People Daily

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 10 No. 10

Friday, January 11, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Safar 25, 1434 AH

N150

Du community women in Jos South local government area of Plateau state protesting, yesterday in Jos the killing and arrest of their men.

Photo: NAN

EFCC arrests Soludo over bribery scam

By Richard Ihediwa, Abdulwahab Isa and Lambert Tyem

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested and quizzed former Governor of the Central Bank, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for several hours over allegations of bribery and fraud in the contract for the printing of polymer currency notes during his tenure.

Soludo, who was picked in Abuja in the afternoon, was taken to the commission’s Abuja headquarters where he was kept until late evening when this report was filed.

Though, it was not immediately clear what Soludo was told, his name has been mentioned in several corruption reports, including his alleged involvement in bribery scandals on the production of the polymer notes which have proved to be substandard.

The CBN under Soludo introduced the N50, N20, N10 and N5 polymer notes, promising that they would be durable and weather resistant, an assurance that has not stood the test of time as the notes fade and wear off rapidly.

Soludo was accused of Contd on Page 2

Jonathan, govs fail to end PDP crisis Adamawa leadership tussle worsens

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem and Umar Dankano, Yola

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s part of effort to resolve the internal bickering threatening to tear apart the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday summoned governors of the party to a meeting in Abuja.

However, the meeting at House 7 in the Presidential Villa which lasted three hours, failed to point the way forward.

Following the failure to reach common ground

at yesterday's meeting, the governors resolved to continue the discussion at an undisclosed location in Abuja while President Jonathan returned to his office to attend to other state matters.

However, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, who was detailed to speak with State House correspondents, noted that the president invited the governors to the meeting to look into issues as leaders of the country.

"You know the PDP is a very large party," he explained. "The party may have its own internal challenges. Of course, we have our own modus Contd on Page 2

Scrap Police Nigeria 20th saddest Kaduna loses 2,000 place to live women in childbirth Ministry, Oshiomhole — Forbes annually tells FG >> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 2

>> PAGE 4

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

S/Exchange S/Report Islam Int’l

23 24-25 26 27-30

Girls should go to school early to avoid forced marriage – Hadiza Mohammed, Page 40

Strangeworld 31 Revue

32-33

Digest

36

Politics

37-39

Sports

41-46

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

Nigeria 20th saddest FG orders toxic waste place to live – Forbes containers returned to UK

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orbes has ranked Nigeria as the 20th saddest place to live in the whole world.

In its analysis, it said: “The best of the worst, Nigeria ranks 123rd overall on the Legatum Prosperity Index. Decades of corruption have squandered great oil and gas wealth, while new concerns involve sectarian violence.

The list of saddest countries on earth is dominated by African and Asian countries and the top 20 are: Central African Republic

(1st), Republic of Congo (2nd),Afghanistan (3rd), Chad (4th), Haiti (5th), Burundi (6th), Togo (7th), Zimbabwe (8th), Yemen (9th), Ethopia (10th), Pakistan (11th), Iraq (12th), Liberia, (13th), Angola (14th), Sierra Leone (15th) Guinea (16th), Ivory Coast (17th), Sudan (18th), Mozambique (19th) and Nigeria in 20th position.

The report however did not state by what indices it arrived at the results.

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he Federal Government has ordered that the toxic waste laden containers on board MV Marivia Monrovia be shipped back to the port of origin in the U.K. Dr Ngeri Benebo, the Director General of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), disclosed to reporters on Thursday.

The Liberian flagged container ship with gross tonnage of 23, 652, which berthed at the Tin-Can Island Port on Wednesday, was

intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service and NESREA. Some containers in the ship were laden with used television sets, used computers, used CPUs, used DVDs, used microwaves, used pressing irons and used stereo sets.

Benebo said that sending the consignment back to the port of origin was in conformity with the provisions of Harmful Wastes Act, promulgated after the Koko waste saga. “We are sending the e-wastes back to the port of origin”, the DG said. (NAN)

EFCC arrests Soludo over bribery scam Contd from Page 1 receiving bribe from officials of Securency, the Australian currency minting company that got the contract to print the polymer notes when he was CBN governor.

Securency was investigated in Australia and some of its officials were reported to have admitted to paying a bribe to CBN officials to get the contract It was gathered that other former and serving CBN officials especially those who worked under Soludo have also been apprehended for questioning with respect to the deal.

Though the EFCC spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwajaren, could not be reached, competent EFCC sources confirmed Soludo’s arrest to Peoples Daily last night, saying it was in respect of his activities in the nation's apex bank during his regime.

The sources, who said they were not competent to speak on behalf of the Commission, would not say whether the former CBN governor would be released later yesterday.

They, however, explained that inviting public officials to the EFCC offices for questioning was a

routine thing, especially when records point to something untoward happening.

Reacting to Soludo’s arrest, CBN Director of Public Communications, Mr. Ugochuckwu Okarafor told Peoples Daily on phone yesterday that he was not aware that Soludo and some serving CBN staff have been picked up for questioning by the EFCC. “In fact, you are just telling me this. I am not aware and will need to check and get back to you”, he said though he never got back and did not respond to subsequent calls put through to him.

It will be recalled that the

current management of the CBN is thinking of phasing out the Soludo polymer notes so as to take away the monopoly of printing Nigeria’s currency notes from the Australian firm. The bank cites quality problems, saying the notes have environmental issues.

Tunde Lemo, the apex bank’s Deputy Governor, Operations, said in September last year that because of the monopoly, the bank was always forced to pay whatever amount the firm charged, adding that there were a lot of “environmental issues” surrounding the polymer notes.

Jonathan, govs fail to end PDP crisis Contd from Page 1 operandi, ways of resolving all these issues. Various committees have been set up, from the Board of Trustees to the National Working Committee. I believe that in the next one week, all those issues will be a thing of the past."

On whether the PDP governors were happy with the National Chairman following his handling of the Adamawa affair, Akpabio, remarked that the governors no problem with Tukur.

"There is nothing like the PDP governors not being happy. We identify with the party, we have confidence in the party and all the internal wrangling you are hearing, those things are normal in any democracy", he said.

"There are challenges because PDP is a very large party, the largest in the whole of Africa. But all these internal issues will soon be resolved.

"Mr. President who is the leader of the party has taken the right step; he has set up the right committees and you are aware that even in the state of Adamawa, we have the Governor Sule Lamido committee that will soon bring a report which will bring the Adamawa crisis to an end.

The governor also remarked that the meeting with President Jonathan was a normal and it provided an opportunity to compare notes.

He added: "We must look at all

areas of governance that require improvement. It's a kind of peer review mechanism, whereby the PDP states come together to look not just at governance at the state level but also of the party itself at the national level.

"We look at things that can strengthen the party and what Nigerians want. And I think this is good for the governance of the country. We must commend Mr. President for this initiative.

"Meeting the president and the Vice President will augur well for the governance of this country.

We will deliver more dividends to our people. Nigerians love the PDP and, of course, we want to give Nigerians the best.

"I can assure you that from the discussion we had, PDP will remain the party to beat because Nigerians are looking for good governance."

The deadlocked election of the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the deepening crisis in the National Working Committee (NWC) arising from the dissolution of the executive committee of the Adamawa state chapter as well as the status of its recently conducted congresses, dominated the discussion.

The Adamawa crisis was sparked by a decision of the national leadership of the PDP had set up a caretaker committee which conducted ward and local government congresses last week that produced a result that did not

please the state governor and leader of the party in the state, Murtala Nyako.

Members of the PDP NWC led

by Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, had met without the knowledge of the National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, to rescind the dissolution of the Adamawa executives and also disassociated themselves from the congresses conducted by the caretaker executives.

Before the meeting with the President, the governors met on Wednesday night and endorsed the decision of a section of the PDP NWC to restore the sacked the Adamawa state executives loyal to Governor Nyako, against the wish of Tukur, himself, an indigene of Adamawa who described their action as a betrayal of trust.

Besides, the governors endorsed the NWC's disassociation from the purported ward, local government and state congresses in Adamawa, declaring them "null and void and of no effect".

After the BoT leadership election that ended in stalemate on Tuesday, the President met with the NWC and elders of the party on Wednesday.

On the deepening leadership tussle in the Adamawa PDP, Akpabio assured that the Governor Sule Lamido committee on the matter would soon submit its report.

The communiqué of an

earlier meeting at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on Wednesday, said the governors endorsed the decision of the of the National Working Committee (NWC) rescinding the dissolution of the Adamawa state PDP executive committee.

They also “endorsed the decision of the NWC dissociating themselves from the purported ward, local government and state congresses in Adamawa state and declaring same as null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

Meanwhile, PDP Chairman in Adamawa state, Chief Joel Madaki, has said he remains the authentic chairman and vowed not to be intimidated by the latest decision of the NWC. “What transpired in Abuja was a decision taken by a faction of the NWC and it is a manipulation by few people,” Madaki told reporters yesterday in Yola.

Flanked by party supporters, Madaki noted that “we are in charge of the state PDP executive and therefore will not be intimidated by the pronouncement of some elements in the party's NWC who staged a coup against the party leadership.

“We are not rattled or perturbed by the so-called pronouncement credited to the NWC and we appeal to party members and supporters to remain calm and resolute as very soon, the truth will prevail.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 3

Insecurity: Cleric urges Christians, Muslims to imbibe tenets of their religions

By Muhammad Nasir

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L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Peoples Media Limited, Malam Ali M. Ali, presenting copies of Peoples Daily newspaper published by PML to Amir, National Islamic Centre, Zaria, Malam Salihu Abubakar, during the organisation's visit to the headquarters of the media house, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

he current insecurity in Nigeria has been linked to different dimension such as politics, culture and religion.

The disclosure was made yesterday by Malam Salihu Abubakar, Amir, National Islamic Center, Zaria during a courtesy visit to People’s Media Limited, Publishers of People Daily, in Abuja. The Amir said it is difficult to point out what actually caused the problem of insecurity in the country.

He advice Nigerians to imbibe good values and the rule

of law and that both Muslims and Christians should not to condone anything that goes off the truth.

Abubakar also noted that those values are uncompromising that must be established for a truly virile nation that will live up to the expectation of Nigerians, adding that the biggest calamities that are befalling Nigerians have gone against the fundamental values.

The team was received by the management of Peoples Media Limited led by the Chief Operating Officer, Malam Ali M Ali.

Scrap police ministry, Oshiomhole tells FG

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem & Lambert Tyem

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do state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has advocated the scrapping of the Ministry of Police Affairs on the grounds that it politicises the force. Oshiomhole who spoke during the launch of the Code of Conduct for the Nigeria Police in Abuja yesterday, noted that with a functional Police Service Commission, the country does not need a ministry in charge of police affairs.

…as Jonathan urges professionalism He also called for the sack of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) “D” Department (Investigation), Peter Yisa Gana, for allegedly conspiring with some other police officers to shield the killers of his late private secretary, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde.

Comrade Oshiomhole opined that “I believe that we do not need a Ministry of Police Affairs.

I have nothing against the

NAFDAC disclaims HIV/ AIDS drug by UNIBEN don

By A’isha Biola Raji

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he National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has denied the authenticity of a claim by Prof. Isaiah Ibeh of the University of Benin, to have found a cure for HIV/AIDS. The disclaimer was issued yesterday in Abuja by NAFDAC Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii at a press briefing by the agency.

According to the DG, the herbal drug discovered by Prof.

Ibeh, Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Benin, has not undergone any drug evaluation procedure by the agency.

He said: “The agency wishes to state that this drug claimed to have passed through series of successful tests has never been presented to NAFDAC for evaluation of efficacy and safety”.

He warned that fake claim of efficacy of drugs is capable of deceiving the public especially patients of such diseases. “There is no known

official or scientifically proven cure for HIV/AIDS infection to date,” he called.

Orhii however advised those that are interested in working on curative drugs for diseases like HIV/AIDS to do so, with scientifically proven efficacy tests in compliance with the procedure and approval put in place by NAFDAC. Filtering questions from journalists, Orhii said whoever is in possession of any claim or cure should bring such drug forth for verification in order to avoid embarrassment.

minister. Where you have a national police commission, then you do not need another ministry to oversee police affairs”, he said.

On Oyerinde’s murder, Oshiomhole said he remained aggrieved over the shoddy handling of the case by the police, praising the State Security Service (SSS) for arresting those he said he believed are the actual suspects.

Six killed in fresh Nasarawa communal clash From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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ix people were reportedly killed yesterday in two separate communal clashes, with the bodies deposited at the Dalhatu Araf Specialists Hospital (DASH), Lafia.

Our reporter who witnessed the arrival of the bodies conveyed to the hospital in two white Hilux vans belonging to the police, gathered that five Fulani herdsmen were ambushed and slaughtered as they were vacating their settlement located close to Barikin Abdullahi (BAD), in Lafia local government

Plateau pays LG staff salary arrears

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he Plateau state government yesterday commenced the payment of three months’ salary arrears to workers of its 17 local government councils. This was part of an agreement reached with the organised labour in December to end a 10-month old strike by the workers.

The workers have been pressing for the implementation of the approved N18,000 national minimum wage, while the government had insisted it had no

“IG, you know that I am aggrieved; I am aggrieved over the murder of my private secretary and the way in which it was trivialised. I am saying it knowing that the Vice President is here.

“My secretary was murdered in cold blood and on the orders of Mr. President to fish out the killers, you dispatched a DIG to supervise that investigation; a DIG is a sufficiently senior officer

funds to meet the demand.

However, following a prolonged strike, both parties brokered an agreement on Dec. 21, to pay the workers the arrears based on 55 percent of their demand to call off the strike while negotiations continued.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Abraham Yiljap, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that the payment of the arrears to the workers had commenced. (NAN)

area, while the sixth person was killed by alleged Fulani marauders in Rutu, Ekye development area.

A survivor of the BAD clash, Ibrahim Musa, who lost two of his elder brothers, two younger ones and a son, narrated his ordeal in tears to our reporter at the premises of the hospital.

He said two other siblings were still missing but that women and children were spared in the attack.

He said the attackers came wielding dangerous weapons and used machetes with which they cut down the fleeing men.

On the other hand, a sibling of the Tiv person killed in Ekye, Amoskola Abama, resident of Agbashi, narrated that his brother was on his way to bring food stuff to his family who have been displaced from their home and are presently living in Odeni, when alleged Fulani assailants ambushed and attacked him while riding on his motor bike.

Efforts to contact the police authorities in the state to confirm the stories however proved abortive as when our correspondent rang the phone of the command spokesperson Michael Ada, it was switched off as at the time of filing this report.

in my estimation. They came to Benin and they did what the late Fela would have called police magic.

The governor lamented that one of the problems of the Nigeria state including the police and even in the civil service, was the culture of impunity where people do things wrongly and get away with it.

Also at the event, President Goodluck Jonathan called on police officers across the country to exhibit the finest ideals of professionalism in the discharge of their duties, directing the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to furnish him with details of assessment of police conduct on a quarterly basis.

Speaking while unveiling the Code of Conduct for the Nigeria Police, the President said the need to provide a guiding standard of behaviour for police officers on and off duty informed his decision to approve the code which he said would ensure that policemen discharge their duties more professionally.

He stated that the police must continue to work within the ambit of the law and act within acceptable ethical standards.

The President ordered that all officers must be made conversant with the provisions of the Code.

He therefore charged the Police High command to ensure that, “all police officers must be fully aware of its provisions and strive at all times to live up to its standards.”

He described the Code as simple and easy for all police officers and members of the public to understand, which reflects international conventions for law enforcement agents.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 4

SNG to mark subsidy protest anniversary From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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he Save Nigeria Group (SNG) has announced a roundtable dialogue on January 14 to commemorate the 2012 street revolt of the people of Nigeria against the culture of corruption in the country.

In a press statement, SNG spokesman Yinka Odumakin, said the event which will take place at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, will focus on “Nigeria’s fiscal and monetary crisis: The way out”.

It will have such panelists as popular economist, Henry Boyo; renowned columnist and economist, Idowu Sobowale; chairman of the Editorial Board of Punch newspapers, Mr. Segun Adediran; and representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The event, which will start at 10 am, will also feature a photo exhibition on the protests.

$15m Ibori bribe: Court chides parties over slow proceedings

Police releases Lamido’s son on bail From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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ano state police command has released on bail, Aminu Sule, the eldest son of Jigawa state Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido detained in connection with a fatal auto

crash which claimed the life of a middle-aged man in Kano on Wednesday night.

The release by the police came on the heels of unconfirmed reports that the parents of the victim of the auto-crash have been made to drop legal

proceedings against Aminu Sule amidst juicy promises to settle out of court.

Sule who was driving an SUV was alleged to have crushed to death a middle-aged man along BUK road by Rumfa College, Kano, on Wednesday evening

and was arrested at the scene by security agents.

His detention came barely a month after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) arrested him at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport over alleged money laundering.

Police Public Relations Officer in Kano, ASP Magaji Musa Majia, told newsmen that the case has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for appropriate action, adding that “investigation is going to establish a case against him”.

L-R: President Goodluck Jonathan; Rivers state Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, and Niger state Governor, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, during the PDP governors' meeting with the President, yesterday night at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

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Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, blamed its inability to commence hearing in the substantive matter in the suit brought before it over the ownership of $15 million (N2.6 billion) which former Delta state governor, Chief James Ibori was alleged to have offered then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu on the filing of interlocutory applications by parties in the matter.

The trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole stated this at the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, when EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs moved an application seeking an extension of time within which to file a further counter affidavit to the processes filed by the Delta state government, represented in the matter by the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Charles Ajuyah.

According to the judge, “I don’t like the way we are wasting time on interlocutory applications without getting to the substantive matter. This is because of the interlocutory applications which counsels bring before the court by counsels”.

EFCC’s counsel told the court that his application for an extension of time to file a further counter affidavit was brought pursuant to Order 48 Rule 4 of the Federal High Court Rules and within the inherent jurisdiction of the court, adding that the reason for the in-ability to file in time was due to the work load on the part of the applicant.

Let SMS be free, subscribers tell telecom operators

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obile telephone subscribers yesterday in Abuja called for a uniform tariff for Short Message Service (SMS) from all telecom operators in the country.

The subscribers made the call in separate interviews. Mr. David Amachree, who sells cosmetics, said that it was unfair for the operators to be charging differently for SMS from one network to another.

Amachree urged the telecom

operators to slash the rate of SMS to other networks. “The SMS that we send costs N5 for the same network and N15 for other networks. It should go down. It should be uniform for all networks.

“They should cut it down to a maximum of N3 or N5 per SMS, it should go down. The population of this country is so large that every one naira cumulatively turn into millions.

“So they are cheating us

honestly; the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should sit up and be up to the task in their responsibility,” Amachree urged.

Mrs. Victoria Onyebuchi, a primary school teacher, said that SMS should be free to subscribers to serve as value added services for being on a particular network.

Onyebuchi also urged NCC to compel the telecom operators to reduce and charge uniform tariffs

for all networks in the country.

“Why is it that whatever comes to Nigeria is always different; they can’t do this in other developed countries.

“Our leaders are not helping us; they should try and do something to compel these telecom operators to come down.

“Let free SMS be a kind of incentive for subscribers whom the operators make fortunes out of”, Onyebuchi said. (NAN)

Borno newspaper vendors threaten strike over arrest of members From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

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orno state chapter of the Association of Newspaper Vendors and Distributors, has threatened to embark on indefinite strike and peaceful protest next Saturday, if the police failed to release five of its members who were arrested yesterday.

Chairman of the association, Malam Bunu Umara, who was reacting to the arrest of the five vendors by the police, told newsmen they have given a twoday ultimatum to the security operatives to free the detained members unconditionally, or the entire state will be plunged into total black out in the sales and distribution of newspapers.

Our correspondent reports that heavily armed operatives of the Borno state police command, yesterday morning, stormed some strategic locations along

Bolori Roundabout and Damboa Road in Maiduguri metropolis and whisked away the vendors.

All the affected locations raided by the police were either opposite or just few meters from the official residence of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abdullahi Yuguda.

The affected persons include Babagana Modu, Aliyu Uba, Musa Mushe, Sadiq Bukar and the vendors’ chairman, Musa Ali.

Reacting to the incident, Malam Umara argued that the arrest and detention of members of the association was unlawful and an abuse of their fundamental human rights.

The chairman condemned the action of the police saying it was sad that unemployed youths, who later engaged in the sale of newspapers to earn legitimate income for economic survival, will be arrested without

justification.

Confirming the Police Commissioner, Mr. Abdullahi Yuguda, said: “Yes I ordered for their arrest because of the calibre of suspected criminals they are associating with at some strategic points in Maiduguri. I have warned them for more than three times to leave such locations, but to no avail. In fact some of them (vendors) that we arrested have cases to answer”.

Kaduna loses 2000 women annually in childbirth

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bout 1, 999 women in Kaduna state die annually following complications arising from childbirth, a non-governmental organisation, Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), has said.

The NURHI Project Director, Moji Odeku, made the disclosure Friday while presenting achievements of the NGO

during a meeting with stakeholders in Zaria, Kaduna state.

Ms. Odeku, who was represented by Mohammed Kabir-Abdullahi, Kaduna State Team Leader, said the figure was obtained from a survey carried out on women dying from complications in 2011 and 2012.

She attributed the huge loss of life to early-age and late-age

birth, lack of child spacing and access to health care facilities among others.

The project director said the main objective of the health initiative is to create awareness among Nigerians on ways to reduce maternal mortality.

The participants were drawn from Zaria, Sabon-Gari, Kudan and Giwa local government areas of the state. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2013

PAGE 5

‘Carelessness, cause of incessant fire outbreaks’ From Bolaji Olasunkanmi, Lagos

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ontroller General of Federal Fire Service, Segun Okebiorun attributed the incessant

the Mr. has fire

outbreaks in the country to carelessness which could be stemmed if precautionary measures are strictly adhered to.

In a television programme monitored in Lagos, Okebiorun

Borno, Indian firms, signs MoU on education, agriculture From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

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orno state government yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) worth over N230 million with two Indian firms, IL & FS Company, and Bala Industries Private Limited.

Secretary to the State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, signed the MoU on behalf of Governor Kashim Shettima, with partnership bordering on education and agricultural transformation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at Government House in Maiduguri, Ambassador Jidda said the partnership was targeted at agricultural and educational advancement through modern innovative techniques.

According to the SSG, in the area of agriculture, the firms are expected to train youths on integrated modern agriculture, with emphasis on poultry

INSIGHT

management.

He said besides the training, the companies will also supply modern equipment for the take off of the project, comprising of incubators, hatchery and brooding battery cages.

The SSG added that the partnership want help in tackling poverty, unemployment and educational backwardness as the government has embarked on aggressive transformation of education and the agricultural sectors.

Chairman of the state Agricultural Transformation Team, Engr. Ibrahim Ali, said the project will enhance agricultural production especially in the area of poultry farming.

Engr. Ali said under the project, day-old chicks will be produced and distributed to rural farmers to enhance their financial status.

He stated that government is considering the introduction of one egg per student in the school feeding programme.

Kuje crude oil discovery: The true story

said: “record has showed that most of the fire outbreaks are caused by carelessness because at this time everywhere is dry any little mistake will possibly lead to fire”.

He said: “In our places of work people have not taken safety as a responsibility; some organisations don’t do much when it comes to safety-related

to fire outbreak and other emergencies within the structures. Let’s talk of the fire in INEC office Abuja; at Ajegunle; explosion at Tin Can Island Port and the plank fire outbreak in Ebute Metta. The bottom line of all these problems when checked is carelessness – when some things that are supposed to be

Kaduna gets new SSG, others From Nasiru Mu’azu Isa, Kaduna overnor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna state has appointed a new Secretary to the Kaduna State Government to replace Alhaji Abdullahi Samaila Yakawada.

The new SSG is Ishaq Hamza Dan Mahawayi.

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A press release signed by the Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Saidu Adamu, also named Abdullahi Ahmed Maiyaki as the new Director-General (Media and Publicity) to the governor, to replace Reuben Buhari who served the late Patrick Yakowa.

Also contained in the release

done are left undone, the result is what we see”.

He said the federal and state fire services has come up with a code – the National Safety Code that will help to check all these wrong methods of urbanisation in our society.

He noted that most estates are built without any plan for safety. are the appointments of Yahaya Aminu Abdullahi as the Chief of Staff and Aliyu Samaila as the Principal Private Secretary; as well as Madami Garba Madami as the Special Adviser (Political) to the governor.

Nathaniel K. Hayab was retained as the Kaduna State Head of Service. All the appointments took effect from yesterday.

…as Shettima swears in new justice commissioner From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno state yesterday swore in Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan as the new Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General.

Barrister Lawan had been acting on the beat for the past four months, following the assassination of the former commissioner, Barrister Zanna Malam Gana.

Governor Shettima said the appointment was in accordance

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with section 195 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which empowers him to do so, subject to the approval of the state House of Assembly.

He said Lawan was appointed based on merit and his track records of professionalism in the judicial system.

According to the governor, the state is in a difficult situation and requires the intervention of efficient personalities who can work in line with the aspiration of his administration to better the

FOCUS

Harmathan and changing lifestyle

lives of the citizenry.

He urged the appointees to be dedicated to their duties and join forces with the government’s aggressive approach to the development of all sectors.

The oath of office and allegiance was administered by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Kashim Zanna.

Responding, the new commissioner thanked the governor for finding him worthy of the appointments and promised to justify the confidence.

SPECIAL REPORT

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa: 47 years after

KANNYWOOD My father

made me marry so I could stop singing —El Bash (Bashir Muhammed)

CO VER: 2013 Sha per s COVER: Shaper pers

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Baker, Kado pays workers a million naira monthly

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

CACOL flays NNPC for ‘reckless borrowing’ From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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oalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL)) has condemned the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), for the $1.5bn foreign loan purportedly sought by the corporation to settle unpaid fuel supply bills being owed some commodity trading houses.

Executive chairman of the coalition, Debo Adeniran, noted that the purported foreign loan by the NNPC is another avenue to fritter away the nation's resources.

"This foreign loan is another way to corner our common patrimony into

private hands. What older loans are they settling? Does it mean the nation still owes subsidy payments, whereas huge amounts were appropriated for the same purpose last year and the masses were made to believe that the appropriated money would be enough to pay fuel suppliers and settle old debts?

“The NNPC has become like a cesspit of corruption. The NNPC claimed it owes some commodity trading houses including Glencore and Mercuria, about $3.5bn in unpaid fuel supply. Who consumed the fuel and when was it consumed? It is high time an end came to the shenanigans of the

NNPC. They lead the nation by the nose, sell our oil, deduct what they like from the proceeds, remit whatever amount they deem good into the national treasury, with no oversight from any quarters", Adeniran alleged.

He also advocated that the Petroleum Industry Bill should be reworked and passed by the National Assembly if the nation must be free from the grip of the cabals perpetuating corruption in the oil sector. He added that the shoddy way in which the NNPC operates is the major contributor to the sleaze that has become endemic in the corporation.

FG awards N2bn contracts at Dutsin-ma varsity From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua, Katsina

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ice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutsin-ma, Katsina state, Prof. James Ayatse, has disclosed that the Federal Government has awarded contracts worth N2 billion for the construction of structures at its permanent site.

Ayatse who made the disclosure while receiving the education committee of the Katsina state House of Assembly, noted that the N2 billion was to cover faculty buildings, administrative block, ICT and a modern library among others.

Similarly, the vicechancellor expressed appreciation with the enormous contributions of Katsina state government to the smooth take off of the university, hoping that the

university's permanent site would be completed before the end of his tenure.

Ayatse expressed satisfaction with the quality of work executed by the Federal Government which he added has put the university far ahead of its contemporaries across the country.

Responding, chairman of Katsina Assembly Committee on Education, Dr. Lawal Aliyu Musawa, assured the university that the Assembly would exploit the good services of the university for the socioeconomic growth of the state.

Also, the Special Adviser on Higher Education, Alhaji Aliyu Haruna Jani, who accompanied the committee on the tour, noted that the committee was on oversight visit to projects executed by the state government at the university.

Katsina to recruit 3,000 teachers

From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua, Katsina

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L-R: Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji; Minister of State for Education, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike; and representative of Kano state Governor, Malam Tajuddeen Gambo, during the official hand-over of additional classrooms constructed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Kano State, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

FMC, Lokoja to set up oxygen plant From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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hief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Kogi state, Dr. Dada Eleshin, has said the institution will soon establish an oxygen plant in view of its strategic location in the country to cater for emergency cases in and around the state.

Dr. Eleshin who stated this yesterday in Lokoja while playing

host to the state chapter of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), said medical personnel who are to manage the plant have been taken to various health institutions and research centres for training.

Earlier, the state chairman of the union, Comrade Onu Edoka, had commended the CMD for his developmental strides especially the provision of infrastructural

facilities in the centre.

Edoka who called on the management of the centre to look into percentage of salary deduction of members of the union for their check-off dues which was grossly low, equally appealed that the Senior Staff Association (SSA) should not be allowed to interfere with the union in its members drive at the centre.

Emir charges NAWOJ to build on potential From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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mir of Dass, Alhaji Usman Bilyaminu Usman has charged the leadership of women journalists in Bauchi state to explore the potentialities of the women folk especially in education and health to make their inputs in the governance of the state.

"We would like to see more programmes about women in our media outfits in education, health and other matters. We will like to see how you bring out the goodness in our women and the potentialities that women do have so that it could be appreciated and carried along in

governance", the emir said.

Alhaji Bilyaminu was speaking when the leadership of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) led by the chairperson, Kaltume Abdullahi Shall, paid him homage in his palace.

The emir noted that the association in Bauchi has credible members that could deliver the best of services required by the people, the government and the society at large.

Usman said he was aware of the difficulties women journalists encounter in the course of their duties, as well as the challenges, and assured them of openness, cooperation in carrying out their duties.

"I will also like to appeal to you to lead by example, try and do the right things by relaying information that is accurate to the public, information that hasn't been distorted", he told the delegation.

The NAWOJ chairperson, Kaltume Abdullahi Shall had earlier told the emir that they were at the palace to solicit his support, cooperation, and guidance.

"In the course of our leadership, we will surely require your guidance at all times. We know that your doors are always open for not only NAWOJIANS but all journalists in Bauchi state", she said.

atsina state government is to employ 3,000 secondary school teachers this year, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Aminu Kado Kurfi, has said.

Kurfi who stated this, yesterday while defending his ministry's budget before the Appropriation Committee of the state House of Assembly, added that the move would enhance learning in these secondary schools.

According to him, government had rehabilitated over 400 secondary schools in 2012, procured teaching materials and other science facilities for the schools; but the schools have inadequate teachers.

He said that the government would also spend over N500 million on the payment of WAEC/NECO registration fees for indigent students.

The commissioner lamented the mass failure of students who did the 2012 Senior Secondary Schools Examination (SSCE), disclosing that government would introduce a qualifying examination to ensure that only qualified candidates sat for SSCE. He said the ministry would continue to intensify efforts in schools inspection to ensure that teachers discharge their duties effectively.

Kurfi urged the lawmakers to continue to support the government's effort in developing the education sector because it remains the key to any form of development.

Minimum wage: NLC lacks correct data, says Gov Ahmed From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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overnor of Kwara state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has debunked the claim of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), that the state had not paid minimum wage fully for it workers.

In his monthly media chat yesterday, the governor replied the union saying: "they don't correct data on those that have been paid N18, 000 minimum wage".

He said the labour leaders should commend the state for being the second to implement the new rate immediately it was

declared by the Federal Government.

Speaking on Ajase-Ipo/ErinIle road, the governor disclosed that the project would gulp N600 million which has been included in the 2013 budget.

On why the recurrent outweighs the capital in the state's 2013 allocation, he said: "The state is largely a civil service-driven state just like the local governments and the Federal Government.

The recurrent expenditure that's high is because we need to take care of the civil servants. We cannot afford to reduce the workforce".

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Lawmaker urges vets to help eradicate polio From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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lawmaker has urged veterinarians to help in ending the polio eradication challenges in the country.

A member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Alhaji Garba Babale(PDP, Hardawa) made the appeal during the budget defence of the state Ministry of Animals and Nomadic Resettlement in Bauchi.

Hardawa said that the geographical spread of their activities and relationship with the Fulani and other migratory people would help in spreading the message of the essence of the polio eradication.

