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VOL. 2 NO. 20 SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, DECEMBER, 2012 . . . putting the people first

Hassou Garba: A Nigerien musician who owns radio station >> Page 24

Drug dealers, Kano state government on war path >> Page 5

SAFAR 2 - 3, 1434 AH

N150

Federal government has neglected North/East zone since 1977 —Sen. Ningi >> Page 16

2015 Jostle:

The contenders, the pretenders

Pages 9,10,11&12

Flurry of rice smuggling at borders as Christmas approaches WWW.PEOPLESDAILY-ONLINE.COM

>> Page 34

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

Features

Estates demolition: Failure of an administration?

By Miriam Humbe

E

v e r since Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed assumed the mantle of leadership as the minister of the federal capital territory administration, he has left no one in doubt as to his lack of focus in running the affairs of the territory. Abuja is a city which once boasted of the finest infrastructure in comparison to other parts of the country, a sure reason many Nigerians chose to take residence there.

But the Infrastructural decay which has become the lot of the once beautiful city under Sen. Bala Mohammed's administration is a cause for concern. Dirt and human waste now litter the streets with reckless abandon, a reflection of the inefficiency of the sanitary unit of the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency (AEPB).

Water shortage in the heart of the rainy season had hit Abuja like a bolt from the thunderstorm, causing families to depend on untreated alternative sources like sachet water (pure water) and water vendors on carts popularly called Mairuwa.

The presence of hawkers, beggars and wanderers depicts the images of a blind administration, buttressed with the fact that, the minister had recently admitted to the failure of his administration to give some sectors a development ride.

On Tuesday December 4th, the minister while addressing the Senate Committee on the FCT during the 2013 budget defense, said the ministry had the backing of the nation's laws to demolish some 31 estates which according to him, were illegally built. These are in addition to the case of 35 estates marked for demolition.

Before now, over 500 housing units have been demolished at the Mimanuel estate located along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport road

in September, property worth over N10 billion was rubbled.

The loud protests by those affected did not touch the heart of the minister under whose tutelage, law and order appears to have irrevocably broken down in the FCT. While describing himself as a civil servant, the minister had told the Senate Committee on the FCT headed by Senator Smart Adeyemi recently saying "We cannot allow a situation or exercise of impunity or lawlessness. We are not going to condone this for any reason". These statements he made in favour of his determination to further embark on more demolition as opposed to putting in place a befitting environment for the people.

Bala Mohammed insisted that the move was aimed at putting a stop to the impunity of property developers in the capital territory.

Demolition grafities had also reached Mpape town- an expansive Abuja suburb where construction firms had their quarries would be demolished and the quarries relocated, on the basis that, the National Assembly (even though miles away) would remain unsafe if the area was not demolished.

But the chairman of the committee, Senator Smart Adeyemi in a cautious move, warned that the demolition of the estates, without proper alternative measures could only pose more security threats in the FCT. He also criticized the Development Control Unit for being reactive other than proactive to have allowed construction of the buildings until they reached roof stage.

Smart queried: "What kind of alternative arrangement can you make possible for the people? The estate that was demolished along the airport, we discovered that some civil servants contributed to the construction of these buildings.

“

Because, while the building was on, your staff watched the developers as they advanced construction. Now if you demolish the remaining 31 estates, how do you accommodate the poor people who would have lost everything.

FCT Minister Sen Bala Mohammed It is not their making that those buildings be demolished. They were made to believe that the developer was handling the bank documents for the construction. Because, while the building was on, your staff watched the developers as they advanced construction. Now if you demolish the remaining 31 estates, how do you accommodate the poor people who would have lost everything".

The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof. Ben Angwe also lent his voice in a bid to quench the raging flames when he appealed to the Minister to reconsider his stance on the on-going demolitions, prompting Lagos based human rights Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) to institute a N5billion suit against the minister.

The threat of demolition which has engulfed residents of the selected estates in Abuja

is causing sleepless nights for most of them who in most cases had gone the extra mile to break-the-bank to finance the homes in providing a roof over their heads. The landlord-totenant situation in sight leaves many of them depressed with equations of where to go should the demolition planes go ahead as scheduled.

Mrs. Fatima Abdullahi who lives in Efab Estate says the house she and her family presently occupy was acquired with money from her retirement benefits which she collected at the point of retirement. She wonders what life would look like in the event of possible demolition.

"I don't know how I will copeme and my children, if we have to be rendered homeless as a result of the impending demolition on estates. The house I live in is all the result of the efforts of my 35 years in service.

Why must government demolish the

houses which were built on lands which were properly allocated in the name of reverting to the master plan?" she asked.

Failure on the part of the FCT administration to provide a clean environment in the city or at best enforce the sanitation laws has turned Abuja into a decorated slum of sorts with waste littering the corners of the city. Water shortages and illegal destruction of the landmarks which constitute the ecotourism of the city have continued unabated.

The National Assembly will have to seriously wade into the demolitions which have already created palpable tension in the federal capital territory. Every measure to call the attention FCT minister to order will be appreciated in the bid to curtail further loss of lives and economic waste in the face of the hard times starring Nigerians in the face.

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

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Special Report

FCT: City of dirt and grandeur

By Stanley Onyekwere & Etuka Sunday h e Federal Capital T e r r i t o r y Administration (FCTA) recently came under the search light of the media when it became clear that some officers and agencies shouldered with the responsibility of ensuring clean and conducive environment were not living up to the expectation of the Administration and residents.

Abuja has continued to witness huge influx of people leading to the rise in its population thereby contributing to the current environmental challenges facing the Territory. The quest for survival has led to the emergence of unwholesome activities, ranging from hawking, illegal parking of vehicles which compounds traffic, indiscriminate car wash outfits along the road, to the current return of Okada to the city centre and other unsavoury features.

The master plan of the city as designed by the International Planning Associates (IPA), a consortium of three American firms: Planning Research Corporation; Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd and Archisystems, a division of the Hughes Organization was to see Abuja become a monumental city among other cities of the world.

In order to keep up with that dream, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) was established and shouldered with the responsibility of ensuring strict compliance with the master plan by monitoring and enforcing laws against environmental pollution by Abuja residents.

However, despite the intimidation, harassment and several arrests by the task force of the A.E.P.B, there has not been any significant decrease in those activities, which means that A.E.P.B needs to wake up and step up the enforcement to make things work better.

In October, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed had a meeting with directors and secretaries working in the FCDA and tasked them to be committed to their work or step down for others who can do the work better.

According to him, their

T

Filth around the market place inability to work was posing a barrier to plan implementation of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the transformation Agenda of the Federal Government, adding that the task of ensuring the transformation of the city was paramount and could not be compromised hence the need for collaborative work.

He lamented over the poor image of the administration due to the lackadaisical attitude of some officials, disclosing that refuse were not being collected as at when due, return of commercial cyclists, (Okada riders) to the city centre and other unwholesome activities without any enforcement.

He however described the situation as appalling and warned that FCT Administration would not tolerate unproductively from the directors and other staff.

"The party is over, we can't continue this way. I and my colleague are paying your entitlements as staff, we ensure that you get your promotions, all your allowances and everything therefore whoever is ready to work must work because to whom much is given, much is expected," he stressed.

The minister said the issues

would be discussed at the departmental level to ensure that no stone is left unturned in achieving the necessary solutions and progress for the transformation of the city.

Also in her speech, the Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide said only few persons carry out the work of the departments, while others engaged in gossips.

The meeting brought more enthusiasm in the enforcement of the environmental laws but that could not last long as everything went back to its former position-a situation that has made many people to think that perhaps the enforcement officers may have been engaging in bribery and corruption for them to look the other way most often.

Just recently, a sanitation

committee was inaugurated through the STDA to ensure a clean environment in all the six satellite towns. The sanitation exercise was staged in Abaji and Kwali area councils, as part of the Administration's commitments in making Abuja clean and habitable for residents.

Although this is not the first time a committee would be inaugurated in that regard but if the committee is strong enough, or has the solution to some of the environmental challenges facing the Territory, only time would tell.

There is no gain saying in the fact that quality of an environment in any given place influences the quality of life of its inhabitants and passersby.

Ordinarily, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria

“

The minister said the issues would be discussed at the departmental level to ensure that no stone is left unturned in achieving the necessary solutions and progress for the transformation of the city.

as a fast growing city, hinged on a well architectural masterpiece blue print, with a park-like setting and tree-lined walkways capture the essence of a warm sense of a decent community.

However, a closer look reveals images unpleasant to the sensibilities of the city's residents and visitors alike as the streets of the FCT are increasingly covered with harmful elements, which portend mortal dangers to life.

There is no doubt that Abuja, like many other big cities in the world, also boast of having wide pedestrian walkways, in spite of which, an investigation reveals, a non-management of the environmental challenges arises from the obvious over stretched facilities in the territory. A development attributed to the jamboree posture of the relevant stakeholders towards addressing the issues With a population of 3 million and counting, Abuja still paints picture of an expensive city where the horse is routinely placed ahead of the cart, in view of the massive architectural works being provided while essential social facilities languish in hopeless abandonment. With billions of naira sunk into provision of infrastructure for districts where the affluent reside, the larger chunk of the Territory

Contd on Page 4

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

Special Report

City of dirt and grandeur Contd from Page 3 wallows in neglect.

Away from the much makebelieve glamour and grandeur, the metropolis in many aspects, is sliding downwards. The obvious breach of traffic and environmental rules by the so called high and mighty including relevant environmental management officials in the city makes it more like inner-city settlements around the FCT. Particularly, environment related elements like drainage, sewage, service ducts, street lights, pedestrian walkways and so on, which both the government and residents ought to protect jealously from any form of abuse, are grossly relegated to the background.

Although there is a handful of waste disposal bins scattered along most streets of the city centre and districts for public usage, but it is either subjected to abuse or largely uncared for. Our investigations found out that there is no certainty as to whether these few facilities provided by the authorities are designed and designated correctly to serve its purpose.

As a result, some concerned residents blame insufficient facilities such as refuse bins and the lack of diligent enforcement and evacuation. As it is not uncommon to see refuse bins overflowing with dirt right in the city centre, while they are absent in many other places.

Right in front of residential and businesses apartments along the streets, bags of refuse are being dumped on the floor; inside the lawns and flower hedges.

Some of these reference spots include: Wuse Market Bridge by Maitama junction axis, Area 11 by total filling station near Police Headquarters, Nyanya field by Checking point, Nyanya junction/Wednesday market axis before bridge, Kugbo, Utako Ultra Modern Market and 3rd Avenue

by Gwarinpa village, Just to mention a few.

Furthermore, absence in the city streets especially in public places is the provision of public convenience (what many understand as public toilets or rest houses). To this end, the sight of men and women defecating and urinating beside the road in full view of the public is commonplace and routine, a revolting spectacle absolutely unheard of in similar cities which Abuja prides to chasing or at par with. No thanks to the laxity of the relevant authorities in the FCT. As such, it is common sight for pedestrians and commuters traversing the streets of Abuja to be accosted by hordes of pickpockets, beggars, aggressive street-vendors and hoodlums, all posing danger to hapless users and residents in the metropolis.

From defecating to

indiscriminate dumping waste on along footpaths and riversides with reckless abandon particularly in areas recording high human and vehicular traffic such as motor-parks, marketplaces, ministries, and squatter settlements, Abuja is fast eroding into an eyesore.

Moreover, it is not uncommon to see people rushing into nearby bushes to relieve themselves in the daytime or inside open undeveloped plots.

It is not clear whether a provision was ever made for public convenience in the original (or even the modified) Abuja Master plan. A development which some concerned residents expressed worry over the possibility of the ugly trend rendering Abuja the filthiest capital city of the world, if nothing is done to reverse the trend.

These concerned residents attributed to the utter negligence of the relevant stakeholders for the need to put in place essential social amenities and effective policing of the environment.

Richard Owuka, who just returned from the United States, told Peoples Daily Weekend "surprising and shocking enough, an average Nigerian does not always deviate from the accepted norms and practice when they are out there, as they behave well.

Owuka, queried: "Have anyone stopped to ask why the same Nigerian when back home, would always want to behave negatively? But I assume the basic reason is that in highly developed countries, they got the basic facilities there, so it is easy to make a law and enforce it. And if someone decides to violate the law, the law takes its course against the violator."

"So, it still comes down to the question of where do people dispose-off waste? This is the aspect the government should look more into, and come up with a variable waste management system", he added.

According to another resident, Ibeh Eke, who decried how the gradual return of refuse heaps to Abuja is fast becoming an embarrassment and almost out of government's control, was due to lack of enforcement of the stipulated rules.

Of course, there are enabling laws upon which agencies acting as "defenders of Abuja master plan" derive their powers, but the concern of how this sacred mandate to guide against truncating the seemingly perfect architectural master piece of the nation's capital at all cost even if it means paying the ultimate price.

But over time, some of agencies in charge of ensuring strict compliance with city's plan and environmental laws including prohibiting street hawking, in the quest to carry this mandate have allegedly

Minister of State, FCT, Chief Olajumoke Akinjide accumulated for themselves a notorious history of engaging in 'illegality ranging from flagrant extortion, brutality, intimidation, assault and battery against perceived harmless offenders.

For instance, under the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) Act of 1997, the agency is saddled with theresponsibility of ridding Abuja streets of hawkers and street vendors including commercial sex workers, through strict enforcement of environmental laws. Yet, the agency has not been immune from such illegalities.

Investigation also revealed how AEPB, as an agency saddled with the duty to see that the environment is rid of dirt for which many able- bodied youths have been employed, is rather questionable as they ignore their duties at any point in time.

On visit to Wuse Market and other major bus stations, more than threescore of AEPB officials including handful security personnel were seen running after commuter taxis and buses at the bus stops or chasing street hawkers with beverages and sachet water around the bus stations.

While some of the officials turn into traffic warders others remain in their patrol vans chatting and waiting for their 'prey' to harass or extort money from transport operators and hawkers, and allowing the few available bins to overflow.

It was further gathered that some commercial drivers pay the minimum of N200. 00 to the board's enforcement staff so they could be given a free hand to stop

and pick passengers without recourse to obeying traffic rules.

Even street traders are not spared on the issue, as it is common knowledge that they pay the AEPB enforcement team to display their wares on the walkways.

According to a trader who pleaded anonymity, said If they give hand-outs to the officials, they seize their wares which they may not release to them again.

However, without taking anything away from the agency, some of the respondents commended the efforts of the AEPB to sanitise the environment in the city.

Peoples Daily Weekend learnt that the Director, AEPB , Alhaji Isa Shuaibu, drop a bomb shell when he reportedly said the FCTA is considering the removal of Wuse Market and replacing it with a secondary school.

Shuaibu, who led his board on a recent raid of illegal hawkers within the market premises, said the long term solution to the problem of hawking in the area is the removal of the market.

According to him, the market attracts a lot of trading activities, especially through hawking, which has been prohibited by the FCT authorities; and the authorities will have no choice than to comply with the original concept of the Abuja master plan, which originally planned for a secondary school to be located here.

Investigation also revealed that AEPB in collaboration with officials of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Security and Civil

Defence Corps (NSCDC), jointly carried out the raid, which many described as the usual media frenzy exercise and jamboree venture with no positive returns on the fight to sanitise the city.

People's Daily Weekend further gathered that some residential and commercial buildings in the territory do not provide public convenience for even their support staff within the premises.

Therefore, one can hardly pass through these places without sighting human excreta or perceiving the stench, which overshadows the seemingly serenity and aesthetic beauty of the City.

Also there appears to be an upsurge of some transporters turning the walk ways into a mini motor park - intercity transport activities.

They park on pedestrian walkways thereby obstructing the pedestrians and thereby forcing them on the autobahn, obstructing traffic and exposing them to dangers.

However, there are several accounts of distortion on the Abuja dream road map which has become a common sight in not only the city centres but also in most satellite towns and villages around the FCT. Some residents, who expressed concern over these acts of violation against the city, are of the view it would on the long run defeat the dream of the founding fathers of the capital city, which is to make it one of the most beautiful and well planned capital cities to reckon with worldwide.

A resident, Uzoma Okechiemphasized the worrying situation should go beyond the urgent need for a change through appropriate legislation, but for the authority and its employers to redefine strategy towards reaching the ultimate goal.

Apart from economic hardship and other Nigerian factors that play key roles in fuelling this unwelcome trend in the city, it can safely be traced to the inability on the part of the officials recruited by the past and present supervising authorities; in this sense, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its allies, to carry out its primary duty of keeping the territory clean.

And with the usual ember months fever in the air, this development would only gain more momentum if nothing is done by the relevant authorities to checkmate the unfortunate trend.

The only way out from this sorry state of things, according to some residents should include an intensified campaign for public health and safety, and concern for the prevention of diseases, accidents and pollution through efficient environment management system, need to be given impetus to facilitate the comfort and enjoyment of living.

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

PAGE 5

Feature

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

F

or the past five years, Kano state has been on top of the chart of states with the highest drug abuse and sales of drug of abuse, according to the annual statistics by the National Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

This has been a major source of concern to the government and all stakeholders in the state as the rate of drug abuse among youth in the state continue to soar.

Irked by this, the administration of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso set up the “State Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake drugs”, and saddled with the responsibility of sanitizing the drug market of fake drugs, dangerous drugs and other substances of abuse.

Immediately, the Task Force made some seizures of fake and dangerous drugs running into hundreds of millions in the state.

The confiscations further corroborate what the NDLEA and other agencies have stating about the state’s second to none position in the country on drug abuse.

Our correspondent gathered that the alarming situation prompted the state government to seek a solution on how to get rid of these fake and dangerous drugs that have been endangering the lives of millions of people resident in and outside the state, that purchase drugs from Kano drug market.

It is based on this reason that the government through the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria in the state issued the drug dealers in the Sabon Gari market with a quit notice to leave the market and find stalls outside the market to sell their drugs.

This decision was intended to enable the government and all regulatory bodies to be able to monitor the activities of the drug dealers. Expectedly, it didn’t go down well with drugs dealers who have united under the umbrella of its association of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary of Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Kano State chapter, to challenge the government’s decision to move them out of the market where they have been doing their business for decades.

Last week, they entire drug market was shut down by the union to press home their demand, in protest with the government decision of giving them quit notice.

The association has since taken legal action to challenge the decision in the Federal High Court in Kano and the Court gave an order that all parties should maintained status quo on the issue pending the determination of the case.

One of the association’s grouse is that government didn’t provide a better place for them to relocate to and that government ought to have call them and listen to their problems rather than to take such a decision without consulting them.

Drug dealers, Kano state government on war path Chairman of the Association, Kano chapter, Hussaini Labaran Zakari, told our reporter that they had not received any notice in written from the state government. They just heard it on the radio that they should vacate the place.

“Even though we are aware of the notice through various sources including the police, we have not received any written ultimatum from the state government that we should leave this market. We just heard it through the radio and we had been called to the office of the Commissioner of Police and informed us about the notice.”

Zakari said the government has directed them to leave the market based on a law which is misinterpreted to them. Saying the association’s legal team has interpreted the law to them that the law has not banned them of selling drugs; it has only ordered them to seek permission from the authority.

He also stated that drug business in the country is under the exclusive right of the Federal Government, stating that state governments have no mandate to control drug business.

“It is only the Federal Government that can impose law on our business, but now Kano State Government has insisted that we should leave this market on false information it received from our foes”.

Contrary to wide held notion that the drug dealers are into the sales of fake and dangerous drugs, the Association faulted the allegation saying its members do not engage in such illicit acts. However it admitted that few individuals among the members might have engaged in the illicit practice and the association is working hard to fish out the perpetrators among them and punish them accordingly.

He then frowned at what he described as false information that their detractors are feeding the government with in order to tarnish their image and cripple their business.

“We appealed to the state government but it has failed to listen to us. This is the reason why we just decided to take the matter to court for interpretation. If the court rules that we are running our business without an order from the Federal Government, then we agree to leave this place.

“We have received a court injunction from the Federal High Court 2, Kano, and the Court has directed us to continue with our lawful business without being intimidated until we receive a report from the court.”

The patron of the Association, Alhaji Dahiru Matazu, also said “we want the State government to meet with our members with

Pharmacist Ahmed Gana Mohammed a view to resolving the issue because we are not selling fake drugs as it is being alleged.”

According to him, the order given to the members of the Association would negatively affect their business as people from various parts of the country, especially the northern axis, used to purchase drugs from the market.

He said “those who are instigating the government are not being fair to us; we have been doing our best to sanitize the business.”

He said “Kano State, being Centre of Commerce, has recently suffered economic setback due to the current security challenges. I read a data from the Central Bank of Nigeria that cash flow fell down to 80% from January to March during the beginning of the crisis in Kano and up to now it has not been balanced.

“If government succeeds in

vacating us from our place of business, the cash flow would fall lower and the situation would be more deteriorating. It would bring unemployment and the consumers would be affected because they buy drugs from us at a subsidized price. In that case, patients are affected, people that come from neighboring states like Katsina, Kaduna Jigawa etc, are also affected.”

“Our international business partners are also affected as well as those that sell the medicine in shops.”

Salisu Bara’u, a drug seller in the market, expressed his displeasure over the proposed closure of the market. “I am not happy with this decision by the state government because this is the only source I have to fend for my family” Okafor Osita told our reporter that without their business, the population of Kano

“

The steps government has taken is in the best interest of the people, and that is what we expect from a responsible government, because government cannot fold its hands and watch people being killed and destroyed because of the selfish interest of a few

state would have reduced because their business used to subsidize drugs for the populace.

Expectedly, there are divergent views on the issue.

While some are on the government side others are backing the Association.

Zainab Usman supports government’s decision, saying “I am happy with this decision because the drug sellers are selling fake drugs to the people and they are selling intoxicating syrups to our youths” Another resident, Idris Umar said” government is not rational on this issue because if these people are asked to leave the market the same government should provide an alternative to them before making this harsh decision.”

Pharmacist Ahmed Gana Mohammed is the Chairman Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Kano state branch, and a member of the State Task force on counterfeit and fake drugs is on the government side and he gave an insight on why they should leave the market.

“The steps government has taken is in the best interest of the people, and that is what we expect from a responsible government, because government cannot fold its hands and watch people being killed and destroyed because of the selfish interest of a few.

“You are a journalist I believe you are informed, and you are aware that for some time now, Kano State has been number one in the country in terms of selling drug of abuse, just because of Sabon Gari market.

The same market was rated number one in Africa for selling fake anti- malaria drugs , we got this statistic from WHO because they took a sample from Kano.

Again you are aware that our Task Force has confiscated fake and dangerous drugs worth over N500 Million in the city and out of these substances of abuse, Tramadol worth N135 was confiscated from one warehouse. Four among the owners of the drugs have shops in Sabon Gari Market, you can now appreciate the magnitude and the danger this portend to our society.”

Mohammed then pointed out that unless they leave the market control will be difficult; noting that if they operate outside the market they will be duly registered by a pharmacy and in the event that they are caught selling fake drugs the pharmacy will be held responsible.

“For now they are operating illegally, without control in the market and that is why they don’t want to leave the market, because the law is very clear on that that the drug market is illegal.” He stated.

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

News

Okonjo-Iweala’s mum rejoins family

By Julius Ogar, with agency reports

T

h e mother of Nigeria's Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was at about 10.30 am, on Friday, released five days after she was kidnapped.

Prof. Kamene Okonjo was abducted from her country home in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta state, on Sunday by a gang of 10 gunmen.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state confirmed the release to BBC on Friday.

It could however not be confirmed if the N200 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers was paid before her release. It is also not yet clear if she was held for political or financial reasons.

Referred to as the queen mother, Prof. Okonjo is currently at home at her husband's palace,

Obi Chukuka Okonjo, the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku. In the search for the queen mother, the Nigerian Army and the police had arrested 63, persons and two police officers as suspects in the kidnap of the 82-year-old woman.

According to Uduaghan, Okonjo, a retired professor, was dropped off on a main road near her home. He said her captors had probably decided to let her go because they were under pressure.

"The army and police have been on their trail and a lot of raids have been done. I think because of the heat they dropped her off on the highway," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme monitored yesterday.

On whether a ransome was paid, the governor said it was not government policy to pay ransoms but families sometimes negotiate with the kidnappers privately.

"For this one we also insisted

that we would not pay any ransom (and) as a government we would not negotiate with anybody", he said.

While she was in custody, members of the family were reportedly involved in negotiations with her kidnappers. Some online news media had reported that the kidnappers initially demanded $1 billion and later scaled it down to N200 million.

Confirming the development in a statement, Special Assistant to the Finance Minister on Media, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said: “I can confirm that Prof. Mrs. Kamene Okonjo, wife of the Obi of OgwashiUku, Prof. Chukuka Okonjo, and mother of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy/ Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was released this morning, five days after her abduction.

“The Okonjo Family is full of thanks to the Almighty for this

happy development.

“The family is also highly appreciative of the support and encouragement of President Goodluck Jonathan; the country’s security services for their excellent operations; Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, Peter Obi of Anambra, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and other governors as well other friends and well-wishers within and outside government for their prayers and encouragement during a very difficult period.”

“She has been freed,” spokesman for the Nigeria Police Force, Mr. Frank Mba, told Agence France Presse.

“She is in good health,” he added.

Reacting to the release of her mother, the minister said in a post on Twitter by Nwabuikwu that she was not cowed by the sad experience.

“Far from being afraid, I have

Gunmen kill another lawmaker in Kano From Edwin Olofu, Kano

H

o u s e of Assembly lawmaker, representing Gaya constituency on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) was yesterday in Kano shot dead by unknown gunmen.

The lawmaker, Danladi Isa Kademi was said to have been shot dead by the gunmen at Ring road in Hotoro Maradi quarters at about 6.30 pm.

Sources said that Kademi, who was the former ALGON chairman,

Kano state Gov. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso

was believed to have been trailed by two gunmen riding on a motorbike.

As soon as they closed in, they opened fire on him at close range, killing him instantly and escaped from the scene.

The slain Kademi was the former chairman of Gaya Local Government Area before his election to the State House of Assembly in 2011.

The late Kademi was an active member of the state House of Assembly. He once opposed a Bill that said anyone

with a chieftaincy title should not be allowed to hold an elective office.

When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who confirmed the incident, said he had earlier warned lawmakers in the state to desist from relaxing at popular spots, pointing out that a lawmaker in the state was recently shot dead by unknown gunmen in a similar circumstance.

However, he disclosed that investigations into the incident have begun.

Senate to pass NLC threatens nationwide 2013 budget strike over Plateau crisis Wednesday Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade resolved that if by the 20th of

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

here are strong indications that the Senate will pass the 2013 Budget on Wednesday before proceeding on Christmas vacation.

This hint was made yesterday by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Itah Enang, who briefed the press in Abuja.

He also disclosed that the Petroleum Industry Bill will be up for debate on Tuesday, urging people who have contributions to make to come forward with their inputs.

While defending the speedy passage of the supplementary budget on Thursday by the Senate, the lawmakers described the issue as a case of necessity, arguing that it was passed because of its national security implication as admonished by the President.

By Muhammad Nasir & Ibrahim Kabiru Sule he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called the attention of the Federal Government to the alleged violence being visited on the striking workers in Plateau state by the Jonah Jang-led government.

President of the Nigeria

T

Abdulwaheed Omar, who addressed the media yesterday in Abuja accused Jang of showing lackadaisical attitude to the plight of workers in the state.

“We strongly call on the Federal Government to ensure that the governor is called to order before the situation escalates, but if he is not, the central working committee has

this month, there is no resolution on the crisis, it will declare a national strike that will be in solidarity to the workers of Plateau state,” Omar said.

According to Omar, the congress resolved to urge members of the Plateau state chapter to continue to wear black and pray for the trouble makers of the state to give way.

Rep appoints sacked Facebook writer

By Umar Muhammad Puma

A

lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Rep. Aliyu Ibrahim Gebi (CPC Bauchi), has appointed Abbas Ahmed Faggo who was sacked in November 2012 by the Bauchi state government over a comment he posted on the popular social media network, Facebook, as his personal

assistant on social media.

