Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturday 15, September, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com www.peoplesdaily-online.com

VOL. 1 NO. 107 SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

. . . putting the people first

SHAWWAL 28 - 29, 1433 AH

Where are the palliative buses?

Pages 9, 10, 11 & 12

N150

POLITICS

Northern Governors only drink tea at meetings — Hajiya Baba >>Page 3 & 4

PERSONALITY

My grand mother breastfed me — AVM Yahaya

>>Page 35

PEOPLE

I can catch alligator with my bare hands, says Mairiga >>Page 34

ICT: N900m video conference facility in SGF’s office packs up?

>>Page 33

WWW.PEOPLESDAILY-ONLINE.COM

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Feature

How man died in tanker inferno trying to save children

By Stanley Onyekwere

I

t happened in Maje, near Suleja on the outskirts of Abuja. A petro tanker fell and exploded, killing three people including a mother of two and destroying properties worth millions of naira.

One Abdullahi Rabo was among the victims of the incident. He lost his life in the inferno while assisting in the evacuation of school children who would have also been victims of the inferno. The children numbering about a hundred were studying in an Islamic school, Madarasatul Nurul A Mahadi. The school premises were adjacent to the scene of the incident and something had to be done quickly to save the children.

Rabo participated actively in the rescue efforts but didn’t live to narrate the story.

The incident which occurred at about 7:00 o’clock in the morning on the fateful day, also killed a mother, whose name was given as Halimatu Sadiah and an unidentified man believed to have travelled with the driver of the ill-fated truck.

Rabo, a father of five, was the first to alert the school authority about the danger from the ill-fated truck, while also volunteering to help in evacuating the children away from danger. We gathered from eyewitness account that Late Rabo met his death after he got soaked with the dispatched fuel from the tanker and got burnt at. Due to the sacrifice of Rabo, only one student sustained injury from the disaster.

“Late Rabo died in the inferno after alerting us of the incident. He was at the point of helping out to evacuate the students who were inside the school when the fire caught him, he cried for help as he made frantic attempt to put off the fire, but we were unable to rescue him from the hands of the flaming force of the fire; so he died in the process,” a teacher in the school, Abubakar Tahiru said.

Tahiru said late Rabo was the secretary of the Vigilante group of the community. He had four of his children in the school at the time the incident occurred. When Peoples Daily Weekend visited the scene, it observed that the school building had become desolate due to the incident.

Meanwhile, the deceased woman, Sadiah, 24, was in the area to mourn the death of her late uncle who died in an accident during the month of Ramadan when she met her death. She had rushed to the scene in an attempt to rescue her daughter, who was in the school. On getting there, she couldn’t see her child, she began to search around the area, and in the process fell and got herself soaked with petroleum and consequently, fire.

Later, her lifeless body was found in front of the school minutes after the fire had gone down. According to Ahmed Musa, a black smith and an elder brother to the late Sadiah, she left behind three children and a husband.

Peoples Daily Weekend gathered that the most likely cause of the accident was brake failure. The driver was believed to have lost control of the truck and moved from one end of the road to another before crashing in front of the school.

The affected persons who are majorly traders and artisans, bemoaned the incident, saying it affected their businesses seriously.

Alhaji Danhiru Lada, showing our reporter the most affected his damaged building, which he used for teaching and residential purposes.

According to Alhaji Danhiru Lada, who owns the building that houses the Islamic school, including a couple of adjoining shops destroyed in the inferno, the damage done to the victims cannot be quantified in monetary terms as the school lost everything.

Narrating his ordeal, Joshua Ayo, an electronics trader, said he lost cash sum of N143, 000 and goods worth over N750, 000, inside his shop; and after the incident, he has been rendered jobless.

Another victim, Hakim oladapo, a barber, said he was away in the mosque when the incident happened only to return to meet the wreckage of the ill-fated tanker in front of his shop.

In his words: ‘I lost everything in the

inferno including my musical equipment.

I was not opportune to pick anything from the shop; and since the incident happened, I have nothing to do and I have my wife and kids including extended family members to cater for.”

Also, lamenting her ordeal, Amina Abdulrahman, a food vendor, said when she noticed the truck fell and started discharging its contents, she ran inside the building to join in rescuing the school kids.

Unfortunately, she returned to meet her restaurant razed down by the inferno.

According to Tahiru, who doubles as a blacksmith and Islamic teacher, the incident is really affecting their economic life negatively, as prior to the incident they were working and receiving four thousand

naira on a daily basis but when the incident occurred, they spent about five days without working.

He continued: “Also my room attached to the school was razed down with everything inside including my academic documents and savings, and now I’m forced to depend on others for assistance from the day I lost my only source of income.”

Corroborating the accounts of other victims, Yahaya Aliyu, a blacksmith, lamented that after the incident, business activities in the affected area has been brought to a stop; saying up till now they are yet to receive any compensation from any quarters. Some people believed that the tanker is owned by Conoil as it had it the company’s name written on it.

One of the victims, Abubakar Tahiru, a teacher, pictured pointing at the only remaining part of the Islamic school building affected by the inferno.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 3

Politics Northern Governors just take tea at meetings, says ACN women leader Hajiya Hafsat Muhammed Baba is the National Women Leader of ACN and coordinator of an NGO, the Global Initiative for Women and Children. In this interview with Nasiru Mu’azu Isa she talks about lack of development in Nigeria and states governed by the ruling party, the role of the opposition, north and the role of Northern Governors Forum who she said only take tea at their forum.

Excerpts.

C

an you introduce yourself?

I am Hajiya Hafsat Muhammed Baba, I am the National Women leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria and the co-coordinator of Global Initiative for Women and Children.

What do you think is the role of opposition in Nigeria?

Well, the role of opposition is to see what the government of the day is doing, check the mistakes and the gaps, draw the attention of the government in power to do what is right and at the same time there is no healthy democracy without an opposition because government can change anytime and it is the hope and prayer of the opposition to take over governance at least. We are hoping that by 2015 there will be a change of government from the ruling party to an opposition party especially my party Action Congress of Nigeria.

It is the opinion of some Nigerians that the Action Congress of Nigeria is equally as bad as the ruling party the PDP especially in the states they control.

I don’t agree with that view because in terms of development, go and see the ACN states, in fact, they are a shining example, they are always making examples with the ACN states. I don’t need to mention the states because the public knows the states ACN is controlling and they see the development which is not hidden and people are talking about it, we are seeing it and people are feeling it. They are really feeling what development is and the justification in even spending the money in terms of that development, nobody can quarrel with that.

Some people say the opposition is just playing to the gallery, someone like the PDP publicity secretary Olisah Metuh, says you are just a bunch of selfish people who are doing this because of personal interest and gains.

Well he has the right to say whatever he wants to say, this is a

Hajiya Hafsat Muhammed Baba democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of everything and he has the right to defend his own party, the party that has been ruling Nigeria for fourteen years and we have not seen anything worthy of praise. We only see absolute and total corruption, collapse of the system and insecurity in Nigeria, people are not happy with what is happening, there is no rule of law, bad governance in fact all what you can think of. So whatever he says he is defending his seat, defending his party and people are there to see. I am sure that 99.9% of Nigerians are fed up with PDP government and they want change and that is why we are calling for free and fair elections, people should be allowed to choose those who they want to govern them. We are talking about corruption, there is scam everywhere, fuel subsidy scam, the pension scam and nobody has been brought to justice up till now, I think the publicity secretary is entitled to say whatever he wants to say, he is exercising his democratic right.

Talking about corruption, you have rightly pointed out that nobody has been held

accountable; because of this most people believe that the government has not been sincere in its fight against corruption, what is your view about this?

My view is that I think even the people in power are neck deep in corruption. Look at the way the same person that was given the responsibility of investigating the fuel subsidy scam, Farouk Lawan is involved in the scam and in fact we were thinking by now he and Otedola should be behind bars or in court for Nigerians to see that the PDP government is serious about fighting corruption but they are there like any free person walking on the streets of Nigeria.

The government is not actually ready to fight corruption but only paying lip service to the people of Nigeria but the good thing about it is that Nigerians will continue to talk and we will continue to fight it until we reach its logical conclusion. The most unfortunate thing is that people don’t have a sense of integrity and respect for themselves, we were even expecting the minister of petroleum to resign her appointment but she is being

shielded by the PDP government, so you can see that PDP is not ready to fight this corruption and about the pension scam, imagine somebody will work for 35 years and retires and wants to go and stay in his house and at least enjoy his little pension but somebody, somewhere, somehow will take the sweat of this people for 35years and nothing is being done. There is no sincerity at all in the PDP government that is fighting corruption, it is absolutely not and only playing lip service but I am sure the people of Nigeria are not just going to allow it to go like that.

Because of this people are getting more aware, they are reading more, they are analyzing all the issues and at the end of the day there will be justice whatever may be the case and people are there to fight for this justice because the people of Nigeria came out on the streets to fight for fuel subsidy and we later found out that there is actually no subsidy at all. So all that the government is saying, we are going to have good transport system, we are going to have buses, we are going to have this and that, is all a bunch of lies. That is what PDP government is all about.

Recently, PDP celebrated its 14th year anniversary, one of the achievements they highlighted is women participation in government, do you agree that there is women participation in government?

Well to me I don’t think there is actually women participation in the present government, is it only women participation that they are celebrating after 14years in office?

I think it is not even worthy of celebration, what I think is that, the 35% is in the elective position or the appointive positions or both?

We have to look at all those issues, if you look at other countries they have gone far ahead in their parliament, you see that there is 50/50 representation or 40/60 representation of women, and we want to see women in decision making places whereby women issues are actually being discussed and being addressed. We have issues with girl child education, high rate of maternal mortality, we have issues concerning women

that are not being addressed up till now, the ministry of health and the ministry of women affairs, are supposed to look at all these issues, ministry of education should tell us if we have met the MDG goals in terms of maternal mortality, education and poverty. Women are the ones that are suffering, are we also addressing insecurity, the women and children are the ones suffering too. With all these issues I don’t think there is anything worth celebrating.

On the issue of governance and development, aren’t some of these issues supposed to be handled by the state governments?

You see, the most unfortunate thing is that at this age and at this point in time we are still talking about good roads, water, and electricity. These are basic necessities that must be given to the people, it’s not a favour that the government should do, in fact other countries have passed that stage but with all the resources both human and natural resources that we have, we are still talking about roads, good drinking water, lack of electricity in this jet age where other nations are talking about energy, nuclear and other things that mean real development but we are still talking about these, where is all the money that is being budgeted gone to? They have gone into individual pockets because of the deep rooted corruption in Nigeria. I can’t even think of any development apart from the ACN states, when you go to Lagos and Edo states you will see real development but other states there is nothing to talk about, probably I have heard about Jigawa state, Kano and Katsina as well I have also heard about development in those states but if we look at the amount of money we have expended in the 14years of PDP government, Nigeria has never gotten such money in all its life, where has the money gone to?

It has gone to individual pockets, that is why the present government of PDP can’t fight corruption.

What is your take on the calls from different quarters

Contd on page 4

“

So long as there is corruption, no rule of law, the judiciary is not working and people are not brought to books we are not going anywhere

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Politics Northern Governors just take tea at meetings Contd from page 3 especially South South and South West about north being parasites on the rest of Nigeria because we are backwards in most of the human indices as such the north is trying to regain power because that is all we had?

When you say parasites I don’t understand what people think, even when we are the ones that produce all the food that the whole country eats and we are still parasites, parasite about what? I think we have more than power in the north. We have the land, and we have the space to produce, as I said earlier on we are producing what we eat in Nigeria in terms of food and the meat that we eat, the whole of this country depends on the north, so the north cannot be a parasite. Agreed we are backwards in education and we need to gear up. That is a good challenge to our governors to actually sit tight and do what they are supposed to do in terms of education. If you talk about the north I agree we are lagging behind but this should also be a lesson to us that we have lost power and this is what is being said to us but I believe that without the north there is nobody. Nobody can win an election without the north, so the north plays a key role and the north is an important instrument in terms of election.

Even if you win the south west, south east and south-south, you still need to have a great percentage from the north, so the north has to be reckoned with in whatever way you think possible.

We play a very important and key role in terms of ruling the country, in terms of good governance, in fact what the north is experiencing now is as a result of bad governance and high level of corruption by the PDP government and that is why at least If not for anything from what we are hearing from the other quarters and from what we are seeing it is now left for our so called 19 northern governors that only sit and drink tea at their meetings to actually gear up and put their house in order, this is a very mighty challenge for them and to empower their people in terms of power, education, agriculture etc. And at the same time our elected members should have a sense of responsibility, when you talk to them they tell you that they don’t give us money for constituency projects, what of what they earn? Can’t they give back to the community like the way our other brothers and sisters in the south do? You have to learn how to give back to the community even if it is your own allowance; the millions that you earn give it back to your constituency or community and invest in education because collectively we can build the north. We have the resources, we have the manpower, people with intellectual capacity, we have everything that it takes, and all we need to do is to organize ourselves and also come back to

the drawing board and see what we have done wrong and also learn from our mistakes and make amends.

Most young northerners are of the opinion that the northern governors are more involved in what is happening at the federal level than their states, what is your opinion on that?

Apart from being an opposition member I am a northerner and it hurts me dearly when I see what is going on in the north in terms of the things we have earlier mentioned. Actually this should serve as a lesson to our governors and they can also learn from their counterparts. I have learnt that some few governors were in Lagos to see what Governor Fashola has been doing for Lagos people so that they can also take lessons from there and come back and implement same in their states.

But the thing is you have to have the interest of the north at heart, we are very good at talking but we are not good at implementation. We are only good at celebrating past heroes and nobody wants to be like them.

There is no point in celebrating Sardauna, this man is gone for over 40years and nobody is trying to do even one quarter of what he has done. We have to give back what we have also received it is only when we do that, then we will develop the north. But there is no point in meeting all the time, granting interviews, talking on the radio and then no implementation. We are supposed to have a workable system in place; there must be a system that will outlive us more. A system that will last for a lifetime, because once there is no system in any country, that country will collapse. And we have to have rule of law, we have to learn to respect what we earn and stop embezzling what belongs to everybody. So long as there is corruption, no rule of law, the judiciary is not working and people are not brought to books we are not going anywhere. We have to go back to the status quo and we have to at least ensure that the future generation can look upon to the leaders of today as role models, as examples but is so unfortunate that they have lost the integrity and respect and that is why our leaders now cannot talk to the youth for them to listen because they are not leading by example. They have to learn to lead by example and they have to do what is right because they have sworn to do what is right without fear or favour and until they go back to that, then the youth will never respect them.

There is a strong opinion that the insecurity in northern Nigeria is fueled by certain individuals to ensure that by 2015 elections does not take place, there won’t be a cohesive north to challenge the present government….

Whatever insecurity there will be, nobody can govern a country where the security has collapsed completely. That shows that, that person is not the

Hajiya Hafsat Muhammed Baba commander in chief, because if you are a commander in chief you should be able to command and take care of the country you rule but the fortunate thing is that whatever that person or those people are thinking of, as I have said earlier the north has to be reckoned with and you cannot weaken the north, that is the fact.

The insecurity challenges we are now facing shows the total collapse of government, there is actually no government in place.

PDP has failed, it has failed the people, it has failed in governance, and it has failed in everything.

So, with this insecurity people are looking the other way, they are looking for alternatives come 2015 God willing they are looking for alternative because they know that PDP has failed and there is no government in place. We only have committees upon committees, investigation after investigation, no implementation of all the recommendations, so people are fed up and I assure you by 2015 people are going to make a choice and their choice must stand. People will come out and elect a government that they will actually look upon and say yes we have a government and we have a system in place. We are fed up with PDP and people are ready to fight PDP and PDP has to go because it has failed the people.

With regards to 2015, a lot of people are of the opinion that PDP and the opposition parties are concentrating on the 2015

elections rather than tangible issues of development, corruption and tackling insecurity, what do you have to say?

People that are benefitting from this 2015 and whatever, collecting money from the government and saying they want to do the impossible, I think because of the benefit they are having that is why they are talking about 2015 when we have not seen anything on the ground after 14 years of PDP in power. Apart from that PDP wants to divert people’s attention from their incapacity and what they are doing wrong but I assure you that no matter how much they are talking 2015, seeing tomorrow is the will of God, much less of 2015, we are in 2012, there is 2013, 2014 before we even arrive at 2015. Let them allow the work that they have done for the people if at all they have done any to justify their coming back in 2015, but as we are talking now what we are seeing today is a collapsed government.

A government that has failed the people. All we asking is PDP should hold people responsible, people that have accumulated our wealth should return it for proper development in the country and we want to see justice being done, we want to see people being brought to book, we want to see people jailed for the wrong they have done.

What is your view on the role youths are playing presently in Nigeria?

The most unfortunate thing is that the leaders are not even giving them good examples; they are not creating job opportunities for these children. I don’t even know what kind of Nigeria the present leaders want to leave for the youth because it is highly unfortunate when other developed countries are creating job opportunities, looking at young children and youths going to colleges so that they can support them and empower them because they are the future leaders of the tomorrow. What future does our youth have, our children, because that is always my concern as a mother, what future does my children have? What has the government in power put in place for the children of Nigeria to actually look at and say yes we are proud to be Nigerians? There is a lot of work to be done that is why we are looking for a change of government so that there will be a government that is sensitive to the people and look at the issues of the youth, development, education, agriculture and security so that Nigeria will be safe for everybody.

As I have always been saying, we have to learn to give back to the community.

During the Occupy Nigeria protest, you were one of the leaders that identified with the protest especially in Kaduna state, people are of the opinion that Nigerian youth were lucky and that it will never happen, do you think they are right?

I don’t believe so, both male and female, civil society groups and labour unions and all peace loving people of Nigeria that want the progress of Nigeria came together with one voice and we told the government this our feelings. Up to today I am happy to say, that protest that we did and what we talked about has not died down, we are talking about it every day in the papers, on radio, the youth are talking about it on the social media, and that is what we want. There are symposiums, paper presentations, so many groups are talking about it because we want to fight it to its logical conclusion.

In fact if not because of the youth and civil society groups that came out to protest, we wouldn’t have even known of this scam. So we are sure that such a thing is going to continue, because it is our right, we have every right to do it, constitutionally we are right, I don’t think it is going to die down in fact we are talking about it every day and we are giving the government sleepless nights and we will continue to do it until we see that everything is right in Nigeria. This is our collective responsibility and it is the responsibility of everybody because we go to the same market, we feel the same pinch apart from those who have squandered our money, but we the youth and common people of Nigeria both male and female, the civil society groups I want to say a big thank you to them, the Nigerian labour congress and all others we came together and aired our voices and something came out of it.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 5

News

Court frustrates moves against Jonathan’s impeachment A

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, declined to stop the House of Representatives from commencing impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Court, sitting before Justice Gabriel Kolawole, held that the court must be very certain that the impeachment proceedings is on course before

it can entertain the suit in order not to interfere with the responsibilities of the legislative arm of government.

Besides, the court held that sections 143 (1) of the 1999 constitution requires a joint impeachment resolution of both arms of the National Assembly before the President can be removed.

According to the court, by not joining the Senate as a party

From AgajuMadugba, Kaduna

Muslims, intended to cause their anger and therefore unacceptable not only to Muslims but to all right thinking people.

It is condemned in the strongest terms.

“However, Muslims are enjoined to pertinently

persevere for the sake of the Almighty Allah, the way our revered Prophet used to whenever his personality was attacked by his foes.

“He was called all sorts of derogatory names and persecuted but he never sought revenge and forwarded his

complaint to Allah the Almighty, for relief.

“It is rather unfortunate at this time when all efforts should be geared towards peace and calm, some elements want to create tension by insinuating that non-Muslim interests will be

attacked.

“We cannot afford any upheaval in this trying moment of insecurity our country is passing through.

Therefore, all Muslims are called upon to exercise restraint and perseverance”, the statement implored.

From NankpahBwakan, Jos

and America”, gathered around Yan Taya Junction and matched to Zololo junction in Bauchi Road where they were intercepted by members of the Special Task Force (STF). It was gathered that the STF shot sporadically in the air to disperse the protesters.

An eyewitness said that the youths were embarking on a peaceful protest against the American blasphemous movie on Prophet Muhammad.

The source further explained that STF have been keeping vigil

on the activities of the group to ensure that no destruction to lives and properties was recorded and shortly after the group commenced the protest, the security intercepted them.

However, the Media and Information Officer of STF, Captain Salisu Mustapha said there was no casualty as the STF had anticipated the incident and prepared for it. He further explained that “we had to stop them because we don’t know what would have happened if we had allowed them to go on with

the demonstration. Right now we are on high security alert, especially in all the major flash points which are ZololoJuction, Yan Taya and Bauchi Road”.

Mustapha disclosed that calm has returned to the city and members of the STF are keeping vigil of all suspicious activities.

The Chief Imam of Jos Central the protest and condemned the action of the American film maker and urged every Muslim to condemn it.

to the suit, the motion ex-parte cannot succeed.

Justice Kolawole further held that, “this may not be the proper occasion for this court to grant ex-parte order against the 2nd and 3rd defendants, as the relief sought by the plaintiff largely benefits the President.

He accordingly refused the ex-parte order and adjourned the matter sine dine for the Registrar for the Chief Judge of

the Federal High Court to reassign the case.

It would be recalled that the national chairman of African Liberation Party (ALP) Dr. Emmanuel OsitaOkereke filed an ex-parte motion seeking to stop the House of Representatives from going ahead with impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan over 2012 budget implementation.

Speaker Waziri Tambuwal

Blasphemous film: JNI calls for calm

T

he Jama’atuNasril Islam (JNI) has asked Muslims in the country to remain calm even in the face of what it described as provocative YouTube film, aimed at belittling the Prophet of Islam.

The group, in a statement yesterday, equally urged Muslims to disregard insinuations that Muslims were set to launch attacks on non-Muslim interests.

The statement signed by the JNI Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid AbubakarAliyu, said “the JNI under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’adAbubakar, Sultan of Sokoto and PresidentGeneral, JNI, expresses shock and consternation on the film released on YouTube, aimed at belittling our noble Prophet (peace be upon him) in a derogatory manner and smearing his dignity. “ I t i s d i s r e spectful to

… as protesters march in Jos

O

ver 100 Muslim youths in Jos, yesterday, defied warnings by Islamic clerics against initiating street protests that may tamper the fragile peace of the state when they marched in groups chorusing condemnation to America and Israel shortly after the Friday prayers.

Peoples Daily observed that the protesters who were wearing shirts with the inscription “To Hell with Israel

AAC: NNPC refund hits N99bn as FG, states, LG share N570bn

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he office of the Accountant-General of Federation (AGF), yesterday, put the total refunds by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federation Account at N99 billion.

AGF, Mr. Joseph Otunla confirmed the cumulative amount paid by NNPC yesterday at an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja at the close of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) session.

The amount covers 13 installations refund paid in to Federation Account by the Corporation in line with agreement by stakeholders of Federation Account Allocation Committee(FAAC) that NNPC be made to refund contentious N445 billion unilaterally deducted by the Corporation to

fund it operations.

The development came as FAAC approved for share for the three tiers of government the sum of N570.609 billion for August. The amount covers proceeds from mineral revenue, non-mineral revenue and Value Added Tax (VAT).

Of the amount, the Federal Government got N206.726 billion, states N104.854 billion, local government councils N80.838 billion, while sum of N42.608 billion went to oil producing states as their share of 13 percent derivation fund.

The AGF said the Excess Revenue Account has netted the sum of $ 8.03 billion.

He clarified that the gross revenue for the month, N564.884 billion was lower than the N825.396 billion in the previous month by N260.512 billion due to drop in crude oil production and lifting operations caused by the force

majeure declared at Bonny Terminal and shutdown of Balema gas plan

Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Dizeani Allison Madueke

No going back on cargo airport project – Al-makura

By Miriam Humbe

G

overnor Umar Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa state has stressed that his resolve to build a befitting cargo airport in Karshi Development Area of Karu local government is irreversible.

The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media Relations, AlhajiSani Musa Mairiga who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, said Governor Almakura’s ‘administration would not succumb to ‘cheap blackmail’ as regards the construction of the airports.

“My boss is committed more than ever before to take Nasarawa state to enviable heights and I want to tell you without mincing words that the decision by His Excellency has come to stay and there is no going back”.

Mairiga added that the cargo airport when completed, would

take pressure off the NnamdiAzikiwe international Airport in Abuja, create job opportunities for the youths and enhance the state revenue generation and called on the people of Nasarawa state to accord Al-Makura’s’ government their maximum co-operation in his quest to take democratic dividends to their doorsteps.

Governor Al-makura

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

News Taraba nurses, midwives advised to be updated From Yusha’u Alhassan, Jalingo

N

urses and midwifes in Taraba state have been encouraged to embrace programmes that will upgrade their knowledge, so as to meet global challenges.

The acting principal, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kilh Mfor Jalingo, gave the advice at the second round mandatory professional development programme for nurses and midwives.

He maintained that if the nurses and midwives upgraded their knowledge, there would be an enhanced and stimulated approach towards providing quality care and improved effective nursing system in the state.

In his address, the chairman, National Association of Nursing and Midwifery (NANM), Peter Gambo, stressed the need for members of the association to embrace the training to refresh their knowledge.

He solicited support from the nurses and midwives to ensure the attainment of the set objectives.

ANPP carpets Jonathan over poor reception of Paralympics heroes

By Umar Muhammad

P

uma The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), on Thursday, berated President Goodluck Jonathan for the alleged shabby reception given to the nation’s Paralympiads who recently returned into the country with laurels.The party in a release signed by its national publicity secretary, Hon. Emma Eneukwu, noted: “The President’s unsavory body language in not sending even one official of the National

Sports Commission to receive Team Nigeria at the airport on their arrival smacks of insensitivity, which cannot be erased even as the Presidency announced that the Paralympics Team would be received together with the Falconets at the State House on Saturday. We believe that these wheelchair sports giants are heroes in their own right, and deserve special attention”.

He added that, “the ANPP witnessed with joy, the exhilarating performance of the Nigerian Team at the just

Stallion Group wins Thailand government honors: Four years in a row

By Augustine Aminu

M

u l t i - b i l l i o n conglomerate and commodity giant

Stallion Group, won accolades from Her Excellency Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand at the “Thailand’s

11 directors sign agreement contract with NERDC

By Usman Shuaibu

A

bout 11 directors as well as some key unit heads of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, have signed a ‘performance contract’ with the council.

The executive secretary of NERDC, Prof.

Godswill Obioma, made this known in Abuja with the top management staff of the council while signing the contract adding that the contract was a new measure towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the public sector.

The NERDC secretary explained that the agreement would help in achieving the transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.

concluded London Paralympics.

This has further confirmed our belief in the indomitability of the human spirit, a driving philosophy which had urged us into accommodating the physically challenged citizens of our great nation in our party’s internal political process…”The party however called on President Jonathan to sign the People With Disability (PWD) Bill into law as a matter of urgency as a reward to Nigerians with disabilities who went to London, saw and conquered the world.

Best Friend” Ceremony 2012, held at Royal Thai Navy Club, Bangkok on September 11, 2012.

