Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 11, December, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 9 No. 87

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

. . . putting the people first

Al-Muharram 27, 1434 AH

N150

5,000 Kano Police kill suspects Bafarawa petitions medicine dealers in detention, Senate over harassment, intimidation close shop in protest says Adoke >> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 5

Minister links mother’s kidnap to subsidy cabal

Police deny $1bn ransom

By Richard Ihediwa and Abdulwahab Isa, \with agency report

T

he armed gang that abducted Professor Kamene Okonjo, 82 years old mother of Minister of finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has allegedly established contact with the family and has demanded N1 billion ransom for her release. The police however denied any such demand was made.

This is just as the minister has linked the abduction to those behind the threats she said she had been receiving in recent times following her stance in support of the removal of fuel subsidy.

The minister, in a statement said though it is not yet clear whether those behind the crime were the same persons that threatened her, she cannot rule out any possibility at this time “At this point, it is difficult to say whether those behind this action are the same people who have made threats against the Coordinating Minister in the recent past or other elements with hostile motives.

“No possibility can be ruled out Contd on Page 2

L-R: Acting Political Counselor, U.S. Embassy, Mr. Diane Kohn, Head, European delegation to Nigeria, Mr. David Macrae, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Professor Bem Angwe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights, Senator Umaru Dahiru, a member of the committee, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Amb. Svante Kilander of Sweden, and others cutting the cake to mark the International Human Rights Day celebration, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

We intercepted N15.5bn stolen cash in airports – EFCC

By Lambert Tyem

C

hairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, yesterday, disclosed that no less than N15.5 billion was intercepted at the nation’s airports from January till

date.

The chairman, while speaking at the 2012 International AntiCorruption Day with the theme "ACT….Help Detect Corruption Risks Today”, organised by the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), comprising of anti-corruption agencies, said the amount

represented physical cash and not legitimate cash transfers through financial institutions, taken out through the nation’s airports.

He said N14 billion being couriered outside the country was intercepted at the nation’s airports between January and August while the operation of a Special Task Team which is a joint patrol of the airport by the EFCC operatives and Nigerian Customs

officers which commenced in September 2012, had yielded the arrest of illegal cash couriers with over $9 million.

While linking the illegal transfer and corruption to sheer greed, callousness and meanness of the people involved, Lamorde gave the example of an individual who was arrested for laundering money in cash to the tune of $7 Contd on Page 2

PD INDEX

10th Dec., 2012

CBN RATES $ £ EURO CFA RIYAL

BUYING 154.76 249.412 202.24 0.2892 41.266

SELLING 155.76 251.02 203.54 0.3092 41.53

PARALLEL RATES EURO £ RIYAL $

BUYING 207 255 42 157

SELLING 209 256 44 158

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

23

Defence

26-27

Agric

28-29

S/Report

30

Leadership petitions Mark, World editors, NUJ over Senate c’ttee’s harassment

L

eadership Group Limited, publisher of Leadership, has petitioned the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, to urgently intervene in the case of an alleged harassment over a published story in May 28, 2012 edition of Leadership titled ‘N3bn Pension Scam, We Bribed Senate Committee In Dollars – Suspect.’

The petition, which was signed by counsel to Leadership Group Limited and principal partner of M.S Ibrahim and Company (Barristers and Solicitors), Mustapha Shaba Ibrahim, recalled that the President of the Senate had instructed the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and public Petitions to investigate the said story which suggested that Dr. Shuaibu Teidi claimed to have bribed some members of the Senate.

It noted that having attended several meetings of the said committee, Leadership believed there was a need to petition the said committee to the President of the Senate, as it appeared that some members of the committee had a vendetta against Leadership.

It stated that in a bid to cooperate with the committee despite the danger it could pose to ethical journalism practices, informed the committee that the story was published based on information received from a

source, Leadership provided a recorded audio Compact Disk with a transcript of the statement made by the said Dr. Teidi and their source, thereby, furnishing the best evidence to the committee to carry out its investigation.

According to the petition, the committee surprisingly invited Leadership for further hearing on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 and immediately demanded that the source of information was provided in person, a point the Managing Editor, Mr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, politely explained to the committee that it would amount to a serious breach of their ethics to reveal the source.

“Upon commencement of the meeting, our client noticed that Dr. Teidi was conspicuously absent and no form of query or reason for his absence was proffered. The committee immediately demanded that our client provide in person the source of its story, our client who was represented by its Managing Editor, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, politely explained to the committee that it would amount to a serious breach of their ethics to reveal the source and that the audio CD had the transcript was what they had in their possession.

“The committee was further informed that since its last sitting, Dr. Teidi had instituted an action

at the High Court of the Federal Capital territory (Suit No: CV/ 3768/ 12) against our client for defamation and since a statement of defence has been filed, it may amount to re-ligating what is already before a court of law.

“Before our client could even conclude its statement, a member of the committee, Senator Heineken Lokbobiri, became aggressive to our client and resulted to calling him names such as ‘stupid.’ Another senator and chairman, Senate Committee on establishment, Senator Aloysius

Etuk made an allegation that one Abdulrasheed Maina sponsored our client to do the publication.

While our client was wondering the reason for unfair treatment being meted to it and further show the committee’s position on the issue, our client’s Managing Editor was physically assaulted by Mr. Jonathan T. Toruemi the clerk of the committee who was beating the chest of our client’s Managing Editor much to the pleasure and approval of the duo of Senators Heineken Lokbobiri and Aloysius Etuk,” the petition read in parts.

Jonathan congratulates Ghana’s President-elect

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem & Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated President John Mahama of Ghana on his victory in last weekend’s presidential elections in Ghana.

"President Jonathan welcomes President Mahama’s success in securing his people’s mandate for a full term in office, following his assumption of presidential powers after the

death of his predecessor in July 2012, as an endorsement by the Ghanaian electorate of his leadership and his party’s action plan for further socio-economic development and continued consolidation of democracy in the country”, a statement by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati said.

President Jonathan noted that the elections have been adjudged as free and fair by observers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and

Minister links mother’s kidnap to subsidy cabal North’s spirited search for healing, Page 4

Digest

36

Int’l

31-34

Politics

37-40

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

Contd from Page 1 at this point. This is obviously a very difficult time for the entire Okonjo family. But the family is hopeful of a positive outcome as it fervently prays for the quick and safe return of the matriarch”, she said in a statement signed by her media aide, Paul Nwabuikwu.

In Abuja, the sad development, led to near paralysis of official matters at the headquarters of the Finance Ministry yesterday as most key officers were not on seat while those around were not active on duty. Okonjo-Iweala was said to have travelled to Delta, her home state, a source in the ministry told our correspondent.

Details of how Prof. Kamene Okonjo, who is also the wife of His Majesty, Prof. Chukwuka Aninshi Okonjo Agbogidi, the reigning Obi of Ogwashi-Uku kingdom was

abducted on Sunday from her home in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta state by some daredevil gunmen who allegedly disguised as palace guards, have continued to emerge even as the Delta state government and the police have mounted intensive search for her.

Already, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state has given security agencies a marching order to rescue the professor within 24 hours. The governor, who spoke yesterday morning decried the act as a smear on the state and vowed that the perpetrators must be fished out.

“I have given the orders that she (Professor Mrs Kamene Okonjo), must be fished out within the next 24 hours,” he said on Channels TV Sunrise Breakfast programme yesterday. Pressed further, he declined comments,saying, “I don’t want

to discuss about the kidnap because of the nature of the person involved. Let’s just leave it at that”, he said.

On its own part the Delta state Police Command has assured that it is on the trail of the kidnappers and would soon bring them to book. Delta state Police spokesman, Charles Muka, on Sunday said the police have information that will lead to the arrest of the kidnappers.

In the meantime, the family of the victim has blamed security lapses for the kidnap. One of the children of the Okonjo family, Mr. Onyema Okonjo said the operation would not have been successful if the security personnel drafted to the palace were up and doing.

“They came in two green Golf cars and it all happened very quickly. I think there were definitely some lapses in terms of security. It is not what it should

have been, the people that were supposed to have been here were not here. This gave them the opportunity to do what they wanted to do”, he said.

Onyema wondered why an octogenarian woman, a grandmother and great grandmother should be kidnapped. He said that his father, Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku and Okonjo-Iweala were on their away to OgwashiUku when the incident happened.

Speaking on the matter, Delta state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, said that this was not the time to trade blames, but promised that any officer indicted would be punished.

Aduba said that in every case of kidnapping, there was always an insider, adding that investigation was on to unravel the situation and free Kanenne unhurt.

We intercepted N15.5bn stolen cash in airports – EFCC Contd from Page 1 million in a briefcase and flying out of the country through the airport.

He said “corruption is one of the reasons Nigeria has not been able to make progress, socially, politically and economically and we have all agreed that corruption cannot be sustained in Nigeria, all of us must come together to fight corruption”, he added.

Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the commission, noted that the EFCC chairman said the funding

of the anti-corruption agencies and their operating legislations have to be reviewed. He said between January and December 2012, the Commission had filed about 353 cases at various courts across the country and had recorded about 53 convictions so far.

“Criminal procedure rather than judiciary should be blamed for the problem of slow pace of trial of corruption cases.

Somebody cannot steal from you and expect that the law should protect him against you the

victim of his crime. Something has to be done. I pray that the new leadership of the judiciary will be able to do something”, he said.

He also reiterated the need for a special court to take on corruption cases in Nigeria.

“Judges are either transferred or the witnesses dead. It is not fair on the anti-corruption agencies to say they are delaying cases. Let cases not last forever. If you think there is no case, please discharge the person but where the person has a case to answer, the case

should be concluded in good time”, he said.

IATT Chairman, Mr. Ledum Mitee said some very possible reasons why the problem of corruption had remained stagnant were: weak anticorruption institutions in terms of capacity, funding and coordination; failure of leadership at all levels to genuinely talk the talk and walk the walk and the need for a more concerted effort in ensuring synergy in the operations of anti-corruption agencies.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 3

External loan: Senate vows to monitor expenditure

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

L-R: EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr. Ledum Mitee, and Executive Secretary of Neiti, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, during the International Anti-Corruption Day celebration, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

5,000 Kano medicine dealers close shop in protest From Edwin Olofu, Kano

O

ver 5,000 patent medicine dealers in the popular Sabon Gari Market yesterday shutdown their shops in protest over the quit notice given to them by the state government to leave the Abubakar Rimi Market in Kano.

The drug marketers under the aegis of Association of Patent and Proprietary of Medicine Dealers

(NAPPMED), directed all their members to close their shops in the market over the noticed given to them to leave the market by the end of the year and appealed to the state government to allocate them a place where they can transact their businesses.

Our correspondent in Kano who visited the market observed that the dealers were standing in front of their shops, while their commercial

activities remained closed to comply with the directives given to them by the umbrella body.

The Patron of the Association, Alhaji Dahiru Matazu, said “We want the state government to meet with our members with a view to resolving the issue because we are not selling fake drugs as it is being alleged”.

According to him, the order

DPO, three others killed as explosions, gunfire rock Potiskum

By Stanley Onyekwere, with agency report

N

o fewer than three suspected Boko Haram gunmen and one Divisional Police Officer (DPO) died yesterday following an early morning bombing and shooting raid on a police formation in Potiskum, Yobe state.

Suspected Boko Haram

Islamists launched an attack with explosives and rifles on a police headquarters in the town around 2:00 am leading to a shootout with police and troops.

“The military was promptly alerted and reinforced the police in repelling the attack by Boko Haram terrorists on the police area command,” Lieutenant Lazarus Eli told AFP. “The DPO (name withheld)

died in hospital from gunshot wounds he sustained in the shootout while three bodies of the terrorists were recovered, although the terrorists took away around 10 of their men killed in the encounter,” Eli claimed.

According to the online news portal, residents of Potiskum said explosions and gunfire echoed through the town for over three hours and in the process the gunmen allegedly burnt a bank and looted a store.

Okah’s allegation: We’re not surprised

by FG’s plan to implicate us – el-Rufai

By Lawrence Olaoye

F

ormer Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Nasir elRufai, yesterday said he was not surprised about the allegation made by Charles Okah that he was severely tortured to implicate him and some other prominent Nigerians in the October 1, 2010 bomb blasts in Abuja.

Others to have been implicated, according to the elder brother of the prime suspect in the bombing currently facing charges in South Africa, Henry Okah, include the former military

president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Delta state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, former Bayelsa state governor, Timipre Sylva and the owner of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.

Responding to the letter written

by Okah to the Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, wherein Okah raised the allegations, el-Rufai said President Jonathan’s government had made several attempts to implicate those he perceived as his political enemies ostensibly to muffle them.

The former minister who laughed at the revelation when

asked, said: “We are not surprised.

This government has some interesting ways of creating problems only to turn around to hang it on their perceived enemies.

“We have stories that the government has been trying to implicate us with such things; we are not surprised”.

Asked whether the plot against him would in any way deter him from further criticising Jonathan’s policies, el-Rufa’i said: “No way. It has emboldened me to be more vigilant, knowing what we have is evil people at the helm of affairs pretending to be governing. We must stand up to them”.

given to the members of the association would negatively affect their business as people from various parts of the country especially the northern axiz used to purchase drugs from the market.

He said “those who are instigating the state government are not being fair to us; we have been doing our best to sanitise the business”.

It would recalled that the state government had last month ordered the medicine dealers to leave the market before the first day of next year, 2013.

he Senate yesterday reminded state governors that it must visit their respective states in 2013 to inspect the various projects on which they claim to expend the various sums of money they are seeking to borrow from the World Bank.

Speaking yesterday during presentations to defend external borrowing by states who were represented by commissioners for finance, the chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, emphasized that the lawmakers would not sit and watch states take actions that will place the generations unborn into slavery.

Against this background, he challenged states to always restrict themselves to those projects that will have significant impact on the lives of the people, urging them to also endeavour to restrict their external borrowings to the amount they can refund within the lifespan of the loan.

The senate therefore pointed out that it would not give blanket approval to borrowing requests, assuring them that the legislature will thinker with their proposal which they were advised to submit to the committee.

According to Uzamere, “It is sad the way we are going in this country. We are going to take this loan issue very seriously. These monies they are asking for, when appropriated, we are still going to oversight to see how they are being used”.

Bafarawa petitions Senate over harassment, intimidation

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

F

ormer governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has raised alarm calling on the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption, to wade into what he termed deliberate harassment and intimidation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bafarawa wrote to the committee led by Senator Victor Lar, refuting allegations by his successor and incumbent governor, Magatakarda Wamakko, that his administration wrecked the state treasury and didn’t leave N11 billion in the state coffers.

The former hinted that he had earlier reported the case to the commission but claimed that the anti-graft commission turned deaf ears to the issue.

Bafarawa, through his counsel, Rickey Tarfa and Co, in a document made available to our reporter, indicated that “The governor on leaving office on the 29th May, 2007, wrote to the EFCC on the 30th May, 2007, asking for the state’s accounts fund to be frozen and called on the chairman to take urgent steps to confirm the fund left in the coffers

by his administration based upon a statement by the then incoming governor, alleging that instead of the N11b left by the former governor, the accounts were in red”.

Despite this, the document said nothing was heard about the issue until a year later when Bafarawa received a letter from the commission, to assist in the investigation of his petition, which it said ended in harassment and intimidation.

In the petition titled: “Complaint about the intimidation and harassment of our client through the instrumentality of charge No: SS/33C/FRN V. Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa & 18 0RS by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission”, Tarfa, wondered why the EFCC went further to seize his international passport, which he said was released only when Justice Bello Adoke of the Federal High Court enforced his fundamental rights at the high court.

He said that such unlawful, biased and selective justice delivery by a constituted authority calls for question, especially when his client was charged to the Sokoto State High Court, where his political rival has direct control, instead of the Federal High Court where justice will be fairly applied.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

O

rganized by the Arewa Research and Development Program (ARDP), under the auspices of Ahmadu Bello University’s Arewa House Centre for Historical Research and Documentation, the conference on strategies for achieving sustainable development in the North had former heads of state from the region, frontline politicians and Northern groups including Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), as participants.

For a region that is already assailed by a plethora of criticisms from both within and other sections of the country, there may not be any limit to the number of such conferences and meetings.

For the past several months, the seemingly intractable issue of insurgency in parts of the North, arising from activities of Boko Haram Islamic sect, has perhaps remained the most controversial subject matter of discussion even beyond the shores of the country. Expectedly, the matter also formed part of deliberations at last week’s meeting during which former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, lamented that it might take the next 20 years to remedy the damage which the Boko Haram insurgency has done to the North.

“The Boko Haram insurgency is eating up the north like a cancer and it will require bold initiatives by northerners to find a solution,” another participant in the conference, Dr. Hakeem BabaAhmed, noted.

Indeed, the cancerous nature of the problem is so crippling that the Northern economy appears headed for the rocks, given the reported general non-conducive atmosphere for doing business in the area.

The communiqué at the end of the conference said as much adding that, “the effect of the current insurgency of Ahlas Sunna li dawa’ati wal Jihad and other forms of insecurity have impacted negatively on the socio-economic, political and the religious life of the people.

Economic growth and development, commerce and trade in both formal and informal sectors of the northern states are being stifled, with multiplier effects on the larger national and African subregional economies.”

It is just as well. But prior to the current security challenges and their implications, the issues of poverty and underdevelopment in virtually all aspects of human endeavour have tended to put the North far behind other sections of the country with high illiteracy level and the population of school-age children who are out of school increasing by the day.

The conference organizers admitted as much, as, according to them, “social indicators and statistics for all human development perspectives show the dismal crises in education, health, water and sanitation services thereby placing the region far below its counterparts

North’s spirited search for healing For two days last week, a cross-section of prominent Northern leaders met in Kaduna to, among other objectives, bring under one platform various groups pulling in different directions but all with the aim of promoting Northern interest within a greater Nigeria. Agaju Madugba takes a look at the issues at the conference

Chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu in the country.”

This is in spite of the oftenquoted abundance of untapped mineral resources found in every nook and cranny of the North.

Commenting on this, the President of Arewa Youth Forum, Alhaji Gambo Gujungu said: “That is why we wish to re-affirm our position on the need for the northern governors to look inwards and begin to exploit the abundant mineral resources found in the North.

For the north to make any meaningful impact on the path of sustainable development, our leaders must put aside political party affiliations and embark on wholesome approaches towards solving our problems.”

But, according to Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna state, the search for sustainable development will be more comprehensive and better achieved in an atmosphere of freedom and in appreciating the diversity of the people in a nation.

He said: “The North has

ACF Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed

been a catalyst for the unity, stability and development of the country. The country has been relying for direction from the North. This is contrary to what some out there would want the world to belief about the North. History has shown that the unity and strength of the North, with a collective sense of purpose and focus has been the bastion for the unity and strength of Nigeria. We must do everything to sustain this responsibility bestowed on us by providence.”

At the end of the conference, participants resolved in a communiqué: that human

capital development being the key to enhanced living standard must be given special attention to address the northern peculiarities in the primary, secondary and vocational education as well as the provision of required trained manpower for primary health care to give special priority to the eradication of all preventable diseases in the region and that leadership at all levels must be open, transparent and accountable. *That the Federal Government in liaison with state governors, the affected communities, religious leaders

“

Indeed, the cancerous nature of the problem is so crippling that the Northern economy appears headed for the rocks, given the reported general non-conducive atmosphere for doing business in the area

should get together to genuinely dialogue with the insurgents with the view to ending the insecurity in the north. *That there is the urgent need to explore and exploit the abundant mineral resources existing all over north in order to generate more revenue in support of the developmental needs of the region. *That there is need to harness all sources of energy in the north to meet the domestic and industrial requirements of the region. *That this current initiative be sustained through the development of a common vision which would be consciously agreed upon by all groups with clear implementation strategies and timelines for the actualization of this common vision.

It is expected that the decisions reached at the conference, if implemented, will go a long way to reposition the North to provide leadership for the entire country as it did in the past.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 5

Police assault, arrest okadaban protesters in Lagos From Ayodele Samuel & Mathew Aramunde, Lagos

F

our members of the Joint Action Front (JAF) and leaders of commercial motorcyclists, (aka okada) among other protesters were yesterday assaulted and arrested by the police during a rally organised by JAF to protest the new Lagos traffic law.

and fight for their rights. “This is the beginning of the struggle to liberate the poor people in Nigeria and the struggle must continue until we win”, he added.

Protesters, majorly okada riders who turned out in large numbers expressed dissatisfaction with the new traffic law saying they were not given alternative means of livelihood before the ban on their livelihood.

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Ibadan branch, Mr. Wale Akinremi, addressing members at entrance of University of Ibadan over the nonimplementation of 2009 agreement between SSANU and the Federal Government, yesterday in Ibadan.

Photo: NAN

Journalists in Uyo plan protest over assault on colleague

Three of them identified as Simeon Aremu, Yusuf Oladimeji and Malik Pappuchi were arrested in Yaba area while distributing leaflets to residents after being physically assaulted.

Those arrested were taken to the Iponri Police Division where they were detained.

Addressing a mammoth crowd at the NLC secretariat annex Yaba , JAF general secretary, Comrade

Abiodun Aremu condemned the arrests, describing it as unjust and an attempt to intimidate the people.

Aremu said Nigerians will not be intimidated by arrests. “We are here to tell the Lagos state government that enough is enough. Enough of the humiliation of poor people. The law banning okada is a bad law and the government should rescind it”.

He urged the people to come out

Reps decry poor road infrastructure

By Umar Muhammad Puma

C

hairman House Committee on Works, Rep Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi (PDP, Enugu), said from 1999 till date, the National Assembly has appropriated about N1.414 trillion for the nation’s road sector, yet of the 34, 400 km of federal roads, only 12, 040 are paved and they are even in varying degrees of distress.

The committee stated this fact at the four-day public hearing on the urgent need to address the near total collapse of federal roads across the country, and A Bill for an act to Provide for the Maintenance of Public Infrastructure, 2011 and for Other Matters Connected Therewith in the House of Representatives.

“In a country of about 160 million people with an approximate land area of 910,768 square kilometres in which over 90 percent of the passenger and freight' movement are done by road due to almost non-functional water-ways and rail transportation, the situation assumes even a status of national emergency".

“The debilitating effects on the national economic growth and loss of lives and properties arising from road accidents, armed banditry arising from the poor state of our road network evoke a sense of national outrage and mourning.

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) statistics for accidents in the first half of 2012 puts the figure at 1,936 fatalities and substantial part of it attributable to the poor state of our roads,” Ozomgbachi said.

Transfer terrorism suspects to police for prosecution, NBA tells SSS

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) yesterday called on the authorities of the State Security Services (SSS) to transfer terrorism suspects in their custody to the Nigeria Police for prosecution.

The association also said that the rights of the victims of bomb blast across the nation were being violated and that the internal insecurity being experienced in the country is also violation of the citizen's fundamental human rights.

Speaking at a round table chat

organised to mark this year's human right day, the president of the association, Okey Wali, called on those who are aggrieved in any way to come and table their grievances for discussion, pointing out that the law only empowered the police to prosecute terror suspects.

He said the SSS or the military or the police has no right to detain suspects ad infinitum, saying that section 35(4) & (5) of the Constitution provides that any person arrested or detained upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed a criminal offence shall

be brought before a court of law within a reasonable time, and if he is not tried within a period of, (a) two months from the date of his arrest or detention in the case of a person who is in custody or is not entitled to bail; or (b) three months from the date of his arrest or detention in the case of a person who has been released on bail, he shall (without prejudice to any further proceedings brought against him) be released either unconditionally or upon such conditions that are reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears for trial at a later date.

Police kill suspects in detention, says Adoke

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, yesterday, admitted that the wanton rot in the criminal justice system has escalated the spate of terrorism in the country, in recent times.

Adoke stated this while delivering a keynote address at a

N15bn fraud: Court acquits Doma’s co-accused

national dialogue on “Torture, Extra-Judicial Killings: The Implications for Human Rights and National Security”, organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja.

He said the Federal Government has noted with concern that the police has through the years relied on “Police Force Order 237” to commit extra-judicial killings.

According to the AGF, the order which allows the police to shoot any suspect or detainee trying to escape or avoid arrest has led to extra-judicial killings of 7, 195 people in four years, out of which 2,500 were detainees.

“Although these figures have been stoutly disputed by the police, even the most charitable defenders of the force cannot deny that some dishonourable

officers indeed have taken the law into their hands in the most barbaric fashion by killing suspects and innocent citizens”, Adoke added.

The minister, who revealed that plans are afoot for his office to take over the power to prosecute any criminal suspect in the courts from the police, said the force is peopled by laymen who cannot tackle counsels of defendants in the court.

A

Federal High Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa state, has discharged and acquitted four accused persons being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside former governor of the state, Aliyu Akwe Doma, over an alleged N15 billion fraud.

The accused persons – Abdulmumin Ibrahim, John Danboyi, Suleiman and Green Forest Limited, were discharged after the anti graft commission removed their names from the amended charges that was reduced to 10 from the previous 54-count charge.

The accused persons were standing trial since October 2011 alongside Doma and four others for money laundering charges.

The case which suffered adjournment on different occasions was re-assigned to the present judge after the former judge, Justice Marcel Awokulehin declined further proceedings.

The trial judge, Justice Okeke Agatha discharged the four accused persons after accepting the amended charges brought by EFCC. Justice Agatha however called on the EFCC to bring their witnesses during the next adjourned date, warning the court will not entertain any further adjournment on the matter.

The court adjourned the matter to 18 February 2012.

From Mike Etim, Uyo

I

n protest over the beating of The Nation’s reporter Kazeem Ibrahim who was on official coverage of Governor Akpabio’s 50th birthday celebration on Sunday by overzealous security operatives of the governor in Uyo, journalists in the state are to embark on solidarity street march to the offices of the director of SSS and the Commissioner for Information and Communications in Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Aniekan Umana.

This is sequel to a directive by the state NUJ chairman Mr. Joe Effiong while reacting to a formal complaint in a release by the state Correspondents chapel over the assault of their colleague.

The release signed by the chapel secretary, Bassey Bassey, stated that “Mr. Ibrahim was seized by the throat and trampled on the ground by illmannered SSS operatives to the point that he passed into coma.

But for divine intervention, our member could have passed away. Even the pleading of the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Anietie Ukpe, who invited the press for coverage of the event, did not help matters”.

PAGE 6

Maitama Sule, Nwabueze worry over corruption, insecurity From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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lder statesmen, Prof. Ben Nwabueze and Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule late Sunday, night held a meeting and resolved to mobilise leaders of thought across the six geo political zones into a major national movement against corruption and insecurity in the country.

The duo, who met for two and half hours behind closed doors in Lagos, expressed deep worry and disappointment at the turn of things in the country and resolved to mobilise Nigerians across the board against chronic poverty, rapacious corruption, self inflicted insecurity and instability in the country.

Olawale Okunniyi, who was present at the meeting described it as a tactical interface between Nwabueze and Maitama Sule; arrowheads of the new political initiative, following an initial consultation hosted by Malam Adamu Ciroma to explore enduring panacea to the worrying state of the country at the Yar'adua Centre, Abuja on the November 20.

Okunniyi said the meeting which was a prelude to a major national convergence of Project Nigeria in January 2013, also resolved to consult further with Northern Elders Forum, the Arewa Consultative Forum, Labour and southern leaders among others on how best to bring about national consensus on the stability and harmony in the country.

2 arraigned for stealing fowl in Ekiti

T

wo men, Tunde Ogunleye (20) and Adebayo Akinola (21) were yesterday arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates' court for allegedly conspiring to steal a fowl valued at N2, 000.

The police prosecutor, Cpl. Bamikole Olasunkanmi, told the court that the accused persons on Dec. 6 at the back of Fabian Hotel in Ado-Ekiti conspired to steal the fowl belonging to one Felix Ochonogor.

According to Bamikole, the offences contravened Sections 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap C16 volume 1 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

The prosecutor appealed to the court for an adjournment to enable him prepare his case file.

The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-countcharge of conspiracy and stealing.

The defence counsel, Mr. Yemi Adebayo, prayed the court to grant his clients bail in liberal terms, saying they would make themselves available throughout the trial.

Chief Magistrate Simeon Ojo granted bail to each of the accused persons in the sum of N20, 000 and one surety in like sum.

He adjourned the case till Jan. 21, 2013 for hearing. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Bank customers allege mysterious loss of money in Taraba From Yusha'u Alhassan, Jalingo

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ome customers of banks within Jalingo metropolis have alleged mysterious loss of money. Some of the customers who spoke with our reporter claimed that at some point, money they withdrew from banks disappeared or turned to ordinary paper once they leave the bank premises.

The secretary to a church in Jalingo who spoke with our reporter on anonymity, said he lost over N800, 000 to some mysterious syndicate who according to him "operate with satanic powers".

He claimed he went to the bank to

withdraw N2million for church project but later found out that the money he kept in the bag had turned to paper. He said the incident beat his imagination since nothing happened to the money he had carried in his pocket.

Daniel Yusuf, another witness whose wife claimed to have lost N20, 000 after withdrawing the money with her ATM card, said she noticed that the money had disappeared from her wallet when she got home.

He said the Jalingo police division has recorded a lot of such complaints pointing out that apart from his wife, he knew of a man who lost N127, 000 while another victim lost N87, 000

which either disappeared or turned to paper.

Speaking with our reporter, a staff from Stanbic IBTC Bank, Abdullahi Yakubu, blamed the customers for exposing their secret while going to withdraw money.

Yakubu said some customers even discuss about the money that they were going to withdraw in a bank and they don't know that some people are monitoring their movement up to the bank that they will withdraw the money adding that people are trying to make money by any means especially in December.

He advised customers to be very carefully whenever they intend to

make withdrawals as thieves could do anything to snatch money from anybody; the moment they touch your body, you will lose your money or you will find out that your money has turned to ordinary paper he said.

Auwal Mohammed, from Ecobank who spoke to our reporter, advised customers to hire a taxi whenever they withdraw large amounts of money rather than board taxis with other passengers who may discover that they are carrying money with them.

Mohammed said customers can even seek bank advice on how to go safely when they withdraw large amounts of money.

When contacted, the Police Public Relation Officer, Amos Olaoye, said the police are yet to get such complaints but are ready to take necessary action whenever the report reaches them.

Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Oladipo Ayeni, and his wife, Mrs. Yetunde Ayeni being pulled out of the police force, yesterday in Jos. Photo: NAN

Govt advised to institute legislation on bush burning From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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overnments have been urged to put in place necessary legislation to check indiscriminate bush burning in view of its devastating effect on the ecosystem.