Faggo had alleged in his comment that Governor Isa Yuguda’s son’s (Idris Yuguda) wedding was financed from the state treasury, an allegation that led to his sack from the Bauchi state civil service.

Our reporter obtained a copy of the appointment letter, dated 12 December 2012. The letter said the appointment was

in recognition of his sincerity of purpose, commitment and selfless contributions especially in the field of social media.

Earlier, Rep. Gebi said his decision to appoint Faggo had nothing to do with politics but showed his desire to encourage youths to be more sincere in everything they do for the betterment of Bauchi and the entire nation.

been made stronger by this experience. I refuse to be intimidated,” the tweet quoted the minister as saying.

Prof. Kamene Okonjo

Jonathan mourns Archbishop Adetiloye

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has commiserated with the family of the former Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Archbishop Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye and the entire Anglican Communion on the death of the patriarch yesterday.

In a condolence message, President Jonathan described late Archbishop Adetiloye as a great man of God who would be missed not only by members of the Anglican Communion, but all Nigerians.

The President noted that Archbishop Adetiloye will be long remembered for his zeal and passion for evangelism and planting of churches and his interest in not only the spiritual life of church members but also their education, health and economic well-being.

Eulogizing him further, President Jonathan said that the former Primate lived a good life devoted to unconditional service of God and humanity.

Recalling the notable achievements of the late Primate, especially his promotion of religious tolerance in the country, President Jonathan said that Archbishop Adetiloye whose tenure coincided with military rule in Nigeria, exhibited immense courage in his robust interventions in national discourses as he spoke forcefully against undemocratic governance.

He prayed that Almighty God would grant the soul of the revered Archbishop eternal rest.

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

PAGE 7

News SURE-P has failed Nigerians, says Enang

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Sambo, Sultan, preach peace, unity in Ilorin

T

he Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Itah Enang, has stated that the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SUREP) which was introduced by President Goodluck Jonathan to invest the funds accruing from the partial removal of subsidy, has failed to impact positively on the lives and economy of Nigeria.

Enang, who addressed journalists yesterday in Abuja on the Petroleum Industry Bill, in addition to other issues concerning the Senate, explained that the SURE-P managers have failed to utilise the funds in the interest of the people despite the integrity of the people handling the programme.

He argued that the money should have been carefully invested in the procurement of module refineries which is capable of satisfying the petroleum needs of Nigerians, rather than wasting the scarce resources in the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) as NNPC is currently doing.

While pointing out that the amount of money being spent in the TAM by NNPC is more expensive than the module system, he hinted that Niger Republic has successfully built a module refinery at less than $200 million, adding that Nigeria is said to be currently importing refined crude from the country.

He therefore advocated that the Presidency should remove the fuel subsidy entirely so as to encourage competition in the oil sector, regretting that the ‘oil cabals’ have constituted a strong unit which holds government and economic activities in the country to ransom.

Based on the foregoing, he suggested that government should organise and encourage the local refiners of crude in the creeks, arguing that if they are encouraged, standards can be set for them to ensure best practices and harmony among them.

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

V

Ilorin Central Mosque commissioned yesterday

Capital Oil/Coscharis face-off: Reps threaten to order Okonjo-Iweala, Aig-Imokhuede’s arrest

By Lawrence Olaoye

F

ollowing their refusal to appear before its committee, the House of Representatives on Friday, threatened to order the arrest of the Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwaela and the former chairman of the Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Subsidy Payments, Aigboje AigImokhuede.

Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Uzo Azubuike, issued the threat at Thursday’s hearing of the committee which continued deliberation on a petition that was presented to it by the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd. Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah.

According to Azubuike the two personalities had shunned the invitation of the committee twice and their absence was frustrating the investigative work of the committee.

In spite of the absence of the two personalities the public hearing went on with the appearance of the chairman of Coscharis Group, Mr. Cosmas Maduka and Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, Managing Director, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited.

Responding to the excuse that Okonjo-Iweala was absent because of the kidnap of her mother, Azubuike said the invitation was not for the minister as a person but for the Federal Ministry of Finance to put up an appearance and supply the information requested by the committee.

He warned that if the ministry was not represented at the next sitting of the investigative panel, the committee would be left with no other option but to issue a warrant of arrest on the head of the ministry.

Aig-Imokhuede had, through his lawyers informed the committee of his absence on legal grounds. In the letter, he pleaded that whereas the committee invited him as chairman, Presidential Committee on Verification of Subsidy Payments, he had since discharged his role in that committee and submitted a report to the government.

According to him, there was no more legal grounds for him to function in that capacity.

NBA wants FCC Act amended

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), yesterday, called on the National Assembly to amend the Federal Character Commission, (FCC) Act. Speaking at a valedictory court session in honour of late Justice of the Supreme Court, Kayode Eso, held at the apex court, NBA president, Mr. Okey Wali, said Paragraph 2 of Part 11 of the Act, which the NBA considers as discriminatory needs urgent amendment.

It will be recalled that the swearing-in/oath taking of Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofor as justice of the court of Appeal was delayed, following controversy

on her state of origin.

When she was eventually inaugurated, she lost her seniority to the other justices whose oath taking went on unhindered.

Paragraph 2 Part 11 of the FCC (Establishment, etc) Act Subsidiary Legislation provides that, “A married woman shall continue to lay claim to her state of origin for the purpose of implementation of the Federal Character Formulae at the national level”.

The NBA boss who described the scenario as being “against equity”, further noted that, “It is against good conscience, against natural justice to expect a woman who has been married for decades to get national

appointment from her state of birth, called her state of origin, by this Act.” The NBA, he said, is calling on the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgent National importance, effect the amendment of Paragraph 2 Part 11 of the Act. Making allusion to the Senate’s directive to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to swear-in Jombo-Ofor, in the aftermath of the “crisis”, the NBA president stated that “it would be most sacrilegious to expect the CJN to act in breach of the law, against her oath of office to uphold the constitution and laws of the land.”

Wali reasoned that “Rather than, the last mis-step in

issuing directives to the judiciary, which we excuse, as we believe that they were motivated by the best of intentions, but apparently without information, we urge the National Assembly to amend the law”.

Eulogising the departed jurist and his contributions to the judiciary and jurisprudence, he stated that late justice Eso “epitomised the golden era of the Nigerian judiciary”, citing the celebrated case of Awolowo Vs Shagari where, in a dissenting judgement Eso held that, “the provision required the winning candidate to garner at least a quarter of the votes in each of at least 13 states”.

ice President Namadi Sambo on Friday while commissioning the Ilorin Central Mosque, urged Nigerians irrespective their religion to unite and tolerate each other.

The Vice President noted that with contribution of Nigerians across various parts of the country to the construction of the mosque, it was possible for citizens to unite.

He appealed to the Islamic clerics to use the mosque to teach ethics of Islam and peace in Nigeria.

Kwara state governor, Alhaji Abdulfattah Ahmed in his speech also charged Nigerians to live in harmony among themselves, stressing that the project was successful because of the contributions of Nigerians from different parts of the country.

At the occasion, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, appealed to Islamic clerics to use the mosque to preach peace and tolerance in the country.

Also, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, enjoined the ulama to use the mosque as a centre of imparting Islamic knowledge and an avenue to teach other Nigerians the principles of Islam.

Former minister laments infidelity amongst Nigerians From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

F

ormer Minister for State, Niger Delta, Hon. Sam Ode, has decried the high rate of infidelity, noting that this has accounted for moral decadence in the society.

Hon. Ode made this lamentation yesterday in Makurdi at a book launch entitled ‘Fruits of Infidelity’ written by Monica Iveren Nwakaudu, wife of the Special Assistant to Minister for State, Education on Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu.

Represented by Mr. Sani Ochojila, an erstwhile commissioner for Water Resources in Benue state, Ode regretted that infidelity has caused broken homes as well as increase in sex related diseases leading to the death of many people.

He implored youths to be patient and married people to be faithful to their spouse, maintaining that it is through this way that we can have a disciplined society.

Ode equally encouraged Nigerian authors to write more books on infidelity as a way of proffering solution to the vice.

PAGE 8

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

News

Price of food items go up in Yola as Christmas approaches P r i c e s of food items have gone up by between 10 and 20 percent in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, 11days to Christmas.

A market survey conducted

by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola Central Market and other markets in the metropolis, showed that the price of grains, vegetable, poultry and cattle have been the most affected.

NAN reports that a bag of rice, which was sold for N7, 500, in November, is now between N8, 500 and N9, 000.

Also, a four-litre gallon of

palm oil and vegetable oil are now sold at N1, 700 and N1, 400 against N1, 500 and N1, 250 sold in November, respectively.

At the Jimeta chicken market, a big locally bred fowl now sells for between N2, 500 and N3, 000, while two “agric fowls” are sold for N3, 000.

However, the price of vegetable, tomato and pepper has fallen by almost 20 percent.

Mrs. Mary Haruna, a dealer in vegetable at Jimeta Central Market, said the price of tomato and pepper had crashed by 20 percent due to increased supply.

“Last week, a basket of tomato was sold between N4, 000 and N5, 000, but now it is being sold for N3, 000 to N3, 200.

“A sack of pepper is now N3, 000 against the N6, 000 sold last two weeks.

“Only the price of onions is now soaring. Before now it was sold for N5, 000 per sack, but now is being sold at N12, 000 per sack.

The state chairman of Grains Dealers Association, Alhaji Muntari Kawu and that of Amalgamated Vegetable Traders Association, Malam Adamu

Dan Wanzam attributed the price increase to the recent flood disaster.

They said that development was connected to the recent flood that devastated many farmlands and the approaching Christmas celebration.

At the cattle’s market, NAN gathered that the price of the cows has remained high since the last Sallah festival.

Alhaji Hamma Jobdi, said: “Cattle breeders lost many of their animals to the recent flood disaster which has caused shortage in supply of the animals”. (NAN)

CDWR condemns Jang's refusal to pay N18, 000 minimum wage From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Campaign for Democratic and Workers' Rights (CDWR), has condemned Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state for refusing to pay the N18,000 minimum wage structure, which has forced workers to embark on indefinite strike.

CDWR publicity secretary, Chinedu Bosah in a statement, said it is illegal for any government at all levels to refuse to implement the wage since it has been passed into law. “In fact, government at all levels should

be working towards a new minimum wage that takes care of the rising inflation trend”, he argued.

He said Plateau state government claimed that it has no capacity to pay the N18,000 due to unavailability of funds which has been the sing-song of many of the state governments who daily engage in waste of public resources and outright looting of public treasury. “Is it not contradictory for the same Jang to be constructing another government house/palace costing more than 4 billion whereas a paltry N18,000

minimum wage structure cannot be paid to workers?

“Besides, the same government is paying idle top political office holders unjustified huge salaries and allowances while claiming workers do not deserve what is obviously a poverty wage.

We demand that the state government opens its books to the public and to be scrutinized by an elected committee of workers to ascertain how the state's funds have been utilised and the true state of accounts.

We demand that Jonah Jangled administration pay all backlog of salaries still owed to workers on the N18,000 minimum wage structure and to work out a basis for periodic increment in line with the rate of inflation. We reject and urge workers to stoutly oppose any plans by government to downsize, rightsize or retrench the workforce as a basis to pay the new wage”.

The group also called on the trade union leaders to engage workers in more mass actions as a means of sustaining the ongoing strike.

At least 3, 000 communities to enjoy rural water supply in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

A

t least 3, 000 communities with population of about 1.5 million in Bauchi state are expected to have access to effective sanitation and consume safe water year round

under the rural water supply project.

The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) General Manager, Engr. Garba Babaji Magaji, said the DFID/ UNICEF has since 2010 been supporting sanitation, hygiene and water in nigeria (SHAWN)

in five local government areas of Dass, Gamawa, Warji, Shira and Toro.

The programme to be implemented in 14 local government areas of the state comes into effect next month and is being supported by the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA).

He attributed the investment and support benefits derivable to the state to the strides and laudable actions of the Yuguda-led administration that attracted the attention and interest of the donors.

Leadership guidance key to peace, says NOA boss

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T

h e Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri has identified the role of leadership in guiding followers as very germane in ensuring peace and stability.

A statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary of the Agency, Paul Odenyi, said Omeri made the

observation at an interactive forum on peace and security organised by the agency for stakeholders from various ethnic and religious backgrounds in Katsina on Wednesday. He observed that the government of Katsina state and the leaders of various communities of nonindigenes in the state had done a lot to eliminate discrimination and protect non-indigenes resident in the state.

The NOA boss further explained the purpose of the forum as an avenue to generate commitment from all stakeholders to the maintenance of the subsisting peace in the state.

He emphasized the oneness of all mankind as people of common descent; hence violence against anyone anywhere is violence against one's brother. He therefore urged all stakeholders

to continuously collaborate with each other and with the government to promote peace and security.

Among stakeholders present at the forum was the Onowu Igbo (leader of the Igbo community) in Katsina, Chief Jonathan Nwosu who has lived in Katsina for 40 years; and Sarkin Yoruba, Chief Moshood Olorunfemi who has lived in Katsina for 46 years.

Ribadu report: FG has no plan to reform NNPC, oil sales – AlisonMadueke

By Stanley Onyekwere, with agency report

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e t r o l e u m Minister, Diezani AlisonMadueke, has said there is no plan to reform the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) operations and the way its crude oil is sold, despite the Ribadu audit report which shows that $5 billion in potential revenue had been lost between 2002-2011.

According to Reuters, the minister told reporters after an Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna that the issue of changing the way we sell our oil has been looked at by NNPC who do not feel there is a major problem with that.

Recently, the Federal government has come under intense pressure to clean up Nigeria’s energy sector after public anger over corruption and waste of the country’s oil wealth surfaced during January protests over fuel prices.

Recall, a study published by the former head of the anticorruption agency Nuhu Ribadu showed that some $5 billion in potential revenue had been lost between 2002-2011 because NNPC had been selling itself oil at cut-down prices.

Alison-Madueke said there were no current plans to reform the NNPC’s operations.

“We will look at the entire results of the report on balance and ensure it is implemented according to the government white paper,” she added.

She said on Wednesday Nigeria was producing around 2.4 million to 2.5 million barrels per day and output should remain at similar levels next year.

A major fire at a Shell facility, an Exxon spill and severe flooding cut oil output by up to a fifth in October and November, and caused lengthy delays to exports.

The minister said production had since recovered and should remain at current levels.

“I expect it at least to stabilise (next year). The problems have been flooding and bunkering and some vandalism which have disrupted pipeline services,” she said.

Alison-Madueke said Nigeria still hoped to hold a marginal oil licensing round by early next year. This would be the first since a bid round five years ago which failed to attract interest from foreign oil majors.

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

PAGE 9

Cover

2015 Presidency: Contenders and pretenders

By Lawrence Olaoye & Ibrahim Kabir Sule

P

eriodic election is an intrinsic feature of democracy. At specific intervals, the voter acts like the elevator operator: They lift some people up and bring some down. Unlike the elevator operator, however the voter is confronted with a choice. Most times a new comer (politician) eager to be lifted up comes wagging a tongue coated with sugar. They will promise heaven, sketch a vivid utopia, a realizable Eldorado and once they secure the mandate, they promptly disappear.

The cynics dismiss all politicians in Africa or Australia as the same lying masters of double speak. They say one thing and mean another. There exists a wide chasm between their talk and walk,

pessimists contend. This may be true of the Nigerian politician. They talk big, plan big but deliver at the height of a pygmy. And they are also crafty opportunists.

The dawn of democracy in 1999 has thrown up several of such soldiers of fortunes garbed in the cloak of “democrats”. What, however, is not in doubt is the scheming disposition of all politicians. The tested and the not so tested politicians plan early ahead of polls. Though a specific date has not been fixed for the next general polls, it is in the public arena that the elections will be in 2015. If previous elections were anything to go by, April 2015 will certainly be the month of Charles Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’. In the previous nation’s three hotly contested polls in ’03,’07 and 2011, April has repeatedly been the chosen

month for presidential polls. The 2003 presidential election was conducted on April 19, a rather ironic date. It heralded the first of progressively flawed polls.

Dissatisfied citizens dubbed it the 4-19 election, a cynical allusion to the Penal Code dealing with Advanced Fee Fraud also known as 4-1-9. In his 2007 inaugural speech, late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, admitted publicly that the election that brought him to office was defective. He was hailed by some.He attempted a ‘reform’ but the electoral process. Before he could walk his talk, the cold hands of death, that reckless intruder in the affairs of men and beasts, snatched him in the wee hours of May 5th, 2010.

As the next Presidential election inches closer, the jostle for the nation’s presidency

has become not only contentious but even more interesting. Some political gladiators in the north have begun to show interests through outright proclamation and or suggestive body languages. Though the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, has refused to come out openly to declare his intention to contest the poll, his body language and utterances from his viceroy s are indicative of the fact that he may join the race at the most auspicious time.

With clamour for the return of power to the North in 2015, there are clear indications that some of the sitting governors from the region who would be completing their second tenure in office would throw-in their hats to run from the position across party lines. Those governors already eyeing the plum job include the Jigawa state governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido; Niger state governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu; Bauchi state governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda; Kano state governor, Alhaji Rabiu Muasa Kwakwanso and his Katsina state counterpart, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema Apart from the governors, some political actors from the zone who could be described as game changes in the contests that promises to be feverish include the 2011 Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The incumbent Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo is equally being rumoured as an interested contender in the epic race to the Aso Villa in 2015.

Other interested contenders include the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)

Contd on page 10

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

Cover Contd. from page 9 Presidential candidate in 2015, and former Kano state governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau ; Senator Buka Abba Ibrahim, former governor of Yobe state; Senator Sanni Yarima, former governor of Zamfara state and the anti-corruption czar and former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission boss who flew the flag of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2015 Presidential election, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Although he has severally denied the speculation, there are indications that the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT)’s Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai may equally throw-in his hat.

All these personalities are, of course, qualified to occupy the exalted position, but judging by the political reality in the country, some may be adjudged as serious contenders who could give President Jonathan a run for his money while some of them could be described as pretenders who would end up as ‘also ran’ by the time the election is concluded.

This is based on their perceived strengths and weaknesses as can be gleaned not only from their political antecedents but from the weight of their electoral values not only in the north but in the entire country.

President Goodluck Jonathan Although Jonathan has refused to declare his intention to contest the 2015 presidency in spite of several prodding to do so, there are strong indications that he may present himself for the polls on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The President who torpedoed the party’s zoning arrangement after the demise of his boss, Alhaji Umaru Yar’adua, only recently banned campaigns for him ahead of 2015 as he claimed that such amount only to distraction to his government. But there are feelers that such may be a decoy as his foot-soldiers across the country are not relenting in surreptitious moves to get him reelected.

His strength lies mostly in the incumbency factor. Having risen through the rungs of political leadership beginning from being a Deputy Governor in Bayelsa state and later the Vice-President before finally emerging the elected President in 2011, Jonathan must have mastered the vagaries of Nigerian politics. Pundits are of the view that he may have succeeded in using his present position to raise an army of supporters across the country through patronage and financial inducements.

But his undoing is his perceived failure to uplift the living conditions of the majority of the people.

Jonathan who promised massive provision of jobs and delivery of the nation’s electricity sector has yet to impress Nigerians on with his performance. Pundits are also quick to point out that he has so far failed to provide adequate security, the basic responsibility of a government to its people. The ravaging effects of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North; kidnapping in the South East and armed robberies in the South West

2015 Presidency: Contenders and pretenders

President Goodluck Jonathan have combined to portray the President a leader that could not be said to be in control.

Apart from this, key stakeholders in the ruling PDP are enmeshed in corruption charges especially in the recently concluded probe into the nation’s oil subsidy regimes. Jonathan’s government has yet to totally convince anyone that it is resolute in its fight against corruption in the country. Again, the South West, which though an opposition region, which voted massively for his emergence in 2011 may have learnt its lessons ahead of 2015 because the people are now alleging marginalization by the present administration. Therefore, the political space of the region may have been sensitized and ready for a change by the 2015 Presidential election.

Recently, there are indications that he may have fallen out with his mentor, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has left no one in doubt that he is disappointed with the way the President is handling most of the challenges confronting him, particularly, the Boko Haram insurgency in the north. To this extent, it was rumoured that the former President has begun to shop for his replacement from the north ahead of the 2015 Presidential Election.

Another hurdle that may scuttle his ambition is the resolve

Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo

of the northern elements in the PDP to ensure that the Presidency comes back to the north based on the zoning arrangement.

Northern politicians in the ruling party have begun clandestine mobilization of the people for the return of power project and they seem determined more than ever to ensure the success of their

schemes.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar He is a suave politician who has proven his mettle as a national and grassroot mobilizer. He served for eight years as the Vice to President Obasanjo. For the most period of their fist tenure between 1999 and 2003, he held the lever of governance when his principal was busy globetrotting in search of the elusive foreign investors. Atiku utilized the opportunity at his disposal to f u r t h e r consolidate his political grip which was well rooted in the structure of the P e o p l e s Democratic Movement bequeath to him by his political mentor, late general Musa Yar’adua. He became so powerful that he was seen as the stabilizing factor Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo in the Obasanjo administration.

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

But, he fell out with his boss and the second term between 2003 and 2007 became tempestuous. Although, he survived all political contrivances meant to humble him, his political influence became chequered with the disagreement between the two leaders. Atiku who was intimidated out of the ruling party contested on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which he co-formed with the former governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Ahamed Bola Tinubu, he lost to his northern political kinsman, late Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007. After the election, he returned to the PDP to fight again for nomination as the party’s candidate against Jonathan in 2011. Political intrigues, outright manipulation, subtle intimidation and loads of money made him to lose the nomination again.

As the 2015 Presidential election approaches, there are indications that the Turaki of Adamawa may want to once again have a shot. The politician still enjoys the support of the people whom, at one time or the other, have benefitted from his benevolence.

His political structures are still intact. He has experience on his side and most of the members of the PDP believe in his leadership.

His acceptability in the north was confirmed during the heady days of the run-up to the PDP when the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) chaired by Mallam Adamu Ciroma chose him ahead of other heavy political, heavyweights including General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) and General Aliyu Gusau (Rtd) among others as the northern consensus candidate for the PDP presidential ticket in 2011. His popularity among the people still subsists and may work for him this time in the race to the presidency.

Again the recent attempt by his old allies to rejuvenate their erstwhile political platform, PDM, ahead of the 2015 general election is another signal that the former Vice President, who is the natural leader and financier of the movement, may have begun grassroot movement that would help him in the race. This becomes even more plausible when it is obvious that majority of the heavyweights in the PDP today we are once members of the PDM.

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

PAGE 11

Cover But, political analysts are of the opinion that the Turaki of Adamawa may find it difficult to clinch the PDP’s Presidential Ticket because of the zoning arrangement in the party. The National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is from his native Adamawa state and observers are unanimous that it would be difficult for the presidential candidate of the ruling party to come from the same state with the chairman.

Again, his leaving the party after losing the Presidential ticket to late President Yar’adua is being counted as a big minus in his political career. Pundits believe that he should not have left the party he helped form and nurtured to contest against Yar’adua in 2007. According to them, had he stayed behind, he would have become the natural choice for the Presidency in the party considering his enormous goodwill and contribution to the development of the PDP since inception.

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari He is a former Head of State who impressed the people with his forthrightness and discipline in his short-lived administration. A principled politician who abhors corruption of any sort in governance, Buhari has become a brand in transparency and probity in leadership. He contested against former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 on the platform of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost. He tried again in2003 against late President Yar’adua on the platform of the reformed All Nigeria Peoples Party. Again he lost in controversial circumstances. This is because the late President on his own acknowledged the imperfections inherent in that election and told the whole world that he would carry out electoral reforms. In 2011, Buhari contested the Presidency in a hurriedly assembled Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and again lost to the incumbent.

Although he once declared that he would be retiring from politics earlier, Buhari has since recanted by declaring that he would go ahead to contest the 2015 Presidential election.

Though he possesses all, the requisite experience to lead the country with a high popularity rating among the masses of the country, the elites who are afraid of his uncompromising posture, especially to issues of corruption, would do anything to stop him as they have been doing since 2003.

Honesty and integrity, which Buhari has in abundance, have always been his undoing.

Again, his CPC has always been perceived as a regional party with little time to propagate its manifestoes before the 2011 general elections. He remains the symbol of the party as everything, including those who won elections on the platform of the party, did so on the platform of his credibility and acceptability among the people and sometimes not of their own merit. The personalization of the party and the de facto, larger than life image

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau of the CPC flagbearer, has made the development of the party to be slowed down. Yet, many of the politicians would have loved to have him as the natuon’s president, but his unpredictability and penchant for moral rectitude will not allow them to trust him with power.

Although the CPC has resolved to merge with the ACN, the ANPP and smaller opposition parties in the country, there are fears that such union may crash because of personality clash among the stakeholders juggling for political powers. CPC, ACN merger plans, to some people is regarded as a copulation of strange political bed fellows. There are fears that such union may not work out eventually since similar attempt ahead of the 2011 Presidential election fell like a pack of cards.

Should the alliance work out, Buhari will be a candidate to beat in the Presidential polls in 2015.

But he has age against him as other younger elements, like IBB have since quitted politics and chose to mentor the younger ones.

Arc. Namadi Sambo He is the incumbent Vice to President Jonathan and the

Malam Nuhu Ribadu

Malam Nasir el-Rufai former Governor of Kaduna state that should naturally be the heir apparent, someone that should be referred to as the ‘Khalifa’ after the incumbent, but the dynamism of the nation’s politics has yoked him with his principal. Whatever is going right with Jonathan is seen in his advantage and whatsoever is wrong with Jonathan is painfully his lot. As a former governor of the cosmopolitan Kaduna state, it is expected that he would have his influence permeating the North West region of the country at least. But the reality is that the Prophet has no honour in his hometown and he may face Herculean task should he venture into the Presidential race. Although he has severally denied interest in the plum job, body language and overt manifestations with his posters dotting strategic places like Kaduna and other areas in the North are enough attestations that he may not have zeroed his mind to be out of the race.

However, the recent local government election in his home state represented a political acid test that he failed. He lost his primary local government to the opposition CPC and such goes to

confirm that he must be a prophet with no honour at home.

Besides this, Namadi has failed to sell himself to the folks in the north with his inability to rein the stakeholders into line to support his government. Boko Haram destruction has gone on unrestrained even when he should perform the same roles his predecessor, Atiku Abubakar, performed by stabilizing the Obasajo/Atiku presidency. He does not seem to command enough political respect in the north and such has even made some analysts to predict that he may be dropped as the Vice Presidential candidate in the 2015 Jonathan’s political chess-game to allow someone with better political savvy get his position.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu The former Chief Executive Officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and a world reknown anti corruption czar is not only young but acceptable to the generality of the Nigeria youths. He has not only demonstrated his competence to be the leader of the prevailing generation of Nigerians due to his low level tolerance to corruption

in the country, but has convinced anyone who cares to understudy the nation’s political trend that he has the shoulder upon which the onerous task of liberation of the nations could rest.

Ribadu contested the 2011 presidential election with Jonathan with remarkable performance. He is a young man who could, with serious political persuasions and robust indoctrination of the large armies of youths in the country, get himself elected. Although, he has not formally declared interest in contesting the presidency in 2015, there are indications that he may be prevailed upon to come forward because of his track record of integrity and probity while in service.

His undoing however rests in the jitters he had sent into the spines of those corrupt politicians across party lines who would go into exile should he win the presidency. Those who would not want to face the anti corruption zeal of the enfant terrible crusader will never allow him to get near the Presidential lodge. He may also not have the financial wherewithal to prosecute the expensive Presidential campaign in the country.

Mallam Nasir El Rufai El-Rufai, like Ribadu, carves the image of an incorruptible Nigerian with a lot of admirers.

