Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday, July 12, 2012 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 8 No. 79

Thursday, July 12, 2012

. . . putting the people first

Shaaban 22, 1433 AH

N150

New company to replace NNPC as FEC approves new PIB By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

he creation of an independent National Oil Company (NOC) Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) approved at yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting

of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at State House, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. President Goodluck Jonathan is expected in the next few days to forward it to the National Assembly for

consideration and passage into law. Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, who briefed State House correspondents alongside the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-

Iweala and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Allison-Maduekwe, at the end of yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting presided over by President Jonathan, said the objective of the PIB was to make the

petroleum industry more competitive. He said it would also promote rapid development, enhance transparency and accountability within the Contd on Page 2

By Lawrence Olaoye

Jonathan ordered the troop deployment to keep the peace. It all started when Bimbo Daramola raised a motion of urgent national importance on the deployment of the soldiers. Daramola had, while presenting his motion, alerted the House about the constitutional provision which forbids a massive deployment of

troops to any part of the country where there is a minor crisis that the police are capable of containing. However, as soon as the motion was mentioned, the plenary was thrown into confusion as members who are mainly of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made Contd on Page 2

Reps in rowdy session over Edo poll H

Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, yesterday after her confirmation by the Senate as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Senate confirms Aloma Mukhtar as CJN >> PAGE 3

ouse of Representatives yesterday had a rowdy session, sparked by a disagreement over the deployment of 3, 500 soldiers to Edo state ahead of the gubernatorial election slated for Saturday, July 14. President Goodluck

Gunmen kill mother, children in Bauchi >> PAGE 4

Bauchi teachers start indefinite strike

Julius Berger, Arab Contractors sealed

>> PAGE 6

>> PAGE 10

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

Op.Ed

Letters

Opinion

Metro

16-17

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

Interview

Earth

Newsxtra

Plateau massacre crime against humanity, says JNI From Agagu Madugba, Kaduna

ama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI) has described the recent killings in Plateau state as a “heinous crime” against humanity. A press statement by the JNI Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, released yesterday in Kaduna, said the Nigerian Muslim community should fervently pray to Allah for peace in Plateau and the country at large. According to the statement, “the JNI under the leadership of His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, in unequivocal terms, condemns the senseless killing of innocent people in the most recent crisis in Barkin-Ladi local government, Plateau state. It said last weekend’s attacks on a funeral in a village near Jos, the Plateau state capital, which left hundreds dead, including a senator and a member of the state House of Assembly, “once again brings to the fore the insecurity prevailing in our country”. The statement said “JNI extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of this mayhem among them, Senator Dantong Dalyop Gyang and Hon. James Gyang Fulani. “We pray to God to give us all the fortitude to bear the

irreparable losses. “The JNI calls on the Plateau state government to rise to the latest challenges and no stone should be left unturned in fishing out the perpetrators of these dastardly and heinous

crimes against humanity and bring them to justice. “In these difficult and chaotic upheavals of violence and insecurity, Nigerians, particularly Muslims must not

be oblivious of the significance of prayers; therefore Muslims are called upon to fervently pray to Allah for peace in Plateau state and Nigeria at large.”

Poverty, injustice drive Nigeria’s sectarian violence – Report overty, inequality and injustice are threatening to trigger a broad sectarian conflict in Nigeria, an international Christian-Muslim task force warned said yesterday. Clashes between Nigerian Christians and Muslims have already killed hundreds of people this year alone. But although the violence is the worst between members of the two faiths since the Bosnian war of 1992-1995, the root causes go far beyond religion, the group’s report said. C o r r u p t i o n , mismanagement, land disputes and the lack of aid for victims or punishment for troublemakers have all fuelled tensions, especially in Nigeria’s “Middle Belt”, where the mostly Muslim north meets the largely Christian south, it said. Attacks by radical Islamist groups such as Boko Haram that exploit these secular issues and

revenge killings by Christian and Muslim gangs have reinforced the religious aspect of the violence, reports Reuters. “There is a possibility that the current tension and conflict might become subsumed by its religious dimension (especially along geographical ‘religious fault-lines’),” the report said, warning that blaming only religion for the strife would make that incomplete view “a self-fulfilling prediction”. The 12-member joint delegation was led by World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary Olav Fyske Tveit of Norway and Jordanian Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, chairman of the board of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. The report identified dozens of separate problems whose resolution could contribute to overall peace. The wealth gap between the oil-producing states in the south and the resource-poor north was a leading factor in

regional tensions, as were land disputes such as the lack of recognized grazing land for nomadic Fulani cattle herders. Indigenous inhabitants in many states enjoy more legal rights than “settlers,” who have no access to free healthcare, education, land and jobs even though some of them moved into those areas generations ago. “It is an enormous problem that needs to be solved or resolved at the federal and constitution levels, perhaps with a constitutional clarification or amendment,” the report said. It also said tensions arose because Northerners felt shortchanged in the race for the presidency in 2011 because the election of President Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner, broke a power-sharing agreement between north and south. But the report did say that religion itself had played a part in fuelling the violence.

that the uproar showed no sign of abating, he quickly called a vote on the motion. He actually gave it to the ‘ayes’, but it was difficult for opposition members to accept the ruling. Consequently, Rep.Femi Gbajabiamila, raised a point of order, asking Mr. Speaker to call for a division of the House on the matter since his ruling on the voice vote was not convincing to particularly opposition members of the House and even some PDP members who placed national interest above party affiliation. In defending his point of order, the Minority Leader cited Order 11 Rule 77(1), which

reads, “if the opinion of the Speaker, or in Committee of the Whole House the Chairman, as to the decision of a question is challenged, the Speaker or the Chairman shall direct that the lobbies be cleared and on such direction being given, the doors to the chambers shall be locked and the division shall be taken”. Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, however, was forced to rescind his earlier decision stopping Daramola from going further. After some minutes into the plenary, he was advised on the issue and he announced that he had reversed himself and quickly apologized to members,

who applauded him for his humility. He also announced that the division would be taken as the first item on the order paper of today’s proceedings. It would be recalled that the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which is the ruling party in Edo state has consistently kicked against the deployment of the military to maintain the peace at the forthcoming governorship election in the state. The party has argued that deploying soldiers is one of the strategies that the PDP wants to use to intimidate voters and rig the election in its favour.

By Luqman Sultan

Reps in rowdy session over Edo poll My agenda for Borno state, Gov. Shettima (I), Pages 24, 25

International 31-34 Strange World 35 Digest

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

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Contd from Page 1 frenetic efforts to shout him down. The lawmaker, who struggled to raise his voice over the ding, tried to get the consent of the Speaker to read out relevant provisions of the Constitution to back his argument, but was not successful as Speaker Aminu Tambuwal refused to grant him leave to do so. The noisy session intensified when the Speaker bluntly told Daramola that he was not going to allow a debate on the motion, resulting in members of opposition parties renting the air with shouts of no no no nooooo. When Tambuwal observed

New company to replace NNPC as FEC approves new PIB Contd from Page 1 industry with revolutionary changes which include the unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into several companies. The Petroleum Resources Minister noted that the unbundling of the NNPC would see the creation of various private sector-style companies, including a National Oil Company, which would be independent; a National Asset Management Corporation, a holding company; the National

Frontier Exploration Services Unit, a National Gas Company and the Petroleum Host Community Fund. “So, I think in a nutshell, we have tried to take the entirety of the critical segments of the PIB to ensure that the fiscal frameworks were re-worked to better position Nigeria within the competitive frameworks that are inherent now not only globally but even in the African landscape. “The competitive scenery is not as it was a few years ago.

Nigeria is no longer the only producing country in Africa as you know. So, we try to ensure that while we accrue more revenue, we also remain an interesting investment destination for oil and gas investors,” she noted. Mrs. Allison-Maduekwe remarked that the PIB would soon be forwarded to the National Assembly by the President at his own discretion any moment from now, adding that to ensure quick passage of

the bill, government would continue to work with the leadership of the National Assembly and other stakeholders. “Of course, at the point it is placed before the Senate for First Hearing, it is no longer under our purview or our jurisdiction legally. However, we will continue at all times to try and ensure that we work and align very closely with the National Assembly in an effort to facilitate its quick passage in to law,” she added.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

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Independence Day bombings: Witness implicates Sylva, Boyloaf, others By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

prosecution in the trial of one of the suspects of the October 1, 2010 multiple bomb blasts in Abuja, Edmund Ebiware, yesterday told an a Federal High Court in Abuja that the immediate past governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva had prior knowledge of the bombing. The witness who was simply called Mr. X by the SSS for security

reasons said he informed Sylva that Henry Okah was planning to detonate bombs by October 1, 2010. Other people he said he informed of the bombings during the celebration of the nations independence are one of the former Niger-Delta militant, Ebikabowei Victor Ben, (aka Boyloaf) and Selekaye Victor Ben. Mr. X also confessed before the court that he and one Emmanuel

Harrison participated in the Warri town bombing of March 15, 2010. "I knew Edmund through Stanley Ogbakyri. I knew Okah too and we have each other’s phone numbers. And we do talk on phone. I knew with the looks of things Okah wanted to cause more problems after amnesty programme, because Okah felt the programme was no longer going the way it was originally designed.

"As at September 2010, I knew that there would be a bomb blast in Abuja. I received a phone call from Emma Harrison that Henry Okay will bomb Abuja on October 1, 2010. I called Edmund and told him what I heard. He did not say anything. "I reported what Harrison told me to Boyloaf and Victor Ben. I reported to Sylva, as well as Zion Amanda who was then serving as the Secretary of Brass LGA.

Amanda is very close to Sylva and I knew he was also going to tell Sylva too’’, Mr. X said. Another witness, SSS Director of Operations, Mathew Seiyefa, also told the court that after Edmund was arrested and interrogated, the SSS headquarters summoned him to confront the suspect. Before then the suspect had told his interrogator that he duly informed him that there would be bomb blast in Abuja in October 1.

Northern senators condemn Jos attack, seek end to hostilities By Richard Ihediwa

L-R: Niger state Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, and Head of African Programme, Chatham House, Mr. Alex Vines, during a lecture session by the governor, entitled: “Nigeria’s unity and Regional Socio-political Groups: Influence and Impact of the Northern States Governors Forum,” on Tuesday in London. Photo: NAN

Senate confirms Mukhtar as CJN By Sunday Ejike Benjamin and Ikechukwu Okaforadi

… to be sworn-in on Monday

he Senate by a resounding voice vote yesterday, confirmed Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar as the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). She takes over from Justice Dahiru Musdapher who is due to retire from service next week. The new CJN who was grilled by the lawmakers for over two hours to test her knowledge of the issues in the judiciary told the Senate yesterday, that there would be no hiding place for corrupt judges and lawyers in the system. She told the lawyers to get ready for positive change or to face the music. She told the senators there

was no law yet to nail members of the dreaded Islamic sect Boko Haram and any other persons involved in terrorism. She admitted that the judiciary like other sector of the society still stinks and needed internal cleansing to restore public confidence in it. According to her, “corruption is in every system of our society and I cannot pretend that it is not in the judiciary. What I intend to dot to curb this is to lead by example and to hope and pray that others will follow”. “As the chairman of the National Judicial Council, I will

encourage internal cleansing based on petition. But that is not to say that I will condone frivolous petitions. Each petition will be looked at on its merit. And I will also seek the permission of my colleagues in the council to ensure that discipline is enforced accordingly." Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan will on Monday inaugurate Justice Mukhtar as the incumbent, Justice Dahiru Musdapher bows out tomorrow, Friday July 13th, 2012. Born in Kano state, Justice Mukhtar was the first female northerner to become a lawyer, the first woman to be appointed a justice

of the Court of Appeal and the first female Justice of the Court of Appeal to make it to the Supreme Court. Her appointment, after the Senate clearance, will make her the 13th head of the nation’s judiciary since the appointment of Chief Justice Adetokunbo Ademola, the first CJN, who held the post from 1958–1972. Muktar was called to the Nigerian Bar on June 26, 1967. By September 24, 1987, she became the first female to be sworn into the Court of Appeal. The road to Mukhtar’s historic emergence began in April when Musdapher served the National Judicial Council (NJC) the mandatory three-month notice of retirement.

Jonathan grants incentives for cassava bread By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

resident Goodluck Jonathan has approved new incentives to flour millers and bakers including the cancellation of import duty for cassava enzymes which was previously at 10 percent. The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of

Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, told State House correspondents after yesterday's Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, that import duty on wheat would rise as a result of the new initiative. She also announced that President Jonathan had approved the scrapping of the 10 percent import duty on cassava enzymes used in the making of cassava

bread and other confectionery as part of incentives to encourage cheaper production of cassava bread in the country. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala explained that part of the incentives also include the setting up of a Cassava Development Fund to support the cassava value chain up to the point of cassava bread production as it would help in the procurement of

new equipment and training. Also speaking on the cassava initiative, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, noted that the President's waiver of the import duty on cassava enzymes was another strong demonstration of his desire "to grow the economy, diversify it, add value to the crops that we produce, create jobs and reduce our dependence on wheat imports."

he Northern Senators Forum (NSF), has unanimously condemned the spate of violence and killing in the north, including the latest which claimed the life of Senator Gyang D. Dantong and others in Jos, Plateau state last Sunday. The forum in a statement signed by the chairman, Senator Umaru Dahiru, said such killings must be stopped while steps must be taken to restore peace in all the parts of the country. Dahiru, who commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the attack, said the death of Dantong, who he described as a man of peace should signal the end of violence in the country. Stating that the forum is not just concerned because of the death of a senator, Dahiru said the National Assembly has been working very hard in exploring ways to end the hostilities in the

Minimum wage: Kebbi NLC to commence strike today From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

ollowing an ultimatum given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Kebbi state, to the state government last week over the nonpayment of N18,000 as minimum wage, the leadership of the union has finally pronounced an indefinite strike action across the state. Addressing newsmen at the Labour House in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, the chairman of the union, Comrade Sadeeq Sambo Ka’oje said after the eight days ultimatum given the state government, the union has no alternative than to commence the industrial action since the government failed to listen to its demand. Ka’oje explained further that if the state government fails to shift grounds, labour will also not shift grounds until government comes to terms with the issue of minimum wage which the government earlier pledged.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

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Student Again, Lagos doctors threaten strike commits suicide T in Benue From Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

n NCE year two (2) student at the College of Education, Oju, Benue state, Mr. Raymond Agbo, has reportedly committed suicide. Our correspondent learnt that Raymond, who lived off campus, hanged himself from the ceiling last weekend. He left no suicide note. An indigene of Ogbadibo local government area, Raymond, a source disclosed, had arrived school a day to his death complaining of an inexplicable affliction to his friends who consoled him and also urged him to sleep. But when his friends left for classes the next day, Raymond stayed back only for them to return to see his lifeless body hanging on the ceiling. Reacting to the incident, acting Provost of the institution, Peter Shirga, described it as “most unfortunate” and advised students living off campus to always channel their grievances to the appropriate quarter for assistance instead of resorting to dire actions like suicide. Chairman of the local government, David Odeh, expressed shock over the incident and urged the police to investigate it.

Gunmen kill mother, children in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

nknown gunmen yesterday shot dead a nursing mother and her four children in her farm in Yong village, Tafawa Balewa local government area of Bauchi state. Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ladan confirmed the incident, saying the victims’ bodies were found on the farm with gunshot injuries. It was gathered that the sad incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday. One of the children reportedly died later in hospital. Husband of the deceased, Mr. Luke Jumtuk, described the incident as “barbaric and callous.” Jumtuk said his wife and children were killed while working on the farm behind his house. He urged both the state and federal governments to end recurrent attacks in the area.

he Lagos state health sector may soon witness another industrial upheaval over alleged random deductions from doctors’ April salary and withholding of May salary by the state government. The doctors accused the state government of adopting measures to stifle members of the Medical Guild rather than addressing the issues on ground. According to a statement by the Medical Guild’s chairman, Dr. Olumuyiwa Odusote, “following the withdrawal of the illegal sack of 788

doctors by the Lagos state government; and on receipt of recall letters by all the doctors and resumption of medical services in the hospitals, the Lagos state branch of the Nigerian Medical Association and the Medical Guild have written series of letters to the state government requesting for meetings and mechanisms to resolve all the outstanding issues that led to and emanated from the recent health sector crisis, including CONMESS. “However till date, the government is yet to invite the NMA or the Medical Guild to any meeting to look into these issues. The only correspondence from government

was to inform us about a committee it set up to review wage matters of health workers.” Odusote added that the doctors do not know the composition of the committee, neither have they received any correspondence from the committee. He alleged: “Rather than engender industrial harmony, the government has adopted measures to stifle our members by arbitrary deductions in April salary, withholding May salary, and forcing only doctors to fill daily activity reports. “We wish to call on all well meaning Lagosians and

stakeholders who intervened to resolve the last crisis to prevail on the Lagos state government to do the needful by initiating a process of resolving all the outstanding issues once and for all, while we on our part will do all that is necessary to prevent any industrial strike and maintain the peace in the health sector.” However, a circular issued by the Acting Head of Service, Mrs. Josephine Williams, said the government did not expect doctors and other health workers to go on any strike without strict compliance with relevant rules, including providing essential services.

Children of NNPC and DPR Staff who lost their lives in DANA Plane crash observing commendation service, yesterday at NNPC headquarters, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

anaging Director, Chart Well Securities Limited, Mr. Olawale Adeosun, yesterday told a Lagos High Court in Ikeja that former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola, did not order his company to transfer N2.5 billion into the account of Tropics Finance Limited. Adeosun was subpoenaed by the defence to testify in the trial of Akingbola and Bayo Dada, General Manager of Tropics Finance Limited before Judge Habeeb Abiru. They were charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly stealing N47.1 billion belonging to Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank). The witness, who was led in

Akingbola didn’t order N2.5bn transfer to firm’s account, says witness evidence by Akingbola’s counsel, Mr. Abubakar Shamshudeen, said Akingbola did not participate in the transfer of N2.5 billion into the account of Tropics Finance Limited. He said: "On February 26, 2009, I got a call from the Corporate Treasurer of Intercontinental Bank, Mrs Toyin Oyelade, who requested for the assistance of my company in a N2.5 billion transfer transaction. "I confirmed our willingness to assist the bank based on my relationship with her and the bank. "I issued two Skye Bank cheques totalling N2.5 billion. "The cheques were dated

February 27, 2009 and they were collected by two staff of the bank's treasury department. "The cheques were issued in favour of Tropics Finance Limited and immediately the funds were deposited in the account of the company, the bank transferred the same amount back to Chart Well's Skye Bank account". Adeosun explained that the company also transferred funds totalling N3.6 billion and N5 billion respectively to other customers and subsidiaries of the bank during the period. He said the purpose of the transactions was to assist the bank in its Year End Account Management.

Police warn herdsmen, farmers against violence

he Jigawa state police command has warned farmers and herdsmen against any act capable of disrupting existing peace in the state. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Theophilus Kayode, gave the warning during an interactive session with the groups yesterday in Dutse. He decried the persistent clash between herdsmen and farmers

which led to wanton destruction of lives and property in the state. Kayode said the command would not condone further encroachment of farmlands by the herdsmen. “I appeal to you to always channel your grievances to the constituted authorities”, he said. Kayode commended the state government for the establishment of grazing reserves across the state to address the

incessant conflict between the two. In a remark, Malam Adamu Ahmad, a farmer from Hadeja local government area, expressed happiness over the meeting which he noted was geared towards finding peaceful solutions to their problems. He advised that the meeting be held quarterly to discuss contending issues concerning farmers and pastoralists. (NAN)

His words:"The Year End of the bank up till 2009 was the last day of February. So when some known customers who were granted loans were unable to pay up before or two months after the year end, the bank usually looks towards its credible customers to put cash in-flow into their accounts so that they will not fall under the non-performing loans classification. "It is standard practice by many banks because even when the money is placed in the customers accounts, it is blocked by the bank and they cannot access it until the completion of the audit exercise". Under cross-examination by Mr Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), counsel to EFCC, the witness maintained that Akingbola did not order the transaction. Adeosun said: “I never had interaction with Akingbola on the basis of this transaction. The only person I interacted with was the corporate treasurer and in my experience in the banking sector, she and the corporate financial controller are responsible for ensuring that the bank's books are in shape at the year-end". The trial continues today.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

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Ramadan: Avoid provocative statements, Muslim preachers urged From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

articipants at a three-day national conference on “The Challenges of Moon-Sighting in Nigeria: The Way Forward,” have urged Islamic preachers to avoid provocative and misleading statements during the forthcoming Ramadan Tafsir lectures and other preaching sessions. The Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in collaboration with the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), and the Ministry for Religious Affairs,

Sokoto state, organized the conference in Sokoto. A communiqué issued in Kaduna yesterday also urged the Ulama to adhere strictly to the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Chairman of the local organizing committee for the conference, Prof. S. W. Junaidu, and the JNI Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, signed the communiqué which also regretted that there is diversity of opinions in determining moon-sighting in Nigeria.

According to the communiqué, “there is a consensus that physical sighting of the moon for the commencement and termination of Ramadan fasting and other Islamic events should be in conformity with Qur`an and Sunnah. “Science and technology could be employed to assist in sighting the new moon and in ensuring the adherence to the Shari’ah in this regard. “The employment of science and technology should be complementary to the physical

sighting of the moon. “For the purpose of eliminating misconception and confusions regarding moon-sighting, a strategy for comprehensive public enlightenment should be put in place. “A round-table discussion should be organized for the Ulama and other Muslim scholars to bridge the existing gap on all contentious issues on moonsighting. “The conference re-affirms the allegiance of the Nigerian Muslims to the central leadership of the

Sultan of Sokoto and therefore calls on all Muslims in Nigeria to abide by his announcements on moonsighting. “The participants agreed and accepted the JNI Tafsir/preaching guidelines and promised to abide by it. “The conference calls on Nigerians irrespective of their religious, ethnic or regional differences to live in peace with one another and avoid any attitude and action that could breach the peace and security of the nation”, the communiqué concluded.

My husband was sacrificed for peace — Mrs. Dantong From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

he widow of late Senator Gyang Dantong yesterday said if her husband and the majority leader of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Gyang Fulani have become the sacrificial lamb for peace,then she glorifies God for it. Mrs. Dantong disclosed this when the Chairperson of the Senators’ wives association and wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Helen Mark led other Senators wives to pay her a condolence visit. She said: “I give God the glory, God has silently been speaking to me and I told Him that if this is the one big sacrifice that will bring peace to Beromland, Plateau state and Nigeria, I return all the glory back to Him”. Mrs. Dantong who was in tears regretted that her colleagues were visiting her for the second time, not for celebration, but for commiseration noting that the first was in 2009 when she lost her son. She added that "You all rallied around me and I remember that day vividly, little did I know that another episode will take place. I wish it were a different thing". Mrs. Mark advocated continuous prayers for the country to remain united saying Nigerians have lived peacefully with one another because God did not make mistake by bringing people together. Mrs. Mark further appealed to groups engaged in the killing of innocent Nigerians to ceasefire and embrace peace. Senators wives that accompanied Mrs. Mark were Mrs. Rosemary Lar, Mrs. Abaribe, Mrs. Borofice, Mrs. Dariye, and Mrs. Innocent Tiseh among others.

L-R: Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya, FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, and Minister of State for FCT, Chief Jumoke Akinjide, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

Salami must be tried for perjury, says PDP From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Southwest zone, has called on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to commence the trial of the suspended President, Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo Salami for perjury. The party said, “with what the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),

Justice Dahiru Musdapher said in the newspapers today about the testimony he gave against Justice Salami at the NJC Probe Panel, the ball is now in the courts of the AGF and NJC for Justice Salami to be tried." Justice Musdapher had maintained in a story published in the Daily Trust newspaper today, that his testimony before the NJC probe panel headed by Justice Umaru Abdullahi about former CJN, Justice Alloysius

Ogun Assembly seeks redeployment of youth corps members From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

gun state House of Assembly lawmakers yesterday passed a resolution seeking the redeployment of the state’s indigenes posted to violenceprone states in the North for the mandatory one year National Youth Service Corps scheme. Peoples Daily reports that the motion was moved by Hon Remi Hassan,representing Odogbolu state constituency and supported by a number of his colleagues

Similarly, the Assembly has directed the state Attorney general to urgently obtain a court order to compel the NYSC to redeploy the indigenes of Ogun state serving in troubled areas in the North. The lawmakers in unison also demanded that the NYSC should urgently redeploy the corps members to more secure parts of the country. Corps members for the Batch ‘B’ orientation course posted to Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna and Yobe had recently protested their posting to such states.

Katsina Alu, was the truth as he knew it. He said Katsina-Alu never told Salami in his presence to give judgment in favour of any party in the Sokoto governorship election appeal, as claimed on oath by Justice Salami. According to the PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade; "Now that the CJN, who is the major dramatis personae in the Salami saga has again informed the whole world that

Justice Salami actually lied on oath, the AGF should initiate the process of his trial immediately." The party said the federal government would be sending a wrong signal to Nigerians and the entire people of the world if it failed to prosecute Salami for a criminal offence like perjury. "That a member of the Bench lied on oath, thereby committing a criminal offence of perjury touches on the foundation of the judge's ability to discharge his duty with honesty and sincerity. “Perjury is criminal and it attracts 14 years imprisonment according to Section 118 of the Criminal Code. But apart from being a criminal offence, it is immoral for a judge, who sits in judgment over people who commit perjury to be a liar himself”, Babade said.

Emodi applauds Jonathan, congratulates new CJN By Umar Mohammed Puma

he Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, has congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan, on the historic appointment of the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar. Emodi, who coordinated the screening and confirmation process at the National Assembly in a ceremonious style, also

congratulated the new and first female CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, for her extraordinary accomplishments and groundbreaking, records in the judiciary. According to Emodi, "The appointment of Justice Aloma Mukhtar, a woman, to head one of the three arms of government in Nigeria for the first time in almost 100 years of the country's existence and 52 years of Nigeria's Independence is a victory for Nigerian women. This is a great moment in history", she said.

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By Muhammad Nasir

s part of efforts to meet current national challenges, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will convene a national peace summit in August. The disclosure was made yesterday by the president, NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, yesterday at this year's edition of the National Women Conference, with the theme, "Women Workers and the Challenges of the Informal Economy in Nigeria." Omar stated that Labour was concerned about the peace and development of Nigeria, even as he stressed that "in Labour, there is no division of tribe, creed or tribalism, everyone is equal." The NLC president said the current spate of insecurity "is a serious national challenge that all of us must take up." He also appealed to all parties to this weekend's gubernatorial election to play by the rules. His words: "We are calling on politicians who always use money in elections to desist from it. Labour unions are watching and Nigerians are also watching." Also speaking at the conference, Comrade Ladi Iliya, chairperson NLC, National Women Commission, said the conference was set to examine the progress made so far by women in their quest for more roles in the activities of Congress and its affiliates, form alliance with women in the informal sector, share experience and identify areas of cooperation and strengthening solidarity among women workers. Iliya also noted that the conditions of women and the girl-

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

NLC to convene national peace summit in August child still call for concern in Nigeria and across the world. She said domestic workers, who are mostly women, were often physically abused, denied educational and other opportunities to pursue economically productive careers. "These women are mostly caught in a low skilled/low paid jobs and therefore low unionization rates which exclude them from the coverage of collective agreement which sets

basic pay and working conditions," she added. She also pointed out that unions must be in the forefront of championing the decent work agenda as a means of addressing imbalances in employment conditions in the country. Iliya maintained that a challenge before the labour movement in Nigeria "and indeed the global unions is to ensure that government and

promote employment creation, social protection, rights at work and gender equality to enable the employment of worker in the informal sector."

Kaduna lawmaker, Bawa, passes on at 52 From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

ember representing Zaria City constituency at the Kaduna state House of Assembly, Hon. Mustapha Bawa, is dead. According to reports, Bawa died of heart failure on Tuesday evening, in Zaria. The Assembly yesterday announced suspension of its plenary sittings till next Tuesday in honour of the deceased. The late Bawa 52, who had been a member of the House since 2003 was first elected on the platform of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). He later decamped

to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). A statement by Alhaji Shuaibu Abdullahi on behalf of the Clerk of the legislature said: "The Kaduna State House of Assembly has rescheduled its plenary sittings to Tuesday next week 17th July, 2012 in honour of his demise." The statement noted that the late Bawa was at different times chairman, House Committees on Health, Inter-Governmental Organisations and Science and Technology. The late Bawa is survived by wives and children. He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

Bauchi pensioners may get higher pay committee set up by the Bauchi state government may ask the latter to increase the monthly stipends it pays pensioners in the state. Chairman of the State Pension Board, Alhaji Ibrahim Ashu Abubakar, who disclosed this said the committee "is working assiduously with a view to advising government appropriately so as to put a smile on the faces of the state' teeming pensioners." Abubakar, who was addressing the state MDAs press briefing, explained that the board and the state government will continue to accord respect and dignity to the pensioners. He revealed that the board had paid N573.2 million as gratuities to 800 retirees in between April 2011 and last month. According to Abubakar, the board paid N1.5 billion as monthly pensions during the period under

review, as it now has 5, 943 pensioners on its payroll. He added that government recently approved a monthly release of N300 million to the board for a period of six months to clear backlogs of pension arrears and stabilise its operations. Thereafter, the panel has continued to receive N100 million monthly to pay pensioners. Abubakar said the government has been meeting its obligations to the board despite the huge financial burden on it. He stated: "During the period under review, the sum of N12, 078, 723.30 was paid as monthly salaries to the staff of the board. Similarly, the sum of N2, 612, 500 was received from the government as other charges for the day-today running of the board activities." Abubakar added that during the same period, a total of 1,024 cases were handled comprising of 703 retirements, 278 deaths, 11 withdrawals, 2 terminations and 30 contract gratuities.

Basic Education Board (SUBEB), saying that it was aimed at downgrading the teachers in rank and sack others. It accused SUBEB of flouting the order of the state Assembly, which ordered the two parties to stay action pending the outcome of their investigation into the matter. The duo said while the union agreed to suspend its initial strike, the board went ahead to issued circulars that threatened its members hence the decision to proceed on the current indefinite

work-to-rule. The union stated: "It is obvious that SUBEB is not ready to comply with the order of the state assembly by suspending the implementation of any report until after the lawmakers' investigation. "It is also obvious that the state assembly is not in a hurry to solve our problems, which have been pending for three months. "The board exercise will do more harm to the education sector in Bauchi state than good and the union was left with no option than to save the situation by going back to its earlier strike action plan"

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

Sokoto LG immunises 56,000 children against polio

odinga local government of Sokoto state yesterday said that more than 56,000 children in the area had been immunised in the ongoing polio immunisation. Chairman of the council, Alhaji Shehu Badau, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bodinga that the council was committed to the success of the exercise. He said that the council achieved more than its targeted 41, 888 children, adding that it would continue to offer necessary financial support to its health personnel. He said that the council was working in partnership with religious and traditional rulers on the need to sensitise the people on the benefits of immunisation. Badau said that councillors had also been directed to move to their constituencies to ensure that all children were immunised. He commended the health officials for the house-to-house immunisation of children in the area.

all employers of labour develop and implement policies that will protect workers in the informal economy especially women. "Effort must be made to

Traffic is flowing gradually in Lagos as motorists now take other routes to Lagos Island, due to the closure of Third Mainland Bridge, Photo: NAN

Bauchi teachers start indefinite strike

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he Bauchi State wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday called out teachers in all primary and junior secondary schools in the state for an indefinite strike. A communiquĂŠ by Chairman, NUT, Bauchi State, Comrade Moh'd Kawu Modi and Principal Secretary, Comrade Ahmad Aminu, after its emergency SEC meeting stated that the shrike was necessitated by the failure of the state government to meet union's demand.

