Peoples Daily Newspaper, Wednesday, January 16, 2013

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 10 No. 13

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

. . . putting the people first

RABIUL AWWAL 5, 1434 AH

N150

Immigration gets new Comptroller-General >> PAGE 3

External forces against revival of Ajaokuta

Yar’Adua gets N805m severance gratuity

>> PAGE 6

>> PAGE 3

Scramble for N3.5bn power fund I

By Aminu Imam

n a desperate attempt to avoid returning unspent funds from its 2012 budget to the treasury, the Federal Ministry of Power has embarked on spurious expenditures amounting to some N3.5 billion, Peoples Daily has gathered reliably.

Directly involved in the scramble for the money are top officials in the office of the minister of state for power, Mrs. Zainab Kuchi, in collaboration with some federal lawmakers.

It was learnt that in the past few weeks, “a significant amount of funds”, was released from the 2012 approrpriation estimates for so-called propriety projects which have turned out to be nothing more but training programmes, seminars and workshops.

Peoples Daily gathered during the week that hurried expenditures to beat the December 31 deadline for returning funds from the outgoing year’s budgets for MDAs (ministries, departments and

L-R: Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, and Yobe state Governor, Malam Ibrahim Gaidam, during the BOT meeting of ANPP, yesterday in Abuja.

Suntai may proceed on indefinite leave of absence

By Agaju Madugba

F

L-R: Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, and CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, during the signing of a tripartite agreement for the establishment of North-East CBN Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Maiduguri, yesterday at the CBN headquarters in Abuja.

Photos: Mahmud Isa

agencies) has been the order of the day since late President Umaru gave the order in 2009.

The Ministry of Power in particular, it is recalled, has been fond of last minutes spending before the close of a financial year, seeing that a new budget would soon be announced. That led to the closing of one of its parastatals, the Rural Electricity Agency and the prosecution of a former permanent secretary. The case is on-going.

An impeccable source has told Peoples Daily that accounting officers and their superiors have been busy in the past two weeks preparing the paper work to cover the spurious expenditures for last year.

Most of the unspent 2012 funds, our source said, have been allocated for mostly training programmes, among several trumped-up financial commitments, all in an attempt to beat the December 31 deadline when government accounts close in line with budgetary rules.

Contd on Page 2

resh information from Taraba state appear to confirm earlier reports that Governor Dambaba Suntai who has been away in Germany may no longer be in a position to perform the functions of his office.

Suntai was flown to Germany in October last year for treatment as a result of injuries he sustained when a Cessna 208, 5N-BMJ aircraft which he was piloting crashed near Yola.

Amidst conflicting reports that Suntai may have suffered from an irreversible brain damage, government and officials of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) insist that the governor is hale and hearty but still recuperating and receiving treatment as an outpatient in the hospital.

In order to scuttle intense pressure to swear-in Alhaji Garba

Umar as the substantive governor, politicians loyal to the governor had earlier planned to return him to Nigeria on yesterday but competent sources at the Taraba state Government House said that the move had to be aborted as Suntai was not really in a condition to face the public.

But one of the sources hinted yesterday that the “cabal” may have rescheduled January 26, 2012 as new date for the return of the governor.

However, in an apparent bid to buy time and hope that Suntai may eventually recover and resume his duties, the source explained that when the governor returns, he may tender a document to proceed on an indefinite leave of absence so that the Deputy Governor, Umar, will continue to function as acting governor.

Contd on Page 2

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

23

Property

24-27

Motoring

28

Arts

29-30

Remembrance Day: Obasanjo causes stir, refuses to lay wreath

By Richard Ihediwa and Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

F

ormer President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday caused a fuss at the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration when he refused to lay a wreath in honour of the fallen heroes in Abeokuta, Ogun state where he went to observe the event.

However, in Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan led other leaders to honour the heroes Obasanjo, who as a former President and former military head of state, was expected to attend the programme in Abuja suddenly appeared in Ake ground, Oke Mosan venue of the event in Ogun state where he was allegedly not originally included in the programme of event.

Following his sudden

appearance for the event in his home state, organisers had to include him in the agenda and contacted him to proceed to lay the wreath after the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

The former President reportedly refused despite the entreaties by Amosun, the deputy governor and Iyalode of Egbaland, Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson who went to his seat and knelt down beside him.

Following his refusal to change his mind, the ceremony continued with other dignitaries including military and police formation commanders in addition to the leaders of the Nigerian Legion as well as some traditional rulers taking turns to lay wreaths for the fallen heroes.

Obasanjo also refused to make any speech. He merely sat down and observed the event from the

beginning till the end.

Speaking to journalists after the event, Obasanjo, who restricted himself to the significant of the Day underscored its importance saying fallen heroes who fought gallantly and lost their lives in Burma, Congo, the Nigerian Civil War and others should be remembered.

He added that the widows and children of the soldiers who died during peace keeping and various wars must be taken care of to convince others that the death of our heroes past was not in vain.

In Abuja President Jonathan laid the wreaths in honour of the fallen heroes in a ceremony that ended the week-long activity including prayer session held at the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre, Abuja.

During the ceremony held at the National Arcade in the Three Arms Zone, the President who is also the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Legion received a general

salute upon his arrival. Soon afterwards he inspected a parade in four colours; the National and the three regimental colours of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

Islamic and Christian prayers were also held for the repose of the souls of the fallen heroes for their contribution to the peace, security and unity of the nation.

Afterwards the President followed by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Senate President, Sen. David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal respectively laid wreaths. Top military officials and key government officials as well as members the Diplomatic Corp and the Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Col. Micah Gayya (rtd) also laid wreaths.

At the end of the event, there was general gun salutes and the President thereafter released the birds of pigeon which signified unfettered freedom, unity, peace and harmony for the country.

We can defeat Boko Haram, says Nigerian Legion

R

etired soldiers under the banner of Nigerian Legion yesterday asked the Federal Government to involve them in the fight against the dreaded Boko Haram sect saying they have the capacity to flush them out.

Chairman of the Ogun state chapter of the Legion, Samuel Olaosebikan, who led his member

to the 2013 Armed Forces and Remembrance Day stated this during an interview with journalists at the Arcade Playing Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta venue of the programme in Ogun state.

Olaosebikan boasted that, the ex-servicemen remain the appropriate and competent body to completely wipe out Boko

Haram.

“I say legion can equally be used for these Boko Haram, because we know the house of these people, we know how to get them, we know where they are, especially in the North.

“Ex-servicemen are all around, but all these soldiers, they always stay in the barrack, the police stay in the barracks. When they say

they should go out, they go out, but ex-service men, they are all around the town.

“But Boko Haram, they don’t have any barrack, they are just everywhere, so anywhere they can operate, but Nigerian Legion is ready to assist the government anytime they call on us to do it and we do it,” Olaosebikan emphasized.

Scramble for N3.5bn power fund Boko Haram: End of a nightmare? Page 4

Int’l

31-34

Strange World 35 Politics

37-40

Sports

41-46

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

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

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

Contd from Page 1 Among the expenditure items, besides training, are bogus hotel bills, conference papers, gift items, miscellaneous expenses as well as honorariums for resource persons and participants.

“Tens of millions of naira, indeed, sometimes hundreds of millions, are made to disappear regularly into private pockets using these trainings and conferences as excuses,” the source said.

As for the conferences/ workshops/seminars, the venues are choice hotels in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and other state capitals.

“Millions were earmarked in the 2012 budget for local and international training or so-called capacity building conferences”, which never took place but some persons claimed the money, anyhow.

Peoples Daily investigation also showed that Sources further revealed that funds running into millions were captured in the ministry’s 2012 budget under vague sub-headings such as ‘training’. The exact figure is N298 million.

Repeated efforts by Peoples Daily yesterday evening to speak with the Head of Media and Public Relations of the Ministry of Power, Mr. Greyne Chukwuka Anosike, however, were unfruitful as all his cell phones were switched off.

It must be mentioned that this type of fraud is widespread in the federal MDAs. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria

(FAAN), for instance, recently organised a professional assessment workshop for its staff; National Communication Commission (NCC) held a consumer forum in Oshogbo; Center for Black Culture held a conference in Osogbo and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) held a threeday meeting with State Universal Basic Education Boards’ (SUBEBs) chiefs in Asaba, Delta state.

The education ministry conducted an examination conference in Abuja; Nigeria Customs Service had a conference in Katsina; National Planning Commission’s conference on state of GDP in Nigeria took place in Abuja; NAFDAC’s workshop for registration of Biosimidars in Lagos; and NACA’s workshop on fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria held in Abuja.

In some instances, two different ministries organized separate workshops on similar subjects. For instance, the Ministry of Justice organized a workshop on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in Abuja and days later the Ministry of Information also held another workshop on FOIA. The Ministry of Information said its own workshop was on information management and good governance for national transformation. It also convened a meeting of the National Council on Information, which had state information commissioners in attendance.

Others are National

Orientation Agency (NOA) workshop on youth skills acquisition; NDIC workshop on internal assessment of deposit insurance in Lagos; Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM)’s forum for laureates in Abuja and Institute of Public Analysis of Nigeria’s workshop on sampling analysis and modern trend in Lagos.

Although, the total amount of money spent in the end-of-year spending sprees could not be confirmed, the 2012 budget offers an insight through the sums voted for trainings, conferences and workshops.

In the 2012 budget, some of the amounts budgeted for

training by various government institutions include: State House: N1.9 billion, Foreign Affairs: N3.196 billion, Finance: N800 million, Health: N424 million, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation: N637 million, Defence: N448 million, Niger Delta: N449 and Petroleum: N400 million.

There are also the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC): N436 million, Information ministry: N204 million, Justice: N368 million, Lands: N185 million, Transport: N285 million, Works: N193 million and Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation: N204 million.

Suntai may proceed on indefinite leave of absence Contd from Page 1 But where the planned leave of absence drags on for too long, the source said that those behind the plot would tender a letter of resignation on behalf of the governor to pave way for the swearing-in of Umar as substantive governor.

Leading a cross section of other Taraba people, a former Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Saleh Danboyi, has since canvassed Suntai’s replacement arguing that the governor was brain damaged as a result of the accident.

But the PDP Chairman in the state, Victor Bala Kona, has dismissed as untrue, reports of

Suntai’s permanent incapacitation and insisted that the governor is in stable condition.

Kona who addressed a press conference last weekend explained that, “the governor survived an air crash and the recovery process must take its course. Those expecting him to recover overnight are only trying to make him a superman and are not being honest; surviving an air crash is no child’s play.

“He needs time to go through the current physiotherapy. The German doctors are very enthusiastic about his recuperation and would soon announce a date for his home coming.”

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 3

Gbagyi/Fulani clash victims to get N30m compensation

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Implementation Committee set up by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to compensate the victims of the Gbagyi/Fulani clash yesterday submitted its report with the recommendation that N30 million should be provided for the payment of compensation to ensure a permanent peace in the affected community.

The Permanent Secretary of FCTA, Engr. Anthony Ozodinobi who is also the chairman of the implementation committee while submitting the report to the FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed in his office, said “the committee was set up to review the report of the fact finding committee with specific mandate to prepare an implementation plan that would

outline short, medium and long term pragmatic actions for the attainment of permanent peace in the affected communities”.

Ozodinobi said that the committee among other things recommended that the displaced Fulanis should be resettled immediately in their original location at the cost of N11,316,51 including N200.000 for clearing and cleaning the University of Abuja camp; a committee should be set up to actualise the movement of Fulanis to permanent grazing reserve at Paikun Kure on the medium and long term.

He said the FCTA should immediately provide N2.4 million for the payment of compensation to the families of the two deceased and eight injured victims and then the sum of N149,450 for hospital and mortuary bills.

Immigration gets new CG

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

T Rivers state Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, laying a wreath during the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, yesterday in Port Harcourt.

Photo: NAN

he Federal Government yesterday appointed Alhaji Rilwanu Musa as the new Acting Comptroller General (ACG), of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Director/Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. R K Attahiru, on behalf of the minister, Comrade Abba Moro.

Until his appointment, Musa was a Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) in the service.

The ACG who is an indigene of Bauchi state, takes over from Mrs. Rose Uzoma, who was directed to proceed on pre-retirement accumulated leave.

The statement also instructed the out gone CG to: " hand over the duties and responsibilities of your office on Wednesday 16th January, 2013 to the most senior Deputy Comptroller General of Immigration in the person of Rilwanu Bala Musa, who will act as Comptroller General of Immigration pending the appointment of a substantive CG of Immigration".

190 troops depart for Mali gets N805m today, others to follow later Yar’Adua’s severance gratuity

By Joy Baba

P

res iden t Goodluck Jonathan has given approval for the immediate redeployment of 900 troops to Mali but a company of battalion which consists of 190 troops will leave for Mali today while the others will join them later.

The Director of Defence Information, (DDI) Col Mohammed Yerima, stated this

while addressing journalist at the Defence Headquarters yesterday in Abuja.

According to him: “With Nigeria's acclaimed peacekeeping roles and in the spirit of African brotherhood, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria…has ordered the immediate redeployment of Nigerian troops to Mali.

"The troops will work along with

troops from other West African countries and some other Western forces including the French which is already on ground”.

The decision he said was taken following the request from the Malian government and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2085 of December 2012, which approved the deployment of ECOWAS Security Forces to assist Mali in reclaiming its north from Islamic militants.

Borno will emerge stronger after Boko Haram – Shettima …as CBN leads initiative to create jobs

By Abdulwahab Isa

G

overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has expressed confidence that the state would emerge stronger in peace and economic prosperity in the aftermath of its current insurgency travails.

Beaming with confidence yesterday at the signing of a tripartite agreement for the establishment of Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurships Development Center in the three geo-political zones of the country, Shettima expressed said “in two years’ time, Borno will be a success

story in spite of Boko Harram challenges.

The governor while reflecting on insecurity which has beset Borno state and some parts of the North, said the problem could be contained by opening job opportunities for the youths.

“We are going through a critical somber moment in Maiduguri. The moment is exerting a toll on the people, but once we create jobs this madness will evaporate. We will partner with CBN towards ameliorating the suffering of the people of the North-east”, he said.

He applauded the CBN for its

various programmes and initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and creating employment.

The Entrepreneurship Development Centers (EDC) is a CBN initiative aimed at addressing poverty and unemployment in the country.

EDC is designed by CBN in partnership with states for the training of unemployed youths in relevant skills for selfemployment. The three centres selected for establishment of ECD centers are: Makurdi (Northcentral); Maiduguri (North-east); and Calabar South-south zones.

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

T

he Federal Government has paid the sum of N805 million to late President Umaru Yar’Adua’a family as his severance gratuity.

Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina state who received the cheque in respect of the amount from the divisional head in charge of North-east and North-west of Keystone Bank, Suleiman Maigari, thanked the Federal Government for the gesture.

The governor expressed the

gratitude of the government, people and family of the deceased president to the government for paying the severance gratuity.

Presenting the cheque to the governor, Maigari said the severance gratuity of the late president as approved by the Federal Government was meant for his family.

He therefore praised the effort of Governor Shema in sustaining the legacies of the late president in Katsina state and his effort at providing democracy dividends to the people of Katsina state.

Again gunmen kill four cops in Kano From Edwin Olofu, Kano

L

ess than 24 hours after unidentified gunmen killed two police officers on Monday, a group of yet unknown gunmen yesterday morning in similar manner attacked a police patrol team in Unguwa Uku area of Kano killing four policemen.

An eyewitness said the gunmen who were in a tricycle trailed a police patrol vehicle at Yan Awaki in Unguwa Uku area of the metropolis at about 8.am and opened fire on a stationed patrol

vehicle killing four occupants of the vehicle on the spot.

The account added that the gunmen escaped immediately after killing the policemen, adding that he saw four dead bodies being move away by the men of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), who cordoned off the area.

Kano state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris confirmed the attack, but said only two policemen were killed while one sustained injury during the attack which he said was an ambush.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Boko Haram: End of a nightmare?

I

t is by now all too obvious th at President Jonath an does not easily engender confidence in his compatriots, wh ich is why not a few Nigerians are skeptical about his promise for a better 2013 in his New Year message. Part of the message reads; "I have al read y given a clear indica tion of th e F eder al Gover nment's agend a for 2013 in recent pr onou ncement s.

Our object ive for th e y ear is to ensure by all possible means that more of the programmes and pr ojects envi sioned by th is admi nistra tion, a nd wh ich ar e al rea dy bei ng embarked upon ar e furth er brought on stream within the next 12 month s to meet t he yearnings of our people, and raise the quality of life.

"E mployment generati on and wealth creation will also remain a primary objective of our socio-economic agenda for 2013.

Crea ting more employment opportunities for ou r youth and gra dua tes of ou r universit ies is an imperative that will continue to und erp in our dri ve for massive economic growth, the ra pid exp ansi on of our manufacturing and industrial ba se, and th e p rodu cti ve diversification of our national economy. In th is regar d, we will continue to provide the necessa ry enabl ing environment for t he p riva te sector to thrive.

"I also w ant to assu re Nigerians that we will refuse to be discouraged by those who have taken it upon themselves to pick on every initiative and effort of this administration.

"W e remai n r esol utely committed to the rule of law, due process and fair play in all cir cumstances.

Our democracy continues to grow, and t he scop e for human freedom continues to expand.

It is an achievement that we will continue to build upon."

The President's 2012-willbe-better mantra had started wa y back in August when, speaking at the 52nd Annual Genera l Conference of t he Ni ger ian Bar Associ ati on (NBA) in Abuja, he said he was "the most criticised president in the world" , even as he assured t hat he w oul d tu rn things around and become the "most praised".

"I thi nk I am th e most cr iti cised p resident i n t he wh ole wor ld. But I tel l th is noble audience that before I leave, I will also be the most praised president.

"I ha ve experienced th at before in my gov ernorsh ip journey i n B ayel sa sta te. In fact, people who were close to me wil l t ell you tha t ev en after the election, I told them, in my first 12 months, please cover your ears, because you will hear all kinds of things.

But, as we progress, you will see (changes).

In his New Year message, President Goodluck Jonathan promised Nigerians 2013 would be a better one for Nigerians. Given that the President has always been big on promises and small on delivery, few were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, with the frequency with which chieftains of the deadly insurgent Boko Haram sect being arrested since the beginning of the year, the President may be right, after all on the security front, writes Abdu Labaran Malumfashi.

President Goodluck Jonathan

"I t is not ea sy. We don't have the magic wand. Except one is the miracle worker, that wi th t he wave of the hand, probably will help to throw all th ese cha llenges aw ay a nd prosperity will appear. But in pu re governance i ssu es, it takes time.

"Sometimes, even p eop le wh o h ave hel d offices in government criticise me to the extent of per sona l a buses.

Sometimes I ask, were there roads across the country and Jonath an brou ght fl ood to wipe out these roads? Or we ha d p ower and I br ought hurricane to break down the entire infrastructure?

"If they say Boko Haram is because of poverty, were there massive irrigation projects in the North wher e agriculture can thrive and massive farms, and Jonath an brought dr ough t t o wi pe out these fa rms? Under two yea rs, is this possible?"

But the President ought to know tha t th ose wh o a re averse to smoke must not be found nea r th e ki tch en. As Pr esid ent in a d emocrat ic government, crit ici sms he must be prepared to accept.

More importantly though, he must not only try to walk his talk at all times, he must be seen t o be d oing so. F aili ng th at, he must expect t he fireworks from all corners, not

Abubakar-Shekau Boko Haram leader

only the opposition's.

It is therefore a welcome ch ange th at wit h th e N ew Year barel y three weeks old th e secur ity agenci es a re getting t he u pper h and in their fight with Boko Haram.

To be sur e, har dly a d ay passes without the news of the ar rest of a member or members of the dreaded sect.

In th e pa st week a lone, t he Joint Task For ce h as annou nced th e a rrests of chieftains of the group on two different occasions.

Tw o da ys ago, th e J TF annou nced th e a rrest of Mohammed Zangina, whose aliases are Mallam Abdullahi and Al haji Musa.

T he captured militant, is believed to ha ve coor dinated t he coord ina ted bombings of THISDAY Abuja and Kaduna

offices Of THISDAY newspapers in April last year.

Accord ing to t he J TF sp okesman, Lt . Col. Sagir Musa, Zangina was arrested in Ma iduguri whi le try ing to "plan several deadly attacks against civilians and security personnel any moment from today (yesterday). He is the Amir of North-central part of Nigeria and the coordinator of all the suicide attacks in Jos, Kaduna, Kano and Abuja. He had escaped several raids on hi s h ideouts in Abuja, Jos, Za ria , Kaduna, and most recently in Potiskum.

Two days earlier, security op era tives a rrested anoth er top comma nder of the sect, Ha ssa n Pa gi Bukar i n t he Abuja house of a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tijani

“

Whether or not the recent successes recorded by the JTF has anything to do with the reward, the security operatives, and indeed President Jonathan, must not be denied their hour of glory. These arrests have without doubt weakened the sect in no small way as is evident in the reduction of their atrocities even in its Borno and Yobe states stronghold.

Umara Kumalia.

The member, who was in th e l ower ch amber of t he Na tional Assembl y between 2003 and 2007, was al so ar rest ed, int errogat ed a nd la ter rel eased, but is report ing to the securi ty agents daily.

On Nov ember 23, 2012, the JTF had placed a bounty of N50 million on the head of Abubakar Shekau, the sect's leader and va rious sums on the other 18 top leaders and commander s a mong wh om are Mohammed Zangina and Ha ssan Pa gi B uka r w ho, as member s of t he Shur ra Commit tee (th e h ighest decision making body) have a reward of N25 million each on their head.

Whether or not the recent successes recorded by the JTF has anything to do with the reward , th e securi ty op erat ives, a nd indeed President Jonathan, must not be denied their hour of glory.

Th ese arr ests hav e w ithout doubt weakened the sect in no small way as is evident in the reduction of their atrocities ev en i n i ts B orno and Yobe states stronghold.

Th is is hopi ng tha t t he su ccess recorded by t he securi ty agencies w ill be repli cated i n a ll the oth er sp her es of t he nat ional economy.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 5

Adamawa spends N40bn on technical schools From Umar Dankano, Yola

T

he Adamawa state government in conjunction with the European Union (EU), has embarked on redesigning and construction of 14 agricultural skills acquisition schools at the cost of N40 billion in the state.

One of the institutions which is situated at Damare village of Girei local government area of the state will share borders with the NYSC Camp at the former Adamawa Breweries, Yola.

Governor Nyako while being

conducted round the structures undergoing redesign yesterday, said the schools specialise in engineering, fishery, poultry and agriculture.

Nyako explained that the Damare School was strictly for agriculture and would provide students with the necessary qualitative skills in their areas of choice to meet the challenges of modern agriculture.

The project manager, Dr. Bauer Lucason, expressed delight with the zeal and determination of the administration for the technical scheme.

Borno to employ ex-service The occasion witnessed the men, children launch of the appeal fund, with

President Goodluck Jonathan inspecting the Guard of Honour during the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

cash donation to the state chapter of the Nigerian Legion.

B

Alleged N2bn scam: Sylva wants charges quashed

orn o state government yesterday, expressed readiness to engage retired military personnel in various jobs, in order to uplift their living standard.

Governor Kashim Shettima stated this while speaking at this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, saying the gesture was parts of government contribution to the betterment of the ex-service men.

Shettima, who was represented by his deputy, Zanna Umar Mustapha, said government will also provide employment slots for the dependants of the ex-service men to reduce their suffering.

“Considering the fact that our ex-service men fought in the course of defending us, their families and dependants should not be left to suffer deprivations.

“It is for this reason that I'm appealing to all to generously render assistance to cater for the families of the fallen heroes and our ex- servicemen in general”, he said.

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

F

ormer governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to quash the stealing and money laundering charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In adopting his written address to the counter-affidavit filed against the charge yesterday, counsel for Sylva, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, urged the court to dismiss the charge brought against the former governor.

Fagbemi hinged his argument on the grounds that the prosecution did not attach the proof

of evidence to the charge against Sylva, noting that non-disclosure of proof of evidence was at variance with Section 33 of the Federal High Court Act as well as Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 constitution, as amended.

He further submitted that the non-disclosure of the proof of evidence makes the case "an abuse of court process".

To that extent, the defence counsel urged the court to dismiss the charge and discharge the accused.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo opposed Sylva’s application for quash. Keyamo submitted that Sylva's application revolves round the question of

Kingship tussle: Party threatens to stop Uduaghan From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

C

oncern indigenes of Delta state have vowed to stop Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan from imposing a traditional ruler on them.

As the crises rocking the kingship stool of Ovie in Oghara Community gets messy, the governor has come under attack, following his alleged sympathy for one of the three belligerent groups who are laying claim to the throne.

Chief Jumi Evughe in Oghara community, alleged that instead of the

governor to find a solution the crisis, he brought his friend from Warri and installed him as the Ovie of Oghara against the popular wish of the people.

The move, Evughe pointed out, is a clear violation of due process of selecting a king.

“There is serious tension everywhere in the kingdom. They have engineered all the youths, same thing applicable to the elders.

There is bad blood. Before you know it, brothers will start fighting brothers. That is what Chief Williams and Uduaghan are doing right now in Oghara, he alleged.

"whether by the proof of evidence the prosecution is precluded from leading any further evidence during trial".

Keyamo pointed out that by virtue of section 33 of the Federal High Court Act, the prosecution was at liberty to lead further evidence and added, however, that the only requirement expected of the prosecution, was to put the defence on notice.

He reasoned that the section 33, which says the Federal High Court has "summary jurisdiction", cannot support the argument that the charge be struck out at this stage.

Keyamo further told the court that Sylva did not take advantage of section 36 of the 1999

constitution as amended, to "request from the prosecution the proof of evidence".

He said: “It would do violence and amount to shutting out the prosecution if we are not heard."

The court had earlier admitted Sylva to bail in the sum of N100 million and a surety in like sum.

The surety must be a responsible citizen of the country who must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and that the title documents of the landed property which must worth the bail sum must be deposited with the Deputy Registrar of the court for certification.

Kano urged to support setup of drugs manufacturing companies From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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he National Association of Industrial Pharmacists (NAIP) has called on the Kano state government to support businessmen to establish drug manufacturing companies in the state.

Dr. Lolu Ojo, the national chairman of the association, made the call during an interactive session between the technical stakeholders in drug administration at the national level and officials of the Kano state Ministry of

Health yesterday.

He said the call was necessary in order to curtail bad drugs management, distribution and sale of fake and expired drugs in the state.

He commended Gov. Kwankwaso for taking bold step to sanitise the distribution and sale of drugs in order to ensure quality healthcare delivery in the state.

Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, reaffirmed the resolve of the state government to sanitise drugs management in the state.

Communal strife: Nasarawa convenes expanded security meeting From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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ol low ing the spread of communal crisis in the southern part of the state, Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura, has convened an expanded security meeting with a view to addressing the incessant skirmishes among aggrieved parties, mostly Fulani herdsmen and local farmers.

The meeting which held yesterday at the Conference Hotel, Lafia, had in attendance, members of the state security council, including Michael Zonkoma, AIG in charge of Zone 4, all top government functionaries from the Southern senatorial district, traditional rulers, representatives of tribal unions from the affected areas, as well as women and youths.

Addressing participants that

graced the occasion, Al-makura expressed his disgust at the turn of events, threatening to deal ruthlessly with anyone found involved in fanning the embers of discord among the citizens.

As measure to check the crisis, Governor Al-makura disclosed that he has had series of meetings with top security brass in Abuja, including the Chief of Army Staff and the National Security

Adviser, with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the mayhem taking place in some parts of the state.

He stated as a result of such meetings, the COAS has promised to dispatch a battalion of soldiers to be stationed permanently in the state.

Al-makura also stated that he has taken it upon himself to hastily complete the MOPOL base under

construction in Bukan Kwato, so that mobile policemen can be stationed there to help in maintaining the peace.

He further disclosed that government will soon release the white paper submitted by the commission of inquiry set up to investigate the Assakio crisis, threatening to punish anyone found complicit, not minding his position in the society.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Al-makura visits displaced persons' camps in Lafia From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

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asarawa state government has restated its commitment to ensure peaceful coexistence across the state.

Gov. Umaru Tanko Almakura who stated this yesterday, while paying an unscheduled visit to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps at ERCC Nursery and Primary School, Bukan Sidi and Dunama Primary School, all in Lafia, said his government is more than ever committed to the protection of life of every citizen of the state irrespective of tribe or religion.

In a release signed by Danjuma Joseph, Director of Press to the deputy governor in Lafia yesterday, Al-makura pointed out that no force can divide the people

of the state for any reason.

According to him, "If you travel to Sokoto or any part of the country and introduce yourself that you are from Nasarawa state, they don't know your tribe or religion.

They don't know if you are Alago, Gwandara, Migili, Agatu or any tribe from this state, all they care is you are from Nasarawa state", he observed.

The governor consoled the IDPs saying: "I am deeply touched by your present condition where you left the comfort of your houses, no food, no water and good accommodation; no matter what, your personal houses are better than the present places where you are‌" The displaced persons are from Igga, Burum-Burum, Ruwan Doma, Ruwan Baka and other surrounding villages.

Gynaecologist cautions against traditional methods of treating fibroids

P

rof. Isaac Adewole, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, has advised women suffering from fibroids to avoid traditional ways of treatment to avoid worsening the situation.

Adewole told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday that fibroids, if not properly manage could result in severe complications.

The gynaecologist said that it was important that help be sought early enough from qualified medical doctors for immediate treatment and proper management.