“We have a big problem in polio eradication with people rejecting it. If at all our people

will accept animal vaccination, they have to also talk about their children who will take care of the animals.

“So, while you are conducting your vaccinations, tell the owners of these animals the hazards of polio, that they should be immunizing their children, too”.

Hardawa said that the health of the human being was attached to that of the animal, because a healthy animal would boost the health of its consumers also.

Speaking to journalists, the state Commissioner for Animal Health and Nomadic Resettlements, Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim, said that the ministry was working out ways to reduce conflicts between the pastoralists and farmers in the state.

Mubi North council services rural road rehab From Umar Dankano, Yola

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hairman of Mubi North Local government Area in Adamawa State, Alhaji Sahabo Jauro has assured the electorate in his council of his administration’s readiness to execute projects with direct bearing on the populace.

Alhaji Sahabo gave the assurance yesterday at

the flagging off of rural road projects to open up rural communities in the area.

He also said the council had commenced filling of potholes on Mubi township roads as well as the evacuation of dirt from drainages to avoid blockage. ”We have started rehabilitation of broken down boreholes to ensure portable water for the people”, he added.

Power outage disrupts activities at LUTH

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ctivities at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), IdiAraba, Lagos, have been disrupted for two days due to power outage.

NAN correspondents, who visited the hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday report that many health personnel were unable to carry out their duties including medical tests.

There was slight improvement on Wednesday as the hospital management was forced to use its backup generating set to power some essential sections.

Some doctors and health workers who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that activities were at a low ebb at the hospital due to the outage.

An out-patient, Mrs Geraldine Popoola, told NAN at the records department that one of the attending officers with poor sight was forced to use torchlight to perform her duty.

“The records department is very dark and it is really frustrating for the woman to take my details. Since the

room was dark, it took her longer time than usual to manage to write my details in such condition,’’ she said.

Also, Mrs Kuburat Taiwo, relative of a patient on admission, said that an operation that ought to have been carried out on her sister early in the morning was suspended.

“The medical team handling her case told us that they could not go on with the operation because there is no blood at the blood bank as a result of the power outage.They claimed that the blood kept in the bank had been evacuated and taken to a safe place where there is stable electricity,” she said.

A senior official at the hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said that power outage had been the norm in the hospital for a while.

The official said that this had on many occasions stalled essential services.

According to the official, many surgeries scheduled to be performed on some patients on critical conditions were cancelled as a result of the power outage. (NAN)

L-R: First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, presenting documents to team leader United Nations Women, Ms. Michelle Bachelet, during the latter's visit to the First Lady, yesterday at the State House in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Jigawa students stranded in Dutse From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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arents in Jigawa state have decried the recent attitude of the Dutse local government council which abandoned hundreds of female boarding students for hours at the council secretariat on Sunday.

They are demanding an apology and explanation for the neglect of their wards after they heeded an appeal to present them at 9am for transportation to their respective schools.

Owing to the state government’s policy on girlchild education, all the 27 local

governments ensure free transportation of the students back to their schools after holidays.

In line with this, the Dutse local government directed that all parents submit their wards for onward transportation to their schools in the morning but unfortunately the girls were kept for no fewer than 14 hours before they were eventually be transported.

One Malam Isah of Takur housing estate expressed shock that the Dutse local government “abandoned hundreds of girls in distress and hunger without taking them to their respective

boarding schools after we have heeded to the directive to bring them forth in good time”.

Also speaking, Alhaji Umaru Sanda Chamo called on Governor Sule Lamido and the commissioner for education to investigate and take punitive measures against those found to be attracting a bad image for the government.

When contacted, the Dutse local government council Chairman, Alhaji Abdul’aziz Dankofa declined to comment, but stated that, “if it is on the students issue, report the actual feelings of the people and Allah will be our judge”.

Malnutrition: Expert advocates 3:2:1 child feeding formula From Uche Uche, Damaturu

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lthough poverty is one of the causes of m a l n u t r i t i o n , nutritionists have advocated the use of locally available food resources in both preventive and curative method of containing the effect of malnutrition.

Speaking on this issue to our reporter in Damaturu, Hajiya Laraba Audu, the nutrition officer at the Yobe state Primary Health Care Management Board, said mothers have available food resources to prevent as well as cure acute malnutrition and save the lives of their children.

However, she said, ‘ignorance is one of the causes of malnutrition in children, mothers are ignorant of property feeding practices of their children from birth to two years.”.

“Most of the mothers have the food in both quantity and quality but not aware of how to make these food items useful to their children due to lack of nutrition education.”

Some of the locally available food items which she listed include Maize, Rice and beans, Carrot, and groundnut which mothers could easily use to make an adequate nutritious food for her child, applying what she described as the 3:2:1 formula, food measurements that she can prepare into pap to feed her child with.

She said the mother can use 3 cups of maize, 2 cups of beans, and 1cup of groundnut, or 3 cups of millet, 2 cups of soya beans and 1 cup of groundnut and make it into floor.

To start the preparation, she washes the 3 cups of millet, dry it, toast it in a pot and give it a light frying that gives it a little aroma, and then keep this aside.

Then the 2 cups of Soya beans is soaked in water overnight, in the morning she washes and dry it under the sun, put it into a pot, then toast it in fire to remove the outer coverings and equally give it an aroma, And the 1 cup of groundnut is toasted to remove the outer covering as well as give it an aroma.

The three items are then grounded into flour, sieved and then preserved in a clean container, with a lead.

Whenever she wants to prepare the pap, she uses a dry spoon, take 3 or 4 spoons of the flour, cook it for about five minutes, then serve the child in addition to breast feeding the child.

She said this formula is very adequate because the cereal contains carbohydrate, soya beans and groundnut will give the needed protein.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

L-R: Danmasani Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, Managing Editor, Hausa service of Voice of America, Alhaji Aliyu Mustapha, and Chairman, Voice of the Youth Magazine, Alhaji Ahmed Dalhatu, during the Northern Peace Summit, yesterday in Kaduna.

R-L: Nasarawa state Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko al-makura, being decorated with the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance emblem by the state Chairman, Nigeria Legion, Colonel Jonathan Awu (rtd), yesterday in Lafia.

L-R: Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) National President, Malam Mohammed Garba, being received by district head of Dundaye, Alhaji Mohammad Yakubu, during NUJ National President’s visit yesterday to Danduye in Sokoto state.

L-R: Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Chairman, Daar Communications, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, during a visit by the management team of Daar Communications to the governor, yesterday in Benin City.

L-R: Amb. Adamu Aliyu, Chairman, Bauchi state committee on the distribution of Federal Government’s N400 million fund to victims of the 2012 floods, a member of the committee, Galadima of Bauchi, Alhaji Saidu Jahun, and district head of Buzaye, Alhaji Abubakar Maje, during the visit of the committee to authenticate the extent of the disaster, yesterday in Bazaye Bauchi state.

Photo: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 9

Lagos gives generators to rural communities From Adesoji Oyinlola, Lagos

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o end to the incessant power outage in some rural communities and distribute potable water to the people of the state, the Lagos State government has, through its Ministry of Rural Development distributed five 3.5KVA generating sets to five communities in the State.

The generators would power their Type A water project whenever there is power outage from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

Distributing the sets at Alausa, Commissioner for Rural Development, Cornelius Ojelabi, charged the communities, through their CDAs, to take adequate care of their water projects and the generating sets so that they could enjoy potable water on regular basis.

Ojelabi tasked the CDA chairmen to protect government projects in their domain from vandalization and ensure proper maintenance of public projects.

The State government was not getting value for projects handed over to the CDAs because of lack of maintenance culture by them, he said.

He decried the situation where small faults that could be rectified with as little as N1,000 would be left

unattended to for months and years just because the CDAs are waiting for government to repair them.

According to the Commissioner, new transformers handed over to some communities awaiting to

be connected to power lines, were being vandalized daily without any effort made by the CDAs to protect them.

He therefore urged them to partner with the State government in maintenance and sustenance, a key to getting

maximum output from any project.

While urging them to be security-conscious all the time, he charged members of the CDAs to go back to their communities and map out strategies that would positively affect the lives

of the people.

Communities that benefited from the gesture were Iragon CDA in Badagry Central, Temu CDA in Ikosi Ejinrin, Ijedodo CDA in Ojo, Ogo Oluwa CDA in Ikorodu and Federal Low Cost Housing Estate in Alimosho.

We spent N4.8bn on education, by Yobe SUBEB

By Uche Uche, Damaturu

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obe State Universal Basic Education Board, has expended the total sum of N4.85 billion from May 31, 2011 to October 31, 2012 to ensure the implementation of the UBE programme in the state.

The Executive Chairman of

the Board, Alhaji Gagarau Isa Bizi disclosed this while speaking to our reporter in Damaturu, the state capital, on the achievements of the Board, He stated that out of the total amount, N120.1 million was spent on the renovation of five burnt primary schools in Damaturu, including Central

Primary school, Abbari, Bukar Ibn Ali and Pompomari primary schools respectively.

Others include the construction of classrooms, purchase of school furniture, distribution of assorted books and instructional materials, renovation dilapidated primary schools, purchase of 4 Wheel

Toyota Hilux for monitoring exercises among others..

The statement said the Board, through its overhead cost, has settled staff salaries, purchased a 50KVA generator, 10 fire proof filling cabinets and a Peugeot 406, at the total cost of N2.215 billion.

Oni commiserates with Alaafin over fire incident From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

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eoples Democratic Party (PDP) National ViceChairman (South-West), Chief Segun Oni has commiserated with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi over the fire incident, which razed his palace Wednesday.

In a statement issued yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Lere Olayinka, the PDP National Vice-Chairman, who described the news of the fire incident as painful, prayed that God would restore all the loses caused by the fire incident.

He urged Oba Adeyemi not to be depressed by the incident, saying; “this should be seen as a tonic for reinvigorating your energy and resources towards continuous service to the people of Oyo Kingdom and the Yoruba nation in general.”

“In my mind, I appreciate how difficult and painful it is for such an ancient palace, with historical artefacts to be destroyed within a twinkling of an eye and I can imagine the level of grief this incident has caused.

“However, I rejoice with Kabiyesi, Iku Baba Yeye and the entire people of Oyo that no life was lost in the incident.

“Kabiyesi, I share in this painful moment, which I am sure is trying and pray that God, in His infinite mercies will restore whatever that has been destroyed by the fire incident,” Oni said.

Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar (right), presenting Dansanda magazine to Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo (left), during the launch of code of conduct for officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, yesterday in Abuja. With them is the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (middle).

Photo: NAN

Bauchi set to disburse FGN N400m to floods victims From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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auchi state government will commence disbursement of N400 million received from Federal government to last year’s flood disaster victims in the state.

The Chairman, Bauchi State Committee on the Distribution of Federal Government N400 million to victims of 2012 Flood Disaster, Amb Adamu Aliyu disclosed this in Itas, headquarters of Itas Gadau council while explaining the

By Miriam Humbe

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n order to halt the tide of insecurity and boost the morale of tourists in the hospitality industry, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC in collaboration with a private security firm, Orbit Technologies and Investment Limited, has officially commenced the registration of staff working in all hotels across Nigeria.

The commencement of registration which is to ensure maximum security in hospitality outfits was revealed during the signing of agreement between NTDC and Orbit Technologies and

formalities involved in disbursement of the money to the council chairman, Alhaji Yau Ibrahim.

He said that the fund would be distributed to the beneficiaries after the verification exercise in the presence of district and village heads to ensure fairness in the distribution of the fund.

Aliyu, currently on authentication tour of Bauchi Northern Senatorial District, explained that the estimate was for farmlands, houses, animals and other valuables

destroyed by the flood disaster during the period.

According to him, property estimated at N3, 000 Billion has been destroyed in Bauchi State during the 2012 Flood Disaster which affected nearly all the 20 Local government Areas of the state.

He said the committee which comprises of traditional rulers, government officials and other relevant agencies was in the area to authenticate the actual victims and property destroyed during the unfortunate

incident.

The chairman called on victims whose farmlands were situated along flood prone areas to saw early maturing crops to avoid the 2012 unfortunate situation where most crops that were about to ripe were washed away.

He assured that the committee would ensure that the fund reaches the actual beneficiaries and called on chairmen of the affected councils to join the committee during the exercise.

NTDC registers hotel workers

The pilot phase of the project would commence in Abuja with the hope of incorporating other parts of the country before the year runs out.

It would be recalled that the introduction of biometric technology for staff of hotels and related hospitality outfits in Nigeria started last year culminating in the introduction of a consortium of three IT outfits to the President, Hotel Employers and Personal Services Association of Nigeria (HOPSEA), Chief Samuel Alabi, who had led a delegation of seasoned hoteliers to the tourism village, Abuja last year.

Investment Limited, in a ceremony held at the tourism village, Abuja.

Speaking during the event, the Director-General of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe said the official take off of the process yesterday signaled a new dispensation in ensuring that only genuine people work in hotels while boosting the total security of tourists and visitors to the country.

The DG noted that it was imperative to integrate every staff working in the hospitality industry in a single database which would be monitored by

NTDC as a way of checking the movement of fraudulent people within the industry.

He emphasized the need to maintain a viable database to encourage foreign direct investment in the hospitality sector in line with international standards.

Chief Executive Director of Orbit Technologies, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu observed that the essence of the move was to track staff migrating within the hospitality industry in a bid to checkmate vices and criminal activities.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Politicians are cause of violence in north– El- Zakzaki From Nasiru Mu’azu Isa, Kaduna

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iolence in the country has been attributed to crooked politicians who use violence as means of achieving political power and profit.

This was stated by the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim ElZakzaki during the inaugural ceremony of the Christian/ Muslim alternative to conflict in Kaduna Wednesday.

Shiekh El Zakzaki said the series of violent attacks rocking the nation was a major hindrance to establishing peace in the nation and particularly in Kaduna State.

He, said part of people’s hope is that the politicians who instigate the violence, would stop and realise the futility of violence, adding that the genesis of the violence in the nation could be traced to those who benefit from it.

The cleric further observed that politicians intent on retaining their seats were behind

the series of violent attacks in the nation.

The Chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Gashash in his inaugural speech, called for the end to violence in the north stating “we must stop the killing of people and the destruction of animals and properties”.

He said both Christianity, Islam and good governance do not support violence.

Alhaji Gashash called for reexamination of priorities instead of creating bogus plans and activities that do not

strengthen our democracy.

He cited the recent constitutional review, and asking: “what is most important to us,is this constitution review needed?”

He also challenged the role the military in currently ensuring security in our nation and recommended their return to the barracks instead of setting up road blocks.

The chairman observed that the job of the police has been ceded to the army, stating “the country has taken away the duties that rightfully belong to the police”.

Mallam Gashash observed the situation in the country has risen to the level that in the name of ‘security’, innocent people are being arrested and in many cases, tortured.

He said that nowadays, all the security agencies have their detention centres such that when relatives are picked up they have no idea of which security agency has them in detention. From one detention centre to another, families are told that their loved one is not there”. Gashash insisted that, " secret detention and unjust

captivity is stopped”, adding that, if there was a just cause for detention, then families of those detained should know the charges and whereabouts of their loved ones.

He said attributing the violence in the north to religion was wrong and rather fomented by criminals and politicians .

The head of the Cherubim and Seraphim worldwide, the Most Reverend Samuel Abidoye in a chat with newsmen said that religion does not support violence in any form.

He said God has a reason for creating Muslims and Christians in the nation, adding that such forum would go a long way in ensuring peace and unity in the nation.

FAAN sets up task force on abandoned aircraft

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

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he management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said it has inaugurated a taskforce on the disposal of abandoned aircraft in all airports across the country.

According to a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Yakubu Dati, the task force became necessary as the aircraft constituted a serious safety hazard, “apart from being an eyesore at these airports, some of these aircraft have been abandoned for upwards of 10 years”.

The taskforce, during its inaugural meeting, called on owners of such abandoned aircraft to evacuate them immediately because of the danger posed by such, noting that some owners have responded to earlier appeals by the authority and are already making arrangement to evacuate them.

Chairman of the taskforce who is also the Director of Airport Operations, Capt. Henry Omeogu, made the plea as a last and final warning, saying “failure to abide by this appeal will necessitate a drastic action by the authority to clear the airports of these encumbrances”.

However, some owners of these abandoned aircraft had taken FAAN to court over this issue and got injunctions that made it difficult for it to carry out this exercise before now.

However, some of the cases have now been concluded, hence the commencement of the disposal exercise.

L-r: Niger state Governor, Dr Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, decorating the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Bert J Ronhaar, during the envoy's visit to the governor, on Wednesday at government house in Minna.

Yuguda joins friends of ATBUTH From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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n his determination to contribute to qualitative healthcare delivery services by the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, (ATBUTH), Bauchi, the state Governor, Isa Yuguda has joined the membership of the ATBUTH League of Friends.

A press release signed by the Chief Press Secretary Governor, Ishola Michael Adeyemi and made available to newsmen in Bauchi Wednesday quoted Governor Yuguda saying, “as individuals who are blessed by God, we need to contribute so that the less privileged ones who cannot afford to settle medical bills, will have a way out and access quality healthcare service”.

He promised that his administration will continue to prioritize improved health care delivery service in the state as health is wealth.

Isa Yuguda commended members of the League for their selfless service to humanity

saying, “what you are doing is what God requires of all human beings particularly those who have the privilege and fortune to be of help to others who are in need”.

He pointed out that with such good deeds, heaven is assured for them.

The governor said some so-

called wealthy individuals who find it difficult to help the needy may not make heaven and may even incur the wrath of God because “whatever wealth you have is given to you

by God so that others around you who are not fortunate to be so blessed, will benefit from the grace of God you have”.

He then commended the Chairman of the League, Nuru Adamu Jumba saying that he has chosen the right path that would lead him to heaven urging him not to deviate from it particularly now that he has reached his peak in age and is gradually descending in activities.

NPAN to appeal court's decision over jurisdiction From Ayodele Samuel,Lagos

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he Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, has vowed to challenge the court's decision upholding the preliminary objection filed by the Advertisers Practioners Council of Nigeria APCON challenging a suit questioning its powers to regulate the activities of media employees.

NPAN Counsel Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN said this after Justice Musa Kurya of Federal High Court yesterday upheld the preliminary objection filed by the APCON. Oyetibo said he was going to

appeal the ruling immediately.

NPAN is suing the APCON disputing its powers as captured in Articles 21 and 137(a) of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice and Sales Promotion seeking to vet the advertisement of media houses violate superior provisions of Sections 34 and 4(1) of the constitution.

The NPAN in the substantive suit argued that the powers of APCON as captured in Articles 21 and 137(a) of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice and Sales Promotion seeking to vet the advertisement of media houses violated the superior provisions of Sections 34 and 4(1) of the Constitution.

The plaintiff also argued that the Articles violated the freedom of expression, comprising “freedom to hold opinion, and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference” as guaranteed under Section 39 of the Constitution.

In dismissing the suit, Justice Kurya said "the plaintiff failed to bring this action properly. The court lacks jurisdiction to entertain this action and it is hereby dismissed".

Justice Kurya said that the action should not have come in a representative capacity without obtaining leave of court.

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Women: Supporting the home, creating secure future Pensions hese days, most women have neglected their pension arrangements, relying on their partners to build up sufficient pension rights for their old age.

In retirement, everyone has their own individual personal allowance so it's advisable for women to also retire with a significant amount as it makes sense for both to have an income that makes the family comfortable after retirement. In order words, women should not be too carried away with the responsibilities at hand, as it might still get to affect

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the family if there is no secured future.

Protection Death is inevitable, if a mother dies whilst her children are still very dependent, the emotional affects are bad enough but if that woman works and her income stops then the financial consequences are even greater. In today's world, a woman is responsible for the majority of the child care, the shopping, cooking, cleaning, washing, nursing, booking of doctor and dentist appointments, organising holidays, birthday parties and presents- am sure you get the

idea. To employ someone to provide for each of these services and pay for them at a going rate would be exorbitant but many women has failed to insure themselves. The best protection you can give your children is insuring a stable income, investing in real estate and also teaching your children how to save for rainy days.

Put cash to work It is important to have sufficient money on deposit to cover day to day needs and a little extra for emergencies - however, with savings rate being so low, large amount of money should not

be deposited in the bank. We have to make our money work by having a spread of investment.

Although women tend to be more cautious and can shy away from investment, they should realise that there are interest based investment i.e. low risk and shares in single companies with wealth of investment in between. To make our money work, we can invest in long-term assets which will not keep up with inflation thereby adding other asset such as equities, which offers you a better opportunity in wealth accumulation.

Making a Will Most women think that they

do not need a Will because they do not have that much to leave.

However, making a will is attached to a wide spread of investment. We have to lay aside every fear to step into the world of investment. There is a common saying: "you cannot give what you don't have." It's advisable to have a written will so as to ensure your children's future but this cannot be done without having secured properties. Let's erase the mind-set that making a will is for men only; women should begin to take responsibility for their children's future in order to give their children a secured life when they are no more.

go around saving random pictures of anything and everything or you have a ton of downloaded music, make things better for yourself and transfer these things to a USB drive. This will save a lot of space on your computer and allow it to run faster.

No one likes a slow computer, so you should not hesitate to try out this variety of practical ways to make your computer perform faster. The results are amazing, not only will your computer be safer; it will also run much faster.

How to break bad habits Our habits may be based on our core principles, but the surrounding elements will often change them on a daily basis. Be it frugality, way of life or our morals, people around us slowly change our behaviours in a big way.

When we were young, our parents help shape our values by setting examples. Once school started, we start learning from our friends and classmates. Then as we grow older, the sum of our experiences acts as the ultimate trial and error experiment that forms our habits. o Do you have spending problems that cannot seem to be

controlled? o Are you always in a rut and can't seem to be able to get out? o Do you want to increase your motivation to do better?

If you want to break your bad habits, you should surround yourself with people who don't have that habit in question.

My spending buddy Each time I come in contact with my friend, both of us end up buying something we otherwise wouldn't have bought. There's a tiny portion of peer pressure involved, but it's mostly because we fuel each other's enthusiasm when we talk about our shopping wish list. We seem to like the same stuff, and we get excited every time we discuss why we should make another purchase. We laugh about it, because the stuff we buy is affordable but you can see how it could potentially get out of control.

Simple steps to make your laptop run faster

I

hate using a slow laptop and I strongly believe you do too. If you should find that yours has been running slowly lately, you may be starting to get annoyed with it. Often, you do not know what to do but the lag is just driving you nuts - it happened to a friend who works as a medical translator, and he just wants his laptop to run faster!

Even if you are not someone who is technologically savvy, you can easily do simple things to get your laptop running faster like it used to when you bought it newly.

If you want to know how you can go about making your laptop run faster, here are a few ideas for you to try out.

Clean up your laptop if your laptop is running slower than it usually does, the first thing that you will want to do is to perform a disk cleanup. A disk cleanup is a process of getting rid of those junk files on your computer that you do not need anymore. Go through your short term Internet files stored in your browser and get them cleared out.

Clear out your recycle bin and even go through and delete files and folders that you do not need anymore.

You will also want to delete your offline files. All of these things are taking up unnecessary memory and by deleting them; you will notice your computer running faster. If you want to make your computer faster, you should also delete your cookies, browser cache and your browsing history. You will want to check your computer for any malware or spyware that may be on it.

Scan your computer Computer viruses are known for making computers run so much slower than usual. Get an

Quote People are definitely a company's greatest asset. it doesn't make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps-Mark Kay Ash

effective antivirus program and check your computer at least weekly for these little troublemakers. If you have programs that you do not need on your computer, why not remove them? They're only taking up space and memory, ultimately slowing you down.

Another way to make your computer run faster is to remove unused applications. You will also need to look into a registry cleaner or a repair program to help your computer run faster. Registry cleaners find problems with the registry, fixes them, thereby helping your computer run faster. When you save a lot of things on your computer, they take up a lot of space.

If you are someone who likes to

In your absence, who pays the family bills?

H

ow your family copes with life and its demands when you are not there, either as a result of disability following an accident, or as a result of death, should be important to you. Not only does it show how much love(d) them, but also it helps to sustain the wellbeing and dignity of the family which you have struggled to build.

If this is not taken into consideration, one may find his family turning beggars and constituting a nuisance to society.

The reason is that there will be utilities to be paid for and other basic needs which you had been providing before the unexpected happens.

Insurance therefore has come with a reprieve, providing for them, even when you are not there.

Royal Exchange Prudential life insurance has come with "The Royal Family support plan". The plan is designed to address these challenges because it is able to

provide year round protection for you and your family".

Royal Exchange Prudential life says the company has designed this product to meet the needs of families, adding that because no one can predict tomorrow, it is better to provide for it.

So, what would happen to your family if you dont make it home from work today? If you were to die, would they be able to continue to live in the same house, and still be able to make the rent or mortgage payment? How can you be sure that you can provide for your family even after you've left this planet?

Well, through life insurance, you can make sure your family is protected, even in the event of your death. Consider it the last act of love and kindness that you can perform. In general, your life insurance policy should be about double what you owe on your house. This is just a quick rule of thumb that works. It really

depends on what your debt is.

The idea of having a good life insurance policy is to take care of your family, right? Well, then you'll need to have enough to pay off the house and any major outstanding debts, pay for your burial or cremation, and still leave enough that your family is able to take a little time off to grieve properly. No child or newly widowed man or woman wants to immediately jump up and go back to work after having lost a loved one. However, if it comes down to a choice between that or starving to death, most will force themselves to go. How much better it would be to have something in reserve, so they could take a few weeks or a month off and be ok. With a properly sized life insurance policy, you won't have to worry about your family needing to rush right back to work, and you'll know that they will be able to take the necessary time to heal a bit before heading back out into the world.

As you can no doubt see, life insurance serves many practical purposes. Obviously paying off debts so your family is not overburdened in your absence is very important. However, life insurance is equally important for your family members in order to allow them grieving time, and provide them with a little time to heal.

Life insurance is not something that should be dismissed. It is something that should be seriously considered and talked about between partners. If you don't discuss it today, and put your plan into action, it may be too late to do anything about it.

Nobody knows when their time here will end, however, you can rest assured that your life insurance will be there to help your family through the rough time, and allow them a little more freedom of action than they might otherwise have.

Source: www.moneyning.com, www.pingtechtips.blogspot.com.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

Stop this senseless cement war A

couple of weeks ago, Dangote Cement Plc temporarily shut its 4m metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) Gboko plant in Gboko, Benue state, citing an alleged glut in the cement market as the reason. According to the management, the glut has been caused by unrestrained imports and a high volume of local production.

In the words of the Group Head, Corporate Communication, Anthony Chiejina, "With the dumping of subsidized imported cement in the South-eastern market, there is no way our Gboko cement plant can survive. In fact, members of staff have been put on forced leave pending when the situation improves."

But a leading importer and competitor, Ibeto Cement Company Limited, disagrees, accusing Dangote Cement of anticompetition practice. Executive Director of Strategy and Public Affairs, Dr. Ben Aghazu, has accused Dangote Group of insincerity and monopolistic tendency, saying, "Dangote Group wants Ibeto Cement Company out of the market so they can dominate the Southeast zone also and thus complete their monopolistic stranglehold on the entire cement market in Nigeria."

The so-called cement war has unfortunately impacted negatively on this key sub-sector of the nation's economy as the high price of cement has stifled the expected expansion of the cement market.

Nigerians have been told that with total local consumption projected at 20.97 mmtpa by end 2012, Dangote Cement's over 20 mmtpa capacity meets the local demand for the product.

But if this were the case, why has cement price not crashed in the face of the glut? With self-sufficiency in local production, it is expected that there would be a lowering of the unit

“

We salute the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, for taking the initiative to end the cement war price of cement, resulting in an expansion of the market following increased demand for the commodity.

While we share the view that dumping of subsidized products has a negative effect on the local market, we think that this cement war is completely unnecessary. But more so is the closure of Gboko plant by Dangote Cement because this is a contradiction of the company's professed desire to bring down the cost of cement in the country, which at the moment stands at N1,700 per bag.

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”

Any genuine desire to bring down the prohibitive cost of cement would appreciate healthy competition. Dangote's temporary closure of its plant in Gboko suggests a strong hunger for monopoly which is not the intention of the government’s backward integration policy in this subsector. Healthy competition, not one person’s control of the business, holds the key to affordable cement.

Cement is a major factor in the housing industry, accounting for about 40 per cent of the cost of housing. We are aware that, at this time of mass unemployment, local manufacturers of cement employ hundreds of thousands of Nigerians and they, therefore, deserve to be protected against cheap but low quality imports. However, we detest blackmail, which is what the threat

by Dangote and French multinational, Lafarge, to throw thousands of their workers into unemployment amounts to.

We salute the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, for taking the initiative to end the cement war. On their part, the local manufacturers must understand why government has not dispensed with importation altogether for now. They will help their case better if, between them, they can produce sufficient cement to meet the rising demand of the housing industry. Until then, imports must continue, to offset the current shortfall and to crash rising prices.

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

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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, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 13

Myths, facts about Federal University, Gashu'a

By Musa Babayo

A

cross the globe, governments have been at the heart of the investments needed to move their economies forward. The Internet, the human genome project, cutting-edge research in vaccines and medicines - all these were led by governments interested in investing in their own people. When he founded the University of Virginia in 1819, Thomas Jefferson, then America's president, for instance, had envisioned a citadel of learning that would not only educate talent across the new nation, but would also lead the way in the R&D needed to accelerate America's transition, at the time, from an agricultural to an industrial economy.

The fact therefore remains proved that in order to prosper and thrive, a nation must continue to improve its education system. It must make the investments needed to transform low-performing schools to high-performing ones and in the process inspire its students to achieve as a matter of priority.

This is why despite misgivings in certain quarters; the decision of the Federal Government to establish new universities is a welcome one. As the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufai had said, the decision is purely to gross the nation's competitive

advantage educationally, and extend opportunity for the nation's sons and daughters to have easy access to higher education.

For some politicians in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) from the northeast sub-region, however, this purely national affair is now mistaken for an opportunity to score political capital. Because the federal government, over the last many years, is seen in the northeast as having failed to extend the practical advantages of democratic governance - a neglect that some say added to the fuel of the recent insurgency, these politicians immediately seized the moment to speak about President Jonathan fulfilling his 'PDP campaign promise' to establish a University in Gashu'a, Yobe State.

A text message circulated around the Yobe/Borno axis yesterday, for instance, purportedly from the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, made the announcement on establishing a federal university in Gashu'a a partisan one, saying the minister "congratulates the president for fulfilling his PDP campaign promise" to establish the university.

The text message also mentioned a non-existent Kano-NguruMaiduguri Ndjamena rail line, which it said President Jonathan had started also as part of the PDP service to the people of the northeast.

Those who tried to make partisan this issue of a federal university in Gashu'a appear desperate to take the credit.

Although this desperation is understandable given the federal government's failure to really impact the lives of the people of the region, the actual credit, in reality goes to Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State. This is why I argued earlier that the issue is not a partisan but a national and policy one.

Once the federal government decided that a federal university would be established in Yobe State, according to available information, the Yobe State governor was said to have met with the President and the minister of education and asked that the new university be established in the town of Gashu'a.

He was said to have argued that Gashu'a which is the headquarters of Yobe Zone C did not have a federal institution in the same way that Potiskum, which is the headquarters of Yobe Zone B has a Federal College of Education and a State University exists within territorial Yobe Zone A. Last year, the Emir of Bade, His Royal Highness Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn Suleiman along with some elders from the Bade Emirate including members of the State Assembly from the Bade Local Government went to the Government House Damaturu to

express thanks and appreciation to the governor for insisting on Gashu'a as location for the new federal university.

Information also had it that the federal government asked the Yobe State Government to provide an initial site for the school and the state government is said to have relinquished Government Comprehensive Secondary School Gashu'a as temporary site for the federal university.

Governor Geidam is said to have argued that although he could have the university cited anywhere within Yobe other than Gashu'a, he particularly preferred Gashu'a because it symbolically represents Yobe Zone C and would mean extending opportunity to the people of the zone.

Yet, I have not read anywhere that the governor was making this an ANPP affair (his own political party) nor for that matter hankered to take plaudits for it.

This, though, is not so much a statement about the governor's humility, which is well known, as it is about his desire to see the people of Yobe State benefitted in every way possible.

