Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 09, October, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 9 No. 42

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

. . . putting the people first

End Boko Haram, oil theft, Jonathan orders service chiefs

Senate queries AlisonMadueke over fuel price disparity

>> PAGE 2

>> PAGE 3

Zhul-Qadah 22, 1433 AH

N150

‘Akwanga Pilot School part of rot inherited

by Al-makura’ >> PAGE 7

Deported pilgrims can return – Speaker

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he stand-off between the Nigerian and Saudi Arabian governments that threatened to degenerate into a diplomatic row has been resolved with the authorities of the holy land accepting to admit those deported Nigerians that are still holding valid visas.

The Speaker of the House Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who led the Presidential committee to Saudi made the disclosure yesterday at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on return to the country.

Those in the delegation include the Emir of Zuru, Alhaji Sani Sami, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Professor Shehu Galadanci, Chairman of Nigerian Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Alhaji Mohammed Bello, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed.

According to Tambuwal, the Saudi authorities may also Contd on Page 2

PD INDEX

8th Oct., 2012

CBN RATES $ £ EURO CFA RIYAL

BUYING 154.7 248 200.6 0.2854 41

SELLING 155.7 249.7 201.8 0.3054 41.5

PARALLEL RATES EURO £ RIYAL $

BUYING 202 257 40 158

SELLING 204 259 42 160

Kano state Governor, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (middle), in a group photograph with some of the 501 students that left for their studies abroad at the farewell ceremony, on Sunday at Aminu Kano International Airport, in Kano.

JTF kills 30 residents after attack on patrol team

By Muhammad Nasir, with agency report

M

en of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri, Borno state, were said to have indiscriminately fired on residents yesterday killing several, while also burning

homes and shops after a bomb blast targetted an army patrol, witnesses told AFP. “Initially, soldiers that came after the explosion harassed residents, whipping them,” said one resident of the city of Maiduguri.

“But later they went on a

shooting spree and started setting homes and shops on fire,” he added, putting the number of dead at about 30.

Another resident, who did not give an estimate of the death toll, said, “soldiers came into the neighbourhood and started attacking people, shooting

everybody in sight.”

The blast early Monday that targetted an army patrol vehicle in the city injured two soldiers, said the military spokesman in the area, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa.

Rights groups have Contd on Page 2

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Editorial

12

End Boko Haram, oil theft, Jonathan orders service chiefs

Op.Ed

13

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem & Joy Baba

Letters

14

Opinion

15

P

CONTENTS News

2-11

Metro

16-18

Business

18-19

S/Report

24

Defence

26

Agriculture

29

Okada riders protest new traffic law in Lagos, Page 7

Inter’l Digest

31-34 36

Politics

37-39

Sports

41-47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

resident Goodluck Jonathan has charged new service chiefs to do more to end the Boko Haram insurgency facing the nation as well as the ongoing crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

The President made the charge yesterday while swearing in the service chiefs.

Those sworn in and decorated were the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, who was elevated to Admiral; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral D.J. Ezeoba, who was decorated with the rank of Vice Admiral while the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall A.S. Badeh, now becomes an Air Marshal.

The incumbent Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika retained his position and rank.

Speaking after swearing them in at the Council Chambers of the State House, President Jonathan congratulated the new

appointees, hoping that they would bring new impetus in the fight against terrorism in all ramifications across the country.

“I will like to use this forum to specially charge you to rise to the many security challenges confronting our nation today. More specifically, the Chief of Naval Staff along with his officers and men has the honorary responsibility of up-scaling security in our territorial waters.

“The unacceptable rising incidences of crude theft must be tackled frontally. Even the direct adverse implication of the activities of crude oil theft on our national economy, I expect the Chief of Naval Staff and other service chiefs to immediately go to work to urgently bring the issue of crude oil theft to an end.”

President Jonathan reiterated that security of life and properties in all parts of this country was a sacred obligation which his administration would do everything in its power to live up to as he noted that it could not allow threat to national

security to compromise the national transformation effort.

According to him, “while we remained focused on repositioning Nigeria for sustained growth and development, we shall proactively prosecute the fight against terrorism with total commitment and effectively check the activities of all criminal elements in our dear land.

Meanwhile, the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Saád Ibrahim wept profusely yesterday while handing over his former position of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) to Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba at the Defense headquarters in Abuja.

The new CDS who broke down in tears at the opening of the ceremony said he would miss the crop of officers and men he worked with in the Navy and was not sure if those he was going to work with in his present position would be as good.

He charged the new CNS to ensure that he did his best in guaranteeing the security of Nigerian waters saying bulk of the security challenges facing

the nation were in the maritime domains.

He charged the new Naval chief to be mindful of the orders

by President Goodluck Jonathan to bring to an end oil theft and pipeline vandalism as this has become an embarrassment to Nigeria in the international world.

In his response, the new CNS thanked the president for the opportunity given to him to serve the Navy and Nigeria as a country promising to do all he can to stop the insurgency of oil theft and pipeline vandalism that bedevilled the country.

In the same vein, the new Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Alex Badeh also received his mantle of leadership at the Defense Headquarters yesterday support promising an unalloyed of the Nigerian Air force to the government and Nigerians.

Badeh also he will continue from where his predecessor stopped in the quest to attain the required posture that would guarantee the nation’s security and stability necessary for development.

NUT wants improved salary structure for teachers

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday canvassed for a special Salary Structure for teachers in primary and post primary schools in the country.

Secretary General of the NUT, Mr Obong Obong, made the call at a public hearing conducted by the House Committee on Education chaired by Rose Oko on the amendment of two bills for the Universal Basic Education Act, 2004.

The bills seek to extend basic education to SSS 3or its equivalent and to include other forms of education, including the Almajiri education.

Obong said that the number of years of training of teachers in the nation’s Universities and Colleges of Education should be increased by one year to provide for enough time to undergo teaching practice.

He urged the government to ensure that only trained and p r o f e s s i o n a l l y qualified teachers are employed to teach. ”A situation

where some state governments resort to employing quacks to teach in the name of conserving funds is most disastrous and must stop,” he warned.

Obong added “A clause should be introduced to make it an offence for any person, proprietor, employer or government to engage or employ any person to teach when such a person is not a trained and professionally qualified teacher.”

He also suggested an increase in the entry requirements into teacher training institutions.

Deported pilgrims can return – Speaker Contd from Page 1 considered Nigeria’s request for extension of the airlifting deadline to accommodate the deported pilgrims.

The Speaker who expressed happiness at the outcome of the meeting also disclosed that the issue of male companion for female pilgrims was also settled as the Nigerian delegation made it known that the issue of the companion (Muharam) is open to different interpretations from the four jurisprudences in Islam.

“Our interface with the Saudi authorities has been very successful because we had serious and deep engagements. The first good news is that all of those pilgrims who have secured valid

visas are being taken back. The understanding so far with them is that they will be allowed entry into Saudi Arabia”.

Tambuwal also pointed out that his committee’s intervention had succeeded in reinforcing the long standing cordial relationship between the two countries as he maintained that there were ample assurances to that effect.

He said “I believe that also, if need be, we have requested for them to extend the time of airlift and also the time of issuance of visas to our pilgrims”.

Commenting on the issue of male companion (Muharram) for female pilgrims, especially those under 40 years of age, Tambuwal said “Of course under

the Islamic jurisprudence, Muharram is a requirement but there are different categories of Muharams, as well as different schools of Islamic jurisprudence: the Maliki, the Shafi’i, the Hambali and the Hanafi.

These are the four pronounced schools and they have their different definitions of Muharam and we have passed across to them that message and we believe that they understand and reason with us that in Nigeria, the predominant Islamic school of jurisprudence is Maliki School of thought, which allows for a group Muharram,” Tambuwal clarified.

The NUT scribe stated that the government block grant of 2% should be managed by UBEC for the purpose of funding Basic Education projects along with the 50% States counterpart funds.

He said that salaries of teachers should be sourced on first line charge from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and remitted to UBEC for payment of teachers’ salaries nationwide.

JTF kills 30 residents in Maiduguri after attack on patrol teamContd from Page 1 previously accused the military of using brutal tactics when responding to attacks on their personnel.

Asked about the latest allegations, Musa said, “I don’t have any comment.”

Maiduguri is considered the home base of Boko Haram , blamed for killing more than 1,400 people since 2010 in an insurgency in northern and central areas of Nigeria,

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 3

Senate queries Alison-Madueke over fuel price disparity …as minister descends on journalists

By Richard Ihediwa & Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

here are moves by the Senate to end the prevailing disparity of pump price of fuel across the country with lawmakers lambasting the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison- Madueke and thePetroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), for ceding the powers of petroleum distribution to unions resulting in price manipulations.

The upper house is deeply worried that pump price of fuel differ in various parts of the country with some stations selling at regulated price of N97 per liter

while others sell as high as N130 per liter.

The issue came to the fore in the Senate yesterday at a meeting between the Senate Committee on Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and the minister to proffer solutions to the perennial fuel scarcity across the country.

Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Magnus Abe insisted that the current scarcity of products and price disparity was not acceptable adding that the trend must be checked.

This came against the background of revelations at the meeting that some cabals at depots were forcing marketers to pay

hidden charges before being allowed to lift products resulting in price manipulations.

A Representative of Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Thomas Olawore told the Senate committee that because many people were desperate to get the product, certain hidden costs were added by security agents and unions.

Commenting on the matter, Abe said: “I wonder how and why you ceded your powers to the union because you are ultimately responsible. We need to see changes please. When we went on inspection of some of the refineries and the loading depots, some of the marketers complained bitterly

about how unions have taken over the duty of the PPMC. Speaking at the meeting, the minister averred that there were issues of subsidy payments as well as other issues of difficulty in price stabilization.

She also gave a brief on efforts towards the Turn Around Maintenance of refineries saying those of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna will cost a total $1.6 Billion (N251.2 billion) There was however a mild drama at the session as the minister descended on reporters covering the event and tried to prevent them from recording her despite the insistence by the Chairman of the committee that reporters be allowed to place their recorders in front of her.

The angry minister flung away recorders belonging to journalists even as her security details tried to prevent reporters from covering the event.

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan is expected to address Nigerians in a nationwide radio and television broadcast at 7 a.m. today (Tuesday).

This was contained in a statement by Presidential Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, yesterday.

Although details on the subject of the President’s address were not available, it was widely speculated that the raging controversy over calls for the government to appeal the 2002 judgment by the International Court of Justice which awarded the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun.

By Sunday Agene Benjamin

T

Flood displaced persons in Kogi, now 600,000

T

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

FG applauds justice sector

L-R: Leader of the Federal Government delegation to Saudi Arabia and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, members of the delegation, Alhaji Aminu Dantata and Prof.

Shehu Galadanchi, on their arrival from Saudi Arabia, yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

he Kogi state government said yesterday, that no fewer than 600, 000, with women and children in the majority, were displaced in the floods disaster in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Abdulrahaman Wuya, told newsmen in Lokoja that the number of resettlement camps for the victims had also risen from the initial nine to 87.

Wuya said that the camps were mostly public primary and secondary schools and some health centres, adding that the flood affected 457 communities across nine local government areas.

He said government had set up medical stands in the camps while the referral centre in Idah had been directed to complement the medical stands in the town because of the high number of displaced people from Ibaji local government.

Wuya said that a committee, under the chairmanship of the state deputy governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, had been set up to evolve

Jonathan to address Nigerians today

...19,000 in Makurdi measures of addressing all sectors affected by the floods.

According to him, education, agriculture, health and roads are some of the sectors already identified to have been badly affected.

He said that government had in the interim decided to merge 87 public primary and secondary schools currently being used as resettlement camps with nearby government schools.

The commissioner said that children could not continue to stay at home until the first week of December when experts said the water would finally recede.

He said the merged schools would run two shifts in the morning and afternoon.

He expressed gratitude to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies; UNICEF, the Red Cross, NEMA, other groups and individuals that donated cash and relief materials to the victims.

In a related development, the Benue Emergency Management Agency said yesterday that no fewer than 19,000 persons were displaced by the overflow of River Benue in Makurdi local government area alone.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr. Adikpo Akpatse, told newsmen in Makurdi that no death had been recorded.

He said the flood affected Makurdi, Guma, Gwer West, Ukum and Agatu local government areas of the state.

Agbatse said figures for the displaced persons in other councils were yet to be computed and blamed the devastation on the people for ignoring early warning.

He also blamed them for neglecting the rehabilitation camps set up by the agency at the outset of the flood.

“About 80 percent of the flood victims did not show up at the camps, so, it is difficult to

accurately capture the exact figure of those displaced”, he said.

He said it was only when people went to the camps that they would be properly documented.

He blamed the local governments in places where there were complaints of inadequacy of relief materials, saying: “until they make their case to us, we will not know how much their needs are”.

Agbatse said the agency had enough relief materials to cater for the needs of the displaced persons and asked them to channel their complaints to appropriate authorities.

He, however, commended UNICEF, NEMA and corporate organisations for assisting the agency to distribute relief materials to victims.

Agbatse appealed to the displaced persons not to hasten their return home “now that the water was receding.

He pointed out there were still dangerous reptiles out there as well as poisonous substances which the flood brought. (NAN)

he Federal Government has commended the justice sector for its creditable performance in upholding the tenets of the rule of law.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, gave this commendation yesterday in Abuja when the House Committee on Justice, led by its chairman, Hon Ali Ahmad, paid an oversight visit to the ministry.

He thanked the committee for its support in ensuring an improved and effective implementation of the Justice Sector Reforms, notwithstanding the emerging national challenges.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the AGF, Mr. Ambrose Momoh, said that the minister disclosed that out of the money appropriated for the ministry in the 2012 budget, only 41.13 percent has so far been released to the ministry.

He added that work on the ministry’s projects, such as the establishment of Justice Data Bank, renovation of zonal offices, construction of customised library infrastructure and purchase of books, acquisition of law books, reports and periodicals, etc, are in progress.

Responding, the chairman, House Committee on Justice, Hon. Ali Ahmad, said they were in the ministry to verify the capital releases for the 2012 appropriation.

He called for adequate provision in the 2013 budget to set up the ministry’s virtual library, adding that releasing money for it piecemeal would prolong the completion of it and delay the essential service it would render the justice sector.

Hon. Ahmad commended the ministry for fostering a cordial relationship between the House and the ministry.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

T

here is thick tension in the air that one could cut with a knife.

There are also apprehension and anxiety because in few hours, the fate of Bakassi, a Nigerian territory and its traumatized people transferred to Cameroon by an international court, will be finally determined. To their chagrin and that of majority of Nigerians, the authorities have continued to footdrag, prompting citizens to suspect either incompetence or involvement in uncomplimentary deals against the interest of the nation.

But for September 26 alarm raised by the two chambers of the National Assembly, most Nigerians would never have known that after its ruling ceding Bakassi to Cameroon in 2002, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has given Nigeria a 10year grace within which to appeal the case or forget ownership of the region.

The legislature had in adopting a motion sponsored by the Senate Deputy Leader, Abdul Ningi, unanimously rejected the ruling of the ICJ and the subsequent ceding by the past administration under former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 and as such directed that President Goodluck Jonathan should appeal the ruling of the ICJ before today’s expiration and set in motion all legitimate processes to reclaim the Peninsula.

This was especially as the lawmakers insist that there are certain fresh evidences that would favour the country’s bid for Bakassi, which has an estimated population of 300,000 Nigerians, comprising mainly of Efik-speaking people bonded consanguinity and ethnoculturally with other Nigerians.

Nigeria and Cameroon have been disputing the area over fishing and property rights resulting in hostilities and military confrontations which led to clashes in 1981, 1991 and 1994 with the most volatile confrontation taking place in May 1981 when Cameroonian security officials killed five Nigerian soldiers.

However, reeling out the fresh evidences, Ningi said the ruling of the ICJ was erroneously based on an agreement allegedly signed between the British and Calabar chiefs in 1884. He submitted that “there has never been a precedent in history where any case of this nature was executed without a referendum.”

Ningi told the Senate that that there were violations of Article 3 of the Green Tree Agreement. He said Articles 3(1) and 2(a) of the Green Tree Agreement stipulated that, after the transfer of the territory to Cameroun, the Cameroun authorities should guarantee the Nigerian nationals living in the Bakassi Peninsula the exercise of their fundamental human rights and other relevant provisions of the international law.”

However, the people have reported constant violations of their rights since the ICJ ruling. Ningi, said the action of government in not appealing the case was a conspiracy of silence against the minorities in Nigeria.

Stakeholders have been quick to point out that under the Green Tree Agreement, the Bakassi people were cuckolded to believe that resettlement was the best option and that they may remain in the island in perpetuity without any harassment or intimidation.

However, they have since lived under intimidation and harassments by Cameroonian authorities even as the N2.5 billion meant for their resettlement was

Nigeria, Bakassi and the fire brigade mentality As the 10 years window to the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) transferring of Bakassi Peninsula in Cross River state to Cameroun expires today, there are apprehensions that the nation may have at last lost its oil rich region due to apparent lack of commitment on the part of some Nigerian officials. Richard Ihediwa examines the issue as tension mounts in the troubled region

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo cornered. Also statutory allocations meant for the Bakassi Local Government have been going to the Cross River state government since the ceding.

In supporting the motion, lawmakers were unanimous in expressing their anger that the Federal Government had failed to appeal the case despite the consensus

by Nigerians, including Bakassi indigenes that the disputed territory belonged to the nation and not Cameroon. They were not happy that despite the position of Nigerians, Obasanjo agreed to the ruling, and a year later signed the Green Tree Agreement, which effectively ceded Bakassi to Cameroun.

In response to the resolution, President Jonathan, few days later set up a committee to review the case and appeal the ruling. However, the committee has continued to crawl as if oblivious of the urgency the issue requires.

As the appeal time expires today there are fears that the nation may have finally lost Bakassi as the committee is now said to be divided, even as the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke is said to be finding it difficult to put his papers together to file the appeal.

However, some of the questions begging for answer are; why did the Federal Government agree with the ICJ ruling despite the rejection by the Nigerian public? Why did the regimes after Obasanjo fail to utilise the 10 year-window gap to appeal the ruling? And why did it also take the National Assembly so long before coming out with the resolution to appeal the ruling? Also, why did the

present administration not expedite action to appeal the case immediately the National Assembly passed its resolution demanding that? Are there some daisy issues that majority of Nigerians do not know regarding the disputed region?

Several reasons have been speculated for the inability or failure of the Federal Government to respect the wish of the people on the matter.

The Obasanjo administration, had maintained that it signed the Green Tree Agreement because, according to it, it was bound by the judgment since the nation had before the commencement of the hearing signed to abide by any decision reached by the court. This is despite insistence by some stakeholders that the process was not conclusive to warrant the ceding, since the National Assembly did not approve of it nor did it ratify the ruling as required by law.

It was however, speculated that Obasanjo opted to sign the agreement and cede the disputed territory because he wanted to be on the good book of international powers due to his alleged quest to hold a position in international politics. This, it was believed, was also the reason behind that administration’s refusal to appeal the judgment even when the ICJ gave it the opportunity to do so.

Also, there are wide speculations that some officials in that administration may have received huge oil-based interests that informed their decisions on the disputed area.

On the whole, majority of Nigerians are not happy about how the case was handled by the Obasanjo administration, which cost the nation about $300 million and it appears that the same is playing out under the current administration.

Nigerians blame Obasanjo for not assembling a formidable team to defend the interest of the nation at the ICJ. They argue that the Richard Akinjide-led defence team could not deliver because they had little knowledge in boundary disputes.

Critics blamed the team for placing much emphasis on Case Law, even when Article 59 of the ICJ statute states that case laws play little role in the decision of the court as it applies to the Bakassi Legal experts also blamed highranking Nigerian officials like former Attorney-General, Bola Ajibola, and the then SurveyorGeneral of Nigeria, Austin Njepoume for their statements and the team’s inability to defend the country when Cameroon came with a map in which they used to allege that Nigeria gave out Bakassi to Cameroon.

Cameroon argued that former military head of state Yakubu Gowon allegedly signed away Nigeria’s oil-rich territory to curry Cameroonian support against Biafra.

However, many see the failure of the Obasanjo administration to get the nod of the National Assembly before agreeing to abide by the ruling of the ICJ and before ceding the territory after the ruling as one of the openings the democratic Nigeria could use to argue its case for Bakassi

at appeal.

But Nigerians are deeply worried that the current administration may be making the same mistake as the Obasanjo regime in that the present team under Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke appears to be inadequately equipped for the task in addition to Jonathan administration’s lack of political will for the challenge.

Despite insistence by the Save Bakassi Group that the peoples of the area have secured the services of a high profile international lawyer two months ago and paid the initial commitment fee for the case, Adoke is said not to be totally disposed to assembling documents for the revision on the ground that the time was too short.

Adoke was said to have in a meeting of the committee argued that the time was too short for Nigeria to present a formidable document, make contact with renowned international lawyers to package the case in conformity with ICJ specification and standards. One then wonders why the administration failed to start preparing for the case as soon as it came in.

There are however growing anxiety that the team will not deliver as members were still in the country as at yesterday while they should have been in Netherlands for the appeal. Nigerians are worried that there was already a division in the panel which is now threatening to stall the process as members were locked up in reconciliatory meeting last night in Abuja.

The team was split when representatives of the Cross River state government protested the failure of the AGF to carry along some strategic persons, including key personalities in the state such as the Obong of Calabar and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro among others who have vast knowledge and good grasp of the legal issues and are providing fresh evidences in the appeal process.

Also members of the panel were divided over whether or not the nation has sufficient facts to appeal the judgment.

Those who oppose the appeal argue that the nation do not have enough facts and the exercise will be a waste of public fund while those who support it insist that the nation should exercise its right of appeal especially as it is in line with the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians.

As the team bicker over what is clearly in the interest of the nation, Nigerians are getting worried as the nation appears to be on the verge of losing its territory for good on account of incompetence, lack of political will and alleged sleaze on the part of its leaders.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 5

N8.8m theft: Nollywood producer urges court to strike out suit From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

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agos based popular Nollywood movie producer, Ifeanyi Onyeabor, yesterday prayed Justice Habeeb Abiru of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, to strike out an alleged N8.8 million theft charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Onyeabor who is the Managing Director of Igo Motion Pictures International, was charged to court for allegedly swindling one Mr. Steven Okomah of N8.8 million under the guise of helping him to produce two movies.

But at yesterday’s proceedings, Onyeabor's lawyer, Mr. F.H. Awalah, told the court that Onyeabor and Okomah have resolved the issue amicably.

Awalah said: "The complainant (Okomah) says he is no longer interested in the case and the EFCC should discontinue the prosecution.

"There was a mistake based on misinformation and the parties have resumed their cordial business relationship.

"The production of the two movies which led to the dispute have almost been completed in Ghana”, the lawyer said.

Even Okomah's counsel, Mr. Louis Mgbolu, equally urged the court to dismiss the matter as they were no longer interested.

Mgbolu said the continued hearing of the matter after his client had notified the EFCC of their non-interest was a mockery of the justice system.

The EFCC was not represented in court.

However, Justice Abiru refused

to dismiss the charge adding that it was filed by the EFCC. Abiru said: "The matter was filed by the EFCC. There is nothing I can do. I can't strike out the matter.

"But if by the next date they are not here, I will close their case and the defendant will open his defence".

The judge therefore adjourned the matter till November 1 for continuation of trial.

PCC decries lack of offices

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Public Complaints Commission (PCC), has called on the Federal Government to provide it with offices in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and all the 774 local government areas of the country to ensure speedy dispensation of justice for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion.

The commissioner of PCC, Justice George Idenyi Uloko, who made the appeal in Abuja, described injustice meted on the common people particularly the less privileged ones as unacceptable, uncivilised and barbaric, reiterating the commission’s readiness to redress such anomalies.

He explained that the commission has the mandate of preventing the abuse of human rights in the country, adding that though the PCC is an arm of Federal Government, it does attend to all human rights abuses whether such is by the government or from the private sector.

FAAN implores motorists to respect parking lots From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has advise motorists to use designated parking points at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport and the General Aviation Terminal, (GAT) in Lagos where well laid out signages have been provided to guide motorists on the routes around both terminals.

FAAN said the environment is a special place and the need to keep international standards is uppermost, hence the need to create a safe and sane environment by ensuring a steady flow of the vehicular traffic.

Debunking a recent newspaper publication which insinuated that the authority had been deliberately charging motorists that come into the airport, it said the objectives of getting a towing company to maintain order at the airport are two-fold – to help FAAN focus on its main business of running airports and terminals, and to serve as deterrent to errant motorists that will not abide by the simple rules guiding operations around the airport.

President Goodluck Jonathan (right), Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo (left), jointly decorating the new Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim (middle) with his new rank, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

PHOTO: JOE OROYE

NANS wants killers of four Uniport students prosecuted From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

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he president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Mohammed Dauda, has condemned the killing of four students in Allu, Rivers state. The students were alleged to have stolen some laptop and other

properties at the student’s community and the community killed them.

NANS president in a statement described the act as barbaric and unwarranted and urged security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the act.

Dauda similarly urged the Rivers state government to ensure that

those behind the act are punished, saying: “We call on the Rivers state government to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice and enjoin the security agencies to ensure that all those involved are arrested and made to face the law".

Comrade Dauda further expressed dismay with the inability of Nigerian Security

Agencies to fish out killers of students of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi two weeks after the deadly act occurred.

He reiterated NAN’s directives to students of all tertiary institutions in Adamawa state to boycott academic activities until their demands for safety are met unconditionally.

Mike Omeri, has charged the authorities of institutions of higher learning across the country to beef up security and surveillance in their campuses.

Omeri also condemned the resort to jungle justice by some community members in the guise of vigilante associations in Port

Harcourt, saying such groups were meant to aid to security agencies.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary in the agency, Paul Odenyi, further reminded Nigerians that the natural course of law and order presumes all persons innocent until proven

guilty by a competent court of law.

“What happened to the students of University of Port Harcourt last week is inhuman and repugnant to natural law and justice. Jungle justice should not be seen to be the character of our people no matter the provocation”, the statement said.

… as NOA boss charges tertiary institutions on security

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

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n the light of recent unrests involving students of tertiary educational institutions in the University of Port Harcourt and the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr.

Polio immunisation: Bauchi pastoralist recounts bitter lesson

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pastoralist in Jamare village of Bauchi state, whose son suffered partial paralysis from polio virus, said on Sunday that he learnt a bitter lesson for refusing to immunise the child.

The pastoralist, Malam Hassan Abdullahi, narrated his experience during a polio

immunisation campaign in Jamare, Itas-Gadau local government area.

He said initially, he accepted the vaccine but changed his mind when he was made to believe that the vaccine facilitated family planning.

“When my last son, Iliyasu Hassan, was born, I did not allow

the administration of polio vaccine on him.

“At first, Iliyasu (now one and a half years), had malaria but recovered after receiving treatment. Later, one of his legs became weak and could not support him any longer.

“We thought it was dislocation and, therefore, took him to a

traditional bone healer but after several efforts, there was no improvement in his condition.

“My brother then suggested that we take him to the hospital.

After series of consultations and tests, the doctors confirmed that it was polio virus and since then, he started receiving medication,'' Abdullahi said. (NAN)

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Bauchi sacks 50 polio vaccinators From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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he Bauchi state Primary Health Care Development Agency has sacked over 50 polio vaccinators from the on-going polio eradication campaign for various offences in the state.

The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA), Dr. Nisser Aliyu Umar who dropped the hint in Bauchi yesterday, said the affected persons have been black listed in the data base of the agency such that none of them would participate in its activities in the future.

According to the Agency's secretary, names of the disengaged civil servants, would be forwarded to their respective MDAs for appropriate disciplinary action.

Dr. Umar was speaking while fielding reporters' questions in Itas, headquarters of Itas/Gadau local government area in the state during the exercise monitoring, noting that vaccinators selection was not thorough as some of them were found incompetent while others where accused of data falsification.

Out of the disengaged staff, he said, twelve are from Alkaleri local government area, adding, " I assure you over the remaining two days of the campaign, we can disengage as much as we can find wanting in carrying out the assigned responsibility," he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Lagos Chief Judge swears in 26 Notary Public Officers From Matthew Aramunde, Lagos

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6 out of 27 legal practitioners who scaled through the screening meant to sieve worthy members of the Bar for appointment as Notary Public Officers in Lagos state, finally took their oath of office in Lagos last week.

The swearing ceremony which was held at Lagos High Court 1, had in attendance

members of the Bar and the Bench, families and wellwishers of the nominees and superintended by the Chief Judge of Lagos state, Justice Idowu Phillips.

By virtue of their new status, the legal officers have been conferred with the power in law to witness the signing of written statements and the ability to have wills notarised.

At the end of the rites,

Justice Phillips advised the newly sworn-in notary officers to guard the images and record that gave vent to them the new status. She particularly warned them to be wary when dealing with land matters as there were dubious people in the society willing to capitalize on any slip.

"You should henceforth watch properly as you make to append your signature on

any document, most especially those related to land matters" the Judge said.

In a chat with our correspondent after the swearing ceremony, Barrister Eze Ayala praised the screening committee whom he said, were thorough in their findings noting that the journey of any lawyer to the senior advocate's stage, was made easier from the notary status.

Flood: Bizman warns FG to prepare for food crisis

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usinessman and politician, Mr. Bethel Lemchi has warned the Federal Government that the flooding in some parts of the country might lead to food shortage.

Lemchi, who gave the warning in Port Harcourt yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the disaster had wiped out several farmlands in various parts of the country.

He urged the government to devise measures of managing the expected food crisis which he described as `inevitable.'

Lemchi also urged the government to import enough food to sustain the population in order to avert starvation.

"Importation of food should be paramount because the floods have ravaged crops and attention should also be paid to farmers' welfare".

He attributed the cause of the flood to inadequate provision of drains on Nigerian roads.

"A lot of roads have collapsed due to poor or no drainage system.

"Most of the contractors who won contracts to construct roads are driven by selfish gains not the people's welfare".

Lemchi said that if the contractors had constructed the roads to international standard, flooding would be minimised.

