Peoples Daily Newspaper, Friday 14, June, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 20

Friday, June 14, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Sha’aban 6, 1434 AH

N150

Lebanese suspects are Hezbollah members, SSS insists

>>3

How I survived 50yrs on the throne — Kano Emir From Edwin Olofu, Kano & Osaigbovo Iguobara, Benin

I

n spite of the challenges he has encountered over the past 50 years on the throne, the Emir

of Kano, Dr. Ado Bayero, said yesterday that he remains unruffled because of his unflinching faith in the Almighty Allah.

“Perseverance, endurance and patience have been my stronghold,”

the Emir said and noted further that, “nothing has ever hurt me in my 50 years on the throne.”

The 56th Emir of Kano recalled that he had stepped on the throne with mixed feelings explaining that,

“when I was crowned as the Emir of Kano in June 1963, I received the honour with mixed feelings as I was happy, and then I was not happy.

“In any case, I took it as a call to serve my people and I was not

happy because then, I had elder brothers, elderly uncles who could have done it better but the mantle of leadership fell on me and I had no choice than to accept the Contd. on Page 2

Tinubu is a tyrant, says Presidency

By Lawrence Olaoye

P

Three Lebanese suspects arraigned for keeping an Illegal armoury in Kano coming out of the Federal High Court, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

No going back on same sex marriage ban — Mark >>3

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday described the national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, as an unpatriotic Nigerian and his party undemocratic.

Responding to an address delivered at the British House of Commons recently by the former Lagos state Governor, the President who spoke through his Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, noted that the presentation was marred by several inconsistencies, political razzmatazz and utter falsehoods.

Okupe in a World Press Conference held in Abuja said “as any keen and discerning observer on Nigeria’s democracy will attest, Senator Tinubu and his ACN are completely lacking in democratic temper. The ACN as a party is not only undemocratic but blatantly autocratic and makes no presences about it.”

He said Tinubu could only assert, as he did in his presentation in London, that Jonathan’s leadership is dysfunctional democracy because the ACN leadership’s understanding of democracy is tainted and skewed by his undemocratic mindset, which has seen him exert authoritarian control over the party.

According to the Presidential aide, the former Lagos state governor could not be referred to as a patriot because of his opposition to the declaration of state of emergency in the North Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states at the height of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in the region.

He said, “Nigerians know for a fact that if it were Contd. on Page 2

FG dialogues with 104 Boko Haram suspects >>2

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

News CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch

23

S/Report

24-25

Int’l

27-30

Strange World 31 Revue

32-33

Mandela: An ailing historical icon, Page 4

Feature

34

Opinion

35

Digest

36

Politics

37-38

Newsxtra

39

Woman

40

Sports Columnist

41-45 48

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

You can send your news and pictures to: adverts@peoplesdailyng.com pictures@peoplesdailyng.com contact@peoplesdailyng.com

Phones for News: 08142929046 08024432099

FG dialogues with 104 Boko Haram suspects

T

he Federal Government yesterday began dialogue with the 104 Boko Haram suspects being detained in Lagos prisons.

The Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu, and Chairman, Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, led the committee members to the meeting.

Tanimu told newsmen after the

meeting that the visit was aimed at interacting with the suspects and chart a new way forward.

“We came here basically to have interaction with people detained in connection with acts relating to terrorism.

“We have interacted and spoken to them and they responded very sincerely and frankly, and I think I can say that we were well informed about most of the things they were

interested in.

“For now, we are more concerned with the release of vulnerable people and those not pinned down by the security agencies.

“We have seen those the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPR) advised for release.

“We have not seen any woman or child here, but even at that, I am sure the committee will make appropriate recommendations as

far as the issue of their release is concerned.

“We have interacted with stakeholders. We have been informed and we have been given advices that will help in making our recommendation to government.

“I can assure you that the committee is on top of the situation as far as dialogue is concerned. We have no serious challenges at the moment.” (NAN)

How I survived 50yrs on the throne — Kano Emir Contd. from Front Page responsibility.”

Bayero also spoke on the need to assign constitutional roles to traditional rulers in the country, pointing out that, “if the government decides to assign constitutional roles to traditional rulers, it is acceptable to me, and if they decide otherwise, it also acceptable.”

He called on Nigerians to have faith in God, noting that, in everything that happens to one’s life, God has a purpose for it.

The 83 year old Emir called on his subjects to pray for the development of Kano and Nigeria, noting further that peace and unity remain the cornerstone of every nation that is determined to develop.

Following is the encounter between the Emir and newsmen: Your Royal Highness it is 50 years since you ascended the throne. How do you feel?

I have nothing much to say than to thank Allah for sparing my life to witness these years on the throne as the longest serving Emir of Kano.

Over these years, different governors both civilians and military men have ruled Kano state. How have you been able to cope with them?

It is not by my doing. It is through the help of Allah that I was able to have a good understanding and good relationship with all the governors who have governed the state during my reign.

When the former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha died, after the funeral prayer you were quoted as lamenting that all the two sons of Kano who were opportuned to rule the country died in office. Is there any reason behind that statement having in mind that late Murtala also died during his time as Head of State?

There is no reason in particular

for that statement, only that I am showing my gratitude to Allah who made it possible for me to see the coming and leaving of many head of sates that either died or leave at the end of their tenures. Every soul must taste death at it appointed time by Allah. So, what is left for us is to pray to Allah for His mercy and forgiveness and take our souls as Muslims when our appointed time reaches us.

Your Highness, people are of the opinion that you are not shaken by anything bearing in mind many things that have happened during your reign most especially the recent events, how was that possible?

What do you mean? In fact I don’t even know what you mean, what I believe is that whatever happens to me on this earth is destined to happen to me by almighty Allah. So, there is no point being disturbed as whatever happened to any person is already pre-destined to happen to him, so whenever such kind of things happen whether good or bad what is required from that person is to thank Allah if it is for good and exercise patients if it is the opposite.

For someone to spend 50 years on the throne as emir in a great emirate like Kano is not a small feat. Your Highness, what can you say about the positive development Kano state experiences during your reign?

Alhamdulillah, all praises are due to Allah who through His assistance made it possible for me to witness these years on the throne, a feat that none of my predecessors achieved. I thank all the people of Kano and the country at large for showing me such love during this time.

In this 50 years, Kano has witnessed tremendous

development and challenges in many different aspects of life. How do you see these developments?

This is a very simple task for me.

As I have always said, whoever puts his trust in Allah and follows his instructions as prescribed by Islam in whatever he does, that person has nothing to worry about. So, it is through Allah’s assistance that we have succeeded over these years.

Your Highness a lot of your people praise you for your virtues especially your patience and justice in ruling your kingdom. What is the secret behind this your highness for others to imbibe and become successful?

Alhamdulillah, the secret is that, it is Allah who blesses me with these good behaviours as He is the only one that can grant such virtues to any of His servants.

You are known for your generosity especially in the areas of helping the needy, building of mosques and Islamic schools. Why do you engage in such activities?

These things are what we inherited from Sheikh Usman Bin Fodio, the founder of Fulani dynasty. Building of mosques and Islamic schools and helping the needy among our subjects is what the empire is known for and passed over to us by our forefathers.

So, as vicegerent of Usman Bin Fodio, these things are part of our responsibilities.

Being an Emir in a big city like Kano ought to be very challenging. Your Highness, do you ever have time to rest as other people do?

Initially, I worked almost 24 hours a day, without any particular day to rest or what have you but now, due to age and as the body is no longer as strong as it was 50 years ago, we set aside weekends

to rest. Apart from Friday that is traditionally set aside as work-free day during which I receive homage from my subjects, we now add Saturday and Sunday as work-free days.

Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has described Bayero, as an embodiment of wisdom and a friend of the talakawa.

While congratulating the Emir on his 50th coronation anniversary, Oshiomhole said that, “I heartily write to pay tribute and celebrate with Your Royal Highness on this momentous occasion of your landmark 50th coronation anniversary, as Emir of Kano.

“Under Your Royal Highness’ glorious reign, Kano Emirate witnessed phenomenal socioeconomic, political, educational and cultural transformation and, more than at any time in its history affirmed its pre-eminent status, as a world-renowned Emirate, centre of commerce and scholarship, and a melting pot for all Nigerians.

“Despite the fast changing Nigeria’s landscape, Your Royal Highness has remained a model of how change can be embraced by a Community without sacrificing its cultural and spiritual values.

“Significantly, in the 50 years since Your Royal Highness ascended the exalted throne of your forbears, you have remained a most worthy friend of the talakawa, who have, in turn, always shown uncommon admiration and fondness for their King.

“As embodiment of wisdom and learning, compassion and selflessness, Your Royal Highness has continued to inspire millions, as a reference point in authentic leadership and service to the Community.”

Tinubu is a tyrant, says Presidency Contd. from Front Page left to Tinubu and his party, the terrorists would be having a free reign in the north-east of Nigeria.

“It is public knowledge that whilst peace loving Nigerians fully supported the declaration of emergency rule by President Jonathan in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one o its merging partners,

opposed the move going as far as calling on the National Assembly to reject the declaration.

“That is why we regrettably disagree with Senator Tinubu’s labeling himself as a patriot.

“As everyone well knows, patriots are concerned with the image, the well-being and survival of their country and will do everything in their power to protect same even if they have political differences with

heir governments.”

Okupe who noted that Jonathan remains the most unjustifiably maligned leader in the history of the country also counseled the ACN national leader to adopt higher standard of integrity as a former governor and political leader.

He maintained that Tinubu’s paper delivered in London lacked a fundamental understanding of

both democratic norms and sound economic judgment.

“His Third Path blueprint for economic transformation is nothing but a hollow ideological concept.

“As the ACN national leader has failed to realize, the world has moved away from ideologies in favour of pragmatic and result oriented policies, which impact meaningfully on the lives of the people,” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 3

News Daily Trust loses Managing Editor

By Abubakar Ibrahim

T

L-R: Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Malam Muhammad Sani Sidi, United Nations Under Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Baroness Valerie Amos, and UN Resident Coordinator, Daouda Touré, during Baroness Valerie working visit to NEMA headquarters, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

No going back on ban on of same-sex marriage — Mark

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enate President, David Mark, has reiterated that the decision of the National Assembly to outlaw same-sex marriage is not reversible.

Speaking at a dinner hosted in his honour by the Nigerian community in Prague, Czech Republic, Mark explained that the bill which has been approved by both chambers of the National Assembly, will not in any way infringe on the human rights of Nigerians.

According to a press statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Kola Ologbondiyan, Mark said that, “the law against same-sex marriage is an approval of the wishes of the generality of Nigerians who are desirous of living within our cultural bounds.”

He explained that the law is not designed to infringe on the human rights of Nigerians in any way, arguing that Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion, are completely in support of the National Assembly because the practice of same-sex

is alien to the local culture and tradition.

Mark charged the Nigerians resident in Czech Republic to contribute their quota to the development of their fatherland.

He challenged them to use the opportunities in the transformation agenda of the Federal Government by joining the struggle to make Nigeria great.

“You do not need to wait till the date Nigeria will be better before coming home to contribute your quota.

“Nigerians are hardworking people and you contribute in no small measure to the economy of your countries of residence. For those who desire to join us at home to improve the state of our economy and infrastructural development, you are welcomed,” he said.

He also revealed that his mission to Prague was to foster a relationship between the National Assembly and the Parliament of Czech Republic through cooperation in the areas of education, culture, trade and medicine.

he Managing Editor of Media Trust Limited, Malam Suleiman Ibn Mohammed, yesterday died in a manner management and staff of the company described as shocking and devastating.

Mallam Suleiman Mohammed, 50, collapsed close to the Unity Bank branch in Area 3 where he had gone for a transaction at about 10 am.

He had parked his car close to the bank and was exchanging pleasantries with a Park N Pay official when he slumped and was rushed to the nearby Bepos Clinic where he was confirmed dead minutes later.

Colleagues who saw him leaving the office to the bank earlier yesterday morning before the incident said he was in good spirit and showed no sign of ill health.

He was described by colleagues in a condolence register opened yesterday in his honour at the premises of Media Trust Limited as “perfect gentleman” and someone with a listening ear. “...You were a good man,” Mahmud Jega, Daily Trust Deputy Editor-In-Chief wrote in the register.

He has since been buried in Keffi, Nasarawa state according to Islamic rites.

Late Suleiman Mohammed

Kano arms cache: SSS insists Lebanese suspects are Hezbollah members

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

I

n compliance with an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja, the State Security Services (SSS) yesterday produced the three Lebanese business men held in their custody for over a month for allegedly operating illegal arms bunker for terror groups, with a revelation that the suspects belongs to the Hezbollah military wing.

SSS counsel, Eric Osagie who said he produced the suspects in court in compliance with court’s order of June 11, 2013 further disclosed that investigation into the incident had established a serious case of terrorism with international dimension and it would be premature to grant them bail.

The court sitting before Justice Adeniyi Ademola had ordered SSS, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the

Federation (AGF) to produce the owner of Amigo Supermarket, Mustapha Fawaz, Abdullahi Thaini and Talal Roda, all Lebanese, suspected to have imported arms cache into the country for alleged terrorist activities.

The order followed an ex-parte application by lead counsel to the suspects, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN).

The suspects were however ordered to be returned to the SSS custody whose operatives claimed that they were still investigating their link with international terror organizations and allegations of illegal arms stockpiling.

The trial Judge also ordered that the suspects be allowed to have access to selected lawyers whose names must be submitted to the SSS in advance.

The three Lebanese had been in custody of the SSS for over a month when an alleged bunker stockpiled

with arms and ammunitions were found in their house in Kano and in the Wonderland Amusement Park in Abuja.

They had sued the SSS, the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation asking the court to compel the three defendants to release them or charge them to court if any offence had been committed.

In the suit for enforcement of their fundamental rights to freedom of liberty filed on their behalf by their counsel, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), they claimed that the defendants breached their fundamental rights and the 1999 constitution with their endless detention without trial.

They demanded N3 billion as compensation for hardships they suffered in the breach of their rights

and their unlawful detention without trial.

They have also prayed the court to stop the respondents from extraditing them except by a procedure permitted by law, that the court should declare their arrest and continued detention without trial by the SSS as “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

NDIC earmarks N16bn for sustenance of mortgage banking From Edwin Olofu, Kano

T

he Managing Director of Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Alhaji Umar Ibrahim said in Kano yesterday that N16 billion has been set aside by the corporation to ensure the sustenance of primary mortgage banking in the country.

Ibrahim, who disclosed this at a two-day workshop, organized by the corporation for over 97 operators in the Micro-Finance Banking subsector held in Kano, decried the low contribution by the Micro-finance operators both in the North East and North West.

He also frowned at the development, whereby operators

don’t return statutory premium to the Central Bank, causing the corporation to ascertain those existing physically but not only exist on paper.

According to him, the corporation only collects N1.3 billion from the payment of premium which he described as dismal which he maintained is a far cry from what the corporation expects.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

The Page 4 Report Mandela: An ailing historical icon

N

elson Mandela, the anti apartheid hero, elder statesman, global icon has once again been hospitalized. It is understandable therefore that South Africans and the world over are extremely concerned about the 94 year old’s fourth stay in hospital since December, 2012.

Mandela led the anti apartheid campaign in South Africa which eventually led to a life prison sentence, but was released after 27 years after growing international pressure on the South African government. “Madiba” as he is fondly known in his native South Africa then went on to become South Africa’s first black president in 1994, serving 5 years in office.

Mandela was admitted into hospital on Saturday with a recurring lung infection. The South African government which handles issues concerning the former president has issued a statement saying he is in “serious but stable condition”.

Following President Jacob Zuma’s visit to the Mediclinic Heart hospital in Pretoria, he said in an address to the parliament that Mandela was now “responding to treatment.”

Presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj said he would issue a statement about Mandela’s health if doctors gave him any information.

Maharaj had said on Saturday Mandela was breathing on his own, calling that a positive sign.

His family is now being allowed to visit him after his wife Graca Machel had accompanied him to the hospital on Saturday, the South African Press Association reported. She had cancelled a speaking engagement in London to be with her ill husband.

The government’s statement comes at a time when South Africans had been getting displeased and impatient over the lack of regular briefings concerning “Madiba”, especially with the government saying he had been in “good spirits” during previous hospitalizations. The silence could be seen as a cautious move by the Government not to expose too much information on a very touchy issue in South Africa.

As a show of their concern and support, church goers held prayer sessions on Sunday across South Africa especially in the township of Soweto. “We wish him speedy recovery, he must get well,” Soweto resident Mlugisi Sekhosana said.

“We know what he did for us in South Africa. The entire nation, black and white, we wish him well.”

More recently vigils have been held in front of the Mediclinic where Mandela is being held as the hospital has been flooded with local and international media keeping a close eye on developments concerning the icon’s on-going illness. Social media platform Twitter was alight with comments from well-wishers in South Africa and across the world, with many commenting on the government’s silence and Mandela’s legacy.

“I hope God grants me years to tell my grandchildren about Nelson Mandela, the pride of Africa, the

World’s most famous statesman, the legendary Dr. Nelson Mandela, is now on his fourth hospitalisation in six months. Hassan Haruna Ginsau here chronicles the steadily deteriorating health of the world’s most beloved leader and writes that the world is deeply worried that the 94 year old icon’s time may finally be up.

Mandela

“

According to Dautzenberg, respiratory infections are often a contributing factor to death in the elderly. The symptoms can be dire and resemble the eating disorder anorexia.

He said patients stop eating and become exhausted over time. If they suffer a shortage of oxygen, this could affect other organs like the brain or kidneys. In hospital though, doctors can provide oxygen and physiotherapy. prisoner who freed his jailers,” said one Twitter user.

Mandela, who lost his father to a lung infection, has a history with lung problems dating back to his imprisonment in the wind-swept Robben Island prison camp near Cape Town. In 1988, while serving his prison term, Mandela was diagnosed with early stage TB after

complaining of dampness in his cell.

Two litres of fluid were drained from his chest at the time and he spent six weeks recuperating in hospital.

In recent years though, the respiratory problems have become more frequent, notably since January, 2011 when he was hospitalized for an “acute respiratory infection” and had surgery for an abdominal hernia a month after.

Thereafter, Mandela entered hospital for “long-standing abdominal pain”. He was discharged a day later, after a keyhole abdominal examination showed there was nothing seriously wrong. That was in February of 2012.

More recently though, Mandela’s hospital visits have increased, with the ailing hero being hospitalized four times in the last eight months, Saturdays’ hospitalization being the fifth. The first was in December 2012 when he was initially admitted for medical tests, leading him to spend much of December in hospital for treatment of the lung infection and surgery to have gallstones removed.

The stay was his longest since he was released from prison in 1990, raising the concerns of many over his health condition.

On March 9th, 2013, Mandela was admitted to hospital for a scheduled medical check-up and discharged a day later and reported by the government to be “well”.

This was followed eighteen days later by a ten day hospitalization between March, 28th and April, 6th when he was treated for pneumonia and discharged after a “sustained and gradual improvement” in his condition, according to the government.

Prior to Saturday, his most recent admission was on June 8th when he was taken to hospital with a recurrence of a lung infection. The government said he was in a “serious but stable” condition, comments similar to what is being said in his latest stay.

It is not un-common for the elderly to suffer from lung problems due to their weakened immune systems.

Their bodies find it harder to fight infections as opposed to younger bodies which can be easily treated.

“When we are young and fit, we cough up (mucus) vigorously. When we are old, we cough less easily and if we already have weakened lungs the mucus stays behind and there is a high risk of congestion,” says French pulmonologist Bertrand Dautzenberg.

“This is why old people are prone to respiratory infections, which are a key cause of death among the elderly.”

Also, he says, most people on reaching the age of ninety use about fifty percent of their lung capacity, compared to 20 percent in youth. “If, in addition, a part of one’s lung has previously been damaged by tuberculosis... one is left with very little spare capacity.”

According to Dautzenberg, respiratory infections are often a contributing factor to death in the elderly. The symptoms can be dire and resemble the eating disorder anorexia.

He said patients stop eating and become exhausted over time. If they suffer a shortage of oxygen, this could affect other organs like the brain or kidneys.

In hospital though, doctors can provide oxygen and physiotherapy.

South Africans have gotten used to seeing very little of their former president with his last public appearance coming in the Final of the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Aside from all the prayers and support, there is apprehensive yet silent sense of finally letting go, some fearful, others fulfilled, taking his age into account. Many South Africans feel he has served them well and like no other and his time may finally be up, with his longtime friend Andrew Mlangeni saying; “The family must release him so that God may have his own way. They must release him spiritually and put their faith in the hands of God. Once the family releases him, the people of South Africa will follow.”

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

News N894m Reps contract followed due process, says witness

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

Prosecution Witness in the on-going trial of former Speaker of the House of Representatives yesterday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that due process was followed in the award of the N894 million supply contract in the House of Representatives during the reign former Speaker Dimeji Bankole.

The witness, Bukoye Lasisi, Director of Finance and Accounts of the National Assembly told the Court, sitting before Justice Elvis Chukwu that the Clerk of the House of Representatives was the person

that authorized the payment for the contract for which the former Speaker is being tried.

Bankole is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 16-count criminal charge bothering on contract inflation and abuse of office while he was Speaker of the House of Representatives.

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the witness, under across examination, told the court that: “The general practice for the award of contract at the House of Representatives is that the Speaker and the Clerk of the House

give authorization for payment for any contract, but in this instant case, it was the Clerk of the house of Representatives that authorized the payment for the contract”.

The prosecution witness further told the court that the former speaker did not take part in the process that led to the award of the contract.

Specifically, the anti-graft agency alleged that Bankole rigged bid for the purchase of three units of Mercedes Benz S-600 cars, two units of Range Rover vehicles (without bullet proofs) and 400 units of DSTV

systems, by refusing to follow all the procedures prescribed for public procurements in Sections 17 to 56 of the Public Procurement Act No.14 of 2007, leading to a loss of value to the national treasury and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58(4)(e) of the Public Procurement Act, No.14 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58(5) of the same Act. The witness said spirited efforts by the agency to trace the benefiting companies proved abortive as they were non-existent. He said the investigation was prompted by a petition that was lodged before

the anti-graft agency by Bankole’s colleagues in the House, led by Mr. Dino Melaye.

“My Lord, after our thorough investigations with the C.A.C, and close perusal of the documents used by the then leadership of the House of Representatives under the accused person in the award of the said contracts, we found out that the contact details of the beneficiary companies were non-existent, letters sent to the purported addresses on the contract papers, were returned two weeks later for reason of non-existence of the addresses,” he added.

President Jonathan did not order dismissal of top police officers – Presidency

By Udenna Orji

R

eports by sections of the media that President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the sacking of top police officers have been described by the Presidency as untrue and misleading.

In a statement signed yesterday

by Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, the Presidency said it viewd “the highly sensationalized reports as a deliberate attempt to cause anxiety and disaffection amongst the top hierarchy of the Police Force through the willful misrepresentation of President Jonathan’s remarks at the swearingin of the new Chairman and members of the Police Service Commission”.

“The swearing-in ceremony at which President spoke yesterday was directly covered by members of the State House Press Corps and as a significant number of them rightly reported, the thrust of the President’s remarks was that the new Chairman and members of the Police Service Commission should strive to effectively discharge their statutory function of enhancing discipline and efficiency in the service by ensuring that performance, competence and merit are the primary criteria for career progression in the Police”, the statement said.

The Presidency noted that, “the full transcript and recording of the President’s remarks at the occasion are available to all sections of the media and they clearly show that at no point in the course of his comments did the President “order” or “direct” the Police Service Commission to “sack” any police officer. President Jonathan was certainly not giving fresh orders or rewriting the rules when he said: “People who are promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police and above must merit the rank. If you don’t merit the rank, you should be retired from the service”.

L-R: Former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, with his counsel, Professor Taiwo Osipitan, at the Court of Appeal, yesterday in Ibadan over Daniel’s corruption case with EFCC. Photo: NAN

Herbal medicine should be introduced in medical schools says Chukwu

By A’isha Biola Raji

T

he Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, has called for the inclusion of herbal medicine in the medical school curriculum.

Chukwu made the call yesterday at the ministerial press briefing

held in Abuja. He said there is need for medical practitioners to pass through medical school so they can have evidence-based medicines.

He said the system of traditional medicine in Nigeria is an example of medicine with different modalities hence the need to inculcate it into

medical school for specification.

According to him,“For the first time in Nigeria, we want herbalists to go to universities.”

Speaking further at the event, the minister said an action plan has been drawn to tackle HIV/AIDS problem.

In his contribution, the minister

of information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said any drugs that are not evidencebased will not be approved by health ministry.

This according to him is to safeguard the health of the people.

“There is no miracle based drugs,” he added.

NANS Senate President, others killed in auto crash

D

onald Onukaoguu, the Senate President of the National AssociationofNigerianStudents (NANS) and four other students have been killed in a road crash.

The students met their end yesterday on their way to the University ofUyo,Akwa-Ibomstate,tointervenein thecurrentcrisisrockingthatinstitution.

The lone survivor for the accident

who is currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, claimed that an illegal road block mounted by the police was responsible for the tragedy.

The police allegedly killed several students during a protest organized by students of Engineering at the university, onWednesday.

That prompted the decision of the

NANS leaders to embark on the urgent trip to Akwa-Ibom.

The Engineering students were protesting against new transport fees and other anti-student policies, including the contentious NANS President, Yinka Gbadebo, confirmed the incident.

The survivor of the crash said that the police mounted an illegal road

block by putting heavy logs and stones on the road and that the unsuspecting students,whoweretravellinginaNANS bus rammed into the illegal barrier.

According to him, the police ran away immediately the accident occurred.

Another source however claimed that a trailer crushed the students’ vehicle.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 7

News

Briefs Japan builds $1m hostel for Defence College

T

he Japanese government, through the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has built a hostel worth $1 million for the African Centre for Strategic Research and Studies at the National Defence College.

That country’s Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Ryuichi Shoji, stated this yesterday in Abuja at the commissioning of Japanese government funded participants hostels for Peace Support Operation Courses.

Shoji said his country desired to build capacity of African countries and institutions that will bring about peace and stability within the region adding that they will also address the underlying causes of conflict and stability.

By Joy Baba

Again, gunmen kill 2 soldiers, four others in Kaduna community attack

G

unmen attacked Kwasakwasa village in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna State killing several two soldiers and four other persons.

The attack, which came four days after a similar one on three villages in the area, was said to have occurred at about 6 a.m. yesterday.

A resident of Kwasakwasa, located about 70 kilometres from Birnin Gwari, Isa Jatau, said several other villagers and security men were injured.