He explained that most women patronised traditional herbal practitioners, who end up worsening their cases with different herbal medicine and concoctions.

"Fibroids are tumours that can develop into cancer and most

women with fibroids, whether located in, on, or within the walls of the womb, have no symptoms at all.

"It may grow one at a time or in clusters, and sometimes grow beyond the size of a grapefruit.

"It is very dangerous to rely on such treatments because this may not allow you to take action in time to have the fibroid removed,'' he said.

Adewole added that it could continue to grow and cause complications, prolonging period of heavy bleeding, leading to shortage of blood in the body.

"In the end, the person may have heart failure because of its toll on the body throughout the period", he said.

The gynaecologist said that overweight women, who were in their childbearing years, also have a slightly higher risk of developing fibroids. (NAN)

NPA distributes relief materials to Niger, Kogi, Kwara flood camps From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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anagement of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has in the past weeks provided relief materials for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in several states across the country.

General Manager, Public Affairs of the NPA, Chief Michael Ajayi, who was accompanied by the Principal Manager, Audit, Mr. Saint David Eze and Mr. Solomon Adegoye, Senior Procurement Officer, took relief materials to Kwara, Niger and Kogi states.

In Kwara state, the chairman, flood relief committee, Alhaji Dabarako Mohammed who received the team, thanked the management of NPA on behalf of the state government. Also present to witness the ceremony were the Special Adviser to the Governor

on Emergency and Relief Services, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi and Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development, Alhaji Ahmed Makama.

In Niger state, the team was received by the deputy governor, Honourable Ahmed Musa Ibeto, the chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Zaynab Kure, and other top officials; while in Kogi state, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede alongside other top government officials, received the relief materials for the state.

Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, who could not hide his joy over the humanitarian gesture of the NPA, revealed that he was particularly impressed about the decision of the NPA management to extend relief materials to the entire 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the initiative as highly commendable.

External forces against operation of Ajaokuta Steel, says lawmaker From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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he Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, has alleged that it was a known fact that there are external forces working circuitously against the full operation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company (ASCO), and National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), for what they gain from the country's economy.

Abatemi-Usman said the completion of ASCO and NIOMCO for full operations could create job opportunities for over two million Nigerians directly and indirectly.

Abatemi-Usman made the remark in a statement issued by Michael Jegede, his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity.

The senator who is the vice chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, was reacting to the United Kingdom Department of International Development (DFID)'s evaluation that described the economic viability of steel production at ASCO as marginal.

The Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF), a DFIDfunded programme, was reported to have advised the Federal Government to avert a commercial risk exposure by an

outright closure of ASCO since, in its assessment, the project is not economically viable.

Describing the assessment as absolutely wrong, misleading and baseless, Abatemi-Usman said he was not surprised that the DFID sponsored report against the actualisation of the ASCO/NIOMCO project.

Calling on the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT not to heed such ill advice from people who do not mean well for Nigeria, the senator wondered what yardstick they used in their assessment to arrive at the conclusion that Ajaokuta Steel lacks economic viability.

L-R: NUJ Chairman, Abuja chapter, Mr. Chucks Ehirim; Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, and Publisher/Editor -in - Chief of Press Gallery, Mr. Isiaka Mustapha, during the official commissioning of Press Gallery House, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Jigawa Assembly faults ministry's 2012 spending From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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hairman, House Committee on Agriculture in the Jigawa state House of Assembly, Honourable Musa Hassan Birniwa, has blamed Jigawa Sate Agricultural Research Institute over an act of constitutional violation which his committee detected during the course of its oversight function on the implementation of 2012 budget.

Birniwa who made the disclosure while presenting a welcome address at the 2012 budget discussion with the Ministry of Agriculture and parastatals under its jurisdiction, said though the ministry achieved more than 60%, there was a decimal on the Jigawa Sate Agricultural Research Institute where the constitutional violation was detected.

According to him, "This was connected with the introduction of

the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) programme which was charged in their vote while it was not included in the 2012 approved budget of the institute.

"While collaboration with the IITA is a laudable achievement, we are of the view that a budgetary provision should have been made in that respect, rather than charging wrong vote as was done last year which was a constitutional violation.

Group urges Tambuwal to obey court order

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

S

peaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal has been asked to obey court order or face a civil protest by members of the civil society.

It would be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue state, had ordered the leadership of the National Assembly to swear-in Sekav Dzua Iyortyom, as a member representing Buruku federal constituency of Benue state under

the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, an order which is yet to be obeyed by the leadership of the House of Representatives.

The Coalition of Civil Society for Transparency in Governance, at a briefing in Abuja, said the Speaker should as a matter of urgent national concern inaugurate Iyortyom, as the legitimate winner of the election and certified winner of the ACN ticket of Buruku federal constituency into the Green Chamber within seven days.

National President of the group,

Comrade Ibrahim Alih, said ''Failure by the leadership to adhere to this will force of the coalition to mobilise its sister organisations to occupy the House of Representatives wing of the National Assembly because if non member of the House is allowed to receive salaries, allowances and contribute to motion without satisfying the due process of law, it therefore also means that we are all eligible to be there by the precedence being set by Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and his leadership team".

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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he commitment to ensure rice sufficiency in the country by the present administration has been described as total with the resolve to acheive the feat in two seasons every year.

This will ensure the stoppage of importation by 2015, said the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Bukar Tijjani, while flagging off the distribution of paddy rice to farmers in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital.

Dr. Tijjani who commended Kogi State Government for its commitment to pursuing the rice value chain in the transformation agenda of the present administration, described Kogi as a state with comparative advantage in rice production.

The Minister explained that Kogi was among the ten states listed for the programme aimed at increasing rice production in

Rice importation to stop soon in Nigeria, says Minister the nation, adding that the State would benefit from the flood recovery scheme, dry season farming programme of the Federal overnment as well as receive rice mills to add a value chain to rice production.

Each farmer, the Minister explained, would get three bags of paddy rice seedlings and a bag of fertilizer free from the Federal Government.

In his speech, Capt. Idris Wada, who was represented by his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, commended the Federal Government’s support in making the State attain its potentials in the area of rice production.

Wada explained that aside from providing seeds and

fertilizers to the farmers badly affected by the recent flood, the State government would ascertain the value of land, engage in land clearing system,

as well as the issue certificate of occupancy to deserving land owners to encourage the growth of rice and cassava in the State.

He added that communities

which forfeit land for farming activities, would enjoy compensation from the state government throughout the period the cultivation would last.

Flood: UK outfit spends N400m on tents, mosquito nets in Kogi From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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nongovernmental organization, Shelter Box, based in the United Kingdom said it has spent over $1.4million in providing shelter for the victims of last year’s flood disaster across nine local government areas of Kogi state.

The coordinator of the organisation in the state, Mr. Tony Amego while presenting the scorecard yesterday in Lokoja, said they were able to supply 12, 000 shelter tents to over 20, 000 displaced families.

According to him Shelter Box was piqued by the harsh living condition of the victims and had wade in with succour to vulnerable families.

While assuring the state of their continued patronage, it urged government at all levels to obey early warnings by the authorized agencies.

The organization disclosed that during the cause of distributing tents and mosquito nets, the volunteers used canoes, boats and cars to put smiles on the faces of the downtrodden.

FG saves N25bn from fertiliser subsidy, says Agric Minister

By Mohammed Kandi

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inister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has said that the Federal Government has saved about N25billion from the fertiliser supply process under the ongoing Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).

The minister, who disclosed this during an interactive session with editors yesterday in Lagos, said his administration, intends to create about 3.5 million jobs in agriculture as well as achieve 20 million metric tonnes of food production by 201 5.

“Government guaranteed lending to farmers under my administration, and so far no record of default in loan payment by farmers, agro dealers, and other stakeholders,” he said.

“We just had a meeting in Lagos on Saturday with the CBN governor and representatives of the commercial banks on the need to ensure efficiency on the programme,” he stated.

“Under the old system, farmers were not paying; under the new system, farmers contribute N7.5bn; state

Governments contribute N3.5bn. So, under the new system FG has saved N25bn from the fertiliser supply process,” Adesina explained.

On some scams associated with fertiliser subsidy, procurement and distribution in the past, Adesina said, “We ended corruption in fertiliser subsidy in 90 days. We also ended corruption in seed sales in 60 days”.

The minister, who said that some of the scams took place decades ago, however said, his ministry preferred to focus more on supporting farmers to grow their output and encouraging private sector investors to also support the Agric sector.

“Under government’s enhanced fertiliser sale, N30bn was spent in the past, now government spends N5bn to assist the farmers to access the product,” he said.

On cassava production, Adesina regretted that Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava but yet one of the biggest importers of wheat for bread.

He emphasised that cassava bread was healthier than wheat, and thus, need to embrace it the more.

L-R: Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, Senate President David Mark, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Jubril Buba, Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, and Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, during the commissioning of NOA operational vehicles by the Senate President, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Oyo budgets N152b for 2013 From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

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overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state has presented a N152 billion budget proposal for the 2013 fiscal year before the state House of Assembly, expressing his commitment to ensuring a transformed state.

While presentingthe budget tagged “Budget of Transformation” on the floor of the Assembly on Monday, he said the proposal was guided by his administration’s desire to

reposition the state to its former pacesetter status over the medium-term.

While the sum of N82.97 billion representing 54.55 percent is allocated for recurrent expenditure, the capital expenditure would gulp N69.15bn representing 45.1percent of the budget.

The sectoral allocation to the economy (including infrastructure) is 36.26 percent; social services 24.13 percent; general administration 25.46 percent and regional

development, 14.15 percent.

According to the governor, the percentage of 60.39 allocated to the economic and social services sectors underscored his administration’s determination to pursue a people-centered, employment-driven agenda.

Also speaking, the Speaker of the Assembly, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu, commended the governor for his visionary leadership and for the development programmes he had so far executed.

Court remands man for cutting opponent’s genital

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n Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court in Lagos yesterday remanded Ibrahim Omilade at the Ikoyi Prisons for allegedly cutting off the genitals of another man with a machete, thereby killing him.

The incident was said to have occurred on Christmas Day, 2012.

Omilade, 26 and four others – Kayode Oni, 20; Wasiu Raheem, 22; Shola Oni, 23 and Victor Ezekwe, 20 – are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Helen Omisore, ordered that Omilade be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions and granted the others bail.

Omisore granted the four others bail in the sum of N1 million each, with two sureties

each in like sum.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Ishola Samuel told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offence at about 4p.m. at No. 48, Eyinogun St., Mafoluku, Oshodi in Lagos.

Samuel said that the accused had been enjoying the Christmas Day festivities at a friend’s house when a boy rushed in to warn them that Afolabi Suleiman, 23 was heading their way in anger.

He said that the 10-year-old boy, whose name was not given, told the accused that Suleiman was prepared for a fight.

The prosecutor said that the information riled the accused who went out to confront Suleiman, following which a fight ensued.

Samuel said that it was the first defendant that struck the machete blow which resulted in

the death of the deceased He said that the alleged offences contravened Sections 231 and 221 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011 The second to fifth defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, while the plea of Omilade was not taken.

However, Mr Spurgeon Ataene, the defence counsel, had urged the court to dismiss the application which sought to have Oni, Raheem, Ezekwa and Shola remanded in prison custody.

According to him, they only conspired with the first defendant.

Ataene cited Section 115 of the Administration of Criminal Justice, Law of Lagos State, and urged the court to grant the four accused bail.

The magistrate adjourned the case till February 25 for mention. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 9

Commercial bus drivers set fire on Nyanya-Abuja-Mararaba road, yesterday during the protest over the ban on commercial buses by the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA), in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kano police nabs school staff over N300m fraud command, ASP Magaji Musa Majia, and made available to newsmen, he said that Zaharaddeen Abdullahi was arrested for forgery, cheating and attempt to defraud ZAPPOS Construction Company of N300, 842, 042.

The statement added that the suspect forged documents of the Kano State Ministry of Works and Housing and fraudulently

awarded a contract for the construction of classroom blocks at Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano.

The police said the fraudulent contract was awarded to ZAPPOS Construction Company Limited for that amount.

It further added that the

NAFDAC lauds Kano over closure of drug market

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

From Edwin Olofu, Kano

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ano state Police Command has arrested one Zaharaddeeen Abdullahi, a staff of the School of Entrepreneurship, for allegedly attempting to defraud a company of over N300 million.

In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in charge of the

By A’isha Biola Raji

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s the Kano State government and Drug Dealers in the state lock horns in a battle over closure of the drug market, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has declared its support for the government and people of Kano state.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii said the Agency will continue to back the policy of closing all open drug markets and also support other efforts being made by Governor Musa Rabiu Kwakwanso in fighting the spread of counterfeit drugs and other harmful regulated products in the state.

This move was contained in a statement signed by Abubakar Jimoh, Acting Director, Special Duties.

He said Orhii had last year led a team of NAFDAC top management to Kano to destroy N600 million worth of fake drugs seized by the state government.

The statement read, “The closure of the market was irreversible and reiterated the

determination of the Federal Task Force on counterfeit drugs (under NAFDAC) and Kano State Government to wipe out fake drugs from circulation.”

He disclosed that NAFDAC was already working with Kano state government, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and other stakeholders in making sure that, good quality and registered medicines were sold, only in approved and appropriate environment rather than the open market.

Dr. Orhii called on other state governors to follow the good example of Dr. Kwakwanso in order to defend and promote the health of the people, assuring that NAFDAC has taken severe actions to ensure that only authorised people distribute or sell drugs where appropriate.

According to the statement, “NAFDAC is working closely with ministry of health, state governments and organized private sector in providing alternative drug distribution channels in various parts of the country in order to eradicate the current drug distribution sy st em .”

document to that effect was purported to have been signed by the Director of Projects and Planning, Permanent Secretary and Commissioner for Higher Education, Kano State.

The suspect was said to have collected N1.2 million as advance payment from the management

of the construction firm to facilitate the deal.

The statement added that Zaharaddeen during interrogation, confessed to the offence while the forged contract documents were recovered in his possession.

Lagos takes new step on Land Use Charge bill

L

agos State Government, the Ministry of Finance and Land Use Charge, is taking a new approach on the delivery of Land Use Charge bills.

According to the captain of the Land Use Charge Team, Barrister Omodele Ibrahim, during a media briefing in his office, the new approach is taking the form of making the property owner or occupant acknowledge the receipt of the bill by filling delivery form, and afterwards a demand notice delivery

handbill, showing proper delivery of the bill.

These would be pasted on the wall of the property and photographed by the bill delivery service official of the team for further storage in their data bank for future reference and retrieval.

In a situation where no one is available to receive the bill, the bill and the demand notice delivery handbill are placed on such property with sealant for easy retrieval by property owner or occupant and guarding against the loss of the bill.

As gathered, the new move

Era of godfatherism over in Kogi – board chairman From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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etermined to clean the augean stable at the local government service commission in Kogi state, chairman of the board has strengthened the machinery to fight corruption.

The new chairman of the board, Alhaji Nuhu Ahmed who gave the indication yesterday in Lokoja at a meeting stressed that godfatherism which has been a cankerworm, would not be tolerated.

Alhaji Ahmed noted that a

lot of rots have been noticed in the board which needed restructuring explaining that such had been overlooked leading to bad image for the government.

He said that he would justify his appointment by keying into the transparency and accountability agenda of Capt Idris Wada’s government.

The board chairman who expressed believe that the Wada government was poised to take Kogi state to the next level of development hinted that the deadwoods in the board would been shown the way out.

stemmed from claim by some property owners that they were not liable to payment of penalty charges on the Final Reminder Notice, since they did not receive the First Demand Notice, among others.

According to the Ikeja Zonal Manager of the team, Abolade Omiyale, before now, the bill delivery exercise was being undertaken on contractual basis by courier service company.

While the contractual delivery of the bill lasted, many property owners were complaining of non-receipt of the bill, hence the new approach.

“Besides, estimations of these properties are done by us and we are familiar with properties locations, property owners and occupants. We believe that with these advantages, we can handle the delivery of the bills more efficiently and satisfactorily”, he added.

During the delivery and monitoring exercise of the bill carried out on some streets in Ikeja, copies of the Demand Notice handbill that reads: “Lagos State Government. Land Use Charge.2013 Demand Notice DELIVERED”, were seen either removed or torn.

Commenting on this, Omiyale appealed to property owners and occupants not to see it as suggestive implicating or default notice, rather as a notice of demand of civic responsibility.

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PEOPLES DAILY,WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Most almajiris are from North-West, says don From Iliya Garba, Minna

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0 percent of of almajiris in Nigeria are predominately found in the Northwest geopolitical zone of the country, the Dean, Post Graduate School of the Nigerian Defence Academy(NDA), Kaduna, Prof.

Ahmed Adam Okene has claimed..

Prof. Okene who spoke in Minna, Niger state on Monday, also confirmed that 30 percent of children in the northern part of the country, according to a recent research finding, are street beggars.

Speaking as Chairman of a workshop on street begging in Niger state organised by the Niger state Law Reform Commission, Professor Okene enjoined the state governors of the northern part of the country to do anything possible to get rid of the problem of alamajirci and street begging which he said has accounted for the series of security breaches in the region.

He also said that Malaysia and Thailand had walked the path presently toed in the north but with diligence and political will, surmounted the problem.

Professor Okene said that more emphasis must placed on reforms in the north and the country as a whole saying that proper

"applicable education" would solve the miriads of problems presently faced by the country.

Supporting the reform agenda implemented by the Niger state government, he suggested the type that would "solve the problems and challenges of the society" and not end as mere theories.

Also delivering a paper titled "Street Begging, Causes and Remedies : An Islamic Perspective", Dr Ibrahim Husam Imam, Head of Department of Languages, NDA, Kaduna maintained that the problems of street begging cannot be resolved without the involvement of Quranic teachers who needs help from government and Nongovernmental Organisations to keep their followers off the streets.

He equally advocated the setting up of a committee to train Islamic teachers on the management of almajiris while government should also pursue the integration of the Arabic and western education with more vigour.

State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Abdullahi Bawa Wuse confirmed that there are more than nine million almajiris in the northern part of the country whose activities have affected the growth of the region.

40 vans presented to Operation Yaki From Nasiru Mu'azu Isa, Kaduna

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he Kaduna state government has presented the State owned Operation Yaki with 40 new Hilux cars Monday at the Government House, Kaduna.

Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero who presented the vehicles, praised the work of the security agencies in the state, stating that they need more help in order to provide the necessary security in the state.

Yero said that the old vehicles would be refurbished and distributed to the police to share among their divisional offices.

He called on beneficiaries to take care of the vehicles while promising to provide more communication gadgets that will allow the security agencies to communicate from one edge of the Kaduna state border to the other.

In his acceptance speech, the Kaduna state Co-coordinator of Operation Yaki, Col. Gabriel Dangana Mamman (rtd) said the vehicles were equipped with stateof- the- art communication gadgets as well as handheld walkie-talkies for commanders.

The communication gadgets have wide reach that would enable them communicate with all team members out in the field from Kaduna metropolis to Birnin

Gwari and Jere in Kagarko local government areas of the state.

The coordinator said they have 12 link receivers that could boost the range of communication between the operating room and security teams in the field.

He called on the public to take note of the help lines on the vehicles and the code number of the security team handling that vehicle indicated by the codes which signify Army, Air force, Police, Civil Defense or SSS. Col. Dangana (rtd) emphasized that the public can call the direct line of the control room on 08081708671, and the operator will direct the closest team to the origin of the distress call.

Aliyu to set up social security scheme for almajiris, disabled From Iliya Garba, Minna

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he Niger state government will set up a social security scheme that will take care of the physically challenged and almajiris in the society as one of the ways to stop street begging in the state.

Niger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu who made this known Monday in Minna said the scheme could include the establishment of feeding centres or payment of little stipends to the beneficiaries for feeding just as the government would ensure that beneficiaries went to school to acquire both the Islamic and western education.

Declaring open a workshop on street begging and the launching of the Compendium of law Reform Commission and standing orders of the commission, Governor Aliyu said the Ministry of Gender Affairs has been asked to work out the modalities for the social security scheme so that it would take off without impediment.

He urged the commission to take the necessary steps that will lead to the promulgation of a law outlawing street begging in the state.

"I will not be afraid to take harsh and hard decision, Islam is not about begging, we will stop people from misinterpreting the Quran" the governor said adding that "Islam is against anything that will lower the esteem of the

person in the eye of public".

The governor said that his administration would continue to fight poverty by removing all barriers to self esteem and making people self sufficient.

In his goodwill message, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adamu Usman said that the House of Assembly would consider any bill presented before the legislature to stop street begging.

L-r: Kaduna state Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero, and Commander, Air Officers Training Command, Nigerian Air Force, AVM Isyaku Umar, releasing pigeons, during the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, yesterday in Kaduna.

Photo: NAN

HURIWA demands law to protect petroleum pipelines

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

T

he National Assembly has been called upon to introduce necessary legislative frameworks that will make it mandatory for the state governments to protect petroleum pipelines nationwide so as to halt the "intermittent" fire accidents around them.

This call was contained in a statement by the Human Rights Writers' Association of Nigeria (HURIWA,) yesterday while reacting to the recent fire outbreak at Arepo Village in the Obafemi - Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, killing 25 people.

The association said "strong national legislations and legal frameworks must be introduced and enforced to bring into being effective and

efficient joint federal and state government NNPC's pipelines protection and monitoring teams to prevent the incessant attack on the nation's petrol pipeline by hoodlums."

While expressing its dismay over the continued fire incidences killing "hundreds of thousands of Nigerians" caused

by hoodlums, HURIWA urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to install state of the art security infrastructure to secure the petrol pipelines which are national assets.

National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National media

officer of the association, Miss.

Zainab Yusuf however "challenged President Good luck Jonathan and the 36 State governors to save Nigeria the international embarrassment of the notoriety of being one of the only nations in the World where pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft take place .

'Over 800,000 patients attended FCT hospitals in 2012'

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

T

he 12 Districts and General Hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory provided health services to 829,429 patients in the preceding year.

The FCT Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Demola Onakomaiya made this disclosure on Monday in his office while meeting with some senior staff of the Secretariat.

The Secretary further disclosed that out of this number, 300,181 of them were male patients while 529,348 were female.

Dr. Onakomaiya said that the General Outpatients (Pediatrics) accounted for the highest number of patients with 178,531.

He also revealed that in 2012, the FCT Administration under Senator Bala Abdulkadir

Mohammed provided free antenatal services to 74,142 pregnant mothers.

According to him, this number comprises of 51,664 old and 22,478 new expectant mothers respectively.

The Secretary reiterated that during the year under review, the FCTA hospitals undertook 11,816 normal deliveries and 2,563 caesarean sections.

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Save your family that future hassle, make a will now

A

lthough aware of its importance not many in Nigeria make a will, where as doing so is not at all difficult, says VK Verma's book, making a will made easy.

Lawyer VK Verma in his book, " Making a will made easy" published by Macmillan Publishers cautions that laws do not consider the emotional or financial circumstances of an individual's heirs in case the individual dies without a will.

"When an individual dies intestate (without a will), the legal system which controls the distribution of an individual's property, does not take into account the needs of individuals in their particular circumstances" Verma says.

He adds," The hard fact is Indians refrain to accept that few things pertaining to their death need to be planned in advance."

"Making a will made easy" is a self help book written in layman's language to assure that people who require any assistance in this direction do not require to rush to the chambers and respective

offices of legal experts for small clarifications and eradication of confusions.

"Though execution of Will has no rigid requirements yet the statistics show that three out of four people die without a will because they can't bring themselves to think about their death," says Verma.

During his practice as a lawyer for more than four decades the author says he noted the deficiency relating to interpretation of succession laws in India.

"The purpose of converting the original guide into this compact book is to help the common man gain clarity in dealing with the estate in his hands and discharging his social and legal obligations effectively." he says.

Explaining the importance of will the author says, "Will is a legal document which directs transfer of property of an individual to his future generations affects human relationships and not just money.

Therefore, it is of great significance in Law as well as our social set up."

Saving a few bucks while burning those calories

W

ith the numerous health complications caused by obesity and other weight problems, there are more incentives than ever before to staying physically fit. Staying fit is not only necessary for the overweight, however, but is useful to ensure healthy physical, mental and even emotional wellbeing. As you make your waistline shrink, here are a few ways to save some bucks and avoid the fear of going broke: " Eating balanced diet: The most important factor towards being fit is eating healthy. Avoid fat and cholesterol-rich food like they're the plague. Instead, reduce carb intake and consume more vegetables and fruits. When you feel like having a snack, choose less of junk food like burgers and have snacks low in carbs such as popcorn (preferable salted popcorn), crackers and nuts. It is also cheaper to get your groceries and foodstuffs from your local food market. " Avoid eating out frequently: A great benefit to eating at home is the control you have over what goes into your food in terms of oil, fat and calories. Eating out also costs quite a lot - another benefit to eating at home. " Research about affordable

gym memberships: Not all gym memberships cost a fortune. It is lucrative to find out the ones that do not cost a lot and register for them. However, if you don't find one, don't despair. You can practise exercise routines daily from sites such as YouTube or download other workout videos online. " Try daily exercise routines at home: If you're looking to stay fit on a budget, instead of spending money for a gym membership or buying expensive exercise equipment, you can practice other exercise routines such as squats,

sit-ups, jogging and running in the comfort of your home. " Make staying fit a habit: Finally, cultivate the habit of healthy living as this is the surest way to remain physically fit. Do not indulge in a balanced diet 'once in a while', make it a daily habit. If the weather is nice, take a walk instead of driving. Use the stairs instead of taking the elevator, burn some calories while dancing to your favourite song ;all these are ways you can cultivate the habit of staying fit for a happier, healthier you.

If you love your family, take care of their tomorrow…buy insurance

How you can avoid that financial leakage Opportunity cost is one vital rule we must follow when it comes down to making personal finance decisions. As an economic principal that rules the roost, especially as it concerns household incomes being stretched to the limit in the wake of the global economic slowdown, this principal is quickly becoming a budgeting essential.

However, the rule doesn't just affect what we spend our money on - it also dictates much of our personal finance lives.

From our careers and our individual housing situations to how we invest and where to go to school, understanding the opportunity costs concerning these decisions is key for a sound financial footing.

Quote For all of its faults, it gives most hardworking people a chance to improve themselves economically, even as the deck is stacked in favour of the privileged few. Here are the choices most of us face in such a system: Get bitter or get busy - Bill O' Reilly, about capitalism

The Basics While most people are aware of the direct costs of life - for example, when you take money out of your wallet to buy that Nkwobi, or Point and kill fish or cold bottles of Beer for those who are into doing more than the normal drinking range - many ignore the indirect costs associated with those actions. These are the opportunity costs. At its core, an opportunity cost is what you lose by choosing one alternative over another.

Now, let's say you can choose between eating the aforementioned Nkwobi meal and drinks and putting an average of N2, 000 into savings on a Daily or weekly basis, depending on the capacity. Each choice has benefits and drawbacks.

If you choose the Nkwobi, you will likely have a nice lunch or dinner and a chance to leave the office or hang out with friends after a hard day's job. While it's great to relax and unwind after a tough day, moderation should also be key, anything contrary to this would be creating a dip hole in your pocket, which could easily deprive you of a future benefit.

A

lot of benefits are derivable from taking life insurance.

Beyond the life cover you get, it can help you access loan to support your business while you are still alive and should the unexpected happen, insurance company will pay your family to enable them continue with life.

Life insurance experts say is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer agrees to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the occurrence of the insured individual's or individuals' death or other event, such as terminal illness or critical illness.

The value for the policyholder is derived, not from an actual claim event, rather it is the value derived from the 'peace of mind' experienced by the policyholder, due to the negating of adverse financial consequences caused by the death of the Life Assured.

But unfortunately, many don't seem to believe insurance and have denied themselves of the opportunity which by mere taking life policy and meeting premium obligation you can have. Now, share the experience of Femi Bolaji, a lawyer, who took a life insurance policy and made good for his family when the unexpected knocked at his door.

Bolaji, who worked with Toyota some years ago, did not know the favour he was doing to himself and his dependants when he ignorantly took a life policy from Niger Insurance plc.

While he was paying his premium through one of the company's agents, his colleagues were making mockery of him thinking he was wasting time paying to an insurance company.

When unfortunately there was retrenchment which resulted in many losing their job, Bolaji laughed last among his colleagues because at that time he had paid his premium for about three years and so had the opportunity to collect 50 percent of his total contribution.

This loan enabled him to start off a private business which he did successfully for some years, taking care of his family and paying his children's school fees.

As God would have it, he continued payment of his insurance premium up to 2009 when unfortunately fate ran against him and he was involved in an accident on his way to Ilorin where he lost his life along side four other passengers.

Bolaji's widow can today thank God that her late husband had the wisdom to insure himself and his family while he was alive.

Niger Insurance, she said, came to her rescue after the death of her husband, paying her the sum assured in the policy.

How does the policy work?

Simply work into the insurance company and ask for life cover that would enable you take care of yourself in the long run and leave something for your family when you will not be there.

Interestingly, people have their individual differences and expectations which means that they can take polices based on their individual dispositions, including ability to pay, family size, health status, age and individual expectation Go for a financial health check and you will be advised by the insurer what policy befits your status.

Obinna Chilekezi, a chartered insurer and consultant, said everyone needs life insurance because it becomes handy at that time you need help most.

According Chilekezi, "Somebody would be doing him or herself a great good by considering an insurance policy because nobody knows tomorrow."