So, rather than make one federal university in Gashu'a a reason for their demonstrably undeserved self-congratulation, PDP politicians, such as Ngama, should look at what a university

stands for within the political economy of leadership and responsibilities. They should be honest to tell the world that there is no such thing as a rail project by the PDP government from Kano to Nguru, Damaturu, Maiduguri and Ndjamena. If a project like this is in the offing, they should wait to celebrate it when it is there to be seen.

These politicians should also be reminded that to date, the President is yet to visit the northeast (Maiduguri and Damaturu especially) to see for himself the extent of misery that the people are in despite the humongous level of destruction and suffering wrought upon them by that mindless Boko Haram insurgency. There are no projects (except the KanoMaiduguri highway started by former President Yar'adua) which are on the ground currently benefitting the people that the Ngamas can be so full of in the manner they seem to be doing.

I therefore conclude by saluting the manner the minister of education is going about the new federal universities as purely an issue of national development.

Short-sighted politicians who have nothing to show should beware.

Musa Babayo is a student of the faculty of management sciences, University of Maiduguri.

sincerely equipping the various teaching and specialist hospitals, buying phones for farmers is their latest scheme….sorry, scam. Pray tell, what importance is this scheme to the farmers and the generality of Nigerians?

In 2012, most parts of Nigeria were ravaged by floods and as a result, the country is presently facing a serious danger of food shortage later in the year. One would have thought this imminent food crisis would rather occupy the mind of government instead of a dubious phone scheme.

In Nigeria, agriculture and general farming is mostly practiced in the rural areas, and the reality on ground shows that most of these rural communities cannot be accessed by roads. The roads are non existent and where they exist, the roads are always so bad that a journey which ought to last an hour could probably last days and in the process, most of the produce being transported is either damaged or even lost to serious road accidents. Meanwhile, rather than those in authority seeking ways to address the poor state of these roads, they want to distribute phones to farmers.

Of what use is a phone to a farmer? Reno Omokri, the special assistant to President Jonathan on Twitter affairs, has attempted to answer this and a few other questions. He justified the phone expense by explaining that the Agric ministry will henceforth send SMS to farmers on new and improved methods of farming and also inform farmers on modern ways of doing things, work on improved/hybrid seedlings and general best practices in agriculture. What he failed to tell us is who will be responsible for the cost of recharge cards for the new phones. He also forgot to inform Nigerians about how those poor farmers will access power supply

with which they will charge their phone batteries, as most rural areas are without electricity and where PHCN is available, the services are epileptic at best. Maybe the government will also buy power generators for them so that they can charge their phones, while awaiting instructions from “experts” from the ministry of agriculture.

Since Santa is still around, the government will do well to also purchase and distribute phones to students, pupils and staff of the Almajiri schools. Since the Almajiris are not regular school goers, the phones will serve as a tool to mobilise them to come for lessons. They might also consider bringing phones to other “needy” groups around the country, as this will enhance effective communication to all and sundry.

Defenders of a senseless policy do more to expose their folly while attempting to defend their illconceived and ill-thought out programmes. The arguments of Mr. Omokri fall flat in the face of intelligent scrutiny. It is jejune and very inane to come out to tell Nigerians about how SMS will be sent to update farmers. What is the job of agricultural extension workers and the various farmers’

cooperatives?

Any time the government and its cronies want to defraud Nigerians, they devise new schemes. Last year it was fuel subsidy, now it is telephone for farmers. Only the “spirit” knows what Nigerians should expect next. Why not simply tell us that they want to steal money in preparation for the 2015 elections?

While serious nations are developing and saving up for rainy days, court clowns and palace jesters inside the ‘Asshole’ Rock are busy piling up debt to destroy the future of even the unborn generations by their reckless spending, unbridled greed and crass insensitivity. Or how do you plan to borrow N178 billion in 2013 and at the same time spend N60 billion buying phones for imaginary farmers?

Isn’t it obvious from the foregoing that the present Nigerian rulers are not only ill prepared to lead, they are equally bereft of developmental ideas, logic and cognitive abilities? They are like drunken sailors caught in a storm, who having lost all sense of reality, occasioned by their drunken states, continue to sail more in hope than in expectation.

Rulers come and go, but posterity and history remain to appraise their lives and actions while in power.

Where is Mobutu Sese Seko, Idi Amin Dada, Samuel Doe and a host of other infamous tyrants? Will Goodluck Jonathan also go down the well worn path of infamy, or is he prepared to have his name written in gold? He still has over two years to rewrite history and prove to all naysayers, including this writer, that they were wrong. Or like the proverbial dog, is he too far gone to heed the hunter’s whistle?

They can continue to tell lies and bandy irresponsible schemes all over the place, in a bid to fritter away our commonwealth, but “food for the belly, belly for food, one day God shall destroy both”, says the scripture.

N60 billion will conveniently pay the minimum wage of 3.3 million Nigerians. It could also be used to equip some of our hospitals, thereby reducing or eliminating the cost of numerous medical sojourns abroad which has seen Nigerians expend billions in hard currencies. But obviously the landlords in ‘Asshole’ Rock think buying mobile phones is the most pertinent need of Nigerians today.

They steal without fear because successive governments in Nigeria have always been run on a ‘paddypaddy’ basis, therefore they fear no retribution. But one day shall “come a king that knew not Joseph”, then shall they be made to account for their actions and inactions. The “trance-formation” agenda of this government is a mirage to Nigerians and a mere cliché, bandied around in a bid to justify their inanity and brigandage.

Rape us, screw us and spit on us all you can, but note that one day, even a sheep, when pushed to the wall, will fight back, and that, without mercy.

Ayobami Oyalowo is reachable on twitter @Ayourb

Hail, year of telephonic agric revolution

By Ayobami Oyalowo

A

s Nigerians welcome another new year with hope and expectations of better things to come, it appears that the Nigerian government has chosen to hand the citizenry another Greek gift. Last year, Nigerians were greeted with a most spurious gift – an irresponsible hike in the price of PMS – by the PDP-led government and as we have come to expect, another folly has been unleashed.

This time it is telephones for farmers.

Welcome to the era of the telephonic agricultural revolution.

As the government unveils plans to spend N60 billion or $382 million dollars in buying phones for farmers, several questions are begging for answers. N60 billion, we have been told, is the cost of purchasing 10 million phones for 10 million farmers. That is excluding the costs of logistics, transportation and distribution of the phones to “qualified” farmers. We have also not been told how the figure of 10 million was arrived at. Maybe the figure was ‘divinely revealed’ since our government has been running on spiritual energy of lateremember those evil spirits in the power sector and Boko Haram as end time signs?- of course you do.

Probably, in continuation of our spiritual-religious system of governance, 10 million farmers must have been revealed to the proponents of this banal idea in a vision.

Shortly before Christmas, an actress, Bisi Komolafe, died of complications due to pregnancy.

Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba is presently undergoing treatment in a German Hospital.

Many more unknown Nigerians die cheap and needless deaths daily, due to the sorry state of our hospitals.

But rather than government

“

Rulers come and go, but posterity and history remain to appraise their lives and actions while in power. Where is Mobutu Sese Seko, Idi Amin Dada, Samuel Doe and a host of other infamous tyrants? Will Goodluck Jonathan also go down the well worn path of infamy, or is he prepared to have his name written in gold?

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Open Letter to CAN on Islamic Banking (I)

By Max Gbanite

A

t least there is in existence an unequivocal fundamen tal agreement and belief listed in the Hebrew holy book of ‘Torah’; in the Christian ‘Holy Bible’; and in Islam’s ‘Holy Koran’ that says that, ‘making profit on money’ or the act of ‘usury’ is against the teachings of almighty ‘Yahweh’ – ‘God’- ‘Allah’; depending on what terminology is used by your religion.

God (my choice as a Catholic), showed that He is the founder of ‘democracy’ and ‘choice’ before we even heard of such words. He gave us the choice to be righteous and go to heaven or paradise; or be unrighteous and go to hell. He never insisted that you adhere to any of His laws by force. HE allowed Christianity to emerge from Judaism; and from both religions allowed Islam to emerge; and He allowed, so it seems, Christianity to fragment from universal Catholic Church to others like the Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostals, and all other pseudo-Christian sects.

The urge to write this open letter to the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is to douse their orchestrated effort to overheat the nation and cause disaffection between Christians and Muslims. I abhor the manner which the current leadership of the organization under Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is misinforming followers on the issue of ‘non-interest’ banking.

The idea of ‘non-interest’ banking, as I said earlier, started with the Hebrew religion; carried on un-

der Christianity; and onward with Christianity, adorning on their al- deep graves without the aircraft, Islam. However, what happened is tars; pray the ‘Our Lord’s Prayer - because they will never fly into that the adherents of Islam, no mat- Our Father’; the Pentecostals on the Heaven. ter which faction one belongs to; be other hand talk less about love for Within our Christianity, intrait Sunni, Izallah, Sufi or even the one another, preach more about all religious challenges still exist. I can dreaded fundamentalists amongst sorts of miracles, wealth and riches; imagine the furor from my Parish them, all have an undivided faith and hardly pray ‘Our Father’; and Priest on hearing that my daughin Allah. For instance: during the do not adorn crosses on their altar ter is about to marry an Anglican; fasting period of Ramadan Kareem, walls. and the idea of her marrying a Penthey join hands in tecostal could fasting; and it is result to rustidone at the same cation from the period, with little Parish, and the Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text or no variation in same goes for messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written worship; and with other Christian a single-minded sects.But in Iscontributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 focus on the words lam, they allow words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and of Allah. They marriages bea valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed simply “abtween the varito: ducted” Allah, so ous sects: the to say, as theirs, underlying facThe Editor, and vowed to protor is simple: Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, tect His words and that is Is35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. with their lives. lam.

Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com Therefore, it I had to diSMS: 07037756364 should not come as gress to expose a surprise to anythe hidden hyone if they decide pocrisy within Again, the Muslims don’t pay our CAN. What has ‘interest-freeto abduct the essence of ‘non-interest’ banking as Islamic, why not? ‘tithe’ or make Church-like contri- banking’ got to do with Islamizing After all, the religion preaches butions. They encourage those Nigeria? In 1986, IBB set up a against ‘usury’, the same as other whom Allah has blessed to do ‘sadaka’ seven-man committee headed by religions. They believe in that teach- help the poor; if there is a need to former Senator John Shagaya ing since it came directly from Al- build or repair a mosque, those who (then a Lt. Col); the committee had can afford it do it without tasking 4 Christians and 3 Muslims. They lah.

Compare that to Christianity. members. were tasked to recommend if NigeOn the other hand, our ria should become a full member Yes, we believe in God, especially in our Lord Jesus Christ as our saviour. Churches never forget to task mem- of the Organization of Islamic CounHowever, only the Catholics, Angli- bers agonizingly about ‘tithe’, yet the tries (OIC). After consultations, cans, Methodists, Baptists, and Pres- rich amongst us choose when it suits they recommended that the nation byterians observe the lent (fasting them to help the poor. Some of the join the organization. period) before Easter celebration. Pentecostal Bishops insist on wife or The Daily Times wrote in an The rest choose a particular month son taking over command just to editorial: “We regard the surreptiof the year to fast. Whereas the keep the enormous church’s wealth tious admission of this country into Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists and in the family’s hand; some of them the OIC as the greatest mistake of Presbyterian profess the teaching of have aircraft. Glory be to God that this administration. The action, love, have the cross, a symbol of all of us will still be buried in six-feet- more than anything else, tended

WRITE TO US

to polarize the nation. Since the secularity of this nation is guaranteed in the constitution, that action should not have been taken the way it was taken.” (Excerpted from the book, ‘Prince of the Niger’ by Dr. Chidi Amuta).

Many CAN leaders chanted war songs. Yet, Nigeria’s constitution never changed and the nation never became Islamized. The benefit is an opportunity to borrow money at a lower rate from the over 1 trillion dollars available to member-nations, as an alternative to borrowing from World Bank (WB) or International Monetary Fund (IMF) whose interest rates strangulates African economics.

The collateral benefit of this membership: former President Olusegun Obasanjo became the first Nigerian President to attend an OIC meeting in 2000, and President Goodluck Jonathan, the second Nigerian President to host the D8 meeting consisting of Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Turkey, Bangladeshi with Nigeria as the 8th Nation-and all are members of OIC; discussing economic cooperation; yet, Obasanjo and Jonathan, are still Christians.

What is wrong with non-interest banking or Faith-Based Institutional Banking (FBIB); Faith-Based Financial Institutional (FBFI); Faith Based Credit Unions (FBCU); Faith Based Micro Financing Bank (FBMFB); and Faith Based Mortgage Financial Institutional (FBMFI)? The real truth is that there is nothing wrong.

Max Gbanite is a Strategic Security Consultant; he can be reached at maxgbanite@yahoo.com

Re: UniMaid student hurt in JTF - Boko Haram shootout

By Abdulkadir Bamoto

T

he Nigeria Army’s special operations (STF or JTF) across the country has come under attack in recent times, but this particular incident has left the writer with no option other than to respond due to the inconsistencies and false claims presented by the JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Col. Sagir Musa.

The story about the shooting of a student was posted last week by an online site, precisely on the January 7th. As a “first-hander” in this event, shame and fear “greeted” me when a simple event was doctored to favour the hitherto, respected JTF. Abdulmumin Abubakar the student shot, was just resuming the new school session. He had passed the night at the terminal owing to the curfew in place.

Haven boarded a cab from the terminus with four other passengers the next morning, they headed for the University campus.

One of the passengers was to be dropped along the bypass at Gwange area, but before then, they had made their way through a couple of checkpoints without interruption. The Gwange-bound passenger had dropped when they reached this

particular checkpoint with no military personnel on hand to conduct the check; the JTF men were seated mitres away from the post, so the driver had to slow down and drive through the barricade.

From the distance where they (JTF) were seated, one shouted “stop”, the driver heeded, and instantly one of the soldiers headed towards them and pulled the trigger. That was the bullet that hit Abdulmumin, the student seating by the door side.

The driver had just complained that one of his passengers was hit, when the JTF men asked him to lie down flat, face-down; another retorted: "so what?" And they even threatened to shoot him if he is not mindful of his utterances.

The commander/superior officer couldn’t stand the guilt, so he ordered the driver to get into his car with the victim and drive behind him; the Officer drove the patrol van. They drove down to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. On getting there, the JTF officer stopped and made a U-turn while asking the driver to take the victim inside the hospital for medical attention. So the driver rushed him inside the hospital but, unfortunately, had to wait for more than 30 minutes without

being attended to.

In summary, this is the true picture of the incident. Going back to the statements made by the JTF spokesman, Lt. Colonel Sagir Musa, anachronism dominates his account. First of all, Sagir wasn’t there, and professionally, it is his duty to hear from both parties - his men and the victim as to what had truly transpired.

In his account, the spokesman had claimed Abdulmumin was hurt in a shootout between Boko Haram fighters and the JTF. This is far from true, no matter how immuned, nobody will advance towards an on-going battle.

The spokesman also miscalculated the timing in his doctored repor,t as he claimed the incident had occurred at 5:50am.

The curfew in Maiduguri is not new, and rationally no taxi will hit the road before the approved time. If the time to move wasn’t right, the previous checkpoints would have stopped them long before they got to Gwange. In fact, a passenger had even dropped before the incident. It was 6: 15 when the bullet hit Abdulmumin, So Mr Spokesman should be wary of this.

Lt Colonel Sagir’s report also claimed the wounded student was escorted to the hospital and was receiving treatment.

Unfortunately, the military vehicle didn’t cross into the hospital gate to talk to medical personnel and expedite treatment, so where did Sagir

“

This attitude is common among politicians, but the Army ought to be a disciplined protector of human lives. They should have values; this is what we’ve known them for. Unfortunately, they seem to be striving on their past glory

get his “receiving treatment” from?

This attitude is common among politicians, but the Army ought to be a disciplined protector of human lives. They should have values; this is what we’ve known them for.

Unfortunately, they seem to be striving on their past glory.

The victim, Abdulmumin Abubakar, hails from Niger state and has been in hospital without the deserved attention, either from the school management, State government or JTF. Thank God for some of his friends, course mates and family who stood firmly by ensuring that gets the care and support he needed.

Abdul as he is popularly called, has undergone surgery on his head successfully and no longer in comma. However, Abdul is still lying down on his sick-bed without proper attention from the various institutions concerned.

The recent report that JTF in Maiduguri has killed more than the insurgents is true. These unprofessional weapon carriers will continue to commit atrocities if left unchecked.

Bamoto wrote this piece from Maiduguri and can be reached at masterlap89@yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 15

Pension reforms: To be, or not to be?

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few years ago, it was common sight to see aged pensioners struggling – and often dying - in the process of obtaining what was rightfully theirs: their pensions. Due to the chaotic and punitive conditions suffered by these senior citizens who more often than not travelled great distances to Abuja to receive their dues, many simply gave up the ghost – some literally died while standing in queues.

Those that persevered were subjected to sleeping on the streets under harsh weather conditions and begging passersby for what to eat. To reward our parents and grandparents who had devoted their lives to serving Nigeria in such cavalier manner speaks volumes about our essence as individuals and collective humanity as a people.

Any discourse about the issue of pension reforms in Nigeria must begin with critical questions: What systems were in place for pension administration and how effective where they? What happened to the funds that were expected to be set aside for these pensioners over the years? Was there not a less cumbersome means of pension funds administration? What are the gains and losses of a decade of pension reforms, and what more do we need to do as a country to widen and deepen the social security system?

Pension, which is essentially setting aside monies for use in old age when one can no longer work and earn much income, was first started in the 1880s in present day Germany when Otto von Bismarck introduced social insurance programs that became the model for other countries and the basis of the modern welfare state. Bismarck introduced old age pensions, accident insurance, medical care and unemployment insurance. Bismarck appreciated that society has a responsibility to put in place a safety net for the old, the vulnerable and disadvantaged. Decades later, John F. Kennedy concurred with Bismarck’s vision when he observed that “if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

The first attempt at pension legislation in Nigeria was enacting the Pension Ordinance of 1951 which allowed the Governor-General to grant pensions and gratuities applicable to public sector employees, in accordance with the regulations, which were reviewed from time to time with the approval of the Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs in the UK government.

In 1961, the National Provident Fund (NPF) now the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) was established by an Act of Parliament. It was established in line with the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention 102 of 1952 and sought to cater to employees in the private sector of the Nigerian economy.

Subsequently there were; the outside stakeholders and select BPE existing civil service pension staff. Many people like M K Ahmed, scheme covered by the Basic Dr. Musa Ibrahim, Chinelo Anohu Pension Decree 102 of 1979, the and Aisha Umar that ended up Local Government Pension being foundation staff of the future Scheme which was established in Pensions Commission played active 1977 and the Armed Forces in the committee and the Pension Scheme created through aftermath.

Decree 103 of 1979 by the The Fola Adeola team did M u r t a l a - O b a s a n j o extensive and commendable work administration. There was also and attempted to reform the the Pensions Rights of Judges pension structure in the country Decree No.5 of 1985 as amended by Decrees Nos. 51 of 1988,29 and 62 of 1991.

The Police and o t h e r Agencies P e n s i o n S c h e m e elrufai@aol.com Decree No. 75 of 1993 which took retroactive effect from 1990 represented another landmark development in the history of the Nigerian pension system and sought to cover the largest public sector organization in Nigeria – the Police with its nearly 400,000 officers and men.

There was one fundamental flaw with all these schemes – they mandated in the laws pension entitlements, called “defined benefits’ in pension’s parlance, without setting aside any cash to pay for the future liabilities. The assumption of successive Abdulrasheed Maina, governments in Nigeria (and Chairman, Presidential Pension indeed in many countries) is that Reform Task Force there will always be tax (and oil) revenues to pay for future pension due to the gross inefficiency and entitlements. This held true until poor administration of the the mid-1980s when profligate previously launched schemes, spending accompanied by culminating in the enactment of collapsing oil prices and resultant the Pension Reform Act 2004 (PRA debt burdens brought our economy 2004). In line with this, National to its knees. Pension payments Pension Commission (PenCom) was became erratic and current established to regulate and arrears built up, and unfunded supervise all pension matters in future liabilities escalated. the country.

When the BPE was tasked with Some of the highlights of the the responsibility of privatizing PRA 2004 are that the scheme public enterprises in 1999, we would be contributory and fully realized that the unfunded pension funded, mandatory for liabilities in NITEL, then estimated organizations in the private sector at N43 billion and NEPA at N75 with five staff and above, portable, billion would make difficult if not provide full pension rights in the impossible to privatize the event of dismissal and the contents companies. Who would buy a of Retirement Savings Account company with such hidden, future (RSAs) cannot be deducted by liabilities, in addition to over- employers for any outstanding staffing, attitudinal and other financial obligations among others. problems? Drawing on a seminal How the contributory pension paper by a Nigerian lawyer Jude scheme works is that the employee Uzonwanne of Levin & Srinivasan contributes 7.5% of their income LLP, New York, the BPE presented while the employer provides a a memorandum to the minimum of 7.5% of the government in year 2000 employee’s income into the RSA of warning that unfunded pension the employee. For a country like liabilities in public enterprises Nigeria with huge income alone amounted to nearly N500 disparities and numerous low billion, while the rest of the public income earners, the total amount sector had another N1 trillion of to be accumulated by an employee the same. who worked for about 30 years on The Obasanjo administration the current minimum wage of realized that a ‘defined N18,000 monthly would roughly contribution’ system needed to be amount to N972,000.00 - less put in place to replace the than a million naira for a lifetime unfunded, defined-benefits “pay- of employment unless the as-you-go” pension scheme contributions are invested in safe, prevalent in Nigeria. A steering but high yield investments that committee on pension reforms would increase faster than the rate under the chairmanship of Fola of inflation and exchange rate Adeola worked at resolving the deterioration. problem first in public enterprises, The initiative, while laudable then nationally, with many on paper and a major

NASIR EL-R UF AI EL-RUF UFAI ON FRID AY FRIDA

improvement over the old, unfunded system, has still not translated to alleviating the plight and hardship of current pensioners in the country, many of whom are not covered by the scheme. A lot more work has to go into the structure and manner in which pensions are administered in order to achieve the desired aims. It is time to look at the nearly ten years of experience of administering the PRA and enact amendments to improve the operations of the sector, and abolish the transitional arrangements that have led to the theft of billions of Naira under the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

As at 2012, 23.9% of the labor force was unemployed according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This invariably implies that a whopping 76.1% of the labor force is gainfully employed. According to the CIA World Fact Book, the total labor force in the country was 52.5m in 2011. Using 2011 statistics to calculate even though the numbers must have risen giving the teeming population of graduates churned out daily from our institutions of higher learning, the probable number of employees in the country is nothing less than about 39.9m at present.

However, of the total employed population across the country, only a paltry 13.2% (5.28 m) of workers had been registered under the scheme as at September, 2012 since its inception in 2004 according to the immediate past CEO of the commission. The statistics are bleak for the pace of work carried out in the whole of 8 years, and more needs to be done!

In addition to the snail pace at which the scheme is being executed, a major issue with the pension administration in Nigeria is execution at the state level. At the end of 2012, very few state workers were beneficiaries from the scheme; mainly because the states are allowed to enact their own laws and the PRA 2004 is not binding on them. So far, about 21 states have adopted the contributory pension scheme while 14 others have initiated the process of enacting versions of contributory pension schemes in their states.

Lagos state is the only state according to Pencom that has fully funded its pension obligation to its workers. Katsina used to be another until recently when arrears have accumulated without any justifiable cause.

Another noteworthy area is private and informal sector participation in the scheme which has been particularly poor.

Many reasons come to the fore here. How do you enforce an act when there is no data on the number of private companies or informal businesses contributing to the GDP of the nation? Majority

of small businesses evade the scheme because of the cost to them and minimal penalties for evasion. Pencom has barely been able to cover the urban areas much less the rural areas. The implication of this is that the scheme is highly imbalanced; focusing mainly on employees of the Public Sector and urban dwellers while neglecting the private and informal sectors as well as the rural areas.

To worsen matters, the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) set up sometime in 2010 to bring some sanity to the system and ensure that pensioners received their pensions as and when due, rather than perform their tasks, only succeeded in embezzling the funds at their disposal. While claiming to have uncovered misappropriated funds, the committee itself depleted pensioners’ funds worth billions of naira on frivolities and corruption.

Pension funds, the world over, are designed not just to provide respite to employees in their postretirement years but are meant to boost economies by improving their financial markets, accumulate re-investable savings and contribute to the GDP. Funds accumulated from pension deductions ideally, would be channeled into creating employment opportunities and financing infrastructural projects such as electricity, transportation, housing e.t.c. As at September 2012, the accumulated pension funds had amounted to some N2.94 trillion quite impressively. Whether this will translate to visible infrastructural development in the next few years is an entirely different matter.

It is imperative that the government critically analyzes the pension structure and make amends where necessary so that the scheme does not die a natural death. Pensions could be a very important aspect of the economy if done right with multiplier effects across many sectors. A contributory pension scheme where pensioners die in the course of claiming entitlements is definitely not a step in the right direction. It will certainly hamper on employees’ productivity while still active. One where those at the helms of affairs are embezzling retirees’ hard earned funds, is without doubt a disgrace to the nation as a whole.

The pension schemes adopted must take into cognizance our peculiarities as a nation and those in our economy. It should not be implemented in the typical fashion of other economic policies which are just cut and paste models of those obtainable in the more advanced nations. It should be tailored to the needs of the beneficiaries. The structure, direction and sustainability of the scheme must be clearly articulated so that it does not end up as another haphazardly implemented project. Most importantly, it should achieve its purpose which is securing the future of employees in the most convenient manner.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Cleric tasks Christians on service, dedication

By Stanley Onyekwere

R

esident Pastor, Dunamis International Gospel Centre, New Nyanya, Pastor Solomon Agbadi has

stressed the need for Christian fateful to be consistent and dedicated while rendering service to God and humanity, in order to realise their New Year resolutions and live a

fulfilled life.

The pastor, who made this point yesterday during a midweek Communion and Preservation Service held at church premises said God

always relate with humanity on the platform of service and dedication, which in turn brings preservation to humanity.

Reading from Exodus 33

People holding a boy alleged to have stolen money and handset in a supermarket on Ibrahim Babangida Way, Maitama, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

Crude oil claim: Kuje chair pledges to relocate affected residents

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon. Danladi Etsu Zhin has said he would relocate the people living in the part of the council where oil was allegedly found for their

safety.

This was as he also said his administration would invite experts in the oil industry to inspect the place in Agwangade area of the council where crude oil with combination of fuel, gas and kerosene has allegedly been

discovered to ascertain the authenticity of the matter.

Disclosing this to newsmen, the chairman pointed out the crude oil was found in the well which was constructed 20 years ago.

He said that his administration would invite

experts in the oil industry to inspect the place to ascertain whether it is petrol being discovered.

He appealed to the security agencies to safeguard the place to prevent the people from fetching the product.

Eight FCT male footballers make national U-13 team

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ight players from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) U-13 male football team who won the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF’s) national competition have been listed for the national U-13 team.

The Chairman of FCT Football Association, Musa Talle, disclosed this yesterday at a reception organised by the association for the team in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the FCT team emerged champions of the competition held in Abuja, a few weeks ago.

Talle said the team achieved the success due to its collaboration with the FOSLA Academy, an Abuja-based football academy set up by Alhaji Sani Lulu, a former NFA chairman.

He disclosed that the FCT could boast of about 25 talented players in the academy.

According to Talle, the inauguration of a Football Council in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT contributed to the emergence of the FCT U13 team.

“We inaugurated a football

council in Gwagwalada which is currently running a 22-team local football league called the GWAS League. We are going to inaugurate that of the other five council areas to ensure the speedy development of football in the FCT,” he said.

Talle also urged corporate organisations sponsors of football teams in the FCT to collaborate with the FA, to have a team in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) soon.

“Our target is to return premiership matches to the FCT by the next football season. We

are throwing our weight behind the two FCT teams in the National Division One League to ensure that they get us the ticket at the end of the day. We are also going to support all the other Nationwide and Women’s League teams to ensure that they gain promotion from their various levels,” he said.

NAN reports that FC Abuja, managed by the EFCC and TEAP FC, managed by a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, are the two FCT teams in the Nigeria National League. They are seeking promotion to the premier league. (NAN)

verse 11, in a sermon titled: ‘Dedication for Preservation’, the cleric narrated how Joshua served under Moses dedicatedly and at the end God chose him to succeed Moses to take the Israelites into the promise.

He therefore, urged them to emulate the lifestyle of Joshua who abandoned everything he had for the kingdom work.

According to him, it is high time Christians allowed their character to reflect their faith rather than rely on their words, because it is how a person lives on earth that determines how the individual would fare hereafter. ”There are a lot of people that are serving in one sphere of life or the other but not dedicated to their service; what this means is that they are rendering an eye service and not heart service; this must change, because anybody who can’t serve humanity dedicatedly, the person cannot serve God effectively”, he said.

Continuing, he added: “People shouldn’t do things because others are doing so, but things should be done because it is right doing them; and it is the good one does consistently that changes life positively and not the other way round, even if you get to the top by accident, you will crash by coincidence”.

Islamic school graduates 28

By Usman Shuaibu

M

a d a r a s a t u l TarbiyyatulI s l a m i y y a , Angwan Abattoir in Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has graduated a total of 28 students this year.

Speaking at the occasion, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs Hussaina Yusuf Suwaibatu explained that since the establishment of the school in 2004 about 200 students had graduated so far.

She said that the authority of the school was geared towards providing quality education for the children in Abaji and beyond.

She advised the graduating students to be good ambassadors of the school and urged them to use the knowledge they had acquired to impart on the young ones in the society.

Suwaibatu, also commended parents and guardians for their support and cooperation towards the progress of the institution.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 17

HIV positive student, 24, seeks help 24-year-old Miss Gloria Asuquo, an undergraduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), decided to become a medical doctor after discovering that she was HIV positive at age of 12. Upon the heart-breaking discovery, she was abandoned to die. Akwa Ibom state-born Grace, in a recent encounter with our reporter, Enekole Enokela in Abuja , told how she was avoided friends and family at the point of the discovery of her HIV status.

B

orn in 1988 to Mr. and Mrs. Asuquo, as a little girl growing up, everything seemed normal and happy for the 24-year-old prior to her testing HIV positive.

The table however, turned round for Asuquo when she was diagnosed sometimes in 1999 with HIV, an infection she got through a blood transfusion.

Asuquo’s parents had taken to a hospital when she was down with an illness that needed a blood transfusion to save her life.

Unfortunately and unknown to them, she was transfused with an unscreened blood which today, has changed her fate.

She narrates her how she has been living with HIV/AIDS for 13years: “At that point, my parents decided to take me a bush and abandoned me there to die as they believed I was a sign of bad luck. While at home no family member was allowed to share anything with me as I faced discrimination from friends and family”.

“Following my being infected with the virus, I was given my own separate room, cup, plate, spoon and nobody comes close to me as they believed my time was due. At this point, the only thought on my mind was suicide”, she said.

But as fate would have, a fellow (sister) came to her rescue and took her to the Holy Family Parish, a Catholic Church, Life Camp, Abuja, which has been catering for her needs such as accommodation, feeding and clothing including her

Gloria Asuquo education.

A gleam of hope soon inundated Asuquo heart and she later saw reasons to live in spite of her condition.

“My dream of becoming a doctor to save lives as I believe God has something in store for me got a boost when the church decided to sponsor my education so far; which I must appreciate the catholic community for the help they have rendered”, she expressed.

She told our reporter that

the Parish has done so much for her, however, she needs a scholarship from the government or other good hearted individuals or well meaning Nigerians to assist her complete her studies and fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor.

Asuquo lamenting how she has been to several government organisations, which have promised to help but have failed to do so, pointed out that she has been on free

Anti- Retroviral (ARV) drugs unlike the early period, when she got infected, and the drugs are very expensive to purchase.

This, she noted was the reason many affected persons have died as they cannot afford the treatment.

On her advice for those affected with HIV/AIDS, she believes being affected is not the end of the world, noting that the disease was just like somebody having malaria or fever.

She further encouraged Nigerians that once they are tested positive, they should live and go about their lives positively and normally.

Appealing to the general public on the need to stop discriminating against people living with HIV and AIDS, she said the affected were just humans like other non affected persons and should have the right to everything such as the freedom of association, void of any form of discrimination whatsoever.