In a statement issued by the Platinum Corporation, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and made available to Peoples Daily Weekend, Sunil Vaswani, Chairman of the Stallion Group received the honor in a glittering ceremony organized by the Thai Government agencies.

Notably, this is the fourth successive year for Stallion, in receiving the honour in Thailand.

Commenting on the award, Sunil Vaswani said, “This gesture signifies Thailand’s highest regard for its partners who share a common vision of sustainable growth of trade between countries. At Stallion, we believe in progress through partnerships: the one we have with Thailand is invaluable and is critical to our future plans” Stallion Group has a presence in over 18 countries employing 10,000 staff, and engaged in commodities, agribusiness, automobiles, food products, FMCG, industries and services.

Stallion is also a market leader in rice across sub Saharan Africa, and has backwardly integrated into rice milling and farming in the recent years.

Chewing sticks damage tooth gums, NDA warns From Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

T

he Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), has warned Nigerians against the use of chewing sticks as a form of oral hygiene, saying that it damages tooth gum.

NDA made this assertion on Thursday at the 2012 World Oral Health Day themed: “Prevention of Dental Cares: How do I avoid holes and aches in my teeth?” at the University of Lagos main auditorium.

Speaking, the guest

speaker, Prof. of Restorative Dentistry, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Prof. ES Akpata, said though chewing stick is medicinal but it can damage the gum because of the way it is used.

According to Akpata, bacteria are acidic substance that makes the teeth soften and it needs to be cleaned by using tooth pastes with fluoride and calcium phosphate to reharden the teeth.

In his words on the challenges of the health sector, the NDA president, Dr.

Olurotimi Olojede, explained that the government should put the health insurance scheme in place to make quality health affordable and accessible.

“The challenges of the health sector and Nigeria as a whole are enormous but surmountable …let our people go for oral checkup as at when due; avoid smoking; tobacco chewing; alcohol, poor oral hygiene and so on because all these are factors that are responsible for oral cancer”, he advised.

NURTW advised to partake in NDE’s vocational training

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

M

embers of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), have been enjoined to take advantage of the various entrepreneurship training programmes which are being offered across the country by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

The Director General of NDE, Muhammed Abubakar, represented by Kunle Obanya, the Director, Small Scale Enterprises, made this plea on Thursday in Abuja while addressing the leadership of the NURTW who were on a courtesy visit to the NDE management.

Speaking further, Abubakar stated that NDE is charged with the responsibility to massively generate jobs for unemployed persons, adding that a special department has been created to fulfill the responsibility.

Based on this, he called on the NURTW members to register in the NDE offices at the state and local government levels to enable them acquire entrepreneurial skills and soft loans with which they can kick-start any businesses of their interest.

In addition, he expressed confidence that NURTW members would be able to pay back the soft leans considering their level of discipline in payment of dues and other levies, urging the women wing of the union to tap into the YouWIN package which was recently flagged off by the Federal Government.

Speaking earlier, the President of NURTW, Najeem Usman Yasin, urged NDE to further expand the training programme which it recently organised for female professional drivers to accommodate the 36 states of the federation.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 7

News Oyerinde: Court awards N5m to suspect for unlawful detention From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

A

Benin High Court 4 on Thursday slammed N5 million damages against the Nigeria Police over the unlawful detention of the executive director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Rev. David Ugolor in connection with the alleged murder of Olaitan Oyerinde, late principal private secretary Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state.

Delivering her ruling, Justice Esther Edigin, also ordered the police to stop forthwith any further arrest of the applicant.

The judgment followed an earlier ruling by the court on August 16, 2012 wherein it ordered the immediate release

Edo state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole

of the activist.

But two weeks after the order, the police held on to him (Ugolor) explaining that it was not properly served.

Besides, the Security operatives sought for an extension of time to enable it respond to the motion on notice brought against it (police) by counsel to applicant (Ugolor) Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi.

Afolabi had in the motion for defamation of character and breach of fundamental human rights of the applicant.

Afolabi had also argued that the respondent have continued to violate the fundamental human rights of the applicant; even when operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) had paraded the alleged killers of Oyerinde.

Flooding: Jonathan meets northern governors

Aruwa’s experience will help Kaduna, says PDP chieftain

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

resident Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday night met in a closed door session with governors of the northern states in Abuja.

The meeting which took place at the First Lady’s wing of the State House, started at about 9.30pm and ended at about 10.30pm.

Speaking to State House correspondent after the meeting, Niger state Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, said the meeting discussed flooding in the north and how to ensure that it does not affect food production.

“We know that it affects the whole country and so, we discussed how to mitigate it,” he said.

Governor Aliyu who is also the chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, noted that the meeting touched on issues

chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna, Yusuf Makarfi, says the recent decision of Senator Muktar Aruwa to join the party will contribute to the development of the state.

Makarfi, a former commissioner for NGOs, described Aruwa as a “real” politician who will bring his wealth of experience to bear on the PDP. “By virtue of Aruwa’s experience not only in politics but also in business, he will contribute in moving Kaduna state forward.

“He is a real politician with teeming supporters and he carries everybody along with him irrespective of political or religious differences,” Makarfi said.

A

P

President Goodluck Jonathan of wealth creation and unemployment.

The meeting was attended

by Vice President Namadi Sambo and included governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Idris Wada (Kogi) among others.

Rep applauds two Nigerians for bagging US Presidential recognitions

By Lawrence Olaoye

C

hairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Rep Abike DabiriErewa, has applauded the achievements of two Nigerians who bagged US presidential recognitions for their outstanding performance.

In a congratulatory letter to the duo, the lawmaker expressed delight that the

nation was proud of them.

The two US-based Nigerians employed by the American government are Mr. Abel Alagbe, a University of Ibadan graduate who works at the US Department of Agriculture and Mrs. Temilola FatoyinboAgueh of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. Dabiri-Erewa (ACN-Lagos) said the achievements and honour done to the Nigerians

confirmed her believe that Nigerians are great people.

She urged other Nigerians in the Diaspora to emulate the feat performed by the duo in their respective field of human endeavours.

While Alagbe is receiving the US Presidential Volunteer Service Awards and Call to Service Award, Fatoyinbo-Agueh was honoured as one of the top US early scientist recognised by White House this year.

Issele-Uku marks Inne festival Sept 22

By Augustine Aminu

T

he popular Inne Festival of Issele-Uku people of Delta state comes up September 22 this year.

This year’s event will be in collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Cupen Consults Limited and the Voice of Issele-Uku. A press release signed by Chas Nwam on behalf of IsseleUku Progressive Association,

Abuja, on Thursday says this year’s event is meant to showcase the cultural heritage of Iselle people.

It read in part, “The festival is a highly-revered event of Isseles when all the titled chiefs of the town troupe out in their colourful regalia and traditional costumes to the palace of His Royal Highness, the Obi of Issele-Uku, Obi Henry Ezeagwuna 1, to pay their homage to him as the head of all the towns of Ezechima clan”.

Niger state govt disburses vehicles to NURTW From Iliya Garba, Minna

N

o fewer than 200 units of commercial vehicles were purchased and distributed to National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other transport unions under the subsidy palliative policy in Niger state.

In addition, the state government has ordered the supply of 1000 Mahindra tricycles at the cost of N624, 750,000 as part of measure to ensure safe, comfortable and affordable means of transportation for commuters in the state.

The State Commissioner for Transport Malam Garba

Abubakar, who made this known in an interview, said the state government purchased these items at the cost of N900m which was distributed to NURTW and other transport unions.

He said the significance of the palliative measure through the provision of comfortable transportation service was deliberately aimed to ease the burden of commuters in the state as well as creating employment opportunities.

Furthermore, he said the state government is working towards partnering with Nigeria Railway Corporation towards boosting MinnaKaduna mass transit train service.

NAFDAC, journalists campaign against drugs hawking in Kaduna From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

T

he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in collaboration with the Journalist Initiatives on Immunisation against Polio (JAP), has held a sensitisation campaign on fake drugs and hawking of drugs in Kaduna.

In a message he sent at the programme which held at the palace of the Village Head of Ungwar Shanu, Alhaji Nura Ibrahim, NAFDAC DirectorGeneral (DG), Paul Orhii, described the fight against fake drugs as tasking and that all

Nigerians should join hands in order to achieve the goal for safeguarding the health of the nation.

Represented by NAFDAC Head of Kaduna Unit, Innocent Ahemen, Orhii noted that media have a significant role to play in educating the people on the dangers of indiscriminate hawking of drugs.

According to him, “drugs are regulated products that can only be sold by registered and licensed professionals who understand the potential dangers it can cause even when taken for genuine ailments and at the right prescriptions”.

Transformation of Kaduna Polytechnic to university begins From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

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inister of Education, Prof.

Ruqqayatu Ahmed Rufai, says processes that will lead to the conversion of the Kaduna Polytechnic to University of Technology are expected to begin in earnest, following the successful appointment of substantive principal officers for the polytechnic.

The minister spoke in Abuja

when she received the new Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Mohammed Bello Ibrahim in company of other contemporaries, on a courtesy visit in her office.

A press statement signed by the school’s senior executive officer, Information and Protocol, Godwin Ayegba, noted that the minister advised the management to consolidate on the achievements of the two immediate past acting rectors, Aminu Aliyu and Dr. Aliyu Mamman.

PAGE 8

News From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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ontroversy, as Bauchi State Police Commissioner claims ignorance of last week's alleged killing of late Suleiman Umaru Dahiru, the son of a staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Alhaji Umaru Dahiru, Baraden Bauchi by some security operatives, in Bauchi.

The State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ladan, who made this point known, told newsmen that he did not receive any report concerning the alleged murder of the deceased; saying 'in fact I am hearing it for the first time from you (newsmen).'

The deceased, Dahiru, 31, who is a biological son to the senior sister of the Emir of Bauchi Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, was suspected to have been killed by some agents, Friday night around his family home in Bauchi metropolis. He died from the gunshot wounds from the yet to be identified killers.

However, a source from State Security operatives in Bauchi told our correspondent that the deceased was pursued and shot because he defied order for him to stop for normal search which he refused.

The development which threw the family of the deceased into distress and confusion caused much uproar in the state as they asked why the security men killed him.

Also our correspondent reports that the Chief Medical Director of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Dr Mohammad Alkali said the police brought the deceased to the Hospital alive

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Son of FCDA staff allegedly shot by JTF

The deceased, Sule Umar Dahiru

around 2am for treatment but he later died in the hospital while receiving treatment.

The deceased Suleiman Umar is the son of onetime National Organizing Secretary of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Umaru Dahiru Baraden Bauchi.

Car he was killed with bullet holes

A family friend close to the deceased Nasiru Ibrahim Darazo alleged that he was killed when he was driving very close to his father’s residence along Murtala Muhammed road opposite the Gwallaga Juma’at mosque in Bauchi city.

In his account of the unfortunate incident, the

Father of the deceased Alhaji Umaru Dahiru, Baraden Bauchi

deceased's father, Alhaji Umaru Dahiru, Baraden Bauchi, who confirmed the killing of his son, described as very unfortunate.

"Earlier on Friday last week, we held a wedding Walima, which was attended by many people from the town, many of the women who attended the ceremony don't have vehicles to go back to the town, and my boys used their cars to convey them back," he recalled.

He continued: "Baba sule (the deceased) was one of them he did eight to ten trips to drop the guest; and since then we did not see him, we did not know what had happened to him and we tried to find out his whereabouts, to no avail; but later in the night we heard gun shots near my house I don't know why they followed him, we don't know who they are following.

"On Saturday at about 10: o'clock in the morning, we did not see him at home, so we continued with the search.

We were told to check Gidan Block, we saw his car parked inside with blood stains from the major road side opposite

Gwallaga Juma'at mosque.

He said at that point they discovered blood stains inside the deceased's care with many bullet holes, without the body inside, which they later found out has been deposited in a mortuary at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital(ATBUTH), Bauchi.

"We only discovered his dead body at the hospital, and we were told he died from the bullets wound he sustained, but I don't know why they killed him", he expressed" Peo ples daily Weekend learnt that ATBUTH refused to release the corpse because he was brought to the hospital by the Police, the Hospital has to get permission from the Police before they release his corpse, which they did in the evening.

Also, Personal Assistant to the deceased's Father, Umar Musa told news men that "from what we gathered the deceased was killed by the Joint Patrol team comprising Police and Army, and when they killed him they took his vehicle inside Gidan Block from the main road and Policemen took him to Hospital"

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 9

Cover

International Literacy Day:

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, Uche Nnorom, Iliya Garba, Agaju Madugba, Olanrewaju Lawal, Ahmed Kaigama, Ali Abare Abubakar & Edwin Olofu

I

t all started on the 1 st of January, 2012 when in line with a directive from the Federal Government, all filling stations across the country adjusted their pumps and started selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at N141 per litre instead of the previous price of N65.

News had filtered into newsrooms on the last day of 2011 that the Federal Government through the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) had gone ahead to implement its subsidy withdrawal policy with effect from the first day of the year.

Many Nigerians were taken aback.

Most were disappointed, angry and frustrated; some had traveled to their respective villages for the Yuletide and was faced with the reality of paying more than a hundred percent higher than they paid earlier. It was insensitivity on display coming from government and it attracted outright rejection from Nigerians.

Aside the festive timing of the new price, some government officials had assured Nigerians that the policy would not take effect until April, 2012. So, Nigerians were preparing for that period and were shocked to hear the announcement four months earlier.

So many arguments came against the policy; there were no safety nets on ground and government was expecting people who were already ravaged by endemic poverty to pay more for fuel when government officials were busy smiling to the bank for doing nothing and

Where are the palliative buses? the people were simply looking to the sky for manna to fall.

The fact that power generation was epileptic all over the country made the people more reliant on fuel for their daily activities than necessary. The fact that there was no efficient railway mode of transport for goods and people made fuel more crucial to the day to day activities of the average Nigerian by then. The fact that there was no effective public mass transit system across the country made Nigerians spend a lot to get to their places of work and other places. Hence, most Nigerians, organized labour and public commentators agreed that the decision to jerk up the price of fuel was a reckless one by government.

The rejection was total, the strike was immense and while the protests were unprecedented. The goodwill of the President hit an all-time low. It was bad decision, taken and implemented at bad time.

All attempts to justify the decision by the consistent campaign of Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Labaran Maku fell on deaf ears.

Nigerians only got angrier each time these people appear on television to defend the policy.

As an after-thought,

government agreed to reduce the basic salaries of political appointees by 25 percent, put together some palliative buses for the masses and establish SUREP. All these were promised as part of

“

Passengers who insist on boarding the scarce subsidy buses have to stand for many hours at the bus stop and when they eventually come around, the few buses can’t even convey half of the people waiting to their destinations

measures to douse tension and make civil servants go back to work and they provided the basis for the negotiation they had with Organised Labour which got the fuel price reduced to N97.

The palliative buses The Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga while launching the buses in Abuja said part the goal of the Federal Government mass transit program was to bring down the bus fare by twenty percent. ”The beauty of it is that we have tried to provide buses that are 26-seater and above. So, you have 26-seater, 50seaters and above. Most of them are diesel-powered. And the whole idea of providing buses that are 26-seaters and above is because of what Mr. President want to achieve. The whole idea is to develop a robust, sustainable program for the entire country.

He had said: “The way we have approached it is that it is not only for Abuja. It is for the whole country. It is a mass transit program for the country.

And the plan is this. The revolving loan was launched in 2010 and with that we

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Cover Contd from page 9 bought about 1600 buses. Now (it is) revolving loan because we want it to be a sustainable program. So, what we do is, it should be run by the private sector. It is not the government that runs the buses. The private sector will run the buses. They will manage it like a business.

We will provide loans to them at a very cheap rate to make it easier for Nigerians who are going to be using the buses so that you will pay far less than what you are paying. So, if they had gone to the banks, they will borrow this money at 20% interest rate. We gave then the ones which we did in August last in 2010 at 5% interest rate. The ones which we have just given them now for all these buses you have seen are at 0% interest rate.

So government is providing that subsidy for passengers to go in to the buses.

Okay, and then we have gone further to negotiate with all the bus manufactures to make sure that the parts are available.

That will reduce the cost of maintenance. Again that will bring down the cost of transportation.

So, we’ve worked with transporters to make it cheaper for Nigerians in terms of providing them with mass transit. What we did last week was to acquire another 1200 buses. That will be distributed across.”

Aganga had added: “We are looking at areas where we have the pressure points, where you have large passengers, and the different state governments will tell us which routes they should ply because it shouldn’t be run by the Federal Government. It should be run by state governments. So, Abuja for example, the secretary of transport here will help direct the sort of route they should be plying. But going forward in the next two/three months, the idea is to work with the state governments and then accelerate things so that we have far more buses around, and then we have license routes for each one of them.”

Contrary to what the minister said above, the subsidy buses exist basically in Abuja.

Even in Abuja, the services were only effective for a few weeks after the celebrated launching.

Our correspondents who checked round the capital city discovered that the buses were hardly available for commuters who are still paying exorbitant prices being charged by commercial vehicles after the fuel price increment.

Passengers who insist on boarding the scarce subsidy buses have to stand for many hours at the bus stop and when they eventually come around, the few buses can’t even convey half of the people waiting to their destinations.

Operators of the palliative buses have also joined commercial operators in extorting people. Instead of N50, they now charge N100 and where they used to charge N100, they now collect N150.

The bottom-line is that there

Where are the palliative buses?

President Goodluck Jonathan is no difference in what people are paying now and what they started paying immediately after the subsidy withdrawal.

Most people now prefer to go with the normal commercial vehicles rather than wait for the palliative buses which offer no palliatives at all.

While Abuja residents can still see the buses and have access to them on occasions, Nigerians who reside outside the FCT have no similar story to tell. This is despite the fact that the partial subsidy removal affected all Nigerians across the country.

According to findings by our correspondent, Kaduna state is yet to benefit from Federal Government’s palliative buses.

Officials at the Ministry of Works and Transport who confirmed this noted however that state government on its part recently procured a total of 50 buses comprising 14seaters and luxurious buses. The buses have since been deployed to the roads through the Kaduna State Transport Authority (KSTA).

According to our reporter,

there is no trace of any Federal Government Fuel subsidy mass transit bus anywhere in Benue state at all.

Sometime ago, the General Manager of the state transport outfit known as Benue Links, Mr. John Baka who regretted

the delay in provision of the palliative buses by the Federal Government, intimated that the company had gone ahead to acquire over 16 new Marcopolo buses worth over N108 million from a loan secured from Unity bank.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga

He added that they made request from the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment for 20 Marcopolo buses, 10 city buses and 10 Toyota coastal buses.

The Federal Government subsidy buses are also unavailable in Niger state.

According to our reporter, the state government mass transit scheme is however working.

No fewer than 200 units of commercial vehicles were purchased and distributed to National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and other transport unions by the Niger state government recently.

The state commissioner for transport, Mallam Garba Abubakar who made this known in an interview said the state government purchased 100 Nissan Urban 15-seater buses and 100 unit of Renault Logan Station Wagon at the cost of N900million which was distributed to NURTW and other transport unions.

About seven Federal Government palliative buses allocated to Ilorin, the Kwara

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 11

Cover state capital disappeared from the road a couple of months ago.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the transport company, Safe Tripe which was in charge of the buses stationed to ply University of Ilorin permanent site, Kwara Polytechnic and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) have been taken to Lagos state because of low patronage by students who were on holiday when the scheme started.

Sources at the Kwara state Polytechnic bus stop, Muritala added that the loan collected before securing the buses was too much for a private operator to just be waiting while there was no business on ground, stressing that only old buses plying the tertiary institution routs were still available.

The situation is the same in Bauchi as passengers hardly see the buses on the streets.

The General Manager of Yankari Transport Corporation,

Alhaji Yahaya Tanimu said: “We did not receive any of the palliative buses in this company, NURTW members brought in two to the Transport Corporation but for some reasons, they took them back to Abuja.

The Chairman, Bauchi state chapter of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Suleiman A Abubakar said, “we acquired two of the buses here in Bauchi state but we found it difficult to manage because travellers are not used to those big buses. We were just operating at a loss.

That was why we returned them to Abuja.

A civil servant who preferred anonymity said, “I am really surprised because government promised to bring buses for us but since then I haven’t seen any. Some people said they have seen one but I have not seen the hundreds they said were launched. Where are the buses, where are they keeping them?”

“

Commenting on the issue, a public transporter, Alhaji Mohammadu Zakari Andaha, dismissed the initiative by the federal government, to supposedly cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on commuters, as a “ruse, a calculated attempt to hoodwink the people

Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala A lady Rachael Bala said “it is a good thing if they keep to their promise. Though I have never seen any of those buses in Bauchi here, my friend who lives in Abuja told me their fares are lower than that those charged by the painted vehicles. ”I don’t think they are serious about these palliative buses. It is a bunch of lies. In fact, it is a joke as I have seen about two of these buses in Bauchi state and the vehicles look like they are really used ones.”

According to our

Some of the palliative buses which seem to have disappeared from the roads

correspondent, Nasarawa state is yet to benefit from the Federal Government palliative buses.

Confirming this to Peoples Daily Weekend, state commissioner for works and transport, Engr. Mohammed Wada Yahaya, said the state has not received a single bus as palliatives from the Federal Government.

He stated that it was the state government that purchased 40 buses which are currently plying the road under the Nasarawa Transport Company.

Commenting on the issue, a

public transporter, Alhaji Mohammadu Zakari Andaha, dismissed the initiative by the federal government, to supposedly cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on commuters, as a “ruse, a calculated attempt to hoodwink the people.”

He observed that the programme was a failure even before it came to limelight, describing the attitude of the Federal Government as being deceptive.

“There was no initial plan to supply those buses, it was rather an after thought,” he opined.

According to our correspondent in Kano, not much has been heard about the over one thousand Federal government busses that were purchased from proceeds of the oil subsidy.

Many transporters and passengers are ignorant of the Federal Government gesture, because they cannot find the vehicles in question either in the motor park or on the roads.

Alhaji Aminu Isa is major transporter in Naibawa Motor Park, he said as far as he was concerned, he has never set his eyes on any of the said vehicles in the state.

“I have to be honest with you, I have not seen any of the vehicles, but is possible they are there, but for me I don’t want to talk about what I have not seen.

And even if they are there, the truth remains that we are talking about 1600 vehicles or so distributed across the 36 states and Abuja are they enough to alleviate the problem of transportation problem of Nigerians? Certainly no, so I don’t think the government is even serious in the first place,” he stated.

For many passengers interviewed by our correspondent, the issue sounded strange to them, they claimed ignorance of the

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Cover

Where are the palliative buses?

Contd on page 12 Federal Government policy, maintaining that they have not seen any of the vehicles as well.

Garba maina who was on his way to Abuja at the Naibawa motor park said as far as he was concerned, the policy remained a fraud and one of the many policies that never see the light of the day.

“Look I don’t even believe in the whole issue, you are in the park now, can you see anything like that? I have been to Unguwa Uku Motor Park is the same thing.

Don’t mind the government, they are not serious. They are only trying to deceive Nigerians nothing more.”

However, Emmanuel Mike said he was into transportation and confirmed seeing the vehicles on the road. He revealed that the Federal Government handed over the vehicles to the National Association of Road Transport Workers and National Association of Road Transport Owners.

“I’m aware that the Unions were saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the interest free vehicles by the Federal Government to distribute to some persons who are into the transport business. I

think here in Kano, our own share is about 44 or so, I want to correct the impression that the vehicle were given to state government to manage but instead is the union that is saddled with the responsibility.”

The situation is the same in Sokoto. The General Manager of Sokoto Transport Company (SSTC), Abdulkadir Ahmad Mohammed gave reasons for the absence of the buses on the streets of Sokoto: “There are so many issues attached to that loan. Of course when we go by the cost charges of even administrating the buses, actually is not something economical that we can tolerate. Secondly, we realize that it is even better for us to go in the open market and acquire those buses than the Federal Government Assisted Mass Transit Buses. And in addition, I can tell you many of these buses are not in conformity with what we actually require.

While we always require 18 or 14-seater buses, what they have is beyond that capacity.”

Efforts to get the reaction of Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga to the issues raised proved unsuccessful yesterday as he was said to have just returned from an official trip abroad.

CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

‘We have no such palliative measures in Sokoto state’ AbdulKadir Ahmad Muhammad is the General Manager of Sokoto State Transport Company (SSTC). He lamented that since independence, the country has never had a working document that can be cited as Transport Policy. In this Interview with Lawal Sadiq Sanusi, the Transport expert disclosed that the state is not a beneficiary of the Federal Government palliative buses even though it was supposed to be a nationwide measure to cushion the effect of the partial fuel subsidy withdrawal.

I

n January this year, the Federal Government introduced palliative buses nationwide, how many of such buses have you received in Sokoto state?

Up till now we have not received any actually. We have not even seen any of those palliative buses.

But why?

There are so many issues attached to that loan. Of course may be when we go by the cost charges of even administrating the buses, actually is not something economical that we can tolerate. Secondly, we realize that it is even better for us to go in the open market and acquire those buses than the Federal Government Assisted Mass Transit Buses. And in addition, I can tell you many of these buses are not in conformity with what we actually require. While we always require 18 or 14-seater buses, what they have is beyond that capacity.

Have you actually applied for a number of buses?

Some time ago we did, about 15 buses. But when we saw the conditions attached to taking and operating these buses, we realized it is something that is not comfortable with our

requirement, so we didn’t take any after all.

However, in March this year, Sokoto state government, under the leadership of Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, came to our rescue and did what is beyond even our requirement by providing us with additional

AbdulKadir Ahmad Muhammad

fleet of 20 buses on loan with better conditions that what the Federal Government had to offer.

By your assessment, what is the situation of the transport sector in Sokoto state?

Actually, there is very

little difference between the cost of transportation before and after the removal of fuel subsidy due to the intervention from the state government.

When you compare what obtain in the open market and our own charges you will see the difference based on the margin you get there.

Long before the issue of fuel subsidy removal came about, Sokoto state in August 2008 had allocated 20 fourteen seater buses to SSTC to revive this company. The government is doing quite well in assisting people to be easily transported from one place to another when you compare it with what is obtainable in other parts of the country particularly in the northern part.

You can see that most of the places we travel to are within the northern parts. The rule or condition we have from the government is that we have to subsidize prices.

How many buses do you operate with?

On ground now, we have 39 buses all for interstate service. One had an accident and is being repaired.

What about the intra state service?

Even though the state government is not doing badly

in the area of transport, we can’t really compare our state with the big cities. In terms of organization, we are not there yet. There are lot of people who need to be brought on board.

We need to fix it. We need to understand, appreciate and undertake transport sector as a very serious sector that has to do with our lives. Secondly, there is an issue for long of effort to develop transport policy in Nigeria which up till now is not there. Now for about how many years after independence we cannot have document that constitute and regulates transport sector. The country has no any document that can be used to regulate the transport sector. All you have are pieces of papers that are not compiled together to give us a focus of what we need and what we desire.

Efforts have been on to get the government to see reasons with us. I recall sometimes in November 2010, there was a meeting we attended in Minna.

The then federal minister of transportation was there and on that day, a draft document to be called Transport Policy in Nigeria was signed and there was a promise that the same document would be referred to the Federal Government of Nigeria for subsequent action.

