Peoples Daily Newspaper, Friday 09, August, 2013

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Vol. 11 No. 60

Friday, August 9, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Shawwal 2, 1434 AH

N150

Abuja community cries out over prolonged darkness >>Pg 4 2 children dumped in ϐish pond in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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L-R Umar and Suleiman, children of an Abuja resident, during the Eid-el Fitr prayer held yesterday at the National Eid Praying Ground, along Airport road, Abuja.

Photo Joe Oroye

wo children were found dumped in a fish pond along Dumi road, close to Railway quarters in the Bauchi metropolis yesterday.

Our correspondent learnt that only one of the male children aged between three and four years could not survive before they could be rescued.

The survivor was however rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital Bauchi, where he is currently receiving treatment.

Eyewitness accounts said two unidentified women and a man who rode on a tricycle popularly known as ‘KeKe NAPEP’ threw the two children inside the fish pond and fled.

A villager who works in a farm close to the fish pond told newsmen that he and others saw Contd. on Page 2

Boko Haram: Borno marks 1st durbar in 4 years ...As Bayero’s absence dulls Sallah in Kano From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri; Mustapha Adamu, Kano & Tobias Dapam, Abuja

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or the first time since 2009, the traditional Sallah durbar (horse parade) was yesterday

Nigeria won’t break up, says Jonathan >> Pg 3

held amidst fanfare at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi, in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The Shehu of Borno had suspended the durbar programme in 2009 when the Jama’atu Ahlis

Sunna lid Da’awati wal Jihad, popularly referred to as Boko Haram began its violent campaigns across the state.

The state governor, Kashim Shettima, was in attendance as special guest of honour, and it

7 killed in Bauchi auto crash >> Pg 2

was the first time a Sallah durbar was held since he took over the mantle of leadership in May 2011.

The peaceful and colourful event began shortly after the Eid prayers and was conducted at the Ramat Square in Maiduguri metropolis.

The successful hosting of the spectacular durbar yesterday formally heralds the return of relative peace in Borno state owing to the intensified efforts by the Shettima administration to engage Contd. on Page 2

Adamawa asks FG to refund N90bn debt >> Pg 3

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

News CONTENTS News Editorial Op.Ed

2-10 12 13

Letters 14 Opinion 15 Metro 16-18 Business 19-22 Stockwatch 23 S/Report Islam

24-25 26

Int’l 27-30 Strange World 31

7 killed in Bauchi road crash From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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even persons were burnt beyond recognition while five others sustained various degrees of injury in a multiple auto crash yesterday, along Durum village in Bauchi local government area of Bauchi state.

The FRSC Sector Commander, Mr. Henry Sunday Olatunji, confirmed the incident to newsmen, noting that out of 12 men who were

involved in the crash, seven people lost their lives.

According to him, when FRSC got the information, they went to the scene and evacuated corpses and injured persons to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital.

Olatunji said it was difficult to identify the relations of the deceased in the Volkswagen Sharon bus because it was not registered in a commercial park.

He warned passengers against

entering road-side commercial vehicles.

Our correspondent gathered that the accident occurred around 12.50pm, and also involved another commercial vehicle popularly called Vectra Opel.

An eyewitness said the accident happened when one of the drivers of the Vectra vehicle got stuck at the middle of the road because the steering of his car got locked.

He said, “the accident occurred

when the driver of one of the Vectra vehicles got stuck in the middle of the road because his steering got locked.

“As the driver was trying to get the vehicle off the road, one the Sharon station wagon, on high speed and heading to Kano collided with the Vectra vehicle and busted into flames. Another Vectra vehicle which was coming behind the Sharon bus also ran intothe fire,” he disclosed.

Malaria vaccine shows early promise in clinical trials

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malaria vaccine has shown promising results in early stage clinical trials, a study suggests.

Researchers found the vaccine, which is being developed in the US, protected 12 out of 15 patients from the disease, when given in high doses.

The method is unusual because it involves injecting live but weakened

malaria-causing parasites directly into patients to trigger immunity.

According to a BBC report, the research is published in the journal Science.

Lead author Dr Robert Seder, from the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health, in Maryland, said: “We were excited and thrilled by the result, but it is important that we repeat it, extend

it and do it in larger numbers.”

It has been known for several decades that exposure to mosquitoes treated with radiation can protect against malaria.

However, studies have shown that it takes more than 1,000 bites from the insects over time to build up a high level of immunity, making it an impractical method of widespread rotection.

Instead, a US biotech company called Sanaria has taken lab-grown mosquitoes, irradiated them and then extracted the malaria-causing parasite (Plasmodium falciparum), all under the sterile conditions.

They are clearly very early stage trials in small numbers of volunteers, but without question we are extremely encouraged by the results”

Boko Haram: Borno marks 1st durbar in 4 years

Abuja community cries out over prolonged darkness, Page 4

Revue

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Feature Digest

34-35 36

Politics Newsxtra Leisure Sports Columnist

37-38 39 40 41-45 48

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Contd. from Front Page the citizens constructively, as well as massive security operations and activities of youth volunteers nicknamed ‘civilian JTF’.

The youth volunteers have been supporting the special military task force in hunting fleeing Boko Haram insurgents in the town and other parts of the state.

At the resumed durbar yesterday, traditional rulers were on colourful horse parade to the admiration of the governor, the Shehu and other dignitaries while residents cheered in jubilation.

Addressing guests at a Sallah lunch he organised at the Government House after the durbar, Governor Shettima commended “the tremendous” efforts of the Military Joint Task Force (JTF) and the civilian JTF for sustaining the relative peace, which led to the smooth and celebration of the Eid-el Fitr in the state.

He said it was unfortunate that since the inception of the crisis, the Boko Haram insurgents had killed hundreds of residents and destroyed property worth hundreds of millions of naira which include over 800 public secondary and primary school classrooms, set ablaze in different communities across the state.

Shettima however expressed optimism that with the gallant efforts of the JTF, vigilante groups and other patriotic citizens, Borno

was now returning to its good old days.

According to him, “although the state has encountered serious damages, government will not be deterred by the activities of terrorists as we will soon renovate and rehabilitate all the public structures destroyed by Boko Haram sects in the state.”

Meanwhile, the Shehu has urged the state government to expedite action towards ensuring effective security at border towns in the state.

El-Kanemi made the call while paying his Sallah homage to Shettima at the Government House. The Shehu explained that the move was imperative in order to quell possible infiltration of cross-border criminals.

But in Kano, the Sallah celebration was not as colourful as that of Maiduguri as the absence of the Emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero, denied residents the annual durbar that usually accompanies the Eid festivities.

Sources indicated that yesterday’s was the first time in 50 years that Emir Bayero missed the Eid prayers and cultural durbar in his home.

The emir is said to have travelled overseas due to health challenges.

The official announcement said Ado Bayero travelled abroad for medical attention following his

deteriorating health condition. He was represented at the Eid prayer at Kofar Mata Eid ground in Kano, by the Senior Counselor in the emirate, the Wambai of Kano, Alhaji Abbas Sanusi.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim faithful attended the prayers at various Eid grounds in Kano and its environs, amidst tight security.

Bayero in his message delivered by the Wambai, shared the great moment of Eid-el-Fitr with residents of the commercial city.

He prayed for continuous peace to reign in the state and the country, prosperity, good health and a bumper harvest this year.

The Eid-el Fitr is celebrated every year during which the Emir and his horse riding entourage including his children, other monarchs, kingmakers move round major city roads while jubilant subjects pay him homage.

Speaking yesterday, the Wambai said the emir has directed him to inform the public that this year’s cultural durbar has been cancelled, and that the district heads should stay back at their various local government areas and observe possible cultural functions.

“On Saturday, each and every traditional title holder will be at the emir’s palace. Together we shall proceed to the Government

House to pay the only traditional function of raising the spirits of the governor”, he further announced.

He used the occasion to pass on other messages such as the emir’s usual appeal for cleanness and call on parents to accept the polio vaccination.

Meanwhile, majority of the people interviewed by our correspondent expressed worry over the absence of annual durbar, lack of which they said has rendered the day boring.

Others, however, were deeply concerned about the Emir’s reported deteriorating health condition.

In the meantime, security operatives were deployed at strategic places in the commercial city to ensure a hitch-free Sallah festivities.

The water tight security arrangement, sources say, may have stemmed from the recent bomb blast in Sabon Gari area of Kano where at least 24 people were killed, while several others were injured.

In his post prayer sermon, Chief Imam of Kano, Professor Sani Zahraddeen, appealed to Muslims to show love and care for one another especially through the obligatory acts of charity enjoined on them.

See pictures of the durbar on Page 8

2 children dumped in fish pond in Bauchi Contd. from Front Page two women alight from the ‘Keke NAPEP’ while the man who rode the tricycle waited for them to dump the children in the pond.

According to the eyewitness, “immediately after they went down from the ‘Keke NAPEP’,

the two women threw something inside the fish pond and hurriedly rejoined the tricycle and left.

“We were working at the other side of the fish pond because it is a big. But before we could get to the fish pond, the three people had disappeared and to our surprise

when we looked inside the fish pond, we saw two small kids struggling to survive.

“So, we immediately called for help. When other villagers came, we were able to rescue the two children but unfortunately one died before getting to the hospital

while the other boy is receiving treatment at ATBTH”, the farm worker said.

The Bauchi Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Hassan Muhammad Auyo, said he was not aware of the incident, but promised to “look into the matter”.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

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News Ogun denies infiltration of Boko Haram

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L-R: Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Isa Mustapha Agwai I, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state, and other worshippers during the year Eid-El Fitr prayer, yesterday in Lafia.

Nigeria will not disintegrate in 2015, says Jonathan

By Adeola Tukuru

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday frowned at those predicting the disintegration of Nigeria by 2015, saying such people or organisations would be disappointed.

The President spoke when Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo and other Muslims paid him Sallah homage at the Presidential Villa.

Jonathan described as temporary, some of the problems currently confronting the nation noting that they are largely being fuelled by some people he called selfish elite.

According to the President, “let me use this opportunity again to also reassure you, Moslem brothers, and indeed, the whole country that the Vice President and our team and I will do our best to reposition the country.

“Christians and Moslems are brothers and sisters and we must live together.

“Those who are predicting that

this country will separate base on our frontlines as at the time of amalgamation by 2015, they will know that those predictions may not be true.’’

He said that Nigeria would continue to remain one indivisible country,noting that Nigeria’s uniqueness was borne out of its position as “deeply religious people of Christians and Muslims.

“For us, we cannot imagine a Nigeria without Muslims and Christians. You can call it another name but not Nigeria.

“So, it is a blessing that this is one country that you have significant population of Muslims and Christians and this religious diversity will enhance our development because we can get across the whole world wherever we go we are accepted.

“That helps us in so many ways.

We are not even exploiting our diversity because of the myopic views of the elites about our situations.

Jonathan noted that he also joined the Muslim community in observing the Ramadan fast for 29 days.

“My brothers and sisters assalam alaikum. Let me first and foremost use this unique opportunity to congratulate all Muslim brothers and sisters from this great country and indeed, all over the world for going through this tempting period, in this month of Ramadan, in the month that the Holy Qur’an was revealed to humanity.

“Sometimes when you are not involved in fasting you will think it is an easy thing to go through but my trousers are just pulling out from my waist.

“So, you should know that it is not easy to forego food for a reasonable time within 24 hours of the day.

“For you to have gone through this is worth congratulations, so I congratulate you.”

Jonathan called for more prayers not just for peace in the country, but in the world, saying that ``there can be no development without peace.

“Today is unique and I urge our Muslim brothers and sisters to continue to pray for peace not just in Nigeria but all over the world.

“As a nation, for our children to get where we want them to be, we must create a very peaceful environment for them, so that they can develop mentally and be focused and use their brains in a manner that will bring economic changes to us.

Earlier, in his remarks, Sambo thanked Jonathan for providing the required leadership in the country.

He said Nigerians had started witnessing the fruitful results of the ongoing transformation agenda of the government.

According to Sambo, “we are here again this morning after the Eid prayer to pay homage to your Excellency and to thank you for all you have been giving to Nigeria.

“We appreciate the fatherly nature you have continued to hold us, the brotherly nature that you have been a teacher and a leader to all of us and we are learning about.

“We continue to pray that the transformation agenda which already is showing effect in this country particularly when you look at the area of power supply, the area of transportation.

Adamawa asks FG to refund N90bn From Umar Dankano, Yola

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damawa state Governor, Murtala Nyako, has appealed to Federal Government to reimburse his government the N90 billion being cost of services rendered in form of road construction network and other services on behalf of the Federal Government across the state.

Nyako made the disclosure when he received the delegations of permanent secretaries, heads

of federal government parastatals, and members of the State Executive Council who paid him a Sallah homage at the Government House.

Nyako stated that only collective understanding can bring the desired success needed to forge ahead in the struggle of governance particularly during these trying times of emergency rule in Adamawa.

“Understanding and ventilating our views in a positive light is the key to the Promised Land.

“So, I urge you to make our

people to understand the present predicament with a view to tackling our constraints for development of our dear state.”

Earlier in their separate responses, the Head of Service, Musa Kaibo, and Comrade Dauda Maina expressed delight over the way Nyako accommodates everybody in the government activities.

Kaibo on his part assured the Governor of absolute loyalty from civil servants in the state saying that, “as the engine room

of every government in place, we are assuring you of our utmost loyalty and cooperation so that your administration can achieve its desired blueprints”.

However, the NLC Chairman, Comrade Maina, reminded the Governor of workers’ outstanding allowances and the problem militating against the smooth operation of the state and local government’s pension and gratuities in which many pensioners are graveling with in the state.

gun state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has denied a claim by a Senator that members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, have infiltrated the state.

The Governor assured that there would be no breathing space for insurgents to operate in the area.

The Governor’s remark yesterday was response to comments

by Senator Babafemi Ojodu, who claimed on Wednesday that the Senate had been informed by the military that the Boko Haram fighters have gradually moved southwards to Lagos, Ogun, and Rivers states, following on-going military operations in the north east.

In an interview with journalists shortly after Eid-el-Fitr prayers at Lantoro Playing Ground in Abeokuta, Amosun said that, “I can assure you there is nothing like that.

“There is no Boko Haram in our state and we won’t allow them and they won’t and can’t operate here as I assure residents and citizens of a peaceful atmosphere,” Mr. Amosun said.

The Governor urged the people to continue to abide by the tenets of Ramadan.

“I want to call on our Moslem brothers and sisters to sustain the lessons learnt during the period of Ramadan.

“We should also leave in peace and harmony as Islamic religion preaches.”

Ogun denies infiltration of Boko Haram

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gun state Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has denied a claim by a Senator that members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, have infiltrated the state.

The Governor assured that there would be no breathing space for insurgents to operate in the area.

The Governor’s remark yesterday was response to comments

by Senator Babafemi Ojodu, who claimed on Wednesday that the Senate had been informed by the military that the Boko Haram fighters have gradually moved southwards to Lagos, Ogun, and Rivers states, following on-going military operations in the north east.

In an interview with journalists shortly after Eid-el-Fitr prayers at Lantoro Playing Ground in Abeokuta, Amosun said that, “I can assure you there is nothing like that.

“There is no Boko Haram in our state and we won’t allow them and they won’t and can’t operate here as I assure residents and citizens of a peaceful atmosphere,” Mr. Amosun said.

The Governor urged the people to continue to abide by the tenets of Ramadan.

“I want to call on our Moslem brothers and sisters to sustain the lessons learnt during the period of Ramadan.”

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Page 4 Report

Abuja community cries out over prolonged darkness

By Evelyn Okakwu

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conomic activities in Nualege, a community in Gwagwalada Local Government Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have been paralyzed due to malfunctioning of a transformer recently installed by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

With the recent development, life has become boring and unbearable, as professionals such as welders, electricians, hairdressers complain bitterly about the unavailability of electricity to do their work.

People find it difficult to preserve their perishable commodities in the refrigerators. Social life has been at its lowest ebb such that people now go to bed unusually earlier. Another effect of the raging darkness is the relocation of some residents to nearby towns.

Others who would have preferred to stay in the town now prefer to stay outside.

As a result of that, residents of the community have sent a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) message to PHCN. The problem, according to Mr. Amos Iorfa, a PHCN official working at the Sabon Lugbe branch of PHCN was as a result of a cable in the transformer which got burnt on the 25th of last month.

Mr. Amos said he noticed the problem as soon as it occurred and called on the Service Manager, who came shortly after to rectify the burnt cable.

Asked why the transformer has remained without functioning for such a long time, even after the problem with it was rectified, Mr. Amos replied that the problem the transformer is presently facing is that of oil shortage, which according to him, the Sabon-Lugbe branch of PHCN, which is responsible for the electric condition of Nualege, is still going through the necessary steps to refill the oil on the transformer.

However, Mr. Amos, who noted that the community is planning, on its own, to buy another transformer, added that PHCN is unaware of the community’s plan to purchase this additional transformer.

Speaking to the villagers revealed a feeling of anger and disappointment on the attitude of PHCN towards the problem of the community, as some of them wondered why PHCN would allow a community inside the Federal Capital Territory to go without power supply for even more than a month.

Some of them said that the electricity bills they pay among other things is

supposed to go for rectifying problems like this but that since, according to them, a prominent Nigerian or a powerful member of the political class does not reside around that area, they have been left in the hands of fate to decide when the light would be restored to their area.

They remarked with dismay the fact that even though the vicinity owned by the management of the nation’s International airport, which is located quite close to the Nualege community does not go without light, they have been abandoned by the Federal Capital Territory’s power regulating authority for reasons that are best known to the authorities concerned.

A member of the Nualege community, Mr. Joseph Kpelemoh, a staff of the FCT’s Fire Service, who spoke on the issue, had this to say: “The problem with the light is that the transformer got spoilt but the PHCN officials have refused to repair it. Instead, they said that each resident should pay N200 per room, even before counting the number of people in Nualege.

How did they come about the total number of persons in Nualege that they are asking us to pay N2,000 to get a new transformer?”, he queried.

“A community transformer is not supposed to be gotten from the residents but from the government through the

Power minister, Chinedu Nebo Local Government Council representative. The district head is ideally supposed to spearhead that move, but he has refused to do that. The only thing he is prepared to do is to get money from the people”, he lamented.

Mr. Joseph added that the community leaders likes to cheat the people in Nualege, stressing that they (the community leaders) have collected, on several occasions, money from

FCT minister, Bala Mohammed

the people to repair the roads, but that nothing has been done to that effect.

His words: “Up till now, we don’t have a good road in Nualege, yet, they said that if at the end of this month we do not pay the expected N2,000 they will make sure that defaulters pay a sum of N5,000, in addition to N2,000, as a form of penalty.

“When did it become law that the members of Nualege community are the ones

to contribute a given sum to provide a transformer for themselves such that someone, or a group of people, will start dictating penalties for defaulters?” he cried out.

When Peoples Daily visited the palace of the district head of Nualege Community Malam Bashiru Sarki on the issue, the district head, who spoke in Hausa language, had a slightly different story to tell

Nualege community’s faulty transformer

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“When did it become law that the members of Nualege community are the ones to contribute a given sum to provide a transformer for themselves such that someone, or a group of people, will start dictating penalties for defaulters?” he cried out.

regarding the cause of the problem.

According to him, “We learnt that the transformer got blocked as a result of overloading, so we sat down, analyzed the situation with the chairman and agreed that even if we will cry to the government, let us first try to help ourselves so, we established a committee, which analyzed the situation and according to their reports we found out that communities like Sauka, which is quite close to us, have been going through similar problems for five years running, yet nothing has been done about their power situation.

“In nearby Giri local government, they had a similar problem and collectively, they got themselves a new transformer. So, we thought that perhaps the best and fastest way out is by bringing about a new transformer to help the current one”.

Asked how the committee hopes to meet up with the expense of purchasing a new transformer, the District head said, “The community members met me here and asked that I should help them; they said that they had checked the cost of the transformer and found out that a good transformer went for the cost of N1.8m, so we thought that the best way to raise the funds was to first of all see how much we could get the money from the community, then we would look for a wellmeaning influential resident that may be able to assist by paying the remaining amount, in case the money will not be up to the expected sum”.

The district head, who corroborated the fact that a sum of N2,000 was being collected from residents, as part of ways to raise funds for the new transformer, also stated that a penalty had been put in place for defaulters.

Fielding questions on the how they came about the sum of two thousand Naira per room for the residents the district head said that the committee step up to look into the issue had begun counting the houses, but that the process was still on-going, hence they have still not been able to conclude on the actual number of all the residents.

However, according to the community, if the authorities concerned fail to restore normal electric power supply in the area posterity will not fail to judge them for failing to live up to their statutory responsibility.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 5

News

Sokoto to employ 541 graduates in August

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ov. Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state yesterday said the state government would employ 541 indigenous graduates before end of August.

Wamakko disclosed this when he paid Sallah homage to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar.

He said government arrived at the figure after taking census of the unemployed graduates.

“The unemployed indigenes are either with first degree, masters or Ph.D. “Out of the number, 44 of them are female and they will all be employed into the state civil service this month’’, he added.

The governor thanked the Sultan, former President Shehu Shagari, Islamic and Christian clerics, residents and the people of the state for their support.

“We want to appreciate you

for your sustained prayers, support and cooperation and we want to ask for more as I promise that we will not fail you. ‘’Your prayers will continue to spur us to do more to further improve the living standard of the people’’, the governor said.

Responding, the sultan said the state was witnessing tremendous developments under the present administration.

Abubakar pledged to continue to partner with the state government, saying, ``our collective aim is to guarantee the improved living standard of the people.’’

Present at the visit were Shagari, National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, and the Minister of Youths, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, among others.

(NAN)

STF arrests attackers of female corps member in Bayelsa

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he Special Adviser to Bayelsa Governor on Security Matters, retired Col. Bernard Kenebai, said two people had been arrested in connection with the recent attack on a female corps member in the state.

Kenebai told newsmen yesterday in Yenagoa that the Special Task Force, acting on a hint, arrested the two people suspected to have attacked the corps member, Miss Folakemi Akinbode.

He said that the task force received a call from the State Government’s Security Coordination Centre on a hint about the where abouts of the suspects.

Kenebai said the team raided Gbarain area, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa, where they arrested the two suspects, Weri Malua and Ebi WestJato.

He said the suspects were arrested with machete and two handsets, Blackberry and Nokia

brand phones said to belong to the corps member, stressing that the operatives were on the trail of others.

The adviser said Akinbode’s limb was chopped off in the attack by the suspects last Tuesday while returning from her place of primary assignment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspects had gone to the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri, to donate blood.

They were attended to by their victim, after which they were paid an undisclosed amount by the Hospital Management through Akinbode.

After that, the suspects waylaid Akinbode who is a medical doctor, and attacked her with machete, leaving her left her arm held by thin flesh.

NAN reports that the suspects had been handed over to the police for further interrogation. (NAN)

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L-R: Chief Imam of National Mosque, Abuja, Ustaz Musa Muhammad, President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, and Federal Capital Terrority (FCT), Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Israel Akanji, during a Sallah homage to the president, yesterday at the State House.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Christian pilgrims to pay N358,000 From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia he Federal Government has okayed an exchange rate of N146 against the US dollar for both Muslims and Christians for this year’s intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem respectively, with Christian pilgrims expected to pay N358, 000, as against the over N400, 000 paid last year.

John Kennedy Okpara, Executive Secretary, Christian Pilgrims Commission disclosed this on Wednesday in Lafia.

He said that President Goodluck Jonathan approved the slashing of the cost of travelling for Christian pilgrims to between 12 and 20 per cent depending on whether a pilgrim is going to Rome or Jerusalem.

Okpara who was in Nasarawa state on a sensitisation visit, preparatory to the 2013 Christian pilgrimage, equally told Governor

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Umaru Tanko Al-makura that for the first time a sitting president will be perform the Holy pilgrimage as Jonathan has indicated his intention to travel to Jerusalem this year on pilgrimage.

While lauding Al-makura’s development strides, Okpara the Governor to liaise with the state officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), to identify wealthy Christians in the state and prevail on them to sponsor more pilgrims who will go and pray for the state during their stay at the holy land.

He said, “we are using pilgrimage as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation.

“We believe that if people are morally and spiritually transformed, they can assist you to sustain what you are doing now.”