Justus Uranta, managing director, Niger Insurance, said the biggest love you can show to your dependants is making provision for their continuity when you will not be there to support them, because the agony would be limitless when somebody dies and the children are thrown out of school, ejected from their apartment or begin to go hungry.

Every insurance company either composite or the life specialist companies have polices that address the challenges of meeting family needs and coping with other life challenges when the bread winner is no more. Why not try out one?

Source: www.monyning.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 12

EDITORIAL

France's dubious intervention in Mali

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t the weekend, French President Francois Hollande, announced at a news conference held at the Presidential Villa (Elysee Palace) that he had authorized the French military to intervene in Mali, where about half of the country in the north has been seized by extremist Islamic rebels. According to the French president, Paris has been invited by the beleaguered transitional Malian government and there is almost an African consensus on the French intervention.

Our first worry is why Paris so quickly responded to the appeal of the Malian government to militarily intervene in the country. A week ago it had refused so blatantly to heed similar appeals by the more besieged regime of President Francois Bozize in Central African Republic, where insurgents were almost at the door-post of the government in Bangui. It may be said that the character of the two rebellions is different, but the method (military) of the insurgents in the two countries to oust their governments is the same. It is not democratic, and therefore reprehensible.

Agreed that some elements of the Islamic rebels in Mali are openly affiliated to the dreaded al-Qaeda in the Maghreb whose terror tactics feed their cousins in as far away as Nigeria and their aim is ostensibly to balkanize Mali and seize its northern territory where they want to enforce puritanical Islamic rule. The Seleck rebels in CAR do not bear the odious baggage of the Malian extremist Islamic rebels, but it would have been better, in our view, for the French authorities to state clearly why it is more compelling to intervene in Mali, while abandoning the CAR regime to its fate.

From an interview the French ambassador in the UK granted the BBC yesterday, we could discern two or three

reasons for the French military operation in this West African country. One, they want to thwart the rebels' advance south, towards Bamako, the capital; two, they desire to protect some 12, 000 Europeans in that country, and thirdly, they want to soften the ground preparatory to the long delayed deployment of ECOWAS troops.

And the diplomat said the operation could end in a matter of weeks. Easier said than done!

On Monday, France managed to get the

“

Our suspicion of the French motive for going into Mali, notwithstanding, it has one positive element, which is to arouse ECOWAS leaders from their embarrassing slumber United Nations Security Council to back its decision to intervene in Mali and the same day, Britain, Canada, then the United States, agreed to lend a helping hand. In other words, Western public opinion is palpably in favour of the French who can claim their presence in Mali is legitimate.

However, in Africa we know that the French military action in Mali is not altruistic. President Hollande, elected into office just last year, is not as hawkish as his predecessor, Sarkozy, was, and aware of this, the president needs to do something adventurous, but which will not go terribly wrong, to prove his credential as a

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tough commander in chief. The kidnap of French men in northern Mali, late last year, provided an excuse but not a perfect one that was enough. A near perfect excuse was to come last week in the form of the Malian government's appeal for international help, galvanized

by France, preferably.

It is true, we are in a new era devoid of the tension of the previous ideological conflict, but we cannot forget very quickly France's history of military intervention in Africa and even use of mercenaries to topple regimes it did not approve of. We do not wish to see a return to that era.

Our suspicion of the French motive for going into Mali, notwithstanding, it has one positive element, which is to arouse ECOWAS leaders from their embarrassing slumber. Since last year they have been talking about sending an intervention force to Mali. Even with Security Council backing, they have been unable to move the troops for reasons of logistics and funding. Now that the French have dared them, they are ready to move. Nigeria on Monday announced it would take the lead, as expected, by sending 600 troops to Mali next week.

They will be part of an expected 3000 strong ECOWAS force.

To the extent that the French have been able to awaken West African leaders to their responsibility to the Malian people, we welcome their presence in that country. However, we warn that they don't repeat in Mali what they did in Libya in 2011, which was to effect a regime change. We note that the rebellion

by Tuaregs in northern Mali today is a fall-out of the Libyan misadventure by French-led Nato forces. The same Tuaregs who fought with the losing Gaddafi side in Libya are the ones spearheading the rebellion in Mali, using the arms they fled Tripoli with.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

By Ahmed Tijani

I

t is a known fact the world all over that youths are the future leaders of any society. What becomes of them in terms of their ability to take their proper place as drivers in the future of their country is determined by the extent to which they submit themselves to the efforts of the leaders of today in moulding them for the future as useful and responsible citizens.

The national policy thrust of the country on youth development is anchored on the commitment of government to meet their needs and aspirations as well as help them get over the hurdles of life in their journey to manhood and as future leaders. Government does this by setting the most appropriate guidelines, initiate training and effective policy actions and frameworks in conjunction with relevant organizations and stakeholders to harness the potentials in youth and take advantage of available opportunities to make them contribute positively and meaningfully in the growth and development of their immediate communities and the society at large.

Government's position, concern and commitment on the plight of the Nigerian youth is a fulfilment of its constitutional obligation as entrenched in chapter II (Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy) and IV (Fundamental Rights) of the 1999 Constitution as amended of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, provisions which demand the involvement of all Nigerians as

By Junaidu Usman Abubakar

P

rofessor of Policy Analysis, Sam Amdir once defined policy analysis as a methodological instrument for identifying the operational strengths and weakness of any policy after implementation. He further posited,"Policy analysis essentially deals with the determination of various alternative policy choices that can produce defined set of goals, based on the relationships between policies and goals; in doing this, the methodological must define the problems, evaluate the criteria, identify the alternatives and recommend the best policy agenda".

In Governor Dankwambo's Gombe State, policies are presented and implemented in its more refined and intellectual aspects; the state chief executive is excited by ambition far beyond selfish reasons, which in his first official broadcast to the state on May 29, 2011, was "to put to the service of humanity, the gifts of knowledge, character and skills that Allah has endowed me with".

A consummate policy strategist and one of Nigeria's finest models in the art of governance, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and the Talban Gombe is focused on the development of the human mind and the evolution of an egalitarian society.

"His inspiration, professionalism and intellectual strength to propel the machinery of Government, Professor Akinjide Osuntokun, emeritus professor of history and former Nigeria Ambassador to Republic of Germany, remarked in his glowing tribute, presents a symbol of hope and renaissance. As a critical link between professionalism and power, his overriding ethos is the

PAGE 13

Wanted: Youth responsive to Jonathan's transformation agenda equal partners and stakeholders in the task of building and developing the nation.

The transformation agenda of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has made adequate provision that caters for the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian youth in terms of imparting knowledge and skills, (adequate funding and efficient administration of schools of all cadres and at various levels) as well as economic empowerment through the YOUWIN programme among others. Moreso, youth are given the opportunity to have a say and contribute the much they can in matters of national importance, especially where their welfare and issues are involved Government is not unaware of the huge potentials and resourcefulness of the Nigerian youth as a catalyst and vital resource to national development.

They need to be properly guided, sufficiently integrated and adequately mobilized for the good of the country. Failure to do this will mean that youth will drift and toe the destructive path thus constituting enormous threat to national growth, development and survival.

With a definitive vision and mission statement, the transformation agenda seeks for a positive future role for the youth in the economic, social and political

development of the country. And a mission to develop the Nigerian youth that has hope, confidence and believe in a positive and brighter future. Hence, all the programmes and policy initiations in all sectors of governance are aimed and geared towards the achievement of these set vision and mission for the Nigerian youth.

While government has surmounted the political will and determination to better the lots of the Nigerian youth, it is equally expected that the youth will in response, reciprocate government's gesture and good intention by keying into the programmes and projects meant for them through massive support and co-operation by full participation.

The apathy expressed and shown by youth in shunning some government policy programmes in recent time calls for great concern and must be seriously addressed.

This misgiving can be said to have arisen due to prolonged military rule and the share absence of democratic values in the nation's polity. Let us come to terms with the reality of the present; that of a new dawn of transforming the country for better.

This is more so considering the fact that democracy has since been restored going nearly one and a half decades now. It is about time the youth and indeed all well meaning Nigerians begin to let go off

whatever misfortune the country has suffered in the hands of military intervention in our governance and move forward.

Also, no serious consideration should be given to whatever lapses previous administrations must have committed and the mess they have put us through to the extent that we begin to see any government, particularly the present administration, as one not been capable to make a change for good in our political and socioeconomic lives as a people.

We must build confidence and trust in the leadership of government and give it the necessary support and cooperation so that it can succeed. As the success of the government is equally the success and benefits of its people.

It is at this point that the call for Nigerian youth to support and allow government's programmes meant for them to work and better their future lives becomes imperative.The transformative agenda of the Jonathan's administration for the youth is has been properly designed and clearly spelt out with the specific objectives of meeting the needs and aspirations of the youth, resolving key and grey area of problems affecting the youth as well as empowering them to become active participants and by extension, key players in the onerous task of socio-economic development and survival of

Nigeria as one indivisible country.

The Ministry of Youth development, driven by the Honourable Minister, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir (Esq), and the relevant agencies under the purview of the ministry have designed the most appropriate programmes and constituted the right institutional mechanisms for the effective and efficient implementation of the set programmes.

Not only that, considering the trends of globalization and the evolution of close cooperation and partnership initiatives, the ministry has entered into close collaboration with some countries in carrying out some of the youth development initiative programmes for better benefits and results.

At the expense of sounding like a cracking disc, the entire programmes of the ministry on youth development can and will only succeed if the youth for whom the programmes are designed and meant for actively get involved and become full participants in the implementation. It is most certain that the necessary space and provisions have been made for them to be active rather than passive participants in its programmes. Indeed, this is the time to have the Nigerian youth to be responsive to the transformation agenda in the area of youth development; a responsive partnering that I will refer to as Youth Government Collabor!

Tijjani writes from No. 80, Lagos Street, Garki II, Abuja

Infrastructural revolution in Gombe resolution of extreme views; his policies and programmes, in its telling, highlights the value of quintessential leadership and the finer points of quality and moderation".

In his first year in office as Gombe state chief executive, Dankwambo has demonstrated an unequal skill in his revolutionary drive of transforming all the institutional framework of governance, employing in its wake, the report of the various Economic Transformation Committees whose articulated road map and blueprint accounted for the phenomenal developmental landmarks widely acclaimed by political pundits as the best-ever in the state's political history.

In a state among the lowest rated under the statutory allocation index with a monthly wage bill of 75% of total revenue earnings, his prudence in the management of scarce resources really comes to mention, applying on a scale hitherto unknown, one of the most drastic structural adjustments in government spending. For instance, comparable analysis of government expenditure on general administration has been axed down from the previous 70% to a mere 10% within the first year of his administration to pave way for the implementation of capital projects as enunciated in his 2012 budget christened the "Budget of Reality" which has now become the hallmark of his administrative finesse.

This administration's revolutionary zeal in the field of education is better understood, given a situation where the current enrolment of pupils is stagnated in

a state endowed with abundant natural resources under a most favourable climatic condition nature could bestow, which explain why over 70% of the populace are agrarian farmers.

Governor Dankwambo's contribution to the advancement of learning within the 20 months of his administration in the state is colossal which qualifies Gombe State as one of the fastest growing state in terms of human capital and manpower resources. A journey into the state's developmental landmarks in the education sector revealed an expenditure of well over N4billion within the first four months of his administration compared to the previous administration's capital expenditure of N1.8 billion in eighty years.

Evident on the list of Governor Dankwambo's pragmatic approach to the development of higher education and institutions of learning such as a Pilot Programme and School of Remedial Studies at Kumo, affiliated to the University of Maiduguri with a whopping sum of N4.1 billion for building of hostels, classrooms, libraries and laboratories, College of Education at Billiri, State Polytechnic at Bajoga in Funkaye local government area, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Gombe, School of Health Technology, Kaltungo and model school in all the 11 local government areas of the state.

The administration also approved the sum of N200 million for the purchase of equipment for the newly-established College of Medical & Pharmaceutical Science at Gombe State University. The

rebuilding and renovation of over 40 primary and secondary schools in the state, while similar expansion works have reached advanced stage on the Central Primary School, Gombe; Gabukka Primary School; Herwagana Primary School; Abubakar Umar Memorial School, Army Barrack and form new technical colleges.

In its effort to advance the course of post-secondary education in the state, it purchased 2,500 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, forms, distributed to qualified students while it sent 200 students on sponsorship programme on Maritime study at Maritime school in Akwa Ibom State.

Among other measure the administration is taking to revamp the education sector includes the prompt allocation of sufficient financial resources to accommodate enrolment and expansion needs of its schools, charging managers of human resources in the state's education sector to prepare for, and consciously seek to attain and sustain major improvements across the tiers of the state's education sector.

The Dankwambo-led administration in Gombe state is also listed on record as the first state government to implement the new salary wage structure in the country, in addition to its record of firsts as the only administration to increase the salary structure of teachers in the state schools by 27% under the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, social welfare package.

The administration's 2013 Budget tagged, "Budget of Determination" which focuses on the completion of all outstanding

capital projects in the previous 2012 budget. The long list of roads newly constructed defies enumeration, cutting across all the nooks and corners of the state.

One of the dominant features of his administration's programme in what has been widely described as both a bridge and complement to human capital development fosters a comprehensive youth development and empowerment drive, with provision for adequate funding and moral support.

As acclaimed by Governor Dankwambo at a recent graduation ceremony of 520 graduands from the Millennium Development Goals, (MDG) skills acquisition centres in the state, "Gombe State can only improve in its bid to foster a progressive youth segment towards the attainment of the state's development goals".

The Governor's concern for the down-trodden, the aged and the physically disabled citizens in the state made him to be the first governor in the country to introduce the Conditional Cash Grant, (CCG), under the administration's social welfare scheme, providing a monthly cash allowance of N15,000 to 5,000 beneficiaries spread across the 11 local government areas of the state, partly as a measure to ensure the state government's compliance to ensure education for all as entrenched in the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs). Under the Scheme, parents are obliged to send their children for school enrolment under a trust fund floated to cater for the children's upkeep.

Abubakar is a Senior Special Assistant on Media to Gov. Dankwambo.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Is sovereign wealth fund a right?

By Emmanuel Onwubiko

J

ulieth Chinenye Nwaji is a mass communication graduate of the Kogi State University, Anyimgba in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. Miss Nwaji who is in her early twenties is witty, sharp and articulate. She has this amazing capacity for asking questions that the most profoundly sound intellectual would have to reflect deeply before coming up with an appreciable answer.

She sat next to me on Monday when I was busy doing this piece and her inquiry to know if sovereign wealth fund is a new generation human right triggered off series of unprecedented debate among two of my mutual friends who were also present even as they could not come up with a consensus on her question. Miss Nwaji's point of observation emanated from the theme of my current piece in which I advanced the position that sovereign wealth fund if properly put into use for the utilitarian benefit of the greatest number of the people in a given political entity may be considered a fundamental human right.

It is my considered argument that in nations such as Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Congo [Kinshasha] Gabon, Angola among others whereby natural resources endowed to those entities are explored and the revenue accruable from the export of those rare resources stolen by successive political administrations and diverted to private pockets, it

would be imperative for such promote public good. instruments. Sovereign wealth countries to consider establishing The Nigerian government funds invest globally. Most SWFs Sovereign are funded by Wealth Funds f o r e i g n and for strong e x c h a n g e inst it ut iona l assets". and legal T h e Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text frameworks to Wikipedia messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written be enforced for f u r t h e r contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 the national expounded that; assets saved in words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and "Some sovereign form of wealth funds a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed sovereign may be held by to: wealth funds a central bank, used to build w h i c h The Editor, functional accumulates the Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, infrastructure funds in the 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. to promote course of its better life for the Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com management of g r e a t e s t a nation's SMS: 07037756364 number of the banking system; citizenry. this type of fund In his widely acclaimed through the ingenuity of the is usually of major economic and scholarly book tited Crude current finance minister Dr. Ngozi fiscal importance. Other sovereign Continent: The Struggle For Okonjo-Iweala and the approval of wealth funds are simply the state Africa's Oil Prize, Duncan Clarke President Goodluck Jonathan has savings that are invested by cited example of Nigeria whereby just established the National various entities for the purposes of during the eight year reign of Sovereign Wealth Fund (NSWF) investment return, and that may President Olusegun Obasanjo last year. Financial pundits have not have a significant role in fiscal [1999-2007] Nigeria earned already described the management". $223 billion in oil revenues. establishment of the Nigeria's Global Scholar see human Around 70 % of Nigerians National Sovereign Wealth Fund rights as the most fundamental remained in survivl mode, living as the most significant economic rights of human beings. They on $1 USD per day [80% of oil policy decision to have been taken define relationships between revenues benefitting around 1% of by President Jonathan since individuals and power structures, the populace". It is therefore safe to coming into office as an elected especially the state. Human Rights conclude that the decision by Dr. President in May 2011. delimit state power and, at the Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to push for the What is sovereign wealth fund same time, require states to take establishment of the sovereign and why is this a human right if positive measures ensuring an wealth fund is indeed a one may ask? In their words, the environment that enables all remarkable push for the Wikipedia stated thus; "A people to enjoy their human fundamental human rights of sovereign wealth fund (SWF) is a rights.

It is universally Nigerians to be respected state-owned investment fund acknowledged that one of the sure especially if the objectives of composed of financial assets such ways that government ensures establishing the fund are strictly as stocks, bonds, property, precious respect for the fundamental enforced and the resources used to metals, or other financial human rights of citizens is for the

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enforcement of policies and measures that give rise to good governance, zero-tolerance to corruption, promotion of the principle and practice of accountability and transparency.

The primary purpose of establishing the sovereign wealth fund by most developed societies is the creation of quality infrastructure that are designed to make life meaningful and if members of the political entity are provided with qualitative infrastructure to better their lives as citizens, it is safe to say that the sovereign wealth Funds are necessarily established for the promotion and protection of the fundamental human rights to life; dignity of the human person; freedom of association; freedom of movement and other basic freedoms and rights that are inherent, universal, and also the right to development.

Apart from the establishment of the sovereign wealth Fund by the Ministry of Finance, last year also witnessed some milestones achieved by the minister of Finance Mrs. (Dr.) Ngozi OkonjoIweala and her economic management team to tame the monster of corruption and to bring about rapid economic transformation. The ministry played a critical role in realising what is possibly the most important response against corruption by the administration so far by the establishment of the Aig-Imoukhuede Committee to investigate fuel subsidy payments.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, head, Human Rights Writers' Association of Nigeria writes from www.huriwa.blogspot.com.

One year after Madalla bombing

By Funmi Macaulay

I

attended a seminar last spring at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University that discussed the topic 'The Future of Nigeria'. With so many things happening in Nigeria at the time, I expected a robust discussion particularly on the threat that insecurity situation poses to the country's economic and political development.

But I was disappointed.

Adebowale Adefuye, the Nigerian ambassador to the United States, talked as though things were perfectly normal. "This happens in every country," he dismissively replied when Bola, a Nigerian PhD student asked why despite government's promise of containing it we've seen the insurgency rise.

Never in the history of Nigeria have people come under such gruesome attacks for their faith like Christians have in the last three years. Disappointingly, Adefuye considered it normal.

Never in the history of Nigeria has any group other than the military dictators tried to gag the press like Boko Haram has done in the recent past.

After listening to Adefuye, I immediately realized one of the fundamental problems facing Nigeria - the tendency of politicians and their representatives to play politics with everything including the lives of the very people that

had put them in the positions they occupy.

It doesn't matter that Time Magazine named President Goodluck Jonathan as one of the most influential people in 2012, last year was Boko Haram's year in Nigeria. In 2012 alone, the terrorist group killed over one thousand people through their gun and bomb attacks on churches, schools, police stations, media centers, markets and communication networks, making the year the group's bloodiest.

To dismiss this as though nothing happened as Adefuye did in Harvard, is a disservice to the very people he claims to represent.

Throughout the year, I carefully monitored reports on Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria, and there was no month that passed without at least three or four attacks on innocent citizens by the group. The average death toll a month in 2012 was 90.

I believe that Nigeria and Nigerians have had a handful. No nation allows such callous wastage of its people and expects to truly develop. The west listens to China and India today because these nations in the last two decades have demonstrated that they understand the power they have - their people both at home and in diaspora. Brazil, a country that recently overtook the United Kingdom as the world's sixth largest economy, is another nation that understands the power

of it numbers.

It is said that one out of every six Africans is a Nigerian, yet Nigerians grapple with such challenges as constant power supply that smaller countries like Togo, Ghana and even war-torn Ivory Coast have substantially put behind them. Nigeria remains a sleeping giant.

One year after the massacre in the Catholic Church in Madalla, we have in Nigeria a country more insecure, where Boko Haram has become insolently audacious and resolutely bold as to invade a military cantonment and a police base of the caliber of Jaji and Special Anti-Robbery Squad office.

One year after President Jonathan cried in Madalla, we see Boko Haram virtually shutdown schools in parts of the north; we see them bomb telecom facilities making the mobile phones in the hands of some in that part of the country of no use in an increasingly interconnected world.

To blame the Boko Haram onslaught on politicians who are unhappy with the "revolutions that President Jonathan is leading" as Ambassador Adefuye puts it, is to indirectly show the weakness of the president. I did an article earlier in 2012 calling on the President to be bold to name and shame those sponsoring Boko Haram after he stated that his government knows them. Ironically the only suspect that was arrested for allegedly

masterminding of the Madalla massacre escaped from police detention.

One year after the Madalla tragedy that claimed the lives of over 40 Nigerians while injuring more than 50 others, fear pervades our land. Nobody knows where and when the next Boko Haram attack will occur. The politicians in the national assembly are as fearful as the ordinary man on the street of Abuja.

Even the president, with all the security apparatus around him, feels unsafe. For the second year in a roll, he has refused to hold the normal outdoor parades to mark our independence day for fear of possible attack, preferring rather to hold an indoor get-together with friends and allies in his more fortified Presidential Villa.

For Christians in the north, the region has become worse than the Biblical lion's den.

The fatalities are more than most media counts indicate. In Borno, Kaduna and Kogi, not less than 70 churches were destroyed, according to one media account.

In a recent report, World Watch Monitor, a human rights group that monitors persecution of Christians across the world, describes Nigeria as "a country where the worst atrocities in terms of loss of life occur".

A number of Christian corps members have been slaughtered in the north for things that no sane person would call offence. I

remember the stories of Evelyn Tagbo and Christiana Oluwasesin, two graduates who served in Gombe state. Both taught at two different girls school but their stories are similar. One day Evelyn was going to invigilate a class. It was so sunny that she decided to walk her way to the class passing under a tree in the compound where unknown to her some Muslim students sometimes prayed. The students went after her and almost lynched her but for the timely intervention of the school principal.

Christiana Oluwasesin, a mother of two, who found herself in similar circumstance never lived to tell her story. She was invigilating a class when a student walked into the exam hall with her bag. Christiana collected the bag and threw it outside as exam rules didn't permit students to take in their books. Immediately the student began to cry saying her Quran has been desecrated.

Christiana never knew there was a Quran in the student's bag, but before she could even explain that, the students have descended on her and with the help of fanatics from the village stripped her naked and stabbed her to death.

One year after the Madalla tragedy, we are less safe. I am only hoping that the worst days are behind us.

Macaulay is the Founder of Nigerians Unite Against Boko Haram (NUABH)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 15

Jonathan/Obasanjo feud: Implications for 2015

By Theophilus Ilevbare

T

he latest round of bickering and mudslinging between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and incumbent Goodluck Jonathan took a new twist when the former chose the auspicious occasion of a CNN interview to criticise Jonathan's approach to the Boko Haram insurgency, he said "To deal with a group like that, you need a carrot and stick. The carrot is finding out how to reach out to them. When you try to reach out to them and they are not amenable to being reached out to, you have to use the stick".

Prior to Obasanjo's recent comment, he had stunned his audience, at a gathering to review the unemployment in the west African sub-region tagged the West African Regional Conference on Youth Employment held in Dakar, Senegal, as he fired salvos at his protĂŠgĂŠ. The ex-President as a guest speaker predicted a revolution was looming in Nigeria if the high rate of youth unemployment which he put at 72 percent remains unchecked and should the Jonathan government fail to create employment, the attendant catastrophe would consume the elite, himself included.

Still smarting from his Dakar outburst, he continued his barrage at Jonathan, this time around in Warri, at an event marking the fortieth year calling to ministry in the vineyard of God of CAN President Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, where he described the president as a weak leader pointing to the government's lukewarm

approach to the Boko Haram crisis and the pervading insecurity in the country that could have been effectively tackled if decisive action had been taken by the Jonathan administration.

November last year, President Jonathan broke his silence in a televised media chat as he responded to Obasanjo's prescription, describing the military invasion (to fish out militants who killed some security men) and brute use of force on the people of Odi as futile as it only resulted in bloodshed and lose of innocent lives.

Not long ago, Obasanjo also took a swipe at Jonathan's administration for waste of the country's foreign reserve, put at about $35 billion in 2007.

Obasanjo said, "We left what we call excess crude, let's build it for rainy day, up to $35 billion; within three years, the $35 billion disappeared. Whether the money disappeared or it was shared, the fact remains that $35 billion disappeared from the foreign reserve I left behind in office.

When we left that money, we thought we were leaving it for the rainy day..."

Meanwhile as a strategy to checkmate Obasanjo's overbearing influence on the ruling Peoples Democratic Pary (PDP), loyalist to the incumbent Jonathan have been mounting pressure on government to petition Obasanjo to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague on the invasion of Odi by the military which left civilians dead, by any standard this equates to crimes against humanity. Another ploy to tame the rampaging former president

are plans to expose some of his misdeeds during his 8-year unimpressive tenure.

The postponement of the BoT chairman (s)election can easily be linked to the face-off between President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as loyalists of both men came to a stand-off in their bid to elect a new chairman, which interestingly was the only agenda of the meeting.

Delegates were of two minds as to whom to pick amid intense lobbying for the former president's candidate Ahmadu Alli, a former chairman of the party, and President Jonathan's prefered choice - the newly appointed chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority - Tony Anenih, with the sobriquet, 'Mr Fix It'.

As events unfolded, it became crystal clear that the battle for the BoT chairmanship had a direct bearing one the tussle for the Presidential ticket of the PDP in 2015 and whoever emerges as chairman is crucial to that agenda. Jonathan's group opposed the election of Obasanjo's anointed candidate, Alli. His group convinced other members that it won't augur well for Anenih to be the chairman of NPA and BoT, as others should be given the opportunity to serve the party.

Apparently, the Jonathan camp opposed Pro-Obasanjo's choice of Alli, arguing that such would be detrimental to Jonathan's second term ambition. On the other hand, Anenih's emergence as chairman might hinder the choice of Obasanjo's candidate for the presidential race in 2015. Therein lies the stand-off.

The ex-President is getting tacit

support from northern political figures of PDP extraction especially those eyeing the 2015 presidential ticket. They consider his feud with Jonathan as capable of withering his prowess and ultimately truncate Jonathan's ambition to contest the 2015 elections. These northerners still feel shortchanged that the two terms of Yar'adua's administration which began in 2007 was not completed before Jonathan came onboard shoving aside the zoning arrangement of the PDP. They reason power should return to the north in 2015 and any role Mr Obasanjo can play to rejig would be welcomed. This much Mr Obasanjo displayed when he invited politicians from the north to the launch of a 'political' mosque project. A good number of northern governors and politicians were present at the fund-raiser at Abeokuta. They made generous donations to the project.

Chief Obasanjo in the past was instrumental to Mr Jonathan's meteoric rise from a deputy governor in Bayelsa state to governor, then vice president, acting president, substantive president and later elected as President in the aftermath of Yar'adua's death in 2010. The Ota farmer was peeved by his exclusion from Jonathan's administration as the President now prefers his kinsmen and sycophants as members of his inner caucus rather than seeking his benefactor's opinion on key national issues. More so, his disaffection with Jonathan can easily be traced to the elections in the South-West states of Ondo, Osun and Ekiti which PDP lost to the ACN and LP. The ex-

president, famous for his ability to spin election results is irritated by the failure of President Jonathan to flex his presidential muscle to influence court judgments in favour of PDP, a suggestion Jonathan turned down. Against these backdrop, if Chief Olusegun Obasanjo now finds everything wrong with the man he installed as president then it must be nothing more than an agitation for the 2015 polls.

That the former president is building bridges across the country ahead the 2015 elections and picking holes at Jonathan's government is a strong indication that Mr Obasanjo has pitched tent with those opposed to Jonathan running the 2015 election.

Awkwardly, the President is up against his benefactor. President. Jonathan is fighting the battle of his political soul as he now seem to have reneged on the promise he made to Nigerians that he won't seek a second term in office and Obasanjo is at the front of the queue to stop his re-election.

In the event of Chief Obasanjo's inability to clinch the PDP ticket for whoever becomes his anointed candidate, his ties with the members of the PDP who have defected, and now are part of the planned merger between the ANPP, CPC and the ACN will prove invaluable as his antiJonathan rhetoric has already won him the support of northerners, the majority of whom are still angry at the PDP's zoning arrangement that was breached by Jonathan.

Ilevbare can be reached via theophilus@ilevbare.com

HND, degree dichotomy: Lamentation of the oppressed

By Mamman Sule

A

s it applies to the Armed Forces Selection Board and Police Service Commission for the Nigeria armed forces and police respectively, the Civil Defence, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDIPB), is set up as an agency under the Federal Ministry of Interior to administratively oversee the organizations in the ministry. The board is, among other things, statutorily required to supervise the administration of the key paramilitary establishments under the ministry namely, Nigeria security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration service (NIS) and Nigeria Prisons service (NPS) etc.