The Secretary of the local government, Zubairu Zakariya, confirmed the attack on the village but said details on the casualty was being compiled.

He said that the Chairman of the council, Idris Alhassan, had helped to convey the victims to the Birnin Gwari General Hospital.

From Mohammed Ibrahim, Kaduna

Poor services: Ethiopian Airlines apologizes to customers Protection Council

E

thiopin Airlines yesterday through the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) apologized to the passengers for the ill-treatment meted out to them on Saturday, May 18, 2013 at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

CPC’s letter was based on several complaints received from passengers of the said flight, particularly those of the business class on poor service delivery.

The airline, in a reaction to the Council’s complaint tendered its deep apologies to the Council and all the affected passengers, blaming the shoddy service to the passengers of the affected flight to its system failure.

In a statement by the CPC Deputy Director, Public Relations, Abiodun Obimuyiwa, Ethiopian Airlines, in its letter of apology, signed by Aschalew Endale, said “on this specific date all the system that we are using was interrupted for a week due to network connection problem.”

By Etuka Sunday

L-R: Minister of Education, Prof. Ruquayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, during the 2013 Ministerial Platform, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Education Ministry has enough fund to drive the sector, says Minister

By Maryam Garab Hassan

M

inister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I, has affirmed that the Ministry has enough funds from the Federal Government and international donor agencies to drive the developmental projects of the sector.

The Minister made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja at the public presentation of the Ministry’s 2013 annual report to

commemorate the mid-term anniversary of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

According to her, since the present administration assumed office, the Federal Government has continued to improve the funding of the sector which she said is evident in the 2013 budget adding that the President has also continue to support in accenting to all the demands of the ministry to develop the sector.

The Minister however said, the sum of N259 billion was spent on the tertiary education in the country by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) while the basic education has enjoyed N270 billion from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

She noted that the ministry and its agencies have continue to invest extensively in the provision of infrastructure and related tools to address the identified challeng-

es of the sector at all levels adding that virtually every educational institution in the country has an ongoing project targeted at improving the quality of education delivery.

She further explained that a key emphasis of the ministry and its agencies has been the engagement of a wide variety of the education stakeholder communities to provide input into policies and their implementation.

Immigration boss vows to flush out illegal immigrants

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

C

omptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), David Parradang, has said that the service will henceforth take stringent measures against illegal immigrants.

Parradang who made this submission yesterday in Abuja, said that only investors and tourists with genuine programmes that will better the lots and growth of Nigeria would be allowed.

He said that the level of insecurity in the country has made it nec-

Borno youths capture six insurgents From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

T

he massive manhunt for the suspected members of the Boko Haram sect launched by a group of youths popularly called civilian JTF in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, continued yesterday with the arrest of six more prominent insurgents.

The youths who formed a vigilante group succeeded in apprehending the suspects in separate operations conducted in various areas.

Two of the insurgents were reportedly captured along the Post Office area, while others were apprehended in Mairi layout Ward behind the University of Maiduguri.

Witnesses said the captured insurgents, had been in the wanted list and that they were captured after some residents of the affected

areas gave a clue to the vigilante group on the hide-outs of the suspects.

Meanwhile, a 13-year-old girl who hawks sachet water in Maiduguri metropolis, in a dramatic scenario, identified a middle-aged man for allegedly participating in the killing of her parents, nine months ago, eyewitnesses told newsmen.

Eyewitnesses said the little girl threw away her basin of sachet water and held unto the shirt of a local perfume vendor, as she began to scream and yell ‘this is the man that slaughtered my father and mother, please help me to catch him...he slaughtered my parents: Traders who immediately surrounded the culprit, suspected to be a member of the Boko Haram, asked the girl to substantiate her claims of which she was said to have vividly narrated her sad story to the conviction of many in the market.

essary for the service to effectively secure the country’s border.

According to him, “as a service, we will provide a conducive environment for genuine investors and tourists.

“Those who will add value to Nigeria will be welcomed gladly but those with negative influence will not find rest till this country is rid of terrorist.”

Parradang warned that indiscipline, corruption and marginalization that had enveloped the service in recent past will not be condoned.

“I would rather be removed today than allow any officer extort the innocent masses who come to us for help.

“I would rather be removed than allow the collection of toll gate and encouragement of god-fatherism and tribalism,” he said.

He announced plans to carry out an internal swap of officers to various departments at the national headquarters even as he ordered the immediate transfer of all junior officers to border states.

Leave PDP if you wish, Tukur dares Wamakko

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he National Chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday dared the Sokoto state governor to leave the party if he so desires.

The PDP boss who spoke through his Special Assistant on Media, Prince Oliver Okpala, also warned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to toe the line of party discipline even though he has the right to support his governor.

“If he has any agenda to leave

the PDP, it is within his constitutional right and he is free, but as long as he remains within the PDP, he must align himself with discipline,” Tukur told Wamakko.

He continued “He should not stay in the party and be encouraging insubordination and indiscipline.

The leadership of the party under Tukur has regards for party discipline and will never waver.

“Therefore, for him to say Tukur is a political prostitute, does that portray him as a true son? He should express a true sense of respect and discipline because of his position as a governor.”

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY| FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Wamakko as Jonathan’s albatross

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR President

By Mohammed Kabir he recent suspension by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of two of its most strategic governors, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers state and Sokoto state’s Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko has proved conclusively that the party has lost touch with its two principal covenants; the one with the people of Nigeria and the one with its core party men.

The governor of Rivers State was suspended, according to the party, for flouting its instructions on the local government elections held in his state. Curiously, his punishment was not announced until his team roundly defeated the JonathanJang team (the J-team, if you like) in spite of the PDPs usual in-house arrangement that has made their party the most undemocratic on the face of the earth, courtesy of its wellwatered and well-oiled affirmation of candidates system at every given occasion.

Somehow, the Peoples Democratic Party does not seem to comprehend the word “people” as it is defined in all lexicons.

That is why when the people of Nigeria were celebrating Amaechi’s victory as chairman of the Nigeria Governors forum, the “people” in Jonathan’s PDP, most of them politically leprous and imbecilic, pushed Plateau’s governor Jang into doing the unthinkable. It is now a waste of time, courtesy of the treatment meted out to Amaechi, to say that the PDP’s ground norm has been desecrated and a waste of breath to add that a replication of the PDP formula in the 2015 presidential election, if contemplated, may send the country into a needless conflagration.

But while the euphoria that heralded this altercation has been burning in the president’s backyard, the PDP summarily, without as much as a fair hearing, as was the case with Amarchi’s suspension, swung the hammer on Magatakarda Wamakko. The effect of the suspension of Wamakko from the PDP, if critically analysed, has wider implications than a mere punitive measure on one man. For a start, it has effectively severed the party from the only two groups that have, over the years, consistently and dogmatically become the beacons

T

Alhaji (Dr.) Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko Executive Governor, Sokoto State

of the party’s victory in all elections. Over the past six years, Wamakko has served as the pillar of the PDP in the northwest geo-poilitical divide. He has played the role of a stabilizing figure when things seemed to go out of hand.

Not just that. In 2010 when the political environment was charged with strong indications within the PDP that things were about to fall apart, Wamakko teamed up with Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state to inject sanity into the political system. Although the result of that triangular meeting may not seem palpable today, it is still to the group’s credit that we today have a country we call our own.

Wamakko’s political sagacity was to once again come to the fore when the PDP primaries were held. While most governors fell on one another to compel their delegates to vote for particular people, Wamakko left the Sokoto delegates to exercise their political wisdom. To deepen democracy, Wamakko also refused to interfere when the PDP attempted to drag him into the bandwagon that sought to destroy the fabrics of democracy in the National Assembly by imposing a speaker on the House of Representatives.

Last but by no means the least is that Wamakko became the first politician ever of non-northeastern heritage to visit Maiduguri as the Chairman of the security committee of the northern governors forum. That was when the Boko Haram insurgency was at its hilt. But instead of all these serving as a buffer for his further acceptance into the party, the current leadership of the party has developed a certain type of paranoia that says” if it is not our script, it is not our team.”

Wamakko’s offence, up until the time of writing this article has remained in the realms of conjecture. The governor himself has implied that some powerful people in the party are trying to frustrate him out of it, when he vowed that no one can do so, while addressing some media representatives. One of the reasons given by the party for his suspension however is that he refused to either pick-up or return Bamanga Tukur, the national chairman of the party’s calls. But there are those who Continued on next page

PEOPLES DAILY| FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 9

Wamakko as Jonathan’s albatross believe sincerely that the estrangement between the House of Representatives and the presidency is behind the punishment. Whichever way one looks at it, the Jonathan administration seems to be shooting itself in the foot all the time while apparently paving the way for Wamakko to emerge stronger from the saga.

Evidence of this was shown without doubt when Wamakko returned from the Nigeria-Netherlands Business Roundtable in Holland. He came in the company of many well-wishers including the Speaker of the House of Representatives and other members of the National Assembly who were in a private jet to Sokoto. The crowd that greeted the occasion left no one in doubt as to who is in control, as far the PDP in Sokoto is concerned.

Speaker after speaker all attested to the living daylight in Wamakko’s hold on the PDP. The runway of the Sultan Abubakar III airport was totally covered by human shrubs so much that the aircraft conveying the governor had to make a detour to Kaduna to allow for the security apparatus in the state to clear the tarmac for landing. Does the PDP need to be told anything more?

Particularly discrediting for the PDP is that the statement it is using to hound the governor is now gradually being traced back to the party secretariat. Wamakko was accused of having threatened to move out of the party should their opinions not carry weight in the scheme of things. His denial that he ever made the statement was simply ignored by the party, leading to another frame-up that he refused to speak to Bamanga Tukur on phone. One can see why he is insisting that no one can elbow him out of the PDP. And with his experiences since his days with Jonathan himself as Deputy Governors, good counsel dictates that the party takes his words seriously. Or he may become Jonathan’s nemesis.

Living history has taught us that great men are those who spend most of their time creating pure and lasting pleasure for generations, both theirs and those yet unborn. But the recent happenings in the PDP have compelled people to wonder how President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan whose fingerprints and DNA are consistently on the crises in the party intends to be assessed by history. By conducting this exercise, I have come to the conclusion that some presidents live ordinary lives and never venture out of their comfort zones, even if those zones cause them harm. Sadly for people like them, what actually distinguishes them is the suffering and humiliation they mete out to others that there is hardly any good to be interred with their bones when they die but a legacy of failure and despondency. Such negative impact is worse on politicians and especially presidents whose failure to rise above ordinariness can affect whole nations.

And for President Jonathan who is fast looking more like an injustice collector, who never lets anything go, a confrontation with the likes of Wamakko would seem more like a sure bet way to diminish his successes.

The plane that conveyed Governor Aliyu Wamakko at the Sultan Abubakar III Airport Sokoto in the midst of loyal party members.

Governor Aliyu Wamakko and Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Speaker House of Reps, acknowledging greetings from a Mammoth crowd.

Part of the Governor’s convoy in the midst of a Mammoth crowd.

Mohammed Kabir No 38 Abdullahi Fodio RD Sokoto. mkabir69@gmail.com

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14 2013

PAGE 10

News Briefs

CPC youth leaders warn Vatsa over comment on Buhari

T

he Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) youth leaders have warned Mr. Jubrin Mamman Vatsa, leader of the Concerned Arewa Youths Forum to desist from blackmailing former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The party’s youth leaders in a statement made available in Ilorin and signed by Alabi Abdulkareem and Miss Grace David-Borha, National Coordinator and National Secretary, said that, “we state without mincing words that Mr. Jubrin Mamman Vatsa has offered himself as a willing tool in the hands of those who have held this country down for decades,” the statement said.

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

FG set to transform fire service

M

inister of Interior, comrade Abba Moro, has said that Federal Government was determined to transform the country’s Federal Fire Services (FFS) to international standard.

Moro gave this assurance yesterday in Abuja, when a group, Fire Disaster Prevention and Safety Awareness Association of Nigeria (FDPSAAN), conferred on him an award of excellence in recognition of his effort to reposition the Service.

He noted that Fire Service is paramount to the people, regretted that the Service was not standardized by previous administrations.

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

CP warns Gombe youths on terrorism

C

ommissioner of Police in Gombe state Mr. Tudu Nma, has warned youths in in the area to desist from taking the law into their hands.

The Commissioner stated this yesterday while briefing journalists on the achievement made so far by the command.

He said his command has found it worthy to deploy policemen across the state to ensure that lives and property of citizens are been protected.

According to him, if the lives of citizens are not protected by the police, there would be a serious problem within the communities in the state.

“I will ensure that everyone in the state sleeps with his two eyes closed as the command has take adequate measures to combat crime, to enable citizens feel free,” he said.

From David Hassan, Gombe

L-R: Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, and Coordinator, Akwa Ibom state Agency for the Control of HIV and AIDS, Dr. Francis Udoikpong, during a technical meeting of Presidential Committee on Emergency Response Plan for HIV and AIDS, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Be fair to Jonathan on assessment, PDP chieftain urges From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

F

rontline South-South politician, and member of the Board of Trustees of the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA), Chief Richard Lamai, has urged Nigerians to assess the two year reign of President Goodluck Jonathan with fairness in order to appreciate his efforts in trying to reverse the “infrastructural decay” in the country.

In a chat with our reporter, Lamai noted that Jonathan has

brought about considerable improvement in governance since he assumed the presidency about three years ago.

According to Lamai, the opposition would not want to see anything good in Jonathan’s administration not because there are no achievements but because they prefer to paint the government bad in the eyes of the people.

According to him, Jonathan has performed well in the areas of construction and rehabilitation of major highways in the country,

among others.

He said the President should also be commended for his efforts in transforming the aviation sector.

According to him in specific terms one can easily point to the monumental transformation of the aviation sector with the construction and rebuilding of new airports across the country.

“The aviation sector has never had it so good and the the Jonathan administration is at the verge of giving us a national carrier, something past administrations

considered unimportant. “Yet, the opposition does not see any good in the administration.

“Gone are the days when our farmers used all their time looking for fertilizers, seedlings and farming equipment.

“Today, these things are delivered to their farms directly.”

“Until the present administration came on board, the rail system was comatose but today there is schedule transportation by rail,” he said.

Housewife pleads guilty of attempt to steal goats

A

housewife, Omolara Jimoh, 39, on Thursday appeared in an OmuAran Area Court for alleged attempt to steal some goats.

Jimoh, who lives in Latinwo area of Omu-Aran is standing trial on one-count charge of attempted stealing.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Adeola Adeboye, told the court that the accused attempted to steal some goats at Oke-Esa Compound, Omu-Aran, at 6:00 a.m. on April 24.

He said that the accused had on the said date engaged a boy, whose name he did not disclose, to assist her to catch the goats, which belonged to one Mrs Rachael James.

Adeboye added that Jimoh was found in possession of some ropes, a torch light and some sacks to aid her illegal action.

The prosecutor said that James, who noticed suspicious moment around the goats, promptly raised an alarm which led to the arrest of Jimoh by a

member of the town vigilance group.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 95 of the Penal Code.

The accused, who did not have legal representation during the trial, however, pleaded guilty to the charge.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused, in her confessional statement in court, blamed the act on the devil.

She told the court that she had intended using the proceeds from the sale of the goat to settle “an old debt.” ``Although this is my

second time of stealing goats, my intention was to settle an old debt which had hooked my neck,” Jimoh said.

The judge, Mr Abolade Banigbe granted bail to the accused in the sum of N50, 000, with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to July 1, for judgment. (NAN)

Justice Okeke has case to answer, says NJC

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he National Judicial Council (NJC) has said that retired Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice Okechukwu Okeke, misled the public when he claimed that he was a victim of injustice in the Nigerian Judiciary.

A statement by the Acting Director (Information) of the Commission, Mr. Soji Oye, said the retired jurist still has a case to answer.

The statement said that

before Justice Okeke retired from the Federal High Court, there were five different petitions against him.

According to the statement, the council considered only three petitions, noting that, “in the course of deliberations, Council noted that Justice Okeke would be retiring from Service on 19th May, 2013”.

The statement stressed that Justice Okeke’s responses to the remaining 4th and 5th separate petitions did not form part of the decision of the Council at its Meeting which was held on 24th

and 25th April, 2013.

According to the NJC, “a meticulous examination of the 5th petition and the response by Justice Okeke has shown that the exparte order granted by him in favour of AMCON established a case of misconduct contrary to Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The council however, noted that the said petition and reaction by Justice Okeke were not considered by Council because of time constraint.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 11

Money Sense

Financial planning in your twenties (2)

S

tart investing to meet your goals. Historically, the stock market has outperformed other types of investments over the long term, but it comes with some risk. If you don’t own any stock, the market continues to present an opportunity to purchase attractive stocks at decent prices. If you don’t have the time or expertise to select individual stocks and you have only a small sum of money to invest each month, a stock market mutual fund may be the ideal investment to meet your medium and long-term goals.

It may seem odd to talk about retirement when you have barely got started with real life and work; naturally you are more concerned about your job and not the end of your working life still decades away. As soon as you start work, you will be eligible to contribute to a Retirement Savings Account (“RSA”) through your Pension

Money Tip:

Ways to save money Bin the ready meals If TV chefs such as Ainsley Harriott can knock up a meal from a bag of random groceries including an aubergine and a packet of sultanas - so can you.

Ready meals may be convenient, but preparing your own food saves money. A visit to your library will reveal scores of books dedicated to cooking proper meals in minutes.

Take up a money-saving hobby Hobbies not only open your mind to new experiences but they also take up your time - important if you would otherwise spend it in the pub drinking away your hardearned money. If a painting takes 20 hours to complete, and you normally get through a pint an hour. That’s a saving of a least 40 quid a picture. Think about it. Get painting. Go fishing.

Avoid extended warranties Electrical goods are more reliable than ever. If your new radio won’t last three years perhaps it’s not worth buying in the first place.

Think about it: how many times has your fridge broken down in the last five years? And do you really need the hassle of claiming for repairs to a N15, 000 toaster?

Quote The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success comes only later.

- Confucius

Fund Administrator (“PFA”). You have an edge if you start to invest regularly for retirement from now, and you have a better chance of building a significant nest egg with relatively little effort.

Accommodation is often a challenge. Even if you are fortunate enough to have a free roof over your head provided by parents or other relatives and friends, you can contribute to family expenses such as utility bills. You can also set aside some of the money that you would have had to use for rent to build up equity towards getting a mortgage so that you can eventually own your own home.

Earn your independence. It is the desire of every parent to ease the path for their children and most children will embrace this gladly. Whilst it’s nice to get a lot of help from your parents, don’t let it get in the way of your attaining financial success of your own. Earn your independence and start to take charge of your financial life.

Your parents provided you with an education; now you are no longer a child; your finances are your responsibility.

The choices you make now, will largely determine how your life will turn out to be in the future.

Your relationships are of great importance and it is important to consider this with a sense of purpose. The decision to marry will be one of the most important decisions you ever make. Don’t take this lightly. Are you dating casually or dating with the intention of marriage. As with the rest of your serious decisions and plans, have clear criteria and standards for considering a future life partner.

Does the person you are interested in have the same or at least similar life goals; career, family, finances, children, raising and educating children, etc. This will save you both much stress and strain later on. As hard as it may seem, try not to be swayed by fluffy sentiment and emotion.

The key to building a solid foundation for future financial security is to budget, control your debt and to save and invest regularly. In your 20s, you have the luxury of time. Even where you make mistakes, there is time to recover as your investments earnings grow over several years;

this means that if you are consistent and disciplined, your savings will be able to grow significantly.

Remember too, that this is the time to travel, pick up new skills, and have new experiences before you have larger responsibilities to take care of. Time is on your side; so do enjoy it.

Educate your children on money management

C

hildren are not born with “money sense.”

Children learn about money by example and experience, beginning at a very tender age. Parents are significant influence on what and how children learn about money. It is never too early to start teaching sound money management skills.

Begin teaching basic principles of money as soon as children can understand that money is needed to buy the things they enjoy.

Much of what your children learn about money is not from the conscious efforts you make to teach money management.

Children are great imitators.

Children pick up your values, attitudes, and money habits by watching and listening to you.

In fact, you do not have to say anything to pass along money attitudes, habits, or decisionmaking styles.

If you shop with a list, your children will probably shop with a list. If you always spend money before it is earned, you may have a hard time teaching children to save. Children learn from observing you and others in the supermarket, post office,

bank, toy store, mall, even at home and so on… Many parents are amazed at what children have learned about money through observation.

Children need financial knowledge. At a time when kids are just starting to learn the facts of life, they also should be learning about their finances.

Instead of a simple allowance, many kids are being given credit cards by their parents. Let the kids understand the valuable lesson in life that things can change in a second.

Finally, parents need to lead by example, even if that means cleaning up their own financial act, it’s like smoking and telling

your kids not to smoke. Always educate your children the basic principles of finance, money management and help them to ensure that they develop a healthy relationship with and toward money, also allow them to recognise their unlimited opportunity to build and manage their personal wealth.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion Destination inspection: The facts are bare

By Suleiman Uba Gaya

I

t was perplexing to read a full page advertorial signed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, published in some newspapers on June 3, 2013, in which the Ministry made disingenuous claims that turned logic on its head. The main message in that advertorial is that Nigeria’s economy should continue to be run by consultants – as far as some officials of that ministry are concerned. And even when these consultants fail to discharge the terms of their contracts, as the Customs Service Providers have unambiguously done, we cannot but applaud them, even after milking the economy dry collecting hundreds of billions of naira of the tax payer’s money.

Since 2006, through a signed contract with the federal government, core Customs’ services had been outsourced to four private companies to basically carry out Destination Inspection of imported goods, using scanning technology. This was supposed to be a stop-gap measure pending Nigerian Customs reforms and modernization. Many of the countries that have adopted this have since modernized their Customs and taken their destinies in their own hands. Indeed, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) has advised that rather than this concept which adds

By Ayodele Ojo

I

t seems the Nigerian pilots have grabbed or attracted political insulation and immunity to themselves by virtue of transporting political heavyweights around the country. They have managed to convert errors to bragging rights, so much that simple instructions by Air Traffic Controllers are simply parried, glossed over or ignored out-rightly, because of their association with the political bigwigs on-board their aircraft. The brouhaha over the issue of grounding of aircraft is becoming one too many and needs be examined closely.

In the first instance, the aircraft belonging to Rivers State Government was grounded by the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), based on the fact that the manifest was not filed as and when due, but attention was focused on the issue of the troubles in PDP and a perceived grouse between Governor Rotimi Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan.

The second crisis came just last Friday when the pilot manning the chattered OAS chopper of the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole decided that it was no longer essential to have a flight plan when flying VIPs, neither was it necessary to have a manifesto.

While it is easy to shift the blame on political games, nobody bother to look inwards, at the little foxes that spoil the vineyard.

The expatriate pilots flying in the Nigeria airspace are the little foxes spoiling the vineyard, and the ones flying non-scheduled flights seem to have developed big egos, commensurate with the height attained by their aircraft, or is it their aircraft wings, how can it be

no value to trade, governments should focus on capacity building for Customs officers to enable them take over the management of Destination Inspection activities.

The contract signed between these Service Providers and the federal government clearly stated that they (Service Providers) must ensure that personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service are trained and availed the necessary know-how to take over this essential service by December 31, 2012. Sadly however, these contractors, using all sorts of excuses under the sun, avoided this with a view to blackpainting the Customs and get the government to extend this contract.

Just when all sensible persons thought the government was going to sanction the service providers for clear breach of contract, some officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance managed to get President Jonathan to grant a six months extension of the contract. The excuse was that the Nigeria Customs Service was not ready to take over the job, as if personnel of the service providers that were doing it were super humans from another planet. There is no doubt as to the capacity of the NCS which has expended huge sums of money to train its personnel to take over the job of destination inspection.

The only people who will never

acknowledge this are officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance who, unfortunately, supervise the Customs.

The six months extension alone cost the Nigerian taxpayer N21 billion paid to the four service providers. Even at that, nobody could have envisaged that these officials of the Ministry of Finance would go to the ridiculous extent of seeking another extension of the contract by another six months, but that is exactly what they have done. Once again, they worked on President Jonathan who granted another extension of the contract from June to November, 2013. It is clear even to the blind that this vicious cycle is going to continue, even if at prohibitive cost to Nigerian state.

There is no doubt that as far as these officials are concerned, there will never be a time when the Nigeria Customs Service would be ready to take over their statutory responsibility of carrying out Destination Inspection, even if they are rated the best in the world. All tricks under the book are going to be employed to see to this, as we have seen thus far.

The Finance Ministry is now hinging its arguments on a so-called study it commissioned the World Bank to conduct on preparedness or otherwise of the Nigeria Customs Service to take over the job this June. Of course

their choice of the World Bank is understandable, since the minister herself was a vice president of the bank. But if they were sincere, the right body to be involved in any such study would have been the World Customs Organisation (WCO), a conglomeration of 179 customs administrations from the same number of countries. No other organization in the world is as knowledgeable in customs affairs as the WCO. In any case, must we always ask others to do the work for us? It is a well known fact that Nigerians are among the best and brightest in the whole world. When will the Finance Ministry allow our sons and daughters to be consultants?

Of course the ministry could point to one of the Service Providers being Nigerian. But the argument is about service delivery and even if you are a Nigerian company and refuse or fail to deliver the goods, you should be relieved of the responsibility.

Those officials of the ministry will not want Nigerians to know about the related issue of national security which has to do with vulnerability of national data on security arising from the Service Providers hosting their data base abroad. Is it not disturbing that in the last few years, the Finance Ministry has been resorting to consultants to carry out many of its functions? It seems there

is more than meets the eye concerning this critical issue. It is common knowledge in Nigeria that when the “powers that be” take keen interest in, and fight over certain issues, something must be amiss. Is it proper for the Finance Ministry to virtually reduce itself to mouth-pieces of some foreign companies just because it has forced them on the rest of us to carry out destination inspection?

I happened to be in Seme on January 29, 2013 when the House of Representatives Committee on Customs undertook a fact-finding tour of activities of these service providers. At Seme, for the seven years that they were engaged by government to provide a fixed scanner, the company supplied only a mobile scanner. At Idiroko border post, even the mobile scanner provided had since packed up and no replacement was provided for weeks. In the latest extension of the contract, however, Idiroko has been added to the company that has failed in Seme. Ridiculous! Callous!!

Name it. These are only small examples of a litany of infractions by these companies. Instead of being severely punished, they are being rewarded by officials of government for obvious reasons.