To our dismay, I think this year, another document, a little bit different from what we had endorsed in Minna, was sent to us.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 13

Man In The News

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

O

Sanusi and the cruel tigers

ne remarkable thing about insensitive, sadistic and unproductive governments in third world countries all over the world is that they often come up with selfish and unreasonable policies geared towards adding more misery to the economy of the majority poor, and they would insist the they are meant to help the same people who have come out strongly against them. Even if the people say they don’t want such help, the tyrants of these nations stick to their guns and tell everyone to go to blazes.

Another notable thing about these despots in these unfortunate countries is that some of them are so short of ideas that they can’t find solutions to the most basic issues troubling the economy and general wellbeing of the poor who are always an overwhelming majority. Some of them on the other hand know exactly what to do to alleviate the sufferings of the people but will rather continue to implement policies that will make the few rich better and the majority poor worse off.

In the case of my dearest country, the two situations combine at once. The people in charge of our lives are not doing anything to advance the fortunes of the people and won’t leave them the way they are. They always want to give the people something to complain about.

In Nigeria, things don’t get better, they just get worse. For instance things don’t get cheaper, they only get more expensive. People’s purchasing power don’t increase, they only reduce. And we have had great economists manage our economy in this country in the past, some of them with better profile than the present people who claim they alone are literate.

In my dear country, if government manages to increase workers’ pay, it generates a lot of controversies. While the Federal Government delays in honouring its part, the state governments decline to implement at all. Meanwhile, the same set of cruel tigers are busy plotting several measures aimed at collecting the increment back from the workers and devaluing the currency.

Mind you, its not even all Nigerians that are entitled to these wage increases and yet, when the measures aimed to collect the increases back are taken, everyone suffers. That is why the majority of the people can’t see themselves making any progress since government started the increment of workers’ salaries in 1999. If they don’t unreasonably jerk up fuel price, they just devalue the currency completely or do both within a short time.

If they increase fuel price by over a hundred percent and people resist and they reluctantly bring it down a bit, they find a way to force the increase through other means. They are the government, they are the marketers, the cabal, the NUPENG. They are the same people. The President said on national television that these people are his friends. We therefore need not ask any further questions.

These cruel tigers, though very few in number are everywhere. They are in the ruling party. They dominate the economy. Some or all of them are members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), National Economic Council (NEC), Economic Management Team (EMT) and even the National Council of States. They meet over a glass of wine, take decisions that will boost their narrow political and economic interests and tell the people to accept them or just leave the country.

CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is a man that loves the limelight. He craves attention and prefers to hug the headlines. Since becoming the CBN governor, he has had more than a fair share of controversies.

Anytime he goes away from the frontpages, he thinks of something controversial to say or do.

While we can’t say this currency review policy is entirely his baby, he is an integral part of the clique that always seeks to impose Bretton Woods policies on the country.

Anytime Sanusi makes up his mind to impose unpopular policies on the people, he puts all his propaganda machinery in motion to drum up support for them and seek to give the impression that he alone is a good economist.

We ask, if Obasanjo, Organised Labour and other critics of the policy are bad economists, can we also say the leadership of ICAN which also kicked against the N5,000 policy are peopled by bad economists?

You are the only economist around and the CBN has failed so far to bring inflation down to a single digit and now this policy. You claim to be implementing cashless policy, why this policy, why now?

Restructuring is part of governance but must currency restructuring involve these new notes? The polymer notes that CBN once promised will last long are nothing to write home about. At the slightest exposure, they fade away and no one is doing anything about that. Shall we restructure for its sake or restructure areas that need help?

With such a high illiteracy and poverty rates, do these economists consider the social side of any policy?

Incessant currency devaluation is partly responsible for the brain drain

“

On the issue of inflation, Sanusi and members of his propaganda team are busy saying there is no empirical evidence or economic theory to support the widely held belief that currency reviews always cause inflation in Nigeria. They forget that there is a whole lot difference between their textbook economics and the realities of the Nigerian economics. that we all complain about in all crucial sectors of the country. A situation whereby some few thousands of dollars and pounds make a lot of sense to our people compared to our worthless naira contributes to why our best brains jet out of the country in search of these greener pastures.

Former CBN governor, Charles

Soludo once came up with similar controversial policy but Late President Yar’adua listened to public opinion and stopped him. Who will come to the aid of Nigerians now?

On the issue of inflation, Sanusi and members of his propaganda team are busy saying there is no empirical evidence or economic theory to support the widely held belief that currency reviews always cause inflation in Nigeria. They forget that there is a whole lot difference between their textbook economics and the realities of the Nigerian economics. These people do not know that there is a wide gulf between what their white professors taught them in the Ivy League schools and what obtains in our own Oyingbo, Aswani, Gosa, Kasuwan Barci or Wuse market.

Despite his gift of garb, mastery of figures and all his propaganda, Sanusi has failed to convince Nigerians that this policy is good for the economy.

We dare ask if N5, N10 and N20 notes are coined and Nigerians repeat their usual lack of preference for coins, what will the CBN do to stop prices of some basic stuff like sachet water skyrocketing.

This was one of the questions put to CBN spokesman, Ugochukwu Okarafor recently when the Bank kick-started its currency review campaign with a press conference. Aside the fact that he, in the judgement of most of the reporters that attended the briefing, didn’t provide satisfactory answers to the issue of inflation, the poor attitude he displayed, the way he beat around the bush and threw questions back to reporters underscored the arrogance and power drunkenness that have come to be associated with the present leadership of the CBN. He kept on contradicting himself.

According to him, counterfeiting is not among the serious problems currency in the country is facing, yet, he said the new 5,000 notes would help combat counterfeiting.

Another watery excuse he gave and which the Sanusi propaganda machinery is hammering on is the three legendary women that have to be celebrated through the N5000 notes. Talking about our leaders being short of ideas, is this the only way the women can be celebrated? Must we celebrate them in this controversial manner? It is widely believed that the families of these iconic women will be happier if Federal Government finds more acceptable way of immortalising them.

Its either the policy is indefensible or the man just didn’t have the competence to offer a convincing defense for it, or both.

These people know but will never admit that the currency review policy will cause a lot troubles that will far outweigh whatever gains it brings.

These challenges will be felt more by the poor masses.

We know our CBN governor won’t understand all this. As far as he is concerned, Nigerians tend to exaggerate everything. He showed this attitude during the fuel subsidy removal brouhaha.

We are aware that not many parents would have been able to send their wards to Lagos to study at the prestigious Kings College at a time western education was not so cherished in the north. Sanusi, a prince was not just born with a silver spoon, he worked hard enough all through his remarkable career in the banking sector to acquire enough golden spoon for himself. So, we understand.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Interview

N500 will shore up value of Naira, says Okupe Dr. Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs in this interaction with newsmen speaks about the controversial introduction of the N5000 note by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and insists that the policy would help in shoring the value of Naira just as he catalogues the achievements recorded by his boss in government. Lawrence Olaoye was there. Excerpts: The excitement that greeted the inception of the Jonathan administration has faded, as Nigerians have lost confidence in the President ability to deliver on his promises…. [cuts in] That’s not true. I am pleased to inform you that President Goodluck Jonathan, gradually is delivering on the promises he made to the electorates. I have had to go and read his inaugural speech and from there I have extracted certain promises he made which I will enumerate to you in the 15 months or so of his administration.

So, we can categorically say that Jonathan is delivering on promises. One, President Jonathan promised electoral reforms in the country, people didn’t believe that it was possible. He even offered himself as a guinea pig for election and was prepared to leave and go back to his home.

The presidential election, notwithstanding whatever anybody else says, has been adjudged, globally as perhaps one of the best elections ever held in this country. You will also observe that other elections that had taken place under the watch of President Jonathan and he had insisted that every man’s vote will count in those elections and they have counted. Not only that, he has ensured that manipulations and thuggery that characterized previous elections are gradually being wiped off. The latest in our mind is the electoral victory of the ACN in Edo state, where there was so much tension, so much apprehension and fear. Not only that some of the strongest PDP stalwarts come from that state, but yet, President Jonathan ensured that the apparatus of government maintained neutrality and firmness and the outcome is for everyone to see. So, on electoral reform and the conduct of proper election which President Jonathan promised, he has delivered.

Number two, when the President assumed office, the energy capacity of the country at that time ranged between 1,900 megawatts to some 2,200 megawatts. The Independent Power Projects, ten of them, were grounded and nearly moribund, but today Nigeria is generating in excess of 4400 megawatts of electricity. Some cynics have said this is due to high level of water in the hydro generating plants in Shiroro and Kanji. This isn’t true; I can tell you, authoritatively that why it is true that every year there is a marginal increase in power supply, because of the increase contribution in the hydro plants, that cannot account for the fifteen hours or so that is being currently enjoyed in many parts of the country.

The reason for this additional increase is coming from the NIPP projects that are now adding between 600 and 800 megawatts to the national grid. That’s what is responsible for this new improvement and between now and December, we are expecting an additional 1,000 megawatts, because of increase and an arrangement that have been made for purchase and supply of gas to some of these NIPP projects.

More areas will enjoy longer hours of electricity supply by December. So, on power it is obvious that President Jonathan is fulfilling his promise to the Nigerian people.

The third one is on infrastructure. The

Dr. Doyin Okupe Ministry of Works has concluded several thousands of kilometers of roads in the last fourteen months including the dualisation of Onitsha road. Recently, the Benin-Ore road has now been awarded at a cost of about N55 billion and that road is going to be fixed.

The one that gives a lot of anxiety to the Nigerian public is the Lagos-Ibadan Express road. It is a test case in the Public Private Partnership and it is obvious that globally this is a trend that government is patronizing. It is important that we do not give wrong signal on this major one and that is part of the reason why government is taking its time. Federal Government has judgment debt in excess of hundreds of billions naira. So, government is also trying to avoid issue of unnecessary litigation, but I can tell you, authoritatively also that everything concerning the Lagos Ibadan road is about to be perfected. Real construction work is likely to commence within the next four to six weeks, maximum.

The Jonathan administration promised good governance, rule of law. On rule of law, there are so many evidences and cases that show that unlike before. this government isn’t one of those government that disobeys court order, or ignores court judgment. The government has upheld rule of law and without due obedience to rule of law, you really cannot have a democracy. So, why this may not be something tangible that people can hold on to, but a lot depend on the rule of law and attitude of government to rule of law,

including foreign investors and all that. If your country is a place where jungle justice exists, nobody is going to bring his money.

When the President jokingly alluded to the fact that he was the most criticized president in the world, Nigerians and the Nigerian media missed the point. The point he was trying to make is that he has brought liberalism into governance; even the security forces have become democratized. They no longer jump at people and detain them. If democracy indeed is about government of the people for the people by the people, the consultations that the President held yesterday with the civil societies is an outstanding example of a government that believes in dialogue and consultations with various sections of the community.

Many have accused the President of running the government with committees and I find that interesting. In a population of about 160 million, there is need to tap on its human resources. The issue of tapping from the experience of the experts cannot be criticized.

But Nigerians wonder why there was no consultation on the planned introduction of N5000 notes; even Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, confessed that he and his colleagues are in the dark. How would you react to this against the backdrop of your claim that the government consults?

This (N5000 note) is a CBN project and in truth, presidential approval was

given, but it is also important to carry the people along and to educate them and I am sure the CBN would embark on this exercise. I don’t want to pass judgment, but personally from my own investigation and discussions with experts, we are dissipating too much energy and time on the issue. It isn’t that it isn’t important but its impact on us, both as citizens and on the economy of the country is almost minimal. It will be foolhardy for anybody to say that Kalu Idika Kalu is a nobody in the field of economy; he is perhaps one of the best that we have in Africa and such celebrated financial expert, consultant and economist have made statement to the effect that the introduction would have no bearing whatsoever on the economy of Nigeria.

What I have observed is that we intend to over politicize everything in this country. This is an issue that should be left in the purview of experts, but it is now being discussed by ordinary people like you and I. The American government has $1,000 bill but it isn’t for everybody, it is only for those who require it; you aren’t compelled to demand from your banker N5,000, because I heard somebody saying that, ‘can you imagine, after working for thirty days they just give you four N5,000 notes.’’

That takes the debate to the level of the ridiculous, because it isn’t compulsory that you are paid with that denomination. If you want to be paid in N20.00 note, the banks have it, they also have N500 and N200. If we cast our minds back, there was a time when the highest denomination we had was N100 and they now brought N500 and they brought N1000. It will not affect the price of anything and will not impact negatively on the economy. I think awareness campaign can be done and reassuring move will still be made by CBN. Nigerians should focus on very serious issues that have potential to directly affect our lives. Some people have said this money will encourage corruption and all that. People who have to carry large sums of money, presently, I have observed they will rather carry dollars than naira. Three quarters of those who buy dollars in Nigeria aren’t buying it to pay for foreign services, but they are using it for their own internal transactions.

So, if we have a naira note that has a high denomination, that make it easier and more compact to carry big sums of money, that in itself will reduce the demand on dollar and it will help to shore up the value of our currency, because fewer people now will be going after the dollar. Over fifty percent of those who purchase dollar aren’t purchasing it in order to use it for overseas transactions; they are buying it in order to limit the volume of cash they carry.

But there is the submission that a critical segment like the National Assembly should have been carried along.

National Assembly? I have no information. But it is also important to carry the people along and I am sure that the CBN will do this.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 15

Analysis Attah Igala: Buried, succession bid continues From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

T

he traditional institution of the Igala people is so prominent that even nonIgalas who are not far from the middle belt show more than a passing interest in who emerges as the Attah of Igala.

News filtered in from Idah, the seat of the traditional institution few days ago that the late Aliyu Obaje has been buried while all burial rites were performed.

A top ranking traditional title holder in the kingdom, Dr Musa Major told our reporter in Lokoja that Idah has been experiencing peace despite rumours that some controversies may trail the burial of the late Monarch's burial.

"We witnessed unprecedented peace before and after the burial despite the hues and cries that have greeted the issue of succession."

He continued: "It is the members in council, the kingmakers that have the right to present a candidate to the people through the office of the governor who then can announce the final choice to the public."

Considering the choice of who becomes the next Attah Igala among the four ruling houses lies with Achadu and members in-council and no government or outside power is allowed.

Unlike what obtains in other kingdoms regarding the issue of succession, political interference is hardly allowed in Igala land.

Crises which had followed imposition of unpopular kings in other communities are enough evidence.

Those within the Igala kingdom who have witnessed how Attah emerged in the past however said the next Attah must also be of impeccable character and good antecedent.

A top government official at Lugard House also told our reporter on the condition of anonymity that Governor Idris Wada was not interested in who emerges the successor to Late Aliyu Obaje who died recently at the age of 102 after spending more than half a decade on the throne.

He added that the Attah throne which had been in existence since the pre-8th century, has never been subjected to the rigours and disgrace of court litigations.

According to the recorded history of the Igala people, the four ruling houses are Akumabi (which splitted into two, namely Ame-acho and Itodo Aduga) Akogu and Ohiemi Obogo.

Historically, people who occupy the position of Attah Igala never compromised standards, tradition and the norms of the race because of money or political pressure

Prince Idakwo Ameh Oboni from any quarters. This is where the era of Ameh Oboni [Ogbakolo] comes to mind. He was determined to rewrite history to make sure an Igalaman could assume their rightful position denied them for a long time. This is where the pendulum swings towards his son, Idakwo Ameh.

The kingmakers through some of their agents have promised to put the issue of who becomes the next Attah Igala to rest since all the necessary burial rites of the late Aliyu Obaje have been completed.

Late Attah, it was learnt signed that the throne was a relay race that can be contested by those who are eligible. When Aliyu Obaje's father died, it was Ameh Oboni who was crowned as the Attah of Igala and when Ameh Oboni died, son of Ogwuche Akpa whose preparation to become Attah was completed, was not crowned. It was Alhaji Aliyu Obaje who took over as the Attah. As the relay continues, it looks like Ameh Oboni's son, Prince Idakwo, M Ameh, would take over from Obaje.

Analysts say it is the turn of Ocholi and urged those saying otherwise to stop causing confusion in the kingdom.

Politically and socially, the four branches of the ruling houses combined on many occasions in pairs, following the lines of the original genealogical split between Akumabi's descendants and the two lineages. The first pair,

Prince Kabba Aliyu Obaje comprising the Itodo Aduga and Ame-acho lineages has the collective name of Aju Akumabi.

The second pair comprising Aju Ocholi and Akogu has no special name but its members often describe the close connection of the two lineages by kinship term of Omaye which denotes children who have parents in common.

A scholar in Igala history and tradition hinted that the split of Akumabi descendants

“

Considering the choice of who becomes the next Attah Igala among the four ruling houses lies with Achadu and members incouncil and no government or outside power is allowed.

into two was based on the fact that Akumabi first son died before his installation as Attah could be completed. The succession therefore passed on to his younger brother, Itodo Aduga and since then has alternated between the descendants of these two men and members of the older maximal lineages founded by Akogu and Ocholi.

He posited that the succession has always been between the Ame-acho and Akogu lineages and Itodo-Aduga and Ocholi lineages, saying that after Ameh Oboni, who was from Ocholi lineage it went to Aliyu Obaje. And now that it is from Aliyu Obaje the title belongs to Ocholi, where Prince Idakwo Ameh hails from.

Why all factors favour Idakwo Ameh, as the next Attah, Ameh Oboni who was the progeny of Ocholi lineage became the 20th Attah in1945 but was not allowed to complete his tenure as a result of what some pundits called an imperialist conspiracy against his rising profile.

He took over from Obaje, the father of the late Aliyu who is from the Itodo Aduga, one of the sons of Akumabi lineages. His reign according to historians brought tremendous prosperity and great influence to Igala kingdom until he paid the supreme price in 1956.

The law went further to say that if there is a disagreement between the Igala native authority and the Achadu in

consultation with the Igalamela and it is not resolved within a period of thirty days from the date when the native authority declares such divergence, the Igala native authority shall nominate a candidate from one of the four ruling houses. This nomination and the one put forward by Achadu in consultation with Igalamela shall be forwarded to the governor who shall set up committee to consider the two nominees and make recommendations thereon.

The leading candidate so far, Prince Idakwo Micheal Ameh is a retired deputy director (monitoring and logistics) in the Federal Capital Development Administration (FCDA). He is the direct son of the 20th Attah, Ameh Oboni.

According to analysts, based on the selection procedure from the Ayegba dynasty which has been alternating between the descendants of Ohiemi Obogo and Itodo Aduga lineages, the odds seems to favour the prince, above other aspirants.

A professor of political science, Faisal Abdulahi, who has been on the study of Igala culture and tradition for long said that, the next Attah Igala should be one that will undertake all the rites leading to the throne of Attah since the last Attah did not observe all the rites.

Similarly, Achadu Attah in council are Etemahi Igalamela were strictly urged to observe the process with the spirit of Igala ancestors.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Tourism

Iwa-ji: King of crops’ festival

by His Royal Majesty Eze C Okoro, Chairman of Mbasi Traditional Rulers’ Council.

And these people in their wisdom chose 12 sons of Mbasi to prepare for the Iwa-ji, which is the highpoint of the ceremony.

A media expert Collins Igbokwe, was elated when he was selected to be among the 12 people chosen to perform at the ceremony. He discloses that anybody chosen must have been observed for a number of years by the elders, to be a man of integrity, quite industrious and an achiever, who must have contributed in

Chief Felix Amadi cutting the new Yam to the admiration of High Chiefs

F

or the people of Mbaise in Imo state, August 15 is unique, for it is the period when they celebrate the annual new yam festival or Iwa-ji in the Igbo language.

It is believed the god of the yam (the king of all crops) can visit violators of this rule with strange illnesses which could result in death or even famine to the entire community. As peasant farmers, the yam represents the economy and by implication one of the fundamental means of survival. So, every year the Mbaise people from all corners of the world return home for the festival during which the leaders of the community also honour some of the indigenes who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour, and who have contributed to the development of the area.

The ritual was the same for the 2012 ceremony at the Itu Square where the authorities there selected 12 prominent sons to perform the singular role of cutting the yam. One of them is Chief Felix Amadi, Managing Director of Crown Insurance Brokers Limited.

The ceremony attracted several other prominent sons, daughters and guests including Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, and former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate in the 2011 general elections, Alhaji Dauda Birmah, among others.

Amadi spoke on the essence of the festival.

Preparation for the celebration is usually undertaken by the Ndi-ezeji, the kings in charge of the yam.

They have been crowned as serious yam farmers, and they are kings in their own rights by the fact that they devote their lives to the production of the king of all crops, then the royal father who is in charge of the people, and then the local government.

These are the three a r m s t h a t usually c o m e together, plan and execute the annual new yam festival. The festival this year was headed

one way or the other to the development of the people.

Those who are so honoured are also encouraged to bring their friends to the new yam celebration for them to learn about such culture, and appreciate its significance to the people.

The people believe that Iwa-ji, culture of giving yam, the king of all crops the honour it deserves merits more attraction, thus the invitation for non indigenes, friends and well wishers to witness the ceremony. It was in this light that Igbokwe invited some of his friends including Alhaji Dauda Birmah to share in his joy.

In this type of ceremony, one thing that is significant and is its main attraction is the yam; roasted, it i s unveiled f o r every person to eat.

Thus, after being officially blessed by the elders a n d eaten by the people it could then grace their dining tables from then on till the next farming season. It is believed that anybody who eats the yam before the ceremony may be struck down by a strange illness. This belief could be regarded as fetish, but one thing is clear the Iwa-ji ceremony is a rallying point for the sons and daughters of Mbaise and their friends.

It is certainly not for political or other reasons. If anyone has political ambition, the best he could do was to be present at the ceremony only for the stated reason. And because the Mbaise people emphasis this in all their activities, it has made it difficult for any politician to hijack such cultural ceremonies for political cause.

Some people at the ceremony spoke about the development of Mbaise and its people, while they all ate yam and drank water. Governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha was represented by his Deputy Sir. Jude Agbaso.

Contributed by Collins Igbokwe, publisher Mailnews, Lagos

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Weekend

PAGE 17

Cocktail Fatoumata Diawara: Africa's Singing Sensation >>>Page 25

MODEL OF THE WEEK

RELATIONSHIP

How to get your spouse back

>>> Page 18

>>> Page 22

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 18

Relationship If you have any relationship story you want to share with our esteem readers, please send to the above address. Let's share your love story.

Re: Can I go on with the marriage? His people irritate me

I

wonder what kind of love you have for a man and his people that irritate you.

Have you asked yourself if you really love this man? For me, the man deserve a woman, who will love him irrespective of his background.

Remember that, those

people that irritate you so much made him the Bank executive he is today and if he weren’t a Bank executive, maybe you wouldn’t have said yes! to him in the firs t place.

My advice to you is, analyze your true feelings for

him, if you love him, you will love his people and if you don’t love his people, you simply don’t love him.

Therefore, do not attempt to marry him if you are going to separate him from his family. It is a sin – Habiba, from Kaduna.

I’m an introvert but he wants me to party with his friends- Sandra

D

ear A’isha, I hope your readers will kindly proffer solution to my problem. I

am 28 years old; I work in one private company in Abuja.

Recently, I have been

having serious argument with my boyfriend over my attitude to his friends.

He complains that, I

Heart Matterz With A'isha Biola Raji E-mail: rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com Phone: 08082071393

I’m What does beginning to he want from like her but me? ear Fatima, first of all, you are still young to she is dirty understand men and

F

rances, just as you mentioned, you are in love with your girlfriend, you can’t just leave her because she has a fault. If you do, and you go for another, she might end up being a thief, another might be an adulteress, so all you need to do is mould her your own way and you will both be happy.

Remember, nobody is perfect; every human being is created with a fault. – Big Daddy.

don’t relate with them the way they like, he told me how he holds them in high esteem and I should not come between them.

I pleaded with him to understand, that I don’t dislike his friends but I just don’t know what to discuss with them and is the reason why I always excuse myself whenever they are around.

He had however mandated me to either party with his friends or forget about our relationship.

Readers, please advise me on what to do because I love him and I don’t want to lose him!

D

their antics. Your Copper friend will finish his service and move on with his life. He probably has another woman whom he has promised marriage. Don’t let him deceive you, remember that he is already a graduate and you are still in secondary school. What should occupy your mind now is how you will pass your SSCE in flying colours; your parents expect the best from you – Gina.

Could he be seeing another woman?

M

y name is Cynthia; I’ve been married to my husband for three years. Since last month, I have been noticing a change in his mood, he gets angry at every opportunity, I have tried to talk to him but he refuses to listen instead he becomes more angry. Could he be seeing another woman?

Please readers, tell me what to do, I don’t want my marriage to crash.

How to get your spouse back

By Alisa Bowman

T

he unfortunate truth of the matter is this: you can't make your spouse do anything. There is no magic formula that will win your spouse's heart, and anyone who claims to have such a formula is probably a charlatan who wants your money. I will say this, though. Begging and pleading won't work. Neither will, telling your spouse that he or she is making a huge mistake. Also being a doormat and trying to be the "perfect spouse" probably won't work either because it makes you seem weak and unimportant.

Again, there is no magic formula, but the technique that offers you the highest probability of success is this: fall back in love with yourself.

It's a lot easier for someone else to see you as a lovable person once you can see that for

yourself. I'm going to be frank.

If your spouse has given you the "I'm no longer in love with you" talk, then there's a high probability that your spouse is going to leave no matter what you do. Prepare yourself for that. If you are dependent on your spouse emotionally or physically, do everything you can to become independent.

And go into counseling for yourself.

Identify your personal weakness and read about and practice techniques that will help you overcome them. Get a life. Rekindle lost friendships and make new ones. Rediscover that hobby that you once loved.

Be 'you,' and be the best and happiest 'you' that you can be.

If that's not enough to get your spouse to fall back in love with you, then your spouse just doesn't deserve you.

That's my opinion anyway.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips

Do you have a beauty night?

A

ll of us want to look young and beautiful. But how many really stay that way? As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and if you want to look attractive and fresh, you should follow not just an efficient beauty regime, but also a regular one.

For busy housewives and female corporate executives alike, it is not always possible to maintain a regular beauty regime, unless it is a habitual visit to the nearest beauty salon. Instead of spending money on artificial and expensive treatments, here is a simple schedule to groom yourself naturally.

Just before you go to bed, allot a period of ten minutes. Yes, all it takes is just that little time to keep you looking young and glowing.

Foot care Feeling terrible after a tiring day? As soon as you return home, soak your feet in a basin of warm water mixed with a handful of fragrant bath salts. After 10 minutes, wash your feet (a simple soap and water wash is sufficient).

If you aren’t feeling sleepy by this time, take a foot filer and scrub your heels. Using a toothpick (orange stick) clean the edges and grooves around your toe nails, to remove the dirt that gets accumulated. Apply cold cream or moisturizer before winding up. This will make the skin soft and prevent people from running away at the sight of your feet.

Face wash/scrub Cleansing your face before going to bed is essential to take away the dirt you might have picked up in your day.

Walnut scrub is ideal for oily skin. Make sure you scrub your face in circling motions and wash with cold water. For those with dry or sensitive skin can use baby oil or wet cleansing pads, followed by a night cream.

