Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 09, April, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 10 No. 72

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Jonathan, Obama, others pay tribute to the late Thatcher >> 2

Jimadal Ula 29, 1434 AH

N150

LEADERSHIP editors still held by police >> 3

State pardon

Speaker Tambuwal knocks Jonathan

By Lawrence Olaoye

S

peaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan against abuse of prerogative of mercy.

The Speaker, in a veiled reference to the recent state pardon granted some former corrupt government officials, including the convicted former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and the former Managing Director of the Bank of the North, Alhaji Mohammed Bulama, amongst others by the President said corruption will continue to fester in the country unless government officials are able to properly apply the law of the land.

Tambuwal gave the warning at a two-day National Conference on Corruption and National Security in Nigeria organized by the Institute for Anti-Corruption Studies, University of Abuja.

According to him, “A situation whereby you misapply the law even to grant pardon or whatever it is, we need to really look at that; because if you don’t understand the law you may tend to misapply the law.”

“So there is the need for us at the high places to increase our capacity of understanding our legal system, and the laws that relate to issues of security and fight against corruption for us to apply them in the best interest of the citizenry.”

Contd on Page 2

L-R: Former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Usman Bayero Nafada, former EFCC Chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, during the national conference on corruption and national security in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Expose Boko Haram members now, Aliyu challenges northern govs From Iliya Garba, Minna

A

gainst the backdrop of Federal Government’s decision to establish an amnesty committee as prelude to

granting amnesty to members of the Boko Haram group, Niger state Governor who is also Chairman of Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has

advised governors in the north to expose members of the BokoHaram Islamic sect operating in their states.

According to Aliyu who spoke yesterday at the opening of a

workshop on, “Review and evaluation of the 2006 population and housing census,” at the UK Bello Arts Theatre, Minna, if members of the Boko Haram Contd on Page 2

PDP summons ministers over non-performance

>> 36

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch

23

S/Report

24-25

Defence

26-27

Agric

28-29

Jonathan, Obama, others pay tribute to the late Thatcher

By Abdulkadir Isa, with agency reports

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has joined other world leaders to pay tribute to the former British Prime Minister, Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher who died yesterday.

A statement by Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, described Thatcher as “one of the greatest world leaders of our time.”

According to the statement, “President Jonathan and Nigerians join the Thatcher family, citizens of Great Britain, members of the Commonwealth and all those in far-flung corners of the world whose lives were positively touched by her dynamic and forward-looking policies in mourning the passage of the celebrated first female British Prime Minister.

“The President believes that having already attained a legendary status in her lifetime after positively transforming Britain forever in her eleven and

half years as Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher will, with her passage today formally take her place in history as one the greatest world leaders of our time.

“President Jonathan notes that Baroness Thatcher will be eternally honoured for serving her country with immense passion and strongwilled determination as well as for the great transformation that resulted from her economic and social policies which laid the solid basis for the remarkable economic growth that was witnessed in Britain under the Conservative Government that she led.

“The late Baroness Thatcher, the President believes, will always be remembered by the world for her very unique, distinctive and purposeful leadership which restored pride and respect to her country and made a resurgent Great Britain a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.

“He assures the Prime Minister David Cameron and the people of Britain that the government and people of Nigeria share their sadness and deep sense of loss at the passage of Lady Thatcher and join

them in praying for the peaceful repose of her great soul.

On his own part, US President Barack Obama, said “with the passing away of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend.

“Here in America, many of us will never forget her standing shoulder to shoulder with President Reagan, reminding the world that we are not simply carried along by the currents of history we can shape them with moral conviction, unyielding courage and iron will.”

Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" who transformed Britain and inspired conservatives around the world by radically rolling back the state during her 11 years in power, died on Monday following a stroke. She was 87.

Britain's only woman prime minister, the unyielding, outspoken Thatcher led the Conservatives to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous period in office by a British premier since the early 19th century.

Thatcher died peacefully on Monday morning at the Ritz hotel after a stroke. She had been in poor health for months and had declined into dementia in her final years.

Lord Bell, a spokesman for the family, compared her to her hero Winston Churchill, while Cameron said she would go down as Britain's greatest peacetime prime minister.

"We've lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton," Cameron said. "The real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country."

The British government said Thatcher would have a ceremonial funeral with military honors at London's St Paul's Cathedral, which falls short of a full state funeral, in accordance with the wishes of her family.

A grocer's daughter with a steely resolve, she was loved and loathed in equal measure as she crushed the unions, privatized vast swathes of British industry, clashed with the European Union and fought a war to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invaders.

She struck up a close relationship with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the Cold War, backed the first President George Bush during the 1991 Gulf War, and declared that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was a man she could do business with.

Waziri Tambuwal knocks Jonathan What Thatcher (19252013) will be remembered for, Page 4

Feature Int’l

30 31-34

Strange World 35 Digest

36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-45

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

Contd from Page 1 The Speaker’s scathing criticism of Jonathan’s action has further confirmed speculations making the rounds that the House headed by Tambuwal is still at loggerheads with the Presidency.

Although Jonathan had explained that the decision to pardon the persons was jointly taken at the National Council of State’s Meeting, the condemnation ignited by the action has yet to abate.

According to the Speaker, corruption and insecurity remain the twin challenges facing the country and the government has not demonstrated enough resolve to tackle them considering the annual dwindling budget provisions for the sectors.

“There is the need for the

government to properly fund the security agencies for them to have proper training to face the challenges of insecurity especially terrorism, which is a new phenomenon around here,” he said.

“There is also the need for our anti-corruption agencies not only to be independent on paper but also to have adequate funding and the requisite financial muscle to face the uphill task in the fight against corruption.’’

He challenged the conference, largely made up of personalities from the academia and the civil society, to study the funding pattern of the anti-corruption agencies over the years.

He said attempts by the National Assembly to address the funding anomaly in the budget had often been misconstrued by

some sections of the public as “padding of the budget and meddlesome”.

“I have not blamed anyone for the poor funding and I am not exonerating the National Assembly from that lack of funding for anti-corruption agencies.

“But we need the support of every Nigerian to understand that when the National Assembly says a particular funding being proposed by the executive to any agency of government is inadequate, we will make efforts to provide for such critical agencies.

“So I am using this platform to appeal that Nigerians should understand the role of the legislature in the budgeting process. We are not meddlers, we are not being meddlesome when

we say certain provisions being proposed by the executive arm of government should be enhanced for that agency of government to function effectively,’’ he said.

The speaker also called for a critical overhaul of the legal and justice system in the country to boost the fight against corruption and insecurity.

Tambuwal’s House has consistently been at loggerheads with the executive over the level of budget implementation. Only last year, the House threatened to commence impeachment proceedings against the President should he fail to fully implement the budget. Again, the National Assembly had issues this year with the President before he finally agreed to sign the nation’s budget with proviso for amendment.

Expose Boko Haram now, Aliyu challenges northern govs Contd from Page 1 group come out in the open, it will create a conducive atmosphere for the execution of Federal Government’s proposed amnesty programme.

Describing government’s decision to begin amnesty programme for members of the sect as a welcome development, Aliyu noted that the development “shows that President Goodluck Jonathan is a listening President.”

He urged governors from the northern states to, “unmask the ghosts so that we can talk to human beings, not ghosts.”

According to Aliyu however, amnesty for Boko Haram members is not the solution to the

prevailing crisis in parts of the country.

“We must look at other angles to give Nigerians peace before asking Nigerians to support the President in the onerous responsibility of finding solution to the mirage of security problems facing Nigeria.”

Aliyu noted that no matter how well planned and executed a population census is without a peaceful environment the figures will come to nothing.

He observed that previous census conducted in the country did not yield any positive acceptance from majority of Nigerians because of illegalities committed by officials of the Commission and community

leaders advising that as the country prepares for the 2016 census all forms of bottlenecks that can hinder a smooth conduct of the head count should be removed.

He specifically requested the Commission to consider other variables aside from housing while conducting the 2016 census saying that, “we want to know how many Christians and Muslims we have, we want to know the number of schools and hospitals that we require, our census should go beyond just counting the number of people in the country.”

Earlier, the National Chairman of the Commission, Eze Francis Odumegwu, said that the

workshop was designed to bring together the participants to replicate on the experiences and challenges of the 2006 population and housing census with the aim of evaluating the process and outcome of the exercise.

According to him, “this forum is supposed to be a constructive engagement to enable us learn from past experiences and propose a way forward for the conduct of the 2016 census using global best practices in technology and operational competences, to deliver a credible accurate auditable and acceptable demographic data and population register that will enable evidence based planning and issuance of credible Identity cards to all Nigerians.”

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 3

Jos crisis essentially political, says STF Commander

By Joy Baba

T

Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima (3rd left), joined other mourners, during the funeral prayers for the late elder statesman, Alhaji Bukar Mandara, who died at the age of 85, yesterday in Maiduguri.

PDP condemns INEC’s convention report

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) report faulting its 2012 National Convention that produced its present leadership.

INEC had in a report sent to the party described the convention that produced Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led PDP National Working Committee as unacceptable because it breached the Commission's guidelines.

The report however accepted the procedures of the convention in respect of only four members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

The four are the National chairman, Bamanga Tukur, former National secretary, Prince Olagusoye Oyinlola, former National Auditor, Bode Mustapha and the party's Financial Secretary, Elder Bolaji Anani.

The election of remaining 14 members of the NWC, according to INEC, was faulty and irregular.

But PDP National Publicity

Secretary, Olisa Metuh, told reporters, “why would INEC wait till after one year to release a report to fault the convention?

“Who is pushing INEC to do this? The report is sinister and abnormal. What is the motive?

Why is it coming now? Why the special interest in the PDP?" “We are also worried about the aspect of INEC report that said that our convention was not in compliance with its guidelines and as such unacceptable.

“In as much as we complied with our party's constitution in the convention, we have no problems.

The aspect of the INEC report which discredited the PDP convention says that, “the mode of election adopted for single candidates were not in accordance with the mode of election stipulated in paragraph 6.9 of the Guidelines for the conduct of year 2012 Congresses and National Convention and therefore unacceptable to the commission.

The INEC report further stated that, “all other positions had single candidates and were affirmed by motion except for the

position of National Chairman which was put to vote by open secret ballot despite having only one candidate.

“Open secret ballot system was adopted for the election into the offices of National Chairman, National Secretary, Auditor, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer in accordance with paragraph 6.9 of the guidelines for the conduct of year 2012 congresses and National Convention.”

Metuh also assured all PDP members that the party leadership would not be distracted by the INEC report.

He said "Consequent upon our uncovering of plans by undemocratic elements to discredit and destabilize the leadership of our great party, National Working Committee (NWC) wishes to assure all our members that it remains committed and focused and will continue to provide the necessary political direction so that the policy frameworks contained in our manifesto are fully realized for the benefit of all Nigerians. The NWC will never allow reactionary elements to distract it and deter it from carrying out its constitutionally guaranteed duties.”

he Commander of State Task Force (STF) in Jos, Plateau state, Maj-Gen Henry Ayoola, says the lingering crisis in that state is politically motivated.

Briefing reporters on activities of the STF in Abuja yesterday, Ayoola also described it as an “elitist struggle to have access to resources of the state” adding that the religious, ethnic and socio dimensions are just tangential to the real issues.

According to him, the STF has been carrying out unscheduled systematic condone and search regularly which he said had been successful and led to a number of arrests.

Ayoola however said that there was the need to sensitise the people of Plateau state on disarmament as was done in the Niger Delta.

According to him, “we have series of programmes being put in place already to enable them graduate to a point where that level of confidence would have been built where hitherto there was distrust among the people.

“That mutual trust and confidence would have to come back for them to be willing to give away what they have.”

He warned people who are not licensed against the use of firearms.

“We have made it very clear that anybody who is not licensed should not carry any kind of firearms. If we see you, we will arrest you, if you engage us, we will fight you.

“It is simple because you have made yourself an enemy of peace, the rule of engagement is very clear about that,” Ayoola said

Gunmen kill senior Airtel staff in Kano From Edwin Olofu, Kano

U

nknown gunmen on Sunday night killed a senior engineer with Airtel Telecommunication in Kano, residing at the Jan block area of the Kano metropolis.

An eyewitness account said the incident occurred around 8 pm when the gunmen shot the victim,

Ahmed Usman Ishaq, in the head at close a range.

According to reports, the gunmen arrived the residence of the deceased when he was about parking his Totota Corolla car after he opened his gate.

Riding on a tricycle, the gunmen reportedly shot several times in the air to scare passersby after which they shot the deceased

and fled the scene.

Before his death Ishaq was said to have joined the staff of Airtel about four months ago, from MTN. Kano state police spokesperson, ASP Magaji Musa Majjia, confirmed the incident but said it was a robbery case because the assailants took away the deceased car.

Police detain four LEADERSHIP journalists

By Lambert Tyem

T

he Nigeria Police yesterday descended down on the media as they arrested and detained four journalists with the LEADERSHIP newspapers.

The four journalists, Mrs. Chinyere Adegbulebge, Executive Director, Human Capital, Mr. Chuks Ohuegbe, Managing Editor, Tony Amokeodo, the Group News Editor and Chibuzor Ukaibe, Politics reporter, were detained at the police headquarters following a story carried by the newspaper.

As at the time of filling this report last night, the journalists were still being detained.

Meanwhile, the management of Newspaper made a statement

demanding the immediate release of the journalists, insisting that if they had gone foul of the law they should be taken to court.

Parts of the statement signed by the LEADERSHIP Group Managing Director, Azubuike Ishiekwene, said that four journalists with LEADERSHIP newspapers have been detained at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan.

"The journalists, Mrs. Chinyere Fred-Adebulugbe; Mr. Tony Amokeodo; Mr. Chibuzor Ukaibe; and Mr. Chuks Ohuegbe, had reported at the Force Headquarters on Monday morning to honour an invitation by the police.

"The Director, Human Capital

and former LEADERSHIP Sunday Editor, Mrs. Fred-Adegbulugbe, who led the journalists said, “After the journalists finished writing statements, DIG Peter Gana suddenly excused himself on a call from IGP Mohammed Abubakar.

“We were later told that we would not be allowed to leave except we produced the source of the story. It was clear that this was not the call of the police. It is from President Goodluck Jonathan.

“We told them that it would be unethical to disclose our source and asked them to charge us to court, if they wanted. They said they wanted to have the document. We said the bromide had been published and wondered why they were making such a fuss,

since they said the document was a work of fiction.

“They have made it clear that we would not be released except we give them the document. We can’t get out. I was escorted to use the toilet after begging.

“This is a calculated and brazen affront on press freedom; we are bereft that a supposedly elected government will come this low.

“We demand the unconditional and immediate release of our journalists President Jonathan and his handlers need to tell Nigerians and the civilised world why they have suddenly moved from describing the document as “fiction,” to a do-ordie obsession with knowing the source; they need to tell Nigerians

most of who now live in mortal fear of their personal safety and security, if clamping down on the press has now become a priority sport.

On our part, we wish to restate our resolve to continue to hold the government to account as enshrined in Chapter 22 of the constitution and to remain resolute in championing the course of press freedom and the right of the people to know.

“We stand by our story and will neither be cowed nor intimidated by the strong-arm tactics of President Jonathan nor by the puerile attempts by his spokesmen, Doyin Okupe and Dr. Reuben Abati to tarnish our report.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

What Thatcher (1925- 2013) will be remembered for

By Abdulkadir Isa

T

he iron lady of this generation bids farewell to life, living a chasm like non in recent times. Referred to may as mother of modern day United Kingdom, Thatcher was an innovator, policy sculptor and conservative unmatched. Her academic carrier reflects her leadership roles and dogged attitude seeing the implementation of her policies undeterred.

Margaret had grown through the ranks as a public servant first as a research chemist, later a barrister before joining the ranks as a Member of Parliament in 1959. This grocer's daughter assumed leadership of the opposition after defeating Edward Health in the Conservative Leadership elections - a first as a woman and subsequently became Prime Minister in 1979 another first for women to date.

Her earliest challenges as Member of Parliament baked her for stiffer challenges, considering her sex as female and the ground she stood in coercive diplomacy and ruthlessness in public service regulation.

The fist of the "Iron lady" was classy as her mallet knew no allies that sort to work against conservatism. Her weight was in full swing behind her postulations, policies to propel the economy of the United Kingdom to greater heights under her regime.

"Maggie" as she was commonly called, successfully transferred chunk of the economy from state hands into private ownership, her personal credo founded in competition, private enterprise, thrift and selfreliance gave birth to a political philosophy Thatcherism.

"Thatcher's economic policy was influenced by monetarist thinking and economists such as Milton Friedman. Together with Chancellor of the Exchequer Geoffrey Howe, she lowered direct taxes on income and increased indirect taxes. She

Margaret Thatcher increased interest rates to slow the growth of the money supply and thereby lower inflation".

The success of her economic policies was evident, as she for the first time, led the conservative party to three successive election victories (1979 1990). Her feud with labour unions went beyond words as she fast-tracked the limitation their excesses, dropping down the power and influence of trade unions.

Maggie will be remembered for her output among other things as she injected chunk of her time to

work, 18-hours a day was her official input, This barrier was a deterrent to less productive people in her circle, serving invitations to input-wielding workforce at government level and even public service.

The 1981 riots in England resulted in the British media discussing the need for a policy U-turn. But earlier on at the 1980 Conservative Party conference, Thatcher addressed the issue directly, saying "You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning!". This says a lot about her stringency.

The imperatives in demise of this kind are to look at her achievements and take suit of

“

the positives, entrench her ideology in the youth to breed future Margaret's.

Today's world tied aback economically will always crave for a Margaret - a privatisation heavy weight, economic-disciplined personality and a promoter of economic vigilance.

Her attributes were exceptional not only among the female folk, but also the male, making her a rare gem.

She fought with a spirit of nationhood hinged on a multi-pronged approach and she made her mark.

This great leader lived her times to the fullest and dint fall short in contributing her voice in critical decisions in

As our first woman Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher succeeded against all the odds, and the real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country. And I believe she'll go down as the greatest British peacetime prime minister.

world politics. She will also be remembered for her postulations on the Apartheid regime in South Africa and labelling the African National Congress (ANC) as a terrorist organisation.

Elsewhere in Argentina, Ernesto Alberto Alonso president of the national committee of Argentine Falklands veterans has claimed, as other said they would not "allow a tear" for her.

"I'll always remember her as a leader who did not bring contributions to world peace.

"She will be remembered as a leader who brought nothing positive to humanity."

Within half an hour of the news breaking, some radio Argentinian stations played her words following the sinking of the General Belgrano during the war in which she said: "When it was sunk, that ship was a danger to our ships." He added. This is his position on the Falkland conquest.

Reacting to her death, British Prime minister described her as a saviour saying: "As our first woman Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher succeeded against all the odds, and the real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country. And I believe she'll go down as the greatest British peacetime prime minister."

Also German president Angela Merkel sees her as unifying factor in the then bloc politics, "She was an extraordinary leader in global politics of her time. I will never forget her part in surmounting the division of Europe and at the end of the Cold War." Margaret Thatcher had led an exemplary life to help the United Kingdom and the common wealth in general.

The dynamism in her warranted the coercive nature her regime drove on, she gave her all and will be remembered for her doggedness in leadership. Her qualities simply surpass words, one of a kind she truly was.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 5

PAGE 6

UNDEDSS says agitations over amnesty committee unnecessary From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Secretary General of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), a coalition of ethnic and political pressure groups in the Niger Delta Region, Mr Tony Uranta, says agitations trailing the Amnesty Committee by the Federal Government was unnecessary.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, Uranta said that, “I am amused at the level of agitation over Federal Government’s decision to set up a committee to work out modalities for a possible amnesty to Boko Haram.”

Government on April 4, 2013 set up a committee on the proposed amnesty for members of the Islamic terror group Boko Haram.

The committee is expected to work with the office of the National Security Adviser, to consider the feasibility or otherwise of granting pardon to the Boko Haram members.

Uranta described government’s step as “ good” but can only be feasible if the Boko Haram ends hostilities.

“The United Nations has recommended Disarmament, Demobilisation & Rehabilitation phases an integral part of amnesty-granting which must be preceded by armistice.

“Terrorism is a global phenomenon and the trend will not cease merely because we are Nigeria.

“I find it unbelievable that otherwise discerning pundits equate this to the Federal government granting Boko Haram amnesty!.

“If I ponder over taking a wife, does that mean I am married? Who will be the Boko Haram that will dialogue with anybody?

“Has Al Qaeda ever dialogued?

Do you see any terrorist in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan etc lining up to be biometrically registered?” He queried.

The UNDEDSS Secretary General reiterated that the terrorist threat to Nigeria is not merely a Nigerian-driven one but influenced from beyond the country “I see the committee issue as government showing putative goodwill but I foresee the whole thing being an exercise in futility because of the fundamentals of this type of sectarian terrorism worldwide.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

eoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Working Committee (NWC) has summoned ministers to appear before it, to give account of their stewardship to the people.

The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said that, “in furtherance to its determination to ensure that all apparatuses of government fully deliver on their mandates, all federal ministers have been invited to appear before the NWC to give comprehensive account of their stewardship to the

PDP summons ministers for briefing on performance Nigerian people in pursuance of the mandate given to President Goodluck Jonathan and the manifesto of the PDP. “Ministers are to brief the NWC on their respective policies and projects as well as the activities of parastatals and agencies under their ministries and how they have impacted on the Nigerian people.

Those expected to appear before the party today include the Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolomemen, and the Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, while the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, and the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc Mohammed Musa Sada, are to brief the NWC on Thursday.

Akingbola seeks court permission to travel abroad for medical treatment From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

L-R: Chairman, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), Comrade Samuel Azagbe, Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrade Isaiah Adugba, Secretary NASU, Comrade Steve Ignatius, and Vice-Chairman, ASCSN, Comrade Latifat Tafida, during the press briefing opposing the plan scrapping of UTME examination body, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Murder of policemen: IGP orders manhaunt for killers he Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday that he had ordered a massive manhunt for the killers of the policemen.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had claimed that its fighters killed the policemen whose boat was ambushed in Azuzama, southern Ijaw, Bayelsa state, that the killing was to teach the security forces a lesson for scorning its warning.

Rising from an emergency meeting of Police Management Team at the Force headquarters, Abuja, the IGP said he had given

an order that the killers be hunted down and brought to justice.

He stressed that this was the best post-humours honour that could be given to the fallen police men.

Speaking to journalists through the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, the IGP vowed that the police would stop at nothing to ensure that the killers were brought to book as soon as possible.

The IGP stated that following the frequent attacks on his officers and men, the police devised a new standard of operations aimed at reducing fatalities and attacks on officers on duty.

He described the latest killing of policemen as a sad reminder of the danger faced by policemen while on national duty, noting that the country was passing through its most challenging period.

“The death of the 12 police officers on legitimate national assignment is sad, unfortunate and the police will stop at nothing to ensure that the killers are brought to book as soon as possible. “The time is tough and the race against crime is tight but with support from all Nigerians and all tiers of government, the police and other security agencies will restore national security soon,” the IGP said.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 2013 refresher course for judicial officers organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Mukhtar said the theme of the course: “Towards a Culture of Better Judgment Writing and Judgment Delivery” is not only apt but also goes to the very fabric of the work of a judge.

She said judgment must be a reflection of adequate

considerations of the facts as presented by the parties, available evidence properly led to support the facts and the state of the law on the subject of adjudication.

“Of course a public uproar or placard carrying scenario against the judgment of a court of record is not the credit of the judiciary as an arm of government”, she said and added that where a judge is found to be complicit in the writing

and delivery of a judgment, NJI, as the constitutional regulatory body will not hesitate to wield the big stick.

According to the CJN, “judgment should be written in a manner and language not just with counsel in the matter alone in mind.

A judge should write in a simple and unambiguous manner such that it leaves no one in doubt as to what the judgment has addressed.

By Lambert Tyem

T

CJN charges Judges on judgment writing

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, yesterday said the declining public confidence and trust in the activities of judicial officers was partly connected with the nature of judgment that emanates from the courts which some sections of the public view as unconscionable.

Meanwhile, the party leadership has assured its membership that it will work assiduously to deliver on the party’s manifestoes.

He said, “consequent upon our uncovering of plans by undemocratic elements to discredit and destabilize the leadership of our great party, National Working Committee wishes to assure all our members that it remains committed and focused and will continue to provide the necessary political direction so that the policy frameworks contained in our manifesto are fully realized for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“The NWC will never allow reactionary elements to distract it and deter it from carrying out its constitutionally guaranteed duties,” the party assured.

A

former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc), Erastus Akingbola, on Monday asked a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, to grant him leave to travel abroad for medical treatment.

He made the request in an application dated March 19, 2013 which was filed by his counsel, Mr. Mike Igbokwe (SAN), before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

Igbokwe sought the court’s permission for Akingbola to keep a medical appointment fixed for April 15 at Harley Street Hospital in London, United Kingdom.

He said, “the application is to enable the first defendant (Akingbola) quickly go for the treatment and come back for his trial.

“Medical appointments are fixed by doctors and this application is not meant to induce the court to exercise its discretion in the first defendant’s favour.”

