Peoples Daily Newspaper, Saturday 17, November, 2012

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

VOL. 2 NO. 15 SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

. . . putting the people first

AL-MUHARRAM 3- 4, 1433 AH

N150

Suntai still in intensive care, heavily sedated

Subsidy removal: Another mass protest looms

How my jealous wife cut my testicles —Kabiru

>> Page 3

>> Page 3

>> Page 2

Constitution review

More politics, less progress Pages 9, 10, 11 & 15

Kannywood My mother told my wife not to mind my female fans —Gambo Usman Wase

>> Page 24

Encounter Usman

When Senator Khairat Gwadabe and siblings honoured their father >> Page 8 WWW.PEOPLESDAILY-ONLINE.COM

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

News Woman, 45, needs N15 million for liver transplant

By Augustine Aminu

T

a i b a t Ismail, 45, resident of Kubwa District, Abuja, is suffering from liver tumor and requires N15million to have an urgent liver transplant in India.

Ismail, who is currently dependent on dialysis and on twice a-week haemodialysis care at the National Hospital, Abuja, is dire need of the said sum to cater for the total cost of the overseas trip to enable her undergo treatment and have a better quality of life.

Ismail, an indigene of Okehii Local Government Council, Kogi State, before now has been healthy until about October last year when she took ill and decided to go for a medical diagnosis to ascertain what the problem was really all about.

According to her, what started as a 'Slight feverish condition' in October 2011 has taken its toll on the once robust and beauty queen of her family. Now, fragile she could only mutter; "Please help me".

Our reporter who interacted

with her observes that she has practically reduced to a heap of wrinkled face and frequent bouts of pain and sorrow, as she could not manage a straight one chat due to fatigue and exhaustion.

She laments: "For over a year now, I've been in a bad state of health. The problem is liver problem, liver tumour. I don't know how it affects the body. God has been helping me to survive with prayer of concerned brothers, sisters and friends".

In tears, Ismail appealed to all well meaning Nigerians and non Nigerians to help keep her alive by raising the needed sum to enable her have the required liver transplant abroad. "All that I require to live a healthy life is a quick liver transplant which the doctor said it will be in India; and that is where the problem is because l do not have such money, thus its totally beyond my reach", she expressed.

Kind hearted Nigerians can reach Taibat on 08067954901, 07067353274, 08023371605 or Taibat Ismail account number 0119866473, GTB

Taibat Ismail in her sick bed

How jealous wife cut husband's testicles

By Mustapha Adamu

I

t was a case of polygamy gone awry recently in Kano state when a jealous housewife resorted to deadly violence when she could not force her husband to either stick to her alone or divorce her. Mustapha Adamu reports Residents of Kauyen Alu, Unguwa Uku, Tarauni LG in Kano state, were baffled when they rescued Muhammed Kabiru, aka Alhaji Cindo from the death threat of his wife Hadiza, who incised his testes with a knife.

Kabiru said he could not report the incident to the media at the time because he was battling for his life at a hospital.

42-year old Kabiru, a trader in Kwari Market, described Hadiza as

Muhammed Kabiru

a notorious wife who wanted to force him to divorce her but which he refused.

"She heard that I had married a girl from Katsina Ala, a daughter of Sarkin fulani Benue (King of Fulani,Benue), Benue state, but she said the marriage would not be possible."

"We had quarrels and she had mounted pressure on me to dissolve the marriage, saying the girl is not better than her. I said I would not terminate the marriage because it is enjoined in our religion to marry more than one wife and that even her father has two wives."

Kabiru told our reporter that one fateful morning, as he was preparing for market, she just appeared in to his room with a

knife, forcing him to divorce her.

"She entered into my room, grabbed my collar forcefully, shouting at me to divorce her while holding a knife and threatening to inflict injury on me. When I said I would not divorce her, she angrily grabbed my manhood and cut up my testes."

"I fell unconscious and when I regained consciousness, I became terrified when I noticed that my testes had been incised. I quickly got a rag and tied the place up to stop the blood before going to hospital."

"She went out of the house and started screaming that I was threatening to kill her."

"When the neighbours came I showed them what she had done to me and they rushed me to hospital to save my life."

Hadiza was arrested by the people and handed over to Hisbah Command. He then requested for his children and pleaded with the command not to punish her for their children sake.

"I collected my children and divorced her, but I have forgiven her for the children and her father, who is very kind to me. He always consoled me if we had quarrel and went to the house to punish or caution her not to offend me again."

Kabiru also called on men to investigate before marriage to avoid being married to a bad woman. He also prayed for Hadiza to stop her bad habit.

Zamfara lead report: Time is running out, MSF warns

By A’isha BIola Raji

S

ix months after an International Lead Poisoning Conference, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) also known as ‘Doctors Without Borders’, has released its report warning that time is running out to solve the crisis especially in Bagega village of Zamfara state.

In a progress report, the medical humanitarian organisation which has been treating lead-poisoned children since the start of the crisis, finds that very little action has been taken on any of the agreed action points from the conference; calling for President Jonathan’s intervention.

According to a press statement signed by Sabine Rietz, Media Consultant, MSF, funds to tackle the Zamfara lead poisoning crisis with a specific focus on the remediation of Bagega village were promised by the President in May 2012, but have still not been released by the Secretary of the Government of the Federation.

According to Michael White,

a resource person in MSF, “More than two and a half years after the lead poisoning disaster was discovered, hundreds of children are still awaiting critical medical treatment. MSF is willing to treat these children, but cannot do so until their homes have been environmentally remediated which has to begin before the end of the year”.

The report said a successful resolution to the crisis must include a three-pronged approach of professional remediation of affected villages, medical treatment to the most vulnerable victims and the implementation of safer mining practices.

The report further stated that MSF has been collaborating closely with TerraGraphics, an internationally recognised remediation company which led the remediation of seven villages in Zamfara state in 2010.

“TerraGraphics, MSF and local stakeholders are all ready to start work immediately upon the release of the fund,” concluded the report.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17— SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Photo News

L-R The Senate President, David Mark, Senate Minority Leader, Sen. George Akume, Sen. Joshua Dariye and Sen. Banabas Gemade at the public hearing on the review of the (1999) Constitution North Central Zone Makurdi Benue state.

R-L: Sir Ude Ejikeme, Chairman Planning Committee, HRH, Alhaji Muhammed Bello Sa'idu, Sardauna Samaru & Madawakin Hausawa Abuja and Omooba Kenneth Aigbegbele, National Coordinator of Nigerian Royalty Awards when a delegation paid a working visit to the Sarkin Arewa's palace recently.

Mrs Emma Mba, SUBEB representatives and Nassarawa- Gatte residents and students during the commissioning of the new block of classroom in the community

L-R: Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide; President, Joint Faith Peace Initiative, Ambassador Liberty Okon, President, Federation of Muslim Women's Associations, FCT Chapter, Hajiya Raliat Akinbobola, and Chairperson, Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Philo Uche, during the conferment of Inter-Faith Leadership Award on the Minister, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Cross Section of the traditional rulers public at the public hearing on the review of 1999 constitution in Gombe

L-R: Representative of Director General of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Professor Olobayo O. Kunle, Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii and Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Mahesh Sachder, during the 10th edition of annual schools competition award for members of NAFDAC consumer safety club in Abuja. ` Photo: Mahmud Isa Ambassador David McRae, European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, and Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State during the former's visit to the Governor in Benin City, yesterday.

L-R: Officiating Priest, Rev. Fr. Luke Ohiemi watch with interest as the Representative of the Senate President (Special Guest of Honour), Mr. Mike Omeri, Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA) addresses the congregation at Guardian Angel Parish, Catholic Chaplaincy of The Nigeria Police Force, Abuja during their 2012 Harvest Thanksgiving held recently in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

CORRIGENDUM Last week, we erroneously referred to the husband of our staff Ms. Josephine Ella, who got married as Caleb Ejeh. We have since realised that the name of the groom is Mr. Mark Abel Ejeh. We regret the mix up and wish them happy married life. — Editor

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 5

News

Uwais, Musdapher disagree on plea bargain

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

wo former chief justices of Nigeria (CJN), Muhammad Uwais and Dahiru Musdapher, on Thursday, disagreed on the concept of plea bargain in the country.

While Uwais said the concept will enhance justice administration and maximise scarce judicial resources, Musdapher said it is a threat to Nigeria due to massive corruption.

Both former CJNs spoke at the 7th Negotiation and Conflict Management Group (NCMG), African ADR Summit organised with the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja.

In her speech, the CJN, Justice Mariam Alooma Mukhtar urged the summit to resolve divergent views and foster the understanding on the use or otherwise of plea bargaining.

Speaking on the theme of the conference: "Plea Bargaining and the Criminal Justice System in Africa", Uwais urged participants to focus more on how best the judiciary can adapt to the use of plea bargaining in a manner that will not compromise fair administration of justice.

Justice Musdapher said in his speech, that "Though the concept of plea bargain may be noble to the Criminal Justice System of USA and possibly some common law jurisdictions within Africa, it is pertinent to observe the case and circumstances within which plea bargain is applied in those jurisdictions.

"In Nigeria, a proper understanding of the concept of plea bargain by prosecutors and law enforcement officers is seriously required to reduce the

misconception, he said.

"Plea bargain is the proceeds of crime rather than the crime itself with a view to having a lesser punishment for the offence committed. Thus, there is need to establish a legal framework that will be peculiar to our social norms, values and circumstances.

"The essence of the concept of plea bargain is the recovery of stolen funds and therefore not subject to negotiation. What is subject to negotiation should be the prosecution; and punishment for embezzlement.

"Even where the whole money stolen is returned by the offender, he has committed the offence of theft or abuse of office for which he must still be tried and punished.

"By far, the most damaging aspects of our social and economic development is the issue of corruption in public offices, if public officers are to be given soft landing for corruption and economic crimes by the application of plea bargain, we have no hope of proper development…”

Musdapher added.

But the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde in his own presentation said the commission is empowered under Section 14(2) of the EFCC ( Establishment) of 2004, the Criminal Procedure Act and Criminal Procedure Code, to engage in plea bargaining.

These, it said, the commission had deployed successfully in convicting former Bayelsa Governor, Diprieye Alamieyeseigha; former IG, Tafa Balogun; former CEO of Oceanic Bank, Cecilia Ibru; and former Edo state governor, Lucky Igbinedion, where they forfeited valuable assets both at home and abroad apart from jail terms.

Nigeria’s judiciary can stand the test of time – Sambo

By Augustine Aminu

V

i c e president Namadi Sambo has said the quality of Nigerian judges has come of standard and they could stand shoulder to shoulder with judges in other countries. The Vice President expressed the hope that the trend would continue so as to further strengthen the legal institution in Nigeria.

Sambo spoke at a book launch titled “A Glory to the Bench” in honour of Justice Dalhatu Adamu, Acting President of the Court of Appeal, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja. Represented by Alhaji Abba Dabo, the vice president said the judiciary has come of age and that the present crop of judges are men and women of integrity.

Also speaking at the event, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, represented by Justice Chukwuma Ene of the Supreme Court, described Justice Adamu as an exemplary judge worthy of emulation. She advised Nigerians to take advantage of the book and other legal materials to explore the laws of the land in order to equip themselves with legal knowledge that would help them to defend their rights.

In her keynote address, Justice Bulkachuwa, who served as the Host, extolled the qualities of Justice Adamu, saying as an honest and hard working man, Justice Adamu deserved the honour. She described the book, which is a compilation of essays on legal issues as a well researched work that would enrich the bench.

Governor Ibrahm Shema center on his right is the German Ambassador to Nigeria, on his left the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Faruk Umar Faruk and former Governor Saidu Barda and other dignitaries

Kogi lawmakers disagree over disputed oil wells From Sam Egwu

T

h e member representing Ibaji constituency in Kogi state House of Assembly, Hon. Christopher Atule Okoche, has advised his senior colleague in the National Assembly not to distort history over the rift on oil wells in Kogi.

Hon Atule maintained that the advice has become pertinent since President Goodluck Jonathan has played a fatherly

role by urging the three governors to meet and reconcile the differences.

"Making such inflammatory statements that Ibaji people were settlers, does not mean well for the truce the President is seeking among the three governors of Anambra, Kogi and Enugu scheduled for 29th and 30th", Atule stated.

"A person who is said to be representing his people should not ignite actions that create

tension in the community, most especially now that the President has advised the boundary commission to look into the rift among Kogi, Anambra and Enugu, to come out with a workable solution", He said.

Atule maintained that Rep Chriscato Ameke's interview recently in a national newspaper [was capable of bringing the hands of the clock back since facts were misrepresented in the interview.

Revenue sharing process unfair to LGs —Minister

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

T

h e Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama has said that it is unfortunate that the local governments in the country are never part of the sharing of revenues as they are assumed to be represented by the state governments.

The minister said on Thursday in Abuja at Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) post-mortem subcommittee national seminar on non-oil sector of the economy with the theme: “New initiative for optimal revenue generation and collection from the non-oil sector”.

He said that the current system is based on the

interpretation of the laws, adding that “because it is the law not because it is right”.

He urged the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to shift focus from sharing to mobilisation of revenue, adding that the nation is tired of depending on the extractive industry.

“This nation is tired of being dependent on the extractive industry. We want to involve every one of us in generating the revenue that we actually share.

We have so many things. There are countries that don’t have oil, even rainfall but their standard of living is better than our own like Morocco doing well with agriculture. This is a country that has rainfall for only two

months. Their agriculture is depended on underground water and yet they feed Europe, export agricultural products to Europe.

“If you look at that agriculture, every individual is involved so we are directly linked with the revenue. But over here, they say there is one off shore oil well, none of us here is directly involved with that activity. We just sit down, when they do the calculation and come we say we have money and then we start spending time on argument.

“This commission has the responsibility of changing the attitude of Nigeria, pushing us towards generating the revenue ourselves,” the minister said.

NBA kicks against impunity in high quarters From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

W

orried by the increasing rate of impunity in high quarters across the country, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has charged its members nationwide to make effective use of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and demand

accountability from government agencies and parastatals.

Specifically, the NBA has resolved to champion reform in the national polity just as it decried, in strong terms, the refusal of some state governments to conduct local government elections, an act which it said was a demonstration of impunity that

should be challenged by the NBA at various state levels through public interest litigation.

This was contained in a communiqué issued by the NBA Section on Legal Practice at the end of its 6th annual conference held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

The conference had as its theme “Raising the Bar:

International Best Practices in Legal Practice”.

The communiqué which was signed by the chairman, NBA Section on Legal Practice, Mr. Donald Denwigwe, called on public office holders in the country to henceforth demonstrate a higher sense of responsibility, accountability and respect for the rule of law.

It also enjoined members to be at the forefront of the fight against impunity nationwide.

According to the communiqué, it has become imperative for the NBA to review the rules of professional conduct as it relates to the restriction against advertising, in view of the global trends in legal service delivery.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

News Akwa Ibom exco approves N459b for 2013 draft budget

Group alleges marginalisation over Oshiomhole’s appointments

From Mike Etim, Uyo

From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

A L-R: Past President, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE), Engineer Babajide Shoyode, Group Managing Director, NNPC, Engineer Yakubu Andrew and the National President NSChE, Dr. John Erinne, during NSChE 42nd Annual General meeting and conference, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

NTDC applauds directive on visas

By Miriam Humbe

T

h e Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru has been commended for his recent directive asking Nigerian missions abroad to ensure that the issuance of visas does not last more than 48 hours.

The Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe gave the commendation in a statement in Abuja, adding that the directive is

most timely as it conforms with the government’s transformation agenda on tourism.

According to Runsewe, prompt issuance of visas to tourists and investors alike, was overdue in view of the desire of tourists to visit Nigeria as their preferred destination and in conformity with the agenda to make tourism as a major revenue earner for the country.

He said the usual delays being experienced in some missions abroad would now become a thing of the past as consular service delay had

always been the usual complaints of some visitors wishing to come to Nigeria.

“This directive will surely help increase the tourist traffic into Nigeria as complaints have always been in this regard”, Runsewe enthused.

The Minister had said during the signing of “performance” contract with heads of Nigerian missions in the United States at the Nigerian House in New York that the era of visa delay to visitors and investors among others to Nigeria was over.

k w a Ibom Executive Council has approved 2013 draft budget amounting to N459, 305, 166, 710, which is tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Industrialisation” Of the total amount, capital expenditure comprises N340, 515, 000, 000 or 82 percent while recurrent expenditure will gulp N118, 790, 166, 710 representing 18 percent.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the state excutive council meeting on Thursday, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Bassey Albert Akpan, said the amount showed a decrease of 12 percent over the amount approved for this year's budget.

Mr. Akpan explained that government policy thrust would hinge on completion of on-going development projects, continued provision of basic infrastructure and security as well as implementation of the state industrialisation programme.

He noted that in the budget, the government took cognisance of fluctuating petroleum prices in the international market, saying that the government would explore internally generated revenue to help in the implementation of the budget.

Kwankwaso promises to NDLEA officers commended sponsor more youths abroad for rejecting bribe From Edwin Olofu, Kano

G

o v e r n o r Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso of Kano state has restated the determination of his administration to open up more opportunities for youths in the state to make the best use of their potential for the good of the state and the country as a whole.

The governor made the assertion when he visited Skyline University College, Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to explore the possibility of sponsoring youths from Kano to acquire degrees in the university.

He said his government will want to collaborate with the institution to either set up a campus in Kano or to support the

government of the state in attaining its goals in the sector of education.

Meaningful investment in education he noted is the key to making Kano a force to reckon with in Nigeria and beyond.

Receiving the governor, the institutions’ Director, Nitin Ahmad, said he was impressed by the governor’s passion for education, a sector which he described as pivotal to development of UAE and the entire world.

Governor Kwankwaso who met with some Nigerian students in Dubai, paid a courtesy visit on the management of Emirates Aviation College in Dubai to discuss how youths from Kano can be sponsored by government to undergo training as pilots in the institution.

From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi hree officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kebbi state, Yusuf Ishaya, Sahabi Samaila and Mohammed have been commended for their exemplary conduct by the chairman of the agency over a suspect arrested in Badariya area of Birnin Kebbi who made an attempt to bribe the three officers with N45, 000.00.

Addressing newsmen in his office the state commander of NDLEA Mr. Okou O. Ulo said the suspect was arrested with four kilogrammes of cannabis in the bush; “he brought out money to bribe my staff and they rejected it so I later forwarded their names to

T

the headquarters where the national chairman gave them letters of excellence and commended them for good conduct”, he said.

In a related, Ulo said in Zuru, one Mr. John Okoye was arrested with 21.3kg of cannabis in a Mazda vehicle with registration number AA83MPA Kogi; while in Yauri, one Mohammed Umar who was coming from Ondo state was intercepted with 68kg along Yauri to Jega road.

The state command explained that the three suspects are being prosecuted at the Sokoto High Court. He also said from July to November, Kebbi state NDLEA command has prosecuted 19 suspects.

A

ggrieved youths belonging to the Esan Youth Movement (EYM) from the central part of Edo state, have protested alleged marginalisation and deceit meted on them in key cabinet appointments made by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

The group who were backed by elders and women, armed themselves with placards and stormed the House of Assembly complex, the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Government House where they lodged their complaints.

Spokesperson of EYM, Stve Amedu, alleged that the area was grossly denied of all the 39 key political positions during the last four years of the ACN government.

They accused the ruling ACN of screwing all the choice political posts which include those of the Governor, Deputy Governor, Speaker, Chief of Staff, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Head of Service, Chief Judge and other key heads of agencies and parastatals in favour of Edo South and Edo North while the Esan in the central district had only five out of the 35 permanent secretaries in the ministries.

They also alleged that “Esan ethnic nationality has less than five percent of all the recruitment in the last four years and challenged the state government to publish the list of all the entire work force in the state for all the world to see how it reflects the federal character principle which is constitutional”.

The protesters urged the government to ensure that justice and equity prevail in the ongoing appointment into various positions in the newly sworn-in administration else they will go back to their home and strategize where their protest is not adequately addressed by the Comrade Governor.

Attah Igala stool: Kingmakers ready with one candidate From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

T

he head of the kingmakers for the Atah Igala vacant stool, His Royal Highness Abel Emakoji Etuh the Etemahi Igalamela, has restated the kingmakers’

commitment to produce a widely acceptable candidate saying only one and not two names was submitted to Igala Traditional Area council for ratification.

The royal father noted that the Graphic Newspaper publication of Wednesday 14th-

20th November that the council had submitted two names instead of one, was a misinformation and a calculated attempt to disparage the work of the kingmakers.

He said the Igalamela kingmakers were unanimous in the choice of a candidate for the

vacant stool; stressing that they were meticulous in observing laid down procedures in selecting Atah. He added that the rotational arrangement among the four ruling Houses from Ayegba Omidoko's dynasty and the proviso of being the son of an

Atah were painstakingly considered.

A press release signed by Chief Etuh in Lokoja, condemned the insinuation by the newspaper report that the kingmakers were unable to recommend a candidate.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 7

Tribute For Kayode Eso

Jonathan, Ciroma, Mark, others mourn as Kayode Eso exits at 87 From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

I

badan based eminent jurists, Justice Kayode Eso died yesterday in a London hospital at age 87.

His first son, Olumide Eso confirmed the passing away of the legal icon to newsmen in Lagos.

He said his father, late Justice

…it’s a great national loss -Jonathan

Eso committed his entire life to the "goodness of Nigeria and the people around him. Above all, he was an adventurer".

Justice Babakayode Eso was born on September 18, 1925 at Ilesa, in Osun state, He proceeded to Trinity College, Dublin where he graduated with a Bachelor of Law with Hons Degree in Legal Science in 1953 and a Masters in 1956.

Described as the Father of Judicial Activism in Nigeria,

Justice Kayode Eso is the greatest protagonist for an independent judiciary and very well known for his relentless efforts in maintaining discipline and protecting the integrity of his court.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Vice Chairman (South-West), Chief Segun Oni has described the deceased eminent jurist and former Justice of the Supreme Court, as one of the most brilliant and consistent legal minds to come out

of Africa, saying; "We have lost a man who was the law personified".

Oni, who reacted to Justice Eso's death through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said the jurist lived and died for the law and ensuring that it was justly applied.

"This a sad moment for Nigeria, especially its judiciary because obviously, the beautiful ones are indeed departing.

"Baba was a just judge, whose decisions were never in any

doubt. He was one of the finest minds in Nigeria's jurisprudence and the continent of Africa.

"No doubt, his death is a colossal loss to his family, the legal profession, Nigeria and lovers of rule of law in the entire world.

"He will be fondly remembered by all as a man who did his best at every level where he served in the judiciary and made his marks, which are indelible. He will be sorely missed," Oni said.

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has described the death of retired Justice of Supreme Court, Justice Kayode Eso, as a great national loss.

A statement signed by Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Friday, said the President received news of the death with sadness.

"Eso was an eminent jurist, courageous judge and consistent advocate for an independent judiciary, the President said.

On behalf of himself and the Federal Government, he extended condolences to the Eso family, their friends, associates and the government and people of Osun state.

He urged them to take solace in the fact that Eso would forever be remembered as a very bold, fearless and courageous judge who contributed enormously to establishing the independence of the judiciary.

The president also commended his patriotism which manifested in his constant readiness to take on national assignments whenever he was called upon to do so, the statement read.

Late Kayode Eso

…A colossal loss befalls us again - Aregbesola From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

A

colossal loss"! This was how Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state, described the death of Hon Justice Babakayode Eso, Justice of the Supreme Court (rtd).

In a statement issued by the Director of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said the death of Justice Eso is a big blow to the nation's judiciary, rule of law and

justice.

He noted that Eso died when his over four decades wealth of experience at the bench is most need by the country with the current debate across the country on the review of the 1999 Constitution.

Aregbesola said Justice Kayode Eso is the greatest crusader of an independent judiciary and very well known for his relentless efforts in maintaining discipline and protecting the integrity of his court.

The governor noted that all

through his life, Justice Eso remained committed to unadulterated justice, maintenance of rule of law and a rigorous campaigner of true federalism in the country.

He said Justice Eso is sharpminded, versatile, brilliant, morally upright and a quintessential legal mind per excellence.

Aregbesola stated that Justice Eso's wealth of experience, knowledge at the bench and of constitution and rule of law in general would be missed greatly.

…a monumental loss to judiciary - Mark

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

P

resident of the Senate, Senator David Mark on Friday described the death of late Justice of the Supreme Court, Kayode Eso, as a monumental loss to the nation especially the judiciary.

Reacting to the passing unto the great beyond of the foremost jurist, Senator Mark lamented that Nigeria has lost one of the best and fertile minds in the judiciary.

A statement signed by Kola Olgbodiyan, Special Adviser, Media to the

President of the Senate, noted that late Eso was one of the proponents of the legal reforms that ushered in the era of dignity and the independence of the nation's judicial system.

According to Mark, "As a legal officer and jurist, Eso was a voice for the voiceless. He defended the defenseless a n d was there for the oppressed.

He was forthright and a distinguished officer.

"Nobody doubted his integrity and where he stood on national issues were clearly unambiguous.

He was a patriotic Nigerian".

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Encounter

When Senator Hairat Gwadabe and siblings honoured father

By A'isha Biola Raji

O

ld age isn't so bad when you consider that you have loved ones to shower you with love and affection. The joys of a man, Alhaji Abdulganiy Folorunsho Abdulrazaq, popularly referred to as AGF, knew no bounds when he cut his 85th, birthday cake supported by his loved ones recently, amongst them Senator Khairat Gwadabe Abdulrazaq.

She used the occasion to give some words of advice to politicians, urging them to live up to their promises to the electorates so as to enhance their welfare.

She indicated that the only way democracy can be of benefit to the masses is to honour their pledges as they are the essence of Nigerian togetherness. One may wonder if, coming from Kwara state, the female senator may one day run for the gubernatorial seat of that state, but to Khairat, her constituency remains the Federal Capital Territory. "My constituency is FCT," she maintained.

It was meant to be a quiet birthday celebration but as it is said, a golden fish has no hiding place. This was the scenario that played out, at the 85th birthday ceremony of Alhaji Abdulganiy Folorunsho Abdulrazaq SAN, OFR, and M.A. LLB (TDC) Mutawalli of Ilorin and Tafidan Zazzau (Zaria) popularly called AGF. The occasion of his birthday on 13th November 2012 witnessed lots of top dignitaries cut across the whole Nigeria.

As the first Lawyer from Northern Nigeria and first legal adviser to the Northern People Congress (NPC), the celebration of his birth could not have witnessed less grandeur.

Present at the event were, the representative of President Goodluck Jonathan and former governor of Osun state, currently the PDP National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former chief justice of the federation, Justice Alfa Belgore, former vice president, Alex Ekwueme, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai,former Speaker of National House of representative, Alhaji Gali Na'aba,former EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu former chief of staff to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Major General Abdullahi Mohammed, Senator Isiaka Salman, Senator Iyabo Anishulowo, Senator John Danboyi, Alhaji Yusuf Lanre Shagaya, Alhaji Saka Saadu, Hajia Munirat Buba Marwa, Colonel Lawal Gwadabe among other dignitaries.

AGF cutting his birthday cake with wife and children Their presence reflects or describes the fact that, Alhaji AGF represents a true elder statesman in Nigeria.

