Peoples Daily Newspaper, Wednesday, June 13, 2012 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 8 No. 58

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

. . . putting the people first

Rajab 23, 1433 AH

Constituents to Farouk Lawan:

N150

You’re a disgrace From Edwin Olofu, Kano

onstituents of the em battled member of the House of Representatives, Rep Farouk Lawan, yesterday referred to him as a disgrace for his alleged involvement in the $3 million scam in the Fuel Subsidy Probe scandal. Farouk Lawan, who represents Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano state in the House of Representatives, is currently enmeshed in the scandal, after oil mogul, Femi Otedola further compounded his problem by admitting paying $500,000 (about N80 million) bribe directly to the lawmaker in a sting operation involving security agents. When Peoples Daily interacted

with Rep Lawan's constituents in his constituency, which is about 100 kilometers away from the Kano metropolis, most of those spoken to expressed disgust over the issue. Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bagwai Local Government Area, Alhaji Zangina Dangada, said they were shocked by the revelation, describing the whole saga as a complete disgrace if the allegation is finally established against the lawmaker. “We are not happy with the development, and therefore, we call for further investigation and if at the end, a prima facie case is established against him, he has to face the music for bringing us a Contd on Page 2

NCAA grounds Air Nigeria From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

ollowing an industrial ac tion embarked upon re cently by engineers of Air Nigeria, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday asked the airline to halt its operations pending when the NCAA is satisfied that its aircraft are in good condition. The move by the aviation authority, Peoples Daily learnt, was part of drastic measures by the aviation ministry to scrutinise the operations of all airlines on the domestic route after allegations that the regulatory au-

thority has failed in its supervisory role culminating in the recent air mishap involving a Dana Airline plane which crashed in Lagos, killing all 153 persons on board. A competent source privy to the marathon meeting at the NCAA headquarters in Ikeja yesterday, told our reporter that the decision was arrived at after a lengthy deliberation by safety inspectors of NCAA who have been on their toes ever since the Dana disaster. Contd on Page 2

Arunma Oteh locked out of SEC >> PAGE 3

Hon. Farouk Lawan

Internal crisis: PDP indicts self

Al-Qaeda blames Germany for Nigeria hostage’s death

Gunmen kill 8 in Kano

>> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 4

>> PAGE 6

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

CONTENTS News Editorial

2-11 12

Op.Ed

Letters

Opinion

Metro

16-17

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

S/Report

Motoring

Newsxtra

Arts

Lawyers demand Tambuwal’s resignation, want Otedola, others arrested By Lawrence Olaoye with agency reports

ublic Interest Lawyers League (PILL) yesterday called for the resignation of Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to allow for independent investigations into the $3 million bribery allegations against the Chairman of the House ad-hoc Committee that investigated the nation’s subsidy regime, Rep Farouk Lawan. This is also as the group has called for the arrest and prosecution of all those that participated in the bribery saga including the Chairman of Zenon Oil that offered the money; Clerk

International 31-34 Strange World 35 Digest

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

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up, partly to a certain sum and not the bribe sums in full. However, further revelations have forced Lawan’s hands and he has since accepted receiving the sum of five hundred thousand dollars from Femi Otedola.” PILL stated “Farouk Lawan is merely the face, disgraced by the outcome of his own perfidious adventure, of an orchestrated network of members who work the committee system to intimidate and harass sections of our polity for bribes,” it said. “The committee system feeds into the culture of settlement and patronage promoted by the leadership of the House.” In the House system, PILL said, “No one becomes chairman, or vice

chairman and, or a member of a juicy committee if that individual has no capacity to deliver the perfidious. To deliver means to make monetary returns to the Speaker,” the group alleged. Asking questions about what Speaker Tambuwal knew, when he knew it and what he did with what he knew, PILL was of the view that the Speaker did nothing. “Farouk Lawan was the Speaker’s principal pick to head the Ad hoc committee, and the Speaker’s decision was either borne out of a warped commitment to our country or he misjudged his men. Public Interest Lawyers League thinks it is neither. He protected his men.”

Constituents to Farouk Lawan: You’re a disgrace Contd from Page 1

Remove police control from Presidency now - NHRC, Page 4

of the Committee, Boniface Emenalo, Rep Jerry Alagbaoso, who allegedly played the role of a front-man and Captain Iheanacho, in whose house the bribe was allegedly delivered. Sahara Reporters, an online media quoted the League’s President, Abdul Mahmud and the Secretary, Kelvin Okoro, as stating that the Speaker knew about the bribe a week before the bubble burst without him taking any action. “It is also in the public domain that Aminu Tambuwal confronted Farouk Lawan with the video clip of his criminal misdemeanor,” the group said. “Lawan is reported to have owned

monumental disgrace,” the PDP chieftain declared. Another staunch member of the PDP in the area, Ali Katako Commander, said he was not surprised by the development, saying that those who until lately believe in quality representation have now been exposed to the dirty side of it. Katako explained that Bagwai /Shanono areas had nothing to show for Farouk Lawan’s long representation in the National Assembly, stressing that “no physical presence of any meaningful development in the two council areas.” Katako added: “We felt for him at this trying moment in view of the fact that he is one of us; but I am afraid, Farouk has to face the implication of what he has done”. He accused the ranking lawmaker of neglecting his constituency that has remained faithful

to him for almost 14 years, adding that “we had expected some meaningful development in return for the political gesture”. For Abubakar Usman, a chieftain of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Shanono local government, the only thing they could do for Rep Lawan was pray for him at this point in time. He also alleged that the lawmaker had not brought any developmental projects to Shanono even though he admitted that to some extent, he had been vocal in the House but insisted that that did not translate in any way into helping his people who are in need. “We sent him to go and represent us but he is not doing anything for us in the constituency. The whole matter should be investigated and let the truth come out; we will pray for him for the meantime,” Usman said. Farouk Lawan had last Sunday denied collecting any bribe

money from any oil marketer in respect of the assignment carried out by the ad hoc’s committee he led. He had also claimed that no member of the ad hoc committee took bribe. However, after Femi Otedola’s confession, Farouk Lawan made a u-turn, claiming this time that he collected the $500,000, but that he did took the money simply because he wanted to nail the oil magnet, who he claimed had put much pressure on him. Meanwhile, elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has said that the bribery allegation against Lawan may be a deliberate set-up by influential people to undermine the House report on its investigations into the subsidy regime. Yakasai said he had his doubts about the allegation leveled against Lawan, insisting

that security agents could be used for the interest of some highly influential people. He pointed out that Lawan had served as the Chairman, Integrity Group in the House of Representatives and cannot therefore stoop so low to demand bribe and collect same by himself openly. In the meantime, aides and associates of the lawmaker late last night denied rumours of Farouk Lawan's arrest, which had been rife yesterday. The aides, who pleaded anonymity, said the lawmaker was in residence at about 9.30pm when one of our reporters contacted them. Speculations were rife since evening yesterday that Rep Lawan had been arrested after he, along with Femi Otedola were invited and interrogated at the Police Force headquarters.

NCAA grounds Air Nigeria Contd from Page 1 The engineers in Air Nigeria, under the auspices of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) had on Friday June 1st embarked on an industrial action to press home demands for improved welfare packages, thereby grounding the operations of the airline. Media Assistant to the Director-General of the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, who confirmed the development to our reporter on phone, however said, “NCAA did not technically ground the airline but based on the strike embarked upon recently by its engineers, the authority needs to re-certify the airline for the few days it went out of operations. The re-certification will most likely last a day or two”. The National President of NAAPE, Engineer Isaac Balami, had told journalists last Friday in Lagos that the “The airline was not grounded due to safety rea-

sons as we did communicate to the press but due to welfare package which we believe that if we did not intervene or come into the whole issue, it could lead to incident or accident.” Balami noted that “there was a delay because the management of Air Nigeria did not agree with the association on the issues that were on ground and because of that, it took us a lot of time before the Chairman of Air Nigeria, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim addressed our members on the issue.” In a release made available to our correspondent, Air Nigeria affirmed that it operated in strict compliance to safety regulations and has at no time compromised on standards and would therefore like to assure the public of its commitment to always offer quality and safe air services. However, it would be recalled that in November, last year, engineers working in the services of Air Nigeria cried out that the

airline has for a long time muscled the department to work against laid-down safety rules and regulations in Nigeria’s aviation industry. The workers, who at that time declared they would not return to work until the management of the airline puts everything that will guarantee the safety of passengers in place, accused the airline’s top management of undue interference and the lack of basic tools among others, which they said characterised the operations of the airline for one year running. Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved engineers then, Engr. Balami said all efforts to compel the airline’s management to comply with laid-down rules proved abortive hence the workers’ action. Engineer Balami said the airline had put undue pressure on its engineering department to deploy 10 out of the 11 aircraft

owned by the airline for flight operations against the instruction of the maintenance department who certified only seven fit for flight and called for the immediate disengagement of the CEO for safety reason. In a mail address to Air Nigeria's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kinfe Kashaye and obtained by Peoples Daily at that time, NAAPE stated: “From the look of things here in Air Nigeria, your engineers at this point are dangerous to the aircraft and for safety reasons, NAAPE is insisting that you call the Head of Maintenance back and that you are to RESIGN as the CEO with immediate effect, to avoid any accident or incident after which the aircraft should be safe for Nigeria passengers to fly your airline.” The association stated further that the action of the domestic carrier ran contrary to what was obtainable in the 21st century.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Yobe Deputy House leader killed From Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

L-R: Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, shaking the Chairman, Inter-Agency Maritime Operations Committee, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor, during the inauguration of the committee, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

nknown gunmen have killed Yobe State House of Assembly Deputy Leader, Hon Adamu Degubi, who was representing Nangere constituency, at his residence in Potiskum local government area of the state. An eyewitness who spoke to our reporter after the attack, said the gunmen numbering four came around 7:46 am in the morning and shot Degubi till he died. The witness further disclosed that the gunmen came in a 98 model Honda car and fired several gunshots into his head and chest, and ran away with their vehicle into a nearby bush. When contacted, police spokesman, Adamu Salihu, said: “I am just hearing about the attack

and killing of a politician in the town. When we get the report we will send our men to the area for investigation.” Speaking shortly after the accident, the Speaker of Yobe House of Assembly, Hon Adamu Dala Dogo, said: “one of our member was shot and killed by suspected gunmen at his Tandari residence today at about 7.46am. Degubi was about to go to his office in Damaturu, the state capital, when gunmen, about 4 in number, ambushed him on the way and shot him in the head and chest, before he slumped on the ground and died.”

Okada ban: Plateau decries non-compliance

Oteh locked out of SEC N

From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

By Aminu Imam and Abdulwahab Isa

…Ekineh now Ag. DG

he embattled DirectorGeneral, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh, who has been sent on compulsory leave pending the investigation of allegations into her stewardship, was left stranded when she arrived yesterday morning only to find out that she could not be able to get into her office in the Central Business District, Abuja. The latest development is coming on the heels of an order which came from the SEC Board, after a marathon meeting on Monday night, to allow for investigation into some of the initiatives under Oteh's stewardship, such as Project 50, which is a programme packaged by the DG to celebrate 50 years of

capital market regulation in Nigeria. It was also gathered that Ms. Oteh, apparently angered by the action, has already taken up the matter with superior authorities to challenge the Board's decision, which she declares as a clever ploy by members to earn themselves an illegal tenure extension, as their term of office is officially expected to terminate in the next 72 hours on Friday. Also, contract staff of the commission were yesterday barred from its premises. The 15 affected staff are believed to be those engaged by the DG. A staff, who declined identification, said that only “confirmed staff” were allowed into the office.

Earlier, a statement signed by Mr. Edosa Aigbekaen, secretary to the commission, said that the board, after its 66th meeting held on Monday, directed Oteh to proceed on compulsory leave. The statement said that the compulsory leave was for an independent investigation of SEC’s Project 50 programme. As part of the resolution, the Board appointed the most senior member, the Executive Commissioner (Operations), Ms. Daisy Ekineh, to take over as acting Director-General and Chief Executive. The board also directed the Interim President of the Council of Nigerian Stock Exchange to commence the disengagement process.

The Board, which has Udoma Udo Udoma as chairman, has eight others as executive and nonexecutive members, including Daisy Ekineh, as Executive Commissioner (Operations); Lawal Stores, as Executive Commissioner (Finance & Accounts); Charles A. Udora, as Executive Commissioner (Legal & Enforcement). The SEC board might have been influenced by a lot of the revelations that emerged during the capital market probe by the House of Representatives in March and later in April to May this year. Meanwhile, some staff of the SEC whose names featured in the list as members of Project 50 committee during the recent capital market public hearing have denied ever being members of the committee.

Internal crisis: PDP indicts self By Lawrence Olaoye

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, indicted itself by confessing that there was an internal crisis in the party arising from administrative lapses. The party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in an interaction with newsmen owned up to an administrative face-off between the office of the National Chairman, headed by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and that of the National Secretary, headed by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Metuh, who admitted the existence of administrative errors as reported by some national dailies, told newsmen that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had resolved the matter. He said the administrative lapses reported were normal in a party as big as the PDP, especially

with a new members of the NWC that were just settling down to get use to their official duties. While confirming that there was a rift between the office of the National Chairman and that of the National Secretary, Metuh asserted that the reports have taught the NWC members some lessons and has made everyone to sit-up even as he added that the members are now more united

than ever. He added that there was no question of division or camps in the NWC, insisting that all the executive members of the party are completely loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan who is also the leader of the party. On his alleged conspiracy in South Africa with the VicePresident, Namadi Sambo, and the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’

Forum (NGF), Rotimi Amaechi, on the possibility of their pairing as the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates respectively by the party in the 2015, Metuh said he was only part of PDP delegation that went to South Africa to campaign for the emergence of Rep. Bethel Amadi as the President of Pan African Parliament, saying he never discussed 2015 election politics with anybody.

on-compliance to the Plateau state government’s ban on the operations of commercial motorcycle, popularly known as okada, within Jos metropolis was observed yesterday. Our correspondent who monitored the enforcement of the ban in the state capital, observed that in certain places like Rikkos, Yanshanu, Bauchi Road, Farin Gada, Gangara Dilimi, Bukuru Market and some parts of Terminius Market, okada riders were freely operating. In few areas where enforcement was successful, combined security operatives comprising of the Special Task Force (STF), Civil Defence Corps, police, Federal Road Safety Corps, were stationed at the main road to arrest defaulters. However, the Commissioner of Information, Abraham Yiljab, told our correspondent that the exercise is a huge success, saying government is happy that the people are co-operating with government ban of okada. He acknowledged that there were cases of non compliance in certain areas, but attributed it to lack of awareness of the government's pronouncement on the ban of okada operation within the Jos Greater Master Plan. Against this background, he assured that they would continue to enlighten okada riders until they cooperate. He announced that a mobile court has been set up to try defaulters, adding that private motorcycle owners must register with government, to prove that they are not using the motorcycles for commercial purposes.

Boko Haram: Nigeria is sitting on keg of gunpowder, says Shettima From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

orno state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, yesterday, raised an alarm over the rapid population growth of the country, while millions of unemployed youths are roaming the streets, saying the situation has plunged the nation into serious

dilemma, making it to sit on a ‘keg of gun powder’. Governor Shettima stated this in an interactive session with newsmen at the Government House in Maiduguri, saying youth restiveness due to unemployment was the root cause of persistent Boko Haram insurgency. The governor warned that unless governments at all levels

put in place urgent measures to check the menace, the nation will continue to witness serious hurdles. He explained that leadership requires a lot of courage and determination; as such, leaders at all levels must be prepared to work for the people no matter the situations they found themselves in, stressing that he is ready to

transform Born state despite the security challenges which have bedeviled the state for sometime. Shettima stated that very soon the Borno state government will explore means of cultivating 1000 hectares of lands across the 27 local government areas of the state, so as to provide employment opportunities to the teeming youths of the state.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 4

Jonathan urges new envoys to shun ethnicity By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday at the State House Banquet Hall, presented letters of credence to 93 new Ambassadors, warning them to avoid promoting ethnicity in their respective countries of posting. He charged the ambassadors to see themselves as Nigeria's President in their countries of posting hence, the need to always work towards the unity of the country. "You should remember that you are posted to represent the President in your countries of posting and not your state or ethnic group. You must protect Nigeria as one united country. "You are the torch-bearers of our vision and purposes as we engage the world. Go out and serve the nation with dedication and pride," he charged. The President posited that the nation's diplomatic service must raise its standards in line with international best practice by exhibiting quality service delivery and professionalism. President Jonathan also noted that only a dynamic, confident and

proactive foreign service could effectively and efficiently serve the interest of the country. According to him: "Defending the interests of Nigerians living and operating lawfully in your countries of accreditation must be seen as a primary assignment", and directed the ambassadors to pursue multilateral diplomacy and build beneficial bilateral partnerships with the host countries, adding that such must be anchored on mutual respect and mutual responsiveness. Speaking on behalf of the new ambassadors, Chief Ojo Maduekwe promised that the current challenges would not deter them from giving the country a good representation. 62 ambassadors and 24 deputy heads of mission received letters of credence. However, as at the time of filling this report, their postings were yet to be made public. Among the 11 women that received letters of credence were former Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, Mrs. Bianca OdumegwuOjukwu, Mrs. Hadiza Mustapha and Mrs. Victoria Onipede.

List of heads of mission 1. Amb. Chive Lor Ignatius Kaave (Argentina) 2. Amb. Felix Ebodor Awanbor (Belgium) 3. Amb. Lawrence Olufemi Obisakin (Benin Republic) 4. Amb. Okwudili Odi Obidigbo Nwosu (Burundi) 5. Amb. Hadiza Mustapha (Cameroon) 6. Amb. Ojo Uma Maduekwe (Canada) 7. Amb. Garba Abdul Zakari (Chad) 8. Amb. Victoria Jolaade Bosede Inipede (Congo Brazzaville) 9. Amb. Katherine Uyok Okon (Czech Republic) 10. Amb. Grant Okechukwu Ehiobuche (Democratic Republic of Congo) 11. Amb. Sunday Benjamin B. Bassey (Equatorial Guinea) 12. Amb. Akinyele Oladipo Fayomi (France) 13. Amb. Ademola Oluseyi Onafowokan (Ghana) 14. Amb. Ayodeji Lawrence Ayodele (Greece) 15. Amb. Abdul Rahman Sallahdeen (Indonesia) 16. Amb. Tukur Mani (Iran) 17. Amb. Eric Tonye Aworabhi (Italy) 18. Amb. Olatokunboh Kamson (Jamaica) 19. Amb. Taofeek Oladejo Arapaja (Jordan) 20. Amb. Solomon Akintola Kayode Oyateru (Kenya) 21. Amb. Haruna Garba (Kuwait) 22. Amb. Fidelia Obi-Nnadozie (Liberia) 23. Amb. Mohammed Lawan Gana (Malawi) 24. Amb. Zhiri James Gana (Mexico) 25. Amb. Matilda Kwashi (Mozambique) 26. Amb. Biodun Nathaniel Olorunfemi (Namabia) 27. Amb. Alexander Nwofe (North Korea) 28. Amb. Akinyemi Farounbi (Philippines) 29. Amb. Samuel Wodi Jimba (Poland) 30. Amb. Abba Abdullahi Tijjani (Romania) 31. Amb. Assam Ekanem Assam (Russia) 32. Amb. Ayibakuro Peter Ogidi-Oke (Rwanda) 33. Amb. Abubakar Shehu Bunu (Saudi Arabia) 34. Amb. Katyen Catherine Jackden (Senegal) 35. Amb. Eyo Asuquo (Sierra Leone) 36. Amb. Femi Akenson Rotimi (Sri Lanka) 37. Amb. Haliru Sodangi Shuaibu (Sudan) 38. Amb. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze (Switzerland) 39. Amb. Adamu Babangida Ibrahim (Syria) 40. Amb. Chukwudi Newington Okafor (Thailand) 41. Amb. Matthew Sunday Adoli (Togo) 42. Amb. James Shuaibu Barka (Tunisia) 43. Amb. Cornelius O. Oluwateru (United Arab Emirates) 44. Amb. Frank Ngozi Isoh (Uganda) 45. Amb. Ibrahim Auwalu (Ukraine) 46. Amb. Francis Chukwuemeka Okeke (Vatican) 47. Amb. Matthias Ojih Okafor (Vietnam) 48. Amb. Sifawu Inu-Umoru Momoh (Zambia)

Al-Qaida blames Germany for Kano hostage death

he North African branch of AlQaida (AQIM), has blamed Germany for the death of a German kidnap hostage killed recently during a rescue bid in Kano. It would be recalled that Edgar Fritz Raupach, who was reportedly kidnapped in January by gunmen in Kano, died on May 31, 2012 as soldiers launched a failed bid on the house where his abductors kept him. Nigeria's military authorities later said it had no idea gunmen held Raupach inside the home and that kidnappers stabbed him to death as the raid began. The group which claimed it held Raupach, issued a statement on an internet forum this week saying the hostage's death came only after the German government refused to negotiate with it. An Associated Press (AP) report

quoted the terrorist group in a message to German authorities on Monday night that:"Your government gave the green light for the operation." “However, the group had demanded that German officials release Filiz Gelowicz, a German woman convicted last year of supporting a foreign terrorist network. Gelowicz's husband was among a group convicted of plotting unsuccessfully to attack U.S. soldiers and citizens in Germany. German officials released Gelowicz from prison in late April on probation after she served twothirds of her sentence. According to AP, in the message, first reported by the SITE Intelligence Group, AQIM also warned European governments to avoid "dealing in foolishness" during hostage negotiations, as that would

endanger lives. In Berlin, a government source said yesterday that Nigerian authorities raided the house only in an effort to arrest terrorists, not as part of a rescue operation for Raupach. "German authorities were not informed beforehand," the official said. "Nigerian authorities have already said ... they had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the German." The source spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Raupach had worked for Dantata & Sawoe Construction Co. Ltd in Kano before his abduction. AQIM released a statement in March claiming they had Raupach, as well as a video showing him disheveled and asking in German and English for his country to help win his freedom.

R-L: President Goodluck Jonathan, presenting letter of credence to Mrs Bianca OdumegwuOjukwu, widow of late Odumegwu -Ojukwu as an ambassador to Spain, yesterday at the State House, Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

June 12: Family demands ex-president status for Abiola From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

he family of late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, yesterday, called on the Federal Government to recognised him as a former president of the country, in view of the fact that he won the June 12, 1993 presidential election without rancor. The request of the family was made known by Alhaji Bashiru

Abiola, Head of the Abiola family during the celebration of the annual June 12 anniversary held in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital. He emphasized further: “We want the Federal Government to realise that this man won the election and he should be declared as a former president of this country. That is what we are looking for’, just as he lamented the financial difficulties being faced by the family since the demise of its breadwinner.

Hasfat, daughter of late Abiola in her remark, praised the active roles of June 12 apostles and their commitment, adding that her father will remain happy in his grave. “I am sure that my father in the grave will be comfortable and fulfilled for the love and affection always shown to him with the celebration of June 12, and I want to express the family appreciation to everybody, we are much grateful and happy”, she stated.

…Voters Assembly wants more national monuments named after him From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

he Nigerian Voters Assembly (VOTAS), yesterday, demanded for more national monuments to be named after late M.K.O Abiola saying he was not a sectional leader. The convener of VOTAS, Comrade Moshood Erubami stated this at the June 12, 2012

commemoration held at the Parliament Building, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan, noting that renaming University of Lagos after Abiola was too small for his status. He added that a posthumous declaration of Abiola as the winner of the June 12 presidential election and placing his photograph on the walls of all state houses, federal

institutions and Aso Rock Villa will be the only solution to honour him. While calling for prosecution of all those behind the annulment of June 12 Presidential election with adequate punishment, Erubami called for restoration of Abiola's philosophy and rekindle the spirit of 'HOPE 93' abolition of poverty.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 5

Pensioners besiege Head of Service’s office By Lawal Sadiq Sanusi

housands of retirees whose pension money has not being paid by the federal government yesterday stormed the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, demanding for the immediate payments of their benefits. The protesters arrived the HoSF office carrying placards which read: ‘refusal to pay pension is a systematic extermination of the elderly, FG stop it’, ‘Head of Service please save the soul of the elderly’, ‘Previous and Present Pension Administrators and Managers are worst than Armed Robbers’, ‘pay us our 53% without delay’. It would be recalled that the official anti-corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, recently arrested and charged to court, some Federal Government top shots, including a permanent secretary and other directors for allegedly diverting several billions of naira meant for the payment of pensioners. Many pensionsers in the country had been subjected to belitling conditions and others lost thier lives in the course of continued demand for the payments of the monthly pension.

NNPC raises alarm over impersonation of its GMD By Muhammad Nasir

he management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has called on members of the public to beware of persons who are impersonating its Group Managing Director (GMD), Engr. Austen Oniwon on the internet using various social media platforms. A statement issued yesterday by Mr. Fidel Pepple, Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, stated that “the activities of these criminally minded persons entail the issuance of fake letters on the internet with the aim of defrauding innocent members of the public including investors within and outside Nigeria”. It stressed that “these criminals were taking advantage of the growing popularity and utilisation of the internet especially the social media platforms to perpetrate their fraudulent activities.” Mr. Pepple noted that the damage done by the activities of these fraudsters on the hardearned reputation of the GMD was incalculable. He explained that the GMD does not have any account in any of the social media networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc,) and urged the public to disregard any request allegedly coming from him.

Members of Nigeria Union of Pensioners protesting at the office of the Head of Service of the Federation over non-payment of their pension, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

FG to deploy armed policemen to unity schools, others By Lambert Tyem

he acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed D. Abubakar, yesterday, ordered all Zonal Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) and Command Commissioners of Police to ensure the immediate deployment of armed policemen to

all Federal Government-owned institutions as well as Unity Schools across the federation. This is coming at the heels of this week's armed attack by unknown gunmen near Federal Government College, Kano. Acting Police spokesman, Frank Mba, in a statement, said "The IGP has ordered the strengthening of

security and further directs all Zonal AIGs and command CPs, to ensure that security is provided in and around all unity schools and Federal Government institutions within their areas of jurisdiction. “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the protection of life and property of all Nigerians and once again

Gunmen kill 2 in Jos night attack From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

nknown gunmen have invaded Chakarum Village in Vwang District of Jos-South local government area of Plateau state and killed two middle-aged persons in a night attack. A witness told our correspondent that the attackers invaded the village in the evening of Monday, at exactly 7:30pm. The attack left one Dung

Mwantiyi and Nyago Pam, who was ambushed by the invaders on their way from the usual weekly market, dead. According to the witness one of the villagers was shot died instantly while the other gave up the ghost at Vom Christian Hospital in Jos-South local government area. Confirming the incident to newsmen, the management committee chairman of Jos-South local government, Mr. Peter

Vwang Dung said the incident is condemnable, regretting that the night raid of communities in the area has continued to set back efforts towards restoring lasting peace in the state. He said: “The peace building in Jos-South local government area, one of the council areas that a state of emergency was declared has continued to suffer a set back following the killing of two middle aged men in Chakarum village in Vwang District of Jos-South.

seeks the support and collaboration of all well meaning Nigerians towards the realisation of this noble and constitutional goal,” the statement said. The police also warned citizens against peddling rumours in the media, adding that care and caution be applied in matters of national security. “The incident is quite disturbing; despite the peace building measures being put in place by the administration some people are hell bent on thwarting the good intention of the people, I want to appeal for calm in the community. Be law abiding; you should also be security conscious at all times and report any suspicious movement to the security agencies,” he said. Dung assured the people of his administration’s commitment towards ensuring peaceful coexistence in the area adding that no meaningful development can take place in an unstable political environment.

Bribery saga: Falana, others call for Lawan’s arrest From Ayodele Samuel and Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

uman rights lawyers, led by Mr. Femi Falana have called on anti-graft agencies to arrest and prosecute Farouk Lawan, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee which probed the fuel subsidy regime, over the alleged $600,000 bribery scandal. Falana, who made the call on a TV programme monitored in Lagos, said corrupt leaders should be isolated and prosecuted. He said the prosecution of Lawan would not in any way affect

the credibility of report of his committee on the oil subsidy scam. Falana said since there are reports that there are ample evidence that Lawan allegedly collected the bribe, security agencies should fast track the investigation in order to get to the root of the scandal. According to him, “We are running a system premised on primitive accumulation of wealth,” which he said is fuelling corruption, adding that “for the ruling class, it is business as usual.” Also, a foremost Niger Delta activist, Ankio Briggs, who backed

Falana, said that the development was a sad thing and called for a thorough investigation into the matter. She queried: “Could it be the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s way to put a question mark on the Farouk Lawan-led committee’s subsidy probe report? We need to be careful while investigating this allegation. “We do not have credible and responsible government in Nigeria anymore. The people must rise up and make their leaders accountable for their actions”. Most lawyers spoken to on the issue said with the development,

the report of the committee can no longer enjoy any iota of credibility. Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, a human rights lawyer, said corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the country. He said no effort should be spared in getting to the root of the matter since there is a video recording of the transaction. He demanded that the video be shown on national television so that all Nigerians can see, adding that once the evidence is proved, the report cannot enjoy any credibility.