Okpara said that the Commission had listed 350 pilgrims to benefit from this year’s exercise from Nasarawa

but appealed to the Governor to increase the number.

Responding, Al-makura said he had taken it upon himself to build a bridge of understanding between Christians and Muslims in the state, stressing that promoting religious harmony is one of the cardinal objectives of his government.

He said it has been a dual responsibility of his office as governor to ensure equality among the adherents of the two religions regarding the distributions of the perquisites of government, stressing that, “when given an opportunity, I will chose to give a Christian brother a favour than my Muslim brother because as the Governor of the state, the religion I profess is my calling.

“People who belong to that religion know our idiosyncrasies but I should struggle to see how my brothers in the other faith have confidence in me.”

Boko Haram: Turaki assures of peaceful resolution of security challenges

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inister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, has promised to intensify discussions with insurgent groups with a view to ensure quick end to the security challenges facing the nation.

This promise is contained in a Sallah message issued by his Special Assistant (Media), Mr Okey Muogbo, yesterday in Abuja.

Turaki is the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of the Security Challenges in the North (PCDPRSCN).

The message said the chairman and members of the committee were aware of the enormous challenges in the

dialogue process and reassured of the commitment of the committee to dialogue.

It said that as patriotic Nigerians, they were committed to discharging their duty of ensuring that peace returned to the North and by extension, the whole country.

The message urged members of the insurgent groups who have not yet accepted dialogue to, as good Muslims, use the occasion of this Sallah to resolve to irrevocably accept the dialogue.

The message called on the insurgents to accept the dialogue option offered by the Federal Government and come to the negotiation table. ``This is the only way to air their grievances and discuss a

peaceful end to the crisis in the North. ``The search for a permanent solution to the security challenge in the north requires the efforts and commitment of all Nigerians.’’

It stressed that the committee had made progress in the discharge of its mandate, including recommending the release of innocent women and children detained by security agents.

This, it contended, helped to ease tension and win the trust of members of the insurgents.

It assured that the ongoing discussions with the insurgents who have already renounced violence would be intensified in the coming days.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

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News

Sallah: Fashola urges love, brotherhood, peace From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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agos state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola yesterday joined other Muslim faithful like the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and State Police Commissioner, Umaru Manko in celebrating Eid-el Fitr by observing the Eid prayers at the Dodan Barracks Praying Ground, Obalende, urging all Nigerians to relate with love, concern, brotherhood and peace with which they related before and during Ramadan.

The governor who spoke in an interview with newsmen after the prayers, charged all Nigerians irrespective of faith, or ethnic origins to live peacefully in Lagos.

“The love and the concern, brotherhood and peace with which we related before and during Ramadan in particular should continue. The peaceful coexistence, respect and tolerance we have for our diversity, the way we have used our diversity to create strength to prosper our lives are the ingredients that we need for continued nation building”, he said. In his Eid Fitr message, the Governor called for peace, love and unity among Nigerians, saying all and sundry must join hands to repair the fabric of love and oneness that binds the people together.

The governor, who noted that the nation has sadly witnessed the escalation of division and insecurity of recent, declared, “But we must work together to bring an end to that”, adding, “We are all members of one nation and in spite of our diversity; we are bound by a common humanity”.

He told the Muslim faithful that, “the month of Ramadan is intended to teach us how to live good and compassionate lives. It is a month of sacrifice, abstinence and above all, love. In that respect, I encourage us to be our neighbour’s keeper.

Look out for your neighbor in the firm belief that he too will look out for you”.

Expressing the hope that the lessons of Ramadan would abide beyond the month of abstinence, Fashola further urged, “As we celebrate Eid-el Fitr, which marks the end of the Ramadan fast, I urge everyone, regardless of our religious beliefs, to continue to keep the peace and to live in unity with one another”.

Eid-el Fitr celebration: Yobe deputy gov urges more support for JTF From Uche Uche, Damaturu

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or enjoying a peaceful Eid-el Fitr celebration, the Yobe state Deputy Governor, Engr.

Abubakar D. Aliyu has called on the public to give more support and corporation to men of the Joint Task Force in the state to enable them ensure more enduring peace in the state. He made the call during a Ramadan Luncheon organized by the state government to celebrate this

year’s Eid-el Fitr celebration at the WAWA Hall in Government House Damaturu yesterday. He noted that the gallantry of these men and their bravery is what ensured the peaceful celebration as they were ready to take the bullets, die to ensure peace for the masses.

“Whenever we hear the sound of the gun, we look for a place to hide but these men rather goes out to face the battle taken the bullets for us and so we need to be patient and give them the

needed support and meaningful information that will help them to ensure relative enduring peace in the state.

He also enjoined the Muslims to practice sharing, especially during such period of celebration and, “let foods fly the streets to the neighbours so that everyone will have something to eat and celebrate with others,” he added.

He also enjoined the Muslim Umma to be sincere in their dealings with others, shun backbiting and speaking of evils

against leaders, having a complete change of heart so that Allah would answer the prayers for peace in the state in particular and the nation at large.

Earlier, the Chief Imam, Yobe, Ustaz Hudu Mohammed, while leading the two Rakkat prayer at the Yobe Islamic Center Mosque in Damaturu the state capital, had enjoined Muslims on the need for peace and love for one another which he said are the prerequisites for meaningful live and progress and development of the society.

Yobe state Deputy Governor, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu (centre) with Yobe JTF Commander, Col. Ibrahim Ali (left) at the Eid praying ground, Yobe Islamic Centre, Damaturu, Yobe state.

Bauchi marks Eid-el Fitr amidst tight security From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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esidents of Bauchi, the Bauchi state capital marked the Eid-el Fitr celebration peacefully amidst tight security.

Our correspondent reports that there was heavy presence of soldiers on major roads within the metropolis, just as the chief Imam want Prisons to be relocated from the center city.

Security personnel were also stationed around all the entrance of the city and where

the Eid prayers were held. It was gathered that the traditional durbar at the Rilwan Suleiman palace was cancelled for security reasons. Clash was averted when police and soldiers clashed in front of the palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu.

The unfortunate incident happened around 11:00 am when title holders and several prominent people of the state had gone to pay Sallah homage to the revered monarch.

Some of the title holders were just beginning to file out of the palace

ground to take their leave when the altercation between the police and the soldiers ensued.

The emir and other dignitaries including the Deputy Governor of Bauchi state, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh, the Speaker of the state Assembly, Alhaji Yayaya Miya, Wazirin Bauchi Alhaji Bello Kirfi, the state Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Zango, the Grand Khadi of the state, among several dignitaries including members of the state cabinet who were at the balcony of the Emir’s palace from their vantage position witnessed the show

of shame by security the operatives.

The security in the Emir palace was heavy as the area leading to the palace was cordoned off to motorists and pedestrians.

Many people who witnessed the clash yesterday were gripped with fear as the security personnel threw caution to the winds and openly corked their rifles even as they engaged in verbal vituperations with each other to the consternation of helpless civilians as they geared up in readiness to engage each other in show of supremacy.

mark another important day in the Muslim calendar, the Eidel Fitr and I, on behalf of my constituents, the good people of Benue North-West Senatorial District and my family wish to congratulate the entire Muslim world on this remarkable occasion”, he said.

“This year’s Eid-el Fitr

celebration to me is indeed unique because it affords all of us an opportunity, not only to make merry but it also provides us with a moment, as a nation, to take stock of our actions and inactions.

It is a time when all of us will have to join our hands and hearts in supplication and say a big thank you to the Almighty for his mercies

and also pray fervently that He should give us respite from the many troubles we face, as a nation.

“As we all join in this celebration, I do hope it will put in our hearts the fact that we are brothers created by one Maker and therefore, we should imbibe the virtues of tolerance, love, probity and selflessness”, he said.

Akume congratulates Muslims on Eid-el Fitr

By Chris Alu

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enator George Akume has congratulated the Muslim faithful on the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid- el Fitr celebration.

The governor, in his Sallah message yesterday, said this year’s Eid-el Fitr celebration is unique and called on Muslims, “to join hands

and hearts in supplication and say a big thank you to the Almighty for his mercies and also pray fervently that He should give us respite from the many troubles we face, as a nation”.

Senator George Akume, who is the Senate Minority Leader and former Benue state governor said, “it gives me an immense joy as we join our Muslim brothers to

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 7

News

Wamakko pardons nine inmates From Mahmoud Muhammad, Sokoto

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L-R: Peoples Daily’s General Editor, Hajiya Jamila Nuhu Musa, Managing Editor, Malam Abdul-Azeez Abdullahi, founder, Prominent Women in Africa, Nomdeni Changetta and President, Africa Fashion of Fame, Hajiya Fati Ibrahim, when the PWA (Prominent Women in Africa) officials visited our head office on Wednesday seeking to partner Peoples Daily in the upcoming prominent women awards in South Africa, in September.

Eid-el-Fitr: Gwandu Emir calls for peace, unity From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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he Emir of Gwandu, Iliyasu Bashar, who doubles as the chairman of Kebbi state Traditional Rulers Council, has urged Muslims across the country to pray for peace and unity in Nigeria.

He made this call yesterday

shortly after the Ed-el-Fitr prayers in Fakon Idi praying ground, Birnin Kebbi, which was attended by the Kebbi state Acting Governor, Ibrahim Khalid Aliyu, alongside the Minister for Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki.

The Gwandu monarch thanked God for his benevolence to Nigeria

in spite of the security challenges facing the country, urging Muslims to intensify their prayers for peace even after the Ramadan Fasting.

“I want to thank God for this period and urge all Muslims to intensify prayers for peace and unity of Nigeria even after Ramadan Fast and people should continue to be

good to one another’’, he said.

He also lamented the moral decadence in the society, urging youths to desist from immoral acts such as drug abuse.

Bashar, who called for change of attitude, also charged parents to be vigilant about the movement of their children.

…As Emir of Dutse advocates assistance to poor From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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imilarly, the Emir of Dutse, Nuhu Sunusi, has enjoined wealthy Nigerians to assist the less privileged, saying this will ultimately bring love and trust between the poor and the rich, thereby making Nigeria a better place.

Sunusi also urged Nigerians and Muslims in particular, to sustain the experiences, admonishments and good virtues which they imbibed during the holy month of Ramadan, adding that they should also pray for peace in the country.

He commended the state government for the progress recorded in the areas of health,

environment, infrastructure, security and urged the residents in the city to maintain the city’s master plan.

However, the Emir lamented the loss of three district heads in the state within the year and the kidnap of another few months ago on his way to Maiduguri, Borno state.

Meanwhile, the Ei-el-Fitr

was celebrated in Jigawa state in peaceful but tight security situation by a combined security operatives who surrounded all the prayer grounds across the state.

Our correspondent reports that Muslim communities in the state trooped to their respective prayer grounds as early as 7:30 am with their new sallah clothes.

Sallah: Amosun pledges more democracy dividends From James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

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s Muslims in Ogun state joined their counterparts in the country to mark this year’s Eid-el-Fitr which signified end of 30 days fast

by Muslims, Governor Ibikunle Amosun promised to bring more democracy dividends to the people of the state.

Amosun made this promise

when he joined other Muslims at Lantoro Eid prayer ground, Abeokuta, to offer prayers to Allah for witnessing this year’s end of Ramadan.

He however called on the Muslims across the country to obey all the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, noting that obedience always attract immense reward from the Almighty Allah.

He enjoined adherents of Islam to follow the footsteps of

Al-makura charges Muslims on piety From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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overnor of Nassarawa state, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-makura, has charged Muslims to be pure, and to obey the teachings of obedience and sacrifice which the Ramadan fast symbolizes.

Al-makura who made the charge in a Sallah message sent to the Muslims across the country and Nasarawa state in particular to mark the commemoration of the

Eid-el-Fitr celebration, also urged them to be tolerant and to promote peace and harmony in the country.

Al-makura, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Iliyasu Ali Yakubu, noted that what the nation needs at this crucial stage of its development was a committed leadership, driven by honest and open desire to lead the country out of its present socio-political dilemma.

Prophet Ibrahim who received immeasurable blessings from Allah through total obedience to His command.

He noted that attributes such as fear of God, discipline, study of the Holy Qur’an, alms giving, compassion, tolerance and fulfillment of civic obligations

exhibited by the faithful during the holy month should be sustained after the Sallah.

He promised that his administration would continue to putting smiles in the faces of the people of the state through provision of necessary amenities that will bring comfort to them.

Katsina, Duara emirs preach peace From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

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n the same vein, the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, along with his Daura counterpart, Faruq Umar Faruq, have tasked people of the state to always embrace peace in their dealings with Muslims and nonMuslim.

Speaking separately yesterday after the Eid-el-Fitr congregational prayer, the two emirs called on the people of the state to work towards sustaining the peace enjoyed by the state, saying it is a catalyst for development.

The emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Usman, noted that there is no benefit humanity would derive in an atmosphere of rancour and violence, thanking Allah for the peace enjoyed by the state.

He expressed joy that through the collective efforts by all stakeholders, the state was able to eradicate the scourge of polio which, he said, in the past had been re-occurring in the state.

The emir also advised people across the state to take serious, the issue of tree planting saying that this is the only way to make the environment safe for agricultural activities.

pparently acting in the spirit of Ramadan, the Sokoto state Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, has granted unconditional pardon to nine inmates of the Sokoto Central Prison as part of preparations to commemorate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr.

The inmates were released at a ceremony presided over by the Commissioner for Justice, Nuhu Adamu, who explained that the gesture was in line with the powers conferred on the Governor by section 212 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

He stated that seven out of the freed inmates were convicted ones, while two were awaiting trial, adding that four of the freed convicts were females, three of whom had a child aged between 1 and 2.

Also pardoned was Sulaiman Kurdulla, a former Village Head of Kurdilla, in Gudu local government who was dethroned in 2005 by the previous government.

The commissioner also announced a donation of N30,000 to each of the seven released inmates, explaining that the gesture was part of government’s efforts at decongesting the prison.

Propagate Islam as peaceful religion, Ilorin Imam tasks Muslims From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Chief Imam of Ilorin, Muhammed Bashir Al-Fulani, has urged Nigeria Muslims to propagate Islam as a religion of peace without exhibiting any fear from leaders or group, pointing out that Allah is more powerful than any man.

Preaching at the Ilorin Eid praying ground, the Chief Imam warned wealthy Nigerians to guard against misuse of opportunities to help the poor, explained that their less privileged family members who benefited from them during Ramadan must not be abandoned after the sallah.

He said that whoever leaves good deeds undone while alive is like human being who had lost all things on earth, reminding wealthy Muslims in the state to inculcate good lessons Ramadan taught them.

He charged them to always seek for forgiveness from both God and human beings, stressing that if Allah could forgive prostitutes and other sinners, He will also forgive whoever that seek for forgiveness.

In his speech, the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, appealed to both indigenes and non-indigenes to shun violence, stressing that progress and development would not be possible in an atmosphere of chaos.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Photo Splash

Young men queue to collect food after the Eid-el Fitr prayer, yesterday at Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Centre, Abuja.

Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruq Bahago arriving on horse back at the Eid praying ground in Minna.

Women, praying at Al-Habibiyyah Mosque, during Eid-el Fitri celebration, yesterday in Guzape, Asokoro, Abuja.

L-R: Former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruq Bahago and former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida at the Eid praying ground in Minna.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Beggars waiting for alms from worshipers at the entrance of Al-Habibiyyah Mosque,yesterday in Guzape District, Abuja.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 10

News

Army set to implement FOI Act

Eid-el Fitr: Ahmed, Yuguda, Suswam, preach kindness, peace sacrifice

uthorities of the Nigerian Army said it had completed plans to implement the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The Act is designed to rant all persons the enforceable right to access public records of government ministries, departmens and agencies including the Army.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday during the Army monthly press briefing.

Attahiru also noted that the Army currently grants public access to information concerning its operations through the Soja Magazine as well as its website and other social media.

He assured the general public and the media of prompt response for access to information based on request.

Attahiru said the attention of Army Headquarter had been drawn to attempt by some persons to impersonate the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, on Facebook with the sole intent of defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians by soliciting for funds.

According to him, “for the avoidance of doubt, I wish to categorically state that the COAS does not operate the said Facebook account and has no connection whatsoever with the persons involved”

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Lagos denies banning tricycles, motorcycles

Kano clamps down on private schools over standards

By Joy Baba

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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agos State Government has denied an allegation that it banned the operations of tricycles and motorcycles popularly known as keke Marwa and okada.

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who made the clarification in Ikeja stated that there was never a time that the government announced outright ban on motorcycle operation or those of tricycles.

According to him, Section 3 of the Lagos Road Traffic Law 2012 stipulates that no person shall ride, drive or propel a cart, wheel barrow, motorcycle or tricycle on any of the routes specified in Schedule 11 of this Law, noting that motorcycles and tricycles were only ‘restricted’ on 475 roads out of the 9,100 roads in the state.

He noted further that tricycles and the use of unpainted vehicles were of recent, restricted on Victoria Island, Government Reserved Area (GRA) Ikeja and Ikoyi due to request from residents.

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin, Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi & Uche Nnorom, Makurdi wara state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has urged Muslims to extend the lessons of enduring, kindness, fear of God, spirit of sharing with the needy exhibited during the holy month of Ramadan to people after the month.

Ahmed stated this in his Eid-el Fitr message, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, on the conclusion of the month-long fast.

According to him, if Muslims do not make the lessons of Ramadan

fast a lasting experience through sustained devotion to Allah, upholding the teachings of the Quran and the Holy Prophet, the Ramadan fast would be an exercise in futility.

According to him, “it is imperative that Muslim faithful, especially those fortunate enough to be in positions of authority, translate the culture of piety, devotion and total submission to the will of Allah towards ensuring a society free of want, poverty and hunger.”

And, in his Eid-el-Fitr message, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi state reiterated commitment of his administration to peaceful and harmonious coexistence amongst

the various groups and individuals in the state as well as the protection of lives and property of the entire people.

He called for tolerance and accommodation among the various ethnic, religious and political groups in the state.

The governor said he acknowledged and appreciated prayers offered by both Muslim and Christians religious leaders for peaceful co-existence in the state.

Yuguda therefore appealed to the religious leaders and indeed the generality of the people of the state to continue to pray for the sustenance of the peaceful atmosphere in the state.

On his part, Governor Gabriel

Suswam of Benue state urged Muslims in the country to make sacrifices in the interest of nation building, noting that Nigeria is faced with enormous security challenges.

He said that, “society can only make progress when people are guided by the spirit of love, harmony and peaceful coexistence as espoused by Prophet Muhammed.

He commended the Muslim community in the state for the support and commitment extended to his administration while urging them to continue to be vigilant and report any acts capable of causing a breach of peace to the appropriate security agencies.

Security checks during the Eid-el Fitr prayer yesterday in Abuja

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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ano state Government Task Force on private schools has shut down 19 schools indefinitely, while 50 others were suspended over their refusal to comply with the rules and regulations guiding the operations of private schools in the state.

Chairman of the Task Force on Private Schools, Alhaji Baba Umar, who led the clamp down on the affected schools in Kano lamented that some of them operated in garages and make shift structures.

Despite collecting verification forms since last year June, Umar noted that majority of the proprietors are yet to complete and return the forms thereby making it difficult to ascertain the accurate number of private schools operating

in the state.

He explained that the Task Force decided to close down indefinitely 19 of the defaulting schools while 50

others were suspended pending when they will comply with the rules and regulations.

According to Umar, the Task Force

which was inaugurated by Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso since 2012 is not out to witch hunt anybody but to ensure sanity in the system.

Breastfeeding: NAFDAC DG lists benefits From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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he Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, has lamented that over 194,000 Nigerian children under the age of five die annually from diarrhea.

Orhii disclosed this in Makurdi during the celebration of the World Breast Feeding Day. He described the said the ‘scary figure’ as a wakeup call to Nigerian

mothers to exclusively breast feed their babies to reduce or prevent childhood mortality rate.

Orhii who presented a paper on breast feeding noted that, “it has been scientifically proven that there is nothing that equals breastfeeding in proper nourishment for infants.

“Breast milk has the additional advantage of containing antibodies that protect the baby against many common childhood illnesses.

“It is always in the right temperature and costs nothing and nearly every mother has more than

enough for her baby.

“It also protects the mother’s health by preventing bleeding, enables the uterus to return to normal size after delivery and prevents health and breast cancer.”

Wife of Benue state Governor, Mrs. Yemisi Suswam, represented by the Managing Director of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, Mrs. Ada Chenge, urged mothers to take breastfeeding of babies as top priority in order to safeguard their health.

Pension: Kaduna Poly ex-staff allege underpayment From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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he Severed Staff Association of Kaduna Polytechnic has lamented the underpayment of gratuities and pensions accrued to over 1000 of its members who were retrenched in February/May 2008.

The Association in a letter the President of the Senate dated July 18, 2013 said members of the Severed Association are currently subjected to untold hardship due to non-payment of accurate entitlements.

The letter stated despite the template designed for the calculation of severed staff entitlements

throughout the country, there is deliberate miscalculation of their entitlements.

The letter which was signed by the Secretary of the Association, Mr. Austen Omerah, regretted that that the Polytechnic they served diligently abandoned them and left them to wallow in despair.

“We have written to the

present Rector severally since his appointment but contemptuousness was the response.

“We had made several trips to Abuja but all they expected was official complaints and pressure from the Polytechnic management which has not been forthcoming,” they said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Money Sense

Work from home and make extra income on ticket sales T

he deregulation of the travel sector has no doubt made it possible for people to become Independent Travel Agents without having to deal with a lot of red tape and government regulations.

This means that without necessarily having to spend money acquiring a big office, you can stay in the comfort of your home and work on your PC, sell ticket for airlines, even at reasonable prices to passengers, and then make your commission.

Now that many airlines don’t pay commission on ticket sales, an independent travel agent or ticket seller can make some money if it’s worked right.

For instance, there are people called ‘consolidators’ who purchase blocks of seats on international flights at big discounts, off the retail price.

They add small profit for themselves and resell them at

Money Tip:

Ways to save money Consider installing a water meter We take our tap water for granted. And why not? The companies behind the supply exist to make a profit, we pay them to supply water and have every right to expect it to flow from our taps. But if it doesn’t rain, supply runs dry and the price goes up.

So you may want to consider the possibility of installing a meter.

If you have a big home with few occupants you may be surprised to learn you could halve your annual bill.

Don’t buy designer labels Celebrities are given expensive clothes to wear. You’re not. At the end of the day, and let’s face it you may only wear the outfit once, can you justify paying hundreds of pounds over the odds because a top designer has had his or her name sewn on the label? And can you honestly say you can tell the difference at a distance between a N600 designer bag and a N9.99 one from the local market? Think about it.

Quote There is a certain cowardice, a certain weakness, rather, among respectable folk. Only brigands are convinced - of what? That they must succeed. And so they do succeed - Charles Baudelaire

prices that are still substantially below the regular retail price.

They sell the ticket to the host travel agency at a ‘net’ price.

The host travel agency then adds whatever commission they feel they can charge to the price of the ticket and sell it

passengers. Assuming that the host travel agency does not get too greedy, the end price usually comes out to be lower than the regular retail price and is a good deal for the client.

As an independent travel agent, you will earn your share of

that commission. Because of the high price of most International airline tickets, you, the travel agent, can actually make a reasonable profit for the time you spend working with the client.

This way, you can work

towards gradually becoming a big ticket broker.

To further help in guiding you to be coming one, first find out when tickets go on sale. There may also be a pre-sale, in which case you will need a password to purchase tickets. It’s a good idea to search both the pre-sale and on-sale because different tickets may come up.

Find out when tickets go on sale. There may also be a presale, in which case you will need a password to purchase tickets.

It’s a good idea to search both the pre-sale and on-sale because different tickets may come up.

Then go to the ticket master page a few minutes before they actually go on sale so you are ready to buy. About a minute before they go on sale, hit the refresh button on your browser to ensure you can buy tickets as soon as they are available.

Then select the amount of tickets you want to buy and search best available the first time around.

Don’t buy the first pair of tickets that come up because chances are you may be able to get something better if you keep searching.

Starting investment early in life

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tarting any skill, occupation or career at a young age is an added advantage, as it affords one the opportunity to make gains and even recoup returns as many times as possible for a long period before tiring out.