It is similar with the Armed Forces Selection Board (AFSB) and Police Service Commission (PSC) which are vested with the power/ responsibility to select competent, qualified and interested persons for the three services of the nation's armed forces and police as the case may be.

On the contrary however, this Board (CDIPB) which is expected to perform similar duties with the selection board for the armed forces and police service commission appears to have arrogated to itself, the power of creating unnecessary dichotomy between the Polytechnics' HND graduates and University Degree graduates area of job placement which does not exist in the Armed Forces and the police which is

another paramilitary organisation. While a university graduate is placed on grade level 08 for a start by the CDIPB, the polytechnic graduate counterpart is usually placed on grade level 07.

As if that is not enough, the board has gone ahead to create two separate ranking systems namely, inspectorate and superintendent cadres for HND and university graduates also known as commissioned and noncommissioned category. And to 'justify' this claim, the board has introduced and designed obnoxious ranking insignia which places holders of Higher National Diploma, National Certificate of Education, National Diploma and Senior School Certificate Examination etc. in the same category (inspectorate).

And so goes the remunerations of salaries and wages for these categories of personnel under the CDIPB. While the Board has made it possible that University Degree holders should rise to the highest level in the civil or public service, the polytechnic HND holders can only rise to grade level 12 as the highest limit. Consequently, this situation places Polytechnic graduates under their university counterparts thereby creating a perceived notion of inferiority even when graduates of polytechnic are more practically oriented in their chosen fields.

Another thing which makes the dichotomy unnecessary is the fact that more time needed to acquire

the HND Certificate. Numerically, one spends two years to acquire National Diploma (ND), one year for Industrial training (IT) attachment, two years for Higher National Diploma (HND) and one year for National Youth Service (NYSC) thereby spending a total of six years. More so, the polytechnic graduates sit for the same Joint Admission Matriculation Examinations to be qualified for admission into school like their University counterparts.

To further reinforce this erroneous perception JAMB has in recent time reduced the cut-off marks for qualification into polytechnic lower than that of the University probably to imply the inferiority of the polytechnic to that of University. Be that as it may, both university and polytechnic education are put in place for peculiar reasons and a critical look at their existence may not in any

way allow for condemnation of one for another.

Little wonder the past administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo came up with the idea of either scrapping the polytechnics which later brought the idea of conversion of the Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic to B. Tech degree awarding institutions in order to remove this inhuman and unwarranted dichotomy. Now on what basis is the Federal Ministry of Interior through CDIPB discriminating?

In the Nigeria Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, State Security Service (SSS), Custom Service, Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) etc, a single ranking system of superintendent cadre is being maintained for both HND/ degree holders. Void of dichotomy.

“

In the Nigeria Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, State Security Service (SSS), Custom Service, Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) etc, a single ranking system of superintendent cadre is being maintained for both HND/ degree holders. Void of dichotomy. Who is right or wrong if all are working towards a common goal which is national security?

Who is right or wrong if all are working towards a common goal which is national security?

Or is the CDIPB/Ministry of interior saying that there are no HND holders in these agencies of government that could have as well warranted similar dichotomy? These agencies have produced both past and present highly intelligent officers.

Or are those other services, that is Prisons Service, Immigration Service, and Civil Defence Corps, who are victims of this circumstance not in the same national service of the Nigerian nation? What necessitated this unwarranted dichotomy/ discrimination by the CDIPB? Whose interest is the ministry of interior through its parastatal serving? Is the ministry being used as an instrument to kill Polytechnic education in Nigeria when same thrives in the Western World where similar institutions have been used to build their economy?

Is it a crime for some groups of persons in Nigeria to acquire education through polytechnic institutions and only to come out and be humiliated at the end of it all? Or are we saying that if these HND holders had the opportunity and went to the University, they wouldn't have done well? What then is the basis? And if everybody goes through the university who then goes through the polytechnic institutions?

Mamman Sule wrote via mammanxyz@gmail.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 16

8 Transport Workers injured as NURTW officials clash in Lugbe

By Adeola Tukuru

N

Commuters trekking to work as movement of commercial vehicles to Wuse market has been restricted, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

Traffic: Residents bemoan FCTA’s new transport policy

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

F

ollowing the take off of a new transport policy which would restrict operations of mini-buses to feeder routes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), residents of the territory, particularly those residing in Nyanya/Mararaba axis have decried what they described as government insensitivity towards the less privilege.

Recall that the FCT administration, through its Transportation Secretariat had announced the introduction of a new transport policy which would prohibit operations of mini-buses to feeder routes for mini bus transportation service, which was incorporated in the Operator’s License Scheme of the FCT administration launched in May 2011.

Checks reveals that

residents woke up on Monday and were met with a rude shock as mini buses that convey them from Mararaba to Wuse or Area 1 only stopped at Nyanya after which they had to board high capacity buses to complete the rest of the trip.

However, drivers under the auspices of Owners and Drivers of Mini-bus Town Service Association in the FCT had at the weekend vowed to resist the policy, describing it as “anti-

masses.”

As a result, most mini bus service operators cashed in and took advantage of the situation and increased their fares by at least 50 per cent.

Before the implementation of the policy, the transport fare from Mararaba to Wuse or Area 1 by mini bus stood at N150 while some residents had to pay N100 to Nyanya and another N100 on the high capacity buses to other destinations within the city.

…Commuters face hardship as ban on mini buses bites harder

C

ommuters in the Federal Capital Territory yesterday criticised the FCT Administration’s new policy of banning the mini buses without providing alternative means of transportation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many commuters were stranded since Monday at various bus stops in satellite towns because of the ban by FCTA on mini buses popularly called ‘Araba’.

Many of the commuters after waiting several hours for buses were forced to trek long distance to get to their destinations.

Commuters, who spoke to NAN criticised the policy, saying that the administration should have made provision for alternative means of transportation before implementing the policy.

Mr Clement Nnawuihe, a commuter at Jukwoyi, lamented the non availability of the high capacity buses which were supposed to replace the mini buses that were banned.

“I have waited for two hours

without seeing any means of getting to my office in town; the high capacity buses are scarcely on the road, which means that the government did not plan very well before they started this implementation”, he said.

However, he was of the view that before embarking on this kind of policy, there ought to have been High Capacity Buses on ground or even good rail line in the FCT to convey people to various destinations.

Meanwhile, the transport fares were increased by 100 per cent as few privately owned buses were seen plying the Nyanya-Keffi road.

Kenneth Ola, an apprentice said: “I have been waiting for the past three hours and couldn’t afford the one I saw later as the fare from Kurudu to town was increased from N100 to N200.’’

Many commuters were also stranded in the town, especially at Wuse zones, as people trekked for longer distance.

A stranded nursing mother, Mrs Uju Daba, with luggage and her baby on her back told NAN that she

was very tired and worried after trekking a long distance without hope of getting a bus.

A civil servant, Mr Salihu Abdulmumin, told NAN that the government should have enlightened the people and provided buses before implementing the policy in order to reduce suffering of the people.

“I am going to Area 1, Garki, but I have been trekking since morning looking for bus. If this should continue, it will affect one’s productivity,’’ he said.

Another commuter, Mrs Rose Ibrahim, said that she trekked from Berger junction to Zone 3 with her three children, saying she would not have come out with the children.

In his reaction, the Secretary FCT Transportation, Mr Jonathan Ivoke told NAN that the FCT Administration had not banned the use of mini buses completely in the FCT. He explained that the FCTA was trying to implement the Abuja master plan on transportation.

(NAN)

o fewer than eight persons sustained various degrees of injuries from machete cuts Monday when members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) branch 2 engaged in a bloody fracas at the Federal Housing Authority FHA Bus stop Lugbe.

According to eyewitnesses account the trouble ensued between the Union members at the FHA Lugbe putting on their reflective jackets bearing “NURTW Branch 2 over alleged encroachment of the Lugbe bus stop Branch by the Branch 2 team from Pyakasa, a community along the Yar’Adua Express way.

The free for all fight lasted over 15 minutes as the loyalists of the Pyakasa and Jabi Park leadership who were engaged in fierce argument over who will control the park.

However, it took the intervention of the Officer in charge of Zone 5 and 8 Lugbe police out station, Superintendent Elisha Lafet to halt the turmoil.

Peoplesdaily gathered, the Branch 2 members were had visited the area to collect Union fees from the drivers operating from Lugbe to the city centre, an action that infuriated the NURTW employees at the FHA bus stop in Lugbe.

“They suddenly started bringing out cutlasses and machete themselves, they must have killed the other man that was wearing a yellow T-shirt and jean trouser.

“They use to operate at Pyakasa and want to come and start to operate at FHA” an eyewitness stated.

Another witness told our reporter that “If the chairman of Pyakasa had not managed to avoid the cutlass from hitting him, aimed on his head, they would have killed him.

The witnesses commended the swift intervention of Lafet and his men who came and brought the situation under control as they took both leaders off the scene and dispersed the other loyalist form further mayhem on the people at the bus stop.

However, when contacted to comment on the matter Superintendent Lafet declined comment.

Insecurity: Cleric urges police to be proactive

By Stanley Onyekwere

W

orried by recent wanton destruction of lives and property in some parts of the country, with perpetrators going scot-free, an Abuja based cleric, Pastor Tunde Ayeni of Graceville Ministries has called on the Nigerian police on the need to adopt proactive as a more efficient of tackling the problem just as he called on the citizens to eschew crime.

According to the cleric, in addition to adoption of proactive measures, security agencies especially the police must brace up to its constitutional duties of protecting the masses and general safety of public institutions by ensuring that perpetrators of such dastardly acts like bombings, kidnapping and other criminalities are brought to book within record time.

Speaking on the role of religious leaders in policing the society, at a

three-day seminar with the theme: 'Grace Beyond Measure', recently, the pastor said it was disheartening to note that those involved in one form of violent crime or the other, laid claims to belonging to one place of worship or the other.

He therefore urged all religious faithfuls to endeavour to eschew crime, but be sincere with their acts of worship in order to contribute positively towards building a peace and prosperous society.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 17

INSIDE FCT COURTS Fraud: Judge extends bail for three bank officials

J

ustice Ishaq Bello of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Cou rt on yesterday ordered that three ba nk o fficials, a ccu sed of fraud, should remain on bail until the hearing of the suit on January 22.

The FCT Commissioner of Police had filed an application against Patrick Onumah, Awe Lu gar d an d N nen na Os hagb emi alleging con spira c y a n d c rimina l breach of trust.

C ou n se l to th e a cc u se d per s on s , C hr is Ag biti, ha d filed an application to strike out the charges against the accused persons.

C ommen tin g , B ello s aid that although the application h ad b ee n se r ve d an d th e r es po nde n ts we r e n o t in c ou r t, h e c o ns ider e d it imperative to go through the application. “ I c o ns ider so me o f th e legal issues bordering on the procedure for criminal trial at the High Court or any court importa nt. “ Th e tr ia l at Mag is tr ac y f ro m w h er e th e Firs t Inf o r ma tio n Re por t ( FIR) , contrary to the allegation of c rimes , w a s tr an s fe r re d to this court is the central issue on whether the High Court is entitled to proceed on the FIR. “Could that be said to be a pro pe r a rr a ig n men t, g o in g b y the FIR n o w b ef o re th e High Court, or is there any pr ovis ion in the Cr imin al Proc edure Code ( CPC) that allows simply the adoption of the FIR?’’ Bello asked.

Ac cording to him, the absence of the prosecutor in court and many issues need to be addressed and the court will go thr ough the motion having in mind preparations to hear the motion.

He urged the counsel to the accused and the prosecutor to address the issues rather than arguing on the motion.

He als o s aid tha t the defence and the prosecutor sh ould se rve all cou rt processes alongside a reply to en able th e he aring of the motion.

“S pecific ally, w ritten submissions are required on the issues raised in the court and contending parties should write and comply before the return date,’’ he said.

Bello, therefore, adjourned the case to January 22, but allowed the accused persons to remain on bail. (NAN)

Deserted: Presidency ordered civil servants at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja to resume work at 1PM yesterday because of the events marking the Armed Forces Remembrance Day at Eagle Square, Abuja Photo: Miriam Humbe

Man, 58 remanded in prison for alleged N241, 000 fraud A

n Upper Area Court in Gw agw ala da y est erd ay or dere d o ne Onye ka Umeh, 41, to be remanded in pr iso n f or a lle ged ly de fra udi ng o ne Ama ka If ean yi, of Da gir i, Gwagwalda, o f N241,000.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Iliya Maji, had told the court th at Ume h cr imi nal ly br eac hed Ife any i’s tru st by luring and defrauding him of N241,000 on the pretext that he wou ld secu re travel do cume nts for he r a nd t he

hu sban d.

The prosecutor added that Umeh, who resides in Suleja, Niger, was arraigned on a twoco unt cha rge of cri min al breach of trust and cheating.

Ac cord ing to him , t he ch arge co ntra ven es t he

provisions of Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

Th e ac cus ed, how eve r, pl eade d n ot g uil ty to t he charge.

The Judge, Mr Babanginda Hassan, adjourned the case to March 6, for hearing.(NAN)

Court remands man for mischief

By Beauty Amaike

A

n Abuja Magistrate Court on Monday ordered remand of one Mr Abraham Kegnon, of Jikoko village Mpape Abuja after pleading guilty to a case of mischief.

Kegnon who appeared before Magistrate Musa I. Jobbo on onecount charge of mischief contrary to the provisions of section 327 of the penal code, is to be remanded in prison until he pays up the sum of N100, 000 to the nominal complainant.

Police Prosecutor, Onaji

Joseph had told the court that the Danladi, of the same address reported to Mpape police station on January 11, 2013.

During the trial when queried about the offence, Kegnon respond: “Yes it is true. I saw something moving in the grass and I thought it was a

snake, so I set fire to the grass so that it will run out.”

Jobbo gave the order after Kegnon admitting setting ablaze a hip of yams valued one hundred thousand naira belonging to one Mike Danladi, on the excuse that he was hunting for a snake.

Two men arraigned for house breaking, theft

By Beauty Amaike

T

he Police on Monday arraigned one Nasiru Saidu Abdukarim Mohammed of Mpape village Abuja and four others at- large were before an Abuja Magistrates Court for joint act, house breaking and theft.

Police Prosecutor, Onaji Joseph told the court that one

Ishiola Kolawole of Bakassi area of Mpape Abuja reported the case to Mpape police station on December 23, 2012.

According to the complaint, it happened that he travelled out of Abuja for work and only for him to return on the same date and discovered that the accused persons and four others (now at large) conspired and broke through his window and

stole his belongings.

Some of the alleged items were one stole one standing deep freezer valued N47,000, one Elimax generator valued N35,000 one Samsung 14 inches television set valued 16,000,two toilet sitter valued N62,000, and one wash hand basin valued N11,300rugs, including carpet, shoes, and clothes valued yet to be

ascertained.

Also the prosecutor said the charges contravened sections 79,347 and 288 respectively of the penal code.

However, the two accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Magistrate Harwa Aliyu granted the accused persons bail and adjourned the case till January 30, 2013 for hearing.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Shetimma’s ‘Twin’ Tears

By Victor Izekor

I

n the immortal words of the great sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo "After rain comes sunshine, after darkness comes the glorious dawn. There is no sorrow without its alloy of joy, there is no joy without its admixture of sorrow. Behind the ugly terrible mask of misfortune lies the beautiful soothing countenance of prosperity so tear the mask."

There is this African proverb that says to see a rabbit during the day is unusual and if it happened it is an indication that all is not well. Similarly, what the old sees while sitting would not be visible to the young ones even if they are to be on top of the longest tower in the world now being erected in Dubai. And so, when Governor Kassim Shettima of Borno State, wept recently during the presentation of the 2013 State Budget before the State House of Assembly, it was anything, but awesome surprise. Perhaps no one knew and no one may ever know the exact working or thoughts of his mind when the unusual came calling except Kashim himself. The scene or incident which took place on the floor of the Assembly on December, 27, 2012 was brief but dramatic, dumbfounding and soul searching.

All along, ovation characterized the 20 page 2013 budget speech of the governor as the legislators and all present at the august occasion applauded Shettima for a job well done as he read the balance sheet of his administration for the year 2012 and presenting the budget estimates for the year 2013. From rural development, poverty alleviation, agriculture, works and transport, youth employment, water supply, education, health infrastructure down to other mass oriented programmes, Governor Shettima got a nod from the House of Assembly whose leadership gave him 80% clean bill of health 2012 budget performance.

According to the Governor the 2013 budget tagged "THE BUDGET OF COLLECTIVE RENAISSANCE" is indeed unique and well articulated in concept and submission taking all the stakeholders along from the preparation stage. Hear him, "…before coming up with this submission, we met as a group, comprising commissioners of various ministries, special advisers, senior special assistants and special assistants of whom represent the 27 local government areas of the state.

During our discussion, each of the 27 local government areas made direct inputs into the 2013 budget by identifying some priority projects required in their local government areas which are to be addressed within the limits of our resources".

The Governor went on, "our strategy of getting commissioners, advisers and assistants from the executive to collectively make input in an open meeting, is aimed at making everyone of them to have personal and not just official interest in the unselfish implementation of the 2013 budget after it is approved by our respected assembly members. When the 2013 budget is passed, projects will touch every local government areas. Commissioners and advisers would therefore lobby themselves to accelerate implementation of the budget with the desire of getting different projects to their local government areas of origin. This is in addition to each of them becoming part of the budget process." Turning to the legislators Shettima declared, "our collectivity as expressed in the budget title involves each member of the State Assembly, all of you are very keen stakeholders in our stiff goal of recovery and revitalization of all segments of our society, especially the grassroots, as we match towards renaissance."

The 2013 state budget which portends happy time ahead in terms of provision of tangibles and intangible by the government stood at N184,307,992,244.00 made up of recurrent expenditure to the tune of N52, 169,092,241.00 and capital expenditure of N132,138,980,000.00 whereas the 2012 budget was made up of N43,737,224,000.00 for recurrent and N86,869,450,000.00 for capital expenditure. The 2013 budget is expected to be financed from a statutory allocation of N108,796,103,000.00 and internally generated revenue of N30,120,648,802.00 while the capital receipts for the year is estimated at N132,138,900,000.00.

The Ministry of Works and Transport takes the lion's share of the 2013 budget with allocation of N36,309,945, 275.00, followed by Ministry of Education with allocation of N35,265,483,911.00, Health with the sum of N14,432,000,400 and others.

Yet, inspite of the goodies and great expectations for the people in the 2013 coupled with applause that greeted Shettima's presentation and the almost concluded assurance that the budget would scale through in the Assembly without hindrance, the governor in the concluding paragraph of the budget speech wept but struggled notwithstanding saying, "I pray like I know you also do, that in 2013 insha Allah, Borno state will regain peace. Borno will rise again, our people will become empowered, wealth will spread and Borno will become a reference point in the comity of great societies in Nigeria and beyond" Why did Shettima weep inspite of his workaholic

Borno State Governor

KASHIM SHETTIMA disposition and achievements personified? The guess is anybody's as only the wearer of the shoe knows where it pinches. Many, however attributed the shedding of tears by the governor as admixture of Joy and sorrow. For example, his aides commended their boss for his courage, determination, commitment and achievements in spite of the overbearing security challenges. Mallam Abba Kakami, the Chairman of Borno State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists as to what made Shettima shed tears was unambiguous as he said ''the problem of security onslaught that has taken dimensions ''I agree no less with all postulations. Governor Shettima has achieved more that expected so far inspite of mad-made up obsta cles So far, he has used the political power to bring happiness and hope to almost every home in the state. Borno State is the largest state in Nigeria, yet inspite of man made obstacles', Shettima through faithful diligence, dedication, honesty and dynamism is performing wonders in all parts of the state. This is indeed a befitting tribute to a leader dedicated to the cause of the people.

However, in between efforts to fight poverty through youth employment, poverty alleviation programmes, water for domestic and agricultural purposes, build more schools and construct roads to link various parts of the state, Shettima had to contend all the same with security challenges militating against forward march of his administration. Even in the introductory part of the 2013 budget speech Shettima admitted, ''I must confess even though it is expected that the security challenges have so much held back the pace of our projects, but by Allah's grace the situation is being handled a ppr opr ia tely''.

The security impasse constitutes gravitational pull on the unity and political ascendency of Borno which Shettima envisage as he had made it abundantly clear that as governor of Borno State he would never preside over its disintegration.

No doubt Borno is gradually returning to normalcy and the dividends of democracy as enunciated by Shettima's administration is being felt by many to the joy of the governor .However, the albatross of security imbroglio is still very much around and this is no joy to Shettima's pragmatic approach to rescue Borno from the debris of catastrophe. This is his regret and indeed not a happy note.

In his earlier address titled "ISLAM AND PEACE IN BORNO" to the people of the state on July, 16, 2011, Shettima declared, "…the current stake of insecurity and deplorable state of affairs is unconnected with the attempt to impose the opinion of a small group on a larger society, a situation which clearly abridges the freedom to freely hold and express one's opinion which is fundamental and inalienable in any given society" adding "a situation

“

No doubt Borno is gradually returning to normalcy and the dividends of democracy as enunciated by Shettima's administration is being felt by many to the joy of the governor.

However, the albatross of security imbroglio is still very much around and this is no joy to Shettima's pragmatic approach to rescue Borno from the debris of catastrophe. This is his regret and indeed not a happy note

where the name of our dear state, an epitome of peace degenerates to signify violence with evoking fear to outsiders and trepidation in residents, leading to lack of movement to attend day to day activities is clearly unacceptable." In the same address, the governor worried at the unpleasant happenings asked, "…going by the present spate of things, how can a true Muslim explain let alone profoundly justify, the current unfortunate cold blooded murders and bombings in the name of Islam?

Islam means "peace and submission to the will of God" and thus it should remain so, in both theory and practice.

This was the understanding of our forefathers, theirs is the true meaning of Islam in both letter and spirit."

Shettima has repeated on several occasions that poverty, self aggrandizement and poor leadership drove the nation especially the northern states to the present precarious position warning that if the trend is not urgently reversed the nation especially the northern states will be heading for serious trouble. For example, during the presentation of "Excellence in Governance" award to Shettima in the year 2012 at the Government House in Maiduguri by the delegation of the Nigeria Union of Journalists led by its National President, Mallam Muhammad Garba, the Governor voiced out, "those of us who have the privilege to be in higher position may have saved as much as we can, build mansions in the cities and sent our children to the most expensive schools in Abuja or even outside the country but I can assure you that the children of the poor who we have failed to provide employment for and give quality of life will one day turn against us" Similarly, in a press interview Shettima stated, "…the youths are angry and an angry and hungry man is a dangerous animal. We have very few years, five to ten years to amend or these young men will descend upon us" Shettima as a visionary leader is able to look and read ahead the nation's barometer and predict the possibilities.

When he wept, he was seeing more than the ordinary eyes the dangers ahead if the present travails of Nigeria especially the northern states are not addressed swiftly and adequately.

However, it should be made clear here and then that no matter the magical wand of governor Shettima interms of achievements, and service delivery the security challenges as an albatross would always be an impediment to development, peace and unity of Borno.

The peace and unity of Borno State should not be the exclusive efforts of Shettima being the governor. Rather, it should be the collective efforts of all stakeholders in Borno project.

The stakeholders must include representatives of elders across the state, representatives of the youths across the state, traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties and representatives of the state government. With sincerity and Borno Future as the overriding interest, the stakeholders should be able to advance a positive roadmap for the way forward. It is no gain saying that the interest and future of Borno is best protected and advanced by the citizens themselves. In situation where some indigenous stakeholders in the Borno project abandon the state or temporary relocate either out of fear, selfish motive or non-committal is begging the question and postponing the evil day. If the indigenes abandon their state what hope or confidence is left for the non-indigenes to remain?

If there is honest and total commitment of the Borno stakeholders to the peace venture others would have no choice but to queue in. This is because in the present dispensation Borno State holds the key to the peace of the northern states and by implication the nation. Reason being until the unfortunate current security impasse, Borno leadership role in the northern states in particular is acknowledged if not unassailable. If Borno as part of the whole is in trouble as presently being experienced, the northern states will have no peace as presently being observed and the centre will not be at rest as obtained now. Since it appeared the security challenges was deep rooted and in fact escalated from Borno and spill over to the northern states, the need to address the same with Borno as the first port of call became obvious.

I am not averse to the carrot and stick approach to solving the current impasse but a holistic carrot approach which involves the totality of all the stakeholders from the local, state down to federal might make a difference and the need for further stick approach may not be n ec e ss a r y .

It is imperative and this juncture to prevail on the aggrieved party to give peace a chance by embracing dialogue. In dialogue there is honour, respect, and the results enduring with less pains. Whereas war has achieved nothing and will never achieve anything but woes, misery and regrets.

Lets us remember the sober words of Governor Shettima in his address titled "ISLAM & PEACE IN BORNO" to the people of State on July 16, 2011 which goes "…I say unto you my brothers what Hamid Karzai the Afghan President said on the burial of his brother Wali Ahmed Karzai some few days ago… "My message for them (Taliban) is that my countrymen, my brothers should stop killing their own people. It is easy to kill and everyone can do it, but the real man is the one who can save lives" Victor Izekor, a senior journalist, wrote from Maiduguri.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

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INSIDE

- Pg 20

Omatek Computers roll out technology for SMEs

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Ajaokuta Steel can create over 2m jobs, says Sen. AbatemiUsman From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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he Senator representing Kogi-Central Senatorial District, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, has said that the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company (ASCO) and National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) for full operation is capable of creating job opportunities for over two million Nigerians directly and indirectly.

Abatemi-Usman made the remark in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Michael Jegede.

The Senator, who is the ViceChairman of Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, was reacting to the United Kingdom Department of International Development (DFID)’s evaluation that described the economic viability of steel production at ASCO as marginal.

The Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF), a DFID-funded programme, was reported to have advised the Federal Government to avert a commercial risk exposure by an outright closure of ASCO since, in its assessment, the project is not economically viable.

Describing the assessment as absolutely wrong, misleading and baseless, Abatemi-Usman said he was not surprised at the DFID sponsored report against the actualization of the ASCO/ NIOMCO project.

He added that it was a known fact that there are external forces working circuitously against the full operation of the twin companies for what they hold for the country’s economy.

Calling on the federal government not to heed such ill advice from people, who do not mean well for Nigeria, the Senator wondered what yardstick they used in their assessment to arrive at the conclusion that Ajaokuta Steel lacks economic viability.

“The fact is that we have always known that they are not interested in seeing the economic growth and development of our country. Even the World Bank/IMF has never encouraged the advancement of the steel industry in third world countries, especially Nigeria”, Abatemi-Usman declared.

“So, we cannot be surprised by this erroneous assessment and irrational advice coming the DFID sponsored NIAF team, said to be made up of three economists and a Meteorologist, people who have no single idea of what steel development is all about,” he further stated.

L-R: Managing Director of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi; Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi, acting Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Benjamin Dikki; Managing Director of Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company,Dr. Sam Agbogun, and Mrs Mary Awolokun, a Commissioner at NERC at BPE's pre-negotiation meeting with preferred bidders of PHCN successor companies which held in Abuja, yesterday.

PHCN privatisation: FG clears preferred bidders for final negotiation

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he Federal Government has cleared all the preferred bidders for the PHCN successor generation and distribution companies to enter the final negotiation stage on the sale of the electricity firms.

The Acting Chairman, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki stated this yesterday in Abuja at a meeting with the preferred bidders.

“The BPE can confirm that its bankers have verified all the bank guarantees provided by the preferred bidders.

“Thus all the bidders are qualified to enter this stage of the privatisation process which is the finalisation of negotiation between the Federal Government and the bidders,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that in November the BPE announced that it received 335 million dollars from the bidders for both the generation and distribution firms.

Dikki told the bidders that they would be required to make a down payment of 25 per cent

of the share purchase price, 15 days after the signing of the Sale and Purchase Agreement or the Shareholders’ Agreement.

He said it was only after the finalisation of negotiations that transaction documents for all the companies would be executed.

He, however, noted that the distribution company in Kaduna and the generation company in Afam were exempt from the exercise because no preferred bidder had emerged for the firms.

Dikki assured the preferred bidders and their financiers that government was working assiduously to ensure effective handover of the electricity firms.

He highlighted some measures already attained and being “doggedly pursued’’ by government to ensure a seamless transition.

According to him, an agreement has been executive by government and labour that guarantees the cooperation of the workforce in the handover process.

He said government was working to raise the finance to effect payment of staff entitlements, adding that the

BPE was collaborating with the Ministry of Lands and Housing to resolve land and property titles.

He also said that “high-level government organs” were discussing the funding of Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) and the Bulk Trader, adding that the discussions would ensure financial stability of the

Jigawa revenue board to open offices for grassroots tax payers

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he Chairman of Jigawa state Board of Internal Revenue, Alhaji Hadi Mustapha, said the board had concluded plans to establish area offices at the grassroots for easier access by tax payers Mustapha said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Dutse.

He said that all the necessary facilities had been put in place to open more offices across the 27 local government areas of the

Management Tip of the Day Ask for feedback before taking that job

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t’s tempting to start fresh with a new company in the hopes of advancing your career. But finding great success by jumping ship may be more myth than reality. Managers often sign on to a new job out of frustration, only to run into the same problems they faced in their prior organization.

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Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. (NAN) The 11 distribution companies up for sale are located in Abuja, Benin, Enugu, Eko, Ibadan, Ikeja, Port Harcourt, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, and Yola.