It directed all teachers to stay at home until further notice. The union has demanded the payment of one month arrears of 27.5% to primary school teachers, 12.5% to administrative staff of the local education authorities, payment of the enhancement allowance to primary school teachers and implementation of three-year promotion arrears for primary and junior secondary school teachers. The communiquĂŠ also condemned the proposed screening/test of primary school teachers by the State Universal

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NYSC, govt dispel rumour of Bauchi camp bomb blast From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has dispelled rumour that over 50 corps members were killed in a bomb blast in its Wailo Camp in Bauchi state. The state coordinator, NYSC, Nuhu Kwaghe who denied the rumour while speaking to journalists in Bauchi said the rumour was wicked as all the 1, 350 corps members deployed to the state are in good health and they are busy with the ongoing orientation exercise. Kwaghe said: “You are in Bauchi and if anything happened you will be aware. Nothing has

happened like that at all. All is well in the camp right now and the corps members are on the parade ground as I am speaking with you now.” One of the corps members who spoke with our correspondent at the camp, Miss Penuel Thauthau, said the rumour came to her as a surprise. “My phone was bombarded this morning and throughout the day with the news of the blast. I was very surprised to hear that there was bomb blast at the camp. There is nothing like that. This is very wicked. On the contrary we are having a good time in camp even though the exercise is very stressful but I am enjoying

it and meeting people and making friends. Why will anyone want to spoil it? It is very unfortunate” In its reaction the Bauchi state government also denied that the NYSC orientation camp in Wailo was bombed leading to the death of a number of corps members posted to the State and presently undergoing their orientation there. A press statement from the Governor’s Office signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Ishola Michael Adeyemi, described the rumour as “baseless, unfounded and an information that cannot be substantiated by the mongers who are bent on disrupting the peaceful atmosphere in the state.

Foundation releases advisory on Umrah, Hajj for 2012 By Muhammad Sada

he Hujjaj Rights Independent M o n i t o r i n g Foundation (HURIM), has issued a travel advisory on Hajj and Umrah for pilgrims and tour operators that will be participating in the 2012 exercise. The advisory, issued yesterday and signed by the Foundation’s executive director, Malam Mohammed B. Umar, cautioned against tour operators and travel agents, who through their ‘practices’ exploit the would-be pilgrims financially and mentally. “The Foundation a l e r t e d

against obtaining money from pilgrims by false pretences (419) for fictitious or unverifiable Hajj or Umrah packages and issuing fake visas and failing or refusing to provide the quality services for accommodation, transport and other amenities during the Hajj or Umrah period as promised. The advisory said some questions to be asked by the pilgrims before choosing tour operators include: Is the tour operators currently licenced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)? It also urged them to confirm if the tour operator or its Saudi

agent is not blacklisted in Saudi Arabia. Other questions are: Has the tour operator been accredited by the Saudi Embassy? Are the pilgrims travelling by scheduled or chartered flight? And does the pilgrim know what he is paying for? “As we approach yet another Hajj and Ramadan Umrah seasons, we strongly urge NAHCON and other relevant law enforcement agencies (together with the Saudi authorities) to take decisive proactive steps to protect innocent Muslims from yet falling into the hands of such 419 “tour operators/ agents,” it said.

Bauchi Christian pilgrims warned against absconding From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi he Bauchi State Christian Pilgrim Welfare Board has warned that it will no longer tolerate the situation whereby pilgrims abscond while on pilgrimage in Jerusalem The state chairman of the board, Rev. Shuaibu Byel, disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the activities of the board in Bauchi. Byel lamented the manner in which some people have tarnished the image of the country while at the holy land, saying that such

behaviour does not correspond with the principles of Christianity. According to him, “before any pilgrim fills his or her registration form, he has to present to the board a guarantor who is a pastor. We are introducing this measure so that the guarantor can testify about the individual’s character and if anything goes wrong in the holy land, we are going to hold the person that stood in as a guarantor responsible. We have recorded very nasty experiences of people absconding on pilgrimage and we do not want this situation to continue again”.

He recalled that during last year’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem, one Peter Azubuike absconded while in the holy land, adding that security agents in Israel are still intensifying efforts to track him. The chairman said since the establishment of the board, the highest sponsorship has been only 100 seats; but when the administration of Malam Isa Yuguda came in, the number of seats has increased to 399 in 2011, including 11 disabled persons. He commended the state government for the sponsoring so many Christians in the state for pilgrimage.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

L-R: Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, and Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Deziani AlisonMadueke, briefing journalists after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

Tradesmen display their products at the Artisans/Tradesmensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day, yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN

L-R: President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, with Chairperson, NLC National Women Commission, Comrade Ladi Iliya, during the opening of 2012 NLC 3rd National Women Conference, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima (middle) with officials of National Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), during their visit to the governor, on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Army donates boreholes to Kano communities From Edwin Olofu, Kano he Brigade Commander of the 3 Mechanized Brigade, Bukavu Barracks, Kano, Brigadier General Isa Abba has commissioned seven boreholes constructed by the Nigeria Army and handed over to some communities in the Kano metropolis. General Abba told some elders at Kwanar Dala in Kano while commissioning the project, that the military embarked on the project to strengthen its relationship with the community so that together they will tackle the present security challenges facing the state. The communities that benefited are Sagagi Quaters, Ciranci, Kwanar Dala, Dambazau, Kofar Dawanau, Dorayi and Wandabai all in the Kano metropolis. He reminded them that the military is not their enemy, urging them to rather partner with them to overcome the current challenges, noting that the boreholes were donated to the communities as part of the activities marking 149 years of the establishment of the army in the country. “We are here because of you, and your cooperation is what we need. Security issues are not issues for the security agencies alone to handle; we need your cooperation in achieving a peaceful atmosphere in Kano state,” he solicited. The commander therefore urged the benefitting communities to see it as a gesture aimed at cementing the relationship with the community, adding that so far Kano people have been great in supporting the activities of the army and as such, they will continue to reciprocate this gesture.

Staff and customers of First Bank, New Ring Road branch, Ibadan, after the branch was sealed by officials of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for alleged illegal use of frequency for data transmission, yesterday. Photo: NAN

Target 2015: MDG office embarks on sensitisation visit to Nasarawa From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

he Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr. Precious Gbeneol, has embarked on a sensitisation and advocacy visit to Nasarawa, on the need for state and local governments to put in more effort to ensure that the 2015 target set for the attainment of the 8 time-bound goals is met. Leading a delegation on a courtesy visit to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura at the Government House, Lafia, Gbeneol stated that the purpose of the visit is to sensitise MDG partners on the need to fully utilise the facilities being put on ground, stressing that it is by putting the facilities to use that the quality of lives of the

citizenry could be improved. She disclosed that in 2011, the state benefited from the MDG office to the tune of N1.2 billion, with three local governments; Akwanga, Obi and Toto, also accessing additional N100, 000 each to further boost MDG activities. She said in the 2012 appropriation, four more local governments are being considered to enjoy similar grants. Mrs. Gbeneol, however, warned state governments to hasten to pay their counterpart funding since according to her, “the 2011/12 budget will not be extended to March, so it will serve state governments to pay quickly so they can access the funds in time.” In his goodwill message, Alhaji Ado Doguwa, chairman House of Representatives

Committee on the MDGs, disclosed that the National Assembly in the 2011 budget appropriated N45 billion to be accessed by the FCT and the 36 states, through the Conditional Grant Scheme, with members of the National Assembly strictly monitoring the implementation of the MDG projects across the country. On his part, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, said the MDGs are but an extension of the ideals of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), because, according to him, “as a people oriented party, our main focus is how to improve the living conditions of the ordinary person”, stressing that he has not seen any project by the Federal Government that has keyed properly into the initiative to improve the lot of the people.

NCC closes First Bank branch in Ibadan

he Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), yesterday, closed down the New Ring Road branch of First Bank in Ibadan over alleged illegal use of internet services. Also, the bank branch manager, whose identity was not immediately known, was arrested by the NCC enforcement team for allegedly resisting the action. Mr. Efosa Idehen, head of enforcement team of the NCC, told newsmen in Ibadan after the operation that the bank was still using its frequency without approval in spite of several warnings. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that business activities at the branch were paralysed as scores of customers were not allowed into the banking hall.

“Most of the banks remain adamant after several warnings issued to them on the illegal use of the frequency since April, 2011”. He said that the (5. 40GHz5. 75GHz) frequency band is for data transmission.

Idehen said that closure of the bank’s operations was “a test of the law”, adding that the bank branch manager obstructed the enforcement team’s operation for over an hour. “We have done it in Lagos and this is the first time it is

happening in other South-West states,’’ he said. Idehen urged other defaulters to desist from such act, stressing that NCC would continue to clampdown on them in accordance with the provisions of the law. (NAN)

Fourth Wole Soyinka media lecture holds tomorrow By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

he Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), will hold its fourth Wole Soyinka Centre Media Lecture Series on Friday July 13, 2012. The lecture which is themed – ‘Media and civil liberties when the clouds of fear gather’, will take place at the NECA Building (adjacent Afrika Shrine), Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. A statement issued

yesterday, by the centre coordinator, Motunrayo Alaka, said that the theme was carefully chosen to bring the critical issue of insecurity in the country to the fore; especially the difficulty the media encounters in the face of the resultant climate of terror unleashed by terrorists’ incessant attacks on the nation. It added that the Executive Director of Tawada Media Limited and a respected political analyst, Malam

Mohammed Haruna, will be the key speaker at the event which would also field as discussants Mr. Gbenga Adefaye – President, Nigerian Guild of Editors; Comrade Shehu Sani – President, Civil Rights Congress; Mr. John Momoh – Chief Executive Officer of Channels Television; Prof. Lai Oso – Dean, School of Communications, Lagos State University (LASU) and representatives of Nigerian security agencies.

Ping denies visiting South Africa By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

hairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Jean Ping, has denied a newspaper report that he was in South Africa, saying “I was not in South Africa, nor made any comment about my withdrawal from the forth coming election”, he said. South African Daily Times had published on 8 July, 2012, that the AU chairman visited the country and declared his position to withdraw from the race for an unnamed woman to replace him. Ping, in a statement issued in Addis Ababa, said: “I am incensed by such an outright fallacy and fabrication, because nothing could be further from the truth. I am, and remain a candidate for reelection as chairperson of the African Union Commission, as I have not been withdrawn by my country, Gabon, and my region. I fully intend to stay in the race until the very end and hope to earn the renewed trust of our continent’s leaders when they meet at the 19th AU Summit, scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, on 15 and 16 July 2012". “These fabrications by some elements in the South African media are not new. The Times article is simply the latest in a series of malicious lies and innuendoes which constitute part of a whole strategy to tarnish my hard-earned reputation and destabilise my campaign for re-election as chairperson of the African Union Commission. It is also, no doubt, designed to cast some doubts about my strength of character and to undermine support from a wide range of member states keen to re-elect me”, Ping said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Oil well saga: A/Ibom ready to make peace with C/River, says Akpabio By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

overnor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state has said that in spite of the Supreme Court verdict on the 76 oil wells, he is ready to pursue peace with Cross River state because of the common history the people share. Reacting to the judgment of the apex court on Tuesday in Abuja, Akpabio however said that the condition for the peace is for Cross

River state to apologise to Akwa Ibom state for spreading lies and propaganda and for deliberately filing papers that are capable of impugning the integrity of Supreme Court justices and official of the National Boundary Commission. Akpabio also said that contrary to claim by Cross River state, Nigeria had not lost any territory and would not lose any territory because of the Supreme Court

judgment. He said: “The judgment has laid to rest the controversy over the 76 oil wells which were originally taken from Akwa Ibom state. The oil wells have been in Akwa Ibom and were always in Akwa Ibom. “I want to assure Nigerians that there was no loss of territory as the judgment has nothing to do with any single loss of territory. On our part we are always going to work

with our sister state I will continue to assist them so that the state can continue to grow. “Let me state here that even without derivation, I would still be performing. So governors must begin to imbibe innovations to shore up their internally generated revenue and attract investments to their states. “We must try to run Nigeria on the basis of justice. I have said that the deductions from the

allocations of Akwa Ibom state are illegal. I am very open to discuss because now that the judgment has been delivered we can now talk as the people now know the truth. The Supreme Court in its judgement on Tuesday held that Cross River state has ceased to be a littoral state and therefore was not entitled to 76 oil wells which lie offshore as they were no longer in its maritime territory.

Suswam charges leaders, security agencies on insecurity From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

ollowing the death Senator Gyang Dantong and Majority Leader, Plateau state House of Assembly, Gyang Fulani, Benue state Governor, Gabriel Suswam yesterday task leaders and the security agencies live up to their responsibilities. Regretting the death of Dantong and Fulani, the governor added that it is difficult for people who have lost their loved ones to take it easily except “we as leaders live up to our responsibilities. He stated that it was difficult to believe that a large group of assailants attacked communities without any of them being caught

L-R: Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bauchi state council, Malam Dahiru Garba, Chairman, Bauchi state Special Schools Management Board, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman, and Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Mohammed Dhamina, after a ministerial news conference on the performance of Special Schools Management Board, yesterday in Bauchi. Photo: NAN

Julius Berger, Arab Contractors sealed over environmental offences

he National Environmental Standards Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) yesterday in Abuja sealed the corporate headquarters of Julius Berger Nigerian Plc and Arab Contractors for alleged violation of environmental laws. Deputy Director, Land and Water Resources, NESREA, Godwin Atsegwasi, said the two construction companies were sealed for violating provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act of 1992. Atsegwasi said the enforcement team would perform its legal mandate by sealing any organisation, which fails to comply with the EIA guidelines. He alleged that the two companies had grossly violated the EIA standards by building construction yards in locations capable of causing environmental degradation. He said that NESREA had served several notices on the two companies to comply with the EIA guidelines without positive response by the firms. According to him, Julius

Berger had violated the environmental law at their construction sites in Lugbe, Idu and Games Village, among others. In his reaction, Head of Public Affairs Department of Julius Berger Construction Company, Mr Clement Iloba, said the company did not receive any notice. He said: “Julius Berger is one of the private organisations that is known for compliance with all laws in this country and this action by NESREA is very embarrassing. “I am insisting that we never received any notice to this regard, but, we have allowed them to do their job. “We are going to meet their management to discuss with them and I am sure that we will resolve the matter amicably.” Iloba advised the Federal Ministry of Environment to clearly define responsibilities of agencies within its ministry to avoid interagency duplication of duties. There was a mild drama at the Julius Berger gates when NESREA officials made to lock the firm’s main gate at Utako, as security guards and police officers attached

to the company resisted the NESREA officials. However, some members of management led by Iloba intervened to calm the situation . The enforcement at the office of Arab Contractors was peaceful as NESREA officials locked the two gates of the company without resistance. (NAN)

and tasked security agencies to live up to expectation. Suswam, who led a Benue government delegation to condole with Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau over the recent killings in the state, said “leaders should not stand by and watch this drift into an irreversible crisis in this country.” He challenged the security agencies to ensure perpetrators of violence were apprehended. Suswam said: “The only way we can give the Nigerian people a sense of security is that we get the people who have carried out this act. Otherwise I don’t think that people would be able to maintain any sense of security themselves and even confidence in us.”

Lagos first lady cautions youths against drug abuse ife of the Lagos state governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, has advised students against drug abuse. She also urged them to spread the campaign against drug abuse to their parents, guardians, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Mrs. Fashola gave the charge while speaking at a one-day awareness workshop on substance abuse, addiction and prevalence of mental illness organised for secondary school students by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Social Development, Sunday

Ogunrinde. Fashola also urged the students not to indulge in self medication, but to seek medical advice whenever necessary. Tasking the students on adopting good role models, she enjoined them to dream big so that they could be successful in the future. However, she stressed that the youth should be mindful of whatever they do today as their actions now would have consequences in the future. In his welcome, Ogunrinde stated that all hands must be on deck for the war against drug abuse and its negative consequences to be won.

Speaking when the Senate Committee on Special Duties visited him as part of its over sight function in his office, Mark noted that only constant training would improve the competence or efficiency of staff and aides. He also canvassed that operational tools be made readily available for officials to perform their functions effectively. The President of the Senate also called for improved healthcare facilities where legislators and staff could easily access health services

saying that such facilities would enhance efficiency and ultimate productivity. He assured that he would continue to promote transparency and accountability in administration of Senate affairs although he was quick to point out that improved funding would facilitate the work of the legislature. Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Senator Clever Ikisipo, said the committee was in the office of the president of the Senate to ascertain the level of facilities and personnel in tandem with the job schedule of the chief law maker of the nation.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Mark canvasses for more training for NASS staff By Richard Ihediwa

enate President David Mark has advocated for training and retraining for staff of the National Assembly in order to meet the challenges of legislative duties needed for democratic stability. Mark said staff of legislative houses needed constant training to master the tenets of legislative practices and procedures since the legislature is the hub of democracy.

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ActionAid urges Kogi to create disaster management policy ollowing receipt of early warnings on floods, the Kogi state government has been enjoined to formulate risk reduction and emergency preparedness policy framework to forestall risks, hazards and disaster situations. The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of a one-day interactive meeting of stakeholders on Human Security in Conflict Emergencies in Kogi State organised by the ActionAid in Lokoja. The session was organised in collaboration with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) and Lokoja-based Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), for stakeholders from Adavi and Igalamela local government,

CSOs, security agencies and the media. The communique signed by Victor Adejoh of PIBCID and Idris Miliky of CHRCR also called on government to empower and adequately fund the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to undertake awareness campaigns on risk reduction in rural communities. It also called for the establishment of fire service stations in Local Government Areas across the state and acquiring modern fire fighting equipment as well as recruiting adequate staff to man the equipment. The stakeholders called on government and residents of Lokoja, the state capital to ensure that drainages within the metropolis were cleared and maintained regularly to avoid obstruction of water channels, flooding of the roads.

Agriculture: Kwara gov seeks foreign partners

S/West Muslims want national conference on Boko Haram

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

he Kwara state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has reiterated that his administration was committed to maximising the social and economic potentials of agriculture, by not just putting food on the table of the citizens but creating jobs and wealth. The governor, who gave this explanation in to sustain improved Washington DC during an investment forum organised by the Kwara State Association of Nigeria, (KSANIG) North America, said the plan was aimed at developing human and institutional capacity economy and food security through support for sector policy and planning institutions. The Chief Press Seceratary to the Governor, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, who stated this in a statement issued to journalists in Ilorin disclosed that Governor Ahmed’s mission to sign the State's Agriculture Master Plan with Cornell University in the United States was targeted at investments in research, extension, education and training. "The five year master plan maps out a phased implementation of a dynamic, highly productive and sustainable agriculture sector in the state with particular emphasis on the need for exponential increase in agricultural output and linkages among all agricultural support and manufacturing sector". The governor, according to the statement, said that the plan highlights the crucial role of commercial agriculture in driving maximum productivity and profit for large, medium and small scale farmers while protecting the State's natural resources.

he Muslim community in the South-West, yesterday made strident calls for the convocation of a National Conference with every sector participating, stating that it will go a long way to determine the way forward for the country. Speaking under the aegis of Federation of Ahlus-Sunnah Organisations in Nigeria (FASON), at a press conference held at the Oja’ba Central Mosque, Ibadan, through its National Vice

L-R: Chairman, Vocational Enterprise Institution, Mrs. Shakirat Oriyomi, Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, and Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr. Masaudu Kazaure, during NBTE management meeting with the minister, on Tuesday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

President, Sheikh Olanrewaju Adepoju, the muslim group said convening a national conference at this critical period of the nation’s history was necessary, moreso since calls have been coming from prominent politicians who will not want the country to break up. Adepoju said it would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to contribute to how the nation should be governed outside the 1999 Constitution which he stated has been derided because it was put together by the military. He said, “having a national

conference may be another way to find solutions to the myriad of problems presently facing the country, this is because it is regrettable that those we have at the helm of affairs at all levels are very dishonest and most often behaved as if they do not have concern for the suffering of millions of Nigerians.” On the Boko Haram crisis in some parts of the country, he said while the group started as a pressure group to fight injustice in the society, it has allowed itself to be hijacked by “ yet to be identified

unscrupulous politicians and blood thirsty marauders and all kinds of anti-social elements.” He explained that as a religion of peace, Islam would never support killing of any form as this would be against what was entrenched in both the Qur-an and the Hadith. While maintaining that hijacking of a group is a social phenomenon and not limited to Boko Haram, he urged the Federal Government to look beyond the Boko Haram menace in tackling the security challenges facing the country.

Oyo Assembly in rowdy session over 3000 sacked workers From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

embers of the Oyo state House of Assembly were on Tuesday engaged in a rowdy and chaotic session over the recent sack of 3,000 civil servants in the state, forcing the Speaker, Monsurat Sunmonu to adjourn the sitting. They were thrown into confusion on whether the

Executive should be directed to recall the 3,000 sacked workers or not. The House which was already conducting the plenary in peaceful debate on the policy of the state government which led to the sack of 3000 workers, suddenly became rowdy and uncontrollable when Hon. Segun Olaleye (ACN) Ibadan North II moved a motion urging the House

to reverse the policy. The House, apparently concerned by the controversy the sack had generated, summoned the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Adeolu Akande, the Head of Service, Alhaji Tajudeen Aremu and Chairman of the state Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi to appear before it to explain the rationale for the sack.

When the matter was put to debate Hon.Olaleye called the attention of the House to what he described as the wrong procedure adopted by the Executive in sacking the workers. The lawmaker said that that government did not follow due process in carrying out the exercise and moved a motion calling for the reversal of the policy until a review of the exercise was carried out.

Illegal detention: Court awards N2m damages to Atuche's wife From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

ustice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, on Tuesday, awarded damages of N2 million in favour of wife of the former Managing Director of Bank PHB (Francis Atuche), Mrs. Elizabeth Atuche, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation. The court held that Elizabeth was wrongly arrested and detained by the EFCC in violation of her

fundamental human rights to freedom of movement and fair hearing. Justice Nyako observed that although the commission which arrested Elizabeth on May 3, 2011, later arraigned her before a Lagos High Court, the time she was kept in detention had exceeded the constitutionally prescribed period of 24 hours. The judge said "The reason given by the respondents is that investigation was ongoing. "The Supreme Court has said

suspect should not be detained while investigation is ongoing. "A person arrested should be charged to court within 24 hours as in this case, there are a number of courts within Lagos jurisdiction. "It appears to me that the arrest and detention of the Applicant (Elizabeth) has not been justified by the respondents. "She was subsequently arraigned before a Lagos High Court, however, this was not within 48 hours of the arrest. Meanwhile, Justice Nyako also ordered the release of some of the properties wrongly seized from

Francis Atuche by the EFCC. The order of release was made sequel to two separate applications brought by two parties. The parties, Murphis Burgher Nigeria Ltd and Messrs Eva and Efa Imoke, claimed that two of the properties attached on the order of Justice Ajakaiye (rtd) on March 10, 2010 through an ex parte order by EFCC belonged to them and not Atuche. The properties in question are No 27, Sanusi Fafowora Street, Victoria Island, and No 14, Anifowoshe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

As Algerians recall war of independence

lgeria, on July 3, celebrated the 50th anniversary of independence from France. For this country, independence did not come on a platter. The struggle for self-rule or freedom was bloody as the French community population that had settled in the country since the 1850s refused to acknowledge that Algeria was not a territory of France. Unyielding and even violent, the French settler population inevitably set the stage for a bitter anti-colonial struggle waged by the Algerians. The settlers had appropriated disproportionate political and economic privileges, guaranteed by the metropolitan administrators in Paris, at the expense of the indigenous population. Any talk of self-rule, therefore, was anathema. However, they could not forever hold in check the strong independence fervor. In November, 1954, the Front de Liberation Nationale or Front for National Liberation (FLN) was founded by Ahmed Ben Bella. Representing the majority of Algerians, it did not waste time in challenging the French colonial administration and military to an armed conflict. The confrontation proved extremely costly for the two parties in terms of loss of lives. A ceasefire, was inevitably, agreed in March 1962, between the French government and the FLN. Against

the wishes of the French settler population in Algeria, the French leader, General Charles De Gaulle, conceded Algerian independence on July 3, 1962. The political bureau of the FLN quickly took over the functions of government, with Ahmed Ben Bella

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On the 50th anniversary of the revolution, we pay tribute to the heroes and heroines of the revolution and urge all Algerians to always draw strength from their proud independence struggle even as they confront current socioeconomic challenges becoming the prime minister and later president in 1963. However, the post-independence government could not last long enough as on June 15, 1965, the government was overthrown by a junta of army officers who established a Revolutionary Council under the leadership of Colonel Houari Boumedienne. The junta ruled for 10 years and its leader later transmuted to a civilian president

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after an election in which he was ‘elected’ unopposed. When Boumedienne died in 1978, the army took over power again and only liberalized the political space in the early 1990s following a new wind of change that swept across Africa then. The political openness saw the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), founded by Sheikh Abbas Madani, almost cruising to victory in a presidential poll before the election was cancelled. What followed was a surge in extremist violence that however steadily subsided following the election of the former Army General, Boutifleka, the incumbent president. The trajectory of the Algerian war of independence was a heroic affirmation of national identity in the face of a seemingly impossible odd. With uncommon courage and determination against an unrelenting, recalcitrant enemy, the Algerians only triumphed. In spite of all odds and other challenges in the construction of nationhood, Algeria stands out eloquently in its unique sacrifice for national independence. On the 50th anniversary of the revolution, we pay tribute to the heroes and heroines of the revolution and urge all Algerians to always draw strength from their proud independence struggle even as they confront current socioeconomic challenges. We share in this glorious moment as Algerians think back 50 years.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 13

Panacea for a nation in distress By Sahid Umar

igeria is a nation in distress. It is a country that is on the verge of collapse because of the myriad of problems confronting it. In a recent captivating interview Mr. Daniel Richard reviewed some of the fundamental problems and offered innovative solutions. He observed that the numerous elections conducted in the country in the past thirteen years by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] consumed a whooping N2.1 trillion. He added that most, if not all, of those elections ended up at the Election Tribunals, the Appeal Court or the Supreme Court for final determination. In other words, the judges of these courts actually provided political leaders for the country since the return to civil rule in 1999. This means participatory democracy has not found roots in Nigeria and the votes and mandates of the electorate did not count in the enthronement of democratic leaders in the past one and a half decades. Mr. Daniel Richard therefore painstakingly chose the nation’s faulty electoral practices, the farce that is governance in Adamawa State and the Boko Haram tragedy to proffer pragmatic solutions. Richard reviewed the practice of democracy in the country and expressed his dissatisfaction and disenchantment with it. He said ‘democracy has one standard. It’s

about participation. It’s supposed to be an inclusive process. People are to agree on who will lead them. We are not doing these things here. It’s the Supreme Court that has been doing this on our behalf. They decide who becomes our governor or president.’ He was irked that the prevailing situation has become acceptable without any qualms: ‘This is the new formula. So, why can’t we adapt it?’ He spoke further: ‘We have zoning, anointing and consensus as part of our model of democracy. For 13 years it has worked here. Then why do we need INEC?’ Mr. Daniel Richard expressed his disappointment with the nation’s failure to do the right thing. He pointed out that we zone the position, anoint the candidate, and enter into consensus. When this is done, we then go to court and the court ratifies it. He contends that since this is the system that has worked for us in the country since 1999, we should perfect, package and sell it to the world as our own contribution to democratic development. For the faulty electoral system, he did not hide his displeasure. He said: ’I’m trying to push for a legislation that will bar INEC from conducting subsequent elections in the country. Apart from the court cases against INEC, I found out that all elected Presidents and governors in this country have had their elections decided by seven voters in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal respectively.’ He then observed

thus: ‘If we agree from our thirteen years of democracy that INEC does not add value to our choice of leaders, that means that INEC is completely unnecessary and is simply a financial conduit of waste.’ If one reads Richard’s lips well, what

occupying.’ Richard stated the obvious and only expressed the prevailing sentiment in the state when he voiced that concern. Since he was not elected, Nyako chose not to execute the laudable programs of the Democratic Party so as to

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President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has responded positively with the appointment of a new National Security Adviser [NSA]. Colonel Sambo Dasuki [rtd] has won the hearts of his compatriots with his recent moves that have rekindled hope in the peace process with Boko Haram. He has taken novel steps and deployed new techniques to bring peace to the country he posits here is that we should develop a system where INEC will become irrelevant and will play absolutely no role in the electoral process such that only the Lordships at the two apex courts will be empowered to choose our political leaders!!! The social critic did not spare his home state, Adamawa, close scrutiny. He observed that Governor Murtala Nyako ‘has shown that he has his own agenda. First and foremost, nobody elected him. There was no party congress where he was elected. So, a change can only be possible from another platform, not the one he is

impact the lives of his citizens positively or improve their wellbeing. The truth is that he concentrates both political and economic powers in the hands of his family members. With this glaring discrimination, how can he endear himself to the citizenry or warm himself into their hearts? How then could he win elections under the circumstances, especially when he fell out with notable party stalwarts and major stakeholders in the state? Apart from his contempt for elders in the state, there is love lost between Governor Nyako and workers in the state since he

pays them in arrears and not as and when due. Even state legislators have not escaped the governor’s vindictiveness since he closed the state legislature for two months late last year without remorse. Richard’s criticism of the governor is therefore a clarion call for urgent action to sanitize the state and enthrone good governance for the benefit of the citizens. Richard did not miss the opportunity to review the circumstances that gave birth to the dreaded Boko Haram sect so as to enable him proffer solutions to the insurgency. On this score, he enumerated both ethnic and regional groups that emerged to fight their numerous socio – political causes. Some of the groups included the Igbo socio – cultural umbrella, Ohaneze, Arewa Consultative Forum [ACF], Aferefere, South – South Assembly, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra [MASSO, the Odua People’s Congress [OPC] and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger – Delta [MEND]. He then observed that Boko Haram emerged as a result of the failure of leadership. He said unemployment is the root cause of the militancy or insurgency in the country: ‘Graduates who toiled to get educated, graduated and can’t work. If they now realize they’ll die in hunger, they’ll have to fight. Make jobs available and see if the Boko Haram project will survive.’ He then lamented Contd. on page 15

Giving GSM subscribers value for their cash By Dina Ladi

ver the past few weeks, many people have expressed their frustration with the poor quality of telecoms service provided by the operators in the sector. Many subscribers and observers alike believe that this fall in standard is due to the lackadaisical attitude shown by the service providers towards the service they are supposed to be providing. Many have said that these operators are more concerned about increasing their profit margin than delivering quality and efficient network service. The NCC (Nigerian Communications Commission), which is a body created by the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003 is empowered by law to regulate the telecoms industry to make sure that all internationally accepted rules and regulations are followed by the service providers and that the subscribers (citizens of Nigeria) are protected from any kind of oppression or exploitation whatsoever, has risen in defense of the subscribers and after the deadline it gave the service providers to upgrade their facilities expired, the NCC has

gone ahead to punish the network service providers for not complying with this directive. Experts in the telecoms industry have put part of the blames for the poor quality of service on the service providers for neglecting and underutilizing fiber optic cables for fixed line operations. Commenting on the issue for instance, an industry expert who is a solutions provider for key performance indicators, while faulting telecoms operators over the poor state of telecom service offerings, said that there is overdependence by the network service providers on mobile technology at the expense of fixed, wired lines. This situation, he explained, has led to congestion and poor quality of service. He said fixed wired lines that have to do with fiber connectivity is cheaper to retain than the mobile wireless lines and that it also removes the stress of Nigerians having to carry about several mobile phones. Corroborating the opinion above, it has been discovered that in the UK, about 40% of voice traffic is routed through fixed landlines while about 60% is routed through mobile devices. In Nigeria however, over 90% of all voice calls are routed through

mobile and less than 10% passes through landlines. Except we begin to redirect our voice traffic to fiber and depend less on mobile, the issue of poor quality of service is likely to remain. The challenge observed on the part of these service providers however, is the cost of installing this fiber optics as many of them are content to use the mobile connectivity mode while maximizing profit. This is one of the major causes of the poor quality of service observed in the telecoms industry. Another cause of the poor quality of service in the inability of the network operators to

handle network growth and competition as well as the refusal of the network service providers to erect enough base transceiver stations needed to handle the number of subscribers and network usage volume. It was observed as well that as competition increased, the prices paid by subscribers for these services dropped, number of subscribers increased and the volume of calls and other forms of network usage increased thereby bringing heavy load on the existing network and leading to network congestion. Other reasons include inability of telecoms operators to deploy