Suleiman Gaya is the Vice President (North) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

Nigerian pilots’ swollen ego explained that pilots who fly “their excellencies” automatically have been bestowed with diplomatic immunity from abiding by aviation regulations, as against those who fly scheduled routes.

A pilot that is supposed to be the best example in self discipline and humility, considering the delicate nature of his job, has become so arrogant in recent times that they are now the new ‘untouchables”. Even if the special passengers onboard are ignorant of the law, the onus is on our VIP pilots to let “their excellencies” know that the issues of “manifest and flight plans” that have been bloated out of proportion in recent times are merely ‘procedural’, and is without sentiment or vindictiveness.

If the pilots have managed to get away with by-passing

“

orders in the past, it is a shame, and it shows the level that our standards have fallen to, but must it continue? You cannot live in sin and ask for abounding grace.

Every culprit pilot should be made to pay a penalty that will not create a political storm. The aviation sector is strictly guarded by rules which must be strictly adhered to, and it is not a matter of Nigerian laws, but international standards which make the sector one of the most peculiar worldwide. The fact that a VIP is onboard does not make an aircraft less vulnerable to air glitches, and aircraft can be unforgiving when any protocol are by-passed, so it is beyond political name-calling and rhetoric.

Captain James Manahash, a Korean who decided to by-pass the procedure on Friday will definitely

not consider himself a super hero if he was flying ordinary citizens from a jungle to the Sahel, and excuses will not be given, if he was flying a commercial aircraft that operates a scheduled route without filing a flight plan or submitting the manifest, a simple procedure that is in operation in our local inter-city parks and is strictly adhered to. Neither will a Nigerian pilot operating outside the shores of Nigeria be allowed to abrogate such powers. The time is ripe when defaulting pilots ought to be given harsh sanctions that will not rub off on their VIP passengers. If a pilot realizes that there are punitive measures in place that can affect his daily bread, he will definitely toe the line. The National Assembly ought to wade into the matter and make laws that will check the

If the pilots have managed to get away with by-passing orders in the past, it is a shame, and it shows the level that our standards have fallen to, but must it continue? You cannot live in sin and ask for abounding grace. Every culprit pilot should be made to pay a penalty that will not create a political storm. The aviation sector is strictly guarded by rules which must be strictly adhered to, and it is not a matter of Nigerian laws, but international standards which make the sector one of the most peculiar worldwide

impunity of our pilots whose ego are bigger than the wings of their aircraft. The dearth of local pilots does not mean expatriate pilots are ‘tin gods’ to themselves, after all ,“what is good for the goose is good for the gander”.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has strict rules guiding the mode of operations of both pilots and all that operate both within and outside the aerodrome, and it does not include answering a simple request for a flight plan and manifest with a puffed up reply, “his Excellency is on board”. It is not excuse-able for a pilot not to do the right thing even when they ferry VIPs in the air.

When we put our house in order, expatriate pilots will not feel that they are above the law, if Nigeria Civil Aviation Agency is empowered to seize flight certificates of erring pilots for a number of weeks, or sanction erring airlines, a bit of sanity will return to the aviation industry.

Accusation of witch hunting of political opponents will not exist, and political jobbers will simply look for new excuses outside the aviation industry to play out their games. The aviation sector is not meant for political mudslinging and witch hunting. Let’s investigate thoroughly the instances of such abuses before more havoc is done to the fragile industry, and grant the aviation sector a reprieve from the altar of political crucifixion.

Ayodele Ojo is a Lagos-based aviation Communicator.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Letters & Opinion The cash cow yet untamed N

By Femi Ogunsanwo

igeria has the 10th largest oil reserve in the world and we were the 6th largest world exporter in 2012.

But its population is in the region of 160 million people, which means we are not an oil-rich country compared to Kuwait, even Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon on income per capita basis. Department of Petroleum Resources’ conservative estimates peg our crude reserve around 37 billion barrels. When you multiply 37 billion Barrels by $100 you have $3.7 trillion and this divided by 160 million inhabitants, every Nigerian has $23,125 accruing to them.

Assuming every Nigerian gets $23,125 and the money is saved in an interest yielding mutual fund, the long term rate on such fund will hover around 5-7%. So that means $23,125 of say 5% rate will yield approximately $10,000 per year per every Nigerian. That also is gross because the existing JVs (Joint Venture Partnership) with all the IOCs (International Oil Corporations) ceded 60-70% to Nigeria and the remaining 30-40% to the IOC’s because the IOC’s needed to be paid to explore, produce, transport and market the products globally that means we have about $6,000-$7,000 accruing to every Nigerian for life.

If we do the same calculation using Kuwait as an example with a population of 2.7Million (July 2012 estimate) with proven crude oil reserves of about 96 billion barrels (15.3 km3), i.e., about 9% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 90% of export revenues, and 95% of government income. Approximately

By Leonard Karshima Shilgba

I

n Nigeria, the word “politics” has been misused and abused in a manner that this noble art and science now connotes everything that is evil with human relationships in the country. Accordingly, puritans are hateful of being referred to as “politicians”. They would say, “I am not a politician.” Therefore, a “politician”, in Nigerian lexicon, is perceived as someone who is dishonest, corrupt, and of very low moral rating.

Nigerians of very high probity have been deceived and scared away from the art and science of politics by those who have come to give it a false meaning. As they watch with horror from a distance, society is being destroyed with insidious consequences that shall eventually consume even those puritans and their offspring.

Some pastors and preachers even preach that politics is evil. Those need to study their holy books more closely and repent of this falsehood. Some of us scholars are either cowardly or selfish in our display of pathological hatred of and disgust for politics. We are either afraid for our lives at the hands of hijackers and abusers of the art, who falsely call themselves “Politicians”, or we are too selfish, thinking only of “building our careers” and “securing the future of our children” to be “distracted” by “politics”. So, some of us remain

could produce $3.6Million domestically, accrues to such as salt, every citizen cement and and if the Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, iron ore. The money is text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’

All written following saved in contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters minerals are an interest - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your vastly deposited yielding in the country mutual fund name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be and remain yet with a rate of addressed to: untapped for 5% it will yield economic use; approximately The Editor, Coal (Lignite $180,000 Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, and Coke),Gold, per year per Columbite, every Kuwaiti.

35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Tantalite, Assuming they Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com Bitumen, Iron have the same SMS: 08134607052 Ore, Limestone JV partnership and Uranium. with the IOC’s, Gold-deposits are found associated with 419, terrorism, every Kuwaiti will have $126,000 in Northern Nigeria, most graft and substandard jobs? It yearly accruing to them for life. prominently near Maru, Anka, is funny but what is wrong if I think the federal government Malele, Tsohon Birnin Gwariwe have Ofada rice in fanciful needs to stop the wholesale Kwaga, Gurmana, Bin Yauri, packs displayed on the shelves dependency on oil exports and Okolom-Dogondaji, and Iperindo at Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda and diversify the economy. We need to in Kwara state. Production began Waitrose stores in Britain plus adopt fresh strategies in form of in 1913 and peaked in the 1930s.

Wal-Mart and Target stores in micro economic stability, building During the Second World War, United States. Already some guys of infrastructures, curtail our debt production declined. Mines were into farming are exporting “Ugwu ratio, containment of inflationary abandoned by colonial companies, leaves” abroad. Nigerian special pressures and the rule of law. For and production never recovered delicacies can be exported just like any economy to develop export since then. Columbite and tantalite the Chinese exported their dishes driven development strategy need were ores used to produce the to the whole world. to be adopted and that means we elements niobium and tantalum.

It is a bit quiet in the mining cannot depend only on oil export sector lately whereas this is a sector Columbite and tantalite are but many other products. collectively known as coltan in which is meant to be a cash cow Made-in-Japan used to be a Africa. Tantalum is a valuable for our economy. The mining of butt of jokes – just as we laugh rare element used in electronics minerals in Nigeria accounts for at Made-in-Taiwan today – but manufacturing mostly in only 0.3% of its GDP, due to the you can imagine how Japanese computers. In Nigeria, pegmatite influence of our vast oil resources. cars and electronics later went deposits of coltan are frequently The domestic mining industry is on to dominate the world. Who underdeveloped, leading to Nigeria also the source of several precious says Nigerians cannot do it? Who and semi-precious stones such having to import minerals that it says Nigerians should only be

WRITE TO US

I am not a ‘politician’ in our universities until we grey away. And when we are old and very senile, we find “politics” a convenient pastime and a waiting venture until our passing. This then is our national tragedy.

Those of us who write about our common national tragedy, who dream of providing good leadership, should search our motives, heart, values, abilities and calling, and come out of hiding and cowardice. I am also speaking to myself. We have yielded the ground for too long to pretenders and thugs. Yes, a few true politicians have slipped through the narrow cracks into public governance; yet, they are too few to make the kind of difference our people need.

Nigerian scholars should be touched by the dispiriting data

“

on Nigeria. In less than 5 years Nigeria’s population shall exceed 200 million, at the growth rate of 3 per cent. And if this growth is sustained or exceeded, the population shall exceed 300 million in less than 30 years and exceed 500 million before 2050, when many of us will still be alive and active. Where is the requisite carrying capacity in our public schools, recruiting industries and companies, health institutions, public transport infrastructure and the supporting energy sector, public housing, and the food industry?

Don’t we need true politicians in the state and national assemblies, who are moved by statistics? This is not the time for fruitless prayers.

God has given Nigerians a country to manage; some even

doubt if we must remain together as one country. But this is beside the point. I am talking of active involvement in managing our societies no matter how small. We must be involved in the governance of our wards, local governments, states, and the nation.

Now is the time to start.

Determine in advance which public offices possess the kind of influence you may require to provide good governance for your people, and research the requirements and responsibilities of such offices.

Choose a political party, not because it is populated by angels, but because you need one, and, in your genuine estimation, it is the best vehicle within your area to accomplish your goal. Do not allow the thought, “Let other

Nigerian scholars should be touched by the dispiriting data on Nigeria. In less than 5 years Nigeria’s population shall exceed 200 million, at the growth rate of 3 per cent. And if this growth is sustained or exceeded, the population shall exceed 300 million in less than 30 years and exceed 500 million before 2050, when many of us will still be alive and active

as beryl, aquamarine, and tourmaline. These pegmatites are found in Nasarawa state near the Jos Plateau, as well as in several areas in southeast Nigeria. There is small-scale mining of these minerals. We need to note that coltan is actually the biggest source of revenue in Democratic Republic of Congo after diamonds; it is a multi-billion dollar revenue earner in that country.

Recently, several important uranium deposits were discovered in Cross River State, Adamawa State, Taraba State, Plateau State, Bauchi state, and Kano state by the British Geological Survey.

Nigeria has several deposits of iron ore, but the purest deposits are in and around Itakpe in Kogi state. This will serve as a warning to the ethnic jingoists from the Niger Delta beating the drums of war that if the incumbent is not re-elected they will make the country ungovernable come 2015 and the chants of its “Our Oyel” from them will be totally uncalled for because every part of the country is blessed and in the event that the incumbent loses the election and they decide to disrupt production activities, it will be a case of “To Thy Tent Oh Israel”.

Nigeria is a resource rich nation but our problem lies in the fact that we have total dependency on crude oil without exploring other alternatives.

Femi Ogunsanwo is reachable on femi@ integralenergyltd.com people get involved and improve the welfare of my people.” Think as if there is no one else. If you are a man or woman of valour, why should your people suffer?

Always link your present prosperity to the prospective prosperity of your people. Then, find a model politician (in Nigeria or abroad; living or dead) whom you admire, and begin to study their forays into the noble art of politics—the challenges they faced, the errors they made, how they were helped and why, the methods they applied to win over enemies and retain friends, how they communicated vision, and most importantly, how they used power.

We have fake pastors and prophets, but this does not make Christianity a “dirty game.” We have fake Muslims who perpetrate crimes in the name of Islam, but this does not in itself make Islam a “dirty game.” Some teachers have raped their students and done so many immoral things in their schools, but this does not make teaching a “dirty game.” Why should we, with our power of reason, buy into this false propaganda against politics to such an extent that we have allowed the science and art to be misrepresented by those who don’t know its meaning, who have turned it into lasciviousness to satisfy their lusts?

Leonard Shilgba is Associate Professor of Mathematics with the American University of Nigeria.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment

States of Emergency (III) I

n 2010 shortly after the October 1 atrocity this column commented thus: “Life is precious, always….. As we pray for the souls of the dead which include policemen and an SSS officer, we hope for the quick and complete recovery of the injured. Rather than spinning more incongruous tales, I believe an apology is necessary from the government for its handling of the whole tragic debacle: the sooner, the better.

“A small indicator of what responsible governments do is that hardly any dignitary privileged to have even an inkling of the bomb warnings bothered to attend. Even all important Britain did not think it rational to send their representative of the Queen into possible harm’s way.

President Goodwill should take an apparently much needed sobering lesson from that.”

The group that claimed responsibility for that October attack gave ample warnings days before - that they were going to place bombs in cars at the Independence Square venue of that years jubilee independence day celebrations. In fact reports have it that the group blamed the government after the bombing for not paying heed to their warning and of therefore being (equally?) responsible for the deaths that resulted.

By now readers of Cartelopia will note that hardly a month goes by that this column does not make reference to that first, incredible and unprecedented ‘mass’ bombing. Yes, it is an obsession for us because it is like a leitmotif – symbolic in all its aspects of Prime Minister Jonah’s government. Everything about it from the warnings that were ignored, to the reaction of the PM to the convoluted conclusion in Southern Africa. It is like an imprimatur that has blighted our beautiful country since…

Take the State of Emergency under discussion. In the first edition we noted how every single wing of the armed forces of this country had already been deployed in our North East province for upwards of two years. They were called Joint special forces for that very reason.

Their actions and activities have never indicated that they were under any legal, logistical or ethical constraints.

It has been revealed that the finances of these North Eastern provinces had literally been locked down as it was the provincial government that have been funding their deployment without a penny

CARTELOPIA With Aisha Yolah ayolah06@yahoo.com 08086296783 (text only please)

going to attack. By beating the drums of war, showing off their shiny new camouflage painted SUV’s and Hilux vans for days before hand it seems to me the element of surprise was clearly lost.

I am no soldier or security expert but it seems to me that if a bunch of people are so comfortable they have taken over 16 local councils and occupy huge game

President Goodluck Jonathan

from the federal government. Now how reasonable or responsible does that sound?

Emergency or forewarning?

So PM Jonah declares an emergency. The ostensible reasons need not be repeated here but for me – critical, frightened Aisha – one question keeps disturbing

me. The military’s own narrative describes large terrorist camps that were clearly obvious to the naked eye for weeks and weeks as they grew stronger.

We asked why they were allowed to grow from strength to strength, last week. This week we ask why the government found it necessary to announce that it was

reserves – the element of surprise would have helped.

The military spokesman has been shown telling us how ‘anyone found in a terrorist camp is of course a terrorist’. That is his response to accusations of having merely mowed down more civilians. I imagine that the real big-gun terrorists would have had

at least 5 days to disappear… So the government has gone overboard to prove success- even finally letting journalists see for themselves.

According to one foreign report – not a bullet or empty shell could be seen, no evidence of a real battle.

Asked where all the dead terrorists were, a commanding officer said they -the Boko Horror- took their dead away. ‘For all that is left [condoms , gloves and burnt out trucks]they could have fled before a shot was fired’ was his conclusion.

Well, when the PM has given them a whole official broadcast as warning why would they have stayed?

So our state of emergency beyond the institutional seems also to be affecting our ability to reason.

They are telling us now peace is returning… giving us carefully staged National Television footage to convince us. Clearly real security is less of a priority than the illusion of TV programming.

Meanwhile, if you are wondering where the Boko Horror fled to taking their dead… then you are on the right track. The government says they are smoking them out… Of course and the end of the government’s state of emergency is as open –ended as smoke. They say when things return to ‘normalcy.’

One is glad that at least a certain Luka has summoned the courage to sue the government for its blanket ban on mobile communications slammed on the whole population, indiscriminately. Someone should also remind the government it was the Boko Horror terrorists themselves who were taking out mobile phone infrastructure, particularly in areas under their control. What a terrible coincidence. Really , October 1 2010 is always hanging suspended over everything.

Concluded Editor’s note: This article was meant for our back page column yesterday but was not carried due to some technical reasons.

the State of Emergency under discussion. In the first edition “ Take we noted how every single wing of the armed forces of this country had already been deployed in our North East province for upwards of two years. They were called Joint special forces for that very reason. Their actions and activities have never indicated that they were under any legal, logistical or ethical constraints

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 16

FCTA to accelerate completion of environmental projects

By Stanley Onyekwere

A

s part of efforts towards the provision of save and healthy environment in the FCT, the Senator Bala Mohammed led administration has pledged speedy completion of on-going environmental projects in the Territory.

Disclosing this on Wednesday, during a send off party organised in honour of the immediate past director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Alhaji Isa Shuaibu, the Minister assured of his administration’s readiness of continuing devoting proper attention to environmental issues as the administration would use available resources

in its disposal to sustain the environment in the city.

According to the minister, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Project Inspection and Monitoring, Ajah Mabueze, the FCTA is committed quick response to environmental issues to avert any disaster on the environment, as provision of save and healthy environment in the territory, was a priority to the administration.

“We are committed to the environment transformation of the present administration to ensuring quick response to environmental issues to avert any disaster on our environment; and we will continue to do our best in ensuring that the FCT

environment is safe and healthy for living.

While commending the board under Shuaibu for maintaining a high compliance level with project implementation ethics, the minister urged the upcoming ones to emulate his virtues, particularly his hard work and consistency.

Similarly, in her remark, AEPB Acting Director, Mrs. Aisha Adebayo, assured that the board would continue to implement policies the former director initiated, as the board would continue to appreciate the legacies he left behind.

“Today, we are delighted to celebrate to celebrate you (Shuaibu) as the first director,

to have served and retired in AEPB; and to demonstrate that we really appreciated your legacies just as we will continue to tap the knowledge you have to deliver on our mandate”, she expressed.

While responding, the former director of the board, who recalled how he started as a junior person and has retired as a senior person, said; “ we must encourage our young ones to go and see what we have seen, because it is by this exposure that they can be able to tackle future challenges.

Shuaibu as a town planner, started his civil service carrier in 1981 began as Director in AEPB in October 2011 and retired in April, this year.

R-L: Minister of State FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Chairman, Kuje Area Council, Hon. Shaban Tete, Chairman, Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Abubakar Giri, and Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ovaldi Madayi, during the minister’s visit to FCT FADAMA III project, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Village head appeals for police outpost in Gwagwalada Community

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he village head of Angwar Dodo community, in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT, Mallam Yahaya Mohammed Abako, has appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command to provide a police out post, to help address

the challenge of insecurity in the area.

Abako, who made the appeal in an interview with Peoples Daily in his palace, noted that the people of the community are faced with perpetual hardships from activities of criminal elements in the area.

He alleged that a lot

of criminal activities were masterminded in the area without intervention of the police.

While speaking on the state of social amenities in the area, the Monarch called on the authorities of Area Council to provide potable drinking water, electricity and good roads for

the residents, so as to pave way for economic development of the place.

Similarly, he appealed to the FCT Education Secretariat and the area council to build a Junior Secondary School in the community to prevent the children from attending school in the neighbouring villages.

Minister assures FCT indigenes on more employment slots

T

he Minister of the FCT, Sen. Bala Mohammed, has assured indigenes of FCT of more employment slots in all tiers of government.

Mohammed made the pledge when FCT indigenes, that recently passed out from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NAN) paid him a courtesy visit.

He said that the indigenes would also be given more opportunities in various establishments, including the armed forces.

“Very soon we are going to recruit more people in every sector, including the Armed Forces; but the indigenes should liaise with their area councils, so that they can be fully considered,’’ The minister commended the officers for visiting him after their passing out from the Nigerian Defence Academy, noting that it was his first time of receiving such officers.

“You all have shown that you are the true sons of your fathers, for paying me a courtesy visit after passing out from NDA. “Since I assumed duty three year ago, I have not received any indigene of the territory that graduated from NDA to come and say hello’’, Mohammed said.

He advised the officers to represent the FCT in their different places of posting with humility, dignity and patriotism.

He said that his administration would continue to support FCT indigenes with rights due to them.

He directed his special adviser on political matters ``to give them support’’, adding that inventory would be taken to ascertain the number of FCT indigenes currently serving in the armed forces.

Mohammed said that the Land Swap Programme, initiated by his administration would not bring impediment to acquisition of land but to provide infrastructure and services for the development of Nigeria.

Earlier, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Danjuma, who spoke on behalf of the officers, said their visit to the minister was to receive fatherly blessing before reporting to their various units. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 18

Metro

INSIDE FCT COURTS

Tricycle operator in court over assault

A

commercial tricycle operator, Kabiru Abdulaziz, 29, was arraigned before an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court in Karu on a three-count charge.

The Police Prosecutor, Cpl Pascal Njoku, told the court that, one Monday Mahan reported the case on May 27 at the Jikwoyi Police Station.

He said the defendant was arraigned on a threecount charge of criminal trespass, assault and causing grievous hurt before Senior Magistrate Anna Akobi.

Abdulaziz, however,

denied the charges.

Njoku said the complainant on returning from work on May 26 and met Abdulaziz with his wife in a strange position, discussing.

He said the complainant confronted the accused on what he was doing with his wife at late hour.

“Instead of responding to my question, he descended on me and beat me and punched me on my left eye which resulted in a serious injury”, the complainant said.

The prosecutor said

the offence was punishable under the provisions of sections 342, 266 and 243 of the Penal Code.

The magistrate granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum.

She said that the surety must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

The magistrate ordered that the surety’s recent photograph and that of the accused person should be deposited with the court registrar before his release.

The case was adjourned till July 1 for hearing. (NAN)

Court remands two herdsmen in prison over theft Electrician jailed 6 months for stealing client’s generator A An overloaded pick up with passengers, along Keffi, Abuja road.

Kuje Magistrate’s Court in the FCT yesterday ordered two herdsmen, Mohamadu Adamu, 18, and Ahmadu Baba, 20, to be remanded in prison custody for alleged theft.

The suspects are facing a three-count charge of joint act, criminal trespass, house breaking and theft.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Ocheche Samuel, told the court that the matter was

reported at the Kuje Police Station by one Obasi Okorie of Plot D8 Pegi Estate, Kuje, on May 15.

Samuel said the accused stole one DVD player, BlackBerry cell phone, jewelries and wrappers, worth N131,000.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 79, 342, 346 and 287 of the Penal Code.

Samuel said investigation showed that the accused

broke the wall of the house, before gaining access into the building.

The accused pleaded not guilty the charges, and the prosecutor prayed the court for adjournment to enable the police conclude their investigation into the matter.

The Magistrate, Azubike Okeagu, ordered that the suspects be remanded in Kuje Prison, and adjourned the case to June 26 for further mention. (NAN)

A

Karu Senior Magistrates’ Court has sentenced an electrician, Endurance Edward, 32, to six months imprisonment after admitting he stole a customer’s tiger generator valued at N15, 000.

Edward who pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of criminal trespass and theft before Senior Magistrate Omolola Akindele, told the court that the devil pushed him to steal his customer’s tiger generator valued at N15, 000.

The prosecutor, Cpl Shem Simon, had told the court that the incident, which occurred on June 5,

was reported at the Jikwoyi Police Station by one Ijeoma Efoghe.

Simon explained that the convict entered Ijeoma’s compound while she was away to work and stole her generator which she left outside the compound.

He said that the convict thereafter sold the said generator to a lady who he could not identify at the sum of N3, 000.

He also said during police interrogation efforts made to recover the stolen generator and return it to the owner proved abortive.

The prosecutor said that the convict insisted he could not identify the buyer.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Simon told the court that the convict was convicted on the same offence few months ago, saying that he paid a fine and was released.

According to him, the offences he committed are punishable under sections 342 and 288 of the Penal Code, respectively.

“I even regretted my actions after everything because Ijeoma is my customer and I am the one that used to repair the said generator.”

In her ruling, Akindele sentenced him to six months imprisonment without an option of fine to serve as deterrent to other. (NAN)

Theft: Court slams three persons with five months imprisonment

Advert

A

n Abuja Grade two Area Court in Kado, yesterday sentenced three accused persons to five months imprisonment on a two-count charge of alleged joint act and stealing.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Abdullahi Alhassan, gave the names of the accused as Aminu Sani, 35, Elijah Yusuf, 32 and Mukaila Abdul-Rahman, 38.

He told the court that one Nnamal Christian, of Mararaba by Medical Centre Road, Nasarawa State, reported the matter to the Gishiri police out station on June 8.

He said that Sani and Abdul-Rahman were block industry operators at Gwagwa Karimo, Abuja, while Yusuf was a farmer at Gishiri village, Abuja.

He said that the three accused, on the same day,

went to Christian Block Industry in Gishiri village and stole his block making materials.

Idi said that Sani, aside being an operator, was also the security man of the block industry.

He listed the stolen items to include 100 bags of cement and 50 yard of black leather all valued at N178,000, and ran to an unknown destination.

He said the police was able to apprehend the accused in Gishiri village following a tip off with 30 bags of cement and a roll of black leather in their possession.

The police prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code.

Section 79 states that a criminal act done intentionally by several

persons are each liable for the act in the same manner as it were done by him alone.

Section 287 stipulates that whoever commits theft is punishable with five years imprisonment or fine.

The convicts pleaded guilty and asked the court to tamper justice with mercy.

The Presiding Officer, Mr Ahmed Ado, sentenced them on the two charges.

The accused were sentenced to two months imprisonment or a fine of N1, 000 each on the first count charge of joint act.

They were also sentenced to three months or a N1, 500 fine on the second offence of theft.

The police prosecutor however told the court that the complainant had recovered his stolen property. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Inter-bank rates rise on Nigeria expected to have larger population than US by 2050 - UN Report CBN’s N230bn igeria’s population is predicted between now and India, currently the world’s In contrast, the populations OMO auction

N

expected to surpass that of the US by 2050, according to new UN projections that predict the West African country could be the world’s third most populous by the end of this century.

The UN report World population prospects: the 2012 revision, published yesterday, predicts the world’s population, now at 7.2 billion, will reach 8.1 billion in 2025.

By mid-century, the world’s population is expected to top 9.5 billion, reaching nearly 11 billion by 2100.

More than half of the growth

2050 is expected in Africa, where the number of people is set to more than double, from 1.1 billion to 2.4 billion. Africa’s population will continue to rise even if there is a future drop in the average number of children each woman has, says the report, which predicts the number of people living on the continent could reach 4.2 billion (or more than 35% of total global population) by 2100.