He debuted in the nation’s political scene when he was made the FCT minister during the Obasanjo/Atiku Presidency. His contribution to the sanitation of the FCT and the normalization of the city’s master plan has earned him respect not only in the FCT but in the entire country. He has been able to cast himself in the mould of the reactionaries in the nation polity and has joined the cast of the new face of the nation’s polity. His constructive criticisms have always kept the government on the edge. His political network and growing popularity across the country has made him a contender in the 2015 Presidential race.

But, el-Rufai may face the challenge of finding a virile political party to realize his Presidential ambition because he is presently in CPC with Gen. Buhari who has not hidden his intention to fly the flag the proposed political platform that would emerge from expected merger of the opposition parties in the country. Again, el-Rufai may have to face the intimidating machinery of the incumbent that would be deployed at the appropriate time to hound the opposition.

Sule Lamido, Jigawa State governor Born on 30th August, 1948 in Bamaina village, of Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa State, Alhaji (Dr.) Sule Lamido, has been the third democratically elected governor of Jigawa, succeeding the two-time government of Saminu Turaki during the 2007 General elections. After seeing off his first mandate of four years, Lamido

Contd. on page 12

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

Cover 2015 Presidency: Contenders and pretenders Contd. from page 11 decided to again run for the second tenure in 2011, and recorded a resounding victory against the formidable opposition of ACN and ANPP. The pursuit of western education by Lamido began in his home town of Birnin Kudu Primary School in 1955, after which, he was admitted into Barewa College, Zaria In 1962, despite the then held apathy of western education in most parts of the region. He graduated in the year 1966.

Recently, his Barewa College school certificate was questioned by political rivals in the state, arguing that Lamido had never finished Barewa due to his expulsion by the school’s management. Although, the Court’s ruling went in favour of the governor at the end.

His political journey saw him holding different positions, which were capped by the ministerial position of Foreign affairs under the Obasanjo democratic government. His loyalist to his political party, (PDP), known for his unrepentant stand on most controversial political issues made him one of the Obasanjo administration’s arrowheads.

Lamido had, before this appointment, held the position of a Special Envoy to the United Nations assembly.

He subsequently returned to his state of Jigawa, signaling the ambition of contesting for the state’s governorship position. And in 2007, Lamido secured his party’s ticket to contest for the governorship post, which he won.

He again contested the 2011 election, and emerged the winner for another four years, paving the way to aspire for presidency.

His government has been consistently hailed for transforming the state’s infrastructure.

The regime however, made the physically challenged people in the state enjoyed a monthly stipend, becoming the first governor to formalize a social security regime, implementation of poverty eradicating programmes, and the more recent one of building its own Airport, which President Jonathan formally laid the foundation during his last month’s visit to the state.

Nevertheless, his infamous political disposition seriously put question mark about his credibility to contest the coveted post. His government is largely seen as one that detests opposition, evidently crushing other political parties in the state. It is hard to tell whether opposition parties really exist in the state ever since his confirmation by the court as the elected governor of the state.

Lamido’s dictatorship ruling in the state proved clear in view of how he empowered his sons in the process of awarding contracts.

Therefore, it didn’t came as surprise to many when the Economic and Financial Commission, (EFCC) declared the arrest of the governor’s eldest son,

Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso

Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu

Alhaji Sule Lamido

Dr. Malam Ibrahim Nasir Shehu el-Rufai Shema

Aminu Sule, trying to board an Egyptian airline with about $50,000 at the Mallam Aminu Kano Intwernational Ariport, Kano.

Albeit, many are attributing the arrest of his son by EFCC to have political undertones, in view of his affiliation to Obasanjo, which is expected to clear him the way of becoming the next president in 2015 as the clamour for the return of power to North appears to be enjoying Obasanjo backing.

Mal. Ibrahim Shekarau, former ANPP presidential aspirant The two-term Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, was born in Kurmawa Qtrs., of Kano State in 1955. He attended Makama Primary School, and then proceeded to the Aminu Kano Commercial College in 1972 to 1976.

Shekarau is been seen as a complete teacher as most of his career years were spent around the teaching line. He held high

positions like Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Education, Deputy Director of Education in Kano, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Director General in the ministry of Education and a one-time lecturer at the Kano State College of Art, Science and Remedial Studies among many other positions.

Shekarau quit his teaching line to venture into politics, and in 2007, the then APP party nominated him to be its flag bearer in the 2007 elections.

What seemed to be difficult to occur, turned out to happen, as Shekarau defeated the incumbent governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to become the state’s governor, a position he held up to 2011 as his second term in office ended.

During the 2011 general elections, Shekarau’s party nominated him to again hoist its flag and contest the Presidential elections, after defeating other party contestants at the Eagle

Square primary elections.

Although, despite his nationwide campaigns that saw him touring to almost all the country’s states, he ended as the 4th in the election, trailing the ruling PDP, CPC and ACN. This result did not seem to end Shekarau’s quest to becoming the country’s president in the 2015 elections.

The recent report claiming that Shekarau has relinquished his traditional position in the Kano state’s Emirate Council in order to concentrate more on his party’s activities is another pointer to the former governor’s underground move to clear his way for the contest of the post in 2015.

As the one who is representing his party in the effort of coming up with a formidable mega party, that will see the liquidation of ANPP, CAN, and CPC to form a single party that is capable of rubbing shoulders with the ruling PDP during the 2015 election, Shekarau’s ambition proved to remain un waned.

Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Niger State Governor The current Niger State governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu was born in Minna, in the year 1955. He attended College of Arts & Arabic Studies Sokoto, and graduated in 1974. Three years after, Babangida obtained the Nigeria Certificate in Education from the College of Education, Sokoto. He began his working career in 1978 when he became a teacher at Government Teachers’ College, Minna. Babangida has later gone to Bayero University, Kano where he obtained a BA in Education in the year 1978.

Babangida was in 1983 elected the member in the Federal House of Representatives, from Chancahga federal constituency.

He then held different positions at the federal level, including a Federal Permanent Secretary, before he returned into politics in 2007.

Although, Babangida has had an internal party disagreement, with the Federal High Court of Abuja rejecting a suit against his nomination, Babangida went on to win the 2007 governorship election of his state. Currently, he is into his second term in office, following his re-election during the 2011 elections.

As one who is seen as orator and out spoken, Babangida was once quoted to have stated to a delegation from the Association of Nigerian Authors that “Niger State will be the most published state in 2008.

We want to publish you; we shall publish you...”

His consistent presentations at most public events had during a symposium on poverty eradication in Northern states stated that traditional rulers, particularly in the Northern region, were “corrupt, support corruption and have lost the respect and moral authority to correct their subjects.”

The governor was again involved in another shocker during a convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors in 2009. He was reported to have said that over 90 percent of Nigerian politicians have criminal intentions, spending huge amounts to gain office for their own benefit rather than to serve the public.

As the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Babangida possibility of contesting the post of President has no longer been news to most people, moreso, that the quest to return power to the Late Yar’adua’s Northern region continues to gather momentum.

However, his previous statements on most national issues may spell doom to his chances to clinching the all-important ticket.

Obviously, Babangida’s comment that most of Yobe state’s executives and legislatures have run out of the state due to insecurity to Kano and Abuja a fortnight ago has sparked another doubt as to winning the North’s backing. Both Yobe state government and the state’s house members vehemently denied Babangida’s claim, indicating an internal problem in the Northern Governors Forum, he is Chairing.

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

PAGE 13

Special Report

Who underdeveloped the local government?

By AbubakarJimoh

I

n the last couple of weeks, a certain significant development pointing to the possibilities of strengthening the local government administration with financial and political autonomy has dominated the realm of the nation's political issues.

Although local government system represents the third tier of administration, as stated in the 1999 constitution, it has been reported not to be getting a fair deal in the hands of successive administrations in Nigeria. While governments especially at the state levels have firmly expressed that situation at the council level has not been the same in most of the states.

Regrettably, rural development of the grassroots which should always be the concern of every responsible and responsive political system has not been primary focus, as development and participation have continued to escape people of the grassroots. Just as a Nigerian political analyst, K.O Olaniyan stated: "Development remains insignificant if it does not positively affect the lives of those in the periphery of decision making arrangement.

The Nigerian state therefore created local government as the third tier of government whose objective is to ensure effective, measurable and efficient service delivery to the people. However, Local government is faced with various difficulties."

Recently, as the review of the 1999 Constitutional took shape, the quest for economic and political autonomy of local governments intensified at the National Assembly. Though as stated above, local governments constitute the third tier of government as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution, however, they have largely operated as appendages of the state governments, who have brought about various setbacks to the development at the grassroots. In fact, it was reported that some of them are governed by the caretaker committees appointed by the state governors.

Consequently, President Goodluck Jonathan of late joined other Nigerians in clamouring for the reforms of the councils to make the system democratic, more autonomous, accountable to the people and grassroots-oriented. He blamed the governors for the current trend in the system, accusing them of making it difficult for the councils to

President Goodluck Jonathan function.

The President who spoke through his Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, maintained that the councils have special role to play in his transformation agenda and by extension, the democratic process which they are currently not doing. He particularly frowned at the state-local government joint account policy, insisting that it erodes the autonomy of the councils.

It was gathered by journalists that Jonathan's observation incidentally came against the background of attempts by the governors, under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to prevent the councils from being recognized as a critical segment of the federating units.

Interestingly, the bold move

by President Jonathan has gained support of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which at its recent meeting in Ibadan expressed concern on the abuse of the councils by the governors. The Association noted that the governors' tricks in dissolving the council and appointing caretaker chairmen, at their discretion run counter to the letters of the constitution. This has raised hopes that the local government system will be restored to its constitutional status.

However, this would not be the first time a new deal had appeared to be in the offing for the councils.

The problem had however been the will to back the moves with commensurate implementations.

For instance, report of the Justice

Senate President David Mark Alfa Belgore panel which was submitted to the President earlier in the year, with the expectations that the local government system will be restored to its constitutional status is yet to witness concrete actions.

Prior to the above, participants at various public sessions on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, across the country two weeks ago had voted heavily to support an amendment of section 162 (6) of the 1999 Constitution to abolish the state joint local government account so that allocations due to Local Government Councils would be paid to them directly. They also voted against the state assuming responsibility of funding of the councils, maintaining that they be accorded the status of a third tier of government. They pleaded with the National Assembly to remove the control of local government funds from state governors, demanding also the abrogation of joint allocation account between state and local governments.

Against the above arguments, a public analyst, Salisu Suleiman has reminded us on the fact that the local government Chairmen are usually surrounded by useless protocols making them to be brash, arrogant, suave, solicitous and shockingly crude. One trait of character that is ever present though, is their well-horned capacity to detect the minutest opportunity for fraud and diversion of public funds. Their word is law. He knows everything, except the concept of public and

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal

local government administration.

Suleiman further lamented: "that at a lower level, local government treasurers and cashiers also live like royalty. As custodians of money, they help themselves liberally from the public purse by exploiting the inherent weaknesses of the archaic accounting systems still in use in most local government areas. Truth be told, they are probably more powerful than the local government chairman because they are permanent staff of the council, while chairmen come and go. They are the institutional memories of councils and know where every kobo is.

However, no matter the positions they occupy - from the chairman, councilors, treasurers, directors, cashiers and other positions, local government administration in Nigeria today has become a source of godless, mind-boggling theft of public resources."

Unlike other scholars, he blamed local government Chairmen for corruption and financial management which have so far contributed largely to under-development of grassroot; and questions their competency in handling the allocations from the federation account. "The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognizes local government areas as the third tier of government after the federal and state governments. Their functions are clearly defined.

They are entitled allocation of funds from the federation

account for use in carrying out their functions. In the fiscal year 2009, there is no local government area in Nigeria that will spend less than one billion naira. Some even have budgets in the range of N10 billion. But like you and me, what every Nigerian wants to know is where these monies end up. Where are the local roads, dispensaries, schools and markets? Where are the projects to speed up development? Where are the trillions?" he questioned.

Suleiman said: "it has become vogue for chairmen to own houses in London, Dubai and South Africa. There was the case of a chairman who was duped of N40 million he stole to buy a house in London. And he dare not report to the police. Another chairman died of a heart attack when he learnt that the factory he supposedly acquired belonged to a Lebanese national and was never in the market. A lady chairman got her investments in property worth hundreds of millions in Abuja bull-dozed because it was built on a green area."

"To take Kaduna State for example, how many people know that from May 1999 to February 2009, local government areas in the state received the following amounts: Kaduna South, N10.3bn; Kaduna North N9.7 bn; IgabiN10.7bn; KajuruN5.9 bn; BirninGwariN9.2 bn; C h i k u n N 9 . 9 b n ; GiwaN7.7bn;Ikara N6.8 bn; Zaria N9.2 bn; Soba N7.9bn;

Contd on Page 14

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

Special Report

Who underdeveloped the local government?

Contd from Page 13 S a b o n G a r i N 7 . 8 b n ; KubauN8.0bn; KudanN5.9bn; LereN8.6bn; MakarfiN6.2 bn; ZangonKatafN7.6bn; SangaN5.8bn, KauraN6.3bn; KachiaN7.9 bn; Jema'aN7.1bn; KagarkoN6.6 bn; KauruN6.4bn; and JabaN5.4bn. Remember that there are 774 local government areas in Nigeria. Put together, they have received trillions of naira in allocation. What have they done with the money?"

"How many people know that till date, there are areas in Nigeria that cannot be reached by any form of motorized vehicle, and that people have to park their vehicles and trek to those places? How many people have seen emergency cases being transported to clinics on donkeys?

(I assure you, it is not a pretty sight). How many students still study under trees in lieu of classrooms? Where are the boreholes that are supposed to provide people with potable water? Why do so many people die from preventable diseases like malaria, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and meningitis? Why are there mountains of refuse and clogged drainages all over the country?" he asked.

Meanwhile, other political analysts both within and outside the country have attributed under-development at grassroots level to other factors apart from those stated by Suleiman. For instance, in his analysis, Kolawole Sola at Department of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, Lagos State University reported that the struggle to bring about a local government system in Nigeria has been a long drawn one. Efforts have geared towards moving the system from local administration to local government with functional political and economic autonomy. Yet, local government administration is confronted with issues and challenges such as: federal and state government's interventions in the constitutional apportioned responsibilities of local government.

He argues that for local government administration to realize its lofty goals, the country should return to true federalism, enthrone positive leadership, pursuit of economic self-reliance through internally generated revenue, and embrace attitudinal and behavioural changes to achieve good governance.

Another research conducted by a lecture at Department of Local Government and Development Studies Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Abubakar Usman using three states from the North-west, South-East and South-Western parts of Nigeria indicates a very weak relationship between local

government (decentralisation) as operational in Nigeria and service delivery. Reasons for this development was linked to limited autonomy, high level government interferences among others were highlighted and suggestions proffered to help strengthen local governments in service provision.

Also Samihah Khalil and Salihu Abdulwaheed Adelabu at Ghazali Shafie Graduate School of Government, College of Law, Government and International Studies, Northern University of Malaysia have observed that the raison d'etre of a local government is to collect its revenue efficiently and to use that revenue to provide infrastructural development for its tax payers.

They further conducted a research study covering 33 local governments in Nigeria in terms of disbursement of statutory allocation, and budget and budgeting analysis. Through this, they gathered that as far back as 1999, the Nigerian local governments are being given enough by the Federal Government in order to provide infrastructural development to the citizens in the local area, but it seems the said public revenue are being mismanaged by political leaders and local governments' officials in Nigeria. They confirmed that less than 5% of the statutory allocation accrued to the local governments under consideration is being expended on infrastructural development, while over 10% is used for personnel expenditure as the cost of delivering infrastructural development by local governments in Nigeria.

According to Khalil and Adelabu, local government as the third tier of government cannot, therefore be ideal from the financial view lens if it collects its revenue in a slip-shod manner and devotes a large percentage of it to the maintenance of a topheavy administrative set-up, with a relatively small proportion of the revenue left for the provision of infrastructural development which are of direct benefits to the local inhabitants.

Additionally, a recent study conducted by Olusola Olubukunola O. to understand the impact internal sources has on the total revenue of 20 selected Local Governments in Ogun State has revealed that for there to be a local government, it must be ready and be seen to be able to meet its obligations through internal sources. However this is far from what is obtained in practice as the study showed that selected local governments understudied were unable to generate 10% of internal revenue, hence the gross dependence on statutory allocations from the federation account.

Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke Whereas, another analysis of Jimoh A. Oladipo at Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business and Social Sciences University of Ilorin, has coined the fact that the events of the second world war and its aftermath have succeeded not only in making the concept of development a necessity objective, but also in identifying the appropriate investment for implementing development projects. To him, the advocacy for decentralization measures as an all-check against concentrating power in any one particular organization finds relevance in the instrumentality of local governments in planning and implementing projects to address the issues of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

However, Oladipo lamented that developing countries such as Nigeria, targeted outcomes

Former CJN, Alfa Belgore

have remained largely unachieved as projects at the local level have shown profound incapability in contributing to development of local areas. The problem of corruption, social instability and ethnic divisions has continued to increasingly rear its ugly head.

In 2009, two national political scholars, J. E. Imhanlahimi and M. O. Ikeanyibe attempted to identify topical issues of Local Government (LG) autonomy in Nigeria in relation to the development of the localities.

They examined that many challenges undermining the achievements of Local Governments mandates in Nigeria include representative LGs, the size of LGs, revenue, personnel, inadequate autonomy, inadequate finances, weak intergovernmental relations, fledgling democracy, and grand

corruption.

Apart from the above, high level of illiteracy has also been attributed to the underperformance of the local government administrator across the country. Effort to resolve this problem resulted to a training programme and Capacity Building Manual developed by Olisa Agbakoba & Hilary Ogbonna for local government administrators to enable local government administrators to appreciate their roles as developmental agents and to enable them harness the various resources at their disposal to bring about meaningful grassroots development; and help various interest groups and grassroots constituencies reach an understanding of issues in local government administration.

President of ALGON Ozor Nwabueze Okafor presenting position of ALGON on Constitution matters to the Speaker House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, during their visit to the National Assembly, Abuja.

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

PAGE 15

Interview

Vision 3:20:20 is within reach —Iliyasu Dhacko Y

o u have gone round and monitored some road construction projects in the state, what is your assessment of the importance of these road projects?

First and foremost we went round to see how the N6billion bounded money was utilized based on the tied projects. We observed that there was a judicious utilization of the money that was approved during the first tenure of this administration. Fazhi road has been completed, Gurara Bonu road has been completed and Dabban completed too. Lubanna which is bordering the Republic of Benin is completed, and we only observed hitches in the contract from Mokwa-Raba and government has taken farreaching action on that, it has revoked the contract and reawarded to another contractor with work on going, all under the N6billion bond.

On the second N9billion bond, targeted for the construction of a bridge across Shiroro dam and expansion of Amigora, Maitumbi and Maikunkele bye pass. Also within the bond is KwakutiKafinkoro, we have gone round and we have seen the level of work, I want to reiterate one fundamental fact, there is no way anybody can divert bonded funds to anywhere because the funds are tied to specific projects. I worked with the Security and Exchange Commission which supervises the Capital Market, we are still the regulator capital market so I know this.

For the benefit of the public can you tell us the quality of these projects?

You see I am not an engineer but I think as far as I am concerned, I am satisfied with quality of work, because the engineers of the construction companies are capable and competent of delivering. Right now if you go to see the kind of heavy cast on the bridge along Kafinkoro-Kwakuti as well as the Ahmadu Bahago roundabout, it's of international standard.

Do you see this administration completing these projects before the end of its tenure?

Yes! government is a continuous process so I don't think any visionary leader will boycott the projects of this importance considering the positivity it places on the life of its citizens. There was a vision for Kure's administration when he was constructing LapaiGulu roads, he could not complete it. Kure also had a vision for a banquet hall, he left without

The Director General, Directorate of Monitoring and Evaluation Niger State, Mallam Iliyasu Dhacko (AjiyanMinna) in an exclusive interview with our correspondent Iliya Garba disclosed the pathway being adopted for the completion of outstanding projects to help drive the state to the top three economies in the country by the year 2020, a vision of the present administration. Excerpts

Mallam Iliyasu Dhacko completing it, but Talba saw the wisdom, built it and named it after Justice LegboKutigi. Part of our strategy is what we call "bording up approach" - a monitoring and evaluation strategy, where we talk to the district heads, community traders, youth leaders, get their views about these roads that is being brought to them. And so far, they've shown appreciation and concern- a necessary tool to safeguard the projects.

Coming to housing, only M.I Wushishi is completed, others are yet to be completed.

What is the problem?

At the Talba housing estate, electric cableshave been installed, pipes have been laid, the internal road network has been completed and the estate clinic has also been completed.

In that of Bida road, the police post is completed, the schoolprimary and secondary completed, and in fact the mosque is also in place. I think it is better for you to go and see it yourself. A special implementation team headed by the head of service in monitoring of these projects shows it is dear to the heart of the Chief

Servant.

As for that of Aliyu Makama housing estate in Bida, work is in progress and I think they have finished roofing. The Sani Bello housing estate Kontagora is at 75 percent completion. I have no doubt; this administration will deliver them all.

There have been laudable projects that were aimed to raise the economic potentials of the state, why is it that this impact is yet to be felt?

An institution does not grow in a day, and a dream takes time to manifest. If you go to the Tagwai fishery factory and cattle multi-purpose centre, you will be amazed with the progress recorded. Cattles were brought from other countries for cross breeding particularly Cameroon and secondly we have one of the best consultants in Africa handling the mass production of fingerlings and Catfish.

Amazingly, he is a Nigerlite. All we need is governments continued support to sustain the project.

Another area the chief servant is making history in broadcasting.

The state now boasts of a stateowned TV station. It is live on air

with a digital transmitter, this is a commendable effort.

The Talba administration came with the vision of making the state one of the top three economies by the year 2020, with what you have seen so far, is it attainable?

Well, the way things are, I want to believe that by 2020, even if it is not attainable at least we will be there with minimum of 70percent irrespective of the global financial crunch.

Some people don't see any reason why we should have an area called three arms zone, but this is vision. Somebody sat down and envisioned the next 10-20 years the three arms zone since Lagos will not be habitable due to congestion and environmental factors such as global warming and typhoons. It is a concept to substitute Lagos for Niger as Nigeria's business capital, while Abuja remains the centre of administration.

We all know General Babangida moved the seat of administration from Lagos to Abuja despite the criticism, but the story today has changed as the "forest" is now one of the most beautiful cities in Africa. That is the definition of vision.

The Minna city centre is about vision, so we have a visionary leader readyto start somewhere; it was about vision that there was the need for the Talba administration to create more houses, to open up Minna because it was becoming a hub for investors.

Same applies to Minna airport andMinna Stadium. You must acquire the land first, process and building might take 20 years to

finish. It is all about planning because we don't even have a befitting stadium as we speak as the Bako Kontagora stadium is not the best for Niger State.

Something must start somewhere, so in a nutshell, considering the vision on ground; we will be there.

What are the challenges facing your directorate?

As a new directorate, we have constraints- no office, funds or budget. What houses us is a personally arrangement but we still carry on with our work. Even monthly subventions are not within our reach, we are just committed because we picked the assignment as a challenge and thank God people appreciate our input. We have received a lot of responses and praise from community leaders and it has been referred already and the bottom of approach in terms of responses is now our goal. This directorate needs more staff, vehicles and finance to be efficient. Personally I think it should be transformed into a commission because the value of monitoring cannot be overemphasized.

What message do you have for Nigerlites?

Well like I keep saying, anybody saddled with the responsibility of leadership needs advice, guidance and above all, prayers. And of course that individual too should accept constructive criticism; it's a vital condiment for growth.

My plea to Nigerlites is for us to continue to live as brothers, we should learn to appreciate one another, and we should learn to make progressive suggestions to move Niger State forward. There is an upcoming paper presentation on the possibility of transforming this directorate into a commission highlighting monitoring as a responsibility of all. On the side of government, we urge the Chief Servant to encourage inter-ministerial and departmental monitoring.

“

We all know General Babangida moved the seat of administration from Lagos to Abuja despite the criticism, but the story today has changed as the "forest" is now one of the most beautiful cities in Africa. That is the definition of vision.

PAGE 16

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

Tourism Federal government has neglected North/East zone since 1977 —Sen. Ningi

C

onsidering this summit, how optimistic are you that the problem of poverty and insecurity in North East would be solved?

I am not really sure this conference will solve the issue of poverty and insecurity but I am sure it is going to serve as a wakeup call to the people of the North East zone on the challenges that the zone is currently facing because the marginalisation of this zone did not start during the democratic dispensation, but years back during the coup that topple the Government of Murtala Mohammed. It was then that the military Government started creating local movements, favouring some geopolitical zones and neglecting others particularly those in the North East zone. We thought initially that with the entrenchment of democracy during Obasanjo's administration justice and equity will prevail and the anomalies corrected. If you look back at the 1990 budget, you will find out that the difference between this zone and the other zone is not much but after the year 2000, you will discover every year the difference in the budget is so much, it is a wide margin, so you see in this zone, North East, there is poverty, lack of progress, lack of good roads and so many other things, it is here in the North East that the state are not economically strong, the local governments are not viable and we have the majority of our citizen that are less privileged not only in Nigeria but in Africa, that is why sometimes you hear that the most poorest state in the North is this our zone.

Who do you think should be blamed for this neglect, the governors, or Federal Government?

First of all, it is the fault of the federal government since we are not only talking about North East zone alone, the biggest fault goes to the federal Government because if you look at these zones that have progressed, whether East, South or West, you will find out that it is as a result of federal government presence in those states, how? Through motor able roads, revision of quality education and functional hospitals. Apart from lack of tangible budgeting allocation that comes to Abuja because it is the North East state that are getting the smallest amount from the federal government allocation but still the states in the North East are the most

Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi is the Senate deputy leader, representing Bauchi central Senatorial District. In this interview with newsmen at the end of a North East Governors Summit tagged, 'North Eastern Alliance of Transformation' at Yankari Games Reserve Bauchi, he bears his mind on the backwardness and marginalisation of the North East region by the federal Government. Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi was there.

Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi neglected in terms of federal Government attention that is why the zone is lagging behind because the poor in this zone is poorer than the poor in Kano state, because a poor person from Kano has only two things that he is benefiting from. One there is the high number of Local government in which they receive monthly allocation, secondly, there are a lot of business ventures and the third is availability of road network, so you see the poor from Kano have these but a poor person from North East lack all those things that I have mentioned, had it been that those states from the other zone achieved those goals as a result of the effort of their various state governors, we would have seen it but we know that they achieved it because of the assistance and attention they derived from the federal government, the military government and the political leaders that be, we have been deprived in this country, you

will agree with me that since the death of our own late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, we have never been given the chance to rule this country again up to this time that I am talking to you or we have never been given a well recognised position in this country, none of our sons have gotten that opportunity, even the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar was not given the opportunity because he was just a Vice President. So because of that, these things are related to those things that I have made mentioned, unless you have your own there before you will be considered.

You were elected to represent the interest of the people of your constituencies and in your position you have not been able to draw the attention of the Federal government to all these problems don't you think that you are also culpable?

Except if you don't know the

history and the role of the National Assembly, and if really you know the functions of the National Assembly you will know that I, Abdul Ningi since 1999, we have been struggling.

The National Assembly of our country is that of the P system, the number of your members in the national assembly determines the attention you attract, we in the North East, we have never had the majority in the National Assembly that are PDP members, at all times we are divided into two that is PDP and ANPP and in sharing the resources PDP comes first before ANPP will get their own share.

And on the issue of checkmating the sharing formula of the resources, anybody that is following the event from 1999 in the National Assembly knows the struggles that have been going on concerning this issue. First let me tell you they have reported me several times that I should be rebuked concerning some of

my utterances regarding all these issues of neglecting my zone, I know it and even those that are close to me know it and not I only, but also some of my colleagues in the zone, but since this government came to power, nobody has ever called me to say, we heard that you said this or that or for the Governor of Bauchi to call me and say to me that I heard you are saying this or that, that is one, secondly even if you talk about the progress of your zone or constituency would they really know what you are doing?

Would they really understand the contributions you have been making to the progress of the zone, that is it, because all these things are being done because of democracy, the people you are representing, do they really know that you have been fighting for their right?