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Except we begin to redirect our voice traffic to fiber and depend less on mobile, the issue of poor quality of service is likely to remain. The challenge observed on the part of these service providers however, is the cost of installing this fiber optics as many of them are content to use the mobile connectivity mode while maximizing profit

enough base transceiver stations in location of needs because of undue government interference. An example of the above is the recent unlawful sealing of some base transceiver stations by the National Environmental Standards Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) claiming that these base stations go against environmental laws despite the fact that the NCC, after proper inspection and consultation, gave these service providers the go ahead in the construction or siting of these base station because the sites didn’t in any way go against international environmental laws and do not in any way pose any risk to the surrounding community. The NCC, however, seems to be on top of the situation as it is more determined than ever to ensure that the quality of service received by subscribers is high and they get real value for their money. The NCC has taken the step of imposing fines on network providers that have been found to have failed to comply the terms of their contract. This is a good move as it will ensure that the network service providers sit up. Dina Ladi wrote in from Lagos.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Wanted: New breed politicians By Olutoyin Adeyinka Eweje

olitics in Nigeria is now a commercial enterprise. It is all about what politicians can grab and not about accountability or service delivery. The financial rewards to political office holding have taken over the need to deliver to their constituents. Political office is all about loyalty, delivery and allegiance to political godfathers. When will politics of personal interest come to an end? When will the so called godfathers retire and give way for new breed of genuine, dedicated, honest, trustworthy politicians to take over the mantle of leadership in our country? For how long will the electorate play the role of spectators in the affairs of their nation? When exactly are we going to have democracy as it is practised in more civilized parts of the world? The time is ripe for all meaning Nigerians to say ‘NO’ to recycling of politicians. When By SOC Okenwa

he Igbos are mostly found in south-eastern Nigeria. A great people with great culture and custom the republican lifestyle of the Igbos leaves them as a strong people who value personal liberty and choices. Sometimes described by critics as generally difficult to rule or control based on this principle of rooted republicanism the Igbos are fiercely independent and economically indomitable. Naturally imbued with deep convictions and conquering enterprising spirit the Igbos are very proud of their heritage dating back centuries. They go to great length to maintain family ties in the unique spirit of brotherhood — uncompromisingly attached to family values held sacrosanct for ages! This commentator is a member of this great community east of the Niger and he is indeed proud! Whilst that fact is established it does not in any stretch of imagination prevent one from speaking the truth even if that truth is against the interest of my people. Last March, I was navigating the internet one early morning, as usual, reading up some home news when I stumbled upon a news item, its interesting headline instantly attracting my attention. I was somehow amazed at the extent man could go to be able to give vent to his ‘manhood’. It was about the booming ‘business’ in Igbo land of baby selling and buying! Security agents reportedly ‘invaded’ a so-called orphanage in Anambra state where they made some arrests and freed some female ‘hostages’ — some heavy with pregnancy! I had wanted to do a commentary about this reprehensible practice of willful

are we going to have the political of the citizens. Of what relevance leaders in Nigeria is fraught dangers, corruptive will to say enough of these corrupt is this section if the government with and not in and insensitive leaders? does not respect the provisions of tendencies I am of the opinion that the constitutions of the land and accordance with standards accepted all over N i g e r i a n the world. There people deserve is flagrant more than disregard for what our Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text rule of law, laws l e a d e r s are not obeyed presently offer messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written and citizens are them. Our contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 disillusioned leaders are not words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and and no end in bothered about a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed sight. the societal ills to: We need in our country urgent reform of and yet section The Editor, our electoral 14(2a) of thwe Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, system for 1 9 9 9 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. democracy to Constitution Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com work in our s a y s p o l i t i c a l “sovereignty SMS: 07037756364 environment belongs to the and i strongly people of Nigeria from whom government there is insecurity in the land believe it is still a long way. I through this constitution derives and yet the government had believe that 95% of the present its powers.’’ already spent 98% of the funds crop of politicians should not be Chapter 2 (Fundamental earmarked for security in the re-elected back into the office Objectives and Principles of State 2012 budget. Recent killings in and we need to start mobilizing Policies) enjoins the government the land and a breach of Section our people towards ensuring that new set of people are to direct its policies towards 33(1)of the 1999 Constitution. ensuring the welfare and security The manner of electing allowed to take up the mantle of

leadership. My proposals are as follows: a)The banning of all politicians who have held elective positions for 10 years or more; b) Emergence of new political parties with clear ideologies and ban on cross carpeting; c) The parliamentary system of government; d) People of questionable character should be banned from partisan politics indefinitely; e) An independent body to scrutinize the sources of funding of political parties; f) To contest any elective posts you must be a graduate and have a primary job; g) The least requirement for any elective post in Nigeria should be HND; h) All politicians above the age of 65 should retire from active politics and be made to account for their stewardship and if found wanting should face the music; and i) There should be continuous political education for all elective office holders. Enough of charlatans and jobbers in our political clime. Olutoyin Adeyinka Eweje wrote in from Lagos

trade in innocent ‘angels’ visiting a sinful world where morality is proving inexistent especially in Nigeria but on a second thought I somehow abandoned the idea, preferring to concentrate my attention on burning national issues of the day. But recently a similar news item elicited concerned in me and I decided it was time to denounce this evil ‘business’ that seeks to exploit the weakness of some unfortunate girls in Igbo land and elsewhere. The news was still about the raid carried out by soldiers in an orphanage in Aba, Abia state. The soldiers reportedly arrested six girls (some pregnant!) for alleged child trafficking while six babies were recovered from ‘captivity’! According to the report the owner of the home escaped arrest and was still at large! When an African man takes a wife and a year passes by without the wife giving birth tongues would start wagging and in Nigeria in general and in Igbo land in particular people, relatives and friends alike, would begin to ask questions as to the ‘sexual compatibility’ and drive of the couple. Misfortune always commands more attention than good news! My late father always told me during his eventful years sojourning here with the living that the only viable ‘profit’ one could draw by associating with a woman is by having a child with her! Every other thing considered reproduction represents a sure way of maintaining man’s

of baby-supplying chain linking the entire south-eastern states. While the high cost of marriage in Igbo land discourages eligible men from marrying and settling down the unwritten rule that forbids a girl from having any child before marriage forces girls to either go for abortion in the event of an unwanted pregnancy or contemplate even selling off the baby once it is delivered. The situation is that serious and something must be done by elders in the villages to reduce the prohibitive cost of marrying our girls in the village or towns. The quest for easy riches does a lot of damage to the values hitherto held sacrosanct in Igbo land! Or how else does one explain a situation where no one asks any question about how anybody suddenly becomes rich? Be he a politician, a businessman or whatever as long as you have money in the east then you are a law unto yourself — doing no wrong and becoming ‘King Solomon’ the wise-man! Your pedigree no longer matters since richness (no matter the source) is seen as a virtue worth worshipping! Whether you are a graduate or an illiterate does not count here; what counts is your capability to break even no matter the company you keep or how dirty your past or present. Living in a society where marriage, in its pure sense, remains a social compact many

WRITE TO US

The booming baby ‘business’ in Igbo land dominance over other animals in this modern jungle we call planet earth; it is in perfect accord with divine exhortation and nothing could be compared to it. Bearing a child, therefore, constitutes a bundle of joy for any family since it assures the continuation of the family tree, generation after generation. I never knew the deep meaning of this parental joy until I had my beautiful daughter, Stella, last year! Inside her eyes I am daily seeing the image of God and the wonders of providence! You see the truth here must be told no matter whose ox is gored. The problem of child trafficking is not limited to Igbo land alone. No! But the difference here happens to be the propensity with which some Igbo men and women are desperate to ‘buy’ babies or use same for money rituals! While some couples are in need of babies to solidify their marital relationships others desire new-born babies for

purposes of making satanic money! I remember how the late “Eddie N’awgu”, the dreaded marabout in the east killed by the equally dreaded Bakassi boys, was alleged to be using innocent babies for rituals sometimes putting them in a mortar and pounding them to pieces! In Igbo land when you are married and bearing a child poses a problem then you are in trouble! All sort of stories would be making the rounds about your impotency or your wife’s past wayward lifestyle leading to her committing uncountable abortions. The pressure from the village and elsewhere would force you to seek out a solution: visiting spiritual homes and pastors or going all the way to buying a baby which would then be presented to everybody as your own child! In this case of baby buying and selling a syndicate is involved; a network

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If you make a ‘mistake’ by marrying a poor man you will live to regret your choice even though he loves you! Love is now a buyable and sellable commodity and the price varies from region to religion, tribe to tongue

Continued on page 15

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 15

The Otedola v. Lawan Farouq subplot By Ifeanyi Izeze

he ongoing controversy surrounding alleged exchange of money (bribe) between Femi Otedola, Chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas and Farouk Lawan, former Chairman House of Representatives Ad–hoc Committee that successfully unravelled the rot in the funding of the federal government’s fuel subsidy scheme clearly shows that this country is in a big mess in the hands of those in and around positions of power. Before now, the House of Representatives’ power probe report died when the committee chair, Ndudi Elumelu, was accused of malfeasance involving some power contracts. And till date, none of those indicted for the $16bn fraud has been prosecuted. Elumelu’s alleged complicity provided escape route for the “power thieves” and now we are replaying the same acts in the fuel subsidy scam. When will this country mature out of these sort of self-deceits? From indications, it is clear that the principal intention of the Otedola-Farouk drama is simply to rubbish the House Committee report on Fuel Subsidy and ultimately distract Nigerians so that those indicted in the heinous subsidy scam can be allowed to walk away without punishment – as they did with other probes. There are so many questions begging for answers. Is it not disheartening that Otedola could even have the audacity to own

up to giving Lawan US$500,000 bribe money and allegedly US$120000 to Boniface Emenalo the secretary of Lawan led Ad-Hoc Committee? Why was Farouk not arrested way back in March/April when he got the alleged bribe? How could the State Security Service (SSS) have left Farouk with the money (the only evidence) to spend for 3 months (April to June?) How come it is the bribe-giver-Femi Otedola who announced the so called sting operation to the press and not the SSS who purportedly carried out the sting? Has the SSS confirmed they gave the marked dollar bills to Otedola? If so, why did they not arrest Farouk immediately he took the bribe? Otedola once claimed that the money belonged the SSS. Can the agency tell Nigerians if this is true, and if so how it came about such huge sum in foreign currency? More importantly Nigerians must ask questions about what the purported bribe money was about. Was it really bribe money or was it for other purposes? As gathered from several publications on the matter, both Otedola and Lawan are bosom friends who ordinarily exchanged visits, even at odd hours as politicians and top business people are wont to do. They also reportedly have several friends in common so what both Farouk and Otedola did not tell us was that they related to each other as close friends rather than as a marketer and chairman of the ad hoc committee probing the subsidy thieves. Whether it was

appropriate for the two to have carried on with their close friendship, bearing in mind that such could easily intrude into the work of the ad hoc committee to become conflict of interest, is a different issue. From the reported text message exchanges between Otedola and Lawan, it is obvious that the bulk of the critical information which the committee probing the fuel subsidy scam used to do its work appeared to have come from Otedola, including a KPMG Report which the Committee could not even get from the Ministry of Finance. It was reported that at each sitting of the committee Otedola would be watching these proceedings and would be sending text messages to Farouk Lawan, directing him to the sort of questions he should ask whoever was being interrogated. It was widely reported that shortly after the inauguration of the committee, Lawan went to see Otedola to “get an insight into the workings of the committee”. The crucial question here is: did Lawan go to see Otedola as a marketer or as a friend? It was human for Otedola to feel enraged that after helping Lawan’s committee to succeed and even boosting Lawan’s public image, he could not do anything to ensure that his companies were not among those implicated. This might sound corrupt but would be a natural expectation from many people from their friends, especially friends they have dispensed huge favours to. If

Lawan did not want to grant such favours, why then did he have to apparently rely on Otedola to get an insight into the workings of the oil industry? My feeling is that once Otedola felt enraged that Lawan could not return his favours, Lawan either had a guilty conscience and realised he had made a mistake or got intimidated and decided to find a way to help. This might be the reason why he later asked for Otedola’s companies to be removed from the list of infamy. But that move, which is still one of the things many people held against his version of events, would probably not have been necessary if Lawan had confided in the other members of the Committee that Otedola was indeed responsible for the committee’s success and then make a case for him to be treated as a sort of informal State Witness. This will in essence mean overlooking any sins committed by Otedola’s companies in exchange for the critical information he was giving to the committee because the truth be told, without Otedola’s inside knowledge of the subsidy cabal, and his decision to turn against his colleagues and rivals, the work of the ad hoc committee would not have been anywhere as successful as it turned out to be. It is not uncommon for a State to overlook the crimes of an individual or entity if that entity will cooperate with the State to nail others and stop the crime wave. It is always a controversial

issue to overlook a crime but some, including states, are willing to embrace that option if it will lead to the accomplishment of a higher goal. If Lawan had taken his colleagues into confidence from the beginning, he would not have had any need to be pricked by his conscience or intimidated and then began a last minute effort to pay back Otedola. Today, this lack of initial transparency with his colleagues and its aftermath is a key argument of Otedola that Lawan was compromised. There are also suggestions that Lawan was pressured to change some of his story several times by either the PDP who told him versions to narrate to the public or other agents acting as his friends. But unknown to him, he was being set up to walk into a well choreographed script. By walking into the cabal’s sucker punch, they succeeded in making him look like a flip-flop, raising questions about his credibility. What is clear is that the story of the purported $620,000 dollars is still unfolding and both Farouk and Otedola still have to come clean on what really happened. The facts on the ground do not seem to support the current thesis that the money was meant to influence the report of the ad hoc committee when the purported exchanges took place after the committee had concluded its work and its report had already been in the public domain. Ifeanyi Izeze is reachable at iizeze@yahoo.com (2348033043009)

even if it involves selling a human head! When it comes to making money by whatever means some Igbo men and women have proven to be animals in human skin without conscience! That is why today you hear about the Igbos languishing in jails in foreign countries and others doing evil to be able to ‘belong’. They go to any length to be rich — be it drug trafficking or internet fraud, armed robbery, kidnapping or whatever! In this circumstance politics is left in the hands of the corrupt who use same to enrich themselves to the detriment of those that ‘elect’ them in the first place. With many Igbo boys

belonging to the league of the uneducated; that is, ignorant of happenings around them, they see money-making as the only way and means to achieve fame and success in life. The idea is not that bad but the problem lies in the fact that in this bizarre worldview of the illiterate personal survival and interest matter only to the ‘victim’! And in that regard he sees governance or any struggle to achieve a collective social cause as a waste of his time and resources preferring to be ‘imprisoned’ in his little world dominated by little minds and little thoughts. Pity! Igboland suffers today because the giants like the Azikiwes, the Ojukwus, the

Mbakwes, the Okadigbos are now in their graves! The vacuum they left behind has proven to be too big and too sophisticated to be filled by the pretenders masquerading as “Igbo leaders”. Whenever issues come to applying consensus in the interest of the Igbo presidency or Igbo renaissance you begin to hear discordant tunes dished out by smart crooks who have become stupendously rich by either cutting corners or becoming professional blackmailers, sycophants or political prostitutes. What we have today as Governors, Ministers and politicians in general are nothing but political whores and embezzlers who see governance as means of expanding their ‘estates’ and conquering more ‘territories’ for their future generations! In this climate of selfishness and wickedness the average Igbo man and woman is left to fend for himself or herself. This abandonment has led to the propagation of all sorts of doctrines and dogmas leading invariably to self-help. One must state here clearly that he respects deeply the sanctity of human life and whoever takes what (s)he cannot give ought to be destined for the Hades! In this wise, therefore, whoever is impotent

should declare his impotency and seek divine or medical assistance. (We have seen cases of men whose manhood was ‘dry’ receiving miraculous healing). And whoever is barren should make open her case of barrenness. Solution could be found through medical or divine intervention. According to the French philosopher Roger Fournier: “Le miracle de l’amour, ce n’est pas d’aimer un homme ou une femme: c’est de s’aimer soimême juste assez pour être capable d’aimer vraiment une autre personne”. Translated to English it means: “The miracle of love is not to love a man or a woman; it is to love yourself well enough to be capable of really loving someone else”. When we love ourselves and our neighbours, respecting the sanctity of human life, we may not consider ‘stealing’ or ‘buying’ babies to satisfy our clearly dysfunctional marital responsibility. The booming baby ‘business’ in Igbo land in particular and Nigeria in general must stop. For it is a big shame, an indecent and diabolical act that is calling the attention of Heaven! Let righteousness prevail, please! S.O.C Okenwa can be reached on socoabj2006rci@hotmail.fr

The booming baby ‘business’ in Igbo land Continued from page 14

Igbos try their best to ‘comply’ with this social contract by ‘contracting’ a wife, whether love is involved or not is never an issue in some marital union. That is why today people (especially young ladies) go for rich guys without giving a damn about compatibility. If you make a ‘mistake’ by marrying a poor man you will live to regret your choice even though he loves you! Love is now a buyable and sellable commodity and the price varies from region to religion, tribe to tongue. The truth is that in Igbo some people see survival economically as the only thing ‘holy’ enough to sacrifice whatever it takes for

Panacea for a nation in distress Continued from page 13

that Nigeria is the only country in the world that is preoccupied with the opening of new universities but does not open job centers. This tragedy is the cause of all the major insurrections in the country with dire consequences. Expectedly, what we sow is what we shall reap. We can’t produce thousands of literate youths annually and leave them to their devices. They will surely channel their

energies somewhere, either positively or negatively. This is where Mr. President and the 36 governors should come in with the saving grace. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has responded positively with the appointment of a new National Security Adviser [NSA]. Colonel Sambo Dasuki [rtd] has won the hearts of his compatriots with his recent moves that have rekindled hope in the peace

process with Boko Haram. He has taken novel steps and deployed new techniques to bring peace to the country. Therefore, he should ensure that the olive branch is complemented with job creation as suggested by Mr. Daniel Richard to keep our youths gainfully employed so as to redirect their energies for useful developments. Sahid Umar is a former Commissioner of Education, Adamawa state.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

150 suspected illegal immigrants nabbed in Gwagwalada By Usman Shuaibu

he Nigeria Immigration Service has arrested about 150 persons suspected to be illegal immigrants in Gwagwalada Area Council. An eyewitness, who referred anonymity told

our reporter that the immigration officials carried out the operation along with security agents, comprised of soldiers, police as well as members of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps(NSDC). It was gathered that some of the people that were arrested by the immigration

officers, were beaten by the security agents before they were bundled into their vehicle to Abuja for further interrogation. A victim, Dan-Yahaya Mohammed, who was arrested and taken to Abuja, told Peoples Daily that some of the victims, who identified

A motorcycle packed high with goods on Mararaba-Keffi road, Nasarawa state.

themselves as Nigerians were left off the hook, while those who could not identify themselves as Nigerians are being held in the custody of immigration officials in Abuja. Meanwhile, it was gathered that the immigration officials would go around the other five area councils in the FCT to fish out other illegal immigrants.

Photo Mahmud Isa

FRSC promotes seven officers for diligence By Adeola Tukuru

even officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command, yesterday bagged promotion from Assistant Road Commander to Deputy Road Commander in recognition of their diligence. The FCT Commander of the corps, Mr. Kayode Fanola at decorating ceremony of the

officers, noted that the beneficiaries had been in service for the past 6 years. He said the management deemed it fit to reward them in view of their dedication and zeal to work, stressing: “The management has compensated them by promoting them and show appreciation for their work”. He challenged other officers to emulate the officers who were promoted, noting that hard work is key.

Fanola urged the officers promoted to take advantage of the privilege given to them by the management, by being more diligent to their work. Speaking on the menace of road side marketing in the FCT, Fanola said research has shown that there are more vehicles entering Abuja everyday than those going out and there are more human beings entering Abuja than going out. He said with these, the

command has started a retention capacity of attractiveness to people by removing these traders from the road side with the help of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). One of the staffs promoted, Nna Emeka Chris Onwubiko commended the FRSC management for rewarding them accordingly as he assured that they would exude more loyalty and dedication in the discharge of their duties.

Man, 30, docked for allegedly selling plot with forged papers

Karu Upper Area Court, A b u j a , yesterday, arraigned a 30-year-old man, Mohammed Abbasi, of Kaduna Road by Chichiah in Kaduna State, for alleged criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, forgery and cheating. Police prosecutor Mohammed Garuba told the court that Mr Godwin Ndunagu of No. 16 Nupe Street, Gbazango

in Kubwa, Abuja, petitioned the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, on the matter. Garuba said that in the petition, Ndunagu told the commissioner that the accused conspired with Lawal Kola, Abdullahi Ahmed and Moshood Musa, all now at-large, to deceive the complainant to buy a piece of land. He said the accused sold the plot of land with forged papers

to the complainant with address No. 443, Arab Road, Kubwa, for N2 million. Garuba added that when the complainant conducted a research on the said plot of land he discovered that the papers were fake. The prosecutor said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 97, 312, 364 and 320 of the Penal Code. The accused, however,

pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the Presiding Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted him bail in the sum of N2.5 million with one surety in like sum. Kagarko said the surety must be reasonable and reliable, and must reside within the jurisdiction of the court. He adjourned the case to August 13, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

Council boss wants representation for indigenes By Adeola Tukuru

he Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council( AMAC), Hon. Micah Jiba has called for fair representation of the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) in policy and decision making at all levels of governance. Jiba made this call when the Commissioner representing FCT, Hon. Yunana Dauda paid him a courtesy visit in his office. He expressed disappointment that the FCT indigenes are not equally represented in institutions of governance as he called for “swift redress of the erroneous notion that the FCT was a virgin land before the advent of Abuja as the capital territory”. He reiterated the need for accurate representation of FCT indigenes in the area of employment, fairness in resettlement and compensation, in order for them to feel the effect of true governance. Also speaking, Hon. Dauda commended the performance of the council boss as he affirmed the commitment of the commission towards ensuring fairness, equity, justice and accurate representation of the indigenes at all levels of governance. He further stressed that the commission is committed towards enforcing the law guiding the federal character principle in the FCT.

Teenager bags two weeks imprisonment for stealing bicycle

n Abuja Senior Magistrate’s Court has sentenced one Kabiru Oghenekewe, 18, to two weeks’ imprisonment for stealing a bicycle belonging to the children of one Mrs Nkoyo Kehinde. The Magistrate, Hauwa Aliyu, however, declined to give the convict an option of fine after he pleaded guilty to the charge. The Police Prosecutor, Paul Anigbo, had earlier told the court that the case was reported to the Lugbe Police Station on July 4, 2012. Anigbo said that the complainant who resides at Federal Housing Authority, Lugbe, was in her house when the convict broke into her compound and stole her children’s bicycle valued at N8, 000. The prosecutor said that during investigation, the convict was unable to give a satisfactory account of the incident. He noted that the offence contravened Section 288 of the Penal Code. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

FCTA, Kwali council to empower women, youth By Josephine Ella

he Secretary, Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mrs Blessing Onuh has expressed the readiness of the secretariat to partner with Kwali Area Council in the area of youth and women empowerment. Speaking yesterday, during a courtesy visit to the chairman of the council, Hon. Joseph Shazin, Onuh said that the secretariat would collaborate with the council to deliver social services to the people of the council. “We are going to be working with the wife of the council chairman to empower women in the area economically and in the area of sport; we will be working with youths in the council too. In our next year budget, we have included a lot of programmes for women development and empowerment”, she said, urging the chairman to ensure that women in the council benefit from the tractor scheme of the council subsequently. The Secretary disclosed that the secretariat is embarking on the building of a world class youth centre in Nyanya, under Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to carry youths along, saying Kwali would not be an exception. She pledged to ensure that secretariat facilitates the construction of a stadium for the council in the coming year. Onuh, who was accompanied by senior officers of the secretariat, also donated sporting facilities such as stockings, boots and sport wears to the council for onwards distribution to participants of the forthcoming

Under-13 and First Lady sport competitions in the council. In a remark, Hon. Shazin thanked the Secretary for the gesture, pledging that the items donated to the council would be

distributed to the intended beneficiaries. While thanking the Secretary for the willingness to partner with the council, he said the council would support the secretariat to

A man hawking wears at Karu, Abuja.

make its programmes succeed. “We want to partner with you. We will make sure we support you so that the programmes you will be bringing to us in this council succeed,” he said.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Cleric tasks NUJ executive on unity By Josephine Ella

he Director of Communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr. Patrick TorAlumunku has advised the newly elected executive of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abuja Council to be united and seek the face of God in their quest for a better union and country in general.

Rev. Fr. Tor-Alumunku gave the advice yesterday at an inaugural Mass held at the council secretariat in Utako. Quoting from Psalm 104, Alumunku said if the new EXCO must be successful, they must not do things in the dark alley but seek the face of God always and with that, they would be able to carry the entire NUJ team and the nation to desired heights. He said that just as Jesus chose his disciples from the lot, believing

in them to foster the ideals of his mission on earth, the new EXCO had been chosen with the firm believe that they have what it takes to carry out the mandate placed in their hands. The clergy said that if the EXCO remained united as leaders, they would have united followership that would help them chart a historic cause for the union. This was as he advised them not to destroy legacies left by their

predecessors but build on laid down foundation, also calling on members to put aside political differences and support the new team to succeed. He further advised those who contested and lost the election to accept defeat in good faith and conduct themselves in a manner that they would be found worthy of leading the council in future as they would have exhibited good followership traits, a necessary quality for good leadership.

Biz-woman arraigned for forgery

he police in Abuja has arraigned a 33-year-old businesswoman, Halimah Mohammed of Malah, Kaduna state, before an Upper Area Court for theft and forgery. Police Prosecutor, Ambi Ayuba told the court that one Dr Echendu Damian of State House Medical Centre reported the incident at the Karu Police

Station on June 15, 2012. Ayuba said that on the same date, the accused stole Damian’s two cheque leaves with serial no 00000073 and 000000074 and forged his signature. He said that after the accused forged the complainant signature, she went to Ecobank at Area 8 Garki Abuja to

withdraw the sum of N150, 000 from complainant account no. 3991701200035. Ayuba added that in the process, the accused was arrested. According to the prosecutor, the offence of theft and forgery contravenes Sections 287 and 327 of the Penal Code. The accused pleaded not

guilty to the charge and Judge Umar Kagarko granted her bail in the sum of N200, 000 with one surety in like sum. Kagarko ordered that the surety must be reasonable and reliable, who must reside within the court jurisdiction. He adjourned the case to July 31, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

Medical expert advises Nigerians to avoid fatty, fried food By Usman Shuaibu

medical expert at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Martina Joseph has advised Nigerians to cut down on intake of against fried food. Joseph, who has written a lot of books on cancer and other cardiovascular diseases, gave the advice while speaking to Peoples Daily. He urged Nigerians to engage in regular exercises, emphasising that regular exercise of the body and the avoidance of fried and fatty foods are one of the numerous ways of maintaining an average food cholesterol level. “Cholesterol could be good or bad, depending on the density of the lipoproteins”, she said. She explained that good cholesterol which is the High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) is significance for balancing the lipid profile of the body. “The good cholesterol helps in mopping up the excess plaque. Cholesterol plays some positive roles in the body and an significant component of the sex hormones and the bile Juice,” she explained. She, however, said that young adults and old people developed high cholesterol due to their life style, adding that cholesterol found in children could be genetic. Commenting on cancer, Joseph noted that cancer is a deadly disease that had claimed a lot of lives in African.

Builder, 40, docked for breach of trust

40-year-old builder, Leonard Okorie of Lugbe, Abuja, yester day appeared before an Abuja Senior Magistrate’s Court for alleged criminal breach of trust and cheating. Police Prosecutor, Paul Anigbo told the court that the case was reported at the Lugbe Police Station by one Muyiwa Ajibade of Kuchigoro village, Abuja, on January 17, 2012. Anigbo said that on the day in question, the accused asked the complainant to rent his generator to him at the cost of N1,000 per day. He said the complainant accepted the offer and released the generator to the accused, and that 75 days after he rented out the machine he approached the accused to pay his rent, but he refused to do so. In her ruling, Presiding Magistrate Khadijah Mustapha granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in the like sum. She said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the case to Aug. 2 for hearing. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 17

Middle-aged women and a little girl waiting for aims, yesterday in Nyanya.

Petrol attendants offloading fuel at Oando filling station, yesterday in Kubwa. Young women hawking snack and kunu, yesterday, in Wuze 2, Abuja.

A young man hawking wares, yesterday in Area 8, Abuja.

Cart pushers in search of patronage, yesterday in Kubwa.

Photos: Justin Imo-owo

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Our economy can do well, says Offa monarch

Mob: 08033644990

A typical Nigerian banking hall

Bank customers decry poor ATM service

ome bank customers in Kaduna on Tuesday decried the poor services of the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in the town. At various banks, there were long queues of customers at ATMs making it difficult for numerous customers to make withdrawals from their accounts through the ATMs. Many of the ATMs displayed an “out of service” message on

their monitors, while others were unable to dispense cash due to network problems. The ATMs visited included those of First Bank, Ecobank, UBA and Zenith Banks. Henry Fumwul, a customer, said that he could not make any withdrawal with his ATM card at the First Bank ATM centre along Muhammadu Buhari Way. He said that the machine did

not pay him, but only debited his account. “An official of the bank told me that the poor service was due to technical problem and he assured me that my money will be remitted later,’’ Mr. Fumwul said. Another customer, Malik Garba, said he no longer had confidence in the ATMs, adding that “I now prefer to use my cheque book”.

In the Federal Capital Territory as well, numerous clients have bemoaned the difficulty they face in withdrawing money from ATM’S Stella Emmanuel, at a Zenith bank in Gwarimpa Abuja, said she had visited three ATMs before she got to Zenith bank. “When I reached here, only one of the ATMs was working and the queue is so long”, she said. Also, a senior official of one of

the banks, who sought anonymity, said that poor network is due to weather and technical hitches. “Our servers are now being upgraded to address the challenges,” the official said. He advised customers to always request for receipt whenever they made transactions at ATMs to guard against unforeseen circumstances.

Subsidy scam: Ribadu fingers PPPRA for fuel subsidy scam

he Chairman of the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, Nuhu Ribadu on Tuesday advised the Federal Government to beam its searchlight more on the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and other relevant officials of government if it truly wants to get to the root of the contentious issue of subsidy payments. Mr. Ribadu, who spoke at an interactive session organised by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for its staff in Abuja said “most of the problems we are having now is the failure of regulators, including the subsidy issue that every Nigerian is talking about”.