The politician sympathised with farmers who lost crops worth millions of naira as a result of the disaster and appealed to the Federal Government to come to their rescue.

L-R: Director of Culture, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mr. George Ufot, Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, and Executive Director, National Council for Art and Culture, Mr. Muayim Maidugu, during press briefing on 2012 National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

ATBUTH boss wants Bauchi to establish specialist hospital From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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he Chief Medical Director [CMD] of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi, Dr. Muhammad Alkali has called on the Bauchi state government to hasten the completion of the ongoing state specialist hospital for proper access to healthcare delivery services in the state.

Dr. Alkali made the call when the House of Representatives' committee on health paid inspection visit to teaching hospital.

According to Alkali, ATBUTH was currently the only large health institution in the state capital but with limited capacity for the increasing population in the state and so, there was need for the State to provide a specialist hospital that would

complement the teaching hospital.

He added that numerous patients are received daily not only from the state but in the north east sub-region of the country pointing out that the teaching hospital may start to render substandard healthcare services if a public hospital is not there to support it.

In his remark, Chairman of the Reps committee on health, Abdul M. Masheliza explained

that the tour was to ascertain how the health budgets are being implemented in the federal health institutions in the country with a view to ensuring quality healthcare delivery to the citizenry.

Masheliza who said that they were impressed with the facilities in the teaching hospital, advocated increase in the budgetary allocation to the hospital so as to revamp its services.

Wildlife expert makes case for hippo sanctuary in Adamawa

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wildlife expert, Mr. Zacharia Yaduma, has called on the Adamawa state government to officially gazette the Kiri Dam in Shelleng Local Government Area of the state to make it a legal sanctuary for hippopotami.

Yaduma, an Assistant Director, Wildlife Control in the state Ministry of Environment, made the call in an interview yesterday in Yola.

He said that the call had

become necessary in order to protect the hippos from poaching by communities around the dam.

Yaduma said that settlers, whose land were acquired for the construction of the dam and compensated, be made to vacate the area to allow for free grazing land for the animals.

He also stressed the need for the deployment of more wildlife staff to the area to check the increasing incidence of hippopotami encroachment

into the villages. ``Recent letters received from the Shelleng Traditional Council, as well as the Shelleng Local Government Council demanded for permission to eliminate the hippos. ``Their reasons were that the hippopotami were terrorising them and threatening their socioeconomic activities,'' Yaduma said.

He explained that so far the

Ministry of Environment had sent some officials to investigate the threat, adding that the officials had eliminated a hippo that killed two children.

Yaduma, who said that there were about 100 hippopotami in the Kiri Dam, said there was need for government to consult some n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l organisations (NGOs) for advice and assistance on conservation and eco-tourism as a solution to the problem. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 7

FCT scholarship board to embark on monitoring exercise

By Adeola Tukuru

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he Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Scholarship Board is to embark on a monitoring exercise to various institutions in the country so as to ensure a proper utilisation of the scholarship awarded to indigent pupils in primary, secondary, non formal education centres and tertiary institutions.

The Director of the FCT

Scholarship Board, Mrs. Emcy Hamman said that the exercise is one of the board’s mandate which will enable the board ascertain whether the beneficiaries are in school or not and to access their performances.

According to her, the exercise will be carried out in various institutions attended by the beneficiaries across all the levels of education, scheduled to begin in tertiary institutions from October, 10th to 12th, 2012.

Okada riders protest new traffic law in Lagos From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Public Affairs Advisor, Julius Berger Nigeria (JBN), Clement Iloba (3rd left), Senior Public Relations Officer, Grace Ayoola (4th left), Administrative Manager, Bunmi Oladejo (right) and author of the book "The Great Fall", Chinyere Obi Obasi (middle), during the literacy campaign workshop for the students of Jiwa Government Secondary School in Abuja, yesterday.

FG to address wrong placement in civil service

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

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s part of efforts to reposition the civil service in line with global best practices, the Federal Government has pledged to correct instances of wrong placement of workers in the service.

The Federal Government is insisting that people must be placed in departments and parastatals that relate to their areas of study and experience when employed into the civil service.

The Permanent Secretary in charge of Bureau of Public

Service Reforms (BPRS), Mrs. Nkechi Ejiele hinted this while fielding questions from reporters on the sidelines of a workshop on the review and professionalisation of Human Resources Management Systems held in Abuja yesterday.

According to Mrs. Ejiele, part of the issues that will be tabled for discussion during the technical session of the workshop would be efforts that need to be put in place to ensure that square pegs are put in square holes in the civil service.

Speaking while declaring

the workshop open, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bello Sali, said the aim of the stakeholder’s validation workshop was the need to adopt a model of the human resource management which will best enable government to manage staff effectively.

Such a model, he said, “will afford human resource managers the opportunity to play the critical roles of strategic planners, organisational experts, employee champions and agents of continuous transformation in line with global best practices”.

Court issues restraining order against IGP, others from arresting lawyer From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

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n Imo State High Court sitting in Owerri, presided over by Justice Florence Duroha-Igwe, has issued a restraining order against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), his Assistant (AIG) in Zone 9, Umuahia, Julius Berger Plc, stopping them from arresting a Lagos based lawyer, Barrister Emeka Ozoani.

Also restrained alongside the IGP, Julius Berger and the AIG are ASP P.S Njoku of Zone 9 and DCP Zone 9, Peter Ogunyanwo.

Justice Duroha-Igwe, upon reading through the Motion Exparte dated October 2, 2012 with affidavit of urgency and supporting affidavit filed with a written address and the arguments of the applicant himself ordered that the defendants should not arrest barrister Ozoani.

“That the respondents, their

agents, officers severally and jointly are restrained from arresting Barrister Emeka Ozoani on the strength of the newspaper publication declaring the applicant a wanted person in respect of a suit where he is discharging his professional legal services, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for enforcement of his fundamental rights.

“That this order subsists

pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” the court declared.

Barrister Ozoani had filed an application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights to personal liberty supported by a 59-paragraph affidavit, asking for an interim order restraining the respondents from arresting him pending the determination of his motion on notice.

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ommercial motorcycle riders known as okada, yesterday, took to the street of Lagos protesting the Lagos state road traffic law which bans them from plying 475 roads in the metropolis.

The protest led to traffic gridlock on Obafemi Awolowo Way as the okada riders marched to the State House, Ikeja to express their grievances over the new law carrying placards and chanting anti-government songs.

The protest which was organised by the United Okada Riders Stakeholders’ Forum (UOSTF), with support from the

Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Path of Peace Initiative (PPI), and the Federation of Informal Workers’ Organisations of Nigeria (FIWON), took off from under the bridge, Ikeja through Obafemi Awolowo Way to the Government Secretariat.

The protesters in a protest letter to Governor Babatunde Fashola signed by Comrade Tony Keroro, chairman, UOSTF; Comrade Gbenga Komolafe, General Secretary, FIWON; Comrade Adewole Ojo, CDHR and Comrade Dandy Eze, PPI, demanded a review of the ban on 475 roads to save jobs and source of livelihood.

Forum to collate views for proposed constitutional review From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi he North-east Forum for Unity and Development (NEFUD), is to collate and articulate the views of the various segments of people within the sub-region for the proposed Constitution review.

A committee saddled with this responsibility is also to initiate dialogue and consensus with stakeholders within the sub-region, the entire North and the country in general on crucial issues for the proposed Constitution review.

A spokesman of the Forum, Alhaji Yerima Abdullahi who spelt out terms of reference of the committee headed by Prof.

Sa’ad Abubakar, will similarly liaise with similar fora in the North and the country at large with a view to coming out with a harmonised positions for the review of the Constitution.

Abdullahi revealed that a political committee also set up by the forum is charged with the responsibility of studying

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and examining the various factors and forces at work in the political terrain of the Northeast region with a view to developing the road map for the emergence of the region as the key and leading player in Nigeria’s politics.

Abdullahi who was speaking in Bauchi shortly after the forum’s meeting, explained that the political committee is also to consider issues that have retarded the progress and unity of the region in the quest for political leadership in Nigeria and prepare realistic solutions towards the achievement of such goals.

It would similarly consider and examine key factors that are required for regional integration, political harmony and understanding within and among the various states and communities in the sub-region, as well as identify key and active political players, and work out strategies for uniting them towards achieving political leadership in Nigeria.

Akwanga Pilot School part of rot inherited by Al-makura, says Nasarawa edu commissioner From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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he Nasarawa state Commissioner for Education, Hussaini Abubakar, has described the dilapidated condition of the Central Pilot Primary School Akwanga, as “an example of the

general rot” inherited from the previous administration by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura.

Reacting to a picture of the school displayed on the front page of a national daily, the

commissioner lamented that the general rot in infrastructure across the state was as a result of “insensitivity and greed, occasioned by the diversion of funds meant for the development of the state”.

In a statement issued to journalists in Lafia yesterday,

Abubakar disclosed that the contract for the rehabilitation of the Akwanga Pilot School was recently awarded at over N9 million to a company, TAMARALD Nig Ltd, stressing that in three month’s time, the face of the school will wear a new look.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 8

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Dr Tunji Olaopa, his Bureau of Public Service Reforms counterpart, Mrs Nkechi Ejele, and representative of the head of civil service, Mr Charles Bonat, during a stakeholders workshop on the draft report on review and professionlisation of the human resource management system of the civil service, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

L-R: New Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshall Alex Badeh, new Chief of Defence Staff, Vice-Admiral Ola Sahad Ibrahim, Chief of Army Staff, Lt- General Azubuike Ihejirika, and new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Dele Ezeoba, after the decoration new service chiefs by President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

L-R: Chairman, Christian Pilgrimage Welfare Board (CPWB), Mr. Isreal Akanji, Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Philip Aduda, during the inauguration of FCT delegation for 2012 Christian Pilgrimage to holy land, at the weekend, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

L-R: Director, Environmental Quality Control, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Malam Mai Wada Umar, Director of Environmental Assessment, Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Modupe Odubela, and Director General of NESREA, Dr. Ngeri Benebo, during NESREA, Federal and states regulatory dialogue on implementation of environmental regulation draft, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

L-R: An awardee, Mr Olgun Oluwatosin, receiving a Presidential Special Scholarship for Innovation and Development from Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, during the award ceremony, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

PAGE 9

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

N400bn military debt threatens PHCN-Reps A O

Wife allegedly kills soldier with acid From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

ver N400 billion allegedly owed by the Armed forces comprising Navy, Airforce, police, including government Ministries and Parastatals (MDA's) to Power Holding Company of Nigeria has been identified as a huge threat to power sector reform, House of Representatives Committee on power has said.

The committee has equally expressed dismay over the sagging development, saying out of the over N2.2billion appropriated to the Ughelli power station in the 2012 budget, only N1,032,724,446 has been released to the company by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP)..

The committee chairman, Patrick Ikharhiale who disclosed this during an oversight visit to Ughelli and Sapele power stations- both in Delta State also reaffirmed

government resolve to privatize the power sector, just as he assured workers of job security.

Ikhariale who was accompanied by other members of the committee said, “If you are owing the various components of PHCNgeneration, transmission and distribution, then there will be no money to pay gas suppliers.

These are the same factors that led to the liquidation of federal government institutions.

“I want to state here that it cost 1million USD for one megawatt of electricity to be adequately generated and distributed. So it’s not a ‘tea party’. The average person hearing me talk about 4,000mw that is currently being generated should translate it to what it takes”.

“Only the money for 1st and 3rd quarter has been released. They (the company) have not gotten the 2nd quarter.

Poor

implementation of capital project is the bane of the nation’s setback”, he added.

He also lamented poor funding of the power sector, explaining that out of the 100 percent budget proposal of the PHCN in 2012, only 50 percent was approved. “Even though you are privatizing, the equipment must be seen as the ones working before bidders can come in” he said.

The committee’s visit also revealed that the Sapale power plant currently generates less than 200mw.

However, the Chief Executive Officer of the plant, Engr. R. Ifionu pledged that power generation at the plant will hit 260mw in the next three weeks.

On his part, the Chief Executive officer of Ughelli power station, Mr. Paul Umunni said with an installed capacity of 900mw, the plant currently generates 250mw.

middle age housewife yet to be identified at 22 Armoured Brigade Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Kawara state has been arrested for allegedly killing her husband identified as Sergeant Kayode for unknown reasons.

The deceased who hails from Iloffa in Oke-Ero local government area of Kwara state, was reported to have been poisoned by his wife who had two children for him.

It was learnt that the deceased was in his 40s and was working with the Supply and Transport Corps of the Brigade before his death.

Sources at the barracks revealed that the suspected wife hails from a community in Kaduna state.

Investigation showed that the woman was alleged to have bathed her husband with acid at about 10.00pm, few weeks after she had allegedly attempted to kill him through food poisoning.

A reliable source at the barracks

Youths move to support flood victims in Nigeria

By Stanley Onyekwere

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orried by the plight of flood victims in Nigeria, some youths under the aegis of Global Initiatives for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC) has kicked off an initiative aimed at providing relief through collective donation of relief materials for onward distribution to affected persons nationwide.

This is coming on the heels of reports of shortage of food, clothes, shelter, medical service, access roads, and portable drinking water, including the impending danger of outbreak of diseases compounding the woes of the people in the areas destroyed by the disaster.

Flagging off the campaign at the Unity Fountain square, in Abuja, during the weekend, GIPLC coordinator, Nuhu Kwajafa, called on Nigerian

L-R: National Coordinator. National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), Dr. Samuel Negedu, Chairman, Board of Trustees of NAFN, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and Chairman, 2012 National Agric Show Seminar, Professor Victor Chude, during a media briefing on the 2012 National Agricultural Show, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Airport: I won’t accept substandard job, Dakingari warns contractors From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

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ebbi State Governor Saidu Usman Dakingari has vowed not to accept any substandard job from the contractors handling the multimillion naira expansion work of Kebbi Airport at Ambursa.

He urged them to intensify work to meet international standard and maintain the contract agreement.

The governor equally

warned the supervising Ministry of Works not to compromise quality or relax in the discharge of its supervisory duty as the project when completed, would be of economic importance to Kebbi State.

Governor Dakingari said this while on a visit to the airport, accompanied by members of the Executive Council and other top government functionaries.

In another development, Governor Dakingari has attended the valedictory court session in honour of Kebbi State Chief Judge , Alh. Ibrahim Umar Limanci who retired on October 7, 2012 after attaining mandatory years of retirement.

This was contained in a press release signed by the chief Press Secretary and to the governor , Alhaji Abubakar Muazu Dakingari and made available to peoples daily.

said authorities were surprised by the incident considering the fact that the deceased was not known to be a violent man.

During interrogation with security agencies, it was learnt that the wife denied involvement in the murder.

Investigators were said to have discovered a bottle containing the substance believed to be the leftover of the acid used in the operation.

But she reportedly told investigators that she did not know anything about the acid claiming that on the night in question, she had performed her conjugal rights to her husband.

A source at the investigation said “yes, the military set up a board of inquiry into the matter and it was after the investigation that the case was transferred to the police”.

The source who spoke under condition of anonymity said that several officers who were familiar with the fact that the man had just been treated for food poisoning were touched by the turn of events.

youths to take advantage of the initiative by donating percentage of food, clothing and household items in their possession, for onward distribution to the victims, who are in urgent need of them.

According to him, GIPLC is working with a Non Government Agency (NGO), Save Nigeria Initiative (SNI), and other youth organizations in the affected states, including the Federal capital Territory (FCT), to visit public places every Saturday for solicitation and collection of relief materials for the victims until there was satisfactory reduction in level of hardships.

Ravaging floods have wrecked havoc in states like Adamawa, Jigawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Lagos and Bayelsa, resulting in many deaths, loss of houses and properties worth millions and blockage of major roads.

Hajj: Comerel Travels organises induction course for pilgrims

By Mohammed Kandi

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ollowing the massive deportation of Nigerian female pilgrims by Saudi Arabia for failing to meet some parameters, a tour operator, Comerel Travels and Tours, has organized a two-day induction course for its intending pilgrims.

General Manager of the company, Alhaji Usman Yusuf, said yesterday in Abuja, that the itinerary was necessary to educate, inform and enlighten their intending pilgrims on the nitty-gritty of Hajj operations.

Also speaking, the Amir-ulhajj for the company, Alhaji Ishaq Abubakar, said; “the essence of the training is to make sure that all our intending pilgrims have basic knowledge of Hajj as well as

avoid any form of embarrassment in terms of ignorance.”

On Muharam, Abubakar disclosed that the law has existed for many years but noted that, “the tower operators must ensure that intending pilgrims get the right treatment and their interests well protected while in the Holy land.”

In his remarks, Adebayo Omopidan, one the participants, who commended the organizers of the course, described the programme as “informing, educating and worthy of attending”.

Meanwhile, the two-day programme comprised of theoretical and practical sessions, including lectures on the Rites of Hajj, health talks as well as question and answer sessions.

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Kwankwaso sets up 13-man c’ttee on constitution review From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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he Kano state governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has constituted a 13 man advisory committee on the forthcoming constitutional review in Nigeria.

Kwankwaso who was speaking during the inauguration of the committee in Kano yesterday, said it was pertinent after keenly watching developments in the country .

He tasked the 13 man committee under the leadership Alhaji Magaji Dambatta to come up with advice to the state government, the state assembly

and the National Assembly.

“We are here to inaugurate the committee so that the committee can start working especially in the light of the fact that in the next couple of days, the Senate is going to have a public hearing on the subject matter.

“That is why the state government decided to select its first 11 to advise us, our state Assembly and our National Assembly, so that they can advise us on the way forward.”

Responding on behalf of the members of the committee, Dambatta promised not let the people of state and Nigerians down in contributing issues that would

bring good governance in Nigeria.

“I want to begin by thanking your excellency for your foresight, wanting Kano to prepare for this exercise and selecting us out of the millions of people of this giant state to examine the problems before this nation and to advise accordingly .

We are all aware that constitutional amendments or formulations in this country have always generated controversies if not tensions.

“That is to be expected, what is not to be expected is the self-serving way many of our compatriots approach the matter instead of looking at it from the national angle that will promote unity, cohesion,

prosperity and integrity of this great nation called Nigeria. Many of us have been involved in the past, and in all cases from the first constitutional conference that was held in London back in the 50s Kano is known to be thorough, fearless and to be articulate in what is the best interest of Nigeria.

“We knew for instance what role Malam Aminu Kano played in the London conference. And subsequently, there had been presentations from Kano in conferences including the latest in Abuja in 2005. Kano has always championed its position vigorously, sensibly and very patriotically”, he said.

L-R: Federal Commissioner, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Prince Ikechukwu; member, Senate Committee on Privilege, Public Petition to Code of Conduct Bureau, Senator Kabiru Marafa; Committee Chairman, Senator Pat Ayo Akinyelure, Chairman of CCB, Mr. Sam Saba and member of the committee, Senator Jibrilla Bindowo, during the committee’s oversight visit to the bureau head oficce, at the weekend in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Jigawa targets 1.2m children for polio vaccination From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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he Jigawa state will target over 1.2million children across the state in its ongoing polio immunisation exercise just as defaulters will face prosecution.

The state Director General of Gunduma Health Services, Pharm. Usman Tahir who spoke to Journalists during the exercise in Ringim local Government shortly after the official launching

of the programme by the wife of the state governor, Hajiya Amina Sule Lamido, said the exercise which is the fifth this year, was designedas a "micro plan" that would ensure “all settlements are covered and no single child would be missed," He explained that, "in the previous exercises some settlements were missed out in the rounds particularly those hard-toreach areas, but this time we have

put all the necessary modalities in place to ensure the effective coverage of such areas".

"Also we have made an adequate arrangement for the people displaced by flood, in which we would reach their temporary camps in collaboration with traditional/community leaders and politicians to ensure their children are immunised".

Speaking to our reporter, a middle aged housewife, Hajiya

Halima who brought her year old child for the immunisation said, she is happy with concern of government and was ever ready to cooperate with them especially as it affects the health of her children.

Another parent, Ibrahim Shehu however said, “we gave out our children for immunisation more than ten times but now I am getting suspicious and scared of the frequency of the vaccination".

at the weekend Yuguda also lamented over some few cases of non-compliance by some households in some local government areas and attributed the situation to ignorance and nonchalance.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh at the flag-off of the campaign with the theme, “Women action against Polio”, said that Bauchi state

was working towards the complete eradication of polio virus and as such, would not tolerate laxity from any traditional leader or health worker during the conduct of the immunization exercise.

He appealed to local government council chairmen to restrict their movements during the immunization exercise in ensuring its success or face sanctions.

He called on women to joins hands with the state government in the final push to kick polio out of Bauchi State.

The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), Dr. Nisser A. Umar had earlier said that polio virus has now been drastically reduced to three countries, namely Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria from the 168 countries globally.

…as Bauchi threatens LG chairmen From Ahmed Kaigama,Bauchi

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he Bauchi State Government has threatened to sack any local government chairman who fails to take issue of polio immunization with seriousness in the state Governor Isa Yuguda sounded the warning while flagging-off the state 7th round of the October 2012 Immunization plus Days (IPD) at Miri ward in Bauchi local

Yuguda warns pilgrims against prohibited goods From Ahmed Kaigama,Bauchi

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overnor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi state has warned intending pilgrims from the state against smuggling any prohibited goods in to Saudi Arabia.

Yuguda, gave the warning in his farewell speech to the Hajj pilgrims at the weekend in Bauchi , while advising them to abide by Saudi Arabian rules and regulations.

“We all know that drugs smuggling in Saudi Arabia carries death sentence; so we advise them strongly to desist from that.”

“Do not misbehave while embarking on this exercise.

Anyone found wanting would be prosecuted, such misbehaviors include trafficking of illicit drugs and engaging in other acts capable of tarnishing the country’s image.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Sagir Aminu Saleh assured that adequate provisions had been made to ensure the well being of the state’s pilgrim while in the holy land.

Speaking earlier the Special Adviser hajj Affairs, Alhaji Sanusi Isa Sarkin Aska called on government to provide a screening center very close to the new international airport along Kano road He said about 3678 pilgrims are expected to perform this year’s hajj exercise from the state.

FG, Philippines partner on flood resistant rice From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Federal Government has disclosed plans for partnership with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines for the introduction of rice that can do well under flooded conditions The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina who disclosed this in Ilorin at the weekend after a visit to the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed on the recent flood in the state, said the federal government would also distribute high breed maize that could mature within 60 days to farmers.

The minister, who also in the state to inspect flood ravaged farmlands in Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas, said the maize seedlings would be distributed free of charge.

Dr. Adeshina explained that, these efforts would ensure that the floods which ravaged farmlands across the country, does not lead to food scarcity.

He attributed the floods to climate change in the world, adding that the federal government, apart from provision of high yielding and flood resistant seedlings, has mobilized other measures to deal with the situation.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 11

Investment mistakes to avoid (IV) P

eople also expect that trends that existed in the recent past will continue in the future.

The stock market is dynamic and it requires requisite commitment to study and follow the trends in the market.

Spending the principal Some investors fail to set some money aside in a savings or money market account for smaller expenses like furniture, vacations, hobbies, computers, car repairs, and babies. When an urgent need arises they are forced to break their investment plan to address their immediate needs.

A well thought out week, monthly and even yearly budget is a prerequisite for investors who wish to make investing a veritable tool for growing their wealth.

Overconfidence Unrealistic mental frame has led many to believe without justification that they have the ability to pick stocks that will have above average returns. This more often than not, is a set up for an accident caused by an error of judgment fostered by the emotional belief that investors have an all knowing ability. Balance can be achieved by applying fundamental and analytical benchmarks to moderate extreme cases of investors' overconfidence.

The wisest of investors treat every investment decision with a certain amount of caution and this has served many well because the market will always remain an unpredictable entity.

Internal conflict When confronted with information that contradicts their belief in a hypothesis,

investors disregard it, preferring to look for information that confirms their hypothesis.

From the print to broadcast media, investment experts provide more often than not constitute postulations on what the market will do, thereby misleading many investors through hype and generation of group think solutions.

Having an investment blueprint in place is a sure means of safeguarding against being internal conflict arising from contradicting investment information.

Illusionary ability to control You may believe in your ability as an investor to ride the market when in actual fact you may just be pulling a tiger by its tail. This has led many investors to believe that they can make the market go up or down. If you think you have a trick that can get the market to go your way, you better think twice.

Succumbing to negative emotions You may have probably experienced emotional investing rage, which leaves you trying to get even with the market. You do such things as double down or even sell all your stocks impulsively. Fear is relatively as debilitating as anger is disconcerting.

When you are afraid, everything looks like a threat, lots of investors are still afraid because of the market crash a few years back.

They are sitting on the side-lines in cash earning no return. Given the valuable prices of stock in the Nigerian market, the memories of previous losses have held many investors captive from investing, forgetting that "Risk and return go together."

Mastering emotion of any kind is a

perquisite for any investor willing to excel in the market.

Chasing performance Many investors select asset classes, strategies, managers and funds based on recent strong performance. The feeling that "I'm missing out on great returns" has probably led to more bad investment decisions than any other single factor. If a particular asset class, strategy or fund has done extremely well for three or four years,

we know one thing with certainty: We should have invested three or four years ago.

However, the particular cycle that led to this great performance may be nearing its end. The smart money is moving out, and the dumb money is pouring in.

Stick with your investment plan and rebalance, which is the polar opposite of chasing performance. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

Concluded

Three major impediments to SME success on the web (II) What is Your Business Plan?

In short, the real issue is: What is your business plan?

On the web, there are many ways to earn money… but the basic thing is… what business plan you are going to pursue.

A business plan requires you to write down everything you want to do and achieve. And this becomes your commitment and guidance for the road ahead. Many experts say unless you are able to write down a business plan, your business is not ready to start.

A survey is required 2,877 people completed a survey. Of those, 995 had completed a plan.

297 of them (36%) secured a loan 280 of them (36%) secured investment capital 499 of them (64%) had grown their business 1,556 of the 2,877 had not yet completed their plan.

222 of them (18%) secured a loan 219 of them (18%) secured investment capital 501 of them (43%) had grown their business According to a survey, a business plan doubles the chances for success.

This means people with a business plan are clear in their mind about the path to follow.

The findings of the survey clearly show that those with a business plan are twice as more successful to get a loan and capital

Quote Don’t be afraid to take a big step. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.

- Taken from ‘Life, Your Inside Guide

to start business as those without a plan.

Okay, let's move on to Technological Impediment.

This is where, according to him, I help the small startups with coaching and giving tips in my website, HubSkills.Com. Hear him: Technology has two ends So, what is this technological impediment I'm talking about?

According to a TV ad by GE, technology has two ends.

One, where it is built, and second, where it works. For your business, you have to know how you can use technology to work on the web.

There are mainly two major issues for technological impediment: *Showcasing or presenting your product/service on the web *Delivering your product/ service to customers *Design of your website will in turn depend on three major factors: *Structure of the website *Usability of the website *Lead generation For web contents also, three important issues must be considered: *Type of content - text, image, video, etc. *Focus and relevance of content

*Continuity of providing relevant contents In this tree, if any of the branches is not strong and supportive, your business will be the sufferer.

What is interesting is that even if your business concept is okay, it can still suffer because of poor presentation or showcasing. And that will be an example of faulty implementation.

Delivering your product Delivering your product is related to customer satisfaction.

There are three major ways to go about: *Delivering From your website *Delivering From other websites, and *From both your and other websites *Your website *Other websites *Both your and other websites *When you are starting small, or if you are selling an affiliate item, you may want to sell the product from other big websites like Amazon, eBay, ClickBank, Barnes & Nobles… and so on.

For example, if you are selling an eBook, make slightly different versions of it and sell simultaneously from Amazon, ClickBank, Fiverr, and your website.

Three major issues If you are selling from your website, you have to consider 3 major issues: *Payment acceptance *Order fulfillment *Refund policy Out of the three, order fulfillment is very important.

Technological impediment is

mainly about Controlling Costs.

You have to make a fine balance between what you Want and what you Need.

Marketing impediment Okay, we come to the third impediment…

Marketing Impediment This is a no-brainer. All your efforts mean nothing unless you make sales Successful marketing means *Right product *Right time *Right place And sales happen when you are able to reach the target buyers with the right product at the right time and at the right place.

If any of these three is not satisfied, the sales may not happen.

The four main web marketing methods are: *Email marketing *Social media marketing *Search marketing, and *Search engine optimisation If you want to do marketing yourself, you may find that email marketing and social media marketing have easy learning curves; they cost less and can be implemented quickly. However, to make an impact you have to give good amount of time, especially if you are starting from scratch.

Some low-cost advertisements can be classified ads in local newspapers, stickers on cars, seminars, promo campaigns in malls, and of course meeting people in person.

Marketing varies from place to place, but some of these methods are almost universal. They work in perhaps any city in the world.

Concluded

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

The Mubi student massacre

L

ast week Monday the nation woke up to heart wrenching news of the killing of students of some tertiary institutions located in Mubi, Adamawa state. Students of the Federal Polytechnic, the School of Nursing and the stateowned university were attacked late at night in what has become the worst attack of its kind in the country. At the end of the orgy of killings over 40 persons, including non-students, fell victim to the attack, many of them shot to death and their bodies cut up.

As the news filtered in, the initial thinking was that it was the handiwork of the dreaded Boko Haram sect. After all, it had a day earlier issued a statement threatening to carry out more attacks on government officials and institutions. But as what happened that Monday night became clearer, it emerged that some rivalry among the students may have led to the killings. Although police investigations are ongoing, Nigerians have been able to piece together information suggesting that the outcome of the student union government election which held in the Federal Polytechnic may have pitched some of the students against others.

As has become the norm when a national calamity like this

happens, President Goodluck Jonathan has led the chorus of condemnations by our leaders with a directive to the security forces to ensure that the culprits are brought to justice. The Senate President, David Mark, went even a step further by calling for the capital punishment for the perpetrators in order to lay down the marker for all criminal elements among us to know that such acts will not be tolerated

“

There is just too much blood letting in the land and we strongly feel that time has come to put a stop to it henceforth.

