assessment of best

of judgement where time and capacity impeded 100% audit.

Under risk based audit, resources are applied to areas of risk in the order of the weight attached.

F u n d a m e n t a l l y , automation of the filing process will encourage taxpayers to file

their returns independently instead of using the outdated administrative assessment or best of judgement. In this regard the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) project being undertaken by the FIRS will play a key role.

FIRS will need to fully exploit technology to endear efficiency in the process of SelfAssessment.

Also for the benefits of Self Assessment to be fully optimized a more robust mechanism whereby compliance checks are conducted through risk based case selection for audit; In which case, all Tax returns have equal chance of being selected for audit. This approach is a demonstration of transparency in tax administration and is expected to encourage self disclosure and clearer disclosure benchmarks also need be to put in place.

Another key driver will be to have a strong Audit and Compliance department that can ensure the validity of disclosure.

Using the Australian Tax Office (ATO) as a global case study of the self-assessment system, the claims a taxpayer makes in their tax return are accepted by the (ATO), usually without adjustment, and an assessment notice is issued. Even though we may initially accept the tax return, the return may

still be subject to further review.

To ensure the integrity of the tax system, the law provides the ATO with a period where it may review a return (and make sure all income has been included) and may increase or decrease the amount of tax payable. The ATO has powers to amend an assessment up to two years (or four years for taxpayers with more complex tax affairs) after tax become due and payable under the assessment. Where antiavoidance provisions apply, the period is four years. Where the avoidance is due to fraud or evasion, there is no time limit on amending the assessment. If the FIRS can push such laws through it will certainly ensure and endear voluntary and honest filing of returns.

Generally speaking, the adoption of self assessment principles reflects a desire to move away from in-house administrative assessment procedures in favour of more comprehensive and targeted approaches to providing help and assistance to taxpayers, and to the systemic verification of reported tax liabilities through risk-based desk and field audits and computerized matching of income reports. In countries where self-assessment has been adopted, it has generally been initiated with the objective of improving overall compliance with the laws and increasing operational efficiency by collection of tax revenue on time, streamlining the system of returns processing and reducing the incidence of disputed assessments.

Self-assessment ultimately reduces administrative costs for tax authorities and aided by modern technology, most economies have adopted the principle to drive down cost and ensure timeliness in filling return and Nigeria can benefit from this trending revenue collection system.

SelfAssessment also reduces the discretionary powers of tax officials and reduces opportunities for corruption.

However, self-assessment needs to be properly regulated and implemented, with transparent rules, an automated reporting process, and penalties for noncompliance and risk based assessment procedures for audit procedures.

Also the FIRS need to embark on media sensitization campaigns to achieve a change in behaviour of both taxpayers and tax officials in favour of a taxpaying culture through strict application of sanctions.

This way non-compliance will be dealt with timely and will be deterred. Internal and external stakeholders' engagements will key in implementation and success of Self-Assessment regime.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 22

Governor Fayemi partners ICAN to promote corruption – free society

Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi,

By Abdulwahab Isa

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he Executive Governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, will be joining Mr. Adedoyin Owolabi, the 48th President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) at the 7thWestern Zonal Districts’ Conference of ICAN on Tuesday, February 12, to promote a corruption-free society through advocacy of cashless economy.

The conference, tagged: ‘Ekiti 2013’, which has been scheduled to take place at the Bimbo Owolabi Hall, Afe Babalola University Ikare Road, Ado-Ekiti from Monday, February 11 to Thursday, February 14, will be declared open by

the Governor, who is both the Grand Patron and Special Guest of Honour, while Mr. Owolabi, as the chief host, will deliver the keynote address.

The theme of the Conference is “Promoting a Corruption-free Societythrough a Cashless Economy – The Role of Chartered Accountants”.

Other dignitaries and erudite resource persons expected at the conference plenary sessions and technical workshops include Professor Taiwo O. Asaolu, PhD, FCA, ObafemiAwolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, who will deliver the lead paper on the topic, Promoting a Corruption– free Society through a

Cashless Economy – The Role of Chartered Accountants. The lead paper session will be chaired by Dr. OlaoyeAdegoke, MFR while the discussants are Mrs. Tope Omage, FCA and Mr. SegunOloketuyi, FCA. Eminent discussants at the various sessions and technical workshops are expected at the conference.

The conference will also feature business exhibitions, excursion to some notable places in the region, competitive sporting activities like golf, table tennis, swimming, badminton, lawn tennis, jogging, squash, cultural and dinner party and a Gala Nite to round-off the conference.

RMRDC to honour 15 industries and institutions in Tech Expo

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Director-General / Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof Peter Onwualu has announced that the council will honour 15 industries and institutions in the upcoming 11th RMRDC Technology Exposition and Silver Jubilee.

The programme, with theme: “Celebrating 25 years Local Raw Materials development in Nigeria”, slated for 12th15th , Febuary,2013, according to the DG, will accord deserving industries and other organizations due recognition for achievements in backward integration, increased local content in raw materials sourcing

utilization of nigeria raw materials for manufacturing.

He said that the award system is also envisioned to create awareness on the huge benefits derivable from research and development on local raw materials and encourage further development and utilisation of local raw materials.

In his words: “It will also promote the design and fabrication of machinery and equipment for value addition and utilisation of local raw materials”.

“Our target is to increase the percentage local content in industrial raw materials utilization in Nigeria from the current 25% to 60% in the next 25 years. This, by our estimates, can save Nigeria over 2 trillion naira in foreign exchange for importation of

intermediate raw materials, process equipment and impact skills”, he said.

He further stated that RMRDC also hope to work with other relevant organisations to see to the emergence of about 5,000 competitive SMEs processing the above named and other raw materials in cluster formations, using research results and technologies developed by research institutes, Universities and other higher institutions. ”We shall be following more on promoting functional and innovative raw materials processing clusters by having research results from various institutions in Nigeria and injecting into SMEs in cluster formations”, he said.

PEOSPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Report as at Thursday, February 7, 2013

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

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PAGE 25

What provides the country’s insurgents a lifeline

F

ew in Nigeria’s second city of Kano would admit to supporting the Boko Haram insurgents waging a bloody northern rebellion against the central government in Abuja.

But when the sect talks of sweeping away the corrupt old order and creating an Islamic state to rule Nigeria fairly, the idea finds resonance with millions of desperate, struggling Nigerians in the north who feel the state has failed them.

“If the government treated people justly, there would none of these problems,” said Khalid Adamu, 45, piling apples into pyramids of red and green at his stall by a trafficchoked Kano street.

Glancing over his shoulder, he hastily added he did not support the Islamists’ campaign of violence, which rights groups say has killed more than 3,000 people in the past three years.

Boko Haram militants have carried out multiple bombings and shootings since the secretive sect launched an uprising in 2009, including a coordinated strike on Kano

last year that left 186 people dead — still its deadliest attack to date in a campaign that threatens the stability of Africa’s largest oil producer.

“The government is supposed to look after health, education, water, but we see them doing nothing except getting rich, so why are they surprised there is a rebellion?” Adamu said.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan last week highlighted links between Boko Haram and al Qaeda’s north African wing, whom French forces chased out of cities in Mali, as evidence Nigeria is one of many countries facing a global jihadist threat.

He gave it as a reason for Nigeria’s large contribution to the West African peacekeeping force that is now gearing up to take over the battle against Saharan Islamists from the French.

Yet many northerners see the roots of the Boko Haram insurgency as local, and doubt whether force can resolve the north’s crisis if no efforts are made to address its grievance: the poverty bred by years of kleptocratic governance.

A ceasefire declared by a Boko Haram commander a week ago raised hopes the government could negotiate with the sect, but violence has continued unabated, and no amount of talks will create opportunities needed to keep young people away from it.

“The devil has found work for our boys’ idle hands,” Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano’s last governor and a 2011 presidential candidate, told Reuters. “The unemployed youth ... feel the people in power are not being fair to the man on the street. They want justice.”

“Hypocrites and liars” Many doubt whether an Islamic state would deliver better economic opportunities — as opposed to just an efficient, accountable state — but the idea often appeals to young Muslims in nations where poor governance hinders economic opportunity.

“The target demographic for these people is 18-21s.

They are frustrated and alienated by society, by the way everyone in politics is only in it for themselves,” said Mohammed Jinadu, a northern opposition political

In 2009, sect founder Mohammed Yusuf died in police custody, unleashing a torrent of rage that transformed it from a clerical movement opposed to Western culture into a full armed rebellion.

In the yard outside Kano’s police headquarters, now guarded by snipers behind sandbags, lies the wreckage of a tin-roof pharmacy destroyed by a suicide bomber on January 20 last year, when Boko Haram killed 186 people in attacks across the city.

Posters of the policemen killed there dot the adjacent wall.

Sitting in an office decorated by trophies, his bullet proof vest and helmet perched on a coat hanger, Kano state Police Commissioner Ibrahim Idris said security was now much better.

“We learnt our lessons,” he told Reuters. “Our efforts have paid off with a drastic reduction in gun and bomb attacks by these criminals.

Gradually ... we are winning this war.”

But deadly attacks — including one last month on the convoy of the city’s highest Islamic authority, the Emir of Kano, and on a group of Christians playing a game of draughts — continue.

leader and former legislator.

“Those (Boko Haram members) I’ve spoken to ... their complaints are the same as everyone’s: that most of our politicians are hypocrites and liars who have taken the country for a ride.”

Last year Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sinful” in the local language of northern Nigeria, pledged to revive the 19th century rule of Islamic scholar Usman Dan Fodio, who led a revolution to overthrow Hausa kings he saw as corrupt and idolatrous.

Dan Fodio created the Sokoto caliphate over much of what is now northern Nigeria, enforcing a stricter interpretation of Islam.

Alluding to his rule evoked a yearning for the days of West Africa’s great Islamic empires, when northern cities like Kano were prosperous hubs for the fabled trans-Saharan trade routes connecting Africa’s interior with its Mediterranean coast.

A low rise city of Arabicstyle flat roofed homes on the cusp of the Sahara, which at this time of year kicks up a haze of fine sand, Kano

“Making things worse” Northern state

IGP Mohammed Abubakar: Boko Haram hard nut to crack

Emir of Kano Ado Bayero: His convoy was attacked by young men on motorbikes on January 19

retains a few traces of that past glory.

Outside a grand, greendomed mosque, young children in a Koranic school separated into boys and girls by an acacia tree practice Arabic calligraphy in torn notebooks.

The city’s poverty is palpable: on most streets blind beggars in rags, some accompanied by children in skull caps, tap on car windows, while hawkers offer wares along miles of gridlock.

At independence from Britain in 1960 Kano prospered, but as southern oil fields began to dominate the economy and a spate of military dictatorships entrenched corruption, the north went into decline.

Textile mills starved of electricity went bust.

Education in northern states is dire, a legacy of British colonialism, which allowed the north to protect its Islamic culture from missionaries at the expense of modern schooling.

Half of the teachers in the remote state of Sokoto are illiterate, the Basic Education Commission said last year.

“I have not met a single young man professing to be a member of Boko Haram who has a decent education,” said Jinadu.

“Extremism” Boko Haram is in many ways a less conventional

adversary than the al Qaeda-linked militants who overran Mali last year.

Unlike them it controls almost no territory, and has little in the way of desert bases, fuel depots or military vehicles. But its hit-and-run guerrilla attacks — striking then melting back into the population — have repeatedly proved deadly.

Its spiritual leader

“

Some politicians have definitely in the past used Boko Haram to harass, to kill, to maim for political ends,” said Isa Kachakor, a retired colonel and former senator from the north who helped found the ruling People’s Democratic Part

Abubakar Shekau appears in web videos, but his enemies have never managed to find him in person.

The secretive sect modelled on the Afghan Taliban first became active in 2003 in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, but has since spread across the north and even to the capital Abuja, in the centre of the country.

Some politicians in the northeast were initially accused of using sect adherents as guns for hire to settle scores.

“Some politicians have definitely in the past used Boko Haram to harass, to kill, to maim for political ends,” said Isa Kachakor, a retired colonel and former senator from the north who helped found the ruling People’s Democratic Party.

Yet they are not widely thought to still enjoy such backing.

“So a lot them have become armed robbers,” Kachakor said.

governments bristle at the suggestion that failures of governance are the main drivers of the insurgency.

“The driver ... is international terrorism, which is growing fast all over the world,” Kano’s acting governor Abdullahi Ganduje told Reuters at his grand government complex of sandy hued buildings flanked by fountains, palms and tamarind trees.

“Some Boko Haram trained in Mali, some in Afghanistan.”

He has little sympathy for the argument that Yusuf’s killing made things worse. “If he was still alive ... the allegiance to Boko Haram could have been much greater,” he said.

Nevertheless, rights groups say continued extrajudicial killings by the military and police in pursuit of Boko Haram fuel support for the sect.

“They are making things worse,” said former president Muhammadu Buhari, one of the most powerful northern politicians and the main challenger to Jonathan in the last presidential polls.

“When a bomb goes off, you cannot just cordon off the whole area and kill everyone. There should be a lot more restraint.”

Yet northern elites interviewed in Kano were also sceptical about efforts to establish peace talks with

Late Boko Haram leader, Yusuf Mohammed

the sect’s leaders.

Tanko Yakasai, who was a special adviser to former President Shehu Shagari in the early 1980s, thinks Boko Haram have split into at least three factions: first, the original followers of Yusuf, who are more reclusive and less interested in armed conflict — they are most likely to be amenable to negotiation.

Then there’s Shekau’s militant faction, and finally, a patchwork of even more hardline groups mixing foreign jihadists and Nigerians who are much more closely tied to AQIM, and who operate in neighbouring Chad and Niger, as well as Mali.