But as for me, I believe they are aware of my struggles concerning their rights, I know that they are aware that is why they have been giving me their mandate through their legitimate votes since 1999. But majority of the people in the North, those that it is because of the interest of the North that the federal government and their constituencies have abandoned them, and their people have turned them down, are not supporting them, for instance people Like Ghali Umar, Na'abba, Zailani, Abdullahi Matori and the likes of them, they don't mind even if it will take them to pull off their shirts and fight for the cause of the Northern region, but what becomes their fate?

Where are they today?

So if you see the fault of the National Assembly members from this region, you should also see the fault of their followers, this is not the fault of the National Assembly members, it is not their issue here, the national assembly members are doing their best, but as long as the federal government have enormous powers, and if the governors cannot join hands together to speak with one voice, if the governors are not willing to lead by example, if they are not ready to do the right thing, there will never be any change and I believe that there will never be a change until the federal government intervenes in this zone.

Why do you think federal government is not willing to intervene?

As I told you, it started years back in 1977-1980, things were not as they are now but we started having this problem since 1999.

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

Weekend >>Page Page27 24 ENTER TAINMENT >> ENTERT Hassou Garba: Nigerien musician who owns a radio station

BOLLYWOOD

PAGE 17

Cocktail FASHION

One-shoulder dress, >> Page 32 skip necklaces

>> >>Page Page27 26

Legendary sitarist, composer Ravi Shankar dead at 92

MODEL OF THE WEEK

>> Page 22

CUISINE Pumpkin juice: Tasty and refreshing

>> Page 28

Couscous with Moringa

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, DECEMBER, 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.

Heart Matterz

Important points to consider before Proposing to my boyfriend, I need ideas saying 'I do' M With A'isha Biola Raji

E-mail: rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com Phone: 08082071393

By Fathima Abubakar

A

s the 'D' day nears, you start getting excited and nervous at the same time.

You are getting ready to step into a whole new world with that someone special. A world filled with love, affection, understanding and innumerable joys.

However, don't forget that the world you are all set to enter into would also be filled with plenty of responsibilities, responsibilities that need to be understood clearly and would need plenty of promises to be fulfilled properly.

Responsibilities that could possibly cause rifts in the relationship if not discussed about before the marriage That is why it is considered extremely important for couples to discuss about a few very essential facts before deciding to tie the knot and enter the world of holy matrimony.

Sadly, this is where most couples go wrong. For apart from talking about their mutual likes and dislikes, some couples do not discuss factors (pertaining to the marriage) that they don't agree on. And these issues when encountered after the marriage, can lead to misunderstandings and in the worst case scenario, divorce in a very short while.

So if you are getting ready to tie the knot or are seriously contemplating about saying 'I do'

to that someone special, here are some important checks you need to go through and sort out before you actually commit yourself to the relationship.

Financial constraints: One of the main areas that couples fight on after marriage is the finances. If both partners are working then it would usually lead to tiffs about joint bank accounts, individual spending, bills, debts and savings. And if one of the partners is working while the other is at home, these tiffs would usually concern personalised money that the other person cannot touch. ('It's my money. I work and I spend').

Clearly discuss your individual and joint financial goals before marriage. How do you plan to settle your debts?

How are you going to save together as a couple? Which areas incur more costs than others?

And how do you plan to take care of them jointly?

Remember, there is no more 'me' in a relationship after a marriage. You need to include your partner in your financial goals and vice versa. So make it a point to be extra cautious about your financial preps and talk out the same with your partner before marriage so that you don't fight about the same afterwards.

In laws constraints: In some parts of Africa, it is customary for the girl to live with her in laws after marriage. They

would most probably be included into the total family plan as well.

So make sure you have a serious talk about your in laws with your partner and vice versa.

Things like festivals, holidays, gettogether, money matters etc. involving both sides of the family should be discussed prior to the wedding to avoid hassles and in law meddling later on.

Having kids: Sure you may want to start a family as soon as you get married but your spouse would want to take some time to settle down before having kids. You would probably be ok with just one kid while he/she would want to have a few running around the house.

And you want to be a strict parent and bring up your kids with discipline while your partner believes in the 'let them grow on their own' approach.

These issues may seem minor now but may become major roadblocks in your relationship afterwards. So better have a talk about this to your partner before getting married.

Decide on when you would want to have a family, how many kids you would like to have, who would take care of the responsibility of bringing up the kids and other essential factors about parenting. This would enable you to breathe a sigh of relief later on when you reach that particular stage in your life.

Personal needs: Your partner believes that regular sex is the key to happiness and longevity in a relationship while you believe you don't need to get under the covers every time to prove your love and if you can't come to an understanding about the issue before the wedding, chances are you won't be able to afterwards as well.

You might be a diehard romantic while your spouse prefers to keep his/her emotions locked up inside. Before marrying him/her, talk to him/her about your feelings and expectations, and what you would expect from him/her after the marriage in terms of personal wants and needs.

Sure, it may sound embarrassing to tell your partner what you want from him/her beforehand. But trust me, doing so would make sure that more expectations are met and less hearts are broken after the marriage.

y boyfriend and I have been together for almost 2 years.

We live together, we share bills together and we have a beautiful eight-month-old daughter together. We are even going to buy a house together.

We both have been married and divorced before we got together therefore neither of us is in a hurry to get married anytime soon. However, I would love to get engaged, and then just wait a few years down the road to actually tie the knot.

We have talked about marriage in the past and we both seem to be on the same page but he has not shown any signs of wanting to propose. What I am wondering is how would I go about proposing to him? We even went out and bought each other rings. So I already technically have an engagement ring on my finger, I think it would be really neat for me to propose to him, I just have absolutely no clue how to go about doing it, or IF I should even do it. —Anita

Is having a four year engagement normal

I

have been engaged for four years and we live together and act married pretty much but if someone calls me his wife, he always says" she is not my wife we are not married yet." He says it real quick that I fear he might not really love me, like it is some horrible thing for them to think that of saying. I am beginning to act sensitive and is beginning to bug. Why has our engagement taken so long? —Ada

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

PAGE 19

Beauty Tips

Anti-aging tips and secrets to look younger (III)

Exfoliate Exfoliation gets rid of dead, dry skin cells to reveal the fresher skin underneath. You can use a washcloth, along with an exfoliating cleanser, to gently scrub your face and body. Exfoliating regularly will help remove dull, flaky skin. But be careful not to scrub too hard or you could leave the skin raw and irritated.

Don't fret over grays There's currently a trend toward embracing gray hair. To make the most of this look, Ryant recommends using a good conditioner and shine enhancer to keep the gray rich. If your skin is very pale, light gray or white hair could make you look washed out. In that case, you might want to punch up your hair color. There are effective over-the-counter dyes for covering gray. Just remember that they should never be used on the eyebrows or lashes.

Fight damage with antioxidants Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that can counter the damage caused in your body and skin by free radicals. You can eat foods rich in antioxidants or apply antioxidant creams directly to the skin. Studies suggest that topical vitamin C maybe especially helpful to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Check with a dermatologist for products that contain enough vitamin C to be effective.

Eat salmon for smoother skin Salmon offers a treasure trove of nutrients for the skin. It's packed with protein, a critical building block of healthy skin. And, along with other fatty fish, it's rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s may help fight wrinkles by keeping the skin plump.

Boost thinning hair You can give thinning hair the illusion of more body with some simple styling tricks. Use a large round brush to lift the hair and add volume. To set the style, use the cool button on your hairdryer. Styling with hot rollers is another good option. If you're looking for a lowmaintenance way to add body, Ryant suggests a perm.

Pamper your hands The skin on the hands has very little fatty tissue underneath and can easily become crinkled when dry. Applying moisturizer throughout the day can draw water into the skin to help hands look plumper and more youthful. Look for a moisturizer that contains glycerin, Shea butter, or safflower seed oil. You can also use lightening creams to fade age spots on the hands.

Wear sunglasses Sunglasses do triple-duty in the quest to look younger. A good pair will protect the delicate skin around the eyes from sun damage. It will also keep you from squinting; a motion that can create additional wrinkles over time. Finally, sunglasses may help delay cataracts, cloudy areas on the eyes' lenses that can diminish your vision. Long-term exposure to the sun's UV rays can increase the risk for cataracts.

PAGE 20

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

Learning Even when I become ONE LOVE, MANY TEARS a doctor, I will still do (... It takes two to tango!) poetry —Zara Book Review

ONE LOVE, MANY TEARS is explicit and set in the contemporary times. It has as its major themes to include; murder, greed, avarice, hatred, hypocrisy, apathy, inferiority complex/lack of proper self identity/awareness, socio-emotional insensitivity seen in various examples of apathy. Also there are themes of Love, empathy, human affection and warmth, good self esteem, good education, equal human dignity.

Starting with a genealogy of the major characters - (Cynthia, Okechukwu and Susan) the story moves from an obscure existence to a sparkling fulfillment, in tandem to their remarkable move from an inhibiting tradition/ practice in their village settlement, to a heightened exposure and liberation in the city - though not without great trials and predicaments.

In literary terms, this novel could be categorized as a blend of Tragic-comedy, Romance and Expose.

ONE LOVE, MANY TEARS has a unique and incisive story line, surging with deep

With Augustine Aminu 07038749120 julius2001_a@yahoo.com

provocations and inescapable thoughts that are woven around its over a thousand (1000) characters - all being important and playing their complementary roles throughout the twenty (20) chapters that make up the novel so far, packaged in about two hundred and sixty (260) pages.

In the novel, their society turned into a hatchery of wickedness, greed, envy, and avarice; which opposes the nest of love, peace, unity and harmony, originally planned for it.

The story pulls its strength largely around the unique existence experienced by the three characters referred above, in their quests to both identify with their society as well as identify with their individuality.

The novel achieves one aim in particular - it tells how ruthless and callous it could get if untamed - THE HUMAN MIND! But, despite the existence of some 'devil', or rather demonic potential inside man, as exposed by the novel; and mostly importantly, it also reveals another (greater) potential - a wonderful capacity and

ability to love. With Okechukwu, Cynthia and Susan as the central figures in the novel, the story forms but a mind refreshment, reminding one that love and tears are but options from which a choice has to be made by preference and at will, just like in many other decisions of life.

The concept and story of this novel, together with its unique characterization are mainly fiction, and do not refer to anyone living or dead. Any resemblance to any entity of person, persons or group would only be a mere coincidence.

The settings of time and location therein (various locations of rural settlements, as well as local and foreign cities mentioned), are but selective preferences believed to best match the story and do not, either in exclusivity or even with alteration and comparison, exact the actual place and time in real life.

In the end, because of perseverance and surety of purpose, LOVE, as dreamt and hoped for, eventually emerged triumphant, despite all the many TEARS collected.

Indeed, a very controlling principle of nature is highly honored in this novel. Thus, the subtitle IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO!

“

In the novel, their society turned into a hatchery of wickedness, greed, envy, and avarice; which opposes the nest of love, peace, unity and harmony, originally planned for it.

By A'isha Biola Raji

Y

ouths have special talents embedded in them that is always craving for notification.

It is important to identify and single out whatever talent a child has, so that child can live a fulfilled life devoid of regret.

Parents have a major role to play in identifying these talents, it is important to develop a child's talent by working closely with that child thereby nurturing such talent into maturity.

One of such children lucky to have her talent recognized and encouraged is Fatima Zara Mairami.

Zara was born in Maiduguri on the 2nd of June 1995; she comes from a family of seven, her Mum, Dad, three brothers and a sister.

17 year old Zara started her elementary school at Travis nursery and primary school, Kaduna.

"When I graduated from primary school, we moved to Abuja, I gained admission into Capital Science Academy Abuja where I graduated this year." She said.

Despite nursing the dream of becoming a medical Doctor, and actually gaining admission recently, to study Medicine in Dubai, Zara is also a writer "I started writing about four years ago when I was in JSS2. My class was given an assignment by our art teacher. He wanted us to write a poem. Since that time I developed interest in writing poems," She recalled.

Being a science student, one cannot help but wonder how she could combine art with her studies. She said, "Writing poem for Zara is like a hobby but her professional passion lies in becoming a medical doctor." For her, writing poem did not affect her studies in any way. "I write poems when I am not studying my books."

She has however

Zara written a lot of poems including, life is a CON! Life is a CON! Everyday life gives us reasons to hate it.

The more it does, the more we like it.

Do you know why? It's because life is a CON it's twists and turns, the joy and compassion, leading us to our downfall.

Life is ruthless the battle between good and evil, the clash between sanity and insanity.

Every soul for itself.

Whether it chooses salvation or damnation.

Whether it chooses to be wise or stupid.

Life is for the living, free to those who breath and free…

Free to those who LIVE! END On what inspires her writing, "sometimes the people around me and my environment generally inform what poem I should write. I seldom write about my emotion, most times the ideas just come and I pick my pen

and write," she said.

Regardless of her science background, she is not limited to poem writing, Zara does Calligraphy. The beautiful art of writing was invented

by Chinese; they print letters on block, cover them in paint and stamp them on paper. Zara however indulge in this art especially for designing cards.

Aside from being a doctor, Zara would like to do poetry and become a poet. "Even when I become a doctor, I will still love to do poetry," she said.

Though her target audience is teenagers like her but she sometimes write children’s poem. She said "I write for teenagers like myself but some of my poems are childlike that even little children can relate with."

One day she hopes to publish her work, "I am a member of a website called www.waptpad.com where young writers can showcase their work; we meet new people and make fellow writer friends."

Zara is an epitome of talents as she also loves singing, "I like pop music, one of my favourite musician is Chris Brown."

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

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds

The chameleon

PAGE 23

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

Toys for a big boy

C

h a m e l e o n belongs to best known lizard family.

Chameleon means 'Earth Lion'. The main distribution of Chameleons is Africa and Madagascar, and other tropical regions, although some species are also found in parts of southern Europe and Asia.

Chameleons react to heat and cold by changing color too.

Unless they can increase their body temperature by absorbing heat from the sun, they stay the same temperature as the air around them. Without warmth, they cannot hunt, move, or digest their food. In the morning they squeeze their sides together and puff out their chins, flattening their bodies to create more surface area.

Dark colors absorb heat better, so the side of the chameleon facing the sun becomes almost black, while the other remains it usual color! Chameleons are "ectotherms", animals whose temperatures are controlled from outside their bodies. They eat locusts, crickets, and other insects, but larger chameleons have been known to eat small birds and other lizards.

They have long tongue having a sticky tip on the end, which serves to catch prey items that they would otherwise never be able to reach with their lack of locomotive speed. The tip of their tongue is round ball of muscle, and as it hits its prey, it rapidly forms a small drag cup. Once the tongue sticks to a prey item, it is drawn quickly back into the mouth, where the chameleon's strong jaws crush it and it is consumed.

The characteristics of changing their skin colour make them one of the famous lizard family species. Changing the skin colour is an expression of the physical and physiological condition of the lizard. The colour also plays an important part in communication between other chameleons. If they are fearful, their emotions will evoke a particular color/ pattern.

Chameleons have teeth to hold onto food. Their teeth are also used to help them crush and kill their food. They may chew or swallow their food whole. They can also use their teeth for tearing chunks off and then swallow. Some chameleons hold the dead prey in their mouth for several moments before swallowing it.

They lay eggs in a 4 to 12 inches deep hole. Some species lay 2 to 4 eggs while other species lays 80 to 100 eggs. Some species of chameleon give birth to young ones.

They hear vibrations in the air, which help them find food and stay safe from their enemies. They are almost deaf, but can hear tones and feel vibrations.

Their eyes are the most unique among the reptiles. The upper and lower eyelids are joined, with only a pinhole large enough for the pupil to see through. They can rotate and focus their eyes separately to observe two different objects at the same time. It in effect gives them a full 360-degree arc of vision around their body.

They have zygodactyl foot, on each foot the five toes are fused into a group of two and a group of three, giving the foot a gripping and lifting-like appearance. With their specialized feet, they grip tightly to narrow branches.

R

to himself.

T h a t evening, his mother showed him the toys and games her friend had got for him.

One stuffed dolphin and a game of blocks.

a n i Ahmed was seven years old and he was the tallest student in his class.

It made him feel very proud. When he remembered some of the things he used to do as a small kid, he felt a little shy. He wished his mother would not tell those stories to her friends again.

One day, his mother's old school friend had come to see her; they were meeting after 10 years. Rani was just back from school but his ears pricked up when he heard his mother said "You know what my Rani used to do as a baby? He used to think everything and everyone was a part of Ahmed family. So he would call the refrigerator 'frig Ahmed. He would call the doggy that curled up on our doormat outside 'doggy Ahmed."

Rani heard his mother's friend laughed and he ran out of the house without any lunch. "I wish mother would not do these things," he said

Rani got angry, "These are kids toys, kids toys and games. I am a big boy now. My hero is Spiderman. That's the toy I want for my birthday this year. Spiderman and the spray that makes the spider web."

"Are you saying you no longer want your favourite stuffed toy; pepper the doggy?" Rani's mother asked. "I don't want kid's toys and games any more. I am a BIG BOY," Rani shouted. "Okay, okay, we heard you," said his parents.

A month later, Rani's parents bought him a Spiderman kit for his eighth birthday. They bought him a Spiderman T-shirt and trousers, a shiny Spiderman toy and a glove with a spray bottle attached to it.

"Wear the glove and then press the spray button. It will make a web pattern on the wall, Rani's father said.

Rani and even his father, were so excited with the spray that they used it again and again to see who

could make a bigger web! There was even a Spiderman cake.

After his friends left, Rani opened up each gift package.

Yesssss! He was a big boy now. He had got so many presents of toys and games and they were all for big boys. He especially liked a Lego set that made a battery-powered robot, a snazzy car racing video game, and, best of all, a cool skateboard.

Rani went to sleep clutching the Spiderman. As soon as his head hit the pillow he fell asleep. He now slept in a room of his own. A room with sunny yellow walls but until the day before, he had gone to sleep clutching Pepper doggy's ear. The softness of the toy always made him happy. But Spiderman was a metal toy. It was cold to touch.

At night, as his blanket slipped down the bed, the cold metal of Spiderman poked him, he dreamt that he was being chased by icy monsters who were out to freeze him into a statue. In his dream he shouted for Pepper. Not finding Pepper, he woke up screaming and crying.

His mother heard him cry and came rushing into his room. "I want Pepper. He is my friend. Big boys also have doggy friends" cried Rani.

Pepper crept back into Rani's bed. Every night, Rani and Pepper have a new adventure.

HIS AND HERS CORNER

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

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

MODEL OF THE WEEK

Three wishes

O

n c e there lived a woodcutter with his wife. He used to cut wood in the forest and sold them in the market. This was the only means of his livelihood.

One day, he went to cut wood in the forest. On the way, he was singing a song and enjoying the nature and its beauty. Then he saw a very big tree in front of him.

He thought of cutting the whole tree to get more wood. As the tree was very big, the wood obtained from it would be enough for his whole life.

As the woodcutter picked up his axe to cut the tree, he heard a voice, "Please do not cut this tree."

The woodcutter stopped and looked here and there, but found no one. He again picked his axe and aimed at the tree, but he heard the same words again, "Please be kind to me. Do not cut this tree." The woodcutter again stopped and looked all around but he could not see anyone. He was confused.

Then a fairy spoke from the tree, "I am a fairy and I live in this tree. During the winter, I live in the trunk and for the rest of the year I live on its branches. If you cut this tree, I will be homeless, the winter is approaching fast and I will die of cold. Do not destroy my home. I will fulfill your three desires instead."

The woodcutter was very happy. Now he could be rich without doing any work. He accepted the fairy's offer and ran to his house to tell his wife about this. His wife was waiting for him as usual. She was surprised to see the woodcutter back so early and said, "Why did you come so early today? You are looking very happy. What is the matter? Please let me know."

The woodcutter replied, "I got a big treasure today though it is yet to come. I will get the treasure soon," He started dancing.

The woodcutter narrated the whole incident to his wife. His wife jumped out of joy. The woodcutter then said, "I am hungry. Give me something to eat." His wife replied, "Since you used to come late, I have not prepared anything yet.

Wait, I will just prepare something for you."

The woodcutter said, "No, do not cook anything. I can fulfill any three desires. Now as the first one, I want sweets and hot pudding."

As soon as he uttered these words, a plate of hot pudding came before him. He ate to his satisfaction and the plate continued to fill again and again. Then he asked his wife also to eat the tasty pudding.

But she was very angry and said, "You have wasted one benefit,

Zahara’u Badamasi Tahir

ACTIVITIES Using different colour from your crayon pack, paint the images below with appropriate colours. Name each image and show your work to your teacher for correction. Cheers!

and now I wish that the pudding should be pasted on your nose!"

The pudding immediately stuck to his nose. The woodcutter got annoyed and said, "Oh, what a fool you are! What have you done?"

He tried to clear the pudding from his nose, but the pudding remained stuck.

He scolded his wife and said, "You have wasted the second benefit. The wife replied, "we can ask for lots of money." The woodcutter got irritated and said, "Oh! You are a big fool. There is hot pudding stuck to my nose and you are asking for money! I wish that the pudding of my nose should vanish immediately!" The pudding vanished.

The woodcutter heaved a sigh of relief.

This way, the woodcutter and his wife lost the golden opportunity of becoming rich.

Their luck had knocked at their door, but they failed to avail the opportunity and remained poor.

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

Painting pots What you need: Poster paints Paint brush What to do: Pick up a pot and remove any dust from it using a soft cloth or a brush.

If you have earthen pots, give them a coating of colour that you think would match with the colour of

your walls.

Let this base colour dry.

Now you can paint a variety of patterns on top to decorate your pots.

If your pots are cemented and polished, you can directly make patterns on them. It's quite interesting and at the same time colourful and attractive too.

We cannot paint the walls of our house but we can definitely paint the pots in our house.

PAGE 24

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

Kannywood

Entertainment

PAGE 25

Nollywood

D'Banj, Kay Switch Join Alicia Keys, Monalisa bags Hassou Garba: A Nigerien award in Germany musician who owns radio station Christina Aguilera At Sony Music S D

Hassou Garba From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, in Niamey Hassou Garba is a popular female musician based in Niamey, Niger Republic. There is no doubt that Hassou Garba is one of the most creative and talented female musicians in Niger Republic.

Hassou Garba now in her early 50s is well educated and is multilingual as she speaks and sings in French, Hausa, Tuareg, Zabarmanci and Fulani languages fluently.

However during a tour to Niamey with members of Katsina State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE) our Correspondent came across the talented female musician entertaining guests at Hotel Gaweye De Niamey. Although the female musician rebuffed all entreaties by Our Correspondent to have her interviewed he was able to gather some bits and pieces about her life history, souring popularity and talent.

A reporter with the Voice of Germany, Hausa Service in Niamey, Ghazali Abdu Tasawa told Peoples Daily Weekend in Niamey ' Hassou is one of the most popular local musician in Niger Republic and not only among her female peers even among the male musicians. There is no gathering worth its name that would not invite Hassou to perform'. It was gathered further that Hassou was born in the state of Maradi in Niger Republic. Her father was from the Bazamarwa clan but her mother was a Hausa woman from Maradi. Her growing up in

Maradi gave her proficiency in speaking both languages and the talent to sing in Hausa.

Hassou Garba, our Correspondent learnt is married to her husband Garba, who is a journalist and together they set-up one of the most successful FM Radio station in Niamey. Surprisingly those close to her confided in Peoples Daily Weekend that in her extra hours away from entertainment, Hassou would join her husband in the radio station to assist in programmes presentation. Hassou according to sources was able to

survive the political storm that usually cut short the life span of most successful musicians in Niger Republic. According to Tasawa, 'she is very careful with politics and politicians. You know in Niger, some musicians align with a particular party and when that party is not in power their popularity diminishes. But to Hassou she always aligns with the party in power'.

One thing that makes Hassou popular in the music world of Niger Republic is her God- given talent of composing songs

impromptu without any rehearsals. While entertaining the Katsina NULGE delegates, Hassou instantly composed some masterpiece songs praising the Katsina State Governor, a Katsina based businessman Alhaji Dahiru Mangal and the NULGE Katsina chapter chairman, Comrade Ali Haruna Kankara.

However her masterpiece song is ' ni nagode Allah da Ya yi ni 'yar Nijar', ' I thank God that I was born a Nigerian'.

One of the trends observed in the Niger Republic music industry is its growth with talented and creative musicians. As the Nigeria's Hausa local music industry is declining due to lack of creative composers, that of Niger is flourishing with abundant talents.

Tasawa however provides reasons for the growth of Niger Republic's local music industry 'here we organize quarterly and yearly festivals where local musicians exhibit their talents. There is also yearly competition among local musicians to discover talents. The flourishing FM stations also assisted in this direction'.

In Nigeria, it was observed that since the demise of the contemporaries of Mamman Shata Katsina, Dankwairo, Narambada, Jan Gidi among others there were no other upcoming local musicians.

In the female circle apart from the aged Barmani Choge and her contemporaries no any female musician has shown the capacity to take after them. These local musicians play an integral part in keeping the society's culture and tradition. Music serves as a reservoir of history and tools of promoting language.

i n g l e mother of one actress, Monalisa Chinda has won two awards in Germany. The delectable actress was announced winner of two different awards held in Germany; the Adler Awards and NEGA Awards.

Mona, as she is also called, was among the selected Africans who have shown the greatest promise of contribution to human well-being, through the application of their intellect and knowledge towards the development of their communities. The prestigious Adler awards was held in Bonn, Germany on December 1, 2012 while the NEGA awards took place on December 8, 2012.

'Banj and his younger brother, Kay Switch are now in happy mood as they recently signed a Pan-African distribution deal with Sony Music Entertainment. The deal will see D'Banj's DB Records' works being distributed by Sony's RCA, an arm of its African label. Kay Switch got a multi-album, worldwide exclusive contract from the deal.

Commenting on the deal, the Managing Director of Sony Music Entertainment, Sean Watson, said, "partnering with D'Banj is a seminal event for us at Sony Music Entertainment Africa. We've always admired his talent and to be able to assist with bringing D'Banj's music to millions of fans, established and new, across the continent is an honour for us."

On the part of D'banj, he stated, "It's a new era for Africa, the birthplace of music and I'm excited about this very powerful partnership with Sony Music through which we will give birth together to a new era with endless opportunities for my fans, producers, artists and the start of a new time for a revolution in music from Africa. Nothing is impossible", DB Records has D'banj, his brother, Kay Switch as artistes while J-Sleek and Deevee are producers.

Enebeli's body arrives Nigeria on Saturday

V

arious news reports say that the remains of late actor, Enebeli Elebuwa will on Saturday, December 15, 2012, arrive Nigeria from India, where he died last week Wednesday, December 5, 2012.

The actor, whose death is still a shock to some, died in an Indian hospital months after he was flown to the country for medical treatment.

Before his death, he was

Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus marries again?

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s you're reading this Nollywood diva, Stella Damasus who is obviously living on past glory may be saying her third or fourth 'I Do'. www.nigeriafilms.com gathered that the mother of two recently displayed an engagement ring at the 2012 Mode Men of the Year Awards and

she said if it looked like engagement ring, then it's, when she was asked about it.

"It's a simple thing, I am refusing to talk about, my private life". She later said "If it looks like it then it is. It does abi, then it is.

For me to boldly wear this, I know what it would cause, so I am saying let them talk"

So is it for real or it is just a stylish accessory? She finally agrees that she is wearing an engagement ring. "Yes I am wearing an engagement ring, whether it is for fashion or for real nobody knows. It is left for you to decide whether it is for real or I am wearing it for fashion or I am simply looking

for trouble".

Stella once married Jaiye Aboderin, the promising dude died mysteriously. She dated other men before she got married to Nzeribe, the wedding didn't last six months before it got dissolved. Now, is it another one for our delectable actress?