Several other countries, including India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines, are also set for significant population increases.

second-largest country by population, is expected to rival China in size by 2028, when both nations will each have about 1.45 billion citizens.

After 2030, China is expected to shrink in numbers, reaching an estimated 1.1 billion by the end of this century, when India’s population is projected to reach about 1.5 billion.

Some of the most rapid increases are expected in the world’s 49 least-developed countries. The populations of Mali, Niger, Somalia, Tanzania and Zambia are expected to increase at least fivefold by 2100.

of 43 countries are expected to decrease over the next few decades. Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine are among the countries where populations are expected to drop by more than 15% by 2050.

The figures are based on the UN’s “medium-variant” projections, which assume a decline in the number of children born per woman in many countries with high fertility rates. Under different assumptions, estimates of the world’s population in 2050 range from 8.3 billion to 10.9 billion. (Reuters).

- Pg 20

Increased Tax Collection: Presumptive Tax to the rescue - Pg 21

L-R: Director, Research, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Ado Abdullahi, Director-General/ Chief Executive Officer of RMRDC, Professor Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, and President, National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Garba Ibrahim Yusuf, during the sensitisation workshop and exhibition on the socio-economic uses of tiger nut and walnut, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Ikeja Electricity Company offers free prepaid metres to debt-free consumers

I

keja Electricity Distribution Company has announced free pre-paid metres for consumers who had settled their outstanding bills.

The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the company, Mr. Chris Akamnonu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Ikeja that the offer was part of strategies to encourage electricity consumers to settle their bills.

NAN reports that a single phase metre costs N25, 000, while a three-phase metre costs N50, 000, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

“We have been given out

free pre-paid metres to our customers who had paid their outstanding bills to date. We have told our customers that they will get free metres if they settle all their outstanding bills and this is ongoing,” he said.

Akamnonu expressed hope that the strategy would encourage other debtorcustomers to follow suit.

He disclosed that more than 134,000 pre-paid metres had been installed in houses in the zone.

Akamnonu added: “We are willing to install a metre for any willing customer who has paid up to date; such a customer should

come up with his receipt.

“We will not allow debtors to benefit from the services of PHCN if they continue to ignore the appeals to settle their debts.”

He said prompt payment of electricity bills would enable the company to meet the target of providing stable and efficient power in the zone.

Akamnonu promised that prompt attention would be given to customers’ complaints by officials of the company.

He, however, warned members of the public against patronising touts in their desperate bids to get pre-paid metres. (NAN)

Chevron to sell two Nigerian oil blocks - Pg 22

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY Be just as effective when you work remotely

W

hen you’re telecommuting — and your colleagues aren’t — the burden is on you to make things work. Here are three ways to prove you’re a valuable team member, even if you’re not in the office every day: Understand the expectations. Should you match your colleagues’ hours? Is it OK to take appointments during business hours without telling your manager? Actually ask those questions; don’t just assume you know the answers.

Make the most of face-

to-face time. When you are in the office, fill your calendar with meetings — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — to build relationships. Ask people about themselves and their work.

Be seen. Make yourself more than a disembodied voice on a telephone line. Improve your visibility by videoconferencing whenever possible. Even though you’re at home, dress professionally and keep your desk clean.

Source: Harvard Business Review

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 20

Economy Company News

Travel and Logistics Centre

T

ravel and Logistics Centre (TLC) has opened a service centre at Century 21 Shopping Mall, Mega Plaza on Victoria Island, Lagos to cater to the travel and service needs of Lagosians and by extensions, Nigerians whose daily transactions revolve around the island.

Speaking at a recent press conference in Lagos, Yinka Folami, CEO, TLC, stated that the extension was necessary as the company was posed to satisfy the needs of its customers wherever they were.

Highlighting reasons why TLC should be patronised by travellers and tourist, Folami explained, “If you scheduled r return flight from Abuja to Lagos is for 2:30pm and you’re likely to be late you can call us and the change is done. Because you are our client, you can pay us on your return”, he said.

Inter-bank rates rise on CBN’s N230bn OMO auction

T

he money market, on Wednesday experienced liquidity squeeze as the Nigerian Inter-Bank Offered Rates (NIBOR) increased significantly across tenor buckets.

For instance, call tenor climbed to 15.70 percent from 13.16 percent on Friday. Similarly, 7 days and 30 days tenors increased to 16.04 percent and 16.29 percent from 13.33 percent and 13.58 percent, respectively, the previous day.

Analysts attributed the increase in rates at which banks lend to each other to N230 billion Treasury

bills auction by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through Open Market Operation (OMO).

The Naira eased against the US dollar losing 55 kobo at the inter-bank market to close at N160.10/$ as against N159.55/$ the previous day, data from Financial Markets Dealers Association have revealed.

Analysts believe that the depreciation of Naira is as a result of increased demand for the greenback by importers and other end users.

However, the CBN offered

and sold a total of $300 million to 20 deposit money banks that participated at its by-weekly Wholesale Dutch Auction System (WDAS), at N155.75/$.

At the bureau de change and parallel markets, Naira weakened against the dollar losing 50 kobo each to close at N160.50/$ and N161.00/$ compared to N160.00/$ and N160.50/$, respectively, the previous day.

Meanwhile, the Naira remained stable at the official market closing at N155.75/$.

South African Fund

T

he Public Investment Corporation, Africa’s largest asset manager, will consider investing in more companies linked to Aliko Dangote, the continent’s richest man, as it seeks to tap industries benefiting from economic growth, reports Bloomberg.

The pension fund this week invested $289.3 million ($46 billion) in Dangote Cement Plc to take a 1.5 percent stake and said the deal will also offer opportunities in Dangote’s sugar, flour, oil refinery and port operations, Fidelis Madavo, head of resources at Pretoria-based PIC, said.

The fund has as much as $7 billion (N1.1 trillion) to invest in Africa and is targeting as many as 20 listed stocks across industries such as consumer, infrastructure, telecommunications and agribusiness as growth rates accelerate, he said.

Apple Inc.

A

pple Inc will start a program this month to allow users to trade their older iPhones for the newest model, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the plan as saying, a first for the company as it prepares to introduce a new version of the smartphone.

It has teamed up with Brightstar Corp, a mobile phone distributor that runs similar trade-in programs for carriers like AT&T Inc and T-Mobile, to handle exchanges, Bloomberg cited the unidentified sources as saying yesterday.

Apple and Brightstar did not immediately return calls for comment.

L-R: Group Managing Director/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer, FBN Holdings Plc, Malam Bello Maccido, and General Manager, Corporate Services, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Bola Adeeko, during the presentation of Facts Behind the Figures of FBN’ Holdings Plc at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, yesterday in Lagos.

Plateau govt. generates N2.65bn as revenue

T

he Plateau State Government said yesterday that it realised N2.65 billion as revenue from January to April.

The Chairman, Plateau Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), Dr Rauta Jat disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos. “We began the year 2013 with zeal and determination to do more than we did last year as revenue collectors, which has paid up by the amount we have realised so far.

“This feat goes to show how determined and committed the board’s staff are to ensure that more revenue is generated for the government.

“To enable it meet up with its responsibilities of providing social amenities to the people of the state.’’

Jat also ascribed the feat to the cooperation of the board and the public in living up to expectation of paying taxes.

She commended the state government on the level of

support it gave to the board, which gave it the opportunity to employ additional 300 ad hoc staff for the revenue drive.

She said that a breakdown of the revenue indicated that the highest generation was in the month of April with N775.92 million, while the lowest came in February with N426.53 million.

The chairman expressed the hope that the board would meet up with its targeted budget of N9 billion going by the tempo. ``We are confident t h a t when the collection of ground r e n t s commences sometimes next month, our revenue collection will surely improve,’’ she said.

Jat said

that one other factor that would assist was the judicial action being taken against tax defaulters.

According to her, the judicial action the board recently took against some evaders was yielding results, as ``some institutions and organisations are now coming forward to settle their debts.’’

She called on the general public not to relent in paying tax, warning that defaulters would be prosecuted. (NAN)

Nestle Nigeria Plc appoints new MD/CEO

N

estlé Nigerian Plc has announced the appointment of a new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dharnesh Gordhon.

The company announced this via a press statement signed by its Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Samuel Adenekan.

Mr. Gordhon, a South African, succeeds the former CEO, Martin Woolnough who retired from the company in May. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Gordhon held several commercial roles for Nestle in South Africa and Malaysia.

The statement also says that the new CEO is committed to Nestle Nigeria being recognised as the leading nutrition, health and wellness company in the country. “Mr. Gordhon also has a strong belief that the key ingredient for success is an authentic passion for people and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence in action” the statement said.

Mr. Gordhon holds various academic and professional qualifications including a Masters in Business Administration, MBA.

Samsung Heavy wins N480 bn order to build offshore oil storage platform in Nigeria

S

outh Korean shipbuilder, Samsung Heavy Industries said yesterday it had won a $3.0 billion (N480bn) order to build a giant off-shore oil storage platform in Nigeria.

Under the deal, with an unnamed client, the shipbuilder will construct the floating platform used to store and process oil, which will begin operations in 2017, Samsung said in a statement.

The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) platform is 330 metres (1,082 feet) long, 61 metres wide and capable of storing up to 2.3 million barrels of oil, it said.

The latest deal is the most expensive globally for this type of structure, Samsung said, adding many parts of the platform will be built in Nigeria.

Samsung -- one of the world’s top three shipbuilders -- has won orders worth $7.8 billion so far this year including the latest deal, after setting an annual target of $13 billion.

(AFP)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 21

Tax Alert

Increased Tax Collection: Presumptive Tax to the rescue

By Frank Obaro

T

axing the informal sector has become a huge challenge for tax authorities-whether at the state or federal level. Yet they must be taxed for government to be able to meet the desired objective of pooling funds together for development of social infrastructure.

Presumptive taxation has therefore become one key tool used by tax administrators to get the “hard-to-tax” into the tax net whether in developed or developing countries. It is presumed that the deployment of a presumptive tax regime will widen the tax net in Nigeria.

A presumptive tax regime is one where the desired tax base is not itself measured but is inferred from some simple indicatorsturnover, assets, farm size, value of land, shop value, etc., which are more easily measured in place of complex financial statements.

The kernel of presumptive taxation is anchored on section 6 of the Personal Income Tax(Amendment) Act, 2011, which introduced a new subsection (6) to section 36 of the preceding act, as follows; “Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Act, where for all practical purposes the income of the taxpayer cannot be ascertained or records are not kept in such manner as would enable proper assessment of income, then such manner a taxpayer shall be assessed on such terms and conditions as would be prescribed by the Ministry of Finance in

FIRS boss, Alhaji Kabiru Mashi regulations by order of gazette under a presumptive tax regime”.

A lot of people have argued that when taken from a historical perspective presumptive taxes

have always existed and that there has only been a transition from an agricultural based economy to industrialized driven economies.

Whereas tax administrators

have made sufficient laws to ensure compliance with regard to structured businesses with verifiable statements of accounts, the informal sector remains unreached. What this portends for an economy that requires all the funding it can get to tackle decaying infrastructure is deprivation of needed resources which is quite huge from the informal sector.

The size of the informal sector in Nigeria is very enormous, knowing from hindsight that the informal sector employs a huge chunk of labour force, while a lot more are self employed without appropriate documented means of accounting for their income.

Presumptive taxes provides for a simplified option for tax compliance without going through the rigors of financial documentation. It opens a new vista for those outside the tax net to be integrated into the system as well as limiting tax avoidance.

Essentially, presumptive taxation offers even more than assumptions of payable income taxes, as it also offers a streamlined method for transiting from the informal to the organized structure whether individually or a business.

A movement from the burden of standard assessment system accounting method to assessment as per volume of trade, value of land or even simple turnover of trade substantially encourages unwilling taxpayers to pay their taxes and also enjoy incentives or benefits that the formal sector enjoys.

From a Nigeria point of view, it is obvious that most taxpayers and even incorporated businesses are still grappling with maintaining accurate reporting standards or even navigating complex tax codes, which has resulted in non compliance and evasion, requiring additional resources and efforts from the tax administrator to enforce compliance. So figuratively speaking, part of the rationale of presumptive taxation will be to reach as many that the proposed regulation will cover to engender a stronger taxpaying culture.

Some tax experts have also insisted that Presumptive taxation will engender self assessment since most taxpayers covered by this regulation will have to file their assessment by completing simple forms with little aid. This appears rational but it must be said that Presumptive taxation is targeted at increasing revenue collection using the simplest means possible.

In jurisdictions were presumptive taxation is practised, standard and estimated assessments, presumptive minimum taxes, value of land, net wealth and asset value are some of the methods employed in estimating income and assessing tax liability.

While a lot of stakeholders have argued for and against the various forms of assessment noting that some of such methods do not

allow for fairness of assessment, however it must be noted that the various methods have their merits and demerits but each addresses different set of taxpayers and would be proper to apply them accordingly.

Interestingly, some advanced countries still practice Presumptive taxation e.g. In Czech, lump sum taxation is available for individuals with income from agriculture production, from a trade and/ or from other business activity if the business has no employees or co-operating persons, and annual income in the three immediately preceding taxable periods did not exceed CZK5m (US$234,000).

The business owner may not participate in an association that is not a legal entity. In France Presumptive taxation was widely used in the agricultural taxation even though it’s application has reduced tremendously in the last decade, it was used to effectively tax that sector and afforded taxpayers the skill to transit to desirable filing/assessment methods.

Also in France, farmers with a turnover of 500,000 francs or less are eligible for the presumptive basis of taxation. Locally, the Lagos Internal revenue Service (LIRS) has introduced some form of direct presumptive taxes which has yielded increased revenue for the state. Though much can still be achieved has it is obvious that artisans and petty traders are the primary focus of their policy.

Presumptive taxation is an attractive method of governments’ continuing effort at making the tax system more productive and efficient while instilling responsibility of citizenship and ownership simultaneously. Also of strategic importance is the capacity of the tax administration to handle the particular presumptive method being applied for improved compliance.

Attention must also be paid to how a particular presumptive method will work in different situation. The administrative competence and capacity of the tax administrator will be sufficiently tasked for the implementation of presumptive taxation to effectively fill the void it was been created to serve because if taxpayers can hide the factors on which the presumption is based as easily as they can hide income, then the presumption will not be of much use.

Taxing the informal sector can add substantially to revenue collection and as stated recently by the Ag. Chairman of the FIRS “such a large pool of taxpayers cannot be ignored by any tax system, which seeks to make taxation the pivot of national development”, this statement in itself sums up the desirability of a presumptive tax regime.

Frank Obaro can be reached on: obaro.frank@ gmail.com

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Economy

NDIC tasks operators of micro-finance banks on payment of premium

T

he Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) yesterday called on micro-finance banks to ensure prompt payment of premium.

The Managing Director of the corporation, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim made the call at a workshop organised by the company for operators in the micro-finance banking subsector in Kano.

He said the call was necessary because it was part of their obligations to pay premium when due.

“They have an obligation to pay the premium as much as we have the obligation to continue to supervise them and give them assistance whenever necessary and possible.’’

He lamented that the N1.1 billion so far collected from the banks as premium was

grossly inadequate if NDIC was to continue to give them the necessary assistance to enable them to remain afloat. ``The N1.1 billion collected as premium from the banks is very minimal and poor. It is also unacceptable,’’ he said.

According to him, a tripartite agreement will soon be signed between the NDIC, CBN and the micro-finance banks, to ensure prompt payment of the

premium.

The Managing Director urged the banks to establish customers’ complaints desk to attend to customers’ complaints. ``’The desk will address customers’ complaints 24 hours and this will enhance the relationship between customers and operators of the banks.’’

He said the workshop was aimed at ensuring that the banks remained focused, sound

and stable so that they could add value to their customers. ``’Banks should not rely on governments’ deposits, but they should go to the rural areas, because 70 per cent of the country’s population live in the rural areas,’’ he said.

Participants at the workshop were drawn from the NorthWest and North-East geopolitical zones of the country.

(NAN).

Chevron to sell two Nigerian oil blocks

By Etuka Sunday with agency report

U L-R: Chairman, Resort Savings and Loans, Mortgage Bankers, Adelani Oniwinde, Secretary, Yetunde Ogundare, and Director, Senator Sunday Olawale, during the Resort Savings and Loans, Mortgage Bankers Plc, initial public offer of ordinary share to the public, on Wednesday in Lagos.

Photo: Olawale Rotimi

.S. energy firm Chevron is selling its stake in two Nigerian shallow water oil blocks, the company said on Tuesday, the latest oil major seeking to dispose of assets in Africa’s biggest oil producer.

The two blocks OML 83 and OML 85 hold an estimated 200 million barrels of oil and an unknown amount of natural gas but there has been no production yet, two industry sources told Reuters. Chevron did not give details of reserves.

“As part of a continuous process of portfolio evaluation

Agencies form alliance to stop wastes, sub-standard products

By Etuka Sunday

T

he National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on Wednesday formed an alliance with five agencies of government to stop the consistent influx of hazardous wastes and sub-standard products into the country.

The agencies, which comprises of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Consumer Protection Council (CPC),

National Automotive Council (NAC), Nigerian Customs Service, and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), would be known as Alliance on Sustainable Consumption and Production (ASCP).

In a statement, signed by the Chief Press Secretary of NESREA, Sule Oyofo, the Director General of NESREA, Dr. Ngeri Benebo stated that the establishment of the Alliance was necessitated by the dangers Nigerians are

daily exposed to as a result of unsustainable consumption and production practices in the country.

“The volume of hazardous wastes and substandard products, for example, in electronics, electric bulbs, batteries and tyres that are exported into Nigeria where there are no formal treatment facilities for resource recovery, pose serious environmental and health challenges,” she stated.

According to her, it is only an

alliance of relevant agencies that can help to eliminate hazardous products from the market, control illegal importation and trans-boundary movement of substandard and hazardous products.

In their separate speeches, the DG, SON, DR. Joseph Odumodu, DG CPC, Dupe Atoki, DG National Automotive Council, Engr. Aminu Jalal, DG, SMEDAN and Comptroller General of Customs all pledged their support for the alliance.

Poor Service: Telecom association flays operators’ expansion difficulties

C

hairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, yesterday said telecom operators were experiencing difficulties in expanding their networks capacity to optimal levels.

Adebayo said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said that the expansion could not be done effectively because telecom operator still had issues to settle with some state governments.

The ALTON chief said that the inaction of some state governments was delaying them in dealing with the issue of persistent poor quality of service experienced by the 130 million subscribers.

It could be recalled that the

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had on May 2013, warned all the operators to improve on their networks or face further sanctions.

Adebayo said that expansion of network capacity in the underserved and un-served areas was important to meet the growing numbers of subscribers on the network. ``Granting us the Right of Way (ROW) will allow us to erect more fibre optic and we still needed to build more base stations where quality of service is still low,” he said.

The chairman said that some state governments had not granted them the approval to upgrade their network to capacity level that could solve the problem associated with poor service. ``Poor quality of service is a combination of many issues

affecting it. ``We have capacity issue and we can’t expand because the Lagos State Government, in particular, could not grant any approval for expansion ``For now, we are still in discussion with the government and we are hoping that the approval issue will be resolved soon. ``Another issue is the multiple taxation and regulation by government agencies.

“This is one of the major problems of poor service that we are experiencing in the industry,’’ he said.

The ALTON official said that closing down of one base station could indirectly affect the network of other telecom infrastructure in other areas.

He said that any agency of government that had any issue

with the status of base station should first seek for court order before closing it down. ``We take exception to their action and we are saying that no matter what, any agency of government that should close down any base station should first seek for court order.”

Adebayo condemned the recent disconnection of some telecommunication installations by the National Environmental Standard Regulatory Agency (NESREA), saying that the agency did not follow due procedure. ``It is very unfortunate and our concern is not just on the commercial losses, but on the impact on quality of services. ``It is sad that an agency of government would subject operators and Nigerians to that kind of hardship,” he said. (NAN)

…..Blocks hold around 200 million barrels of oil -Sources and business prioritisation, Chevron Nigeria Limited ... has put forward its interests in two oil mining leases for auction,” a company spokesman said.

“The assets are located in the shallow waters.”

Chevron owns a 40 percent stake in 13 shallow water blocks with Nigeria’s state oil firm NNPC and also has several deep offshore assets. Its 2012 net daily production in Nigeria averaged 238,000 barrels of crude oil and 165 million cubic feet of natural gas.

AfDB announce bank’s return to its headquarters in Abidjan The Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and of the African Development Fund (ADF) announced the return of the AfDB to its headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Marrakech (Morocco) from 27th to 31st May 2013.

This decision follows the approval of the roadmap prepared by Bank’s management for the return of the institution to Côte d’Ivoire.

The Board of Directors of the AfDB Group had instructed its management during the Annual Meetings held in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2012 to prepare a roadmap for a well-planned and organized return of the Bank to its headquarters. It said the roadmap should guarantee the institution’s stability, business continuity, and the well-being of staff and their families.

Consenting to the roadmap, the AfDB’s Advisory Committee of Governors, meeting in Tokyo, Japan, in October 2012, recommended its approval by the Board of Governors, thus opening the way for the return to Abidjan.

According to the President of the AfDB, Donald Kaberuka, “the first group of staff will leave before the end of 2013. The AfDB will celebrate its 50th anniversary in November 2014 in Abidjan”.

(AfDB).

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Thursday, June 13, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Special Report

Preventing accidents at construction sites

By Chinyere Elele

W

hen the right hand of 27-year-old Mike Aze was cut off on Jan. 5, 2013, while operating a machine for the construction of light rail line in Lagos, there were tears, anguish and regrets.

Aze was immediately rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, where the hand was severed from the shoulder through a surgery after some days.

Aze, who hails from Benue State, works for the China Civil Engineering Construction

Company (CCECC).

The hapless man was employed as a casual worker by the Chinese company in March 2011 on a salary that is a little above N500 per day.

Besides, in March this year, an employee of Dura Pack, a Chinese company that produces nylon bags in Lagos, died as a result of an electric shock he received while he was carrying out some repair works in the company’s premises.

The list of causalities in the workplace appears endless. Some 10 years ago, a tragic incident occurred

Rescure workers at the site of collapsed building, in Lagos

when hundreds of people were burnt in a fire that broke out in a plastic factory in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Accidents at construction sites are quite commonplace but many of the accidents are not reported due to the workers’ palpable fear of losing their jobs.

The main question, however, is: Why are such accidents allowed to happen in the first place?

Mr Ben Modebe, the Managing Consultant, Superior Safety Services, argues that there is no reason to justify the

occurrence of a construction accident in the first instance, if the employers and employees take the necessary precautions. ``Accidents are not supposed to happen in workplaces. The reason why it happens is if the worker fails to inspect and report faulty machines or areas and if the person does not use safety gadgets. ``Accidents can also happen if the employer or management of the organisation fails to take measures to repair faulty equipment or provide safety tools,’’ he says, adding: ``An

accident can also occur if the worker is overworked.’’

Besides, Modebe says that accidents often occur at construction sites because of unsafe acts and conditions.

The safety expert describes unsafe acts as actions taken by a worker without regard for his personal safety or that of his colleagues, while unsafe conditions are hazardous work conditions or work environment.

Modebe advises workers to always raise concerns about imminent dangers to their wellbeing, while

identifying potential hazards so as to prevent accidents in construction sites.

He urges construction workers to always wear safety helmets, adding that they should also check for clearances from any overhead power lines before starting work at heights. ``All accidents are preventable, No job is worth getting hurt for and incidents can be managed,’’ he insists.

Expressing similar concern about the rising rate of accidents at construction sites, Mr Adeniyi Oloyede, the Zonal Vice President of Construction

and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA), moans that many workers die or get injured daily at the sites because of the perceptible lack of concern for their health and safety.

He also argues that accidents occur at construction sites almost on a daily basis because of the failure of the firms’ management to provide adequate safety materials or the failure of employees to observe basic safety rules. ``In some cases where safety materials are provided, workers are not educated on

how to use them,’’ he adds.

Oloyede says that his union recently organised a one-day seminar on ``The Health and Safety of the Construction Workers in the Nigerian Environment’’, as part of efforts to reduce accidents at construction sites and offer recommendations on how to enhance the workers’ safety.

Nevertheless, Mr Wang Chunjing, the Deputy Manager (Materials and Equipment), CCECC, insists that it is the duty of the foreman in construction companies to oversee the workers’ activities and report any faulty equipment to the management.

He stresses that in CCECC, for instance, safety rules and regulations are listed and placed in front of the company’s premises for the workers to read before they start to work.

Chunjing, who refuses to disclose if CCECC workers, particularly the casual workers, receive any form of training, nonetheless, says that the company will compensate Aze, based on an agreement reached with his lawyer.

Mr Muriola Saheed, a factory worker and member of the National Union Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), believes that accidents often occur at construction sites because most casual workers are not familiar with their equipment since they are not well-trained.

Saheed says that even in situations where the members of staff are trained, their employers often assure them that they have no reason to be involved in any accident.

He opines that most workers do not report accidents or disclose them to the mass media because of the fear of losing their jobs and because of their eagerness to receive accident-free bonuses at the end of the year. ``Many of the workers are afraid of losing their jobs after accidents; that is why they do not talk about them,’’ he adds.

However, Alhaja Nofisat Arogundade, the Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in Lagos, bemoans the fact that construction companies are not included the list of companies that are visited by the ministry’s monitoring team.

She calls on industrial unions to always endeavour to report accidents in the workplace so as to prevent the regular occurrences of such accidents.

Arogundade advises the workers’ unions to strive to keep tabs on accidents in

the workplace and report them whenever they occur, so as to forestall their future recurrence. ``Union leaders’ should have proper documentation.

We want employers and employees to make issues of safety and prevention of occupational accidents in the workplace part of the collective bargaining issues. ``If employees or unions

lodge complaints with the ministry, the issue will be taken up and necessary measures would be put in place to avoid a recurrence,’’ she says.

Arogundade, however, notes that the extant laws guiding accidents in the workplace are quite weak, stressing that it is high time the workers’ unions rose up to compel the government to take proactive steps on the issue.

“

Union leaders’ should have proper documentation.

We want employers and employees to make issues of safety and prevention of occupational accidents in the workplace part of the collective bargaining issues

The breakdown of fatalities of accidents in construction industry reveal that 56 per cent of the victims fell from heights, 21 per cent were trapped in overturning gadgets, 10 per cent were hit by moving vehicles, while 5 per cent had contact with electricity or electrical discharge.