Mr. Nuhu Anyegwu, President of Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN), made the call yesterday in Lokoja.

Anyegwu said there was

need to discourage members of the public against bush burning under any guise by putting in place necessary laws that would not only prohibit but prescribe sanctions against offenders.

Bush burning according to him, boosts the bulk of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with green house gasses which research has shown, contributes to global warming with diverse consequences.

He attributed the recent flooding experienced in some

states across the country to climate change arising from global warming adding that if allowed, bush burning could serve as catalyst on other factors to render the environment uninhabitable.

The act, according to him, also destroys economic trees of high value and disrupts the ecological system and the natural habitat of terrestrial animals many of which are endangered species.

The habit, he pointed out,

also compromises soil fertility saying: "It is of note that if the forest is left fallow for four years without burning, soil fertility is replenished as a result of constant shedding of leaves from trees which decompose and form organic manure."

He urged other states to emulate Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti in the South-west which, through their leaders and communities' general consent, have succeeded in prohibiting bush burning.

75 percent identity documents are fake in Nigeria, says NIMC

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Barr. Chris Onyemenam, has said an average Nigerian parades multiple and unreliable identities, leading to over 75 percent fake and counterfeit identities in Nigeria.

Onyemenam stated this in Enugu, while presenting a paper

titled: "National Identity Management System (NIMS): How the system will work and how it will benefit you and the Government", during an interactive session with stakeholders.

He highlighted some key issues that led to the current insecurity challenges facing Nigeria today. He stated that an average Nigerian parades multiple and unreliable identities; adding that the problem has further been compounded by

excessive focus on ID card issuance without ID authentication and verification services. He said over 100 million Nigerians have no official identities.

Onyemenam therefore surmised that the solution to all these is a paradigm shift from ID card issuance to Identity Management System that NIMC was set-up to establish.

He assured Nigerians of the commission's commitment to deliver reliable irrefutable and secured

national identity for Nigerians and legal residents.

He disclosed that live enrolment has since started February, 2012 and that it will run in three phases: phase 1, which has since commenced involves enrolment at state level; phase 2, is to commence as extension of enrolment at the local government level; while phase 3 is to come under mobile enrolment largely aimed at capturing Nigerians living in remote areas.

PAGE 8

L-R: Guest lecturers, Brigadier-General Godwin Ugbo (rtd), Commodore Olutunde Oladimeji (rtd), and commandant, Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, during a workshop on combating contemporary challenges for directors of public relations, yesterday in Lagos.

L-R: Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency, Malam Mohammed Sani-Sidi, and Director, Research and Rescue, Air Comodore Charles Otegbade, during a NEMA emergency response team’s training for corps members, yesterday in Abuja.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

L-R: Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, and Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Engineer Emeka Eze, during the opening ceremony of 4-day public hearing on bill for an act to provide for the maintenance of public infrastructure 2011, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Fire fighters trying to extinguish fire which gutted a section of the old state secretariat complex, yesterday at Oke-Ilewo in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

L-R: Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, Registrar of JAMB, prof. Dibu Ojerinde, and Registrar, NECO, Prof. Promise Okpala, during the national conference on examinations, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa, NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 9

Digitisation of broadcasting still on course – NBC

By Chris Alu

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he National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that the digitization of broadcasting from analogue is still on course in line with global practice.

As such, the Digital implementation Committee would be inaugurated soon in collaboration with NBC, with the mandate of implementing the content of the approved white paper.

This was revealed by NBC Director General, Engr. Yomi

Bolarinwa, in his message to celebrate this year’s Africa Telecommunication Day of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU).

The director general also reiterated the Commission’s preparedness to ensure the attainment of the transition programme through partnership with all stakeholders.

He added that the process would be monitored by the Commission to ensure that achievements are measured and improved promptly where necessary.

Kwara Assembly tasks FERMA on N6bn roads rehabilitation From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin Sokoto state Governor, Alhaji Aliyu MagatakardaWamakko (middle with microphone), inspecting 1000 houses constructed by the state government for 2010 flood victims, recently in Sokoto.

Capital Oil, Coscharis faceoff: Parties want NASS to intervene

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

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olitical parties under the aegis of National Leaders of Political Parties (NLPP), have called on the National Assembly to investigate the faceoff between the Managing Director of Capital Oil Nigeria Limited, Ifeanyi Uba and the Chairman of Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka,to forestall the worsening fuel scarcity in the country.

In a letter addressed to the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Uzor Azubike, the parties demanded for legislative oversight on the matter, in addition to a thorough investigation into the allegations against the Aigboje AigImoukhuede-led presidential committee on oil subsidy, Access Bank and Coscharis Motors.

In the letter signed by the

sixteen political parties, they expressed concern that at a time when Nigerians are suffering from acute and perennial fuel scarcity, Capital Oil and Gas, which supplies about 35% of daily consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria, was shutdown.

According to the letter, “Contrary to Presidential assurances during the last Presidential Media Chat, that there will be regular and adequate supply of petroleum products at the filling stations and that fuel queue will be a thing of the past, the fuel situation is worsened by the continuing closure of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited.

“It seems to us that this closure of a local major supplier of petroleum products is an attempt by the same Government to implement the same increase in the price of fuel through the back

door. If this closure is not reversed, the fuel scarcity in the country will exacerbate and cause enormous hardship, suffering, inflation, and aggravate other social and economic vices in the country”, the NLPP warned.

Pointing out that the shutdown facilities of oil company in Lagos are unsecured, NLPP also observed that its gates and fence at the waterfront has been vandalized, leaving the entire facilities open to oil thieves.

In addition, the parties enjoined the House of Representatives to prevail on President Jonathan should publish the AigImoukhuede Committee report on subsidy while the Ministry of Finance should disclose all waivers granted to the oil marketers and those responsible for the disbursement of the subsidy payments to them.

Court dissolves 16-year-old marriage over threat to life, battery, fetish acts

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n Agege Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in Lagos yesterday dissolved a 16-year-old marriage over battery, threat to life and fetish acts by the husband.

The court’s president, Mr. Emmanuel Sokunle, said that the union of Oluwakemi and Babatunde Akinwunmi had broken down and efforts to bring the respondent, Babatunde, to the court, to defend himself, proved abortive.

“We cannot but dissolve the union because with the evidence given, a life might be lost if the union is not dissolved and judgement given”, he said.

Sokunle ruled that henceforth, the duo should

cease to be addressed as husband and wife and should go their separate ways.

“The custody of the children in the union is granted to their mother and the respondent shall be paying the sum of N10,000 through the court for the upkeep of the children.

“Oluwakemi is ordered to be bringing the children to this court on every last Friday of the month for their father to show his care, “The respondent shall also be responsible for the educational and medical bills of the children, Sokunle said.

The wife, 38-year-old Oluwakemi, had filed the suit on Sept. 19, seeking dissolution of the marriage.

The trader, who lives at 4,

Ade-Odu St., Agbado, Lagos, had told the court that she lost two pregnancies as a result of the beating she received from her husband.

‘My husband beat me when I was four months pregnant and I lost the baby.

“As if that was not enough, I took in again and he beat me when the pregnancy was seven months old.

“I was in coma for three days and the baby was already dead before it was taken out of my womb”, she had told the court.

Oluwakemi had also accused her husband of drinking to stupor and using charms, claiming that she fled from him to save her life.

(NAN)

T

he Kwara State House of Assembly has urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to rehabilitate the multi-million naira IleshaOkuta-Kosubosu road to fast track vehicular movement.

Chairman of the House Committee on Energy, Works and Transport, Hon. Mas’ud Bakare while presenting the report had observed that some sections of the road had become muddy, slippery, rocky and with gully, thereby making passage difficult for motorists.

It would be recalled that the State Government under the immediate past governor, Sen. Bukola Saraki in collaboration with the Federal Government expended about N6 billion on the road.

The House however resolved while deliberating on a report over the deplorable condition of the roads in Kwara State raised by a member representing Ilesha/ Gwanara Constituency Hon. Sulyman Idris Sunaboro under the matter of general public importance, noted that the

potholes along the road need urgent attention.

The House enjoined FERMA to control erosion problem at Subayo village to salvage the road from total collapse.

The House also urged the state governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed to include the construction of Ilesha-Gwanara-Kenu-Okuta road in the next year’s budget in view of its strategic position to the socio-economic wellbeing of Baruten local government area.

Similarly, the legislators urged Governor Ahmed to promptly release approved fund for the reactivation of Shataa dam to restore water supply to Budo-Egba and Otte-Oja Communities in Asa Local Government Areas of the State.

The Chairman of the House Committee on water, Agriculture and natural resources Dr. Abraham Ashaolu had observed among other things epileptic power supply, worsened by vandalisation of armoured cable that energized the pumps, inadequate security at the dam, perforated water reservoir while its water proof membranes had been massively damaged.

Oil coy intensifies security against kidnapping From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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komu Oil Palm Company has established community police service to curb incessant abduction of its staff within its operational areas in Ovia Southwest local government area of Edo state.

Manager, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) of the company, Mikle George dropped the hint during the management security personnel stakeholders meeting between neighbouring communities.

Mikle revealed that kidnapping has assumed an alarming proportion where expatriate were victims, hence the need to strengthen Nigeria police and other security agencies.

According to him, “We want to get all the communities involved in protection of lives and property by way of establishing

Community Police for the youths to join in carrying out policing of our community because criminals are terrorizing all the communities around most times the riverine communities, and not only Okomu plantation.

“We are getting all the surrounding communities involved in the business of security so that they also have a safer community, because they also get affected by these crimes and cases involving kidnapping”, he said.

Spokesperson and facilitator of the community police, Mr. Robinson Uroupka on behalf of the seven communities of Maroghionba, Inikorogha, Opuama, Okomu, Egbema, Gbelebu, and Amadagbayo, in Ovia south west local council in Edo state, expressed satisfaction with Okomu for the community policing initiative brokered by Okomu.

PAGE 10

Philanthropists rebuild Lagos police division From Matthew Aramunde, Lagos

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pparently not pleased with the near shanty structures that served as the Mosafejo Police Division in the Onigbongbo local development area of Lagos state, the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), a well known philanthropist Alhaji Adejumo of Adejumo Farms Ilupeju and CEVAN, an industrial organisation in the area have jointly resolved to give the division a facelift.

Their resolve, which has led to the pulling down of the old structures, has also received the approval of the traditional ruler and some of his subjects including the chairman of the local council development Area who have all pledged to support the project with building materials.

When our correspondent visited the police station tucked inside the famous Oshodi Motor Park, construction workers were seen carrying out building work.

A chat with the Divisional Police Officer, Superintendent Joseph Jayeioba revealed that the work was an offshoot of the reformative agenda of the Inspector-General of Police who had instructed all rank and file to establish strong ties with the members of the public.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER, 11, 2012

Malabu: Abacha wants $1.3bn proceeds distributed among owners

By Lawrence Olaoye

M

ohammed Sanni Abacha, eldest son of late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, at the weekend demanded that the government should recover the $1.3 billion proceeds of compensation to Malabu Oil over OPL 245 and distribute same equitably among the rightful owners of the company.

Abacha whose position paper was presented by his lawyer, Lawal Abba, before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the controversies surrounding the sale of OPL 245 chaired by the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Rep Leo Ogor, stated that he was the original majority shareholder of Malabu Oil and Gas with 50 percent shareholding with Pecos Energy Limited owning 20 percent while

Chief Dan Etete, former Minister of Petroleum Resources owned the 30 percent balance.

He alleged that the former oil minister connived with some officials of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to alter the shares of Malabu thereby giving 100 percent ownership of the company to Etete.

The Registrar General of CAC, Bello Mustapha, who also testified before the committee also admitted that the original file of Malabu, which was registered on 24th April, 1998 with N20 million share capital, 'got missing in the commission and a temporary file was opened in May 2000'.

"In a fraudulent attempt to put himself forward as sole owner of equity of Malabu, the nominee, Mr. Dan Etete in June 2010, forged some share transfer documents which they filed at the CAC purporting to show that

Mr. Munamuna and Amaran now own 10 million shares each," Abacha alleged.

Abacha told the committee that all efforts to settle the dispute administratively and get the proceeds of the sale of the bloc distributed equitably to the original owners based on the shareholding ratio were frustrated.

He therefore prayed the committee to direct the nullification of the Surrender of OPL 245 to Federal Government of Nigeria as it was done without the knowledge and consent of the 70% shareholders of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.

"We humbly request that all the criminal activities involving the transactions relating to the re-award of OPL 245 to a foreign company in contravention of our laws and presidential approval be investigated and anybody find

liable be prosecuted. And that the interest of the true owners on the OPL 245 be recognised.

"That CAC should be directed to appropriately amend their records to recognise the original and true owners and shareholding structures in Malabu Oil and Gas Limited before the forgery.

Abacha also requested that the government should recover the entire US$1.3billion paid and to distribute it equitably to the rightful owners of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited including the 70% shareholders as their compensation.

But Ogor ordered that the presentation be given to Etete's representative at the hearing to allow him present his defense. He also said the committee would have to await the report of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before taking the final position on the matter.

NAMA installs solar power in five major airports From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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igerian Airspace M a n a g e m e n t Agency[NAMA],has completed the first phase of the installation of solar power in five major airports to check incessant power failure on its navigational aids(NAVAIDS) at the cost of N280 million.

The airports include Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu and the Bida enroute station.

Chairman, Stormberg Power Limited, Otunba Tunde Morakinyo, told the Managing Director of NAMA, Engineer Mazi Nnamdi Udoh at a brief handing over ceremony at the agency's head office in Lagos that the project was completed as scheduled.

The contractor described the hybrid power system in the country as first of its kind in the sub-Saharan Africa, promising that the second phase of the project would commence early in the New year.

Each of the sites has 24 solar panels with 15 KVA hybrid inverter. The system has 18 batteries for all the NAVAIDS except the VOR and this can last for 12 hours. For the VOR, the back up batteries are 36 and it has capacity to run the system for between 15 and 18 hours.

NAMA boss, Engr. Udoh remarked during a media chat that, “this is another milestone in saving money and diversifying our power source to solar. It is a project that has been on-going and is now fully completed and we are now using it. It is saving us the huge amount we used to spend on diesel to power generators and the down-time we used to experience due to power

L-R: Director, Basic and Secondary Education, Ministry of Education, Barrister Chike Uwaezuoke, Minister of State for Education, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, and Chairman, National Implementation Committee on the Integration of Out-of -School Children from SouthSouth and South-East states, Prof. Victor Peretomode, during the inauguration of the committee by the minister, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Northeast elders not invited to economic summit From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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he Elders and stakeholders of North East under the auspices of North East Forum for Unity and Development (NEFUD) said they were not invited to the North East transformation summit organised by governors of the zone.

The chairman, Publicity Committee of NEFUD, Mr. Timawus Mathias, stated this

at the weekend while fielding questions from newsmen in Bauchi.

According to him, a forum meant to tackle the socio economic and security challenges of the region was "our baby project" for which "we formed NEFUD after due consultations with all stake holders".

However, he said, "we did not attend the transformation summit under the auspices of

Northern Alliance not because of governors did not attend our own summit but… because the organisers of the event did not invite us".

Commenting on the issues, the Chief Press Secretary to the Bauchi state governor, Mr. Ishola Micheal Adeyemi and the Peoples Democraic Party assistant publicity secretary in Bauchi state, Alhaji Bashir Bukar Rimin Zayam, said "this is just the beginning and

whenever you begin something, there must be lessons you will learn… Gombe will host the event and it will be more elaborate. So, I don't know if they said they were not invited since it wasn't Bauchi state government that organised it.

But it's a good beginning, lets join hands together. You can see that General Danjuma is also a North East elder and he was not there physically but he sent a representative".

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 11

5 mistakes that can leave you in the dark or worse while using a generator D

ozens of deaths attributed to many homes were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from generators being run in garages, basements, porches and other enclosed or partially enclosed spaces.

Unfortunately, the rush to power a home without lights, heat or a running refrigerator, can leave little time to protect yourself and your home from the generator itself. Before the next emergency, here are five known hazards you can prevent.

Running the generator too close to the home: If you have a stationary generator, it should have been professionally installed as far away from the home as its instructions and local codes require. But for a portable, the threat from carbon monoxide, an odorless, invisible gas can be deadly.

Keep it away from any doors and windows. Never run it in a garage, even if the doors are open. Instructions for a portable generator warn you not to run it in the rain. To protect it from moisture, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends operating it on a dry surface under an open, canopy-like structure.

Overusing extension cords: When a storm hits, many supplies become hard to find, extension cords included. This means that for a brand-new generator, you have to rely on cords that might be years old and unsafe for what you're connecting. If your generator has a 220-volt outlet, have your electrician install a transfer switch with an outdoor power inlet meaning one safe connection rather than multiple questionable ones. But if your generator is small and lacks a 220-volt outlet, your only possible connections are through extension cords. Stock up on 12-gauge cords, which can handle most 110-volt appliances.

Connecting directly to your service panel: Anything hardwired to your service panel, such as ranges and heating/ cooling systems, have no plugs you could connect to the generator. So the temptation may arise to connect the

Quote "Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut no matter how good something sounds on paper.

The second is that you are generally better off sticking with what you know and the third is that sometimes, your best investments are the ones you don't make."

– Donald Trump

generator right to the service panel. The danger? When the power comes back, the excess

could flow backwards up the line and endanger utility workers.

Shrugging off fuel

considerations: Ideally, you'd think about available fuel before buying a generator and envision the blocked roads, closed gas stations, gas rationing, and other problems some people are still experiencing after Sandy. So whether your generator uses gasoline, diesel fuel, or propane, you need to have plenty on hand at the first sign of a storm. (For a stationary unit using natural gas, you should be fine.) Most portables use roughly 8 to 22 gallons of gasoline a day, compared with four to eight 20-pound tanks of propane for portable models.

A 250-gallon propane tank for stationary units can run 8 to 15 days. Before refueling a gasoline unit, however, you'll need to turn it off and let it cool. Splashing gas on the hot exhaust, near the spark plug, or elsewhere on a running generator could easily start a fire.

Neglecting the

maintenance: Your owner's manual will tell you how often to change the oil and which to use including instructions for doing so after the first few hours of operation. If your generator uses gasoline, mix in stabilizer before fueling and avoid long-term storage of fuel. (Every six months you can pour unused gasoline into your car's gas tank and start with fresh stabilized fuel.)

Skipping routine maintenance won't ruin your generator but the lack of attention may mean it won't start or seizes up. And no power means that sump pumps can't drain a flooded basement. If you have a well, you'll have no water for showers or toilets. During the winter, pipes can freeze and burst. And you can lose a refrigerator full of food.

Source: wealthmanagementexchange.com

Five ways to improve your company's cash flow

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ash is the lifeblood of any business. As humans need air to breath and food to eat, your business requires customers that provides the primary substance that keeps a business in business: cash.

But in the real world, businesses that invoice their customers for payment can face a challenge in getting paid, especially when the customer may be another business or a government agency. Somehow the terms "net 15, net 30 or due upon Receipt" seem to go unnoticed by the customer and the invoice doesn't get paid until 60 to 90 days after the work has been performed. In other cases, the invoice may be paid after 120 days if not paid at all. For the seller, this can be the start of cash-flow challenges, which can rapidly escalate into a crisis.

In spending over 10 years working to help turn around financially troubled businesses, I have found that the key to better cash-flow is to ensure that the business implements a system to get their receivables paid quicker and faster, with less pain for the customer.

• Give a discount for paying the invoice before the due date: Offer an additional percentage off or maybe a fixed dollar amount off of the total invoice if they pay within 5 days of the invoice date. This strategy works well because it provides a win-win situation for you and your customer. If they pay before the due date, they will save some additional money and you will be paid a lot faster. If they do not take advantage of your generous offer, they will be responsible for the balance owned. It also helps keep good customers because you have provided an incentive for them to continue to do business with you.

• Have an Internal Collections System In Place: More often than not, a small business will focus so much on acquiring the client and performing

the work that it doesn't dedicate as much time and effort to collect payment. Make sure you send your invoices out immediately upon completion of your work or shipping of your product. If you have the resources, have your staff send a friendly email reminder or make a phone call ten days before the due date (if it's a Net 30 or more term) to the customer reminding them to make payment.

• Accept credit cards: One of the simplest ways to increase cash-flow is to accept credit cards. Once the charges are made, the money is transferred to your account, usually by the end of the business day, or in some cases, instantly. Studies have shown that people and businesses will spend more using a credit card than they will with cash. Offer your customers the ability to pay their invoices via credit card and your sales will increase. Because there are

thousands of credit card processors in the United States, you are in a position to compare and negotiate processing rates and equipment rental fees.

• Accept checks by phone, fax and the web: This is a very easy way to have your customers pay, with little hassle. There is inexpensive commercial software available for purchase which will allow you to create a check from your printer, based upon a check that your customer faxed to you, or gave to you over the phone. Also, there are online services available which will allow your client to "write" a check over the internet, email it to you and then you can print it and deposit it to your bank account. This is especially a great tool to use to improve cash-flow because while it reduces the wait time for receiving payment, it also reduces the time for the bank to clear the payment if it is drawn on a non-location bank.

•Consider accounts receivable financing/factoring: The process is simple: when a company sells a currently due invoice from a creditworthy business customer to a third party (The Factor) in exchange for getting that money today. The factor advances a certain percentage of the total amount of the invoice and holds a percentage in reserve. When the customer pays the invoice, the factor releases the reserve, less the agreed upon fee (discount rate). With factoring, your company's credit is not evaluated your customer's credit is.

Factoring can be used as temporary or alternative financing for many businesses.

Traditionally, manufacturing companies used this form of financing but today factoring is available to many other companies ranging from construction, import/ export, and distribution even companies that provide services to government entities.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

New Banquet Hall, VP’s residence

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here is no doubt about it; our rulers (that is what the Villa denizens are) are in total disconnect with the ruled. They are definitely out of touch with the reality of the current Nigerian situation.

At a time when the security situation in the country is going from bad to worse, infrastructure is collapsing at a galloping rate and the general living condition of the average Nigerian worsening by the day, such that many are hardly able to afford one decent meal, the leadership appears to be totally unconcerned about everything but their creature comfort.

By now, even the most diehard supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan must be questioning the rationale for their blind support to a President whose administration has so far proved to be bereft of any redeeming idea on how to get the country out of the endless catalogue of woes threatening its corporate existence.

During the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) ritual penultimate week, an approval was given for the construction of a new of 150-seat Banquet Hall in the Presidential Villa at the cost of N2.2billion. And last week, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) demanded from the National Assembly an additional N7billion supposedly for the completion of the official residence of the Vice President, a project whose contract was awarded in 2009 at the cost of N7billion.

It is a measure of the sheer insensitivity of the Jonathan administration to the plight of the majority of the citizenry that these

stupendous amounts of money would be spent unnecessarily just to cater for the comfort of the President, his deputy and their families, in a country where, not only one decent meal, but basic health and education facilities are also out of the reach of many a Nigerian family.

While President Jonathan and his cotravellers in the corridors of power are busy fiddling, many households in Nigeria are, in a manner of speaking, burning.

Justifying the building of a new Banquet Hall in the Presidential Vila, Ministers of the Federal Capital

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As for the Vice President’s official accommodation, are they building a city for him instead of a residence, for which N14billion must be expended?

Territory and his Information counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed and Mr. Labaran Maku respectively, claimed that the existing 2000-seat capacity facility, which had served past leaders from former President Ibrahim Babangida to the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua well, was “inconveniencing”, whatever that means. According to FCT minister, “The (existing hall) is inconveniencing; it is not in tandem with what is outside the country. Even smaller countries have better Banquet Halls near their Presidential residences.

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”

Part of the things we are going to provide there is a 150-seater (hall) with all the facilities that will cover the walk ways, security, hall conveniences, technical room and press briefing room that are more and more enhanced so that national broadcast can be done from there”.

And on his part, the information minister claimed that “Whenever Mr. President has a live programme to broadcast to the nation, he has to come to the cafeteria where refreshments are served to hold the programme because there is no space for that kind of live programme. There have also been problems in getting telephones to work in a situation where such programmes are phone-in ones. The existing banquet hall is for big events like concerts for about 1,000 or 2,000 people. There is absolutely no space.

The President receives visitors in the First Lady’s Conference Room. The new hall is absolutely a necessity, it is not duplication. Events will still take place at the existing banquet hall.”

All things considered, therefore, what is wrong with finding an accommodation within the existing banquet hall for whatever additions they want for the President’s ‘convenience’? We are certain this could be accomplished with a reasonable amount of money. Besides, it is not true that all other countries have such a facility. Even developed nations like the UK and Japan do not have such bogus facilities in the modest residences of their leaders.

As for the Vice President’s official accommodation, are they building a city for him instead of a residence, for which N14billion must be expended?

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 13

Sanusi and NLC: Between “proletarian” and “bourgeois” ethics

By Adeolu Ademoyo

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ecently, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was reported to have called for the downsizing of Nigeria’s public workforce by half and the scrapping of the local government in order to maintain a sustainable economy. Sanusi maintained this position because, according to him, 70% of government earnings go for salaries and other entitlements of civil servants. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by Mr. Peter Esele disagreed with Sanusi. He based his objection on two premises: First, the Nigerian civil servant earns less than one dollar a day. Second, 170% of the country’s budget “is spent on those in government.” Based on these premises, Esele concluded that Sanusi lacks the capacity to make the call.

I do not know what Esele means by ”capacity” and how Sanusi lacks the capacity to make the call he made. Rather, I think Sanusi ought to be commended for attempting to substantively redefine the terms of our conversation in our country, Nigeria, from an ethnic one to a more social, and, therefore, more productive one. Whether his proposition is adequate or not he has correctly centered a problem, which is that we are not developing, we are only sharing

By Femi Fani-Kayode

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oday our nation stands at a crossroad and it is left for us to decide which path we choose to take. Do we take the path of despair and dishonour and give up on our country? Or do we rise above it all and latch on to the promises of God for our land and for our people? With biting poverty, mounting hopelessness, a bleeding economy, youth restiveness, unprecedented violence, brazen acts of terror and all manner of vices and evil thriving in the land one wonders how things got so bad. The foundation for our current situation was laid many years ago and since that time we have seen so much suffering and failure at virtually all levels. We were plagued with leaders who lacked vision, who lacked intellect, who lacked sincerity of purpose and who were antagonistic to those that dared to challenge their visionless and purposeless policies.

Our country is currently bedevilled with so much negativity that it is easy to look around and just give up. Yet I say that we must never give up because ‘’hope springs eternal’’.

The bible says though the night may be dark yet ‘’joy comes in the morning’’. The wise ones say you cannot have a message without a mess. You cannot have a testimony without a test. You cannot get to the top of the mountain without first going to the bottom of the valley. This is true. And out of Nigeria’s ‘’mess’’ shall surely come her ‘’message’’.

Out of Nigeria’s ‘’test’’ shall surely come her ‘’testimony’’. We have been to the ‘’bottom of the valley’’

natural resources; we are not producing, we are only earning salaries. If this is true, then there is something unethical about being mere consumers and sharers of finite resources such as crude oil and its crudity, rather than being producers of resources - both knowledge and finished products for export. If this is what Sanusi is struggling to say, even when he has not put it in these terms, then I believe he deserves to be listened to.

Though, Esele did not make clear what he meant by “capacity”, but if “capacity” means professional capacity, moral capacity, Sanusi’s social and economic class, in other words social capacity, then contrary to Sanusi’s critics, I think he has the capacity to make the call he has made. This is because Sanusi is one of the chief superintendents of the interests and interest rates of the Nigerian elite class, thus he has the capacity to say what he is reported to have said. Also as one of the chief superintendents of the interests and interest rates of the Nigerian elite class, he carries their moral burden for he is their moral spokesperson in the financial sector of the economy.

Paradoxically, in this matter and for our country, the truth lies in the middle of labour and the elite and ruling class. This is because if labour is right that the Nigerian civil servant earns less than a dollar a day (though labour needs

to be more forthcoming with facts to prove this because the arithmetic may not bear this out and we need to know which civil servant labour means), and that 170% of our country’s budget is spent on those in government, then you do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that we are not developing and that we just cannot compete in the world. Also, if Sanusi is right that half of our workforce should be cut because 70% of earnings go for salaries and other entitlements, I ask: do we need to be rocket scientists to know that we can no longer compete in the comity of nations?

In other words, both Sanusi and Labour are potentially right (pending contrary statistics about our situation from more dependable sources), hence the moral we want to run away from is right there in the middle of Sanusi and Labour. We need to say this truth, even if we do not like Sanusi’s face, for someone’s objection to the way Sanusi has carried out his moral task on behalf of Nigeria’s economic and ruling elites ought not stop critics from recognizing the truth his vantage position as the Governor of our Central Bank allows him to see and say. In other words, if we consume and simply eat and swallow natural and raw materials as we do with crude oil, and do not produce finished products and export, it is obvious that we are heading for the

moribund, we are heading for extinction. In other words, we have unwittingly limited our capacity to be main and active participants in the global economy. That is the rationality in Sanusi’s claim but which the immorality of the Nigerian elite class he works for fails to make salient, plausible and acceptable for mass consumption by the Nigerian working people.

In other words, the uncomfortable truth, and soundness in Sanusi’s proposition is beclouded by the fact that he literally takes away from the conversation the moral and economic burden the Nigerian political elite has become on the neck of our economy. But Sanusi’s screening of the economic and political elite is to be expected.

Sanusi has to commit social and class suicide not to do that, and he is not ready to commit such class suicide. Thus, he must free members of his class from culpability.

The point being centered, however, is about wealth creation.

While Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo, state is right that labour is wealth, that is only half the truth. The labour that is hired by a morally bankrupt and visionless economic and political elite such as we have in Nigeria will not create wealth and may actually lose its traditional status as a source of wealth. Part of that bankruptcy is the falsity that government creates wealth and

therefore must be a major employer. On the contrary, government does not create wealth, rather it creates and supervises - on the basis of law and order - the environment of wealth creation, and labour plays its part in that process.

Thus, the government ought not to be a major recruiter of labour - both working class labour and political labour - of the political and ruling elites in the presidency, legislature at the federal and state levels etc. In other words, while raising an important issue, Sanusi ought not to hide his class from the conversation. And because a labour that is hired by an idle political class will also become idle like its employer, Sanusi must therefore help us ask members of his class both economic and political - to start downsizing, and that includes downsizing the number of states for none- except one or two - is viable economically. The clock is ticking, it ticks every second; there is urgency, we must act or the world, which has left us behind, will abandon us. This is the truth in the middle or the middle in the truth. It is poor ethics for us to want to eat our cake or akara and have it. We just cannot be a participant in the global world with what we have.