Speaking further, Mr. Ribadu said if the PPPRA had performed credibly, it would have been difficult to steal from government. “If I were to work on this subsidy, I would just arrest PPPRA officials, and through them I would bring out every single person who took one penny from government. I would get all of them because it is the gatekeeper that has failed so I would not bother myself with anybody else. No one can take money for product he did not supply except if PPPRA allows it,” he said. Mr. Ribadu also said public servants benefit more than the oil marketers from the corruption circle in the subsidy

CFA • £ RIYAL $

10th July, 2012 BUYING 0.2712 190.3352 240.3737 41.2932 154.87

SELLING 0.2912 191.5642 241.9258 41.5598 155.87

PARALLEL RATES • £ RIYAL $

BUYING 207 258 40 165

SELLING 209 260 42 169

said. The former presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria said the government appears to also understand what

he Naira eased to its lowest in a week against the U.S dollar on the interbank market on renewed demand for the greenback and despite large forex sales by a unit of Royal Dutch Shell. The local currency fell to 161.30 to the dollar on the interbank, erasing recent gains and compared with its 161.05 close on Tuesday. Nigeria’s currency firmed 1.2 percent last week, after a

surge of inflows from foreign investors positioning to buy treasury bills and the central bank’s dollar sales to banks. “Demand from some banks buying dollars for their customers was quiet large today, sucking the bulk of dollar liquidity in the market and pushing the naira value down,” one currency dealer said. Traders said Shell sold about $100 million to some

Turn to frontline employees for customer insight

o succeed in business you need to know what your customers really want. Companies routinely use conjoint analysis, focus groups, customer panels, and other methods to get this info. But traditional research has its limits. To get a true insider

is going on at the agency and that bringing in new leadership has shown promising signs of redeeming the battered image of the PPPRA.

Naira eases on strong dollar demand

Management Tip of the Day

EXCHANGE RATES

CBN

regime. “For every one person outside of government that benefits in this subsidy scam, public servants benefit three times,” he

view, turn to your frontline employees. They often get an unfiltered view of how customers interact with your product or service. Ask waiters and bus boys which food items are most often left unfinished. Turn to your receptionist to understand

which customers are happy coming and leaving. Sales floor personnel can tell you where people go to first in your stores. Don’t overlook those who are closest to serving and supporting the customer. Source: Harvard Business Review

lenders on Wednesday, but it was not sufficient to absorb demand. On the bi-weekly foreign exchange auction, the central bank sold $180 million at 155.87 naira to the dollar, compared with the $163 million sold at the same rate on Monday. “There are speculations that the NNPC (state-owned energy company) plans to sell dollars in the market this week and this could support naira recovery, otherwise it will be another round of depreciation,” another dealer said. (Reuters)

Diamond Bank firsthalf profit up fourfold

iamond Bank also yesterday said its firsthalf pretax profit rose four-fold to N9.99 billion ($62 million), lifting its shares 4.8 percent to N2.41. (Reuters)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS AIICO moves to reduce business acquisition cost

etermined to enhance service efficiency and customer value, underwriting firm, AIICO Insurance plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Information Technology solution firms, Interswitch and e-transact, to reduce acquisition costs as well as enhance payment system.

Cadbury invests in facility upgrade for Q3 targets

adbury Nigeria manufacturer of Cocoa based Beverages, Confectionery and Food Products has announced its Q2 earnings forecast for the period ended September 30th, 2012 to the market, revealing it expects to make a turnover of N9.8 billion.

Manufacturers lament over poor power, infrastructure Stories from Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

eading manufacturers in the nation’s industrial sector have identified high cost energy and poor infrastructure as the bane of the nation’s economic growth Some of the stakeholders made the remarks at a quarterly business luncheon for leaders in business organised by the Ministry of Trade and Investment in Lagos. They urged the government to find a lasting solution to the barrier to fast-track the desired revolution to boost industrialisation in the country. Minister of Trade and

Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga said that the meeting has become imperative to brainstorm with the business leaders with the view of solving the challenges militating against industrial growth. Aganga said that government also aimed to deliberate on the right synergy for enhanced productivity sustained economic growth and monitor progress made quarterly. He also said that the meeting would come up with ideas on finding solution to remove the bottle-neck in doing business in the country. He said that the theme of the

forum: “ Industrial revolution the Role of business Leaders as game changers” was carefully chosen because of the important role the business have to play in improving the economy. According to him, the country is at the verge of revolutionising the sector saying it will be a change in paradigm, from a country that export raw materials and job opportunities to a nation that adds value to its raw materials . He said that such development would translate to job creation, wealth creation and income generation. According to him, the government is linking industries

Our economy can do well, says Offa monarch

Agriculture to receive N145.8bn grant from World Bank

he World Bank has concluded plans to assist the Federal Government with N145.8 billion ($900 million) grant to execute its agriculture transformation agenda (ATA) and water supply, to boost agriculture and industrial development in the country.

Standard Chartered partners CDC on diversity and inclusion

tandard Chartered partners CDC on diversity and inclusion Standard Chartered Bank is partnering the Children Development Centre[ CDC] at ensuring fair and equal treatment for candidates and employees with disabilities.

Glo Ghana scoops 2% mobile market share

urrent mobile subscriber base figures from the National Communication Authority (NCA) ending May 31, 2012 have shown that Glo Mobile Ghana, whose parent company is headquartered in Nigeria has scooped a 2 per cent market share after just one month of its operations in that country.

in areas where it has comparative advantage, skills and innovation He said that the government was aspiring to be in the top 10 global player in some products such as rice energy, rice cement , among others. He said that government has already started the initiative of backward integration in some of the key sector saying that the imitative would be backed with the right incentives and polices. He listed such sectors to include cement success story is being replicated in the automobile , textile and garment, palm oil and sugar subsector.

L-R: Director, Individual and Enterprise Income Department, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Peter Olayemi, Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi, and Coordinating Director Field Operation Group of FIRS, Mr. Samuel Ogungbesan, during the FIRS stakeholders forum, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

very developed economy, no matter what it has become today, suffered worse than what Nigerian economy is going through today. However, the secret to such economic turn around is industrialization and the embrace of the information technology, which every well-meaning Nigerian must come to terms with. These were words of the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Muhammad Gbadamosi Oloyede Esuwoye II, at the 2012 Crystal Nite of Excellence organised by Commerce & Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos recently. Oba Mufutau, who was the Royal Father of the day at the event, urged Nigerians to shun laziness, with the guise of hiding under the cloak of shortage of employment in the nation to begin to think entrepreneurial.

LUPAN parleys SON on sub-standard and adulterated products

roducer of lubricants on Monday raised fresh alarm over the rate at which adulterated and fake lubricant products are being peddled in the Nigerian market, warning that this development portends danger to users, the nation’s economy and could crippled the local industry if urgent steps were not taken to arrest the disturbing trend. This call was made when the body of lubricant producers LUPAN (Lubricant Producers Association of Nigeria) led by the ViceChairman, Alhaji Ado Mustapha Muhammed, who is also the Chairman/CEO AMMASCO Oil, accompanied by other members of the executive council paid DG of SON, Mr Joseph Odumodu a courtesy call. Mr. Odumodu, while receiving members says SON is embarking

on registration of all products including oil lubricants in the market within the next few months. He said this is part of deliberate measures to sanitize the market, to ensure standards are adhered to by manufacturers and that consumers have value for their money. Mr. Odomodu, during the session with LUPAN in Lagos yesterday, agreed with the executive council that the nation’s economy was being threatened by the twin problems of fake/ sub-standard and adulterated products; whether they are imported or produced locally, he stressed that this trend must be checked as the Nation could no longer allow it to continue. “There are standards and we are ready to enforce it, I can

assure you. We have launched the zero –tolerance campaign, and for us it is a new beginning, Odumodu said. While addressing the meeting, Mr. Emeka Obidike LUPAN Executive Secretary, reiterated their concerns over what he called threat to the lubricant industry, by indiscriminate importation of substandard lubricants and adulteration of member’s products. He said this has led to economic loss to consumers of such unwholesome products which most often result in frequent breakdown of machineries, environmental pollution as well as undue competition for local producers as they come very cheap to unsuspecting customers. These are some of the challenges LUPAN members are currently facing and therefore

called on SON to check the trend. Alhaji Ado Mustapha expressed confidence in the SON under the leadership of Mr. Odumodu to bring the much needed sanity in the oil lubricant market. He argued that their members, apart from investing heavily in state-of-the-art factories as well as in research & development, are high employers of labour, as such, are ready to partner with SON in all fronts to ensure sanitization of the market devoid of substandard, fake and adulterated products. In a separate interview after the meeting with SON, Alhaji Ado Mustapha once again called on the Federal Government to review downward the high import duty on base oil, which is the chief raw material for the production of lubricants.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 21

OYSAA to sanitise advertising space Stories from Suleiman Idris, Lagos

ne way the present administration in Oyo state intends to make an impact is by enhancing the aesthetics of the environment in order to attract visitors and investors alike. The creation of the Oyo state Signage and Advertising Agency (OYSAA), few months ago, to control as well as regulate outdoor advertising in the state, was therefore seen by many as a

way of actualising that dream of bringing ‘sanity’ into the state’s outdoor space. For instance, it is on record that outdoor advertisements and signages in the state are in a state of chaos, with many of the big names in outdoor advertising practice, contributing in one way or the other to the seeming disintegration of the outdoor space in the state. A check round the city would reveal to any discerning minds why it has become very

imperative to work on the state’s outdoor space. ‘It is apparent that some outdoor ad practitioners are not doing the business the way they should, while brand owners are not helping matters either. Most of the outdoor advertisements and signages that we met on ground are not professionally done, while some are illmaintained. There are clusters and clutters everywhere, and our belief is that there is the need to

enhance our environments in order to attract investors to the state,’ argued Yinka Adepoju, the Director-General of the agency, during a stakeholders’ forum, organised by the Agency, recently. ‘Our major goal is to transform the state in such a way that it will attract investors, advertisers and, in addition, promote economic activities with a view to creating a win-win situation for regulators and operators in Oyo

State,’ he added. While allaying fears in some quarters that the agency was set up to put some outdoor practitioners out of business, the OYSAA boss expressed the agency’s readiness to partner with ad practitioners for a better environment, as long as they are ready to play by the rules. He stated that though the agency had pulled down over 1,000 billboards in the first phase of its operation in the city of Ibadan, he assured that those whose billboards are in tune with the required standards would not be touched.

141 Worldwide boss, Bunmi Oke, emerges new AAAN president

he Chief Operating Officer/ Executive Director of one of the nation’s frontline creative communication agencies, 141 Worldwide, Mrs Bunmi Oke has been elected as the new president of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN). The new AAAN president, emerged winner of the office, after she was elected unopposed at the association’s 39th Annual General Meeting, held in the ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo State. Oke, a thoroughbred professional, who, prior before the elections, had proved her mettle in other capacities within the association, emerged after the immediate past president of the association, Mr Rufai Ladipo, signalled his intention not to recontest, at the expiration of his one-year term, in June, this year. For instance, she was the chairman of the last edition of the highly successful Lagos

An ideal LED Outdoor billboard on display

Top Nigerian CEOs for In’Genius Youth Project dinner L

eading Nigerian chief executives, captains of industry, development organisations as well as top government officials are expected to storm the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, this month for a special dinner organised by the In’Genius Youth Project to showcase the best 10 ideas proffered as solutions by Nigerian youth to some of the nation’s The 10 best ideas to be presented on the night are the best adjudged entries out of several received in the just concluded In’Genius competition, introduced by In’Genius Youth Organisation, as a medium through which young ideas generators can find a platform for expression and

have a chance to win fabulous prizes. Speaking at a media parley organised recently, in Lagos, to intimate the public on the position of the competition which started earlier in the year, the Director and Project Head, Oreoluwa Ogundipe, expressed satisfaction with the level of participation among Nigerian youth both home and in Diaspora. This, he argued, demonstrates a clear indication that the solutions to some of the major basic problems facing the country are not far fetched and that the Nigerian youth are capable of solving them if provided the right environment, opportunity and encouragement.

Ogundipe revealed that it would be a tough job to select the 10 best inventive ideas from over 60 qualified entries received for the competition as at June 20 when the entries closed, as all the entries’ had the potential to win with deliberate attempts to solve either of the Six identified problems which include; Alternative power supply; T r a n s p o r t a t i o n ; Communication; Agriculture; Tax Management, and Tourism. This inaugural edition of the competition is being hosted by the University of Lagos Engineering Society with the competition billed to hold at the Main Auditorium of the University of Lagos.

He explained that some of the nation’s top chief executives expected at the dinner include: Governors, Ministers, and those from varied sectors including Banks, I n s u r a n c e , Telecommunications, Manufacturing ,Energy ,Real Estate, Oil & Gas as well as hospitability and tourism management. Also speaking at the event, the director sponsorship, Mr Emmanuel Adeolu-Olaiya disclosed that the first three ideas would be rewarded at the dinner with their prizes. He announced that the first prize would get the sum of N2.5 million, the second receives N1.5 million while the third would get the sum of N750, 000.00.

Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF), a reward initiative organised by the association to celebrate creative excellence within the advertising industry. The association’s new president believes that though the tasks before her are enormous, ‘they are definitely not insurmountable’. She however called for the support of all members in order to achieve her dreams of taking the association to greater heights.

SON to begin product registration in September

he Standards Organisation of Nigeria(SON) has said it will begin product registration in September. The registration which will cover all products in the country, according to the DirectorGeneral of SON, Mr. Joseph Odumodu. The director said in an interview on Monday that the initiative was aimed at combating sub standard products. “We are starting a very robust registration regime in three months. This also includes what we call the risk management system, and it is to ensure that for every product you pick up anywhere in Nigeria, you must be able to tell its characteristics, such as who made it; who brought it into Nigeria, and all of that,” he said. According to him, the registration will help screen both imported and locally manufactured products. He said, “Every time you do a market survey and a product does not meet specification, you update that so that over time, there are some manufacturers you will now put in what we call the green line and those that will fall in the red line. This is because increasingly, you don’t need to be checking everybody”.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

AfDB holds seminar on youth employment in Lusaka By Aminu Imam

L-R: Senior Manager, SME Segment of MTN Nigeria, Mrs. Barbara Anozia, Senior Manager SME, Regional Accounts of MTN, Mrs. Omotayo Ojutalayo, and General Manager of Enterprise Marketing of MTN, Mr. Ladipo Nylander, during the launch of MTN Hynet, yesterday, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

StanbicIBTC Bank seeks approval to restructure

tanbic IBTC Bank said on Tuesday it will seek shareholders’ approval to transfer its subsidiaries into a newly-formed holding company, in line with regulatory requirements to separate core lending from other businesses. The central bank two years ago scrapped the universal banking model and directed lenders in Africa’s second

biggest economy to sell their stake in non-banking subsidiaries or adopt a holding company structure. “A major reason for adopting the new structure is to consolidate our goal of building Nigeria’s leading endto-end financial services organisation,” Chief Executive, Sola David-Borha said, adding that the new firm will house its banking, pensions and asset

management business. Stanbic, a unit of South Africa’s Standard Bank, said the new holding company called Stanbic IBTC Holding Plc, will come into effect next month and it will apply for a new banking licence. According to the scheme documents seen by Reuters, shareholders will approve the new structure on August 9, and then the bank will de-list

from the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Sept. 17, and be replaced with Stanbic IBTC Holding Plc. Under the new arrangement, existing shareholders’ will retain 39.77 percent of the holding company, while Standard Bank will own 52.76 percent. The newly-created entity will then own 99.9 percent of the subsidiaries. (Reuters)

SMEDAN partners with sister agency in Pakistan for SME devt By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

s fallout of the recent D-8 Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Working Group meeting held in Abuja, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDAN) of Pakistan in areas of cluster development and capacity building for small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs). The partnership which is being facilitated by the Pakistani High Commission in Nigeria according to the Acting High Commissioner, Ahmed Ali Sirohey, is in the spirit of the D-8 Group’s objective to diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations. The partnership, according to him would also afford both agencies the opportunity to cross fertilize and interface on areas that would be beneficial to small and medium entrepreneurs in both countries. At a courtesy call on the Pakistani Acting High Commissioner in Abuja on

Tuesday , the DirectorGeneral of SMEDAN, Alhaji Muhammad Nadada Umar expressed happiness that the Pakistani government had really lived up to expectation in the area of developing the SME sector in his country, adding that Nigeria had a lot to learn from the experience of Pakistan. Alhaji Umar noted that the presentation of Pakistan at the recent D-8 meeting was an eyeopener to Nigeria. He informed the High Commissioner about various achievements of SMEDAN which include carrying out a final ratification of the SME policy, soon to be passed on to the Federal Executive Council for approval, initiating the One Local Government, One Product (OLOP) program, which it borrowed from the Japanese Model in various parts of the country, establishing the Rural Women Entrepreneurship Development Program (RUWEDEP), and recently completing the compilation of a comprehensive database of MSMEs in Nigeria. He called on the Pakistani government to assist SMEDAN in the area of cluster development as the agency was planning to develop a furniture cluster in the FCT.

Responding, the Acting High Commissioner, Ahmed Ali Sirohey congratulated SMEDAN for successfully hosting the D-8 SME working group meeting, adding that the participation of all the countries at the meeting testified to the importance which the D-8 countries attached to economic integration. Ambassador Sirohey said he was willing to facilitate a meeting between SMEDAN and SMEDA of Pakistan with a view to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the

area of SME development. He also expressed the willingness of the Pakistani government to collaborate with SMEDAN to stage a forum for the benefit of Pakistani businessmen, exporters and manufacturers who would be visiting Nigeria on a trade mission between August and September. He said that the Pakistani government was also seeking joint venture partnership with Nigeria’s private sector and called on SMEDAN to assist in line with the objectives of the D-8 countries.

he African Development Bank (AfDB) hosted a high level policy dialogue seminar on Youth Employment in Lusaka, Zambia, focusing on the challenges and opportunities faced by countries in the Southern Africa region. Attended by Ministers from Zambia, Angola, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Mauritius, as well as representatives of international institutions and chaired by the Chief Economist and VicePresident of the AfDB, Prof. Mthuli Ncube, the seminar created an ideal platform for discussion on the policy priorities available for countries to tackle the critical issue of youth employment. In his opening address, the AfDB Chief Economist said, “Youth unemployment has become a potential source of social, economic and political instability of nations. Today’s young people face a real and increasing difficulty in finding decent work. This was evident in the last two years, with youth-lead movements from Africa to Europe calling for social justice, freedom and jobs.” Addressing the delegates, Zambian Minister of Finance, the Honourable Alexander Chikwanda said, “Youth Unemployment is ticking time bomb for all of us.” He added, “We need to create a healthy workforce with the right skills to meet the challenges of a modern economy, this can be achieved by encouraging productivity and entrepreneurship. “This will require the joint efforts and solidarity of both the public and private sectors. As government, we need to provide the necessary governance and accountability, as well as building the credibility of the State”, he added The Honourable Fackson Shamenda, MP, Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Labour for Zambia, concurred, “There is a lack of co-ordination in our efforts to address the issue of youth unemployment.

Airport runways lighting on verge of completion, says FAAN By Muhammad Sada

he on-going airport runways lighting which was billed to be completed last month, is on the verge of completion. While speaking to our reporter on phone, the Head of Public Affairs of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja, Mrs. Henrietta V. Yakubu confirmed that the project is

almost completed and assured Nigerians that as the minister of Aviation had earlier said, “ the aviation sector will be one of the best very soon”. It could be recalled that early last month, on June 3rd to be precise, it was a day of national and in fact international tragedy as many lives were lost as a result of a crash by an MD 83 DANA aircraft barely some few moments before landing and the Federal Government had to

establish an immediate committee to probe the incidence and almost all the various stakeholders in the sector. Also, the airline as well as other parties concerned in one way or the other have been appearing before the committee to get factual details about the crash. Meanwhile, the identification and compensation of victims and the bereaved families has since commenced.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

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My agenda for Borno state, Gov. Shettima (I) Inspite of the enormous security challenges facing Borno state, its Governor, Kashim Shettima says he remains undaunted . In this interview with a team of Peoples Daily Editors, he sets act how he intends to go about the taugh task of transforming the state.

Governor Kashim Shettima

our Excellency, you have been at the helm of affairs in Borno state for over a year now, what important lesson have you learned in this past one year as the executive governor? A very tough question, I must say. You know that every effort comes with its own challenges and opportunities. In the last dispensation I served as a commissioner in the ministries of finance, local government and chieftaincy affairs, education, agriculture and health. But this time around the buck stops on my desk. The most important lesson I have learned in the past one year is about patience,

resilience and the ability to carry on regardless of the challenges. Hitherto I was operating on the sideline, but this time around I am setting the pace and, Alhamdu-Lillah, so far so good. Uneasy, they say, lays the head that wears the crown. In any case, leadership is about challenges and finding solutions to them and, as another saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. AlhamduLillah we are determined not to only live up to, but exceed the expectations of our people. One key point somebody outside Borno would want to know is how you are coping with the challenge of managing the federal

troops deployed to the state given that you are the one funding their operations. As the chief security officer of the state it is the responsibility of every responsible government to ensure that there is peace and social harmony in his or her won state. But we are working at a very delicate time. With the declaration of state of emergency in five local government areas for instance, security diligence has effectively been taken out of the hands of the governors. Therefore, ones level of political maturity that will determine their relationship with the military authorities. You and I know that even in the best of

times, governors are chief security officers only in name, because in reality a governor of a state does not control the army, the police, the Customs or even the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC). They are all answerable to their bosses in Abuja. Still, although you might not change the direction of the wind, you will succeed in influencing its direction if you establish a good rapport. Basically we are using moral persuasion and warm inter-personal relationship to see that we have promoted the agenda of peace and harmony in the state. So how are you able to fund the massive security

operation in the state and at the same time cope with the challenges of the other sectors which are no less demanding in view of paucity of resources at the state’s disposal? There is this profound saying that if you feel security is expensive, try insecurity. Indeed, we do augment the efforts of the military establishment. For instance, during the days of Operation Flush, it was Borno state government that was singlehandedly footing all the bills, but with the advent of the Joint Task Force (JTF), it is the federal government that is paying the allowances. Of course, we still assist in the

area of logistics, feeding as well as some segments of their allowances. But in all fairness the funding of the exercise is now a two- way affair. How do you think traditional rulers can be empowered constitutionally for them to meaningfully contribute in the areas of peace and security because it seems that they have been divorced from the people? I don’t think they have been divorced from their people. Honestly though, I’m of the opinion that as we move towards liberal democracy in this country, we will be sliding back to primitiveness if we start curbing out chiefdoms and constitutional roles for traditional rulers. Mind you, that is my personal opinion, but if it is the consensus of the nation that a role should be found for them in the constitution, then I have no objection. But believe me, there is the tendency for them to be partisan. In my view, the most important thing for us to do is to jealously protect the integrity of traditional institutions by isolating them from politics. But the moment you give them a constitutional role, you are invariably involving them in partisan politics with all the attendant repercussions. This is my major reservation with giving a constitutional role for them. Even in places like in England, there is a very strong move towards republicanism. So why are we reversing ourselves to federalism when others are moving forward? I believe the present status quo should remain. A traditional ruler gets the kind of respect that he engenders for himself. There are some traditional rulers who contributed immensely in transforming their communities. Historically, Borno was a center of scholarship. However, the level of decay in both Western and Islamic education is so alarming that prior to the inception of your administration there have been talks about arresting the situation. Have you tried to assess the extent

of the decay, and what are you doing about it? Well the truth of the matter is that the decay in all segments of our society did not start in the last five or ten years; it is something that can be traced back to as far as 30 years ago as a result of leadership failure. All the secondary schools in Borno and Yobe states put togather are not up to those within Ibadan metropolis nor are they anywhere near in terms of quality. It is the fault of the leaders and elites in the north, who, because we can send our wards to the best private schools in and outside the country, we allowed the public education sector to rot. While we send our kids to AlAmin International School, Adeyemi College and such other elitist private schools, we completely abrogated our responsibility to the kids of the poor. Certainly, if care is not taken this might eventually consume us. Boko Haram is a concomitant effect of this abandonment of our responsibilities. But and insha-Allah we are making efforts to right this wrong. We have so far awarded N4.78bn contracts for the rehabilitation of about 14 secondary schools in the state. We have set up a quality assessment team, a school feeding program and several other noble programs towards addressing the falling standard of education in Borno state. We want to make education affordable, accessible and, of course, qualitative. We want to provide a computer set for every student in our secondary schools. The quality of the food we had in our secondary schools 25 years ago was better than what we had in our own homes. In fact, the stable diet 30 years ago among the Kanuris was Bura-Busko, among the Hausas it was the Tuwo, while rice, which was then considered as the delicacy of choice was served in our schools. So we really need to reclaim the lost glory.

Borno has been known for scholarship; its pre- eminent status is not by accident or coincidence. Islam came to Borno over a thousand years ago, and has therefore been a citadel of learning for nearly a thousand years. It is therefore not late to reclaim the lost glory. Some teachers of Islamic schools are accused of misguiding their students by ‘misinterpreting Islam. Such situation is believed to

dangerous animal. Some of the foot soldiers of Boko Haram are not even Qur’anic students; they are street urchins and also some social misfits who have been paid to unleash a reign of terror on the populace. We are definitely making some efforts to see that we have reformed the Madarasa system of education. But we also have to improve on the quality of governance, a fundamental that most of us are shying away from. There is more to

“

There is more to leadership than primitive capital accumulation; siphoning away public funds and buying homes in Dubai, America or England. Believe me, we have to really deliver quality governance to the people otherwise we would not be out of this mess be responsible for the emergence of the current Boko Haram insurgency. What efforts are you making to ensure that the right teaching of Islam is taught as in Katsina state where an attempt was made to regulate preaching? Islam has been practiced in Borno for nearly one thousand years but the state has never experienced what is happening now. Believe me abject poverty is responsible for this Boko Haram problem, which is why it has permeated the entire states of northern Nigeria. Although the problem has more to do with poverty than with the quality of Islamic education, but we have to move with the changing time, and reform the Qur’anic education system in a way that, in addition to catering for the spiritual needs of the students, we will also cater for their material needs. Believe me, if we engage the youths productively, if we find jobs for them, this madness will go. A poor and hungry man is a

leadership than primitive capital accumulation; siphoning away public funds and buying homes in Dubai, America or England. Believe me, we have to really deliver quality governance to the people otherwise we would not be out of this mess. What is your vision for the state? The whole focus of our administration is towards socio-economic empowerment program with agriculture at the centre of all our developmental drives. We have to embrace modernity, and we have to embrace modern agriculture because the whole mantra is on the increase in yield. A cow in Nigeria is producing one liter of milk per day whereas a goat in Pakistan produces 15 liters of milk per day. We produce two to five tons of onions per hecter, in Yemen a farmer produces 100 tons of onions per hecter of better quality. The Israeli farmer produces 55 to 100 tons of tomatoes per hecter, but we produce two to

five tons per hecter and of poor quality. So the whole mantra is on increase in yield. We have to embrace modernity; we have to embrace the latest technology, high yield seeds. One hundred years ago our forefathers were using hoes and cutlasses, and a hundred years on, our people are still using hoes and cutlasses. We cannot afford not to embrace the modern agriculture that is being practiced in the advanced world. Our main focus now is how to assist our farmers to have access to modern tools of agriculture, high breed seeds and, most importantly, post-harvest storage and processing facilities because we have to look at the whole value change of the agricultural production. We want to set up about 500 rice mills which we are going to buy from Thailand. The federal government is importing about 100 Chinesemade rice processing mills that can process 100 tons per day but we are getting only five megawatts of electricity per day in Maiduguri. So where is the power to drive these machines? For Nigeria to really utilize those 100 machines, we need to put 1.6m hecters of land under cultivation. In the Chad Basin for instance, we have 76,000 hecters of land. The last time we were there for the winter season the Chad Basin produced about 20,000 bags of wheat but the land under cultivation was a paltry 786 hectares. We are partnering with the Chad Basin to see that we cultivate 20,000 hectares in the next cropping season. In partnership with Chad Basin we have bought high breed rice seed to give free to our farmers for cultivation on 10,000 hectares. We have procured adequate quantity of fertilizers. So definitely these are things that we will give them; the rice mills, the agric processing machines and combating desertification by planting ten million gum Arabic tress in this cropping season. Insha –Allah, in the next couple of years we will

make deliberate efforts towards reclaiming our lost glory in the agricultural sector. We bought improved seeds worth over N100m and we are distributing it free to the people, with tractors, too. Nigeria has only 26,000 tractors nationwide, Borno has over a thousand tractors and these tractors are largely tilling the soil of our farmers freely. Boko Haram has really pauperized our people, so we have to make deliberate efforts to empower them. Are you making any efforts to make farmers participate in the commodity exchange, so that their farm produce will be sold at a reasonable price? In all climes government does play a role in agriculture. During the last cropping season, we encouraged our farmers to grow onions, but at the end of the season because of this terror the price plummeted from N15, 000 to N600 per bag and people barrowed to buy diesel to power the generators, people even barrow seedlings. So we had no option other than to cough out N200m to buy the entire onions in the market. In fact, we had to mandate some local governments to also mop up the excess onions in the market, but because of the problem of the insurgency we are having, it became exceedingly difficult for us to mop all. Some of it rotted away. We gave out to schools, we gave out to the masses and we even gave some to Lagos state. So because there were so many onions in the market it was not even attracting so much attention. But our plan is this, in the next eleven to twelve months we want invest heavily in processing. I was aware of some moves by Kebbi state towards processing onion. Borno state is the number one producer of onions as well as tomato, pepper and fish in the country. InshaAllah, in the next eleven to twelve years, we are going to exploit all options to improve the agricultural value change in this part of the world.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

EMERGENCY UPDATE UNISDR recognises NEMA’s initiatives on DRR

Officials from African countries in a group photograph in Iwate Prefecture in Japan during a breakout sesssion on DRR By Mohammed Kandi

he Head of Secretariat of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), Margareta Wahlstrom has commended the Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for its various education and public awareness programmes on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the country. A statement issued by NEMA’s head of press and public relations, Yushau A. Shuibu, said she gave the commendation at a presentation during the Breakout Session of the World Ministerial Conference on Disaster Reduction held last weekend in Sendai, Japan. Wahlström, who is the first Special Representative to the

Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction with her Secretariat based in Geneva, observed that quality education and public awareness are essential in reducing risks from hazards and natural disasters. While urging global community to intensify their efforts towards DRR through adequate planning, preparation and education, she said Japan, the host of the conference, had shown that despite the major losses it had suffered during the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, the Asian country’s early strategies for prevention and preparedness had paid off as it is fast recovering from the tragedies. In his remarks at the event, Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi said that Nigeria being one of the 168

NEMA DG, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi speaks as Mrs Margareta Wahlstrom, Special Rep of UN Sec Gen for DRR listens at the conference.

Member States that adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in 2005, has established a National platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and designation of a National Focal Point with supports from some international bodies including UNISDR, UNDP and UNHCR. Sani-Sidi added that the agency has advocated for the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction into basic and post basic school curriculum after it introduced postgraduate programmes on DRR in six federal universities in Nigeria.

The DG NEMA expressed the fear that without adequate preparation and global collaboration to tackle recurring natural phenomena due to climate change, the future is bleak. He said: “Experts are of the belief that the intensities and frequencies of hazards in the coming decades will exacerbate due to climate change ad growing environment variability.” Other delegates representing Nigeria at the Conference included the Foreign Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru who addressed the Plenary Session

and Environment Minister, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafiya who was at Fukushima Prefecture to speak on Emerging Risks. The World Ministerial Conference on Disaster Reduction was hosted by Japanese government as an avenue for delegates and experts share experiences of and lessons learned from recent large-scale natural disasters including Great East Japan Earthquake. Delegates conducted discussions at high level on the major themes related to disaster risk reduction in order to build resilient societies.