Born in Onitsha in the month of November in the year 1927, to late Munirat and Abdulrazaq both indigenes of Ilorin, he started his schooling by first attending Koranic schools in Ilorin, Onitsha and Lagos 19321942. He however commenced his Western education in Ilorin at United African School from 1935-1936.

At this point, he returned to Onitsha in 1938 to attend the CMS, Central School and he left in 1943.

His secondary school education started at Kalabari National College, Buguma in 1944 till 1945.

He went back to Onitsha in 1945 and 1947 when he attended the African College. He was among the foundation students in 1948 at the then University College, Ibadan and later moved to Trinity College, Dublin University, the Republic of Ireland's (Eire), Oxford and Cambridge.

While he was at TCD (Trinity College Dublin), he was concurrently registered at the Inner Temple London from 1951 to 1954.

Called to bar on 8th February, 1955, at the prestigious Inner Temple in the United Kingdom, to him, it was not a compliment but a

groundbreaking start.

Abdulganiy Folorunsho obtained for himself, Bachelor of Arts (B.A Honours) degree in 1953, Bachelor of Laws (LL.B and Higher diploma in education (H.Dip-Educ) in 1954, Master of Arts (M.A) degree in 1956 Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1885.

As a young lawyer, he founded the law firm of Abdul Razaq & Co. in 1955.

In his profession, he held several offices which are, Nigeria Delegate to International Commision of jurists' Lagos and Brazil, Member, National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 1958-1962, Member, Law Reporting Committee of the Northern Nigeria 1959-1962, Life Bencher since 1971, and Chairman of the Body of Benchers 1984.

His legacy of public service has also earned him the following, Legal Adviser to the NPC Delegation to the Nigerian Constitution Conference, London 1957, Member of the Nigerian delegation to International Conference on Problems of Federal Constitution, Lagos1959, Legal Adviser to NPC Delegation to the Nigeria Constitutional Conference London and Lagos1960, Member of Drafting Committee of Nigeria Independence Constitution 1960, Legal Adviser to Members of Northern Delegation and

AdHoc Constitutional Conference, Lagos 1967, Member Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC-49 "WISEMEN"1977, Chairman of Committee on Executive and Legislature of Constitution Drafting Committee 1977, Member of Constituent Assembly1978.

Member of the Governing Council of Nigeria College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, Ibadan and Enugu which were later elevated to the Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U), Universities of Nigeria, Nsukka and Ile-Ife1957-1962, Member, Kano Land Commission1959, Member, Small Business Commission of Northern Nigeria1960, Member, Nigerian Delegation to International Commission of jurists, Lagos 1960, Chairman of "Daily Mail" - Nigeria National Newspaper Published in Kano 1960-1962, Member Representing OAU Reconciliation Committee of Algeria/Morocco 1963, On Special Mission to USA for Federal Government of Nigeria 1966, National Legal Adviser to Northern Region Government Party (NPC) 1956-1966.

Member of Parliament (Northern Region House of Assembly) 1959-1962 (Federal Parliament) 1964-1966, Nigerian Ambassador to Cote'DIvoire 191962-1964, Federal Cabinet Minister of State for

Railways 1965-1966, Member of the Leaders of Thought of Northern Nigeria 1966-1967, Nigeria Delegates to 23rd UNO General Assembly New York, USA 1968, Kwara State Commissioner for Finance, Health and Social Welfare19671972, First Northerner to be given a substantive Appointment as a Judge of High Court but politely Declined the appointment, Founding Member of Capital Issues Commission (Now SEC) 19731977, Member of the Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1967 and Member of the Panel on Nigeria National Productivity.

The first Lawyer of Northern Nigeria, his groundbreaking role was not limited to the North, he spread his tentacle of achievement by leaving a trail in which seven other member have taken over; among his children are doctorate degree holders, masters degree holders and one who combines chartered accountancy with legal profession as well as a Senator of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

They are, Dr. Alimi Abdulrazaq, Senator Khairat Gwadabe Abdulrazaq, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Mallam Isiaka Abdulrazaq, Hajia Aisha Muhammed Lawal (wife of late former governor of Kwara state, Alhaji Muhammed Lawal), Alhaji Abdulrauf Abdulrazaq and Ahmed Abdulrazaq.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 9

Cover

Constitution review

More politics, less progress

By Agaju Madugba, Ali Abubakar Abare, Abubakar Jimoh, Edwin Olofu, Olanrewaju Lawal, Ahmed Abubakar and Ahmed Idris

E

f f o r t s at reviewing the current constitution started on the 17th of November, 2011 when President Goodluck Jonathan set up a Committee on the review of outstanding issues from the proceeding constitutional conferences, to look at and harmonise past efforts of the Constitutional review, concentrate on those areas agreements have been reached; leave controversial areas for another enlarged body of opinion leaders, interest groups and ethnic nationalities; draft bills on previous agreed issues such as national security, human rights, natural resources, power sharing, local government reforms, state

joint local government account, traditional institutions etc.

Following this, the Committee recommended reduction of power of the Executive, local government financial autonomy, scrapping of the State Joint Local Government Account and the establishment of the States Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (SRMAFC), retention of the immunity clause of Executives, zero consideration for power rotation issues, creation of additional states in the Southeast geo-political zone, among others.

As at July 16, 2012, no fewer than 443 different memoranda have been received by the Senate on 16 areas of the Constitutional review comprising creation of more states up to 56, local government autonomy 41, devolution of power 40,

Police Reforms 32; Land Use Act, NYSC Reform and Code of Conduct 32; Fiscal Federalism 30; Immunity Clause 29; recognition of the six geopolitical zones 28; the judiciary 26; Constitutional role for traditional rulers 23; Resident and Indigene Provisions 20; the Executive 19; Power Rotations 19; FCT Administration 18; Gender and Special Groups 17; and 13 for the Amendment of Constitutional Provisions.

Recently, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, assured Nigerians that Constitution amendment undertaken by the National Assembly would be a tool of positive transformation of Nigeria’s socio-political and economic fortunes. According to him, the House of Representatives has already initiated several bills on law reform which

include constitutional amendment bills, adding that the initiatives were already receiving the attention of the House Adhoc Committee on Constitution Review.

Conversely, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, representing Ekiti Central senatorial district of Ekiti state described the ongoing review of the Constitution as an exercise that will not serve the people of Nigeria in any purpose. He also asked all progressive Nigerians to join the ongoing battle to ensure a national transformation that will lead to the writing of a new constitution.

He lamented: “A constitution that starts with we the people without consulting the people, such as the current one is a fraud. Only impostors write such constitution and only a people without

Contd on pages 10,11

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Cover More politics, less progress Contd from page 9 pride and freedom will allow such a constitution to last.

Therefore, as soon as possible, a constitution of the people for the people and by the people must be written and adopted.”

Also, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have raised objections to the procedure. The NBA restated its earlier position requesting the National Assembly to subject the amendments to a referendum and challenged the House to show Constitutional foundation for its town hall approach, if as the House claimed, the referendum option had no place in the 1999 Constitution.

ASUU on the other hand, said it was in support of the current effort to produce a people-oriented constitution but argued that the piecemeal review of the present constitution would not address the problems of Nigeria. The union urged the House to evolve a procedure that will usher in an entirely new constitution.

Kano Reports from Kano state revealed that Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has expressed opposition to the constitution review, saying it is unnecessary and designed to achieve a preplanned goal by the people manning the process. He said at a press briefing in Kano that if the constitution should be reviewed at all, the exercise should be handled by people who have Nigeria at heart.

“It is the nature of the handlers of the review that make people across the country call for many things that are unnecessary. You see people calling for state creation, but failing to bring it with the idea that the criteria for doing that. We are not in military regime. So let us have a criterion for state creation,” he said.

Constitution review, according to Kwankwaso is like taking from point A to point.

On some of the issues raised by the constitution review committee, Kwankwaso said he was not in the support of state police. According to him, governors would use that to suppress and humiliate their political opponents. Citing example of a former governor of the state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Kwankwaso alleged that when Shekarau was in charge, he did all he could to find something to nail him. “But he couldn’t succeed. Had it been he had police at his disposal, he would have inflicted harm on me”, he said.

On the immunity clause removal, Kwankwaso said he did not support the idea of removing the clause. He cautioned that, “when such clause is removed, some retrogressive people would just be using it to divert the attention of the elected governors.

And that would not augur well for

Senate President David Mark

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu

Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha

democracy and good governance.

Some elected people could hide under the distraction and say that was what made them not to perform.”

While presenting the northwest position on a constitution review hearing in Sokoto on Thursday, Kwankwaso also noted that it amounts to injustice on the part of the Federal Government that oil states receive huge sums of money as derivation from proceeds of crude oil taken in the deep waters.

He therefore on behalf of the region, urged the National Assembly to revisit the abrogation of onshore-offshore dichotomy in the application of oil derivation principle. He insisted that he and his colleague northern governors will insist that the issue is revisited in the constitutional amendment process, wondering why “somebody will claim the ownership of a well that is 200 nautical miles away from his own land.”

Echoes of Sharia also reverberated across the 24 centres designated for public hearing as Muslim faithful

protested the non-inclusion of Islamic doctrines on the list of items to be reviewed by the National Assembly.

Reports across the constituencies where large crowd turned out for the public hearing said it almost degenerated into a religious centre as clerics who had invaded the venues openly preached against the exercise, describing it as a “jamboree and wasteful venture.”

Lagos Lagos counterparts also rejected a proposal that the office of the President rotates between the North and the South, stating rather that merit and competence should be the yardstick for electing occupants to the office in future polls. At series of town hall meetings in the state, residents were also unanimous in their call for the rejection of the idea of rotating the office amongst the six geo-political zones of the country.

Apart from the above, it was reported that Kano and Lagos state have supported the view of the concerned elders and stakeholders from Obubra/Etung Constituency on granting

financial and administrative autonomy to local councils in the country. They also urged for the retention of the current two terms of eight years for elected state governors and the President.

Previously, a Member of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged Lagosians to take the opportunity of Constitution review to demand the conferment of special status on Lagos State.

Mrs. Tinubu said: “Lagos, as part of its commitment to grassroots development, created more local council development areas.

We should therefore use this amendment to demand the listing of these LCDAs or ensure complete delisting of local governments from the Constitution. We should also look into the issue of conferment of special status on Lagos state. We have a responsibility to define the special status that would be suitable to the nature of the state.”

It was reported that Constituents have differed on Local Government autonomy.

For instance, Constituents from

the Lagos East Senatorial District on expressed different opinions on granting autonomy to local governments during the submission of memoranda on the 1999 constitution review.

The gathering reported to have witnessed division after a large number of the constituents opposed the abolition of the joint state and local government account. Members of the National Union of Local Government Employee left the venue in annoyance.

Akwa Ibom Different strokes for different strokes, participants at the constitutional review hearing in Akwa Ibom state rejected calls for state police and asked for an increase in the revenue allocation designated for states. According to them, the state governors would use the police to suppress opposition.

Governor Godswill Akpabio called on people of the state to support the introduction of zoning in the Nigerian Constitution as according to him, zoning and

Contd on page 11

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 11

Cover

More politics, less progress Contd from page 10 power rotation would help protect the minorities. He informed the people that his emergence as governor of Akwa Ibom state was as a result of zoning arrangement.

While addressing participants at the hearing on the review held at the Civil Service Auditorium in Uyo, the governor urged on all to work towards a situation where the six geopolitical zones structure is embedded in the Constitution and also called for fiscal federalism and the introduction of state police, adding that it will drastically reduce crime.

Edo At the town hall meetings in Edo state, the immunity clause for governors, President and the Vice President, state police and resource control including derivation formula, local government councils’ direct access to fund dominated the talks. According to the participants, this is to ensure transparency and good governance to be enthroned in the polity.

In Akoko-Edo federal constituency in Edo north senatorial districts where former national president of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Peter Appattason is the representative, the people of the area unanimously called for the removal of immunity clause on governors as it relates to criminal prosecution. This they said would also discourage governors from looting the state treasury. They cited the case of former governor of Delta state, James Ibori.

While on the resource control, the people of the area demanded that the existing derivation formula should be up from 13 per cent to at least 20 per cent; and states in the federation should be allowed to possess 50 per cent of their resources and pay the remaining 50 per cent into the federation account just as they said the country was not ripe yet for state police.

Yobe The public session for the review of the 1999 Constitution in Yobe state was held at the Government House, Damaturu.

It was reported that the people kicked against rotational presidency, states creation, percentage elective offices for women, and state police.

The public forum chaired by the state’s Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Ahmed Goniri, said that the rotational presidency has been rejected so as to give chance for competent hands to tackle the country’s challenges.

The forum rejected the proposal seeking on the creation of more states, and rejected the recognition of geo-political zones in the constitution for administrative purposes.

Participants at the public hearing voted for financial autonomy andindependence for the State House of Assembly.

However, it was agreed that

Gov Rabi’u Kwankwaso Section 162(6) of the constitution be amended to abolish State Local Government Joint Account so that allocations due to Local Government Councils would be paid directly.

Borno Borno state which has remained a troubled state in the last three years as a result of the Boko Haram activities recently came together to be part of the ongoing national debate on proposed review of the 1999 Constitution.

Stakeholders converged on the Musa Usman International Conference Centre, Maiduguri.

Also, some of the issues raised at the forum included states and local government creation, creation of state police, giving constitutional role to traditional rulers, revenue derivation and resource control among others.

Just like his colleagues, Shettima strongly opposed the controversial proposal for state police, and advised that rather more constitutional powers be given to the governors to control police deployed to their states.

While speaking on the current revenue sharing formula as it affects the states and local government councils, the governor noted that in spite of the resource control yardstick being used in gauging what states and local councils get from the federation account, a pragmatic approach should be used in achieving this. He believed that the process was not fair enough, and suggested that money from the central pool be shared in accordance to the size and needs of respective states and local governments in the country.

The governor called for the inclusion of defined roles for traditional rulers in the new constitution for the development of the society.

Ogun In Ogun state, residents opted

Gov Godswill Akpabio for creation of another state out of the present one and also called for local government autonomy.

The sessions, which were facilitated by the House of Representative members in the state were held in all the federal constituencies in the state. All those who spoke at the sessions agreed that there was the need to create a new state with its headquarters in Ijebu-Ode. But the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Abike DabiriErewa said that the collation of the people’s views would be the greatest challenge to the constitution review.

Ebonyi The Afikpo North/Afikpo South and Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituencies in Ebonyi have called for two additional states in the South East to strike a balance among the six geopolitical zones.

They also want state assemblies to be granted financial autonomy as it is with the National Assembly, the abolishment of joint account between states and local governments, and for the local governments to properly assume the third tier of the government.

The constituents also approved the definition of the tenures of LG chairmen and councillors, the abolishment of state independent electoral commissions, and the rotation of

Gov Kashim Shettima

the Presidency among the six geopolitical zones, among others.

Meanwhile, in Obiozara, the member representing Ohaozara/ Onicha/Ivo constituency, Rep. Linus Okorie, said the exercise was necessary to give the people a sense of belonging and to ensure that the amended constitution was people-oriented.

Kebbi Delivering a lecture at the occasion in Zuru town hall in respect of the constitution amendment process, the Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja Dr. Shehu Abdullahi admonished the representative of the Northerners in National Assembly to distance themselves from the recognition of six geo-political zones in the 1999 constitution Amendment. ‘’If this is allowed to be incorporated into the constitution and may God forbid, we will lose our regional bargaining leverage of having more states and representatives in both chambers of the National Assembly.

Dr Zuru in his lecture also kicked against the Local government joint account and the removal of the Immunity clause from the 1999 Nigeria constitution.

Economic implications The governors have been polarized under ethnic and regional lines over who gets what from the Federation Account.

While northern governors are

“

Kwankwaso also noted that it amounts to injustice on the part of the Federal Government that oil states receive huge sums of money as derivation from proceeds of crude oil taken in the deep waters.

kicking against the extra 13 percent derivation some states get, the oil producing states are determined to push it to 50 percent.

All seem not lost for the North.

The region may begin to enjoy a special derivation from solid minerals based on ongoing arrangement by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). There are indications that the north was ready to go the whole hog as the region recently set up the ten (10) Committees to harmonise its interest.

The impending stand-off between the northern and Niger Delta states will be a continuation of the battle started in 2005 National Political Reform Conference, on the same issue. At the conference, northern delegates blocked every move by SouthSouth delegates to push for a progressive increase in the derivation formula up to 50 percent. The controversy which the issue sparked-off raised tempers on both sides resulting in the decision of the South-South delegates to walk out of the conference.

But now, the battle is over whether the derivation principle should be retained or not. The governors of the 19 northern states are now using the existence of the fund as an excuse for their failure to deliver on their election promises. Some of them even attribute the emergence of Boko Haram to the existence of derivation fund for the benefit of oil producing states only.

However, on the flipside, their critics say the northern governors should look inwards and use what they have for the benefit of their people. They argue that unless state governors imbibe the culture of accountability and judiciously utilize the ‘little’ they now get from the Federation Account, no amount of money given to them will be enough.

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Cover Interview

Out of 43 questions only 5 were opposed-Cttee chairman ...It is all about 2015- Yahaya Mahmood Although the National Assembly has reportedly ruled out the creation of more states in response to agitations from various parts of the country, one of the questions raised during the House of Representatives nationwide public session on the review of the nation's Constitution last Saturday was whether Section 8 of the Constitution be amended to remove ambiguities in the process of creation of more state. There was large turnout of "invited participants" at the various locations in Kaduna state for the programme. Agaju Madugba, reports.

S

peaking at the conclusion of the session, Chairman of the House Constitution Review Committee, who is also from the Igabi Federal Constituency of Kaduna state, Ibrahim Bello, said that out of the 43 questions discussed, only five issues were opposed.

According to him, "we are here for the people and that is what we have just conducted here in the Federal Constituency where all the 43 questions were properly addressed by the people and they were given the opportunity to speak their minds on the issues because it is the interest of the people that is paramount and they have to be given utmost consideration.

"The steering committee members are here with me and we are going to deliberate on all what was discussed for their amendment before we take it back to the National Assembly.

"Most of the questions were given a legal touch and I had to get a lawyer who translated it from English to Hausa so that the people at the grass roots can know exactly what we are talking about. Why things are very strict is because we intervened to make sure that people understood exactly what we were talking about."

"Some of the questions do not exactly dwell on their areas of interest so I had to explain to them so that they can understand because it is not a referendum issue but a constitution review.

"So, there was no opportunity given to any member of my constituency to make any on toward contribution, it was either agree or disagree, it is my duty to present it then I can just explain to them what it means."

At Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, a member of the House representing that area, Umar Yakubu Barde, noted that he was optimistic that the idea conceived by the National Assembly would give Nigerians a sense of belonging, and as well make the Constitution people-oriented.

But a Kaduna-based lawyer,

Yahaya Mahmood (SAN), told our Correspondent that an amendment of the Constitution should involve altering those sections that will ensure good governance, committed leadership, political, legislative and press freedom.

According to him, "it should not be about creation of more states or how to remain in power at all costs.

Everybody is talking about good governance. When the military was drafting the 1999 Constitution, they put a provision which says the President has the power to appoint the following people, and the power to remove them, Secretary to the government, Head of the Civil Service, Permanent Secretaries, ambassadors and all heads of extra ministerial departments.

"So, if you are a president, you appoint Service Chiefs, InspectorGeneral of Police, all the Ambassadors, all permanent secretaries and the same Constitution says there should be Civil Service Commission and Public Service Commission. You appoint heads of parastatals when there are laws establishing them, there is law establishing Water Board, for instance. But the Governor by this section can remove the General Manager without going to the board'.

"So, these are some of the things they should amend to ensure good governance, so that the president or the governor, as the case may be, you become the servant of the people like the Governor of Niger state wants to be called, not the master of everybody.

"If I spend N20 billion to be President and after taking my oath of office, and given all these powers, how do you want me to think I am your servant, how? It is not possible. In America they can question the President; we cannot question the President here.

"Let me give you one funny example which happens only in Nigeria. The Constitution gives the Attorney-General of the Federation powers; the same Constitution gives same powers to the Attorney-General of the state. One of such powers is that he can walk into any court and stop any criminal matter.

"So, the EFCC will wake up tomorrow, for instance and arraign Gombe state Governor in court, the court of Appeal corrected this when Nuhu Ribadu was doing this because Ribadu would just arrest Gombe Governor and take him to Edo state

“

“The essence of all these things is about true federalism, if the Attorney-General of the state has powers, the same powers with the Attorney-General of the Federation, it is the AttorneyGeneral of the state who will say the former Governor stole money, we will take him to court.

Yahaya Mahmood for trial there. He will arrest Lagos state Governor and bring him to Kaduna.

"But the court of Appeal says no, he must be tried where he committed the alleged offence. So Governor of Gombe can be tried in Gombe, Governor of Kano can be tried in Kano.

"The essence of all these things is about true federalism, if the AttorneyGeneral of the state has powers, the same powers with the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, it is the Attorney-General of the state who will say the former Governor stole money, we will take him to court, and they prosecute him. And if the State feels, it doesn't need to prosecute him, because he offended the law of the state, Attorney- General of the state should go and stop the prosecution.

"These are the things we need but nobody is serious about them. The legislature and everybody is thinking of 2015, all these amendments, they are just thinking of 2015.

"The Constitution is a problem. The problem we had is this, the military was in a hurry to leave, everybody will tell you, and we had meetings for two days to amend the Constitution and pass the 1999 Constitution.

"As a result of this, there are so many sections contradicting each other, there is no doubt about that.

There is nothing wrong amending the Constitution but we cannot just sit one

morning and say we are going to amend the whole Constitution.

"This time around, let us just take five or six sections that will ensure good governance, free and fair elections, then next time we do other sections, that is how other countries do it. But here in Nigeria we want to do it at once.

Even the Constitution as it is, if we have good leaders, we can implement it and it will work. The problem we have is that the system is bad, it makes the leaders too powerful and corrupt, the constitution is bad, and so, we will end up losing in both ways.

"If the Constitution is good and the leaders are bad, it is something, but if the Constitution has fault and the leaders are too powerful and too corrupt, because the system makes them corrupt, then there is problem.

"I just laugh when people say President should be honest or government should not steal money when the Electoral Act says President should not spend more than N2 billion to win the presidency. Is he going to print the money? He has to rely on people, state governors, companies, to give him the money. And he has to give them contracts in return. And he has now taken an oath by swearing to the Bible to be fair to all. All these are illusions, and we all know them, but nobody is interested in taking note."

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Feature 44 Joint: A place where pleasure and fisticuffs meet

By Nasiru Mu'azu Isa, Augustine Aminu and Stanley Onyekwere

A

batcher is a makeshift wooden and sinks structure which houses people or wares in slums in various parts of the country.

They are common in the suburbs of Abuja and Nasarawa states. For instance, along Kabayi road, few metres off Sharp Corner junction in the heart of Mararaba Metropolis, in Nasarawa State, such structures exist. They house men and women, who apart from using the batchers as their living quarters also use the place to transact their businesses.

Popularly called '44 Joint', the area is renowned for offering 'pleasures' from assorted local African drinks like jiko, a herbal root mixed with palm drink called kynkyn, which people believe to be alcoholic as well as medicinal. 44 Joint is also a place to savour assorted pepper soup made from dog, goat, bush meats as well as pork and fish.

The place covers a small area and derived its name from the initial 44 chains of independent drinking joints (made of wood and zinc materials), which kicked off the selling of local and international alcohol and non alcohol drinks including the eating of dog and pork meat barely two years ago in Nasarawa state, and has continued to record

Men exchanging blows after a good drink unprecedented increased patronage by people within and outside the FCT and Nasarawa state.

Apart from the patronage, the number of chains of shops in the place over the short period of its existence in the area has increased from the

initial forty-four to over fifty plus.

When Peoples Daily Weekend visited the place, many love seekers were seen in front of the various batchers (wooden beer palours) chatting with each other as they ate pepper soup and drank

to keep the grove on.

Some sort of trading was also noticed in this place and money was changing hands from the selling of BKT (burukutu) (local beer), palm wine and also jiko, popular herbal roots mixed with palm drink called kynkyn ( a brewedlike palm drink),which people believe is both alcoholic and medicinal.

While some of the traders there combined the business of selling drinks and pepper soup with other activities others involved in the sale of goat meat, dog meat, pork and bush meat as well as fish and other delicacies.

Like any other business, shops in 44 joint opens for

business as early as 10 o'clock and close by 10pm in the evening every day except on Sundays, when shops open by 12 pm after church service.

But activities in the joint gets to the peak in the evening when workers closed from work. This is attributed to the fact that civil servants and casual workers constitute the greater percentage of the patronage.

Some of the shop owners told Peoples Daily Weekend that some of their counterparts who opened their shops to customers before the agreed time were often harassed by men of the Nigerian police who

Contd on Page 15

“

Apart from the patronage, the number of chains of shops in the place over the short period of its existence in the area has increased from the initial fortyfour to over fifty plus.

Pots of local gin and burukutu

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 15

Feature Where pleasure and fisticuffs meet Contd from Page 14 provide security in 44 joint.

Our reporters also gathered that for someone to open a joint or establish a new shop in 44, if there was available space or if someone was leaving or wants to sell his or her shop to other people, the new owners must register with the authorities in the joint.

While a liter of BKT (local brew also called burukutu) goes for about N280 or N300; a bottle of stout sells for N220 to N250 whereas a bottle of Malt is sold at N120 respectively.

Like most joints, the problems of refusing to pay after consuming plates of pepper soup and gulping down drinks, leading to scuffles and other misdemeanors are common in 44 Joint.

Another problem of 44 Joint is the menace of women of easy virtue otherwise known as call girls or prostitutes, which has turned the place into a haven of sorts, where they ply their wares with careless abandon. It was understood that the commercial sex trade has also caused insecurity problems to residents who are overwhelmed with unwanted visitors to the area.

Incidents of theft have also been recorded as motor cycles, cars and personal belongings of people who visit the place are often stolen by miscreants who aside from coming to drink in 44 Joint also indulge in criminal activities.

According to a shop owner simply called John B, who is also a civil servant, most victims of the hoodlums in 44 Joint, are commercial motorcycle operators (okada riders), who visit the place mainly in the afternoon to cool off with a drink or two.

"Sometimes they (okada riders) come here with their bikes during the afternoon when most of their customers are at work and if they are not careful their motor bikes would be stolen by hoodlums, but we are working out a plan to provide them with security so that they will not stop coming", he said.

He said when people drink and start fighting; the authorities in the place would invite the police to arrest the situation before it goes out of hand.

"There isn't much harassment from the police because all the members of 44 Joint contribute N100 for police services, so there is regular patrol by the police but if they find you here in the early hours and you can't identify yourself then they'll

Customers having a feel of burukutu

Young ladies enjoying local brew or jiko pick you up until you are able to provide adequate explanation", John B explained.

However, Peoplesdaily weekend gathered that to rent a shop in 44, on the average a double attached shop goes for N10, 000 while a single shop

cost N5, 000 per annum.

A woman, identified as Mrs. Monica, who owns a club in the place said one way she handles the problem of some customers wanting to be served one thing or the other but unwilling to pay for the services sought for, is to refuse

to attend to them.