An example is Ansaru, an Islamist group blamed for four kidnappings of Europeans in Nigeria, three of whom it killed.

It would be very hard to hold talks with all factions, he said, not to mention the many associated criminal networks.

Whether by talks or successful military action, though, many conflictweary residents just want the violence to end.

“We don’t support any side, we don’t know who is to blame or who is doing what,” said Haruna Abdullai, 45, dissecting a cow’s carcass at his market stall. “We just want peace to come back.”

(Source: REUTERS)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

The people of truth... the Allah fearing (II) A

llah says: “It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe In Allah and the Last Day, and the angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast In prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, In pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. such are the people of truth, the Allah fearing.” [alBaqarah: 177] In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah! We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our evils and bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and final messenger to mankind. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His last and final Apostle, his Household, his companions and all his followers until the end of time.

In the week before the last, we saw what is expected of a true believer regarding his or her believe in Allah and the angels.

Thus, we can now easily understand the meaning of Surat al-Ikhlas; the 112th chapter of the Qur'an in which Allah says: 1. “Say: He is Allah, the one and Only; 2. Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; 3. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; 4. And there is none like unto Him.” [al-Ikhlas: 1-4] So also we can let know anybody in concise, the Islam's concept of the angels as beings who never not eat, drink, sleep nor procreate; such weaknesses are lots lower animals and human race.

Today, by the leave of Allah, we will move to the next articles of faith as contained in this great verse; 177, thus: “to believe In Allah ... and the Book...” [alBaqarah: 177] Allah, in His infinite mercy, and in line with His grace promised, sent over a period time, to different places, to guide His servants out of darkness into the light of Islam. Allah said to Adam at the time of his expulsion from the garden, thus; “We said: "Get ye down all from here; and if, As is sure, there comes to you guidance from me, whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall They grieve.” [a-Baqarah: 38] And: “O ye Children of Adam! whenever there come to you apostles from amongst you, rehearsing My Signs unto you,those who are righteous and mend (Their lives),- on them shall be no fear nor shall They grieve.” [alA'araf: 35] Thus, Allah fulfilled His pledge by choosing from men Messengers

and prophets, revealed to them it: it is sent down by one full of His words of guidance, then sent Wisdom, worthy of all praise.” [althem to the multitude to call them Fussilat: 42] to the light. Those He wished to As for the rest of the Books, he guide, were guided, and the rest says: went astray!

He revealed His messages to v a r i o u s Messengers and sent them to various peoples at various

By Husain Zakariyya times. Some of Yawale the messages were regional, while others +234-8052952900 (sms only) universal, islamexplained35@yahoo.com transcending their initial spaces and times of “It was we who revealed the revelations. The Qur'an which is law (to Moses): therein was the last and final in the series, guidance and light. by its standard remains the only authentic have been judged the Jews, by the divine books available today, as prophets who bowed (as In Islam) against all the previously to Allah's will, by the rabbis and the revealed before it. Allah, unlike doctors of law: for to them was the previous books, has not only entrusted the protection of Allah's promised to protect it from the Book, and They were witnesses atrocities of intruders, interlopers thereto: Therefore fear not men, but

As captives, ye ransom them, though it was not lawful for you to banish them. Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? but what is the reward for those among you who behave like This but disgrace In This life and on the Day of Judgment They shall be consigned to the Most grievous penalty. for Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.” [alBaqarah: 285] The next item is to belief in all the messengers of Allah. He says: “to believe In Allah ... and the Messengers...” [alBaqarah: 177] Messengers were choosing by Allah only. The criteria with which Prophets and Messengers were chosen was only known to Allah. He says: “When there comes to them a

fear me, and sell not My Signs for a miserable price. if any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, They are (no better than) Unbelievers.” [al-Ma'idah: 44] Thus, the compromises and the intrusions found in the previous divine Books were due to the lack of the human capacity and incompetence to preserve such invaluable properties in their memories for centuries without interpolations.

However, one's believe in Allah will remain incomplete and inconsequential without believing in all the revealed Books in their original contents. Be aware that any doubt in any verse of the Qur'an, is the same as disbelieving in the entire revelations from Allah, and such is tantamount to disbelief or kufr!

Allah says: “After This it is ye, the same people, who slay among yourselves, and banish a party of you from their homes; assist (Their enemies) against them, In guilt and rancour; and if They come to you

Sign (from Allah., They say: "We shall not believe until we receive one (exactly) like those received by Allah's apostles." Allah knoweth best where (and how) to carry out His mission. Soon will the wicked be overtaken by humiliation before Allah, and a severe punishment, for all their plots.” [al-An'am: 124] Similarly, no one has the knowledge of the exact number of Messengers of Allah He sent to various nations and tribes; from Adam (AS) to the last and final Messenger, Muhammad (SAW).

The Qur'an has confirmed to us that we knew but few of Allah's messengers It says: “Of some apostles we have already told Thee the story; of others we have not;- and to Moses Allah spoke direct.” [an-Nisa'i: 164] And: “We did send many apostles before thee: of them there are some whose story we have related to thee, and some whose story we have not related to thee. it was not (possible) for any apostle to bring a Sign except by the leave of Allah. but when the command of Allah issued, the matter was decided

ISLAM EXPLAINED

and trespassers, but also to preserve it from interfering with its contents and context, come what may.

The Quran mentioned all the revealed Books, as well as the precepts (Suhf) sent to various Messengers. It mentioned the Sahifa or scrolls given to Abraham; the Taurat given to Moses; the Zabur or the psalms given to David and the Injil which contained the revelation given to Jesus.

However, for wisdom and knowledge, all the revealed books sent by Allah to all the Apostles at various times and spaces; those we know and the ones we never know, were either perished or completely tempered, except the Qur'an.

Unlike for the holy Qur'an, He did not promise to preserve the others. Allah says regarding the Qur'an: “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and we will Assuredly guard it (from corruption).” [al-Hijr: 9] And: “No falsehood can approach it from before or behind

In truth and justice, and there perished, there and then those who stood on falsehoods.” [al-Ghafir: 78] However, the Qur'an mentioned 25 Messengers with their names and locations. It is thus, incumbent upon every Muslim to believe in them regardless of their times, spaces and messengers. Allah says: “The Messenger believeth In what hath been revealed to Him from His Lord, As do the men of Faith. Each one (of them) believeth In Allah, His angels, His books, and His apostles. "We make no distinction (They say) between one and another of His apostles" and They say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, Our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.” [al-Imran: 285] One day I was charting with a Christian colleague about the various messengers of Allah. I told him that no Muslim is a true believer until he or she believes in all the previous Messengers of Allah, including Moses and Jesus!

But, unlike the Jews and Christians who do not believe in each other's Apostles, while each of you thinks and believe that he is alone on the right, and thus will inherit the kingdom of God in the hereafter. I went further to tell him that I, as a Muslim believe in Moses and Jesus as great Apostles of Allah. Therefore, if it is only the Jews who would be admitted into the kingdom of God, I will certainly enter with them because I believe in their Prophet.

And if it is only you, the Christians who would be admitted for your belief in Jesus and his messages, I will also accompany you, without the Jews for their disbelief in Jesus!

But if it is only we, the Muslims who would enter the paradise, both the Jews and Christians will go to hell fire, for their disbelief in Muhammad, the Prophets of the Muslims! Hence the need for every Muslim to strongly believe in all the messengers of Allah without any discrimination amongst them.

The messages of all Messengers and their religion were fundamentally the same Islam, because it came from One and the Same Source, to guide humanity to the right Path. All the messengers with no exception whatsoever were mortals, human beings, males and appointed by Allah to guide humanity.

Before I sign out in retreat for next Friday, I would like to request for your indulgence in arrears, over my break from the series Friday before the last, and our unavoidable absence during the last one. The former happened because of the innovative birthday celebration of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). I judged, autonomously, the need to remind the Muslims of its true position as nothing but transgressing the bounds of Allah, in its entirety. The later was due to the facts that we are but human beings!

May Allah guide onto the right path. Until next week, when we shall continue, Insha Allah!

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

ANALYSIS

By Vandana Shiva

PAGE 27

Safety as freedom

T

he Delhi gang-rape of December 2012 brought to the streets the deep and growing concern about violence against women and the demand for women's safety.

The movement is the voice of women reclaiming their right to safety and freedom, through resistance to all forms of patriarchal power and celebration of women's peaceful power and energy.

Commodification, appropriation and control over women's bodies and the resources of the earth are one aspect of the threat to safety.

Imposition of hazardous technologies that we do not need is another aspect.

Safety has emerged as an overpowering concern - safety of women and children, tribals, farmers and rural communities, safety from nuclear hazard, and environmental as well as health hazards of GMOs. Across India, protests and movements are also growing about the safety of people's resources and wealth - their land, their forests, their rivers, their property - in the context of the violent resource grab that is the basis of the new "growth" economy.

There is a pattern in this continuum of violence and threats to life and safety, just as there is a pattern in the continuum of the struggles for the defence of life, safety and freedom. The exponential rise in concern for safety - reflected in the explosion of people's protests to stop violence against women, tribals, fishermen, peasants, the urban and rural poor and the violence against environment and life on earth - is a direct consequence of the dominant culture of greed and commodification.

Sadly, this culture is shrouded in the garb of neoliberal paradigms of economics in which there is no life, no values, no ethics, no community, no society, no people, no justice, no place for equality, dignity and people's rights, no place for freedom and democracy, just money and markets.

These values do not stay insulated in a silo called "the economy". Through osmosis they become the dominant values of a society, shaping the culture (or, should we say, anti-culture?).

As 2012 came to a close and 2013 dawned, hundreds of people protesting the nuclear power plant at Koodankulam and demanding nuclear safety sang and danced together at the Idinthakarai coast, adjacent to the nuclear plant. The New Year celebrations breathed new life into the anti-nuclear struggle.

The beach reverberated with the spirit of resistance, assertion, freedom and democracy.

As 2012 came to a close and 2013 dawned, hundreds of people protesting the nuclear power plant at Koodankulam and demanding nuclear safety sang and danced together at the Idinthakarai coast, adjacent to the nuclear plant The movement for nuclear safety is a movement for freedom - we do not need nuclear energy when the sun and wind are so generous; we do not need GMOs when biodiversity and ecological agriculture produces more, safer and better food.

For two years in a row, at his address to the Indian Science Congress, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has tried to criminalise the citizen's movements for nuclear safety and biosafety. But his is not a lone voice. He is an echo of the struc-tured money-making system that wants no breaks in its money-making, including the break that is necessary for ensuring safety. That is why he called for a "structured" debate on nuclear energy and GMOs, not a democratic debate.

A nuclear industry desperate to make profits at any cost must criminalise communities and citizens insisting on their democratic right to safety and freedom from hazards. A GMO industry desperate to make profits at any cost will extract royalties from poor farmers even though the royalty extraction pushes farmers to commit suicide.

It will try to dismantle biosafety laws and replace them with a deregulation framework of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (Brai). It will criminalise real scientists and put PR spinners in the position of pretend scientists, using all the power of money to control the media for its false, unscientific claim that without GMOs we will all starve, and that GMOs are safe.

At a meeting on the new

biotechnologies called "Laws of Life" in 1987, when I asked the representatives of industry what safety tests they had done on the GMOs they were planning to release in the environment, I was told that safety issues could not be addressed because that would slow down the commercialisation of GMOs and lead to losses of markets and profits. For 25 years, the industry has tried to ignore and suppress issues of biosafety.

For 25 years, we have kept the issue of safety alive as an issue of science, freedom and democracy. One aspect of that safety as freedom is the right to say no to hazards imposed in the name on progress. The other aspect is to create sustainable, safe and just alternatives.

Safety is freedom because everyone - women, children,

indigenous cultures, ordinary citizens, life-forms that weave the tapestry of biodiversity has a natural right to safety.

And the duty of a state that claims to be democratic is to first and foremost guarantee safety and freedom to its weakest citizens.

Tragically, the neo-liberal corporate state is unleashing new levels and scales of violence by removing the social and regulatory processes of equality and justice, of democratic participation and defence of freedom in the name of "reforms".

I have called these so-called reforms "anti-reforms", because in the name of "growth" they are eroding, blocking and undoing the real reforms - social reforms for gender justice, land reforms, economic reforms to secure food, work and livelihoods for all, environmental reforms to protect the resource base that

“

For two years in a row, at his address to the Indian Science Congress, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has tried to criminalise the citizen's movements for nuclear safety and biosafety.

provides life and livelihood, and the political reforms that deepen and widen democratic participation.

The threat to safety is increasing because of the spread of hazardous technologies, and because the social and political systems that could deal with these hazards in a democratically robust way are being deliberately weakened by a misguided reform process.

The concern for safety is concern for the fallout of a myopic obsession with a myopic vision of the economy and technology that privileges the powerful in the emerging capitalist patriarchy. When an ancient society like the Indian civilisation is called an "emergent economy", this myopia is blatant.

Economies of women, farmers, retailers, nature are made invisible. This act of erasure by a distorted paradigm leads to erasure in the world the displacement, destruction, violence we witness every day, everywhere. Society, culture, politics are excluded in this paradigm.

They don't go away; they mutate and hybridise with the culture of greed, c o m m o d i f i c a t i o n , unaccountability, into a supervirus of brutal violence to which there is no antidote in the system. The antidote will come from a change in values and worldview, from people's movements for change from capitalist patriarchy to earth democracy based on the rights of all people.

The politics of safety is the politics of freedom in times of unfreedom.