The same applies to investing.

Experts say investors who start young generally have the flexibility and time frame to take risks and recover from their errors, but side stepping the following common mistakes can help improve the odds of success.

“Young investors have the best ability to seek a higher return and take on higher risk because they have a long-term time horizon, therefore have a high tolerance for risk”, Wayne Pinsent, financial espert Most young people also tend to be less experienced handling physical cash. As a result, Pinsent advice young adults should invest their money where they can be assured of dividend and even long term goals such as retirement, rather than trying to manage such funds themselves.

Young investors have a greater ability to recover from losses (if any) through future income generation than an adult approaching retirement; it also offers an investor an array of options and opportunities, firms to invest in. Investors in their 20s will have least 40 years to accumulate retirement savings, experts say.

Experts advise that as a young person you should not look out for a quick swing in something as risky as the stock market. Instead allow the market to go through its mood swings and ride it out and you should profit nicely in the long haul.

While older adults might be easily tempted with hot stock tips designed to help them “make them rich” instantly younger investors should not be enticed with these approach rather they should buy stocks with the

fundamentals to build long term investment opportunity.

Young investors have the luxury of time. Hence, they should not let current economic concerns affect their investing tolerance. Instead of seeing the glass as half empty, this is the perfect time for the younger generation to take an optimistic half full approach. Remember: when prices are down, investing returns increase decades down the line Chris Seabury, financial expert say young investors can also take

“calculated” risks, as they can afford enough time to recoup their investment should the market falter. He however cautioned young investors to employ the diversification tactics, which is a strategy that reduces overall risk by splitting investment through a number of sectors, as it reduces excess exposure to risks According to him young investors should also have a realistic expectation of their investments, so they are not discouraged when the market struggles.

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

EDITORIAL

n 12th July, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan, an aide to the late business mogul, Chief M. K. O. Abiola, were discharged and acquitted on a murder charge by the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos. The duo had been on trial over the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola in 1996. The court in a unanimous decision ruled that there was no direct circumstantial evidence that the duo conspired with anyone as the statements of prosecution witnesses in that regard were contradictory. It also said there was a prosecutorial lapse in the failure of the doctor who claimed to have identified the bullet that killed the victim to give evidence in court.

It is tragic that after almost fourteen years of trial, the Nigerian judicial system could not convict suspects who stood ‘convicted’ in the court of public opinion based on the propaganda mounted by their prosecutors. We rejoice with the duo and their families over

this judgement. For their families, this must have come as a great relief from the ordeal of living for over a decade without their bread winners. In the unanimous judgement read by Justice Rita Pemu, the court held that based on facts and evidence before

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AL-Mustapha’s freedom and matters arising

We urge him to stay more at home with his family members who missed him so much in the past 14 years adduced, it was certainly neither Al-Mustapha nor Shofolahan who pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

The consequence of this judicial pronouncement is that the murderer of Alhaja Kudirat is living among us as a free man or woman. To have such a cruel murderer on the loose is a cause for our worry. The killing of an unarmed woman on the street and in broad daylight is the zenith of bestiality. The security agencies owe us a big debt as long as this

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”

criminal is not apprehended and punished.

Al-Mustapha has stated on several occasions since his release that he was a victim of political persecution and manipulation. We urge him to throw more light on this claim.

Who are the manipulators? Why did they want him punished?

Answers to these questions may provide some useful insight into the unwholesome events of that dark era.

Most importantly, we wish to remind Al-Mustapha that he is still a military officer. At least, that is what the military say.

Since his release, however, he has embarked on whirlwind tours that give him the garb of a politician. We urge him to stay more at home with his family members who missed him so much in the past 14 years. While his admirers hail him on these tours, he must not forget the agonies of those who were at the receiving end of the iron fist dictatorship of General Sani Abacha. They are still wailing and Al-Mustapha’s ‘campaign rallies’ may be seen by many as a celebration of impunity.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion LG reform: The one big dilemma

By Nasiru Suwaid

T

he local government system is a problematic concept to situate. For this reason, there is no institution of government that is abused, confused, disputed and misunderstood. This problematique, expresses itself in the local governments structure, the personnel managing it, the infrastructure supporting it, the requisite laws guiding it, and even the constitutional norm authorizing it. Even the 1999 Constitution tip toes at the terrain of the local council, mentioning that critical tier of government only in silence, and consigning all provisions guarding, guiding, and governing local government administration to the remit of the state House of Assembly.

So bizarre is the arrangement that, even the institution itself exhibits a character uniquely different from other tiers of government. For instance, while the federal government and the state government have adopted the doctrine of separation of power as a guiding principle, in the relationship between the executive and the legislature, the same is not the case in the local council arrangement. Thus, a supervisory councilor maintains a functional duality, in the heading the local government executive department, while at the same time making byelaws in the local government legislative council. So many citizens could not contain

their joy, when some few days ago, the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the 1999 constitution, altering Section 7, which empowered the state legislature to make laws for the administrative operation of the local government areas and amending Section 162 of the same constitution, which has authorized the existence of a State and Local Governments Joint Account, and replacing it with a Special Federal Account, upon which the 774 local governments in Nigeria would draw their due federal allocation, circumventing the obnoxious intercession of the various state governments in the polity.

To be sure, none of the issues in contention in the current reviewed document, has presented a clear and a glaring case of injustice, as the way many state governments have abused the local government system. Here are examples of the abuse: the refusal to conduct democratic elections, paving

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the way for the appointment of subservient and unaccountable administrators to hold the reign of power; but more heinous, is the illegal expenditure of local government funds via the usurious state and local governments joint projects. What the constitutional review wished to achieve was to make the third tier of the government truly independent of the two senior and illustrious forms of the government, to wit, the almighty federal government and the mighty state governments.

Yet there are those, for whom it seems that the intended autonomy granted to an inexperienced tier of government, has not been well thought out. For them, this was an evident misadventure for the National Assembly to grant powers that are clearly beyond the competence of the local governments to perform.

One man who has been the loudest about this has been the Minority Leader of the House of

Representatives, in the person of Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, who confirmed on a Channels Television interview that although the amendment granting autonomy has been effected, the fine details like how the constitution could concretize such autonomy has not been given practicable and workable reality in a way to ensure a smooth and effective local government structure.

Technically, this is where the problem lies. Whereas a local government structure in Nigeria is only capable of making bye laws through the local the elected local council, a financially autonomous local government needs to pass expenditure laws for an effective and legally accountable tier of government. In essence, there must be a reversal of the norm before the constitutional review granting autonomy to the local areas, where it was the state House of Assembly that performed such task of passing the expenditure vote of the councils

One man who has been the loudest about this has been the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, in the person of Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, who confirmed on a Channels Television interview that although the amendment granting autonomy has been effected, the fine details like how the constitution could concretize such autonomy has not been given practicable and workable reality in a way to ensure a smooth and effective local government structure.

areas into law.

The question then remains: now that they have become autonomous and independent forms of government, who would pass their budget law? Would they be able to make and pass their own laws, knowing full well that that a law passed by the National Assembly is called an Act of the legislative parliament, while the one passed by the state House of Assembly is called a state Law. What would be the name of the law passed by the local government legislative council be called? Principally, what the National Assembly did in its review of the 1999 constitution was to merely amend the two sections hindering administrative and financial autonomy of the local government areas in Nigeria, which are the provisions of Section 7 and that of Section 162. However, the mere altering of these sections of the constitution does not enable a local government to pass any other law other than a bye law, which does not have the codified status of an enacted statute or even the legislative recognition of a written law. Rather, what we have is a bye law making institution, through the instrumentality of a local government legislative council, burdened with the task of making budgetary expenditure laws, without the requisite powers, recognition, experience, capacity or even the wherewithal to do it.

Nasir Suwaid, an attorney and community activist, wrote in from Kano

Amaechi’s love for the self-destruct button

By Franklin Wosu

I

t is now exceedingly clear to all Nigerians that Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is fighting a personal war, targeted at maiming and destroying the people of Rivers State. He has chosen to expend the scarce resources of our dear state on personal political and egocentric wars that serves no use for our people. I am constrained to say scarce resources, because economists insist that resources are scarce. However, in comparative terms, Rivers State resources are plentiful and that’s why Amaechi can afford to expend them on personal and irrelevant issues.

However, Rivers State receives more monthly allocation than the entire six states of the North East. The State is reportedly richer than Senegal, which is one of the endowed states of West Africa.

Therefore, this is a very rich state, with huge potentials for growth.

Rather than develop our state, our governor has pressed the self-destruct button. All pleas by well-meaning Nigerians for him to take off his hand from that button have fallen on deaf ears.

Instead, he continues to press the button even harder, throwing our

dear state into further conflict and underdevelopment.

Our state has now become a gold-mine for media consultants, journalists, online newspapers, phantom political groups, civil society organizations and lawyers who are feasting daily on our commonwealth. Every group wants to be hosted by the embattled Amaechi for the benefit they derive from such relationships. A popular African saying notes that once a sycophant is well fed by his benefactor, he comes under obligation to reel out lies to satisfy the bruised ego of his benefactor. Rivers people are now suffering untold hardship as a result of Governor Amaechi’s bruised ego. While these groups are laughing excitedly to various banks, locally and internationally, our people are suffering from unmitigated neglect, poverty and

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lack of developmental projects.

Governor Amaechi should not think that he can hoodwink us. His Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor wept bitterly about the proceedings of the Obio/ Akpor inauguration of the peoples movement, the Grassroot Development Initiative, GDI, and the very next day, this ‘hunger dey kill me’ group, released a statement and also went ahead to publish advertorials targeting the interim leader of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State. We are not deceived. It’s a case of the witch crying in the night and the child dying in the morning. The governor’s grouse is that the leader of PDP in Rivers sate, Chief Nyesom Wike, insisted that justice be done in the case of people who attempted to kill an Obio/Akpor son in Ikwerreland.

He is also unhappy with the mass

mobilization for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan whenever he decides to run. The governor has maintained his opposition to the President’s reelection and he does not expect the leader and stakeholders of PDP to fold their hands and watch him attempt to disgrace a worthy son of the Niger Delta.

Does Amaechi expect the people of Obio/Akpor to remain quiet whilst his appointed stooges use the resources of their council to fight President Goodluck Jonathan on his behalf? No true son of the Niger Delta will support that. During their failed ward tour, Amaechi’s Chief of Staff and the appointed caretaker chairman tried to buy people over with gifts of buses, cars and cash, but they were rebuffed. Despite the massive commitment, the tour went unnoticed, even though several

The more stories are fabricated by Amaechi and his friends, the harder he presses the self-destruct button. On this matter, his civil society friends and coalition of five northern governors will have no say, because when the chips are down, these ‘good times’ friends will be in their respective constituencies battling for their political life.

paid documentaries were aired.

Amaechi and his hired hands have a right to raise any type of false alarm that they choose, but they must not imagine that other Nigerians are babies. His failure to provide credible leadership to the Rivers people is unfortunate and cannot be rationalized. Since his hired hands have hijacked the traditional and online media, he must admit that the vast majority of the people who own the common wealth he is expending on fruitless propaganda have the right to also take their destiny in their hands. They have the right to rally round their leader and also unapologetically support President Jonathan. Whether he likes it or not, these rights cannot be taken away by the spreading of misinformation and tissues of fabricated stories. The more stories are fabricated by Amaechi and his friends, the harder he presses the self-destruct button.

On this matter, his civil society friends and coalition of five northern governors will have no say, because when the chips are down, these ‘good times’ friends will be in their respective constituencies battling for their political life.

Franklin Wosu is on www. facebook.com

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Opinion Lagos, the Igbo and the misinformed

By Shola Adebowale

T

here was an essay written by one apparently grossly misinformed compatriot that I saw on someone’s facebook wall and in one or two website magazines. So many issues were raised as regards the piece written by Chief Femi FaniKayode titled- ‘’Lagos, the Igbo and the Servants Of Truth” and apparantly Ayokunle’s essay was a rather futile attempt at a rejoinder. In my view it fell far short of that and most of what he wrote was nothing but irreverant nonsense and disjointed verbiage. Since I am not given to being taciturn, I only focused on one of his many manifestations of silliness in this very short response.

Under issue3, the writer pointed out that Lagos was not developed ‘by the Yoruba money’ but rather ‘that Lagos State was built (from) oil money’. My take: Apparently, any objective observer would know that the writer has an unbridled issue to settle with Femi Fani-Kayode, on a personal level. Perhaps, it accounts for the venom that is herein unleashed to address the person and not the issue and thereby destroyed the thought process of the writer

developed (from making first class quantitative socio-political research before and economic writing such Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, wealth with a sensitive text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written transatlantic piece),all in a contributions should be concise.

Word limits: Letters and transblind bid to tackle Saharan the writer and not - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your trade(from oil the issue at hand. name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be palm, rubber, Let me just addressed to: groundnut, cite one example cocoa, coal, and rest my case.

The Editor, tin, hides Any student of and skin, etc) contemporary Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, even before history of 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. the Bismarck evolution of cityEmail: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com Berlin state in Nigeria, SMS: 08134607052 Confab’sknows very well scramble and that the following city-states were not colonization Aba, Port Harcourt, Calabar, developed from oil wealth from of Africa, with structural Benin, Sokoto, Kaduna, Jos.. etc. fossil fuel-Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, ,infrastructure and landmarks, These are city-states that had

WRITE TO US

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Let me just cite one example and rest my case. Any student of contemporary history of evolution of city-state in Nigeria, knows very well that the following city-states were not developed from oil wealth from fossil fuel-Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, Aba, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Benin, Sokoto, Kaduna, Jos etc. These are city-states that had developed first class socio-political and economic wealth with transatlantic and trans-Saharan trade (from oil palm, rubber, groundnut, cocoa, coal, tin, hides and skin, etc)

as attestation of being dated beyond 60 years old, in the least. Meanwhile, oil was just discovered first in 1952 (Ogogoro), 1956 (Oloibiri), both by SPDC and it won’t be a money spinner for Nigeria, until 1973 (triggered by the paucity of supply in the international market) during the 6 days war and a major fulcrum of global economy, wealth and power in 1973 (Yom Kippur war).

In other words, such issue like this, shouldn’t have turned into another issue like the proverbial ‘chicken-and-egg situation’to know which one comes first ,if and only if, we are really sincere to stick to simple chronology of history. Simple logic,any state in Nigeria before 1973 oil wealth is made not from oil wealth.. unless we are saying that the super-mega structures like Cocoa House(1st Sky scrapper in Africa) ,or those in Marina/Broad Streets,Liberty stadium(1st in Africa),Ilupeju/Ikeja industrial estates(1st in Africa)etc,etc are less than 40 years,i.e when oil became the main stay of our national economy.I think we have over flunged some of these issues long enough,ignorance ,is the greatest undoing of this nation.

Shola Adebowale wrote in from Lagos.

2015: Between the devil and deep blue sea

By Dipo Dosunmu

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015 is just around the corner and the war drums are already beating. The gladiators are the ruling party and the newly registered leading opposition party. We have started hearing the electoral jargons – capture, defect, decamp etc.

According to Mr Fix-It, while on a visit to a former president, the ruling party will continue to win, using its time-tested formula. Is your guess as good as mine? Before the euphoria of the APC registration dies down, it is imperative to warn fellow Nigerians that “it is not yet uhuru (freedom)”. The difference between APC and PDP is like between six and half a dozen. It is like the proverbial choice between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Let’s face it, there are very good people in APC, and so are there some very controversial people. So much just like PDP. There is no vice that you will find in PDP that is not inherent in APC. You will find in APC people who are Spartan, and waged war against indiscipline and corruption, just as there are those whose source of stupendous wealth is shrouded in mystery. Some of their leading lights have not discharged themselves equitably in their business and personal dealings but want to be trusted with the national treasury. One of their prominent leaders even used religion to justify his marriage to an under-aged girl of exotic species.

Another was even an accidental public servant while yet another was the famed anti-corruption

Czar.

Talking of the ruling PDP, most rational people have long given up on the party. A party that could make barking, raving dogs out of a PhD holder and a medical doctor, both from an area that first got in contact with the missionaries / western education in the country, is probably beyond redemption. So what choice is there then between the devil and the deep blue sea?

Some would readily assert that the “the devil you know is better than the angel you do not know”.

My own take is that from all their antecedents, perhaps the lesser evil should be experimented with for now. It could be likened to two students, one with a score of 39% and another of 25%, which are both failures in undergraduate courses but clearly the former had outperformed the other by oneand-a-half times. Change is said to be the only permanent thing, so it is imperative we use our voting powers to change our leaders from the worst set to the worse, so as to send the right signals to our current lameduck leaders that they

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can be dispensed with, and further encourage good materials to come out and eventually change our situation to the bad, then the good, then the better, then eventually the best.

I wonder if any of our living past and present leaders would attract so much goodwill, prayers and best wishes like the Madiba, Nelson Mandela, has done in his current fight against lung infection. I dare say most, if not all would rather attract curses or at best indifference while on sick beds. And I am certain that they would not be admitted to hospitals in Nigeria. That is a food for thought. I have neither admiration nor respect for leaders who could not say “Amen” to anti-corruption prayers, or who do not give a damn about being open about their self-worth (they must have something to hide if same was publicly declared four years earlier – what has changed?), It is such disdain for ordinary citizens that has made average performers like Governor Babatunde Fashola and Speaker Aminu Tambuwal the

talk-of-the-town, rather than oneeyed kings in the land of the blind which they truly are.

When elections become truly free and fair, most of the charlatans in the corridor of power will not get there in the first place.

Nigerian voters showed their sophistication on June 12 1993, where the son-of-the soil lost in his polling booth in Kano. This was also repeated in 1999, where the son-of-the soil similarly lost in his polling booth in Abeokuta. When we get the electoral process right, where true winners are declared, that will be the very first step towards Nigeria’s re-discovery.

This puts a lie to the zoning mentality. To choose a leader based on accident of birth is the greatest error any society could make.

No one ever had a choice as to where he would be born or to whom he was born. I have not seen anyone in need of the attention of a surgeon or a medical specialist insisting that only the ones from his tribal enclave must be the best. Similarly, I have not seen

As we march towards 2015, the opposition should be reminded that those who have held the nation captive would not let go easily and willingly. Just as Mugabe has defied all machinations to leave the scene long after the ovation was loudest, the Nigerian Pharaohs have deeply entrenched themselves for the past 14 years, so no one should be deceived that they will leave on their own terms.

any air passenger who chooses flights based on the ethnic origin of the pilot. A leader Nigeria needs now can be likened to a pilot or a surgeon. An error in choice could be fatal. Competence, rather than ethnic background, should be the selection yardstick. I believe the average Nigerian voter would vote for competence over tribal affinity.

Perhaps if the USA and France had adopted zoning, Obama, Sarkozy and Rawlings, whose fathers were of different nationalities, would never have had presidency zoned to them.

As we march towards 2015, the opposition should be reminded that those who have held the nation captive would not let go easily and willingly.

Just as Mugabe has defied all machinations to leave the scene long after the ovation was loudest, the Nigerian Pharaohs have deeply entrenched themselves for the past 14 years, so no one should be deceived that they will leave on their own terms. The leading opposition group must therefore come up with a fool-proof strategy to win voters’ endorsement and also counter rigging. The other fringe opposition groups like Labour Party and ideology-based parties like Gani Fawehinmifounded National Conscience Party need to make deliberate efforts to start wooing the youth and the disillusioned in order to become the new future opposition and perhaps another governmentin-waiting in years to come.

Dipo Dosumu’s professional profile is on LinkedIn

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment The self-serving marginalization cry

By Jaye Gaskia

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n recent times, as has always been the case with the thieving Nigerian ruling class, there has been a renewed, strident, and competitive cry of marginalisation by different ethnic and religious factions or fractions of the ruling class. Northern elite elements have been making a case for the marginalisation of the ‘north’ since their extrusion from the presidency for most of the period since the 1999 return to civil rule.

Igbo elites from the South East, have, of course, been making a long standing case of a more or less ‘permanent historical marginalisation’ of their people since independence!

Not to be left out, certain elements within the Yoruba elite have also of recent been railing about the so-called marginalisation of the Yorubas in the present dispensation. And before the Jonathan presidency, Minority elites from the South-South [Niger Delta] have equally made seemingly compelling case with regards to the marginalisation of the peoples’ of the Niger Delta.

Now let us critically examine these self serving claims of marginalisation by the different, but competing fractions of the treasury looting ruling class.

To set the context it is important to identify what the elite means by marginalisation. They quite often and very exclusively discuss marginalisation in the context of power and senior position sharing arrangements within the ruling class. Hence they prioritise such

positions as the President, Vice President, Senate President [and the Deputy], Speaker of the House [and the Deputy], Chief Justice [and the various heads of the High Courts, and Court of appeal, etc]; the service chiefs, ministerial appointments; membership of boards of parastatals and commissions etc.

In order words they prioritise the interests of the elites, and access to and control of state power and by extension state treasury and resources. What they mean when they cry that they are being marginalized, and use our name to justify their marginalization, is simply their temporary absence from, or attenuated access to treasury looting opportunities and state patronage. My take on this cry of marginalization, is that for all intents and purposes, shorn of its pseudo-populist toga, it is a cry that is quite selfish, self serving and motivated by greed; by the various sections of the ruling class; and even among the Yorubas for example, a quite sectional one at that! Why is this so?

A section of the Yoruba elite who have lost out at the home front are now trying to whip up sentiments in order to win concessions at the center. I do not think that those who have gained ascendancy at home consider the Yoruba to be marginalized! What real significant difference would occupying any of those positions by the political elite making the claim, make in or to the lives of ordinary Yorubas?

When under the OBJ presidency a section of the Yoruba

elites occupied those positions, what significant difference did it make to the ordinary Yorubas and other citizens who lived in the south west?

In reality, has this so-called marginalisation led to the undermining in any way, much less fundamentally, the business interests of the Yoruba elites for example?

Is the southwest at this moment governed by non Yorubas? Has it at any time in its history been governed by non Yorubas? I can even make bold to stir the hornet’s nest and make what may be considered, a controversial assertion: ‘The Yorubas, within the context of the politics of Nigeria, have made ‘progress’ whenever they have been autonomous of the center because of being governed by parties who are in the opposition at the federal level; than when they have been governed by same party as that at the center or by parties in alliance with the governing party at the center!

This claim of marginalisation as in most of the cases of marginalisation pushed and politicised by the political elites, is at its heart thus very self-serving.

And in this particular instance of the Yoruba, at this moment in time, even more self serving than mostWe heard a lot from the political elite of the Niger Delta before GEJ’s ascendancy about the marginalization of the Niger Delta [which is true in reality; but by which the elite meant their exclusion from access to the spoils of the federal center]. So is it that the fundamentals of the Niger

Delta have been radically altered since GEJ? Is that why the Niger Delta is ‘No longer marginalised’?

Will the marginalization return the moment the Niger Delta elite lose their current first class access to the spoils of office at the federal center?

Has there ever been a time in the post independence history of Nigeria, other than during military rule, when the Igbo states of the South East, the Minority States of the Niger Delta, the states of the North Central, or the states of the core North and all their LGAs have been governed by persons other than the elites from those places?

Even under military rule, in cases where military elites from other sections were made to administer states in different sections; were the commissioners and managers and members of boards of parastatals not composed of elites from those states?

And if we may further ask; of what significant impact to the lives of ordinary people have all those decades of the domination of the Federal Government by the Northern elite been to the people of the North. The statistics are there to prove it. The North is still the poorest section of the country, with the highest incidence of poverty, food insecurity, hunger, out of school children, school dropout rates, and now highest levels of insecurity anywhere in the country!

Take the Niger Delta case, ironically the incidence of oil pipeline vandalisation and crude oil theft, with its attendant consequence on the Niger Delta environment and the livelihoods

of the poor have seen the highest spikes under a Niger Delta presidency! The cumulative quantum of oil spilt into the Niger Delta environment, and of the devastating impact on the environment and livelihoods over the last 3 years of a Niger Delta presidency is much more than the combined total for the previous 3 decades before the Jonathan presidency.

In reality, the real marginalisation is of the underprivileged non elites, whose slum dwellings are routinely demolished; who are routinely evicted from urban centers; whose livelihoods sources are routinely criminalised; and whose living conditions have been permanently made hellish and unbearable.