Adeolu Ademoyo (aaa54@cornell.edu) is of Africana Studies and Research Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

and therefore we shall get to the ‘’top of the mountain’’. Our dream for a better Nigeria shall never die and neither can our collective prayers be in vain. I refuse to give up because I know that the God that I serve never fails. He alone rules in the affiars of men. He alone forges the destiny of nations.

Out of a deep void and formlessness He ordered the creation of the world. He established it by the power of His word and He gave us dominion over it.

In the same way He created Nigeria for His purpose and for His glory and that purpose and glory shall surely be established. It shall come to pass and it will be manifest to the entire world. We shall see it and we shall be established in it as a nation and as a people. If God can do it for others, He can do it for us too. We can be great and, by the grace of God, we shall be great.

This is my dream and this is what I see. And believe me when I tell you that it is prophetic. A Nigeria where every man and woman, regardless of faith, ethnicity, status or political persuasion finds a common cause and relishes in our collective humanity. A Nigeria where the rich have a conscience and the poor have hope. A Nigeria where joy and peace reign supreme and where bombings and killings are a thing of the past.

A Nigeria where the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac and the adherents of the two great Abrahamic faiths of Islam and

Christianity live together in peace, harmony and mutual respect. A Nigeria where the secularity of the state is respected yet where God is reverred and honoured by all. A Nigeria where the knowledge and fear of the Living God reigns in the hearts and minds of the people. A Nigeria where every man is His brother’s keeper, where leaders show compassion to those that they lead, where justice is done to all and where political persecution has no place. A Nigeria where decency is rewarded, where dissent is tolerated, where non-conformity is encouraged and where equity is enthroned. That is the Nigeria of my dream. A Nigeria where youth unemployment is low and where every individual, no matter how high or low, can aspire to any position and live his or her dream.

That is the Nigeria of my dream.

A Nigeria where human life and human dignity are sacrosanct and where fairness is the watchword of every soul. That is the Nigeria of my dream.

I have no fears about the future of this great nation because the God that I serve never fails. The bible

says the nations are ‘’as a drop of water before Him’’. He sits above the circles of the earth and He counts the earth as His footstool.

Yet despite His sheer awesomeness and majesty, with Him lies great compassion and mercy. Once we return to Him, acknowledge Him, honour Him and are led and guided by Him, He will restore us and shower us with His blessings.

The Lord awaits us to make the right choice.

Yet there is still hope as long as we have faith. That hope and faith is our blessed assurance and it lives in our minds and hearts.

We know that the Lord will fix it.

We know that He is ‘’more than able’’. We know that He is a man of war whom none can resist and we know that He restores, redeems and rebuilds even the most broken and wretched walls.

Dr. Martin Luther King jnr., after delivering his celebrated and inspiring ‘’I have a dream’’ speech, was felled by an assassin’s bullet on April 4 1968. To those that killed him, his dream died with him. Yet they were wrong.

They did not know that great

dreams, once birthed, never die.

That is why the Word of God said ‘’if the princes of this world had known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory’’.

I have a dream for Nigeria. I have a dream that one day Nigerians will see themselves as Nigerians before anything else and they will not regard their country and its people as a collection of strange bed-fellows that do not love or trust one another. Yet this dream can only be fulfilled when those amongst us that call ourselves leaders preach, practice and display discipline, temperance, holiness, morality, restraint, tolerance, mercy and the fear of God in the conduct of our affairs. It can only be made manifest when we stand up and fight against evil, tyranny, injustice, indeceny, bad governance, the abuse of power, political persecution and sheer wickedness. Our dream can only be brought to reality when love is the motivating factor in all that we do. The Lord commands us to love our neighbour as we do ourselves. That is the cornerstone and the foundation of our faith and it is in that faith and that resolve that our hope for a better and greater Nigeria lies. I have a dream that Nigeria will be what God wants her to be, a great and powerful nation that is dedicated to the Living God and that will act as a shining example and a beacon of light for all to see.

Femi Fani-Kayode is a former Aviation Minister.

Joy comes in the morning

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Yet there is still hope as long as we have faith. That hope and faith is our blessed assurance and it lives in our minds and hearts. We know that the Lord will fix it. We know that He is ‘’more than able’’. We know that He is a man of war whom none can resist and we know that He restores, redeems and rebuilds even the most broken and wretched walls

PAGE 14

By Evans Bipi

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he death of President Jonathan’s brother few weeks back sent shock waves through the political class and people in the corridors of power because of the way and manner Meni conducted himself while alive with everybody he came across.

He was an easy-going, unassuming, kind-hearted, mature and loving person who respected and paid his dues to whomsoever he came across.

But as the first family reminisces on the death of a lovely soul, one person who was dealt a great blow mostly and can never recover from the shock of Meni’s passing on is Patience Jonathan. The relationship between the two was like that of mother and

By Bayo Oluwasanmi

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he most critical problem facing the Nigerian church today is a leadership vacuum.

The Nigerian church lacks both vision and true leadership. The Bible is very clear on the call to leadership and discipleship.

When God decided to build a nation of his own, he didn’t enlist the masses. He called on one man – Abraham. When it was time to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian oppression, he didn’t need an army. He raised one leader - Moses - to do the job.

When the Israelites needed someone to lead them to the Promised Land, Joshua was chosen.

Nigerian Christians especially the Pentecostal breed suffering from overdose of religious opium; many a times misunderstood the true nature of leadership. They believe they must be sheepish, quiet, passive, aloof, and withdrawn to follow Christ. Their biggest problem is that they confused meekness with weakness. One of the central teachings of Christ is that whoever is going to follow him must be a leader, meaning serving others.

Leadership is influence. If the General Overseers (GOs), the Bishops, the Pastors, the Shepherds were to demonstrate that they’re the salt and light as Jesus commanded, then they have to obey Christ’s call to leadership and discipleship. And there is no more practical and meaningful way to show this than to be imitators of Christ as Paul was.

The unexplainable frenzy of material acquisition by Nigerian pastors has dominated the headlines for quite some time now. The worst offenders in the wealth building schemes and scams, raids and robberies in God’s name are the fiery, fire and brimstone, repent or be damned Pentecostal preachers.

The appetites of “men of God” like sharks and whales have been enlarged and elongated devouring their flocks

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

As Meni goes home son, or let me use the word blood relations, in their day-to-day approach to family issues, relationships and every other thing that concerned the family and country.

You will agree, with the way they related, that they both had the same chemistry and they were always on the same page on issues. Mama referred to him as her son, while he referred to mama as mother. One wonders whether the vacuum created by the passing away of Meni could ever be filled or replaced and how he had brought the family together particularly his relationship with Dame if it can be replaced. But we urge Dame

WRITE TO US Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed to: The Editor, Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com SMS: 07037756364 to find solace in the belief that she will meet him again and to part no more.

As the first family says ‘goodbye’ to Meni Innocent Jonathan, a man with a good

the Lord. The faithful minister can rejoice in the opportunity to be an ambassador for Christ by proclaiming reconciliation and restoration for estranged sinners.

How many of the sky-bound pastors are as bold and squeakyclean like Paul to effectively neutralize the trumped up charges by the church in Corinth against Paul?

People always need a leader.

People are like sheep without a shepherd. Today, Nigeria is without a leader. At a time when the Jet Pastors should fill the leadership vacuum, the “men of God” are literally AWOL. They’re busy evangelizing in the skies!

Nigerians’ immediate felt needs are many and varied. They’re insecure. They worry without abundant signs of hope. If there is anything in short supply in Nigeria today, it is hope.

How many of the sky-roving pastors can boast like Paul that their lives mirror God-given holiness and sincerity in all they do? How many times have they been whipped for the sake of the gospel? How many times have they been imprisoned for fighting on the side of the oppressed?

How many times have they starved for their congregation to eat? How many times have they been arrested or jailed in the name of the gospel? What role have these pastors played to

alleviate the sufferings of the poor in a country where half of their congregation are jobless, homeless, sick, diseased, hungry, depressed, tormented, tortured, and seemingly lost among the madding crowd?

What social programmes have they initiated to supplement the income of their congregants most of whom like majority of poor Nigerians live on $1 a day – below the poverty line. Most of the congregants and assistant pastors of these Jet Pastors cannot even afford the tuition fees for their children in colleges and universities owned by the Prosperity Pastors.

It is evident from the flamboyant, ostentatious, and reckless life styles of these pastors that they’re not true Disciples of Christ. It’s no wonder why Mahatma Gandhi condemned the hypocrites of the religion with a stinging rebuke: “I hate you Christians, but I love your Jesus.” These apostles of greed, material wealth, exploitation, rip-off, rake-off, all in the name of Theology of Prosperity as opposed to Theology of Liberation; are the gods to blame for the increased misery and poverty of poor and the gullible Nigerians.

The role of Bishop Desmond Tutu and other clergymen in the demise of Apartheid South

heart for the down trodden, we pray that Almighty God give the President, Dame and the entire family, the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss of a dear brother, in-law, friend and a man who mama regarded as one belonging to the next generation of Nigerians.

Surely, a mother and son relationship will be difficult to be replaced by anybody but we all urge mama to hold on to the memory of the good deeds by Meni so that wherever he is, he will always be proud of what he left behind. Adieu my friend and brother Meni Innocent Jonathan.

Evans Bipi is of Citizens Watch Nigeria (CWN).

The gods are to blame at every turn. Their new toys are jet airplanes for the new heavens – the skies. Most of history is the conflict among people trying to lead and rule one another.

Human arrogance, pride, greed, and lack of contentment are asterisks on the footnotes of corrupt and insensitive leadership.

No group of Christians better fit this example than the gospel preachers of the Theology of Prosperity– the more you sow, the more you reap.

The newest club member of Jet pastors is the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and founder of Warri based Word of Life Bible Church, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. We’re told that the $4.9m Bombardier/Challenger 601 10seater jet was a birthday token from Pastor Oritsejafor’s congregation to mark his 40 years of service in the Vineyard of God. We may never know the nameless and faceless church members who bought the birthday gift!

To win trust, leaders must exhibit both character and competence. The bar becomes sky-high especially for those who claimed they’re “men of God.” If leadership and discipleship crystallized in sacrifice, suffering, sharing, kindness, love, and endurance, as Christ and the early Apostles demonstrated; then which Christ are these peddlers of false gospel following?

My favorite Apostle Brother Paul, I’m talking of Paul of Tarsus, provides enduring lesson in discipleship and leadership.

Paul’s life demonstrates that in the most trying circumstances, the faithful minister of God can enjoy daily strength and victory not for the purpose of being comfortable, but in order to be a comforter.

The Jet Pastors should be motivated by Christ’s example of love, living daily in the fear of

“

Given the crises confronting Nigerians, the Jet astors have a choice: give up, back up, or stand up. These pastors have yet to discover the Biblical timeless principle: The Lord is with you when you are with him. The pastors are to lead the people, protect the people, fight on their behalf, and make sure the resources of the nation are judiciously managed to the benefit of all

Africa is still fresh in our memory. They served as buffer against the hostile forces and policies of President P.W. Botha.

Who could ever forget the revolutionary impact of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) on the Civil Rights Movement in the US? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American Civil Rights Movement helped found the SCLC in 1957. Best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience, led the 1963 March on Washington where he delivered his “I have a Dream” speech. He led protests against poverty – Poor People’s Campaign – and the Vietnam War with a speech “Beyond Vietnam.”

The Jet pastors have failed both in their prophetic role and humanitarian mission. Where is their venom against injustice, economic inequality, poverty, corruption, homelessness, joblessness, and other maladies that afflict the multitude of the poor? The cruel complicity of the Jet pastors in the plundering of our nation is antithetical to the teachings of the gospel. Their cozying up to Aso Rock and state governments is a coalition between missionary and mercenary. It’s a gospel of suicide mission. And the medicine is killing the patients!

Given the crises confronting Nigerians, the Jet astors have a choice: give up, back up, or stand up. These pastors have yet to discover the Biblical timeless principle: The Lord is with you when you are with him. The pastors are to lead the people, protect the people, fight on their behalf, and make sure the resources of the nation are judiciously managed to the benefit of all.

Bayo Oluwasanmi can be reached on byolu@aol.com

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 15

ICT in Ekiti: Path we ought not to have walked

By Adewale Stephen

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ducation is primarily responsible for preparing a society for the future and moderating the adverse impacts of social and economic change. For being a part of this challenging economy in this part of the developing world as well as ensuring that able minds are prepared for the future development of the country, Nigerian teachers, as human developers, need to equip themselves with deeper understanding of their various areas of discipline. But this knowledge is by itself not sufficient.

They, alongside their pupils, also need to be able to use technological facilities, handle information, communicate proficiently, reflect decisively, work well in groups, and turn out new logical and creative mechanisms that add value to their students/pupils lives.

ICT is a means of meeting these challenges.

Therefore, when the news broke out recently that Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti had taken unusual innovative steps of promoting the ICT in the Secondary schools by his distribution of Computer Laptops to the Secondary school teachers across the state, words alone

cannot describe how happy I reacted into this positive news. It is noteworthy that at this very time which the reasonable beings across the land are lamenting the nonperforming insolences that have become the habitual hallmark of the Nigerian governors; that a State Governor has deemed it fit to launch a laudable programme that can help its poor citizenry to update their intellectual knowledge is noteworthy.

To me therefore, this is praiseworthy project that is worthy of emulation by other state governments and this made me to rise up from my enclave and headed to Ekiti to embark on a comprehensive research of this ICT’s innovation because my believe is that this achievement should not be limited to Ekiti state, it must be comprehensively researched on so as to ensure that this is embraced by all the Governors across the nation.

My hope of discovering something positive was dashed at the first secondary school I visited in Ado Ekiti, the state capital. As I gained entrance into the school, I looked for someone that could direct me to the principal’s office in order to seek permission to distribute questionnaires and sighted some boys and girls at an

open corner, all with their laptops.

I went to ask them the location of the principal’s office. Upon nearing, I found, to my uttermost dismay, that these students were using the laptops to watch films. I quickly introduced myself in order to open up a discussion and after some initial restraint towards one they perceived as a stranger, they began to respond to my questions and through that I was able to find out that these set of students don’t even know the purpose behind the computers given to them.

The encounters I had with their teachers only furthered my consternation as a majority of them displayed a flagrant ignorance as to the purpose of the computers. From Ado Ekiti to Igede down to Ikole Ekiti, I was confronted with the similar depressed anecdote of the teachers and students who never knew the importance, value or usefulness of computers that were put at their disposal.

My findings revealed that while the initiative of the Ekiti State Government in giving out the computers to the teachers, with monthly deduction from their salaries, is commendable, the proper enabling environment for the usage of such computers in secondary schools is not created by

the same government. As my findings revealed, the majority of the teachers are not competent even in the usage of word processing, not to talk of other computer applications. As a result teachers in Ekiti State have not gotten even the rudimentary experience of ICT skills and lessons from the technologically advanced country have shown that teachers’ mastery in ICT skills is acute to successful integration of ICT into teaching. As I write, teachers have found it difficult to shift from their customary manual mode of teaching in the state.

Rather than developing the teaching and learning enterprise, ICT has actually reduced the level of educational delivery in the state as the majority of the students are now busy with something else on their Samsung laptops. The kinds of films they can never watch at home are being watched in Ekiti State’s Secondary Schools. In fairness to the teachers and the students however, the enabling environment for the effective usage of such computers for learning were never created by their government.

Instead of embarking on a careless spree with its taxpayers’ money, the government should

have built a modern-equipped computer laboratory in each of the schools across the state; it should have employed more capable computer teachers to man these facilities. These experts would have presented the required knowledge and skills to make use of computer technology in the classroom to both the teachers and the learners.

Another thing that is cause for concern is the attitude of both the teachers and their principals. How can one explain a situation whereby students come to school with a load of indecent films and neither the teachers nor the principal could say anything against this or take any drastic action to nip this menace in the bud? What is the duty of the Ekiti state Ministry of Education that is supposed to monitor these schools? What is the mechanism that the government has put in place to make sure that these computers are used for the intended purposes?

To me, what the government did was to procure these computers and give them out in order to score cheap political points.

Adewale Stephen works in the Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile Ife, Osun state

because she refused to use some prescribed bleaching creams to ‘lighten up’ her body especially the genital areas! According to the ‘victim’, a student known simply as Juliet, “One day I was taking my bath when Emma came into the bathroom with some cream in a small container. Upon enquiry he told me it is skin whitening cream I must use around my private parts and shocked, I refused. This refusal angered my boyfriend who subsequently kicked me out of his house and went for a fair skinned girl”.

The above story, as incredible as it may sound, illustrates how some men could be plain stupid when it comes to the issue of love and sex — trying to impose their will. You see, the truth is that many Africans, blinded by money, never really fall in love but acting on lust wittingly or unwittingly.

Some of us confuse lust with love and mix it up when it suits our whims and caprices! The African men, in their majority, believe wrongly that love has to do (only) with sex and issuing orders to the opposite sex as the Ghanaian case has shown.

There has never been a white man in history who had sought to change his white colour to black!

Any wonder, then, that the devil is always painted in black colour?

History has it that black men and women are always seeking to ‘change’ their skin colour perhaps out of inferiority complex or even ignorance. Remember the late American pop megastar Michael Jackson? Michael, the gifted son of the Jacksons, a black American family, was born handsomely black but after he hit fame and fortune from music he developed a bizarre ‘taste’ for another colour

other than that he came to this world with. Alas he had lived to regret his complexion change adventure with reports indicating that on one occasion his surgicallyaltered nose fell off from his face leading to an embarrassment!

This bleaching stuff could be said to be the major reason I never married a Nigerian girl from Igbo extraction. The babe I should have married way back in 2005 became suddenly ‘too yellow’ for my liking as she became a ‘Jambite’ in UniPort and I decided, against my late mother’s wish, to end the relationship! My wife is a natural black beauty (in fact, a combination of brain and beauty) and I am very proud of her. One is always uncomfortable in closer quarters with a fake faircomplexioned damsel no matter how beautiful the fanta face and ‘coke’ joints are!

The consequences of using bleaching substances on the body could be far-reaching. Some of these chemicals (imported mainly from Italy, China, Pakistan and the US) could be harmful to the system on the long run. There is no iota of doubt that skin bleaching can lead to skin cancer, kidney damage and a host of other harmful effects. In

Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa it is not only the womenfolk that use these dangerous products, men are involved too! It is not surprising or shocking to see a Nigerian man turning his Godgiven skin into something else.

Maybe those involved are doing so to enhance their physical appearance but when one is born handsome or beautiful that is how you remain pigmentation notwithstanding.

The power of sex in Nigeria and elsewhere around the world cannot be under-estimated, folks!

Remember Elliot Spitzer?

Dominique Strauss-Khan? And more recently Gen. David Petraeus? Estimates place the annual revenue generated from the global prostitution industry to be over $100 billion!

Prostitution is sometimes referred to as “the world’s oldest profession”. It is no longer enough to dismiss prostitution as a ‘business’ for the illiterate or the frustrated of the society; big society ladies are involved! Just take your time and look around you you would discover to your chagrin that a ‘married’ neighbour of yours or a ‘student’ next door is involved — always

dressing well and going out at dusk and coming in at dawn.

The story was once told of this Nigerian guy in the US who had a carnal knowledge of his housegirl because his wife was ‘too white’ for his liking. The madam was a Nigerian but used bleaching cream to ‘remove’ her black skin thinking ignorantly that her husband was finding her less beautiful and old!

While she was away the man, who had been admiring the young black beauty of a househelp ‘pounced’ on her and had a good time with her consent. While on top of the ‘game’ however the woman caught them red-handed and raised hell! The man remained calm while the woman shouted herself hoarse. The husband later claimed, to the wife’s astonishment, that he suddenly discovered what natural virginity was all about compared to chemically-altered ‘private garden’!

The undeclared ‘unconventional’ pimping and pigmentation ‘war’ in Nigeria must cease! Yes, we call for a ‘ceasefire’ with immediate effect, please ladies! Black remains beautiful! The ignorant lot engaged in this terrible ‘war’ of toning the skin out of its original colour must be enlightened on the adverse consequences of what they are doing to their God-given pigmentation. We hold, in the final analysis, that if you were born black and beautiful you should remain so without trying to be ‘white’ or even whiter than the white people. Doing the colour change might prevent you from meeting the ‘mister right’ or ‘miss right’ in your life!

SOC Okenwa is reachable on soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmatil.fr

Beauty enhancement or colour change?

By SOC Okenwa

I

n a report in June this year a Nigerian newspaper published a WHO report on the danger of mercury in skin lightening soaps and creams, revealing that over 77% Nigerians used such products regularly. Nigeria placed first on the list followed by Togo 59%, South Africa 35% and Mali 25%.

According to a website quoted by the report, “It is generally believed that this practice is influenced by deep racial inferiority, ignorance of identity or a crisis of identity but it is important to note that there is more to it than this. For some of the women, skin lightening satisfies their need for attention, their desire for beauty as seen in magazines where models and celebrities have light coloured skin. It can be seen as perpetuating the colonial belief that being lighter is better.”

The scramble for beauty enhancement materials and products in Nigeria has reached its peak. The beauty phenomenon is not limited to the African continent alone.

Women everywhere tend to look gorgeous and sophisticated in a world where beauty-improving chemicals of every kind compete with one another for attention. And sadly, these toxic beauty-enhancing products always find their way to Africa, a continent that produces almost nothing and imports almost everything; a ‘cursed’ clime that has made name for itself as a ‘dumping ground’ for toxic wastes, toxic electronics, toxic cars and toxic toning creams!

In the east Legon area of Ghana sometime ago I had read online one weird tale of one China-going ‘importer’ jilting his girlfriend

“

The undeclared ‘unconventional’ pimping and pigmentation ‘war’ in Nigeria must cease! Yes, we call for a ‘ceasefire’ with immediate effect, please ladies!

Black remains beautiful! The ignorant lot engaged in this terrible ‘war’ of toning the skin out of its original colour must be enlightened on the adverse consequences of what they are doing to their God-given pigmentation

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

SFH, FCTA donate microscopes to Kwali, Kuje, hospitals, others

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

E

ight hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including secondary and tertiary health facilities, yesterday received one standard microscope each and some consumables to improve their malaria diagnosis.

The beneficiaries of the gesture which is a collaboration of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) and a non-governmental organisation(NGO), Society for Family Health(SFH) are Kwali, Bwari, Kuje, Nyanya, Abaji , Maitama General Hospitals, the National Hospital and Abuja

Kwali chair lauds corps member over N3.9m healthcare centre

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Chairman, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory( FCT) , Hon. Joseph Shazin has commended a corps member, Dr Okeke Kanayo over the execution of N3.9million healthcare centre project in Fuka community of the council.

Shazin, who gave the commendation in Kwali in an interview with newsmen said the gesture would no doubt enhance easy access to healthcare by residents of Fuka community.

According to him, since some of these facilities are not so sufficient and through the efforts of a corps member we are able to get it readily in the community, it deserves appreciation.

"Normally when a proposal for such project come up, it is normally approved and a certain level of assistance is usually given by the council to enhance the successful implementation.

"And as it is now, I want to encourage other corps members to strive hard to make sure that they embark on projects that have direct impact on their host communities," he said.

In another interview, Kanayo who said the project was ready to be handed over to Kwali Area Council said the project was executed to enhance easy access to healthcare to residents of Fuka community.

He said the total cost of the project with doctor's consulting room, waiting room; emergency room with five bed space capacity, Labour room, toilets and bathrooms as well as drugs dispensing room was N3.9million.

"I got to know Fuka community when I went for a medical outreach in a neighboring community shortly after our NYSC orientation program. Having heard about the community, I decided to pay a visit and in the course of my movement, I discovered that the community is completely cutoff following collapse of a long bridge connecting it to other communities.

"It was then I realize that

organizing medical outreach will not address the problem of the people so I came up with a proposal to build a healthcare centre in the community," he said.

University Teaching Hospital(AUTH).

While presenting the equipment to representatives of the hospitals yesterday at the Maitama District Hospital, the Secretary, HHSS, Dr Demola Onakomaiya said the donation would no doubt go a long way to improve case management and outcome of malaria in the FCT. He said the FCT administration, through the secretariat has remained committed and focused in battling malaria and other diseases to stand still.

“In addition, we have consistently pay counterpart funds for disease control and other programs, renovated ,

equipped and upgraded many hospitals to improve access to healthcare”, he added.

He said : “Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, including Nigeria, posing public health concern with varied socio-economic and developmental challenges. We however, remain undaunted and unrelenting in our efforts in bringing the scourge under control”.

In his remark earlier, a representative of the Society for Family Health, Mr. Obi Oluigbo was optimistic that the microscope and other consumables would improve diagnosis and treatment of

malaria in Nigeria.

He expressed hope that the benefiting facilities would make the best use of the equipment.

Also speaking, the Director, FCT Public Health, Dr. Folashade Momoh noted that microscopy is the operational goal standard for diagnosis of malaria.

She recalled that recently, the Health Secretary donated 23 microscopes to all FCT hospitals.

Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Acting Medical Director of Maitama District Hospital, Dr. SL Essien commended the effort, promising that they would utilise the equipment to achieve the intended objective.

Eyesore such as this captured in Jahi 1, Abuja on Sunday, causes polio infection, according to health experts.

Photo: Josephine Ella Ejeh

‘More than 230 patients benefitted from free polio surgery’

T

he Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu has confirmed in Abuja that more than 230 patients had benefitted from the ongoing polio corrective surgeries.

Chukwu, who participated in the surgery exercise at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada said that as an orthopaedic surgeon, he appreciated the difficulties faced by polio victims.

The News Agency of Nigeria

reports that the minister, along with Indian doctors, operated on an eight-year-old boy named Sammitu Adamu.

Rotary International is committed to securing a “Polio free” world for every new child, hence the free polio corrective surgery project being executed in the country.

The minister said that he felt refreshed going back to the field to carry out an operation.

“For today, the whole idea was

since I am an orthopaedic surgeon, I could join my colleagues who are doing the cases to show total commitment,” he said.

According to him, it is expected that at the end of the day, not less than 230 patients would have benefitted and more than 400 activities must have been carried out.

The minister commended the project team, adding that in future, Nigerian Rotary team could also assist other countries.

He also said that by next year with the help of the present administration, the country would be able to break the transmission of polio virus in the country.

Chukwu said that about four countries worked under the Rotary foundation, adding that Nigerian Rotarians would continue from where the Indian Rotarian team stopped to enhance polio-free country.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

INSIDE FCT COURTS

Police arraign two for allegedly stealing 150 pieces of rods

T

he Police have arraigned one Oluchi Amadi and Sunday Audu of no fixed address before an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing 150 pieces of rods.

The Prosecutor, Sergeant Amby Ayuba, told the court that the matter was reported at the Garki Police Station on December 1, 2012 by one Boniface Eke, the owner of the site where the rods were kept.

Ayuba said the accused persons connived and trespassed into the site of the complainant, located at Dagba, Area 1, Abuja and stole the rods, which were kept inside a truck.

The prosecutor added that the rods were valued at N255,000 and that during investigation, the accused persons refused to disclose the

whereabouts of the stolen rods.

He noted that the two were accused of joint act, criminal trespass and theft, contrary to Sections 79, 342 and 287 of the Penal Code.

However, the two pleaded not guilty.

The Magistrate, Mr Chukwuemeka Ubani, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N150,000 each and one surety each, who must be a civil servant not below grade level 5.

Ubani said the sureties must come along with their letters of last promotion for court sighting and that they must deposit with the court the copy of their salary account and appointment letter.

He adjourned the case to January 15, 2012 for hearing.

(NAN)

PAGE 17

Man jailed for stealing 100 litres of acid Amaike Beauty with agency report

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ne Bala Aminu, has been sentenced to six months imprisonment by an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for criminal trespass and theft.

He was sentenced by Magistrate, Mr Aliyu Shafa, to three months imprisonment for the offence of criminal trespass or to a fine of N2, 000.

The magistrate also sentenced him to another three months imprisonment for the offence of theft or to a fine of N5, 000, to serve as a deterrent to others who might want to engage in such act.

In addition, Shafa equally ordered the police to release the 100 litres of acid to the complainant.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Sergeant Abdullahi Adamu, told the court that the convict was arrested by a team of mobile policemen attached to Zone 7 Command, Wuse Zone 3 last Monday.

He said the convict criminally trespassed into Intercontinental Plaza, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja and stole 100 litres of acid belonging to one Mr Williams, a tenant at the plaza.

Adamu said the offence contravenes Sections 348 and 287 of the Penal Code.

The prosecutor also applied for the summary trial of the convict since he had pleaded guilty to the charge.

The convict, of no fixed address, admitted that he stole 100 litres of acid, saying, however, that “ the devil took over my heart when I was committing the offence.’’

He said that he thought the gallon was empty, but that he did not know why he decided to take it even when he saw that it was heavy.

He pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he would never commit the offence again.

(NAN)

Two women allegedly attack man with cutlass Amaike Beauty with agency report

F

or attacking one Igbenesinu Nelson of Apo Dutse, with a cutlass and inflicting injuries on him, two women, Chineye Chibuoke and Amara Chuks, both of Apo Dutse, Abuja, have appeared before a Karu Upper Area Court, Abuja, for alleged theft, mischief and causing hurt.

According to the Police Prosecutor, Mohammed Garba told the court that Nelson reported the case at the Apo Police Station on November 26, 2012.

He said the two accused persons entered the complainant’s shop while a third person, now at large, attacked the complainant with a cutlass.

“The complainant sustained injuries on the head, hand, ears and face. The accused persons

stole a Blackberry phone, gold necklace, N850,000 and damaged property valued at N38,000,” Garba told the court.

However, the accused persons denied the allegations.

The prosecutor objected to their bail on the ground that some of the allegations against them did not ordinarily attract bail.

Their counsel, Godwin Chukwukere, applied for their bail.

The Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 each and a surety each who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

Kagarko also ordered the accused persons to report to the police every Monday and adjourned the case to January 21 for hearing. (NAN)

Two men get jail terms for theft

T

wo men, Dahiru Mohammed and Zayannu Mohammed, were yesterday sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on each charge of breaking into a house, theft and being in possession of stolen items.

Magistrate Yusuf Ubangari of Kubwa Magistrates Court, who handed down the judgment, however, gave the convicts an option to pay N5,000 fine on each count.