Source: Al Jazeera

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Sudan says to release five South Sudanese soldiers

S

udan is to free five South Sudanese soldiers it captured trying to cross the poorly-defined border last year as a sign of goodwill, state news agency SUNA said on Wednesday.

The African neighbors came close to war in April over territory and oil payments, the worst violence since South Sudan seceded under a 2011 peace deal which ended decades of civil war.

Both countries agreed in September to defuse hostilities but have failed to implement several agreements brokered by the African Union to set up a buffer zone to secure the border and restart oil exports from the South through Sudan.

South Sudan has accused Sudan of holding an unspecified number of prisoners since several weeks of fighting in April along the disputed 2,000 km (1,300 miles) border.

Sudan's military spokesman al-Sawarmi Khalid told SUNA the army would hand over the soldiers on Monday to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Nyala in Darfur in western Sudan.

The five soldiers, which SUNA named on its website, were

France seeks UN peacekeepers for Mali

F Sudan's military spokesman al-Sawarmi Khalid captured trying to infiltrate into South Darfur state, which borders South Sudan, "mid-last year", he said. SUNA gave no exact date.

South Sudanese officials were not immediately available to comment.

Sudan called on South Sudan

to release all Sudanese soldiers in captivity, SUNA said. It did not say how many soldiers Sudan believes are being held in the South, naming only one officer who it said had been imprisoned in Juba for more than two years.

South Sudan's army released

13 Sudanese soldiers after the end of fighting in April.

South Sudan shut down its oil output of 350,000 barrels a day a year ago in a row with Sudan over pipeline fees, throwing both economies into turmoil.

Tunisia PM to form new government

T

unisia's prime minister has said that he will dissolve the Islamist-led government and form a national unity administration, following the killing of prominent secular opposition leader Shokri Belaid in front of his home.

Hamadi Jebali announced during a speech to the nation on Wednesday that he will form a cabinet of technocrats to run the country until elections are held.

"After the failure of negotiations between parties on a cabinet reshuffle, I decided to form a small technocrat government," Jebali said.

He said the ministers would not run for office but elections would subsequently be held as soon as possible.

An official source told Reuters news agency earlier on that Jebali's decision was a personal one taken in the interests of the country.

Belaid, leader of the leftleaning Democratic Patriots party, was killed on Wednesday as he was leaving his home.

He was transported to a hospital in the suburbs of Tunis where he died of his wounds, his brother confirmed.

Following news of Belaid's

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali announces the formation of a new. death, violence and protests broke out on the streets of Tunis.

Ahmed Janabi in Tunis reported violent clashes between Belaid's supporters and police along the main Habib Borguiba Avenue, with the police using tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters and making numerous arrests.

Earlier, crowds of mourners, chanting "the people want the fall of the regime", crowded around an ambulance carrying

Belaid's body.

As the protests intensified, four Tunisian opposition groups, including the Popular Front, of which the Democratic Patriots is a component, announced they were pulling out of the national assembly and called for a general strike.

Belaid had been critical of Tunisia's leadership, especially the Islamist party Ennahda that dominates the government.

He had accused authorities of

not doing enough to stop violence by ultraconservatives who have targeted mausoleums, art exhibits and other things seen as out of keeping with their strict interpretation of Islam.

Samir Dilou, a government spokesperson, called Belaid's killing an "odious crime".

Moncef Marzouki, the Tunisian president, said he would fight those who opposed the political transition in his country after the death of Belaid.

rance has asked the United Nations Security Council to establish a peacekeeping force to Mali, where French forces have killed hundreds of alQaeda-linked fighters but are still coming under attack in territory reclaimed from the rebels.

Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, said on Wednesday a peacekeeping force could be in place by April, incorporating troops being deployed under the banner of a West African intervention force, AFISMA, into a UN peacekeeping mission.

"From the moment that security is assured, we can envisage without changing the structures that it can be placed under the framework of UN peacekeeping operations," Fabius told reporters.

"This gives the advantage of being under the umbrella of the United Nations, under its financing," he said.

France has deployed nearly 4,000 ground troops, as well as warplanes and armoured vehicles in its three-weekoldOperation Serval that has broken the rebels' 10-month grip on northern towns.

It is now due to gradually hand over to a UN-backed African force of about 8,000 troops, known as AFISMA, of which around 3,800 have already been deployed.

Gerard Araud, the French ambassador to the UN, told reporters that he started discussions on the issue during closed council consultations on Mali, adding the potential UN force would deploy only when security conditions permit.

‌opposition party ‘rejects new cabinet’

T

unisia's ruling party has reportedly rejected moves to dismiss the government and form a cabinet of technocrats after the assassination of an opposition leader.

Ennahda's vice-president said Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali "did not ask the opinion

of his party", Reuters reports.

Chokri Belaid was shot dead on Wednesday, sparking violent protests.

Ennahda denies opposition claims that it was behind the killing of the anti-Islamist politician.

"We in Ennahda believe Tunisia needs a political

government now," party VicePresident Abdelhamid Jelassi was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"We will continue discussions with others parties about forming a coalition government," he added.

The reported remarks come a day after Mr Jebali said he had

decided to form a government of "competent nationals without political affiliation".

The new ministers would have a mandate "limited to managing the affairs of the country until elections are held in the shortest possible time," the prime minister said in a nationally televised address.

French ambassador to the United Nations, Gerard Araud

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 28

US imposes new sanctions on Iran

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David Cohen, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury.

he United States has tightened sanctions on I r a n to further choke off its oil income, saying it was necessary to increase pressure on Tehran over its suspected nuclear weapons programme.

"This will significantly restrict Iran's ability to make use of the oil revenue that it's earning," a senior US official told reporters about the sanctions on Thursday.

It also set sanctions against Iranian media organisations and Tehran's Cyber Police for

what it called human rights abuses for censorship.

As per the latest announcement, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, its director, Ezzatollah Zarghami, and others are subject to sanctions that effectively block their access to the US financial system.

Iran's earnings now have to be credited to accounts in countries that buy Iranian crude.

Under the conditions, Tehran can only use the funds

Hamas and Fatah in unity talks, says Meshaal

H

amas leader Khaled Meshaal has said he is in talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about forming a national unity government.

Mr Meshaal also said preparations were being made for presidential and parliamentary elections.

The split between the militant group and Mr Abbas's Fatah party has led to Palestinian elections being postponed for several years.

Hamas controls Gaza while Fatah remains dominant in the West Bank.

In May 2011 the two Palestinian factions signed a reconciliation deal but it has not yet been implemented.

However, in recent months there have been signs of a closer relationship between the two.

"We are forging ahead with the reconciliation," Mr Meshaal told the BBC'sHardtalk programme.

"We are consulting about forming a government of national accord. Preparations for presidential, parliamentary and

executive council elections are under way.

We are reinvigorating the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) and organising its meetings until new national council and executive committee are elected."

In relation to Syria - a longtime ally of Hamas - Mr Meshaal said the party had been forced out of Damascus because it disagreed with how President Bashar alAssad was dealing with the conflict.

But he said President Assad still supported Hamas.

"There is no doubt that we have disagreed with the Syrian regime on the manner with which they managed the crisis, and their resorting to the security-military option," he said.

"The massacre taking place in Syria pains us very much. We were forced to leave Damascus even though the regime used to support us. We also had differences with Iran on what goes on in Syria."

He added: "We are keen on having good relations with all countries of the Arab and Muslim

Khaled Meshaal community, and the international community, with those who support our cause."

In 2006 Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections, sparking a bitter conflict with Fatah.

Clashes erupted in Gaza between the two factions and Hamas violently forced Fatah

from Gaza in June 2007.

Hamas is designated a terrorist group by Israel, the US and EU due to its long record of attacks and its refusal to renounce violence.

But its supporters say it is a legitimate resistance movement and a democratically elected government.

Asia and Middle East to buy goods from its oil customers, preventing the money from being repatriated and used on the nuclear programme the West believes is for developing weapons.

Iran says the programme is for purely civilian purposes.

Human rights groups have said Iran has used state media reports to trample dissent, and have pointed to forced confessions of political detainees in front of state media outlets.

Iran is using social media to hunt down political activists and is engaged in a campaign to filter out unwanted television content, the senior US official said.

After Iran's 2009 presidential election, the government increased its jamming of foreign channels, including the BBC and Voice of America, the Treasury said.

The United States will target individuals and organisations in Iran "responsible for human right abuses, especially those who deny the Iranian people their basic freedoms of expression, assembly and speech," David Cohen, the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence at the Treasury, said.

The Iranian Cyber Police, a unit formed in 2009 that has hacked into email accounts related to political action, deleted anti-government blogs and arrested bloggers, also comes under sanctions, the Treasury said.

The Iran Electronics Industries, which the Treasury said had helped the government crush activism by monitoring text messages, was also targeted by the sanctions.

Sexual abuse of children 'rampant' in India- report

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he Indian government has failed to curb the rampant sexual abuse of children, especially in schools and staterun child care facilities, a rights group said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), in its report released on Thursday, cited the recent fatal gang-rape of a young woman on a New Delhi bus in December, an attack that shook the conscience of the nation and forced people to introspect on the way women are treated in India.

The outcry forced the government to rush through new laws to protect women.

A government panel appointed after the attack to examine the country's treatment of women also shone a light on the high incidence of child sexual abuse and the failure of the government to ensure the implementation of child protection laws.

Child rights activists say the government needs to implement the panel's recommendations on

Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying

preventing child sexual abuse as well.

The new report from HRW said such abuse is disturbingly common, government responses are falling short in protecting children and in treating victims.

The report urges the government to ensure rigorous implementation of child protection laws and strict monitoring of child care facilities.

It calls for an end to traumatic medical examinations and insensitive treatment by police and other authorities, which subject victims to further distress.

There are no clear statistics on the number of child abuse cases in India, primarily because of the low reporting of such crimes.

India's ministry of women and child said in 2007 that around 70 percent of abused children never reported the matter to anyone.

Despite the low reporting levels, the ministry then said

53.2 percent, or one out of two, children in India, reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse.

This statistic is even worse for state-run or -funded homes, activists said.

"The vulnerability of children to sexual abuse is very high, and it becomes worse because there is nobody monitoring these children's homes," said Anuja Gupta of the Recovering and Healing from Incest, or RAHI, Foundation in New Delhi.

She said in many child care facilities, the abuse was committed by the people in charge of taking care of the child.

"When the caretaker himself is the abuser, the situation is especially traumatic because then the child has nowhere to go," Gupta said.

Human Rights Watch said the inspections of state-run child facilities were inadequate, with many facilities not registered with the government as mandated by the law.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 30

Europe and Americas Russia kills last man wanted for Moscow metro bombing

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ussia said it had shot dead the last surviving militant involved in twin bombings that killed 40 people on the Moscow metro in 2010 during a night-time sweep of a forest hideout in the volatile North Caucasus.

The National AntiTerrorism Committee (NAK) released a crossed-out photo of the alleged militant on Wednesday, his face framed by a thick beard.

Bombings and attacks on police and officials by Islamist fighters in the North Caucasus are a weekly occurrence, but insurgents have also staged numerous attacks on the Russian heartland.

Chechen Islamist rebel Doku Umarov, Russia's most wanted man and head of the umbrella Caucasus Emirate group, claimed responsibility for the metro bombings as well as a suicide bombing that killed 37 at Moscow's busiest airport in 2011.

"Gusen Magomedov was the last remaining participant directly involved in the organization and implementation of terrorist attacks on the Moscow metro in March, 2010," NAK said.

"Fair retribution has caught up with the last one of them."

It said Magomedov had been shot after opening fire on security forces combing forests near the village of Kadyrkent in Dagestan, now the center of militant violence in the North Caucasus.

A video released by NAK showed a mangled body in a black jogging suit and a pistol lying in the underbrush.

An NAK spokesman, Dmitry Pavlov, said Magomedov had personally escorted one of the two female suicide bombers responsible for the twin metro bombings to the entrance of the Moscow underground.

A still image from surveillance footage in the metro published by NAK allegedly shows Magomedov - cleanshaven and wearing a baseball cap - walking beside the suicide bomber.

Later Magomedov, born in 1977, returned to Dagestan and joined a group of insurgents led by a Turkish-born militant, who was killed by security forces last year, Pavlov said.

More than a decade after Moscow re-established federal control over Chechnya following two separatist wars, militants have spread to neighboring provinces such as Dagestan.

Security risks in the region are in the spotlight ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which Russia will host in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, at the western end of the Caucasus mountains.

EU leaders set for crucial budget summit

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uropean Union leaders are due to begin a two-day summit in Brussels to try to strike a deal on the next seven years of EU spending.

High EU expenditure at a time of cutbacks and austerity across the continent is the main issue dividing the 27 member states.

They failed to reach a compromise at a similar summit last November.

The BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt says the summit will almost certainly demand cuts in EU administration.

However, whatever is agreed still has to go to the European Parliament and MEPs are big backers of EU spending, he adds.

The EU Commission - the EU's executive body - had originally wanted a budget ceiling of 1.025tn euros (ÂŁ885bn; $1.4tn) for 2014-2020, a 5% increase.

In November that was trimmed back to 973bn euros and later revised down to 943bn euros.

However, with other EU spending commitments included, that would still give an overall budget of 1.011tn euros.

The UK, Germany and other northern European nations want to lower EU spending to mirror the cuts being made by national governments across the continent.

David Cameron and Angela Merkel want EU spending to mirror Europe's tough financial times.

Downing Street said on Wednesday that Prime Minister David Cameron was intent on seeking an agreement to lower EU spending.

"The UK's position is unchanged since the November European Council - spending needs to be reduced further than the proposals on the table," a spokesman said.

