Peoples Daily Newspaper, Friday 15, March, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 10 No. 55

Friday, March 15, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Jonathan signed single term agreement, Aliyu insists

APC: Acronym our intellectual property - Ikimi

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>> PAGE 4

Jimadal Ula 4, 1434 AH

N150

Reps prescribe life jail for rapists >> PAGE 4

L-R: Representative of APGA, Senator Annie Okonkwo, Chairman, CPC Merger Committee, Alhaji Garba Gadi, Chairman, ACN Merger Committee, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chairman, ANPP Merger Committee, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, and ACN Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the press conference on the activities of All Progressive Congress (APC), yesterday in Abuja. See story on Page 4 Photo: Mahmud Isa

State pardon

FG, states, LGs share N886bn February allocation

History exposes Jonathan’s gaffe T

By Abdulwahab Isa

Gen. Shehu Yar’adua not convicted Diya, Adisa, others already pardoned Granting pardon President’s right - Okupe

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

I

n what is generally believed to be part of a desperate move to justify the state pardon of the convicted former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, President Goodluck Jonathan blundered

badly when he introduced names of other prominent Nigerians who had been granted state pardon by previous governments, facts emerged yesterday.

Alamieyeseigha, who served as governor in Bayelsa State between 2000 and 2005, was President Jonathan's direct boss

then; he served as deputy governor of Bayelsa State when Alamieyeseigha was the state governor.

Taking advantage of Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution which requires him to seek advisory support from the Council of States, President Jonathan

listed this intention on the agenda of the Council of States meeting which held Tuesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and, consequently, used his constitutional powers to grant state pardon to his former boss, without bothering to check record Contd on Page 2

he implementation of the 2013 budget began yesterday with the release of N886.402 billion from the federation account to be shared by the three tiers of governmentfederal, states and local governments as allocation for the month of February.

The federal government also released N400 billion as first quarter allocation for capital buget.

A budget of N4.9 trillion was assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan for 2013, although some aspects of it have been slated for amendment by the National Assembly.

Both the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Contd on Page 2

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

S/Exchange S/Report Islam Int’l

23 24-25 26 27-30

Life has taught me to be humble- Actress Hafsat, Page 40

Strange World 31 Revue

32-33

Feature

34-35

Digest

36

Politics

37-39

Sports

41-45

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

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History exposes Jonathan’s gaffe Contd from Page 1 to avoid making mistakes.

Sources at the Tuesday council of meeting alleged that Alamieyeseigha was the reason for the pardon; such was Jonathan's seeming desperation that no fewer than three other people pardoned by the President are well known to have been pardoned by an earlier government.

Among those pardoned by the President are the elder brother to deceased President Umaru Yar'Adua, late General Shehu Musa YarAdua, and three former Army officers accused of coup plotting: Oladipo Diya, a former Chief of General Staff; MajorGeneral Abdulkareem Adisa; and Major Fadipe.

A former Managing Director of the defunct Bank of the North, Alhaji Shettima Bulama and Dr. Chiichii Ashwe also enjoyed President Jonathan's pardon.

Peoples Daily checks show that General Yar’adua was not convicted since he died while in detention as a suspect in a coup plot charge, and was therefore not deserving of a pardon.

He was neither tried nor convicted, and hence does not need to be pardoned.

There were also unconfirmed indications that the late Yar'Adua was pardoned along with President Olusegun Obasanjo by the Abdulsalam Abubakar administration.

The three army Generals who were accused of coup plotting by late Nigerian Head of State, Sani Abacha had earlier received pardon of clemency from Abdulsalam Abubakar administration and also earned President Jonathan's pardon.

The pardons were gazetted on March 4, 1999.

Sources at the meeting where President Jonathan tabled his list of candidates for pardon spoke of "an obvious and blatant administrative shoddiness that led to this repetition."

A Senior Advocate of Niger (SAN), Chef Mike Ahamba (SAN) told Peoples Daily that for President Goodluck Jonathan to grant Diya and co another State pardon again shows that there is a paucity of record by the Federal Government.

"There is a high display of lack

of record keeping by the government, if not, record would have shown that Diya and the other General s were earlier granted State Pardon by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

"The second pardon by President Jonathan is a subterfuge. In any way, it doesn't negate anything", Chief Ahamba stated.

Commenting also on Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who also enjoyed state pardon alongside Diya and others,the learned silk said: "Granting Alamieyeseigha state pardon by the Jonathan led administration was an embarrassment to the nation.

"Though the President has every right to do so, but, if I were him, I will not do so", he stated and declined to comment further.

Meanwhile The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) yesterday said President Jonathan's pardon for Alamieyesigha is proof he cannot lead Nigeria and called on credible elements currently serving the administration to quit and join concerned Nigerians who are working hard to help the nation fulfill her destiny.

The group, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kunle Famoriyo said "we are therefore of the opinion that it is time for real leaders to emerge to salvage the sinking ship of this land. President Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must be told clearly and without equivocation that they do not own this country. Of course, the real owners of this country, the Nigerian people would in due course take their destiny into their hands by combining forces to terminate this conspiratorial contraption that has been foisted on them by a band of wicked and unconscionable people.", Similarly, civil society groups have called on President Jonathan to either reverse the pronouncement or face impeachment process.

The condemnation was jointly made yesterday in Abuja by the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr. Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, National Secretary, Zero Corruption Coalition, Mr. Babatunde Ouluajo and Jaiye

Gaskiya of United Action for Democracy.

According the groups, the President's move gives room for concern especially with his much celebrated fight against corrupt practices.

"This action of Jonathan administration raises concerns about its commitments to the acclaimed fight against corruption. "It is a naked dance in the public place," groups said.

The group also alleged that, the main reason behind the presidential pardon was Alamamieyeseigha and that the other few names were to avoid suspicion.

"We are convinced that, that focus of the whole presidential pardon was Mr. Alamamieyeseigha, except that it was only deceitful, window dressed by adding a few other names," they said.

Though the groups respect the constitutional pardon as enshrined in section 175 of the 1999 constitution as amended, Jonathan's decision according to them puts a shadow on the genuineness of his administration in terms of fighting corruption.

The groups are of the concern that, aside the national embarrassment the President's action portrays, it will have bad implication on corrupt cases in Nigeria.

"The President's action has the potential to de-motivate Nigeria's anti-corruption institutions like EFCC, ICPC to effectively deliver on their mandate.

"What this administration has done is utter contempt of Nigerians, we call for punishment of those stealing but instead, amnesty is being given to them," they said.

They called on all Nigerians to resist what they described as "Act of impunity, Goodluck should reverse his action or Nigerian will have to go on the street again."

According to them, impeachment process should commence on President Jonathan if he fails to go back on his decision.

Meanwhile, the Presidency yesterday issued a statement defending the state pardon to Alamieyeseigha, asserting the president’s right to act and refuting criticisms about the propriety of the decision.

Presidential Spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, said the pardon will not encourage public officials to loot the state treasury, as critics have warned, and dismissed similar arguments that the pardon was to prepare Mr. Alamieyeseigha, convicted for huge fraud eight year ago, for elections in 2015.

A Premium Times report quoted Mr. Okupe as saying, the former governor would have qualified to seek elective office by 2015, when it would have been 10 years since he was convicted, as stipulated by the constitution.

“Alamieyeiseigha was jailed in 2006, he has already spent eight years after his conviction; the Nigerian Constitution allows you to stand for any post ten years after you must have served your jail term. So whether President Goodluck Jonathan granted him pardon or not, by 2015 he will be fully qualified and eligible to run for election,” Mr. Okupe said.

But it will only be nine, and not 10 years by 2015, since the former governor left jail, invalidating Mr. Okupe’s claim.

At a press conference yesterday, Okupe said critics were wrong by claiming the presidential pardon showed the administration was abdicating an already shaky antigraft effort.

“It is out of place to suggest that the pardon is tantamount to abandoning the fight against corruption in Nigeria. This is too far from the truth,” he said.

Europa League: Chelsea, Spurs win

By Sonde Abbah

T

wo England teams, Chelsea and Totenham Hotspurs, marched into the quarterfinals of Europe’s second-tier football competition, Europa League, last night.

Spurs lost their match versus

Inter Milan 4-1 but still sailed ahead on 4-4 aggregate, thanks to the away goals rule.

Chelsea, the reigning Champions League kings, on their part, won 3-1 to seal a place in the last eight of Europa Leauge courtesy of a 3-2 aggregate triumph.

FG, states, LGs share N886bn Feb allocation Contd from Page 1 Okonjo-Iweala and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Joseph Otunla confirmed the commencement of implementation of the budget to journalists yesterday in Abuja.

Special Adviser on media to Okonjo-Iweala, Paul Nwabuiku in a statement said out of the N400 billion capital budget, N120 billion had been set aside to for two important initiatives, which include, N75 billion to cater for retiring of bonds in line with government’s new initiative of managing public debt, and N45 billion to pay PHCN workers.

In a similar development yesterday, the monthly

Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) which had in attendance, the 36 states Commissioners of finance, states’ Auditor-General and representatives of revenue generating agencies met over distribution of revenue allocation for the month of February.

Giving the breakdown, AGF said gross revenue of N571.676 billion was received for the month, an amount lower than N651.265 billion received in the previous month by N79.589 billion.

He attributed the sharp drop to the pipeline vandalism at Bonny, Forecados and Brass Terminals.

The total statutory

distributable revenue for the month stood at N450.263 billion while there was provision of N173.595 billion as augmentation bringing the total statutory allocation to N623.768 billion.

Also distributed, was the N7.617 billion refunded by the Nigerian National petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The sum of N35.549 billion was also approved for distribution under SURE-P program.

The total sum of N886.402 billion distributed is included of Value Added Tax (VAT). Of the amount, federal government got the highest allocation sum of N209.856 billion followed by states, N106.442 billion and local

governments collectively got N82.062 billion while 13 percent derivation for oil producing states stood at N47.484 billion.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Commissioner of Finance Forum, Mr. Timothy Odah has said that discovery of oil by countries that hitherto depended on Nigeria for their crude oil supply is not a threat to the economic survival of the country.

He said development should rather be seen as blessing in disguise adding that “we should be thinking of how to utilize what we realized as at now in order to diversify the economy and encourage investment in certain profitable areas”.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 3

Power sector privatization stands, says Minister

By Etuka Sunday

M

inister of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo, has reaffirmed Federal Government’s position on the privatization road map, saying it there is no going back on the decision to deregulate the electricity power sector.

The Minister said plans were underway by government to approve what he called the Road Map II, to strengthen and take care of the lapses that were identified.

Nebo who spoke when he received a delegation from USAID, noted that more investors were still needed in the power sector and appealed to USAID to take advantage of the revolution that is about to happen in the power sector by investing in the sector.

In his response, Head of the delegation, Dana Mansuri, said the

visit was prompted by the efforts of government in recent times which have caught the attention of President Barack Obama of the United States.

Pledged USAID’s support to complement the efforts of government, urged Nigeria to keep to the plan and ensure credibility and integrity in the entire process.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) is also seeking registration as a political party from INEC. The Acting National Chairman of the African People’s Congress (APC), Chief Onyinye Ikeagwuonu, has unveiled the party’s logo, acronym, and emblem.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Ikeagwuonu said that the emblem of the association would be a blazing sun (white hot) on a red square background.

“The slogan of the party shall

be APC: New Nigeria: Great Africa, while the party flag shall be a red flag with the APC white sun logo imprinted in centre of the flag,” he said.

According to him, “the major objective of the party is centred on the people, to reclaim our crumbling institutions and failing nation, and to give Nigerians reasons to believe again.”

“Today, Nigerians have a party that is committed to rebuilding Nigeria. “Poverty of leadership” has been the problem of Nigeria since 1999.”

Ikeagwuonu said that government at the federal, state and local levels had failed to cleanse Nigeria of corruption, regardless of the party at the helm of affairs.

He urged the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) to urgently investigate the

sources of funds used to purchase private jets by some state governors even as he condemned what he described as the desperation of some people for power in the country.

Commenting on the controversy surrounding the name APC, its Legal Adviser, Mr. Kingsley Nnadi, maintained that the acronym should not be the problem.

He said that no other party had officially registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) except African People’s Congress.

Nnadi said, “my party has no link with PDP, in fact, our intention is to take over power from the ruling party.

“If PDP is ruling well, there would have been no need for APC to come up and we are out because PDP has failed to touch the lives of Nigerians.”

FG proposes Police Academy

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

S

enate yesterday acknowledged the receipt of a Bill from President Goodluck Jonathan, seeking to establish an academy for the Nigerian Police.

In a letter signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, he said the Bill, titled “Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Police Academy (Establishment, ETC) Bill, 2013”, is being introduced to the Senate for formal consideration and enactment into law.

He urged them to give the Bill the expeditious treatment it deserves.

In a related development, the Senate yesterday approved the renewal of the tenure of the Deputy Governor of Central Bank, Alhaji Suleiman Barau, from Kaduna state.

Privatization: Firm pays $33m for Eko Distribution Company

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Pupils of Challenge Your Disability Initiative during the inauguration of Miri health facility, yesterday in Bauchi.

Photo: NAN

he Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) on Thursday said a consortium, including Siemens Ltd of Germany has paid $33.75 million for the Eko Distribution Company.

A statement issued in Abuja by the BPE confirmed that the payment was for the mandatory 25 per cent of the total cost of the transaction value for the sold electricity firm.

Eko Distribution Company is one of the eleven electricity distribution firms that have been put up for sale by the BPE and the 60 per cent equity of the company is valued at 135 million dollars.

The other electricity distribution firms proposed for sale are located in Ibadan, Ikeja, Abuja, Enugu, Jos, Port Harcourt, Yola, Kano, Benin and Kaduna.

“West Power and Gas made the payment in two tranches, ahead of the March 21, 2013 deadline for the bidders to pay the mandatory 25 per cent of the total cost of the transaction value.

MDGs, stakeholders meet to combat maternal mortality

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Senior Special Assistant on the Millennium Development Goals, OSSAPMDGs and other stakeholders in the health sector have again declared their resolve to fight the menacing problem of maternal mortality in the country.

The commitment was made at the just-concluded workshop organised for the validation of the report from the MDGs Acceleration Framework (MAF) Technical session.

Speaking at the forum, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr Precious

Kalamba Gbeneol represented by the Director MDGs, Babalola Lateef, noted that the government was concerned about the rate of women dying during pregnancy their pregnancy and delivery.

“As you well know there is a significant urban-rural divide in estimates, with rural areas doing considerably worse. Again as you know, there is significant regional variation: maternal mortality estimates in the North East zone are very high, compared with low estimates in the South West zone. In order for Nigeria to succeed in achieving Goal 5 by 2015, a concerted effort

is required to mitigate this growing in-country divergence,” Gbeneol stated.

In his keynote address, the Minister of Health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by a Director in the Ministry, Ngozi Azodo stated that the MAF initiative remains a welcome strtegy.

“It remains our expectation at the Federal Ministry of Health that the application of MAF to MDG 5 will lead very quickly to additional gains and performance improvement. We must never lose sight of the fact that we must do all within our power to further save the lives of our mothers and

children,” Onyebuchi noted.

The minister added that the onus was on the government and all stakeholders in the health sector to transform words and documents into definitive accomplishments and implement the agreed action plan.

MAF is designed by the United Nations to increase the efficiency of attainment of the MDGS through the identification of bottlenecks and barriers to progress in the run up to the 2015 deadline.

At the moment, MAF is being applied to goal 5 as the first of the Goals to go through the acceleration process and targeted at reducing the occurrences of

maternal mortality by the Federal Government in partnership with the United Nations Country System in Nigeria and United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The validation workshop of the MAF action plan was a culmination of a three-month painstaking process that has seen the aggregation of nationwide expertise and experience across all the states of the nation, from all levels of society including actors who function in all areas of healthcare provision for mothers through the pregnancy and birth process.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Reps prescribe life jail for rapists

A

L-R: Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman; Niger state governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu; governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; and former minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, during the opening ceremony of the Minna national discourse on corruption, yesterday at the Idris Legbo international conference center, in Minna.

Jonathan signed a single term agreement, Aliyu insists From Iliya Garba, Minna

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iger state Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has reaffirmed his earlier proclamation that President Goodluck Jonathan signed a single term agreement with some governors from the northern part of the country before the 2011 presidential election.

Speaking yesterday in Minna at a National Discourse on Corruption, jointly organized by the Niger state government and the National Planning From Umar Dankano, Yola

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damawa State government has expressed the need for the private sector to partner with the various state governments to promote technical skills acquisition by the Nigerian youths as they possess the required potentials capable of promoting socio- economic development of the nation.

The state Governor, Murtala Nyako, disclosed this yesterday in Yola, during the 2nd Adamawa State Job Fair, which attracted various companies from across the country and abroad.

Nyako stressed that there were great benefits achievable by his government’s partnership with the private sector that were inclined to offering technical aids and support to youths whose talents were awakened to realize their best for themselves and for the socio economic development of the state.

He said that the job fair was aimed at providing a forum for interaction between prospective employers of labour and their prospective employees, adding that the forum had afforded opportunity for graduates to take note of their potentials and the jobs that abound in the companies that were at the job fair.

Commission, with the theme ‘Confronting Trends of Indiscipline, Corruption and Disregard for Rules and Regulations in Nigeria’, Aliyu noted his statement has elicited a number of reactions with numerous people demanding clarifications from him.

According to the Governor, “if the truth must be told then I stand by what I said, adding that he remains a committed and loyal member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but that “the party must toe the line of

sanity and correct its steps to become stronger for future polls.”

He described corruption as a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the country saying that financial corruption in high places is being perpetuated jointly by public servants and political appointees.

In his own remarks, a former Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, warned against the manipulation of the 2015 general elections, in the interest of the survival of the nation.

Baba Ahmed who noted that previous elections in the country were as transparent as expected observed that it is for this reason that Nigeria has been wobbling politically.

He described the PDP as “a party heading for the rocks.”

The lead speaker at the programme, former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, said that over $500 billion was siphoned out of Nigeria between 1960 and 2012 and recommended the death penalty for corrupt public officials.

Four universities collaborate with Adamawa on technical skills development Nyako explained that the state has graduated over 1,000 youth from its technical training centres.

The governor said as a result of the potent equipment that were abound at the various skills acquisition centres, a number of Nigerian

universities have been sending students on Industrial Training (IT) to acquire various technical skill.

The universities include Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University, Kano, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola and

University of Maiduguri.

The Job Fair for Technical Skills Acquisition and Specialized Works Trade Training Centres, supported by the International Training and Support(ITS) and Technical Training Service Limited and its subsidiary in Nigeria.

APC: Acronym our intellectual property- Ikimi

H

ours after the African Peoples Congress unveiled its logo and national secretariat in Abuja, the All Progressives Congress said the acronym, APC, remained its intellectual property and it will not relinquish it.

This is just as news emerged that another political association with a similar acronym, All Patriotic Citizens, has also applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for registration as a political party.

The African Peoples Congress and the All Progressive Congress had been laying claim to the acronym, APC, before the emergence of All Patriotic

Citizens.

Tom Ikimi, chairman of the Merger Committee of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, insisted at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday that the All Progressives Congress will not let go of the acronym.

He also accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of masterminding the formation of the African Peoples Congress and All Patriotic Citizens.

He spoke on behalf of the leaders of the other parties in the merger - Annie Okonkwo of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA; Ibrahim Shekarau of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and; Garba Gadi of theCongress for Progressive Change, CPC. "They are trying to muddy

the waters by establishing all forms of APCs. Apart from the name of the party, it is the names of individuals that make the party. Nigerians are tired of PDP. "We have it on good authority that the establishment, gravely troubled by the emergence of a united opposition, has set up a high powered team headed by a very high ranking officer of government and furnished with unlimited resources from public funds with a clear mandate to corrupt the democratic institutions and destabilize the opposition,'' he added.

Mr. Ikimi explained that the legal and constitutional process required to formalize the merger was in place.

ctionAid Nigeria has hailed the House of Representatives on the passage of a bill approving life imprisonment for anyone convicted of rape in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by Mr Tunde Aremu, the Policy Advocacy and Campaigns Manager of the organization.

The House had earlier on Thursday approved that persons convicted of gang-raping a victim would be liable jointly to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

This followed the passage of a Bill for an Act to Eliminate Violence in Private and Public Life and Prohibition all Forms of Violence.

The Bill also seeks to prohibit violence related to physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices and discrimination against persons.

The statement said, “by this act, the Nigerian parliamentarians have acted in such manner that raises hope that the socially disadvantaged and the poor can still look up to them for succour”.

The statement quoted the Women Rights Manager of ActionAid Nigeria, Patience Ekeoba, as saying that the legislators acted in the most responsible way expected of representatives of the people.

“By this singular act, they have rekindled hope of the people in the parliament as hope of the poor.

“They have also written their names in history. Many people will not forget this seventh National Assembly for this act.”

She called on the Senate to follow suit and make a concurrent passage of the bill. (NAN)

Kaduna records 500 measles cases

T

he Kaduna state government said on Thursday that it recorded 500 cases of measles in 19 local government areas of the state from December last year to date.

The state’s Rapid Response Team Leader, Julius Gajere, said in that no death has however, been recorded.

He said 83 per cent of the reported cases were in six local government areas.

Mr. Gajere gave the names of the affected local governments as Igabi, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Ikara, Makarfi and Kubau.

He also said that 96 per cent of the cases had manifested in children between nine to 59 months old.

“The main clinical features of the disease are fever, cough, conjunctivitis, runny nose and maculo-papular rashes.

“Investigation is being conducted on few specimens taken to the laboratory on trend analysis of measles in the state,” Mr. Gajere said.

He advised the affected local councils to provide drugs, water and clean environment to communities, to prevent further spread of the disease.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 5

Group slams Jonathan over Kebbi ministerial slot

By Christiana Popoola & Zainab Yahaya Kandi

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he Kebbi state Progressive Union, has berated President Goodluck Jonathan over the special duties ministerial slot given to the State, describing it as very unfair to the state.

A statement signed by the

group's general-secretary, Abdullah Kabiru Argungu, said that even though it was the discretion of the president to assign portfolios as he deems fit, the special duties slot was a spite on Kebbi people.

This, he said, was a payback for their recalcitrance to accept a retired General from Zuru which was also challenged by

both the party leaders in the state and the people after the defence minister Bello Haliru was relieved of his duty.

According to him, the President was irked by the boldness of the people in kicking against the nomination, resulting in the allocation of a forgotten and a non-existent ministry for special duties to the

man with towering pedigree of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The secretary-general queried the rationale behind detailing a SAN to an inconsequential organ when there is still a vacancy in the defense ministry, “with only two parastatals under it, the National Lottery Commission and the National Awards

Committee being perceived by people of Kebbi as a punishment.”

The group stated that the action of the president is likely to swim against the flow of public opinion in 2015, adding that, Jonathan is showing traits of antagonism towards a state as important to his aspirations in Kebbi state.

Atiku hails Ajimobi's urban programme From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

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R-L: President Goodluck Jonathan, in a handshake with President, Rotary International, Rotarian Wilfred Wilkinson, during the latter’s visit to the President, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

400 youths in Benue are homosexuals – AIDS C’ttee From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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enue State Executive Secretary, Action Committee on HIV/ AIDS, BENSACA, Mrs. Ashi Wende has lamented that over 400 youths in the State's higher institutions are indulged in homosexuality.

Mrs. Wende who made the alarming disclosure at a oneday HIV/AIDS Media forum

organized by the Ministry of Information yesterday in Makurdi, also revealed that a certain group of homosexuals hold their annual conference in the State every December.

"I stumbled into the group and wanted to know about their activities but they shut me out of the meeting which holds somewhere in high level part of Makurdi. I however, stood at the window and at each

moment interjected in their discussion. My agency is trying to partner with them to mitigate the spread of HIV/ AIDS in the State", she said.

The BENSACA boss also regretted the increasing rate of bi-sexual men in the State, noting that this contributes to the rising rate of HIV/AIDS infection whose figure is put at over 21.7 %, adding that adult infection accounts for 708,640

Japan boosts child immunization in Nigeria with N443m

By A'isha Biola Raji

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he United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has on behalf of children received the sum of N443 million to boost immunization process against infectious diseases.

This was disclosed at Exchange of Notes ceremony which took place in Abuja yesterday in the presence of minister of health, Prof.

Onyebuchi Chukwu between the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji and

Deputy Representative and Officer in Charge, UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Jacques Boyer and also the signing of grant agreement between the Chief Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Nigeria, Mr. Tetsuo Seki and again, Mr. Jacques Boyer.

The contribution by Japan has been a yearly affair with this year's contribution targeting, strengthening of cold chain used in preserving vaccines.

According to Mr. Tetsuo, the yearly contribution by government of Japan is to provide for solar refrigerators in filling the existing gaps in the cold chain system of Nigeria."This year, Japan will assist in routine immunization which will reduce child mortality," he said.

Since year 2000, the Japanese government has been supporting child survival interventions in general and infectious diseases especially in Nigeria.

while the number of children requiring anti-retroviral drug is 318, 888.

Mrs. Wende who said that there are over 40 treatment centers for the disbursement of anti-retroviral drugs to people living the disease, maintained that there was high need to scale up effective and efficient HIV/AIDS prevention in the State.

ormer Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has openly acknowledged the transformation of Ibadan from its former rural-urban setting to a modern state capital, commending the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for the urban renewal programme of his administration.

Alhaji Abubakar, who spoke during a courtesy call on the governor in his office in Ibadan, said he had lived in the state capital for some time and knew what the ancient city used to be which had earned it the stigma of being the dirtiest city in Nigeria. He, however, said that he was impressed with the new-look which Ibadan was wearing.

The former Vice President also commended the governor for the distribution of 320 tractors to local government councils, a feat which he said would boost agriculture and ensure food security in the state.

Alhaji Abubakar also described the governor as a member of his political family, with whom he had come a long way and shared some things in common.

In his remarks, Governor Ajimobi said that aside nipping security challenges in the bud, his administration had also succeeded in lifting Oyo from its old rural setting to a modern state.

Jonathan congratulates Pope Francis I

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday congratulated Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina on his historic election yesterday as the first Pope from the Americas and 265th successor to the Chair of St. Peter.

A statement signed by Presdential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati said:"With Cardinal Bergoglio's glowing antecedents as a great scholar, teacher, Catholic philosopher and very humane leader of the Church, President Jonathan welcomes his election as

successor to Pope Benedict XVI as a divinely inspired choice by the College of Cardinals and an unequivocal testimony of God's abiding presence in His Church and the world.

The President joins Catholics in Nigeria and other countries of the world in praying for God's blessings and Divine guidance for Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis as he assumes the papacy, trusting that he will put his acclaimed qualities and devoutness to the best possible use in resolutely guiding the Church through the many challenges it currently faces.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

ASUU cautions SSS over threat

L-R: Chairman; Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission, Sentor Dahiru Awaisu Kuta; Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Professor Shuaibu Oba Abdulraheem, and Chairman, House Committee on Federal Character Commission, Hon.Ahmed Idris; during a one-day national workshop onExecution on FCC Second Mandate and the Role of External Development Partners, yesterday in Abuja.

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

A

cademic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria chapter has warned the State Security Service (SSS) to desist from its continued intimidation of Professor Haruna Kaita of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry over a lecture presentation.

The union, in a letter signed by its Chairman, Dr. M. K. Aliyu, and addressed to the Director of the State Security Service in Kaduna, expressed its concern over several attempts by SSS to intimidate the lecturer and called on operatives of State SSS to leave Professor Kaita alone.

"For the avoidance of doubt, all academic staff anywhere in the world enjoys what is known as Academic Freedom as sanctioned by International Conventions and norms. Therefore, Professor Kaita owes nobody or any organization explanation on what he presented.

"ASUU-ABU Zaria is asking the SSS to desist from harassing our members in ABU and elsewhere for carrying out their lawful and legal duties as academics.

"We cannot be intimidated or harassed by any group, be it governmental or not." While describing themselves as the "ivory tower" of solving people's problems, ASUU advised SSS to steer clear of its members as further harassment will be resisted by the body.

The latter was copied to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Inspector General of Police, Commandant of the Nigerian Army, DG, SSS Headquarters among others.

ECOWAS President lauds Akpabio on development By: Mike Etim, Uyo

P

resident of the Economic Community of West Africa States, Kadre' De' Sire Que 'draogo, has lauded the development strides of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state, describing him as a Governor with focus.

Que' draogo also congratulated the Governor on his emergence as the Chairman of the PDP Governors' Forum and expressed the hope that Uyo will provide the inspiration the body needs in reaching the goal for the region in their retreat scheduled to take place in the state capital.

The ECOWAS President made the commendation yesterday during a courtesy call to Akpabio, accompanied by the Vice President of the body, Dr. Toga Mclntosh, the speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Nigerian's Senator Ike Ekweremandu, President Community Court of Justice, Honourable Justice Awa Daboya Nana.

The ECOWAS body is in Uyo for a joint retreat between the Commission, ECOWAS Institutions, permanent representatives and national units of the body.

Akpabio commended them for choosing Uyo as venue for the retreat and charged the body to use the opportunity to foster-economic reintegration among member states.

"I want you to be ambassadors in spreading news about our development projects,'' he said.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Court dismisses NUC, Zain N200m copyright suit

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the preliminary objection brought before it by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Zain Nigeria in a N200 million copyright suit filed against them by a television production company.

The trial Judge, Justice Gabriel O. Kolawole, in his ruling, said the preliminary objection filed on June 8, 2009, by the NUC against the hearing of the substantive matter before the court by the defendants lacked merit.

He said the arguments of the defence counsel, S.O. Yahaya, in his preliminary objection on the "non justiceability of the suit and nondisclosure of any reasonable cause of

action" wasn't enough to dismiss Plaintiff's case against the first and second defendants.

Kolawole ruled that it would be against the tenets of justice for the court to refer to the facts pleaded in the statement of defence in order to resolve the issue as to whether the plaintiff's claim are justiceable or whether the suit discloses a reasonable cause of action.

"To do so will be to subject only pleaded facts not yet proven by admissible and tested evidence to judicial findings and determination.

"That will be contrary to the dictate of the constitution which requires the court to accord both parties a fair hearing and will run foul of the established judicial decisions by which a preliminary objection is to be

resolved on the facts as pleaded or presented by the plaintiff," the judge said. He added that it will neither serve the interest of justice nor of fair hearing of both parties to shut out the plaintiff from the seat of justice by peremptorily striking out and dismissing the plaintiff's action on the grounds that the suit is not justiceable, and doesn't disclose a reasonable cause of action against the first defendants without affording the plaintiff the benefit of hearing based on the facts pleaded in its statement of claim.

The judge directed counsels to the defendants, Yahaya and A. J. Ajala to file their statement of defence, adding that "I want to hear both parties through their counsel as to suitable date for trial."

The plaintiff in the writ of

summons is seeking a declaration that the decision of the NUC to approve the programme called "Acada Quiz," Zain African Challenge" and " University Challenge" in favour of the second defendant is an infringement of the copyright of the plaintiff.

Also, the plaintiff is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from producing, airing, marketing or exercising any right in respect of the mentioned programmes.

T. V. Xtra Production Limited is similarly asking for an order compelling the defendants to pay N200 million as general damages for airing the programmes and another N3million being the cost of the legal action.

Counsel representing the victims, Chief Sebastine Hon (SAN), who disclosed this while addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday said his clients who are among the over 2, 000 victims are not aware of any out of any court settlement between the Benue state government and the Federal Government.

According to him, "I hereby state categorically that whatever settlement the Federal Government and the Benue state government

have reached is not binding on my clients who reject same without the slightest equivocation.

"My clients were neither consulted nor did they consent to the terms of that so called settlement; hence reject it in its entirety. "The intention and action of the Benue state government which we conceded may have been for good purposes, are with respect not binding on my clients", Hon maintained.

He said over 14,000 persons were directly affected by the genocide of 2001 and hundreds of women and children have been widowed and orphaned by the senseless killing spree of the triggerhappy men and officers of the Nigerian Army that mowed down their husbands and fathers.