Ubangari added that the sentences were to run concurrently.

Police prosecutor Peter Odeh had told the court that the theft

was reported on November 27, 2012 by one Aminu Abubakar through a distress call to Insp.

John Abubakar and his surveillance team.

Odeh said the convicts broke into Abubakar’s living room in the Federal Housing Estate, Kubwa, and stole his Acer laptop computer valued at N104,000.

“During police investigation, the laptop, wrist watches and a Honda Accord car with Reg. No. AG 863 BWR, were recovered from the accused persons, he said’’.

The accused persons had pleaded guilty to the charges.

(NAN)

A man hawking local hats, yesterday in Nyanya.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Husband held for failure to produce suspect wife

T

he Police have arraigned one Baba Suleiman of Block 35, Flat 2, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Quarters, Maitama, Abuja, before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for failure to produce his wife, an accused in court.

The Prosecutor, Emmanuel Adikwu, told the court that the accused came to Maitama police station to stand as surety for his wife, Amina Suleiman under the agreement that he would produce her whenever needed.

Adikwu said the accused wife, had been in detention for the offence of conspiracy, criminal

breach of trust and cheating, before the accused came to stand as surety for her on August 8, 2012.

The prosecutor added that the accused also entered an agreement with the police to forfeit N1.3 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) if Suleiman failed to appear at the police station whenever needed.

He said the accused failed to produce Suleiman since August 8 when he agreed to be her surety, an offence contrary to Section 167 of the Penal Code.

Counsel to the accused, Salihu Babakeke, urged the

court to admit the accused to compassionate bail, adding that the offence was a bailable one.

He added that the accused and Suleiman would be produced on the next hearing date.

The Magistrate, Hajiya Binta Dogoyaro, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in like sum.

She said the surety must have a fixed address and a means of livelihood.

The magistrate also said the surety must swear to an affidavit promising to produce the accused whenever needed and adjourned the case to January 21, 2013.

(NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Alleged reckless driver smashes ex-Police Commissioner’s Jeep

By Amaike Beauty

A

man, Hassan Abdulkadir of Gimbiya Street, Garki, Abuja is to reappear before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court today for allegedly causing accident by driving dangerously.

The Police, which arraigned the fellow earlier, told the court that the accused drove dangerously in Wuse and as a result, bashed a Jeep belonging to a former Commissioner of Police, Mr Lawrence Alobi.

Abdulkadir is standing trial on a two-count charge of causing accident by dangerous driving and

driving without a driver’s licence.

The Prosecutor, Abdullahi Adamu, told the court that on November 22, 2012, Abdulkadir drove his Honda Accord with registration number SE 78 AAA dangerously along the Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.

He further explained to the court that Abdulkadir’s car collided with a KIA Jeep with registration number ND 234 ABC belonging to a former Commissioner of Police, Mr Lawrence Alobi.

“The collision resulted to the damage of Alobi’s car,’’ Adamu said.

According to

h i m , o f f e n c e s contravened the provisions of Sections 28 CAP 548 and 17 (4) of the Road Traffic Act. However, Abdulkadir, denied the allegations against him.

Senior Magistrate Binta Dogonyaro, then granted him bail in the sum of N20, 000 with a reasonable and reliable surety in like sum.

Dogonyaro said that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, have a good means of livelihood and present evidence of the means before the court as he adjourned to today, December 11, 2012 (NAN)

Keke NAPEP to operate only in estates, Gwarimpa, Kado from Jan

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

K

eke NAPEP operators in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have barely a month and five days to withdraw their tricycles from most of the routes they are operating presently.

This directive from the Transportation Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), administration, takes effect from January 14, 2013.

Secretary of the FCT transportation Secretariat, Engineer Jonathan Achara Ivoke, who disclosed this to

journalists in his office, said by implication, operators are expected to ply only the new routes designed for them.

According to him, the routes are estates, settlement, Gwarimpa District, Life Camp and Kado District.

His words: “Keke NAPEP operators services will be confined to only within estates, settlements, Life Camp, Gwarimpa and Kado from January 14, 2013”.

It would be recalled that Keke NAPEP operators had been and presently, are allowed to operate along some major routes such as the Utako, Jabi, Karmo

road, some part of Area 1 road among others.

However, with the new directive, their operations along these routes among others are to cease by next year.

It was gathered that this directive may not be unconnected with the ongoing designation of routes in the FCT for mini buses and high capacity buses.

The mini buse service providers are also expected to confine their services to only within the city centre while the high capacity buses are to operate on major highways in the FCT.

Igalas in Abuja strategise to develop their communities

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin gala sons and daughters from Ogalaja community and its environs at the weekend gathered in Abuja to strategies how to develop their home communities in Kogi State.

Operating under the aegis of Oji-Une Community Development Association (OCDA), the Igala sons and daughters said they have taken up the challenges of ensuring their people in their communities gets dividends of democracy.

Speaking on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the association, the National Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Akubo stressed the need for all hands to be

I

on deck in the quest to develop the Igala community and the country at large.

The OCDA chairman challenged members to be ready to make personal sacrifices and show total commitment in the quest to develop and affect the lives of people at the grass root positively.

He said OCDA has mapped out strategies that would improve the quality of education, create political awareness, reorientation on cultural and traditional value that would enhance unity and peace of the communities.

Akubo used the occasion to solicit members' support in actualizing the goals and objectives of the association, adding that government alone cannot provide

everything the people need in the rural communities.

He charged members to embrace the principle of developing rural communities in Igala land and applauded the cooperation of members in actualizing the dreams of the association.

Akubo however called on the governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada to ensure that he accomplishes all the promises he made during his campaigns.

OCDA chairman who pointed out that there cannot be meaningful development in the absence of peace and called on all communities to eschew violence and embrace peace and dialogue in the settlement of crisis.

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

T

he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday said that its men had intercepted a vessel carrying over 5,000 bags of rice valued at N50 million.

Mr. Dan Ugo, the Controller of Customs, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos.

According to Ugo, the vessel was intercepted on the high sea between Republic of Benin and Agbara around 3.00 am on Sunday by the customs patrol team.

“The seizure was in line with the NCS’s efforts in trying to reduce smuggling through the Nigerian borders and canals,’’ he said.

Ugo said that the service had strengthened its operations in tacking the menace of smuggling of rice into the country and was determined to ensure that such dubious acts were checked.

“We will tow the vessel from

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

FG seeks Swiss help in $6.8bn fuel subsidy probe

Mob: 08033644990

Customs intercept vessel carrying 5,000 bags of rice the high sea, but we have to reduce the contents by smaller boats to fast-track the evacuation.

“We have competent, skilled personnel and all it takes to handle this kind of operation,’’ he said.

Ugo expressed regret that no arrest was made as all occupants of the vessel escaped by jumping into the sea.

“It is unfortunate that we could not make any arrest. The people in the vessel jumped into the water immediately,’’ he said.

He said the Federal Operations Unit would collaborate with the Western Marine Command to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum.

Mr. Zakka Audu, the Controller of Customs in the

Western Marine Command, who was at the site of evacuation of the consignment, commended the officers for maintaining 24 hours patrol.

He warned importers to desist from smuggling and evading payment of duties. (NAN)

Capital market indices rise by 0.56 per cent on NSE

T

ransactions on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday opened for the week on a positive note as some major blue chips recorded price gains.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the All- share index, which opened at 26,671.72 appreciated by 150.37 basis points or 0.56 per cent to close at 26,822.09 points.

Also the market capitalisation grew by N48 billion or 0.56 per cent to close at N8.570 trillion as against the N8.522 trillion recorded on Friday.

NewGold recorded the highest price gain of N20 to close at N2, 614 per unit.

Guinness trailed with N8.90 gain to close at N250, while Nigerian Breweries grew by N1.45 to close at N145 per share.

Cadbury appreciated by N1.30 to close at N29.80 per share, while NCR share price appreciated by 71k to close at N15.08.

On the other hand, DN MEYER led the losers’ chart with a loss of 28k to close at N2.52 per share.

Morison followed with 20k to close at N3.84 per share while Dangote Flour dipped by 15k to close at N7.85 per share.

ETI dropped 15k to close at N10.85, while Aiico lost 6k to close at 60k per share.

NAN reports that in all investors exchanged 443.82 million shares worth N2.2 billion traded in 4,043 deals.

This represented an increase of 214.81 million shares as against the 229.01million shares valued at N2.8 billion traded in 3,556 deals on Friday (NAN).

Customers queue at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), yesterday at Ibara area of Abeokuta.

Photo: NAN

Insurance broker supports establishment of Ministry of Pension Affairs

A

n insurance broker, Mr. Angus Uzoamaka has aligned himself with the call for establishment of a Ministry of Pension Affairs to administer issues on pension.

Uzoamaka, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in ort-

Harcourt suggested that the proposed pension ministry should be presided over by a retired public officer.

He said government needed to create institutional frameworks for senior citizens of the country to manage their own affairs.

The broker said that the proposed ministry would proffer solutions to the plight of retired public officers and also address challenges associated with the country’s pension laws.

“Be it a ministry or an agency or call it Directorate of Insurance, Pensions and

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B

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apathetic. To motivate your people, you need to bring energy and enthusiasm to work.

Not taking action on poor performance. When you accept mediocre work, it discourages productivity. Set stretch goals so you don't inadvertently let people coast.

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Gratuity Affairs Agency, we need to ensure better implementation of our pension laws,” he said.

Uzoamaka said that the magnitude of pension related fraud had necessitated the need for such a proposal.

“The level of decadence and corruption in our pension matters is appalling and has attained unimaginable rate.

“I believe that the rot in that area can only be tackled by a government structure like a ministry in place,” he said.

Uzoamaka said that the proposal ought to be one part of a broader welfare programme for the senior citizens who had served in public service.

“It is imperative that we show care and love to our heroes still living,” he said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY,TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS Third Quarter Budget Deficit More than Doubles

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igeria's budget deficit more than doubled in the third quarter to 459.1 billion naira ($2.9 billion), the Central Bank of Nigeria said.

The budget deficit of subSaharan Africa's secondlargest economy jumped from 211.8 billion naira in the previous three months and 161.1 billion naira in the third quarter of 2011, the Abujabased bank said in a Dec. 7 report on its website.

"The deficit was financed mainly from domestic sources, particularly through the issuance of additional Federal Government of Nigeria bonds," the bank said.

AfDB

T

he African Development Bank, researchers have unveiled a $63.24m AfDB-funded scheme for agricultural productivity and poverty alleviation.

According to a statement from AFDB, the scheme will run for five years, known as “Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa,” is a research, science, and technology development idea aimed at enhancing the productivity and income derived from cassava, maize, rice, and wheat.

EFCC

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fficers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are set to pounce on importers and clearing agents at the Lagos ports today to investigate the illegal clearance of 35 containers.

The 35 containers were bound for Bonded Terminal in the BadagryExpressway axis but were diverted to an unidentified destination without the appropriate duty paid to the Federal Government by the importers and the clearing agent.

A source who spoke in confidence said when the EFCC boss, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde learnt that the duty paid on the diverted 35 containers is over N2.5 billion, he directed his officers to investigate the matter.

FG seeks Swiss help in $6.8bn fuel subsidy probe

By Muhammad Nasir, with agency reports

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igeria has sought Switzerland’s help in the West African nation’s investigation of a multi-billion dollar fuel subsidy scam, after some Swiss oil trading houses refused to cooperate with the authorities in Abuja, Nigerian officials said.

It could be recalled that Nigeria opened an investigation in January into fraud in the administration of the subsidy scheme after an abortive attempt to remove it by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ibrahim Lamorde, chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which is investigating the fraud, said a request was sent to Swiss authorities in October after some trading houses declined to provide documents.

“They are not forthcoming. And most of the information is not in their Nigerian offices,” Lamorde told Reuters on Friday. He declined to name the companies which did not cooperate.

Lamorde’s commission is trying to unpick a web of collusion between fuel importers and corrupt officials that has led to the state paying for nearly double the amount of fuel it receives.

Asked if trading houses were themselves complicit in the fraud, he said: “We just want information to confirm some of the things the (Nigerian fuel) marketers have said ... whether they sold such products to the Nigerians or not.”

A parliamentary probe put the cost of the fraud to the Nigerian state at $6.8 billion between 2009 and 2011, almost a quarter of the national budget.

As a result of the probe, some Nigerian fuel importers have been charged in courts but no one has yet been convicted, and most of the targets have been relatively low level, rather than big players. Some are on the run.

However, the judicial authority for Geneva, home to many private trading houses, said Switzerland had requested additional information on

the probe from Nigerian authorities.

“This case involves suspected subsidy fraud on imports of refined products

by Nigerian companies.

They acquired the oil from companies based in Geneva,” a spokeswoman for the authority said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

She added that Genevabased trading houses were not directly implicated in the Nigerian investigation.

She did not name the companies involved in shipments. Past suppliers have included many large

Swiss-based private trading houses.

Swiss-based Nimex Petroleum was suspended earlier this year by Nigeria’s fuel regulator for failing to provide documents for shipments.

Nigeria is Africa’s top oil exporter but it imports most of the fuel it consumes because its refineries are illmaintained and run at a fraction of their capacity.

The government buys the fuel then sells it to the public at cheap, subsidized prices.

Private Nigeria-based fuel marketers are thought to have abused the

country’s subsidy system by misreporting fuel volumes, for example by reporting the same cargo more than once in a practice known as “roundtripping.”

Some of this fuel was sourced from tankers chartered by large trading houses anchored offshore Nigeria.

A source at a trading house said, some international commodity trading firms had been asked earlier this year to provide paperwork of fuel shipments to Nigerian authorities as part of the probe.

Group calls for enhanced citizens’ participation in oil and gas sector

By Muhammad Nasir, with agency report

T

he African Centre for L e a d e r s h i p , S t r a t e g y and Development (Centre LSD), yesterday called for enhanced participation of the citizens in oil and gas sector to improve transparency and

Minister of Petroluem, Diezani Alison Madueke accountability.

The call was made by the Centre’s Executive Director, Dr. Otive Igbuzor at a Roundtable Forum on the Petroleum Industry Bill, in Abuja.

“There is the need to enhancing citizens’ capacity to contribute to improving transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector,” he said.

He observed that the enormous oil resources of the country had not translated into benefits for the citizens adding that instead the level of poverty remained “very high”.

Igbuzor said that the objectives of the forum were to strengthen citizens’ voice for accountability, reforms in the nation’s oil and gas sector and to ensure passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

He said that PIB would enhance exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources and promote production for the benefit of Nigerians, if passed.

He added that the bill would also create conducive business

environment for operations and establish a progressive fiscal framework that would encourage investment in the petroleum industry.

According to him, the bill seeks to harmonise and consolidate about 16 existing laws governing the industry.

These he said were; the Petroleum Profits Tax, NNPC Act, the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Act. “It also provides for Petroleum Host community Fund where the oil companies will contribute 10 per cent of their profits for the oil host communities. “ There is no doubt that most well meaning Nigerians will associate with the objectives of the PIB and the need for proper resource governance.

“The challenge, however, is what kind of provision in the bill, will ensure that its objectives will be realised, “Igbuzor said.

Igbuzor said that oil production licence should be given through open and competitive processes, adding that secrecy and discretion should be avoided completely.

He added that the bill should include detailed regulation for qualified applicants.

The executive director advocated the implementation of the recommendations of the subsidy report and other reports on the petroleum subsidy.

He urged the National Assembly and international actors in the sector to undertake research into petroleum product pricing in the country and engage major agencies in the sector.

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

F

inancial exclusion crisis in Nigeria may have hit a crisis state, with an estimated 39 million people reported to be outside the formal banking system. Financially excluded persons are mainly the rural dwellers, persons who had unsavoury experiences in banking services and some other disadvantaged groups.

Rural areas are dominated by small and medium enterprises, which means that their financial empowerment is vital to achieving financial inclusion and poverty alleviation.

The resolve of NDIC to play a key role in promoting financial inclusion is evident in its statutory functions and visions.

NDIC was established in June 1988 and one of its critical yardstick is the extent of satisfaction of large number of depositors. The corporation acts as a safety net by promoting public confidence in the financial system, as well as, protecting unsophisticated and small depositors.

At the workshop, the participants examined the objectives of NDIC and the numerous enablers of financial inclusion which the Corporation can mobilise.

They made attempt to review financial inclusion initiatives to provide a roadmap to the deposit insurer.

The participants identified deposit insurance as an indispensable tool for achieving financial inclusion.

They noted that there is a huge untapped potential for financial intermediation in the rural areas and the unbanked.

Speaking on the role of deposit insurance in promoting financial exclusion, a Director in the Corporation, Bashir Umar explained that an inclusive financial sector is characterised by diversity of financial service providers, level of competition between them, legal and regulatory environment to ensure easy access to financial services for all, integrity of the sector, as well as, adequate information and knowledge of available products/services.

He mentioned tools of financial inclusion as microfinance, noninterest/Islamic banking, and advances in technology and innovation (mobile phone banking, stored value and prepaid cards, and e-banking) Others are, appropriate and efficient delivery model, strong collaboration among banks, technical service providers and other stakeholders.

According to him, advantages or major aspirations of financial inclusion are: economic growth, financial deepening & stability through inclusive growth, financial discipline, asset accumulation and more effective government policies and planning, economic empowerment of the poor.

Umar identified barriers to financial inclusion that need to be addressed as poor income, hurdles to customers’ physical access, inadequate infrastructure, lack of adequate, financial literacy and transparency of service providers.

NDIC: Promoting financial literacy inclusion for Nigerians In its quest to keep financial reporters abreast of the dynamics and global trends in financial reporting, the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) recently organised its annual workshop for Business Editors and financial journalists in Dutse, Jigawa state capital. Aminu Imam and Abdulwahab Isa, co-participants report that this year’s event focused on how to address the crisis of absorbing the estimated 39 million Nigerians still excluded from the nation’s formal financial system.

MD/CEO NDIC, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim The Editor of Blueprint Newspaper’s Southern Operations, Jerry Uwah described Nigeria’s economy as something of an enigma. He said it has been coasting along at an enviable growth rate of 6.5 per cent in the last five years, yet it lacks the basic structures necessary for such phenomenal growth. Access to finance, which is a critical component for economic growth is very limited in Nigeria.

He explained that, though financial exclusion has been classified as a global challenge, it is an endemic problem in Nigeria, saying the Federal Government has implicitly acknowledged financial exclusion as a major

contributor to the escalating poverty in the land.

Government’s poverty alleviation programme, he said, is therefore geared towards reaching the grassroots with financial services.

He however said, while government is battling to reach the grassroots with financial services, millions living above the poverty line still do not have access to financial services.

According to him, the nation’s landscape is dotted with millions of people who have huge sums tucked under their pillows either because they have no access to financial services or that the process of depositing the

“

The resolve of NDIC to play a key role in promoting financial inclusion is evident in its statutory functions and visions.

money in conventional financial institutions is pretty cumbersome. Many keep their money at home because they do not trust the institutions themselves to keep their money safely.

Citing an example, he said, “A 98-year-old-man died in my village in October 13, 2012.

When the children went to evacuate the body to the mortuary, they found the sum of N200,000 under his mattress.

“Ironically, by turning his mattress into a banking vault, the late old man had all along been robbing the economy of vital sums of money that could have been lent to the deficit arm of the economy for productivity, which could have accelerated the nation’s economic growth”. ”Even educated Nigerians suffer the pains of financial exclusion as they can not access pension schemes despite the fact that the Pension Act of 2004 makes it mandatory for any employer of more than five persons to operate a contributory pension scheme that would serve as fall-back for workers during retirement.

“Thousands of employers in the country deduct a percentage of their workers’ pay monthly, but very few remit the deducted sums to pension fund managers for investment in productive activities in the economy.

“While banks and pension fund managers may be regarded as making considerable efforts at extending their services to as many as possible in the economy, much cannot be said about insurance penetration. It is appallingly low in Nigeria. Yet, this is a vital avenue for not only mopping up idle funds in the economy for investment in its deficit arms for growth, but a reliable source for protecting the financial future of potential policy holders.

“The rates are so repulsive that many prefer to keep their money at home or borrow from local money lenders at 60 per cent,’’ he said.

On his part, the Editor of BusinessDay newspaper, Phillip Isakpa, who spoke on the role of financial literacy in promoting financial inclusion, made reference to the U.S governor accountability office (GAO), and defined financial literacy as “the ability to make informed judgment and to take effective actions regarding the current and future use and management of money.’’

It includes the ability to understand financial choices, plan for the future, spend wisely and manage the “financial

literacy is not an absolute state, it is a continuum of abilities that is subject to variables such as age, family, culture and residence.

According to Isakpa, financial education is tailored to the client’s specific context, helping them to understand how financial instruments, formal, or informal, can address their daily financial concerns, from the vagaries of daily cash flow to risk management. Its powers lies in its potential to be relevant to anyone and everyone, from the person who contemplates moving savings from under the mattress to a community savings group.

Also speaking on conceptual issues in e- banking, agent banking, mobile payment system and financial inclusion, the Assistant Director, Research, Policy and International Relations Department, Rotimi Ogunleye stated that Nigeria has 36 per cent formal payments penetration lagging behind South Africa (95 percent) and Kenya (52 percent).

According to him, Nigeria has a very low credit penetration with only two per cent access to formal products compared to 16 per cent in Tanzania and 32 per cent in South Africa while insurance penetration is as low as one per cent compared to 30 percent in South Africa.

The director also said that pensions are still in its early stages of development at approximately five per cent penetration. Chile’s pensions assets 27 years after implementation account for 44 percent GDP compared to 4 percent in Nigeria after five years.

Talking about branches, he said, commercial branches in Nigeria are predominantly upscale and expensive, the mini branch concept is yet to become widespread growth in Mexico, South Africa and Kenya had been driven by competition in the banking sector rather than by regulation or policy.

What about ATMS? – penetration still relatively low.

Brazil (120.6 per 100,000 adults) South Africa (59.6 per 100,000 adults), Nigeria (11.8 per 100,000 adults) POS-Nigeria (13 per 100,000 adults), Brazil (2,193 per 100,000 adults) South Africa (850 per 100,000 adults)l, Kenya (88 per 100,000 adults). Agents – Kenya (154 per 100,000 adults), Brazil 122 per 100,000 adults), and Nigeria? (Not available!).

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 22

Report of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, Nov 2012 (V) Production 4.2.1. Overview

O

ver the past 10 years, NNPC's record shows that the country produced an average of 842m bbls per year.

An official of Shell in Nigeria told the task force that with adequate investment and good security enforcement by the Nigeria's production could be increased to 1.3b’bbls annually.

Production quantities are used in the determination of Royalties, Taxes, FGN's entitlement etc.

There are various agencies of Government that are charged with the responsibility of monitoring the nation's upstream activities. These include: the DPR, NNPC, NAPIMS, Nigeria Customs Service, Preshipment Inspection Agents, Nigerian Ports Authority, Navy, and the Nigerian Police.

For the purpose of determining Nigeria's entitlement, the Task Force was told by NNPC's Crude Oil Marketing Division that standardised contracts ("templates") are used for each operator depending on the agreement type (JOA, AF, CA, MCA, and PSC). With the aid of these templates, production entitlements of the Federal Republic are determined. This is reviewed at COMD periodically for computation errors and adjustments.

Information provided by the operators on production is accepted as valid and the operators are relied upon for data on cost and production.

Non- operators are not expected /allowed to visit the production

NNPC Headquarters, Abuja location.

4.2.2. Findings 4.2.2.1.

The basis used in determining actual production figures for fiscal purposes Crude oil royalties are determined on the basis of saleable crude at the terminals which is not representative of actual production. Production figures for the purpose of determining crude oil royalties due to the nation's treasury are derived from the metric

reading taken at the terminals by the DPR officials. These measurements are applied in a 'net back' to map throughput back to well heads and fields.

Monthly reconciliations are performed between the DPR officials and Operators to determine the final monthly crude oil production figures which is used in the determination of the final royalties due per field.

4.3.

Domestic Crude Sales

4.3.1. Overview The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) allocates (on behalf of Nigeria) 445,000 barrels of crude oil to NNPC daily, out of the total crude oil production of the country for the purpose of domestic consumption, hence, the term 'Domestic Crude Oil'. The allocation of 445,000 barrels represents the installed capacity of the four (4) local refineries situated at Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna. Liftings for domestic crude are made

Amounts payable, paid and outstanding - Domestic Crude Oil (Source: NNPC)

mainly from the Escravos and Forcados terminals, which produce mainly Bonny Light and Forcados type of crude oil.

The NNPC is required to pay the Federation for this allocation on the basis of quantities lifted in any particular month and at international market prices. A 3-month credit period is granted to NNPC to make the payment to the FGN. In practice, payments for domestic crude oil are made subsequent to the conclusion of the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meetings.

4.3.2. Findings 4.3.2.1.

Remittance of amounts due to the Federation Account relating to Domestic Crude Oil allocation NNPC is responsible for domestic crude oil sales and the Corporation is meant to remit payments in this regard to the Federation Account through the Central Bank of Nigeria. As at 31 December 2011, N843 million was due to the Federation in respect of Domestic Crude Oil allocations (Table 4). The amounts outstanding as at 31 December 2011 represent amounts due for the months of September 2011 to December 2011.

In view of the 90-day credit period, the outstanding amount as at 31 December 2011 was not due for payment. The Task Force however sighted evidence of subsequent payments in 2012.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Unearthing the talents of Nigeria’s orphans, other less privileged and vulnerable children order to be winners next time.

They said the competition has encouraged them to learn new words and their meanings as well as spell them without much difficulty.

The competition which had 45 contestants, 3 each from 8 orphanages and 5 public schools in the FCT between the ages of 6 and 15, took the pupils through 8 rounds of intensive sessions to get the 3 first winners.

According to the founder of KBF, Mrs. Joy Ogiemwonyi, the competition was designed to give the children the chance to display their talent. “Many of the children are talented but need the opportunity to build the talent”, she said.

On why the foundation targets orphans and other vulnerable children, she said, it was to enable them to “develop holistically, using available resources to boost their potentials.”

Joy explained that in previous years, the foundation was organising the competition for only orphans and other vulnerable children but now decided to include 5 public schools in the FCT to expand the competition’s scope.

She said the foundation also runs children empowerment and public school support programmes such as distribution of reading and learning materials to encourage children and to

Orphans, less privileged and other vulnerable children from orphanages and public schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, were recently given the chance to showcase their inherent talent at an annual spelling competition, organised by Kings Benefit Foundation, in Abuja. Maryam Garba Hassan was there.

F

or every society to develop, the future of its children must be secure and their hope of becoming good citizens of the country kept burning. This is what Kings Benefit Foundation has been doing – putting smiles on the faces of orphans and other less privileged children.

Recently, KBF, founded by a woman, Mrs. Joy Ogiemwonyi, who has a passion for the less privileged in the society, organised its annual Spelling Bee Competition for orphans, vulnerable and less privileged children from 8 orphanages and 5 public schools within the FCT to give them the chance to display their intellectual talent.

The competition which became an annual activity of the 12-year-old foundation which first started in Lagos and later was moved to Benue, FCT and recently, Nasarawa state, made the participants feel a sense of belonging. Ever since, the competition has brought smiles on the faces of young promising children.

In the beginning, the words the participants were asked to spell which many thought was too advanced for the children who attend public schools because of the notion Nigerians hold that public schools offer low quality education, was however changed when the contestants displayed high level of intelligence, as demonstrated by their wide ranging vocabulary at such tender ages.

Many parents and other spectators left the venue thinking aloud: “So there are some government owned schools in the country that offer quality education.

12year old orphan, Rebecca Peter of Talitha Cumi Orphanage Home, Nyanya, in Abuja, who emerged as the winner of this year’s Spelling Bee Competition, went home with a cash prize of N150, 000,

Participants during the Spelling Bee Competition a gold medal, a desktop computer and a trophy.

Rabecca told Peoples Daily that though she was not fully prepared for the competition as she was writing her first term examination, she knew that she was going to make it because her family in the orphanage had made it a daily routine for her to read ahead of her class and learn new words.

According to her, she would use part of the money to pay her school fee and let fellow orphans enjoy a bit of her winning money. “My winning today has made me feel like any normal child who has parents and live with them. I know one day I will make my country and KBF

proud because they have given me the hope and chance to identify a talent I never knew existed”, she said.

Second runner-up, Esther of FCT Unity Orphanage, went home with a cash prize of N75, 000 and a desktop while the 3rd position goes to Pelumi of Express Children’s Home, who went away with a cash prize of N50,000 and a desktop.

Some of the contestants, who lost out in the competition, thanked the KBF for giving them recognition and giving them the change to discover where their talent lay. They expressed disappointment, however, for not winning anything but promised to work harder in

L-R: Wife of the Deputy Senate President, Nwanneka Ekweremadu, former Minister of Information, Professor Dora Akunyili, Founder, Kings Benefit Foundation (BKF), Mrs. Joy Ogiemwonyi and her husband, Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi.

Photos: Justin Imo-Owo.

L-R: Founder, Kings Benefit Foundation (BKF), Mrs. Joy Ogiemwonyi with her husband, Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi, signing a dummy checque for the first position winner, during the foundation's Annual Spelling Bee Competition for orphanages and public schools children, recently in Abuja.

“

For every society to develop, the future of its children must be secure and their hope of becoming good citizens of the country kept burning. This is what Kings Benefit Foundation has been doing – putting smiles on the faces of orphans and other less privileged children Winners of the competition displaying their dummy Checques and desk top computers.

compliment government’s ‘back to book campaign’.

In a keynote address, former Minister of Information, Professor Dora Akunyili, who commended the founder’s initiative, enjoined wellmeaning Nigerians to emulate the initiator of the programme and pleaded with her to extend the gesture to other states.

Akunyili further said that

the ‘spelling bee’ competition which is the latest social activity in the foundation’s many social activities, “is not only extraordinary but special as it gives the less privileged children, often forgotten in the society, hope”, adding that it was not just a competition to win prizes but a way of encouraging children to work harder and fight corruption.

She said the competition has left an effect on the minds of the winners to strive hard and remain on top and inspire others as well as play a role in moulding the character of children.

The event was attended by the wife of Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Mrs. Nneneka Ekweremadu, who is the Chairperson, Board of

Trustees of KBF, Nollywood actress Stella Damascus, Francis Duru, Desmond Elliot and producer Lancelot Iduwa among other dignitaries.

