Peoples Daily Newspaper, Thursday 18, July, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 44

Thursday, July 18, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Ramadan 9, 1434 AH

Why I’m angry with Amaechi, by Patience Jonathan

N150

>>4

Boko Haram: 50 orphans get Borno scholarship From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

G

overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has offered an all-round scholarship to 50 children whose parents were killed by Boko Haram insurgents at various locations in Maiduguri metropolis.

Shettima stated this while hosting the orphans to a Ramadan breaking of fast at the Government House, on Tuesday night.

He explained that the scholarships would cut across orphans from both Muslim and Christian backgrounds, even as he promised to also host Christian orphans.

Shettima told the guests that they should regard him as their father and that he will do everything within his powers as state governor to ensure that they remain comfortable and they do not encounter problems in their education.

The governor called on the orphans to take education very seriously and be of good behaviour so that they would excel in life.

Contd. on Page 2

Borno state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, presenting gifts to one of the orphans who lost their parents to Boko Haram insurgency after he hosted them for iftar, on Tuesday night at the Government House, Maiduguri.

Nyako sets to dump PDP ...As Adamawa commissioners defect to ANPP From Umar Dankano, Yola

S

trong indications emerged yesterday that the Adamawa state governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd.), is set to dump the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Peoples Daily reliably learnt that in line

with the governor’s plan, all members of his cabinet, as well as other aides, loyalists and supporters would soon defect to one of the opposition parties, as a prelude to Governor Nyako’s eventual defection to that party.

Although the stakeholders loyal to the Nyako faction of the PDP in Adamawa were yet to publicly declare their party of

destination, Peoples Daily learnt that they may be heading to the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), and by extension, the amalgam opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), if it is fully registered.

A reliable source close to some members of the Adamawa state executive council, told our correspondent yesterday that Governor

Ramadan Timings Baga: Army faults for Abuja Human Rights MAGRIB

ALFIJR

6.55 p.m.

5.04 a.m.

Commission’s report

>> 6

Nyako had already discussed terms of his defection, along with supporters and loyalists, with a top ANPP chieftain and former Kano state governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

Another source told our correspondent that Governor Nyako, along with other governor colleagues of his who are perceived Contd. on Page 2

Alakyo: Probe panel begins sitting in Laϐia >> 7

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

News CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch S/Report

23 24-25

Feature

26

Earth

27

Update

28-29

Keshi retires Yobo from Eagles, Page 4

Int’l

31-34

Strange World

35

Digest

36

Politics Newsxtra Sports

37-38 39 41-46

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

You can send your news and pictures to: adverts@peoplesdailyng.com pictures@peoplesdailyng.com contact@peoplesdailyng.com

Phones for News: 08142929046 08024432099

Some polytechnics still shut as NASU, SSANIP continue strike

D

espite the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics calling of its strike, students’ hopes of returning to their schools for full academic work remain dim as the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics, SSANIP, and the NonAcademic Staff Union of Educational Associated Institutions, NASU, proceed with their strike.

The Head, Public Relations Unit, Yaba College of Technology, Adekunle Adams, on Wednesday said that students in the institution had yet to resume due to strikes by two workers’ unions.

Mr. Adams said in Lagos that although the Academic Staff

Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, had suspended its strike, the two other strikes were paralysing activities in the school.

“We cannot resume unless SSANIP and NASU call off their strikes. For now, we are offering skeletal services; all NASU members are not at work.

“Government is in dialogue with the unions; hopefully, they will suspend their strikes soon,’’ he said.

The Chairman of the SSANIP in the institution, Austin Okoh, said that the strike called by the body would continue until the Federal Government met its demands.

He said that the union would

hold a national executive council meeting on Thursday in Abuja to evaluate the progress made so far.

Also, the Chairman of the NASU in the college, Ilesanmi Olatunbosun, confirmed that strike called by the union was still on.

The authorities of the college had, in May, directed students of the institution to remain at home due to the SSANIP strike.

A memo signed by the Registrar of the college, Biekoroma Amapakabo, on May 6, said that the school had postponed its resumption indefinitely.