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Security: FG to take stock of aliens in Nigeria From Mohammed Adamu, Kaduna

he Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro yesterday said the Federal Government would set up special committee that would take stock of aliens in the country with a view to monitor their activities in order to address insecurity. Moro made this known yesterday when he led officers of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Nigeria Prison Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on a courtesy visit to Gov. Patrick Yakowa in Kaduna state. The Minister attributed the incessant criminal activities in the country, especially in Kaduna to foreigners. "This would monitor the activities of all the aliens and even Nigerians, who have taken up arms against Nigeria and put a stop to the mindless killings of innocent citizens,'' he said. On his part, Gov. Yakowa said the state government would continue to support all the security agents in tackling security threats in the state.

Northern governors congratulate Abdulsalami at 70 From Iliya Garba, Minna

he Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), has complimented former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar who is 70 years old today (Wednesday), describing the former Nigerian leader as the father of the nation's democracy. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger state, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu said at 70, General Abubakar has remained a reference point on good governance, diplomacy, and conflict resolution, not only in Nigeria but the world over. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo, Governor Aliyu said the forum is proud of General Abubakar's landmark achievements and remarkable leadership qualities which he has exhibited in accelerating the growth and development of Nigeria and the African continent as a whole. The forum made reference to Abubakar's dogged commitment to ethical rebirth as symbolised by the handing over of power to democratically elected civilian government in 1999, which opened a new vista of hope for a dynamic Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Nigeria graces Africa Cultural Festival in Venezuela ABy Miriam Humbe

igeria is set to feature at this year's African Cultural Festival holding in Caracas, Venezuela, courtesy of efforts by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC. This was unveiled during a visit to the tourism village by the Venezuelan Ambassador to Nigeria as represented by his

Polio cases rise in Kaduna Yakowa From Mohammed Adamu, Kaduna

overnor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna state has reported increases in cases of polio disease in two local government areas of Kubau and Ikara local in the state. He was speaking while hosting the leadership of the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Kaduna branch, yesterday. He disclosed that the number now makes it four local government councils where cases of polio prevail, adding that the other two are Birnin Gwari and Igabi. Describing the situation as disturbing, Governor Yakowa revealed that causes of the increase according to reports given to him, were the Fulani migration and erring mothers who refuse their children to be administered the polio vaccine. He urged the FOMWAN to assist the government in sensitising women across the state during the cause of their activities. Earlier in her speech the Amirrah of FOMWAN Kaduna chapter, Saudah Nuhu Maiwada stated that her organisation found it necessary to participate in advocacy for the acceptance of polio vaccine and also assist during its administration with the hope of achieving total eradication of the disease from Kaduna state.

Consular offficer, Mr. Antonio Garcia. The envoy said the annual festival which commenced in 2005, is held to showcase Africa's rich cultural heritage and this year's edition will feature countries like South Africa, Guinea, The Gambia, Senegal, and Nigeria among others. The event is also expected to hold in Caracas, with the participation of a dozen African

artistic and cultural groups like the Benin national ballet company and Gnaoua musicians from Morocco, as well as a number of Venezuelan groups and artists, an economic seminar, cultural displays by troupes from Nigeria amongst others. Mr. Garcia suggested that Nigeria should attend with a 16man delegation promising that the Venezuelan government will sponsor ten while the NTDC will

sponsor the remaining six. On his part, the DirectorGeneral of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe agreed in totality with the envoy's initiative saying it will strengthen ties between African countries and the South American country. He expressed his delight in participating at the fiesta saying, "We will seize the opportunity to showcase our tourism strength."

committee, a permanent secretary in the state civil service, Alhaji Usman Musa, noted that the committee set up to verify the genuine workers in the local government payroll only made some observations. The chairman, represented by a member of the committee, permanent secretary, Ministry of Lands, Alhaji Salisu Kado, noted that some of the findings made by the committee include, the problem of over aged staff, who over stayed in the service. He added that the

committee also uncovered those incapacitated still in the service while thousands of local government workers were found to be absorbed into the system through irregular appointment and others did not turn up for the screening exercise. According to him, "as for the 3,591 we found that they were employed in an improper way. We recommended that the government should find ways of regularising their appointments. A committee to that effect has been set-up by the governor".

Shema did not sack 5,000 LG workers - Committee From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua, Katsina

committee set up by Katsina state government to verify the actual staff strength of all the 34 local governments of the state has dismissed rumours that the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema had directed the sacking of 5, 000 workers. The committee stated this while addressing a joint press conference, yesterday with other government officials and the labour union. The chairman of the

L-R: NYSC Coordinator in FCT, Mr. Frank Ekpunobi, with NDE Coordinator, Mr. Mohammed Shuaibu, during a visit by the NYSC coordinator to NDE office, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Gunmen kill 8 in separate Kano attacks From Edwin Olofu, Kano with agency report

nknown gunmen on Monday evening attacked a mini shopping plaza in Naibawa area of Kano metropolis and shot dead two young men. Kano state police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Rilwan Mohammed Dutse who confirmed the incident, said the gunmen arrived the area on a motorcycle and opened fire on six of the young men that were in the plaza to buy items killing two on the spot and injuring four others in the

process. He said the police were alerted on time and they responded promptly but before they could get there the gunmen had fled the area. Dutse added that the remaining four were rushed to the hospital and they are currently receiving treatment, promising that the police will get to the root of the matter because investigations have commenced. Our correspondent gathered that the victims were students of Federal Government College, Kano. There were speculations that the Federal Government College,

Kano was attacked, but both the police and the management of the school have denied the story. In a similar vein, gunmen shot dead six persons at Rimin Kebe in Tudun Murtala, Ungogo local government area of Kano, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. An eye witness told NAN in Kano yesterday that the incident, which happened at about 10:00 p.m on Monday, left many others seriously injured. The eye witness said the suspected gunmen stormed the area in a Honda Civic car. The witness said the victims were sitting in front of a house when

the gunmen opened fire on them and zoomed off. Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Rilwanu Dutse, confirmed the incident. He however, said that only three persons were killed during the incident. Rilwanu said that investigation had since commenced while security had been beefed up in the area. Meanwhile, the state police command had also denied a report of an attack on Government Secondary School Yar'tofa in Warawa local government area of the state. "There was no such incident of attack on the school", the PPRO said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Minimum wage: Katsina LGs cash strapped From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

he Katsina state Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Sani Hamisu Makana, has disclosed that with the implementation of the

new minimum wage for local government staff, the councils are left with little for development projects. Speaking at a press conference, yesterday in Katsina, Makana noted that if the 5,000 dropped workers were to be included in the local

council’s payroll most of them would not have paid their salaries. ”With this situation after the payment of the salaries, some councils were left with only N2million in their coffers for capital projects. And you know these workers are only a

small fraction of people at the local level”, he added. Similarly, the commissioner dismissed a rumour making the rounds that some of the affected workers who had links in the ministry had their appointments backdated to escape the

sack. He said: “I will like to assure you that this rumour being peddled is the work of mischief makers. I want to assure you that even those affected in my local government, I don’t know any of them. Nobody even approached

me over the issue”. Makana averred that the issue of the affected staff was clear as according to him their appointment was irregular, while others were either over aged, had overstayed or were incapacitated to continue in the service.

‘Relocated Tafawa Balewa LG still operating temporarily’ From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he newly relocated headquarters of Tafawa Balewa local government area in Bauchi state has been operating on a temporary site several

months since its relocation to Bununu district. The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the local government, Alhaji Idris Ibrahim Halilu, made the disclosure while answering questions

from newsmen in Bauchi. According to him, when we were relocated we moved some of the council properties to Bununu, but we left many in Tafawa Balewa based on security advise, the security operatives advised us to stop moving

the council properties for now in order to achieve sustainable peace, and as law abiding citizens, we obeyed their advice. In the interim we have opened temporary files to run official activities and everything is going on smoothly without

hitches”. The chairman said the challenges faced by the new council headquarters is the ability of few staffers to go to work in Bununu especially the Sayawa Community for security reasons. “I don’t know what they mean; they are

not the only Christians even Christians from Tapshin and other parts of the local government go to work in Bununu without any problem and over 90 percent of our workers now go to work unlike before when majority can’t go to work in Tafawa Balewa”.

Subsidy bribery: Don’t divert from report implementation, NLC warns FG By Nasir Muhammad, Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said that the ongoing accusations and counter accusations between the chairman of the Adhoc Committee of the House of Representatives on fuel subsidy regime, Farouk

Lawan, and the chairman of Zenon Petroleum, Femi Otedola over allegations of bribery involving the sum of $600,000, should not be used to divert attention on the implementation of the report of the committee. NLC in a statement issued by its Acting President, Kiri

Mohammed, said Nigerians should not be overburdened with an issue that should strictly be the burden of appropriate security agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The statement read in part: “Whether or not the chairman or the entire

members of the adhoc committee solicited for and received gratifications to compromise the outcome of the committee’s investigations though quite disturbing, the final report of the committee still contains names and details enough for thorough and

t r a n s p a r e n t investigation. The report, which has been submitted to the executive arm, must be subjected to proper investigation and prosecution of all those indicted. “We saw in the report a confirmation of our position. We have, since

the mid 80s, insisted that subsidy does not exist in the petroleum sector, rather it has always been a conduit for a few cronies of successive governments with interest in the petroleum sector to siphon public funds for their private businesses…”

Russia to develop thermovision satellite in Taraba By A’isha Biola Raji

ussia, in her zeal to build traditional and responsive relationship with Nigeria, is building a thermovision, an instrument for the interpretation of satellite images located on the earth’s surface. Russia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Alexander D. Polyyakov, mentioned this on Monday, at a press briefing on the eve of the state reception marking Russia’s 22nd National Day. According to him, the pilot project located in Taraba uses Russian sophisticated technology in addition to Russian specialists who are capable of locating a number of

promising mineral deposits particularly hydrocarbons and solid minerals. “It is important to note that, neighbouring states like Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe have also shown their interest in this project,” he said. He said an agreement signed between the two countries on the construction of Nuclear Power Plant (s) on the 4th of June in Moscow, is still standing as long as it complies with the condition of peace. He said, “Russia recognises the right of every country to develop its own nuclear power capacity, with the condition of peaceful nature of corresponding programmes, their accountability and strict

adherence to the IAEA safety standards.” He said Russia will not relent in providing state scholarships for the Nigerian students to study in Russia. “This academic year, Nigeria was allocated 70 Russian scholarships, which is more than any other country currently allocates for Nigeria,” he mentioned. He stressed that, the federation is about to sign a number of agreements with the help of the ‘Russkiy Mir Foundation’ to grant equipment as well as continuously update sets of teaching materials of the Russian language to the Universities of Lagos, Ibadan, and University of Nigeria Nsukka.

the country. Speaking at the presentation of the ministry’s four-year strategic plan for education to I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development Partners in Abuja, Rufa’i also stated that the units of the ministry, and the steering and coordinating team for the implementation of the

strategic plan will constantly liaise with the donor agencies to ensure that actions taken are targeted with specific priorities. Moreover, she highlighted the need to assist states in the development of their sector plans, adding that the states need to link their plans with data available in the national action plan for education.

Rufa’i solicits aid for personnel development By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

he Minister for Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, has urged donor agencies to collaborate with the ministry in the provision of continuous capacity development for personnel in the education sector, for the attainment of the education goals of

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

L-R: Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory, Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, felicitating with Nigeria’s Ambassador to Jordan and former Deputy Governor of Oyo state, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, after the presentation of letters of credence to the newly accredited ambassadors by President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

R-L: Yobe state Governor, Malam Ibrahim Gaidam, in a chat with Emir of Tikau, Alhaji Muhammadu Ibn Grema, during the governor’s visit yesterday to Nangere town to attend the burial of House of Assembly member, Hon. Adamu Abubakar Degubi who was killed by gunmen.

3 Rivers state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tamunoiyoriari S. Parker (middle), vaccinates first Nigerian child, Christabel Emmanuel with pentavalent vaccine, during the national official launching and incorporation of the vaccine, on Monday at Eneka Primary Health Care Centre. With him is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Muhammad (left).

L-R: Chairman, Kebbi Salaries and Pension Reconciliation Committee, Senator Farouk Bello Bunza, presenting the committee’s report to the state governor, Alhaji Saidu Dakingari, yesterday in Birnin Kebbi. Photo: NAN

L-R: Bauchi state commissioner for Hisbah and Enforcement, Malam Jibrin Hassan, Chairman, Bauchi state Shariah Commission, Malam Mustapha Ilelah, and Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Mohammed Dhamina, during a news conference on the activities of the commission, yesterday in Bauchi. Photo: NAN

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Food security: KADP donates 18 maize threshers to 9 communities From Moh’d Adamu, Kaduna aduna State Agricultural Development Project (KADP), under the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS), has donated 18 maize threshers to nine communities in the state to enhance food security. The KADP Gubuchi site manager, Malam Ahmed Abubakar said in a statement in Zaria that the threshers were aimed at encouraging small scale farmers to boost their farming activities across the state. According to him, “each participating community would benefit with two units of the machine” Malam Abubakar tasked the beneficiaries to justify the gesture by making judicious use of the machines, adding that by so doing drudgery and labour cost would be reduced. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Malam Yakubu Bello commended the state government for the gesture and assured of maximum utilisation of the machines accordingly. The beneficiaries are Apex Groups at Gubuchi, Likoro, Turuwa, Ungwar Kanawa, Buruku, Iri, Jagindi, Karshin Daji and Fadan Atakar.

L-R: Chairman Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Zenon Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola, Anambra state governor, Mr. Peter Obi, Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, and Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, during the Economic Management Team meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

North-east CAN says Jonathan, Buhari disappointed electorate From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi he North-east chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan and the CPC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari have disappointed the electorate in the region. North-east chairman of CAN, Reverend Shu’aibu Mbyal, stated this while briefing newsmen in Bauchi. He said: “The two Nigerian

leaders betrayed the people of North-east because they came to the North-east and asked for people’s votes, and people came out to vote for them massively. But here was post-election violence many lives were lost, and we are still battling with so many hoodlums and insurgencies and many problems of insecurity where unknown people attack places of worship killing innocent souls but none of them visited any state in the North-east to condole the people”. The cleric warned Christians

against the reprisal attacks but advised Bauchi state CAN to do all it could and follow to the logical conclusion the allegations of extra-judicial killing by soldiers during the recent suicide attack in a church in Yelwa, in order to bring the perpetrators of the act to justice. According to him, enemies of peace are trying to bring Christians and Muslims against each other by attacking places of worship and advised worshippers to pray for peace and stability.

CJN warns against abuse of injunctions By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

he Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, on Monday, warned the newly appointed judges and khadis against the conversion of ex-parte injunction into a bulldozer for the demolition of substantial justice in the country. Addressing the opening ceremony of this year’s induction course for newly appointed judges and khadis in Abuja, the CJN, who is also the chairman, Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) held that ex-parte injunction was designed with

good and laudable intentions, as a vehicle for the carriage of instant justice in proper cases. While urging the newly appointed jurists to eschew any act capable of bringing the judiciary into disrepute by adhering to the ethics, comportment and integrity of the Bench, Musdapher commended the administrator of the NJI, Justice Umaru Eri, for the provision of continuing judicial education to judicial officers and their support staff. In a key note address delivered at the occasion, a retired justice of the Supreme Court, Justice George Ogunatade, described interim

injunctions as the greatest bane in the administration of justice in the country. Oguntade told the newly appointed Judges and Kadis to be very careful in granting an interim injunction, saying that: “Interim injunction is a useful tool in the hand of justice administrators, yet it should not be granted to please politicians”. The NJI administrator, Justice Eri, in his remarks said in view of the impact of ICT in the administration and dispensation of justice, it has now been made compulsory for all Judicial Officers to be computer literate in order to enhance quick administration of justice.

Adamawa benefits from subsidy reinvestment programme From Blessing Tunoh, Yola he Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday, launched community services, women and youth employment pilot project of the Subsidy Removal Reinvestment and Employment Programme (SURE-P) in Yola, the Adamawa state capital. Launching the programme, she said the Federal Government is set to create well over 370,000 jobs to tackle youth/women unemployment in the country, adding that the Federal Government recognises the place of youth in national development, with their roles which according to her is significant in the realisation of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda and the nation’s Vision 20:2020. Against this backdrop, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala hinted that government has placed significant emphasis on establishing mechanisms towards finding lasting and sustainable solution to youth unemployment in the country.

.3 million farmers to benefit from e-wallet fertiliser distribution in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

t least 300,000 farmers from Bauchi state are to benefit from e-wallet fertiliser distribution system introduced by the Federal Government. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Alhaji Tasiu Muhammad while briefing

newsmen on the activities of his ministry yesterday, said so far 300,000 farmers have already registered for the e-wallet fertiliser distribution this farming season. He said Bauchi state is among the first states in the federation to embrace the policy for the distribution of fertiliser to the farmers directly, saying

that arrangement have been concluded to roll-out the sales of fertiliser in all the remaining local government areas after the formal launching at Gwaram village in Alkaleri local government by the state governor. The commissioner stated that pest control chemicals worth N22million was also

procured for the control of outbreak of pests such as grasshoppers, army worms etc. He added that over 1000 cotton farmers are expected to cultivate over 1000 hectares during this years’ farming season, saying that already 52 agricultural workers were trained at Sabere farms in Yola for cotton production.

RMRDC seeks collaboration with manufacturers on raw materials sourcing

he Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMDDC), said it would sign a memorandum of understanding with two manufacturers on sourcing raw materials locally. Prof. Peter Onwualu, the Director-General of the council, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the memorandum would also enable the two manufacturers to produce quality products. He identified the manufacturers as a spice producer with the brand name "Tiger" and producer of body care product called "Kate's Beauty Care Products". He said that the company produced all kinds of spices from ginger, pepper and curry, among others, adding that the company was already sourcing ginger, one of its raw materials, from Nigeria. He said that the Kate Beauty Care Products was producing soap, fragrant and cream, among others, stressing that some of the company's raw materials were being imported. Onwualu stressed that the companies needed to be encouraged in terms of local sourcing of raw materials. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Don't rush to bomb attack scenes, newsmen told T

he chairman of the Plateau State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Katdaba Gobum, has cautioned newsmen against rushing to bomb attack scenes. Gobum who gave the warning in Jos yesterday when he hosted the state's Commissioner for Information, Mr. Abraham Yiljap, who is on a tour of media houses in Plateau, said that such rush to the scenes had proved fatal on many occasions. He recalled that some

journalists narrowly escaped being lynched by angry youths, protesting the suicide bomb attack on Christ's Chosen Church of God on June 10, calling for caution in the effort of newsmen to gather news. “The journalists were attacked in the NTA vehicle and and only escaped miraculously. We must not allow that to happen again,'' he told his colleagues. Gobum reminded his colleagues that their lives were more important than the reports,

pointing out that journalists must first be alive to be able to report events. He also expressed shock that reporters of New Nigerian and Daily Trust newspapers also narrowly escaped death as they attempted to snap the bombed church. The NUJ chairman, who described the attack on journalists by mobs as “unfortunate and callous'', reminded newsmen of the risks involved in journalism practice, calling for wisdom in

carrying out assignments. Gobum called on government and security operatives to always come to the protection of journalists at scenes of such violence, saying that journalists should be given special protection in the course of their assignments. Yiljap, in his reaction, expressed sympathy with journalists over their plight and the hazards of their profession, pledging government's assistance to them in the execution of their mandate. (NAN)

Bauchi youth protest suspension of female lawmaker From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

undreds of youths in Bogoro local government area have staged a peaceful protest over the suspension of the only female lawmaker in the Bauchi state House of Assembly, Rifkatu Samson Dannah, representing Bogoro constituency over relocation of Tafawa-Balewa council and district headquarters. The youths yesterday, appealed to the Speaker, Bauchi House of Assembly, Hon. Yahya Miya to without any further delay rescind the punitive decision and reinstate the suspended lawmaker. Leader of the youth, Mr. Gowon Madaki said the action of the House is a threat to the survival of the nascent democracy and a threat to unity and nation building as well as the need to carry women along. Gowon warns that democracy demands equal representation and wondered why the House has decided to operate where there is absence of freedom of expression and against the rule of law. According to the youth leader, there will be no meaningful development where the constituency is not well represented in the House. The Police Public Relations Officer Bauchi state command, DSP Abdullahi Abubakar Idris, while responding on the development, said the command has not received any report over the protest of youth in Bogoro but promised feedback when the command gets the report.

L-R: Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, presenting souvenirs to representative of the Venezuelan Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Antonia Garua, during the latter’s visit on Monday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

NYSC Foundation warns loan scheme defaulters By Abubakar Ibrahim

he NYSC Foundation has warned beneficiaries of its soft loan scheme to pay up or risk having their names made public just as it has concluded plans to re-start the loan scheme with an enhanced fund. Executive secretary of the foundation, Mr. Akinsanya Akinnigbagbe, who made this known in a statement made available to our correspondent, disclosed that the foundation is being owed over N6million, while explaining that given pressure from different quarters, the foundation is set to begin the disbursement of enhanced loans of N400,000 to N450,000 each to deserving beneficiaries. He said the foundation was finding it frustrating that most of the ex-corps members, who benefitted from the loan scheme advanced to them to establish small scale businesses, were yet to make any payments on the loans they took. Akinnigbagbe told our correspondent that more than three years after making the loan of N250,000 per individual available to them, only a handful have made some payments on the loan with a tenure of 15 months, describing the situation as discouraging and militating against the continuation of the scheme. The executive secretary informed that over 50 ex-corps members were the initial beneficiaries of the grant, disclosing that due to the failure of the recipients to repay, 526 others have had to wait long to benefit from the scheme designed to empower ex-corps members to own their own businesses.

Abdulsalami is a soldier for democracy – Atiku

ormer Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has described former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar as a soldier for democracy in Nigeria. General Abdulsalami, who took over from late General Sani Abacha handed over the reins of government to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999 after successful conduct of democratic elections.

Atiku in a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, said although General Abubakar exhibited great valour in the Nigeria Army, his greatest feat as a soldier is the building of a solid foundation for democracy to flourish in Nigeria. The former Vice President while eulogizing the former Head of State on the occasion of his 70th birthday anniversary, noted that it is not by sheer coincidence

that the Fourth Republic has witnessed the longest stretch of democratic governance in Nigeria. He attributed this to the honest and firm commitment to make democracy thrive in Nigeria by the then outgoing military government headed by General Abubakar. “It is not therefore by sheer coincidence that the seed of democracy, which he planted 13

years ago, has continued to flourish and remains enduring.” He paid glowing tribute to General Abubakar for his enviable loyalty and steadfastness in the service of the country. According to Atiku, “General Abdulsalami is not just a General of the Nigeria Army; he is a General for democracy in Nigeria. His greatest feat is how he successfully planted the seed of democracy in Nigeria”.

Foundation rewards NGO with N3m over community project By Mohammed Kandi

he TY Danjuma Foundation (TYDF), has expressed its satisfaction over the performance of one of its grantees, an NGO called FAHIMTA, for responsively carrying out its mandate of developmental projects with meager resources in two communities in Bauchi state. Selected the best grantee for the year 2010, FAHIMTA is one of the 16 grantees that won the

foundation’s multi-million naira grants to undertake an assortment of community development projects such as infrastructural assistance, youth empowerment and women literacy and entrepreneurial skills development. Presenting a cheque of N3million to the Chief Executive Officer of FAHIMTA, Maryam Garba, the Foundation’s chairman, Board of Trustees, Gen. TY Danjuma said “our grantees are

the engine room driving the work we do at the foundation.” He further stated: “In 2010 the Foundation funded FAHIMTA to construct a block of two classrooms each and gender based toilet facilities in two communities of Fulataran and Kasuwa Dole in Darazo and Gomawa local government areas in Bauchi state”. The chairman added that the NGO completed the project in record time and in line with the

foundation’s objectives, engenders government’s participation by deploying a batch of seven teachers to the schools following the commissioning of the buildings. According to him, the foundation is not a substitute to government but an organisation that is ready to assist the government in supporting especially those living at the grassroots. Receiving the incentive, however, the CEO of FAHIMTA, Maryam Garba, who expressed her

appreciation to the foundation, described it as transparent, focused and enthusiastic towards philanthropic service to humanity. Announcing that the Foundation had also provided additional grants for the construction of staff quarters for the schools to facilitate the process of learning by teachers and the pupils, Garba assured of the NGO’s readiness to utilise the funds effectively.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

DANA: Enough of these avoidable air calamities

enultimate Sunday, Nigeria was thrown into mourning again by the crash of a Dana Air Jetliner MD 83. The aircraft, operating Flight 992 from Abuja to Lagos, crashed into a crowded residential area, Iju, in Lagos, less than 5 kilometres to the airport. All the passengers and crew on the flight, numbering 153, plus scores of others on the ground at the crash site, perished. It was a tragedy of monumental proportions. And we in the Peoples Daily join millions of others across the country and the globe to condole and commiserate with the families, friends and loved ones of the victims, and pray to God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss. The fatal crash occurred at a time that the Federal Government is pumping billions to improve the physical conditions of the nation's many airports. But it is the tragedy of our nation that while the airports are getting all the priority attention, very little, if any attention is paid to the activities and operating procedures of the airlines and of the actual physical conditions of the aircraft in their fleets. Revelations and new facts that have been coming into the public domain since the Dana Air crash are clear proof of negligence and, in some cases, outright abdication of responsibilities by the institutions and authorities responsible for supervision and ensuring safety, technical quality and high standards of conduct among airline operators in the country. It is clear to us, from what has been coming out from reliable sources even within Dana Air itself, that all was not well with the aircraft before it crashed. Its age, 22 years, apart, there is talk that the aircraft had some technical problems even at the point of its purchase in 2008 by Dana Air. But even more importantly, an unnamed engineer with the airline itself has disclosed to the media that even on the day of the fatal crash, the aircraft, which flew into Abuja from Calabar, had developed a

technical fault which took engineers hours to fix. An investigation has now been ordered into the circumstances surrounding the crash, and a high-powered panel has already been named to do it. This is quite in order. But as we await the report of the investigation, what seems obvious to us is that Dana Air failed to exercise the care and diligence required of it as an airline to which passengers had entrusted their safety and lives. How on earth could Dana Air owners or managers have failed to know that their 22

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It is our hope that the panel will do a very thorough job and that the government on its part will, for once, address the issues that will be raised in the report and faithfully implement its recommendations. This country has had more than its own fair share of avoidable air disasters. A way must be found to put a stop to it year old aircraft, with a long and known history of technical problems, was not airworthy? More precisely, how could they have failed to see that flying that aircraft that day, in spite of their awareness that it was faulty and advice by even the airline's technical staff against using the aircraft that day, was gambling with the lives of passengers? Was it the profit motive at work again that day? But no less worrying is the failure of the Civil Aviation Authority and other supervisory bodies in the aviation sector to

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do their job. One common denominator that runs through all the many air tragedies we have had in this country is the negligence and failure by the authorities to effectively supervise the operations of the airlines. At the bottom of this failure is corruption. This ties the hands of the authorities, making it impossible for them to effectively play their supervisory role in the sector. It is very disturbing seeing the average age of the aircraft in the fleets of the airlines operating in the country today. This ranges from 20 to 30 years and above. Some of the airlines have and fly aircraft that are over 40 years of age. The airline operators say we should not worry, that the age of an aircraft is not what determines how safe it is. We do not share this view. Even in countries where the level of corruption is not high, the age of an aircraft would still be an important factor in determining how safe it is. For, the older the aircraft the higher the demand for regular maintenance and service which many airlines may not feel inclined to do, seeing it as a drain on their income and profit. Here in Nigeria, with highly corrupt officials abdicating their supervisory responsibilities and allowing the airline owners a free hand to do as they like and to put profit above safety, old aircraft is simply a disaster waiting to happen. The issue of the age of an aircraft is one of the many that the investigation panel will have to address. But, above all, the panel must seriously look into the issue of maintenance and service regime of the aircraft in the airlines' fleets. This is a constant source of problems. It is our hope that the panel will do a very thorough job and that the government on its part will, for once, address the issues that will be raised in the report and faithfully implement its recommendations. This country has had more than its own fair share of avoidable air disasters. A way must be found to put a stop to it