Akingbola is standing trial alongside Bayo Dada, General Manager of Tropics Finance Limited for allegedly stealing N47.1 billion belonging to Intercontinental Bank Bank Plc. Meanwhile, Akingbola and Dada also filed two separate applications seeking the variation of their bail terms.

However, EFCC counsel, Godwin Obla, objected to the applications noting that he needed more time to file a further affidavit to some of the issues raised by the defendants.

Onigbanjo adjourned the matter to April 10 for hearing of the arguments.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 7

Group hails Dangote at 56 From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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he Joint Northern Youth Association (JNYA) has urged well to do individuals in the north to emulate the philanthropic spirit of Alhaji Aliko Dangote describing him as the most benevolent and most generous businessman in the entire country.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna yesterday to commemorate the 56th birthday anniversary of Africa’s richest man which comes up tomorrow, the JNYA National President Alhaji Ahmed Umar, described Dangote a servant of the less privileged in the society Christians and Muslims alike.

According to Umar, “since 1981 when he started his business Dangote has committed himself to assisting the masses.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote represents the face of philanthropy in Nigeria and he has set a record which will take a very long time to be broken in the country.

“Dangote’s business conglomerate has touched the lives of many Nigerians irrespective of religion or tribe and above all, he has committed himself to the implementation of Federal Government’s initiatives in making the economy private sector driven.

The group also lauded the corporate social responsibility profile of the Dangote Group which Umar described as a reference point whenever the CSR profile of business entities in Nigeria is assessed.

According to him, “Aliko Dangote has committed billions of naira into community projects using his Dangote Foundation as a vehicle. He has donated several millions of Naira to victims of flood disasters in parts of the country and the President of Dangote Group has also assisted victims of social crises in Plateau, Bauchi and Kaduna states and other parts of the country.

“His intervention in the provision of basic infrastructure in some cities in Nigeria has really stimulated local and state governments to step up on their electoral promises to the people.

The association showered encomiums on Alhaji Aliko Dangote for providing boreholes to 39 communities in Kaduna state.

“The 44 local government areas of Kano state have also benefited from his borehole intervention programme besides his annual scholarship scheme.

“Dangote has supported several religious organizations, orphanages and the prisons financially and materially.

“His philanthropic spirit went beyond the shores of the country when last year he donated $2 million to victims of flood disaster in Pakistan and N120 million to famine victims in Niger Republic.

“Dangote is a hero of the century, an enigma and a cheerful giver who is also the leading individual provider of employment in Nigeria.

L-R: Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele, during a press conference on the 1000 days to end the MDGs target year 2015, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Experts decry folklore extinction in Nigeria

By Etuka Sunday he Nigerian Folklore Society (NFS) has blamed the disappearance of folklore from Nigerian culture on globalisation and increasing dominance of electronic media and the inability of the Federal, state and local governments to protect, preserve and promote Nigerian’s folklore in the country.

A communiqué at the end of an International Conference on Folklore, National Integration and Development, in honour of a former Ambassador and President, Nigerian Folklore Society, Prof.

Dandatii Abulkadir, at the Bayero

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University, Kano, decried the tendency to reduce folklore to commodity.

The participants observed that indigenous languages and cultures are often neglected noting that folklore being an important vehicle for socialization, national integration and development should not be so neglected.

They described folklore rich, complex and dynamic and ought to be studied at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Nigeria’s universities.

According to the communiqué, “Provisions on Folklore in the National Policy on Education should be fully

implemented and the curriculum in schools should emphasize reading at early age to inculcate national integration and development.

“Media practitioners such as film-makers and television producers should focus more on folkloric items for films and cartoons to capture the attention of young and elderly audiences.

“Folkloric activities should be more systematically cultivated and deployed in socialisation and nation building by all governments and folklorists.

Earlier in a paper presentation titled “Folklore and History: The Twin Rivers

of World Heritage”, Dr. Bukar Usman said that, “folklore and history are among the two most treasured world traditions.

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

“It is in the light of the above postulation that this paper is advocating that scholars, students and researchers should focus serious attention on the study of folklore with the same vigour archaeologists and anthropologists dig deep into our past, if not more, because the twin rivers of folklore and history flow towards the same sea.”

FOI Act: Adoke wants institutions to promptly deliver

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ttorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, has called for prompt delivery of information by public institutions as covered by the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Adoke made the call in Enugu yesterday at the south east zonal workshop on access to information and democratic governance.

He said the practice of keeping accurate and timely information would encourage the prompt delivery.

The Minister explained that the major challenge hindering the implementation of the Act was the culture of secrecy on the part of public officers, saying that his office was working toward achieving the full implementation.

“It is worth recalling that the implementation of the FOI Act is one of the cardinal strategies of my office that is being pursued under the aegis of the panel on the implementation of justice reform.

“Public institutions should

always be mindful that the Act requires them to take reasonable steps to segregate and release non-exempt information,’’ he said.

Adoke called for a sustained dialogue between stakeholders to engender the culture of transparency and accountability in governance.

In his address, Governor Sullivan Chime noted that access to information was one of the cornerstones to democracy.

Chime, represented by the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Anthony Ani, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the Act, saying it was a move toward the transformation of the country.

He maintained that the Act would help to reduce corruption and waste in public offices and generally bring about rapid development of the country.

“FOI will not be appreciated or

its benefits fully realised if conscious and concerted efforts are not made to bring it to the doorsteps of those saddled with the task of enforcing and implementing it,’’ the governor said.

Chime promised the commitment of the state government toward ensuring that the goal of the Act was achieved.

The workshop was attended by judicial officers from the south east zone. (NAN)

Emir urges traditional rulers, Islamic scholars to enlighten people on polio

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he Emir of Zurmi in Zamfara state, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, has urged traditional rulers and Islamic scholars in the Emirate to continue to enlighten the public on the importance of polio immunisation.

Atiku made the call on Monday at a meeting with traditional rulers and Islamic scholars in his palace in Zurmi.

He said that traditional rulers and Islamic scholars had important role to play in the enlightenment of their people on the dangers of the disease.

The monarch said that the Emirate was ready to support them in carrying out the assignment in order to protect children from polio infection.

Atiku lamented that some parents were still resisting

immunisation despite the huge sums of money which the government had spent on the programme.

He, however, commended the efforts of the state government at ensuring effective health care delivery.

He called on the people to continue to support government programmes that were aimed at improving their standard of living. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Kwankwaso builds free houses for flood victims From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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ano state Governor, Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso has launched the construction of 792 houses under the second phase of free two-bedroom houses for victims of last year's flood, in three local government areas of the state.

Under the first phase, 366 houses were constructed in Warawa, Makoda and Kunchi local government areas.

Speaking last weekend during the launch of the second phase of the houses,

Kwankwaso said government's decision to embark on the projects was due to persistent flooding which have ravaged the same communities since 1999.

He said a committee of experts submitted a report to the government indicating that the areas affected by flood annually were located in river valleys, adding, "and it was suggested that evacuation and relocation of the people living around these areas is the only measure to prevent them from further being victims."

Governor Kwankwaso said

each house would cost about N800, 000 and that the peasants will get them free of charge.

"The measure will also save government the problem of disrupting academic calendar by using schools as resettlement camps, whenever the villages become waterlogged," Kwankwaso said.

He noted that the beneficiaries will be expected to convert their former villages to farmlands.

Kwankwaso recalled that his administration had spent

millions of Naira and worked with NEMA, Dangote Foundation and other stakeholders towards providing relief materials to about 10, 385 victims of flood in the state last year.

In her speech, the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafia, described the Kwankwaso's initiative as the first of its kind in the country, saying the Federal government indentifies with such commendable and farreaching strides.

The Minister stressed commitment of the

government to actualize the Green Wall Initiative as well as the coal powered stove project, to ensure sustainable management of the ecosystem.

On his part, the DirectorGeneral, National Emergency Management Agency, MuhammadSani Sidi, stated that data obtained from the Federal Meteorological Agency, (NIMET), has predicted that Kano and some other states in may record heavy rainfall this year.

Shettima mourns as group extols Mandara's virtues From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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L-R: Head Education and Research Department, Medical and Health Workers Union, Comrade Segun Ayelabola, National Treasurer, Comrade Modupe Fabusuyi, Secretary General, Comrade Marcus Omokhuale, and National President, Dr, Ayuba Wabba, during a press conference on 2nd Medical and Health Workers Week, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Ahmed, Fashola, Tinubu, others mourn late Ekiti Deputy Gov From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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ore Nigerians have continued to extol the virtues of the late Kwara state Deputy Governor, Mrs. Fumilayo Olayinka, with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state commiserating with the Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. Mrs. Olayinka passed on last weekend at the age of 52.

Governor Ahmed, in a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, described the passage of Mrs. Olayinka as a national loss and urged Fayemi, the family of the late Deputy Governor and the people of Ekiti state to take solace in the fact that Mrs. Olayinka ran a good race in life.

On his part, Fashola expressed deep pain on the passage of the Deputy Governor describing the deceased as a great daughter of Ekiti state who made her mark professionally.

According to Fashola in a condolence letter signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, "as a brotherGovernor, I feel completely

overwhelmed just imagining the depth of your pain and anguish at the death of a most loyal, dependable and diligent deputy which you had in Mrs. Olayinka."

Also, the national leader of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said that, "the death of the Deputy Governor of Ekiti state is a devastating loss to the family, the government and people of Ekiti state and the ACN family".

"The sudden demise of Ekiti Deputy Governor, Funmilayo

Olayinka, is a big blow and comes at a time when she is most needed to play a vital role in the transformation of Ekiti.

"She was a leading light amongst women of her generation and creed. Alongside the people of Ekiti, I share in the sudden and painful loss of this great daughter of Oduduwa."

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has also expressed shock at the death of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olayinka.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Mrs. Funmi Wakama, Amosun described

Olayinka's death as lamentable and a great loss to the government and people of Ekiti.

Amosun condoled with the government and people of Ekiti, recalling her struggle alongside Fayemi during and after the 2007 governorship election.

"She was a committed member of the Action Congress of Nigeria who contributed immensely to the development of Ekiti State.

"She was also an embodiment of humility and selfless service.

She will be sorely missed," Amosun said.

Kidnappers of ex-Borno council boss demand N50m ransom From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

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uspected kidnappers of a former Chairman of Abadam local government area of Borno state, Alhaji Mustapha Gadobe, have demanded the sum of N50 million as ransom from the family.

Gadobe was reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen last Friday while driving in his Toyota car along

Wadiya area, a suburb of Maiduguri metropolis.

Some relations of the former local government chairman who declined identification told newsmen that a member of state House of Assembly, (names withheld) is currently coordinating a negotiation between the kidnappers and family of Gadobe.

It was further gathered that the abductors had earlier threatened to kill the hostage when the mediator offered the

sum of N3 million to them as against N50 million.

According to the family the mediator has offered additional of N10 million which the kidnappers also reportedly rejected.

The family of the hostage were said to have turned down police intervention in the matter.

The state Police Command and the Joint Military Task Force, (JTF) declined comments on the incident.

overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has condoled with the family, the Borno Emirate Council and the entire people of the state over the death of an elder statesman and the Zanna Dujima of Borno, Alhaji Bukar Mandara whose funeral took place yesterday in Maiduguri.

A statement by Shettima's Special Adviser on Communications, Isa Umaru Gusau, said the Governor received news of the death of the Dujima with total submission to the will of Allah under whose guidance; the late Mandara lived a fulfilled-life which impacted positively on the welfare of hundreds of Nigerians within and outside Borno State, especially the downtrodden.

According to the statement, "Baba (the late Dujima) was a unifying factor for all of us both the young and old regardless of ethno-religious diversity.

"He was an enigma, he was fearlessly frank because he told everyone the truth no matter who the person was and how highly placed.

"He was open minded, highly industrious, illustrious, he promoted and defended our traditional institution, he was a philanthropist.

"He was a mobiliser and supporter of the masses which was even why he was the national leader of vigilante groups who worked day and night to compliment efforts of different levels of government in providing security "He was also a democrat whose politics was always aimed at the downtrodden, the reason he was associated with the defunct National Mass Movement of Nigeria as a political party in Nigeria.

He was regularly in the media charting good courses and defending public rights.

The Dujima would be greatly missed and remembered as a great man who worked very hard to promote social justice, equity, growth and sustainable development."

Meanwhile the Borno state community in Kaduna says the death Mandara has created a vacuum which will be difficult to fill.

The group condoled with the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Al Amin El Kanemi, over the death.

A statement yesterday signed by the association's President, Malam Bulama Mustapha, described the deceased as an astute businessman who started from grass to grace.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Important items a forgetful person must keep in office

I

used to constantly forget to charge my phone overnight and would spend my day furiously switching my cell on and off just to conserve battery.

That's until I bought another charger to leave in the office. I know that some of you with superhuman memories don't have this problem, but for my forgetful peers, here is a nice list of things you should keep in the office‌just in case!

"All Types of Chargers: Keep an extra set of chargers, be it phone or computer or some gadget you can't do without, at your office. This is so you won't beat yourself up over forgetting

Money Tip:

What a startup job candidate needs?

Flexibility ou can call it flexibility, versatility, adaptability, whatever‌ but the ability to flow with the neverending changes required by the business is essential. Michael J. Case, managing director for Wahl & Case K.K., whose firm recruits professionals for global organizations operating or starting up in Asia, says they use a line of questioning to determine if a person has been exposed to situations that might force them to be flexible.

A typical question might include: "Tell me about a time you worked on a project that was cancelled or changed. What were the circumstances and how did you feel about the changes being made?"

Case explains, "We especially want to press hard around this for candidates coming from more traditional, large companies or those known for very ordered cultures. We might also inquire about periods in their life outside of work where they experienced upheaval or unexpected change.

Their level of flexibility in private life probably correlates pretty well to the office."

Y

Quote A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. - Richard Branson - Bob Parsons

to charge your electronic devices the night before. You can alternatively choose to leave another fully charged battery at the office, but it seems like the chargers are generally way cheaper!

"Feminine Products: It's the time of the month, but you keep forgetting to bring some feminine products to work. If the office bathroom doesn't have a dispenser, remember to keep a full pack of it at work so you don't ever have to run out to the nearest pharmacy when you're on the job.

"Mini Whiteboard: If you're really forgetful, you might not remember completing things on your electronic to-do list. I know it's really easy to dismiss and click away the alerts when you're on your computer.

Increase chances of remembering by placing a small whiteboard on your desk to scribble down urgent items.

For more items a forgetful person must keep in the office, read on!

"Medicine: It might be a good idea to leave some pills at your desk if you have to take any during the day.

"Umbrella: I have a trusty umbrella under my table. It's pretty helpful on days when I forget to take an umbrella with me to work and get drenched on the way. It's comforting to know that I'll always be dry on my way back home!

"Pocket Change: On the days when I forget my wallet and when I don't pack my lunch, I

end up having to borrow from co-workers. Thanks to the magic of PayPal, I'm able to pay them back instantly online.

However, leaving a small stash at your desk (but you need to make sure it's safe to keep money there) prevents you from having to ask people for money.

"Mints: This hasn't happened to me, but I think it

actually does occur. If you forget to brush your teeth mints are there to save the day (and your nearby co-workers!).

Even if you aren't forgetful, it's good to keep these around to prevent the dreaded coffee breath.

"Mirror: A handheld mirror is a must-have item for you to check to make sure you don't have anything left on your

teeth after a meal. You don't want to go into a meeting with a grin full of spinach.

"Notebook or Sticky Notes: If you're the type of person to suddenly have moments of inspiration, be sure to keep a scrap notebook or sticky notes around to write down your disjointed thoughts. This will ensure that you won't ever forget them!

Financial stability through salaried income: feasible or awkward?

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vercoming financial crisis means different things to different people but probably the most common interpretation is the ability to afford all of your necessities without incurring much debt. This can be a tall order for the average

working-class family. Almost everything is financed by debt borrowing particularly more advanced economics, from cars to homes and even education and vacations.

It can therefore be a stretch to imagine living a debt free life or overcoming financial crisis

on a salaried income, but this is by no means impossible. The following simple ideas can help you use your salary to find financial peace of mind.

Save Consistently: Although it may be discourage to think of a huge amount of money to save, it is a lot easier to break the same amount down into a monthly or even a daily sum to tuck away. Saving little money a day can add up to large amounts over time. The same principle applies to paying down debt. A little at a time slowly erodes the outstanding balance.

Create Wise Investments: While saving is certainly important, this strategy alone is usually not enough to overcome financial crisis. The impact of inflation means that the cost of living rises as time passes and so the money that you put away today has to be invested in order to keep pace with the prices of goods in the future. This is why it makes sense to research your investment options and match your investment accounts to your goals.

Practice goal setting: When you think about what you want to achieve and detail your dream you are more likely to see it turn into a reality. This is true because it is easier to work towards something that is concrete.

For instance, if you simply know that you want to own a home in the future, there may not be a sense of urgency or direction to making this come to life. If however, you did a bit of research on what you can afford, you could put a time line on your dream of home ownership and can even narrow down the size of the house and where you would like to live.

Finally, overcoming financial crisis is possible if you pay attention to the details of your finances and take a disciplined approach to reducing expenses, saving, and investing for income. Even those with a modest salary income can accomplish this.

The beauty is that if you're already used to living small, you'll need to save far less to generate the income required to maintain your lifestyle.

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

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

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What makes Kwankwaso's Kano different

ano state Governor, Alhaji Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, a water engineer, is less than two years into the first term of his second coming, but the accolades he is getting, home and abroad, are unsurpassed. Between 2011 and the first three months of this year, alone, he has received about 45 national and international awards for exemplary leadership and good governance. The latest came from Transparency in Nigeria (TIN), the local affiliate of the well respected Transparency International which rates nations according to their corruption tolerance levels.

In a citation, TIN said that Kano state, under Kwankwaso, in the last two years, "surpassed all other states in Nigeria in terms of service delivery, fiscal responsibility and budget implementation". This contrasts sharply with the consistent thumbs-down the country gets from the TI as one of the world's most corrupt nation.

Cynics will be forgiven for questioning the correctness of the many awards that have come Kwankwaso's way, more so as he is still in office and his new government is less than two yeas old. How genuine are the awards, especially in a country like ours where the number of awards you get does depend on the size and depth of your pocket? Others could very well ask why the governor should be rewarded for doing what he promised voters in his state. All legitimate queries.

However, we dare say that Kwankwaso has stood out from the pack since he reclaimed the governorship in Kano, eight years after he failed in a reelection bid in 2003. Many years out in Kano's political wilderness had taught him that service delivery is the only thing that matters to

the politically aware Kano voter: it's either you deliver the dividends of democracy or you get booted out at the next polls. The PDP government that he led in 1999 failed to deliver after four years, and voters showed it their backs in 2003. The ANPP government that replaced his was given four years to make a difference, but it failed to impress too and was voted out of office in 2011.

Give it to Kano voters, they are as predictable as they are bighearted. They are prepared to forgive a political prodigal son

“

Many years out in Kano's political wilderness had taught him that service delivery is the only thing that matters to the politically aware Kano voter should he show that he has learnt his lesson.

That was what happened to Kwankwaso in the 2011 election: he was returned to power with an even bigger majority than he received in 1999. But with that big mandate comes a heavier burden to deliver the democratic good. He is acutely aware of this and this he shows in a number of ways.

Let us consider just two. First education.

In his first coming, Kwankwaso made education, at all levels, the pivot of his government's programmes, aware of the backwardness of his state in this sector. He set up the Kano state University to accommodate students who could not fill

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

the state's quotas in federal universities.

This has proved quite a huge success. Now with just two years back in office, a new university, Northwest University, has gone up. Not contented, his government has dispatched the first set of 1000 PhD candidates to various universities abroad.

This has put him in direct confrontation with NUC which feels slighted that it was not consulted. But then education is on the concurrent list of government responsibilities in the Constitution. Kano state stands alone here and Kwankwaso the only governor to have set up two universities in a state.

Secondly, fiscal responsibility and faithfulness in implementing the budge for which the TIN award was given. We recall that his successor, ANPP's Ibrahim Shinkafi tried to nail him with a charge of financial fraud. A government panel actually handed him an indictment but the case never reached the court. But it was enough a lesson for Kwankwaso in financial transparency.

Now back in power, he is a stickler for probity and accountability; he gets what he calls a debit alert on his mobile phone on every kobo taken out of the treasury.

And he publishes executive decisions in newspapers so as not to leave any room for ruinous speculation. Besides, he is the only governor who believes the states can do more than they already are doing for their people with the money they get from the federation account, however small.

It is for these reasons that we are sticking out our neck to give this rare commendation to Kwankwaso. It is not to oil his ego, but to spur him to more good work for the people of Kano state. If that happens, our effort will have been well worth the trouble.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

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

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ALI M. ALI

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND JAMILA NUHU MUSA

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU ADESOJI OYINLOLA

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

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 17

Man , 19, bags 9 months jail term for causing grievous hurt

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Zuba Grade 1 Area Court sentenced a 19 year- old man, Ibrahim Sani to nine months imprisonment for causing grievous hurt.

The Judge, Malam Alhassan Kusherki passed the sentence after Sani pleaded guilty to the one count charge of causing grievous hurt contrary to Section 247 of the Penal Code.

Kusherki, however, gave the convict an option of N30, 000 as fine.

Earlier, the prosecutor Cpl. Ibrahim Momoh had told the court that on March 17, an argument had ensued between Sani of Fruit Market Zuba-FCT and one Musa Barde of the same address.

He said that during the argument, the convict hit Barde on the head resulting into a deep cut.

Momoh said that as at the time Barde was brought to the police station he was already unconscious.

He was then rushed to the Diamond Crest Hospital, Zuba, where he was still receiving treatment. (NAN)

Court grants bail to mechanic over mischief, cheating

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n Abuja Grade Two Area Court in Kado granted bail to a mechanic, Olarewaju Balogun,36, of Jikoko Village in Abuja, who was charged for alleged mischief and cheating.

The Presiding Judge, Mr Ahmed Ado, granted the accused bail in the sum of N30,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ado said that the court granted the accused bail, because the offence he was standing trial for was bailable and did not carry severe punishment.

He ordered that one of the sureties must be a salary earner.

Ado, adjourned the case to April 17 for further hearing.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Mr Simon Ibrahim, told the court that on Jan. 29, the accused dishonestly misled one Chris Peter of Suit 37D Tian Plaza, Utako by giving him an unregistered letterheaded paper that read “Automobile Engineering Cars Nigerian Ltd. Ibrahim said that the accused presented the fake letter-headed paper so that the complainant would give him his jeep car, to repair as an expert.

“The accused collected the sum of N60,000 from the complainant and went further to drive his car, causing damages worth N81,000 to the car,” he said.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 322 and 327 of the Penal Code.

Section 327 states that “whoever commits mischief shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence. (NAN)

A busy local restaurant in Karmo, Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

INSIDE FCT COURTS

Man, 61, remanded in prison for allegedly defiling minor

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Senior Magistrates Court at Karu in Abuja remanded one Hussaini Gambo, 61, in prison for allegedly defiling a minor.

Gambo is facing a one-count charge of defiling a five-year old daughter of his neighbour in March.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Adams Peter, told the court that the matter was reported at the Maitama Police Station and later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja.

“The accused went to seek employment as a cleaner with the

father of the minor, Adamu Hussaini, “While waiting to be attended to, he saw the little girl, called and asked her in Hausa if she knew what her private part was called in English language.

“The girl said she did not know.

The accused held her, removed her pant and placed her on his laps and inserted his penis into her private part.

“He was caught in the act by a passing-by who raised an alarm.

He was arrested and handed over to the police,’’ Peter said.

The prosecutor added that the

accused confessed to have committed the offence during police investigation.

The offence, according to Peter, is punishable as it contravened the provision of sections 31(1) and (2) of the Child Rights Act of the Federation of 2004.

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

The Senior Magistrate, Mr Oyeyipo Ademuyiwa, ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison and adjourned the case to May 15, 2013 for continuation of hearing.

(NAN)

Court to rule on application by accused to expunge Penal Code sections

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n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court fixed April 9, 2013 to rule on whether some sections which one Aminu Yerima, 42, charged with alleged impersonation of the National Security Adviser (NSA) be dropped.

The magistrate, Mrs Grace Adebayo fixed the date on Friday after a fresh application by counsel to the accused, Mr Edwin Atta, praying the court to strike out sections 324 and 325 of the Penal Code on the First Information Report (FIR).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the last sitting of the court on April 3,2013 the accused had pleaded guilty to the charge of impersonation of public servant and cheating before Magistrate Adebayo.

The magistrate had adjourned for sentencing and conviction.

NAN also recalls that the prosecutor charged the accused for committing the offence contrary to sections 132, 324 and 325 of the Penal Code.

But at the resumed sitting today Atta said: “An accused must understand the charges levelled against him before a plea can be taken.

“The charges must be clear and unambiguous to an accused without any element of doubt,” he said.

He said that the FIR states clearly the offence of impersonation which the accused admitted but it did not indicate where his client “collected anything from anybody’’.

Atta emphasised that the sections 324 and 325 of the Penal

Code which indicated his client collected something must be struck out.