Besides, 4 per cent of the victims were struck by flying or falling objects during machine-lifting of materials, 3 per cent had contact with moving machinery and one per cent of the victims were exposed to hot, harmful substances.

Analysts contend that proper laws should be put in place, while workers should be given the relevant training in designed efforts to curb accidents in the construction industry. ``Besides, employers who fail to guarantee their workers’ safety should be prosecuted,’’ some of the analysts add.

Source: NAN

Late Emmanuel Nkwogba who was electrocuted at Zenith pure water factory in Bauchi

PEOPLES DAILY| FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 26

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

LAND OF GRACE GOSPEL MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF UNITED LIGHT LAUNDRY AND DRY CLEANERS, EKITI STATE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR HENRY OVAT NYANG-CHAIRMAN 2. MRS PEACE HENRY OVAT-SECRETARY AIMS: 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 2. TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS FOR OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO ALL MAN KIND. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. BARR.FEYISAYO ADETIBA 08053613670

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ANISULOWO KAYODE-CHAIRMAN 2. ADEYEYE KOLADE 3. JAYEOBA JOSEPH 4. SALAM AZEEZ ADESINA-SECRETARY 5. AJISE OLUWAFEMI 6. MAJASAN OLUSOLA AIMS: 1.TO PROMOTE A SENSE OF UNITY,PEACE AND CO-OPERATION AMONG MEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: MAJOYO.A.ESQ.

PUBLIC NOTICE

GOD’S GIFTS AND GRACE FOUNDATION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. EZE LIVINUS IKECHUKWU 2. ALIAS MAMA 3. BENJAMIN OJIMELUKWE AIMS 1. TO CARTER FOR THE LESS PRIVILEDGE IN THE SOCIETY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: NCHE GEORGE CHRISTIAN 08063732241

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

INDIGENOUS EDO/DELTA ALUMINIUM & ALLIED PRODUCTS DEALERS ASSOCIATION IN NIGERIA

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MAKURDI FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE

FED UP ASSOCIATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF URBAN POOR

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ZAKARI GBADUME 2. JOHN AZIBA-SECRETARY 3. ALH.DAUDA JIMOH-CHAIRMAN 4. MICHEAL IMOLOAME 5. MALLAM ABUBAKAR MUSA 6. JAMES EGBIRE 7. KINGSLEY ERIMWIONGHAE 8. PHILIP AKOGUN 9. EDOBOR AIMIUWU 10. JOSEPH ESIRI AIMS: 1. TO EMPOWER MEMBERS 2. TO CATER FOR WELFARE OF MEMBERS 3. TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. USUH ATHANASIUS ATULE-CHAIRMAN 2. APINE FELIX-SECRETARY AIMS: 1. TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE LIBERATING OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH PROPHETIC ACTION FOR THE PROMOTION OF JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE IN THE SOCIETY. 2. TO COLLABORATE WITH GOVERNMENT AND NGOS ON ISSUES TO US. 3. TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO COMMUNITIES 4.TO PROMOTE FORMAL AND INFORMAL-EDUCATION OF COMMUNITIES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR.IORTYER AFA NELLY (SOLICITOR) NO.1 KROAD,FEDERAL HOUSING AUTHORITY,LUGBE,ABUJA.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GLORIOUS CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY

WONDERS OF GOD’S WORD MINISTRY INT’L

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1.PST.NICHOLAS EZURUME 2.PROPHETESS (MRS)AGNES EZURUME 3.ELDER SUNDAY NNAMANI 4.DEACON CHUKWUMA ORDUAJIE 5.DEACON JUDE IZUKA 6.BRO.MORGAN OMATSEYE 7.DEACONESS AUGUSTINA NWIFI AIMS: 1.TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 2.TO PREPARE ITS MEMBERS FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 3.TO DELIVER IT MEMBERS FROM THE BONDAGE OF SATAN. SIGNED: ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR.R.O MUOGBO

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV. PAUL D. INANILA-PRESIDENT/FOUNDER 2. REV & PST.MRS FAITH O.PAUL –VICE –PRESIDENT 3. SIS. CHRISTIANA ESE MUKURO-SECRETARY 4. SIS. VICTORIA OYIBO-TREASURER 5. PST. CHIBUZOR ONYEKACHI-MEMBER 6. BRO. PAUL OSIKPEMI KINGSLEY AIMS: 1. WORSHIP OF GOD AND FELLOWSHIP OF GOD’S CHILDREN ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1.BARR. PAUL AUDU-CHAIRMAN 2,MR.JAMES UGAH-MEMBER 3.MR. RICHARD ORACHIHI-MEMBER 4.DR.ONYEIJE OKORO-MEMBER 5.REV.SUNDAY MOSES-MEMBER 6.DR/MRS.JULIANA OLUFUNKE LAWSON-MEMBER 7.MR.MOSES BEM UGO-MEMBER 8.MALLAM NASIR MOHAMMED-MEBER 9.MR.JAMES AMBUA-MEMBER AIMS: 1.TO INITIATE PROCESSES AIMED AT ASSISTING URBAN POOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN FINANCIAL SCHEMES THAT ARE TARGETED AT EMPOWERING THEM TO AMONG OTHER NEEDS,OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR.PAUL AUDU

PUBLIC NOTICE YABA, TEJUOSHO AND SURULERE JERSEY DEALERS ASSOCIATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ODOH ANTHONY OSITA 2. ONOJA SIMON OKORO 3. OMEH CELESTINE NNABUIKE 4.IDOKO OLIVER .O. 5. OJOBO JOSEPH CHINEDU AIMS: 1. TO FOSTER LOVE AND UNITY AMONG MEMBERS 2. TO PROMOTE WELFARE OF MEMBERS 3.TO PARTNER WITH OTHER ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNION SIGNED: ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. ONUORA ODO 08035979574

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

NNA NWA JESUS FOUNDATION FOR THE POOR

JAM’IYYAT DA’WATUL ISTIJAABATIL ISLAMIYYAH FOUNDATION

RURAL REDEMPTIONS INITIATIVE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PROF. JAMES UDENGENE OGUAKWA - RETAINED 2. DR.(MRS) SYLVIA ONYEMA - RETAINED 3. H.R.H ALHAJI IRO MAIKANO - RETAINED 4. ALHAJI TUKUR JIKAMSHI - RETAINED 5. PRINCESS (MRS) STELLA KANAYOR OGUAKWA REMOVED AIMS: 1.BARRISTER CAMILLUS OGUAKWA - NEWLY APPOINTED ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. BENSON IBEZIM, 08037877519

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OMEH CELESTINE NNABUIKE 2. OMEH LOVINA OGOCHUKWU 3. IDOKO SOLOMON EJIOFOR 4. NWANEGBO IGNATIUS 5. UGWU BONIFACE 6. EYA CHRISTIAN OLUCHUKWU AIMS: 1. TO HELP IN ALLEVIATING THE SUFFERING OF THE POOR 2. TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR SPREADING THE GOSPEL 3. TO HELP THE SICK, LESS PRIVILEGED 4. TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OJULARI SHARAFA-DEEN JIMOH 2. MALIK ADESHINA TAJUDEEN 3. JIMOH RASHEEDAT ADUNNI AIMS: 1. TO PROPAGATE ISLAM

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: BARR. ONUORA ODO 0803579574

SIGNED: SECRETARY

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 27

International

Is banning racist groups democratic?

ANALYSIS

By Erik Bleich

O

n June 5, 18-yearold anti-fascist activist Clement Meric was walking with his friends in Paris when he encountered a group of far-right militants and a fight broke out. At the end of the skirmish, Meric lay on the ground. He was hit twice in the head, declared brain-dead at the hospital and died the next day.

His attackers are believed to have links with the far-right Revolutionary Nationalist Youth.

The French government has not only arrested the perpetrators, but has also gone one step further by announcing plans to dissolve the group. Painting on an even larger canvas, the government declared that this ban will take place in the context of a review of “extreme right groups that provoke racial, anti-Semitic, xenophobic and homophobic hatred”.

French law allows the government to ban groups without oversight from courts or the legislature. This procedure dates back to the 1930s, when far-right militias roamed the streets and undermined the stability of the French state.

As of 1972, the government has also been able to disband groups that provoke discrimination, hatred, or violence against people because of their origin, race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.

From an American perspective, this law and the current steps against the Revolutionary Nationalist Youth are difficult to understand. The US has long had active racist groups like the Ku Klux Klan whose members have been associated with violent acts.

However, Americans believe that one should punish the criminals, not criminalise freedom of association, no matter how outrageous the group’s ideas may be.

Americans are fairly unusual in this respect. Many countries permit authorities to outlaw racist groups. Some, like France and Italy, have provisions for the dissolution of private groups.

Others, like Germany and the Netherlands, also allow political parties to be banned - a highly contentious step for any selfdeclared liberal democracy.

Why do these countries endorse such a controversial infringement on freedom of association? Most places that allow it have had first-hand experiences as non-democracies

The French government plans to dissolve the far-right group Revolutionary Nationalist Youth [AFP/Getty images] - experiences they are keen not to repeat. France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, for example, go much further than the US, Britain and Australia in permitting their states to outlaw racist groups and parties.

History matters, and it continues to motivate French leaders to this day.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayraultdeclared in vivid fashion last week that he was ready to “cut to pieces… fascist and Nazi-inspired movements”.

For his part, Interior Minister Manuel Valls stated, “We will be merciless with those that deny the values of the Republic”, and asserted that France has to “attack the foul ideas that remind us of the worst hours of our history”.

For some, these steps are not as much about history as they are

about symbolic politics. When extreme hatred and violence spills out into the streets, citizens want action. Banning a group sends an immediate signal that the government is doing something.

As sceptics are quick to argue, though, simply declaring a racist group or party defunct is not always effective. Sometimes the leaders of these associations simply recreate the group under another name. Or activists may go underground and meet in secret.

This can happen, but France has the power to punish the revival of a banned racist group with seven years in jail and a 100,000-euro ($132,819) fine. Evidence from Germany demonstrates that following waves of bans, the number of racist groups drops over the

“

short-term (but not the longterm), and that the total number of people willing to affiliate with racist right-wing groups also declines over the long-term.

In short, bans can be effective tools for inhibiting rabid racist groups.

The greater concern involves the frequency with which states apply the bans. Happily, so far, they have tended to use these laws sparingly. Since 1936, France has outlawed fewer than 100 groups. Many of the highestprofile bans occurred in the 1930s, during the Algerian war, and surrounding the events of May 1968, because the groups involved were identified as dangerous militias. In recent decades, the bans have been used quite infrequently, with only a handful of groups dissolved in the past decade.

Since the 1972 amendment to the law, however, provocation to racial or religious hatred has played a greater role in decisions about which groups to ban.

Since the 1972 amendment to the law, however, provocation to racial or religious hatred has played a greater role in decisions about which groups to ban.

In 2006, France dissolved the TribuKa, a small anti-Semitic group with a goal of “putting the people called ‘black’ at the top of humanity”. In 2012, the state disbanded an association dedicated to establishing sharia law in France.

These groups, like the Revolutionary Nationalist Youth, are ethno-centric and associated with violence. Governments have the right to enforce laws enacted by elected legislatures to dissolve groups that are a pressing threat to social and political stability.

But there is always a risk that states will turn to these laws for a seemingly quick solution to racist violence. These provisions serve a useful purpose, but they come at a cost. They infringe the core liberal democratic norm of allowing people to express their values.

So if France is going to ban the Revolutionary Nationalist Youth, it has to show its citizens and its neighbours that the group deserves to be banned. France must remember its history, but it must also preserve its liberal democratic credentials for the future.

Source: Al Jazeera

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 28

International

Guinea Bissau: AU converges on Abuja for a way forward

By Abdulkadir Isa

T

he African Union has hosted experts from within the African continent to chat on a way forward for Guinea Bissau.

Guinea Bissau has been suspended from the African Union since 2002 after the 12th April coup d’état.

The event comes as furtherance of efforts by ECOWAS and the international community to not only restore a democratically elected government but a lasting one.

Perpetrators of the previous military juntas in Guinea Bissau have attributed their actions to Omni-directional facet democratic governments adopt.

The present meeting is considering a multi directional approach that inculcates each and every member of the countrythe average man on the street, ex-service men, politicians and the military to provide a viable democracy for the nation.

Similarly, members of the A.U involved in the long term plan for restoring peace in Guinea Bissau have expressed satisfaction in the commitment displayed by the existing political parties.

... Says political parties committed to lasting peace They said the spirit of national discovery has been smeared on the populace which spells a positive omen for restoring peace as the two main political parties in the country, thus, PAIGC and

the Social Renewal Party (SRP) have injected the political for democracy to return.

The Abuja meeting is part of the first phase of action on Guinea Bissau and will last two

days.

The outcome on discussions is expected to complement existing efforts by ECOWAS, EU and the Portuguese speaking countries union.

G

L-R: Head, Humanitarian Affairs, African Union Commission, Mr. Olabisi Dare, member African Leadership Forum, Mr. Ayodele Aderinwale. and Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union Commission, Dr. Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, during the opening of the high level consultation on Guinea Bissau political situation, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Ailing Algerian president appears on TV

A

lgeria’s ailing President AbdelazizBouteflika has made a rare television appearance from his hospital bed in France, following a stroke last month.

The video shown on Wednesday of the 76-year-old Bouteflika was designed to stem rampant rumours in the capital Algiers and in Paris that he had been totally incapacitated, or worse.

Viewers saw Bouteflika speaking during a visit in France on Tuesday with Prime Minister AbdelmalekSellal and the army chief of staff, General Gaid Salah. The guests bent to hear him.

Theleftsideofthepresident’smouth appeared immobile as he ate pastry. He did not move his left hand placed on

Algerian president, AbdelazizBouteflika (L) made a rare television appearance.

a chair arm at Les Invalides military compound where he was hospitalised.

Bouteflika’s office waited until Tuesday to reveal he had suffered a full stroke.

French media have been carrying increasingly grim reports about the leader’s condition, suggesting he will not be able to continue carrying out his duties.

The Algerian government has been trying to reassure the public about the president’s health, issuing a bulletin saying the president’s doctors in Paris “recommended that he observe a period of convalescence and functional rehabilitation to consolidate his recovery”.

Mugabe fast-tracks election laws, Tsvangirai opposes

Z

imbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe fast-tracked changes to electoral laws on Thursday, using a presidential decree to bypass parliament in a bid to comply with a constitutional court order to hold elections by July 31.

The move has enraged his opponents in a unity government, especially Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party which wants a delay to allow for reform of the media and security forces.

Mugabe has been pushing for early elections, saying the unity government formed in 2009 after violent and disputed vote the previous year has outlived its tenure.

“Given the deadline imposed

Gambia to send 150 Police for UN peace keeping in Darfur

by the Constitutional Court, it is inexpedient to await the passage through Parliament of an act dealing with the situation,” Mugabe said in an official government notice.

The amended electoral laws ensure that all political parties have access to the state broadcaster and that the results of elections will be posted outside polling cent Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on Thursday he would oppose plans by President Robert Mugabe to hold an election on July 31.

At a news conference Tsvangirai also accused Mugabe, his partner in a factious unity government, of violating a power-sharing agreement set up after bloody and disputed polls five years ago.

President Robert Mugabe (R) and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (L).

ambia is set to send another badge of 150 personnel from the Gambian security forces for the UN peace keeping mission in the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur in June, police told Xinhua on Thursday.

The officers will serve 12 months in Darfur under the auspices of the United Nations in order to ensure peace and security in the North African nation.

“The personnel, including both men and women, have completed one month intensive training on peace keeping operations including driving, report writing and other security skills,” the police said.

Darfur has issued 200 visas for the Gambian police contingent in April for them to join their colleagues who are serving UN Observer mission in Darfur to maintain peace in Darfur, which has plunged in to civil conflict for decades.

Currently more than 90 police officers and 196 military personnel are returning to Banjul after successfully completing their one year and six months term under a UN mission in the protracted region of Darfur, Sudan in North Africa.

The African Union and UN operation in Darfur was established on July 31, 2007 with the adoption of Security Council resolution 1769. UNAMID has the protection of civilians as its core mandate, but is also tasked with contributing to security for humanitarian assistance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements, assisting an inclusive political process, contributing to the promotion of human rights and the rule of law.

Source: Xinhua

PEOPLES DAILY , FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 29

International

Afghan officers killed in ‘insider attack’

Corpse of some of the slain policemen

S

ix Afghan policemen have been found fatally shot at their checkpoint in the country’s south while two others are missing, raising suspicions they killed their comrades.

D i s t r i c t c h i e f NayamatullahSamim said on Thursday that the policemen’s bodies were discovered in the shelter near their checkpoint on Wednesday night, after they did not

EU files WTO complaint over Chinese stainless steel duty

Almost 93,000 people killed in Syria war - UN

T

he European Union said on Thursday it had lodged a complaint at the World Trade Organisation against China’s imposition of anti-dumping duties on imports of stainless steel tubes, six months after Japan filed a similar case.

The complaint centers on highquality steel products that China needs to build new power plants, crucial for its plans to upgrade and clean up its electricity infrastructure.

China’s steel industry, by far the biggest in the world, found it could not produce the same products as cheaply as its Japanese and European rivals. Beijing suspected the imports were being priced unfairly and imposed anti-dumping tariffs.

“The EU believes the antidumping duties are incompatible with WTO law, both on procedural and on substantive grounds,” it said in a statement. “The duties of 9.7 percent to 11.1 percent imposed on European products are significantly hampering access to the Chinese market.”

The legal move confirms a plan that EU sources had disclosed to Reuters on Tuesday and it follows a series of tit-for-tat trade actions fuelled by a dispute over China’s huge exports of cheap solar power components.

A

lmost 93,000 people were killed in Syria’s conflict by the end of April this year, but the true number could be “potentially much higher”, the United Nations human rights office says.

The exact figure released on Thursday - 92,901 people - is much higher than the UN’s last death toll back in January of 59,000 people.

An average of more than 5,000 people have been killed every month since last July, while rural Damascus and Aleppo have recorded the highest tolls since November, the UN said in its latest study compiling documented deaths.

Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays, reporting from the UN headquarters in New York, described the figures as “staggering”.

The UN has not had much access to Syria, and therefore has been unable to count bodies. Instead, the body did a statistical survey.

“They have gone through sources which had the names, dates and locations [of those killed],” our correspondent said, adding that the UN acknowleges it has “underreported the number of deaths”.

Meanwhile, Syrian rebels reportedly killed at least 60 people, including civilians government loyalists, in a battle in Halta, a Sunnimajority village in the country’s east, activists said.

The fighting over the past few days targetted members of the Shia community, highlighting the increasingly sectarian nature of the

check in with their superiors.

Two other officers assigned to the checkpoint were missing, along with vehicles and weapons.

“We don’t know yet whether these two missing men are the ones

who killed the police or if they were taken by other attacks,’’ Samim said.

So-called “insider attacks” in which Afghan forces open fire on their comrades or international forces threaten to shake the confidence of the two sides as the 2014 withdrawal of most of the international troops approaches.

Taliban fighters have warned they will infiltrate Afghan security forces to carry out insider attacks.

There have been several such attacks in the past year, including officers poisoned while eating.

The most recent such attack was on May 28, when two recently rehired Afghan police opened fire on their commander at a checkpoint in a remote district in the country’s south, killing him and six of his men before fleeing in a police vehicle with weapons.

On May 5, an Afghan soldier turned his weapon on two US Marines he was working with and killed them.

The insurgents have stepped up attacks across the board in recent weeks, bringing violence to among the highest levels of the 12-year war as they seek to weaken the government and security forces.

Foreign troops have been pulling back from front-line fighting in preparation for the international coalition turning over full responsibility for security to Afghan units later this year.

country’s civil war.

The opposition fighters reportedly stormed and burned civilian homes in the village in the eastern DeirAzzor province.

The attack is said to be in retaliation for an earlier assault by Shias from Hatla that killed four opposition fighters.

A Syrian government official denounced the attack on the Shiasection of the Sunni-majority Hatla village as a “massacre” of civilians, the Associated Press news agency reported on Thursday.

A video posted online by rebels on Tuesday, entitled “The storming and cleansing of Hatla”, showed dozens of fighters carrying black flags celebrating and firing guns in the streets of a small town as smoke curled above several buildings.

One fighter shouts in the video: “This is a Sunni area, it does not belong to other groups.”

A local honours a dead friend

Most armed rebels in Syria are from the country’s Sunni majority, while President Bashar al-Assad has retained core support among the minorities, including his own Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam, along with Christians and Shia.

The alleged massacre came as the US again debated how to help the Syrian opposition.

Addressing reporters with his British counterpart William Hague in Washington, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that a political solution that would end the war and save Syria was still being sought.

The US has weighed for months whether to give arms to the rebels, but the issue is now firmly on the table given increased involvement by Hezbollah, the armed Lebanese Shia group, and as Iran backs President Assad on the battlefield.

Asia & Middle East

U.S. has been hacking Hong Kong, China since 2009 - Edward Snowden

T

he South China Morning Post published another article early Thursday morning local time about its exclusive interview with Edward Snowden, the person responsible for leaking topsecret information about the National Security Agency’s secret surveillance programs.

The Post reported that Snowden said that the U.S. government “had been hacking into computers in Hong Kong and [in China] for years.”

Snowden spoke with the Post’s Lana Lam from an undisclosed location. He said that the U.S. was “bullying” Hong Kong to extradite him and that he has been in constant fear for his safety. “I will never feel safe,” he said.

“Things are very difficult for me in all terms, but speaking truth to power is never without risk.

Snowden said that according to unverified documents seen by the Post, the NSA had been hacking computers in Hong Kong and on the mainland since 2009. None of the documents revealed any information about Chinese military systems, he said. Snowden believed there had been more than 61,000 NSA hacking operations globally, with hundreds of targets in Hong Kong and on the mainland.

Snowden’s claims came days after President Obama and China’s President Xi Jinpinggathered for an “informal” summit at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, California, where discussions over cybersecurity issues were c e n t r a l . According to NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, Obama stayed at the Sunnylands retreat during the summit, but Xi stayed at a nearby Hyatt, “reportedly worried about eavesdropping, underscoring the toughest issue dividing the U.S. and China.”

The former NSA contracter discussed his decision to flee to Hong Kong, a region he said he admired for its commitment to free speech. He added that he planned to stay in Hong Kong until he was “asked to leave.”

He responded to Russia saying that it would consider offering him asylum if he requested.

“My only comment is that I am glad there are governments that refuse to be intimidated by great power,” he said.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 30

International

Turkey may consider referendum on park plan J

ust hours after the Turkish government indicated that it was open to holding a referendum on a controversial Istanbul development plan, demonstrators defied an order to end almost two weeks of protests by singing and chanting in the city’s Taksim Square.

RecepTayyipErdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, said on Wednesday he would consider holding a referendum on plans to redevelop Gezi Park that have led to nationwide protests, in his first major concession.

On Thursday, in an address to the ruling AK party mayors in

Ankara, Erdogan said authorities would get rid of “troublemakers” in Taksim Square within 24 hours.

Erdogan also added that he personally would not recognise any decision which will be taken by the European Parliament. The Parliament is due to vote a motion related to the ongoing protests.

Gezi Park is a leafy corner of Taksim Square where the protesters have set up a makeshift settlement of tents. The mood in the public square on Wednesday night was subdued and peaceful, in stark contrast to the previous night when protesters fought running battles with riot

police.

Riot police looked on from the fringes as crowds mingled late into Wednesday night, some protesters chanting and dancing, others applauding a concert pianist who took up residence with a grand piano in the middle of the square.

Demonstrators gathered around the live piano concert intermittently chanted: “Everywhere is Taksim, everywhere is resistance!”

Meanwhile, protesters demonstrating in the capital Ankara were once again subjected to a police crackdown, with riot police firing tear gas overnight to disperse up to 2,000

people who were clustered in Tunali Street, one of the central spots for mass anti-government rallies.

The offer to hold a referendum on the Gezi Park redevelopment is one of the only concessions the authorities have publicly floated after days of firm rhetoric from Erdogan.

The deputy chairman of the ruling AK Party, HuseyinCelik, said on Wednesday the protesters should withdraw from the park.”The government can’t accept these protests going on forever,” he said in Ankara following a meeting between Erdogan and a group of public figures linked to the Gezi Park protesters.

Greek broadcaster closure sparks major strike

P

ublic services have ground to a halt in Greece as unions begin a 24-hour general strike in protest over the government’s decision to shut down public broadcaster ERT as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures.

Trains stood still, hospitals were operating on emergency footing and government offices were shut across the country during Thursday’s strike.

Air traffic controllers were due to participate in a two-hour work stoppage starting from 1200 GMT and broadcast journalists held an indefinite strike, prompting private television broadcasters to shut down as well.

The socialist and moderate leftist parties supporting the coalition government had called the decision on ERT “unacceptable”.

A government source said late on Wednesday that Prime Minister Antonis Samaras would confer over the issue with his coalition partners.

John Psaropoulos, reporting from Athens, said the strike was already causing disruption in the capital.

While some trains and trams were still working, the rest of the transport system, including buses and regional commuter networks, had shut down.

There was also a growing protest outside the ERT headquarters.

The government described its decision to shut the 75-year-old ERT as a temporary move before its relaunch in slimmed-down form.

SimosKedikoglou, spokesman for the government and a former state TV journalist, has described ERT as a “haven of waste”.

“ERT is a typical example of unique lack of transparency and incredible waste. And that ends today,” he said.

However, the move has angered the coalition partners keeping Samaras in power, restoring an atmosphere of crisis in a country that had seemed to be emerging from a political meltdown caused by near-bankruptcy.

“What a lot of people have been saying to us is that, they are not, in principle, opposed to the idea of cleaning up the state

Greeks protest after governments shutdown of public broadcaster.

machinery in general, and even the state broadcaster,” Psaropoulos said. “But people are against the autocratic nature” of the decision.

Despite the closure of ERT, it continues to broadcast the latest news through its website Representing about 2.5 million workers, the unions have gone on strike repeatedly since Europe

was hit by a debt crisis in late 2009, although action has been less frequent and more muted lately than last year when marches frequently turned violent.

The last nationwide strike was in February.

Separately, a union representing journalists in Athens has called an indefinite strike of members,

preventing some newspapers from appearing and forcing commercial broadcasters to air reruns of sitcoms and soap operas instead of the news.

ERT has shed viewers with the rise of commercial television, and its three statewide channels had a combined audience share of only 13 percent.

Europe and Americas Mexico arrests many over slaying of 11 women

M

exican prosecutors have arrested 12 people in connection with the killings of 11 young women whose skeletal remains were found near the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez early last year.