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Jonathan in the eyes of Nigerians By Muhammad Ajah

resident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is seen by Nigerians in different ways. But I wish to dedicate this write up to what the common Nigerians say about him, because there can hardly be a highly placed Nigerian who has a sincere assessment of the President. Those who are close to him give him 99 or a 100 percent performance which is A+ in any examination. Those who are far from his government score him otherwise due to their feelings that they are not part of the ruling class, or that their expectations from the government are not met. So after following events from one year ago, I have come across hundreds of Nigerians who have diverse and similar opinions on the government of the day. This article samples, thereupon, the sincere expressions of dozens of the common Nigerians most of who are not political in the viewpoints. Nay, for a common man who may not have seen the President physically except probably on the screens of television or through the wave of the radio, any assessment would be from a sincere mind because he feels the government in his house, on the streets, in the markets, in the schools, in the offices and in their entire non-political lives. Not hoping to satisfy anybody but the Nigerian patriots, most of Nigerians are happy that the government has effectively, though with difficulties and challenges, preserved the democracy, unity and indivisibility of Nigeria. This is By Z. Aliyu

o Nigeria suffers another air crash disaster. Anger, grief, questions, claims, finger pointing and shock have engulfed the nation. Well before the incident, the history and physical condition of the plane at the time of its purchase were questionable. A retired Nigeria airways pilot had predicted two weeks before the crash (Vanguard, 21 May, 2012) that such a disaster was in the offing on account of the ‘cutting of corners’ and sharp practices that characterised many airlines. Capt. Tito Omaghomi had alleged that current pilots are ‘forced’ to report and enter faults on scraps of paper instead of the statutory log books. Such pieces of paper could then easily be discarded (without trace) if the observed anomaly may require expensive maintenance procedures. The governor of Akwa Ibom (Gov. Akpabio) also called the Managing Director of Dana Air not long (weeks, maybe days?) before the crash and warned him about the air worthiness of their planes (Vanguard, 3 June, 2012). This warning came after the same ill-fated Dana Air plane developed a fault en-route Lagos from Uyo. The plane was

the greatest joy any patriot has to celebrate. There are challenges all over the sectors of the economy. The educational system, power generation, road construction and maintenance, healthcare delivery, transportation diversification, agriculture, arts and culture, as well as governance itself are seeking attention. But four from five things that have, even if gradually, been tackled by the Jonathan administration are: Religion: Owing to the fact that some religious activities in Nigeria have been to an extent intertwined with criminal beliefs, political thuggery and economic penchant, it has become difficult to decipher between genuineness and quackery in religious bearings. In such difficult and complex situation, the government has fearlessly remained absolute in fostering understanding between the religious yearnings of Nigerians. Some faithless religious adherents had thought that the coming on board of President Jonathan would polarize religious affinity in the country, to the extent that many even thought that he would be a Niger Delta President. Today, it is on record that the Niger Delta people seem to be disappointed by that thought. And this has led some of the youths to revert to the former hostilities they engaged the previous governments in. The constitutional provision that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to his or her religion has been doggedly upheld and maintained. Corruption: That those in

authority are seen as the cause of every bad thing that happens in the country because of the heavy corruption, mismanagement of the public money and impoverishment of the people is not novel in the critical assessment of Nigerian governance and social responsibilities. These have been the primary causes of all the social evils pervading our nation. Poverty strikes harder, corruption eats up our fabrics and misappropriation of public funds is quotidian.

dollars per month). However, a theoretical analysis of the multi-faceted problems facing the nation tends to show that the incompetence and corruption that pervades our society today are extensively responsible for the rise in the level of civil disturbances. But the government of today in its efforts to curb the excesses of these business people has started somewhere. The President has also ordered a cut in the squander mania tendencies of public officers. Though gradually, it is

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A theoretical analysis of the multifaceted problems facing the nation tends to show that the incompetence and corruption that pervades our society today are extensively responsible for the rise in the level of civil disturbances For all the years before 2011, the oil industry was under siege. The so-called cabal or mafias controlled the main stay of the country’s economy. Oil, and by extension gas, runs our economy. Before 2011, no government had had the courage to look into the eyes of these ‘untouchable’ oil barons. We know that the prices of oil control the prices of local commodities and foreign imports. Majority of the people are not finding life easy. Yet, some states have not implemented the minimum wage of N18,000, (about 114 US

a step forward in the fight against corruption. And many citizens believe the sincerity of this move. Boko Haram: This is a challenge that has belittled the federal government’s efforts in repositioning the country. President Jonathan himself admitted sometime ago that this challenge is also from within the government circles, probably interpreted that the Boko Haram has links with state and federal, the security services, the legislature and judiciary apparatuses. Much has been said, and should have been known of

this group. But as a respondent concluded, sponsors of such inhuman endeavours must be rich and cannot be doing so on money earned from their human sweat. The untold truth is that this kind of civil disturbances had challenged past civilian governments. Some of the past leaders employed different approaches to quench it. Some even applied military approach. But this government has kept faith in the democratic procedures and employed force to the barest. Price control: Reference to my article titled, Can the FG control prices?, I recalled my experiences in price control in Egypt, and now Saudi Arabia and England. The first time I visited Saudi Arabia was in 1993 i.e. about 20 years ago. I was there just last year and surprisingly, the things I bought for instance for 10 Saudi Riyals have remained so or have rather come down in prices. The price of a litre of fuel was as less as N19 and it has remained so for over 20 years. National orientation: In Nigeria, due to the somewhat visionless plans or instability or underfunding of the National Orientation Agency, this government organ is incapacitated to carry out its constitutional functions. I often wonder, as many Nigerians do too, if this agency is functional at all. This is because many efforts aimed at assisting practically the best upbringing of the Nigerian child meet the wall at the agency. Either due to the bureaucratic bottlenecks in the nation’s civil service system, or corruption Continued on page 15

Japanising Nigeria’s airlines: Let us share the risks! said to have hovered above Lagos skies for hours before it could finally land in Lagos airport. Furthermore, staffs of Dana Air have told Channels TV that the plane was forced to fly that day despite it being classified as unfit by technicians. All these events prior to the disaster of 3 June 2012 are precursors of longoverdue radical changes to the Nigerian domestic airline industry. Let’s take a look at how Japan was able to cope with a similar disaster almost 30 years ago. When in 1985 a Boeing 747 owned and operated by Japanese Airline (JAL) crashed killing about 500 people, the incident not only shocked the Japanese to the core, it jolted them to strive even harder for perfection. Their national pride was at stake, the reputation of JAL as an efficient and dependable airline not only suffered, Japanese citizens also refused to fly with JAL. So after three different boards resigned (not to mention a suicide or two), the management of JAL came up

with a brilliant air safety plan. The integrated maintenance of all JAL planes was cancelled. Every aeroplane was subsequently allocated a permanent maintenance crew who knew the history of their aero plane and was compelled to fly on it for every trip it made. This is a practical example of risk management. To further assure the public, the names of all the members of maintenance crew for each plane were made public. No hiding place. Nigerians cannot only learn from this, but we can take it to the next level. I therefore propose the following risk management measures. As a preamble, only brand new planes should be used for domestic operations. All airlines that have planes more than 20 years old should have their licenses suspended until they meet the new criteria. Secondly, each commercial airline operating within Nigeria should be compelled to have a permanent engineering maintenance crew for each

individual aeroplane. This would ensure continuity (and improve the quality control) of maintenance issues. It will also create jobs, by the way. Thirdly, 10% of the seats of each commercial aero plane (and not exceeding 10 people for planes with over 100 passengers) must be reserved for the permanent engineering maintenance crew who MUST be accompanied by at least two representatives from the management side of the airline company. In other words, a flight carrying 150 people should (as an example) have 7 maintenance crew and 3 administrative staff accompanying the 140 passengers. The rationale for this approach is simple: If an aero plane is well maintained, the engineers and representatives of management should have no qualms escorting the passengers to their destination. In other words, let us share the risk. And we should share this risk not just with the rank and file (i.e.

technical/engineering staff) like the Japanese do, but also with management staff of each Nigerian airline. Subsequently when the pilots complain of a fault or the engineer’s request for new parts, the management will take such complaints or requests more seriously. Those who think this is far-fetched or extreme should tell us if the lives of maintenance crew or management staff are more valuable than the lives of passengers. Besides, the Japanese Airline (JAL) has been doing this since the mid-1980s and neither the sky nor their profits have fallen as a result. If we are serious about progress and safety, lets adopt this modified version of their technique. May the soul of the departed find eternal peace...and may the guilty be punished at the end of the Dana Air crash investigations. Z. Aliyu can be reached at zed@poetic.com http:// lowhangingfruits.blogspot.co.uk/

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

My lessons from life as a Chinese central banker By David Daokui Li

hen I became one of three academic members of the People’s Bank of China’s Monetary Policy Committee in April 2010, I knew I was unprepared, despite teaching economics for nearly 20 years in the US and Hong Kong before returninAg to China. In fact, few people could have been prepared: China has a large and mixed economy and its institutions are still young. The financial crisis made my task even harder, since it exposed the deficiencies in traditional macroeconomic theories. Following my term on the committee, I think I have learnt three fundamental lessons, which may be useful for those trying to understand how monetary policy is made, not least in China. First, central bank independence is an unhelpful superstition. In theory, independence is a good defence against pressures from politicians facing re-election. The PBoC is under the control of the state council, and not run under by autonomous bank staff. This may suggest that Chinese officials are subject to strong political whims. Perhaps, but Chinese leaders often stay in office for as long as 10 years and are as concerned about their legacy as longserving central bankers such as

Alan Greenspan. Take the trade balance, which policies can influence, at most, 50 In reality, China’s close co- does not respond quickly to per cent of investments. In China, operation with economic agencies exchange rates. It depends upon this figure was about 70 per cent is a stronger defence against local existing contracts between before the financial crisis. A governments, equity investors importers and exporters, which central banker must respect and property developers – all of cannot quickly respond to investor sentiments, not because whom push for easy money policies exchange rate changes. It might they are correct but because they – than a pure have an independence overwhelming model. The MPC momentum, consists of officials like a huge oil not only from the tanker. How Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text central bank, but do you change messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written also from the the direction contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 finance ministry, of such a huge words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and and the banking, tanker? Steer securities and early and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed i n s u r a n c e steadily, to: r e g u l a t o r y while staying agencies. patient and The Editor, Knowing this, I not expecting Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, was nevertheless i n s t a n t 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. shocked when the response. Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com Chinese premier Since the SMS: 07037756364 recently said that financial only two factors crisis, China’s had the potential to undermine his be a policy objective to reduce the central bank has been carefully government: corruption and trade surplus but a fast steering against investor inflation. He does, of course, have appreciation of the renminbi sentiments. Between August some influence over these factors. against the dollar is likely to cause 2008 and June 2009, Chinese My second lesson: do not be speculation of further investors were largely overconfident in the power of price appreciation, creating bubble-like pessimistic. Monetary policies instruments. Textbooks preach exchange rate dynamics. were then aimed at delicately that prices are the most My third lesson: respect changing investors’ minds fundamental signals in a market investor sentiments but work through cuts in interest rates and economy. However, in reality, steadily and patiently against deposit reserve ratios. By midhowever, investor price signals in the monetary them. These are actually the most 2010, system may not work quickly important drivers of economic sentiments had swung in the other direction – annual output enough. We should be modest in fluctuations. our expectations for interest and Unfortunately for central growth was running at 10 per exchange rate policies. bankers, I estimate that monetary cent. Tighter policies were then

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pursued, together with stronger banking and property market regulations. By mid-2011 sentiments finally stabilised. Looking to the future, what is the most important question for China’s central bankers? In my opinion, it has to be how to lower China’s huge stock of broad basedmoney in renminbi – equivalent to $14tn or 190 per cent of gross domestic product. Thirty per cent is locked up at the PBoC, giving it the largest central bank balance sheet in the world. An amount this large is a perennial destabilising force for the entire economy, which is at the mercy of the mood of the depositors. China needs reform. It must enhance the size of its securities markets, especially the bond markets, in order to lure bank deposits. China must also implement bank loan securitisation, ie convert some of the good quality bank loans into bonds so that banks can raise capital and become more robust. Until these steps are taken the capital account cannot be fully convertible, the exchange rate cannot be fully liberalised and the renminbi cannot be a genuinely international currency. The writer is a professor of economics at Tsinghua University and a former member of the People’s Bank of China Monetary Policy Committee.

Nigerian CSOs: How well and how right? G By Salihu Moh. Lukman

eorge Soros, in his book The Age of Fallibility, made the point that ‘society is suspicious of those who claim to be virtuous and not without justification’. The claim of being virtuous is very conventional and inherent with civil society actors. Whether they live up to this virtuous claim or not, is open to value judgement, subjectivity and like Soros assert, the burden of proof is certainly that of the claimant. It is quite unfair to come to generalised conclusions regarding assessment of the work of civil society organisations. However, it is very valid to check the extent to which they, through lived reality and based on combination of both impact and demonstrable commitment to improved public welfare, strengthen cultural, social, economic and political life of society. Impact presupposes reference to some standards and values. This could be a problem. In the first place, do we have standards or values? If we do, are they shared or do they in anyway aggregate to some form of expectations? Do these standards or values by whatever estimation determine public perceptions, and more specifically the orientation of the work of civil society actors? Who are these civil society organisations, anyway? Civil society organisations include trade unions, professional associations, faith-based groups,

media organisations, communitybased groups and other forms of non-governmental organisations. In the Nigerian context, it is a far cry to claim any known shared standard or value with respect to activities of these organisations. At best, regressive trend in our societal life, which accounts for crashed standards and value system, tend to strengthen the rise of these organisations based on the need to raise the capacity of citizens to address social, economic and political developmental challenges. A second factor is a combination of declining public and private sector services coupled with inflexible and shrinking employment environment. This made the work of civil society organisations to serve as alternative source for income earning opportunity besides providing services. Thirdly, the existence of repressive and unpopular governments for more than twenty years in the country also serve as impetus for the proliferation of organisations that seek to challenge the legitimacy of policy, programmes and ultimately the existence of these governments. No doubt, the existence of these organisations assisted considerably to open up space for the expression of dissenting opinions and what could be regarded as alternative voices. Unfortunately, this very character and attribute has come to serve as a shield for opportunistic and nuisance activities of some civil society organisations. In some

respects, the nation has witnessed situations where actions and positions of groups regarding matters of public policy and management of resources hardly depart from prevailing horrid practices associated with government. If anything, where this is the case, it also raised questions about the efficacy of, at the minimum, strategies employed by these organisations. Key assumption that connotes legitimacy to the existence of civil society organisations is that they are expected to be knowledge driven. Which means that actors, or at least leaders, have requisite skills to investigate problems of society, proffer solutions and develop plan to facilitate buy-in by other segments of society and government. This bears certain presuppositions to the effect that the organisation also has capacity to mobilise the needed resources for its activities and to that extent, it will restrict the scope of mobilisation of resources to implement activity and the operational cost that comes with it. Regulation would be needed to firstly test the assumption. Secondly, to provide conditions for validating the assumptions. And thirdly to ensure that such conditions are upheld and respected by actors who seek to voluntarily engage in this mode of organising. Unfortunately, given potentials for instituting frameworks that leads to repressive and authoritarian practices, which could emasculate genuine organisations of the people, discussion of regulation as far as

matters of civil society organisation is concerned appears to be very unpopular and in some cases offensive, perhaps legitimately so. But for how long should we continue to shy away from open discussions and debate about the need to establish clear and shared national standards regarding the work of civil society organisations, which is what the whole debate about regulation is about? It is important however that we quickly recognise that the context of the debate is not to suggest the complete absence of standard but basically to highlight the existence of very low regulatory requirement and standard, which is today responsible for a situation that portends legitimacy and accountability problems. Legitimacy here basically refers to question of justification for the existence of these organisations while accountability deals with responsibility of these organisations to be answerable to the citizens or groups they seek to serve. In terms of legitimacy, the best way to present the argument is to say that there are many civil society organisations that would not be missed by Nigerians if they are to close shop. These organisations are predominantly bureaucracies and have no direct bearing to the people and their activities not designed to primarily meet the immediate needs of the people. Where there is any correlation between these activities and the needs of the

people, it could as well be coincidental. There are of course very ridiculous cases where activities are designed purely based on the availability of funding. This brings us to the problem of accountability. There are two sides to this issue, i. e. financial and programme accountability. The easiest is financial accountability, which is just to ensure proper book keeping and expenditure based on approved budget. The second has to do with structures of debate, consensus, planning, implementation, monitoring and report. This is the democratic ethos that validates and emphasises the authority of civil society organisations to the struggle for democracy. A very glaring issue here is that the dominance of bureaucracy in the life of any organisation, particularly in situations where such a bureaucracy is the central pillar and perhaps the only existing locus of power and given complete absence of membership, subscription or any form of affiliation, the moral authority and claims to democratic principles is weakened. It is important that this serves as the point of engagement in the debate. The sad thing is that this is also the point of engagement by repressive regimes. Through these engagements, vibrant democratic organisations – trade unions, students’ organisations, human right groups, etc. – have been trampled upon by especially Continued on page 15

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Rationalisation and anti-corruption agencies By Yushau A. Shuaib

here is a strong allegation of bribery involving an oil magnet and a prominent member of the House of Representatives panel that investigated the fuel subsidy scam. This new twist will further dent the integrity of the legislative chamber, business community and Nigeria as a whole. While there are several anticorruption agencies in the country, there are no clear demarcations on which of them should be responsible for investigating and prosecuting the case as they simply duplicate their mandates. Multiplication of agencies performing similar roles have been drains on the nation’s purse. The cost of governance in Nigeria is one of the highest and most expensive in the world. The dubious duplication of functions, financial recklessness, nepotism and cronyism in recruitments are largely influenced by the establishments of unnecessary agencies, which also promote corrupt practices. In an effort to address the high cost of governance, a Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals was established. Led by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, the committee has proposed some positive initiatives as well as some controversial suggestions. While the committee recommends farreaching decisions to reduce the excessive overhead and recurrent expenditures, which in some

quarters have been translated to mean retrenchment of workers, the report indeed exposes duplication of responsibilities and schedules of duty among agencies of government. The committee was able to adhere strictly to its terms of reference which include; to study and review all previous reports/ records on the restructuring of Federal Government parastatals and advise on whether they are still relevant, to examine critically the mandates of the existing Federal agencies, parastatals and commissions and to determine areas of overlap or duplication of functions, and make appropriate recommendations to either restructure, merge or scrap the duplicates. The key recommendations of the report include the abolition of 38 agencies, 52 mergers and reversion of 14 agencies to departments in their relevant ministries. Generally, it suggested that statutory commissions should be reduced from 263 to 161. It further recommends a management audit of 89 agencies to capture biometric features of their employees as well as discontinue government funding of professional bodies and councils. The Committee stated that it found duplications and overlaps in the mandates of many agencies and parastatals, noting that successive administrations established these agencies without regard to existing laws. The report indicated that the Federal Government will be saving about N1 trillion within 3 years of implementation.

It is noteworthy that some agencies could be strengthened with added empowerment through mergers of, for instance, the proposed National Emergency Management and Refugee Commission (NEMAREF) and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) that may be saddled with fixing salaries of public servants to take over the functions of Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), which was created by former President Olusegun Obasanjo few years ago. Meanwhile, the committee has recommended the merger of the anti-corruption bodies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). If the government accepts and implements the recommendations, these bodies would serve as department within the larger Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). According to the report; “The establishment of strong departments among others, in the proposed consolidated structure is desirable as they would handle Prosecution, Investigation, Prevention (Advocacy), and Asset declaration/ forfeiture.” The report also recommends the elevation of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to AntiCorruption Tribunal to try all corrupt cases in the country. The recommendation if implemented would ensure that regular courts that are overburden with other cases will no longer try corruptionrelated matters whether by politicians, civil servants or

business persons. The report clearly states that: “The Code of Conduct Tribunal should be renamed AntiCorruption Tribunal and upgraded to the status of a Court of Superior Records with the responsibility for handling only corruption cases from the proposed merger of EFCC, ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau. Extant anti-corruption laws should be repealed, while a new one is enacted to accommodate the consolidation of EFCC, ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau.” Some of the cases being handled by EFCC, ICPC and others ought to have been brought to the CCT for quick determination. The CCT is a court of summary trial which by law should not waste time in deciding most other cases that are before the other anticorruption bodies like EFCC, ICPC and CCB. The nation does not need a special court as being advocated in some quarters to deal with the cases of corrupt public officers. As it is presently constituted, the Code of Conduct Tribunal has the power to impose punishments ranging from vacation of office and disqualification from holding any public office by officers found guilty of contravening any of the provisions of the Act, especially on misconduct and corrupt practices. It also has the power to seize and forfeit to the state of any property acquired through abuse or corruption in office. It is glaring that the regular courts are ineffective in attending to corrupt cases, such that highprofile cases involving politicians drag on for many years without an end in sight. On the other hand

the suspects continue to enjoy their loots while their lawyers who are paid hefty fees deliberately prolong litigation endlessly. It was only lately after the appointment of Justice Umar Danladi as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal that some corrupt cases like that against the former Governor of Lagos, Ahmed Bola Tinubu were dispensed with within a short period. This demonstrates capacity and ability of the tribunal to expedite actions on cases brought before it. The proposed Anti-Corruption Tribunal (ACT) from existing Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) should be independent and autonomous with the capacity for repression of corruption acts and observe the principles of expeditiousness, effectiveness and efficiency in the administration of justice. Branches of the tribunal should also be created in each of the six geopolitical zones to facilitate speedy trials and disposal of corruption cases. The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan should examine the report and implement the worthy recommendations therein. The submission should not be swept under the carpet like similar past reports on rationalization, especially that of Ahmed Joda and Allison Ayida. In ensuring fairness before the implementation of the report, the government should engage the stakeholders, especially the labour and the legislature to iron out grey areas before their endorsement. Yushau A. Shuaib wrote from Finanace Estate, Wuye, Abuja E-mail: yashuaib@yahoo.com

Nigerian CSOs: How well and how right? Continued from page 14

military regimes. Some of these regimes have promoted, sponsored and in some cases directly formed counter organisations with dubious values that have outlived them and to some extent also contributing to lowering standards. In addition, experiences of other countries, including contemporary policy of

the US government of war on terror, have been and are being used to suppress civil society organisations in the name of regulation. What should be the appropriate response? Avoid debate to raise standards regarding the work of civil society organisations? This could be selfdestructive. There is the international

Jonathan in the eyes of Nigerians Continued from page 13

that is pervading all nooks and crannies of the society or mere negligence, the NOA needs to be made functional especially now that the leadership has been reinforced with a new directorgeneral, Mr. Mike Omeri. NOA should swoop into action and work with Nigerians who have genuine plans that can assist in changing the image of our beloved motherland. This also refers us to the need to enhance the proper utilization of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. It has been discovered that a large chunk of the participants in this programme lobby even by bribing their ways through their school authorities and the NYSC for juicy posting i.e. places where they are not effectively utilized

for the nation building but collect fat allowances. Others do lobby to be posted within their states or neighborhoods. I think it is against the primary aims and objectives of setting up the programme. And the new NYSC boss, Brig. Gen. Nnamdi OkorieAffia should take note. Mr. President should be commended and encouraged, even while we demand for more selfless sacrifices from him for the mandate given to him. As he seeks loftiness in governance, let this second year of his tenure be better, so that Nigerian patriots would continue to stand by him. Muhammad Ajah is a writer, author, advocate of humanity and good governance based in Abuja. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk.

dimension to this debate. First is the currency of borrowed language and the use of concepts and phrases that hardly captures national contexts and realities. In some cases, it is a case of over generalisation of national conditions. Secondly, there is the role of international donor community and what are now generally referred to as International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO). The general trend is that they impose policies and practices that highlight technical competence on issues of project development and management. This has the potential to diffuse political and democratic roles of civil society organisations and in fact support the movement towards consolidating bureaucratic controls. The question is, to what extent are there regulations to check the abrasive influence of donor community and INGOs regarding the development of standards that informed the work of civil society organisations? Given the volume of resources at their disposal, although only relatively high at national level, their influence, power and impact is certainly enormous. Expectedly, the National Planning Commission is to be the regulatory agency.

Paradoxically, it is also a beneficiary in some ways of the activities of these organisations. To what extent therefore can it regulate the work of organisations it draws support from? A readily proposal is to insulate it from any form of financial or so-called technical support from organisations it is expected to competently and impartially regulate. Without any doubt, the nation has the resources and the capacity to attain this feat. With respect to setting or raising standards or values through regulation, it is important that Nigerians, in particular civil society organisations, engage these issues and begin to concretely raise standards. The starting point is basically what can be called advocacy for-self and against selfdegeneracy. Advocacy for-self would be to come up with those proposals that would strengthen democratic ethos but Advocacy against self-degeneracy would be to establish basic principles of dos and don’ts. The challenge is basically a question of developing the democratic mechanism for enforcement, including that of self-regulation. Without any hesitation, this is at the moment very weak and needs to be strengthened. In fact,

it could be argued that there is a relationship between low standards regarding the work of civil society organisations, on the one hand, and the preponderance of authoritarian values and practices in both government and private life. To considerable extent, this is also the natural outcome of repressive measures over the years. To therefore address this reality is both a national democratic imperative and organisationally obligatory if the consideration is to guarantee that civil society organisations predominantly act to deliver public good. The starting point is to guarantee the existence of conditions and availability of national resources for the work of civil society. The most critical factor of regulations is therefore issues of source, structure of distribution, conditions and access to the resources. The nation needs to summon the courage to address them and civil society organisations and actors have a responsibility to open up and engage the debate. Salihu Moh. Lukman is of People and Passion Consult, Suite 301, Zeto Court, No. 3, Oshogbo Close, Area 11, Garki, Abuja slukman45@gmail.com

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

AMAC opens tender for 2012 fiscal year projects By Etuka Sunday

he Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has declared tender opening for 2012 fiscal year projects, in its bid to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people in the area of infrastructural development. Speaking at the ceremony to

mark the official declaration for the tender opening, the ViceChairman, Hon. Musa Alli Goza said that the council would ensure that transparency is maintained in the selection of companies for the various projects to be executed, stressing that the best would be required of the preferred companies. Declaring the tender projects

open, the Tender Board Committee Chairman, Hon. Idris Tanko said that the tradition of the council is to start projects with the tender opening, and that all the companies that registered with AMAC as far as 2012 fiscal year projects is concerned would be duly considered. "We want every company that registered for this project to be

carried along," he said, stressing that analysis would be done by the technical department to reveal the preferred companies for the projects. "After the declaration of tender opening, there is going to be analysis, and the analysis result would be done by the technical department," he added. Tanko appealed to the companies to ensure that their

documents are intact and correct since analysis would be done on that basis. He also added that any company that succeeds must be ready to give the best, saying, "For the companies that would succeed, we urge you to give us the best of what you have applied for, be it construction, Electricity or whatever".

FCT SURE to recruit corps members By Josephine Ella

he Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide has disclosed plans by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration to recruit corps members, under the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE) of the FCT. Akinjide, who revealed this, while receiving the new National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) coordinator for the FCT, Mr. Frank Ekpunobi and other officials, yesterday, in her office said the initiative would no doubt, address the employment need of corps members, who have served in the territory. Earlier the NYSC coordinator, told the minister that out of the 16,000 corps members serving in various parts of the FCT, 7,000 were due for the passing-out ceremony,

Taking a risk as this picture captured, along Apo resettlement village, yesterday, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

House help ‘carts away N.5m from boss, sets house ablaze’

he Police yesterday, arraigned a 19-year-old house help, Onyekachi Okoye of Apo village at an Abuja Senior Magistrate’s Court for allegedly setting a house ablaze. Okoye is standing trial on a two-count charge of mischief and theft, offences which contravenes the provisions of the Penal Code. Police Prosecutor, Jeremiah

Elijah told the court that the case was reported at the Maitama Police Station by Mrs Fatima Abubakar of Garki II, Abuja, on June 8, 2012. Elijah alleged that sometime in April 2011, the accused, a house help to the complainant, stole N500,000 from her house and set it (house) on fire. He also alleged that the

accused, who pleaded not guilty, was unable to give a satisfactory account of her action during interrogation. Magistrate Aliyu Shafa granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with a reliable surety, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court. He adjourned the case to June 25, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

FCT schools to represent Nigeria at world competition By Josephine Ella

wo schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Junior Secondary School Jikwoyi and Government Secondary School Jibi have qualified to represent Nigeria at the 2012 Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) World Cup, slated for next month in San Francisco, United States of America (USA). The national competition which took place at the Tinapa

Mararaba Market traders decry poor sanitation

raders across some markets in the FCT have expressed concern over the poor sanitary condition of the markets. The markets visited by correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday included the Orange market in Mararaba, Nasarawa state, Karu market and Dei Dei market. The traders said that they faced a lot of sanitary challenges, especially during the rainy season. Mr Sule Mohammed, a carrot seller, underscored the need to evacuate refuse on a regular basis. Mrs Sarah Eze, a Gari seller, urged the managers of the market to improve the sanitary condition

of the market. market, noting that access to the market and shops posed a serious challenge whenever it rained. Alhaji Baba Ibrahim, the Chairman of the Fruits and Vegetable Traders Association of the market, however, told NAN that the association was collaborating with the Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) to clean the market. “The association is working with the Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) to make sure the market is kept clean, because we find it difficult to attract high patronage during rainy season.” Ibrahim, however, said that the market would soon relocate to its

permanent site covering about seven hectares. He, therefore, called on the state government to provide the market with facilities such water, access road, public toilet and a parking lot. According to him, the revenue generated by the association is used to provide security, sanitation and general welfare of the members. At the Dei dei Market, NAN observed that most traders sold their wares in the open as there were only a few lock-up shops. Malam Abubakar Inuwa, the Vice Chairman of the traders association, said that the sanitation issue was a big challenge to them due to the lack of assistance from government agencies. He urged the FCT administration

scheduled to take place tomorrow at the NYSC orientation camp in Kubwa. He requested for the relocation of the camp to a more conducive area for effective administration, as according to the him, the present location provided no room for expansion and as well portend security risk to corps members. The coordinator also requested for a mass housing plot for NYSC officials to address the problem of accommodation confronting them. Responding to the requests, Akinjide commended the FCT NYSC for the efforts towards ensuring that its operation is devoid of negative incidents. He directed the Chairman, FCT NYSC Governing Board, Mrs. Blessing Onuh to ensure that the acquisition of a new site for the NYSC is captured in the 2013 budget, after which a budget line would be drawn for actual development of the plot.

to provide the necessary facilities in the market to ensure a healthy environment. NAN observed indiscriminate dumping of refuse and the lack of drainage facilities as well as a difficult topography. NAN learnt that the traders paid N200 per week for the cleaning of the market and its environs. Also speaking with NAN on the sanitation efforts at Karu Market Abuja, the Market Manager, Mr Ayuba Karo, said: “AMAC is really making efforts to help us clean the market by bringing their truck to pack the refuse on weekly basis. “Before they came to assist us, we were responsible for cleaning the market on our own.”