R-L: NEMA DG, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya and Foreign Affairs Ministers, Olugbenga Ashiru at the conferene

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

EMERGENCY UPDATE

Disaster mgt: NEMA presents contingency plan to stakeholders By Mohammed Kandi

s part of its effort to facilitate disaster management in Nigeria, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has presented to stakeholders the National Contingency Plan (NCP) that would enable government and stakeholders develop timely response to major disasters. The Director-General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani-Sidi, speaking during presentation ceremony yesterday in Abuja, said the NCP was aimed at achieving coordinated and planned response for the initial 10 days after a major catastrophic disaster. He said: “it is to minimise the potential humanitarian, economic and environmental consequences from 2nd Quarter 2012 to 2013,” adding that the presentation was apt, considering various environmental hazards facing the country. Sani-Sidi further stated that the NCP was anchored on

preparedness mechanism in water, sanitation and hygiene; health and sexual reproductive health. “The preparedness mechanism, he said, include “HIV/AIDS, Camp coordination and management, food and nutrition, emergency shelter and non-food items, security and protection, logistics and telecommunication and basic education,” he explained. He recalled that the NCP, which was conceived in 2010, is aimed at proactive preparation against disaster saying “the zero draft was developed in March; 2011with 72 participants drown from Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The agency, the D-G noted, also collaborated with the UNICEF for a comprehensive appraisal of the draft NCP including the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), Development partners, Non-Governmental Organisations and Private organisations. In his remarks, Country

representative of Oxfam in Nigeria, Tunde Ojei congratulated NEMA for the initiative and assured of his organisation’s continuous support in swift response to disaster management in Nigeria. In a goodwill massage, representative of the Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochepke, applauded NEMA for its well coordinated disaster management efforts over the years in Nigeria, adding that the NCP was “a step in the right direction”. Meanwhile, various stakeholders that participated in the presentation include representatives of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and the Nigerian Police. Others are Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSDC), The NEVY, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Oxfam.

…pledges improved disaster risk reduction strategy

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reiterated its commitment to improve Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategy in Nigeria. Speaking recently at validation workshop on “Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR)”, NEMA’s DirectorGeneral, Alhaji Mohammad Sani-Sidi, said this was necessary enhance efforts being made on disaster management in the country. Represented by NEMA’s Director of Training, Mrs Clementina Asueni, Sani-Sidi said a comprehensive assessment

of EPR and DRR was conducted in seven states of the federation including Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Enugu, Kaduna, Ebonyi and Katsina. The workshop was organised by the agency and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Meanwhile, OCHA has identified the duplication of agencies with overlapping mandates and lack of integrated response plan as some of the challenges facing NEMS’s efficiency. UNDP’s Regional Programme Specialist on DRR, Mr Aliou Dia, who made the disclosure, said absence of

minimum standards for service provided by emergency responders at state and federal level, and lack of common conceptual understanding of disaster managements and limited resources were some of the factors. Also speaking, a representative of the UNHCR, Gogo Hukportie, said the assessment exercise was timely, adding that some parts of the country were experiencing flooding. She pledged the UN continued collaboration in providing the technical support needed by Nigeria in disaster management.

Participants at the NEMA/UN validation workshop on emergency preparedness and response (EPR) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) capacity Assessment mission recently in Nigeria.

YOUTHS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY By Abubakar Jimoh abujimoh01@yahoo.com

Averting toxic waste discharge (1)

oxic waste, also known as hazardous waste has been described as any kind of byproduct that poses a threat to humans, animals or plants depending upon the contaminants toxicity. Wastes are said to be hazardous when they have properties that might make them accidentally or directly harmful to human health or environment. Generally, toxic wastes are of three major forms such as solid, liquid and sludge containing chemicals, heavy metals, radiation and dangerous pathogens. Other toxic waste capable of posing environmental and health risks to humans and wildlife are generated from toxins city septic systems, construction, automotive garages, laboratories, hospitals and so on. In the observation of the Institute of Chemical Waste Management, United Kingdom, it was reported that toxic wastes which are dumped in improper sites can seep into underground water supplies and contaminate huge areas. “Intoxication of water supply will cause most of the plants and trees to die off; and in an area mostly occupied by humans such scenario could cause serious illness or death.” It was also reported that there are several causes of toxic wastes such as discharge; non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and chemical reactions in the environment as a result of unfavorable weather condition. Some are also caused by emission of sulfur dioxide from industrial processes; oil drilling and transport, and mining activities. Others came from industrial and sewage treatment plants discharge wastes which contain toxic substances directly into waterways, air emissions from manufacturing from fuel combustion, cars and other motors, homes and buildings. Other causes are radioactive contaminations from plutonium processing plants, nuclear power plants and nuclear waste dumps. There is toxic pesticides dispersed through the environment by rain, running off chemical-treated land and flowing into lake and rivers. It is important for citizens to take note of toxic wastes and its unpleasant consequences on environment and human beings. For instance, United States Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed that out of 27 most commonly used pesticides by farmers, 15 of them are classified to contained carcinogens or cancercausing agents. Cancer has also been linked to air pollution from industry as well as in the home, radioactive by-product of uranium decay, radon exposure which is the

second leading cause of lung cancer as discovered in a study carried out by the U.S National Cancer Institute. In a survey carried out by the New York Academy of Science in 2008, it was revealed that exposure to hazardous waste from emissions irritates the mucus membranes of human’s mouth and throat; whereas, individuals living near a hazardous waste site are at high risk of developing respiratory diseases; as a direct link exists between air pollution and respiratory conditions such as asthma. Apart from these, heart disease is another dangerous effect of toxic wastes discharge most especially to the residents living around hazardous waste sites. Congenital heart disease has been reported among pregnant women living within one mile of a hazardous waste site. The threat of auto emissions has resulted to an increase risk of heart attack and stroke. Indeed, the health effects from some types of hazardous waste such as Xylene, one of the most widely used chemical and ingredient found in paints, solvents, and varnishes can lead to dizziness and headaches, stomach discomfort, unconsciousness and even death. The extent of a toxic wastes upshot in human could be liked to 1989, when a school in Hudson County, New Jersey was shut down as the students suffered from excessive exposure to chemical called chromium. In an effort to resolve the dangers of toxic wastes discharge in Nigeria, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) under the leadership of the Director General, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi has recommended some proven solutions. This followed some strict compliance with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Act of 1988, and full implementation of the 1992 Environmental Impact Assessment regulations, and National Environmental Protection (Management of Solid and Hazardous Wastes) Regulations have been encouraged. More so, strict adherence to the various laws and regulations can help to address toxic pollution from emissions and discharges and on concentrations of toxic substances in air and water. In addition, individuals have vital role to play understanding the manufacturing processes and clean techniques to products. This approach will help to prevent or reduce waste discharge when it has a potential for causing pollution, rather than regulating it only after it has caused pollution.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Nigeria to launch $5m Global Sanitation Fund in September

igeria will launch its fivemillion-dollar Global Sanitation Fund in September, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), the initiator of the fund, has said. The council’s Programme Officer (Communications), Mr David Trouba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja. The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is a Geneva-based organisation which works to improve the lives of poor people by enhancing collaboration among sector agencies and professionals around sanitation and water supply. The Global Sanitation Fund (GSF) was introduced by the council in an effort to help inject additional finances focused specifically on sanitation and hygiene work in countries. Trouba also said the fund will help to supplement what governments are already doing without taking over the national government’s budget. He noted that some Nigerian experts had been developing a National Global Sanitation Fund Plan since 2010, which would be launched in September and implemented over the next five years. “The fund programme will be launched probably from around the period of September and it’s through that we hope to see a lot of excitement and accelerated innovation in sanitation. It’s five million dollars and its spread over five years but in the end, it’s actually about six million dollars. “1 million operational cost and

five million dollars implementation cost, done at the local level in two states and run by a local executing agent in the country,’’ Trouba said. He explained that currently, a capacity assessment was ongoing on the project in anticipation of the formal launch of the programme. According to him, it is expected that the fund would provide adequate, clean water and sanitation services for 12 million people over the next five years. The communications officer noted that Nigeria was one of the first countries to take advantage of this fund in the second phase of the programme. The first phase, Trouba noted, was executed in seven countries and had impacted 100,000 people so far from the initial reports. “The Global Sanitation Fund has been around about four years but it was only from last year that countries started to work on it. “Our first report from early this year has identified that about 100,000 people in seven countries have gained access to improved sanitation. Nigeria is in the group that we call countries eight through 12, so we want to see good results,’’ he explained. He revealed that the programme had earmarked Cross River and Benue as the first states to commence its programmes. Trouba expressed the hope that good practice would inspire neighbouring states and countries to adopt some of the approaches. “The important thing to remember is that there are huge numbers of unserved people globally and they are also large in Nigeria; we really just need to roll our sleeves and get on with the work,’’ he said. (NAN)

NGO launches tree planting campaign, plants 100 trees in Abuja By Mohammed Kandi

n commemoration of the World Environment Day, 2012, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Global Awareness for Development Initiatives (GLAi), has planted over 100 palm trees in Abuja. GLADi also launched another round of tree planting campaign to create more consciousness on environmental issues such as climate change, floods, desertification, increasing temperatures and environmental patterns among Nigerian schools. Speaking at the event tagged “Nigeria School Green Project”, President of the NGO, Davi Fiase, said the launch was part of the organisation’s way of enhancing the environment, particularly “To kick-start a series of development work towards environment and climate change mitigation in Nigeria.” “Young people at their formative stages present an

opportunity to build solid value for the environment which is needed to keep the environment healthy in the long time. This project seeks to build climate change understanding and positive action from the groundup,” he said. “Through this project, we are partnering with three pilot schools; Government Model Senior Secondary School, Maitama, Government Model Junior Secondary School, Maitama and Federal Government Boys Collage, Apo,” Fiase added. Assuring that GLADi was ready to support schools and students that emerged most environmental friendly in the end, the President noted further, “Key elements of the Project include Environment and Climate Change Education, provision tree seedlings, establishment of the 1student-2-tree 3-year management strategy as clubs in various schools, monitoring support to environmental friendly

schools and award of prizes to students whose tree thrive better over the three years.” He however recalled that the NGO, through its various projects had planted 304 trees at Bristow Secondary Schools in Gboko, Benue State, in 2010. “Planting of 250 palm trees to commemorate World Environment Day, 2011, at 1st Avenue park, Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, sponsored by Federal Housing Authority, Abuja,” he said. In her remarks, Principal of the host school, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Maitama, Mrs Aderinto M.A. described the event as laudable saying “Green Project” all over the world was important to healthy condition of human beings. She assured of her schools readiness to continue to collaborate with the NGO and other relevant organisations that are determine to improve the state of the global environments.

Ministry plans to improve water quality to meet international standards

he Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) is striving to improve the water quality in the country to meet international standards through its water quality laboratories across the country. Mr Ogunseye Adeyinka, Managing Director, Adeyinka Consult, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday that the essence of building water laboratories was to meet international standards. NAN recalls that Adeyinka Consult is the consulting firm with the ministry in charge of construction of six regional water laboratories in Umuahia, Asaba, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Port Harcourt and Makurdi. “The idea of having water laboratory is to actually make sure that the quality of water being pumped out by the state meets international standards. “That was why the laboratories are being built in the states; it is to make sure the quality of water being taken by the populace meets international standard,” he said. He said that only the Sokoto laboratory had been completed so far out of all the projects and was handed over to the ministry in March. Adeyinka said that the

Maiduguri laboratory was 75 per cent completed, while that of Makurdi was 65 per cent, adding that all necessary payments had been made. “The Sokoto project has been completed and we have handed that one over to the ministry in March, although it finished in December 2011, some corrections were made. “The Maiduguri laboratory is almost 75 per cent completed in spite of the security challenges in the state; we commended the contractors. “Also, the one for Makurdi is not more than 65 per cent completed, but we have paid to date,” he said. He explained that the project in the South had no definite land assigned for the project, adding that this was why the laboratory in Asaba had not reached an advanced stage. Adeyinka said that in spite of these challenges in the South, August was the deadline given to the contractors to complete the projects in the South. He said the challenges facing the completion of the projects were funding and unwillingness of some states to give out their lands for the construction of the projects.(NAN)

Protecting environment through conservation of forests.

Refuse dumping: Airport road residents urge AMAC to evacuate rubbish

ome residents on Airport Road have called on the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to help evacuate the refuse in the area. One of the residents and President of Greater Gbagyi Development Initiative, Mr Gimba Gbaiza, who made the call, said it was unfortunate that AMAC had not been evacuating refuse in communities bordering the road. In his remarks, Gbaiza, a resident of Kuchingoro, said it seemed AMAC now focused its attention on city centre while satellite towns were neglected by refuse collectors. “If you go to town, you see them picking and packing refuse all the time and everywhere is clean, but AMAC will not come to satellite towns. “We don’t know why they neglected our area and other communities, the environment is filthy and we are inhaling bad odour every day. “ We made a request to the

authorities of environmental sanitation agency, they promised to come. Up till now, we have not heard from them. “We earlier engaged six women and two men to collect the refuse. They take the refuse to the dump site and expect the agency to evacuate it from there.’’ “It is the responsibility of the government to take care of the people and taking care of them also includes taking care of their environment,’’ he explained. Mr Matthew Abor, the spokesman for the Head of Chika village, said efforts to get AMAC to collect the refuse had not succeeded. He said the community normally mobilised the youths to evacuate the refuse and burn it, but now that the rain had started, this was no longer possible. Mrs Caroline Oyenbuchi, a resident of Aco Estate, said they were forced to engage private refuse collectors to save the situation in the estate. “Though AMAC comes once in

a while to collect the refuse, we cannot wait for them because of their irregularity, especially this rainy season.’’ A resident of Lugbe, Dr Aderin Olaolu, decried non evacuation of refuse around Babangida Market and the back of Car Wash bus stop. Olaolu said the community had forwarded a letter to AMAC to come and evacuate the refuse, adding that “we are aware of the epidemic that can emanate from the refuse site. So, we call on the government to evacuate the refuse. The Head of Environmental Sanitation Department of AMAC, Mr Abdulrazak Abdulkareem, said his officials had been evacuating the refuse at least once in a week in the area. He said the situation was not helped by the residents as some of them do not properly dispose of their refuse even when the council had provided a pay loader at Lugbe. He said refuse collection in at least three estates had been contracted out to consultants. (NAN)

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Ex-raying Nigerian environmental problems T hat Nigeria is plagued with a myriad of environmental problems threatening the ecosystems and indeed the people is no longer in dispute. These includes drought and desertification, soil erosion, flooding, accumulation of solid wastes in our urban centres, loss of biological diversity as a result of deforestation, indiscriminate bush burning, overgrazing, coastal erosion, ocean surge and illegal hunting. Other intractable environmental problems in Nigeria are air and water pollution from industrial discharge, oil spillage and gas flaring. These problems vary in their occurrences and intensities across the various ecological zones in Nigeria. That they are as deadly as weapons of mass destruction is not an over statement. They are indeed environmental weapons of mass destruction, considering the devastating negative effects they impact on the people and the environment. Given this un-cheery scenario and the cost of these various environmental problems in Nigeria which is estimated to be within the range of N500 billion per year according to the UNDP, the economic impact on the poor people that are already living below poverty line could better be imagined. Poverty is one of the most potent of these weapons. African Ministerial Council on Environment (AMCEN) in its mission statement says that economic and environmental policies, which do not improve the lives of the poor majority of our people, are not socially or politically sustainable. The overarching goals of alleviation of poverty in our economic development can only be met if we ensure the adequate protection and management of our natural resources. One of the factors that have brought significant demand on resources is our unplanned population growth. The hallmark of any developing nations including Nigeria is to reduce the pressure on resources for example which has persistently pushed farmers; marginal land with an attendant plethora of ecological problems. Deforestation for instance, has been linked to population growth. Studies have implicated population growth as being responsible for 79 percent of deforestation, while the remaining 21 percent has been ascribed to increases in food consumption per person. In Nigeria, the predominant subsistence farming practices rely on shifting cultivation or “slash and burn” that has become the most important of the factors of deforestation. The critical shortage of fuelwood also increases the rate of deforestation. The hike in price of kerosene, an alternative

energy source for the low income and the rural poor that constitute as much as 75 percent of the populace, only worsened the problem. This group invests more in axes, machetes and other

which is the means of sustenance for the people are no longer sustainable. Resources are not only being exploited faster than they can be replaced. Virtually, every process of

ENVIR ONMENT ENVIRONMENT WATCH By Ambrose Inusa Sule, mnes globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only)

Scavengers at a waste dump site implements so that it can sustain a renewed and intensified onslaught on the forests. Of the ecological “weapons of mass destruction in Nigeria,” population growth and poverty, which have linkages between them is central to the sustenance of the disasters. It must be emphasized that for any meaningful prevention, reduction, amelioration, and overall management of these disasters, these fundamental causal and pervasive factors must be given adequate consideration. This is expedient if the cycles of disasters factors are to be broken in a sustainable manner. We cannot expect those living in poverty and ignorance to worry about saving the environment. Poverty and environmental degradation are inextricably linked; a solution to one will help to solve the other, while an increase in one aggravates the other. Human progress cannot justifiably be assured without concerted efforts to combat the twin evils of poverty and environmental degradation. There is no doubt that much effort has been made at various levels to address the numerous environmental problems as it affects Nigeria. The reality, however, is that the way things are now, the environments,

exploitation leaves the environment in a state of comatose. The manifestation is the ecological hazards usually degenerate into full-blown ecological disasters. The factors responsible for the several environmental problems in Nigeria are: A general inability of the agencies responsible for the environment to enforce laws aimed at regulations, particularly with respect of urban planning, and development, prospecting for minerals, adherence to industrial standards and erection of public utility in ecologically sensitive areas, Inappropriate agricultural practices, the destruction of watersheds and the opening up of watersheds, of river banks, and other critical areas leading to silting of river beds and loss of water courses. Also, the uncontrolled logging which is aggravated by lack of restocking in many parts of the country leading to loss of biodiversity, bush burning for farming and ever-increasing depletion of young forests for fuel-wood. Others are gas flaring and the resultant problems of ecosystem destabilization, heat stress, acid rain and the consequent effects on freshwater and coastal water lives, ecosystem destabilization, heat stress, acid rain and the

consequent effects on freshwater and coastal water lives. And uncontrolled use of agrochemicals leading to soil contamination and Dumping of non-natural but trade related expired and contraband chemicals and pesticides. To date, Nigeria‘s natural systems continue to experience considerable pressure, leading to deterioration. Over population Is also drawing down key natural resources to the point that the degradation of lands, forests and waters has become intensive, and threatening to overwhelm the integrity of key natural systems and the prospects of economic development. Government has held landmark conferences, negotiated dozens of bilateral and multilateral agreements, built-up institutions and set out a common vision, which include eradicating poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality among others. But as it is so often, there is always the risk in planning without execution. But after years of listening to debates, many of us fatigue, frustrated that no one seems to do much to help. The key now is to put people first and the environment second, but also to remember that when you exhaust resources, you destroy people. With that in

mind, policy makers wrestle with a host of difficulty issues that affect both people and the environment. The major basis of social and economic development in most countries, especially in developing countries, lie in their environmental and natural resources. The level of development in these countries is often a reflection of how the resources have been planned, allocated and managed. Those nations, who have achieved a level of sustainable development often, carried out the above activities with an understanding of the exosphere arid the appreciation and knowledge of how to prevent, mitigate and restore the stresses generated by natural and human activities. One of the legacies of our recent past is the understanding that economic growth, social stability and political security are all inherently interdependent and all require a healthy and strong natural resource base. This cardinal vision is reflected in all the relevant instruments and declarations adopted by the international community to date, but principles of sustainable development have proved elusive in practice.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

young mother has revealed her bizarre addiction to drinking water - downing up to 25 litres per day. Sasha Kennedy, 26, has almost six gallons during a 24-hour period, even taking large bottles around with her wherever she goes. She goes to the toilet up to 40 times every day and claims she has even left jobs over the lack of quality water. The mother-of-two - who says she has no health problems - even wakes up several times a night to sip water and go to the toilet. Sasha said: ‘If I feel my mouth start to get dry I have to get my next fix of water - it’s all I can focus on. ‘People never really think anyone can drink that much until they get to know me, then they just cannot believe their eyes. ‘I feel thirsty pretty much all the time and always have to be sipping water - it’s an addictive habit. ‘The most sleep I’ve ever had is about one hour and 15 minutes, because I am getting up to drink or nip to the loo.’

Young mother 26, drinks 25 litres of water a day Sasha, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who is a full-time mother to children Reggie, two, and Fraser, one, developed her habit when she was just two. She began nagging her parents for more water, quickly prompting them to take her to the doctors - who confirmed there was nothing wrong with her. Her addiction kept growing as she got older and by the age of six her mum was placing a plastic jug full of water next to her bed each night. Eventually, she began to get up each night and refill the large container - doubling her nightly intake. The schoolgirl always took a bottle of water to class with her and would stay glued next to the water fountain at break time

“

People never really think anyone can drink that much until they get to know me, then they just cannot believe their eyes. ‘I feel thirsty pretty much all the time and always have to be sipping water - it’s an addictive habit. ‘The most sleep I’ve ever had is about one hour and 15 minutes, because I am getting up to drink or nip to the loo

You drink how much? Sasha Kennedy with a selection of bottles of her favourite tipple.

Glass half full: The young mother-of-two drinks 25 litres of water a day, the equivalent of 100 glasses.

Drinking up: The mother-of-two - who claims she has no health problems - even wakes up several times a night to sip water and go to the toilet.

while the other kids went out to play. By the age of 13 she was already drinking up to 15 litres a day. Sasha said: ‘By that stage my parents had got rid of the jug by my bed at night and replaced it with a five-litre plastic container. ‘I would even sometimes refill that during the night. I began smoking as a teenager as well and that made things worse - my mouth felt dryer. ‘When I was 16 and left school I started work in a shoe shop stockroom and everyone began to notice how much I drank. ‘They ended up moving the water cooler next to my desk. People started to get sick of

changing the water.’ Sasha then left her next job, at a carpet firm in Dartford, Kent, as the quality of their tap water was not good enough. By her early 20s she was downing 20 litres a day and her addiction peaked when she began working from home for a telecoms company in 2007. Single mum Sasha found that by staying at home she could drink more water - and claims she now is drinking between 18 and 25 litres a day while she stays at home to look after her children. She said: ‘I found I was drinking more because I was not self-conscious about going up and getting water in front of

colleagues. ‘I was drinking about 25 litres a day and my work were so concerned that they told me to go to hospital and get checked out. ‘But they could not find anything wrong. I only start feeling ill if I don’t drink - my mouth gets really dry. ‘Going on holiday is a nightmare, too. If I go somewhere hot like Spain I have to take bottles of water around with me it can be quite expensive. ‘I’ve had boyfriends who get disturbed during the night when I get up to drink and go to the loo - but it has become normal for me now.’ Source: Dailymail.co.uk

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Mali: Counter-terrorism and the benefits of doing nothing ANALYSIS

Among the Tuaregs there generally is scant natural support for the draconian social policies currently being visited by Ansar alDine in Timbuktu and Gao, writes former director of the CIA counter-terrorism centre

t is strange, really, how the destruction of buildings and inanimate objects can sometimes capture the world's attention in ways that ordinary, simple human suffering does not. Northern Mali, like much of Saharan and Sahelian Africa, has long been home to endemic hunger, poverty and civil strife. All have been greatly exacerbated over the past three months, as a late-March coup in Bamako has facilitated a Tuareg revolt, which in turn has provided an opportunity to Islamic extremists to seize significant swaths of territory and to impose their obscurantist norms on an unwilling Muslim population. Thousands have fled the depredations of the Salafi adherents of Ansar al-Dine, the self-proclaimed "defenders of the faith", leading to a large refugee outflow into neighbouring countries. It is fair to say that none of this has been much remarked in the outside world. It was the destruction in recent days of Timbuktu's medieval mosques, declared "World Heritage Sites" by the UN cultural agency UNESCO that has drawn far greater expressions of concern and outrage around the globe. Suddenly, Ansar al-Dine, which despite its brutality was virtually unknown to the wider world only days ago, is now the focus of worldwide calumny. But as was the case when Afghanistan's Taliban destroyed the monumental rock-carved Buddhas of Bamiyan, there is nothing to be done about these remote depredations, and the world's outrage will soon fade. The question is: Concern about architectural and religious heritage aside, should the doings of obscure Malian Islamists be of more than local concern? US military action? There are some in the US military who clearly think so. A recent series of articles appearing in the Washington Post have highlighted the active presence of US Special Operations forces across northern Africa, in some of the poorest and most primitive places on earth, from Mauritania in the west to Somalia in the east. "Regional experts estimate that AQIM's katiba (battalion) numbers no more than 300 fighters from throughout the region." With the prominent exception of Somalia, their activities, we are told, have largely been confined thus far to surveillance of militant groups and "capacity building" of local military forces. But the rise and further expansion of radical Islamist groups in the region makes it seem possible, and perhaps likely, that they could become the targets of direct US military action, as has been the case with al-Shabab in Somalia and Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen. Much is made, in US national security circles, of the Saharan presence of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which is led by

the vestiges of Algeria's Salafist Group for Call and Combat, largely defeated in the Algerian civil war of the 1990s. Regional experts estimate that AQIM's southern katiba (battalion) numbers no more than 300 fighters from throughout the region, and AQIM has not demonstrated any appreciable extra-regional threat since its formal creation in 2007. In recent years, its activities have largely been confined to kidnapping-for-ransom and other local criminal pursuits. But as an al-Qaeda "franchisee", it is according considerable attention by al-Qaeda's main enemy, the United States. And in the logic of post-9/11 America, the friend of my enemy is also my enemy. It thus becomes significant that Ansar al-Dine is alleged, indeed asserted by many supposed experts, to be an "affiliate" of AQIM. But what that should mean as a practical matter is not at all clear. The perspective of regional US military officials on this question should not automatically be taken as dispositive. After 2001, when counter-terrorism became the main preoccupation of the US

government, the generals of the US European Command - responsible, at the time, for Africa as well as for Europe - were nearly beside themselves in their efforts to find relevant work which would gain them at least some measure of relevance and recognition. To a professional soldier, there is nothing worse than to be left out of an ongoing fight, and the fights of the time - Afghanistan and Iraq belonged to the US Central Command. Unsurprisingly, it did not take long for "EUCOM" to find nascent terrorist threats all across northern Africa, and to engage with local militaries, who themselves were not unaware of the opportunities afforded by the global war on terrorism, to combat it. With the subsequent formation of AFRICOM as a separate "combatant command" in the US military, the rise of AQIM has been, to those of an aggressive turn of mind, something of a godsend. Whatever one might say of Ansar al-Dine's "affiliations", it is clear that its preoccupations, for the moment at least, are entirely local. That said, operating in a region in which the rule of local governments

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

is tenuous at best, and given its sympathetic ties with an AQIM whose rhetoric and whose aspirations - if not its current capabilities - are global, it is not surprising that the US would have some concerns about the possibility that territories controlled by Ansar al-Dine could in fact become a terrorist safe haven. But those who feel a natural and irresistible urge to do something anything - about a potential threat are perhaps not the ones to make definitive judgments about what, precisely, ought to be done. This is a lesson which is likely to be learned too late in Yemen, where a legitimate concern about the farflung threat posed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is leading the US both to ally itself more closely with a government in Sana deemed repressive and illegitimate in much of that country, and to engage in aggressive air strikes against the local extremists of Ansar al-Sharia in a fashion practically designed to drive it, and the collateral victims of such strikes, more fully into global jihad. "In northern Mali, all politics revolves around the Tuaregs and

There are some in the US military who clearly think so. A recent series of articles appearing in the Washington Post have highlighted the active presence of US Special Operations forces across northern Africa, in some of the poorest and most primitive places on earth, from Mauritania in the west to Somalia in the east.

their desire for independence from governmnets controlled by hostile ethnic groups." In northern Mali, all politics revolves around the Tuaregs and their desire for independence from governments controlled by hostile ethnic groups. If there is a need to counter Ansar al-Dine, that end would best be accomplished by leveraging the desires of the Tuaregs who, before being usurped by Ansar al-Dine, had taken the opportunity afforded by a coup in Bamako to seize much of the north and to declare an independent "Azawad". Among the Tuaregs there generally is scant natural support for the draconian social policies currently being visited by Ansar al-Dine in Timbuktu and Gao. All things considered, any outside power trying to counter extremists would be best advised to support Tuareg aspirations. Given the regional political implications, however, and despite the recent precedent-setting creation of South Sudan, the US is unlikely to move in that direction. The natural alternative of supporting regional governments deemed repressive by the Tuaregs, to include a government in Bamako which, in addition to its other defects, is deemed illegitimate by the global community, is likely to be strongly counter-productive. Under the circumstances, the best course open to the US, lest Mali become the next Yemen, might well be to continue to watch, wait - and do nothing. Source: Al Jazeera

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Somali al-Shabab training base Lanta-Buro ‘captured’ 54 migrants die of thirst off N African coast

ifty-four people trying to reach Italy from Libya have died of thirst after a 15-day voyage in which their rubber boat gradually deflated, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said, citing the sole survivor. The agency said on Tuesday that the only survivor, an Eritrean national, was rescued by the Tunisian coastguard in a state of advanced dehydration and clinging to the remains of the boat after being spotted by fishermen the previous night. The Eritrean said that he left Libya towards the end of June as part of a 55-strong group, half of whom came from Eritrea. "He told us that there were immediately problems on the boat, that unfortunately they weren't even allowed to take a bottle of water and so once they got lost and the voyage went on, people started to feel unwell and die because of the lack of water," Laura Boldrini, a UN spokeswoman, told reporters. "How is it possible that in a sea like the Mediterranean which is full of fishing boats, cargo ships, naval ships, these people were just left to their fate like that," she said. The survivor, who was taken to a hospital in Zarzis in southeastern Tunisia, told UNHCR officials the craft nearly reached the coast of Italy but was driven back by strong winds and began to deflate after a few days. As their desperation grew, many drank sea water, which worsened their thirst, he told the officials. The incident is the latest in a long series of disasters which have killed thousands of migrants attempting to reach southern Europe from North Africa in small, unstable and frequently overcrowded boats. According to the UNHCR, about 170 people have died this year trying to reach Europe from Libya. Around 1,300 have reached Italy by sea since the beginning of 2012 and another 1,000 people have reached Malta.

omali government soldiers and African Union troops have seized a major militant training base, a Somali army commander has told the BBC. Abdikarin Yusuf, deputy army of the Somali military, said al-Shabab fighters withdrew without a fight. Observers say the capture of Lanta-Buro, 40km (25 miles) west of the capital Mogadishu, is a major setback for the al-Qaeda group. It still controls much of Somalia but is under pressure on several fronts. Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991, and has been wracked by fighting ever since - a situation that has allowed piracy and lawlessness to flourish. Gen Yusuf, known as "Dhagabadan", told the BBC Somali Service that the offensive launched on Wednesday morning had been successful. He said the next target was the al-Shabab-held coastal town of Merka.