We share the concern of both the president and the senate president and call on the police and other security agencies to work closely and diligently to ensure that these murderers are quickly apprehended and made to face the law. We condole the families of all those who lost loved ones in this reprehensible, senseless mayhem. We are worried, however, that our dear

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”

country is gradually turning into a killing field where human life is no longer held sacred. It is disheartening that the country seems to be losing its soul. Otherwise how can one explain why any human being can go to such a heartless extent as to line up hapless students who we expect to take over the reins of affairs of this country in the future and kill them in such a ruthless manner?

Such criminal behaviour in addition to the mayhem perpetrated by the Boko Haram sect and the indiscriminate killing of innocent citizens by men of the Joint Task Forces in some of the states continually eat away at our humanity. There is just too much blood letting in the land and we strongly feel that time has come to put a stop to it.

The federal and state governments must take the lead in this regard by ensuring that a genuine and sincere approach to tackling the myriad socio economic problems facing the nation are put in place. Such an approach must be the type that ensures justice and fairness in the distribution of our abundant resources so that the majority of Nigerians are yanked off the choking poverty that often times is responsible for some of these violent crimes.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM EDITOR, DAILY ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ALI M. ALI

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND JAMILA NUHU MUSA

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU ADESOJI OYINLOLA

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

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 13

The incorruptible civil servant and national honours

By Yushau A. Shuaib

I

n a country where everybody is perceived as corrupt, especially in the public service, Mr. Muhammad Tahir Zakari has distinguished himself as an incorruptible civil servant. He was among the 148 individuals who were conferred with Nigeria’s National Honours Awards by President Goodluck Jonathan on September 17, 2012.

Recently the online economic journal, the Economic Confidential in an investigation reveals that of those that got the National Honours Awards for 2012, he was the only person who was nominated on the basis of honesty by returning N6.2 million, which was overpaid into his salary account back into treasury.

The report also indicates that about 75 percent of the 148 recipients actually occupy public offices either as appointed or elected figures in the executive, judiciary and legislative arms of government.

Some categories of the awards seemed to be reserved for particular groups of officers. For instance Supreme Court Judges are beneficiaries of CFR; CON are conferred on Governors, Ministers and Senators; OFR are bestowed on Members of House of Representatives, Deputy Governors, Diplomats and Legal

By Gambo Jimeta “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise.

Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except all those others that have been tried from time to time.” – Winston Churchill wish to congratulate all Nigerians as we place another candle on the proverbial national birthday cake to celebrate 52 years independence. Indeed, 52 years ago today, I was privileged enough to witness the brand new flag of our great nation Nigeria being raised as the Union Jack that had dominated our skylines for almost a century was lowered and folded away. The green white green waving in the cool breeze against the backdrop of fireworks, huge cheers and celebration marked a turning point for millions of young Nigerians like me who were looking towards the future with great hope and excitement for better things to come.

Sadly, many of the friends and colleagues I celebrated with on that historic day died without witnessing the fulfilment of the dreams of our founding fathers.

As the years past, I witnessed the gradual emergence of new generations of Nigerians who despite many disappointments and truncated national aspirations, continued to celebrate every October 1st still carrying the same sense of optimism that the next independence day would be better than the last. Even after our troubling history and the recent upheavals that have put the nation through trying times,the Nigerian spirit of resilience has kept faith, love and pride alive in our determination to remain united. I want to urge all Nigerians to take courage and remain steadfast in

I

Practitioners; OON are given to top management staffs in the public and the private sectors; while MFR is meant for security personnel, civil servants, local traditional rulers, community and religious leaders.

Most of the nomination or final recommendations are done by the power-that-be. In fact one of the listed beneficiaries, a deputy governor was removed from the list by the order of the boss. In the face of all these, there are also allegations that in Nigeria some individuals and groups could pay anything to get any kind of awards even for doing nothing.

Muhammad Zakari, who is recognized for his incorruptibility, got decoration in one of the least categories as Member of the Federal Republic (MFR). He is a Grade Level 10 officer with the Federal Ministry of Information, on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

The story of Zakari’s emergence as most deserving of the national award started in November 2011, when he received a credit alert on his mobile phone of the sum of N6,241,469 instead of his usual monthly pay of N62,000. He thought he was having a sweet dream not nightmare. At the time he got the alert he actually had N400 as his credit balance.

A dazed Tahir immediately rushed to the bank where it was

indeed confirmed that he had the millions deposited in his account.

Back home, he then narrated his discovery to both his mother and his wife about what could be considered “Manna from Heaven.”

A deeply religious family, the two women in his life all encouraged him to report and return the millions and not spend what did not belong to him.

He admitted that as a human being, something was telling him that “God has many ways of blessing and enriching individuals. “I initially thought probably that was the way God wanted to intervene in my life by mysteriously depositing money in my bank account. But long years of religious and moral education reinforced by admonishment from the women in my life prompted me to immediately report and return the money which was N6.5 million.”

When friends learnt about the refund of the whopping amount of money, some withdrew their friendship while others taunted him ‘as a typical of the remaining few Nigerian mumus (fool) that could get free money and return it when he earns a meagre salary.’

“I could feel others jeering at my resolve. As a human being, the temptation was high, considering the kind of environment we live in.

But sometimes you just need to take

a most dignifying action and take joy in that which I did sincerely.”

Blessed with eight children comprising of seven boys and a girl, Tahir further admitted: “I was also afraid to tarnish my family name if I spent the money and the error was later discovered by the authority.

That could be very shameful too!”

His action was reported to the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Head of Service and the Office of the Secretary General of the Federation.

Subsequently he received a letter from Office of the Accountant General of the Federation commending him for his “show of honesty by returning an error payment to the tune of N6.2 million.” It was on August 27, 2012 that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim sent him a letter to inform him that the Federal Government had approved the conferment of the National Honours in the rank of MFR on him. In honouring him, President Goodluck Jonathan said the award was in recognition of Zakari’s outstanding virtues and in appreciation of his service to the country, Nigeria, without adding “where many are presumed to be corrupt.”

A graduate of Mass

Communication from the reputable Bayero University Kano, Zakari was born on March 20, 1971 in GarunMallam, Kano State. He did his National Youth Service in Enugu before he was offered appointment into Federal Civil Service as Information Officer. He was then seconded variously to the National Films and Video Censors Board, Ministry of Water Resources and now in Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja.

While we celebrate a young civil servant as incorruptible, we only hope some of our leaders who are mostly disdained for their excessive wealth from sophisticated corruption would not be laughing at poor Zakari, who believes an honour in the face of his unrealistic wages is adequate compensations for incorruptibility.

As we are encouraged by the exemplary conduct of Zakari, which should be emulated, it is doubtful if many poor Nigerians would accept the typical Nigeria’s National Honours if they have the option of a million Naira gift. I believe there are many Nigerians out there setting records and good examples but would never ever make it to the seeming National Honours for top public figures and title holders.

Yushau A. Shuaib can be reached on yashuaib@yahoo.com

their prayers to support President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in his efforts to restore hope, justice and good governance to our nation.

It is heartening to note that Nigerians are beginning to find their voice in this young democracy in their demands for their rights and better governance. We all as Nigerians have the responsibility to build on this opportunity to forge our own destiny. We must all increase our collective effortsby actively participating in building a better nation where all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, tongue or creed will have a better quality of life.

As for the unfortunate comments credited to the Northern Elder’s Forum that, “Jonathan’s Government is worse than Obasanjo’s” (Leadership Newspaper, October 1, 2012, pg11), it is disappointing to note that other Nigerians who should have been steering the course of nation building decided to pull those pillars down by sowing the seeds of enmity, divisionism, and political hypocrisy in order to distract Nigerians from the truth. Rather than rolling up their sleeves to actively find solutions to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, they chose to pull us backward again and force us to play the blame game. The hydra headed monster of collective responsibility in the nation’s downfall also has thousands of fingers pointing straight back at those who sit in judgement in the Northern Elder’s Forum. For they have all, at one point or another contributed to the quagmire we find ourselves today.

For as Robert Bloch (an American Author)once wrote “The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone else he can blame it on.” Wasn’t it recently that

Obasanjo himself was quoted as saying, “I just dey laugh…”?

How short is the memory of these Nigerians that they would choose to sweep away the cases of massive corruption that plagued the Obasanjo administration or the flagrant disregard of court judgements? What about the elections that brought violent ethnic and religious crisis? The Jos and Kaduna crisis all happened under his watch! Have they so easily forgotten the crisis in the aviation industry that saw a season of death through multiple air crashes? What ever happened to the power sector he bequeathed to Nigerians that both the Yar ‘Adua and Jonathan administrations were left with? Or did they suddenly forget that an investment of $16 billion after 8 years in office did nothing to end power failure? What about the privatisation drive that has been riddled by shady deals and political intrigues, the repercussions of which are still being felt today?

What about the Niger Delta crisis that raged on in full force during Obasanjo’s reign? Or did they also forget to realise that the solution to the Niger Delta crisiswas brought about thanks to the establishment of the amnesty programme by President Yar’adua and which was

continued by President Jonathan?

And where were they when the “Third Term Agenda” was being rolled out of the propaganda machine? How many of them were courageous enough to stand up against the manipulation of the nation’s constitution to serve one man’s selfish ambition for power?

This was part of the messy legacy that the Obasanjo administration left for his successors to clean up after him and for which Nigeriansare still suffering from today.

Besides that, the story doesn’t end there. Obasanjo has managed to design his resurrection in such a way that he continues to haunt the corridors of power to whisper into the left ears of his cronies. He continues to manipulate the system to put stumbling blocks in the path of progress in Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s administration all in a bid to perfect his own will and ambitions.

The analysis of the nation state by the Northern Elders Forum that President Jonathan’s Administration has been the worst since independence can best be described as naïve, highly subjective and mischievous. I am surprised that such conclusions could be drawn by so called eminent and scholarly elder statesmen whom

ordinarily should have known better than to drag the national discourse into the gutter. Instead of standing up against tyranny and hypocrisy to find real solutions to the nation’s problems, they chose the cowardly path of using this blame game as a distraction to create confusion and mistrust…or are they also playing to a piper’s tune?

As Werner Finck once said, “Everybody wants to eat at the government’s table, but nobody wants to do the dishes.” 52 years ago, independence was not given to us on a platter of gold. Most of our founding fathers not only washed dishes, they swept floors, washed toilets and shed their own blood. Let us not let their legacy die in vain. We must also roll up our sleeves and work towards building the nation we want to have.

It is time for all of us to shun treachery, intrigue, religious bigotry, tribalism, hypocrisy, corruption, all types of prejudice and violence and support President Jonathan in trying to correct the ills of the past and the present. For as Almighty God in His infinite Wisdom decided to place President Goodluck Jonathan on the mantle of leadership, he should also take courage in the fact that he has the authority to take bold action against any evil political manipulations that might pose a threat to the nation’s unity. President Jonathan should take this opportunity to break down all the ethnic and religious barriers and reunite Nigerians under one family with a commitment for peace and justice for all. We all have a collective responsibility to contribute to a better future for our children, our people and our nation.

Alhaji Gambo Jimeta is a former Inspector of Police (IGP).

To those who cast the first stones

“

It is time for all of us to shun treachery, intrigue, religious bigotry, tribalism, hypocrisy, corruption, all types of prejudice and violence and support President Jonathan in trying to correct the ills of the past and the present

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

This is Lagos: A Camerounian perspectice

By Ernest Sumelong

H

aving journeyed more than twice out of the country, I didn’t expect to be overwhelmed by the kind of excitement I had when I embarked on a few days to Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, recently. For the simple fact that Lagos is one of the nearest of foreign cities to Cameroon, not many would be excited about any trip to this former capital of Africa’s most populous country.

But I was, apparently because of the tales of this legendary city of enjoyment. I was pleasantly embarrassed that I did not find Boko Haram militants at the airport, taking people hostage and blasting the place with bombs.

Understandably, Boko Haram is the most outstanding thing one gets nowadays, about Nigeria from the media. I had a rethink on that after spending three enjoyable days in Lagos.

Much seems to have also improved at the airport, considering the horrifying tales often told of hoodlums trying to steal one’s money and corrupt police officers trying to corner foreigners in order to deprive them of their money. On the contrary, I found smartly dressed police officers with a sense of professionalism and politesse.

“Here, sir”. “Please, sir, queue up behind others”. Others, more colloquially, said “Oga, please, take the left, not the right”. To put it simply, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport is great, even when

By Sanusi Muhammad

I

ndeed, when Portugal and South Africa joined forces to push back MPLA’s onslaught against the Portuguese colonial forces in the early seventies, it was the Cuban military might and technology that assisted MPLA to triumph.

That solidarity continues to this very day. Many Cuban doctors are in Angola , Namibia , Republic of South Africa , Mozambique , Ethiopia , Nigeria , Gambia and Uganda improving health service delivery and share advances in health science with African countries.

Following the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republic (USSR), Cuba signed a new era of relationship with African countries, which can be described as “solidarity in socio-economic development within the context of advancing global social democracy”.

This relationship has emphasized human development through health, education, sports, science and technology.

Cuba prides itself of having one of the best sports universities in the world. At the university, sportsmen and women from all over the third world are awarded under graduate and post graduate degrees in athletics and other sports such as indoor games and soccer, while also learning biological sciences, food and nutrition: all of which are keenly

construction work is on-going to years by sheer determination, (commercial motorcycles) ply upgrade the standard. political will and the audacity of the streets of Douala. Going by Leaving the Douala men and women who made the size of their roads, it is easy to International Airport and landing, valiant efforts to wean themselves read the bigness of their vision. an hour or so after, at the Murtala from the breast of socio-economic Till date, it is taking a life time for Muhammed International Airport and political mediocrity, by the Cameroon government to in Lagos was, to say the least, an instilling a culture of good build a second bridge over the embarrassment to me. There was governance.

River Wouri, while billions of such a big dichotomy between the In Nigeria, citizens fight and Francs CFA are lost daily due to two countries that I wondered why debate from the Senate and hours of hold-ups in traffic Cameroon is so left behind. The Parliament to the streets for the because of lack of roads. difference was so clear about improvement of the country, the Apparently, one will be built disorder and lack when the of vision on the present bridge one hand, and collapses from order and focus overuse and on the other. e p i l e p t i c Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text D o u a l a repairs. While, messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written to me, Lagos is a represents the contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 modern city former, while words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and (understandably Lagos represents a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed because I was the latter. to: coming from a After due big village consideration, The Editor, c a l l e d the “air strip” in Cameroon), Douala should Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, Nigerians are not be called an 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. the least international Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com satisfied with airport because SMS: 07037756364 the state of the of, among other city.

They things, its disorderliness and its dilapidating common good if you will, while believe that it could be better, and state. While I must admit that Cameroon seems to be managed so, press government to do more. some effort has been made at without any agenda, or better still, This is exactly the contrary in sanitising the Douala airport police handled like a rudderless ship. The Cameroon, where citizens flood and, to an extent, organising business of the Parliament and the the President in oceans of thanks transportation from the airport, Senate in Nigeria is run like daily when just a foot path is cleared.

Another thing I learnt in nonetheless, much needs to be done civil service work, where the to revive the overall state of the President’s position is contested and Nigeria is that those seeking to airport. constantly challenged, while he get to the civil service are Also, more efforts should be makes it a duty to appear before considered lazy, less creative and made to get rid of stench and the people’s representatives have subscribed to poverty. That squalor, as well as the layabouts at regularly to explain issues of the is apparently why there is a continuous outburst of talent, the airport who give the country a State. bad image. Lagos, by all Flyovers and gigantic bridges creativity, self-dependence and indications, has been built over the run across Lagos like okadas enterprise in Nigeria. Nigeria

WRITE TO US

made another huge impression in my mind regarding their economic vision. As an indication that the country’s economy is buoyant, banks (not tiny micro finance institutions) are found almost everywhere in Lagos.

Someone said, rather jokingly, that even a mad man in Nigeria has a bank account. And it is easy to believe the statement.

There is a sense of business in all walks of life in Nigeria and this, to me, accounts for the strides this country has made, despite its huge challenges due to its demographic size. Nigerians seem to know that anything and everything is business and I found them serviceable, smart, humble and focused, with a smile always planted on their lips. This is the attitude I found in restaurants, hotels and other places open to customers.

Lagos, as I saw it, is a city of flyovers and banks, broad roads and big visions and men with dogged determination to make it big. In fact, it is a city that never sleeps. This article does not try to suggest that I didn’t see the downside of a big city like Lagos.

However, I have chosen to focus on what Cameroon can learn from this former Nigerian capital and thus move a step forward from our current state of apparent stagnation, in spite of overwhelming potentials that can trigger wealth creation and wellbeing for the teeming masses of Cameroonians.

Ernest Sumelong is reachable on CameroonPostline.com

Lessons from Cuba for Nigeria (II) related to sports and games. A sportsman who does not know his anatomy and physiology is very unlikely to respond creatively to his body language when under stress in the field. The science will obviously add value to the performance rather than be a draw back. The Latin American Medical University , established over a decade ago, has admitted students from all over the third world, though majority are from Latin America . This is a model university where learning and character formation go hand in hand. Students are taught the science of medicine as well as its social value. They graduate as socially aware individuals who do not have the misplaced notion that a degree in medicine is the surest step to being wealthy. On the contrary, medicine is seen as a tool to empower both the doctor and the patient to live in a society where each individual’s health affects the total well being of the community.

At a recent International Conference on Health Research held in Havana , Cuba was singled out as one of the few countries in the world that has achieved the best results in health care delivery with the most effective public investment in the health sector. For all intents and purposes, Cuba has achieved the MDGs in this area

through well thought out innovations. The Cuban Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering has discovered and developed over thirty vaccines that are used to improve health and to reduce child mortality almost to zero. Working in collaboration with Labiopharm, the state-owned pharmaceutical research and development outfit, the institute has seen the results of its research realized in the production of several drugs, detergents and food supplements that are of the highest scientific standards.

Cuba uses biodegradable methods of eliminating the mosquito at the point of reproduction in stagnant waters, and is currently sharing this method with several African countries through a Memorandum of Understanding.

The policy of the African division in both the party and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to share scientific knowledge to advance developments in Africa .

We live in an era where science and technology, and the innovations that come with the advancements in both, are at the heart of development. As David Landes pointed out in his book; The Unbound Prometheus: Technological innovations in Western Europe since the Industrial Revolution, countries like Japan

would not have industrialized without “importing” technology and industrial knowledge from the West. Japan did this by sending her students to learn in the best universities in Great Britain , and while there to “spy on and take away or steal” western technology back to Japan . That is how the automobile industry in Japan grew after the Second World War, soon dominating the global automobile market.

Cuba has come up with a new model. Rather than encourage students to “spy” for Cuban scientific and technical achievements, they are encouraged to internalize this knowledge and apply it at home to speed up the process of development.

But the process of development cannot be speeded up “disembodied” from social and political processes. An increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that makes no meaning whatsoever to the majority in society is no development worth writing home about.

Nigeria , as a nation endowed with natural and human resources, is long overdue to emulate the Cuban strategy instead of playing politics with human development. Nigeria has over 10 Research Institutes but not

adequately funded to carry out aggressive research works to address our needs. For instance, during the tenure of Dr. Abubakar Lamurde as director-general of the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, several vaccines were invented and produced rated amongst the best in animal health worldwide. He qualified as one of the best veterinary surgeons ever from Africa . Such talents abound in Nigeria that deserve, every support to bail the country out of its present position of a dumping ground of finished health products from Asia, Europe and other so called developed countries if the transformation slogan of the President is to be real.

Fortunately enough, some state governors the likes of Isa Yuguda in Bauchi, Sule Lamido in Jigawa, Rabi’u Kwankwaso in Kano, Gabriel Suswan in Benue, Akpabio in Akwa-Ibom and few others, have realized the need to encourage the acquisition of knowledge in science related discipline with emphasis on human and animal medicine by sponsoring the training of students in countries that have excelled in such fields including the communist Cuba.

Concluded Sanusi Muhammad was the editor of Bauchi based Weekly Newspaper, The Trumpeter/Kakaki

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

By Paul Omoruyi

T

he 2008 United States Presidential election electrified the entire continent of Africa and her people like no other election in the modern history of the United States.

Incontrovertibly, this was because one of the nominated presidential candidates was Africa son of the soil.

On that faithful night of November 4th, 2008, most Africans all over the continent stayed up all night to hear the election results and to celebrate the victory of Barack Obama. The enthusiasm and bliss prompted the then president of Kenya to declare Thursday November 6th, 2008 a public holiday to celebrate the victory of Barack Obama as the new president of the United States.

Then, many Africans believed and hoped that Obama presidency will enunciate strategic policies that will help Africa much more than the Presidency of Bill Clinton and George Bush 43. It is no secret that President Bill Clinton African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was an audacious Africafocused foreign policy to help the continent gain access to the American market. Whether Africa was able to leverage the policy to their benefit is another discussion.

But the truth is that the bold move of the Clinton policy placed Africa in the radar of most American

PAGE 15

Has Obama disappointed Africa? investors. President Clinton also travelled widely around African during his presidency.

It is also not a secret that President Bush did a lot for Africa in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatments. His President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR/Emergency Plan) program, a commitment of $15 billion over five years (2003– 2008) by the United States to fight the global HIV/AIDS pandemic is credited with having helped to avert about 1.1 million deaths in Africa. This amount of HIV aid was first of its kind. It was also a huge Africa-centered policy and a genuine interest by President Bush to help Africa fight the scourge of the epidemics on the continent.

Although I do not agree with most of Bush’s foreign policies but he deserves encomium for taking such policy initiatives towards Africa which was uncommon for a conservative American president.

President Obama has spent only 20 hours in Africa since he became the president of the United States in 2008. During his visit to Ghana in 2009, he gave speeches that emphasized the need to fight corruption, support good governance, resolve Africa’s endless conflicts, and empower Africans to

solve Africa problems. Many experts in Africa affairs thought then that those speeches would metamorphose into a gargantuan Africa-specific policy from Obama’s government. But that is yet to happen.

It is true that Africa’s problems need to be resolved by Africans. I concur and also of the strong opinion that no one (not even Obama) can solve Africa’s myriad problems besides Africans.

Africans would need to rise and take the destiny of the continent into their hands. But what is also true is that the United States as the Super Power has a great role to play in assisting Africa in her match towards economic growth and empowerment.

The economic strength of China today is partly because of the huge investment Americans made in China over the last decades. Obama is aware of the tools at his disposal that he can marshal and bring to bear as the President of the United States to promote American investors interest in Africa.

Although during his first term in office, President Obama has launched some new initiatives that would benefit Africa but they are not specific to the African continent

like Clinton’s AGOA and Bush’s PEPFAR. What is well known is that Obama has launched strong US military counter-insurgency efforts all over every nook and cranny of Africa using the AFRICOM platform. Some policy strategists believe this is a deliberate political calculus by the Obama’s team. Since Obama has strong ties to Africa, it will be a political free gift for the Republicans to blast and criticize him if he appears to be focused on promoting Africa’s affairs. This they believe has made Obama less focus in making gigantic economic policy targeted at Africa alone. The question is: Will Obama sacrifice his political survival for the benefit of Africa? Your guess is as good as mine.

Mwangi S. Kimenyi (senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative) rightly suggested “Increasing global competition necessitates that the United States engage Africa more deeply. While it is hoped that a [Obama] second term would bring good tidings to Africa, there is still an opportunity for President Obama to make an imprint in the region during the remainder of his first term. We propose that the president make a well coordinated

trip to a number of African countries accompanied by business executives and investors. The president must send the signal that Africa is a much better place to invest and that he supports policies that provide business incentives to invest in the continent. This approach to supporting Africa will not only help Africa, but will also contribute to economic growth in the United States, and also position the United States to better compete with China and other countries.”

While most Africans understand the need for Obama to survive his first term and win the second term election, it will be a colossal disappointment to Africans if President Obama does not leave a policy legacy that directly affects the people of the continent during his second term – if there is a second term. Now is the time for the Obama Government to come up with a transformative, focused and creative policy for Africa beyond the “five pillars” mentioned by Jonnie Carson (U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs) on the States Department website. Africa does not need a hand out but opportunity.

The world is waiting and Africa is watching!

Paul Omoruyi can be reached on eng.p.omoruyi@gmail.com

proportions. Yet we must not allow our emotion or our sympathy for the suffering of the Igbo at the hands of northern mobs before the war started to becloud our sense of reasoning as regards what actually happened during the prosecution of the war itself. It is important to set the record straight and not to be selective in our application and recollection of the facts when considering what actually led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Igbo women, children and civilians during that war.

And, unlike others, I do not deny the fact that hundreds of thousands were starved to death as a consequence of the blockade that was imposed on Biafra by the Nigerian Federal Government. To deny that this actually happened would be a lie. Again I do not deny the fact that Awolowo publically defended the blockade and indeed told the world that it was perfectly legitimate for any government to impose such a blockade on the territory of their enemies in times of war.

Awolowo said it, this is a matter of historical record and he was quoted in a number of British newspapers as having said so at the time. Yet he spoke nothing but the truth.

And whether anyone likes to hear it or not he was absolutely right in what he said. Let me give you an example. During the Second World War a blockade was imposed on Germany, Japan and Italy by the Allied Forces and this was very effective. It weakened the Axis powers considerably and this was one of the reasons why the war ended at the time that it did. If there had been no blockade the Second World War would have gone on for considerably longer. In the case of

the Nigerian civil war though the story did not stop at the fact that a blockade was imposed by the Federal Government which led to the suffering, starvation, pain, death and hardship of the civilian Igbo population or that Awolowo defended it. That is only half the story.

Ambassador Ralph Uweche, who was the Special Envoy to France for the Biafran Government during the civil war and who is the leader of Ohaeneze, the leading igbo political and socio-cultural organisation today, said it all in his excellent book titled ‘’Reflections On The Nigerian Civil War’’. That book is factual and honest and I would urge people like Achebe to go and read it well. The self-serving role of Ojukwu and many of the Biafran intelligensia and elites and their insensitivity to the suffering of their own people during the course of the war was well documented in that book. The fact of the matter is that the starvation and suffering of hundreds of thousands of Igbo men, women and children during the civil war was seen and used as a convenient tool of propaganda by Ojukwu and that is precisely why he rejected the offer

of a food corridor by the Nigerian Government.

I have written good things about Ojukwu on many occasions in the past and I stand by every word that I have ever said or written about him. In my view, he was a man of courage and immense fortitude, he stood against the mass murder of his people in the north and he brought them home and created a safe haven for them in the east. For him, and indeed the whole of Biafra, the war was an attempt to exercise their legitimate right of selfdetermination and leave Nigeria due to the atrocities that they had been subjected to in the north. I do not blame him or his people for that and frankly I have always admired his stand.

However he was not infallible and he also made some terrible mistakes, just as all great leaders do from time to time. The fact that he rejected the Nigerian Federal Government’s offer of a food corridor was one of those terrible mistakes and this cost him and his people dearly. Professor Chinua Achebe surely ought to have reflected that in his book as well.

When it comes to the Nigerian civil war there were no villains or angels. During that brutal conflict no less than two million Nigerians and Biafrans died and the Yoruba who, unlike others, did not ever discriminate or attack any nonYorubas that lived in their in their territory before the civil war or carry out any coups or attempted coups, suffered at every point as well.

For example prominent Yoruba sons and daughters were killed on the night of the first Igbo coup of January, 1966 and again in the northern ‘’revenge’’ coup of July 1966.

Clearly it was not only the Igbo that suffered during the civil war.

Neither does it auger well for the unity of our nation for Achebe and the Igbo intelligensia that are hailing his self-serving book to cast aspersions on the character, role and noble intentions of the late and revered leader of the Yoruba, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, during the civil war. The man might have made one or two mistakes in the past like every other great leader and of course there was a deep and bitter political division in Yoruba land itself just before the civil war started and throughout the early ‘60’s. Yet by no stretch of the imagination can Awolowo be described as an Igbohating genocidal maniac and he most certainly did not delight in the starvation of millions of Igbo men, women and children as Achebe has tried to suggest. My advice to this respected author is that he should leave Chief Awolowo alone and allow him to continue to rest in peace.

Femi Fani-Kayode is a former Aviation Minister.

Awolowo and Achebe’s tale of fantasy

By Femi Fani-Kayode

I

am a historian and I have always believed that if we want to talk history we must be dispassionate, objective and factual.

We must take the emotion out of it and we must always tell the truth.

The worst thing that anyone can do is to try to re-write history and indulge in historical revisionism.

This is especially so when the person is a reverred figure and a literary icon. Sadly it is in the light of such historical revisionism that I view Professor Chinua Achebe’s assertion (which is reflected in his latest and highly celebrated book titled “There Was A Country’’) that Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late and much loved Leader of the Yoruba, was responsible for the genocide that the igbos suffered during the civil war.

This claim is not only false but it is also, frankly speaking, utterly absurd. Not only is Professor Achebe indulging in perfidy, not only is he being utterly dishonest and disengenious but he is also turning history on its head and indulging in what I would describe as ethnic chauvinism.

I am one of those that has always had tremendous sympathy for the Igbo cause during the civil war. I am also an admirer of Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who stood up for his people when it mattered the most and when they were being slaughtered by rampaging mobs in the northern part of our country.

At least, 100,000 Igbos were killed in the pogrom which took place before the civil war and which indeed led directly to it. This was not only an outrage but it was also a tragedy of monumental

“

Not only is Professor Achebe indulging in perfidy, not only is he being utterly dishonest and disengenious but he is also turning history on its head and indulging in what I would describe as ethnic chauvinism. ...Again I do not deny the fact that Awolowo publically defended the blockade and indeed told the world that it was perfectly legitimate for any government to impose such a blockade on the territory of their enemies in times of war

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Man allegedly connives with four soldiers to beat up fellow T

he police yesterday arraigned one Sunday Chukwu of Area 2, Garki, and Abuja, before an Abuja Upper Area Court on four counts of conspiracy, force, hurt and theft.

Police prosecutor Ambi Ayuba alleged that the accused conspired with four military men and three civilians, now at large, and entered Zaikat Garden at Area 2, Abuja, and beat up Odetola

Olatunbosi of the same address for no reason.