Resort in Calabar recently, had 23 teams from 16 states in Nigeria competing for the two coveted spots and the right to represent Nigeria at the World Cup. According to a statement from the Public Relation Officer of the Education Secretariat of the FCT Administration, Anthony Ogunleye, GSS Jibi came first in the Social Enterprise Business category while JSS Jikwoyi came first in the Socially Responsible Business category, during the national competition. Peoples Daily recall that both schools came first and second at the 2009 SAGE World Cup which took place in Brazil. Junior Secondary School Jikwoyi, representing Nigeria, had won the SAGE World Cup, a record four of the last five competitions which took place as follows: Ukraine in 2007, Abuja in 2008, Brazil in 2009 and USA in 2011 by consistently defeating teams from countries like the USA, Russia, China, Singapore, Canada, South Africa, Great Britain and Ghana amongst others. Reacting to the feat, the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Secretary for Education, Mallam Kabir Usman, expressed delight at the victory of the students and promised that both schools representing Nigeria will be good ambassadors of the country.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Poor sanitary conditions of markets worry FCT traders By Josephine Ella with agency report

market, being a place where all sorts of consumables are sold, ordinarily ought not to be associated with filth. Even if for no other reason, for the sake of the health of thousands of people who daily flood the market place to purchase food items and other goods, they should be kept clean. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of many markets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs. With the exception of a few markets like Wuse and the Garki market which sometimes appear clean from the outside while heaps of refuse are yet seen unattended to at corners, filth remains a perpetual feature of others. The worse scenario is that the situation appears not to have abetted with time, rather it would seem just little or no effort is being made to ameliorate the situation. It was in view of the seeming worse dimension that this ugly trend has assumed of recent that traders in FCT and its environs have raised alarm over this poor sanitary condition of the markets in which they operate. During a tour of some of the markets, two traders, Mr. Sule Mohammed and Mrs Sarah Eze, who sell carrot and garri respectively at the Mararaba Fruit Market in Karu Local Government of Nasarawa state, harped on the need to improve the sanitary condition of the market. Eze said the market was usually, an eye saw whenever it rained as customers struggle

A section of the Nyanya market submerged, recently. through refuse and mud to access the shops. Although, the Chairman of the Fruits and Vegetable Traders Association of the market, Alhaji Baba Ibrahim, told NAN that the association was in charge of clearing the refuse generated in the market, one wonders why the condition of the market has remained very appalling of recent.

Refuse unattended to along the Nyanya market.

However Ibrahim has assured that the situation would improve as he said: “The association is working with the Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) to make sure that the market is kept clean, because we find it difficult to attract high patronage during rainy season’’. According to him, the market would soon be moved to

Photos: Mahmud Isa

its permanent site as the association had bought seven hectares of land for the purpose. He, therefore, called on the state government to on their part, provide the necessary infrastructure, and amenities such as water, public toilets and parking lot for the market. Ibrahim said the revenue collected by the association was being used to provide security, keep the market clean and attend to the general welfare of the members. Investigations revealed that the situation was not different at the Dei-Dei market, a settlement under Bwari Area Council of the FCT, where heaps of refuse welcomed our correspondents. The vice-chairman of the traders’ association of the market, Malam Abubakar Inuwa, claimed that the association had never received any assistance from the government in keeping the market clean. He called on the government to come to the aid of the association in achieving the objective. It was further observed that refuse was indiscriminately dumped on every available space in the market, and the situation is made worse by the traders themselves, who misuse the few available facilities. Inuwa said members of the

association task themselves to pay between N50 and N200 per week to keep the market clean. The situation was, however different when NAN visited the Karu Market also in Abuja. The Manager of the market, Mr. Ayuba Karoh said the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) was making effort to keep the market tidy. He said the traders were responsible for keeping the market clean and “AMAC assist by providing a truck to dispose the refuse on a weekly basis. Before they came to assist us, we were doing everything on our own’’. Karoh also said that there was a collaborative effort under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project to clean up the market. He said the government planned to build a modern market in Karu for all categories of traders. From finding, it was glaring that the markets surveyed lacked the appropriate waste management facilities, hence, traders resort to indiscriminate waste disposal. It therefore, behoves on the appropriate authorities to provide a suitable waste bins and dumpsite for all the markets. This would go a long way in bringing the menace of indiscriminate waste disposal under control.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 17

Pupils of Turkish International School clad in Fulani attire entertaining guests at the Language Festival organised by the school, at the Shehu Yar'Adua Centre, recently in Abuja

A car passing through the newly constructed main gate, at the Army Housing Estate in Kubwa, Abuja. Pupils of Turkish International School doing the warrior dance steps at the Language Festival which took place at the Shehu Yar'Adua centre in Abuja recently.

A heap of refuse begging for attention at the Arts and Crafts village, opposite Sheraton Hotel and Towers, in Abuja.

Front view of the locally architectural design toilet building at the Arts and Crafts village in Abuja. Photos: Miriam Humbe

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Etihad Airways to commence direct Lagos, Dubai flights

Mob: 08033644990

First Bank Headquaters in Marina, Lagos

FirstBank partners NIDOA on empowering Diaspora Nigerians By Aminu Imam

irstBank has recently supported the Convention of Nigerians in Diaspora Organization in the Americas (NIDOA) in Arlington, Virginia which provided a forum for addressing social, economic, immigration, and other issues affecting Nigerians living abroad. The forum attracted the attendance of notable personalities including Nigerian Ambassador to the USA, Prof. Ade Adefuye, Chairman/CEO, Global Energy USA, Mr. Kenneth Yellowe, Chairman, NIDOA, Mr. Ganiyu Dada, top government functionaries, diplomats from foreign missions, foreign investors, and Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora,

among others. The management of First Bank of Nigeria Plc said promoting robust socioeconomic platforms that enhance the well-being of Nigerians in the Diaspora is a venture that resonates with its policy of advancing thought leadership and impacting lives positively. NIDOA is Nigerian Government's recognized umbrella organization for all Nigerians residing in the North and South American continents, including the Caribbean. The organisation seeks to promote the positive image of the nation and provides a networking platform for Diaspora Nigerian professionals, their host countries and the Nigerian Government.

CFA • £ RIYAL $

11th June, 2012 BUYING 0.2753 194.3375 240.6372 41.3012 154.9

SELLING 0.2953 195.5921 242.1907 41.5678 155.9

PARALLEL RATES • £ RIYAL $

BUYING 210 250 40 156

SELLING 212 252 42 158

has been supporting such initiatives over the decades and we intend to continue in this regard," she said. According to AniMumuney, the leading financial institution also used the forum to showcase its FirstDiaspora suite of products specially designed to cater to the financial needs of Nigerians living abroad. FirstDiaspora offers Current, Savings, Fixed Deposit and Domiciliary accounts in Naira, Euros, US Dollars and Pounds Sterling. Customers signed up to FirstDiaspora will also enjoy online banking services that allow customers to carry out intra-bank, inter-bank and international transfers from their accounts, speedy e-mail alerts and monthly e-

Management Tip of the Day

EXCHANGE RATES

CBN

FirstBank's Spokesperson, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney said the Convention provided another opportunity for the Bank to identify with ongoing efforts geared towards addressing critical issues involving the welfare of Nigerians and showcasing the uniqueness of 'Brand Nigeria' as evidenced by the sterling contributions of Diaspora Nigerians to the countries where they are resident. "As a Bank that is proudly Nigerian, we believe in supporting initiatives that promote the heritage of our nation, the resourcefulness of her people and provide platforms for Nigerians to pursue and realize their dreams irrespective of who they are and where they reside. FirstBank

Minimise the emotional impact of firing someone

ne of the hardest things to do as a manager is to tell an employee he’s fired. Here are three tips for handling this gut-wrenching situation: Bring answers. When a person is let go, he’s likely to have a lot of questions and concerns. Come prepared to address his logistical questions, such as

when his last day is, how his peers will be notified, etc. Listen, don’t react. Losing a job can be traumatic. Don’t get caught up in responding to your employee’s emotions. Listen with respect. Offer to talk again later when the emotions are not so raw.

Talk to your team. Firing an employee impacts everyone on your team. Not only does it change work assignments, but people might also wonder about their own job security. Share what information you can to reassure the people left behind. Source: Harvard Business Review

statements, investment advisory services and a dedicated 24-hour customer care center that gives customers access speak with officials of the Bank irrespective of time zones. "The FirstDiaspora team consists of professionals who understand the dynamics of global markets and trends peculiar to individual countries. They are always available to provide excellent services to customers residing abroad, while each customer has a dedicated relationship manager that will always ensure that the customer's needs are met in a timely and efficient manner," she added. It would be recalled that the Bank recently signed a partnership arrangement with Ria International Money Transfer Services (Ria) in a bid to offer Diaspora Nigerians another platform for convenient and reliable money transfer transactions. In addition to receiving cash (USDollar/Naira) over the counter, Ria customers have the option of having their remittances credited directly into their accounts with the Bank, providing flexibility and support for the cashless society initiative of the CBN.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS MTN opens third switch and data centre in Ghana

TN Ghana has commissioned a third state of the art, high capacity switch and data centre at Legon Accra, in addition to similar facilities at Sakaman in Accra, and Kaase in the Ashanti Region.

Intel’s plans for virtual TV come into focus

Etihad Airways to commence direct Lagos, Dubai flights Stories from Suleiman Idris, Lagos

tihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has confirmed that it will commence direct flights from Lagos into the heartland of the UAE from July 1st, 2012. The airline told reporters that the direct flights will link Abu Dhabi and Lagos six times a week and will be operated by a two class A330-200 aircraft with 22 Pearl Business class and 240 Coral Economy seats. Etihad said Lagos becomes

the 83rd destination in its global network and the return flights will create a new link between Nigeria, Africa’s third largest economy, and the United Arab Emirates. Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan said: “The launch of our services to Lagos is consistent with our strategy of targeting areas of strong growth in emerging markets. The UnitedArab Emirates is a major trade partner of Nigeria, which has a population of more than 150

million people, the largest in Africa and the seventh biggest in the world.” He said the Lagos schedule will provide seamless connections over Abu Dhabi to key North and South East Asian destinations and markets in the Indian sub-continent and Australia. Mr. Hogan noted: “Nigeria is also enjoying strong economic growth, driven by significant foreign investment, particularly from China, which means there is increasing demand for travel between

Lagos and other emerging economies.” Following the launch of services to the Seychelles in November 2011, Tripoli and Nairobi in January and April 2012, the addition of Nigeria marks another milestone in Etihad Airways’ expansion plans in Africa. The flight schedule is made up of early morning and late morning flights to Abu Dhabi, six times a week on the A330200 with its 22 Pearl Business Class and 240 Coral Economy Class configuration.

ntel is counting on facialrecognition technology for targeted ads and a team of veteran entertainment dealmakers to win over reluctant media partners for its new virtual television service.

Nutricima commits to realisation of MDGs in Nigeria

eading food and beverage firm Nutricima Limited has stressed its commitment to supporting efforts at realising the Millennium Development Goals as it affects food and nutrition in Nigeria.

Stanbic IBTC forecasts N3.043bn Q3 profit

tanbic IBTC Bank on Monday presented its earnings forecast for the third quarter 2012 on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, estimating Profit Before Tax at N3.890 billion .

Weak Naira holds up CBN’s self-sustaining forex market

he current illiquidity in the nation’s foreign exchange market, with the attendant persistent pressures on the naira, may delay the proposed reforms at the bi-weekly Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS) by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

West Africa BCEAO Cenbank cuts rate by 25 basis points

he Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) on Monday cut its key lending rate by 25 basis points to 3 percent on adverse international environment weighing on the region’s growth, the bank said in a statement.

Wakanow is Aero’s latest sales channel

igeria premier carrier, Aero Contractors said it has added renowned travel portal, Wakanow as an additional distribution means to increase the airline’s sales channel. It said the platform, which will enable customers buy tickets

directly on-line is in addition to other sales/booking and payment options provided by Aero for the customers’ convenience. According to the airline, the travel portal allows its user to explore all travel options available noting it has significantly simplified the

purchasing process for Aero’s passengers with a credit or debit card and Internet access. Passengers can now quickly and easily purchase an Aero ticket anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by providing only the necessary information over a secure connection.”

Aero Managing Director, Captain Akin George said, “The idea was to make travel a lot easier for Nigerians, especially in this Cash-lite policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). As Nigeria continues to enhance its Internet services and payment infrastructure, this type of sales channel will witness a growing demand and will soon become the leading source for ticket purchase.”

A robust PPP will help develop Nigeria’s infrastructure, says Bi-Courtney chairman By Muhammad Nasir

he Chairman of BiCourtney Aviation Services Limited, Dr Wale Babalakin has reiterated the need for government to create an enabling environment for private investors to invest in the c o u n t r y ’ s infrastructuraldevelopment, especially in the aviation sector. Speaking in Lagos at a ceremony as part of activities to mark the 5th anniversary of the Murtala Muhammed Airport terminal two (MMA2), which was built and managed by the company, Dr. Babalakin said disregard for terms of agreement entered into with private investors by government will

continue to stifle developmental efforts of Public-PrivatePartnership (PPP) if it is not revised. He said part of the measures to be taken by government that will encourage investors should include a strong legal instrument that will not erode the confidence of would-be investors when they realise they will recoup their capital in the long run. He said the decision of the Federal Government to use the MMA2 as a springboard to further develop infrastructure has shown the successes that will be recorded if similar projects are allowed to be replicatedacross Nigeria given the enabling environment. He said “The failure of PPP in Nigeria can be put to ignorance.

We all pay lip-service to the content of PPP, but very few people are knowledgeable about it. It is only by involving the private sector that this nation would go on the right path. For this to be encouraged, we have been on this for about four to five years now. “We know the beating we have taken; but we know that going forward would find succour. Nigerians must learn a lot about PPP and when they learn about it, we will change sincerely and with that a great nation is in the offing,” While also affirming that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has derailed from the terms of concession agreement they entered into

prior to the construction of the facility valued at N35billion, the Chairman said, “If we would have been allowed to move at our pace today, we would have had a power plant at the airport and that power plant would have served the entire airport and some neighbours, so, we are not just going to sit down, because it takes a lot as we have the purview of developing Nigeria, and developing Nigeria entails us being on top.” He said, “There is reluctance by new entrants, which is largely due to our bad experience but within a few years, the company conceptualised and delivered an airport terminal that has become a reference point in Nigeria’s aviation industry”.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 21

Nigeria reaps N1.4tr from gas exports By Muhammad Nasir

igeria has so far made over $9 billion from the exportation of the liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to chairman of Emerald Energy Resources Limited, Dr Emmanuel Egbogah. A former Special Adviser on Petroleum Matters to Nigeria's

late President Umaru Yar'Adua, said the money was accrued from export of the product over a period of eight years. He made this known during a lecture delivered at the inauguration of Abuja chapter of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE). He said in the lecture titled, "Nigeria oil and gas, Yesterday,

today and a guide for the future" that besides the $9 billion the government has earned as its shares from the operating six trains of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), industry watchers are expecting further revenue of over $8 billion as foreign direct investment (FDI) on the construction of the planned Train 7.

He added that the NLNG has contributed immensely to the reduction of gas flaring in the country. "Nigeria accounts for about eight per cent of the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies. The NLNG's six-train facility has a capacity for 22 million tonnes per annum (mpta) of LNG, and up to 5mtpa of natural gas liquids (NGL)." "Since October 1999 when the first LNG cargo was loaded for delivery to France and following a final investment decision by the shareholders in 1995, Nigeria LNG has brought significant value to Nigeria. In line with government's vision of generating as much revenue from gas as from oil, NLNG has successfully pioneered gas

monetisation. “It is the most significant arrow-head in government's quest to end gas flaring in the country with the attendant environmental benefits. It is also the biggest single contributor efforts to diversify the Nigerian economy and income portfolio." he said. "The success, which greeted the NLNG, has accelerated the execution of plans now at an advanced stage, for the building of the seventh train. The NLNG project grew in less than 10 years of production to a six-train operation producing 22 mtpa of LNG, with progressive plans for a seventh train intended to raise production to about 30 mtpa of LNG", he added.

FG inaugurates interagency maritime operations committee By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T Nasarawa state Deputy Governor, Hon. Dameshi Barau Luka (2nd right), Commissioner for Finance, Professor Mohammed Mainoma (right), Regional Head (North-Central),United Bank for Africa Plc, Mr. John Idoko (2nd left), and the state Branch Manager, Mr. David Ogwuche (left), during the presentation of N10,000,000,00 cheque to the state government for the displaced persons of Assakio community, yesterday in Lafia.

Business hits low ebb at Abuja airport after crash

usiness activities have remained low at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, 10 days after the tragic Dana Air plane crash at Iju-Ishaga, near Lagos. The crash on June 3, claimed no fewer than 153 passengers and some other people in a building the plane crashed onto. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that only a few intending travellers could be seen at airlines’ offices at the airport. Some intending passengers and airport workers told NAN that the latest crash had made many intending travellers to shun coming to the airport. Mrs. Talatu Turaki, a food vendor at the airport said that the development had affected her business adversely, making sales to drop drastically. “As you can see, there is not much business today, not only now but since last week when the Dana plane crashed. “Many customers have not been coming to buy things and this has affected my business a lot. My food wasted because I

kept hoping that things would change.’’ Mr. Saka Olomojoba, an airport taxi operator, said that as at 10 a.m., it had not reached his turn to convey passengers out of the airport. “Maybe people are now scared of flying, I noticed that the human traffic at the airport had reduced since the plane crash,’’ he stated. The Terminal Manager at the international wing of the airport, Mrs. Cecelia Oguana said that only British Airways left the airport to London as at 11 a.m. on June 12. She said that at least three international flights would have left the airport by the same time previously. The Domestic Wing Terminal Manager, Mr. Mohammed Mukhtar, said that most local airlines which left the airport between 7 a.m. and noon on June 9, had not made return trips. Regional Manager of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Chris Bature said the situation was not due to the accident, adding that

traffic in the early days of the week was usually slow. “I don’t think it was due to the plane crash because people have been travelling ever since the plane crashed. But Mondays and Tuesdays are not our peak periods for the out-flow of passengers. “It is at weekends that you will see many passengers travelling out. They travel out more during the weekends. “That notwithstanding, it is wrong for people to think that they will not travel by air again. “People need not to be afraid because we are putting more measures to make the aviation sector safe,’’ Bature said. He disclosed that FAAN had embarked on 10-days training for its staff on how to save airplanes from bird strikes within the nation’s air space. “Part of the upgrading and safety measures include the ongoing training for our Bird/ Wildlife Control Officers on aircraft bird-strike avoidance,’’ Bature added. Seven people are undergoing the bird-strike control course, organised by FAAN. (NAN)

he Federal Government, as part of efforts at ensuring a safe maritime industry, has inaugurated a thirteen member Inter-Agency Maritime Operations Coordination Committee (IMOCC). The Committee aims at providing synergy among agencies operating in the industry, was inaugurated yesterday in Abuja by the VicePresident, Arc. Mohammed Namadi Sambo on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan. The Vice President, who said the committee was part of the administration’s efforts at providing comprehensive security for the maritime sector considering its importance to economic growth, lamented the lack of synergy among the various agencies operating there, saying “this has unfortunately led to gaps, which criminal elements have taken advantage of to perpetrate illegal activities.” He charged all agencies in the industry to shun rivalry and embrace cooperation and collaboration, as there was an inextricable linkage between maritime security and national prosperity. The Terms of Reference of the Committee are: Identify and address factors that have sustained illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the Petroleum Industry; identify and address the factors that enable illegal entry of ships into Nigerian waters; examine the problem of importation of contrabands through the sea and proffer solution; examine the common phenomenon of non-compliance with domesticated international convections and local maritime laws and make appropriate recommendations; study

factors responsible for the failure to implement the Local Content and Cabotage laws in the Maritime sector and recommend measures to address the situation; design a framework for collaboration among relevant government agencies in the sector and; suggest other measures that will enable the achievement of government’s objectives for Maritime sector in the vision 20: 2020. VP Sambo further tasked Committee members to be sensitive to some operational guidelines, which he enumerated as: the need for a robust electronic surveillance system; pull together platforms from all relevant agencies to establish physical presence and contact on Nigeria’s waters and with vessels and; engage in regular collation and analysis of information from agencies operating in the maritime industry.

Niger’s economy to grow 15 pct in 2012

iger Republic expects its economy to grow 15 per cent in 2012, President Mahamadou Issoufou said on Tuesday, citing forecasts from the IMF and the World Bank. Issoufou made the growth forecast, which compared with estimated 3.8 per cent GDP growth in 2011, at an event in Chatham House in London. (Reuters/NAN)

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012 Stories by Udenna Orji

Interior of Oasis Mall, Karu, Abuja. Oasis when completed will have retail space fo over 27,000sqm with a building area of over 35,000 sqm and comfortable parking for about 1,400 cars at any time making it the largest shopping Mall in West Africa.

FG urged to tap into pension, insurance to boost mortgage development T

he Federal Government has been urged to tap into the Nigeria’s pension contributory scheme and also develop the insurance sector if the troubled mortgage sub-sector must be grown to meet Nigeria’s estimated shortfall of 16 million housing units. According to the Chief Executive Officer of Abuja-based a mortgage bank, Sun Trust Savings & Loans Ltd, Mohammed Jibrin “The Pension Reform Act, 2004, has made it possible for people to have a contributory pension scheme in place. The pension industry has an estimated N2.4 trillion of pension funds under management. “These are mostly long-term funds and are the most qualified

to support the mortgage industry in attaining its millennium development goals. But these funds, understandably, are mostly locked up in government treasury bills and bonds. “These (pension) funds have to be unlocked and made available for the real estate sector. This is because the funds are basically long-term and you may not have the problem we (mortgage banks) experience today in terms of mismatch in the maturity profile of the loans we grant, because mortgage loans are long term as against the deposits we take that are mostly short-tenured. “If you do an actuarial valuation of the pension funds managed by the PFAs (Pension

Fund Administrators), the minimum average number of years the money will remain with the PFAs is about 20 years. This is what we call long term money. This is the type of money you expect should go into the housing and mortgage sector” He revealed that stakeholders have been making efforts to sell the idea to government, saying, “There have been varied meetings and position papers to this effect. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple has been holding stakeholder meetings with the sector. She has set up committees, she is doing a great job honestly and the Federal Mortgage Bank has been providing the necessary support to this effect.

“I am aware that the Minister of Finance and the Coordinator of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is committed to and looking at the housing sector as a catalyst for growth and employment generation. I know that the housing and finance minister have been working together to ensure that the housing sector is jump-started seriously this year. It is on top of their radar. The idea is to create jobs in the economy. “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) needs to get involved too by providing the necessary funds and credit guarantees to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in particular and to the sector in general. The Nigerian housing sector is one of the most

and as Polished Tiles. A leading light in the Abuja property and construction market, OFL’s products are granite and marble slabs and tiles from granites and marbles mined in Nigeria. OFL’s exclusive designs and top notch finishing have made the company a reliable partner for the marble and granite needs of high quality conscious operators in the construction industry. The company describes Nigerian granite and marble as “the best and most beautiful on earth” The Chief Operating Officer of OFL, Arome Aduku told Peoples Daily that “OFL is set up to satisfy large scale users of granite tiles and slabs like hotels, high rises, industrial complex, airports and churches where large volumes and consistent colours are required”.

eal Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), has called for a national strategy to boost the development of low cost housing and social housing in Nigeria. Among its proposed options is the need for governments at the various levels to compel estate developers in high brow areas like Ikoyi, Lekki, Asokoro in Abuja, Port Harcourt to incorporate in their schemes, low cost housing for the workers that are serving residents and owners of high end properties in these estates. This means that on-going and new developments in high brow areas must make provisions for the low and medium income groups with 10 per cent of houses in such estates set aside for the low income group, another 10 per cent for the medium income earners and the balance of 80 per cent set aside for the high

Nigeria makes advances in marble & granite production

igeria’s quest to wrest the lucrative building materials sub-sector from rampaging Asian exports received a boost recently when fast-rising indigenous marble and granite producer, Onshore Frontiers Limited (OFL), consolidated its emerging leadership of the marble and granite market with its successful installation of state-ofthe-art multi-blade cutting machines for granite and marble production in Nigeria. With this installation, OFL’s production of polished marble and granite slabs and tiles in Nigeria is now at 100 square metres per day. Although, Nigerian natural stones are globally acknowledged to be among the best and most beautiful decorative stones on earth, cheap and sub-standard marble and granite products

imported into the country have continued to frustrate government’s efforts to grow indigenous marble and granite production. OFL gained acceptance into the market through its use of cuttingedge technology to manufacture natural Nigerian stones to global standard for all applications from floor to ceiling. The company’s equipment include a 10 ton round disk crane, an automatic polisher, a slab cutter, a manual polisher and a profiler and its colourful products include Shendam Purphyry, Toto Rose Marble, Abaji Clouds, African Multi color, Red River Granite, Jakura White, Lokoja Brown, Uke Special, Lokoja Grey. These products are used for Table Tops, Bath Tubs, Kitchen Tops, Unpolished Tiles, Profiled Edges

diagnosed sectors of the economy. The issues that are militating against its development are very clear.” Jibrin said. The poor development of Nigeria’s mortgage industry has also been blamed on the low level of insurance penetration and awareness in the country. The Managing Director of Union Assurance Company Limited, Mr. Godwin Odah, who made this known to newsmen said no economy could successfully thrive without a vibrant insurance sector which would breed entrepreneurship that would lift the housing sector. Odah described insurance as a mechanism for mobilising funds, adding that mortgage and housing remained scarce because there were no funds. “We need long term funds, which is what life insurance provides”, she said.