"When people like that come in here, I will refuse to serve them but if it happens that I had served any person and there is refusal to pay, then we will call in the police who will pick them up; and it's at the station that all will be settled",

she explained.

According to her business at 44 Joint thrives more during the Harmattan period than in the rainy season due to the bad road that becomes muddy when it rains making it difficult for customers to patronise them.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Analysis

The lingering fuel crisis Muhammad Nasir x-rays the lingering fuel crisis has resurfaced again in Nigeria most especially in Abuja and Lagos and other parts of the country

F

u e l crisis which, for decades, has been a periodic and emotional evidence of a nation in distress. The impression initially given to the Nigerian public was that the oil workers' strike was the cause of the problem.

The end of the strike did not bring a lasting respite to residents of the capital city.

The problem has since spread to other parts of the country and valuable man hours are being lost on fuel queues which have become a common facet at filling stations in different parts of the federation.

Different reasons are being adduced for the persistence of the scarcity which, as usual, has been having a harmful effect on the social and economic life of the people.

It could be recalled that the Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Fidel Pepple attributed the problem to the closure of a vandalised pipeline at Arepo in Ogun State. There has also been argument between the government and fuel importers on the usually contentious issue of subsidy payment.

It's believed that any shortage of fuel in the country will definitely cause disproportionate disruption in the various facets of economic activities in any developing nations. However, with most oil marketers continuing to shun importation, the queues that have come to characterise most filling stations across the country may not stop soon.

At the few filling stations where fuel is available, motorists and other consumers are subjected to a grueling experience before they are supplied.

As the marketers avoid importation, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) becomes the sole fuel importer into the country. This comes as the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) tightens fuel importation guidelines.

However, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Obafemi Olawore, told People's daily that the scarcity was as a result of marketers' inability to fund importation of the petroleum products.

He said that the Federal Government was yet to complete the payment of subsidy for some time now. According to him, Nigerians may have to be prepared for the worst, most especially now that the Christmas season is approaching.

He said many of the importers owed banks, due to their inability to collect all their subsidy claims.

Meanwhile, the Media

Relations Manager of Nigeria Independent Petroleum Company (NIPCO), Mr. Lawal Taofik, attributed the scarcity to the inability of marketers to get the product from various depots across the country.

He explained: "The major reason for scarcity is simply the fact that demand presently outweighs demand. So many trucks are waiting on a daily basis for loading at virtually all the depots but their stock is not enough to meet this huge demand.

"There is also logistic reason as the turnaround of vessels from the high sea where they are lighted before they can berth at Apapa jetties is usually longer than necessary.

"Before one vessel finishes discharge, there is supposed to be another one alongside but in most cases, this is not the case. There are occasions that a vessel will be in the jetty for upward of six and seven days still discharging at the expense of other vessels thus inhibiting better turnaround of vessels.

"Ordinarily if not for the disruption of supply from Mosimi through Atlas Cove reliance will not have been on coastal private depots as the products could have been pumped directly to depots like Ibadan, Ore. Satellite (Lagos) and Ilorin where majority of the filling stations around these areas and beyond can pick products."

Peoples Daily Weekend discovered that the ongoing litigations over sharp practices by some fuel marketers have left only the NNPC in the import business at least for now.

As a result, distribution of fuel products to other retail marketers has become a challenge that is prohibiting the movement of the products to retail outlets across the country.

Another cause of fuel scarcity is the inability to raise the local production level of the existing refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna which had compounded the supply shortage.

"It has been deduced that if the ratio of importation is about 20 to 80 percent in favour of domestic production, then the problem would have been minimised. But right now, our four refineries are producing at about 34 percent, which barely satisfy 20 per cent of the national need. We are still an import-dependent country as far as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is concerned. The combination of the disagreement on the culpability or otherwise of some marketers in the oil scam, the low level of domestic production and prompt payment of verified marketers are issues that combined to reflect in the long queues at the filling stations," the source said.

It was also learnt that though the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) has devised means of distributing products since the heated issue of subsidy began in early 2012, the company may now be faced with a problem due to a number of factors well beyond its capacity.

While there has been clamour for government to clean up the import processes for a robust domestic supply, government on the other hand has insisted that deregulation is the sure way out of the crisis.

Also, Oil marketing companies and other independent importers of petroleum products are facing hard times following the recent probes of the fuel subsidy scheme and the black-listing of some of the companies by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Investigation also revealed that some of the companies have concluded plans to right-size their workforce due to low sales and lack of credit.

Peoples Daily Weekend gathered that oil marketing companies have an estimated workforce of 8,000 in Lagos alone.

Meanwhile, the Western Zonal President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo recently, noted that that the union would map out strategies to resist the planned sack of its members.

He disclosed that some of their members were owed salaries of three to four months because the companies claimed that the volume of lifting had fallen drastically.

"We are approaching the issues unofficially because we know the true situation of fuel importation in the country today," he said.

Korodo however said the union had not received any report of retrenchment of workers by any company.

Peoples Daily learnt that the fuel subsidy probes have exposed some of the companies in bad light thereby affecting their capacity to access credits to import products.

The situation, it was learnt, was aggravated by the CBN's directives to the banks to stop extending credit facilities to some black-listed oil marketing companies that were considered over-exposed.

Before the latest directives, the apex bank had also directed the banks to restrict funding of fuel importation to avoid the reoccurrence of the 2009 financial crisis, which nearly collapsed some banks due to the inability of oil marketing companies to repay loans.

Oil marketers and other independent importers of petroleum products that placed order for new cargoes when crude oil price hit a peak of $145 per barrel in July 2008 recorded huge losses when the price abruptly dropped to about $82 per barrel, leading largely to the financial crisis of 2009.

It could also be recalled that the Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force has detailed how the Nigerian government and national oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) treat huge oil revenues accruing to the federation as a reserve of money that could be used for illicit purposes without accountability.

In its 178-page report, obtained

by PREMIUM TIMES, the committee revealed how oil money in the custody of the NNPC were spent on extra-budgetary

purposes such as the acquisition of a N2.23billion chopper for the president and a purported sponsorship of the World Cup. In what appears a brazen misuse of public funds, the NNPC also gave out N700.5million in loan to Sao Tome & Principe based on instruction from the presidency. It also made a curious payment of N2.421billion to a foreign company, Royal Swaziland Sugar Company. The reason for the payment is unclear.

The Corporation also claimed to have underwritten an N521million expenses incurred by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. This is in addition to the N250million the agency told the committee it spent on court cases involving the ministry.

The ministry has its own budgetary allocation and it is unclear why the NNPC is paying for its expenses. The nature of some of the expenses is also unclear.

The committee also found that the NNPC was being used as illegal lender to presidential committees, ministries and Parastatals. For instance the corporation claimed it incurred about N20billion on the Presidential Implementation Committee on Maritime Safety and Security, based on instruction from the presidency.

The Ribadu committee also determined that about $1billion in signature bonuses, discrepancies in payment by the NNPC, and debts from oil companies were unaccounted for by the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources.

However, Nigerians are awaiting the full implementation of the Ribadu's reports, those indicted in the subsidy probes be punished and hope that the fuel crisis in the country will come to an end.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 10 — SUNDAY 11, NOVEMBER, 2012

Weekend >> >>Page Page27 24 KANNYWOOD My mother told my wife not to mind my female fans —Gambo Usman Wase

BOLL YW OOD BOLLYW YWOOD

>> >>Page Page27 26

CUISINE

>> Page 28

Huma Qureshi doesn't feel like an outsider in filmdom

Sweet potato fries Anansi and the Alligator

PAGE 17

Cocktail FASHION

Good to go with Purple >> Page 32

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 18

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

Heart Matterz

When men keep sending text messages to their exes…

With A'isha Biola Raji

Maybe he wants to keep in touch with these women in case it doesn't work out with us

M

y husband of 12 years had an affair and I was deeply upset when I

found out.

I think I could have forgiven him, but he kept on putting her before me and our children so I told him to leave.

I found out later that my best friend knew what was going on as she'd socialized with them with her boyfriend so I cut her off as well.

Two years later, I met someone new and told him I had a problem with trust and that it would take me a while to feel secure. I also said that if he lied, that'd be it. He had lots of exes and female friends that he'd text - some of the texts were a bit naughty.

I asked him to stop sending the texts and he agreed but he didn't stop and when I found out, he was upset and promised not to do it

again, so I gave him another chance.

A month ago, I found a text on his phone from an ex and one of his replies was about her chest measurement!

There was another text from a different ex agreeing on a time and place to meet. He hasn't mentioned anything to me about meeting her for dinner.

He says he loves me, but how can he if he is still doing this behind my back? Am I being taken for an idiot again? I feel like the trust I was starting to build up has gone. Maybe he wants to keep in touch with these women in case it doesn't work out with us.

We get on well and have a lot of laughs, but should I just walk away?

According to a relationship expert, Coleen: If you were just saying you

“

A month ago, I found a text on his phone from an ex and one of his replies was about her chest measurement!

don't trust him and didn't have anything to back it up, I'd say it was your issue that you need to work on to overcome. However, you are finding messages from people he promised not to text or speak to again so I think you have every right to feel worried, betrayed and hurt. And he's still lying to you.

After what happened to you in the past, it's understandable you have issues around trust, but there are many men out there who you would be able to trust.

You have to ask yourself why he's continuing to lie to you.

Although you haven't caught him having an affair, texting an ex to discuss her chest size is not acceptable - that's crossing a line.

Have a serious talk with him about why he's lying and make him understand that one more chance will be the last.

If you do try again and he continues to text and lie to you about it, then I think you do have to walk away.

You deserve better than to spend your life with someone who constantly lies to you and makes you feel insecure.

It's a very stressful way to live.

You might feel devastated at the time, but you will get over it you've done it before.

As for your trust issues, try seeing a counsellor, who can turn your thoughts into logic.

Don't leave this guy feeling you can never trust anyone again.

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

What should I do?

I

am a 22 years old girl based in Calabar Nigeria; I am a student of Unical (University of Calabar).

All my life I have found it very difficult to fall in love, because I don't believe in love.

Not until I met this guy and we started dating in October last year.

He is 29 years old and from Rivers State. My mum was so happy and asked me to invite him to celebrate the New Year with us.

On 30th December, last year he asked me to take a blood oath with him and I did, we exchanged our blood and we promised never to leave each other.

The love was getting stronger every day but I have one problem with him, he is the jealous type, he can kill because of that.

He asked me to change my mobile line, the line that I used for over 5years and I did, just to make him happy. He deleted all my contacts. He stopped me from using 2go and any other social network. He stopped me from seeing all my friends. It's like a world for just the two of us.

Just last week he called and told me that he has a calling of becoming a pastor, at first I laughed thinking it was only a joke.

I later knew he was serious. He said he was not breaking-up with me but we will stop having canal knowledge of each other which I agreed with him because I can't stop him from becoming a pastor.

Just last night he called to have a talk with my mum and I overheard him saying that, he was getting married by next month to someone else. When I took the phone from my mum, he told me that he wants to get married by 15th of next month. I was shocked.

He said that he has prayed with some other pastors, that we were not meant to be together as man and wife.

So my dear friends I don't know what to do? It's like I should take poison and die.

Please what should I do?

I can't love another person because of the oath we took. My heart is burning. Please advise me before I take my life.

—Tamuno

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Beauty Tips How to avoid hair breakage during harmattan

By Daniel Adeniyi

H

armattan is approaching, as usual preparing to leave its harsh effects on our hair. Here's how to remain radiant in this dry and dusty season.

ALL over the country, the annual cold winds from the Mediterranean blows its characteristic dry dust leaving us with dry skin, dry hair, raw nose, colds and wheezing coughs.

While a quick visit to the doctor can take care of the health aspect, we also don't need to lose out on the beauty aspect as harmattan affects us from head to toe.

Just as our beauty routine changes in the hot and rainy seasons, so should we adapt our body care regimen to suit the weather since our skin and hair react differently to changes in the weather. We don't need to appear dull and drab during harmattan.

One of the greatest worries most women have during harmattan is how bad and uneven their hair gets.

Whether natural or otherwise, hair breakage occurs most times due to negligence and even from not knowing what prevents it from breaking especially due to the weather.

Below are easy steps to follow if you want to keep your hair healthy during harmattan.

Wash your hair only a few times a week. The more you wash your hair, the more it gets stripped of its oil and dries out. Washing your hair twice or three times a week should be fine. Dry it moderately and oil it.

Oiling your hair everyday with hair cream mixed with olive oil or coconut oil or Shea butter also helps make the hair healthier during this season. Locally made Shea butter is a nutritional cream that is very good for the hair, it prevents flaking

of the hair, split ends and dry hair.

Treating your hair also helps in avoiding breakage. For those who like to do it the local way, soak thyme in water for 24 hours, then sprinkle the water on your hair and allow dry. Style if needed.

Make sure you let your hair free most of the time. Tying your hair back in a ponytail or wearing a hat all the time will only add to stress on the hair follicle. This stress can then result in hair breakage or hair loss.

Do not leave your weave or braids on for a too long time. Make sure you change it at least twice a month.

Eat more vegetables and fruits that can provide you with the daily vitamins and minerals that you need. Eat three meals a day or five little ones, and keep to a regular healthy eating routine. Have a healthy hair season.

Daniel Adeniyi (DA, Lifecentric and NOWLeadership Coach.

PAGE 19

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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Learning

Reporters’ Diary

Book Review

With Augustine Aminu 07038749120 julius2001_a@yahoo.com

The Fine Boys Are Here

By Ummukulthum Aliyu

I

Title: Fine Boys Author: Eghosa Imasuen Publisher: Kachifo Limited (2012) Pages: 379

I

will start off by saying Eghosa Imasuen has written a fantastic book which you must hurry to read. I am tempted to describe this book, "Fine Boys" , as a coming of age story - which indeed it is - but it is more. It is our story, the story of a period in the life of our nation. The story of the years of the melt down, when our nation finally spiraled out of control politically and economically.

At the centre of the tapestry is Ewaen, from whose voice this entrapping story is told. Ewaen can easily pass for any Nigerian who was an undergraduate in any Nigerian University in the late 80's and early 90's. At the very beginning of the story, we meet this smart, upper middle class adolescent who is eager to gain admission into the University to study Medicine.

It's a very familiar experience, the 'waiting for admission' period. Ewaen spends his time with friends, playing computer games, trying out new vices and fantasising about school.

Quite early in the book also, we meet Wilhem, Ewaen's 'half caste' friend who has a penchant for over doing anything he falls in love with, as seen in his adoption of the pidgin English as his default language of communication, despite being a late comer to it.

His stubborn dedication to any cause would prove to be a double-edged sword and a huge factor in moderating this story.

"Fine Boys" leads us through the experiences of these two young men and others of their age whom they meet in school. Friendships are formed. Experiences are shared. They quarrel and make up. They fall in love.

Some learn to smoke, others to drink. Something, however, is ever-present; the usual pressure to join a campus cult, 'Confra' as they are called in the book. Some join. But there isn't just one cult and the field is never large enough for all, hence the conflict which plays out and threatens to consume all the friends a few years down the line.

These experiences happen against the backdrop of a country at war with itself.

Eghosa brilliantly places the story, the tension soaked relationship between friends who are members of rival campus cults, side by side with the socio-political story of the country and the happenings at the time. In many ways, these sad happenings - the

An unforgettable experience

endless strike actions by the various University staff unions, the occupation of campuses by uniformed men, the annulment of June 12 election, the arrest of MKO and the rabid hunt for activists and pro-democracy campaigners combined to leave a huge impact on the lives of these young adults. The vivid picture of a country which had no plans for her youth is not lost on any reader and, naturally, these young men, at that time, sought and found ways to shape their destiny.

However, most of those ways were detrimental to them and society.

Eghosa's use of language is exquisite. Simple, witty, fast paced and lighthearted. He makes the first person narrative feel so full, so complete that the perspective of none of the other characters is lost in the narration. How Eghosa manages to sustain dialogue between multiple characters in many scenes in this book and yet does justice to all, is an art I admire. His use of Pidgin English is spectacular.

As expressed by Unoma Giese in a recent essay, Eghosa's proficiency in pidgin goes beyond the flamboyant street lingo of his erstwhile home Warri; this man's pidgin is intellectual. Nothing is lost in translation. The ease and coherence with which he communicates in pidgin, expressing himself in metaphors and onomatopoeia interlaced with delicious humour and a philosophy of resilience, is not just refreshing and sophisticated, but downright sexy.

But there is more to the language, his unapologetic use of words like 'yansh' and

'craseman' without italicising them, his use of home grown lines such as "two Nepa poles" to describe distances, his injection of just the right amount of idiosyncrasy in the speech of all his characters.

The book ends abruptly. It is akin to being taken to a height and being dropped suddenly.

If you were being told the story, the natural reaction will be to ask: "So what happened next?"

Such is the beauty of this book that it, in the way of thrillers, captures you and increases your heartbeat, making you yearn for more as you turn the pages. For me, the rest of the conversation, the parts left untold, is left for the discerning reader to determine for himself. It is not too far from the ongoing national conversation though, about corrupt and inept governments who have left the youths idle, uneducated, unemployed and willing weapons for extremists and trouble makers.

One issue the author is sure to contend with though, is the seeming autobiographical feel of the story. Inquisitive readers will wonder about the strong similarities between the life of the narrator and the author, and will most likely come to the conclusion that Eghosa, through this book, was telling of his experiences studying at the Medical School of the University of Benin. This question is sure to be a common feature, one that should generate exciting comments at the writer's readings from this book.

"Fine Boys" is a well written book that will be a great addition to the shelf of any collector of good literature.

t was a serene Thursday morning. I had planned to embark on a journey to Kogi. My friends had tried to persuade me to postpone the cruise till the following day but I insisted on going that day. For some reasons best known to them, they persisted in their plea which fell on deaf ears. My mind was made up. 'What is the difference between today and tomorrow' I had asked them. They shrugged saying it was all the same. They bid me farewell and I commenced the long trip to Kogi at about 10 o'clock, alone.

I got to Gwagwalada and there was serious traffic. 'What the hell' I cried out loud when I noticed my lane wasn't moving. We spent three hours on that spot before we finally moved. I heaved a sigh of relief. After driving for about an hour, I came across the VIO (vehicle inspection officers). They ordered me to a stop and I complied without delay.

'Your tyres are not fit for travelling', they bellowed. 'What are these men talking about', I said to myself. 'I vulcanized it this morning', I yelled back. 'You've got nerves, your shouting back, right? Well you will have to come down and follow us to our office' I wanted to open my mouth to talk but they intercepted me immediately, 'now obey before you start complaining'. I closed my mouth which was still open. Quietly, I alighted from my car.

They beckoned me to enter theirs and, another officer drove mine and we followed suit. I was short of words, I begin to plea to them that I vulcanized the day before, but they were not ready to give me a listening ear.

It was some minutes past two and I had not gone half way into my trip. We got to their office and they asked me to produce the particulars of my vehicle. I produced them but I told them my license had expired the week before. I was told I had committed two offenses; driving with unfit tyres and with an expired license. I pleaded to them that I was planning to renew it the following week but my pleas fell on deaf ears. Then I remembered how my friends had begged me to postpone the journey and I had refused. 'This is the repercussion', I told myself. They detained me for three hours and after series of pleading, they finally released me. I was already exhausted and hungry. It was some minutes after five.

I contemplated whether to go back home or to continue my journey. 'If I go home', I said to myself 'my friends will laugh and say we told you'. To avoid that ridicule, I continued with my journey. Little did I know I was going to face another obstacle. I bought some groundnut to eat because I was very famished.

I got to Lokoja at about 7 o'clock. It was then that I could hear some noise coming from the car whenever I stepped on the brake pedal. I ignored it at first but the noise persisted. This did not move me because I kept driving. Then the car started to jack. I grounded to a halt to see what was wrong. I wasn't really experienced in all the mechanic stuff; nevertheless I opened the bonnet but could not pinpoint the problem. I decided to make do with the car but at a much reduced speed.

The noise intensified and was attracting the attention of other drivers. It was already 8pm and I have no relatives in Lokoja. 'What is all these mess?' I asked no one in particular. I came across a travellers' mosque and decided to stop by and pray since I hadn't prayed all day. The mosque was locked immediately after the prayers so I couldn't even think of spending the night there. By now it was some minutes to nine. I sought for help from cotravellers but they all said they don't lift strangers especially at that time.

I tried to start my car but it wouldn't yield.

It was already dark and I was in the middle of bushes and trees. There was a big mango tree close to where I parked my car so I decided to climb it and spend the night there. Without much effort, I climbed the tree because I climbed so many trees to pluck fruits when I was a kid. Therefore climbing this one did not pose a glitch. I sought for a comfortable branch and rested on it. Soon, I was overtaken by sleep but was woken hours later by some really terrifying noise. I waited in fear as the noise moved closer. It was some policemen. I heaved a relief sigh but was taken aback when they started to undress. I was terrified as I thought they might have seen me climb the tree. But they had ulterior motives. They undressed and changed into mufti. I struggled to remain noiseless to avoid being seen or heard. I counted them mentally and they were seven. They dropped down their guns and left.

This was too much for me to comprehend.

'Maybe...' I didn't even know what to think. I checked my wristwatch and it was exactly 1 o'clock. I drifted back to sleep but was woken up by the same noise exactly an hour later.

Seven hefty looking men had arrived at the same spot where the policemen had been earlier. They were on mufti; they undressed and put on the police uniform. They also picked up the guns which the police men had left. I

IGP Muhammad Abubakar was aghast; I concluded to myself that they were armed robbers. The manner in which they paraded the place and the way they carried out their operation depicted that they were armed robbers.

They zoomed off. I couldn't sleep any longer; I wanted to witness everything to the very last so I waited patiently. Exactly an hour later, the robbers confirmed my doubts.

They came back, removed the police uniform and wore back their mufti, dropped the guns alongside a small polythene bag and left. The policemen also arrived an hour later, wore back their uniforms and took their guns. They examined the contents of the bag; obviously it was money because they shared it among them and left. 'This is really appalling', I said to myself. Nigerian policemen who are to safeguard lives and property are the mechanism behind theft and armed robbery.

I had always wondered where armed robbers got their weapons from.

I couldn't sleep till morning; I called a mechanic I knew in Okene and he came to my aid at about 8am. It was a minor problem and it was resolved soon, after which I embarked on the final lap of my journey. I didn't tell anyone what I had experienced till I got back to Abuja. My friends were equally stunned and told me to listen to advice next time. I told them the experience was an eye opener because it revealed to me clearly the activities of the policemen and the source of power of armed robbers.

PAGE 21

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Healthy Living

It's dangerous to give babies pasteurised milk P

asteurized milk (UHTultraheat temperature) is the heating of milk to temperatures of 160 degrees or higher. This changes the milk protein (casein) content to an inorganic form which cannot be assimilated by the body.

When this protein cannot be broken down, it weakens the immune system, causing allergies and many other problems like asthma, nasal congestion, skin rash, chest infections, higher blood cholesterol, increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Crib deaths have even been attributed to cow's milk allergy.

You are better off pouring the milk down the drain than feed it to your baby.

Do you realize that when you consume cow's milk, it causes excessive mucus to be formed in your lungs, sinuses and intestines?

The mucus also hardens to form a coating on the inner wall of the intestines that leads to poor absorption of nutrients. It causes constipation and can lead to many ill problems.

Imagine then what cow's milk does to an infant. No wonder asthma and bronchitis are so rampant in our younger children. Oh, the mucus that forms in the little lungs!

Sally Fallon of the Weston Price Foundation in the states said it like this: "pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys

Dairy products vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogen and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer".

God has designed mothers to feed babies with breast milk.

But in this modern day, mothers are too busy that they have resorted to cow's milk, bringing up a generation of sickly children who have weak immune systems.

Pasteurized milk If we are going to depend on cow's milk for calcium, then we are mistaken. Cow's milk is not a good source of this mineral.

Milk (and dairy products) is acid-forming in our body. When it gets acidic, our body try to balance the PH by drawing more calcium (alkaline) from our bones. Over time, more and more calcium are actually drawn out from your bones and eventually lead to osteoporosis.

For alternative sources of calcium, choose seeds, nuts, and crunchy vegetables like

broccoli, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower.

For infants, if breast milk is

not available, substitute with goat's milk instead, or rice milk or almond milk.

“

mothers are too busy that they have resorted to cow's milk, bringing up a generation of sickly children who have weak immune systems.

Causes and cure of bad breath

A

r e you one of those who suffer from bad breath? Of course ,no one wants stinky breath, but what can be done to fix it? Start with the likely source- the bacteria in your mouth. Regular visits to the dentist will prevent cavities and gum problems, called periodontal disease, which can cause your breath to turn sour.

-At least twice a day, brush your teeth, gums, the roof of your mouth and tongue, especially the very back of the tongue. And don't forget to floss! Food trapped between teeth, dentures, or braces will decay, causing a foul odour. You don't just get the floss in and out. When you get the floss in, you want to wrap around the tooth and go up and down a couple of times to give a scrubbing motion and then you wrap around the back of the next one.

-Stay away from alcoholic beverages and foods with a strong odour and it's a nobrainer that your mouth will smell like an ash tray if you smoke or use snuff or chewing tobacco. Drink lots of water. When you are dehydrated, your body slows saliva production. Yet it's the saliva in your mouth that help flush out bacteria and the stench they cause. In fact, have you ever wonder

why you and your loved ones always have bad breath in the morning? It's because your body slows most saliva production during sleep. Check with your doctor about your meds. Some medications are notorious for limiting saliva and causing a dry and therefore smelly mouth.

-Dieting can also cause bad breath.

Many of today's low-carb diets produce smelly ketones as the body breaks down fat; and chewing encourages saliva, so when you cut back on eating, there's less saliva to flush away bacteria. Fix the problem by adding some carbs or eating small regular meals and chew sugarless gum after meals if your mouth is dry.

Because of the chewing action, gum works better than mints.

If you still can't get rid of your bad breath, it's time for a check-up. Uncontrolled blood sugar from diabetes can produce a strong fruity breath odour. Strep throat, sinus infections, lung and liver disorders and throat or mouth cancers are just some of the diseases that can cause chronic bad breath.

Source: www.webmd.com Source: www.juicing-for-health.com

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

With Aunty A'isha

Sights and sounds

R

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

SHOR T ST OR Y SHORT STOR ORY

Meethu and Kaura

Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history

obert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940) is the tallest person in history for whom there is certain evidence. Wadlow is sometimes known as the Alton Giant or Giant of Illinois because he was born and grew up in Alton, Illinois.

Wadlow reached 8 ft 11.1 in height and weighed 199 kg at his death at age 22. His great size and his continued growth in adulthood were due to a condition of his pituitary gland, which results in an abnormally high level of h u m a n g r o w t h hormone. He showed no indication of an end to his growth even at the time of his death.

Wadlow was born to A d d i e Johnson and H a r o l d Wadlow in A l t o n , Illinois on February 5, 1918, and was the oldest of five children.

D u r i n g elementary school, they had to make a special desk for him because of his size. Wadlow was also the world’s tallest Boy Scout. In 1936, after graduating from Alton High School, he enrolled in Shurtleff College with the intention of studying law. By the time he had graduated from college, he was 8 ft 3.

Wadlow’s size began to take its toll: he required leg braces to walk, and had little feeling in his legs and feet. Despite these difficulties, Wadlow never used a wheelchair.