It said that resumption for the second semester 2012/2013

academic session had been postponed because of the SSANIP strike. It said that the college would announce a new date in due course.

SSANIP is protesting the Federal Government’s non- implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS 15).

The union, which has been on strike since April, is also calling for an end to alleged discrimination against Higher National Diploma holders.

NASU had also, on July 8, started an indefinite strike to press for implementation of the CONTISS 15, among other issues.

At the Lagos State Polytechnic, however, some students said they were still having lectures in spite of the SSANIP and NASU strikes.

The school’s chapter of ASUP had returned to classes long before the national body announced the suspension of their national strike on Tuesday. (NAN)

Boko Haram: 50 orphans get Borno scholarship Contd. from Front Page The governor also presented each of them with two types of assorted textile materials, 50 kilograms of rice and sugar. He called on government officials, wealthy residents and charity organisations to render help to the orphans.

Shettima also interacted with

each of the orphans, asking them of their stories.

The governor was almost moved to tears when a young girl recounted how her father and mother were butchered in her presence while they were praying in their residence at Budum, Maiduguri.

The venue of the iftar became emotional when one of the invitees

told the governor that he had before Tuesday night, given up hope on life as he thanked Shettima for brining his hope alive.

He said his dream is to be an educationist and touch the lives of others.

The beneficiaries offered prayers for God to protect and bless the Governor for being kind

to them.

The Chairman, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Abdulkadir Rahis, who was part of the iftar, said his council would come to the aid of the orphans and support them, pointing out that it is the first time a governor was breaking fast with such category of people in the state.

Nyako sets to dump PDP Contd. from Front Page as anti-Jonathan, had earlier resolved to remain in the PDP until 2014, before giving serious thoughts to their defection plans.

However, that in view of recent developments within the ruling PDP, they began to consider early exit from the party.

“But the last straw, in the case of His Excellency, Governor Nyako, was the terrible treatment he and their excellencies, the governors of Jigawa, Kano and Niger states got while on their way to pay a solidarity visit to their persecuted colleague, the Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi on Tuesday”, said the source.

The source said that the attack on the convoy of the visiting northern governors by protesters suspected to be anti-Amaechi in the state further exacerbated Nyako’s resentment of happenings in the ruling party.

It was learnt that the Adamawa state governor felt that the protesters would not have been emboldened to carry out the protest without backing of “the powers that be” from the centre.

Our source said that Nyako, perhaps, chose to send a strong signal even before 2014, by instructing his aides and supporters to defect from the PDP ahead of the agreed date.

When contacted for comments on the development, the Adamawa state Commissioner for Rural Development and Infrastructure, Alhaji Aminu Iyawa, neither confirmed nor denied the

speculations that members of Nyako’s cabinet were defecting from the PDP. The commissioner simply said through an SMS that “you can contact the Information Commissioner, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abba Jimeta”.

But the Director of Press and Public Affairs to Governor Nyako, Alhaji Ahmad Sajoh, told our correspondent on phone that they were yet to defect to any political party, but were considering “any relevant option”, including remaining in the PDP. “Actually we’ve not moved from the PDP to any other party, but stakeholders are consulting. And we’re consulting widely”, he said.

Sajoh explained that they were deeply disturbed by the recent descent in the PDP towards dictatorship.

“Before the PDP Constitution was amended, even if a member is suspended, he has the right to appeal his suspension, to fair hearing, and to enjoy certain privileges of being a member of the party.

“But under the amended Constitution (of the PDP), a member can be suspended for say one month by either the National Working Committee (NWC) of the State Working Committee (SWC), and such a person automatically loses his right to contest election.

“We believe that under the current leadership of the party, we (in Nyako’s faction in Adamawa) won’t ever get justice. And with the special convention approaching,

ordinarily, the old delegates’ list is supposed to be used during the convention. But the present leadership is likely to manipulate and change the process”, he said.

He added that: “We have elected our delegates at the just concluded Nassarwo Binyeri House of Asssembly bye-election, but to our greatest dismay, the PDP national chairman and his cohorts upturned it. So we decided on our own to maintain our formidable political structure to allow it go for posterity to judge us”.

The spokesman stressed that, in the light of the foreseeable injustice, Nyako and his loyalists decided to consult with their stakeholders at various levels, including the grassroots.