"The prime minister said in the [House of] Commons that he

thought a deal would be difficult. That's not saying that it can't be done. The EU budget negotiations are always traditionally fairly difficult."

Another grouping, led by France and Italy, wants to maintain spending but target it more at investment likely to create jobs.

French President Francois Hollande told reporters on Sunday that conditions were

"not yet in place" for a deal but also signalled that Paris was prepared to make compromises.

He and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks in Paris on Wednesday before attending a France-Germany football match.

Mrs Merkel's spokesman said she and President Hollande had had "a short but intense meeting... to see what kind of agreement could be made".

FARC calls for legal coca and marijuana plantations and persecution, suspend air spraying and all the other forms of eradication which are generating negative social, environmental and economic impacts," he said.

The left-wing group also wants the government to stop issuing new mining permits and oil exploration concessions.

They say these activities should be decreased to free up an area of at least 20 million hectares (49 million acres) of land for farming.

Among other land reform issues that had already been proposed by the Farc is a demand that 25 million hectares of land more than 20% of the country A marijuana farmer packing the product.

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olombia's Farc rebels have presented their proposals on land use at the peace talks, among them legalisation of coca and marijuana plantations.

The document says the plants should have "industrial use for therapeutic and medicinal" or for "cultural ends".

The left-wing group wants no more new oil and mining concessions, and the revocation of Amazon mining plans.

Meanwhile, Colombia's police chief stepped up security at police stations after a wave of attacks by the Farc.

General Jose Roberto Leon Riano said intelligence services had issued alerts and other measures had been taken to prevent further deaths.

More than 10 policemen have been killed since the left-wing

rebels suspended their ceasefire on 20 January.

The wave of violence, with the government also stepping up their attacks on the rebels, is said to have heightened tensions in the peace talks.

The Farc list with eight proposals for land use in Colombia was read out in Havana, Cuba, during the latest round of peace talks with the government.

Besides marijuana and coca leaves, the Farc want to legalise the plantation of poppies.

The Farc's chief negotiator, Ivan Marquez, read out the list before resuming the negotiations, in which land reform is the current issue at the table. "(The government has to) halt the policy of criminalisation

be handed over to the country's poor.

The peace negotiations were launched in November in an attempt to end five decades of conflict.

The government says it has cost the lives of more than 500,000 people.

The rebels declared a unilateral two-month ceasefire at the start of the talks in November to end five decades of conflict, but it was suspended on 20 January.

Colombia's stance has been to accept a bilateral truce only when a final peace agreement has been signed.

Serbia and Kosovo presidents hold rare talks

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he presidents of Serbia and Kosovo have met for the first time in talks mediated by the European Union in Brussels to mend their strained ties.

Wednesday's meeting was characterised as "open and constructive", by Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, after separate meetings with Tomislav Nikolic, the Serbian president, and his Kosovo counterpart Atifete Jahjaga.

Both "assured me of their continued support and commitment" to EU-sponsored talks aimed at normalising ties since Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

"I reaffirmed the European perspective for both Serbia and Kosovo and encouraged both sides to continue with the efforts needed for further progress towards the European Union," Ashton said in a statement.

Though no concrete announcements were made, this first top-level meeting marked a significant step in two years of EU efforts to ease tension in the Western Balkans.

The EU is pressing both sides to mend ties, before the bloc moves ahead with Serbia's bid to join.

"The handshake will be highly symbolic, very important," said an EU diplomat who asked not to be named.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 31

Circus kangaroo's boxing bout scrapped

after it was reported the circus was planning to once again force a captive marsupial into the ring.

The activists started an online petition to stop the bout on the website Change.org. The petition referred to YouTube

footage of Rocky, in boxing gloves and shorts, being forced to box a clown at a previous circus.

"The kangaroo is repeatedly punched in the face by a human," the petition said. "This is blatant animal cruelty, cruelty is NOT entertainment, and we will not allow it in our community."

"Boxing matches are extremely stressful for kangaroos... They must be harassed and bullied into defending themselves (in) boxing matches."

Two other kangaroos that were forced to box for circus entertainment died of complications while on tour, the petition stated.

Mr East said police officers will be on hand next week to enforce any violations of Mississippi's animal cruelty laws.

RSPCA spokesman Lukas Picton said it was pleased that "humane sense has prevailed" and that the boxing match had been cancelled.

"We would hope that any of Rocky's subsequent performances are met with the same opposition and ultimately abandoned."

Petitions have been organised to stop the kangaroo boxing show from going ahead at circus events in other US states.

War II. She ended up in an orphanage, while the parents were killed during the war and her brother emigrated to the United States.

"After the war, people were telling me all kinds of things," Talic told the daily. "Some were saying that my family was killed, others that they moved to the US. I lost any hope that I would see any of them again."

She later moved with her family to a village near the northeastern town of Tuzla, while her sister lived in a

village in northwestern Bosnia.

They learned of each other and eventually met again after Talic's son got interested in his family tree and contacted his aunt's daughter through Facebook.

The sisters related "tears and disbelief" over the emotional reunion, saying they shared memories of "the smallest events from childhood", the paper reported.

The sisters said they would now try to trace their brother or his family, who are believed to be in the United States.

A previous edition of "Rocky's Boxing Kangaroo Circus Show"

A

circus boxing match between a kangaroo and a human has been scrapped after global outcry.

Police in the US town of Oxford, Mississippi, told local newspaper The Clarion Ledger that a plan to stage a boxing

match between Rocky the kangaroo and a human at a circus had been halted.

Oxford Police Department chief Joey East said the marsupial would not be donning boxing gloves when the Star Family Circus show was

Cat Stuck in Washer, gets 35 minutes wash

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t's not an award any pet lover would be proud of, and if you're fastidious about not mixing your darks and lights, you'll probably have a conniption fit.

But like it or not, Daryl Humdy of Oakland, Calif. has been awarded a top prize by a pet insurance company after his Siberian Forest cat, "Natasha" accidentally went through an entire wash cycle that lasted 35 minutes, a 'cat'astrophe by any means.

Miraculously, though, Natasha made it out alive.

But the six-month-old feline did suffer severe hypothermia and a trip to the emergency animal hospital, earning Natasha the "Most Unusual Claim Award," by the Brea-based Veterinary Pet Insurance. The company bills itself as the oldest and largest pet insurance provider in the country.

"My roommate was loading his laundry and left the lid to the washing machine open while he went to the next room to grab more clothes," Daryl Humdy said in a statement, because he was unavaillable on

Tuesday to go on camera with NBC Bay Area. "He came back, threw his clothes in, and shut the lid to the washing machine without realizing that Natasha had jumped into it while he had been away."

Humdy arrived home just as his roommate was pulling out his clothes to find a soaked and visibly shaken kitten. Humdy whisked his kitty to the emergency animal hospital.

At the hospital, Natasha was treated for hypothermia and shock, according to the insurance company, which didn't immediately provide how much the medical bills came to.

But Humdy's employer, the online gaming company Zynga Inc., offers the insurance at a discounted rate as a voluntary employee benefit.

The veterinarian even praised Natasha as the most pleasantsmelling pet they had ever treated.

Natasha has since made a full recovery and is as active as ever around the house - except when she's near the laundry room.

"Since I brought Natasha home as a newborn kitten, she had always been very curious about the washing machine," Humdy said. "She would always take a peek inside, but I never thought she would jump in.

My roommate and I are much more cautious around the house now, because we would hate for her to have to go Natasha, an Oakland cat, went through a 35- through something minute wash in the laundry. like that again."

held in town on February 13.

"We have spoken with the owners and the managers (of the circus)," Mr East said. "There will be no kangaroo and boxing match of any kind."

Animal rights activists in the US and Australia were outraged

Sisters reunite 72 years later with the help of Facebook

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wo Bosnian sisters who lost track of each other almost 72 years ago met for the first time with the help of Facebook although they lived only 200 kilometres apart, local media reported.

Tanija Delic, 88, and Hedija Talic, 82, had not seen each other since 1941, the Nezavisne Novine daily reported on its website on Saturday.

Talic, aged 11 at the time, got separated from her family while they were fleeing their village in northwestern Bosnia at the start of World

Diaper worn by Priscilla Pena and Michelle Blassingale.

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013 With Tobias Lengnan Dapam 07036990957

"How can i be poor in new Masquerade and still be poor in real life? cries Natty S eeing them on the big screen and on TV makes people believe they live considerably well, with the celebrity tag making us assume they have all they want, but alas, this is not Hollywood. Events of recent times have shown us these actors aren't as rich as they act in movies.

It gets worse for someone who acts poor in movies, most of them are actually poor. A look portraying poverty makes them ideal for the roles they play, so to say.

For Mr. Romanus Uchenna Amuta aka Natty, he acts poor in movies - he is actually poor.

Acting has never really gotten him enough money to live comfortably. He has been down with stroke since 2006, and his financial incapability to get required treatment has worsened his case.

Nigeriafilms.com gathered that he cant even afford good clothes or the good things of life, and that virtually all the property in his residence was acquired in the 1970s and changing them has become a mission impossible.

"Even the best clothes in my wardrobe were bought in 1984 when I made some reasonable money working with Daily Times Newspaper as an Advert Representative in Enugu. Since then, to buy even pant na war," he stated.

Natty could not hold back tears in his recent interview as he lamented, "Will I be poor in New Masquerade and still be poor in real life, and even now that I'm about to die?"

"I am so poor that I could not

even cure the stroke when it was just starting. Now that it (the stroke) is even worse, there is no money to even enjoy myself, even if it is small enjoyment before I quench like my mama wey die a long time ago."

Natty came into limelight starring as a true representation of the 'poverty class' of the Nigerian society in the New Masquerade series, which was aired on the Nigeria Television Authority for many years.

"I have reached out to my friends, but it appears they have abandoned me to die. For my people (his relatives), they have tried, but they can't kill themselves. My children have also done their best for me," he stated.

Despite several overtures to government officials and political appointees through notable personalities in Enugu State, Natty said he had been ignored.

"I believe that if government comes to help me my problems will be over. But the more they delay in coming, the more my body dies, and soon the entire Natty will just die and leave you people.

"If they (government) can send me to any of the best hospitals in the world, I will surely get better and bounce back to life."

Natty doesn't just want money; he wants the Enugu State Government to give also him land.

"They should give me land. I need a land and money from government. I need money; plenty money," he pleaded.

"I will invest in the land or sell it so that I can treat myself or at least take care of myself instead of

this poverty."

"They should give me plenty money, enough to take me out of this country for treatment."

"If government does not come to help me now, then I will die very soon," Natty concluded.

Natty is married to Mrs. Cordelia Amuta, a primary school teacher and they have two male and four female children. They are all living in different places.

He hails from Udi Local Government Area in Enugu State and his children are all grownups. Poverty never stopped Natty from being naughty; unknown to many, he has a 12-year-old son from another woman whose identity is not known.

One of the surviving members of the New Masquerade cast is Chief Chika Okpala, aka 'Zebrudaya'. Zebrudaya, who was the lead cast of the series, was approached for comments on Natty's state and he said, "It is really unfortunate that Nigerian actors have been left to die. I don't know why calamity has chosen to befall the film industry, especially the cast of the New Masquerade that is almost wiped out."

James Iroha (Giringory Akabuogu), Christy EssienIgbokwe (Apena), and Claude Eke (Jegede Shokoya) are all dead, while Davis Offor (Clarus) is currently blind.

"If Natty dies without the government coming to his aid, it will be so bad. But I know that death is a necessary end that must come when it will and so we will not run away from death.

"We don't know how we came into this world and we don't know what we signed with God when

issue.

However, in what seems to be a suggestive tweet, Wizkid has hinted that he is now ready to move on with a life without EME. "Don't take Loyalty for stupidity..don't!', 'Moving on to start all over again!‌F*ck it!.

If dey sleep on u..move on," the

23-year-old superstar singer posted on a social media network, Twitter today.

Even though Banky W has denied that Wizkid is leaving his label, sources maintained to us that Banky W is only trying to manage the crisis.

As it stands, our source said that Wizkid is gone far away from EME.

Wizkid lashes at Banky W, says am moving on

S

ome days ago, Nigeriafilms.com exclusively reported a story about crisis rocking Banky W's-led Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) music label.

While Banky W was contacted by Nigeriafilms.com to speak on the story, he chose to keep a sealed lip about the

Wizkid

Mr. Romanus Uchenna Amuta we were coming.

"All we know is that we came into this world, we met each other and we propagated the show and the show worked. So anywhere

God plucks one off, so be it. I will keep praying for Natty and we hope something good will come, and early, before it might become late," Zebrudaya.

Ice Prince denies snubbing Glo Ambassadorial deal

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ast week, news went viral that Nigerian rapper, Ice Prince turned down a multi-million naira Glo ambassadorial deal. The report claimed that the Josbred rapper was requesting for about a million dollar from the telecoms giant before agreeing a deal with them .

Reacting to the story, the representatives of Ice Prince termed the report 'false' and 'completely baseless' with no iota of truth in it.

"To say that we have turned down an endorsement deal is false and completely baseless," a part of the statement read.

However, the statement added that Glo has the intention of getting the successful rapper as one of its ambassadors after having the likes of Ini Edo, Uche Jombo, Basketmouth, Desmond Elliot and some others on its list.

Ice Prince

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 33

Jim Iyke features in Virgin Beyonce to embark on tour S Atlantic commercials

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t would seem that despite his bad boy 'steaze' and controversial actions, Jim Iyke is still hitting it big.

This information was made known recently to Nigeriafilm.com by Mitch Ngaman, Jim Iyke's publicist, declaring that the actor was offered a N23 million naira deal to be in the Virgin Atlantic commercial.