Ayuba said the matter was reported at Garki Police Station on December 28, 2010, by Ali Oyebola of Efab Estate, Abuja.

The prosecutor told the court that when Oyebola, who happened to be in the garden at the time, tried to separate Olatunbosi from the accused, he beat him up too.

“You descended on him

(Oyebola) by beating him up to the extent that you inflicted injuries on all parts of his body with a knife,’’ the prosecutor said.

Ayuba further said that in addition to stealing N3,000 cash from Oyebola’s pocket, the accused also stole his BlackBerry phone and wristwatch valued at N48,000 and N3,500 respectively.

The prosecutor said the

Women traders at Nyany market, Abuja.

offences contravene Sections 97, 263, 244 and 287 of the Penal Code.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and the Judge, Adamu Wakili, admitted him to a bail in the sum of N100,000 with a reliable surety in like sum who must be resident within the FCT with a fixed address..

He adjourned the case to November 13, 2012 for hearing.

(NAN)

Photo: Mahmud Isa

NGO doles out food, other gifts to prison inmates, orphanages

By Adeola Tukuru

A

non-governmental organization (NGO) known as Habity Foundation for Humanity Development has donated food and gift items to Kuje, Keffi prisons and other orphanage homes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of it humanitarian services to the needy.

The Chairman of the NGO, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Sa’idu said the gesture was born out of his burning zeal and passion for

Nigerians, particularly the poor and the less privileged.

Saidu told journalists that the organisation has established skill acquisition centres in Bwari and Jabi, where youths are taught different trades like tailoring, plumbing, etc, adding that the organisation has also donated over 50 vehicles to individuals and institutions this year, aiming at assisting them at different human endeavours in the society.

“We have planned to carry out our humanitarian projects in five different states, which include FCT, Kaduna, Kano, Niger and

Nasarawa states. We have submitted letters to Kuje and Keffi prisons for another round of courtesy visit to the inmates”, he emphasised.

Sa’idu explained that Habity for Humanity Foundation’s activities are purely for the uplift of humanity, listing their activities to include donation to individuals and institutions in need, courtesy visits as well holding peace conferences and building of skill acquisition centres for the less privileged in some areas.

According to him, the foundation also undertakes

graveyard rehabilitation as well as prisons, schools and hostels. He further revealed that the NGO has donated plots of land in Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria, Kano and Plateau states for humanitarian purposes and has also carried out rehabilitation work at a technical school in Bwari.

Also the project Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Foundation, Dr Yakubu Ibrahim, hinted that the organization intend to pay fines for some inmate who are serving various prisons terms in the country in order for them to get release from those prisons.

Sanity returns to Mararaba after Sunday’s disturbance

S

anity has returned to Mararaba, a densely populated settlement in the neighbouring Nasarawa state, after Sunday afternoon’s unrest.

Eye witnesses in Mararaba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, that trouble started when a “subsidy bus driver’’ violated a police man’s directive on the highway.

A road side seller of garden eggs, Malam Musa Ishiaku, told NAN that the driver was stripped naked by the police officer and taken to the “B” Division of the Nigeria Police in Mararaba.

Ishiaku said the police action prompted spontaneous protest from other drivers and miscreants who took advantage of the situation to force police officers on duty to retrieve.

“The miscreants burnt empty cartons and unused tyres on both sides of the highway, thereby disrupting free vehicular movements”.

Ishiaku said that shops were hurriedly closed down by their owners for fear of possible attacks by the hoodlums.

He said the situation continued until soldiers arrived at the scene to assist the police to put the situation under control.

Ishiaku said that police stations in the area were almost over run by the miscreants before the suspect was released.

The Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mararaba branch, Mr Benard Adeyi, said he had to rush to the office and effected the release of the erring driver for the return of normalcy.

Adeyi said the driver had no right to disobey the police officer’s instruction.

The Divisional Police Officer in the Area, Mr John Emega, said he led his men to disperse the miscreants and removed the bonfire on the highway to ensure free flow of traffic.

He commended the efforts of the armed soldiers who were called in to assist the police to quell the riot.

Emega warned members of the public to desist from taking the laws into their hands on every minor situation. (NAN)

Gwagwalada residents call for rehabilitation of dilapidated roads

By Usman Shuaibu

I

nhabitants of Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the FCT Minister, Senator Mohammed Bala to rehabilitate neglected roads in Gwagwalada.

Some of the residents, who spoke

to Peoples Daily, said that so many roads in the area were not longer motorable.

One of the residents, Alhaji Salisu Yahaya, the Headmaster of Islamiyya Primary School in Gwagwalada, called on the FCT minister to rehabilitate the road linking Kasuwa Dare- Alhaji Nura road to save lives .

A community leader at Angwar Hajara Mallam Saleh Lawal, also appealed to the minister to repair Angwar Hajara road which was abandoned for so many years now.

Lawal further lamented that the people of Angwar Hajara had been neglected in the area of provision of basic amenities such as potable drinking water as well as electricity

and urged the minister to come to their rescue.

Speaking in the same vein, a plumber, Mallam Aliyu Mohammed Iliyasu popularly known as ‘Dantani’ accused the former chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Saidu Garba Zuba of failing to rehabilitate Alhaji Nura-Angwar Hajara road as

according to him, the contract was awarded during his regime.

On his parts, a taxi driver in the area, John Samuel said that the roads that needed urgent rehabilitation by the minister included sharp corner road, town hall road, Demonstration Primary School road / Paikon Motel market road.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Keke NAPEP operator in prison for criminal breach of trust

A

Wheelbarrow pushers resting at Area 1 Garki, Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Man, 29, allegedly attempts to commit suicide A

29-year-old man, Akeem Ojo, 29, of Airport Road Abuja has been arraigned before an Abuja Magistrates Court for alleged attempt to commit suicide.

The police Prosecutor, Mr Ude David, told the court that, on October 3, 2012, one Ibibo

Mamekpari, attached to Nigerian Customs Service, Abuja, reported the case to the Wuse Police Station.

David said that on the same date, the complainant sighted the accused beside Total filling station, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.

The prosecutor said that the

accused allegedly opened his vehicle bonnet and drank a hydraulic liquid in an attempt to kill himself.

Ojo however, pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Senior Magistrate Grace Adebayo granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and two

sureties in like sum.

Adebayo said that the sureties must be civil servants, residing within the jurisdiction of the court, and should provide an affidavit of means.

She adjourned the case to October 17, 2012 for hearing.

(NAN)

Man caught with suspected stolen ATM card

By Stanley Onyekwere with agency report

A

24-year-old man, Endurance Abora has been arraigned for alleged conspiracy, public nuisance, cheating and being in possession of suspected stolen ATM card.

One Adimula Bola of Ireke junction, Karmo Road, Abuja, according to the prosecutor, Mr Ude David, reported the

case to Wuse Police Station on October 1, 2012.

David told the court that same date, the complainant was at the Airport junction, waiting to board a vehicle when the accused and one other, now at large, allegedly snatched her handbag.

An Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court on Friday granted bail to Endurance Abora, 24, of Gwagwa Tasha, Abuja, He further told the Abuja

Senior Magistrates Court that same date, Abora of Gwagwa Tasha was arrested at Wuse market junction in possession of the complainants’ make-up kit.

He said that the accused was also in possession of an Oceanic Easy Card, belonging to one O. Olatunji, which was suspected to be stolen.

David said that the accused could not give a satisfactory account of the items.

According to him, the

offence contravenes Sections 79, 183, 322 and 319 of the Penal Code, but the accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

Delivering judgment, Senior Magistrate Grace Adebayo granted bail the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in like sum.

She ordered that the sureties must be civil servants, residing within the jurisdiction of the court, and must provide an affidavit of means. (NAN)

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court has remanded in police custody, one Bello Yusuf, 26, of Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja, for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation.

Senior Magistrate Bashir Alkali gave the ruling after it emerged that Yusuf had been arraigned separately from the other accused person before a different court.

The police prosecutor, Christian Mumonye, told the court that on October 2, 2012 one Malam Bala Lawal of Apo Zone D, Legislative Quarters, Abuja, had reported Yusuf at the Garki Police Station.

Mumonye said that Lawal had reported that he entrusted Yusuf with his auto rickshaw (Keke NAPEP) with registration number QK 586 SKJ valued at N360,000 for commercial purpose to remit N12,000 to him monthly.

According to Mumonye, Yusuf instead of remitting the amount to Lawal, converted N24,000 to his personal use and gave the vehicle to one Adamu of Apo NEPA junction.

He added that Adamu had already been arraigned before another court for the same offence.

Mumonye said that the offence was in contravention of Sections 312 and 309 of the Penal Code.

Yusuf however pleaded guilty to the offence giving reasons that he had given the Keke to Adamu to help him work for two days as he was going to visit his mother.

“I came back and when I asked Adamu for the Keke, he said he had given it to a member of the Keke NAPEP union and he said, he did not know the name of the person.

“We have tried to locate the man he said he gave the Keke to but to no avail, although, the union agreed that he is actually a member of the Keke NAPEP union.

“I have gone to Malam Lawal to give him the latest information and reports on the whereabouts of the Keke,’’ Yusuf added.

Alkali said since Yusuf and Adamu were standing trial for the same case, it was wrong to have arraigned them before different courts.

He, however, ordered that Yusuf be remanded in police custody until October 8, 2012 when Adamu would be standing for trial. (NAN)

Secretariat gets commendation over people oriented projects

By Josephine Ella

F

or embarking on human oriented projects that have impacted on the lives of women, youths and the less privileged people in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), the House of Representatives has

commended the FCT Social Development Secretariat over what it described ‘as proper budget implementation’.

The Chairman, House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Auxilliary Matters, Honourable Kamisu Melantariki gave the commendation at the weekend

when he led members of his committee on oversight function to the Social Development Secretariat.

He said that the Social Development Secretariat has performed well on several areas that touch life of ordinary people in the FCT area councils such as women, youths and vulnerable

children.

Hon. Melantarriki however charged the Secretariat to do more saying that records are meant to be broken.

A member of the committee, Honourable, Adenekan Taiwo, who also spoke during the oversight visit, urged the Secretariat to upgrade the FCT Museum at the Cyprian

Ekwensi Centre for Art and Culture to international standard to attract both local and foreign tourists .In a remark, the Secretary for Social Development Secretariat, Mrs Blessing Onuh thanked the Committee for the commendation and appealed for more budgeting allocation for the FCT in the 2013 fiscal year

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 17

Choreographers entertaining guests in a function, yesterday in Wuse, Abuja.

A middle-aged man treating himself to local manicure in a road side, yesterday in An elderly man repairing scraps and damaged motor parts, at the weekend in Apo Maitama, Abuja. mechanic village, in Abuja.

A young man hawking caps, on Saturday in Area 1, Abuja.

A trader taking a nap in his shop, yesterday in Durumi, Abuja. Photos: Justin Imo-Owo

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Nigeria’s oil resources may last 41 years – World Bank

Mob: 08033644990

World Bank supports mines & steel ministry with N19.2bn Minister

By Aminu Imam

T

he Minister of Mines and S t e e l Development, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada has said that the World Bank, having identified the minerals and metals sector as the key player for the diversification of the nation’s economy has supported his ministry with a whopping sum of $120 million (N19.2 bn).

The Minister, who stated this to the top management of Peoples Media Limited during their courtesy visit to the ministry on Friday, said that Nigeria is endowed with variety of minerals found in more than 500 locations, whereby all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have more than one mineral type.

He said coal resources also exist in 13 states. “Current exploration results indicate over 2.7 billion tonnes. The development of coal for power generation is priority for government,” he said. Nigeria, he stressed, also has gold reserves in several locations. There is a primary belt stretching the OndoOsun states in the south west to Niger, Kaduna Zamfara, Kebbi states in the North-West.

Arc. Sada further said he has taken the campaign for foreign investment in Nigeria to Australia where he made a presentation on the investment opportunities in Nigeria’s minerals and metals sector.

Responding, Peoples Media Limited’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Malam Ali M Ali commended the minister for his positive contribution towards the realisation of his ministry’s objectives.

L-R: MD Nigerian Export and Import (NEXIM) Bank, Mr. Roberts Orya, Benue state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Terfa Ihindan, Secretary to the Benue State Government , David Salifu, and President of ABUCCIMA, Mr. Solomon Nyagba, during 2012 Abuja International Trade Fare, at the weekend in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Nigeria ranked 138th out of 183 in 2012 world’s paying taxes report

By Muhammad Sada

A

report put together by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in collaboration with the World Bank, placed the country on 138th position out of 183 economies, on the ease of paying taxes.

According to the report, Nigeria dropped from its 134th position last year, to 138,

DMO to sell N160-240bn in 5-10-yr bonds in Q4

T

he Debt Management Office (DMO) said yesterday it plans to sell between N160 billion and N240 billion ($1.02 bln-$1.53 bn) in sovereign bonds ranging between 5 and 10 years in the fourth quarter of the year.

The amount being proposed is less than its third quarter debt issuance.

The DMO said it would auction between 60-90 billion naira each in 5-, 7- and 10-year paper on Oct. 17, N40-60 billion in 7-and 10-year paper on Nov 21 and sell N60-90 billion each in 5-, 7-, and 10-year bonds on Dec. 19.

It said all the bonds were reopenings of previous issues.

The inclusion of Nigeria’s debt in the JP Morgan government index on Oct. 1 has

steadily increased demand from offshore investors in the debt of Africa’s second biggest economy.

Nigeria issues sovereign bonds monthly to support the local bond market, create a benchmark for corporate issuance and fund its budget deficit. (Reuters)

making it the worst for the country, since the yearly report was first published seven years ago.

Representatives of PwC, who analysed the new report at the weekend in Lagos, advised relevant authorities in Nigeria to take advantage of technology to improve on their tax administration.

The report explained that a medium size company on average pays nearly one third of its commercial profit in taxes, “spend over 23 weeks in a year dealing with its tax affairs and makes a tax payment every 10 days”.

It added that with the development, Nigeria is far behind many of the leading investment destinations in Africa, including Mauritius, which ranks nine, South Africa 36 and Ghana 87.

PwC’s Partner/Tax and Corporate Advisory Services Leader, Taiwo Oyedele, explained that the study measures three separate aspects of paying, adding that “two of these relate to tax compliance burden and one to the tax cost”.

The report added: “All three are equally weighted to arrive at an overall ranking.

The three indicators are number of tax payments; total tax rate as a per centage of commercial profit; and time required to comply with tax requirements.

“On these sub-indicators for 2012, a medium size company in Nigeria makes 35 tax payments yearly, pays 32.7 per cent of its commercial profit in taxes, and spends 938 hours to comply. As a result, Nigeria ranks 123 on number

Management Tip of the Day

G

Become a more valuable employee

etting ahead isn’t about kissing up to the boss. It’s about proving that you’re valuable. Here are three ways you can boost what you bring to your organization:· Think like a shareholder. Ask lots of questions about the strategy and what’s keeping the top

leaders awake at night. Focus on those things in your day-to-day tasks and decisions.· Focus on the highest priorities. With your manager, identify two or three things you can do to drive revenue or profitability. Make sure the majority of your effort goes toward those areas.· Concentrate. If your

manager asks you to do things outside of those strategic priorities, push back. Sure, you’ll need to work on some things that aren’t important.

But make a deliberate choice to shortchange those if possible.

Source: Harvard Business Review

of tax payment, 56 on total tax rate and 180 on time required to comply out of 183 economies covered by the survey”.

It explained that the worst sub-indicator for Nigeria, which has been dragging the overall ranking down is the amount of time required to comply with tax obligations “This covers the time required to comply with major taxes (hour per year) including collection of information, computation of tax payable, completing tax return forms, filling with relevant tax authorities, arranging payment or withholding and preparing tax accounting records and supporting documentation.

“Going by his indicator, Nigeria ranks lowest in Africa and only ahead of three countries in the world: Vietnam (181), Bolivia (182) and Brazil (183). The enormous time required for tax compliance in Nigeria is a reflection of the bureaucratic, complex and cumbersome tax administration system in the country.

“By comparison to the 938 hours for Nigeria, the average tax compliance time for subSaharan Africa is 318 hours while for Organisation for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) countries it is 186 hours”, the report stated.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS

Oando Gas

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he United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded $494,000 (N79million) grant to Oando Gas & Power Limited to support the development of compressed natural gas (CNG) infrastructure in Nigeria.

The $494,000 grant was signed at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos by U.S. Consul General Jeffrey Hawkins on behalf of USTDA and by Chief Executive Officer, Mobolaji Osunsanya on behalf of Oando Gas & Power.

According to a media statement from the information Office, Public Affairs Section of US Consulate General at the weekend, the grant will fund a feasibility study to evaluate the viability of developing large-scale CNG refueling infrastructure in Lagos state.

LCCI

T

he decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to keep all key monetary policy variables unchanged has reduced the aggregate credit to the private sector, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has said.

LCCI, in a statement signed by its DirectorGeneral, Muda Yusuf at the weekend, pointed out that there has been a steady decline in aggregate credit to the economy and private sector in particular due to tightening monetary policy in the country.

The development, the chamber argued, was largely due to the sustained monetary tightening, significant rise in government domestic borrowing, and attractive yield of government bonds and treasury bills.

NIMN

T

he National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has tasked its professionals to make use of their knowledge to achieve real business growth by imbibing strong marketing culture that would help create value and translate into economic growth.

The President of the institute, Lugard Aimiuwu, made the position known while addressing participants at the just concluded NIMN 2012 international summit, in Lagos, on Friday.

Speaking on the theme of the summit: “Achieving Real Business Growth in Turbulent Times,” the NIMN boss noted that when real business growth is achieved, it would create business opportunities and attract international communities into the country.

By Muhammad Nasir

T

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has reiterated its determination to growing the nation’s proven crude oil reserve from its current level of 37 billion barrels to 40 billion barrels by the year 2020.

Speaking in Kaduna at a reception organised by the state government in honour of some illustrious sons and daughter of Kaduna State, Engr. Andrew Yakubu, Group Managing Director of NNPC, also one of the celebrants, stated that apart from ensuring an increase in the level of proven reserves the Corporation is working assiduously towards increasing production from the current figure of 2.4 million barrels per day to a record 4 million bpd by 2020.

Nigeria’s production of crude oil now averages at 2.4 million barrels daily after recording an all time high of 2.7million bpd late July.

“As we endeavour to achieve effective transformation of the oil and gas industry in line with the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President our target is to ensure that we grow our proven crude reserves to 40 billion by 2020 and also increase our production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020,’’ Engr. Yakubu stated.

The GMD also assured that the corporation, alongside its Joint Venture partners, is strategically focused on power generation via effective alignment with the power supply aspiration of the Federal Government.

He stated that the NNPC is also working on strategic upgrade of gas infrastructure in Kaduna and other Northern states to help resuscitate the ailing textile industry in that part of the country.

Engr. Yakubu also reassured

NNPC commits to 40bn barrels crude reserves target • Projects daily crude production of 4million barrels by 2020 • Kaduna Refinery records 4m litres daily PMS production

A typical oil refinery residents of Kaduna and adjoining states of adequate supply of petroleum products, noting that Kaduna Refinery is currently producing about 4 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) per day.

“The Kaduna Refinery is one of the best run in the country today.

It currently produces 4million litres of PMS every couple of days and this has helped us to stabilise supply in Kaduna and its environs especially at this trying period,’’ he said.

He pledged that the plan to

ensure complete turn around and rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries is still intact as the lead equipment for the TAM of Port Harcourt Refinery has since arrived.

“Once we are done with Port Harcourt Refinery Kaduna is next in line and from there we move to Warri Refinery,’’ the GMD said.

In his remarks, the VicePresident commended Engr.

Yakubu for piloting the Corporation in the right direction especially the recent effort to resuscitate the search for oil in

Fears over fraudulent export of 24 m barrels of crude oil

By Muhammad Nasir

B

arely three months after the introduction of Export Clearance Permit in the oil and gas industry, authorities at the terminals have uncovered fake Crude Oil Export Permit of about 24 million barrels belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

A copy of the fake document allegedly used by the NNPC to export the 24 million barrels of Bonny Light Crude worth $1.68 billion (About 268.8billion) for the third quarter (2012 - JulySeptember) shows that most of the security features of the document were forged, including the signature of the Minister of Trade and Investment Mr. Olusegun Aganga.

The Serial Number of the fake document is Q33006030, with permit number CPI/Co/ 28/Vol.V111/09, containing the name and address of the NNPC as the exporter.

When contacted, the Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr. Fidel Pepple, described the allegation as outrageous, saying

“we know that the export of crude is one of the most stringently controlled transactions in the country.

Many government agencies are involved in the process and such abuse is virtually impossible.”

The ministry of trade and investment had earlier issued an original permit to the corporation with Serial No. Q3020760, with Permit Number CPI/CO/28/ Vol.V11/08 to export 23,750,000 barrels worth $1.71 billion (about N273.6 billion) for the same quarter.

The crude oil export permit was introduced by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment to check the excessive oil theft in the country earlier this year. The copy of the fake document was allegedly submitted to the Office of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Wuse Abuja on July 02, 2012 for notification.

One of the officials at the Customs Office, who doesn’t want to be named, said the permit was for the third quarter and it has ended last September, “so we cannot ascertain whether products have been exported or not using the fake permit”.

When contacted, the Director of Commodities and Products

Inspection (CPI), Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Mr. J. O Apanisile said it must be the work of enemies of the current reforms in the industry. He said one of the documents must be a fake.

He said so many unscrupulous things happen in this country. There is no way we can issue two different export permits for one company and same purpose.”We are not aware of it, and thank God you people are vigilant about it,” said Apanisile. The new export permit is part of the new guidelines introduced by the ministry in order to curtail the menace of crude oil theft.

“The country is losing approximately equivalent 180,000 barrels of daily at this time. Of course, to the nation, if you look at the international cost per barrel, it will be estimated at $7billion yearly”, said Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison -Madueke, recently.

The ministry said the new permit will allow the approved companies export crude oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Condensates, Refined Products, Lubricants and Grease.

the inland sedimentary basins particularly the Chad Basin which has shown some significant breakthroughs.

Nigeria’s oil resources may last 41 years – World Bank

By Muhammad Nasir

T

he World Bank said recently that it expected about $31 billion (N4.96 tr) in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to Africa this year, adding that there had been strong investor-interest in the continent.

The bank also predicted that Nigeria, which is currently the largest regional oil producer, could keep supplying at the 2011 levels for another 41 years, saying that Angola, the second largest producer in the region, had about 21 years remaining at current production levels before its known reserves would be depleted.

The multi-lateral institution also predicted a 4.8 % growth rate for sub-Saharan Africa in 2012, but cautioned countries to be frugal in spending their resources.

The bank, which had forecast a 4.9 % growth rate in 2011, said the region remained on track despite setbacks in the global economy.

According to the World Bank’s new Africa’s Pulse, a biannual analysis of the issues shaping Africa’s economic prospects, released yesterday, growth in sub-Saharan Africa, apart from South Africa, was forecast to rise to six %.

The report noted that African exports had rebounded in the first quarter of 2012, at an annualised pace of 32 %, up from 11 % 2011.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

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Active mobile telephone lines now 105.2 m – NCC

By Muhammad Sada

T

he country’s mobile telephone subscriber base has continued to record strong growth, with the number of active mobile telephone lines hitting 105.2 million in August, the latest subscriber data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed.

The data, which was released recently, revealed that mobile network operators in the country added over 1.8 million new lines in August alone thereby, increasing the subscriber base from 103.4 million active telephone lines in July to over 105.2 million at the end of August 2012.

Industry analysts said the promotions currently being run

by Global System of Mobile telecommunications operators in the country might have been responsible for the huge subscriber growth in August.

While the total connected lines increase to 141.2 million in the month, the NCC data showed

that GSM companies such as MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat attracted most of the new subscriptions between January and August, while the Code Division Multiple Access operators such as Visafone, Multi-Links, Starcomms and ZoomMobile continued to witness month-on-month decline in combined subscriber base.

According to the NCC data, while active mobile subscriptions on the GSM networks increased from 91 million in January to 101.4 million at the end of August; the CDMA operators’ subscriber base shrank from 4.4 million to 3.3

million during the eight-month period.

The GSM active subscriptions, which stood at 91 million in January, 2012, increased to 92 million in February and 94.5 million at the end of March. The subscriptions continued the upward growth trend, reaching 96.6 million in April and 97.5 million in May. In June, July and August, the combined active GSM subscriber base increased to 98.3 million; 99.4 million and 101.4 million respectively.

However, the active subscriber base on CDMA networks continued to decline

from 4,031,820 lines in February to 3,904,846 in April.

It further plunged to 3,718,153 in May; 3,541,355 in June; and fell in July to 3,452,368 and finally to 3,347,716 at the end of August 2012.

The number of fixed lines, which stood at 688,333 as at January, declined to 488,088 at the end of August 2012.

While the Nigerian telecoms industry continues to experience huge growth year-in-year, it has once again defied industry forecast, with the giant leap it recorded in growth in August.

The former Executive ViceChairman, Nigerian

Communications Commission, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, had recently predicted that the country’s mobile subscriber base would hit 105 million in December 2012.

However, the latest NCC data revealed that the target was achieved much earlier, as active subscriptions had crossed the 105 million projections, reaching over 105.2 million at end of August, 2012.

It will be recalled that the NCC had recently fined the four GSM companies in the country to the tune of N1.17bn for poor quality of service on their networks.

Facebook surpass 1 billion users landmark

By Muhammad Sada

S

ocial networking website, Facebook has passed the one billion customer accounts landmark, of which the company says 600 million visit the mobile website at least once per month.

In a very brief comment, Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg said, “Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life.”

The company issued a series of statistics to show how big its service is, for instance that Facebook drives 170 million referrals to Apple’s App Store and Google Play every month, and that 55% of the top 40 grossing iOS apps are integrated with Facebook.

Notwithstanding the statistics though, the company has still failed to reassure investors that it can generate meaningful revenues from its customers, and the weakness in mobile services is still a considerable concern.

L-R: Chief Finance Officer WaveTek Nig. Ltd, Joseph Aborowa, AGM, Sales, Nehita Fashe, Managing Director/CEO WaveTek, Mr. Ken Spann, and Co-founder/COQ, Oxygen Breathe Easy, Wande Adalemo, at the formal announcement of WaveTek Nig. Ltd to the Nigerian market at the company's office in Ilupeju, Lagos on Thursday.

WaveTek enters Nigerian ICT market

W

aveTek Nigeria Limited has announced its entry into the Nigeria’s ICT industry to provide, application integration and IT Infrastructure, Cloud and Hosting Services, Education (elearning and e-government), Bandwidth and Last Mile Connectivity.

Managing Director/CEO of the company, Mr.Ken Spann said at a press conference in Lagos that it would deploy all

. . . promises efficient, affordable services its expertise to provide efficient and affordable ICT solutions to Nigerians, irrespective of locations and time.

Spann said the company was talking with state governments including, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Imo states on provision of e-learning, egovernment and other ICT services.

He said the company was working on provision of Office 365 free for all students in Nigeria, in order to enhance elearning, at the same time get customers to save money on data usage.

Describing bandwidth as a means to an end, he said with the introduction of Super WiFi, a unique product of the

NIPOST committed to ICT reform - says Post Master-General

By Chris Alu

T

he Post Master-General of the Federation, Malam Ibrahim Muri Baba has said that information technology agenda in the postal agency is on course hence ICT is now the main stay of the challenges in the industry.

The Post Master-General stated this to Peoples Daily correspondent in Abuja, last Friday.

According to him, Nigeria Postal Sevice (NIPOST) is now equipped with modern i n f o r m a t i o n technology infrastructure to network faster and face the global challenges in the ICT sector, because, according to him, that has taken the center stage in every sector of the economy.

Muri said that ICT had compelled NIPOST to look for new innovative ways so as to meet with the global challenges of today, in

order to cope with their counterparts abroad.

He said that it is no news that the Nigerian postal agency is passing through a very critical period now, but that the challenge of information technology is very important, and therefore, making a conventional postal services available to the people at all times cannot be overemphasized, He noted that the global challenges in ICT has now taken the centre stage and is the

ultimate in conducting daily transactions, even to the banking sector, economies of the people and business transactions, in which NIPOST is very much committed to.

He said the world is now looking on ICT as a system of development that will salvage the country, therefore NIPOST will also cue in on the opportunity the technology provides for delivering efficient and effective services to the people at an affordable rate.

firm, Nigerians will be able to access the internet anywhere in the country, “even in the remote villages”.

“The more bandwidth, the more content, the more people are able to do e-learning, egovernment. We don’t have electricity all over the country, but we can have bandwidth all over Nigeria,” he said.

Spann also expressed readiness to work with other firms to provide quality services to Nigerians.

“We are not here to compete, but to partner with other existing firms. We hope to be working with major banks and even the CBN to provide more data. For instance, 90 per cent of Microsoft’s profits comes through partnership, and that is what we are here for,” he said.

The high point of the event was the unveiling of the company’s logo by the Managing Director/CEO, and supported by Nehita Fashe.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 22

Operator says high operational cost killing microfinance institutions

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he Chief Executive Officer, Olive Micro Finance Bank Ltd, Mr. Eniola Agbesoyin has identified high cost of operations as a major challenge to the growth of microfinance banks in Nigeria.

Agbesoyin told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos over the weekend that high operation cost had led to the collapse of many microfinance banks.

He said for instance, ‘’the epileptic power supply in the country has made operators in the sub-sector to incur extra

business cost.’’

Agbesoyin added that the cost of servicing other logistics, including local government levies, were also challenging for their operations.

“The cost of providing alternative source of power and other logistics like fuelling operational vehicles are too high.

“If you operate a microfinance bank in Lagos, there are so many issues to talk about, like the Lagos state Waste Management Authority, the local government levies and others.

“Usually, high cost of operation is what is making a lot of micro finance institutions to fail, especially when you are not making much money,” he said.

Agbesoyin said that part of the money used for operational costs could be used for the expansion of the business and providing better services for customers.

He said that the microfinance sub-sector could only thrive in an environment where there were viable infrastructures.