The suspects include alleged drug dealers, pimps and small store owners.

They allegedly belonged to a gang that forced young women into prostitution and drug dealing and then killed them when they were “no longer of use,” the prosecutors’ office for the northern state of Chihuahua, said in a statement late on Tuesday.

The 10 men and two women face charges of human trafficking and homicide.

Six were already in local jails for other offenses, and six other were detained early on Tuesday.

Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, was the scene of a series of killings of more than 100 women beginning in 1993.

Those possible serial or copycat killings, with similar victim profiles and killing methods, appeared to taper off by late 2004 or early 2005.

In those cases, the victims were usually young, slender women, often factory workers, who were abducted, often sexually abused and strangled before their bodies were dumped in the desert.

Few of those cases were ever properly investigated, but activists and mothers of the latest victims said on Wednesday that they had pressured investigators and provided information that led to the suspects.

One of the suspects ran a modelling agency, another a clothing store, a third a small grocery.

NSA chief says surveillance stopped attacks

T

he director of the National Security Agency has said that recently disclosed topsecret US surveillance programmes have helped to prevent “dozens” of potential attacks in the country.

NSA chief General Keith Alexander made the comments at a Senate hearing when asked if the intelligence community could estimate how much the agency’s broad monitoring of phone call and internet data had helped preventing attacks.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said some details of two cases have been declassified.

He pressed Alexander for numbers on other incidents.

Leahy said the intelligence community believes that these

surveillance programmes are critical, but added that he thinks they should not be made permanent and that Congress should be able to review and debate them periodically.

Alexander also said his topsecret unit operates under “strict guidelines” and “rigorous oversight”.

“We operate in a way that ensures we keep the trust of the American people because that trust is a sacred requirement,” he said.

“We do not see a trade-off between security and liberty.”

Alexander’s remarks did not specifically address revelations about the Prism programme, described as a wide-ranging system of surveillance in coordination with major internet companies, but it was his first appearance before Congress

since the explosive revelations by the Guardiannewspaper last week.

Alexander said these and other government agencies are “deeply

committed to compliance with the law and the protection of privacy rights,” even though details of the operations are classified.

NSA chief General Keith Alexander addressing a senate hearing.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 31

Strange World

Norah: the jet powered bicycle

I

Photo: Colin Furze

t is as MAD as it looks,” British garage inventor Colin Furze says about his crazy jet-powered bicycle, Norah. Strapping a homemade jet engine to an old bike, the nutty Brit has created what may very well be the most dangerous bicycle ever.

Looking at all the outrageous things he has created over the years, one might be tempted to think he’s an engineer with a passion for insane inventions.

But he’s only a plumber who likes to create wacky-yet-fascinating things in his home workshop.

He is known for building the world’s longest motorbike, the fastest mobility scooter, and a gas-powered stroller, using only “tools that proper engineers would laugh at”. But he is proof that “you don’t need an expensive lathe and huge welder to create something amazing.” His latest achievement is Norah, a jet-

powered bicycle able to reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

As you can probably imagine it’s terribly unsafe, yet incredibly fun to ride. Norah is literally one hot vehicle, as the DIY engine’s exhausts get so hot they actually turn bright red at full throttle.

Instead of using a heat shield and ruining the bike’s look, he opted to make it longer and put some distance between the rider’s bum and the engine. But extreme heat isn’t the only thing you should be worried about when riding Norah.

At speeds of up to 35mph, the ride is actually quite pleasant, between 35 and 45mph Norah becomes really hard to control, and at 50mph you can start reflecting on your life as you wait for the tires to blow. Luckily, Colin survived his trial ride and is currently looking for a smoother runway to test Norah at even bigger speeds.

Unfortunately, there is also a bad side to Houtong’s growing fame as a cat paradise. According to Taiwanese media reports, a lot of pet owners looking to abandon their cats choose Houtong as the place to do it, assuming they will be taken care of by the locals.

The cat population has been

growing at an accelerated rate, and despite volunteer’s efforts to keep the cats vaccinated, there’s still a risk of new cats spreading infectious diseases. On top of that, the community is also struggling to keep up with the cost of daily food and veterinary supplies.

Cats to the rescue in Houtong village

T

his is the story of how a few dozen cats managed to save an entire community just by purring and looking pretty. Houtong was just another dilapidated mining town in the mountains of eastern New Taipei City, but everything changed when the felines came and livened up the place.

Houtong used to be one of Taiwan’s most important coal extraction sites, up until the 1970s. Then, oil and electricity took the place of coal, and the town suffered a steady decline.

At one point it was reduced to a train stop along the Yilan line, one that most travelers ignored, and that forced many of its younger residents search for better opportunities elsewhere.

The population of this defunct mining town dwindled from around six thousand inhabitants to a couple of hundred, who struggled to survive. But their fortunes changed in 2008, when a cat lover who goes by the name “Palin88” organized a series of cat photography events in the mountain town. He and his friends posted the photos online, and got an overwhelming

response from fellow feline enthusiasts. As they shared the photos on forums and social media sites, Houtong welcomed more and more tourists eager to photograph the cats themselves, or simply watch them roaming through the town. Nowadays, Houtong is known as the Cat Village, or Taiwan’s Cat Mecca.

The hundreds of stray cats who call Houtong their home attract thousands of Taiwanese and international visitors every week, and the locals are cashing out on their popularity. Souvenir shops selling everything from cat-themed mobile dangles to cat-imprinted purses and foodstalls offering cat-shaped snacks have proven very profitable since Houtong’s feline-induced rebirth. Acknowledging their pivotal role in the miraculous turnaround, villagers have grown very fond of the cats, and are doing everything they can to keep them safe and healthy.

A team of volunteers provides free veterinary care and food, and the community has even set up comfortable cat houses for the furry stars to nap in. Building on the town’s reputation as a cat

village, locals have placed a set of cat ears at one end of Houtong and a big tail at the other, and the old town bridge now features an elevated catwalk, allowing the cats to come down from the village to the train station and greet visitors as soon as they set foot off the train.

World’s fastest clapper can smack his hands together 13 times a second

Bryan Bednarek, the world’s fastet clapper.

E Photo: Wunkai

veryone, put your hands together for Bryan Bednarek, allegedly the fastest clapper in the world.

In a YouTube video that recently went viral, he was able to clap 802 times in just 60 seconds,thus setting a new record.

How fast can you clap your hands? You probably think you’re pretty good at it, but try keeping your fastest rhythm up for a whole minute. I tried it and I almost pulled

a muscle in the process. And it’s all Bryan Bednarek’s fault for making it look so easy on camera. A friend of his filmed him pulverizing the current official record for most claps in one minute, and posted it on the internet, just to make the rest of us feel bad. According to the video counter, Bryan managed to smack his hands together 802 times, a whopping 81 times more than what Guinness record holder Kent French managed back in 2003. I don’t know

if the count is right, but just the way he manages to keep up the insane clapping pace is unbelievable. This guy is like The Flash of clapping.

There’s no word yet on whether Guinness has verified the video and deemed French’s record to be broken, or if they’ve asked Bryan to do it all over again for an official count, but the guy seems pretty confident about his ability. I wonder if he does his thing at concerts.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 32

Weekend Revue Big brother update

BBA: Randy Elikem sets emotion rolling

BBA: Three P new faces join the party

ulse.com has reported that Ghanian representative in the Big Brother Africa (BBA), sets emotion rolling when he jumped into bed with two sexy, half naked ladies.

This is just as the housemates are restrategising their romantic game to win the $300.000.

Elikem, was said to have made the bold move shortly after all housemates had a stressful day.

The Ghanian star, has earned a unique reputation as quite the lady killer.

He was said to be enjoying flirtations with not one, but five of the girls in the house.

By Suleiman Idris

T

he Chase is on and as the show heats up, three new faces have joined the latest season of Big Brother Africa, which is headline sponsored by Airtel. The trio will helpkeep DStv viewers up to date with the latest happenings on the show, and keep track of the growing online frenzy.

Viewers got to meet Boity Thulo and Tumi Morake onSunday’s first live show, while David Kibuuka joins the team later in the season, to add his own comic twist.

Model and actor Boity Thulo is the ‘IT Guru’ on segments featured each Sunday, keeping viewers up to speed with Big Brother’s online elements. She will also contribute to Good Morning Africa, Star Gist and 53 Extra, making sure that Big Brother fans stay up to date with anything Chase-related happening on the website, mobile and social media networks.

Born and raised in Potchefstroom, this 22 year old beauty who describes

herself as“a legend in the making” has quickly made her mark in the South Africanentertainment industry. Boity has appeared on a host of TV shows and acted as an MC for a number of prestigious events. She also has an impressive modelling portfolio to back her up and is a recognisable face, from her appearances in a number of TV ads.

Stand-up comic, MC, scriptwriter and speaker Tumi Morake will host Big Brother Hot Room, a weekly show on AfricaMagic Entertainment after each Sunday’s live eviction show. She’ll put a satirical spin on the week that was, take comic pot shots at the most talked-about events of the week and re-enact parody scenes with housemates.

Morake studied Drama at Wits University, majoring in performance and writing, focussing on the comedy. Her career has seen her travelling to Prague, Paris and London.

She’s starred in a number of theatre shows and works in industrial and educational theatre and has been a fixture on the SA stand-up comedy

BBA: Beverly gave bizarre revelations

scene for more than a decade.

Uganda-born David Kibuuka will join Morake on Big Brother Hot Room in a few weeks’ time, before taking over the reins himself for the last few weeks of the show.

The Finance Honours graduate has a unique brand of humour that combines wit and intellect without losing touch with his audiences. David broke into the comedy world when he won a nationwide comedy talent search competition on a radio station in South Africa and he hasn’t looked back since.

He’s opened for some of the world’s top stand-up comics and starred in a number of films, including the hit Bunny Chowand stand-out TV series The Pure Monate Show.

M-Net Africa MD Biola Alabi comments, “The reception to Big Brother The Chasehas been overwhelmingly positive so far, including the response the new personalities have received. The show continues to find success and its only befitting that audiences are informed and entertained through the new and exciting platformsadded to Big Brother.”

Oprah Winfrey to donate $12m to Smithsonian Museum

O

prah Winfrey will donate $12 million to the Smithsonian’s forthcoming National Museum of African American History and Culture, Hollywood Reporter has said.

It added that Winfrey previously contributed $1 million to the museum in 2007.

The OWN CEO’s $13 million is the institution’s largest donation.

Oprah Winfrey

O

Ada Beverly Osu

Randy Elikem

ne of Nigeria’s representatives at the Big Brother Africa (BBA), Beverly Osu, has come out to wash her dirty linen in the public, revealing some bizarre things about her personal life.

Pulse.com noted that since Beverly got into the house, she has revealed so much information about her personal life.

The Nigerian representative was reported to have told her colleagues that she was expelled from Covenant University, and that she aborted a 4-month old pregnancy She also said that she and her friends are “runs girls” and they extort money from men Beverly further said that her mom was caught with drugs in America and was later arrested and deported.

The model also claimed

“I am so proud of African American history and its contributions to our nation as a whole,” Winfrey said.

“I am deeply appreciative of those who paved the path for me and all who follow in their footsteps. By investing in this museum, I want to help ensure that we both honor and preserve our culture and hist The museum’s founding director, Lonnie G. Bunch III said, “We are inspired and profoundly grateful for Ms. Winfrey’s generosity at this important time. Her gifts will forever be associated with harnessing the power of art and creative expression to build bridges between cultures and enrich people’s lives.”

The museum will also name its 350-seat theater after the media mogul, in recognition of her support.

“The Oprah Winfrey Theater will bring untold stories alive through films, live performances, artistic expression and public dialogue,” Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough said. “The new theater’s designation could not be more fitting, as Ms. Winfrey’s name is synonymous with generosity, education, excellence and the arts.” that she was responsible for sending her siblings to school and that she had to solely pay her own tuition while she was in school.

“Our father abandoned us and the responsibilities was on me and my mother”.

Recently, there were media reports that she was once engaged to popular music artist, 2Shotz.

However, the star took to Twitter to deny ever being engaged to her.

Meanwhile, this year’s BBA had Nigeria chipping in with 2 house mates. Melvin and Beverly. Melvin, cool guy, everyone’s darling, is plodding along, keeping it real, and doing his utmost not to receive the get-out kick.

But not Beverly, the 21 year old Nigerian model and video vixen has been pure wildfire.

PAGE 33

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Weekend Revue

Steven Spielberg predicts ‘Implosion’ of Film Industry

H

ollywood Reporter has said that Steven Spielberg on Wednesday predicted an “implosion” in the film industry is inevitable, whereby a half dozen $250 million movies flop at the box office and alter the industry forever.

“What comes next or even before then -- will be price variances at movie theaters, where you are going to pay $25 for the next Iron Man, you’re probably only going to have to pay $7 to see Lincoln.” He also said that Lincoln came this close to being an HBO movie instead of a theatrical release.

George Lucas agreed that massive changes are afoot,

including film exhibition morphing somewhat into a Broadway play model, whereby fewer movies are released, they stay in theaters for a year and ticket prices are much higher.

His prediction prompted Spielberg to recall that his 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial stayed in theaters for a year and four months.

The two legendary filmmakers, along with CNBC anchor Julia Boorstin and Microsoft president of interactive entertainment business Don Mattrick, were speaking at the University of Southern California as part of the festivities surrounding the official opening of the Interactive

Media Building, three stories high and part of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Lucas and Spielberg told USC students that they are learning about the industry at an extraordinary time of upheaval, where even proven talents find it difficult to get movies into theaters.

Some ideas from young filmmakers “are too fringe for the movies,” Spielberg said. “That’s the big danger, and there’s eventually going to be an implosion — or a big meltdown. There’s going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe even a half-dozen megabudget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that’s going to change the paradigm.”

Steven Spielberg

Jackie Chan to stage music on his life Chris Tucker Boards

T

Jackie Chan

he “Rush Hour” star reveals plans that he is currently writing a stage adaptation of his best-selling memoir “I Am Jackie Chan.”

H o l l y w o o d Reporter has said that Jackie Chan, a renowned international action star and martial artist is currently writing a stage adaptation of his best-selling memoir ‘I Am Jackie Chan’.

It added that the memoir will chronicle the lives of his parents, his early education at the Peking Opera School and his rise to stardom through music.

“We are looking for a director for the musical right now,” he told reporters at a

press conference at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York. “It’s all very exciting.”

The press conference was part of Chan’s two-day swing through New York, which also included a

Lincoln Center reception celebrating Hong Kong Cinema on June 10, at which Chan was a guest of honor.

Later that night, the Rush Hour star also received a lifetime achievement award at the New York Asian Film Festival, which screened his new film ‘Chinese Zodiac’.

At the press conference, Chan said the musical will be told through his voice as narrator of his life, focusing on his early youth, his time spent performing acrobatics with the children’s performance group the Seven Little Fortunes and his quest to step out from behind the shadow of the iconic Bruce Lee. In the past, Chan has talked about how his love for musicals like The Sound of Music was fostered at a young age.

The WME-repped star also said that he is working on the follow-up to his 1998 autobiography, which is tentatively titled ‘I Am Still Jackie Chan’.

“The original book was 15 years ago, and my career has been very, very exciting and interesting since then,” he said.

‘Second Honeymoon’

C

hris Tucker is attached to star in ‘Second Honeymoon’, a comedy from Relativity Media that Phil Joanou just boarded as director, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Todd Garner, Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh and Tucker’s producing partner Karen Bell are producing. Tucker will serve as an executive producer.

The story concerns a couple who attempt to jumpstart their marriage by returning to Antigua, where they eloped 10 years earlier after a wild week of debauchery.

Their plan to redo everything goes out the window when they’re thrown into danger as they discover the surprising ways they affected the people they came into contact with one their first visit.

Joanou is rewriting the script by Peter Gaulke and Kevin Heffernan.

Honeymoon continues Tucker’s return to movies. The comedian,

whose output in the early 2000s consisted of Rush Hour sequels, came back with a key supporting role in last year’s awards darling Silver Linings Playbook.

Chris Tucker

Supreme Court bans patent breast cancer gene publicity by Angelina Jolie

T

Angelina Jolie

h U.S. he U S Supreme S Court C t ruled l d unanimously i l Thursday Th d that th t scientists i ti t and d biomedical bi di l companies i cannot patent human genes such as the one carried by Angelina Jolie, that dramatically increase her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, Hollywood Reporter has said.

The case, involved a challenge to the patent held by Myriad Genetics on the test for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which Jolie underwent.

Mutations in those genes increase the hereditary risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer and, when Jolie discovered their presence in her DNA, she underwent a double mastectomy as a preventive measure.

Scientists and biomedical research companies have argued that isolating disease-linked genes from the human genome often requires years of painstaking research with costs running into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Patenting such findings for profit, they contend, is the only sure incentive for what often amounts to life-saving science.

The American Civil Liberties Union, acting on behalf of a number of scientific and patients’ groups, disagreed, contending that patents are intended to protect “human-made inventions” and not pure “products of nature.”

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Feature

Hazard of agricultural pesticides to human health

By Theodora Ekah

T

here is a negative potential link between commonly used pesticides used by farmers and neurological disorders such as Parkinson disease and prostate cancer which most individuals are unaware of.

However, neurological diseases are not the only negative side effects presented

by Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) or general pesticides. In particular, Methyl Bromide, a gas used to kill pests in the soil and fumigate grain bins and storage areas, was associated with increased risk of the disease by approximately two to four times as much as those who were not exposed to the pesticide. This is not surprising considering the fact that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health acknowledges Methyl Bromide as a potential occupational carcinogen.

A link between other pesticides such as chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, fonofos, phorate, permethrin, and butylate, was also established for men who had a family history of prostate cancer. One interesting note regarding this study is that the individuals examined by scientists were compared to the incidence rates of the two states in which the subjects lived. That is, they were compared to the average occurrence of prostate cancer for that area. However, since more in-depth analysis had not been conducted at the time, we have no way of knowing just how many cases of prostate cancer in the average occurrences were caused by pesticide exposure themselves.

Such information would be extremely valuable due to the fact that the aforementioned cancer rates could have been caused by pesticide residues in food or proximity to these particular chemicals.

Children, of course, are at particular risk for the adverse effects of pesticides because of their developing biological systems. So it is not entirely surprising that a link between childhood cancers and pesticides has been discovered as well.

Researchers from Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre completed a study involving 41 pairs of children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) and their mothers who were tested and compared with 41 pairs of healthy children and their mothers. The study found that children with ALL, a cancer that commonly develops before seven years of age, had a higher ratio

Farmers spraying crops with pesticides

of household pesticides in their urine than the healthy children, indicating a possible link between the chemical and the cancer.

The link between pesticides and childhood brain cancers are slightly more established, however. In a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2009, researchers confirmed a link between pesticide exposure and increase in astrocytoma’s (brain cancers). The study confirmed previous research that has suggested a link between industrial and household use of pesticides and herbicides with childhood brain cancer.[8] Not only that, but there is the distinct potential that the parents use or exposure to pesticides may affect the child even before birth.

Parental exposures may act before the child’s conception, during gestation, or after birth to increase the risk of cancer.

Before conception, exposures may cause mutations or epi-genetic alterations in gene expression, such as genomic imprinting or DNA methylation, in the sperm or egg. Exposure after conception (i.e. during the pregnancy or after birth) may cause somatic cell mutations or alterations in hormonal or immunological function that affect cancer risk.

Of course, this merely reaffirms the knowledge that humans have possessed for millennia, i.e. that what the parents ingest into their bodies can and probably will

affect the child they produce.

Pesticides are no different in this respect.

As discussed earlier, pesticides also pose a cancer risk for adults, particularly those who work with these chemicals. A study in June 2007 found that agricultural workers who had the highest exposure to pesticides were two times more likely to develop brain cancer as those whose occupations did not bring them into contact with these chemicals. It was also found that those who used pesticides on their house plants were at an elevated risk for brain cancer. Recent research has also suggested that pesticides and industrial chemicals are linked to testicular cancer, genital abnormalities, low amounts and potency of semen, and other male reproductive conditions.

While it is not known exactly how these chemicals cause cancer, it is known that many pesticides exude hormonemimicking, mutagenic, and/or

immune-hampering qualities and these properties have been linked to cancer in their own right.

This is not surprising considering the fact that many insecticides kill their targets by attacking their nervous systems.

Although more research has been conducted on the effects of some these chemicals on animals than humans, researchers suggest that these effects are quite similar. Neurodevelopmental, haematological, immunologic, and reproductive effects have been found in animals at levels of exposure that overlap the range of exposures and body burdens found in humans.

The health effects of POPs in humans is unclear, although available epidemiological evidence suggest they are similar to those in animals, affecting neurodevelopment, and thyroid, oestrogen, and immune function. The developing brain and immune system may be most vulnerable.

“

While it is not known exactly how these chemicals cause cancer, it is known that many pesticides exude hormone-mimicking, mutagenic, and/or immune-hampering qualities and these properties have been linked to cancer in their own right.

Most pesticides are not highly selective, and are also toxic to no target species, including humans.

A number of pesticides c a n c a u s e n e urotoxicity.

Insecticides interfere with chemical neurotransmission or ion channels, and usually cause reversible neurotoxic effects, that could nevertheless be lethal. Some herbicides and fungicides have also been shown to possess neurotoxic properties. The effects of pesticides on the nervous system may be involved in their acute toxicity, as in case of most insecticides, or may contribute to chronic neurodegenerative disorders, most notably Parkinson’s disease.

In past research there have also been connections drawn between Persistent Organic Pollutants and diabetes. In a cohort study published in 2006, serum concentrations of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) were examined in accordance with diabetes prevalence. What the scientists found was “striking doseresponse relations between serum concentrations of six selected POPs and the prevalence of diabetes.”

Although, admittedly, there are several limitations to this particular study, clearly this is a subject that needs to be further investigated. Indeed, it would be wise, considering the growing corporate structure and massproduced nature of the world’s agriculture, to fund and conduct a number of independent studies investigating the safety of pesticides used on food and the possible side effects of their use.

PAGE 35

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Opinion

For Nigerians, it may be time to panic

Contributing a second time this year, Adejoh Idoko Momoh is a 25 year old graduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, with a Post Graduate Diploma in ‘Creative Writing’, from the Writers Bureau, Manchester, England. He works with the Good Governance Group as a Research Assistant and is a writer with www. nigeriaintel.com, a Nigerian news website dedicated to providing high quality investigative journalism.

With very damning statistics, Momoh writes on the state of education in Nigeria and suggests that it may be time for us to rise up and ask pertinent questions about the ministry itself, its actions or inactions and utilization of allocations it receives. It is with pleasure that I introduce Adejoh Idoko Momoh again. Enjoy it.

– Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai By: Adejoh Idoko Momoh

C

onsider these scenarios: 50,000 teachers cannot pass a basic test in elementary English; illiteracy rate of about 70%; only 10 out of 1.6 million candidates that sat for university entrance examinations scored a pass mark of 300 and above out of a possible 500. Add this to a situation where 10.6 million children are out of school - the highest school aged children out-of-school population in the entire world, then relate these to the fact that all these take place in a nation with a GDP growth rate higher than all other African nations except South Africa.

This conundrum is representative of the inherent contradictions in Nigeria, where the government keeps brandishing largely useless growth figures in our faces, but where people are confronted daily by an increasingly divided citizenry, deteriorating security conditions, decaying infrastructure, rising unemployment, unprecedented corruption, impunity and falling standards of education.

Ordinarily, the scenario depicted above would be hilarious if it wasn’t so serious. Unfortunately, for 170 million Nigerians who normally should set the pace for the rest of Africa in human capital development and educational attainment terms, the reality on ground is that they are plagued with a largely dysfunctional system that encourages an ever growing population of young people who would constitute an uneducated, unemployable generation with little useful roles to play in society.

The Ministry of Education would be quick to come up with excuses: attribute its many failures to a lack of finance and complain that it is not allocated some 25% of Nigeria’s national budget as is recommended by the United Nations.

Yet of its dismal 1% budgetary allocation in 2012, the ministry only expended 20% of its capital provisions as at September the same year. This simply points to the fact that the ministry itself has no vision to accommodate the resources they often put forward as needed.

This immediately brings questions to mind, can this ministry that cannot implement a 1% budgetary provision wholly be trusted with 25%? Can the government afford to fund this ministry as much as it deserves? Is it not a fact that a former Education Minister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili admitted the above, and included the ‘Adopt A School’ program as part of Corporate Social Responsibility? Sadly, no sooner than she left office was her ‘Crisis’ reforms document thrown out too. What place does alternative education have in our current education system? How did our technical schools that served to train experts at skilled work loose relevance?

Minister of Education, Professor Ruquyyatu Rufai The truth is Nigeria’s education sector is in need of reforms and every Nigerian should take up this responsibility, demand an education revolution from our government. Peaceful protests like the Occupy Nigeria or the Project Cure rallies that have been beneficial for fuel subsidy as well as currency restructuring would do just as good for education. The creation of specialist universities may prove to be more beneficial than universities that aim

to offer all courses. Would it not be a more informed thought if the President considered strengthening the capacities of existing universities as opposed to building new universities in every state?

Challenges abound with reforming our education system. Time for one; reforms would take a little more than 4 years focused on planning, training, implementing and some more training.

Take China as example, the country has had over 50 years of mandatory 9 year

“

The truth is Nigeria’s education sector is in need of reforms and every Nigerian should take up this responsibility, demand an education revolution from our government. Peaceful protests like the Occupy Nigeria or the Project Cure rallies that have been beneficial for fuel subsidy as well as currency restructuring would do just as good for education

basic education and various laws guaranteeing access to education for minorities, women and the handicapped, yet the country has not totally attained universal basic education coverage. Nigeria has not even started. Discouraging as this may be, it is not reason to delay the reform process that would benefit generations of Nigerians to come.

Yes, there is a Universal Basic Education Board and 35 other state versions called State Universal Basic Education Board but what are these SUBEBs doing? Take a state like Kaduna for instance with a school aged out of school percent population of 51.6%, the state SUBEB has a zero capital allocation for the years 2013 and 2014, while there is a recurrent expenditure of N116.5m and N128.2m respectively. In view of the above, you decide if this demonstrates political will to curb the education menace?

This lack of political will to train and develop the people we refer to as Nigeria’s future goes beyond formal education; we see it even in the field of technical education too. The 2013 National budget has a capital provision of N40 million set aside for the National Business and Technical Education Board while its recurrent provision is N1.2billion, also there is a N300million capital provision for the National Board for Technical Education Secretariat while its recurrent expenditure is N1.3billion- about 300% above Capital Expenditure. With miserable capital provisions as detailed above most technical schools are shut down, the few that function do not have updated curriculums and therefore offer training that is of very little relevance to modern trends and realities.