REDAN strategises to boost affordable housing

income group. To achieve this, REDAN is facilitating a meeting of stakeholders, including the Minister of Housing, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). According to a REDAN official, Mr. Shola Enitan, the association is also canvassing support for social housing provision whereby people in distress can be temporarily accommodated in decent government houses before they are able to sort themselves out. No Nigerian should be allowed to spend all his earnings paying house rent to landlords, either private landlord or government for ever, and in a situation by which government is the landlord, the tenants must have the opportunity to buying off the apartment at the long run without much sweat”, he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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PAGE 25

Towards reviving Plateau as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;centre for peace and tourismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; By Miriam Humbe with agency report

nitially, particularly in the years before the onset of the violent crises which persisted in Plateau state for over 11 years, most people saw the state, especially Jos, the capital as a second home. People from around the world and within the country took advantage of the favourable climate and

beautiful tourist sites to visit the state on a regular basis and even acquire landed property in anticipation of making it their retirement home. These activities in no small way went a long way to boost the economy of the state. The story today is unfortunately, the reverse. The crises that rocked the plateau spanning over a decade have regrettably taken its toll on Plateau's tourism industry and

virtually crippled business activities as residents live in fear of the unknown. Visitors who hitherto, thronged the Plateau also known as the ``Centre for Peace and Tourism", either to savour the luscious scenic sites or to hold conferences, workshops and seminars because of the tranquil atmosphere of peace in the state have taken other options. The crises have also restricted the fear-stricken residents to

foray into the rocks and hills, usually return to a warm nightlife, as they patronise various relaxation joints where they enjoy local delicacies like roasted fish,'' he said. Mrs Mary Atin, who deals in bush-meat and fish by the foot of Shere Hills recalled that tourists used to buy a lot of delicacies such as fish pepper soup, stick meat or roasted bush meat from her, but that "tthese days, one hardly sees tourists visiting Shere Hills". "The situation is worse in the rural areas where most of the good tourism sites are located, as prospective tourists stayed away from the sites because of the fear that assailants could strike any moment,'' she said. The Vice-Chairman, the Plateau chapter of Hotel Owners Association, Mr. Maurice Yenvel stressed that the hospitality industry was worst hit by the protracted violence in the state, as most people now preferred to stay indoors even during festivities like Sallah and Christmas. He added that members of his association were striving hard to make hotels more secure, calling on the state and Federal Government to earnestly work for the restoration of peace in Plateau so as to enable the state to fully attain its potential. Nevertheless, as stakeholders strive to work for the restoration of peace in the state, the Plateau state Tourism Corporation believes that it could recoup the great losses it had

particular areas considered "safe" to them. The General Manager, Plateau State Tourism Corporation, Mr Michael Zi recalled how the state used to record an average of 300,000 tourists annually when it was peaceful. ``Because of the state's unique sites, weather and topography, tourists usually flocked in from various directions and the state kept attracting all manners of visitors all year Riyom Rock in Jos renowned as one of nature's most spectacular rock formations

Assop falls near Jos

round,'' he said. He expatiated that while many tourists were attracted by the clement weather, others were fascinated by the interlocking rocks, adding that some of the tourists just wanted to enjoy the natural habitat, the green lush, the fruits, the vegetables and the waterfalls. The Assistant General Manager (Wildlife) in Plateau state Tourism Corporation, Mr Timothy Nyam said a major tourist destination was the Wildlife Safari Park in Jos, home to a wide variety of wild animals like lions, buffalos, leopards, pythons, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, monkeys, jackals, baboons, among others. He also noted that other tourism sites included the National Museum in Jos, renowned for its archaeological items, pottery and fine specimens of the Nok terracotta heads and artefacts, which dated as far back as from 500 BC to 200 AD. Other key sites, he added, included the Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture with life-size replicas of traditional buildings, a Tiv village and ancient mosques.

Nyam said, "Assop Falls, well-liked by persons interested in picnicking, swimming and beautiful scenery, have also proved to be a good location for people shooting local soap operas and advertisements,'' he added.

The tourism officer said that other tourism sites in the state included the Kurra Falls -- renowned for rocky hills and lakes - and Wase Rock, with its striking dome-shaped feature. He said that other sites

D-G NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe

included Kerang Highlands, some volcanic hills which produced natural spring waters, the Shere Hills, popular among mountain climbers, and the Riyom Rock, renowned as one of nature's most spectacular rock formations. Some of the tourist attractions in Plateau are the Pandam Game Reserve, the Kahwang Rock Formation in Bangai village, Riyom Local Government Area, as well as the Miango Rest House, a retreat and conference centre that was established by SIM Nigeria Christian missionaries in 1914. The tourism corporation's General Manager, Zi stressed that in spite of the allure of many tourism sites in Plateau, the state was currently recording less than 10,000 tourists annually. "Since the violence began, we hardly get tourists. It is a sad situation that has affected, not only the tourism sector but also the entire economy of Plateau,'' he said. Zi stressed that the influx of people into the state had stimulated its growth with the multiplier effects of increased patronage of hotels, markets and farms, among others. "Tourists, after a busy

Gov. Jonah Jang

incurred over the years due to the lull in business. Nyam believes that the`` the revenue will even triple if the Pandam Wildlife Park and the Wase Rock Game Reserve can live up to their potentialities,'' he said. Nyam, however, noted that inadequate finance had stunted the growth of the tourism sector over the years, adding that more funds should be injected into the ecotourism sub-sector since it was a capital intensive venture. Nyam furthermore, called for a strong publicprivate partnership in efforts to re-package the tourism industry and train modern tourist guides, while mounting a sustained check on private tourism companies to ensure they met modern standards. He also proposed better packaging for the tourism sites, such as ensuring the driveways and walkways in the parks are paved to ease the tourists' movement. It is believed that the Plateau state Government has taken the right step to boost tourism in the state by earmarking N25 million in this year's budget to restock the Jos Wildlife Park. The Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Hospitality, Mr Sylvanus Dongtoe said that the money would be used for the acquisition of more animals after the recent success recorded in breeding new animals, which included a pair of porcupine, a stripped hyena, a male duiker and a ground herubill.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 27

Boy, 11, ‘playing in the street’ when arrested for taking part in Bahrain protest

n 11-year-old boy arrested for allegedly taking part in antigovernment protests has been freed ahead of his trial. Ali Hasan says he was playing in the streets near his him in alBilad al-Qadeem, a suburb of the Bahrain capital, Manama, with two other children his age when he was arrested for ‘joining an illegal gathering’ and other claims. Protests have been held in Sadad calling for his release for the last month, and that finally

happened on Monday evening according to his lawyer, Mohsen alAlawi. The sixth-grade student sat his exams while in prison and is among the youngest suspects detained in crackdowns on protests led by Bahrain’s Shiite majority which seeks a greater political voice from the ruling Sunni dynasty. He will appear before the court again on June 20. Hasan said the two boys he was playing with ran off after being

His arrest provoked protests from women and children along with human rights activist Zainab alKhawaja, right.

Ali Hasan flashes the victory sign after being released from prison ahead of his trial on June 20.

Khadija Habib, right, kisses her son after his release from prison where he was detained for 'joining an illegal gathering'.

approached by plain clothes police officers in a car. One of the officers ordered him to stop or he would shoot if he tried to get away and he was later ordered to identify other boys where he lived. Among the accusations the 11year-old faces is the allegation that he blocked a road with a rubbish skip, but his lawyer, Shahzalan Khamees, said this was impossible because ‘you would need two grown men to lift it’. He was moved to different police stations for the first four hours of his detention, according to the Independent, in order to disorientate him. Mrs Khamees said: ‘He is very sad all the time. All he says is “I want to go home. I want my mother”. He is frightened and says they are going to punish him. He is only a child.’ It is not the first time that the Bahrain authorities have been accused of targeting school children - three teenage school girls said they were beaten in custody by the police there in May last year. More than 50 people have died in Bahrain since unrest began in February and martial law was imposed after mass rallies. Martial law was declared after rallies of up to 200,000 people took place. The monarchy set about crushing demonstrations by calling in troops from Sunni Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Last November, an international inquiry into the brutal crackdown found that ‘excessive and unnecessary force’ had been used and that detainees suffered electric shocks, and beatings with rubber hoses and wires. There are continued reports of arrests and torture at the hands of the Sunni authorities. In March this year, the UN asked for the Bahrain government to investigate allegations that tear gas, rubber bullets and birdshot pellets were being used against protesters.

Eight opposition leaders have been sentenced to life in prison and a Bahrain policewoman is currently on trial for torturing a French TV journalist who was taken into custody.

Earlier this week, Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was arrested after tweeting a comment that criticised the Gulf nation’s ruling caste. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

A Bahraini boy holds a placard depicting a jail door in protest against Hasan's arrest.

More than 50 people have died in Bahrain since unrest began in February and martial law was imposed after mass rallies.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 28

You are a liar; I didn’t declare war on your media empire, Brown tells Murdoch G ordon Brown yesterday accused Rupert Murdoch of lying on oath in his claim to the Leveson Inquiry that the former prime minister ‘declared war’ on his media empire. Mr Brown said an alleged ‘unbalanced’ phone call the tycoon claimed was made after The Sun switched its backing to the Tories did not take place. ‘This call did not happen. The threat was not made. I find it shocking. There is no evidence that it happened,’ he said. In a statement issued last night by News Corporation, Mr Murdoch stood by his evidence. But in extraordinary testimony to the judicial inquiry into media standards, Mr Brown also insisted he did not give consent for The Sun to publish a story about his son’s diagnosis with cystic fibrosis. He said he was ‘shocked and surprised’ that Mr Murdoch had told the inquiry he had said that in allowing his newspaper to support the Tories, he had ‘declared war on the government’, leaving him ‘no alternative but to declare war on your company’. Mr Brown rejected evidence

from the newspaper’s former editor Rebekah Brooks that he and wife Sarah had agreed to the publication of details of the illness of their son, Fraser, though he appeared to accept that it was not obtained by accessing his medical records as previously claimed. And he accused The Sun of distorting reports on the war on Afghanistan to make it appear that he had ‘evil intentions’ and did not care about British troops. Mr Brown’s claims are serious because they charge Mr Murdoch and Mrs Brooks of not telling the truth at the inquiry. Witnesses must swear on oath to give truthful evidence, and could be charged with perjury if they have not done so. The former PM’s evidence was his first major public appearance since he spoke in the Commons a year ago to attack the ‘criminalmedia nexus’ he said had been created by the Murdoch empire. A defiant Mr Brown appeared determined to contradict Mr Murdoch’s evidence in which the former prime minister was alleged to have vowed to go to war with his company.

Battle: Gordon Brown and Rupert Murdoch have been engaged in an incredible war of words with the former Prime Minister accused of making a 'threatening' phone call to the media mogul when The Sun dropped support for Labour in 2009.

Evidence: Gordon Brown has started giving evidence yesterday morning as he was drawn into the Leveson firestorm.

Cosy relationship: Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah with Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi shortly after Mr Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, but their relationship eventually turned sour.

Big day: Gordon Brown with his wife Sarah arrive at a rain-soaked Royal Courts of Justice this morning.

‘I am alleged to have acted in an unbalanced way. This conversation never took place. I am shocked and surprised that it should be suggested,’ Mr Brown said. He said he had spoken to Mr Murdoch weeks after The Sun’s switch to the Tories in 2009, but the conversation was about Afghanistan. In her evidence, Mrs Brooks told the inquiry that Mr Brown had been ‘extraordinarily aggressive’ in response to The Sun’s coverage of

the conflict. But the former PM dismissed that claim. He also denounced claims in The Sun that he fell asleep at a memorial service, insisting he was bowing his head to pray, and also attacked its coverage of a letter he sent to the mother of a dead soldier that was said to have contained 25 mistakes. He added that he felt he did not have the support of The Sun ‘for almost all the time that I was prime minister. ‘You have to remember that

when I started off as prime minister, the first thing The Sun did was try to ruin my first party conference by launching their huge campaign about how we were selling Britain down the river and demanding not only a European referendum but demanding that I support it,’ he said. An emotional Mr Brown also rejected Mrs Brooks’s evidence that he and his wife gave permission for the paper to reveal that their son Fraser had cystic fibrosis. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 29

Nigeria Question: The Price of Niger Delta Oil Money

FR OM THE FROM LIVE ST AGE STA with Patrick-Jude Oteh 0803 700 0496, 0805 953 5215 (SMS only)

By Ikenna Emeka Okpani

BOOK REVIEW

riting a book on the Niger Delta as tempting as it is, is an uphill task but Mr. M. O. Ajah Jnr. simplified this task by taking a holistic look at the scenario that has come to be known as the Niger Delta, the background, the problem, the solutions proffered by various people and the way forward. As big as the book is - 1,240 pages - one is at a dilemma as to what should not have been there or what should have been there that is not there. M. O. Ajah Jnr. has written from a point of knowledge showing absolute understanding of the Niger Delta, its people, culture problems and militancy. His style is captivating and he discusses the issues with a flat narrative that lures you into the book the more. The book drives its major strength from a wide use of various styles to convey the message and the solidity of the research carried out by the writer makes the book more compelling to read. The book starts with the history of the Niger Delta, its peoples, the states and all the areas that make up the states. It then goes ahead to discuss what the issues are and how the conflict gradually developed to become a major factor of national and international concern. The greatest asset the book has is that it lays out facts bare without forming any opinion. It is left for the reader to discern and apportion blames where necessary according to the dictates of the reader’s mind. In discussing the causes of the crisis, the author mentions issues of environmental degradation and devastation, neglect of the oil producing communities by government and the oil companies who are solely driven by the profit motive; poverty and underdevelopment and the usual inter ethnic wars for supremacy which have shaped the Nigerian society even before the advent of the country as an entity. Who would have thought about writing a book like this before 1956? Who would have known how the history of this country were to be rewritten from a single discovery in 1956 at Olobiri in the present day Bayelsa State? But that singular discovery has led to many problems and blessings, curses and fortunes, death and births, motion and inertia and of course, the writing of this wonderful book: Nigeria Question: The Price of Niger Delta Oil Money. Again, the author maintained such style that is engaging and compelling. The book starts with a rich background of the story of oil in

This sad script again!

The book front cover the country and the origin and development of various concomitant issues and events that have shaped the oil industry in Nigeria. The histories behind the events are evolved in rather a dramatic manner that the reader wades more into the concaves of the heavily loaded book. For researchers and students of history, the book would be a ready companion, a one-stop shop for a compendium of facts and figures, an indispensable collection of Nigeria’s oil movement and the cause of the Black Gold.

increases of pump prices of oil which have made the Black Gold producer one of the countries with the highest pump prices in the world? You would find the history of those increases, the presidents or the Heads of State that did it, up to the anti climax of full deregulations. And talking of past leaders, the book treats you to a chronological leadership journey of the country from the Azikiwes to the Jonathans and takes out time to expose Yar’Adua/Jonathan rather overlooked 7-point agenda which

“

The Niger Delta question is a live issue which would continue to agitate the mind of Nigerians evoking various passions and pity, fever and fantasy, seizures and succour and of course pride and prejudices With this book, you probably need no other in any form for the purpose of understanding and appreciating the story of the Niger Delta. Is it about what people have said about the crisis or about oil in Nigeria or about the conflicts and intrigues? You have over one hundred pages of a dose of them. Is it about the rather phenomenal

has seemed to become a mantra. The significance of discussing the agenda lies in its Niger Delta content, part of which has led to the creation of the Niger Delta Ministry. From there the author carries the journey to a crescendo with a typical glance at the Niger Delta and the nationalities that make Contd. on page 30

ur deep condolences to all those that died in the Dana plane crash, the suicide bombing in Bauchi and the Allied Air plane crash in Accra, Ghana. It has indeed been a weekend of raining sorrow. We are deeply sorry to all those that died. We are very sorry. I am not going to dwell on the tragedy but rather the events that preceded it. Take back to 2004/2006 when there were a spate of air crashes in Nigeria. Planes were practically falling out of the skies. We were promised heaven and earth. We were told this would not happen again. We were told that gone were the days when we would rely on foreign companies to help us with search and rescue. We were told that the memories of all those that died would remain evergreen in our hearts and it is this that would help us to do the right things, get the right equipment, immortalise the dead..... Fast forward to 2012 – almost a decade later. Check the first footages from the burning plane and the burning houses. What did we see and what did we hear? We were told that the first fire fighter that arrived – only one – did not have water. It was joined by another one later that had water which was soon exhausted. Fast forward to our primitive show – people using bare hands to try to put out the raging fire in three or more houses and a burning plane. Barely clad young men and women were scooping water from surrounding gutters to try to put out the fire! This is the search and rescue that we had been promised almost a decade. Move over to Ghana – we saw the Ghanaian Minister of Aviation addressing the press and the world with clothes that you will know were just thrown on in the face of the emergency. Barely an hour later the Vice President of Ghana was there and later the President. Fast forward to our own – our honourable Minster of Aviation addressed the world from the boardroom of NCAA. The very familiar script – this would never happen again. Set up a high probe to look at what happened. Even the script being read by the minister did not give one the confidence that these people know what they are doing. Even the manner of the speech was pathetic. No inspiration, nothing! Take the picture back to all those who lost loved ones

almost a decade ago – the deaths of their loved ones must have been in vain. This I believe is a recurrent thought in the minds of many. A death is useful if and when lessons learnt are used to avoid recurrences. But this has not been the case. When the anniversary of the Oke Afa canal tragedy was around the corner, we heard families crying that they had been abandoned. Let us not go as far back as the families of those who died in the military plane crash. We heard a lot of the cries of those widows and children at the Oputa panel. Now, Dana Air has happened. We have seen that all the talk about search and rescue, world class equipment etc just like everything that we do is all talk. Back to our question in Woza Albert – what kind of country is this? I add what manner of shameless people are these? Very soon, we will be told that it is time to fast and pray for this country. A day of fasting might even be declared that we should all go on our knees to

“

Now, Dana Air has happened. We have seen that all the talk about search and rescue, world class equipment etc just like everything that we do is all talk. Back to our question in Woza Albert – what kind of country is this? I add what manner of shameless people are these? pray to God. Who are we deceiving? Let the games go on and let us continue to update those familiar tragic scripts that we shamelessly roll out with each tragedy. It is pathetic, sad and extremely pitiful. What manner of country is this? To the dead from Lagos, Bauchi and Ghana, once again, we are very sorry! Very, very sorry!

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Unity Kids debut in Abuja By Muhammad Ajah

or the first time in the history of Nigeria, two little Nigerian children artists will be dazzling the nation, the entire African continent and the world with unprecedented massages to the Nigerian and African children as well as their African leaders. The young artists Bushra (7 years) and her sister Huda (5 years) are releasing their Unity Kids video album to the public very soon. The public presentation of this unique Album will be announced in due course. The children have not only shown their own readiness to join the struggle to move the nation/continent forward from their tender ages, but have, through their songs, preached to their mates in particular and the Nigerian/African people in general the need to be patriotically hopeful, positively inspired, obediently submissive to constituted authorities, totally loyal to their parents, even while

honouring and respecting their teachers, elders and seniors, and above all thankful to God for their wonderful and beloved families. The album is made up of Nine (9) tracks with two interviews, one from the two little children (at the beginning) and the other from their mother (at the end). Titles of the tracks are: 1) Nigeria is a Promised Land 2) Our President, listen to us 3) We are one 4) Let’s make Africa great 5) I believe in unity 6) Little children 7) So so precious 8) Thank God for my family 9) Save our future Those who are interested in promoting excellence in Nigerian/African children and wish to encourage these children can contact them through this medium or the contacts on the scanned CD attached herewith. There can be no doubt that the recognition of the efforts of these children will surely

Title: An ordinary day By Khalthum Umaru The grey birds thronged the sky, swift and silent, belying the chaos to unfold. All the while, a silent hush mirrored the heavens, the village bursting with the tale yet untold. Finally, silent teardrops meet the bloodstained earth, stroking her contours. But it turns into a violent lover, pounding and crushing with incessant showers. invigorate them to render more services to their father land (Nigeria and Africa) and humanity in a more guided, dedicated and inspirited

manner. Muhammad Ajah is an author, based in Abuja. Email mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk

Nigeria Question: The Price of Niger Delta Oil Money Contd. from page 29 up the entity, thereby giving the story a twist that flaunts the blood and flesh of the delta. The discussion in a subtle way presents an inference that is rather poignant vis-à-vis the destruction that has led to the erosion of not only the cultural heritage of a people but their very vine of existence in a manner that evokes pity. The hidden suasion

The book back cover

in that particular chapter is the fact that what would have naturally been a blessing of God has led to the curse of the people. Elevating the journey to a fever peach, Mr. Ajah descends on the struggles yanking out the strugglers in a most benign manner devoid of the usual judgemental approach. At this point, the journey has become rather a roller coaster one

PEOPLES POEM OF THE WEEK

as it anchors at the Bakassi bay discussing the Nigeria Cameroon jinx – a breaking event, if you like, and how a people and the totality of what they represent were sacrifices on the altar of international diplomacy and statesmanship in a subtly bizarre way. The consequences of the event and the oil or local content of it, if you don’t mind, are unearthed. This is closely followed with an x-ray of the fall out of oil prospecting in the delta – gangstarism, joblessness, youth restiveness, the all enticing kidnapping business, extended poverty and prostitution, hawking and child abuse and of course the high cost of living even in very rural communities. The trip round the delta does not end there as it takes you to the efforts of the Federal Government at solving the issues of development in the region through the creation of many commissions and setting up of various programmes. It touches down on the efforts of governors in the recent past and the pet projects of their beautiful wives towards that end. In a form that makes it complete as a book on the Niger Delta, the author discusses the stands at various positions of the many pan Niger Delta organisations and their detractors, if you don’t mind. To acquaint you with the terminologies that have come to define the Niger Delta struggles a section of the book was dedicated to unravel many of them. The book moves ahead with a compendium of quotes and statements by Nigerians from various works of life on the Niger Delta question. The Niger Delta question is a live issue which would continue

to agitate the mind of Nigerians evoking various passions and pity, fever and fantasy, seizures and succour and of course pride and prejudices. What Ajah’s book does is to present them with cutting edge research. However, one observed defect of the book is that of a collection of facts and figures presented in a manner that is not too coercive. It may well be that the book was a contribution in a contest for the biggest books on the earth, but if not, how does one explain the existence of chapters that do not contribute in any way to the development of the story of the book . Such content like the past leaders, some inaugural speeches, the listing of some former governors as strugglers in the battle for the delta, the heavy dose of quotations from various people, the pictures of past Heads of State and current leaders of the Federal Legislature have no additional impact on the book. Others include the verbatim reproduction of communiqués of various meetings of groups on the Niger Delta which bear similarity to one another and of course the inclusion of the budgets of States of the federation. In the overall assessment, the book is a quality one recommended for all researchers and students, politicians and all Nigerians as well as the international community. Mr. Ajah has succeeded in adding to the literature of the delta in this major book. It would be difficult to find any book that is more comprehensive like this by Mr. Ajah on the Niger Delta. I stand to be corrected. Ikenna Emeka Okpani is the Head of Media and Publication, Nigerian Society of Engineers

A panicked mother wails out loud and runs among dwellings burned to the ground. Searching frantically under charred remains and there she found, The girl child, whose cry split the harsh beauty of the waxlike carnage beneath her feet? In the village centre peaceful black bodies lay strewn belying the terror of minutes Past. With intense fervor, the still black rebels had slashed with murderous savagery and exploding pain. The onslaught caught the village unawares, now being erased by the deluge of rain. The people’s hearts bled. The land wept but covered up the gore, to tell a lie. Enduringly, the earth shifted, and spoke her healing, resilient words under the now azure sky. Unspoiled richness, they came to say It was, after all, just an ordinary day.

QUO TE UOTE

There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability. –– Robert Half

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 31

The myth of Mullah Omar ANALYSIS

decade of the US-led NATO war against the Afghan Taliban has done little to erode the influence of one of the movement's most powerful symbols: the one-eyed, deeply secretive spiritual leader, Mullah Omar. The killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011 greatly undermined the global reach and reputation of al-Qaeda. Despite battlefield victories and a $10m reward, the same success has eluded allied forces in their hunt for the shadowy leader of the Taliban. Never seen and barely heard by most Afghans during his fiveyear rule, Omar was little more than an ever-increasiing myth. The perpetuation of that myth today is considered by many a nagging failure of NATO and a uniting factor for the Taliban. The grinding corruption within the government of President Hamid Karzai has led Afghans in parts of the country to whisper his name and reputation for righteousness. "No matter how much money we pour in, how hard I try, these people will stand by Mullah Omar for his perceived justice," one senior official in Kandahar recalled telling an American general. "They say the Taliban cleaned up this place [Kandahar] from vice; from dog-fighting and bird-fighting and sodomy." The rise of Mullah Omar is shrouded in mystery, but legends about him are everywhere. According to one account, in the heat of the war against the Soviet Union, Omar continued fighting after shrapnel struck his right eye. The pillaging and chaos that followed the Soviet withdrawal tried his patience, it is said, and the raping of a group of travelers by a local warlord in Kandahar led him to gather the ultraconservative force that became the Taliban. Another account claims he was visited in a dream by the Prophet Mohammed, who revealed that Mullah Omar should lead the country out of chaos. "Mullah Omar was a nobody, except for some brief glory from the anti-Soviet days," said Omar Sharifi, an Afghan anthropologist and historian who has been a close observer of the Taliban from their early days.

"He was the most obscure character on the Kandahar political map. The invoking of an old myth was what helped him establish legitimacy." To formally announce his leadership in 1996, Mullah Omar, then 36 years old, brought forth the purported cloak of the Prophet Mahammad (PBUH), one of Afghanistan's most cherished Islamic relics. For the first time since the reign of Ahmad Shah Abdali more than 250 years before, Omar donned the cloak in the presence of about 1,500 religious leaders, including the late Osama bin Laden. "Wearing the cloak was a masterstroke," Sharifi said, adding that it linked the exguerrilla fighter to both Abdali and the Prophet. But Wahid Muzhda, an Afghan analyst and one-time high-ranking official in the Taliban foreign ministry, disputes that narrative. "From what I know, from sources close to Omar, and from a chat with the keeper of the shrine [where the cloak is kept], Omar did not wear the cloak." "With great respect, he held the cloak in front of the religious leaders gathered for allegiance." This gesture, more than any other, was the impetus that allowed Mullah Omar, without any deep political or tribal base, to become the iron-fisted ruler of about 90 per cent of Afghanistan until the US invasion in 2001. Perhaps his official title put it best: Commander of the Faithful, Emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. There is no consensus about the birth of the Taliban movement, or the hands behind it. Many, like Muzhda, believe the movement grew in response to the chaos following Soviet withdrawal. Backing from ISI, the Pakistani intelligence agency, came later, when they saw the movement's potential, he said. But others, like Sharifi, question that theory. The design

Mullah Umar for a movement like the Taliban existed long before Mullah Omar was picked as its chief, he said. Sharifi explained that the power vacuum and social anarchy of the 1990s gave the Taliban and its leader a momentous rise - even past the expectations of their alleged benefactor, the ISI. "How do you create a movement in a tribal society that goes beyond the deeply rooted tensions between tribes?" Sharifi asked. "Through religious zeal, and through charisma of leadership. Mullah Omar had that charisma in his power of delivery." Such "charisma" was tightly controlled, some say by his almost complete absence from the public realm. The spiritual leader of the Taliban received his only education at a seminary in Pakistan, according to some reports. Others suggest he was educated in local religious schools in Kandahar. Sharifi believes Mullah Omar did not have the capacity to sustain the myth that surrounded him. Emal Pasarly, an Afghan journalist with BBC Pashto, has interviewed Mullah Omar three times by phone in four- or fiveminute conversations that were recorded on the spot without prior arrangement. The last such conversation took place late in 2001, after US B-52 bombers had started pounding Talibancontrolled areas. "The impression I was left with is that he either does not

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

understand the nuances of issues, or that he is too smart and does not want to give clues on his inner thoughts," Pasarly recalled. Poet Bari Jahani remembers visiting Mullah Omar office with a delegation of Afghan academics and activists in the early days of Taliban rule. The room where they gathered was dark and windowless. "Everybody was giving him praises; that he has a good system, that he has brought security," Jahani recalled. By his account, the mullah was "tall and handsome" and listened in quiet. "When it was my turn, I said, 'I am sorry, most of what I have [to say] is bitter.'" Jahani said he informed Mullah Omar about the discontent he perceived from people on trips to Kabul and Jalalabad about the strict religious measures imposed upon the country. "Mullah Omar stared and stared and stared. Eventually, when I gave him the chance to respond, he stood up, hugged me, said 'God be with you' and left. That was it." If the leader was vague and mysterious, the mandates of the Taliban were not. Women were prohibited from school and work. Television sets were outlawed. Photography was banned. Artists were threatened with imprisonment if they dared indulge in visual creation. The Taliban also banned music. Travellers crossing the Torkham border from Pakistan were greeted by broken

The spiritual leader of the Taliban received his only education at a seminary in Pakistan, according to some reports. Others suggest he was educated in local religious schools in Kandahar. Sharifi believes Mullah Omar did not have the capacity to sustain the myth that surrounded him.

instruments strung from a tree. In the dearth of media, Mullah Omar became synonymous with his "sayings" beamed out on Radio Voice of Sharia, the only local broadcast service under the Taliban government. But the mullah never spoke on Voice of Sharia; it was renowned anchor Sangar Niazai who read out the brief "sayings of the Commander of the Faithful". The day the Taliban captured Kabul, Niazai was one of only two who showed up for work at the radio station. The rest of the staff stayed home in fear. "On my own initiative, I sat behind the microphone and recited patriotic poems," Niazai said. "The rest of the broadcast we filled with brief messages about the change of regime, and patriotic songs. There was no Taliban policy yet." In the days that followed, Niazai's deep, "mountainous" voice fuelled the image of Mullah Omar as a larger-than-life figure. Mullah Ishaq Nizami, who was then the newly appointed director general of radio, recited the more important messages. "The director general was so enthusiastic that he wanted to read the news and the sayings in the morning, at noon, and also in the evening," Niazai recalled. "We told him this is not your job. You are the director. We, the anchors, are supposed to be reading the news." It is believed that Mullah Omar slipped into Pakistan after the US invaded in 2001. Some US and Afghan reports place him in Karachi. He has issued several recorded and written messages from undisclosed locations over recent years. Believed to be 52 years old, he remains at large; credible information about him is scarce. Even some of the grainy images of him that have circulated in the past near-decade have been disputed. Mullah Omar may likely never come public, Sharifi has said, because the man could never match the myth. Source: Aljazeera.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 32

Scores arrested after Tunis art riots

19th AU summit shifted to Addis Ababa By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

he 19th summit of the African Union (AU) earlier scheduled to take place in Lilongwe, Malawi between the 9th and 16th of July, 2012, has been shifted to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. According to a statement released by the AU’s Directorate of Information and Communication, the summit, themed “Boosting Intra-African Trade” will still hold on the earlier dates. “Journalists are informed that the 19th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the African Union, which was initially scheduled to take place in Lilongwe, Malawi, is now taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The dates for the summit remain unchanged, i.e. 9-16 July 2012,” the statement said. The AU did not however give any reasons for the change of venue. According to the release, the 24th Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) will hold between 9th and 10th July 2012. The 21st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council will hold between the 12th and 13th of July 2012 while 19th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union will commence on 15th and end on 16th July, 2012.