Agbesoyin said that micro finance banks were established to

empower the poor to grow their businesses.

He said that in view of the financial status of the clients, the bank charges were very low.

“These are the people that cannot afford to pay so much interest per transaction, so you need to ensure that you don’t over-charge them.

“If you make things difficult for them, you might not be able to fulfil the mandate of the subsector, which is to help the poor succeed in their businesses,” he said. (NAN)

L-R: Member, Board of Directors, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mrs Florence Seriki, wife of the Chairman, Mrs. Olufunke Bolarinde, and chairman, Chief Samuel Bolarinde, during the company's 50th anniversary concert, recently in Lagos.

Photo: NAN

Aviation Minister signs performance contract with MDs, CEOs

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

T

he Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah has tasked heads of various agencies under the ministry of a zero tolerance for under-performance, warning them of a “severe consequences for failure and under performance”.

Oduah stated this during the signing of Performance Contract Agreements with permanent secretaries and the MDs/CEOs of the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Aviation on Friday at the ministry’s conference room, which was witnessed by the of National Planning minister, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman.

This is coming in line with the President’s initiative, which he introduced on August 22, this year, and aimed at ensuring accountable, productive, and transparent delivering of quality and timely services to the citizens.

The minister reminded them of the essence for “the Transformation Agenda

of President Goodluck Jonathan , GCFR”, which is “ a pact for service delivery and accountability in Nigeria”.

To this end, according to the minister, “the aviation sector transformation program focuses on becoming a world-class provider of safe, secure and comfortable air transport sector that is self-sustaining and pivotal to the socio-economic growth of Nigeria. These objectives cannot be achieved if we do not set our targets and be held accountable our actions, decisions and promises.

“Based on the agreements being signed today, your performance will be evaluated annually. I wish to underscore the seriousness attached to this initiative and to emphasize the fact that the current leadership has zero tolerance for failure and under- performance. To be sure, there will be very severe consequences for failure and underperformance”, the Minister warned.

She then pointed out the need for the initiative to succeed in the

aviation sector, which calls for greater synergy and coordination, adding that the Planning, Research and Statistics Department (PRS) will be strengthened to deliver timely results of monitoring and evaluation.

Permanent secretary of the ministry, Ms Anne Ene-Ita, who spoke earlier said, the signing ceremony marks a great day in the history of the sector and pledged the readiness of all Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in the agencies as well as staff members to do their utmost towards the realization of the transformation Agenda of the present government.

The Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, through the Executive Secretary of the commission, Ntufam Fidel Ugbo, remarked that the Performance Contract Agreements are aimed at reestablishing the old civil service values and “helps us to keep focus, be more accountable and transparent” in the discharge of government activities.

NACCIMA backs Aba International Trade Fair

T

he Aba International Trade Fair will hold from Nov.12 to Nov. 22, Chief Eleanya Okoroji, President of Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), has said.

Okoroji told newsmen in Aba at the weekend that the fair had received the support of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

“NACCIMA has licensed ACCIMA to organise the trade fair to boost the image of Nigeria and it would be the best of its kind. We are ready to give Nigeria’s economy a boost,’’ he assured.

Okoroji said that the ACCIMA was partnering AIITEX Consortium to ensure the success of the trade fair aimed at repositioning garment and leather, which Aba was mainly noted for.

He said that the theme of the fair: “Boosting Nigeria’s Economy through Production for Export’’, was also aimed at revitalising and diversifying Nigerian economy in general and Aba business environment in particular.

He said that it would also promote Nigeria’s non-oil exports, made-in-Nigeria products and agriculture and agro-based industry, among others.

Okoroji said that participants from China, Vietnam, South Korea and Turkey had made commitments to participate in the fair.

He said that the organisers were liaising with various embassies alongside Federal and state governments to ensure adequate security for both the foreign and local participants.

(NAN)

ABBUCIMA, foreign firms to partner in establishing cement factory in Abia - Govt

T

he Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA) says it will build a cement factory in Abia in partnership with foreign firms and the state government.

The Director-General of ABUCCIMA, Dr Solomon Nyagba said this on Friday at an event to mark Abia Special Day at the just concluded 7th Abuja International Trade Fair.

According to Nyagba, arrangements are almost concluded as work will start very soon.

He said that Abia was investment-friendly as the state government was ready to provide assistance to investors.

“Abia is a good place for investment because the government is willing to provide good incentives to investors.

“The state has huge deposits of limestone for cement at Arochukwu and we and our partners from abroad are working at actualising a cement factory there.

“Limestone exploration will start in three months time.”

Nyagba said the chamber was making serious efforts to transform Abia from a civil service state to a commercial hub and private sector-driven territory.

Mr Samson Orji, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, said Abia had become an investor’s destination.

He said that Aba, the commercial hub of the state, had become “the city with the least number of unemployed people in the world as everybody was engaged in one enterprise or the other’’.

Orji said that efforts were been made to “establish desks for manufactures in Aba so that their products will be branded in their names’’.

According to him, the state has a one-stop shop to ease registration of investors among other incentives.

In his speech, Mr Okechukwu Aguwa, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, said the state was in a hurry to develop hence the provision of economic and social infrastructure. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

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PAGE 25

We shall restore peace in the North-east, says Wazirin Bauchi What inspired the formation of the forum spearhead by you? ell, as you know, the North-east is one of the six geo-political zones created during the government of Obasanjo, probably to increase the speed of development in all parts of the country. North Eastern state was created during Gowon’s regime at the same time as North-West and North Central or something like that. So we had been together for about nine years with headquarters in Maiduguri.

New states were created in 1976 by the MurtalaObasanjo regime, that was where Gongola, Bauchi etc were created. So we moved, all of us, after spending nine years in Maiduguri. I think we were lucky that we were not split; we became one state, or even one region, or sub region in the Nigerian context.

Yes, everybody knows that the problems of the Boko Haram started in that region, I think over 2 years ago. Since then it has given concern to everybody. Before now, we were just facing the problems of militants of the Niger Delta region. But the Boko Haram militancy is more worrisome because it has elements of religion.

Niger Delta militants are experts in demonstration and bombing, but we in the North Eastern states have the Boko Haram who have now brought what they call suicide bombers; they don’t

W

Alhaji Dr Mohammed Bello Kirfi, the Wazirin Bauchi, is a Nigerian with a large store of experience in public service. At the ripe age of 80 plus, he should be a tired, reclining old man. But he is not. Last week, he spoke to Emmanuel Yawe, our Editorial Board member on what he and other Nigerians from the north-east geo-political zone are doing to end the scourge of Boko Haram. even bother about killing themselves. They claim to be doing things in the interest of their religion and we all know Christianity and Islam do not allow the killing of innocent people. But all the same, this has happened to us. Many groups of people have made attempts to have

a solution to the problem including the Federal Government and the state governments. Instead of things calming down, the violence has continued, unlimited and just as I have said, it’s getting to three years.

We the elder statesmen of

“

There are three main problems; the problem of insecurity, the problem of poverty, and the problem of unemployment in that particular region. And we decided in the first place let us form committees with terms of reference for each committee. We have about ten committees. We have committee of patrons, and in the committee of patrons is included Shetima Ali Monguno of Borno, Dan Bubaran Jada of Adamawa, Sule Katagun of Bauchi, T. Y. Danjuma of Taraba, and Aminu Sale who was the Secretary to the Federal Government during Abacha’s regime, and the Waziri of Potiskum, Adamu Fika

Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, former Defence Minister

that region, of that sub region felt we had to come out and start doing something as our contribution to the efforts which are being made by the Federal Government and the State Governments to see if we can bring to an end the havoc in the North Eastern region. So we started discussing the issue among ourselves, very few selected people from all of the six states of the sub region. And then we felt that it is important that we come out and tackle the issue, particularly as the situation in the North eastern part of the country is becoming worse.

We have been graded as

the poorest states- the least developed states - despite the fact that we have all the resources. We feel that let us start to make efforts to see that we contribute to the effort of the Government, to do something for our own people. The discussion started a number of months ago, and we finally agreed that let us convene a meeting of concerned elders that took place in the month of June in Bauchi. Our intention was to have five or maximum of ten people from each state in the sub region, but later on, the interest shown by so many groups, we had to make it open.

The launching which we did on the 13th of June was marvelous. The number of important personalities; I personally did not know that we have such talented people in that sub region; particularly the number of Generals who attended, retired generals who attended that meeting. So from there, we were encouraged to say that let us make it a sort of an organisation which will involve the younger ones. I personally, I’m above eighty years old, and let us start to lay a concrete foundation to our younger ones so that they can come and take over to continue.

How is the forum structured?

We agreed that committees should be formed; let us make this ‘North Eastern Forum for Unity and Development’ instead of ‘Elders of Concerned Citizens’.

So it is open to younger ones to come and join us so that we grow together, and find out solutions to the problem of the region.

There are three main problems; the problem of insecurity, the problem of poverty, and the problem of

Alhaji Dr Mohammed Bello Kirfi

unemployment in that particular region. And we decided in the first place let us form committees with terms of reference for each committee. We have about ten committees. We have committee of patrons, and in the committee of patrons is included Shetima Ali Monguno of Borno, Dan Bubaran Jada of Adamawa, Sule Katagun of Bauchi, T. Y. Danjuma of Taraba, and Aminu Sale who was the Secretary to the Federal Government during Abacha’s regime, and the Waziri of Potiskum, Adamu Fika. All these are people who

are not below the age of seventy.

So we now finally, after establishing the ten committees, we established a Committee of trustees under the leadership of Adamu Ciroma. We have what we called Central Working Committee; which is the live wire of the whole organization where Chairmen of the other Committees are members. I am the chairman of that committee.

We have committee for security; we have Committee for political, we have committee for Education, and Committee for Media of which Timawus

Mathias is the Chairman.

So and for Constitution also, we have committee for constitution. We agreed and fixed a date for the inauguration of these committees.

We have prepared terms of reference for each Committee, and our elder statesman General T. Y. Danjuma has agreed to be the Guest of honour of that occasion. We have fixed 13th of October to hold the meeting in Bauchi.

What is your relationship with the state governments of the region?

Right now we are moving

from one state to the other. We have split ourselves into three with five or six people to go and brief our Governors of our intentions although some of them are aware, like the Bauchi Governor. It was in Bauchi that we had the first meeting. We want to solicit their support and their understanding and let them know that we want to supplement what they themselves are doing. Right now a group led by former Secretary to the Government, Yayale Ahmed, is in Yola to see the Governor of Adamawa and Taraba. Information reaching us is that they have met the governor of Adamawa, and the Governor of Taraba; and they were received very well.

The second group led by Yerima Abdullahi; the former minister during the reign of General Buhari, is to cover Bauchi and Gombe, and I personally was to go to Borno and Taraba. So we were made to understand that the governor of Borno was not in the country, and the governor of Taraba was here, and we had our talk with him only yesterday night. The information which we received, they were well received by the Deputy Governor of Bauchi, on the instructions of the Governor who is out of the country.

And that of Adamawa, they even went together in the plane to Yola and they were well received in Yola, and just about 20 minutes ago, I received information that they were well received by the Governor of Taraba state and there was a lot of discussion which went on between them and some important personalities of Taraba state.

What about the event of October 13th T.Y Danjuma agreed to be the Guest of Honour and the

“

It is the North East that is hard hit by the Boko Haram. We cannot presently say exactly that this is the cause but we know lack of employment, lack of work for people who are educated. Some of those who started the Boko Haram are well educated, they have acquired Western education Chairman of the occasion is Adamu Ciroma, and the Guest Speaker is Professor Jibril Aminu. There are other guests that will sort of give us some words of encouragement and goodwill messages.

People like Professor Iya Abubakar and a number of other important personalities of the North East.

Can you clarify the situation; is anything political about these your visits?

Well, we can’t avoid politics, but for the meantime, our concern is to bring peace and tranquility to our states. You know, without peace, we cannot talk about politics. Our people are now in serious problems; the younger ones. Although it is not only in our states, it is all over the country and as you know the problem, the main problem is electricity.

Without enough electricity, people cannot succeed in anything.

After the inauguration, the committees are going to embark on what they are expected to do and then later we will meet and then sort of coordinate. We will also meet with the respective bodies, the federal and the state government over the issues.

We shall continue to educate our people on how to go about

certain things.

How did we get this low? The North-east used to be a very peaceful zone.

How did the situation degenerate to this level?

Well, it is difficult for one to know, to be frank. I was reading on the internet that we have the genuine Boko Haram; there are also those who hide behind the Boko Haram and do havoc not only in the North East, but it is the North East that is hard hit by the Boko Haram. We cannot

presently say exactly that this is the cause but we know lack of employment, lack of work for people who are educated. Some of those who started the Boko Haram are well educated, they have acquired Western education and also in Muslim Arabic education so it will not be very long that we will be able to find out and then give our own version of the situation to the authorities.

Is then a chance for dialogue with the sect?

Well, it’s a sort of premature for me to say that until when we sort of start work and after, because our committees will visit all those areas. We have identified all those whom they are going to see and have discussions with them.

But you are very hopeful that your forum will find a solution?

Definitely, with the type of people who are prepared to support the activities of the Forum, I think we are going to succeed.

Alhaji Ahmed Yayale, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 26

Jonathan reiterates commitment to funding of armed forces

P

President Jonathan commissioning the accommodation for 176 battalion in Kuje

resident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has reiterated his commitment to the Armed Forces in Nigeria saying he willl do all he can to improve their living and working condition.

The President made this known at the official Commissioning of the Nigerian Army special force 176 Battalion accommodations in Kuje, Abuja recently noting that, the strength of any nation is largely dependent on her security Agencies. He therefore promised adequate funds for effective and efficient performance of their duties.

In his opening remark, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika expressed his gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan,

Acting Honourable Minister of Defence Erelu (Dr.) Olusola Obada, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin and other stakeholders in the Defence sector on their effort to enable the Armed Force realise this long dream of establishing this Special Force 176 Guard Battalion being commissioned in this magnitude.

It would be recalled that, President Jonathan regimentally presented the operational flag of the 176 Special Forces Guard Battalion to its Commanding Officer through the Chief of Army Staff on Oct 1st on the occasion of ‘Presidential Change of Guard’ as part of activities marking the 52nd Nigerian Independent Anniversary at the presidential Villa Abuja, Nigeria.

Armed forces assures Next-of-kins of assistance Stories by Joy Baba

F

ormer Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin has assured next of Kins and relatives of officers and men of Nigerian armed forces who died in active service of assistance from the military whenever the need arise saying that the armed force will never forget them as they have become a part of them just like their late bread winners.

The former CDS gave the assurance in Abuja on the occasion of presentation of Group Life Assurance Programme (GLAP) cheques to next of kins of personnel killed in action 2012.

Assuring them of further assistance, Petirin said, “We shall never forget you because you have become a part and parcel of the Nigerian Armed Forces. You can come to us for assistance whenever the need arise and we will be ready to render such assistance in due course also beware of fraudulent people as the cheques you are carrying contain a reasonable amount that can sustain the family to a large extent”.

Speaking earlier, the Director of Legal Services, Defense Headquarters Abuja, Air Commodore Ibrahim Shafi said Federal Government has being consistent and committed to its obligation since the introduction of GLAD in 2004. He also noted that FG makes annual budgetary provisions for payment of life assurance benefits to dependants of personnel that died in active service adding that this reaffirms government concern for the welfare of the dependants of deceased personnel.

L-R Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim and Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba at the handing over cermony in Abuja yesterday.

Photo- Joy Baba Shafi also said GLAP has become an essential management tool for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in carrying out their constitutional responsibilities and confronting the vast security challenges facing the nation. GLAP according to him has remained a great pillar of boosting the morale and fighting spirit of members of AFN whose perilous professional calling entails higher risk of death and disability due to deployment to dangerous areas of conflict noting that the scheme

eliminates fear of uncertain future for families of deceased.

Giving vote of thanks on behalf of members of Next of Kins, Mrs Abikalio, wife of late Navy Commodore Abikalo thanked the President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces, Dr Goodluck Jonathan for his concern for them and prayed for peaceful coexistence of Nigeria as a nation.

A total of 83 cheques were presented to members of deceased family, 57 from the Nigerian Army, 17 from Navy and 9 from the Air Force.

NGO hails Jonathan on appointment of Ezeoba as CNS

A

Non Governmental Organization (NGO) Stand Nigeria Initiative has applauded President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) on his appointment of Rear Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba as the new Chief of Naval staff In a press statement released by the group’s Executive Director; Mr Dike Chigbue, the group said the appointment was not only meritorious but one that will assist in the uplifting of the Nigerian Navy to greater heights to meet

our security challenges in our water ways and international best practice.

The Executive Director further stated that ‘We are deeply delighted in the appointment of Rear Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba as the new Chief of Naval staff because his a man of outstanding vision that will greatly bring an unprecedented value to the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’ We therefore commend the President on this purposeful appointment.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Agriculture foundation urges empowerment of extension workers

T

he National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), an NGO, has urged the Federal Government to evolve adequate measures to empower extension workers for better agricultural production.

Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, made the call when he fielded questions at a forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“The Federal Government has no business, to me, having anything in extension work. The Federal Government is not involved in planting nor is it involved in supervising field work.

“The person involved really is the state or local government. The Federal Government doesn’t have any land of its own.

“You get land from state government and the operation point, the first point, is not at the national level; it’s either at the local government level and the person who oversees the local government is the state government.

“The Federal Government can only be involved to the extent of overseeing what policy is being developed for regulating maybe extension work, empowering extension work. Are the states doing enough? Are they empowered enough to also provide enough?

“You can’t talk of extension work on paper. You deploy two or three or four to 10 persons to a local government and they don’t have even a bicycle.

“I have seen some extension workers get assaulted because they were there (farms) last year, for instance and said government would do this and that to assist the farmers and the season went by, but government didn’t do anything, so what are you (extension worker) coming to tell us this year?

“A farmer prepares to go to till land; the planting season starts maybe April for most parts of this country and

by July, mid-August he hasn’t bought fertiliser. The extension worker comes; the farmer sees him as an agent of government. So what are you coming to tell us?’’ Adamu told NAN that learning from other countries that had had similar agricultural challenges with Nigeria could help improve the country’s agricultural fortunes and make greater impact on both the extension worker and the farmer.

“Let us use this year’s experience to bring back the extension work in agriculture and see how they can improve on the techniques, improve on the infrastructure for extension work, and improve on financing extension work and modern technology.

“Because there are countries which had suffered what Nigeria is going through this year and had experiences, what can we learn? “How much of that experience can be imparted to Nigeria’s extension workers so that they can in turn pass their knowledge to farmers?’’ Adamu observed that no person was close to extension workers like the farmer and therefore, urged the Federal Government to adopt the method used in the past to facilitate the duties of extension workers. (NAN)

PAGE 29

Irrigation: FG plans massive food production against floods

By Mohammed Kandi

F

ollowing the incessant effect of crop losses and farm destruction due to flooding in parts of the country recently, the Federal Government is working out a “special flood recovery food production plan” to grow more food

via irrigation system.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said the preparation was necessary to minimise similar experiences in the forthcoming dry season.

“While we sympathize with farmers in the flood affected areas, I want to assure them that we will do

Agricultural products displayed by Daysah ventures, Ghana’s award-winning manufacturer of Moringa and Hibiscus products at the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair.

everything possible to make up for lost harvest through an aggressive food production plan for the dry season. We will not abandon farmers,” he said.

Adesina, according to a statement issued by his Director Information, Salisu Na’inna Dambatta, disclosed this in Wushishi during his tour to flood-affected areas in Niger and Kwara states, adding that earlymaturing maize seeds would soon be provided to farmers for sowing.

“We will distribute improved high yielding varieties of rice, cassava and yams. Government will put in place a ‘flood recovery food production plan’ that will include free distribution of these improved varieties and fertilizers to farmers in flood affected areas,” he assured.

“The improved early-maturing, high-yielding seeds would be ready for harvesting within sixty days of planting,” he said.

Moved by what he saw of the devastation caused by the floods on rice, maize and banana crops along the banks of River Kaduna, which passed through 15 Local Government Areas of the State, Adesina said that the federal government was concerned about the plight of the victims of the flood and would do everything possible to mitigate the devastation it caused.

“The Federal Government would help the Government of Niger State to deal with the problem and help the farmers to recover from the devastating impact of the flooding on their crops,” he reiterated.

In his remarks, the farmer’s head (Sarkin Noman Wushishi), Alhaji Musa Gudigi, who was among the

people who received the Minister and the Niger State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Ibeto, at the flooded bank of River Kaduna just outside Wushishi town, expressed happiness with the visit by the Minister.

The large-scale farmer informed the Minister and the Deputy Governor that the Growth Enhancement Support scheme of the Federal Governmentmade it possible for hundreds of farmers in the area to access subsidised fertilsers and improved seeds through e-wallet. He advised that the programme should be expanded and sustained because of its benefits to small-holder farmers.

Earlier, during a courtesy call on him by the Minister, Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, expressed appreciation to the Minister for the visit and said that it was a demonstration of the concern the federal government had for the wellbeing of the citizens. He disclosed that his government will immediately release the sum of N150 million to relieve the suffering of the 42, 000 people displaced by flooding in the state, and unfolded a three-year plan to cultivate 100, 000 hectres of rice in the state.

While in Kwara state, the Minister visited flood-ravaged Shonga and Lafiaji where he condoled the people and assured them of prompt government intervention through the provision of fertilisers, improved seeds and cassava planting materials free of charge. He held a closed-door discussion with the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Minister urges more private sector partnership in agriculture

By Mohammed Kandi

T

he Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has called for extra effort towards partnership with the private sector to achieve the objectives of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).

Addressing the press at the weekend during the Agric Business Roundtable Agenda in Abuja, Adesina expressed optimism that the event would facilitate better

business atmosphere and efficiency in the Agriculture sector.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Ezekiel Oyemomi, the minister stressed the need to have strong corporation with the private sector and other donor associates, recalling that the Federal Government had withdrawn from the procurement and distribution of fertiliser and other farm inputs to allow the private sector take charge.

Adesina also urged participants to recommend best private sector-

based approaches for utilising and managing agricultural infrastructure in different parts of the country.

He charged them to brainstorm on solutions to remove constraints from the point of view of policy reforms and incentives. In his remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere, the Chairman of the Agriculture and Food Security of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), commended the Federal Government for placing agriculture

on a different pedestal.

According to him, the only way to make agriculture successful in the country is to place it in the hands of the private sector. He observed that the world was looking at Africa as the next frontier for food production.

He, therefore, appealed to each African country to support agriculture positively, saying that a “Private Agriculture Business Fund” would be established in the next meeting of the roundtable.

World food prices rise, stay close to crisis levels – FAO

W

orld food prices rose in September and are seen remaining close to levels reached during the 2008 food crisis, the UNs’ food agency said recently, while cutting its forecast for global cereal output.

The worst drought in more than 50 years in the U.S. sent corn and soybean prices to record highs over the summer, and, coupled with drought in Russia and other Black Sea exporting countries, raised fears of a renewed crisis.

Grains prices have retreated in recent weeks due to rapid harvest progress and concerns about weak demand in a slowing global economy.

But the FAO Food Price Index, which measures monthly price

changes for a food basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, rose to an average of 216 points in September after remaining stable at 213 points in August, the FAO said in its monthly update.

The rise reflected mainly higher dairy and meat prices, with more contained increases for cereals, it said.

“Prices are remaining high, and if these prices are sustained, it’s highly unlikely we will see a normalisation of prices anytime soon,’’ FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian said.

He added, however, that it was not clear whether the small increase in September meant prices were now on an upward trend, but he expected that volatility in markets could intensify in coming months.

FAO’s index is below a peak of 238 points hit in February 2011, when high food prices helped drive the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, but current levels are very close to those seen in 2008 which sparked riots in poor countries.

The Rome-based agency said it had cut its 2012 world cereals output forecast by 0.4 per cent to 2.286 billion tonnes from a previous estimate of 2.295 billion tonnes, mainly due to a smaller maize crop in central and southeastern parts of Europe, where yields have been hit by prolonged dry conditions.

In spite of the rise in food prices, the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome released a statement on Thursday saying it had agreed with

other countries that a meeting of the emergency Rapid Response Forum under the G20 agriculture body AMIS was not necessary at the moment. “Agricultural commodity markets are functioning,’’ the mission said.

Abbassian said a ministerial meeting that goes beyond the G20 to discuss food prices was still planned for October 16th.

French President, Francois Hollande has launched a global campaign to win support for strategic stocks of agricultural commodities, but EU development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said this week that was not the best way to tame food prices. Piebalgs advises a focus on agricultural investment to boost production. (Reuters/NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 28

Agriculture-friendly banks to win prizes at 2012 National Agric Show – Foundation

By Mohammed Kandi he National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), organisers of the annual National Agricultural Show, said this year’s edition of the show will witness innovations such as the award of prizes to farmer-friendly banks.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the foundation, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, told journalists in Abuja that, the novelty was aimed at enriching the show and to attract greater participation.

He informed that more structures are being provided at the show ground so as to enrich this edition of the show with a view to attracting increased participation.

Adamu noted that plans are on the way to reposition the Show in a way that it will attract agricultural investments into the country, adding that, he could not measure the level of impact the show had had on agricultural investment in the country.

He however said that the foundation had embarked on an advocacy campaign to sensitise farmers on how to add value to their produce before bringing them for exhibition and described the show as “the flagship agricultural show in the country.”

According to him, “the Show was deliberately planned to coincide with the UN World Food Day celebrated annually on October. 16th. When we started the show, we discovered that the World Food Day is celebrated in hotels, unfortunately; and it didn’t quite bring the kind of farmers in terms of number and it was more or less symbolic as far as we were concerned in the foundation.

T

Nigeria spends $3bn on food importation yearly, says Sen. Adamu

By Mohammed Kandi

T

he Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN) and former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu yesterday lament the country’s high cost of food importation, saying it has lost its pride in the export market and could no longer feed itself.

NAFN Chairman made the disclosure while addressing the press yesterday in Abuja, preparatory to the forthcoming Sixth National Agricultural Show, commencing on the 12th -16th October, at Kilometer 28, along Abuja-Keffi Road in

…as National Agric Show begins Friday Nasarawa State.

“Nigeria now yearly imports food to the tune of over 3 billion US dollar.

Imports of wheat, rice, fish, and sugar alone cost Nigeria N1trillion naira in foreign exchange yearly. And the food imports are growing at the alarming but clearly unsustainable rate of 11% per annum,” Adamu stated.

Adamu, who expressed satisfaction that the Show has in the last five year recorded exceptional improvement in all ramifications, however, regrets that the agriculture sector had suffered devastating neglect, policy inconsistency on the

part of successive governments as well as lack of private sector involvement in quest to develop Nigeria’s agriculture.

“We aim to grow the Show into an institution that will play a major role in the much needed development and transformation of our agriculture.

And, with time and the continuous support of the government, the major stakeholders in the agricultural sector, the public and the media, it will become so, God’s willing,” he explained.

He also expressed concern for the country’s agriculture and farmers who

Minister of Agrticulture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina in a handshake with the Sarkin Noman Zungeru (middle) while Niger State Dep. Gov. Alhji A. Ibeto (right) looks on laugh during the Minister’s recent visit to Niger and Kwara states.

lost their yearly produce due to human induced and natural disasters across the country, stating that, “this year’s Show will be taking place against the backdrop of heightened insecurity in the country ad a natural disaster, namely, flood, both of which have been impacting negatively on agricultural activities and outputs in the country.”

“All this has severely affected trade and commerce and industrial and other economic activities in most of the Northern state. But, clearly, agriculture is the biggest casualty,” the Chairman grieved.

Adamu added that “the current situation is as inexcusable as it is unacceptable, and must, therefore be changed. We a people and country must pause, retrace our steps and change course and direction if we are really serious about developing our agriculture.”

He however commended the All Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture towards the development of the sector and informed that “through the Show, we showcase Nigeria’s abundant agricultural produce, resources and vast potentials.”

NAFN Chairman also lauded the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda saying it was set to achieve “hunger-free Nigeria by growing the agricultural sector to the level that it drives income growth, ensures food and nutritional security, generates employment and wealth for millions, and transforms Nigeria into a leading global player in food market.”

Flood: FG to give affected farmers free fertilisers, seeds

By Salisu Na’inna Dambatta

D

r. Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development is travelling the floods-devastated parts of the country on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan and the Federal Government, with a mission to convey words of comfort and sympathy to the people, assess the damage done by the deluge to farmers and offer effective mitigating solutions to the victims.

There is no doubt that, the floods have taken human and material tolls in the areas they ravaged. Wherever he visited, he conveyed the condolences of President Goodluck Jonathan for the families and communities that lost their loved ones and expressed sympathy for the losses suffered by fellow citizens, while assuring them that there will be better planning in tune with climate change to reduce the vulnerability of farmers to the negative effects of the weather.

The Minister had a lengthy engagement with the members of Niger state executive council led by the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu in Minna, before moving on to Zungeru and Wushishi areas of the state to see the extent of damage the excess water did to livelihoods.

In all, 15 local government areas of Niger state were affected by the overflowing waters of, not rivers Shiroro and Niger, but River Kaduna, which coursed its way

through 15 Local Government Areas of a state that is home to Nigeria’s three biggest and functional hydropower generating stations.

The Niger State Government said 50 people were killed by the floods while 42, 000 others were displaced, separated from their farms and homes, now dwelling in temporary camps with inadequate facilities. Most of them are farmers.

The Government of Niger State is releasing the sum of N150 million (roughly US1 million) to alleviate their sufferings in the interim, as more enduring solutions are worked out. The enduring solutions include re-settling eight communities on higher grounds, although some of them are resisting the idea.

At the Government House, Minna, and while addressing crowds of victims at flooded rice fields in Wushishi and flood-damaged rice, maize and banana farms on the banks of river Kaduna in Zungeru, the Minister announced that the Federal government is procuring high-yielding and early maturing varieties of maize and rice seeds for distribution to farmers who lost their crops to flooding free of charge. The maize seeds are of a variety that will mature within 60 days of sowing.

Enough of this wonder seeds to plant 7,000 hectares will be distributed to affected farmers in Niger and other states. Distribution will commence very soon.