"Today, some of the survivors are living corpses. A particular young man had his genitals chopped off and acid poured in his anus. "Another woman also had her private part scrapped off and her two hands yanked off by the blood thirsty soldiers," he stated.

Hon urged President Goodluck Jonathan to direct the relevant agencies of the government to immediately pay the judgment debt of N41. 8 billion so as to right the wrongs of the Army and to reassure the Tiv people that they are bonafide Nigerians.

The Zaki-Biam town in Benue state was invaded in 2001 by armed soldiers during which over 2,000 citizens were reportedly massacred.

Zaki-Biam: Victims insist on N41.8bn

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

F

ollowing moves by the Federal Government to pay the Benue state government N8 billion as compensation to victims of the ZakiBiam invasion “the victims say they will not receive anything less that the N41.8 billion awarded to them by a Federal High Court in Enugu as compensation for the mass killing of their people in 2001.

Eight persons killed on Okene-Abuja road crash From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

T

he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Lokoja yesterday confirmed the death of eight persons, including a child in accident involving a luxury bus and an 18-seater Hiace vehicle along the Okene-Abuja road. Eyewitness accounts said that the luxury bus coming from Okene direction overtook a truck on a hill and rammed

into an 18-seater bus from the opposite direction.

According to the accounts, the driver of the luxury bus was also killed with his mate severely injured.

He stated that before the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) arrived the scene, most of the passengers in the bus were already dead.

Confirming the accident, the Sector Commander of the FRSC,

Muhammed Garba, said the accident involved a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number XB 111 KWU and a Mercedez buss car with registration number XR 106 EKY respectively.

He said 22 people were involved in the accident, eight died while five others were injured.

He said that over speeding and dangerous overtaking might have caused the accident.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 7

FAAN orders Bureau De Change operators out of airports From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

F

R-L: Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye-Olajumoke Akinjide; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate; and Executive Director , National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA),Dr. Ado Mohammed; during a visit by the Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication to the Minister of FCT, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Jonathan approves World Engineering Conference for Abuja

By Miriam Humbe

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has given approval for the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to host the World Engineering Conference in Abuja next year.

With the theme, “Development of Sustainable

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he Federal Government has appointed Capt.

Fola Akinkuotu to replace Harold Demuren as the new Director General for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

In a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, David Mark, President Goodluck Jonathan noted that the appointment is in compliance with Section 8 (1) of the Civil Aviation Act of 2006.

In the letter, Jonathan reminded the lawmakers that following concerns expressed by aviation stakeholders on

Infrastructure in Africa,” Jonathan also directed the Federal Ministry of Works to collaborate with the NSE towards a successful conference.

The NSE President, Mustafa Shehu, dropped the hint in Abuja yesterday when he hosted senators and members of the House of Representatives as well

as engineers who are chief executive officers of Federal Government agencies and those occupying key positions in the Millennium Development Agencies.

According to Shehu, “the forth coming event has received the approval of the Presidency as President Jonathan has written

to congratulate us and instructed the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, to work with us.”

The NSE President who also announced his election as President in Waiting for the Federation of African Engineers (FEA) solicited the cooperation of members to ensure a hitch-free event.

perceived poor internal audit and quality assurance in the NCAA, government agreed to relieve the former DG, Harold Demuren, of his appointment.

He pointed out that the sack was in line with the provisions of Sections 8 (3) (a) and (c) of the Civil Aviation Act of 2006, adding that the new DG for NCAA comes from the same geo-political zone with Demuren.

Jonathan, who emphasized that his government is in the process of restructuring the NCAA for better and more efficient service

delivery, also urged the Senate to expeditiously consider and confirm the nominee.

Owing to recent series of aircraft mishaps in the aviation sector which have claimed over 2000 lives, Senate mandated its Committee on Aviation to investigate both the remote and immediate causes of the crashes.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the aviation engineer who cleared the Dana Air which crashed and killed over 150 passengers on board was not type-rated for that air craft.

The committee also discovered that the appointment of Demuren as the DG of NCAA had expired.

Based on the report, Senate passed a resolution directing President Jonathan to sack the former NCAA DG with immediate effect.

In compliance, last week, Presidency announced its decision to sack the embattled DG as requested by the Senate.

Nevertheless, the letter, with the CV, was committed by the senate to its committee on Aviation for scrutiny.

FG appoints new DG for NCAA

Police Creates new Maritime Command

By Lambert Tyem

P

olice authorities in Abuja yesterday announced the creation of a new Maritime Command to be situated at the Louis Edet House Police Force Headquarters.

Police Spokesman, Frank Mba, said the new command would be headed by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Mark A. Idakwo.

According to him, “the Maritime Command will be domiciled at Force Headquarters, Abuja, under the operational control of ‘B’ Department.

“The new command which enjoys the status of a Zone is a fusion of the Marine Police Command, the Police Ports

• Redeploys seven AIGs Authority Command and the Inland Waterways Formation.

“The Maritime Police Command is further broken into Western Maritime Command with headquarters in Lagos, the Eastern Maritime Command with headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers state and the Marine Command with headquarters also situated in Lagos.

“Each of these subsidiary commands under the Maritime Police Command is headed by a Commissioner of Police.

“The Maritime Command is charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and providing adequate security

in our ports and harbours.

“The new command is also saddled with the task of tackling contemporary security challenges such as armed robbery, piracy, kidnapping, gun running and other related crimes in our creeks, harbours and territorial waterways.”

Nba named the officers affected by the redeployment exercise to include, AIG Jonathan Johnson who is posted to head Zone 6, comprising Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers state police commands with headquarters in Calabar.

He said, “AIG Christopher Dega now heads Zone 8, Lokoja

which comprises of Ekiti, Kogi and Kwara state police commands.

“Zone 3, with headquarters in Yola and comprising of Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba state police commands, now have AIG Mohammed J. Abubakar as its new head while AIG Tambari Y. Mohammed is the new AIG Zone 9 comprising of Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Imo State Police Commands.

Zone 10 with headquarters at Sokoto and covering Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara State Police Commands is now headed by AIG Sule Mamman, fwc; while Police Academy (POLAC) situated in Wudil – Kano, now has AIG Adisa Baba Bolanta, fwc, as its new Commandant.

ederal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has asked Bureaux de Change operators to relocate from airport facilities across the county.

The decision comes on the heels of a robbery attack at the car park of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Wednesday night during which two policemen were killed while scores of other persons were injured.

The FAAN explained yesterday that activities of the money changers have become attractive to men of the underworld a development which has given rise to a rise in attacksa at the nation’s airports.

Conducting journalists around the scene of Wednesday’s robbery incident, FAAN General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati, noted however that the “robbery attack was quite far away from the terminal building, in fact, about 2000 meters from the building and that is quite a distance.”

He said the incident has underscored the decision of the agency to remove all unauthorized business activities carried out around the airport surroundings.

“This is a car park where people who operate Bureaux de Change, carry out their businesses and that was what attracted the robbers and for that, FAAN has ordered the closing of all such businesses within the airport premises at the local wings of the Lagos airport and at the Abuja airport in order to ensure that we clear the airport and the premises of elements that tend to attract these robbers.

“The incident has underscored the importance of the fact that there is no individual that is bigger than the country and whatever we need to do to protect lives and properties is paramount and such override any other consideration.

“About three weeks ago, we attempted to clear the area beside the tarmac and we were surprised that people came up with papers that the areas have been concessioned to them.

“These are some of the problems we are encountering, for every step FAAN takes to clear the airport environment, you see somebody appearing with a sheet of paper saying he is a concessionaire affirming that such and such place has been given to them as lease for 40 or 50 years.”

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

L-R: BBC Business Development Associate, Muhammad Abba; BBC Editor, Hausa Service Nigeria, Bashir Sa’ad Abdullahi; BBC Business Development Manager West Africa, Stive Martins; Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, BBC Hausa Service, Mansur Liman, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Muhammad Abubakar Kachalla; and Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media, Umar Sani; during a visit to the VP by BBC executive on Tuesday at the State House, in Abuja.

L-R: Federal Commissioner; representing Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mr. Useni Gangum, Director Fund, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Babayo Shehu, and Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla; during the Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting, yesterday in Abuja.

L-R: Lagos state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye; Chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Commitee on Education, Mr Alawaye King, Lagos state Governor, Babatunde Fashola; and Public Affairs Manager (Lagos/West); Nigerian Bottling Company, Mr Ifeoma Okoye; during the Corporate Social Responsibility Award, yesterday in Lagos.

Chairman, Expert Group on PHC in Nigeria, Dr. Shehu Mahdi (2nd left), handing over the Group`s report to ED/CEO, NPHCDA, Dr. Ado Muhammad (2nd right), yesterday in Abuja. With them are Director, Primary Health Care Development System, Dr. Mohammed Abdullahi (right), and former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Shehu Sule (left).

R-L: President, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Community Development Service Group of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Malam Usman Abdullahi, presenting drugs to Alhaji Musa Kuna, officer in charge of Pantami Primary Health Care Centre for distribution to pregnant women, and children, yesterday in Gombe.

Photos: Mahmud Isa, Joe Oroye, Justin Imo-Owo & NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 9

Minister commissions renovated Kano airport terminal

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

T

he Minister of aviation, Ms Stella Oduah will be in Kano today to commission the re-modelled Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) terminal.

The terminal, which is the fourth remodeled to be commissioned in the last five months, has a full complement of modern facilities, including a

walkway on the airside, a new cooling system, conveyor belt, check in counters, and an ultra-modern VIP lounge.

MAKIA, which is the oldest terminal in the country, has also undergone an extension of the

departures lounge with increased seating capacity, and refurbishment of its upper floor, for better ambience.

MAKIA is one of the eleven airports earmarked for remodeling in the first phase of the Airport Remodeling Project of

the Federal Government, designed to modernise all airports in the country, in line with existing international standards and practices.

So far, the minister has spearheaded the commissioning of four re-modelled airports that

include: DomesticTerminal I, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; General Aviation Terminal, Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, and Benin Airport Terminal, that was commissioned last week Friday.

Yuguda’s wife builds health centre for less privileged in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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he wife of the Bauchi state Governor, Hajia Abiodun Auwa Isa Yuguda who is also the initiator of a Non Governmental Organization, Challenge Your Disability Initiative (CYDI) has constructed a health centre for the less privileged in the state to enable them have access to quality health services.

The governor who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Aminu Sagir Saleh while commissioning the health centre in Miri village, Bauchi Local Government Area of the state, commended CYDI for the project saying it would go a long way to improve the health needs of the people.

He called on other NGO’s, community-based organizations as well as well meaning individuals to emulate the gesture in improving the living standard of the people especially the less privileged persons.

Yuguda said the state government has sponsored some disabled students on various courses to ensure that they acquired quality education to enable them compete with other students.

He then called on LG caretaker chairmen as well as the communities to ensure proper maintenance of the health facility and other projects for the development of the state.

In her address, , Hajia Abiodun Isa Yuguda said the Health centre would not only cater for the people with disabilities but also the communities around the area.

According to her, the clinic was constructed with support from healthcare International to promote maternal child health care as well as provide more access to reproductive health services for the people with disabilities at Miri and its environs.

She said: “CYDI work cuts across four focus areas which are Health Education, Advocacy and Livelihoods programmes. These are very essential and important in the life of every person most especially as it affects persons with disabilities. PWDs are vulnerable to all forms of diseases due to poverty and inaccessibility to health facilities as well as stigma, lack of sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired and Braille for the visually Impaired.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, and Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Ryuichi Shoji, during the exchange of notes and grand agreement signing ceremony for the project for infectious disease prevention for children in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Nasarawa SUBEB distributes materials to special kids From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

T

he Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), has distributed instructional materials and equipment to students in special education schools in Keana, Lafia and Keffi as well as Kokona, Wamba, Nasarawa-Eggon, Lafia East and Karshi.

Items distributed at the occasion included 21 tricycles , 20 hearing aids, four sets each of computer monitors, CPUs,

modems, tables and chairs, as well as printers, together with quantities of duplicating papers.

In a keynote address delivered on the occasion, which held at the premises of the Relevant Technology, in Lafia, Executive chairman of NSUBEB, Malam Abdulkarim Muhammad Abdullahi, said the distribution of instructional materials, vocational training kits and tricycles, marked the fulfilment of Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura’s promise to the people to improve and make teaching and

learning conducive for both teachers and students in the state.

The SUBEB chairman recalled some of the efforts of the board so far, including the reception of instructional material worth over N2m, construction of a male hostel worth N6m, while N4.16m was expended in the construction of another 2 blocks of classrooms/ office, with over N2m used in the development of teachers with special needs, in 2010 (using 2007 UBEC Intervention Fund).

Malam Abdulkarim added that the sum of N14, 452, 295.00

was expended from the 2008 Intervention Fund in 2011, for the construction of a male hostel in Keffi, 3 set of classroom furniture, instructional materials and hearing aids, vocational training kits and professional development of both staff and pupils.

21 physically challenged persons were presented with tricycles each to facilitate their easy movement, while twenty others were each given hearing aids, with the four special schools presented each with a computer facility.

a course as regards the new policy on the metering system for electricity consumers, which according to him would allow consumers to pay for exactly what they consumed and also control their cost.

Amadi said that the meeting was intended to clear the air about the announcement made in June last year that meters would be distributed freely to

consumers which was longer available.

Therefore the new scheme would ensure that those who paid for meters are given while those who pay tariff for electricity are metered without making additional payment for meters.

In a presentation, the Deputy General Manager, Safety and Standards, NERC, Engr.

Ezekwere said all vendors/

installers shall be certified by NERC/BPP, disclosing that NERC has developed guidelines for registration of importers/ manufacturers and vendors/ installers on the website which would help in the new system.

He added that all urban areas within Nigeria would have smart metering with prepayment functionality and upgradeable software.

NERC, stakeholders meet on new metering system

N

igerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) yesterday organized a stakeholders’ meeting for the full implementation of Credited Advance Payment for Meter Installation (CAPMI) as directed by the Federal Government.

The CAPMI metering system was introduced by NERC to ensure that customers are metered to eliminate wildly estimated bills following dissatisfaction from numerous customers about the old system of billing by DISCOs. With the CAPMI system, cost of meters and associated installation costs is as approved

by NERC and no profit shall be accrue to theDISCOs. The DISCOs shall follow a transparent and competitive procurement process determined by NERC/BPP in selecting the vendors/installers.

Speaking, the Chairman/ CEO NERC, Sam Amadi said the stakeholders’ meeting was to chat

Yuguda donates food items to disabled persons From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

B

auchi State Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda has donated over 8,400 bags of assorted food items for onward distribution to the disabled persons across the 20 local government’s councils of the state.

The governor, who made the donation through his aide, Alhaji Salisu Maisuga yesterday in Bauchi, said the food items would go a long way in alleviating their suffering.

According to him, the Yuguda administration has showed its determination to leave a legacy by giving the people a sense of belonging.

He said “the food items was meant for distribution to Blind persons, Lepers, Cripple, and the deaf and dumb in the society with a view to alleviate their sufferings and discourage them from begging”.

The items include 4,100 bags of maize, 2,300 bags of sorghum and 2,000 bags of rice.

In his response the Sarkin

Makafin Bauchi, Alhaji Abdullahi Jibrin who received the donation said , the items would be distributed across the 20 local government areas of the state to disabled persons.

Jibrin used the forum to thank the government for the gesture and reassured the government that the disabled persons would redouble their prayers for the success of the government as well as for the peace and prosperity of the state and the country at large.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

NABTEB records 57 % success in Maths, English From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

T

he National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has released results of November/ December 2012, showing slightly higher scores in Mathematics and English Language.

The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr Olatunji Aworanti announced the results at a press conference

yesterday in Benin City, Edo State Capital.

Aworanti said, over 57 percent of candidates passed mathematics, while 59 percent of them passed English Language out of 143, 018 candidates that sat for the National Business certificate (NBC) and Advanced National Technical Certificate (ANTC) examinations.

The Registrar attributed the feat achieved in English Language to introduction of e-learning,

adding that ‘’over 5, 198 examination malpractices cases were recorded in 2012 session’’, representing 3.87 percent higher than the previous session.

He said, some examination supervisors have been blacklisted, while, some candidates were being prosecuted across the country.

He also said, NABTEB has resolved to engage supervisors from the State Civil Service to minimize malpractices in subsequent examinations.

Ndokwa community decries marginalisation

By Joy Baba

T

he people of Ndokwa / Ukwani community in Delta state have decried gross marginalization of their communities by government at all levels and urged President Goodluck Jonathan to create opportunities for development and empowerment of youths in the area.

President General of the Ndokwa National Union, Mr. Paul Enebeli, stated this yesterday in Abuja when he led a delegation of the Ndokwa people on a courtesy call to the Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku in company of the Federal lawmaker representing the Ndokwa North Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Ossai Ossai.

Enebeli said that the people of Ndokwa believe in dialogue as the preferred option to the resolution of conflicts but however, government at all level should not mistake the peaceful disposition of the people of Ndokwa as an act of

cowardice.

According to him, “We however note that although the youths of Ndokwaland did not take to arms to drive home their grievances regarding the sordid state of their homeland occasioned by decades of oil exploration and exploitation, government appears not to have taken notice of our plight which is one and the same with those of all youths in the Niger Delta” Enebeli added that Ndokwa had no highly placed government official like permanent secretary or minister in addition the noticeable absence of Federal Government facilities in the area.

In his reaction, Mr Kuku said the President had made arrangement for the creation of empowerment opportunities to youths of violence impacted communities to which Ndokwa belongs.

He urged the Ndokwa youths to continue to be peaceful adding that government would reach them sooner than they expected.

New perm sec assumes duty in youth ministry

By Albert Akota

D

L-R: Members of Civil Society Group on Anti-Corruption and Good Governance, Alhaji Yunusa Zakariya'u, Comrade Jaye Gaskiya, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, and Comrade Ezenwa Nwangu, during the press conference by the group on presidential pardon to former Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Why Alamieyeseigha deserves presidential pardon- NSG From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Executive Secretary of the National Summit Group (NSG) Mr Tony Uranta yesterday justified the state pardon granted to former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, saying he was instrumental to the peace and development currently enjoyed in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, Uranta said that Alamieyeseigha deserved the pardon granted to him by the National Council of States because of his role in ensuring peace and progress in the Niger Delta region.

Uranta reiterated that the pardon was in tandem with practices all over the world. “ The United States of

America during the tenure of Bill Clinton granted state pardon to his brother who was involved in drug trafficking” he said.

“This notwithstanding, Alamieyeseigha played great roles in bringing the Niger Delta insurgency to an end.

“He risked his life to ensure that there was peace in the Niger Delta so as not to affect the nation’s economy that depends so much on oil for revenue.

“The former governor is still playing same roles to ensure that the peace in the region is sustained” he said.

According to Uranta, the peace initiatives of Alamieyeseigha has benefitted the country in immeasurable ways.

He said that the fact that

Alamieyeseigha was from the minority group in the country and that it happened while someone from the region was at the helm of affairs did not make it immoral. “ President Goodluck Jonathan has the prerogative to reject or embrace advice of the council of states and since he approved of their recommendations showed it is the right thing to do” he further said.

On amnesty to the Boko Haram, Uranta urged members of the sect to come out publicly and surrender their arms.

“They should also undertake never to terrorise the nation again and that should be the basis for which they should be considered for the privilege”, he added.

r. Tunji Olaopa who was newly deployed to the Federal Ministry of Youth Development has assumed duty following the formal handing over ceremony which took place in the Ministry yesterday between him and the former Permanent Secretary, Baba Umar Faruk now in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

During the brief handing over ceremony, Dr. Olaopa informed senior management staff of the Ministry that he is familiar with youth matters having had the privilege of being a union activist during his days in the university.

He praised his predecessor

whom he described as a senior colleague and mentor and pledged to operate an open administration that places high premium on team work and cooperation.

Dr. Olaopa said ‘I will give due attention to capacity building and welfare of staff up to the least junior during my time in this Ministry’.

He called on all staff to be more diligent and committed to the mandate of the Ministry.

In his remarks, the former Permanent Secretary, Baba Umar Faruk expressed satisfaction with the sense of cooperation and professionalism displayed by staff and charged them to give same cooperation to his successor.

Odua group to honour Awo, Ajasin, Fawehinmi

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

A

Pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, the Odua Future Group said it is putting together a posthumous award to honour leaders of the Yoruba who contributed toward the upliftment of the welfare of the people of the region in their different endeavours.

Among leaders from the region pencilled from honour include late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Bola Ige, Pa Adekunle Ajasin, human rights activist late Gani Fawehinmi and Chief Abraham Adesanya all whom the organizers said had left their footprints in the sand of time while

alive.

President of Odua Future Group, Abidemi Adesanya told reporters the late leaders’ epitomised hardwork during their life time as they all touched humanity beyond their enclave affirming that they helped to project the Yoruba culture which emphasizes the importance of hard work.

“The award is to honour among these our icons men and women of integrity, honesty and hardwork and to send a message to the upcoming generation that the saying of our fore-fathers still hold water that “ise logun ise” which means hardwork is the antidote to poverty”, he said.

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Retirement planning is never late, fast track it now T

here is never a time it will no longer be useful to plan for retirement. Even when it is perceived to be totally late, something can still be done. While it cannot be argued that planning and contributing early in time has unquantifiable benefit, there is still hope for you if you have not started at.

However, it's never too late to start! So if you have put off preparing for retirement and are afraid it may be too late, don't panic. You can still make solid progress toward your financial goals if you make the effort now.

The following tips will help you on your way.

Get started right away!

Forget the past. Your retirement planning begins today. By making the right moves, you can lay a foundation for a more financially secure future. Doing something to save for your retirement is always better than doing nothing.

Make the most of TaxAdvantaged plans If you have access to a

retirement plan at work, make sure you take full advantage of all the tax benefits it offers.

Contribute enough to get the full amount of any matching contributions. And if possible, contribute the maximum amount allowed. After you've put as much as you can into your workplace-sponsored retirement plan, look into other savings plans you might be eligible for, including taking up some life insurance covers..

Finding the money to save To help find more money to contribute, take a look at your current budget and expenses.

What are you willing to give up today to make an investment in your future? There are some obvious possibilities-the daily drinking of Beer with friends, eating out, paying off credit card debt. Dig deeper to find more-for example: *Raise the deductibles on your homeowners and car insurance policies *Cut back on your cable and/ or Internet service

*Find a cheaper cell phone plan *Drop your gym membership (and exercise at home) *Cut your dry cleaning bill by washing certain garments at home *Pay your bills online instead of by mail (saves you time and money) *Keep your car longer *Re-evaluate your life insurance needs to see if there are cheaper alternatives *Sell some possessions that you no longer want or need Invest the money you free up in your retirement plan account.

You don't have to give up all of life's luxuries-but making some adjustments here and there and contributing the amount saved to your retirement plan account can make a big difference over time.

Invest more aggressively With limited time to save for retirement, you may need to step up your investment strategy a bit in order to reach your goals.

Consider allocating a larger percentage of your retirement dollars to stock funds, which may offer greater potential for return.

This may expose your portfolio to more volatility, but if your money is invested too

conservatively, your account may not be able to keep up with inflation.

Rethink your retirement goals If you're getting a late start to saving for retirement, you may have to revise your retirement income goals accordingly. In addition: *You may wish to consider delaying your retirement by a few years to give yourself more time to save. The longer you work, the more money you can save and the fewer years you will have in

retirement that you will need to finance. *Working during retirementat least part-time-is also an option as another potential source of income.

Monitor your progress Once you have a plan in place, check on it at least once a year to see how you're doing, and make adjustments as necessary. Keep at it. Even though you may have gotten a late start, it's never too late to start planning for a better future. Make the most of the time you do have.

Positioning for new opportunities‌ leave a positive impression

T

he way people perceive you have a way of impacting on your success in whatever field of activity you find yourself and subsequently your income.

That is why people who have focus in life try as much as possible to build credibility and self-esteem about their self, and are perceived high among their friends and colleagues.

While this quality is not bought with cash, it can be earned through a period of time through exhibited behaviour and disposition that single out the person from the rest people around.

Expert psychologists say out of nothing somebody can be made, by mere positioning of one self to that extent that he or she becomes a delight to people around his environment.

BennethOpara, managing partner, B&B Consults said the major challenge facing many individuals, which also lead to their remaining poor despite opportunities in their hand is

improper positioning.

Opara in his paper titled "Willingness to Grow" presented at a Seminar on Entrepreneurial Development organized for a set of business people in Alimosho said there is opportunity in every environment, which can be taped if one is perceived right by people in that environment.

He said the first step to positioning oneself is for somebody to improve on his personality which would make him more relevant among others.

For self-improvement, Opara emphasized the need for extra education through series of trainings, stating that that is where knowledge comes.

"Knowledge is power and that is what distinguishes you from the rest people and make you the chosen one".

As experts puts it selfenhancement is a type of motivation that works to make us feel good about ourselves and to maintain self-esteem. This motive becomes especially prominent in

Quote If it really was a no-brainer to make it on your own in business there’d be millions of no-brained, harebrained, and otherwise dubiously brained individuals quitting their day jobs and hanging out their own shingles. Nobody would be left to round out the workforce and execute the business plan. — Bill Rancic

situations of threat, failure or blows to one's self-esteem. Its enhancement involves a preference for positive over negative self-views, the experts said.

Another issue Opara raised in the lecture is about selfconfidence, stating that a number of people find it difficult to associate and as such die with the potentials in them. "A number of persons have hidden potentials in them which are not explored because they are either not social or have been weighed down psychologically" In this sense, opara said it's important that people go for psychological text or counseling to break certain traits that have

not helped them to explode from their shells.

Again building status requires enhancing once outlook, though many are described as status symbol but, it helps enhance people's perception about you. The expert say what is important about positioning is looking neat at all times, without really being extravagant or wanting to show off.

Opara suggest that acquiring physical asset though may be expensive is important in building status, as it quickly changes people's perception and assessment about you.

Sola Fasuyi, an accountant said at the Seminar that acquiring physical asset earns respect for

somebody and directly or indirectly opens door for credit facility.

"Don't forget that people will believe you based on what they see, because that is where rating about you starts" He said it is easier for somebody who has assets to be trusted with cash even if the asset is not standing as collateral than somebody who does not have, because he or she would be perceived as delicate.

Biz Tip: Know when to call it quits

C

ontrary to popular belief, a smart captain does not go down with the ship. Don't go on a fool's errand for the sake of ego. Know when it's time to walk away.

If your idea doesn't pan out, reflect on what went wrong and the mistakes that were made.

Assess what you would have done differently. Determine how you will utilize these hard-learned lessons to better yourself and your future entrepreneurial endeavors.

Failure is inevitable, but a true entrepreneur will prevail over adversity.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

By Seyi Olu Awofeso

D

ear Ban Ki-Moon, I have lost my country and now petition your conclave of nations for another. There was a country, Your Excellency; in truth, there was a country where the worth of man was measured by the weight of his knowledge and the honesty of his reputation. There was a country ---- in which i was born myself.

But i have now lost my country to a slick of blood from a stampede of thieves.

Oh, but for sure, my country was not a praline place on earth at the time, or, the pit of hell itself. It was a country perhaps - then brimming with hopes of becoming better, as citizens prided in staying the course against evil, and finding fulfilment in returning to its owner a lost purse filled with cash whilst in need themselves. Yes, there was a country like that. For i was born there, well before the stampede of thieves started.

What was once my country is now an un-governed territory, loathed as a waste of space on earth. For good graces, your United Nations hesitates to pronounce it as such but more perhaps because of the monetary cost entailed in taking my country's 160 million people into custody. For that love of money, half a dozen of my fellows are shot or blown up on a daily basis or otherwise shredded by explosives flung around by the children of anger. Yet, no one in the United Nations cares for my country's blood-letting or perhaps for the same love of not losing their foreign money to my country's self-inflicted destruction.

And now, the United Nations refuses to make the call by ticking off the 4,200 burnt corpses littering my country as now trenching severely close to internationally un-acceptable apocalypse. Whilst all nations of the world strive to extricate Syria from its cross-fires; with 70,000 corpses numbering the scarred

PAGE 13

Encyclical to United Nations barrios of Aleppo and Homs, my country sets to better that Arabian tragedy, but without any country overseas expressing any interest, fear or concern.

In my country, there has been but a pretence to governance, for In clear sight, no one holds the ring, as my country's genocide continues in a welter of blood. But blood for blood, there's no less value in my country's charred corpses than in the blood elsewhere streaming towards Damascus.

Before God, before the bus conductor and the grave-digger, everyone counts for just one person. Early on, in 1966, your United Nations refused to make a genocide call, as my country sank into knee-deep litres of blood from a double and consecutive genocide in tow. As the corpses mounted past the one million mark in 1966 the rest of the world not ferrying armaments to fuel the fight, gave but short shrift, as all but happening now, with my country going rogue and mad again; rehearsing a re-enactment of its seasonal mass killings.

"No country can survive two civil wars", our ex-army chief, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma said a few years ago, whilst speaking to avert the bloody future that is now upon my country. At this time, the killings as yet appear to be the acts of the children of anger, but the anger of the children of vengeance is still coming. That's why Syria is politically less dire than my bloodbathed country. All the anger fired in rocket expressions at Damascus are solely aimed at the 42-year Assad family regime, whereas in my country, everything is in doubt and declared dubious for moral vagueness - including my country's legal constitution.

As it is, there is no agreement on nationhood in my country, after an epidemic of thefts

damaged the basis of trust on which my country once stood, to overwhelm and quickly disable the courts of law from discerning what is un- acceptable amid my country's running anomie. Once stealing became my country's leitmotif, the law quickly gave way to thievish interpretation of all statutes, and in effect, illegal gratuities are said to be routinely passed under the Bench on which the robed Judges of courts are squatted.

The executives led this vile assault on nationhood in my country by declaring open season for thefts. Then on, and, as theft becomes new vista to success, thus cancelling my country's once taut set of family of values and replacing it with "stealing as a way of life", success itself has been lately re-defined officially as meaning and equal to thefts, and hence, state pardons follow for a clutch of daring financial crimes convicts, altogether leaving my country prone and prostrate.

For a long time until now, there's now no law in my country, but a state of nature.

After well-nigh on five years since independence from Britain, the storms were gathering. Over time and just a few months before the Kalenjin set upon killing 1,400 Kikuyu in the Rift valley in 2007,

Kenya's Standard newspaper had exhorted the rest of the world to look concerned on Nigeria where, according to the Kenyan newspaper "a low-intensity civil war was underway". That timeous call from Nairobi was however solitary and without resonance anywhere else, not even from your United Nations which instead gaily sought to resolve Nigeria's enveloping anomie impossibly by free and fair elections.

Let truth be told now, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, 'a free and fair election' is quack medicine for anomie - not a solution to it. A free and fair election assumes the prior consent of citizens firstly bound to a country as a common heritage to be commonly protected and made perfect by intelligence pressing fairness and progress forwards.

My country does not fit into any of those defining categories. Let truth be also told that a free and fair election is irrelevant to my country's more pressing need of severing its homicidal reflex to kill as mere sport, or as a means of livelihood, or as self-given work for Almighty God. That's the homicidal reflex in my country now beckoning the world's attention without success, despite the obviousness that an election is irrelevant when a good half of my

“

Whilst the blood continues to flow on a daily basis my country's 160 million people devise personal ways and means without reference to law or ethics, as some flee westwards across the Mediterranean, to find abode in shelters as illegals, leaving the others still trapped inside the country to pick up rifles and revolvers to rob and maim; both for survival and cathartic vengeance

country's annual budget is stolen at source by those elected or appointed to keep the national purse.

"Only a bloody revolution can save Nigeria," Professor Ben Nwabueze recently said in a declarative tone, as he removed and threw away his bemedalled gown as my country's foremost constitutional attorney. It is illustrative that even this and all other solutions so far proffered by my fellows include bloodletting as a common thread.

Whilst the blood continues to flow on a daily basis my country's 160 million people devise personal ways and means without reference to law or ethics, as some flee westwards across the Mediterranean, to find abode in shelters as illegals, leaving the others still trapped inside the country to pick up rifles and revolvers to rob and maim; both for survival and cathartic vengeance.