The protesters set fire to part of a courthouse during their overnight fighting with police [AFP]

t least 86 people have been arrested after Salafi Muslims and others clashed with police in Tunis over an art exhibition many say insults Islam. Protesters blocked streets and set tyres alight on Monday night in the working class Ettadamen and Sidi Hussein districts of the capital, hurling

petrol bombs at police in some of the worst confrontations the city has seen since last year's revolt. An Interior Ministry official told the Reuters news agency that 86 people had been detained overnight and seven members of the security forces had been wounded as they tried to quell the rioting by using

tear gas and firing into the air. By morning, protests had spread to a number of residential districts, with young men preventing trams from passing through the Intilaqa district of the capital, where shops remained closed. There was evidence of looting in some areas, where shop windows were smashed.

The clashes came a day after a group of Salafis, who follow a strictly conservative interpretation of Islam, forced their way into an art exhibition in the upscale La Marsa suburb and defaced works they deemed offensive. The work that appears to have caused the most fury and polarised Tunisians spelt out the name of God using insects. It was the latest incident in a series of confrontations between hardline Salafis and more secular state and civil institutions, including universities, which have flared over the past year in Tunisia. "These artists are attacking Islam and this is not new. Islam is targeted," said a youth, who gave his name as Ali and was preparing to confront police in Ettadamen. "What has added fuel to the flames is the silence of the government, which has taken no decision," said Ali, who did not describe himself as a Salafi. In a statement released before the protests, Ennahda, the moderate Islamist party that now leads the government, condemned what it described as provocations and insults against religion but urged its own supporters to respond peacefully.

ECOWAS Parliament, IPU unite against child trafficking and labour By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

he Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has called for concerted efforts among national and regional parliaments to combat the menaces of child trafficking and child labour. Senator Ekweremadu made the call at the opening of a regional seminar themed "Joining the Initiatives and Experiences of National Parliaments for Effective Campaign against Child Trafficking and Labour" hosted in Abuja for national and regional parliamentarians of West Africa. Speaking during the joint seminar by the ECOWAS

Parliament, the InterParliamentary Union (IPU), the Sahel and West Africa Club and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Senator Ekweremadu described child trafficking and child labour as two sides of an ugly coin. According to a release signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Senator Ekweremadu, Uche Anichukwu, the Senator raised an alarm over the number of children between 514 years trapped in child labour globally which he said the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) put at about 250 million. He warned that the menace of child trafficking and labour were realities and portended grave danger to not only the

future of the young ones, but that of West Africa as a subregion if not urgently tackled with vigour. The Speaker who is also the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate said while it was true that several Member States of the ECOWAS Parliament had passed one form of legislation prohibiting the scourge, the sub-region needed a coordinated and regional based approach towards ending the ugly phenomenon since child trafficking and labour thrive as international syndicates. Meanwhile, the InterParliamentary Union, IPU has reassured of its commitment to championing the legislative interventions and partnerships needed to checkmate the twin

evil of child trafficking and labour. The Secretary-General of the Geneva-based organisation, Mr. Anders Jonhsson, gave the assurances while speaking at the opening of the seminar. The Secretary-General who was represented by Mr. Martins Chungung urged global efforts at stamping out the scourge. He said the IPU would continue to partner with national and regional legislative bodies to ensure the safety of children and good governance. Also speaking, the President of the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Bethel Amadi said economic integration remained a reliable and easy way of stemming the evils of child-trafficking and labour.

state since Burkina Faso gained independence from France in

82, and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, who served from 1982-83, as well as to the 60year-old Compaore. All three came to power following coups. Among other measures adopted by the deputies was the introduction nest year of a "moderating" upper house Senate, said Jerome Bougouma, the minister for territorial administration. The parliament also decided to set upper and lower age limits for presidential candidates -they can be from 35 to 75 years old. The opposition boycotted the vote, arguing that the reforms are devised "mainly to help President Blaise Compaore to maintain power."

together by Compaore after popular protests and mutinies against his regime sprang up. The rural country is one of the poorest in the world, with nearly half of its 16 million population living in poverty. Protests first broke out in February over high food prices, unemployment, rising costs and looting by troops. Soldiers and paramilitary police joined in in April, going on the rampage in several towns. The political reform group did not agree to a proposal to allow Compaore to seek a fresh mandate in 2015. That idea, backed by his party, faces wide opposition in the impoverished west African nation.

Muslim Brotherhood urged to share Burkina Faso grants amnesty to President Blaise Compaore power in he Burkinabe parliament the top job. 1960. The constitutional reforms granted amnesty to The immunity from It will affect former leaders were proposed last year by a Egypt President Blaise Compaore, prosecution covers all heads of Saye Zerbo, in power from 1980- consultative council put

he head of the Tunisian Islamist party and the brains behind a successful transitional coalition with two securalist parties has flown to Cairo to persuade the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt to share power. The trip by Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda, comes as Dr Mohamed Morsi, the Brotherhood's candidate, is poised to win the second round of the Egyptian presidential elections this weekend - head-to-head against Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister of the Mubarak regime. But the Tunisian Islamists are warning Morsi it would be a huge mistake to take the lion's share of the political spoils.

who came to power in a 1987 coup, and to his predecessors in

Burkina Faso's parliament has granted immunity from prosecution to President Blaise Compaore who came to power in a coup in 1987, and to all previous heads of state since the West African nation became independent from France in 1960.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 33

China remains target of US sanctions on Iran

he United States has granted exemptions from tough, new sanctions on Iran's oil trade to seven more economies, leaving China the last remaining major importer exposed to possible penalties at the end of the month. Washington gave waivers to India, South Korea, Turkey and four other countries in return for significantly cutting their purchases of Iranian oil,

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday. China, which alone buys as much as a fifth of Iran's crude exports, and Singapore, where much of the country's fuel oil is blended, did not receive such waivers, ramping up pressure on two important US trade partners in Asia. The sanctions, which the United States may impose starting on June 28, are

Washington's most aggressive measures yet to force Iran to reveal its nuclear programme. The United States and the European Union believe Iran is trying to enrich enough uranium to build a nuclear weapon, while Tehran says the programme is strictly for civilian purposes, primarily to create medical isotopes for use in procedures such as x-rays. Beyond the 27-country EU,

which has banned Iranian imports from July under separate sanctions, other buyers of Iran's crude have pledged to cut purchases by up to a fifth. "By reducing Iran's oil sales, we are sending a decisive message to Iran's leaders: until they take concrete actions to satisfy the concerns of the international community, they will continue to face increasing isolation and pressure," Clinton

Pakistan probe finds ex-envoy â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wrote memoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

judicial investigation has concluded that the country's former ambassador to the US did write a letter to American officials seeking their help in reining in country's powerful military, Pakistani state TV and an opposition leader said. The investigation result could lead to treason charges against Husain Haqqani, and possibly add to pressures on President Asif Ali Zardari. Zardari himself could be threatened if any evidence surfaces showing he ordered, or knew of, the memo. Haqqani has denied any role in the affair and said the commission report was "political and one-sided". The former envoy, who resigned from his post after the scandal broke, said that his lawyers would be challenging the commission's proceedings. The commission was investigating politically explosive allegations that Haqqani sought US assistance last year in warding off an alleged military coup in the aftermath of the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The scandal pitted the weak civilian government against the army, and drew in other the feuding power brokers in Pakistan - the Supreme Court, the opposition and the media. The accusations were brought to light by Manzoor Ijaz, an American businessman of Pakistani decent with a history of making unsubstantiated allegations. The report was read out in court and is due to be released later on Tuesday. Opposition legislator Khwaja Asif said the investigation concluded Haqqani tried to undermine Pakistan's constitution and was not "loyal to the state". Retired Justice Nasira Javed said the commission was working on orders from the Supreme Court and said that criminal proceedings against Haqqani on treason charges could now begin. Supporters of Haqqani and the government accuse the Supreme Court and the army of working against Zardari and the political party he heads.

said in a statement. She is hosting talks with ministers from India and South Korea, Iran's second- and fourthlargest oil buyers, this week in Washington. Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said his government "opposes unilateral sanctions imposed by one country on others". He added that China will push for a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue through negotiations. South Africa, Taiwan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka will also be exempt from the sanctions, Clinton said. Japan and 10 EU countries had been granted exceptions in March.

Shelling in Homs as UN warns of escalation

Some believe Obama wants to appear tough with China ahead of the US presidential election [EPA]

Yemeni forces launched an all-out offensive on May 12 to reclaim towns and cities lost to Ansar al-Sharia [Reuters]

Yemeni army drives fighters from Zinjibar

he Yemeni army has driven fighters associated with al-Qaeda from the key southern city of Zinjibar, a hard-fought objective that they had contested for a year. Fighters calling themselves Ansar al-Sharia, or Supporters of Islamic Law, had occupied parts of Abyan province as well as Zinjibar, its capital, since the spring of 2011. The fighters, who are thought to be tied to alQaeda's branch in Yemen, declared the area an Islamic emirate. But yesterday, the government pushed the fighters out of both Zinjibar and Jaar, a

nearby town, during a fight that inflicted casualties on both sides. Five soldiers were wounded after hitting landmines in Zinjibar, a military official told the AFP news agency. The state-run SABA news agency said troops swept into Jaar early on Tuesday, sparking fierce clashes and forcing fighters to flee towards another Qaeda stronghold, the southern coastal town of Shaqra. The fighters had controlled Jaar, like Zinjibar, for more than a year. Clashes in the town between the two sides had left 28 dead,

two of them soldiers, military and local officials said on Monday. The fighters had occupied an army-owned munitions factory in the town. Locals said they saw vehicles carrying armed men, weapons and furniture heading east towards Shaqra. Fighting there over the past day has left eight fighters dead, a military official said. The fighters distributed pamphlets in the town apologising to residents for dragging Jaar into a conflict with the army and for the damage caused by the fighting, according to locals.

istricts of the Syrian city of Homs have come under renewed attack from government forces, with activists reporting heavy shelling as the United Nations warned of a recent escalation in violence. Residents of the Khalidiya district told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that they had been trapped in their homes for the last three days without electricity or water. Other neighbourhoods were reportedly targeted as well, and videos from the city, long a rebel stronghold, showed explosions in built-up areas. Abo al-Barra, a doctor in Homs, told Al Jazeera that there are wounded civilians in need of evacuation. "They are severely injured," he said. "The women are badly injured, there are serious injuries." The Associated Press news agency, meanwhile, reported heavy fighting in the eastern city of Deir Az Zour, where activists said at least 10 people were killed by artillery fire from the Syrian army. Amateur video of the attack showed dead people in a street as survivors screamed in panic and tried to remove their bodies. The violence comes as President Bashar al-Assad's government faces mounting international pressure over brutal tactics against the opposition, with the UN reporting witnesses describing the use of children as human shields. The UN report released on Monday also said children had been victims of detention, torture and sexual violence. "The secretary-general expresses his deep concern at the dangerous intensification of armed violence across Syria over the past several days, and the grave danger facing civilians in areas under fire," Ban Ki-moon's office said in a statement. "The bloodshed and fighting must stop at once."

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Cuban boxing great, Teofilo Stevenson, dies

He refused an offer of $5m from promoters to fight Mohammad Ali, then World Heavyweight Champion [Reuters]

uban heavyweight boxing great Teofilo Stevenson, who won three Olympic gold medals, has died of a heart attack at the age of 60, according to Cuban state media reports. "The Cuban sporting family was moved today by the passing of one of the greatest of all time," said a statement read on the news on Monday night. Stevenson was born on March 29, 1952, to a family of modest means, in Las Tunas province in eastern Cuba. He fought in his first match at the age of 14, and two years later won his first international title in the Central American and Caribbean championship. Known affectionately on the island by the nickname "Pirolo", Stevenson was famous for his punishing right,

polished technique, deft hand and footwork, and his sportsmanship. Considered by some to be the most accomplished amateur boxer in history, Stevenson first won gold in 1972 in Munich and followed that up in 1976 at Montreal. In 1980, he won his third Olympic title in Moscow, becoming the second boxer to win gold at three separate games after Hungarian Lazlo Papp. Felix Savon, Stevenson's countryman, accomplished the feat in 2000. He refused an offer of $5m from US boxing promoters to turn professional and fight Mohammad Ali, then heavyweight champion of the world, reportedly saying "what is $1m compared to the love of 8 million Cubans"?

Turkey to allow Kurdish lessons in schools

urkey has announced plans to allow schools to teach the Kurdish language as an elective subject, a step aimed at reconciliation that Kurdish minority activists argue does not go far enough. Recep Tayyip Erdogan , the Turkish prime minister, told his ruling party members in parliament on Tuesday that if "enough students come together, Kurdish can be taken as an elective lesson, it will be taught and it will be learned''. Erdogan told parliament the measure was "a historic step". The government is trying to stop decades of fighting with Kurdish fighters seeking autonomy in the largely Kurdish southeast. The teaching of Kurdish has long been banned in schools on the grounds that it could divide the country along ethnic lines. In recent years Justice and Development Party (AKP)

Erdogan said his government would allow elective Kurdish-language lessons along with some other dialects [AFP] government has adopted a softer approach, permitting Kurdishlanguage institutes and private courses as well as Kurdish language television broadcasts. However, it is the first time

Turkish public schools will be able to offer Kurdish language courses at a time the government has faced criticism for dragging its feet on its so-called Kurdish initiative.

Chavez rallies supporters in re-election bid

ugo Chavez has led his biggest rally since he was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, seeking to stage a show of strength as he heads into a reelection campaign to extend his 13 years of socialist rule. The Venezuelan president stood on top of a lorry in Caracas as it drove through huge crowds of supporters who cheered and threw roses and confetti as he made a dramatic re-entry into the public eye after months of keeping a low profile during cancer treatment. The 57-year-old Chavez, a former army paratroop commander first elected in 1998, is seeking another six-year term in the October 7 presidential vote. The rally in the Venezuelan capital was all the more important after his opposition rival, Henrique Capriles, put on a show of youthful vigour on Sunday by leading a 10km march with hundreds of thousands of supporters to register his candidacy. "I give this to you with a promise to fight, to battle, and of course to win," Chavez said as he handed electoral officials his plan for government. Chavez had entered the building appearing to walk with some difficulty, hand in hand with two of his daughters. Outside, several giant inflatable Chavez dolls waved

their arms above the crowd as the president's fans danced to music pounding from speakers. Hundreds of buses that ferried his followers to Caracas stood parked in side streets.

Critics say Putin has moved to tighten restrictions on freedom of expression since his re-election [Reuters]

Thousands in Moscow march against Putin A

s many as 100,000 Russians have marched against President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin for a third term, city police said. The Moscow police department said yesterday that up to 18,000 people had set off on a demonstrations that was due to conclude with a mass rally against Putin's rule. Organisers put the figure at about 100,000, as protests swelled well beyond the limit of 50,000 people. The protests come one day after Russian police raided the homes of prominent critics of Putin, who was elected to another six-year term of office in March, having served as prime minister since his first two terms of office ended in 2008. Monday's early morning

raids, carried out by police armed with assault rifles, appeared to signal a shift in tone in dealing with protests as Putin starts his new six-year term. Despite the raids, Al Jazeera's Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said the crowds representing the various political groups in the nation, remained united in their opposition to Vladimir Putin. The speakers on stage urged the crowd "to carry on another summer of protests. In Occupystyle actions", as Putin has already started his third term as president of Russia, our correspondent said. One demonstrator told our correspondent that the postelection mood is different. "Before when we were going to the rallies, we were worried

because of the illegitimate elections and we requested a new vote. Now we realise this illegitimate authority is making decisions which break all the rules." Though the president today came out in a "conciliatory tone", saying the demonstrations were signs of a healthy democracy, and that he wanted to engage in dialgoue with the nation's many political groups, our correspondent said for the masses gathered in the capital today, Putin's actions belie his words. On Friday the president signed a law that increased fines for violations of public order at street demonstrations, ignoring warnings from his human rights council that it was unconstitutional. Opponents

said the law was an attempt to silence dissent. The new law increases fines for protests to as much as 300,000 roubles ($9,200) for participants and one million roubles ($30,600) for organisers - almost equivalent to Russia's average annual salary. Speaking to Al Jazeera, one man said "The laws that are being adopted now are being made by people who don't love our country, our children, or themselves. And the point of what is going on here is to stop these people." Officers beat down the doors of Alexei Navalny, the increasingly popular anticorruption blogger, as well as Ksenya Sobchak, a media celebrity and more recent Putin critic.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAGE 35

Woman, 24, admits leaving one-year-old to drown in a bath while she spent 45 minutes drinking with a neighbour ·Danielle Reeves from Caterham, Surrey accepted she consumed some wine but ‘wasn’t drunk’ ·Emergency services were called to a house in September last year after the boy was found lifeless

woman has admitted letting a toddler drown in a bath by leaving him alone while she had a 45-minute drink with a friend. Danielle Reeves, 24, had been looking after the one-yearold boy at a house in Surrey. She admitted a charge of manslaughter after dramatically changing her plea when she appeared before a judge at Guildford Crown Court. Her voice trembled as she

stated 'guilty' after her barrister had asked for the charge to be put to her again. The judge ordered reports to be compiled on Reeves by the Probation Service and a psychiatrist before he sentences her later this summer. Emergency services were called to a house in September last year after the boy was found lifeless in the water. Police arrested the defendant amid suspicions she had been

drinking at the time. She initially denied the allegations against her but admitted she was to blame when she appeared in the dock. Judge Christopher Critchlow was briefly told that Reeves was making her admission on the basis that she had left the youngster for around threequarters of an hour and had been talking to a neighbour and that the boy was just out of sight. She also accepted she

Trial: She initially denied the allegations against her but admitted she was to blame when she appeared in the dock at Guildford Crown Court

consumed some wine but 'wasn't drunk.' The guilt was on the basis of 'gross negligence,' the court was told. Aisling Byrnes, defending, asked for sentencing to be adjourned and urged Judge Critchlow to release her client on bail again in the meantime. 'She has attended court today in full knowledge that she was going to enter a plea to this serious charge,' she said. 'She's aware that a sentence for a case such as this is likely to be a sentence of immediate imprisonment.' She added that her client's appointments with probationers and psychiatrists would be much easier to carry out on bail rather than in prison. Judge Critchlow agreed to postpone the sentencing and told the defence and prosecuting counsel, Ruby Selva, that he would deal with the matter on July 30. He re-admitted Reeves, of Stirling Drive, Caterham, Surrey, to bail on the same conditions as previously - a night time curfew, electronic tagging and that she does not go within 400 metres of a specific address

in Redhill, Surrey or contact or attempt to contact prosecution witnesses. He added a further requirement, that she comply with the Probation Service in preparing the report

Danielle Reeves, 24, from Caterham, Surrey accepted she consumed some wine but said she 'wasn't drunk'

Disabled girl, 16, found starved down to 23 pounds by her mother four months after social services received first emergency call received an anonymous emergency call that Darlene Armstrong was not being fed and had not seen a doctor in 'many years'. Under the agency's rules an investigator needs to respond to an emergency call within 24 hours, and, if they do not see the child on the first visit, they are expected to return every day until they see them. An investigation by the Chicago Tribune revealed that an investigator into the case walked away from Darlene's home on three occasions without seeing the 16year-old. Starved: Darlene Armstrong, pictured here in hospital, weighed only 23lbs and could not walk or talk when she was removed from her family home after being starved by her mother. Law enforcement officials leaked this picture to the media.

16-year-old girl with cerebral palsy weighed only 23lbs and could not walk or talk when she was removed from her family home after being starved by her mother. Darlene Armstrong measured just 3'10'' tall when she was rushed to hospital in Chicago in March. The severely disabled girl could have been rescued four months earlier if the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had followed set procedures, an investigation by the Chicago Tribune revealed. Darlene's mother, Rosetta Harris, 50, pleaded guilty to endangering the life of a child. The mother, who had no prior criminal record, was sentenced to 18 months of probation and ordered to undergo parenting classes.

Doctors at the Comer Children's hospital said the girl, now 17, had been starved for a considerable period of time. When Darlene was brought to hospital she weighed only 23 lbs just over one and a half stone - the typical weight of a two or threeyear-old child. A shocking photo of Darlene in hospital shortly after she was rescued was leaked to the press by law enforcement officials, as an investigation was launched into how the social services dealt with the case. Hospital officials did not believe the mother's story that she fed her daughter eggs and grits for breakfast, steamed rice and chicken, chocolate protein drinks and snacks throughout the day. On November 17 DCFS

Guilty: Rosetta Harris was sentenced to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to endangering the life of her daughter, she told reporters she was a 'good mother'

Although an investigator went to the home within the required 24 hours after receiving the hot-line call she left after Harris' brother said the mother and daughter were not at home. The social worker left her contact details at the home. The same social worker returned on January 3 and when no-one answered the door, she left a note asking Harris to call. The same thing happened on February 27. It was not until a fourth visit, on March 14, that the social worker got into the home. Harris said her daughter was not there but the investigator heard whimpering. After Harris carried her skeletal daughter out, the investigator immediately called 911. 'An investigation this badly neglected is a failure of supervision and management,' Kendall Marlowe, a DCFS spokesman told

the MailOnline on Monday morning. 'We are taking appropriate actions to right that ship and ensure this organization places the proper priority on child safety,' he added. The Chicago Tribune also revealed that the investigator failed to look up the family's history with the protection agency, as is required. In 1996 the DCFS took one-yearold Darlene and her siblings into protective custody after an emergency call was made that the girl was not being fed properly. Three years later the children were returned into their mother's care. Harris admitted to removing Darlene from special education classes in 2000 because she wanted her daughter to stay at home, the Tribune reported.

Crime scene: Rosetta Harris admitted that she didn't know the last time her daughter had been outside or seen a doctor. This is the suburban Chicago street where Harris starved the severely disabled teenager

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

hen Juliette Scarfe invites you to potter about the kitchen of her home in South London, you fail to notice anything odd at first - and then it dawns on you. It is a completely plastic-free zone. ‘I won’t have it in my house, I won’t have it in my body and I don’t want it anywhere near anyone I love,’ she says. ‘It’s all around us and it’s poisoning us. The problem is, we’ve all come to take it so much for granted that we just assume it’s safe. Well, it isn’t!’ Juliette is a 33-year-old former lawyer who gave up the profession to launch Bare Skin Beauty, her own brand of organic cosmetics, earlier this year. She is also one of a growing number of people who are turning their backs on plastic bottles, plastic-lined tin cans and anything edible that comes in plastic packaging. ‘I hate plastic bags, I no longer drink from plastic bottles and I won’t cook with, or store food in, any kind of plastic,’ she says. Instead, you find cotton, jute or hemp shopping bags in her drawers. In the fridge, her food is stored in glass, ceramic or terracotta containers. All her cooking utensils are made from wood and her food processor is made of glass. ‘I had to search for ages recently to find a blender that wasn’t made of plastic,’ she says. ‘It took a while, but eventually I found a glass one.’ And Juliette isn’t some lone fanatic. Look around you and you’ll see cyclists, joggers and pedestrians who would once have been seen clutching plastic bottles of water now holding stainless steel and paper containers instead. ‘Our sales have doubled year on year for the past three years,’ says Neil Tomlinson, founder of Aquapax, which sells water in durable paper cartons. ‘Slowly, people are learning about what’s in plastic and they’re turning their backs on it.’ So, what exactly are these people learning? And should you follow their example? During the past five years, public awareness has slowly grown over concerns about compounds in some plastic bottles and food containers. The compounds on which most concerns have focused are Bisphenol A (known as BPA), which is used in tough polycarbonate products and epoxy resins that line tin cans, and a group of plastic softeners called phthalates. Research has shown that these compounds can leach from plastics into the food and drinks that we consume - more so if they are heated to high temperatures,

Poisoned by plastic: Chemicals in water bottles and food packaging have been linked to infertility and birth defects (I)

What a load of rubbish: Consumers are gradually turning their backs on plastic because of health concerns. raising additional concerns about the kinds of plastics that are used as containers in microwave ovens. So prevalent is BPA that tests by the U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention in 2004 found it in 93 per cent of urine samples taken from a group of 2,517 people. Furthermore, a landmark report on BPA published in 2008 by the U.S. National Toxicology Program concluded that there were concerns over BPA’s effects on the brain, behaviour and prostate gland development in foetuses, infants and children. It also found that because of the ratio of body weight to exposure, ‘the highest estimated daily intake of Bisphenol A in the general population occurs in infants and children’. This is because if a man of 180lb and an infant weighing 20lb ingested 5mg, the infant would have taken in more of the substance than the man, relative to their size. One of the biggest concerns about BPA and phthalates is that they act as what scientists call ‘environmental oestrogens’, so-

called because they mimic the hormone in our bodies. Minuscule amounts can make an impact and many studies have found evidence that they affect the development of foetuses in the womb. Scientists say that environmental oestrogen can act as an ‘endocrine disrupter’, which means it can affect sexual development, leading to breast,

prostate and testicular cancer, reduced levels of fertility, and undescended testes. In polluted rivers, it has lead to fish and molluscs actually changing sex from male to female. The problem is that not all studies have found evidence of this at all. Over the past few decades an estimated £150million has been spent on research into BPA, resulting in the publication of

“

Scientists say that environmental oestrogen can act as an ‘endocrine disrupter’, which means it can affect sexual development, leading to breast, prostate and testicular cancer, reduced levels of fertility, and undescended testes. In polluted rivers, it has lead to fish and molluscs actually changing sex from male to female. The problem is that not all studies have found evidence of this at all

What's the alternative? Daniella Hunter's children use stainless steel flasks

more than 5,000 papers - and scientists are still arguing over whether or not it is harmful. Professor Richard Sharpe of the Medical Research Council’s Centre For Reproductive Health, a world authority on endocrine disruptors, says there are real concerns, but much of the most damning research could not be verified by other scientists. ‘Replicability is the guardian of scientific integrity,’ he says. ‘But some of the most critical experiments simply could not be repeated. ‘The trouble is that some people have been convinced that BPA is the devil’s poison and responsible for all kinds of ills. When anyone says their research does not concur, they are accused of being in the pay of the plastics industry or of using the wrong kind of mice in their experiments.’ Such concerns also extend to phthalates - there are 25 different kinds and several are already banned in children’s toys in the EU and for certain types of food packaging. Laboratory tests on rats and mice have found that some male offspring of females exposed to phthalates suffered birth defects and sexual development problems. But when larger mammals were tested, the results could not be duplicated. One fact that has been proven in tests in several developed countries, including Denmark and Israel, is that male fertility rates have fallen by about a half and rates of testicular cancer have soared since the use of plastics became widespread after World War II. Is this a coincidence, or cause and effect? Breast Cancer UK believes something is clearly wrong. It was at the forefront of a successful campaign to have baby-feeding bottles containing BPA banned in the EU this year. Now it wants the ban extended. ‘We think there is enough peer-reviewed evidence against Bisphenol A and other chemicals in plastics for the government to take a precautionary approach and ban them in any plastics that come into contact with food,’ says Clare Dimmer, the charity’s chairwoman. ‘For the government’s National Cancer Plan to be effective, ministers must look beyond lifestyle choices as the cause of soaring cancer rates and consider our routine exposure to chemicals like BPA.’ The problem if you want to avoid BPA and phthalates is that you probably can’t. They are all around us, in compact discs, car parts, carpets, floor tiles, cosmetics - the list is endless. If you see plastic that is soft and pliable, then it is because of phthalates. Have you ever noticed how a reused water bottle becomes brittle over time? That is because the phthalates have leached out of it and you have drunk them. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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There is no crisis in the CPC – says Rep Rep Abbas Abdullahi Machika who represents Faskari/Kankara/Sabuwa Federal Constituency of Katsina state in this interview with Umar Mohammed describes the ongoing leadership tussle in the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) as democracy at work insisting that those politicians involved in the upheavals in the party are those seeking politicl relevance.