Night cream/moisturising The right time to apply any treatment, especially moisturizer - be it for whitening the skin, under-eye cream or simple moisturizing. It will revitalize your facial skin and work wonders on skin, which had been exposed to all the dirt and grime in the daytime. It would be a good idea to use it on your arms and neck, too.

Your hair While oil is not the elixir of life to hair, it is essential in keeping it well conditioned and supple. Leave oil overnight and wash in the morning with shampoo to get better results.

Heat a little amount of oil (olive oil, almond oil, or plain old coconut oil) by placing it in a small container and swirling it in hot water. After the oil gets considerably hot, massage the scalp with your fingertips, in rotating motion, for at least 8 - 10 minutes. You can do this while soaking your feet in warm water.

Castor oil Applying pure castor oil to your eyebrows and lashes, particularly those who have scanty growth, will make them grow thick and long. For tired or puffed eyes, place a cotton pad soaked in chilled rose water. Keeping thin slices of cucumber ready in the refrigerator beforehand is ideal.

Sliced cucumber By itself or mixed with carrot juice, can be spread under the eye, to reduce black circles and sagging skin.

Lip guard And finally, a smear of Vaseline on your lips and you can sleep like a child and get up like a fairy!

PAGE 20

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Learning Book Review

With Augustine Aminu 07038749120 julius2001_a@yahoo.com

Nothing Comes Close

I

n her debut novel, Nothing Comes Close, P o p o o l a , explores a theme familiar to most of us, which is that of finding love. The novel is the story of Lola, a young woman living in London, England. We also meet her friends, Funmi, Temmy and Maureen.

These middleclass, professional women, are not only bound by a Nigerian origin highlighted by colourful cultural snippets, they share a long-term friendship that has s u r v i v e d boyfriends and the passionate disagreements that come with intimate relationships.

Lola's world, takes an unpredicted tumble when

she meets the mysterious Wole at a house party.

This chance meeting, is where this fast-paced, romantic novel, really begins. In their circle of friends, Lola has the designation of

being the practical one.

Yet, she is not equipped to deal with chaos that meeting enigmatic Wole brings into her life. Woven into the story, are glimpses into the lives of the other women as they confront or escape from the challenges life throws at them. Just like people we know, the choices they make are not always admirable. Still one gets a sense, they are trying to deal with life as best as they can.

Nothing Comes Close is not without its imperfections. There are moments when the motives of the characters appear unclear and one becomes impatient with the pace of the story.

However, an unexpected death, imprisonment, betrayal and dark secrets, add twists that make this book much more than a boy meets girl story.

A Swamp Full of Dollars

T

he largest U.S. trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, petroleum-rich Nigeria exports half its daily oil production to the United States.

Like many African nations with natural r e s o u r c e s coveted by the w o r l d ' s superpowers, the country has been shaped by f o r e i g n investment and intervention, conflicts among hundreds of ethnic and religious groups, and greed. Polio has boomed along with petroleum, small villages face off with giant oil companies, and scooter drivers run their own ministates. The oil-rich Niger Delta region at the heart of it all is a trouble spot as hot as the local pepper soup.

Blending vivid reportage, history, and investigative journalism, in A Swamp Full of Dollars journalist Michael Peel tells the story of this extraordinary country,

which grows ever more wild and lawless by the day as its refined

petroleum pumps through our cities.

Through a host of colorful characters--from the Area Boy gangsters of Lagos to a corrupt state governor who stashed money in his London penthouse, from the militants in their swamp forest hideouts to

oil company executives-Peel makes the connection between Western energy consumption and the breakdown of the Nigerian state, where the corruption of the haves is matched only by the determination and ingenuity of the have-nots.

What has happened to Nigeria is a stark warning to the United States and other e c o n o m i c powers as they g r o w increasingly frantic in their search for new oil sources: u n b r i d l e d p l u n d e r eventually rebounds on those who have done the taking.

A Swamp Full of Dollars-shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award--shows that if the Arab world is the precarious eastern battle line in an intensifying world war for crude, then Nigeria has become the tumultuous western front.

How to make a computer faster: 6 ways to speed up your PC • Remove Windows temporary files, such as error reports.

• Delete optional Windows components that you don't use.

• Delete installed programs that you no longer use.

• Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.

B

y following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer, help increase your PC speed, and help keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Service Pack 3 to help make your computer faster, maintain your computer efficiently, and help safeguard your privacy when you're online.

Note: Some of the tools mentioned in this article require you to be logged on as an administrator. If you aren't logged on as an administrator, you can o n l y change settings that apply t o y o u r u s e r account.

1 .

Remove spyware, and help protect your computer from viruses S p y w a r e collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission.

From the websites you visit to user names and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper

your computer's performance. To combat spyware, you might want to consider using the PC safety scan from Windows Live OneCare. This scan is a free service that helps check for and remove viruses.

2. Free up disk space The Disk Cleanup tool helps you to free up space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. The tool identifies files that you can safely delete and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup

to: " R e m o v e temporary Internet files. " D e l e t e downloaded program files, such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets.

• Empty the Recycle Bin.

3. Speed up access to data Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk as a file is opened (to piece it back together). The response time can be significantly longer.

Disk Defragmenter (sometimes shortened to Defrag by users) is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk.

With your files stored neatly end to end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.

When to run Disk Defragmenter In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals (weekly is optimal), there are other times you should run it, too, such as when: • You add a large number of files.

• Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.

• You install new programs or a new version of the Windows operating system.

Running D i s k Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter on a r e g u l a r basis is a proven way to help keep your computer running quickly and efficiently. If you'd like to learn how to schedule these tools and others to run automatically, please read Speed up your PC: Automate your computer maintenance schedule.

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Healthy Living Scientists make genetic link between cancer and cholesterol

Link means patients could one day be given statins to protect against developing cancer and to treat tumours

P

ills taken by patients to combat high cholesterol could slash the risk of developing cancer, according to researchers.

Statins, which cost as little as 40p a day, are now being trialled for future cancer prevention or to augment existing cancer treatment.

Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center discovered new genetic evidence linking cholesterol and cancer.

The find means patients could one day be given statins to protect against developing cancer and to treat potential tumours.

Lead researcher Dr Hartmut Land said: ‘Scientifically it is very satisfying to have data that support longstanding ideas about cholesterol in the context of cancer.

‘Our paper provides a rationale for cholesterol targeting as a potentially fruitful approach to cancer intervention or prevention strategies.’

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance supplied in foods and made in cells throughout the body. Too much cholesterol is bad for the heart and vascular system.

The research therefore raises the possibility that cholesterol medications could be useful in the future for cancer prevention or to augment existing cancer treatment.

The data, published in the online journal Cell Reports, support several recent population-based studies that suggest individuals who take cholesterol-lowering drugs may have a reduced risk of cancer, and, conversely that individuals with the highest levels of cholesterol seem to have an elevated risk of cancer.

The cancer-cholesterol question has been debated since the early 20th century, and along with it doctors and scientists have observed various trends and associations.

However, until now genetic evidence directly linking cholesterol and malignancy has been lacking, Dr Land said.

Statins work by blocking the action of key enzymes in the liver, which synthesizes cholesterol.

Clinical trials are also evaluating statins as a tool against cancer, and some previous studies suggest that

‘Cholesterol targeting is a potentially fruitful approach to cancer intervention or prevention strategies’ when used in combination with chemotherapy, statins might make chemotherapy more effective by sensitising certain cancer cells to chemotherapyinduced cell death.

Dr Land, however, urges

caution and further study.

Doctors do not know the appropriate statin dose for cancer prevention or treatment of cancer-related conditions, he said.

Side effects cannot be ignored either, and little research has

distinguished between the responses among people who take statins.

He said: ‘The link between cholesterol and cancer is clear, but it’s premature to say that statins are the answer.’

Smokers get fewer hours sleep and a lower quality of rest than non-smokers, scientists claim * 17% of smokers get fewer than six hours of sleep each night, compared with just 7% of non smokers * 28% of smokers reported ‘disturbed’ sleep, while only 19% of non-smokers felt their sleep was poor quality

S

mokers may get fewer hours of sleep and have less restful slumber than non-smokers, according to study.

Researchers found that of nearly 1,100 smokers surveyed, 17 per cent got fewer than six hours of sleep each night and 28 per cent reported ‘disturbed’ sleep quality.

That compared with rates of 7 per cent and 19 per cent respectively among more than 1,200 non-smokers who were also surveyed.

Lead researcher Stefan Cohrs, from Charite Berlin medical school in Germany, said: ‘This study demonstrates for the first time an elevated prevalence of sleep disturbance in smokers compared with nonsmokers in a population without lifetime history of psychiatric disorders even after controlling for potentially relevant risk factors.’

The findings cannot prove

Researcher: Seventeen per cent of smokers surveyed got fewer than six hours of sleep each night and 28 per cent reported 'disturbed' sleep quality

that smoking directly impairs sleep, since smokers may have other habits that could affect their shut-eye such as staying up late to watch TV or getting little exercise, he said.

But there is also reason to believe the stimulating effects of nicotine may be to blame.

‘If you smoke and you do suffer from sleep problems, it is another good reason to quit smoking,’ Mr Cohrs said.

Poor sleep quality may not only make your waking hours tougher. Some studies have also linked habitually poor sleep to health problems like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The study included 1,071 smokers and 1,243 nonsmokers who were free of mental health disorders, since those conditions may make a person both more likely to smoke and more vulnerable to sleep problems.

‘More than one-quarter

of smokers had a score than landed them in the category of disturbed sleep’ The researchers, whose work appeared in the journal Addiction Biology, used a questionnaire that gauges sleep quality.

Overall, more than onequarter of smokers had a score than landed them in the category of ‘disturbed’ sleep, meaning they had a high probability of insomnia.

Many things can affect sleep quality, and Cohrs’s team was able to account for factors such as age, weight, and alcohol abuse. Yet smoking was still linked to poorer sleep quality.

It’s still possible there are other things about smokers that impair their sleep, but Cohrs said he thinks the most likely culprit is nicotine - and the prospect of better sleep could provide smokers with an additional reason to quit.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds Meet the world's fattest man

Weighty problem: Keith Martin, who eats eight hotdogs for breakfast r. Keith Martin, believed eight hot dogs and four slices to be the world’s fattest of bread, or a pile of ham man, is 42-year-old and sandwiches followed by coffee cannot even roll over on his own. with sugar.

He is visited by seven care ·Lunch: A selection of givers a day, who wash and chocolate bars, cakes, a packet change him in two shifts, plus of biscuits plus more coffees two nurses every other day with sugar. ·Dinner: Two whole roast who tend to his bed wounds. with all the Speaking in his ground dinners floor bedroom in his council trimmings, or 16 sausages house in North London, he plus a family-sized bag of oven said, “I blame myself, I don’t chips washed down with blame anyone else. It was my coffee.

Mr. Martin has remained fault; I am the one who ate the food. No one forced me. I hate in bed and, in between visits from his care givers, spends what I have done to myself.”

He was a normal weight his days watching his 42inch and used to enjoy cycling plasma television, playing on until his mother, Alma, died his games console or reading.

He said, “I’ve given up when he was 16. Then he began over- eating and having two sugars in coffee drinking and started to and have one low calorie instead. balloon from 12 stone to his sweetener current life-threatening Sometimes I’ll have a couple of plain digestive biscuits. I proportions.

“I let myself go,” he said. can’t stand them, but give me “It wasn’t comfort eating, I a chocolate digestive and I’ll just didn’t care. I got so bloated eat the packet.”

He used to order huge on sausages, bacon and roast dinners. I just ate whatever I amounts of junk food to his house through online felt like.”

Incapacitated: Eight shopping, but now eats only ambulance workers are what is cooked for him by his needed to lift him into a two sisters who live with him.

But Mr. Martin said, “I reinforced vehicle for regular won’t be contacting Guinness hospital visits His typical daily menu World Records about it. It’s not ·Breakfast: Keith Martin something to be proud of.” typically starts the day with www.dailymail.co.uk

M

PAGE 23

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

The Bundle of Sticks

A

father had a family of sons who were always quarreling among themselves. When he failed to solve their fights with his advice, he decided to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks.

When they had done so, he placed the bundle into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, but were not able to do it.

Next, he opened the bundle, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons’ hands, and asked them to break it, and they could do so very easily.

He then told them: “My sons, if you stay together and help each other, you will be as strong as this bundle, and no enemy can beat you; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks.”

The sons understood the message, thanked, and promised the father to always be together no matter what.

Moral: Union gives strength.

HEAL TH TIP HEALTH

Treats and peer pressure Peer pressure to eat particular ‘trendy’ foods at your age is strong. Eat these trendy foods

occasionally, such as at parties, special events or when the rest of the family enjoy them. It is

best to limit the amount of money you spend at school or on the way home.

CARTOON OF THE WEEK

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

Puppy love

A

nd one day, when the girls went to the clay pits, something terrible happened. They were supposed to gather the red ochre that dancers smeared over their bodies for traditional celebrations. But as the girls collected the clay from the pit, they whispered among themselves and a terrible plan formed.

As the princess bent down to collect a last bit of clay, the other girls grabbed her. In just a matter of moments, she was tossed into the pit and covered with earth. Then, the girls collected their belongings and headed back to the village as if nothing had happened.

Only the puppy, now an old dog, noticed the girls as they returned home. He had been tied to a leash outside the chief’s home because even at his age

he still liked to follow the princess. At first he jumped for joy at the sight of the girls.

But, when he didn’t see the chief’s daughter, he cried out for her. In spite of his whining, nobody else noticed that the princess did not come home.

It wasn’t till the chief returned in the evening that he noticed something was wrong.

“Where is my daughter?” he wondered.

“And, why is it that her dog has chewed through his leash and disappeared?” So, the chief asked the village girls if they had seen his daughter.

“No, we’ve not seen her all day,” they lied. “She didn’t come with us to the clay pit as she was supposed to.”

And then one girl added, “She did mention something about meeting a stranger down by the watering hole this

morning.” The chief called several of the village men to help him search for his daughter. Just as they grabbed their torches to head for the watering hole, the chief saw his daughter’s dog limping down the trail towards home. The dog was covered from head to toe with clay. “Well, my faithful one, I can see you’ve been to the clay pit. But, why did you go there?” Then, he saw his daughter’s necklace with the wooden amulet in the old dog’s mouth. Instantly, the chief knew the village girls had lied to him. “My daughter is at the clay pits! Come with me quickly!” With torches held high in the air, the chief and his men headed off to the clay pits. And, nobody could stop the old dog from making yet another trip back to his princess.

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

Making beanbag balls

T

hese easy-to-make easy beanbag balls are great to catch, juggle, kick and throw.

What you need: •9 (11-inch) balloons (for 3 balls) •Funnel •2 1/4 cups of dried lentils •Scissors What to do: Inflate the first balloon halfway so that it will stretch out a little. Keep it inflated for about 30 seconds and let the air out.

Put the funnel in the neck of the balloon and pour out 3/4 cup of lentils into it.

The balloon should be full but still squeezable.

Cut off the thick part of the neck on the full balloon. Get another balloon and cut its neck completely off.

Stretch it out a bit and ease

it over the full balloon, making sure it covers the opening so the lentils do not spill out.

Snip off the third balloon's neck and stretch it over the

other two balloons.

Your first ball is now finished. Use the remaining balloons and lentils to make two more.

MODEL OF THE WEEK

Rahmat Abdulraheem

ACTIVITIES Colour and name the animal below, tell your classmates an interesting story about the animal. Also describe the animal and in detail.

It is interesting to be creative. Cheers!

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Kannywood

Cuban dance troupe “Obini Bata” to perform in national festivals

I

Andy Bature is an indigene of Bauchi State and a popular musician in the north eastern region, in this interview with news men in Bauchi, he talks about his new album which will be launched soon, what will make the music industry in the north become successful and his kind of music which promotes peace. Our correspondent Ahmed Kaigama was there.

O

wood?

Yes, we did a song for a movie titled Duhu, and we did a sound track for a movie titled Amana and a lot of other movies that one could not easily remember.

What effort are you making to sustain your type of music in Nigeria because the traditional music was popular but today it is fading?

Well, I call my kind of music “fashion”, infact, a Hausa fashion where you have western beat in it but the flavour is typically Hausa. Sometimes we even look back to the era of the ancient music of Hausa and pick from there and then we build on it to bring it to what is now

acceptable by most of the people around. So we try to modernize the ancient tones to give us what we have today. Some musicians don’t want to deviate from our culture but we only want to add some flavour to it, that’s all.

Where do you see the music industry in future?

We have a very bright future, and I always talk specifically about the future of the northern Nigeria because we have a lot which has not yet been exploited, we have a lot to offer for the development of northern Nigeria and Africa, so the future is bright and if you look around you will see from the musicians that they are already there.

People like actors Adam Zango

Nollywood

Entertainment

Music and movie industries in the North are big employers of labour

Tell us about yourself ne thing about the music industry is talent, but I didn’t discover my own talent in music until I learned most of these things from my elder brother though he is no more in the industry, also in my secondary school then we studied music as a subject so I picked interest in it. After my secondary school education, I had people who mentored me, people like Timawus Mathias and Mr. Abdon Dala Gin who did a great job in mentoring me.

How many albums have you released so far?

Well, I have released a lot of singles, I can proudly say over a hundred singles, but I am now working on songs to be released as complete album because people always ask how they can get my songs. I f they are single you can get them in media houses, but once I compile them into an album people can easily get them, so I have a lot of singles but for album it is now that I am producing an album, though I have done an album for some organizations like NDLEA Bauchi State Command and for the physically challenged initiative, but they are their own projects.

Have you ever sung for Kanny wood?

Yes, we have good relationship between us because we produce some of the songs they sing, I am also a producer so they come to the studio and I produce sound tracks for them and we do the voicing for them too, because we are behind the scene people only hear the songs but don’t know how the production comes. Sometimes I write songs that people listen to and they buy for a particular movie so we have a very good relationship with them.

Can you mention some of the songs you sang which were used by Kanny

PAGE 25

and Sani Danja, you will see that the sky is our limit.

You are about to release an album, how do you feel?

I feel good to know that my songs will soon be found in the market; when my fans want to listen to my music all they need to do is to go to the market and get a copy. So it is really an achievement that I am proud of.

I am so happy that at last my songs will be found everywhere and in every musical store in the country.

What type of songs make up the album?

You know my style of music, because I believe that music is an instrument to pass useful information across. The tracks pass message of peace, hope, love and unity. The album has in it seven tracks but two of the hit tracks are on peace because if you look around we really need peace, because I feel it is important that we take proactive measures towards addressing issue of peace in our society today. We need to disseminate information on peace and how people should learn to tolerate one another and live peacefully with one another, and in it also I have a song titled “Menene Duniya” it talks about life generally the album also contain other tracks like “Matasa” that is calling on the youths to embrace education and also encourages them to find something doing.

Do you have the support of the government?

I am hoping to get the support of the government most especially the Bauchi state government because peace is something that is dear to the government’s heart, and then we want to use this album to advocate peace especially in the Northern part of the country.

We want to take it to every state and to every media house and you know it requires money. I alone cannot do that. So I am banking on the support of the state government if need be and other corporate organizations.

Memebers of Cuban female dance troupe, “Obini Bata”

By Miriam Humbe

A

buja residents recently, were thrilled to Obini Bata dance steps performed by Young Cuban ladies in a command performance held at the Lagos/ Osun Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. Obini Bata, an all female musicians and dancers troupe from Cuba has been in Nigeria over the past two weeks, perrforming in some state capitals including Taraba and Osun states. In some other states visited by the group, who were led by Tar Ukoh, popular Singer and performer who is also called the Mambilla Man, they also took time to visit some villages.

The essence of the nation-wide tour, as explained by Cuban Ambasssador to Nigeria,Mr. Hugo Ravos Uilanes was aimed at enabling the young Cubans have a feel of africa, their motherland, especially Yorubaland where it is estimated that the larger percentage of slaves taken from Nigeria into Cuba during the dark days of the tans-Atlantic slave trade had their origins from Yorubaland. The Ambassador said Nigeria and Cuba were sister nations.

Obini Bata is described as a dynamic melting pot of Afro-Cuban music and dance.

Historical & cultural background

of “Obini Bata Cuba” “Obini Bata” was formed in 1993, Havana, Cuba, by Director Eva Despaigne and other female members of the National Folkloric Ensemble of Cuba.

Bata drumming, is the oldest musical drum tradition of Cuba, introduced to the island country, since the 15th century by slaves captured from Nigeria and West Africa, during the trans-atlantic slaves trade.

In Cuba the Bata drum from its origin was traditionally played only by men, but Obini has scaled this cultural barrier, by becoming the first all-female ensemble to explore their vibrant and rich African/Nigeria cultural roots and heritage, through this artistic genre.

Additionally, to create a complete performance, encompassing all aspects of their ancient african musical traditions, all members of Obini Bata are skilled professional players/instrumentalists of Cuban drums percussions as well as accomplished singers and dancers.

Obini Bata’s International tours: The group has performed in so many countries of the world, including Canada, France, Italy, Martinique, Spain, Venezuela, and South Africa.

Earlier in the day on Friday, the

troupe, accompanied by Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria and some officials of embassy, paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke in his office at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

Having watched their performance, Chief Duke who could not help doing a few dance steps himself, pleaded with the Ambassador to ensure the participation of the troupe in the forthcoming Abuja Festival and other national cultural festivals in the near future.

Mr. Hugo Ravos Uilanes, thanked the minister for the support given the troupe which he said had its affilliation to Yoruba land.

While speaking, Karina Palacios Sa’nchez, leader of the troupe who have travelled and performed in various parts the country including Osun and Taraba states said they were pleased to know Nigerian culture.

According to her, having been taken away from Africa as slaves over the past 100 years, they were happy to identify with their roots, “Europe cannot kill African culture”, she said.

The troupe is set to storm Calabar, the Cross Rivers State capital in a few days from now.

7th edition of Queen of Aso Beauty Pageant to hold October 1st

T

he 2012 7th Edition of Queen of Aso beauty pageant which is also the 7th edition of the pageant is slated for 1st of October 2012 at Sheraton Hotels & Towers Abuja.

According to the organizers of the pageant, the Pageant which is an annual event is designed to promote the cultural heritage and tourism values of Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory.

He said this year’s event is designed to celebrate the 52nd independent

anniversary of Nigeria it will bring together captain of industries, managing directors of organizations, top media executives, politicians and celebrities from the country.

He explained that 25 contestants will represent the various ethics groups in the country and the winner will be crowned Queen of Aso 2012, adding that the winner will go home with a brand new Hyundai Car, N1.5m educational grant, endorsement deal, one year free hair

care and other consolation prizes will be given to other winners with trophies and certificate of participation.

They said the event is supported

by Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation NTDC, National Institute for Cultural Orientation, Studio 24, Encomium Magazine, OnoBello.com, AIT, the Sun Newspaper, Nations Newspaper and Cool FM 96.9 and all other Media partners.

Fatoumata Diawara: Africa's Singing Sensation

n the past year or so, she’s been praised as Africa’s next big female singing sensation. The cheers that have accompanied her day-in-dayout sterling performances have been loud.

From the Malian capital Bamako through the streets of England and Paris, she’s built a following – a cultish one at that, which is helping her to live the Malian dream.

Some have said she is just about a fine talent waiting to explode – literally – while others have hailed her as the continent’s best newcomer in the year under review. It all works considering the fact that she’s not been idling around and soaking in the glory that has accompanied the years of struggle.

A talented artiste who started off as an actress (she still acts), Diawara is loved across the world for the simple reason that she does good music – the kind that knows no language, race, and colour.

Born in 1982, raised by Malian parents in the West African nation of Cote D ‘I Voire, Diawara has led a global drive for more and more people to fall in love with alternative music.

She sang in English for the first time on a Bobby Womack tune and since that time, her collection of performances continues to pile, allowing her to permeate through a wide audience.

Apart from Bobby Womack, she’s also worked with fellow Malian Oumou Sangare and the world renowned Rocket Juice and the Moon, a group made up of Damon Albarn, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and drummer Tony Allen.

The thing about Diawara that makes her a genuine act is her ability to combine her flawless skill on the guitar, which she plays effortlessly; with an amazing singing prowess. All these, she does so well, singing in the traditional Southern Malian language Wassalou.

While admitting on several occasions that she finds it hard singing in her native language, she is able to, with some appreciable level of ease, fuse one or two borrowed lines and traits of foreign persuasion and culture, which she’s been exposed to for a very long time, to produce a fine material.

On any day, Diawara’s kind of music reflects and calls for modernism in the African society, how crucial it is for the continent to shy away from subjugation, and the outdated practices that are still being carried out in some parts of the continent. One of such topics dear to her heart is Female Genital Mutilation, still being practiced in her home country Mali and which she adroitly and diplomatically addressed in her critically acclaimed 2011 song “Bissa”.

“You know, we have our mentality but sometimes we do need to think about change, because Mali is a very conservative country. But that is not a bad thing – through music we can slowly change things. And it’s easier

Malian songstress Fatoumata Diawara is halfway through a bright career but already, she is getting global acknowledgment.

for me because I’m not living in Mali.

If my generation can think a bit about themselves, it’s better, especially for girls,” she said in a recent interview.

Diawara’s songs draw heavily from elements of ballet and funk, launching straight into deftly-thin contemporary rock to produce a feeling that can only be sensuous, in a style that allows her to keep her traditional voice, and also communicating with a different style.

Diawara is that good. She was once described by The Telegraph as “the most beguiling talent to hit the world music scene in some time” while the Times of London believes she is “the air of wistful, understated beauty”… that “draws you in”.

That sounds more like it and very much what her target audience also think of her. Her songs are the type that often brings out the pulse of the Wassoulou tradition of Mali, of which she belongs. Nevertheless, she maintains a warm, less-painful, notso-soulful tempo, aided by an intricate yet engaging voice that plays on a listener’s mind.

A constant feature at jazz festivals, this month, she joined a core of Africa’s finest musicians including Manifest, M3nsa, Toumani Diabaté, Tony Allen, Rokia Traoré, Bassekou Koyate Damon Albarn, among others on tour of the United Kingdom for the Londonsponsored African Express music train. She’s also worked on projects like “Orchestra Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou”, “AfroCubism” and the Grammywinning “Imagine” spearheaded by jazz songstress Dee Dee Bridgewater.

She is set to also tour the United States from September 20 to October 7, where she is expected to play at the World Music Festival among other shows.

Last year saw the release of her long-awaited debut album Fatou, which followed the release of her EP ‘Kanou’ which has four songs including “Boloco”, “Diagneke”, “Kanou” and “Clandestine”, which was recorded live.

The success of Fatou (which was more of her personal effort, away from the days where she was carried on the shoulder by the people she looked up to) was as phenomenal as the voice behind it. For six continuous weeks, it was the number one song on the European World Music Chart.

A celebrated child actor, who starred in films including the 1999 hit Sia, The Dream of the Python, produced by director Dani Kouyaté’s, Diawara has recently taken up more roles.

During winter she took up a role in Moribayassa, “a new film which is the name of a special dance women do when they’ve overcome an obstacle in life”.