The generation companies slated for privitisation are Ughelli Power Plc, Sapele Power Plc, Geregu Power Plc, Kainji Power Plc and Shiroro Power Plc. (NAN)

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state to reach out to the tax payers.

The chairman said that the measure was designed to generate more revenue for the government.

“We will open area offices in 2013 in almost all the 27 local council areas across the state.

“The aim to open offices is to get in touch with the tax payers and our officers would be posted to those areas to ensure that taxes are collected from all nooks and crannies of the state.

“And this strategy will help in ensuring that all those paying taxes are captured in our data base,” he said.

Mustapha said that there was a remarkable improvement in revenue generated in 2012 compared to what was realised in 2011.

He pledged that what would be generated would surpass those of the previous years due to the board’s new approach to revenue generation, The chairman called on the industrialists from the state to come and invest to boost the revenue generation. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS International Energy Agency

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he International Energy Agency in its December oil market report noted that five of the world’s top 10 oil consumers are non-OECD countries. China and India follow the US and then Russia, Saudi Arabia and Brazil.

The 2012 BP Statistical Review showed 2011 non-OECD consumption at 48.5 per cent of the world total, with growth of more than 5 per cent for the year. Oil remained the leading global fuel, at 33 per cent of total energy consumed.

Rising US oil production and falling imports is good news for the US but the overarching global trend stresses growing competition for oil imports and reserves as non-OECD demand overtakes that of the OECD.

Borno, India

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he partnership we are entering with Indian companies in the educationand agriculture sectors in Borno state was to advance basic education and modern poultry incubators, hatchery and brooding battery cages, that can bridge recovery and sustainable development of the state.”

These were the words of Governor Kashim Shetima of Borno state after he signed infrastructural upgrade agreement with an Indian firm few days ago in Maiduguri.

He said that the partnership was to enable the company assist the government and people of Borno; and adapt their technology and other services in the state’s educational and agricultural systems.

Access Bank

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o aid the effective implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directives to Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria and other financial institutions on additional Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs), Access Bank Plc has tasked stakeholders on the need to embrace the scheme in order to effectively address money laundering activities.

According to a statement, the bank during its recent stakeholder’s awareness forum tasked businesses whose profile fall into the category of the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) to seek clarifications concerning the registration requirements and interact with the relevant regulatory authorities for proper understanding of the apex bank’s directive.

Aerotropolis: New road to Nigerian airports’ development and economic growth One of the cardinal objectives of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration for attaining Nigeria’s economic growth, according to the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah is the development of airport cities around the many airports that adorn the country; Suleiman Idris, in this analysis, takes a look at the benefits of the aerotropolis concept to the nation’s economy.

W

hen he developed the concept of an airport city a long time ago, acclaimed father of the ‘Aerotropolis Concept’ Dr. John Kasarda, Director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the United States of America, aptly predicted that “airports will shape business location and urban development in the 21st century as much as highways did in the 20th century, railroads in the 19th and seaports in the 18th.”

The Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, who focuses on management strategy, aviation and economic development posited that airports will serve as the 21st century drivers of business location and urban c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s thereby attracting ‘industries related to time-sensitive manufacturing, e-commerce f u l f i l l m e n t , telecommunications and logistics; hotels, retail outlets, entertainment complexes and exhibition centres; and offices.

With clusters of business parks, logistics parks, industrial parks, distribution centres, information technology complexes and wholesale merchandise marts.

While variety of residential will be plan to provide solution for companies’ employees and independent businessmen.’

There is no doubt that Kasarda’s prediction is staring us in the eyes as cities and hubs, just as he predicted are springing up around airports across the world, thereby boosting not only the economy of the host communities but turning them into wonderlands and tourists destinations.

Such projects, not only come with skills and knowledge acquisition schemes, it will equally lead to the introduction of light agrobased manufacturing in agro-allied environment that adorn our landscapes. improves commerce and industry, create employment opportunity and accelerate the economic development of the regions in particular and the country in general and equally bring about an economic network of opportunities on that corridor.

A lot of tirade has greeted the idea of replicating the concept since it was proposed by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah as part of the master plan for transformation of the country’s

Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah aviation sector by stakeholders who have often pointed to the array of reasons the country cannot achieve such feat while others have also believe that Nigeria has the wherewithal to embark on such laudable project that will lead to creation of job opportunities across the different zones where we have international airports in Nige ria.

If there is any country that should embark on the concept of airport cities in Africa, one can safely say that country must be Nigeria, looking at the natural endowment we possess and the opportunities inherent in developing such cluster of facilities close to our airports.

The question we must ask ourselves is: Whether we must continue to remain behind, while others countries with little potentials ride on the crest

of the tide sweeping across aviation in the world?

The concept of an airport city is to make Nigerian aviation a world-class sector that is, according to the minister, ‘self-sustaining and pivotal to socio-economic growth’ and ‘transform Nigeria aviation into an efficient, profitable, self-sustaining industry providing safe, secure and comfortable air transport as a preferred mode of transportation for all.”

Experts also believe achieving the dream very much depends on manpower that abound in all the nook and cranny of the country, ‘In conjunction with the plan to change the business model of the industry through increased private sector participation, this will maximise the contribution to the socio-economic development of Nigeria through increased trade.’

It is also stated that the prospect for increased technology transfer will be enhanced with the project which will result in a quantum leap in the development of the states. It is expected that the investment will result in significant investment and growth in existing business in those cities thus translating to a beneficial impacts on economic growth, employment, education, living standards and the overall well being of the city.

Researches indicates that ‘the creation of an Aerotropolis will provides a region with the ability to attract corporations that rely on time-sensitive manufacturing, e-commerce f u l f i l l m e n t , telecommunications, and have

“

If there is any country that should embark on the concept of airport cities in Africa, one can safely say that country must be Nigeria, looking at the natural endowment we possess and the opportunities inherent in developing such cluster of facilities close to our airports.

air-travel intensive professionals by providing convenient access to air travel transport to national and international locations.

While the communities are expected to witness an international business presence; an increase in tax base; an increase in travellers to the region; construction jobs; a high-income white-collar work force covering office, research, technology, retail and commercial; and an increase in local material purchases.

Local spending will increase with the aerotropolis becoming a destination place for business, and travellers visiting the area for purposes other than business will partake of shopping and attractions that are provided.’

One can imagine the number of jobs the cities of Port Harcourt, Abuja, Lagos, Sokoto, Enugu and Kano will create in their various regions with an airport city located around them. With more than 2/3 arable landmass in the north, the potential to develop our agriculture will be enhance especially now that we have white farmers who has constantly shown interest in turning such land into commercial use.

These cities will doubt becomes a major enhancement to the nation’s ability to deliver export capability across Western Africa and globally.

The future growth of the concept they believe will be led by newer ‘Greenfield’ airports, employing strategic infrastructure and urban planning and unencumbered by earlier surrounding development.’

Others cities where it has been replicated or ongoing include Ontario, Manchester City airport, California; Las Colinas in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Paris, France; Campinas, Brazil; Lantau Island, Hong Kong; Seoul, Korea; and Wayne County, Michigan.

With 25 airports scattered around Nigeria, stakeholders say we do not need petroleum revenue to turn the country into the Dubai of Africa; the only challenge lies with the political will and optimistic view of those concerned.

Since the Minister has projected the commencement of such project in the new year, Nigeria must rise up and like the music legend said ‘let us join the music being played by others, make it loud and make it clear because It’s time to stand up to the new world.

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Showcasing Nigeria's historical monuments

By Idris Olukoya

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takeholders in the tourism industry are worried that the numerous historical monuments in the country are not being accorded the deserved recognition. Due to neglect, patronage has significantly dropped with resultant loss of revenue. They have, therefore, called for the upgrade, renovation and proper maintenance of the numerous monuments spread across the country.

The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), has, however, expressed its readiness to upgrade and popularise such monuments.

Alhaji Yusuf Abdallah, the Director-General of NCMM, gave the assurance at the recent centenary anniversary of the late Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa. The event itself featured exhibitions on the life and death of the late prime minister, killed during Nigeria's first military coup d'ĂŠtat in 1966.

The DG said that monuments in the country served as a memorable reminder of what Nigeria was and what it is today. Abdallah said that the commission was working with states, local government councils and the media to promote and popularise the edifices, in order to attract both local and foreign tourists to the country.

He said the monuments were of great historical importance which Nigerian youths ought to know about.

The monuments include: Olumo Rock, Abeokuta; Nigeria's first storey building located in Badagry, Tinubu Square, Lagos, Osun Osogbo Groove, Obafemi Awolowo Mausoleum, Badagry Slave Port, Ogbunike Cave, Anambra and the National Theatre, Lagos Others are the Zuma Rock, Niger, Guarara Falls, Niger, Kano City Wall, Owu Falls, Kwara among others.

Mr Ikechi Uko, the Project Director of Seven Wonders of Nigeria, a tourism company, stressed the need to upgrade the nation's monuments in order to attract quality tourists.

"All these are great tourism and relaxation centres that state governments could generate revenues from,'' he said. Records from the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in Lagos show that 42,960 picnickers visited in the first nine months of 2012, an improvement over the 40,200 picnickers recorded in 2011.

The figure which experts considered as low shows the level of patronage of museums and monuments by Nigerians. An official of NCMM, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that foreigners who visited the museum in Lagos "loved the art works at the gallery and showed interest in investing in Nigeria's arts sector. Patronage would

This rare architecture is located in Kafin Madaki village of Ganjuwa Local Government Area in Bauchi state increase if government renovates the museum and makes it more befitting. “ He said NCMM planned to upgrade the museum to international standards and also working closely with security agencies to ensure adequate security of all the artefacts. Mr Wilbert Frank, Group Managing Director, International Africa Hospitality Leisure Group,

advises Lagos State Government to convert some historical centres in the state to monuments. Frank specifically urges the government to convert the Glover Memorial Hall and some other historical centres to monuments to boost the state tourism potential.

He, however, said that some of the historical centres in the state were not well managed. He said that with government's intervention, historical centres in the state would look befitting for relaxation and research. Mrs Wanda Ibru, the Managing Director, Pathways Tourism Development Initiative, Lagos also urged the Federal Government to toe the line of other countries that converted some of their historical centres to monuments, in memory of their heroes and heroines.

She said that the historical centres could be named after nationalists such as Obafemi Awolowo, Murtala Mohammed, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, among others. Mrs Nkem Ahufo, the General Manager, Delta State Tourism Board, said that there was an urgent need to establish a data bank of historical monuments and other important buildings and structures in Nigeria. He suggested regular maintenance of listed buildings, objects or structures. Experts say that the few functional monuments in the country should be increased to make Nigeria the preferred tourists' destination in the world. (NAN)

NIHOTOUR to establish training hotel in Abuja – DG

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Director-General, NCMM, Alhaji Yusuf Abdallah

he National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) said on Monday in Abuja that plans were underway to establish a training hotel in Abuja.

Alhaji Munzali Dantata, the Director-General NIHOTOUR made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Dantata said that the move was geared toward ensuring professionalism in the tourism in du st ry .

He said that there was need to train about 3,000 people in

Runsewe unveils Press Gallery House

By Miriam Humbe

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he Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has officially unveiled the Press Gallery House at a ceremony held at the premises of the House located at Apo permanent site in Abuja, Tuesday.

Just before cutting the tape to signal the opening, the DG said Journalism profession made him successful and he was happy to reconnect with his roots with the

privilege of opening the Press Gallery House.

He congratulated the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Mallam Isiaka Mustapha for the courageous move while promising maximum support towards the success of the project which he described as a brilliant initiative.

Otunba Runsewe used the opportunity to solicit support from everyone especially media practitioners to contribute their quota in ensuring the success of the project.

He also seized the platform to

reveal plans by the NTDC to celebrate 50 icons of the entertainment industry to set a precedence of celebrating people while they are alive.

In his address, the Publisher said the media outfit started four years ago with the mission and vision of fighting corruption headlong.

He eulogized Otunba Runsewe for contributing immensely both morally and financially to the success of the project and for his rare sense of magnanimity.

2013 to guarantee the growth of the industry as well as eliminate quacks. ``We intend to train as many people as we can so as to ensure that the manpower in the tourism industry will be well informed,'' Dantata said.

Dantata said that the training hotel would complement the activities of the existing one in Kano.

He said that the institute also planned to bring professional bodies in the tourism industry together to monitor the activities of tourism business in the c o u nt r y .

Dantata said that bringing the professional bodies together would help to checkmate quacks.

He condemned the activities of quacks in the industry, adding that they were not only corrupting the industry ``but were dragging its name to the mud''.

Dantata also explained plans by the institute to contribute to the centenary celebration of Nigeria's amalgamation. ``We are awaiting Federal Government's launch of the programme so that we can key into it and contribute our quota,'' Dantata said. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 22

We have trained engineers for MD 83 aircraft - NCAA

By Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

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Managing Director/CEO, UBA Capital Plc , Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa; CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Managing Director/CEO, Africa Prudential Registrars Plc, Mr. Peter Ashade; and Executive Director, NSE, Mr. Jalo Waziri, during the official listing of the shares of Africa Prudential Registrars Plc and UBA Capital Plc and the ringing of closing bell at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, in Lagos, on Friday.

‘NIOMCO capable of generating N72bn annually from concentrate’

By Josephine Ella Ejeh

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he Chairman, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Itakpe branch in Kogi state, Comrade Ibori Dauda Salihu has revealed that when fully operational, the National Iron Ore Mining Company(NIOMCO), Itakpe, Kogi state could rake in a total of N72.9 billion annually from the projected production of 600,000 tonnes of concentrate at the rate of $180 per ton.

Comrade Salihu also told journalists that aside this, there are other viable by-products like tailings, chippings, pi coat, feldspar, rail track among others that can be made to be consumed locally here in Nigeria and also exported to take in well over N120 billion annually for Nigeria.

He said, in addition to foreign exchange saving of over $486 through import substitution, diversification of the revenue base of the Nigerian economy, self reliance and security of supply to the local steel industries, improved human capacity building and technical know-how

was are among other advantages that could be derived from the company.

According to him, “NIOMCO is a viable platform for the achievement of Vision 20:2020 of the Federal Government in the area of wealth creation, employment generation and security of lives and property”.

He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for considering the steel sector a major priority of his administration as well as his approval of the recent appointment of the sole administrator of the company.

The chairman of the association which is an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress said that in 1979 when mining activities commenced in NIOMCO, “some significant achievements were recorded over the years but when the company was foisted with Messrs Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (GINL), an Indian outfit in 2005, a lot of havoc was done to both human and material resources”.

He cautioned the Federal Government against the frantic efforts of GINL to recapture the

company, saying, “We can only hope and pray that government would not make the mistake of bringing back GINL or any such investors to NIOMCO o prevent reoccurrence of such ugly incident”.

He said the non-release of funds to re-operationalise some of the units of the company as announced by the FG since 2010 till date is a major setback to the company.

He therefore, urged the FG to make necessary efforts to release the funds required for rehabilitation and reoperationalisation of NIOMCO without further delay in addition to releasing all other funds needed to complete the old contracts “NIOMCO should take advantage of the present attractive price of concentrate and by-products to resume production so as to satisfy domestic users’ needs and eventually venture into export market due to the expected further price increase due to diminishing global iron ore resources,” he added.

Final winners emerge in Ecobank promo From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

F

inal set of winners have emerged at the Ecobank ‘Win Big Promo’ with Green James Rose of King Jaja branch in Bonny, Rivers State, winning the grand prize – a Nissan sports utility vehicle.

Rose emerged among 1,519,340 people who qualified for the grand prize.

Also, Margaret Omisakin of Ile-Ife Branch won a Nissan Salon car – being the star prize for the fourth draw, combined with the grand draw event.

Head, Domestic Bank Products, Mr. Funwa Akinmade, addressing customers at the event in Lagos, said Ecobank had

kept faith with its customers by rewarding them monthly since October 2012 through the promo.

He said that the promo was aimed at encouraging people to be diligent in savings, a trait, which for him, would be handy on a rainy day.

Akinmade said, “It has been wonderful to hear the pleasure and happiness in customers’ voice as they are informed of their winnings. We encourage old and new customers to open or grow their accounts with Ecobank and be rewarded for it.”

Winners in other categories include Luqman Amolegbe and Okeke Sunday, both customers from Olojo and Alaba

International Market branches, respectively. Each of them won a 2.5kva generator.

LCD television sets, and BlackBerry phones were also won at the event.

The event was witnessed by representatives of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and Consumer Protection Council.

According to Mrs. Susie Onwuka of the CPC, Lagos office, the transparency of the draws attests to the fact that Ecobank is a customer centred-bank.

Ecobank had announced the Win Big Promo in September, last year, to reward loyal customers actively operating their Ecobank current and savings accounts.

he Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have dispelled some allegations flying round, especially by some members of the National Assembly committees on aviation, that the authority has no competent engineers for MD 83aircraft.

NCAA confirmed that “the Au thor ity has two Aviati on Sa fet y In spe cto rs (ASI) a nd tw o P ilot s t ype rat ed on Mc Don nell Do ugl as MD83,” an d ga ve the nam es of In spe cto rs t hat ha ve su cces sfu lly comp let ed t he type training on the aircraft type as Adetu E.E. (2008) and Asiru F.A (2010), with ICAO re fer ence do cum ent 8335, chapter 6, sections 2.1 & 2.2 (Manua l o f Pr oce dur es f or Op erat ion s In spe ctio n, Certification and continuing S ur ve il la nc e) .

Me dia Ass ista nt to t he Di rect or- Gen eral , S am Adurogboye made this known in a p res s re leas e i ssue d, st ati ng furt her th at in addition to the two pilots type rated on the MD 80 series, and th at the aut hor ity als o h as Ca ptai n A deoy e O lude ji Is ika lu a nd Cap tain Si di Maikano Abdullahi.

Adurogboye however

explained that contrary to widely-held beliefs, NCAA does not engage in aircraft maintenance which may include repairs, overhaul, modification or replacement and that, ‘’as a matter of fact, it is prohibited for our safety inspectors , n o m at t er ho w k no w le dg e ab l e, sk i ll ed an d e xp e ri e nc e d th e y a re , t o c ar r y o ut ma in t en a nc e o n an y ai rcr aft for th e p urpo se o f c er t i fy i ng it ai r w or t hy .

T hi s is the a cc e pt a bl e w or l dw id e s a fe t y p ra ct i ce .

The only aircraft audit is an NC AA i ni ti at ive a nd p ar t of ou r sa fet y overs ight .”

In t he sa m e vei n , NCA A has also defended the decision t o a ll o w D ANA r et u rn s t o o pe r at i on , s a yi n g t ha t “airlines began operations in 2 00 8 a n d ha s o p er a te d 1 8, 9 77 ( E ig h te e n t ho us a nd , n in e h u nd r ed a n d s eve nt y s eve n) f l ig h ts an d c ar r ie d over 1,000,699 (One million, six hundred and ninety nine) p as s en g er s w i th o ut an y accident” and that these are parameters for safety record.

T he au t ho r it y th e re f or e assured the travelling public th at i t wi ll n ot c om pr om is e any breach of safety as it will c on t in u e t o e n su r e s af e a ir l in e o p er a ti o ns in th e c oun t ry.

Omatek computers roll out technology for SMEs

By Chris Alu

M

anufactures of computer equipment, Omatek , has roll out a solar system technology to enhance small-scale businesses in Nigeria.

The Group Managing Director, Omatek Group, Mrs. Florence Seriki said the 1 KVA – 6 KVA solar inverters with panels are targeting at small businesses and homes whose energy consumption is small.

“These small solar panels for small entrepreneurs such as saloons, shops and homes are alternative to 2.5 KVA generators that most of these small entrepreneurs are using with its attendant noise discomfort among others,” she said.

The launch of the small solar panels and inverters is in addition to the first range of UPS, inverters and solar PV panels that are 100 per cent compatible with Nigeria’s environmental conditions, the company launched some years back. The power solutions were made in partnership with China’s based Kehua Group.

The energy solutions form part of a green energy package that the Nigerian technology company unveiled for homes, corporate Nigeria, the education and telecom sectors to address the rising energy needs.

She reiterated the commitment of her company to e-learning scheme, as the tablets and notebooks have been manufactured with inbuilt curriculum of the children, which, according to her, has provided a platform to ensure that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools are deployed to class rooms under a carefully structured learning environment equipped with internet connectivity to create a virtual connection between students and teachers.

“With this development, Omatek is ready to give adequate support to computer for students’ initiative of the federal government through the ministry of communications technology,” Seriki said.

The initiative was launched recently by the Minister to create a platform for Nigerian students to acquire laptops at reasonable prices and also create market opportunities for Omatek brands.

The e-leaning scheme involves the deployment of a robust content and curriculum as well as monitoring and evaluation modules to ensure seamless implementation under which students can explore educational contents under guidance by tutors that make the learning experience an exciting and cost effective one.

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

07055652553 udennaorji@yahoo.com

Nigeria’s real estate market outlook favourable, say foreign bankers Pg 26

Is it time to update Interest your home insurance? rates on mortgage should be below 10% per annum - Ozoani Pg 26

Pg 27

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 25

Bathroom designs for 2013 The concept of the bathroom has changed over the years. No longer are bathrooms those small rooms where the mere obligation of a bath is done. Now, they are designed to offer relaxation and inspiration, plus outstanding aesthetics. The idea is that you should never be in a hurry to leave your bathroom. Please find inspiration for your next renovation or new construction in these stylish bathrooms that range in attitude, from simplicity to opulence.

This venerable l i m e s t o n e mansion has b e e n transformed into a sleek, co ntempora ry space with the help of designers.

The master bath makes a minimalist statement with an overscale eggshaped tub and a vintage ceiling fixture.

When designing an extension for a late-19th-century home, the architect and interior decorator wanted to create a space that was at once ultramodern and livable. The master bathroom is just that-a sleek yet inviting, marble-lined retreat. The design team created a sun-splashed room featuring walls painted a soft green, and mirrored surfaces that reflect both light and views.

D e s i g n e r s understand the transformative power of even a s m a l l renovation. To take advantage of all the ex traordi na ry ocean views, the designer ripped out the false ceiling in the bathroom and i n s t a l l e d d r a m a t i c d o u b l e - h e i gh t windows.

This country house celebrates classic English style with an American point of view. The stately master bathroom features a fireplace with an 18th-century mantelpiece, and a freestanding marble bathtub. The mirrored wall reflects views of the lush gardens.

D e s i g n e r s understand the transformative power of even a s m a l l renovation. To take advantage of all the ex traordi na ry ocean views, the designer ripped out the false ceiling in the bathroom and i n s t a l l e d d r a m a t i c d o u b l e - h e i gh t windows.

Architect Kengo Kuma created a guest bath clad in wooden slats and with a striking window wall that lends the feeling of a tree house. The rectangular tub and basin are made of hiba wood and are offset by a sculptural stool.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Nigeria’s real estate market outlook favourable, say foreign bankers

By Udenna Orji

A

new World Bank report says Nigeria has the potential to become Africa's foremost economic power, with an average GDP of six per cent per annum, buoyed by a young and growing population of 160 million.

Morgan Stanley, an investment banking institution, has also predicted that Nigeria's economy would outperform South Africa's by 2025 to become the biggest in Africa.

Both institutions say Nigeria's macroeconomic outlook is favourable. With an expected stable inflation rate, five per cent rural to urban immigration, and three per cent population growth, the financial institutions say Nigeria is a huge real estate market by all standards.

Concurring with the statistics, Mohammed Jibrin, Managing Director of mortgage banker, Sun Trust Savings and Loans Limited noted that "in the highly developed economies, the average contribution of the real estate and housing sectors to the GDP is 40 per cent. In every economy, there is an engine room for that economy. The Nigerian housing sector can serve as that engine room as we seek to diversify our economic base. The sector has the potential to generate and create huge economic activities. The housing sector needs to consume other building materials and products such as electrical equipment, furniture, paints, roofing, cement, etc. The sector can help in developing small and large scale production of these key inputs thereby generating employment and increasing the level of national income.

Addressing the housing sector problem is the same as addressing the unemployment problem and one avenue to diversify the economy away from dependence on the oil sector".

Stakeholders identify obstacles to housing development in Nigeria.

Construction stakeholders, including estate surveyors and real estate practitioners who concluded a two-day international conference on housing held at Lagos have identified the following as obstacles to housing development in Nigeria.

Low Income Nigerians have a per capita income of about $1000, about half our National per capital income in 1975. Despite the high oil revenue of the last three decades, poverty has remained with us in Nigeria. Poverty in Nigeria used to be rural-based but between 1985 and 1992, the number of the poor in rural areas fell sharply from 25.3 million to 22.8 million while those in urban centers rose from

President Goodluck Jonathan 9.7 to 11.9. A low income is a big constraint in accessing affordability because mortgage is all about the ability to service loan when due. For this reason the majority of Lagosians live in rooming houses (73 per cent) as tenants. Singapore which was our peer in the early sixties has managed to house up to 85 percent of its citizens in owneroccupied flats and houses.

Dearth of Long-Term Funds High rates of interest and inflation have been typical features of our volatile economy since the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986. The Naira has suffered extensive depreciation averaging 45 percent per annum between 1987 and 1993, from an exchange rate of N1.0 to $1.0 in 1987 to N120.0 to $1.0. Because most of our building materials have traditionally been imported, the effect of this depreciation has been a rapid rise in cost of construction.

Interest rate has been similarly high at times as high as 72 percent in 1995: became stable around 18 percent after conclusion of the banking consolidation; but now on the rise again as a result of current global financial meltdown. The combined effect of these has been a sharp rise on the price of homes. The inability of Nigerian banks to harness savings from the people has been a major reason for the lack of long-term funds in the economy. The commercial banks have traditionally served only the mercantile class and lately the oil and manufacturing sector.

Housing and Urban Development Minister, Amal Pepple The Primary Mortgage Institutions and microfinance teams are recent efforts to harness savings from the masses but they are mainly urban based and operate more or less like banks with very high appetite for quick profit.

High Cost of Construction Our refusal to build houses with locally available materials has been a major cog in the wheel of housing delivery. A look at our urban centers will show that our houses are built mostly of imported materials (cement, iron rods, aluminum

roof).

Low Level of Economic Ac tivi ty Statistic recently release by Nigerian Insurance Commission indicates that only about 15 million Nigerians are in regular employment. The vast majority are still employed in subsistence agriculture or in menial services like okada riding.

The level of industrialization is low so also is commerce which is characterized by street trading.

Though the oil industry is strong but it is unfortunately

not linked to the local economy.

The combination of these factors is that the disposable income of the average Nigerian is low to build a house or qualify for mortgage assistance.

Access to Land The main objective of the Land Use Act was to facilitate access to land by the generality of Nigerians. Unfortunately the act has had the opposite effect.

Though it has made it easier for the elite to acquire land, it has made it much harder for the majority of Nigerians to access land.

Interest rates on mortgage should be below 10% per annum - Ozoani

T

he Federal Government has been called upon to develop mortgage policies that will encourage Nigerian banks to grant mortgage loans to Nigerians at a maximum of 9% per annum.

Government has also been urged to check the rising inflationary trend in Nigeria as the trend is causing a steady rise in the cost of building inputs in Nigeria, leading to high costs in property development and sales.

Speaking with Peoples Daily on how to boost homeownership in Nigeria and reduce the nation's estimated 17 million units housing deficit, the Group General Manager of awardwinning mass housing developer, El-Salem Nigeria Limited, Mr. Geoffrey Ozoani appealed to government to "come up with very definite policies on mortgage.

Definite

implementable policies on mortgage that make it attractive for commercial banks to offer mortgage loans to Nigerians because most commercial banks are not providing mortgage facilities".

He noted that "the fear of our commercial banks is how they can recover their money but a mortgage loan is the easiest loan to recover because the house serves as collateral and usually also rises in value over time. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) loan is at 6% but if all our commercial banks are encouraged through attractive policies to offer mortgage loans at say 8% or 9%, Nigeria’s housing deficit will drastically reduce.

Even in Namibia where I recently returned from, the commercial banks pursue people to come and collect mortgage loans because their mortgage system works

perfectly.

According to him, "there is also the burning need to create awareness to Nigerians about mortgages and Nigerian mortgage institutions. Even contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) do not know what they are contributing for.

States and local governments should make land available to developers and encourage their workers to get loans from mortgage institutions to buy their own houses. In addition, prices of cement and other building materials keep rising even after you have agreed on a house price with a client. By the time the client pays 10% of say N5 million, the cost of building the house has risen to N7 million. Besides all these is the difficulty in getting land. A plot of land jumps in prices virtually monthly. These are some of the challenges".

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 27

Is it time to update your home insurance?

By Udenna Orji

H

ome insurance is very low in Nigeria due to low insurance penetration in the country. Low insurance penetration has also been blamed for the near absence of a viable mortgage market in Nigeria as the long term fund placements in some categories of insurance are usually used to create mortgages in the developed countries. Learn more about home insurance and instances when it could be beneficial to update your home insurance policy.

Is your home insurance policy up for renewal? You might want to take some time to reevaluate your policy.

Why? Because certain changes to your home - and even your lifestyle - could help you qualify for available discounts.

As a matter of practice, when a homeowner is shopping for insurance or ready to renew a policy, they should always ask their agent or company what discounts they qualify to receive.

Still not convinced it's time to re-evaluate your home insurance policy? Keep reading for some reasons you might want to reconsider that notion.