He told the court that his client had suffered a lot since his arrest and he was remorseful for the offence.

But in opposition, the prosecutor, Mr Stanley Nwodo told the court that the business of the day was the sentencing of the accused, who had pleaded guilty to the charges on April 3.

Nwodo said “sentiments and law cannot come in conflict and when it does, the law prevails.’’

He contended that the prayer of the accused was belated as he had already admitted to the allegation and a plea of pardon had been made by his counsel.

After hearing both arguments, the magistrate adjourned the case for ruling. (NAN)

Police arraign 2 men for alleged impersonation

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he police arraigned one Paul Agade, 32, and Anthony Manjock, 30, before a Senior Magistrates Court in Karu, Abuja for allegedly impersonating a naval officer.

The accused persons are facing a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, impersonation and cheating, contrary to the provisions of sections 97, 312, 132 and 323 of the Penal Code.

Section 132 stipulates that whoever pretends to hold any particular office….shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Daniel Adokpa, told the court that the matter was reported by one Bulus Dost at the Garki Police Command, Abuja in 2012.

Adokpa said that Agade introduced himself to the complainant at Central Area as a naval officer in the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

“The complainant said he was interested in being recruited into the navy and the accused promised to assist him.

“The accused requested for N80,000 to facilitate the recruitment processes without undergoing examination and screening.

“The accused confessed to the police during investigation that he collected the money and transferred it to one Morrison Effiong, now at large.

“Effiong had claimed that he was the commandant in charge of naval training in Calabar.

“The accused also told the complainant to pay additional N10,000. He paid the money to Manjock.’’ (NAN)

PAGE 18

FCT minister assures on effective land swap system

By Adeola Tukuru

F

CT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed has assured that the newly introduced land swap system will not encounter the same pitfalls as the mass housing policy which the Administration has utilized for housing development in the past decade.

In an interview, the Minister said he and the FCTA have learnt enough from the shortcomings of the mass housing system which took off 2003.

Based on the valuable lesson obtained, he said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) which the FCTA signed recently with the land swap investors gave no room for the kind of technical and financial risks the Administration bore in the mass housing intervention.

The FCT Minister under the provisions of Section 8 of the Land Use Act reserves the power to revoke the contract in the event of any breach of terms of agreement by any investor. Under land swap, the investor is permitted to sell plots of land or houses to individuals, companies and institutions as the case may be, provided he has serviced the district with stipulated infrastructure.

The Minister stated that the central reason for the adoption of the land swap system is to narrow the gap between plots/housing demand and supply.

He pointed out that the aggregate legitimate infrastructure development in the FCT since its creation has not been more than 25% and that over 90% of all allocated plots in the territory are yet to be developed by allottees.

Concerning the legality of adoption of the land swap intervention, he explained that the land swap intervention is predicated on sound legal and institutional frameworks.

In Nigeria, the land tenure system is regulated by the Land Use Act which, based on the country’s legal jurisprudence, has been described as a constitutional legislation with overriding capacity.

Under the Land Use Act, all lands are vested in the Governor, and in the case of the FCT in the Minister of the FCT. Also the Coordinator of Abuja Infrastructure Investment Centre (AIIC), Mallam Faruk Sani stated that under section 5 of the Act, the Minister has the power to grant land to any Nigerian.

“The size, object or subject of grant is not restricted under the Act. It is to strengthen the Minister’s exercise of his discretions as a Trustee under the Act that a window was created in Section 8 to enable him exerts maximum value in the grant.

“It is in his efforts to exercise the utmost good faith as required of a Trustee under the law that the incumbent Minister of the FCT, Sen. Bala A. Mohammed introduced the concept of the land swap, especially against the context of FCT’s developmental and demographic challenges” he added.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

UniAbuja launches “clash of two lions” film

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory has launched a home video titled : “Clash of Two Lions” film .

The author of the film, Prof.

Ernest King Obi Onochie, who was a retired professor of English Communications from the University of Abuja, urged the youths to deem it necessary to watch movie or films that would transform their lives and warned them against lackadaisical attitude.

Prof. Ernest explained that he produced the film in order to pass the massage of God to the generality of Nigerians.

He emphasized that the movie was produced to change the evils minded people in the society, noting that it is the spirit of God that can change every situation one comes across in life.

Speaking at the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. James Sunday A. Adelabu, who was represented by the Director centre for Continuing Education, Prof. Ekundayo Ajala, said that the Clash of Two Lions film was launched to restoring the fallen

image of man.

He explained that the film would turn around the lives of the Christians through the salvation of Jesus Christ, while describing the producer of the film as a committed Christian.

Adelabu commended the author of the film for the job well done and urged the other Nigerians to emulate the good gesture of the author.

Responding, the executive secretary of Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) Abuja, Mr. John kennedy Opara, who was also represented by NCPC Chaplain, Rev. Ayodele Jato, called

on the Christians to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in anywhere they found themselves.

He also advised Christians to invest in the gospel of the Lord through publication of books and magazines, saying that this is the only way the gospel could be propagated.

He urged the pastors to always preach Christianity and moralities at their various churches so that our society could be free of evils.

Opera, however, frowned at the immoral films being produced by some Nigerians, as according to him, those films will bring about immoralities in our society.

Young men selling kilishi, yesterday at Central Business District, in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Jiwa community leader vows to expose activities of criminals in his domain

T

he Community leader of Jiwa Village in Abuja Municipal Area Council of FCT, Alhaji Idris Musa, has vowed to work with security agencies to rid the area of criminals.

Musa, who made the commitment in Abuja on M o n d a y , told newsmen that Jiwa Village and its environs had become a

hideout for criminals, who terrorise residents and visitors in the community.

He said: “We are very worried about the high level of criminal activities in the area; you cannot come in or go out of Jiwa after 10 p.m. because of the activities of criminals.

“We have set up our own vigilance group to complement

the efforts of security agencies to check the menace.

“We are calling for joint patrol of our community members and security agencies like the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to protect the lives of our people.”

He commended the cooperation between the NSCDC and the community that led to

the recent arrest of several criminals in the area.

Musa said that the vigilance group was willing to provide information on activities of the criminals to security agencies.

He, however, pointed out that the group could provide ground supports for the NSCDC and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute criminals.

Flood: Abaji chair warns residents not to build on water ways

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Chairman of Abaji Area Council Chairman Hon. Yahaya Musa Muhammmed has called on residents to desist from building on water ways, and other areas as forecast for this year show increase in flooding as against the one witnessed

last year.

Muhammed gave the warning while distributing relief materials to the victims of flood disaster in year 2012 in six wards in the council.

The six wards are Yaba, Alu-Mamagi, Gurdi, RimbaEbagi, Agyana Pandagi and Nukn-Sabon Gari respectively.

The items distributed

include:Rice, soap, Vegetable Oil, Palm oil, detergents, Blankets etc.

He warned victims from the wards to take home the various item distributed as the council will not accept any act of diversion from anybody, adding that the distribution is a gesture from the FCT NEMA and the Area Council to

cushion the effect faced by the people.

He urged that council will continue to better the live of its residents by embracing in meaningful projects.

He urged them to live in peace and harmony together so that developmental project can be achievable by the government.

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

Mob: 08033644990

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 22

AfDB projects 6.8% growth for Nigeria in 2013

Takaful insurance now toast of South-East dwellers From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Ibadan

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he Vice-Chairman Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) Oyo state Chapter, Babatunde Omosola, has disclosed that takaful insurance business has started recording maximum penetration in the southeastern part of the country.

This is contrary to the expectation of the majority who believe that the policy is Islamic-oriented.

Omosola, who made the disclosure during the 2013 Media Retreat organised by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), for members of National Association of Insurance Correspondents (NAICO) in Ibadan, stated that South-Easterners, who are mostly dominated by Christians and traders alike, have appreciated takaful insurance due to its nature of simplicity, which they found more convenient than other insurances.

According to him, takaful insurance now has the highest policy-holders in this part of the country because people now use it in place of daily contribution.

He noted that though takaful, which means joint guarantee or shared responsibility in Arabic, operates in accordance with Islamic laws, and that the products are designed to carter

for Muslims and non- Muslims, adding that the products are meant to encourage savings culture and build capital over a period of time to meet personal or business needs.

He further stated that “under takaful plan, one can save regularly for a fixed period that is convenient for you. The accumulated targeted amount can be used to fund obligations such as purchase of land, house, marriage or hajj. It could also be used to meet other long-term financial objectives such as retirement, children education, travelling expenses as well as expected commitment”.

He noted that reports have shown that in many countries, takaful products have been bought by non-Muslims due to some of its attractive features, which are not offered under conventional products, adding that the implication of this trend is that there is a promising market and potential growth for takaful business.

He said investment of takaful funds is done in compliance with Shariah law which prohibits gambling and profiteering and consumption of alcohol, noting that the fund should not be invested into economy activities that negate Islam and Shariah, including brewing of alcohol.

He highlighted some of the

Expert tasks FG on credible database to track tax evaders

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he Chairman, Publicity Committee of West African Union of Tax Institutes, Mr. Chuckwuemeka Eze, has urged the Federal Government to develop internal capacity to have an accurate database of taxpayers.

Eze told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that credible database of taxpayers would help the government to monitor and track tax evaders.

He said that some Nigerians were not paying taxes and were difficult to track.

“Some Nigerians have the habit of evading taxes and some do give wrong information about their businesses. With accurate database, it will be difficult for them to evade tax payment,” he said.

Eze said that lack of accurate database of taxpayers had been a major challenge to the nation’s tax system.

Eze, a former chairman of Ikeja branch of the Chartered Institutes of Taxation of Nigeria, said that good records of taxpayers would make the system more vibrant.

He said that the situation was not peculiar to taxation alone, stressing that “it is a general problem in all the sectors of the economy’’.

“Generally, Nigeria do not have credible database. It is not peculiar to taxation alone,” he said.

Eze said that this situation was not good for the growth of any economy.

He said that the biometrics system adopted by the government to capture eligible workers in the public sector was a right step to address the database challenges. (NAN)

challenges facing the product to include non-availability of scientific method or model for

rating risk, high rate of default by beneficiaries of takaful insurance and lack of efficient

MD/CE, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alh. Umaru Ibrahim (right) presenting NDIC research publications to Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Board Chairman, Mr. Bisi Ogunjobi during the courtesy call to NDIC Headquarters.

Budget delay cripples Q1 economic activities From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Ibadan

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he president of the governing council, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) Mr. Wole Adetimehin has attributed the negative performance witnessed by Nigerian economy in the first quarter of the year to the delay in signing into law the 2013 annual national budget.

Adetimehin, while giving overview of the economic activities in the first quarter during 2013 Media Retreat organized by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) for the National Association of Insurance Correspondent (NAICO), noted that the delay in signing the budget into law resulted in delay of early appropriation that could be done, which according him led to economy recording a very dull and underperformed quarter.

He noted that the budget was tabled before the Lower and Upper House by the month of November, last year, adding that

it was enough to raise the hopes of every sector that the basis for planning of the new year has been put in place but all the hopes, he said, became lost when the budget was delayed only to be signed few weeks ago.

“I will like to say that like other sectors, our hopes was high that the year 2013 will be a successful period and these hopes could be anchored on the early development of the budget for the year, but all these hopes and high spirit became shattered because the budget was not signed to law until the last two or three weeks ago, he regretted.

Consequent upon this, he said no government arms or states could be seen as spending, workers’ salaries were not paid, because no law was made to that effect and no appropriation as well. This, he said, constituted some form of frustration in the economy.

Adetimehin regretted that high percentage of the population in the country work with the government adding that when

Management Tip of the Day

A

Quickly quiet your mind

clear head produces the best insights. But it’s a challenge to take time off in the midst of a busy day to rest your brain. Here are three easy ways to build breaks into your day:· Meditate on your commute.

If you use public transportation, take the time to close your eyes for

risk management tools to assist in eliminating fraud in the system among others.

10 minutes. If you drive, leave a little early, park, and spend 10 minutes in the car before going into work.· Regularly take breaks.

Focus on work in spurts. Set a timer for 90 minutes. When it goes off, take five minutes to go for a walk, talk to a colleague, doodle, or listen to music. Even if you don’t think

you need the break, take it.· Take daydream walks. Two days a week during your lunch break, take a stroll for 20 minutes. Think about anything besides work — a beach vacation, building your dream house, whatever.

Source: Harvard Business Review

such expected pace was not set by the government, the economy is generally affected adversely.

“Do not forget that our peculiar experience in this part of the world has always been that 70 to 80 per cent of the people trade with the government and when government is not setting the expected pace, what will be experienced will not be strange to anyone, the facts are there, all the states were not paying salaries by the first quarter, the manufacturing sectors, production sectors, new business, consolidating on the existing businesses all have not been rosy and all these affected other sectors of the economy, our case in the insurance sector will not be an exception’’, he said.

He stated that the media retreat was initiated with a view to providing ample opportunities for interaction with the media on the ways and means of promoting effective reporting of the institute and the insurance industry as a whole, it remained a decision borne out of the belief that partnership with the media will always produce positive results, he said.

Adetimehin welcomed the participants and expressed the institute’s appreciation for their contributions both as individuals and as respectable representatives of their organizations. ‘’The institute has never doubted the sincere commitment of any of you nor harbour any reason to complain about your conduct’’, he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS Rockefeller, Tony Elumelu Foundation

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he Rockefeller Foundation and the Tony Elumelu Foundation have announced the launch of the Impact Economy Innovations Fund (IEIF) at the ‘Impact Investing in Africa: Accelerating the Industry Regionally’ Forum.

The event, hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Graduate School of Business, provided a platform to introduce the investment and entrepreneurial community from all over Africa to the concept and practice of impact investing.

Through a series of presentations and panel discussions, participants developed a better understanding of the barriers to and opportunities for unlocking greater investment capital for impact at scale, while strengthening the sector’s entrepreneurial talent and African ecosystem.

Neimeth Int. Pharmaceuticals Plc

N

eimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc declared a turnover of N2.330 billion, a slight increase over N1.898 billion recorded in 2011 for the year ending September 30, 2012.

Making this known during its Annual General Meeting in Lagos,, Chairman, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals, ABC Orjiako revealed that 2012 witnessed financial instability of local industries leading to an inability to make major capacity and quality upgrades in their pharmaceutical plants.

With focus of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector being plant upgrade to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, Orjiako stated that WHO pre-qualification is a prerequisite for any company that wants WHO and other international agencies to buy their drugs through bulk purchase for distribution for health intervention programmes across the globe.

Africa Global Business Forum 2013

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he Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the COMESA Regional Investment Agency (RIA) is organising the Africa Global Business Forum 2013 - DubaiCOMESA: Bridging the Continent to the World - on May 1-2 in Dubai, UAE. The Forum will explore investment opportunities in Africa while highlighting the strategic role of Dubai as a worldclass hub for connecting to Africa.

Power sector reform: Re-appraising FG’s privatisation process The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo recently re-echoed the stand of the Federal Government on the privatisation of the power sector, saying that there was no going back on the plan and has called on genuine investors to take advantage of the coming revolution in the sector; Etuka Sunday chronicles the journey so far.

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he substantial increase in the quantum of power delivery to Nigerians nationwide in recent times has proven the fact that things could still be done rightly in Nigeria. Every Nigerian, if not for anything, must have experienced the significant progress made so far in the area of improved power supply since the launch of power Road Map in August 2010 by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Road Map was anchored on three fundamental facts: “Removing obstacles to private sector investment to ensure accelerated development of the Nigeria’s electricity market; improving service delivery throughout the transmission period to ensure that average Nigerian begins to feel the impact of the reform and divestiture of the PHCN successor companies and reforming the fuel-mix to power sector”.

Recently, the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo again reiterated the stand of the Federal Government on privatisation of power sector, by affirming that there was no going back on contents and details of the approved Road Map. He also added that to strengthen and take care of gaps that have been identified, Government would soon approve Road Map II. As a highly focused man, with years of experience from the class, Nebo hit the ground running by identifying the major problems and how to go about solving them. He called on genuine investors to take advantage of the revolution that was about to happen in the sector, which according to him would surpass that of telecommunication sector.

By way of removing obstacles to private sector investment, efforts were made in the establishment of the cost-reflective tariff, establishment and operationalisation of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading company, provision of Federal Government credit enhancement to the bulk trader, operationalising Nigeria’s Electricity Liability Management Company of Nigeria and strengthening the licensing regime of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) by making sure that the commission is well equipped to act and ensure that the power sector reform was fully operationalised.

As a follow-up to the divestiture of the PHCN successor companies, the

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was appointed; the Canadian Manitoba Hydro was also appointed and these appear to have instilled a lot of confidence on those who purchased the Generating companies (Gencos) and Distribution companies (Discos).

He was able to resolve labour issues and payment were made adequately as signed with the Federal Government.

The power generation has witnessed a boost from less than 3,000MW, to over or near 4,200MW as at the moment, ensuring more steady and more predictable supply that is two times the level it was in August 2012. By the end of December this year, the generating capacity was predicted to hit between 8,000 to 10,000MW. The improvement in the power sector has also gained international recognition, especially from the U.S., Canada and Germany. This made President Barack Obama of the United States to send delegation to the ministry. The Minister identified problems in the area of transmission, and therefore appealed to USAID to help develop the critical mass of experts in all areas of generation, transmission and distribution.

The leader of the delegation, Dana Mansuri pledged USAID’s

support to complement the efforts of government in that regard.

She expressed satisfaction with the level of progress so far made and advised the government to keep to the plan by ensuring credibility and integrity throughout the entire process.

Nebo vowed to replicate the local content strategy used in the oil and gas sector to draw up a programme for the enhancement of the Nigerian content in the power sector and therefore asked the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) to produce highly skilled power sector professionals, as Nigeria was not prepared to import needed manpower overseas.

According to him, thousands of Nigerians would be needed urgently in the power sector revolution that is about to be unleashed, therefore NAPTIN would be required to equip these Nigerians with necessary skills needed to drive the energy sector in line with international best practices.

While proffering solution to the high level of break down, due to archaic maintenance culture, the minister said that modern approach is through preventive maintenance, which is anticipatory of major problems before they arise.

He therefore directed the Discos to establish a Public Complaints Desk under their jurisdiction to be headed by a

well-respected officer, who would ensure that complains are addressed promptly. A toll free telephone line should be dedicated to Public Complaint, while a web-site will be created in his office where the public could lodge complaint of peculiar electricity problem in their areas.

“The government’s commitment to the generation of 40,000MW by 2020 is resolute, as it would make Nigeria become a medium power by 2020. The National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) is in the process of delivery 10 new plants.

State Governments are building plants, and the first indigenous Independent Power Project (IPP) has been commissioned.

“We will implement a framework that will guarantee gas supply to power generation.

Once again, even when we have come to a kind of fuel-mix for power generation, gas will continue to be dominant at 80 per cent or so. We will also implement a short-term gas action plan for the industry and develop hydro and coal as alternative sources of energy, where we also look at possibility of using our own naturally endowed resources, like sun and wind, for solar and wind energy. One of the things that we intend to do is to ensure that we have a renewable energy policy for the country”, he stated.

Only recently, the TCN successfully installed and commissioned brand new 60MVA and 45MVA, 132/ 33KV power transformers in Ibadan and Suleja respectively to strengthen the nation’s transmission network and to meet the electricity requirement of its teaming consumers, which has increased the wheeling capacity of the substation from 60MVA to 120MVA, an achievement which had also improved power supply to the state especially the University of Ibadan IITA Complex as well as the Ibadan-North axis of Oyo state.

TCN is currently undertaking the installation of power transformers in various transmission substations nationwide, and two of such ongoing transformer installation projects, which are in the Kankia sub-station in Kano state and Akure sub-station in Ondo state, would be completed and powered soon.

The cliché that “Professors are like old wine, the longer they stay the better” gives a vivid description of the new man in charge of the Ministry.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 21

CODER calls for electronic T voting in 2015 elections

Tecno Nigeria collaborates on creation hub on local products

Stories by Chris Alu

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he Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER), a non-profit organisation, has called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega to consider the introduction of digital technology in the conduct of the 2015 general elections, in order to avoid mistakes of the past.

The National co-ordinator of CODER, Ayo Opadokun, who stated this at the weekend in Abuja, explained that achieving a universally-acceptable credible elections demands the introduction of modern information communications technology tools for effective administration of electoral

process.

CODER and other developmental groups agree that there was urgent need for reforms in the administration of election process in Nigeria.

Councillor at the Kenyan High Commission in Abuja, Michael Miriti also noted that though the use of biometrics in the just-concluded Kenyan presidential elections did not guarantee a hitch free polls, it non-the-less contributed to the success of the entire election process.

The diplomat pointed out that electoral reform could not be complete without a complete transformation of the entire electoral institutions and the fine-tuning of the process to match modern standards.

Several other speakers also

called for urgency for Nigeria to invest in modern ICT tools, to break the cycle of manually operated electoral process, which will in turn break the vicious cycle of rigging.

CODER had assembled development experts from subSaharan with a view to identifying the use of bio-metrics as one of the safest measures of ensuring a transparent electoral process in the region.

Kenya, like Nigeria had very turbulent elections in 2007 which led to death of several thousands of its citizens. Its last election was universally acclaimed as fair and peaceful.

Nigeria faces a litmus test in 2015 to conduct free and fair elections that would produce acceptable candidates without violence.

iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 rival tablets from Samsung soon

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pple is about to launch the next generation of its tablets range, including iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 and now Samsung is rumoured to working on rivals of Apple tablets.

SamMobile, though its report, was not majorly targeting the Apple and its iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2, tells in one of its recent reports about the rival tablets from Samsung.

Last year Samsung has launched Galaxy Note 10.1, which is considered as a direct rival to Apple iPad 4 in terms of specs, features and display.

Similarly, iPad Mini had to face tablets like Galaxy Note 8 and many others.

This year, customers could expect the next generation of Galaxy tablet series including Galaxy 10.2 and others to target the tablets from Apple.

Samsung has already launched its flagship device Galaxy S4 and has been rumoured to launch Galaxy S4 Mini in upcoming months.

Similarly, Apple is

reportedly launching two to three models of iPhone including iPhone 5S, cheaper iPhone and the flagship device iPhone 6.

“Our insider reconfirmed we probably will see the first new

letter codes pretty soon, because the next generation of tablets are almost ready. Talking about tablets, Samsung will bring a iPad 5 and a iPad mini 2 rival.

But more about that later!” said the SamMobile in the report.

It does not expect to kick-off sales across Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region before the end of April.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has said its Galaxy S4 will be available in 155 countries by the end of April.

“As HTC failed to establish its brand image by selling its most important flagship phone on time, it’ll be very difficult to push on the mid- and lowend phones when HTC launches them in Q3-Q4,” said

Dennis Chan, an analyst with Yuanta Securities in Taipei.

“Sales in the second quarter will bounce, but they will lose momentum again in Q3-Q4.”

The company has partnered with Facebook Inc., which unveiled its new software last week called: “Home” that replaces the home screen on some Android smartphones, and introduced a $100 HTC-made handset that is pre-installed with the new app.

HTC posts record-low quarterly profit after delayed phone launch

H

TC Corp. has reported a record-low quarterly profit yesterday that missed analysts’ estimates after it delayed the full launch of its 2013 flagship smartphone model, which will now debut against Samsung Electronics’ newest Galaxy.

A shortage of cameras meant HTC managed to introduce its latest HTC One phone in just three markets by the end of the first quarter instead of the planned eighty.

ecno Nigeria and a Lagosbased technology development centre have joined hands in creating a locally software applications suited for its Nigerian phone market.

Tecno deputy general manager, Chidi Okonkwo said that the collaboration is “to give Nigerian developers the opportunity to create interesting software applications for its growing local customers.”

Speaking during the Developer Initiative, organised by the Co-Creation Hub that brings a top technology player in contact with the hub’s growing community of over 1,500 individuals and organizations, Okonkwo said: “Nigeria consumes over 50 per cent of Tecno’s products in the African market.”

According to him, as at the end of 2012, Nigeria sold about 12 million units of their phones,

noting that this is a great leap from 335,000 units sold in 2008 when Tecno first ventured into the African market.”

“According to the 2012 Mobile Sales Data on Nigeria, our products hit 20.4 per cent market share, coming second after Nokia which holds about 42.7 per cent share at number one”, he stated.

“The mobile application collaboration will enhance productivity and a challenge for us to develop our skills”, according to Okonkwo, adding that Nigerian, Kenyan and Ethiopian citizens will be partnering together for a research expected to run through the year, Tunji Elesho, pre-Incubation and research lead of the CoCreation Hub said: “This application challenge, channeled towards people interested in building software applications, is like none other.”

AUN commences ICT admission

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he American University of Nigeria (AUN) is accepting applications for the Executive Masters programmes in IT and Telecommunications/Wireless for the 2013/14 session.

The programmes are scheduled to begin in May and will be run for two summers, after which students passing all 10 required modules, are permitted to complete and defend a thesis project to fulfill the requirements for a Master’s degree.

They are carefully designed to offer busy professionals an opportunity to earn advanced degrees in their respective fields without incurring any major impact on their work schedule.