Meanwhile, before the information was released, Jim went on to tweet about the whole affair. He tweets thus: 'Shooting Virgin Atlantic Commercial. Awesome! #untamed4life We won't stop. We can't stop. " "To Gatwick to shoot the Virgin Atlantic Commercial. Excited Beyond words.

Jim Iyke and memeber of the Virgin Atlantic crew

Britney Spears sets to grap Las Vegas Residency deal

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Britney Spears

espite recent reports to the contrary, Britney Spears is still in "deep negotiations" to headline a Las Vegas residency in the near future, her manager, Larry Rudolph, told Hollywood reporter.

"I will be shocked if it didn't happen," Rudolph told Extra on Tuesday. "[We're] hoping to have a deal done very soon."

Rudolph also revealed that negotiations had been narrowed down to two potential casinos, one of which is part of the Caesars Entertainment group.

Caesars' Palace released an official statement earlier this month saying that Spears was not in talks to come to the Colosseum - which already

hosts Celine Dion, Elton John and Shania Twain through 2014, while Rod Stewart has a two-year contract that ends in August -- as the venue is already "packed every weekend for months." The group does, however, own several additional properties in Sin City, including Bally's, Flamingo, Harrah's, Paris, Planet Hollywood and Rio. Earlier this year, Spears officially announced that she would not be returning for season three of Fox's The X Factor. Rumors quickly began to circulate that Spears was negotiating a Las Vegas residency.

According to Rudolph, Spears' deal will be finalized once her team decides which locale to commit to.

awards) and "The Impossible" and "The Hobbit": An Unexpected Journey (one award apiece).

HBO's Game of Thrones dominated the TV categories, winning a total of four awards. The premium network's Boardwalk

Empire also nabbed one award.

During the ceremony, Lee was presented the VES Visionary Award by Dennis Muren. Harrison Ford presented Richard Edlund (Star Wars) with the society's Lifetime Achievement Award.

VES Awards 2013: 'Life of Pi' wins top prize

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ng Lee's movie and "Brave" each took home four trophies at the 11th annual VES Awards, which were handed out Tuesday night at the Beverly Hilton, Hollywood reporter has said.

It added that the team that created the visual effects -including a photoreal CG Bengal tiger -- for Ang Lee's Life of Pi won four Visual Effects Society Awards, including the top prize for outstanding visual effects in a visual effects-driven feature, on Tuesday during the 11th annual VES Awards ceremony.

Brave also took home four awards at the ceremony, held at the Beverly Hilton.

Additional feature winners included "The Avengers" (with two

A scene from the movie 'Life of Pi'

uper Bowl Halftime show, which featured the "who is who" in the music industry suffer e d a b l a c k o u t , l e a v i n g artists stranded on stage, Hollywood reporter has said.

The Super Bowl came to a sudden halt when a power outage occurred in the Superdome. While the game was stalled for 34 minutes.

Speaking shortly after the incident, America's music sensation, Beyonce said she was glad the light went of after her performance.

"It's a live television show, it's the biggest show in America," Beyonce told omg!

Insider. "There's so many things that could happen and God was on my side, so I'm very, very happy that it went well and the power went out after."

The captivating halftime show featured Beyonce singing her hits "Love on Top," "Crazy in Love," and "Halo." She also used the show to reunite with fellow Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

The trio sang "Bootylicious" and "Independent Woman," and Rowland and Williams accompanied Beyonce for a performance of "Single Ladies."

Beyonce also spoke to omg!

Insider about her show, saying, "It was beautiful, it was really beautiful. It feels good to know that the hard work paid off."

The singer also announced that she will be kicking off "The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" this spring. The tour begins in Belgrade, Serbia on April 15, and ends its U.S. leg in New York City on August 3.

Beyonce

Sky Italia to broadcast controversial anti-Berlusconi documentary

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irlfriend in a Coma" is ultra-critical of the prime ministerial candidate and media tycoon, who controls SkyItalia's main rival.

A day after it was revealed that the Italian premiere of a new documentary critical of media mogul and prime ministerial candidate, Silvio Berlusconi at Rome's MAXXI Museum would be pushed back until after this month's elections, satellite broadcaster Sky-Italia announced it would screen the film as part of a special "Cultpolitik" series.

Italian Minister of Culture Lorenzo Ornaghi and MAXXI Museum head, Giovanna Melandri, a former minister of culture, said Monday they would postpone the premiere of Girlfriend in a Coma, originally scheduled for February 13th, 2013 until after the elections in the same month, saying airing such a critical documentary during the campaign would be "unfair."

The decision was attacked by the film's producers and in many Italian media, sparking a petition that by Tuesday afternoon had gathered

more than 25,000 signatures.

Italian newspapers reported that Sky-Italia, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., would screen the film as part of a special series of political films on its Sky Cinema Cult channel on February 11-15.

Girlfriend in a Coma is based on the book "Good Italy, Bad Italy" written by former editor of The Economist Bill Emmot, who cowrote the documentary along with Italian journalist, Annalisa Piras, who is also the film's director.

The documentary details Italy's "decline" during the years it was led

by Berlusconi, noted for a long series of personal and legal scandals.

In recent years.

Sky-Italia has emerged as the leading rival to the three traditional free-to-air networks controlled by Berlusconi's Mediaset.

The broadcaster's offer to host a debate between the major candidates ahead of the election is still officially open, though it's likely the decision to screen Girlfriend in a Coma will mean Berlusconi could refuse to participate in a debate event.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 34

Dealing with cancer via early detection, precaution

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

M

rs Akudo Stanley is currently undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer at the National Hospital in Abuja.

She is, however, very optimistic that she would be well again someday. ``I was diagnosed as having ovarian cancer in 2011. It came out like a small rash in my pubic area, then I was taken for biopsy; after the biopsy examination, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. ``Since then, I have been on treatment, I go for chemotherapy every three weeks and this is quite expensive. Each chemotherapy goes for N700,000, as one of the drugs, `Avastine', costs N371,000, not counting other drugs," she said.

Another patient, Ms Nkechi Onyia, is down with breast cancer. ``I started feeling funny in 2011 but last year, February to be precise, the whole thing became very serious. ``Initially, I did not know I have breast cancer; I was then using traditional medication.

The thing later spread to over my body, all my bones, my spinal cord, my legs and everywhere.

Afterward, I became unable to walk,'' she moans.

However, the plight of Stanley and Onyia aptly exemplifies the troubles of many Nigerians who are groaning under the yoke of one form of cancer or the other.

Available statistics reveal that an average of 100,000 new cases of cancer is reported in Nigeria every year, while over 8,000 cancer-induced deaths also occur.

The global picture of the menace of cancer even looks more frightening, as a report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that in 2008, for instance, cancer accounted for 7.6 million deaths -- 13 per cent of all deaths that year.

As part of global efforts to draw the people's attention to the growing menace of cancer, the World Cancer Day is celebrated on Feb. 4 every year.

Dr Festus Igbinoba, the Chief Consultant (Radiation Oncology) at the National Hospital, Abuja, says that cancer is caused by agents called carcinogens, which cause mutation in a person's cells. ``These carcinogens acts on the cells through a process called carcinogenesis; they act on the DNA component of the cell and the cell begins to

Minister of Health, Prof. Christian Onyebuchi Chukwu undergo mutation. When this mutation progresses; it eventually leads to cancer. ``These carcinogens may be in form of chemicals we are exposed to via infections, the food we eat, the water we drink, the environment we live in, the work we do, the air we breathe in and even the sun," he said.

Igbinoba explains that other factors such as genetic disposition and the state of the protective genes also determine the possibility of contracting cancer.

Conceding that smoking is one of the risk factors of cancer, the consultant stresses that passive smokers (those exposed to tobacco smoke), people exposed to some form of radiation and others with defective genes are also susceptible to cancer.

Iginoba, however, says that as a preventative measure, people should avoid contact with carcinogens that cause cancer.

Common carcinogens include tobacco, alcohol, dietary fat, X-rays and Gama rays, asbestos (a roofing material) and Pylori bacteria.

Analysts, however, note that many people do not have access to adequate information about these cancer-causing agents, while some people, who made

conscious efforts to avoid the carcinogens, are known to have developed cancer.

They add that in some cases it is virtually impossible to avoid some of the carcinogens like ultra-violet light from the sun, coal tar, wood dust and dye, which can be found in most environments.

As regards cancer of the prostrate, whose cause is relatively unknown, Igbinoba cites obesity and consumption of grilled meat as possible causes.

Mrs Amaka Obi, who lost her husband to prostate cancer, recalls that her husband's health

condition was discovered rather too late.

Obi says that a major lesson she learnt from the incident is the importance of vigilance in all disease prevention and management processes.

She stresses that when it comes to cancer, early detection increases the victim's chances of survival. ``Unfortunately, without money for treatment, the benefits of early detection are completely lost,'' she, however, says.

Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Ijeoma Ozurigbo, the Director of Health Improvement on Cancer Initiative, says: ``With early detection, the chances of survival is higher because cancer has no cure. ``Early detection gives better prognosis but prevention is, however, better than cure," Ozurigbo, a gynecologist, says.

She urges women to go for ``Papanicolaou test'' -- Pap smear or Pap test -- to rule out precancerous and cancerous development in their reproductive organs.

The gynecologist, however, advises younger women to take the cervical cancer prevention vaccine.

All the same, Mr Jake Ekpele, the founder of the Albino Foundation, notes that albinos are prone to skin cancer because of their skin's exposure to the sun.

Ekpele underscores the need for increased public awareness campaigns on how to prevent skin cancer. ``People should take precautionary measures that could save them from contracting skin cancer,'' he, however, adds.

As the World Cancer Day is celebrated across the world, Ekpele urges persons living with albinism (skin pigmentation problems) to avoid exposure to

“

If you see a swelling anywhere in your body; don't just say it would go, go and see a doctor. Avoid going to the chemist for treatment; what you are treating may be a cancer in the process.

the sun.

Speaking on early cancer detection procedures, Igbinoba underscores the need for people to undertake periodic screening of their bodies, stressing: ``Even if everything looks okay, women should undergo screening like mammograms.''

He urges women to examine their breasts frequently, particularly if they are over 40 years old.

Besides, Igbinoba urges people who do not undergo frequent screening not to overlook any unusual change in their bodies. ``If you see a swelling anywhere in your body; don't just say it would go, go and see a doctor. Avoid going to the chemist for treatment; what you are treating may be a cancer in the process. ``If you see bleeding from any part of the body, particularly from the anus, mouth and nose, or if you notice blood in your urine, run to your doctor. ``Go to the hospital if there is a sore on your body that is not healing. ``If there is a pain anywhere or a recent change in bowel habit; if you are suffering from frequent constipation or if you are bloated up, it may be a symptom of cancer of the ovary. ``If you notice any discharge from your breast, particularly bloody discharges, or a dimple in the breast, quickly go to your doctor," he warns.

The focus of this year's World Cancer Day celebration is on dispelling damaging myths and misconceptions about cancer.

Some people erroneously describe cancer as a disease of affluent or elderly persons, while to others; cancer is more or less a death sentence.

Igbinoba rejects such viewpoints, saying that cancer could happen to anybody irrespective of race, age or social standing. ``Some people believe that cancer is a spiritual affliction; such beliefs drive people to spiritual healers instead of doctors. ``We know faith is very important in combating the stress of cancer but it is totally wrong to just abandon medical treatment,'' he says.

Due to the high cost of treating cancer, observers underscore the wisdom in capturing cancer treatment in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), particularly for the benefit of the poor members of the society. ``This will expand the people's access to good cancer therapy,'' some of them said.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 35

Developing Nigeria's ICT sector for economic growth

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

B

y most accounts, a virile and well-developed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry will invariably create jobs and stimulate the development of a country's economy.

Such sentiments are quite logical, as ICT is globally recognised as a tool of national development and planning.

This is because the economic survival of any country in the information age of the 21st Century civilisation is somewhat contingent on its access to ICT and information networks.

Mr Osaze Omoragbon, a consultant on ICT, stressed that access to relevant information and technologies would surely provoke the transformation of industries, formal and informal sectors, defence, education and financial services, among others, in a country. ``The economies of developed countries are underpinned by ICT, even as it takes the front row in the development agenda of emerging market economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. ``These countries have built their economic development models around ICT,'' he said.

Omoragbon, however, conceded that Nigeria and several other developing countries were striving to develop their economies via ICT. In recognition of the invaluable contributions of ICT to national development, the Federal Government established the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on May 24, 2001.

The agency, which is currently a parastatal agency of the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, is saddled with the task of bridging the digital divide and repositioning Nigeria as a major player in the ICT world.

NITDA is also mandated to ensure the empowerment of the entire citizenry via Information Technology (IT), while stimulating the development of a critical mass of ICT-proficient and competitive manpower.

Since its establishment, NITDA has been initiating some measures to enhance ICT development in Nigeria and implement the government's plans for the sector.

It has set up Rural Information Technology

Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson

Centres (RITCs) as reliable vehicles for expanding public access to ICT services, particularly in the rural communities.

Through these centres, NITDA intends to provide ICT services, including Internet access, to communities in all the local governments of the country.

Prof. Cleopas Angaye, the Director-General of NITDA, said that about 250 RITCs had so far been established, adding that more than 60 RITCs were established in 2012 alone.

As part of efforts to increase Internet access and monitor online traffic in the country, Angaye said that NITDA had inaugurated its second Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Port Harcourt.