A worker at the Parish, Samuel S. Alfa, , told our reporter, how the church was greatly involved with the sick and especially those living with HIV/AIDS. According to him, the catholic bishops conference of Nigeria and most especially his holiness Pope Benedict (xvi) , had directed that all the church should be involved in helping the sick and less privilege especially those affected by the diseases like Asuquo.

“The church plans to support them and tell the world that they are three zero’s. Zero (0)-to new infection, zero (0) to discrimination and zero (0- ) child infection; by this there would no transmission of HIV/ AIDS to the unborn child that is, prevention of mother to child”, he explained.

Alfa therefore, called on families, government and individuals to dedicate their time, talent and their money towards supporting the needy, widow orphans and vulnerable children especially those living with HIV/AIDS.

Village heads demand water, schools, electricity

T

he village heads of IduGbaghyi and Karmo areas of Abuja have appealed to the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Administration to provide basic infrastructure in their communities.

The two traditional leaders, who made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, decried the lack of potable water, schools, healthcare centres and transformer for stable power supply.

Chief Audu Pasabo, the village head of Idu-Gbaghyi, in an interview with NAN, said that the residents of the area were not enjoying the dividends of democracy, due to the absence of essential amenities. ''Our basic problems here are the lack of potable water, schools for our growing children, and health care facilities. We have only

one transformer serving the whole community and it has been giving us epileptic power supply because of the over use of the transformer.

Imagine that whenever anybody falls sick, we have to transport the person to the metropolis for treatment.

I think that government’s attention should be drawn to where the populace reside,” he said.

In a separate interview, Alhaji Suleiman Adoka, the village head of Karmo, expressed the same sentiments.

The village head decried the lack of water for residents living in his domain. Adoka said that the people had been buying water from water vendors for their domestic needs. ''We don’t know if this water we are drinking is clean enough for our health. When we talk about good health and controlling sickness, it should start from whatever we are consuming,” Adoka said.

Adoka, who also decried inadequate classrooms for school children, said that one school was not enough to accommodate the growing population of their children. ''Some of our children pay their way to schools in the metropolis.

What about those ones whose parents are not financially buoyant

to spend on transportation; what do we expect from them?, he asked.

The situation, he said, was a drawback on the efforts of the people to give sound education to their children.

Adoka advised the relevant authorities to address the problems, saying that the provision of

amenities to the citizenry should be the priority of those at the helm of affairs.

He, therefore, appealed to the authorities to address the demands of the people at the grassroots, as this would firm up the nation's pace of development in all facets of human endeavour. (NAN)

Alkwandawi appeals for social amenities

By Usman Shuaibu

A

traditional title holder (Dan-Maukim) in Dakwa in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Mohammed Alkwandawi, has appealed to the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and the chairman of the area council, Hon. Peter Yohanna Ushafa to provide social amenities for the people of Dakwa Community.

Alkwandawi, who made the appeal in an interview with Peoples Daily in Dakwa, alleged that there was no tangible project being carried out by the government in the area.

He called on the minister to rehabilitate the dilapidated roads in Dakwa town, especially the road linking Dakwa – Suleja express road.

He also begged the minister and the Bwari chairman to build

a befitting hospital in the area so as to stop the residents from travelling out for medical attention.

Commenting on the security situation, Dan-Malikin appealed to Nigerian leaders to re-double their efforts to fight terrorists this year.

Alkwandawi, who is also the Sarkin Malamai Bwari Yamma, also urged both Muslims and Christians to always pray for the progress of the country.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

INSIDE FCT COURTS Four accused of stealing 70 bags of charcoal

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A motorcyclist overloads his bike with a mattress yesterday in Bwari, Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

he Police on Wednesday arraigned four men before a Gwagwalada Upper Area Court for allegedly stealing 70 bags of charcoal, valued at N124,000.

They are Simon Banvure, 27; Saviour Samuel, 24; Teaka Mkage, 18; and Eniola Alyelu, 38, all of Paiko Village, in Gwagwalada Area Council.

Police Prosecutor, Martha Paul told the court that on January 2, 2013 the accused conspired and stole the 70 bags of charcoal, belonging to Aduwe Gwer and one Dr Kaura, both of Bargada village, Gwagwalada.

They pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Mr Luke Enelichi, the counsel to Alyelu, prayed the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms.

Enelichi, in his application for bail, said his client did not commit the alleged offence but was only called as a driver to convey the charcoal to its destination.

“My client was only called to the Police Station to give evidence as to what happened since he was the driver who carried the

Police arraign two bureau de change errand boys over N16m fraud

T

he Police in Abuja have arraigned two Bureau de Change “errand” boys before a Karu Chief Magistrates Court for alleged diversion of N16 million.

The two are Hanna Adedeji, 35 and Anikamadu Obiageli, 37 of Jikwoyi phase II. The Prosecutor, Sergeant Abiola Oyewusi, told the court that the complainant, one Tony Iwobi of No. 5 Jamare Close, Garki II, sent his employees Adedeji and Obiageli to collect 100,000 U.S. dollars (about N16 million).

“The complainant, attached a Peugeot 206 car to them so that they can get the cash from the old CBN also in Garki II. After they cashed the money, they conspired between themselves and diverted the said money to an unknown destination and claimed that they were attacked by armed robbers on the way,” he said.

Oyewusi said that during police investigation, it was discovered that there was no armed robbery attack on the said day as claimed by the accused.

He told the court that the offence contravene the provisions of Sections 28 and 314 of the Penal Code.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Counsel to the accused, Stanley Orakbo, made an oral application for bail.

Oyewusi, however, opposed the counsel’s application, and said that “considering the amount involved in this case, we oppose counsel’s application. They may jump bail and tamper with police

investigations,’’ he said.

Orakbo, however, pleaded with the Magistrate and said, “the accused persons have been in the police’s Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) detention cell for the past 19 days now”.

The Chief Magistrate, Hadiza Dodo, refused to admit the accused to bail.

“I will like you to address the court properly with a motion which must be filed within 48 hours. After the address, the court will sit to consider the bail application,’’ she said. (NAN)

22-year-old allegedly steals 25 measures of melon

A

22-year-old man, Monday Samaila of no fix address has been arraigned before the Karu Senior Magistrate Court for allegedly stealing 25 measures of melon.

Police Prosecutor, Emmanuel Nnamani told the court that on January

6, 2013 Samaila trespassed into the home of Randy Oluba of Durumi 2, Abuja, and stole 25 measures of melon valued at N17,000.

“During police investigation, the stolen item was recovered from the accused,” he said.

Nnamani said the offence

contravene the provisions of Sections 288 and 342 of the Penal Code, but the accused pleaded not guilty.

Mr Olusegun Oluwale, the counsel to the accused, applied for bail for his client, and Senior Magistrate Aminu Abdullahi granted the bail in the sum of

N100,000 and a surety in like sum.

He said the surety must be Nigerian with a reasonable means of livelihood and a traceable address within the jurisdiction of the court.

Oluwale adjourned the case to February 20, 2013 for hearing. (NAN)

Man bags nine months imprisonment for stealing motorcycle

A

Kubwa Upper Area Court has sentenced Bashir Umar , 22, to nine months imprisonment for stealing a Boxer brand of motorcycle valued at N110,000.

The Presiding Judge, Malam

Munir Lawal, however, gave the convict an option to pay N3,000 fine.

Lawal said he gave the convict an option of fine because he had no record of past conviction and so deserved some leniency.

He admonished the convict to henceforth be of good conduct.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor, Arziki Kaura had told the court that the matter was reported by one Murtala Garba, a resident of DutseAlhaji village, Abuja, on January

3, 2013.

Kaura said that during investigation, the motorcycle was recovered from the convict at Suleja, Niger. He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 287 of the Penal Code. (NAN)

charcoal. We were surprised that at the station he was arrested as one of those alleged to have stolen the coal,’’ he said.

In his ruling, the Presiding Judge, Mr Babanginda Hassan, granted Alyelu bail in the sum of N100,000 with a surety in like sum.

He said the surety, who must be resident within the FCT, must be a civil servant with a landed property.

The judge also ordered that the address of the surety should be made known to the prosecution.

Hassan also ordered that the remaining three accused should be remanded in prison custody, pending when they get legal representation. He adjourned the case to March 6, 2013 for hearing. (NAN)

Police arraign property agent for allegedly shielding offender

A

property agent, Vincent Bally, 35, has been arraigned before the Karu Chief Magistrates Court, Abuja, for allegedly shielding an offender, criminal breach of trust and cheating.

Police Prosecutor, Emmanuel Nnamani told the court that Samson Oluseye, of 64, Constitution Avenue, Gaduwa Estate, Abuja, entrusted his commercial bus to one Paul Yusuf, now at large.

“Bally, of Kabusa village, Abuja, stood as a guarantor to the said Yusuf. Yusuf went away with the bus for four days without coming to park it in Oluseye’s house as agreed. He did not remit the accrued sum of N27,000 for the four days to Oluseye. He also converted the N40,000 meant for registration of the bus with Rock View Hotel to his personal use,’’ Nnamani said.

The prosecutor objected to bail for the accused on the grounds that he is a guarantor.

“He could not produce the person who he stood bail for; I believe he will jump bail if granted bail,’’ he said.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge, and his counsel, Mr Tumi Balogun, applied for bail for his client, assuring that he would not jump bail.

Chief Magistrate Hadiza Dodo granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 and a surety in like sum.

She said the surety must have a reasonable means of livelihood and a traceable address within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the case to February 19, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

U

S oil imports will fall to their lowest level for more than 25 years next year, as production booms while demand grows only slowly, according to a government forecast.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicted that net imports of liquid fuels, including crude oil and petroleum products, would fall to about 6m barrels per day in 2014, their lowest level since 1987 and only about half their peak levels of more than 12m during 2004-07.

The figures reflect the spectacular growth of US production thanks to the unlocking of “tight oil” reserves using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in states led by North Dakota and Texas.

Jack Gerard, head of the American Petroleum Institute, the industry lobby group, said the US was at “a great turning point in our nation’s history”, that would “realign the energy axis toward the west and into our own control”.

The declining US dependence on imports will still bring benefits, including increased resilience to crude price shocks and job creation in the oil industry.

The EIA also said it expected

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INSIDE

- Pg 20

Manufacturing: What Aganga must face in 2013

Mob: 08033644990

US oil imports to fall to 25-year low increased US production to put downward pressure on oil prices.

It forecast that internationally traded Brent crude would drop from an average of $112 per barrel last year to $99 in 2014, while US West Texas Intermediate dropped from $94 to $91.

US crude production hit a low point of 5m b/d in 2008, but rebounded to 6.43m last year and is expected by the EIA to rise to almost 8m in 2014.

At the same time, consumption has been falling, from 20.7m b/d, for all liquid fuels, in 2007, to 18.7m last year. The EIA expects it to rise very slightly over the next couple of years, but expects that the US will still use less oil in 2014 than in 2011.

The surge in production in the US has led some forecasters, including the International Energy Agency, the rich countries’ think-tank, to predict

that it will overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world’s largest oil producer by the end of the decade.

The EIA has been cautious about those forecasts, saying they depend on definitions of the types of oil being compared, and factors that are difficult to predict including Saudi production decisions.

Even if the US does not become the world’s largest oil producer, or manage to cut net

imports to zero, as some forecasters expect, it will still be less reliant on imports than in the past decade.

Analysts and oil executives have warned that even if the US becomes completely self-sufficient in oil, it will not be able to ignore the potential threat to the world economy created by price rises and supply disruptions, and so would still have an interest in sustaining production in the Middle East. (Source: Financial Times)

FG to set up asset management company for NNPC

By Muhammad Nasir

W

ith a view to bringing accountability, transparency, efficiency, productivity and strategic leadership direction into the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Federal Government is planning to set up an asset holding company for number one oil firm (NNPC) This has been viewed as part of the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which is at the point of being passed into law.

For about a decade, the operations and activities of the corporation, has been smeared by revelations of corruption, inefficiency, poor documentation and auditing of operations and activities.

Under the plan, Assets of the Corporation like National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS); and the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) will be given up by 30 percent equity for private investors.

The decision, which is in line with the new framework and policy guideline contained in the PIB, is to also shore up funds for the Nation’s Oil and Gas Industry and also create a platform for more Foreign Direct Investment and Technical Assistance.

L-R: Plateau state Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof. Comfort Piwana, Commissioner for Finance, Davou Mang, and Chairman of Plateau Board of Internal Revenue Service, Mrs Rauta Jat, during a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on Taxpayer Identification Number (tin), yesterday in Jos. Photo: NAN

World Bank grants Nigeria additional 119 shares

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he Minister of State for F i n a n c e , Dr Yerima Ngama, said in Abuja on Wednesday that the World Bank granted Nigeria additional 119 shareholding.

Ngama announced this while addressing newsmen on the outcome of the first Federal Executive Council (FEC)

meeting in 2013, presided over

by President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House.

“Nigeria, with an external reserve of over 42 billion dollars, currently has over a thousand shares in the World Bank and extra 119 have now been offered.’’ He said the development shot the country into the league of nations whose opinions had become relevant on major

decisions taken by the bank.

“Nigeria is making stronger impact toward global financing.

That is why we are given additional financial share in the World Bank. “It will make us to have greater voice in the affairs of the bank. “The shares do not have to be paid for immediately until we assume all the rights and privileges. We will only pay when the shares are called up.

Management Tip of the Day

Y

3 ways to get people to change

ou can change strategy, products, and processes all you want, but real change doesn’t take hold until your employees actually change what they do every day. That’s easier said than done. Here are three ways to take on the challenge: · Embrace the power of one.

People need clear direction. If you

bombard them with eight values or twelve competencies you want them to practice, expect the status quo. Instead, focus on changing one behavior at a time. · Paint a vivid picture. Use stories, metaphors, pictures, and physical objects to compare “where we are now” to the new vision of the future. This taps into people’s emotions, a powerful

lever for change. · Activate peer pressure.

Peers can set expectations, shame others, or provide role models. Ask your employees to set high standards and put pressure on one another to stick to the new rules.

Source: Harvard Business Review

“There is no immediate cash outflow,’’ he said.

Ngama stressed that the recognition by the bank was a “certificate of good health” for the economy. He said it was an affirmation that the Jonathan administration had lifted Nigeria in world economy. “This is certificate of good health which will attract investors into this country,’’ he said.

The minister added that Nigeria was one of the 16 countries shortlisted for the bank’s Voice Reform Programme for developing and emerging countries. “From the 16, only two countries are from Africa, Nigeria and South Africa,’’ he said.

He emphasised that the selection process was based on clear cut criteria, including the strength of the economy, growth rate and the contribution of the country to greater financial architecture.

He said the economy was growing very strong and the nation on the path of becoming one of the top 20 economies in the world. “We are growing faster than many countries that were ahead of us. “At the end of 2011, we had the third highest economic growth in the whole world,’’ he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS Presco Plc

A

gainst incessant losses recorded by investors in the agricultural sub sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Presco Plc has assured investors of improved performance in its activities in 2013, even as it said that more yield on investment is expected in the new year.

The company, in 2012, saw the pricing of its shares record a growth of 46.8 per cent, from N8.67 at the opening of trading in the year to N16.60, last week Friday.

Speaking at the company’s end-of-the-year party last week, the Managing Director, Mr Uday Pilani, said that with the support of all workers and a dynamic marketing strategy from the marketing team, there will be remarkable improvement.

Vodafone

W

ith about two decades of operations in Africa, where most people are perceived to earn less than $2 daily and mobile phone towers run on diesel, the continent is gradually turning into one of Vodafone Group Plc’s biggest profit region.

Vodafone’s biggest African business, Johannesburg-based Vodacom Group Ltd. (VOD), surpassed the company’s U.K. unit in 2010 by profit, and it outpaced the Spanish division the following year.

With earnings expanding at 50 percent yearly in some countries, profit from Africa could overtake that from all of southern Europe in as little as three years, said Nick Read, the executive who heads the African region.

OPEC

T

he Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) earned nearly $1.154 trillion last year. It projected the earnings to remain at a historically high level of around $1.12 trillion in 2013.

Besides, PLS Inc. in conjunction with Derrick Petroleum Services, has put the global activity for upstream oil and gas deals in 2012 at $254 trillion in 679 deals.

According to Brian Lidsky, Managing Director with Houston-based PLS Inc., “Total deal value in 2012 surged 50 per cent higher versus 2011 to a record of $254 billion, eclipsing the prior record of $212 billion in 2010.

2013: Aganga’s legion of challenges

T

he 2012 year ended in an unpleasant note both for big players in manufacturing sector and minor enterprenuers.

With the commencement of year 2013, the major tasks ahead for the Trade and Investment ministry and its overseer, Olusegun Aganga is beyond building confidence in the economy, boosting Small and Medium Scale enterprises (SMEs) in the country, as stakeholders in the sector might be expecting more.

There are greater challenges for the ministry in the new year.

Stakeholders and economic analysts suggest that the ministry should not only intensify support for the manufacturing sector but make the business environment more conducive for local manufacturers.

According to experts, last year, industries across the country felt the negative impact of the new electricity tariff which they say eroded their profits margin as operating costs increased by 440 percent. The new tariff was introduced in June 2012 by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

According to the Managing Director of Alind Nigeria Limited, a private limited company based in Bauchi, before June 2012, the company was classified as 03 (industrial) for tariff classification and paid a fixed charge of N43, 471 and an average monthly electricity bill of N110, 000. However, after the introduction of the new electricity tariff in June, 2012, their classification moved to D4, and they now pay a fixed charge of N106, 000 and an average electricity bill of N212, 231,

Ayodele Samuel, in this report, looks at major issues that the Minister for Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga should tackle in year 2013. representing 143 percent and 93 percent increases in the fixed charge and average electricity bill, respectively.

He tasked the Minister in to 2013 interface with NERC on behalf of manufacturers to trim down the ‘killing electricity tariff’ to ensure growth in the economy.

Also the current high level of smuggling seems to be the greatest nightmare of local manufacturers, and therefore they are expecting a ‘more tough’ synergy between the ministry and security agencies responsibly for checkmating the economic saboteurs.

The Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Branch, Dr. Dolapo Ogutuga, on his part wants the ministry to tackle the menace of multiple taxes in the new year.

“On a continuous basis, local government councils and other regulatory agencies of government come out with one form of taxation, levies or charges or another, which stalled operations of factories to a near halt; I believe a sensible government should check this in the new year.”

However, on his expectations for 2013, President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Chief Kola Jamodu, said they would like to see new manufacturing investments spring up and some old manufacturing plants revived this year.

“In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned some new manufacturing investments in Lagos, Ogun, Imo, Rivers,

Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga Enugu and Anambra states; This is a welcome development for the manufacturing sector and I look forward to seeing more of such happenings in all states of the federation soonest.”

He said that the stakeholders also want long term loans at lower single digit interest rate and zero percent duty on all

manufacturing machinery and equipment, to facilitate retooling and replacement of obsolete parts.

“The recent increase in the price of electricity tariff, LPFO, AGO should also be addressed including downward review of corporate tax to 20 percent and removal of VAT on raw materials,” he said.

India embarks on 25-year plan to sustain economy — PM

W

orried by the dwindling economic fortunes, India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the government has embarked on 25-year plan to boost and sustain the country annual growth rate of eight per cent.

Singh made this known on Tuesday Kochi, India, while adressing Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and guests at the 11th Pravasi Bahratiya Divas (Indian Diaspora Convention 2013. A correspondent of the

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the convention reports that the annual gathering is being attended by NRI and guests from various parts of the world.

The prime minister said India was not immuned from the major financial crises in the global economy in the last four years, as this had affected the average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of the country.

The Prime Minister said, “From an impressive average annual GDP growth rate of over

eight per cent between 2004 and 2010, our growth declined to 6.5 per cent from 2011 to 2012, and may even fall below six per cent in the current year’’.

He, however, assured the NRIs that in spite of domestic constraints and challenges, the country was confident that its strong economic fundamentals backed by sound policies, would enable it return to a higher growth path in 2013 and the coming years.

Highlights of the formal

opening include the launching of commemorative stamp to mark the centenary year of the ‘Ghadar Movement’, when migrants from India who settled in Canada and USA rose in opposition to the British rule in India.

Nigeria’s delegation to the convention is being led by Rep, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, House of Representatives committee on Diaspora Affairs.

The convention is being attended by NRI from over 50 countries.

Tempers rise as firm delays clean up of oil spill in Akwa Ibom

T

empers are rising at Ibeno, on the Atlantic coastline of Akwa Ibom, following delays

by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) to clean up a Dec. 19 oil spill. Residents of the area, who depend on the sea for their livelihood, lamented on Tuesday that the tidal waves had dispersed the crude oil to more communities than earlier impacted.

“We are worried about the health and safety implications of abandoning the site for this long

by Mobil; it is disturbing. “The community started noticing oil on the coastline on Dec. 16 and reported the incident but after about three weeks, they are yet to act,” Etim John, a resident of Ibeno, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Public Affairs Officials in Mobil

declined comments on the clean up and neither responded to e-mail enquiries nor took mobile phone calls. NAN recalls that the Senate Committee on Environment led

by Dr Bukola Saraki had on Dec. 24 summoned MPN and National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency to appear before it over the Nov. 9 and Dec. 19 spills at MPN’s facilities.

MPN, an affiliate of U.S.

energy firm, ExxonMobil, operates the 960,000-barrelsper-day export terminal at the Qua Iboe fields off Ibeno in Akwa Ibom. The firm had in a statement on Dec. 20 confirmed reports of oil discharge at the coastline and pledged to immediately clean up the impacted site. Spills were also recorded at the oil field on Aug. 13 and Aug. 24. (NAN)

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

I

t is the mobile phone you can use in the bath or shower without fear - and can even survive being dropped down the toilet.

Sony has unveiled its latest mobile phone - and hopes the waterproof design will help it take on the iPhone.

The Xperia Z was unveiled at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.

Sony says the handset, which has a 5in (12.7cm) screen, is capable of being submerged in water of up to one metre (3.3 ft) in depth for 30 minutes. The firm says it can survive being dropped in a toilet, and if it gets dirty, can simply be washed under a tap.

Sony claims that about one in 10 people had dropped their phone down a toilet at some point, something this would protect against.

The trade-off is that handset's various ports, including the one for its headphones, all feature protective plastic covers that must be unclipped before they can be accessed.

The handset also has an NFC chip allowing owners to play back video on their TV simply by tapping the phone against it.

This chip could also be used as a credit card in the future, it is believed.

The Sony Xperia Z, out in the next few weeks, is a mobile phone with a 5in screen.

Apart from the Samsung Galaxy Note devices which are part-phone, part tablet, this is the biggest-screen phone yet.

Even so, because it's slim and has the narrowest of bezels round the display, it didn't feel big.

Though it sure didn't feel small.

The phone's display has the highest resolution yet seen on a mobile - knocking the iPhone's Retina display for six.

The 5in screen had as many pixels as a 55in Full HD flatscreen TV, and it showed.

The display was eyepoppingly sharp, with rich colours.

Since the phone has a quadcore processor, it's fast and responsive with no lags or stutters.

This looks like it could be a real challenger to the current market leaders, the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Apple iPhone 5.

It felt great, thanks to a shatterproof glass back and exceptional build quality.

Other features included a high-resolution 13-megapixel camera and - handy if you tend to drop your phone in the bath water resistance. It can be immersed in two feet of water for 30 minutes without harm.

Stuart Miles, Editor-in-chief of tech website Pocket-lint.com told MailOnline: 'The Sony Xperia Z has so many features and so much going for it, it really could be the phone to restore Sony Mobile's fortunes.

'It's probably the company's best phone yet.With Xperia Z, we are bringing over half a century of innovation in TV, imaging, music, film and gaming to create a superphone experience that truly stands out,' said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO, at Sony Mobile Communications.

'With great specifications,

Sony unveils the waterproof phone you can use in the bath

•••and it will even keep working if you drop it down the toilet

Full Specifications

Sony Electronics President and COO Phil Molyneux holds up a Sony Xperia Z smart phone at CES Sony's media applications, Onetouch functions and outstanding battery life, Xperia Z is well positioned for leadership in the smartphone market. By putting smartphones at the heart of our strategy, Sony is enabling people to create, enjoy and share content and experiences like never before.

However, analysts has the firm has a tough battle, with both Apple and Samsung set to reveal new handset in the coming months.

'In isolation this looks like a very strong product and it's the most attractive Xperia phone that I have seen for a very long

time," said Ben Wood of CCS Insights. 'But we don't know what this device is going to be competing with this year.'

And the Xperia wasn't the only waterproof gadget on show.

Sony announced a pair of waterproof headphones with built-in MP3 player. The Walkman W273 is a light, flexible pair of wraparound earphones which are designed to work while you're swimming.

And it'll work flawlessly with everything from Handel's Water Music to songs by Wet Wet Wet. The Walkman W273 goes on sale on 1 February for £60 (N15,000).

Sony's Xperia Z handset can be dropped in water thanks to a special coating

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Ammasco commits to creating jobs for Nigerians - Chairman/CEO

By Muhammad Nasir

O

ne of the major manufacturers of high quality lubricants and distributors of petroleum products in Nigeria, Ammasco International Limited said it is committed to playing a leading role in creating employment opportunities for Nigerians and beyond.

The Chairman/CEO of the company, Alhaji Ado Mustapha Mohammed stated this at a recent Customers’ forum organised by Ammasco International limited at Grand Ibro Hotel, Abuja.

Alhaji Mohammed, who is

also the Vice-Chairman, Lubricant Producers Association of Nigeria (LUPAN), said the company, apart from investing heavily in state-of-the-art factories as well as in research and development, is a high employer of labour both within Nigeria and the West-African sub-region.

The Chairman/CEO said Ammasco has so far employed more than 500 youth directly, adding that most of the graduates are employed into trade-related system like welder work, plumber work and a host of other jobs available for Nigerian youths.

Heritage Oil pushes into Nigeria

I

t is an unlikely alliance: a polo-loving local businessman and an oil company founded by a former supplier of mercenaries to African governments. But it could provide the prototype for a new wave of companies hoping to take on the majors that have long dominated the Nigerian oil industry.

At least that is what investors in Heritage Oil are being asked to believe following a sale of assets in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq to help finance a push into Nigeria’s troubled energy sector.

Heritage’s ambitions to transform itself into a significant producer in Nigeria, alongside local partner Shoreline Power, is based on its $850m purchase of a cache of oilfields in the conflict-scarred Niger Delta from Royal Dutch Shell, Total of France and Eni of Italy, which was completed in November.

The deal brings together, the founder, chief executive and leading shareholder of Heritage, Tony Buckingham with Nigerian businessman Kola Karim. Mr Karim’s Shoreline Energy International conglomerate is partnering with the FTSE 250 company to create an indigenous Nigerian company seeking to reverse the

fortunes of Shell’s neglected OML 30 oil lease.

Paul Atherton, chief financial officer at Heritage, says the new venture aims to raise production at the OML 30 block, located in the western delta near the city of Warri, from a current level of 35,000 barrels a day to 55,000 b/d in the short term by improving extraction techniques.

But further investment could see the block, which will formally be operated by the state-controlled, crisis-prone Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, increase production to 150,000 b/d within three to four years, according to Mr Atherton.

Previous attempts to reinvigorate production at OML 30, one of Nigeria’s most prolific blocks, have faltered.

Production, which began in 1963, has declined sharply from a peak rate of 280,000 barrels hit in 1973.

Shell sold stakes in three licences in the Niger Delta in 2010 to Seplat, which has since improved output at the fields.

Shell went on to sell stakes in other licences to First Hydrocarbon Nigeria, an affiliate of London-listed Afren, and Neconde Energy, a local consortium.

(Source: Financial Times)

Explaining further on the role Ammasco is playing to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country, Alhaji Mohammed said, in order to reverse the current trend in Nigeria whereby university graduates are trained to be governmentreliant Ammasco is training them to be self-reliant.

“They can work for ten years and decide to be on their own. As they are working, we are training them for the future to be self employed”, he affirmed.

Ammasco International Limited, is a manufacturer of high quality lubricants and specialises on business of

general blending and marketing of lubricants and other petroleum and allied products.

The company, which has an ultra-modern lubricant blending plant located in Kano, is one of the fastest growing independent lubricants marketing company in Nigeria. The plant, which produces all brands of lubricants and allied products ranging from, Automotive Lubricants, Industrial Lubricants, Marine Lubricants, Grease and Allied Products, has an installed blending capacity of over 30,000 metric tonnes (MT).

Ammasco also have a well

Ammasco petroleum products

equipped and state-of-the-art laboratory that ensures that these products are manufactured in strict compliance to specifications by SAE, API and ACEA. The company further stated that, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it has offered free training of over 500 automobile technicians using foreign resource persons on proper and adequate use of oil lubricants.

The landmark achievements of Ammasco in the manufacture and distribution of lubricants has led to its recognition and receipt of several awards from different corporate organisations, as well as government.

It could be recalled that in 2008, the company clinched the MANCAP award by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in 2009, as the first lubricant blending company to bag such meritorious award within a short time of its establishment.

Also last year, Ammasco commissioned an ultra modern Carbon Dioxide Gas Plant in Kano for the production of commercial Carbon Dioxide.

Ammasco recently played a host to the American consulate and the Kano state Chambers of Commerce (KACCIMA); The visit was led by the president of KACCIMA, Alh. Ahmed Rabiu.

The company expressed its resolve to ensuring the consistent supply of quality and affordable lubricant brands in Nigeria and consolidating on the thriving lubricant industry

MTN reveals latest global brand campaign TN Nigeria limited has unvieled a new campaign tagged: “Welcome to the New World” which it launched last week.

The full campaign will consist of 17 commercials designed to speak to MTN’s individual markets and customers, and capture the essence of each, across Africa and the Middle East.

The television commercials are complemented by a wide

range of extensive country specific print, outdoor, online and mobile campaigns. All executions are in the markets’ dominant languages, notably, English, French, Kinyarwandan (Rwanda), Pashito, and Farsi - and features local models and personalities.

Executive for group marketing at MTN, Jennifer Forrester, says the global campaign’s objective is to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of the people in MTN markets, particularly their

vibrancy, spirit and creativity.

“We spent huge amounts of time looking at the people, the clothing and the setting, so that we get every bit of detail right.

This was very importance to us.

We wanted the international community to see these countries, the way we see them,” says Forrester.

To develop the campaign strategy, MTN roped in its c r e a t i v e agency, MetropolitanRepublic, which also executed the panAfrican part of the campaign.

the institution.

At a media briefing to herald the 25th anniversary of the school, Chief Executive of Business School Netherlands, Mr. Lere Baale said the school authorities are pleased with the enthusiasm its action learning initiative has generated in Nigeria, hence the establishment of more centre in Abuja and Port Harcourt.

He said the unique teaching and learning methods have earned the school accolades across the world and endeared it to students, graduates and employers, urging Nigerians to save themselves the financial stress and mental rigour associated with studying abroad.

Parts of the registration package for students this year Baale told reporters will include

digitised course content on specially packaged ipad. He said “each student’s iPad would contain all MBA courses in electronic form.

Students would now receive their coursework pre-loaded on customised iPads to keep them on the same pedestal with network of student, alumni, and faculty members in other outreaches worldwide.”

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

M

160 Nigerians obtain executive MBA from Business School Netherlands From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

A

total of one hundred and sixty (160) Nigerians are said to have obtained their executive MBA from the Nigeria campus of the Business School Netherlands (BSN) since it commenced training in the country ten years ago, according to records obtained from the school, thus saving the

country about N1.1billion that could have been paid as tuition fees abroad.

Business School Netherlands Nigeria, one of the affiliate learning centres of the parent body in the Netherlands, is the second biggest BSN location in the world with over 400 MBA students currently receiving tuition in its experiential actionlearning paradigm pioneered by

PEOSPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Report as at Thursday, January 10, 2013

PAGE 23

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Plea bargain and Nigeria’s criminal justice administration

By Oluwakemi Oladipo

U

ntil recently, most Nigerians were not familiar with the legal term “plea bargain’’ as it was not part of Nigeria’s history.

Plea bargain is a process whereby a criminal defendant and the prosecutor reach a mutually satisfactory disposition. The term became known and applied with the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following increased level of corruption.