The greater tragedy here lies in the educated portion of the population, comprising the professionals otherwise useful for future reforms - but whose hungry mouths presently lead them to self-declare themselves as slavering sycophants of the bandits living by plunder in government offices because they hold office as elected officials, to whom the educated professionals pledge loyalty in order to be gifted a house and a car without any commensurate public service work, once they could keep the secrets of thefts, shut up and abet the thefts under the pretext of appointive offices given, which posts merely disguise a clear-cut partnership in thefts.

Your Excellency, the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, I have lost my country to a slick of blood from a stampede of thieves.

Seyi Olu Awofeso is a legal practitioner in Abuja

Lessons on leadership, governance: Jigawa experience

By Yusuf Suleiman

E

ven to the most casual observer, it is very evident that the socioeconomic and physical landscape of Jigawa state has rapidly transformed in the last half decade, and people wonder what has been the secret behind the success story. Most people say it is budgeting discipline. Important as it may be, the fact is that fiscal discipline is the product of a combination of factors, principally political will and good governance. Also, the budget itself is important - how it is conceived and structured, that is how realistic, comprehensive and focused the budget is. It takes a combination of all these factors for the annual budgets to be so implemented as to deliver outputs and outcomes that positively brings transformations as being witnessed in Jigawa.

The first lesson to be learnt from Jigawa state is, therefore, political will and commitment in the topmost echelon of government, personified by GovernorSule Lamio. His leadership style is rooted in the classical humanistic determinism of the talakawa struggle; it is characterized by sheer willpower, self-discipline and strength of character. It portrays a passion for humanity.

In these attributes, the governor stands apart. It is these attributes that define the Lamido Administration.

When budgetary discipline meets a reformed budget process that tries to adapt to the best practice of public expenditure and financial management, the expected outcome would be the kind of positive transformation being witnessed today in Jigawa.

Indeed, a lack of budgetary discipline is just one of the many afflictions of the development process in Nigeria - not just at sub national levels but even in the very first tier of government.

The conflict between the executive and the legislature over budget implementation is a case in point. This in turn leads to a crisis of confidence. Indeed, budgetary discipline is what would make or mar the muchtalked-about "transformation agenda" upon which the entire Vision 20:2020 depends. That is to say, without discipline, or more precisely, without good governance, bye- bye vision 20:2020.

For most governments in the country, annual budgets are considered a formality, an annual ritual. But not so for Governor Lamido. In his own words during the presentation of the 2013 Appropriation Bill to

the State House of Assembly: For both of us (the executive and legislature) the annual budget process is no longer an annual ritual, but an opportunity of stock-taking by publically reappraising our performance in terms of budgetary outputs and outcomes; and most importantly, re-articulating and re-strategizing our plans, in both the short- and mediumterms. Here is another lesson to be learnt by leaders whose concern is the deliverance of their people - deliverance from all the afflictions of underdevelopment. Most often, most Nigerians don't feel enthusiastic when budgets are presented to the legislatures, be it at national or sub-national level, because they don't see it having any direct bearing on their socio-economic wellbeing.

Principally, it is lack of budgetary discipline that gives birth to this genuine apathy.

Not so in Jigawa state. Both the appropriation bill presentation and the signing of the appropriation law by the governor were received with joy by everybody in the state, from the traditional leaders to the ulamas, from the rich people to the talakawa. Indeed, NGOS, CSO and even development partners see these events as

additional milestones in Jigawa's transform process.

As the governor has said several times, "Jigawa State has become a reference point in Nigeria". This is an incontrovertible fact.

Consistently, since assuming the mantle of leadership in the State in 2007 budget implementation has been very remarkable - it has always been well above 90% at the aggregate level for both recurrent and capital expenditures. Despite several salary increases - first for health workers, then workers in tertiary educational institutions, followed by workers in the judiciary and then the N18,000 national minimum wage - personnel emoluments were always paid as and when due. This has also not stopped the government from continuing to recruit personnel in critical areas as in health and education.

In the area of overhead costs, monthly remittances to government agencies have never stopped, resulting in remarkable improvements in service delivery. On capital expenditure funding, the performance is impressive.

Despite embarking on a multitude of multi-million Naira projects, there have never been abandoned or white-

elephant projects in the state.

In the governance reform arena, noteworthy examples include: an integrated financial management information system, upgrading and scalingup of the state's payroll system, budget reform, including the adoption of a medium-term perspective; service delivery reforms; fiscal responsibility and public procurement legislation, etc. Recently, Governor Lamido reaffirmed his commitment to building strong institutions and ensuring zero tolerance of corruption. He, however, stressed the need for collective effort to take Jigawa to the desired level of development through stakeholder consultations.

And here comes an Economic and Investment Summit. The summit is primarily to attract private investments into the state and to identify broad policy options that would help develop a perspective plan for the longerterm development. The governor has pledged to revamp the comprehensive state strategic long term development plan that would take the state into the coming decades as a modern society.

Yusuf Suleiman is an editorial and ICT assistant, Government House, Dutse

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 14

Auctioneers and buyers of Igbo presidency

By Odimegwu Onwumere

P

olitical debates are hitting up Nigeria ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

The debates take place across regional and political divides.

Ndigbo are the most affected in these un-organised debates.

Bystanders are watching Ndigbo make a mess of their people in a disgusted manner. Many of them, who are in the employ of the present government, want continuity, whereas others in and out of the government want the next president of Nigeria to be of the Igbo extraction. To a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Orji Uzor Kalu, it would be unimaginable if the president of the country did not come from Igbo in 2015.

Kalu has floated an organisation called Njiko Igbo to make that dream possible. Njiko Igbo is aimed at uniting Ndigbo for this task. As a politician, influential businessman and founding member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kalu's love for Ndigbo and the unity of Nigeria is unquestionable; he is always travelling out of the country to seek for Igbo unity and attract investors into Nigeria. He has been to many countries in Europe, USA, and Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Congo, Namibia and Angola in Africa, to preach unity among Ndigbo and by extension, the Nigerian people.

There are several governance

By Tochukwu Ezukanma

O

ne of the many things that that tireless nonconformist, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, did for Nigerian music was to change it from merely a medium for praising and ingratiating the rich and mouthing romantic platitudes to a medium for mass enlightenment and crusading against bad leadership and social injustice. With his raw and coarse vocals and poignant and defiant lyrics, laced with jazzy melody and heavy percussions, his songs expressed the pains and frustration, and sometimes, hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian masses.

Then, as Fela sang, Nigeria, for the most part, was under military despotism. Nigerians were dismayed by the military's heavy-handedness, bungled governance, irresponsible policies, arbitrariness and brutality. His songs reflected the mood of the people, especially their exasperation with the pervading social injustice and the excesses of the military power elite. So, they were censorious, and sometimes, mournful. In one of his dirges, he sang: suffer dey African kpakparakpa, and we dey suffer kpakparakpa. In another, he sang about: everybody run, run, run; everybody scatter, scatter; police dey come, army dey come; somebody nearly died, somebody just died; ten minutes later, police don go away, army don disappear; They leave sorrow, tears and blood.

However, as Nigerians chafed under military dictators, they found consolation in that, by

auctioneers of challenges Igbo presidency to today in other regions in Nigeria. Kalu Nigeria come believes in the Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text 2015, a woman axiom that no from the Southmatter how hot messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written east, said that anything may contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 what she knew be, it will cool words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and was that 2015 down someday. a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed was a mirage for Kalu has been to: the Igbo because clamouring for Nigeria has an an incumbent improvement The Editor, (president) and in security, the Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, that he may run economy and a 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. for a second term. lift in the spirit Email: opinion@peoplesdaily-online.com "Even if the of many SMS: 07037756364 president says he Nigerians that will not go for a are discouraged second term, I'm because of the not sure that northerners will agree achievements. Any group from challenges facing the country. that an Igbo should be the next Igbo can say it likes, but one thing But what are the prospects for president. Let's plan for 2019, remains open: Kalu works with his an Igbo presidency in 2015? This is which is more realistic," the woman conscience. He has often said it that already 2013 and what Nigerians said.

Njiko Igbo is not going to fight read in the newspapers and listen It is unfortunate that a anybody over this grand move to on the radio and TV is about politician from the South-east actualise an Igbo presidency. In a monumental official fraud among has chosen to an apologist for a recent interview, one of the the ruling class instead of economic

WRITE TO US

“

Kalu believes in the possibility of an Igbo presidency in 2015, and he has started to build bridges through dialogue and forming strong partnerships.

Kalu is not alone in this movement; many of his supporters are of the opinion that this Njiko Igbo project is feasible. Representatives of other tribes are also aligning with this vision, meaning that Njiko Igbo is breaking down cultural and political barriers that had held Ndigbo down for ages, and is making sure that other regions see reason why there should be an Igbo presidency in 2015

Echoes of Fela's dirge training and orientation, the soldiers were ill-equipped for political leadership. Secondly, military rule was an aberration expected to be short lived. So, Nigerians were hopeful. In their optimism, they imagined a postmilitary rule future. They expected that an end to the worst form of government, military dictatorship, and the advent of democracy, supposedly, the best form of government, will usher in a new era. An epoch marked by a curb on corruption (which had taken a disgusting, nauseating twist under military rule), more responsible and benign government policies, confinement of the military to the barracks and an end to police (and other government agents)

brutality and an overall conspicuously palpable improvement in the quality of lives of the generality of Nigerians.

After all, history has furnished the incontrovertible evidence that democracy is a foundation for political stability, social justice, rule of law, principled distribution of the national wealth and over all societal advancement. In addition, it had improved the standards of political morality, elevated societal ethics and refined the value system in many other countries of the world.

But in the vast scene of confusion and the intractable anomaly that is our beloved

“

Fela's dirges continue to echo.

Unfortunately, they echo, not as an anachronism which is only relevant as an index of how far Nigeria has progressed over the years (from oppression to freedom, social injustice to social justice, police brutality to police respect for the individual worth, etc), but as a true expression of the Nigerian reality

country, democracy disappointed the expectations of the people. Therefore, many years after Fela sang his mournful songs and fourteen years into Nigerian democracy, official corruption, mass poverty, police brutality, lawlessness, violence, electoral fraud, theft of public funds, etc remain the defining elements of the Nigerian society.

Suffer still dey Nigeria kpakparakpa, and we still dey suffer kpakparakpa. The level of poverty remains disturbing very high; some estimates have it that 70% of Nigerians live below the poverty level. A staggering proportion of Nigerians urban dwellers live in dirty, festering oozing slums in over crowded and decrepit houses. The social structure and the institutions of government remain skewed against the legitimate aspirations of the masses. The Nigerian system continues to pander to the inordinate wealth of an elite few at the economic detriment of the people.

We still dey run, run, run and still scatter, scatter because police dey come and army dey come. And they still leave sorrow, tears and blood in their wake. Although technically, confined to barracks, soldiers, still periodically, foray into civilian centers and harass and kill civilians. The Nigerian Police Force remains world renowned for its brutality and extrajudicial killings. The police power is an indispensable tool of

certain region of the country other than her own. She forgot that northerners had held power for an uninterrupted 35years, recycling power among themselves. This is against Kalu's often repeated position that those persons from other tribes who have ruled Nigeriafor years did not have two heads.

Kalu believes in the possibility of an Igbo presidency in 2015, and he has started to build bridges through dialogue and forming strong partnerships.

Kalu is not alone in this movement; many of his supporters are of the opinion that this Njiko Igbo project is feasible.

Representatives of other tribes are also aligning with this vision, meaning that Njiko Igbo is breaking down cultural and political barriers that had held Ndigbo down for ages, and is making sure that other regions see reason why there should be an Igbo presidency in 2015.

It is however imperative to say that no matter all the auctioneers that have surrounded this Igbo presidency project because of their personal political gain in this present government, Kalu who has bought the idea of Igbo presidency should not relent; he should not mind those voices begging for the Igbo presidency beyond 2015. Ndigbo should not beg for the presidency because they do deserve it.

Odumegwu Onwumere wrote in from... governance. And the behavior of the police is a powerful indicator of the attitude of the governing towards the governed. The Nigerian police behave as though it is beholden to an occupying power because the Nigerian power elite behave like an occupying power. An occupying power has no emotional and sentimental attachment to the occupied country. Therefore, it is disposed, at the total disregard of the people and the future of the country, to remorselessly exploit the system and ruthlessly loot the public treasury.

Fela's dirges continue to echo.

Unfortunately, they echo, not as an anachronism which is only relevant as an index of how far Nigeria has progressed over the years (from oppression to freedom, social injustice to social justice, police brutality to police respect for the individual worth, etc), but as a true expression of the Nigerian reality. As such, his songs continue to strike a profound chord in the minds of their listeners not just because of the splendour of their melody, but also the pertinence of their message.

The problem of Nigerian democracy is that it was hijacked by an evil oligarchy. It is this evil oligarchy, unsurpassed by its catalogue of lawlessness, contempt for the Nigerian masses, irresponsible and antipeople policies, misappropriation of public funds and extravagant lifestyle, that made life for the average Nigerian unsurpassed in its poverty, frustration and misery.

Tochukwu Ezukanma is reachable on maciln18@yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

By Adekoya Boladale

S

hadows have taken over our land, our soul is in captive, our minute hope has just been crumbled. Who could have thought of this? Who could have seen this coming?

Yes, we had no faith in him. Yes, we had no desire in his actions.

But like a prodigal son we hope he finds his way back. How sorrowful that the beast of darkness has built a castle in his soul, how pathetic that he derives more pleasure in the crumbs from the Pigs table.438 days ago this same beast took over his soul; just like the lost dog he could hear us no more.

We tried all we could to bring back sanity to his abode, but the more we try, the more we fail.

With heavy heart we took to the market square and made it our home, we stood neck-hooked to the gods to bring back his memories. The memories of his promise before his coronation, the memories of his pledge for truthfulness, his oath of allegiance to us and just us, the vow to make uphold the grundnorm.

After 14 days the gods heard our plea, he could see, he could talk, he could walk but from that day onward the rhythms of our voices became a stranger to his ears. We were content with

PAGE 15

Our king has gone gaga the little we had and went home merry. We endured the pains, we swallowed the agony. Even when his wife was sick and died, he needed our pleas to the gods, we denied him not. The gods saw our tears and gave him reason to smile again. Even while we eat from the dust of the grounds and he feeds fat on Antelopes and Catfish we send no curse to his household but open our lips wide to heaven for manna.

Again he made a pledge to us; he came back on his knees just like he did before coronation. He swore before heaven and earth, before gods and wizards. He appealed to our sentiment and pray we give him just 12 moons to make amends. We calm our nerves again and allowed the gentle breeze of the high Ogudu Mountain to take over our soul.

But we forgot the words of our forefathers, we ignored the saying of the past, that no matter how well you scrub the 'egbolo' leaf the scent of feces never departs from it. Just when we were hoping for his magical touch, when we were waiting for the aroma of his relief, he dealt us a huge blow.

You remember Alams, the

crook from the creek. No, not the one cooling off in his new found paradise in Queensland that is James from the linage of Ibori.

You should remember him, the one who sneaked to his home disguised as the daughter of eve, the governor who brought shame to our land through his heroic escaped from the London's watchmen, the one who made his home in London the treasury bank of his state, yes, the one

who laid down the foundation for Michael Scofield. He is a saint now; our king cleansed his inequities with the blood of the throne. After all the sorrows and pain he brought to the Kingdom of Bayelsa, after all the agony and suffering he caused his people, our king made him a knight. He is a man of honour now; his robes would be sowed in seven colours while maids flower his path. He is better than the

“

To Alams, rejoice for your kingdom has come, beat the great 'gangan' and take to the street of Babylon, shout to the top of Everest and seat at the zenith of the Eiffel tower. Today, a battle you have won, a battle against justice, a battle against fairness, a battle against sanity. But remember our world is but a market we all have to go home. Back to the abode of a supreme being who never drinks from the stream of impurity or holds a feast for corruption

soldiers who have fought to make us live, his integrity now supersedes the five pillars that fought for our freedom. Now his name has been written in gold.

To Alams, rejoice for your kingdom has come, beat the great 'gangan' and take to the street of Babylon, shout to the top of Everest and seat at the zenith of the Eiffel tower. Today, a battle you have won, a battle against justice, a battle against fairness, a battle against sanity.

But remember our world is but a market we all have to go home. Back to the abode of a supreme being who never drinks from the stream of impurity or holds a feast for corruption.

Oh, our king has lost his sanity; oh our king has lost his mind. He sees a hero in a tyrant, he sees gods in beasts, he sees peace in hurricane. Let our neighbours hear our cry, let our friends and foes feel our plight.

Let the thunderous echoes of our speechless but wary hearts fill the ears of our gods. Our heart is heavy, our soul bleeding, our body seeks for change. For how long do we have to wait? How long must patience stay in our homes? Our palms are itching, our toes swelling.

Adekoya Boladale is reachable on adekoyaboladale@gmail.com

Early warning signals for Nigerian opposition

By Peter Claver

T

he altercation over the registration of the All Progressives Congress should alert the opposition in Nigeria to what to expect as the ruling PDP grapples to extend its rule in 2015. The unfolding scenario where the Independent National Electoral Commission is embroiled in very controversial intrigues, ostensibly forged by the PDP to deny registration to the APC should be enough to inform the gathering opposition that it needs to gird its loin for battle if it must dislodge the PDP in 2015. It is enough to ready the opposition for what should be a hectic battle to deal with the challenge of dislodging a party, notorious for its penchant to sex up every election since Nigeria happened on what has turned a dysfunctional democratic experience in 1999.

Opposition political parties in Nigeria worked on a merger to challenge the stranglehold of the PDP on the nation in coming elections. They have launched a new party, formed out of the merger between the major opposition parties in Nigeria and they have adopted the name, All Progressives Congress,agreed on the logo and all other accoutrements of the party, in readiness for registration by INEC. Out of the blue, INEC came out with a stealth notice that the acronym had been registered by an aspiring political party. Smelling big rat, the All Progressives Congress challenged INEC to disclose details of the so called registration and all INEC could do was to say a certain unknown

political party applied for registration as African Peoples Congress. Further challenged to name those behind this new party, INEC balked and waxed incoherent of how they cannot disclose such details. This leads most Nigerians to wonder if there were no grundnums for political party registration in Nigeria. Further, Nigerians want to know why INEC is so shy to disclose the identity of the facilitators of a political party that probably wants to challenge for power in Nigeria.

Nigerians wonder when political parties have become secret cults, run by unknown people, with no details. They wonder if political party registration is not grounded on fulfilment of certain provisions of the electoral law and wonders which of these have been met by whoever is behind the African People's Congress.

Nigerians wonder if what it needs to register a political party is just transmitting a letter of intent to INEC and pronto, a party is born. Nigerians want to

know when INEC has become a spokesperson for shadowy secret political groups and why the INEC leadership should offer such prurient defence of a party it is so shy to disclose its facilitators. The details of that sordid incident are still unfolding and one is that a certain lawyer transmitted a letter to INEC, stating an intent to register a certain African Peoples Congress and that was enough for INEC to mount solid defence of this obviously phantom party. This is a clear rehash of the dirty political contrivances and plots that pockmarked the ABN days of Abacha. The sordid events are getting messier and these cast deep slur on the already questionable integrity of the Jega's INEC. Good that the opposition and indeed a majority of Nigerians are not fooled by INEC's guile in this present issue. They have located the source of INEC's present tricks in the desperate effort of the PDP to stymie any form of solid opposition in its bid

“

The best option for such leadership is to resign but in the type of impunity that rules public office in Nigeria and the readiness of the PDP to continue sustaining such biased umpire for its own selfish ends, it behoves the opposition to present a collective demand for a credible and independent electoral body to midwife elections in Nigeria

for perpetual power. Nigerians have been trenchant in their insistence that the latest intrigue is planted by the hierarchy of the PDP to serve notice of its unrepentant commitment to retain power by any means possible and that shadowy political party is nothing more than the insensate forgery of the PDP to frustrate the emerging opposition front.

That the INEC leadership should willingly lend itself to that shallow intrigue is where the worry lies, for if a supposed electoral umpire should so get voluntarily mired in the petty contrivances of one of the parties, then there is no hope for the coming elections. The grey issue in INEC's prominent role in the unfolding scandal is that it shreds it of any vestige of impartiality in the conduct of elections.

I believe it portends good for the opposition that this scandal is breaking at this stage of their present metamorphosis. For one, I believe that whichever angle the PDP and INEC twists the registration saga, APC still can make amends and forge on.

I believe that it is good for the country's opposition that the INEC is showing its hands so early in the life of the present challenge. It is a blessing in disguise that the party is revealing its partiality so early for the opposition to take note and take effective steps to secure for themselves and for Nigeria an electoral process that cannot be manipulated by any party in power. So what INEC's pranks suggest is that the opposition must bandy together and demand, as a right, an independent and corruption

free INEC. Good enough, General Muhammdu Buhari, a leading opposition light in the country, alleged recently that PDP does not need any merger as it is an indecent merger with INEC, the police and the judiciary to rig every election.

That INEC should be so brainless as to provoke this scandal some days after this allegation confirms that INEC is so committed to this unholy merger and it gives no damn about it. If INEC has lost the confidence of any party in an electoral contest, it loses the moral verve to posture as a credible umpire. The best option for such leadership is to resign but in the type of impunity that rules public office in Nigeria and the readiness of the PDP to continue sustaining such biased umpire for its own selfish ends, it behoves the opposition to present a collective demand for a credible and independent electoral body to midwife elections in Nigeria. This is within their constitutional and legal rights and insistence on that minimum grundnum remains their prerogative that must be attended to or else no election. The opposition must start the process of mobilizing Nigerians around this imperative and must urgently start the demand for the adoption of the Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee Reports, which the PDP dumped in preference of the present vice ridden and inchoate order where they appoint and dictate to the electoral body.

Peter Claver is reachable on peterclaver2000@yahoo.com.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 16

Minister wants three-year interval for house rent increase in Abuja

F

CT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed, has called on the Senate to enact a law that would make it mandatory for landlords to review rent at a minimum of three years.

Mohammed made the submission on Wednesday in Abuja at a public hearing on the bill for an act to regulate rent control and the procedure for recovery of premises in the FCT. Represented by Mrs Ima Okpongete, General Counsel, Legal, FCT, the minister described the two years prescribed in the bill as inadequate.

The minister, who pledged the administration’s support for the proposed law raised objections on some exceptions where the proposed law should not be applied.

He questioned the exemption in the bill of residential premises owned and operated by educational institutions for its staff and residential premises for emergency shelter such as refugee camps.

“The proposed schedule should stipulate the districts in the FCT, the ceiling on chargeable rents, because the city is still unveiling and nothing is steady yet.’’

Mohammed said that such categorisation could be based on the type of houses to be built in a particular district for specific people.

In his submission, Sen. Ita Enang (PDP-Akwa Ibom) said Federal workers living in government accommodation were expected to pay rent under the Federal Government monetisation policy.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Smart Adeyemi (PDP-Kogi), had proposed that the Magistrate’s court would only have jurisdiction on matters involving amount of claim not exceeding N4 million.

Enang also opposed the proposed establishment of tribunals to settle rent disputes, saying that it smacked of military orientation.

In his submission, a former Senator, Mr Abubakar Sodangi, urged the legislators to conduct wide consultation before the passage of the law.

Sodangi, a former Senate Committee Chairman on FCT, argued that the law should make provision for a rent tribunal in the FCT, modelled like the present Environmental and Sanitation Tribunal.

However in his submission, Dr Chris Ekong, a representative of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, cautioned against the “categorisation’’ of the FCT in the bill, saying it would lead to discrimination.

In his submission, Adeyemi, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, argued that the proposed law would make it mandatory for all lowincome earners to be accommodated in all districts in Abuja.

Adeyemi noted that Nigeria was fast becoming one of the most expensive countries in the real estate sector of the African continent.

R-L: Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, presenting some publications of the agency on political tolerance to the Council Secretary, Bwari Area Council, Alhaji Ali Danjuma Kawu, during a one day interactive forum with stakeholders on the 2013 FCT Area Councils Election, on Wednesday Bwari, in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Community health workers in AMAC decry inadequate facilities

By Adeola Tukuru with agency reports

T

he health officials in Kabusa and Shereti Primary Health Centres under the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have appealed to the Chiarman of the AMAC ,Hon Micah.Y.Jiba and other relevant authorities to provide more health facilities in the areas.

According to the officer incharge of Shereti Primary Health Centre, Mrs Esther Saidi,said the number of staff is inadequate to attend to the number of patients visiting the centre.

“This centre was built by

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office under the Abuja Municipal Area Council, but with only three other workers.

“A doctor is always coming here to treat major sicknesses, while we are treating malaria, typhoid and giving maternity services.

“We do sensitise the community on health and sanitation which is necessary for a healthy living and environment,” Saidi said.

She identified other challenges facing the centre as the small size of the building, the lack of water and insecurity.

“This place was opened in August 2012; since then it has not

been fenced and this bore hole was rehabilitated through my efforts.

“I am appealing to the government to help us out in these areas so that we can serve the people better,” she said.

Mrs Rose Edozie, a Nurse and Midwife at Kabusa Primary Health Centre, explained that the poor sanitary condition of the place was capable of spreading diseases to the residents living there.

“The untidy environment is one of the sources through which people contact diseases.”

Edozie, therefore, appealed to the AMAC authority to assist the community to evacuate the refuse in the area.

She also underscored the urgent need for more staff to ease the pressure of work.

“This centre is a very busy place as you can see and the strength of the work force is very low.

“We need more hands and expansion of the building that can at least accommodate a good number of patients.

“We have drugs here though the number of patients is overwhelming.

“The sickness we treat mostly here is malaria and you know the environment is somehow dirty and we sensitise the community once a week on the issues of health and sanitation,” Edozie said.

AEPB seeks review, strengthening of environmental laws in FCT

T

he Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has called for a review and strengthening of environmental laws to ensure adequate enforcement in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Alhaji Isa Shuaibu, the Director of the board made the call while receiving an award from the

African Youth Patriotic and Development Mission (AYPDM) in Abuja.

He said that the weakness of the laws had given some people undue advantage to violate laws and get away with light punishments.

He said that the board had issued a memo to that effect to the minister of the FCT, Sen. Bala Mohammed

for further consideration.

He lamented that most people were taking advantage of the liberal democracy to undermine some of the weak environmental laws.

“As a matter of fact, our environmental laws are weak and people are taking the advantage of liberal democracy to undermine our enforcement strategies.

“There is every need to review these laws and make them workable, so that punitive measures will serve as deterrent to others.’’

The director said that the board would dislodge all illegal traders in the FCT within two weeks and would give traders at Berger junction matching order to quit or face sanctions.

FCT Minister of State urges women to take up surveying profession

T

he FCT Minister for State, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, has called on women to take up the surveying profession, to meet the MDGs goal on gender equality.

Akinjide, who was represented by her Senior Special Assistant (Special Duties), Mrs. Jummai Kwanashie, made the call at the “9th Regional Seminar of the Women-inSurveying Profession’’ in Abuja.

The said that the profession was

believed to be male-dominated, hence the need for change through awareness creation.

“As you are aware, surveying profession is one of the oldest professions in the world, in the past; the surveying profession was entirely dominated by men and was perceived to be a gender biased profession.

She said that surveying and mapping data were required for most

well mapped countries.

The National Coordinator of the group, Mrs Augustina Anobili, said that it was important for government to put policies in place that would attract more women into the profession.

Anobili said there was severe shortage of women surveyors in the country, noting that this could be addressed with encouragement of more women to take up the

profession.

She stressed the need to guide young women in the profession on the ethics of the trade, to make them succeed as surveyors.

“There is gender imbalance, especially in the mainstream of the profession.

“Presently only five women fellows in the NIS and one in the Surveyors’ Council of Nigeria, this is not encouraging.”

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 17

INEC ready for FCT Area Council elections

T

he FCT Abuja Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Mr Godwin Kwanga, said on Wednesday that the commission was ready to conduct elections for the six area councils which will hold tomorrow, March 16 th , 2013.

Kwanga gave the assurance at the stakeholder’s forum on the 2013 council election with political parties in Abuja.

“We can report that all the necessary materials to ensure the conduct of the elections have been received and duly deposited in the respective area council offices of the commission,” he said.

He said the commission had a responsibility to produce a transparent, free, fair and credible elections that would be acceptable by the electorate.

The commissioner solicited for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to achieve the desired result.

Kwanga commended the

conduct of the 13 political parties participating in the elections and urged them to maintain a cordial working relationship with the commission.

“The 13 political parties contesting the 2013 area council elections have indeed behaved themselves very well.

“However, this stakeholders’ forum will enable us do a final briefing in order to maintain the cordial relationship.

“We have released the 2013 FCT Register of Voters to the political parties in order to ensure transparency in the

process,” he said.

Also speaking, the INEC National Commissioner, Mrs Thelma Iremiren, said the forum would enable the commission exchange views with political parties on how to clear grey areas.

Iremiren said that adequate security arrangement had been put in place to ensure a conducive and safe environment for the elections.

“We will not condone any act of violence or indiscipline.

We shall not shy away from invoking the provisions of the Electoral Act, if the need arises.

“We will not hesitate to

cancel any result where we suspect that there has been foul play,” she warned.

Iremiren also appealed to the political parties, candidates and polling agents to desist from any form of violence or untoward practices.

She said that accreditation would commence at 8 a.m. and end by noon, noting that those who are on the queue before noon would be accredited.

Iremiren added that voting would commence by 12.30 p.m. and would close as soon as the last person on the queue cast his or her vote.

“Only those who are on the

queue at 12.30 p.m. and have been counted will be allowed to vote,” Iremiren said.

Also Speaking, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Olufemi Ogunbayode, restated the commitment of the police to provide adequate security before, during and after the elections.

Ogunbayode cautioned that: “No vehicle will be allowed to cross FCT during election, except those on essential duties.

“Let it be clear to everybody that police will be ruthless in accordance with the law to anybody found causing trouble.” (NAN)

Aduda doles out free fertilizer, grain to farmers in FCT

By Stanley Onyekwere

F

armers in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may have more bumper harvest this year as the Senator representing FCT in the National Assembly, Sen. Phillip Aduda doles out 3 Metric tons of fertilizer and grain to selected farmers in the Territory, aimed at boosting their yields in this year's farming season.

Distributing the items to farmers on Wednesday, during the Flags-off of free Fertilizer and grains distribution to farmers in Gwagwalada Area Council, the Senator urged the beneficiaries to utilize the product well, even as he disclosed that a mechanism will be put in place to check hoarding of the product.

According to the Senator, the Product will be distributed to all farmers, with effective monitoring and supervision through the coordinators, local chiefs and opinion Leaders in all the 62 wards of the six Area councils of the territory.

Aduda who was represented by the Coordinator of the scheme, Hon. Samson Galuwyi, also stressed the need for farmers to be encouraged with such products 'because they will make food available and cheap to FCT people'.

One of the beneficiary, who is also a youth leader in the FCT, Zarka Sunday, described the gesture as one that will encourage youths in the territory to go into farming, just as he assures 'farmers will make good use of the product to enhance food production in the FCT'.

The Abuja at 50 Pavilion Peace Park donated by Julius Berger PLC to FCT, during its hand-over, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: NAN

Welder, 19, docked for allegedly stealing 4 pieces of wood

A

welder, Thompson Baba, 19, was on Wednesday arraigned before the Mararaba Senior Magistrate’s Court in Nasarawa State, for allegedly stealing four pieces of wood valued at N3,000.

Police prosecutor Joseph Ahwa told the court that on March 12, one John Odeh, who resides Behind City College of Education, Mararaba, with

the accused, caught him in the act.

He explained that Odeh took the accused to the Sani Abacha Road Police Station.

Ahwa alleged that the accused stole 4 pieces of plank valued at N3,000 at a building site, whose owner has yet to be identified, in Mararaba.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 287 of the

Penal Code, but the accused pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge.