A strong character she is, it was the fights she had to stage growing up, trying to make her own career choices, that saw her flee Bamako at age 19 (after living with her aunt for almost ten years), to join the famous theatre company Royale de Luxe in France, in pursuit of, according to Fatou, “happiness”.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood

F

Forbes-World's highly paid celebrities

orbes has released its annual list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities. In this top 20 countdown you’ll find pop stars, TV moguls, movie directors and mouth-watering amounts of money.

Britney Spears: $58 million Britney Spears sneaks in to Forbes’ list at number 20 after a busy year in which she performed over 75 shows as part of her Femme Fatale tour, while her album of the same name went platinum. The 30year-old also earned big money through her fragrance line with Elizabeth Arden, along with other endorsements, and the next 12 months are certain to keep her in the public eye due to her role on X Factor USA. Ryan Seacrest: $59 million Two deals signed by Ryan Seacrest have ensured the American television presenter enjoyed a bumper pay packet this year. Seacrest agreed to host American Idol for another two years and extended his presence on cable company Comcast to cover news, sport and entertainment on NBC, as well as his duties on E! To add to his earnings, Seacrest produces several shows, most notably

Britney Spears: $58 million

I

Breaking Dawn’s press tour.

Stewart revealed to reporters recently that she was suffering from a little Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder (yep, I made that up) before hitting the On the Road red carpet, the Associated Press reports.

“I was a little nervous, obviously. I’m always nervous before a red carpet,” Stewart said. “To be honest, I was just kind of telling myself, like, just

Bachchan, Aishwarya gave birth to her first baby, a daughter, on November 16, 2011. The pictures set off a buzz on the internet and in the social media with articles, videos, blogs and tweets highlighting her “oodles of weight”, “double chin” and calling the photos of the beauty queen

H

Ryan Seacrest: $59 million fortune in real estate, can count on an everexpanding portfolio of products and services to rake in extra cash, including books, alcohol, personal appearances and pageants.

Kristen Stewart on impending Rob Pattinson reunion: ‘We’re totally fine’

f there’s one bit of advice we can take away from Kristen Stewart’s tryst with Rupert Sanders it’s, “Don’t cheat on your boyfriend just before you release a movie together.” Stewart’s affair was a lot of things — unprofessional, inappropriate, illegal (adultery is still a crime in many states, you know) — but topping the list may be “poorly timed.”

Seeing an ex after a messy breakup is never pleasant, but being forced to sit on press panel after press panel with said former flame sounds like the worst.

With The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 set to hit theaters this November, that is exactly what Stewart and jilted exlover Robert Pattinson have to look forward to.

While on the red carpet for the Toronto International Film Festival’s premiere of her new film On the Road on Saturday, Stewart gave fans the first hint at what they can expect from

T

he shape which Aishwarya Rai is in, five months after her pregnancy has generated unusual public interest with the Bachchan bahu coming in for some criticism for the “oodles of weight” gained by the actress. But some celebrities who have been associated with the 38year-old Bollywood star including Designer Sabyasachi defended her, saying that like any other woman a new mother would definitely take some time to shed pregnancy weight.

The trigger for the reactions followed publication of some pictures of the former Miss World while emerging from a party hosted by eminent industrialist Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai last week. Married to Abhishek

“shocking”. Some social media write ups sought to suggest that the star is not taking her weight gain seriously. However, some blogs and tweets too have come out in Aishwarya’s defence with comments that the focus on her postpregnancy weight gain was pathetic.

A video compilation of her recent photos attracted comments like: “She is a Bollywood actress and being a part of showbiz it is her duty to look good and fit. Till now she has been praised for her beauty, so it is only fair that she should also be criticized if she is not able to live up to it.

She needs to learn from people like Victoria Beckham who are back to size zero weeks after their delivery! She needs to lose that weight... it’s been close to 5 months already!”

My man should be as successful as I am: Bipasha

Donald Trump: $63 million Keeping up with the Kardashians.

Donald Trump: $63 million A 12th season of the US series of The Apprentice ensured that the last year was a good one financially for Donald Trump. However, that was just the tip of the cash iceberg for the American business magnate.

Trump, who made his

Aishwarya Rai's drastic weight gain sparks debate

don’t black out. Be there, don’t just figuratively put your head down. Be there, appreciate it. Luckily, very, very much I was able to do that.”

Reading between the lines a little bit, Stewart seems to be talking about more than her usual social anxiety. This carpet was her first public appearance since the news of her split with Pattinson broke, so we’re betting there was even more pressure on Stewart than usual to appear calm and collected.

Luckily, Twihards flocked to the theater in droves to show their support for Stewart.

“She may be a trampire, but she’s our trampire!” They said. (Well, not really; I’m projecting). Stewart was grateful for the massive showing. ”You expect a lot of people at a Twilight premiere, but showing up at an On the Road Toronto film festival screening and seeing that amount of people is absolutely, disarmingly amazing,” Stewart said. “It felt pretty cool.”

aving experienced a heartbreak after 9 yearrelationship, Bipasha Basu says that she now knows the kind of man that she wants.

“I never had a prototype in mind earlier, but now I know what I want. He should be intelligent, able to make me laugh and should be as successful as I am. But I am not looking. I am sure if I looked, there are good men,” says the actress, riding high on the massive opening of her recent release Raaz 3.

Hollywood’s nerdy beauty

Bipasha Basu had talked about her heartbreak following a

O

livia Munn has become something of a cult figure during her short tenure to date in the entertainment business. The eccentric actress/comedian/model/ author is loved across the globe for her nerdy sex appeal and off-beat attitude to pretty much everything.

Born to a Chinese mother and Irish/German father, Munn comes across as one of the guys and is happy with being made fun of in any situation she finds herself in - a quality which has endeared her to fans.

The 32-year-old first captured the hearts of viewers with her role on ‘Attack of the Show’ - a television programme showcasing gadgets and technology, in 2006. Munn has since gone on to put in impressive cameo appearances in movies such as ‘Iron Man 2’ and ‘Date Night’, and later more prominent roles in ‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’,

split with John Abraham.

In recent interviews, calling herself ‘an abandoned woman’. “I went into a shell after the relationship that I worked so hard on, got over, overnight. I’d stood by my man for 9 years and felt abandoned when it ended. It was painful, I just went into a phase of isolation” she says. She’s also not taken too kindly to filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s recent remark that ‘she is not as safe’ as she was ten years ago, alluding to the fact that she’s grown old.

‘Magic Mike’, and the upcoming comedy ‘The Babymakers’.

Her true breakout role in a more dramatic sense came courtesy of the current hit television show ‘The Newsroom’, where Munn plays Sloan (this show is currently being aired on Monday nights on M-NET).

In between her television and movie explosion, the Oklahoma City native has booked major modeling campaigns with the likes of Nike, Pepsi, FHM, Maxim, and Men’s Health, while she has also written a book.

The extremely talented Munn has given a lot of her time to charity and has also worked closely with Dosomething.org’s Green Your School Challenge.

Never afraid to make a fool of herself in public, big things are expected of Munn in the coming years as she seeks to cement a prolonged career in Tinseltown - from what we have seen to date, we think she will be just fine.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

Keeping your bathroom clean

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leaning your bathroom may sound like an arduous task but with these easy to do tips; you will be grinning away to a clean look in no time!

•Check for clogging in the drains, WC or washbasin pipes. To de-clog, pour boiling water into the drains followed by a cup of vinegar. Do not use the bathroom for a few hours. In fact, this is best done at night. You may also try a commercial de-clogger. If the stink persists, get a plumber (a tried-tested one, preferably) to check all drainage leading to the sewage point.

•General bathroom hygiene is a must. On a daily basis, clean the toilet bowl using a good commercial toilet cleaner. Opt for reliable cleaning liquid soaps to clean the washbasin and countertop. For the floors, use a squeegee to get rid of excess water, and then get your help to sweep and mop. Make sure you wipe all the sanitary fittings using a wet cloth, dry off with a fresh cloth. Also clean the mirror using a soft cloth to remove water marks.

•Follow a deep-clean routine once a week. Scrub floors, wall tiles, tub and shower stall thoroughly. You can use an old toothbrush to clean any mold or fungus growing in the tile grouting and in corners. For the mirror, use a commercial glass cleaner. But make sure you never spray directly on the mirror. Instead, spray it on a pad of cloth, and wipe the glass. Finish off by rubbing with a folded newspaper.

•If you are using a shower curtain, clean the ends; Dip the curtain end in half a bucket of warm water with soap suds. Leave for a while and brush clean.

Always spread out the curtains after bath to allow for dripping and air circulation.

•Avoid dampness. Make sure there’s effective crossventilation. Switch on the exhaust fan after you’ve used the bathroom. The floor must be dry. Also, never leave wet towels or bath-rugs in the bathroom.

•You can place potpourri in a bowl or use commercial bathroom fresheners. Choose a perfumed toilet cleaner with disinfectant. Avoid phenyl - it has a strong smell.

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Cuisine

Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Hot, spicy peppered gizzards Peppered gizzards are part of the popular small chops of families so everyone can to enjoy this at parties or at home.

It is so simple to make and gizzards are cheap too. They are also readily available in the frozen foods shops.

Peppered gizzards Ingredients: 500g (1.1 lbs) chicken gizzards 3 habanero peppers (or to your taste) 2 medium onions 1 big stock cube 1 teaspoon thyme Salt (to taste) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Things you’ll need: toothpicks for serving.

Method: Add the stock cube, the thyme and chunks of onions into the gizzards. If you marinated them, just add the onions.

Pour water to just under the level of the gizzards and start cooking at medium heat. This quantity of water will dry up by the time the gizzards are well done.

When the gizzards are well done, remove the big chunks of onions.

Increase the heat to high and stir constantly till all the remaining liquid in the pot is absorbed. You don’t want to lose any flavour by pouring away the gizzard stock.

Add salt to taste and stir very well.

Lay the gizzards flat in a baking bowl.

Grill in an oven at 170°C or 338°F till the top side is dry and brown. Turn them and grill the underside too till dry and brown.

If you don’t have an oven, just deep-fry them.

Heat the vegetable oil in another pot.

Add the pepper and the grilled/ deep-fried gizzards.

Stir very well till the pepper is evenly distributed on the gizzards.

The vegetable oil ensures that this happens and gives the grilled gizzards a nice glow.

Insert toothpicks and serve.

If entertaining guests or having dinner with the family, serve it as a side dish to fried

plantains, rice & beans or jollof rice.

If you are hosting a party, place them in a flat tray and put out with other small chops and snacks for your guests to enjoy.

Catfish pepper soup Catfish pepper soup is the pepper soup that is usually eaten at open door gardens and restaurants.

Usually when a group of guests arrive at these gardens and order catfish pepper soup, at least one of the groups will need to go to a big bowl where some live catfish are swimming around and point out a catfish. The catfish will then be killed in the guest’s presence and taken away for preparation.

Ingredients: Cat fish: about 500g Ehu or Ariwo or Calabash nutmeg - 4 seeds Habanero pepper or chilli pepper (to taste) Scent leaves: a few leaves Onions - 2 medium bulbs Crayfish - 2 teaspoons of ground Crayfish Salt - to taste Seasoning - 2 big stock cubes Before cooking the catfish pepper soup To prepare cat fish Pepper soup, wash and cut the cat fish into 1inch thick slices. Boil some hot water and pour on the pieces of fish, stir and remove immediately. This toughens the skin of the fish so that it does not fall apart during cooking.

Now it is time to prepare the ‘secret’ ingredient. Using a frying pan, roast the Ehu seeds (stirring constantly) till you can smell it.

When it is alright, take it off because it has a distinctive aroma.

Another way to know that it is okay is to take one of the seeds and try to remove the outer membrane. If the membrane comes off easily, then the Ehu is done.

Peel off the membrane from all the Ehu seeds and grind with a dry

mill. Cut the onions into tiny pieces. Wash and pick the scent leaves and tear them up with your fingers into small pieces.

Method: Place the pieces of fish in a pot and pour water to just cover the fish, add the stock cubes and bring to the boil.

Once it starts to boil add the ground ehu, onions, crayfish and scent leaves and continue cooking.

Once the catfish is done, add salt to taste and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes and its ready!

Catfish pepper soup is better served hot. It can be eaten alone with a chilled drink.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Womanhood

Back to school strategies for mothers

If your mornings are a mad dash of breakfast, bus and work, with a forgotten lunch thrown into the mix, check out these tips for creating an effective, fast morning routine especially now children are back to school.

M

ost women know that motherho od is synonymous with chronic lateness, from packing soiled diapers to calming crying babies and mischievous teenagers that would make you nag throughout the day, you would discover there are still plenty reasons you probably feel like you haven’t gotten anywhere on time. Some strategies from organization experts and real moms like you would help for getting your kids (and yourself) out the door on time.

Prepare the night before “To get out the door fast in the mornings is to do as much as you can to prepare the night before,” says organization expert, Jodie Watson, founder and president of Supreme Organization. That means laying out your own and your kids’ clothing; making sure to have extra packs to include everything each child needs for the following day, like completed homework, sports uniforms and other items.

Bribe them with sweets, chocolates Mom Jennifer W. of Watertown, MA,

says her 8-year-old daughter “is the walking definition of ‘not a morning person,’ but when she hears there’s chocolate on the table, she moves a lot faster. In other words, entice your laterisers with a special treat that will motivate them to get out of bed!

Get them to bed early Want a good morning? Start with a good night’s sleep. “I find that getting my daughter to bed early enough, even when it seems insanely early makes a big difference,” says Hilo, HI, mom Leslie L. “We have to get up at 5:15 a.m., so I put a lot of effort into making sure dinner and homework are done and she’s in bed by 7:00 p.m.”

Give warnings Many kids, especially little ones, have a hard time stopping what they are doing and quickly changing course.

To help them stay on schedule, Watson recommends giving your kids 10minute, 5-minute, and 2-minute departure warnings. “Set a timer — there are even talking ones on the market that will countdown the minutes for them,” she says. It’s a trick that Olathe, KS, dad David P. uses on

his son. “He doesn’t know time, but it puts the idea in his head that we’re doing something else shortly, and he’ll have to stop whatever it is that he’s doing now.

Make breakfast simple and healthy Chef Jennifer Carden, author of The Toddler Café, says the key to helping your kids’ focus in class is feeding them protein and liquids in the morning. How do you do this fast and easily? Serve up healthy, portable breakfast like cornflakes, scramble eggs and some vegetables and fruits, like avocado, orange and a glass of milk.

A mother, Janet Schiesl said if your kids are older; let them experience the consequences of delaying themselves.

Owner of Basic Organization and coauthor of Get Organized Today, she says that means regretting failing an assignment that gets left at home, having to buy lunch if they could not make their own on time to go to school.

Schiesl used to charge her high schoolage son $1 for a ride to school on days he lingered too long to catch the bus and she’s taking him. Emily P. also used a

tough-love tactic when her son missed the bus one day after numerous close calls. She couldn’t drive him that day, so she says, “I had him call the school to tell them why he wasn’t there and ask the teacher for assignments he could do at home that day,” she says. “He never missed the bus again.”

Establish morning routine With three boys in school, a morning routine is essential for getting to class on time for San Anselmo, CA, mom Amy C. “When I tell them it’s breakfast time, they know they have to brush their teeth, eat and get dressed with no breaks in between,” she says. Watson applauds this technique. By doing the same things in the same order, kids know what they need to do next and it becomes automatic for them, she says.

Make note of your child’s challenges Depending on your kid’s age, there are some tasks she just may not be able to do herself. So Watson recommends figuring out what duties they can do themselves. If tying her shoelaces takes her a long time, consider helping her in the morning instead of repeatedly nagging her to do it herself. (Later, of course, help her practice so that she eventually gets it!) If your son spills every time he pours milk into his cereal bowl, transfer the amount he needs into a small, easier-to-handle cup so he can still pour it himself, but without the mess.

Turn off TV If you’re addicted to your iPhone or Blackberry, it can be hard to imagine starting the day unplugged. But Watson recommends that parents avoid checking emails and surfing the Internet before dropping off their kids at school in the morning. “These create a huge black hole when it comes to time, because it’s hard to just ‘check one thing really quickly!’” she says. “Inevitably, you’ll spend way more time online than you plan.” Schiesl recommends keeping the TV off, too, especially if it distracts your kids (or you!) from getting going.

Listen to the radio instead.

Use family calendar Keep everyone’s schedule straight with one calendar that all family members can consult, Schiesl says. (Her pick: a big, laminated monthly version that can be put on a wall or the fridge.)

“Sport after school tomorrow? The calendar will remind you to pack your sport’s wear in your backpack,” she says. “It’s a great visual way to consult your schedule.” And knowing what your kid needs on what day can keep you organized in the morning, no lastminute rushing around for something because you just remembered it.

Wake up first We know you’re tired. But being the first one out of bed can eliminate a big source of morning stress: getting your kids and yourself ready at the same time.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Archives

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com Flying Eagles 85!

Goalkeeper is Alloy Agu. Skipper, first from the left on the front row, is Andrew Uwe. Middle of same row is Osaro Obobaifo (died in 92), standing beside goalkeeper is Samson Siasia.

The first 2 players in front row from the right are Monday Odiaka and Augustine Igbinabaro.

Great picture of arguably the finest Flying Eagles we have produced in Nigeria.

Ovonramwen, Oba of Benin - This photograph shows Ovonramwen, the Oba, with guards on board the Niger Coast Protectorate yacht, SY Ivy, on his way into exile in Calabar in 1897

Gabriel Akinola Deko with Israeli Prime Minister David BenGurion in Jerusalem, 1958 - Gabriel Akinola Deko (October 30, 1913November 5, 1987) former regional Minister for Agriculture in the Western region of Nigeria

Sir Adeniji Adele II (1893-1964) was a Nigerian paramount ruler who held the title of Oba of Lagos. He was chosen vice president of the Nigerian Senate in 1960 and was also the president of the Lagos Town Council at the time.

Chief Ojukwu in Ivory Coast with an unidentified lady in the 70’s

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 33

Business

ICT: N900m video conference facility in SGF’s office packs up?

By Chris Alu

I

nformation Communication Technology experts, civil servants and stakeholders in Abuja are lamenting the seemingly neglected enabler video-conferencing infrastructure, otherwise known as telepresence, in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Peoples Daily investigation has revealed.

Telepresence is a technology that shows virtual presence of somebody whose actions are transmitted by electronic signals to a physically remote site, e.g. in telesurgery. It gives the appearance of being present or to have an effect via telerobotics, at a place other than a true location. Beyond the confines of teleconferencing, telepresence gives users the feeling of all being in the same room, sharing the same meeting space, and interacting in real-time.

This means that rather than travelling great distance in order to have face to face meeting or training abroad, as it is now possible, to use telepresence system to do all the transactions without any hitches. It would appear however, that this facility in the office of the SGF may have packed up or being abandoned as investigations showed that it is not being used at the moment.The Telepresence was installed in 2006 by Galaxy Backbone Plc, to help government in addressing its connectivity challenges, transversal and other technology imperatives in order to enable ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) leverage on effective and quality supervision, with the aim of enhancing productivity.

The digital inclusion which was to link up to the underserved areas and rural communities as well as realization of government Vision 20:2020, worked for only four years and packed up allegedly as a result of lack of maintenance.

A former secretary to the government of the federation Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, who was first to communicate to a stakeholders’ forum on NICEP via video conference organized by Galaxy Backbone Plc. stated that government will leverage on the enabler and implement the National Information Communication and Education Program (NICEP) which is an ICT initiative of the federal government, to accelerate the

provision of connectivity for broadband internet, data, voice and video communication to rural areas and underserved communities including health and education institutions at all state levels.

A source in the SGF’s office who spoke to Peoples Daily Weekend on condition of anonymity stated that the video conferencing infrastructure, installed at a cost of N900 million, if still in use would have saved the country N1.6 billion within the last three years on various official trips abroad from the office alone, adding that the enabler was to serve as a gateway for all public servants in the country.

Peoples Daily Weekend’s investigation found out that Galaxy Backbone Plc, charged with the responsibility of setting up the infrastructure, entered into partnership with Main One and MTN some years back, in order to have enough bandwidth to enable its network operating centre work effectively.

It was complementing duties with NIGCOMSAT, another government agency charged with the responsibility of deploying Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) for internet accessibility to TV broadcast and internet exchange communications to the public.

Further investigation showed that Galaxy Backbone collaborated with expatriates to mount the telepresence equipment in the SGF’s office at a very high cost but that the home-based engineers were not trained on its maintenance, as a result, they frequently called the expatriates back for check-up, which government considered wasteful spending.

On the other hand, it was gathered that the home-based engineers, after receiving training on its maintenance claimed additional charges from the government, which according to the source, the Federal Government regarded as unnecessary.

Michael Adewale of New Age Technologies, Abuja, explained that Galaxy Backbone Plc cannot provide enough broadband for effectiveness of the video conferencing infrastructure unless it partners with operators for enough broadband otherwise transmission will always be poor, including Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) during communication, and that means huge amount of money will be expanded on the system frequently.

He said the arrival of the undersea cables, Main One, Glo-1 and West African cable system, all private submarine cables, was

to push up internet speed and reduce cost but that little has been achieved in terms of accessibility, availability and affordability thereby creating poor infrastructure in which most beneficial service of internet access like video streaming, video conferencing will never be effective because of poor quality of service.

He further said that the chunk of the blame has been heaped on big players in the telecom industry as they also locked up infrastructure from smaller players to share, denying the country the main expected gains of a national broadband penetration.

However, an ICT analyst, Edward Giwa stated that Galaxy Backbone from day one should have known the cost of maintaining the infrastructure in order to avoid mischief, and cue into what they can effectively sell and manage than raising moral of what they cannot do, now civil servants cannot boast of receiving training through videoconferencing infrastructure.

Experts said, the clear point is that Galaxy Backbone has no extra bandwidth to support Telepresence infrastructure to work effectively so it cannot fire the kiln of production in the knowledge economy, and if Nigerians would make any headway in addressing emerging challenges in digital convergence, according to them, government should put heads together with the private sector in order to develop the ICT sector and come up with a single technology device that will provide enough broadband for effective internet accessibility.

They say the ministry of ICT should wakeup from its slumber and begin to work towards promoting the essence of egovernment which National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)is struggling to achieve.

Sparked by the torrent of argument, ICT stakeholders say Galaxy Backbone Plc should be scrapped, because the company lacks the manpower to maintain the facilities. They said, with the collapse of the infrastructure it has killed the philosophy and agenda meant to be vital for the growth of the economy and exchange of ideas between countries via video conferencing.

ICT stakeholders have lashed out at the Presidency also for paying little attention to the sector which is one of the subsectors of the economy with some semblance of hope. They say for government to carry out its vision 20:2020, it must pay more attention to ICT issues to develop the sector.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Peoples I can catch alligator with my bare hands, says Mairiga H

unting according to a hunter, Mairiga in Abuja, is thrilling.

When you are on a hunting exercise and you saw an animal, like a deer come into view for instance, your heart starts to pound, there is a lump in your throat and your adrenaline rushes through your body. It is the same feeling you get when you see the red eyes of an alligator glowing in the marshy water.

Mairiga Mohammed from Nasarawa state said it is a feeling he enjoys very much and he hunts down different animals like the deer, monkey, big bush rat, rabbit, alligator and others when he is not doing menial jobs.

Peoples Daily Weekend saw him on Kuchingoro road in Abuja with two fierce looking dogs and the alligator which he had just caught, and was holding by the tail like a play thing despite the fact that it was still alive. He did not hesitate to pose for a photograph with his game.

In an interview, he said he started hunting since he was a teenager, and recalled how he used to go to thick bushes with his grandfather to hunt in Lafia, Nasarawa state. Then, it was hunting expeditions arranged by youths in his area, where they trounced the bushes for days looking for animals.

After his grandfather's death he continued the business of hunting and has now mastered it to the extent that a week does not pass without him visiting one bush or another.

"I hunt every week, if I don't go to one bush or another; I go to riverine areas where you are sure to get an alligator or alligators that would have come out of a river especially if the weather was hot to relax on the sand."

Mairiga said this gives him the opportunity to stealthily catch the alligator around its neck.

He however warns, don't dare approach an alligator from behind, or from its tail side because it serves as its weapon. A single lash out with its tail can send a hunter to an early grave.

"An alligator's tail is as sharp as a knife; one cut with

“

"An alligator's tail is as sharp as a knife; one cut with the tail when it hits you with it can kill you. So when it is running inside the bush, you have to employ some tricks to track it down and kill it or catch it alive.

Mairiga Mohammed

the tail when it hits you with it can kill you. So when it is running inside the bush, you have to employ some tricks to track it down and kill it or catch it alive. In my own case I can catch it with

my bare hands or I allow my dogs do it for me. You know an alligator is very fast. When it is running you also have to follow it with great speed, but you have to do it wisely to avoid

being hurt."

Extolling his dogs' ability in aiding his hunting, he said they are so disciplined that they would never eat up any animal they assisted in catching,

they would rather wait and literally hand over the animal to their master.

It all depends on the kind of training the dogs received.

He says, stressing that the same thing applies to hunters, while some would go into the bushes with their shoes or boots; he could choose to go bare foot. "I could enter a thick bush or even the forest without shoes, in some cases I would remove my shoes even if I went with them in the first place without minding that I could be bitten by a snake.

A labourer in the FCT, Mairiga said it's hard to make ends meet doing menial jobs.

He therefore found it necessary to compliment his earnings with hunting. "My wife is a full time housewife, so I have to take care of my family and other extended family members.

This alligator you see me with is going to be prepared for the family meal today. Its meat tastes like fish and is a delicacy in my place. If we chose not to eat it I could sell it for about N3,000 and that is a lot of money". He stressed.

The hunter regrets that hunting in Abuja is herculean unlike in his home state, Nasarawa where there are enough bushes to take a hundred hunters. "Here in Abuja, the bushes have been taken over by houses and other constructions unlike Nasarawa state where there are bushes all over the place in Lafia and other areas of the state.

He also faced challenges of moving about the FCT with his hunting dogs, saying despite the fact that the dogs aid him in his hunting; he found it difficult to move around with them.

"Sometimes when there are no bushes close by and I have to travel out of Abuja, commercial vehicles would refuse to take me and my dogs. But I found a way around it, by taking drop with the dogs but such vehicles charge costly fares, but I have no choice.

He reminiscences how during the life time of his grandfather, hunting was a big affair and well celebrated too. "Those days, we start hunting from the month of January to March and would live in the bush for those three months, only to come back home with plenty of meat for our families and friends.

Aside proving food for his family, he makes considerable amount of money from the sale of hunted animals to cater for his other family needs.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 35

Personality Interview

My grandmother breastfed me —AVM Yahaya From Agaju Madugba

I

n these days of general insecurity in the country, attaining the ripe age of 70 years has virtually become a matter of chance given that if one is not cut down in his prime by armed robbers, then road or air accident may do the job and where these fail, it is not unusual to fall victim of activities of terrorist groups.

The list is endless.