The judiciary then began to apply the process in justice administration, particularly in high profile cases prosecuted by the EFCC. Some cases so far resolved through plea bargain include the case of misuse of depositors’ funds preferred against a former Chief Executive Officer of the Oceanic Bank, Mrs Cecelia Ibru.

The prosecution and the defence agreed under plea bargain that Ibru should forfeit 199 assets and funds worth about N190 billion and be sentenced to only six months’ imprisonment. Also, the money laundering case against former Gov. Diepriye Alamieseiya of Bayelsa was disposed of through plea

Tafa Balogun, convicted ex-IGP

bargain which required the ex governor to forfeit some assets and to escape stiff penalty.

Former Gov. Lucky Igbinedion of Edo also had his money-laundering case ended through plea bargain.

Many Nigerians, including lawyers have criticized the application of this process in Nigeria’s legal system.

While some argue that plea bargain is not part of Nigeria’s history, others say that its application will fuel corruption since it allows less punishment for corrupt people. The immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, is a major critic of plea bargain which, he describes, as dubious.

“The concept is not only dubious but was never part of the history of our legal system — at least until it was surreptitiously smuggled into our statutory laws with the creation of the EFCC. Musdapher made the submission at an Alternative Dispute Resolution summit organised by the Negotiation and Conflict Management Group and the National Judicial Institute.

An eminent lawyer and university lecturer, Prof.

Adedokun Adeyemi, explains that plea bargain was not specifically provided for

judicial and socio-economic milieu. According to him, the concept will not augur well in Nigeria because most political “big wigs” have seized the opportunity of plea bargain to get away with serious offences that required criminal prosecution. ``A handful of our elites in the country have used plea bargain to run away from just punishment for criminal acts. ``The concept should be completely abrogated from our judicial system. I say this because Nigeria as a nation is already

faced with too many cases of corruption and financial malpractice. ``These culprits should be made to face the wrath of the law, rather than romancing with them in the name of plea bargain.

Mr Mike Agbamuche, also a lawyer, also believes that plea bargain enables individuals to get away with their wrong doings. He says that financially enhanced individuals who enter into plea bargain do not feel the brunt of punishment because they merely refunded a specified amount. “I do not see

“

Lucky Igbinedion, former Edo Governor under any Nigerian federal legislation, and that the nearest to plea bargain was Section 14(2) of the EFCC Act. He accuses the EFCC of employing the section to

make defendants to make restitution in derogation of Section 29 (2) of the Evidence Act. The don says that the Evidence Act provided that confessions are inadmissible if obtained by oppression, but that the EFCC has been employing Section 14(2) of its Act to persuade defendants to make restitution “with promises made by the commission’s agents’’.

According to him, the section empowers the commission to compound any offence punishable under the Act, by accepting money as it deems it, notwithstanding the amount to which the accused would have been liable if convicted. “Before resorting to plea bargain, there must be voluntariness on the part of the person willing to plea bargain; this willingness must be backed by a court approval,’’ he argues.

Adeyemi is convinced that the concept is being abused in Nigeria’s criminal jurisprudence.

He, however, notes that plea bargain expedites the conclusion of the criminal process without the need for a formal trial, thereby

reducing congestion of the cause lists of courts. He adds that plea bargain reduces cost of prosecution, noting that in the U.S., more than 90 per cent of criminal cases was being settled through plea bargain.

A social critic and lawyer, Mr Bamidele Aturu, describes plea bargaining as an embarrassment to Nigeria’s judicial system. He says that the concept encourages people who unlawfully enriched themselves with public funds to escape long sentences, giving the impression that only the poor will serve the long-term punishment under the law. “It leads to corruption, and corruption has reduced our moral values,” Aturu says. Mr Spurgeon Ataene, another lawyer, also believes that plea bargain favours only the rich and influential, adding that it has caused some controversies in Nigeria’s judicial system “because those who looted public funds don’t want to be punished’’.

He advocates that the concept should also be applied in cases involving the poor so that they can take its advantage.

Another SAN, Mr Vincent Ohaneri, says that the plea bargain was a well thoughtout initiative but would not thrive in Nigeria’s political,

When a crime is committed against a society, there should be deterring punishments, and to my mind, plea bargain is not one of such deterrents Mrs. Cecelia Ibru, once was Ecobank (Oceanic) Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former Bayelsa state Governor

the justice in plea bargain as that is a door left open for abuse. “When a crime is committed against a society, there should be deterring punishments, and to my mind, plea bargain is not one of such deterrents,’’ he says.

He, therefore urges abolition of the practice. Mr Onyekachi Ubani, the Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja branch, also describes plea bargain as unhealthy to Nigeria’s judicial system. “The manner and mode of application of plea bargain is questionable,” Ubani argues, adding that the process is clearly a recipe for impunity in corruption cases.

However, a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Chris Uche, is of the opinion that plea bargain is a good initiative since it quickens disposal of cases. “Plea bargain

is a good concept in criminal prosecution, which has been successfully experimented abroad. “But like every other thing in Nigeria, the concept is abused, particularly when utilised in prosecution of criminal cases,’’ he said. Also Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) says that the advantages of plea bargain surpasses its disadvantages because it makes room for conviction, sentence or sanction with resources saved. “As long as it is carried out in an honest manner— without any underhand arrangements— it has more of advantages than disadvantages,” Sagay argues.

Mr Emmanuel Oche Ochai, also a lawyer, agrees that plea bargain, though new to Nigeria’s legal system, saves the time and cost of

litigation. Ochai is satisfied that the process requires the defendant to pay part of his loot and get less punishment.

The reason is that where the law provides for maximum sentence, the judge has discretion to give the minimum sentence,” Ochai says.

Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, is satisfied that the commission has been able to use plea bargain to conclude some high profile cases. He lists the cases to include those involving former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun; former Gov. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former Edo State Governor Lucky Igbinedion and Cecelia Ibru.

Analysts urge effective justice, not the Kangaroo brand.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Some women you must not marry (III) A

llah says: “And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell In tranquillity with them, and He has put love and Mercy between your (hearts): Verily In that are Signs for those who reflect.” [ar-Rum: 21] In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah! We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our evils and bad deeds. Anyone who is guided

by Allah, is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and final messenger to mankind. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His last and final Apostle, his Household, his companions and all his followers until the end of time.

This week, we will discuss the categories of women with conditional proscription, and conclude, in sha Allah, with some advices on avoidance of some women you must be very cautious in taking them as wives.

This group of women are not completely forbidden to be forsaken as marriageable women, rather, experience taught us never to consider them as good wives and mothers to be.

Their prohibition likewise was based on pious wise men advice.

The Qur'an has clearly stated in the following verses the first category, thus: “Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until They believe: a slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, Even though she allures you. nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until They believe: a man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, Even though He allures you. unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the Fire. but Allah beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs Clear to mankind: that They may celebrate His praise.” [al-Baqarah: 221] In this verse, the phrase "unbelieving women" means idolatrous women or idol worshipers; the traditionalists who ascribe partners to Allah.

However, this excludes the Jews and Christians; despite their ascription of sons to Allah. As far as Islam is concerned, they remain "Ahlul-Kitab" the people of the Books. The next verse explains further clear.

“This Day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you.

The food of the people of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you In marriage) are (Not only) chaste women who are believers, but

chaste women among the people will be corruption and great evil on of the Book, revealed before your earth.” (Tirmidhi) time,- when ye give them their due This last hadith has given us dowers, and desire chastity, not enough light to use in selecting lewdness, nor secret intrigues if spouses as wives or husbands. any one rejects Faith, fruitless is His work, and In the Hereafter He will be In the ranks of those who have lost

By Husain Zakariyya (All spiritual good).” [alYawale Ma'idah: 5] Nevertheless, +234-8052952900 (sms only) there is islamexplained35@yahoo.com permanent prohibition of inter-marriage between a Such that the absence of religious Muslim woman and non-Muslim inclination and good characters man regardless of whether he is as specified by the Shari'ah, is an idolater, Jew or Christian! sufficient to stop any proposed This ban remains till eternity! union. And any sentiment which The last category of women prevents or beclouds one from anyone to be extra careful in taking the side of the Shari'ah in taking them as wives was based choosing his or her mate, will

chaste as well as excellent.

Good attributes in the spouses which justifies one to chose a permanent partner, includes kindness, lovingness and compassion. The Prophet (SAW) said: “ M a r r y affectionate and child-bearing (woman) for I shall outstrip the other nations with your numbers on Qiyamah.”

(Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others) The following types of women never to marry if any or all of the following traits are found in them according to one of our great jurists of the last century, Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah pardon him are seven types:

husband. Such women never appreciate the efforts of their present husbands.

4.

Kay’atul-Qafaa: The woman who has a brand mark on the nape of her neck meaning she has a bad reputation or doubts about her.

5. Al-Haddaaqah: The woman who casts her eyes at things meaning she is always looking at something to purchase, then desires it, and then requires her husband to buy it no matter what. Such women are always out to roam the plazas, malls and the super markets!

6. Al-Barraaqah: The women who spends much of her day enhancing her face and beautifying it to such an extent that it will seem like it was manufactured. such women are over conscious of their beautify more than anything!

7. Al-Shaddaaqah: The

on the advice of the messenger of Allah in the following ahadiths: “A woman is normally sought as a wife for her wealth, beauty, nobility, or religiousness (adherence to Islam), but choose a religious woman and you will prosper.” And in another reported by Bukhari: “A woman is married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religious concern.

You should marry the religious woman (otherwise) you will be a loser.”

In essence, the best qualities we seek in prospective spouses are enshrined in this hadith of our beloved Apostle, “Once someone with whose religion and character you are satisfied asks to marry your daughter, comply with his request. If you do not do so, there

1. Al-Annaanah: The woman who whines, moans, and complains and ties a band around her head all the time meaning that she complains of a headache or some illness but in reality she is feigning illness. Such women deceive their husbands by faking illness in order to siphon them of their riches.

2. Al-Mannaanah: The woman who bestows favours and gifts upon her husband then in the future reminds him "I did such and such for you or on your behalf or because of you". Such women remind their husbands of any favour done to them in a manner connoting to mockery or belittlement.

3. Al-Hannaanah: The woman who yearns for her former husband or children of her former

woman who talks excessively.

Such women are always on phone, twittering or face-booking or charting with people may be they have never met or known in life.

However, these types of women are not exhausted in this write-up. One can go on and on based on his or her experience in life as a result of one or multiple encounters.

In my conclusion, my prayers for the soon to be married will be a repeat of the golden words of our beloved Prophet; Muhammad (SAW): “Once someone with whose religion and character you are satisfied asks to marry your daughter, comply with his request.

If you do not do so, there will be corruption and great evil on earth.”

(Tirmidhi)

ISLAM EXPLAINED

eventually meet with problems, never anticipated, but which are inherent in such contracts. One should try to do his or her best towards choosing the partner, if he or she is internally pious and clean. The Qur'an speaks: “Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity: these are not affected by what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honourable.” [an-Nur: 26] The Arabic word al-khabith translated as "bad" or "impure" in the verse above means filthy, unclean and despicable. It is a very strong expression. And the word al-tayyib translated as good, predicates uncontaminated and

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

ANALYSIS

By Julius Businge

W

hat is your assessment of Uganda's economy over the last few months you have been here?

I would say the economy is not bad.

The authorities have succeeded in ensuring macroeconomic stability.

Adequate policies have helped achieve low inflation and a significant accumulation of international reserves.

The main economic challenge now is to stimulate growth, which is essential for employment creation and poverty reduction. At only 3.5%, growth is well below the potential level and barely above the population growth rate. Another priority is to improve management of the fiscal accounts and processes to ensure that resources are efficiently utilised.

PAGE 27

Uganda: Reviving growth a must - IMF Ms Ana Lucia Coronel, the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) senior resident representative in Uganda, spoke to The Independent's Julius Businge in an exclusive interview in which she tips the government and policy makers on key priorities for growth if the country's economic fortunes are to be revived in 2013 and beyond. Excerpts: monetary, fiscal and exchange rate policies. Rapid monetary tightening last year raised financing costs significantly.

Together with a tight fiscal stance, this resulted in low economic growth, which now has to recover. In fact, reviving growth is a clear priority in Uganda.

Short-term policies toward this end require careful calibration to maintain essential public investment, encourage a gradual resumption of bank lending, and continue to allow the shilling to reflect market conditions. Over the medium term, sound macroeconomic policies need to be underpinned by a higher contribution of private investment, which would in turn require improvements in the business environment and reinforced efforts to fight corruption.

Major donors have been announcing aid suspensions to Uganda because of concerns about corruption particularly in the Office of the Prime Minister.

What is your take on the action of the donors because some people think it's the poor who suffer most from these aid cuts?

It is unacceptable that resources meant to address social and development needs have been diverted to other purposes in an illegal way. This has motivated a strong reaction not only from Ugandan development partners, but from the society as a whole. It affects government spending plans and it hurts all citizens in Uganda.

This unfortunate situation also provides a key opportunity to the government to take definitive action to address weaknesses in public financial management and ensure proper and transparent handling of public funds.

There is continued weak demand for African goods and services in foreign markets such as Europe due to the ongoing economic constraints there. What options do poor countries like Uganda have to avoid being negatively affected by this situation?

The most recent IMF's forecast for global growth for 2013 is 3.5%, which certainly is still sluggish. It is important to note that while this is the average, advanced economies are expected to grow by only 1.5% while emerging markets and developing economies are projected to expand by 5.5%, and in the case of Sub-Saharan African countries even a bit higher than that.

This said, it is clear that there are evident spillovers of the economic difficulties in advanced economies into developing countries like Uganda.

The main channels of transmission are trade, as demand for Ugandan products comes down, financial transactions as the business options from foreigners are depressed, and remittances as Ugandans working abroad lose their jobs. These factors need to be taken into consideration when forecasting economic growth in Uganda. Countries like Uganda should try to minimize the impact of these spillovers by building buffers in good times that can be used in bad times.

For example, now with lower inflation and higher international reserves, the Uganda economy is better prepared to deal with the external shocks than it was before. The other way of shielding the economy from adverse shocks is one that will take more time and consists of diversifying products and markets to have more investment, production, and export opportunities.

Uganda's economy has been hit by high inflationary pressures for the last one and a half years, though a decline in inflation has been reported in recent months.

Ms Ana Lucia Coronel What is your view on how the situation has been managed at the macro level?

The decline in inflation has been quite remarkable from a high of over 30% in October 2011 to a level of under 5% now. This fall has been supported by declining food prices, but also by a restrictive fiscal stance and tight monetary policy. The disinflationary strategy was well managed at the macro level and policies succeeded in reducing inflation quite fast to the targeted level.

What is your take on the effectiveness of the Central Bank in managing the economic challenges the country is facing?

Where does it need to improve?

The Central Bank has successfully used the new inflation targeting lite framework to rein in inflation. As you know, this framework uses the Central Bank Rate as the main policy device to guide market interest rates and in that way to ensure that market liquidity is consistent with the inflation target. I believe the Bank of Uganda is doing a very good technical work in this regard.

The Bank uses a model that captures well the transmission of central bank rates into market rates, taking into

consideration the position of economic growth in the cycle and the impact of exchange rates on inflation, among other factors.

The policy statements that the Bank of Uganda issues every month are set to provide guidance to banks and other market participants on how economic developments will evolve to support the ultimate objective of maintaining low inflation. You asked what needs to be improved. I think reforms on the institutional side are needed to support the inflation targeting regime, which is not only a framework for the Bank of Uganda but for the country as a whole, since maintaining low inflation is in the interest of all. The actions I am thinking of refer to the need for a more autonomous central bank, with adequate and sustainable capital, and with independence of instruments to conduct monetary policy.

Briefly, what are the best optionsthatacountrylikeUganda should take to stablise and grow the economy, going forward?

Following the successful decline in inflation, there is a key need to maintain macroeconomic stability by continuing to pursue adequate

“

Uganda is set to start oil production in the Albertine region in the next few years with the legal framework now being set up to managetheresource.Whatisyour assessmentofthemannerinwhich the whole process has been managed so far?

Oil production is set to be a key driver of growth, but there are important decisions that need to be taken to allow this to happen. A key decision, from the macroeconomic point of view, is successful integration of oil revenues into a medium-term fiscal framework.

What does this mean? It means that the government has to plan with sufficient anticipation how to maximize the use of the oil wealth over time, by deciding how much to save for future generations-because oil is a nonrenewable product; how much to invest--given the country big infrastructure needs; and how much to spend in social and developing programs.

In the case of Uganda, these last two aspects have a priority. It is important that oil revenues are managed in a very transparent way, with all resources transferred to the petroleum fund that will be created for this purpose.

It is also important that oil savings be managed in a professional way, and that spending and investment of oil revenues be carried out through the budget and not off budget. In sum, all the Ugandan population has the right to know how these sovereign resources are being used, and that is why I emphasize the importance of transparency.

Critics say the government is failing to fully support critical sectors like agriculture, tourism and infrastructure development, which is undermining the country's economic prospects. To what extent do you share this view?

Uganda has great potential to

In the case of Uganda, these last two aspects have a priority. It is important that oil revenues are managed in a very transparent way, with all resources transferred to the petroleum fund that will be created for this purpose.

develop sectors like agriculture and tourism, in which increased productivity will bring important returns. Domestic processing of agricultural products could be an important source of revenue, and tourism could be certainly expanded. I would like to emphasize, though, that these are all activities that should be carried out by the private sector. Support from the government to these sectors should come in three ways: First, by allowing fair competition to investors interested in working in these activities. Second, by providing a favorable business environment to investors.

This has to be done by setting clear business rules and putting governance guarantees in place.

And third, by improving infrastructure to facilitate production.

This will necessitate revamping the government's capacity for appraising and implementing projects transparently and without delays.

You recently mentioned the issue of tax exemptions offered to some investors saying these were undermining revenue performance. Shouldn't tax incentives be used to attract investors into the economy?

I think that the three factors I just mentioned are key to attract investors. Tax incentives could be occasionally and temporarily used if well targeted, but should not be widespread. In the case of Uganda, there have been important efforts to improve tax collection and I have a very positive impression of the work that the staff at the URA are doing. However, the ratio of revenue-to-GDP is still low by regional and international standards, which somehow is explained by the structure of the economy--a landlocked country with a large informal economy.

I believe there is still ample space for raising tax collections and achieve the target of increasing the tax-to-GDP ratio by 0.5 percentage points per year. Actions on this front include introducing a tax procedure code, rationalizing tax expenditures, in particular for the VAT and CIT, and educating taxpayers on the importance of paying taxes.

What is your outlook for Uganda's economic growth prospectsin2013andindeedinthe next few years?

The economy is expected to grow by over 4% this year, affected by the suspension of aid, but helped by the expected recovery in private consumption and investment with lower interest rates and clearer inflation expectations. Over the medium term, the economy is expected to slowly pick up to reach the potential growth rates of 6-7%. This of course critically depends on reforms to fight corruption, which is a main deterrent to growth, and to improve public financial management to rebuild the trust of Uganda's development partners, whose support is still needed to finance development.

Source: allAfrica.com

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Zimbabwe: Human Rights Watch’s fears over free 2013 poll Z CAR war of words heats up amid talks

T

he Central African Republic's government and the Seleka rebels are holding peace talks in Gabon, but both sides appear to be refusing to back down from the conflict.

The rebels have called on President Francois Bozize to step down and be charged in an international criminal court for alleged war crimes, including "detentions and false imprisonment, kidnappings, disappearances, assassinations and summary executions".

"We're asking for the head of state to go, because he's not been up to his function, and we're asking for transition. We need a transitional government, a transitional assembly," Crepin Mboli Gumba, a member of the opposition party, told Al Jazeera.

The statements came a day after Bozize accused the rebels of being foreign-backed "mercenary terrorists".

The three-way talks between the Central African government, rebels and the political opposition are being brokered by regional bloc the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in Libreville, the Gabonese capital.

The talks were to focus on renegotiating peace agreements signed by Bangui between 2007 and 2011 which rebels say have been violated.

"I am asking everyone to show restraint and, in this context, we will suggest at the start of the talks that a ceasefire agreement be signed," said Basile Ikouebe, the foreign minister of Congo, which is mediating the talks.

Seleka, an umbrella group of several rebel factions, launched an offensive in the north on December 10 and have since seized control over many cities and towns in the country's north.

Bozize has relied on foreign military help to fend off a series of smaller insurgencies. Regional powers, chief among them Chad, have sent in hundreds of troops to bolster his army this time.

President Francois Bozize

imbabwe has failed to make the key reforms needed to ensure a free and fair presidential election later this year, a Human Rights Watch report says.

This has provoked fears of a replay of the violence surrounding the 2008 poll, the US-based rights group says.

It said time was running out for the unity government to implement legal and institutional reforms, including a new constitution.

President Robert Mugabe has sweeping powers under current laws.

Mr Mugabe signed a coalition pact following the 2008 elections with the Movement for Democratic Change, whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai had pulled out of the run-off vote, citing political violence.

Mr Tsvangirai is now prime minster but their four-year alliance has been marked by frequent disagreements.

'Outmanoeuvred' According to Human Rights Watch, the pact underpinning the power-sharing government was not entirely incorporated into law meaning "it remains a document of political aspirations with no legal status, dependent on political will for enforcement of its provisions".

Its 28-page report, Race Against Time: The Need for Legal and Institutional Reforms Ahead of Zimbabwe's Elections, explains that the timing of the elections is governed by the current

President Robert Mugabe constitution.

"If elections are not held in March as Mugabe has indicated, the latest they can be held constitutionally is 29 October 2013," the Human Rights Watch report says.

As well as failing to reform key laws, like the public order, security and information acts, Human Rights Watch says there have been no changes to the justice system "which remains extremely partisan towards Zanu-PF".

The unity government has also failed to hold accountable those responsible for past human rights abuses, including those committed during the last election, the report says.

The security forces, election bodies and state broadcasters are also politically partisan, remaining loyal to Mr Mugabe and Zanu-PF, it adds.

"To hold credible, free, and fair elections in 2013, Zimbabwe's government needs to level the political playing field and create a rightsrespecting environment now," Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

"This means amending repressive laws and replacing partisan police chiefs and election officials with impartial professionals," he said.

Over the last four years, the power-sharing government has managed to halt hyperinflation

and brought relative economic stability to the country.

But Andrew Harding says the MDC appears to have been outmanoeuvred on many fronts by Zanu-PF. Much will now depend on how much pressure Zimbabwe's neighbours, especially South Africa, are prepared to exert on President Mugabe, he says.

Human Rights Watch urged donors and the regional body Sadc, which has been mediating the Zimbabwe crisis for the last few year, not to "shy away from using sanctions on individuals and other measures to improve respect for human rights in Zimbabwe".

Italian Government hails Nigeria security over clean operation

By Etuka Sunday

I

talian government yesterday hailed Nigerian security operatives particularly, its Foreign Affairs Ministry for the high sense of responsibility and collaboration exhibited in the search of three of its citizens that were kidnapped on 23rd of December last year.

In a statement issued by its Foreign Affairs Minister, Giulio Terzi, the three seamen, Emiliano Astarita, Salvatore Mastellone and Giuseppe D'Alessio who are captain, first officer and engineer respectively of the Asso21, a cargo-boat owned by Augusta Offshore kidnapped are free and are due to return to Italy.

The Italian Minister said that the tenacity and professionalism displayed by men and women of both countries during the search made the positive outcome of the difficult affair possible.

He thanked "Nigerian authorities who have collaborated fully with us in the last few weeks. Search operations

began immediately, with the help of the Nigerian navy and the diplomatic efforts of the Italian Foreign Ministry".

"The situation was "extremely worrisome" "but thanks to the techniques we have honed over time, this long operation ended successfully (at about 1am) with the return of our fellow nationals," he said.

Arab Maghreb Union launches investment bank

T

he Arab Maghreb Union has launched a bank with $100m of capital to finance infrastructure projects in the region.

Sid Ahmed Ould Raiss, the governor of the Central Bank of Mauritania, said that the investment bank will finance projects in Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morroco and Tunisia, the five member states of the union.

Speaking at a meeting held in Noukachott, the Mauritanian capital, on Wednesday, Raiss said: "The bank is intended to finance development projects, such as highways, promoting new technologies and also investing in energy.

"The bank is destined to finance infrastructure programmes in the energy sector."

Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, lauded the creation of the bank saying it would foster

Christine Lagarde, the head of IMF has lauded the initiative.

integration and spur investments in the region.

"It's the first foundation for an edifice being built," said Lagarde, who was present at the meeting. "[It is] something everyone thought necessary, from the economic activity point of view, which can be better shared, and true prosperity as well as from the point of view of job creation."

The banks were first proposed in 1991, but the launch was delayed by tension between Morocco and Algeria over Western Sahara.

The tension hindered decisionmaking and the operation of the union, with no summit organised since 1994.

It is hoped the creation of the bank will create jobs and increase security in the region.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Asia and Middle East

T

he leaders of the rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas have agreed in Cairo to renew efforts to implement a two-yearold unity deal.

The agreement followed talks, the first in 18 months, between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.

Earlier, both had separately met Egyptian President Mohammed

PAGE 29

Palestinian groups, Hamas and Fatah, agree on unity deal Morsi.

The groups have been at odds since Hamas ousted Mr Abbas' forces from the Gaza Strip during clashes in 2007.

The two factions set up rival administrations in Gaza and the West Bank.

However, tensions have eased

recently. Hamas and Fatah supporters have both been allowed to hold mass rallies in Gaza and the West Bank.

"The two parties agreed to call on all Palestinian factions to implement the reconciliation agreement," Izzat alRishq, a member of Hamas' political

bureau and a participant in the Cairo talks, told the AFP news agency.

The meeting was held in a "very good and promising atmosphere", Mr Rishq added.

This was confirmed by Egyptian presidential spokesman Yasser Ali. The two sides signed a unity

agreement in April 2011, but it was not implemented. The 2011 accord was meant to pave the way for the formation of a new transitional unity government formed of independents, which was to prepare for legislative elections scheduled to be held before the end of May 2012.

'Pakistan soldier killed' in Kashmir

A

Pakistani soldier has been killed by Indian troops in the disputed Kashmir region, according to the Pakistani military.

Thursday's incident comes two days after the Indian army said that two Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistani troops, after crossing the ceasfire line in the Himalayan region, Islamabad denies the incident occured.

A Pakistani army spokesperson said that the soldier was killed by "unprovoked" Indian fire while manning a post in the Battal sector of Kashmir, which is split between the two sides by a heavily fortified border known as the Line of Control (LOC).

"Pakistan Army soldier, Havildar Mohyuddin, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) due to unprovoked firing by Indian troops at Hotspring sector in Battal at 2:40 pm (0940 GMT) today," the military said.

In a major diplomatic move on Wednesday, Pakistan's high commissioner was summoned to New Delhi to discuss Tuesday's incident, as the country lodged a protest with Pakistan after the incident at the LOC.

India rape suspects 'to plead not guilty'

T

hree of the suspects in the brutal rape and death of a young woman on a New Delhi bus will plead not guilty, Manohar Lal Sharma, their lawyer, has said.

Five men have been charged with attacking the 23-year-old woman and her male companion on a bus as it was driven through the streets of India's capital.

The men appeared in court in the Indian capital for a second time on Thursday.

India's legal system is painfully slow, corrupt and inefficient, with many cases lasting years, even decades The hearing, which was adjourned until Monday, had been expected to result in the case being sent to a special "fast-track" court but no decision was made.

"They are innocent," said Sharma of his three clients on Thursday.

He said he took the case in part to

confront the police over "how manipulated evidence is placed for fixing the innocent people".

The woman was raped and assaulted with a metal bar on December 16 and later died of her injuries.

Rape victims are not identified in India, even if they die, and rape trials are closed to the media.

Sharma said he represents bus driver Ram Singh, Singh's brother Mukesh, and another man, Akshay Thakur.

VK Anand, another lawyer, said he also represents the two Singh brothers. It is not yet clear if the other defendants have lawyers.

Indian officials have come under immense public pressure over the attack - accused of doing little to protect the country's women - and are eager to make sure the highprofile case moves quickly.

Brahimi does not see Assad in Syria future

T

he international peace envoy for Syria has said he does not see President Bashar al-Assad being part of a transitional government envisaged by a peace plan agreed by major powers last year.

"Surely he would not be a member of that government," Lakhdar Brahimi told Reuters news agency in an interview in Cairo on Wednesday, in some of his clearest language yet on the future he sees for al-Assad.

He reiterated his view that the peace plan agreed in Geneva last year remained "the base for a solution in Syria".

"There is no military solution," he said. "The solution shouldn't wait until 2014. It should be in 2013," he said.

He described a speech delivered by

Mohammed Morsi (R) met Mahmoud Abbas (L) and later Mr Meshaal individually.

Assad this week as "narrow" and "uncompromising", adding that embattled president had "narrowed his initiative by excluding some parties" from his own proposed talks to end the Syrian conflict.

"This wouldn't be a national dialogue," Brahimi said.

Brahimi added that he had made a mistake in an earlier interview with the BBC global broadcaster by describing the Assad speech as "sectarian".

"It's a slip of the tongue and I apologise," he said.

Brahimi said he would travel to Geneva on Thursday for a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanovand US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

Women protester's calling for the prosecution of the suspects.

President Bashar al-Assad

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 30

Europe and Americas Sarkozy 'investigated over secrecy breach'

France's ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy

F

rance's ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy is to be investigated over accusations of a breach of secrecy in an alleged corruption case, the "Karachi affair", the French agency AFP reports.

His office had said in 2011 that he was not named in any of the case documents.

Plaintiffs in the case say that statement violated confidentiality.

The long-running investigation stems from the death of 11 French engineers in a bombing in Pakistan in 2002, which may have been linked to French bribes.

It is the latest legal headache for Mr Sarkozy, who has also been questioned over allegations that his 2007 election campaign received illegal donations from France's richest woman.

Three judges have decided that the secrecy breach investigation into Mr Sarkozy should proceed, a judicial source told AFP. Prosecutors had argued that Mr Sarkozy could not be investigated because he had presidential immunity at the time, but the judges disagreed.

"The act of permitting the release of information concerning ongoing investigations does not enter into the functions of the president," the three investigating judges said in their ruling, according to AFP. Mr Sarkozy has strongly denied that he had anything to do with an alleged deal whereby, as part of a contract to sell French submarines to Pakistan, "sweeteners" would be paid to Pakistani officials, and some would be returned as kickbacks to fund the 1995 presidential bid of Eduard Balladur.

Mr Sarkozy was a close ally of Mr Balladur.

When Jacques Chirac beat Mr Balladur to the presidency, he reportedly ordered the cancellation of the payments.

It has been alleged, though not proved, that the 2002 bomb attack that killed 11 French naval engineers in Karachi was an act of revenge for ceasing the payments to Pakistan.

Google chief urges North Korea to open web access E

ric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman, has used a private visit to the country to urge North Korea to allow its citizens to use the internet or risk staying behind economically.

Schmidt joined Bill Richardson, the former governor of New Mexico, as part of a US delegation whose fourday visit was not sanctioned by Washington.

Speaking at Beijing airport on Thursday at the end of the trip, Schmidt said: "As the world is becoming increasingly connected, their decision to be virtually isolated is very much going to affect their physical world, their economic growth and so forth. "[The government] has to make it possible for the people to use the internet. It is their choice now. It is, in my view time, for them to start or else they will remain behind."

Use of the internet is severely restricted in North Korea and most users are only able to access a national intranet rather than the world wide web Richardson said the the delegation had urged Pyongyang to halt all missile and nuclear tests, which have incurred UN sanctions, and sought fair treatment for a US citizen who has been detained in North Korea.

Kenneth Bae was detained in the country in November for unspecified

crimes against the state.

Richardson said he was unable to meet Bae, and had expressed his concerns to authorities who had assured him of Bae's good health.

The former governor said that the main success of the controversial visit was Schmidt's efforts for greater adoption of the internet.

Emma Campbell, a Korea

Institute fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, told Al Jazeera that at first Schmidt's visit looked like a "sightseeing trip with this added agenda of trying to free the American who had been detained over there".

"But, if one of the results of the trip is that North Koreans [receive]

better access to the internet and better communications infrastructure, I think that will be a very positive outcome," she added speaking from Canberra.

The US State Department has called the timing of the visit by Scmidt and Richardson "unhelpful" as it appeared to hijack US diplomacy.