He, however, stressed that the agency was planning to establish IXPs in all the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The director-general said that work on the Lagos IXP project was still ongoing, adding that the Lagos Higher Education Connectivity Project (LHECP), a multi-institutional project, was initiated by University of Lagos in partnership with the Lagos IXP. Angaye said that the IXP

programme was aimed at improving local Internet services and expanding the people's access to quality ICT services at affordable costs.

However, analysts are often tempted to ask questions about the importance of current investments in ICT infrastructure to the country's socio-economic development.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics reveal that in the first quarter of 2012, the ICT sector made a 5.83 per cent contribution to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

By implication, the ICT sector is the fourth largest contributor to the country's GDP and the sector has been identified as the fastest growing

sector in the Nigerian economy.

The sector has a 30-per-cent growth rate and it is employing more than two million people.

Gov. Idris Wada of Kogi, while inaugurating a RITC in Ejuku, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi, noted that the RITCs would spur development at the grassroots, while providing more jobs.

As part of designed efforts to strengthen ICT's input to national development, the Ministry of Communications Technology, through NITDA, is also collaborating with local computer assembling firms, banks and ICT companies to provide computers for all students in tertiary institutions.

“

By implication, the ICT sector is the fourth largest contributor to the country's GDP and the sector has been identified as the fastest growing sector in the Nigerian economy.

The Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said that the initial phase of the scheme would start with 12 universities across the country's six geo-political zones.

She gave the assurance that the project would soon be extended to all tertiary institutions across the country because of its importance to the country's socio-economic development.

Alhaji Ma'sud Elelu, the Rector of Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin, whose institution received 15 computers, commended the government for the programme.

He pledged that the polytechnic would strive to make meaningful contributions to efforts to boost Nigeria's technological advancement.

Observers have been appealing to NITDA to initiate pragmatic strategies to fasttrack Nigeria's economic growth via purposeful ICT initiatives.

However, Angaye said that the agency had initiated a special ``train-the-trainer'' programme in ICT for university lecturers so as to keep university students abreast with current trends in the ICT world. ``The goal of the scheme, under which no fewer than 74 institutions has benefited, is to equip tertiary institutions with basic ICT tools and facilities that will enhance global competitiveness of Nigerian graduates. ``The policy, when eventually launched, will provide the much-needed impetus for the rapid development of the software industry in Nigeria. ``NITDA is also involved in various initiatives, including the development of National Software Policy, which is now awaiting the Federal Government's approval. ``We believe that the enabling environment and regulatory framework provided by the policy will provide the needed incentive for the innovative skills of the youthful Nigeria population,'' he said.

All the same, the stakeholders urge NITDA to sustain its proactive measures aimed at transforming the ICT sector.

They note that the benefits of the sector's development include creation of employment, reduction of the cost of running businesses and boosting investors' confidence in the country.

Source: NAN

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Women are far more better at pulling sickies

By Claire Bates

W

e all know 'friends' who have exaggerated cold and flu symptoms to get a day off work. But it appears when it comes to pulling off a convincing sickie, women are far more convincing than men.

A survey of 10,000 adults found that one in 10 have been discovered pulling a sickie either by bumping into a fellow worker out and about or by posting tell-tale clues on social media websites.

However, men are twice as likely to be caught out than women.

Meanwhile four in 10 people sensibly avoid websites such as Facebook and Twitter completely on their bonus day off, though five per cent sail close to the wind by using them to gain sympathy for their fictional sickness.

While two thirds bite the bullet and call their employers themselves with the bad news five per cent have enlisted the help of a relative.

The reasons for pulling a sickie are many and varied but hangovers are the most common culprit, accounting for 39 per cent

of cases. Men are more likely to take a day off to nurse a sore head making up 44 per cent of sickies compared to 34 per cent in women.

A quarter decide to shun the office so that they can spend time at home with their partner, while 15 per cent use them to go to job interviews. However, a third don't go in as they 'just fancy a day off.'

But fake sick days are becoming less common, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.

Since the recession began in 2008, the average number of sick days has fallen from 5.3 days to the current all-time low of just 4.5 days per year.

Analysts suggested the drop is due to widespread paranoia among workers who are 'too scared' about losing their jobs to take time off work when they are sick.

The latest survey from cold remedy Kaloba seemed to support this, with a third of respondents taking their last sick day off due to cold and flu.

Dr Michael Dixon, GP and Chairman of the NHS Alliance said: 'When it comes to a cold or the flu, we're at our most contagious at the first sneeze.

'However, at this stage the damage to the people around us has often already been done - the incubation period for the virus can be up to two days before symptoms occur.

'Employees and employers

should be diligent over the next few weeks, the peak season for cold and flu, in preventing the spread of infection and should employ the NHS 'Catch it, Bin it, Kill it' policy.

'If you're suffering from cold

and flu symptoms, you should stay at home, rest, drink plenty of fluids to help increase your recovery time and prevent the spread of infection.'

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Can't face work? A third of women and nearly half of men pull sickies due to hangovers

Chewing gum is good for the brain and can boost alertness by 10%

By Chris Brooke

I

t's a much-maligned habit, but new scientific evidence shows chewing gum is actually good for the brain.

Chomping away boosts thinking and alertness and the study reveals reaction times amongst chewers are up to 10% faster.

The report in the journal Brain and Cognition will be welcome news to celebrity gum chewers such as football manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who is rarely ever seen on the touchline without a stick of gum in his mouth.

The newly published research suggests as many as eight different areas of the brain are affected by the simple act of chewing.

One theory to explain the increased performance is that it increases arousal and leads to temporary improvements in blood

Benefits: Chewing gum increases arousal and leads to temporary improvements in blood flow to the brain flow to the brain.

Volunteers carried out tests while chewing and not chewing gum (which was flavourless) and

Chomp-ian: Sir Alex Ferguson is rarely seen on the touchline without a stick of gum in his mouth

the brains of the men and women were scanned to see which areas were active.

During the 30-minute tests the volunteers pressed a button with their right or left thumb in response to the direction of an arrow on a screen. One test was more complicated than the other.

During both tests, alertness and reaction times were measured and results showed they improved while chewing gum.

Men and women who were not chewing took 545 milliseconds to react, compared with 493 milliseconds among the chewers.

The scan results show that the brain regions most active during chewing were those involved with movement and attention.

'Our results suggest that chewing induced an increase in the arousal level and alertness in addition to an effect on motor control and, as a consequence, these effects could lead to improvements in cognitive performance,' said the

researchers from the National managers arrived at the idea of Institute of Radiological Sciences in chewing gum by accident, but they Japan, and other centres. seem to be on the right track.'

How these effects come about is However, this latest Japanese less clear. study appears to conflict with In one small experiment, research at Cardiff University chewing a piece of gum for 20 published last year. minutes led to an increased heart Tests showed people who chewed rate, and one suggestion is that this gum had a harder time recalling lists forces more oxygen and nutrients of letters and numbers than those who to the brain. avoided the habit.

Another is that chewing leads Researchers concluded the motion to the production of higher levels of involved in chewing impedes the insulin, which stimulates areas of brain's ability to memorise serial lists. the brain concerned with memory In the same way as tapping a foot and alertness. or finger can be a distraction, Professor Andy Smith of Cardiff continual movements such as University, a leading health- chewing can interfere with shortrelated behavioural specialist who term memory, the research has investigated chewing gum and concluded. behaviour, said: 'It is an interesting study. The improvement in Source: Dailymail.co.uk reaction time they found is h i g h l y significant. It may be that the m o r e complicated the task, the greater the effect on reaction times.

'We don't really know how chewing could have such effects. Is it simply the stressrelieving effect of the rhythmic action of chewing, like chanting or a squeeze ball, or is something more fundamental going on?

'The effects of chewing on reaction time Stimulating: Chewing leads to the production of are profound. higher levels of insulin, which stimulates areas of Perhaps football the brain

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 37

Merger: PDP congratulates opposition

By Lawrence Olaoye, Abuja and Olarewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

he ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday congratulated the opposition parties that merged to form the new All Progressive Congress (APC) to challenge it at the 2015 general elections.

This is coming as the Kwara state governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed has described the APC as a normal political move that can never be of any threat to the PDP. According to a release made available to newsmen

•••APC no match to the PDP, says Kwara Gov. yesterday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the ruling party said as the biggest party in West Africa, it welcomes the development as an indication that the nation's democracy has come of age and is deepening.

The party added that with the coming on board of the new party, the people expect robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance in the general interest of the country.

"We congratulate the

opposition for their successful merger and the formation of the All Progressive Congress.

This is yet another victory to our democracy. It shows that our democracy has come of age. We hope that from now we will see robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance," the party said.

The party charged the opposition to use the vehicle of their new party to challenge PDP elected and appointed officers to debates on government projects and

achievements so that at the end of the day, Nigerians will be the utmost beneficiaries of the nation's political developments.

But the Kwara state governor in his reaction said the opposition merger was not borne out of ideological persuasion.

He said "It would have been a major threat to the ruling party if the merger has been driven by any kind of ideology other than individuals and their positions.

If they are driven by

PDP welcomes Enugu governor

Opposition merger will reposition Nigeria, says Rep

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday expressed joy at the news of the return of the Enugu state governor, Sullivan Chime back into the country.

Chime returned back to the country early yesterday after a protracted illness got him hospitalized in London for several months.

His prolonged absence from the country has caused a lot of uproar in Enugu state with some section of the state clamouring for the transfer of executive authority to his deputy.

But the party in a release signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh stated “We welcome the Governor back and we thank God almighty for restoring the Governor to good health in order to continue with the excellent work he is doing in Enugu State.

“We sincerely thank all the functionaries of the Enugu State government and the state PDP officers for their loyalty and commitment to the ideals of the Party and the PDP Chime-led administration.

“Furthermore, we thank the good people of Enugu state and indeed all Nigerians whose prayers ensured the successful return of the Governor.”

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

A

L-R: Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, during the inauguration of Drug Distribution Advocates of Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

2015: Don't distract my administration, Suswam warns campaigners From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

G

overnor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state has warned those campaigning for him to contest higher elective position in 2015 to desist henceforth.

The governor who gave the warning in Makurdi yesterday during presentation of official KIA cars to the 23 Deputy chairmen and the leaders of the local government

ideology then there will be reasons for us to begin to think".

He pointed out that the merger of political parties was not alien to the political history of the country as there were similar merging of political parties in the First and Second Republics.

"Until Nigeria begins to drive ideologically based political issues then such merging will not bring anything positive to the polity.

The APC, for now is just a realignment. No big deal".

legislative councils, maintained that he wants to concentrate on governance of the State and would not be distracted by such campaigns.

"Those who want me to become President of the country or whatever, the time is not ripe they should wait till next year. Do not distract me because of 2015", Suswam warned.

He also frowned at the series of

campaigns by those angling to succeed him as governor of the state, observing that it is rather too early for such campaigns.

Suswam said such campaigns are causing distraction to his administration and warned sternly that his government would not take kindly if it is discovered that government officials are involved.

"If any government official

wants to campaign for governorship he should resign his appointment", he advised.

He said the purchase of cars for the Deputy Chairmen and leaders of local government legislative council was meant to enhance their performance, positing that state government would continue to regulate the third tier of government to enable them bring value to their people.

House of Representative member representing Ife Federal Constituency, Hon. Rotimi Makinde has described the merger process being embarked upon by four opposition parties to oust the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the only option that could reposition Nigeria.

In a statement made available to newsmen, Makinde said the merger is a golden chance for the Nigerian people to be left off the hook of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which according to him has continue to drag the nation backward.

While urging the various leaders and parties in the alliance to jettison their individual differences or ambition, Makinde asserts that the merger will lay a very good foundation for the country.

His words: “I can honestly predict victory for the newly formed All Progressive Congress (APC) because Nigerians are tired of the PDP already.

“Nigerians can now breathe a fresh air of relief from the tyranny, mis-rule, and incompetence of the PDP which is constantly putting the country in reverse gear.”

Makinde, who is a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), noted further that the pedigree of the parties involved would be a point of reference for the success of the merger come 2015.

“I believe some members of the PDP who are ordinary tired of the antics of the party since 1999 will soon join the progressive boat of APC to liberate the country from the jaw of the PDP,” he said.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Opposition senators endorse APC

S

R-L: Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, and Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, during the senator’s visit to the minister in his office, recently in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

UPP scribe wants State Independent Electoral Commissions scrapped

T

he National Publicity Secretary, United Progressive Party (UPP), Mr Dike Ogbuehi, has called on the National Assembly to scrap the states Independent Electoral Commissions in the interest of the nation.

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

He said: “We are totally in support of those calling for the scrapping of the states independent electoral commissions.”

“This is because they are just there as toothless bull dogs serving the interest of some people in their states and rendering the local governments that are supposed to be closer to the people useless,” he said.

He regretted that SIECs conducted elections whenever they deem it necessary, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act. According to him, a typical example is that of Anambra where for almost 20 years now, the SIEC are yet to conduct local government elections.

The scribe said that if council elections were directly under the supervision of INEC, then everything would have been orderly; elections would have been conducted properly and timely all over the country.

“As you can see, the six councils in the FCT are conducting elections regularly, this is because they are directly under the full supervision of the INEC headquarters,” Ogbuehi said

He called on the governors to have a rethink in their conducts, especially local government affairs in order to give room for development.

Ogbuehi also urged INEC to take full responsibilities of all elections matters in the country for effective and proper conducts in order to measure up with global standards.

He expressed optimism that this would go a long way in making the local governments more vibrant and people would start reaping from the dividends of democracy.

He said that all powers should not be concentrated in the hands of the Federal Government if we were to practice true federalism in totality. (NAN)

Oshiomhole tasks party leadership on effective alliance

G

ov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo yesterday advised the leadership of the new All Progressives Congress (APC) to sacrifice their personal interest for the success of the alliance.