The highlight of ceremony was the display of fireworks at the end of the competition when the winners were announced and other children went onto the stage to celebrate with them.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 26

Damachi calls on institute to cooperate with military on research

By Joy Baba

T

he permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Prof Nicholas Damachi has called on National Institute of Industrial Engineers (NIIE) to join hands with the ministry and National Defence College, (NDC) on how to promote research in the military since the military conducts a lot of research in looking into the state of the society.

Damachi stated this when the president of the institute and members of the board paid him a courtesy call in his office yesterday.

He further said Industrial Engineers is a critical profession that plays a vital role in the present government transformation agenda, job creation and development of the

country.

Earlier in his speech, president of NIIE, Dr. Sociis Okolie said the institute was paying courtesy call on Damachi identify with him on the conferment of Dr Kwame Nkrumah African Distinguished Public Service Awards 2012 on him, to appreciate his numerous support and assistance to the development of industrial engineering profession in Nigeria and to solicit for more assistance and cooperation between the institute and Defence Ministry.

Okolie also congratulated Damachi on his recently published book, ‘Splashed Theory on Wealth Distribution and Creation’ which according to him is a creative application of industrial engineering modeling for solving unemployment which is a national problem

CNS charges officers on loyalty and commitment

By Joy Baba

T

he Chief of Naval Staff, (CNS) Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, has charged officers and ratings of the Navy to loyal and totally committed to the nation urging them not to fail in their service to humanity.

The CNS stated this after decorating some newly promoted Commodores (one star generals), Navy Captains and Commanders in Abuja.

The Naval Chief said that their promotion was a reward for hard work and selfless service to their fatherland urging them to tow the path of honour and righteousness in all their dealings He said, “Your promotion attracts higher responsibility, service, total commitment and loyalty to the nation and to the service and you must not fail”.

Ezeoba pointed out that promotion comes from God, and as such they should be mindful of their actions as the nation is watching them.

He regretted that some people, once God gives them the rank, they no longer know themselves, adding that on their own path as a service they have the onerous task to guide them.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Prof. Nicholas Damachi, President, Nigerian Institute of Industrial Engineers (NIIE), Dr. Sociis Okolie, Emeritus Prof. Augustine Esogbue at the ministry of Defence when officials of NIIE paid a courtesy call to the ministry.

Defence headquarters decry fake CDS facebook account

By Joy Baba

T

he Defence Headquarters has raised alarm over a fake account on a popular social network, facebook, being operated in the name of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Admiral Ola Ibrahim by some cyber criminals with his official picture.

This was contained in a statement issued over the

Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim

TRADOC Commander loses dad From Iliya Garba, Minna

T

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba

he Commander Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Nigerian Army, Minna Major-General Joseph Okunbor has lost his father, Pa Samuel Okunbor.

Late Pa Samuel Okunbor, aged 100, died after a brief illness.

A statement signed by the Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Col. Jude Texas

Chukwu said Pa Samuel Okunbor who was born in the ancient Benin, Edo state in 1912 also died in Benin.

The statement made available to our correspondent in Minna over the weekend said Pa Samuel left behind to mourn him 11 children, among them is the TRADOC Commander, MajorGeneral Joseph Okunbor.

Burial arrangements, the statement said would be announced later by the family.

weekend by the Director of Defence Information (DDI) Col Mohammed Yerima.

According to the statement, ‘The attention of Defence Headquarters has been drawn to the existence of a fake Facebook account of the Chief of Defence Staff, created by some cyber criminals in the popular social network. The Facebook account with the name “Chief of Defence Staff “has the official picture of the CDS Admiral OS Ibrahim.

Yerima further notifies members of the of the public that the CDS or Defence Headquarters does not operate any Facebook account or page and warns that any person who transacts any business or makes any comment in the said fake Facebook account does so at his or her own risk.

‘The Defence Headquarters views this as a criminal act and effort is being made to trace and bring the perpetrators to book’ the statement added.

Yuguda commended Nigerian Army for role in international peace keeping B From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi auchi state Governor, Isa Yuguda has commended the efforts of Nigeria Army for its role in international peace keeping missions and reiterated his regime’s commitment in assisting with social infrastructures.

Yuguda made the commendation at the West African Social Activities (WASA), a Nigerian Army

yearly social event, held at 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi.

The Governor also thanked the Army for remaining apolitical and hoped the trend will continue so as to fast-track the development of Nigeria’s nascent democracy.

Yuguda Represented by Abdon Dalla Gin JP, hailed the peaceful and cordial relationship between the people of the state and Army formations in the state,

saying ‘’the excellent relationship has led to the Army partnering with other security agencies to provide security for our in the state’’ The Governor though, lamented the loss of some soldiers in the cause of keeping peace and providing security in the state, prayed for those injured and commiserated with their families.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Brigade

Commander, 33 Artillery Battalion, Brig-Gen. Ogundana Ebenezer Ige, traced the history of WASA which he noted has fostered unity within the barracks and the host community.

Since then, WASA had been incorporated into the Army on demand by Nigerians who use the occasion to participate and showcase their various cultural and traditional festivals and to promote oneNigerians.

Today, the event is celebrated by officers, soldiers, their families and friends as a period for social interaction in which Military protocols are relaxed and inter personal relations are fostered irrespective of ethnic belonging or rank.

He regretted that ‘’the Brigade has had hard time as some soldiers have paid the supreme prize for the maintenance of peace, security, law and order in the state’’.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 27

Akpabio urges Nigerians to fight and protect democracy Stories by Joy Baba

T

he Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio has said Democracy can only thrive where every citizen of the nation is prepared to fight and protect it adding that it can also thrive if those involved in national security see its defence as a national security imperative and a means of realising a nation’s aspiration.

Akpabio stated this at the National Defence College Abuja while delivering a lecture titled Democracy and the rule of law: Challenges and prospects to participant of Course 21 of the college.

He said the sense of duty in a democratic government can be anchored on the following ·Power should belong to the people and government while Government should hold power in trust for the people. People he said should have the right to critisise their leaders constructively, elections be held at intervals as prescribed by the law and prospect of being voted out of office to ensure accountability and responsibility on the part of the government. ·Voting in elections should be a civic duty for all citizens of eligible age.

Apart from voting in election to determine who

rules them, citizens should have the right to come together and from parties, nong o v e r n m e n t a l organizations and pressure group to agitate for shared ideologies. · Rights must be defined and citizens must exercise their rights in a peaceful manner within the ambits of the law with respects to the rights of others.] · In democracy, the law rules not individual. All citizens are equal before the law and no one should be discriminated against on the basis of gender, race or ethnic group.

One of the major challenges of democracy Akpabio further noted is insecurity. Democracy and the rule of law he said are designed to safeguard the fundamental rights of all citizens but these rights perpetually under threat because there are no perfect systems and criminal elements exist in every society.

He noted that insecurity has become the most worrisome issue in Nigeria with citizens subjected to spate of bombings by insurgents whose ideologies are unclear. Many he said have attributed the insurgency to poverty but the evidence on ground contradicts this position as poor people cannot afford Sport Utility Vehicle for suicide bombing or the materials used for bombs.

Corruption is another challenge Nigerian Democracy has faced over the years Akpabio hinted. He urged Nigerians to join hands in fighting corruption as it undermines the legitimacy of government, weakens structures, adversely affects productivity, stifles development, increases poverty, causes social unrest and destroys public faith in the system.

Unemployment also affects Democracy adversely in Nigeria Apabio also added. He said unemployment is the result of increase in demand rates when the economy operates below its growth rate and potential output.

According to him, “When a system is incapable of creating a conducive environment for the expression of our talents, then democracy and rule of law face possible perils that may hamper their full realisations.

Poor infrastructure and illiteracy are other factors that affect thrive of democracy in Nigeria Akpabio said.

Infrastructure he said is the bedrock of any economy noting that any society with a poor infrastructure has dimmed economic prospect.

No society can rise above itself he further said adding that every society is determined by

legion on its humanitarian day’s activities which consisted of various social service works such as visit and support to widows of fallen heroes and their dependants, clearing of streets, refuse disposal and traffic control.

In his response, Col Micah Gaya (rtd) said the National Council meeting

will form part of the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) noting that Legion Humanitarian Day has also been introduced as part of the activities to mark AFRD. Gaya further appealed to all Service Chiefs to help the Legion with few slots during their recruitment exercise

its level of awareness which is intrinsically linked to its level of illiteracy.

Illiteracy Gov Akpabio said is a danger in every

sense to democracy and rule of law as an illiterate person neither seeks an accountable government nor insists on the assertion of his or her

rights.

If all the above issues are well addressed, democracy will truly thrive in Nigeria, he added.

L-R: Former Naval Capt. Baba Lawal (m) being decorated with his rank of a Commodore by Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba (r) and his son.

FG to pay pensioners outstanding arrears

T

he Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olushola Obabda has said Federal Government is making all effort to ensure that pensioners are paid all their outstanding arrears.

The minister stated this at the National Council meeting of the Nigerian Legion held recently in Abuja.

Obada commended the

“Army making effort to combat terrorism”

A

cting commander of the Infantry Corps Center (ICC), Maj. General Kenneth Osuji has said that the Nigerian Army is making frantic effort to combat terrorism or bring it to its barest minimum.

This was contained in

a statement signed by the Army Public Relations Officer, ICC Nigerian Army, Jaji Kaduna, Major Emmanuel Adeniyi.

According to osuji in the statement “You are all witnesses to the recent unfortunate event in the

cantonment, so there is a need to keep a step ahead of would be dissidents in order to effectively anticipate and counter their actions”, he said.

Osuji urged grandaunts of the training programme at the center to be encouraged by the fact that the Nigerian Army is taking necessary steps to provide appropriate training logistics to its formations and units.

L-R: Brigadier- Gen. Salihu Ubah making presenting to a widow during the Nigerian Legion Humanitarian Day in Abuja, recently.

Members of Nigerian Legion clearing the street during their Humanitarian Day.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

T

o improve the productivity of cassava — a rough and ready root crop that has long been the foundation of food security in Africa — and plant breeding in sub-Saharan Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom have awarded Cornell $25.2 million to host a fiveyear research project.

Cornell will coordinate work with the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) in Uganda, National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) in Nigeria, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) on the Cornell campus, and the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

Cassava, a tough woody plant, is predicted to be one of the few crops that will benefit from climate change.

Cassava roots are processed and eaten by 500 million people a day in Africa.

“Partners on the Next Generation Cassava Breeding project will use a state-of-the-art plant breeding approach, known as genomic selection, to improve cassava productivity for the 21st century,” said Ronnie Coffman, Cornell professor of plant breeding and genetics, director of International Programs and the grant’s principal investigator.

Typically, it takes researchers almost a decade to develop a new cassava variety. Genomic selection can shorten breeding cycles, provide more accurate evaluation at the seedling stage and give plant breeders the ability to evaluate a much larger number of clones without the need to plant them in the target environment.

Using genomic selection, new releases of cassava could be ready in as little as six years.

“Increased support for strengthening the research capacity in Africa and harnessing novel technologies are critical to improving overall agricultural productivity and

PAGE 29

New $25 million grant will improve cassava breeding

Farmers displaying high yield cassava food security for poor people,” said Yona Baguma, project coordinator for NaCRRI, who aims to unlock the potential of cassava in Africa and mobilize a new generation of cassava growers.

“The Next Generation Cassava Breeding project provides a great opportunity for us to harness the power of modern science for faster delivery of best-bet cassava varieties for smallholder farmers,” said

Chiedozie Egesi, assistant director at NRCRI and head of cassava breeding, who works to biofortify cassava with micronutrients to make it more nutritious. “[The project] will give breeders in Africa access to the most advanced plant breeding technologies to deliver improved varieties to farmers more rapidly,” said Peter Kulakow, cassava breeder and geneticist with IITA. “This project will ensure that cassava

genetic research is on a par with other top food crops such as wheat, rice, maize and potato.”

Africa’s small farmers produce more than half of the world’s cassava, about 86 million tons from over 10 million hectares. The tough woody plant is predicted to be one of the few crops that will benefit from climate change. It requires few inputs and can withstand drought, marginal soils and long-term

underground storage. Cassava is a cash crop as well as a subsistence crop, and the storage roots of this perennial shrub are processed, consumed freshly boiled or raw and eaten by people as well as animals as a low-cost source of carbohydrates. No other continent depends on cassava to feed as many people as does Africa, where 500 million people consume it daily.

(Nanowerk News)

institutions. It is sad that this global phenomenon of devastating floods has come to Nigeria at this time. I want to reassure all Nigerians that the Federal Government is prepared to do everything possible to mitigate the impact of this natural disaster.”

The flood has also generated analyses and comments, some of them geared toward finding immediate solutions for the predicament of those displaced by the uncontrolled flowing water. The Federal Government is leading and collaborating with other tiers of government and Non Governmental Organizations in taking significant actions designed to mitigate the pains caused by the flood. This is expected as the welfare of the citizens is the primary duty of governments everywhere.

It took many steps to ameliorate the pitiable situation of the people affected by the flood. First, it is well known that it was a federal government-funded agency, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) that alerted the nation of the probability of flooding in the

country. Through its wellpublicised alert and very strong warnings, the Federal Government put all Nigerians, regardless of their location, on the watch out and advised them on the necessity for everyone to take protective measures against the predicted uncontrolled flow of water, in some cases specifying the states and locations that would be hard hit.

The same Agency has also warned that there was a likelihood of violent winds in the forthcoming dry season which will uproot trees, destroy homes and possibly cause bush fires. This is fallout of climate change, or global warming. Timely warnings, such the ones cited here are of great value in such matters.

In addition to that, right from the initial stages of the manifestation of flooding caused by the release of water in a vulnerable dam in the neighboring Republic of Cameroon, the National Emergency Management Agency was proactively up and doing, evacuating likely victims from their abodes and subsequently catered for those who were displaced. The

President emphasized this fact in his October 9, 2012 broadcast to the nation thus: “The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has so far spent N1.314 billion to provide immediate relief materials. The Ministry of Works has spent N556 million on the repair of collapsed bridges and the construction of bye-passes; while the Ministry of Environment has spent N95 million on sundry relief measures.”

In that national broadcast, the President commiserated with families who lost loved ones as a result of the flood, expressed sincere sympathy to those who suffered material losses and announced financial support amounting to N13.3 billion to state governments affected by the disaster to provide immediate succor to the victims, from a package of a total sum of N17.6 billion These actions represent clear demonstration of concern for the welfare of the citizens.

It should be borne in mind that the President has earlier set up a Presidential Technical Committee

to assess the impact of the flood and advice the government on holistic measures to tackle and mitigate the pains it caused.

“The Technical Committee will continue to go round the country while the Vice President and I will also visit some of the affected communities. When we receive the Committee’s final Report, the Federal Government will further initiate medium and long-term measures to check future flood disasters,” the President assured in the broadcast. Within a few days, he inaugurated the Aliko Dangote-led Flood Relief Committee, which raised an appeal fund for those affected by the floods. The sum of N10, 000,000,000.00 was raised at its launch at the State House Banquet Hall. More money is trickling in. The President also released the sum of N9.7 billion to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to finance several activities to ensure that the victims and the larger Nigerian society does not suffer food crisis and farmers affected return to their normal activities.

Not all floods cause food crisis

By Salisu Na’inna Dambatta

I

t is true that Nigeria suffered a devastating flood that wrecked houses, damaged roads, destroyed farms, caused loss of precious lives and brought sadness to many. Data from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) indicate that the flood has displaced over two million people from their homes, many built on ancient waterways in drier years.

It is relevant at this stage to refer the reader to a national broadcast on the flood disaster by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to refresh memories. In the broadcast the President said: “Over the past few weeks, unprecedented floods have ravaged many parts of our country, rendering tens of thousands of fellow Nigerians homeless, and causing massive destruction of property, farmlands, and infrastructure across the country. I wish to express our deep commiseration with all those who have lost loved ones; those who have lost their property; as well as all the affected communities and

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 28

Borno plans new fertiliser distribution system in 2013

C

ommissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Borno State, Alhaji Usman Zannah, has said that the state government plans to introduce a new fertiliser distribution system in 2013.

Zannah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the system was aimed at addressing the problems associated with distribution of the commodity.

“We are planning to unfold a new policy on the distribution of fertilisers, especially those at the grass roots level. The idea is to tackle the numerous problems associated with the fertiliser distribution, particularly this year,” he said.

Zannah said that the government was disappointed with the numerous leakages associated with the distribution system in the past.

“We discovered many leakages associated with the system, particularly at the local government level where the commodity is needed most.

“So what we are trying to do is to re-design the system so that we can block those leakages,” the commissioner said.

According to him, only 60 per cent of the 10,000 tonnes of the fertiliser bought this year was distributed.

“We were unhappy with the large scale diversion of the commodity at the just concluded cropping season.

We only distributed 60 per cent of the fertiliser when we realised the problem,” he said.

Zannah added that the 40 per cent of the fertiliser would be distributed to dry season farmers in 2013, pending when a new distribution formula will be worked out.

He said government also planned to create commodity markets in the state to avoid wastages, adding that, “we are trying to source for markets either in Nigeria or outside for our farmers to sell their produce.

“Last year, our farmers produced large quantities of onions but could not dispose them easily,” Zannah said.

He said that the government intervened by buying the excess onions of up to N200 million, but that the problem persisted.

“The state government released N200 million to buy the excess onions. But the onions rotted away due to lack of market and storage facilities,” Zannah said.

He said government was also looking at possibilities of securing storage facilities to assist farmers and prevent similar losses in future.

(NAN)

Governor Kashim Shettima

FG distributes 1,500 metric tones of grains to farmers in Adamawa

By Mohammed Kandi

F

ollowing the recent flood disaster that destroyed vast farmland in Adamawa State, the Federal Government has released 1, 500 tonnes of assorted grains as part of relief and rehabilitation assistance to affected farmers.

The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Walia Hamma, disclosed in a statement yesterday that the relief materials were handed

over to officials of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA).

His words: “Federal government has donated 1,500 metric tonnes of sorghum and millet to Adamawa to be distributed to farmers and other persons who were devastated by the recent floods in the state.”

Hamma informed that investigations reaching his office on a satellite imagery showed that more than 10. 3 per cent of the arable land in the state was devastated by the floods especially in seven local

government areas.

According to him, the most affected areas included Fufore, Girei, Yola South, Yola North, Demsa, Numan and Lamurde local government areas.

Hamma noted that from the extent of the damage caused by the floods, Adamawa was grouped in category a state, which also included Benue, Kogi and Delta states, adding that the federal government had initially released N500 million to each of the most affected states.

“Subsequently, government

through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture released N9.7 billion as assistance to the affected farmers.

The first assistance was the distribution of grains to them which we are today witnessing,” he said.

The Director also said the second phase of the assistance to the farmers would be the provision of fertilisers and improved seedlings to enhance their productivity.

He commended ADSEMA for its services to the people and the release of correct data of the affected persons to the federal government.

Farmers group that benefited from the recent Gross Enhancement Support Scheme in Calabar, C/River State.

FG commissions One-StopShop Agro-Input centre in Niger

By Mohammed Kandi

A

s part of an effort to boost the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijjani, has commissioned the first OneStop-Shop agro-input centre in Niger State to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of agricultural inputs for small- scale farmers.

Tijjani, who disclosed this at the commissioning of the centre in Wushishi Local Government Area in Niger State, said the center would serve as access point where farmer could easily access inputs such as “fertiliser, agro-chemical, quality seeds, livestock feed, veterinary drugs, tractor hire and extension services”.

According to him, the Federal

Government was determined to making food available, affordable and accessible to Nigerians, stressing that the ministry was mindful of the impediments of inaccessibility of quality agricultural inputs.

“This impediment informed the decision of the ministry to propose the establishment of these centres in each local government’s area of the country by 2015. The centres are part of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) in the Agro-input sub-sector, to strengthen food security programme of the federal government,” he explained.

He also said that the centres are aimed at providing market information services; promote private sector investment in viable commercial agriculture and enhance food security, adding that “the centres will also enhance the

activities of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) programme.”

The minister noted that the projects, when completed, would be concessional to private sector operators through approved procedures.

He recalled that the first phase of 62 one-stop-shops was awarded in October 2010, while the second phase of 18 was awarded in December 2011.

Earlier in his remarks, Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger lauded the Federal Government’s efforts, saying the initiative was aimed at providing immediate high quality farm inputs to farmers.

Represented by his Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Daniel Shashere, he stressed that the centres would complement the ongoing Gross Enhancement

Support scheme by catering for additional farm input requirement.

The governor informed that the state government had put in place strategies for the rehabilitation of irrigation pumps to flood victims in the state.

Also speaking, Alhaji Muhammed Abdullahi, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, assured that the ministry would support the centre with two new tractors with implements. Abdullahi, who hinted that the ministry was also working on identifying 1,000 farmers that would cultivate 2,000 hectares for rice production under the proposed 2012 dryseason farming, added that efforts are on to register about 1,000 farmers in the rice belt of the state with the view of forming them into clusters.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Race to reach the Millennium Development Goals: The journey so far in Yobe state

BY Mustafa Mallum

I

n our increasingly complex and interlinked world, events in one part of the world quickly reverberate to the other parts of the world- in ways that were previously unimaginable. In more ways than one, the tragedy of one is now the tragedy of all. That's the reality of our increasingly shrinking, interconnected world, made even more so by the greater ease of the movement of human populations across boundaries. Extreme poverty, conflict or other catastrophes in the Third World can, and does, lead to population expansion in the developed world through asylum, legal and illegal migration, etc. So, in a way, we are all in this together.

That's why the developed parts of the world, including supranational organizations that are headquartered in the West, have agreed to establish linkages with the less well-off parts of the world toaddress hunger, keep preventable diseases at bay, secure the environment, provide primary education for all, increase access to maternal care, halt child mortality, empower our womenfolk, and engender worldwide cooperation for development. That way, people can find comfort in their homes and not be forced to migrate to distant climes in search of opportunities.

These sublime ideals, which the world hopes to actualize by 2015, are called the Millennium Development Goals.

They were adopted in the year 2000, in what is called the United Nations Millennium Declaration, by the 193 member states of the United Nations, with the support of at least 23 international organizations.As a part of this declaration, governments of developing countries made a commitment to provide matching funds for every dollar the developed countries of the world provide toward achieving these goals. So, in essence, the Millennium Development Goals are a partnership founded on shared aspirations for a better world for all.

Many countries have recorded varying degrees of success in reaching these goals. Where does Nigeria stand?

Well, the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have said that Nigeria, as a whole, is making appreciable progress toward the MDGs, although it could do more. However, the generally positive national progress in meeting the MDGs isn't uniformly spread when we take a

Yobe State Governor

IBRAHIM GAIDAM deeper, closer look at the performance of individual states that constitute Nigeria. While some states are in the top league, others lag behind.

Yobe State, according to many independent assessments, has emerged as one of Nigeria's top-performing states in actualizing the Millennium Development Goals, thanks largely to the commitment and doggedness of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam. For instance, a recent Public Financial Management Performance Assessment Report for Yobe State on the eight Millennium Development Goals shows that the state is ahead of the pack on many fronts. There has been a dramatic improvement in the state's previously dismal record in poverty eradication, child mortality, maternal care, and environmental sustainability.It is easy to find out why and how this has happened.

“

Yobe State, according to many independent assessments, has emerged as one of Nigeria's top-performing states in actualizing the Millennium Development Goals, thanks largely to the commitment and doggedness of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam. For instance, a recent Public Financial Management Performance Assessment Report for Yobe State on the eight Millennium Development Goals shows that the state is ahead of the pack on many fronts. There has been a dramatic improvement in the state's previously dismal record in poverty eradication, child mortality, maternal care, and environmental sustainability.It is easy to find out why and how this has happened.

So far, the Yobe State government under the leadership of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has committed N3.1 billion in counterpart funding toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals by end of 2012. This, of course, includes contributions from the state's local governments. Most of these funds have been invested in the critical areas of maternal and child health care, water and sanitation, and poverty reduction through youth empowerment.

All local government areas of Yobe State, including remote, rural communities, have benefitted from the construction and equipping of clinics for maternal and child care. The provision of hospital beds, incubators, free drugs, and well-trained personnel in many of the state's clinics has resulted in a drastic reduction in infant mortality and a dramatic improvement in maternal care. In the past three years, as a result of these interventions, Yobe State graduated from being at the bottom of the totem pole in child and maternal care to being one of the states with the most improvement in this critical area.

According to an ABGN documentary titled "Eye on MDG - CGS In Yobe State North East Nigeria," scores of women in Yobe State have been saved from preventable deaths, and several children from untimely deaths, as a result of what is called the Conditional Grand Scheme (CGS), a partnership between state governments and MDG offices that helped upgrade public hospitals.Many women underwent complex, expensive surgeries for as low as N5, 000 at the most and for free in some cases under this scheme.

According to the independent documentary, which can be found on YouTube, scores of women who had feared going to hospitals for antenatal care because of the exorbitant cost of medical care now go to hospitals in Yobebecause not only is antenatal care free, delivery and drugs are also free, according to Hajia Yagana Musa, a community health officer who spoke to ABGN in the documentary. That is why the greatest impact of the MDG initiative in Yobe has been in healthcare.

The Yobe State MDGs office has also built several boreholes and hand pumps for communities all across the state in its bid to help alleviate extreme poverty and empower the state's womenfolk.

Similarly, because young people constitute the fulcrum around which the future of the society resolves, the Yobe State MDGs office alsoextended its poverty eradication fight to that segment of the population. It has so far trained over 300 youth in acquiring various kinds of vocational skills.

The state didn't merely train the youths and left them to their devices; it is also currently working to equip the youths so trained with the capital and tools they need to start their own businesses. And this is a continuing initiative.Given the population of the state, 300 may seem a little too few, but when it is realized that this effort complements the state government's independent and well-acclaimed youth empowerment schemes, the contribution of the project will be appreciated.

Mass housing is another central locus in the march towards meeting the UN's Millennium Development Goals. To this end, the Yobe State government, at an state executive council meeting last year, approved the release of N1.6 billion for the construction of 300 additional housing units under the state government's Owner Occupier Housing Programme (OOHP).Reports now indicate that the construction of these houses has already been completed. This is in addition to the 1,000 housing units that the Gaidam administration had built earlier.

Beneficiaries of this mass housing scheme, who range from the state's civil servants to ordinary residents of the state, occupy and own the houses at 65 per cent subsidy. According to government documents, if, for instance, it cost the government N5 million to build a three-bedroom apartment, Yobe State indigenes who benefit from the state's mass housing scheme will only be required to pay about N1.75 million, which represents a 65 per cent discount on the house. That is a really generous offer that is sure to bring smiles on the faces of several families in the state.

As the 2015 deadline draws closer, it's obvious that there is still much left to be accomplished to meet the UN's ambitious but laudable Millennium Development Goals, but it is reassuring that one state has taken this allimportant global initiative with a seriousness and commitment that is at once inspiring, admirable, and praiseworthy.

Mallum is a Development Specialist and writes this piece from Damboa Road, Maiduguri.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 31

Africa: the next economic tiger?

ANALYSIS

By Chrystia Freeland

I

f you are looking for some good cheer in a pretty gloomy world, consider the growing consensus among some of the world's smartest money that the next big emerging market may be Africa.

Above all, that is great news for Africans: As we have seen across so much of Asia, economic growth has accomplished what decades of well-meaning development efforts failed to do, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. If that happens in Africa, the world will be transformed.

This case for Africa as the world's new economic tiger is made forcefully in "The Fastest Billion: The Story Behind Africa's Economic Revolution," a data-packed collection of essays to be published at the end of this month and brought together under the aegis of Renaissance Capital, an investment firm with Russian roots and global ambitions.

The consensus view among many students of the global economy is that investment decisions are about choosing, in the words of Mohamed A. ElErian, chief executive of the fund manager Pimco, "the cleanest dirty shirt": The United States faces a fiscal cliff and political gridlock, Europe is tenuously poised between years of painfully slow growth and outright collapse, and even go-go China is slowing.

By contrast, in the view of Stephen Jennings, the Renaissance chief executive, Africa is on a tear. "It is the only region in the world where growth is accelerating," he said by phone from Moscow. "If you strip out South Africa, the rest of the region is actually growing very, very quickly."

Jennings says he believes Africa is following the path to economic development that has been trod in recent decades by countries like Brazil, China and India - only in Africa the transformation is happening even faster.

"The chances are this will be like Asia and this will go on for the next 30 years," Jennings said. "It is helpful to remember where Asia was in the early 1970s. Then, most of the wars were in Asia, the lowest GDP and life expectancy were in Asia. People thought that was Asia's lot."

We hold those same prejudices, only more deeply, when it comes to Africa, Jennings argued.

But, quietly, Africa has been remaking itself.

"It is not something that we are predicting - it is something that is happening," he said. "You have this very broad-based, Asia-like process of modernization."

President Jacob Zuma

Hu Jintao

Stephen Jennings, the Renaissance chief executive Jennings, who pointed out that Kenya had halved infant mortality in five years, an improvement it took India 25

years to achieve, predicts that within a generation, Africa's place in the world will be utterly changed. By 2050, he

“

believes Nigeria will be the most populous country in the world and the African economy will be bigger than that of the United States and Europe combined.

Jennings is not alone in predicting an African renaissance. Two years ago, McKinsey, the management consulting firm, put a savanna spin on the emerging market cliche in a report titled, "Lions on the move: The progress and potential of African economies."

Foreshadowing "The Fastest Billion," this report painted a picture of an Africa whose economic pulse "has quickened," with gross domestic product rising 4.9 percent per year from 2000 to 2008.

"While Africa's increased economic momentum is widely recognized, less known are its sources and likely staying power," the McKinsey study argued. "Our analysis suggests that Africa's long-term economic prospects are quite strong. Global businesses cannot afford to ignore the potential."

An obvious source of Africa's new might is the surge in commodity prices, and both reports acknowledge the impact of natural resources.

But they also have a shared conviction that domestic factors are at play. The predictable one is improved governance.

Less predictable is the joint celebration of Africa's excellent demographics. Not so long ago, Africa's tragedy

That is the view that in Africa, economic growth and democracy will go together. Their synonymity is a comfortable belief. But in Africa, as in other emerging markets like China, Russia and even Turkey, it may not be true.

was its children - now that is why the global elite think Africa may be a strong bet.

This is just the beginning of a revolution in our thinking about babies and the economy: The Industrial Revolution transformed children from a family's labor force to its luxury good. That is still the case; but for the national economy, babies are becoming the most precious resource of all.