8-year-old dancer, Amarachi Uyanne wins Nigeria's Got talent season 1

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fter scouring the country to find the most talented persons, toprated talent television show, 'Nigeria's Got Talent', crowned Amarachi Uyanne 8, as the winner of its first season. The primary school student beat out hundreds of artists to win the coveted N10 million grand prize.

The 8-year-old petite powerhouse dancer from Benin City, Edo State, displayed incredible talent throughout the show, and danced her way to

Monalisa Chinda

victory, triumphing over ballet dancers Jess & Ogeh and violinist Godwin Ogechukwu.

"It has been an amazing journey so far," said Rotimi Pedro, Director of Rapid Blue Format, organisers of the hit show. "The turnout this season was beyond what we imagined and we are glad that we were able to bring together Nigeria's best young talents and transform them into excellent performers in their own right, "he added.

believed to have suffered a partial stroke which left him bedridden for over a year. The former 'Andrew, I'm checking out' TV presenter, lost his battle to death after many thought he was getting well in India.

Shortly before his death, his Ndokwa, Delta State community members in India paid him a courtesy visit. He was on the bills of Delta State government in India.

Again, Mercy Johnson tops 10 Most Searched Nollywood Actor in 2012

A

ccording to a list of most searched Nollywood celebrities released by Google, Mercy Johnson, for the second running, topped the most searched actor in Nigeria. The list was recently released by the world's leading search engine platform.

In the list of 10 most searched actors in Nigeria, Mercy Johnson came first again after she achieved this feat in 2011 as a result of her August 2011 pre-marriage controversies with a woman identified as Lovelyn who claimed to still be legally married to Mercy Johnson's husband, Prince Odi Okojie.

Mercy Johnson sat comfortably on top of other nine Nollywood celebs in this order as released by Google; Ini Edo, Tonto Dike, Funke Akindele, Genevieve Nnaji, Jim Iyke, Chika Ike, Van Vicker, Rita Dominic and Stephanie OkerekeLinus.

Mercy Johnson

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

Hollywood/Bollywood Top 10 Movies of 2012

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n o t h e r moviegoing year has come and gone, but never before has a year been as bottomheavy with quality films as 2012, thanks to a plethora of great movies that came out during the fall season.

It's a release pattern that's common practice among film distributors, due to the false impression that Academy voters will only remember the last movies they saw while filling out their Oscar ballots.

But that ritual of saving the best for last became glaringly obvious to me while I rounded out my best-of list for 2012, which included just one studio film that came out before the fall. (Can you guess which one it is?)

10) "End of Watch": Written and directed by David Ayer (who wrote "Training Day"), this gritty, violent and visceral look at the professional and personal lives of two LAPD officers was intense from start to finish. But what really made it the best cop thriller in years was the authentic chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, who played the devoted partners who had each other's backs at all costs.

9) "Wreck-It Ralph": A sweet, clever and funny animated gem from Disney that did for classic video games what "Toy Story" did for, well, toys. Without question, it's the best animated film since "Toy Story 3."

8) "Life of Pi": More than just being a groundbreaking technological achievement with the best visual effects to hit the big screen since "Avatar," director Ang Lee's fully immersive 3D adaptation of the best-selling novel was a magical, compelling and deeply profound meditation about the nature of survival, faith and existence.

7) "Searching for Sugar Man": A documentary so incredible and unbelievable, it's hard to believe that it really happened. But it did, and the

S Life of Pi true story of a lost 1970's singersongwriter from Detroit who got a hero's welcome from adoring fans in South Africa - where he was more popular than Elvis was a beauty to behold.

6) "Amour": Winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, director Michael Haneke's haunting and wholly absorbing drama about an elderly French couple faced with declining health was touching, intimate, delicate, harrowing, scary, devastating and powerfully acted by Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva.

5) "The Dark Knight Rises": The crowning achievement of Christopher Nolan's landmark Batman trilogy was intelligent, relevant, grounded, epic, exciting and full of surprises.

Upon its release in July, it brought this trailblazing series to the rousing and unforgettable conclusion that it deserved.

4) "Skyfall": Nobody did it better than James Bond's excellent 23rd installment, a reboot of sorts that effectively did for Bond what "The Dark Knight" did for superheroes.

Daniel Craig's third outing as Agent 007 collectively paid tribute to Bond's 50-year-old past, made him relevant for the present and paved the way for his future.

3) "Silver Linings Playbook": Writer-director David O. Russell's charming, funny, smart and very moving followup to "The Fighter" cast an

irresistible spell, thanks to stellar performances from a terrific ensemble cast (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and a razor-sharp screenplay that infused family dysfunction, mental illness, romance and hilarity.

2) "Zero Dark Thirty": This gripping and incredibly intense procedural thriller about the hunt for Osama bin Laden came from director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal, the Oscar-winning team behind 2009's Best Picture-winner "The Hurt Locker." If the intelligencegathering build-up wasn't engrossing enough, the visceral 35-minute raid scene all but sealed the deal for their return visit to the Academy Awards.

1) "Argo": After proving his prowess as a director with 2010's gritty crime thriller "The Town," director Ben Affleck upped his game in just about every way for his third time behind the camera. More than being a fascinating, informative, riveting, tense, funny and very entertaining crowd-pleaser, "Argo" also represented a seamless shift in tones before culminating with a rousing conclusion.

Honorable mentions that came really, really close to making this list: "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Lincoln," "The Master," "Flight," "The Queen of Versailles," "Room 237," "Safety Not Guaranteed" and "Arbitrage."

"Django," "Beasts of Southern Wild" up for Image Award

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irector Quentin Tarantino's slavery era Western "Django Unchained" and mythological indie film "Beasts of the Southern Wild," were among the top film nominees on Tuesday for the annual NAACP Image Awards.

The NAACP also nominated "Flight," starring Denzel Washington as an alcoholic airline pilot, AfricanAmerican wartime pilots film "Red Tails," and Tyler Perry's "Good Deeds" for a best movie

Legendary sitarist, composer Ravi Shankar dead at 92

Image Award, which honor achievements by people of color in film, television, music and literature Washington and Perry were nominated best actor, along with Jaime Foxx for "Django Unchained," while the NAACP also recognized the amateur stars of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" - nine year-old Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry - in the acting categories.

In television, best comedy nods went to "Glee," "Modern

Family," "The Mindy Project," "The Game" and "Soul Man". In the drama category, the NAACP picked "Boardwalk Empire," "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," "Treme," and "True Blood."

Bruno Mars and Alicia Keys won multiple nominations in music categories, while late pop greats Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston were nominated respectively for the 25th anniversary

itarist and composer Ravi Shankar, who helped introduce the sitar to the Western world through his collaborations with The Beatles, died in Southern California on Tuesday, his family said. He was 92.

Shankar, a three-time Grammy winner with legendary appearances at the 1967 Monterey Festival and at Woodstock, had been in fragile health for several years and last Thursday underwent surgery, his family said in a statement.

"Although it is a time for sorrow and sadness, it is also a time for all of us to give thanks and to be grateful that we were able to have him as a part of our lives," the family said. "He will live forever in our hearts and in his music."

In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office posted a Twitter message calling Shankar a "national treasure and global ambassador of India's cultural heritage."

"An era has passed away with ... Ravi Shankar. The nation joins me to pay tributes to his unsurpassable genius, his art and his humility," Singh added.

Shankar had suffered from upper respiratory and heart issues over the past year and underwent heart-valve replacement surgery last week at a hospital in San Diego, south of Los Angeles.

The surgery was successful but he was unable to recover.

"Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the surgeons and doctors taking care of him, his body was not able to withstand the strain of the surgery. We were at his side when he passed away," his wife Sukanya and

Late Ravi Shankar daughter Anoushka said.

Shankar lived in both India and the United States. He is also survived by his daughter, Grammy-winning singer Norah Jones, three grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren.

Shankar performed his last concert with his daughter Anoushka on November 4 in Long Beach, California, the statement said. The night before he underwent surgery, he was nominated for a Grammy for his latest album "The Living Room Sessions, Part 1."

His family said that memorial plans will be announced at a later date and requested that donations be made to the Ravi Shankar Foundation.

Shankar is credited with popularizing Indian music through his work with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and The Beatles in the late 1960s, inspiring George Harrison to learn the sitar and the British band to record songs like "Norwegian Wood" (1965) and "Within You, Without You" (1967).

His influence in classical

music, including on composer Philip Glass, was just as large.

His work with Menuhin on their "West Meets East" albums in the 1960s and 1970s earned them a Grammy, and he wrote concertos for sitar and orchestra for both the London Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

Shankar served as a Rajya Sabha member from 1986 to 1992, after being nominated by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

A man of many talents, he also wrote the Oscar-nominated score for 1982 film "Gandhi," several books, and mounted theatrical productions.

He also built an ashramstyle home and music centre in India where students could live and learn, and later the Ravi Shankar Center in Delhi in 2001, which hosts an annual music festival.

Shankar earned multiple honours in his long career, including an Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Britain's Queen Elizabeth for services to music, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, and the French Legion d'Honneur.

...Bollywood mourns Ravi Shankar "National treasure", "Indian classical music's chief ambassador", and "god of music" is how Bollywood remembered sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, who passed way Tuesday. They also thanked him for giving Indian instrument sitar, an international recognition. Bollywood celebrities took to twitter and expressed their grief over his demise.

A.R. Rahman: Indian classical music has lost its chief ambassador and India it's Bharat Ratna...May God bless his soul!

Priyanka Chopra: The end of an era in music. We have lost too many legends this year. My condolences to the family.

R.I.P. Shri Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Karan Johar: R.I.P. Ravi Shankar, the man who made classical, eternal.

Mahesh Bhatt: Pandit Ravi Shankar a national treasure has 'left us forever'.

But his music will resonate in the consciousness of the world forever.

Rituparno Ghosh: This morning had an unearthly kind of beauty to it, perhaps a morning raga to celebrate the passing of Ravi Shankar. RIP. Kailash Kher: Pandit Ravi Shankar synonym of music is no more, he has made Sitar (Indian Instrument) international with dignity and Pride. God bless his soul.

Shekhar Kapur: Pandit Ravi

Shankar completely abandoned himself to creativity in his art. Living in vibrations, his was a spirit then, and a spirit now.

Anupam Kher: Pandit Ravi Shankar's sitar played for our souls. His music helped us sooth our nerves. His smile was like his music - Divine. RIP. Rahul Bose: With Pandit Ravi Shankar's passing, passes an era. First heard him as a kid in (the year)1980. He leaves us all permanently enriched.

Vishal Dadlani: The world's bestknown exponent of Indian music, he influenced the Beatles, and hence everything since! RIP Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Anubhav Sinha: Only mortal connection some people have with this world is their birth. Then they live forever. Thanks for living forever Pandit Ravi Shankar.

Aadesh Shrivastava: The god of Music, who live his life as inspiration in the music world, he was rare. Pandit Ravi Shankar's demise. May god bless his soul.

RIP. Madhur Bhandarkar: Saddened by the loss of brilliance. RIP Pandit Ravi Shankar. The sitar maestro will be missed.

Strength to the family.

Jackky Bhagnani: RIP Pandit Ravi Shankar.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes Five ways to keep your carpet dust-free T T

he reality of carpeting, as opposed to wood, laminate, or tile floors, is that it collects and traps dust within its fibres. This can pose a problem for people who are sensitive to dust or suffer from allergies. Having dust trapped in your carpet can also start to make it appear dirty if you are not regularly cleaning it.

Even those who do not have allergies will sometimes begin to notice that they are sneezing more often or even getting sick more often due to the dust that collects within their carpets. Steps do need to be taken to clean and maintain dust-free carpets to avoid these problems.

Invest in a good air purifier Air purification systems are uniquely designed to capture dust particles within a space which results in cleaner air. As the air purifier sucks dust particles into its filter, it prevents them from settling into carpeted areas. There are several air purifiers on the market that claim to capture of over 99 percent of micron particles.

Vacuum your carpet regularly One way to clean dust from your carpeted areas is to regularly vacuum them. Some vacuum cleaners work better than others, and there are some that are specially designed to clean dust from the carpet and air. It is a good idea to invest in a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or one with a filtration system which can be emptied and replaced. Vacuum cleaners which use bags do not trap dust from carpeting as well as those with more advance filtration systems.

Dust your furniture at least once a week Be sure to dust all of the furniture in your carpeted rooms at least once a week. Do not use feather dusters, as they only shake the dust into the air which will later transfer to the carpet and furniture. For most furniture, you can use a damp cloth or even something such as a Swiffer duster which traps and locks dust into its fibers to prevent it from redistributing within the room.

Keep window treatments clean and dust-free It is important to also dust blinds with a wet cloth on a regular basis. This is an area that is often ignored, but it is one of the areas which collects the most dust within a room. When the dust accumulates, it can fall into the carpeting. Curtains should either be vacuumed with a special attachment or taken down and washed regularly to remove dust build-up as well.

Have your carpet cleaned professionally every three to six months Not only will professional carpet cleaning preserve your carpet for years to come and keep it looking great, but it is also a way to remove excess dust from your

carpet, too. For high-traffic carpeted areas, professional steam cleaning is recommended every three months. For areas with less traffic, every six months should be enough to help you keep your carpet dust-free. approvedarticles.com

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

Cuisine

Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Pumpkin juice: Tasty and refreshing

Ingredients: One quarter part of pumpkin (fresh), one tin of evaporated milk, sugar or honey, coconut or vanilla essence and water.

Method: Peel pumpkin and wash. Put in a clean pot, add water and boil until soft. Allow to cool down then blend. Sieve well then add sugar and milk, add ice cubes and refrigerate, serve cold.

Couscous with moringa Cabbage and potato soup Ingredients: One packet of couscous, moringa, [Zogale] fresh pepper [attarugu], peas, carrots, onions, salt, seasoning and groundnut oil.

Method: Get a clean bowl and empty the packet of couscous into it. Pour some water on it and stir with spoon, then put in a steamer to steam for

15 to 20 minutes and remove from fire.

Prepare moringa [zogale] and wash attarugu and blend half way, chop carrot, onion add all to the cooked cuscus and return back to the steamer to steam for another 15 minutes then remove from fire and serve with groundnut oil.

Ingredients: Half cabbage, about six pieces of potatoes, minced meat, attarugu, tomatoes, green pepper onions groundnut oil, curry and thyme, seasoning.

Method: Peel potatoes and cut into cubes then boil and keep side. Put minced

meat on fire, add little water, salt seasoning and onions then cook for 15 minutes. Add some groundnut oil.

Blend attarugu and tomatoes and add to the cooking and fry. Cut cabbage and add together with cooked potatoes then cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER, 2012

Womanhood

How to survive your husband's deployment T

h e r e are those times when in the course of a man's career, he has to move to another location far from his family. For the wives left behind, deployments can be an emotional and stressful time.

There are, however, a number of strategies and tactics that wives can employ to ease the anxiety caused by this lengthy separation, including predeployment preparation, keeping busy with activities and seeking help and support from family and organisations.

Take care of your finances.

Draw up an expenses budget before your husband is deployed.

Include rent or mortgage payments, bills, vehicle maintenance and living expenses. Make sure that you have enough money for the deployment period and access to any joint bank or savings accounts while your husband is away.

Prepare for any emergencies.

Before your husband leaves, carry out safety checks around your home, including checking food stuffed in the store and door and window locks. Make sure you know what to do and who to contact should anything break down or if you need help at home.

Prepare a list of emergency contact numbers and store them in a central location, like on the refrigerator.

Be prepared to experience different emotions. It is completely normal to feel a range of emotions before and during a deployment. In the weeks before, for example, you may feel anger and resentment towards your partner for leaving you. Anxiety and feelings of abandonment are also common in weeks after he

He waves‌.and off he goes leaves. Be prepared for these emotional changes and seek help from family and friends if you struggle to cope.

Keep busy. Avoid spending your days or evenings sitting at home thinking about your husband. Getting out and about will help you to stay positive and make the time pass much quicker, whether you spend an afternoon at the gym or have dinner with friends. If you don't already work, consider getting even a

part-time job.

Support your children.

Ensure that children spend quality time with your husband before he leaves. Be open and honest with children about the deployment, being realistic about the length of the separation.

Encourage children to ask questions and express any thoughts and feelings they might have. Maintain consistent routines, like dinner and bed times, to minimize stress.

Send care packages. These are

an ideal morale booster (for both of you) and can include favorite foods, drinks and toiletries--like shave gel and baby wipes. Be sure to include a letter that updates your husband on life back at home. Do not send anything that can melt, like chocolate. You can also get in touch with him on a daily basis to bridge the gap between you both.

Seek help. If you feel unable to cope with the deployment, there are numerous support organizations that you can turn

to. If you live on base, that is if your husband is in the military, go to your Community Service Center, which offers support services, like individual and family counseling and financial management assistance. You may also find meeting and talking with other military wives helpful. Be sure to check recreational activities on base, as the military often offers trips and nights out for wives when a unit is deployed. ehow.com

Woman reluctantly waves good bye to husband

PAGE 30

Archives

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER, 2012

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

Queen Elizabeth II inspects men of the newly-renamed Queen's Own Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force, at Kaduna Airport, Nigeria, during her Commonwealth Tour, 2nd February 1956

Railroad construction project in 1963 to open market for agricultural produce in northeastern Nigeria

Nigeria Afrobeat Special: The New Explosive Sound in 1970s Nigeria

Continuing Education Center- Nsukka, Nigeria: 1963-1964

A Nigerian Policeman on traffic duty. 01 April 1963

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

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Leisure WORD SEARCH

PICTURE OF THE DAY

With Augustine Aminu

A Real Lagos Child

Find the Soccer words that are listed at the bottom of the page in the Soccer word search grid. Circle each letter separately and keep in mind that letters in each Soccer word may be used in more than one word.

Soccer Word Search G N I C I

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CLEATS CORNER KICK DRIBBLE FIELD FIFA FOOTBALL GOALIE HAND BALL HEAD KICKING NINETY MINUTES OLYMPIC EVENT PASS PENALTY KICK RED CARD REFEREE RUNNING SHIN PADS WORLD CUP YELLOW CARD

DUDE I’m JOKING you are NOT dopted Many hands in a small bowl

QUOTES Peace is costly but it is worth the expense War has no eyes When a king has good counselors, his reign is peaceful Peace does not make a good ruler.

A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow.

There can be no peace without understanding.

Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully.

If you can't resolve your problems in peace, you can't solve war.

When there is peace in the country, the chief does not carry a shield.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Proverbs and wise sayings Wisdom is wealth Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it The fool speaks, the wise man listens Wisdom does overnight.

not

come

The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid water.

Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others Only a wise person can solve a difficult problem.

Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.

In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.

If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.

CARTOON

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

PAGE 32

F One- shoulder dress, skip necklaces Compiled by Miriam Humbe

S

imple accessories look great with one-shoulder dresses.

Oneshoulder dresses are part of a popular trend that gives you an outstanding asymmetrical look. They also come in a variety of prints and styles to fit both formal and informal occasions. Wearing this style of dress requires a little thought as to what to pair it with in order to make your dress shine and showcase your fashion sense.

Try on a one-shoulder dress before you purchase it. These dresses have complicated collar lines that won't fit every body type. Depending on the cut and if you have a large bust, it might not be concealing enough. Try it on and make sure you find it both flattering and comfortable.

Pair your dress with a strapless bra.

Even if you have bras that have colorful or fashionable straps they will ruin the intended look of a one-shoulder style. If your one-shoulder dress has a low

backline, consider using stick-on pasty bras, which you can find at most lingerie stores.

Avoid layering clothes when wearing a one-shoulder dress. The point of a one-shoulder dress is to show off that one side of your upper body, so avoid covering it with a pullover, shawl, jacket or cardigan. This is why oneshoulder dresses work best during warmer months.

Select a simple accessory. Skip necklaces that will make the neckline area look busy. Try earrings, a ring or bracelet and select only one, to avoid too many accessories. For example if you are doing a dressed-up look, pair your dress with a sparkling bangle bracelet; for a dressed-down look use simple silver earrings.

Put on your bra then dress and ensure your bra doesn't show in the front or the back. If the dress is slightly sagging in an area and showing a piece of your bra, cut a small piece of doublesided fashion tape and tape it in place.

Style your hair to compliment your exposed shoulder. If you want to wear your hair down, have it lay behind your shoulders or pull it forward over the shoulder with the strap. Throw on accessories, shoes and go.

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

PAGE 33

Business

L-R: Commissioner of Finance, Jigawa State, Mr. Nasiru Umar Roni, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yarima Ngama and Bauchi State Commissioner of Finance, Alh. Mahmoud Maijaina, during the Federal Account Allocation Committee Meeting, on Wednesday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

APCON boss charges members on ethical responsibility

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

he Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi has advised advertising practitioners in Nigeria to bring dignity and respect to the profession.

Alhaji Kankarofi gave the advice at the second annual lecture and dinner organised by APCON Abuja Chapter.

Kankarofi, who pointed out that the advertising “is laced with a lot of challenges”,urged the practitioners to get ready to face the challenges.

“You should all ready to face them; it is just a stage that must be passed,” he added.

The APCON boss assured members that by 2013 the council would present the APCON Bill before the National Assembly, adding that if passed, the bill would enable practitioners reap the full benefits of their profession and eject quacks from the profession.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the APAAC, Abuja Chapter, Mr. Sam Agbi-Ojie described the occasion as “a bold step forward for the association as it provides a platform to further strengthen the practitioners’ interaction, build bridges of understanding and friendship.”

A paper entitled: “The State of the Advertising Industry: Challenges and Opportunities” was delivered by the Head of

Theatre Artsf Department, University of Abuja, Dr. Kwaghkondo Agber who traced history of advertising in Nigeria to 1928 with the United African Company.

He said that until 1950s, UAC had been dominating the advertising scene in Nigeria up till in the 1980s when the indigenous advertising companies were born.

He noted that the springing up of the advertising agencies in Nigeria necessitated the need for the regulatory agency, a development he added came into being in 1971 when Advertising Board of Nigeria (ABN) was established followed by APCON through the Decree 55 of 1988, to guide the operation of the

professions.

Dr. Agber identified economic meltdown as one of the challenges confronting advertising in the country, inadequate skills and lack of advertisement capacity building in the limited number of institutions training students in the art and science of advertisement.

One of the highlights of the occasion was the presentation of the award of excellence, tagged “Remarkable Achievement in Advertising, Politics and Humanitarian Services” to one of the prominent members of the association, Honourable Salisu Ibrahim Mohammed, a member, representing Doguwa Constituency in the Kano state House of Assembly.

DG SMEDAN bags award for good leadership

M

r. Ibrahim Nadada, Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) on Thursday in Abuja, received an award of excellence for purposeful leadership from the Organisation for the Enhancement of Transparent Leadership.

Presenting the award, the National President of the NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) Christian Nwachukwu said the award is meant to encourage

Nigerians leaders who have distinguished themselves to do more.

He stressed that the award was being given based on merit to the awardees adding that there would be a general award in 2013 where all the awardees would be invited.

He added that the organisation would go a step further in making recommendations to the National Merit Award Commission that the DG be also honoured with a

National Honour.

He said that the NGO was a forum of progressive youth across the country constituted to propagate good leadership, promote government performance, promote attitudinal change and fight corruption.

In His remarks, the DG said that he was indeed overwhelmed by the award and sees it as a call to do even more.

He lauded the NGO for giving him the award on merit sighting

that over 80 per cent of the awards given in Nigeria were usually bought unlike that of the NGO which is one of three organisations that give awards based on merit.

“This honour is one of the awards I would value most. I have done my investigation on your organisation and I have confirmed the credibility and sincerity of purpose of this organisation: this is a challenge for me to do even more,” he said. (NAN)

18 fuel-laden ships to discharge at Lagos ports

E

ighteen ships are waiting to discharge petroleum products at the various oil terminals within the Lagos ports, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said.

NPA in its daily “Shipping Position”, made available to newsmen on Friday in Lagos, said that 10 of the 18 ships would discharge petrol.

It added that a ship would discharge diesel, while three others would discharge aviation fuel.

NPA said that other ships would discharge kerosene and base oil.

It reported that four ships were waiting to discharge bulk sugar and rice.

NPA also said that 92 ships carrying different cargoes would arrive the ports between Dec. 14 and Dec. 31.

It said that 16 of the expected ships would arrive with petroleum products.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other ships would arrive with containers, new and used vehicles, rice, fish, salt, bulk sugar, general cargoes, bulk wheat, bulk gypsum and bulk malt.

The remaining ships would arrive with steel products and base oil.

NAN reports that 24 ships are presently discharging containers, fish, wheat, general cargo, steel products, sugar and petroleum products.

PAGE 34

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

Business Feature

Flurry of rice smuggling at borders as Christmas approaches

… about N1 billion goes on daily on rice importation From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

A

s yuletide season draws near, rice smuggling across the frontiers of Nigerian borders only surged.

The persistent outcry of the trend by the genuine rice millers notwithstanding, smugglers of the product have continued their illicit business, undercutting both the genuine millers and costing the Federal Government huge sums of money in lost revenue.

Recently, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted a vessel carrying over 5,000 bags of rice valued at N50 million, with Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN), saying as much as N1.7billion worth of rice is smuggled into the country monthly.

Nigeria produces around N2.5 million tons of rice, representing just half of its domestic annual demand of around 5 million tons, and painfully importing the remaining 2.5 million tons of rice at an estimated cost of about N1 billion per day on rice imports.

Peoples Daily Weekend’s investigation gathers that smuggling activities had increase at border towns of Seme and Badagry of Lagos; Owode, Lusada, Agbara, Atan and Igbesa in Ogun State and Mubi area of Adamawa state in the wake of the month.

Investigations however show that due to the porous nature of Nigeria’s borders, smugglers have continually capitalized on this, flooding the country with smuggled rice, just few weeks to the Christmas and New Year festivities when the price of the commodity has traditionally been known to skyrocket.

The millers put the total loss of revenue to the government from smuggling activities for the period of January, 2012 to date at N32 Billion Naira. The figure is even expected to rise if nothing is done to check the smugglers’ business.

From Seme border to IyanaIba, Peoples Daily discovered, about ten check points have been manned on the highway

by Customs officials extorting smugglers.

While on the Idiroko frontiers, about 11 Customs check points were sighted by our reporter. Contraband products, mostly rice and groundnut oil, still find their ways into the country with settlement of N1,000 bribe per trip by the familiar faces of

Agric Minister, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina

Customs C-G, Abdullahi Dikko Inde

these smugglers.

A woman who deals in rice and oil importation said, “Once you can bribe them, there’s no problem. I carry my goods to Iyana-Iba with about N7, 000 for Customs, but in some cases, if their boss wants rice or anything the custom will not release your goods, they will carry it to Ikeja. And before you get there, you won’t see the goods again; just last week, I lost about 70 bags of rice to Custom”.

She therefore lamented how Nigerian borders have become too porous; “We can’t enter Benin or Togo with goods because they will seize it but here anybody once you bribe your way, anything goes, because these products are cheap over there”.

A Customs officer, who does not want his name in print, said they are trying to curb rice smuggling along these borders but the high cost of rice led to an upsurge in its smuggling. “There is a big market for it in Nigeria, especially now that it’s Christmas, there is an upsurge because the same government that banned rice importation through the land borders has done virtually nothing to bring the price down in the market, leaving Nigerians in the hands of these shylock traders to

efforts to ensure rice availability at affordable price, the smugglers are threatening it.

“The truth is that the problem of smuggling is getting more serious by the day.

Because the borders are porous, and because the smugglers have not been decisively tackled, the trade has continued to thrive. It is threatening the food security plans of the Federal Government while also jeopardising the businesses of our members,” he attested.

Owoeye then said that more jobs would be created, more revenue would accrue to the Federal Government, and the total food value chain would be impacted positively if the issue of rice smuggling is effectively tackled.

He recalled that the Federal Government had, on July, 2012, introduced 20% and 25% increased levies on imported polished rice and husked brown rice respectively, with the aim of encouraging home-grown rice and discouraging importation, saying this was a welcome development.

“The same is true of the complete ban on the importation of rice through land borders to ensure that the expected gains from the increase in levy and the

provide alternative and that is a big minus on the side of our policy makers.”