The African Union forces in Somalia have been boosted to nearly 18,000 this year Lanta-Buro is one of an estimated six training bases al-Shabab has across the country. Ethiopian troops, progovernment militias and the African Union force - which has US and European funding and was boosted earlier this year to nearly 18,000 - have

helped the UN-backed interim government recently expand its control outside Mogadishu. In the last few months, the militants have lost several key positions, including Afgoye near the capital, Baidoa in central Somalia and the southern town of Afmadow. However last month, the

militants retook their northern base of El Bur - a strategic training camp - after Ethiopian troops withdrew. Disparate Somali factions have agreed to elect a new president, ending a transitional period and the mandate of the UN-backed interim government, by 20 August.

mutineers, the country's UN envoy says. Roger Meece said he was determined to protect population

centres in the east from advancing rebels of the M23 group. Meanwhile, a source has told the BBC the army has retaken the two towns recently captured by the fighters. The M23 mutineers say they have no intention of taking Goma, which borders Rwanda, and want to negotiate. The rebels say they do not want to fight and are calling for negotiations with the government in Kinshasa. But there is a fear that the city of Goma could come under attack. But many refugees like Assinate do not give much thought to the M23 rebels and their intentions. All they want is to have their lives back. The Congolese government and the UN say Rwanda is backing the

rebels, a claim Kigali vehemently denies. The BBC has been told that Congolese soldiers have been seen entering the strategic town of Rutshuru, 70km (43 miles) north of Goma, which was captured by rebels over the weekend. Kiwanja, 20km further north, has reportedly been retaken by the army after M23 fighters left the town. The rebels - who took up arms in April - named themselves "M23" after a failed peace agreement signed on 23 March three years ago. On Tuesday, a rebel commander told the BBC they intended to hide out in the mountains until they were able to renegotiate a new peace deal with the government and did not intend to take further ground.

should halt their aid to landlocked Kigali to put an end to M23 operations in Congolese territory. "We need the help of the whole world," he said, adding Rwanda had

deployed elite troops along the border near Goma. Last month, a United Nations group of experts published a report with an addendum that described Rwandan military officials providing M23 rebels with weapons, ammunition and recruits. The rebels, who have seized several towns and villages in Rutshuru territory in eastern DRC, call themselves M23 after a March 23, 2009, agreement with the government that saw them integrated in the national army. They had previously been fighting under the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), which was led by Laurent Nkunda, a rebel commander who was once backed by Rwanda and is believed living in the same country.

UN ‘to protect Goma from DR Congo rebels’

N peacekeepers are being redeployed to Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo to protect the city from

There are an estimated 19,000 UN peacekeepers deployed in DR Congo

DRC official claims Rwanda aiding M23 rebels

n official in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province has accused neighbouring Rwanda of supporting and arming a rebel group in a volatile border area. Erneste Kyaviro, spokesman for North Kivu governor Julien Paluku, told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that Rwanda had invaded eastern DRC. "It's not a rebellion, it's an invasion," he said, referring to the ongoing fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese troops. "We didn't think that the Rwandan army would be throwing all its might into Congolese territory." Kyaviro appealed for a forceful response by the international community, especially Western nations, to pressure Rwanda to halt

its alleged support for the rebellion. "You don't need a single shot fired to stop Rwanda," he said, saying countries like the United States, Britain, Norway and Belgium

UN officials in the DRC have said the M23 rebels are wellarmed and are growing in number

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Miners in Madrid denounce slashed subsidies

panish coal miners angered by huge cuts in government subsidies for their industry are converging in Madrid for protest rallies after walking nearly three weeks. The marching protesters are met more miners and supporters travelling aboard hundreds of chartered buses to stage yesterday's rally. Two columns of miners met up in a Madrid suburb on Tuesday evening. One group of about 160 miners walked all the way from the northern Asturias and Leon regions, as many as 400km away from Madrid, and about 40 made an almost equally long trek from the northeastern Aragon region. They marched downtown at night, trudging along major avenues to the Puerta del Sol, the Spanish capital's most emblematic square, where tens of thousands of mostly young demonstrators opposed to austerity cuts prompted by the financial crisis in Spain and Europe camped out last year in defiance of a government ban. The protesting miners,

wearing hard hats with lights turned on, were joined by thousands of sympathisers in the city. Some lit flares above highway overpasses and erected banners comparing the miners' plight to Spain's increasingly pressured

The protesting miners, wearing hard hats, were joined by thousands of sympathisers in Madrid

Cameron, Hollande vow to end differences

British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) welcomes French President Francois Hollande to 10 Downing Street in London.

rench President Francois Hollande held talks with Prime Minister David Cameron aimed at smoothing over a slew of recent differences as he made his first official visit to Britain yesterday. Cameron welcomed Hollande at the Foreign Office in London with a guard of honour comprising soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats, and Hollande then stood to attention as a military band played the French national anthem. Hollande, who came to power in May, will later be received by Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle just outside London for a teatime meeting during which the British monarch will speak in French. Socialist Hollande played down disagreements with Conservative Cameron over host of issues affecting the two NATO and European Union allies, including tax, financial regulation and the eurozone crisis. "I have come to reaffirm the strength of relations between France and Britain", Hollande told a reception of French expatriates at the start of his one-day visit. "We share positions in several areas, but not in all... It is true that on economic and monetary union we have positions that are, let us say, nuanced." Hollande said they shared "many points in common in foreign policy", citing the crisis in Syria, Iran's nuclear program, and the French and British cooperation in the NATO air war against Libya in 2011.

working class - hit by higher taxes, new regulations making it cheaper to fire workers and funding cuts for education and national healthcare. The miners' complaints include a 63 per cent cut in subsidies to coal mining

companies struggling to maintain a share of the Spanish energy market against gas-fired electrical plants and renewable energy sources, while fighting to hold their own against cheaper imported coal. Coal miners make an average of about $1,500 a month, said Conchi Alonso, a spokeswoman for the UGT union. She described the industry as dwindling to almost nothing.

A Bosnian woman cries among 520 caskets in preparation for a mass burial ceremony .

Bosnia mourns victims of Srebrenica massacre

n the 17th anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II, thousands of people from around Bosnia and the world are gathering in the town of Srebrenica to attend a funeral for 520 newly identified victims. The remains of the victims, exhumed from several mass graves around Srebrenica and recently identified using DNA analysis, will be laid to rest on Wednesday in the town now synonymous with genocide. Crowds started gathering in Potocari, near Srebrenica, on Tuesday on the eve of the killing of 8,000 men and boys by Serb forces in July 1995. The coffins are already at the memorial centre and the burial pits have been dug. A group of marchers reached Srebrenica on Tuesday following three-day march through the hills of eastern Bosnia. They had been retracing backwards the path some 15,000 Bosnians from Srebrenica took in 1995 in an attempt to escape from Serb forces. Ambulances were also standing ready to help those among the tens of thousands for whom the event will be too much to handle.

Austria says no foul play in death of Gaddafi oil boss

ibya's Gaddafi-era prime minister and oil Chief Shokri Ghanem died after suffering heart failure and falling into the Danube River and there is no sign of foul play, the Vienna prosecutor's office said yesterday. The mysterious death in late April shocked Ghanem's friends and colleagues, who at the time said they suspected enemies may have hunted down and killed the man who knew more than anyone else about the toppled Libyan dictator's billions. But a spokesman for the prosecutor's office in the Austrian capital said he "definitely" did not see any suspicion that the 69-yearold had been murdered. "There is no hint, no clue, that anything happened before he fell into the water," spokesman Thomas Vecsey said referring to an examination by experts of Vienna University. Ghanem's body was found floating a few hundred meters from his home, fully clothed, near a promenade lined with bars and restaurants, where Viennese gather in the summer to sunbathe and drink beer. Police said he had been in the water a few hours, since about dawn on April 29.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

West “vaccinated” Iran against sanctions: Khamenei I

ranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday dismissed harsher sanctions imposed on Iran this month over its disputed nuclear activity, saying the country was "100 times stronger" than before. A European Union embargo on Iranian crude oil took full effect on July 1 - a joint effort with the United States to force Tehran to curb nuclear energy work the Western powers say is a camouflaged bid to develop bombs, which Tehran denies. Prices of goods have soared and the Iranian rial has plunged in value as broader, deeper sanctions have been introduced this year targeting Iran's financial and energy sectors. "The Iranian nation, through life, wealth and loved ones, has stood up to all plots and sanctions and has advanced to the extent that today we are 100 times stronger compared with 30 years ago," Khamenei told a women's conference in Tehran in a speech that was published on his official website. "These days Westerners are being sensational about sanctions but they don't understand that they themselves vaccinated Iran through their sanctions imposed over the last 30 years," he said. Iran's Islamic Revolution a little over three decades ago toppled the U.S.-backed shah. Iranian officials regularly shrug off sanctions, saying they have little or no effect on the country. But a combination of increasing

unemployment, substantial price rises and rampant inflation is creating tough new challenges for the government. Industry sources say Iran's oil exports have declined in the wake of the EU crude ban and extensive U.S. diplomatic efforts to get Iran's main customers to cut their imports. The United States imposed sanctions in 1979, soon after the

Islamic Revolution that overthrew its monarchy. Successive U.S. administrations have added to the embargo, effectively creating a near total ban on any trade between it and Iran. The U.N. Security Council has imposed four rounds of international sanctions specifically targeting Iran's nuclear activities. Tehran says its uranium enrichment program is for

peaceful energy purposes only. Six world powers and Iran have had several rounds of negotiations on how to defuse concerns over its nuclear ambitions this year but found no common ground for a deal. Senior diplomats from the EU and Iran will meet on July 24 for technical talks to try to salvage diplomatic efforts to resolve the decade-long standoff.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to the media after presenting his identification papers to cast his ballot in the parliamentary election in Tehran March 2, 2012.

Syria’s opposition appeals for Russian support

delegation of Syrian opposition figures is visiting Moscow to discuss international efforts to find a political solution to the violence.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is holding talks with Abdulbaset Sayda, head of the Syrian National Council. Mr Lavrov's deputy said Russia

Sergei Lavrov welcomed having direct discussions with Syria's opposition

wanted to move the opposition "towards realistic and constructive positions". Later, international envoy Kofi Annan will brief the UN Security Council on how he plans to revive his peace plan. Mr Annan held talks with officials in Baghdad and Tehran on Tuesday, and reiterated his view that Iran Syria's closest ally - had a role to play in resolving the conflict, despite US objections. The former UN secretary general also said Syrian President Bashar alAssad had proposed altering his peace initiative so the most violent areas would be pacified first. "He made a suggestion of building an approach from the ground up in some of the districts where we have

extreme violence to try and contain the violence in these districts and, step by step, build up and end the violence across the country," Mr Annan told reporters in Tehran. His plan currently calls for an immediate nationwide ceasefire. Ahead of his meeting with Mr Lavrov on Wednesday, Mr Sayda said he would try to persuade Russia to end its support for President Assad's government. "The events in Syria are not disagreements between the opposition and the government but a revolution," he told a joint news conference. "It is similar to what happened in Russia when it finished with the previous regime and set upon the path of democratic development."

Afghan women protest for rights after public execution

ver 100 women and a handful of men took to the streets of the Afghan capital yesterday to call on the government to do more to protect women's rights after the public execution of a young woman sparked an international outcry. Mothers cradling babies and schoolgirls in uniform chanted "Death to the men who killed our sister!", days after Reuters obtained a video of a 22-year-old woman being riddled with bullets to cheers of jubilation from a male crowd just over an hour's drive from Kabul. Officials in Kabul blamed the Taliban for the killing last month

of the woman named Najiba, who was accused of adultery, in a village in Parwan province. The Islamist group denied it, saying if they had carried it out, "proper" sharia, Islamic law, would have been applied. "We are grateful for the aid money, but we want it to be used to bring women justice and peace, the Afghan government needs to be held accountable," said Wazhma Frogh, a leading Afghan women's rights activist, at the protest. Behind her, headscarved women under blazing sunshine held up a banner reading: "International community - where

is the protection and justice for Afghan women?" News of the public execution emerged as donors in Tokyo pledged $16 billion in development aid over the next four years for Afghanistan, as they try to prevent it from sliding back into chaos once most foreign troops have left by the end of 2014. But war weariness and donor fatigue are taking their toll on the impoverished country, ranked by a major global poll last year as the world's worst place to be a woman, and some Afghan women are beginning to feel left out of the equation.

Afghan women have won back basic rights in education, voting and work since the Taliban were ousted from power but fears are mounting both at home and abroad that such freedoms could be traded away as Kabul seeks peace talks with the group. Violence against women has been steadily increasing in Afghanistan, according to the country's independent human rights commission, and activists blame this on what they say is waning interest in women's rights on the part of President Hamid Karzai's government.

Thousands in Cairo protest high court ruling

housands gathered in Cairo in protest of a ruling by Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court to freeze a decree issued by President Mohamed Morsi to reinstate the Islamist-led parliament. "The court ruled to halt the president's decision to recall the parliament," Judge Maher elBeheiry said in court on Tuesday. Morsi, a former member of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, ordered on Sunday for the lower house to reconvene, just eight days after taking office. Tuesday's ruling came hours after the 508-seat chamber held a brief session, following the president's request for the legislators to convene. They voted to seek further judicial opinions on the court's decision that had invalidated onethird of the lawmakers because of voting irregularities. Morsi's move highlighted the power struggle between the presidency and the Supreme Constitutional Court, which last month said certain articles in the law governing the parliament elections were invalid, annulling the lower house. News of the verdict was greeted with chants of "batel", or illegitimate, by thousands of Morsi supporters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square. "Everything now depends on the reaction by parliament," said Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, reporting from Cairo. "The Supreme Court has once again reiterated that the parliament is dissolved," our correspondent said. "It's the third decision by them saying that Morsi's decison to reinstate the parliament was illegal. They cannot say it in any more certain terms than that." "They're saying that the parliament sessions cannot continue, which would mean legislative powers would stay in the hands of the armed forces - in this power struggle between the military and the president." Islam based parties, including the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, which Morsi headed before becoming president, and Salafist parties, attended the parliamentary session on Tuesday. "We are gathered today to review the court rulings, the ruling of the Supreme Constitutional Court," speaker Saad al-Katatni said. "I want to stress, we are not contradicting the ruling, but looking at a mechanism for the implementation of the ruling of the respected court. There is no other agenda today," he added. Lawyers representing Morsi criticised the court's latest decision and said Tuesday's ruling was a political move that would further complicate the crisis. "This ruling is null and void," lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsud told reporters while another member of the team, Mamduh Ismail, called it a "political decision".

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 35

Man sets house on fire after using blowtorch on spider webs

f Eiliya Maida thought he hated spiders before, imagine how he must feel now. The California man accidentally set his house on fire while using a blowtorch to clear spider webs out of his backyard. The Chico Enterprise Record reports that dry plants in Maida's backyard ignited as he was attempting to burn the webs. The plant fire then spread to the house, starting an attic fire. Maida was apparently unaware of starting the house

fire until his brother-in-law George Basbous noticed the blaze. "And that's when I went crazy," Basbous said. Maida's wife and two children safely exited the house, and no one was injured in the fire. Still, firefighters were forced to cut a hole in the house's roof to put out the flames. Chico Fire Chief Keith Carter said the fire would have mushroomed if they hadn't created the hole. Fire Inspector Marie Fickert told the paper that the family

has been displaced as a result of the fire, which did approximately $25,000 in damages. Ironically, this article from Science Blogs states that the best way to reduce the local spider population is to cut down

bushes and plants outside the home. In other words, if Maida had focused his efforts on gardening rather than firepower, he might have gotten rid of the spiders without damaging his home. Still, it could have been

even worse. Fickert said a recently reopened fire station near the Maida home minimized the damage. "We are so pleased that Chico Fire Station 5 has reopened because that gave us a faster response," she said.

Firefighters work to put out a blaze accidentally started by a man trying to kill spiders

Yoga teacher fired for glaring at Facebook worker

California yoga instructor has been fired for her disapproving stink-eye glare at a Facebook employee using a cellphone in class. Alice Van Ness, who was hired to teach hour-long yoga sessions at Facebook's Menlo Park campus, says she tells students before class to turn off their cellphones. But a female employee pulled out her cellphone in the

middle of a Monday session and began texting. The San Jose Mercury News (http://bit.ly/S3zD7t ) says Van Ness didn't say anything, but she gave the student what she calls a look of disapproval. The student later complained and Van Ness was fired by Plus One Health Management. The termination letter says Van Ness "made a spectacle" of the student.

Dog put to sleep for looking like a pit bull

he 7-year-old pug-nosed dog, Lennox, was at the center of a two-year legal battle between his owners and the Belfast City Council. The city's dog wardens seized Lennox in 2010, claiming he was a dangerous "pit bull-type dog," according to The Associated Press. Pit bulls are illegal in the United Kingdom. Lennox's owners argued he was not only not dangerous-he was not even a pit bull. In court, Lennox's owner Caroline Barnes said the dog had never bitten anyone, but that she would muzzle him around

strangers. The case sparked outrage among animal rights groups, inspiring a "Save Lennox" campaign and an online petition that collected more than 200,000 signatures. Some people-including celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell-offered to adopt the dog in the United States, where pit bulls are legal. But last month, a senior appeals court in Northern Ireland upheld a lower court ruling that called for Lennox to be put down. In a statement, the City Council said an expert "described the dog as

Despite a global outcry from animal rights activists, a dog was put to sleep in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Wednesday because city officials said he looked like a pit bull.

one of the most unpredictable and dangerous dogs he had come across," and that it had no choice but to euthanize him. City Council members said they have received death threats, part of what they called "a sustained campaign of abuse." "We've had dog wardens who had to leave their homes," one Belfast City Council member told the BBC. "We've had petrol poured through letter boxes, we've had people named on the Web." On Tuesday, Lennox's owners released a statement on their Facebook page, saying they were denied the opportunity to "say goodbye": We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all again for your messages of support. We are sorry to say at the present time Belfast city council seem to be intent on killing our boy. Despite previous assurances otherwise, we have been denied the opportunity to say goodbye. We have also been told that we cannot collect his body and bring Len home. We have been informed however that we will receive "some" ashes in the mail. On Twitter, the outrage over Lennox's death was widespread. "Utterly shameful," Gary Numan, the musician, wrote. "Belfast Council are disgraceful!" singer Samantha Fox wrote. "Terrible decision. Gutted." "Humans are the cruelest animals on the planet," the user Cunning Linguist tweeted.

The 6-year-old who woke up from a coma with a different personality

alifornia girl is a changed person after suffering a head injury, and she's not the only one to have undergone such an unexpected transformation Zoe Rain Bernstein was a happy, healthy, well-behaved 6-year-old until a car accident changed her life in an instant. Zoe was sitting in a booster seat in her father's pick-up truck in March when her dad lost control and the car slammed into a light pole. The impact left Zoe in a coma, and with a fractured skull. When Zoe woke up from her month-long unconsciousness, her mother Kelsie says, the little girl had a different personality. Can a brain injury really change the person you are inside? Here, a brief guide: She suffered a brain injury, so she had to spend a month in the intensive care unit of the San Diego hospital where she was taken after the crash in La Costa, Calif. "She had to relearn how to eat, use the bathroom, brush her teeth, put on her shoes, everything," her mother said. "When she woke up out of the coma she couldn't talk. It was completely starting from scratch."

"Her personality is completely different," her mother says. Zoe has developed Attention Deficit Disorder, and she now has behavioral problems she never had before she was injured. The good news is that after relearning how to do basic tasks, Zoe is "functioning more like her peers" again, says Jeanne Sager at The Stir. The bad news is that her new mood and behavior problems have altered who she is, "and there's no sign that they'll go away." Such dramatic changes are rare, but not unheard of, and sometimes they're even more dramatic. A 13-year-old Croatian girl suffered some kind of trauma - doctors, protecting her privacy, wouldn't discuss specifics - two years ago, and fell into a 24-hour coma. When she woke up, the girl, who had been studying hard to improve her limited German, suddenly spoke the language fluently. A macho, beer-swilling, 26-yearold British rugby player, Chris Birch, lapsed into a coma after suffering a stroke on the practice field in 2011. He awoke a changed man. "I realized I was gay," he said, "and I was okay with it."

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ron tablets can reduce tiredness by 50 per cent, according to researchers even if you’re not anaemic. Taking supplements for 12 weeks reduced fatigue by almost a half in women who had low levels but were not deficient. Fatigue is commonly reported by patients visiting their GP with nearly a third complaining of the symptom at appointments. Scientists say women are three times more likely than men to report feelings of fatigue. A randomised controlled trial involving 198 menstruating women between the ages of 18 and 50 years was conducted, with the women all iron deficient, non anaemic, with unexplained fatigue and ferritin levels below 50g/L. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron and controls its release into the body. The trial was double-blinded, so neither the participants or the health care providers knew which group was receiving the supplement or placebo. Results showed iron supplementation for 12 weeks decreased fatigue by almost 50 per cent, with a significant difference of 19 per cent compared with the placebo. Positive effects on haemoglobin, ferritin and other blood levels were clear just six weeks after iron supplementation, the Canadian

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUY 12, 2012

Taking iron tablets ‘can reduce tiredness by 50 per cent’

Medical Association Journal study also showed. The researchers point out iron did not affect anxiety or depression scores or quality of life indicators, such as physical and psychological performance. Dr Bernard Favrat, of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, said: ‘We found that iron supplementation for 12 weeks decreased fatigue by almost 50 per cent from baseline, a significant difference of 19 per cent compared with placebo, in menstruating iron-deficient nonanaemic women with unexplained fatigue and ferritin levels below 50g/L. ‘Iron deficiency may be an under-recognised cause of fatigue in women of childbearing age. ‘If fatigue is not due to secondary causes, the identification of iron deficiency as a potential cause may prevent inappropriate attribution of symptoms to emotional causes or life stressors, thereby reducing the unnecessary use of health care resources, including inappropriate pharmacologic treatments.’ Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Unable to stay awake? A new study suggests one reason could be low levels of iron

if their friends were leaner than they were. Dr David Shoham said the results could help them develop better interventions to treat obesity in teenagers. ‘We should not be treating adolescents in isolation,’ he said. The study was designed to determine the reason why obesity and related behaviours appear to cluster in social networks. Is it because friends

influence one another’s behaviour or is it that teenagers befriend people who look similar to themselves? The researchers examined data from two large high schools - one school, referred to as ‘Jefferson High,’ was in a rural area and has mostly white students. The second school, ‘Sunshine High,’ was an ethnically diverse urban school.

You’re more likely to gain weight if your friends are heavier than you I

f you want to get slim, you a y want to shed some of your larger friends, a new study suggests. Researchers from Loyola University found students were more likely to gain weight if they had friends who were heavier than they were. However, they were more likely to either slim down, or at least gain weight at a slower pace, m

Students were surveyed during the 1994-95 school year and surveyed again the following school year. Researchers examined data from 624 students at Jefferson High and 1,151 students at Sunshine High. Their body mass index was calculated from their height and weight. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight and a BMI over 30 is considered obese. Researchers found that even after controlling for this friendselecting process, there still was a significant link between obesity and a student’s circle of friends. If a borderline overweight student at Jefferson High School had lean friends there was a 40 per cent chance the student’s BMI would drop in the future. However, if they had obese friends their was just a 15 per cent chance they would slim down. The authors said the findings

show that social influence ‘tends to operate more in detrimental directions, especially for BMI.’ ‘Effective interventions will be necessary to overcome these barriers, requiring that social networks be considered rather than ignored.’ Dr Shoham noted the study relied on self-reported data and was collected more than a decade ago - before Facebook and at a time when childhood obesity rates were much lower. Nevertheless, he said the results raised important questions about peer influence. ‘Our results support the operation of both homophily and influence,’ he said. ‘Of course, no one study should ever be taken as conclusive and our future work will attempt to address many of these limitations.’ Source: Dailymail.co.uk

“

If a borderline overweight student at Jefferson High School had lean friends there was a 40 per cent chance the student’s BMI would drop in the future. However, if they had obese friends their was just a 15 per cent chance they would slim down A little larger? A study suggests a person's body mass index is influenced by their friends (posed).

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

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Battle for Edo Govt House intensifies as aspirants promise Eldorado ANALYSIS From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

even political parties’ candidates for the July 14 governorship election got more than what they bargained for in the penultimate week at the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG), in Benin City which featured the those with a good chance to win and the pretenders. The debate afforded contestants a first-hand opportunity to market themselves on what made them most outstanding to win the poll and take over the mantle of leadership from incumbent Governor, Adams Oshiomhole who is believed to have set a minimum standard for governance when compared to previous administration of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state. Political Analysts have argued that there appears to be little or no commitment on the part of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Andrew Iguemo, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mr. Rowland Izevbuwa, Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), Mr. Frank Okonga, National Conscience party (NCP), who merely participated in the media debate. Meanwhile, attention has shifted to the direction of the three political parties, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Candidate, Mr Solomon Oyobosa Edebiri, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Major Gen. Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (Rted) who is at his wit’s end with Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governorship candidate an incumbent governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole. The incumbent governor, by public judgment, exhibited high level of maturity and decency failed to mention how he acquired his formal education on request by the panelists. Rather, he took time to remind the electorates and his admirers that he got enlisted into full time activism at age 17. According to him, his government has made a mark in crucial sectors across the 18 Local Government Councils in the state which became a morbid of self pity after 9 years the ‘umbrella party’ (PDP) ruled the state like the gale that rocked the ocean liners. The critical areas of his intervention, according to Oshiomhole include such critical areas as education, road construction (flooding and

Governor, Adams Oshiomhole erosion control), mass transportation, Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, health, agriculture, environment and employment of over 10, 000 youth employment scheme, codenamed Edo YES without pension. He argued further that he deserved a second chance in order to complete ongoing projects initiated by his administration and half years of his government. He said “We seek mandate to build on our past achievements because governance is not like magic.” He said, his decision to industrialise the state if reelected was to enable him consolidate on infrastructural development by creating an enabling environment for public and private sector industrial development which, he stressed, is a pivot to determine progress. He maintained that the State Civil Service appears handicapped to absorb all unemployed youths in the state.

Major Gen. Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere Oshiomhole added that he had been able reduce the cost of governance by at least N5 billion; restored the integrity of governance by minimizing wastages in the state budgets since Court of Appeal sitting in Benin affirmed his victory in 2008, among other achievements. With the 17 Percent the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) index and dearth of viable companies which his administration inherited from PDP predecessor, the Oshiohole faulted the claim and the National Bureau of Statistics model for economic growth which he alleged do not really translate to ‘real growth or development’. Reacting to the moves by the National Assembly to amend the local government law by making its truly autonomous in terms of funding against the current backdrop of being the appendage of state government, he said having provided a firm and transparent leadership in the last four years, tampering

“

Airhiavbere, who is a chip off the old block in the PDP, claimed to be better equipped and trusted to better deliver the dividend of democracy as he assured the Edo voters that he would declare a state of emergency in agriculture, housing, and health care

with Local Government funds, as sourced from federation account, remains his last resort. He denied the allegations of hijacking local government councils administration in the state pointed out that PDP accounts for 22 out of the 26 states of the federation where local government elections are yet to be conducted. “We’ eve never spent Local Government fund and we‘ll not do so’, assured. He also added that the current local government law in Edo state was enacted into law by the legislative arm by previous PDP government. Meanwhile, the PDP candidate, Charles Airhiavbere, said he would endeavour to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, tackle the spate of insecurity in the state and reduce the cost of governance if elected as the governor of the state. Airhiavbere, who is a chip off the old block in the PDP, claimed to be better equipped and trusted to better deliver the dividend of democracy as he assured the Edo voters that he would declare a state of emergency in agriculture, housing, and health care. He also promised to introduce free education by minimizing corruption as well as guarantee the independence of the three arms of government. He also pledged that if elected, due process would be followed to the letter in award and execution of contracts, just as he promised to provide accountable leadership that would give the governed a facelift in tax laws. The PDP candidate was

however unable to draw a line between the World Bank and the United Nations though he claimed that Oshiomhole borrowed 75 million Euro which he said was missing in transit. He also argued that electricity being distributed in Edo state by Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN is under utilised. Airhiavbere equally asserted that the decay infrastructure in public hospitals and primary health Care, PHC, centres in Edo have compelled expectant mothers now to travel to neighbouring, Delta, Anambra and Ondo states for delivery when push comes to shove. He also bemoaned lack of federal presence in the southern part of the state, which constitutes over 50 percent of the population of the entire state. He equally promised to redeem the state from insolvency if given the mandate. The PDP, candidate admitted ‘We’ve made our mistakes before and we cannot afford to make the same mistake again. We‘ll come with a government with a human face, a government that will be transparent to the people’. ANPP, governorship candidate, Chief Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri, said, the nine and half years of PDP put a lot of pains on the people and that the three and half years of ACN made a tremendous improvement on the lives of the People. He insisted that given this scenario, if elected on July 14 2012 governorship election, the All Nigeria Peoples Party will do better.

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Reps summon Spanish Ambassador over visa row By Lawrence Olaoye

he House of Representatives yesterday summoned the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Alvaro Castillo Aguilar to explain why the Spanish embassy refused to grant visas to the Nigerian contingent to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) junior championship. A 24-man Nigerian contingent initially billed to participate in the athletics championships that commenced yesterday in Spain, were denied visas, two weeks after an application by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN). The summon was as a result of a motion raised by the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Ayo Omidiran (Osun/ACN) on the propriety of the visa denial. According to the lawmaker, the development was a disgrace to Nigeria. The biannual junior championship, Omidiran explained was supposed to develop young athletes. The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Sports said names of Nigerian athletes were being announced for the several events they registered to participate, but were not available due to the visa rejection. The House however mandated its joint committee on Foreign Affairs and Sports to investigate the matter and report back its findings.

Yakowa urges Northern region to embrace peace

ov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna state on Tuesday urged parts of the Northern region where violence is persisting, to embrace peace for the overall economic transformation of the region. Yakowa made the appeal in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Reuben Buhari, in Kaduna. He stressed the need for the people to shun violent acts and embrace peace to fast- track the economic transformation of the region. “The shedding of innocent blood has never been a solution to solving any differences; It only compounds the issues,’’ the governor said in the statement. He commiserated with the people of Plateau over the recent crisis that claimed several lives and property. Yakowa described the development as “very sad and unfortunate’’. He advised the government and people of Plateau to be strong, remain focused and prayed God to halt the disaster.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

76 Oil Wells: PDP urges A/Ibom, C/Rivers to accept judgment in good faith By Lawrence Olaoye

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday urged the governors of both Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio and his Cross Rivers state counterpart, Liyel Imoke to accept the Supreme Court ruling affirming the ownership of the disputed 76 Oil Wells by Akwa Ibom in good faith. The party in a statement released after its National

Working Committee (NWC)’s meeting signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh stated that both states are one. The statement reads “The PDP wishes to commend the Governors and governments of both Cross River and Akwa Ibom States for the maturity in which they have handled the dispute from its beginning up to this time. The resolve of the two PDP Governors to seek legal interpretation and adjudication

on the matter instead of resorting to other unconventional means is worthy of commendation. “The PDP wishes also to commend the good people of the two States for following the footsteps of their worthy Governors by resisting the temptation to resort to self help which have the potentials to erode the peace and brotherly relationship existing between the two governments and their peoples.

“We make bold to declare that Cross River and Akwa Ibom are one and the same. The brotherly relationship existing between their peoples are as historical as they are biological. “It is on the strength of this therefore that the leadership of our Party is appealing to the Governments of the two States to accept the Supreme Court judgment in good faith and encourage activities that would lead to greater cooperation amongst them.”