For Nigerians who belong to the dwindling middle class and are rich enough to afford foreign education or training for their children and perhaps feel like the dearth of e d u c a t i o n infrastructure in Nigeria should not bother them, they are sadly mistaken. I conclude with the tale as narrated below, it is my hope that from it we all have a rethink.

A man wise beyond his years once said, ‘the children we do not train now would kill those we have trained.’ He then explained how a Harvard trained student came visiting his parents in Lagos for a week and how on a hot afternoon made worse by the failure of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (P.H.C.N) to provide electricity, he decided to take a walk. As he walked, he saw a miscreant steal a lady’s purse and sought to challenge the man. The man simply pulled out a gun, shot this foreign educated student and rode off on his motorbike.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2013

PAGE 36

Digest

Eating cheese can prevent tooth decay

By Rachel Reilly

C

heese helps reduce cavities forming in teeth because it neutralises plaque acid, according to a new study.

Researchers found that the fermented dairy product made the mouth more alkaline, which in turn reduced the need for dental treatment.

They also discovered that cheese created a protective film around teeth.

The higher the pH level (the more alkaline) on the surface of teeth, the more teeth are protected against dental erosion, which causes cavities and leads to fillings, said the study.

The research, carried out by the Academy of General Dentistry in the U.S., divided 68 children aged between 12 and 15 into three groups.

One group was asked to consume a daily portion of cheddar,

another a sugar-free yoghurt, and another a glass of milk, followed by a mouth rinse.

The pH levels on their dental plaque were measured both before the test and then ten minutes, 20 minutes and half an hour afterwards.

Those who ate the yoghurt or drank the milk showed no changes to the pH levels in their mouths at any of the intervals, said lead researcher Vipul Yadav.

But those who ate the cheese showed a ‘rapid’ increase in pH level at each of the time intervals.

The researchers believe that eating cheese increases the amount of saliva in the mouth which is the body’s natural way of maintaining a healthy pH level.

Added to this, cheese releases chemical compounds that can form a protective layer on teeth which further protects it against the acids that attack enamel.

A spokesman for the research said: ‘The groups who consumed milk and sugar-free yogurt experienced no changes in the pH levels in their mouths.

‘Subjects who ate cheese,

Could your job be making you grey?

By Nick Mcdermott f you’re worried about going grey – try to relax.

Scientists have found too much stress really does turn our hair white.

Researchers discovered the cells that give hair its colour disappear when the body is exposed to stress hormones.

And unfortunately for those affected, these ‘colourful’ cells are unlikely to return, leaving the hair grey for good.

How do we know this?

US scientists carried out experiments on mice which showed the startling effect that stress has on our hair.

As thousands develop tumours on their ears and even the soles of their feet...

The hidden hotspots that could expose YOU to skin cancer

I

The women told they’re depressed when in fact it’s ‘menstrual psychosis’ They began with the premise that when the human body is injured, stem cells responsible for producing melanin – the dark pigment that protects us from sunlight – move from hair follicles to the skin, to help limit the damage.

In their tests on mice, the same permanent draining of colour occurred when the animals were exposed to stress hormones.

The researchers said this could explain why stress can also cause pigmentation which makes the skin appear darker.

Most of us spot our first grey hairs around the age of 25, and everything from genes to alcohol and smoking have been blamed for kicking off the process.

There are tales of people going grey overnight after bereavement or shock.

Previous research has also blamed adrenaline for turning hair prematurely grey.

Dr Mayumi Ito from New York University, who led the latest study, said there was evidence that stress could make melanin ‘migrate’ away from the hair follicle to the skin.

‘We thought it would be interesting to speculate that excessive stress might promote this migration too much,’ he said.

The study, which was

Stress could cause hair to turn grey by causing the disappearance of the melanocyte stem cells that control skin and hair colour published in the journal Nature Medicine, concludes: ‘Stress hormones are known to promote skin pigmentation, yet paradoxically and anecdotally, they are believed to promote hair greying.

‘Our results may provide insight into the relationship between stress hormones and hair greying.’

The New York University team hope to develop drugs to counter some of the effects of over-exposure to stress, suffered for example by those in a highpressure job.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Tuck in!: A U.S. study has finally given people an excuse to indulge in a cheese board. Cheddar raises the mouth’s pH which reduces the risk of cavities however, showed a rapid increase in pH levels at each time interval, suggesting that cheese has anticavity properties.’

The results were published in the journal General Dentistry.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Babies who eat fish are less likely to develop allergies

By Pat Hagan abies regularly fed fish in their first year of life are much less likely to develop common allergies when they get older, new research shows.

Scientists who monitored babies’ diets found many of those that ate plenty of fish early in life were much more likely to still be free of allergies 12 years later, when the study ended.

Their chances of developing eczema dropped by 22 per cent, and hay fever by 26 per cent.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest giving fish to infants as little as two or three times a month may be enough to substantially reduce their risks.

Eczema affects an estimated one in eight children in the UK. It can cause red, itchy skin condition that can be very distressing and there are few very effective treatments.

In the worst cases, children have to be bandaged with cotton dressings from head to foot.

Hay fever, meanwhile, is thought to affect up to one in five youngsters.

Both conditions are also linked with an increased risk of asthma.

Although previous research has suggested early exposure to fish in the diet could have a protective effect up

B

Babies fed fish regularly during their first year are less likely to develop allergies later in life eating fish just twice a month could be enough to make a difference

They are 22 per cent less likely to develop eczema and 26 per cent less likely to get hay fever to the age of four, researchers wanted to see if the benefits lasted even longer.

Experts at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, tracked 3,285 babies to study their dietary intake at the ages of one, two, four, eight and 12.

They also looked at how many went on to develop allergies.

The results showed fish plays a big part in dietary patterns among Swedish infants, with 80 per cent consuming it at least twice a month.

Among these children, the risk of allergies dropped significantly compared to others that rarely or never ate fish.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 37

Clark attributes S/West progress to Awo’s dynamism

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin and Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he foremost Ijaw leader and politician,Chief Edwin Clark has said that the development witnessed in the Yoruba land was as a result of the dynamic leadership style of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Chief Clark who stated this in Abuja while playing host to a Women Group under the aegis of Dynamic Women International from six South West states who

paid him a courtesy described that the leadership activities of the late sage has made the Yoruba land to be the most educated and sophisticated part of the country.

According to him,” this is the type of unity we want in this country where there will not be segregation and sentiments among all the tribes, this women have come all the way from the South West to greet me on my birthday, this is highly commendable.

“The Yorubas because of the

activities and leadership style of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo are by no means the most sophisticated and educated people. Leadership in the Yoruba land is not decided by wealth, power or money but rather by positive impact, no leaders can impose himself on the Yoruba people.

“I am happy that you are supporting my son, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Bamanga Tukur. In my several visits to Ikenne, i have fruitful discussion with members of the members of

the Yoruba Unity Forum led by our mama, H.I.D Awolowo. We are all together as South West and we shall continue to be one”.

Earlier,the leader of the group , Chief Mrs Bola Doherty had stated that they were in Abuja to rejoice with Chief Clark on his 86th year birthday celebration and prayed that God will grant the Octogenarian long live and prosperity.

Chief Doherty further stated that the women were around to show solidarity and support to the

government of President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the national Peoples Democratic Party PDP, under Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

According to her,”we are here to show solidarity that we are supporting Jonathan in 2015.

Politics starts and ends in South West. We are backing Bamanga Tukur.

“Jonathan is God’s chosen and anointed, God has built Jonathan and nobody can bring him down, we assure you that when you look back, we will always be there”.

Association wants June 12 recognized as Democracy Day

K

L-R: Senate President David Mark, his Czech counterpart, Mr Milan Stech, 1st Vice-President of the Senate of the Parliament of Czech Republic, Senator Alena Gajduskova, and Senator Chris Anyanwu, during the Senate president’s visit to Prague, Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Photo: NAN

Lawmaker urges Cross River to set up committee on communal clashes

A

member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr Eteng Williams, yesterday urged the State Government to set up an investigative committee to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of crises in the state.

The call followed the recent crisis between Inyinma in Yakurr Local Government Area and Oyadama in Obubra Local Government Area of the state on June 2.

Williams, representing Yakurr II State Constituency, made the call while presenting a matter of urgent public interest, following the

destruction of lives and property in Inyinma.

He noted that the extent of damage was huge and that over 180 houses were destroyed and five lives lost in the crisis.

“When I visited the scene of the crisis, there was nobody left in the village, no food, shelter or medical care available to victims of the crisis,’’ he said.

Mr Mfawa Ofegobi, representing Yakurr I Constituency, expressed sympathy with the victims, lamenting that the people were taking laws into their hands.

“The culprits must be brought to book and government should destroy the armouries that villagers have,’’ he said.

The member representing Boki II Constituency, Mr Jacob Enyia, suggested that the assembly should come up with laws to reduce such attacks to the barest minimum.

Enyia said that the crisis was as a result of the kind of education and socialisation youths of today were exposed to.

Similarly, the Speaker of the House, Mr Larry Odey, criticised the attacks, expressing regrets that

infrastructure sited in the areas were being targeted and destroyed.

Odey called on the State Government to reposition the security agencies to be more proactive in the handling and management of crises.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the legislature was also considering the enactment of a legislation to check the activities of youths in times of communal conflicts.

NAN reports that the Assembly adjourned for a three-week recess to reconvene on July 3.(NAN)

ennedy West, President, Association for Non-violence in the Niger Delta, a Port Harcourt-based NGO, has urged the Federal Government to make June 12 Democracy Day. He told journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday that though the military handed over to civilians on May 29, 1999, the annulled June 12 , 1993 election was significant to the nation’s democratic history.

He said Nigerians came out to show their love for democracy on June 12 and that though the election was annulled, it was still significant in the nation’s history.

“June 12 was a day that all Nigerians came out to vote for one Nigeria. It was a day for one Nigeria, irrespective of your tribe, irrespective of culture, for one Nigeria.

“That day, the toil, the sweat, the energy, the resources, the efforts that all Nigerians came together to put on that June 12 , must not be swept under the carpet.

“I want to plead with Mr President to use his good office and align with the voice of the majority to ensure that June 12 is being recognised as Nigeria’s authentic democracy day.

“And not the 29th of, there is nothing to show for it, apart from the fact that 29th of May was the day that the military handed over to Obasanjo.

“Democracy should be attached to significance. What is the significance of 29th of May, But, there is a lot significance to June 12.`` West urged Nigerians to use the spirit of June 12 to defend the nation’s democracy through active participation in democratic events.

He said Nigerians should ensure that elected officials were accountable to the people they are serving. (NAN)

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Politics

We’ll be rubber stamp for development in Oyo- lawmakers From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

T

he members of Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday vowed to continue to be a rubber stamp for development in the state justas they passed a vote of confidence on the governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

The lawmakers stated this while reacting to the speech on the state of the governance by Governor Abiola Ajimobi at the floor of the House saying development of the state

is more paramount than playing politics.

Hon Segun Oyeleye who spoke among lawmakers said there was need for members to support government policy that improve the lot of the people saying no meaningful development thrives without support from the lawmakers.

According to him, “lawmakers can only criticize executive when there is stagnancy in governance.

We support the governor based on the fact that his policies always tilt at

improving the state for good”.

Supporting the first speaker, Hon. Rafiu Adekunle who is minority leader also gave credit to the governor for his achievements within two years.

In her remarks, the Speaker Hon. Monsurat Sunmonu said the house called on the governor to brief the honourable members on the state of governance so far.

She commended the tenacity of the governor on the area of provision of infrastructure development,

health care delivery and agricultural development.

In his speech, Governor Ajimobi acknowledged his achievement within two year to support received from the lawmakers.

He commended the state legislature for upholding and maintaining absolute peace since its inception.

The governor pledged to improve on his determination to bring succor to the nook and cranny of the state.

L-R: Daughters of late Chief MKO Abiola, Tundun Abiola-Atta, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, Ogun state Head of Service, Mrs Modupe Adekunle, wife of Ogun state governor, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, the state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, and Speaker, Ogun state House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, during the 2013 democracy walk to commemorate June 12, on Wednesday in Abeokuta.

Photo: NAN

Demand for good governance, Amaechi urges Nigerians

G

ov. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers has urged Nigerians to insist on good governance and the conduct of transparent elections.

Amaechi made the call at a conference of the state council on information in Port Harcourt yesterday, stressing that laxity among the electorate was responsible for weak governance in Nigeria.

He said Nigerians had a greater percentage of blame for bad leadership in the country than the leaders.

“The people should demand for transparent election and good governance and where they do not, they are 80 per cent of the problem,`` he said.

Amaechi said the citizens must avoid remaining quiet when things

went wrong in leadership on the assumption that nemesis would catch up with bad leaders.

He said that such belief had impoverished the nation, while the leaders continued to squander national resources.

“Insist that election must be transparent; nobody will give you your right, demand for it and claim it,`` the governor said.

He said that his administration had completed 250 modern primary schools, which would be delivered to the host communities in September.

Amaechi said that his administration had been addressing the problem of a large number of pupils in classrooms to ensure proper learning for the children.

He also said that the

administration would deliver six new model secondary schools to communities in September.

Amaechi said that students of the schools would be equipped with laptops, tablets, beds and free feeding for nine months after which the parents would take over responsibility of their training.

He also said his administration would inaugurate the ``Unity bridge`` linking two coastal communities, Opobo and Ikuru, to land transportation, in January.

The governor said his administration had also built a new school of nursing and that students would move into the facility in December.

He said that the cultural centre and many other projects were nearing completion, adding that his administration released money

for the building of a new Rivers FM station.

Amaechi said that the government also approved money for building a new printing press for the state newspaper, Nigerian Tide, and the building of a brand new digitised Rivers State Television.

He said that the projects had yet to begin as the release of the funds was still going through the Public Procurement process.

Amaechi said the state power project had not been able to ensure 24 hours power supply because of the separation of the state grid from the national grid.

In her remark, the Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said that the theme of the conference was ``Public Information Management as a tool for Good Governance.``

Fashola wants youths involved in fight against climate change

G

ov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday urged youths in the country to identify with efforts to combat the menace of climate change.

Fashola made the call at a programme organised by the state government to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Climate Change Club in Ikeja.

The governor urged youths to embrace tree planting, energy conservation and other practices that would mitigate the impact of climate change.

He said that involvement of the youth was important as they easily embraced new practices and possessed persuasive powers that could help to influence adults to adapt to innovations. ``The effectiveness of young people as change agents cannot be underestimated. Their energy, inquisitiveness and enthusiasm are critical to the fight against climate change. ``Young people, especially children, possess the power to speak the truth; there is a kind of honesty that comes radically to children. ``Their involvement will greatly help to fight the menace,” he said.

He also urged them to influence their parents and other adults to adopt environmentfriendly practices.

Fashola said that the government established the climate club in schools to create more awareness on the threats of climate change and to inculcate environment-friendly practices in youths.

The governor noted that youths were vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and hoped that the initiative would help to keep them safe and safeguard the environment.

Fashola urged Nigerians to refrain from practices that constituted menace to the environment, adding bush burning, uncontrolled carbon emission were full of danger. ``We should retrace our developmental steps toward a green economy as against black economy.

“If we fail to listen and act, then it is us, and painfully our children, who will bear the consequences of climate change,” he said.

Earlier, the state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, gave the assurance that the government would ensure a friendly environment through tree planting and others practices.

He said that the recent launch of ``Eko Gas`` was aimed at phasing out the use of firewood and other practices harmful to the environment. ``We reasoned that the fight against climate change should not be left to adults alone; the youths must key into our programmes.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

PAGE 39

News Extra

Birnin Gwari Attack: KDSG to partner FG, Zamfara, Niger States on security From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

F

ollowing the incessant killings taking place in Birnin Gwari Local Government of Kaduna State, Governor Mukhtar Yero yesterday reassured the people of the state of his administration’s commitment to protect their lives and property as he said the state will collaborate with the Federal Government, Zamfara and Niger States government in providing security in the area.

In a statement signed his by his spokesperson, Ahmed Maiyaki, Gov Yero said seven people were confirmed killed by the gunmen in the three villages affected by the attack on Saturday.

Governor Yero who stated this after an assessment visit to Birnin Gwari after the attack in the area by unknown gunmen urged them to return to their houses as the villages and areas have been fortified by security agencies.

“Two days ago, I had an opportunity of meeting with the Zamfara state governor to see how we can address the situation. We have also discussed with Niger state government to see how we can go about it and from there we would meet with the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the problem.”

“We went to the three villages, Gwaska, Goron Dutse and Ungwar Nabango to pay condolence visit on the people. We saw how they burnt people’s houses and how the people have deserted their houses. We went with security agencies to see how to assist them to fortify the villages against any other attacks.

The villages are small and scattered by the river. Once you cross the river, you enter into a thick forest that borders Zamfara state. We went to where the people are taking refuge, where I interacted with them and advised them to go back to their houses. The security agents are there. I saw policemen there and we would see what to do to improve the situation.”

On provision of relief materials, Gov Yero said the State Emergency Management Agency had already carried out an assessment in the area, provided foodstuff and mattresses to the victims and would also help them settle down again in their houses.

L-R: Coordinator, International Day of the African Child and Youths, Mr Mohammed Attah, Special Assistant to the Senate President on NGOs, Ms Nehi Okumwedia, and Chairman, Government-Civil Society Partnership Programme, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, during the 2013 International Day of the African Child and Youths, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

ACN to Abati: Please mind your language From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has faulted presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati’s use of language against critics of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration, saying Abati’s language if left unchecked may boomerang on the presidency In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos on Thursday, the party said ‘’Contrary to what Dr. Abati may think, ‘attack’ and ‘criticism’ are not synonymous. An effective presidential spokesman is not the one who employs gutter language to respond to critics of his principal, or one who makes more enemies than friends for his boss, but one who is able to convey the activities and achievements of the president to the citizenry with dignified language. By virtue of what is believed to be his sound education, professional training

and exposure, Dr. Abati should be well placed to know how to tell a man to go to hell and the man will still be smiling!” ‘’To be sure, the use of dignified language by a presidential spokesman is important because whatever he says is believed to have emanated from his principal.

It is therefore unimaginable that President Goodluck Jonathan will resort to the use of the kind of language that has been spewing out of the mouth of his spokesman in recent times. To the best of our knowledge, no presidential spokesman in Nigeria’s history has employed such base language in defence of his principal,’’ the party said.

ACN said using such words as ‘ethically-challenged’, ‘hypocrite’, ‘medieval-era ignoramus’, ‘habitual indolence and brainlessness’, ‘descent into moral abyss’, ‘mental indolence’,

‘bootlicking’, ‘hideous and second-rate characters’, and ‘foolish’ to describe the critics of the President is rude, crude, uncouth, unconscionable and uncalled for, and that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. ‘’Dr. Abati, while you are free to exhibit your bombastic prowess, the rarefied realm of the presidency is not the ideal place for that because when those who are being assaulted with such words respond in kind, it debases the presidency and ultimately hurts the occupier of the office.

In a truly global world, such unrestrained response to critics of the presidency also hurts not just the President but the image of the entire country. Even if some critics use words that Dr. Abati finds annoying and insulting or engage in criticism that he deems unfair, it is still incumbent on

him to avoid responding in kind, simply because he is not speaking for himself but for an institution.

It is therefore not enough defence for him to say that he is responding in kind to critics of his boss”, the party observed. ‘’May we also remind the presidential spokesman that there will be life after that office, and that he should remember that in an era where the power of the written word has assumed more potency for various reasons, it is important to be more circumspect in tongue-lashing critics of the President.

We will like to advise and encourage the presidential spokesman to learn to use facts and figures to counter whatever he considers an unfavourable criticism of his principal, instead of subsuming such under verbal pugilistic,’’ ACN said.

Kebbi government trains financial managers From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

I

n a quest to improve the quality of human resources and ensure proper records keeping especially in the financial sector, the Kebbi state government has organized a three day workshop for local government directors of finance, auditors and cashiers in order to achieve the set objective.

Speaking at the workshop which theme is: Final Accounts Preparation in the Local Government” held at the

Abubakar Na’amo conference center, Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, the Executive Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Alhaji Usman Bello Suru said the training would enhance the productivity of finance officers and ensure prudent management of public funds.

According to him, the workshop was a wakeup call to all treasury staff, following a series of complaints and reports from the office of the Auditor General for

local government and Inspectorate Department that financial records and information in councils are not properly maintained.

“In view of that therefore, I wish to emphasize that the commission will henceforth not condone any act capable of distorting or misrepresenting financial records of local governments”, he warned.

The Managing Director of Annur Consultancy Service, Alhaji Lawal Muhammed Shuwa, expressed optimism that the

calibre of resource persons drawn from the academia will do justice to the topics to be discussed and urged the participants to be attentive and make enquiries were necessary.

He said the workshop will no doubt give practical insight on the necessary books of accounts maintained in the local government and how best to translate those records which would certainly promote financial accountability and transparency in the service.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

Today’s Woman

‘Women should seek for their husbands’ consent to further their education’ Jummai Salamatu Abubakar is a Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Special Duties in Bauchi state. In this interview with Ahmed Kaigama, the first traditional title holder of Gimbiyan Dass, stresses the importance of education to the girl-child, her career which has spanned over 23 years, the traditional title bestowed on her by the late Emir of Dass, among others.

Can you tell us about yourself? was born 50 years ago at Dass, Bundot ward, Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi state. I attended Waziri Mazadu Primary School, Dass, before I proced to Women Teachers Training Center Bauchi. We were the first set of students to be transferred to the Western part of the country for grade II certificate at Abeokuta Women Teachers’ Centre. After my graduation, I served my state for few years before I got married and left Bauchi with my husband and returned in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Library and Political Sciences from Bayero University, Kano. I started working with the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi for 5years before I transferred my services to the state government House of Assembly that was during the era of Dahiru Deba.

I was appointed as a Counselor in Dass Local Government Area for two years before my appointment as Director General in the state service in 1995. I was again appointed as a Director and posted to the state Women Affairs Ministry, from where I was transferred to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

I was later transferred to the ministry of Agriculture and to Teachers’ Service Commission as the Secretary. I was again appointed as Caretaker committee chairperson in Dass Local Government Area for 22 months; before I returned to work as a Director in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). From SUBEB I was posted to Ministry of Power as director of Administration and Finance. I spent some time there before I was again posted to Hospitals Management Board as a director of Administration and Finance. I was there when my appointment came out as a Permanent Secretary in the office of the Head of Civil Service, from there I was posted to the Ministry of Science and Technology, then to ministry of Agriculture and later to the state Scholarship Board as a Permanent Secretary.

Finally, I am now with the ministry of Special Duties as a permanent secretary.

What was your experience like as a young girl taken far away from her parents to the Southern part of the country for schooling?

Well, it was a very nice

I

experience because as strangers we were made to feel at home and besides we were there from JSS 3 to form five, now SS 2. We were also transferred to Kano when we completed our J.S.S.II. It wasn’t something difficult because I had the zeal to go to school, so I was ready to go anywhere to acquire knowledge though it wasn’t easy.

As a woman, what are the challenges you face in the various places of work you were posted to?

Well, even when my late husband was around he allowed me to work because he was the person that looked for the job for me, so you can see the extent he went and honestly, without his support I don’t think I will be where I am today. I am grateful to him and may his soul rest in peace because he is a man in a million.

In those days when you went to school, women were not allowed to acquire western education. How did that happen?

Well, you know I told you that I am from Dass, which was the early settlement of missionaries in the area, so, we had the opportunity to attend school and my father worked with them therefore, I was opportuned to acquire western education. I could remember I finished my primary school when I was 13years old and I was not the only one as it was same with all my sisters. I am the last born and I am still in the service, my sisters also worked although they are all retired now. Our father gave us all the support we needed even though we are all girls with only one brother. My father tried to see that he gave us a sound western education.

Are you satisfied with the percentage of women in government at all

Hajiya Jummai Salamatu Abubakar

levels?

Well, it is ok. You know presently we have only two female Commissioners in the state but with time I know that government will involve more women in decision making from the federal government to the state level. I believe that more women will be involved in the management of Bauchi State.

With all the years of experience in service, what has been your biggest challenge as a woman working in the midst of men?

Honestly, I can’t remember having any serious problem with any of my male colleagues because they treat me with respect. I am a happy woman who work freely with both men and women without discrimination. I can’t think of any thing that made me to be unhappy, so the men are very supportive in all the places I

”

was posted for my assignment.

What is your advice to parents on girl -child education?

I am happy that the government is serious about the girl-child education. The state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has also established girl -child programme where a girl will go to school in the morning and keep the wares she hawks outside and when school closes, she will go out and carry her wares and continue hawking.

They have also opened many centers for them, those that are above 13year of age and cannot enroll in primary school; they are trained in trades like weaving, tailoring etc.

As a mother how do you feel when you see young girls hawking on the streets of the state, particularly in the northern part of the country where they are many?

Sometimes, girls are lured into early marriage with a promise to continue with their education and after the marriage, the man will refuse to let her go back to school. I will advise young girls to seek for the consent of their husbands to continue with their education

Honestly, I feel bad because they are exposed to so many dangers like rape, kidnapping etc. As I told you earlier, the government has established many places of learning skills, I would encourage parents to allow their daughters who cannot go to school to go and learn skills. The young ones who are still within the ages of school, which is from 4 years upward, should be allowed to go to primary school for western education at least what she learns in a school will help her to manage her family well.

What is your happy moment in the civil service?

When I was appointed Permanent Secretary because it has been my dream to become one as it was my next position.

I am a General now in the civil service, so I thank the almighty Allah.

Education is the bedrock of any society. What do you think is the problem in the sector particularly in the state?

Our problem as I said earlier is that of parents not allowing their children to go to school.

My advice to the young girls is that they should not stay idle but should look for something to do. They should have basic education, and from there they can engage in any trade of their choice.

Sometimes, girls are lured into early marriage with a promise to continue with their education and after the marriage, the man will refuse to let her go back to school. I will advise young girls to seek for the consent of their husbands to continue with their education.

Because not doing so, sometimes bring serious problems between couples which most often than not result into divorce.

How did you come about the title Gimbiyan Dass?