Asked on the evident heavy extortions from smugglers, the Custom officer said: “Customs had been trying to stem rice smuggling but the desperate determination of some very influential Nigerians to bring rice in will continue to undermine our work, when there’s an order from above, there will be orders from below, we allow some of them to go because some very connected people are not brought to book.”

RIMIDAN Chairman, Tunji Owoeye (FCA) lamented that the activities of the rice smugglers, and confirmed that multi millions of naira worth of investments by his members may go down the drains, just as it’s capable of putting a threat to the food security plans of the Federal Government.

Providing a background to the sector’s operations, the Chairman said although the national yearly consumption of rice is about 5.5million metric tones, local production accounts for about N1.8 million tones, leaving a substantial percentage of the nation’s rice need to be met through importation.

But while the association’s members are making diligent

subsequent investment in the development of Nigerian grown rice are not eroded by the activities of land border Smugglers.

“The quantum of rice being smuggled through land from the Republic of Benin is increasing on a daily basis. An estimated 30,000 metric tones of rice is being smuggled on a monthly basis into Nigeria. When we raised these issues with the authorities, we alerted them that over 140,000 metric tones of parboiled rice were scheduled to arrive at the Ports of the neighboring country,” RIMIDAN Chairman lamented.

Speaking with Peoples Weekend, Customs Spokesman, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Uche Ejisieme said the Customs is working so hard to suppress smuggling in the country.

“We have indices that show we are on top of the situation, we have intensified our operation in view that smuggling will raise because of the festive season.”

He said most of the smugglers now resort to using water ways, and stated that “the Federal Operations Unit would collaborate with the Western Marine Command to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum.”

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

PAGE 35

Focus

To effect changes, Al-makura must step on toes, says DOPA Malam Iliyasu Ali Yakubu is the Director of Press Affairs (DOPA) to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa state. In this interview with our Lafia correspondent, Ali Abare Abubakar, the DOPA opened up on the progress so far recorded by the administration of his boss. Excerpts:

A

s the Director of Press to Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura, how can you rate the progress of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) administration in the state so far?

I must confess that the administration of governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura has actually done very well for the people of Nasarawa state. I must say that since the creation of the state, the people of Nasarawa have never been opportune to have a leader like the present governor, who has demonstrated a maximum capacity to carry the people along, as well as making sure that the problems of the masses, which has accumulated through the years as a result of negligence, is greatly reduced or ameliorated. So far, you will agree with me, the common man on the street has a lot to cheer, in the ongoing road projects in Lafia, the state capital, which is being elevated to its proper status, having been abandoned by previous administrations, in similar projects taking place simultaneously across the major towns of Akwanga, Keffi and Nasarawa. Take a look at his intervention in power supply, with his ‘Power in 100 days initiative’, which has been a collaboration between the Nasarawa Electricity Company (NASENCO) and the PHCN, which has led to a remarkable improvement in the supply of electricity to the state, particularly when viewed against the backdrop that over 50 transformers were procured and installed across the state, with a mobile transformer installed in Akwanga. The chronic problem of water shortages, which has continued to deny the people clean sources of portable drinking water, is being seriously tackled. The state water board was repositioned and empowered to address the perennial water scarcity experienced across major towns in the state, with plans reaching advanced stage to route the Doma dam to supply drinking water to Lafia, the state capital. When flood washed away the distribution line leading to Keffi, at Garaku, it took the foresight of the peoples governor to quickly resolve the matter so that those affected by the dislocation were not left to suffer unnecessary

hardship. One could continue to draw examples of areas of positive impact executed by the Almakura administration but it suffice to say that what previous administrations have not been able to achieve for the past 12 years, Governor Al-makura was able to accomplish in less than two years in office. In all aspects of governance, the man is doing so well and the common man on the street will testify to that.

Talking about road construction embarked by the present administration, how do you react to allegations that some of these are being sponsored by the World Bank?

Well, this is the handiwork of mischief makers. Everyone is aware of the fact that road constructions in Lafia and other major towns, are projects conceived and are being executed by the state government. It is not a World Bank sponsored project.

Yes, there are certainly projects like the Lafia-Doma road that is being sponsored by the World Bank but the entire road network in Lafia, Akwanga, Keffi and Nasarawa, are being undertaking by the state government. Of course, mischief makers can say all manner of things but the fact remains, completed and ongoing road projects in the state are the initiative of the present administration. The opposition can afford to say all manner of things, the bottom line however remains that the CPC administration is delivering its promise to the electorates by embarking on projects that has direct bearing on the lives of the people.

It is generally agreed that Al-makura has brought a new dimension to governance when he rigorously sought to instil financial discipline among politicians as well as civil servants. Issues of probity and accountability have taken centre stage rather than the “business as usual” attitude. Now this arguably may not be comfortable to many who saw democracy as a means to attain wealth. Don’t you think some disgruntled elements may seek to frustrate Al-makura in his bid to transform the state?

I must say that even I as a person, the governor has instilled financial discipline in me and

Malam Iliyasu Ali Yakubu likewise every other person working for the administration.

If you truly desire to make a change, definitely one must step on toes. The idea of sharing money being experienced before, is not obtainable in this administration.

This government is set to impact positively on the lives of the masses and if one is desirous of doing so, then there is no way one can just spray money around.

The government of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura is out to provide social amenities to the people and for that there is no way he can fritter away hard earned resources, with the obvious reason being that the money is being channelled to the provision

of services. The tax payers money is meant for improving the living standard of the entire people of the state and not some few greedy individuals. It is worthy of note to say that and in this respect, citizens of the state have been arisen from their slumber and are ever watchful of the activities of fifth columnists who may want to throw spanners in the good work being undertaking by the present administration.

Governor Al-makura is bent on changing the mindset of the people regarding prudence and accountability in governance and the state stands to benefit from the gesture as money due to the state is channelled judiciously in tackling the

“

I must say that even I as a person, the governor has instilled financial discipline in me and likewise every other person working for the administration. If you truly desire to make a change, definitely one must step on toes. The idea of sharing money being experienced before, is not obtainable in this administration

plethora of development issues, rather than allowing some people unfettered access to state resources for their personal use.

How do you react to the accusation by the state assembly that governor Almakura is lagging behind in his responsibility to provide security in the state, following communal clashes that occurred lately in Agyaragu?

The relationship between the executive and the legislature has since taken a new dimension, with both parties resolved to set aside partisanship and to work for the advancement of the state.

The recent proclamation from the assembly therefore did not come as a surprise, because the members of the assembly are seeking for a peaceful environment that will lead to the development of the state.

However, for anyone to claim that Governor Al-makura is lagging behind in his responsibility to provide security in the state, such a person is only trying to distort the truth.

Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura inherited some of these communal skirmishes and from his deep knowledge of human existence, he earlier on evolved a community based conflict resolution strategy, which was used to pacify aggrieved communities in Kadarko, as well as Assakio. At the initial stage, when clashes between herdsmen and Tiv farmers erupted along the Benue/Nasaraw border, concerted efforts were made between governments of the two states, which led to the constitution of a joint committee to investigate the causes of the crises as well as proffer workable solutions. Soon after the Assakio skirmishes, Al-makura inaugurated a high powered commission of inquiry to investigate the crisis, with the committee having submitted its report already while government is studying it with a view to taking decisive steps that will lead to the nipping of the crisis. In order to facilitate prompt surveillance and maintain security in the state, Al-makura procured 33 Hilux vans and distributed it to security agencies in the state, with the police receiving the loin share. Just recently, he constituted another commission of inquiry to investigate the Agyaragu crisis, after disclosing that government will soon implement the white paper submitted to it by the Assakio committee. Already, several arrests have been made in relation to the Agyaragu crisis.

So for anyone to say the governor is shying away from his responsibility to secure the lives and property of the people of the state, such a person is only being economical with the truth.

PAGE 36

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

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RaceSovereign for PDP BOTwealth chair: Between Re: fund moderation and desperation

S

i n c e after the November 30, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was adjourned to January 8, 2013, for the purpose of picking a new chairman of the Board, I have read a series of syndicated analyses in the newspapers in which the writers, all of who are curiously Igbo journalists, had attempted to drag the reputations of all those who have been mentioned as candidates for the position in the mud.

The only exception is former Senate President in the fifth Senate, Kenechukwu Nnamani, who is their kinsman and hero.

Three of such jaundiced analyses have so far been published and more will still adorn the pages of our newspapers in the days ahead. Two of them appeared on the same day in Leadership Sunday and THISDAY Sunday of December 9, 2012 on pages 21-22 (particularly at 22) and pages 100 and 102 respectively. While Stanley Nkwocha wrote the one in Leadership Sunday, Chuks Okocha wrote the one in THISDAY Sunday.

I have a fair knowledge of the kind of mercantile journalism practised by one of these two reporters to safely reach a conclusion that the analyses, which shared a similar pattern, were standing on the platform of sponsorship by the beneficiary of their skewed analyses and ratings. To be sure, the analyses and ratings were bereft of any streak of empiricism and bore no weight of fairness.

Manifestly, they reeked of corrupt consciences and compromised sense of objectivity in all their ramifications.

I would, however, like to state from the outset that this is not a rejoinder; and, therefore, would not bother myself with trying to debunk the fallacy and mendacity which they had marketed in their analyses. But this is an attempt to raise a voice of reason that bears pieces of advice to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Presidency under Dr Goodluck Jonathan in the hope that they will hearken to them and act in accordance.

I quite understand that whatever is done in the PDP now is construed within the context of the forthcoming 2015 presidential elections. This is why the PDP leadership and Jonathan must be careful

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 not to pander to the frenzy for democracy by imprudently exposing an organ of the party as important as the Board of Trustees, which is regarded by the founding fathers as the conscience of the party, to the tension of election in choosing its chairman.

Since the Board only plays advisory role, why does the PDP leadership want to subject it to the rigours of election, knowing full well that the outcome of any election always produces a fractious entity or body. The winner would go home with a feeling of victory while the loser or losers would go with a feeling of defeat. This will not augur well for the BoT of the PDP. Besides, election of BoT chair which is being planned by the party leadership is novel and this novelty has the potential of damaging the conscience of the party if allowed to hold. I am very conversant with the history of the PDP BoT since the inception of the party in 1998. I stand to be corrected: the choice of successive chairmen and secretaries had never been subjected to elections. It had always been through consensus of members, acting in concert with the President.

This is the most enduringly noble path that the PDP must thread and President Jonathan must apply the weight of his office to ensure that the convention is not tampered with. If the Board of Trustees is understandably an assemblage of the founding fathers and those who had contributed to the party by virtue of holding a public office, whether in the past or currently, and who are not remunerated for the role they play, why subject the emergence of a chairman or even secretary to election? Members should relate with the positions as offering selfless service and, in that wise, be begged to serve. They should

not desperately scramble to occupy the position.

Take it or leave it, election will destroy the fabrics of the Board. I was wont to believe that members of the Board are elders and statesmen who are wise in their own right. I hope they will bring that wisdom to bear in the matter of choosing a chairman for the Board. It is not too late for the Board and the leadership of the party to review their decision on choice of a chairman through election. It is not that I am averse to election; in fact, that is the bulwark of democracy.

But I do not think the PDP needs the election of a BoT chair to prove that it is democratic. It will be sardonic if the party allows election to factionalise and traumatize the conscience of the party. Will it be able to moderate the disparate tendencies that rear their heads in the party? Will it have the sanity of mind and the selflessness to intervene in moments of tension in the party and in government?

This is why Jonathan has a historic role to play in ensuring that the chairman of the BoT emerges through consensus. Regardless of the letters of intention that have been written to the party by members, he can initiate a process of engaging members of the Board so that they can agree on someone who has the qualities they expect in a chairman.

Although, I do not know if a template of prescribed qualities or criteria has been drawn up, I am sure that the first thing that should count is whether the person that would chair the Board is a founding father or member of the PDP. It makes it easy for him or her to always return to the beginning to remind members of the philosophy behind the formation of the party and the Board.

The person’s contributions to the party

and government should count. His or her loyalty should not be discounted; it must have been demonstrated 100 percent at all material times since the inception of the party. He or she should be a man or woman of integrity, who says what he or she means and means what he or she says; a man or woman whose positions on issues are known and who would not waver in the face of filthy lucre. And if he or she compromises, it would be in the interest of the party and the nation.

His or her personality must be amiable to a vast majority of party leaders and members such that he or she would earn respect of members as well as political and public office holders. He or she must have played politics of accommodation and inclusiveness such that members of the Board would be at rest that he or she is not in the saddle to feather his or her own nest; that he or she is not in the saddle to be relevant in the scheme of things.

Selflessness of the would-be chairman would rub off positively on the Board and to that extent the man or woman who drives the Board must be selfless; in fact, have a track record of being selfless. This may not be a part of the template, if I were the President whose heavyweight can settle this process in favour of any candidate, I would ensure that I galvanize consensus in the direction of the person whose loyalty I enjoy 100 percent and in whom I can trust to support my political agenda within the ambit of constitutionality.

This should be the attitude of Jonathan in the build-up to the emergence of a BoT Chairman on January 8, 2013.

Consensus is better at this level than election. All those who have expressed interest can be persuaded to withdraw from the process for the consensus candidate in the interest of greater harmony in the Board.

Indeed, the President has the capacity to moderate the process so that some persons who seek the office for political relevance do not unnecessarily inflame passion by the unwarranted show of desperation and deployment of subterfuge in the media. The choice of PDP BoT chairman does not need such potentially acrimonious scramble. I pray that President Jonathan will rise to the occasion.

Written By Kayode Ojo

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

PAGE 37

Opinion Ahmed Kaita and his crocodile tears

By Aliyu Hassan Katsina

I

t is obvious that the vituperations of Ahmed Kaita, member representing Kankia/Kusada/ Ingawa Federal constituency of Katsina state, in the House of Representatives, are a continuation of his attack against the government of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema on the pages of newspapers, through which he has further exposed himself as a man still living in the Nigeria of yesterday. What Kaita failed to know is the fact that the diversionary tactics of corrupt, dishonourable and dubious politicians can no longer get sympathy of Nigerians, no! Not in the Nigeria of today.

So Kaita should stop shedding crocodile tears. There is a popular saying that, ‘He who goes to equity must come with clean hands’. Where are Kaita’s clean hands if he can not publicly give account of his stewardship in the last one and a half year for the public to take him serious? Why is Kaita afraid of disclosing how much he has received as salary and emoluments since he became a member of the House of Representatives? Why is Kaita jittery of telling the public most especially the people of his constituency, on the pages of newspapers, as a good an articulate writer, how much he has received as constituency projects allowance and the projects he has executed with the amount? Doing this will not only qualify him as an apostle of transparency, but will also give him moral authority to accuse other s of

corruption. Anything short of this will only make Kaita another clown in the House of Representatives.

Probably Kaita has forgotten, but the issue is still fresh in the memories of Nigerians. It was in the same House where Kaita is a member that another member woke up and started shouting integrity, probity, and accountability in governance of Nigeria, Nigerians not only believed him but whole heartedly followed him only for the public to later discover that when this ‘Hon’ member was shouting integrity as a diversionary tactics, he was busy pocketing millions of dollars as bribe from fraudulent oil marketers. What makes Kaita think that in the public perception he is better than his colleague in the House that was shouting integrity and honesty, only to turn out to be a bribe taker?

In the House of Representatives which Kaita is a member, he needs to tell the public about his stake in the series of scandal of bribery allegation rocking the House. In doing so, he should not forget the Faroukgate and Otehgate.

It will be of great interest to the public if Kaita, a self styled article writer can take the leadership of the House to task on the pages of newspapers, on the issue of probity and accountability. Charity begins at home. His failure to take up this challenge will only confirm that he is one of them.

May be Kaita is still living the world of illusion but Nigerians are now wiser.

Funding media campaigns and

embarking on propaganda will definitely not help any corrupt politician. Kaita supposed to be in the House as a federal legislator, but it appears that his pre occupation now is to feed the public with misinformation and falsehood. Of course the reason for choosing this part is well known, Kaita became a member of House of Representatives by accident. The seat he occupies is still a subject of litigation and anything can still happen. He failed to realise that it is the highest form of corruption for him to be a beneficiary of what he did not work for.

I sympathize with him as a frustrated member of House of Representatives, though the language and operation of the House are alien to him. Since he was sworn in as a member of House Representatives, it is on record that he has never made any contribution on the floor of the House towards the progress of his constituency and the nation in general. I have challenged Kaita before on the pages of newspapers, and I challenge him again, that if he is sure of himself as a federal lawmaker, let him stand on the floor of the House and articulate any issue of national interest before the House embarks on recess.

Probably Kaita is not aware that in the three local governments in which he claims to represent, a litre of petrol is being sold between N125 and N150 yet he keeps mum.

Kaita needs to come to terms with reality that the tax payers money that is used to pay him fat salary and

allowances is meant for him to do the work of a federal legislator not an analyst on the pages of newspapers. His emergence as a federal lawmaker on the platform of the noble Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) party was one of the disasters that happened to the party in Katsina state as a result of the internal crisis. From his befuddled thinking, one can come to the conclusion that Kaita is not even qualified to be a Councillor at the local council, but he will be a good and effective town crier in a banana republic where honour goes to the noise maker.

May be Kaita is not aware, his co traveller, Mustapha Inuwa that he always makes reference to in his publications was in the Magistrate court re counting his earlier statement about the state of finance of Katsina state government, then where is the honour? Kaita should ask Mustapha whether he has any case pending with ICPC or not for his role as sole administrator of Batsari local government? He should also be bold enough to ask Mustapha how he got the money he used to build his house within a year at the GRA Katsina? The answer is evident, silence because birds of the same feather flock together. It is only a fool that would test the depth of the water with his two feet. It will be of great interest if Kaita and his hired media adviser can react to all these issues, of course they would not.

Aliyu Hassan Katsina, writes from Katsina local government

Building the Nigeria of our dreams through patriotism and good citizenship

By Comrade Edwin Ekene

E

ach time I recite the National Pledge, I usually found new sense of obligations and responsibilities to my nation! For the sake of knowledge, below is our National Pledge: “I pledge to Nigeria my country, to be faithful, loyal and honest. To serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory, so help me God”. The above words are simple, but, very powerful! There are the words that form the basis for our co-existence as one people, with common dreams and aspirations in a united, indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation called Nigeria.

However, the untoward actions of some Nigerians against the glue that hold us together have really called for the proper definition of the word “patriotism”.

According to John McCain, the man President Obama defeated in the 2008 US Presidential Election, “Patriotism means more than holding your hand over your heart during the national anthem. It means more than walking into a voting booth every … four years and pulling a lever. Patriotism is a love and a duty, a love of country expressed in good citizenship”. Patriotism and good citizenship are intertwined, and to give credence to this, McCain said: “Patriotism and citizenship, should not only motivate the conduct of public officials, but also thrive in the communal spaces where government is absent”. Patriotism is a countless acts of love, kindness and courage that have no witness or heraldry; it is an

action that takes place where nobody is watching, and it is specifically commendable, because, there are unrecorded.

Nonetheless, the nefarious activities of some persons against our beloved country, especially the outrageous terrorist attacks

by Boko Haram on the government, people and institutions in Nigeria, have really called for common sense questions of: “Where is the spirit of patriotism in your actions?”

Where is patriotism, when your fellow country men and women are dying before their times just because of your actions?

Where is patriotism, when your action brings shame and embarrassments to Nigeria, instead of upholding her honour and glory?

Look, you can bomb Nigeria to pieces, but you can never bomb her to peace! Peace can only come through genuine dialogue and not through terrorism. You have no any justification for your action. If conscience is an open wound only the truth can heal it, where then is the conscience when innocent Nigerians are dying because of your activities?

A true patriot must not only take the responsibility, but also owns the responsibilities of protecting lives, properties and the idles that gave birth to our beloved country Nigeria. A good citizen and a patriot must honour the duties and obligations ascribed to him by the constitution. A good citizen and a patriot must be faithful and loyal to the constituted authorities and not opposing every government policies and proposing

nothing. A good citizen and a patriot know that happiness is greater than comfort. A good citizen and a patriot is not one who finds faults with our country and does nothing to correct them. A good citizen and a patriot must heed the warning of Mahatma Gandhi to his country men and women about the eight deadly monsters.

There are; wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle, and right without responsibility.

All men were born equal, and as such, they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, Nigeria is a property of every citizen in the country, thus, we must all embrace and appreciate such reality! There is an enduring promise which Nigeria holds for everybody. It the promise that says, you can be whatever you want to become, if only your intensions are genuine, and are found within the frame works of the law. All you need is the will and the industry.

Therefore, hooliganism and oddity has no place in our country, and can never be a substitute to our aged long cherished idles and values.

To build the Nigeria of our dreams, all hands must be on deck, and just as the study of English Language and Mathematics are compulsory subjects in our elementary schools, the teaching of patriotism as a

subject should also be made compulsory in both the elementary and tertiary institutions in the country. Patriotic deeds of individuals should be openly rewarded and publicized all over the country so as to encourage others to be patriotic. Patriotism should be incorporated as one of the requirements a candidate must fulfill before he or she is cleared to stand for any elective position in the country. To do this, I suggest the establishment of the “National Agency for the Promotion of Patriotic Services in Nigeria”. This agency should be saddled with the responsilities of monitoring, assessing and rewarding patriotic services in any parts of the country. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and political parties should demand for the evidence of patriotic deeds issued by this agency, before clearing and forwarding the names of candidates for elective positions in Nigeria.

The civil societies should also be more assertive by investigating and reporting any false claim by any politician about his or her patriotic deeds or services to the fatherland. When all these postulations are implemented, Nigeria would not only be producing patriotic leaders, but leaders that meet the statement of Late Vaclav Havel, the former President of Czech Republic, in one of his books about one’s duty to politics.

He said: “In all circumstances, try to be decent, just, tolerant, and understanding; and at the same time try to resist corruption and deception”. edwinuhara@rocketmail.com

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

Discourse

Okonjo's abduction saga and matters arising S

i n c e the days of Ngige-gate when the culture, art or (shall we say) 'business' of kidnapping started in this country, it has grown in leaps and abounds. The more efforts are put in place to boost the capacity of security men to fight crime, the more this crime increases in strategies and dimensions. All this while the Nigerian state has watched the criminality grow to the extent that it is now threatening the peace of family members of office holders.

The crime has grown rapidly in the past few years because the government and people of the country have accepted the practice of ransom- paying while some unscrupulous elements have also seen the ugly practice as a way of earning mega-bucks. Government has treated the issues with kid gloves and its inherent dangers now stare all of us in the face. If the caliber of people that fall victim of this evil in recent times is so vulnerable, then the entire society is not safe.

Talking about the over-stressed issue of unemployment and poverty which some people, lacking in sensible justification for the crime of kidnapping, blame for the upsurge on the issue, it is obvious that human beings are of different types and breeds. There are people who despite having all the qualifications to earn millions of naira monthly, still toil day and night to make ends meet while hoping for better things to come their way. There are also people who are always willing to take advantage of the slightest excuse to take to crime, hurt others and even kill and maim both the low and the mighty in the society to satisfy their selfish ends. The last category of people are the ones that can close their eyes and subject an 82-year old helpless old woman to some torment while fighting for pecuniary gains.

Whether it is the fuel subsidy cabal or the usual ransom- seeking evil doers that abducted the octogenarian, there is absolutely no reason to hurt the aged in the society in that manner.

There is no doubting the fact that the abduction in Uguashi- Uku of Professor Kamene Okonjo, the mother of Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala further exposed the complexity of the security issues Nigeria is presently battling with.

Government over the years have done little or nothing to create the right environment for industries, businesses and academics to thrive while the youths hardly have a better future to look up to A good section of the youth population too has lost its sense and conscience. It is a case of us against them and everything to them is fair in war.

The fact that some Nigerians even fail to empathize with the minister simply because she is in government, is baffling to this writer.

If the minister has wronged the country or any cabal in any way, why kidnap her 82year old mother for what she knows nothing about? Or is her nearly 60- year old daughter not old enough to take her own decisions and be responsible for them?

Like every other challenge that bothers the nation, government has failed to do anything tangible to nip this kidnapping crisis in the bud since the time

Nigeria felt embarrassed in the comity of nations during the week as the mother of Finance Minister and the Queen mother Ogwashi-Uku kingdom in Delta state, Prof Kamene Okonjo spent 5 gruelling days under the captivity of dare-devil kidnappers until her release yesterday. In this piece, Abdulrahman Abdulraheem takes a look at the crime of kidnapping vis-a-vis the conspiracy of inaction of government at all levels.

Prof Kamene Okonjo it started like a joke. Aside some state governments which have enacted laws to discourage the crime of kidnapping, the Federal Government on its own has been sleeping over the matter while it is focusing all the attention on the terrorism going on in the northern part of the country. This brings to the fore the issue of what should be the appropriate and commensurate punishment for the crime of kidnapping? The question on the list of some observers is shall we introduce death penalty as punishment for people who engage in this nefarious activity?

The mother of a super minister has been held hostage for days and has just been released; we don't know if any ransom was paid or not. We know they will say they never paid anything but we have cases in the past when government will pay this ransom in the desperation to get captives released and tell the whole world it never paid a dime. The same way the country treats corrupt fat cats with respect and by giving them national honours and chieftaincy titles is the same way kidnappers are paid huge sums for their efforts instead of being severely dealt

with to discourage others. Are we going to wait till an ambassador or a foreign guest of Mr. President is kidnapped in a similar embarrassing manner before something more drastic is done on the issue? Should we have waited for the mother of the nation's Finance Minister to be abducted before we take the issues seriously? Shouldn't the kidnapping of relatives of important figures in recent times have sent a strong signal that some people have started a trade that is capable of further threatening the peace of the country aside from Boko Haram?

This piece will however be incomplete without the mention of Okonjo-Iweala's resilience, bravery and sense of sacrifice in continuing with the tough schedule of her office despite the fact that her mother was under the captivity of some neverdo-wells. She attended the National Executive Council (NEC) and Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively and each of these meetings lasted for several hours. She was at the night meeting held at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan alongside leaders of the

National Assembly and the Director General of Budget Office, Dr Bright Okogu where issues concerning the 2013 budget were deliberated upon. Within the period of her mother's abduction, she never stopped working for the country.

“

The question on the list of some observers is shall we introduce death penalty as punishment for people who engage in this nefarious activity?

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

PAGE 39

Reporter’s Diary

How I cheated death

By Jessica Enokela

A

l t h o u g h , I have heard so many stories about the evil activities of ‘one chance,’ syndicates or ritual killers, who even in broad day light kidnap, dupe, rape and kill people especially the vulnerable ones in the society; but I have never imagined that I would be a victim one day.

Even as I narrate my ordeal at this moment, I can only imagine what the story would have been, if not for God’s intervention.

As a trainee reporter, it is my first time in Abuja. I came to Abuja for my compulsory Industrial Training (IT) with Peoples Media Ltd. I have been staying with my uncle at Kado estate.

Tuesday December 11, I had left the house heading to work, before I boarded a cab; I met a gentle looking guy, well dressed on a jean and T-shirt at the bus stop. After we exchanged greetings, I asked him for direction and he pointed to a red Honda car, which I could board to my destination (Utako). At this point, he told me I was lucky because he was also heading same way. I said my thanks to him.

When I entered, I met a lady and another guy including the driver, the young man who directed me also joined us, making four of us in the vehicle.

At a point, I noticed they all had strange look on their faces, but of course, it didn't matter to me because all Iwanted was to get to work. Exactly ten minutes after hitting the road, the driver pulled over, he asked the guy sitting next to me what he had in his bag. The guy replied saying he is a businessman selling clothes and shoes.

Not satisfied with my copassenger’s reply, the driver became furious, and ordered the man to speak the truth or else we all go to the police station.

At this point, I became worried because I was getting late for work, so I asked the driver what was going on.

He started by saying, he saw dollars in the bag which the passenger claimed to contain clothes and shoes and that he would like to know how such a young man came about such huge amount of money.