So, for Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Mohammodu Yahaya (rtd) who turned 70 recently, there are over one hundred and one reasons to celebrate and that was exactly what he did as he rolled out the drums in Kaduna for a birthday bash, at the prestigious Crystal Garden Hotel. The ceremony attracted the crème de la crème in the society, cutting across the military which is his constituency, the academia and politicians, among other categories of people. From Adoka local government area of Benue state, Yahaya was at one time, Minister of Industries, under former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. A devout Muslim, Yahaya, has been married to his wife, a Christian, for 47 years now and says people are free to practice the religion of their choice.

After the winning and dinning, Yahaya spoke with some reporters during which he gave more insight into his life, beginning from when way back in 1962, he bought a copy of Daily Times newspaper for two pence, and saw an advertisement on the employment of Defence Officers Cadets. He applied and was subsequently shortlisted. “We took an entrance examination to qualify to study at the American University and I was lucky to be one of the 10 successful Nigerians,” Yahaya says, adding that he later proceeded to the American University for the officer cadet corps training. According to him, “I finished my degree in 1967, Bachelors of Science in Electrical Electronics and after that; I went for the proper training at Mississippi. I trained in Electronics, specializing in Radar Control.

Early life I grew up in a polygamous family as my father had many wives. From my mother’s side, I am the fourth child. The first

three died. In our family we had these three marks on the face. And because they thought I was going to die, they did not give me the tribal mark. So, it was my grandmother who breastfed me. It was later on that I got to know who my actual mother was and that was the beginning of my life.

My mother explained to me that they told her that her breast was contaminated either by juju or whatever.

At that time we used to go to Qur’anic school. During the first attempt to put me in school, a teacher flogged me one day and my grandmother who liked me so much, took a knife and pursued the teacher. So, the only way they could trick her, to get me into school was to say that I had to go with my late uncle who was working as a clerk in Kaduna. In 1952, I was 10 years old at the time. I started my primary school in Kaduna then, but after about two years, we went back to Otukpo. There, I attended Methodist school and spent two years there before the Native Authority established a special school where you have to take an entrance examination from one class to another.

When I was in primary two, I took the entrance and passed and went straight to class four.

I took another entrance exam and came back to Kaduna and we were the pioneers of the Technical Institute, now Kaduna Polytechnic. On the 22, October 1962, a Friday, we went to the Mosque. At that time every Muslim would gather at the Kano road Central Mosque in Kaduna including the Late Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello. That was the day I bought a copy of the Daily Times newspaper which sold for two pence.

Why I am married to a Christian I started my primary school in a Christian system and in those days, we were forced to read the Bible. There is no part of the Bible that I do not know up till today and I like reading the book of Psalms. Part of the Qur’an says there is no compulsion in religion. There is no need forcing somebody to embrace the religion which he does not believe in. I have a member of my family who was the first to marry a Christian; from there I knew there has to be compromise. I am not a religious fanatic, but I believe

solely in Islam, no compromise about it but I cannot force somebody to be a Muslim if that person does not want it. My wife is a very staunch Catholic. God has worked it out for us. For the 47 years we have lived together, we have never had any issue on religion because we respect each other’s religion. During fasting, she gets up early to cook for me. So, we have no conflicts.

As for my children, some are Christians, some are Muslims. I have three boys and four girls. All the boys are Muslims and the girls are Christians because they happened to attend Catholic schools. When the girls were marrying, I went to the Church and handed them over at the altar. That does not change my faith.

“

In our family we had these three marks on the face.

And because they thought I was going to die, they did not give me the tribal mark. So, it was my grandmother who breastfed me

How I met my wife It was on a Christmas Day, December 25, 1958. We were just a bunch of boys in the town. I was riding a bicycle when I saw her.

When I saw her, I said to myself so this is the intelligent, brilliant Mary George! So, I left. Her elder sister who I knew very well was my brother’s girl friend. In those days we used to have the National Idoma Students union and every summer we met to discuss issues affecting Idoma land. I used to say that I would not marry a wife who uses relaxer to relax her hair.

Actually, she wanted to be a Nun because she is a very religious person and that has kept her faith even though for the past seven years, she has been sick, but her faith has kept her alive.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

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Furore over past white papers infund Kogi state Re: Sovereign wealth

By Emman Omadivi

F

ollowing the mayhem unleashed by the immediate past Okene Local Government Administration on the people of Obehira and the attendant burning of over 200 houses in 2009, the Kogi State Government set up an Administrative Committee to investigate the crisis and make appropriate recommendations.

What came out of the Committee was a report that was full of biases and which could not stand the test of time. Although the panel was not a judicial one, Government hurriedly came out with a white paper which could not be implemented for some reasons.

A commentary by this writer in two National Dailies, Leadership of Wednesday, March 24, 2010 and Peoples Daily of Tuesday, April 6, 2010 dissected the white paper and concluded that it was a trash just as the Committee was a Kangaroo arrangement, pointing out that litigations might follow.

What is most interesting in the white paper was the acceptance of the Committee’s report that certain political leaders in the Central Senatorial District who were alleged to be supplying arms and ammunition to youths be interrogated with a view to retrieving the arms and ammunition from them.

These political leaders so indentified were never summoned by the Committee to defend themselves, thereby denying them fair hearing.

As predicted, one of the affected political leaders went to a court of competent jurisdiction to seek redress via suit No. HC0/7C/2010 at the High Court of Justice of Kogi State of Nigeria in the Kogi State Judicial Division at Okene. The outcome of that case was the quashing of the white paper. According to the Court, “being a nullity therefore, the white paper thereon cannot stand and will also crumble as you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand”. also recent, following the arrest of some political leaders in Central over the killing of 20 Deeper Life Church worshippers at Eika-Adagu and two soldiers at Okene Local Government Secretariat, a top Legislator from the area has been going round the country armed with the quashed white paper,

WRITE TO US

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

Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com urging various authorities to ask the Kogi State Governor to implement all past white papers, including those ones (if they ever existed) before he was born. He has also sponsored meetings of elders without disclosing his motives to them. The hidden

agenda is to implement the white paper on Okene crisis which the lawmaker believes will nail his perceived enemies named in the document. While the lawmaker may have good intentions in some other areas, he is being accused of

running a clannish crusade that will not do Ebiraland any good.

It is important at this juncture to advise our lawmakers, especially those at the National Assembly to address the serious issue of non-implementation of reports nation-wide particularly corruption cases and the Jos crisis with sincerity.

Witchunting, clannish politics, nepotism and political maneuvers should be avoided in the interest of good governance, peaceful coexistence and rapid economic development. It is now certain that the white paper on Okene crisis has been confined to the dustbin of history but will remain an archival document that was never implemented.

Emman Omadivi writes from Abuja.

Saving innocent Zamafara children from Lead poisoning

By Yahaya Sherifat

F

or younger, innocent children living in barren land in far flung Zamfara state, a permanent scar is etched on their minds, arising from contact with poison substance called Lead.

Lead is a highly toxic me tal found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. It is a very strong poison, and highly poisonous when a person swallows it; breaths in its dust or inhales the fumes.

When lead is ingested via contaminated hands, food, water, cigarettes or clothing, it stays in the body and most often builds up slowly overtime due to repeated contact and ends up causing serious health problems which sometimes leads to death.

History has it that lead poison has affected people in the northern parts of Nigeria, Zamfara state to be precise, and has killed over 400 children while about 4,000 have been contaminated, 2,500 have been treated- some of whom will need as many as 20 years of follow-up therapy.

Another 1,500 children in the village of Bagega have not been treated because the government has not clean up the area,

thereby making treatment futile.

However, of seven villages where a clean-up had been carried out, recontamination has occurred and is now accelerating. The poisoning is caused by illegal gold mining in villages, residents of the state started artisanal gold-mining in lead-rich ore around 2009 as the price of gold increased.

The ugly but devastating epidemic mostly affects children just as unborn babies are also at risk when a pregnant

“

The ugly but devastating epidemic mostly affects children just as unborn babies are also at risk when a pregnant woman swallows any lead particle.

woman swallows any lead particle. Such goes into her bloodstreams, passes through the placenta and gets to the baby’s developing bones and other organs.

Lead can be found in the products we use everyday such as toys which are mostly used by children, batteries, food, water, the paints we use in our houses and in some dirt and dust. It is more dangerous for children than adults because it affects kids’ developing brains and nervous system. The younger the child, the more harm lead can cause.

Therefore, to curb this, parents, especially those living in old houses, should be more watchful of their young kids, it’s important to find out whether there is any risk that they might be exposed to lead by doing away with those lead infested products such as toys, batteries, keeping them out of the reach of their children. For the pregnant women, they should watch their intake of products that can be infected by lead and be careful not to move to areas that are lead-infected.

Sherifat, is an intern with National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) Abuja

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 37

Opinion Aliyu: Retaining Niger State on the Peace Map

By Danladi Ndayebo

O

ne of the factors that has assured and sustained the atmosphere of peace and stability which Niger State enjoys is the respect for and recognition of the plural nature and multi-ethnic composition of the state.

Successive administrations in the state have encouraged peaceful cohabitation among diverse groups, a condition which has continued to enhance harmony and overall peace in the state, without which no sustainable development would ever be possible.

Interestingly, the incumbent Governor, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has shown that he has knowledge, capacity, wisdom, experience and proven fair-mindedness to sustain this worthy legacy of his predecessors. He has, in the last five years, amply demonstrated that he possesses requisite qualities to preside over Niger state which is a microcosm of the entire country.

For those who believe that peace and stability are some of the most important ingredients for progress, Niger state under Dr Aliyu provides an ample case study.

At a time when some states in the North are enmeshed in violence triggered by petty sentiments, Dr. Aliyu has obliterated such primordial differences in Niger State. Between 2007 when he came to power and now, he has turned Niger State into a monolith of peace in the way he has wiped out all forms of divisions in ethnicity and religion. For his administration in Niger State, everybody resident here is a Nigerlite and enjoys every amenity or provision of the government without discrimination. The concept of state of origin does not exist.

Every school child in the primary school and students in the secondary school in the state enjoys free education without discrimination; every child up

By Suleiman Ibrahim Ado

O

ur seeming gullibility is giving audacity to con artists to insult our intelligence with impossible stories.

The widow of the late General Sani Abacha, Mrs. Maryam Abacha, was in the news last week when a man accused of stealing her jewels attempted to vilify the victim in order to win the sympathy of gullible Nigerians. According to the report, the accused swore to an affidavit after five years without a credible story to tell, claiming he stole the jewels of Maryam Abacha in order to sell them and buy cocaine for her son. Many readers of the story were outraged by such unlikely tale that cannot sell even among kindergarten kids. That is the extent con artists can go to insult our pull wool over our eyes.

In telling his story, however, the suspect forgot that there are discerning Nigerians who can ask critical questions to expose the loopholes in this ridiculous tale.

This story produced more questions than answers. For example, do Mrs. Abacha’s sons and daughters need to steal their mother’s jewels to meet their needs?

Isn’t each of them rich enough to pay for their needs? Are they so broke that they must steal the jewels of their mother to meet their needs? If, indeed, the so-called Abacha son instigated the suspect to steal his mother’s jewels, why didn’t he protect the accused for his own good?

Do the suspect’s tales dovetail with common logic? If indeed, Abacha’s son encouraged the theft to buy his so-called cocaine, why must he allow his mother

to the age of five, as well as all pregnant women and the aged are entitled to free and quality medicare without discrimination. And this has nothing to do with propaganda, as would become proven, if one picked a phone and called any of his fellow Igbo, Yoruba or any other ethnic kinsman or woman resident in Niger State.

Wide exposure and educational sophistication has made Dr. Babangida Aliyu one of the most modern minded statesmen in the country, especially with his good education in Nigeria and some of the best universities in the United States.

It is, therefore, not surprising that he considers and views the concept of stateof-origin as outdated and as an inhibitor for development in the modern day sense of the word.

The fears of ethno-religious disturbances that are threatening some states in the North would hardly have a perch in Niger State mainly because of the governor’s belief that encourages

peaceful cohabitation among persons irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliation.

This belief was reinforced last July when he inaugurated the Committee on Peace Building for Sustainable Democratic Culture in Niger State. The committee, which is made up of distinguished citizens of the state, representing diverse interest groups, has the mandate to forge a common purpose of peace and harmony for the State.

The terms of reference of the Barr Abraham Yisa-led committee include” to create awareness of the social, economic and political potentials and challenges facing the state and its people; consider and integrate issues like elections, media challenges, youth empowerment, rural urban migration, security & welfare etc into the subject of peace building.

During the inauguration of the committee, Dr Aliyu struck the right note when he admitted the existence of serious security challenges in the country,

“

Wide exposure and educational sophistication has made Dr. Babangida Aliyu one of the most modern minded statesmen in the country, especially with his good education in Nigeria and some of the best universities in the United States.

especially in the North where the situation has presented alarming trends which have resulted in the loss of several lives and properties It is against this background that the Government of Niger State considered it very auspicious to create a platform for promoting mutual understanding through dialogue, consultation and constructive engagement with a broad spectrum of stakeholders towards peace building and entrenching sustainable democratic culture in our State.

Essentially, the committee’s main assignment is peace building and conflict prevention/resolution activities with a view to create a platform for the promotion of smooth communication between and among all astakeholders in Niger State, since confidence building and mindset change are important components in preventing conflicts.

But the good news is that the Governor Aliyu-led Northern Governors Forum took the fight for peace a notch higher when it inaugurated the Northern States Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security late last month.

The initiative, which received applause from across the country, has been regarded as a bold attempt by the forum to tackle the growing insecurity and the fratricidal conflicts in the region.

Governor Aliyu’s idea to prioritize peace and security is a radical one, and has been very successful. Even as most of the states in the North struggle with security concerns, Niger State has remained a bastion of peace that attracts a happy population.

Niger State under the Chief Servant therefore presents a good template for other stakeholders to copy in being proactive in finding solutions to contemporary challenges.

Ndayebo is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State.

Denigrating the victim to call in the police, which might expose his own “dark secrets”? In fact, if he ever sent the suspect to steal the jewels, that was the more reason why he must frustrate the arrest and detention of the suspect. If he had something to hide, he would have done everything to protect the suspect. Why did the suspects have to wait for five years to come up with this “fresh” but ridiculous angle to the story?

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, clever liars don’t go into details because the devil lies in the details. By going to the extent of swearing to an affidavit, the suspect in this drama has now exposed himself to scrutiny in the court of public opinion. According to John Marshall, the court of public opinion is the highest court in the land. The worst injustice is blaming or vilifying the victim. Doesn’t Mrs. Maryam Abacha deserve to seek justice if her property was stolen? Should that effort to seek legitimate redress be the excuse to divert our attention from the crime committed against her by the suspect?

We should be careful about getting carried away by the sensational stores of con artists seeking underserved public sympathy. Blackmail is the cheapest form of fooling the public in order to get sympathy. It is like the case of a woman punished for misconduct in the office who turns round to say that she was being penalized because she refused to sleep

with the boss. We also had instances of workers who did wrong but alleged that they were being disciplined because of ethnic and religious sentiments. This is the usual tricks deployed by con artists in trouble in order to get sympathy.

The case of Mrs. Maryam Abacha is not essentially different from this kind of blackmail by offenders that want to escape justice. How can an adult son of Mrs. Abahca who has money of his own steal his mother’s jewels in order to buy anything? If that is the case, it means that the family is now so desperately broke that her children have to resort to stealing her jewels to meet their needs. This story can only sell in the market place of stupidity.

The cocaine angle is all part of the strategy of blackmail to divert attention from the real issue.

Even more ridiculous in this pathetic tale of desperation is the fact that the suspect doesn’t come to terms with the criminality of stealing under whatever guise. Granted that someone had sent him to steal Maryam’s jewels, does that in itself extricate him from the consequences of theft in the eyes of the law? If someone was caught committing a murder and claimed he was sent after the victim, does that excuse him of culpability in the crime?

In the 1946 Tokyo and Nuremberg war crime trials, many suspects that claimed they were carrying out orders were not let off the hook on the basis of

such excuses. Therefore, the attempt to blackmail Mrs. Abacha and her son for seeking justice is the greatest insult to the sensibilities and intelligence of discerning Nigerians. The suspect must seek Allah’s forgiveness because God frowns at double injustice against the victim. You cannot deny anyone, high, or low, the right to seek justice by diversionary stories of cheap blackmail.

Nigerians should be very careful of such fairy tales of con artists who introduce blackmail to either escape justice or get public sympathy.

Many people that read the story were disgusted by the shameless falsehood painted against Mrs. Abacha and her son. Even children can face justice if they steal from their parents, unless the parents forgive them. Blackmailing or vilifying the victim is the dumbest means of seeking public sympathy by the con artist in this ridiculous tale. In fact, if indeed, Mrs. Abacha’s son was behind the theft of her jewels, why would she be interested in a court case that can send her son to jail? If the story is as simple as that, she would have ended the case at once. Somebody is desperately seeking to escape justice and he thought the best way to achieve mischievous design is to drag the Abachas through the mud.

Ibrahim Ado wrote from No. 125, Yakubu Gowon Way, Kaduna Email: suleimanibrahimado@yahoo.com

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Tribute Yahaya Bin Mahmoud: A professional colleague

By Yakubu Adamu

B

OTH believers and non-believers alike agree that death is inevitable. In fact, every soul will surely have a taste of it (Qur’an 3:185).

It will surely come when it will come.

But nobody knows when it will come.

So, death is a necessary end of every mortal on earth and does not respect the poor or highly placed.

Though all living things have no guarantee for eternal life, some people may live up till old age while some may die even before they were born. Yet, others die at the peak of their career.

But it is often said that good people die early. Perhaps this could be said about my dear colleague, Malam Yahaya Bin Mahmoud who passed away on Monday, June 4 this year (2012) equivalent to Rajab 14, 1433 of the Islamic calendar.

The news of his death was shocking.

Malam Yahaya Mahmoud died at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in the Kano metropolis. He served in both the public and private sectors diligently for about 50 years before his demise.

As a very close professional colleague, I knew Malam Yahaya as a very committed and dedicated educationist.

He played very significant role in the development of primary and secondary schools education in Kano, Jigawa and Kogi states.

Indeed, he was popular in the educational sector not only in these states alone, but Nigeria as a whole. It is because of his popularity in the sector that a large number of his secondary school students attended his funeral and also condoled his family.

Among those who attended his funeral and condoled his bereaved family include a veteran educationist and high profile economist in the country, Prof.

Ibrahim Ayagi. Also at the funeral were Alhaji Bello Ahmad Mandawari, a retired educationist and member, Management Board of Trustees, Dr. Hassan Ibrahim Gwarzo Secondary School; the current Head of Civil Service of Kano state, Alhaji Umar Shehu Minjibir, who was his former student; current and former commissioners from Kano and Jigawa states and permanent secretaries from the same states who were mostly his former students.

Others included Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Gwarzo, a neighbour and previously of NNPC, Abuja; Alhaji Rabiu Ado, a businessman; Alhaji Muhammad Amaryawa, a prominent businessman and formerly of GBO, Zaria and Alhaji Sani Gadanya, a veteran politician in the state. These close neighbours and friends spoke highly of his impeccable character, his humility and commitment to serving his immediate community, and this he did diligently.

The deceased was a very religious person also and was one of the four people, who formed a voluntary committee in the 1980s to look into the problems of primary education in the former Kano state which metamorphosed into Kano and Jigawa states.

Other members of the committee were my humble self, Malam Yahaya Sadiq and Alhaji Abdulkarim Hassan,

Late Malam Yahaya Bin Mahmoud

Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG) of the immediate past administration of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. The committee could be said to be responsible for the current revolutionisation of basic education in the country.

With the help and contributions of late Malam Yahaya, the committee voluntarily came up with some recommendations on how best to revitalize the primary education sector in terms of funding, management, infrastructure and other educational inputs in the then Kano state for quality education delivery to the sub-sector.

The report of the committee was unanimously accepted by the then state government led by the military governor, Ndatsu Umoru. As a result of the approval of the committee’s recommendations and the implementation of the recommendations thereof, the first Primary School Management Board (PSMB) in the country was established in Kano state in 1987.

The success of this body in two years made the federal government to establish the National Primary Education Commission (NPEC) in 1989, with mandate for the states in the federation to establish such boards which became the basis for establishing the current Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) respectively.

The achievement is of course, a pride to the late education guru and by extension, the four members of the 1984 voluntary committee which pioneered the Kano initiative on education.

In this respect, therefore, it could be noted that Yahaya Mahmoud played significant role in the promotion of primary/basic education in the country.

Additionally, he also made positive

contributions in the development of post primary education where he served in various capacities as teacher, viceprincipal, principal and educational administrator at zonal education levels.

Indeed, late Malam Yahaya Mahmoud will always be remembered for this feat in those states as well as his home state, Kogi and Nigeria in general.

Born in the year 1942, in Lokoja, Kogi state, he lived at Yar’akwa Quarters of Kano metropolis where he died; Malam Yahaya obtained his primary school certificate in 1957 at Lokoja primary school. Earlier on, he had his basic Qur’anic and Islamic education in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi state and later got a Grade III Teacher’s Certificate of Education from the School for Arabic Studies (SAS) Kano in 1960, and Grade II Teacher’s Certificate from Katsina Higher Training College in 1963. In year 1970, he bagged a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria with Post Graduate Degree in Education from the same university in 1973.

His teaching experience got him the post of Head teacher at the Ringim Primary School (now in Jigawa state) between 1963 and 1965; he was also Principal at Bagauda Secondary School, Kano state from 1970 to 1973; Principal at Gaya Secondary School from 1973 to 1976 and Principal, Bichi Teachers College, Kano between 1976 and 1980.

In the Kano state public service, because of his qualification, experience and commitment to service, he rose from the rank of a classroom teacher to the position of chairman of Bichi local government caretaker committee in 1977 as a result of the implementation of the 1976 Federal Government Dasuki report on local government reforms.

Between 1980 and 1981, Malam Yahaya served as zonal education officer, Gaya/Jahun of the former Kano state.

From 1981 to 1984, he was zonal education officer, Gwarzo/Karaye zone and between 1984 and 1986, he was posted to Hadejia zone (now in Jigawa state) as chief zonal education officer. In 1984, he served as a member of the earlier mentioned voluntary committee on primary education. He voluntarily retired from the public service in 1986.

Though retired then, but not tired, Malam Yahaya was not the type of person who would stay idle without making contributions not only to his immediate environment, but also to the society in general. He therefore got himself involved in the public and private sectors’ service delivery, and became General Manager, Nigerian Cereals Manufacturing Company from 1986 to 1988; General Manager, Kafal Industrial Enterprises from 1988 to 1994; General Manager, I.A.A Associates Limited, 1994 to 1997 and Project Manager, PTF Fund Management Consultants (North-west zone) from 1997 to 1998.

From 1998 to 1999, he served as permanent member I, Kogi state primary schools education board.

Member, Governing Council, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano state from 2003 to 2007. He was member, school management board, Dr. Hassan Ibrahim Gwarzo Secondary School in Kano and Associate member, I.A.A. Associates Limited.

Until his death, he was founder and proprietor, Mamuda International Nursery and Primary School at Yar’akwa quarters in Tarauni local government area of Kano state as well as chairman, Board of Governors, Al-azhar International College, Lokoja, Kogi state.

His hobbies included reading, research and traveling. He is survived by two wives and nine children - five males and four females.

From the foregoing, it could be observed that Malam Yahaya’s entire life was spent on positive contributions for human development, particularly the education sector. And even his services after retirement were related to education, health or socio-economic development of the people that were more akin to strongly enhancing and promoting quality life delivery at both state and national levels. Malam Yahaya therefore, deserves to be remembered for his selfless service to humanity, more importantly he deserves prayers from all and sundry for his soul to be reposed in Aljanna Firdausi and for Allah to fully guide and support his family in their lives. It is also hoped that this piece will serve as a lesson for guidance for our young generation.

Finally, it will not be out of place, because of the important role he played in Kano, Jigawa and Kogi states in their human and socio-economic development to recommend to the state governments to immortalise him.

May Allah grant his soul permanent peace, Aljanna Firdausi and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss. Amin.

-Yakubu Adamu, is former chairman, Universal Basic Education Board, Kano state.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 39

Life Day father gave me beating of my life for missing school – Justice Akanbi Justice Mustapha Akanbi, celebrated legal luminary, eminent jurist and former ICPC boss celebrated his 80th birthday recently. In this personality interview, he shared the interesting aspects of his education, childhood days and career with Olanrewaju Lawal.

L

ooking back sir, how do you feel at 80?

I am full of gratitude to Almighty Allah (SWT) for keeping me this long. It has been quite good for me in every respect, family life, professional life and as a Nigerian, I have fulfillment in everything that I have done in life and am looking forward to have the opportunity to thank God, to rejoice with my family and friends and all my admirers who in one way or the other touched my life or whose life I have also touched.

Can you share some of those pranks you played as a little boy with us?

Well, while growing up, I did my own fair share of rascality. And I happened to grow up in an environment that was very tough. It was known as cow lane, where we have admixture of Hausas, Yorubas, and all sorts of tribes. We had two boxing clubs in cow lane; one is called London club and the other Marconi club.

Almost every young boy in cow lane learnt how to box, because we were always fighting. I was also involved in all sorts of childhood pranks, like going to the beach to go and bath, which our parents detested because we could be carried away by the ocean. We would run away from Arabic school to go and play in such dangerous places. But one thing which was encouraging was that most of us still did our best to excel in our studies.

What were the schools you attended and what special experiences can you remember about them?

I

attended various schools both in Ghana and here in Nigeria. In my primary school days, I attended a school called African College in Ghana and as far as my mates in that school then are concerned, I only know of one who is still alive and his name is Larbi. I was in Ghana last year December till February and I met him. In fact, out of joy and excitement, he felt like swallowing me, because he didn't believe that we could still see again on this earth. We discussed the old days because I have not seen him for quite a long time.

One of my classmates that I met in another primary school called Accra Land School is Okai, who died in May this year. I also met Dr Alhassan Mohammed, who was one time Deputy Governor of the Central Bank in Ghana. We

magistrates and judges of younger age, that is why he insisted that I must be a judge and he made sure that even when we were playing football, he would ask me to go and take my book and read. And even for a man who did not go to school, I used to be one of the first people to pay my fees, and buy my books.

He would be advising me on life and what life is about, when it is 6p.m, I must go home wherever I find myself, if I don't go home, he does not spare the rod because I must dress his bed, put everything in order, I will clean the room, do everything as it ought to be done.

Apart from your dad, did any other factor influence your career choice?

I

Justice Mustapha Akanbi had lunch together and discussed together. Back in Nigeria, I attended Kaduna Trade Centre, and some of my mates there, include the late S.K Dagogo Jack, who was the Chairman of FEDECO, and Mustapha Umaru who was also the secretary to the Interim Government of Shonekan, among many others.

A lot of them appear to have gone to the great beyond. Again, when I was at the Institute of Administration, Zaria, as a student reading Law, we were 12 in the class, 10 of them are dead, leaving myself and Justice Mohammed Uwaiz, former Chief Justice of Nigeria Today. So, by and large, God has been kind to me to have spared my life to reach 80 , that is why I have decided to mark the 80th birthday to appreciate what God has done for me and to rededicate myself to the service of God and to the service of the people.

To what level did your parents influence your career sir?