Oshiomhole gave the advice when the former Kano State governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau-led All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) national rebuilding and inter-party contact committee visited him in Benin.

He said the new mega party would only triumph when the APC leaders sacrificed their personal political and economic aspirations in the interest of the nation.

Oshiomhole said: “all of us as leaders and followers should recognise for a merger to be fruitful a level of sacrifices will be required.

“And everyone will be required to moderate his aspiration and people must be ready to submit their personal interest to bigger national interests.

“I have no doubt that all those involved in the process recognise that

these are the irreducible minimum and we are all determined to make those sacrifices.

“At the end of the day, it is all about Nigeria, not about individuals or party.

It is about giving our people an alternative base to choose from.

“That the electorate have the power to reward or sanction and those who wish to be in power have to listen to the yearnings of the electorate.’’

The governor, who praised the emergence of the APC, said: “it is healthy; having recognised that we all accept there is no better alternative than democracy.

“And the best evidence that democracy works is when people are able to choose from one political party or the other so that they can compare and contrast.”

Oshiomhole said in matured democracies all over the world where governance had changed from one political party to another, one would find that there were two major political parties.

“And they may also have a third fringe party which chooses to go into alliance as in the case of a parliamentary system.”

Shekarau had earlier said one of the major assignments of the committee was to reach out to other political parties of like minds to enrich the democratic process and give Nigerians an alternative choice.

He noted that the formation of the APC by five frontline progressive parties was a major breakthrough in the country and assured that the ANPP was committed to providing the people with an alternative platform in the country.

He said: “ANPP is committed to this new change and this new progressive development to provide Nigerians with an alternative platform to ensure that the aspirations of Nigerians for good governance at the centre is realised.

The committee had earlier met with ANPP delegates from the South South zone at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre with the same message. (NAN)

enators from five opposition political parties in Abuja yesterday endorsed the merger and formation of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The five opposition parties are; Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Democratic People’s Party (DPP).

Sen. George Akume, who spoke with newsmen, expressed the support of the affected senators toward APC. Akume, who is also the Senate Minority Leader, described the development as “a step in the right direction and a national rescue mission’’.

He said the endorsement of the senators concerned for the merger was based on the effort to save the fortunes of the country.

Akume said the opposition senators hailed the merger talks among the progressive parties because it showed that the stakeholders in the mission were committed to the renewal of the nation.

He called on all members of the five parties across the country to work in partnership with their leaders to achieve the goals and objectives of the new political party.

“We support our leaders; we applaud their wisdom and patriotism in their epochal drive to stem this declining tide. We also appreciate the courage of our governors.

“We call on all the members of our parties in our senatorial districts, our political associates and followers to work assiduously toward the realisation of this national redemption project’’ he said.

The senate minority leader also urged all progressive minded Nigerians, regardless of their political affiliations, to join the new progressive platform. (NAN)

Emergence of APC will enhance true democracy in Nigeria, says CNPP

T

he Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) says the merger of the four opposition political parties is a milestone in the march towards true democracy.

The CNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Osita Okechukwu, made the remark yesterday in a press statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Okechukwu said that the CNPP was relieved that the birth of the new party, All Progressives Congress (APC) would no doubt return Nigeria to true democracy.

Okechukwu said that it was the considered view of the CNPP that the stage for 2015 general elections was now set.

“We call on other progressive political parties to join the APC in their resolve to halt the dangerous drift of Nigeria into a failed state,” he said.

He called on the INEC Chairman, Prof.

Attahiru Jega, to “set forth at dawn” by jump starting concrete preparations for the 2015 general elections.

“For we will frown at cancellation of elections for the inability of the printer to submit election materials as it was the case in the 2011 National Assembly election,” he said.

Okechukwu, however, congratulated the members, supporters, leadership, legislators and governors of the ACN, ANPP, APGA and CPC for their patriotism and fortitude. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 39

Council chairman arraigned for alleged cult membership

T

he Chairman of Biase Local Government Council in Cross River, Mr Emil Inyang, yesterday appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja for allegedly belonging to a occult group.

According to the tribunal, Inyang’s membership of the occult is incompatible with the functions and dignity of his office.

“You enrolled into a society, the membership which is incompatible with the functions and dignity of your office,’’ the tribunal said.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr Simon Egede, told the tribunal that the alleged offence was punishable under Section 23 of the Tribunal Act. “You hereby commit an offence contrary to Section 14 of the Act and punishable under Section 23 of the same Act,’’ Egede said.

However, counsel to the accused, Mr Okon Efut said that his client had no case to answer.

According to him, the prosecution has not submitted case against his client because the petition against him was not signed by the petitioner.

Efut added that the prosecution only brought a “petition to the court without a petitioner’’, saying that all that was before the court was a complaint by unknown persons.

“The ingredient of the event has not been established.

“The Tribunal cannot be the complainant; it is supposed to receive complaints and not to be the investigator and prosecutor.

“The accused does not know who the petitioners are, and he does not know the society to which he is alleged to belong and so he should be discharged and acquitted,’’ Efut urged.

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, with Justices Agwadza Atedze and Robert Odu as members, after hearing both sides in the matter, adjourned the case to April 17 for ruling.

(NAN)

L-R: Professor Adele Jinadu, Professor Mohammed Kura, and General Secretary, Alliance for Credible Election (ACE), Comrade Emma Ezeazu, during the Civil Society organisations meeting to re- strategise on key Electoral Reform Committee recommendations, organised by ACE, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Reps vow to strengthen law reforms

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he House of Representatives has vowed to strengthen the Nigerian Law Reform Commission to ensure that the agency is capable of discharging its statutory functions.

This was made manifest in a bill titled 'Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigerian Law Reform Commission Act 2004 by making provision for more funds and submission of Recommendation for Legislative Review to the National Assembly and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and

other Related Matters' which passed through second reading on the floor of the House.

Leading the debate, Rep. Sam Tsokwa (PDP Taraba) stated that the Act establishing the Nigerian Law Reform Commission has become so obsolete therefore making it impossible for the Commission to discharge its statutory responsibility.

He stressed that there was need for the Commission to be adequately funded by government as well as a periodic review of obsolete laws that are part and parcel of the Act setting up the commission.

He also noted that the existing

law did not make provision for the appointment of members of the Commission adding that there was need for an Act to be amended and forwarded to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and two chambers of the National Assembly.

Speaking in favour of the proposed amendment to the principal Act, Rep. Patrick Ikhariale (PDP Edo State ) said there was need to have a body that has responsibility in legal drafting matters and such body should comprise of persons knowledgeable in legal matters.

Rep. Dakuku Peterside (PDP Rivers State) stated that the

Taraba Assembly reconstitutes c'ttees From Yusha'u Alhassan, Jalingo

T

he Taraba state House of Assembly has reconstituted seven adhoc committees to look into various complaints and petitions brought before it by people.

The committees include the adhoc committee to investigate

alleged misconduct leveled against Josiah Sabo Kente representing Wukari 1 constituency to be headed by John Bonzena and that of the MDG headed by Daniel Ishaya Gani.

Others include flood disaster headed by Yahaya Abdul Karim, Tsokundi Tunari, land dispute headed by Charles Maijankai, and that of Ibi crisis to be headed by

Abel Peter Diah while Bali crisis that involved the Chairman, Muhammed Abdulkarim, will be headed the committee.

Announcing the reconstitution of the committees, the Speaker, Istifanus Gbana, said the reconstitution of the committees become necessary to give the Assembly new look and a better direction.

Merger of opposition parties will give Nigeria a new direction – ACN

T

he National Youth Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Ebikibina Miriki, yesterday expressed support for the ongoing merger by the four opposition parties.

He said this in Ado-Ekiti, during a tour of the SouthWestern zone of the country to sensitise the populace to the merger plans.

Miriki said the merger,

amendment being sought by the lawmakers was an attempt to bring to global standard the responsibilities of the Law Reform Commission in the country.

The House Deputy Speaker Hon Emeka Ihedioha after listening to the arguments of the lawmakers in favour of the proposed amendment to the principal Act put the lawmakers viewpoints under vote which received an overwhelming positive voice vote by the lawmakers.

The bill was referred to the Committee on Judiciary for further legislative inputs.

sealed on Wednesday, gave rise to a new political alliance, “All Progressive Congress’’ to move Nigeria to a new direction.

Miriki noted that the merger “set the country on a faster pace of economic and socio-political development”.

He said the unity of rtd. Maj.Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, Sen. Bola Tinubu, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo would enable their

followers to fraternise in the true spirit of Nigeria’s unity in diversity.

Miriki gave the assurance that the youth leaders of the new arragement would transverse the six geo-political zones of the country and sensitise their colleagues to the need to propagate the ideology.

“Merger is a reality and it has come to stay. ACN has keyed into the merger and adopted it in its

entirety. Nigeria has not been what it should be and I am confident that the merger will give Nigeria a new direction.

“It is time for all the key political actors to set aside their individual ambitions and nurture the new alliance to the height that it can take Nigeria to the next level.

“ACN as a party has accepted the merger and youths have accepted it,” Miriki said. (NAN)

He charged the members of the various committees to discharge their duties diligently without fear or favour. The new committee chairman and members did not include any of the five members who refused to sign for the vote of confidence on the Speaker and the House leadership.

Speaking with our reporter, Daniel Ishaya Gani, former chairman House Committee on information explained that none inclusion of some members was because they are always absent during the sittings adding that it was the duty of the speaker and the select committee to choose dedicated members at committee's work.

Gani said the House would soon invoke the Assembly standing rules against any member who is found wanting or absent during the settings of the house.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

By Albert Akota

N

o fewer than one hundred and sixteen secondary schools cut across Nigeria especially the Federal Capital Territory have registered for the 5th edition of Ken Imasuagbon football competition billed to kicks-off on 14th of this month at various center.

Making this known yesterday in Abuja,

PAGE 41

116 secondary schools set for Imasuagbon Football tournament Barrister Ken Imasuagbon who is the sole sponsor of the competition promised to give 250,000 to the winner while 150,000 and 100,000 will be given to the second and third positions respectively.

He further revealed that the competition comprise

Ken Imasuagbon

both male and female category with certificates of participation, noting that the competition was designed to complement the intellectual, spiritual and social values of the students.

A c c o r d i n g to Imasuagbon, efforts towards grassroots sports development would be his priority and declared his readiness to contribute his quota in ensuring that football in Nigeria especially the FCT, is made more popular than it is presently.

“So far, we have discovered talents in previous editions which in my humble opinion will undoubtedly meet international standards and if given the necessary attention will end up as champions, “he said.

The proprietor of Pacesetters Academy and sponsor of many grassroots sports competitions said as

other residents of the city contemplate on how to develop other sports in the FCT, he has made up his mind to engage youth in meaningful activities.

Imasuagbon assured Nigeria that soon, the competition will product players that woild take over from the aging players in various national teams.

“By the special grace of God, very soon, we would be seeing football competitions in the FCT. “If that happens, we will make the game national for talent hurt, we will be developing football in such a way that the game will become synonymous with Abuja,” he said.

Although he spoke so passionately about developing the game of football, he said it will not be a case of carrying all eggs in one basket as youths who have talents in other sports

Dangote rewards Eagles with N130m for reaching Finals

P

resident/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has splashed the sum of N130 million on the Super Eagles for reaching the finals of the ongoing 29 th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.

The team reached the finals of AFCON 2013 by thrashing the Malian national team 4-1.

A statement from Dangote Group explained that the gesture is part of

Dangote Group’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) to promote and encourage sports development in Nigeria.The donation is to acknowledge the exploits of the national team at the AFCON and stimulate them to bring home the coveted trophy.

Sports minister Mallam Bolaji Abudllahi speaking on the donation said: “Dangote has always d e m o n s t r a t e d commitment to Government and people of

Nigeria. “We are happy over the gesture shown to the players and the coaching crew. It is an example for other wellmeaning Nigerians to follow, “he said.

Football enthusiasts are commending Aliko Dangote on the gesture describing it as a necessary tonic that would inspire the Super Eagles to win the final match on Sunday February 10 against the Stallions of Burkina Faso.

T

Keshi explains quit threat

H

ead coach of the Nigerian national team, Stephen Keshi has moved to explain the reasons behind his declarations that he may leave his post after the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

The ‘Big Boss’ shocked the football world while making the announcement at a press conference in Durban on Tuesday but he has now moved to explain his comments.”It doesn’t really matter what people think about what Stephen Keshi is doing. The most important thing is what I am doing here and passing on to my team.

If back home in my country, they don’t appreciate what I am doing with the team, so be it,” Keshi explained.It was widely reported that Keshi fell out with top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso in their

opening game of the competition with the former national team captain threatening to walk out on the team.Keshi also hinted in a thinly-veiled remark that there is no love lost with the NFF officials.”

You can’t force somebody to love you. You can’t force somebody to accept you. It has to come from within,” he stated.

Following his 10-year coaching career that has seen him manage the Togo and Mali national sides, Keshi stressed that he could be on the move from his current post after the 2013 Afcon.”We are all professionals. If God grants me (the Afcon title with Nigeria today), the very next day, I might pack my things and leave for another country.”

It is the same thing with (Jose) Mourinho and all the other top coaches in the world. I could stay on and I could leave.

PUBLIC NOTICE ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA (ALGON) Aliko Dangote

NFF cautions corporate bodies against ambush marketing he Nigeria Football Federation has made it clear that only partnersand sponsors of the Federation can use the name of the Super Eagles in advertisements, promotions and such mentions around the team’s qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations Final.