The prosecutor did not object to the accused’s application for bail, saying that bail was at the discretion of the court.

The Senior Magistrate, Mr H.A. Abundaga, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

Abundaga said the surety must

be a responsible person, who must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction in a verifiable address.

He ordered that the surety must deposit two passport photographs with the registrar of the court.

The judge warned that the accused would be remanded in prison if he failed to meet the bail conditions, and adjourned hearing in the case to April 24,2013. (NAN)

Police arraign motorist for alleged criminal breach of trust

T

he police on Wednesday arraigned a commercial driver,Joseph Agi, of Mopol Quarters, Opposite Gbagalape in Nyanya, Abuja, before a Karu Upper Area Court for alleged criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Prosecutor, Mr Silas Nanpan, told the court that one Adebambo Daby, a female of 22 road, House 24, Kado Estate, Abuja, reported the matter at the Nyanya Police Station on Feb. 12.

He said that Daby entrusted her Nissan Sunny vehicle valued at N350,000 to the accused for commercial purpose in May, 2012.

Nanpan said that the accused claimed that the vehicle was stolen from him on March 12.

Nanpan said that the offence committed by Agi contravened

sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

Section 312 of the Penal Code stipulates that: whoever commits criminal breach of trust shall be punished with imprisonment that may extend to seven years or be fined or both.

While Section 322: states that whoever cheats shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years or be fined or both.

Agi, pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted the accused bail in the sum of N400,000.

The judge also ordered the accused to produce a credible surety who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

The judge, subsequently adjourned the case to May 6, for

hearing and for the accused to engage legal services. (NAN) Man bags 4 months’ imprisonment for assault, mischief An Abuja Grade Two Area Court on Friday sentenced a 22-year-old man, Christian Nijaneri of Kado village, to four months imprisonment for assault and mischief.

The presiding judge, Mr Ahmed Ado, sentenced Nijaneri after he pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against him.

Ado said the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others who would want to engage in such act.

He, however, gave him an option of paying N5,000 as fine.

Earlier, the prosecution had told the court the case was reported at the Utako Police Station on Feb. 22 by one Simon Ezuzwu of Tasha Two Bus Stop in Gwagwa, Abuja.

The police prosecutor, Sgt. Simon

Ibrahim, said the convict had entered the complainant’s bus as a passenger from Jabi to Berger and had refused to pay his fare.

“When he was asked to pay his transport fare, he gave the conductor a N50 note that was torn.

“The conductor asked him to change the money, but he instead started to argue and went on to insult him. So, the driver asked him to come down from his bus.

“Nijaneri came down, but waited for the driver at Wuse, and when he saw the bus he jumped inside and started a fight that led to the destruction of the bus’ windscreen, valued at N15,000,’’ Ibrahim said.

He said the offence violated sections 79 and 327 of the Penal Code Law. The convict, however, pleaded for leniency, saying his action was the handiwork of the devil. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 18

Mararaba-Nyanya: The making of a mega city

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

E

xperts are of the opinion that the chain of towns from Karu, Jikwoyi, Nyanya, Mararaba, One Man Village, New Karu to Ado and Masaka could one day grow into a recognisable megalopolis.

In urban and regional planning, a megalopolis, also known as mega city, is a cluster of two or more metropolitan areas with huge population that form a network.

Experts hold the view that apart from Lagos, an internationally recognised megalopolis, the MararabaNyanya-Karu axis could also grow to become another megalopolis in Nigeria if the necessary structures are put in place.

Shouts of “Maraba-Nyanya, Maraba-Nyanya’’ by commercial vehicle operators are not strange to residents of FCT, as they operate at virtually all the bus stops within the FCT. Nyanya, an important part of the conurbation, is under the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) but it has no clear-cut boundary with Mararaba, a sprawling neighbourhood in Nasarawa State.

The only indicator that signifies the passage from Nyanya in the FCT to Mararaba in Nasarawa State is the two concrete pillars mounted on both sides of the road, with the inscription: “Welcome to Nasarawa State’’.

The pillars are situated at a very busy and popular bus stop: “Checking Point’’.

With two major markets, POWA International Market and Nyanya Market in the neighbourhood, the area is a hub of high commercial activities.

There are also many hotels and relaxation spots within the area.

The Nyanya Tipper Garage offers the other “side of life’’, typical of a suburban centre. It is a thriving market for vendors of drugs, assorted food and drinks, all operating under makeshift stalls.

However, Mr Arinze Eze, a resident of Nyanya, insists that the town is not feeling the impact of being under AMAC. “This is a town under AMAC, but compare it with other areas under AMAC and you will see a lot of difference in terms of infrastructure.

“See how dirty the whole place

Busy activites along Nyanya-Mararaba road, Abuja. is; see the intra-city roads.

Honestly, this is not how to run a city in the FCT,’’ he adds.

Besides, Mr Johnson Enyiogu, a resident of Mararaba, a town in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, notes that a large percentage of people who work in the FCT live in Mararaba.

According to him, accommodation in the area is quite cheaper and more affordable, when compared with the cost of renting houses in other parts of FCT. Enyiogu, however, says that Mararaba is still deficient in basic amenities which are the hallmarks of a modern city.

“The bulk of the people who work in the FCT live here because the houses are affordable but the rising influx of people into Mararaba is turning the town into a ghetto.

“Mararaba lacks all the necessary facilities: good roads, water and power supply. It is difficult to believe that there is just one primary school and one government-owned hospital in Mararaba.

“The area needs more hospitals, schools and other amenities to enable it to cope with

the exploding population,’’ Enyiogu says.

A resident of Karu, Mr Martins Odey, concedes that although Karu is one of the well-planned satellites towns in the FCT, its facilities are already becoming overstretched.

Odey, who is a journalist, says most of the roads in the neighbourhood are tarred, while its water channels are working fairly well.

He notes that several government parastatal agencies have their staff quarters in Karu.

Odey, however, reiterates that the facilities of the town are being overstretched because of the influx of people and the activities of some property developers, who are not following the original development plan of the town.

“Private developers who don’t heed the town-planning specifications of the FCT Administration (FCTA) are defacing the aesthetics of the town.

“Rents are beginning to go up, while the gridlock from the town to the Mararaba expressway is nauseating.

“The FCTA should check the

activities of the property developers and also construct a bypass to ease the flow of traffic.

“Besides, Karu needs more schools and hospitals; the area’s waste management system needs to be improved on because many residents throw their refuse into canals,’’ he says.

The population of adjoining towns like Masaka, Jikwoyi, New Nyanya, New Karu, Koroduma and Ado is bound to increase significantly, as people daily throng the towns in search of cheaper accommodation.

However, town and regional planning experts believe that the potential of all these towns could be harnessed to make them a viable and tourism-friendly mega city.

They, however, call for the intervention of the Federal Government in the plans, saying that the 1992 Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act bestows on the Federal Government the responsibility to formulate national policies for urban and regional planning and development.

All the same, Mr Femi Ajagun, an urban and regional planner, urges the FCTA to

work in concert with the Nasarawa State Government in efforts to formulate development strategies for the emerging mega city.

He says that residential areas, industrial areas, markets, railway routes and stations, as well as parks, gardens and green areas should be specifically mapped out in the area.

“Besides, measures should be put in place to tackle the common challenges facing mega cities; these include traffic congestion, slums, crimes, environmental issues and air pollution, among others.

“The Abuja light rail project, which was designed to connect all the satellite towns to the city centre, should be extended to other parts of the budding megalopolis that are not within the FCT,’’ Ajagun says.

Experts are of the view that if the potential of the MararabaNyanya axis is properly harnessed, it will grow to become a modern megalopolis in a way that is akin to Lagos, Tokyo, Mexico City, New York, Sao Paulo, Los Angeles and London.

(NANFeatures)

Abuja Council polls: Youths support AMAC chairman

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

head of the Saturday Area Council election in Abuja, the Nigerian Youth Rally for Democracy and Development has called on the electorates in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to come out en-masse to vote Hon. Mica Y. Jiba for a second term of office.

The National Coordinator of the organisation, Adejoh James, in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday said there is the need for the people in AMAC to give Hon. Jiba a second chance opportunity in order to consolidate on the tremendous achievement he has recorded during his first tenure in office as the chairman of the Area council.

James said the organisation's decision to rally round support for Jiba's second term bid followed a highly convoked meeting that assessed developments in the rural areas of the Abuja Municipal Area Council and discovered that Jiba did not only build over 80 blocks of classroom in various primary schools in the council, but has also rehabilitated

existing class room blocks.

"That with the provision of transformers in his rural electrification programs in over 40 communities spread across the council, this amiable development activist, Hon. Jiba should be given the benefit of doubt by electing him for another term of office", the organisation stated.

Other achievements of the

AMAC boss, the organisation pointed out are, the provision of bore-holes in more than 40 rural communities in AMAC, expansion of the Utako International market the payment of over N20 million as scholarships to indigent students within the council and the completion of the multimillion permanent Secretariat at Apo.

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

Mob: 08033644990

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 22

The Best cars of the Geeneva Motor Show 2013

Nigerian Stock Exchange set to launch Issuers’ Portal From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

T

L-R: Vice-President, Abuja Chambers OF Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA), General India Garba, Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Przmyslaw Niesiolowski, and President ABUCCIMA, Dr. Solomon Nyag, during the visit of Polish Business Delegation to ABUCCIMA, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

IEA projects lower crude oil export from Nigeria in March

By Etuka Sunday with agency report he International Energy Agency (IEA), expects crude oil export from Nigeria to fall this month, due to rising cases of theft on pipeline network across the country.

IEA, in its March monthly report released yesterday, said that the resurgence in oil theft and illegal bunkering along pipelines and increased sectarian violence continued to destabilise the country’s crude oil export.

According to IEA, in January, production was down to two million barrel per day (mbpd), partly due to lingering technical problems following the shut-in of major crude streams in recent months.

“Force majeure on Qua Iboe crude exports was lifted in December, but ExxonMobil said in early February that cargoes would be delayed due to ongoing pipeline repairs. Nigeria has increased the operations of its security forces but militant and terrorist activities remained a major problem for operators.

“Total moved its staff from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja following the kidnapping of a French national in December, which was the first time staff were repatriated from the country”, the report stated.

Meanwhile, the reference basket of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reached $112.75 billion in the month of February, representing a gain of $3.47 over the previous month. As at March 11, the reference basket stood at $106.96 billion.

OPEC, which made this disclosure Wednesday in its March monthly report, put the January reference basket at

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$109.28 billion.

OPEC reference basket is a weighted average of prices for petroleum blends produced by OPEC countries.

Also in the report, OPEC leaves 2013 global demand growth unchanged at 840,000bpd; trims economic growth forecasts for US, Eurozone; sees US oil supply reaching 28-year high this year.

OPEC said that the global oil demand growth could fall short of forecasts in 2013 due to economic weakness and US supply will hit its highest in three

By Chris Alu

M

TN Foundation, has roll out plans to sponsor 12,000 eye cataract surgical operation for Nigerians Citizens before the end of the year.

Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, director (MTNF), who made this known to journalists yesterday, said the cataract operations will be carried out under a new project tagged MTN Foundation Eyesight Restoration Intervention Scheme (MTNF EyeRIS), is introduced by the Health Portfolio of the Foundation.

He explained that the Foundation is passionate about

decades, curbing the need for oil from the 12-member producer group.

OPEC, in the report also trimmed forecast demand for its own crude in 2013 by 70,000bpd due to rising supply from outside the 12-member group.

The non-OPEC supply growth will again be driven by the US, which is enjoying a shale energy boom. OPEC expects US oil supply to rise by 580,000bpd to 10.59mn bpd in 2013, which it said would be the highest since 1985.

he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has concluded arrangements to introduce the first ever Issuers’ Portal in the Nigerian Capital Market known as X-Issuer.

The new portal, which will be formally launched on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at the MUSON Centre in Lagos, is one of a number of new regulatory initiatives of The NSE that will allow online information submission for enhanced interaction between the Exchange and listed companies.

The Head, Listings Regulation of the NSE, Mrs. Josephine Igbinosun, explained that XIssuer is a secure on-line portal through which Issuers will submit financial and other information to the NSE and the market from the comfort of their offices.

She noted that the portal will not only encourage transparency and accountability but will expedite the discharge of Issuers’

Wanted: Young African entrepreneurs communities. It celebrates

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he African Leadership Academy, in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, is requesting for entries and nomination of young businesspeople for its prestigious ‘Africa’s Richest Youth Entrepreneur Awards’ – the Anzisha Prize.

The prestigious Anzisha Prize rewards young African entrepreneurs who are making a difference by transforming their

MTN Foundation rolls out plan to sponsor eye surgery for Nigerians it because of the sheer impact we felt on people’s lives. “As you know, the whole essence of the Foundation is to positively impact the lives of Nigerians”, he stated.

Goodluck said the Foundation had already selected an indigenous partner, through whom the project would be implemented, adding that six states that are beneficiaries are already working with the Foundation to ensure success of the project.

According to him most of the beneficiaries are the less-

privileged who lost sight as a result of eye cataract, our support for every beneficiary will not be limited to the surgical operation alone, but will cover the distribution of corrective glasses, drugs as well as pre and post-operative care.”

Goodluck said this project and others being introduced this year will run alongside existing projects being implemented nationwide by the three portfolios of the Foundation, namely, health, education and economic empowerment.

Management Tip of the Day Make your writing chronological

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tories are inherently sequential. One thing happens, then another, then another. That structure works well not only in books and films, but also in business writing because it helps readers follow along.

When giving a factual account, use chronology to keep your writing clear, efficient, and interesting. To help you relay the narrative in order — rather than jumping in at the middle or even the end — create a “chronology of relevant events” before you

post-listings obligations relating to structured and continuous disclosures.

She also stressed that X-Issuer will eliminate leakage of price sensitive information because of the minimal time between submission by the Issuer and release to the market.

Igbinosun explained that the portal will offer unique benefits of data capture, form submission validation and other ancillary services such as submission notification mechanisms and tracking of submitted information. With this, listed companies no longer need to submit hard copies of information to The Exchange by post, hand delivery or courier In a bid to enhance the overall user experience, the Exchange commenced a User Acceptance Test (UAT) with a number of listed companies, providing training to build capacity and requisite knowhow of the new electronic submission system, as quality and knowledge transfer are key success factors.

write.

List all of the important dates and events then use it to guide your writing, making sure you still write in a way that’s personal.

Source: Harvard Business Review

initiative and innovation and identifies those who are leading by example and underscores their ability to significantly shape the future of Africa.

With more than $75 000 in prizes the Africa’s Richest Youth Entrepreneur Awards is one of Africa’s richest youth entrepreneurial competitions and young businesspeople from around the continent are encouraged to enter.

There is also a $10 000 Energy Prize which will be awarded to the applicant who demonstrates ingenuity in developing sustainable renewable energy sources.

The Anzisha Prize is open to entrepreneurs from around the African continent aged between 15 and 22. Entries can be completed online at www.anzishaprize.org in either English or French - with the closing deadline on April 1, 2013. Individuals, teachers and organisations are also being called on to nominate young entrepreneurs in their communities.

Finalists will win an allexpense paid trip to the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend a weeklong entrepreneurship conference and awards gala.

While there, they will be taught by the ALA’s renowned Entrepreneurial Leadership faculty as well as experienced business mentors. Winners will share $75,000, courtesy of The MasterCard Foundation, and be given networking and learning opportunities to take their projects to the next level. (Source: AfDB)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

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COMPANY NEWS Aero Contractors

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ero Contractors may have lost about N1.98 million due to protest by aviation unions which grounded its flight operations across the country.

The airline, which had earlier announced an indefinite suspension of flight operations due to the crisis, however, said it will resume flights yesterday as the unions have given another 14-day ultimatum to address issues raised during the protest The workers had after the expiration of 21 days on Wednesday protested the deployment of 41 workers to another company apart from other labour issues

Julius Berger, PZ & UBA

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hare price gains recorded by Julius Berger, PZ Cussons and United Bank for Africa (UBA) in the first two months of the year are the highest amongst the 27 stocks in the blue-chip basket on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Julius Berger shares rose by 58.78 percent to lead others stocks in the basket, which track the top 30 companies in terms of market capitalisation and liquidity.

This was followed by PZ Cussons Nigeria plc, which gained 41.75 percent. PZ Cussons plc rose from N28.5kobo to N40.40; while UBA plc, which rallied by 40.88 percent, rose from N5.70 to N8.03kobo.

NAPTIN

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he National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) needs about N15 billion to provide infrastructure at its permanent site in Abuja, Reuben Okeke, the director-general, has said.

Okeke made this known when he led a NAPTIN delegation on a courtesy visit to Felix Atume, the registrar, council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) in Abuja.

Okeke said the development of the site would be done through Private Public Partnership (PPP).

DMO

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he Debt Management Office (DMO), yesterday, said it sold N155 billion worth of bonds at a marginally higher yield. DMO sold 35 billion naira apiece in the 5- and 10-year bonds, and placed an additional N85 billion worth of 5-year paper outside the auction on a non-competitive basis.

It sold 5-year notes at a yield of 10.7 percent, marginally up from 10.67 percent at the previous auction last month, while the 10year fetched 11.08 percent from 10.8 percent. The bonds will mature in 2017 and 2022.

Total subscription for the bonds at the primary auction stood at N132.18 billion, compared with N251.91 billion at February's auction.

Nigerian insurance industry is overcapitalised - CEO Risk Guard Africa The Chief Excutive Officer, Risk Guard Africa, Chief Yemi Sholadoye says the nation's insurance industry to be over capitalized. Sholadoye, who was a consultant to the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM)'s Market Development and Restructuring Initiatives (MDRI) during an interactive session with the National Association of Insurance Correspondents (NAICO), gave update of the project; Ngozi Onyeakusi experts:

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o far, what has been the achievement of MDRI and the challenges it has encountered?

The biggest achievement of MDRI is one: The Nigerian insurance industry now has a united focus. We all know, whether you appreciate it or not, key into it or not, we are very clear about where we are going, and are very clear about the milestones we want to achieve, the time we want to achieve it and also clear about the vision, the new mission and the objectives of the Nigerian insurance industry.

Two: Before the MDRI, it was the operators that were leading the regulators; the operators were even blaming the regulators; at public forum, you'll hear operators complaining that if there had been a serious regulator in the insurance industry. Now, the fear of the regulator is the beginning of underwriting wisdom in the business.

Three: The MDRI is like a house, in the sense that even if you have everything ready, that is: all the money needed, say you want to build a storey building you have to give it some time for the decking to become solid before you can put the next floor.

It seems the effect of MDRI is no longer seen in the market; is that the end of the road?

The answer know that repackaging to hit the thing

is capital No! I NAICOM is come back and very well, to

Chief Yemi Sholadoye address these problems which I mentioned to you earlier. What I did in the past one year is to go to the some of the underwriters, the operators and the consumers, with the personal initiative and money to start doing the right thing; because there are three parties involved: the regulator, the operator and the consumers.

Sometimes, you will be hearing of things like mortgage endowment, all these are

“

If we really want to talk of consolidation for Nigeria insurance companies, I think companies will have to merge if they really want to become bigger and serve customers better.....

products that you can sell through the estate agents and valuers You can imagine the number of houses under their control, so that the company is coming up along that line and I know of two others that are really coming out big in the area of retail market and that is why I tell you that actualization of MDRI deliverable is a matter of delay and we are going to get there and I think the thing will soon start crystallizing.

With the low performance of MDRI, on what percentage will you rate it?

Based on it present status, I will give it 75% at the moment.

Though you may be surprised, there are three parties involved in making MDRI work the regulator, operator and the consultant. Incidentally, two of these stakeholders don't have operating license and MDRI is a business model, no one has ever come out to say it cannot work.

The present opportunity and potentials for insurance at the moment is not the same what we are having in the past years.

Do you think further consolidation could be a panacea to the industry?

Looking at consolidation from the perspective of statutory capital is inadequate; at the moment, the insurance

industry is over-capitalised and experiencing under trading.

You don't need to go to school to know that anybody doing business with N 5billion and does not make premium income of N5billion that it is a bad business. That is why I said if you are looking at consolidation within the context of raising the capital again, it is absolutely not necessary.

Under the MDRI, the introduction of solvency rule, which is item four there, has addressed that; the introduction of risk-based capital has also been addressed in the MDRI.For a company that is neck-deep in oil & gas and same company in aviation and the same N 5billion for a company that specialises in motor insurance, that is why I said we are over capitalised.

That is also the reason for many underwriters that run to countries whose population is not even up to Obalende in Lagos.

Without mincing words, we don't have what is referred to as insurance companies in Nigeria. When we are talking of an insurance company globally, go and study the annual accounts of companies like Alias, AIG etc.; they deal in agriculture and their annually generated premium income is $260billion and when you convert it into Naira, it will give approximately N4 trillion and that is why I said we are not there at all.

A study revealed that among the biggest 16 insurance companies in Africa, no Nigerian insurance company is there and among 500 biggest companies in the world, there is no Nigeria company there.Though things are better now, there was a time we had 184 insurance companies in Nigeria alone; before the 2007 consolidation, we had 103 insurance companies and as at the time I was conducting research on MDRI, packaging the strategy, India, with the population of over 1.1billion people as at that time only had 32 insurance companies, China with 1.3 billion people as at that time only have 52 insurance companies as at that time. Those are insurance companies when you are talking about size and capacity.

If we really want to talk of consolidation for Nigeria insurance companies, I think companies will have to merge if they really want to become bigger and serve customers better, but their consolidation is absolutely not in terms of capital.

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2013

Tax implication of the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

By Frank Obaro

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n line with section 8 of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Establishment Act 2007, FIRS issued a draft circular in October 2012 to provide direction to stakeholders on the tax implications of the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). IFRS is expected to far have reaching implications on taxpayers, knowing that quoted companies are expected to adopt it, beginning from 2012, other businesses from 2013 while SMEs are to fully adopt the guidelines in 2014.

These is to give effect to the Federal Executive Council's acceptance of the recommendation of the Committee on the roadmap for the adoption of IFRS in Nigeria, which places emphasis on the adoption of globally accepted accounting standards by reporting entities.

The adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in a phased transition in a process is to be supervised by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria(FRCN) formerly Nigerian Accounting Standards Board (NASB), under the supervision of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment.

Section 55 (1) of the Companies Income Tax Act (CITA), Cap C21, LFN 2004 requires a company filing a return to submit its audited account with the Service while sections 8, 52 and 53 of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act, 2011 gave effect to the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard.

This implies that the audited accounts to be submitted to the Service after the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard shall be prepared in compliance with standards issued by IFRS. It is in line with the above that FIRS has published these draft guidelines on tax treatments to be given to each of the Standards especially where there are deviations from the present Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP) after the adoption. The objective is to highlight some salient points in the FIRS draft policy document in alignment with the IFRS guidelines.

IFRS 1 - FIRST TIME ADOPTION -An entity shall prepare and present an opening IFRS statement of financial position at the date of transition to IFRS. This is the starting point for its accounting in accordance with IFRS. An entity shall use the same accounting policies in its opening IFRS statement of financial position and throughout all periods presented in its first IFRS financial statements. Those

Ag. Executive Chairman, FIRS, Alhaji Kabir Mashi accounting policies shall comply with each IFRS effective at the end of its first IFRS reporting period.

In particular, the IFRS requires an entity to do the following in the opening IFRS statement of financial position that it prepares as a starting point for its accounting under IFRS:(a) recognise all assets and liabilities whose recognition is required by IFRSs; (b) not recognise items as assets or liabilities if IFRS do not permit such recognition. (a) reclassify items that it

recognised in accordance with previous GAAP as one type of asset, liability or component of equity, but are a different type of asset, liability or component of equity in accordance with IFRSs; and (d) apply IFRS in measuring all recognised assets and liabilities". FIRS draft guidelines emphasize that the new net asset based on the accounting balance shall be adopted for minimum tax computation and where dividend is paid from retained earnings, it shall be subject to tax in line with section 19 of

CITA. Also the details of recognitions, de-recognitions and reconciliation must be forwarded to FIRS by the taxpayer including all adjustments to opening retained earnings.

Furthermore entities shall have the option to either completely expense or spread within 3 years the revenue expense component of its cost of conversion to IFRS as first time adopters. All conversion cost (Capital & Revenue) must be verified and confirmed by the Service before it can be allowed as Qualified Capital Expenditure or expense. While any additional tax/refund as a result of the conversion shall be settled by the company or refunded by FIRS as may be agreed by FIRS within 3 years of adoption. For the treatment of Finance Lease the FIRS guideline notes that in compliance with IFRS reclassification of lease asset, there could be a situation whereby an operating lease becomes a finance lease. Where two parties had correctly applied the old principle but are now compelled by the IFRS standard to reclassify operating lease as finance lease, FIRS will rely on the Tax Written down value of the asset in granting further capital allowance to the leasee.

Also, investment allowance and Initial allowance shall not be granted to the leasee on reclassification of the asset and where there are errors in compliance with previous standards on leases, the tax consequences resulting from the errors shall be adjusted for accordingly.

For assets reclassified to finance lease, paragraph 18(2) and (3) of schedule two of CITA which relates to Rights to Claim Capital Allowances on finance lease shall apply. The guideline on finance lease as described in

FIRS information circular No. 2010/01 dated 12th April, 2012 which relates to Value Added Tax (VAT) and WithHolding Tax (WHT) shall apply.

In IAS 19 - which dwells on EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, the FIRS draft guidelines notes that provisions in respect of other long-term employee benefits (other than post- employment benefits and termination benefits) that are not due to be settled within twelve months after the end of the period in which the employees render the related service shall not be allowed for tax purposes until actual payment is made. Profit sharing and bonus payments shall be allowed for tax purposes only if the amount and basis for its computation has been agreed and approved at the beginning of the accounting period and notably Personal Income Tax is payable on the bonus and profit sharing in line with the provisions of Personal Income Tax (amended 2011). For Pension remittances employer's contributions over and above the 7.5% compulsory threshold is an allowable deduction by virtue of the provision of the National Pension Commission Act (section 7 & 9 of Pension Act) and Actual contribution paid to the pension fund in the current year shall be allowed for tax purposes in line with the existing practice. The National Pension Commission has been empowered to approve defined benefit plan for any entity that wants to run it. However, FIRS must be satisfied that a proper scheme manager is appointed for the security of the fund before allowing any expenses on the scheme for tax purposes.

Any provision charged to Statement of Comprehensive Income (SOCI) that does not have the approval of Pension Commission (PENCOM) and FIRS shall be disallowed.

Provision made for benefits payable to the employees offered voluntary redundancy shall not be an allowable deduction for tax purposes unless they result into cash payment to the employees.

There is no doubt that the transition to IFRS is a huge task, with over 100 countries already signed to it. IFRS has become the global reporting standards for accounts and it is imperative for various stakeholders to work together to engender a workable solutions in terms of capacity and enlightenment on the cut off dates. Its revolutionary impact tax requires a great deal of decisiveness and commitment.

It is a new world order in corporate reporting that will alter not only the financial accounting and reporting landscape in Nigeria but also tax accounting, tax cash flow and tax distributable reserves.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

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The best cars of the Geneva Motor Show 2013 It’s the moment supercar obsessives have been waiting for all year: the Geneva Motor Show. The sprawling exposition is the biggest event in motoring, the stage on which Europe’s finest brands from Aston Martin to Zonda unveil their latest creations.

This year’s event was no different, with new flagship supercars from Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini to name but a few. Here are just a few of those we can’t wait to drive...

McClaren P1

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ollowing on from the sensational MP4-12C, McClaren’s new supercar is as stunning creation – the spiritual successor of the legendary F1, although you’d be pressed to tell visually.

As with all new McClaren supercars, it’s packed with the latest cutting-edge race technology, including a 3.8litre V8 combined with a 176bhp electric hybrid motor, together producing an astounding 903bhp. McClaren have also promised the

Lamborghini Veneno

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here’s a reason Batman’s other car is a Lamborghini. Named after a fighting bull, Lambo’s new hypercar offers the kind of aggressive aesthetics that wouldn’t look out of place in the Dark Knight’s garage. The engine

matches the exterior, too: the Veneno is powered by a thundering 6.5-litre V12, putting out 750bhp and a top speed of 221mph.

Alas, with only three being produced at an eye-watering £2.6million (about N650 million plus tax) you’ll need to be Bruce Wayne to drive one.

Alfa Romeo 4C

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lfa Romeo’s stunning new sports car originally made its debut at Geneva in 2011 as a concept. Given the reaction it received, Alfa has made the dream a reality; the 4C will go on sale in September. The stunning body is reminiscent of a Lotus or a Porsche 911,

Rolls-Royce Wraith

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ssentially a coupé take on the muchloved Ghost, the Wrath is being described as “as sporty as RollsRoyce gets” – think of it a rival to Bentley’s Continental GT. It’s certainly powerful, with a 624bhp V12 under the bonnet.

As you’d expect, the Wraith comes with Volkswagen XL1

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or all the ultra-fast, ultra-desirable supercars on show in Switzerland this week, the most revolutionary machine on show is Volkswagen’s futuristic hybrid.

The XL 1 is the most fuel-efficient production car in history, with a combined electric motor and petrol engine reaching a staggering 314mpg.

It’s also environmentally friendly, with CO2 emissions of just 21g/km. There’s a reason that the XL 1 looks like something out of the Total Recall reboot: that sloping chassis results in the lowest drag in any road car and weighs only 795kg, which helps towards that frugal fuel use.

VW will be producing 250 of the XL1 (the brand is yet to name a price) so don’t expect to see them dominating the high street just yet, but one thing is certain: the XL1 is the future.

P1 will do 0-62mph in under 3 seconds.

The sweeping frame (mostly carbon fibre, naturally) also includes a moveable rear wing for downforce and our favourite feature: a button to raise the suspension by 50mm at low speeds, in case of any pesky speed bumps. As you’d expect, at £866,000 the price is ultra-exclusive but with 375 P1s in production at least there’s a realistic chance that those with the cash will be able to drive one.

Available from £866,000 (about N216,500,000)

all the luxury you’d expect from a RollsRoyce, including “Phantom-grade” leather interiors, the “starlight” headliner and elegant wood trim. But our favourite feature? The new “Satellite Aided” transmission, which uses the car’s builtin GPS to pre-select the right gear for the road ahead while you drive.

Price tbc ; Available autumn 2013 Price and availability tbc.

(Source: www.gq-magazine.co.uk)

with the signature Alfa grill hiding a 1.7 litre turbocharged petrol engine.

When combined with the ultra-light carbon fibre chassis, that means a seriously quick drive – and with a price starting at £40,000, it’s a bit more affordable too.

From £40,000 (about N 10 million) Available autumn 2013

PEOSPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Report as at Thursday, March 14, 2013

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

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Brouhaha over ‘Burukutu’ Debate rages on the Plateau over the sales, consumption of popular local brew Ephraims Sheyin reports

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he Gbong Gwom Jos, Mr Buba Gyang, has never hidden his total dislike for burukutu and pito — two popular indigenous alcoholic drinks produced via the fermentation of sorghum and millet.

The monarch uses every opportunity to dissuade people from producing or consuming the local drinks.

He attributes the upsurge in social vices such as the moral decadence, drunkenness, laziness and violence among the youth to alcoholism induced by the drinking of the cheap liquor.

Irked by the sustained production, sales and consumption of burukutu and pito, the monarch last month urged churches to reject the tithes and offerings of the drinks’ brewers, a development which many critics described as frightening.

Governor Jonah Jang

During his visit to Vwei, Gyang declared that the activities of the liquor’s producers and sellers were “negatively affecting our youths and this is responsible for the moral decadence in our society.

“The clergy should devise means of detecting these classes of people and shun their tithes and offerings so that we can have a better society.

“If this is done, it will discourage the production and consumption of alcohol and drugs; this will, in turn, save our youths from being destroyed,’’ he said.

Gyang particularly noted that local brews like burukutu were holding back the youth from safeguarding their communities against attacks.

According to him, unless the youth refrain from drinking alcohol and choose to become responsible, they

cannot contribute to the peace and development of the state.