I was called by the late Emir of Dass, Alhaji Bilyami Usman who told me that they have gone through my track record and my contributions to the development of the emirate which he said is commendable so the emirate decided to honor me and to encourage me. I am the first Gimbiya of Dass that was ten years ago and I am not the only female title holder in the Emirate Council. We have about 10 women traditional title holders such as Jaruma, Maryama, Gimbiya, Wakiliya and so many others.

PEOPLES DAILY| WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

PAGE 42

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

LAND OF GRACE GOSPEL MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF UNITED LIGHT LAUNDRY AND DRY CLEANERS, EKITI STATE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR HENRY OVAT NYANG-CHAIRMAN 2. MRS PEACE HENRY OVAT-SECRETARY AIMS: 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 2. TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS FOR OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO ALL MAN KIND. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. BARR.FEYISAYO ADETIBA 08053613670

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ANISULOWO KAYODE-CHAIRMAN 2. ADEYEYE KOLADE 3. JAYEOBA JOSEPH 4. SALAM AZEEZ ADESINA-SECRETARY 5. AJISE OLUWAFEMI 6. MAJASAN OLUSOLA AIMS: 1.TO PROMOTE A SENSE OF UNITY,PEACE AND CO-OPERATION AMONG MEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: MAJOYO.A.ESQ.

PUBLIC NOTICE

GOD’S GIFTS AND GRACE FOUNDATION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. EZE LIVINUS IKECHUKWU 2. ALIAS MAMA 3. BENJAMIN OJIMELUKWE AIMS 1. TO CARTER FOR THE LESS PRIVILEDGE IN THE SOCIETY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: NCHE GEORGE CHRISTIAN 08063732241

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

INDIGENOUS EDO/DELTA ALUMINIUM & ALLIED PRODUCTS DEALERS ASSOCIATION IN NIGERIA

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MAKURDI FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE

FED UP ASSOCIATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF URBAN POOR

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ZAKARI GBADUME 2. JOHN AZIBA-SECRETARY 3. ALH.DAUDA JIMOH-CHAIRMAN 4. MICHEAL IMOLOAME 5. MALLAM ABUBAKAR MUSA 6. JAMES EGBIRE 7. KINGSLEY ERIMWIONGHAE 8. PHILIP AKOGUN 9. EDOBOR AIMIUWU 10. JOSEPH ESIRI AIMS: 1. TO EMPOWER MEMBERS 2. TO CATER FOR WELFARE OF MEMBERS 3. TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. USUH ATHANASIUS ATULE-CHAIRMAN 2. APINE FELIX-SECRETARY AIMS: 1. TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE LIBERATING OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH PROPHETIC ACTION FOR THE PROMOTION OF JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE IN THE SOCIETY. 2. TO COLLABORATE WITH GOVERNMENT AND NGOS ON ISSUES TO US. 3. TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO COMMUNITIES 4.TO PROMOTE FORMAL AND INFORMAL-EDUCATION OF COMMUNITIES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR.IORTYER AFA NELLY (SOLICITOR) NO.1 KROAD,FEDERAL HOUSING AUTHORITY,LUGBE,ABUJA.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GLORIOUS CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY

WONDERS OF GOD’S WORD MINISTRY INT’L

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1.PST.NICHOLAS EZURUME 2.PROPHETESS (MRS)AGNES EZURUME 3.ELDER SUNDAY NNAMANI 4.DEACON CHUKWUMA ORDUAJIE 5.DEACON JUDE IZUKA 6.BRO.MORGAN OMATSEYE 7.DEACONESS AUGUSTINA NWIFI AIMS: 1.TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 2.TO PREPARE ITS MEMBERS FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 3.TO DELIVER IT MEMBERS FROM THE BONDAGE OF SATAN. SIGNED: ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR.R.O MUOGBO

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. REV. PAUL D. INANILA-PRESIDENT/FOUNDER 2. REV & PST.MRS FAITH O.PAUL –VICE –PRESIDENT 3. SIS. CHRISTIANA ESE MUKURO-SECRETARY 4. SIS. VICTORIA OYIBO-TREASURER 5. PST. CHIBUZOR ONYEKACHI-MEMBER 6. BRO. PAUL OSIKPEMI KINGSLEY AIMS: 1. WORSHIP OF GOD AND FELLOWSHIP OF GOD’S CHILDREN ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1.BARR. PAUL AUDU-CHAIRMAN 2,MR.JAMES UGAH-MEMBER 3.MR. RICHARD ORACHIHI-MEMBER 4.DR.ONYEIJE OKORO-MEMBER 5.REV.SUNDAY MOSES-MEMBER 6.DR/MRS.JULIANA OLUFUNKE LAWSON-MEMBER 7.MR.MOSES BEM UGO-MEMBER 8.MALLAM NASIR MOHAMMED-MEBER 9.MR.JAMES AMBUA-MEMBER AIMS: 1.TO INITIATE PROCESSES AIMED AT ASSISTING URBAN POOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN FINANCIAL SCHEMES THAT ARE TARGETED AT EMPOWERING THEM TO AMONG OTHER NEEDS,OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSES. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR.PAUL AUDU

PUBLIC NOTICE YABA, TEJUOSHO AND SURULERE JERSEY DEALERS ASSOCIATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ODOH ANTHONY OSITA 2. ONOJA SIMON OKORO 3. OMEH CELESTINE NNABUIKE 4.IDOKO OLIVER .O. 5. OJOBO JOSEPH CHINEDU AIMS: 1. TO FOSTER LOVE AND UNITY AMONG MEMBERS 2. TO PROMOTE WELFARE OF MEMBERS 3.TO PARTNER WITH OTHER ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNION SIGNED: ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. ONUORA ODO 08035979574

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

NNA NWA JESUS FOUNDATION FOR THE POOR

JAM’IYYAT DA’WATUL ISTIJAABATIL ISLAMIYYAH FOUNDATION

RURAL REDEMPTIONS INITIATIVE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PROF. JAMES UDENGENE OGUAKWA - RETAINED 2. DR.(MRS) SYLVIA ONYEMA - RETAINED 3. H.R.H ALHAJI IRO MAIKANO - RETAINED 4. ALHAJI TUKUR JIKAMSHI - RETAINED 5. PRINCESS (MRS) STELLA KANAYOR OGUAKWA REMOVED AIMS: 1.BARRISTER CAMILLUS OGUAKWA - NEWLY APPOINTED ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. BENSON IBEZIM, 08037877519

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C”OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO.1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OMEH CELESTINE NNABUIKE 2. OMEH LOVINA OGOCHUKWU 3. IDOKO SOLOMON EJIOFOR 4. NWANEGBO IGNATIUS 5. UGWU BONIFACE 6. EYA CHRISTIAN OLUCHUKWU AIMS: 1. TO HELP IN ALLEVIATING THE SUFFERING OF THE POOR 2. TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR SPREADING THE GOSPEL 3. TO HELP THE SICK, LESS PRIVILEGED 4. TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OJULARI SHARAFA-DEEN JIMOH 2. MALIK ADESHINA TAJUDEEN 3. JIMOH RASHEEDAT ADUNNI AIMS: 1. TO PROPAGATE ISLAM

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: BARR. ONUORA ODO 0803579574

SIGNED: SECRETARY

PEOPLES DAILY| WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

PAGE 45

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

YOUNG SHALL GROW BROTHER’S CLUB OF ENUGU, ABUJA BRANCH

HEALTH FOR LIFE AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (HELDEF)

IYABO SHOREMI FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR BASIL NNABUIKE ELETE - CHAIRMAN 2. OLIVER ONUORAH ATTAMAH - SECRETARY 3. JUDE NKEONADI - TREASURER 4. EZEMA CHINWEUBA - PROVOST 5. EZUGWU EJIOFOR - FINANCIAL SECRETARY 6. JUDE ASADU - MEMBER 7. JOSEPH ASOGWA - MEMBER 8. ASOGWA LOUIS - MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROMOTE UNITY AND FRIENDSHIP AMONG MEMBERS. 2. TO PROMOTE AND ADVANCE THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED BARR. S.S. IKE 08034531446

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED NON-PROFIT , NON POLITICAL AND NON RELIGION ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO 1 OF 1990.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE: 1.

DR. MAMMAN HASSAN – CHAIRMAN 2.

JUSTICE BELLO SHINKAFI 3.

DR. ABUBAKAR DANLADI – SECRETARY 4.

DR. BELLO MARAFA 5.

HAJIYA UMMI YUSUF ANKA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO CREATE AWARENESS AND IMPROVED MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH 2. TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVE HEALTH FUNDING AND ACCOUNTABILITY 3. TO CONDUCT OPERATION RESEARCH TO GUIDE HEALTH PLANNING AND INTERVENTION 4. PROMOTE GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT 5. TO PROMOTE INFORMATION AND SERVICES ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ESPECIALLY HIV/AIDS AND STI ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. IYABO ABENI SHOREMI 2. ADETOLA ADEOLU-BALOGUN 3. ADEDAMOLA SINYANBOLA 4. OYEKUNMI IDRIS 5. FALOLA OLATUNJI JULIUS AIMS: 1. TO HELP GENERATE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SELF EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN. 2. TO EMPOER WOMEN ESPECIALLY WIDOWS BY GRANTING ACCESS TO SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARRISTER ADETOLA ADEOLU-BALOGUN TOLLAHBALLOH@GMAIL.COM 08056326364

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GODS LOVE LIVING OUTREACH WORLDWIDE

SALTED COW HIDES DEALERS ASSOCIATION,ANAMBRA STATE & IMO STATE BRANCH

EVOLVE CARE GIVER FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. APST. MARTINS OGHENEOVO AHWIN 2. SIS. PRECIOUS OGHENEGARE EBRIFI 3. MRS. MONICA OVONEMO AHWIN 4. BRO. FORTETA RICHARD EBILAYEFA 5. MRS.BEATRICE OMAMUOKE OMOKOR 6. MRS. LILIAN EMUEJEVOKE EGOR 7. MR. GOODLUCK OBINOBI 8. DIR. RICHARD OFAKEZE 9. DIR. EZEKIEL OJADA 10. HON. GEORGY OYEFIA AIMS 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MR. NWAEBO ISAAC UZODINMA 2. MR.CHUKWUDI CHINAKWAEZE 3. MR.OBI DONATUS NTOMCHUKWU 4. MR.ADIELE E.CHIMEZIE

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. HARRIET OLUWARANTIMI ADENIJI (CHAIRMAN) 2. CYNTHIA MOJISOLA OLOTU (SECRETARY) 3. HON. KUROAKEGHA DORGU

(CHAIRMAN) (SECRETARY) (MEMBER) (MEMBER)

AIMS 1. TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS. 2. TO PROVIDE A SOUND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FOR MEMBERS. 3. TO ACCORD MEMBERS THE BENEFIT OF PROTECTION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR.OLUSOLA BUKOLA. TEL: NO:08034923860

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GRACE OF CALVARY MISSION

THE CITY OF GOD SPIRITUAL GOSPEL CHURCH

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MISSION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. BISHOP EBENEZER ABEH ADENILOLA GENERAL OVERSEER 2. EVANG. ILESANMI IDOWU JOHN 3. ALADURA ABEH DEBORAH SECRETARY 4. ALADURA ABEH OLUWAFISAYOMI 5. PASTOR OLABISI ADEMOLA AIMS: 1. TO PREACH AND TEACH THE WORD OF GOD ALL OVER THE WORL.D 2. TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. 3. TO ORGANIZE CRUSADES, SEMINARS ETC. 4. TO CARE FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANED CHILDREN. 5. TO PRAY FOR THE COUNTRY, COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES. 6. TO PREACH AND TRAIN CHRISTIANS TO POSSESS THE GOOD CHRISTIAN VIRTUES AND SHINE AS LIGHT IN THE WORLD AND SALT OF THE EARTH. 7. TO PROMOTE UNITY AMONG CHRISTIANS, BY DE-EMPHASIZING THOSE THINGS THAT DIVIDED US

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR PHILIP OLUWOLE PRESIDENT 2. REV. MRS JULIANAH BALOGUN 3. ASST. PASTOR AWE SUNDAY 4. MR NATHANIEL OLATUNDE 5. ASST. PASTOR TAIWO ADEDIRAN 6. ASST. PASTOR MICHAEL OBADEMI 7. MR SESAN OLADEPO AIMS: 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE FOUNDATION CRICKET CLUB LAGOS

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: OLAYINKA FISHER BOB OSAGHAE KWESI SAGOE OLAOLU AKERELE AIMS TO ENCOURAGE AND POPULARIZE THE PLAYING OF CRICKET IN NIGERIA TO PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR THE PLAYING OF CRICKET IN SECONDARY AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA. TO FACILITATE THE SOCIAL INTERACTION OF MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: KABIRU BELLO & CO. (BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS)

AIMS 1. TO ENCOURAGE THE LESS PRIVILEGE YOUTHS & WOMEN IN DE SOCIETY TO PURSUE THEIR LIFE GOALS, TO ENLIGHTEN YOUTHS & WOMEN ON THEIR RIGHTS, HELP TO GIVE THEM TRAINING ON A VOCATION OF THEIR CHOICE ETC. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE DYNAMIC WORLD GOSPEL CENTER THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CENTER HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PROPHET SUNNY OKONOFUA 2. MRS GLORIA OKONOFUA 3. MR MONDAY EBHODAGHE OBOH 4. EVELYN UZOR NWACHELI AIMS: 1. TO PREACH AND TEACH THE WORD OF GOD ALL OVER THE WORL. 2. TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. 3. TO ORGANIZE CRUSADES, SEMINARS ETC.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: BAR. GABRIEL MOSES (08062433488)

SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE AGBOGUGU PACESETTERS CLUB, ABUJA THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: SEBASTINE NWANKWO OBINNA NWAFOR NNANNA OKOLO CHUKWUANI CHUKWUDI MICHAEL CHUKWUEMEKA AGU

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

AIMS TO FOSTER PEACE AND PROGRESS AMONG MEMBERS TO BECOME A RALLYING POINT FOR YOUNG MEN WHO LEFT AGBOGUGU TO SUCCEED IN ABUJA TO HELP NEW SETTLERS (FROM AGBOGUGU) ADAPT TO THE CITY. TO HELP CREATE A CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CLUB MEMBERS AND OUR HOST COMMUNITY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: NWODO CHIDIEBERE; TEL: 08035077610

PUBLIC NOTICE ELIMINIGWE ESTATE PHASE 4 LANDLORDS ASSOCIATION THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: MR. ONYENWEOSA PRESLEY MALCOM CHAIRMAN MR. MAKINDE OLUSEYI SECRETARY MR. NZE ANIZOR MEMBER MR. ANTHONY IGWEBUIKE MEMBER MR. ENECHUKWU HENRY MR. KENE ODUNZE MR. CELESTINE AKAHDINE AIMS TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE RESIDENTS OF ELIMINIGWE ESTATE TO PROMOTE AND SAFEGUARD THE ECONOMIC POWER AND SOCIAL WELFARE OF ITS MEMBERS TO REGULATE AND HARMONISE GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEMBERS AND HOST COMMUNITY TO ENCOURAGE UNITY AND DEVELOP A SENSE OF COMMON IDENTITY AMONG MEMBERS TO ENSURE A SAFE AND SECURE COMMUNITY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PEOPLES DAILY| WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

PAGE 45

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

WESTERN AVENUE LAGOS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

HAUSA MUSLIMS COMMUNITY CENTRAL MOSQUE, ONITSHA

MIRACLE RHEMA CRUSADERS MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MOSES AJIBADE MAKINDE 2. TUNDE SANNI 3. OLUJIMI JOLAOSO 4. JANE HARRY 5. MIKE ANAZODO 6. AKINBAYO ADEKUNLE ADENUBI 7. AKITOYE CHARLES ADEREMI 8. OPOKO CHIBUZO RAPHAEL

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: ALHAJI ILIYASU YUSHA’U MOHD SADI IBRAHIM HAMZA IBRAHIM IMAM YUSHA’U IBRAHIM ALHAJI ABDULRAHAMAN HAMZA

AIMS TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF ITS MEMBERS

AIMS FOR THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF MUSLIMS COMMUNITY

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: CHIZEA UDO JOSEPH

SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: APOSTLE WILLIAMS OVIE EGOGO EVANGELIST AGNES MIEBI OMBE EVANGELIST THEOPHILUS OYEDEJI MR. JOHN OWIE AIMS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO WIN SOULS FOR CHRIST ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME AND OTHER INFLAMMATORY NEUROPATHIES FOUNDATION OF NIGERIA

MILLENIUM ESTATE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION, KADO DISTRICT, ABUJA

DIVINE LOVE BROTHERS FARMERS ASSOCIATION ABUJA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSCOIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: PROF. VICTORIA PAM DR. ABDULLAHI JIMOH MR. BEN CHIOBI ENGR. TERFA GBANDE DR. REGINALD OBIAKO MR. BABAFEMI SOSANYA

TRUSTEES ARE: MR. BOLAJI ADEBIYI CHAIRMAN ALHAJI IDI MOHAMMED MELAH MEMBER MR. IDRIS BELLO MEMBER BARR. ADEWALE B. ADEGOKE MEMBER ARC. DUBEM S. ANOSIKE SECRETARY AIMS TO PROMOTE A PLATFORM WHERE RESIDENTS WILL INTERACT AND SHARE INFORMATION TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS TO PROMOTE A SINGLE FORUM WHERE ALL RESIDENTS CAN ENGAGE THE DEVELOPER AND ITS AGENTS TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES THAT WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ESTATE

TRUSTEES ARE: ENEMUO SEBASTINE OKEZIE EMEKA THADDUS IGWE HYGINUS EMEKA EKENJI DONATUS NWANIKWO EZEKIEL JOHN OBASI JOHN OKADIGBO ONUZULIKE IFEANYI OKORO OGBU LAWRENCE ODOAWUJO OKECHUKWU AIMS 1. TO FOSTER PEACE, LOVE UNITY AMONG THE MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: THOMPSON OMOERHA ESQ. 08055916856

SIGNED: K.C. OZO-ENEMMO, ESQ.

CHAIRMAN SECRETARY

AIMS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND LITERATURE ABOUT THE DISEASES CREATING AWARENESS AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC TO ENCOURAGE AND FOSTER RESEARCH INTO THE CAUSES, TREATMENT OF SAME ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

LOSS OF DOCUMENT

CHANGE OF NAME

THIS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF LOSSES OF ORIGINAL OFFER OF STATUTORY RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY IN RESPECT OF PLOT NO 1886 OF ABOUT 482.36M2 IN CADASTRAL ZONE C27 OF APO ABUJA WITH NEW FILE NO.0560486 DATED 12/5/2011 ISSUE IN FAVOUR OF ADEYEMI ADEBAYO BY FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ABUJA WHICH GOT MISSING ALONG KUBWA ABUJA TRANSET. ALL EFFORT MADE TO TRACE THE ORIGINAL COPPY PROVE ABOUTIVE IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO NEAREST POLICE STATION OR AGIS AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS HABIBA YAKUB ABDALLAH, DIVOUCED AND WISH TO RETURN TO HABIBA HUSEYN ZAKARIYA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ANGELA OGANDE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS. HABAKKUK ANGELA DAUDA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS JOY ADEGBE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS JOY OJONE DANIEL. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS OGELEBE AYUBA YAHAYA NASARAWA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS OGELEBE ABUYA ABDULKAREEM. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS BARNABAS MADALLA, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS GWUNDA JOEL. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BOGORO L.G BAUCHI AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ABUBAKAR USMAN, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS IBRAHIM JAFARU ZAGGA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS HAJARA ADAMU, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS RAHILA DANLADI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. BOGORO L.G BAUCHI AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS ABIOYE SALAMI DEBORAH, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS. OLAYINKA OPEYEMI DEBORAH. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISS HAUWA AUWAL TANKO, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS HAUWA AUWAL HUSEYN. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ABAMIYI JOSEPH, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS TOBA JOSEPH. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. KADUNA POLYTECHNIC AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO TAKE NOTE.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSCOIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

PUBLIC NOTICE

HARMONY HOMES STAKEHOLDERS ASSOCIATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSCOIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

TRUSTEES ARE: ALHAJI SHETTIMA BUKAR BARMA CHAIRMAN DR. ABAH GEORGE FIDELIS SECRETARY DR. NWOBODO NNAEMEKA MEMBER MR. ACHILEFU CHARLES MEMBER AIMS TO UNITE THE LANDLORDS OF THE ESTATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURSUING COMMON INTERESTS AND GOALS AND TO TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS AND INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. C.E ORJI 07065133770

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Russia adopts law for 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2017 Confederations Cup

R

ussian President Vladimir Putin has signed a federal law on the preparation and hosting of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 in Russia.

FIFA and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) are very pleased about the enactment of the 2018 FIFA World Cup law and grateful to the Russian authorities for their cooperation in finalizing this important project fully five years before the start of the tournament.

The swift passing of the law shows the strong collaboration between the Russian government, FIFA and the LOC on the two major FIFA tournaments to be hosted in Russia for the first time in 2017 and 2018.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup law will be the cornerstone of the operational set-up and preparation for football’s flagship event and covers all areas essential to the success of the tournaments.

From a fan’s perspective, the law permits visa-free entry to Russia for all 2018 FIFA World Cup match ticket holders and free over ground travel on public transport 18 hours before and after matches. .

When Russia first won the bid to host the World Cup back in December 2010, the thenPrime Minister Vladimir Putin projected the costs to be around $10 billion. However, in just twoand-a-half years, those costs have spiralled.

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, one of now-Russian President Putin’s pet projects, has also seen spiraling costs, with original estimates rising nearly four times up to $51 billion.

Meanwhile, the completion date for Zenit St Petersburg’s $1.1 billion stadium has been delayed once again, and it may not be able to open until at least 2017 - a decade after construction work first began.

The stadium is set to host a 2018 World Cup semi-final; however, the latest setback means that it may struggle to be ready for the 2017 Confederations Cup, which it is also scheduled to host games for.

ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

0803 0805 0814 0805 0803

QUOTABLE QUOTE He is incompetent; he is running the party from his private house; up till now Bamanga has not seen the wisdom in going round the states to say ‘THANK YOU’ to those who voted him (into office)...Bamanga is running the PDP as his private business — Gov. Wamakko of Sokoto state on why he wants Bamanga Tukur removed as PDP National Chairman

Tribute to Ado Bayero on his Golden Jubilee T

omorrow, June15th, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ado Abdullahi Bayero will begin celebrations marking a milestone.

He has been on the throne of his forebears for 50 years. He is the 13th Fulani Emir of Kano and the 56th ruler of Kano. He ascended the throne in October 1963 and is one of the longest serving emirs in the Emirate’s history.

During his tenure, the emirate has been transformed from a powerful native authority into a custodian of Hausa Language and Islamic traditions. The Kano Palace plays host to official courtesy visits by many top government personnel and foreigners. Efforts to curtail the influence of the Emir and the Emirate in early 1980s were unsuccessful. The Emir continued to reign unperturbed and dedicated himself to the service of his people and Emirate. He had maintained excellent cordial relationship with all Emirs, Obas and Obis throughout the country. Ado Bayero’s diligent and quality leadership to his Council and the people of Kano is his passion and the key to his success and institutionalization of the Kano Emirate. By his actions and pronouncements is the Emir of all the people indigenous and non-indigenous alike; he does not discriminate because of creed, ethnicity or nationality.

Bayero is undoubtedly one of the most pre-eminent personalities in contemporary Nigerian history. He is an exceptional Emir in the history of Emirates in the Northern Region of Nigeria because he had witnessed several changes brought about by the various administrations that governed Kano from the time it was a Province to its current status of a State. He is revered and held in high esteem. He has boosted the prestige and respect of the Emirate system established by his ancestors and uplifted it to a veritable institution that is revered by all and sundry.

He is the people’s Emir because of his deep-seated love and sense of justice, fairness and equity in all his dealings with his people and council. He is a very disciplined and highly cultured and unassuming person with an exceptional capacity to embrace changes patiently but without compromising the status

311 689 292 327 454

7458 1765 9046 1969 0344

GUEST COLUMNIST General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR

Emir of Kano, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ado Bayero of the institution he represents. In present day Emirate system none is so well placed and adored than the present Monarch of Kano.

The Kano Emirate, under the reign of Takawa, is a pacesetter, first among equals and the cynosure of all eyes. The influence of the Emir and the Kano Emirate is well known and documented in several scholarly works and by all admirers of African Culture and Tradition. Indeed Kano Emirate and Ado Bayero are so synonymous and synchronous so much so that it is impossible for a person to separate them. When you speak of Kano the first thing that comes to mind is Ado Bayero, the simple, friendly, elegant, courageous

and undaunted Emir who has a great sense of humour and has shown immense character and valour even in the face of adversity and challenges.

During the fifty year reign of Ado Bayero, Kano has recorded tremendous developments in all spheres socially and economically and particularly in education, health, infrastructure, trade and commerce to mention just a few.

Due to his upbringing, education and preoccupation, the monarch is a broad minded detribalized Nigerian long before he ascended the throne some fifty years ago. During this half a century the fifty year reign of this remarkable leader, several

administrations came and went, some were provocative while others were understanding, friendly and supportive but all left the Emir and the Emirate fixed, unblemished and untainted waxing from strength to strength.

The history of Northern Region of Nigeria and in particular that of Kano will be incomplete without making a special mention of the effects of the giant strides recorded under his visionary leadership. The influence of the Emir and the pomp and pageantry of the Emirate under his reign is far beyond Kano or the North but transcends the whole country and beyond. As former law enforcement agent and a diplomat the Emir had over the years built a veritable and reliable network of contacts nationally and globally. It is this outreach that made the Emir indomitable and relevant. Diplomats, businesspersons in the fields of trade and commerce, banking, finance and actuary, public office holders, and religious leaders rally round the Emir for value addition, recognition, guide and acknowledgement for the enhancement of their various preoccupations and for the good of Kano and the people of the Emirate.

Above all, the Emir had managed to remain neutral and took an apolitical posture refusing to be partisan.

The emir had helped in no small manner in stabilising his Emirate and in accepting to work in harmony with both civilian and military governments at various times both. The Emir had worked tirelessly in a very unobtrusive but firm and brotherly manner with our administration and had rendered useful counsel on several matters of national interest in a selfless respectable manner. I remain grateful to the emir for all the support and encouragement he gave me during the eight years of our administration.

As he marks the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of his ascension to the throne, I wish to congratulate him and to wish him good health and many years of tireless service to our people and humanity.

I pray for him to have a much longer reign and for the guidance, protection and blessings of Allah Azza wa Jallah. Amin.

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 814 292 9046. Cell: +234 802 443 2099; 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdailyng.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141