His shoes were provided to him free of charge by a shoe company for which he did promotional work and appearances.

Examples still exist in several locations throughout the US, including Snyder’s Shoe Store of Ludington and Manistee, Michigan, and the Alton Museum of History and Art. One year before his death, he passed John Rogan as the tallest person ever. On June 27, 1940 (eighteen days before his death), he was measured at 8 ft 11.1 by doctors C. M. Charles and Cyril MacBryde of Washington University in St. Louis.

On July 4, 1940, during a professional appearance at the Manistee National Forest Festival, a faulty brace irritated his ankle, causing a blister and subsequent infection. Doctors treated him with a blood transfusion and emergency surgery, but his condition worsened, and on July 15, 1940, he died in his sleep at age 22.

More than 30,000 people attended Wadlow’s funeral on July 19.

He was buried in a 10-foot-long (3.0 m), half-ton coffin that required twelve pallbearers to carry and was interred in a vault of solid concrete. It was believed that Wadlow’s family members were concerned for the sanctity of his body after his death, and wanted to ensure it would not be disturbed or stolen.

PAGE 23

M

eethu was a beautiful green parrot. His red beak looked very beautiful. He had built his nest within the bushy branches of a big peepal tree in a village.

Every day he would leave in the morning in search of food and return in the evening to spend night comfortably in his nest.

One day, while he was flying in search of food, he saw a mango tree. It was laden with ripe yellow mangoes.

‘Oh! What nice mangoes!’ he exclaimed. Sight of the ripe, juicy mangoes made his mouth water. He flew down and sat on

a branch of the tree. As he was about to eat a mango, he heard a harsh voice of a crow, “Hey! Who are you? This is my tree. My name is Kaura. I say, go away from here,” the crow said.

Meethu looked around and saw a black crow. He was frightened. The crow shouted once again at Meethu asking him to go away. Meethu flew away, but he was very disappointed because he could not eat such lovely juicy mangoes.

While flying towards home, he saw a red balloon lying in a garden. An idea struck in the mind of Meethu. He picked up the balloon with its beak and

flew back to the mango tree.

He went to the mango tree secretly and blew off the balloon with its beak. The balloon burst with a loud sound. The crow was frightened.

Kaura shouted, “It must be a hunter around! He will kill me. I must fly away from here.”

Saying so, the scared crow flew away from the tree and never returned. Meethu was very pleased to see the crow go.

He ate as many mangoes as he could. Thus clever Meethu could scare away the greedy crow by playing a clever trick on him.

He began to eat sweet mangoes every day.

HIS AND HERS CORNER

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 22

With Aunty A'isha

rajia39ishabiola@yahoo.com 08082071393.

AFRICAN TALES

The gift for a cunning man

MODEL OF THE WEEK

O

nce there lived a man on the bank of the river Ganga. He had pledged to silence.

One day, he reached the front of a house for alms. A beautiful girl came out to give alms. The man was so delighted to see her beauty that he even forgot his pledge. He spoke out, “What a beauty!” But the very next moment he realised his mistake and rushed back to his place.

But Ganesh, the father of the girl saw him speaking something.

He went to the man and asked, “Baba! You are under the pledge of silence, but you uttered some words today at my house?” The man was very cunning. He said, “Your daughter is responsible for breaking my silence.” Ganesh asked again, “How is my daughter responsible for that?”

The man said, “Troubles are coming to you. The girl will bring misfortune. If you get her married, you will be destroyed.” Ganesh became nervous and asked for the remedy. He promised to do whatever the man would ask him to do.

The hypocrite man thought for a while and said “Put your daughter into a big wooden box and set it to float in the river with an earthen lamp lit over it. This way you will always be happy in your life.”

The selfish and orthodox father was ready to sacrifice his daughter. He did as he had been told by the man despite his daughter’s protest.

On the other side, the man had directed his children to bring the box to him without opening it.

Meanwhile, something strange happened which saved the life of the daughter. A prince who was strolling along the bank of the river saw the wooden box floating in it. He asked his men to take the box out. When the box was opened, all were surprised to see a beautiful girl in it. The prince asked her, “Who are you? What had happened with you?” She told the prince everything.

The prince understood that she was a victim of the lust of a

cunning man, who had tried to take advantage of a superstitious self-centred father. He decided to teach a lesson to the man. He asked his men to put a dangerous monkey into the box and set it afloat again in the river. Then, the prince married the daughter of Ganesh and took her to his palace.

When the box reached near the man’s house, his children took it to their father, who directed them to leave and not to come till they are called. He clarified that he would be busy in meditation. The children left, leaving their father alone in his hut.

At midnight, the man opened the box; a monkey jumped out and bit him at several places. The man ran out of his hut and cried for help. His children rushed to save him from the monkey. At first, they felt pity for him, but when they came to know the reality, they laughed at him.

EX-Little Miss Charity, Blessing Ibe at the Fun Fair organised by Helpline Foundation for the needy at the Millennium Park in Abuja, on Sunday.

ACTIVITIES

Name and paint the image below with any colour of your choice, show your teacher or parents for correction. Cheers!

CREA TIVITY CREATIVITY

How to make chocolate chip pie What you need: (12 small hand prints (you can change servings and units) 4 cups of flour 1 teaspoonful of salt 1 1/2 cups of water what to do: Combine ingredients and knead dough for 15 to 20 minutes.

1. Roll dough out and cut around hand or cut circles out for making hand imprints.

Use cookie cutters for ornaments or gift tags. If necessary, slightly dampen pieces to make them stick together.

1

2. Make a small hole for the hanger and make a hole to prevent air bubbles.

2

3. Bake at 300ºF about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. You may have to bake considerably longer depending on how thick your items

are. They may not feel hard right away but will harden as they cool.

Tip: make sure to use a nonstick surface, or spray cookie sheet with pam.

3

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Kannywood

Gambo Usman Wase is an actor and producer of repute with over 8yrs of experience.

He has starred in movies like “Duniya Labari” and “Rikita-Rikita”, and also produced movies namely “Zuciya da So” and “Baushe 1&2”. In this interview with Nasiru Mu’azu Isa, he shares his own views on the Hausa movies industry.

B

The most popular one and the one the public calls me by its name is “Rikita-Rikita”.

How do you come by the name of your films?

Some are based on the story; if you watch the film “Rikita-Rikita” you will know that the name is appropriate because of the issues in the film. Sometimes while you write your story, the name naturally comes out from the story and sometimes you choose the name independent of the story or the film can be named after the main character of the movie.

A lot of people claim that the Hausa movie industry do not use scripts, is it true?

Yes! And no! Not in all movies and it happened in the past. When you look at movies that where done five years ago, you will notice that the movies had no focus, they were all about the songs and nothing else. With developments in the industry and with new producers came script writers.

Now, we have script writers and they cost money, an average script might cost up to a hundred thousand naira and when you read the script you realise that they are good stories. But in the past, you just find people doing things with no plan or focus, no

proper direction, the acting, production values are all bad. Now with new equipment and development in the industry, things have greatly improved.

As an actor, what would you say are the major challenges actors face in the industry?

The major challenges are not more than two or three. The industry as a whole needs some changes, but the major problems

Nollywood

Entertainment

My mother asked my wife to be patient with my female fans – Gambo Usman Wase

Are you married?

Yes I’m married with 3 kids all girls.

How long have you been acting?

I have been acting for almost 8yrs now.

What made you go into acting? asically it’s my interest in movies. It all started when I watched one of Ali Nuhu’s films called “Tubali”. After watching the movie I realised that I wanted to join the movie industry, so I told my friends “I’m going to join the industry”. One day I saw an advert of a movie from Prime Studios and I was told the owner was looking for actors, so I joined them and my first movie was called “Duniya Labari” where I played the role of “Barau”. It was well received.

How many films have you done till date?

I have done at least upwards of ten films, not just from Prime Studios but other studios as well, while some are out; others have not been released yet. Right now I have a script I’m studying that will be shot soon.

Among the movies you featured in, which ones are the most popular?

PAGE 25

actors are facing which our viewers also contribute to, is the lack of new faces in our movies. We rely so much on our established actors and don’t introduce new faces. If you will compare us to other film industries, you will notice that there is always a new crop of actors and actresses being introduced all the time. Our marketers and audience are not also helping by refusing to promote or watch movies that have new actors, that is the reason we are not moving forward.

How do you think this problem can be solved?

As far as I can see, my opinion is, we need to remove greed and selfishness, if we can remove these elements, then there is a chance the problem will be solved. Take myself for example, despite the fact that my face is well known if I make a movie without any of these popular faces and it’s only my face on the poster I doubt if it will make as much sales as if one of these popular faces were in the film.

How do you cope with fans especially the females and what is your wife’s reaction?

I had a difficult time initially because she was not happy about it, at some point she gave up. Before we got married, my mother advised her to be patient because my work attracts a lot of women, and because of the number of female guests visiting the house at times I had to lock the door, she told her. But human nature being what it is, she initially had serious problems but we no longer face that problem. Even for us as actors sometimes you have to be careful because some of our female fans are married and you won’t know because you don’t know them.

Now let’s talk about your role as a producer, how long have you been a producer?

I started producing films since 2008/2009 after being an actor.

How many films have you produced and which are they?

So far, I have produced three films, “Zuciya da So”, “Baushe 1&2”.

How do you fund your film productions?

The truth is if you come into the industry thinking you’ll make money, then you are sorely mistaken. Usually it is from other sources of income not the films that fund your productions. Now with adverts and endorsements, you find artists making some money which some of them put back into

making movies. Some of the producers have rich parents who are willing to give them money to pursue their dreams, while some just get sponsors willing to invest in their movies and some are just ordinary citizens who want to be Executive Producers and are willing to invest in a certain producer.

Why is it so and why is it that Nollywood is not facing such problems?

Well, in Nollywood it is seen as a business investment not a hubby, and in the past our films had no stories and as such lacks focus. Another reason is the fact that we lack the proper knowledge in film production, most of our producers just found themselves in the industry, not because they have the knowledge or necessary skill set and that is how Nollywood is far ahead of us. While banks, corporate entities and individuals are willing to invest in the Nollywood industry, over here we are seen as jokers and unserious people. Even when you go out of Nigeria, they tell you they know of Hausa films but they lack meaningful stories. So we need to change all these to be able to compete well.

Most actors and actresses complain that producers don’t pay for jobs done, is this true?

I’ll not say you are completely wrong but it is a few producers that do that. Largely the problem is marketing, most Executive producers will put in their money to make a film and you have mass produced it but the marketers will not buy it off you but take it on credit, and when the movie becomes a hit they will not give you your money complete but break it in bits.

So why can’t you establish your own distributing and marketing outfit so as to avoid such a problem?

One of the reasons is the lack of proper equipment and also the issue of subtitles, most of our customers complain about the issue of subtitle but we are also improving in that area. Example is the movies of Prime Studios which have won International awards because of the quality of production and accurate subtitle.

How can you make the Kannywood industry competitive like Nollywood?

We need to start using good equipments and the use of professional crews because they are the ones that will improve the quality of production. If we can be serious and organized a lot of people are willing to invest in us but we need to be serious.

We also need to reduce the number of producers so we can invest more instead of everybody doing their own thing even when they are not qualified to do so.

The girls in Asaba are the ones harrasing producers T

Nollywood Actor, Pete Eneh dies in Enugu

R

ita Tony Edochie is not a new face in Nollywood, the sister-in-law to the beaded actor, Pete Edoche has acted in a quite number of movies before she went underground.

The former broadcaster withAnambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) recently spoke on a wide range of issues affecting the entertainment industry called Nollywood. One of those things she highlighted is the issues of sexual harassment. ‘’Sex before role in the industry. As a person, I have never been harassed by anyone, be it executive producer or producer in order to give me role.

But let me tell you the truth, they don’t harass them, the girls are the ones that harass them,

quote me anywhere. Do you know one funny thing that is happening now? Ladies in Asaba pay producers for them to appear in movies, it is happening right now in Asaba.

They furnish the producer’s house, buy cars for them just for them to appear and show their face in a movie. But I don’t know whether they want to be carrying drugs or not but it is something that is happening in Asaba. They want to pay for them to be seen in the movies,’’ she reacted Rita further said, ‘’for me, you are paying me for my services. In those days, when we started, I used to drive from Onitsha to Enugu for audition, as a broadcaster. Then, I will just walk straight to the table and register my name and

Rita Tony elegantly walk out, the people doing the audition will call me back and give me roles.

But these days, instead of the girls going to audition, they will be going from one hotel to the other

looking for executive producer’s and producer’s rooms and after that, nobody would want to waste his tape and time because even if you give them the role, they will not do it well and at the end, they will end up not giving them the role.

After the producers used those stupid girls, they will still not use them in their movies and they will start going around saying, ‘the producer said if I don’t sleep with him he will not give me a role’, they are all liars, they are the ones harassing them because when you refuse to go for auditioning and instead go from one producer’s room to the other, what are you looking for? But they will be the ones crying that they were being harassed,’’ she said.

Will Funke Akindele’s fame make “A Wish” a blockbuster cinema hit?

S

ynopsis: A single mother who makes a living as a petty trader has one wish: to see her child go to school and explore the opportunities she never had.

Tragedy strikes, however, when she is diagnosed with cancer.

Noting that she has only a short amount of time, she struggles to achieve her dreams—against all odds.

Many have come to the conclusion that the presence of Funke Akindele-Oloyede in any Nollywood flick would automatically translate into box office hit judging by her talent and popularity in selling films like The Return of Jenifa, Maami and a few others.

The talented actress and brand

Funke Akindele

ambassador stars in this comedy flick, A Wish produced by award winning filmmaker, Elvis Chucks

from the stable of Diamond Groove Pictures alongside Comedian and brand ambassador, Hafeez Oyetoro (Saka), Patience Ozokwor, Helen Paul (Tataafo), Imeh Bishop Umoh and others.

Funke Akindele before now starred in two blockbusters, The Return of Jenifa which was the highest grossing movie of 2011 as it made N35m at the cinema and Maami (2012), a movie produced by respected filmmaker, Tunde Kelani which also recorded N19m.

Many have now tipped “A Wish” to record high numbers when it eventually hits the cinemas on Friday, December 7, 2012.

“A Wish” is a hilarious comedy which features Chris Okagbue (Gulder Ultimate Search 8

winner), Kola Olaiya, Iyke Ogbonna and Clara Iweh.

Elvis Chucks once took part in the award winning family sitcom, Super Story and also starred in several Nollywood movies before going into film making. He has two movies under his belt as a filmmaker; True Citizens which featured Uti Nwachukwu and Victims of the Society, an advocacy flick which featured veteran actress, Joke Silva. True Citizens and Victims of the Society have both been nominated for several awards in Abuja, Durban and Los Angeles, U.S.A. The movie is scheduled to premiere on Saturday, December 1, 2012.

he Nigerian movie industry otherwise known as Nollywood recorded another setback, Thursday, when it lost one of its veteran actors, Pete Eneh to the cold hands of death.

Pete died few days after he had one of his legs amputated due to infection, at Park Lane hospital in Enugu. His health was said to have deteriorated after the amputation.

The infection, according to reports, started last year, after he had an injury on his leg.

His case got worse when he couldn’t get proper medical attention. The actor was said to have been amputated to stop the infection from spreading to other parts of his body. The amputation took place on Wednesday, October 24 after all efforts to save the leg was unsuccessful.

Former Chairman of Enugu State chapter of Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, Mr. Ofiafuluagu Mbaka, confirmed the death of the veteran actor saying the celebrated actor died around 1 pm yesterday, in Enugu, though he could not give more details about his death.

Eneh featured in hit Nollywood movies such as, “Not Your Wealth”, “Heavy Rain”, “Lonely Life”, , “Prince of Ignorance”, , “Divided Kingdom”, “Naomi “, among other movies.

Okocha, Babayaro, 17 ex-Eagles to tackle Nollywood stars on AIDS Day

N

o fewer than 18 former Super Eagles players, led by Emmanuel Babayaro, will on December 1, 2012 trade tackles with a selection of Nollywood actors in a novelty match to commemorate this year’s World AIDS Day 2012.

Babayaro

The “play for life” match billed for Campos mini stadium in Lagos is to advocate improved support, care and non-discrimination of people living with AIDS in the country, the organisers have revealed.

The event organised by Friends of the Global Fund Africa (Friends Africa) in partnership with its ambassador, Babayaro, and CocaCola, will also bring together Nigerian musicians and comedians.

Babayaro, who spoke with reporters in Lagos on Monday, said the match between Team Ex-Eagles and Team Nollywood Stars was all about the HIV/AIDS in the country and making a loud statement against discrimination.

He observed that many Nigerians were already burdened by the condition, which is usually worsened by the discrimination they face in the society.

Among the ex-Eagles stars that have already confirmed attendance at the game are Austin Okocha, Celestine Babayaro, Manga Mohammed, Tijani Babangida, Mobi Oparaku, Jonathan Akpoborie, Daniel Amokachi, Victor Ikpeba, Ben Iroha, Dr. Akudo Ikemba Babayaro, a goalkeeper in his heydays, said: “I have seen a friend die of AIDS, who did not get it through sexual transmission and it is a condition that can happen to anyone of us. It is time for us to know that AIDS is no more a death sentence.

“So, the greatest gift you can give to these people is your love and care.

Little’s things like mixing with them goes a long way, which is what we are planning for the World AIDS Day,” he said.

Segun Arinze

Taribo West and Mutiu Adepoju.

Nollywood actor and captain of Team Nollywood, Segun Arinze, said it was time Africans and Nigerians alike rose up to tackle problems like AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis, while changing the impression that everything about the continent is on poverty, diseases and death.

He added that while the world awaits cure for HIV/AIDS, Africans should stop presenting themselves as helpless, rather we should “do little that we can do to celebrate not sympathize with people living with the condition, as it could have been anyone of us.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Friends Africa Nigeria, Dr. Akudo Ikemba, said the novelty match was a dream come through for the group to “see array of stars come together with one voice for the people living with HIV/AIDS”.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Hollywood/Bollywood Charlie Chaplin's bowler and Why Amitabh Bachchan feels alienated cane to hit auction block

O

ne of Charlie Chaplin's iconic bowler hats and canes, the staple of Hollywood silent-era comedy, will go under the hammer in Los Angeles this weekend, auction house

Bonhams said on Tuesday.

Chaplin's hat and cane synonymous with his trademark "Little Tramp" character in films such as "City Lights" and "Modern Times" - are expected to fetch between $40,000 and $60,000 in the November 18 auction.

It is unknown how many of Chaplin's bowlers and canes still exist, said Lucy Carr, a memorabilia specialist at Bonhams. The ones up for auction come from a private collection but have a direct link to Chaplin, Carr said.

The waddling and bumbling Little Tramp character propelled Chaplin to global fame. The character, which Hollywood legend says was created by accident on a rainy day at Keystone Studio, first appeared in 1914's "Kid Auto Races at Venice" and lastly in 1936's "Modern Times."

Chaplin's hat and cane are the highlights of an auction of popular culture artifacts including a saxophone that belonged to jazz pioneer Charlie Parker ($22,000-$26,000) and a handwritten letter from John Lennon in which The Beatle sketched himself and wife Yoko Ono nude ($18,000-$22,000).

Other items hitting the block range from an archive of Marilyn Monroe photographs ($15,000-$20,000), an early Charles Schulz "Peanuts" comic strip ($10,000-$15,000) and a wicker chair from Rick's Cafe in "Casablanca" ($5,000$7,000).

First Look: Tom Cruise In All You Need Is Kill

"

W

a r of The Worlds" meets "Iron Man" with a touch "Groundhog Day" starring Tom Cruise?!

The first image from Cruise's "All You Need Is Kill," based on the graphic novel

by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, has been released.

The shot shows the actor suited up in a mech suit running from a wall of flames.

The sci-fi movie centers around Cruise's Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cage, a soldier who is caught in a time loop while he fights an alien race

- and dies again and again that has invaded Earth.

Cruise's character is able to learn after each death, until he's able to defeat invaders.

The Doug Liman film, which also stars Emily Blunt, is slated to hit theaters on March 14, 2014.

The actor's alien buttkicking big screen adventures will first kick off in 2013 when Cruise plays a solider sent to a distant planet to destroy the last of alien race in in "Oblivion," which co-stars Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo and "Game of Thrones" star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Star Wars Episode VII: J.J. Abrams Not Likely To Direct, Jon Favreau Interested

S

teven Spielberg has said he won't be sitting in the director's chair for "Stars Wars: Episode VII," and now two more fanboy favorites J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau - are weighing in on helming the next installment of the franchise.

Abrams rebooted "Star Trek" to sweeping critical and fan approval, but according to the director, he doesn't see himself working with Wookies.

"Look, Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of all time," Abrams said, "I frankly feel that - I almost feel that, in a weird way, the opportunity for whomever it is to direct that movie, it comes with the burden of being that kind of iconic movie and series. I was never a big 'Star Trek' fan growing up, so for me, working on 'Star Trek' didn't have any of that, you know, almost fatal

sacrilege, and so, I am looking forward more than anyone to the next iterations of 'Star Wars,' but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!"

As for Favreau, who earned fanboy cred with "Iron Man," he appeared to be interested, but stopped short of busting out into an Ewok celebration dance when asked about the possibly of directing the highly anticipated project.

"I think both J.J. and I come from a generation of people who formed our whole creative persona around what we experienced as kids from watching those films, and I have had the good fortune of working with George [Lucas] and around George, and whether it is doing a voice on 'Clone Wars,' or being at the Skywalker Ranch mixing 'Iron Man' - so I have been very happy and lucky to just experience the culture that Lucas has created, both in my own life growing up as a kid and professional," he told the website. "I am just giddy, first and foremost as a fan, to see what happens with it. I think there is a lot of question marks of how they are going to do it, and who they are going to do it with, and what the story is going to be about; but to say that I am not excited about it is definitely an understatement. We'll see."

M

e g a s t a r Amitabh Bachchan says that the respect that comes from youngsters immediately push him into another category.

"Being in the company of the young and the fresh, you like to be one with them. They show respect and sublimate at times. It becomes embarrassing to see them do this," Amitabh wrote on his blog.

The 70-year-old says the admiration and respect he receives from youngsters makes him feel alienated.

"Why cannot they slap my back and laugh and be as playful as I would like to be, a normal buddy of their age.

Respect and admiration that voluntarily comes from them, immediately alienates me to another category of the elder; one that needs to be respected, but never to be

included in the times of those that pay me respect," he added.

Sridevi to make television debut

T

h e r e was a time when television meant deglamorized work and a strict no no for actors pertaining to the Hindi Film Industry. Today with the constant influx of reality shows and change of concept, these film stars have pervaded into television.

However, there is a specific trait one may notice in the stars working for the television. Either they are superstars of today or are super successful stars of the former times. The last feature comprises of celebrities like Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon, Karishma Kapoor and many more. The latest artist to join them is Sridevi

who is currently riding the success wave with Gauri Shinde's "English Vinglish" which released this year. This film release meant Sridevi's end of 15 years of sabbatical from films.

Sridevi will be venturing into television with "Nach Baliye". The show has been quite popular and has had quite a successful run at the television. Joining her at the desk of judges will be Malaika Arora Khan who has also judged the first two seasons of "Nach Baliye". The show comprises of celebrity couples specifically from the television industry who 'danced' their way to the trophy.

For Sridevi, this will be a first time that the viewers will see her on their television screens. Sources close to the channel have said that both celebrities have been approached and currently are in talks with the channel.

Sridevi has never been on television before and this addition will definitely grab eyeballs and help the show top the television rating points.

She has been seen on the small

screen when she came to promote "English Vinglish" on the sets of another dance reality show called "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa" which is judged by her contemporary Madhuri Dixit. She was also seen sharing screen space with her "Khuda Gawa" co-actor Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of "Kaun Banega Crorepati".

Sridevi's manager was contacted to confirm the news to which she agreed saying "The channel has approached us and we are currently in discussions."

Many talks are going on about the prospective participants who could be a part of the show. From among cricketers, Srikkanth and his wife has been approached to join in. Other couples who could be seen on the show are Karan Mehra and Nisha Rawal who have recently got married and Rahul Mahajan and his wife Dimpy. The latter has always been under the scanner for their relationship, therefore it is very clever of the channel to approach them.

Huma Qureshi doesn't feel like outsider in filmdom

H

u m a Qureshi's first two films were appreciated and she is getting good offers too.

Contented with her career, the actress doesn't see herself as an outsider in the film industry.

"I don't feel I am an outsider. I was already shooting for other films even before the release of my first film Gangs of Wasseypur (GOW). While shooting for GOW, I was simultaneously shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj's Ek Thi Daayan, and while shooting for Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, I was shooting for Nikhil Advani's D Day," Huma, who is from Delhi, told IANS. She started as a model and featured in various TV commercials .

Talking about movies, she said: "It's an exciting new

phase. Both parts of my first film received critical acclaim, Luv Shuv... was also appreciated by many. I hope it continues to be like this."

Ek Thi Daayan and D Day haven't come out yet.

She considers herself lucky to have bagged films with established filmmakers.

"I am blessed to have got a chance to work with directors like Anurag Kashyap, Vishal

Bhardwaj and Nikhil Advani at such an early age.

Moreover, good scripts have been coming my way so I am really excited about it," said the 26-year-old who doesn't want to restrict herself to doing a certain kind of role.

"I have tried to be different in each of my films - be it Gangs of Wasseypur or Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. My roles in other two films are also different. I can't put myself in a box and be an actor," she said.

When it comes to looks, Huma is different from the typical Bollywood actresses and she says she isn't trying to fit in anyone's shoes.

"I agree that I am different from others. I am not trying to fit in someone else shoes. I am being honest to myself.

The audience is loving me the way I am and that's most important for me," she added.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 27

Homes

Kitchen Cabinet ideas

K

i t c h e n cabinets is one of important things which must available in our kitchen, a lot of Kitchen Cabinets style available. Kitchen Cabinets can give luxury, clean and elegant effect for our kitchen, but yes need extra caring for keep the beauty of our Kitchen Cabinets. Few important tips need for designing Kitchen Cabinets : - choose the matching theme, such as Italian Kitchen Cabinets or Europe Kitchen Cabinets - choose the matching colors with your kitchen color - best material of Kitchen Cabinets can give luxury effect and beautiful - give a good combination between Kitchen Cabinets and the accessories - Minimalist Kitchen Cabinets is the best Kitchen Cabinets performance Kitchen storage cabinets makes your kitchen tidy Every kitchen must have Kitchen Storage Cabinets. It can make your room tidy. You can save your cooking utensils in the storage.

If your kitchen doesn't have any kitchen storage, your kitchen can be very messy. You will also have some difficulties if you have to cook in a messy kitchen. Your kitchen will feel so small. And you will also have difficulties when you have to take some utensils or cooking ingredients. If you don't manage your kitchen you will have a very difficult time when you have to cook something in your kitchen. So, you have to manage your kitchen storage to make you can do your activity in the kitchen comfortably.