He said the affected farmers will in addition to maize seeds that mature in 60 days after sowing, will

be issued flood-resistant rice varieties sourced by the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and Bangladesh; they will also get free cassava and yam planting materials.

The palliative package includes free fertilisers for the farmers.

Dr. Adesina said that registered and authenticated farmers who lost their crops to the floods would be given the seeds for sowing on irrigated farms during the forthcoming dry season to enable them recoup some of their losses and have sufficient food. The alluvial soil on the banks of flooded rivers, where it is suitable for dry season farming, will be utilised after the flood waters have receeded.

In Kwara state, the Minister visited Shonga, Lafiaji and Ilorin. At Shonga, he had an interaction with the Emir, an amiable medical doctor, Alhaji Haliru Ndanusa Yahaya in a traditional palace vestibule filled with people. He spoke on the devastating effect of the flood in his area of jurisdiction. Putting that behind him and looking forward, the Emir said that the banks of river Niger contain over 3, 500 hectares of plains full of alluvial soil where rice can be grown on commercial scale and advised the Federal Government to provide the requisite infrastructure. Most of the plains are now under water, prompting him to urge government to complete work on a 14-kilometre dyke project to reduce the likelihood of flooding in the future.

The Emir equipped the Minister

with a pair of powerful binoculars and led him to a hill top to have a view of the extent of the damage caused by the floods in his agrarian domain, which is also home to the famous Shonga Farms owned by Zimbabwe Farmers of Nigeria.

From the hill top just outside Shonga, the remains of sub-merged villages and farms on the river banks were visible even with the naked eyes. In all, a list of 21 fishing and farming communities sacked by the floods was given to this writer by a palace aide. The Minister and Emir, in a heart-rending show of genuine concern with the plight of the victims of the flood, had a photograph with them in their camps. The camped flood victims are farmers and fishermen.

The Emir said the victims need relief urgently. He said that as an agrarian area, his people need skills in modern agricultural practices to boost productivity and make them rich through farming. He requested the Federal Government to locate an Agro-Service Centre in Shonga so that farmers can benefit from extension and other services, such as guidance on how to access loans, markets for their produce, techniques for adding value to their harvests and any other idea that can transform agriculture in line with the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the Federal Government.

In his characteristic drive for success, the Minister did not waste time in instructing the Federal Director of Agriculture for Kwara

State and the Director, Federal Department of Agriculture at the headquarters of the Ministry, to put up a memo on the subject matter for his immediate consideration.

At Lafiaji, the Minister was received by the Chief Counsellor to the Emir of Lafiaji, Alhaji Sa’adu Kawu Haliru, OFR who was indisposed. The message of condolence and sympathy was delivered; and the federal government’s decision to give the affected farmers seeds and fertilisers free of charge was announced, and the appreciation of the community was expressed by the Chief Counsellor.

Dr. Adesina’s assessment tour for Kwara state ended with an early evening discussion with the State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed. The discussions centred on the flooding and the immediate measures required in reducing the pains it inflicted on the people.

The Governor praised the Growth Enhancement Support scheme, otherwise known as eWallet, through which small-holder farmers accessed subsidised fertilsers, improved cotton, maize and rice seeds, and cassava planting materials issued free of charge by the Federal Government. He described it as a fantastic idea that worked effectively in the state.

Salisu Na’inna Dambatta is Director Information in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 30

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2012 The road to the White House leads through wild, wonderful and weird Florida

By Chris moody

R

epublicans do not mince words when discussing the importance of Florida. This is the state that could determine whether the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, moves into the White House in January or spends Inauguration Day contemplating What Could Have Been on the balcony of his beach home in Southern California.

“Florida’s a must win for Mitt Romney. This is it,” said Lenny Curry, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. “We have to win Florida.”

It’s not quite the same in Ohio, where GOP state operatives decline to use such dire language and where polls showed Romney struggling before last week’s presidential debate.

An Ohio loss would make matters difficult, yes, but Romney could technically still beat Obama and lose the Buckeyes.

Arguably one of the most fascinating and (depending on whom you ask) frustrating hotbeds of American politics, Florida continues to live up to its reputation of mercurial voters and questionable electoral practices (hanging chads notwithstanding.) The state swings and flips harder than a hammock left out in a hurricane, and this year should be no exception. Of all the hotly contested battleground states, Florida is the biggest get, offering 29 of the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.

The Sunshine State supported Richard Nixon in 1960, voted for Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and then went back to Nixon in 1968 and 1972.

Floridians handed Jimmy Carter its electoral votes four years later. The Republicans locked it down during an impressive stretch through the years of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, but then it reverted right back to blue when Bill Clinton ran for reelection in 1996. Four years later, the up-for-grabs swing state stole the spotlight. With some help from hanging chads and the Supreme Court, George W. Bush carried it by a nose and held on through his second election. In 2008, Obama won the state back for the Democrats.

As of this writing, before polls can reflect a possible debate bump, statewide surveys suggest a dead heat.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/ Marist poll conducted Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 shows Romney and Obama tied. The latest Florida state poll reflects a recent surge of support for Romney, who trailed by several points in surveys taken through September.

In the past few years, Floridians have veered decidedly Republican at the state and local level. The GOP currently controls the state legislature, the state Senate and the governor’s mansion. In 2010, voters here enthusiastically sent Republican Marco Rubio to the U.S. Senate and 19 of the 25 House members in the Florida delegation are Republicans.

But Romney faces serious hurdles before he can assume a Sunshine State victory and focus his resources elsewhere. In recent months Obama has all but locked up support from

Anti-Obama billboard displayed along Florida's highways Hispanic voters, a group that comprises about 23 percent of the Florida population. To make up for this deficit, Romney may be forced to make inroads elsewhere. Among the elderly, who flock in droves to Florida—and to voting booths— Romney appears to be standing strong. However, his decision to tap Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as a running mate risked shaving off a few points with the Blue Hair Bloc.

Regionally, Romney’s strongest base of support lies in the southwest part of the state, where thousands of retirees from the conservative Midwest flock to retire. Obama is more popular along the eastern coastline, where most of the snowbirds and retirees hail from the more reliably liberal Northeast.

Romney is expected to dominate the northern part of the state along the panhandle, which culturally is more like the South than South Florida.

But, still, he can’t take the north for granted. Bush carried that region solidly in 2000 and 2004, but Obama made great strides to narrow the gap in 2008. If Florida is going to be a close race, Romney cannot afford the same level of support as John McCain in those areas. He must dominate.

Of course, Obama has his own Florida issues. The voting demographics are not the same as they were when he defeated McCain four years ago. Today, there are 141,00 fewer registered Democrats and about 74,000 more Republicans registered in Florida than when Obama was first elected. Registered Democrats still outnumber Republicans by 443,166 here, but the gap could make all the difference in this game of inches.

The battle for Florida, then, lies in the heart of the state. Commonly referred to as the “I-4 Corridor,” the region stretches 130 miles from Daytona Beach, through Orlando and on to Tampa. It’s the swingiest part of this swing state, chock full of undecided voters who could determine the election’s outcome.

Voters in this region went for Bush in 2004, Obama in 2008 and now…who knows?

Two days before the first presidential debate, I drove across Alligator Alley, a flat strip of

pavement in South Florida that connects the east and west coasts.

Through pouring Florida rain— hurricane season doesn’t end until about Thanksgiving—I traversed from bluish West Palm Beach to deep red Naples, the state’s Republican epicenter. The Collier County Victory Center, the Romney headquarters and office for local GOP races, sits in an unobtrusive corner office building; that morning about 70 devoted Republican volunteers surrounded it in the parking lot, waiting in the rain.

House Speaker John Boehner was visiting to stump for Romney and Trey Radel, a radio announcer running for the district’s House seat. The crowd, mostly in their late 50s and 60s, waited patiently beneath colorful umbrellas.

Like so many other times this election cycle, I found that it’s not Romney who inspires diehards to stand in the soaking rain or spend afternoons phoning strangers with canned campaign lingo to solicit votes.

The driving force behind these efforts is an aversion to Obama.

“This is the first time since I’ve become a U.S. citizen that I’m voting against the president rather than voting for somebody,” said Maarten Heybroek, who was born in The Netherlands, but became naturalized at a young age.

Heybroek was standing next to his neighbor, Ray Bernier, who felt the same.

“People are so nervous and afraid of this election,” Bernier said when asked what was inspiring voters to get involved. “I had to stop reading and watching TV. I couldn’t sleep. It was just getting to be so emotional and I never felt that way in my life before.”

“The enthusiasm,” he said, “is because people are scared.”

During the event, I asked several people why they were taking the time to help campaign. Obama’s name always came up first. “Anybody but Obama,” a refrain heard endlessly during the Republican primary race last year, was the catchphrase here.

When the speakers at the event finished their talks, the crowd filed into the small building. The Republican office was typical of a standard campaign workplace: pictures of famous Republicans on the

wall, a white board boasting the number of phone calls made since they opened shop and rooms full of eager college-aged interns demonstrating how to make four phone calls at once. The mood was energetic and lively—the bathroom even had a strip of toilet paper bearing the president’s likeness.

Running back and forth through the office was a busy-looking man named Frank Schwerin, the chairman of the Collier County Executive Committee. The groundgame operation this cycle is a tremendous improvement from the McCain campaign four years ago, he said. He pointed to the level of communication and coordination between the state party and the campaign, and his county’s office had made an impressive number of phone calls made in the county.I asked what had changed in four years.

“Well, a good candidate,” he said, just before a man nearby interrupted by shouting “and a bad president!”

“And a bad president,” Schwerin said, “who didn’t deliver on his promises. And I think people across the spectrum who want to end the incompetence.”

He added: “But I think the main reason for the enthusiasm is because of the Ryan-Romney team.”

The fieldwork paid for by the actual campaigns only tells part of the story. Both Obama and Romney rely heavily on activists who volunteer not for the official party arms, but for nonprofit advocacy groups that send thousands of foot soldiers into neighborhoods across the state armed with campaign literature.

On the right, one of the most prominent of these groups is Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a nationwide conservative activist network that has already spent tens of millions of dollars on television ads targeting the president and his policies. As Election Day grows closer, AFP is taking part of the fight from the air to the ground with a massive messaging effort.

This past weekend, the group sent in four busloads of activists from Georgia to knock on doors in the Orlando area; another bus came from Alabama to canvass in Tampa. Since those states are already a sure thing

for the GOP nominee, these southerners are, frankly, a little bored.

At the end of the weekend, the outof-staters distributed more than 100,000 anti-Obama door-hangers along the I-4 Corridor.

Efforts by groups like these, on the left and the right, won’t cost the campaigns a penny. But it can create tension when the official party is looking for volunteers and the activist base is hanging out at the union hall or the local tea party headquarters.

“To some extent we probably compete for volunteers,” said Slade O’Brien, AFP’s Florida director. “The primary difference is this—these are people who see politics and the political parties as not the be all end all.” Some volunteers view the activist groups as more pure—and possibly more effective—than the standard political parties.

Like the Republicans in Naples, the volunteers are certainly enthusiastic to help out, but not necessarily because of Romney, according to O’Brien.

“I’m not seeing overwhelming passion for Romney,” he said. “What I am seeing is people absolutely scared to death about Obama. I’m not saying they don’t like Romney.

They’re just like, ‘we can’t have four more years of that guy no matter what the alternative is.’ That’s why people don’t go to the party, they come to us.”

As any swing state resident will tell you, living in a place where campaign volunteers constantly knock on your door and phone bank you with survey questions gets annoying.

In Florida, there is no escaping it.

On the Friday before the first presidential debate, my own Florida cell phone was inundated by three separate partisan robo-calls asking a range of questions: Whom will I support? What’s the most important issue to me? How would I rate the president? Every night, television viewing becomes a game of Escape the Political Ad. After watching just two hours of TV in north Palm Beach County on Monday night, I counted 21 political ads.

Three hours before the Wednesday presidential debate, a volunteer from the Obama campaign office in Pompano Beach called to see if I had made up my mind about which candidate I would support. (I’m a registered independent.) On the other end of the line, a nervous female voice told me she knew my age—which was weird— and asked if the president could count on my vote. I told her still needed time to think about it.

“Really, you’re undecided?” she said, sounding a bit surprised. “Are you watching the debates tonight?

Have you gone onto any of the Web pages?” She went on to tell me that there was “factual, simple, easy-tounderstand” information on Facebook and that I should scope it out. I told her I would, but that I wasn’t convinced.

“I am not calling as a persuader, I’m calling just to get an idea—look it’s not my thing,” she said. “I’m a teacher but I’m not a persuader.”

As far as the Obama and Romney campaigns are concerned, I’m still one of the Great Florida Undecideds.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 35

South Korea “Baby box” pastor says new law brings more babies A

South Korean pastor who runs a "baby box" where mothers can leave unwanted infants has seen a sharp increase in the number of newborns being left there because, the pastor says, of a new law aimed at protecting the rights of children.

South Korea is trying to shed a reputation of being a source of babies for adoption by people abroad. It is encouraging domestic adoption and tightening up the process of a child's transfer from birth mother to adoptive parents.

The law that took effect in August is aimed at ensuring adoption is more transparent and makes it mandatory for parents to register newborns if they want to give them up.

But the regulation aimed at seeing more thorough records are kept, though well intentioned, has sparked a surge of undocumented babies being abandoned, said Pastor Lee Jongrak.

"If you look at the letters that mothers leave with their babies, they say they have nowhere to go, and it's because of the new law," Lee said.

Lee, who opened his "baby box" for unwanted infants three years ago, said he had seen the number being left there shoot up from an average of five a month to 10 in August and 14 in September.

Despite the new law, Lee said he never forced mothers to provide information about the babies they leave in the box, built into the wall of his church in Nangok, a tough working-class neighbourhood in the capital, Seoul.

Many of the babies abandoned in the box have physical or mental disabilities. Lee has adopted 10 of them himself and is in the process of adopting four more.

On a recent sunny afternoon, a bell rang in his church to signal a new baby had been left in the box, a boy about two weeks old wrapped in a blanket.

"In the past, babies used to be abandoned at night but nowadays babies are abandoned in the daytime as well," Lee said with a sigh.

At the moment, Lee is looking after 20 children, aged between 2 and 26, in his cramped twostorey house. Among them, his own son.

A "baby box" (L) is seen at Joosarang church But a Ministry of Health and Welfare official questioned Lee's assertion that the new law had led to more babies being dropped in the box.

"It's hard to say there's a specific causal relationship between the

law and babies being abandoned in the box," said the official, who declined to be identified.

"The sudden surge of the babies could be due to many reasons," said the official.

Lee has been criticised by

some people who say his box encourages desperate mothers to give up their babies. But Lee says he will not close the box until he was sure the government can offer adequate protection for abandoned babies.

intimate level."

Human blood contains iron oxide, he explained, a pigment found in many traditional paints, and which occurs naturally in iron ore and common rust.

The public's reaction in the past has been overwhelmingly positive, he said, but he does not discount that some people could find his choice of medium creepy or gimmicky.

"My response would be to really take a look at the content of the work, which overshadows what it's made from, I think," he said. "In order for something to be a gimmick, it really would have to lack substance."

His process includes making a preliminary pen or graphite sketch and extracting just enough "paint" in the privacy of his studio.

He then pulls out his brushes to paint surrealistic, red ochre-hued images typically featuring human bodies in some stage of decay paired with abstract backgrounds.

One of his larger, more detailed paintings can take more than three months to complete. His paintings range in price from $950 to $26,000. Rock and blues musician Gregg Allman, who recently acquired a 2006 painting

by Castiglia called "Gravity."

His "Resurrection" exhibit is themed around Castiglia's interest in life's transience and harmony he sees between life and death.

As an example, he cited "Feeding," which depicts a mother

with decaying legs in a wheelchair gazing at an infant she is breastfeeding. Castiglia said he sees it as an expression of the fragility of life and the hope and drive that can still accompany it.

His work is shown primarily the United States and Europe, but Castiglia's art may be familiar to slasher film and heavy metal aficionados. In 2010, a piece by Castiglia served as the poster for horror flick "Savage County," and other paintings were used as album art for Swiss heavy metal band Triptykon's debut "Eparistera Daimones" the same year.

The Facebook jacket that can give you a real hug when someone likes you online

Using his own blood, NY artist paints “Resurrection” exhibit

f you've ever felt a 'like' on Facebook wasn't quite real enough, a US designer has unveiled a jacket that hugs the wearer every time they receive one.

Designed by MIT student Melissa Chow, the 'Like-A-Hug' is a wearable social media vest that allows for hugs to be given via Facebook, bringing us closer despite physical distance.

The vest inflates when friends 'Like' a photo, video, or status update on the wearer's wall.

It's creator says this 'allows us to feel the warmth, encouragement, support, or love that we feel when we receive hugs.

Hugs can also be sent back to the original sender by squeezing the vest and deflating it.

'The project was done as an

any artists claim to put their blood, sweat and tears into their work, but Vincent Castiglia means it, he paints with his own blood.

The New York painter has a new exhibit, "Resurrection," in Manhattan's Soho neighbourhood that opened on Thursday and is due to run through October. It features a number of Castiglia's paintings from the last 10 years, all of which were created with Castiglia's blood.

Castiglia, 30, said in an interview this week that his first experiments with this medium were prompted by a "need to connect with my work on the most

I

exercise and exploration in shape display,' said Miss Chow.

'We came up with the concept over a casual conversation about long-distance relationships and the limitations of video chat interfaces like Skype.

'The concept of telepresence arose, and we toyed with the idea of receiving hugs via wireless technology.

'The result was Like-A-Hug. 'Connecting it to Facebook conceptually was simply a way to explore how social media might push past the traditional graphic user interface.'

Air pockets inside the jacket inflate when the wearer's mobile phone sends a signal a page has been liked.

Friends can also return a hug via the system - assuming their friends are wearing their Facebook jackets.

M

The jacket can automatically inflate to hug the wearer when a like is received via a mobile phone

Artist Vincent Castiglia poses for a portrait prior to the opening of his gallery show "Resurrection", at Sacred Gallery in New York

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

High blood pressure during pregnancy can cause lifelong effect on child’s IQ B

eing born to a mother who had high blood pressure during pregnancy can have a lifelong effect on your intelligence, new research suggests.

A study of pensioners found those whose mothers had high blood pressure scored an average of 4.36 points lower on IQ tests than those who did not.

The men were part on an ongoing study which has tested them throughout their lives, firstly at age 20 when they were performing national service for the Finnish army.

At that age, those whose mothers had higher blood pressure also had lower scores, indicating a steeper decline.

And at age 69 the same held true - with a steeper decline in cognitive scores for the high blood pressure group, reports journal Neurology.

Dr Katri Rdikvnen, of the University of Helsinki, said: ‘High blood pressure and related conditions such as pre-eclampsia complicate about 10 per cent of all pregnancies and can affect a baby’s environment in the womb.

‘Our study suggests that even declines in thinking abilities in old age could have originated during the prenatal period when

the majority of the development of brain structure and function occurs.’

The difference in the scores of the 398 men between those whose mothers had high blood pressure and those who did not was most pronounced in the

maths test.

Premature birth did not effect the findings, and neither did the occupation of the father.

Dr Rdikvnen said: ‘We found that men who were born after pregnancies complicated by a hypertensive disorder,

Being born to a mother with high blood pressure may leave you with a lower IQ, a new study warns (posed by model)

The study suggests the decline in mental abilities in old age may have originated in the womb (picture posed by model)

associated water quality and sediment transport characteristics causing an accentuation of flood peaks and their early occurrence in downstream reaches.

The mapping of flood hazards and risks would enable the sharing of information between land-use planning and water management authorities. In particular, the 3 main elements of river basin management – water quantity and quality, as well as the processes of erosion and deposition – are inherently linked and hence the need for river basins as basis for IFM. Manage risk and uncertainty, by designing flood risk policy in the context of other prevailing risks to individuals, households and communities, in particular, the risks associated with poverty as well as the related hydrological, social, economic and political uncertainties. Risk management approach will provide measures for preventing a flood hazard from becoming a disaster. This includes the efforts to reduce the residual risks through such measures as flood-sensitive landuse and spatial planning, early warning systems, evacuation plans, the preparations for disaster relief and flood proofing and, as a last resort, insurance and other risk sharing mechanisms.

IFM are that it adopts a basin approach to flood management; brings multidisciplinary approach in flood management; reduces vulnerability and risks due to flooding; enables community involvement; and preserves ecosystems. Basin wide IFM Planning combined with flood hazard maps are urgently required for the four main hydrological areas in Nigeria.

It should challenge the concerned authorities and communities to respond appropriately; which would require capacity to be built to do so. The many obstacles would not disappear, but issues of water management have to be addressed collectively. We must appreciate the magnitude and complexity of the issues in each hydrological river basins and collectively come together to manage them. Now indeed is the most opportune time for action.

Let us put a halt to blame game and come together to take real and tangible steps to articulate integrated flood management action plan for our common benefits.

Inuwa Kuta Musa Is the Chairman, The National Advisory Council [NAC] for The Global Network Nigeria which is a collaborating organisation of United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction engaged in programmes to assist countries in securing reduced vulnerability to disasters.

compared with men born after normotensive pregnancies, scored lower on tests measuring arithmetic reasoning and total cognitive ability in old age.’

The team conclude: ‘Maternal hypertensive disorders in pregnancy predict

Floods: Stop the blame game

Contd. from Back Page Manage the water cycle as a whole (taking into account small, medium and extreme floods) such that include drought management, as well as treat groundwater and surface water as linked resources, and consider the role of floodplain retention capacities for groundwater recharge and clearly identify areas to be sacrificed for flood storage in order to protect critical areas in an extreme flood events.

Urban flood management needs to deal with drinking water supply; sewage and wastewater disposal; and surface runoff disposal as well as manage both storm water quantity and its effect on water quality.

Integrate land and water management, as both have impacts on flood magnitudes and flood risks. Environmental degradation and uncontrolled urban development in high-risk zones, often lead to increased vulnerability to catastrophic events for those communities on the floodplains.

Changing hitherto pervious natural surfaces to less pervious or impervious artificial surfaces; are increasing storm water runoff rates. Similarly, recent deforestation and conversion of fadama into other land form have drastically change the characteristics of flood and the

Adopt a best mix of strategies, both structural and nonstructural. The climate, the basin characteristics and the socioeconomic conditions are the linked factors that determine which strategy or combination of strategies is likely to be appropriate in a particular river basin. They determine the nature of and the consequences of those floods.

We must however guard against the temptation especially after extreme flood events, to adopt only long-term interventions. The success of IFM plan in the long run depends on the stakeholders, especially those who are directly affected by the floods, getting an immediate reassurance of safety through short and medium-term measures.

Ensure a participatory approach that is open, transparent, inclusive and communicative; involving users, planners and policymakers at all levels to facilitate a sense of ownership and reduce vulnerability. It is also important to make use of the strengths of both “bottom-up” and “topdown” approaches in determining the appropriate mix. Women, who are usually the primary providers of child and health care, and so commonly experience a disproportionate share of the burdens of

recovering from floods as well as the vulnerable sections of society, must also participate.

IFM has to keep gender, religious and cultural issues in perspective.

Several activities and agencies have vital roles in implementing disaster management strategies.

However, all institutions involved in flood management have geographical and functional boundaries; and it would be necessary to bring all the sectoral views and interests to the decision-making process; as well as coordinate all the activities of the agencies at the appropriate level. River basin committees or organizations, at basin or subbasin levels, are the most appropriate forums for such coordination and integration to be anchored by Federal Ministry of Water Resources through the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission at the national level.

Adopt integrated hazard management approaches within the hydrological river basins (Lake Chad, Niger Basin, Eastern and Western Littoral). We all live downstream. Early warnings and forecasts are vital to the processes of reducing the social and economic impact of all natural hazards, including floods.

Overall, the fundamentals of

lower cognitive ability and greater cognitive decline up to old age.

‘A propensity to lower cognitive ability and decline up to old age may have prenatal origins.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 37

Can Suswam conduct free and fair election?

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

O

n November 24th 2012, Benue electorates would go to the polls to elect local government chairmen and councilors that would steer the affairs of the third tier of government for the next two years commencing from 2013.

The preparation for the local government polls has generated a lot of tension in the state polity especially with the intrigues that characterized the primaries by the different political parties.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), in its usual style, has failed to actualize internal democracy.

The party’s primaries were really nothing to write home about as it was marred by lots of irregularities. Particular mention must be made here of the Okpokwu saga where there was tussle for supremacy and superiority between the State Chairman of PDP Mr. Emmanuel Agbo and the Minister for Interior Comrade Abba Moro. The Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani, was the architect of the tussle as he watched by the sideline.

While Agbo kicked against conducting democratic primaries but attempted to install his brother Sunday Agbo as the party’s candidate, Comrade Moro insisted on legitimately holding a free and fair congress to elect the local government party candidate.

Amidst the bickering, tempers rose amongst their supporters which led to the congress being shifted to Makurdi, the State capital, where again Agbo wanted to use his might as the party leader to manipulate the congress. At the Aper Aku stadium venue of the rescheduled congress, he accredited

only his supporters and shut out other aspirants like Hon. George Okoh who was the people’s preferred aspirant and Mrs. Juliana Obetta.

Agbo only escaped being lynched by irate supporters by the whiskers.

While this drama raged on, Comrade Moro who was attending Federal Executive Council meeting on that day, hurriedly left immediately for Makurdi and caught up with his people at the Government House where they had gone to protest the illegal congress conducted by Agbo. The minister was said to have engaged in a serious altercation with the governor who had no option but to convene a meeting of all the stakeholders from Okpokwu LGA that lasted late into the night and the matter was amicably resolved with Juliana Obetta, a friend of the governor who hails from Ichama zone, given the slot.

With this development, the Agbo camp was roundly defeated even as most PDP supporters in the area are said to be aggrieved at the selection of Obetta and may contemplate decamping to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in protest to that decision.

The cases of Ushongo LGA and Konshisha which were concluded in Government House, Makurdi also suffice. The ACN too had its own share of imposition of candidate especially in Tarka local government where the wife of the late chairman, William Akom Dajo, was said to have been selected against the wishes of party members.

Chairman Benue State Independent Electoral Commission BSIEC, Prof. Philip Ahire, last week frowned at the political parties in the state for lacking internal democracy. Prof Ahire said this

Governor Gabriel Suswam against the backdrop of thousands of petitions which his office was inundated with wherein candidates alleged that their names were suddenly substituted after the conduct of their party primaries without notification.

He regretted that political parties set standards which they cannot meet noting too that they usually have high expectations from the election body when they fail to meet theirs. “We have told the petitioners that their petition is misplaced. They should direct them to their parties because we did not participate in party primaries as our constitution

forbids us from doing so,” he said.

The BSIEC boss who also explained why the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party, ANPP was shut out by the Commission said the party failed to meet the 19th September deadline for the submission of names of candidates.

Commenting on the level of preparation by the Commission for the local government polls, the one-time member of the Presidential Advisory Committee reiterated their determination to conduct free and fair election, disclosing that they have acquired 23 monitoring vehicles, trained electoral officers as well as sent a

supplementary budget to the State House of assembly for adequate funds which will be paid to the over 11,719 adboc staff that would be engaged to conduct the election.

“I am assuring the Benue people of free and fair election. We have a mandate to them and would not be under the tutelage of any political party. We have warned our electoral officers and intending adhoc staff that the Commission will not condone any act that is capable of denting our image. I assure you that everything would be done transparently,” Prof.

Ahire pledged.

It could be recalled that under the last administration of George Akume, thousands of people were murdered in Kwande Local Government which hitherto was the stronghold of the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party, ANPP because PDP insisted on clinching the area at all cost to slight Wantaregh Paul Unongo who then was the arrowhead of the party. Also it would be remembered that most commissioners of BSIEC especially in Buruku LGA threw caution to the winds and even participated the manipulating the process.

In spite of the avowed promise by the state Chief Electoral Officer to conduct free and fair election, many political analysts are still skeptical that the election would be far from being credible considering the fact that the political parties see it as a do or die affair. The ACN who felt that the PDP outsmarted them in the last general election see this forthcoming election as an opportunity to take their pound of flesh while the ruling party would want to get a clean sweep this time not minding how they do it.

Democratic Rule: Oyinlola counsels military against intervention in politics

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has counseled the members of the Armed Forces not to contemplate intervention in politics and see the nation’s political terrain as a ‘’no- go area” for it in the over all

Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola

interest of the nation.

Oyinlola who was the immediate past Governor of Osun state gave the charge at a public lecture titled, ‘’Nigeria’s Democracy and National Security” which he delivered in Bauchi at a training course on regional, continental and world affairs which was organized by the Nigerian Army Armoured

School, Bauchi,Bauchi State, for its Officers.

He said ‘’the military could at best make inputs into improving policies on the national security of Nigeria through professional papers that usually evolve at seminars and training institutions while also striving to be security-minded, security-conscious and securityinquisitive at all times in the overall public interest’.

Stressing that combating the unending security breaches in some parts of the country should be of utmost concern to all patriotic Nigerians, Prince Oyinlola made it clear that it was the responsibility of the government to be fully committed to the periodic evaluation and review of the nation’s security and defence policy as well as equipping the armed forces to be able to cope with modern day security challenges.

While enjoining the Armed Forces to intensify training of its men for greater efficiency, Oyinlola urged the Force to sustain Nigerian military’s prowess as well as give its

members an enduring patriotic spirit to approach their national assignment of protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria, as well as contributing positively to peace keeping and peace building initiatives being pursued by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

He told the military officers that government critics must realize that Nigeria was an amalgamation of several peoples with different cultures and therefore, the nation’s policies must necessarily be tilted greatly towards resolving differences through rational persuasion in addition to managing political, economic, ethnic and racial challenges based on the conviction that Nigeria’s growing democracy would, with trial and errors, continue to endure and wax stronger.

He added that in order to reduce friction, there must be democratic renewal and more importantly, institutional continuity of programmes and policies, while the political leadership across the board should encourage the new awakening

that emphasizes the fact that people were the key components of governance.