“Telecommunications and information technology have become key drivers for businesses the world over,” said Prof.

Mathias Fonkam, Dean of the School of Information Technology

and Computing. “This has a special relevance for developing and emerging economies.

Our programmes are designed to help organisations and businesses in sub-Saharan Africa leverage on technology to improve on their processes and enhance development.

The students will receive training from world-renowned professionals, including the SITC faculty and visiting professors from the US and Europe.

“We encourage professionals to take advantage of these unique Executive Masters programs,” said Dean Fonkam. “This year, we are implementing state-ofthe-art labs to aid practical training. We have also added more world-class faculty members and technical lab personnel. Spots are limited, so we encourage prospective students to apply early”, he stated.

Internet Society to host AfPIF 2013 in Casablanca, Morocco, 3 – 5 September

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he fourth annual African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF), organised by the Internet Society will be held 3-5 September 2013 in Casablanca, Morocco.

A unique regional forum, AfPIF facilitates discussions on African Internet infrastructure challenges, including terrestrial capacity issues, national and regional Internet Exchange Point (IXP) development, local content development, measures to lower connectivity costs, and international peering. The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and New Technologies of Morocco has accorded his High Patronage on this event.

The three-day program

brings together key stakeholders, including Internet service and content providers, IXP operators, research and education networks, government network managers, regulators and policymakers to share experiences and advance peering and i n t e r c o n n e c t i o n arrangements.

The theme of AfPIF 2013 is: “Policy Implementation and the Regional Content Factor,” and the forum will address region-to-region policy, tapping into terrestrial cable potential and traffic management needs, as well as content issues that are critical components of transit deficits. (Source: AfDB)

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Stakeholders laud effectiveness of total radar coverage of Nigeria airspace T

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

he effective operation of the multi-billion Naira new radar equipment across the Nigeria’s airports at the weekend received commendations from experts, who lauded the safety initiative of the Federal Government for its installation and immediate deployment on completion three years ago.

Secretary of the Aviation Round Table (ART) Mr. Sam Akerele affirmed that flights within and over the country’s airspace are now properly vectored by air traffic controllers without stress.

“What we have now is a complete radical departure from the past. The new radar is a good thing to happen to this generation as we can see that flights are properly vectored by the

controllers without stress”, he declared shortly after inspecting the Lagos TRACON site in Lagos with his members.

Akerele noted that comments by some stakeholders have been rather speculative as they lacked the technical knowledge on the workings of TRACON, stressing that their visit was to educate those members who have dismissed TRACON as a mere terminal radar and let them see that the radar covers even beyond the shores of

Nigeria.

The General Secretary, who led members on a fact-finding tour of facilities at the agency said that their visit became imperative following embarrassing comments to the media by some stakeholders who have not been privileged to visit TRACON and may not know how the radar works.

He described the new radar as state-of-the-art equipment that could compete favourably with

those in developed countries in Europe and America, and also commended the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for the efficient and optimal performance of its radar and communication system.

Also in his remarks, another member of the organisation, Capt.

Kola Abejide said he was very excited at what he had seen and that he is grateful to God that “this milestone is happening in our generation.” He urged NAMA to

Plateau tourism corporation urges private sector investment

in Africa that the sector was left solely in the hands of government.

“In the western world, private individuals invest handsomely in the sector, especially the running of museums because they value its contributions to the links between the young and old generations.

“There is a war museum in Enugu for instance which should be a tourist site for the military, but nobody is ready to invest in keeping it functional; Not even the military itself.

“Here in Plateau state, we have a lot of tourist attractions, but because we are waiting for government, nobody wants to

invest in the sector,’’ Pam said.

According to him, an old residency museum situated in Calabar where the colonial masters lived during their rule in Nigeria has been abandoned because everybody is waiting for government to develop it.

He explained that museums and other tourist sites were saddled with the onus of preserving old traditions and culture, adding that they were also recreational centres where people could relax after a hectic day at work.

“I know Africans, particularly Nigerians, appreciate their culture and tradition so much; so we believe it is good to visit museums to take a view of our rich heritage.

“All work without play makes Jack a dull boy, so people need to relax after a stressful working day or week.’’

He described Plateau as a conglomeration of all segments of tourist attraction, adding that the state was blessed in all ramifications.

Pam urged Nigerians to take advantage of the endowment that nature bestowed on the state and invest heavily in the sector, to improve its economic potential and the country at large. (NAN)

set up an independent body to fix the budget oil benchmark, so that the rancour between the executive and the legislature in the process of fixing this price is stopped, and the budgetary process made more efficient.

The pronouncement came from Ousmane Dore, ADB’s Resident Representative in Nigeria, ahead of the bank’s report on Africa’s Economic Outlook which is being expected by June this year. Dore spoke with journalists in Abuja on the bank’s views on the economy, as well as its activities in the country.

“What we are saying is that the current set up where every year when the budget is presented, you have negotiations, and sometimes a very thorny one, like the 2013 budget, because the

House has one reference price, the Senate, the executive proposed one, is not healthy. So the suggestion is that you can institutionalise this process in a way that you have an independent body of experts that will look at all technical factors and come up with a rule-based policy that is not subject to political wrangle,” he noted.

Meanwhile, AfDB has so far invested over $3.75 billion (N588 billion) on concessionary terms in all sectors of the country’s economy, as of February, 2013.

The bank however applauded government’s effort at ensuring prudent macro-economic management of the economy over the past few years, which had encouraged high growth figures.

The bank also commended the

authorities for containing inflation to single digits within the first two months of the year, which it observed, was helped by the tight monetary measure of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the fiscal measures of the government. It believes that single digit inflation forecast for the year is possible, if the authorities continue implementing the appropriate policies.

On the fiscal side, the bank observed that government has moved from the pro-cyclical to counter cyclical macro-fiscal policy since 2011, with budget execution consistently in tune with the Fiscal Responsibility law, which has helped the deficit to remain within the 3 percent of GDP range. (AfDB)

Lawmaker tasks oil companies on corporate social responsibility

A

member of Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly, Mr. Ayang Ayang has expressed the need for oil companies operating in the state to discharge their social obligations to host communities.

Ayang accused the oil companies of nonchalant attitude towards development issues in their host communities, saying that their presence in the area had impacted on the people “more negatively than positively”.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket that oil production activities of the companies had created persisting environmental and ecological challenges in the area, saying Niger Delta region was replete with such cases.

According to him, activities of most oil companies operating in these communities have contributed to the increasing cases of oil spills in the region.

The lawmaker, who represents Eket constituency in the Assembly, expressed regrets that the off-shore operations of most of the companies in the area had made it difficult for the communities to effectively monitor them.

He called for greater accountability and responsibility from the oil companies, saying that it was imperative for them to carry out social services to the people in order to build and sustain harmonious relationship.

He warned the companies to desist from “hiding under the excuse of paying taxes to the government to shirk their obligations to host communities”, saying that such action often engendered and aggravated acrimonies between both sides.(NAN)

continue to improve on the good job.

The new radar has four main locations in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano Airports with five remote stations at Ilorin, Maiduguri, Obubura, Numan and Talatan-Mafara.

Aviation Round Table is a nonprofit professional body, whose membership include: Air Traffic Controllers, Pilots, Aircraft and system Engineers, Technicians and Marketers.

Some dancers performing at a cultural event in Jos recently

T

he General Manager, Plateau Tourism Corporation, Mr. Micheal Pam at the weekend in Jos called for more private investments in the tourism sector.

Pam told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that tourism business was a huge revenue earner, adding that it was only

AfDB projects 6.8% growth for Nigeria in 2013 on sustained reforms

T

he African Development Bank (AfDB) at the weekend projected Nigeria’s economic growth to remain around 6.8 percent in 2013, which aligns with the growth expectations for the country, by both the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the World Bank.

But it said this growth projection would only be possible if those structural reforms that had helped spur non-oil output, which had in turn driven Nigeria’s high growth figures in recent years are sustained. The Agricultural Transformation Agenda, if successful, would also help push up growth figures, the bank said.

The bank has also suggested that government should quickly

PEOSPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APIRL 9, 2013

Report as at Monday, April 8, 2013

PAGE 23

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

The economic benefits of using cassava flour for baking bread

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

M

r. Richard Aderemi is a baker with over 45 years’ experience. He is one of the few bakers who ventured into baking cassava bread in the early 1970s and he attests to the viability of the project.

Aderemi recalled that in 1970, during the regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, cassava flour was introduced for bread baking purposes, adding, however, that it was later abandoned.

“From 1970 to 1973, cassava flour was introduced; the flour was distributed by a cooperative

society. I was then in Ipetu Ijesa in Osun State, where I started my bakery business.

“They came to my bakery to do the test and it failed, so they left the flour, nobody used it, nobody bought it but I found some errors in the initial test.

“Later, I successfully used the flour to bake bread and the bread was okay. The bread was quite good, people liked eating it; travellers from Ilesha to Akure always patronised my bakery because of the high quality of the bread,” he said.

Aderemi, however, said that he stopped baking cassava bread when government sponsorship for

the project ceased, as cassava flour was no longer available.

Nevertheless, he appealed to the Federal Government not to relent in its efforts to promote the public acceptance of cassava bread, insisting that the production of 100-per-cent cassava bread was, indeed, feasible.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Mansor Umar of Alliance Modern Bakeries, Katsina, stressed that he had been making huge profits ever since he started baking bread with cassava flour input.

He, nonetheless, identified the shortage of high-quality cassava flour as a major challenge, calling on

the government to make available composite flour (cassava flour mixed with wheat flour) for bakers.

“No baker will buy wheat flour separately and cassava flour separately and then mix them together; it is not possible,” he said.

H

owever, Mr Ishaya Kamachewue, the North Central Representative of Master Bakers, stressed that bread baking with 100 per cent cassava flour was also very practicable.

“There is no big deal about including 40 per cent cassava flour to wheat for baking, as a professional

baker, even with 60 per cent cassava flour, we can bake bread.

“Even with 100 per cent cassava flour, we can bake bread but the bread cannot be as smooth as the one produced from wheat flour,” he said.

All the same, Kamachewue, who is also the Managing Director, Goshen Bakery, Nasarawa, urged the government to support bakers with modern equipment, as over 90 per cent of the bakers still relied on manual flour mixing, for instance.

But how far has the Federal Government gone with its policy of adding 40

per cent cassava flour to the wheat flour used for baking in Nigeria?

Mrs Toyin Adetunji, Special Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Leader of the Cassava Value Chain, said that the government had been able to stimulate the production of bread with 20-per-cent cassava flour input.

“So far, we have trained about 385 master bakers and we also have our big bakers; we hope that by year 2015, we will be able to get to 40 per cent,” she said.

Adetunji explained that due to the fact the bread in the market was not labelled “cassava bread’’, many

citizens felt that there are no cassava bread on the shelf.

She said that as part of efforts to tackle the emerging challenge of mixing the flour by bakers, the government had facilitated the mixture so that the bakers could have access to the composite flour.

T

he Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said that the full implementation of the cassava bread initiative would greatly boost the country’s economy.

He noted that Nigeria was the largest producer of cassava in the world, with an annual production of 40 million tonnes.

Adesina said that

Thailand, which produced only 10 per cent of the world’s output of cassava, controlled about 80 per cent of the global trade in value-added cassava products.

He underscored the need for Nigeria to upscale its cassava value addition strategies.

The minister noted that Nigeria expended over N600 billion every year on the importation of wheat flour for use in the confectionery industry, stressing that the inclusion of 40 per cent cassava flour would save the nation about N254 billion annually.

Adesina recalled that Nigeria’s importation of wheat flour rose from 78,000 tonnes in 1960 to 4,051,000 tonnes in 2010, as bread had become a significant part of the citizens’ nutritional

“

NAFDAC has fully certified cassava bread as healthy and safe for consumers; today, Nigerians are increasingly demanding cassava bread because it is cheaper and it has a longer shelf life

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (middle), Minister of state for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide (2nd right), and others personalities, holding cassava bread, during the introduction of the product to the consumers.

Cassava bread

President Goodluck Jonathan holding cassava bread regime.

“This rising dependence on wheat poses several challenges for our economy because any shock to the global wheat supply leads to a direct impact on our economy, especially on the prices of food and inflation. “‘That is why as part of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the government, we launched an aggressive strategy to substitute wheat flour for cassava flour in bread and confectioneries,” he said.

Adesina said that the Federal Government had established a Cassava Bread Development Fund to support research, training of bakers

and acquisition of equipment, among others.

O

n the issue of consumer safety, the minister stressed that cassava bread was very good for human consumption.

“Cassava bread is healthier than white flour wheat bread; cassava has lower glycaemic index (measurement of how quickly blood sugar rises after consuming a particular type of food) than wheat and it is, therefore, less likely to aggravate diabetes.

“NAFDAC has fully certified cassava bread as healthy and safe for

consumers; today, Nigerians are increasingly demanding cassava bread because it is cheaper and it has a longer shelf life,” he said.

Adesina expressed happiness on progress made so far, adding that at present, importation of wheat flour into the country had dropped from 4,051,000 tonnes in 2010 to 3,700,000 tonnes in 2012.

All in all, stakeholders want the government to sustain the cassava bread initiative, saying that it would create employment opportunities, while reducing the huge funds currently spent on wheat importation.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 29

New 'dual resistant' tomatoes fight lethal pests with one-two punch K

Rice production: Kogi engages over 3,000 farmers

I

n the battle against thrips, Cornell breeder, Martha Mutschler-Chu has developed a new weapon: a tomato that packs a powerful one-two punch to deter the pests and counter the killer viruses they transmit.

The "dual resistant" insect and virus varieties may reduce or even eliminate the need for pesticides in several regions.

Thrips are tiny insects that pierce and suck fluids from hundreds of species of plants, including tomatoes, grapes, strawberries and soybeans.

They also transmit such diseases as the tomato spotted wilt virus, causing millions of dollars in damage to U.S. agricultural crops each year.

Adapting a novel form of insect resistance discovered in a wild plant native to Peru, Mutschler-Chu, professor of plant breeding and genetics, first isolated the resistance.

She found that it was mediated by droplets of sugar esters, called acylsugars that are produced and exuded from hairs (trichomes) that cover the plants. The acylsugars don't kill the insects, but deter them from feeding or laying eggs on the plants. The process does not require genetic modification and is completely safe.

After successfully transferring the resistance into new lines and breeding out undesirable traits, her team added a second layer of protection: one or both of two natural genes known to resist the so-called TOSPO viruses, which include tomato spotted wilt virus.

"If some thrips get through with the virus, the virus resistance genes are there to mop it up," Mutschler-Chu said.

The Cornell thrips-

A group of journalists carrying out DNA extraction at the concluded Training of the Biosciences for Farming in Africa (B4FA) recently in Abuja.

resistant tomato lines, with and without the virus resistance genes, will be used

by Mutschler-Chu and an interdisciplinary team of eight other scientists from seven otherinstitutions nationwide as part of a new five-year, $3.75 million project to control thrips and TOSPO viruses in tomatoes. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative and is led by entomologist Diane Ullman of the University of California, Davis, and plant pathologist John Sherwood of the University of Georgia.

Mutschler-Chu said the collaboration will allow her to test her varieties in different regions and use the feedback to further refine her lines and create new, improved ones.

Whether it be altering sugar levels to suit different environments, or tweaking virus resistance, MutschlerChu wants to discover the best package for insect and virus control. Her discoveries will be shared with seed companies so they can transfer the traits into their varieties.

"It brings us closer and closer to something that can be used commercially to essentially eliminate the need for pesticides in many growing regions," Mutschler-Chu said.

The project rests on a foundation that was built over 20 years, supported by college-level funding and federal HATCH grants. During that time, new tools of molecular biology were developed, from PCR-based markers and SNP markers to

the sequencing of the tomato genome. Using the new methods, it took MutschlerChu 10 years to develop the first tomato line with enough acylsugar, then four years to create a better series of 30 lines.

The impact could be farreaching, she said. Not only would it be a boon to the U.S agricultural economy, it could also have significant impact in the developing world, where tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetable cash crops, especially for small subsistence farmers.

"This is even more critical, because they don't have the resources to buy pesticides, and there is often misuse of pesticides," Mutschler-Chu said.

Source: Newswise, Science Daily

Association set to raise cocoa production volume to 500,000 tonnes

C

ocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) said it will raise cocoa production volume from the current 250, 000 tonnes to 500, 000 tonnes in the second phase of the Federal Government's Agricultural Transformation Agenda.

The National President of the association, Mr Sayina Riman, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recently in Abuja.

Riman said that the cocoa sector would be able to produce 500,000 tonnes of cocoa due to the new hybrid cocoa varieties recentlyreleased by Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN).

He said that the new varieties would start fruiting after two years and that it would have optimum yield

after three years.

Also under the agenda, Riman said that the association would establish a credible and reliable database of the ctivities of all cocoa stakeholders across the value chain.

"Cocoa Association of Nigeria is working hard to establish a credible and reliable database of all cocoa activities of all cocoa stakeholders across the value chain.

"We are already working on capturing data from the grassroots; that is one of the major aspects we are working on right now that is going to be a transforming one for the agricultural sector.

"Why we have not put all our matters on the net is because we are coming with a model that is scientifically proven. That will definitely be what will be sustainable in the

industry.

"We are going to capture from producers; producers who I call the farmers, the middle men within the trade sector, to the merchants who are the bigger traders.

"We are going to warehouses and collateral agents; we are going to exporters; we are going to researchers; we will go to importers of Nigerian cocoa and most importantly, we are going into processing.

"All of that will be captured and at the click of a button, you can always access whoever is a true stakeholder across the value chain in every cocoa economy in this country,'' Riman said.

Riman also said that with the agenda, the Nigerian cocoa sector would revive its position as the largest cocoa producing country, as it was in the recent

past.

He said that the country had lost its place to Cote d'ivoire in global cocoa production and now occupies the fourth position, adding that theagenda would encourage foreign investors to invest in the cocoa sector.

Riman expressed regret that Nigerians were not making effective use of the cocoa plant and that the situation was affecting its position in the global market.

He said that for value to be added to cocoa production, the country had to utilise its potential before other countries could appreciate it, adding that the association would work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Trade and Investment. (NAN)

ogi State Government has said that it would engage about 3,347 farmers to accelerate rice production in the state.

According to the state government, it had spent N177 million on clearing and preparation of 1, 500 hectares of land under the Accelerated Rice Production Programme.

The Managing Director, state Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Dr Ameh Onoja, who made this known when he conducted newsmen round the rice farms in Lokoja, said that part of the fund was spent on the dredging of canals from River Niger, hiring of equipment, purchase of fuel and maintenance of machines.

Onoja, who led a team of ADP official on a visit to the rice farms at Seriki Noma, Okumi, Galilee and Lokoja, informed that him, the farmlands have been allocated to 3,347 farmers from Lokoja and Koton Karfe, who have also been formed into farming cooperative groups.

He said that 1,400 unemployed graduates were among those allocated land under the accelerated rice production programme which started in December 2012.

"Most of the farmers have planted, others are transplanting from the various nurseries to over 300 hectares, while others are weeding and watering their farms,'' he said.

Onoja said that 350 bags of paddy rice and 750 bags of fertilizer received from the Federal Government's Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) had been distributed free to all the farmers.

The managing director said that the Federal Government had in addition donated 60 water pumps through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

(NAN)

2013: FG to register 25,000 farmers in Taraba

F

ederal Government said it will register 25, 000 farmers in Taraba State under the 2013 National Farmer's Registration exercise.

The North-east Zonal Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Samuel Adaji, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jalingo, recently.

Adaji said the ministry had released at least 12, 000 forms to each of the 16 Local Governments since the commencement of the exercise on March 20.

He said the registration, which would be conducted at ward levels, was in line with the Federal Government's transformation agenda.

"Part of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government is transforming agriculture from traditional to advance practice so as to attain economic development. The essence of the exercise is to acquire national farmer's data base for effective budgeting and planning in the agricultural sector," he said.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 28

Agriculture, biotechnology and quest to avert hunger in Africa

By Mohammed Kandi

I

n the recent times, the ever-increasing world population has become a major threat to humanity, even as quest to achieving food security particularly in Africa, is hitherto a mirage considering the proportion of those who go to bed on empty stomach across the globe.

Going by the recent and shocking statistics by experts that world population would rise to a disquieting 9 billion people by 2050, and that nearly one billion go to bed hungry daily, there is urgent need especially in Africa, to begin to utilize and expand the myriads ofagricultural potentials domiciled in the continent's rich soil.

Apparently, Africa has the greatest agricultural potentials with about 900 million hectares of arable land unutilized, coupled with availability of manpower- majority of the people are young, energetic and capable overturning the economic fortune for better, yet for somesocio-political reasons its always last when it comes to accepting best technologies that could fastrack development.

These possibilities are however susceptible to an array of environmental and human induced challenges such as lost of fertile lands to desertification, erosion, large crop lost to pests, low yields due to soil degradation and the application of inorganic fertilizer and other chemical compounds.

On the other hand, there is increase hunger and diseases associated with malnutrition.

Again, scientists at the American Association for the Advancement of Science have in various studies shown that, the carbon sink capacity of the world's agricultural and degraded soils is 50 to 66% of the historic carbon loss of 42 to 78 gigatons of carbon. The rate of soil organic carbon sequestration with adoption of recommended technologies depends on soil texture and structure, rainfall, temperature, farming system, and soil management.

They said strategies to increase the soil carbon pool include soil restoration and woodland regeneration, no-till farming, cover crops, nutrient management, manuring and sludge application, improved grazing, water conservation and harvesting, efficient irrigation, agroforestry practices, and growing energy crops on spare lands.

In their analysis, an increment of 1 ton of soil carbon pool of degraded cropland soil

The process called genetic modification takes place in the laboratory to enhance seeds through agricultural biotechnology. may increase crop yield by 20 to 40 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) for wheat, 10 to 20 kg/ ha for maize, and 0.5 to 1 kg/ ha for cowpeas. As well as enhancing food security, carbon sequestration has the potential to offset fossilfuel emissions by 0.4 to 1.2 gigatons of carbon per year, or 5 to 15% of the global fossil-fuel emissions.

Nonetheless, what Africa needs at this point in time to transform its agricultural system and provide food for its swarming population and the rest of the world, by adopting newest technologies, apt and timely decisions, vibrant gov-

ernment policies and legislations and thepolitical will to leverage on its God-given potentials that no continents has.

Like what obtains in the developed societies in agricultural development, it has become imperative for the entire African countries to adopt biosciences in their farming system. Bioscience projects has proven to be best available methods that have been used to improve crop productivity and food security, and boost agricultural resilience to climate change-related impacts in most parts of Africa, where it has been imple-

Researcher in Bioscience Lab, IITA Ibadan.

mented.

Scientists have at different forums emphasized on the need for the continent to maximizing biosciences which could bring about socioeconomic transformation. For instance, in Uganda, tannery and slaughter wastes are being turned into manure for crop production and clean water.

Other innovations include the production of drought-resistant seed varieties that are suitable to specific agriecological areas.

Similarly, an Oxford Scientist, Professor Chris Leaver, disclosed recently at a Media Fellowship Workshop

Photo by IITA.

organised by the Biosciences for Farming in Africa (B4FA) in Abuja, that agriculture biotechnologywas the best option to averting food and nutritional crises, especially, in sub-Saharan Africa where hunger and malnutrition hasbecome a major threat to the attainment of food security.

Leaver was particularly concern about how fast Africa can adopt the huge potentials in agriculture biotechnologies, using the Genetically Modifying (GM) crops to boost some topical crops such as rice, sweet potato, cassava and corn.

Also speaking at the workshop, Sir Brian Heap, President, European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), expressed concern about low yield of Africa's cereals in particular over the last sixty to hundred years.

He said: "The question is, can we find a method of helping to increase the yield of cereals.

One of the ways of doing this of course, is to use a more intensive agriculture but that of course has risk because it has an effect on the environment and it can have a negative effect on the environment by the overuse of fertilized chemicals, an alternative will be to up ways in which we can introduce genes into ploughs that will increase the yield and that is the area of particular interest because it might help to reduce the amount of chemicals that you used to increase production."

"So, that is why biotechnology has significance to yield and the other potential is the possibility that you can introduce genes that improves the nutritive value of the plant. So you might be able to introduce the vitamin, the improved vitamin that will actually enablepeople, in particular the children who eat the grain or the rice in this case help to get a high level of vitamin A," Heap explained.

Furthermore, promoting maximum application of biotechnology in agriculture would provide a soothing relief to especially the smallholder farmers who are always worried about recording poor yield and disease burden crops.

In the mean time, there is the need for the entire African countries to harness the ongoing biosciences projects on the continent for improved crop productivity, as well as, addressing climate changeadaptability; food and nutrition security; energy production from industrial waste; and securing freshwater resources.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2012

Coping with high blood pressure

By Franca Ofili

M

rs Anthonia Obayan, a bank worker, was 35 years old when she was diagnosed to be hypertensive and was placed on antihypertensive drugs.

Being a young lady, Obayan could not imagine how she could cope with taking the drugs for the rest of her life and she subsequently stopped taking the medication.