You take small number of items out of the cupboard, and then you start cleaning inside the shelves, the back and then once that is cleaned, then wash all the food items and put them back. Once you have finished cleaning inside, then proceed with front side of the doors and wipe underneath. In this kitchen, they don't have a space for the onion but you can probably find out that there is space so that it is easy to clean all the units and they really get cleaned. trendkitchencabinets.com European Kitchen Cabinets with Wooden Material

Italian Kitchen Cabinets with Off White Color Style

Wooden Kitchen Cabinets Looks so Ethnic

Minimalist Kitchen Cabinets with soft colours combination

Modern Kitchen Cabinets

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Cuisine

Pots & Pans

With Hajiya Ramatu Usman Dorayi

Perfect dinner dishes Sweet potato fries

Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons brown sugar Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, paprika and cinnamon. Toss the potato strips into mixture, to coat well, and spread onto baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and brown sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes

Chicken with roasted sweet potato salad

Tossing the warm roasted vegetables with fresh spinach gently wilts and tenderises the greens. This heart-healthy salad also pairs well with fish or lean beef.

Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thin wedges 1 red onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt and black pepper 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups) 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Fresh orange Punch Ingredients: Oranges - 4 Lemon - 1 small Ginger - 1/4 tsp minced Sugar - to taste Ice cubes - 4 to 5 small cubes Method: Extract juice from oranges with or without pulp(as per your liking).

Squeeze lemon to the orange juice extracted.

Add minced ginger, sugar and water mix well until sugar is dissolved. Keep it aside for 10-15mins for the ginger flavour to blend. Then filter and add ice cubes while serving and enjoy your orange punch.

Preparation: Heat oven to 425° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, onion, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

In a large bowl, toss the warm potato mixture with the spinach, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with the chicken.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Womanhood

Strategies to put you ahead in the workplace H

a v e you come a long way? The general impression is that women are becoming incrementally more successful in the workforce and some of the news is good. Women are represented in the workforce in greater numbers than ever and holding a higher percentage of managerial and executive jobs than in the past. Women-owned businesses have doubled in the last dozen or so years. But more women can still climb the ladder of success. It's just about leveling the playing field in a work world that has been inequitable for women for far too long.

Get as much education and training as you can Education is, by far, women's most powerful secret weapon. Get the highest degree you can possibly manage. The old obstacles of lack of money and time need not deter women anymore because many new options for financial aid and distance learning are available.

Consider informal ways of educating yourself through, for example, joining professional organizations, attending conferences, and keeping up with trade publications in your field.

To the extent possible when seeking a job, look for companies that offer training programs and professional development opportunities. Make a point of asking in job interviews what kind of training is available. Your goal should be to develop a set of portable skills that are transferable and applicable to various career fields.

Women are in the majority, not only in most realms of higher education, but also in Internet use, comprising at least 52 percent of Internet users, according to Nielsen/Net Ratings. Women are also more efficient in their Internet use; they spend less time surfing because they know what they're looking for.

Women are already harnessing the vast amount of information that the Internet puts at their fingertips. In an age where the amount of information available to us is 10,000 times what it used to be, it's hard to avoid the notion that knowledge is power, and women are well positioned for the power afforded by their efficient use of the information superhighway.

The bottom line is that women can stay on the cutting edge through continued dominance on the Internet and by taking advantage of online learning opportunities.

Leverage communication and interpersonal skills Numerous recent studies have noted differences in the way

Networking helps a great deal

Obtain education and stay focussed men and women communicate and relate interpersonally.

Women's way of communicating is not necessarily better than men's, but it may be better suited to newer styles of management.

So-called "feminine attributes," such as the ability to build relationships with customers, strike up joint ventures, and partner with suppliers are increasingly important. Women should deploy their strong interpersonal and communication skills at every opportunity and tout their accomplishments in this realm.

Plan your career Career planning is important for everyone, but especially for women because they generally have more twists and turns to negotiate along the road to career success than do men. If you have a road map, you'll be less likely to become derailed if you should, for example, decide to relocate to be with a significant other, have a baby, or suddenly need to care for an elderly parent.

Decide where you want to be five, 10, and 15 years from now.

Build flexibility into your career plans to allow for changing circumstances. Your plan may need to change to accommodate those life changes, but your core plan will better equip you when that happens.

Network It is right to say that between men and women, women are the more successful networkers. This is because women seem like the natural talkers, while we tend to think of men as holding back. The facts indicate that men use networking more effectively than women, however. It means that

men and women should use their different styles to greatest advantage.

Find a mentor If you do no other kind of networking, at least find yourself a mentor or let one find you.

Mentors can both protect women from discrimination and help them learn what men supposedly learn from the 'old boy's network' about how to navigate their way past obstacles to their career success.

A mentor is that one person who can guide you, help you, take you under his or her wing, and nurture your career quest.

Where a typical network contact might be associated with quick introductions, exchanges of business cards, and phone calls, your relationship with a mentor likely involves long lunches and time spent in the mentor's office.

He or she is someone you probably have unusually good chemistry with who will share stories with you of his or her own climb to success. An effective mentor isn't afraid to criticize constructively.

To find a mentor, identify someone you admire, and test the waters by asking advice. Be sure to reveal as much of yourself as possible. Mentors are most likely to invest themselves in those in whom they see a little of themselves, which is why you should never approach a prospective mentor in a state of desperation or helplessness. You should have a good feel after a few meetings as to whether the rapport is right for a mentoring relationship.

Cultivate and project confidence Women often suffer from a

Fast track your career by working hard to stay atop crisis of confidence in the workplace, especially when the environment is hostile or chilly to them. It is suggested that you create a career portfolio as a great way to reinforce your sense of confidence. You may also get a boost to your confidence from tracking your accomplishments.

Self-promote Once you've shored up your confidence, you need to make sure others know how terrific you are. Self-promotion is not easy for women. But women need to toot their own horns because they can't depend on others to do it for them.

Make sure people within and outside your workplace know about your accomplishments.

Submit news of accomplishments to your company newsletter and local newspaper. Let your boss know what you're up to. Promote yourself as an expert on one or more topics and volunteer to speak to local organizations.

Incubate your talents If you have big dreams of career or entrepreneurial success, seek to spend some time

working in organizations that will help you incubate your talents. It is suggested that corporate incubators can help you gain exposure to customers, suppliers, and competitors; foster specific managerial, technical and planning skills; and learn how to do things better by working in less-than-optimal environments for sub-optimal managers. By spending a few years in a corporate environment specifically cultivating skills and making contacts, you can more easily propel yourself either to greater success in your next career move or to a position where you can start your own business.

Become a free agent Other studies have shown different reasons for the bailout by women.

But until corporations wise up or until women start using their growing educational advantage, entrepreneurship can be an excellent option for the woman who seeks career success but isn't finding it within organizational boundaries. quintcareers.com

PAGE 30

Archives

Sir Ahmadu Bello and others welcoming Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe back from the US. In the 60s

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Do you have old pictures for memories?

Send them to julius2001_a@yahoo.com

General Yakubu Gowon (Head of State and Commander in Chief) at Dodan Barracks with the Green Eagles team when they took first position in the football event of the 1973 All Africa Games, held in Lagos.

Minister of Finance, Chief FS Okotie- Eboh responding to charges of accumulation of wealth by government officials in the 60s

Otunba T.O.S. Benson (Minister of Information) poses with his car in the 50s

General Yakubu Gowon commissioning the Kainji Dam in 1969. Behind him are Vice Admiral Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey (Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters) and Justice (Sir) Adetokunboh Ademola (Chief Justice of Nigeria).

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 31

Leisure WORD SEARCH

With Augustine Aminu

PICTURE OF THE DAY

A Real Lagos Child

Find the words about the Alphabet Animals, listed below, in the word search grid. Circle each letter one by one.

Each letter of the word search grid may be used in more than one word.

Alphabet Animals Word Search Puzzle T

H G I

R R E P

R A F

K R L L

E D I

A S

F

F

E

E A B A I

N G Y D R T

L

S

W R

L O

N T

W

I

N H F

R

L

E

R T A O C O W N D U H A R S

B

B

A S

C P

H R H O Q R E M S

M

E

E T

E S

A S

H T

N R I

A I

L

L

F

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L N I

U M R E A I

A O R E O S

T

R O N R E T

O U T H E

E U M B

R O R A D A T

T N A H P

O A A T S

H F

V E J

A G U A R E

W B E

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ANTELOPE BEAVER COUGAR DEER ELEPHANT FERRET GIRAFFE HERMIT CRAB IGUANA

JAGUAR KANGAROO LEOPARD MOOSE NEWT OTTER POLAR BEAR QUAIL ROOSTER

SHREW TIMBERWOLF UMBRELLA BIRD VOLE WHALE X-RAY FISH YAK ZEBRA

QUOTES -It is not the principled partisan, however obnoxious he may seem to his opponents, who degrades our public debate, but the preening, self-styled statesman who elevates compromise to a first principle. TOM DELAY, CNN, Jun. 9, 2006 -The politician is a biped; but he is probably an aberrant form of hyena. ABRAHAM MILLER, Unmoral Maxims -I used to say that politics was the second-oldest profession. I have come to know that it bears a gross similarity to the first. RONALD REAGAN -Finality is not the language of politics.

BENJAMIN DISRAELI, speech, Feb. 28, 1859 -If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. RAY BRADBURY, Fahrenheit 451.

-Once upon a time there was a politician who made an especially conspicuous ass of himself and didn't say the newspapers misquoted him.

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

Proverbs and wise sayings A fowl does forget where it lays its eggs. · When one isnot taking a chicken from its roost, the hen is bound to attack least its claws.

It iswith by at the strength of their number that the ants in the · Even whento firecarry has done very to worst, still has to resort to it. field are able theiritsprey the one nest. · When a soup is unpalatable, and the paste of the pounded yam When an only kolanut is presented with love, it carries that goes with it is not smooth, that is the time to know a man who with value than lovesittomore eat pounded yam. might otherwise be associated with a whole pod of several kolanuts. · A pad that breaks a pot of water does not remain on the head. · A bush playground is makes never appreciably spacious. of yet By beingfowls' grateful, a man himself deserving · If thekindness. owner of a calabash calls it a worthless calabash, others another will join him to use it to pack rubbish.

A speedy wrestling and a bad fall go hand in hand. · It is the boast of every juju priest that unless he dies, no thief can One finger cannot remove ever come to steal his juju away. lice from the head.

He who is courteous is notalso a fool. · What affects the nose must affect the eyes that must weep for it.

Rather than tell a lie to help a friend, it is better to assist a greedythe eater near patient, such a patient can never him· inIf paying fineisfor hisaoffense. survive.

A hunter who has only one arrow does not shoot with · There is no elephant that complains about the weight of its trunk. careless because it aim. is not burdened by the weight of it.

It is little byelderly little ones that a builds itsthe nest. · When the in bird a house travel, younger ones quickly grow in experience. · It is when there is a stampede, that a person with big buttocks knows that he carries a load. · If a soup is sweet, it is money that cooks it.

JOKES A goat and a chicken were strolling, a car splashed water on them.

Angrily, the chicken hissed and said, “that’s how they drive like goats”.

And the goat replied, “hmmm...no wonder they die like chicken”.

CARTOON

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 32

F Good to go with Purple

By Miriam Humbe

T

h o u g h Purple is the colour of royalty selecting makeup colours can be difficult. One can match the lipstick to the ensemble, but there are other approaches to best complement your beautiful purple dress and accessories.

View your dress in natural light, and in light similar to the light available where you will be

wearing the purple dress and ask this question, is the purple more reddish, or bluer? This will help you choose accessories and makeup colours to match.

Now take a look at yourself.

Note your hair, eye, and skin colours. Are there predominantly warmer or cooler colours? Some shades of deep purple look equally good with silver or gold, which can serve as a guide in selecting makeup and accessory colours.

You could try to match the dress with a lipstick colour, but this can be tricky if you don't have strong colour ideas. Neutral colours and tints work well for most skin tones. Gold and a sheer, warm plum colour flatter warm skin tones while sheer, cool purples and berries work well for radiant complexions.

With matching accessories, a nice flawless make-up and a good poise, you are good to go.

Dark shades of make-up to match purple dress

Cool purple top and jeans

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 33

Business

'Maduka, Ubah clash bad for Nigeria's investment climate'

By Augustine Aminu

T

h e president, International Movement for Catholic Faithfuls, Ms Juliet Breen said some investors who have faith in Nigeria to become an economic superpower in Africa may be appalled by the recent altercation between two successful businessmen in Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Ubah, Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas; and Mr. Cosmas Maduka, Chairman of Coscharis Group.

Breen said in a press briefing in Abuja yesterday that so many people in Europe are eager to come and invest in Nigeria, and the inflow of investment has been on the upward swing for these past few years.

She emphasised that this kind of

altercation, accusations and counter accusations are capable of eroding some of the confidence foreign investors have in the country "Concerning the investments of Capital Oil and Gas Limited which the London Court gave some judgment yesterday is a standard procedure and does not indicate in any way that Capital Oil and Gas Limited or the Chairman, Mr. Patrick Uba has been indicted or is a criminal, it will be very unfair if anybody will construe any of these developments as a criminal indictment whichis not," she said.

She further stated that it is very unfortunate that Patrick Ubah, and his company, Capital Oil and Gas Limited which has a good reputation in Europe are being subjected to this kind of treatment and are being

hounded due to a contractual obligation which can be easily settled.

"This company as we know today has provided employment to more than 5000 people around the world, and is a key player in the downstream oil industry that needs so much development today in Nigeria. Capital Oil has done so much and their efforts must be commended and not vilified by anybody and in any circumstances."

Breen further said that Nigeria will lose more if an end is not found to this altercation, so that the company will continue to play crucial roles in the downstream sector of the oil industry; especially the sale of Kerosine at a cheap rate.

"I am aware that in Nigeria, most things are politicised. I want to ask whether the governor of these

gentlemen cannot call them to order and help them to resolve this matter amicably. Mr. Peter Obi has previously eulogized this Mr. Patrick Ubah for this business activities and success as well as for his philanthropic gestures," she stressed.

Ms Juliet Breen

Irrigation: Ministry to utilise 11,000 hectares in Zamfara

T

h e Federal Ministry of Water Resources has said that 11, 000 hectares would be utilised at the Bakolori Irrigation project in Zamfara for dry season operation. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the irrigation scheme has the potential of irrigating 23,000 hectares while only 4,000 hectares were utilised in 2011.

The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, made this known at the launching

of wheat production and the flag of 2012/2013 dry season farming on Thursday in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State. Ochekpe said that the objective of the event was to encourage farmers to take advantage of irrigation projects to boost food production in the country.

"We still have 12,000 hectares still left to be developed; many more can come on board, the launching p of the project shows that Nigeria has a lot of potential

to create jobs through irrigation.

"We want to sustain this development for some couple of years until we are able to put the whole 23,000 hectares into use.

"Even a lot of youths out there thinking there are no jobs, can take the opportunity of the irrigation schemes to go into farming and empower themselves. According to her, the Federal Government is giving emphasis to wheat and rice production to reduce the importation of such crops. The

minister said: " I am aware that one of the major complaints of the wheat farmers is market for their produce. " I would like to assure them that government has machinery that they are encouraged to produce more by ensuring there will not be glut.

"Government in conjunction with the private enterprises in the spirit of Public Private Partnership will be involved in improving the value chain of these crops''.

Stocks end the week southward by -1.19% after a week break

N

igerian Equities experienced increased speculative trading amid high volatility in the week as bulls and bears jostled for supremacy considerably while market swings in favour of the bears to end the week with aggregate loss.

Market retraced by 317.36 basis points to extend the losses after a week break despite the three days of bearish rally- a cautious bargain approach is necessary in the coming weeks as the end of the year offloading season seems to be starting earlier than expected, considering the growing rage of bears.

Equities market experienced Monday effect to open the week downbeat,extendingthelossesby-0.41% while the breadth collapsed further on Tuesday, depressing the key benchmark indices by another -1.20% loses.

However, market regained its consciousness on Wednesday with +0.21% gain despite huge volatility that pervaded market. The key benchmark indices ride on sustain moderate bargain to hold its breadth with a moderate gain of +0.04%.

Consequently, market activities on Friday closed in the green zone as the key benchmark index climbed by 0.17% while market closed the week with aggregate loss of -1.19%.

Further analysis on acquiring banks since transaction date showed that the share price of Access Bank Plc has recorded +72.93% gains with FCMB recording -16.67% losses while Union Bank Plc leads the chart with +266.99% gains. However, Sterling Bank Plc recorded +21.26% gains while ETI closed negative with -5.66% loss recorded.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

The Entrepreneur

US: How immigrants became millionaires Immigrants make up 13% of the U.S. population. They go to the US in pursuit of the American Dream, an opportunity for a better life in exchange for hard work. For many, their unique skills and fresh perspectives led them to entrepreneurship.

That may explain why one small-business owner in six in the U.S. is an immigrant, according to a recent report by the Fiscal Policy Institute's Immigration Research Initiative.

Professional and business services, such as waste-disposal

By Andrea N. Browne

1. Josie Natori, 64 From Philippines, she is Founder and CEO, the Natori Company.

Her advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "There is no better place in the world for an immigrant to succeed than in the U.S. Follow your dream and make it happen."

Moving from the Philippines to Westchester, N.Y., to attend Manhattanville College in 1964 was a complete culture shock for Natori. "The cold winters, the food and the sense of humor were just different. I was very homesick," she told Kiplinger. But it never stopped her.

After earning an economics degree, she went to work for Bache & Company on Wall

Street, moving to Merrill Lynch in 1971.

But climbing the corporate ladder wasn't enough. "While I loved the [corporate] culture, I also had a very strong desire to build something myself," she says.

In 1974, Natori became a U.S. citizen.

And after giving birth to a son in 1976, she and her husband Ken brainstormed a variety of ideas for starting her own business -- from opening a car wash to running a McDonald's franchise. It was by chance in 1977, however, that she would become a high-end women's sleepwear designer after showing a nightgown (made from what was originally a handembroidered blouse) to a buyer at Bloomingdale's.

In the early days, Natori ran her company solo. "It's easy to take for granted the amount of work that goes into [making]

services and office administration and cleaning, boast the largest number of immigrant business owners, followed by retail, construction, educational and social services, leisure and hospitality industries.

The seven entrepreneurs featured here come from diverse backgrounds. They made their millions (and, in one case, billions) in industries ranging from Internet technology to restaurant services. Here are their stories. the clothes you see in stores," she says. "There are so many elements -- from the design concept to production -- that all need to work in order to make something happen." Today, she has nearly 400 employees. Her husband is chairman, and her son, Kenneth, is vicepresident of finance and e-commerce. Her business has expanded to include fragrances, eyewear and home dĂŠcor. In 2011, Natori teamed up with mass retailer Target for a budget-friendly line of lingerie and loungewear. That same year, her company generated $150 million in retail sales.

"Some people may see their immigrant status as an obstacle," she says. "I have always viewed it as one of my biggest assets. Natori is unique in the design world, because of its East-meets-West aesthetic.

All of that is due to my background and heritage."

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger, 65

Lowell Hawthorne, 52

2. Lowell Hawthorne, 52 From Jamaica, Founder and CEO, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Anybody can achieve the American dream. You've got to be focused, educated, have discipline, and just go for it."

Shortly after moving to the Bronx from Jamaica in 1981, Hawthorne, 21, green card in hand, landed a job as an assistant stock handler with the New York Police Department. He earned an associate's degree in accounting from Bronx Community College and was eventually promoted to accountant. But entrepreneurship beckoned.

Hawthorne had watched his father operate a bakery in his native Jamaica and knew he wanted to work alongside family. So he pitched the idea for Golden Krust, a Caribbean-themed, family-style eatery, to his seven brothers and sisters who had also come to the U.S. At first, they couldn't get a small business loan.

"The banks were hesitant to grant loans

to new restaurants because of the failure rate -- especially niche restaurants such as ours," Hawthorne recalls. "We also didn't have a lot of personal assets to guarantee the loan." So the siblings took out second mortgages on their homes and borrowed money from family and friends, raising $107,000. In 1989, the first Golden Krust restaurant opened in the Bronx. In 1991, Hawthorne left his job with the NYPD for good. The next year, he became a U.S. citizen.

There are now more than 100 Golden Krust locations in nine states along the Eastern seaboard. Hawthorne and Golden Krust have been profiled in major publications such as The New York Times, the Washington Post and Black Enterprise magazine. In 2011, the company generated $100 million in revenue. Hawthorne says in addition to opening more franchises, there are plans to expand the company with a line of cooking sauces.

"Risks not taken are opportunities missed," he says. "You've always got to take calculated risks in entrepreneurship."

From Austria, Hollywood actor and former California governor His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: Don't let others' negativity discourage you from achieving your goals.

"Aw-nold" wasn't always a famous face with a big bank account. He's originally from Thal, Austria, and immigrated to the United States in 1968 at age 21. His meal ticket back then was body-building.

Schwarzenegger would eventually become a five-time Mr. Universe and seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, which helped open many doors for him -especially in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1980, he was cast in a series of small roles in films such as "Hercules in New York" and "Stay Hungry." When he was cast as the title character in the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian," Schwarzenegger's acting career took off. He became a U.S. citizen in 1983. One year later, he starred in "The Terminator" and has gone on to star in more than 20 films.

Schwarzenegger's entrepreneurial ventures include the Arnold Sports Festival, which he started in 1989 and is

Josie Natori, 64

held annually in Columbus, Ohio. It hosts thousands of international health and fitness professionals and has expanded into a three-day expo. He was one of the founding celebrity shareholders in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain that opened in 1991. Schwarzenegger also owns Oak Productions, Inc., a movie production company, and Fitness Publications, a publishing interest with Simon & Schuster.

In 2003, he ran for governor of California, and won, ultimately serving two terms. Today, Schwarzenegger is worth an estimated $300 million. His films have grossed $1.6 billion domestically. In October, he published his memoir "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story."

Earlier this year, he was profiled in ESPN's "30 for 30" short documentary-film series.

During that interview, Schwarzenegger discussed how early in his career, he refused to let naysayers stop him from pursuing his dreams: "I didn't pay any attention to it. . . I did not listen to the 'no' . . . and it worked out. I used that attitude as a blueprint for the rest of my life."

Contd on Page 35

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 65, shaking hands with people in California

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 35

The Entrepreneur

US: How immigrants became millionaires Contd from Page 34

4. Shama Kabani, 27 India: Founder and CEO, the Marketing Zen Group Her advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "If you have an idea, put it out there and then figure out how to improve it. Look beyond the bottom line and toward the bigger impact."

Kabani came with her family to the United States from India in 1994 at age 9. Kabani's father drove a taxi, and her mother ran a cafĂŠ, which she later turned into a Subway franchise. "I saw them work hard and doubly so because they were in a new country trying to adjust. They worked very long hours, and I was a latchkey kid well into high

school," she told Kiplinger. By age 10, Kabani had started her first business selling gift wrapping paper, with her younger sister working as her assistant.

In 2008, she earned a master's in organizational communications from the University of Texas at Austin, where she wrote her thesis on the impact of Twitter and social media. "When I finished grad school, I knew I wanted a job in social media. I applied to several companies, but no one would hire me."

The demand for social media professionals simply there yet. Instead of letting rejection discourage her, Kabani founded the Marketing Zen Group, a full-service online marketing and digital PR firm.

Today, Kabani's company has gone from

5. Sergey Brin, 39

Sergey Brin, 39

6. Carlos Castro, 58 El Salvador: President and CEO, Todos Supermarket His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Never let discrimination be an excuse for not being successful."

Castro fled to California from civil wartorn El Salvador in 1980 at age 26, forced to leave his wife and young children behind.

"At the time, I worked in the factories. The guerilla unions were taking over the factories and the jobs . . . there were many kidnappings and killings," he told Kiplinger.

Castro, who entered the U.S. illegally, eventually landed in the Washington, D.C.area. He worked as a janitor and as a dishwasher and cook at a restaurant before becoming a legal resident in 1986. He started working construction and saved enough money to reunite with his family in D.C. By 1987, he had opened a small construction business of his own.

In 1988, a family friend suggested that he and his wife Gladis start a Hispanic grocery store. The couple spent the next

Carlos Castro with his wife Gladis

Russia: Co-founder and director of special projects, Google His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Success will come from simplicity."

During a wave of resurgent antiSemitism, Brin's family left Moscow for America in 1979 when he was 6 years old. They settled in Adelphi, Md. Brin followed in the footsteps of his father, a mathematician and economist, by earning a B.A. in mathematics and computer science in 1993 at the University of Maryland. From there, it was on to Stanford University where Brin received a masters of science and Ph.D. It was at Stanford that he met couple of years trying to learn as much as possible about starting a small business.

Once they had enough money, they opened the first Todos Supermarket in Woodbridge, Va., in 1990.

The first year was rough. Money was tight, and both Carlos and Gladis still had to work other jobs to help make ends meet at home.

"My wife was making more cleaning houses than we were at the first store," Castro recalls.

He eventually turned things around and opened a second Todos location in Alexandria, Va., in 1998. By 2001, business had grown so much that he had to move the first store from its 5,000-square-foot space to a 15,000-squarefoot building. "That's when profits really started to roll in," Castro says. In 2007, he opened another location in Dumfries, Va. Todos Supermarkets took in $15.9 million last year and projects sales of about $18 million for 2012. When it comes to starting your own company, there will be plenty of naysayers, Castro says. "That's why it's important to always believe in yourself."

being a one-woman show to employing 30, including her husband Arshil, who serves as vice president and legal counsel. In 2011, annual sales reached around $1 million, a figure that is expected to double in 2012.

Kabani has been featured in national publications such as Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek and Entrepreneur.

Kabani took her oath to become a naturalized citizen on October 29. "It's been a long process that took three years," she says. Her husband is a natural-born citizen, so she was able to apply through him. For other aspiring immigrant entrepreneurs, Kabani advises: "Pursue entrepreneurship if you have a passion for something. A lot of people see it as a way to make money -- and it shouldn't always be about that."

Larry Page. The now-legendary duo later came up with the idea for Google, launching the search engine in 1998.

When the company went public in 2004 (opening at $85 per share), Brin became a billionaire overnight. His net worth is now $22.5 billion.

These days, Brin continues to innovate. Google teamed up with fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week earlier this year. The models in her show captured their runway experience wearing Google Glass, technology-driven eyewear that allows users to take pictures and send messages. The product has generated lots of interest in the tech world. In September, his company also

7. Jose Wilfredo Flores, 42 El Salvador, Owner and founder, W Concrete His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Do it right and nobody can stop you."

At the age of 14, Flores made a monthlong pilgrimage from El Salvador to Philadelphia to escape the country's brutal civil war. If he had remained in his homeland, he would've had one of two options: Join the guerillas or join the army. "The guerillas would come to our house," Flores told Kiplinger. "We had to hide. You couldn't say no because then they would think you were on the army's side and shoot you. A few hours later, the army guys would come and say, 'We want food. We want to take you.' If you said no, they'd think you were with the guerillas."

When he arrived in the U.S., he was crammed into a U-Haul truck with other illegal immigrants. The truck was pulled over by police. Most of the van's occupants were detained, but Flores was released because of he was a minor. He made his way to Washington, D.C., where his uncle and 18-year-old brother lived. "I came to America with no shoes, no nothing -- not even a dollar."