Reason #1 - You've recently remodeled your home If you've recently completed a home remodel - whether it's

expanding your kitchen or adding on a guest room - it may be time to reassess your home insurance policy.

Many home improvements may have just a little impact on the cost of the policy, but if the improvement is not noted in the policy, it may not be covered.

In addition, you risk being underinsured if you don't report the increase in square footage to your insurance company," according to the Insurance Information Institute (III) article, "How Often Should I Review My Policy?"

Remodeling projects also include any new additions to the outside of your home. If you've put in a gazebo or a new shed, for example, consider contacting your insurance agent.

Reason #2 - You've made a big purchase Did you recently get an expensive piece of art or a shiny diamond necklace? After you admire its beauty, be sure to report it to your insurance agent.

And let's not forget about valuable gifts. It is important that you have sufficient coverage for recently acquired gifts - like that sparkly engagement ring.

Just keep in mind that some home insurance policies may include "per item" limits, usually between $1,500 and $2,500, says Moraga.

If you buy a $5,000 giant plasma TV, and your policy per item limit is $1,500, you would only get the $1,500 if the TV were stolen.

So how do you get more coverage?

Talk to your insurance agent about raising the coverage for your personal possessions or buying a floater/ endorsement - an individual policy that provides higher coverage for your expensive items.

Reason #3 - You've made safety improvements to your home Did you know that making safety updates to your home could help you save money on your insurance policy? It's true.

If the improvement is a safety feature, some insurers may offer discounts.

But what is considered a safety-related improvement?

Automatic fire sprinklers, fireresistant roofs, and burglar alarms tied into a response system are just some examples.

And if you live in an area with high occurrences of natural disasters or windstorms, you could get a discount for making your home more disasterresistant.

For example: You may be able to save on your premiums by adding storm shutters, shatter-proof glass, reinforcing your roof, or buying stronger roofing materials."

Reason #4 - You've made changes in your household or lifestyle Whether it's your child leaving for college or your mother-in-law moving in, if there's been a change in your family dynamics, it could be a good time to revise your home insurance policy.

Circumstances affecting the number of people living under your roof - divorce, marriage, or adult children/family members moving away or back home - are all reasons to review your coverage needs.

When people move in or move out, they take their belongings with them. And you may need additional coverage if there is a sizable increase in the value of the belongings in your home.

In addition, changes in lifestyle could also help lower your insurance rates.

Many insurance companies offer discounts to retirees because they know the homeowners will be spending more time at home and be able to prevent many claims from happening. And if you stop smoking, some companies even offer discounts for non-smokers, adds Moraga.

Reason #5 - You have a new furry family member Did you know that your new dog could affect your home insurance needs? If Fido or

Spike bites someone who is legally on your property, extra insurance coverage could help protect you.

Even if you think that your furry friend would never hurt a soul, friendly dogs can attack if frightened - about 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And when these dog bites occur, more than 50 percent happen on the dog owner's property. Lawsuits Can Take a Bite Out of Your Wallet; Be a Responsible Dog Owner.

With dog bites accounting for more than one-third of all 2009 homeowners insurance liability claims - says the III's "Lawsuits" press release - it's even more important to make sure that you're covered.

The insurance industry pays out about $400 million each year just for dog bites. The good news is that home insurance companies generally cover dog bite liability.

"Most standard homeowners' policies provide policyholders with anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 in liability coverage," says the III's "Lawsuits" press release.

"However, once a dog has bitten someone, your insurance company may charge a higher premium or exclude the dog from coverage."

PAGE 28

I

t takes years of consistent superiority to earn icon status, and the 2013 BMW M3 couldn't shake off its weighty mantle any more than a cheetah could outrun its own spots. One hot-rodded or so-called special edition doesn't cut it. Being competitive in a category or two against an icon isn't even enough.

Benchmarked, copied and targeted: That's how a 2013 BMW M3 rolls. If you've never driven one and an M3 is merely the most expensive 3 Series (and therefore a status symbol) to you, then you're probably missing the point.

What makes the M3 a unique automotive icon is not just how well it can provide an enthralling driving experience (and it does), but that it can do so without sacrificing everyday drivability, practicality or even price. So why mess with a winning formula like that? BMW agrees and essentially left both the coupe and convertible M3 models as-is for the 2013 model year.

T h i s means the 2013 BMW M3 is still powered by a n e x c l u s i ve , naturally aspirated 4.0liter V8 that cranks out ample midrange power topped off by an addictive high-end rush as it winds out to a sky-high 8,400rpm redline. A supremely balanced chassis and available adaptive suspension ensure the M3 corners steady and true while also providing luxury-car isolation and ride comfort on the highway or within the city. Of course, the requisite high-tech features, infotainment options and performance enhancements ensure the M3's competitiveness

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

2013 BMW M3 provides an enthralling driving experience among the throngs that are trying to knock it off its pedestal.

The 2013 BMW M3 has few peers that are as well-rounded.

But for the money, there are three natural competitors, and each comes from a similar "special division." The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG boasts a larger, comparatively more brutish V8 engine and similarly adept handling that combine to give the

M3 a run for the euros.

Also from Germany is Audi's new RS 5, which looks fantastic and has superlative grip exiting corners thanks to its standard allwheel drive. Meanwhile, the 2013 Cadillac CTS-V is a larger, American-style take on the M3 ethos.

Still, for a world-class sport coupe or convertible that also deftly navigates the daily grind, the 2013 BMW M3 is unbeatable.

The 2013 BMW M3 is available in coupe and convertible body

styles.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch wheels, a limited-slip rear differential, automatic adaptive xenon headlights, automatic wipers, an auto-dimming rearview

mirror, manual sport seats with power-

adjustable side bolsters and lumbar support, leather-cloth upholstery, Bluetooth, the BMW Assist telematics service and a single-CD sound system with HD radio, USB/iPod interface and an auxiliary audio jack.

The coupe adds a carbon-fiber roof and split-folding rear seat, while the convertible gets a

power-retractable hardtop, power front seats with driver seat memory and sun-reflective leather.

The Cold Weather package adds heated front seats and retractable headlight washers, while the Premium

package bundles power-folding mirrors, rear parking sensors,

keyless ignition/entry, upgraded leather and different interior trim and a navigation system. The same package for the coupe also includes power front seats, a power rear sunshade and leather upholstery.

The M3 coupe can be fitted with the Competition package, which lowers the suspension and adds adaptive suspension dampers, 19-inch wheels with high-performance tires, and different programming for its dampers and stability control.

Many of the M3's packaged items are available as stand-alone options, as are 19-inch wheels, a sunroof (requires replacing the coupe's carbon-fiber roof with steel), satellite radio and a premium sound system.

For 2013 only, a limitededition M3 coupe is the fruit of collaboration with Skip Barber, owner of the well-known Lime Rock Park racetrack. Each of the 200 2013 BMW M3 Coupe Lime

Rock Park Editions will be bathed in what BMW calls a "rare" Fire Orange exterior paint. The Competition package comes standard. Other changes include a lightweight titanium exhaust muffler, carbon-fiber front and rear aerodynamic aids, a flatbottom steering wheel and special interior trim.

A 4.0-liter V8 powers the 2013 BMW M3, sending 414 h o rs e p ow e r and 295 poundfeet of

torque to the rear wheels. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a seven-speed dualclutch automated-manual transmission (M DCT) is optional.

The latter offers manual operation via steering-wheel paddles as well as a full automatic mode. All M3s feature a specialized, electronically controlled locking rear differential.

In Edmunds testing, an M3 coupe with manual transmission sprinted from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. That's an impressive time, although it's worth noting that the C63 AMG and CTS-V are both quicker. A convertible with the dual-clutch automated manual transmission makes the same run in 4.8 seconds. With either transmission, EPAestimated fuel economy is 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway and 16 mpg combined. A manual-equipped convertible gets 13 mpg city.

Standard safety features for the 2013 BMW M3 include front seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, antilock disc brakes, traction control and stability control. The convertible lacks the side curtains but features rollover hoops and front side airbags that rise to head level. Optional is the BMW Assist emergency communications system, which provides automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery and on-demand roadside assistance.

Braking performance is simply phenomenal. In Edmunds testing an M3 coupe stopped from 60 mph in 100 feet, which is among the shortest distances we've recorded; the slightly heavier convertible took 108 feet.

Source: Edmunds.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 29

NTDC to focus on promotion of indigenous festivals in the SW in 2013

T

he Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) said part of its activities for 2013 was to focus on the promotion and marketing of indigenous festivals within the South-West Zone.

Mr Nasir Kaka, the SouthWest Zonal Coordinator, NTDC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He said that there were many festivals going on in the zone that could attract international tourists.

According to him, the

corporation is fully prepared to promote and market those festivals to the outside world.

Kaka said that the ideal to promote festivals was borne out of the uniqueness of the cultural diversity of Nigeria and as a way of re-branding Nigeria's culture to the international community. ``Last year was a busy year for us. This year, we are having the south-west zonal festival calendar for 2013 which we are going to send to Abuja for approval. ``This year, we are going to be focusing on the promotion of

indigenous festivals within the south-west zone of the country. ``The corporation is charged with the responsibility of promoting, marketing and coordinating of tourism activities in the country,'' he said.

He said the corporation would partner with states in the zone to market such festivals to the international community.

He said that the corporation would do all within its power to ensure that the nation's tourism industry took its rightful place in the world of tourism.(NAN)

Ancient and modern': Contemporary nigerian student working on her computer beside a local potter, at ushafa pottery centre in abuja.

Photo: Nan

Nollywood Actress advises young artists on decency

A

Nollywood actress, Vivian Anani, has advised upcoming artists to be passionate and decent in their profession.

Anani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that dedication, honesty and hard work were qualities that would make them grow in the profession.

She said, ``Young artists kill themselves for fame and fortune.

Some of them come into the profession and want to be known in two to six months no matter what it will cost.

``This mind set leads them into doing all kinds of things to be able to achieve fame, but thet crash out because of lack of passion for the profession. ``I want to advice them to make decency their wash word, have passion for what they want to do not because other people are doing it and making money so they want to come and do it to make money. ``If you have passion for it, you will respect the profession and you will play by the rules of the profession,'' she said.

Anani advised the young artists to be patient and God fearing, not to want to come and be like somebody, but to be themselves. ``You can only be a fake of another person because you can never be an original of anybody.

Be yourselves, discover that area that you are specially gifted in. ``If it is comedy, dance, whatever, do it. Everybody has a special gift so discover which one you are gifted and the sky will be your limits,'' she added.(NAN)

Expert identifies tourism as major economic booster

P

MAN president urges musicians to use entertainment to promote tourism Mr Tee Mac Omatshola, a former President of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), has urged musicians in the country to use entertainment to promote tourism internationally.

Omatshola told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Lagos that entertainment and tourism shared similar features. ``There is no tourist centres you will visit that there won't be a side attraction going on, like playing

of songs, cultural display, drama and some others. ``Entertainment is one of the key players in promoting tourism due to the features they have in common.'' Omatshola said he has sung in different countries, including South Africa, United Kingdom, Zambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe and United States of America. ``I exhibit Nigeria culture and style to perform on stage and to promote the norms, value, tourism and culture of our dear nation. ``Most of the style exhibited and the culture displayed

internationally show the tourism potential the country is endowed with.'' Omatshola urged musicians to emulate the late Afro-beat king, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Ebenezer Obey, King Sunny Ade and I. K Dairo, among others. ``All these great heroes had spread the culture, style, norms and value of the country internationally, with the country's tourism potential.'' He said that if musicians could emulate these heroes, it would help to give the sector a facelift internationally and attract investors. (NAN)

FROM THE LIVE STAGE with Patrick-Jude Oteh 0803 700 0496, 0805 953 5215 (SMS only)

Death and the king's horseman

I

admit immediately. The above title is not mine. It is the title of one of the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka's plays. There has long been the argument that his Nobel Prize in Literature was hinged majorly on the above play.

It is a very interesting play. For me it holds a lot of lessons on leadership and commitment.

The play is based on actual events that took place in the ancient Yoruba town of Oyo during the colonial era. The Alaafin (King) had died but before he could be buried his Elesin Alaafin (King's Horseman) has to commit ritual suicide. The Alaafin was King.

He knew. The Elesin Alaafin knew he has to die when the Alaafin dies. He knew.

His whole life has been spent waiting for that moment. It was a glorious life for the King's Horseman. The story goes that while alive, because of the peculiar nature of his office, anything he asks for, anything he demanded was given without question. Such was the sanctity given to his office.

In this particular year, the Alaafin died. It was expected that the Elesin will fulfil the functions of his office. He started the journey and he had to go through the town in a glorious ride to the praise and adulations of his fellow citizens. He got to the market. W hile dancing and moving gloriously towards his eternal assignment, he saw a young girl. He decided to marry.

The young girl though betrothed to the leader of the market women (Iyaloja's )son was given to him. His j ourney was interrupted. Instead of dancing through the early evening to his assignment he went into a bridal chamber.

In another part of town, the servant of the D.O., Amusa told his master Pilkings that the drums they were hearing which his master had inquired about were drums leading the Elesin to 'commit death'. But to his native ears, the drums sounded like a wedding ceremony and at the same time they sounded like the drums leading to the specific moment. The D.O. swung into action. This was Her Majesty's territory - no one no matter how highly placed could take his life.

The Elesin was arrested in his bridal chamber. He pleaded to be allowed to go on with his divine assignment but the D.O. refused. It was too late. The

Elesin has to be saved from himself.

In far away England, the Elesin's son who was training to become a medical doctor, heard about the death of the Alaafin. He set off for home to bury his father, Elesin. He got home and met his father alive! Abomination!!! He called his father 'eater of leftovers' and left his father manacled in his shame. The son went on to commit the suicide in his fathers' stead.

W hen his body was brought to the prison where the Elesin was kept, it was borne on the shoulders of the people whom he had betrayed. Whom he had disappointed. The Elesin got to see what they were carrying. He strangled himself in a death that the people termed 'useless'. A death that no one will give him thanks for. In the mind of the people - his son has eaten the choicest of meat and left the bones for him.

The eternal question had always been - would all these tragic situations had occurred if the Elesin had gone on his way leaving the bride? W ould the D.O. have been able to arrest him and stop him in his duty to the people if he had done what he was supposed to do? Would the people be able to go back to a normal life within the community after all these incidents? What would happen to the spirit of the Alaafin if the son of the Elesin had not redeemed him from the abyss?

So many questions left unanswered.

We have a lot to learn from the life and times of the King's Horseman.

The last performance of this best of plays was in 2006 when we performed it at the British Council, Abuja. Those were the good old days when we could still perform at the courtyard of the council in the open air. The performances always left a haunting look on the faces of the members of the audience and possibly psyche. There was always dead pin silence when the Elesin strangles himself. But for me the most haunting moment was the point when the Iyaloja opens the 'parcel' that they had brought for the Elesin in his cell and it turns out to be his son, Olunde!

One of the most enduring bitterness the play leaves in one's mouth is the fact that it is a true story.

PAGE 30

BOOK REVIEW

By Bevan Bemgba Nyakuma

U

pon witnessing the explosion its creators had mixed reactions. However one thing was certain, they had ushered in a new dimension to war and the equilibrium in our existence. "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" Cried Robert Oppenheimer as he watched the mushroom cloud of radioactive vapour rise into the cloud, leaving only fragments of jade green radioactive glass in the soil and a horrendous weapon of war for mankind. The history of mankind is a tale of an endless episode of violence, death, bloodshed and the misery all in the name of war. In spite of these harsh realities mankind continues to be plagued by this terror. Benjamin Franklin once said, "There never was a good war or a bad peace" yet sadly we are forced to hear and see the frightening images of innocent men, women and children who have been murdered, maimed, raped, tortured and scarred by conflicts in their localities.

Driven by the will to survive, the victims are forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in the indignity of life as a hopeless nomads and refugees. In the process they attempt to cross paths strewn with perils, despair and hopelessness; many perish, some fall prey to uncertainty and many never have another shot at the better life they desperately seek. Yet the fortunate few that brave the hazardous circumstances end up in the chains of destitution, discrimination and under the constant shadow of fears in cities of the Western nations.

The ''War Child'' by Bruce Cerew is a book that chronicles the tales of war; as seen through the eye of a boy, Ray, its protagonist and victim of horrors of the conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The book paints a true picture of the plight of refugees and the horrors they are so atrociously

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

War Child

forced upon by lending credence to the voices of the maimed men, women, and children scarred and ravaged by war.

The 318 page "War Child" is written as a narrative and employs a simple diction to tell its story. It is a tale of humor and tragedy, courage and fear, hopelessness and anticipation, love and betrayal, hope and triumph. "War Child" is set in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Netherlands.

The book begins with Ray's struggles in life beginning from an early age in Eastern Nigeria.

The young Ray was constantly abused by his father (a compulsive gambler and an alcoholic) who could not come to terms with the boy's inadequacies.

Ray was thus sent away to the village of Amata to live with his grandmother. There Ray finds love, fear and mysterious character in whom he suddenly finds a friend and comforter.

Now grown the boy Ray puts aside childhood traumas and insecurities returns to the city in search of a livelihood. But his hallucinations reappeared handing him the feeling of emptiness and his fears and delusions.

In search of greener pastures away from hassles of life in Nigeria, Ray emigrates to Monrovia. But before he could settle in the country was thrown into conflict. The war ushered in a time of bloodshed, death, sorrow and anguish. Ray forced to flee to

Freetown, Sierra Leone in the hope for a life away from the misery of carnage in Liberia. But yet again the gates of Hell were cast open.

The second part of "War Child" begins Ray's eventual flight to the Netherlands where Ray meets Jamo and Bar. The plot in the tale of their freedom from war, poverty and uncertainty in Africa climaxes with the rejection, misgivings and hardships of life in the observation camp. Living with other refugees the trio are challenged by myriad elements and the harsh realities of life in the west. In the face of these trials, betrayal and disappointment Ray meets and fall in love for the first time. But his joy is short lived when he is sent away to the Asylum Seekers Camp (ASC) in Haarlem. With no money, job or friends, Ray is overtaken by depression, hallucinations and feelings of suicide.

But just when all hope seemed lost, Ray meets Ginger, a lady who helps to rekindle his hope in life.

But a sad and sudden twist brings their relationship with to a grinding halt. The Sad and dejected Ray returned to the ASC to the news from the immigration authorities.

In the end Ray finds falls in love again yet. With Trudy, the young man lived and learned the ropes of love, compromise and sacrifice which make relationship and companionship the pillars of a life worth living for.

The "War Child" is the compelling story of hope against despair, and a boy's will to give meaning to his life. It is bold message to humanity to say NO to wars and its devastating effects which seek to destroy mankind.

Wars reconcile nothing and unless people themselves refuse to go to war, as Albert Einstein posits, we may be all consumed by it. The "War Child" Bruce Cerew is available on in major book stores and internet www.warchildnet.com Source: Africanwriter.com

Igbo cultural carnival gulps N50m -- Initiator

T

he Igbo cultural carnival, held from Dec. 29 to Jan. 1, in Uturu, Abia gulped more than N50 million, the initiator, Dr Greg Ibe, has said.

Ibe disclosed this on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Uturu, Abia. According to him, the amount covered t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , accommodation, feeding and other logistics for troupes that attended the festival. He said that 13 states, including the South East and South South states, attended the event, which was organised by the Igbo Renaissance Centre (IRC), Gregory University, Uturu.

He described the four days event as ``the only carnival that represents the Igbo culture and norms.'' He said that the Federal Government had identified with the carnival but regretted that the state government had not shown interest in the fiesta. ``A bit of government's involvement will

add colour to the carnival. ``My belief is that government should inherit it in the spirit of the Public, Private Partnership,'' he said. Ibe said that the Director of African Museum, Prof. Jonathan Cole, also led a delegation to Uturu to get the historical fact about the culture of the place.

He admonished political

leaders to change their attitude toward the Igbo culture, saying ``government should be for the people.'' He alleged that political leaders ``have not done much in representing the people that elected them into office.''

Ibe, who is the Chancellor of the University, said that every aspect of the Igbo culture would be documented by IRC. He said

that the choice of Uturu for the carnival was informed by the historical fact that traced the origin of man in the southern Nigeria to the Ururu cave. ``The World Archaeological journal has such record and Ahiajoku lecture also identified the Uturu cave as the ancient kingdom,'' he said. (NAN)

Human development by tourism institute up by 54% -- Official

M

r Wale Odeyemi, Head, South West Campus of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), said that the institute recorded 54 per cent increase in human development in the 2011/2012 session.

Odeyemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the institute had recorded a geometrical growth in the last two years.

He said that the increase was recorded in the four categories of programmes studied in the

institute.

He said that there was 20 per cent increase in the post graduate section; and 16 per cent increase in the basic courses.

Others are 8 per cent increase in the professional programmes; and more than 10 per cent increase in the certificate programmes. ``NIHOTOUR has recorded a tremendous increase in terms of human development in the last two years and recorded 54 per cent increase in human development in the 2011/2012 session,'' Odeyemi said.

NAN recalls that NIHOTOUR graduated more than 5,000 students in the 2010/2011 session.

According to him, the institute is making efforts to introduce a professional Master Degree programme in 2013.

Odeyemi said that this was geared toward training more professionals in the industry and to have more capable hands to run the industry.

He said that, ``as the number of students increased yearly, the institute requires more modern equipment to enable it attain its desired goals''. (NAN)

PEOPLES POEM OF THE WEEK Title: Stars that begin to fill the night sky

By Abigail George

W

hile we sleep, while we eat,while we dream in ides Every night they make their tribal mark on civilisation The yellow sunlight of the white sun has now dissolved The din that suffocated us like a forest of trees is now Thinned, walled in by rooms that are deathly quiet like A mannequin's paradise escape - the flurry of a tongue On a belly; I can feel the heat of the wind floating on air It's not mournful at all; not like stories of the holocaust Understanding the measure of loss of love is not easy It simply takes possession over everything in your life Left with a gold watch that could no longer tell time A staged, petrified memory in which there was no longer Recognition of stealing touch and comfort out of routine Silence has come and gone; suffered with the dark hours I don't know why I felt like nothing in your life - I cast Words like stars into the night sky's shadow; thrust them Into predatory familiarity, the material of velocity, pieces Of fecundity; imagery that we shared as sisters growing up Speak, speak, speak now voyager, saboteur, even if your Words come as an abortion of small nothings; with a splash of red In slow motion; don't hold anything back as you have done For years: in war humanity behaves at its worst and you have Done the same, I would only like to garner access to you To your private, imaginative world - I have loved you from Afar for my whole life, alas, these cancer years sought a Substitute, under stars laid attractions to spools, negatives I trace your eyes, your wild hair; your teeth of pearls all in One place with my fingertips self-consciously - they all say 'Do not come too close'; up close you're delicate, a flower Whose blooms are not yet set in place - ripened by the sun?

Yet I feel you against my skin, after all aren't we mirror Images of each other born on the same day; years apart?

Here they come, here they come: salutary never haggard These stellar posers; one by one not stentorian reminding Me of your rounded figure built for comfort and not size Tell me what you want to hear; a moveable feast of words?

QUOTE “The magician and the politician have much in common: they both have to draw our attention away from what they are really doing.”

– Ben Okri

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 31

A crime without a name ANALYSIS

By Manuela Picq

T

he two-finger test, practiced by doctors to verify the claims of rape victims in India, was not exactly the way to go in the case of Delhi's infamous gangrape. It was not necessary for a doctor to further humiliate a victim by inserting his fingers into her vagina to assess rape, as the protocol requires. The rotten iron rod inserted into the victim destroyed many of her vital organs, and doctors were not to assess penetration but whether she could survive the gangrene that had settled in her intestines.

The brutal sexual attack of a 23 year-old paramedic student on a moving bus in the night of December 16 provoked a cultural tsunami across India. Her death two weeks later made it louder and everlasting. The crime brought widespread outcry because it was extremely gruesome, because police inaction indirectly permitted it, because it happened in plain sight.

Public reactions came in many forms, showing a breakthrough in collective consciousness. Mobilisations denounced a culture that justifies rape and blames victims, placing the onus of women's safety on society.

Women poured into the streets with banners saying "don't tell us how to dress, tell your sons not to rape", while others exposed their own survival stories in the media, shedding light on the extent of sexual violence across Indian society.

Men joined in, protesting alongside women in the streets and publicly discussing their own responsibilities in changing gender inequalities, undermining patriarchy and proving that violence against women is a shared societal concern.

There has been public resentment regarding the government's passive mishandling of the case, concealing the health of the victim, clashing with protesters, and making sexist comments. Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the right-wing RSS group, found no better response than blaming the crime on westernisation ("such crimes hardly take place in Bharat, but they frequently occur in India"), while others suggested that women would be safe if they stayed home or that their dressing invited such attacks.

The press has done much denouncing of the inefficiency and gender-bias of the police, with abundant data confirming widespread institutional impunity for

The 'public reactions came in many forms, showing a breakthrough in collective consciousness.

Mobilisations denounced a culture that justifies rape and blames victims, placing the onus of women's safety on society,' sexual crimes. The start of trials against the attackers has fuelled public debates on punishment, and whether the violators should be hanged, chemically castrated, or given a life sentence.

Across India, women and men are calling for an end to violence against women, discussing the insecurity for women in Delhi (which led to a female-only taxi service) or the macho retaliation against women who invariably top the rankings in college education.

Echoing the One Billion Rising Campaign, a tide of Indian voices is rising with unprecedented momentum against patriarchal structures.

In the midst of all this momentum, there is an issue that deserves greater attention. The crime that killed the victim was much more than gang-rape. There was rape, there was aggravated sexual assault, but there was also much more. I don't mean it merely in terms of the type of sadistic violence taking place, but of the hatred and dehumanisation implied in it.

She was not only raped, with the invasion of privacy and loss of dignity it entails. She was tortured. Mutilated.

As her organs failed her on a hospital bed, doctors tried to remove her intestines to save her life. Her schoolmate, who survived the attack, said he could not even start telling the atrocious brutality that took place on the bus that night.

Should such a crime be labelled under the generic wording of rape? Yes, by all means, there was rape involved. Yet defining such attack as a gang-rape is misleading in the same way it was misleading to define Hitler's murder of Jewish peoples as a common massacre.

It was no doubt part of it, but individual crimes were part of something much larger and systematic.

There is something beyond corporal violence taking place in su ch c rim es. The re is so meth ing sy mbol ic embedded in the violence of th e De lhi at tack , a vi olen ce di rect ed at kill ing wh at t he individual represents. There is a mes sage to be se nt th roug h t he sexu al mutilation of a woman's body, so meth ing mor e s yst emat ic ta king pl ace tha n t he ho mici de of a n i ndi vidu al wo ma n.

Th ere are ce rta in c rim es

“

fo r w hich wo rds fa il u s. In 1917, when the Turkish state sy stem ati call y k ill ed i ts Armenian population, the US am bass ado r re ferr ed to t he massacres as "a crime without a name". In 1940, when Hitler st art ed a sy ste mat ic ext ermina tion of mi llions of Je wish pe ople (qu oti ng t he im pun ity of the Tu rki sh killing of Armenians decades prior) there was still no name to describe such crime.

One option when words fall sh ort is to inve nt new one s.

Until the 1940s, there was no such thing as genocide. There wa s th e p ract ice of it, of course, but not the concept of it.

Raphael Lemkin coined the word to mean "killing (-cide) of a race (genos-)", as part of his attempt to tell the world wh at A usc hwit z w as real ly ab out. Be fore the wo rd w as in vent ed, the cr ime of ge noc ide did no t e xis t.

Without this word, we would no t h ave con cep tua lis ed co ncen tra tion ca mps as an in dust ria lisa tion of dea th geared at the extermination of th e Je wis h p eopl e, ho mose xua ls, and gy psie s.

Without this word, the United Nations would not have signed

Words enable conceptualisation. Conceptualising permits political debate, which in turn permits policy-making. Words foster mobilisation and the invention of new legal rights, as proven in the case of genocide, gay rights, and femicide.

the International Convention on the Crime of Genocide in 19 48. Wit hou t t his wor d, to day 's g lob al leg al s yst em wo uld be poo rer and mo re precarious. And we would not be ab le t o d iff eren tia te between the massacres in the Rw and a of 19 94 and tho se committed by the drug war in contemporary Mexico.

In his po em T wo Love s, ba ck in t he 189 0s, Bos ie Douglas referred to same-sex love as "the love that dare not speak its name". The refusal of Victorian England to come to terms with homosexuality is rooted in the same sort of so cie tal ina bil ity to spe ak about it. We cannot face what we cannot name. The gradual recognition and acceptance of same-se x relationshi ps went ha nd i n h and wit h t he development of language that allowed people to talk about it.

In Central America, it was ne cess ary to coin th e te rm fe mic ide to bri ng p ubl ic at ten tion to th e ex tre me ge nder vi olen ce t hat kil ls women in atrocious ways and with total impunity simply for be ing wom en. The te rm stresses that such crimes are ge nder -sp ecif ic, as is t he in sti tuti ona l i mpu nity th at silently perpetuates them.

Wo rds enab le c o n c e p t ual i s a t i o n .

Co nce ptu alis ing pe rmi ts po liti cal deb ate, wh ich in tur n pe rmit s pol icy- maki ng.

Words foster mobilisation and th e in ven tion of new leg al rights, as proven in the case of gen oci de, gay ri ght s, a nd femicide.

In Delhi's atrocious crime, it is not only the victim who has been nameless.