However, the monarch is not the first leader to condemn the production and consumption of the local drinks.

For instance, a former Military Administrator of Plateau, retired Rear Admiral Bitrus Atukum, had, on several occasions, discouraged the production and consumption of the alcoholic drinks.

And when Gov. Jonah Jang assumed office in 2007, he also continued the crusade against the consumption of the local brew, directing that drinking spots should only be opened from 4 p.m. daily, citing the social and security effects of the alcoholic beverages.

Apart from these efforts, medical experts argue that investigations have revealed that consumers of

burukutu are prone to contracting all kinds of cancer, hepatitis and others diseases.

Corroborating such claims, Dr Fabong Yildam, a physician at Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos, said: “The local brew predisposes one to malnutrition, alcoholinduced hepatitis and various types of cancer.

“It also impairs nutrients’ absorption by damaging the cells lining the stomach and intestine, while disabling the transport of some nutrients into the blood.’’

Yildam said that alcohol

affected virtually every organ in the body, from the brain, throat, chest down to the stomach region, adding that excessive consumption of alcohol could also lead to heart diseases.

Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Sylvester Akut, a public health specialist, stressed that alcoholism increased the risks of contracting cancers of the throat, oesophagus, liver, breast and stomach.

He advised the public, especially the youth, to desist from excessive alcohol intake, soliciting a law to regulate the activities of the brewers and

“

The government should strive to check the excesses of some burukutu drinkers but a total ban will not be in the interest of the community because Burukutu creates a major platform for the people’s interactions

Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba

sellers of the local drink.

Akut, however, stressed the need to penalise the brewers of the liquor and those who sold the drinks to minors.

Nevertheless, Mrs Henrietta Daniel, the Chairperson of the TudunWada branch of Burukutu Brewers Association, has a contrary viewpoint, saying that the local brew “is not as harmful as it is being portrayed’’.

She, however, conceded that many youths usually mixed the drink with other harmful substances and dangerous drinks like “dry gin’’ which made them prone to various diseases.

Daniel stressed that burukutu consumers would be safe if they guzzled the drink “moderately’’.

Supporting Daniel’s argument, Mr Adamu Bot, a retired worker of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, said: “Our forefathers used to drink the local brew but nothing happened to them.

“They (forefathers) consumed a lot of burukutu and they lived their normal lives; many of them lived well beyond 100 years,’’ he added.

All the same, Daniel stressed that the burukutu business was “very lucrative’’.

“It is through this business that we train our children and feed our families; our husbands are civil servants whose salaries are never regular.

“But if we get alternative jobs, we shall disengage from this trade; there is even no particular pleasure in doing it because the drink’s production is very strenuous,’’ she said.

However, Women Without Walls Initiative (WWWI), a Jos-based nongovernmental organisation (NGO), said that it had already begun the process of creating alternative jobs for burukutu brewers and retailers.

Mrs Esther Ibanga, the organisation’s president, said the initiative was aimed at helping women to engage in “more dignified and better jobs than burukutu brewing or selling’’.

She said that 85 women would be trained in vocations such as tailoring, weaving, knitting, catering, pomade-making and trading.

“The women will operate on the platform of New Life Women Association to replace the current Burukutu Women

People drinking burukutu (left) while others are producing it (right) Association,’’ she added.

Ibanga said that the women’s training would be handled in collaboration with APURIMAC, a Perubased NGO, adding that after the training, the women would be empowered with some funds to start off their businesses.

She also said the Plateau State Government had pledged its full support for the organisation’s efforts.

Confirming this, Mrs Olivia Dazyam, the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, said that the ministry had started discussions with the burukutu brewers and was devising ways of empowering them to partake in other businesses.

She said that the ministry had also promised to provide the equipment that would be used for the women’s training in the

skills acquisition programme.

Commenting on efforts to discourage the burukutu trade, Dr Ngozi Madubuike, the Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Plateau, said that the agency would support any initiative aimed at empowering the producers

and sellers of the drink to engage in more dignifying vocations.

She, nonetheless, underscored the need a legislation outlawing the production, sale and consumption of burukutu so as to validate efforts to stamp out the production and consumption of the liquor.

“

Gyang particularly noted that local brews like burukutu were holding back the youth from safeguarding their communities against attacks

Although concerned citizens are working toward the cessation of the production of the liquor, some consumers are kicking against the effort.

For instance, Mr Shuaibu Mafes, a retired teacher, argued that burukutu was more than just a drink.

“We use burukutu sessions to discuss the state of our communities; the drink is part of our culture and it has a strong unifying factor.

“Maybe, the government should strive to check the excesses of some burukutu drinkers but a total ban will not be in the interest of the community because it creates a major platform for the people’s interactions,’’ he said.

Mafes stressed that burukutu became a target of anti-alcoholism campaign because it was the only liquor that was

somewhat affordable to the poor, stressing that the drink helped people, particularly rural dwellers, to “socialise and relax after farm work’’.

Besides, he noted that burukutu was used as the base material for some herbal medication used in treating ailments such as sore throat, acute headache, migraine and acute fever, among others.

Even as the debate on burukutu continues, Azina Adamu, a Jos-based street sweeper, said that she was happy about the growing opposition to the production and consumption of the stuff.

“My husband comes home drunk every day and he snores throughout the night. I am sure he will be a better man if he no longer has access to burukutu,’’ she added.

(NANFeatures)

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

The people of truth... the Allah fearing (V) A

llah says: “It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe In Allah and the Last Day, and the angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your possession, out of love for it, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast In prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, In pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah fearing.” [al-Baqarah: 177] In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah! We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our evils and bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, is indeed guided; and anyone who has been left astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the Only One without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and final messenger to mankind. May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon His last and final Apostle, his Household, his companions and all his followers until the end of time.

Our last station we started talking of steadfastness in prayers in accordance with the Islam jurisprudence ruling. We could not complete because of its significance, as well for the need to ginger you to not to slacken in your zeal and enthusiasm in your performance of it on not only at its appoinded times but also with all that makes it complete and inclusive. This week, however, we will continue discussing it because it stands out

be the very heart of the entire positions.

Islam! I stopped at item number 7.

Every tashahhud 10, so the next numbering is the including the final one and that continuation. of the sahwi corrective steps.

11. The sitting between the 8. Every sitting for the two sajadah of each unit or raka'at 12. Sitting enough to say the tasleem 1 3 .

Attaining

By Husain Zakariyya o p t i m u m Yawale tranquillity a n d attentiveness +234-8052952900 (sms only) throughout the islamexplained35@yahoo.com salah.

14. The first tasleem (saying rehearsing of tashahhuds. assalaamu alaikum, just that or 9. Salutation of the Prophet assalaamu alaikum wa of Allah after the last tashahhud. rahmatullaah to the right and 10. Prostration (sujud) on the then to the left). Observing front of the feet, on the palms and proper arrangement of the elbows of the legs. fara'id.

11. Responding to the salaam Sunan: These are the steps or tasleem of the Imam and the that are required to be done one on your left. during the salah and if any is or 12. Extra composure and some are left out due to calmness atop the compulsory forgetfulness they can be one.

13.

Lauding of the compensated for with the prostration of forgetfulness or pronouncement of the tasleem sujud as-sahwi. However, if they concluding the salah.

14. Listening attentively to are deliberately omitted then the salah becomes null and void. the laud recitation of the Imam.

15. Mounting of sutrah or The waajibaat of the Salah obstructing sign post should the are eight. They are: 1. Recitation of a chapter or Imam should there arise any fear verses after the mandatory of passers-by.

If any person remembers Fatiha in first two raka'ats.

2. Reciting the surah or ayats that he or she forgot and while standing for those who can increased or reduced some or any of these sunnan and afford.

3. Loud recitation where it is remembers while still praying, then he or she has to make the to be recited aloud.

4. Secret recitation where it two corrective prostrations for forgetfulness or sujud sahwi. If is to recited secretly.

5. Rehearsing the takbeer at the increase is remembered even every instance with exception of after a long time, the prostration the prelude takbeer declaring for forgetfulness must be the commencement of the salah. performed. but if it was for 6. Pronouncement of Sami decrease, and only remembered Allahu liman hamidah when after a long time, the prayers springing up from the ruku'u remained valid, by the special

ISLAM EXPLAINED

leave of Allah.

To be steadfast in prayers includes but limited to what we have adumbrated above. It involves good purification including its etiquettes and conations. Good ablution with full knowledge of the obligatory, the recommendable and how to avoid mistakes, and where it is made how to redeem them. Above all one has observe the salah with full and unshakeable love of it being Allah's command.

As-salah must be performed as at when due, including all what it entails! The issue of salah in the sight of Allah is so important that He promises torment and anguish for anyone who neglects it. he also promises heaven and sumptuousness for anyone who is steadfast on it, in addition to ruling over the world.

He says regarding those who neglects it: “So woe to the worshippers. Who are neglectful of their prayers. Those who (want but) to be seen (of men).” [alMa'un: 4-6] he says regarding those who are mindful about it: “Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them In the land, inheritance (of power), As He granted it to those before them; that He will establish In authority their Religion - the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (Their state), after the fear In which They (lived), to one of security and peace: 'They will worship me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. 'If any do reject Faith after this, They are

rebellious and wicked.” [an-Nur: 55] And: “Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall They grieve.” [al-Baqarah: 277] “Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance of their Lord; establish regular prayers; spend, out of (the gifts) we have bestowed for their sustenance, secretly and openly; and turn off evil with good: for such there is the final attainment of the (eternal) home.” [ar-Ra'ad: 22] Here are some virtues of performing Salah for the purpose of reminding ourselves as motivation to us.

1. Salah was the first and the foremost thing ordained by Allah, and it shall be the first and the foremost thing to be accounted for on the Day of Judgement.

2. Fear Allah in the matter of Salah! Fear Allah in the matter of Salah! Fear Allah in the matter of Salah!

3. Salah intervenes between man and Shirk.

4. Salah is the emblem of Islam. A person who says his Salah at the fixed hours with sincerity and devotion, observing all its regulations including the Mustahabbat, such a person is surely a Mu'min.

5. Out of all injections that have been ordained by Allah, Imaan and Salah are the most valued that includes all and sundry. If there were any other things better than Salah, then Allah would have ordained it for His Angels, some of whom are eternally on various positions of the salah!

6. Salaat is the pillar of Islam.

7. Salah dispels and disgraces the satan.

8. Salah is the light of every Mu'min.

9. Allah is closest to a person so long as he is engaged in Salah.

10. When a calamity befalls us from Heaven, people frequenting the Masjid are spared and saved for their attachment to Allah through their salahs!

11. Even hell fire is been forbidden to touch those parts of the body which engage in Salah.

12. Salah is the key to Paradise. l3. A person in Salah is like person who knocks at the door of the sovereign Lord, and the doo, of which it will always remain opened for him whenever he knocks!

14. If a person wishes to have his sins forgiven by Allah, he should perform his 'Wudhu' properly, offer at least two Raka'at, and thus his sins against Allah's injunctions will be blotted-off!

15. Salah is the offering of the pious and a line of communication with Allah in times of distress and delectation.

To be continued, Insha Allah

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

ANALYSIS

By Mary Emily O'Hara

I

f there is anything consistent about US politics, it is that the federal government can rarely get all 50 states to agree on anything. The sheer geographical enormity of the country, not to mention its vast cultural differences, provides momentum for a constantly shifting battle of ideologies that fuels progression.

It is almost as if former President Bill Clinton had this in mind when he angered the American lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) population by signing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into constitutional law in 1996.

DOMA, by its very repressive nature, has indeed forced the issue of state versus federal control of marriage law - but that does not excuse Clinton or his successors for enforcing the most explicitly discriminatory legislation since the racist Jim Crow laws of the segregation era.

Yet here we are, in 2013, at the cusp of a radical shift in same-sex marriage equality in the US. DOMA's demise is imminent: the Obama administration has effectively blocked it in the courts, and the global turn of public opinion toward "gay marriage" has even impelled the Queen of England to throw her support behind the LGBTQ community in our struggle for marriage equality.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in nine US states, the majority of American voters support legalising it across the board, and President Obama called for it in his second inaugural address. Marriage equality is on the way. You can feel it in the air.

But cultural acceptance is not what is really driving the demise of DOMA. The Defense of Marriage Act will fall because, simply put, it does not work.

To understand why DOMA failed, how it got to the point of facing repeal at its 16th year, we have to both track its failures and draw a parallel to historical similar legislation that blocked the civil rights movement in the 20th century.

In fact, drawing parallels is exactly the method employed by Obama in his effort to widen support for marriage equality in his second term. During this January's inaugural address, Obama referred to same-sex marriage when hesaid, "Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

He also referenced Stonewall and repeatedly invoked the subject of slavery and equal rights, stating: "No union could survive half-slave and half-free."

DOMA evokes memories of the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, in which the US Supreme Court ruled that equal protection for African Americans under the 14th Amendment was unconstitutional and that individuals and private businesses had a right to discriminate on the basis of race without congressional

PAGE 27

The unsustainable divide of same-sex marriage

Edith Windsor's case directly challenges Defense of marriage Act, arguing that the federal government cannot deny benefits to couples who are legally married "if the US Constitution promises equal protection under the law" intervention.

This move institutionalised racial discrimination under the law.

DOMA effectively repeats this "hands off" stance in Section 2, which gives states the optional right to refuse recognition of same-sex civil marriages performed legally elsewhere. Laws and constitutional amendments that give some US states the option to refuse legal rights and contracts awarded to individuals by other states have the effect of dividing the country at cultural, legal and political levels.

The problem with "optional" state recognition of a federal law is that some states enforce it strictly while others not only recognise same-sex marriage, but also reject the federal law entirely. A Boston court, in May 2012, struck down DOMA for Massachusetts, as New York's Second Circuit Court of Appeals did for that state in September 2012.

Divergences in state versus federal enforcement are not really what are killing DOMA; after all, it has been easy enough to strip legally married same-sex couples of over 1,000 federal benefits this whole time. The death of DOMA is rooted in visible, tangible discrepancies in civil rights - a rocky, murky patchwork in which American LGBTQ citizens find themselves subject to completely different levels of enforcement

while retaining the same theoretical legal status.

For example, two same-sex married couples who live in the same apartment in Manhattan might face radically different issues when it comes to taxes and health care, if one of the couples is employed by the private sector while the other is employed by the federal government. Neighbours living under the same state laws can face drastically different federal treatment.

Portland, Oregon, public attorney Tex Clark is frustrated by the multiple levels of discrimination she has faced. Clark and her partner, photographer Anna Campbell, were married in Vancouver, Canada, in 2012 and returned home to find that neither the state in which they live, nor the federal government, recognised their married status.

"We're nothing according to Oregon [and federal] law," says Clark, "We're roommates."

This means that Campbell cannot access Clark's extensive federal employee benefits while opposite-sex spouses of other attorneys can. What makes this especially exasperating is that were Clark employed by a private law firm rather than the federal government, her partner would likely be able to receive spousal benefits with a simple domestic

“

partnership registration.

The case of United States v Windsor, now being reviewed by the Supreme Court, is poised to change all of that. New Yorker Edith Windsor, 83, legally married her partner TheaSpyer in 2007 in Toronto after 40 years of partnership.

Spyer died in 2009 and left Windsor their home in her estate.

Windsor was hit with a $360,000 tax bill, most of which she would not have faced were she a heterosexual widow.

The Internal Revenue Service, being a federal agency, cannot legally give Windsor a surviving spouse tax refund even though the State of New York, which legalised same-sex marriage in 2011, can.

The Windsor case directly challenges DOMA, arguing that the federal government cannot deny benefits to couples who are legally married if the US Constitution promises equal protection under the law.

In a brief filed by the Justice Department, DOMA is said to violate the Fifth Amendment's equal protection clause in the same way as Bolling v Sharpe, one of the landmark cases regarding racial discrimination in the civil rights era.

The same arguments are being made in the other major Supreme Court case on marriage equality,

Spyer died in 2009 and left Windsor their home in her estate. Windsor was hit with a $360,000 tax bill, most of which she would not have faced were she a heterosexual widow.

this one regarding California's ban on same-sex marriage known as Proposition 8. The Department of Justice's brief - filed by the Obama administration - says: "Proposition 8's denial of marriage to same-sex couples, particularly where California at the same time grants same-sex partners all the substantive rights of marriage, violates equal protection."

California's legal stance on same-sex marriage is deeply convoluted: the state recognises more than 18,000 same-sex marriages performed in California during a brief window of legality pre-Proposition 8, it recognises same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries, and it offers a domestic partnership option that affords couples nearly all of the same benefits as marriage.

What this amounts to is a state in which some same-sex couples can be married, while others cannot.

This is the first time the administration has so overtly tackled the basic nature of civil unions as an alternative to marriage: the same kind of separate-but-equal status that was the defining factor of the postslavery Jim Crow laws that allowed states to discriminate on the basis of skin colour.

Proposition 8 was already deemed a violation of the constitution by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; now theHollingsworth v Perry case just needs to clear the highest court in the country.

Segregation didn't work because it divided the country in two and created a legal paradox in terms of equality and civil rights. DOMA does the same. But with Proposition 8 and the Windsor case facing Supreme Court's favourable decisions this spring, DOMA is destined to become, like Jim Crow, just another shameful pockmark on the American historical record.

On March 1 alone, over 30 briefs were filed with the Supreme Court in Windsor's defence, from organisations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the American Bar Association, and a group of 172 members of Congress paired with 40 US Senators. These only add to the myriad other supportive briefs filed since the case was accepted by the court.

With the backing of the Justice Department itself in addition, there's almost no way the Windsor challenge can fail. If Windsor wins, DOMA will effectively crumble. States will no longer have the option to discriminate when it comes to recognising the marriages of LGBTQ couples, and the federal government will have to get on board as well.

Source: Aljazeera

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PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

US names new ambassador to Libya

U

S President Barack Obama has named a new ambassador to Libya, six months after the previous US envoy was killed in an attack by fighters in Benghazi.

The announcement on Wednesday that career diplomat Deborah Jones is set to replace slain ambassador, Chris Stevens, came as the Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was in Washington for talks with senior officials.

Jones, who will have to be confirmed by Senate, carries a huge emotional weight into her new post with the scars of the September attack on the US mission in Benghazi still raw in the American psyche.

Stevens was killed along with three other American staff during a heavily-armed attack on the Benghazi compound and a nearby annex. He was the first ambassador

Deborah Jones' position as US envoy to Libya still has to be confirmed by senate.

to be killed on duty since the late 1970s.

Zeidan, who is on his first official visit to Washington, met on Wednesday Obama who joined the Libyan leader's talks at the White House with National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.

Despite a long investigation by both Libyan authorities and the FBI, no one has been charged in the Benghazi attack.

Zeidan pledged, however, as he met later Secretary of State John Kerry that the Libyan government will "work with the United States of America in order to find out who were behind the assault.

"Who killed this dear friend and his colleagues and they must be brought to trial," Zeidan said, speaking through a translator. "We are keen on reaching the truth and to see that justice is achieved."

China envoy denies $8 billion South Sudan aid offer

C

hina never promised South Sudan $8 billion in development funds when South Sudanese President SalvaKiir visited Beijing in April, but much more than this could be offered if the country achieves lasting peace, a senior diplomat said on Thursday.

South Sudan's government announced the figure following the trip, and until now Beijing has neither confirmed nor denied it.

Speaking to Reuters in an interview, China's special envoy to Africa, ZhongJianhua, who has helped in mediation efforts between the two Sudans and knows both countries well, said there was no $8 billion development deal.

"If there was any promise, it was that after South Sudan achieves peace with Sudan then it is a very promising country and can ramp up development, and then China is willing to play a development role in South Sudan and help them. But those plans have to wait for peace before we can talk about this," Zhong said, sitting in a meeting room inside the Foreign Ministry.

"I don't believe that this is something both sides acknowledged following the visit. This was not mentioned in any of the official Chinese reports following the visit; there was nothing about $8 billion," he added.

"It's not impossible - maybe in the

China's special envoy to Africa, ZhongJianhua. future, and maybe not only $8 billion," Zhong said, without elaborating.

"Certainly, it needs a development plan, and a big one at that. It faces a lot of challenges. I've been to Juba many times. Running water, electricity, road lights, bridges -- it needs a lot."

Relations between the two Sudans soured soon after South Sudan achieved independence in

2011 following a long and bloody civil war, due to arguments over oil revenues and territory.

Landlocked South Sudan shut down its 350,000 barrel-per-day crude output in January last year in a row with Sudan over how much it should pay to send the oil through Sudanese pipelines to the Red Sea. South Sudan said on Tuesday it would be ready to restart oil production within three weeks after

finalizing a deal to resolve bitter border and security disputes with Sudan.

China has had to play a delicate balancing act.

It is already the biggest investor in oilfields in South Sudan, through state-owned Chinese oil giants China National Petroleum Corp and Sinopec. Beijing is also one of Sudanese President Omar Hassan alBashir's major supporters.

Botswana apologises to Kenya over Kenyatta ICC warning

PhanduSkelemani

B

otswana's foreign minister has apologised for saying that Kenya's newly elected

president would be banned from the southern African nation if he refuses to co-operate with the ICC.

PhanduSkelemani made the apology after Kenya's government accused him of being contemptuous towards Uhuru Kenyatta.

The International Criminal Court has charged Mr Kenyatta with crimes against humanity.

He denies the charges and won the 4 March poll with an outright majority.

He got 50.07% of the vote compared to his rival RailaOdinga's 43.31%.

Mr Odinga has refused to accept defeat, saying the election was marred by fraud and is expected to file a petition challenging the result at Kenya's Supreme Court on Friday.

Analysts say the ICC case bolstered Mr Kenyatta's electoral

chances, as voters saw it as interference in Kenya's domestic affairs.

He is due to stand trial in July, with the charges stemming from allegations that he helped orchestrate violence that erupted after the 2007 election.

Earlier this week, his lawyer, Steven Kay, called on the ICC to drop the case, saying the evidence against him was "utterly flawed".

Mr Kay made the call after ICC chief prosecutor FatouBensouda dropped charges against Mr Kenyatta's co-accused, Francis Muthaura, because a key witness had "recanted" his evidence and other witnesses were too scared to testify.

Mr Skelemani said he was retracting comments he made to

Seven dead in raid on army post in western Ivory Coast

S

even people were killed in western Ivory Coast during clashes between the army and fighters believed to belong to a militia once allied with the president, an army report said on Thursday.

The world's top cocoa-growing country is emerging from a decade of political crisis that ended with a brief civil war in 2011. Sporadic armed violence has continued, blamed generally on President AlassaneOuattara's exiled foes.

In Wednesday's pre-dawn hours, however, gunmen dressed as dozos, a group of mystical hunters who fought on Ouattara's behalf during the 2011 conflict, attacked an army post in the village of Zilebly along the volatile, porous western border with Liberia, according to the army report.

"The first reinforcements ... fell into an ambush. Two more groups of reinforcements with the participation of gendarmes took back Zilebly at around 5 p.m.

(11.00 a.m. EDT)," said the report, which was made available to Reuters.

Four civilians, two soldiers and one of the attackers were killed in the fighting. Another government soldier was wounded.

The clashes prompted nearby village inhabitants to flee, a spokeswoman for the U.N. humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, said.

"The populations of these villages have fled in order to seek refuge in host families," said AnoukDesgroseilliers. "At this point population movements are ongoing and it's difficult to have an exact figure of how many people have been displaced."

Around 3,000 people died during the 2011 conflict, which erupted after then-President Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept Ouattara's victory in a late 2010 election.

The western cocoa heartland, rife with ethnic tensions and longstanding grievances over land ownership, saw some of the worst bloodshed - with mass killings carried out by both sides.

Pro-Gbagbo militias and their Liberian mercenary allies fled into Liberia as the fighting drew to a close. They have been accused by Ouattara's government of involvement in regular raids on Ivorian villages along the border.

Meanwhile, armed dozo groups continue to patrol the streets of many Ivorian towns in spite of recent government calls for them to cede security responsibilities to the army and police.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Asia and Middle East

C

hina's parliament formally elected Xi Jinping as the country's new president, completing the country's second orderly political succession since the Communist Party took power in

PAGE 29

Xi Jinping named as China's president 1949.

The largely rubber-stamp National People's Congress chose Xi on Thursday in a tightly scripted ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing, putting the final seal of approval on a generational transition of power.

Xi was appointed party and

military chief - where real power lies - in November.

The 59-year-old was also elected head of the Central Military Commission, the parallel government post to the party's top military position which he already holds, ensuring that he has full power over the party, state and armed

forces.

There was virtually no opposition among the carefully selected legislators to Xi becoming president.

Xi drew just one no vote and three abstentions from the almost 3,000 delegates.

Xi bowed deeply and shook hands with his predecessor Hu Jintao upon

the announcement of the result, carried live on state television. Xi and Hu exchanged a few inaudible words.

Li Yuanchao was also elected vice president.

There were five other candidates put forth for the vice-presidential position including Wang Yang, the reformist

Iran steps up lifeline to Assad

Israel PM Netanyahu 'reaches coalition deal'

ran has significantly stepped up military support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in recent months, solidifying its position alongside Russia as the government's lifeline in an increasingly sectarian civil war, Western diplomats said.

Iranian weapons continue to pour into Syria from Iraq but also increasingly along other routes, including via Turkey and Lebanon, in violation of a U.N. arms embargo on Iran, Western officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Iraqi and Turkish officials denied the allegations.

Iran's acceleration of support for Assad suggests the Syrian war is entering a new phase in which Iran may be trying to end the battlefield stalemate by redoubling its commitment to Assad and offering Syria's increasingly isolated government a crucial lifeline, the envoys said.

It also highlights the growing sectarian nature of the conflict, diplomats say, with Iranian arms flowing to the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah. That group is increasingly active on the ground in Syria in support of Assad's forces, envoys say.

The Syrian conflict started out two years ago as a pro-democracy movement. Some 70,000 people have been killed and more than 1 million refugees have fled the violence.

A Western intelligence report seen

by Reuters in September said Iran was using civilian aircraft to fly military personnel and large quantities of weapons across Iraqi airspace to aid Assad. Iraq denied that report but later made a point of inspecting an Iranbound flight that it said had no arms on board.

Much of the weaponry going to Syria now, diplomats say, continues to be shipped to Iran through Iraqi airspace and overland through Iraq, despite Baghdad's repeated promises to put a stop to Iranian arms supplies to Assad in violation of a U.N. arms embargo on Tehran over its nuclear program.

"The Iranians really are supporting massively the regime," a senior Western diplomat said this week. "They have been increasing their support for the last three, four months through Iraq's airspace and now trucks. And the Iraqis really are looking the other way."

"They (Iran) are playing now a crucial role," the senior diplomat said, adding that Hezbollah was "hardly hiding the support it's giving to the (Syrian) regime."

He added that the Syrian civil war was becoming "more and more sectarian," with Sunnis - an increasing number of whom come from Iraq - battling Shi'ites and members of Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.

he Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached a deal to form a coalition government, officials say.

His Likud-YisraelBeitenu party list will form a coalition with the centrist YeshAtid and Hatnua and the far-right Jewish Home.

Mr Netanyahu was forced to give up his alliance with the ultraOrthodox parties: Shas and United Torah Judaism.

It took five weeks to reach deals with his new partners after the general election on 22 January.

"There is a government," Likud spokeswoman Noga Katz was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

On his Facebook page, YairLapid, the leader of YeshAtid, says the coalition agreement will be signed "probably tonight".

Talks on the size and shape of the cabinet went on late into Wednesday night between Likud and its two main coalition partners, YeshAtid and Jewish Home.

Apart from the prime minister, there will be 21 ministers, making it the smallest government in decades, Israeli media report. YeshAtid is expected to be responsible for finance and education and Likud will run the interior ministry.

Once the deal is signed, it will have to be approved by the Israeli parliament or Knesset and sworn in.

Adding to the time pressure is a visit by the United States President Barack Obama scheduled to begin on 20 March.

It will be his first trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan since being elected president in 2008.

YeshAtid has secured five ministerial portfolios, while Jewish Home parties will have three, reports say.

Likud and YisraelBeitenu, which formed an alliance ahead of the vote, saw their position in the Knesset weakened by the vote.

They lost a quarter of their 42 seats, leaving them with 31 out of 120.

YeshAtid took 19 seats and Jewish Home, led by Naftali Bennett, finished in fourth place with 12.

The two men formed a pact in coalition talks and got commitments to a new draft law that will compel more ultra-Orthodox men to perform national military service or other civilian duties.

Sharing the "social burden", as it is known, was a hot political issue in the last election.

Many secular Israelis object to the exemptions from army service given to students at religious seminaries or yeshivas and the large state subsidies that their institutions receive.

I

YeshAtid and Jewish Home stuck to a pact in coalition talks with Mr Netanyahu.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) meets Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary SaeedJalili in Damascus.

India orders Italy ambassador Mancini not to leave

I

ndia's Supreme Court has ordered the Italian ambassador not to leave the country after Rome's refusal to return two marines charged with the murder of two fishermen in Kerala last year.

The court had allowed the marines to go home to vote in last month's elections.

Ambassador Daniele Mancini had personally assured the court the marines would return by 22 March.

On Wednesday, PM Manmohan Singh warned that "there will be consequences" unless Italy returned the marines.

In unusually strong language, the prime minister said that Italy's refusal to send back the marines was "unacceptable".

Rome's decision has come as a major embarrassment for the Indian government and opposition parties have been demanding their immediate return.

On Thursday morning, the court headed by Chief Justice AltamasKabir issued a notice to the Italian ambassador, restraining him from leaving without its permission.

The ambassador has been asked to respond to the notice by 18 March.

India's Attorney General GE Vahanvati told the judges that Rome's failure to return the two marines "is a breach of undertaking given to the highest court of the land and the government is extremely concerned about it".

In February, the Supreme

Court allowed MassimilianLatorre and Salvatore Girone to go home to vote in the Italian elections. They were ordered to return within four weeks.

But on Monday, Italy informed India that the marines would not be coming back, prompting a diplomatic row.

The marines are accused of shooting the fishermen in February 2012. They said they mistook them for pirates.

Italy argues that because the case is now the subject of international maritime law, it has been decided that the pair will not return to India "on the expiration of the permission granted to them".

Rome says that it wants its nationals to be tried in Italy.

Because the incident took place in international waters, Italy believes India has no jurisdiction in the case.

T

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 30

Europe and Americas Panel criticises US military on sex assault

Pope Francis begins his challenging papacy with humility

U

S legislators have expressed outrage over the military justice system's failure to deal effectively with rape and sexual assault crimes, saying a system that had about 19,000 cases a year but only brought 240 to trial was not working.

Legislators also challenged military legal experts who told a Senate hearing on Wednesday that commanding generals should have the final say over verdicts by military juries, including the ability to throw out convictions and sentences, because it helped them to maintain order and discipline.

"I don't know how you can say that having 19,000 sexual assaults and rapes a year is discipline and order," Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who chaired the Senate panel, said.

"It is the exact opposite of discipline and order."

The day-long hearing on sexual assault in the military followed a spate of high-profile incidents that have highlighted the issue, including a scandal at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas in which 59 recruits were assaulted by drill instructors.

In another case at Aviano Air Base in Italy where Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkerson had his sexual assault conviction overturned by a top commander who threw out his one-year prison sentence and dismissal from the Air Force and returned him to duty.

Survivors told the panel of senators that the US military justice system is broken and rife with instances of impunity for sexual crimes.

Retired Marine Corps Captain AnuBhagwati, who founded the Service Women's Action Network, told the panel she experienced daily discrimination and sexual harassment during her time in the service and ultimately was forced out when she lodged a complaint against an offending officer.

"I witnessed reports of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment swept under the rug by a handful of field grade officers," she said.

"Perpetrators were promoted, were transferred to other units without punishment, while victims were accused of lying or exaggerating their claims."

Senator Kirsten Gillibrandchaired the Senate panel.

Pope Francis celebrates Mass in the Sistine Chapel

P

ope Francis has spent his first two days at the helm of the Catholic Church meeting people in Rome ahead of a Sistine Chapel Mass with cardinals.