Or take the youth, among whom unemployment and unemployability has reached pandemic proportions! These are the real marginalized; and it is these truly marginalized citizens across the country who need to come together and organise themselves politically and autonomously of this light fingered, treasury looting, state patronage dependent, thieving ruling class.

We need to do this, to organise and mobilise independently and autonomously of this ruling class, in order to be able to take the necessary political Action to Take Back Nigeria; and achieve our National Liberation as a nation, and our Social Emancipation as a people.

Follow on Twitter: @ jayegaskia

Power and the morality of aspiration

By Anosike Wilson

I

f the morality of aspiration invades the province of duty, men may begin to weigh and qualify their obligations by standards of their own and we may end with the poet tossing his wife into the river in the belief— perhaps quite justified—that he will be able to write better poetry in her absence. Despite her filth, Lagos remains the first point of call for most foreigners and returning Nigerians. Murtala Mohamed Airport has been long considered an eyesore. However, on my visit last month I saw a different airport, a bit sane. M. M as the airport is popularly called mirrors the larger streets of Lagos in her chaos, filth and insanity.

The over crowdedness, anhour-a-jerk-movement of cars in what has been called “go slow,” which I see as a standstill, provides an opportunity of brisk business for all kinds of trade, ranging from food hawking to beggary.

Apart from the V.I-Lekki-Ajah axis and to a lesser extent Festac, the other parts of Lagos will appear to a non-Nigerian first timer as a mass of confusion and disorganization. I was forced to

ask a friend, after travelling 8am to 8pm from Okokomiko to Lekki “how do Lagosians stay sane?” The following day I was stock in Apapa

by Tin Can for over four hours.

“Lagos na waa” I had to learn one thing, relax and enjoy the yarns people spurn.

After a heated argument, the driver of the bus I was in—who wanted an easy overtake— discovered that his lady-opponent is from the same town—Ijebu. He even brought out a little wrap from his pocket—an “odeshi”—from his father. As he told me “you don’t walk the streets of Lagos empty handed.” In other words, you have got to wrap some potent for yourself. In the end his opponent earned a free ride to CMS. This is the Lagos that Fashola is eager to change; to make her look as beautiful as other European, American or Asian cities.

This desire has led, not only to the imagination of a city in the sea the“Eko Atlantic,” but also to the taxation of liqueur and inner city roads in Lekki akin to the Singaporean ERP, though one has to eliminate the “E” in the Electronic Road Pricing. As I was told, there isn’t much in the book of state and city development that

Fashola—the governor of Lagos State—hasnt tried or conceived since he is an avid reader; a SAN. In his recent attempt to sanitize Lagos, he has come face to face with the stark reality. “What are we to do with beggars, destitute and loafers?”especially, when most of them are not indigenes of Lagos but citizens of Nigeria.

He came out with his unique solution, i.e, identify them and ship them back to their states.

Indeed, whether he is the initiator, i.e, the father of this idea or borrowed it from his advisers, Fashola did not reckon that he was dealing with some intractable political questions. Questions like, “what is the relationship between the state and the country?” “What are limits of state’s power in a Federal System of state’s parliament without a state police?” Fashola or the Lagos State’s answer or solution to these questions reflects a paucity of ideas and morals in his government.

Some questions for Fashola and the Lagos State agents before I continue; “did they tender their unique solution as a proposition to the Federal Executive Council in any of their meetings or the

so called governors’ forum?” and if so “what reply did they get?” In all, the Lagos State government has to distinguish between authority and power.

Beyond that, a state’s power and her limits in a Federal System without a state police.

The unique idea of the Lagos state government, one may say, is not outlandish. The State may be justified in keeping her streets clear and free of filth, beggars and anything that may constitute nuisance, as the case may be. The right to free movement does not translate to the right to constitute nuisance. This justification can be couched in any of the State’s laws or code like sanitation act etc.

If she catches an offender she is justified in prosecuting the person and if found guilty punished under the state laws. Such punishment may come in the form of fines or incarceration in Lagos State owned prison! Insofar as the act does not contravene, come in conflict or become antagonistic to the Nigerian constitution or federal laws ( eg,withholding an individual or compelling him or her to perform an act without referring him to the courts after 48 hours etc).

It is here that we arrive at the laws governing the Nigerian Police and her functions. The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) is still a federal institution and the only institution that is politically licensed to use force on individuals in Nigerian streets unless in times of emergency or war where the military can be called in to defend the country. Though in recent times, our confused government has tried to transform the Civil Defence (NSCDC) into a police force.

A legitimate force to compel an individual in a given direction is called power. Political power then is that physical force which compels individuals to act for the general good. This physical force of compelling thus coincides with a moral power of exaction. Fashola and the Lagos State government must understand that though possessing a state’s administrative authority and the commensurate power, she lacks both the political authority and power in Nigeria. In essence, administrative authority and power is to political authority and power as a subset is to a set mathematically.

Anosike wrote in from Lagos

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 16

Minister laments deplorable state of health care facilities

By Adeola Tukuru

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he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated a 17-man ministerial committee on rejuvenating primary health care system in the territory after a facility audit of the primary health care was conducted, which showed deplorable state of the facilities.

The Minister of State for FCT , Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide said that that the condition of the PHCFs was unacceptable for a capital that aspires to provide world class infrastructure Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, Akinjide, charged the members to provide and recommend solutions for the declining standard of services at the various health facilities in the six area councils.

The audit shows that out of the 215 Primary Health Care Facilities (PHCFs) built by the administration, only 202 are staffed with skeletal health services, while 13 are without staff.

Also, out of the 202 PHCFs that are running minimum services, only 27 have facilities to provide minimum ward health care packages, 60 out of the 202 have no toilet, while the remaining 142 have inadequate toilets.

The report also shows that none of the 202 PHCFs with staff have adequate drug revolving fund to carter for the provision of essential drugs.

Only 15 out of the 202 PHCFs have potable water supply while 140 have no water supply and electricity.

Akinjide said the committee would take immediate steps to address the deplorable conditions of the PHCFs for the provision of basic health amenities in the councils, thereby laying a solid foundation for immunisation and community health insurance scheme.

The minister said the initiative followed the need to improve health care service delivery at the FCT grass roots. ``It is designed to show, in real terms, the perceived gaps in primary health care facilities, the administration is concerned that in spite of the huge expenditure on PHC infrastructure and personnel, the sub-sector still appeared moribund,’’ she said.

Responding, the chairman of the committee, Dr Ademola Onakomaiya, thanked the minister for appointing the team to rejuvenate the primary health care service in the FCT.

Farmer attributes fish scarcity to Sallah revels

F

ish dealer at the Kado Fish market in Abuja,Alhaji Suleiman Ibrahim, has attributed the scarcity of fish in the FCT to the sallah break.

Suleiman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) , that the number of vehicles that brought from Ibadan, the major source of supply, had reduced considerably.

NAN reports that there was a noticeable increase in the prices of different species of fish in the various markets visited.

“Ten trucks came in today from Ibadan.

“Usually, we have more than that in a day; but we had to reduce the supply because of the sallah celebrations.

“This is because we are trying to avoid people coming to purchase on credit and also to ensure that the ones on ground are preserved, so that the supply does not rot.”

The dealer, however, said that there was no change in price from he side of wholesalers.

According to him, retailers may want to use the present situation to

Little Halima Sani, with her mat during the Eid-el Fitr prayer in Abuja, yesterday at the National Eid praying ground along Airport road.

Photo: Joe Oroye

make more profit in the business and so may have given the impression of an “artificial scarcity”.

NAN also observed that the usually busy fish market, which was known for its typical crowd of both wholesalers and retailers, especially in the early morning hours, appeared to be deserted.

Meanwhile, a NAN correspondent who visited Garki market gathered from the sellers that the price of ‘Titus’ fish soared due to a hike in price from the suppliers.

Madam Titilayo Thomas, one of the fish vendors who spoke to NAN, said that she increased the price of her consignment because she bought at a higher price.

“We used to buy a carton of this Titus for N9,000; but now, I bought this one for N17,000.

“I used to sell a piece (depending on the size) for N250 or N300 but I now sell for N400 and N500, accordingly.”

Mr Adolphus Ameh, a consumer, who also spoke to NAN said the hike in price should not deter consumers from ensuring they have protein in their meals.

According to him, fish is much needed in the body than meat, especially for children and the elderly.

“If you are used to eating fish, whether it is expensive or not, just try and eat more of it because it is full of protein and more healthy than all these meat we sometimes eat.

“I buy it for my children because I believe that children and old people, should eat more of fish than meat.

“If you have the money, just buy it; I know the price will soon come down again,” he advised. (NAN)

Residents advocate vocational training for children

P

arents and other stakeholders have advocated that children on holiday be engaged vocational training to prepare them for the future.

The stakeholders gave the advice in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said that the holiday should provide opportunity for children to acquire technical skills that could help them in the future, especially against the background of the scarcity of jobs in the formal sector.

An educator, Mr Pius Godwin, a resident of Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said parents should engage their children and wards in skill acquisition during the holiday to enable them to avoid bad behaviour.

Mrs Christy Abel, a civil servant, said that she decided to fix her leave in August to enable her to travel with the family outside the country to enable them to gain international exposure.

Abel said that taking children out of their environment to mix up

with others was necessary because it would help them to share ideas and make more friends.

Ms Nneka Azodo, another civil servant, said her church organised camping for children, where they would be engaged in many activities, such as Bible study, drama, cultural dances and skill acquisition.

Azodo said that parents were asked to pay N500 per child for the holiday training that would run from 9.a.m to 5.p.m daily, adding that the children came from their homes to the church.

Mrs Nnenna Ugwu , a businesswoman who lives at Mararaba in Nasarawa State, said she allowed her children to rest and play for two weeks at the beginning of the vacation.

Ugwu said the children would start holiday lessons after the two weeks to enable them to maintain high standards at school. ``For the long vacation, my husband and I ensure that the children rest for two weeks. They play and watch films to relax their

brains. ``After the two weeks, we will employ a lesson teacher to carry out some lessons for them, I also found out that my daughter likes bead making, so I have registered her to do it professionally.

She said the knights of St. Mulumba in the Catholic Church had a programme for the children where they would showcase their talents.

Ugwu advised parents to ensure that two weeks before school resumed, the children woke up early and ate breakfast as they did when school was in session.

Ugwu said such practice would enable the children to keep to their normal routine of waking and taking their breakfast.

A mother, Mrs Victory Okoronkwo, said she would send her four children to stay with their grandmother in the village to learn the culture and Igbo language properly.

Okoronkwo said it was the tradition for the family to send the children to their home to get

acquainted with the culture and tradition of the people.

She said the children would return a week to the resumption of school to start holiday lessons to keep them on track in school.

Also, the Associate Pastor of ECWA Goodness Church, Maitama, Rev. Joel Yaji, urged parents to engage their children in vacation programmes that would improve their spiritual, social and academic growth.

The Emir of Bwari, Alhaji Musa Ijakoro, said children should learn skills, such as tailoring, motor mechanic, barbing, tailoring, among others, to keep away from vices. ``Such kind of trainings will not only take away their minds from committing wrongs but will help them to learn things that will help in the future,’’ he said.

Ijakoro pointed out that ``not all those that went to school will eventually get white collar job but a background in trade or skill in other fields will help one to sustain himself and others.’’ (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Ustaz Musa Muhammad leading Muslim faithful during the Eid-el Fitr prayer yesterday at the Abuja National Praying Ground. Behind him from left are FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed,Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawal Ngama, Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, and others.

L-R: Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Israel Akanji, Chief Imam of the National Mosque Ustaz Musa Muhammad, and President Goodluck Jonathan when the religious leaders visited the president at the State House, yesterday.

PAGE 17

Metro

Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo (L) in a handshake with InspectorGeneral of Police, Mohammed Abubakar after the Eid-el Fitr prayer in Abuja. With them is Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim.

L-R: Minister of State For Federal Capital Terrority (FCT), Mrs. Olajumoke Akinjide, FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed,Vice President Namadi Sambo,and President Goodluck Jonathan when the FCT minister presented Sallah gifts to the president at the State House, yesterday in Abuja.

Even children had to be screened before they were admitted for Eid-el Fitr prayer at the Abuja National Praying Ground, yesterday in Abuja.

Photos: Joe Oroye

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Metro

Fake NURTW official charged for alleged car theft T he Police on Tuesday arraigned a fake National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) official, Samuel Jacob, 31, in a Grade 1 Area Court, Mararaba for alleged car theft.

Police prosecutor Inuwa Maigida told the court that the matter was reported at the ‘A’ Division Police Station by Nwabuke Ugwanyi of Aso Pada, Mararaba, on July 14. ``On the same date, Ugwanyi packed his Volkswagen Vento car with reg. No. AA 95 EFR, value d

at N450,000 opposite Total Filling Station, Mararaba, awaiting passengers. ``The accused, Jacob, of Area A, block 17, Nyanya, Abuja, pretending to be a member of the NURTW, approached Ugwanyi for help to get passengers. ``In the process, two legitimate members of the NURTW on patrol, came and removed the front and rear plate numbers of Ugwanyi’s car,’’ Maigida said.

He alleged that at that point, Jacob took over the driver’s seat without Ugwanyi’s consent and

asked him to wait while he drives the car to safety. ``Jacob drove the car to Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State with the aim of stealing it. ``But on the way, he had an accident with the car, abandoned it and escaped to an unknown destination,’’ he said.

The prosecutor added that the accused was arrested on July 15 at Mararaba, adding that the offence contravened provision of Section 287 of the Penal Code.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused

could receive up to five-year jail term if convicted of the crime.

The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charge levelled against him.

The presiding judge, Mr Albert Maga, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in like sum.

Maga ordered that one of the sureties must be a traditional titleholder with landed property and resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

He adjourned the case to Sept.

5, 2013 for hearing. (NAN)

INSIDE FCT COURTS Court remands student for alleged criminal intimidation, extortion

A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday ordered that a student, Yusuf Idowu, 25, of Okene, Kogi should be remanded in police custody until Aug. 12.

Idowu is standing trial on a twocount charge of criminal intimidation and extortion.

Senior Magistrate Christopher Oba gave the order after the prosecutor prayed the court to remand the accused for a week to enable the police conclude investigations on the matter.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Mohammed Ahmed, had told the court that one Alhaji Sheidu Ozigis of Maitama reported the matter at the Maitama Divisional Police Station on July 14.

Ahmed said the accused intentionally sent some threatening text messages using mobile phone number 08100456058 to the wife of the complainant, one Mrs Habibat Ozigis. ``The accused demanded that the sum of N10,000 should be paid to a Guarantee Trust Bank account number 0119948108 belonging to one Victoria Audu and the complainant complied with the request.’’

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened section 397 and 292 of the Penal Code.

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

Police arraign 4 men for constituting public nuisance L-R: A nomadic Fulani, Malam Ibrahim and his children during the Eid prayer held at the National praying ground along Airport road, Abuja yesterday.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Driver, 24, in court for alleged cheating

T

he Police in Abuja on Tuesday arraigned Olobo Silas of Aso C, Mararaba, Nasarawa State in a Karu Upper Area Court for alleged criminal breach of trust and cheating.

Police prosecutor Silas Nanpan told the court that Esther Peter of Area ‘D’, Nyanya, Abuja, reported the matter at Nyanya Police Station sometime

in March.

Nanpan said Peter gave Silas her vehicle for commercial purposes after entering into an agreement that he would remit N2,000 to her daily. ``The accused worked for seven days amounting to N14,500 and converted the money to his personal use,’’ Nanpan said.

He said the accused acted in

contravention of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

Section 312 states that ``whoever commits criminal breach of trust shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to seven years or with fine or with both.’’

Section 322 states that ``whoever cheats shall be punished with imprisonment

which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.’’

The accused however denied committing the alleged offences.

The presiding judge, Alhaji Umar Kagargo, granted Silas bail in the sum of N30,000 with a reliable surety who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

He then adjourned the case to Oct. 7 for hearing. (NAN)

Court orders 5 men remanded for alleged impersonation

A

Grade 2 Area Court in Kado, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered five men to be remanded for alleged criminal impersonation of officials of the Road Transport Employers Abuja Union (RTEAU) The presiding judge, Malam Ahmed Ado, ordered that Dauda Issah, 25; Abdullahi Baba, 18; Abdul Garba, 25; Lukman Musa, 20 and Habib Jimoh, 25, be remanded in prison until September 18.

Ado gave the order when the accused persons failed to meet the bail conditions set by the court.

The judge had granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N20,000 each, with two reliable sureties each in like sum.

Ado also ordered that the sureties must be either the Chairman of the RTEAU or an executive member of the union with proper verification.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Sgt. Simon Ibrahim, told the court

that one Alabi Olorunjo of Second Gate, Jabi Motor Park, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station.

Ibrahim said the accused persons formed a group and went round the motor park, removing number plates of vehicles, claiming they were instructed to do so.

He also said that the accused persons forged union receipts and used same to deceive and extort money from people.

Ibrahim added that the accused

persons were also caught smoking Indian hemp.

He said that the offence contravened Section 132 of the Penal Code.

If convicted, the accused persons would be liable to eight years in prison each or pay fine.

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

As a result, the judge adjourned the case to Sept. 18 for hearing.

(NAN)

T

he police on Tuesday in Abuja arraigned four men in a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court for constituting a nuisance near the gates of the Indian and Malaysian High Commissions in Maitama, Abuja.

They accused Ibye Felix, Benjamin Imo, Victor Omebe and Elisha Vandi - were arraigned on a one count of public nuisance.

Police prosecutor Mohammed Ahmed told the court that Supt.

Austine Egim and his team on crime patrol arrested the four men and took them to the Maitama Divisional Police Station on Aug.1.

Ahmed said the accused were arrested while wandering around the embassy and causing obstruction and annoying workers and applicants who were on queue at the high commissions.

He said the offence contravened Section 183 of the Penal Code.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, Mr Aliyu Shafa, granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety each in like sum.

Shafa ordered that the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the matter to Aug. 26,2013 for hearing. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 19

INSIDE

New revenue formula ready by DecemberRMAFC boss

Isa_abdulwahab@yahoo.com, Isaabdulwahab@gmail.com 08033045613

- Pg 20

Some Muslim faithfuls buying food items for Sallah ceremony on Wednesday in Garki Market, Abuja

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

NBS: Nigeria created over 4000 jobs in Q3 of 2012

By Etuka Sunday

A

collaborative Survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity, and National Directorate for Employment has put the total number of jobs created in Nigeria for 3rd quarter of 2012 at 427, 294.

A document issued by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) notes that “during the third quarter of 2012, 240,359 jobs were created in the informal sector, representing 55.25 per cent, followed by the formal sector

with 164,293 jobs representing 38.45 per cent, and the public sector was 22,642, which is about 5.3 per cent.

“The total estimated number of jobs created in the Nigerian economy for the third quarter of 2012 came to 427,294.

The education sector had the highest number of jobs created in the third quarter 2012, which was 90,014 (54.8 per cent), followed by manufacturing sector, 22,954 (14.0 per cent).

The least number of jobs created was in mining and quarrying sector with 465 (0.3 per cent), said the report.

“The total number of jobs created in public institutions

was estimated to be 22,642 in the third quarter of 2012. Of these, 65.3 per cent were males.

Academic institutions had the highest number of jobs created, taking 40 per cent of the total number. This was followed by the state parastatals with 32.2 per cent. Federal Ministries had the least number with 0.33 per cent.

According to the document between age 15-35, which represents the youths constitute bulk of jobs created in the quarter with 72.8 per cent while the remaining 26.6 per cent represented age group 36 to 59.

Age group 60 & above recorded 0.6 per cent of the total number of new employee.

Unity Bank boosted agric sector with N15bn in 2012 –Galadanchi

A

s part of efforts to ensure food security in the country, Unity Bank Plc has invested N15 billion in agriculture within the last one year, an official of the bank has said.

The Executive Director, North West Region of the bank, Alhaji Ismaila Galadanchi, made the statement recently while addressing newsmen at the ongoing 34th Kaduna International Trade Fair in Kaduna.

He said the fund was channelled to the sector in a bid to create job opportunities for youths and ensure food security for Nigerians.

The director said creating jobs and improving the small and medium scale businesses in the country would aid in alleviating poverty, generate revenue and address the insecurity in the country.

Galadanchi said the bank had been working with the organisers of the fair for more than 30 years in its bid to boost businesses in the northern region and generate wealth for the people.

He said the fair had created an avenue for local people to meet investors and businessmen from other parts of the world.

“We finance agriculture mainly;

most people coming here are traders and farmers. Looking at both Unity Bank Fund and Intervention Fund, we have invested over N15 billion in agriculture in the last one year.

“We support Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) because it is the pioneer chamber of commerce.’’

He said the bank had introduced new products at the fair, adding ``most importantly, the e-products as part of our e-business strategies.

“We also have the unity green with five products in the area of agriculture with the lowest interest rates.’’ (NAN)

“During the third quarter of 2012, the total number of employees in the public sector stood at 612,197, of which 65.4 per cent were males while the remaining 34.6 per cent were females The report puts total number of enterprises at 17 million comprising mostly of informal sector. The informal sector represents the greatest number of estimated jobs created with 240,359, which is 55.25 per cent of all jobs created in the Nigerian economy for the 3rd quarter of 2012.

A total of 7,446 physically challenged persons were also employed by various businesses, out of which males represent 71.8 per cent while females represent 28.2 per cent during the period.

Abandoned cargoes: products of laundered,drug money, says NAGAFF boss - Pg 22 Exchange Rates CBN

as at 7th August, 2013 Selling Buying

$

154.75

155.75

€

239.24

240.78

£

205.95

207.28

Riyal

41.26

41.53

Parallel Rates Buying

Selling

$

161.5

162.5

€

212

214

£

247

259

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY

Good leaders build trust first

M

ost leaders today emphasise their competence, strength, and credentials, but none of that matters if people don’t trust you. Win people over with warmth. Here’s how: Use the right tone. Speak with lower pitch and volume.

Aim for a tone that suggests that you’re leveling with people and being completely honest.

Validate feelings. If you show your employees that

you hold roughly the same worldview they do, you demonstrate not only empathy but, in their eyes, common sense. If you want colleagues to listen and agree with you, first agree with them.

Smile—and mean it.

Smiling is contagious. When people see you beaming, they’ll likely smile too. But a polite grin fools no one. To project warmth, you have to genuinely feel it.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 20

Economy Company News

We lost only $250m in Nigeria –Shell

R

oyal Dutch Shell has denied the claim that it lost $700m in the second quarter of the year due to oil theft and other operational challenges in Nigeria. Instead, it said the situation in the country contributed only $250m to its global loss. The Chief Executive Officer, Shell, Mr. Peter Voser, had been variously quoted…

PenCom refunds N6bn pension contributions to security operatives Following the exit of the Nigerian armed forces and the State Security Services from the Contributory Pension Scheme, the National Pension Commission has refunded about N6bn into the pension accounts of about 39,474 serving personnel, investigations have revealed……

Nigerian economy creates 427,294 new jobs — NBS The National Bureau of Statistics has released its job creation survey, which states that the nation’s economy generated 427,294 new jobs in the third quarter of 2012. A copy of the report, which was signed by the Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, was emailed to our correspondent on Wednesday. It said the need…

Mark warns MDAs against poor implementation of budgets

T

he President of the Senate, David Mark, has warned that the National Assembly will no longer tolerate the poor implementation of national budgets, even as he called on Nigerians to unite in the quest for a stronger country.

In his goodwill message to Muslims on Wednesday to commemorate the end of the Ramadan fast, Mark…

FG repositions SMEDAN to develop SMEs

T

he Federal Government has repositioned the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency to enable it effectively develop entrepreneurship in the country. This was confirmed by the DirectorGeneral, SMEDAN, Mr. Bature Masari, during a chat with journalists on the forthcoming World Cup of the Students for Advancement and Global Entrepreneurship. He said the Federal Government would…

The ever busy Ahmadu Bello Way with less traffic during the Sallah holiday, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

New revenue formula ready by December- RMAFC boss

T

he Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr Elias Mbam has said the new revenue allocation formula would be ready for approval by December.

Mbam made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The chairman said that the commission would present the new plan as a recommended formula to President Goodluck Jonathan for consideration and afterwards it would be passed to the National Assembly to be approved as law.