After a meeting with the NFF leadership, including the Director of Marketing Idris Adama yesterday, the Federation’s Marketing Consultant and member of the Marketing Committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Mr. Mike Itemuagbor, said: “We wish to use this opportunity to sincerely appreciate Corporate Nigeria for its immense support for the Super Eagles’ campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

“However, it has come to our notice that those organizations who have nothing to do with the NFF have also been using the name of the Super Eagles for certain campaigns and identifying their brand with the Super Eagles’ performance at this period, thereby giving impresion to the public that they are part of the performance in some way. This is unwholesome, unprofessional and unacceptable.

“The Nigeria Football Federation wishes to state without ambiguity that only its partners and sponsors have the rights and privileges to use the name of the Super Eagles for any campaigns, promotions or

would be encouraged to develop such talents.

The philanthropist said those who are good in other sports would be encouraged to take just as those who show ability to play other games such would be given all the necessary encouragement.

mentions.

“We will not hesitate to take legal action against any other company, institution or establishment that runs foul of this caution,”Itemuagbor said.

He thanked the partners and sponsors of the NFF, viz Globacom Communications, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Adidas, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Samsung, the Federal Government and various State governments (especially Cross River State government) that were part and parcel of the preparation process, for their tremendous support and resilience, and for keeping faith over the years, while also heaping encomiums on the media for their vibrancy and for keeping the game on the front burner.

After 4-1 dismissal of Mali in the Cup of Nations semi final in Durban on Wednesday, the Super Eagles have returned to Johannesburg and priming for Sunday’s showpiece Final against Burkina Faso’s Etalons at the National Stadium, Soweto.

Aminu Maigari

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CHANGE OF TRUSTEES, UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANY AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2004 THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1.IKRA ALIYU -REMOVED 2.ODUNAYO ALEGBERO -REMOVED 3.FRANK TARDY -REMOVED 4.OKAFOR ODINAKA CYRIL -RETAINED 5.ENGR. UMAR KASSIM IBRAHIM -REMOVED 6.HON. BENSON EJUOGHANRAN -RETAINED ORITSEMEYIGBEMI ASIM. THE NEWLY ELECTED TRUSTEES ARE: 1.OKAFOR NWABUEZE OZO 2.HON. NKAMA NKAMA UDE 3.HON. (DR.) FELIX GODSENT AKHABUE 4.HON. EDUN LANRE 5.HON. IBRAHIM DIKKO 6.HON. IORYUE YAJIR 7.HON. DANASABE CHARLES HOSEA 8.HON. SHEHU UMAR CHAMO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: STILL REMAIN SAME. REASONS FOR CHANGING: 1. THE TRUSTEES ARE OFF-AGE. 2. THE CHAIRMAN AND SECRETARY ARE ALSO CHANGED. ANY OBJECTION TO THE RE-REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, MAITAMA DISTRICT, ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. IKECHUKWU UZUEGBU (SOLICITOR)

LOSS OF DOCUMENT THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF THE LOSS OF THE ORIGINAL OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS: 1. LETTER OF ALLOCATION OF A HOUSING UNIT AT GWARINPA ESTATE II, NO. FHA/OCE/FCT/ GWA/BAD DATED 22/06/06 2. C OF O NO. FCT/BZTP/LA/ED/2002/560 DATED 20/01/02 3. FCTA REGULARIZATION OF TITLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT NO. ED 560 DATED 9/02/06 4. C OF O NO. FCT/BZTP/LA/FCT/99/521 DATED 28/01/02 5. FCTA REGULARIZATION OF TITLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT NO. FCT 521 DATED 9/11/06 6. FCTA REGULARIZATION OF TITLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT NO. ED 955 DATED 9/11/06 7. FCTA REGULARIZATION OF TITLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT NO. ED 956 DATED 9/11/06 8. FCTA REGULARIZATION OF TITLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT NO. ED 184 DATED 9/11/06 ALL EFFORTS MADE TO TRACE AND RETRIEVE THE ABOVE DOCUMENTS HAVE PROVED ABORTIVE. ABUJA GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (AGIS), FCDA, FCTA, FHA, BAC AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. IF FOUND, PLEASE RETURN TO THE NEAREST POLICE STATION.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

PAGE 41

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PICTORIAL

1] The 20 Premier League clubs agree to the imposition of new financial regulations to come into force from the 2013-14 seasons.

2] Shock finalists at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations after knocking out Ghana in the last four, Burkina Faso Coach Paul Put believes the Stallions can pull off another upset in the weekend's final against Nigeria.

3] Lionel Messi has signed a contract extension with Barcelona, with the four-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner set to stay at the club until 2018. He follows team-mates Xavi and Carles Puyol in committing to the club.

4] Britain's Johanna Konta on her dream Fed Cup debut, bonding with her new teammates and winning at Pictionary.

5] The British Lionhearts will guarantee a place in the WSB play-offs if they beat Kazakhstan in London yesterday.

6] In this week's stats review we look at a landmark for a host of players including Ashley Cole and Carles Puyol, more milestones for Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque, the end of drought for England and Nigeria seeking to do likewise.

5

6

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

•Ben and Jerry's send the waste from making ice cream to local pig farmers to use as feed. Pigs love the stuff, except for one flavor: Mint Oreo.

•Bird droppings are the chief export of Nauru, an island nation in the Western Pacific.

•Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.

•Bubble gum contains rubber.

•Camel's milk does not curdle.

•Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

•Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village".

•Cat's urine glows under a blacklight.

•Cats can produce over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs can only produce about ten.

•Charles Lindbergh took only four sandwiches with him on his famous transatlantic flight.

•Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

•Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them use to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired."

•Cleo and Caesar were the early stage names of Cher and Sonny Bono.

•Columbia University is the second largest landowner in New York City, after the Catholic Church.

•David Prowse was the guy in the Darth Vader suit in Star Wars.

He spoke all of Vader's lines, and didn't know that he was going to be dubbed over by James Earl Jones until he saw the screening of the movie.

•Did you know that there are coffee flavored PEZ? •Dogs and cats consume almost $7 billion worth of pet food a year.

•Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

•Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.

•Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was the physician who set the leg of Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth... and whose shame created the expression for ignominy, "His name is Mudd."

SUDOKU

Some Interesting Facts

Yesterday’s solution

Say what?

PAGE 47

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Bizarre: This competitor proved his strength by lifting two bicycles with his teeth at the Rural Olympics in India.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2013

SPORTS

LA TEST LATEST Eagles arrive Johannesburg, begin training

A

fter a comprehensive 41 semi-final victory over Aiglons of Mali on Wednesday in Durban, the Super Eagles have quickly put the victory behind them as the team arrived Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday afternoon to begin preparations for the final on Sunday at the Soccer City in Soweto.

The team arrived Johannesburg at about 1:45pm local time aboard a South Africa Airway plane. In the plane with the team was NFF Executive Committee member, Deji Tinubu, NFF Technical Director, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme and Special Adviser to Lagos state Governor, Prince Wale Oladunjoye among other dignitaries.

The team was immediately ferried to its abode at Garden Court Milpark from the airport and after having lunch, got set for the day’s business of training.

Head Coach Stephen Keshi saying there is no time to waste ahead of Sunday’s all important final which is expected to be watched by several Nigerian and international dignitaries including Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma.

Keshi has meanwhile, said there should be no panic over the duo of Victor Moses and Emmanuel Emenike, who picked up knocks in the semifinal duel against Mali. “The medical team here is working round the clock to ensure that they will be ready for the final on Sunday and they will advise us on what to do at the appropriate time”, he said.

NFF President Aminu Maigari, has meanwhile assured that the entire nation of Nigeria will be mobilized to back the team in Sunday’s final and urged the team not to rest on its oarse until the trophy is won.

Stephen Keshi ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE The fact is I met him in the hospital; his condition has stabilized. It is what I saw that I can talk about — Acting Governor of Taraba state, Alhaji Garba Umar on the condition of Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai in hospital in Germany

INTRODUCING YOUNG VOICES Our third Young Voice this year is Saude Amina Atoyebi, a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a Masters' degree in Advertising and Marketing, from Coventry University, England. She works with the Good Governance Group as a Research Assistant and is a writer with www.nigeria

NASIR EL-R UF AI EL-RUF UFAI ON FRID AY FRIDA elrufai@aol.com

intel.com, a Nigerian news website dedicated to providing high quality investigative journalism.

Her passion for a better Nigeria encouraged her activism on twitter which provides a platform for her to openly express her views.

She can be followed on @minibaby.

Who will save the common man?

By Saude Amina Atoyobe

I

t is with a heavy heart that I write this piece. Heavy because, as usual, thoughts of the Nigerian situation depress and sadden me. More so, because the decadence and rot in the system has once again hit close to home.

Over the weekend, I got a message from a friend informing me that his brother, who also is a friend and former course mate had been shot accidentally at a funeral. In fact, three of them had been shot by a Nigerian policeman in what we popularly term "accidental discharge".

As expected, the battle to save his life began immediately.

The first hospital he was taken to in Kachia was unable to treat him, so he was referred to a hospital in Kaduna. The hospital in Kaduna also could not handle the case and referred him to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Shika.

Shockingly, the teaching hospital in Kaduna State could not handle the case and referred him once more to Sokoto in the dead of the night. The torture and agony of friends and loved ones especially his pregnant wife was unimaginable, having to move him from one place to another with a bullet in his neck.

Thankfully, an alternative arrangement was made for the specialists to converge in Zaria.

Everything about this young man's situation is pathetic and appalling to say the least. Firstly, the police had carried out a more popular deed than their actual duties - the accidental discharge.

In 2012 alone, countless cases of accidental and indiscriminate shootings were carried out by the Nigerian police leading to injuries and in many cases, death of the victims. Accidental and reckless shootings by sometimes intoxicated officers are so popular that the ordinary person knows

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better than unnecessarily stay around or have an altercation with an armed police officer.

This indicates how in our typical fashion, we have adopted foreign systems without tailoring them specifically to meet our needs. Though what we now have as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) was imposed on us by the colonialists, it is interesting to note that with the exception of Northern Ireland, the Police Force in the United Kingdom do not carry firearms except in special circumstances. While the armed system of policing in Nigeria was introduced since the late 1800s, it is now about 53 years post independence and no meaningful reforms have taken place within the police force.

It is befuddling that in this time and age, most of the370, 000 ill-trained and poorly remunerated policemen are armed. If the properly trained and well remunerated policemen in the UK are unarmed, it is difficult to understand why our case is different, given that we adopted their model of policing.

Considering their poor service conditions, how can we expect any better?

Another issue brought to the fore by this accidental discharge case is the dilapidated state of our health services in the country.

As at the time of publishing this piece, my dear friend still lies in the hospital with the bullet in him, almost two weeks after the 'accident'. It is quite unfortunate because he would have been flown out and possibly recuperating by now if he had affiliations with the high and mighty. These influential people within government, rather than fix the existing medical infrastructure, are more comfortable and interested in sending their loved ones abroad for the slightest headache, usually at public expense.

A few months ago also,

another friend was at the mercy of well-meaning citizens to raise funds for a kidney transplant. It has become the trend in recent times for those in dire need of major medical attention abroad, to solicit for funds via social media. This is so because we have limited specialists, poorly equipped medical centers and only a few have access to health insurance.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) "Abuja Declaration" adopted in 2001, by Heads of State of African Union countries requires at least 15% of Federal budgets be allocated to health. Ironically, Nigeria who is a signatory to the declaration, has in the last three years (10 years later) budgeted 4%, 5% and now 6.04% of the budget to healthcare respectively.

Nigeria's health indices are poorer than those of most other African countries, including Ghana, South Africa and Kenya.

Little wonder that Nigeria was ranked 187th out of 191 member countries by the World Health Organization in 2000. The situation in 2000 has not significantly changed till date. At this rate, is there really any hope for the much needed drastic improvement in the health sector?

Being someone who has had to receive treatment from public hospitals myself, I can only pray that I have no reason to go to the hospital - or maybe not often. In my opinion, the hospital can aggravate your illness. The hospitals are congested, have very poor hygiene standards, the doctors overworked and aggressive, and the response time, painfully slow. Little wonder at the number of deaths that occur daily in these hospitals especially those from illnesses with non-existent mortality rates in more developed nations.

To worsen matters, until

sometime in 2012, the Act to Make Provision for the Compulsory Treatment and Care for the Victims of Gunshots and Other Matters Connected Therewith had not been passed.

In spite of its passage, many healthcare providers still do not treat gunshot victims without doctorsand police reports, inevitably leading to the loss of numerous lives. Ironically, the Act to prohibit marriage or civil union entered into between persons of same sex and solemnization of same (also known as Same Sex Bill) was initiated and passed second reading in 2012. Putting aside all bias, judge for yourself which bill is more urgent.

It is important that the youth know their rights in order to fight for them. Rather than bicker over irrelevant issues and continuously highlight our areas of divergence, it is time for us to face the major issues. We, as a people, are faced with the same daily challenges irrespective of our ethnic or religious affiliations. It is time that we realized that it is not a war of Christians versus Muslims or Hausas versus Yoruba, Igbo or Ijaw: It is about the downtrodden versus the oppressors in authority.

We need to realize that although social media activism helps highlights the problems within the system, it only cuts across a certain cadre of individuals. While it may cause some discomfort within the politicians, we need to ask, has it resulted in any major change compared to the protests which took place across the country in January, 2012? If the youth do not take up the challenge to fight for what is theirs and get involved, we would all just crumble like a pack of cards and become victims of the rotten system.Because, in the end, you and I are the 'common man'.

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 805 727 9862. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141