“So, as it is, all options are open; including remaining in the PDP. At the moment, we’ve not defected to any party, but we’re still consulting.

“However, we won’t just sit idle until we’re taken unawares”, Sajoh affirmed.

He confirmed that stakeholders loyal to his boss met with Nyako’s first son, Abudulaziz, commonly called Sarkin Matasa, yesterday on the need to be proactive about the crisis rocking the PDP at the state level.

The press affairs director confirmed that at the meeting of Nyako’s loyalists, which was chaired by one of the most senior stakeholders in the state, there were various political appointees including commissioners, special advisers, special assistants, local government chairmen, ward

executives, and that they all agreed unanimously that wider consultations should commence with a view to addressing the ongoing factionalisation in the PDP in the state.

Abdulaziz is rumoured to be angling to succeed his father as the state governor in 2015, and subtle campaigns have begun among the stakeholders in the state for the realization of this ambition.

Sajoh, while justifying the involvement of Nyako’s son in the politics of the state said when the state of emergency was imposed on Adamawa state, Abdulaziz played a key role in making sure that the entire populace, especially the youths, were sensitized to be law-abiding.

Governor Nyako and Bamanga Tukur have been at each other throats over who controls the political levers of the state ahead of the 2015 general elections. Both have refused to let go because they are interested in who becomes the next governor of the state.

While Nyako is rumoured to be rooting for his son, Abdulaziz, Tukur is equally said to be working relentlessly to clear the coast for his own son, Awwal, a former member of the House of Representatives, to become the governor of the state by 2015.

In view of these schemes and manoueverings, the PDP in the state has been factionalised with Nyako’s Exco being chaired by Alhaji Kaugama Mijinjiwa and Tukur’s led by Chief Joel Madaki.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 3

News

Rivers state crisis: IGP summons House leader, Amaechi’s aides

By Lambert Tyem

F

ollowing the seeming unending crisis rocking the Rivers State government, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday summoned the leader of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, the Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the Governor, ASP DebewareSemeikumo, and the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Governor, Tony Iwelu, to report to Force CID, Force Headquarters, Abuja for an interview in respect of their roles as seen in the video clips in circulation.

The Police authorities said that the video clips that carried the incident of the House of Assembly

last week showed a man carrying a mace and another in police uniform as well as other security officials conducting themselves in questionable and uncomplimentary manner.

According to Force spokesman, Frank Mba, the invitation of the House leader and two policemen was to seek information and obtain further details that will assist proper investigation into the matter.

“Meanwhile, the IGP has reminded police personnel on various legitimate assignments particularly those attached to VIPs to always remain mindful of their conduct and ensure that they uphold the professional ethics, traditions and best practices of the Force at all

times”, the police said.

Mba said that the IGP also wished to warn that any officer found acting in ways inconsistent with extant laws and regulations of the police will be severely dealt with in accordance with the laws of the land.

Similarly, the IGP further warned against unguarded, inflammatory and provocative utterances of all politicians and other people in the country.

“The Nigeria Police Force, in the light of emerging security challenges in parts of the country, especially the unfolding saga in Rivers State, hereby warns all citizens against constituting themselves into or being part of an unlawful assembly in any part of the country.

Malabu: AGF set to unravel FG, Shell/Agip transactions mystery

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) yesterday said he ready to be subjected to any transparent investigative process in order to unearth the truth in the alleged Report of the House of Representatives’ Committee on the transaction involving the Federal Government and Shell/Agip Companies, and Malabu Oil and Gas Limited in respect of Oil Block OPL 245.

The AGF, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ambrose Momoh said the federal government, its agencies and officials should not be dragged into a purely commercial dispute between Malabu and its purported partners.

The statement said when the AGF appeared before the House of Representatives Committee, which investigated the transaction, he explained his role in facilitating

the settlement and the Committee members were satisfied with his explanations.

“This was what the AGF referred to when he stated that the Committee was satisfied with his explanations”, the statement said, adding that the AGF did not make reference to any ‘Report’ of the Committee, as none, had been made available to him.