Both McKinsey and Renaissance have produced hopeful documents, and for a continent that mostly gets hand-wringingly gloomy news coverage, that is a very welcome perspective. But it is worth challenging one optimistic assumption, particularly because of its wider implications.

That is the view that in Africa, economic growth and democracy will go together.

Their synonymity is a comfortable belief. But in Africa, as in other emerging markets like China, Russia and even Turkey, it may not be true.

For example, Mohamed Keita, Africa advocacy director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, argues that in countries that are cracking down on freedom of the press, like Ethiopia, economic growth deflects attention from growing authoritarianism rather than undermining it.

This is the Putin model, or the Beijing model - forget about ephemeral concepts like free speech and pluralism in exchange for a swiftly increasing GDP. It is not just impoverished domestic electorates that are tempted by this siren song. Western investors and many Western governments find it equally convincing. But the emerging market lions - and the tigers and the Siberian bears - should ask themselves how long authoritarian growth can be sustained.

Source: reuters.com

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Morsi gives army arrest powers before vote AU to broker troop withdrawal from Sudan, South Sudan border

S

udan and South Sudan have asked the African Union to help hammer out details of a proposed withdrawal of troops from their disputed border, defense ministers from both countries said on Monday, as stalled talks continued to delay oil exports.

Week-long negotiations in Khartoum failed to reach an agreement on how to withdraw their armies, a step both sides had said was necessary to resume oil exports from landlocked South Sudan through Sudan.

"We will meet in Addis Ababa on the 15th to continue our meeting and dialogue on how to implement the cooperation deals signed by Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa," Sudan's defense minister, Abdel Raheem Mohammed Hussein, told reporters.

His southern counterpart, John Kong Nyuon, said some "issues" remained unresolved. The talks in the Ethiopian capital will be brokered by AU mediator Thabo Mbeki.

In September, the former civil war foes agreed to end hostilities and restart oil exports after coming close to war in April, the worst violence since South Sudan seceded from Sudan last year after decades of civil war.

South Sudan's top negotiator Pagan Amum had raised hopes for the Khartoum talks by saying oil exports could restart this month.

But Juba has delayed turning on oil wells, originally scheduled for November 15.

South Sudan, which inherited three-quarters of oil production when it broke away, shut down its output of 350,000 barrels a day in January after tensions over pipeline fees escalated.

Sudan's Defence Minister Abdel Raheem Mohammed Hussein

E

gyptian President Mohammed Morsi has ordered the military to maintain security and protect state institutions in the run-up to a controversial referendum on a new constitution.

Mr Morsi has tried to calm public anger by annulling a decree giving him huge powers, but rejected a call to scrap the 15 December constitutional vote.

Opposition leaders called for protests on Tuesday against the referendum.

The opposition was "not aiming at toppling the president" but wanted a better constitution, former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told the BBC. Islamist groups have said they will hold counter demonstrations, raising fears of further bloody clashes on the streets of the Egyptian capital.

In another apparent concession, the president suspended a big tax increase on the sale of a variety of goods including soft drinks, cigarettes and beer.

The decision was carried in a statement that appeared on Mr Morsi's Facebook page in the early hours of Monday, stateowned al-Ahram newspaper reported.

As tension increased before Saturday's referendum, Mr Morsi ordered the military to maintain security "up to the announcement of the results from the referendum", AFP news agency reports.

Jon Leyne in Cairo says the step will raise fears that Egypt is moving back towards military rule.

Under the new presidential decree, the military is asked to

Military presence has been established on strategic routes in Cairo co-ordinate with the police on maintaining security and is also entitled to arrest civilians.

The police have been seen as weakened since the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak and failed to intervene when antiMuslim Brotherhood protesters ransacked the Islamist movement's Cairo headquarters last week, correspondents say.

An increased military presence was visible on Monday close to the presidential palace, which has been the focus of opposition demonstrations. The army has sealed off the area with concrete blocks.

It is not yet clear whether the opposition will boycott Saturday's referendum.

However, a group of senior judges announced on Monday that they would be prepared to oversee the vote, on certain conditions.

Votes in Egypt are

traditionally supervised by the judiciary but the 22 November presidential decree led thousands of judges to go on strike.

Now, with the decree rescinded, the State Council Judges' Club has agreed to oversee the vote as long as pro-Morsi supporters call a halt to a sit-in outside Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court.

The court suspended work on 2 December, citing "psychological pressure" from Islamists who had prevented a meeting on a draft of the new constitution. The protesters had wanted to block a ruling on the legality of the document.

The opposition argues that the constitution was drafted by an assembly dominated by Mohammed Morsi's Islamist allies.

In a statement after talks on Sunday, the opposition National Salvation Front said it would not

Mahama declared winner of Ghana election

G

hana incumbent President John Dramani Mahama won a new term with 50.7 percent of ballots cast in the West African state's election, the head of the Electoral Commission announced.

"Based on the results, I declare President John Dramani Mahama president elect," Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told a news conference on Sunday in the capital Accra.

Ghana's main opposition party declared electoral fraud after election results showed the candidate of the governing National Democratic Congress was holding a slim lead.

The results came after the National Patriotic Party called on the electoral commission to delay the official announcement of the results, raising concerns about the conduct of the vote in a nation seen as a stable democracy in an unstable region.

Privately owned Joy News television said John Dramani Mahama, 54, had 50.03 per cent of the votes against Akufo-Addo's 48.05 per cent based on provisional results from 261 of 275 districts.

It said its findings were based on trends of pre-tallied votes in addition to an analysis of outstanding districts.

President John Mahama

"It will be unfortunate for the EC [Election Commission] to go ahead to announce the elections," Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the NPP chairman, announced in the capital Accra.

"We have significant problems and that need to be looked at ... These results cannot be forced down the throat of the people of Ghana."

recognise the draft constitution "because it does not represent the Egyptian people".

"We reject the referendum which will certainly lead to more division and sedition," spokesman Sameh Ashour said.

Mombasa separatists attempt major gun theft- Kenyan police

S

ixty men armed with machetes, clubs and bows and arrows tried and failed to steal guns from a police station in Mombasa, in the biggest attack planned by separatists seeking independence for Kenya's Indian Ocean coastal strip, police said on Monday.

Police intercepted the men on their way to the station. They said they belonged to the secessionist Mombasa Republic Council (MRC), an accusation rejected by its leaders, and that three separatists were later killed in a raid on a MRC hideout.

With a national election due next year, the first since a disputed 2007 vote, police say they are concerned about rising violence by the MRC, campaigning for secession in the trade hub and popular tourist destination.

Local police chief Julius Wanjohi said police believed the men involved in the failed attack were planning to steal their guns. "They may have been...planning to cause trouble ahead of the elections, but they had better not try it because we are prepared for them."

Police said four men arrested early on Monday admitted to being MRC members and led authorities to a hideout where they believed the MRC chairman was based.

"When we got there, we were attacked by arrows and stones from unknown people who were on top of the building. We shot back killing three," Wanjohi said. Reuters.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Asia and Middle East

R

ebel fighters are reported to have captured large parts of a big military base in northern Syria, the latest in a string of losses by government forces.

The attack on Base 111 at Sheikh Suleiman, about 25km (15 miles) west of the city of Aleppo, on Sunday,

PAGE 33

Syria rebels overrun Aleppo military base was said to have been led by Islamist militants.

Video posted online showed them seizing military vehicles, including a tank.

The assault came as UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said he had held "constructive" talks with US and Russian officials.

They had "explored avenues to move forward a peaceful process and

mobilise greater international action in favour of a political solution", the Algerian diplomat added.

"All three parties re-affirmed their common assessment that the situation in Syria was bad and getting worse. They stressed that a political process to end the crisis in Syria was necessary and still possible."

They reportedly agreed that a solution would be based on the core

elements of the final communique issued on 30 June after international talks in Geneva which called for a transitional government.

On Monday, Russia's foreign ministry called for the start of a national dialogue, but stressed that "fundamental decisions" had to be "made by Syrians themselves, without outside interference".

Afghan officials die in attacks

A

n official in charge of women's affairs and an Afghan provincial police chief were killed in separate attacks on Monday, officials say.

Nadia Sidiqi, acting head of the women's affairs department for Laghman province, was shot on her way to work.

Gen Mohammad Musa Rasuli, Nimroz's police chief, was on his way home from Herat province when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb, police said.

Last week, Afghanistan's spy chief was wounded in a Taliban suicide bombing.

Asadullah Khalid was attacked in Kabul by a man who posed as a peace envoy, in what correspondents say was a blow to peace efforts.

Nadia Sidiqi was shot and killed by two unidentified gunmen while on

her way to work on a motorised rickshaw, the AFP news agency reports.

"We have launched an investigation and we have sealed off the area where the attack took place and we will very soon capture the attackers," Laghman police chief Ahmad Sherzad told AFP. Ms Sidiqi took over the Laghman women's affairs department from Hanifa Safi who was killed in a bomb attack in July.

Ms Safi, who had been a leading advocate of fair treatment for women, died when a bomb attached to her car exploded as she left her home in Laghman province.

A spokesman for the police chief of Laghman province told the BBC that the acting director did not have bodyguards with her, despite being entitled to them.

The Rebels inspecting a seized weapon in the base

money to lobby for entering the Indian market, which has now been proved true, reports the Press Trust of India.

"Walmart has in its lobbying disclosure report to the US Senate said it has spent $25m on lobbying and $3 million have been spent in 2012 itself for entering the Indian market," PTI quoted him as saying.

"Lobbying is illegal in India.

Lobbying is a kind of bribe. If Walmart has said that hundreds of crores (tens of millions) of rupees were spent in India, then it is a kind of bribe.

"Government should tell who was given this bribe. This raises a question mark on the implementation of FDI in retail," Mr Prasad said.

Several other opposition MPs also called for an "independent inquiry" into reports about Walmart's lobbying.

The remains of Nadia Sidiqi being honoured

India MPs in uproar over Walmart lobbying

A

ngry opposition MPs have protested in India's parliament after reports that the global retail giant Walmart has been lobbying with the US lawmakers to facilitate its entry into India.

The firm disclosed that it spent $25m (ÂŁ16m) on lobbying, including on issues related to "enhanced market access for investment in India".

The upper house has been adjourned twice on the issue since the morning.

Last week, MPs voted to open the retail sector to foreign competition.

On Monday, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded a probe into reports about Walmart's lobbying.

Senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said fears were expressed earlier too about Walmart spending huge

North Korea delays rocket lift-off

N

orth Korea has extended the launch period for its planned rocket launch by one week, citing technical problems.

The Korean Committee of Space Technology said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency on Monday that the rocket would kick off on December 29 due to "technical deficiency" in a rocket engine module.

The statement did not elaborate but said technicians were "pushing forward" with final preparations for the launch.

The North had originally set up a 13-day launch window, starting on Monday.

A South Korean newspaper quoted a government source as saying on Monday that North Koreans were replacing the

faulty section of the rocket with the help from Iranian missile experts.

The Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited new satellite images that suggested the faulty component was being replaced to allow the launch to go ahead.

"A new third stage of the North's three-stage missile Unha3 was seen being moved on Saturday afternoon from a missile plant... towards the launch site," the newspaper said.

"A car seen at the... launch site has been spotted driving back and forth from the accommodation facility nearby. It is believed to be carrying Iranian experts," the official told the newspaper.

The Iranians were invited after Pyongyang's last rocket launch in April ended in failure, the newspaper said.

A protester with anti-Walmart bandanna

Rebel forces are said to have entered Base 111, whose headquarters are in Sheikh Suleiman, on Sunday afternoon after weeks of fighting.

The videos posted online showed rebels driving around in a captured tank and manning anti-aircraft guns. They also showed the rebels sporting the insignia and black flags of radical jihadist militants.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 34

Europe and Anti-austerity coalition wins Romania polls Americas

cuts undertaken by prevous government.

Parties close to President Traian Basescu came in a distant second with nearly 17 per cent of the vote.

Turnout was low at 41.6 per cent as disenchantment with politics remains high in the newest European Union member.

The win deals a blow to President Basescu who is due to officially appoint the new prime minister.

There has been no reaction yet on the outcome of the poll from Basescu, who will be travelling to Oslo on Monday

together with other heads of state to collect the Nobel peace prize awarded to the EU earlier this year.

Ponta was appointed prime minister in May, the third prime minister this year, but he had a bitter battle with Basescu, whose mandate expires in 2014.

Basescu's allies, who were in government from 2008, grew unpopular due to harsh austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund and European Union in exchange for a $26bn (20 billion euro) bailout loan in

2009, and allegations of cronyism.

Ponta restored most pensions and salaries that were slashed as part of the loan agreement, but has largely continued the policies as previous Basescu-allied governments including a 24 percent sales tax, one of the highest in the EU. Basescu, who is due to officially name the new prime minister after the poll, has already repeatedly hinted that he could refuse to re-appoint Ponta as premier, describing his nemesis as a "mythomaniac".

But Ponta himself appeared to extend an olive branch, saying that after months of bitter feuding, "Romania now needs a period of calm".

"We need to overcome political fights, hatred and revenge," he said, adding "he was ready to lead the next government".

The president has accused USL leaders of driving the country away from the EU, which it joined in 2007.

Analysts and investors have called for political stability as Romania, the 27-member bloc's second-poorest member after Bulgaria, is struggling to recover from one of Europe's most painful austerity drives.

The average monthly wage currently stands at 350 euros ($450) and about three million Romanians have emigrated looking for jobs and better living conditions elsewhere.

The 2012 growth forecast was revised down to 0.7 per cent from 1.7 per cent.

After their first private talks since Mr Obama won re-election, both sides said communication lines "remain open".

Deep spending cuts and tax rises due to take effect on 1 January threaten to derail US economic recovery.

Extended benefits for the long-term unemployed and a

temporary cut to payroll taxes are also scheduled to expire at the same time.

International observers, such as Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, have warned that there would be ripple effects for the rest of the world if US lawmakers are not able to agree to a deal.

Mr Obama's appearance at a car factory outside Detroit is his latest public outreach effort in recent weeks to sell a plan that would increase taxes for the rich while extending Bush-era tax cuts for everyone else.

The president's plan calls for $1.6tn (ÂŁ990bn) in new tax revenue over 10 years.

that in the current economic crisis "the political framework in which the union is rooted is more important than ever".

"We must stand together, we have collective responsibility," he said, warning of a risk of new nationalism in Europe.

The prize was received jointly

by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Parliament President Martin Schulz.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Van Rompuy paid tribute to the post-war leaders of France and Germany who had forged the EU by uniting their economic interests.

He praised "the EU's secret weapon - an unrivalled way of binding our interests so tightly that war becomes impossible".

"It is better to fight around the table than on a battlefield," he said, quoting Jean Monnet, one of the EU's founders.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sat next to French President Francois Hollande at the ceremony in Oslo City Hall.

Cameron rejects decriminalising drugs

T

he idea of a royal commission to consider decriminalising illegal drugs - as suggested by a group of MPs - has been ruled out by the prime minister.

In response to the report by the home affairs select committee, David Cameron said the current policy was working in Britain.

The committee highlighted Portugal's approach, where people found with drugs are not always prosecuted.

It also asked ministers to monitor cannabis legalisation elsewhere.

"Drugs use is coming down, the emphasis on treatment is absolutely right, and we need to continue with that to make sure we can really make a difference, " Mr Cameron said.

"Also, we need to do more to keep drugs out of our prisons.

"These are the government's priorities and I think we should continue with that rather than have some very, very long-term royal commission."

A royal commission is a public inquiry created by the head of state into a defined subject and overseen by a commissioner who has quasijudicial powers.

Legal highs Official figures show that drug use in England and Wales is at its lowest rate under current measurements since 1996.

However, there is concern over the growth and prevalence of "legal highs", some of which are banned, amid a recorded rise in deaths linked to their use.

The committee stops short of supporting a relaxation of legal sanctions for drug use, as suggested by experts at the UK Drug Policy Commission in October, but it does call on ministers to look in detail at the idea.

David Cameron

The party of Prime Minister Victor Ponta [L] won comfortably over parties associated with President Basescu [R]

R

omania's centre-left governing coalition has comfortably won a weekend parliamentary poll with nearly 60 per cent of the vote, partial results have showed.

With 80 per cent of the polling stations reporting, the results confirmed exit polls that declared the Social-Liberal Union (USL) headed by Prime Minister Victor Ponta as winner in Sunday's poll.

Despite the fact that it (USL) has only held power since May, many voters saw it as the party of change because it has promised to roll back austerity

Obama pushes tax-the-rich plan

U

S President Barack Obama is to address Michigan car workers to build support for his plan to raise taxes on the rich and avert a looming "fiscal cliff".

The visit follows face-to-face meetings with Republican House Speaker John Boehner at the White House on Sunday.

EU collects Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo

T

he presidents of the EU's three main institutions have collected the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway's capital Oslo.

The EU was awarded the prize for its role in uniting the continent after two world wars.

At the ceremony there was applause when the leaders of France and Germany stood up, holding hands.

Critics say the award is inappropriate. They point out that the eurozone crisis has exposed deep divisions in the 27-nation bloc.

Most of Europe's national leaders were at the event, but not the UK's David Cameron.

The British prime minister's deputy, Nick Clegg - a longstanding advocate of the European project represented the UK at the ceremony.

Nobel committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland told the audience

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (L), European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso(M) and European Parliament President Martin Schulz(R).

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 35

Singing mice learn new tunes N

ot only can male mice sing, they can learn to change the notes they produce in their songs.

That's the finding of a new study by Duke University neurobiologist Erich Jarvisand his colleagues Gustavo Arriaga and Eric Zhou.

The fact that mice sing was documented in a 2005 study by assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy Timothy E. Holy and programmer Zhongsheng Guo. To study the mice's vocalizations, which are too high for humans to hear, the researchers recorded the sounds and then slowed them down. They found that mice sing songs with melodies and repeated phrases to court female mice.

More than just a squeak above the limit of human hearing, the songs contain a variety of syllables and have recurring themes.

Jarvis and his colleagues went a step further. Their research, published October 10 in the journal PLoS ONE, reveals that mice can be taught to vocalize different notes-just like humans, dolphins, whales, and a few other species.

In a study that bears a slight-and coincidentalresemblance to the vocal battles between two singers on NBC's "The Voice," the scientists put a pair of adult mice with different genetic strains with a single female.

Over the course of eight weeks, the two male mice in each pair would change

their songs, each imitating the higher or lower notes of the other's song.

The discovery means that researchers can now study mice to learn more about speech and speech disorders.

Mice are, after all, a lot easier to breed and study in captivity than dolphins and whales. They are also good candidates for studies that require genetic manipulation.

Meanwhile, the mice songs might not just be about winning a female's favor.

Jarvis suggests that a mouse might also sing to communicate aggression and other emotions.

"From our findings, we believe that mice are not as primitive as most people have long assumed," Jarvis said.

A house mouse peeks out of a pipe.

Paralyzed rats walk again, thanks to electricity, chemicals-and chocolate

W

earing a robotic harness, paralyzed rats have been made to walk again, according to a new study-albeit with an oddly upright, humanlike gait and while stimulated by judicious jolts of electricity and chemicals.

It's the first time severely injured spinal cords have been reawakened, say researchers, who add that the technique might hold some promise for disabled people.

First, neuroscientist GrĂŠgoire Courtine and his team severed the spines of 27 rats, leaving some tissue intact but no direct nerve connectionsand therefore no way for the animals to control their hind legs.

A week later the researchers put 17 of the rats on a sort of physical

therapy regimen and began administering chemical injections and electric stimulation directly to the rodents' spinal cords. The remaining ten rats, used as a control group, received no treatment. (Also see "Stem Cells Repair Damaged Spinal Cords in Mice.")

The physical training began on a treadmill, with the 17 rats using a robotic harness-created especially for the study-that suspended the animals upright but did not propel them forward.

The treadmill exercise exploited reflexes that make walking in some ways passive, explained neuroscientist Naomi Kleitman of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Imagine you can't get any signals from your brain to below the injuryyou can still walk on a treadmill," said Kleitman, who wasn't part of the new study.

"The treadmill is dragging my right foot behind me," she added. "That will stimulate a reflex in my left leg that will make my left leg take a step."

In addition to the treadmill therapy, the trained rats received mild electrical stimulation-designed to mimic the signals the brain sends to move the legs-and injections of chemicals known to help nerve cells, which carry those signals, to better communicate.

After three weeks of treadmill training, 10 of the 17 rats were encouraged to take steps on a sort of

Aided by a robotic harness and electrochemical stimulation, a once paralyzed rat climbs toward chocolate.

tiny runway-still in the harnesses, though, and still being electrochemically stimulated.

Within a few more weeks-and with the incentive of a bit of chocolate at the end of the course-the runway rats were "sprinting" up stairs in their harnesses, study co-author Courtine said in a statement.

Though the rats still couldn't walk unaided, they had undergone a "nearly complete" regrowth of spinal nerve fibers, reestablishing the severed connections between brain and haunches, the study says. The effect was seen only the rats that had undergone training on solid groundthe untrained and treadmill-only rodents failed to regain voluntary movement in their paralyzed legs.

All these treatments are already being tested in people, NIH's Kleitman said. What makes the study exciting is that the methods have never before been tried in combination.

The electrochemical cocktail, she said, is what "to me, made this paper quite relevant, even though it's just in rats."

Mayo Clinic neurologist Tony Windebank agreed. "All the things they are doing in rats are things you can do in people."

He cautioned, however, that stimulating and enhancing the automatic walking reflex is "much easier to do in quadrupeds compared to upright animals."

But, he said, "I think it's an important step forward," even if "it's not the giant step for mankind-it's not going to translate to, Let's do this in people next month and have them walking."

Kleitman believes the severity of the rats' paralysis and subsequent recovery should give some people hope.

"Some people might say it's not worth doing anything with" severely paralyzed people, "because there's almost nothing left," she said. "Studies like this one show it's worth trying."

Bank robber boasts about crime on youtube

A

Nebraska woman got herself arrested after she allegedly robbed a bank then posted a YouTube video of herself bragging about the crime, the Omaha WorldHerald reported.

Hannah Sabata, 19, was arrested Wednesday after police said she made a YouTube video that showed her boasting about stealing a Pontiac Grand Am and robbing $6,000 from the Cornerstone Bank branch in Waco, near Lincoln. The bank was held up on Nov. 27.

In the video, "Chick Bank Robber," Sabata holds up a series of handwritten signs accompanied by subtitles, which detail the purported crime. "‌I robbed a bank with a gun, a pillow case and a note," Sabata writes. She then holds up a wad of cash and fans herself. She's seen smoking a pipe and holding up a baggie of what she claims is marijuana.

Sabata also says she is a "victim of the government" because the state "stole" her child.

Court documents say Sabata has a history of mental health problems and refused to take prescription medication during pregnancy to protect her baby's health, the WorldHerald reported.

Sabata says in the video she plans to use the money to pay off student loans and "go on a shopping spree."

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Experts suggest 9 hrs sleep by children to enhance puberty

H

ealth experts have advised parents to ensure that children observe nine hours sleep daily for proper growth to puberty stage.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos that disturbed sleep in children could affect puberty.

Dr Tony Umeh, a Consulting Clinical Psychologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) told NAN that

sleep was more important for a growing child.

“Deep sleep is an important factor at the phase of puberty; therefore it is extremely important to be sure that adolescents are getting adequate sleep-time per night.

“A child should at least engage in nine hours or more deep sleep a day for stable growth, “ Umeh said.

Dr Richard Nworah, a gynaecologist at the Optimal

Specialist Hospital, Lagos, said that disordered sleep in a child could affect the brain.

“The brain is responsible for controlling puberty onset and deep sleep is the key to jump starting puberty, not just sleep in general.

“Puberty may start between the ages of 8 and 13 for females and 9 and 14 for males, “ he said.

Nworah also said that changes noticed in boys and girls at the puberty stage were

actually prompted by occurrences in the brain.

According to him, the brain needs deep sleep most times.

Dr Bolanle Balogun, a Consultant Public Health Physician at the University of Lagos, advised parents to ensure that they regularly engage the children in deep sleep.

She said that sleep disorder could occur in a child through addiction to television, nonconducive sleeping

environment and school’s homework.

Balogun said that intervention strategies in sleep disorder include calming the child by reading bedtime story book, singing to the child and by cuddling.

“It is extremely important to try to keep children and adolescents on regular sleeping patterns especially when they are on the threshold of puberty, “ she said. (NAN)

‘Promising results’ for bowel cancer breath-test

S

cientists say they have developed a breath-test that can accurately tell if a person has bowel cancer.

The test, which looks for exhaled chemicals linked to tumour activity, was able to identify a majority of patients with the disease.

The British Journal of Surgery reported an overall accuracy of 76%.

However, another scientist said it was unlikely a fully functioning and reliable breathtest would be available soon for the general public.

Scientists are working on breath-tests for a host of other diseases, including several types of cancer, TB and diabetes.

If diagnosed and treated early, the chances of stopping cancer can be good, but there is often little or no outward sign of the disease until it has progressed significantly.

The current screening test for bowel cancer looks for signs of blood in the faeces, but only a small proportion of those who test positive actually have colorectal cancer, which means unnecessary and invasive further testing for many people.

Could a breath test detect cancer?

The breath-test technology relies on the idea that the biology of tumours can lead to the production of specific “volatile organic compounds”, combinations of chemicals unlikely in a healthy person.

These can be found in small amounts in the breath of the patient, and early studies found

dogs could be trained to identify them - although the latest study relies an electronic device to analyse breath gases.

The team from a hospital in Bari, southern Italy, compared the breath of 37 patients known to have bowel cancer with that of 41 “controls” who were thought to be healthy.

The initial test identified the cancer patients with 85% accuracy, and although, when combined with a follow-up test, the overall result fell to 76%, the researchers were upbeat about its potential.

“The present findings further support the value of breath-testing as a screening

tool,” they say.

It might be possible that the technique could help identify patients whose cancer was returning after treatment.

Bigger studies with a greater number of patients were now needed to fine-tune the test and confirm it worked, said Dr Donato Altomare and colleagues.

Breath-tests have been suggested for a variety of diseases, including other types of cancer, TB and diabetes, but Dr Claire Turner, a lecturer in analytical chemistry at the Open University, said that it was often difficult to interpret the cocktail of chemicals contained in every breath, as they could be influenced by what the patient had been eating, or even just by being ill or spending time in a hospital environment.

She said: “These technologies show a great deal of promise, and hopefully we will see larger studies in the future.

“However, we are unlikely to see this kind of breath testing available widely in the short term.”

Source: BBCNews.com

Aspirin may help older colon cancer patients live longer

O

lder adults with colon cancer who were prescribed a daily aspirin were less likely to die than those who weren’t, according to a new study.

While the results need to be confirmed with more rigorous studies, they add to the evidence linking aspirin use to longer survival for cancer patients. Studies have also suggested the inexpensive drug can prevent some types of the disease from occurring in the first place.

Medical guidelines currently endorse the use of low-dose aspirin to prevent heart disease, but not to fight or prevent cancer.

The new study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, included more than 500 colon-cancer

patients in the Netherlands aged 70 and older. More than 100 were prescribed daily lowdose “baby” aspirin for heart protection after their cancer diagnosis.

Between 1998 and 2007, the death rate for those prescribed aspirin was about half that of the non-aspirin users. The effect was biggest in people with more advanced cancer and in those who received no chemotherapy.

Anything that might improve survival in elderly adults with colon cancer would be welcome, since there is no consensus on whether to use chemotherapy in those patients, according to the study.

Previous studies have also associated aspirin use with increased survival. Research

published in October in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that aspirin therapy could extend survival for colon cancer patients whose tumors had a specific genetic mutation.

Still, more scientifically rigorous randomized controlled trials will be needed to confirm the findings of studies that are based on observation after the fact, and therefore less definitive about what actually causes the effect seen.

“We’re pretty sure this is a real effect, but we’re not sure of the magnitude,” said Dr. Gerrit Jan Liefers of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, an author of the new study. He said he didn’t expect randomized trials would show such a large survival advantage. Liefers is working

to develop such a trial in the Netherlands.

One limitation of the study is that it looked at aspirin prescriptions, not actual use of the drug. (Low-dose aspirin for heart-disease protection isn’t available over the counter in the Netherlands.) It’s possible that heart benefits from aspirin might have helped the patients live longer, but the study authors said that alone couldn’t account for the big difference in death rates. Also, there might be differences between the groups unaccounted for by researchers that led to the improved survival among the aspirin users.

Liefers said it’s not completely clear how aspirin might combat colon cancer.

One likely route: blocking the

enzyme cyclooxygenase-2, or COX-2, which is involved in inflammation and is expressed in about 70 percent of colon tumors.

Boris Pasche, director of the hematology and oncology division at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said it would be helpful to figure out who would benefit from and who could skip daily aspirin.

“It’s a fairly benign drug, but it has side effects,” including bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract and the brain, Pasche said.

He said patients should discuss with their physicians whether it makes sense to take aspirin at this point. “This supports the concept, but we need a prospective randomized trial,” he said.

Source: Reuters.com

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 37

PDP war against corruption is total, party replies ACN

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday insisted that its government's war on corruption is total even as it decried what it refers to as an attempt by the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to slur the integrity of the anti-corruption efforts of the Federal Government.

The party in a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary yesterday described the ACN's

criticism of the government anticorruption war as "a symptom of a onetrack minded political party unable to appreciate the pre-1999 deprecate societal fabrics that the PDP met".

He insited that it was wrong for any political party or anyone at all to deride the anti-corruption stance of the PDP saying, the role the party has played in the anti-corruption war was unmatched.

The PDP also expressed the hope that the was against corruption would be won in all fronts with the bold

institutional framework the PDP led Federal Government has put in place and with the collective efforts of all Nigerians.

"No government in the history of Nigeria has attempted the bold initiatives that our party has taken to fight corruption. The PDP led Federal Government created the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission(ICPC). No matter the criticisms trailing their performance,

these bodies have posted degrees of successes.

"Most importantly, these institutions are meant to outgrow partisan practices and given time, become inviolable winnower on the chaff of corruption."

"In a similar vein, for the first time in our history, a government emphatically voted for a free society with the enactment of the Freedom of Information law so that Nigerians irrespective of class shall be fully informed and have access to hitherto

classified pieces of information; the bottom line being to make governance collective and participatory; so that each Nigerian at any level is enabled to pick up the gauntlet against corruption."

"Besides, the worst form of corruption is the one that annuls the will of the people . This, the PDP led government has successfully waged war on. For the first time in the history of our dear nation, a government made good its promise of free and fair elections.