Eric Schmidt (3rd Right) and former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson (2nd Left) tour a computer lab at Kim Il Sung University.

Obama 'determined' for action on gun crime, Biden says

P

resident Barack Obama is "determined" to curb gun violence, US Vice-President Joe Biden has said, opening highprofile talks on the issue.

Mr Biden, leading the White House effort on gun control policy, said the president could use executive orders.

He spoke as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The gun-control moves follow last month's deadly shooting in

Connecticut that left 28 people dead.

Adam Lanza killed 20 schoolchildren and six adults at a primary school in Newtown after first shooting his mother dead, then took his own life.

Mr Biden said the president was "determined to take action" to reduce gun violence.

"We are not going to get caught up in the notion that unless we do everything we're going to do nothing," Mr Biden told reporters before the meetings with gun-safety and

victims' groups began.

"There is a pretty wide consensus on three or four or five things in the gun safety area that could and should be done."

But gun control is a polarising issue in Congress, and Mr Biden warned that Mr Obama would take action independently if necessary, although he gave no specific details.

"We're reaching out to all parties on whatever side of this debate you fall," Mr Biden said.

"But the president is going to act.

There are executive orders, executive action that can be taken."

The White House has pledged to send its proposals to Congress at the end of January, shortly after Mr Obama is sworn into office on 21 January for his second term.

But an assortment of gunrights groups are planning a Gun Appreciation Day over the inauguration weekend.

They are encouraging gun enthusiasts to visit gun shops, gun ranges and gun shows.

Three Kurdish women shot dead in Paris

T

hree Kurdish women have been shot dead overnight inside the Kurdish Information Centre in Paris, including a co-

founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Their bodies were found at around 2am on Thursday morning

L-R: Sakine Cansiz, co-founder of the PKK, 32-year-old Fidan Dogan, Leyla Soylemez.

[0100GMT]. All three were shot in the head.

"The scene leads one to think of an execution, but the investigation will determine the exact circumstances," a police source told the AFP news agency.

French interior minister Manuel Valls, who visited the centre, also described the killings as an execution. "This is a very grave matter and this explains my presence. This is unacceptable," he told reporters at the scene.

Sources in Diyarbakir, in eastern Turkey, told Al Jazeera that one of the women, Sakine Cansiz, was a cofounder of the PKK, the separatist group which has been fighting a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish government. Cansiz was one of the PKK's European representatives.

Another was 32-year-old Fidan Dogan, who worked in the centre,

according to its director, Leon Edart.

The third was Leyla Soylemez, described by the group as a "young activist."

The three were last seen on Wednesday at the centre, which was locked by late afternoon.

Hundreds of Kurds gathered outside the centre on Thursday to protest, with some chanting "we are all PKK!" and blaming Turkey for the killings.

French police in October detained a suspected European leader of the PKK and three other members of the group as part of a probe into terrorism financing and association with a terrorist group.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and much of the Western world.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has accused France of obstructing its fight against the PKK.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 31

Man kills own grandmother while fighting over which show to watch, police say

Police say a New York man has killed his grandmother after they argued over what TV show to watch.

P

olice say a New York man has killed his grandmother after they argued over what TV show to watch.

They say Clarence Newcomb was arrested Friday

at the home he shared with 82-year-old Kathleen Newcomb in Kings Park, on Long Island 40 miles east of New York City.

Suffolk County police say a man called them at about

4:35 a.m. to report the woman was lying on the floor.

Officers say they found her dead.

Medical officials haven't determined how she died. No weapons have been

recovered.

Police say the 25-year-old Clarence Newcomb told them he and his grandmother had argued over what to watch on TV. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick says he doesn't know what shows

were involved.

Newcomb is in police custody and can't be reached for comment. Police say he's unemployed, and it's unclear if he has an attorney. He faces arraignment Saturday.

Heavily tattooed presidential candidate lights up Czech election

H

e is tattooed from head to toe, a warrior-like mix of blue, green and red.

He's also running in a surprising third place ahead of this week's Czech presidential elections.

Vladimir Franz, an opera composer and painter, seems the most unlikely of candidates for a prestigious post previously held by beloved playwright-dissident Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus, a professor credited with plotting the economic transition from communism to a free market.

Some have a nickname for Franz: `Avatar.' And during a televised debate a caller compared him to "an exotic creature from Papua New Guinea."

But he's not short of admirers in a country where voters are increasingly tired of politicians they say are corrupt and failing to deliver on years of promises, more than two decades after the fall of communism.

Franz has no political experience and confesses to little knowledge of economics. He says he only threw his hat in the ring after a group of admirers established the Franz for President initiative and begged him to shake up the race through his shock factor. But he's stirred up such goodwill that a leading economist offered his services for free and his campaign workers are also volunteers.

He's only spent $25,000 from donations on his campaign and hasn't put up any posters.

Franz burst onto the political scene with an eye-catching 88,000 signatures at the end of 2012 - far more than the 50,000 required by law.

Not affiliated with any party, he has campaigned mostly on a platform highlighting graft, the importance of education and the nation's moral standing.

"The (political) system is so enchanted with itself that it's lost the ability to self-reflect," he said in an interview with The Associated Press Tuesday.

Czechs, he says, "are fed up with this crap."

He's proven particularly popular with young voters - and those not yet eligible to cast a

Vladimir Franz

ballot. In a mock presidential election at 441 high schools across the country a month before the vote, Franz won by a landslide, garnering more than 40 percent of some 60,000 votes.

He's tipped to win around 11 percent in the first round on Friday and Saturday - not enough to make the runoffs. But he may end up kingmaker as the leading candidates - former prime ministers Jan Fischer and Milos Zeman - would be eager to pick up his following if the vote goes to a second round.

Karel Strachota, who organized the school ballot, said young people no longer identify with existing parties.

Franz is seen as "a candidate

who is not tainted by politics," Strachota said. "They look with sympathy at his nonconformity and the way he presents himself."

And, perhaps surprisingly, few take issue with his tattoos.

"Personally, I wouldn't vote for him - but (the tattoos) are not a problem at all," said Tomas Pistora, a 33-year-old IT specialist from Prague. "The young people prefer him because they don't have a better choice."

Many Czechs, especially in the capital, simply aren't shocked with Franz's look because the face of the 53-yearold professor at Prague's Academy of Performing Arts has been around for years.

"The tattoo doesn't make any difference," said Jakub Fisera, a student in Prague, adding a lack of experience in politics was more an issue.

Franz calls his tattoos body art. His face is a riot of green and red swirls against a background of blue. On his hands is a portrait of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu, on his chest the crucified Christ.

"A tattoo is a sign of a free will and that does not harm the freedom of anyone else," he says.

For the first time, the Czech president will be elected in a popular vote - a new system that makes it possible for independent candidates like Franz to run for the largely ceremonial post.

Vaclav Klaus, the incumbent, opposed the change.

He called it "a fatal mistake" and

said he feared the likes of Franz might succeed him.

A total of nine candidates are running. Unlike the Euroskeptic Klaus who attacked the EU at every opportunity, the favorites, Zeman and Fischer, have a more moderate approach to the bloc which the country joined in 2004.

Zeman, the leftist premier in 1998-02, leads the polls with about 25 percent support.

Fischer, a centrist and a former state bureaucrat, gained significant popularity when he led a caretaker government in 2009-10. He polls at about 20 percent.

As the campaign approached its end on Tuesday, eight candidates were busy on the stump. The ninth - Franz - had other matters to deal with: a final rehearsal of his opera "War with the Newts" at the State Opera.

Torn between art and politics, Franz cut short his appearance at an election debate to return to the opera house that is part of Prague's National Theater.

But he committed to staying to the end of Thursday's final televised debate. It wasn't an easy choice, but he realized his credibility demanded that he take part.

"For a Czech composer to have a world premiere in the National Theater is something extraordinary. I had to make a choice between a service to the public and the fulfillment of my life-long dream. I've made the choice and will be at the debate."

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013 With Tobias Lengnan Dapam 07036990957

Immorality: Nollywood’s upcoming actress recounts ordeal with producer O ne of Nigeria’s upcoming actresses, Olaitan Ogungbile has revealed her ugly experience with a sex seeking movie producer.

The beautiful lady, who is now a face to reckon with in

Nollywood explained to Nigeriafilms.com that she was highly molested in the hands of some producers who all wanted to sleep with her for a movie role, an act she totally declined.

According to her, “For a long time this producer was disturbing me about dating, but I refused. So one day, he called me that I should come to Lagos, because then I was in Ife. I was still in school. I told him I

didn’t have money to make the journey, but he said, no problem, just come, after all you are coming to work and you will be paid.

I packed my things and I came to Lagos. I got in early and met them at the location.

But throughout that day, I didn’t work. When we got to the hotel, I asked of my room and he showed me the room. He came in with me. I told him I was hungry and he ordered for two plates of food and the next thing he removed his clothes.

I asked why he was doing that and he said he was sleeping in the room. Then I asked him where I was going to

sleep, and he said here of course. And I said no, that we were not going to share the same room. I was really very furious and talking aloud. So he said I shouldn’t take it overboard that he will ask them to arrange another room for me and he did. So I went to sleep in my room.

Funny enough, he didn’t even bring my food to me. I didn’t eat that night. The following day I didn’t shoot any movie. Someone that promised me transport fare, he didn’t give me a kobo. So I left and went back to school. He’s not the only one. They are many,” she concluded.

‘Lincoln’ leads BAFTA award nomination with 10

A “

Olaitan Ogungbile

Justin Bieber headed back to “Saturday Night Live”.

A

fter Bieber alluded to a possible SNL gig on Twitter earlier this week, NBC made it official on Wednesday morning. Bieber will pull double duty as host and musical guest for the Feb. 9 episode.

Bieber, who appeared on SNL as a musical guest in 2010 and made a cameo in the 100th digital short last May, would be the latest musician to host and perform on SNL, following in the footsteps of Bruno Mars earlier this season.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lawrence dropped by January 19, with lunineers band, the Voice coach and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, is set to host SNL on January 26 with musical guest, Kendrick Lamar.

Dave Foley to star in CTV comedy pilot

C

anadian comic/actor, Dave Foley, has earned a starring role in Spun Out, the CTV multi-camera comedy

Dave Foley

pilot from Project 10 Productions, Hollywood reporter has said.

It added that the plot will ave Foley play the patriarchal boss of a

PR firm filled with people who can spin everyone’s problems, but not their own.

Foley and executive producer, Andrew Barnsley are the principals of Project 10 Productions.

Meanwhile, another actor, Paul Campbell (Battlestar Galactica) has been cast as a disgraced writer working as a publicist after suffering his own PR disaster.

The Spun Out pilot cast includes Holly Deveaux, Al Mukadam, Rebecca Dalton, J.P. Manoux and Jadyn Wong.

Hollywood reporter also indicated that Jeff Biederman and Brent Piaskoski are also working as co-creators, writers and executive producers, while Brian K. Roberts, co-creator and director, is also executive producing.

Foley’s deal was brokered by David Himelfarb in Toronto, Jennifer Craig at Gersh, and Tim Sarkus at Brillstien Entertainment.

rgo,” “Life of Pi,” “Les Miserables” and “Zero Dark Thirty” will compete with the Steven Spielberg film for the best film honor at the British Academy Film Awards.

Lincoln leads the pack of nominations for this year’s British Academy Film Awards, securing 10 nominations on Wednesday.

Daniel Craig, Quentin Tarantino, Trey Parker and Matt Stone Among Honorees at BAFTA LA Britannia Awards BAFTA Keeps Film Awards Nominations, Ceremony Ahead of Oscars.

The honors are presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and sponsored by cell phone giant EE. To win the best film award, Steven Spielberg’s historical epic will have to garner more BAFTA member votes than Ben Affleck’s Argo, Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi and Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.

This year, the best film and best director categories don’t match up, with Hooper and Spielberg on a best director slot.

Affleck, Lee and Bigelow find

Ice Prince records song with David Guetta

themselves in the running for best director. They are up against Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained and Michael Haneke for Amour.

With Lincoln leading this year’s nominations with 10, the overall tally saw Les Misérables and Life of Pi secure nine nominations apiece, while Skyfall garnered eight. Argo has seven tilts at prizes, while Anna Karenina has six.

Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty are each nominated five times, while The Master and Amour each have four nominations.

Daniel Day-Lewis is in the running for leading actor for his turn in Lincoln. He is up against Affleck for his outing in Argo, Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables, Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook and Joaquin Phoenix for his outing in The Master.

Fellow Silver Linings Playbook star Jennifer Lawrence finds herself among the candidates for this year’s leading actress nod.

Challenging for that crown are Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone), Helen Mirren (Hitchcock) and Emmanuelle Riva (Amour).

W

hile most people are starting their new year with thug beatings and others facing court cases, Pulse.com reliably gathered that J-town rapper, Ice Prince, recorded song with Diva Guetta.

It added that the rapper has taken a break from Yvonne Nwosu and recorded a song which was produced

by David Guetta. He recorded the song alongside 17 year old international singer, Holly.

Abraham Lincoln

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 33

Mariah Carey addresses Nicki Minaj fued during during Barbara Walter’s interview

I

Chidinma and X-Maleya group

Chidinma hooks up with X-Maleya

N

igerian upcoming musician, Chindinma has hooked up with another set of musicians in far away Cameroon, Pulse.com has said.

It added that the singer was visiting Cameroon last December on a concert when she caught the attention of the award winning music group, X-Maleya.

The group was immediately attracted to her style and asked for it on a song that seemed to had been saved for her. Both parties hit the studio in Yaounde and the hit was made.

“I feel comfortable working with other musicians in Africa

because we all end up promoting the African music from our different countries. XMaleya are big in the French African countries, and a song with them is amazing, she said.

On their part, the group said they it has always been their dream to work with foreign singers, especially English-speaking ones, adding that Chidinma has a style they love so much and can work with.

“Although the song is not released yet, we’re betting the song will be topping playlists throughout Africa and beyond in the very near future”, the group said.

n an exclusive “Nightline” interview with Barbara Walters yesterday, Mariah Carey addressed the highly publicised ongoing feud between her and “American Idol” colleague Nicki Minaj, including the fact that Carey has hired more security in the wake of Minaj’s reported threats, Hollywood reporter has said.

“I just felt it was the appropriate thing to do,” Carey tells Walters. “Sitting there on the road with two babies, I’m not going to take any chances.”

The two divas joined the judges’ table for the upcoming season and have had heated words for each other since the announcement was made.

Carey claims Minaj threatened her after an argument during an audition in North Carolina, with Minaj reportedly saying, “If I had a gun, I would shoot that bitch.”

However, Minaj has denied making the gun remarks, but Carey seems to be making the best of the situation either way.

“For all the drama, I hope it helps the show,” she said. “I think it’s a classic, classy show and it didn’t need this.”

Carey also discussed husband, Nick Cannon’s recent

hospitalization for kidney failure, as well as their 20month-old twins Monroe and Moroccan.

Regarding Monroe, Carey

says, “I call her Miss Monroe, and that kind of dictated her personality. “She’s a total diva.

She’s into jewelry. She’s fascinated by jewelry.”

Kim and Kanye-West rejects Brangelina’s sized Tonto Dike silence critics releases video payday for baby pics

U

nlike other celebrities, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West turned down a chance to rake in some serious coin off their unborn child, rejecting a $3 million tabloid offer for the baby’s first pics, TMZ has said.

Sources close to K&K tell TMZ that the couple have been flooded with lucrative deals from magazines clamoring to

score baby Kimye’s coveted first photos, with offers ranging as high as several million.

“So far, no cigar. Our sources say the couple has no plans to sell the pics to anyone right now.

“We are told they’re aware public demand will only increase over time — and still might consider offers in the future”, the sources have said.

T

onto Dike has been able to spring back quickly into shape after being squashed by critics on her maiden musical effort after the two singles she dropped a while ago, Nigeriafilm.com

has said.

It added that the diva is already at the editing suite putting final touches to her musical video that will wow her critics.

Despite the less than

enthusiastic response to her singles, she makes good on her promise to remain in the Nigerian music industry. She said that she would follow up her singles with videos and she is doing just that.

Eva Longoria gets animated in Canadian comedy “Mother Up”

T

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

Mariah Carey

he “Desperate Housewives” star returns to TV in a prime time cartoon about a former music executive, failing as a suburban mom, Hollywood reporter has said.

The plot for” Mother Up”for Canadian broadcaster City and Hulu has the Hollywood starlet voicing the character of Rudi Wilson, a former music executive turned hopeless suburban mom.

“She’s a crazy, irresponsible mother, that all mothers fear they are,” Longoria told the Hollywood Reporter about her character’s misguided, yet comedic child-rearing.

“She barely keeps her kids alive with bizarre, improvised solutions to the endless challenges of parenting,” she added.

City and Hulu ordered 13

episodes of the half-hour adult animated comedy series that Longoria also executive

Eva Longoria

produces.

The Canadian series was created by Michael Shipley (Family Guy, My Name is Earl), using original material from Marnie Nir and Katie Torpey.

Former Sony Pictures topper Yair Landau and Susan Purcell at U.S.-based Mass Animation also helped develop the project.

As Bardel Animation and Breakthrough Entertainment were picked as the Canadian coproducers of “Mother Up”, Toronto-based executive producer Fred Fuchs, successfully shopped the Canadian-written, produced and voiced project to City.

“It is without a doubt an irreverent and edgy series, and yet still a network friendly show,” Claire Freeland, director of original programming at City-parent Rogers Media said of “Mother Up”.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 34

Developing local manpower for the power sector

By Gregory Mmaduakolam

E

xperts have identified shortage of qualified manpower in the power sector as obstacle to the country’s quest to generate 40,000 megawatts by the year 2020. The manpower shortage is both in the engineering and non-engineering departments. According to Mr Reuben Okeke, the DirectorGeneral, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), the sector currently has about 3,000 engineers, but needs the services of 8,500 engineers to meet the 40,000 megawatts generation target.

Okeke says that out of the 3,000 serving engineers, 1,000 are due for retirement in 2015. “The Vision 20:2020 of the Federal Government entails that by the year 2020; Nigeria should be among the 20 most developed economies of the world. “Without power, we cannot achieve that, so, government has given itself a target and those targets are being set with the operators in the power sector in mind. “NAPTIN is to ensure that we have a credible and skillful workforce that will manage the infrastructure that will enable Nigeria to generate and sustain the 40,000 megawatts.’’ Okeke says that workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) are in a better position to handle the situation, because they were already in the system.

The director-general explains that they require little training, and in turn will be in a position to train others across the country. The institute has upgraded its infrastructure, including construction of more classrooms capable of accommodating up to 350 participants. It has been modernised to meet world standards, while simulator and equipment for engineering training laboratory are to be acquired to handle all technical courses in the power sector. With the equipment in place, there will not be any need for overseas training for personnel of the power sector, Okeke remarks. The director-general lists the training courses to include power system protection, electrical fittings, distribution line maintenance, district sub-station operation, cable jointing and maintenance of transformers.

Okeke says that NAPTIN’s trainings are open to technical and non-technical personnel, like journalists, auditors and lawyers to ensure that they understand the terminologies used in the sector.

According to him, the institute has dedicated a centre in Lagos for the training of non-technical personnel. In his explanation, Prof.

Barth Nnaji, former Minister of

Nomasonto Mnisi says her skin colour is "a self-esteem issue"

An electricity power plant Power, says the 40,000 megawatts is realisable and lists the power plants capable of generating the energy. He says that the gas-fired plants will be expected to generate between 25,000 megawatts and 30,000 megawatts, while the Mambila, Gurara and Zungeru hydro power plants are to generate a total of 3,660 megawatts. Nnaji also says that other hydro power plants are capable of generating 6,000 megawatts at installed capacity.

“The coal-fired plants in Enugu, Kogi, Gombe and Benue will produce 5,000 megawatts, and renewable energies such as solar, wind, and biomass will produce 1,000 megawatts in 2020,’ he says. Emergency power plants planned for Egbin and Ijora in Lagos State are also expected to generate 800 megawatts by 2020.

The Independent Power Producers such as Aloji, Omotosho, Olorunshogo, and Geregu will soon start generating power to complement power generated by other power plants, according to the former minister.

Mr Dairus Ishaku, the Minister of State for Power, wants local manpower development for the power sector to be strengthened.

Ishaku who spoke recently at the launching of Graduate Skills Development Programme by

NAPTIN, said huge investments had been made in the power sector.

According to him, the establishment of NAPTIN in 2009 and the passing into law of the Electricity Power Reform Act 2005, set the machinery in motion for the

development of the required human capital. “The establishment of an engineering training laboratory at Kainji, Power System Training Simulator at Ijora, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt by NAPTIN, are pointers

Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi

to the readiness of NAPTIN to move engineering training to a higher level.’’ he said.

Another stakeholder, Mrs Fatima Jibril, NAPTIN’s Director of Business Services, says that the Graduate Skills Development Programme is established in order to sustain manpower development in the power sector. Jibril says that statistics from PHCN successor companies, puts the technical manpower deficit in the power sector at 8,400 skilled workers.

According to her, in the next five years, a total of 17,441 additional skilled technical manpower would be required, adding that demand for skilled manpower would continue to rise annually. “And there is the urgent need to arrest the trend through an intensive structured programme,’’ she says.

Jibril explains that NAPTIN is ready to partner with institutions for the training of students under the Graduate Skills Development Programme,“ where raw technical capacity is transferred to provide solid technical ground that will make them become authorities.’’

Government has already taken the bull by the horns by establishing NAPTIN. The institute should be adequately funded to enable it to deliver on its mandate, stakeholders advise.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 40

08050639900 wallybabe2010@gmail.com

Girls should go to school early to avoid forced marriage – Hadiza Mohammed Tell us about yourself am Hadiza Mohammed. I was born in Azare, Katagum local area of Bauchi state. I had both my primary and secondary school education in Azare. From College of Education, Azare, I went to University of Maiduguri, my first degree after my graduation I went for my postgraduate diploma in Bayero University Kano and ABU Zaria respectively. I started my career as a banker before transferring my services to the civil service. Presently I work in a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology called National Board for Incubation Center in Bauchi as the Manager.

Why did you leave the banking sector to the public service?

As a woman, you know the challenges of your work sometimes does not allow you time for your family, especially when you are working in the banking industry which is too demanding. Secondly age is not on my side so, I felt it was time I transfer my services to the public sector so, that at the end of the day, I would have served my country both at the federal and state levels. You can say that I decided to join the civil service to serve my people and the country and to have the opportunity to contribute in my quota to the development of my country.

How do you juggle the demands of your work with that of your family?

You know combining office work with that of the family is not an easy task. As a banker I learnt a lot on how to combine the two without too much stress with the support of my husband who was also a banker in fact, I did not find it very difficult because I had the zeal to meet the challenges that comes with my work. Once you have the zeal you can do anything.

Another thing is that during office hours I communicate with my children on phone to know how they are doing at home while I am away and when they are under the care of other people. I thank God that everything is working fine for my family without much challenge.

One other thing that made combining the two easy for me is that as a couple we understand the task of our careers and also understand each other very well.

What does the National Incubation Center do?

The concepts of incubation process involves the provision of shared facilities such as working spaces, offices, hand on management assistance and access to financing, networking as well as enhance the success of enterprises during incubation period . Our main objective is that after graduation, entrepreneurs will move into the wider economic environment as financially viable and free standing enterprises because we nurture and start -up businesses, encourage business people, search for what we call R and D, which means Research and

I

Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed is the Manager of Bauchi State National Board for Incubation Center. In this interview with Ahmed Kaigama, she speaks on the need for government to support Girl child education at all levels, how the Centre encourages young entrepreneurs in the state, why she left the banking industry, among others. Excerpts:

Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Development, so, we go out to research institutes and higher institutions to look at their projects so that it would be given invention or small addition for proper result or output. Basically, the center encourages entrepreneur investments and businesses on how to boost businesses to reach the market and then compete with the outside world.

How do you encourage small scale businesses?

We give them all the necessary support they need to grow.

What type of support do you give them?

We give them support in any area they require. We have engineers who go and see such businesses, give them the advice they need on how to move their businesses forward and if need be we connect them with financial institutions for them to get loans to boost their businesses and stand

on their feet as well as compete with other products in the market.

So, that is what we do here.

Why is it that the center is not well known in the community?

Well, being a government organisation I think we are doing

our best. When I joined the institute in 2008 people did not know much about the Center but today, because of my public presentations and advertisements in the media houses in the state, I can tell you that people are becoming more aware of the

“

A situation where parents cannot afford to pay school fees for their wards or to buy learning materials for them can make some parents withdraw their children from school.

That is why government should ensure that all states make education free for all not only the Girl child but even the boys up to secondary level as some states are already doing

Centre and its activities because people now come to us looking for spaces in the center for their businesses while some send their children for training in the center in various trades carried out in the Centre. Thank God things are now moving fast unlike before and we are striving higher to see that we penetrate entrepreneurs and give training to the young business people. In fact, 80 percent of the people in the State now are acquainted with TIC Bauchi.

What is your advice to the young generation of entrepreneurs?

I am calling on the youth in the country to be hardworking and engage in meaningful things that will make them to become selfreliant and contribute to the economic development of the state and the country at large. Those who are doing small scale businesses should share their ideas with those already in it to assist them. Small scale entrepreneurs play an important role in this country, especially the youths and our institute is always ready to train and explore the young industrialists in the state; our doors are open to any serious entrepreneur for innovation boosting and encouragement.

You are coming from the Northern part of the country where female education have deficit. What is your take on that?

The deficit of female education in the north can only be addressed with awareness on the importance of education and encouraging of our parents through organising seminars, lectures, advocacy visits to villages on the significance of female education as well as giving all the necessary assistance and advice to the Girl child. The situation has improved today as women in the north go to school unlike before. I always tell young ladies around to go to school to avoid being forced into early marriage because most of them end up becoming young divorcees.

Women should learn to be independent and this should be through going to school to learn.

Do you believe that poverty is one of the problems that hinder female education, especially in the north?

Yes and that is why government should intervene by providing free education to all female students and providing enough equipment in schools where these children learn. A situation where parents cannot afford to pay school fees for their wards or to buy learning materials for them can make some parents withdraw their children from school. That is why government should ensure that all states make education free for all not only the Girl child up to secondary level as some states are already doing.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

A

pilgrimage is a journey in search of moral or spiritual significance. However, critics’ perceptions of pilgrimage as regards seeking spiritual significance in Holy Land are divergent. Some say most of the pilgrims are intent on making the pilgrimage business-like and adventurous. Although pilgrimage involves typical journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith, it is expected that most of the pilgrims may use the occasion for tourism. With a particular reference to 2012 Christian pilgrimage, thousands of pilgrims troop into Israel yearly to visit the numerous Holy Sites of the country.

A media report on pilgrimage to Israel indicates that pilgrimage is tied to tourism; one of Israel’s major sources of income. The report indicates further that more than 3.5 million tourists, including pilgrims, arrived in Israel in 2012. The most visited cities are Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya, Tiberias, Nazareth, Caesarea and on the Palestinian side, Bethlehem and Jericho. On the other hand, the general perception of the pilgrims is that visiting Israel is to seek spiritual, revival, but for the Israeli authorities, it is tourism extraordinary.

Whether pilgrimage is private or government-sponsored, it generates huge income for Israeli authorities in this circumstance.

Alluding to the argument, a tourism official in Israel, Mrs Edna Hardy, said tourism “is the number one foreign exchange earner for the country.’’ Apart from generating income for the country, pilgrimage has provided business opportunities for the citizens. For instance, during a visit to the Dead Sea Factory Shop at Tiberius, Israel, pilgrims made brisk purchases of natural extractions from the sea. Other products sold at the shop range from natural herbs for many ailments, beauty products, jewellery to fabrics. According to Hardy, at the Olive Grove operated by Catholic Sisters of Zion, pilgrims always make huge purchases of olive oil and anointing oil. “Interestingly, the Via Dolorosa, the path that Jesus took to Golgotha with the Cross, has become a business hub with market stalls displaying variety of goods,’’ she noted.

But some pilgrims have expressed the feelings that an exercise such as this involving spiritual revival, should be separated from secular activities.

They raised concern about the conduct of some pilgrims who even bought wine at a wine shop in Cana, Galilee where Jesus turned water into wine in the Holy Bible. They bemoaned the commercialisation of the exercise at the expense of spirituality which was the real essence of pilgrimage. In his view, Pastor Mathew Obaze, said that the main purpose of embarking on the pilgrimage was for spiritual regeneration. He said a lot of commercial activities brought into the exercise had defeated its purpose, adding that the

PAGE 35

The imperatives of Christian pilgrimage

Nigerian Christian pilgrims pray at the Church of the Nativity, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem commercialisation of pilgrimage by the Israeli authorities was a distraction. “While we are here for spiritual assignment, the Israelis are seeing it from a tourist perspective; so they are commercialising the whole activities. “It’s like a kind of distraction; we are not being properly guided towards the spiritual responsibility we are coming here for,’’ he said. He, however, advised the Nigerian pilgrims to bring their spiritual experiences in the Holy Land to bear positively on how to make Nigeria a better place to live.

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said the primary objective of going on pilgrimage was for personal prayer and for the nation.

Pilgrimage blesses you as a person; it helps you to pray for the nation and brings an element of transformation because what you see in Israel will convince you of the contents of the Scripture. Sharing similar sentiments, the Executive Secretary of Christian Pilgrims Commission, Mr John-Kennedy Okpara, advised the pilgrims to pray more than ever because of the prevailing security challenge in the country. “I challenge every pilgrim while in the Holy Land, to use this as a moment of faith praying and trusting that God will see us through.’’

In the same vein, Pastor

CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor Tony Ofem, a pilgrim said “Our greatest storm in Nigeria is insecurity; we pray God to expose all causes of trouble and terrorism in Nigeria and arrest the situation.’’ During the pilgrimage, the pilgrims were shown the boat believed to be Peter’s fishing boat dug out by archaeologists. The

pilgrims also visited and prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus and his disciples prayed and meditated before his crucifixion. The pilgrims as well visited Mount Zion, which the Bible called the City of David, where King David was buried and the Upper Room known as the

Last Supper Room in Mount Zion. Indeed, the pilgrims exhibited a high level of piety at the Wailing Wall which the Romans ceded to the Jews after the destruction of the temple during an invasion in 70 AD. According to a tourist official, it is called the Wailing Wall because people cried by the wall during the invasion in form of prayer. Therefore, the pilgrims prayed for themselves and the nation by the wall and also dropped their written prayer requests by the wall in line with the Jewish tradition. Among other notable sites visited were the tomb where Jesus was buried and resurrected; the Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the burial site of Jesus Christ.

Between quest for spiritual revival and secular tourist affairs, therefore, the pilgrims believe that the real essence of pilgrimage is to improve faith, change attitude and draw closer to God. They hold the opinion that if adherents can bring piety and attitudinal change offered by pilgrimages to bear in Nigeria, it will be a great nation to behold in the world. However, the pilgrimage can also be considered as an elephant, described from different angles by six blind men.

As long as it satisfies spiritualism and secularism, Israel will be a place to visit yearly.

Source: NAN

PAGE 36

E

ating a diet rich in saturated fats doesn’t just increase the risk of heart disease - it can also lower sperm count in men, a study says.

Danish researchers found men who ate the most saturated fat had significantly lower sperm counts and poorer quality sperm than those who consumed the least.

It comes amid concern that both the quantity and quality of sperm appears to be declining in Western countries, with some studies showing average sperm counts have fallen by more than half over the past 60 years.

Estimates suggest around 30 per cent of men in couples seeking IVF treatment are what is called sub-fertile and 2 per cent are ‘totally’ infertile.

For the new study, a team from Rigshospitalet in

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Eating fatty diet could reduce a man’s sperm count by 40% Copenhagen surveyed and examined 701 young Danish men who were about 20 years old and getting checkups for the military between 2008 and 2010.

Significantly, the participants were not seeking fertility treatments, unlike previous studies looking at diet and fertility.

They were asked about the food they ate over the prior three months, and then asked for a semen sample.

The men who ate the most saturated fats had a 38 percent

Saturated fat: Those who consumed the most fat also had 38% lower sperm concentration than those who consumed the least in the Danish study

Worldwide problem: A French study found the average sperm concentration of 35-year-old French men dropped by 32.2 per cent between 1989 to 2005.

lower concentration of sperm (45 million sperm per millilitre) and 41 per cent lower sperm counts (128 million) in their semen than those who ate the least fat.