Before the driver could finish, the owner of the bag interrupted; saying in Pidgin English, "Oga I go talk true, my name na Chidi, I just come from Kano where I dey serve my oga. I don serve am for 7years now but e no gree settle me, so I steal him money when e travel out of the country; and I wan use the money go help my Mama for village."

I shouted thief and told the driver to drive straight to the police and report the case.

To my surprise, the driver replied, “I came to Abuja to make a living and not help investigate any crime.” He immediately

decided to take the guy and everyone to a lonely area, so we all could share the money and go our separate ways.

Obviously, I sensed the connivance and opted not to be part of the Dollar feast.

But since I was new to the town, I started begging the driver to kindly drop me before they proceed to the sharing point.

All my plea fell on deaf ears as the lady in the vehicle insisted that no one is going out of the vehicle until the money is shared adding that she doesn't want to be caught in any way.

I prayed silently for God to help me in whatever the case turns out to be because I was caught between the devil and deep blue sea. But guess what?

Even at this point, I couldn't say much, my lips were sealed without words; it was as if I was under a spell.

The driver kept driving and suddenly the owner of the money who was mute all along, said, “my oga dey do juju so as I touch the money something shock me come troway me for ground, so I suggest say make we pray over the money before we share am.”

At a point, when I started crying out loud and begging them to let come out of the vehicle, the driver simply winded his glass up and turned the music loud.

By now, we were on a lonely path; I looked round helplessly and said to myself “so this is how I will die in this city.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks and I couldn't say what was wrong but I could feel it in my heart that I was in trouble. I just kept saying 'it is well'. Then, the driver looked round after

suggesting that we all follow him to a shrine where the money would be cleansed before sharing.

They all agreed! Even the lady in the vehicle was in support. To my shock, the lady disclosed how she would use her own share of the money to build a house in her village and also advised me to give her my share of the money if I was serious of not having interest in the deal.

“What a greedy lady,” I said to myself.

Then, I mustered courage, and shouted “No! Please help me God, help me.” The lady looked at me, laughed and said that, she is surprised at my talk. She assured me of safety and that there is no harm in sharing ‘oil money.’

At last, we got to the supposed shrine, a remote settlement on the outskirt of the city. I was pushed out of the car by the lady and was dragged by the rest of the guys including the man claiming to have stolen his bosses’ money.

It was just at this moment, it dawned on me that everyone in that vehicle belongs to the same group. They are criminals, liars and extremely cruel people. I have been lured into the net of what Nigerians call ‘one chance’ since I was actually the last passenger or ‘one chance’ that joined the cab.

Everything became clear at that moment and I cried even more. While I was being taken to the shrine, I held my handbag which contained my phone and laptop tightly as I sobbed. I kept asking what they wantedfrom me. Then, I realized if it was my phone and laptop, they would have taken it long ago.

I recalled re-echoing these Biblical words, “I shall not die but

live to declare the words of the Lord.” suddenly, I received strength and comfort and I said to myself, “I could make it even if I walk through the shadow of death, I shall not die!”

Thereafter, I decided to be smiling, feeling free with them, to give them the impression of confidence despite the danger I was in.

I looked at the driver’s face and told him to calm down and stop dragging me as I could walk on my own; that I understand how nice he has been to me.

At this point, he smiled and said," Na now u come, my daughter, don't worry, you will be fine."

When we got to the shrine; a young man came out and asked us in. They all entered and asked me to come in. I looked round and tried to peep into the shrine.

There was a deep hole inside surrounded with red lining and feathers. That minute, I saw life and death! I imagined what will happen if I don't do something. I told myself “no way, I couldn't die like a chicken; I would rather die trying to survive.”

I started running, I didn't have an idea where I was

running to, but I kept running and shouting. No one seemed to hear me, so I kept running and looking back to see if anyone was coming after me. Only the driver was running after me, warning me to stop, that I won't get help. He added that, after all, I don't know my way around, but I didn't pay attention as I kept running.

To my relief, I saw another Taxi stopping for me to enter as I approached the road. But I hesitated on accepting the offer for awhile because I couldn't trust him. I looked at him closely and discovered that he had a mark on his face, a tribal mark.

This man must be from Benue state where I hailed from.

I said, His marks suggest we share the same locality. Without hesitation, I spoke my dialect to him and he responded.

I boarded the man’s taxi and headed to work. Who says there is no power in language? If not for God’s intervention, what would have happened to me is a question I keep asking myself as I have learnt a great lesson.

Enokela is on Industrial attachment with the Peoples Media Ltd.

“

At a point, when I started crying out loud and begging them to let come out of the vehicle, the driver simply winded his glass up and turned the music loud.

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

Interview Agriculture will reduce drug addiction and unemployment in Kebbi – Salisu Isa Nataro Salisu Isa Nataro is the former gubernatorial aspirant under the National Democratic Party (NDP). In this interview with Ahmed Idris in Jega, Kabbi state, he speaks on agriculture in the state and sundry issues.

Y

ou contested and lost to Dakingari in 2007 and many people are praising you for the volume of advice you have been giving to your state especially on agriculture, education and public sector. Do you have good relationship with the current governor Dakingari to enable you get the seat more easily in the next election?

With my working experience, exposure and vast knowledge, I will continue observing what is going on in the state and country in order to have new ways of helping my people whether they get me elected or not.

I have never criticized Dakingari personality but only on issues that affect all of us in the state, like I said earlier that building Government House is a waste, Danwarai International market is also a waste at the moment, building the secretariat is a waste, oversized civil service is also a waste of resources but if you concentrate on agriculture, it will eventually lead to reduction of the present number of drug addicts and unemployment in the state.

As a politician do you think Dakingari has the time to tackle all these given his short tenure?

As a grassroots politician and advocate of public sector reforms, I have always

Salisu Isa Nataro believed in performance and I know how to achieve the goals that will lead to the above problems and that’s why I’m ever ready to work with all the politicians in my state such as Samaila Sambawa, Adamu Aliero, Dakingari, Senator Farouk Bunza, Senator Galaudu, Senator Atiku, former senatorial

candidate Dantukur and a lot of people in the state to enable us witness what I call the actual dividends of democracy if we capture power in the next election.

How comes you have not been recognised by President Jonathan despite your support for his administration?

Let me tell you I carefully observe the things happening in his administration.

That is why I said Nigerians should be patient with him as he happens to be a humanist who operates based on public opinions and has listening ears. I remember when I first complained that we had too many ministries and personnel, Mr. President formed a committee chaired by TY Danjuma, followed by Oronsanye and now the entire proposal is with NASS to make it a law to reduce ministries, parastatals agencies and personnel and that will reduce the corruption and save 50 percent of our annual budget.

As a very active young man you have never been called upon to serve in Dakingari’s government but why have you always defended his policies?

I heard and read Dakingari’s interview that he now realised that agriculture is the main stream of the economy, had it being he invited people like us at the beginning based on my advice to give agricultural loans to youths, by now we could have gone farther than any of the states.

What is your opinion about CBN governor’s proposal for reduction of civil servants?

To be honest with you and the rest of the country, we need to do more to reform the public sector by reducing our

ministries, agencies and personnel, give uniform salaries for all public sectors and make sure that all government revenues go direct to government account and distribute to few ministries after reduction and try to abolish all those agencies receiving direct funds in the name of special trust fund like education, petroleum, and merge all the staff in their respective ministries so as to have uniform salaries for all. I would also canvass that the judiciary should merge the Appeal Courts such as main Court of Appeal, Customary Court of Appeal and Shari’a Court of Appeal to enable our government save and reduce cost; monetization is necessary latest by next year. Don’t arm the Civil Defense but give them equipment to monitor crimes, introduce advance military weapons like advance missiles through our allies Iran (8 developing countries) and good trading with Russia and have a good relation with Israel to help on agriculture. EFCC and NDLEA to merge with police, Police commission and its ministries to be abolished and look for honest credible retired AIG of police like Baffa Jamaare etc and appoint them as presidential adviser or adviser to current IG of police and that will move the country forward within a short period of time.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS OHAERI OGAR, JULIANA ANI, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGAR JULIANA ANI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION SERVICE AND GENERAL PUBLIC, PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Ojukwu’s love child, Teni Hamman By our Special Correspondent

H

er existence was unknown, as the daughter of Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu until his death. The 5’4" tall Aunty Tani (Tenny or Teni), as her late father called her, is a splitting image of the late warlord. She is described as ‘charismatic’, ‘witty’ and ‘compassionate’ by those who know her well.

Having grown up in Kaduna, she was known all through her growing up days as the daughter of former Deputy Inspector General of Police, late Hamman Maiduguri.

Her real identity was brought to the limelight after the death of her biological father, Emeka Ojukwu. She came into public glare after she was named one of the beneficiaries in Ojukwu’s will which has so far raised a lot of dust and rancour. The fact that he named her in his will confirmed rumours that he gave birth to her. Though not affluent, reports indicate that people that came into contact with her consider her as one endowed and gifted with a ‘spiritual third eye’, and that now and then she solved some spiritual problems of those who believed in her powers to “see the unseen and solve the unsolvable”.

Born on October 1, 1960, Aunty Tani (who was named Aisha at birth) was married into the Dangote family (not Aliko) and the marriage was blessed with a daughter. When the marriage ended, she stayed at Colorado Street, Maitama, Wuse 2, off Aminu Kano Crescent then relocated to Flat One, Plot 553, Gwarimpa Cadestral Zone 2, Life Camp before she left for her family house in Kaduna on Maiduguri Road in 2009. She lives among the Northern elite

and detests any suggestion that links her with the former warlord. This is the extraordinary story of Tani, Ojukwu’s mystery daughter.

Tenny Hamman, as Ojukwu called her, was raised in Kaduna by former Deputy Inspector General of Police Hamman Maiduguri as his own “daughter”. Although she was formally named Aisha (the name she used in school), she is also called Tani (or Aunty Tani by younger relatives). Tani is a traditional Hausa name given to a female born on Monday. Apparently the name Tenny (or Tenni) that Ojukwu called her is the corrupted version of Tani.

There are conflicting versions of how she came to be late Hamman’s daughter. One of the sources said Tenny’s mother gave birth to her before she married Hamman. “He accepted her with her baby and since then she has been bearing the name Tenny Hamman,” he said. One source said she was among the people who inherited what he left behind when he died.

“It will be very difficult for you to unravel her true story because many knew her as Hamman’s biological daughter,” said the source. “She inherited part of his properties.

This story you are trying to open is seen by some as mere tale because they grew up and know her as one of Hamman’s children,” he added.

Sources have it that Ojukwu met Tenny’s mother when he was a military officer in the North. He was in charge of 5th Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Kano, where he was also friends with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, before he was appointed the Governor of the Eastern Region following the first military coup in

Teni Hamman 1966. Ojukwu and his ex-lover kept the issue of their love child secret.

But as little Tenny grew up, there appeared to be some people who had suspected a link between her mother and Ojukwu.

One of her classmates said that Tenny known in the Queen Amina College as Aisha Hamman was always uncomfortable with claims that she was Ojukwu’s daughter.

The revelation of Tenny as Ojukwu’s daughter came when his Will was read at the Enugu State High Court 2, last Friday.

It was presented to a section of the family by the chief registrar of the court Mr. Dennis Ekoh.

The Will listed Ojukwu’s children as follows: Tenny Hamman (daughter), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Jnr (son), Mmegha (Mimi) (daughter), Okigbo (son), Ebele (daughter), Chineme (daughter), Afam (son) and Nwachukwu (son).

Tenny, who is apparently his eldest daughter, got Jubilee Hotel, located in Zaria, Kaduna State. Investigation reveals that the hotel Ojukwu allocated to his daughter is located in a lively area in Zaria.

Further investigation revealed that the late warlord does indeed own a house and a hotel located on Hospital Road in Sabon Gari, Zaria.

A 65-year-old resident of the area confirmed that recently a son of Ojukwu, who resides in Germany, had visited the place and probably ordered for the change.

“It was after the visit of Ojukwu’s son to the area that the status of the hotel changed to a warehouse. What we learnt was that the place has been sold but I don’t know the details of the transaction.

But Nollywood actor and ace broadcaster, Chief Pete Edochie, said, “Ojukwu was a human being; Ojukwu loved women. As a matter of fact, I would describe him as H. G. Wells described Mr. Paully.

When the revelation of Tenny as his love child came to the fore, and the property he reserved for her, he said he had no doubt about it, saying “Ojukwu knows the number of children he had when he lived. There is no point questioning the wish of the dead,” he said.

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

PAGE 41

Weekend NPL kicks-off 2012/13 season in Januar y

Dolphins players celebrating League kick-off Stories by Albert Akota

T

h e Nigeria Premier League (NPL) will kicks-off in January before the 2013 Nations Cup, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has

announced.

This decision was taken at the Annual General Assembly in Port Harcourt, which also said that the Victor Baribote-led NPL board has been sacked and a management committee to run the league has been set up.

The NPL congress in Abuja on Tuesday proposed February 16 as kick-off date for the new league season, but the NFF amended this recommendation by saying the league will begin next month.

The NFF congress also ordered that the congresses of the

women’s league, Nationwide League, APFON and coaches association be staged within the next three months.

The congress equally commended the executive committee and management of the NFF for the qualification of

the country to the 2013 Nations Cup, the African Youth Championship as well as the Africa U17 Championship.

It also unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the NFF under the leadership of Aminu Maigari.

Benitez set to stamp mark on Chelsea with a win in Japan

R

a f a e l Benitez flew with Chelsea to Japan for the Club World Cup with a semblance of calm returning to a club seemingly intent on living its life in a constant state of chaos.

Benitez is making little headway in his attempts to win acceptance from Chelsea supporters who resent him from his past history with Liverpool and the fact that he replaced a Champions League

winning manager in Roberto Di Matteo .

The Spaniard, however, is unswerving in his singleminded determination to make an impact at Stamford Bridge and a 6-1 win against Nordsjaelland in the Champions League - even though Chelsea became the first holders to be eliminated at the group stage - and a convincing win at Sunderland have provided some respite.

Add to this the revival of owner Roman Abramovich's £50m pet project Fernando Torres, who has scored four times in those two games and Benitez, could be forgiven for thinking that one or two clouds have started to lift.

In Japan, Benitez and the players have now got an opportunity to enjoy the chance to win a tournament that last season's success has brought them.

Rafael Benitez

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

PAGE 42

2012 Copa Lagos:

We are here to win – Cesar C

a p t a i n and goalkeeper of the Argentina National Beach Soccer team, Cesar Mendoza says his side holds no fear but ready to put up a good fight against any opponent in the course to win the 2012 Copa Beach Lagos.

Cesar said the tournament will be a tough one but very important for the players as it will serve a preparatory ground for the World Cup qualifier next year.

Speaking on the vitality of the competition to the Argentina Beach

Soccer National team, “it’s Important for us playing alongside strong teams like Nigeria and Portugal and participating is a great opportunity going into the world cup qualifier.

He added that the South American team are aiming for a good tournament and finishing on the high for confidence boost ahead of the qualifiers for 2013 World Cup. “As a South American side we hope to do our best at winning the tournament as we hold fears but look forward to beating any side we are faced with.

Cesar Mendoza

UEFA may appeal over Serbia sanctions

U

E F A president Michel Platini could appeal against the sanctions imposed on the Serbian FA for racist abuse from the stands and violence on the pitch at the Under-21 game against England in October.

Platini is believed to feel the punishments - an •80,000 fine and one Under-21 match to be played behind closed doors - are not strong enough.

They have been widely condemned as much too lenient by anti-racism campaigners, and UEFA's prosecuting inspector had proposed more "drastic" measures.

The sanctions were imposed by UEFA's independent control and disciplinary panel but the rules mean UEFA can itself appeal against a decision by the panel.

In the wake of England's 1-0 play-off

win at the Mladost Stadium, in Krusevac, FA general secretary Alex Horne had said England would consider refusing to play in Serbia as a result of the "racial abuse, violence and threatening behaviour" they had encountered.

In a statement issued after UEFA had announced the punishments, Horne said he was frustrated they had not been stronger.

We are not afraid of Nigeria – Karim

T

Karim Moghadam

h e Handler of the Lebanon Beach Soccer National team, Karim Moghadam says his team is not scared playing in first encounter against Nigeria at the Copa Beach Soccer Lagos.

The coach of the Asian side disclosed in great confidence that the game against the host as they have good legs to run a rout.

“We are here for the first time and playing Nigeria but my boys are now afraid of Nigeria despite knowing they have a great team,” he declared in confidence.

“It’s a good chance for us and looks forward to play with our best – Nigeria

is a big name in the world.

“Playing in Copa Lagos will bring us a great opportunity to compete against great sides as we prepare for the World Cup qualifier,” Karim noted with laughter.

“We understand that the Lebanese team watched the Sand Eagles play in the Samsung Eight-Nation Intercontinental Tournament as many of the players ply their trade in the United Arab Emirates.

“Without reservation, the Labanon coach believes the Sand Eagles may be overrated after laboured against the host, United Arab Emirate in which they crash in the third place fight.

WEEKEND FIXTURES Italy Serie A Udinese v Lazio v Sunday Fiorentina v Catania v Chievo v Genoa v Juventus v AC Milan v Parma v Napoli v EPL Newcastle Liverpool Man Utd Norwich QPR Stoke Sunday Tottenham West Brom

French Ligue Toulouse Troyes Sochaux Montpellier Nice Reims Sunday AS Nancy St Etienne PSG

v v v v v v

Palermo Inter Milan Siena Sampdoria Roma i Torino Atalanta Pescara Cagliari Bologna

Man City Aston Villa Sunderland Wigan Fulham Everton

v Swansea v West Ham

1 v v v v v v

Marseille AC Ajaccio Brest Bastia Evian TG Lille

v v v

Bordeaux Lorient Lyon

Spanish Primera Liga Getafe v Osasuna Mallorca v Athletic Bilbao Granada v Real Sociedad Sevilla v Malaga Sunday Real Zaragoza v Levante Valencia v R Vallecano Real Madrid v Espanyol Barcelona v Atletico Madrid German Bundesliga Bayer Leverkusen v Hamburg Wolfsburg vE/ Frankfurt Mainz vVfB Stuttgart Greuther Furth v Augsburg Fortuna Dusseldorf v Hannover 96 Schalke 04 v SC Freiburg Sunday TSG Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund Werder Bremen v Nurnberg

Kompany urges Manchester City to bounce back

M

a n c h e s t e r City captain Vincent Kompany has called for a repeat of last season's stand-out victory at Newcastle as the ideal response to the damaging Premier League defeat by Manchester United.

Roberto Mancini's reigning champions are keen to bounce back from their dramatic 3-2 derby loss to Alex Ferguson's side last weekend, and will draw on the positive memories of their last trip to St James' Park seven months ago en route to being crowned kings of English football.

Despite facing a Newcastle team fighting to gain a Champions League place back in May, City triumphed 2-0 with two goals from midfielder Yaya Toure, delivering a dominant display that Kompany ranks as one of the best of the campaign.

City, now trailing leaders United by six points, return to Tyneside keen to prove their setback against Ferguson's team, which ended their unbeaten league record for the season and also shattered a two-year undefeated sequence in the league at the Eastlands,

was a blip rather than cause for serious concern.

A City loss at Newcastle would give United the opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the table to nine points against struggling Sunderland, and Kompany will remind his players of their achievement last time around.

Kompany admits it is unthinkable for City's greatest rivals to be given the opportunity to increase their advantage so substantially at this stage of the season.

Vincent Kompany

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

PAGE 43

Messi, Falcao go head to head in Camp Nou T

h e big game in the Primera Liga tomorrow will see the best two strikers in Spain go head-to-head in the Camp Nou Stadium.

It shouldn't be like that given the depth of talent on the pitch but Barcelona - Atletico Madrid is going to be all about Leo Messi taking on Radamel Falcao as Barca look to open a nine-point lead over the side, currently second in the Primera Liga table.

Falcao is the second highest scorer in the league and his five goal tally against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday saw him share headlines with Messi, who scored twice against Betis to break Gerd Muller's 40-year record of scoring 85 goals in a year.

Messi netted two more in Wednesday's Copa del Rey clash away to Cordoba to take his tally to 88 for 2012, with two matches left to play.

Real Madrid will hope that Atletico, who lost in the Bernabeu

German clubs agree crackdown on football violence

G

e r m a n clubs have agreed a number of security measures after concern over a rise in violence connected to football.

The top two divisions' 36 clubs voted in favour of tougher stadium checks and a crackdown on flares and smoke bombs.

Other measures include tougher action on offenders, extra surveillance and more training for security staff.

Clubs had come under pressure from politicians to act after criminal action against fans reached its highest level in 12 years.

Despite the troubles, German's top division has the world's highest average attendance at around 43,000.

However, the proposed sanctions had prompted protests from fans, and there was a demonstration by 500 supporters outside the hotel in Frankfurt where the vote was taken.

But Reinhard Rauball, president of the German League Association, said: "Professional football is coming out as a winner today.

"All 16 points were accepted with a wide majority. Germany's football culture is not threatened by this."

two weeks ago will take points of Barcelona (as they have done in the past), to allow Jose Mourinho's side to narrow their 11 point deficit against Barca.

Madrid is clear favourites to defeat Espanyol in the Bernabeu on Sunday.

Espanyol are second from the bottom of the table, although they have improved since the arrival of Javier Aguirre as coach with two draws in two games.

They have traditionally lost to Madrid, although Karmin Benzema will be doubtful after suffering an ankle injury in their Cup defeat away to Celta Vigo.

The weekend's matches kick off today when Getafe entertains an Osasuna whose recent recovery was halted by a 1-0 defeat to Valencia last week. Getafe meanwhile is on the verge of European places.

There is crisis in Mallorca as the

home side entertains Athletic Club Bilbao.

Mallorca go into the game on the back of 10 league games without a win and a 5-0 home defeat to Sevilla in the Cup, which has put Joaquin Caparros' job on the line.

Meanwhile Athletic were stunned when they were knocked out of the cup by third tier side, Eibar on Wednesday.

Granada coach Juan Anquela could lose his job if his side fails to beat a confident Real Sociedad, while Sevilla coach Michel Gonzalez will find the pressure increase if his side lose an Andalusian derby against high-flying Malaga.

Sunday's games see Real Zaragoza entertain an impressive Levante, before Ernesto Valverde makes his home debut as Valencia coach against a Rayo Vallecano side, which tends to ship goals away from their Vallecas Stadium.

Messi

Tigre allege gun threat on players at Sao Paulo final

T

i g r e has accused police of pulling guns on their players at half-time in the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana final at Sao Paulo.

The Argentinian club's players refused to come back out onto the pitch for the second half of the match, with Sao Paulo declared the winners of the tournament.

Tigre claimed they had been attacked by around 20 men in the dressing room following a brawl involving players and officials as the teams left the pitch at half-time.

"They pulled two guns on us, the rest of the match is not going to be played," Nestor Gorosito, the Tigre

coach, told Fox Sports at the stadium.

"They ambushed us and one of them pulled out a revolver and put it against [goalkeeper] Damian Albil's chest. Their security and police also hit us. There were around 20 of them."

Referee Enrique Osses declared Sao Paulo champions, despite admitting that he had heard reports of a disturbance in the dressing rooms.

The Tigre players remained inside their dressing room for three hours as Sao Paolo celebrated after being handed the trophy.

Tigre have made an official complaint to police, and also said

their team coach had been attacked, with stones thrown at it, as it made its way to the stadium before the match.

C

Mata

aside Monterrey to set up a Club World Cup final against Corinthians.

The European champions did not get out of second gear in the opening 45 minutes of their semifinal at a half-empty Nissan Stadium, Juan Mata's 11th goal of the season giving them the edge.

They came out flying for three minutes after the break, Fernando Torres scoring his fifth goal in eight days inside 20 seconds, with Darvin Chavez putting through his own net soon after.

The attempts before the game to talk up the importance of the Club World Cup - the bits of it that take place before Sunday's final anyway

Wenger ponders transfer spending

A

Gorosito

Chelsea cruise into CWC final h e l s e a shook off their Japanese jet lag as an early second-half blitz brushed

Falcao

- were made to look rather silly by the sparse crowd that turned up to witness today's affair.

The small band of travelling Chelsea fans tried to cheer on their team but the biggest noise was coming from the pitch, with the players' shouts clearly audible.

Interim Blues boss Benitez lived up to his promise to field a strong team, although he sprung one major surprise by starting David Luiz in midfield for the first time.

It proved a comfortable baptism for the Brazilian, who shot just over from 25 yards inside four minutes and produced a superb sliderule pass for Eden Hazard two minutes later.

rsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been given "considerable resources" to spend in the January transfer window.

The Arsenal supporter trust met the club's chief executive Ivan Gazidis yesterday evening to discuss Arsenal's poor season.

"There is plenty of money there," said Trust spokesman Tim Payton. "That was the message that Ivan and his finance director were giving this evening."

The Gunners exited the Capital One Cup with defeat at Bradford on Tuesday.

Arsenal supporters wanted answers as to why Wenger had been reluctant to spend money on new players and 100 fans met with Gazidis to voice their concerns.

"The Arsenal fans were dissatisfied with the strength of the squad and particularly don't understand whether there were resources to be used.

Arsenals currently find themselves seventh in the Premier League but the Trust believes Wenger should be given the chance to take the club forward if he spends wisely in January.

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

PAGE 44

PICTORIAL

Corinthians have carved out success with a no-nonsense defence and dogged determination, and they're hoping to put Chelsea under their cosh in today's FIFA Club World Cup final.

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has led the criticism of UEFA after they fined Serbia just ÂŁ65,000 for their part in a fracas between Serbia and England players during an Under-21 match and the behaviour of their fans.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry will be a pivotal player in a power battle that could be about to take hold of the club, according to Alisher Usmanov.

James Anderson strikes in the first over of India's innings after Joe Root and Graeme Swann help England reach 330.

The Lawn Tennis Association says this year's Wimbledon Championships saw profits jump 7% to record levels.

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

PAGE 45

City Life Yuletide: Avoiding T hotspots of ritualists

With Stanley Onyekwere 08138559513

CITY BRIEFS:

Man, 20, docked for criminal conspiracy

he Nasarawa State Police Command on Thursday, arraigned one Terna Pne, 20, before an Upper Area Court in Mararaba for allegedly conspiring with four others, now at large, to beat up a man in the area.

The accused residing at Sharp Corner, Mararaba, pleaded not guilty to criminal conspiracy and criminal force contrary to sections 97 and 265 of the Penal Code, respectively.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Stephen Kwaza, told the court that the victim, Isaac Ahura of the same address with the accused who sustained injury on his right hand reported the case at the Sani Abacha Road Police Station on December 9.

However, the Judge, Mr V. W. Gwahemba, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with one surety in like sum; and adjourned the case to Dec. 20 for hearing.

…as Woman seeks divorce over husband’s refusal to eat her food

O Victim of ritualists

I

t is not strange to point out that the incidences of ritual killing are usually on the high side during the ember months in this part of the world. And it is against the backdrop of the alarming rate at which innocent persons particularly minors are being declared missing in cities and villages across the nation especially at the tail end of the year, thus the need for trading cautiously during such times as this.

As the Christmas fever is in the air, there is need for individuals to look out for every available tip off on some places notorious for the many nefarious activities and crimes of this nature against humanity, usually associated with festive seasons at the tail part of every year.

There is no gain saying, avoiding places identified by the security agencies as red zones or hot spots for ritual killings in the society would help a great deal to reducing the incidences of missing and deaths of persons to ritual killings. To this end, all and sundry must endeavour to keep their ears to the ground.

Again, individuals especially those living in the urban areas must desist from keeping late nights, be cautious in honouring people’s invitations to their homes or impulsively accompanying other fellows from one place to the other without the consent of any

relative, colleagues or close friends.

In the same vein, commuters should stop patronising unpainted taxis or private cars offering paid or free transport services. And if one must patronise this class of transporters, always do that when it is not rush hour since the probability of asking an innocent looking accomplice to stand with other commuters at the bus stops is crystal clear.