However, the woman's dilemma aptly reflects the plight of people suffering from hypertension, as they have to ingest drugs for life to control their blood pressure.

Medical experts, however, warn that failure to follow medical prescriptions in the management of blood pressure may cause hypertension, which could lead to the damage of vital organs in the body.

The experts also note that failure to follow drug prescriptions is one of the major challenges facing hypertensive patients which need to be tackled.

They insist that concerted efforts should be made to address such challenges in line with the focus of this year's World Health Day. The theme of the World Health Day celebration is: `` High Blood Pressure''.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes blood pressure as the force of a person's blood pushing against the walls of the arteries each time the heart beats and medical experts approve a blood pressure level of 80/120 or less as normal.

Blood pressure is measured as systolic and diastolic pressures. The former refers to blood pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood and the latter refers to blood pressure when the heart is resting between beats.

Experts claim that if a patient's systolic pressure reads 120, while his or her diastolic pressure reads 95, the person has Stage One Hypertension but if the patient has 160 and 80 as systolic pressure and diastolic pressure respectively; then, the person has Stage Two Hypertension.

At any stage, however, the WHO insists that high blood pressure is one of the major causes of premature deaths, killing nearly 9.4 million people across the world every year.

Besides, the global health agency states that one out of every three adults suffers from high blood pressure, adding, however, that unfortunately, one in every three adults with hypertension does not know that he or she has the condition.

The WHO says that the proportion of persons afflicted with hypertension increases with age; adding that the ratio is from one in 10 persons in their 20s and 30s to five in 10 persons in their 50s.

However, the claims of the WHO that more than one billion people are living with high blood pressure worldwide have been eliciting the concern of all the stakeholders.

Medical experts stress that the effects of high blood pressure, if left uncontrolled, on patients include risks

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failures.

They, therefore, call for a pragmatic approach in efforts to control the disease.

Prof. David Adewale, the Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, says that the first way of controlling high blood pressure is for people to avoid diets with excessive salt. ``People should also know that food seasoning also contains salt and its use increases the risk of getting high blood pressure,'' he warns.

Adewale, nonetheless, underscores the need for people to undergo regular blood pressure screening so as to ensure the prevention, early detection and control of high blood pressure.

Prof. Basden Onwubere, the Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, stresses that uncomplicated high blood pressure is one of the most important challenges facing public health globally.

The professor says that noncommunicable forms of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, could become the leading cause of death and disability by

2020 if they are not detected in time. ``Evidence shows that raised blood pressure causes 51 per cent of deaths from stroke and 45 per cent of deaths from coronary heart disease. ``It is projected that by 2015, a total of 1.54 billion people, accounting for 30 per cent of the world population, would be hypertensive with 75 per cent of this from developing countries and regions,'' he says.

Onwubere advises the people to engage in regular physical exercises and desist from excessive salt consumption, as part of efforts to tackle the rising menace of high blood pressure.

Beyond that, Dr Oluwagbenga Ogunfowakan, a consultant at the National Hospital Abuja, advises hypertensive patients to consult a doctor before taking aspirin tablets in their effort to manage the ailment.

He underscores the need for a doctor to calculate the cardiovascular risk of the patient so as to determine if aspirin tablets could be prescribed.

Ogunfowakan says that the prescription of aspirin is usually based on the category of high blood pressure

“

It is projected that by 2015, a total of 1.54 billion people, accounting for 30 per cent of the world population, would be hypertensive with 75 per cent of this from developing countries and regions

which a person has, adding that this could be primary prevention or secondary prevention. ``So, some people that have hypertension can also have diabetes; they can also be obese and they can also have problem with their cholesterol levels. All these factors work together. ``There are people that have low risk; that is, by the time we calculate their risk level and it is less than 10 per cent, we say they are low risk.

There is no need to give such persons aspirin. ``Aspirin can make the blood thin, so, if people do not have the risk of developing blood clots and you are making their blood thin, they can actually bleed,'' he says.

For persons with the secondary prevention category, Ogunfowakan says that their risk level needs not be calculated because they are already classified as high-risk patients.

He says that such persons ought to be placed on aspirin to prevent them from contracting stroke or heart attack.

Ogunfowakan, nonetheless, insists that there are strong contraindications that could make the intake of aspirin unsafe, adding that patients with such condition should not be given aspirin.

All the same, Dr Adamu Onu, a general physician, argues that that stress is another major cause of high blood pressure, saying: ``If stress becomes persistent, it could predispose one to hypertension.''

He says that stress is a physical response that people go through in life, adding that it is response to things which people consider as threats or things that upset their emotions. ``In this condition, the heart might begin to beat faster, blood pressure goes up and then, the sense becomes sharper,'' he adds.

He lists the symptoms of stress as headache, diarrhoea, dizziness, and chest pain, among others.

Onu emphasises that one of the most important aspect of stress management entails the prompt recognition of the time when one is under pressure, while pragmatic efforts are made to tackle the situation before it develops into hypertension.

He, however, notes that some persons do not recognise the period when stress sets in, saying that stress management may not require medication in all cases.

Onu urges persons undergoing any form of stress to look into practical ways of coping with the stress, adding that they could engage in physical exercises or listen to music.

Such recommendations notwithstanding, medical experts insist that people should cut down their salt intake, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, while undergoing regular physical exercises, as part of strategies put in place to reduce blood pressure.

They also urge the people to loosen up regularly so as to stabilise their blood pressure levels.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 31

Food rights and the welfare squeeze ANALYSIS

By BhaskarViraand David Nally

T

his week marks the beginning of a monumental reconfiguration of the social contract that underpins the British welfare state. The overhaul of budget and the remit of existing welfare programmes mark a significant departure from social attitudes. The moral distinction between "skivers" and "strivers" assiduously promoted by Conservatives such as Steve Hinton and Iain Duncan Smith has now been sharpened and given legal form.

The most vulnerable to these changes are those at the bottom of Britain's class divide, the 15 percent of the population who make up what has recently been defined as the "precariat". This group is characterised by low earnings and savings, and typically lacking the formal education and skills that are necessary for social mobility in the modern world.

While British society, reeling under forced austerity programmes, revamps its attitudes toward social security, public opinion in India is divided over a recent legislative initiative which proposes to significantly increase public commitment to welfare, following cabinet approval of a landmark Food Security Bill that creates legally binding obligations on the country to provide food for all.

The Indian Food Security Bill is an outcome of the 11-plus years of fight over the Right to Food, which had led to several litigations, public mobilisation and pressure on the government to accept its legal obligations towards the most vulnerable groups in the country.

The Supreme Court interpreted the Right to Food as a constituent element of the Right to Life, and the government committed itself to implement Food Security Bill after the 2009 elections. The legislation, which received cabinet approval, is an attempt to fulfil this obligation.

However, critics of the Bill have been quick to dismiss it as an electoral gimmick - politically ambitious, but economically misguided. As the Indian finance minister struggles to contain the country's fiscal deficit, questions are being raised about whether an expensive programme of subsidised food distribution isaffordable, and how sensible it is to use public funds.

Commentators also suggest that widespread corruption and inefficiency in India's public distribution system will mean that good intentions are unlikely to translate into actual improvements in food security.

They propose alternatives such as direct cash transfers to the vulnerable poor.

On the other hand, those who support the legislation argue that the food subsidy remains below 1

Around 46 per cent of all Indian children under the age of 3 are too small for their age, 47 per cent are underweight and at least "16 per cent are wasted", according to a UNICEF report [AFP] percent of India's GDP. They contrast this with other areas of public spending, such as tax holidays, exemptions from export duties, low land prices and concessional lending terms that are routinely gifted to the corporate sector in a bid to procure a "business-friendly" environment.

They question the logic behind siphoning off public money to the fat cats in the corporate sector under the vague and unproven notion that some of it will "trickle down" to those who need it most.

While there is a legitimate discussion about the detail including a debate over universal coverage and whether it is more efficacious than the proposed targeted approach which focuses on what the Bill calls "priority" households - there is a clear need to address the scandal of persistent malnutrition in the country.

Despite the fact that India has experienced record levels of economic prosperity over the last 20 years, the country is estimated to have more undernourished people than all of sub-Saharan Africa combined. Though the prevalence of malnutrition varies

across Indian states - and the geography of hunger is quite important - at the aggregate level, it is women and children who are most severely affected.

According to a UNICEF dossier, "around 46 per cent of all children under the age of three are too small for their age, 47 per cent are underweight and at least 16 per cent are wasted".

As the same report notes, "malnutrition in children is not determined by food intake alone; it is also influenced by the quality of care for the child and pregnant mother" as well as access to health and welfare services.

In other words, "food security" is as much an ethical argument about social provisioning as it is a debate about sourcing more calories - a point made by Harsh Mander, one of the Indian Supreme Court's Commissioners on the Right to Food, in his recent book Ash in the Belly.

Clearly, even if the Right to Food is accepted as a fundamental moral principle and litmus test of any civilised society, the question of how best to transform this "metaright" into a legally guaranteed

“

These efforts to stigmatise the poor recall earlier moral crusades against the "undeserving" poor and must not be allowed to suppress a much deeper debate about the place of social welfare and our collective aspirations as a society

"institutional right" continues to divide public opinion. Critics are correct to question the effectiveness of India's public distribution system in the last 60 years, and they have cried for a massive reform before implementing the proposed Food Security Bill.

But, are the days of public procurement, storage and distribution over?

Should intervention in food and agricultural markets be consigned to the scrap-heap of India's socialist past?

There are several reasons to be cautious about a blind faith in the efficacy of food markets thehorsemeat scandal that has engulfed the British food industry being only the most recent cautionary tale. Relying on the private sector to source and distribute food from increasingly complex supply chains has proven to be unreasonably risky, especially when concerns over corporate profitability, shareholder value and pressures on the bottom line dominate business decision-making.

The food system needs to reflect the co-dependent interests of consumers, producers, suppliers, retailers and the state - bound together in a web of relationships.

There is little reason to expect that a deregulated food industry will serve the greater public good. To paraphrase Karl Polanyi, a privately operated food system risks turning society into a "mere adjunct" of the market.

For India, lessons are clear leaving the delivery of food security solely to self-regulating private markets would be foolhardy. The only viable option is to strengthen and reinforce the public

commitment to ensure freedom from hunger and malnutrition, while harnessing the power of logistical sophistication of private supply chains where necessary.

While private supply chains have proven most efficient in responding to price signals, they have yet to prove that they are able to provide the cash-strapped "precariat" with vital provisions.

By the same token, excessive state interference in the procurement and distribution of food can lead to corruption and inefficiency. A "dual system" of public and private procurement might curb the worst excesses of both approaches - the national Food Security Bill provides the Indian government a real opportunity to demonstrate how such a partnership should work.

These are difficult times for the vulnerable and poor. The language of austerity and "responsible welfare" now casts a long shadow over public discourse and is in danger of painting talk of "rights" as little more than "nonsense upon stilts", as Jeremy Bentham famously complained.

These efforts to stigmatise the poor recall earlier moral crusades against the "undeserving" poor and must not be allowed to suppress a much deeper debate about the place of social welfare and our collective aspirations as a society.

Whether it is towards India's millions who remain hungry, or the increasingly squeezed bottom third of British society who will face the brunt of the coalition government's plans, our shared social contract must not be forgotten.

Source: Al Jazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

South Africa army ‘not scared’ of DR Congo conflict S

outh Africa’s army is “not scared” of confronting Democratic Republic Congo rebels, despite the recent killing of its soldiers in the Central African Republic (CAR), a spokesman has said.

South Africa plans to deploy troops to DR Congo, as part of a new UN attack force to end conflict in the east.

“We are not scared to go to war,” army spokesman XolaniMabanga said.

Last week, South Africa said it was withdrawing troops from CAR after “bandits” killed 13 of its soldiers.

A further 22 soldiers were wounded in what President Jacob Zuma called a nine-hourlong “high tempo battle”, as the Seleka rebel group entered the capital, Bangui, overthrowing CAR leader Francois Bozize.

It was the highest number of casualties South Africa’s army had sustained since white minority rule ended in 1994.

If they [DR Congo’s M23 rebel group] declare war against the SA National Defence Force personnel, we are ready to tackle them” South Africa has played a key role in training African armies and taking part in peacekeeping operations in areas hit by conflict.

Last month, the UN Security Council approved plans to send a 2,500-strong brigade to eastern DR Congo to “neutralise and disarm” rebel groups.

Troops from South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique are expected to make up the force.

Brig-Gen Mabanga told South Africa’s public broadcaster, SABC, that the national army had a better understanding of the conflict in DR Congo then CAR. “If they [DR Congo’s M23 rebel group] declare war against the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel, we are ready to tackle them,” he said.

“We, as the SANDF, will never be deterred by any circumstances to pursue or do what we are asked to do by the

government of South Africa.”

South Africa currently has about 1,000 troops in DR Congo, as part of a 20,000-strong UN peace-keeping force, which will be boosted by the deployment of the attack force.

The M23 captured the main eastern city, Goma last year, with little resistance from UN troops based in the city.

It gave up the city after pressure from neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda.

Last week, Mr Zuma said

South Africa was withdrawing its 200 troops from the CAR, as they had been deployed in January as part of a deal with the ousted president to help retrain the army.

Seleka had denounced the troops as “mercenaries” deployed to help Mr Bozize stay in power.

Mr Bozize is now exiled in Cameroon, accusing Chad of backing the rebellion against him - an allegation it denies.

Some 200 South African troops were in the Central African Republic.

Toll rises in Cairo clashes T

wo people were killed in clashes outside Cairo’s main cathedral on Sunday, Egyptian officials now say.

Calm returned to central Abbassiya area where police deployed heavily outside St Mark’s Cathedral. Several Coptic

demonstrators were still gathered there on Monday morning.

Sunday’s violence followed the funerals of four Coptic Christians killed in religious violence on Saturday.

Mourners leaving St Mark’s Cathedral clashed with local

Egyptian police guard the approach to St Mark’s Cathedral in central Cairo yesterday

residents.

Police fired tear gas to break up the violence. More than 89 people were injured, the state news agency said.

The health ministry said one Christian man was killed in Sunday’s clashes. The other victim of the violence has not been identified.

Mourners inside the church had earlier chanted slogans against Egypt’s Islamist President, Mohammed Morsi.

Witnesses told local TV stations that the violence started when a mob attacked mourners as they left the cathedral, pelting them with stones and petrol bombs.

There was initially little police presence.

The Christians responded by throwing stones back, the witnesses said, until police arrived and attempted to quell the unrest, firing tear gas into the cathedral compound.

Mr Morsi denounced the violence in a phone call to Pope

Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Christian Church.

“Any attack against the cathedral is like an attack against me personally,” he was reported as saying. He also called for an immediate investigation.

Pope Tawadros, who took office in November, appealed for calm.

The political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), posted a statement on its Facebook page stressing its “utter rejection and condemnation of violence”.

It urged both sides “not to respond to systematic provocations” or “ploys that target the homeland”, but did not say who might be responsible for inciting the violence.

Egypt’s minority of Coptic Christians, who make up about 10% of the population, have accused the government of failing to protect them, following the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Mali: France in big offensive against rebels

F

rench forces have launched one their biggest offensives against militants in northern Mali, officials have said.

About 1,000 troops are sweeping through a river valley believed to be a logistics base for the armed Islamists near Gao, AFP news agency reports.

This is said to be the last major French-led operation before France starts reducing its military presence.

The militants have been driven out of northern cities and towns since France intervened militarily in January.

However, the Islamists have carried out several suicide attacks in Gao, about 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) north of the capital Bamako, and the ancient city of Timbuktu.

The BBC’s West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy says the French offensive, called “Operation Gustav”, is intended to clear the Gao region of any militants still hiding there and to prevent further attacks on the city.

France wants to search as much of the remote region as it can for militant hideouts before it starts scaling down its troops from the end of this month as this the kind of operation that African forces may not be able to carry out once they take over, he says.

Qatar pledges $500m for Darfur reconstruction

Q

atar has pledged $500m in aid to rebuild Sudan’s Darfur region after a decade-long conflict, an official has said.

Yesterday’s announcement came as hundreds of delegates met for the final day of a two-day donor conference in Doha to raise support for a multi-billion dollar project to rebuild Darfur.

“Qatar has pledged an amount of $500 million as grants and contributions for rebuilding Darfur,” said Ahmed bin Abdullah alMahmud, the Qatari minister of state for cabinet affairs.

The conference, which began on Sunday, was agreed to under a July 2011 peace deal that Khartoum signed in the Qatari capital with an alliance of rebel splinter groups.

“Peace time has begun in Darfur. A peace that will be protected by development, not by force,” said Qatari Prime Minister Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani, at the opening of the conference.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 33

Pakistan summons Musharraf over treason case

P

akistan’s former leader Pervez Musharraf has been ordered to appear in court over treason allegations and has barred him from leaving the country.

The orders were issued on Monday after the country’s Supreme Court heard

applications from lawyers that the former military ruler was to face a treason trial for imposing emergency rule and arresting judges in November 2007.

“It is necessary to issue notice to the respondents in these petitions. The office shall ensure service of notice to the

respondents for tomorrow,” Justice Jawad Khawaja told the court, referring to Musharraf and the state.

Government officials should “ensure that the respondent [Musharraf] does not leave the jurisdiction of Pakistan”, he added.

Khawaja, part of a twomember bench of the top court, heard the petition against Musharraf on Monday after Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry recused himself from the initially formed three-member bench.

Musharraf returned to

Asia and Middle East Pakistan on March 24 after four years of exile to run for parliament in the May 11 general election, a move he said was intended to “save” the troubled nuclear-armed state.

Suicide car bomber kills 15, brings chaos to Damascus

A

suicide car bomb exploded in the main business district of Damascus on Monday, killing at least 15 people, setting cars ablaze and damaging buildings, according to state television.

A Damascus resident who described the blast as the biggest she had heard in the capital during the two-year-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad said large plumes of black smoke were rising from the Sabaa Bahrat district.

State television said the explosion had occurred near a school in Sabaa Bahrat, a heavily populated area that also houses the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry. It said 53 people were wounded.

Residents and opposition

activists reported hearing gunfire and ambulance sirens in the vicinity. State television said shots had been fired in the air to clear a path for ambulances.

It showed footage of seven bodies in the street, including at least two charred corpses in the wreckage of an overturned bus. The fire brigade was dousing flames from cars crushed by the blast. Other vehicles were still on fire, lined up in what appeared to be a car park.

Men carried away a woman on a stretcher whose face was covered in blood. Panic-stricken women in long black dresses and headscarves ran towards the scene. State television showed some bandaged children in school uniform.

Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina has firmly rejected demands by Islamists for a new anti-blasphemy law to punish those who defame Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

In a BBC interview, she said existing laws were sufficient to punish anyone who attempted to insult religion.

Her comments came just days after hundreds of thousands of supporters of an umbrella organisation of Islamists held a massive rally in Dhaka.

The marchers called for the death penalty for those guilty of blasphemy.

Ms Hasina said: "They have demanded it. Actually, we don't have any plan to [bring in the law]. We don't need it. They should know that existing laws are enough.

"This country is a secular democracy. So each and every religion has the right to practice their religion freely and fair. But it is not fair to hurt anybody's religious feeling. Always we try to protect every religious sentiment."

The Islamists have given a three-week ultimatum to the government to meet their demands, including tough punishment to those who they describe as atheist bloggers, who are also accused of making derogatory comments against Islam.

"We will go through all the demands and then we will see. If there is any reasonable one, we will fulfil. If it is not reasonable or not suitable for our country or society we will not accept it," the prime minister said.

A view shows wreckage of cars after a suicide car bomb exploded in the main business district

Bangladesh PM rejects blasphemy law

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

North Korea suspends last project with South

N

orth Korea suspended its sole remaining major project with the South on Monday, after weeks of threats against the United States and South Korea, as Russian President Vladimir Putin said any nuclear conflict could make Chernobyl look like a fairy tale.

Reclusive North Korea’s decision to all but close the Kaesong industrial park coincided with speculation that it will carry out some sort of provocative action - another nuclear weapons test or missile launch - in what has become one

of the most serious crises on the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

Tension has been rising since the United Nations imposed new sanctions against the North in response to its third test of a nuclear weapon in February.

Pyongyang has been further angered by weeks of joint military exercises by South Korean and U.S. forces and threatened both countries with nuclear attack.

Putin said conflict on the peninsula could cause greater devastation than the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

Workers in a complex that employs some of the 50,000 North Koreans and 500 Southerners within Kaesong industrial area.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 34

Europe and Turkey police fight 'coup' trial protesters near Istanbul Americas Merkel asks Putin to give ‘NGOs a chance’

V

ladimir Putin, the Russian president, arrived in Germany to protests over his human rights and democracy record and a warning from German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Russia needed an active civil society to flourish.

Protesters carried Syrian flags while others wore devil masks, waving images of Putin dressed in a prisoner’s striped uniform.

“Stop political terror”, read one banner.

Putin’s visit to Germany and the Netherlands, Moscow’s biggest trade partners in Europe, was supposed to focus on trade.

However, the trip has been overshadowed by a wave of state inspections of foreign-funded nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) in Russia, much criticised abroad.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said in her address at the opening of an industrial fair spotlighting Russian business that Russia was propped by its raw material deposits and huge investment in infrastructure but Germany could help it in its aims to innovate and diversify.

“We believe this can happen most successfully when there is an active civil society,” she said.

“We must intensify these discussions, develop our ideas, and we must give the NGOs, who we know as a motor for innovation, a good chance in Russia,” she added to strong applause.

Germany and the Netherlands need Russia for energy and as a market for exports ranging from Volkswagen Touaregs to tulips.

But the two nations are uneasy about the influence Russia’s oil and gas give it and about Putin’s treatment of opponents and activists in his new Kremlin term.

Merkel had come under pressure at home to voice her concerns to Putin, not only on the inspections of NGOs, but also on their differences over Syria’s civil war and Russian criticism of the German-orchestrated financial bailout of Cyprus.

Her talks with Putin would include “controversial subjects” she told reporters on the sidelines of the fair.

In his address to the trade fair Putin focused on Russia’s economic strength, noting, “despite global disarray and the global financial crisis, our country has continued to develop positively”.

In an earlier interview with German broadcaster ARD, Putin had dismissed criticism of the NGO inspections and said they would not cast a shadow over the visit, echoing his repeated rejection of Western worries about his domestic policies.

T

urkish police have fired water cannon and tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters outside a courthouse near Istanbul where 275 suspected coup plotters are on trial.

Some protesters tried to tear down police barriers in front of the courthouse in Silivri.

Many waved Turkish flags and chanted anti-government slogans, showing solidarity with the defendants.

The "Ergenekon" plot allegedly aimed to topple the AK Party government.

Since Prime Minister RecepTayyipErdogan came to power, heading an Islamistrooted movement, hundreds of military officers - serving or retired - have been arrested.

The investigations have undermined the traditionally powerful influence of the military in Turkish politics.

A BBC Turkish Service reporter at the scene said the whole prison-court complex in Silivri was under a cloud of tear gas, and it even leaked into the courtroom, where the hearing was interrupted with arguments about who could sit where.

Police use water cannons to disperse protesters.

Thousands of people, from several towns, started arriving by coach very early on Monday to support the defendants. They shouted "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal!" - a reference to

Ataturk, founder of the Turkish republic, who gave the state secularist foundations.

Retired armed forces commander Gen IlkerBasbug is among the defendants, who

include other military officers, politicians, academics and journalists.

Prosecutors have demanded life imprisonment for Gen Basbug and 63 others, including nine other generals.

Wikileaks publishes 1.7m US diplomatic records

Julian Assange has been in the Ecuadorean embassy since last June.

Wikileaks has published more than 1.7 million US diplomatic and intelligence reports from the 1970s.

They include allegations that former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi was a middleman in an arms deal and the first impressions of eventual British PM Margaret Thatcher.

The documents have not been leaked and are available to view at the US national archives.

Wikileaks says it is releasing the documents in searchable form.

Much of the work has been carried out by the website's founder Julian Assange while he has been holed up at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.

Mr Assange took refuge in the embassy last June to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over

allegations that he sexually assaulted two female ex-Wikileaks supporters in 2010.

He denies the allegations, and has said they are politically motivated and part of a smear campaign against him and his whistle-blowing website.

Wikileaks made headlines around the world in 2010 after it released more than 250,000 leaked US cables.

Mr Assange told Britain's Press Association that the latest collection, entitled the Public Library of US Diplomacy (PlusD), reveal the "vast range and scope" of US diplomatic activity around the world.

The data comprises diplomatic cables, intelligence reports and congressional correspondence running from the beginning of 1973 to the end of 1976.

Portugal PM issues bailout warning

P

ortugal's prime minister has announced severe cuts in public spending following a decision by the constitutional court rejecting a number of austerity provisions in this year's budget.

Pedro Passos Coelho said that he respected but disagreed with a decision by Portugal's highest court to reject its proposed austerity measure - saying it would have consequences for the entire country and threaten the nation's position in the eurozone.

The constitutional court's decision deprives the government of about $1.7bn of expected revenue.