INTERVIEW

ow would you score the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last one year? As far as I’m concerned the executive has done nothing to tackle the challenges that have besieged this country from the day President Goodlock Jonathan was sworn in as the president. If you look at all the indices on the ground, there is biting poverty in the land which is increasing at a geometrical rate; there is stack insecurity that is threatening the internal structure of governance and the society in general. There are so many challenges and on the other hand there are very little or no effort at all that is being made by the executive arm in order to tackle these issues. So for me, the administration has done nothing, rather we should continue praying to God Almighty for a change; a change that would affect our people’s daily lives positively. What are your achievements so far as a member of the 7 th Assembly? I came into the Assembly January this year; I met budget deliberations going on. So after the budget was passed, there is virtually nothing that I have done apart from the normal legislative business of oversight and passage of some motions and bills. If you look at the contents of the bill that are being passed by the 7 th Assembly, you would agree with me that the parliament is a very serious one; with reengineering policies direction for this country through the intervention of credible legislation by the House. Secondly I would comment on the searchlight of this parliament on the intervention on the petrol subsidy crisis in which it aligned itself with the people which led to the investigation of the sector, and a lot of things were uncovered. Having passed that report, we now hope that the executive arm would execute

those resolutions. otherwise we are heading for a coalision course between the executive and the legislature; because it is no longer a report as people keep talking about on the pages of newspapers. Even with all due respect to some of the legal officers of the government, it is no longer a report but the resolution of the House of Representatives. So we expect them to be implemented in totality. Your party the CPC is facing internal crisis, what do you think should be done to salvage the party? What is happening in my party is a positive development because the CPC is always the party to beat, because of its acceptance by the majority of Nigerians. If you look at the history of political party formation in Nigeria, especially in a multiparty democracy like Nigeria, then you would appreciate that one, CPC as a political party was registered barely six month to the general election, and in a country with over 70 million voters, with about 776 local government areas, with at least 10 wards in each local

Rep Abbas Abdullahi Machika

Convention. If you look at all these time line activities, you would definitely give kudos to the CPC for participating in that election. The third thing

“

Some other people would say Buhari said this or that, but whatever Buhari said, he is entitled to say it as a citizen of this country that is governed by the constitution and under democratic setting which guaranteed his freedom of speech Government areas, with over one hundred thousand polling units, people should appreciate the effort it takes to make a membership drive for a political party to cut across the federation, given the geographic formula for election victory that is entrenched in the constitution as well as in the Electoral Act. Two, for party membership drive according to Electoral Act, you now have to go for the processes of party congresses from the ward level up to the National

is that the CPC as a political party, with not even a single Councillor in the country, was able to produce a sitting Governor in Nassarawa state, and a considerable number of Senators and Members of the House of Representative, also with considerable numbers in the state Assemblies across the country. I don’t think there is a political party in the entire African continent that can measure up with these achievements that the CPC as a party has achieved in a

shortest possible period of time. So all these talk about the crisis in the CPC, they fail to look at the other side of it. What is happening in my party is not crisis, no. It is multi-party democracy in action, our party allows people to voice out their dissent and in resolving that dissent, other dissenting voices and opinion would emerge. What we do is to look at the constitution of the country, the party’s constitution, and the Electoral Act. These are the three fundamental differences that govern multi-party democracy in Nigeria. You cannot stop somebody from saying no I disagree with this or that, or I don’t want this person to be my National Leader. So all these crisis are manifestation of few individuals who, when they became irrelevant, would just dust off their papers and come out to say that they are the National leaders of the CPC; that is not how it is done. Anybody can just move to Abuja, secure an office or hotel accommodation and hire unemployed youths and say that he is this and that. No, you have to follow through due process; through proper convention, approved and

supervised by the relevant authorities. All these people that are claiming to be the national officials of the party are not even recognized by the party’s constitution. So how can somebody that is not even recognized by the constitution just wake up from sleep and said that they have dissolved the executive that is fully recognized by the constitution of the country, and the Electoral Act. But because people don’t have anything to do than to be relevant at all cost, and then people would start talking that the CPC is in crisis; what crisis? Some other people would say Buhari said this or that, but whatever Buhari said, he is entitled to say it as a citizen of this country that is governed by the constitution and under democratic setting which guaranteed his freedom of speech. Because of that, some people in government became jittery because of his statement. Everyone is entitled to his own rhetoric, but Nigerians should understand that as much as they have reasons to be afraid of what Buhari said, that does not change the truth. Once there is any manipulation of election result in any part of the world not only Nigeria, it is part of history, you have seen what is happening in the Arab countries. I think what the Government officials should do is to take it as an advise. For God sake we Nigerians have short memories, people like late Chief Obafemi Awolowo (of blessed memory) have on many occasion, during his time, made so many inflammatory statements; in fact inflammatory statements was his trade mark throughout his political career. So why Buhari? The answer is the PDP is afraid of Buhari, because they know that they cannot beat him in a free and fair election. They only sit down in their houses and write election results. Allow people to vote, allow the votes to be counted, that is the only way you can test your popularity as a political party.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Anenih begs PDP women to vote Airhiavbere From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

ormer Board of trustee, BoT, Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih yesterday tasked women across the state to embark on house to house, ward to ward sensitization Campaign on the ideals of the rebranded umbrella party. The elder statesman while addressing women who were

clad in traditional attires said a vote for the PDP July 14 Governorship election will put the state on a sound political and economic pedestal. The state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, reminded them that it was an issue-based campaign and remain united. The Women marched through the streets of Benin City in a road show, chanted

songs of support for Airhiavbere (rtd)’s candidature. Wife of the Edo PDP gubernatorial candidate, Mrs. Yetunde Airhiavbere, who led the wpmen through major streets of Benin City, the state capital, also said the road show was to sensitise and canvass votes for her husband ahead of the governorship poll. State woman leader of the

PDP, Mrs. Eghe Tes-Sorae, said the awareness and sensitisation campaign organised by the Edo South senatorial district of the party, was to show that the party was ready for the election. She urged the youths of the party to shun violence, vote wisely and rightly and defend their votes, saying, “There is no need fighting. After voting, stand there and let it be counted. You don’t need to fight, no need to shoot gun.”

L-R: Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Human Rights, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, Chairman of the committee , Hon. Beni Lar, and Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Professor Bem Angwe, during the committee over-sight visit to the commission, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Mark urges opposition parties to cooperate with Suswam From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

enate President, David Mark, has urged the opposition parties in the Benue State to put aside their grievances and join hands with Governor Gabriel Suswam to move the state forward. Mark who made this passionate appeal yesterday in Makurdi during a solidarity visit to Suswam to congratulate him on the recent Supreme Court judgment which upheld his re-

election, noted that there was a lot to be done in the state to enhance its development. The Senate President further said he was confident that the governor would emerge victorious because he won in a free and fair election that was attested to by foreign observers. “You won in a free and fair election but, Nigerians being what they are, took you to the Supreme Court. Now the Supreme Court judgment has marked the end of the road,” he

said. Mark, who urged Suswam to forgive those who took him to court, also advised him to bring them on board to contribute to the development of the State. He equally applauded the media for the responsible reportage of the one year court tussle and advised them to continue to be objective and criticize government when necessary. On his part, Suswam thanked the Senate President for the visit,

noting that he has continued to play a fatherly and leadership role in the scheme of affairs of the state. The governor restated his call on the opposition and all Benue indigenes to join hands with him to build a virile state that would be the pride of the people. He also pledged not to lose focus but work for the overall interest of the State and also thanked God for the Senate President’s successful medical treatment abroad.

June 12: PAC calls for sober reflection

he Progressive Action Congress (PAC) on yesterday called on Nigerians to use June 12 for sober reflection on how to consolidate on the country’s democratic dispensation. The National Chairman, Chief Charles Nwodo, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Nwodo noted that 19 years after the conduct of 1993 general elections, the exercise remained fresh in the minds of most Nigerians in view of its importance to the country’s democratic process. The chairman said 1993 poll “would have placed the country on a high level of a democratic space and make tribalism and religious bigotry a thing of the past. “ He regretted that the cancellation of the election brought the country backward in terms of democracy. Nwodo commended the Federal Government for renaming of University of Lagos after Moshood Abiola. He, however, expressed delight that the action had rekindled the hope of Nigerians in the ability of government to recognise the input of those who sacrificed their lives for the survival of the country. “ Every citizen eligible voter of that time knew MKO and what he stood for, especially in the survival of democracy in this country. “ The students that protested should not be blamed because some of them were not born to know about the conduct of the 1993 election and its subsequent annulment,’’ he added. He contended that the changing of UNILAG to MAU not affect the academic standard the University was known in the comity of universities in the world. “ MAU is not enough for the role Abiola played for the survival of our democracy. “ The peaceful conduct of 1993 election should be imbibed in the conduct of future elections in the country,” he advised

Don’t introduce ethnic dimension into June 12 , ACN Chieftain cautions

he Kaduna State Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Mr Mohammed Soba, yesterday advised democrats in the country to desist from introducing ethnic dimension to June 12, issue. Soba made this known in Kaduna in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) He said that June 12, had become a national political

problem that affected all parts of the country and should not be treated like a regional issue. NAN reports that June 12 of every year is being celebrated in honour of late Chief M. K. O. Abiola by some civil society activists, politicians and democrats. The day is marked as a democracy day by the groups in commemoration of the

cancellation of the presidential election by the erstwhile military regime of former President Ibrahim Babangida. The poll was widely believed to have been won by Abiola in a free and fair contest. Soba said, “the significance of June 12, has remained an indelible mark in our nation’s political history in view of the unity, peaceful coexistence and

credible elections it represented about two decades ago. “It has become a recurrent decimal because of the refusal of successive governments to address injustice, corruption and electoral fraud against Nigerians. “However, those who always view the June 12, as a regional issue are worse than the architects of the June 12 debacle,

’’he said. Meanwhile, no planned activity is taking place in Kaduna state to mark the day because of what activists attributed to “security reasons’’. However, a group of politicians and human rights activists are celebrating the day with a breakfast and public lectures in Lagos under the auspices PRONACO.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Edo guber polls: Labour calls for vigilance By Joy Baba

he acting President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Comrade Kiri Mohammed, has raised concerns over disturbing political developments ahead of the July 14th governorship elections in Edo state. Mohammed therefore called on politicians and their apolitical structures to adjust to fair play in political activities especially elections. The Acting NLC President in a statement made available to newsmen noted that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has publicly complained at various times about sinister plans by some politicians to manipulate the elections. According to him, “The governor said some politicians from the state led by the leader of a major opposition party in the state were reported by the media to have had a meeting with the Presidency a couple of weeks back to perfect plans for the manipulation of the election. We are still worried that the Presidency has not found it expedient to deny holding such meeting for this purpose till date.” Mohammed however assures Nigerians on labour movement commitment to a free and fair elections in the country even as he added that the movement would join other patriotic Nigerians to continue to promote and defend the ideals for sustenance of democracy in the country. “While we reaffirm our confidence in the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, we strongly advice it’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega to be extra vigilant and careful in the handling of the July 14th election in Edo State. “He must not allow anyone, including INEC staff or commissioners to compromise his credibility. Every registered voter must be allowed to freely vote without intimidation. And all the votes must count. “INEC must not submit to the pressure coming from certain political quarters that Federal civil servants should be used as adhoc staff for the election instead of members of the National Youth Service Corps. While the Federal civil servants certainly have a role to play in electoral administration, the corps members have proved their capacity for neutrality and willingness to work for free and fair elections as was shown in the last general elections in the country.” The statement also called on all domestic and international election monitoring groups to gear up preparations for observance of the upcoming Edo gubernatorial elections to ensure records of transparency and accountability of the electoral process at the elections. It also urged the Inspector General of Police IGP to come out and reassure Nigerians that all security agencies that will be drafted for the election in Edo state will be fully prepared, and to remember that they were recruited to protect lives and properties without bias.

PAGE 39

FG desperate to sack Oshiomhole, says Audu P From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

rince Abubakar Audu, former Governor of Kogi state has said the federal Government and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are in a hurry to stop Governor, Adams Oshiomhole’s re-election on July 14 2012 urge Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, should do everything within its power to keep a strong cohesion to resist them. Audu who contested last December Governorship election on the platform of ACN, which

gave victory to Governor Idris Wada, dropped the hint at a fund raising luncheon for Oshiomhole re-election in Benin City at the weekend where over N750 million was realised. ‘I appeal to our colleagues here that the task ahead of us is not a small one, we are not only fighting the PDP, but we are not fighting the federal Government’, he said. First Civilian Governor of the State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, argued that there was no Nigerian living in the state who has not benefitted from the government under the leadership of Adams

Oshiomhole either directly or indirectly, especially in area of road construction and education revolution in public primary and secondary schools. The 2011 Vice Presidential Candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, who defected to CAN in May this year, said that the decision of the governor to begin road rehabilitation in densely populated areas before going to choice areas in Government Reservation Area was an indication that Oshiomhole’s government is truly people’s driven.

Former foreign Affairs minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, recalled how he became disturbed six months after governor Oshiomhole’s swearing in that there was no tangible development occasioned by paucity of funds as a result of the economic meltdown which shook the foundation of the World. He noted that he became convinced when he rolled out his blueprint to democratise governance in the State, which he admitted will make the electorate to give him the mandate for the second term.

L-R: Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, with a member of the parliament from Niger Republic, Hon. Ali Amadou, during the opening of the 2012 first extraordinary session of the third legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament, on Monday in Abuja.

FG to host World Bank’s African Remittance Institute By Lawrence Olaoye

he Federal Government of Nigeria has indicated its interest in hosting the proposed African Remittance Institute of World Bank in Nigeria. The 3.4 billion US Dollars bank is to facilitate the remittances of African in the Diaspora, of which over 70 per cent of remittances are from Nigerians living in abroad. Announcing this while receiving Rep Abike Dabiri-Erewa led House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora in his

office in Abuja, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru said Nigeria was interested in hosting the bank. Ashiru told the visiting lawmakers that a memo to that effect had been written to President Goodluck Jonathan for his information and approval. He said Nigeria having the largest number of her nationals living abroad from Africa, would find the proposed remittance institute helpful and rewarding, if located in the country. Earlier, Rep. Abike DabiriErewa had wondered why the Federal government was not too

keen to have the African Remittance Institute in Nigeria despite the huge benefits of it to the country. She urged the Federal Government through the ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Central Bank of Nigeria and Ministry of Finance to show interest and fast track the process of situating the bank project in Nigeria. Dabiri-Erewa (ACN-Lagos) said with over 12 billion US Dollars remittances by Nigerians annually back home and with over 70 per cent of Nigerians from Africa in the Diaspora, Nigeria

should not missed the opportunity of hosting the Institute. “We want Nigeria to show interest in locating the World Bank Africa remittance Institute. We are not hearing anything about the government eagerness in having this all important institute’’ “Let me say here that 70 per cent of remittances to Africa from the African Diasporas are from Nigeria. So I think it should be in Nigeria being the hub of Diaspora Affairs in Africa’’ she said. Over eight million Nigerians are living abroad with majority of them in UK and US.

Anambra North: Okadigbo’s wife in fresh affidavit forgery scandal

he hope of filling the vacuum created by nonrepresentation of Anambra North Senatorial District in the National Assembly in the 7 th Senate is becoming a mirage as the legal tussle is drifting into a new dimension. The twist, which pundits say is becoming an eye-opener, is the revelation that the affidavit

purportedly sworn to and admitted by high court as Exhibit Number 1387, which allegedly proved that Lady Margery Okadigbo, wife of late Senate President, Dr Chuba Okadigbo, won the election might have been forged. This followed a startling revelation coming after a request by Senator (Dr) Alphonsus Uba

Igbeke to the assistant chief registrar/commissioner for oath, Chief Magistrates’ Court, Orumba North Magisterial District, Ajalli (formerly assistant chief registrar/ commissioner for oaths, Otuocha judicial division of the Anambra State High Court). In the letter captioned: ‘Confirmation of affidavits of facts

purported to have been sworn before Commissioner for Oaths’ dated 25/4/2012, Senator Igbeke had requested, “Kindly confirm whether the said affidavits of facts were sworn to at said Registry as appears on the face of the said documents and whether the signature that appears on the affidavit as that of commissioner for oaths is yours.”

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

PAC hails ACN, CPC merger talks

he Progressive Action Congress (PAC) has commended the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Coalition for Progressive Change (CPC) for their ongoing merger talks. The National Chairman of the party, Chief Charles Nwodo, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja. Nwodo said naturally the

beauty of democracy rested on the strength of the opposition, where there was no strong opposition to challenge the ruling party, there was likely to be misrule by the government in power. “ Where there is no strong opposition, there is tendency for apathy and people who do not merit particular positions will get them. “ The merger talk between ACN and CPC is a sign of hope

coming for Nigerians to participate fully in the act of governance,” he said He stressed the need for other opposition parties to collaborate with ACN and CPC in order to have a formidable force against the ruling party, because ACN and CPC merger was not enough to challenge the ruling party. “ Even the civil societies, NGOs and other democratic forces should come together to

join the merger. “ This time around, the opposition must be united in one spirit, if their dream of assuming the mantle of leadership in this country is anything to go by,” he added. He further said that ACN and CPC were in the front lane to serve as a meeting point for other progressive elements to follow. He expressed optimism that the merger would not take a long time to achieve the desired result

of wrestling the mantle of leadership from the ruling party. “ We are quite aware of the fact that the merger talk will attract saboteurs from some quarters, but the experience of the past is enough to overcome the challenges ahead. “ We urged other opposition to start organising themselves now in order to join the crusade for the betterment of Nigerians and the country at large,” he said.

Kwara AD faults PDP govt’s education system From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

L-R: National Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Bisi Akande, Lagos state Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, former governor of the state, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, during the 19th anniversary lecture of June 12, yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN

Ondo legislator commends Mimiko

he Legislator Representing Irele Constituency in Ondo state, Mr Afolabi Iwalewa has commended Gov. Olusegun Mimiko for various development projects going on in parts of the state. Iwalewa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure that the governor and his team deserved open commendation because his administration had succeeded in transforming the state with the new projects.

“His transformation agenda in the education, the health sector, road construction, provision of infrastructure and community development projects had earned him commendation by the legislature and the people of the state,’’ Iwalewa said. The legislator said that the assembly had just concluded a two week of oversight function to inspect projects being executed by the executive arm of the state government. “It is our constitutional

responsibility to monitor expenditure of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as appropriated and approved by the assembly,’’ the legislator said. The House Committees, according to him, have been inspecting projects in some parts of the state to ensure compliance with government standards and specifications by contractors. He called on the people of the state to give their support to the Labour Party and the governor during the Oct. 20, gubernatorial election .

Lawmakers say June 12 is turning point to country’s democracy

ome members of the House of Representatives yesterday in Abuja said that June 12, was an important day in the history of Nigeria’s democracy. In a separate interview, Rep. Ganama Kwaga (PDP-Adamawa) said that elections held on June 12,1993 were devoid of religious and ethnic sentiments. “This was a day Nigerians came out without religious differences to vote for two Muslims as President and Vice President respectively,” he

said. Ganama said that the election was the most transparent, free and fair elections ever held in the country, the day marked the agitation for democracy by Nigerians. According to the legislator, the day gave birth to May 29, that was declared a public holiday. Rep. Godfrey Gaiya (PDPKaduna), the Chairman of House Committee on Sports, described the day as a turning point in the

struggle to entrench democratic principles in the country. He said that it would be meaningful if the day was declared Moshood Abiola day as it was done in the case of Martin Luther King Jnr. in the U.S. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that on June 12, 1993, late MKO Abiola was assumed to have won the presidential election that was annulled by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida.

he Alliance for Democracy (AD), Kwara state chapter has noted that the administration of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) government has neglected education sector for other projects in the state. The party in a statement signed by its state Chairman, Mr. Billiaminu Aliu and Mr. Micheal Ologunde, state Secretary noted that what the present administration has done so far on the sector was “abracadabra”. “The Alliance for Democracy, AD, Kwara chapter had earlier condemned the free/qualitative education purported to be on ground in Kwara state. What Alhaji Fatai Ahmed and the PDP ruling party did so far in the area of education in Kwara state is surely an ‘abracadabra’. “If not, how would one describe the type of education system which Parents Teacher are forcefully financing in Kwara state without the state government financial contributions towards the educational growth in the

state.” The party observed that the money realized from PTA levy was used to maintain the schools and part of the money even went to the Kwara state governments coffer stressing that the state government had neglected the sector in totality. “Again, of recent, Kwara state government had passed a circular to all Head Teachers in all the Primaries and Secondary Schools, to collect N250:00 each from the pupils in primary schools, N500:00 each from Junior Secondary Schools students, N600:00 each from senior secondary school students and N600:00 each from every teacher including the head teachers”. The party challenged PDP government to tell the world what it was using the money collected for while it was spreading information that its operating free education in the state. AD however urged the present administration to employ qualify teachers in all the core subjects in the schools stressing that students failure was due to insufficient teachers in the major subjects.

CD decries human rights abuses in South-East states

group, the Campaign for Democracy (CD), yesterday decried “the high rate of human rights abuses in the five states in eastern Nigeria. The states are Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. The group made the condemination in a communiqué it issued after the South-East Regional Convention of the body in Onitsha, Anambra between June 8 and June 10. It said that the group condemned the muzzling of human rights activists in Enugu and Ebonyi, describing the actions as “anti-democratic tendencies’’. “Convention notes that though the Enugu State matter is subjudice, CD will support all legal means to ensure that justice is done in this matter. ’’ The statement condemned the high rate of thuggery in Anambra, allegedly being orchestrated by some groups. It advised Gov. Peter Obi to

conduct Local Government election within the next three months, adding that “CD will employ all weapons democratically tenable and legally available to achieve this, if he fails to heed the advice”. On Abia, the group urged the State Government to re-instate civil servants disengaged without benefits on the ground of not being indigenes of the state, noting that the action would enthrone social justice and equity. The communique said that CD would take appropriate legal actions to address the injustice within 30 days if the decision was not reversed. It, however, advised Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo to engage labour in meaningful dialogue, adding that “CD condemns the current relationship with labour as unnecessary’’. The convention approved the appointment of Mr Jude Chukwu as the new Chairman of CD in Abia.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Minister, Imoke, IGP, others to cheer Eagles

he Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji M. D. Abubakar, will be at the hierarchy of the government delegation to watch the Super Eagles versus Amavubi Stars at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday. Confirming this yesterday, the minister said himself together with several top government officials will grace the match to cheer the Eagles to victory. “I will certainly be in Calabar to cheer the Super Eagles. It is a very important match and we must do everything possible to mobilize all Nigerians to back our team for victory on Saturday,” said Abdullahi, who will be Special Guest of Honour. Also yesterday, the NFF formally invited the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar to be a special guest at

the big match. Nigeria must win Saturday’s game to make progress in the qualification series for the 29th African Cup of Nations finals, which holds in five South African cities from January13 through February 4 next year. Both teams finished it 0-0 in the

Bolaji Abdullahi, Minister of Sports

Mexico 2012: Nasidi trims U-15 to 20 Coach Danladi Nasidi, the chief sweat merchant of the U-15 squad, has finally pruned his team to 20 ahead of the 8- Nation Adidas U-15 Youth championship, Mexico 2012. Initially, he had 26-players but he opted to cut down the number to allow for maximum concentration as the team enters the final phase of its preparations for the forthcoming fiesta. The list was released Lokoja where they are camping and comprise of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, five midfielders, and four strikers. Of the lot, seven of the players are new discoveries while thirteen

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first leg played at the Stade Regional de Nyamirambo, Kigali on February 29. Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2012 edition of the Nations Cup that was jointly hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It was the first time in 26 years that Nigeria was not at the tournament. Meanwhile, the Rwandans are expected to arrive in Lagos this evening and will be accommodated for the night before travelling to Calabar tomorrow.

Mohammed Abubakar, IGP

THE LIST

others had represented Nigeria at the median edition of the Barclays Premier League U-13 Youth Championship in 2010. It would be recalled that the bulk of the players had graduated from the Under-13 that participated in the Barclays Premier League U-13 Youth Championship in 2010 where they defeated Liverpool 4-0, Fulham 6-0, Birmingham 4- 1, Chelsea 3-0 and Sporting Lisbon 2-0 to win the 2010 International Youth Championship organised by the English Premier League. The Nigeria side will represent the Africa continent and will be faced with the likes of Spain, Argentina, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark and host Mexico.

Goalkeeper: Muraina Sanni, Adewale Makanjuola, Udoh Akpan Defenders: Annas Mohammed, Ajayi Abiodun, Philip Samson, Hamza Tanimu, Lazarus John, Ajetomobi Ojo, Isah Hussaini, Abubakar Babaji. Midfielders: Abbas Ibrahim, Etiboy Akpan, Obasi Chigozie, Clement Ogbobe, Njoku Jacob. Attackers: Chidera Eze, Ekene Onwuka, Binaventure Dennis, Awoniyi Taiwo.

Aristocratic disdain. Yet Keshi remains far from his dreams and indeed the aspirations of Nigerians. He wants his labour rewarded with an offensive display that will restore pride and confidence to Nigeria among the comity of soccer powers. But that can’t be possible unless players score goals. He wants goals, and wants them beautiful and in good supply. This weekend in Calabar, he wants Eagles to score plenty goals to please his in-law, Governor Liyel Imoke. While addressing his charges at Monday breakfast and soon after Aminu Maigari, the NFF president spoke, Keshi went emotional and pleaded with the players to “please score some goals for me, for Nigerians and the rest of the world who long to see Nigeria rise again.” Again, yesterday before the training session began, Keshi went philosophical. He asked the players

who among them would not want to please his in-law. None could think otherwise and then he challenge them to do him the favour of having the smile of his governor in-law. “Last time, we were not quite satisfied with the goals that we scored against Namibia, but the governor was still happy that we won the game. But we could see he would have love to see more goals. “This time around, we want to score more goals, so that I can even demand for a room to sleep and rest in Calabar in my in-law’s house. or is there any of you that won’t want to win the smile of my in-law?” Well, you hear a pin drop. The players were touched. It seems to ignite a certain passion, inflame their minds and they promised to scotch the Amavubi Stars in manner similar to what the Black Stars did about a fortnight ago to Lesotho.

Keshi begs Eagles for goals C

oach Stephen Keshi is a worried man. He has started a rebuilding process that’s beginning to take shape. The team is full of potentials and sometimes the players show depth and purpose in plots and they rebuff offensive incursions with

Stephen Keshi

Abdullahi bemoans dwindling sports fortune Stories by Patrick Andrew

ime was when the presence of Nigeria in any competition in the continent and beyond evoked fear in other competitors. Not anymore. Nigeria lately has become also ran in almost all the events the country has participated in and the Minister of Sports, Honourable Bolaji Abdullahi, believes it’s high time that has got to stop. Yesterday when members of the Senate Committee on Sports visited to intimate him of their plans to tour the six sporting facilities on the mandate of the senate, the minister lamented the deplorable state of the nation’s facilities and slump in fortunes as evident by recent failures to qualify for major tournaments. Abdullahi told Senator Ibrahim Adamu Gumba, who led members of the committee to his office that the National Sports Commission (NSC) that had been in the past been accused of doing little or nothing to ginger sports development in the country, was disturbed and wants to redress the situation. The minister told the committee members that the commission was working round the clock to re-jig Nigerian sports in all facets stressing that

Ike Uche

new departments and units have been created with specific directives on talents discovery, mentoring, monitoring and exposure to international events. He used the occasion to solicit the cooperation and support of the committee for the commission’s preparation for the London 2012 Summer Olympics, which will be held next month. Senator Gumba had earlier said the mandate to tour these facilities was given following the adoption of a motion on the dwindling state of general sports development in the country, adding the senate wants the trend thwarted.