“We expect that by December before the end of the year, we present to Mr President our recommendation of the formula on revenue sharing for onward transmission to the National Assembly for further discussion.

“We have progressed much, we have done several studies of fiscal matters, we have toured other federations to compare their fiscal arrangements and be able to

get their experiences and use the experience as part of what we can apply in our own case.

“Also we have sensitised the people and collected data from 774 local governments, and the 36 states and also the FCT relevant data.

And then we have done a literature review of all fiscal arrangements that had been done before independence till date.

“So we have all the records and we are in the process of commissioning a lead consultant.

And the next stage we are in is to carry out zonal advocacy. We have gone to all states to sensitise them, we have consulted elders; we have consulted opinion leaders, we have consulted Civil Societies.

“And so, what we are to do next after we have visited all the zones is to bring all the reports together, analyse them and then come up with a position of majority of Nigerians.`` Mbam said that the present formula needed to be reviewed because a lot had changed since it was designed 21 years ago.

He added that though President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration modified the formula a bit to conform to the 1999 constitution and it needed to be further revised.

“The constitution says that after five years, a commission should look at changing realities. What has changed within that period, does it require a review in terms of what was due for Mr A, for Mr B. “If you look at the present formula, the last time it was reviewed actually was 1992 and from 1992 till now, it’s almost 21 years and you can agree with me that since 1992 till now, a lot have changed.

“The population has changed; all the indices used in determining the formula have changed. So because of these changes, we need to undate the record, we need to also know what are the main challenges of socio economy of Nigeria.

“And now refocus the allocation formula in line with the aspirations and desire of Nigerians.

“That is why it becomes absolutely necessary that we review

to reflect the socio-economic changes in Nigeria and the desire of the Nigerian people.”

Mbam disclosed that certain factors would play an important role in fashioning the new formula such as equality of states, population, landmass, origin of natural resources, not less than 13 per cent would be considered.

“When we are talking about revenue allocation formula, we are considering two levels of sharing; one is among the three tiers of government, the Federal Government, the state government and the local government.

“These three levels have percentages; the Federal Government will take its own percentage, fortunately, it is not sharing with anybody.

“But when they give the states their own percentages, they now have to share within the states.

Each state gets 26.7 per cent for instance, what per cent of that will go to Anambra, to Sokoto, to Borno. (NAN)

Travel agency urges FG to develop tourism sector for exchange agreement

A

tour promoter agency, Peacock Travel and Tour Agency, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to develop the country’s tourism sector to encourage exchange agreement.

Mr Ezekiel Agbebi, the Managing Officer of the agency, told the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) in Abuja that the promotion of the sector would encourage inter and intra-country exchange agreement.

Agbebi said that the sector if properly harnessed would also attract bilateral and multi-lateral relationship among countries of the world.

“Tourism is a reflection of a great economy through the boosting of employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings.

“Tourism as well has also helped to give the local arts recognition in the international tourism market, thereby

encouraging international trade and exchange promotion among countries of the world.’’

The managing officer said that the development of the industry was capable of generating resources that would be needed to invest in the rehabilitation of historic buildings and conservation areas.

Agbebi said that this could serve as a driving force for the conservation of tangible and intangible cultural and natural

heritage of a country.

He, however, called on relevant stakeholders to maximise the positive benefits embedded in the industry as a way of generating income and other talents for the country.

Agbebi said that there was also the need to develop tourists’ destinations to international standards to enhance the movement and inflow of tourists all over the world to Nigeria.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 21

Economy Bayelsa harps on agro-based economy, invests $44.1m fisheries

G

Muslim faithful abroad Keke NAPEP on their ways to NASCO Fibre praying ground yesterday in Jos.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

COREN registered 29,355 engineers in 2012 –

N

o fewer than 29,355 engineers have been registered by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) as at August 2012.

The Council’s President, Mr Ibikunle Ogunbayo, gave the figure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna at a workshop on Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) for Chief Inspectors, Desk Officers

and COREN Zonal Officers in the North- West zone.

Ogunbayo said the Council registered 23,434 pure engineers and 1,756 engineering technologists within the period.

He also said that out of the figure, 406 engineering technicians were registered while 1,664 engineering craftsmen were certified.

The president said that the Council registered 936 expatriate engineering personnel practicing

in Nigeria while 1, 159 consulting engineers were registered.

Ogunbayo said the workshop was designed to control and regulate the practice of engineering profession in the country.

At the occasion also, the Registrar of COREN, Mr Felix Atumen said the workshop would go a long way to expose the participants to new strategies on the implementation of the Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) programme.

He expressed dismay over the dearth of skilled artisans and technicians in the country, adding that “no nation will survive by relying on technical expertise of other countries”.

Atumen urged the participants to always work in collaboration with the development control officers and the Nigerian Police Command in their inspectorates in the implementation of the programme. (NAN)

Lagos Govt, PPMC hail Techno Oil for promoting LPG usage The Lagos State Government and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) have hailed Techno Oil Ltd for the company’s initiative in promoting usage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja .

The statement said that Mr Taofeek Tijani, the Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, gave the commendation in Lagos at a ceremony to unveil ``TechnoGas Stoves,’’ to encourage the use of cooking gas nationwide.

Tijani said the goal of government toward achieving a healthy environment would be achieved if the populace embraced the use of cooking gas.

“LPG is the safest and cleanest option, given the ecological issues and health-related risks associated with the use of firewood and kerosene in households.

“LPG is efficient, economical,

safe and good to human health; it should be the best option for households,’’ Tijani stated.

He urged oil and gas companies operating in the country to continue in their efforts in ensuring increased use of LPG, commending Techno Oil for manufacturing the gas stoves.

The Managing Director of the PPMC, Mr Haruna Momoh, said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the PPMC were eager to see many households embracing cooking gas, instead of firewood and kerosene.

He praised Techno Oil for leading the way in encouraging LPG use, saying that popularising cooking gas use would impact positively on the economy.

The Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr Austen Olorunsola, also lauded the gas stove initiative, urging other oil and gas companies in the country to emulate it.

Mr Tony Onyeama, the Managing Director of Techno Oil, advised the Federal Government to

collaborate with oil and gas firms to find ways to make households to use cooking gas, instead of firewood or kerosene.

He said the collaboration would bring numerous benefits to the country and curtail the dangers associated with the use of kerosene while also promoting healthier and neater environment.

“We want the Federal and State Governments to borrow a leaf from other countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia and India that have achieved success in cooking gas utilisation.

“Our government should put a programme in place to ease the cost of cooking gas to enable lowincome households to switch to gas by acquiring gas stoves and cylinders at affordable costs,’’ he said.

According to him, government can achieve this by collaborating with experienced and competent indigenous companies while collaborating with local energy companies to promote the use

of cooking gas to boost the Local Content Initiative of the Federal Government.

“Government should boost infrastructure development in the LPG sub-sector to encourage private investment in storage terminals, jetties, refilling plants and local manufacturing of cylinders and accessories,’’ he added.

The managing director said it was regrettable that many families depended on kerosene for their cooking needs, noting that the development would have adverse implication for the economy.

He said that shifting to cooking gas would save scarce foreign exchange, hitherto, expended on kerosene importation.

Onyeama said that Techno Oil in support of the Federal Government’s Gas Master Plan, launched on March 24, 2011, had launched a ``Going Green Revolution’’ to engender a shift from kerosene to cooking gas among Nigerians. (NAN)

ov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa says his administration is committed to promoting aquaculture in its bid to position agriculture as the bedrock of the state’s economy beyond oil and gas.

Dickson said this recently in Yenagoa at the monthly transparency media briefing to give account of the financial position of the state for the month of July.

He announced the commencement of construction of two fishery projects valued at 44.1 million dollars in the state, stressing that the state government was desirous of an economic growth and development built on agriculture and tourism.

He also said that the state government had signed a contract valued at 17 million dollars for the construction of a Professional Golfers Association-rated Golf course in Yenagoa.

“We are committed in broadening the base of our economy beyond oil and gas. It is our determination to make agriculture the major plan upon which a virile economy will be based.’’

According to him, the state government has sent 500 Bayelsa youths to train in vocational and skills in various aspects of agriculture in Benin Republic, to build a sound manpower base that would drive its huge investment in the sector.

The governor expressed the determination of his administration to make the state number one in agricultural food production, not only for local consumption, but for export.

He said: “We are doing all this, so that when oil and gas is gone, agriculture and tourism will be the major stronghold of our state economy.

“We want to impact on middle level manpower in our agriculture sector, that is why we are training our youths in agriculture to sustain our huge investment in the sector.”

The Deputy Gov., Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd.), who gave the financial breakdown of the income and expenditure of the state at the occasion, put the state’s statutory allocation from the Federation Account at N3.219 billion for the month of July, 2013.

According to Jonah, gross inflow stood at N17, 961, while total deductions was put at N2.70 billion which comprised bond deductions, repayments on derivation, agricultural loans and grants to farmers, among others.

He said that a total of N658.39 million was recovered as Internally-Generated Revenue for the month of June, while workers’ salaries for the month of July gulped N3.96 billion.

The deputy governor further explained that recurrent expenditure of the state stood at N3.82 billion while actual capital payments was N9.67 billion(NAN)

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Interview

Abandoned cargoes: products of laundered,drug money, says NAGAFF boss

Lillypond Container Terminal, a subsidiary of the Danish shipping company; Maesk Line, last week announced that it is pulling out of the concession agreement it had entered into with the Federal Government in 2006 to Manage the Ijora terminal in Lagos for a period of 10 years.

According to the company, the pull out is necessary because it is losing N800million monthly. Since the disturbing pronouncement, stakeholders have reacted.

In this interview with People’s Daily Newspaper in Lagos, President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Chief Eugene Nweke blamed the government for the development, even as he opened up that majority of the cargoes abandoned at the Lagos ports today are cargoes imported are products of laundered money and drug trafficking, enjoy the excerpts. By DAPO OLALEKAN

W

ho should be blamed for the pulling out of Lillypond Container Terminal from port concession agreement?

From my vantage and informed position, when I heard that they have commenced stemming of containers to Lillypond terminal I knew it was a temporal measure. The truth of the whole thing has to do with the concession agreement. In an ideal concession agreement, APMT is supposed to have been concessioned with Lillypond terminal as its offdock terminal as obtainable in modern port arrangement where every seaport deserves to have an offdock terminal.

The whole idea is to make the port a transit area. If you are creating a space inside the port, it should be for transit cargo.

The Nigerian government through the Nigerian Port Authority and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) is to be blamed because they never carry out extensively the cost analysis, evaluation of cost as well as the feasibility study of the port. They just concessioned it because it was under NPA and because they needed money; proper evaluation was not carried out. They should have known that the terminal should have served and be better used as an offdock terminal for APMT, but here we are, the BPE gave the sister company an offdock terminal to manage and the other company the main port to manage. Port concessioning is not to serve the interest of those in power; it is supposed to serve the interest of concessionaires, the port authority and Nigerians as the beneficiaries.

What is the implication of the closure of Lillypond terminal?

It will create room for wider public sector monopoly and you know what that means? There will be high handedness and high cost of doing business.

Some people will tell you that Nigerian port is the cheapest all over the world but if you investigate it you will find out that it is either here nor there. Pulling out from Ijora terminal means that we will go back to statuesque; government will not be generating prompt revenue as expected. Secondly, there will be constant prediction of cargo congestion; it will rear its ugly head because the spaces you are supposed to use have

been piled up with cargo while expansion project is ongoing.

Till this moment, you cannot track your cargo in APMT; you cannot trace your cargo from the comfort of your office even if you have your bill of laden.

In view of these, would you say port concession has been successful?

Port concession is on course.

The pace of investment is slow compared to the level of profit maximization.

Because it is a long time project, there should be a long time to invest in order to recoup.

I still want to see a situation whereby terminal operators invest massively apart from the bulk cargo terminals that are really working, I commend Sifax Group who sometimes last year acquired ten rubber gantry cranes. if you look at it from this angle you will realize that it is true that we have migrated from the old order, we have achieved turnaround time of vessels; we have also seen to some extent that cargoes are secured and safe- no more pilfering.

But where we are now having problem is on quality assurance, it has to do with you defining the service you have rendered for me to pay you.

There is no point in duplicating charges that means the same service just because you want to extort money.

The ICPC recently said that to clear goods from the port you need 76 signatures, is this correct?

Eugene Nweke will disagree with that figure. In my article titled ‘once upon a time’, I took out time and gave a background of the number of tables observed in the Nigerian ports Authority till cargo goes out of the port and they were fifty six tables, each table requires a signature and an endorsement. But under port concession we need to understand that when you talk about signature for cargo to be released, it should be as at the point you have made declaration for customs and start processing your cargo, it not when you are still making trade enquiry, filling form M; dealing with the service providers or the bank, these are not what we are talking about.

The signatures starts at the moment you have made your declaration and then we look at how many signatures you require before your cargo leaves the port, there is nowhere in Nigerian port where you need to get 76

Chief Eugene Nweke signatures.

Within customs it is less than ten signatures.

I was told that the consultant of the ICPC was displaying the signatures on the screen during the presentation, but I disagree with it totally.

In your own opinion, how many signatures does an importer need to get his cargo out?

As far as I am concerned, the twenty eight signatures we know that is genuine before your cargo leaves the port is sacrosanct, this is from the customs to the shipping line and to the terminal operators, if this is in the neighborhood of what they are saying then it is correct.

Is there no way to harmonize these processes?

This is the driving force behind what the Nigerian Shippers Council is pushing for.

The council has been calling for a replicate of what has been happening in Cotonou in terms of consolidated charges. Every service is supposed to be paid for at a spot; the agencies all have an agreement and know how much their money is, so when you pay the money, they know how to disburse the money to everybody under Single Administration Document.

If this is anything to go by, once you pay custom duty, every other duty is supposed to have been effected at the same time.

If there is an organization between the agencies of government with interest on cargoes, then everybody should

hook into the single goods declaration form so that once an agent has effected duty, the banks will know how to distribute the money to appropriate agencies, perhaps this is one of the things that the Single Window project will address as soon as it comes on-board.

There has been an ongoing debate about the retirement of the present Comptroller General of Customs; Alhaji Inde Dikko, which is due this August, where do you stand?

I don’t know whether the trading public is the ones to retire the CGC. The Minister of Finance has said that with the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) a CGC is a custom officer before becoming a CGC, therefore his service status is there, the appointment of who becomes a CGC is purely the prerogative of Mr. President. If you are a CG and you have not served for 35 years and you are not up to sixty years of age you cannot be retired, the only person that can do this is Mr. President either for security reasons or otherwise. Another question you will ask is has the incumbent CG performed well and I say yes he has performed.

So why must we be shuttling for his removal? The indicator here is performance.

Abdullahi Inde Dikko has performed and we don’t need to hide our face in saying it.

We see custom reform in 2010, we can see a custom that is focus looking and

as a training organization under his administration, but if you sample the opinion of the trading public they will tell you that the cost of doing business under the customs is high but then I ask: is customs bureau de change?

Pay your reasonable duty and carry your cargo, while are you going for negotiation? You have not complied and you don’t want them to seize the cargo, so you are going for negotiation and corrupting the officers through your agents, why is it that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have not complained against customs?

Will you say that auctioning of cargoes has been carried out fairly by Dikko’s administration?

First and foremost, I don’t need to benefit from auction to tell you that it is a legitimate thing known in law; we have National Auction Committee that has submitted their position to the customs and collaborating with them, auction is not a crime; it is a position under the law that when cargoes have stayed long in the port and they have given the owners opportunity to come and evacuate it and he refused, then it will be auctioned.

Those ones that have been damaged will be destroyed; those that are still manageable will be auctioned. If you want to equate the level of auction under the custom CGC I will tell you that the administration of Buba Gyang at one instance auctioned over ten thousand containers, but in three years now the current CGC in all his efforts, looking at the total throughput of cargo that has come into the country and what we are having to auction is about two thousand cargoes that the owners could not come and clear.

Does this in reality and true speaking represent injustice?

What made you not come for your cargo if you know you are being truthful to yourself, why must you import cargo and abandon it at the port? Is the port a warehouse?

These are germane truths that needs to be bared, even if you penalize the owners you will still not see them coming forward to take their cargoes because most of the cargoes came into the country by way of money laundering and drug trafficking, they use importation to bring in the money back, we have seen many things as far as cargo importation is concerned

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Thursday, August 8, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 24

As the world celebrates the 2013 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Adeola Tukuru reports that the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who are predominantly Gbagyis, have in recent times spoken up against the manner in which government acquired their traditional homelands rendering them landless citizens without compensation.

T

he theme of the International Day this year is: “Indigenous peoples building alliances: Honouring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements”.

However, despite Nigeria’s progress towards meeting some Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), structural inequalities and social exclusion persist in many countries, especially with regard to indigenous peoples.

In the FCT for instance, Abuja indigenes are still worried on the issue between them and the Federal Government, as they believe that they have been shortchanged, dehumanized and that their people are made to pay dearly for what they did not bargain for, despite the fact that they willingly made the supreme sacrifice of giving up their ancestral land in the interest of the nation.

The original concept and

PAGE 25

Special Report

Int’l day of World’s Indigenous People: Unending plights of Abuja indigenes philosophy of Abuja was adjudged to be marvelous, because it was believed to be a neutral territory, based on the principles of equal access and equal citizenship, whereby no one would claim any special right or privileges of indigeneship, that the entire existing indigenous population were to be evacuated from the territory so as to divest it of any claim of ownership.

So, in pursuance of the objective, on February, 3rd, 1976, late Gen. Murtala Mohammed, in a national broadcast, announced the acceptance by the Federal military government of the recommendations of the Aguda Panel on the formation of the FCT. A white paper was issued on the report of the panel detailing some alleged farreaching decisions taken by the government, which are: all land in the agreed Federal Territory will be vested in the Federal Government; the indigenes of the area are to be resettled in new places of their choice, outside the FCT at the expense of the Federal Government; the planning and development of the FCT is to be executed over the next 10 to 15 years, as it was expected that once the FCT moves from Lagos, it should be completed within two to three years.

To achieve this feat, on the issue of indigeneship, Abuja indigenes have categorically affirmed that only original inhabitants can claim ownership of being the natives of FCT. Therefore, all those buying indigeneship

Some Gbagyi indigenes during a festival

certificates to claim that they are original inhabitants of FCT are FAKE. All federal agencies should take note, especially for the purpose of employment opportunities. They are also warning the six area councils to desist from offering indigene letters to non-FCT original inhabitants.

On July 20th, 2013, the FCT Indigenous People at Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) and FCT stakeholders meeting was held on the rejection of proposed Mayoralty system of government. After much deliberation, consultation and agreement, they adopted the following resolutions, which henceforth are to be referred to as “Kuje Declaration.”

The communiqué, signed by the president of the Association, Pastor Danladi Jeji stated that since the National Assembly has rejected “our cries for the democratisation of governance in the FCT and need to remove our statelessness or secondclass citizen status, we hereby put Nigerians and the Federal Government on notice that: “FCT original inhabitants will no longer cooperate with the Nigerian state and its system that oppresses and continually render them stateless with second-class citizenship status.

“We note sadly that Section 297 of the 1999 Constitution which vests all lands in the FCT on the Federal Government of Nigeria is a SATANIC CLAUSE, as there has never been prompt compensation or acquisition of our indigenous and customary land by the

The indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory under the banner of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) celebrating their FCT Heritage Day recently.

Federal Government. Hence, until the 1978 compensation value and figure of N2.8 billion with 37 years interest is paid, the Nigerian government cannot claim ownership of the present lands in the FCT. Thus, on our ancestral lands we stand!

“As such, FCT original inhabitants will institute a legal case against the Federal Government of Nigeria to challenge the forceful usurpation of our ancestral lands through Section 297 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) without prompt payment of compensation or due process as outlined in Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“We shall also institute another legal case against the Federal Government of Nigeria to challenge the interpretation of Sections 299, 300, 301, 302 and 304, which have rendered us in the captivity of statelessness and second-class citizenship.

“We reject the Land swap policy of the present FCT Minister. Until the 1978 compensation value and figure of N2.8bn is paid with 37 years interest, the FCT Minister and his officials cannot have access to our lands. No amount of intimidation, division of our people or use of divide and rule tactics will make us give

up our lands. Hence, all FCT indigenes are hereby directed to stop further negotiations on resettlement or compensation with FCT or FCDA officials until the said compensation due and payable is fully settled.

Ditto the Centenary City project.

“On the issue of indigeneship, we categorically affirm that only original inhabitants can claim ownership of being the natives of FCT. Therefore, all those buying indigeneship certificates to claim that they are original inhabitants of FCT are FAKE. All federal agencies should take note, especially for the purpose of employment opportunities. We are also warning the six area councils to desist from offering indigene

letters to non-FCT original inhabitants.

“We maintain that the current structure of governance in FCT, which is by ministerial appointment, is UNDEMOCRATIC. On elective governance we stand.

We urge all FCT original inhabitants to get prepared to vote out Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from FCT politics due to their failure to use their majority in the National Assembly to vote for secondtier system of government or Mayoralty for Abuja, in line with the aspirations of our people.

“We thank the 57 senators who voted for the democratisation of governance in FCT on the floor of the Nigerian Senate during the

“

To achieve this feat, on the issue of indigeneship, Abuja indigenes have categorically affirmed that only original inhabitants can claim ownership of being the natives of FCT. Therefore, all those buying indigeneship certificates to claim that they are original inhabitants of FCT are FAKE

clause-by-clause consideration of the proposed amendments of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). We salute your courage and solidarity.

“To those Northern and Middle-Belt Senators and House of Representatives members who voted “NO” or refused to support the insertion of Mayoralty for FCT into the House of Reps. constitution review template, we are ashamed of your conduct. Since you refused to support the Mayoralty for FCT, we have taken note and will reply in due course.

“We remain adamant that only the democratisation of governance in FCT, to allow for elected Governor or Mayor, with 2 additional senatorial districts, 4 additional House of Representatives constituencies and 11 additional local councils will assuage our political rights. We note that since 1999, there has been no FCT original inhabitants’ representation in the Federal Executive Council whether as Minister, Special Adviser or Personal Aides.

“We call on President Goodluck Jonathan to, as a matter of urgency, immediately remedy this grave injustice with such appointments including the reconstitution of the FCDA Board.

Another member of the

Greater Gbagyi Development Initiative of Nigerian (GGDIN), Mr. Joel Yezegbe said that in spite of the judicial interpretation, the statehood status of the FCT still remains in limbo and that the original inhabitants are still being regarded and treated as second class and stateless Nigerians, that they are deliberately discriminated against, and many Federal Government agencies refuse to make provisions for them in their schedules.

Yezegbe lamented that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has never recognized the FCT as a State for purposes of its admission. As such, the territory remains the only federating unit in Nigeria that is not placed in the ‘catchment area’ of a federal university, including the so called University of Abuja that is built in and named after the territory.

In his words: “It is also a Herculean task for FCT candidates to gain admission into military institutions such as the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, the Nigerian Military School, Zaria and the Air Force Military School, Jos, because their admissions are always based on presentation of a certificate of state indigeneship, which is not given to FCT candidates, since they neither have a state nor governor to do that for them,” he said.

According to Yezegbe, the association of the FCT inhabitants has submitted their memoranda to both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the amendment of certain clauses and provisions of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to allow the establishment of a second-tier system of government for the FCT and a Mayoralty for the Federal Capital City (FCC) in a special state format.

“Despite our patience with the government to amend all the inconsistencies in the constitution which have led to the usurpation of our ancestral lands and disenfranchisement in electing leaders to govern us, we note with sadness that 36 years after, there has been continuous forceful demolition of our homes, farmlands and communities, half hazard relocations and land-grab by the Nigerian government and wealthy land speculators under different guises without

human sympathy or due compensation for FCT original inhabitants,” he said.

A traditional ruler of Adamawa and Taraba Indigenes Association (ATIA), in Abuja and environs, Chief Heman A. Yuniyes criticised the policy of relocating the indigenes out of their ancestral territories to bushy areas in neighbouring states.

He appealed to the Federal Government to resolve the lingering agitations by Abuja indigenes for integration into the greater Abuja city plan and for the payment of adequate compensation for land acquired for the construction of the capital territory.