“Experiences have shown that with due respect for the rights and feelings of fellow Nigerians, the political atmosphere could do with much lesser tension; fortunately, our constitution is in the process of being reviewed and I want to say that a radically new approach is required to weave our political policies into a comprehensive and cohesive framework that would take into consideration our differences and peculiarities in national interest.

And such political arrangements must necessarily consider the feelings, sensitivities and concerns of the general populace within this defined territory known as Nigeria,” Oyinlola stressed.

The PDP National Secretary advocated for a national crusade in which every Nigerian would be involved in the peace process, imbibe the right political culture and accept that it is better to prevent security breaches than to combat such dislocations to peace and security.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

We have a deficit of good governance – NIPR boss From Matthew Aramunde, Lagos

A

ll tiers of government have been urged to match government interest with public interest when formulating or implementing policies most especially as it affects the people who put them in office.

The advise was handed down by the President/Chairman of Council Nigerian Institute of Public Relation, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, during the institute’s induction of its new members and the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MPCD) programme which held at the Ikeja Airport

Hotel in Lagos last week.

In his opening remark, he noted that the occasion represented growth for the institution on two fronts which he explained as numerical growth as demonstrated in the admission of new members and the professional growth as indicated in the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD).

On a note of caution, he said as PR professionals, it will be at their own peril should they afford to ignore public opinion noting that the inability of the Central Bank of Nigeria to introduce the five thousand Naira currency, is a good example of public opinion.

He therefore advised policy makers to start marrying government interest with public interest when formulating policies as in the alternative to confidence building mechanism based on truth that must guide policies formulated.

Bemoaning the present unpleasant situation the nation is presently embroiled in, he said “we have a deficit of good governance as the three arms of government are at dagger drawn, security situation has become dire as there is no more hiding place; a situation that is now responsible for the lost of faith in the political leaders by the Nigerian people who watched helplessly as

corruption ravages both the private and public sectors of our economy.”

He called on his colleagues to rise to the challenge and to be prepared to proffer solution to questions like how to broker peace between and among feuding groups, how to assist political leaders rebuild their battered image, how to encourage the use of PR option for settling disputes, how to reach and convince Nigerians to be tolerant of opposing view and to reserve the nation’s soiled global reputation as a county?

He added “Public Relations is elixir to responsive governance and responsible followership and with

professional application of public principles in governance; most of the systematic weakness and failures we have been experiencing would evaporate,” he submitted.

The PR boss is full of regret for what he tagged culture of impunity that reigns in the country noting that it has gradually and steadily chisels away at the foundation of the country’s reputation. This day, he said, offenders are hardly caught and even when caught, nothing appears to happen to them making impunity a way of flaunting power, clout, importance and status. He warned that this state of affairs has enormous implications for the nation’s corporate reputation.

Jang gets new CoS From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

B

arely 24 hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Gyang Pwajok, was declared winner of the Plateau North Senatorial zone bye election, Governor Jonah Jang approved the appointment of Mr. Francis T. Bot as Chief of Staff.

It could be recalled that Pwajok was the former Chief of staff to Jang but later resigned to contest the plateau North senatorial zone election and he eventually won.

Jang in a statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr. James Mannok, announced the appointment of Bot as chief of staff. Bot, until his appointment was the state Coordinator, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). His appointment takes immediate effect.

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Human Rights, Hon. Beni Lar, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Professor Bem Angwe, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Legal Matters and Human Rights, Senator Umar Dahiru, during the launch of 2012 prison audit, yesterday in Kuje, Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Adamawa PDP threatens mass defection

By Lawrence Olaoye

A

s crises continue to rock the ruling party in Adamawa state, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday threatened to defect en masse to the opposition part if the national leadership of the party fails to reconcile the warring factions.

The state PDP has been at war over who controls the party at the state level which has led to the party being factionalized. While one of the factions is led by Mejejiwa Kagama, the other is led by Chief Medan Teneke.

However, the faction headed

by Chief Medan Teneke and led

by Sen. Paul Wampana visited the National Working Committee (NWC) members at the party national secretariat to lay its complain on the injustice being meted out by the Murtala Nyako led administration and how to address the issue to ensure that the party is not destroy at

the state level.

Wapana said the PDP in the state will not be party to illegality, adding that it appreciated the national leadership of the party for the bold decision it took in cancelling the primaries held in the 226 wards of the state.

He said "We did not come here to argue cases; but we are here because of the decision of the leadership of the party, we are in support of the decision. You (Tukur) are our own; we will be loyal to the party on one condition, on the condition that illegality is removed from the party, we will not be party to illegality.

"We brought ourselves here, you did not invite us, we have come to support you, we hope the NWC will not let us down and we will not let you down."

Reading from a communiqué signed by the Adamawa PDP elders, Wampana said "We demand the dissolution of all organs of the party in the state,

from the wards, local government to the state level.

"We call for an immediate appointment of a Caretaker Committee comprising party members and headed by a respected party elder to undertake the task of harmonizing and standardizing the state party and therefore conducting free, fair and transparent congresses throughout the state," Wapana stated.

Responding, Tukur assured the delegation that the national leadership of the party has started working on its agenda to ensure that peace and justice reign supreme in the party.

He said "Our party is for the people, we have to give back the party to those who owns it. The government should govern the country on justice and equity.

Our umbrella is large enough to accommodate our people in Nigeria.

"You are all part and parcel of

the party at the formation stage and I know what you want the party to be, you want to make sure that the party is based on justice and equity. When I came here you all supported me.

"No matter the security and other challenges facing Nigeria today, we shall come out stronger and united. No nation is island in terms of crisis. It comes and goes, but the united countries like Nigeria will survive the challenges and move on stronger as one indivisible country.

"This is why I am preaching and championing party supremacy, because when the party is strong and united, the nation will be better for it. In every ten Nigerians, six to seven Nigerians are members of the PDP, so a united PDP built on justice and equity will be to the advantage of all Nigerian. The umbrella of the PDP is large enough to contain all Nigerians.

It is my policy therefore to return PDP to all Nigerians."

Wamakko condoles with Amosun over Adegbite’s demise

G

ov. Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State on Sunday condoled with his Ogun counterpart, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, over the demise of Dr. Abdul-Lateef Adegbite, the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, A statement by Mrs. Funmi Wakama, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media,said that he Sokoto state Commissioner for Information, Mr Danladi Bako presented the condolence letter in Abeokuta.

The letter described the demise of Adegbite as “a great loss not only to the members of his family or people of Ogun but also to the entire nation’’.

“The late Islamic teacher was a bridge-builder and a worthy elder, who had greatly inspired us in many ways.

“He exhibited such worthy qualities of selflessness, humility, kindness and concern for the welfare of humanity, irrespective of ethnic or religious divides,” Wamakko said in the letter. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 39

Additional state for South East not negotiable – Governors’ Forum

T

he governors of the South East states on Sunday vowed that creation of an additional state for the zone was non-negotiable.

The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum, Mr Peter Obi of Anambra, made the vow in Enugu at the end of their meeting with traditional rulers, stakeholders, religious leaders and senators from the zone.

Obi said the meeting also discussed issues which bothered on security and constitution amendment as it affected the zone.

“We held a meeting today with traditional rulers, religious leaders, stakeholders and senators from the zone and we discussed issues that bothered on security and constitution amendment.

“The conclusion and the most important aspect is the creation of an additional state in the zone and this is not negotiable,’’ the governor said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Martin Elechi of Ebonyi, Theodore Orji of Abia and Acting Gov. Sunday Onyebuchi of Enugu also attended the meeting.

Also in attendance were Sen. Chris Ngige and the former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife.

(NAN)

Council offers free legal services to 120 persons in Kebbi

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he Legal Aid Council in Kebbi said it had offered free legal services to 120 persons since it commenced activities in the past one year.

The state Coordinator of the council, Mr Salisu Alhassan, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Monday. ``The council appeared in 120 criminal cases out of which 80 were pending in the High Courts and Magistrates' Courts.''

Alhassan said 40 criminal cases handled by the council were discharged.

He expressed regrets that the Nigerian prisons were congested with awaiting trial persons while most suspects had been behind bars for many years.

Alhassan said the council lacked adequate funding, office accommodation, sufficient counsel and vehicles to improve on its activities, adding: ``we have two counsel and lost some property to flood".

He called on local government administrators to enlighten citizens on the services offered by the council.(NAN).

Winner of Plateau North Senatorial by-election, Mr. Gyang Pwajok, celebrating his victory, on Sunday in Jos.

Photo: NAN

Pwajok, Fulani’s victory, an epitaph to the memory of the dead

By Lawrence Olaoye

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday described the victory of Mr. Gyang Pwajok and Mrs Kenang Fulani in the last weekend's Senatorial and State Assembly bye elections in Plateau state as an epitaph to the memory of late Senator Dantong Gyang Daylop and Hon. Gyang Fulani.

The party in a statement released to newsmen by its National

Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, described the victory as a reaffirmation of the fact that Plateau state remains an impregnable fort for the PDP and a deserving tribute to the memory of the late occupants.

He stated "The victory of our great Party in the last weekend's Senatorial and State Assembly bye elections to fill the vacancies created by the death of Senator Dantong Gyang Daylop and Hon. Gyang Fulani is instructive primarily in two respects. It reaffirmed that

Plateau State is home to the PDP. Besides, no epitaph could be more evergreen to the memory of these Nigerians than this victory which our great party is dedicating to peace on the Plateau. This is a cause, they labored and died for."

The party congratulated the Senator elect for Plateau North, Gyang Pwajok and State Assembly member elect for Barkin Ladi Constituency, Kaneng Fulani and the entire members of the PDP in the state for the victory and urged

them to continue to stand firm as true representatives of their people and in supporting every effort towards the realization of the party's electoral promises.

"The urgent task before you is to remain faithful to the manifesto of our great party in discharging your legislative functions. The banner of our party must fly higher in the province of fulfillment for the majority of the people whose trust and confidence we must not betray", the party concluded.

Benue Majority Leader alleges assassination plot From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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ajority Leader of Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Paul Biam, has alleged plots by certain persons in Ukum Local government area of the state to assassinate him.

Biam told newsmen yesterday in Makurdi that he narrowly escaped death at Ankya, an area just after Zaki-Biam, the local government headquarters when some gunmen shot at him.

He said the attack took place after they had finished a stakeholders' meeting which was convened by the council chairman, Hon. Terfa Bossua, with the Chief of Staff to the Benue state governor, Saint Gbilekaa and the State Commissioner for Works/ Transport Hon. Benjamin Ashaver amongst others in attendance.

"During the meeting, I noticed some strange persons wielding weapons who banged into the chairman's house and I fled for my dear life. It was on the way back to

Makurdi that a well known deadly organization 'Mgnav Youths' shot at my car three (3) times but I escaped", he said.

The House leader, who attributed the attack to political struggle in the area for 2015, recalled too that in July 2012, his younger brother, Felix Biam, a fresh graduate from the university was attacked by unknown persons and is still been treated from several gun injuries he sustained.

He maintained that the incident occurred a day after the governor

dissolved the then transition chairmen, adding that he vehemently opposed retention of Hon. David Sev Av as well as the nomination of the present council chairman, Hon. Terfa Bossua.

"Though there had been no noticeable disagreement in Ukum politics but since the emergence of this deadly group, there has been violence in the area. Unfortunately even as this incident happened, the council chairman has not said anything", Biam said.

2013: Kwali chairmanship aspirant to prioritize revenue generation, security

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship aspirant for 2013 FCT Area Councils election in Kwali, Mr. Usman Jiya, has said that he would prioritize revenue generation and security of lives and properties in the council if given the mandate.

Jiya, a serving Vice Chairman of Kwali Area Council under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples

Party (ANPP) in an interview with newsmen in Kwali attributed the failure of successive administrations of Kwali Area Council to meet the yearning and aspiration of the resident to poor level of internally generated revenue.

"If given the mandate, my priority will be to strengthen revenue generation and security in the council because these are determining factors to the development of any society. The

two agenda are paramount because an area council administration cannot continue to wait for allocation when it has the potentials to generate revenue internally," he said.

He said strengthened internally generated revenue would be a driving force in ensuring that the people of Kwali enjoy the dividend of democracy.

According to him, construction of road, provisions of health facilities as well as potable water are

mandatory obligations that must be incorporated in the budget proposal.

Jiya said strengthened internally generated revenue in council administration had tendency of addressing certain challenges within the council without having to wait for allocation.

"If given the mandate, I will ensure that viable projects in terms of revenue generation are encouraged so as to position the council in a better financial position to be able to meet some of its obligations," he added.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

ANPP condemns Mubi massacre, calls for security action Umar Muhammad Puma

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L-R: Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and one of his counsel, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), during the resumed hearing of the Edo Election Petitions Tribunal, yesterday in Benin City.

ACN suspects govt. involvement in Kwara Finance Ministry burglary From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has fingered the involvement of the state government in the burglary of the state's Ministry of Finance where undisclosed amount of money was allegedly carted away with certain electronics back-up containing details of government transactions since 2003.

The state chairman of ACN Kayode Olawepo in a statement issued in Ilorin noted that the incident was meant to cover up some atrocities committed by immediate past administration under the leadership of Dr Bukola Saraki.

"Quite a number of disturbing news has been emanating from

Kwara State in the past few months, all bordering on corruption, mismanagement, deceits and grand conspiracies to keep the people perpetually groping in the dark for a brighter future.

"On September 17, 2012 the CBN issued a circular banning all commercial banks from lending further credits to Kwara State Government, among other debtors said to be owing the AMCON. That incident confirmed the fears of our people about the profligacy and corruption of the PDP-led Government in the state.

"Many patriotic citizens have called for probes of the embarrassing blacklisting.

But the PDP Government does not seem to be tired of its shameful conducts, as the story

in saharareporterts on the burglary at the State's Ministry of Finance indicated.

"As scary as this incident was, most scary indeed is the fact that the Kwara State Government has carried on as if nothing ever happened! We understand the civil servants have been directed not to mention it to anyone. Clearly many things are not right here and many questions are begging for answers: "Was the September 21st failed attempt at breaking into the Ministry reported to the security agencies? If yes, why was there no security beef up at the place in view of the sensitive nature of the Ministry?".

The party raised questions that "Why has the State Government kept

a sealed lip about this terrible incident, given the dangerous signals it sends to the public? These signals include that nobody is safe, if burglars can at will break into guarded properties of the government.".

The commissioner for Information, Prince Tunji Moronfoye in his reaction said " We can confirm that unidentified persons broke into the offices of the state Ministry of Finance, located on Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin, on Friday 21st of September 2012 and on Sunday, 22nd September, 2012 and removed certain items. Both incidents were reported to state police command but the public was not informed as the incidents were and remain subjects of on-going police investigations."

APGA vows to challenge PDP victory in Plateau From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

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he All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Plateau state chapter yesterday vowed to challenge the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Senator elect for Plateau North Senatorial zone in court of competent jurisdiction.

The party in press statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Isa Jega, alleged that the election was marred with irregularities and as such was left with no other option than to challenge its outcome.

He said "As a party, we are preparing to take legal action against the perpetrators of that act.

Meanwhile, we appeal to our teaming supporters to remain calm".

Jega however, congratulated the people of the zone for achieving peaceful bye- election and denied that its candidate, Mr. Chris Giwa was disqualified from flying the party's

flag.

Meanwhile the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has dragged Plateau State Government and Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to court for its inability to conduct local government elections in the state.

Initially, the case was filed in February before a High but came up

for hearing yesterday but was later adjourned to November 26, 2012.

The matter slated for hearing could not come up because the presiding judge, Justice Rosaline Sha, was not on seat and the 3rd respondent PLASIEC, had filed a fresh process challenging the jurisdiction of the plaintiff's locus standi to sue it. In the case, the CPC is challenging the

action of the state government that dissolved the elected local government chairmen of Bokkos, Langtang North and South Local Government Councils in the state without conducting fresh elections to usher in democratic elected chairmen. CPC is praying the court to order the PLASIEC to conduct fresh elections into the Councils.

he All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has condemned the killing of forty students of three higher institutions in Mubi, the commercial nerve centre of Adamawa state, by yet-to be identify gunmen, describing it as sad, and inhuman.

The party in a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary, Hon Emma Eneukwu stated “We vehemently condemn such wicked, vicious and inhuman act; it is disheartening that actions that should belong only to the imaginations of fiction writers and movie producers have found their ways to the streets of our great nation”.

Eneukwu wondered how the gunmen invaded the students’ hostels in a town under curfew, disguised in military uniform without being detected by the security agencies.

He urge Nigerian security sector to wake up to the reality that criminal elements are camouflaging with their exclusive identity marks to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens, citing instances where the 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army arrested illegal military and paramilitary uniforms dealers in Nsulu market, Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.

The 14 Brigade’s Army Public Relations [APR] officer, Lieutenant Obabisi Olalekan Ayeni, explained then that one of the suspects confirmed they have been in the illegal business for over three years.

“It is believed they are supplying these items to suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and political thugs who usually impersonate security personnels.’’

ANPP scribe added “While we commiserate with the family and friends of the victims of the horrible manslaughter, we call on the nation’s security operatives to urgently muster efforts at flushing out impersonators, both within its ranks and those hiding among the civilians, and also to concentrate on securing our national borders.

The opposition party suggested that peculiar distinguishing features be introduced to the regalia of the military and paramilitary with proper enlightenment on the masses on how to recognize genuine government-issue insignia.

PDP warns Ajimobi on financial management From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the Oyo state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, to desist from throwing the state into debt by borrowing money to run the activities of the state.

Chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Olayinka Taiwo, stated this in a statement issued in Ibadan through the Director of Media and Strategy,

Barrister Morohunkola Thomas.

The chairman noted that Ajimobi with the support of the ACNdominated state House of Assembly had concluded plans to borrow N50 billion through bonds to finance projects that bear no bearing to the development of the state.

Taiwo also noted that the governor has also applied for a multi-million naira loan from the African Development Bank (ADB).

He observed that since the

Ajimobi's administration came into being in May 2011, the state allocation from the federation accounts and its share of VAT revenue had gone past what the previous administrations received.

The party chief disclosed that its internally generated revenue had also gone up due to increase in all its rates and charges in addition to the fact that its wage bill has reduced with the reduction in its work force due to the dismissal of thousands of workers from

its service.

The PDP boss then wondered why Ajimobi's government needed more money when in actual fact it has not shown ample capacity at using the resources available to it judiciously.

Meanwhile, the Oyo state government has justified the N50 billion bond being sought from the Capital Market by explaining that it was meant to execute some development projects that would change the face of the state.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 41

Mikel hit Calabar as Keshi optimistic of sweet victory

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helsea defensive midfielder, John Mikel Obi, shocked the technical crew of the Super Eagles yesterday when against all expectations; he arrived in Calabar 24 hours ahead of schedule.

Mikel, who has yet to play for the Eagles under Coach Stephen Keshi, and was only recently recalled to the team, had been expected to arrive in camp today.

But, he hit the camp before Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide and Nosa Igiebor that had hitherto informed the technical crew of their plan to touch down in Calabar yesterday evening.

According to the media officer of the team, Ben Alaiya, Mikel was the first to arrive in the camp soon after the seven domestic league players selected for the Nations Cup qualifying duel landed in Calabar.

The trio though later joined the squad even as Keshi expects a full house this evening while comprehensive training schedule will roll off today, according to Alaiya.

Meanwhile, has promised Nigerians “a sweet victory” the Lone Stars of Liberia in Saturday’s crucial return leg of the 2013 Nations Cup qualifier.

“Come Saturday we will give the nation a sweet victory and qualify for the Nations Cup in South Africa,” Keshi assured on arrival in Calabar yesterday.

The Eagles, made up of seven home-based players and officials, were welcomed at the airport by the Cross River State commissioner of sports, Patrick Ugbe.

Mikel Obi

Maigari T laments ailing Nigerian football

By Patrick Andrew he arrowhead of Nigeria football administration, Alhaji Aminu Maiagari, has finally publicly admitted that ‘Nigerian football is sick” and in dire need of erythropoietin (epo) injection for revival.

The president of the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who was sober reflecting on the thorns and thistles the game had been subjected to institutionally and administratively in the last couple of years, said the “sickness” has had devastating effect on the game.

“We agree that we are having sickness in our football,” Maigari said while pondering the amount of energy Nigerian national teams now require to beat teams, which hitherto would have posed little or hurdles for them to scale over.

Perhaps, he was referring to the

motley of court cases that dotted the paths of his executive committee in the early days of his administration and the subsequent pillar to post

Aminu Maigari, President NFF

Nosa Igiebor

race that the game was subjected to with the resultant failure to qualify for the 2012 Nations Cup finals- something many had thought was Nigeria’s birth right.

He admitted that the football federation has gone through many challenges which had “very negative impact on the game and greatly affected performance both on and off the pitch.”

Further, he stressed that these dismal performances, as manifested in the failure to stand shoulder above others even in events the country qualified for, have become nauseating ordeals.

Again, may be he was referring to the failure to secure the 2012 London Olympic Games soccer tickets for both male and female in spite of the huge financial and moral support extended to the teams.

Apart from the Super Falcons’ failure to make the Africa and the Olympic Games, the Golden Eaglets

were bundled out of the race to the last edition of the African and FIFA U-17 championships even as domestic clubs could not put a smile on the faces of Nigerians at the clubs’ continental levels.

However, Maigari said there is a silver lining in the cloud. ”The federation is fully aware of this and we are not relenting in our efforts. We have set up various committees to look (into) and dig out what the problems are, and (proffer solutions on) how we can develop the game and get sponsors even for the domestic league.

“Very soon, I’m sure we will come up with good news for the good people of Nigeria. But thanks to God, Nigeria is blessed with talents and we will soon get back on track,” he said after the Flying Eagles fought hard to turn back the Amajita of South Africa in the CAF AYC Algiers 2013 finals qualifier.

Unuanel dusts Salami, Uwua, named Kwara Utd’s new coach

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fter tedious screening of more than a dozen coaches, the management of Kwara United finally opted for ex-Ocean Boys coach who was equally a former Assistant Coach of Enyimba FC, Samson Unuanel.

Only last Thursday, the screening committee had shortlisted seven coaches including Godwin Uwua, a former cadet coach, Ganiyu Salami, ex-Green Eagles coach, who also handled the Gambian national team at some point, Samuel Abimbola, who assisted John Obuh

in the first in the Golden Eaglets and later Flying Eagles, Hassan Abubakar, another national cadet teams coach, among others. The committee had submitted its recommendation to the management on Friday and yesterday, in a statement signed by the club’s media officer, Olayioye Ajide, Unuanel was handled the job.

Ajide said Unuanel will be officially presented to the public within the week. This past season, the former Niger Tornadoes coach worked with Ocean Boys in the NPL before he moved to assist Kadiri Ikhana at the country’s

women’s team, the Super Falcons.

“With the appointment of technical manager which takes immediate effect, recruitment of players and other programmes of the club have commenced. We now call on all the players to resume immediately,” announced the club spokesman.

Ajide reiterated the determination of the board to reposition Kwara United for the new season, while appealing to their teeming supporters to keep the faith of their darling team to play international football soon.

FCT SWAN lauds NFF over Flying Eagles qualification, tasks Super Eagles

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he Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, FCT chapter, has lauded the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the Flying Eagles qualification for the 2013 African Youth Championship.

The junior Eagles and defending champions of the AYC defeated ambitious Amajita of

South Africa 3-1 at the Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin on Sunday to seal its ticket for the fiesta to be held in Algiers, next March.

SWAN specifically noted the improvement in the team which had earlier forced the Amajita to 1-1 draw in Nelspruit, South Africa during the first, adding that the depth, zest and comportment of the team clearly

attested to the efforts put in by both the football federation and the technical crew to produce a team of delight for Nigeria.

“It is notable that Nigeria have qualified for the finals of all major competitions they entered for this year, starting with the Falconets’ qualification and participation at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan.

“The U-17 girls, Flamingos’ qualification and participation at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan and; the Super Falcons’ qualification for the 8th African Women Championship, which finals takes place in Equatorial Guinea between 28th October and 11th November 11,” the release signed by the Assistant Secretary of the

association, Bunmi Haruna said.

Further, the association urged the executive committee of the NFF to leave no stone unturned to ensure that both the Super Eagles and the Golden Eaglets qualify for next year’s African Nations Cup in South Africa and the CAF U-17 Championship in Morocco 2013, respectively becomes a reality.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

FIFA U-17 semi-finals

Ghana to make history for Africa, says Okyere

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aving failed to make it past the group phase in their two previous FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup appearances, the Black Maidens will be contesting their very first semi-finals in the c o m p e t i t i o n against Les Bleuettes this

Ghana’s Priscilla Okyere

today.

What makes their achievement even more notable is the fact that they are the first Ghana women’s team to reach the semifinals of a FIFA competition and the first African side to appear in the last four of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Skipper Priscilla Okyere, whose side tackle Nigeria’s conqueror- Les Bleuettes in Baku in one of the semi-finals believes the Maidens do not only represent Ghana but the black race.

“This is what we came for, to make history,” said exultant Ghana captain Priscilla Okyere, speaking after her side had pulled off the shock of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Azerbaijan 2012 by beating tournament favourites Japan 1-0 in Friday’s quarter-finals.

“And we’ve made it,” continued the midfielder.

“We’ve made history but we want more. We’re hoping to beat France, reach the final and take this World Cup home with

us.”

Further she believes the Black Maidens have the depth, gut and flair to give the continent effective representation and eventually clinch the trophy for the first time. Like their Black Satellites counterparts that became the first and only African U-20 team to win the FIFA U-20 World Championship, Okyere is confident the Maidens will replicate that feat in Azerbaijan.

“I know that the eyes of all Africa are on us and that drives us on,” said an excited Okyere after Friday’s ground-breaking game. “Our country is watching us because of what we achieved today.

I can’t even describe how that feels.”

Sherifatu Sumaila’s 51st-minute goal was enough to send the previously unbeaten Japanese back home early. And naturally the striker, who also represented her country at Trinidad and Tobago 2010, was thrilled with her performance: “I’m so excited because I didn’t

score a single goal in 2010. In fact, this is my first goal in a World Cup and I’m very, very happy.”

Confidence the key Skipper Okyere could not stop smiling as she explained how she thanked her team-mates for their efforts against the Japanese: “I was expecting a lot from my team today and my colleagues showed me how great we are. I just thanked all of them for allowing me to get so far in this competition.

Reaching this stage is something we’ve all worked towards.”

Okyere also heaped praise on Ghana coach Mas-Ud Dramani, the other architect of their success in Azerbaijan: “It’s wonderful when you have a coach who believes so much in his team. He believes in us and we believe in him, which is just perfect.”

So what was the secret to toppling the Young Nadeshiko?

“Our desire,” came the giggling Okyere’s reply.

“We wanted to win. We

Wenger praises Cazorla, says he’s a delight to watch

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rsenal boss Arsene Wenger said it is a pleasure to watch Santi Cazorla as the Spanish midfielder’s goal helped earn the Gunners a 3-1 win over West Ham. Wenger’s side had to come from a goal down, with the win including a first Premier League goal for Olivier Giroud.

“It is a pleasure to watch him. It’s a delight to see what he did on the pitch,” Wenger said of Cazorla, 27, who signed from Malaga in the summer. I hope every young football player in England watches him.”

Cazorla joined Arsenal for a fee of about £15m in August and has quickly adapted to the Premier League with a string of masterful displays.

His goal against West Ham was his second of the season, and was struck from the edge of the box with his left foot, underlining his ability as a genuinely twofooted player.

Even team-mate Theo Walcott, who was on target at Upton Park after Mohamed Diame had opened the scoring, admits he does not know which foot the Spaniard prefers and he trains with him every day.

“He has come to the Premier League and has taken it by storm,” Walcott said. “He is our conductor.

His goal was fantastic and I’m not even sure what foot is his strongest.”

Walcott came off the bench to score his fourth goal of the season, while Giroud registered his first league goal after joining the Gunners in the summer from Montpellier.

And the French striker admitted it was a relief to get off the mark, despite already scoring in the League Cup. “I’m so happy to score the first goal and to assist my friend Theo,” Giroud said. “I hope so many goals come after this. Everyone talked to me about the (lack of a) goal, but I kept confident and concentrated on the work in training and in the games.”

The result for Wenger’s side puts them back on track after losing to Chelsea last weekend, despite losing Kieran Gibbs to a second-half injury.

And it means they have lost just once in the Premier League this season, after former striker Robin van Persie joined Manchester United in the summer.

Arsenal and have now leapfrogged West Ham in the table to move to fifth ahead of the international break.

Santi Cazorla

really wanted it and we went out and did it. We knew Japan were the favourites, but we did what we had to do.”

Ghana adopted a defensive gameplan against the Japanese, stifling their opponents’ passing game and disrupting their usually neat interplay. Then, once in possession, they drew on their superior athleticism and speed to launch dangerous counter-attacks.

That defensive side of their game is essential to their future in the competition, and Okyere hopes Ghana can be just as solid when they take on the French.

“Of the teams left in the World Cup, Ghana is one of the best in terms of defending,” she said, focusing on the task ahead. That was what took us to victory in the quarter-finals, and now we’ve got our sights set on knocking out France.”

Supremely confident in her team’s abilities, the captain said that they need to maintain their focus if they are to see off the Europeans, while colleague Sumaila signed

Korea’s Ri Un-Sim off with a message for the people of Africa, who are following the Black Maidens’ exploits with interest.

“We are going to carry on playing for Africa, just as we have been doing up to now,” said their goal hero. “We’ll be doing our very best to win this World Cup for them.”

German duo ready for Korea DPR

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t the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2012 in Azerbaija, Germany seem to have made dramatic finishes their stock in trade. After a tense and closely fought 90 minutes, Anouschka Bernhard’s team have twice reduced their opponents to tears with vital goals in added time at the end.

It was Rebecca Knaak who broke Brazilian hearts and became Germany’s hero with her 92nd-minute winner. As always, the players who get the goals earn immediate praise and congratulations, but even the best forward line is worth very little without a solid defence.

Errors at the back often consume as many column inches as goals scored at the other end.