T

he influence of my parents, particularly my father, on me was tremendous. It was around 1939 that I was taken to Ghana by my father, while my mother stayed back in Ilorin to take care of my

paternal grandmother.

For almost seven years that I was with my father in Accra, I never lived with anybody. Of course, my father had other wives. My father had been responsible largely for what I am today because although by English standard, he is not literate, he placed so much emphasis on going to school, and he would come and check the school whether you attended or not. I remember one day, when you talk of pranks , I did not go to school, I went to the beach , I did not know my father had gone to the school to see whether I was in there or not and when I came home, after greeting him, he said I should go and take my food in the kitchen. When I entered, he then locked the door and gave me the beating of my life.

From that day, I never missed school again. And one of the reasons why he laid emphasis on school was that he had stayed in Lagos for years, he knew the likes of Chief Rotimi's father as a lawyer, he knew the likes of Fani Kayode's father who was also a lawyer, and notwithstanding that my father was a trader, he used to go to court and sit and watch what was happening in court. And he used to admire how the very big lawyers deferred to

will put it this way, I had no choice, I stumbled into law. I wanted to be a scholar, a lecturer in any higher institution, that was my ambition but my father had a different view as he wanted me to read law or medicine. I was averse to reading medicine because of my narrow conception of the field. I thought of surgery but I can't use knife to slaughter, even a fowl, that is why I didn't want medicine. Law I didn't want because of the notion that lawyers are trained to call what is black white and vice-versa.

And so if I read law, I thought I might not find favour with God, so I didn't want to read law.

Having been discouraged from going to Cairo by my father to study French, Latin or Arabic, I decided to go back to my root, Nigeria, where I applied and I was taken for a course as an assistant executive officer and by the grace of God I did very well. I don't want to say I topped the class, but that was the impression I received from one Baba Olajide, an Egba man based in Kaduna. It was he who now called me and advised me, like my father did, to apply for law in view of my outstanding result. And law appeared to be the only course for which I could get scholarship. I applied for scholarship, and I was called for interview and I made it and I had to go and read law. That was how I came into the profession of law, like I said, I stumbled into it, it was not that it was my choice, but thank God I made the best from the profession.

And how did you find yourself on the bench?

Again, it was not my decision, I served in government as a state counsel, I rose to the position of senior state counsel in the ministry of justice, in the then Benue-Plateau state. I want to say as the state counsel, I performed excellently well. I was loved by the man who headed the chamber, Morgan Ogboli, who was the Solicitor General when the states were created and said he needed someone who was competent and efficient, that is why I was deployed from Ilorin, where ordinarily I should be the number two man, to Jos, I didn't like it, but my dad again asked me to go, that God is everywhere. When I got to Jos, along the line, I foresaw all the problems and happenings in this country, coming from a Ghanaian background, I saw there was a lot of tribalism in Nigeria, a lot of discrimination, a lot of ethnic problems, religious discrimination. That was not the type of environment in which I was brought up, I know I cannot lie, I had a cosmopolitan attitude to life, but at the end of it, I resigned. I was the first chap from the north to resign from the service of the Ministry of Justice to go into private practice, so I decided to go to Kano where I also worked as a state counsel to a set up practice. But within five years or so, I had made my mark in Kano.

Abdullahi Ibrahim, former Attorney General of this country, for one reason or the other had to join me in forming partnership. Lawyer Sadiq who was a onetime speaker of the House here in Kwara also requested that I set him up here, so I had another branch here, with Abdullahi we opened up an office in Kaduna, so we were there practising.

The plan was to set up the practice in Lagos when all of a sudden I got a telephone call from Justice Arthur Wheeler who was the Judge in Kano. So Wheeler now invited me to his chamber to inform me that he got a telephone call from the Chief Justice of Northern Nigeria, whose name was Nigel Reed about the newly established Federal Revenue Court which is now known as Federal High Court.

40

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 S— SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Life 39

Day father gave me beating of my life for missing school – Justice Akanbi

H

e told me that he wanted to appoint new Judges and he wanted me to be one of the Judges but I told Justice Wheeler that I have set up practice and I am doing well, I have branches in Ilorin ,Kaduna and it will be terrible if I have to leave now, so Wheeler was disappointed because he thought I would jump at the appointment, so as I was getting to the gate, he called me and said, Mustapha, if I were you, I would accept the appointment.

So I said, okay my lord, give me some time to think over it. So when I got home, I told my father who advised me, aside my partners, Abdullahi and Jide Ayodele, to accept the appointment. That was how I accepted the appointment and became a member of the bench.

In the legal profession, who are the practitioners that you admired and who inspired you?

When I was in Kaduna, we had a judge, one Justice Ahmed Idris Pakistan, who came with a reputation that he was a constitutional lawyer but I was not impressed by his performance. But we had a lawyer then in Kaduna, R.O. Ghaji, who unfortunately ended up terribly in a murder case.

Ghaji, by every available standard, was a first class lawyer and I appeared continuously against him when I was the state counsel in Kaduna. I admired his brilliance and he also respected me. He was quick-witted and if you are not brilliant, he can have the edge over you. Then of course, Chief Rotimi Williams was undoubtedly a great lawyer by every standard. Others included Babatunde Craig, Michael Afolayan, David Mejibi, Justice Wheeler, Fred Ianlewes, Khaild Hasssan etc.

What are those challenges you faced as a lawyer and then as a judge?

W

ell, as a lawyer, you see when I decided to go to Kano to set up a practice, I learnt that there was one Pakistanis called Hanwan Hussein, who wanted to sell his chamber to a willing buyer because he wanted to leave Nigeria. Since I was not comfortable staying any longer in Plateau because of the indigene/settler problem, I made a move.

I went to Kano and after bargaining with him, I paid the sum of four hundred pounds with the idea that he would give me some retainer ship which would see me through. By the time I wanted to resign in Jos, Gomwok advised me not to resign but I had made up my mind to leave.

Unfortunately, like Gomwok observed, when I got to Kano, the man changed his mind and I had already resigned my appointment in Jos. So I was

corrupt.

What were your hopes before you accepted the ICPC job?

Would you say they were misplaced?

former ICPC boss, Justice Mustapha Akanbi embarrassed and in a dilemma but I insisted that there was no going back, so I sent my wife to Kano while I stayed back in Jos to collect the one month outstanding salary after which I will join my wife and children. It was a terrible period but I thank God for helping me to surmount it at the end of the day.

Now as a judge, I suffered a lot of transfer more than most of my colleagues, immediately I was appointed, I served in Lagos for about a month, I was posted to Port -Harcourt, I was in charge of the whole eastern states, all

these Cross-River, Enugu, etc, in the midst of that, I was asked to go and do a probe in Ife and when I finished, I was posted to Kano.

From Kano again, I was appointed to the court of appeal, I was posted to Enugu, from Enugu to Ibadan, from Ibadan to Jos, Jos to Ibadan.

This had been costly to all my children's education. At least each of them suffered one year setback, but I want to thank God they have been able to make it, then secondly, being the head of court, you can have problem, when you don't allow people to steal or do something wrong, they

“

I know a lady who is a relation, who came to me when I was in the court of Appeal in Ibadan, that the husband of her big sister had been convicted and I was in the panel. This case was even a bad one because if I took the money, what of the other members of the panel? I knew her father to be an Imam, so I quoted the Quran to her.

accuse you of a lot of things, then some of them even get embittered.

Did you face any allegation of corruption as a judge?

I didn't; as you make your bed, so you lie on it, I don't make friends, I have seen great judges, I have seen people like Wheeler. I stay in my house and you can't come to me over a case and discuss with me. It will be wrong for me to say that nobody had ever attempted that. I know a lady who is a relation, who came to me when I was in the court of Appeal in Ibadan, that the husband of her big sister had been convicted and I was in the panel.

This case was even a bad one because if I took the money, what of the other members of the panel? I knew her father to be an Imam, so I quoted the Quran to her.

I told her: "If your sister sent you, if I do what you want and I die, can you save me from God's punishment?"

They won't come again once you do that to one or two people, the news will go round that the man will not accept that kind of thing, so I didn't have that temptation of corruption. If they say somebody is corrupt, it is generally the way he behaves, because if you leave your door open for corruption, they will come to you, we know them, we know the judges who are

When I accepted the appointment, you know that I first said no to Mr. President that I don't want to do the job, I had my fears, I have served government for several years and I thank God for what he has done. When the President told me that it is a call to duty and service to the nation, I then accepted it and I said on that day that by accepting this job, I put my life on the line, prepared to die, if need be, but thank God I didn't die. Regrettably, my security detail was shot and killed when he was coming to collect me here in Ilorin, I felt bad because it could be me, it could be any other person. We worked hard, we toiled day and night but I want to say that we did not achieve much considering the background issues that before we came on board, the only high profile case that was sent to the Supreme Court on corruption was the case of Chief Odofin Bello, the Commissioner of Police, who was convicted by the high court but was later discharged and acquitted by the supreme court but in our time, we got many people arrested, they were taken to court, whether they were discharged and acquitted or not, the fact remains that if a man like S.M Afolabi, Nwodo, Wabara and all these people can be taken to court, if the momentum had been upheld, there would have been no problem. That was at even a time when our funding was not what it should be, but for me when I was there, I believe I had the satisfaction that I acted in accordance with what I said on the day I was appointed as chairman.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for the service I gave to my God and my nation, the service I gave to humanity and I pray that for whatever is left of my life, I should continue to serve God and humanity and they should remember me that there was a man called Mustapha Akanbi who served God and humanity and may God accept me into his glory.

I am an optimist, let Nigerians not lose hope but let everyone of us do what will please God to achieve whatever we want to achieve without destroying this country.

We should give service; we should do everything to make sure that this blessed country of ours is great because God has given us everything to make it great.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend D

R Congo giants TP Mazembe aim to take top spot in Group B of the CAF Champions League by beating Berekum Chelsea in their final match at the Accra Sports Stadium Accra on Sunday.

The Ravens will still remain at the summit on the head-to-head rule if their closest challengers Al Ahly also win against Zamalek as the group’s final matches are played.

Mazembe and Ahly have 10 points going into the final round of matches and if the Congolese can match the Egyptians’ result, they will win the mini-league on the headto-head rule.

The four-time champions have been boosted by the return of the ten internationals who played for DR Congo and Zambia in the 2013 Nations Cup qualifiers at the weekend.

Coach Lamine N’Diaye watched his side throw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 against the Ghanaian side who are out of contention for the semi-final ticket.

Mazembe however improved on their mistakes and have won their last three encounters in this year’s competition.

Berekum Chelsea, who were making their debut, want to sign off their campaign on a winning note and hurt Mazembe who want to avoid facing holders Esperance in the semis.

The Blues are likely to be without lead striker Emmanuel Clottey who has signed a three-year deal for Esperance but will be eligible for the Tunis-based side in December.

Also, Al Ahly host arch-rivals Zamalek hoping for a strong finish top of Group B in the CAF Champions League in their final pool game on Sunday in Cairo.

The record six-time African club champions are looking to finish top to avoid a potential North African derby semifinal meeting next month against Group A toppers Esperance of Tunisia.

Al Ahly are tied on 10 points with TP Mazembe heading into both sides’ respective final games, although the latter tops Group B with a better goal difference.

Zamalek are out of contention and bottom of Group B with one point heading into their final formality game.

Champions League: Mazembe take aim at Chelsea as Al Ahly target strong finish

The Al Ahly team that went 35 matches unbeaten and have won the CAF Champions League six times.

Confederation Cup: Wydad could throw Group B open in Morocco W

ydad Casablanca, who will be seeking their first win of the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup group stages when they clash today in Casablanca, could throw the race for the semi-finals ticket wide open if they beat visiting Djoliba FC. The encounter pits front-runners Djoliba against third-place Wydad in a match that could have a huge bearing on the semifinal places.

A win for the visitors would mean that compatriots Stade Malien would need victory in Congo-Brazzaville against AC Leopards to stop Djoliba sealing their place in the semifinals with two games to go.

Also, if Stade Malien can also secure an away win. That would leave just two points separating first and fourth in the pool and then an open race for the top two finishers.

Djoliba won the reverse fixture 2-1

a fortnight ago, Aliou Bagayogo and Bourahama Sidibé (penalty) on target for them after the Moroccans had taken a first half lead through Younes Houassi.

Djoliba have lost just one of their last 39 games in all competitions, that a 10 away reversal at the hands of Nigerian side Sunshine Stars in a CAF Champions League qualifier in May. By contrast, Wydad have just two wins in their last six in all competitions.

Meanwhile, after being held to a draw 1-1 by AC Léopard in Bamako, Stade Malien meet the Congolese again this weekend in Dolisie in the fourth week of the Confederation Cup. The Stadiens are currently lying last in Group B halfway through the group phase with two points to their name. They will be giving their utmost to secure their first win after suffering a defeat at the hands of rivals Djoliba AC and securing two draws against

Wydad Casablanca and the Congolese of AC Léopard.

In their first clash two weeks ago at the Stade Modibo Keita, the Malians opened the score just after the half-hour mark through Ousmane Cissé, but very soon after were joined with an equaliser from Hermann Lakolo.

So it will be on Congolese soil that goalkeeper Abdoulaye Samaké and team mates will have to find points if they hope to maintain a bit of hope in this group.

Victory will be just as important for the Niari Wildcats, who must widen the gap between them and the Whites, while also avoiding a return by Wydad who are lying on the same number of points.

Also, Al Merreikh, the current leader of Group A, could take a giant step towards the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup this Sunday in

Shandy during the fourth week.

After two home wins against InterClube and Al Ahly Shandy and a draw on the fields of Al Hilal, the Red Devils have garnered seven points and currently occupy the head of the log halfway through the group phase.

Al Merreikh beat Al Ahly Shandy a fortnight ago in Omdurman, thanks to second-half goals by Kelechi Osunwa and Al Basha, and meet Mohamed Al Kouki’s men again this weekend, knowing that a win would represent a huge step towards the semi-finals of this competition.

But after being manhandled by this Shandy team for most of the first half, the Khartoum club are looking rather wary before tackling this battle.

The other Group A match in Khartoum was decided last night when Sudanese of Al Hilal clashed Interclube’s Angola.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 42

Mass exodus may hit NPL as players seek greener pastures abroad I

t’s the end of the season in Nigeria and time for the business of players’ transfer.

However, some foreign deals have since been concluded, but domestic transactions continue.

In this report, supersport.com highlights players who have exited the NPL for a new lease of life overseas.

Jude Aneke (Al-Masry/AlDakhleya, Egypt) Nigeria’s all-time top scorer, Jude Aneke, signed a three-year deal with Al-Masry to begin a career abroad.

Aneke had been linked with several teams in Europe before the interest from Egypt.

Interestingly, Egyptian aristocrats, Al Ahly expressed interest, but wanted him on trials.

Aneke’s agent insisted his client was unavailable for trials, and Masry made a swift request for his services.

To show their readiness, the contract was sent to Nigeria and Aneke signed to continue his football abroad.

However, he will start his football in Egypt on loan at another side, Al-Dakhleya due to Masry’s domestic problems and return to Port Said next year.

Izu Azuka (Esperance Sportif, Tunisia) Azuka’s second coming to the Nigeria Premier League has earned him plaudits. He’s a brilliant midfielder who added value to Sunshine Stars.

Sunshine Stars benefited from his Champions League experience at Algeria’s JS Kabylie and Libya’s Al Ittihad.

Interestingly, African champions, Esperance noticed his

Jude Aneke performance and wasted no time giving him another chance to play club football in North Africa.

James Okwuosa (Ajax CapeTown/Chippa United, South Africa) Okwuosa is big, strong, reliable defender who knows how to score goals with his head. A partnership with Cyril Oriaku has strengthened the defence of the team.

However, Okwuosa was invited for a test match by Ajax Cape Town and the rest is history.

Delay in the release of transfer papers cost him a place at Ajax, but he has since been sent on loan to PSL rookies, Chippa United.

Uche Kalu (Çaykur Rizespor,

James Okwuosa Turkey) Enyimba star and Nigerian international, Uche Kalu, is one of the few homeground stars at Enyimba.

Discovered in Aba, the young lad was sent on loan at lower division side, Bussdor, to get playing time and finally returned to take his place at the Aba side.

Kalu, who has been capped by Super Eagles gaffer, Stephen Keshi, is on a short-term loan at Rizespor.

Chikeluba Ofoedu (Trabzon Karadenizspor Kulubu, Turkey) The former UNTH striker became an instant hit at Enugu Rangers, which gave him a chance to play Premier League

Kalu Uche football. For several weeks, he was the league’s top scorer, but lost his goal scoring form after heading for trials with Rosenborg, in Norway.

He returned to Rangers after failing to get a contract in Norway and later headed for Turkey.

Aaron Samuel (Valerenga, Norway) It’s difficult to believe that Samuel, who has since begun his career in Europe with Norway’s Valerenga was rejected by two top sides, Dolphins and 3SC. Dropped by Dolphins at the end of the 2010/2011 season, Samuel spent a few weeks at 3SC last term, but was dropped for

poor performance.

Oghogho Oduokpe (FC Cape Town, South Africa) Oduokpe, who revived his NPL career at Enugu Rangers after leaving Warri Wolves is close to a deal at South African lower division side, FC Cape Town. He scored on the last day of the league to help Rangers claim second position.

John Nnam (FC Cape Town, South Africa> The former Enugu Rangers' defender, who spent the last term with Enyimba, is heading for FC Cape Town. Nnam is out of contract at Enyimba and might get a deal if he satisfies, FC Cape Town gaffer, Paul Aigbogun.

Chavez confronts Martinez for WBC middleweight crown tonight

J

ulio Cesar Chavez Jr, who has lived on the shadow of his father, will square up against Sergio Martinez, who is generally recognised as the best middleweight in the world, for the WBC middleweight title fight.

Julio who has looked impressive in his recent fights, particularly when he clubbed Andy Lee into submission in the seventh round in Texas on June 16, is technically a middleweight champion, but he's still very much a work in progress as an upper-echelon fighter.

He'll face a technically superior and better tested fighter. Martinez has lost only once in the past 13 years and has held titles at lightmiddleweight and middleweight.

Chavez has a decided size advantage, but to win he will have to turn the fight into the kind of brawl his father used to love.

The bookies don't give him a

big chance of doing that, making Chavez a 2-1 underdog.

But he'll have the highly respected trainer Freddie Roach, who also handles Manny Pacquaio, in his corner, and the vocal support of most of the 19 000 fans in a sold-out University of

Chavez Jr and Martinez

Nevada Las Vegas campus arena.

Roach has made Chavez into a more polished fighter since taking over as his trainer, but he has also admitted being frustrated by the fighter's approach to training.

Chavez stood him up several times at his Hollywood gym, only to call

Roach for workouts in the early morning hours.

Chavez looked a little drawn at the news conference. He has struggled to make the 73kg limit.

Between fights weights about 82 and Roach said he was still 3 kg over the mark on Wednesday.

Just getting to the point where he is making a guaranteed $3 million before a big crowd is a victory in itself for Chavez, who didn't take up boxing until his late teens.

He's been fighting for eight years, but has been brought along slowly, matched against fighters whom he was sure to beat.

That has changed in recent fights, and so has Chavez.

Martinez has been trying to get Chavez in the ring for some time, but promoter Bob Arum said until now he did not think Chavez was far enough to be competitive against a fighter of the stature of

Martinez.

Arum says Chavez reminds him somewhat of his father, a straight ahead fighter who was relentless and wore other fighters down with shots to the body.

The elder Chavez dominated in the junior lightweight and lightweight divisions in a 22-year career in which he won 107 times and lost only six fights. He fought all the best fighters of his era, including Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya and Meldrick Taylor.

He also fought in the same arena in which his son is fighting this week, beating Hector Camacho almost 20 years ago to the day. At that fight, Chavez Jr was a 6-year-old sitting ringside wearing one of his father's signature red headbands.

Arum said Chavez Jr. had suffered by being compared to his father, especially when he started out and wasn't very skilled.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

C

helsea will be looking to maintain their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season when they take on Queens Park Rangers today at Loftus Road.

While second-bottom QPR have only a point to show from their three games this season, Chelsea the only side to have won all of their top-flight matches so far - are top of the table on nine points, two better off than champions Manchester City, who face a tricky-looking trip to Stoke City.

The Britannia Stadium has become something of a bogey ground for City, beaten twice and held to three draws there in their last five visits in all competitions. There is an element of the unknown about the encounter, though, given the number of debutants that could be on display.

The contest brings together two of the most busy clubs from the end of the transfer window and among those who could make their first appearances for their new team are former England striker Michael Owen for the Potters and Brazilian fullback Maicon for City.

Man Utd -a point behind City- host Wigan Athletic and will again hope to rely on former Arsenal skipper now their deadliest frontman Robbin van Persie

PAGE 43

Tricky tests for City, Chelsea as Liverpool seek first win City where they twice surrendered a lead, while their last league outing saw them losing 2-0 to Arsenal at home.

While Liverpool have looked promising with their passing game, they have failed to utilize their chances and have also been guilty of committing basic errors at the back and are yet to keep a clean sheet in the league this season.

The Reds have lost two of their last three games at Sunderland including the infamous loss in 2009 Joe Allen, Liverpool

Carlos Tevez, Man City

to continue his explosive goalscoring start for the club.

Van Persie’s hat-trick against Southampton on September 2 meant he had netted four times in two starts for United, although he came off injured on Tuesday during the Netherlands’ FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Hungary and will have his condition assessed ahead of the Latics match.

Arsenal - still to concede a goal this season - at the Emirates Stadium take on a Southampton side who are

yet to register a point, struggling Aston Villa entertain high-flying Swansea City and another team who have started well, West Bromwich Albion, play at Fulham.

Liverpool will be looking for their first win in the Barclays Premiership this season when they visit Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Reds are yet to collect maximum points this season with their only point coming from a 2-2 draw against Manchester

Robbin van Persie, Man Utd

0-0 draw against Arsenal before holding Swansea City to a 2-2 draw in Wales.

Their third fixture against reading had to be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, leaving the Black Cats in 13th place on the log.

Steven Fletcher scored both goals for Martin O’Neill’s side against Swansea and will be looking to put more pressure on the nervous Liverpool defence and goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

On Sunday, Andre Villas-Boas takes his search for his first win as Tottenham Hotspur manager to Reading - who, like QPR, Villa and Liverpool, have just one point to their name.

where Darren Bent’s shot deflected off a beach ball and into the back of the net.

To add to their worries, Liverpool will have to do without the injured Lucas Leiva, Jose Enrique and Martin Kelly on Saturday, while Joe Cole has also not fully recovered from a hamstring strain.

Sunderland on the other hand are under less pressure than Liverpool with two points from their two games, having played to a

Barclay’s Premier League table Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team Chelsea Swansea West Brom Man City Man Utd Everton West Ham Arsenal Wigan Newcastle Fulham Stoke Sunderland Tottenham Norwich Reading Aston Villa Liverpool QPR Southampton

P 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3

W 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

D 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0

L 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 3

GF 8 10 6 8 6 4 4 2 4 3 7 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 4

GA 2 2 1 5 5 3 3 0 4 4 6 3 2 4 7 5 5 7 9 8

GD 6 8 5 3 1 1 1 2 0 -1 1 0 0 -1 -5 -2 -3 -5 -7 -4

Pts 9 7 7 7 6 6 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0

Ronaldo returns as Barca look to extend lead

C

ristiano Ronaldo will put his latest controversy behind him and rescue Real Madrid from their faltering start to La Liga season, his teammates have insisted.

The Portuguese star described himself as being ‘sad’ after scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Granada without offering further explanation and his words

have kept him in the eye of a storm in Spain during the international break.

Media speculation has focussed on his current contract being the source of his discontent, but Ronaldo has denied this.

A number of his colleagues have also been quick to play down any problems his words may have caused within the

Madrid camp and defender Alvaro Arbeloa believes the fans will also be supportive when the team takes on Sevilla on Saturday.

Madrid find themselves five points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona after only three league games.

Barcelona go to a Getafe

side today that has already beaten Madrid this season.

They were also just one of the teams to beat the Catalans last term. Getafe midfielder Jaime Gavilan is confident his side can repeat those two results.

“We want to take something positive from the

La Liga log POS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Team Barcelona Mallorca Malaga Rayo Vallecano Valladolid Deportivo La Coruna Sevilla Atletico Madrid Real Madrid Getafe Levante Real Betis Celta Vigo Real Zaragoza Athletic Bilbao Real Sociedad Valencia Granada Espanyol Osasuna

P 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

W 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

D 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0

L 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 3

GF 8 4 3 3 3 6 3 5 5 4 4 6 3 2 5 3 4 1 4 1

GA 2 2 1 1 2 4 2 1 3 4 5 5 3 3 9 7 5 5 7 6

GD 6 2 2 2 1 2 1 4 2 0 -1 1 0 -1 -4 -4 -1 -4 -3 -5

Pts 9 7 7 7 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 0 0

match. On paper they are better then us but it’s eleven against eleven and each match is different so anything is possible,” he said.

Barcelona will have to do without Andres Iniesta and Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez who have returned from international duty with abductor and thigh injuries.

Winger Pedro Rodriguez insists that they will face a difficult task in the south of Madrid.

Rayo Vallecano and

Fixtures La Liga

EPL

Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid

Javier Mascherano, Barca

Atletico Madrid meet in a derby on Sunday with both sides from the capital still unbeaten while Malaga, also undefeated, kick-off the weekend on Saturday at home to Levante.

Osasuna and Espanyol are the only two sides still to win a point this season.

Both will be keen to get off the mark in winnable home matches against Mallorca and Athletic Bilbao for who Fernando Llorente is yet to make a start this season and struggling again to make the squad.

Norwish vs West Ham

Malaga v Levante

QPR

Valencia v Celta

vs Chelsea

Man Utd vs Wigan

Getafe v Barcelona

Aston Villa vs Swansea

Sevilla v Real Madrid

Stoke City vs Man City

Sunday

Fulham vs West Brom

Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao

Arsenal vs Southampton

Granada v Deportivo

Sunderland vs Liverpool

Osasuna v Mallorca

Sunday

Real Sociedad v Zaragoza

Reading vs Tottenham

A/Madrid v Rayo Vallecano

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

Great North Run: Kipsang vs Merga

W

ilson Kipsang narrowly missed the World record by just four seconds, clocking a staggering 2:04:42. But he took the London Marathon in April it was his fourth major Marathon win in a row (out of five he had won).

The world’s biggest Half Marathon - the Bupa Great North Runoffers him another opportunity to prove his mettles.

Kipsang then entered the Olympic marathon as the favourite, but ended up with the bronze. Kipsang also is one of the fastest Half Marathon runners ever with a personal best of 58:59.

Despite the withdrawal of Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie with a knee injury and Mo Farah organisers still have put together a very strong field. Among them are a couple of athletes with extraordinary speed at shorter distances.

One of them is Imane Merga.

The 23-year-old Ethiopian is the World Cross Country Champion from 2011, took bronze at 10,000m

at the World Championships last year and has a personal best of 26:48.35. The Great North Run will be his debut at the distance.

Two Kenyans have also done very well at the 10 k distance: Emmanuel Bett clocked a world lead of 26:51.16 in the 10,000m a week ago in Brussels. He has a Half Marathon personal best of 1:02:10 from last year but should be capable of doing much better.