It would be our loss if the cu rren t m omen tum fa ils to ge nera te poli tic al chan ge be yond In dia. It is an op port uni ty t o s eek leg al imp rovem ents on th e glo bal st age , as P rof ess or Na ila Kabe er sug gest s, to re fin e ou r u nde rst andi ng of vi olen ce agai nst wom en, to find adequate words that lead to better international law.

Ju stic e d oes not co me solely in the form of enforcing se ver e p unis hme nt on pe rpe trat ors of vio len ce aga inst wom en. J usti ce a lso co mes in the for m of a co llec tive e ffor t t o l ook at violence in the eyes, calling it by its name. To bring justice to Nirbhaya, "without fear" as some of the press started naming the anonymous victim, we must identify who killed her as much as what killed her. To find adequate responses to such crime, we must be able to adequately name it. And if the crime has no name, it is our responsibility to invent one.

Source: Al Jazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

France to increase troop numbers

Sudanese government continues crackdown on opposition groups

A

number of Sudanese opposition party leaders are in custody following the signing of an accord, dubbed the 'New Dawn Charter', under which they agreed to overthrow the government of President Omar al-Bashir and institute a federal system of government based on democracy, pluralism and the separation of religion and the state.

The charter, signed in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on 6 January, calls on parties to work together to topple the regime through either "democratic civil peaceful means" or "revolutionary armed struggle".

Among the signatories are major political opposition parties under the banner of the National Consensus Forces, a coalition of armed opposition groups named the Sudan Revolutionary Front, as well as a number of women's and youth groups.

Upon their arrival in Khartoum, five politicians and activists - Jamal Idris, head of the Nasserite Unionist Party; Nasserite Unionist Party member and women's rights activist Intisar Al-agli; and Democratic Unionist Party members Abdulrrahim Abdullah, MuhammedZainAla'abdeen and HishamAlmufti - were arrested. The government described them as "traitors".

On 14 January in Khartoum, security officers arrested the chairman of the executive bureau of the opposition National Alliance, Abdul Aziz Khalid, for having signed the New Dawn Charter.

Government officials have launched scathing attacks on the accord and its signatories, urging clerics to denounce it in their sermons as the work of unbelievers.

While recently addressing a graduation ceremony of the paramilitary Popular Defence Forces, Sudanese presidential assistant and deputy chairman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Nafie Ali Nafie said, "The opposition members are traitors for collaborating with rebels to overthrow the regime and for promising a secular system."

Labelling the agreement a "false dawn", he said the government was preparing "a decisive move" against those who signed it.

Media outlets in Sudan have also reported that Vice President Al-Haj Adam Yousif has threatened to prevent opposition parties from conducting their political activities unless they reject the charter.

President Francois Hollande

P

resident Francois Hollande says more French troops are to be deployed in Mali to support the 750 in the country countering an Islamist insurgency.

Mr Hollande, visiting the United Arab Emirates, said new air strikes overnight had "achieved their goal".

West African military chiefs will meet in Mali on Tuesday to discuss how an alliance with the French will

work.

France began its intervention on Friday with the aim of halting the Islamists' advance south towards the capital.

Late on Monday, the UN Security Council unanimously backed the intervention.

Mr Hollande, on a visit to the French regional military base known as Peace Camp in Abu Dhabi, said: "For

now, we have 750 men and the number will increase. New strikes overnight achieved their goal."

He said that assembling an African military force to work with the French troops could take a "good week".

The French contingent is expected to rise to 2,500 in the coming weeks.

Some 30 French tanks and armoured troop transport vehicles

crossed into Mali from Ivory Coast on Monday, with a helicopter escort, witnesses said.

Mark Doyle in Bamako says the French want ground reinforcements from West African allies as soon as possible.

He says regional military commanders are meeting in the Malian capital on Tuesday to discuss equipment needs and how a military alliance with France would work in practice.

Nigeria is set to lead the regional force, supplying 600 troops. Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Senegal and Togo have also pledged soldiers.

Britain has deployed troop transporters.

The African force will be deployed under UN Security Council resolution 2085, which was passed in December and allows for a 3,000-strong mission.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says there will be a donor meeting towards the end of January to discuss the funding of the antiIslamist intervention.

He also denied the French intervention would boost al-Qaeda recruitment.

"It's not encouraging terrorism to combat terrorism," he said.

French war planes have carried out a series of air strikes since the intervention began on Friday.

Islamists are reported to have withdrawn from the major towns of Timbuktu and Gao.

Deadly train crash kills Egyptian soldiers

A

military train carrying young recruits to an army camp derailed in a Cairo suburb on Tuesday,

killing at least 19 people and injuring 103 others, Egypt's health ministry spokesman said.

Locals on the rescue at the scene of the crash.

The train was traveling from southern Egypt to Cairo when it derailed in the Giza neighborhood of Badrashin, a security source told the Reuters news agency.

The governor of Giza, Ali Abdelrahman, said that injured passengers were being taken by ambulance to nearby hospitals.

"The Egyptian ambulance authority has sent 66 ambulance cars to the site of the accident to move the bodies of the injured and the corpses of the victims to hospitals," Ahmed Omar, the health ministry spokesman, told the official MENA news agency.

The train was a military vehicle carrying conscripted

youth on their way to an army cam p.

Egypt's railways have a poor safety record, and Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce even basic safeguards, leading to a string of deadly crashes.

In November, at least 50 people, mostly children, were killed when a train slammed into a school bus as it crossed the tracks at a railroad crossing south of Cairo, further inflaming public anger at Egypt's transport network.

Egypt's deadliest railway tragedy happened in 2002, when more than 360 people were killed by a train fire.

South African miner Amplats closes shafts and cuts 14,000 jobs

A

nglo American Platinum has said it will cease production at four mine shafts in the Rustenberg region of South Africa, which could lead to the loss of almost 14,000 jobs.

The world's biggest platinum producer said lower demand for the precious metal and higher costs meant the shafts were unprofitable.

Amplats said it proposed to create 14,000 jobs to balance the cuts.

Last October, the company fired 12,000 workers after a strike over wages.

It said at the time that weeks of illegal strikes had cost it 700m rand ($80m; ÂŁ50m) in revenue. The workers were reinstated three weeks later following negotiations with unions.

A number of South Africa's miners were hit by a wave of wildcat strikes in

which miners and officials were killed.

On Tuesday, Amplats said it had reviewed its entire business in response to a "number of structural changes" in the industry.

"The platinum business has attractive underlying fundamentals, but we are facing tough decisions to restore profitability to our operations," said chief executive Chris Griffith.

"We must evolve to align the business with our expectations of the platinum market's long-term dynamics and address the structural changes that have eroded profitability over time."

The company said the restructuring would save 3.8bn rand by 2015. This could affect 14,000 jobs, it said, 13,000 of which would be in the Rustenberg area.

Any employees or communities

affected by the changes would be provided with "a comprehensive package of support".

Mr Griffith said the restructuring would help create a "sustainable,

competitive and profitable business" that would be in a better position to "continue substantial investment [and] provide more secure and stable employment".

Miners took to the streets for pay rise last year.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Asia and Middle East

T

he UN's top human rights official has said that as many as 200,000 people are being held in North Korean political prison camps that are rife with torture, rape and slave labour, and that some of the abuses "may amount to crimes against humanity".

Navi Pillay called on Monday for an international investigation

PAGE 33

UN urges probe of North Korea rights abuses into alleged abuses, which she described as having "no parallel anywhere else in the world".

"Because of the enduring gravity of the situation, I believe an in-depth inquiry into one of the worst - but least understood

and reported - human rights situations in the world is not only fully justified, but long overdue," Pillay said.

She said that there had been no improvement since Kim Jongun took power a year ago

following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.

Living conditions in the camps are reported to be "atrocious" with insufficient food, little or no medical care and inadequate clothing for inmates,

Hundreds of prisoners released in Iraq

I

raqi authorities have freed 175 prisoners, in an apparent concession to Sunni protesters demonstrating against the Shialed government.

Deputy PM Hussein Shahristani said a total of 335 prisoners had been released in the last week.

He apologised "on behalf of the Iraqi state" to those who had suffered prolonged detention.

Across the country, tens of thousands of Sunni Muslims have been complaining of alleged discrimination.

Mr Shahristani heads a committee formed by Prime Minster Nouri Maliki to look into the demands of the protesters.

There have been three weeks of demonstrations, in predominantly Sunni provinces of Iraq.

The release of detainees held without charges has been one of the main demands.

Dozens of prisoners in yellow Iraqi prison uniforms were surrounded by guards during a release ceremony at a ceremony at a Baghdad prison.

AP news agency reported that those being freed were handed Korans and given sweets as television cameras rolled.

New Sri Lanka chief justice sworn in amid opposition

S

ri Lanka has sworn in a new chief justice to replace the judge removed last week, amid opposition from the legal community and international condemnation.

On Sunday the president dismissed ShiraniBandaranayake by ratifying parliament's vote to impeach her.

But she is still being recognised by most lawyers who have condemned her removal as politically motivated.

The government denies it turned against her after some unfavourable judgements.

The country's new chief justice is Mohan Peiris, who is a former attorney general and was the government's senior legal adviser.

Security forces were present at the Supreme Court and police sources told the BBC that they had instructions not to let Dr Bandaranayake in amid fears she would refuse to step down.

Mr Shahristani admitted that the prisoners had been held unlawfully because of "bureaucratic procedures in different government departments".

No details were given about the inmates or their alleged crimes, but Reuters reported the detainees' jail terms had been dismissed because of a lack of evidence.

Pakistan Supreme Court orders arrest of Prime Minister

Navi Pillay

P

akistan's Supreme Court has ordered the arrest of PM Raja Pervez Ashraf and 15 others over corruption allegations, raising fears of a political crisis just months ahead of an election.

Mr Ashraf denies accepting bribes when approving power generation projects as minister for water and power in 2010.

Analysts say that the move is unlikely to lead to his immediate removal.

It comes as a populist cleric led thousands of protesters in Islamabad, demanding the government resign.

Television images showed demonstrators, led by TahirulQadri, celebrating and triumphantly applauding as news broke of the court's order.

The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says it may just be a coincidence - but to many observers the timing of the move bolsters allegations that the cleric is backed by elements of the judiciary and military.

In recent years Pakistan's government, judiciary and powerful military have been at loggerheads.

Mr Ashraf's predecessor, YousufRazaGilani, was forced out as prime minister last June after the Supreme Court convicted him of contempt for failing to pursue a corruption case against the president.

Mr Ashraf was appointed in his place, but analysts predicted that his tenure would also be troubled.

The Supreme Court order says the prime minister and the others should be arrested and produced before court within 24 hours. But analysts say the prime minister's lawyers may find ways of delaying any appearance.

The freed prisoners departing the yard.

PM Raja Pervez Ashraf

she said.

The UN rights chief said, "The death penalty seems to be often applied for minor offences and after wholly inadequate judicial processes, or sometimes without any judicial process at all."

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 34

Europe and Americas China's space activities raising U.S. satellite security concerns

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h e U ni t ed St a te s i s c on c e rn e d a b ou t C hi na ' s e xp an d in g a bi l it y to di s ru p t t h e m os t s en s it i ve U .S . m i li t a ry an d i nt e ll i g en c e s at e ll i t es , a s Beijing pursues its expanded a mb i ti o ns in sp a ce , according to multiple sources in th e U.S . g ove rnm en t a nd outside space experts.

A c la s si f ie d U .S . i nt e ll i ge n ce a ss e ss m en t c om p le t ed la te la s t y ea r an al yzed C hi na' s in cr ea si ng a ct i vi t ie s i n sp a ce an d m ap p ed ou t t h e g ro w in g vul n er a bi li t y of U .S . satellites that provide secure m il i ta r y c om mu n ic a ti o ns , w ar n a b ou t e ne m y m is s il e launches and provide precise t ar g et i n g c oo r di n at e s , s ai d t he so u rc e s, wh o w e re no t authorized to speak publicly. " It wa s a ve r y c r ed i bl e and sobering assessment that i s n ow pr o vo k in g a lo t o f a ct i vi t ie s in di f fe r en t q ua r te rs , " s ai d o n e fo r me r g ove rn me n t o ff i ci a l wh o i s f am i li a r w i th U. S . n a ti o na l secur ity satel lite prog rams.

T he in t el l ig e n ce re p or t r ai s ed re d f l ag s a b ou t B ei j in g 's ab i li t y t o d is r up t s at e ll i te s i n h i gh e r o rb i ts , w hi c h c ou l d pu t t h e m os t s en s it i ve U. S . s pa c ec r af t a t risk, according to the sources.

China has already conducted several anti-satellite tests at lower orbital levels in recent yea rs .

G ive n t he h ei g ht e ne d c on c er n s, Wa s h in g to n i s k ee p in g a wa t ch f ul ey e o n Chinese activities that could b e u se d t o d i s ru p t U .S . s at e ll it e s. It is al so ur g in g Beijing to avoid a repeat of its J an u ar y 2 0 07 te s t t ha t created an enormous amount of "space junk," said one senior defence official.

Details of the latest Chinese moves that have raised U.S. concerns remain classified.

U.S . off icial s cha rge t hat Ch ina' s a nti- sat elli te activities are part of a major mi lit ary mod ern iza tion th at has seen Beijing test two new stealth fighters; step up cyberattacks on foreign computer netw ork s; a nd la u n ch m or e c om m er c ia l a n d m i li t ar y s at e ll i t es in 20 1 2 t h an th e United States.

Obama takes stand on debt at press conference P

resident Barack Obama has spoken about raising the US borrowing limit at a surprise news conference at the White House.

The US economy is "poised for a good year as long as Washington politics don't interfere", said Obama on Monday in a speech that focused on looming budget and borrowing due dates.

Obama said Congress' failure to raise the government's borrowing authority would delay payments of benefits to veterans and Social Security recipients.

He again warned that he will not negotiate on raising the debt ceiling, aiming to pin the burden of an unprecedented default on Republicans.

The government has hit its $16.4 trillion borrowing limit and is expected to run out of ways to meet all of its obligations around March 1, perhaps earlier. Republicans wants spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.

Threatening to not raise the debt ceiling, Obama said, would be "absurd".

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke also urged US lawmakers

to lift the country's borrowing limit to avoid a potentially disastrous debt default.

"It's very, very important that Congress takes the necessary action to

raise the debt ceiling to avoid a situation where our government doesn't pay its bills," Bernanke told an event sponsored by the University of Michigan.

Without an increase, the government would not have enough money to pay interest to debt holders and pay for all government programmes.

Obama

Russia 'spies' go on trial in Germany

A

married couple are due to go on trial in Germany for spying in what German media say is one of the most intriguing cases since the end of the Cold War.

Andreas and HeidrunAnschlag are said to have settled in then West Germany on false passports some 25 years ago.

They are accused of feeding information to the former Soviet Union and then Russia since then, and could face a long jail term if found guilty.

The couple, who were arrested in October 2011, deny the charges.

But a spectacular trial followed by a conviction could Andreas (L) and HeidrunAnschlag (R). sour bilateral

relations, German media warn.

The couple were arrested at their home in the western town of Marburg in the early morning of 18 October 2011.

At the time, Mrs Heidrun was sitting in her study in front of a wireless transmitter that was receiving encoded messages on a shortwave frequency and was hooked up by cable to a computer, reports the German news website Spiegel Online.

There is some speculation about what secrets this quiet couple could have known, though a court in Munich jailed a spy two years ago for selling details of a helicopter, says Stephen Evans in Berlin.

There is also speculation

about whether the authorities were alerted to the German couple by the same person whoever that may be - who told the FBI in the United States about the Russian spy ring uncovered there involving Anna Chapman. She had admitted to spying and was then deported to Russia where she has since become a celebrity.

One intriguing footnote about the case, our correspondent adds, is that Russian President Vladimir Putin worked for the KGB in Dresden through the 1980s when the couple are accused of beginning to spy for that very organisation.

If they did, many would want to know if Mr Putin knew, says our correspondent.

FARC ceasefire 'to end' as peace talks

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olombia's FARC rebels have said their ceasefire will be suspended on 20 January, as initially planned.

The announcement came as peace talks between the rebels and the Colombian government resumed in the Cuban capital, Hava na.

Both parties have hinted at speeding up the pace ahead of the unilateral FARCceasefire deadline.

The talks aim to end five decades of an armed conflict that has killed an estimated 600,000 people in Colombia.

Some fear fresh FARC attacks in Colombia may hamper the negotiations.

But the rebels' chief negotiator, Ivan Marquez, has

ruled out an extension of the ceasefire.

"The unilateral ceasefire ends on January 20," Marquez told AP news agency. "That's it."

President Juan Manuel Santos's government has stated that both sides must come to an agreement by November.

But the rebels say the issues are too complex to allow for a deadline.

The basis for a deal may be found in the shared belief that the huge inequality in land ownership in the country needs to be tackled, says the BBC's correspondent in Colombia's capital Bogota, Arturo Wallace.

The Colombian government refused to cease military operations during the

negotiations, arguing that rebels would use the opportunity to rearm.

President Juan Manuel Santos

There have been clashes since the FARC announced the ceasefire in late November.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 37

Issues as Reps resume plenary today FEATURES

By Umar Muhammad Puma

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he House of Representatives resumes plenary today after the New Year break. Several assignments were left unconcluded before the closure of plenary last year and it is expected that the lawmakers would, in the interest of good governance and representation, conclude on such matters. There have equally been groundswell of other issues of national importance that have taken the centre stage in the nation’s polity while the lawmakers were away.

Some contentious issues that have been heating the polity, including the passage of the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the amendment of the constitution are expected to take the front burner as the lawmakers resume. Several bills and motions referred to several standing committees are expected to be concluded and relevant reports turned-in at the plenary.

Briefing newsmen on the issues that would capture the priority attention of the lawmakers yesterday, the Chairman House Committee on rules and business, Rep Albert Sam-Tsokwa, disclosed that the PIB, constitutional amendment exercise as well as the amendment of the Public Procurement Act would be attended to in the New Year.

According to him, the PIB which is currently at the committee stage in the House, would be accorded expedited

consideration because of its importance to the nation. He also added that the Public Procurement Act, as presently constituted, remains a cog in the wheels of nation’s progress and as such would undergo serious amendment. This according to him is to ensure hitch free implementation of budget as the law has constantly been seen as the major impediment to the implementation of capital budget in the country.

It is expected that the debate on the PIB would elicit serious attention both from within and out side the Chamber. Debate on the bill, especially as it concerns the clause recommending the payment of 10 percent crude extracted to host communities for environmental purpose would likely polarize the House into a North-South divide.

This is because several stakeholders have argued that approving the clause would only enrich the oil producing states at the expense of the non-oil producing states in the country.

Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal would have to deploy all his political experience and sagacity to steer the ship of the House. Otherwise, there may be crisis that may eventually conflagrate and further divide the country on ethnic and regional bases.

The perennial scarcity of fuel across the country, especially during the yuletide in spite of several claims that subsidy has been paid to the oil marketers is also expected to be debated by the House. There are indications that opposition lawmakers would raise it through a motion and that there would be a probe into the matter. Minister of

Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

Finance and her Petroleum Resources counterpart would be summoned as usual to answer queries on the matter. The lawmakers are expected to find out what actually happened to the N161 billion they approved for payment of the outstanding fuel subsidy during the 2012 fiscal year. Nigerians who were made to pay astronomic price for fuel during the yuletide would want to know know exactly what went wrong in the matter.

The recent lift of the ban on Dana Airlines flight operation is

equally expected to attract the attention of the lawmakers. The House Committee on Aviation’s chairman, Rep Nkiruka Onyejeocha, had expressed the reservation to the airline’s flight resumption during the holiday.

She had told Nigerian that the House would look further into the matter and possibly explore ways where the resolution of the National Assembly which indicted the airlines would be respected by the executive.

Again, the outstanding resolution of the House that the

Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, be sacked for lack of capacity and inefficiency in the management of the nation’s airspace would be impressed on the executive. The Presidency would have to do a lot of explanations on why the NCAA DG is still carrying on as if nothing happened several weeks after his sack was recommended by the Green Chamber.

The House Committee on constitution amendment chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, is equally expected to turn in its report and several clauses in the report are expected to be debated at plenary.

It is also expected that the leadership qualities of the Speaker would be put to test during the debate on the matter as several issues capable of dividing the nation along regional lines are expected to crop up during debates. All the standing committees with outstanding reports on bills and motions referred to them are expected to turn in their reports for consideration.

In order to ensure maximum implementation of budget, particularly capital budget in 2013, the House would have to step up its oversight on government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

This assurance however was given by the House rules and business Chairman who told newsmen recently that the House would conduct monthly oversights over the MDAs to ensure maximum budget implementation.

INEC plans to recruit students as ad hoc staff

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he FCT INEC says the commission has concluded plans to recruit students who have passed through the voters clubs in secondary schools as future adhoc staff of the commission.

Mr. Okezie Nwankwo, the Head of Department, Public Affairs and Political Party Monitoring and Liaison of the commission, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.

Nwankwo said that the students had gone through the tutelage of voters' education where were taught what the principles were all about. ``It is a partnership we wish to take to the next level, after the secondary schools, these students will be part of INEC in progress as adhoc staff.

Nwankwo said that the electoral officers

in the area councils would monitor the activities of the students in the schools to ensure that they were properly educated on the rudiments of elections.

He said that the commission had put in place a module that

would enable it to interact with all voter education clubs formed in the FCT. ``Since the introduction of this clubs in the secondary schools, they have been having mock elections where the students choose their leaders.

``These practical in the schools will be internalised in them as they are growing to become leaders of tomorrow who are disciplined and responsible,'' Nwankwo said.

Nwankwo said that some secondary schools in the FCT had

invited the commission to watch their activities.

He said that the establishment of clubs was an opportunity for revolution that would change the political orientation of future leaders.

(NA N)

Assembly investigates sack of 450 LG workers

K

ogi House of Assembly yesterday directed its Committee on Local Governments to investigate alleged sack of 450 workers of Adavi Local Government on the recommendations of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.

The directive followed the adoption of a motion, under urgent public importance, presented by Abdullahi Lawal (PDP-Adavi), at a

plenary session in Lokoja.

Lawal urged the house to intervene in the matter, to ascertain its true position.

He said that the ICPC had in a letter dated July 31, 2012, recommended that the affected workers should be sacked based on a petition it received.

The petition, he added, was based on allegations of fraudulent accounting system, irregular and wrong appointments, among

others.

Lawal said that the council's leadership implemented the recommendations and laid off 450.

He said the situation had snowballed into political and communal hostilities in the area.

Lawal said that the hostilities required quick intervention and might degenerate into an uncontrollable one, if adequate measures were not taken to nip it in the bud.

"I therefore humbly call on this house to intervene by setting up a committee to look into the matter fast, so as to prevent a likely volatile situation," he said.

Supporting the motion, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello (PDP-Okene I), said it was timely to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.

The Speaker of the house, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal, gave the committee three weeks to report back to the house. (NAN)

PAGE 39

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

Nasarawa: The devils must be put to shame

By Rayyanu Bala

B

y Rayyanu BalaWhile analyzing with a friend last week, the unfortunate communal violence which persistently continue to rear its head in Nasarawa state since Al-makura led administration came on board, the opinion expressed by my friend on the matter kept me wondering for a long as to how wicked some politicians are, when it comes to issues surrounding the acquisition of power. For some politicians to acquire power, they wouldn't mind instigating war or crises which would ultimately result to losing lives and properties of the innocents.

My friend lectured me on how treacherous some politician are to a point that I had to agreed with him that all the unfortunate communal crises which we have been experiencing in Nasarawa state has political undertone as part of grand conspiracies ahead of 2015 general election in the state. My friend was quick to emphasize that all the communal crises in the state is being instigated by the opposition.

When I reminded him that the communal violence in the state have been a reoccurring phenomenon in the state even before Al-makura came on board, he quickly adjusted his throat and replied that 'that was why I said the crises was the hand work of the opposition' When I pressed him to expatiate this position, he laugh and said thus: ' Since PDP lost the governorship election in May 2011, as a party they collectively vowed to make the state ungovernable for the incoming CPC administration and game which they excelled in, is instigation of crises to achieve there political objectives. Even the communal violence that we have experienced when they were in power was instigated by them to achieve one politically motivated objective or the other' Any keen political observer in Nasarawa state will, after deep reflection, agree with these positions of my friend, since there is nothing that a politician especially one who lost election could not do to return to power.

Late General Patric Azazi, former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan was quoted, some time ago by several National Newspapers in this country as blaming the PDP for the insecurity in the North. Apart from late Azazi there are other well meaning individuals who also shared his views on the causes of insecurity in not only the north but the entire country as a whole.

PDP by there antecedent, are capable of doing anything to either achieve or retain power. The thinking in the PDP circle in the state was that by these incessant crises, people would begin to question the capability and the capacity of the CPC led government at providing security for the lives and properties and in the alternative prepared the PDP to come back to power.

The recent impeachment threat to Al-makura by the PDP controlled state House of Assembly following Eggon/Koro communal violence in Agyaragu town was designed primarily to demonstrate to the people that the CPC led administration lacked the capacity to protect the lives and the properties of the people of the state. On the other hand, also the threat was targeted at showing to the people that it is only the PDP that has not only the concern but the capacity to curtail communal violence in the state.

The result to instigation of communal violence to achieve political superiority by the PDP over the CPC in the state was as alleged, adopted following the remarkable performance of the CPC led

Nasarawa State Governor

UMARU TANKO AL-MAKURA administration. At all the sector of the economy of the state, the performances were not only superlative but unparallel. In any political contest in the state, the PDP can not match the CPC in terms of performance. Against these backgrounds, many believes that the only tool or instrument to be employed by the PDP in there campaign against 2015 is these communal violence which they in the first place fomented. Otherwise the PDP has nothing on ground to rely on in 2015.

But then the big question to ask is: does the CPC led administration in the state lack the capacity and the capability to curtail communal violence in the state as the PDP is portraying? The answer is in capital NO. Any keen observer of events in Nasarawa state will attest to the fact that since the first communal crises in the life of this administration, involving Eggon and Alago in Assakyo in Lafia east development area broke out, the CPC led administration did not rest in its oar in ensuring

“

To demonstrate the resolve of CPC led administration in the state, security personnel have so far arrested over fifty persons who were allegedly involved in the recent violence and after through investigations would be charge to court.

maintenance of peace and security in the state as government was quick in responding to the violence by the immediate deployment of security personnel, the governor himself personally visited the trouble spot in Assakyo and inspected the extend of damages done to lives and properties in the area.

Apart from this rapid response as well as the relief materials provided for the displaced persons thereby putting the government on top of the situation and stemmed the spread of the violence to other communities, the CPC led administration also constituted a commission of inquiry to find out the immediate and remote cause of the unfortunate incident.

On Eggon/Koro communal violence which later broke out in Agyaragu in Jenkwe development area on Wednesday 21stNovember 2012, the CPC led administration also responded rapidly and with full force and immediately brought the situations under control. In addition the governor made a state broadcast to reassure the people of their s ec u r it y .

In the broadcast, The CPC led administration identified ethnic militias under different guises as one being used as tools to unleash mayhem and blood- letting on innocent people. As practical demonstration of the resolve of the CPC led administration to nip in the bud the growing culture of violence in the state, government announced the immediate ban of all ethnic-cum militia cultural groups and directed security agencies to enforce the ban, as with Assakyo violence the CPC led administration also constituted another judicial commission of inquiry on the Agyaragu crises.

On the latest Fulani/Eggon violence which occurred on 11/01/2013 at Bassa and surrounding villages, like all the previous violence in the state, government responded swiftly and brought the crises to a halt. The CPC led administration however expressed its determination to bring to book all persons or group of persons found to be involved in all the communal violence in the state no matter how highly placed they may be in the society. To demonstrate the resolve of CPC led administration in the state, security personnel have so far arrested over fifty persons who were allegedly involved in the recent violence and after through investigations would be charge to court.

From the above brief narration of the efforts of CPC led administration at curtailing the communal violence in the state, one will be convinced that the government possesses the capacity and the capability to curtail any communal violence in the state. What is left is for us to be law abiding and eschew all vices capable of retarding the peace and progress of the state. We must collectively come together and put the devils to shame. Nasarawa state is too big for any divisive politics.

Bala wrote from Lafia, Nasarawa state <rayanubala@yahoo.com>

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 40

PPN National Chairman dies at 47

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L-R: Chairman. All Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Ogbonaya Onu, former Kano state Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shakarau, and Chairman of book presentation, Chief Audu Ogbe, during the public presentation of the book on the 2015 Manifesto of Nigerian Opposition Politics, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Oshiomhole blasts politicians on reckless statements From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

E

do state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday took a swipe at politicians who make unguarded statements that could undermine the unity and integrity of the country, just as he commended officers and men of the Nigerian armed forces for fostering the bonds of u ni ty .

The governor who made the remarks during the launching of the Emblem Appeal Fund to mark the 2013 Armed Forces remembrance day celebration in Benin city said the men in uniform should be appreciated for their contribution to the unity of the nation.

“The Armed Forces are doing their best to keep Nigeria one while politicians and even elders who should play up what unite us talk of things that could destroy the bridge of unity. But the men in uniform have

continued to defend the indivisibility of Nigeria,” he noted.

According to him, “if Nigeria has remained one united country it is because men in uniform stood on the side of the Nigeria nation. We must continue to appreciate the Armed Forces in the effort to keep Nigeria one.”

Comrade Oshiomhole noted that looking at the security challenges in the country, the Armed Forces have a role to keep the nation secured.