Germany’s progress to the last four at Brazil’s expense was not only down to the attacking instincts of Sara Dabritz and Knaak, but to a typically disciplined defensive display. Time and again, the South Americans foundered on the rock formed by centreb a c k s W i b k e

Meister and Franziska Jaser, although immediately after the final whistle, the pair were still struggling with the reality of advancing to the semis.

In the scrap with Brazil, Meister faced a difficult task in marking the elusive and agile striker Byanca, who hit the headlines in the group stage with an extraordinary backheeled lob. The Brazilian gem was determined to pull off the stunt again against the Germans.

Last-four opponents DPR Korea present another tough challenge for Bernhard’s troops. The Asians include potent striker Ri Un-Sim, the leading scorer in Azerbaijan to date with seven goals.

However, the rearguard which stymied the Brazilian attack for long spells will surely come up with a solution against the nimble North Koreans.

TODAY’S MATCHES Ghana vs France Korea PRK vs Germany

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

‘We are sure of medals at Eko 2012’, boasts Ekiti athletics coach

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siaka Oluyemi, an Ekiti athletics coach, said on Saturday that Team Ekiti would win many medals at the forthcoming National Sports Festival to be hosted

by Lagos State.

Oluyemi said in Lagos that Team Ekiti was being prepared for the challenge in the various events that the state would enter for at the festival. He added that the various disciplines were in good shape, having just concluded the Ekiti State Mini Sports Festival that was held from Sept. 27 to Oct.1 at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado-Ekiti.

“I have no doubts that the Team Ekiti will indeed bring home medals from the various events at the festival.’’

According to him, the minis festival was used to sharpen the skills of the athletes to represent the state at Eko 2012.

The coach added that the athletic team would soon go into closed camping.

Gombe Dep. Gov receives festival Torch of Unity

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he Gombe State Deputy Governor, Mr Tha’anda Rubainu, on Sunday in Gombe, received the National Sports Festival (NSF), Torch of Unity.

Receiving the torch, Rubainu said the state government was committed toward promoting sports development.

He gave an assurance assured that the zonal office of the National Sports Commission (NSC) in Gombe would participate fully in the festival.

According to him, the state has produced the best sportsmen and women to represent the zone in the team events.

He noted that the state had passion for sports, hence the establishment of a Sports Commission in the state.

Rubainu pledged that the state would support young talents interested in sports.

Earlier, Mr Faruk Yerma, the Chairman, Gombe State Sports Commission, thanked the deputy governor for receiving the torch. He observed that the government’s support had made Gombe athletes to emerge victorious in some team events such as Football, Basketball, Hockey and the traditional sport, Langa. He reassured the government that Gombe athletes would return home with medals.

Umar Shua, the North East Zonal Coordinator of the National Sports Commission had handed over the torch to Yerma, who in turned handed it over to the deputy Governor.

The Torch of Unity is currently being taken round the various participating states with a view to creating awareness about the upcoming games. The festival will be hosted by Lagos State from Nov. 27 to Dec. 9.

PAGE 43

Fives boss says sports catalyst for national unity S port administrators in Lagos on Saturday urged the Federal Government to use sports as a means of encouraging unity among the people of Nigeria.

Alhaji Nasiru Mohammed, Technical Chairman, Fives Federation of Nigeria (FFN), observed in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that sport connects people more than anything in the world.

“It can be used as a channel through which

unity can be encouraged among Nigerians.

“It is obvious that sports connects people easily; an instance is the crowd that gathers to watch a football match, putting aside tribe or religion just for the love of the game.

“The Federal Government should invest more in sports and also encourage the same at all levels of government to promote unity from the grass-roots level.’’

Nasiru, who is also a member of Lagos Technical Committee for

Eko 2012, said that individuals could emulate the oneness and loyalty displayed by teams.

“Sports-loving individuals can also emulate the act of oneness displayed by various teams which encourages unity among them,’’ he added.

Mr Abari Sanda, Head, Coaching and Training Department of the Nigeria Institute of Sport, said that sport cuts across boundaries and cultures.

“A sport-loving person must learn to embrace

Durolola Olarenwaju of Nigeria embracing a Cuban opponent at the London Olympic Games

Maigari demands excellence from referees

T

he President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has urged participants in the 2012 FIFA Referee’s Course to strive towards excelling in Africa and in the world.

Maigari gave the charge on Sunday in Abuja at the closing ceremony of the one week course. ‘’You have to do your best to excel in Africa and the world at large and what you have to do to succeed is to put what you have learnt for the period of one week into practice. The search for knowledge is continuous and it will continue till you die. ‘’FIFA has given the referees, referee’s assessors and physical fitness instructors the portfolio to excel in life, the rest is left to you.’’

Maigari, who was represented by the Director of Marketing, Idris Adama, reaffirmed NFF’s commitment to making Nigerian referees forces to reckon with in the world. ‘’NFF will ensure that referees are supported morally, educationally, financially and otherwise. With our population, we should be producing referees like the Brazilians and other countries. ‘’The federation is not comfortable that we have two or three referees representing us internationally, and Unity Torch

we will ensure that we do everything possible to improve that.’’

Also speaking, the Chairman of Referees Committee, Malam Muazu Suleiman, gave the assurance that the knowledge the participants acquired would be passed onto the grassroots. ‘’I am very happy that all evaluations at last year’s edition as indicated by the instructors showed that there is an improvement. ‘’I want to assure them that their efforts will not be in vain; the value of education and knowledge that the participants acquired will be passed on to the grassroots. ‘’This is to ensure that the junior referees learn from them. National and regional courses will be organised and these participants will teach them.’’

Suleiman promised that the referees would adhere to the tips given during the one week course.

He expressed happiness over the increase in Nigerian referees’ participation in international tournaments.

FIFA Referee Development Officer, Sidi Bekaye Magassa, FIFA RAP Referees’ Instructor, Felix Tangawarima and FIFA RAP Physical Fitness Instructor, Madembe Mbacke were the course instructors.

The one week course started on Oct. 1 and ended on Oct. 7, with 86 participants.

... As state plans to purchase hockey sticks for festival

G

ombe State Sports Commission plans to purchase 30 additional hockey sticks for its hockey team, ahead of the 18 th National Sports Festival (NSF), an official has said.

The Head Coach of the state’s hockey team, Helen Viola-Samuel, who disclosed this to NAN in

Gombe yesterday, said that the team currently had only five good sticks.

Viola-Samuel said that the commission had purchased a new bat for the male team’s goalkeeper, which had boosted his morale toward the game.

The coach said the men’s team that emerged victorious

different cultures because sport enables us to meet people with different beliefs and it cuts across boundaries.

“It is when we ignore our differences or colours that we all can come together in a sportsmanship spirit to speak a common language and practise what sport preaches.”

Maurice Cooreman, Head Coach, Warri Wolves, noted that youths are nation builders and making them have interest in sports is like giving them a reason to come together as a team to achieve a common goal.

“When we look at the talented home-based footballers that travel abroad to further their career, we will see that sport transcends continents.

“The whole world has interest in one sport or the other, and that is why competitions like the Olympics connects us all; what we have to do is embrace the unity that sports portrays around the world,’’ he said.

The former Enyimba coach also urged homebased players to always stick together in unity because it helps to build a stronger national team.

during the recent zonal qualifying competition, would represent the zone at the festival.

“We are engaging in a vigorous training and my boys are in high spirits. We are working hard to ensure that the team emerges victorious and returns with medals from Lagos.’’

Viola-Samuel said

although the female team lost to Bauchi via a penalty shoot-out during the qualifiers, the girls made the state proud, as it was their first outing.

She expressed the hope that lack of training equipment, which she said, constituted a challenge, would soon be addressed by the commission.

Aminu Maigari

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Djokovic beats Tsonga for Beijing title

W

orld No 2 Novak Djokovic overcame JoWilfried Tsonga of France in straight sets on Sunday to win the China Open for a third time.

The 25-year-old Serb defeated the world No 7 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to maintain his unbeaten record at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing and take the winner’s prize of $530 570.

Djokovic has won the China Open every time he has entered, his previous titles coming in 2009 and 2010 before he missed last year because of injury, and his record at the tournament now stands at 14-0.

He is pressing to beat Roger

Novak Djokovic

A

ndy Murray can build on his breakthrough year by becoming the No 1 player in the world, top-ranked Swiss rival Roger Federer said on Sunday.

Federer said the Scot, who became Britain’s first men’s singles Grand Slam champion since the 1930s when he won t h e

Andy Murray

Federer to the year-end No 1 spot in the world rankings and said he was “delighted” at his latest triumph.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win this trophy in the new stadium,” he said of the capital’s National Tennis Stadium which had yet to be built the last time he won in Beijing.

Little separated the players throughout the entire opening set.

The first four games went to serve before Tsonga made a breakthrough in the fifth game, breaking Djokovic without losing a point.

But the Serb immediately broke back and the next six games went

Murray can be No 1, says Federer

U S Open last month, had bounced back strongly after losing the Wimbledon final.

“He’s saying the right things. He has results that back up his chances to become world No 1, maybe even at the end of the year, maybe at the beginning of the next year,” said Federer.

“If not then, he’s got a shot till next year’s Wimbledon almost if he were to win there.

His next nine months are going to be extremely interesting to follow.”

The Swiss 17-time Grand Slam champion, who was destroyed in the Olympic final by a resurgent Murray, said: “His reaction was amazing right after not winning Wimbledon against

me.

“Then coming back and winning the Olympics, still battling it out through Toronto and Cincinnati, then bringing the victory home, his first Grand Slam, at the US Open, (I was) very impressed, great to see.”

Murray is currently ranked third in the world behind Federer and Novak Djokovic but it would take an unlikely sequence of results to reach the No 1 spot this year.

The 25-year-old, who lost in the semifinals of the Japan Open on Saturday as defending champion, reached a career high of No 2 in 2009.

There has never been a British world No 1 under the current ranking system, launched in 1973.

Federer said Murray’s recent run of successes would give him a major boost.

“I’m sure it’s going to give him confidence for what’s to come, then of course it is going to have maybe an impact in the future.

“When is Rafa (Rafael Nadal) going to come back, when, how strong? How well am I going to play? How well is Novak going to play? The rest of the players. That all has a little bit of an impact.

“But overall he has some control over that himself now, and I hope for him he can achieve it eventually.”

Death threat a distraction - Federer

R

oger Federer admitted on Sunday that a bizarre online death threat had been a distraction in the build-up to the Shanghai Masters but said he was now focusing on action on the court.

Tournament officials gave assurances on players’ security after hate messages from a blogger, who calls himself ‘Blue Cat Polytheistic Religion Founder 07’ appeared on the popular baidu.com site.

“On October 6, I plan to assassinate Federer for the purpose of tennis extermination,” read the message.

The user also posted a doctored image showing a decapitated Federer on his knees on a tennis court, with an axe-wielding executioner posing next to him.

Federer, speaking at a press conference on the first day of the tournament with black-suited security personnel looking on, said the run-up to the Shanghai Masters had been different from usual.

“Obviously maybe it’s a little bit of a distraction, there’s no doubt about it. But you have to be aware of what’s happening around you,” he said.

“But that is the case anyway anywhere I go today with my fame and all that stuff.”

The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who has a first-round bye, said he first became aware of the issue about 10 days ago, before it hit the headlines. But he said had felt safe in China and praised the authorities.

“So then obviously it came out in the press. That’s when things changed. It became much more public, which I’m a bit disappointed about, that it did come out in the press,” he said.

with serve to force a tie break, where Djokovic raced to a 4-1 lead.

Tsonga won two quick points before Djokovic spurned an opportunity while 5-3 ahead, pushing a simple forehand shot well wide.

But two mistakes from the Frenchman, a double fault and a backhand half volley into the net, gave the tie break and set to Djokovic.

The first two service games of the second set were held before Djokovic broke in the third and was spurred on to take the next two games, establishing a 4-1 lead. Then he came from behind to hold serve in the sixth.

“It was something just very small on a website, nothing clear and concrete, people just debating. That it makes that big news is a bit surprising to me.”

Federer’s wife and twin daughters have not travelled to China but Federer said that decision had nothing to do with the threats, adding: “It was a last-minute decision for me to come here in the first place.”

The Swiss maestro, 31, who returned to the No 1 ranking after his Wimbledon triumph in July, said he felt “fine” after some time off and was hoping to finish the year in top spot.

But it was not his overriding goal.

“For me I’ve already reached my goal by getting back to world No 1 in the summer. That was for me the goal, getting back there and winning a Grand Slam, particularly Wimbledon.”

Federer and Novak Djokovic are the top draws in the teeming Chinese city, along with Britain’s defending champion Andy Murray, fresh from his US Open success.

Federer missed the 2011 Shanghai Masters but has an enviable record at the magnolia-shaped Qi Zhong Stadium, winning two of his six season-ending showpiece titles there before the event shifted to London.

As the gruelling season enters its final few weeks, the Swiss, as of Sunday, had 11 805 points in the rolling 12-month rankings with Djokovic second on 10 470. A total of 1 000 points are on offer to the winner in Shanghai.

But crucially the Serb has fewer points to defend for the rest of the season, and his eye is firmly on supplanting Federer by the end of the year.

Roger Federer

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 45

PICTORIAL \A/ Captain Darren Sammy hopes West Indies can "start something special" after winning the World Twenty20. \B/ Didier Drogba revealed in an interview that football's is helping C么te d'Ivoire develop as a country, his personal work in his homeland, and the national team's chances of glory. \C/ Manchester City have been linked with Radamel Falcao and Isco following manager Roberto Mancini's attendance at Sunday's La Liga fixture between Atletico Madrid and Malaga.

A

B

D

C

E

\D/ Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was again critical of the referee's performance during the 2-2 draw at Barcelona, but his claims were swiftly dismissed

by Tito Vilanova. \E/ Usain Bolt says he wants to defend his Olympic 100m and 200m titles at the Rio 2016 Games, rather than try the 400m or long jump. \F/ Heather Watson beats Slovenian Polona Hercog in the first round of the HP Open in Osaka.

F

G

\G/ South Africa's Branden Grace wins the Dunhill Links Championship by two shots with a record-equalling 22-under-par total.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Player lauds CAF for nominating four Zambians for award

A

Zambian international soccer player has said he and his team mates were humbled and elated to be nominated for the African-footballer-of-theyear award by CAF, the Zambia Daily Mail reported yesterday.

CAF has included four Zambian players in the 2012 nominations for their splendid exploits at this year’s Nations Cup, which they lifted after beating muchfancied Cote d’Ivoire in the finals.

Those nominated include skipper Christopher Katongo, midfielder Rainford Kalaba, defender Stoppila Sunzu and striker Emmanuel Mayuka.

Kalaba, who plays for Democratic Republic of Congo side TP Mazembe, said it was an honour to be nominated for such a prestigious award.

“It is not easy to be found among the best on the continent. It is a good honour for me and my country as well, because it is not easy to be considered as one of the

good players around the continent. I am very happy and humbled,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The four Zambian players are among 34 players nominated for the prestigious award, also including Cote d’Ivoire’s Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, as well as Nigeria’s duo of John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses.

If a Zambian wins the award, it will be the second for the country after the country’s most decorated player Kalusha Bwalya won it in 1988.

Christopher Katongo

Victor Moses

Didier Drogba

Champions League: Keshi, others urge Sunshine Star not to give up hope

S

uper Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, and two exinternationals Henry Nwosu and Mutiu Adepoju, have urged Nigeria’s flag bearers in the CAF Champions League,

Sunshine Stars, not to relent in their quest to secure a berth in this year’s final.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls that Sunshine Stars were forced by visiting six-time champions, Al Ahly of

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Egypt to 3-3 draw in the first leg of the CAF Champions League semi-finals at the Dipo Dina Stadium, IjebuOde on Saturday.

Though the score line gives the Egyptians a huge advantage because Sunshine Stars must beat Al Ahly or score as much as three goals if the return leg in Cairo ends in a draw to harbour any hope of berthing at the final.

“Well, for them to come back from two goals down showed that they can do much better. I have watched the team in previous encounters and they have lots of potential.

“If they can show much commitment and discipline,

I think Sunshine Stars will get to the final of the competition. I wish them better luck in the second leg,’’ Keshi said.

Also, Solomon Ogbeide, the coach of Akwa United of Uyo, described the 3-3 draw as “quite unfortunate’’.

“It was very bad for Sunshine because they were at home. Well, it’s not yet over till it is over, I believe they can still make a comeback; they need an outright win in the return leg.

“That’s the only way they can make it to the finals, because this draw has put them in a tight corner. If they can get a 3-3 here; then Sunshine Stars can also get

it the same kind of result in Cairo,’’ Ogbeide said.

The General Manager of 3SC FC of Ibadan, Mutiu Adepoju, urged the team not to be distressed over the result and he implored them to step up their game.

“If it was a win it would have been better, nevertheless they are still in the champion’s league and they can still go there too and pull a draw. So, I just think they should not relent; they should brace up to qualify for the semi-finals.

“They should not be destabilised by this, it should rather spur them to double their efforts,’’ Adepoju said.

Meanwhile, Henry

Nwosu, a former Green Eagles attacking mid-fielder, has urged the coaching crew of Sunshine Stars not to relent in their effort to psyche the players to achieve the club’s set objective.

“It is like our match against Liberia where we played a 2-2 draw and people were saying that we had qualified; we have not, we must see that we do everything humanly possible to remain in the competition.

“I know Sunshine Stars have been playing well, we must pray for luck too in this game of football; for them to scale through to the next round,’’ Nwosu said.

Minister’s aide says NSC to harness festival talents

T

he National Sports Commission (NSC) will ensure that grassroots talents discovered at the

forthcoming 18th National Sports Festival are given top priority attention with a view to grooming them for

subsequent international tournaments.

Julius Ogunro, Special Assistant (Media) to Sports

Chief of Naval Staff Open tourney fertile ground for volleyball talents

T

he maiden edition of the Chief of Naval Staff Open Volleyball Championships will be used to by the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) to unearth fledglings volleyball talents, an official has said.

The federation’s Secretary-General, Adisa Beyioku, said yesterday in Abuja that talents discovered at the competition will be groomed objectively stressing that the tournament offers the federation opportunity for fresh beginning.

“The competition offers us an opportunity to move faster in our grass roots development, and it will give a chance for new players to emerge and be groomed,’’ he said.

The championships is scheduled to hold in Ilorin starting from this Saturday through October 21 is development incline and will included competitions in both the male and female categories.

Teams being expected at the championships are from all the 36 states and the FCT, as well as the military and para-military bodies.

The scribe expressed the federation’s gratitude to the Chief of Naval Staff for coming to their rescue adding that with sponsored programme the federation will

definitely discover many new talents that have prospects for growth.

“It is a competition many players, officials and others in the volleyball family have been looking forward to. For over two years now, there has not been a national competition, and something of this magnitude.

“And, it has come at a time when it will help some teams prepare for their appearance at the 18th National Sports Festival coming up in Lagos fromNovember 27 to December 9.

“So, we are expecting a large turnout because of its importance value to many volleyball stakeholders. With the way things are, we expect not less than 20 participants from each of the two categories,’’ he said.

Beyioku said October 12 had been fixed for participants’ arrival, with the draws on October 13 and departure on October 21.

He praised the Naval Headquarters, especially the office of the Chief of Naval Staff, for offering to sponsor the competition.

“They are spending about N4m on the championships, and that’s a huge amount of money. We are really grateful to them, because it is a way of partnering with sports in Nigeria and part of showing that they are socially responsible in the community,’’ the NVBF Secretary-General said.

Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, said over the weekend that the commission will endeavour to ensure a departure from the past by inititiating programmes to that will help to harness whatever grassroots talent discovered.

Ogunro siad that commission will use the opportunity provided by the fiesta to identify these talents and compel the respective sports federations to work in tangent with them to sustain whatever tempo the talents exhibit.

“The NSF is one of the premier systems, designed to identify talents at the grassroots. We get these youths from the grassroots, young athletes, who are just out of school.

“The festival is one of the greatest opportunities that we have to discover new athletes. “We will set up systems and structures that will help us to nurture these new talents for our national teams,’’ he said.

He commended the effort of the Main Organising Committee for ensuring that it surpassed what was achieved at Port Harcourt festival.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

PAGE 47

Say what?

Source: Reader's Digest

FACTS * Spam filters that catch the word "cialis" will not allow many work-related e-mails through because that word is embedded inside the word "specialist". * McDonald's restaurants will buy 54,000,000 pounds of fresh apples this year. Two years ago, McDonald's purchased 0 pounds of apples. This is attributed to the shift to more healthy menu options (the Apple Pie, which has been at McDonald's for years uses processed Apple Pie Filling). * The biggest dog on record was an Old English Mastiff that weighed 343 pounds. He was 8 feet, 3 inches from nose to tail. * Mailmen in Russia now carry revolvers after a recent decision by the government. * All of Queen Anne's 17 children died before she did. * There are over 87,000 Americans on waiting lists for organ transplants. Source: Weird facts

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Quick CrossWord (43) ACROSS 4 Small cluster (4) 7 Adhered (to) (5) 9 Spiritual teachers (5) 10 Nobleman’s territory such as Cornwall (5) 11 Limited period of time (4) 12 Ciggie (3) 15 Cuts with a scalpel (7) 16 Desert watering place (5) 17 Picturesque (6) 18 Unpleasant vermin in sleeping quarters (6) 21 Educate (5) 23 Bram Stoker’s vampire creation (7) 25 Fish associated with hte Sargasso Sea (3) 26 __ the Terrible, Russian emperor (4) 28 Cunningly (5) 30 Sleeping berths (5) 31 Nurses (5) 32 General idea (4)

DOWN 1 Collect bit by bit (5) 2 Common conjunction (3) 3 Acquire with money (3) 4 Egyptian boy king, familiarily (3) 5 (Drug) addicts (5) 6 Audible indication of the correct hour (4,6) 8 Rifle-makers (9) 9 Supposed spirit appearing after death (5) 12 Very early (5,5) 13 School exam (inits) (4) 14 Field event (4,5) 19 Colour associated with the Tories (4) 20 Graven images (5) 22 Natives of the Middle East (5) 24 Conducts (5) 27 Hard dry fruit (3) 28 Firmament (3) 29 Wood formerly used to make longbows (3)

Yesterday’s answer

DAVID Blaine has begun his latest shocking stunt "Electrified". The magician took to a 20ft-high podium at Pier 54 in New York, where he was surrounded by one million volts of electric current.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Police detain NPL stars over murder

T

wo Akwa United stars are being held by police over the murder of a lady, according to a wire service report last night.

The players are local boys and hold top positions at the NPL outfit. One of them was a delight to watch last season as scored vital goals from setpieces on Akwa's return to the top flight.

A top source at the Uyobased club was quoted by the wire service to have confirmed that the two players have been in police net for the past one month following the death of a lady, who was reportedly a girl friend to one of them.

"The players have been in police custody over the murder of a lady for the past one month," the source disclosed.

"The police said they were tipped off that kidnappers were heading in their direction and they were in a black Toyota Camry, which was the same description as the one the players were driving on that fateful day.

"The players’ version of the story is that the police opened fire on them and one of the bullets hit the lady and killed her, but the police insist they met the lady dead in the car."

Flood halts Ekwueme U-18 tennis tourney

T

he Alex Ekwueme U-18 Boys Tennis Tournament scheduled for Enugu has suffered a setback as the floods ravaging various parts of the country have affected the players’ arrival.

The officials and games organisers were kept waiting at the Enugu Sports Club, venue of the tournament as the players failed to show up.

“We are aware that the players are on their way. Many of them are coming from Abuja where they played a tournament and the situation of the road has affected them,” one official volunteered.

The official said the tournament would now serve off on Oct.9 as against Oct. 8, earlier scheduled.

“We are maintaining our draw of 32. There are no preliminaries. We just have a draw of 32,” the official said.

The tournament, scheduled to end on Friday, is being organised by associates of Ekwueme, a former vice president, in honour of his 80th birthday.

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE We know how much subsidy was being granted fertilizer, (but) the benefit was not going directly to the Nigerian farmer. It was going to Cameroon, going to Niger, going to Benin Republic and what have you.

— Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former governor of Nasarawa state

Floods: Stop the blame game T

he floods that have ravaged most river basins in Nigeria this year were predicted by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) in August and they have been particularly bad. No wonder, the nation’s news media has been awash with news of flood disasters, politics of the floods. At the end the rainy season we will have some respite, but right now the floods show no sign of abetting soon.

Freshwater resources are a source life but only if they are managed well. As Kofi Annan put it: The task is not just to preserve water resources to sustain life, but also to reduce the capacity of water to take life away; we can and must reduce the number and impact of disasters by building sustainable communities that have the longterm capacity to live with risks.

The nation’s response to the floods has been anything but articulate and comprehensive. All we have done is to react after the disastrous events to provide relief to the unfortunate victims, and then we wait for another deluge.

We must, however, understand that routine smaller floods that moderately inundate flood plains called fadama are desirable because they play a vital role in replenishing fresh water resources, recharging wetlands and groundwater, support agriculture and fishery as well as maintain ecosystems and floodplain biodiversity in the river corridors that are essential to the well-being of many communities.

It is the destructive floods which are occasional but more recently, very devastating, that are worrisome. It is not unreasonable to project that an increasingly populated floodplains coupled with the climate change would further escalate the toll in lives and livelihoods in future, unless we comprehensively manage them.

Floods are as a result of flow of water exceeding the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders, or the unexpected drainage obstructions, or from combination of tidal seas surges in coastal areas or water in the lake or reservoir overflowing or breaking of levees or catastrophic event such as dam breakage.

However, the most common flooding in Nigeria are caused by intense rain, particularly at the peak of rains, especially where rain has previously fallen and the ground are saturated; such that the additional rain runs off over the surface and accumulates in streams and rivers faster than their drainage capacity. Most often such intense rainfalls are accompanied by strong winds. Other causes might be due to outbursts of natural water retention dams created occasionally by floating debris accumulating at a natural or manmade obstruction such as bridges thus restricting the flow of water and causing flooding upstream.

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GUEST COLUMNIST Inuwa Kuta Musa

Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafia Contrary to the widely held believe, only very rarely have the flash floods in Nigeria been caused by failure of dams, or other hydraulic infrastructure.

Other factors that decisively influence flash floods - apart from the intensity and duration of the rainfall - are the topography, soil conditions, and coverage of the terrain. Steeply sloping high terrains, narrow valleys or ravines hasten the runoff and increase the likelihood of flood occurrence.

Saturated soil or shallow watertight geological formation would significantly increase surface runoff. Urbanization processes, especially those associated with construction with watertight materials such as concrete and asphalts would result in the runoff becoming 2 to 6 fold greater in comparison to terrains with natural coverage (fields, meadows, forests).

The projected effects of global warming are that more heavy and intense rainfall in overall fewer numbers of events would be experienced in future, implying greater incidence of extreme floods and droughts. Furthermore, global sea levels are rising with attendant inundation of the coastal lowland; altered tidal range in rivers and bays; more severe storm surge flooding; and increased saltwater intrusion into estuaries and freshwater aquifers. It also poses a major conceptual challenge to the long held assumption that the longterm historical hydrological conditions will continue into the future. Our selection of appropriate design flood should therefore seek to balance risks and benefits. So how

do we mitigate floods.

Although, the most logical means of virtually eliminating the hazardous floods may be by moving away settlements from near rivers and other bodies of water, yet we also know that since early civilization, mankind have lived and worked by the rivers to seek sustenance and capitalize on the gains of most affordable means of transport and commerce. In an agrarian economy like ours, food security is synonymous with securing livelihood and floodplains popularly called fadama provide in many cases excellent, technically easy means for food production and livelihood opportunities.

Accordingly, flood intervention measures should refrain from tempering with the smaller flooding because it would not only damage the ecosystems but would affect livelihoods that may have developed around the wetland.

Furthermore, increased competition for access to limited land resources in the densely populated regions of Nigeria is jeopardizing the weaker sections of the population who largely resort to living in the floodplains. This has increased their vulnerability to flooding. These urban ghettos also suffer from a lack of health and sanitation facilities and are thus most vulnerable to disasters and post-disaster consequences.

The conventional strategy across the world is that rivers prone to floods are often carefully managed using mainly structural approach such as levees, bunds, reservoirs, and weirs to prevent rivers from bursting their banks.

When these flood defence structures fail, emergency measures are instituted such as sandbagging or portable inflatable tubes are used.

Coastal floods have been addressed with coastal defences, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier islands.

These are essentially ad-hoc approach, and experiences have shown that they are deficient to adequately mitigate floods.

The most recent example of the failure of such mono-disciplinary approach was in the New Orleans flood in United States that relied solely on levees and flood gates for protection. This system failed catastrophically, during Hurricane Katrina. Global experience has also revealed that there can be no such thing as absolute control of flooding.

It is simply not technically feasible and it is also economically and environmentally unviable.

Frequently, the structural measures tend to generally disturb the ecological balance and consequently, rather than mitigating flood risks they have tended to only shift them. A balanced and well sequencing of a mix of “soft” (institutional and capacity building) and “hard” (infrastructure) response; land and water resources management; ecosystem preservation and development needs; and short and long-term measures are what is required. Flood management policy therefore require paradigm shift from the myth of “absolute safety from flooding” as we continue to hear from our politicians towards a more pragmatic, flexible and adaptive approach of “living with flood risk”. Such that the benefits of the smaller and frequent floods, the value of flood plains and flood protection measures and such residual risks as levee failure are recognized.

Since 1970s, the concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) has been accepted to be the key to achieving water security and sustainability.

This requires that we integrate flood risks in the development strategies by way of integrated flood management (IFM) in the overall framework of IWRM. The defining characteristic of IFM is integration, expressed simultaneously in different forms: an appropriate mix of strategies, carefully selected points of interventions, and appropriate types of interventions (structural or non-structural, shortor long-term) that addresses the following six key elements: manage the water cycle as a whole; integrate land and water management; manage risk and uncertainty; adopt a best mix of strategies; ensure a participatory approach; and adopt integrated hazard management approaches.

Let me briefly elaborate on each of these.

Contd. on Page 36

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