Upon arriving in D.C., Flores worked part-time cleaning offices while attending Lincoln Middle School. "I didn't have enough money to buy a French fry," he says. At 15, he left school to work fulltime in construction, using falsified documents that said he was 18. "Fake ID, fake Social Security, everything was fake. Nobody checked," he says. He later became eligible for a legal work permit (he is now a U.S. citizen). By age 25, he

Shama Kabani, 27 announced its newest project, Google for Entrepreneurs. It's aimed at connecting business owners with local programs and online resources to help their companies get off the ground.

In 2007, Brin was included in a CNN Money feature that asked several prominent entrepreneurs to share how they were able to achieve such success and stay ahead of the curve. He stressed how keeping things simple at Google -- focusing on a few small projects and doing them really well -- has helped the company become a household name: "Technology has this way of becoming overly complex, but simplicity was one of the reasons that people gravitated to Google initially . . . success will come from simplicity." had learned the concrete business and was supervising a crew of 50, earning more than $60,000 a year. Despite having secured himself a good job, Flores dreamed of starting his own business.

Ten years ago, he used savings and a line of credit to start W Concrete, in Jessup, Md. One of the company's first jobs was to pour the concrete for the building that replaced Lincoln Middle School. Last year, the business brought in $6.6 million. "Most Salvadorans are humble people who will do whatever it takes to get ahead," says Flores. "In my country, there's no opportunity for poor people. The rich get richer and richer.

The poor will always be poor and poor.

Here, do it right and nobody can stop you."

Jose Wilfredo Flores, 42

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

OUR MISSION “To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM EDITOR, DAILY ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ALI M. ALI

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND JAMILA NUHU MUSA

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU ADESOJI OYINLOLA

“To be a reputable, profitable, innovative and technologically reliant media company offering world class services and products”

Justice Salami:wealth The bullfund in the Re: Sovereign judiciary's china shop R

e c e n t statement credited to the former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and member of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Chief Olisa Agbakoba suggesting that the current acting appointment of Justice Dalhatu Adamu as President of the Court of Appeal is unconstitutional (Daily Trust 2/11/12) has exhumed the virtually buried issue of the suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.

As always, the call was made to intimidate President Jonathan to recall the embattled PCA. By virtue of his membership of the NJC, one is at a loss why Agbakoba opted for the pages of newspapers to present his case instead of the boardroom of the NJC. It is now clear that some forces are determined to embarrass President Goodluck Jonathan using the embattled Justice Salami as a tool. It remains to be seen how low they intend to bring down the judiciary to satisfy their selfish ends.

Without a doubt, President Jonathan has exhibited a rare moral courage by his exceptional respect to the rule of law since the beginning of his regime. His patience and absolute reliance on the rule of law during the turbulent days of his Acting Presidency convincingly depicts a man with an uncommon respect for the rule of law.

The Judiciary, as the last hope of all, as well as the enduring arm of government in Nigeria, has suffered needlessly on the altar of selfish ambitions.

For the first time in Nigerian history, the media took the central role in deciding an otherwise wholly judicial dispute between the two leading judicial officers in the land, in the Chief Justice of the Federation and the President of the Court of Appeal.

It was perplexing and embarrassing that the suspended PCA, Justice Salami could bring out the judiciary's dirty linen out in the public by accusing the then Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Aloysious Katsina Alu trying to exert undue pressure on the election tribunal deciding the Sokoto state gubernatorial case. Justice Salami should have known

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Email: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com that such weighty and difficult to prove allegation was the last thing the Judiciary needed to restore public confidence in it.

Efforts to preserve the honour and integrity of the court could be seen in the efforts of the Justice Umaru Abdullahiheaded probe panel which tried to give Salami a soft landing in the face of grievous allegation of unethical conduct (the first of its kind against any PCA) between him and sacked Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun and Segun Oni of Ekiti states. This unethical conduct worthy enough to instigate President Jonathan to overhaul the Appellate court was downplayed by the Justice Umaru Abdullahi panel to protect the sanctity of the office of the PCA and restore public confidence in the Judiciary.

Without a doubt, going by Agbakoba's latest tantrums, it is obvious that somebody is desperate to confuse the public by revisiting the exhausted angle of the legality or lack of it of the appointment of Justice Dahaltu Adamu as acting PCA. It was a clear move to further harass President Goodluck Jonathan into succumbing to the hidden agenda that failed to restore the lost crown of Justice Salami by the merit of the case through the instruments of due legal processes justice and the NJC. Section 238 (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended unambiguously states: That the office of the President of the Court of Appeal is vacant, or if the person holding the office is for any reason unable to perform the functions of the office, then until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office, or until the person holding the office has

resumed those functions, the President shall appoint the most senior Justice of the Court of Appeal to perform those functions.

It is noteworthy that the recommendation for Justice Salami's compulsory retirement (which President Jonathan in his benevolence reduced to suspension) by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for misconduct was in accordance with the provisions of Section 292 (1) (a) (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and Rule 1 (1) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

People may be tempted to ask where Agbakoba was when the NJC, desirous to protect the sanctity and honour of the judiciary, was not so lenient with Justice Salami. First, NJC demanded a public apology from Justice Salami to former CJN Aloysious Katsina. In simple terms, NJC demanded justice Salami to publicly eat his words, an obviously unpalatable option to a man of his rank. But in a confirmatory move that the whole case was designed to achieve an unholy agenda, Justice Salami, backed by the media and the Agbakobas of this world refused to see reason and apologise. It is noteworthy, that all decisions taken by the NJC were covered by and in consonance with the law.

If the love of the judiciary is the reason for the unending tug of war, why are these advocates of rule of law yet to call for the confirmation of Justice Dalhatu Adamu as the substantive President of the appellate court? At least there is general acceptance that he is fit, capable and qualified for the

office. And just as important, he carries no liability and has an impeccable career record worthy of the office of the President Court of Appeal.

It is instructive to note that while Justice Salami massages his ego by trampling on the Nigerian judicial system using any available trick in the book, the Nigerian public and particularly the appellate court continue to suffer these excesses. This much can be confirmed by the continuous media regurgitation of the judicially-settled issue of the sacking of Justice Salami. How nobody seems to notice that the horse being flogged is already dead speaks volumes of the desperation of the agenda. There is an urgent need for President Jonathan to be firm and decisive by putting a stop to the continuous mud dragging of the appellate court to restore public confidence in the court and help the incumbent President to consolidate the gains he made in restoring the lost honour and glory of the court within the period he has been in charge.

Lawal Maiwada Danmallam wrote from Katsina, in Katsina state

“

It is instructive to note that while Justice Salami massages his ego by trampling on the Nigerian judicial system using any available trick in the book, the Nigerian public and particularly the appellate court continue to suffer these excesses.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 37

Opinion Who is afraid of Nkiru Sylvanus?

By Jonathan Iwu

R

e c e n t l y , the crying baby of Nollywood and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State Nkeiruka Sylvanus has been embattled. The sultry actress who was catapulted to stardom in her epic movie 'A Cry for Help" now seems to be in need of that help she sought for a long time ago.

Known and appreciated for her emotional outbursts with tears rolling down her beautiful cheeks, making her look defenseless and vulnerable Nkiru appears to be have fallen prey to real life tormentors this time around.

Her special talent evident in the effortless interpretation of her roles has

“

As her fans who believe in the shining stature of the celebrity, we are confident that she has all it takes to serve the good people of Imo State and much more.

By Salihu Dantata Mahmud

I

t is unfortunate that some columnists use sentiments to destroy the image of others. Which explains why one Ayisha Osori chose to negatively express what was far from the truth on Rt. Hon. Isa Egah Dobi, member representing the Abuja South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in her Tuesday November 13 Leadership column titled “Clear Hidden Agenda”.

I do not intend to join issues with Ayisha, as all that was written were her mere imagination, and she is entitled to her opinion and not that of others.

To start with, Ayisha wrote in her column that an orchestrated programme was designed to advance the agenda of a few, who are these few? She also mentioned that when Hon. Isa arrived, complete with two commically bruttish men in varying version of body guard costumes, I want to draw Ayisha Osori’s attention to the fact that Hon. Dobi represents four area councils that make his constituency in the National Assembly and when he arrived the venue, he arrived in company of all the four area council chairmen, and these chairmen are both of the PDP and ANPP. Can the body guards and policemen of these chairmen be said to be that of Hon. Isa Dobi?

Ayisha did not go into thorough investigation as to identifying whose body guards and the policemen were, as such she has abused her privilege as an upcoming columnist.

brought along with it friends and foes alike, but Nkiru Sylvanus has had a way of always evading scandals and controversies. Try hard as she may these twin evils that haunt successful movie stars continue to stalk her like a shadow. Her first baptism of mischievous gossip sought to question her academic attainments but she was able to shake them off convincingly and conclusively to the chagrin of her foes and the admiration of her fans.

Then she got enmeshed in a romantic rumpus with one Asha, a musician who was later found to be using her name to further his musical career by posing in a friendly photograph with her and making claims of a relationship. Following Nkiru's shrill protests, further investigations led to an apology to her by the medium that published the malicious story. In a similar vein, another tabloid cast similar aspersions on her with an aide of the vice president but the junk editors were also made to swallow their sleaze with due apologies to the thespian.

Nkiru Sylvanus herself has made enough efforts to explain her relationship with her boss whom she refers to as a father figure but in our own peculiar way of prejudiced denunciation nobody seems to be paying her any attention, instead romantic tales keep flying around her and Rochas Okorocha, all in a bid to make her a recluse.

Now another tabloid, in its recent edition, concocted a story suggesting that the actress had parted ways with her boss and has accordingly being relieved of her appointment supposedly due to persistence of the Imo state First Lady, still purporting the existence of a romantic relationship.

The magazine went further to cast aspersions on her intellectual capacity

apparently in a manner as to render her insignificant and out of reckoning among her peers. As if that was not enough, a blogger Linda Ikeji went ahead with the same sponsored story without ascribing any source to it. The defamers of innocent character who seem to take an insatiable delight in mudslinging and name smearing have targeted Nkiru Sylvanus with sadistic zeal.

Obviously, being human, it was wise for her to rise to the occasion to effectively defend her name and set the records straight. But it was not surprising that her true friends were quick to decipher the malicious objective of such stories which were mere tall tales crafted by those crouching in the shadows of Nkiru's trail blazing successes in career and reputation that had illuminated the movie and entertainment arena.

On her FACEBOOK page and to some of her friends in other Social Media networks, Nkiru Sylvanus wrote thus: "I am aware that one fake jobless blogger (names withheld) has been peddling news about me saying I lost my appointment with Imo State Government. For the records, I was the Lagos Liaison Officer, Senior Special Assistant on Lagos Affairs which I handed over to Lisa Asugha and I am now Senior Special Assistant Public Affairs and this happened five months ago when there was a cabinet reshuffle. To my fans, who still love and believe in me, God will always be faithful. For those who want my downfall, sorry, I am the wrong person because I stand tall and strong".

Evidently those who were after her were not aware of this development and when her absence from Lagos was noticed they jumped to their jaundiced conclusion that she must have been relieved of her

appointment. They failed to observe the elementary rule of journalism which is to hear from the appropriate authority on the authenticity of the story. They choose to go to Press with a story that suited their thinking and perceptions, typical of charlatans in the trade.

As her fans who believe in the shining stature of the celebrity, we are confident that she has all it takes to serve the good people of Imo State and much more. We salute the courage of Governor Okorocha for playing down indigeneship sentiments while building the Ndigbo nation through the effective utilization of responsive and responsible people in his government. This gives rise to the cross-fertilization of ideas.

Nkiru Sylvanus is not the only non-Imolite in his administration, the celebrated soccer star Kanu Nwankwo is also one of them. We are convinced that a leader should look out for competence, loyalty and intellectual capacity to help him run his government and drift away from parochial sentiments that seem to divide us instead of uniting us.

States like Lagos and Kaduna have demonstrated such commendable initiatives.

Nkiru Sylvanus is the cat with nine lives, one that has exonerated herself from the plots and machinations of her adversaries. We urge you to continue to keep the flag flying. As a detribalized Nigerian with the appeal and charm of Cinderella, the machinations of your adversaries should not deter, rather they should spur you to greatness. Those who are afraid of you shall continue to be behind you while you make your expected leap unto the future with showers of blessings and amazing successes.

Jonathan Iwu, writes from No 30 Panama Street, Maitama-Abuja

Re: Clear hidden agenda It is a very known fact to even the FCT security agencies that Hon. Dobi doesn’t move in a convoy or engage the services of body guards.

Coming to the real topic of her column, “Clear Hidden Agenda”. is she not among the steering committee members? And has she been regularly attending the committee meetings? It is the steering committee that is solely charged with the responsibility of deciding who should ask question or not, that is supposed to be blamed for poor coordination and not Rt. Hon. Dobi that only gave an opening remarks and formally declared the session open.

All area council chairmen have their followers and police guards, Rt. Hon. Dobi went with only two policemen, so how and where did Ayisha get her figure from? She also talked about shameless manipulation, by who and for what interest? What fear and for whose satisfaction? Ayisha expressed that she and others had to wait for Hon. Dobi for two hours, this is not true, the venue for the programme was ready by 11am and Hon. Dobi arrived 15mins later, this could be attested to by some traditional rulers who were at the venue.

Ayisha contradicted her self by saying that the Rt. Hon. Dobi was always polite but had no information on when the planning meeting would hold or where, and same Ayisha confirmed that few days before November 10, the date set for the PPS

around the country, that it was same Dobi that told her that it will be in Kwali. It is unprofessional in the columnist’s world not to get facts before putting up a write-up.

For record purpose, Rt. Hon. Isa Dobi is known for his simplicity and respect for constituted authority irrespective of status, which made it possible for him to be able to serve at the grassroots level as area council chairman for two terms and now serving his second term in the House of Representatives.

His inclusion in the constitutional amendment committee by the National Assembly was in recognition of his valuable contribution to nation building.

It will therefore be wise for Ayisha to learn how to get her facts before putting up a column as this could tarnish her reputation as well as that of the Leadership Newspaper.

A Daily Trust reporter was attacked by thugs at same venue, Ayisha did not find that interesting to comment on, but chose to rather express her anger on an innocent politician who can hardly bite. One would have taken the submission serious if it had emanated from a seasoned columnist, but as a beginner, I would like to give her another chance to see whether she can learn to do the right thing. So if there was intimidation from thugs and security agents, how is it the concern of Hon. Dobi?

After all, the four area council chairmen that make his constituency are divided into

two PDP and two ANPP chairmen respectively and they all move with their police backup.

In addition, there is no way such calibre of grassroots politicians will move without political followers, if you like call them political thugs, I rest my case.

Salihu Dantata Mahmud is Special Adviser on media intelligence to Hon. Dobi

“

It is unprofessional in the columnist’s world not to get facts before putting up a write-up.

For record purpose, Rt. Hon. Isa Dobi is known for his simplicity and respect for constituted authority irrespective of status, which made it possible for him to be able to serve at the grassroots level as area council chairman for two terms

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Digest College sweethearts marry after 50 Years T

h e y say true love stands the test of time. And for Emilie Danielson, 70, and Terry Britton, 69, that has certainly proven true.

On Nov. 11, 52 years after they originally met as college freshmen attending Chapman University in Orange, Calif., the blushing bride and her now very grateful groom finally had the opportunity to say their "I do's" to one another.

The couple first began dating in 1960 and admittedly fell fast and hard for each other.

"We would walk down to this tiny little church down the road and make out like crazy in the back of the pew," Danielson told ABCNews.com.

But over the years, although the passion was strong between them, they somehow lost touch and can't even explain today how or why it happened.

"We do not know how we lost touch. That's the weirdest thing," Danielson said. "We dated for two years. The second year we decided to leave [Chapman] and go to junior college to save money for a year. And then something happened, but we don't know what happened. We just don't remember."

Neither of them have any recollection of a specific fight that tore them apart, but Britton was at least able to explain part of the reason they lost touch. As most young men in the 1960s did, he went into the Vietnam War, serving a year in Vietnam and three more years after that in

Berlin. At the time, Danielson didn't even know he was overseas.

"We went on different paths because of life. That's how life happens," Britton explained.

"Going to the war was quite an interruption, but I survived that."

As time passed, Danielson went on to marry someone else, has since been widowed twice, and has three children and seven grandchildren. Britton, on the other hand, was never married.

"I think it's because I had been spoiled by Emilie," Britton joked.

Danielson and Britton may not have remained in contact with each other, but the ties between their families remained strong, and ultimately led their two paths to cross once more.

"The thread was always there because our parents had all gotten together in Oakland," Britton said. "They loved me, her parents did. And wished we would get married at some point.

And my parents always loved her and wished we would get married.

"She corresponded by Christmas cards with my mother for 50 years. My mom didn't want her to even know that I was touring in the war."

But unbeknownst to Britton, his mother had responded to one of Danielson's Christmas cards with a letter explaining that her son had always wanted to be with Danielson. However, Danielson was married at the time and was obviously not going to jeopardize

that relationship. Nonetheless, she always held those words close.

As more time elapsed, Britton's parents eventually passed away, and he temporarily moved to Arkansas to tend to their belongings and sort out their affairs.

"I didn't know his parents had died so I kept sending Christmas cards to their home in Arkansas," Danielson said. "I sent my usual picture of the family, but I didn't think too much about it when I

Prince William attends funeral of childhood nanny Prince William put professional and personal obligations aside for the day to say goodbye to a woman who was by his side throughout his childhood.

William, the second-in-line to the British throne, attended the funeral of Olga Powell, a nanny to the royal family for 15 years, who died last month at the age of 82.

Powell first entered Prince William's life when the young prince was just six-months-old, according to

ITV. She continued to watch William and, soon, his younger brother, Prince Harry, throughout their formative years and saw them through the divorce of their parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and the death of Princess Diana just years later, in 1997.

William, 30, cancelled engagements with his wife, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, to attend the private service, held in Harlow, Essex, U.K.

He was seen in photographs wearing a dark suit and surrounded by his extended family on his mother's side, including Diana's sisters, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale.

Prince Harry, 27, did not attend the service because he is currently serving a four-month deployment in Afghanistan with the British Army.

Powell, who was frequently seen in photographs shepherding the young princes, reportedly kept in touch after she ended her service to the royals when William was around 15, attending William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle and his wedding to Middleton in April 2011. She also attended Prince Harry's confirmation at Eton College in 2000, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail also reported that Powell's family requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her honor to Prince Harry's own charity, Sentebale, which he created to provide support for children and orphans in Lesotho, Africa.

didn't get one back."

But as fate would have it, Britton was the one that received the Christmas card revealing a picture of Danielson's face. It was the first time he had laid eyes on her since college.

So he sent me a letter back to my address saying 'Oh my goodness. My parents are gone, but I'd love to talk to you.'"

They finally gave each other a call, enjoyed many conversations reminiscing on old

times, and decided it was best not to deny their feelings any longer.

"He said 'I want to marry you, but I think I should see you after 50 years,'" Danielson explained. "He said 'I'm afraid I don't look the same way I looked when I was 17.' He wanted to move back to California for us to be married."

The lovebirds moved back to Santa Ana, Calif., and were married in Waverly Chapel last Sunday.

British couple, kids, live in cemetery

W

ould you go trick-ortreating in a cemetery for any reason?

Well, Jayne Stead and Mike Blatchford admit that trick-ortreaters steer clear of the converted mortuary chapel in the center of a cemetery where they live with their three teenage children.

"Nobody has ventured down here for trick-or-treating," Stead, of Southampton, a town located in Hampshire in the south of England, said, according to the Daily Mail in Britain.

Unsuspecting visitors have been startled by the family's presence in the cemetery.

"You get people peering in to the windows of the chapel and when they see us watching television, they jump a million miles," Stead told the newspaper.

Stead and Blatchford bought the home - a former mortuary

and graveyard keeper's lodge that dates back to the 1800s - six years ago because they fell in love with it.

Blatchford, a builder, modernized the interior, but photos of the exterior show the structure doesn't appear to have been changed much from when it was first built.

Despite its appearance - the gray stone building faces several gravestones - Stead said her family isn't spooked.

She added that their home has a "nice feeling," although she acknowledged that strange things have happened, the paper also reported.

"I've been sitting on my own in the living room and I've felt like there was someone standing behind me a few times," she said. "I've also found the dog barking at nothing in the corner of the room, but it's not scary."

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 39

Tribute

Saraki:

End of an era?

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

T

h e name, Dr. Olusola Saraki, the Waziri of Ilorin is a household name in Nigeria due to his prominent roles in Kwara state politics and Nigeria. The Second Republic Senate leader had contested in many elections, won many and lost a few.

In Kwara state, it Saraki's politics or nothing for the many dacades he started deciding the political fate of the state. Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki popularly called "Baba oloye" by his associates was born on the 17th of May 1933 Ilorin.

He was a senator between1979 and1983 under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Speaking with Peoples Daily Weekend in his house, a friend to the deceased, Professor Albert Ogunsola said it was God that joined them together. Ogunsola who had been with him for many decades during his political era said: "He did not die young because whoever lived above 70s, such person did not die young. I thank God that he is useful for Kwara and Nigeria as a whole. He is a great friend because God joined us together before God took him away.

A Chieftain of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Iyiola Akogu Oyedepo said Saraki left without a successor. In a statement issued on Thursday, he said, "no doubt Abubakar Olusola Saraki was a political giant."

He was a motivator and a great mobilizer of the people for whatever cause he believed in. We should not be deceived that Abubakar Olusola Saraki left a successor. His shoes are too big for anybody to put on."

To Alhaji Gani Cook-Olododo who was a former SSG, Commissioner in the state and Dr Olusola Saraki's political son "he is a leader of all leaders, father of masses. Because Baba doesn't believe in religious affiliation. You may be his enemy today, he will take you back tomorrow. His demise is a great loss to Nigeria, it is great loss to Sarakites worldwide and we shall miss him a lot.

In Kwara state, the fear of Saraki's was believed to be the beginning of wisdom not until his biological son, Dr Bukola Saraki, the current Senator representing Kwara Central Sentorial District defeated his father during the 2011 general election.

The emergence of a female governor in Ilorin was odd as the city was known as an Islamic one.

The disagreement split Saraki's camp and led to the defeat of Sen Gbemisola Saraki by Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed who Bukola Saraki nominated as PDP candidate.

Late Dr Olusola Saraki Even before Baba Oloye gave up the ghost, the Saraki family was divided. Late Olusola Saraki removed Adamu Attah when their relationship became sour.

He also financed Alhaji Sha'aba Lafiagi under SDP platform before Late General Sani Abacha regime overthrew the government. In 1999, Late Saraki was also believed to have financed the emergence of Late Admiral Muhammed Alabi Lawal whose relationship with him later became sour.

This however brought Dr Bukola Saraki to Kwara politics.

His father used him as a gubernatorial candidate under PDP to defeat Late Lawal who chased the Second Republic Senate Leader from ANPP then. Before his demise, Late Lawal did not reconcile with his acclaimed godfather.

However, while making the demise of their father known to the public on behalf of the family, Dr Bukola Saraki in a statement said: "We take solace in knowing that our father lived an exemplary life of service, and selfless devotion to development of his people and nation. Baba will be sorely missed. We pray for the repose of his soul that Almighty Allah grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.

"In a statement sent to our correspondent via email, the former Kwara state chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA),

Barrister Salman Jawondo said "the death of Dr. Senator Abubakar Olusola Saraki, the Waziri of Ilorin Emirate marks the end of an era in the annals of political history of Kwara state in particular, and Nigeria in general.

Senator Sulyman Makanjuola Ajadi who was removed from Senate under the platform of ANPP in 2003 and replaced with Sen S. S Ajibola of PDP also described his death as a great loss.

He said in message sent to our correspondent that " I wish him eternal rest .

I equally wish his children and other family members the fortitude to bear the loss.

In an interview with journalists on Thursday in his office, Chief Wole Oke noted that the history of Kwara state would not be complete without the contribution of Late Saraki. He said he was personally against him because he rose against the creation of Moro and Asa LGAs in the 70s and since then, he always rise against the Saraki's politics.

He however predicted that it would be very difficult for Bukola Saraki to wear his father's shoes in Kwara politics because of the many qualities he lacked which his father had.

To Muhammed Dele Belgore (SAN), the ACN leader in Kwara state, said Nigeria has lost a politician who touched the lives of many people and whose contributions would be debated for

years to come.

His demise according to political analysts may lead to political competition over the soul of Kwara politics and those who would want Saraki's era to die with him.

The eminent personalities in Ilorin may pitch tent against Dr. Bukola Saraki who is presumed to be taking over from their late father as 'Leader' in the state.

Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho Abdulrazak, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire, claimed to have met the father of Dr. Olusola Saraki in Abidjan in the sixties. In an interview with journalists in Ilorin few months ago, he said the Sarakis were from Abeokuta.

He said he met Dr Olusola Saraki's father,Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki and we started to talk."

Then he asked me where I come from. I told him I am from Ilorin.

Alhaji Saraki said he was an Egba man from Abeokuta. By this time, I did not even know the existence of Olusola Saraki. So, the man told me he was from Abeokuta, but he went to a Quranic school in Ilorin at Agbaji, an area of reputed for Islamic scholarship. The man, with his own mouth, told me he was an Egba man from Abeokuta. And as of that time, I knew of no existence of any member of his family. This was in early 1963.

So, we carried on like that."But the leader of Agbaji compound had dismissed that Saraki's were from Ilorin stressing many people in Kwara migrated from one place or other before they settled in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Nevetherness, the late Dr Olusola Saraki among his peers stand tall in political achievements. But his last dream was to enthrone his daughter as first female governor which was shattered by his bioligica son. He would be remembered for being the longest godfather in Kwara state history.

What would become of Kwara politics? To many, 2015 election would decide. Another issue that may crop up after the demise of Dr Olusola Saraki is the unity of Kwara state. Some parts of the state have been calling for the splitting of the state.

The Nupe speaking people in Kwara North Senatorial district, Igbomina, Ibolo and Ekiti people in Kwara South senatorial district are agitating for their separation and amalgamation with Osun and Ekiti states.

The people of Ekiti and Oke-Ero local government areas of Kwara state for instance have sought for the restoration to present Ekiti state, noting that their presence in Kwara was an amalgam of strange bedfellows.

The people of the area in a paper titled: "Request for boundary adjustment", presented at the public session organised by House of Representatives held at Omu-Aran headquarters of Irepodun LGA on constitution review and signed by ten traditional rulers want federal government to separate them from Kwara state.

“

What would become of Kwara politics? To many, 2015 election would decide. Another issue that may crop up after the demise of Dr Olusola Saraki is the unity of Kwara state.

Some parts of the state have been calling for the splitting of the state.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Tribute Farida Kaikai: Icon and role model gone too soon

By Yasmin Kaikai

I

n life, you don't know the value of that precious thing or person until you lose them to happenstance. The hurt of the loss of a loved one becomes too unbearable.

Almost two decades ago when I came into this world I had a sister who was already 12 years into existence on earth. I remembered Farida telling me how she met me lying on the hospital bed wearing a blue and white striped bodysuit when I was born. Years quickly passed by and we grew closer. Unknown to me, fate had planned that it would be just for a short while.

All I can say of her is that she was amazingly awesome. She was ambitious, courageous, caring and a tall dreamer who was also committed to her

pursuits. She was always honest and straight to the point.