In an address to the nation, Coelho said there would be no new tax hikes in 2013 but that measures would be taken to

"contain public spending in the areas of social security, health and education".On Friday, the court ruled that several measures in the budget were unlawful, including the scrapping of a 14thmonth of salary for civil servants and retirees, as well as cuts to unemployment and sickness benefits.

Portuguese economist, Camilo Lourenco, told AlJazeera that now the president's two remaining options are to "raise taxes, and I think that would deepen the recession, or borrow more money from the international markets".

"This would be an awful solution. The correct solution is further measures to cut public spending, and it is the option

favoured by the government but it is also risky because it might not make up the necessary revenue."

Portugal's position is now

Pedro Passos Coelho

"more fragile" than before, Coelho said on Sunday and could harm its intention to negotiate with the EU an extension on deadlines to reimburse its loans.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 35

The Peabody hotel's celebrity ducks and their world famous march

T

he Peabody Hotel in Memphis is famous not just just for its exemplary service, but also for a truly unique attraction – the March of the Peabody Ducks, which involves a performing troupe of, you guessed it, ducks. The whimsical experience is enjoyed by guests both young and old alike, every day of the year.

The daily routine of the Peabody Ducks goes something like this – each morning, at exactly 11 a.m., five North American mallard ducks, four hens and one drake, come down from their $100,000 penthouse in the hotel in their very own private elevator. As the doors open, the ducks take their positions on a plush red carpet in front of their Duckmaster.

Then they begin to march to a rousing rendition of John Philip Souza’s King Cotton March.

When they reach the orchidtipped marble fountain in the Grand Lobby, the birds ascend four red-carpeted steps and splash around in the fountain’s water. They stay there until 5 p.m., when the procession is reversed and they march back to their elevator, returning to the Royal Duck palace for a quiet evening.

The Peabody Duck March is the brainchild of Frank Schutt, the general manager of the Peabody Memphis back in 1932. When he and his friend Chip Barwick returned empty handed from a weekend hunting trip in Arkansas, they put live ducks in the Grand Lobby fountain of the Memphis hotel as a joke. After enthusiastic response from other guests, the tradition was born. According to the hotel’s website, “In 1940, Bellman

Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with guiding the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Mr. Pembroke became the first

Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement. The original ducks have long since died, but after nearly 80 years, the marble fountain in the hotel lobby is still graced with the

presence of specially-trained ducks.”Did you know the Peabody Ducks are so famous that they have appeared on shows like the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Sesame Street and the Oprah Winfrey

Show, and were featured in People Magazine? Several celebrities have stayed at the Peabody to see the ducks perform their march, and you can too, every day between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Photo: Make a Date with the Sunshine State

Extreme Kidnapping - Detroit company abducts clients for fun

E

xtreme Kidnapping is a low-profile Detroit company that offer clients the chance to get abducted and spice up their mundane lives.

The realistic experience includes getting handcuffed, slapped by goons, zapped with a stun gun and even attacked with police pepper spray.

If you need a break from your boring life and feel that extreme sports like bungee jumping or jumping out of an airplane just won’t cut it, you need to look into the services of Extreme Kidnapping.

According to founder Adam Thick, “this service caters to the extreme sports adventurer who is bored with what’s currently available; this takes it to a whole other level. If you don’t feel like you’re really being kidnapped and your life is in danger, then we’re not doing our job.” To make sure he offers customers their money’s worth, Adam says he’s not afraid to hire henchmen with a criminal background, who can get mean and rough when they need to.

Thick himself is a convicted counterfeiter so you can say that staging an illegal act is right up his alley. It’s hard to describe what an average fake abduction is like, because Extreme Kidnapping offers

Extreme Kidnapping

custom services designed according to clients’ requests, but one thing you can expect is to be genuinely scared.

Adam Thick says he got the idea for Extreme Kidnapping from the Michael

Douglas thriller “The Game” and set out to offer the most realistic abduction he could to clients willing to pay a few bucks for a truly unforgettable experience.

Although he never gives out all the details, Thick offers potential customers different scenarios to choose from, according to their personal preferences and available budget. The least expensive option costs $500, but if you’re looking for an overnight adventure that will put both your physical and mental strength to the test, you’ll have to fork out $1,200. To make the kidnapping feel genuine, Adam and his crew will try to surprise clients by picking them up when they least expect it. You can be picked up and thrown into a car months after you’ve signed up for the service.

During the course of your abduction, you’ll blindfolded, threatened with guns, slapped around, and tortured in various ways. But it’s all in good fun, and to make sure clients are not hurt against their will, Adam and his victims agree on a safe

word to be uttered if things get too hard to bear.

Extreme Kidnapping gained some notoriety after it was recently featured in GQ Magazine. Journalist Drew Magary went through a fake abduction and wrote about it in the popular men’s publication.

He was handcuffed, blindfolded and dumped into a basement.

His kidnappers didn’t shy away from slapping him whenever he made any requests or smart remarks, and he was given a small bottle to pee into, which he accidentally dropped all over his clothes. Adam and his crew threatened to use police pepper spray and cut off his toes if he didn’t do as he was told, and Magary says he actually thought them capable of all these things. Thick told him that he has gotten some pretty weird requests since e started Extreme Kidnapping. Some wanted to be beaten with a pool cute, others wanted to be wrapped, shipped to Mexico and sold to traffickers, and one actually asked to be barbecued over a spit. “Man…I’ve heard it all,” Thick said.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

How chewing gum can boost your brain power

By Cara Lee

M

ost of us don't think w i c e about it, but chewing mastication has implications for our health.

The way we chew, for instance, can alter our digestion, teeth and even our face shape. And new research suggests how often we chew could even affect our brain power.

Here we reveal what scientists and medics now know about this instinctive act?‌ The truth about chewing We've all heard the dictum about chewing each mouthful 20 times before swallowing, but actually how many times we should chew depends on what we're eating, says gastroenterologist Dr Nick Read, chief medical adviser for charity The IBS Network.

'The Victorians thought you needed to chew food 14 times but we generally wait until it feels right and then swallow - it's intuitive.'

He says that because our diet has become softer, thanks to all that processed food, we now don't need to chew for so long.

However, raw fruit and vegetables, and meat, demand more chewing. 'If you don't, lumps of food will pass through your digestive system and not be completely absorbed,' says Dr Read.

On average, we chew 800 to 1,400 times a day.

Stomach signals Chewing breaks food down into small pieces, which increases the surface area for the digestive enzymes to react with and so helps swallowing and digestion.

Chewing also sends messages to the brain through the t

trigeminal nerve in the face.

The brain then sends signals down the vagus nerve (the long nerve connecting to the abdomen) to tell the stomach to start acid secretion in preparation for the food arriving.

Chewing also generates saliva from the salivary glands, which mixes with the food, ensuring it's the right consistency to be digested and travel through the digestive system.

Saliva is also essential for cleaning our mouths when we're eating.

Gassy gobblers When we eat slowly, our bodies are more relaxed, allowing the parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates digestion, to do its job properly.

However, if you're eating on the hoof and rushing about, you also stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which is associated with 'fight or flight' responses.

'The sympathetic side puts the whole body on alert and diverts energy to the heart, brain and muscles, while the parasympathetic nervous system's functions, such as digestion, are halted,' says Dr Read.

In practical terms, the sympathetic system inhibits the secretion of stomach acid, and slows down gastric emptying so food stays in the stomach longer, making us feel over-full and sick.

This can also cause painful spasms in the intestine. Eating quickly and not chewing enough also makes us swallow more air, which may cause bloating, belching and discomfort.

Swap sides Do you always chew on the same side? Over time, this could

make it harder to eat and cause pain, so try to vary it.

'Most people have a favourite side to chew,' says Professor Andrew Eder of University College London's Eastman Dental Institute and the London Tooth Wear Centre.

'If you have a coarse diet, you may see more tooth wear on one side and find the surface of the teeth there becomes flatter and less functional.'

Chewing on one side can also lead to discomfort in the muscles and jaw joint on that side.

Normal chewing also wears the teeth over time. It is estimated that we lose ten to 20 microns of enamel a year through everyday wear and tear.

Sleep chewing Around one in ten of us suffers from bruxism (grinding the teeth, clenching the jaw and thrusting the tongue as if we were chewing food), usually during sleep.

'This serious sleep disorder normally happens as a response to heightened stress and anxiety levels, caffeine, smoking, alcohol and lifestyle factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise,' says Dr Guy Meadows, director of The Sleep School in London.

Bruxism can wear down tooth enamel and break teeth, as well as causing symptoms including migraine, earache, gum disorders and sleep problems such as daytime fatigue.

Treatments include relaxation techniques and wearing a mouthguard.

Gum can change your face...

When we chew, we use the masseter muscles in either side of the jaw. People who chew gum throughout the day can find the over-activity makes their masseter muscles 'grow'.

'This can make the patient's face look very square,' says Luke Cascarini, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon from North West London Hospitals and West Middlesex University Hospital.

'You can inject Botox, which blocks stimulation to the muscle so it returns to a normal size, or the problem can be reversed by stopping chewing gum.'

Usually this only happens from chewing gum rather than food, but not everyone who chews gum a lot will be affected.

The masseter muscles can also become overdeveloped on one side of the face if people chew on one side (usually because they're missing teeth on the other side). This can cause pain down the side of the head, jaw and neck and, over time, inflammation in the jaw joints.

It can be resolved through dental work, adds Mr Cascarini. ...?Or Affect Your Memory While the evidence is mixed, it's thought chewing gum may stop you forming some kinds of memory, says Professor Andrew Smith from Cardiff University, a specialist in health-related behaviour.

'Many aspects of memory rely on using sub-vocal rehearsal (when you repeat words to yourself in your head) and it's difficult to do that while chewing

because it's a competing activity - but this area needs more research.'

Gum may also have a negative effect on the gut.

Chewing gum stimulates acid secretion in the stomach but then doesn't deliver food to it, leaving excess acid.

'It could cause gastritis inflammation of the stomach lining, ulcers, blistering, indigestion and soreness,' says Dr Read.

'And most gum contains sorbitol, which is a poorly absorbed sugar and can go through the intestine without being absorbed and ferment in the colon. This can lead to excess gas and bloating.' ... Or wake up your brain That's the suggestion from a study by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Japan, just published in the journal Brain and Cognition.

When participants were put through a number of tests, those who were chewing gum had 10 per cent faster reaction times compared to those who weren't.

Using functional MRI scans, the researchers found that chewing affected eight parts of the brain - most of which are involved in executive function (actions) or motor-related functions, explains Dr Duncan Banks, a director of the British Neuroscience Association. 'Those areas seem to light up more when people chew gum.'

There is robust evidence that chewing gum increases alertness, helps us to sustain attention and improves reaction times, says Professor Smith.

'Chewing stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which stimulates part of the brain responsible for alertness. And we know that chewing increases heart rate, which in turn increases blood flow to the brain.

'People who chew gum report increased productivity at work, which fits in with what studies show in the lab,' adds Professor Smith, whose work in the past has been partly funded by chewing gum manufacturers.

In a study at Cardiff University, chewing gum was found to improve performance when people were struggling to pay attention while completing monotonous tasks. But it made no difference when they were operating at normal levels.

Personality test People with 'type A' personalities - typically fast moving, impatient and ambitious people - tend to eat quickly, while 'type B' characters - who are generally more laid back, considered and approach things at a slower pace - will relish their mealtimes, says Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University.

Our family eating habits can also influence how we consume food, with people brought up eating meals around the family table together more likely to take their time with meals and chew slowly.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 37

Stop Anenih's state tours, group urges Jonathan

By Lawrence Olaoye

A

group, Forum for Equity and Justice yesterday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s Board of Trustees, Chiief Tony Anenih, from further tour of the states insisting that such tours are unnecessary.

The group in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday and signed by its National Coordinator, Mr. Enitan Ayelabowo, urged the BoT chairman to allow the elected National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to administer the party since his role is majorly advisory.

Although the leadership of the PDP has severally maintained that there was no rift between it and the BoT, this statement is further confirming the insinuation that all may not be well between the two organs of the party.

The group said that the tour being embarked by Anenih and members of his team to the governors was not necessary and that it was capable of further polarising the party. The statement read "We have noticed the way and manner our respected Chairman of Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, is going about on tours to the state governors as if he is the chairman of the party.

"Though as the chairman of BoT, we understand that he needs to be acquitted with happenings in the party. But his visits to the governors before his election and after his election at Abuja are enough for him to know the feelings of the governors concerning the crisis rocking the party.

"He does not need to embark on clandestine visits to the governors. The visit is already causing tension in the party as there are those who have the notion that the Anenih team is usurping the functions of the members of the National

Working Committee (NWC) of the party, led by Tukur.

"We appeal to him to shelve further visits, more so when he is not reporting his findings to the National Leadership of the party. We appeal to the National Leader of our party, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to halt further visits by Anenih to the governors as this is also causing ripples in the party, both at the national and state levels of the PDP. "Apart from this, we have it on good authority that the visit

by Anenih and members of his team is being bankrolled by some ministers in the President's cabinet. These ministers, one from the South-East and the other from the South-South, are

doing this because of their selfish interest to become governors of their states.

"Mr. President needs to be told that there is no need to cause further crisis in the party, especially now when the opposition is coming together with the aim of wrestling power from the PDP-led Federal Government.

The group further appealed to the members of the NWC to stop portraying the leadership of the party as if it is a divided house, adding that a divided house is not capable of standing, especially in the face of stiff opposition. It also called on the Tukur-led NWC to consider the call for the meeting of the party's National Executive

Committee (NEC), which it said, was overdue.

"Holding of NEC meetings as being canvassed by the governors is a constitutional matter. We need to have NEC meeting of our party on time in order to show to the world that we have nothing to fear and that we are together in the quest to move the nation forward," the statement added.

The group further appealed to members of the PDP to support the President, especially now that the country is undergoing challenges, especially in the area of insecurity. It said that the plan by the President to grant amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect is the right step in the right direction.

Motorcycles to be distributed as part of Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi's Poverty Alleviation Support to his constituency, yesterday at Makarfi, in Kaduna state.

Photo: NAN

Fashola hinges economic performance on quality of leaders’ education

G

ov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday said that the performance of the nation’s economy was a function of the quality of education its managers received in various institutions in the country.

Fashola said this yesterday while receiving top management staff of the University of Lagos at the Government House, AlausaIkeja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team was led by Prof. Rahman Bello, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor.

Fashola said that Nigerian leaders were as good as the education they got, because there was a direct relationship between universities and leadership.

He noted that there had been a disconnect between universities’ curricula and the needs of the country.

The governor advised universities to start offering courses tailored to the country‘s developmental needs, saying that would adequately address the problem.

Earlier, Bello thanked the governor for transforming facilities in the institution during the last National Sports Festival, hosted by the state.

He also appreciated Fashola’s support during the burial arrangements of the immediate

past Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adetokunbo Sofoluwe.

Bello appealed to the governor to expedite work on the ongoing rehabilitation of the canal at the University, to prevent gully erosion in the area.

He said that the University was a stakeholder in waterfront infrastructure and urged the Lagos State Government to include the institution in its waterfront development plans.(NAN)

Makarfi disburses N7m bursary allowance

S

en. Ahmed Makarfi (PDPKaduna North), yesterday empowered 1,617 persons in his constituency with 13 different poverty alleviation materials, to promote self reliance.

Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, also disbursed N7 million as bursary allowances to 700 students of tertiary institutions from the area for the 2012/2013 academic year.

Presenting the items to the beneficiaries, Gov. Mukhtar Yero lauded the effort of the senator and urged him to sustain the tempo.

He said the gesture was in line with the resolve of the state administration to positively touch the lives of people, especially unemployed youth and women. ``I am absolutely sure that there can be no actual development if our youth and women are left behind in penury and hopelessness. ``The two groups are critical to our growth and survival as a people. ``In line with this, we have initiated policies that target the rapid economic emancipation for youth and women across all the 23 local Government areas in the state.''

In his speech, Makarfi said three out of the 13 items, namely motorbikes, ploughs and milling machines, were from poverty reduction programme of the Federal Government.

He said some of the items were part of the 2012 constituency project fund while the rest were his personal contribution.

The senator said the gesture was to promote self reliance, reduce unemployment and poverty.

Earlier, the Chairman of Makarfi Local Government, Alhaji Abdu Bala-Gangara, advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the items to become self-reliant.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items distributed included motor-bikes, clipper sets, portable generators, milling machines, ploughs, irrigation pumps, welding and sewing machines among others.

(NAN) CPC vows to capture Taraba in 2015 The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Taraba said it would sweep the polls in the state in 2015.

The state Acting Chairman of the party, Alhaji Hassan Ardo, said this on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jalingo.

Ardo was speaking after the meeting of wards, local governments and state executive members of the party.

According to him, the meeting discussed the party's restructuring and merger plans with other political parties to form the All Progressive Congress (APC). (NAN)

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Gulak denies tax evasion, offshore account

By Lawrence Olaoye

I

ndications emerged yesterday that the Lagos state government is secretly planning the extension of the tenure of the local government chairmen and councilors in the state.

The document is a draft bill put together by members of the Local Government Areas (LGAs) and waiting to be passed into law by the state House of Assembly A scrutiny of the draft bill suggests that members of the LGA in Lagos state are collectively plotting to prolong their tenure of office. A subtle clause in the bill suggests that members can stay on in their positions and serve a fresh term with effect from whenever the law is passed.

The contentious clause, believed to have been unanimously smuggled in by the members with the collaboration of the governor reads: "Not withstanding the provisions of Sections 12(1) and 27(3), Councilors and Chairmen of Local Government and Local Council Development Areas that were sworn in prior to the commencement of this Law may hold office for the term prescribed by this Law".

This translates as an automatic extension of the tenures of the over 300 councilors and their chairmen and reeks of a dubious and concerted effort to tweak the law to enable them stay in power longer.

Nigeria's federal system of governance makes room for

the Local Government Areas.

These LGAs are administered

by Local Government Councils consisting of a chairman who is the Chief Executive and other elected Councilors.

The existing legislation stipulates that these members have a 3year term of office but the new bill with the clause would see members starting a fresh 3 year term from the date the bill is passed.

Interestingly, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola

who is supposed to superintend over the election process seems to show no interest whatsoever in fulfilling his legitimate obligation and rather seems to endorse the promulgation of the suspicious bill.

Perhaps even more befuddling is the fact that Fashola's Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which controls Lagos State seems to be trying hard to push this bill despite strongly opposing similar

moves by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to extend the presidential tenure from 4 years to 7 years.

It will be recalled that the government of Goodluck Jonathan drew a bill in 2011 proposing that the presidential and gubernatorial tenure be revised citing the rising cases of violence and tension across the country during elections as the reason. The ACN however rallied together to stiffly oppose this proposal.

L-R: Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Peter Orubebe, Minister of State for Works, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, and Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, recently at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

No factions in Ekiti PDP, says Fayose

F

ormer governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose, says the renewed violence in the state was not due to intraparty crisis within the state chapter of the PDP. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan yesterday that there were no factions in the state chapter of the PDP.

“I can tell you authoritatively that we do not have factions in Ekiti PDP, we only have interest groups. “ The ruling party in the state, ACN, is intolerant of opposition. “ It is not possible that thousands of people will defect to our party, PDP, and we will kill them.

“ So the allegation that the violence in the state was due to intra-party crisis in PDP and which caused the death of a PDP stalwart was spurious and unbelievable,’’ he said.

Fayose, a PDP governorship aspirant in the 2014 governorship election, urged security agencies to do more to ensure adequate security.

“ I want to advise the police to do more in Ekiti state; they should be neutral in whatever they are doing. “ The police should do their job and allow us politicians to do ours, ’’ he said.

He commiserated with the family of the deceased, pledging that the PDP would ensure that justice was done. (NAN)

Ebonyi Assembly passes confidence vote on Elechi, deputy

T

he Ebonyi House of Assembly yesterday passed a vote of confidence on Gov. Martin Elechi and Deputy Gov. Dave Umahi.

Mr Frank Onwe (PDPOhaukwu North), who moved the motion for the confidence vote during the plenary, said it became necessary considering the numerous achievements recorded by the state under the governor.

“The present administration

has recorded many achievements in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, peace and security and good relationship among various arms of the government, among others,” he said.

According to him, the governor has constructed two ultra-modern water schemes, developed the new Ocho-Udo capital city, constructed a market and 36 bridges, among others.

The motion was seconded by Chief Obasi Odefa (PDP-Onicha East) and supported by the PDP dominated members.

However, the Minority Leader, Mr Chijioke Enyi (ANPPEzza North West) opposed the motion, saying that the vote was premature.

“It is true that the governor has embarked on several projects but most of them have not been completed.

“The people have not started enjoying most of these projects, as I call on my fellow members to wait for the projects to be completed before passing such vote of confidence,‘’ he said.

The Speaker of the assembly, Mr Chukwuma Nwazunku, urged his colleagues to disregard the opposition because other parties in the state did not see anything good in the governor’s administration. (NAN)

Ex-Ogun political office holders protest over unpaid allowances

A

group of former political office holders in Ogun yesterday staged a peaceful protest over the non-payment of their allowances totaling N2.3 billion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exworkers, in their hundreds, stormed the Oke-Ilewo secretariat of the Ogun chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The protesters claimed to have served the state in various capacities such as Chairmen, ViceChairmen, Secretaries, Supervisors, Special Advisers and Consultants in various local government areas between 2007 and 2010.

Alhaji Faruk Akintunde, the spokesman of the group, told newsmen that the unpaid entitlements included salary arrears, furniture allowance, leave bonus and severance gratuities.

Akintunde argued that though the debts were not incurred by the present administration, it still had to pay “since government is continuous.’’

He said that the protest became necessary following several unheeded appeals made to Gov. Ibikunle Amosun.

“We have written almost 50 series of letters of plea to the governor to intimate him of our predicament.

“It is important to state that none of the duly stamped and received letters have been acknowledged up till today,’’ he said.

Akintunde, who claimed that 12 members had died due to lack of fund to attend to medical needs, alleged that the present administration had been insensitive to their plight. “ Life has become miserable for us while some of our colleagues have been made to pay the supreme price of death due to their inability to get necessary funds for their medical expenses,’’ he said.

Akintunde distributed copies of a circular dated March 12 by the state Ministry of Local Government Affairs which directed all council chairmen to commence a gradual settlement of the entitlements from their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) The chairman, who faulted the arrangement, wondered how such a huge amount could be offset through IGR. Akintunde, however, appealed to well- meaning indigenes of Ogun to prevail on the government to pay their entitlements without delay.

All efforts to speak with Alhaji Yousuph Olaniyonu and Mr Muyiwa Oladipo, Commissioners for Information and Local Government Affairs respectively, proved abortive as calls made to their mobile numbers were not responded to. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 39

Fears over renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Niger Delta region seems to be sliding back to hostility, following Fridays attack leaving 15 police officers dead. The attack, followed Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) threat to resume attacks in the oil rich Niger Delta to avenge alleged collaboration between the Federal Government and South Africa to jail its former leader, Henry Okah. Security agencies had dismissed the threat and said they were ready for MEND which tagged its promised resurgence of attacks, 'Hurricane Exodus.'

While Former Niger Delta Warlords in the likes of Chief Ateke Tom, Chief Ebikabowei Ben (aka Boyloaf) and Chief Soboma Jackreece (aka Egberipapa) had earlier dismissed the threat, recent attack has continued to raise threat to the peace brought into the region in 2009 by Late President Umaru Musa Yaradua in an amnesty deal with the militants. MEND had claimed responsibility for the killing of 15 security officers in the latest attack.

Though It was however not possible to determine if the statement was authentic, Bayelsa state Police commissioner Kingsley Omire, claimed that recent violence in the Niger Delta was not linked to the group, which has been mostly inactive since a 2009 amnesty deal brokered by former President Late Umaru Yaradua.

MEND has broken down in the years since the 2009 amnesty, with most major militant leaders having embraced the deal. Omire, said the killing of his men had nothing to do with MEND's threat of last week and there was no link and the ambush appeared to be related to a dispute between an ex-militant and his gang.

He said the attack came while officers were escorting an ex-militant for his mother's burial. Omire blamed the fate of the policemen on a dispute

IGP Mohammed Abubakar between the gunmen and the government over their amnesty payments. According to police, the attackers were members of the gang linked to the ex-militant and who have alleged that he had not properly distributed amnesty payments.

Also leadership of Ijaw extraction in Nigeria and beyond, under the aegis of "Izon Ikemi", has said that the alleged threat to bomb the Niger Delta was not issued by MEND.The Niger Delta group warned those behind the threat to retrace their steps so as not to plunge Nigeria into war.

Izon Ikemi Chairman, Tony Uranta, averred that the Niger Delta people remained committed to the peace and amnesty process in the region."There is no person of Ijaw or Niger Delta extraction who is involved in anything

anti-government as our investigations revealed. The threat is not from MEND, as the group is no longer in existence, but was dissolved when the Niger Delta armed agitators accepted amnesty", Izon Ikemi stated.

The Ijaw group said that the attack statement may be by the Boko Haram sect in its efforts to expand its operations, but wanted the blame to go to MEND."We have deployed our own intelligence all over the region and would resist any attempt to bomb our people, or smear our name", the group further stated.