He further remarked, in an interview, that Abuja has a vast land territory which can accommodate every person, including the indigenes that have vehemently rejected wholesale resettlement out of the territory.

He decried the situation where Abuja indigenes are treated by other tribes as settlers in the city and regarded by the government as inferior citizens who are fit to live only in the bush simply because the majority of the native people are farmers and a population of fishing community.

The traditional ruler, who is an Ambassador of Peace, also frowned over the lingering compensation demands of the indigenes stressing that it was wrong for every administration to refuse to resolve the matter as if it was ‘a-no-go-area’ which cannot be touched even with a long spoon.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights

Commission (NHRC), Prof.

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, at a recent workshop on Practice and Enforcement of Human Rights in FCT, organised by the Abuja chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, had called on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed to integrate indigenes of the territory in his administration.

Prof Odinkalu condemned the massive demolition by FCT Administration and called for the all-inclusive approach to development.

The Special Adviser to the FCT Minister on Media matters, Nosike Ogbuenyi explained to Peoples Daily that between now and 2018 under the current phase, at least ten new districts that will be opened up and serviced with modern infrastructure for physical development through the Land Swap initiative.

“The process kicked off on 18th May, 2013 with the performance of the groundbreaking for the provision of infrastructure in the pioneer Dallas Caraway District between Mogadishu and Kugbo in Abuja. Under the landswap programme, government exchanged definite sizes of land for infrastructure provision by big real estate developers”, he stated.

He said what is unique about the districts being opened under the Land Swap programme is that for the first time in the history of the FCT, the native settlements are being given opportunity, as active stakeholders, in deciding the nature and model of

resettlement and compensation policies to be adopted by government, in order to address their concerns.

In his words: “With this package, a silver lining on the horizon seems certain for the original inhabitants of FCT, who had really had an uncertain deal in the hands of officials since the founding of Abuja 37 years ago. At the time the 8,000 square kilometre FCT was founded, the impression went round that the place was a no man’s land and that only a sprinkle of natives were there who would be easily resettled or integrated”.

“As a matter of fact, at the beginning, some of the original inhabitants were resettled, like those from Phase I of the city.

For instance, those from Wuse were moved to Sabon-Wuse in Niger state, those in Nyanya area were moved from there to New-Nyanya and those from Karu District also went to an area known as New Karu in present day Nasarawa state”, he said.

However, experiences within the last three decades have shown that the option of resettlement and compensation has failed many reasons. First, it was found as early as 1979 that the sum of N2.8billion was needed then to resettle the over 800 towns and villages that were found to be within the area demarcated as FCT. Secondly, the resettlement programme suffered setbacks because it created a cyclic problem whereby people are resettled today, only to sell the houses or plots of land and move inward to another location, awaiting another round of resettlement, in which case resettlement and relocation would continue adinfinitum for them.

Against the backdrop of these pitfalls, the government opted for integration policy, which again could not work largely due to funding constraints. Recent estimates put the cost of resettling and integrating the natives at over N150 billion, a colossal amount the government says is unaffordable.

FCT indigenous people under the Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) ,during their ‘One million-man’ match to the National Assembly in Abuja, on the rejection of proposed mayoralty system of government .

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Islam

Ramadan annotation IV

Allah says: “Ramadan is the (month) In which was sent down the Qur’an, As a guide to mankind, also Clear (Signs) for guidance and Judgment (Between right and wrong). so every one of you who is present (at His home) during that month should spend it In fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not Want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him In that He has guided you; and Perchance ye shall be grateful.”[al-Baqarah: 185] n the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah! We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our evils and bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and final messenger to mankind. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His last and final Apostle, his Household, his companions and all his followers until the end of time.

Though today we are engulf in celebrating the bounty of Allah for sparing us to witness another end of Ramadan of the year 1434 after Hijra which corresponds to 2013 of the Christian era, we will not stop learning on how to make our worship to Allah better and more

I

earlier or as the case may be. It can acceptable to Him. Therefore, in line with our also be given Sadaqah: previous discussions on the This is just a voluntary Ramadan annotation, the next items includes but limited to the charitable alms-giving by the well vast spectrum of Ramadan being to do to the needy and destitute.

It is completely different from the an institution in Islam. annual Zakat, which is compulsory.

Zakat Al-Fitr: This is a special charity paid to the needy at the end of Ramadan, in order to make sure that they too have what to eat on Eid day. The

By Husain Zakariyya Shari’ah requires Yawale that every Muslim; the free, the slave, +234-8052952900 (sms only) the men, the women, islamexplained35@yahoo.com the young and the toddlers must pay the pay this charity before setting It is given out on one’s capability of conscious choice, decision or out for the Eid morning prayer.

The messenger of Allah has intention without specific time or categorically stated the types stipulated amount free from any of food items to be given out to categorization of its beneficiaries.

Eid Al-Fitr: the needy of the Ummah. In an This is the period of celebration authentic tradition reported by Abdullah bin Umar where he said and festival marking the end of the Apostle of Allah proscribed the Ramadan fast. It takes place on sa’i of dates or cereals to be on the first day of the month of paid as zakatul fitr for every slave Shawal, the 10th month of the and free born, for the every male Islamic calendar. The day consists and female, for every young and of special morning congregational adult of every Muslim. He ordered prayers followed by special sermon that it should be paid before by the Imam who conducted setting out for the Eid prayers” The the prayers. Then the festivity approximation of a sa’i is about 14 continues with celebratory meals with family and friends, and special Ibs or 6.4 kgs.

This hadith has confirmed that visits to families, friends and any giving out of the charity after elderly member of the community.

The Eid el-Fitr prayers the Eid prayers, is nothing short of the normal benefaction. However, c o m m e n c e s o n l y w h e n t h e a person who is constraint by lack distribution of the zaakatul fitr financial capability, and cannot has been completed and an early pay the charity, is forgiven, as morning meal has been served, as Allah does not burden any soul it is not allowed to set out for the prayers with empty stomach. above its ability.

This prayer is required to In special cases, zakatul fitr can be given out a day to three days attended by all Muslims; the

ISLAM EXPLAINED

males and females, and the old and the young of the Muslim community. Even those women who impure due to their monthly circle of blood birth, are also encouraged to attend and witness the prayers from a distance behind the congregation.

It is also recommended to chant the names of Allah in a lower voice individually w i t h o u t r a n c o u r and raising voice to the disturbance of the public.

Similarly, it is rewardable to change road when going back home from the Eid ground, if it is possible.

A warning is needed to be sounded to our youngsters who blindly copy all new cultures without verification. Cultures of partying and pick-nicking are all foreign to Islam, and cannot be acceptable to the Shari’ah.

Drinking, sniffing and smoking of all type intoxications are proscribed by the Shari’ah, and shall remain banned throughout the life of Muslims. The free mixing of men and women is haram and shall continue to be so forever as far as Islam is concerned.

Kaffarah: Fundamentally kaffarah means an expiation or atonement of one’s transgresses and intentional offences. There are different types of Kaffarah based on the differences of committing the blunders or offends leading to the breaking fast.

1. Intentionally breaking of the fast of Ramadan only due to sexual

intercourse, eating or drinking or both during the fast day withot any shariac reason, concession or exceptions.

2. Intentionally missing or refusing to fast or more in Ramadan without any reason compliant of the Shari’ah. Such as sickness, travelling, forgetfulness, menstrual period or insanity.

3. Unintentional eating or drinking call for replacement after the Ramadan.

Therefore, any person liable to the first and second, must pay compensation or atonement of the number of days broke and the expiation of 60 days for each day defaulted choosing from one of the following options: 1. Fasting 60 days for every day defaulted, in addition to the very day failed.

2. Feeding 60 needy Muslims with the mudd of the Prophet from the stapple food of the people he or she lives. The measure is about 3.5 Ibs or 1.6 kgs for all the failed number of fasts.

Qada’: This is an expiation or atonement. it is a replacement or make up of fast or fasts missed due to Shari’ah complaint reasons or concession. concession where one broke his or her fasting unintentional due to forgetfulness by drinking or eating or both. similarly where a person broke his or her fast due to miscalculation or ignorant of time of beginning or stopping the fast.

In case like this, the complying Muslim must quickly and pay all missed days as soon as possible as no guarantee is assured to all living things for life extension Six Shawwal: This a non compulsory number of six days of fasting for anyone who has fasted of a complete month of Ramadan. Thus, such reward seeking fasting is only applicable to those who have completed 29 or 30 days of fasting.

That is to say anyone who does not completed his or her one month fasting, is not liable to that pardonable or recommendable six days fast in the month of Shawwal.

Similarly anybody who is owing any of the Ramadan fast as a result of any reason, is not by the Shari’ah required to fast the six Shawwal as that is putting the cart before the horse. I mean that is preferring the pardonable duties over and above obligatory and unpardonable duties and demands.

Finally I would like to seize this opportunity to extend my sincere salutations to all the Muslim celebrants of this festive days of Eid el-Fitr all over the world, and most especially my readers.

I hope that all their offerings and worships meet the minimum standard of acceptability by Allah (SWT) during the month of Ramadan and beyond!

Concluded

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 32

Weekend Revue

WITH TOBIAS LENGNAN DAPAM lovelengz@yahoo.com 07036990957

ONE Africa and Big Brother Africa collaborate to fight poverty

By Suleiman Idris

T

he ONE Campaign and AfricaMagic, have announced the launch of their collaboration on Big Brother Africa (BBA),

Charity week to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the African Union (AU).

The Charity Week, which started from Monday, ended yesterday with focus on important and relevant social issues on the continent.

Ice Prince

Kingsley

Now in its 8th season, the Big Brother Africa television reality show is working with ONE for the second year running to engage the show’s audience to help end extreme poverty in Africa. During this year’s Charity Week, housemates will undertake a series of tasks centered on educating viewers about the most pressing poverty issues facing the continent while highlighting possible solutions.

Major attractions during the week, included the entrance into the Big Brother House of Nigerian and Pan-African Hip Hop sensation, Ice Prince, who engaged with housemates on the topic of extreme poverty and the role of the AU in helping to end extreme poverty on the

Beverly

continent.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Sipho S. Moyo, ONE’s Africa Director said: “We are delighted by this collaboration with AfricaMagic. The Big Brother Africa platform presents an incredible opportunity to highlight the unconscionable plight of extreme poverty, which millions of Africans face on a daily basis. The good news we know is that research has shown that extreme poverty can virtually be eradicated by 2030.”

MultiChoice Nigeria’s Head of Public Relations, Segun Fayose, said while the Big Brother platform may be primarily an entertainment program, DStv through AfricaMagic is always looking for opportunities to use the platform for purposes of viewers’ education and development.

“Working with ONE will help us, as it did last year, to engage our Big

Brother Africa audience to get a better understanding of issues that contribute to extreme poverty and how we can each play a role in bringing it to an end. The fact that we are collaborating with ONE, is a clear testimony that last year’s partnership was a resounding success in this respect,” he said.

During the week, Big Brother, popularly known to housemates as ‘Biggie’ discussed issues relating to extreme poverty but to also experience instances of extreme poverty, with a different theme each day. Among other topics, Housemates highlighted, was how lack of certain basic essentials like energy, food and poor access to health facilities contributes to extreme poverty.

Additionally, each housemate will be required to choose a poverty issue close to their hearts on which they will do a short video message calling on the AU to do more to address the problem.

Nigerian music lacks message-Julieta

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

P

opular Abuja music artist and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Diamond Music Entertainment, Princess Julieta, has said that the current Nigerian music making waves in the country does not have any message but rhythm.

Julieta who said this recently in Abuja, said that the artist in the industry do not reflect on the society which they live.

“It is unfortunate today that the music, which was used in the past to reveal societal woes has lost that focus. We have completely derailed from that responsibility to concentrate on the rhythm which only move people to dance but does not teach them anything.

The CEO who has great admiration for the late king of pop, Micheal Jackson, said “Our music is empty. There is nothing to hold on to in the music. It cannot communicate to the people”.

She said there is the need to go back to the bases, where music sets agenda for the people and awaken their consciousness.

Julieta, also lashed at most girls who appear nude on video, saying their is no moral in nudity.

She called for sanitisaion of the music industry to reflect societal values.

Julieta

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Weekend Revue Priyanka takes US by storm Talented artists

A

fter releasing her new single Exotic, featuring Pitbull, Priyanka is wooing her fans in the “land of opportunity”. And if the pictures she has been posting on Instagram are any proof, it

seems she has earned herself quite an army of admirers in the country.

Among the photos posted was pictures of herself at a Real Madrid- versus- Everton match at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The actor- singer promoted her

singles at the Dodger Stadium.

Sporting black skinny trousers and white shirt, Priyanka was seen promoting her singles, In my city and Exotic, at the stadium.

American rapper and songwriter Pitbull has collaborated with the actress for Exotic, which

sees Priyanka experimenting with Hindi lyrics to add a bit of a desi flavour.

At the Dodger Stadium, Priyanka watched Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo score a goal.

The match was played as a part of the International Champions Cup.

don’t get sponsors

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buja upcoming artist, Jose, has said that the Nigeria music industry only favours those with connections whether they know how to sing or not.

She said must music released by some artist lakes both rhythm and lyrics.

The Benue state born hip hop artist said the industry should create an avenue for real talent hunt where the best will emerge.

“During talent hunts, the organisers are mostly interested in people who have established themselves in the industry. They hardly pick a new talent and groom him”, she claimed.

Jose

Actor Ali Nuhu lustful desires towards Omotola revealed

N

ollywood actor, Ali Nuhu, for close to a score, has been a secret admirer of the sexy actress, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, he has confessed this in a recent interview.

Nuhu stated that he would have married Omosexy the first time he set his eyes on her, he was obsessed by her beauty.

“The second time, she was already gone so i couldn’t have proposed because we weren’t both single.

According to him, I was pretty young when I first saw Omotola in ‘Thorns of Roses’ and liked her performance. After that, when I saw her in ‘Mortal Inheritance,’ I fell in love with her as a person because she gave a perfect interpretation to the character. Of course, if we were both single, I would have proposed to her.”

Ali Nuhu

Imran Khan to play superhero in Motwane’s next ABC names ctor Imran Khan, who will work in ‘Udaan’ first non white director Vikramaditya Motwane’s next, said he is not playing a ‘Krrish’ like superhero in Bachelor the movie, India Today, has said.

A

Imran Khan

It added that Imran will reportedly be seen as a Gujarati youth who is blessed with superhero powers.

It will be on the lines of Batman.

When asked if he would play a superhero, Imran told PTI, “I am very excited about this film. It is something I have not done in the past. It is not exactly like superhero. It is not on the lines of ‘Krrish’. And I can’t talk about it. It is too early.

All I can say is that it is an interesting and different role,” he said.

When director Vikramaditya Motwane was contacted on the issue, he said, “I don’t want to comment anything on this.”

L-R: Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director MultiChoice Nigeria presenting a cheque of One million Naira (N1,000,000) to Kanso Ogbolu, winner of MultiChoice 20th Anniversary Logo competition. With him are Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Group MD/CEO, Zenith Bank Plc and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman Senate Committee on media and Publicity during the MultiChoice 20th Anniversary Logo Unveiling held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday 2nd August.

A

nABCspokespersonconfirmedto The Hollywood Reporter that the fan favorite, a 32 year old former soccer player from Venezuela now living in Miami -- will become the first nonCaucasian Bachelor in franchise history.

There have been a total of nine Bachelorettes; Juan Pablo is the 17th Bachelor in 18 seasons, as Brad Womack starred on the show twice.

While the franchise has featured a handful minorities as suitors -- AfricanAmerican Will Reese also appeared on Desiree Hartsock’s season, which just wrapped up.

ABC and producer, Warner Horizon TV have previously been accused of violating racial discrimination laws.

A group of Nashville residents led by Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson brought a class-action lawsuit last year, alleging that the roles of the Bachelor and Bachelorette on the hit reality series have failed to feature non-white cast members and that civil rights law “plainly prohibits whites from refusing to contract with African Americans because of their race.”

Juan Pablo

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Feature

Africa Fashion Week brings style, fusion to London catwalk

Africa Fashion Week London took place in the UK capital last weekend, hosting the creations of 65 designers from across the continent and the Diaspora.

L

oud music pumps through huge speakers, front row guests cheer and a parade of stunning models electrifies the gleaming catwalk -- welcome to Africa Fashion Week London.

Currently in its third year, the glamorous event saw dozens of big names and up-andcoming designers from across the continent descending on the UK capital’s hip district of Shoreditch to unveil their latest stylish creations.

“Our platform is about promoting emerging and established Africa-inspired designers,” said Ronke Ademiluyi, founder of the event, held from August 1 to 3.

“The main thing is to bring attention to them, to showcase their creativity to the world so they get more global recognition for what they do and more appreciations for their brands as well.”

Vibrant colors The runways featured designs from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya and Morocco -- but also from the diaspora, including Britain and the Caribbean.

In many ways, the event reaffirmed why Africa-inspired designs are fast catching the eye of the fashion world.

Mixing current trends with traditional patterns, more than 60 designers graced the catwalk with a wide array of colorful creations -- everything from show-stopping evening gowns and modern urban casualwear to bold textured prints and chic accessory lines.

Ademiluyi says the continent’s fashion today

“represents a fusion of contemporary and African designs” awash with “a lot of vibrant colors and tribal trends.”

Amongst those giving a modern twist to traditional styles is Nigerian designer Fashola Olayinka with her Lagos-based label “MOOFA Designs.” Her latest collection, “Ashake” is celebrating the “very powerful and strong women” who “turn heads wherever they go to.”

“That’s basically what’s the collection is about,” says Olayinka, who started the label about four years ago. “Women who are very feminine and sexy.”

Our platform is about promoting emerging and established Africainspired designers,” said Ronke Ademiluyi, founder of the event, held from August 1 to 3 The young designer says that despite the existing challenges, such as frequent power cuts, it’s very exciting being part of Nigeria’s fashion scene right now.

“We work hard and we party

Creations by “Adopted Culture,” a label founded by Nana Afua Antwi.

hard, so it’s been really fun and it’s a growing process in Nigeria,” she says. “Nigerians like to dress up and a lot of people in Nigeria are now wearing their own fabrics.”

Our platform is about promoting emerging and

established Africa-inspired designers.

But despite the growing interest in African designs, Ademiluyi says that many of the continent’s promising talents still find it difficult to break into the mainstream international shows. She says that for many of them, the week is a chance to shine on the international stage.

“A lot of them are talented but they’re struggling,” she says.

“They don’t have support from anywhere, so what we do is we support them -- it’s an affordable platform for the designers to showcase their talents to the world.”

South African fashion artist Steve Mandy agrees. He says that events like this help participants boost their profile both internationally and at home.

“You can meet some really important people here and I have already met some great people here that I think I’ll do business with,” says Durbanbased Mandy, known for handpainting on dresses and t-shirts.

“The other thing is the spinoff in terms of your own image, in terms of our audience back in South Africa -- the fact that you can say that you did African Fashion Week it promotes you and helps your product to gain integrity.”

Looking ahead, Ademiluyi says the goal is to hold the event twice a year and also establish a supply platform that would make the designers’ creations more accessible to the world.

“For a lot of them, after Africa Fashion Week, that’s it,” she says. “The clients don’t know where to get their brand, so we hope to support the designers a lot more by opening up a distribution outlet.” (Source: CNN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 35

Feature

Ramadan has ended, but fasting endures

Muslims break their fast with dates like these all over the world

E

id is finally here. Long hot days made Ramadan tougher for British Muslims this year, but fasting is growing in popularity No food or drink for around 18 hours, waking up at 3am each morning – and all during the hottest summer in years. This has been the challenge for British Muslims over the past four weeks of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Over the next couple of days Muslims worldwide will celebrate Eid to mark the end of this period when the body and mind has been tested to its limits.

For many people, the day starts with the alarm going off at around 3am and a mega-early breakfast as you fight off the tiredness. The aim is to consume as much as you can before the fast begins. After praying it is back to bed. And more often than not, tossing and turning as you try to go back to sleep for a few precious hours’ rest. Just as you manage to do so, the alarm goes off again for work.

Then the real challenge begins: politely turning down offers of food from colleagues, turning away every time you see a tourist scoffing a 99 ice-cream and looking straight ahead every time you pass a fried-chicken shop. The countdown begins from around 8pm as you wait to break the fast. The last hour is the toughest as you edge closer to the time where people traditionally eat a date to mark the occasion.

The amazing thing is how you survive each day: how the body is able to cope in temperatures that have been higher than in Miami at times, with the medical advice being to drink plenty, and when the Tube has felt like an inferno. I have played tennis

on a couple of the fasting days to keep active and from somewhere managed to summon the energy to move around the court and throw my racquet against the floor after a bad shot.

But I am surely not alone; many people of all faiths will understand the impact on body and mind from fasting – which is now in vogue after a BBC documentary last year about the 5:2 diet. This is where you eat normally for five days a week and diet for two days by slashing your calorie intake to a

quarter of its normal level.

The documentary showed how fasting can improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels and something called insulin sensitivity. It featured the low-calorie diet of super-humans such as Fauja Singh, the 102-year-old recently retired long-distance runner, so perhaps it is the secret to a longer life.

The 5:2 diet is now the subject of numerous books and celebrities such as chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and TV host Phillip Schofield

have given it their ringing endorsement, according to newspaper reports.

Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan is of course a giant leap compared to the 5:2 diet. The month is not just about abstinence but also remembering the poor, ditching bad habits and getting closer to God. For this year the challenge is over. But at the back of some people’s minds will be next year’s Ramadan – when the fasting time will extend to over 19 hours.

(Source: The Guardian UK)

During this Ramadan, British Muslims fasted for around 18 hours a day in high temperatures

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Digest Watching TV can actually improve your child’s schoolwork

By Stephen Adams and Jonathan Petre arents have for years rationed the amount of television their children can watch in the belief that too much will scramble their offspring’s brains.

Now a study suggests the opposite is true – that children who are glued to the screen for hours a day can significantly outperform classmates who watch considerably less.

It also found that other family rules imposed by parents hoping to boost their children’s academic prowess, such as insisting on regular bed or meal times, make only a relatively small difference.

While TV has been consistently blamed for diminishing children’s brain power, University of London academics found those who watched three or more hours a day were three months ahead of those who watched less than an hour a day.

The report’s lead author Dr Alice Sullivan, senior academic at the university’s Institute of Education, admitted the results, particularly those regarding television, were ‘contrary to expectations’.

She added that the educational value of children’s television had been ‘underestimated’. ‘It may also help expose some children to a broader vocabulary than they get at home,’ Dr Sullivan said.

Their findings were part of an

positions.

Last night Professor Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: ‘Parents’ intuition will tell them there are better things to be doing than sitting in front of a screen.’

Literacy specialist Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: ‘If TV becomes the default activity for young children, they are less likely to become rounded individuals.’

P

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Parents hoping to boost their children¿s academic prowess, such as insisting on regular bed or meal times, make only a relatively small difference analysis that set out to examine claims made by politicians, including David Cameron, and others that parenting skills were more important than social background in determining how well children do at school and in later life.

It used test results for 11,000 British seven-year-olds tracked since birth as part of

a long-term project called the Millennium Cohort Study.

In tests comparing youngsters of the same social class, regular meal times conferred only a six-week advantage in terms of reading and writing skills, while set bedtimes gave only a twomonth head start.

Overall, the analysis,

published in the journal Sociology, concluded ‘social class and in particular parents’ education were the dominant factors’ in determining how well children fared.

It found those with parents in stable, well-paid jobs were more than a year ahead than those whose parents work in unskilled or semi-skilled

While TV has been consistently blamed for diminishing children¿s brain power, academics found those who watched three or more hours a day were three months ahead of those who watched less than an hour a day

Japanese scientists clone a mouse from a single drop of blood

By Anna Hodgekiss

A

mouse has been cloned from a single drop of blood, Japanese scientists have reported.

Blood cells from a donor mouse’s tail were collected and used to make the cloned female mouse, which went on to reproduce and live a regular lifespan.

Japanese scientists have Blood cells from a donor mouse’s tail were collected and used to make the cloned female mouse, which went on to reproduce and live a regular lifespan

previously cloned mice using cells from various sources, such as white blood cells found in the liver and lymph nodes.

The difference this time was that the circulating blood cells, as they are known, were taken from the tail of another mouse.