After private prayers at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, he crossed the road to a local school to meet children and commuters heading to work.

The Pope later went to the priests' residence in Piazza Navona to pick up his belongings and pay his bill.

He will also start the process of appointing senior staff at the Vatican.

As the first Latin American - and

the first Jesuit - pope, Francis has received a flood of goodwill messages from around the world.

But the 76-year-old Argentine, formerly Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, also faces a series of tough challenges.

The Church has been dogged by infighting and scandals over clerical sex abuse and alleged corruption.

David Willey, in Rome, says that Pope Francis becomes head of the Church at a critical moment in its history.

On Wednesday night, Pope Francis endeared himself to the crowds in St Peter's Square - and

underlined his reputation for humility - when he asked them to bless him before blessing them in return from the balcony of the basilica.

The Vatican's account of his first hours in the top job also emphasised Pope Francis's humility, describing how he shunned a special car and security detail provided to take him to the Vatican and travelled on a bus with the other cardinals.

Following his first outing as pope to the Rome basilica on Thursday, Francis went back to the clergy house in a city centre side street where he had been staying ahead of the conclave that elected him on

Wednesday.

"He packed his bags and then he went to pay the bill for his room so as to set a good example," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi.

He also broke tradition by remaining standing to receive cardinals' acts of homage after his election, instead of sitting in the papal throne, Lombardi said.

Pope Francis is returning to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday afternoon, scene of his election, to celebrate Mass with the cardinals.

During the Mass he will deliver a homily which will be carefully scrutinised for what it may reveal about his priorities for the Church.

U.S. extends waivers on Iran sanctions to 11 countries

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he United States extended 180-day waivers on Iran sanctions to Japan and 10 European Union nations in exchange for their cutting purchases of the OPEC nation's crude oil, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday.

"Today's determination is another example of the international community's commitment to convince Iran to meet its international obligations," Kerry said in a statement.

The sanctions aim to choke off funding for Tehran's nuclear program, which the West suspects is trying to develop weapons, by slashing Iran's crude exports. Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

Renewal of the waivers, known as exceptions, means that banks in the 11 countries have been given a third consecutive 180-day reprieve from the threat of being cut off from the U.S. financial system under the sanctions.

The move was expected as Japan, the world's third largest oil consumer, slashed its imports from Iran last year by 40 percent to about 190,000 barrels per day, even as its total oil imports rose 2.7

percent.

The EU implemented a full embargo on Iranian crude and petroleum products on July 1. The 10 EU countries that were granted the renewals on Wednesday are Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Last year the sanctions cut Iran's exports by half, or about 1 million barrels per day. That deprived the government in Tehran of billions of dollars in revenue and helped push down the value of Iran's currency, the rial.

Inflation rose by about 25 percent.

"The message to the Iranian regime from the international community is clear: take concrete actions to satisfy the concerns of the international community, or face increasing isolation and pressure," Kerry said.

Under the sanctions law President Barack Obama signed in 2011, the State Department must review the waivers every six months. All 20 of Iran's major buyers of crude were given the waivers last year.

The State Department extended the exceptions to China,

US Secretary of State John Kerry India and a number of other countries on December 7.

Critics of the sanctions say it is unclear whether the punitive measures will force Iran to slow or stop its nuclear program as the country holds large foreign exchange reserves after years of selling oil. Some sales of oil will always get around the measures, they say.

The latest U.S. sanctions on Iran, which took effect on February 6, shackle payments for Iranian oil in accounts in consumer countries. Supporters of the sanctions in the U.S. Congress say that restricts Iran's ability to make use of its oil revenues. The U.S. lawmakers want to enact even more sanctions in the coming months.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 31

Caged men of Hong Kong H

ong Kong is generally known the world over for its material comforts and affluent lifestyle. But there's a dark it as well that not many are aware of. Parallel to the wealthy citizens of Hong Kong there exists a community that is unable to cope with skyrocketing housing prices.

These people are quite literally forced to live in tiny metal cages.

What's worse is that the cages don't come for free either.

Stacked on top of each other, the 1.5 sq m enclosuress can be rented at a price of 1,300 Hong Kong dollars (about US $167) per month.

These cages are crammed into a single dilapidated apartment in a working-class neighborhood in West Kowloon. Believe it or not, these metal living quarters are home to a whopping 100,000 people, according to statistics provided by a social welfare group called the Society for Community Organization.

Other types of inadequate housing include apartments subdivided into tiny cubicles or

filled with coffin-sized wood and metal sleeping compartments as well as rooftop shacks. Only two toilet stalls are available in each apartment and have to be shared by hundreds of single, elderly men, who make up the majority of the cage-occupants. No kitchen as such is provided; there's only a small room with a sink. Almost all the men wash their clothes in a bucket. Instead of using mattresses, the men use thin pads, bamboo mats or old linoleum in their cages to keep the bedbugs away.

Leung Cho-yin is one of them. The 67-year-old former butcher says, "I've been bitten so much, I'm used to it." Revealing a red mark on his hand, he says, "There's nothing you can do about it. I've got to live here. I've got to survive." Leung has been living in a cage for 20 years now, ever since he stopped working after losing part of a finger. He didn't have much of an education to fall back on, so he has only been able to find intermittent work. He has no family and doesn't want to apply

Another unique landlord of this kind, takes a nap in his "bungalow".

This landlord makes way for fresh air on his property. for public housing because he'd have to leave his cage-mates and live alone. So he expects to spend the rest of his life in the cage.

It's not that the people who do apply for public housing get to move out quickly. A recent survey revealed that almost 75% of 500 low-income families have been on the list for over 4 years without being given a flat. 63year-old Lee Tat-fong is one of them. She hopes that she and her two grandchildren can get out of their cubicle apartment as soon as possible. In spite of suffering from diabetes and back problems, she has been taking care of the young children ever since their father disappeared.

Their mother hasn't been able to get a permit to come to Hong Kong from mainland China. For now,

the family-of-three lives in a 50 sqft room, one-seventh of an existing apartment.

The communal kitchen and two toilets are shared with the other residents. "There's too little space here," she says. "We can barely breathe. It's exhausting and sometimes I get so pent up with anger that I cry, but no one sees because I hide away."

Home prices in Hong Kong rose 23% in the first 10 months of 2012, and have doubled since 2008. Rental values have suffered the same fate as well. Low interest rates and easy credit are one of the many causes for this.

Because of these soaring costs, decent homes become unaffordable to a large percentage of the population leading to anger and resentment towards the

government. Things were pretty bad until Hong Kong's ex-chief executive Donald Tsang held office. Many say that he ignored the problem completely. But ever since Leung Chun-ying took over last July, things have been looking up because he has acknowledged the issue and is trying to fix it. "Many families have to move into smaller or older flats, or even factory buildings," he said. "Cramped living space in cage homes, cubicle apartments and sub-divided flats has become the reluctant choice for tens of thousands of Hong Kong people."

Chun-ying recently unveiled plans to boost the supply of public housing. Unfortunately, most of the cage dwellers have little or no faith in what the government can do for them.

house, where he'll be able to cook. The Ukrainian beast-

master says that although his lions consume between 5 and 10 pounds of meat per day, depending on the season, Katya has developed a taste for his cooking and enjoys mushroom soup and tomatoes with mayonnaise.

The first time he decided to live with his lions, AlexanderPylyshenko wanted to raise awareness to the poor treatment of big cats in captivity, but this time he hopes to raise enough money to build a rehabilitation center for large felines. He wants to earn the sympathy of animal lovers around the world and reach a set goal of 365,000 UAH ($45,000) needed to fulfill his dream. To prove his experiment is 100% genuine, Alexander plans to broadcast it live on his website - homezoo.com.ua where people can tune in and check if he's still in one piece.

He also wants to use this time as an opportunity to write a book on lions and paint portraits of them.

Private zoo owner plans to spend a year living with lions

A

lexander Pylyshenko, the owner of a private zoo in the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine, has announced he plans to spend a year caged with two full-grown lions, in order to raise funds for a proper care center for big cats.

If this story sounds familiar to you, it's probably because this wouldn't be Alexander Pylyshenko first such attempt.

Back in 2011 he set a new Ukrainian record, after he spent 35 days caged with two lions, during which time he even helped the female deliver her cubs. From the moment he set foot into the cage, the feline lover started living as if he was a lion himself. That meant sharing the raw meat the lions were fed with and sleeping on hay beds. He even built a toilet and shower inside the enclosure so he wouldn't be forced to leave the cage at any moment. This time however, he plans on living with male Samson and lioness Katya for a full year, so he needs to plan accordingly.

Alexander, who has studied

Alexander Pylyshenko in his Zoo. lions his whole life, decided to spend time with his two fanged

pets both inside their metal cage and in his nearby country

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013 With Tobias Lengnan Dapam 07036990957

Nollywood rivalry: Ibinabo reconciles Omotola, Genevieve F ans of two of Nollywood's biggest stars, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and Genevieve Nnaji, may lately be surprised that the two perceived arch rivals are now getting along with each other like never before.

Even though both actresses have denied being enemies before now, sources close to them have severally confirmed to Nigeriafilms.com that the two really don't get along with each other.

It is true that the duo have acted in movies as sisters more than any other 'rivals' or actresses in Nollywood, but sources maintained to Nigeriafilms.com that they only get along when they are in front of cameras but always return to status quo immediately after they get behind the cameras.

However, the two have been publicly telling the world that

Uche Jombo, Rita Dominic, others highlight domestic violence in new movie

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our Nollywood superstars comprising Kate Henshaw, Funke Akindele, Uche Jombo and Rita Dominic have concluded the shooting of a new movie which highlights the menace of domestic violence on women in the society, Nigeriafilms.com has said.

The new flick, New Horizon, was shot in Cross River State.

Speaking at a press conference held in Tinapa, Calabar in Cross River State, Kate Henshaw, who spoke on behalf of the three others, said there was an urgent need to make the world know about the issue by challenging thue problem once and for all.

She was optimistic that 'New Horizon' would make the expected impact in tackling domestic violence in Nigeria and in Africa at large.

The film is to be premiered on Ebony Life TV soon.

they are best of friends.

First, it was at Ibinabo's birthday held in Lagos in January, and also at Omotola's surprise birthday in March, where the arch rivals got together.

Also at the last AMVCA, Omosexy and Genny, as both are fondly called, got along and even made jest of each other.

Nigeriafilms.com authoritatively reported that the person behind all these show of truce is Ibinabo Fiberesima, the AGN president.

Reliable sources also said that Ibinabo has been instrumental in bringing these two heavyweights together, adding that the pact was in fulfillment of her presidential campaign manifesto.

Ibinabo had promised to unite all waring parties in the movie industry.

"A reconciliation meeting was

Late Justis Esiri for burial in April

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he remains of late veteran actor, Justus Esiri, will be laid to rest come April 12, 2013, the family of the late actor disclosed to Nigeriafilms.com.

The burial arrangement was released by the family of the actor with a Service of Songs holding on 9th April, 2013.

A Commendation Mass will take place at the St Jude Catholic Church, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos on April 10, 2013.

Thereafter, his body would immediately after that service be flown to Warri, Delta State for the second and final phase of the burial.

In Delta State, the corpse of Justus Esiri will proceed for another Commendation Mass in Abraka which will also have the lying-instate at Polo Turuf, Abraka on April 12, 2013.

His remains will then move to his residence for an interment and entertainment of guests.

Omotola and Genevieve held where Ibinabo appealed to both Omotola and Genevieve to embrace each other as sisters and not as colleagues," the source said.

"Funny enough, both of them behaved as if they had expected this to come as they agreed the

peace deal without much argument. When they embraced each other, everyone of us felt like crying. It was really an emotional moment. I wish you ( Nigeriafilms.com) were there that day," our source narrated.

Al Jazeera Children's Channel licenced Disney shows film

T

he Al Jazeera Children's Channel has reached a licensing deal for popular kids, family films and TV content from Walt Disney's Middle East and North Africa unit.

The agreement covers Disney/Pixar movies, such as A Bug's Life, Toy Story, Cars and Tangled, as well as Disney Channel live-action and animated series, such as Phineas and Ferb, Kim Possible and Zeke and Luther. It will bring the content to millions of homes in the Middle East and North Africa via the panArabic network.

Financial terms of the multi-year deal weren't disclosed that the channel, which targets children ages 715, will dub all content into classical Arabic and roll it out in the coming months.

The Al Jazeera kids channel, also known as JCC, is owned by Al Jazeera and managed by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. It recently also struck a programming agreement with BBC Worldwide.

JCC acting executive general manager, Bint Khalifa Al Nassr said the Disney deal will be a starting point for an "exciting content transformation, considering the aspirations, culture and identity of our Arab audience."

He added: "Through this agreement, we at JCC look forward to enriching the first Arab children's channel with a wide range of entertaining shows for our audience. In line with our child-centric strategy, we will continue to

address the needs of Arab children and households by creating or acquiring content that is entertaining, culturally appropriate and supports their learning and development."

Didier Vanneste, Walt Disney Company country manager, Middle East and North Africa, said: "We continually look for opportunities to bring our hit stories and beloved characters to wider local audiences, and look forward to working with JCC to deliver this broad range of popular kids and family programming to viewers across the Middle East".

JCC was launched in Sept.

2005. It says it strives to reach Arab children and "preserve Arab cultural identity and instill the values for a promising and talented generation."

AMAA to hit Bayelsa in April

T

he organisers of one of Africa's biggest film awards, Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) have concluded plans to return to Bayelsa, which hosted the event since inception apart from 2012 when it was held in Lagos, Nigeriafilm.com has

said.

It further revealed that the event will hold in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, on 20th April, 2013.

Already, news making the rounds revealed that the state governor, Serieke Dickson, is prepared to host African filmmakers in his state during

the awards period.

AMAA is one of the most coveted awards in Africa. Last year, the event surprisingly held in Lagos.

No reason was known for the return of AMAA to Bayelsa State, which has been the traditional host of the event.

Late Justis Esiri

Dele Momodu heats up plans for TV, radio station launch

O

vation magazine boss, Dele Momodu is currently firming up plans for his foray into television.

According to soft-sell magazine, City People, the pioneer events reporting magazine publisher is about to float an entertainment and showbiz television station as well as an online radio station.

In keeping with the Ovation tradition, the television station, Ovation TV will feature parties and events.

According to reports, Ovation has already acquired two floors in Gbenga Daniel's Kresta Laurel building in Maryland, Lagos which formerly housed Channels television for use.

Bashorun Momodu has also been out and about assembling gadgets and equipment for the live transmission.

Dele Momodu

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 33

SXSW: 'Short Term 12,' 'William and the Windmill' take top awards S

hort Term 12 was the big winner at the 2013 SXSW Film Awards, taking the grand jury prize for narrative features, Hollywood reporter has said.

It added that the story was about a woman with a troubled past, played by Brie Larson, who works as the head of a short-term home for troubled youth.

The film is the second feature

from director Destin Cretton, and also stars The Newsroom's John Gallagher, Jr. In the documentary feature category, William and the Windmill won the grand jury prize. The film is a fascinating look at a Malawian man whose life changes forever after he crafts an energy-producing windmill out of junk parts.

A special jury prize for

cinematography went to the documentary Tuba, while Burma won a special jury prize for its cast, led by Girls' Christopher Abbott and Gaby Hoffman.

Tishuan Scott also took home a special jury acting prize for his performance in The Retrieval, the story of a bounty hunter during the U.S. Civil War. We Always Lie to Strangers, the

story of unlikely music destination Branson, Missouri, took home the special jury prize for directing, shared by A.J. Schnack and David Wilson.

The narrative feature jury included GQ articles editor Devin Gordon and Indiewire editor-in-chief Dana Harris, while film critic Elvis Mitchell was a member of the documentary feature jury.

Biola Alabi

Rita Dominic Olu Jacobs

Genevieve

Bob Emmaunel

Chidi Mokeme

Jim Iyk

Banky W

Segun Arinze and wife

Omotola

Photos from AMVCA red Carpet

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 34

locally by owning their own sugarcane plantations and encouraging out-grower farmers to produce the canes for refining.’’

B

usari said that the backward integration plan was adopted because sugar refiners had misused the opportunity given to them in the past to encourage raw sugar production locally.

He noted that Nigeria spent 620 million U.S. dollars (about N99.2 billion) on the importation of raw sugar last year, alleging that those who imported the raw material did not pay levies on more than 99 per cent of the imports.

Commenting on the New Sugar Master Plan, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, said that the plan’s implementation would attract over 1 billion U.S. dollars (about N160 billion) in both local and foreign direct investments.

“Nigeria is currently spending about N101 billion on sugar imports and this is the time we need a lot of funds’ conservation; we also need to create a lot of employment opportunities,’’ he said.

Men off-loading sacks of sugar at a warehouse, in Lagos

Executing the new sugar master plan

By Chijioke Okoronkwo

T

he New Sugar Master Plan of the Federal Government was designed to boost local sugar production, following Nigeria’s high expenditure on sugar importation.

Analysts say that implementation of the master plan will drive the country toward self-sufficiency in sugar and ethanol production, while creating jobs as well.

The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) says it is prepared to implement the New Sugar Master Plan, as land had been acquired for the purpose.

Dr Latif Busari, the Executive Secretary of NSDC, said that the acquired land covered an area between Guyuk in Adamawa and Tau in Taraba.

He said that the location was chosen because it was large enough to accommodate five different sugar factories and plantations.

“First, you have to go to places where you can get the

land. I mentioned Guyuk, where you have 18,000 hectares, and Mayo Ine, where you have 12,000 hectares.

“In Numan, Adamawa State, you have about 32,000 hectares.

“In Lau, Taraba State, you have about 36,000 hectares. In Tau, also in Taraba, you have about 20,000 hectares.

“We have these large parcels of land; everybody knows that sugar industry requires a large expanse of land, so that naturally draws potential sugarcane cultivators to that area.

“That is why we say that area will probably become the sugar belt of Nigeria,’’ he said.

Busari said that government’s new tariff structure was consciously skewed against sugar importation so as to promote local production.

“With the high tariff, we are discouraging importation.

Even if somebody goes and imports sugar at that high tariff, it’s obvious that the sugar produced in Nigeria, which has the same quality,

will of course be cheaper because of its lower cost of production.

“That, in essence, means a protection for the local industry. Then, in terms of incentives, anybody who is going to invest in a sugar project would have five years’ tax holidays, during which he will not pay any tax at all to the government.

“All the machinery that he or she is going to use, both on the field and in the factory, will attract zero duty. We are also encouraging sugar manufacturers to source about 40 per cent of the sugarcane they mill in their factories from out-growers,” he added.

B

usari estimated the annual sugar consumption in Nigeria to be in the region of 1.5 million tonnes, stressing that Nigeria would have the capacity to produce 1.79 million tonnes of sugar by 2020.

He, however, stressed that the implementation of the sugar master plan would require massive private-sector

investments of more than 3.1 billion U.S. dollars (about N496 billion) over the next 10 years.

“If we are able to implement the master plan as projected, we should be looking at producing about 1.79 million metric tonnes of sugar between 2020 and 2023. And this is also what is projected to be our demand around that time.

“We should be able to produce about 161 million litres of ethanol; we should be able to also generate over 117,000 jobs.

“And then, we would save about 350 million U.S. dollars (about N56 billion) to 500 million U.S. dollars (about N80 billion) annually in foreign exchange,’’ he added.

Busari said that the Federal Government had also put in place some strategies, which included a backward integration plan, to ensure the successful implementation of the master plan.

The backward integration plan “requires that sugar refiners in Nigeria gradually begin to source raw sugar

H

owever, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, said that the new policy would provide a regime of fiscal and investment incentives over the next ten years Aganga, who bemoaned the shortage of locally produced sugar, said that Nigeria currently spent about N101 billion in importing 93 per cent of its sugar requirements, putting the country’s production rate at only three per cent.

Sen. Nenadi Usman, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Investment, said that the New Sugar Master Plan bill before the Senate would soon be passed.

Usman said that whenever the bill was passed and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, it would facilitate the smooth implementation of the new sugar policy.

“The bill is to strengthen the implementation of the sugar policy; it is to give the policy a legal backing and some push so that people will not just think they can just do anything and get away with it.

“The bill has gone through the first reading, waiting for the second reading and it will protect the interests of all the stakeholders, especially sugar consumers and manufacturers,’’ the senator said.

Stakeholders commend the Federal Government for initiating the New Sugar Master Plan but they, nonetheless, insist that tangible efforts should be made to ensure its strict implementation. Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 35

Jigawa, setting the pace in rice production

By Abdullahi Shugaba

A

rguably, one of the hallmarks of President Goodluck Jonathan administration is Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) to build a virile economy through aggressive food production.

When ATA was inaugurated in 2011, critics dismissed the agenda as just a mere propaganda to keep the administration busy.

However, observers have noted that the commitment of the administration towards implementing the agenda has proved the critics wrong.

To farmers, especially at the grassroots, the most fascinating aspect of the agenda is the introduction of Growth Enhancement Support (GES) by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

GES makes agricultural financing and inputs support more efficient by ensuring that the target groups which are the farmers, get adequate inputs to promote food production.

In Jigawa for instance, farmers receive notifications to collect their fertiliser at a warehouse in Dutse, the state capital, through online farmers’ registration exercise.

This has stimulated active participation of the private sector in the distribution of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs, thus eliminating fraud that is usually reported in the delivery of such inputs, stakeholders say.

The programme has recorded tremendous success in Jigawa so much so that 92 per cent of the farmers in the state collected their inputs via cellular network in the last rainy season, according to reports.

The success is also evident in the rate of job creation for the state teeming youth, fight against hunger and availability of high yield varieties of crops, especially rice for the public.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Rabiu Taura, said he was delighted that there was near perfection in the distribution pattern of the improved rice seeds and other agricultural inputs.

Taura, accompanied by Alhaji Usman Dunama, the Director of ATA in the state, was on an inspection tour to monitor the distribution of fertiliser in some parts of the state.

The commissioner, however,

Rice farmers plough in a farm

attributed the success to the method of distribution of farm inputs, saying that the distribution was done at the Jigawa Agricultural Supply Company.

He also said the distribution was carried out with active involvement and support of leaders of farmers’ associations and various community leaders in the state.

Taura stated that the state government was satisfied with the participation of dry season rice farmers in the programme.

He said government would, therefore, ensure that the entire land on Hadejia Valleys would be cultivated for the dry season rice production, noting that more than 2,000 bore-holes would be drilled for that purpose.

He also cautioned farmers against selling the seeds and other farm inputs supplied to them to consumers as they have been treated with chemicals harmful to human consumption.

According to Dunama, every registered farmer who cultivates one hectare of rice field is entitled to three bags of fertiliser and one bag of certified seeds at subsidised rate.

“A registered farmer collects 50 kg bag of improved certified rice seeds free of charge and three bags of assorted fertiliser sold at 50 per cent subsidy by the Federal Government, while farmers paid the remaining 50 per cent,’’ he said.

He explained further that 48, 000 farmers in the state were expected to participate in the ATA dry season Special Rice Intervention Production Scheme this year.

“In every dry season, a farmer in Jigawa is expected to produce one-fifth or 20 per cent of the dry season rice needed in the country this year.

“Through this, the mission of ATA to achieve a hunger-free nation through an agricultural reform would be realised, so, farmers in the state must ensure that they work hard to meet this target,” he said.

The Chairman, Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Jigawa Chapter, Alhaji Adamu Haruna, said the programme had made positive impact on the socio-economic lives of the people.

He pleaded with the government to make available additional farm inputs for their members so that more rice could

be produce in the next dry season.

The Chairman of RIFAN in North West Senatorial District, Alhaji Maiunguwa Jaga, noted that the pace of achievement in rice production in Jigawa was encouraging.

According to him, the critical factor that brought success in Jigawa is the effective coordination, monitoring and supervision of farm inputs to farmers between the officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and ATA programme.

Buttressing this view, a rice farmer, Malam Ado Ibrahim, noted that his colleagues were happy for the equitable distribution of farm inputs by the officials, adding that the development would guarantee food security.

Ibrahim explained that initially, many rice farmers were reluctant to participate in ATA programme because they felt it was just a government propaganda.

He observed that many of their members did not register in the scheme but when the consignments of farm inputs arrived in the state, more farmers came up for

registration.

All the same, the state government has resolved that it will focus on aggressive rice production to maintain its position as a major producer of the crop.

In its 2013 budget speech, Gov. Sule Lamido said: “Indeed, Jigawa being a major rice producing state, government intends to complement Federal Government efforts aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in rice production in Nigeria by 2015.

“I would take this opportunity to commend the efforts of private individuals that have established rice mills in the state which provide readily available markets and employment opportunities for local paddy producers’’.

Observers are of the view that if the tempo is sustained, the state will be a leading producer of rice in the country which had unnecessarily spent so much in foreign currencies to import rice.

The state, they say, will also be a best practice whereby other states will replicate ideas to make the agricultural transformation agenda, a resounding success nationwide.

Source: NAN

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Skin cancer risk down by a third in women who regularly take aspirin

By Rebecca Evans

A

spirin could help protect women from skin cancer, a study claims.

Researchers found that the longer the painkiller is taken, the lower the risk of developing melanoma.

The study of data from almost 60,000 women over 12 years found that regular aspirin users were 21 per cent less likely to develop skin cancer than non-users.

But those who had taken it for five or more years were 30 per cent less likely to develop melanoma. Data for men was

not part of the study.

Every year, around 13,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with malignant melanoma, and 2,200 die from the disease, which is thought to be caused primarily by intense sunbathing or frequent use of sunbeds.

Aspirin has been dubbed the wonder drug, with a recent study claiming that it cut the risk of stomach and bowel cancers by around 40 per cent in regular users.

However, long-term use has been linked with stomach bleeds and ulcers.

The research of women

Skin cancer: Every year, 13,000 British people are diagnosed with malignant melanoma, often caused by intense sunbathing or use of sunbeds

aged between 50 to 79 was published in the Journal of Cancer and formed part of the Women's Health Initiative - a major US investigation into links between lifestyle and the disease.

Study leader Dr Jean Tang said: 'Aspirin works by reducing inflammation and this may be why using aspirin may lower your risk of developing melanoma.'

She said other painkillers, such as paracetamol, did not lower melanoma.

Ministers will this year consider whether some patients should be prescribed the drug as a preventative measure.

Aspirin has already been shown to be particularly effective against bowel cancer - one of the most common forms of the disease - particularly if patients have a family history of the illness.

It is an established treatment for heart disease patients because it helps prevent the formation of blood clots in the artery which can lead to a heart attack.

For this reason, it is

Wonder drug: Aspirin can also now reportedly help to protect against skin cancer, as well as cutting the risk of stomach and bowel cancers for regular users alread y taken daily by two million UK angina sufferers.

Jessica Harris, of Cancer Research UK, advised caution, however. She said: 'Aspirin has a range of serious side effects, and at the moment it's not clear whether the benefits would outweigh the harms, what the right dose might be, or which group of people are most likely to benefit.'

Despite drastic efforts to improve diagnosis and treatment, Britain's cancer survival rates still lag behind other countries.

Ministers estimated that 11,400 lives could be saved each year if our cancer survival rates matched those elsewhere in Europe.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Why looking on the bright side of life could lower your cholesterol

By Anna Hodgekiss

P

eople with a sunny disposition are less likely to have high cholesterol, new research suggests.

Middle-aged optimists were found to have better levels of 'good' cholesterol, which has a protective effect on the heart and helps cancel out 'bad' cholesterol.

They also had lower levels of triglycerides, the fatty molecules involved in hardening of the arteries, said the researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Part of the reason may be due to the optimists' tendency to have a healthy body weight and a 'prudent' diet, say the researchers.

They analysed data from the Midlife in the United States study, which included phone interviews and lab tests for 990 people aged 40 to 70.

Based on the interviews, participants' levels of optimism were rated on a scale from 6 to 30 depending on their agreement or disagreement with statements such as 'in uncertain times I usually expect the best', and so on.

People with higher optimism

Optimists also have higher levels of triglycerides, the fatty molecules involved in hardening of the arteries

scores also had more high-density lipoprotein (HDL) - the desirable form of cholesterol that is believed to protect against heart disease.

For every increase of five points on the optimism scale, HDL in the blood increased by one milligram per deciliter.

That same HDL increase would translated to a three per cent reduction in the risk for heart disease, the researchers said.

For comparison, regular exercise can decrease heart disease risk by six per cent.

But there was no connection between optimism and total cholesterol levels, or to low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the bad' cholesterol.

Lead study author Julia Boeh said: 'It is one additional piece of evidence suggesting that our psychological health and physical health are intertwined, and that viewing the world optimistically may have some tangible benefits for our health.'

Previous research by Boehm and her colleagues had shown a link between optimism and lowered heart attack risk, so they decided to look at whether there was an independent connection between optimistic or pessimistic outlooks and cholesterol,

which is known to play a role in heart attack risk.

Franz Messerli, a cardiologist at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York, who was not involved in the study, said: 'It's still impossible to say whether

optimism causes a change in cholesterol, or cholesterol influences outlook, or both are subject to some third variable.'

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Be Happy: Middle-aged people who are optimistic were found to have better levels of 'good' cholesterol, which has a protective effect on the heart

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 37

INEC will welcome international observers in Nigeria’s 2015 election -Jega

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Oyo state Governor, SenatorAbiolaAjimobi (left),receiving party membership card from Chairman of Ward 12, Ibadan South-West Local Government, Elder MichealOduntan (right), after the governor re-registering at the ward on Wednesday, in Ibadan.

Only criminals get state pardon, Jonathan Alamieyeseigha’s pardon destroys foundation against corruption, says Ribadu

By Lawrence Olaoye

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday explained that those who were granted State Pardon, including the former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Depreiye Alamieyesiegha, were criminals who had shown enough remorse.

Justifying the reason for the pardon granted Alamieyesiegha and others, Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said the former governor has suffered enough for his sins and as such deserved the reprieve.

Okupe also pointed out that the manner of the former governor’s removal from office was not entirely above board even as he added that

Alamieyeseigha had been adequately punished having lost his position and forfeited the properties he illegally acquired.

Jonathan’s spokesperson said it would be out of place for anyone to suggest that the pardon granted the former Bayelsa governor was tantamount to abandoning the fight against corruption by the government.

Okupe said Alamieyeseigha has been a major factor in stabilizing the amnesty program in the Niger Delta since his release from prison and has ensured that the crude exports in the country remains 2.4 million bpd up from 700,000 PDP. “But in truth Alamieyesiegha since he left prison has been working strenuously and silently to assist the President stabilize the

amnesty in Niger Delta region.

Alamieyesiegha is a foremost leader of the Ijaw nation and his political and stabilizing influence in that region have impacted positively on the overall economy of the nation, bringing crude oil exports from the abysmally low level of 700,000 bpd to over 2.4 million bpd,” Okupe said.

He added that the nation’s history is replete with persons who have been convicted for crimes and have been pardoned by past Presidents.

According to him, leaders including Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu have were convicted but later played prominent roles in the development of the country.

But, the former Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, while responding to the development said the pardon granted the former Bayelsa governor has destroyed the foundation laid by the agency against corruption in the country.

Ribadu “the pardon is seriously shaking the very foundation of anti-corruption in our country. It is a very sad development I’m very unhappy because I’m a Nigerian and I’m very concerned; I’m worried about our country. Corruption has destroyed this country; corruption is destroying this country. Corruption will lead us to lose Nigeria as a country. Any step taken to reverse the direction of fighting corruption is a tragedy in our history today.”

FCT Council Poll: Candidate pledges to support Girl-Child Education

A

PDP Counsillorship candidate in Kuje Area Council of the FCT, Hajiya Abubakar Aisha, has pledged to support girl-child education if elected.

She made the pledge yesterday in Kuje in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the commencement of PDP campaign in Kuje.

Aisha, who described the

rate of girl-child illiteracy in the area as alarming, said that it needed immediate attention.

The candidate, who represents Kuje Central Ward, is the only female candidate in the race.

She said that female literacy rate in her central ward was unsatisfactory and had direct impact on the overall development of the

area council.