Ajimobi counsels on corruption

G

L-R: Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Badejoko Adeniji, and President, ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Awa Daboya, during an external session of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, yesterday in Ibadan.

Photo: NAN

Deregistration: ALP threatens to imprison Jega

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A

ggrieved by the decision ot the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister 28 political parties, the Chairman of African Libration Party (ALP), Osita Okereke, has threatened to join forces with other victims to do everything necessary to ensure that INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, is sent to prison for contempt of court.

Speaking exclusively to Peoples Daily in a telephone interview, Okereke regretted that in as much as Jega is aware that the matter is still in the court, he went ahead to deregister the parties, challenging his authority to undermine the judiciary.

He alleged that it was Jega that made it impossible for the deregistered parties to win any elective post, regretting that after he frustrated their effort in the 2011 elections by conniving with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig out other parties, he has finally deregistered them.

He therefore regretted that the move will discourage the participation of many Nigerians in the Nigerian politics, adding that while the case was up for hearing,

Jega deliberately refused to send any lawyer to represent INEC, accusing him of undermining the powers of the judiciary.

Okereke also refuted the claim by INEC to have communicated the decision and reason to deregister the affected parties to them, saying he did not get any correspondence from INEC regarding its decision.

According to him, "I woke up one morning to hear breaking news that INEC has deregistered ALP, among other parties. Up till this moment, nobody has communicated any reason to me contrary to his claims."

It would be recalled that last Friday, INEC issued a statement that 28 political parties has been deregistered by the commission for

failing to meet the Electoral Act's requirements.

Meanwhile, in as much as this move by INEC has attracted mixed reaction from the public; with some saying it is a step in the right direction, while others say it is anti democracy, speculation is rife that another 25 political parties would still be deregistered.

PDP in Bayelsa adopts Jonathan as party leader

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa on Monday adopted a resolution appointing President Goodluck Jonathan as the leader of the party in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decision was reached at an expanded caucus meeting of the party in Yenagoa.

The resolution followed a motion moved by Gov. Seriake Dickson, who declared total support for Jonathan as leader of the party in Bayelsa.

The motion was seconded by a former Governor of the state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and was subsequently adopted by 28 members of the party's caucus after an overwhelming voice vote.

Dickson said the meeting heralded a new beginning in the state's PDP, devoid of "mindless

acrimonious divisions" between Bayelsa-based politicians and those at the national level.

He said that the divisions were unhealthy and projected the state in bad light, adding that the meeting was convened to close ranks and form a formidable bloc at the state level.

"The most important challenge Bayelsa State has had to contend with is the issue of mobilising support for Jonathan, which is why we want to convene this meeting once every quarter," Dickson said.

On the forthcoming local government elections in the state, the governor urged members of the party not to act or do anything that would threaten the current peace and tranquillity that has "brought respect to our state''.

Dickson also said that such

meetings would afford him the opportunity to exchange ideas with party stakeholders on development issues, particularly in the area of education.

Responding, Jonathan expressed gratitude to Dickson for his invitation to attend the meeting and pledged to attend subsequent caucus meetings.

Jonathan said that politics ought to be seen as tool for the development of the people and service to fatherland.

He described Alamieyeseigha as his benefactor in politics and called on the political class to learn to be supportive of one another.

The president urged party members to put aside their grievances in the collective interest of the state rather than creating undue tension in the polity.

ov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has identified lack of responsibility on the part of government as the major factor responsible for corruption in Nigeria .

Ajimobi stated this while speaking at a forum to mark the 2012 World Anti-Corruption Day Celebration organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in Ibadan on Monday.

The governor, who spoke through his deputy Mr Moses Adeyemo, recalled that the front line leaders of the nation after the departure of the colonial masters were running responsible and responsive government.

He explained that government at the time was spending tax payers money to provide basic amenities like water, electricity, roads and education, adding that people were then patriotic and loyal to their father land .

Ajimobi, however, lamented that military incursion into governance led to corruption. ''Nigerians were made to provide their own water, electricity and roads and every one in government would try to steal as much as possible while in office in a bid to provide these basic amenities for himself or herself,'' he said .

The governor said that the citizen under this condition could not be patriotic and loyal to the country.

He called for a change of attitude on the part of Nigerians, noting that only patriotism could wipe out corruption from the society.

Earlier in an address of welcome, Mr Olukile Olusina, the Head of ICPC in Oyo and Ogun, said that there was urgent need to tackle corruption in the country.

Olusina, who described the recent rating of Nigeria by Transparency International as an embarrassment, said Nigerians must take bold steps to fight corruption by policing themselves.

He said corruption had done incalculable damage to the country, adding that Nigerians must adopt a sense of national rebirth by rejecting corruption in all its facets.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ceremony, which started on Friday with a Jumat service, was organised to mark the World Anti- Corruption Day declared by the United Nation Convention against Corruption on Oct. 31, 2003 .(NAN).

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PDP urges probe of Aregbesola's award of N17.8bn road contract to bankrupt firm From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

T

he South-West chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on anticorruption agencies in the country to probe the Osun State Government's award of a N17.8 billion road contract to SAMMYA Nigeria Limited, a company that was declared bankrupt by an Abuja Federal High Court last year November.

In August, this year, the Osun State Government awarded the contract of N17.8 billion for the construction of a dual carriage road from Osogbo to the Kwara state boundary to SAMMYA Nigeria Limited, owned by one Sammy Adigun.

The contract being funded by

Infrastructure Bank Plc involved the construction of 9.52km dual carriageway from Osogbo to Dagbolu International Market, construction of 20.5km dual carriageway from Osogbo to Ikirun and 16.55km from Ikirun to Ila-Odo in Kwara State.

However, the PDP said in a statement issued that SAMMYA Nigeria Limited owed Wema Bank Plc a sum of of N23,348,491.43, as a result of which a Federal High Court, Abuja on November 2, 2011 via SUIT NO:- FCT/HC/CV/ 968/2007 Garnishee the Accounts of the company in 10 Banks.

The party said the judgment debt plus interest in the judgment delivered by Justice M. A. Nasir on November 2, 2011 amounted

to N25,099,628.28.

The PDP said "Nigerians, especially the anti-corruption agencies must ask questions as to how a company that was declared bankrupt late last year could be awarded a N17.8 billion contract 10 months after.

"More so that the contract award was never bidded for or advertised and money for it was borrowed from Infrastructure Bank, Abuja.

"From our investigations, SAMMYA Nigeria Limited is just being used to by the Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola to loot Osun State treasury in connivance with the Managing Director of the Infrastructure Bank Plc, Mr Adekunle Oyinloye because almost everything about

the company (SAMMYA) is fake. Its stated head office at 13 ,Williams Street, Gbagada, Shomolu, Lagos does not exist.

"Particularly, Nigerians should check the company's website to confirm that the company does not have any history or track record in road construction. It has never constructed any road in Nigeria before, and it is sure that SAMMYA Nigeria Limited was being used to loot Osun State funds.

"It also is our contention that awarding a N17.8 billion road contract to a company that has never constructed any road before, a company with non-existing head office address, a company that could not pay N23.3 million that it owed Wema Bank last year is to say the least fraudulent!"

Special Adviser on Media Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu said: ``I warmly congratulate you and the good people of Ghana for making the region proud. ``This is because once more, you have re-enacted a peaceful, free, fair, and credible election.''

Ekweremadu, who is also Nigeria's Deputy Senate President, however, said that the success was not an individual victory for Mahama or Ghana

alone.

According to him, it is a victory for democracy and integration for the entire peoples of West Africa. ``This, coming on the heels of similar democratic consolidation in Sierra-Leone, counts as an additional momentum for democracy. ``It is also a bold statement to the entire world that democracy and good governance have indeed

come to stay in our region.''

He urged Mahama to galvanise all Ghanaians for the progress of his country irrespective of political inclinations.

He also congratulated the opposition for staging a tight race for the office of the President and charged them to join hands with the President to continue to move their country forward.

(NAN)

voter education in the 13 Local Government Areas of the state to educate and sensitise the electorate and politicians on the need to ensure peaceful council poll.

The chairman added that the electoral body would soon come up with time table for the exercise pointing out that the tenure of the present elected officials would end on Oct. 31, 2013.

Nkwuda dismissed insinuation, by some opposition parties in the state, that the commission was incapable of

conducting credible council poll, stressing that the body would be "impartial, unbiase and non partisan."

He said that the commission enjoyed full independence adding that it had never been teleguided in the conduct of electoral matters.

"The edict that established the commission guaranteed its independence from interference from any quarter and this has helped the body in carrying out its statutory duty.

"Those who argue that the

commission cannot conduct credible election have no basis for their argument,'' he said.

"Though no human institution is perfect; we will strive to give to our people an election that will meet their wishes and aspirations,'' Nkwuda said.

The Chairman said that the commission would synergise with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the council poll was conducted in line with international best practices.

He said the commission was

already reviewing the processes that took place during the conduct of previous election with a view to making amends, where necessary.

He, however, warned that EBSIEC would not tolerate ballot box snatching, the use of thugs and all forms of electoral offences during the exercise.

Nkwuda admonished those planning to disrupt the polls to have a rethink stressing that otherwise, they would be "arrested and prosecuted." (NAN)

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Ekweremadu commends Ghana election, congratulates Mahama

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C

ongress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Adamawa has filed petitions before the Adamawa State Local Government Election Tribunal, challenging "the entire process of the election".

Speaking to newsmen shortly after filling the petitions, on Monday in Yola, the State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri said the party was at the tribunal to fight for its right.

"Our coming here is to fight for our right and the right of the electorate in Adamawa that were disfranchised.

"In fact, we are challenging the entire process from the councillorship to the chairmanship of all the 21 local governments", Waziri added.

Accompanied by other CPC officials and lawyer to the party, Mr Sunday Joshua, Waziri said that the party was challenging the election of all the 21 local government chairmen and some councillors.

Also commenting, Joshua said that the party believed that the Nov. 24, local government poll was conducted "in contravention of the state electoral law.

"We believe that this election, fundamentally, was organised and conducted in substantial contravention of the electoral law of Adamawa state 2002", Joshua said.

He claimed that most candidates in the election were not eligible or qualified to contest because they did not meet the requirement of Section 23 sub E and F of the Electoral Law of Adamawa state.

"The law must be respected and obeyed, that's our position", Joshua said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 14 political parties participated in the polls.

PDP won all the 21 chairmanship seats and 205 councillors seats while ACN got 13 councillors and CPC six.

(NAN)

Chairman, House of Representatives AD HOC Committee on Transaction involving the Federal Government, Shell/AGIP Companies and Malabu oil and gas ltd in respect of oil block, OPL 245, Hon. Leo Ogor (left), during the public hearing, recently in Abuja. With him is minister of justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (right).

he Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu has commended the people of Ghana for living up to their rating as beacons of democracy in the West African region.

The Speaker stated this in a congratulatory message to the winner of the Ghana Presidential election and incumbent President, Mr John Mahama.

In a statement signed by his

Adamawa CPC goes to tribunal over conduct of LG polls

EBSIEC assures on credible 2013 council polls

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he Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) on Monday in Abakaliki, assured the people of the state that the commission was committed to conduct "credible, free and fair council polls in the state."

The Chairman of the Commission, Mr John Nkwuda gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.

He said that toward this end, the commission had embarked on

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

'Why government fails on good governance,' Forum explains

By Umar Muhammad Puma

T

he artificial barrier between government officials and the citizenry is largely responsible for the collapse of provision of dividend of democracy and good governance for Nigerians.

Coordinator of the Good Governance Forum, Engr.

Emmanuel Adetunji Adeoye, who made the assertion yesterday in Abuja with reporters, also said that unless Nigerians change their attitudes and find ways of getting appointed and elected representatives to include them in decision making, the situation will not change.

"Governance is the interaction between government and citizens; government and business as well as internal government operations. Good governance requires that each arm jealously guards its functions and powers and must conduct their affairs in accordance with constitutional provisions.

These institutions checkmate each other but work in harmony to ensure good governance and national development.

"Government must ensure that participation, respect for rule of law, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, consensus oriented, transparency, responsiveness and accountability among other characteristics of good governance are openly demonstrated to convince the electorates and earn their trust.

"Accessible government is foundation for good governance and can be facilitated by the use of good information and communication technology," Adeoye said.While urging Nigerians to be systemic in their approach to get themselves involved in governance, he added that accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and such can only be achieved by the insistence of the electorates.

PAGE 39

Kwara Assembly tasks FERMA on Ilesha-Ilorin road From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Kwara state House of Assembly has urged Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to rehabilitate the multi million naira Ilesha-OkutaKosubosu road to fast track vehicular movement on the route.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Energy, Works and Transport, Hon. Mashood Bakare, while presenting the report had observed that some sections of the road had become muddy, slippery and rocky thereby making passage difficult for motorists.

It would be recalled that the state government under the leadership of the immediate past Governor, Sen. Bukola Saraki in collaboration with the Federal Government expended about N6 billion on the road.

The Assembly after deliberating on a report over the deplorable condition of the roads in Kwara State raised by a member representing I l e s h a / G w a n a r a Constituency, Hon. Sulyman Idris Sunaboro, under the matter of general public importance noted that the rate of pot holes along the road need urgent attention.

The House enjoined FERMA to control erosion problem at Subayo village to salvage the road from total collapse.

The House also urged the state Governor, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed ,to include the construction of IleshaGwanara-Kenu-Okuta road in the next year's budget estimate in view of its strategic position to the socioeconomic well being of the people of Baruten Local Government Area. Similarly, the governor been mandated to promptly release approved fund for the reactivation of Shataa Dam to restore water supply to Budo-Egba and OtteOja communities in Asa Local Government Areas of the state.

The legislature made the call in Ilorin while considering the report on " Request for Reactivation of our water dam

at Shaata" jointly written by Budo-Egba and Otte-Oja Communities presented by the Chairman House Committee on water, Agriculture and natural resources Dr. Abraham Ashaolu.

The Assembly which observed that the two affected communities had no access to portable water also urged the governor to embark on repair

of water reservoir to make the affected communities enjoy water supply during the dry season.

It equally directed Asa Local Government council to increase the number of both day and night gas at the dam to check further vandalization of its equipment.

The Chairman of the House Committee on water,

agriculture and natural resources, Dr. Abraham Ashaolu, had observed among other things epileptic power supply worsened by vandalization of armoured cable that energized the pumps; inadequate security at the dam, perforated water reservoir while its water proof membranes had been massively damaged.

Oyo state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi (2nd left), assisting Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (left), in distributing wheel chairs and other items to the people of Oyo South Senatorial District, yesterday in Ibadan.

Jonathan thanks well- wishers after brother's burial resident Goodluck Jonathan returned to Abuja yesterday after the burial rites of his younger brother, Chief Meni Innocent Jonathan in Otuoke, Bayelsa state at the weekend.

"On b e h a l f o f t h e e n t i r e Jonathan family, President Jonathan wishes to convey his immense thanks and appreciation to all Nigerians and friends of the country

who showed sympathy and solidarity with him and members of his family as they mourned and buried the late Chief Meni Jonathan.

"The President wishes to particularly thank former Heads of State, State Governors, the entire l e a dership of the National Assembly, foreign Heads of State and Government, Diplomatic Representatives, members of professional and

n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l organizations and ordinary Nigerians who either travelled to Otuoke for the burial ceremonies or commiserated with the family in other ways.

He prays that God Almighty will bless and reward them all for their love, kindness and sympathy which has helped to assuage the grief and pain of his family over the loss of a beloved brother," a statement by his spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati said.

supports to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Olu Falae and Late Chief M.K.O Abiola in their political endeavours just as they also stood by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007.

Folorunso who was accompanied by some officials of the Middle Belt Federation led by its Kaduna State Secretary, Mr. Paul Luka Shedenang, said the current review of the 1999

constitution and the security challenges in the country have also made its incumbent for all like minded sociopolitical groups to work together in the pursuit of a greater Nigeria.

On the seventy-fifth birthday anniversary of Lt. Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, Chief Olusegun Folorunsho who is also the National Coordinator of Media Monitors for Good Governance

described the retired Chief of Army Staff as a rare Nigerian whose philanthropic benevolence is unequalled. He said the Yoruba Awareness Forum is extremely proud of him because of the goodies which Nigerians in general and the Yorubas in particular have benefited from him over the years and prayed that the Almighty God will continue to bless him with long years and good health.

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

Yoruba group supports Middle Belt Federation

From Muhammad Kaduna

T

Adamu,

he Yoruba Awareness Forum (Northern States and Abuja) has expressed its readiness to support the aims and aspirations of the Middle Belt Federation under the Chairmanship of Professor Jerry Gana.

The Forum spoke through its Executive Secretary, Chief

Olusegun Folorunso, who told newsmen yesterday in Kaduna that most sons and daughters of Oduduwa are well disposed to a mutual working relationship with the Middle Belt Federation because of the socio-political support which the people of the Middle Belt geo-political zone have always accord the Yorubas in national polity.

He recalled that the people of the Middle Belt lent their

PAGE 40

Nwodo faults INEC on deregistration of 28 political parties

M

r Charles Nwodo, National Chairman, Progressive Action Congress (PAC) one of the political parties de-registered

by INEC on Monday joined some of the affected parties to criticise the commission.

Nwodo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said that the exercise was not done in line with the provisions of the country's constitution. `` We were quite aware that in the 60s, political parties were neither de-registered nor regimented for whatever reasons. `` It is the fundamental right of Nigerians to form associations and that aspect is still in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, " he said.

He said that it was wrong for INEC to undermine the constitutional right of the people by adopting the 2010 amended Electoral Act. He also regretted that political parties and their respective leaders, who laboured to build them were "now written off within a twinkle of an eye,'' by the exercise.

He recalled that though INEC attempted to de-register some political parties in 2002, the exercise failed at the Supreme Court.

Nwodo advised INEC to eschew selection process in de-registering political parties, adding that some political parties, which did not win a seat in the general elections in 2011, were not de-registered. ``INEC should realise that its major responsibilities are not to de-register political parties; but how to conduct free, fair and transparent elections for the overall development of the entire nation,'' he said.

He, however, expressed optimism that the court would definitely reverse the entire process.

Nwodo reminded politicians on the need to play the game of politics according to the rules to reduce court action arising from the outcome of elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that INEC on Nov. 6, de-registered 28 political parties a development it said was due to their inactivity and in exercise of the power conferred on it by the I999 Constitution as amended.

INEC added that the deregistration was in line with the Electoral Act 2010, as amended. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Darazo LGA Youth protest removal of Deputy chairman From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

Y

outh stage a peaceful demonstration over removal of the Deputy Caretaker committee Chairman of Darazo Local Government area Alhaji Idi Okala Gangalawai by the Bauchi State Government.

They staged the peaceful demonstration within Darazo town, the local government headquarters of the local Government. The Spokesman of the youth said the protest became necessary because they would not agree to be used like they were not the electorates.

They accused close political

ally to Governor Isa Yuguda, an indigene of the area, for master minding the removal of the deputy council chairman and the appointment of Hamisu Abdullahi Gangalawai for personal and selfish reasons just as they advised the state government to reverse its decision in the interest of democracy and for the development of the area.

The youth alleged that the close ally to the governor was from Sade District and the council care taker committee chairman is also from Sade and that the sacked deputy chairman is from Darazo district and the one they appointed is also from Sade. "We

will not accept it because Darazo has the largest population, we don't even want the chairman he imposed on us".

Responding to the incident the Care taker committee Chairman of the Local Government, Alhaji Kabiru Adamu Sade, said as a loyal political office holder he received instruction from the state government over the removal of the deputy council chairman and he was directed to swear in a newly appointed Deputy Chairman by the state government.

According to him, no reason was given for the removal of his deputy; but since he has no power to appoint or depose as a law

abiding public officer he came to obey the directives given to him.

Also reacting Commissioner for local Government in the state Alhaji Abubakar Faggo said "the ministry of local government affairs served only as a link between the state government and the local government area; the ministry does not appoint or remove a caretaker committee executives but we received directives from the office of the Secretary to the state Government for the removal of the deputy and appointment of a new one and we communicated same to the to the care taker committee chairman.

Anenih denies chairmanship of PDM Elders Committee

By Richard Ihediwa

F

L-R: Representative of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Osagie, Chairman, House Committee on Works, Hon. Obuefi O. Ozomgbachi, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze, during the opening ceremony of 4-day public hearing on bill for an act to provide for the maintenance of public infrastructure 2011, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Ag. Gov. Onyebuchi of Enugu joins campaign for access to information

A

cting Governor Sunday Onyebuchi of Enugu State has joined the campaign for freedom information, saying it is necessary to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.

Speaking at the South East zonal sensitisation workshop on the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, in Owerri on Monday, Onyebuchi said information was required for every constructive input in governance.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the state ministry of justice, Mrs Chiemelie Onaga, the acting governor said the Act was aimed at ensuring that the press and public had unhindered access to information. ``The general public and the press are encouraged to take advantage of the provisions of this law and check the growing propensity in our public service for gratification. ``It is hoped that participants

will make useful contributions that will ensure that this law takes root in Nigeria," he said.

Also speaking, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo said the citizenry should be given access to information to appreciate or criticise the government.

Okorocha, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Jude Agbaso, said freedom of information was the culture in Imo.

``The Secrecy Act never operated in this administration.

Corruption occurs only in secrecy and when the citizens do not have access to information, corruption thrives."

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Reform of Government Institutions, Rep. Matthew Omegara, said the workshop was to create awareness and understanding of the FOI Act.

ormer Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, has said that he is not Chairman of Elders Committee of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).

Anenih, who made the clarification through his Personal Assistant, Barrister Peter Abulu yesterday, described as false and mischievous, the media report stating that he has been appointed to as chairman of the committee.

Abulu said that Anenih did not even attend the PDM meeting held at the weekend in Abuja and was not at any time appointed the chairman of the group. He said that Anenih had since contacted those that attended the meeting and they told him that no such decision was made.

He said; "Chief Anenih was not in Abuja when the meeting was held. If such decision was reached, those who took the decision would have either consulted with him prior to the decision or briefed him after the decision was taken. I can tell you authoritatively that if any such decision was taken, he was not consulted on it; and as this official reaction is being made, Chief Anenih has already contacted those who attended the meeting and they told him that no such decision was reached", he said.

Describing the report as mischievous and a figment of the reporter's imagination, Abulu noted that the the report had said that the appointment was however "gathered" by the reporter and called on Nigerians to disregard it.

Group calls for investigation of pending corrupt cases against former governors

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

he National Network for the Civil Society Groups in Nigeria (NNCSGN) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure thorough investigation of all pending corrupt cases against former governors in the country, with a

view to finding lasting solution to the menace.

The group which made this call in a document titled "Call to order on the EFCC'S selective approach and the administration of justice" wondered why the commission shied away from certain people with intimidating corrupt cases and select who it wants to punish.

The paper which was signed by

its National Cordinator, Gabriel Chiebueze, and its National Secretary, Ibrahim Bauchi, called for thorough investigation of the case against the former governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and the inclusion of the original 47 counts and the parties to the case.

It also called for the immediate

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 41

NNWL to hold stake holders conference next year

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he Nigeria Nation-Wide League (NNWL) annual general congress and the unveiling of their logo which was suppose to take place at Sokoto December, 18 will no longer hold as earlier planned.

The chairman of the NNWL Ahmed Kawu said that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ordered that no league

holds her AGA after the federation’s own which would take place tomorrow in PortHarcourt.

He insisted that the best of 8 will go on as earlier planned to determine the best team among the division B clubs who have been promoted to division A. According to him, “NNWL will never disobey the directives

of the NFF under my leadership, as such we shall only go on with the best of 8 and suspend the AGA and the unveiling of our logo till subsequent time.

Kawu said, instead of AGA, the board of NNWL have resolved to hold a stakeholders conference prior to the commencement of the 20912/2013 league season so that they can rob minds

Chairman of the NNWL, Ahmed Kawu

Kano lambast NFF over NPL congress

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NFF president, Aminu Maigari

together and fashion out new ways of improving the league in the incoming season.

He further revealed that they would also use the occasion to unveil their logo at the stakeholders’ conference which is expected to take place in the federal capital territory, Abuja in January, 2013 before the commencement of the new season.

he Kano State commissioner for sports, Umar Jibril has angrily lambasted the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for moving the seventh annual congress of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) away from Kano.

The NFF last Friday met in an emergency meeting in Abuja over the melee between the NPL board chaired by Victor Baribote and the clubs owners.

Eighteen Premier League representatives had earlier met last Wednesday at the Denis Hotel, Wuse II, Abuja in which they identified lack of transparency and accountability on the side of the NPL board as the rationale for them to have kicked them out.

The NFF, however, rebuffed the resolutions reached by the club owners to impeach the NPL board and therefore ordered that the congress which was scheduled to hold in Kano last Thursday be held in Abuja today, 2012.

Jibril said that the decision of the NFF to change the venue of the congress to Abuja is not acceptable by the Kano State government.

“The sum of N5 million was approved by the governor when we were told that we would hold the congress and we are not happy for them to have replaced Kano with Abuja without any official reason or communication.

“Kano Pillars will campaign in the Caf Champions League this coming season, and do they want our opponents to complain to Caf that they won’t play in Kano? They said Kano is not safe, yet 19 clubs came here last season and nothing happened to any of them.

We are not happy at all and we need urgent explanation from them,” he said to supersport.com sadly.

While answering, NFF president, Aminu Maigari said that the congress was changed to Abuja as most of the Premier League clubs protested not to attend the congress in Kano.

“Majority of the clubs said they will not go to Kano for the congress and I think they have a case considering what is happening in the north. We have no choice than to settle for Abuja which is a neutral ground,” Maigari said.

NFF to honour Jaja, Omokhaye

NPL board sack Baribote T T

Stories by Albert Akota

he Board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) has asked it chairman Chief Victor Rumson Baribote to step aside to enable them investigate the misappropriation of funds surrounding him.

The board has constituted a three man committee to investigate the causes of the crises between the NPL board and the Premier League Clubs which led to the earlier dissolution of the board.

The board has directed it vice chairman Alhaji ShehuGarbaGusau to assume duty as acting chairman pending the outcome of the investigation by the committee.

Communiqué issued at the end of NPL’s emergency meeting in Abuja yesterday signed by Joe Amene said that the NPL shall convene its congress in line with it statutory, adding that the proposed materials for the congress, including the NPL technical report for the 2011/2012 league season and the proposed date for the 2012/2013 league season has been forwarded to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

According to him, the planned to hold congress today’s in Abuja has been called off and regretted the inconveniences it may caused to football fraternity.

Victor Rumson Baribote

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that it will honour former Member of the Board and Deputy Chairman of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and onetime Secretary General of then Nigeria Football Association, Pa Herbert Olanrewaju Omokhaye, at its 68th Annual General Assembly in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Jaja, a former President of the Nigeria Referees Association who was on the board, will be conferred with honourary membership of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation.

Omokhaye, also a former referee and administrator of repute, who turned 80 recently, will be honoured with an Award of Meritorious Service to Nigeria football.

NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu said yesterday that all arrangements have been concluded for Thursday’s showpiece in the Rivers State capital.

“The Executive Committee of the NFF decided it was time we start giving honour unto whom it is due.

To this end, the Committee has pencilled down Dr. Sam Sam Jaja and Pa Omokhaye for honour this year. This will become a feature of the Annual General Assembly.”

Officials also confirmed that about one dozen members of staff, who have spent 20 years and above in the service of the Federation, will be honoured.

The Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, CON will be chief host at Thursday’s event, at which

the Honourable Minister/ Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi will be the special guest of honour.

Among other guests will be the Director-General of NSC, Chief (Dr.) Patrick Ekeji, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba, chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, past NFF Presidents John Obakpolor, Abdulmumini Aminu, Dominic Oneya, Ibrahim Galadima and Sani Lulu Abdullahi, past NFF Secretaries General Momodu Kadiri, Sani Ahmed Toro, Ahmed Tijjani Yusuf, Fanny Ikhayere

Victor Rumson Baribote

Amun and Bolaji Ojo-Oba. The 15 members of the NFF Executive Committee, with President Aminu Maigari at the head and Board Secretary Musa Amadu behind, will lead the 88 delegates into the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt for the opening ceremony that starts at 10am. The delegates are: Chairmen of the Football Associations of 36 States and FCT; Secretaries of the Football Associations of 36 States and FCT and; Chairmen and Secretaries of the Leagues (Premier, National, Women and Nationwide), Players’ Union, Coaches Association and Referees Association.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Eagle players battle for Keshi’s final list Ike Uche and John Utaka were some of the Nigeria stars who shone at the weekend as the battle for places on the Eagles squad intensified.

I

ke Uche: The Super Eagles top scorer in AFCON 2013 qualifier looks to have

cemented a place in the Eagles for the competition proper with his impressive display for Villarreal as he scored his sixth goal in a 4-0 bashing of Alcoron.

Efe Ambrose: Eagles defender was on from start to finish for Celtic as they beat Kilmarnock away from home 3-

John Utaka

F

ormer Super Falcons’ assistant coach, Ann Agumanu-Chiejine has said she is available for the side’s top job.

The Falcons’ head coach job is at present vacant following the sudden resignation of manager, Kadiri Ikhana after his team’s dismal performance at the 8th African Women’s Championship in Equatorial Guinea.

Agumanu, who guided the Lagos women’s team to a gold medal at the just concluded 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos, said she will not turn her back on serving fatherland.

“If I’m called upon to serve in that capacity, of course, I’ll be ready to serve my country.

“I’m a Nigerian, so why won’t I handle Super Falcons if called

1. He was rock solid in defence and almost got a goal when he went to nod from a corner kick.

He is a sure bet for South Africa 2013.

Obafemi Martins: He has continued to prove he can be deadly in front of goal despite a poor showing in the recent warm-up against Venezuela. He was on song for Levante in a 4-0 win over Mallorca for his sixth goal of the campaign. He also has six assists to his name.

Ahmed Musa: He was in his usual element tormenting Mordovia Saransk defence in CSKA Moscow 2-0 win. Though he didn’t score, he was on from start to finish and was always a threat.

Obiorah Nwankwo: He was in full-game action for his Italian Serie B side Padova as they lost 3-1 to Navaram. He would have to double up to make the Eagles squad to the AFCON.

Raheem Lawal: The Nigeria international was on from start to finish for Adana Demirspor in a 1-0 loss to hosts Tavsanli Linyitspor. He was a Trojan in the midfield but could not save his team from defeat.