“Our gratitude goes to the Nigeria Army and to MajorGeneral Abel Umahi, the Commander of the 4th Brigade.

Without your support the kidnappers would have overrun us in Edo State. You have policed the streets. Our gratitude also goes to the Airforce for monitoring the creeks with the aircraft and providing intelligence information as well as the Supply and Transport,”

he added.

The Governor said the average Nigerian appreciate the contribution of officers and men who sacrificed and paid the supreme price in the struggle to defend the sovereignty of the nation, adding that “we should go beyond lip service in showing how much we appreciate them.”

He maintained that it should be the responsibility of the government, both at the local, state and federal levels to create opportunities for the exservice men who are still strong to render service.

While assuring that Edo state government will continue to extend more employment opportunities to the ex- service men, the governor disclosed that “we have already extended to the legionnaires the opportunity to put an eye on the schools we are building and they are doing well.

“This year, the state government will double the contribution which was given

last year by one hundred percent to the launching of the emblem appeal fund and across the eighteen local governments the sum of N250,000 will be provided to the state chapters for the celebration of the Armed Forces remembrance day celebration,” the governor disclosed.

The Chairman, Nigeria Legion, Edo State, Col Osawaru Johnbull Awanbor, thanked Oshiomhole for creating jobs for their members noting that this year’s launching of the Emblem Appeal, week which is to honour the supreme sacrifices made by gallant heroes will be observed as a thanksgiving for the victory of the governor at the supreme court.

Other activities to celebrate the 2013 Armed forces remembrance day celebration was a parade at the museum premises and the laying of wreaths at the unknown soldier cenotaph.

Aregbesola makes case for ex-servicemen

G

ov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun yesterday called on Nigerians to reexamine their attitude toward the military by offering support to war veterans and their families.

The governor, who made the call at the 2013 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Osogbo, said Nigerians ought to appreciate the contribution of the military to the development of the Nigerian state.

Aregbesola, whose address was entitled, “ In Honour of Our Fallen Heroes,’’ was represented by his deputy, Mrs Titilayo Tomori-Laoye.

He said soldiers, including retired and fallen heroes deserved to be honoured.

“They fought gallantly and some of them died in the service of their fatherland.’’

“So, we must keep alive the memories of our men in the military and this day should be

a sober reflection to remember our brave and courageous soldiers who fell in battle. “The society should respond to the needs of the ex-servicemen to enable the living among them fulfill their noble dreams and be proud of their fatherland,’’ he said.

Aregesola, who lamented that some of their widows were homeless, called on the concerned authorities to ensure that the families of the fallen heroes

promptly get their entitlements.

The highlight of the occasion was the laying of wreath by the governor and other personalities including the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanpekun.

Also present were Mr Najeem Salaam, Speaker of the state House of Assembly; Justice Gloria Olagoke, Acting Chef Judge of the state and Mr Olayinka Owoeye, the Head of Service. (NAN)

he National Chairman of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Mr Abiodun Odusanya, is dead.

The party’s Chairman in Ogun, Mr Rasak Eyiowuawi, said this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abeokuta.

The statement said Odusanya, aged 47, died on Monday at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, after a brief illness.

It stated that the deceased was survived by a wife and three children, adding that burial arrangements would be announced by the family soon.

The statement described Odusanya as an astute politician with an outstanding track record.

“Odusanya was a one-time governorship candidate of Community Party of Nigeria in Ogun State in the 2007 general elections.

“He became the PPN National Chairman in August 2010 and also contested as the party’s candidate for the Ogun East Senatorial District in the 2011 poll,” it added. (NAN)

I didn’t order demolition of worship centres – Amosun

G

ov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun said on Tuesday in Ijebu-Ode that he did not order the demolition of worship centres for road expansion in the town.

Amosun stated this while inspecting an on-going demolition exercise for a road expansion project in the area.

He expressed surprise at the level of destruction at the premises of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) on Folagbade Road in Ijebu-Ode. Amosun, however, said the funds for payment of compensation were ready for disbursement, adding that those affected would be adequately compensated.

The governor explained that the demolition exercise was to bring more development to the ancient town and not to cause pain to anyone.

Amosun, who commmended the residents for their support and understanding, said the road expansion work would soon commence.

He said that work was ongoing on the Ago-Iwoye-Ilishan road as well as other major roads in Ogun East Senatorial District.

The governor, however, solicited the support and prayers of the people to ensure the realisation of the projects being executed. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 41

Okala calls for calm over Ejide’s injury

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ormer Green Eagles goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala, yesterday calmed agitation over the injury sustained by the Super Eagles goalkeeper Austin Ejide.

Ejide sustained a hamstring injury during the team’s international friendly match against Cape Verde Islands in Faro, Portugal on Jan. 9 and has been given uptil January 24 to return

to full fitness.

The 1980 Nations Cup-winning goalkeeper however cautioned against blowing the injury situation out of proportion, since it’s only the medics and technical crew that are in the know of the real situation.

Okala said the three goalkeepers in the team were the best in the country for now, adding that Ejide’s unfortunate injury had not

impacted negatively on the team.

“Ejide’s injury is unfortunate but he has not been ruled out of the tournament and there are two other goalkeepers in the team, so they can hold the fort until he recovers.

“People should stop nursing unnecessary fears or causing distractions over the issue; let us not try to rank or rate the players when we are not with the team.

“The coaches are in the best position to tell what the situation in camp is and they have not complained of any cause to change the formation,’’ Okala said.

“Agbim has been doing well in Rangers recently, he is an excellent goalkeeper; he is in great form. I am telling you what I know about very well, coaches are realists, they work with the best available at any given time,’’ he added.

Yobo dreams trophy, dismisses Chipolopolo •Eagles trounce Farense 5-0 •Depart Faro for Jo’burg today

By Patrick Andrew

S

uper Eagles skipper, Joseph Yobo, is in no doubt about the depth, character and burning fire in the Eagles to conquer the rest Africa at the 29th Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Yobo, who was reacting to the boast of Zambia manager, Renard Hevard, that the Chipolopolo were hell bent on retaining the trophy, and as such do not reckon with whatever threat the Eagles in particular would pose, hit back at the Zambians by stating that the West African soccer giants would tolerate no rivalry in their quest to claim a third Nations Cup bragging rights.

“I respect every team that has got to the final. But the Super Eagles have what it takes to conquer. We have the character and depth to beat the rest of Africa to lift the trophy. I particularly want to win something better than the four bronze medals that I have had during my era in the Eagles,” he said yesterday in a phone in programme.

Mikel

Nosa Igiebor

The defence ace promised to push his colleagues to go the extra mile and ensure that Nigerians have something better to celebrate at the end of the fiesta on February 10. “I want to win, we want to win and I have vowed to push the team, all the players to go for something better than we have had in the past,” Yobo said stating that every player was raring to go.

The skipper was speaking soon after the team demolished Portuguese second division club Farense 5-0 to round up their Faro camping progromme in a sound note.

Ike Uche scored a hat-trick while Mikel Obi and Emmanuel Emenike scored one apiece.

The Chelsea man, who is fast adjusting to his new role in the attacking midfield position, was denied by the woodwork thrice as was Emenike twice.

However, the win was a total display of attacking efficiency that put them in the right mental attitude ahead of the fiesta and will leave the Faro camp today bubbling with zest and upbeat for delectable performance.

The Nigerian side will depart Faro by 12:30 Portuguese time for Lisbon from where the team will connect a flight to Paris, France and from there to Johannesburg, South Africa. The team is expected in Nelspruit, venue of two of its first two group games on tomorrow morning.

Ike Uche

Green clears air on salary, says Keshi, other coaches not owed

T

he Nigeria Football Federation has denied reports that head coach of the national team, Stephen Keshi is owed salaries and other financial entitlements.

Executive committee member of the NFF, Barrister Chris Green also revealed that the Federation had never owed Keshi or any of its coaches salaries.

“The NFF’s not owing Keshi salaries, and we have never owed him in the past. We have seen reports in some sections of the media claiming we owe the coach salaries but these stories lack facts and substance,” Green told supersport.com.

The NFF chief also revealed that issues of discontent between players and the NFF which have severally threatened to rock the Super Eagles in the past will not be experienced in South Africa.

“As I speak to you, we have paid all camp allowances and other financial entitlements to all the players in Faro, Portugal.

Morale has never been higher among the players and we are confident they will recompense our efforts with a good showing at the AFCON,” he said.

Nigeria is in group C of the 2013 AFCON alongside Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and the reigning champions, Zambia.

Edibe blasts NRA over neglect

N

igeria’s sole candidate in the CAF list of officiating officials for the 29th Africa Cup of Nations, FIFA badged assistant referee, Peter Egan Edibe, has lambasted the Nigeria Football Referees Association (NRA) for abandoning him to his fate.

Edibe, the only Nigerian referee listed for the fiesta for the four consecutive times, is scheduled to travel this weekend to South Africa for the tournament to be held from January 19 through February 10.

The Cross River State born referee said since he got the

invitation from the 2013 AFCON organising body he has been made to carry his cross with no form of assistance from any quarter.

“Its a normal experience I go through each time I’ve opportunity to represent my country at any international assignment so what I’m going through at the moment does not appears to me in any way as strange.

“I think its improper for one to be abandoned in the course of national assignment.

“Since I got the invitation I’ve

been on my own doing everything myself to ensure I attend the AFCON competition under the banner of Nigeria.

Edibe said the perceived neglect will rather challenge him to give his best at AFCON than demoralised him.

“The neglect won’t affect my professional conduct at Afcon rather I feel challenged to go the extra miles to justify the confidence the organisers repose in me.

“I’ve my name and career to protect, I’m focused at giving my best and who knows it may change

things for good and open more doors for Nigerian referees to feature in international championship,” he said.

Edibe said he will be the happiest man to see Super Eagles win the Afcon title in South Africa.

“My greatest joy would be to see Super Eagles lift the Nations Cup title as they did in 1980 and 1994,” he said.

Edibe is the only Nigerian referee that featured at the 2008 Cup of Nations in Ghana, Angola 2010, Gabon/Equatorial Guinea and now SA 2013.

Ahmed Maude, NRA preident

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

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PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

2013 Nations Cup finals

Elephants tired of winning silver as Mena hold

P Soudani urge teammates to lift Algerian flag high

A

lgerian striker Hilal Al Arabi Soudani has expressed the team determination to succeed at the Africa Cup of Nations 2013 that kicks-off this weekend.

Les Fennecs, who have been in South Africa for a few days now, held South Africa to a goalless draw on Saturday in Soweto during a warm-up match, which is a very encouraging feat according to Soudani.

“Against South Africa we showed strong aspects of our game and we could have won the match,’’ he said.

‘We were faced with a strong South African team who were playing with the support of their fans, but we were able to develop our usual game.

The former ASO Chlef player is aware of the difficulties that await them in Group D where they will meet Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Togo, but is counting on the good preparation they have put in to meet the challenge.

“This is a very difficult group with teams that need no introduction. The outcome of these matches will depend on small details, but with the preparation that we have done, we are aware of the task that lies ahead,” admitted the striker.

“Qualification remains our goal, and not only for the players and the staff, but also for all our fans who support us and who encourage the national team. We will do all we can to lift the Algerian flag the highest.”

Hilal Al Arabi Soudani first appeared for the national team in June 2011 against Morocco and has since scored six goals in nine games for les Fennecs.

Amadou Moutari

latinum Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba told reporters in Abu Dhabi yesterday that they were sick and tired of failing to win the Africa Cup of Nations each time they were highly favoured to do so and hope to break the jinx this time at the upcoming edition.

The former Chelsea talisman was speaking a day after the Elephants crushed Egypt 4-2 in their final test match ahead of the South Africa 2013.

"We have a strong team capable of doing great things at the upcoming showpiece. It would be formidable for us to win the trophy this time. Honestly, we are sick and tired of failing each time to clinch the title when we very close to doing so," Drogba said.

"We showed strong solidarity during the Afcon 2013 qualifiers against Senegal to book our place at the tournament. We have struggled and fought together as a team for long and the whole Ivory Coast nation is expecting us to bring home the trophy this time. We hope our prayers will be heard."

The Elephants are expected to leave for South Africa on Thursday, where they will open their campaign against fellow West Africans Togo in Rustenburg on January 22.

Meanwhile, Niger Republic finalised their preparations for the AFCON with a goalless draw with South African club Platinum Stars in Port Elizabeth yesterday.

The Mena, who are drawn in Group D, rested their top stars like skipper Moussa Maazou, Issoufou Alhassane 'Dante' and Mohamed Chikoto.

Le Mans youngster Amadou Moutari aka Kalala, who broke his leg against co-hosts Gabon at last year's tournament, was outstanding for the West Africans, while Nigerian-born central defender Lucky James also featured.

South Africa-based goalkeeper Daouda Kassaly was also rested to allow second choice Saminou Rabo to man the posts for Niger. They fell to both Morocco and Ethiopia, beat Togo 3-1 and drew goalless with Burkina Faso in their build-up for the Nations Cup in South Africa.

Niger begin their Nations Cup campaign on Sunday against fellow West Africans Mali in Port Elizabeth.

Zambia settle in Nelspruit ahead of AFCON

A

frican champions Zambia are now in title defence mood as they have settled at their base in Nelspruit ahead of the start of Africa’s biggest football spectacle this weekend.

While hosts South Africa get the 29th edition of the Africa Cup underway on

the 19th against debutants Cape Verde, the reigning kings of African football commence their campaign to retain the title they won last February in Gabon against Ethiopia on the 21st of J an u a ry .

Zambia also plays Nigeria and Burkina Faso

in other Group C matches which will all be played at the Mbombela Stadium.

The Chipolopolo arrived in Nelspruit after connecting from Johannesburg as they returned from Ndola where they played their final international preparatory match - a

Ivory Coast beat Egypt 4-2 as Drogba, Toure booked for offences

G

ervinho bagged a brace and Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure were yellow carded as Ivory Coast flexed their muscles with a 4-2 win over Egypt four days before the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off.

The title favorites recovered from falling behind midway through the first half at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi to lead by two goals early in the second half, but needed a late Didier Ya Konan goal to seal success.

Lanky Lacina Traore, sporting an orange mohawk haircut, was the other scorer for the Ivorian Elephants while Mohamed Aboutrika and Mohamed “Gedo” Nagy were on target for nonqualifiers Egypt in a freeflowing game.

It was the only warm-up for the Elephants before they face Togo on January 22 in Group D labeled the group of death with former

Didier Drogba

champions Algeria and Tunisia the other contenders for two quarterfinals places.

Ivory Coast last played two months ago whipping Austria 3-0 in Linz and there were some cobwebs visible with poorly-timed runs leading to nine offside calls while Boubacar Barry let a shot slip between his legs for a goal.

Drogba was booked for kicking the ball away after one offside decision and reigning African Footballer of the Year Toure for a late tackle, with his subsequent anger culminating in a tug of the referee’s shirt.

Ivory Coast are heading for South Africa desperate to shed the “chokers” tag they have earned by failing to justify favouritism in the past four tournaments with two final losses after penalty shootouts the closest they came.

Although Egypt have won the Cup of Nations a record seven times, they failed to make the latest edition of the African football showcase, losing 43 overall to the Central African Republic in the first qualifying round.

Angola stretched to five matches an unbeaten run in warm-ups by defeating neighbours Botswana 2-0 at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto through goals from Liechtenstein-based Guilherme Afonso and

captain Manucho.

The Black Antelopes drew with Gambia and beat Rwanda and Cameroon at home last month and overcame defending champions Zambia in Soweto – encouraging results ahead of Group A dates with Morocco, South Africa and Cape Verde.

Fears that Morocco playmaker Younes Belhanda from French champions Montpellier would miss the 22-day championship through injury were allayed after a suspected serious muscle tear turned out to be only a slight strain.

Belhanda is a key figure as the Atlas Lions seek a first African title since 1976 after recently appointed coach Rachid Taoussi ignored Adel Taarabt from English Premier League strugglers QPR and Qatar-based Houssine Kharja.

The happiness of Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah after impressive warm-up victories over Egypt (3-0) and Tunisia (4-2) in Abu Dhabi was diluted when his post-match injury list rose to four stars.

Defender Issac Vorsah and midfielders Albert Adomah, Anthony Annan and Mohammed Rabiu are receiving treatment five days before the Black Stars face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Group B opener.

goalless draw against Norway at Levy Mwanawasa.

Over the next six days, the team will focus on the final touches and tactical approaches to the games.

African coach of the year 2012 Herve Renard says his team will be ready for the 21st of January and will be looking forward to a great

tournament.

“We will be ready; what we want now is for the fans to come and support us. We are here to defend our trophy with the same determination and motivation we had last year. We believe we can do a great tournament,” Renard told fazfootball.com in South Africa.

Christopher Katongo

Rabiu, Adomah return to Black Stars training

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hana midfielders Mohammed Rabiu and Albert Adomah eased their injury crisis as they returned to full scale training yesterday.

The duo alongside Isaac Vorsah and Anthony Annan missed Monday’s training session after picking up injuries.

Rabiu and Adomah sustained minor injuries in the come-from-behind 4-2 friendly win over

Mohammed Rabiu

Tunisia on Sunday.

Annan and Vorsah however continued to watch from the sidelines as they recover from minor injuries.

The Black Stars trained yesterday evening ahead of today’s departure to South Africa for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana’s Group B opener will be against DR Congo on January 20 in Port Elizabeth.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

PAGE 45

Umpire urges redirection of NHF federation

A

hmed Bashar, an international hockey umpire, yesterday urged the Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF) to draw up a well laid out programme to reposition the sport in the country.

Bashar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that

the slow pace of development in the federation was due to improper planning.

“The development of hockey is low, compared to what we used to have in the past. There are no activities in the federation now due to bad planning. There is no grassroots programme in place

to promote the sport and it has brought a lot of gaps in the sport.

“What I have noticed is that the body does not have a good foresight in the game and this may also responsible for their lack of programmes. In short, the board of the federation lacked the zeal to uplift the dwindling

fortunes in the game in the country,“ he said.

According to Bashar, efforts should be made by the federation to mobilize stakeholders and public-spirited Nigerians to develop a passion for hockey and help revive the sport.

“We have people who have

Coach applauses progress of cricket in Nigeria

T

he National Sports Commission (NSC) has assured that the National Stadium Abuja will be ready for use by the Super Eagles for the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches in June.

Julius Ogunro, the Special Assistant to Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, the Sports Minister and Chairman of the commission disclosed this yesterday and disclosed that the ongoing rehabilitation work on the football pitch by Julius Berger Nigeria plc was expected to be completed and handed over to government by the end of Ma y .

Peoples Daily Sports recalls that the national teams were unable to use the pitch because of its deplorable state even as the government had to step in to effect some repairs.

With the completion of the rehabilitation works, the Super Eagles are likely to play the Brazil 2014 World Cup at the venue, but not before playing the Harambee Stars of Kenya on March 22 before the return-leg match on June 7 in Nairobi.

The Eagles will also play another away game against the Brave Warriors of Namibia on June 14.

Nigeria are leading Group F with four points after two matches, while Namibia are second on three. Malawi are third in the Group with two points, while Kenya is last in the group with one point.

However, Ogunro, explained that the stadium would be ready for the Super Eagles return-leg

T

Fans cheering during a match at the Abuja National Stadium

Abuja Stadium to be ready for Eagles June World Cup qualifying encounter against the Flames of Malawi on Sept. 6, all things being equal.

“You can see that work is going on smoothly and hopefully it will be ready for use in late May or early June.

“The planting of the grass will

be done in February and it will take additional three months to be nurtured to standard,” Ogunro said.

The minister had earlier in December said that rehabilitation of the stadium would begin in the New Year,

adding that the rehabilitation followed President Jonathan’s visit to the stadium in September.

He said relocation of the office of the sports minister to the stadium complex also necessitated the renovation.

450 clubs join Governor’s Cup soccer competition in Jigawa

T

he Jigawa State Sports Council says 450 teams are participating in the ongoing Governor’s Cup football competition in the state. Alhaji Ibrahim Banbandi, the commissioner for Information, Youth and Sports, told newsmen in Dutse yesterday that the teams were drawn from the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Banbandi said the competition was designed to enable the local players to develop their talents as well as to encourage the growth of sporting activities at the grassroots.

He said the competition would also provide a platform for grooming

young players to feed the Golden Stars FC and other professional teams across the country.

“We are looking at grassroots soccer development, which already the state government has put in some money. Currently there is a state inter-club competition going on around the state.

“We are looking from the grassroots, we have about 450 football clubs in Jigawa State and we are looking at developing that aspect.”

The commissioner said that government had made adequate provisions in the 2013 fiscal year to ensure the completion of the Dutse and Kazaure mini stadiums.

Team Kwara gives excuses for poor Eko 2012 outing

T

eam Kwara, which had a poor outing at the National Sports Festival (NSF) in Lagos, has blamed its failure on poaching of its athletes, bad officiating and ill-luck.

The Director, Kwara Sports Council, Tunde Kazeem, said yesterday in Ilorin that a lot needed to be done to check poaching of athletes if sports development at the grassroots was to be encouraged. ‘’It was just unfortunate that Kwara like any other states was badly affected; officiating affected us most. We ran into

played hockey in the past and represented the country in international competitions. The meeting should involve them and I believe they will assist the federation to reposition the body on the right track, for the task ahead,’’ he said.

The umpire noted that without an aggressive board, the fortunes of the game would continue to nosedive.

some hard luck too and most important is the issue of poaching.

“Where you have established athletes and those athletes are poached, it takes you another four years to get other athletes to that level. I hope that in our future deliberation, we will be able to look at this issue of poaching,’’ Kazeem said.

Team Kwara won eight medals in Lagos made up of one gold, a silver and six bronze to place 22 on the medal log four places adrift from the 18th at the Garden City

Games in Port Harcourt where it won 23 medals- five gold, six silver and 12 bronze-at the 17th edition.

The former badminton national coach, who was at the festival elected the Chairman, Directors of Sports Forum, said poaching of athletes was affecting the nation’s sports development. ‘’These athletes would be taken from their states on contract basis and after one year, they would be dumped. If actually they are giving them employment in other states, we

appreciate it, but some of these states would use them and dump them or return them back to us. ‘’But I hope by the time we will meet, it is either we put up a fee or you pay transfer fee. ‘When you come and poach an athlete, you pay so that those athletes will know that they are leaving for a greener pasture. ‘’The states too will have the consolation that they are at least getting some money to take them back to the grassroots. The factor of grassroots hunt is almost being eroded,’’ he said.

he national cricket coach, Uthe Ogbimi, believes that the game has made tremendous stride in the country in the last decade and urged the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) to sustain the tempo.

Speaking in Lagos while assessing the steady progress of the game, Ogbimi said this progress has been shown in the level of the country’s participation in international tournaments in recent times.

“In my days as an active cricketer in the 1990s, the country was only known to participate in the West Africa Triangular Tournament and that was where I first represented the nation.

“Then, from the year 2000 till 2008, Nigeria started participating in African tournaments where we were pitted against stronger teams like South Africa and Namibia.

“And since 2008, we moved to the world stage and it is our hope that we remain there. I believe that is good progress for the sport in the country,” he said.

It would be recalled that Nigeria became an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2002, during the tenure of Dr John Abebe as the President of NCF. The coach added that as an indication of the development of the sport, some of the national players now played in foreign clubs.

“We have never had a situation where our cricketers are playing in foreign clubs and the development has gone a long way in inspiring the younger players,” he said.

Ogbimi said that the development of a national female team was also an indicator of the growth of the game, stressing though that what could be debatable was the speed at which the sport got to where it was currently.

The male national team will participate in the ICC/Africa T-20 Division I tournament in Uganda in February.

Bolaji Abdullahi, Sports Minister

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Serena to play with injury at Australian Open

S

erena Williams says she will fight through the pain after injuring her right ankle in her first round victory at the Australian Open.

Williams had medical treatment after slipping before recovering to beat Edina Gallovits-Hall 6-0 6-0.

World number one and defending champion Victoria Azarenka declared herself fully fit after defeating Monica Niculescu 6-1 6-4 in her opening match.

The Belarusian, has recovered from the toe injury, which she that forced her out of her Brisbane International semifinal against Williams earlier his month.

After reaching round two in Melbourne, she said: "I couldn't wait to get out there and play.

It's been a long week of preparation, so you always feel like a little bit overwhelmed before your first match.

Williams, who is targeting her sixth Australian Open title, was comfortably leading her Romanian opponent 4-0 when she reached for a forehand and landed heavily, twisting her ankle.

The American lay motionless and received lengthy medical attention and though she continued, Serena was clearly in pain as she went on to close out the match Williams said she would ice her foot and leave it to the medical team to decide whether she needed a scan - although she added she would rather not know if it was something serious.

Williams is searching for her third successive Grand Slam victory, following success at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2012.

The American won the Melbourne title in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010 and a sixth victory would see her return to the number one spot in the world rankings.

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QUOTABLE QUOTE Whatever is happening in the North is our own doing because we did not play (our role) or do what we are supposed to do.

— Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar on the insecurity in the North

If Tukur sinks, so does GEJ A

thinker, Bhaghwad Gita, wrote that there are three gates to selfdestructive hell: lust, anger and greed.

To say that the elected governors of the ruling party, on one hand, and the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and the Chairman of the most successful political party in independent Nigeria’s history, on the other, are right now knocking on the door of self-destruction is to make an understatement. Any man who fails to overcome greed and desires and pursues them as blindly as we are witnessing with our political leaders will bring ruin not only upon himself but on the country at large.

“The fire on the mountain” or the “civil war in Africa’s biggest party, PDP” as the Nation newspaper on Monday called it, may have had its seed sown in injustice. The failure to give justice is an invitation to anarchy. Here, we have a party which leadership is unafraid of authority including and in particular, the courts of law, which is a sure recipe for anarchy. But the party's biggest undoing as we are witnessing today, is the scramble for offices in the 2015 elections, which has pitted the PDP state governors against an ambitious President.

In 2015 or shortly after, the PDP will be graduating no less than 17 governors who have completed two terms of eight years. Those of them from the North, namely, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Dr. Babangida Aliyu of Niger and Adamawa’s “Baba mai mangoro,” Murtala Nyako, are currently being mentioned as possible candidates in that election. To achieve their dream, one of two things must happen: either that the sitting President, Dr. Jonathan, does the right thing by staying out of the race to save the party and nation of unnecessary crisis of political domination or they take away the ruling party from him, in which case he does not have a platform on which to contest.

From every indication, the latter of the two options, which is to chase him out of the party by seizing its control, is what they seem determined to do.

If the PDP governors succeed in taking away the party from the president at this time, it will not be the first time they will be doing that. In fact, as far the PDP is concerned, its body and soul

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MUSINGS By

Garba Shehu garshehu@yahoo.co.in

President Goodluck Jonathan have been with the governors since the late Umaru Yar’adua accidentally became president.

When he unexpectedly became the president and leader of the party, the greenhorn from Katsina Government House didn’t give a damn about the party, especially in regard to its funding. At some point, there were many who thought he harbored a utopian aspiration of liquidating the PDP and replacing it with another party with a radical or left-leaning disposition. Power hates a vacuum and based on this, the governors moved in with their money and seized the party by funding all of its activities.

Before this time, the PDP had been controlled from the Presidential Villa.

Under Obasanjo, he first delegated its management and control to Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

There was a good reason for this. Obasanjo came into office for the second time as a leaderstatesman who, it was wrongly assumed had the midas touch to right the country’s wrongs.

He himself pretended that he was above politics. This was before he became enchanted with fascism and yearned to be seen as an all-powerful, charismatic leader before whom party members and anyone else must bow. So he began by

“

Mr. Jonathan may be a bad president or a clueless one as it has become fashionable to say, but nobody should ask him whether he has the will and the dynamism to pursue power which one can say is principally the only thing his presidency is all about. To that extent, it would be foolish to write him off or assume that he, President Jonathan will not be able to take opportunistic, harsh decisions and actions against opponents in order to make political gains

divesting Atiku of control of the party and taking over first through surrogates and later, directly by himself. He enforced order by deregistering members, issuing threats, thuggery, loss of office, assets forfeiture and jail terms for the recalcitrant some.

With election for the office of president less than three years ahead in 2015, and with Mr. Jonathan himself making every move towards that, it is not out of place to take it that he will borrow pages from Obasanjo, the author of the party’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Mr. Jonathan may be a bad president or a clueless one as it has become fashionable to say, but nobody should ask him whether he has the will and the dynamism to pursue power which one can say is principally the only thing his presidency is all about. To that extent, it would be foolish to write him off or assume that he, President Jonathan will not be able to take opportunistic, harsh decisions and actions against opponents in order to make political gains.

Already, the governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido, has been put on notice by the EFCC arrest of his son.

As good politicians, PDP governors who are toying with the idea of a bloody fight with Jonathan for the control of the party should, in their own interest, have a re-think. A good politician should be able to make adjustments without being handicapped by ego. At present, the president seems well disposed to Bamanga Tukur as PDP Chairman and may be prepared to swim or sink with him. This is easy to understand, considering that it was the president who, in the first place, brought Tukur against the wishes of the governors and the electorate. In power calculus, his own strategists may have convinced him the if he allowed Tukur to go down at this time, the next thing the insatiable governors would do would be to chance him by asking for his head.

From all of the above, it is clear that both the president and the party chairman, on the one hand, and the governors, on the other, have hard, personal political choices to make. This is not about Nigeria or the common man. It is a titanic power tussle between two powerful forces and it is difficult at this time to predict the outcome.

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 805 727 9862. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141