She said that most of the difficulties in the society could be eradicated by educating the girl-child.

She criticised early marriages and said that they could lead to complicated health issues amongst women.

“If girls are educated, they will no longer be dependent on any one, and they can do a lot for themselves by living a

healthy life.

“If girls are not educated, they are dependent on their family before marriage, on their husband after marriage and on their children after the death of their spouse,” she said.

Aisha urged the people of Kuje Area Council, irrespective of tribe, religion or ethnic affiliation to join hands and help support the education of the girl-child. (NAN)

rof.

Attahiru Jega, National Chairman of INEC, says he is prepared to have both domestic and international observers for the 2015 General Election.

Jega told the South Africa Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa, that election observation adds value and credibility to the electoral process.

“But the challenges are there, given that some of the international observers work to undermine the integrity and sovereignty of the country in the course of observing elections or their actions seem to indicate this.

“It is important to conduct election in such a way that there will not be external interference in the country’s integrity.

“If the role of election observers are carefully defined, there should be less worry about whether they are African or non-African observers,’’ Jega said.

He said INEC would be willing to have many observers for the 2015 Nigeria general elections.

“In Nigeria, we have recognised the value of election observers by creating an enabling environment for them to witness the process, produce reports we can look at and see how we can improve on conducting elections in Nigeria.

“They were there in 2011, we saw the value of their observation; we have taken many of their recommendations and injected them into our preparation for 2015 election.

“We will be glad to have as many observers in Nigeria to witness the 2015 election,’’ Jega said.

NAN reports that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some African leaders have called for a ban of non-African election observers in the continent.

“I am very excited with my participation in this symposium which brought many experts and people of diverse background and experience together to asses and evaluate almost two decades of election in Africa.

“It is a very important undertaking because election observation mission has been striving to assess the free, fair and credible electoral process in Africa.

“The issue of domestic observers was given prominence and we now see the need to involve more of them in the electoral process.

“There is need to harmonise various election observer missions to derive maximum benefit in process. (NAN)

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

FCT council polls: CPC denies withdrawal

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L-R: Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke, Minister of Agriculture Akinwumi Adeshina, and Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, during their meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday at the State House, in Abuj. Photo Joe Oroye

Obey the rule, KSIEC tells politicians From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

K

ogi State Independent Electoral Commission has fixed March 15 to 22, for the conduct of political parties’ primary elections for the May 4, council polls in the state even as he urges the aspirants to obey the rule.

Abraham Olaniran, Chairman of the commission disclosed this yesterday in Lokoja at a meeting with leadership of political parties and other stakeholders in the state.

Olaniran pointed out that the commission was fully prepared for the election saying it had carried out a lot of activities, including tour of the 21 Local Government areas in the state, towards

ensuring smooth conduct of the election.

He said that the fixed date remained sacrosanct and just as he urged political parties to ensure a level playing ground for all aspirants in the primaries describing it as a litmus test.

He described the party primaries a milestone in the electioneering process as he urged the parties to adhere strictly to the rules and guidelines on election of candidates to forestall acrimony, violent and turbulent situations.

The chairman commended the State Government for dissolving the Liaison Officers who were overseeing the councils saying the dissolution would pave way for smooth conduct of the primaries and main poll.

An Electoral Commissioner, Kehinde Asalu, while speaking on Security before, during and after the election, said only unpopular candidates use thugs to win election urging them to always allow God to direct them.

He urged the parties to ensure that the right candidates won the election and avoid imposition of candidates if the process must be credible and its eventual outcome acceptable.

A commissioner, David Apeh, and other speakers said political parties ought to have strong structures to address grievances and internal wranglings among members as they called for discipline and internal democracy.

Ebonyi Deputy Speaker removed from office

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he Ebonyi House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Chief Valentine Okike, has been removed from office for alleged insubordination, promotion of disaffection among members and improper dressing to official functions.

Moving the motion for his removal, Mr Chris Usulor (Ezza South) said Okike committed acts which negated the corporate existence of the House.

“The deputy speaker is fond of committing gross insubordination against the leadership of the house, causing disaffection among members, and dressing improperly to official functions.

“He even wears ‘boxer shorts’ to functions among other acts which negates the exalted office he swore an official oath to protect.

“This motion is in consonance with section 92 sub section 2C of the 1999 constitution.

“It stipulates that a Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House shall be removed from office with a 2/3 majority

votes,” he said.

Mr Frank Onwe, (Ohaukwu North) seconded the motion which was put into vote by the Speaker, Chief Chukwuma Nwazunku, and it was voted in favour by majority of the members.

Nwazunku, in his remark, said that the deputy speaker had been suspended as a member for two weeks.

“A committee will be constituted to thoroughly look into this matter and report back to the House accordingly before subsequent actions will be taken,” he said.

Mr Eni Uduma (Afikpo South West) moved a motion for Okike’s replacement and nominated Mr Blaise Orji, representing Afikpo South East constituency.

Mrs Mabel Aleke, (Ohaukwu South) seconded the nomination which was accepted by majority of the members.

The House had earlier directed its Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to review and arrive at a consensus on its report on activities of State Local Government Service

Commission. (NAN) Bill to enact administration of Criminal Justice Act passes second reading A bill seeking to enact the administration of the Criminal Justice Act on Thursday in Abuja passed its second reading in the House of Representatives.

The administration of the Criminal Justice Act is to be applicable in federal courts and courts of the Federal Capital Territory.

The bill seeks to make provision for speedy and efficient administration of criminal justice in the country.

Leading a debate on the general principles of the bill, Rep. Ali Ahmad (PDPKwara) said that the essence of the proposed legislation was geared towards speedy trial and advancing the criminal justice.

According to him, this bill is to institutionalise the constitutional rights of speedy trial.

He said that the bill if passed, would bring some methodology and guidelines on sentencing in the judicial system.

(NAN)

he Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), has said that media reports about its arranged withdrawal in the next Saturday's council polls in the FCT are untrue.

Media have been awash with stories that the four parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC), have merged for the FCT council polls, and that the CPC has withdrawn from the elections.

In a release by the party's highpowered committee monitoring FCT Area Councils elections, CPC said "the true position of the arrangement in respect of the elections is only in two councils, Abaji where the ACN candidate was to be supported and Bwari that was left for the CPC." The release signed by the former speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Bello Masari, went on that in other councils all the parties are in contest.

"We wish to stress that in the remaining four area councils of AMAC, Kwali, Kuje, and Gwagwalada, all the parties are contesting," it said.

South East PDP set for national chairman’s visit

A

ll is set for the meeting of the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and stakeholders in the South East on Saturday, according to an official.

The zonal Chairman of the party, retired Col. Austin Akobundu, said in a statement on Thursday that the meeting scheduled for Enugu would provide an opportunity for the zone to consolidate on the successes it achieved in the past one year.

Akobundu said the party would also use the meeting to reconcile aggrieved members and set the agenda for reconstruction.

He said the governors of Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states, the deputy Senate president, the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, the SGF, national and state legislators, ministers, and commissioners had been mobilised to give the national chairman a rousing reception.

Also mobilised for the meeting are political aides, zonal executive committee members, women and youth groups.

The South East zone, Akobundu said, remained a PDP stronghold where internal party crises had proven to be more manageable than initially thought, a situation he attributed to the maturity of leaders in the zone and their willingness to make personal sacrifices for the progress of the people.

Considering the progress we have made in reconciling aggrieved individuals and groups in the zone, the meeting will afford everyone an opportunity to make inputs on ways to move the party forward.

“Our doors are open to returning members but no returnee will be treated as if he or she is above the party’s constitution.

“The PDP is the home of South Easterners.

We are comfortable with the party’s development strides, which is why we support the president’s transformation agenda.

“We are also a party with rules of engagement. Reconciliation of aggrieved members is an ongoing commitment but we shall always be guided by the party’s constitution in whatever we do,” the chairman said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 39

FCT poll: PDP raises alarm over plot to rig election

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday alleged that the opposition has perfected plans to rig this weekend local government election in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr.

Sam Sam Jaja while briefing newsmen yesterday said thorough investigations conducted by the party has revealed desperate attempts by the opposition to subvert Saturday’s polls.

According to him, the adoption of 19 election observer groups accredited by the Independent National Electoral

Commission (INEC) for the FCT Area Council election are promoted by known members of the opposition parties who are bent on rigging the poll.

“We wish to note that this sad development rather than conduce to conduct of free and fair election, is a deliberate strategy by the opposition to ensure that the will of the

people is altered and that the elections are rigged against the PDP. “The PDP is greatly concerned by this covert move by the opposition parties. Their intention is to use these observer groups which they have specifically positioned for a hatchet job against our party and the people.

“We wish to draw the attention of INEC to this development and urge it to take urgent steps to protect the will of the people and our democracy,” Jaja said.

The PDP boss admitted that the party had written to INEC and informed it of its discovery and said it hoped the electoral organ would react.

ANPP plans for next governorship election in Anambra — Chairman

T

he All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) said it had resolved to re-position its machinery for the 2014 governorship election in Anambra.

The state Chairman of the party, Chief Chukwuemeka Ojiakor, gave this indication in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka.

He. assured members of the party that plans were underway to ensure that the party was well repositioned for the election.

According to him, the plans will soon be unfolded and the party members shall join hands together in moving the party forward.

He said that gubernatorial aspirants had indicated interest in flying the party’s flag, and that action would commence after the final plans had been implemented on way forward.

Ojiakor explained that the merger of ACN, CPC and the ANPP was still ongoing, adding that the final programme of the parties would be made known after the talks on merger.

He said that the party’s offices in the three senatorial districts of the state were still existing, adding that the party would soon tour the local government areas in preparation for the next governorship election in the state.

Ojiakor advised the party faithful to be committed to the party as the best action plans were being drawn for progress of the party at both national and state levels.

He said that the party was searching for an acceptable candidate, who would contest and win the next governorship election. (NAN)

L-R: Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) Director of Programmes, Mr Vincent Tohbi, INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, and former South Africa National Election Commission Chairman, Johann Kriegler, during the 7th EISA symposium, yesterday in Johannesburg, south Africa.

Photo: NAN

ANPP Chairman says APC will unite Nigeria

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he National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, says the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) will focus on issues-based and ideas-driven politics.

He said that APC was determined to promote unity and peace among the various ethnic and religious groups in the country.

This is contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Emma Eneukwu, yesterday in Abuja.

The party chairman also assured that irrespective of the current hurdles facing the formal registration of the new party with INEC, the APC would be registered and it would take over power from the ruling party.

Onu expressed these convictions

while receiving the delegation of the stakeholders of the ANPP in Bauchi led by Sen. Mohammed Mohammed who paid him a visit at the ANPP Secretariat in Abuja.

He said: ‘‘the APC will do a lot for Nigeria, it will change the way politics is being played in Nigeria. “ Politics of personality is divisive; it uses things that divide like religion and ethnic sentiments, but ideas based politics unites everybody. ‘‘This is why we have agreed that we will use the broom to sweep away poverty from Nigeria.

“We have leaders of note coming together from various parts of the country in an agreement to solve our problems.’’

Onu also reiterated that the driving philosophy behind the formation of the mega party was not to compete for political power,

but to solve the problems currently facing the nation.

He said the APC would help the country to have two strong parties so that anybody in power will know that he or she can be voted out for under performance. “ We are not against anybody or group, we are for Nigeria; we want other nations and foreigners to respect our country and to hold us in high esteem. “ Our interest is not just to form government or produce governors and other officers, but we also want to solve the problems of Nigeria.”

Onu expressed optimism that from next week, there would be serious developments in quick succession.

He said that within the next three to four months, “we would have completed all the processes we needed to put in place for the APC

to become a reality.” “ We are also happy that our party is strong in Bauchi.

“Bauchi occupies a strategic place in the politics of Nigeria, because you are the only state that produced a Prime Minister for Nigeria. “ We are also happy that you assured us that by 2015, by the grace of God, the APC will produce the governor of Bauchi. ‘‘You have the reach, you have what it takes, and you have done it before, you have produced a governor for our party before, produced senators, members of the House of Representatives.

In an address, the leader of the delegation, Sen. Mohammed Mohammed, who is also a member of the ANPP Board of Trustees, said they were in Abuja to show their support for APC. (NAN)

Group tasks NASS on oversight function as component of good governance

T

he Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has urged the National Assembly to see its oversight function as a crucial component of good governance deserving more of the lawmakers’ attention.

The call is contained in a statement signed by the Executive Director of the Centre, Malam Auwal Musa, yesterday in Abuja.

“We call on the National Assembly to pay more attention to

their oversight function to make good governance work for the citizens rather than engaging in self serving legislation.

“Paying more attention to oversight functions will improve confidence of the people in the National Assembly as a veritable institution of democracy,” the statement said.

It faulted the bill seeking immunity for lawmakers in the course of discharging their

legislative responsibilities, as well as during plenary.

It said that the bill had the potential to give rise to an increase in unwarranted accusations against the lawmakers in the court of public opinion.

“It is an obvious attempt to shield National Assembly members from prosecution.

“If the rationale behind passing the immunity bill is to safeguard the right of lawmakers to freedom

of speech, then do they still need protection from criminal and civil prosecutions?”

The statement advised the lawmakers to emulate good examples of advanced Western democracies, where systems and institutions encourage transparency and accountability.

It said that the immunity bill could not be regarded as a priority, because it did not impact

on the lives of the electorate.

“If indeed, the honourable members have nothing to hide, why do they seek immunity to shield them from prosecutions from utterances made during public hearings, plenary sessions and debates?”

It said accountability and transparency were components of good governance continuously strengthened by democratic institutions. (NAN)

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Life has taught me to be humble- Actress Hafsat Actress Hafsat Sharada, popularly known as “Me Aya”, is the oldest female actor in the Hausa film industry who has been acting for the last three decades. In this interview with ZainabYahya Kandi, the 61 years old winner of a number of awards, former primary school teacher turned actor, talks about her career, retirement and one of her most recent movie … “KeyaCe” which was the first Hausa movie to be premiered in a cinema in Abuja in 2011 amongst other things.

Can you give us a brief history of life? was born about 61 year ago in Kano state; I had my primary education also in Kano which was then the equivalent to present day secondary school in terms of standard. I was employed as a librarian of Government Secondary School, Sharada, Kano, with that qualification where I worked for more than a decade until my retirement in 1999.

I started acting television drama at the then Kano State owned television, CTV 67 about 30 years ago when actors were paid 5 shillings as take home pay before it was later increased to N150. Our dramas were showed in black and white TV and there was no video then. We were made to act a number of scenes at once and at the end of the week all the scenes were shown at once.

I combined acting and my work as a teacher.

What inspired you to go into acting?

I went into acting because I see it as another way of educating the public so, I decided to try it and here I am.

There are times I ask myself what I would have done with my life if not to act or teach children in school.

Was there any objection from your family members on your decision to join the acting profession?

Of course, there were objections here and there but after some time, I got the nod to continue acting. You know people had negative perception for the profession then more than we are facing now and no family will like to see their daughter involve in something that can tarnish their reputation.

How did you combine your work as a librarian and acting?

I found each challenge interesting. In the past, shooting of drama was only done on weekends so, I had time for both professions at my convenience but these days an actor may be told to be on location any day of the week and at different part of the country.

What would you say is your contribution to the industry?

I can say that through my acting I have contributed in promoting Hausa cultureas well as educating the public,

I

Hafsat Sharada because every drama or film I acted has messages or lessons to be learnt from it. As per as I am concerned, I am a teacher too. When I die, I will want to be remembered as some who has taught people lessons about life through acting. Acting is a noble profession if you do the right thing and stay away from scandals that could smear your reputation, especially as a woman.There were times I act free while sometimes I collect money. Now, money is not a priority to me but the legacy I will leave behind when I am gone is my top most priority.

What are the lessons you have learnt in life?

Life has taught me to respect people because respect is earned. I have also learnt to be humble, patient, tolerance and try to be happy no matter the situation I find myself in.

What is your take on the first Hausa movie premiered in the country in 2011 in which you featured?

It is our time and I think this is the best time for us to come out and show the world that we are ready to take our industry to another level. The

industry has recorded tremendous changes in recent time and this movie has proved that we are ready and the sky is the limit.

The director of the movie has done a wonderful thing. I hope that she has just set the ball rolling for those wealthy people in our society to emulate her by coming to invest in the industry. This was a woman who single handedly took the industry to path of success.

I cannot believe that at my

age, my wrinkled face would one day be shown at a cinema in a movie that was watched by different caliber of people.

It has made me more popular and loved by all. It was my first time of going to a Cinema.

The story is strong and the messages in the movie are family values, the importance of marriage to every woman no matter who she is and the side effect of drugs.

As the oldest Hausa film actor who has made her mark felt in the Kano state entertainment industry are you thinking of retirement?

No. acting is part of my life and not even old age will make me retire so long I am alive and healthy I will act. I have never entertained the thought of quitting acting for a day.

Actors do not quit but take a break. The only thing that is slowing me down is the problem I am having with my legs.

How can you compare television dramas acted in the past and films acted now?

The dramas acted years ago, were more meaningful than those ones acted now even though today’s movies are also good but they are not as good as those ones acted in the past.

What we have today are mostly full of alien culture but to be fair to the scripts writers, producers and directors, of recent, some of the movies produced are good and teach lessons about life.

These days you hardly appear in movies, is old age responsible for that?

Yes. I still act but producers also do not invite me to act in their movies especially when it involves travelling out of Kano. Right now, I am battling arthritis and cannot take

“

I can say that through my acting I have contributed in promoting Hausa cultureas well as educating the public, because every drama or film I acted has messages or lessons to be learnt from it. As per as I am concerned, I am a teacher too. When I die, I will want to be remembered as some who has taught people lessons about life through acting

chances and engage in travelling to locations to act films.

Which is the most challenging movie you have acted?

It was a movie called “Maula” where I acted the character of a rich man’s mother who prefers begging to the flamboyant life her son offered her until she was kidnapped and transported to Lagos in an aircraft. The rigors of those scenes I acted where the most challenging.

What is your advice to upcoming actors?

They should be ready for the challenges involve in acting, give nothing but the best and be ready to pay their price that comes with stardom.They should not think that becoming an artist means one is above the law and therefore, should be wayward. I will advise scripts to be choosy when it comes to and not to jump at any script but good ones with strong storyline and that which will not contradict their religions and moral values and the sky will be the beginning for them.

Young actors are coming when there is sanity in the industry and when it has recorded tremendous changes.

Secondly, directors and producers should endeavor to pay actors what they are due for as at when due.

What is your regret as an artist?

Success comes with a price to pay and I believe I have paid my dues too and today I am enjoying the benefit of my career. I cannot believe that at my age, my wrinkled face would one day be shown at a cinema in a movie that was watched by different caliber of people. Acting is part of my life, If I have the chance to come back to this world the second time, I would choose to come back as an artist, personally, I have no regret as an artist except on the wrong perception of the industry our brothers and sisters in the north have.

People see acting as an indecent thing that only bad people or those who are not morally up right embrace as a career. This notion has brought a lot of setback for the industry that was one of the major sources of generating income revenue for the state at a point in time.

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 41

AFCON trophy for display at UJ Esuene Stadium as Imoke hosts Eagles

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occer fans wishing to have eclipse of the covetous AFCON trophy that the Super Eagles won in South Africa last month will have the chance to do so on March 23 at the UJ Esuene Stadium Calabar.

This is because the prestigious trophy will be on display at the stadium during the duration of the 2014 World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Harambee Stars of Kenya.

Confirming this yesterday, the NFF said in a release yesterday

AFCON trophy

Siasia awaits formal approach for U-23 job

By Patrick Andrew Immediate past Super Eagles coach and the Olympics silver winner Samson Siasia has cleared all doubts that he might turn down offer to return to the saddle as Nigeria Olympics team soccer coach by stating he is available and ready.

Though the NFF denied approaching him, it was learnt that some members of the dissolved technical subcommittee were mandated to sound out Siasia on the job and readily agreed to take the position.

Yesterday, Siasia declared that the NFF was yet to make a formal approach and that should that be done he would be willing to come on board to again steer the ship of the Olympic team.

“The NFF is yet to make formal approach. But I am waiting for a formal invitation to take up

Samson Siasia

the job,” he disclosed to Peoples Daily Sports and went on to repeat same to a wire service.

“I am available for the job to tutor the U23 team if offered the job by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). They have not offered me the job yet, but I am available and ready to work,” Siasia told the wire service.

The former Super Eagles forward who guided the Flying Eagles and the Dream Team IV to win silver in the FIFA U-20 World Cup and the Beijing Olympics Games respectively was enthusiatic about the offer but insisted it would depend on the football federation.

The celebrated junior team coach and arguably one of the most cheered and loved indigenous coaches, however fell out of favour with the leadership of the NFF following Nigeria’s failure to secure qualification for the 2012 Nations Cup finals.

That happened in 2011 after the October 8 Super Eagles 2-2 draw with the Syli Nationale of Guinea at the National Stadium Abuja. Incidentally, it was the last time the stadium was put to use.

Nigeria thus missed participation in the 2012 Nations Cup fiesta jointly hosted by Gabon/Equatorial Guinea and was even more embarrassed when the Chipolopolo that a make-shift Eagles defeated 2-0 in Kaduna went on to win the

PUBLIC NOTICE LORD’S COVENANT REVIVAL ASSEMBLY THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANISATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.PROPHET ECHEM JOHN NWANKWO 2.MOMOH BLESSING 3.SIMON ANAYO USULOR 4.NNEKA SIMON USULOR 5.NWOKOLO ERNEST CHIDUBEM 6.EGEDE NGOZI THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO TEACH THE UNDILUTED WORD OF GOD TO THE NATION, FOR SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION, RECONCILIATION TO GOD, RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, AND FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE. 2.TO LEAD BELIEVERS INTO MATURITY IN CHRIST, FOR SOUL WINNING, RAISING CHAMPIONS FOR JESUS, REALIZING THEIR POTENTIALS, CORE VALUES FOR KINGDOM BUILDING. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION, SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THEB REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED; OKECHUKWU OBINKA ESQ. 08037075205 (SOLICITOR)

A F C O N trophy.

Siasia has since been on the job queue in spite of several o f f e r s linked to h i m name.

“I am ready a n d willing he repeated,” h e repeated w h e n asked if indeed he w o u l d accept the offer.

that the trophy will be made available for sight-seeing by the soccer fans, but under very tight security at the stadium.

“Following assurance of security by the Cross River State Government, the trophy will be on display at the U.J. Esuene Stadium for the duration of the World Cup qualifying match,” the release said.

This will be after it must have been formally presented to the Cross Rivers State government which had been the hosts of all the Nations Cup and World Cup

qualifying matches. Governor Lyel Imoke will be honoured with the presentation of the trophy at Government House before it the stadium ceremony.

Already, the trophy has been presented to the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, the Chief of Army Staff, the Governor of Bauchi state, Isah Yuguda, Delta state Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.

Meanwhile, the Eagles will fly into Calabar, Cross River State capital on Monday for their final preparations ahead of the 2014

Efe out of Kenya clash

S

uper Eagles’ and Celtic defender, Ambrose Efe will certainly be watching the Super Eagles versus Harambee Stars 2014 World Cup qualifier on March 23 from the spectators’ stand.

Efe, one of four Nigerians in the CAF 11, has two yellow cards and has been ruled out of the qualifier in consonance with the rules of the game.

This was confirmed by the NFF in a release yesterday which stated that the Scotland-based defender would not be part of the Eagles contingent because of suspension based on accumulated yellow cards from previous World Cup qualifying matches.

Ambrose got a yellow card against Namibia in Calabar in June last year and was also

FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kenya’s Harambee Stars.

Coach Stephen Keshi has been working with 24 home boys in Abuja since Tuesday, while the overseas-based legion are expected to hit town this weekend.

A selection of the home boys and the Europe-based contingent will make the trip to Canaan City, where the African champions will be lodged at Transcorp Hotels, formerly Metropolitan Hotel. yellow-carded in the game away to Malawi in Blantyre same month.

Already, the world footballgoverning body, FIFA, has appointed Botswanan official Joshua Bondo to take charge of the big match, from which the Super Eagles need the three points to solidify their leadership of Group F. The Eagles lead the group with four points. The other members of the group are Kenya, Namibia and Malawi.

Eaglets land in Doha

T

he national Under-17 team , the Golden Eaglets have arrived in Qatar and settled down at the ASPIRE Academy Centre in Doha for their three-week training tour preparatory for the CAF U-17 championship in Morocco.

The team of 26 players and 10 officials left for Doha on Wednesday and arrived at the destination six hours later.

Head Coach Manu Garba is expected to call up four more players are expected to join the team later to complete a list of 30 that would jostle for the 21

available slots for the continental cadet competition, scheduled to be held from April 13-27.

Speaking after arriving at the training pitch, coach Garba said, “If you can’t play football here, you can’t play anywhere,” he said as he was taken in by the aesthetics and serenity of the place.

Training schedule started yesterday’s evening after players were excused to rest as a result of jet lag occasioned by the whirlwind trip which started from Calabar to Lagos on Tuesday and finally to Doha on Wednesday night.

Some members of the Eaglets enjoying breakfast at the ASPIRE Academy in Doha

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

Bradley defends WBO title in Vegas tomorrow

M

anny Pacquiao’ conqueror, Timothy Bradley, returns to the ring this weekend to defend his WBO welterweight title against Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia at the Home Depot Centre, in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

The 29-year-old Bradley, who has a professional record of record of 29-0, including 12 knockouts, held the WBC and WBO junior welterweight titles before moving up to challenge Pacquiao for his welterweight belt.

Provodnikov (22-1; 15) has won his past five fights. He stopped Vyacheslav Yakoyenko in the third round and Ivan Popoca in the eighth, won on points against DeMarcus Corley and stopped David Torres in the sixth and Jose Reynoso in the second since his only defeat, to Mauricio Herrera in January 2011.

The Russian is also 29 years old, trained by Freddie Roach and ranked No 3 by the WBO, but his prowess is not widely known.

He has not fought at the same level as the champion and goes into the fight as the underdog.

Bradley has beaten the likes of Lamont Peterson, Devon Alexander, Joel Casamayor and Miguel Vasquez.

Provodnikov is said to be a pressure fighter who likes to work to the body. This could suit Bradley,

Merga trains hard to defend IAAF World Cross Country Championships title

I

Timothy Bradley after knocking out Manny Pacquioa a good counter-puncher who is good at picking off opponents who come storming in.

Bradley has enough skills to control the fight, which could go 12 rounds.

On the undercard, welterweight contender Jesse Vargas (21-0; 9) takes on Australia-based Nigerian Wale Omotosu (23-0; 19).

mane Merga is training hard to defend his senior men’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships title, which comes up in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz on March 24.

The Ethiopian said he is determined to retain the title and as such has been vigorous in training ahead of the fiesta that promised to have a rich field of tested cross country racers.

“Training has been going very well. I feel very strong, very confident and I’m very motivated to do my best to defend the title I won in Punta Umbria two years ago,” said Merga.

“Last summer was a disappointment. I had some slight injuries in July and lost my chance to go to the Olympics, but since November I have been steadily improving,” added the 24-year-old runner.

He won at the high-quality IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting in Atapuerca, near Burgos, in Spain last November and then took the honours at the famous Boclassic road race in Bolzano, Italy, on New Year’s Eve. However, he dropped out of the Ethiopian trials for Bydgoszcz last month, which caused some concerns for his fitness.

“There is no need to worry. I had been training really hard in February and even did a tough session the day before the race. I just felt tired,” revealed Merga.

On the women’s side, 2011 senior gold medallist Vivian Cheruiyot is not in the Kenyan team this time but there is a World Cross Country champion of a very slightly earlier who will be looking to regain her title, Emily Chebet.

Chebet won in Bydgoszcz’s Myslecinek Park, on almost the same course, in 2010 and has returned to form this winter with a series of good performances in domestic races.

Kenya’s Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon was just 17 when she won the junior women’s title in 2011 and so, although the IAAF World Cross Country Championships has now become a biennial event, she is still young enough to defend her title.

Kipyegon, who won the 1500m at the IAAF World Junior Championships last summer, is aiming to become just the third teenager to defend her crown, a feat that will inevitably become harder now that the Championships are every two years.

2013 WAPOGA: 7 schools storm Yabatech group B preliminary qualifiers

Y

aba College of Technology (YABATECH), hosts of the maiden West African Polytechnics Games (WAPOGA) in Lagos in 2007, are in Group B of the preliminary qualifiers for the 2013 Games.

Frederick Yamala, Head, Department of Sports of the institution, confirmed yesterday in Lagos that seven institutions would feature in the preliminaries.

Yamala said that the preliminaries would hold at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti from May 27 to June 1, while the 2013 WAPOGA would hold later in August at Accra, Ghana.

The other polytechnics in the group, he said, were the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, The Polytechnic, Ibadan and Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

Others are the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State; Federal Polytechnic, Nekede and the Osun State Polytechnic, Esa Oke. According to him, the host

institution for the preliminaries are not usually included in the zone but in other zones, to prevent the host advantage syndrome.

Yamala noted that YABATECH was the team to beat at the preliminaries, stressing that the institution had always and will always be a force to be reckoned with.

He also expressed confidence that the institution would emerge the overall champions at the Games in Ghana.

According to him, the institution’s athletes have done well at previous Games and were thus poised for the forthcoming WAPOGA. “We are fully prepared for the forthcoming WAPOGA and I can assure you that we are set to emerge as the best institution, just as we did at the maiden edition,” he said.

YABATECH emerged the overall champions at the maiden edition it hosted in 2007 with 41 gold, 23 silver and 18 bronze medals.

Association to promote baseball in Kwara, says Director

O

lajide Abidoye, Technical Director, Kwara State Baseball and Softball Association (KSBSA),yesterday expressed the association’s determination to promote the game at the grassroots level in the state.

Abidoye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the association had mapped out a strategy to get corporate and individuals sponsors for its programmes in 2013.

“Our major task for 2013 is on grassroots development to identify, nurture and expose young talents to stardom. The state is blessed with young talents and we will ensure that they are properly harnessed for future competitions,“ he said.

According to him, the recent inclusion of eight players from

the state in the national U-12 baseball team was an attestation of the development of the game in Kwara.

Abidoye disclosed that the association will host its yearly inter-school baseball and softball tournaments in the second quarter of the year.

“The annual inter-school tournaments which normally involve both government and private schools in the state, will further develop the game in our schools.

“Talents discovered at the competition will be nurtured to represent the state in national competitions,’’ Abidoye said.

He appealed to government, corporate bodies and private bodies in the state to support for the growth of the game in the state.