Those eating the least fat had an average sperm concentration of 50 million per milliliter of semen and a total sperm count of about 163 million.

Study author Tina Jensen, told Reuters: ‘We cannot say that it has a causal effect, but I think other studies have shown that

saturated fat intake has shown a connection to other problems and now also for sperm count.’

Saturated fats are found in butter, processed meats, fried foods and other junk food containing hydrogenated oils.

Too much saturated fats can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease.

The new research is not the first to connect diet and other

lifestyle factors to sperm production and quality.

In 2011, Brazilian researchers found eating more grains - such as wheat, oats or barley - was associated with improved sperm concentration and motility, and fruit was also linked to a speed and agility boost in sperm.

But that study and most others looked at these associations using data on men seeking fertility treatments, which may not be representative of all men.

The World Health Organization defines anything over 15 million sperm per millilitre of semen as normal. In the study, 13 per cent of men in the lowest-fat group and 18 per cent of men in the highest-fat group fell below that level.

Although the study cannot determine whether other lifestyle factors might account for the link, Jensen said her team’s findings may partially explain studies that have found sperm counts decreasing around the world.

‘I think obesity is another cause, but (saturated fats) could also be a possible explanation,’ she said.

Last year, French researchers reported that the number of sperm in one millilitre of the average 35-year-old Frenchman’s semen fell from about 74 million in 1989 to about 50 million in 2005.

Jensen said that the next step is to find the mechanism by which saturated fat could influence sperm count, and then to see whether sperm counts improve when men cut down on saturated fat in their diets.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Study: Link between concussions, dementia is complex

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n a new study of National Football League (NFL) veterans, former players with thinking and memory problems also had more lesions in their brains than healthy players and non-athletes in a comparison group.

But cognitive difficulties weren’t directly related to the number of concussions a player had suffered in his career complicating the controversy over long-term effects of head injuries.

“Not everyone gets this problem,” said Dr. John Hart, Jr. from the University of Texas at Dallas, who worked on the study. “It’s a more complex issue than has just sort of been thrown out there.”

The topic of concussions in the NFL and other sports leagues has been thrust into the spotlight after reports of players suffering from depression or memory trouble long after retiring. Last year, former San Diego Chargers star Junior Seau committed suicide after what some believe were years of depression related to

concussions he may have suffered as a player.

Hart hopes the new findings will encourage more NFL players to get their brains checked out.

Ideally, he said, all players would be evaluated before, during and after their careers to check for brain changes.

That would help doctors learn more about how head trauma is related to mental decline and dementia - and hopefully avert those problems in future athletes.

Hart has been evaluating former football players for years, both in Baltimore and Dallas.

“Starting a long time ago… guys would come in with these problems, and they’d look somewhat different than the typical types of degenerative diseases and cognitive diseases that you see from folks,” he said.

For their new study, he and his colleagues evaluated the thinking and memory skills of 34 retired NFL players and also took brain scans of 26 of them.

The men were between 41

and 79 years old and had spent an average of 10 years in the league. Hart’s team compared their results with those from non-football players who were similar to the original group in terms of age, education and IQ. Of the retired players, all but two had sustained at least one concussion, with one player reporting up to 13.

Twenty of the men were cognitively normal, according to thinking and memory tests.

Two formers players had dementia and the rest had mild or fixed (non-progressing) mental impairment.

The players with those problems were more likely to also show changes in their white matter on brain scans, the research team reported Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology.

White matter contains nerve fibers responsible for sending signals from the brain to the rest of the body.

Eight of the former players were depressed - a slightly higher percentage than would be expected in a normal group of men.

Hart said there are a couple of explanations for why more concussions didn’t mean a higher risk of cognitive problems in his group of NFL veterans.

“Sub-concussive injuries, all the wear and tear… may be playing a role in this” - not just concussions, he said.

Second of all, “I think there are predisposing factors that if you do get an injury, some people respond differently than others,” Hart added. His team has started examining whether genetic differences may influence the effect of concussions on players’ mental status.

An NFL representative said the league would be sharing the report with members of its Head, Neck and Spine Committee.

“The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the CDC, NIH, and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of medical and scientific research that will promote player safety in the long term,” the representative wrote in an

email to Reuters Health.

In an editorial published with the study, Dr. Ramon Diaz-Arrastia and Dr. Daniel Perl from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, write, “If confirmed, the findings of studies such as these would support the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)… for monitoring the cumulative burden of concussions in athletes and others who have experienced multiple mild traumatic brain injuries.”

Hart pointed to the importance of further research to determine how head injuries, thinking and memory skills and physical changes in the brain are related.

Researchers will need players’ help for that, he said.

“I think a lot of players because of all the press are a little nervous to come in and be checked out, and if you look at the study, more than half of the guys were normal,” he said.

Source: Reuters.com

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 37

PDP and challenges of party supremacy, discipline FEATURES

By Lawrence Olaoye

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he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has come of age, having been in control governace innthe country since the advent of democracy in 1999. The party which was formed by disporate groups of strange political bedfellows was hurriedly put together, like its contemporaries, to midwife a nascent democracy after many years of military rule.

The party has been able to brave the odds even when those that were formed with it at the same period had gone through so many metamorphosis and transformations. PDP remains the only party that has been able to retain its originality even though many of its members have moved round the circle in the nation’s political milieu. This is probably because it has been able to manage to win considerable seats in the nation’s parliament, majority of the states of the federation and the presidency. This of course made the party, which prides itself as the biggest party in Africa, one of the luckiest organizations by whatever standard. But the management of the success has apparently become a problem as steering the course of the party in line with its self made constitution has consistently become a major challenge to its successive managers.

When the incumbent National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, took over the mantle of leadership at the PDP headquarters in Abuja, the issues of party supremacy and indiscipline among members were those he could immediately recongnise for attention. He promised to deploy his experience both in politics and in the business world to fix the challenges, but several months into the party’s National Working Committee (NWC)’s leadership, things are yet to change from the ways they are being done in the past.

The party Chairman in his maiden meeting with all the PDP state chairmen in Abuja cautioned on the need to acknowledge the supremacy of the party at all times when he said “The party is a system that is bigger than an individual. You are the wheel of democracy in Nigeria and this wheel would be improved when we respect and bear in mind that the party is supreme at all times.

PDP Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur “It is the party that gives you the ticket; it is the party that gives the local government chairmen, governors, members of the National Assembly and the President the ticket. They are there today because of the platform given to them by the party. It is therefore a covenant between the party and its elected official and this covenant is supreme and sacrosanct.”

Tukur further said the powers of individuals in a party system do not necessary matter, but that the supremacy of the party must always prevail.

Equally adumbrating the importance of party supremacy as a wheel for political progressivism in a monolith like PDP, a chieftain of the part from Adamawa, Dr Umar Ardo counseled Tukur that the first task he should undertake, if he intends to succeed as the party’s chairman, was to ensure the entrenchment of party supremacy and discipline which he observed have been lacking the running of the affairs of the party.

But recent developments have proven that entrenching party supremacy and discipline would be a Herculean task for the PDP’s NWC. This has become even more apparent with the handling of the party’s leadership crisis in Tukur’s home state, Adamawa.

It has been the trend in the party that its National Chairmen have always been on collision course with their state governors, though with few exception. The alleged plot to ensure that Tukur’s son emerges the PDP flagbearer for the Adamawa

Governor Nyako Murtala

governorship election in 2015 obviously made him a major contender for political space in the state with the incumbent governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako. The governor who obviously has another idea of who succeeds him would not bow to the political intimidation by the PDP National Chairman and then there ensued a bitter rivalry raising disruptive dusts that are yet to settle.

Tukur employed his power as the party’s National Chairman to get the state Exco sacked and enthroned a Care-Taker Committee led by Ambassador Umar Damagun. Damagun went ahead and conducted fresh congresses but 10 out of the 12 members of the NWC nullified the election and recalled the Alhaji Mijinyawa Kugama’s sacked Exco. The decision to rescind the party’s resolution by a section of the NWC in Tukur’s absence sparked-off another rounds of crisis putting a question mark on the assurances made by the PDP National Chairman that his leadership would make party supremacy and discipline his watchword.

Analysts are however of the opinion that whoever would want to succeed in the PDP leadership must be able to curtail the excesses of the state governors. But doing so is obviously a Herculean task that would require more than administrative savvy being paraded by Alhaji Tukur. This is more so when the PDP governors were instrumental to the emergence of all members

of the NWC members except Tukur who became the National Chairman of the party on the insistence of President Goodluck Jonathan and other critical stakeholders of the party.

The maxim ‘whoever pays the piper dictates the tunes’ came to truism when Nyako rallied his colleagues governors to force the NWC to rescind an earlier resolution by recalling the sacked Kugama led Exco.

Although Tukur later came to allege that he was betrayed by his colleagues in the NWC as he insisted that the decision to sack Kugama’s Exco and the mandate to conduct a fresh congress by Ambassador Damagun was collectively reached by the 12 member NWC, there are indications that the remaining members of the PDP national Exco, including the party’s National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola were prompted into action by the PDP governors.

The governors, it was learnt had threatened to upstage all the members of the NWC should they refuse to reinstate the Adamawa Exco loyal to Nyako.

This position was further bolstered when the PDP governors in a communiqués signed by its Chairman and governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi stated “At the meeting of the Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held at the Rivers state Governors Lodge…resolved as follows: To endorse the earlier decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) rescinding the dissolution of the PDP

Adamawa state executive; to also endorse the decision of the NWC dissociating themselves from the purportedly held ward, local government and state congresses in Adamawa state and declaring same null, void and of no effect whatsoever; to reaffirm their recognition of the Kugama-led Executive lawfully elected in March 2012 and endorsed by the National Convention; and finally members resolved to call for National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings of the party to be held as and when due as provided for in the PDP constitution.”

Reacting to the communiqué issued by the PDP governors, pundits have come to the conclusion that they are practically in control of the NWC and not Tukur having staged a palace coup against his leadership. Conducting a party congress and the general administration of the party, they reasoned, should naturally be the prerogative of party’s leadership and not of those governors who are also products of the party. The overbearing influence of the governors and their vice grips on party structures, both at the state and federal levels, has made the dream of having a disciplined, organized and focused political party difficult to realize in the country.

Critics are unanimous in their submissions that a party that is not financially autonomous could hardly survive manipulations from its elected officials who are its major financiers. PDP does not have any other means of survival other than patronage from the governors and other elected officials and as such, issues of party supremacy and discipline would always be at the whims and caprices of the financiers. The main difference between the PDP and South African’s African National Congress (ANC) in the area of discipline and party supremacy lies in the latter’s financial autonomy. Political researchers submit that the ANC controls the government in South Africa and propounds its economic and political blueprints, but the reverse is the case in Nigeria. PDP survives at the mercy of the political office holders!

Observers therefore are of the opinion that the future of the PDP lies in its ability to ensure total compliance to its rules with sanctions for its members who have the penchant for flouting the rules at will only to fly its banner at elections.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Bauchi Assembly committee lauds Yuguda over 2012 budget

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L-R: ANPP Women Leader, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, National Vice-Chairman, South West, Alhaji Yemi Sanusi, and Chairman, Committee on National Rebuilding and Interparty Contact Committee on ANPP Merger Plan, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, during a meeting, yesterday in Ibadan.

Photo: NAN

Why I sacked Ekiti cabinet – Fayemi

G

ov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State yesterday said he sacked his cabinet because some members were no longer performing to expectation. Fayemi, who spoke in AdoEkiti at the swearing-in of eight newly appointed Permanent Secretaries, said his government was faced with enormous responsibilities that required people who would ensure service delivery. The governor, who likened his government to a football

game, said: " We had good strikers who don't score goals but who have the stamina to play full time. " I realised we needed those who will not just be good strikers but those who can score the goals as well as connect our government with the people." "I decided to act on time like a good coach during half time so as to inject new players who will score the goals for me before the match is over.'' Fayemi also said all appointments into senior

positions of government, including those of permanent secretaries, would be merit-based. He disclosed that all the newly appointed permanent secretaries underwent rigorous stages of tests which included written examination as well as oral interviews. `` At no time in the life span of this administration will I succumb to sentiment or submit to petty considerations in putting people in positions of trust,'' he added. (NAN)

Edo governorship poll: Tribunal reserves ruling From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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earing in the petition challenging the election of Edo state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, continued yesterday at the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin-city.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere [rtd] had proceeded to the tribunal challenging the election of Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the July 14 2012 governorship polls, over alleged lack of requisite academic qualification.

The petitioner who joined ACN, INEC, REC and INEC returning officer as co-respondent defendants is also praying the court to nullify the election of the Respondent on ground that the election was marred by alleged irregularities and electoral malpractices.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, both the petitioner and the respondents adopted their written addresses before the tribunal after the close of their cases.

But the respondents while adopting their written addresses urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitioner's case

for lack of merit.

Oshiomhole's counsel, Mr Adeniyi Akinola, SAN, argued that since the petitioner in his address abandoned his pleadings on the alleged corruption and non compliance with the electoral Act, the tribunal should out rightly dismiss his petition.

Akintola argued that Airhiavbere, even in his summary paragraph of his address, failed to mention as part of his relives the issues of electoral irregularities.

On the relief that the tribunal should declare him winner of the April election, Akintola argued that the petitioner neither won a single unit nor a local government out of the 18 local government areas to enjoy the relief being sought.

"We urge the court to dismiss the petitioner's petition as this is the worst frivolous petition in the history of this country as not even a single form ECC8A (INEC result sheet) showed that he won in any unit or local government.

"He also failed to score a two-third of the total votes cast in the said election as required by law before the tribunal can even think of considering his relief,'' he said.

Mr Adetunji Oyeyepo, SAN, and

Robort Emukperuo both counsels to ACN and INEC, REC and INEC returning officer respectively, made their submissions along the same line as Akintola as they urged the tribunal to also dismiss Airhiavbere's petition.

But Airhiavbere's counsel, Mr Efe Akpofure, SAN, while adopting his written address, argued that it was not true that the petitioner abandoned his pleadings as was canvassed by Oshiomhole's counsel.

Akpofure urged the tribunal to uphold the petitioner's relieves and declare him as winner since Oshimhole was unable to contradict the allegation of non qualification as alleged in the petition.

"He said that Oshiomhole had the opportunity as provided in INEC form CF001 to have clarified the disparity in the several certificates presented before INEC. Akpofure therefore submitted that since Oshiomhole was unable to proof that burden as required by law, the tribunal should hold the petitioner's claim of non qualification as true and therefore declare Airhiavbere as winner since he scored the next highest votes cast in the said election.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Mu'azu Pindinga, said he would rule on the matter at a later date.

he Bauchi State House of Assembly committee on budget and appropriation has commended the state government for pudent budget management and spendings in the 2012 fiscal year.

Alhaji Abdulkadir Dewu, Chairman of the committee, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi yesterday Dewu said that his committee had specifically commended the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) for the way it handled the security situation in the state and the relative peace enjoyed in 2012.

The lawmaker noted that the state was relatively insulated from the violent crisis which enveloped parts of the North East zone in 2012. He specifically attributed the situation to the prudent management of the resources by the state government.''Even if the State Government spent the appropriated money for the 2012 financial year to ensure the security of lives and property, it is not a loss to the state considering the peace and stability we have here in the state.''

On the 2013 appropraition bill, Dewu said that the bill would be passed by the assembly next week after the conclusion of the budget defence by the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs). Gov. Isa Yuguda had in December, 2012 presented a budget of N137.34 billion to the assembly for the 2013 fiscal year.

The assembly began hearing of the budget defence by the MDA's on Jan. 3 with the ministries of Budget Planning, Finance and Special Duties. "We are right now compiling our reports as the defence by the different ministries continue. We've seen some of them and others are scheduled to come this week and next.

"As soon as we finish by next week on January 14, we shall submit our recommendations to the whole House. As you know, the Speaker had promised a speedy passage of the bill.'' Dewu, however, said that some ministries had been requested to re-present their proposals because of their failure to meet the requirements for the defence. He said that the assembly had requested all MDAs to ensure that their commissioners and Heads of departments are present as well as the submission of a comprehensive detail of the 2012 expenditure. NAN reports that the Ministries of Budget Planning, Special Duties, Local Government Affairs, Commerce and Industries and the State Universal Primary Education Board had failed to meet the requirement of the assembly. The ministries that failed to meet the requirements were given new dates to make their defence.

Dewu said that those MDA's that presented so far had not only met the requirements but had shown tremendous compliance to the state's fiscal policy. · Cue in audio 2 "So far, so good. There is a lot of observations but we are so far satisfied with the level of performance of the ministries that have come to us. If you look at what the Office of Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has done.

"We even commended them for what they have done during the last financial year. When we went through their performance sheet during the last financial year, we didn't notice anything like overspending.'' · Cue out audio 2 NAN reports that the committee, which sits every Saturday, is expected to receive submissions from 32 MDAs before Jan. 14. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 39

Tambuwal want’s greater women participation in politics

By Lawrence Olaoye

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peaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday charged women to work harder in order to get more representation in governance.

This was in response to the request of United Nation (UN) Women Executive Director, Ms Michelle Bachelet ,that barrier against women participation in government be removed by Nigerian authorities.

The UN Under-Secretary, who was a former President of Chile, led a delegation of the organization to the House of Representatives yesterday.

Bachelet who though commended Nigeria for the huge consideration given women in the present dispensation however asserted that to achieve the goal of becoming a global economic power house by 2020, Nigeria must do more for women.

She said "It is internationally recognized that many of the challenges confronting the world today, whether we are talking of sustainable development, climate change, food security, conflicts or sustainable peace, everybody is saying it requires full participation of women; "That, I think we need to match that recognition with action. Document is not enough and one of the best places to make this political will to advance women causes is the parliament".

While pleading with the legislature to expedite action on the passage of gender and equal opportunity as well as violence against women bills, Bachelet enjoined the country to

domesticate her international commitments on women and children, She however assured that UN Women would stand by the country to advance equality between men and women both at home and in the larger society.

In his response, Tambuwal said Nigeria has shown enough that it was determined to advance the roles and rights of women going by the opportunities that been created for women all sectors of Nigerian government.

He however stressed that it was the duty of women to do more for

themselves in the realization of the goals of gender equality and human rights "The ongoing constitution review exercise is attempting to address some other fundamental issues militating against women. Specifically, the issue of elective offices, that is an area I believe a lot has to be done also by women.

"In some communities, I must admit it's very difficult, like Yobe, Niger Gombe and some other states that have few women parliamentarians. So we need to do a lot more sensitization for the rest

members of the public to accept the fact that, women, given the opportunity can even do far better than their male counterparts.

"I believe that has to be done more by our women groups in convincing the rest of the public that if a woman is given the chance, she can even do better," Tambuwal said.

The UN Women entourage includes the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zanab Maina and Nigerian Permanent Representative to the UN Professor Joy Ogwu among others.

T

he Edo Youth In Defense of Good Governance (EYIDGG) says it is set to initiate moves for the recall of the member representing Egor/ Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon. Jim Adun over alleged nonperformance.

From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

E

do State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) has fixed April 20, 2013 for local council elections in the 18 local government areas of the state.

A terse statement by the EDSIEC Chairman, Solomon A. Ogoh, said that a detailed timetable o n the polls would be issued at a later date.

The last local government election in the state was held in December 2007 during the administration of former governor Oserhiemen Osunbor but Oshiomhole dissolved the councils in October 2012 and replaced them with caretaker committees.

Fire: Amosun condoles with Alaafin, others

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PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur (2nd left), addressing journalists after the party's meeting, on Wednesday at the State House, in Abuja. With him are PDP National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Onyinlola (left), and National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh (right).

Photo: NAN

Edo group moves to recall legislator From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Edo LG poll holds in April 20

In a communiqué at the end of its annual general meeting yesterday, the group regretted what it described as poor representation by Adun 18 months after his election.

The communiqué signed by the group's Chairman, Imade Osagie, urged the legislator to stop riding on Governor Adams Oshiomhole popularity which assisted him in securing victory during the April

2011 National Assembly elections.

According to the communiqué, "we have decided to take our destiny in our hands and that is why we are tired of Adun and ready to take measures to recall him.

"In fact, the only projects you find in the constituency are what his predecessor from the opposition, Hon Ifaluyi Isibor, did while he was at the National Assembly. We are

tired of Adun because we have not seen any evidence of his representation.

"Other House of Representatives members in the state had at one time or the other attracted development to their constituencies which is very evident and they carried their people along. We do not know if sending him to Abuja is to underdevelop his constituency."

ov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has condoled with the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, on the fire that gutted his palace on Wednesday.

The governor also commiserated with people of Plank Village in Ebute-Metta, Lagos, where a ravaging fire displaced more than 3,000 people.

In a press statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Funmi Wakama, Amosun described the fire incidents as unfortunate and lamentable.

"The fire incident at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo is most unfortunate as valuable properties, including cultural artifacts, were destroyed. "I am one with my brother, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi and the people of Oyo State in lamenting this tragedy. "But we still have to thank God that nobody was injured and no life was lost in the inferno," Amosun said.

He expressed the Yoruba belief that from the ashes of the current palace, a monument would emerge. While also sympathising with residents of plank village and other victims of fire disasters , the governor called for respect for town planning laws in erecting structures for private or commercial purposes.

"Citizens should also be wary of bush burning during this Harmattan period in order to avoid unpleasant consequences," the governor said. Amosun called on disaster management agencies to bring succor to the affected Nigerians. (NAN)

Senate committee cancels hearings on local government autonomy

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he Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has cancelled the ongoing hearings on the autonomy of local government councils, for the time being.

A statement by the Clerk of the Committee, Mr Innocent Mebiri, yesterday in Abuja, said that the cancellation was necessitated by the

need to preserve the integrity and credibility of the process.

According to Mebiri, there are attempts by "some unpatriotic elements" to manipulate the ongoing SMS and online opinion poll on key issues in the present constitution amendment project.

"There is currently a text message circulating in the country

which claims that the Senate is voting on a Bill aimed at carving out large portions of land in certain parts of the country as grazing reserves for the Fulani.

"The text message therefore invites Nigerians to send "NO" response to 20052 which is the same short code being used by the Committee to poll the opinion of

Nigerians on issues in the constitution review."

The committee condemned the action in its entirety and called on Nigerians to disregard the text. "It is a devious propaganda to manoeuvre the outcome of the efforts of the committee to ensure popular participation by Nigerians in the constitution amendment

project."

The Clerk emphasised that the 20052 short code was entirely dedicated by the Committee to poll the opinion of Nigerians on Constitution Amendment issues. He added that while the committe regretted the cancellation, a fresh opinion poll on the subject matter would come up in earnest. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 41

Obuh calls up 19 new Flying Eagles

C

oach John Obuh has issued fresh invitation to 19 players to join the 20 other Flying Eagles that are in camp preparing for this year’s African Youth Championship in Algeria.

The players, who are drawn from the Nigeria Premier League and Nigeria National League (NNL), are to report at the team’s

training camp at Serob Legacy Hotel in Abuja not later than Sunday.

The players are to bring along their international passports as well as training kits.

The defending African champions opened training camp on Sunday with 12 players, while four other players have been

excused to feature at the Super 4 going on in Kano.

The new invitees Chukwu Okoro Mgber, Felix Nwosu (Enyimba), Oluwaseun Taro (Enugu Rangers), Christian Pyagbara, Favour Oke (Sharks), Ali Chiwendu (Dolphin), Abuba Aliyu Ibrahim (Nasarawa

United), Ibrahim Shuaibu Ahmed (Giwa), Joshua Odoh, Moses Odoh (Kaduna United), Chibuzor Anyanwu David (FC Abuja), Obasi Okoro, Amakaulo C.Tochukwu (Abia Warriors), Ifeanyi George (Shuttle Sports Inter), Lekan Yusuf (Ajoba Oni FC), Abdulrazaq Sani (Sokoto United), Alaba Johnson (Wikki Tourist).

Ejide’s injury not serious

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oalkeeper Austin Ejide will be fully fit for Nigeria’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations challenge in South Africa.

The Hapoel Be’er Sheva shotstopper limped out of Nigeria’s friendly against Cape Verde on Wednesday with what looked like a hamstring injury.

Officials of the Nigerian team have now moved to allay fears over the fitness of the 29-yearold for the Afcon.

“He has not been assessed by the doctors yet but from what we can see, he’s in good condition. He was walking normally after the game (on Wednesday) and we believe he will be fit for the competition,” spokesman of the Super Eagles, Austin Ejide.

The Eagles’ media chief also revealed that a full assessment of the goalkeeper’s situation was to be made last night.

“The game against Cape Verde ended at around 11pm Wednesday Nigerian time so it was impossible for tests to be conducted on him at that time.

“The doctors will look at him today (yesterday) but like I hinted earlier, I don’t think the injury is serious,” he stated. Ejide made his Nigerian debut in 2001 and has played 22 times for the Super Eagles.

Victor Moses in a scuffle with Nando, the Blue Sharks’ skipper

Sober Victor Moses begs Keshi, receives specialist attention

V

ictor Moses has apologised for coming very close to getting sent off in Wednesday’s friendly against Cape Verde. The sober Chelsea forward, in just his fourth cap for Nigeria, over reacted when

...Disappointed Dike wishes Eagles goodluck

P

ortland Timber of USA forward Bright Dike has said he is very disappointed to be left out of the Eagles final squad to the AFCON. Dike, who scored a spectacular goal against Catalonia in only his second cap for Nigeria, told a wire service that he had hoped to be in South Africa with the Eagles.

“I am disappointed not to make the AFCON final list, but I am thankful for the experience and opportunity, I was hoping to be at the tournament, that’s soccer for you,” Dike said.

“Now I am looking forward to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the tournament itself.”

Dike, who is a cousin of Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike, has thus urged his international team mates to make Nigeria proud at

the African soccer fiesta.

“I am urging my mates who made the team to represent Nigeria well. They should play wholeheartedly so that when the games are done, you are proud of the effort you have given and proud of what you have accomplished,” said Dike, who made a most satisfying debut against Venezuela in November.

“Good luck in South Africa and bring the Nations Cup back to Nigeria.”

The power-playing forward disclosed he will now head back to his base in the USA, where he will join Portland Timbers ahead of the new Major League Soccer pre-season activities, which incidentally kick off on the same day the Nations Cup begin in Johannesburg.

he received a hard knock from an opponent.

As a result, the Kaduna-born former Wigan Ahtletics wing attacker is being subjected to psychological attention to put him a better frame of mind on how to contend with rugged display, which he’s likely to come up against at the Nations Cup. Moses escaped being sent off after he retaliated following a tackle on him by the Cape Verde captain. He was only booked.

“Moses has been sober after the game and he has apologised to the Cape Verde captain,” stated the team psychologist Robinson Okosun.

“I will be having a separate session with Moses today (yesterday) because there is need for him to understand that in African football he must learn to control his temper. You know players come up with several antics and we saw one of that against Cape Verde. He was only lucky to be on the pitch because he could have been sent off.”

Meanwhile, Head Coach Stephen Keshi has lambasted Moses for that act of indecretion.

‘The big boss’ was not impressed with the forward’s antics and slammed him at the

break in the Nigeria changing.

“Keshi was hopping mad at that action and gave Moses what could be likened to the famous Sir Alex Ferguson’s hair dryer treatment for his (Moses’) actions,” spokesman of the Super Eagles, Ben Alaiya confirmed after the game.

Five Nigerian players, Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echiejile, Joseph Yobo, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses were booked in the game.

The Eagles observed yesterday as rest day and are billed to take on Dutch club FC Rotterdam tomorrow in their last warm-up game before they jet out to South Africa on Wednesday.

Back home, officials led by head of competition, Mohammed Sanusi, will lead an advanced party to South Africa on Tuesday.

The other officials on the team include Emmanuel Ikpeme, who is head of the technical department, as well as the head of the protocol department.

They are expected to ensure that all the Eagles need in South Africa are in place before they fly in on Thursday from their training base in Portugal.

Super Eagles AFCON squad

G

oalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheba, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria) Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (SC Braga, Portugal); Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod FC, Israel); Joseph Yobo (Fenerbahce, Turkey); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag, Netherlands); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria) Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Obiora Nwankwo (Calcio Padova, Italy); Fegor Ogude (Valerenga FC, Norway); Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars, Nigeria); Forwards: Ahmed Musa ( CSKA Moscow, Russia); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Ikechukwu Uche (Villarreal FC, Spain); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria).

NFF mourns Ayo Ositelu

T

he Nigeria Football Federation yesterday expressed deep grief at the death of seasoned sports analyst, writer and administrator, Deacon Ayo Ositelu.

Ositelu, who needs no introduction as one of the finest sports journalists of his generation, with special attention to tennis, died in Lagos on Wednesday after a brief illness, three months to his 70th birthday.

Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama said: “The NFF is shocked to receive news of the passing of one of the best sports journalists and commentators that this country has ever produced, Deacon Ayo Ositelu.

He was a marvel in his area and did his job with painstaking attention to details.

“He worked very hard and was meticulous. We mourn him because he was a good man through and through. But we are consoled by the undisputed fact that he left his giant footprints in the sands of time, not only in tennis reporting, but in the entire sports arena,” Inyama concluded.