Edo 2012: CPC Adopts Oshiomhole From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly affairs, Senator Joy Emordi signing the condolence register opened for late Senator Gyang Dantong, who died during the mass burial at Barikin Ladi Area of Plateau state, on Tuesday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Rep Kaze's comments are aspersions on the Sultan, says Rep Kwande

he member representing Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency, Hon.Sulieman Yahaya Kwande, has berated his colleague, Hon. Bitrus Kaze, for casted aspersion on the person of Sultan Sa'ad Abubakar and the entire Northern Muslims. He said he was saddened by the statement made by Kaze who was reported to have generalized that all Muslims are Boko Haram members and that all were behind the sect's plan to Islamize the entire northern Nigeria. According to him, Kaze made the allegation on Channel Television programme on Tuesday just as he added that the spate of violence which had led to the death of hundreds of people, including late

Senator Dantong of Plateau North Senatorial district was unfortunate. "What really happened within the last week, at which both the Fulani and the Berom have lost their lives and property, was indeed unfortunate," he said "I think the security agents in the country should wake to the challenges; they should be seen to be seriously working rather than too much talking. Even President Jonathan should stop just commiserating with us, but he should make effort aim at stop the killings in the state, and the country at large," he said. Hon. Kwande explained that the people should embrace the pact of genuine reconciliation and forgiveness toward one another,

adding that no amount of military or police intervention will bring the desired peace if the people are not willing to live with one another in peace. He added stated that it was unfortunate that whenever crises occurred in the state, it is easily given religious connotation, stressing that the problem between Fulani and Berom is a stone age conflict, urging them to find an amicable ways of solving their trouble by themselves. "The matter of indigene / settler dichotomy is world phenomenon, but it is worse in Plateau state. That requires not just mere discussions but more understandable practical steps, I know that some people (his colleague), are trying to bring the issue for constitutional amendment."

he Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Edo state chapter yesterday collapsed its ambition to field its candidate for July 14 2012 governorship election, Mr. Rowland Izevbuwa, and adopted incumbent Governor, Adams Oshiomhole The CPC hinged the decision to withdraw from the race on the proven sincerity of purpose and the ability to effect progressive change by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). A statement signed by the party's Chairman in the state, Comrade Godwin Erhahon, berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pointing out that the state had suffered exploitation and deceit under the infamous PDP administration between 19992007 adding that the party has remain arrogant in its notoriety. The party however noted that "We fielded a formidable and reliable candidate, Elder Roland Izevbuwa for the forthcoming Governorship election to compete with Adams Oshiomhole of the ACN and five other candidates. "As Congress for Progressive Change, we want to demonstrate the true meaning of our name by publicly appreciating and identifying with progressive change where we see one. 'We see our roads transformed from death traps to pleasure ways by Adams Oshiomhoole administration. We see our public schools transformed from its poultrylike structures to paradise and Hospital being given face lift. Therefore we hereby surrender our votes in this Saturday governorship election to our sister progressive party, ACN. We appeal to all CPC supporters and other who wish Edo state continuous progressive change to turn out en mass and vote for ACN'

Nasarawa to pay workers salaries promptly, says Commissioner

he Nasarawa state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Prof Mohammed Mainoma, says that prompt payment of workers’ salaries remains the first priority of the state government. Mainoma said this on Wednesday in an interview with the

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia. He said the state would continue to pay the workers as and as when due despite the N30 billion debt inherited from the immediate past administration. The commissioner said the state had not encountered any difficulty

as far as the payment of civil servants’ salaries was concerned despite the occasional delay in the release of Federal Allocation to states. Mainoma said that all the loopholes created to perpetrate fraudulent activities had been blocked. “You know the CPC government

has a different focus, and obligation is made as far as government is concerned through concerted efforts of the governor. “We have a governor that is people-oriented. “So, from the very beginning, he made it clear that he could not rely on Federal Allocation.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

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Reps mandate committees to investigate Orient’s Operations in Kogi By Lawrence Olaoye

Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, signing the condolence register opened for late Senator Gyang Dantong, who died during an attack on a funeral at Barikin Ladi Area of Plateau state, at the National Assembly, on Tuesday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

NGO deploys 834 observers for Edo guber polls By Lawrence Olaoye

n independent election monitoring group in Nigeria, Project Swift Count, PSC, yesterday said it has deployed 834 election observers to Edo state for the Saturday governorship election. Addressing newsmen on arrangements by the coalition of election monitors to cover the governorship election, the PSC First Cochairman, Dafe Akpedeye (SAN), said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has already accredited all the 834 who will cover all the 18 local government areas in the state. "For the Saturday's governorship election in Edo State, PSC is deploying a total of 834 observers. While 800 of them will be deployed as stationary observers to prerandomly selected polling units spread across the 18 local government areas of the state, the remaining 34 will rove. All the observers have since been accredited by INEC having met the commission's stipulated requirements for that purpose. "Only last Saturday, the training of the observers was concluded in 29 centres spread across Edo State. The training was conducted in order to ensure that the governorship election is adequately observed in line with the PSC's mission to build the confidence of voters in the election and

promoting free, fair, peaceful, credible elections in Nigeria". He explained that PSC began preparations to observe the governorship election in Edo State as far back as February when it observed the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Akpedeye commended INEC, Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, and the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter Party Affairs for the various sensitization programmes they organized for the political parties and the people of Edo state. "PSC calls on the people of Edo State to come out en mass to exercise their civic responsibility by voting for their preferred governorship candidates on Saturday. An election characterized by low turnout may not produce the desired result hence it is important for all eligible voters to come out to vote". The election monitors also commends INEC for making the list of voters per polling unit for the Edo state governorship election available to the election observer and urged the commission to go a step further by pasting the list of registered voters at the polling units. "The Commission should keep to its promise of publishing and displaying the voters register as well as the voting centres

so that voters can easily identify where they are going to vote. This will help to avoid a situation where voters will search endlessly for their names and centres. Furthermore, the electoral body should make the polling units accessible to marginalized groups, including the disabled, youth and women". Akpedeye further declared that PSC is aware of the tension that enveloped Edo state during the electioneering campaign and urged the parties and contestants not to throw the state into turmoil but instead keep the peace on Saturday in order to achieve free, credible and transparent process. "A peaceful and orderly election is a catalyst for development and the growth of democracy. The candidates and their supporters should not resort to illegal and unconstitutional means to seek redress, if any, but instead avail themselves of the electoral laws. "PSC urges all the security personnel to remain neutral throughout the election. They must recognize that electoral security is part of the larger human security framework and accordingly ensure that priority during elections is placed on protecting human rights, electoral officers, election materials and candidates during the election. In other words, security agencies should avoid harassing and intimidating voters, poll workers and observers".

he House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committees on Petroleum Resources ( Upstream ) and Special Duties to investigate the activities of Orient Petroleum Resources Plc in some parts of Abaji Local Government Area of Kogi. The resolution followed a motion by Rep. Ismail Hussain ( PDP- Kogi ) in Abuja. The motion was unanimously adopted without debate when it was put to vote by the Speaker Aminu Tambuwal. Moving the motion entitled ‘’ Need to investigate the activities of Oil Companies and the Encroachment of Anambra state into some parts of Ibaji Local Government Council of Kogi ``Hussain noted that Abaji was one area that Orient had commenced activities since June 2011. According to Hussain, the activities of Orient include surveying, drilling, seismic data recording and laying of pipes. He added that these activities occupied sizable portions of some communities farm lands and ancestral places of worship. He said the activities of the company led to the discovery of four oil wells within the communities of Ibaji Local Government Area. He added that three out of the four oil wells fall within Kogi territory, “while the fourth well lies within Odeke communities which shares boundary with Enugu state.’’ He further expressed worry that Anambra state was laying claim to the entire area where the activities were taking place. The lawmaker said Kogi state did not share boundary with Anambra in the area affected “but with Enugu state within Odeke axis of Ibaji Local Government Area.’’ He added that between 1984 and 1986, the oil well location was a beehive of activities where tankers run trips to Omabo to load crude oil using the tarred road which terminated at Adani from where the crude oil were ferried across the Anambra River in badges. According to Hussain, the people of Enugu – Otu in Anambra who had to cross Enugu state are laying claim to some exploration site in Odeke in Kogi. He said the said location ( Odeke ) in Kogi shared boundary with Enugu state in Imabolo River “and not the Enugu – Out people in Anambra.’’

Ondo Govt committed to quality education — SUBEB Chairman

hief Femi Akinmoladun, Chairman, Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has expressed the commitment of the government to provide quality education to primary school pupils in the state. Akinmoladun made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Akure. The chairman commended Gov. Olusegun Mimiko for vigorously pursuing the vision of providing free, qualitative

and accessible education to every child in the state. He said that the solid foundation the governor was laying in the education sector would equip the children for a better tomorrow. “Primary education is kingpin and foundation upon which the entire education system rests”, he said. Akinmoladun said the concept of ‘mega’ primary schools equipped with modern facilities and qualified personnel was to meet UNESCO’s set standard and the goals of

Education For All (EFA) programme. According to him, the state government will continue to partner with relevant government agencies in the quest to return education to its lost glory in the state. The chairman said five mega schools had been completed and equipped, while 28 others were in various stages of completion across the 18 local government councils in the state. He however said that the board would ensure judicious distribution of the free textbooks and other instructional

materials donated by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). “The board would monitor the distribution of the instructional materials effectively to ensure that they got to the end users and were judiciously utilised for the benefit of the pupils”, he added. Akinmoladun said the textbooks would complement government’s efforts to provide instructional materials to schools in the state and make teaching and learning attractive.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, with Leader of Namibian Parliamentary Delegation/ Deputy Minister, Veterans Affairs, Hon. Hilma Ndinelago Nicanor, during a visit by the Parliamentary Women Caucus of the National Council of Namibia to the speaker, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Federal High Court upholds Suswam’s victory From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

he Federal High Court, Makurdi yesterday dismissed the case brought by Hon. Terver Kakih contesting the nomination of Governor Gabriel Suswam as the Peoples’ Democratic, PDP flag bearer for last year’s governorship election. Kakih had also in his motion alleged that the governor presented forged certificates; complained too of irregularities in the conduct of the ward as well as the Special congresses that produced Suswam as the party’s candidate. He therefore urged the court to declare him as the party’s sole candidate and governor since Suswam failed to meet the

perquisite for contesting the party’s primaries. But delivering judgment, Justice Marcel Awokulehin, who perused through the issues for determination of the suit as stated above, held simply that Kakih’s claims were frivolous, vexatious and unmeritorious. Justice Awokulehein maintained that much as the burden of proof in any matter is shared by plaintiff and defendants, the onus rest more on the former, noting that Kakih has failed to proof his case beyond reasonable doubt. “The burden of proof is more on him that asserts to proof that the other party fails”, he said. While stating that Kakih woke up too late to complain of fair hearing, Justice Marcel stressed

that the issue of nomination is a preprimary one which is the exclusive right of the party to handle without interference from any external body, stating that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain such matter. He also held that complaint by Kakih that the ward as well as the special congresses was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act is an issue that INEC can interpret and frowned that his witnesses’ statements on cross examination that Suswam’s aides hijack materials and thumb printed for delegates was based purely on hearsay. “Their evidences are not enough to dissuade this court that the ward/special congresses were not held in compliance with the

law. Similarly, the governor cannot be held responsible for what people did during the congress since he did not authorize it”, Justice Awokulehin held. On issue of presentation of forged certificate, the Judge contended that Kakih failed woefully to prove it because he stated clearly during cross examination that he did not see the governor forge any certificate just as he also failed to cite any section of the Electoral Act to buttress this claim. He therefore declared thus, “the case of Kakih is like a boxer who was given a technical knockout on ground zero. I find no merit in this matter and it is consequently dismissed.

House is committed to women issues — Tambuwal

he Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday reiterated the commitment of the House to women issues. Tambuwal said this when he received the Women Caucus of the Namibian Parliament in his office in Abuja. According him, the relationship between the two countries has been a long standing one. He said there had been a rise in

the number of women that had been given responsibilities at all levels of government in the country. “Even in the Parliament, we have quite a significant number of women that are occupying very sensitive and high positions in the leadership and headship of standing committees of the House. “It is because of the importance we attach to women and children issues that we have a standing committee of the House that deals with women affairs, “ he said.

He said that as a Parliament, the members have been quite supportive to address challenges facing women in the country, especially as it concerned empowerment and diseases. Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mrs Hilma Ndinelago, Deputy Minister of Veteran Affairs and Chairman of Women Caucus of the Namibian Parliament, said the relationship between Nigeria and Namibia dated back to the days of struggle for independence.

Ndinelago said that the delegation was in the country to exchange ideas with their Nigerian counterparts on gender issues. “As South African women,we share almost common challenges in our efforts to try and uplift women as well as advance the development of women in our countries,”she said. According to her, the caucus will want to meet with committees of the House engaged in gender issues as well as know how they deal with these issues.

Ajimobi gives condition for recalling sacked workers

ov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state yesterday said he would recall the recently sacked 3,000 workers if it was the general consensus of the people of the state. He made this known in his office at the inauguration of a panel set up to review claims of wrongful termination of appointment by some civil servants. “ We as a government will not on any occasion sack any innocent person. It is ungodly and indeed a sin against God and man. “ But if anyone defrauded the system, has stolen and falsified his credentials and you say we should temper justice with mercy, you are inflicting great damage on the system which will soon destroy its whole fabric. “ But, I say once again, ours is a listening government. “ If this is the consensus of the good people of Oyo State that anyone who has stolen government money; anyone who falsified age; anyone who falsified certificates; anyone who is a ghost worker, we should leave them in the system, so be it. “ We will respect the wishes of our people but I must tell you, if we do this, this state will not move forward,” Ajimobi said. The governor said the decision to implement the audit report set up by the immediate past administration of Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala was carried out to ensure that the Oyo State public service regained its reputation as one of the best in the country. “In our quest for efficient service delivery, we have devoted time to motivating the public service. “ We have restored regular training, both within and outside the country, for our civil servants. “ There is no gainsaying the fact that more of our public servants have gone for training abroad and within in the last one year than they had done in preceding years. “ We have ensured regular payment of salary, not later than 25th of every month, regardless of how late the federal allocation is received,” he said. The governor, who urged the panel to be fearless and carry out the exercise diligently and with all fairness and honesty, said “ we do not want any innocent man to be punished.” Members of the panel, headed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adebayo Ojo, included representatives of the NBA, NLC and NUT.

Gov.Imoke commended for upward review of state, local governments pension

he Cross River State Director of Local Government Pension Board, Mr John Adie, has commended Gov. Liyel Imoke for upward review of the State and Local Governments’ monthly share of pension contributions. Adie, who made the commendation in Calabar, said

the state government’s contribution has been increased from N77 million to N180 million while each of the local governments’ contribution rose from N10 million to N25 million monthly. He said that with the approval, the councils could now defray the backlog of pension allowance to

local government pension board in the state. “An approval has also been given for the setting up of a committee to harmonise local government pension from 2002 till date. “With this positive development, the governor has further demonstrated his passion

and commitment to improve the standard of living of the people.’’ Adie explained that nonpayment of local government pensioners’ arrears in the state was due to the non-remittance of over N3.4 billion Federal Government share of local government’s pension contributions. He noted that the state

government was currently bearing the burden alone. The director said that the state government had presented its position to the Senate Committee on Pensions during the recent meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. “I am confident that the Federal Government would pay special attention to the matter.”

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

he quest to secure West African opponents for the Super Eagles ahead of their Nations Cup qualifier against Liberia seems to have yielded some dividends as Nigeria are in talks with Guinea, Sudan and DR Congo for a friendly likely on August 15.

Lokoja no longer Fed Cup hosts

occer fans in Lokoja who had looked forward to the forthcoming quarterfinals of the Federation Cup matches at the newly completed Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, have had their hopes dashed following the decision of the state FA to reject its use for the matches. The Confluence Stadium, Lokoja had been named as one of the centres for the Federation/ Cup matches scheduled to be played from July 17. But that would no longer be. Chairman of the Kogi State Football Association, Yahaya Adams explained that the FA has opted to let go the matches because, “The Confluence Stadium in Lokoja has not been officially handed over to the Kogi State Government, so we can’t play games there,” Adams said. The two tickets in Group C will be contested for by Enugu Rangers, Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, Prime FC of Oshogbo and Dynamite Force of Edo, a Nationwide League club.

PAGE 41

Nigeria target Guinea, Sudan friendlies Few days ago, Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi told Peoples Daily Sports that efforts were being made to secure top grade friendly matches for the team and the latest report emanating from the NFF Secretariat is that there are possibilities of Eagles sealing a date against Guinea, Sudan or Congo DR. Two matches are being considered for both the August 15 date and another one on September 15, a month later, which is FIFA free- day. The Eagles though would be largely composed of domestic league players who are the core of the new-look team. The matches would constitute part of the build-up for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia in September and the technical crew is desperate to engage the team which would be without any serious games since defeating Rwanda to seal a berth at the next stage of the nations Cup fiesta. The Nigerian team are billed to face the

Lone Stars of Liberia in Monrovia on September 8. NFF technical sub-committee chairman Chris Green confirmed that series of negotiations have been held between the NFF and the three countries, adding that these nations are eager for a duel with the Eagles. “We have approached several countries including Guinea, DR Congo and Sudan for a possible friendly next month,” Green said. Further, Green confirmed that the talks, which were held during the recent draw in Johannesburg, South Africa was with the consent of Keshi, whom he said is determined to secure an opponent for a friendly duel. “Even though there would no longer be a FIFA free window next month, we want to ensure that the Eagles are fully prepared for the last hurdle to qualify for the Nations Cup.

“But, please note that, talks have just begun and we are waiting on these countries for a positive response.” Despite the shift in the next FIFA free window from August to September, the NFF have insisted on a friendly for the Eagles. Further, Emmanuel Ikpeme, NFF director of technical, also said. “We have several offers but I cannot give you any concrete confirmation on who the Eagles would play next month but certainly the Eagles will be engaged,” he said On the shift of the transfer window by FIFA, he said, “That should not affect anything. The worst case scenario is that coach (Stephen) Keshi would not have access to his foreign-based players. “But in any case the home boys are the foundation of the team as we have seen in his re-building process. So, the change should not affect anything. We will ensure the Eagles are engaged.”

Cooreman to return against Kaduna

arri Wolves’ head coach, Maurice Cooreman will return to the bench when his club faces Kaduna United in a Nigeria Premier League (NPL) game today. Cooreman missed Wolves’ Matchday 33 clash against Dolphins in Port Harcourt because of ill health. The veteran Belgian trainer has now made a full recovery and is set to return to the dug out ahead of the game against United. “I’m pleased to say I have recovered after lots of injections and capsules,” Cooreman joked when quizzed by Supersport.com. Wolves lost 0-1 to Dolphins in their last game and Cooreman is keen to see his side halt their temporary slide. “We have to win against Kaduna United. It is my former club so it will be a special game for me but the victory (for Wolves) is non-negotiable,” he said.

Keshi dismisses pressure for Mikel recall …says Martins, Emenike, Ogbuke on his radar By Patrick Andrew

ormer Super Eagles goal poacher Obafemi Martins may yet have a role in the rebuilt Eagles under Coach Stephen Keshi, who has confirmed that Martins along with the trio of Emmanuel Emenike, Obinna Nsofor and Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi, are being considered for recall to the team. But Keshi did not give any indication that Chelsea’s defensive midfielder, John Mikel Obi, despite the growing media call for his inclusion

Mikel Obi in pensive mood. It seems years of lackadaisical attitude towards national call-up have boomeranged. in the new team, commands same prime consideration as the trio. He insisted instead that there was no rift between him and the player (Mikel). Keshi was adamant that no amount of sentiment for Mikel or any other player for that matter he would compel him to invite players that neither have patriotic fervour nor mental and physical readiness to play for the country. “I will make it a point of duty to invite only the players needed for particular games and if Mikel is relevant he would surely be called up. No amount of pressure will make me to call up any player that we do not consider necessary in our plans,” he said. Stephen Keshi, the head Coach of the Eagles and former Togo and Mali manager insisted that his decision on who should be involved in his rebuilding process should be respected. Peoples Daily Sports recalls that

Mikel had walked out on the team when he was called up for a friendly game on the guise of being injured only to feature same weekend for his club in the English Premier League. The action of out-of-favour midfielder irked the technical crew who publicly declared that no player would be begged to serve the nation and went on to work with other midfielders including Reuben Gabriel, Obiora Nwankwo, Joel Obi, Kalu Uche, Sunday Mba, Henry Uche and Joel Obi. “We may have played some games without Mikel but he has always been part of the team and I must tell Nigerians that I have been in touch with the player. We must be careful not to bring division and hero worship into the national team,” Keshi said noting that Mikel had phoned him on the day of the Nations Cup draw to declare his readiness to play for the nation. “Mikel has said again and again that

he has no problems with the national team technical crew and I don’t have any problems with him either, so calling for his recall to the team is unnecessary, because he has always been a part of the team”, Keshi who spoke from Benin City said but did not mention Mikel among those likely to be recalled. Instead, he reiterated his intention to give the likes of Emenike, Ogbuke, Nsofor another chance for places in the vastly improving new team. “We have a lot of players who were not part of the last games like Obafemi Martins, Obinna Nsofor, Ogbuke Obasi, Emmanuel Emenike and more. These players are important and very good to our ambition of building a strong national team for Nigeria, and I have been in touch with all of them, so we must avoid division in the national team and respect the decision of the coach,” he said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

FCT Badminton Championship begins today Lagos looks

Sen. Bala Mohammed, FCT Minister

o fewer than 30 players will feature in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 2012 Closed Badminton Championship scheduled to start today, Mohammed Bako, the Head Coach, FCT Badminton Association has said. Bako disclosed yesterday in Abuja that the competition is being organisedby the FCT in conjunction with the Abuja Badminton Club. The head coach said that the competition would feature four events: the men’s and women’s singles and the men’s and women’s doubles.

He said that the championship is to prepare the FCT athletes for the forthcoming 18th National Sports Festival scheduled for November 27 to December 9 in Lagos. “The tournament is also to keep our players in good form and shape, in readiness for any national tournaments that may come up at any time. “It is not good to train continuously and then have no tournament to prove your ability and to determine any improvement. “The competition will help determine their level of training and to determine areas

12 students to represent Nigeria at 13th World University Futsal Tournament

he maiden edition of the Nigeria University Games (NUGA) and the FiveAside-Football (Futsal Championship) would be used to select the country’s athletes for the 13 th World University Futsal Tournament. Harry Balogun, the competitions’ organiser revealed yesterday at the National Institute of Sports secretariat, (NIsport) Lagos that only 12 athletes would be selected to compete for honours for Nigeria.. The University of Minho will host the World University Futsal Championship, scheduled to hold from Aug .18 to Aug. 25 in Braga, Portugal “The idea of organising this championship is to create awareness for Five-A-Side in Nigeria.

“ It is also going to be used as the selection for players that will represent the country at the World University Games because we do not have a university team yet. “Before we attend the competition, there is need to organise the national event because the team would be drawn from the participating universities and NUGA has embraced the idea,’’ he said. It would be recalled that at least eight universities registered for the NUGA Futsal championship, which held between Tuesday and yesterday. Balogun noted that most of the world greatest players started with Futsal, adding that it helped to build stamina and allowed players to think faster because of the size of the pitch.

“The Ronaldinhos, the Peles’ of this world started with Futsal because it makes you think faster and it builds the mind because it is a very fast game,’’ he said. Meanwhile Bola Orodele, the Secretary of NUGA, said that the body deemed it necessary to organise the championship to allow the country to participate at the World championship. Orodele said the height for any international competition is from the tertiary institutions, saying “If do not give them the opportunity while in school, when will they showcase their talent,’’. He pointed out that thirteen universities registered for the competition but only eight universities were participating in the event. “We believe that the country’s

of necessary adjustments,’’ he said. Bako said that the men’s single winner would go home with a 42-inch plasma TV; the female winner, 32 inch TV; while other winners would go home with token cash prizes. He said that the three-day tournament scheduled to end on Saturday, would be held at the FCT’s Mambilla Barracks Gymnasium Hall. The head coach added that the association would participate in the forthcoming Esther Ayodele National Championship scheduled for July 15 to July 20 in Ilorin. universities abound with talents who are still young It is also necessary to engage them in meaningful activities and that is sports. “Some students have the skills and we do not want them to waste their talents, so we are going to be organising the championship yearly to discover more talents for the sport,’’ he said. The University of Ibadan, Adekunle Ajasin University, Ahmadu Bello University and Nassarawa State University, are in Group A. While the Niger Delta University, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal University of Petroleum Resources and Bayero University are in Group B. Sixteen countries are scheduled to participate in the Futsal World Championships in Braga, Portugal and the Nigeria team is in Group C alongside Russia, Czech Republic and China.

14th IAAF World Junior tourney

11 athletes, 4 officials depart for Spain By Patrick Andrew

fter delaying the issuance of travelling documents to Team Nigeria contingent to the 14th IAAF World Junior Championship, the Spanish embassy eventually issued visas to 11 athletes and four officials to make the trip for the fiesta. The embassy had on Monday told officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to report for screening the following day as against the desire of the Team Nigeria to arrive in Spain the day the fiesta began (Monday). However, on Tuesday only seven athletes were issued their visas while the rest were granted their travelling documents same day they were to make their belated trip for the junior championships. It would be recalled that the AFN had earlier raised alarm at the failure of the embassy to issue the travelling documents in spite of submitting request for them a fortnight before- which is the minumu period required by law to do so. Yesterday, the AFN through its Media Officer, Duro Ikhazuagbe,

confirmed that 11 athletes and four officials left for the competition holding in Barcelona and had began July 10 to end July 15. Ikhazuagbe said the contingent

departed with 11 athletes and four officials as against the initial 24 athletes and six officials. “They departed for the championships last night after the

ordeal of being denied visa delayed their departure. However, we are glad that it is behind us now and we wish them the best of luck at the championships,” he said.

beyond Eko’12, prepares weightlifter for 2014 fiesta

he Head Coach, Lagos State Weightlifting Association, Ene Bassey, has said that the association was looking beyond the 2012 National Sports Festival in its preparations. Bassey said in Lagos that the association was already preparing weightlifters that would represent the state in the 2014 National Sports Festival, scheduled for Calabar, Cross River State. “We have even started making effort to train young athletes in the sports as a way of preparing for the 2014 National Sports Festival. “I have three athletes here, who are not meant for the 2012 festival but preparing for the next festival to be hosted in Cross River,” he said. Bassey said that the association had initiated discussions with some other states to organise friendly competitions between their weightlifters and the Lagos team. “We are going out of the state for friendly competitions with up to three states before the competition. “ The coach gave assurance that Lagos State would win virtually all the medals in the sports during the fiesta coming up in from Nov. 27 to December, 9. “We are very, very sure of winning gold medals in the festival that is why we are currently having three training sessions daily morning, afternoon and in the evening. ’’ According to him, the inadequate training facilities compelled the association to adopt the three training sessions. “It is because we do not have enough facilities for training, so we have to separate the time of training for all categories of athletes. “We have a lot of school children coming for training here in the evening time too. “ The coach appealed for the upgrading of infrastructure and sports facilities in the country, stressing “Nigeria can only meet the international standard provided there are adequate facilities for athletes training’’. Bassey criticised the habitual shoddy preparation for international competitions, adding that it was usually the reason for the poor performance of the country’s athletes. The coach said that the attendance and punctuality of athletes to training had been affected by the ongoing repairs of sections of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

NPL RESULTS WEEK 34

Chief Falilat Ogunkoya (l), and other Team Nigeria officials at a welcome reception organised by Central Association of Nigerians in the UK in honour of the Team, on Monday in London. Photo:NAN

Ocean Boys 0 Rangers 1 Tornadoes 3 Kwara Utd 1 Akwa Utd 1 Wikki 0 Lobi 2 Enyimba 0 Sharks 0 Pillars 0 Heartland 1 Dolphin 0 Jigawa 2 3SC 0 Sunshine 2 Rising Stars 1

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Transfer

The season is over. Clubs are counting their blessing as well as losses and would like to make amends and even beef up their squads where noticeable lapses exist. And the transfer market is agog barely 24 hours after major European leagues dropped the curtain. And so to keep abreast with latest rumours, we begin daily doses of movements within the market both for players and coaches like.

Inter Milan launch another Nigerian youngster

nknown Nigerian youngster Ibukun Ogunseye looks set to feature for Inter Milan next season as he has been promoted

to the main squad. The 17-year-old forward Nigerian was born in Mantova and he was part of the Inter Milan training match on Monday as coach Andrea Stramaccioni threw the teenager into the deep end. Officials said if the player, who has Italian nationality, continues to impress, he could be considered for a permanent place in the main team alongside compatriot Joel Obi, who has returned to training after he was sidelined by injury. Nigeria international Obafemi Martins was also promoted through the Inter youth ranks before he went on to become a big star for the Italian giants.

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Asamoah handed number 22 jersey at Juventus

wadwo Asamoah will wear the number 22 shirt at JuventusGhana midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah has been handed the number 22 shirt at Juventus after he was unveiled by club yesterday. The 23-year-old completed a US$11 million move from

Udinese last month and is expected to play a key role in the Bianconerris campaign in the coming season. He was in the official Juventus team shirt for the 2012/13 campaign. Asamoah was officially presented to the club’s fans

Hulk denies Chelsea talks

Hulk

ulk has denied reports that he has held talks with Chelsea as speculation continues to link him with a move to Stamford Bridge. The Porto and Brazil forward said he had “done nothing with Chelsea or any other club” and was concentrating only on playing for Brazil at the Olympics. Hulk, 25, told Lancenet: “I have four more years on my contract with Porto, and I’m focusing on the national team. “I haven’t talked to anyone. As everyone knows, I don’t follow negotiations closely as that will

alongside four other new acquisitions at a spectacular presentation at Juventus Stadium. He wore the No. 20 shirt at Udinese during his four-year stay at the Friuli. Asamoah will join Antonio Conte’s side for preseason. make me lose my focus. I let my agent deal with that stuff.” Porto are reported to want a fee of around •70 million for Hulk, who is also thought to be interesting Paris St Germain. He scored 21 goals in 38 appearances for the club last season, but is unlikely to leave unless the fee is reduced. Speaking earlier this month, an insider told ESPN: “Porto’s asking price of •70 million is simply unrealistic. They might take •60 million, although again that is far, far too high. “There are many clubs interested, but none at that price, and there will not be a move this summer unless Porto are more realistic.”

Fiorentina sign El West Ham declare Hamdaoui from Ajax interest in Carroll Ibukun Ogunseye

est Ham co-owner David Gold admits his club would be interested in signing Andy Carroll if Liverpool are willing to off-load the England striker. Gold was responding to reports that West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is ready to make an approach for Carroll following Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers’ admission that he might be willing to let the former Newcastle star go out on loan next season. Rodgers is uncertain if Carroll will fit into the smooth passing style he plans to introduce at Anfield, but Allardyce’s more direct tactics would be a perfect fit for the burly targetman, who is a close friend of West Ham captain Kevin Nolan. Gold insisted there have been no

talks with Liverpool yet, but he refused to play down talk of a move for the 23-year-old as the newly promoted east London outfit look to strengthen for their first season back in the Premier League. “I am not aware of any talks between ourselves or Liverpool over Andy Carroll. But that’s not to say we don’t have an interest should he become available,” Gold said. Carroll has scored just 11 goals in 56 appearances for Liverpool since his club record £35 million transfer from Newcastle in January 2011. He did finish last season strongly, scoring in the FA Cup final and semifinal, and also netted in England’s Euro 2012 win over Sweden.