Imane Merga

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

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SIGNED; M. E. AKOBUNDU, ESQ LEGAL PRACTIONER

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART 'C' OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. IFEANYI IFEZULIKE 2. DELLY AJUFO 3. TUNDE ONANUGA. 4. SAMUEL NYAGBA. 5. IDRIS ABBAS THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO SENSITIZE THE INSURING PUBLIC ON THE USE OF AN INSURANCE BROKER ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION, SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CENTER 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. OKOEDION PRECIOUS BLOSSOM 2. OKOEDION VINCENT AMERIBHOKUN AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. STIMULATING THE DESIRE FOR LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION AMONGST NIGERIAN YOUTHS. 2. RECONGNISING AND DEVELOPING POTENTIALS TOWARDS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY. 3. ENCOURAGING THE NEED FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND SKILL ACQUSITION AS A MEANS OF CURBING UNEMPLOYMENT AND BRIDGING THE SOCIAL INEQUALITY GAP. 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.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART 'C' OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.MR ENDY ADUDU 2.MR FOMILAYO AKANWO 3.MR FRANCIS ADUDU 4.MR OLUGBOYEGA AKANWO 5.MR DIM ORIASOTE 6.MISS GLORIA ITUA 7.MRS DORES ORIASOTIE 8.MR MONDAY DAMISA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO EMPOWER THE MEMBERS ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY 2. TO FOSTER UNITY AMONG THE MEMBERS ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION, SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

SIGNED; SECRETARY

SIGNED OKOEDION ISI ESQ UNEA SOLICITORS NO. 1 MONROVIA STREET, WUSE II, ABUJA 08074831355, 07063345737

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

COMFORT & LIGHTHOUSE CARE INITIATIVE

CHRISTWAY SALVATION MINISTRY

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART 'C' OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION, SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART 'C' OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. EVANG. DENNIS UGOCHUKWU OMEONU - PRESIDENT 2. PASTOR (MRS) PATIENCE NKECHI OMEONU - SECRETARY. 3. BARR. PASTOR EMMANUEL UGOCHUKWU OMEONU 4 BRO. UCHECHUKWU UGOCHUKWU OMEONU. 5 PASTOR VICTOR UGOCHUKWU OMEONU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. EVANGELISATION OF SOUL WORLDWIDE AND PREACHING OF GOD'S WORDS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION, SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

SIGNED ; ADEDEJI ADEGBITE

SIGNED; PRESIDENT

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

CROSS RIVER UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

HEALTH ON THE WATCH INTERNATIONAL

HOPE FOR NEW NIGERIA GLOBAL INITIATIVE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE 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. JAMES ALICHA OKPAMU -CHAIRMAN 2. MR. HENRY ASO -SECRETARY 3. MR. JULIUS AGRINYA -MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO SENSITIZE MEMBERS ON UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED BODY 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. PROF. ERIC IME ARCHIBONG 2. DR. MFON ERIC ARCHIBONG 3. DR. MRS ANIEFIOK OSWALD EDET AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO CARRY OUT BASIC HEALTH ADVOCACY.

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.

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 BASSEY ETUKUDO ESQ LEGAL TEMPLE AND TEMPLAR WUSE, ABUJA 08037045394

SIGNED BASSEY ETUKUDO ESQ LEGAL TEMPLE AND TEMPLAR WUSE, ABUJA 08037045394

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED INITIATIVE 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. HON. KINGSLEY NTUI ISONG -CHAIRMAN 2. HELEN KING NTUI -SECRETARY 3. KENNETH AMBA ISONG -MEMBER 4. AUGUSTINE AGBOR EKURI -MEMBER AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO PARTNER WITH GOVERNMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES TOWARDS RAPID TRANSFORMATION OF NIGERIA. 2. TO COLLABORATE WITH DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TOWARD CREATING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR JOBLESS NIGERIANS. 3. TO PROMOTE NATIONAL UNITY AND INTEGRATION, AS WELL AS FOSTER UNITY AMONG MEMBERS. 4.TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST CORRUPTION, INJUSTICE AND ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL VICES IN OUR SOCIETY. 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 HON. KINGSLEY NTUI ISONG CHAIRMAN

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.HRH OBA SIKIRU ADEBOWU ADEILO ADEYIGA. 2.HRH OBA EMILAOYE ODUNAYO AWOBAJO 3.CHIEF (MRS) MERCY TEMITAYO OWOLANA 4.ALHAJI ADEWALE BALOGUN 5.PRINCESS OLUTAYO AWOBAJO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE LESS PRIVILEGED

SIGNED ; NURA SAIDU ESQ. 08060245283

PUBLIC NOTICE

NSUKKA KINGS CLUB, ABUJA THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART 'C' OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. OZOR EJIKE -CHAIRMAN 2. UGWOKE FIDELIS -SECRETARY 3. ONAH EJIKE 4. ATTAMA HYGINUS 5. OZIOKO EMEKA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. TO PROMOTE UNITY AND INTEREST OF MEMBERS 2. TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTHS IN EDUCATION 3. TO COME TO THE AID OF MEMBERS IN TIMES OF NEED ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION, SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED; ONAH CHIGOZIE SERGIUS, ESQ. 7, ONITSHA CRESCENT AREA 11 GARKI, ABUJA 08037400124

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 45

PUBLIC NOTICE

LECAL NOTICE

LECAL NOTICE

LIVING WORD PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF GOD

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH 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. APOSTLE EMMANUEL MFON 2. PST. MRS ESTHER MFON 3. PST. ANIEMA EKWERE 4. PST. FREEDMAN CHUKWUJEKWU 5. EVANG. (DR) CLEMENT OBERE 6. ELD SUNDAY AKPAN 7. DEACON KINGSLEY BACHOUT 8. PST. MARTIN UNOH 9. DEACON DAVID MFON 10. BRO. CHUKWUMA ANI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION 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 BASSEY ETUKUDO ESQ LEGAL TEMPLE AND TEMPLAR WUSE, ABUJA 08037045394

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column.

And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the GRANT LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column.

And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the GRANT LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

Notice is hereby that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is field in the probate Registry of the above named court within twenty-one (21) days from the date of publication.

Notice is hereby that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is field in the probate Registry of the above named court within twenty-one (21) days from the date of publication.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME & ADDRESS GIRMA DANLADI Nigeria Prison Service Zuru, Kebbi State.

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

MOH’D DANLADI c/0 District Head Manager Zuru Local Govt. Area Kebbi State

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME & ADDRESS BELLO SHEHUWA Nigeria Prison Service Old Prison Rd. Kebbi Kebbi State.

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

MANIRU SHEHU Ilela Yarin Area Birnin Kebbi,

Who died on 22nd day of September, 2009 Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 5th day of Marc, 2013

Who died on 22nd day of November, 2009 Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 5th day of March, 2013

ABUBAKAR SIDDIQ BELLO Probate Registrar

ABUBAKAR SIDDIQ BELLO Probate Registrar

LECAL NOTICE

LECAL NOTICE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column.

And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the GRANT LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column.

And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the GRANT LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

Notice is hereby that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is field in the probate Registry of the above named court within twenty-one (21) days from the date of publication.

Notice is hereby that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is field in the probate Registry of the above named court within twenty-one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME & ADDRESS CORPORAL PETER BAKO The Nigeria Police Force Jega Division Kebbi State Command.

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

MATHEW JAMES Police Barrack Gumel Kuchia Kaduna State.

Who died on 30th day of September, 2012.

Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 12th day of March, 2013

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME & ADDRESS

CORPORAL YUNUSA AYUBA The Nigeria Police Force Mararraba Division

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

CHRISTOPHER YUNUSA Minna Paiko Local Government Niger State.

Who died on 21st day of July, 2012 Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 12th day of March, 2012 ABUBAKAR SIDDIQ BELLO Probate Registrar

ABUBAKAR SIDDIQ BELLO Probate Registrar

LECAL NOTICE

LECAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE PROBATE DIVISION BIRNIN KEBBI, KEBBI STATE

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column.

And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the GRANT LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

Whereas the person/persons whose name is set out in the first column hereunder died intestate on the date and place in the said column.

And whereas the person(s) whose name and address is set out in the second column hereunder claimed the relationship of the said deceased and has applied to the above named court for the GRANT LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION of the personal property.

LIFE OF GOD IN SPIRIT EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

Notice is hereby that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is field in the probate Registry of the above named court within twenty-one (21) days from the date of publication.

Notice is hereby that the said LETTER OF ADMINISTRATION be granted to such person(s) unless “NOTICE TO PROHIBIT” the grant thereof is field in the probate Registry of the above named court within twenty-one (21) days from the date of publication.

SCHEDULE DECEASED NAME & ADDRESS

SERGENT ABUBAKAR UMAR The Nigeria Police Force Maitama Division, Abuja Command.

SCHEDULE

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

ATIKU LIMAN Zauro Area Birnin Kebbi Kebbi State

Who died on 12th day of November, 2012 Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 13th day of March, 2013 ABUBAKAR SIDDIQ BELLO Probate Registrar

DECEASED NAME & ADDRESS

CORPORAL HABU MOHAMMED The Nigeria Police Force Shanga Division

APPLICANTS FOR GRANT

DAHIRU IDRIS HASSAN Rijiyar Lemo Dala Local Govt.

Kano State.

Who died on 10th day of October, 2012.

Dated at Birnin Kebbi on the 12th day of March, 2013

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART “C” OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.ISAIAH OLUWASEGUN MOSES -PRESIDENT 2.OLAGUNDOYE YOMI -V/PRESIDENT 3.OLUGBAIYE SAMUEL -SECRETARY 4.ISAIAH FAITH -MEMBER THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE: 1.TO BRING MEN AND WOMEN TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF REALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD. 2.TO CAUSE MEN TO WALK IN THE REALITY OF THE SUPERNATURAL AS INTENDED BY GOD. ANY OBJECTION TO THE 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ABUBAKAR SIDDIQ BELLO Probate Registrar

SIGNED: BARR. HELEN OKHIRIA (SOLICITOR)

Wenger issues warning to English clubs A rsene Wenger warned English football to take heed of a "massive wake-up call" after Arsenal's exit from the UEFA Champions League left no Premier League representatives in the quarter-finals.

It has been a chastening year for England's representatives in Europe's top competition, with the Gunners following Manchester United out in the last 16, while Chelsea and Manchester City exited in the group stages.

Wenger's side salvaged some pride with a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich on the night, but was condemned to an awaygoals exit following their 3-1 defeat at the Emirates in the first leg.

Wenger, whose own search for

silverware has now extended to eight seasons, believes the English struggle is no coincidence and believes lessons must be learned.

The exit of Arsenal at the last-16 stage Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen means there are no English representatives had been dropped to the bench, while in the quarter-finals of the competition for England left-back Kieran Gibbs returned the first time since 1995/96. from his thigh injury.

Ferdinand recalled to England squad

M

anchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been recalled to the England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro.

England manager Roy Hodgson has previously overlooked Ferdinand, 34, for what he infamously described as “football reasons”, but has named the defender in his latest squad ahead of the forthcoming qualifiers.

The United centre-back has not

represented his nation since June 2011, when he earned his 81st cap against Switzerland, although he has made it clear he is available for selection.

Hodgson gave a strong hint that Ferdinand could have a prominent role to play in the double-header coming up, and possibly beyond.

Ferdinand is among Hodgson’s 26-man squad for when the Three Lions face San Marino and Montenegro in their World Cup qualifiers on March 22 and 26 respectively.

Scott Parker and Michael Dawson have also been called upon, the former having returned to full fitness following an Achilles problem while his Tottenham team-mate has impressed in the heart of Spurs’ defence.

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster is back among the international fold following impressive form for his club, having not played for England since November 2010.

England are currently second in Group H after four games, having won two and drawn as many of their qualifiers so far, with Montenegro top of the standings by two points.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

INITIATIVE FOR UNITY PEACE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

ATTAKAFUL IJTIMA’I FOUNDATION

JESUS CHRIST FOR THE WORLD GOSPEL MINISTRY

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

TRUSTEES 1.

REVEREND SISTER FOLUSHO ADOLPHUS 2.

REVEREND FRANCIS ADOLPHUS AIMS 1.

TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL NATIONS OF THE WORLD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WORDS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

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.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: A) ALHAJI ISSA LAWAL AKINTOLU -CHAIRMAN B) ALHAJI SAHEED SANNI LAMBU-SERIKI OF ODI-OLOWO C) MR CHRISTOPHER OPARA D)ALHAJI NURUDEEN OLAYIWOLA E) MR ISMAILA TIJANI OLASHEU F) MR IJAGBEMI FOLORUNSHO ISAAC AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. FOR THE UNITY & PEACE OF THE COMMUNITY. 2. FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTION COMMUNITY.ETC

OF

THE

TRUSTEES: 1.

MALLAM SANI YAKUBU 2.

DR. AHMAD BELLO DOGARAWA 3.

ALHAJI MAGAJI ABDU ALHASSAN 4.

MALLAM MUHAMMAD ATIQ ALIYU ABDULLAHI AIMS 1. TO PROPAGATE THE CAUSE OF 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, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B. 198, GARKI, ABUJA WITHIN TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: ADOLPHUS KEMI 08052043407

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE HAND THAT GIVES HOPE TO WOMEN FOUNDATION

STAR BROTHERS FRIENDS SOCIAL CLUB OF NIGERIA

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

TRUSTEES 1.

HAJIYA MIMUNATU ALI KEFFI 2.

HAJIYA MADINATU ABDULLAHI 3.

HAJIYA AISHATU MOHAMMED ABDULLAHI 4.

HAJIYA FATIMA MOHAMMED ABDULLAHI 5.

FATIMA BINTA DOGBE AIMS WOMEN EMPOWERMENT 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

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.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. CHUKWUEBUKA JOSEPH EYISI 6. CELESTINE IKEMEZUE 2. CHINEDU NJOKU 7. CHIJIOKE EZEILO 3. ONYEKACHI OKEKE 8. KODILI CHUKWUDUMEMUZIE 4. OBINNA OKOLI 9. CHUKWUMA AKA 5. CHINENYE EZEALA 10. IKECHUKWU ORJI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO FOSTER PEACE UNITY AND LOVE AMONG MEMBERS 2. TO ENHANCE SOCIAL WELFARE OF THE MEMBERS. 3. TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF THE MEMBERS.

SIGNED: ABDULAZEEZ FAIZ ESQ. 08091048942

PUBLIC NOTICE

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

TRUSTEES 1.

PASTOR PETER OYEBAMIJI 2.

PASTOR MRS. CHRISTIANA OMOWUMI OYEBAMIJI 3.

FALOLA FELIX OLUSEYI 4.

PETER EZEKIEL OLUWADAHUNSI AIMS 1. TO DISSEMINATE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE SALVATION OF MAN 2. TO RENDER SOCIAL, GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR MORAL AND EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR. FELIX FANTA NWAFOR 08035536606

SIGNED: SECREARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

SHATU MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

DIVINE HEARTS OF ANGELS FOUNDATION

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.

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

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.

OMAR SULEIMAN CHAIRMAN 2.

MARYAM OMAR SULEIMAN SECRETARY 3.

SADIYA OMAR 4.

MOHAMMED OMAR THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES REMAIN THE SAME: 1. TO REHABILITATE OLD PEOPLE, THE NEEDY AND THE HANDICAPPED 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY 08129444444

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LOVELINE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY

SOCIETY TO HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN ABUSE

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 1. PASTOR AKINDELE ABIOLA PRESIDENT 2. PASTOR (MRS) AKINDELE OLUWATOYIN FOLASADE V/PRESIDENT 3. PASTOR KEHINDE FALEYE SECRETARY 4. PASTOR OGUNLEYE MAYOWA 5. MR. EMMANUEL MATHEW 6. MR. ODUYOYE OLUFEMI BABATUNDE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL 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

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TRUSTEES 1.

OGBODO OSITA CHAIRMAN 2.

OBIORA UGWUNTA SECRETARY 3.

PETER EZEH MEMBER 4.

LONGINUS ESIMUOLEZE MEMBER 5.

ABILITY N. BABA MEMBER AIMS 1.TO FOSTER UNITY CORPORATION AND INTEGRATION AMONG MEMBERS 2.TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE AND OVERALL WELLBEING OF MEMBERS 3. TO PROMOTE FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE AMONG THE MEMBERS 4. TO ASSIST MORALLY AND FINANCIALLY 5. TO PROMOTE SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING AMONG MEMBERS 6.TO PROMOTE PEACE AND COOPERATION AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC 7.TO PROTECT THE PEACE AND UNITY TRIUMPHANT CLUB IN ALL HER ACTIVITIES ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, P.M.B. 198, GARKI, ABUJA WITHIN TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: IKECHUKWU K. ODOH, ESQ, PEARL PARTNERSHIP, PLOT 21 NIAMEY STREET, WUSE ZONE 2, ABUJA 08032613839

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED SOCIETY 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 1.

HRH KELVIN ALIYU DANESI 2.

COL. PAUL OSA OGBEBOR (RTD) 3.

MRS EFE EDO-OSAGIE OMOLE ESQ 4.

CHIEF (DR) IRENE ODODO ODARO 5.

OLURONKE OLOHIGBE IKOROH 6.

AUGUSTINA OMONI ODION ESQ. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO CATER FOR SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN AND VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 2. TO CREATE AWARENESS ON ISSUES RELATING TO SAFETY OF DESTITUTE, WIDOWS, WOMEN, ORPHANS AND CHILDREN 3. TO ENCOURAGE COMMITMENT FOR CHANGE IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, POLICIES AND LEGISLATION AS IT RELATES TO ABUSE 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: OLUYEMISI AKHILE & CO. IMOGUN CHAMBERS 08037022705

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TRUSTEES 1.

BARR. (MRS) UDODIRIM AGWU CHAIRMAN 2.

MRS. GEORGINIA OBINGENE TREASURER 3.

MRS. ABIGAIL EZEKIEL MISSION/OUTREACH COORDINATOR 4.

BARR. AGWU ELESIE AGWU LEGAL ADVISER 5.

MR. KEVIN EKECHUKWU OGBAJIE PROJECT COORDINATOR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. TO PROPAGATE THE WORD OF GOD THROUGH HUMANITARIAN SERVICES 2. TO HELP AND SENSITIZE VICTIMS OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS 3. TO FIGHT AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS, PROSTITUTION, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, CHILD ABUSE, ISOLATION OF THE ELDERLY, PROMISCUITY, ETC, WHICH DEBASE HUMAN DIGNITY AS WELL AS THREATEN HUMAN LIFE. 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. (MRS) UDODIRIM AGWU SOLICITOR

PUBLIC NOTICE CENTRE FOR HUMAN RESOURCES REORIENTATION AND EMPOWERMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CENTRE 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.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. MRS PEACE AGU CHAIRPERSON 2. ASHER KURE MEMBER 3. JENI BETRUS MEMBER 4. JOSEPH KURE MEMBER 5. CHARLES EKPO SECRETARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE SOUND MORALITY, TRUTH AND FAIR AMONG LEANERS AND TEACHERS 2. TO IMPRESS IN LEANERS AND TEACHERS THE IDEA OF PURPOSE DRIVEN EDUCATION (EDUCATION FOR SERVICE AND PRODUCTIVITY) 3. TO ORGANISE EDUCATIVE PROGRAMMS SUCH AS DEBATES, TALKS, CONFERENCES, DRAMA, EXCURSIONS FOR LEANERS IN SCHOOL 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: U. B. JOHN ESQ SOLICITOR

PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

PAGE 47

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CENTRE-POINT DEVELOPMENT & ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE

PRAISE FAMILY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY

PLETHORA CHILD SUPPORT INITIATIVE

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

TRUSTEES 1.

ANTHONY GODSWILL CHIBUZO 2.

CHIBUZO THERESA CHIZOBA 3.

NZE AHAMEFULA FRANCIS AIMS FOR CREATION OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR. QUEEN EKWOCHI 08032617144

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

TRUSTEES 1. PASTOR PAUL ENYINNAYA AMOS SENIOR PASTOR 2. PASTOR (MRS) CHIKANELE CHIBUZO AMOS ASST. SNR. PASTOR 3. EVANGELIST IKUEMENISAN BAYO SECRETARY 4. DEACONESS FELICIA AGARUWA TREASURER 5. EVANGELIST LEVI IKEDIEZE AMOS 6. SIS. FAVOUR UKACHI AIMS 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 2. TO CARRYOUT MISSIONARY WORK WITHIN NIGERIA AND ABROAD. 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

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

TRUSTEES 1.

SALAMATU MOHAMMED 2.

HAUWA MOHAMMED AIMS 1. TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN BECOME POSITIVE AND CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY BY OFFERING GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING 2. TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED FULFILL THEIR EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATION THROUGH SUPPORT PROGRAMMES AND FINANCIAL AID. 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

SIGNED: BARR. COLLINS EGWUAGU

SIGNED: SECRETARY

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NIGERIA AGRO-INPUT DEALERS ASSOCIATION

CHRISTIAN SOUND MISSION

INITIATIVE FOR PREVENTION FOR RADIATION RELATED DISEASES AND THEIR EFFECT

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MISSION HAS APPLIED TO THE COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART "C" OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

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

TRUSTEES 1.

MR.VICTOR OGUDE FOUNDER/PRESIDENT 2.

ENGR. SAMUEL EMEBEYO SECRETARY 3.

DR. IHEGBORO MINACHISO 4.

AGNES OGUDE 5.

DR. EVELYN ADA IDAM 6.

DR. OBINNA AGBAI 7.

MR. MICHEAL OGUDE 8.

DR. ECHE VICTOR 9.

BRO. OVIE NDUKA AIMS 1. TO EDUCATE THE MASSES ON THE INHERENT DANGER OF MAST EMISSION AND RADIATION 2. TO PROVIDE MEDICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES TO THOSE WHO SUFFER EMISSION OF MAST EMISSION/RADIATION EFFECTS 3. TO SEEK FOR THE PROTECTION OF THOSE WHO ARE AND MAY BE AFFECTED

BY THE EMISSION OF MAST RADIATION 4. TO ADVOCATE AND NEGOTIATE FOR COMPENSATION FOR THOSE ALREADY AFFECTED BY MAST RADIATION WITHIN HOST COMMUNITIES OF BASE STATION 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION

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.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. ALHAJI SAIDU ZAKARI 2. ALHAJI TUKUR MUA’ZU 3. ALHAJI OLAYINKA AMOO AKINMADE 4. ALHAJI RAUFU ADEKUNLE LAWAL 5. MOSES ONUOHA 6MRS IMEH IYEME EBONG AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PROMOTE THE UNITY AND INTEREST 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.

TRUSTEES: 1. AKINMUSIRE JOSEPH ABAYOMI 2. AKINIYI OLUWATOPE CHRISTOPHER 3.

AKINMUSIRE FUNMILAYO HELEN. 4. AJAYEOBA OLAOLU ROTIMI. 5.

ISAAC ADEMOYE OGUNDIRAN. 6.

SAMUEL SUNDAY ADEPITAN. AIMS & OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS.

PRESIDENT SECRETARY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO REGISTRAR -GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, P.M.B. TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA ABUJA, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

SIGNED: FADEYI J. O. (08022536619)

SIGNED: BARR (MRS) IFEOMA WOGU TEL: 07044972099

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ORUNMILA OPE-IFE ASSOCIATION

IFE SONI ONYE FRIEND’S CLUB OF DELTA STATE

PUBLIC NOTICE ALLIED TOTAL CARE FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN FOUNDATION

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

TRUSTEES 1.

BABA AKINLOYE ARO FOUNDER (PRIEST) 2.

OLORUNWA AYEKOMILOGBON PRESIDENT (PRIEST) 3.

OLUWAFUNMI ODOFIN GEN. SECRETARY (PRIEST) 4.

ALLEN YASERE VICE PRESIDENT (PRIEST) 5.

REUBEN OLOYEDE FINANCIAL SECRETARY (PRIEST) 6.

OLOYEDE ASAMA TREASURER (PRIEST) AIMS 1.

TO CARE FOR THE WELFARE OF ITS 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: SECRETARY

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

TRUSTEES 1.

MR. ENEBUSEH OSSAI FIDELIS PRESIDENT 2.

CHIEF ANTHONY ANIEFOR 3.

MR. JOHN AMEDE 4.

MR. OYEMIKE SUNDAY AIMS TO CREATE LOVE AND UNITY AMONG 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR. VINCENT O. ENEMOSAH

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

TRUSTEES 1.BARR. LADY ONYEMA GLORIA EZEZIKA-CHAIRMAN 2.BARR. (MRS.) NGOZIKA FRANKLINE-EZE-SECRETARY 3.BARR. ONYI NWAJAGU 4.MRS. NKECHI AGU 5.BARR. TOBY EZEZIKA 6.MRS. CATHERINE OGBUBUGWU 7.NNEMEKA NWAJAGU 8.MS. JOH ILOH AIMS TO CREATE LOVE AND UNITY AMONG 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: BARR. (MRS.) NGOZIKA FRANKLINE EZE

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MIND OF GOD REDEMPTION CHURCH

MOUNTAIN OF GRACE AND MERCY MINISTRY WORLD-WIDE

DELTA PEOPLE’S INTEGRATION FOR DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

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

TRUSTEES 1.

EVANG. EZEKIEL ADELOWO 2.

MRS. FELICIA ADELOWO 3.

MISS EUNICE ADELOWO 4.

MR. ADEBAYO AKINYODE 5.

MR. YOMI AKOMOLAFE 6.

PASTOR STEPHEN ADELOWO AIMS 1.

TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF GOD 2.

TO SPREAD THE WORD OF GOD 3.

TO WIN SOULS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD 4.

TO EMBARK ON EVANGELISM 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 TWENTY-EIGHT (28) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION SIGNED: GABRIEL O. OKAKPU 08036748550

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.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. OFULUE GEORGE NKEM 2. ONYOKOKO INNOCENT 3. DIESERUVWE STEPHEN 4. MAMAH TIMI 5. ELUMEZE JUDE 6. ONOCHIE LAURETTA 7. UGHWANOGHO OVIE 8. ICHIKOGU IDIGU VICTOR 9. OMUOREH KINGSLEY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO RELIEF POVERTY AND HARDSHIP. 2. ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCAFFTION. 3. PROMOTE GOOD CITIZENSHIP.

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.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. UBONG ALPHONSUS NNIMEYIN PRESIDENT 2. UBONG ALPHONSUS GOD’SWILL 3. IYANG ANDY SECRETARY 4. USOH POLYCARP JESSE 5. DONATUS UDOH 6. OTO OBONG MICHEAL AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF 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: J. K. NANA CROWN KINGS CONSULTANCY CO. 08037769526

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. AGBOEGBULEM ERIC IGBEDION

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FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Blatter hits out at 13-nation Euros plan

F

IFA president Sepp Blatter has condemned UEFA's plan to stage the 2020 European Championship in 13 countries, saying it would rob the tournament of "soul and heart".

Blatter, 77, told German football magazine kicker UEFA president Michel Platini's plan would mean it was "no longer a European championship" and said: "A tournament has to be played in one country.

"That's how you create identity and euphoria. Just look at the "summer fairytale" in Germany.

"I once said to Michel Platini that Colonel Gaddafi told me, after the awarding of the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, that all 53 African states should stage one game with the final being held in South Africa.

"He believed in this idea, but I told him it was unthinkable.

That's why I told Platini his idea is not new."

Blatter, who was elected FIFA president in 1998 and is serving his fourth term in the post, said he would make way for a successor in 2015 - but said Platini "has not decided yet" whether he will run for office.

He also reiterated that FIFA executives had taken the decision to stage the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during June and July, adding: "If Qatar wishes for something else [a different time of year], they have to approach FIFA. We would have a new situation then.

So far, Qatar has not made a step into that direction. They still have until 2016, when we set the dates until 2022.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE A man was deposed; he was hounded, tried and jailed. What is wrong with giving pardon to a remorseful sinner? How come granting pardon to him has become an aberration? — President Jonathan on why he gave state pardon to Diepreye Alamieyeseigha

INTRODUCING YOUNG VOICES Our young voice for this week is Abubakar Sadiq Mamman Ngulde. He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (2009) where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. He has always been actively involved in politics serving both as the

NASIR EL-R UF AI EL-RUF UFAI ON FRID AY FRIDA elrufai@aol.com

Financial Secretary of Nigerian Universities Engineering Students Association (NUESA) and the vice president of National Union of Borno State Students (NUBOSS). He also has a keen interest in leadership issues.

His passion is always to know the unknown.

Nigeria's education system as broken backbone

By Mamman Ngulde Abubakar

W

hen we were growing up, we were told that education was the bedrock of a successful nation. I could remember how every teacher I knew beamed with talks of a brilliant future for us if we read our books and passed our examinations. I also remember that excelling in National Examinations like the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) was considered a thing of pride in our neighborhood. Our mates radiated with jealousy wishing they had the same results.

I can never forget the look of pride I saw in the eyes of most of my teachers when I announced to them I had passed all the papers I sat for while still in SS2.

In those days, I appreciated the individual efforts of my teachers who had to organize private tutoring for me while I was preparing. I religiously believed that without their dedication and guidance, I might never have passed at that young age and instance. I had the innocent youthful conviction about the capabilities of my teachers and never doubted their abilities. I trusted them so much and always referred any academic problems I encountered to them with the belief that they always had solutions.

Never for once in those days would we have ever conjured, in even our wildest imaginations, that our teachers could not provide answers to the minutest of our problems. To our young minds, it was unheard of and probably blasphemous for a teacher to fail an examination. For us, it was simply unlikely for a student to pass an exam and the teacher not to.

Unfortunately, the days when teachers symbolized the zenith of knowledge are gone. Today's generation is one in which students shamelessly fail exams with a fling of the hands and where graduates

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from higher institutions of learning find it difficult to communicate in proper English. It is a generation which can only boast of teachers who set examinations they cannot pass. Alas! Today's generation promises the future generations nothing but failure all the way.

This is the situation we find ourselves in today.

When on the 15th of February, 2013 the nation was stunned with the embarrassing news of the inability of over 1300 out of a sample of 1600 primary school teachers in Kaduna state to pass examinations set for primary four students, it became clear that the nation's educational sector was heading towards imminent collapse. How on earth will any sane individual ever contemplate the possibility of his child ever passing such an examination if the teachers could not pass same themselves? How did we reach such a situation? Had it been so right from time and nobody ever cared? These are questions we as youths are asking our leaders.

We want to be told if it was the same during their school days for the government to turn deaf ears to such cries or is it a case of betraying our generation by those who have been entrusted with our care? If indeed it is a case of betrayal, then we are ready for change. We are tired of the status quo. We the youths are saying enough is enough.

The first step is for government as a matter of urgency to stop or restrict the massive exodus of youngsters from Nigerian learning institutions to those abroad. I advocate a ban even if for a specified period of time and this ban should include everybody from the president's daughter to the farmer's son. This radical approach is necessary especially in these trying times for Nigeria. It must be the policy of the government that all government officials have their wards in public schools. This will have the desired psychological

effect because in the developed world, children of leaders attend public institutions of learning and as such the maintenance of the standards are not toyed with.

The second step will be to stop or reduce the dependence on paper qualification in the selection of teachers and students alike.

Emphasis should be placed more on oral and practical interviews as this will give a better understanding of the requirements and shortcomings of both the students and the teachers alike. If this suggestion is enforced, it will reduce to a large extent, cases of impersonation and use of fake documents. Obviously, a teacher employed with fake qualifications will have nothing to offer at an interview. If such a law is enforced, only qualified persons with required qualifications would end up employed in the fields they are qualified for and this will enhance the learning process.

Parents have the next biggest role to play. It has been observed over time that parents played major roles in the decay of our educational institutions. Cases abound where parents insist on their children getting enrolled into institutions, courses and academic programmes at all costs even if it is clear that they are not qualified.

The most common example that comes to my mind at this point is where parents insist their wards pursue a career in the medical sciences when the parents know their wards' weakness in science.

The end result of such decisions is a denial of the academic slots to suitably qualified candidates in favor of less qualified ones. This inadvertently leads to large compromises being made in the professional conduct of both the students and the teachers. This alone poses an even greater risk in professions where standards cannot be tampered with such as the medical profession we mentioned.

An important step in the

eradication of this scourge should be the regular training and retraining of teachers which would in the long run avail the society with experienced and well trained teachers. This on its own does a great job on the part of the teachers towards the eradication of this menace.

The society as an agent of change must be able to provide the enabling environment required to achieve the desired learning process. The society should also reduce the pressure it is currently exerting on the education sector.

This it can do by reducing the demand it has for formally trained workforce and create space for the absorption of semi skilled and unskilled manpower so as to reduce the "I must obtain paper qualifications to survive" syndrome. This will assist in achieving a decrease in the malpractices being perpetrated.

Another suggestion this piece intends to offer is certainly one which if adopted could save the education sector a lot problems: there should be a reduction in the salary disparity between professions. The need to earn more has always been one of the motivating factors that has led students into enrolling in certain professional courses while ignoring others even if they would have fared better in the ignored ones.

Reducing the disparity will ease the tension associated with having to get into certain professions at all costs.

Finally, there should therefore be an upward review of the salary structure of Nigerian teachers to a standard comparable to those obtained elsewhere in the world. If that is done, most teachers who have had to engage in corrupt practices because of monetary gains will no longer have the dire need to do so. This would stimulate professionalism into them once more and will ultimately attract more qualified hands into the teaching profession.

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