Ositelu worked with some leading national dailies, including The Punch (where he edited Sunday Punch) and The Guardian where he was a member of the editorial board.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PUBLIC NOTICE

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REDEEMED PREVENTIVE INITIATIVE FOR TERMINAL DISEASE

MABILLA NDENG UNION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR AUSTIN UKAIWE PRESIDENT 2. PASTOR MRS OLUSOLA ADENTI 3. DR MRS SOLA OLUTAYO SECRETARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. PREVENTION OF TERMINAL DISEASES. 2. ADVANCING A GLOBAL INITIAVE BY CREATING PUBLIC AWARENESS ON THE BENEFITS OF TIMELY SCREENING OF TERMINAL DISEASES. 3. TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN PREVENTING TERMINAL DISEASES. TO HELP CREATE AWARENESS TO PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARRISTER IKANI SIMEON (08023129774)

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THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.REV. JONATHAN YEP CHAIRMAN 2.MR. SAMUEL VAKI 3.ALH. GARBA JUGULDE 4.ALH. BAKARI NGOMBA 5.ALH. JIBO DAYIRI LEKITABA 6.MOH’D IYAWA KABRI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE THE SOCIO-CULTURAL VALUE OF THE MAMBILLA PEOPLE 2. TO PROMOTE UNITY AMONG THE MAMBILLA PEOPLE 3. TO CONTRIBUTE FOR PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE AND THE GENERAL PROGRESS IN OUR LAND 4. TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF DEVELOPMENT IN AREAS OF EDUCATION, GOOD HEALTH AND BETTER ENVIRONMENT IN OUR SOCIETY. 5. TO CONTRIBUTE OUR OWN QUOTA IN AREAS OF CHARITY GENERAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN OUR COMMUNITY. 6. AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND LITERACY AMONG OUR PEOPLE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. A. U. YA’YEN

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JEGA PROGRESIVE ASSOCIATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.DR. SHETTIMA MUSTAFA CHAIRMAN 2.BARR. MAINASARA MIKA’ILU 3.MR. COLLINS ADEYEMI 4.COMRADE BAKARE OLADIMEJI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.TO EMPOWER YOUTH IN AGRICULTURES ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: EGBEOLA OLUWASEKEMI (08065271008)

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE IMPACT GENERATION FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. DR. BOLADELE ABIOLA ADEBOWALE 5. MR YOMI ODELEYE 2. MR OLATUNDE ADEBOWALE 6. MR OLUSEGUN AJAYI 3. MRS FIDELIA OSIME 7. MRS JANET ADETU 4. MR JIDE ADENIRAN AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDY OF YOUTHS BY IMPACTING DEEP VALUE. 2. TO RAISE A GENERATION OF YOUTHS WITH PASSION FOR FULFILLMENT OF LIFE PURPOSE IN GOD. 3. TO CREATE A PLATFORM OF SOLID FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND INFILL IN THEM KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD BEING MADE CONFORTABLE FOR ETERNAL KINGDOM ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PROF. SULEIMAN KHALID 6. WING CNDR ABDULLAHI LABBO 2. MUHAMMA AMINU ABBA 7. IBRAHIM LIMAN 3. FARUKU MUHAMMAD ADAMU 8. MUSA LABBO 4. ABDULLAHI YAHAYA BAWA 9. ABBAS MPHAMMED JEGA 5.ALMUSTAPHA BALARABE 10.AHMED JAFAR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE UNITY, COOPERATION AND PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE AMONG ITS MEMBERS. 2. TO MAKE POSITIVE AND USEFUL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ADVANCEMENT, PROGRESS AND WELL BEING OF JEGA LOGAL GOVERNMENT AREA. 3. TO SERVE AS A FORUM FOR FOSTERING COOPERATION, PROGRESS AND UNITY AMONG MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SHEHU S/KEBBI JEGA ESQ

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THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. SENATOR DAN ETETE 2. PROF. STEVEN ODI-OWEI 3. SIR DR. ABC ORJIAKO 4. PROF. JOHN BUSERI 5. MR GEORGE ANTHONY IKOLI (SAN) 6. MAITRE PIERRE BENOLIEL AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. CATER FOR THE POOR AND LESS PRIVILEGED. 2. PROMOTE EDUCATION BY PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIP FOR INDIGENT STUDENTS AND BUILDING SCHOOLS IN RURAL AND DISADVANTAGED AREAS. 3. IMPROVE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY BY PROVIDING HOSPITALS, PROVIDING PORTABLE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND OTHER INCIDENTAL MATTERS. 4. IMPROVE HOUSING TO LOW INCOME EARNERS. 5. PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE PEACE AND EQUITABLE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, RELIGION OR ETHNIC PERSUASION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

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MOSE ORIMOLADE OKEJEBU CRADLE FOUNDATION

NOBLES ASSEMBLY MINISTRY INTENATIONAL

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ALAKOSO MICHAEL BAYODE ABEH CHAIRMAN 2. BABA ALADURA SUNNY JERO 3. SP APOSTLE OLA KASSIM 4. HRM OBA FREDERICK OBATERU AKINRUNTAN VICE CHAIRMAN 5. BABA ALADURA WOLE KUBOYE 7. SUPT APOSTLE VICTOR OLUDAPE 8. REV. VICTOR UWAGBAE SECRETARY 9. MOST SNR APOS YOMI OKORO 10. PROF. BAMIDELE ABU ADEJORO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE AND PURSUE THE INTEREST AND CAUSES OF THE CRADLE OF THE CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM CHURCH WORLDWIDE THROUGH THE ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION OF THE PLACE OF BIRTH AND COMMISSIONING OF ST MOSES ORIMOLADE, THE FOUNDER OF CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM CHURCH IN IKARE AKOKO ONDO STATE NIGERIA. 2. TO PROMOTE BROTHERLY LOVE AMONGST MEMBERS OF THE CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM CHURCHES AND BE THE PARENT OF THE FOUNDATION WHICH SHALL BE REGISTERED OVERSEAS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: GABRIEL O. MOSES 08062433488

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Peoples Daily CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE

SAVVY INITIATIVE FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ENGR. AUGUSTINE IDEHEN 6. MR PETER IDEHEN 2. PROF. OSADEBAMWEN OSEMWOTA 7. MR PAUL IDEHEN 3. DR. MRS EUNICE IDEHEN 8. MR CHARLES IDEHEN 4. MRS ROSA IBIZUGBE 9. MR JOHN USIOBAIFO OBASOGIE 5. PASTOR DR. AUSTIN IDEHEN 10. MR NOSAKHARE JEFFERSON OSEMWOTA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO MAP OUT STRATEGIES AND PLANS THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO STUDENTS AND UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS. 2. TO ORGANIZE RESOURCEFUL TRIANINGS , MEETINGS AND AWARENESS SEMINARS FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS TO EMPOWER THEM TO CREATE JOBS FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. 3. TO REPOSITION THE MINDS OF YOUTHS FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION TO EQUIP THEM NOT TO DEPEND ON THE GOVERNMENT FOR EMPLOYMENT BUT TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS WITH SPECIALIZED SKILLS. 4. TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF NIGERIANS BY CREATING PLATFORMS FOR ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: E. E. OSEMWEGIE, ESQ EFE E. OSEMWEGIE & CO 17, JAMES WATT ROAD BENIN CITY. (08037271383, 08028074888)

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NORTHERN WOMEN PEACE FORUM THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MRS LOCDIR YITONO (JP) 2. HAJIYA KAFAYAT IBRAHIM 3. MRS JUSPHINE BENJAMIN (JP) 4. MRS LAMI AGUWA (JP) 5. MRS CHARITY MUSA (JP) 6. HAJIYA MURJA SULEMAN 7. HAJIYA BINTA KOFAR SORO 8. HAJIYA AMINA MUSA 9. HAJIYA LAMI CHIDI 10. HAJIYA BINTA AUDU KURAYE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO ENLIGHTEN NORTHERN WOMEN ABOUT THEIR POSSIBLE ROLE IN RESTORING PEACE IN THE REGION. 2. TO EDUCATE NORTHERN WOMEN ABOUT THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF VIOLENCE IN THE REGION. 3. TO EDUCATE WOMEN ABOUT THE ADVANTAGE OF PEACE IN THE REGION.

Coach wants NSC to hands off sports federations

N

nenna Etim, a former Assistant Coach of the Super Falcons, yesterday called on the National Sports Commission (NSC) to adopt holistic concessioning of sports federations by handling them over to corporate organisations for better management.

Etim said in Lagos that the government should also reduce the tax burden of organisations disposed to the management of the federations.

“There should be a company attached to the various sports federation because I think that is the only way to develop sports in Nigeria. That is what is obtainable in countries like the U.S. and the UK, which is why they are doing well in sports. There is no government telling them what to do because it is their money,’’ she said.

Etim insisted that true concessioning would lead to proper management of the federations as the corporate

entities are likely to commit their best hands to run the federations.

According to her it was obvious that government is having difficulty to adequately fund and manage the sports federations.

She cited the example of the All Stars Female Football Championship, which had not been accorded the necessary assistance by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

“Since the NFF does not want to do what is right by supporting the c h a m p i o n s h i p , government should encourage companies to support it.

“It is sad that a championship that has produced great female football players like Kikelomo Ajayi and Ann Chiejine for the country could be treated this way.

Without this championship, female football will die because it is the bedrock of female football at the

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. ISHAKU SHUAIBU (08062659270)

Nigeriaa amateur boxers in action

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THE CHRISTIAN BRETHREN CHURCH INTERNATIONAL

INITIATIVE FOR SELF HELP COMMUNITIES OF NIGERIA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CHANGE OF ITS TRUSTEES UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. AFOLABI OLADELE 2. OLADELE OYELERU 3. ANDREW ABAYOMI MORGRIDGE 4. EBENEZER TOKUNBO OSHOKOYA 5. ADU SAMSON OLUSEGUN 6. JOHN OKAFOR 7.SAOLA SAMUEL OLALEKAN

RETAINED RETAINED RETAINED RETAINED RETAINED REMOVED REMOVED

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. TSENOLO LEROTHOLI SEXTON 2. JENNY ROONEY KENNEDY 3. MOUZAYIAN KHALIL 4. OLAJIDE ABIODUN BABATUNDE 5. OJOCHIDE STEPHANIE OSAYI 6. NAFISAT ABDULLAHI 7. OLATUNDE AYODEJI BABATUNDE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE THE CONCEPT OF SELF HELP IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NIGERIA. 2. TO ASSIST IN THE ACTUALISATION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BY THE CITIZENS THEREOF. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

grassroots,’’ she said.

It would be recalled that since its inception in 2000, the championship had been bankrolled by the Amalgamation of Nigeria Female Football Coaches Association.

The 13th edition is scheduled to hold from Jan. 8 to Jan.19.

The competition would be preceded by a seeding of teams, before the commencement of hostilities on Jan. 12. She added that due to lack of viable sponsors, most of the upcoming players in the competition were becoming discouraged.

“Most of these girls did not want to come because they told me that they were getting discouraged since there was no sponsor to help in the area of transportation and accommodation.

“If the girls can see people from the NFF, I am sure that their hopes will be restored, knowing that the competition is not being neglected by those who should support it. “We are trying to help the country by getting and training the young girls but they are seriously ignoring us and undermining our importance,’’ she added.

... As George-Taylor insists on autonomy for sports federations

R

otimi GeorgeTaylor, the immediate-past President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), has urged stakeholders to foster zonal autonomy in the election into the sports federations.

“I believe that the zones should be allowed to function because you find that the core stakeholders are usually those in the zones,” George-Taylor told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos, According to him, autonomous federation would be creative and success because they drive to attain clear cut objectives devoid of bureaucracy would be paramount.

The former Boxing federation president added that the granting of autonomy to the federations was a move that was long overdue adding that government should not be involved in the appointment of officials for the federations.

“The federations should be

allowed to function independently as you cannot sit somewhere and be organising something for a federation without involving the federation directly.

“It simply means that the officials of such a federation cannot be held accountable in such circumstances. I think the minister is moving in the right direction; the more they give them powers, the more they can now set their own targets and become accountable to their stakeholders.

“If the international parent bodies are aware that government has been appointing secretaries for the federations, they will certainly frown seriously at it as it is not allowed,’’ George-Taylor said.

He observed that sports in general lacked the required sponsorships to enhance its profile in the country. “We don’t have the required sponsorships in sports right now, as government is the only viable sponsor and that’s why they always call the shots,’’ he added.

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PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

2013 Nations Cup finals

‘White Wizard’ predicts DR Congo upset for Ghana, Mali

T

hough pundits favour the Black Stars of Ghana to emerge tops of Group B in Port Elizabeth, Democratic Republic of Congo see themselves as serious contenders for the top place in the group.

DR Congo are widely regarded as the most dangerous of the lowest seeds going into the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, but with a

proud record that includes two titles, several outstanding footballers, and a coach set to make a record seventh appearance at the competition, their threat may not be mere talk.

They will contend with Mali and Niger Republic for a place in the knockout stage, that is if the qualification of Ghana from the group is taken for granted.

DR Congo are back at the

oach Didier Six’s decision to boycott Togo’s training camp in Accra, Ghana paid off handsomely as he was paid his salary arrears.

He had been owed three months wages since November, a development he could no longer put up with and opted to shun the Hawks’ final phase of training preparatory to the 29th African Cup of Nations, scheduled to kick-off only nine days from today.

Six, who took charge of the Togo national team in 2011, rejoined the team’s training

camp on Wednesday along with his assistant Alain Harp after being paid their due.

The duo did not travel with the team from Lome on Monday but the Sports Ministry intervened and ensured he later joined the team.

Six took charge of the team’s training session on Wednesday evening at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Sparrow Hawks will camp in Ghana for six days and will be joined by star player Emmanuel Adebayor who has finally agreed to play at the Nations Cup.

Cup of Nations after a sevenyear break with French coach Claude le Roy also in charge when they reached the 2006 quarter-finals before bowing out to hosts Egypt.

Nomadic Le Roy, a bespectacled 64-year-old with flowing blond locks known as the ‘White Wizard’, took Ghana to third place two years later and also spent time in Oman before receiving a telephone call from Kinshasa.

Congolese President Joseph Kabila was on the line and he persuaded the coach to come back to central Africa and take over the struggling Leopards, who have failed to qualify for the past three Cup of Nations.

“The team was in very bad shape. They were ranked 35 in Africa and many stars were no longer interested in playing for the national team,” recalled Le Roy in a Congolese radio interview.

“An unstable political situation meant football had taken a back seat for a few years, so the priority was to restore confidence to the team and help it operate more professionally.

has pulled out for personal reasons, a statement from the Cape Verde Football Federation said.

His replacement is 23-year-old striker Rambe from Portuguese second division leaders Belenenses.

The changes come just ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for the submission of final, 23-man squad lists for the tournament, which starts in South Africa next week.

Debutants Cape Verde are already without key

defender Ricardo, who has opted to remain with his Portuguese club Pacos Ferreira.

Cape Verde meet hosts South Africa in the opening game of the tournament on January 19.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Fock (Petro Atletico), Rilly (Mindelense), Vozinha (Progresso Sambizanga) Defenders: Carlitos (AEL Limassol), Fernando Varela (FC Vaslui), Gege (Maritimo), Guy Ramos

(RKC Waalwijk), Josimar (FC Dordrecht), Nando (Chateauroux), Nivaldo (Academica Coimbra), Pecks (Gil Vicente) Midfielders: Babanco (Olhanense), David Silva (Olhanense), Marco Soares (Omonia Nicosia), Platini (Santa Clara), Roni (Fola Esch), Stenio (Feirense), Toni Varela (Sparta Rotterdam) Forwards: Djaniny (Olhanense), Heldon (Maritimo), Julio Tavares (Dijon), Rambe (Belenenses), Ryan Mendes (OSC Lille)

Six receives three months salary

C

Emmanuel Adebayor, Hawks skipper

Blue Sharks make two late changes

M

idfielder Odair Fortes and striker Ze Luis have withdrawn from the Cape Verde Islands squad for the African Nations Cup finals, the country’s football federation said on Wednesday, just hours before they clashed with the Super Eagles in friendly.

Odair Fortes, who plays for Stade Reims, is injured and replaced by Platini from the Portuguese second division club Santa Clara.

Sporting Braga’s Ze Luis,

“DR Congo has too much potential to accept not being among the best teams on the continent,” said the coach who guided Cameroon to victory over Nigeria in the 1988 Africa Cup decider.

They had little difficulty reaching the 2013 Cup of Nations, outplaying the Seychelles (7-0) and Equatorial Guinea (5-2) after two-leg ties in a shortened elimination process.

Dieumerci Mbokani from Belgian champions Anderlecht contributed three of the 12 goals and is among the Leopards Le Roy believes could take the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth by storm.

“With the likes of Mbokani, Tresor LuaLua Lomana and Cedric Makiadi we can field a great team and we also have an incredible attacking talent in Tresor Mputu,”

boasts Le Roy. “It will be a difficult pool for us as we are less favoured than Ghana and Mali, who were 2012 semi-finalists. But I like being outsiders and qualifying for the quarterfinals would be a beautiful dream.”

DR Congo, whose titles came in 1968 and 1974, have faced Ghana six times in the Cup of Nations, winning two and losing four, and Mali twice, winning and losing once.

Claude le Roy

South Africa ready for AFCON, Minister assures

S

outh Africa are set and raring to go for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula said on Wednesday.

“We are ready. We are a footballing nation, all systems go.

If the games were to start tomorrow, we are ready for that,” Mbalula said in Johannesburg at an event to mark 10 days to the start of the Afcon tournament, hosted by South Africa.

Bafana start their campaign against Cape Verde at the National Stadium (the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg), before taking on Morocco and Angola in Group A. Mbalula encouraged supporters to turn out in numbers throughout the tournament, and wished the national side well for their campaign.

“People must get their tickets. Already some of the tickets are sold out. The excitement is very important. People need to get to their different places, the tickets are selling like hotcakes,” Mbalula said.

Although South Africa suffered a setback by going down 10 to Norway in Cape Town in an international friendly on Tuesday, Mbalula said the team looked in good shape heading into the continental showpiece.

“The team is looking good, they have the backing of the whole of South Africa. Although they lost to Norway, we need to score goals. We can’t hold back, we need to go out and win for the whole country.”

Chipolopolo remain a threat, Renard warns Nigeria, CIV

H

Zambian players displaying the AFCON trophy

erve Renard says the African Champions are improving and should not be underrated despite their poor build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations, which they are the defending champions.

The Chipolopolo’s less than impressive performances ahead of the fiesta have led many to wonder whether the defending champions are headed for early exit from the competition.

The African champions’ build-up to their title defence kicking off next week has not been rosy with three defeats and a draw in their last four friendly games.

“During the preparation, we can see that the players are not 100 per cent,” Renard told Mountakhab.net after a 0-0 draw against Morocco

on December 8 at Rand Stadium in Johannesburg.

That draw ended Zambia’s threematch losing run in build-up matches to the Africa Cup on the back of defeats to Angola, Tanzania and Saudi Arabia who beat them 2-0, 1-0 and 2-1 respectvely.

“This is my fourth AFCON finals.

We’ll do our best. We are neither Cote d’Ivoire nor Ghana.

Why do you think we are here? To give up in the first round?

“We are 13 days away from our first match. We are better than 3 days ago and we will be better after 3 days,” Renard said.

Zambia are in Group C together with Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and two-time champions Nigeria.

Renard’s side kicks off its defence on January 21 against Ethiopia of the title it won in Gabon on February 12 last year.

PAGE 45

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

Lagat adds steam to Millrose field

T

hree-time World indoor champion Bernard Lagat has confirmed participation in the Millrose Games, along with Olympic 800m finalists Duane Solomon and Nick Symmonds.

The 106th edition of the Millrose Games, held at the Armory on February 16, has been confirmed as the second stop of the 2013 Indoor USATF Championship Series, which also includes the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston – an IAAF Indoor Permit meeting – on February 2, and the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque on March 12.

Veteran Bernard Lagat, now 38, is a familiar face at the Millrose Games. An eight-time winner of the meeting’s ‘Wanamaker Mile’, last year at this meeting he broke the American indoor 5000m record. At this year’s edition the three-time World indoor champion will be contesting the twomiles where the American record of 8:09.72 will be in his sights. He’ll be up against Kenya’s Lawi Lalang and Canada’s Olympic finalist Cam Levins.

Duane Solomon and Nick Symmonds, who both dipped under 1:43 in a memorable Olympic 800m final last summer,

will attempt to surpass a 26-year-old American record in the 600m – 1:15.80 set by Chip Jenkins.

Previously announced for the Millrose Games are World and Olympic Long Jump champion Brittney Reese and Olympic Pole Vault champion Jenn Suhr.

“I’m delighted that the 2013 Millrose Games will be part of the USATF Championship Series,” said Millrose Games meet director Ray Flynn. “We look forward to staging a terrific meet at the Armory to showcase many of the world’s greatest athletes and recent Olympians.”

Bolt, Fraser-Pryce earn top awards

S

printing hero Usain Bolt and back-to-back Olympic 100 metre champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce collected the top awards on Tuesday at the Jamaican Athletics A d m i n i s t r a t i v e Association (JAA) awards.

“It is always nice to be recognised, but none more special than the ones at home,” Bolt said at the 2012 Golden Cleats Awards luncheon at the Terra Nova Hotel.

Bolt, who achieved his legendary status by defending his three gold medals, 100m, 200m, 4x100m at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, said he would like to break more world records this year.

“I have gotten every title there is to get, but it would be nice to retain my title (200m at this summer’s World Championships), so for me it’s all about running fast

and trying to do great things this year,” Bolt said.

“This year I said to myself I am going to try to see if I can break some more world records. One of my goals is to run sub19, so I think those are the things that would be on my mind, so I will definitely want to work towards that.”

Bolt’s coach Glen Mills took the JAAA Coach of the Year Award.

Bernard Lagart

Hernandez, Dominguez open Mexico’s quest for boxing fame

M

exico, where boxing never stops, will launch the new year’s action with a WBC title fight this weekend.

Adrian Hernandez, one of many Mexican stars, is scheduled to make the first defence of his junior flyweight belt when he takes on Dirceu Cabarca of Panama in Toluca on Saturday night.

Hernandez, who has a record of 25-2-1, with 16 knockouts, comes off an impressive sixth-round stoppage win over Kompayak Porpramok, a 46-3 veteran.

They met in October last year when Hernandez regained the title he had lost to Porpramook in December 2011 when he was knocked out in the tenth round.

The 26-year-old Hernandez, who will fighting in his hometown, won the WBC lightflyweight belt on April 30 2011 when he stopped Gilberto Keb Baas in the eleventh round.

He retained the belt by

knocking out Gideon Buthelezi of South Africa in the second round before losing to Porpramook; his only defeat in 13 fights.

The 27-year-old Cabarca has a record of 136, with 5 knockouts.

Fighting out of Panama City, he made his professional debut in June 2006, losing on points to David Paz. In October 2011 he was outpointed over six rounds by Karim Guerfi.

The WBC has him ranked at No 21 and with his uninspiring record questions should be asked about the sanctioning of the fight.

Cabarca had only two fights last year. He beat Manuel Videas on a split decision over eight rounds and stopped the inexperienced Jonatan Bravo in six.

The challenger has never been beyond eight rounds and has fought outside Panama only once.

He is likely to lose inside the distance.

On the same card, Ricardo Dominguez takes on Luis Arceo in a lightweight rematch over

ten rounds.

Dominquez has twice challenged for a world title and his record stands at 368-2, including 22

knockouts. Arceo’s is 24-114; 17. When they fought in March 2011, Dominguez won on a split decision.

In Mexico City, WBC

Continental Americas super-featherweight champion Dante Jardin defends his title against Carlos Cardenas of

Venezuela. The 24-yearold Jardin has compiled a record of 21-3; 18.

Cardenas stands at 20-61; 13.

…As Bellew, Chilemba clash in title elimination

L

ight heavyweight contender Tony Bellew will square off with Isaac Chilemba to decide who will be the mandatory challenger for champion Chad Dawson.

The fight is scheduled for March 30 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn announced on Wednesday.

“I cannot wait for this show - it’s going to be a great night of boxing in Liverpool,” Hearn said. “It’s a crucial night for Tony, with a win securing a well-earned second world title shot and he has great momentum coming into the fight after performing well in 2012.

“Isaac is a tough customer though and Tony will have to be at his best to get the win.”

Bellew, 30, is aiming for his second shot at a 175pound world title. He has won three fights in a row since suffering his lone defeat, a debatable majority decision to Nathan Cleverly for the WBO light-heavyweight world title in October 2011.

Since the loss, Bellew stopped Danny McIntosh in the fifth round of a British light heavyweight title defence, stopped one-time contender Edison Miranda in the ninth round and scored a near-shutout decision win against Roberto Bolonti in November, despite having to fight through a terrible cut.

“It’s a massive night and a really tough opponent for the right to fight for the big one,” Bellew said. “Isaac is a top-class opponent. He beat Miranda at late notice and

has only one defeat on his record from five years ago, so he’ll be well up for this and he’s in good form.

“But I’m on the edge of a world title fight and I’ve worked too hard to give it away now. It’s a great card for the Liverpool fans and I am sure they will turn out in force on March 30.”

Since a draw with super middleweight contender Thomas Oosthuizen in November 2010, Chilemba, 25, has won five bouts in a row. In his most notable victory in the stretch, the South African won a 10-round decision against Miranda 11 months ago.

“We think that Isaac matches up well with Bellew and this is a tremendous opportunity for Isaac,” promoter Lou DiBella said. “It’s a title elimination bout, so you take the fight. You roll the dice and if you have to go to England and fight in the other guy’s hometown for the opportunity, you go to England and fight in the other guy’s hometown. Isaac has been waiting for this opportunity.

“He’s a top-tier 175-pounder and so is Bellew. People saw Bellew’s fight with Cleverly. It was a great fight.

They saw what he did against Miranda. They saw what Isaac did against Miranda. It’s gonna be a good fight.”

Also on the card, Liverpool’s Derry Mathews (32-8-1, 17 KOs) and Manchester’s Anthony Crolla (25-4, 9 KOs) will meet for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title.

The fight is a rematch of an action-packed match from April, when Matthews scored a sixth-round knockout.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

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THE OLD TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR (DR) PAUL ENENCHE 2. MR. EMMANUEL OCHEME OCHOGA THE NEW ADDITIONAL TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR. JEFFREY DOLLAR 2. MR. ARCHIE COLLINS THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME ANY OBJECTION TO THE ABOVE SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGENED: LEGAL OPTIONS & CO SUITE 33 SHALOM PLAZA GUDU DISTRICT ABUJA

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THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR. GODDY WILLIAMS -CHAIRMAN 2. MR. LIVINGSTONE WODI -V. CHAIRMAN 3. MR. COLLINS OKANKWU -MEMBER 4. MR. ANDERSON AMADI -SEC GEN. 5. HON. SUNNY BEKEE AGBARAKWU -FIN SEC 6. CHIEF. EMMANUEL EYEAH -TREASURER 7. MR. NWOBUROMA IHUNWO -MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO ENCOURAGE BROTHERLY LOVE & HAMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP AMONG MEMBERS. 2. TO CARRY OUT SELF-HELP PROJECTS. 3. TO PROMOTE THE CULTURE & TRADITIONS OF OUR PEOPLE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGENED: SECRETARY

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THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ABIODUN OSUNDIYA - CHAIRMAN 2. AGUNBIADE OLATUNDE - SECRETARY 3. KOLADE OLABISI 4. ADEMOLA ADEJOBI 5. CALEB ADEYEMO 6. SUNDAY ADERANTI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO PROMOTE UNITY, UNDERSTANDING AND ASPIRATION OF MEMBERS THROUGH CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGENED: SECRETARY

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

PAGE 47

Say what?

Some Interesting Facts * Most soccer players run 7 miles in a game * The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air * Every day 200 million couples make love, 400,000 babies are born, and 140,000 people die * In most watch advertisements the time displayed on the watch is 10:10 because then the arms frame the brand of the watch (and make it look like it is smiling.) * Colgate faced big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanishspeaking countries. Colgate translates into the command "go hang yourself."

SUDOKU

* The only 2 animals that can see behind it without turning its head are the rabbit and the parrot

Getting Started Each sudoku puzzle is a 9 by 9 grid of horizontal and vertical rows, evenly separated into 9 squares with 9 spaces each.

Instead of word clues, each puzzle’s solution is determined by the pattern of the numbers already filled in you. You solve the puzzle by filling in the missing digits so that, when completed, each row and each square will have all the number from 1 to 9; each number will appear in exactly nine spaces within each puzzle.

* Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. * The average person laughs 13 times a day * Do you know the names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru(See no evil), Mikazaru(Hear no evil), and Mazaru(Speak no evil) * Women blink nearly twice as much as men * German Shepherds bite humans more than any other breed of dog

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Yesterday’s solution

Skywalker: Kidogo, the 12-year-old silverback gorilla shows off his tightrope walking skills at Germany's Krefeld Zoo Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Keshi tears into Moses

H

ead coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi tore into Chelsea forward, Victor Moses following his decision to retaliate after a poor tackle from Cape Verde captain, Nando in Wednesday's friendly game between both countries in Faro, Portugal.

The 21-year-old astonishingly kicked out at the Cape Verde captain following a bad tackle from the Tubarões Azuis' most capped player.

Moses was only shown a yellow card for the actions with experts arguing that he was lucky not to have been issues with the marching orders for the display of petulance.

'The big boss' was not impressed with the forward's antics and slammed him at the break in the Nigeria changing.

"Keshi was hopping mad at that action and gave Moses what could be likened to the famous Sir Alex Ferguson's hair dryer treatment for his (Moses') actions," spokesman of the Super Eagles, Ben Alaiya told supersport.com after the game.

Keshi also admonished the team on the issue of discipline after the game.

Five Nigerian players, Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echiejile, Joseph Yobo, Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses were booked in the game.

Ibrahim Katune: An appreciation D

eath came in the early hours of Saturday 5th January to take away Ibrahim Katune in his Kaduna home, on his bed. He died peacefully in his sleep after complaining over the weekend of headaches and dizziness.

M. Ibrahim would be remembered as a man of the people, a friend to nearly everyone, an enemy to no one. He harboured no ill-will toward anybody. Members of his family and his friends would readily attest to this most endearing of qualities.

The late M. Ibrahim was born and spent his first years in Dogondaji, Tambuwal Local Government of Sokoto state. His education started in Dogondadji Primary School. After a spat with an expatriate when he was 18 and left his job, he was brought up and educated by Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki who also hailed from Dogondaji. Under the Sultan's tutelage he imbibed some first principles: hard-work, orderliness and punctuality: attributes which he retained all his life.

After Secondary School, Ibrahim undertook professional courses including, in mid-career an intensive Senior Management course at the famous Harvard University in U.S. The bulk of his working career (1959 - 1977) was in the NNDC. Under the Chairmanship of late M. Ahmed Talib and leadership of M. Musa Bello NNDC was a powerhouse of economic activities affecting the Northern States. M. Ibrahim was among the best executives of this famous organization. He excelled in all the assignments given to him and became General Manager of one of NNDC star subsidiaries: Arewa Hotels. Under M. Ibrahim the hotel units were well kept, wellmanaged and profitable! Such were his qualities that the Military Governor of Sokoto State late Col. Muhammad, a close friend, invited him to become Commissioner for Education in the second largest state of the federation. At the Ministry of

Editor’s Note Read “Nasir el-Rufai on Friday” that usually appears here on Page 15.

Victor Moses ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

0803 0805 0803 0805 0803

People who have made themselves enemies of peace should be prepared to face the full wrath of the law.

— Capt. Salisu Mustapha, Plateau state STF Media Officer

. . . putting the people first

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE

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GUEST COLUMNIST Mamman Daura

Late Ibrahim Katune Education he put all his managerial experience to overhauling and revitalizing the Ministry. He visited every single school in his short 18-month stay as Commissioner. He had an ambitious but workable programme for rapid educational expansion in Sokoto State. With the death of Col. Muhammad in an air crash, M. Ibrahim's plans for the Ministry abruptly slowed as he did not enjoy the same rapport with the Governor's successors. He returned to NNDC as Managing Director of the Arewa Hotels from whence he retired voluntarily in 1980 and established his own business of Real Estate development.

Being free from government meant scores of invitations to join

Corporate Boards and to subscribe in new commercial ventures. He was very careful about what to touch and what to leave alone. He was a good corporate member. In committees he was lucid and to the point and discharged his assignments on or before deadlines.

A Director and shareholder of Siemens Nigeria he was outraged by the recent corruption scandal.

He immediately gave notice to the parent German Company of his retirement from the Board and withdrawal from the Company.

It turned out that the Germans dealt with Nigerian government officials without informing Nigerian Directors. His action ultimately led all Nigerian shareholders to leave the Company.

But what was he like as a man? Friends and acquaintances found him likeable, trustful, polite, loyal and generous to a fault. His extended family will feel his loss hardest because of his utter devotion and generosity to relatives. He helped to build schools, mosques, boreholes and wells in his hometown of Dogondaji. In Kaduna he was involved in development of several mosques and Islamic Schools. One of the leading Imams in his prayer-tribute said late M. Ibrahim's outstanding quality was truthfulness. Whatever he

said he spoke the truth. No greater compliment can be made to any man. When assessing M. Ibrahim one would risk exhausting all the superlatives: such was his goodness of character.

To members of his staff he extended his customary benevolence. To neighbours in Kaduna he cleaned and put road-signs on adjoining streets! He gave to every charity within his means without the slightest hesitation.

Over the years M. Ibrahim attracted a wide circle of friends from around Nigeria and the U.K. Being free from religious or racial bias, he counted hundreds of Christian friends: Edward Alieydino, David Sadauki, Danladi Nyam, Gabriel Aduku were among his closest friends.

Alas, Edward, David and Danladi are no longer with us. During the mourning period, Gabriel Aduku shed profuse tears and went away inconsolable.

His main business, real estate, requires, in Nigeria, perhaps more than anywhere else, extreme tact and management skills. He brought all his business experience to bear and ran a successful enterprise. He never forcibly ejected any recalcitrant tenant and always gave them leeway and extended payment deadlines. From the proceeds of his real estate business and his investments he extended considerable charity to Islamic organizations as well as to all and sundry.

Residents of Kaduna will attest to the fact that his house and offices and cars are the cleanest and neatest in the entire metropolis.

Personally he was well turned out, sartorially elegant but never excessively showy or flamboyant.

Until the end he retained his homour, optimism and a zest for life and for living. He left a widow, the dutiful and estimable Hajiya Kakale and 5 well-educated, brought up children, a boy and four girls. All his friends wish the family fortitude in the wake of his absence.

Mamman Daura wrote in from Kaduna

“

what was he like as a man? Friends and acquaintances found him likeable, trustful, polite, loyal and generous to a fault. His extended family will feel his loss hardest because of his utter devotion and generosity to relatives. He helped to build schools, mosques, boreholes and wells in his hometown of Dogondaji. In Kaduna he was involved in development of several mosques and Islamic Schools. One of the leading Imams in his prayer-tribute said late M. Ibrahim's outstanding quality was truthfulness.

Whatever he said he spoke the truth

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