Also, owing to the fact children

and women are more vulnerable to become victims of ritual killings, it then behold on parents to ensure that none of their wards especially the female folks should be left alone walking the streets like a sheep without shepherd particularly at odd hours.

Again, according to a recent online release by the Police, it urged commuters to always make sure they drive in the middle of the Express road at all times. ‘If anyone tells you that your car is

sparking or there is fire or smoke coming out from your car bonnet, please do not listen just drive on; as that is their tactics.

And if per venture you feel your life is threatened by a suspected ritual killer or group; that is if by mistake one falls victim, don’t hesitate to quickly send an sms/pre-text messages to all or any of security agency’s lines in your possession, for rescue. So ensure to know one now, because, you or your loved ones might need it.

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.

ne Rukayyat Mohammed, 31, on Thursday urged a Lugbe Area Court, Abuja, to dissolve her 16- years-old marriage to her husband, Aliyu Mohammed over his refusal to eat her food.

Rukayyat, a tailor, who now resides with her family at Garki village in Abuja, told the court that she was seeking divorce because she was fed up with the marriage which is blessed with a child.

The plaintiff alleged that her 50- years- old husband was fond of molesting her at the slightest provocation and added that he had failed to take care of her basic needs, including feeding and clothing; she added ‘one day he refused to eat my food and also instructed everybody in the house not to eat it’.

Responding to the ‘want-away wife’s allegations, Mohammed denied the allegations, saying he had been taking good care of his wife as he is still in love with her; and urged her to return to her matrimonial home.

However, the Judge, Mr. Haruna Masanawa, who noted Rukayyat’s insistence on divorce, said the issues raised did not warrant a divorce, more so that her husband said that he still loved her.

Masanawa adjourned the case to Dec. 17, for judgment and advised Mohammed to win back his wife’s love by enticing her with precious gifts before the adjourned date.

CITY QUOTE "What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need do is stroll about with our eyes open. Life swarms with innocent monsters."

–– Charles Baudelaire

PAGE 46

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

Interview

'Health centres lack laboratory scientists,' AMLSN says Dr Casmir Ifeanyi is the Chairman of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), FCT chapter. In this interview to mark the commemoration of the just concluded World AIDS Day, he bares his mind on the need to combat HIV / AIDS in the country through available Adalptis testing machines by the Federal Ministry of Health at the states level, the lack of Medical Laboratory Scientist at most Primary Health Care centres in the country and other issues. Adeola Tukuru was there. Excerpt:

W

e just marked the World AIDs Day; do we have any cause to celebrate?

Yes, in Nigeria we have every reason to celebrate or rather to continue to push for synergy in the Global efforts as controlling HIV. It is not a day for celebration per say but a day of subsidy as the various agencies partner to avert the spread of HIV particularly in Nigeria. It is also a day for us to look at what our Government should do in that direction and then to bring to light what the private body, especially what we the Medical of Laboratory Scientist (MLS) are doing in that efforts through our various facilities where we work in various formations as a professional body.

What particularly are Medical Laboratory Scientists doing to control HIV in the country?

Our work starts from that fact that for you to say somebody is HIV positive the person should first visit the Medical Laboratory Scientist; we are the ones that will do the testing.

Testing is very important to the effort of curbing HIV. Between 2011 up till 2015, the central theme of the World AIDS Day is: "Getting to Zero in Transmission" and testing is key in breaking transmission.

If you encourage testing and it is done in the right place, by the right personnel, then you have taken a custom link as controlling the transmission, because those who don't know their status portend dangers to the general public. We want to commend personnel that have worked with us like USAID, Centre for Disease Control of the United States (US), National Population Commission (NPC) etc.

These agencies have worked hand in hand with the Guild of Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS). They provided testing facilities that would enable our practitioners located in our various communities to provide HIV testing and they have gone mild further to also take up extra cost procedure in the process by our practitioner's private practice. Some members of the guild of Medical laboratory Directors, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) distributed materials that were made available to us by these agencies to our colleagues, so that they will continue to provide free HIV testing at community level. As you know that the burden of the disease is still a

challenge at the community level, where awareness is low; where the orthodox practices are still very high particularly in health care delivery system.

Then again, in the government hospitals, we have testing Algorithm provided by the Federal Ministry of Health which is applied across the country for testing of persons and blood products, which are used for treatment of people who come to us for various ailments. So to be doing that, we have taken it upon ourselves to validate this Algorithm even though is a products of rigorous exercise, sentinel survey, testing and researching. We are trying to see how we can work with this Algorithm when compared to other testing methods that are superior to it. We want to bring these to the knowledge of the public about what we are doing in that regard and how we have also made contribution in partnership with the intervention program.

You will agree with me that Health Care Delivery in the rural areas is almost none existing, would it be right to say that your impact is not felt in the rural areas in Nigeria.

We have not really lived up to our expectation in the rural areas, not that our impact is not felt, but apart from the fact that we have 774 local government areas in Nigeria, almost all maintain the exclusive phrasal priority of primary health care service and in most of these Primary Health Care Centres, we do not have Medical Laboratory Scientist practicing in these places. That for us is a huge challenge, and requires political will on the part of Federal Government to prevent this ordeal of introducing Medical Laboratory Services at the primary health care.

There are policy papers of the Federal Ministry of Healthy in that regard, but it has not been implemented. If you move round these local government areas, you can't get 15% out of the total number that has a Medical Laboratory Scientist at the local level and we are talking about local governments that have close to 50 or more Primary Health Care facilities, where people go to access health care service in the rural areas.

This is what the implementing partners has been doing all these years and we are all saying enough is enough, that is why we have come with the intervention. At that time, it was considered SOS time, (Save our Soul), we have gotten beyond the

Dr Casmir Ifeanyi point, let's put the structures right.

Before now we had Implementing Partners (IP) and NGOs providing the HIV testing and care services in the rural areas. What they were doing was they used untrained persons, and auxiliary staff.

We are saying now that it is only proper that these centres should appoint Medical Laboratory Scientist who should be on ground to provide these services, so when that is done, the impact you talked about in our rural areas will very well felt. If we have Medical Laboratory Scientist, people who have good skills in the field, a whole lot will be done. We will get over the challenges of false negative.

The major challenge in combating HIV is false negative that is when one is positive and you are told you are negative.

Do you think we have the required number of laboratory scientists over the country?

The population of this country is put at about 160million and as I speak to you, we have close to 20,000 medical laboratory scientists in this country, so your guess is as good as mine as per the number ratio, but that is not the challenge. The facilities that are in existence in the country should be occupied by laboratory that will be rendering medical laboratory services in these areas particularly at the primary health care level. That is what we need to do to combat these HIV better.

Like I did say, the Algorithm says we have three testing skills, if you have a tie within the two; you use one as a tie breaker, which is the Algorithm we have. But we subjected that Algorithm in existence on our own; we subjected them to other testing methods like I m m u n o a s s a y Chemiluminescence. This is a product produced by a company and we discovered that 5 specific number of people that are judged negative, while they are positive.

What am saying is, there is also time for the Federal Ministry of Health to collaborate with Association of Medical Laboratory

Scientists and other stakeholders in the health system to find the existing Algorithm against superior method of testing and be sure that when you say somebody is negative that person is truly negative, particularly because blood and blood products are used for therapy. So, if we use the Algorithm to evaluate blood for transquisite purposes and eventually those passed as negative were indeed positive you will find out that shortly we are fueling transmission.

That is why we are saying we have to come up with information that is important to benchmark our Algorithm against Chemiluminescence method and against Monocular method of PCR. I would want to commend the Minister of FCT for having the only centre in Nigeria where Adalptis machine which has employed the Immunoassay Chemiluminescence method to screen blood and blood product for transfusion and for screening of patients.

That is a laud development achieved by the FCT administration, which we want other state government and state Ministries of Health to begin to key into. They should acquire this machine to help in breaking transmission particularly where the use of blood and blood products is involved.

Are you saying that, more or less, most of the tests they are carrying out now in Nigeria are not reliable?

Nothing is 100% perfect ,we are saying that we are beginning to pick hold in the forest Algorithm and we are able to do that because some of our centres have tried to benchmark the Algorithm against the Adaltis machine which the FCT government has in their centres that is now doing wonders for us.

With this Adaltis machine, we are able to pick specimen that were adjudged negative using the Algorithm method with Adaltis machine which uses Immunoassay Chemiluminescence method and therefore we are coming up with the

proposal to Federal Government that in these efforts to combat HIV and to stop transmission, it has become necessary that we validate our Algorithm method against methods like Immunoassay Chemiluminescence and particularly monocular method of PCR. If you move round now in the FCT, you will only have to do a qualitative testing for P24 which is a marker of early infection that most of the Algorithm can't detect, that is why we are encouraging other state government to begin to acquire and to put to use in their places, particularly the Federal Ministry of Health, because we are worried that we have not yet received support from the International body. But what if they go, the HIV programs and Intervention program?

People are beginning to have challenges in checking their results because funding of the program is a little bit of challenge. Some of the international agencies that were providing free testing and treatment are beginning to wind up, that's why the challenge of supply have been there .

I also think that National Action Committee Against AIDS (NACAA) needs to step up action in this direction, because not all is been said about the activities of NACAA in the transmission. HIV getting to zero will not only be achieved through media campaign ,though information dissemination is wonderful but we must have facilities that are put in place, so that when people approach these centres for testing ,monitoring and management of those living with HIV, they will be able to meet with quality services rendered to them .

Are we on the right track in the fight against HIV? The equivalent rate of HIV in Nigeria is 5.3; It is been able to scale down significantly now to 3.8. So, if we judge from that, we have done fairly well because we have been able to bring down the prevalence and that means we have been able to bring down or break transmission.

These have been made possible not because of the sole efforts of the Nigerian government, but because of the contribution of International partners, who came with voluntary testing; who came with free treatment, who came with prevention of mother-to- child transmission, techniques and skill which they have been able to pass on to our people etc. All these things have resulted to reduction. But then, that support have worked this far because government provided the guiding process but all we are saying is that taking ownership of all the programs that will amount to the reduction that will help us get to zero level, which is the global target in HIV/AIDS. It is important that government particularly NACA, which is the agency of government saddled with the responsibility in this regard, should brace up to the mandate that they have.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER, 2012

PAGE 47

From the Pulpit Doing what is right in God's eyes (IlI)

I

GREEN PASTURES

'm glad to bring you the concluding part of this message which I began some weeks ago.

Be blessed as you read in Jesus' name.

Whereas what seems right to man is not always right, God's ways are always right. God is just. (Ezek 18:25) The Bible says the ways of the Lord are right. (Hos 14:9)ThestatutesoftheLordareright.(Ps 19:8) His precepts are right. (Ps 119:128) The Word of the Lord is right. (Ps 33:4) Youcan'tgowrongwhenyoufollowGod's statutes. If you follow His Word, His statutes, His precepts, you will always do what is right in the eyes of God and not whatrightinyourowneyes.Ultimately,it is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord that guarantees your approval by God. "Suppose a certain man is just and does what is lawful and right, and he has notfeastedinthemountainsbeforeIsrael's idolsorworshipedthem.Andsupposehe does not commit adultery or have intercourse with a woman during her menstrualperiod.Supposeheisamerciful creditor, not keeping the items given in pledge by poor debtors, and does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungryandprovidesclothesforpeoplein need. And suppose he grants loans withoutinterest,staysawayfrominjustice, is honest and fair when judging others, and faithfully obeys my laws and regulations.Anyonewhodoesthesethings is just and will surely live, says the Sovereign LORD." (Ezek 18:5-9 NLT) GodhasmadeHimselfveryclearand simplebutmanhaschosentocomplicate Him and His ways. Man keeps pursuing his selfish desire rather than obeying the simple command of God wherein lies man's blessing. "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do

what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians.ForIamtheLORDwhoheals you." (Ex 15:26 NKJV) Did you see that phrase?-AnddowhatisrightinHissight.

That'sGod'sstandard,andHesaysitover and over in the Bible. Deut 6:18-19 says, "And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the LORD swore to your fathers, to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken." (NKJV) Please take note again the blessing of doing what is right and good in the sight of the LORD. Deut 12:25 expresses the same truth about the blessing of doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. "You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD." (NKJV) Hear also verse 28 of the same Scripture: "Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in thesightoftheLORDyourGod."(NKJV) Did you see that phrase again? - When you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God. But man will rather disobey God, do what seems right in his own sight and turn round to pray and fast for God's blessings.

Here is another Scripture on doing what is right in the sight of the Lord and the blessings that will accrue to you if you do so: "So none of the accursed things shallremaininyourhand,thattheLORD mayturnfromthefiercenessofHisanger and show you mercy, have compassion

Acts 2:22,43; 7:36; 4:29,30; 5:12; 14:3; Romans 15:18,19; John 4:48; Isaiah 8:18

The sure signpost to signs and wonders

M

i r a c l e s , signs and wonders characterise as well as summarize the ministry of Christ on earth. Prior to His ascension, Christ commissioned His apostlestocontinuewiththeworkofsoulwinning. His ministry of miracles, signs andwonderswasalsoreplicatedintheirs.

During the time of the children of Israel, God wrought miracles, signs and wondersthroughMoses,theirleader.He was indeed a great Old Testament prophet and a law-giver. But the New Testament started with Christ’s miraculous conception, life, ministry, manifestationandoperationoftheSpirit.

After His ascension, the apostles realized that the miracle ministry of Christ must continue and therefore prayed to God to “grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus”. God answered their prayers: “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people”.

AsideChrist,Mosesandtheapostles, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles also had a record of signs and wonders in his ministry. Thus, whenever God raises His servants to minister to Jews or Gentiles, He also grants them manifestation of signs and wonders. And what God did in the past, He is still doing today. He has opened the gate of miracles, signs and wonders to bless us in fulfilment of His promise in Scripture. The days of weeping, sorrow, joblessness, delay in marriage, barrenness, etc. are over as we bring our problems and people with

various forms of infirmities before Him. As others see God’s miraculous intervention in our lives, they will also believe and His church will grow. The suresignposttosignsandwondersisthat God is unchanging in His resolve to fulfil His promise in our lives.

1. CHRIST’S SEVEN-FOLD “I WILL” Matthew 8:7,8; 11:28; 16:18,19; Luke 21:15; John 14:12-14; 15:26;17:24.

“I will come and heal him” is Christ’s promise to the sick. There is provision of healing for every member of our families.

The Lord has also promised to give us rest from anxiety, panic, fear, worry and perplexity. He says, “I will give you rest”.

We also have the promise of the keys of the kingdom to unlock every closed door.

“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven”. Because we have the keys of the kingdom, we can surmount every challenge in our lives, families, business, neighbourhood, church, etc. Whatever we say or decree will come to pass because we have the key to our desired destiny, prosperity, the joy of the Lord and His power. It is also part of God’s provision to give His children wisdom that their adversaries will not be able to withstand. “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.”

ToreceivefromGod,wemustbelieve that Jesus is our Saviour, Sanctifier and Baptizer in the Holy Ghost; that He is our Redeemer, Deliverer and the One who gives us dominion; that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; that He is our Supporter, Supplier, Rock of ages and Refugewhichtherighteousrunsintoand is safe. Therefore, healing, prosperity,

onyouandmultiplyyou,justasHeswore toyourfathers,becauseyouhavelistened to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right intheeyesoftheLORDyourGod."(Deut 13:17-18 NKJV) In the history of the divided kingdom of Israel, the Bible records some kings as doing what was right in the sight of God and recorded some as doing what was not right in the sight of God. That means that those who didn't do what was right in the sight of God did what was right in theirowneyes.EvensomekingstheBible records at a time in their reign did what was right in the sight of God deviated, derailed and didn't end well.

You must not only do what is right in the eyes of God, you must continue to the end to do what is right in the eyes of God. Hethatcontinuestotheendshallbesaved.

(Matt10:22,24:13,Mk13:13)Andinorder to continue to the end to do what is right in the eyes of God, you must ensure that your heart is right with God. You can only continue to do what is right in the eyes of God if your heart is right with God. In the mighty crusade that God did through Philip in Samaria, the Bible tells us that a sorcerer called Simon "also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done."(Acts8:13NKJV)Butthesameman later offered money to Peter when Peter came to lay hand on believers and they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It was most likely that Simon was not genuinely converted and only joined the new movement as a face-saver since everybodyusedtocallhim"thegreatpower of God." and Philip was the new man in

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 towneverybodywasfollowing.(Acts8:10) Another possibility was that his heart was drawn back to his sorcery after his conversion and baptism. Consequently, he offered money to Peter so that he would give him the power to lay hand on people and they would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and probably add this to his power of sorcery. The summary of his problem as stated by Peterwasthathisheartwasnotrightwith God. "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God." (Acts 8:21 NKJV) You are not to do what is right in your own eyes but what is right in the eyes of God.Youdon'talwaysknowwhatisright.

You cannot depend on your senses and preferences. What you think is right even atthebestofyoursinceritymaybewrong.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Prov 14:12 NKJV) Pro 16:25 says the same thing. There is a way that may seem right to you now but ahead there is danger.

God always knows where every road leads and how every journey will end.

God's standards are higher than man's standards and God has set His standards in the Bible for humans to rise up to. "'My thoughts are completely different from yours,' says the LORD. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the

FAITH DISCOURSE WITH

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi betterfuture,totaldeliverance,dominion, success are part of Christ’s seven-fold “I will” for His children. “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it”. The Lord does not want His children to remain comfortlessinatroubledworld.Thus,He promisedustheHolySpiritwhowillguide us in all things. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you”.

Besides, the ultimate goal of Christ is that wefinallymakeittoheaven.“Father,Iwill that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory”.

2.

HIS COVENANT SEVENFOLD “I WILL” Hebrews 8:6,8,10; 6:14; 1:4,5; 2:12-15; 10:30; 13:5,6; 10:16-23.

The Lord has promised to make a better covenant with us than the one He had with Abraham. “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.” God never reversed or reneged on His promises to His people. His covenants with Abraham, Israel, David etc., were all fulfilled to the letter. And if the Lord was faithful in keeping His covenant to Old Testament believers, He will also be faithful in keeping the better and greater covenant He has made with us. His

promise in this covenant is, “I will bless thee”. Through this better covenant, the Lord will perfect everything concerning us. As a believer, you are no longer a beggar but a son or daughter of the Most High God as He has promised that, “I will be to him a Father”. The covenant Christ has made with us is very sure because He has an intimate relationship with the Father and whatever He requests from the Father, that will He do.

Christ promises to reveal God to us. He says, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren”. The Lord also promises to preserve and keep us from the power of darkness under the better covenant. It is time for us to forget the past and forge ahead with the Saviour under the new and better covenant.

Enemies cannot stop the progress of God’s people. We should therefore not worryaboutwhattheyaredoingtohinder us.Withthebettercovenant,theLordhas promised to fight our battles: “I will recompense,saiththeLord”.Inmoments of trials and afflictions, God, the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent,theCreatoroftheuniverse, ourSupplier,Healer,DelivererandHelper will not forsake us. His promise is, “I will

heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.'"

(Isa 55:8-9 NLT) It is as you renew your mind daily in the Word of God that you begin to align your thoughts with His thoughts, and your ways with His ways.

Commit yourself to doing what is right in God's sight not what seems right in your own eyes.

TAKE ACTION! If you are not born again, kindly say this prayer now: "0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself.

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day.

I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God" Ibelieveyouhavesaidthisprayerfrom yourheart.Congratulations!Youwillneed to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus.Ipraythatyouflourishlikethepalm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon.

May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be.

never leave thee, nor forsake thee”. What a joy it is also for us to know that our guilt and condemnation are all taken away under the better covenant when we believe! “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. The Lord who has promisedusthisseven-foldcovenantwill not deny us His blessings.

3. THE CONCLUSIVE SEVENFOLD “I WILL” Luke 5:4-6; 9:57; 15:18-24; Psalms 18:1-3; 77:11,12; 101:1-3; 55:16-19; 71:7.

Though God is determined to bless us, our faith must agree with His pronouncement before we can have the promised explosion of miracles, signs and wonders. When we forget our past experiences of failure and obey the Master’s instruction like Peter did, we shall enjoy manifold blessings. He said, “At thy word I will let down the net”. We experience success, progress, courage, healing, deliverance, dominion and multiple blessings when we follow the Lord’s instruction. The Lord has promised to give people who believe His promise a net-breaking miracle.

Every believer needs to make commitment to the Lord by declaring that, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest”. Commitment to follow Christ through is the secret of blessing because He leads to the land of victory, promise and everlasting joy. This requires that the prodigal return to Him in penitence. The prodigal son or daughter needs to say, “I will arise and go to my father”. Our God is a compassionate Father who will not forsake or reject anyone who comes to Him with a sincere heart. When sinners and backsliders return to the Lord, He restores all that they had lost.

BIG PUNCH “Although security forces have prominent role in addressing Boko Haram, an effective, lasting solution will require a broad-based strategy that addresses the social and economic issues and uses judicial tools to prosecute perpetrators of violence.”

– The commander of the US AfricanCommand, General Carter Ham delivering a lecture at the National Defence College, Abuja

SATURDAY 15 — SUNDAY 16, DECEMBER, 2012

To the sky!

'Do they not see the sky above them -- how We have built and adorned it, with no rifts in it; how We spread out the earth and put solid mountains on it, and caused every kind of joyous plant to grow in it, as a lesson and reminder for every servant who turns to God; and how We send blessed water down from the sky and grow with it gardens, the harvest grain, and tall palm trees laden with clusters of dates, as a provision for everyone; how with water We give [new] life to a land that is dead?

This is how the dead will emerge [from their graves]!'

[Quran 50:8-11] 'The stubborn critic would say: "What is the benefit of these sciences?" He does not know the virtue that distinguishes mankind from all the animals: it is knowledge, in general, which is pursued solely by man, and which is pursued for the sake of knowledge itself, because its acquisition is truly delightful, and is unlike the pleasures desirable from other pursuits. For the good cannot be brought forth, and evil cannot be avoided, except by knowledge.

What benefit then is more vivid?

What use is more abundant?'

[Muhammad al-Biruni]

T

h e Quran sets the tone for Muslim's quest for knowledge. Knowledge should by necessity encompass every order of creation, from the lowly earth to the high heavens, from the plant, to the mineral, to the animal kingdoms, entertaining no barriers, no limits; insatiable, unlimited: whatever is knowable must be pursued, must be known. The beauty of the Universe, the beauty of every creature that lives in it, from the tiny butterfly to the human being, the microcosm of the universe, to the awesome 3c 295, five billion light years from us, described as one of the most massive objects in the known Universe, containing enough materials to create a thousand galaxies, a galaxy can hold as much as thirty billion stars or more - all of this points to the Ultimate Beauty, the Unity of God. 'Mankind,' Sayyed Qutb reflects on passage of the Quran quoted above, 'is a part of the universe and its life can only flourish when their hearts beat to the tune of the universe.' The Quran invites Muslims to explore the infinite expanse of Nature as

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a necessary component of their endeavor to know the Almighty God, to live in the natural world as masters.

And what is Nature?

According to a modern philosopher, Muhammad Iqbal, Nature is a structure of events, a systematic mode of behavior, and, as such, organic to God. 'In the picturesque phrase of the Qur'an,' he says, 'Nature is the habit of Allah. The view that we have taken gives a fresh spiritual meaning to physical science. The knowledge of Nature is the knowledge of God's behavior. In our observation of Nature we are virtually seeking a kind of intimacy with the Absolute Ego; and this is only another form of worship.' This constant seeking of intimacy with God, this mode of worship, is one of the most compelling reasons for the pioneering efforts of Muslims in the sciences. Al-Biruni, whom we quoted at the beginning of the discourse, was one of those who answered the call of the Quran to explore, probe, enquire, reflect, invent. Historians of science place him even above his contemporary, Ibn Sina.

According to Al-Khalili, al Biruni ranks as one of the greatest scientists of all time: 'a polymath with a free-ranging and formidable intellect; not only did he make significant breakthroughs as a brilliant mathematician and astronomer, he also left his mark as a philosopher, theologian, encyclopedist, linguist, historian, geographer, geologist, anthropologist, pharmacist and physician, and one of the leading exponents of the modern scientific method of experimentation and observation.'

Al-Biruni, as we have observed previously, helped Muslims to solve the problem of Qibla, using his knowledge of accurate coordinates of longitudes and latitudes, and his mastery of spherical geometry.

For the world at large, al-Biruni, says Jim al-Khalil, 'employed mathematical techniques that had never been used before, and developed rudimentary methods in calculus for the first time, which he used to describe the motion and acceleration of heavenly bodies, thereby laying the foundation for Newton's laws of motion in the Principia Mathematica more than six

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hundred years later.' George Sarton referred to him as the master of those who know. So devout was al-Biruni as a Muslim that he would chide some of his fellow scientists if they wavered in their commitment to Islam.

One of the factors that facilitated the rise of Islam as a dominant pioneering power in knowledge and science was that it created an environment permeated by knowledge as well as a culture driven by knowledge.

The home is a school; the mosque is synonymous with the university; the market teems with scholars; the palace is the House of Wisdom, occupied by people of knowledge, frequented by the most erudite in society, adorned by libraries; the city is a university complex, even a casual visitor will not return without gaining some knowledge, in it, says Jonathan Lyons, there is always an ample room for the thinker, the teacher and the writer. Above all, the Muslim society is an unfathomable receptacle of ideas, wisdom and knowledge of all races, all faiths, all cultures and all times.

The genius of Muslims, Lyons writes, 'lies in their extraordinary

receptivity to new ideas, their ability to identify and adopt what they needed from foreign cultures - first Persian and Hindu, then Greek - and to modify and enhance these notions to fit the practical, intellectual, and, especially, religious demands of their times.' No aspect of knowledge and science was ignored, none was considered reprehensible or out of bounds. If Islamic values were fully respected, every major mosque in the North would have a state of the art library, the best of them would develop as universities, the mighty palaces will also serve as Centers of Learning welcoming ulama, scholars, scientists, philosophers and thinkers, and the National Mosque will be what Islam would like it to be, a university of the highest quality, at the disposal of all Muslims, at the service of humanity. On top of that, the North, out of respect for Islam and in deference to its own people, would take the strategic decision to eliminate illiteracy within a specific time frame and make education free at all levels immediately.

Northern Nigeria maintains a system of education which

caters for two groups, the favored on the one hand, and the despised on the other. The favored pass through education to become the professionals, civil servants, politicians, judges, legislators, emirs, billionaires, plutocrats, presidents, and undisputed owners of the country. The despised pass through what is called Quran education. This system is a distortion of the vision of Islam, and does not lead to the kind of education Islam sustained, by virtue of which it taught and transformed the world, the education that epitomized the human quest for intimacy with Almighty God, by seeking the understanding of Nature in its entirety. Northern Nigeria's Quran education leads to a dead end. The Almajiri, cannot graduate as a scientist, an economist, a civil servant, a judge; nor can he ever aspire to any of the positions and privileges reserved for the favored class, which otherwise is his right as a citizen and as a human being.

The door of social mobility is shut at him.

The Almajiri invariably graduates as a cobbler, a nail mender, a shoe shiner, a tout, a pimp or something even worse; in the best of times he is a petty trader or someone scavenging for survival. He is an underclass. Yet he could attain to any height in any field of human endeavor, indeed, inspired by the Quran, he could surpass the others, if education were imaginative and dynamic, and properly structured and tailored to the needs of society. Fifteen million Muslim children are denied the right and privilege to live and progress as human beings, denied any meaningful stake in their own country, condemned, as it were, to the gutter. Yet these teeming millions of young and budding minds could, through the Quran, produce for the society, scholars of the highest calibre, capable of effecting a synthesis of the wisdom of the East and the West, and enrich the society with knowledge that is truly universal - they could be saviors of the nation. But alas, the North, turning a blind eye to the future, runs an apartheid system under the pretext of education, raising one group as perpetual leaders and another as perpetual servants, and still hopes that things will be alright.

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