Kalu Uche: The Kasimpasa striker has continued to press for his inclusion in the Eagles coach’s plans for the Nations Cup with his exploits in Turkey. Uche scored his ninth goal of the season when he helped his team secure a 2-2 draw at home against Genclerbirligi. He scored the first Eagles goal against Zambia last year November when Keshi took charge of the team but now looking most likely to be left out for the Nations Cup. Victor Moses: He was in action for over 70 minutes for Chelsea in a 3-1 win at Sunderland. He was excellent in the game and had a hand in one of the goals. He has already

booked his place on the AFCON squad.

John Utaka; The experienced striker scored for struggling French champions Montpellier.

But it is not enough to earn him a place on the squad to South Africa.

Mikel Obi: The Chelsea midfielder began his threematch ban imposed on him by the FA and thus was not listed for the match against Sunderland.

Onyekachi Apam: Did not feature for Rennes in a home draw with Brest.

Chinedu Obasi: He warmed the bench in Schalke’s 3-1 loss at Stuttgart.

Nedum Onuoha: The big central defender was missing again in action for struggling QPR. He has yet to declare he is keen to play for Nigeria after he represented England at agegroup levels.

Agumanu ready for Falcons’ job upon to do so.

“Lagos State believed in me and saddled me with the task of handling her women’s football team at the festival and I delivered the gold medal to them.

“I’ll do same with the Super Falcons once given the approval. I can return the team to her pristine position both in Africa and on the globe,” said the Uefa B-licence certificate holder.

The former Nigerian goalkeeper said her experience at the helms of Team Lagos women’s side showed that raw talents abound in every cranny waiting for discovery.

“There is hope for Nigeria in women’s football because the talents to make her truly great abound everywhere.

“What we need to do is to evolve a long-term programme that will harness the talents and turn them into super stars.

“With dedicated and experienced coaches on board Nigeria won’t be too far to selfrediscovery and a quick return to the number spot in Africa,” said the former Rivers Angels magnet.

Agumanu-Chiejine’s charges won all their matches with wide scorelines up to the final where they grabbed gold at the expense of Team Akwa Ibom.

Ann Agumanu-Chiejine

Pillars, Rangers get Champions League foes

T

Papa Idris

he Nigeria representative in continental Kano Pillars will face Olympique de Bangui from Central African Republic in the preliminaries of the 2013 CAF Champions League.

Rangers, who finished as runners-up to Pillars will battle SC Do Principe of Sao Tome who also in the prelims of the competition.

Both teams will first host their opponents between February 15 and 17 with the return leg clash fixed for between March 1-3.

Sunshine Stars reached the semi-finals of this year’s competition before they were eliminated by eventual champions Al Ahly of Egypt.

Enyimba are the only Nigerian club to have won this competition, having won it back-to-back in 2003 and 2004.

In the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, both Lobi Stars and Heartland are drawn by till the Round of 16.

Lobi will take on the winners of the clash with Botswana’s Gaborone and Muculmana from Mozambique, while Heartland face the winners of

the preliminary round fixture between D.D Guadulupe of Sao Tome and principle and Bitam from Gabon.

The first legs of these matches are fixed for between March 15 to 17 with the second legs to be played between April 5 to 7.

Dolphin stop Heartland in Owerri

D

olphin beat hosts Heartland 2-1 in a pre-season game courtesy of a 15-minute magic yesterday. Dolphin were trailing Heartland 1-0, but fought back to score two goals in the last 15 minutes to end the game 2-1 in their favour.

Nigeria U20 striker Bright Ejike gave the hosts the lead, but fellow U20 star Chidi Ozochukwu and Omo Ojabu will go on to win this high-profile pre-season friendly for the Port Harcourtbased side.

Dolphin, who is training in Nnewi, also defeated home team Gabros 1-0 in another game played at the weekend.

The match winner was scored by Nigeria U20 star Abduljaleel Ajagun.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 43

17 weightlifting referees upgraded to international category Chairman of Libya Football Federation resigns

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hairman of the Libyan Football Federation Meftah Akwadir resigned on Sunday, citing personal reasons and an environment that is not conducive to effective performance.

In a statement, Mr Akwadir also announced that the new coach of the Libyan national team, Frenchman Alain Giresse, would arrive in the capital city of Tripoli within two days.

He said his resignation would not affect the coach’s work.

Giresse led the Malian national team to finish in a third place at the last African Cup of Nations, jointly hosted

by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea earlier this year.

Al-Saadi Gadhafi

T

he Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) President Chimdi Ejiogu, has announced that the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Weightlifting (IWF)backed Training Course for West and Central African Region will now be held once every quarter.

The essence of the course is to ensure that referees would be in constant touch with developments in the sport, particularly in its rules and regulations.

Ejiogu said that some national referees were able to make an impact at the course.

He was speaking against the backdrop of the fact that 17 national referees who passed the examinations at the course had qualified for

elevation into Category 2.

“I am happy about it and the federation will endeavour to stage the course once every quarter.

Ejiogu disclosed that there would be a complete change in the technical crew in 2013, where officials’ credentials would be verified to determine their actual place in the technical committee.

“The NWF wants to streamline officials in the technical crew, place them according to their areas of specialty and also identify those who are truly registered with the federation,’’ he said.

Ejiogu, then, urged the general public to be committed to weightlifting, describing it as a laurel-winning

sport.

There are 15 gold medals in weightlifting, eight for men and seven for women.

He emphasized the importance of grassroots development, noting that it would assist to identify the real athletes that could be nurtured to represent the country in i n t e r n a t i o n a l competitions.

Meanwhile, Uche Onwumeh, Secretary, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF), has commended the 17 of the 26 Nigerians who took part in the course.

She said that a total of 19 passed the course, including two foreigners, a Camerounian, Tingounzeu Omargaseon and a Kenyan, Douglas Locho.

According to her, their

Team Lagos uphold fair play

T

he just-concluded 18 th National Sports Festival (NSF) may have come and gone, but the states and spectators must have a tale or two to share about how the 14day fiesta went.

Prior to the commencement of the “EKO 2012’’ sports festival, Gov. Babatunde Fashola, had declared that Lagos State was not hosting the festival to win at all costs; but to foster an atmosphere for fairness.

Fashola’s stance was alluded to by the performance of the state’s athletes who gave their all at the fiesta; against the colossal stance of all the conquering states like Delta and Rivers.

In spite of its declaration and presumed modesty, Team Lagos still put up a spirited performance; to

emerge third with: 65 gold, 47 silver and 71 bronze medals.

The remarkable ascent

by Team Lagos on the medals table, this time around, denoted its keen nature in the sports fiesta, where it gave other participating states a run for their money. reports have it that Team Lagos had finished in the ninth position at the 17th NSF in Port Harcourt in 2011 with 16 gold, 16 silver, and 29 bronze medals.

Alongside its painstaking preparation for the hosting of the just-concluded fiesta, the state government had single-handedly sponsored an annual squash competition, to keep the country’s squash players constantly engaged.

Since its inception three years ago, the Lagos State

Governor’s Squash Tournament had been the reference point for the sport in the country; against the backdrop of lack of squash competitions.

As if to reward its commitment to the game of squash, Team Lagos almost made a clean sweep of all the categories in the squash events.

The Team Lagos’ Squash Squad won the Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles and the Male Team events, but lost the women’s events which would have made it a clean sweep of the squash medals.

A performance that made, Femi Ajagbe, President, Nigeria Squash Federation to heap encomiums on the players and officials who added colour to the event at the sports festival.

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THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. DR. IHEKWOABA MARK OKECHI 2. BARR. APERA AONDOWASE JACOB 3. DR. OLABODE PETER OLUWOLE 4. DR. HUSSAINI YABAGI 5. YUSUF HUSSAINI MANJALO AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT BREAST AND CARIVAL CANCER. 2. TO BRING HEALTH AWARENESS TO THE DOOR STEP OF EVERY NIGERIAN. 3. TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR HEALTH CHECK-UP. 4. TO EDUCATE WOMEN ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE RURAL AREAS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ANTI-NENTAL AND POST-NENTAL. 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 BARR. APERA AONDOWASE JACOB 08093451715

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ROCKSON OSEZUWA ENEARU 2. JOANNA OSEZELE ENEARU 3. LOUISE OMOZUWATI ENEARU 4. EDWARD EHIZOKHALE ENEARU 5. MICHELLE ILOBEKEME ENEARU AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO OFFER CHARITY AND CARE TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED ONES IN THE SOCIETY. 2. TO PROMOTE AND PROJECT THE WELFARE OF THE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS. 3. TO OFFER HELP AND SCHOLARSHIP TO INDIGENT CHILDREN. 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 B.C. HEZES ESQ THE SHEPHERD CHAMBERS, ABUJA 08060733566

names would be forwarded to the I n t e r n a t i o n a l weightlifting Federation (IWF) for recognition as well award of certificates.

The participants were drawn from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Tanzania.

The four-day course which held on the

sidelines of the 18th NSF, helped in upgrading the standard of some Nigerian umpires in weightlifting, as well as those of their colleagues from some countries in East and Central Africa.

It also raised the standard of c o m p e t i t i o n i n Weightlifting at the Games.

Officials commend Lagos not hosting to win

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he Officials and Athletes from Ogun State who participated in the justconcluded 18 th National Sports Festival yesterday commended the Lagos State Government for not hosting to win.

Some members of the contingent, who shared their experiences of the Games, said in Lagos that the opening and closing ceremonies would ever be remembered.

The contingent, who spoke as they departed the Games Village at the Federal College of Technology, (Technical), Akoka, for their state, also praised the accommodations and feeding arrangement.

Bisi Adeleke, an official, said that Lagos state deserved commendation for the hosting, noting that the state did not host to win.

“We have seen the excellence in the hosting here; it is a show and an adventure for all of us,’’ she said.

Moses Fadairo, who is in charge of transportation of Team Ogun, said that Lagos State prepared well for the competition and had shown excellence in all areas.

“They prepared very well, the food was okay; accommodation was equally good. When we

Gov. Babatunde Fashola

complained about electricity in our hostel here, it was provided immediately,’’ he said.

Fadairo said there was need for improvement in officiating and that hooliganism and indiscipline by athletes at the Games venues in subsequent festivals should be discouraged.

Another official of the Ogun contingent, Christiana Ilelaboye, noted that the host did excellently well during the two-week tournament. “ C o n s i d e r i n g everything, I think the state has done well in the opening and closing ceremonies and accommodation,’’ she said.

Opeyemi Akinola, a Kickboxing Coach, also lauded the state for providing adequate transportation, feeding and accommodation.

“Our accommodation is good as well as feeding though we may need to walk a mile to UNILAG for food at times,’’ he said.

Akinola, however, said the violence that characterized the kickboxing event was annoying and did not portray the state well and called for fairness in officiating in subsequent tournament.

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Britain top ECCC medal table

Gold Cup: Flemenstar shines at Punchestown

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I

reland’s rising star steeplechaser Flemenstar moved to second favourite for March’s Cheltenham Gold Cup with a stylish win in Sunday’s John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.

The seven-year-old beat Sir Des Champs into second with last year’s winner Rubi Light back in third.

The win underlines the standing of Flemenstar and his trainer Peter Casey within current Irish racing folklore.

Jockey Andrew Lynch’s decision to lead all the way on Sunday led to a few more expletives from Casey who insisted he was unaware of the plan.

Bookmakers have now got Flemenstar challenging for favouritism for the Gold Cup with Bobs Worth and according to Casey the plan now is probably a step up to three miles in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on 28 December before a Gold Cup prep race.

India v England: Alastair can match India ambush

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ngland captain Alastair Cook has the potential to match Sachin Tendulkar’s run-scoring feats, according to batting coach Graham Gooch.

Cook, 27, became the youngest player to reach 7,000 Test runs and England’s most prolific centurion with his 23rd as England beat India in Kolkata.

Cook scored superb hundreds in Mumbai and Kolkata to help England take a 2-1 lead over India with one match to play, simultaneously extending his record of having recorded a century in each of his first five Tests as captain.

He now has 7,103 Test runs and is closing in on Gooch, who holds the England record of 8,900.

Gooch, who challenged England to finish the job with victory in the final Test in Nagpur, says several factors will determine whether Cook gets close to the run tallies of Tendulkar or Australia’s Ricky Ponting, who retired from international cricket last week after scoring 13,378 Test runs.

Gooch, who mentored Cook through the youth system at Essex, says his protege’s stellar performances are the product of hard graft.

England only needs a draw in the final Test, which starts on Thursday, to secure their first series victory in India since 1985.

But, with the pitch expected to turn from day one and produce a positive result, Gooch wants England to play for the win.

Tom Farrell

ritain topped the overall medal table at the European Cross Country Championships in Hungary for a fifth year in a row.

Jess Coulson won the Under23 women’s race, while there was also gold for the junior women’s team in Budapest.

The sort of dominance which was achieved in Budapest by Britain’s runners helped in their 10 medals were twice as many as France’s five and with podium positions in all six races, all 36 of the British team will go home with at least one medal.

All this was accomplished without Mo Farah, Jo Pavey or any of our Olympic runners.

Tom Farrell, who missed the Olympics due to injury, was fourth in the men’s race as Britain came second behind Spain in the men’s team standings.

Louise Damen finished 11th as Britain’s women won the team bronze.

All 36 members of the British team return from the Hungarian capital with a medal.

Italian Andrea Lalli captured the men’s race in a time of 30 minutes, one second to become the first man to secure the set of junior, U-23 and senior European titles.

Five British men finished in the top-20 on a course covered

by frozen snow, while all six British athletes were inside the top 33 as Ireland’s Fionnuala Britton retained her individual title in the women’s race.

Coulson’s victory helped Britain to a team silver in the women’s Under-23 event, with James Wilkinson added bronze in the men’s Under-23 race to the silver he won last year as Britain finished third.

The junior women won gold for a second year in a row, with last year’s winner Emelia Gorecka, 18, adding a silver medal to the bronze she won in 2010. Kieran Clements was third as the junior men finished with bronze.

McIlroy wins 2012 Golf Writers’ Trophy

W

orld number one Rory McIlroy has been awarded the 2012 Golf Writers’ Trophy ahead of Europe’s Ryder Cup team. The 23-year-old Northern Irishman had a spectacular season, winning the USPGA Championship by an eight-shot margin as well as four other tournaments.

McIlroy also emulated England’s Luke Donald by topping the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Ryder Cup side, of which McIlroy was part, came second in the voting, followed by Ian Poulter.

Poulter was one of the key architects of Europe’s magnificent comeback in Chicago, making five birdies in a row to win a vital fourball match alongside McIlroy and finishing the Ryder Cup with four points out of four.

Chapman enjoyed a fairytale season when he won the Senior PGA Championship and the US Senior Open, a double only previously achieved by Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin.

The Curtis Cup victory at Nairn completed an unprecedented clean sweep of all four of the main trans-Atlantic trophies - Ryder, Solheim, Walker and Curtis Cups.

Senate President, David Mark, tee-off during the Glo Golf Tour West Africa Grand Finale, at the weekend in St. Mark Golf and Country Club, Akpegede, Otukpo, Benue State.

Rory McIlroy

Pacquiao refuses to quit boxing M

anny Pacquiao is ignoring pleas from his mother and wife to stop boxing following his defeat by Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez.

The former eight-division world champion was knocked out by Marquez in the sixth round of their non-title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Pacquiao, 33, listened to his wife Jinkee and mother Dionisia make tearful appeals for the Filipino to quit.

Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia made a separate appeal to her son, asking him to give up boxing and concentrate on his other interests - including his work as a congressman, hosting a television game show and Bible preaching.

Pacquiao, who started fighting professionally at the age of 16, insists his defeat was not a sign of a decline in his ability.

He added: “I am OK. I just got over-confident in this fight.

That is part of the game - sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

The knockout was Pacquiao’s second successive defeat after a controversial loss to Timothy Bradley in June. That was his first defeat in seven years and came despite the Filipino fighter landing 94 more punches.

Mexican Marquez, 39, floored Pacquiao to record his first win over the Filipino in their four-match rivalry. Pacquiao had won the previous two encounters, with one drawn.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 45

1

2

3

4

Pictorial

1] Three names are in the frame to win the highly coveted Puskรกs award for the best goal of 2012: Falcao, Neymar and Stoch.

2] FA chairman David Bernstein has condemned the fan troubles during Sunday's Manchester derby and called for life bans for any of those involved as nine people have been charged by police.

3] England captain Alastair Cook has the potential to match Sachin Tendulkar's runscoring feats, says batting coach Graham Gooch.

4] Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Flemenstar continues his unbeaten run by winning the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.

5] Lionel Messi's two goals against Real Betis, which saw him, overtake Gerd Muller's record for goals in a calendar year, left Catalan and Spanish editors and journalists struggling for the superlatives yet again.

5

Red Bull offers its own track in Austria as a potential venue for a 20th Grand Prix in the 2013 Formula one calendars.

6

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

Messi’s the best of all time, says Simunic In a career spanning almost 20 years, Josip Simunic has seen it all. Whether at UEFA EUROs, FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League or Europa League, the Croatian centre-back knows every trick in the book.

Born and raised in Australia, Simunic opted to represent his parents’ country in 2001, with which he has since gone on to earn 99 international caps.

Now he has his sights set on reaching the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, as well has gaining more titles with Croatia’s record championship winners Dinamo Zagreb.

In an exclusive interview with FIFA.com, the 34-year-old speaks about his nation’s Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign, his objectives and a curious situation at the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006, involving three yellow cards in one match.

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IFA.com: In just a few weeks, the FIFA Ballon d’Or will be awarded. Who do you think deserves to win it?

Lionel Messi, without doubt. It can’t be anyone else.

He’s been by far and away the best footballer in the world for the last five or six years.

He deserves it and I’m 100 per cent behind him. He’s the best player of all time and if he stays fit he will continue for the next five or six years.

The things he does right now are out of this world. Of course, he doesn’t play by himself, but he is simply incredible. He always finds a way and is always a yard quicker than everyone else. Admittedly he plays in a fantastic team, but he always makes the difference. If you have a player like that on your side, you needn’t fear anyone.

Who would be in your personal FIFA FIFPro World XI 2012?

I’d have Gianluigi Buffon in goal; Jordi Alba, Carlos Puyol, David Luiz and Darjio Srna at the back; Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in midfield and Falcao and Edin Dzeko up front.

Things are going extremely well with Dinamo Zagreb domestically. In your first year there you won the double and now you have a considerable lead at the top of the table. What are your aims for

Messi

the season?

Of course, our objective is to defend our title and to do so as quickly as possible. We wanted to pick up points in the Champions League.

Last year was a disaster, so we wanted to earn some respect for ourselves this season.

That was one of the funniest moments of my career. I must be the only player ever to have been given three yellow cards in one game.

In the current Champions League campaign, Zagreb got knocked out in the group stages. After 11 successive defeats in the competition, you finally picked up a point in the 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kyiv last week.

We’ve got to be honest, the Croatian league isn’t as strong as in other countries and the difference is a big problem.

We have lots of young players who still need time.

Dinamo Zagreb can’t spend millions on new recruits.

We have to train the players from our own academy and sell them on later, that’s what the club lives from.

It’s the only way there is right now.

Unfortunately, that’s the reality of the situation.

The national team has been successful recently, taking ten points from four games in FIFA World Cup qualifying. Are you happy with the team’s performances?

The first two games against Belgium and Macedonia were difficult because we still hadn’t found our rhythm.

Nevertheless, with a bit of luck, we managed to take four points.

Nobody minds how they were earned after a little while. In the third and fourth matches we played some fantastic football and showed what we’re capable of. It’s gone superbly well so far, but we haven’t achieved anything yet.

We want to be at Brazil 2014 and our aim is to qualify directly as group winners. In March we have two more games and another one in June.

That’ll be decisive and then we’ll see where we are.

In spring 2013 Croatia will go head to head with Serbia.

Serbia has a very talented team, just like we do. The match might be given an extra edge in the media, but it’s just a normal game that we want to win.

You currently have 99 caps and should make it a century next year.

How proud are you?

It’s hugely significant for me, I wouldn’t swap it for the world. It was my aim to reach this milestone and it’s something no-

“

That was one of the funniest moments of my career. I must be the only player ever to have been given three yellow cards in one game.

one can take away from me.

Would Brazil 2014 be the perfect place for you to end your career?

Of course it would be a nice way to finish, but at the moment my plan is just to get to the end of this season and to stay fit and healthy.

If that’s the case then I’d love to see the World Cup qualification through to the end.

That’s my aim. If it doesn’t work out, then I’ll stop next summer.

In November 2001 you made your debut for Croatia. You could also have played for Australia after growing up there.

Do you consider yourself an Australian?

I’m happy and proud to have been born and raised in Australia and I have their mentality. However, I’m also very proud of my roots. My parents come from Croatia.

I always say that if you don’t know where you’re coming from, you don’t know where you’re going.

You have a wealth of experience on the international stage, in the Champions League, Europa League, EUROs and FIFA World Cups.

What was your personal highlight?

EURO 2008. That was a great tournament for us and at the end we had some bad luck in the quarter-final against Turkey (a 3-1 penalty shoot-out defeat). But that was definitely the biggest highlight of my international career.

One moment that perhaps wasn’t a highlight, but certainly must have been one of your most curious experiences was against Australia at the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006.

(Laughs) That was one of the funniest moments of my career. I must be the only player ever to have been given three yellow cards in one game.

Maybe it gave me a little advantage, but it didn’t help in the end. It wasn’t a good tournament for us in a sporting sense. We had a tough group and didn’t get through it.

Josip Simunic action

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

PAGE 47

Quick CrossWord (87)

Say what?

ACROSS 1 Lineage (8) 5 Wild sour apple (4) 9 Many-legged creature (9) 10 Jewel (3) 11 Shirt wristband (4) 13 Stimulus (7) 16 Disengage (4) 18 Fill with holes (6) 19 Casual garment (1-5) 21 Disgorge (4) 23 Tell a story (7) 25 Irritable, anxious (4) 27 __ Witch, alistair Maclean book (3) 28 Rubbish pile (5,4) 30 Requisite (4) 31 Utter suddenly (5,3)

SUDOKU 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.

DOWN 1 Brownish-purple (4) 2 Press for payment (3) 3 Worthwhile (7) 4 Place where a stye forms (6) 6 Conservative (5-4) 7 Area after an explosion (4,4) 8 Beatles film and song (4) 12 Tackle (9) 14 Speck of dust (4) 15 Young relative (8) 17 Bird’s breeding place (4) 20 Defensive footballer (7) 22 Vehicle fuel (6) 24 Additionally (4) 26 Face pimple (4) 29 __ trip, self-gratifying experience (3)

Yesterday’s answer

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Yesterday’s solution

Not bananas again! Monkey reacts with anger after opening his oh so predictable Christmas present, at Longleat Safari Park.

Source: Daily.co.uk

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

. . . putting the people first

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE Plea bargaining is not in our law. Instead of allowing (it) and releasing accused persons, government can let corrupt officials put down some of the stolen money and still try them in court.

— Justice Waheed Olaifa

SPORTS Party deregistration: Space LA TEST LATEST

Muller congratulates 'incredible' Messi

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erd Muller yesterday hailed Lionel Messi as “an incredible player” after the Barcelona star broke his record for the most goals in a calendar year.

Muller grabbed 85 goals for Bayern Munich and West Germany in 1972 and the mark stood for 40 years until last night when Messi netted his 85th and 86th goals of an incredible 2012 in Barça's 2-1 win at Real Betis.

Muller led the tributes today, telling Sport1.de: "My record stood for 40 years - 85 goals in 60 games - and now the best player in the world has broken it, and I'm delighted for him. He is an incredible player, gigantic."

Muller, whose record as Germany's all-time top goalscorer is also under threat from Miroslav Klose, now hopes Messi will add to his tally before the end of the year.

“He's such a nice and modest professional and I hope he gets one or two more goals in 2012 and that he can then hold onto the record for the next 40 years,” he added. “He's fantastic. He only has one defect and that is that he doesn't play for Bayern Munich.

The man himself was typically modest and insisted he derived more pleasure from helping Barça preserve their sixpoint advantage at the top of the Primera Division standings than he did claiming another personal landmark.

“The record is great for what it means, but the most important thing is that the team won and that we maintained the distance with the teams behind us," Messi told the club's website. “When the year starts the objective is to win it all with the team, personal records are secondary.

But he added: “I'll try to score more goals to make it more difficult for the next player that tries to break it.

Lionel Messi ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

0803 0805 0803 0805 0803

contracted, democracy hallowed T

he number of registered political parties operating in the country got slashed by almost half, last week. The Jegaled Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)'s hammer came down hard on 28 of them, withdrawing their registration and right to operate as political parties in the country. A statement issued by INEC's secretary said the Commission relied on the powers conferred on it by both the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act, as amended, to deregister the 28 political parties.

If numbers were all, it would be said that the Jega-led INEC has, by a stroke of its pen and in one fell swoop, reduced the country's political and democratic space by almost half.

Even though frightening, especially in view of INEC's quest for more constitutional powers, this development should not surprise those who have been following events in the country.

Since the return to civilian rule in 1999 and the liberalisation, from around 2003, of the party registration process, there has been a powerful lobby canvassing for a drastic reduction in the number of political parties in the country. And INEC itself has for years been craving for the power and legal backing to enable it effect such a drastic reduction.

What should surprise us, rather, is that this is happening under Jega's watch. The INEC boss, it will be remembered, got his job largely on the basis of his reputation as a man of integrity- a rare quality in public life in today's Nigeria-who would not be easily compromised or corrupted. The popular perception of the man as left-leaning in politics and an activist, arising largely from his antecedent as a committed unionist who first led and gave ASUU credibility, direction and focus, was what helped to make his appointment receive the nationwide favourable response that it did, and made many to give him their support or at least the benefit of the doubt.

Because of this and the fact that Jega himself had once been at the receiving end of state tyranny, public expectations have been very high that the man will deliver, and not just on the matter of the elections themselves but also that when and where in the course of his onerous task he is required to exercise discretion and judgement, he will do so in favour of the weak and the oppressed, where doing so does not offend the letter and the

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By Rufa’i Ibrahim ruf585@hotmail.com spirit of our laws. Few would now say this has been the case. And even fewer would say that under his watch INEC has been less obsequious in any significant way than it had been in all its past years.

We must grant that, together, the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act give INEC enormous powers, including those of registering and deregistering political parties.

Recent amendments to the constitution and the Act have empowered INEC to withdraw the registration of a political party based on such criteria as its performance in elections, measured in terms of how many people have been elected into the legislative or executive arms on its platform. And, yes, we must grant too that many of the 28 deregistered parties lack the qualifications prescribed in the constitution and the Act, like big offices in Abuja, expensive office furniture and equipment and an array of officers. Some are in fact no more than brief case political parties, used by their chairmen or founders to get the annual stipends paid to the political parties by INEC. But this is one area or situation where Jega is required to show real leadership and good judgement, and exercise his discretion in such a way as to craft appropriate responses that will serve as a life preserver for the weak parties while being in tune with the letter and spirit of the our constitution and laws. Few, if any, would say he has done so.

Constitutions and laws generally, are products of struggles between groups, forces, interests and classes in a society. The forces that pushed for and got through those amendments that give INEC such wide, life and death powers over the political parties have their own agenda consistent with their worldview, interests and ambitions. Whatever arguments they may advance to justify the amendment, the fact, as we have now seen, is that their victory has meant, the contraction of our country's political space at a time

when we should be expanding it, the impoverishment of our politics, the abridgement of the fundamental rights of the people and an onslaught on the constitution itself. How can anyone be part of this agenda?

Our constitution guarantees us the fundamental rights to freely associate with others, move freely in the country, and express and canvass opinions. The highest expression of all these freedoms is the political party. Now these cherished and fundamental freedoms have been abridged in a very fundamental way by these amendments which empower INEC to deregister a political party on the basis of performance in elections. How can this be justified in a democracy?

But even aside from this, the amendments are illogical. Why, for instance, should performance in elections be the decider of whether or not a political party should be, when in almost all countries of the world parties decide for themselves, depending on their assessments of their chances and the political terrain, whether or not to contest elections and, if so, which particular elections to contest? Can Jega and the kill-the-weak-parties lobby not conceive of a situation in this country where some political parties may decide, as is the case in India, to contest only local council elections, or elections at the local council and state levels only, or all the elections at all levels, or even to totally boycott the elections in a particular year? What will be wrong with that in a democracy?

And if the idea is that only big and strong political parties are required, how does a party become so when it is deregistered at its infancy? How does Jega know, or by which criteria does he tell which seed will grow and which will not, to borrow Shakespeare’s expression?

If the concern is with the few millions given to each of the registered parties by INEC, it should not be too difficult for INEC to fashion an objective and acceptable assessment system or criteria by

the use of which it can determine which parties are deserving of the stipends and which are not.

And the big question here, in any case, is: in what way or ways does the existence and operation of the smaller parties negatively affect politics in Nigeria?

What to me is no less worrying than the above is the fact that Jega and INEC have so far not shown one instance of exercising the Commission's enormous powers over the bigger parties. There are matters of finance and audit over which INEC ought to be paying close attention and baring its fangs when necessary, but we don't see or hear much from the Commission in this regard.

Jega, it now appears, is quite content running the system as it is. One sees no real interest or enthusiasm in him for changing things and extending the frontiers of electoral politics in the country, the way Lamido Sanusi has been advocating and pushing reforms in the financial sector.

What do we attribute all this to: the mellowing that comes with age and time? Or the reality of power that pushes those in its grip to gradually come to share the instincts and policy orientations of those against whom they had previously fought? Whatever it is, Jega should tread carefully and even retrace his steps lest he emerges from all this, in the eyes of many, as a closet autocrat.

But there is another dimension of this that is also truly troubling.

This is that among the 28 parties deregistered are some of Nigeria's most credible and radical parties, ones that offer real alternatives to the present ruling parties - to wit, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and the Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ). Is this accidental or by design?

Whatever it is, the deregistration of political parties like the PRP and MDJ has, in an important way, deprived Nigerians of credible alternative platforms and left us stuck with parties that seem to have all run out of their wits and all draw from the same stagnant and shallow pool of ideas. In some ways, therefore, the deregistration amounts to the delegitimisation of progressive politics and the stream of radical thought that runs deep and wide in our history in many parts of the country. And this, coupled with the high level of corruption in the polity, is sure to lead to the gradual hallowing out of democracy, in ways that will leave only its empty rituals. This country doesn't deserve this.

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