Micah Kogo is another Kenyan with tremendous speed. He won bronze at 10,000m at the 2008 Olympics and features an even faster personal best (26:35.63).

The 26-year-old, who had been the World record holder at 10k (27:01), was fourth a year ago with 1:00:03.

Britain’s Chris Thompson (1:01:23), Yared Asmeron (Eritrea/1:00:28), who was 19th in the Olympic Marathon and France’s national record holder Abdellatif Meftah (1:00:46) could also do well this Sunday.

Paralympic bronze medalist, Nneji, retires

V

Kipsang

Merga

ictoria Nneji, a bronze medalist in powerlifting at the just-concluded London 2012 Paralympic Games, on Thursday announced her retirement from active sports, saying she was fulfilled and getting old.

Nneji won a bronze medal in the 67.5 kg and had won a gold medal in Sydney 2000 Paralympics and silver in Beijing 2008, did not win a medal at the Athens 2004 Games when she first participated at the Games. ``I had sustained injuries in my shoulders during the Beijing

six weeks after the Olympics.

Pavey was third in this race in 2008 and fourth a year ago when returning from giving birth to her son Jacob. Not having run the Marathon in the Olympics could well be an advantage for Pavey on Sunday.

Especially since she did so well in the 5000 and 10,000m in London, finishing seventh in both races.

Meanwhile, the Great North City Games kicks off today just few weeks after the amazing Olympic Games in London.

The City Games, which was won last year by The US team-73, will feature another Great Britain versus USA match with a total of nine events to be staged.

Among those competing will be Britain’s Long Jump Olympic champion Greg Rutherford and Champion Christian Taylor of the U.S. who took Triple Jump gold.

The other two have the potential of winning as well, Chris Tomlinson the joint British record holder with Rutherford and Will Claye, who won silver in the Triple Jumpand bronze in the Long Jump.

While Dwain Chambers (Great Britain) will compete in the 100m, Wallace Spearmon (USA) runs the 150m. After his fourth place in the 200m Olympic final Spearmon looks forward to a change in

competition format. Earlier this year Spearmon won the 150m in the Manchester City Games with 14.87.

In the 110m Hurdles Olympic silver medallist and reigning World champion Jason Richardson will be competing for the USA. He’ll be up against Britain’s Lawrence Clarke, who had surprised with a fourth place in the London final. In the mile race former World 1500m champion Bernard Lagat, who won this race a year ago, will be the favourite. Britain’s Andy Baddeley and Andrew Osagie will be among his rivals in Newcastle.

In the four women’s events the mile race will feature World 1,500m champion Jenny Simpson (USA) and Hannah England, who won this race for Great Britain in 2011. In the Pole Vault British record holder Holly Bleasdale is the favourite.

While there are a total of nine events that count for the Great Britain versus USA match, there is one more race added to the City Games on Saturday, a two-mile race that will feature Mo Farah.

Britain’s sensational double Olympic Champion (5000 and 10,000m) was originally scheduled to run the Half Marathon on Sunday, but due to fatigue he opted out of the longer distance. The international field includes Portugal’s Rui Silva.

2008 Olympics which are now prolonged without healing. And it got worse to the extent that our physician was saying that I may not be able to contest at the London Games but I insisted. ``It only shows that I am not getting any younger. Thus, I am retiring from active sports. And I can say I’m satisfied with my performances this far,” she said.

Nneji added that she was glad that she was able to clinch a medal at the London Games, in spite of injuries on both her shoulders and the stiff competition in her category.

She appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to provide a Trust Fund for retired athletes. ``We want the NSC to have retired athletes in mind, so that they can sustain themselves,” Nneji said.

Team Nigeria to the Paralympics clinched a total of 13 medals, including six gold, five silver and two bronze.

It will be recalled that Nigeria first participated in the Summer Paralympics in Barcelona 1992, and has since won a total of 22 gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze medals.

Half Marathon: Tirunesh Dibaba debuts on Sunday L

ondon Olympics 10, 000 m champion, Tirunesh Dibaba will this make her debut on the Half Marathon race as she looks set to start a serious road running career in Newcastle.

She has contested some road races before, but no further than 15kilometres and her 46:28 from Nijmegen 2009 stands as a World record.

It will be fascinating to see what the double Olympic Champion from Beijing (5000 and 10,000m), who added another gold (10,000m) plus a bronze (5000m) in London to her impressive Olympic medal collection (in 2004 she had taken a bronze in the 5000), is capable of running.

Dibaba, who intends to run a Marathon possibly next spring, will be up against very strong Marathon runners. The big Marathon name is Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana, the Olympic champion who has a personal best of 1:08:48.

But her Marathon PB of 2:18:58 suggests that she can run faster. It is similar with Edna Kiplagat. Kenya’s reigning World Marathon champion, who dropped back to 20th in the Olympic Marathon, has a Half Marathon PB of 1:09:00 (Marathon: 2:19:50). But for both athletes it will not be an easy task

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia won the gold medal in the Women's 10,000m Final of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium, last August

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

By Augustine Aminu with reports from Wikipedia

B

aseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond. Players on the batting team take turns hitting against the pitcher of the fielding team, which tries to stop them from scoring runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. A player on the batting team can stop at any of the bases and later advance via a teammate’s hit or other means. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team records three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning and nine innings make up a professional game. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

Origins of baseball The evolution of baseball from older bat-and-ball games is difficult to trace with precision.

A French manuscript from 1344 contains an illustration of clerics playing a game, possibly la soule, with similarities to baseball.

Other old French games such as thèque, la balle au bâton, and la balle empoisonnée also appear to be related. Consensus once held that today’s baseball is a North American development from the older game rounders, popular in Great Britain and Ireland. Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game (2005), by David Block, suggests that the game originated in England; recently uncovered historical evidence supports this position. Block argues that rounders and early baseball were actually regional variants of each other, and that the game’s most direct antecedents are the English games of stoolball and “tutball”.It has long been believed that cricket also descended from such games, though evidence uncovered in early 2009 suggests that the sport may have

PAGE 45

BASEBALL:

Game for focus mind

been imported to England from Rules and gameplay A game is played between two teams, each composed of nine players, that take turns playing offense (batting or hitting) and defense (fielding or pitching). A pair of turns, one at bat and one in the field, by each team constitutes an inning. A game consists of nine innings. One

team—customarily the visiting team—bats in the top, or first half, of every inning. The other team—customarily the home team—bats in the bottom, or second half, of every inning. The goal of the game is to score more points (runs) than the other team. The players on the team at bat attempt to score runs by circling or completing a tour of the four bases set at the corners of the square-shaped baseball diamond. A player bats at home

“

The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond

plate and must proceed counterclockwise to first base, second base, third base, and back home in order to score a run. The team in the field attempts both to prevent runs from scoring and to record outs, which remove opposing players from offensive action until their turn in their team’s batting order comes up

again. When three outs are recorded, the teams switch roles for the next half-inning. If the score of the game is tied after nine innings, extra innings are played to resolve the contest.

Many amateur games, particularly unorganized ones, involve different numbers of players and innings.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

City Life

With Stanley Onyekwere 08138559513

Keeping up with traffic gridlocks

CITY QUOTE The catalogue of forms is endless: until every shape has found its city, new cities will continue to be born. When the forms exhaust their variety and come apart, the end of cities begins.

– Italo Calvino

CITY BRIEF:

Dei-Dei residents get free medical services

R

Heavy traffic jam, in Nyanya Abuja.

W

hen it comes to living in cities across the world, keeping up with the phenomena known as traffic gridlock, jam, holdups or congestion, or as an average Nigerian would commonly describe as go-slow(in local parlance), as the case maybe, is part of the things city people cannot but embrace.. This is because it has become almost an inseparable common feature of cities especially those with high density. And in Nigeria, it is a reoccurring sight especially in major cities.

Among major cities in the country like Kano, Ibadan and Abuja, when discussing issues on traffic congestion, Lagos metropolis comes first in mind.

Lagos, often described by residents and visitors alike as one of the busiest cities in the world, one of the city's striking features, which clearly defines its character as a bustling metropolis, is the ever-present traffic congestion on most roads.

In different parts of the city, it is common to encounter traffic hold-ups that last for several hours at a stretch.

Sometimes, a mere argument between two motorists on a typical busy road may build up to a full-scale gridlock.

Even first-time visitors receive their baptism of traffic congestion on Lagos roads as they approach the outer reaches of the city, through the Lagos

Photos Mahmud Isa

end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the popular Berger Bus Stop.

Some routes are actually dreaded by motorists and commuters and mostly avoided because of the frequent occurrence of traffic jams on the roads. In Lagos, such include the area around the Jakande/ Ajao Estate, Abule-Egba, Dopemu Road, and Ketu/Ojota Road, Maryland/Anthony area, the Third Mainland Bridge, Lekki Expressway, and the Mushin/Ojuwoye Road.

While in Abuja, places like Kubwa/Gwarimpa road, Airport/ Lugbe road, Berger/ Wuse road, Abuja/Keffi

expressway , to mention are notorious for gridlocks.

Investigations have shown that while some roads in major Nigerian cities are tagged as nogo areas during certain periods of the day, sometimes, traffic unexpectedly builds up on others previously not known to be prone to hold-ups.

At other times, the gridlocks are caused by broken-down articulated vehicles or by accidents involving more than two vehicles, serious enough to stall movement of other motorists for sometime.

In the end, the average road user becomes exhausted and frustrated and often wished that

“

What has always remained baffling about traffic gridlocks in Nigeria cities has been the inability of successive authorities to do anything worthwhile towards addressing this menace, apart from the few palliative rituals of filling the potholes and surface, dressing the roads.

measures have been put in place to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

Usually, in a bid to overcome traffic congestion, most dwellers resort to patronizing commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as okada, to get to their destinations at least in much lesser time possible than boarding a vehicle.

This has contributed to the flourishing of okadas in virtually all Nigerian cities and villages as it enables businessmen, government workers, and students, to navigate around the traffic mainly orchestrated by bad and unmaintained roads.

Left with few transportation options, however, many continue to patronize okadas despite knowing well the significant risks involved.

What has always remained baffling about traffic gridlocks in Nigeria cities has been the inability of successive authorities to do anything worthwhile towards addressing this menace, apart from the few palliative rituals of filling the potholes and surface, dressing the roads.

But over time, citizens of Nigeria have learnt to put up with the problem. And many people have actually devised their own ways of beating persistent hold ups, especially in some parts of a given city known to be prone to gridlocks.

Got interesting stories about life or happenings in your neighbourhood? Contact CityLife, and let others read about them. Send suggestions/comments with your names and phone numbers via mycitybeat2pml@gmail.com.

esidents of Dei-Dei, including traders have received free medical services at the Abuja International Building Materials Market.

The free medical outreach, medical experts who offered the services said it was to afford the common man the opportunity of accessing free health services as traders, buyers and other residents were offered free medical consultation, testing and free drugs.

Head of the team, Nitin Dewan said the free medical outreach was a way of reaching out to the people and contributing to their well being.

Dewan, who encouraged the traders to have checkups at least once a year disclosed that eight consultants were present at the outreach to attend to people.

Addressing traders at the market, wife of the FCT Minister, Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed, who flagged-off the exercise which was a collaboration of the FCT Health and Human Service Secretariat and Primus International Super Specialty Hospital, advised them to take their health seriously.

She advised women and children especially to carry out routine medical checkups as she commended the organisers for putting up the outreach.

The minister's wife also advised traders on the benefits of hand washing, pointing out that many diseases could be prevented if people imbibed a culture of washing their hands often.

Earlier while flagging-off a similar exercise at Garki market, the Health Secretary, Dr. Demola Onakomaiya said that the collaboration was an added dimension to the FCT administration's health care program to reach out to the people of the FCT. "Our intention is to bring health care services across to you, wherever you are," he told the participants as he implored them to make the best use of the opportunity".

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit Don't let satan have you! “

S

imon, Simon (Peter), lis ten! Satan has asked ex cessively that (all of) you be given up to him (out of the power and keeping of God) that he might sift (all of) you like grain. But I have prayed especially for you (Peter) that your (own) faith may not fail: and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren" (Luke 22:31-32 Amplified Bible).

Jesus told his disciples before his arrest what was going to happen to all of them which they were unaware of. Satan had pressed to have them released from God's care so that he could take possession of them. He wanted to sift them like grain; he wanted to test them each as a farmer separates wheat from husks but Jesus, the good shepherd, had prayed for them especially for Peter that his faith would not fail. Praying for Peter in particular was important because he was supposed to provide leadership for the rest.

But Peter could not believe what Jesus was saying because he had been with him all this while and was committed to him. He told Jesus bluntly he was not only ready to go to jail but to die with him. But Jesus was not moved by Peter's expression of his loyalty and commitment. He told him that before a rooster crowed the next day he would say three times that he didn't know him. Peter must have wondered how that would ever happen.

Just as Jesus said Peter would deny him; he did even before a small

girl, and the other disciples, except John the beloved, deserted him. After Peter denied him the third time, Jesus, who had been arrested, looked at him and Peter remembered what Jesus had said about him - denying him thrice. He went out of there and wept sorely. Thank God that Jesus had prayed for him earlier that he would be restored, probably he would have gone to commit suicide just as Judas did. The prayer of Jesus must have prevented him from such a thought.

Peter nonetheless appeared to have been disappointed at himself about that incident. Probably he couldn't see himself qualify to lead other disciples after the death of Jesus in view of his dismal failure of denying his Master. He announced to them that he was going fishing - may be a first step towards resuscitating his erstwhile fishing business! What a decision! And the rest decided to follow him. Back to fishing, he caught nothing as it was when Jesus first met him. Jesus went after him despite Peter's denial of him and reinstated him to the ministry to lead the other disciples.

May be you are like Peter who never imagined that satan could get him to deny Jesus. You can never imagine yourself commit certain sins and you have even criticized those who committed such sins in the past.

But it is not about you not seeing yourself falling into such sins. It is about you taking heed to yourself.

Many of those who fell never could

believe that they would fall too but they fell.

You and I have found ourselves disappointed at ourselves one time or the other in the past because of the sins we committed which we never imagined that we could ever commit. The truth is the devil has never given up on anybody. He believes that somehow, someday, sometimes and somewhere he can still get anybody. That is why he keeps tempting people even in the areas of their lives that they have had victories for years. But the devil believes that the fact you did not fall for a temptation for thirty years does not mean that you cannot fall today, and this is true.

That is why the Bible says he that thinks he stands should take heed lest he should fall (1 Cor 10:12). I love the translation of this verse in The Message Bible: "Don't be so naïve and self-confident. You're not exempt.

You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about selfconfidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence" But if you've already yielded to satan's temptation and you feel disappointed at yourself, down and out, remember that it is not over for you.

It's not over for your Christian race, your ministry, your destiny. Repent today and return to Jesus. He will have mercy on you just as he had on Peter and reinstated him.

How satan won't have you Here are some tips on how to ensure that satan doesn't have you.

Because of limitation of space, I won't

GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 be able to discuss each point. But I encourage you to read the scriptural references.

-Continuously renew your mind with the Word of God. (Rom 12:2, James 1:12-15, 1 Tim 6:9, Heb 3:13, Matt 13:22, Ps 119:11, 97, 1:2) -Keep yourself in the love of God. (Jude 21, Rev 3:10) "Develop a strong human spirit.

(Luke 4: 1-13, Gen. 39:9) -Develop your faith. (Luke 22:32, Heb 10:23) "Don't withdraw from or forsake fellowship with brethren. (Heb 10:25, Ecc 4:9) -Don't get carried away by public Christian activities; cultivate unbroken fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

-Avoid false teachers, false prophets and false brethren. (Matt 7:15-17, Gal 2:4, 2 Cor 11:26, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1, Jude 3) -Avoid the ungodly, the sinner and the scornful (mockers) (Ps 1, Jude 18) -Be sober, be vigilant and resist the devil. (1 Peter 5:8-9, 1 Cor 10:1213, Heb 12: 4, James 4: 7, 2 Tim 2:22, 1 Thess 5:22) -Bridle your tongue. (Gen 3: 2-

5, Matt 12:36, Mark 12:13, Eph 4:29, James 3:2, Ps 17:4, 34:11-13, 141:3, Pro 10:19, 13:3, 15:23) -Consecrate yourself to holy living. Don't be full of religion while you lack the reality in conduct. Don't have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof (2 Tim 3:5). Let not your Christianity become mechanical. Be holy in all manners of living just as God who called you is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Live a holy life that will show forth His praise; not one that will glorify the devil - God called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9) -Pray without ceasing. Prayer is one of the preventative measures against falling into the hand of the devil. A prayerless Christian will be a powerless Christian when the tempter shows up. If you don't pray you will be a prey! Jesus taught his disciples both to watch and to pray (Mark 14:38, Col 4:2).

"And when he rose from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow.

And said unto them, why sleeping ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation" (Luke 22:45-46).

The dynamics of irresistible faith T FAITH Hebrews 11:1-3 here can be no victorious Christian living without profound and unquestioning faith in the living God. He who would live victoriously and do exploits for God must first believe in Him without wavering. The Lord has called on all believers to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). FAITH is Full Assurance In Trusting Hearts. Since we know that “He is faithful that promised,” we can “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering” (Hebrews 11:23). True faith is always based on God’s infallible word. The believer first reads or hears some promise of the Lord. He becomes aware that God has spoken to him directly and he knows God cannot lie. With utter confidence in the trustworthiness of the One who has promised, he reckons the promise as sure as if it were already fulfilled.

Faith is central and essential in the believer’s life. The believer also receives the commandments of God by faith. He knows: If God commands, He enables. If He bids Peter to walk on the water, Peter can be sure that the needed power will be given (Matthew 14:28-29).

Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends. Faith says, “If ‘impossible’ is the only objection,

it can be done!”

1. THE DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF FAITH Hebrews 11:1; 6:18,19; 11:27; Romans 8:24,25; 2 Corinthians 4:13,18; Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 32:10 -17,44; Romans 4:18-21; 10:17; Ephesians 6:16,17.

Faith in God is trust in God, a firm persuasion that God cannot lie, that if He has promised, He will fulfil His Word. Faith expresses the assurance that hope will be realized because the believer is assured that through the power and faithfulness of God he will possess the promised possession. Faith, trust and confidence are inseparable.

Counting on the ability, willingness and faithfulness of God, who has promised, we are confident of receiving the things promised.

“Now faith is the substance of things hope for”. The word “substance” literally means that which has real existence, the actual reality. Faith is the “substance”, the basic essence, the real existence, the sure manifestation of what we ask for and hope to receive. “Now faith is the evidence of things not seen”. Evidence is the absolute proof of the reality and existence of anything. Faith is the visible reality of the invisible. You see the invisible reality with the clear eyes of faith.

When you know in your heart that your request has been answered before you see it, your faith is the evidence that you have it. Faith says,

DISCOURSE WITH

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi ‘God has said it, so it must be true.’

Faith visualizes the unseen, giving reality to invisible things. Faith shuts its eyes to all that is seen and opens its ears to all God has said. Faith is the eye of the soul which looks out and sees the fulfillment of God’s promises clearly.

2. THE DEMONSTRATION AND DECLARATION OF FAITH Hebrews 11:2; Genesis 15:6; Numbers 12:6-8; 14:24; 1 Kings 17:22-24; 2 Kings 3:11,12; Daniel 3:26-29; 6:25-27; Hebrews 11:39a, 4-8, 23-27, 32-34.

“For by it (by faith) the elders obtained a good report”. From A to Z, that is, from Abel to Zechariah, from Abraham to Zerubbabel the patriarchs and the prophets obtained a good report, received great commendations for exploits done by faith. Men and women of God, in former

dispensations, lived for God and pleased God, laboured for God and did exploits, walked with God and wrought miracles, forsook the world and followed hard after God, endured persecution and conquered their persecutors, all by faith.

Also, men and women in the New Testament, from A to Z, from Andrew, Aquila or Antipas to Zachaeus or Zebedee’s sons all lived and triumphed by faith. By faith they were saved and sanctified, healed and delivered, baptized and empowered, protected and preserved; by faith they overcame sin and Satan, overcame the flesh and the world, inherited the promises.

They, too, obtained a good report and received God’s commendation by faith. Until this day, the only way for any of us to obtain a good report from God is by faith. To please God, we must live, love, labour by faith.

To be overcomers or to be more than

conquerors, we must walk by faith, stand and withstand the enemy by faith, pray by faith and do exploits by faith. The thoughts of faith, the life of faith, the walk of faith, the obedience of faith, the language of faith, the work of faith and the worship of faith are the things that bring God’s approval on our lives.

3. THE DISCERNMENT OF DIVINE DEEDS THROUGH FAITH Hebrews 11:3; Nehemiah 9:6; Palm 33:6; Isaiah 40:26-31; John 1:3; Hebrews 1:1-3; Acts 17:24; Romans 4:17; Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17.

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God “. Faith gives us spiritual perception; unbelief makes people blind. Through faith in what God has revealed in the Scriptures, we understand, we know that the worlds, the earth, the planets, the sun, moon and stars were all created by God. The universe, with every minute thing and the mightiest of things, was created

by God. He made the worlds by the power of His word. God is the Creator and Maker of all things.

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast “ (Psalm 33:6,9).

Our God is mighty and powerful, His might and power are infinite and unlimited.

BIG PUNCH “This is an interesting country because my uncle or my father, who is our former Head of State, Gen. Obasanjo, you know he is a very successful farmer, but he is a very bad economist. He stands up and says that this higher denomination (N5000 note) will cause inflation and improve hardship.”

—CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi lambasting ex President Olusegun Obasanjo for opposing the introduction of N5000 notes.

SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, SEPTEMBER, 2012

T

here is probably no task that is as easy and yet as rewarding as being a governor of a Northern State.

The difficult part is how to arrive at the seat, the richer you are, or better still, the stronger your promoters and patrons are, the brighter your chances. In other words elections are merely secondary. But once on seat the difficulties cease.

The Governor is the star. His words are final, his wisdom unassailable, his ways perfect.

To challenge his words, to assail his wisdom, to question his ways are matters of grave personal or collective risk. The cabinet, therefore, consists of only one person, since no other member can be as intelligent, knowledgeable or wise as the Governor, who therefore is both the sole cabinet and the sole Chief Executive. The State, likewise, comprises only one person. If the Governor is a wise person, the State is wise; if he is a psychopath, the State is a psychopath; if he is away, the State hibernates; if he is a giant, so is the State, if he is a pygmy, the State is a pygmy.

In short, the Governor is the Government, the People, the State. Thus is the State reduced to the status of just one individual, and whatever its diversity or complexity, it is, in composition, character and quality, only one opinion, one way, one style. Never will it ever grow beyond the prism of one megalomaniac, or advance above the confines of one psychopath.

As a Northern Star, the Governor’s routine is static and predictable.

The most important function for him is to collect the state’s share of Federation Account. And then the feast begins.

Disbursements are made according to the dictates and wishes of the only one man in the state. Yes salaries are paid, and to some extent some essential services are funded, usually in a continuos dwindling manner. Since the Governor has come to power without a plan, agenda or program, decisions as to what goes where in terms of funding are decided on the spur of the moment. What this means is that there is no defined scale of priorities, and no defined set of goals, and no definitive developmental strategies. So, in this Northern State, as probably in nearly all the

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The Prodigal: Chronicle of a Northern Governor others, the most likely outcome is that what maters most to people are bypassed and ignored. As money after money pours into the coffers of the State from Abuja for development, growth and well being, little of all of that actually takes place, because there is no plan and no process.

Every month the will of the Governor prevails: more money, and yet more poverty, more misery and more despair.

No one cares as long as the only citizen is happy and his desires are fulfilled.

No surprise then that the most tragic and enduring symbol of Northern Nigeria is the Almajiri, that unfortunate child beggar whose plight defines, most graphically, the economic and social conditions of the region as well as the pathetic failure of leadership. The young, innocent life who is being forced to beg on the street defaces the face of Northern Nigeria and is a very strong indication that the region is not ashamed to compromise its future. No surprise that the Governor is content just to sit back and relax, doing nothing except to wait for the monthly allocation. No surprise also that there is no serious process in place to develop the economies as well as the societies of the region, which is left perpetually in a precarious and unacceptable situation.

And the situation is such that if oil money is not forthcoming from Abuja every one of theses states where the Governor feels himself supreme will suffer sudden economic and social collapse. Surely no society, least of all the societies of Northern Nigeria whose tireless labor substantially feeds Nigeria, deserves to be subjected to this level of dire predicament when in fact a responsible, legitimate political power can effectively engineer and nurture prosperity and self-reliance.

Next, the Governor, after ignoring the genuine needs of the people, will try to divert the state money to advance his

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Chairman, Northern Governors Forum, Dr. Mu’aze Babangida Aliyu political fortunes. If he is a first timer, he will conserve money for a second term. And this is a very expensive venture, which can adversely affect the life of the people. Money meant for education, health, infrastructure, happiness and overall human development are diverted to fuel the political ambition of just one person.

This is one major reason for the continuous impoverishment of the people. If the Governor is a second timer, he has an even bigger ambition requiring even more prodigious resources. The entire treasury of the state might be decimated to support this singular adventure. In this case if the Governor is faced with the

choice either to improve agriculture, industry, education and infrastructure with the available resources or, in the alternative, use those resources to promote his personal political ambitions, the latter course will undoubtedly be preferred. So the more first time Governors you have, the poorer the society, the more second timers, the more desolate the entire Northern region. In addition to all that, below the Governor, of course, is the Chair of Local Government, a brazen predator of the first order. On his left is the Party, the ultimate thief, on the right lurks the combined force of vested interests, before him lies

the insatiable appetite of his family and inner circle, behind, and prodding, is the hunger for power, wealth, self aggrandizement. Above the Governor is the Grand Master.

If you follow the story of the Oil Subsidy carefully, you could, if your probing sight is sharp enough, catch a glimpse of how elections are won at the level above the governors. A very grim future lies ahead for the North, an even grimmer prospect awaits Nigeria, as an ever-growing number of individual megalomaniacs pursue their blind political ambitions.

What is the hidden political cost of the prodigality of the Northern Governor? Cast your mind back to a few years ago.

You would come across an incidence in which a Northern Star, by his own admission, gave out some twenty billion Naira of his people’s money in support of an unconstitutional misadventure of a lone warrior. The aim had nothing to do with any sublime principle or worthy cause. The aim was simply to secure immunity from possible legal consequences of massive and unimaginable corruption.

Other Governors had also, for the same reason, sold out the vital, strategic interests of the people they claim to represent.

Then look ahead, and considering the proliferation of so many ambitious prodigals from the North, you could see the emerging disturbing and dangerous trend. You can hear, for a start, one or two of the Great Apes howling. Some force is promising them forgiveness for corruption, or some high office, or some dirty money. And you know that Northern Nigeria, as ever, is the price. So the cost of giving free reign to a Prodigal is huge, and the damage irreparable.

When people surrender their destiny to reckless leaders, or surrender to forces they can otherwise repel effectively or submit to evil for cheap political or economic gains, they risk losing everything in the end.

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