The researchers, from the Riken BioResource Centre, wanted to find a straightforward source of donor

cells to clone laboratory mice.

After extracting the blood, they isolated the white blood cells, and used the nuclei to do the cloning - using the same procedure that created Dolly the sheep, BBC Newsreports.

The technique, called somatic cell nuclear transfer, involves a donor cell nucleus being transferred to an egg cell whose own nuclear

After extracting the blood, scientists isolated the white blood cells, and used the nuclei to do the cloning - using the same procedure that created Dolly the sheep (pictured) DNA has been removed.

The egg develops into an earlystage embryo that is a clone of the donor, containing the same genes.

Stem cells taken from the embryo are ‘pluripotent’, having the ability with the right coaxing - to mature into any kind of tissue in the body, from brain to bone.

The findings of the study, published in the journal Biology of Reproduction, state the researchers ‘demonstrated for the first time that mice could be cloned using the nuclei of peripheral

blood cells’.

Furthermore, the cells ‘could be used for cloning immediately after collection and no donor animals need to be euthanised’.

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge of the MRC National Institute of Medical Research in London, told BBC News it was a ‘useful small advance on previous work showing that it is possible to clone mice from a variety of adult cell types, including white blood cells.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 37

Nigerians are sick and tired of Jonathan, says Rights Activist Lagos based lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Chief Gabriel –Giwa Amu, who runs an NGO: the Stephen and Solomon Foundation where he offers indigent persons behind prison walls free legal services, in this interaction with our Lagos Correspondents, Adesoji Oyinlola and Matthew Aramunde, speaks on his ‘probono’ service to humanity just as he declares that the APC could upstage the ruling PDP if it presents President Goodluck Jonathan its candidate in 2015. He also speaks on the imperative of local government autonomy for there to be development in the country.

What informed the formation of Stephen and Solomon Foundation? ith all sense of modesty, the provision of probono services or free legal services for indigent persons runs through my family. It is the policy initiated by Stephen, my elder brother, the one mentioned in the Stephen and d Solomon Foundation title. He was a legal practitioner and was also the first Solicitor-General of the then Midwestern Region. I still recalled vividly that in 1970/71 though I was very young then, when he was celebrated in his chambers after he had represented and secured freedom for a man who has been charged with murder free of charge.

He ran very vibrant legal services alongside his involvement in probono services.

Solomon, another elder brother who was in the Army then, was its Public Relation Officer until he met his death in a ghastly motor accident .He was also actively involved in charitable activities. So, it is a trend that runs in the family but the current spark that gave birth to this current probono services of the Stephen and Solomon Foundation was ignited by a Grand Knight of St Mulumba, Lekki Sub -Council, Barrister Femi GiwaAmu who incidentally is the son of Late Stephen Giwa-Amu. It was he who approached me to inform me that the Knighthood will want my firm to assist its Prison Ministry that solely render help for those behind Prison walls that could not afford the services of a legal practitioner.

Unfortunately down the line we had problems with them, you know it is a knighthood and it is a regimented organization; it is like the Army.

While they restricted themselves to Ikoyi Prisons, we were interested in the whole country and were not ready to take instructions from them as to where not to go or to go. They wanted us to restrict our activities to their Sub -Council alone and not with any other council like the Maryland and Ikeja versions. So, somewhere along the line, though we were still associating with them and operating under the

W

umbrella, it became imperative for us to incorporate the Stephen and Solomon Foundation.

Lastly, whenever we go to court on our regular matter as it concern A.G.Giwa-Amu and co, we found out that most of the inmates do not even understand the language of the court when they plead guilty, they do so out of ignorance. Then secondly a lot of them go to jail or are in prison custody because they cannot afford legal representation and that even when they are able to afford one, it is not a proper legal representatives. It is one thing to get a Lawyer but you must get the one that knows what he or she is doing because it is easy for a man to be committed to jail for an offence he didn’t commit because he has a Lawyer who doesn’t know what he is doing .It has become an unfortunate frequency to see Lawyers who advises their clients to plead guilty especially when it is a probono matter.

These Lawyers simply are in haste to get files concerning such indigent matters off their hands as quickly as possible and then it is the inmates or the defendant that suffers in all these.

I say this because most times he is innocent, when being told to plead guilty believing that his Lawyer has advised him properly There are often times when the hammer of the Judge is so hard, so brutal and it is then that they will realize too late that their Lawyers has made a mistake in the first place.

It is these cumulative factors that gave birth to setting up this foundation and I am indeed grateful to God that as we speak over five thousand inmates nationwide have been released and that is what makes us tick if not to the outside world, but also within us the excitement is beyond boundaries.

Has your efforts been complimented by either the State, Federal or private individuals?

Now as for the issue of donation and all that I must tell you that till date we are not sponsored by anybody, not one person has said to us take this in support of what you are doing not because we have not tried to reach out to people, but I guess people

have become suspicious of the word NGO, not only internationally but even locally. Even the Knights of St Mulumba whenever there is a need in the Prisons, they do not deal with us directly monies are made available to them at the Prisons directly.

In spite of all that, there was this day we went visiting and the Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) who needed to attend to us and there was no chair or table for him to write what he wanted to write. We felt thoroughly embarrassed, ashamed and scandalized by it. Scandalized in the sense that on this said day, we were accompanied by some foreign visitors from the United States and Jamaica. Our pain was more because prior to our leaving our office for the Prisons, we had allayed the fear and apprehension they entertained about the situation of our Prisons which they claimed they had read about by telling them that it is actually not true all they heard about our Prison environment.

So, you will know how we felt; the reality stared us in our face right there.

From our findings we are of the candid opinion that Prison workers should have sense of duty but you cannot expect a Prison officer to perform optimally when there are no chairs or table to carry out his civic duties. Truly pained by that encounter, I met some of my friends who are into furniture business who gave me liberal terms and conditions that made purchase for the Prison use furniture worth about 18.5 million naira. With this singular stroke, we have been able to raise their hope that even if government does not recognize their daily sacrifices, there are private individuals who appreciate them.

We on our part, we are encouraged by the fact that these officers and men handle the bulk of the colony of criminals, because we know that if sixteen armed robbers are in the Police cell ,the Police will hastily kill eight, they wouldn’t want that kind of staggering numbers in their custody but that is not the case of their counterparts in the Prisons which is saddled with the responsibilities of maintaining, caring, feeding the colony. Even when they are a hundred and above hardened

Chief Gabriel –Giwa Amu, criminals, a prison officer is obliged to house them, counsel them and all that and when they are sick, they nurse them and being acquainted with these efforts of theirs, we resolved to, within available means with us, support them.

What is your take on the controversy surrounding joint account between the state and local government areas?

I have learnt to dread politicians because they are obscure and weird.

The issue of granting autonomy to local government unfortunately has taken a ridiculous dimension. It has been turned into a political issue rather than a constitutional issue. Those whose intention is to merge it want to do so for pecuniary interest, so that it guarantees them the leeway to embezzle state funds in the future. Therewas a local Chairman in Lagos who was to recontest for a second term and those in his constituency asked him ‘Mr. Chairman Sir so you want to come back; okay, fine and well but you tell us or give us a graphic account of what you achieved in the past because it is glaring that you never performed as to win you the confidence of the people.’

The man simply told them that they knew as himself why they couldn’t perform optimally and that is because those who occupy the office at Alausa were always taking the larger chunk of what is accruing to Local Government Council from the federation account.

He was simply frank and blunt. So, if you deny them that autonomy, you will simply make the problem worse.

We want to see a situation where the least local government will not only be accountable but be free from the tentacles of the various state. Local governments should be granted some level of independence and be allowed to embark on projects which they deem fit and profitable to the inhabitants of their respective areas.

In the areas of constituency projects that they so much make noise about, it should be noted that priorities differs and as such what may tickle the fancy of say Governor Fashola may not necessarily be enchanting to any Local Government Chairman who may be drawn to things of more value than that of the Governor. So when there is an independence as it ought to be,

there shall be a lot of improvement at the grassroot,so what they are trying to do is to encourage fraud.

Are you not envisaging a chaotic situation?

Absolutely so….

So, you are not in support of those who are against the granting autonomy to Local Governments?

Again, absolutely so, that is what I am implying So you are comfortable with the Governors playing the Senior Prefects in a manner of speaking No, No what I am simply saying is that any act that will encourage the autonomy, the independence of the corporate unit of the Local Government should be encouraged, if there is going to be an amendment at all, that will go contrary to this should be discouraged.

That is what I am saying.

What do you think about the noise that accompanied the alleged deportation of some Anambra State citizen by the Lagos State government?

I have been asked this question several times since the issue became public notice; and my response has been that Fashola is justified and forgive if I offend you or any other person outside there. I say again that Fashola is justified on the issue of public policy. You see a young man from my village in Sabogida-Ora in Edo State pick up his trousers and shirt encasing them in a polythene bag and heads for Lagos only because news filtered to him that his cousin just secured employment with Unilever or Cadbury as a Chief Security or Gateman. He is not bothered to know that the said cousin has himself, his wife and kids to contend with and he joins the group.

His appearance in Lagos will definitely put pressure on the larger Lagos which has to take care of his sewage, his refuse and his security because it is a known fact that Fashola spends billions of naira on security alone.

Every day we talk of the congestion in the courts and the Prisons .We are aware of Governors who rather than spend state money for infrastructural development like Fashola, prefers to frolics and gallivant across the globe.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Politics

APC: Addressing the struggle within From Oyinlola, Dapo Amara, Suleiman Idris, Ayo Samuel and Mathew Irinoye, Lagos

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he political marriage between three frontline political parties in Nigeria, namely the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was recently blessed by the political umpire, Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), raising the hopes of the people for future vibrant electoral contest.

Since the party was registered, political analysts have expressed divergent views on the merger and the way forward for Nigerian politics.

Many believe that the registration of the party spells a good future for Nigerian politics, while others have said that the move has clearly shown that Nigerian politics has come of age.

Some other school of thoughts have equally expressed the view that the registration has further given INEC some level of credibility.

However, the question on the lips of many Nigerians now is what next? While some Nigerians have demonstrated that they are tired of the domineering powers of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), others are still in doubt on whether the APC is capable of delivering the required ‘change’ as stated in its motto.

The fear expressed by many Nigerians now however is that whether the process of selecting and appointing important positions within the APC will not lead the members to start singing discordant tunes, reminiscence of the typical struggle within major political parties.

For the ACN, it is still strongly believed that it is the forerunner among the three parties because of its domineering presence in the south-west. A member of the ACN under the Ijesha-North Federal Constituency in Osun state, Comrade Joseph Oluwole Ojo told our correspondent that he believes that electing national leaders for the APC will not lead to wrangling within the party.

“The registration of APC is perfect and this means that we are developing; it means that the INEC can be relied upon. Had it been that the registration was not accepted, the situation would have been chaotic by now.”

Comrade Ojo said that Osun State Government under the leadership of Rauf Aregbesola has its priority on agriculture development apart from the other agenda it is currently working upon, just like Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State is concentrating efforts on building roads and making the state a megacity.

Making Osun State a case study, he said “sixty percent n of his programme is on farming and agriculture, when there is no work among the youths it will lead to problem, and now other state governors are emulating him.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu You will see a positive reaction, in terms of leadership, what ACN as a forerunner of the party is doing for the populace is worthy of emulation” However, while the man from Osun is full of praises for Governor Aregbesola, same cannot be said of Ogun state where members of the CPC are disagreeing on how the leadership of the APC should be formed.

Contrary to the widely held opinion that the APC has planned to shop for fresh blood who are capable to bring to bear good leadership on the nation, some groups have started clamoring for a return to the status-quo, whereby, some veteran politicians will still be thrown on board to contest sensitive elective position.

The tussles are coming amid an alleged understanding and agreement that respective parties would be allowed to produce candidates for elections in areas they are perceived to be strong at the national level during the merger talks, but the issues of party structure was not discussed and agreed upon.

However, some members of the ACN denied the existence of any such agreement, which they noted, conflicts with the provisions of the new party’s constitution that upholds primary election as the only due process through which candidates must emerge.

From Ogun state where the crisis is evolving, the CPC Governorship candidate in the last election , Veteran Olawale Okunniyi, is battle ready to contest the party ticket with the incumbent Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Addressing his teeming supporters and APC Leaders, who thronged the Ishara town hall on last week to welcome him to Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun state, Okunniyi refuted the media report of conceding the 2015 APC ticket to Governor Amosun. He said there was no such discussion between him and Amosun or between CPC and ACN leaders in the state “as it is too early to engage in such untactical discussions “ “As a matter of fact, the CPC block within the APC in Ogun state led by us has the capacity and will to produce the next Governor of Ogun state but we shall carefully work

General Buhari Muhammadu it out within APC when the time comes as our national leadership has advised us to always strive to play formidable role in making the historic merger a huge success” .

Okunniyi, who commenced a state wide mobilization tour last week to create awareness for the newly registered mega party promised to formally announce his political aspiration for the 2015 elections in January 2014.

He however charged his teeming supporters to rally round the party to produce the next government in Ogun state.

However it’s a different battle in Ekiti and Osun state where merging parties had gubernatorial aspirants before the APC was registered. A source within the ACN bloc told Peoples Daily that its candidates who are the incumbents in their various states would flag the APC tickets in the 2014 elections.

“We all know the weight of these party before coming into APC, most of them can even run a party secretariat, so our governor would clinch the party tickets; we have nothing to fear about,” the source said.

Another issue of contention is the conversation of ACN offices in the region to APC state offices.

Sources close to other merging parties said they would not allow the ACN bloc of the APC render them useless in the new party. “We know that ACN is a major stakeholder in the process and we are in their stronghold; we also have our own supporters here in the south west; we are going to be part of the party structure because all parties are collapsing, we might decide to use ACN offices or get new ones. But we, ACN, CPC, APGA, ANPP and DPP are part of the APC in all states no matter their numbers.”

A cross section of people who spoke on the newly APC, however expressed some level of optimism that whatever happens in the future, the coming of the APC is capable of altering the domineering stature of the PDP. A major stakeholder in the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Peter Ojelatan in a chat with out correspondent commended the registration of APC. But he however lamented that there has not been adequate representation of maritime stakeholders in Nigerian politics.

“There are some there, but here in Nigeria we so much believe in theory. But but we in the maritime sector need a practical aspect of Nigerian politics. With what we are experiencing in the maritime sector we are not satisfied” he said Ojelatan stated that what stakeholders are after is a political party that will deliver results.

According to him, merging parties together is not the issue here, but a political party that will move the nation forward is what matters.

“The composition of the people coming together are not new. They have been in the system, but all Nigerians are after is a political party that will deliver them from hardship” “If really we are to practice democracy in a transparent and honest way, I don’t think the PDP can pose a threat to the APC merger; but we all know that the incumbency powers always create an edge, but if the opposition is firm, it will not work” he said.

While speaking to Peoples Daily correspondent on the newly registered APC, the chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch, Monday Onyekachi Ubani said that Nigerians now have alternative “this will really put everyone on his toes both the ruling party and the newly merged APC to give Nigerians dividends of democracy.”

Ubani also noted that the merger

by APC will create keen competition, ideas and manifesto. He maintained that the approval of the party registration by the Independent electoral commission (INEC )is a good development.

“It is important when you have a choice. In a country where there is no choice, the country is finished.

So, Nigerians now have a choice and the fact that APC is a merger of three political parties, they are coming with strength, and now PDP can not dismiss APC with a wave of hands.

Everythinnowg has to be contested; any party that fails to do people’s will is gone for it” he added The NBA chairman while commenting on what would happen to the pending matters in court by the other parties before merger, he said, APC automatically take over the liability and assets of their part.

“If there are cases pending in court, the new party inherits those cases; they changed the name to

APC but they have to take over the liability and assets. The case would not be dismissed under the disguise of new name, they would change name to APC and inherit those cases” he added Commenting on the new party, Mohammed Bindi, Hausa leader in Agege said “The party will definitely overcome any crisis in the first place.

It is normal for its to have these type of things at the earlier stage than when its is finally on ground or when they are preparing for election for crisis to hit it.

Anything good thing will always have some challenges at the beginning. PDP will have a good fight in subsequent election in the country especially in the north where l come from.

Ambrose Akhigbe, an aspirant said “I must tell you the generality of Nigerians are very happy for the new party. Its process of evolution was mired with controversies from different quarters and finally God has made it possible for it to emerge. There is no better thing to happen in this country at this stage than this. APC will stand firm and compete favourably in the coming elections in Nigeria. I am geared up toward educating the youth on the need for us to engage in the political process of this country and l know that is one of the tenet of the party. It will surely become the dominant political party in no distant time, mark my words.”

Madu Chukwuemeka, an Anambra based politician said “The registration of the APC is the best thing INEC has done. Though the party will definitely encounter initial teething challenges just like a new born baby. It will grow into maturity very soon especially as Nigerians have anxiously waited for its emergence. It has balanced the political equation because we have had a dominant party which has not moved the country from the abyss of poverty in the past 13 years. My advise is that APC must ensure it muster enough voters in the South East and South South regions of the country. It should not only concentrate on the South West and North this time around.

Let the leader be someone who is a detribalized Nigerian; not a sectional leader. Nigerians are roaring to go come the elections year.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 39

News Extra

Briefs

Kaduna NUJ

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he Kaduna state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) is to send a delegation to Lagos and Oyo states to condole with the families of the three late journalists who lost their lives recently in an auto crash.

The council disclosed this in a condolence letter to the families of the deceased and signed by the Secretary, Dominic Uzu. The letter expressed sympathy with the immediate families of the deceased and prays that God Almighty will grant their gentle souls eternal rest.

Meanwhile, council has since opened a condolence register for the late colleagues at the NUJ secretariat along Muhammadu Buhari Way. From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Flood: Delta demolishes illegal structures

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o fewer than 226 illegal structures across Delta state have been demolished as part of measures to avert NIMET prediction of flood disaster.

According to Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Frank Omare, the exercise will be extended to the 25 local government areas of the state.

The Commissioner who reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to providing infrastructural development, said the demolition exercise also involved the clearing of bushes along NNPC sides of the express way.

From Prince Edward, Asaba

Delta Governor

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overnor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has enjoined Muslims and Nigerians in general to pray for the country to enable it overcome the current security challenges.

In a goodwill message to Muslims in commemoration of this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, the Governor called for prayers and vigilance on the part of Nigerians noting that it was necessary to overcome the security challenges facing the country.

According to him, if the security problems were resolved Nigeria and Nigerians would be better positioned to achieve their goals of peace, unity and progress and thereby enhance the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizenry.

According to him, “I call on all Deltans and Nigerians in general to use the celebration of Eid-el-Fitri to pray for the country to overcome the security challenges facing it.

It is only when peace reigns that Muslims and adherents of other religions can contribute to the social and economic development of the country.”

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Kaduna state Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero (2nd left) his Director-General, Media and Publicity, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki (3rd left) and state’s Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Usman Mohd (right), at the Eid praying ground, yesterday, in Kaduna.

Ashiru boosts relations with Indonesia, Philippines

By Hassan Haruna Ginsau

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he Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, made attempts to enhance co-operation between Nigeria and the two Nations when undertook official visits to Indonesia and the Philippines during the last week of July, 2013.

In Indonesia, Ashiru held consultations with his host, Dr. R. M. Natelegawa, on a number of issues of bilateral interest aimed at raising the profile of Nigeria’s relations with Indonesia.

He also co-chaired the inaugural session of the Nigeria-Indonesia Bilateral Commission.

Indonesia offered to cooperate with Nigeria in the area of security by offering facilities to the Nigeria Police for training of its mid-career

officers.

Furthermore, it indicated willingness to cooperate with its Nigerian counterpart in the area of combating piracy, money laundering, human trafficking, and other forms of transnational crimes.

There was no indication though, about the Prisoner Transfer agreement (PTA) that was of great importance to the trip.

The Minister was planned to plead for clemency for Nigerians serving jail terms in Indonesia or seek their transfer to Nigeria to serve their sentence under the (PTA). Many of the prisoners are on death row.

The two sides underscored their desire to continue to collaborate on the basis of reciprocal support of each other’s candidatures in international organisations, such as

Nigeria’s candidature to the UN Security Council, membership of ICAO Board, and Director-General of the Board of ICAO. Reduction of tariffs and removal of nontariff barriers with the objective of creating a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) were also tabled.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the Oil and Gas sector has been exchanged between the relevant agencies of the two countries and would be ready for signing during the Presidential visit next November.

In the Philippines, the Minister engaged his Filipino counterpart, Mr. Alberto Del Rosario, on that country’s readiness to partner with Nigeria for the mutual growth and prosperity of both countries and their peoples.

Adamawa: Mubi North council sacks Speaker, Deputy, others From Umar Dankano, Yola

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he Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chief Whip and other legislative leaders of Mubi North local government council of Adamawa state have been impeached due to what the members described as vote of no

confidence on their leadership style.

The legislators who had been having running battle with their leaders over the way the executive is running the affairs of the local government on removed their Speaker, Mallam Babangida Dauda, his deputy, Mr. Paul

Samuel, Majority Leader Mallam Salihu Abubakar and Chief Whip Mallam Ahmadu Adamu.

They accused the affected officials of “maladministration” which the newly nominated Speaker, Mallam Shuaibu Abdullahi, described as the main reason for the running battle the

councilors had having with the council Chairman.

Abdullahi whose emergence was endorsed by six out of the 10 councilors of the local government promised in his acceptance speech to work closely with the Executive in transforming the local government area.

Sallah: No salary for Katsina workers as Kebbi LG boss makes case for less privileged From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina & Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

K

atsina state civil servants are celebrating the Sallah without the usual salary advance from government.

The development also had a spillover effect on traders as most of them interviewed complained of low patronage the people, according to them, lack the purchasing powers to patronize them.

A trader, Malam Umar Abdullahi, lamented that, “you know that Katsina state is a civil servant state, therefore, if the workers are not financially buoyant traders also feel the heat.

“As you can see we have displayed our wares but no customers.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of Birnin Kebbi local government council, Ibrahim Musa Dan Illela, has called on wealthy individuals to always remember the poor and the

less privileged.

Dan-Illela who made the call at a programme to break the Ramadan fast organized for community and religious noted that Islam enjoins those who are well to do to endeavour to touch the lives of the less privileged in their midst.

He noted Almighty Allah in His infinite mercy knows why He did not create men equal.

He also reminded the people that Nigeria is passing through difficult security challenges which call for

fervent prayers to Almighty Allah to avert the seeming catastrophe.

Dan-Illela told his people that the clamp down on insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states has made it possible for fleeing members of the group to seek refuge in many towns and villages across the country.

He therefore urged residents of Birnin Kebbi council area to report any suspicious movement of individuals or groups to the nearest security agents.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 40

Leisure

Some Interesting Facts

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he condom - made originally of linen - was invented in the early 1500s.

•The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth II, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

•The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

•The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.

•The first known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 B.C. •The first toilet ever seen on television was on “Leave It To Beaver”.

•The flag of the Philippines is the only national flag that is flown differently during times of peace or war. A portion of the flag is blue, while the other is red. The blue portion is flown on top in time of peace and the red portion is flown in war time.

•The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

•The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.

•The host team in an NFL football game must have 26 footballs inflated and ready to play with.

•The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 672.

•The little bags of netting for gas lanterns (called ‘mantles’) are radioactive-

SUDODKU

-so much so that they will set off an alarm at a nuclear reactor.

•The liver, not the heart, is the sign of romance in northern Morocco.

When a Moroccan girl falls in love she says, “Darling, you have stolen my liver.”

•The Lord’s Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence, but government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911 words.

•The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

•The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

•The most extras ever used in a movie was 300,000, for the film

Gandhi in 1981.

•The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million.

•The name Wendy was made up by James Barrie for the book “Peter Pan” •The Neanderthal’s brain was bigger than yours is.

•The oldest known goldfish lived to 41 years of age. Its name was Fred.

•The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.

•The only nation who’s name begins with an “A”, but doesn’t end in an “A” is Afghanistan.

•The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star Game.

•The original story from Tales

of 1001 Arabian Nights begins, “Aladdin was a little Chinese boy.”

•The parachute was invented by da Vinci in 1515.

•The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary. When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.