Farida was always there when I needed someone to talk to. She was my sister, friend and confidant. The caring and loving nature of Farida extended to all she knew. This was evidenced by the turnout of her friends and acquaintances that have met her throughout her life after she passed away.

On the 3rd of June 2012, I woke up ready to make a phone call to her but I never did. I had a chat with her a day before and she seemed fine. About an hour after I woke up I got an e-mail saying I had lost that one person that meant so much to me. She had been on board the ill-fated DANA plane that crashed. I could hardly believe it but my world abruptly stopped. I sent her a message, called her, texted her

Farida Kaikai but no reply, it didn't even deliver. I forced myself to believe

Vox Pop The ravaging fuel scarcity hitting major cities in Nigeria has forced the average man to devise other means of survival.

Several vehicle owners have parked their cars in their garage and opted for public transport. Cab owners as well as 'okada' riders have increased their fares as they wait for miracles to happen. This is because filling stations no longer have fuel and those who do are alleged to demand bribe before dispensing. What is astonishing is where those who sell black market get their fuel from, since filling stations claim not to have it in supply. Fuel vendors are now making brisk business as they sell at exorbitant prices to hapless customers. In a chat with Ummukulthum Aliyu, shop owners who are managing to operate despite the scarcity bare their minds.

Excerpts:

T

she was in a different plane but I discovered it was the stark reality.

It felt like a dream I could wake up from and it still does. I still have this absurd thought that one day I will open the door and see her there but the truth is that she's gone forever. I will just have to wait till I meet her in Jannah insha Allah.

Days and months passed and I still didn't believe it until 12th August 2012 when the reality dawned. On that day, her remains were brought home and she was buried. The truth came starring in my face like a dash from the blues. And she was gone. I still dial her number in the vague hope that I might hear her calm response from the other end but I have come to accept that this is just a fantasy and an effort in futility.

I think of her with every

T

he fuel scarcity has affected us so much because we are in a remote area. If the price is not right in terms o f m a k i n g things cheaper, people will find it difficult to patronize you. When I can't have access to fuel, I resort to

F

his fuel scarcity has really affected my business because I rely mostly on generating sets. This is due to the fact that there is no constant supply of electricity by the Power Holding Company. This has put my business at a standstill. Most customers come here to harass me because I could not sew their clothes. With the scarcity of fuel, I can't do anything. I went to the petrol station, spent the night there but I couldn't get fuel to buy. The government should come to our aid because we are really suffering.

or now, I have stopped using my generator because there is no fuel and black market has risen to N300 per litre. The thing is affecting everybody and not only me. When you go to the station there is no fuel that is why I decided to put my generator aside for now. When my customers come, I send them away because I don't have fuel. Some times when I need to do an urgent work, I am forced to buy black market

Kingsley OjimadukaBusiness centre Owner:

Abdulkareem NaseerBarber:

he scarcity of fuel always affects us because we can no longer buy fuel in filling stations again. We then resort to buying black market which is sold at N250 per litre; this is very expensive. As a barber, I need fuel all the time and we cannot increase our price because fuel is scarce, this makes us operate at a loss. We went to the filling station but there was no fuel.

We saw fuel in a particular filling station but they refused to sell to us saying that we should bribe them with N300 before they sell it to us. This is our fuel, it is for every Nigerian. Personally I don't know the cause of this scarcity.

T

Mansurat Kazeem- Hair Dresser:

Suleiman Abdulrazak- Tailor

passing day. What will it feel like if she was still here? People tell me I have to move on but it's hard and I don't think I ever will. I may appear well but right inside of me, I'm dying of pain and sorrow and I am virtually dead emotionally. All I can do now is pray for her and hope to meet her again in Jannah insha Allah.

Words wouldn't be enough to describe how much she is valued in my life or how much I'm hurting.

Someday I want to be just like her when I grow older and be remembered like she is when I die.

May your soul rest in eternal peace, may Aljannah be your home and may light shine through your grave. I love you, always have and always will. I continue to miss you more with every passing day.

Adieu my dearest sister!!!

buying black market and photo copying rose to N15N20 per paper. This made people to stop patronizing me.

The fuel scarcity has affected our daily turnover because we cannot increase our prices for fear of being jettisoned by customers.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 41

Weekend There is no stopping Golden Eaglets, Coach brags as team face Mali Sunday

Golden Eaglets

By Patrick Andrew

G

olden Eaglets would seek a convincing victory against their Malian counterparts this Sunday to ensure the country's smooth passage to the African Under-17 championship for the first time in six years!

Nigeria's last appearance at the Under-17

continental championship was in 2007 when the late coach Yemi Tella guided the Eaglets to victory in Cotonou en routeto Korea where they equally emerged world champions.

Golden Eaglets' head coach, Manu Garba, who assisted Tella in 2007 is confident Nigeria would qualify for Morocco 2013 by securing a resounding victory over

Mali when both clash at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, and thus make the second leg in Bamako in a fortnight mere formality. " Frankly, I don't like talking too much ahead of our matches but there are no two ways about this, we have to beat Mali well on Sunday "Garba while speaking on his expectations for the match.

The Junior Eagles of Mali, who reached this stage after a 6-3 aggregate win over Mauritania, are no pushover, but Garba believes the Eaglets have what it takes to overcome them.

"Our objective remains the same, win our matches in convincing style and qualify for the 2013 African Under-17 Championship and we are confident that the boys would deliver the goals following their excellent form in our training sessions," he noted.

Further, he assured that the technical crew have done all the necessary technical works and would expect nothing but resounding victory from their charges who are known to respond to such challenge with fervour. , the Golden Eaglets are leaving no stone unturned as the team perfect strategies for the crucial game with the players sharpening their skills in shooting penalty kicks.

He said: " We have done well up to this stage and the truth is that we have not failed to score at least three goals in all our past matches and Mali would not be an exemption by the grace of God. "We are taking no chance at all and we are ready to score goals through any available opportunity especially through set pieces."

The Malians are expected to fly into Calabar this morning and would have a feel of the pitch at the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium as mandated by Confederation of African Football (CAF).

In a related development, the maximum price for ticket for Sunday's match is N1, 000 for the state box while the covered stand and popular side is pegged for N500 and N100 respectively.

Eagles’ defence worries Shofoluwe

F

ormer Nigerian international, Yisa Shofoluwe has stated that a solid defence line is key to Super Eagles enjoying a successful outing at the 2013 Afcon.

Shofoluwe reacted on the 3-1 win by Super Eagles over Venezuela's La Vinotinto in Miami, Florida on Thursday.

He expressed happiness with the team's win but acknowledged that the backline should give head coach, Stephen Keshi and his assistants "cause for concern."

"It's a good result for the team I must say. But I'm sure the coaches including Stephen Keshi will be looking at what the team failed to do right. For instance, the defence should give the coaches real cause for concern as they prepare for the Nations Cup next year.

"Attack-wise I think the team is very rich and even the coaches have options. The concentration should be on the defence now because we have just about two months or so to the Nations Cup. And if you want to win a major competition like the Nations Cup you must be solid from the back up to the front. And I believe the coaches will really work on that area," said Shofoluwe, known as the Dean of Defence during his playing days.

Shofoluwe also pointed out that Keshi remains on the right path of building a team for the Africa Cup of Nations by handing debuts to Shola Ameobi, Bright Dike and Solomon Kwambe.

"There's nothing in giving new players the chance to play in friendly matches. They are called friendly matches and they are meant to help the coaches correct errors in the team and bring in players that can fit their plans. So there's nothing wrong in trying out new players," remarked the former Nigerian defender.

Shofoluwe played for Nigeria at the 1988 Afcon in Morocco, where the team finished as losing finalists after a lone goal loss to Cameroon.

Elderson Echiejile

Onazi Ogenyi

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 42

CAF Champions League final Al Ahly seek Esperance scalp D

Djibola, Leopard clash in Confederation Cup final

A

frica's most successful club side and six-time CAF Champions League winners, Al Ahly of Egypt, will atempt a seventh trophy as they seek to cap a year of defying the odds by snatching away success when they take on holders Esperance of Tunisia in today's African Champions League Final second leg.

The Cairo giants, who have won more continental titles than any other African club, were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the final in Alexandria earlier this month.

With home advantage at the Rades Stadium on the outskirts of the Tunisian capital, Esperance are heavy favourites in the return game but the Egyptians have overcome remarkable adversity this year and will hold out strong hopes of again turning around a difficult situation.

Ahli have not played a league match since January, after which all domestic football in Egypt was cancelled in the wake of the death of 74 Ahli supporters in a stadium riot in Port Said.

Their only competitive action since has been a total of 13 matches

in continental competition. Al Ahli have kept sharp on a diet of training camps and friendly matches, several in the Middle East.

Esperance will again be without key striker Youssef Msnaki, who has not recovered from appendicitis, and injured Ghanaian international fullback Harrison Afful. Saturday's final will have a restricted crowd of 35 000, a limitation imposed by Tunisia's interior ministry.

Almost all football matches in the

north African country have been played behind closed doors over the last year because of security fears.

The winners of the final will qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup next month.

The African representatives will take on either New Zealand side Auckland City or the Japanese league winners in the quarterfinals of the lucrative seven-team tournament.

CAF Champions League trophy

Gedo of Al Ahly

jibola and AC Leopards will reacquaint themselves in the first leg of the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup final in Bamako this Sunday.

The Mali side will be favourites to take a decisive lead in the tie, but Congolese outfit Leopards can take heart from their two matches in the pool stages of this year's competition.

Leopards held Djibola 1-1 on their last trip to Bamako, before winning 3-0 at home to seal their spot in the tournament semifinals. They then defied the odds once more to defeat Sudanese favourites Al Merreikh in the Last 4 and set up a semifinal meeting with Djibola.

"This is an historical moment for Congolese football and we are really very happy. I salute the exceptional journey that is the result of relentless and diligent hard work. We competed against all the big teams in this competition and I believe that this makes us a good finalist," says Leopard chairman Rémy Ayayos.

It is a first-ever continental final for Leopard, and a rare appearance for any Congolese side. The only team, from that country to taste success on the African stage were, CARA Brazzaville, who won the Champions Cup in 1974.

But standing in their way are Djibola, who have looked imperious in this year's competition, bar that reversal at Leopard which came about after they had already qualified for the semifinals.

They qualified for the final with a hard-fought win over another Sudanese side, Al-Hilal, achieved 7-6 on penalties after both teams had won 2-0 at home.

Esperance manager foresees tough game against Al Ahly

T

hough they hold an advantage courtesy the away goal against Al Ahly, Esperance manager Nabil Maaloul believes the game is far from being won. He sees the visiting Egyptian team as a dangerous opponent that must not be toyed with. However, he is convinced that his side is ready to achieve victory in today's CAF Champions League cracker.

How do you see the return leg after the first game ended in an away draw?

It's going to be a very difficult game as all the matches in these big finals.

We're ready to win but we know the game is going to be very difficult for both teams.

Do you see the away 1-1 draw an advantage for your team?

It's a positive result for us surely, but we see each game as a separate one, and we remember how Ahly won the title in 2006 at the last moment here in Tunisia. So we have to be careful.

And how do you see the absentees in your team?

We miss many players like Derbali and Afful in addition to the injured

players, but we have the suitable replacement for them, as our players can play in various positions and they all can do their role.

How did you manage that psychologically?

Esperance is a big team and knows how to play such games. We have the motivation of winning our third African title and second in a row, especially when we are playing our third successive final.

How do you see playing the final at home?

It's a double ended sword. We have the home and supporters advantage but on the other side this could put more pressure on the team, and that's what

we fear.

How do you evaluate Ahly team?

Maaloul: Ahly is a great team and has vast experience on this level.

Despite not having domestic actions and losing a big number of their fans they have reached the final amidst some very tough circumstances. They are a team to respect and watch for.

Was your return to the team after leaving them last year a motivation for you?

Esperance is my home and I am at their service. Nothing much changed since I left the team and the players are the same. We had sufficient time to regain our winning mood and I hope the players harmony affects the team positively.

…Al Ahly can make history, says El Badry

A

Esperance players celebrating after scoring

hly manager Housam El Badry has expressed his delight to see his team reach the Champions League final, and hoped to win the trophy in Tunis.

"Ahly is a great team and we have a lot of experienced players. We are used to these big finals and will do our best to win the title. We want to win for the sake of our fans who sacrificed a lot for their team." he said.

Regarding the match in the light of the first leg result El Badry said "we lost nothing yet. Both teams have the same chance as only one half ended, and we will try to make for the first leg result.

"We worked on our striking area as we missed many chances in the first leg via Abou Treka, Gedo and El Said.

Maybe that was a good point as we need to be positive and not feel rlaxed."

Talking about the missing players he said "both teams have some absentees and this may force us to change our tactics".

The 52 years old manager said that the stakes are high for his team who wants to play in the FIFA Club World cup for the fourth time besides winning their seventh Champions League title to dedicate it for their fans who lost their lives defending the Reds castle.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 43

With N1.4b Eagles will win Nations Cup, NFF tells FG

By Patrick Andrew The Super Eagles will clinch the 29th edition of the African Cup of Nations to be held in South Africa, next January if the Federal Government avail the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) the sum of N1.4 billion to prepare the team for the fiesta.

This much was the argument of the football federation when it defended proposal presented before the National Sports Commission in which a

breakdown of the expenses to be incurred was made.

In it, the football federation gave figures covering the friendly international matches, camping allowances, and all such necessities for the team's up keep in Faro, Portugal and the tournament proper.

Peoples Weekend Sports learnt the budget was prepared with utmost care as the football federation does not want a repeat of the 2010 World Cup episode when the Eagles' budget

Bett, Weldu favourites in Soria IAAF Cross Country Permit

T

he 19th 'Cross Internacional de Soria' takes place this Sunday with Kenyans aiming to dominate as the pair of Emmanuel Kipkemei Bett and John Kipkoech slugging it out in the 10,000 metres race.

They were third and fourth respectively at this season's inaugural IAAF cross country permit in Atapuerca, though Bett led for most of the distance before being overtaken just at the closing stages by two reigning World Cross Country medallists such as Ethiopia's Imane Merga (gold) and Kenya's Vincent Chepkok (bronze).

Bett narrowly missed out on the London Olympics as he could only finish fifth in the 5000m and fourth over 10,000m at the tough Kenyan Olympics trials.

Not so Kipkoech, who turns 21years-old next month. He is a former (2010) World Junior 5000m silver medallist in Moncton, who has since improved his performances dramatically and holds a world-class 12:49.50 time set at the Paris Samsung Diamond League.

The young Kenyan proved to be in top form last Sunday as he was part of the leading group until the beginning of the closing kilometre in Atapuerca.

Sunday's line-up also includes

Bett and John Kipkoech (Soria)

four more top-ten athletes from Atapuerca in the guise of Uganda's Moses Kibet (6th) the Eritrean duo of Amanuel Mesel (7th) and Kidane Tadese (9th), plus Spain's double (2010 & 2011) European XC silver medallist Ayad Lamdassem, who had to settle for 8th on that occasion.

Weldu to retain title The women's 8000m contest should be led by Eritrea's Nazaret Weldu. The 22-year-old is the reigning champion in Soria and Sunday's race will be her opening appearance of this IAAF XC season.

Weldu- who set a 1500m national record of 4:09.34 last summer - has already taken no less than five XC wins on Spanish ground in early 2012, top permits such as Amorebieta and Lasarte included.

Ethiopia's Spain-based Rehima Jewar and Spain's Diana MartĂ­n, who placed 10th in Atapuerca, seem to be safe bets for podium positions while Ireland's Sara Treacy and Linda Byrne will also be in contention.

Also, Ethiopia's 2000 Olympic 5000m champion Million Wolde (1997), Kenya's 2001 World 10,000m champion Charles Kamathi (2002), his compatriot Sally Barsosio (1994) who took the 10,000m gold medal at the 1997 Worlds in Athens are equally in the field.

Eritrea's 2007 World Cross C o u n t r y c h a m p i o n Zersenay Tadese who took top honours in 2004 and the Kenyan pair of 2010 World champion Joseph Ebuya and the three-time World silver medallist Linet Masai, the 2009 winners, will also compete.

The 19th 'Cross Internacional de Soria' is the second leg of the IAAF Cross Country Permit Series 2012/13.

became a matter for litigation.

"We have carefully considered the estimate and arrived at a paltry sum of N1.4 billion. The figure covers both preparation and participation proper. It also takes care of international friendly matches and other allowances for the players throughout their camping period.

"We are confident this modest figure will ensure victory for Nigeria because if provided without delay, it would mean seamless preparation for the

team and the NFF. The team will be motivated and challenged to be in a victory frame of mind. The cup will be ours to lose," says a top official.

Demola Olajire, the Chief Media of the football federation, confirmed that a proposal has been presented to the authority but declined to state the specific instead stressing that the executive committee is working harmoniously with the NSC for a hitch-free preparation for the continental fiesta.

Aminu Maigari

Froch looks far beyond Mack

C

arl Froch cannot help but look ahead to what could lie in store for him after his IBF super-middleweight title defence against Yusaf Mack on Saturday night.

Froch makes the first defence of the belt in front of his home fans in Nottingham. If he wins, a rematch against Lucian Bute is set for March 30.

Froch, in his third reign as champion, relieved Bute of the IBF belt last May, overwhelming the Canada-based Romanian in five rounds.

Under the terms of their contract, Froch is obliged to give Bute a rematch on his adopted

home soil. Froch's promoter, Eddie Hearn, expects the pair to clash again in Montreal.

But it is not only Bute that Froch has in his sights in 2013. He is desperate to avenge the two blemishes on his 31-fight professional record after losing on points to Denmark's Mikkel Kessler in 2010 and on points to American Andre Ward last year.

The 35-year-old Froch believes a rematch with Ward, the WBC champion and rated as No 1 in the world, is the more likely, provided he gets past Mack and Bute.

"There is a quick turn-around after this fight for the Bute rematch and then there is potentially a huge

fight later next year against either Ward or Kessler," Froch said on Thursday.

"I spoke to Kessler on the phone recently and he sounded like a man who doesn't want to fight. He wasn't saying 'let's do it in the summer' and if a fight isn't a necessity and he's not a mandatory challenger, it won't happen.

"He's thinking 'why fight Froch?' after seeing what I did to Bute, when he could earn a load of money by fighting the likes of Brian Magee in Denmark.

"But the Ward fight will happen because he's got nowhere to go and Ward will be confident taking the re-match."

Dec. 9,'' Brown said.

He said that for security reasons it would be unethical to disclose some of the measures the committee had put in place to check envisaged crimes.

Brown appealed to Lagosians and indeed Nigerians to come out en mass to watch their athletes perform and disabused their minds of any security phobia.

Contributing, another member of the committee, Tade Azeez, said the security challenges posed by the festival were enormous but that they

were surmountable.

Azeez said the Games were not a competition where purchased tickets allows one in but a free sports carnival of sorts, adding that a huge crowd was expected.

He said that teams in the competition were not under any obligation to leave the Games Village after they had been eliminated from the competition like in the Olympics.

He admitted that the open nature of the festival posed greater security challenges which, he said, the committee had to contend with.

LOC restates readiness with security at festival T

he Security SubCommittee of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 18thNational Sports Festival (NSF) on Friday said arrangements had been made to prevent crimes during the Games.

The Chairman of the committee, ASP Vincent Brown, told newsmen in Lagos that that the committee had done all that should be done to secure the venues and the accommodation facilities. ``Lagos State today is not in any way a security threat to any athlete or participants in the festival holding from Nov. 27 to

Dala Hard Court tennis championship garners N11.7m

O

rganisers of the Dala Hard Court Tennis Championship, Kano, served off the tournament yesterday in spite of being unable to raise enough funds.

Malam Yusuf Datti, the Public Relations Officer of the Organising Committee, confirmed that in Kano that only N 11.7 million had been received out of N20.2 million

they needed for for the championship.

According to him, the amount collected came from co-sponsors, Fidelity Bank Plc and First Bank Plc, with a pledge of more donations from other sponsors.

Datti said the First Bank of Nigeria, with N7.5 million, was the highest donor while N4.2 million came from Fidelity Bank

Plc . He said the Nigeria Tennis Federation had approved the hosting of the championship from Nov. 16 to Nov. 24.

He said the Nigeria Tennis Federation had been advised to invite 20 men and 10 ladies to play in the main draws, in accordance with their recent national rankings. He added that the preliminaries would hold from Nov. 16 to Nov. 18.

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 17— SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 44

Bavarian derby: Bayern look for 11th win in 12 games...

B

ayern Munich's sensational domestic season that has shown lots of consistency will be put to test today in the Bavarian derby at Nuremberg. The team are deservedly eyeing their 11th league win in 12 games.

Bayern midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos did not travel with Germany for their friendly

match against Netherlands on Wednesday due to illness but were back on the training pitch that same day.

Striker Mario Gomez, out of action since undergoing ankle surgery in August, has also returned to team training and his four goals against a regional division team on Tuesday showed he was itching for senior-team action.

Despite stiff competition from Bundesliga top scorer Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro, fresh from a Champions League hat-trick, Bayern sports director Matthias Sammer hinted that Gomez could be back in action against Nuremberg.

"Obviously Mario needs some time to find his old form but he is healthy and could also help us in the short term,"

Sammer told the club website.

Sammer, who replaced Christian Nerlinger in July, has the chance of ending a two-year title drought for the Bavarians who have conceded only four goals while scoring 32, the best offensive and defensive record in the league.

Despite being seven points ahead of Schalke 04 and 11 ahead of fourth-

he battle for the Premier League title may be compelling, with three heavyweights in contention, but the fight to avoid relegation from English football's top-flight is nearly as fierce.

At the top, leaders Manchester United clash with fledglings Norwich today with a two-point advantage over champions Manchester City, at home to Aston Villa.

European champions Chelsea, a point further back in third, travel to surprise package West Brom, an impressive fifth in the table, in a match that pits Blues boss Roberto di Matteo and the Baggies Steve Clarke, once an assistant manager at Stamford Bridge, against their former clubs.

In an era where Premier League players are routinely criticised for being primarily concerned with their pay packets, United veteran Rio Ferdinand said the lure of silverware remained as strong as ever.

There will be plenty of attention at Eastlands on City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart, beaten on four occasions by striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic during Sweden's 4-0 friendly international win in midweek, with the striker's stunning

scissor-kick fourth set to become a staple of all great goal compilations.

But there will be a different sort of grim fascination in watching bottom of the table QPR welcome secondbottom Southampton to Loftus Road as both clubs battle to remain in the lucrative top flight.

West London club QPR have yet to win in 11 Premier League matches this seasn while Southampton have just one victory to show for their efforts since ending seven years' of Premier League exile.

QPR's Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes, the man behind budget airline Air Asia, has been steadfast in his support of manager Mark Hughes.

Meanwhile Southampton boss Nigel Adkins has been similarly well supported by his board.

But the temptation for one side or other to change manager in a bid to fashion a rally against relegation should they suffer defeat in Saturday's 'six-pointer' could prove irresistible.

However, Adkins was convinced both he and Hughes would still be in their respective posts after the weekend.

The North London derby between

Arsenal and Tottenham sees both clubs battling to get back into the four while Everton will look to maintain their place among the leading quartet at home to strugglers Reading.

Liverpool will look to Luis Suarez to continue the form that has already yielded 11 goals this season, eight in 11 Premier League matches.

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers

has denied reports the Uruguay striker is on his way out of Anfield in a bigmoney move to City.

And Suarez, who has four years left on his Liverpool contract, said: "I have a very long contract here and it's a dream come true to be playing at a club like Liverpool because, as I've said, as a boy I dreamt of playing for a team like this."

LIGA Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

D 1 1 2 1 3 2 1 3 3 3 0 2 1 1 2 2 1 4 3 2

EPL battle resumes as both ends heat up

T

Team Barcelona Atletico Madrid Real Madrid Real Betis Malaga Levante Rayo Vallecano Valladolid Valencia Sevilla Real Zaragoza Athletic Bilbao Real Sociedad Getafe Mallorca Granada Celta Vigo Deportivo Espanyol Osasuna

P 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

W 10 9 7 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2

L GF GA GD 0 36 14 22 1 24 11 13 2 27 8 19 4 18 17 1 3 15 9 6 4 13 16 -3 5 16 25 -9 4 16 12 4 4 14 13 1 4 13 13 0 6 14 18 -4 5 16 21 -5 6 12 16 -4 6 12 18 -6 6 12 19 -7 6 11 18 -7 7 13 17 -4 5 18 25 -7 6 12 18 -6 7 11 15 -4

Pts 31 28 23 19 18 17 16 15 15 15 15 14 13 13 11 11 10 10 9 8

Fixtures Suarez of liverpool

Premier League Pos Team P W D L GF 1 Man Utd 11 9 0 2 29 2 Man City 11 7 4 0 20 3 Chelsea 11 7 3 1 23 4 Everton 11 5 5 1 21 5 West Brom 11 6 2 3 17 6 West Ham 11 5 3 3 14 7 Tottenham 11 5 2 4 18 8 Arsenal 11 4 4 3 18 9 Fulham 11 4 4 3 24 10 Newcastle 11 3 5 3 12 11 Swansea 11 3 4 4 16 12 Stoke 11 2 6 3 9 13 Liverpool 11 2 6 3 14 14 Wigan 11 3 2 6 12 15 Norwich 11 2 5 4 8 16 Sunderland 10 1 6 3 7 17 Aston Villa 11 2 3 6 10 18 Reading 10 0 6 4 12 19 Southampton 11 1 2 8 15 20 QPR 11 0 4 7 8

GA GD 16 13 10 10 11 12 14 7 12 5 11 3 16 2 11 7 19 5 15 -3 15 1 10 -1 16 -2 18 -6 18 -10 11 -4 17 -7 18 -6 29 -14 20 -12

Pts 27 25 24 20 20 18 17 16 16 14 13 12 12 11 11 9 9 6 5 4

Wenger seeking derby bounce for Arsenal

A

rsene Wenger hopes today's north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur will prove a catalyst for his Arsenal as they bid to get back in touch with the Premier League's top four.

That was the case last season when they hit back from 2-0 down at The Emirates in February with

five unanswered goals to earn a victory that sparked a surge in form that helped secure a 15th consecutive season in the Champions League.

Four wins from their opening 11 matches has left Arsenal in eighth position, a point and a place behind Tottenham and 11 behind leaders Manchester United.

placed champions Borussia Dortmund, Bayern are keeping a cool head, aware that a similar situation last season ended up with them winning no silverware.

"There is room for improvement," Sammer said. "When we lack that freshness in our game then we have to make sure we are letting nothing happen in the back. We are expecting a very hard game in Nuremberg."

Nuremberg, hovering above the drop zone in 15th place, have had one win in their last eight league games and face yet another prolonged relegation battle.

"We know there are three points up for grabs," said Nuremberg midfielder Timo Gebhart.

"We are aware they are the best team in the league but you never know, maybe there is something there for us at home."

Schalke, second on 23 points, will be looking to beat hosts Bayer Leverkusen, in fifth place, and keep them at bay while Dortmund, on 19 and looking for their first back-to-back league wins this season, host relegationthreatened Greuther Fuerth.

"This year is important, every London derby is important," Wenger told a news conference on Friday.

"As well, we dropped some points recently and we want to come back in a more consistent way of results. That's why, of course, it's a good opportunity to do that tomorrow.