Guinean referees for Super Falcons, Zimbabwe

he CAF has appointed referees from Guinea to take charge of Saturday’s 2012 African Women Championship qualifying match between the Super Falcons of Nigeria and the Zimbabwe Senior Women National Team, which is scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. Therese Sagno will be at the centre, with compatriots Doussou Sakho (Assistant Referee 1), Fatoumata Toure (Assistant Referee 2) and Aissata Keita (Reserve Referee) to support. The Match Commissioner is Floriane Affoutou from the Republic of Benin. The Super Falcons, who won the first leg 2-0 in Harare on May 27, will fly into Lagos today to intensify their preparation for the return leg match. Zimbabwe’s delegation is expected to arrive in Nigeria today aboard a South African Airways flight. The winner on aggregate qualifies for the 2012 African Women Championship finals, holding in Equatorial Guinea in November.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Novak says his rivalry with Nadal has just began Iorfa urges N clubs to eschew win-athome Moses syndrome says focus is now M Eagles r Dominic Iorfa, Chairman of Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi, Dominic Iorfa, is disturbed over the increased tendency towards win-atall-cost and pleaded in the interest of domestic league for the premier league clubs especially to eschew the desperation to win all matches. Iorfa, who was apparently reacting to Lobi Stars 0-1 loss to 3SC in Ibadan on Sunday, said the ugly desperation to using all manners of dirty tactics, does not argur well for the development of the domestic league. “The attitude of winning at-all-costs at home will not help the development of football in Nigeria but it will further bring it down. “Everybody who is involved in football management at any level should join in the effort to check this development,” said Iorfa, a former Super Eagles striker. On the match, Iorfa who was in the country’s team to 1988 Seoul Olympics, said he saluted the courage and skills displayed by both teams, adding that “the officiating was fantastic”. “The match is one of the best matches I have ever watched. The teams played well and the officiating was very alright,” he said. The former player of the defunct BCC Lions of Gboko said that his team would improve with the remaining matches of the league. It would be recalled that it was Iorfa who blew the whistle on the alleged match-fixing plan by Sunshine Stars during last season’s round of matches. The case was later handled by the NFF organising and disciplinary committee and some penalties were imposed on the clubs and officials. It later went to the appeal where it was referred to the Nigeria Police. Nothing though has been heard from the police since the matter to transfered to its domain.

ovak Djokovic may have beaten Rafael Nadal six times last and won three Grand Slam in the process, yet he has lost twice to Nadal at Grand Slam finals this year. The latest of such soaring revenge from Nadal was Monday’s French Open where Djokovic was denied the opportunity of becoming the fourth man in history to win all four Grand Slams in one year. But the World No 1 is undaunted. In fact, Djokovic is looking forward to a new rivalry at the summit of men’s tennis with his archrival, Nadal. But he clearly singled

out Nadal as his main foe. He declared ‘war’ on Monday after losing a hardfought French Open final against Spanish claycourt king Rafael Nadal. However, he still believe the sport’s biggest matchup was still between 30-year-old Roger Federer, holder of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, and Nadal, who at 26, already has 11 majors topped by a record seven at the French Open. “We are very young, and we played over 30 times against each other, and hopefully we can have many more battles in the next years,” Djokovic said.

Five-time major winner Djokovic – who holds the Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open titles – on Monday missed his chance of emulating Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) by holding all four Grand Slams at once. A disastrous double fault cost him a chance to stretch the Roland Garros final to five sets against Nadal after an overnight rain delay – only the second time in history that the final had to be fought in the third week. “I think the sport is experiencing some really good times now,” said Djokovic, who beat a

struggling Federer in straight sets on Friday to set up the final with Nadal. Federer believes he has a few more years of top-level competition left in him, including playing at the 2016 Olympics, even though he turns 31 in August and is busy looking after twin girls when not on court. Djokovic’s immediate goal is to take a week off before practicing on grass to defend his title at Wimbledon, an event dominated in the past decade by Federer, who holds six All England titles, just one short of the seven held by Pete Sampras.

Victor Moses

Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer

Match-fixing: NPL sets up special task force

etermined to curb incidences of match-fixing especially as the season gradually winds up, the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) board has constituted a Special Task Force that will monitor all matches and ensure that nothing suspicous was done. Chairman of the board, Chief Rumson Victor Baribote, disclosed while urging the league secretariat to redouble efforts at facilitating a smooth conclusion of the season. Baribote said that members of the task force were drawn from various professional bodies and included sports By Patrick Andrew

uper Falcons gaffer, Kadiri Ikhana, has again turned his search light for brighter prospects on the U-20 female team the Falconets and has given invitation to three players to their senior colleagues in the Falcons camp. The three, who are by no means new to the senior national team assignment, are Ngozi Orji, Francisca Ordega and Osinachi Ohale. They are to assist Ikhana to prosecute this weekend’s African Women Championship qualifier against Zimbabwe in Lagos. This latest poaching brings the number of the Falconets in the Super Falcons to six. The trio of Desire Oparanozie, Gloria Iroegbu and Esther Sunday, who featured in the first fixture in Harare, Zimbabwe, had earlier been poached on. Ikhana said his plans are to regularly call up players whom he tags ‘Super Falcons’ even though they also feature for the U20 side. “We always have intention of inviting the U20 players because some of them have already been capped for the

journalists who would be deployed to various centres not only to report on the matches but keep an eye on happenings at these venues. Baribote, who is the second vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said the board has vowed to restructure the league by restoring sanity and leaving no stone unturned to effect the necessary changes. He urged the 20 clubs and their officials to desist from win-at-cost syndrome but work to improve on quality to attract patronage.

Again, Ikhana poaches on Falconets Falcons in the past so they are really Falcons. “The U20 team came back barely four days to our trip to Zimbabwe making it difficult for us to invite all the players we needed.

Francisca Ordega

“We took three now as we have been with set of players for six weeks and couldn’t add more new players close to the match against Zimbabwe.” Though he said the players are crucial in his plans against

Zimbabwe, he however insisted that no player has automatic shirt in the squad. “No one has a permanent shirt yet. We have five days to the game and we will choose the players who are fit to play the game. Everyone has a chance to play and so no one has the right to the shirt.” Ikhana had early called up Sweden-based quartet of Perpetua Nkwocha, Rita Chikwelu, Faith Ikidi, and Helen Ukaonu for the Zimbabwe clash. The duo of Chikwelu and Ikidi hit the on Tuesday while Ukaonu and Nkwocha are to join them today from Lagos where the team will relocate to Abuja later today. The former Nigerian player said the Europe-based players will to return to their clubs after the Zimbabwe tie while the domestic Falcons will play the friendly against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana on June 23 in Lagos.

igan Athletics and Super Eagles wing attacker, Victor Moses, has dismissed rumours linking him with moves away from the club as mere speculation and noted that his focus now is with the Eagles and nothing more. Moses caused a stir on the flight from Malawi to Abuja, when NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Chris Green, who is a supporter of Manchester United, told him that the best place for him to ply his trade will be on the red side of Manchester. But Eagles boss, Stephen Keshi who was a shouting distance away from where Green was joking with the Eagles ace, countered by telling the Wigan star to sign the dotted lines for Liverpool. “Because if you do that you will never walk alone”, he said. Keshi is a known supporter of Liverpool. Petit Enugu Rangers winger, Ejike Uzoenyi, who was watching the drama, will not be left out of the talk without making his own contributions. “Arsenal is the best club side in the world and I will advise Moses to sign for them”, he said. Ejike is a supporter of the London Gunners. Moses was by now totally bemused at the arguments over his next port of call and when prodded by Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, where he would be next season, as the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham, his present club; Wigan, Chelsea and lately Sunderland have all laid claim to him, he flashed a disarming smile and said, “its only Nigeria for now. “My agent and other people know where best I can play and they are working on it, at the right time a decision will be taken.” With that all contenders for Moses withdrew into their shells, at least for the meantime.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 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.

Fellini open door to Chelsea

arouane Fellaini has opened the door to a Chelsea move after he admitted that he wants to play at European level. The Everton midfielder who signed a new long-term contract in November has admitted that the lure of continental competition is strong and that he has always dreamed of playing in the Champions League. A move to Chelsea would allow Fellaini to play at a higher level taking on the giants of Europe, including Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Belgium insists he is happy at Goodison Park but admitted that missing out on Champions League was not perfect. Fellaini said: “If I have got to go, I will go. If not, I repeat, I am at Everton.

irmingham stopper’s desire to remain in the Midlands has given the Baggies an edge over rivals Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers New West Brom boss Steve Clarke is closing in on the fulltime capture of keeper Ben Foster from neighbours Birmingham. Clarke is poised to offer £3million for Foster, who had a successful loan spell at the Hawthorns last season and is keen to stay in the Midlands. Foster is also wanted by QPR and on Tottenham’s wish-list, but Albion has been encouraged by signs that he wants to join them and is willing to discuss terms. Blues will finally cash in on Foster after failing to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt last season. Foster was also an option for QPR, but knows that West Brom still rate him highly now Clarke has succeeded Roy Hodgson.

iverpool has entered the race to sign former Chelsea ace Salomon Kalou, according to German outfit Schalke 04. New Reds boss Brendan Rodgers knows the forward from their time together at Stamford Bridge, and now it seems the Northern Irishman is lining up the 26-yearold free agent to bolster his attacking options at Anfield. However, Bundesliga side Schalke are also attempting to snap up the Ivory Coast international, and remain confident of landing their man despite this latest interest from the Reds. ‘Liverpool is in the market for him [Kalou], but I know he wants to leave England. That can be an advantage for us,’ said Schalke’s boss Huub Stevens. The Dutch manager had also targeted Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, but Stevens admits signing his countryman will be a tricky task.

Juventus winger alerts Liverpool

Arsenal line up Dzagoev as Arshavin replacement

West Brom to pay £3m for Foster

Kalou on Liverpool hit-list

Salomon Kalou

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iverpool has been put on red alert after Juventus winger Eljero Elia revealed he is ready to join another club in the next few weeks. Elia, 25, managed to win the Serie A title during his first season at Juventus, but he only made four league appearances and is now looking to get his career back on track. Liverpool has been strongly linked with a move for the Dutch forward who would relish the chance to showcase his talents in the Premier League. Elia just missed out on a place in the Holland squad for Euro 2012 and is now hoping to finalise his long-term future in the next few weeks after confirming he will leave the Italian giants. Elia, speaking on Dutch TV channel Eredivisie Live, said: “I’ll leave Juventus. I’ve already agreed with Juventus that I will be joining another club. “I just have the desire to start enjoying football again and my agent is evaluating all offers.”

Andrey Arshavin

rsenal is ready to cut their losses on Andrei Arshavin and replace him with his Russian international team-mate Alan Dzagoev. Arshavin re-joined Zenit St Petersburg in a loan deal that will expire after Euro 2012, but the Gunners are prepared to listen to offers for a permanent transfer for the 31-year-old. He failure to adapt to the English game, Arsene Wenger’s team are said to be ready to invest in Dzagoev, who many people see as his compatriot’s eventual successor in the national team. The 21-year-old scored a brace in Russia’s 4-1 demolition of the Czech Republic in the second

game of Euro 2012 on Friday. Despite his young age the attacking midfielder has already played more than 100 games for CSKA Moscow and scored five goals in his first eight caps for the national side. Although Dzagoev could be available on a cut price deal with his contract due to expire at the end of next season, Arsenal could yet face competition for his signature from London rivals Chelsea. The Blues are currently in rebuilding mode and are especially looking for reinforcements in attack, and Dzagoev - a selfconfessed Chelsea fan - could fit the bill.

PSG ready to outbid United for Modric

ig-spending Paris Saint Germain has made a move for Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric. The oil-backed French side could end up wrecking Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s hopes of landing Croatia midfielder Modric , as it is believed they are ready to offer £30million-plus. United have already had a £22m bid knocked back, and Ferguson is growing frustrated in his attempts to land Modric. PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti has

identified Modric as one of his top targets this summer, and had scouts at Croatia’s Euro 2012 win over the Republic of Ireland on Sunday. Tottenham refused to sell Modric last summer when Chelsea targeted him and Chairman Daniel Levy is unlikely to allow him to go without a fight this time. It is also believed Modric would prefer a move to Old Trafford rather than PSG, but the French club has made things very complicated for Fergie as he attempts to land him.

Luka Modric

Arshavin bid re-open between Arsenal, Zenit

enit St. Petersburg has opened informal talks with Arsenal over re-signing Andrey Arshavin, as the forward continues to impress at Euro 2012. Arshavin is all but certain to quit Arsenal this summer, having fallen out-of-favour with Arsene Wenger after asking to return to Zenit on loan last January. The decision to leave north London upset Wenger, but

Arshavin underwent something of a rejuvenation back in his homeland, scoring three goals and assisting four more in 19 matches, as Zenit cruised to the Russian league title. However, with Arshavin’s stock on the rise, Zenit have returned to the negotiating table, and held informal talks with Arsenal over the weekend, with a proper meeting set to follow.

Zenit value Arshavin at around £5 million, but Arsenal want to recoup a decent amount of the £15 million they handed over in January 2008, and have asked for closer to £8 million. The Gunners know they hold all the cards, and have also received tentative interest from Fulham, something that has alerted Zenit, especially as Arshavin’s family would love to remain in London.

Arsenal chase £10m rate Giroud

rsenal heads the queue to sign £10million-rated Montpeliier striker Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman smashed 21 goals in 36 games to help his side claim their first-ever Ligue 1 title last season. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has had Giroud watched and is thought to be considering a swoop for the 25year-old. Montpellier manager Rene Girard admits he is likely to lose his prized asset to the North Londoners in the near future. Speaking to french radio station RMC, he said: “Arsenal is very interested and Giroud wants to play in England. “If Arsene agrees with the president Louis Nicollin, he will sign for them.

Olivier Giroud

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Ogun to host PASAN Games

gun state will host second edition of the Parliamentary Games (PASAN) scheduled for next month. Indication to this effect emerged following the approval of Governor Ibikunle Amosun to have the Games held in the state. The president of the association, comrade Fatai Jimoh, confirmed this yesterday noting the the governor threw the door open for the Games because he saw that as an opportunity for the parliamentary workers to improve on their health and thus mentally and physically alert to render their services to the nation. Senator Amosun, according to Comrade Fatai, also believed that the Games would create needed opportunity to build social relationships and thus strengthen ties and foster national unity. Peoples Daily Sports recalls that

in the first edition of the Games held year, five events were competed for and these included football, table tennis, lawn tennis, badminton and scrabble. Parliamentary workers from the thirty-six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had participated in the first edition held in Abuja and are also likely to feature in next month’s fiesta to be held in Abeokuta. Jimoh though did not confirm whether events at which participants would compete for honours would be increased. Meanwhile, Jimoh on behalf of PASAN has commiserated with the President Goodluck Jonathan and the families of those who lost their lives in the Dana Air crash in Lagos. He described the crash as a monumental loss to the country and prayed for the repose of the souls of those who died in the crash.

NBBF says D’Tigers Chinese training on track

Ekpe Udoh in action

he President, Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijjani Umar, yesterday confirmed that D’Tiger’s proposed training tour to China is still intact and stressed that preparations for the Olympics Games remain boisterous. Umar, who recently unveiled the names of both the home and foreignbased players called up to the camp to begin preparations for the Games, said the team is preparing for the London Olympic Games qualifier, holding in Caracas, Venezuela, from July 2 to July 8. The home-based players and their technical officials, who departed Nigeria on June 8 to join their foreign-based colleagues, are expected to secure one of the three slots for the Games. Umar said the players are upbeat and raring to go. He also said that they have promised Nigerians that their participation at the Olympic Games which would hold from July 27 to Aug. 12, would not be a jamboree. “We know that the assignment before us is a big one and as so we need to prepare very well,” he said. Umar expressed the hope of a good outing by the D’ Tigers, saying the players since their last outing in Holland in December had been training in their respective locations. He said 12 foreign and 12 home-based players were in camp and that there would be the final selection of players for the qualifiers at the end of camping. He added that the team would depart for Venezuela from China at the end of the month.

Obikwelu in doubt for Olympics

Kenya adds Mutai to Olympics squad, dream double for Rudisha T P

eam Kenya has swiftly replaced injured Moses Mosop with Emmanuel Mutai as it doubled efforts towards increased medal hauls at the Games. Mutai, a Daegu World silver medallist and 2011 London Marathon champion had initially been dropped from the star-glut list of marathoners. But following the Mosop’s tendon injury and his doctor’s confirmation that he would be unable to participate at the Games, Athletics Kenya yesterday extended invitation to Mutai. Similarly, the athletics federation enlisted the services of the current World 800m men record holder, David Rudisha, as well as women 5000m and 10,000m Daegu gold medallist, Vivian Cheruiyot, for possible double at the Olympics. Rushida will seek the double the 4X400m relay team. Athletics Kenya Chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said yesterday that they opted for replacement following a letter from Moses and his doctor that he has been blighted by injury and would be unable to participate at the Games. “We have brought in Emmanuel (Mutai) and although we are sorry for Mosop missing London, any runner we have is as good as any other. Mosop injured his tendon and we received a letter from him and his doctors that he could not compete in London,” “Emmanuel helped Abel (Kirui) win the World title in Berlin and he was in our original list we had pre-selected for the Olympics and that is why we have him in the team.” Paris Marathon champion Stanley Biwott is on the stand-by list as the federation ruled out considering either World record David Rushida holder Patrick Makau or Geoffrey

Mutai who won both Boston and New York marathons last year. “We asked their agents to give us a report why they dropped out of the London and Boston races and we are yet to receive any from Makau or Mutai. We will still continue pressing for the report but we have looked outside the pre-selected list to name Biwott as the standby in case anything happens,” Kiplagat, also a Member of the IAAF Council, said. London will be the second outing for Mutai, the World Marathon Majors winner, after he braved illness at the Berlin Worlds to follow Kirui, to the tape in 2:06:53 for silver in 2009. Having set the London course record of 2:04:40 last year, Mutai fell short of retaining his title in April, finishing seventh in 2:08:01. The 27-year-old clinched the Majors by finishing second at New York last fall in 2:06:28 behind his namesake Geoffrey having been a runner-up in London the year before. While confirming the women 10,000m Olympics Trial would be held this Saturday on the final day of the National Championships that would start tomorrow, Kiplagat said adding that Cheruiyot, who clinched the long distance double in Daegu, would go for both races in London. “Yes, she has told us she is interested in competing at both Trials and the one week period we have between the Championships and the Olympics Trial is enough to rest. “Others like Linet Masai and Sally Kipyego have also stated they will go for both races,” Kiplagat expressed. Masai is the 2009 Worlds titleholder in 10,000m and won bronze in Daegu while Kipyego nicked silver in the 25-lap race in Emmanuel Mutai South Korea.

ortuguese sprinter Francis Obikwelu injured a muscle in his right leg and will be out of action for between four and six weeks, putting him in doubt for the London Olympic Games, his club said yesterday. “Obikwelu’s participation in the London Games is dependent on the way and on how fast he recovers from the injury,” Sporting said in a statement. Nigeria-born Obikwelu, 33, holds the European 100 metres record and clocked 9.86 seconds when he took the silver behind Justin Gatlin at the Athens Olympics in 2004. The sprinter’s woes come after a series of injuries affecting Portugal’s highprofile athletes which have generated concerns about the chances of the country’s Olympic team winning medals in July and August. Portugal will be without both its Beijing medallists after 2008 Olympic triathlon silver medallist Vanessa Fernandes ruled herself out and triple jump champion Nelson Evora suffered a leg injury.

Gay warms up to face Bolt, Blake, upbeat for place in Team US

yson Gay is confident of making the US team for the London Olympics, the American 100 metres record holder following his successful return to the track after a long absence. Gay, in his first appearance for nearly a year following hip surgery, clocked 10.00 seconds into a headwind to win the B race at the New York Diamond League meeting last Saturday. The time put the 2009 world championship silver medallist, and

the world’s second fastest man behind Jamaican Usain Bolt, in the mix to win an Olympic spot in the ultra-competitive US trials at Eugene, Oregon in less than three weeks. Only the top three finishers in each event qualify for next month’s London Games. “It is going to be a dogfight,” Gay told Reuters in a telephone interview from Boston. “I think (2004 Olympic champion Justin) Gatlin is running the best of anyone in the United

States right now. Walter Dix (and) Mike Rodgers are also running well ... (but) I feel confident in making the team.” Gay, who could not even jog until March, said he did not feel as bad physically as he thought he would after Saturday’s race. “That was my first time running in so long but I didn’t feel as sore as I thought I would,” said the sprinter who has teamed up with sponsors Gillette to gift $25 000 to the high school track and field programme at Lexington,

Kentucky where his career began. “I think these next two weeks are very critical for me to train smart. I think that will help me get over the hump. The only time I feel pain is when I come into knee flexion,” added the 2007 world champion. An injury in the 200 metres at the trials left Gay at less than full speed for the 2008 Beijing Games and he went out in the semifinals of the 100, denying him a chance of a first Olympic medal.

Although defeating Bolt and world champion training partner Yohan Blake would be a tough proposition in London, Gay is still hoping to pick up a medal if he qualifies. “That would be very special,” said the softly-spoken American. “That would solidify my career. That is the only thing I am missing besides the world record. But records come and go. Once I get a medal I will be able to keep that close to me for the rest of my life.”

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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A. WEST INDIES LEGEND SIR VIV RICHARDS SAYS ANDREW STRAUSS'S ENGLAND HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS TO DOMINATE TEST CRICKET FOR YEARS. B. UEFA IS TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED RACIST CHANTING DURING THE EURO 2012 MATCHES BETWEEN SPAIN AND ITALY AND RUSSIA V CZECH REPUBLIC. C. PAUL CASEY WITHDRAWS FROM THE US OPEN STARTING IN SAN FRANCISCO ON THURSDAY AS 14-YEAR-OLD ANDY ZHANG REPLACES HIM IN THE FIELD. D. WORLD INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP CHAMPION TEDDY TAMGHO, A RIVAL TO PHILLIPS IDOWU, MISSES LONDON 2012 BECAUSE OF AN ANKLE INJURY. E. NETHERLANDS MAY BE ON THE BACK FOOT FOLLOWING THE LOSS TO DENMARK, BUT RAFAEL VAN DER VAART HAS COME OUT FIRING BY CLAIMING GERMANY HAVE ONLY THREE CLASS PLAYERS. F. IBF SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION CARL FROCH WANTS A REMATCH WITH MIKKEL KESSLER IN OCTOBER, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMOTER. G. DEBUTANTS EXETER WILL TAKE ON DEFENDING CHAMPIONS LEINSTER IN POOL FIVE OF THE 2012-13 HEINEKEN CUP.

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Stunning strike earns Poland draw

spectacular strike by captain Jakub Blaszczykowski allowed Poland to fight back to draw 1-1 against Group A favourites Russia yesterday in a game marred by violent clashes between rival fans outside the stadium. Blaszczykowski's brilliant goal just before the hour cancelled out a first-half header by Russia's Alan Dzagoyev, leaving the Euro 2012 co-hosts needing to beat the Czech Republic in their final group game to progress. The result leaves Russia top of the standings with four points ahead of the Czech Republic on three and Poland with two while Greece are bottom with just one point. Poland had dominated the early exchanges at the national stadium, looking dangerous from a couple of early set pieces, with right back Sebastian Boenisch forcing a point-blank save from Russian keeper Vyacheslav Malafeyev. But Russia, who have never won on Polish soil, steadily got into the game and took the lead when Dzagoyev sent a looping header into the net from captain Andrei Arshavin's inswinging free kick after 37 minutes. The Poles responded strongly in the second half, however, and Blaszczykowski cut onto a Ludovic Obraniak pass on the edge of the box in the 57th to hit a scorching drive into the corner of the net to sent a thunderous roar around the stadium. The match was in danger of being overshadowed by the first serious clashes between fans at this year's tournament. Russian and Polish youths fought bloody running battles on the way to the ground with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Russia's supporters were kept in the stadium after the game in a bid to head off further trouble. Today’s matches Demark vs Portugal Netherlands vs Germany Results Russia 1 Poland 1 Greece 1 Czech Rep. 2

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE We call on the F eder al Go ver nment Feder ederal Gov ernment to thoroughly investigate the case of a customs comptroller who is being accused of supplying weapons to his tribesmen in Jos — JNI to FG

Kano’s double jeopardy N

igeria’s Immigration Service showed a rare lack of ingenuity recently when they arrested Chinese traders in the Kano Kwari textile market. It is doubtful if the best interest of the state and that of the nation have been taken into consideration before carrying out this muscle-flexing exercise. The economies of Kano, the North and that of the country have severely been undermined by bomb and gun attacks from the beginning of the year. To add the expulsion of foreigners to this matrix is to doubly jeopardize the business prospects of Kano. The reader may recall that on Tuesday, two weeks ago, the Comptroller of the Immigration Service in the state, Dr. Brisca Ifeanyi announced the arrest of 43 Chinese nationals, 34 men and 11 women on the basis that they were found to be “scavenging in the market, which is found to be hurting the nation’s economy”. He announced that this was the beginning of a new policy to rid the markets in Kano and Lagos of “economic saboteurs” but that foreigners who came to “invest and create jobs” are welcomed by the federal government. As the report on Channels TV went on to add, traders in the market have for years been complaining about the increasing dominance of the Chinese. I know, for instance, that the Lebanese traders and businessmen who had dominated business for decades, if not centuries in Kano had been speaking against the Chinese who have come to displace them in the city, not only in the textile market but in service sectors such as restaurants, supermarkets and bakeries. “You Kano people now prefer the Chinese. You don’t like the Lebanese anywhere,” is a refrain I have heard many times. But the Chinese who are today Africa’s largest trading partners aren’t just a problem to the Arabs. China has today supplanted the continent’s traditional trading partners, that is the Europe and the United States. When the KLM airlines ended their more than 50-year run at the Kano airport last week, one reason they cited, beside insecurity is about the fact of the sharp drop in passenger levels. “Your businessmen now travel eastwards, no longer Europe,” said their manager. As for the local textile traders in the Kwari market, the problem is simply one of contest for economic space. Retailers of similar products located in close proximity, located close to one another are considered close substitutes, alternatives or rivals.

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Garba Shehu garshehu@yahoo.co.in

Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso The Nigerian trader comes into this contest seriously disadvantaged. The great inequality of nations and economic resources amongst nations is a fact. For this reason, it is taken for granted that the small country is condemned to impotence, dependence and exploitation. So when a franchiser or dealer of goods made in China sits next to the outlet of the mainstream firm, direct from China, you know that the contest is unbalanced right from the beginning. The fate is the same for that “major distributor,” who goes to China to make that order at the maker’s factory, only to find that the maker of those goods has decided to operate an outlet in the same market. The franchiser will be marginalized. It is also a fact of the economic life of nations that in times of a

down-turn, depression on a contraction of the economic space, the tendency is for players in that space to focus upon those differences such as their nationality, race or religion. Limited resources, in this case the economic space, idealistically regarded as a property of all humans, becomes the object of over-exploitation, severe contest and ruin. The result is the type of rivalry as Kano witnessed in recent years. People have been talking about Chinese incursion into the markets for a long time. I know many who view the Chinese as being sly with their eye on this particular market, seeking its takeover, inch by inch. “Their aim is to take over the market,” some have said. In trying to solve the problem, the best any government could do was to seek an expansion of the economic space by promoting policies and actions that engender growth and development. This not being the priority of our current rulers, it is therefore unsurprising that there would be a resort to actions like this capable of causing public embarrassment. While I do not propose at all that Nigeria should sacrifice her national interest with any nation, in dealing with China, Nigeria must do a delicate balancing act. I have no accurate sense of the strength or levels of our bilateral relationship. But given what China is to the world today – the fastest growing economy, the largest trading partner on the

“

While I do not propose at all that Nigeria should sacrifice her national interest with any nation, in dealing with China, Nigeria must do a delicate balancing act. I have no accurate sense of the strength or levels of our bilateral relationship. But given what China is to the world today – the fastest growing economy, the largest trading partner on the African continent and the leading provider of support and foreign aid as it now stands - it is no doubt in our interest to be friendly with China

African continent and the leading provider of support and foreign aid as it now stands - it is no doubt in our interest to be friendly with China. This country needs China and must be friends with partners who have shown the new way to massive technology transfer and direct foreign investment. To gain from such a relationship, we must extract our foreign policy from the grip of Europe in particular. Yes, the Chinese are bullish and that is how they conquer markets. Nigeria had a neo-colonial past and cannot afford to be duped for the second time. Based on this, it is then for our governments to have the Chinese set a better tone and tenor of their relationships with Nigerians. At the end of everything, Nigeria must have the best of friendship with other nations with our national interest supreme in our mind. But it is difficult to see this being achieved where foreigners are seized and bundled out of the country. Sure, Nigeria won’t herself like her citizens being treated that way. Patriotic frenzy, if carried too far, can expose a country to ridicule. The whole idea of globalization is to remove obstacles and restrictions to international trade. Perceived disadvantages can be discussed and resolved at political and diplomatic levels. The crude approach adopted by Dr. Ifeanyi’s Immigration Service reminds one of late Idi Amin Dada’s barbaric expulsions of Indian businessmen, a decision that took a toll on the Ugandan economy. Impulsive and impetuous handling of delicate diplomatic, political and economic issues should not be subjected to crude force. These can send the wrong signals elsewhere and hurt Nigeria. There are African countries such as Ghana and Cote D’Voire where the dominance of Nigerians in particular businesses doesn’t go down well with their indigenous competitors. Should the Immigration Services in those African countries descend on Nigerian traders and bundle them off into detention like common criminals? Protectionist sentiments are realities of American and European markets. Yet it is unlikely if any U.S. or European government will carry out raids and arrests of foreign nationals perceived to dominate their markets. Free and fair trade issues are discussed at political and diplomatic levels so as not to harm existing relations. Dr. Ifeanyi’s ham-fisted tactics are thoughtless and needlessly overzealous demonstration of patriotism. They will hurt Kano, the North and the entire country.

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 ISSN: 2141– 6141