Izon Ikemi however urged the people of the Niger Delta to remain calm. It also urged the Boko Haram sect to accede to a total ceasefire and dialogue with the authorities, if they desire amnesty.

MEND had in a statement purportedly issued by it, and signed by Jomo Gbomo, announced that it would commence attacks from midnight on Friday, April 5, 2013 in sustained attacks codenamed "Hurricane Exodus."The threat was issued a few hours after a South African court sentenced MEND leader, Henry Okah, to 24 years imprisonment over the October 1 Independence Day bombings in Abuja. It said the incarceration of its leader would not affect its activities.

However, another email from MEND, signed by a Comrade Azizi, claims that "Jomo Gbomo no longer exist", and that Henry Okah has condemned the earlier mail, and dissociated himself from any planned violence in the Niger Delta or any other part of Nigeria.

As arguments and counter arguments continues, Nigeria can ill afford a return to violence in the Niger Delta, with security forces already battling a deadly insurgency by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram in the country's northern and central regions. Meanwhile, youths in the oil producing region have appealed to MEND to give peace a chance and shelve their planned resumption of hostilities.

National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Parliament, Mr. Imoh Okoko, said that it was imperative for MEND to sheathe its sword so as to ensure that the Federal Government would not have any excuse not to develop the region.

"We in the Niger Delta Youth Parliament believe that things would only get worse for the region if MEND carries out its threat of resuming hostilities.

Creating more crises is not the best for Niger Delta now.

"We are appealing to MEND to exercise patience. President Goodluck Jonathan and Okah are from the same state. There is no need for MEND to strike so that the government will not have any excuse for not developing the Niger Delta."

ANPP chieftain calls for another state in South East

F

ormer ANPP governorship candidate in Imo, Benneth Lemchi, has called for the creation of additional state in the South East of the country for equity and justice.

Lemchi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt yesterday.

The political chieftain, who urged the National Assembly and the Federal Government to see his call as a matter of priority, said a new state in the region was not

negotiable.

Lemchi said that a new state in the region would guarantee development and allay fears of marginalisation.

"People of the South East need to be carried along like any other zone in the country in the area of state distribution.

"It is through states that resources are shared, so the more the states the bigger the share.''

Lemchi said that a new state in the region would also contribute to the nation's

economic advancement, adding that with such geo-political entity, new human and material resources would be created.

According to him, the fivestate structure of the region has impeded its economic expansion in spite the fact that the zone is "viable and enterprising'' and needs to be encouraged to blossom.

He said that the South East was thickly populated enough to have two new states, pointing out that for now, it would content with one.

The former governorship candidate called on stake holders and leaders in the area to rise up in unison for the actualisation of the peoples' dream for the creation of such a geo-political entity.

Lemchi said that the call for a new ''Igbo state'', would not be taken serious by Federal Government if there were discordant applications.

He, however, commended the Federal Government for carrying the region along in the area of federal appointments.(NAN).

FOI Act: Adoke wants institutions to promptly deliver information

T

he Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, has called for prompt delivery of information by public institutions as covered by the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Adoke made the call in Enugu yesterday at the South East zonal workshop on access to information and democratic governance.

He said the practice of keeping accurate and timely information would encourage the prompt delivery.

The minister explained that the major challenge hindering the implementation of the Act was the culture of secrecy on the part of public officers, saying that his office was working toward achieving the full implementation.

“It is worth recalling that the implementation of the FOI Act is one of the cardinal strategies of my office that is being pursued under the aegis of the panel on the implementation of justice reform.

“Public institutions should always be mindful that the Act requires them to take reasonable steps to segregate and release non-exempt information,’’ he said.

Adoke called for a sustained dialogue between stakeholders to engender the culture of transparency and accountability in governance.

In an address, Gov. Sullivan Chime noted that access to information was one of the cornerstones to democracy.

Chime, represented by the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Anthony Ani, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the Act, saying it was a move toward the transformation of the country.

He maintained that the Act would help to reduce corruption and waste in public offices and generally bring about rapid development of the country.

“FOI will not be appreciated or its benefits fully realised if conscious and concerted efforts are not made to bring it to the doorsteps of those saddled with the task of enforcing and implementing it,’’ the governor said.

Chime promised the commitment of the state government toward ensuring that the goal of the Act was achieved.

The workshop was attended by judicial officers from the South East zone.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 40

Olayinka: 3,200 sign condolence registers

N

L-R: Secretary to the Kogi state government, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, Senate President David Mark, Senator Robert Borroffice, his wife, and Hon. Ezekiel Adaji, during thanksgiving church service of Senate president at 65, on Sunday in Benue.

NGO advocates continuous voter registration in Nigeria A

lliance for Credible Elections (ACE), an NGO, yesterday called on INEC to commence continuous voter registration in accordance with the Electoral Act of 2010.

The General-Secretary of the Alliance, Mr Emma Ezeazu, made call at a News Conference in Abuja on INEC’s preparation toward 2015 elections.

“We call on the INEC to commence in earnest, the continuous voter registration in accordance with the law as stipulated in section 10 (1) of the 2010 Electoral Act. “The Act states that there shall be continuous registration of all persons qualified to be registered voters,” he said.

Ezeazu recalled that INEC had over time acknowledged the need for such exercise, adding that at each point it assured Nigerians that it would embark on the registration, adding that this had not materialised.

He also stressed the need for the commission to embark on sensitisation campaign with a view to educating citizens on when the exercise would commence.

The general-secretary said that “for Nigeria to have credible elections in 2015, voter register must not only be updated, but also be a product of a correct legal procedure”.

He said that early preparation could assist INEC to

tackle logistic challenges toward successful conduct of 2015 general elections.

“We, therefore, call on INEC to release and make public a comprehensive plan for the nationwide continuous voter registration.”

Ezeazu also called on INEC to accord priority attention to the transfer of registered voters in line with the provision of the law to ensure that they were not disenfranchised.

He further advised the commission to review the number and location of polling stations in the country to reflect the population distribution, noting that the present arrangement was outdated.

“For instance, in 2006, an

estimation of about 1.5 million residents was made in the FCT and by the recent estimation in 2013, there are between 2.5 and three million people residing in the FCT. “This shows that the movement of population into the FCT has taken a geometric increase, especially in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).”

Ezeazu urged the National Assembly to fast-track the review of the 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act of 2010 as amended.

He said that this would ensure that issues on electoral reform were amended in the constitution review process.

(NAN)

Edo PDP accuses Oshiomhole of lying to Nigerians over official date of birth

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo has accused Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of lying over his actual date of birth.

Chief Dan Orbih, State Chairman of PDP, made the accusation at a press briefing yesterday in Benin.

Orbih was reacting to the recent celebration of the governor’s 60th birthday, which Orbih said should have been 61th birthday as the governor’s official birthday was April 4, 1952.

According to Orbih, Oshiomhole has consistently claimed 1953 as the year of his birth

“But sometimes in May, 2012, Oshiomhole deposed to an affidavit in an Edo High Court that he was born on April 4, 1952.

“In the history of the world, no one was born two times. But this is happening in Edo State.

“This, to us is perjury. This to us is unacceptable. This to us is labour rascality. You can never deepen democracy on falsehood or by telling lies to the people,” he said.

Orbih stressed the need for Bishop Matthew Kukah to conduct a confession mass for Oshiomhole.

“The documents we have in our possession are enough to send

Oshiomhole to prison,” Orbih said.

According to him, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Alhaji Salisu Buhari and late Senate President, Chief Evans Enwerem were duly sanctioned for a similar offence.

The PDP chairman called on Oshiomhole to resign in honour and hand over to the Deputy Governor in light of the alleged inconsistencies in his year of birth.

Orbih further said that in view of this alleged deceit, Oshiomhole could never be seen as deepening democracy for public welfare.

Reacting to the allegation, the Special Adviser on Media to the governor, Mr Kassim Afegbua, said that this is the first time Oshiomhole was marking his birthday.

“Actually when Oshiomhole saw 60 years celebration on printed documents, he was disappointed saying he was 61 not 60 years.

“The error was from the printers. Governor Oshiomhole is 61 years old. It is difficult to amend the invitation cards and other documents which were already distributed.

He said the PDP in Edo was capitalising on the error to seek public attention. (NAN)

o fewer than 3,200 individuals and representatives of corporate organisations as well as development partners have signed the condolence registers opened in memory of late Ekiti Deputy Governor, Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka.

Gov. Kayode Fayemi had during a broadcast on Sunday night directed that condolence registers be opened at the Government House, Governor’s Office, Deputy Governor’s Office, House of Assembly as well as Ekiti State Liaison offices in Lagos and Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that several sympathisers were sighted yesterday in Ado-Ekiti signing the registers and commiserating with the bereaved family and the state government.

NAN also observed that the state wore a mournful look with most ministries, agencies and corporations shut or operating at low ebb.

Flags in public establishments and private organisations were also flown at half mast in line with the directives of the governor.

Though the state government had approved a state burial for Olayinka, no fewer than 150 groups had signified interest to take part in the burial.

In his condolence message, a former Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Chief Akin Osuntokun, described Olayinka’s death as “exceptionally regrettable and personal loss to the Osuntokun dynasty of Ekiti.’’

Osuntokun, a former Managing Director of NAN, said the late deputy governor would be sadly missed by the family because of her dedication, charitable personality, comportment and dedication to duty.

“I recollect that our paths crossed when I was the Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during which she was also the Corporate Affairs Manager of United Bank for Africa (UBA).

“From that very day onward, she left me with an impression of a most pleasant person I have ever met.

“Even though we were politically apart, she remained an outstanding public figure I could easily connect with within a short period of time, thereby making her death a personal loss,’’ he said.

Similarly, Rep. Abike DabiriErewa, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, described the death of Olayinka as “devastating.’’

The lawmaker in a statement expressed shock and disbelief over the death of the deputy governor.

“Her death is very devastating and sad. In fact, I am short of words’’ she said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 41

Technical Committee meets today over Keshi, Yobo brickbat

By Patrick Andrew

T

he Nigeria Football Federation's technical subcommittee will today mediate between Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi and team skipper Joseph Yobo over the latter's brickbat and the subsequent response.

Yobo had gone on air to criticise the coach for lacking the courtesy of informing him that he was going to be excluded for last month's 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Harambee Stars of Kenya.

Keshi did not call up the skipper for the game and has subsequently dropped him from the list of 30 players he wants to report to the camp to begin preparations for the hectic June schedule.

However, following fierce exchanges, the leadership of the executive committee of the NFF mandated the committee to look into the wrangling between them

with a view to resolving same.

"It's not just the current issue between Keshi and Yobo. We don't want to massage anybody's ego but seek solution to the problem.

We are going to evolve a holistic approach to address other issues raised by other players.

"These players are Nigerians and have served the country and we don't want them feeling they have been abandoned. Even if it would take us visiting these players in their clubs, we would do so," Chris Green chairman of the committee said.

Meanwhile, Green, has lent support to Super Eagles head coach, Stephen keshi, on his choice of players called up for the hectic June World Cup qualifying games as well as the FIFA Confederation Cup matches in Brazil.

Before now, Peter Odemwingie, Danny Shittu, Emmanuel Emenike have had issues with Keshi's treatment of players especially once a player picks up injury even as Vincent Enyeama

Nigeria lose World Wheelchair Basketball ticket to S/Africa

N

igeria will not be participating in the 2013 edition of the World U-23 Wheelchair Basketball tournament in Turkey later in the year following the lose to South Africa.

Victor Anusa, the Secretary, Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball Federation (NWBF), confirmed yesterday in Lagos stressing that it was painful she could not sail through.

Anusa said that Nigeria lost the ticket at the just-ended Africa U-23 Wheelchair Basketball competition held between March 29 and April 6, in South Africa.

The secretary, who accompanied the team to the event, said that Nigeria lost 2642 to hosts South Africa at the finals.

He said that the continental competition served as the qualifier for the only African nation to the world tournament.

"The Nigerian team played well, but the South Africans were better. ``There was no how we could have outplayed the South Africans, because their players were of international status, unlike in Nigeria where we are just developing the sport.

Moreover their players have better welfare incentives than our players," Anusa said.

According to him, the South African athletes had a monthly

welfare package from a consortium of private firms, unlike their Nigerian counterparts with no regular income.

He added that the South Africans also paraded an array of world beaters that can confront the world number one wheelchair basketball nation in any tournament. ``The standard and accuracy of play by the South African players was so smooth that they can charm their sponsors to do more and their supporters for maximum support," he said.

Zimbabwe and Algeria also participated in the eight-day championship.

Stephen Keshi and Joseph Yobo have been involved in a shouting match had tactfully cautioned the technical crew against poor treatment of senior players.

"We appointed Keshi for the Super Eagles job and we have resolved to give him a free hand to pick the players he deems fit to prosecute matches and thus far his selections have produced results," Green said stressing that the coach reserves the right to call up whoever he feels would fit into his game plan.

Green said the committee could only makes suggestion or draw the coach's attention to any player of Nigerian extraction who is doing well but was quick to say that the coach alone

decides whether the player would be suitable or not.

"A coach is a coach and is in charge of his team and can decide the players who could best intreprete his game plan for him.

Ours is to offer suggestions, make observations, but the final decision belongs to the coach," he said.

Though expressed worries over recent complaint of some players, Green insisted that they should first resolve issues with the coach rather take such matter to the media and assured that his committee would carefully look at the issues that led to public outburst between Keshi and Yobo.

"However, when players begin to complain and senior players for that matter, there is need for us mediate because the team can only achieve more when they are united. I remember how we resolved the issue of former coach Samson Siasia and Osaze Odemwingie."

Peoples Daily Sports recalls that Yobo had berated Keshi for not caring to inform him that he won't be called up for the match versus Kenya as did Emenike who had complaint that the coach never called to find out he was faring since he sustained injury during the AFCON semi-final match against Mali.

UNICAL inaugurates LOC for 2014 WAUG-BTATT championships

T

he University of Calabar (UNICAL) has inaugurated a 38-member Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2014 West African Universities Games-Badminton, Tennis, Athletics and Table Tennis (WAUG-BTATT) Championships.

It also set up various subcommittees, including a sevenmember Publicity Sub-Committee for the Games with Mr Effiong Eyo, the university's Public Relations Officer as its Chairman.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

James Epoke, said at the

inauguration on Monday in Calabar that winning the hosting right for the competition had brought fame to the institution.

Epoke said it had also brought enormous challenges, including the provision of facilities but assured Nigerians that that the institution would surmount the problems.

He appealed to the various subcommittees to work harmoniously to ensure the success of the championships billed for the first quarter of 2014.

Epoke said that winning the

hosting right was an opportunity for UNICAL to showcase its rich potential in sports.

The LOC is headed by Prof. James Utsalo, the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of UNICAL. In his address, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof Julius Okojie, acknowledged what he called the major role Cross River had played in hosting major competitions in recent times.

Represented by Prof. Akaneren Essien, the former Vice-Chancellor

of University of Uyo, Okojie said such roles could be attributed to the relative peace in the state.

Okojie also said that the beautiful and serene environment provided by the past and present administrations at UNICAL was also ideal for the hosting of WAUGBTATT 2014.

Meanwhile, Eyo has charged the publicity sub-committee to provide adequate sensitisation and media coverage before, during and after the Games through what he called the multimedia approach.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 43

Real Madrid, Bayern Munich set for UCL semi-finals C

omfortable first-leg winners at home to Galatasaray and Juventus respectively, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are well placed to advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, though they can take nothing for granted with tricky away trips coming up.

In contrast, the other two ties are too close to call. Despite a dominant performance at Malaga last week, Borussia Dortmund failed to score and still have much to do to prevail in their goalless tie, while Paris Saint-Germain’s late rally against Barcelona secured them a 2-2 draw and a lifeline ahead of their visit to the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The odds are heavily weighted in favour of Spain’s big two and the German duo. Based on all previous Champions League first-leg ties ending with the same scorelines as those recorded last week, Real Madrid have a 94 per cent chance of progressing, while Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund respectively have 82, 80 and 67.4 percent chances of doing the same.

The long-awaited returns from illness of French defender Eric Abidal and coach Tito Vilanova have brought Barcelona some welcome stability, with the Catalans celebrating their respective recoveries with a 5-0 defeat of Mallorca at the weekend.

Playing at their fluid best despite the absence of Lionel Messi, who is expected to start the second leg on the bench, Barça showed their struggling Liga opponents no mercy, with CescFabregasdeputising ably for the Argentinian and scoring a hat-trick and Alexis Sanchez chipping in with two goals of his own.

Barcelona’s problems lie at the back, where they are without the services of CarlesPuyol and Javier Mascherano.

Having made a quickerthan-expected recovery from injury, Adriano is likely to line up alongside Gerard Pique in the middle of defence, while the livewire Pedro will make his return up front.

As for PSG, the two Thiagos, Silva and Motta, are both doubtful starters, and BlaiseMatuidi will miss the game altogether through suspension, though CoachCarlo Ancelotti does have plenty of options available to him in his well-manned squad.

The Parisians have to win or earn a high-scoring draw if they are to advance, a tall order at a stadium where Barcelona are unbeaten in 20 Champions League matches, their last home loss surprisingly coming against

Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben battling for possession of the ball when Real Madrid and Bayern Munich clash.

Rubin Kazan in October 2009.

Both clubs enjoyed a productive weekend, Juventus earning a hard-fought 2-1 win over Pescara to all but retain their Serie A title, and Bayern clinching their 23rd Bundesliga in record time, having opened up a 20-point lead over closest challengers Borussia Dortmund

with six games remaining.

The return of Javi Martinez will further buoy Bayern ahead of their trip to the Juventus Stadium, where they will set about defending their 2-0 lead.

Juve never recovered from David Alaba 23-second opener in the first leg and will be hoping to make a fast start of their own on

Malaga eye historyat Dortmund

M

alaga defender Martin Demichelis has said the Spaniards are ready to fight for their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals at Borussia Dortmund tonight.

Dortmund wasted a string of chances to claim a valuable away goal at Malaga when last Wednesday’s quarter-final firstleg finished 0-0 after some heroics from the home side’s Argentinian goalkeeper Willy.

The draw means there is all to play for at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park stadium, but Malaga have both Brazilian captain Weligton and midfielder Manuel Iturra suspended for the return leg.

Malaga have had a testing few days after losing 4-2 at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league on Saturday, when their plane was hit by lightning three times en route to San Sebastian.

Coach Manuel Pellegrini flew back to his native Chile straight after the game following the death of his father and the 59-year-old faces a race against time to now reach Dortmund from South America.

Those problems aside, Argentina centre-back Demichelis insists Malaga can cause Dortmund problems and an early goal by the away team would throw a spanner in the Bundesliga side’s plans.

Wednesday, though suspensions for Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner will force coach Antonio Conte to reshuffle his pack in a bid to blunt the threat posed by ArjenRobben and Franck Ribery.

Sebastian Giovinco is also out with injury, leaving most of the attacking burden on the shoulders of MirkoVucinic, their top scorer this season following his brace against Pescara.

The only undefeated team in the competition, Borussia Dortmund will be banking on their vociferous supporters to help them break down Malaga’s stubborn defence. Even if the Germans do get a sight of goal, however, they will still have to find a way past Argentinian goalkeeper Willy Caballero, who pulled off six crucial saves last week.

Unbeaten at home so far, competition debutants Malaga have little pressure on them,

having come through the playoffs and exceeded their expectations.

If the Spanish are to continue their fairytale run, they will have to do so without their hardworking Chilean midfielder Manuel Iturra and their captain and central defender Weligton, both of whom are suspended.

Though guilty of some lax defending at the Bernabeu last week, Galatasaray remain hopeful ahead of the return leg in Istanbul.

“We’re learning. We’ve got a young team and we know there’s room for improvement,” said their veteran striker Didier Drogba. “It was a good lesson and it’s up to us now to show that we’ve learned it.”

The Turkish side will be hampered by the absence through suspension of leading marksman BurakYilmaz, who has struck eight times in the competition, which makes their task even more daunting.

While Real have never won in Turkey, losing to Gala in 2001 and drawing 1-1 with Besiktas in the 1958/59 European Cup, they have progressed on each of the seven occasions they have held a three-goal lead from the first leg.

Players to watch Mesut Ozil has become Cristiano Ronaldo’s official goal provider, serving him up with seven assists this season, four of them in the Champions League in 461 minutes of game time.

Not far behind is Angel Di Maria, who has given the Portuguese star five assists in 592 minutes of play.

Thanks largely to the quality supply he receives from his team-mates; Ronaldo is the leading goalscorer in this season’s competition with nine.

Ozil has also been in among the goals recently, helping himself to a late brace in Saturday’s 5-1 romp against Levante.

Today matches Borussia Dortmund-Malaga (0-0 on aggregate) Galatasaray-Real Madrid (0-3 on aggregate) Tomorrow Barcelona-Paris Saint-Germain (2-2 on aggregate) Juventus-Bayern Munich (0-2 on aggregate)

Manchester United strike £150m training ground deal

M

anchester United has sold the naming rights of their Carrington training ground to Aon for an estimated £150 million.

The eight-year deal with Aon - the club’s current shirt sponsors - starts in July, and the ground will be known as the “Aon Training Complex”.

The agreement will mean the American insurance company also has the right to

display its logo on United’s training kit for friendly and competitive domestic fixtures, while they will become the club’s presenting partners for overseas tours, starting with the trip to the Far East this summer. Aon will provide the club with business expertise in return.

With this just the latest in a number of sponsorship deals the club have struck up of late, there has been some concern among

fans that United’s owners, the Glazer family, will look to sell the lucrative naming rights for Old Trafford.

United’s executive vicechairman, Ed Woodward, however, insisted on Sunday that “Old Trafford will not be sold”.

Aon currently sponsors United’s match kit, but General Motors’ Chevrolet division will take over in a $559 million,

seven-year deal from the 201415 season.

United became the first club to sell sponsorship rights for their training kit to DHL two years ago. Last October they bought the courier and logistics company out of its £40 million, four-year deal, in the hope that they could make more money from another partner.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

PAGE 45

PICTORIAL

1] Real Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez says the Spanish champions cannot afford to sit on their 3-0 first-leg lead when they travel to Galatasaray with a berth in the UEFA Champions League semifinals on the line.

2] Seven North African clubs advanced to the last 16 of Africa's biggest club competition, with just one round of head-to-head ties left before the CAF Champions League group stage concludes.

3] The AFC Champions League group stage moves beyond the halfway point this week with a host of teams aiming to secure early progression led by in-form duo Al Ahli and Kashiwa Reysol.

4] Ronaldinho believes his former club Paris Saint-Germain is becoming "more and more like a dream team" with only one major star missing: himself

1

2

3

4

5

5] Two-time Scottish Commonwealth bronze medallist Tommy Yule is named GB Weightlifting's new performance director 6] How Hayden Smith swapped Premiership and World Cup rugby union for the bright lights of the NFL

6

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Idoko says Pillars can't dent Sunshine's unbeaten record

M

ike Idoko, the Coordinator, Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA) , says Sunshine Stars FC of Akure has yet to be

defeated in the ongoing 2012/2013 season.

Idoko disclosed yesterday in Akure, that the team's current status will be put to a test in

Wednesday's fixture against Kano Pillars FC. ``Sunshine Stars remains one of the undefeated clubs in the current season, and we are

hoping the winning streak continues after Wednesday's game with Pillars,''he said.

Idoko stressed that the recent changes and

the Abuja National Stadium from March 23 to March 31.

At the end of phase one of the league, First Deepwater earned 14 points after winning all its seven matches played.

The coach added that although the other teams would try to improve on their weaknesses, only a few of them would be able to overcome the fear of their first defeat in the hands of the defending champions. ``Although they will also go back and work on one or two things, only few of them will be able to come back and stand up against us because of inferiority complex. ``Right now, we have done the tough part of the job, but we just have to go and work harder; we promise that in the second phase, we will be a better team than we were in the first phase,'' Erinfolami said.

He said that the team, which is currently on break, would resume training before the end of

the week to prepare for the second phase.

Speaking on the team's success in the league, Erinfolami attributed it to the ``spirit of one family symbol which has been our binding force''. ``In the past four years that the team has been in existence, we have tried to stick together as a family both off and on the court and this has impacted positively on our performance. ``I always tell my players that basketball is not an individual game, so they should be able to defend each other and cover up anybody who makes a mistake. ``Even when a player wants to go on the offensive, I tell him not to do it alone but to have one or two team mates around.''

Erinfolami commended the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) for bringing in new entrants into the league and called for more competitive matches for the development of the local

teams. ``We need to play competitive opponents for us to develop our local teams because the new faces I saw here made me to realise that we still have basketball talents needed to be harnessed. ``Now, the NBBF is doing the right thing by allowing the players to have an exposure by playing in the league; I suggest that they should bring teams outside the country so that we can gain more experience from them. ``The federation can also liaise with some other African countries for us to play matches with them if the federation is buoyant enough; it will help us a lot.

The league's first phase had 10 regular teams and six new entrants, with the second phase billed for May 2 to May 12 in Asaba, Delta.