•The phrase “rule of thumb” is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn’t beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

•The reason firehouse usess have h ve circular stairways is fr from om the day days ys of yore when en th thee eng ngi gines nes were re pulled by y ho horrse sess. The ho horrse sess wer ere stab sta bled on the gro bled ground und fl flo oorr and figure fig ured d ou out how w to wa walk lk k up p str straig aight ht stair sta irc rcas asees.

Say what?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Masters of disguise: The Eastern Screech Owl, in Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, is seen here doing what they do best. You better have a sharp eye to spot these little birds of prey. Photo by Graham McGeorge

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Bwari chairman to flag-off FCT coaches clinic

PAGE 41

Nigeria remain 35th in FIFA ranking

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o fewer than one thousand youths and two hundred coaches are expected to attend the maiden edition of the FCT Grassroots Football Coaching Clinic and competition at Bwari town in Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory tomorrow.

The events which was organized under the auspices of the Nigeria Football coaches Association FCT chapter will be flagged-off by the chairman of the council, Peter Yohana Ushafa .

The coaching clinic will be anchored byy seasoned

Eagles players celebrating victory Stories by Albert Akota

T FCT FA chairman, Musa Talle Football coaches and referees includes Samuel Abimbola, CAF ‘B’ Licensed Coach, Gidado Usman, CAF ‘B’ Licensed Coach, Donald Malomo Paris, UEFA Pro Licensed Coach and Jamila Buhari Bello, first female FIFA badge referee in Nigeria.

The chairman of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, FCT Chapter, Godwin Bamigboye said the association has decided to put the event together to positively engage the youth during the long vacation and also use the opportunity to discover talented players.

He added that the players and coaches will be tutored on the need to be investment conscious so that they will be groomed to prepare for life after retirement from active footballing.

Bamigboye said it is an opportunity to inculcate the youths the spirit of patriotism, love and unity.

he Super Eagles have dropped to the fifth position in Africa despite retaining their spot in the global ranking The Super Eagles has remained unmoved in the latest FIFA world ranking released yesterday.

In June, the African Champions

were rated as the 31st best football playing team in the world before making a downward slide to 35 in the July ranking.

This stagnant position however, was not good enough as they slipped to fifth place in Africa with the Desert Foxes of Algeria taking up their previous fourth position.

Meanwhile Cote d’Ivoire

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is Cape Verde who moved up to the 36th place in the world and sixth in Africa with four points behind Nigeria.

Spain, Germany and Colombia hold the first, second and third spots in the world respectively as FIFA Confederations Cup champions Brazil are ninth in the world.

Friendly match: Eagles to play Stallions on FIFA Windom in Kaduna

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aring last minutes change, the Super Eagles will play the Stallions of Burkina Faso in September.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is already finalizing arrangement with the Burkina Faso Football Body for the match to hold during the FIFA window in Kaduna.

Reliable source at the Football House confirmed to Peoples Daily Sports that the international friendly match has been tidied up and that Nigerians would be able to watch a repeat of the final of the African Cup of Nations in South Africa, which Nigeria won by a lone goal.

Our source who spoke

Keshi

Eagles will beat Bafana, says Mba he Super Eagles AFCON hero, Sunday Mba has said there is no cause for alarm over the squad of the South Africa head coach, Gordon Igesund named for the Eagles.

Igesund has named a 28-man squad to confront the Eagles in the Nelson Mandela Challenge on August 14 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa.

Mba said Nigerians have no reason to panic as the African

remains at the summit of African football with 962 points which put them in the 18th position in the world while Ghana is 24th in the world and second in Africa. Mali took the third spot on the continent after amassing 735 points which places them in the 32nd spot in the world.

The surprise package on the log

kings will march the South African counterparts squarely as well as come out of the encounter unscathed.

“Of course, there is nothing to worry over the names the South Africans will parade against us during the Nelson Mandela Challenge, I’m cool and at home with the names.

“It’s a friendly game but the buildup to the game underscores the fact that there is nothing like friendly in football any longer, every game is as important as the World Cup final.

“We know it won’t be easy in South Africa more so against the Bafana Bafana because everybody wants to win against Nigeria and go down in history as the side that defeated the reigning African champions.

“I see the encounter as a game we must win, our pride is already at stake so I believe we’ll prepare very well and on matchday come to the party to prove further to doubters that our victory at 2013 Afcon was not a fluke rather well deserved,” he said.

on condition of anonymity disclosed that Kaduna State Government has agreed to sponsor game and that NFF is in the process of completing the paper work for the match but also expressed confidence that the match will surely hold.

The General Secretary of the NFF, Musa Amadu when asked to confirm the match said he would brief the media when all the necessary things have been done.

Super Eagles will take on Bafana Bafana this August 14 in Durban, South Africa. This game will further prepare the team ahead of the crucial World Cup 2014 qualifiers against Malawi on September 7, 2013.

Elephants still rule Africa

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he latest FIFA ranking of national teams was released yesterday with the top four sides Spain, Germany, Colombia and Argentina conserving their positions from the previous ranking without losing or gaining any point.

Likewise for the other teams that followed on the list till the 12th place – Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Brazil, Belgium, Greece and Uruguay.

Ivory Coast is still Africa’s number one national side, a position the Elephants have held for nearly two years now.

However, the Ivorians lost 5 points this time to finish at 18 on the overall rating.

Ghana is Africa’s second on the ranking and 24 in the lot while Mali, Algeria and Nigeria follow respectively as third, fourth and fifth African teams on the ranking.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Sports

Drogba in Elephants Okagbare: Nigeria athletes will squad to battle USA prove something in Moscow

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ôte d’Ivoire’s coach Sabri Lamouchi announced the 23 players to play in a friendly against Mexico on 14 August in the USA, in preparation for the 6th and last day of the 2014 World cup qualifiers.

And as predicted, the emblematic captain of the Eléphants makes his comeback in the squad after being side-lined for six months.

Drogba’s last appearance in the Ivoirian colours goes back to the African Cup of Nations’quarter-final lost against Nigeria, last February in Rustenburg.

Addition to this semi-surprise is the first call-up of 21-year old Malaga’s midfielder Bobley Anderson Allègne and 22-year old RSC Anderlecht’s striker Gohi Bi

Zoro Cyriac.

A former playmaker of AFAD de Djékanou in the Ivoirian Ligue1, Bobley Anderson joined the Spanish Liga this summer after a season at Wydad de Casablanca.

While Gohi Bi Cyriac moved to Belgium in 2009 from ASEC Mimosas.

While Lamouchi reaffirmed his confidence in Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso, it was not the case for Everton’s new striker Arouna Koné, who remains behind this time as do defenders Emmanuel Eboué, Kolo Touré and Siaka Tiéné, still snubbed by the former French international.

Already booked in the World Cup play-offs, the Elephants will host Morocco in September in Abidjan in the last qualifying round.

Musa backs Eagles to beat Bafana

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SKA Moscow striker Ahmed Musa has predicted a Nigeria win over South Africa in next week’s high-profile friendly in Durban.

Musa, who noted that he will arrive Durban on Monday ahead of the Mandela Challenge clash, said the Super Eagles will eventually carrying the day.

“I am ready for the match against South Africa, though it is a friendly I want to win it. I will arrive South Africa on Monday,” Musa disclosed.

“It will be an interesting game, a nice game to play. It is

Ahmed Musa

coming at a good time to keep the team in good shape ahead of our September World Cup qualifier (against Malawi).

The dashing forward, who has been on great form for double Russia champions CSKA in the new season, said he expects a full house at the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban on Wednesday afternoon.

“We won AFCON in South Africa and going back there will bring back good memories. The country is nice, the people are good and supported us during the Nations Cup,” he said.

By Albert Akota igeria and 205 nations across the globe will compete for medals as the World Athletics Championships, which begins in the Russian capital Moscow tomorrow.

The athletics show-piece is set to be the biggest ever IAAF championship in history as no fewer than 206 IAAF Member Federations are already on ground in Moscow.

The previous highest number of nations present at an IAAF World Championships was 200 at both Seville 1999 and Berlin 2009.

With a total of 1974 athletes having been entered (1106 men and 868 women), the record of participants is also on course to be broken as the previously most attended Championships in terms of athletes was Berlin 2009 with 1895.

A contingent of the country’s athletes and officials left the country on Monday for Russian with firm assurance of winning medals after winning bronze in 1993 in triple jump.

Nigeria will feature in seven events namely 100m, 200m, 400mh, long and triple jumps and 4×100 and 4x400m women relays.

However, the championships in Moscow are expected to be different as the country is highly dependent on the emerging talent of the new 100m female African

N

record holder Blessing Okagbare (10.79sescs.)

In the past Nigeria has come close to winning medals at the world championships, only in the relay event. This time, the country is hoping to win medals in the 100m, long jump and 200m women events.

This is so because Okagbare has shown that she has the tenacity to contest and win in these events.

Aside being the world leader in the 200m, she is also the second world leader in the long jump. The bottom-line is that the Sapele born athlete and Nigeria’s flag bearer will win a medal at the world athletics championships in Moscow.

Ajoke Odumosu is another Nigerian that will attempt to win a medal in the 400m hurdles.

A finalist at the London 2012 Olympics, Odumosu has matured into a strong medal contender, having come close on several occasions.

Another medal hope for the country is in the 4×100 and 4x400m relays for women.

With Okagbare expected to anchor the 4x100m relay, its projected that Nigeria will hit the podium, the colour of the medal notwithstanding.

Tosin Oke will represent the country in the trip jump. Much is not expected from him except that Nigeria has a jumper that is capable of leaping over 16.80m

or even higher. The same goes for Doreen Amata in the high jump women and probably Nurudeen Selim who majors in 110m hurdle event.

Above all, there are high hopes that over 35 member contingent representing Nigeria in Moscow will not disappoint. Okagbare’s Manager Paul Doyle, has already tipped the athlete to dominate female athletics just as World record holder, Usain Bolt, is doing in the men’s category.

Doyle, who manages Okagbare and other A-list athletes like Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell, said that the 24-year old has the capabilities of going on to become a great athlete.

Okagbare showed what she could do last Saturday when at the Anniversary Games of the Olympics in London, she defeated all comers to win the women’s 100m race.

“I think Okagbare will be the greatest athlete that this sport has ever seen in a couple of year’s time,” Doyle said. “I think she is capable of being the Usain Bolt on the women’s side.

“She is naturally gifted and still very young and I believe that in a couple of years, she will dominate this sport,” he added. Doyle further said that Okagbare would be one of the athletes to watch out for.

Okagbare broke two African records in London, the first 10.86secs in the heat and the new one 10.79secs in the finals.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 43

Sports

Liverpool manager tells Suarez to train alone

Tottenham prepare for Capoue arrival

Suarez

Etienne Capoue

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iverpool striker Luis Suarez has been told to train alone by manager Brendan Rodgers, who says the player has shown total disrespectto the club.

Rodgers also rejected the Uruguay international’s claim he was promised a transfer this summer if Liverpool did not qualify for the Champions League.

Suarez, 26, plans to submit a transfer request this week if a move to Arsenal is blocked.

Sources close to the Anfield club insist the decision to make Suarez train away from the first team was made before his outspoken interview, which broke on Tuesday, and is down to the player’s lacklustre performances in recent friendly matches.

Arsenal has had two bids rejected by the Reds, the latest of which was a pound over £40m and designed to trigger a release clause in Suarez’s contract.

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ottenham’s busy summer of spending looks set to continue after Toulouse confirmed they had agreed to

sell midfielder Etienne Capoue to the Premier League club.

Capoue’s employers have confirmed that a deal, worth

reportedly as much as £11m, is in place for their French international, whose ability to slot into a defensive role may appeal to Andre Villas-Boas.

Toulouse president Olivier Sadran was quoted by L’Equipe as stating “he will go there” when asked about speculation linking the 25-year-old with a move to Tottenham.

The imminent arrival Capoue will fuel the suspicion that Scott Parker’s days at the club may be numbered; with Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp reportedly eager to bring the player he signed for Spurs to Loftus Road.

Chelsea dismiss Barcelona’s bid for Luiz David Luiz

Donetsk signs €25 million Bernard from Mineiro

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Bernard spent three seasons with Atletico, scoring 22 goals in 100 appearances, while he has five caps for Brazil to his name.

Bernard

hakhtar Donetsk has completed the signing of Bernard from AtleticoMineiro for €25 million.

The 20-year-old winger had been linked with a switch to Arsenal, while he was widely expected to be joining Porto.

However, the Brazil international has instead opted for a move to the Ukrainian champions, where he has penned a five-year contract.

A statement published on Shakhtar’s official website read: “Shakhtar Donetsk has signed a five-year deal with Bernard.

The Belo Horizonte-born player will still link up with a number of other Brazilians, however, with the likes of Douglas Costa, Luiz Adriano and Fred all on Shakhtar’s books.

Fabregas confirms Barca stay

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esc Fabregas says he has never considered leaving Barcelona this summer, and his only thought is to stay and be a success at the Camp Nou. Fabregas was targeted by Manchester United this summer, with the Premier League champions reportedly lodging three separate bids with Barca, and new Red Devils boss David Moyes regularly talking about the possibility of the move taking place.

Fabregas, 26, had dismissed the possibility of a summer transfer while on Confederations Cup duty with Spain in June, but then went silent on his return to pre-season training with the Catalan club.

This prompted speculation that he was actively considering returning to England, or was perhaps using the uncertainty to lever a new and improved Barca contract.

Finally speaking from Kuala

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he news that Barcelona has made a bid for Chelsea’s David Luiz comes as little surprise.

The Spanish giants have offered a 35-million-pound straight-cash deal for the Brazilian defender to cement the whisperings that have been doing the rounds for the past few weeks about their interest in the player.

While talk of offers should be

routinely treated with suspicion, that it emanated from the BBC adds a certain weight given they demand verification from two independent sources before posting a story.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will remember that they also relayed the erroneous claim Chelsea offered Juan Mata or Luiz plus £10m for Wayne Rooney last month, though they

can be excused on that account due to those details being disseminated by Manchester United’s mischievous public relations department.

Given Luiz’s upturn in fortunes and burgeoning status in the Chelsea squad, why on earth would Chelsea decide to cash in on him now just when he appears to be evolving onto the model of the modern centre back?

Stoke make fresh Diouf bid

S Cesc Fabregas Lumpur as the Catalan club continued their pre-season Asian tour, Cesc appeared to put all of that talk to bed.

toke City representatives travelled to Hannover on Wednesday for further negotiations over striker MameDiouf.

Stoke, who missed out on the signing of Benfica attacker Nelson Oliveira in late July, have revived their interest in Senegal international Diouf.

Potters chairman Peter Coates has been reluctant to sanction a

heavy investment in the 25-oldyear, a former Manchester United reserve, as the Bundesligaclub seeks €8 million despite the player being in the final year of his contract.

Though, Stoke directors Tony Scholes and Mark Cartwright travelled to Germany to meet with Diouf’s agent, Jim Solbakken, and Hannover general manager Dirk Dufner.

Diouf

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

Sports

Athletics drug-testing report shock WADA boss

A

highly critical report into global sport drug testing is a shocking wake-up call according to the boss of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

The study highlights failures in all aspects of the anti-doping system and recommends widescale reform.

Wada director general David Howman said things had to

change otherwise we will just keep on turning out stuff without getting to the nub of the issue.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is promising the most comprehensive testing programme ever conducted at a major event.

Athletics has had to deal with a series of doping revelations

Williams, Bartoli through in Rogers Cup

recently, with news that two of the fastest four 100m men of all time Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell - had failed drug tests breaking on the same day last month.

World Championship hosts Russia have more than three dozen track and field athletes serving bans, while Turkey have handed out two-year suspensions to 31 athletes.

Serena Williams orld number one Serena Williams advanced to the third round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto with a 6-3 6-2 win over Italian Francesca Schiavone.

The 31-year-old, who won last month’s Swedish Open on clay, took eight games in succession on the hard court.

She faces Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium next after the 13th seed saw off Kiki Bertens 7-5 3-6 6-2.

Wimbledon champion Marion Bartolireturned from injury to beat American qualifier Lauren Davis 6-0 6-3.

Williams, beaten by Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round at

W

Powell and Gay test positive recently

McIlroyset to bounce back at US PGA defence

R

ory McIlroy has been gearing up for the US PGA with videos of past glories in a bid to rediscover the form that took him to a record win last year.

The Northern Irishman clinched his second major by eight shots at Kiawah Island and ended the season top of the rankings on both sides of the Atlantic.

But McIlroy has struggled this year and Tiger Woods is favourites after winning his fifth title of the year last Sunday.

World number one Woods won the last of his 14 major titles five years ago but his seven-shot win in Ohio gave an ominous indication of the state of his game ahead of the year’s final major, in upstate New York.

Defending champion McIlroy has cut a dejected figure on the course at times this season with a string of poor results following a multi-million dollar change of equipment, a high-profile lifestyle with tennis player girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki and legal issues with his management company.

Murray beats Granollersto advance at Rogers Cup

A

ndy Murray made a winning return to action by beating Marcel Granollers 6-4 7-6 (7-2) in the second round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Murray, 26, broke Granollers’s serve twice in the first set to lead 4-1 before a run of unforced errors saw his rival fight back to 5-4.

The Scot served out the set and came from 4-1 down to force a second-set tie-break which he won comfortably.

Beating Granollers extended his run of victories to 13, his last

defeat coming when he pulled out of a match against the same opponent at the Rome Masters in May, with the back injury that forced him to miss the French Open.

Murray, who will face world number 38 ErnestsGulbis next, showed flashes of the form that saw him become the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years, but there were more unforced errors than he would like, something he blamed on the

Murray

Rory McIlroy

ECB wants apology over bat cheating claims

T

Wimbledon, overcame world number 57 Schiavone, 33, for the fifth time in seven meetings.

Bartoli was scheduled to compete in her first tournament since her Wimbledon triumph at the Southern California Open last week, but pulled out with a hamstring injury.

Australian Samantha Stosur, runner-up in the Rogers Cup two years ago and the winner of last week’s event in Carlsbad, saw off Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 1-6 6-2 6-3.

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic, winner of this tournament in 2006, beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 6-4.

he England and Wales Cricket Board has requested an apology from Channel Nine over allegations that Kevin Pietersen “cheated” during the Ashes.

The Australian broadcaster said England and Australia players used special tape on their bats to prevent edges being detected on Hot Spot technology.

Both teams will meet with International Cricket Council general manager Geoff Allardice before the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street, which starts on Friday.

But the governing body insisted those involved will discuss the controversial decision review system rather than the alleged use of silicone tape on bats, which is within the laws of the game.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

PAGE 45

Sports P .I .C .T .O .R. I. A.L 1.

A highly critical report into global sport drug testing is a shocking wake-up call according to the boss of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

1

2.

Kevin Pietersen denies reports claiming he may have used tape on his bat to prevent edges being detected by Hot Spot.

3.

Richard Jolly compares two of Liverpool’s best strikers in the Premier League era -- Fernando Torres & Luis Suarez 4.

World number one Serena Williams advanced to the third round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto with a 6-3 6-2 win over Italian Francesca Schiavone.

5.

FIFA caught up with Seattle Sounders’ Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins who discusses his transition into the new MLS season straight from playing with Levante, the challenges in America and his famous backflips.

3

2

4

5

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Goal-line technology unveiled ahead of new season

T

he Hawkeye goal-line technology system which will be used in the Premier League and at Wembley has been unveiled ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield game between Manchester United and Wigan.

Referees will receive a signal via their watches and an earpiece within the space of a second indicating whether the ball has crossed the line.

At an event held at the Emirates Stadium to unveil the system, FA general secretary Alex Horne underlined the importance of the technology.

“This is one of the biggest changes that have happened in the 150 years since we conceived the laws of the game and it is fitting that it is happening in our 150th anniversary year, “he said.

“The object of the game is to put the ball into the goal and the system will help referees to make the correct decision.’

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore added: “It’s a very exciting development in world football.

It is a goal decision system it is no longer just goal-line technology.”

Stunted potentials hobble our nation

O

ur country is in the news these days often for the wrong reasons. Nigeria is a country devastated by poverty, insecurity, corruption and terrorism. The governance challenges are immense, while much of public policies now deliver poor outcomes. The budgeting process is a fictographic art, featuring much drama and a growing disconnect from the imperatives of development and the needs of the majority. True to that tradition, the 2013 budget is by August still a matter of unsettled contention between the executive and legislative branches of government. In spite of this, the nation’s savings account – the Excess Crude Account is being rapidly drawn down, probably unlawfully, such that it is likely to fall from about $11bn in February to zero by October 2013!

Yet this sorry impasse, governmental incompetence and impunity do not define Nigeria. Our diverse peoples are an energetic, often optimistic lot trying to build our lives despite the trammels imposed by governmental incompetence and paralysis. Ours is Africa’s largest country and second largest economy. It could easily be the continent’s largest economy and market if a congruence should emerge between politics, government action and national aspirations.

Such congruence was in the works from 2004-2007, when a variety of reform measures began to improve government finances, shrink the participation of the state in business by privatizing many state-owned enterprises, create a modern national identity system, strengthen the banking system and getting the ports to be more efficient.

Our nation was even poised to launch a national mortgage system to reverse its embarrassing 17 million units housing deficit. A

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Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala series of gas-based thermal plants were contracted to improve the patchy electric power generation levels. For the first time, a coherent roadmap for a potential boom in the solid mineral sector emerged alongside efforts to reduce the cost of governance through rightsizing and monetization of fringe benefits. The personnel cost of the entire executive arm of the federal government was about N600bn, while the maximum running cost of 469 members of the national assembly used to be less than N50bn annually. The pay-as-yougo pension system was reformed and transitional roadmap to a fully-funded contributory pension scheme legislated.

The success of our foreign

debt relief campaign reflected the international community’s confidence in the soundness of the economic programme then being feverishly pursued. Nigeria did not suddenly become an Eldorado.

But it was clearly beginning to get to grips with its problems using solutions that were pragmatic and largely market driven; propelled by a vision that the government should provide the infrastructure, security and the guaranty of law and order that can give people confidence to invest, grow and unleash their talents.

The vision of that Obasanjo administration was to make this the last generation to merely speak of Nigeria’s potentials. We were determined to realize those

Unleashing entrepreneurial energy also requires that strong regulatory competencies be developed across the board.

As our banking system so notoriously demonstrated, effective supervision and enforcement of rules and regulations are critical to the overall performance of the nation’s economy. The culture of corruption and impunity must be confronted no matter whose oxen are gored.

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potentials, confident that we had the talents to create wealth from the vast natural and human resource endowments of the country, leveraging the energies of its young people and latent assets in the Diaspora.

Why then the stasis since late 2007? We will attempt an explanation.

Political power must always be tied to national purpose. The inheritors of power post-2007 were strangers to that conception, and did not feel obliged to uphold the reformsthey inherited, and where they did, did not demonstrate sufficient political will to see them through. Even conceding to the ever changing dynamics of life, the broad thrust of the programmes our governments need to implement is obvious: the 20042007 reforms are unfinished. They should constitute a new starting point for development- focused governance and the agenda for the next government.

Perhaps that will be the single agenda item for the All Progressives Congress in post-Jonathanian Nigeria, as it is clear that the current leadership is unwilling to proceed on that road less travelled. We will nevertheless outline what obviously needs doing. It is not rocket science but requires a competent team led by a president that has been tested and transparently honest.

The next president must possess unquestionable personal integrity, character and will, propelled by the anger to change our currentlyunacceptable conditions – qualities that appear to be in great deficit in the current leadership across the board not only at the top but even at the levels of ministries, departments and agencies.

On a macroeconomic level, the government has to both shrink and become more efficient. The public service is in many ways unfit for purpose, with a mismatch between the skills required and the excess personnel it carries. A set of incentives needs to be arranged to once again make the public service an attractive career for our most talented. Certain sectors of the service also need to grow. Nigeria needs more police officers, health workers,teachers and judges and the infrastructure to support them.

But the share of national income consumed by government has to reduce. The monetization policy has to be revisited and strictly implemented so that securing a public service job, or getting elected to a post stops being a license to live like a monarch, well above the austere circumstances of ordinary Nigerians.

The expense on human capital has to both grow and be more efficiently allocated. The failure rates in the final secondary level exams show that we are not equipping our youth with the skills Contd. on Page 47

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