"The distance is not big. It's early in the season. First of all, we play at the Emirates. We know that it's important we are strong there. As well, for us, a successful season is down to consistency of results. At the moment that's what we are looking for."

Arsenal vs Tottenham Reading vs Everton Newcastle vs Swansea West Brom vs Chelsea Liverpool vs Wigan Man City vs Aston Villa QPR vs Southampton Norwich vs Man Utd Sunday Fulham vs Sunderland La Liga Osasuna vs Malaga Valencia vs Espanyol Barcelona vs R/ Zaragoza Real Madrid vs Atletico Bilbao Sunday Deportivo vs Levante Celta Vigo vs Mallorca Getafe vs Valladolid Granada vs Atletico Madrid Sevilla vs Real Betis Ligue 1 PSG vs Rennes Brest vs Bastia Troyes vs AS Nancy Valenciennes vs Montpellier AC Ajaccio vs Sochaux Evian TG vs St Etienne Sunday Lyon vs Reims Nice vs Toulouse Bordeaux vs Marseille Serie A Juventus vs Lazio Napoli vs AC Milan Sunday Bologna vs Palermo Catania vs Chievo Siena vs Pescara Inter Milan vs Cagliari Fiorentina vs Atalanta Sampdoria vs Genoa Bundesliga Hamburg vs Mainz B/M' gladbach vs VFB Stuttgart B/Dortmund vs Greuther Furth Frankfurt vs Augsburg Nurnberg vs B/Munich Hannover vs SC Freiburg Leverkusen vs Schalke 04 Sunday Werber Bremen vs Fortuna TSG Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

PAGE 45

BEACH VOLLEYBALL:

Compiled by Augustine Aminu with Agency report

B

each volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.

As in indoor volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent. A team is allowed up to three touches to return the ball. The ball is put in play with a service—a hit by the server from behind the rear court boundary over the net to the opponents. The rally continues until the ball is grounded on the playing court, goes “out”, or is not returned properly.

The team winning a rally scores a point and serves to start the following rally. The four players serve in the same sequence throughout the match, changing server each time a rally is won by the receiving team. Originating in Southern California and Hawaii (United States), beach volleyball has achieved worldwide popularity.

In 1920, new jetties in Santa Monica, California created a large sandy area for public enjoyment, planting the seed for beach volleyball development in that region.

The first permanent nets began to appear, and people soon began playing recreational games on public parts of the beach and in private beach clubs. Eleven such beach clubs appeared in the Santa Monica area, beginning in late 1922. The first inter-club competitions were staged in 1924.

Most of these early beach volleyball matches were played with teams of at least six players per side, much like indoor volleyball. The concept of the modern two-man beach volleyball game is credited to Paul “Pablo” Johnson, an indoor player of Santa Monica Athletic Club. In the summer of 1930, while waiting for players to show up for a six-

man game, Johnson decided to try playing with only the two people present. The game was forever changed.

Though recreational games continue to be played with more players, the most widely played version of the game, and the only one contested at an elite level, has only two players per team.

Rule differences between beach and indoor Beach volleyball is fundamentally similar to indoor volleyball: a team scores points by grounding the ball on the opponents’ court, or when the opposing team commits a fault (error or illegal action); consecutive contacts must be made by different players.

Skills As in indoor volleyball, there are several basic skills competitive players need to master: serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking, and digging.

Serving is the act of putting the ball into play by striking it with the hand or arm from behind the rear court boundary. The skill is similar on the beach and indoors, with the exception that on the beach the wind often has a significant effect on the trajectory of the ball.

The pass is the first of a team’s 3 allowed contacts, and is also very similar on the beach and indoors.

However, the standards for hand setting (handling the ball overhand using finger action with the hands separated) are stricter on the beach. In practice, this means that players are effectively forbidden from setting the ball on serve receive; similarly, players seldom use a hand setting motion as the first (except on a hard driven attack) or last of the three allowed team contacts. Digging is a similar skill to passing, but the term is not used to describe receiving the serve or a free ball, but rather refers to an attempt to prevent an opponent’s attack hit from touching the court.

Participants A team is composed exclusively of two players, who must always be in play and who cannot be subjected to any substitutions or replacement. At the moment the ball is hit by the server, each team must be within its own court (with the exception of the server), but there are no determined positions on the court, such that no positional faults can be committed.

Scoring system The match is won by the team that wins two sets. A set is won by the first team to reach 21 points with a twopoint advantage. In the case of a 20–20 tie, play is continued until a two-point lead is reached. If each team wins a set, the deciding set is played to 15 points, again with a minimum lead of 2 points. Whenever a team fails to execute a legal service or to return the ball, or commits any other fault, the opposing team wins the rally, scores a point, and serves to start the following rally.

Teams switch ends of the court after every 7 points (set 1 and 2) and 5 points (set 3) played. When the total points are 21 (adding the score of both teams) there is a technical time out.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

Education

With Stanley Onyekwere 08138559513

Scholarship award: Two Nigerian students to study in Korean University

By Mohamed Kandi

A

n Oyo Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday sentenced two men to two years imprisonment each for stealing.

The convicts, Peter Folorunso, 36, and Ojo Oladoja, 28, were sentenced on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing. They were found guilty of stealing a gallon of ABRO Nitrocellulose thinner valued at N1, 300 and two packets of electrode valued at N5, 400.

The convicts who had pleaded guilty to the charges, were also found guilty of stealing a cutting disc valued at N2, 000, and a rivet pin valued at N1, 800, the property of Amo Farm in Awe, Oyo state.

S

ome benefits of bilateral relations between Nigeria and the Republic of Korea was again brought to bear, when another set of secondary school students from the FCT, who participated in the just concluded Korea Scholarship Quiz Competition, won awards to study any discipline of their choice in the Korean universities.

The quiz competition, which was organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria in collaboration with the FCT Secondary Education Board, not only brought smiles on faces of the students who ostensibly never dreamt of acquiring their education outside the shores of this country, but imprinted in their minds the idea that there is greater future in every hard work.

Consequently, the School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada, which was partaking for the first time emerged the overall winner (Gold medalist) of the 2012 Korea Scholarship Quiz Competition with 93 points. The GGSSS Abaji followed as the first runner-up (Silver medalist), while GSS Dei Dei came-up on third position (Bronze medalist).

Besides, GGSSS Abaji also came out on second position in the competition last year.

However, a total of 12 schools were divided into three groups for the zonal level of the competition with two schools emerging winners from each group, thereby bringing six schools to participate in the grand finale. Similarly, a total of 100 marks were stipulated for as the highest score; the preliminaries have 45 marks while the zonal has 30 marks

CITY BRIEFS: 2 men jailed for stealing

Man arraigned for stealing 5 poles, rolls of wire

T Students from the School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada and the Director, Korean Cultural Centre KCC. Mr. Kwon Yong-IK, Centre and the finals take 25 marks respectively.

On the part of the participating schools, one of the students with best terminal examination results among those that represented their various schools in the quiz competition automatically qualifies for the Korean scholarship.

At the high point of the event, all participating schools were given different kinds of prizes according to their ranks. While the gold medalist went home with a trophy, a 42 inches plasma TV and cash prize of N70, 000, the silver medalist received

cash prize of N50, 000 and a trophy. But, for the consolation prizes, some trophies went to GSS Kubwa, GSS Kuje, GGSS Dutse and GSS Tudunwada.

Meanwhile, one of the gold medalists and student from School for the Gifted in Gwagwalada, Halimat Isah, said though they were determined to clinch the scholarship award, "our success was as a result of hard work. We are not the best school here but we were destined to win so I urge other schools to work harder next year to be able to win. " Similarly, Otene Agnes of the GGSSS Abaji, said "we are

Students from GGSSS Abaji posed for the National anthem during the quiz competition in Abuja recently.

equally the best because we came up second position to a bonus mark which fell to the overall winners but we give our gratitude to God. We have been consistent in the competition as we also were the first runner up last year and the good thing is that one of our colleagues is now in the Korean University."

In his remarks, Director of Korean Cultural Centre (KCC), Mr. Kwon Yong-Ik said "the competition is aimed at "fostering cooperation in the area of education between the two countries by assisting Nigerian students in public schools to participate in the Korean Government Scholarship programme."

However, Director of the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), Mrs. Yelwa Fatima BabaAri, in a speech delivered by Mrs. Binta Nasir, Deputy Director, Core Curriculum of the board noted that, "the cooperation aims at fostering educational and cultural ties between our countries, by the use of events like quiz, debates, essay writing, arts and crafts making, sports, Korean language classes, capacity building of teachers and educational administrators."

She therefore lauded the SEB for its efforts in propelling bilateral co-operations, even as she singled out Mr. Kwon Yong-Ik, Director of KCC, describing him as the "brain behind the success of the event" while commending the LG electronics for supporting the occasion with various devices for the winners of the competition.

Got interesting stories about life or happenings in your neighbourhood? Contact CityLife, and let others read about them. Send suggestions/comments with your names and phone numbers via mycitybeat2pml@gmail.com.

he police have arraigned a 27-year-old man, Kabiru Adamu, before an Upper Area Court, in Jalingo, for allegedly stealing five poles and rolls of wire.

The prosecutor, Mr. Joel Solomon, told the court that on October 10, the accused stole the items belonging to Taraba Water Supply Agency, Jalingo. He said that the offence contravened Section 286 of the Penal Code.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The presiding Judge, Dauda Buba, after taking evidence from witnesses adjourned the case to Novemeber19 for ruling.

Security: 18 hotspots for ritual killings you should avoid

I

t is not strange to point out that the incidences of ritual killing are usually on the high side during the ember months in this part of the world. And it is against the backdrop of the alarming rate at which innocent persons particularly minors are being declared missing in cities and villages across the nation especially at the tail end of the year that the Nigerian Police in a release, identified some places as hotspots for Ritual Killings in Nigeria.

Apart from avoiding the following places as indentified as red zones, individuals especially those living in the urban areas must desist from keeping late nights, be cautious in honoring people’s invitations to their homes or impulsively accompanying other fellows from one place to the other without the consent of any relative, colleagues or close friends.

CITY QUOTE “What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need do is stroll about with our eyes open. Life swarms with innocent monsters.”

— Charles Baudelaire

From the Pulpit PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18 NOVEMBER, 2012

How old are you? (I)

"Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, 'How old are you?' And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.' So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh." (Gen 47:7-10 NKJV) "How old are you?" was a question, I believe, Pharaoh asked in verse 8 in appreciation of old age, his regard for the elderly. In verse 9, Jacob answered Pharaoh numbering the number of his days. "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years." Ps 90:12 says teach us to number our days. That means "Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom." (NLT) It is important to consider how Jacob described his days on earth.

Jacob said, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." (Gen 47:9 NKJV) Are you a pilgrim on earth or a citizen?

I want to focus on two similar phrases: '"The days of the years of my pilgrimage" and "The days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." Jacob described his days and the days of his father as a pilgrimage. David said a similar thing about himself and his fathers. "For I am your guest - a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before

me." (Ps 39:12 NLT) A pilgrim is a traveller; he is not a resident. He is just visiting; he is a guest. He is just passing through; he has a temporary stay.

Jacob said he was a pilgrim on earth so also his ancestors.

You must see your days on earth as a pilgrimage - you are a pilgrim. You must have the mindset of a pilgrim if you want to spend your eternity with God after you die. Are you a pilgrim or a citizen of this earth? Every pilgrim is a citizen of somewhere but not a citizen of the place he is on pilgrimage to. And only a pilgrim on this earth will live in accordance with the Word of God here on earth and not according to the world's standard. Ps 119:54 says, "Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage." (NKJV) God's Word must be your songs in this land of your pilgrimage.

Your citizenship is in heaven and not of this world. (Phil 3:20) You have only few days to spend on earth in this dispensation. You must therefore emulate the patriarchs who lived as strangers and pilgrims and not as citizens. (Heb 11:13) You must, therefore, make the most of every opportunity to do good because the days are evil. (Eph 5:16) Matt 6:34 say, "Today's trouble is enough for today."

(NLT) You must therefore maximize the days you have because you're on pilgrimage and your pilgrimage is not forever. It has duration. How old are you? How old are you in your pilgrimage on earth?

Few days I also want to focus on another thing that Jacob said - the issue of his age. "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few … have been the days of the

years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage." Jacob was 130years old but he called the days of his years few compared to that of his ancestors. It will be necessary to look at the age of Jacob's ancestors. Isaac, Jacob's father, died at 180 years - of the patriarchs, he lived the longest. Gen 35:28 says, "Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years." (NKJV) So comparing Isaac and Jacob, you can see that Isaac lived longer than Jacob on earth. So Jacob was right.

Another ancestor of Jacob was Abraham, the father of Isaac. How old was Abraham before he died? "This is the sum of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people." (Gen 25:78 NKJV) Abraham lived for 175years, five years less than Isaac's. So we see that Jacob who lived 130 years before he died lived 45 years less than the age of his grandfather.

From the foregoing, Jacob was right when he said that in verse 9 that the days of the years of his life were few, and had not attained to the days of the years of the life of his fathers. Isaac and Abraham lived longer than him.

Jacob's 130 years on earth were few compared to the years spent by Isaac and Abraham days on earth. Jacob's years on earth were also few compared to eternity. How old are you?

The days of men on earth are transient and brief. David said, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." (Ps 144:4 NKJV) Man's days on earth are transient. Your

PAGE 47

GREEN PASTURES

By Pastor T.O. Banso cedarministryintl@yahoo.com GSM: 08033113523 time on earth is short no matter how long you live. "Remember how short my time is; for what futility have You created all the children of men?" (Ps 89:47 NKJV) Even if you live 1000 years, they are still few in the light of eternity. That's why you should not use your temporary stay on earth to spoil your eternity. Don't let your temporary days on earth take you to eternity in hell fire.

Apart from the fact that life is transient and brief, Job gives us another insight. Job said, "I loathe (my life); I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity." (Job 7:16 ASV) Did you see that? Vanity!

Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, also described his days as vanity.

"I have seen everything in my days of vanity." (Eccl 7:15 NKJV) In Eccl 9:9, Solomon said a similar thing when he talked about the "vain life which He [God] has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity." (NKJV) Eccl 6:12 says, "For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow?"

(NKJV) What decisions will you make in view of the above? How old are you?

Live your life in light of eternity. Don't live a life of vanity - a life not lived for God. Please join me next week for more on this subject.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, I urge you to take the following steps:*Admit you're a sinner and you can't save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life - your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church.

There you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God. Kindly say this prayer now: "0 Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God" I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing, Bible teaching church in your area where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May the Lord make you a Cedar Christian. May you grow into Christ in all things becoming all God wants you to be.

Prompt response to his high and heavenly calling Nehemiah 2:1-20

G

o d expects us to be attentive, retentive and responsive when we read or hear His word. With the prevailing conflict, corruption, evil and the lost glory in our nation today, there seems to be no hope of solution in sight.

Thiswasoncetheexperienceofthechildren of Israel and Judea. There was no hope of redemptionforthemuntilNehemiahrose up to the challenge. In order to fulfil this mission, he had to pay the price by giving up his prestigious job. Our ministry, work, position in God’s kingdom as agents of change and reformers is not cheap. There is a price to pay. Believers who are ready to lay all on the altar are the people that can become agents of change. There is no positionwithoutaprice.Doesyourministry cost you time, further education, extramuralstudies,promotion;progressinyour profession, movement or change? Bible characters like Moses, Nehemiah, Peter, Matthewetc.,werewillingtofollowtheLord and do whatever He wanted them to do.

We need to be consecrated and devoted believers,likeNehemiah,tobringbackthe lost glory in our nation. To experience the power of God and do exploits for Him, we must be detached from earthly things and surrender our lives completely to Him. WhateverlabouroflovewedoforGodwill be rewarded now and in eternity, if we remain faithful to Him. 1.

ANSWERED PRAYER CONCERNING HIS GREAT COMMISSION Nehemiah 2:1-4; Proverbs 21:1; Nehemiah 2:5,6; 6:15; 5:14; 2:7,8;

Proverbs 15:13; 13:23; 15:28; 16:1-3; Philippians 4:6; Isaiah 65:24.

Nehemiah’s fasting and prayer grantedhimuncommonfavourbeforethe king and other people. His commission was to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild its brokenwallsandrestoreitslostglory.And he responded very promptly. Our great commission today is to preach the gospel to every creature. To accomplish the task, wemustallowthefearofGodinourhearts tobegreaterthanthefearwehaveformen.

We must be willing, like Nehemiah, to build the wall of security, salvation, holiness and spirituality around God’s people. The task of preaching the gospel mustnotbedoneonshort-termbasis.We mustgiveitenoughtimewhiledepending on God. Nehemiah was faithful in accomplishing the task of rebuilding the wall. Hence, the Lord gave him a bigger responsibility:hewasappointedtobetheir governor. Believers who have vision, passionandconvictionarealwaysworried about the state of sinners around them.

Their dreams will affect their lives, soul, spirit and comportment. While carrying outthegreatcommission,wemustrefuse the tendency to be over-confident.

Unlike Nehemiah, many believers today think in fear; they cross the bridge before they get to the bridge. They are afraid of opposition in doing God’s work.

When we concentrate on the threats of the enemies, we cannot get the task of the greatcommissiondone.Weshouldrather look on to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame. Nehemiah focused

FAITH DISCOURSE WITH

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi his attention on the work he set out to do, not on his detractors. As a result, he had no need to worry. When we pray accordingtoGod’swill,Hewillanswerand make us prosper in the work He has committed in our hands.

2. ADEQUATE PREPARATION BEFORE A GUIDED COMMENCEMENT Nehemiah 2:9-16; Matthew 10:16; John 15:18-20; 2 Timothy 3:12-14; 1 Corinthians 16:9; 15:58.

There is need for adequate preparation,likeNehemiahdid,beforewe set out to do God’s work. This is because Satan is not pleased when we seek the salvation of sinners in our communities.

Therefore, he uses human agents like Tobiah, Sanballat and Geshem to try to stop us. The will of God is not devoid of challengesandoppositions.Wemusttake cognizance of the difficulties and persecutions that the devil stir up against us and use them as stepping stones to achieveGod’swill.Manypeopleshyaway from God’s work because of oppositions.

But with God on our side, we shall

overcome anything that tries to hinder us fromdoingGod’swill.LikeNehemiah,we should always make ourselves available for God’s work when the need arises.

Carelessnessonthepartofthebeliever will make him reveal his vision to those who will kill it. For Nehemiah, he kept his mouth shut until the appointed time. He hadtostudythepeopletoknowthosewho are enemies before he revealed his mission. We must be wise not to reveal our intention to those who will kill it. The world will hate us because we testify against their corrupt practices and evil deeds. They will not appreciate us when we come to them with the message of righteousness, justice, integrity and holiness. Their persecution or hatred for theWordshouldnotmakeusconformto their will. We must understand that holiness goes hand in hand with persecutionandopposition.Ifwewaitfor better conditions and opportunities, we may never serve the Lord because adversaries of the gospel shall wax worse and worse. And since our work will be rewarded, we should not be afraid.

3. ACTIVE PARTICIPATION DESPITE GODLESS CONFLICT Nehemiah 2:17; Proverbs 29:11; Nehemiah 2:18.

Many so-called believers in our contemporary times do not read their Bibles,listentoChrist,theHolySpiritand theAlmightyGod.Allthatinfluencestheir character and actions are stories from the media. The wisdom of the world that makes us shy away from preaching the gospel will minimise Calvary, the work of Christ and Redemption. We must be active,passionateandzealousinpreaching the gospel to the world of dying men.

The fool is the one that talks when he should keep quiet; he is the one that keeps quiet when he should speak out. A fool speaks so quickly or he never speaks at all.

Thewisespeaksattherighttimetotheright peoplefortherightreasonandfortheright purpose. Like Nehemiah, they are wise in recognisingthosewhoarefriendlyfoesand know how to relate with them. Each letter intheword‘FOOL’standsforF–forgetful, O – overconfident, O – overzealous, L – leader. A fool forgets all he has learnt from the Scripture about Ahab, Jezebel, Achan, Judas Iscariot etc. Nehemiah was a wise man who waited and watched carefully until the right time before he set out on his mission. Each letter in the word ‘WISE’ standsforW–watchful,I–influential,S– spiritual, E – elder. We must be determined, like Nehemiah, to join hands together with faithful believers to build for God with our hearts, skills, talents and wealth. We must rise and build for God’s kingdom;andfortherestorationofthelost glory in our society.

BIG PUNCH “Why is it that people are not building refineries in Nigeria, yet is a big business? It is because of the policy of subsidy and that is why we want to get out of it” – President Jonathan

SATURDAY 17 — SUNDAY 18, NOVEMBER, 2012

The Great Illusion

P

r o f Francis Fukuyama, a political scientist and economic scientist, a onetime member of global policy think tank, RAND Corporation, in an article published in National Interest, 1989, announces to a rather curious world that he has made a startling, indeed, unique discovery. In watching the 'flow of events for a decade or so', he has discovered that 'something very fundamental has happened in world history' which analysts everywhere have failed to see because they all lack the 'conceptual framework from distinguishing between what is essential and what is contingent or accidental in world history' and therefore their understandings are 'predictably superficial.' All the other watchers and analysts of world events and world history could only 'sense dimly' that there is a larger process at work - 'a process that gives coherence and order to the daily headlines' and has culminated in 'an unabashed victory of economic and political liberalism' - but have lacked the tools to comprehend it properly and adequately. In short, what Fukuyama has discovered is this: 'What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.

This is not to say that there will no longer be events to fill the pages of Foreign Affairs's yearly summaries of international relations, for the victory of liberalism has occurred primarily in the realm of ideas or consciousness and is as yet incomplete in the real or material world. But there are powerful reasons for believing that it is the ideal that will govern the material world in the long run.'

So as far as Fukuyama is concerned, history came to an end in 1989 or thereabout and all human possibilities and developments are therefore foreclosed. The triumph of the West is complete and irreversible.

So dogmatic is he on his thesis that even when he recognizes the fundamental flaw of liberalism which can rationally disqualify it as the final phase in human political evolution - the flaw which, according to Fukuyama, has spawned and propagated 'broad unhappiness' in the society

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due to its 'impersonality and spiritual vacuity' and 'the emptiness at the core of [its] ideology' - yet he feels resigned to fate believing there is no solution.

Therefore as humanity has come to a dead end, by virtue of Fukuyama's discovery, which in its own right must be acknowledged as perhaps one the most pessimistic views of human evolution ever postulated, it only remains for Fukuyama to lament the outcome. In his words: 'The end of history will be a very sad time. The struggle for recognition, the willingness to risk one's life for a purely abstract goal, the worldwide ideological struggle that called forth daring, courage, imagination, and idealism, will be replaced by economic calculation, the endless solving of technical problems, environmental concerns, and the satisfaction of sophisticated consumer demands.

In the post historical period there will be neither art nor philosophy, just the perpetual care taking of he museum of human history. I can feel in myself, and see in others around me, a powerful nostalgia for the time when history existed. Such nostalgia, in fact, will continue to fuel competition and conflict even in the post historical world for some time to come. Even though I recognize its inevitability, I have the most ambivalent feelings for the civilization that has been created in Europe since 1945, with its north Atlantic and Asian offshoots. Perhaps this very prospect of centuries of boredom at the end of history will serve to get history started once again.'

For Fukuyama - a scholar Prof Edward Said has ranked along with his fellow war mongers, Prof Samuel Huntington and Prof Bernard Lewis, as sycophants competing for attention from the American establishment - there is only one obstacle to his 'End of History'. 'In the contemporary world only Islam has offered a theocratic state as a political alternative to both liberalism and communism,' he says. 'Other less organized religious impulses have been successfully satisfied within the sphere of personal life that is permitted in liberal societies.'

Though he does not say much more, his immediate audience understands what he intends to bring to the fore: Islam is the only rival to Western Civilization and needs to be squarely confronted as an enemy.

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WEEKEND Ibraheem Sulaiman sa427420@gmail.com

Prof Francis Fukuyama Fukuyama's End of History society, or what he later terms in an article in The Guardian 3/4/ 2007 as 'post-historical' world will be similar to the European Union, which, is an 'attempt to transcend sovereignty and traditional power politics by establishing a transnational rule of law,' in contrast to 'America's continuing belief in God, national sovereignty, and their military.'

In response to Fukuyama, the French Philosopher, Jaquese Derrida, [quoted by Wikipedia] expresses his dismay by the fact Fukuyama's ideal world is one which promises the worst possible social and economic conditions for the great majority of Mankind.

'Never have violence, inequality, exclusion, famine, and thus economic oppression affected as many human beings in the history of the earth and of humanity,' Derrida sums up the real import of Fukuyama' world. 'Instead of singing the advent of the ideal of liberal democracy and of the capitalist market in the euphoria of the end of history, let us never

neglect this obvious macroscopic fact, made up of innumerable singular sites of suffering: no degree of progress allows one to ignore that never before, in absolute figures, have so many men, women and children been subjugated, starved or exterminated on the earth.'

We have gone this far to analyze in this and previous discourse the theses or hypotheses of some of the prominent thinkers in the service of American Establishment which Prof Edward Said characterizes as 'Hitlerian Science' - which promotes, justifies and romanticizes conflict, hatred, war and genocide, and which singles out Islam as a perpetual enemy, precisely because there are some in Nigeria who are apt to be swayed into believing that Clash of Civilization or The End of History are adventures worth experimenting on the Nigerian soil. The truth is that the 'vast abstractions', the sheer falsehoods, the crass ignorance and genocidal propositions which make up the bulk of these 'ideals' will not help

anyone or any nation. Those who think a war on Islam can be to anybody's benefit are merely laboring under a great illusion. It is not war that should break out, but peace.

After pretending to know everything about all the civilizations of the world and the 'larger processes' of world history, both Prof Samuel Huntington and Prof Francis Fukuyama could not discern the most significant evens of our time, just a few years away.

They fail to see on the horizon the looming signs of the seismic events that is now shaking the Muslim World, the sudden rapture of the Muslim Ummah, whose consequences may yet trigger a new transformation of the world.

And while they both revel in what they imagine to be the inevitable triumph of the West, they fail to appreciate the extent of the decline of the West itself, economically, politically and demographically, or 'the emptiness' as Fukuyama puts it, 'at the core of its ideology' or the 'broad unhappiness' in which the people of the West are immersed with no end in sight.

They fail to see the massive economic and social gloom on the horizon for Western nations, which is the direct and logical consequence of the economic system - long projected as the ideal, the absolute culmination of human evolution - which at its maturity has put in the hands of 0.1% of the population the entire wealth of the whole nation. They fail to see the path in which their democracy is leading the West.

The growing revolt in Europe and the nascent Occupy Movement in America unprecedented, and perhaps are signs of the future. We have on our hand a Civilization in terminal decline.

The glorious picture painted of Western Civilization as a power which will continue to own the world and direct the destiny of the human race forever belies a most significant and, indeed, a most disturbing trend today. America, the universal empire, and by extension most of Europe, has fallen in the hands of a tiny minority, the 0.1%, who have managed to take over the wealth of the entire nation, and are free to keep on squandering the common resources accumulated over centuries. The Empire itself is owned by what Steve Coll, in his ExxonMobil and American Power, would call 'Private Empires.'

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