The third phase, which is the Final Eight Play-offs to determine the league champions, will hold in Lagos from June 7 to June 16.

Coach hopes easier sail for First Deepwater in women b'ball 2nd phase

C

oach Lateef Erinfolami of First Deepwater Women Basketball Team has said that the team will not find the second phase of the women's basketball league as tough as the first phase.

Erinfolami, who expresses the optimism yesterday, said this was because the team had seen other teams' strength and weaknesses. ``That is why I said the second phase might not be as tough as people think because we have seen the teams and have noted their strengths and weaknesses. ``What we will have to do now is to go back and work on one or two things since we now know the pattern of play of those teams.''

First Deepwater topped Group A at the end of phase one of the 9th Zenith Women National Basketball League held in Abuja.

The nine-day competition took place at the Indoor Sports Hall of

First Deepwater basketball team slugging it out with their rivals First Bank

signings made by the team club, was done to repackage the team for better performance in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). ``The aim is to return the club to continental football, where Sunshine Stars truly belong,''he added.

Meanwhile, Samuel Abimbola, Head Coach of Sunshine Stars said that the team was battle ready for Wednesday's showdown against Kano Pillars. ``We take our games one at a time, we have over 30 games to play this season, now we are playing

Kano Pillars and I believe we can get maximum 3 points in Kano,''Abimbola said.

Sunshine Stars had on Sunday played a tune-up match against Fountain FC of Ado-Ekiti and won the game 3-0.

Abimbola stressed that the match was used to prepare the team for its future engagements and to also assess its new players.

Sunshine Stars currently occupies the fifth position on the NPLF table with 8 points from four matches it had played so far, while Kano Pillars have 12 points from five matches played.

Sunshine's Godfrey Oboabana (Sunshine)

FCT FA inaugurates Gwagwalada, Kuje area councils' chairmen

A

lhaji Musa Talle, the Chairman, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Football Association (FA), has inaugurated the association's chairmen for Gwagwalada and Kuje Area Councils.

Talle confirmed yesterday that the inauguration of the chairmen of the four other area councils in the FCT would take place soon.

He said that the chairmen of Gwagwalada and Kuje councils, inaugurated last week had resumed duty, while the rest four had yet to inform the FA of their readiness. ``Now with their inauguration they are going ahead to organise all age group competitions for U-12, U-13 and U-15 which Gwagwalada had started,'' Talle said.

He said the idea of having FA chairmen at the area councils was to ensure that sports development got to the grassroots, especially football to discover new talents regularly.

The FA chairman said that the Gwagwalada Area Council had started with

the Gwagwalada League sponsored by telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria, adding that such was expected of the other councils. ``Their activities have to do with the FA programmes because they are now the representatives of association in the council areas which is part of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) guidelines for football development. So, we are giving them the guidelines that they will follow for continuity,'' he said.

Talle said that players that were good enough would continue to be sponsored from one national age group competition to the other for future development of the game.

Mr Sanda Ahmed was appointed the Gwagwalada FA Chairman and Mr Paschal Dauda the secretary, while Malam Ibrahim Kuje was also appointed as the Kuje Area Council FA chairman with Mr Elisha Magaji as Secretary.

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Tadese sets new course record in Paris A fter running 68:35 at the RAK Half Marathon in February, Ethiopia's Boru Feyse Tadese set a worldleading time in women's course record of 2:21:06 on Sunday at the 37th edition of the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris.

Her performance at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race was an improvement of yet another of her PB from her previous best by more than two minutes.

She now moves to equal 25th on the world all-time list, tied with Ingrid Kristiansen's former longstanding World record (2:21:06).

T e a m - m a t e Mohammed held on for second place in 2:23:14, 20 seconds ahead of Jepkirui.

In the men's version, Kenyan Peter Some was the surprise winner of the race in 2:05:38.

The Kenyan led 15 athletes that included all the favourites -Ethiopians

Tadese Tola, the fastest entrant with 2:04:49; Abraham Girma, a 2:06:48 performer; Sahle Warga, 2:08:38 this season; and Kenyans Eric Ndiema, fourth in Paris last year; Sylvester Teimet, seventh at the Paris Half Marathon last month; and Philip Sanga, 2:06:07 in 2011.

Some finally won the race in 2:05:38, smashing his personal best by more than three minutes, while a sprint for the second place ensued between Tola and Ndiema, and the Ethiopian had the edge as he beat the Kenyan by one second, crossing the finish line in 2:06:33.

The women's race started very fast, as the leaders ran 16:44 at 5km, faster than the 17:01 by Ethiopian Tirfi Beyene ran when she broke the Paris Marathon course record last year (2:21:37).

Pre-race favourite Eunice Kirwa Jepkirui of Kenya - the fastest of the

Calzaghe tips Froch to beat Kessler

J

oe Calzaghe has tipped Carl Froch to gain revenge over Mikkel Kessler by defeating the Dane in their forthcoming rematch.

Calzaghe was the first man to defeat Kessler when the pair met in 2007, winning by unanimous decision. The former supermiddleweight labels the win "one of my top three victories".

Carl Froch (Calzaghe)

Kessler later recovered to defeat Froch by unanimous decision in 2010, claiming the WBC super-middleweight strap.

The pair are now set to square off for a second time, with the WBA and IBF belts on the line. Froch is fancied to avenge his earlier loss, and Calzaghe does not disagree.

"Where I fancy Froch is that he has aged a bit better than Kessler," Calzaghe told Newsletter.

"Kessler isn't as mobile as he used to be, he's a lot easier to hit and I've noticed he doesn't move his head like he used to.

"He's a bit flat-footed.

That suits Froch because Froch doesn't like movers; he struggles against them.

He likes people right in front of him so he can unload his punches."

The much-anticipated bout is scheduled for May 25 at London's O2 Arena.

Kessler has won his last four bouts - although Froch was the toughest opponent in that quartet, while the Brit is coming off back-toback wins including an annihilation of Lucian Bute.

George Groves is also expected to compete on the same night, although his opponent is yet to be named, according to Adam Booth who said that Groves is eyeing a top-ten rival.

Marathon debutante Imana Gutemi, gradually made head way after one hour.

But it was another Ethiopian, World Halfmarathon silver medallist Boru Feyse Tadese, who then moved into the lead and went through the half-way mark in 1:10:08 - the fastest ever intermediate

time in Paris.

The 25-year-old ran very steadily and progressively built up her winning margin, disposing of Jepkirui and Mohammed with 2:21:06, that was easily a world-leading time, and a Paris Marathon course record. Ethiopia's Merima Mohammed was second as she clocks 2:23:14

Peter Some field with a 2:21:41 personal best - led Ethiopians Merima Mohammed, winner in

Houston this year with 2:23:37, Amane Gobena, winner in Seoul and Osaka in 2010, and

The results Men 1 Peter Some (KEN) 2:05:38 2 Tadese Tola (ETH) 2:06:33 3 Eric Ndiema (KEN) 2:06:34 4 Megersa Bacha (ETH) 2:06:56 5 Philip Sanga (KEN) 2:06:57 6 Sylvester Teimet (KEN) 2:08:14 7 Sahle Warga (ETH) 2:08:19 8 Abraham Girma (ETH) 2:08:19 9 Gezahegne Alemayehu (ETH) 2:09:57 10 Gilbert Masai (KEN) 2 : 1 0 : 2 7 Women 1 Boru Feyse Tadese (ETH) 2:21:06 CR 2 Merima Mohammed (ETH) 2 : 2 3 : 1 4 3 Eunice Kirwa Jepkirui (KEN) 2:23:34 4 Dinknesh Tefera (ETH) 2:25:09 5 Agnes Kiprop (KEN) 2:25:22 6 Fantu Jimma (ETH) 2:28:03

Boru Feyse Tadese crosses the line to win the 2013 Paris Marathon

Davis Cup: Argentina, Serbia seal semifinals places

A

rgentina are into the Davis Cup World Group semifinal after their world number 71 Carlos Berlocq beat 13th-ranked Frenchman Gilles Simon to hand the South Americans a 3-2 win yesterday.

A distraught Simon, who saved five match points before finally succumbing, said it was the lowest point of his tennis career.

Argentina will face defending champions Czech Republic after they eliminated Kazakhstan earlier in the day. Serbia and semifinal newcomer Canada also won their quarterfinals on Sunday.

Berlocq said he didn't want to let down his family, friends and teammates who were pulling for an Argentina victory at the Parque Roca in Buenos Aires.

France had levelled the quarterfinal tie earlier after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga dismantled Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in one hour, 42 minutes to force a deciding rubber.

Against the odds, that went to Berlocq, who fought back to prevail 64, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 against Simon who was called in late to replace Richard Gasquet.

David Nalbandian and Horacio Zeballos had also come from behind to win Saturday's doubles, which gave the hosts the upper hand going into the final day.

World No 1 and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic's victory over Sam Querrey of the United States on Sunday advanced Serbia into the semifinals.

Djokovic, who had to battle through an ankle

injury he suffered in the opening set, earned a 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-0 win to give the Serbians an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie.

It is the second win for Serbia in four years over the 32-time titlist USA. In their only other previous Davis Cup encounter Serbia defeated the Americans in Belgrade in 2010.

Djokovic had to play through the pain of a bad right ankle, which he sprained in the third game of the opening set. Djokovic said he probably wouldn't have finished the match if it wasn't Davis Cup. The 25-year-old Djokovic clinched the victory over world number 20 Querrey with a backhand winner, ending the two hour, 35 minute match.

Serbia will now meet Canada after Milos Raonic

sent the Canucks to their first-ever semifinal by beating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

The 22-year-old Raonic overpowered Seppi with his booming serve before Seppi stepped up and won the third set in Vancouver, British Columbia.

But Raonic rebounded to win the fourth, finishing the match with 35 aces to complete the historic win for Canada, who will travel to Serbia for the semifinals in September.

Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic put the defending champions into the semifinals with a tough win over Kazakhstan's Evgeny Korolev at Astana.

Rosol, who is 63rd in the ATP rankings, won 7-6, 67, 7-6, 6-2 in his first ever head-to-head meeting with the 25-year-old Korolev to give his team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the tie.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

Nigeria play Botswana today at ICC World League N

igeria will today take on hosts Botswana at the on-going International Cricket Championship (ICC) World Cricket Division 7. It will be the country's third game in the series following a win over West African rivals Ghana and loss to Fiji in the second and first matches respectively.

Nigeria had lost its opening game to Fiji by three wickets in their first match on Saturday, but rally to defeated Ghana by six wickets in Sunday's second game.

A statement issued yesterday in Lagos by the ICC said that Nigeria had an early loss of two wickets but came back into the game to defeat Ghana to set the stage for an improved performance in the tournament which commenced on April 6 and will

end on April 13.

The statement quoted Adekunle Adegbola, Captain of the Nigeria team, as saying that he was pleased with their performance and the high standard of the game. "It was a wonderful game from both sides and a sweet victory for Nigeria," it said.

According to the statement, a disappointed Ghanaian captain, Peter Ananya, said his team lost so many chances, which resulted in their loss.

"Our fielding was poor and we lost a lot of chances," it quoted Ananya as saying.

It also said that Saheed Akolade was the leading wicket-taker for Nigeria, with three wickets for 43 runs, while his compatriot Oladotun Olatunji was Man of the Match with 127 runs.

JUTH FC sack 7 players, engage 3 new ones

T

he management of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) FC has sacked seven players and engaged three new ones, according to Jerry Udoh, the Media Officer of the club.

Udoh confirmed yesterday in Jos that this was due to the club's poor showings in the ongoing 2012/ 2013 Nigeria National League (NNL).

He said the poor performance had left JUTH on the 14th position on the league table out of the 16 teams in Group A. Udoh said the sacked players performed below expectation as some of them were perpetually on the bench. ``The move is to send away redundant players and engage new

ones in order to bolster the team's chances of competing for promotion. ``We have so far acquired three new players - two strikers and one defender,'' he said.

Udoh added that the technical crew was `being fortified' for the second stanza of the league, stressing that the management would not hesitate to `lay off` any official found wanting. ``The players will resume training today (Monday) after a two-day break that was given to them during the ``match-free week'' to mark the end of the first stanza of the league,'' he said.

Udoh said the JUTH FC would host Niger Tornadoes of Minna at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos, in week 16 of the NNL.

NTTF lauds players' performance at ITTF-Africa Championships

T

he cadet team which represented the country at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)African Junior and Cadet championships, has been commended by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF).

Nasiru Bello, Head Coach of the NTTF, gave the commendation while assessing the players' performances the championships took place from April 1 to April 6 in Hammanet, Tunisia.

Bellosaid that the team, which won three silver and four bronze medals, deserved the commendation as the outing was their first in an international competition. ``The cadet team tried as far as I am concerned, because this is their first international experience. These players have a lot to offer the country in terms of skills and commitment.''

Andy Murray with Sony Open trophy

Bello added that they would represent Africa at the World Youth Championships later in the year with Egypt and Tunisia.

He said that two of the players, Tosin Oribamise, and Babatunde Babafemi, had been selected to represent Africa at the World Cadet Championships, slated for Mersin, Turkey, in June.

He, however, said that the U21girls needed more training and exposure to improve their skills. ``The U-21 girls came fifth in the team event. This is the area I have a lot of work to do because I need to raise them thoroughly.

They need thorough training and exposure but all others are doing great,'' he said.

Bello also commended the Lagos State Government for giving the players the opportunity to participate in the event.

Captain Endurance Ofem during one of the qualifying games of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 7 tournament that was held in Gaborone Botswana

Serena claims 49th WTA title at Charleston

S

erena Williams defeated former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the final of the Family Circle Cup in the early hours of yesterday to earn her 49th career singles title and third of the year. Williams won 12 of the final 14 games and ended the game at 3-6, 60, 6-2 victory on the green clay surface.

She thus successfully defended her title by claiming her third overall Charleston crown one day after routing her sister Venus in the semifinals.

She has won 22 consecutive clay court matches at WTA Tour events and Fed Cup and 15 straight matches in Charleston. That includes titles last year and 2008.

The world No 1 Williams and former Charleston winner Jankovic got into a testy verbal exchange early in the second set after Williams accused Jankovic of trying to rush her on the service return.

Serbian Jankovic, who won this event five years ago, was aiming for her 14th career title. The ninth-seeded Jankovic had won 14 of her previous 16 matches.

Jankovic dropped to 4-6 all-time in matchups against Williams.

Williams clinched the title on her third championship point with a backhand winner to the open court that Jankovic couldn't get to.

Williams double faulted on the first championship point and then hammered a backhand into the net on the second one for a rare unforced error in the match.

Beach soccer team promise to qualify for 17th World Cup

T

he national beach soccer team, Super Sand Eagles, have promised to justify the enormous support they have been receiving from Nigerians with qualification for the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti.

The qualifiers for the World Cup will hold in Morocco from May 29 to June 2, and that 18 player have been invited to camp for the competition.

Speaking yesterday, head coach of the team, Adamu Audu,said the squad has

taken shape stressing that the mood in the camp is promising and positive.

Audu said that expectations of Nigerians from the team were high and they intended to qualify for the World Cup as a one of the front runners of beach soccer in Africa. ``Already, the expectation is there; winning Copa Lagos last year has brought us to limelight and in Africa, we are there. So, we can't afford to let our fans down. ``The NFF has given us the support we need, though we

still need more; but at least to whom much is given much is expected. `We need to impress them by qualifying,so that they can do more for us,'' Audu said The coach also thanked the beach soccer fans for their support. "Our fans have been fantastic so far, they have been supportive and we are counting on their support as we get ready for Tahiti,'' the coach said.

The 17th edition of the FIFA World Cup will kick off on Sept. 18 and end on Sept.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

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deaths of more people than any other animal.

Some Interesting Facts

Say what?

• In the courts of the Roman Empire, instead of swearing an oath on a bible, men swore to the truth on their statements while holding their genitals. Hence the word 'testify', from 'testicles'.

• The first soap powder, produced in 1907, was made with Perborate and Silicate - hence its brand name, Persil.

• The best time for a person to buy shoes is in the afternoon. This is because the foot tends to swell a bit around this time.

taller than Mt. Everest.

size as a tennis court.

• Astronauts get taller when they are in space.

• A dog can hear sounds that are 100 times fainter than the faintest sounds that a person can hear. If a person can just hear a noise that is coming from 10 feet away, a dog could hear that same noise from 100 feet away.

• The typical lead pencil can draw a line that is thirtyfive miles long.

• There are over one hundred billion galaxies with each galaxy having billions of stars.

• Due to precipitation, for a few weeks, K2 is

• The surface area of the lungs is roughly the same

• If a sole (a type of fish) lays upon a chessboard it can change the colouring of its body to match the pattern of the chess board. The sole takes about 4 minutes to make the change.

• Of all the animals on earth the mosquito has contributed to the

• If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, there would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Americas and 8 Africans. Only 1 would own a computer.

• All elephants walk on tiptoe,

because the back portion of their foot is made up of all fat and no bone.

• Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

• Hawaii has the only royal palace in the United States.

• Chicken liver can be used to change A type blood to O type blood.

• It takes only 8 minutes for sunlight to travel from the sun to the earth, which also means, if you see the sun go out, it actually went out 8 minutes ago.

• The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

• An octopus has 3 hearts.

• If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Just hanging out: Ukrainian daredevil Mustang Wanted dangles from a Moscow skyscraper hundreds of feet high in one of his scariest pictures yet.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

never end because of the rate of reproduction.

• The hair on a polar bear is not white, but clear.

They reflect light, so they appear white.

• Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than lefthanded people do.

• The combination "ough" can be pronounced in 9 different ways; Read this: "A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed."

• The blue whale has a heart the size of a small car and its blood vessel is so broad, that a person could swim through it.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Manchester City cut the lead at the top to 12 points as they win at Old Trafford Player Reaction • Manchester City goal scorer James Milner: "We wanted to come here and put in a performance and I think we did that. I felt we deserved the win and the aim is to keep the momentum now. A derby is a derby regardless of where we are in the table. We knew it was important and we got a good win.

"Manchester United have such a great record at Old Trafford. It is disappointing to concede from a set piece but to come here and win is a positive thing."

• Manchester City's Vincent Kompany: "A derby is always a special game for us and to be able to win is massive and it will be a great night for us. We worked hard, they played offensively and have an unbelievable strike force. I don't think we gave a lot of chances away and in our overall play I felt we were the better team.

"Every game you have to play to win. I do believe the way we finish this season will have an impact on how we do next season. This is a good win to have under our belt and we will take it into the next season."

• Former City defender Danny Mills: "Mancini got his tactics right. United tried to blow them away early on, then they petered out. City controlled most of the possession, there was not the highest quality but it was a fantastic goal from Aguero."

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE When government is being criticisized in some quarters it means people are calling for reform...Stealing of government, to me, is criminal — Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of River state, and Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF)

Amnesty: The morning after L

et me begin this column today with a story -a true story that is at once pathetic and frightening, involving a nineyear old boy and his soldier friends.

It happened last year in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, and headquarters of the Boko Haram insurgency. The boy used to hawk "pure water" for his mum in the neighbourhood and his main customers were the soldiers at the checkpoint near his house, with whom he became closely acquainted. After his rounds at the end of the day, his mum used to give him a few Naira for his own use, and he in turn used to give whatever he got to one of the soldiers who had taken a special interest in him to keep for him. This went on for some time.

One day, the soldiers' duty tour at that particular checkpoint came to an end, and a new set was detailed to replace them. The boy's soldier friend informed the boy about this development, told him how much his savings amount to, and asked him to collect the money and take it to either his mum or someone else to keep for him. But the boy refused to collect it, insisting that the soldier should continue to keep the money wherever he might be. No entreaties and nothing the soldier and his colleagues did or said would convince the boy otherwise.

The soldiers informed their commanding officer, who got interested in the case, and asked the boy to take him and some of his men to see his mum, which the boy did. After the usual pleasantries, the officer explained to the poor, visibly frightened woman why they came to see her, and, turning to the boy, asked: "What do you want to do with the money you've been saving, anyway?" "To buy a gun," the boy said, curtly. "To do what with it?" the officer queried the boy. "To kill those who killed my dad," said the boy. The boy's father had been killed months earlier by the Joint Task Force (JTF) operatives as he stepped out of a mosque in the neighbourhood one evening.

In that short exchange, a lot was said and a lot more was understood, by especially the adults. One of the soldiers there, according to the story, made a telling remark. "This war (referring, obviously, to the ongoing bloody war between the insurgents and security agents) will never finish", he said.

Perhaps, in his innocence, the poor boy thought that if he saved up to a certain reasonable amount, he could get his soldier friend to agree to keep the money in exchange for his gun.

The point, though, and what

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FOR THE MASSES

By Rufa’i Ibrahim ruf585@hotmail.com

President Jonathan forms our main concern here, is that this nine-year old boy in Maiduguri isn't alone in the situation he has found himself.

There are today thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of children and young people like him spread across the North-East and North-West zones who have been completely orphaned, or have lost one of their parents, or guardians or close relatives who had been caring for them, as a result of the violent insurgency or the even more violent and brutal response to the insurgency by the Nigerian State. And there are thousands of parents and grown -ups who have lost their children, or wards, or relations or loved ones, or had their businesses ruined and their houses and property destroyed, also for the same reason.

All of them - the children, the young and the adults alike caught in this situation - are nursing resentments, though some more than others. For many of them, time, in its usually gradual way, will heal the wounds. But for many, the resentment will keep growing, the wounds festering and, like our nine-year old in Maiduguri, they may be saving to purchase guns and seeking and exploiting opportunities for vengeance. After all, as humans, we have been endowed with different capacities for dealing with the vicissitudes that life sometimes throws in our ways. Some of us are equipped to handle misfortunes in life with something approaching upbeat nonchalance. Some are endowed with just enough inner strength to enable them cope with

unwanted situations, take things in their strides and stay sane. But there are some of us who are not so lucky, and take the sorrows of the world too much to heart.

Today, after all the dithering and the indignant spluttering that the world saw in the corridors of power here, it seems the ayes have it as far as the amnesty issue is concerned. Whether it is the case that Jonathan has bowed to pressure coming from many, including unexpected quarters, or, as some think, he has merely returned to his better instincts, having seen through all the din, is hardy the issue here. What is important now is that even the presidency has now bought the amnesty option, and a committee set by it has since begun work.

It remains to be seen what the committee will recommend and what the government will accept, as regards the type of amnesty to be granted- whether partial or full amnesty in all its ramifications.

But whatever it is, the important question we need to ask here is: what will the amnesty mean for our nine-year old boy in Maiduguri and the thousands of others in the same situation?

It is unfortunate that the amnesty debate was so impoverished and shot through with all sorts of trivialities, sentiments and passions that it failed to address this issue, significant as it is. Many of these children and youths who have suffered losses and are nursing resentment, are from very poor families, lack western education, and have no trade or skills that will guarantee a bright future for them. In fact, many of them have long lowered their gaze from the prospects of a prosperous and good life in the future to the demands of mere survival in the streets. And the backdrop of the older ones who are also victims of the violent situation and have reason to resent their situation, is just as bleak.

Amnesty, it is said, is a process, not a destination. Its full and meaningful implementation will require courage, leadership and imagination on the part of our leaders. By its very nature and implications, amnesty requires that peace be given precedence over

justice, that the latter be sacrificed somehow in order that peace will reign and bring in its wake justice for all. This will mean, in the short run at least, that those whose loved ones have been killed by the insurgents will feel that justice has not been done to them. For, amnesty will mean that the insurgents, including those already in detention and/or facing trial, will be forgiven their "sins" and set free. Equally, our nineyear old child in Maiduguri and thousands of others like him whose loved ones have been mowed down by the JTF operatives, are sure to feel doubly cheated. For, in the spirit of amnesty, the soldiers are most unlikely to be put to trial, no matter the weight of evidence against them. Secondly, not being insurgents themselves, it is unlikely that our nine-year old friend and others like him will directly enjoy the benefits of amnesty in the way the insurgents are sure to do in the course of their being rehabilitated.

For those directly involved, all this may be unfortunate. But peace is the goal. It is in fact the realisation that there must first be peace for anything else to be possible, even for justice itself to be ensured, that the case for amnesty became so overwhelming and won converts. It was very clear, except to who have been feeding fat on it, that the military option being pursued by the Jonathan government was only compounding the situation, leading to more bloodletting, more destruction and more injustice.

Still, we must find a way to do justice to our nine-year old friend and others in his situation, in order that amnesty will have meaning for them. And the only way to do this is to fashion and structure the amnesty programme in such a way that its impact and real benefits will be felt well beyond the limited circle of the insurgents. The programme must be made to include, massive federal interventions in terms of projects that create jobs, establishment of well- funded agencies that address the region's specific problems like desertification, low literacy level, high poverty level and the state of hopelessness and disenchantment, among especially the youths, that have been at the root of the insurgency in the first place.

With all this, and with good intention and firm resolve on the part of our leaders, our nine-year old friend will be given hope, life will have meaning for him, and, hopefully, he will find a much better and more beneficial use for his savings than buying a gun for the purpose of avenging his father's death.

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