Villas-Boas alerts Real, Man United, drops hints at Modric departure

Luka Modric

illas-Boas also admitted Tottenham would consider selling Real Madrid and Manchester United targetLuka Modric if they get a big enough bid for him. The north Londoners turned down offers of around £30m for the Croatian from Chelsea last year, and it would take an increase on that fee to land the 26-year-old. “The interest that we have from various different clubs shows the importance of the player and what he’s done for Tottenham,” Villas-Boas said. “It’s fair to say that the club respects Luka’s ambitions and his willingness to move on, and he respects the fact that he’s an important player for the club and can help us move forward. Ongoing discussions will continue with these clubs until we reach an agreement which is acceptable for each party.”

iorentina have signed Morocco striker Mounir El Hamdaoui from Ajax. The 27-year-old has joined the Tuscan outfit on a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee. El Hamdaoui had been strongly linked with a move to Fiorentina earlier this year, after being frozen out ofAjax’s first team following a dispute with coach Frank de Boer. A statement from La Viola read: “Fiorentina announces it has acquired the sporting rights of Mounir El Hamdaoui from Ajax.” El Hamdaoui, who was a reported target of Blackburn Rovers and Fulham among other European clubs, had two years left on his contract at Ajax.

Liverpool line up a £7m for Celtic star Ki Sung-Yueng

ew Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers has the South Korean high on his wish list of summer signing targets and is almost hitting a deal with the star. But he faces a fight to land the Parkhead midfield star, with clubs across Europe showing interest in Ki Sung-Yeung. Also, QPR, Rubin Kazan and Deportivo La Coruna are all keen to land the 23-year-old. There is also strong interest in Ki from Germany with several Bundesliga clubs monitoring his situation but Liverpool lead the way. Rodgers is on the hunt for midfielders to suit the passing style he wants his side to play. Ki’s age and ability make him a leading contender to team up with Kop and England skipper Steven Gerrard. QPR will not give up without a fight. Chairman Tony Fernandes said last night: “Ki is a very good player and we are very aware of him. He is a player we will be watching and also monitoring closely.” Ki said last week he will wait until after the Olympics to decide his future. However, with a transfer battle heating up, Liverpool and QPR are likely to act much earlier. Hoops boss Neil Lennon is a big fan of Ki but with 18 months left on his contract, Celtic would make a huge profit on the player signed from FC Seoul for £2m in 2010.

Ki Sung-Yeung

... Closing in on Suarez’s new deal

rendan Rodgers is positive Luis Suarez will pledge his future to Liverpool by signing a new deal. Suarez was one of the few shining lights as his mesmeric ball skills wowed the Anfield faithful. It is his footballing abilities, rather than the controversies that saw him pick up a hefty suspension, that the club are focusing on as they look to extend his stay. Suarez’s current contract runs until the summer of 2016, but the club want to extend and increase his salary in a bid to persuade him to commit to life under Rodgers. The forward has given every indication of being happy at Liverpool and a deal is edging closer. The manager was positive when asked about the Uruguan’s likely stay at Anfield, ”We hope so. He has really bought into what we are trying to do. He was really excited about how we played at Swansea last year.”

Thiago Silva

Silva: I never thought of leaving Milan

hiago Silva has claimed that he never contemplated leaving AC Milan this summer. The Italian giants turned down a •46m offer for the Brazil defender from Ligue 1 side Paris SaintGermain last month. Silva then signed a new and improved contract with Milan which will keep him at the San Siro until June 2017. “I never thought of leaving Milan,” Silva told Milan’s official website. “But in football it is normal that you get offers from other clubs. “I am very close to (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Antonio) Cassano, Robinho, (Alexandre) Pato and [Mario] Yepes and they advised me to remain at Milan. I believe in Milan’s strength for the new season. “I want to end this season in the best possible way at the Olympics in London and then return immediately for another season at Milan.” The 27-year-old has been at Milan since 2009 and helped I Rossoneri win the Serie A title in 2011.

Barca eyeing a shock raid for Cabaye

he Spanish giants are weighing up whether to make an £8million bid for Newcastle’s Yohan Cabaye, 26, or French midfield team-mate Yann M’Vila, 22. However sources at the Catalan club say they are leaning more towards Cabaye, who only joined the Magpies last summer on a five-year deal for £4.3m from Lille. Toon boss Alan Pardew would be reluctant to lose Cabaye but fears Barca’s interest will leave him unsettled.

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PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Williams keeps her word, plays on California hard courts

erena Williams kept up a hectic pre-Olympic pace as last Sunday’s Wimbledon winner arrived in northern California on Monday to play as top seed at the Bank of the West Classic. The 14-time Grand Slam champion announced her arrival from London on Twitter and has already booked a practise session on the hard courts at the tournament venue at Stanford University. The 2011 champion at the California event will spend this week on cement after collecting a fifth singles title and a third doubles honour with sister Venus on the grass at Wimbledon and before pausing prior to the July 28 start of the Olympic tennis tournament. Williams, second seed and 2009 winner Marion Bartoli of France, third seed Dominika Cibulkova and number four Jelena Jankovic all have first-round byes with Williams to start against either an American wild card or a Thai qualifier. Williams, now back to forth in the world after her Wimbledon final over Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, said she was not concerned about any potential overplaying

after only returning to tennis just over a year ago from injury and illness. “My target is the next tournament, followed by the next slam,’’ she said during Wimbledon. “I don’t think that far in advance. Just let me do a little bit at a time. I have never felt better.’’ Two seeds advanced on opening day with number five Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium beating Kai-Chen Chang of Taiwan 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 and South African sixth seed Chanelle Scheepers stopping Grace Min of the U. S. Portugal’s Michelle Larcher de Brito overcame 10 doublefaults and 10 aces from Australian Jarmila Gajdosova to post a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 comeback win. The event was hit by a plague of late withdrawals. The absentees included a pair of Germans: Wimbledon semifinalist Angelique Kerber, out with lower back pain; and quarter-finalist Sabine Lisicki, suffering an abdominal strain. The debut of two Russians was delayed as Svetlana Kuznetsova cancelled with a knee injury and Nadia Petrova pulled out with a right wrist problem.

Blake to compete in Switzerland

IOC chief backs Games food, drinks sponsors

amaican sprinter Yohan Blake will compete in Switzerland next week in his first race since beating Usain Bolt over 100 and 200 metres in the Jamaican Olympic trials. Organisers of the Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting in Lucerne say Blake will run in their 100m race next Tuesday. Meeting director Terry McHugh tells The Associated Press that “it’s his first run after the trials and perhaps his only run” before the London Olympics. Blake, the 100 world

Yohan Blake champion, clocked a personal best and world’s season-leading time of 9.75 seconds to beat Olympic champion Bolt in Kingston last month. Blake also clocked a world-leading 19.80 to win the 200. Blake is scheduled to open his London Olympics program in the 100 heats on August 4.

he International Olympic Committee issued public backing of its Games sponsors Coca-Cola and McDonald’s on Tuesday, a day after President Jacques Rogge was quoted as saying there was a “question mark” over their sponsorship due to obesity concerns. “I would like to clarify comments attributed to me in several media reports regarding CocaCola’s and McDonald’s Olympic sponsorship,” said Rogge in a statement mailed to Reuters. “The IOC hugely values the long-term sponsorship and support of both McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.

“Through the years we have personally witnessed the positive impact that they make as TOP sponsors,” said the IOC president. On Monday Rogge had been quoted in several British media as saying there had been a “question mark” over the sponsorship of the Olympics by McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, driven by global obesity concerns. His comments come less than three weeks before the start of the London Olympics on July 27. “For those companies, we’ve said to them: ‘Listen, there is an issue in terms of the growing trend on obesity, what are you

Serena Williams

going to do about that?’” he was quoted by several media on Monday as saying. The IOC has regularly had to answer questions regarding the sponsor agreements with the two food and beverage companies for the world’s biggest mutli-sports event and whether their association with the Olympics, promoting a healthy lifestyle, was compatible. On Tuesday Rogge said the IOC was proud to be associated with them. “Both companies bring forward the spirit of the Olympic Games through creative and engaging global programmes that

promote physical activity and the values that the Olympic Games are all about.” “We are proud to work with both Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, with whom we have long term agreements in place through 2020.” McDonald’s, whose four restaurants in London’s Olympic Park include its biggest in the world, extended its 36-year backing of the Games in January by signing up as sponsor for another eight years. Soft drinks company, Coca-Cola, has been sponsoring the Olympics since 1928 and also has a deal to 2020.

Liu leaps hurdles in pursuit of redemption C

Liu Xiang, world champion

Dayron Robles, world Olympic champion

hinese hurdler Liu Xiang endured injury agony at the Beijing Olympics and bitter injustice at last year’s world championships, but now he looks on the verge of redemption in London. It’s been a long road back for the unassuming “Flying Man”, 28, who won 110m hurdles gold at Athens 2004 but was struck down by an Achilles injury in Beijing, a bleak moment in an otherwise glittering Olympics for the hosts. Liu’s withdrawal in severe pain, without even clearing a hurdle in his first heat, caused such profound shock that fans flooded out of the Bird’s Nest stadium and a Chinese TV presenter wept as he announced the news. It was the start of the long spell in the doldrums for Liu, who had claimed China’s first ever sprint gold in a world record-equalling 12.91sec in Athens, and lowered the mark to 12.88 two years later in Lausanne. American surgeons removed calcium deposits from his right Achilles tendon in December 2008, but it was more than a year after Beijing before he returned to the track in his home city of Shanghai. But Liu remained troubled by the injury and he took another six months off in 2010 before returning to form with Asian Games gold that November, clocking 13.09 in front of a huge crowd in China’s Guangzhou. The breakthrough came in May last year when Liu, with a new starting technique of taking seven strides rather than eight to the first hurdle, glided over the barriers to shock in-form American David Oliver in Shanghai.

It set up a mouth-watering world championships final two months later in Daegu, South Korea, featuring Liu, Oliver and reigning Olympic champion Dayron Robles, the world record-holder from Cuba. Liu was accelerating smoothly over the last third and looked set to overhaul Robles, leading in the next lane, at the line. But the Cuban reached across and grabbed Liu’s arm once before the last hurdle and once again after, checking his momentum as the Chinese runner finished third. Robles was later disqualified, handing the title to America’s Jason Richardson, while Liu was awarded silver. Although there was outrage in China, Liu took the incident calmly. Revenge could be on the menu this year. In the current season, Liu has beaten Robles over 60 metres in Birmingham and he came second to Aries Merritt in the world indoor championships in March. Outdoors, he has enjoyed convincing wins in Kawasaki and Shanghai, where he left Oliver and Richardson trailing. At the Prefontaine Classic, he equalled Robles’ world mark of 12.87, aided by wind. Liu’s personal best, the former world record of 12.88, is now six years old, and his last world title came in Osaka 2007. But in London, he can cap a momentous comeback by claiming a second Olympic gold medal, along with retribution over Robles and, if the stars align, erase the Cuban’s 12.87 from the record books. “I hope to compete against him. But I want to say that every athlete is strong. He is only one,” shrugged Liu about Robles. “I’m not so bad myself.”

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

PAGE 45

L-R: Captain, Rivers Angels Football Club, Miss Luck Ato, presenting 2010/2011 National League Trophy won by her team to Rivers State Governor, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, during a Photo: NAN reception for the team, on Monday in port Harcourt.

Swedish pole vaulter, Angelica Bengtsson, who turned 19 last Monday, leapt 4. 58m on home soil in Solletuna last Thursday, a mark only succeeded by her World record of 4.63m achieved indoors last year. She will compete in Barcelona at the ongoing World Junior outdoor tourney.

Cars presented to Victorious Players of Rivers Angels by the state government in Port Harcourt on Monday, for winning 2010/2011 National League. Photo: NAN

Dereck Chisora has promised David Haye a "crazy" fight when the two meet at Upton Park this weekend. Both were involved in fisticuff in Munich, Germany last february, afterChisora lost a WBC title fight to Vitali Klitschko. The duo will exchange punches at West Ham's ground on Saturday

Britain's Bradley Wiggins retained his lead of the Tour de France as Thomas Voeckler won stage 10. Team Sky worked hard to catch Italy's Vincenzo Nibali the first big climb of this year's Tour. Wiggins still leads 2011 winner Cadel Evans by one minute and 53 seconds, with compatriot Chris Froome third and Nibali staying in fourth place overall.

Chief coach of Team Nigeria (athletics), Mr Innocent Egbunike (m), with other officials of the team, during a reception organised by the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK in honour of the team, on Monday in London. Photo: NAN

PAGE 46

yno Liebenberg beat Tineyi Marizdo of Zimbabwe on points at Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, on Monday night. The undefeated SA supermiddleweight, who had won each of his previous seven fights by knockout, had to go the full distance for the first time and had to settle for a majority decision over eight rounds. Judges Joe Chaane and Wally Snowball scored it 79-76 and 78-74 for Liebenberg and Neville Hotz had it 76-76. The tall Liebenberg, who weighed in at 72.40 kg, boxed

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Liebenberg taken to the distance from behind his jab throughout and controlled the fight in most of the rounds. Marizdo (74.20 kg) sporadically landed some big shots but not enough to take command. Liebenberg improved his record to 8-0, with 7 knockouts. Marizdo’s record dropped to a reported 9-7; 2. Referee Thabo Spampool ordered two of Liebenberg’s assistants to leave his corner because they were “coaching”

the fighter. Former SA lightheavyweight champion Johnny Muller (83.35 kg) boxed well before stopping the taller Khayeni Hlungwane (85.60 kg) 2 minute 6 seconds into the third round of a junior heavyweight bout scheduled for six. In the best fight of the night lightweight Warren Joubert (60.90 kg) powered his way to points victory over six rounds against the gutsy Ashley

Dlamini (60.85 kg). Dlamini went down for counts in the first and fifth rounds in a real toe-to-toe slugfest before Joubert won 5853, 58-54 and 59-52. In a junior welterweight bout, Jason Bedeman (63.15 kg) stopped Takalane Dangala (62.70kg) in spectacular fashion (2 minutes 26 seconds into the third round. Lightweight Grant Fourie (61.10 kg) appeared to have done enough to take the

decision in an entertaining sixrounder against Koos Sibiya (60.85 kg). However, two judges scored it 58-56 for Sibiya and the other had it 5757. Other results: Flyweight Thabang Ramagole (50.35 kg) beat Collen Tloubatla (48.90 kg) by tko in the third round and junior welterweight Paul Kamanga (63.35 kg) beat Sibusiso Masilela (63.50 kg), by tko in the fourth round. Jeff, Ellis of African Ring and Golden Gloves Promotions, presented an evening of fine boxing.

Donaire takes Mathebula’s belt, as Kelly wins comfortably N

onito Donaire beat South Africa’s Jeffrey Mathebula on points in Carson, Califfornia, even as Kelly Pavlik also got a comfortable unanimous decision over Will Rosinsky in an allAmerican bout, over the weekend. The Filipino added Mathebula’s IBF super-bantamweight title to his WBO belt when he won by unanimous decision his 28th consecutive victory. Donaire won 117-110, 118-109 and 119-108 after knocking his opponent down with a vicious left hook in the fourth round. Improving his record to 29-1, with 18 knockouts, the four-division champion landed bigger shots and showed more aggression throughout the bout. But “Mongoose” Mathebula used his 11cm height advantage and a tremendous work rate to keep the bout competitive. The Filipino Flash finished with a strong final round, winning comfortably on all three scorecards at the Home Depot Centre. “It was tough. He got me off the jab really well,” Donaire said. “That jab really took me out of my power range. He’s a great champion. He wouldn’t let me get in there and let me work.” Donaire used an extensive variety of punches against Mathebula, whose record now stands at 26-4-2, repeatedly attempting to land knockout shots from all angles. “I attacked, I had good balance, and I had a lot of fun in there,” Donaire said. “My goal is to be a unified champion. I want to unify all of the belts at 122 (pounds).” Donaire landed his biggest punch in the fourth round, dropping Mathebula with a left hook that recalled his knockout punch against Vic Darchinyan in July 2007. Mathebula’s feet left the ground when he tumbled into the corner right before the bell, but he gathered his wits on his stool and came back with a courageous fifth round. Mathebula’s camp said he cracked a tooth during the 11th round, and the pain affected his attack. Mathebula had won his belt with a split-decision victory over Takalani Ndlovu in March, but was fighting outside South Africa for just the second time in his career. “It’s very hard to box a very tall fighter like that, but he broke him down round by round,” said Robert Garcia, Donaire’s trainer. On the undercard, former middleweight champion Pavlik, who improved his record to 40-2; 34, won his fourth bout in a row since taking a year off after losing his two middleweight belts to Sergio Martinez in April 2010. Pavlik has rebuilt his career and his life after breaking free of bad influences in Youngstown, Ohio, and moving his training camp to Ventura, California, under Garcia’s training. The Ghost’s victory over Rosinsky (16-2) was his second fight in four weeks. The former champion persevered despite a cut above his left eye to pick apart his opponent, landing most power punches (45-33) and a total of 227-159. “He’s a very good, solid fighter, very busy,” Pavlik said of Rosinsky. “He gave me good work. I always thought I was ahead, but now I want a big fight.” Pavlik mentioned Lucian Bute and Andre Ward as possible next opponents.

Pavlik Kelly

Nonito Donaire

Umpire urges tennis federation to groom players for 2016 Olympics

ohn Peters, a blue badge International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) umpire, yesterday advised the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) to focus on developing young players for the 2016 Olympics. Peters said that the call had become necessary given the rate at which arch-rival Egypt had been churning out and using younger players in competitions recently. He said that the only way that the tennis federation could achieve the development of young players was for them to engage them constantly in ITTF approved Pro-Tours and circuits.

“If we have not done that for the senior category my prayer is that we start doing that for the junior because the way it is now Egypt is far ahead of us in the development of their junior players. “And what will happen is that at the expiration of the tenure of players like Segun Toriola, Quadri the onus will now be on our present junior players to carry the banner on. “But how much preparations have we given to these junior players, Egypt has done so much in this area to the extent that the current African Champion is an Egyptian junior player.”

Twenty-year-old Egyptian, Omar Assar, defeated Segun

Edem Offiong

Toriola, in the quarter-finals at the 10th All Africa Games (AAG) in Mozambique in 2011. He won 11-8, 12-14, 11-2, 611, 6-11, 11-9 and 11-9 to end Toriola’s 16-year reign as African Champion. Assar, who has no less than six boys’ singles titles on the ITTF Junior Circuit, attended the All Africa Games for the first time only to become African champion. The games took place from Sept. 3 to Sept. 18 in Maputo, Mozambique. The umpire said that rather than focusing on clinching medals at the London 2012

Olympics, attention should be on developing the younger players. “We are only able to participate in the singles category of the sport because Egypt swept the team events. “Thus, we should look at how to utilise the opportunity to develop our younger players for upcoming tournaments than relying on the ageing ones.” Segun Toriola, Quadri Aruna, Edem Offiong and Funke Oshonaike will represent Nigeria in the male and female singles events of the Olympics. The games will start on July 27 and end on August 12.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Amuzie urges FG to give equal supports to all spots

r Cyprian Amuzie, the A c t i n g Permanent Secretary in the Anambra Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, has urged the Federal Government to give equal attention to all sports. Reacting on Tuesday to Nigeria’s D’Tigers’ qualification for the 2012 London Olympics, Amuzie said no sport should be marginalised and starved of funds. The permanent secretary told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka that the government needed to support the entire Team Nigeria to bring out the best in the athletes. He commended the men’s basketball team who defeated the Dominican Republic 8873 in the final game of the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament, saying their effort would enhance the development of the sport. “I pray that God will continue to bless the team as they have turned our football sorrows to basketball joy. “It is not a small feat, the government should encourage the boys and the coaches too should be encouraged for getting us the ticket. The government should give equal attention to all sports and let none suffer marginalisation,’’ Amuzie said. He commended the federation, national basketball coach, Ayo Bakare, and his assistants for the success of the team and implored them to strive harder at the Olympics to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

Chief Patrick Ekeji, DG NSC

PAGE 47

13 countries for 5th ECOWAS wrestling tourney in Dakar

Bolaji Abdullahi, Minister of Sports

hirteen of the 15 ECOWAS member states will participate in the 5th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament beginning in Dakar, Senegal, from July 12 to July 14. This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday and signed by Francis Njoaguani, the Director, ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre. The statement said the wrestlers would feature in five weight categories - 66kg, 76kg, 86kg, 100kg and 100kg. It said the competition was one of the two regional wrestling tournaments organised annually by ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre. The statement said the tournament was being organised in collaboration with Senegal’s National Committee for the Management of Wrestling, an agency

of the country’s Sports Ministry. It said the organisers were working toward making African wrestling an official sport of the Community. The statement also said the idea of the competition was based on the decision of regional leaders to popularise the game to achieve Olympic Games status. It noted that the sport had been recognised by the African Union and was one of the events featuring in the next Francophone Games. “The Senegalese Minister of Youth and Sports is expected to open the tournament at Dakar’s Iba Marr Diop Stadium,’’ the statement said. It said that the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr Adrienne Diop, would represent the President of the ECOWAS Commission at the ceremony.

18th National Sports Festival

Anambra screens football players F

ifty players are undergoing trials for Anambra’s football team to the 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos in November. The players, who started the trials on Monday in Onitsha, were assembled by the Anambra State Ministry of Sports from the 21 local government areas of the state. The state’s Chief Football Coach, Paul Obiakor, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Onitsha that those selected would begin camping for the zonal elimination on Aug. 2. He said the players were given the chance to prove themselves in the trails. Obiakor, who is an Ex-Green Eagles player, said: “We got 50 of the finest football players from our grassroots talent hunt. “And we are hoping to select 30 of them, who will go to Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, in September to represent us at the zonal elimination. “We will cover the various departments of football effectively goalkeepers, defenders, mid-fielders and strikers and then take a short break and commence closed camping for the zonal trials proper.’’ The coach said he was not bothered about the teams from Enugu and Ebonyi states who are their opponents in the zonal elimination. “We have been beating them over and over again in the zone, especially as it concerns football,’’ he said. Obiakor said that meeting them at the zonal elimination would not be an exception as the state had started early to prepare for the encounter. It would be recalled that the 18th National Sports Festival, tagged “Eko 2012’’ will hold from November, 27 to December, 9.

... FCT to invite 62 athletes for trial

he FCT Sports Council said on Tuesday in Abuja that it would invite 62 new athletes for trials in preparation for the forthcoming National Sports Festival scheduled for Lagos. Alim Musa, the FCT Director of Sports, who disclosed this yesterday said that the trials would begin in the third week of July. Musasaid that one athlete from each ward of the six Area Councils would be invited for the trials and that those who performed well would join the older athletes already in camp for the festival. He said a programme “Know How to Understand and Appreciate the Game’’ had been designed to help the athletes appreciate the various sporting activities for the festival. “Those who know me can attest to the fact that I am a grassroots person. We will select the ones with high level of potentials for various games, and distribute them for camping,’’ Musa said. He said the athletes would be trained till September before they join their colleagues in “closed camp’’ for more intensive training. “By then, we would have been able to identify those we think can participate in the festival,’’ the director said, adding that the final camping for the sports festival would begin in October. This year’s edition of the sports festival is tagged “Eko 2012’’ and will hold between November, 27 and December, 9.

National Sports Festival, boxing

...Rivers begins closed camping

he Rivers Commissioner for Sports, Fred Igwe, says more than 1000 athletes have commenced closed camping for the 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos from Nov. 27 to Dec. 9. Rivers hosted and won the 17th edition of the festival with 135 gold, 79 silver and 85 bronze medals in 2011. Delta was second with 82 gold, 89 silver and 81 bronze medals while Edo placed third with 46 gold, 41 silver and 43 bronze medals. Igwe disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Wednesday

stressing that the camping began on Monday in different locations of Port Harcourt. He said the athletes’ camping would be in phases to select the team that would represent the state at the Games. We commenced preparations a long time ago, but the closed camping just started yesterday (July 9); that’s when we started closed camping. “And, all our coaches and our athletes are now in camp and programmes have been drawn up. They have commenced their programme this morning.

National Sports Festival, volleyball

‘We have over a 1,000 athletes. Naturally, we will prune the number but of course, we need to have all of them in camp so we insist on only the best.” Igwe said the state would conduct regular camping from now to November when the festival would begin in Lagos, adding that officials of the state’s sports council were working with the programme of the camping. “Our objective is to win back to back and that is the spirit and mentality we are going with to Lagos for the festival.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

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Ex-FIFA boss, Havelange, Exco member, Teixeira allegedly took bribes

ourt documents have revealed that former FIFA president Joao Havelange and executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira were paid millions of pounds in bribes by collapsed marketing company ISL. The report, published by FIFA yesterday stated that Havelange was paid at least 1.5 million Swiss francs (£1 million) and Teixeira at least 12.74 million Swiss francs (£8.37 million), and that the pair may have received as much as 21.9 million Swiss francs (£14.4 million). FIFA agreed to pay compensation of 2.5million Swiss francs (£1.64 million) on the condition that criminal proceedings against the pair were dropped. It suggests that current FIFA president Sepp Blatter would have been aware of at least one bribe paid to Havelange. The report states: "The finding that FIFA had knowledge of the bribery payments to persons within its organs is not questioned. "This is firstly because various members of the executive committee had received money, and furthermore, among other things, it was confirmed by the former chief financial officer of FIFA as a witness that a certain payment made to Joao Havelange... amounting to CHF1m was mistakenly directly transferred to a FIFA account; not only the CFO had knowledge of this, but also, among others, P1 would also have known about it." Havelange, 96, served as FIFA president between 1974 and 1998 and remains honorary president of the governing body, and he was also part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for almost four decades. Former Brazilian Football Confederation president Teixeira, 65, left the FIFA Executive Committee earlier this year. The Brazilian duo are the only FIFA officials named in the report, with the identities of other members kept anonymous. It has, however, been confirmed that Blatter did not accept any bribes from ISL.

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE I ffelt elt bad a bout it; I w asn pp y. The about wasn asn’’t ha happ ppy two were classmates of mine and they both worked under me at one time or another — Outgoing CJN Musdapher on Salami/ Katsina-Alu saga

Transformation to what? C

artelopia's smug equanimity has once again been shattered by the sonic and seismic effects of a bomb. On this day, last week an apparent car bomb exploded in the face of the political and economic elite, as it set 30 to 80 (?) cars ablaze and shattered windows in the symbolic heart of the nation's centre of security- the police headquarters. For just under nine long, terrible months, bombs have been going off with increasing frequency, killing mostly poor people and the sinister attackers getting away with insane ease. Since the first October 1st 2010 explosion, none had hit so close to power again as this one. The professed terrorists behind this one said their target was the Inspector General of Police (IGP) himself. Of course, true to form, our performing Prime Minister (PM) promptly contradicted that: No, no, no the target is not the IG, we are all targets, it is international terrorism, no need to be panicky. Oh dear oh dear. The headlines and the official telling of the explosion were this: that a suicide bomber had tried to follow the Inspector General of Police's car into the Headquarters precincts. The police spokesman described how the Mercedes V-boot bomber had actually followed the IGP's convoy all the way (!). Alert officers had first refused the car entry into the main car park (the IG's car park) then, due to suspicions about the vehicle and the driver, the car was redirected to a general car park for inspection. This was done by a police traffic warden who took it upon himself to 'force' the driver to a general car park by climbing in himself. There the car exploded, killing the driver (suicide bomber), the policeman and a third person present in the car park. That is the first official version, which like the initial death toll seems to be undergoing modification Cartelopian style. News reports based on eyewitness accounts and Red Cross figures tell a different story, as usual. They put the death toll at much more than three - figures range from 6 to 8, to all manner of speculative suppositions. This outer car park was known to have a high degree of traffic with tens of cars parked there for no real official reason. Whatever the accuracy of the figures, in Cartelopia such truths are of little import other than to those directly affected by the loss of a parent,

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CAR TEL OPIA CARTEL TELOPIA By Aisha Yolah ayolah06@yahoo.com 08086296783 (text only please)

President Goodluck Jonathan

spouse or sibling. No need to count anything Unlike neighbouring Nigeria, government here really does not ordinarily - give a hoot how many poor folks have died. On occasion, generally sinister political reasons might spur authorities into giving real numbers and even names. If circumstances require it- a great show of concern is made compensation, official to-ing and fro-ing and so on fills our TV screens, for a short time. Since last week the airwaves have suddenly been alive with the notion that one of the core functions and justifications for the existence of government is the protection of lives and the protection of security. For nine months and previously-the deaths caused by routine armed robbery, murderous roads and drivers, poverty and sectarian killings have been 'comfortably' part of our scenery. Suddenly it seems the prospect that anyone -even an IGP- can be blown to bits with all his 'security' seems to have concentrated minds. An empty blueprint? The latest political song has been that this government will be 'transformational'. Already, even die-hard tranformationalists who voted not for party but for a performing personality, are finding little to sustain their enthusiasm. Many may, like me, have found only a deceptive home page on the State House website and no new transformation blueprint at all to give them hope.

Clicking on the four tabs of Power, Education, Infrastructure and Security will only take you round in circles. Apparently the Agenda is yet to be defined. No wonder even paid TV hatchet men are busy drawing up their own Agendas! Perhaps they should stop using the word Agenda. In the meantime here are my (presumptuous) seven points of advice at this trying time for His Excellency, the PM: 1. Avoid rephrasing/ editing/ contradicting terrorists' statements. 2. Establish the proper legal context of every government intervention before making it public. 3. Always acknowledge the known authors of good government policies even if it is your predecessor. 4. Build upon what is good - in the process you will naturally your own history make especially if you remember that by 2015 you will actually have been in power for 5 years! 5. Continuing to contradict your first and most respected set of advisers (the long-forgotten Advisory Council) will profit you none. 6. As you appoint your Crack team of first rate ministers always remember that it's their 'performance' and not your relationship with them that will actually see you through. 7. Routinely re-read and internalise only the speeches you have given and will give - in America. It has become patently obvious that the PM seems a better leader when abroad- especially in the land of milk and honey. It might be useful, when in doubt, rather than make up stories about how ministers and presidents are never in power long enough to make impact, to hearken to one's own 'made-in-America' advice. Only in America Once again to illustrate, I quote from one of those great speeches from far away, given by the PM at the American Council on Foreign Relations (April 12th 2010).

'We are choosing for ourselves what I will call foundational responsibilities which, if well shouldered, will form a solid base for ... development ... from this point onward. In this responsibility of consolidating and deepening our democracy, we are committed to ensuring that the remaining period of the administration is not a transitional period but one which we hope will one day be viewed as a watershed, a transformational time in our young democracy...... [T]his is our time. Either we continue with more of the same or we change the game. There's no doubt that we are being faced by some challenges in our country. But we have stabilized the politics. And we are determined to consolidate on the gains so recorded.' How strangely dissonant these words sound today. Let's see: the gains so recorded could include a free and fair election if you believe the results, a tenuous improvement of 300 megawatts or so, in power generation, transmission and distribution, and what else? June 20th was World Refugee Day A very telling statement on this country's systemic condition was made by the country's very articulate Federal Commissioner for Refugees. During one of her interviews to commemorate the plight of refugees and the displaced in this country she was asked how come the country had the most liberal asylum policies even among peer African countries. She replied that in other countries, asylum seekers are often detained or as in developed countries- imprisoned until their papers are processed, residency or asylum regularised. In Cartelopia there is no need to corral human beings like that because whether you are a refugee or a legal resident the conditions of life are the same! The implication to me is that there are no services medical, human or social - that are provided by government that require a clear demarcation between those legally entitled and those who are not! So that is why we hardly count our living, to say nothing of the dead. Where no work is actually being done, what is there to count? Given this most basic definition of what a government does: establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide security and promote general welfare, do we have a government?

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos, Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 803 606 3308. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141