“It is therefore clear that the alleged ‘Report’ and the controversy it has generated is a calculated attempt to bring the office of the AGF and relevant agencies of Government to infamy because of the principled stance the government took to resolve the dispute in a reasonable fair and equitable manner” , Momoh stated.

The statement said the outrage against the Office of the AGF is understandable when viewed against his refusal to compromise his office in order to satisfy the demands of certain interests and individuals.

“We know those who have compromised their positions in

order to author the alleged ‘Report’ and their theatrical display for public gallery. We also know those secretly beating the drums for masquerades dancing in the market square.

“We shall confront them at the appropriate forum. How else can one explain why the ownership of shares in a private company would generate sufficient interest among members of the legislature so as to merit a resolution of a Committee that certain persons or companies are entitled to ownership of shares in a private company, when the Courts are the appropriate venue for the ventilation of such disputes between share holders (if any).

“We wish to assure Nigerians that the Office of the AGF did not act contrary to public interest in facilitating the settlement and at all times material to the transaction, ensured that the settlement was conducted in the best interest of all parties in order to achieve a reasonable, fair and equitable outcome”, Momoh said.

LEADERSHIP: Court slates July 23 to hear journalists’ application

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A

n Abuja High Court in Kubwa has fixed July 23, 2013 to hear an application brought before it by the group news editor of the LEADERSHIP newspaper, Mr. Tony Amokeodo, a senior correspondent of the paper, Mr. Chibuzo Ukaibe and their employer (LEADERSHIP Group Ltd) seeking to stay proceedings in the alleged forgery of a presidential directives’ bromide published inthe April 3, 2013 edition of the paper.

The trial Judge, Justice Usman Musale also ordered the prosecution to file its counter response before the said date.

In a brief ruling yesterday on whether or not the journalists’ application filed by their lead counsel, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) was ripe for hearing, Justice Musale held that, “the application having been filed an served on the prosecutor, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who has since indicated interest to oppose the application, he (Awomolo) has to be given the right to oppose”.

The judge held further that failure to allow prosecution right to oppose the said application will be a breach of fair hearing as envisaged by the constitution.

“The breach of right to fair hearing occurs when opportunity is denied to a party in court. For that reason, the motion is not ripe for hearing as the prosecution ought to be given time to respond to it.

“In the circumstance, time will be given for the motion to be heard on the merit. The motion shall be moved on July 23, 2013,” Musale stated.

Ramadan Timing Day 9 TOWNS Aba Abakaliki Abeokuta Abuja Akure Argungu Ankpa Auchi Azare Bama Bauchi Benin Bichi Bida Birnin Gwari Birnin Kebbi Biu Calabar Damaturu Daura Dutse Enugu Funtua Gombe Gwoza Gumi Gusau Gwadabawa Hadejia Ibadan Ife Ilorin Jalingo Jere Jos Kabba Kafanchan Keffi/Nasarawa Kaduna Kano Katsina Kontagora Lafia Lagos Lokoja Maiduguri Makurdi Malumfashi Minna Port Harcourt Ringim Shagamu Sokoto Warri Yola Zaria Cotonnou-Benin Ndjamena-Chad Niamey-Niger Younde-Cameroun

MAGRIB 6.51 6.49 7.08 6.55 7.00 7.09 6.48 6.56 6.47 6.32 6.46 6.57 6.55 7.00 6.58 7.12 6.35 6.45 6.40 6.56 6.51 6.50 6.59 6.40 6.33 7.07 7.00 7.09 6.49 7.05 7.04 7.05 6.38 6.54 6.49 6.58 6.52 6.55 6.56 6.54 7.00 7.03 6.48 7.06 6.55 6.33 6.48 7.00 6.59 6.50 6.51 7.06 7.09 6.58 6.34 6.55 7.09 7.24 7.22 6.30

ALFIJR 5.04 5.06 5.23 5.04 5.15 5.03 5.05 5.11 4.46 4.33 4.52 5.16 4.53 5.09 5.04 5.09 4.34 5.07 4.39 4.50 4.51 5.07 4.59 4.46 4.35 5.06 4.59 5.03 4.45 5.18 5.17 5.18 4.47 5.00 4.55 5.11 4.59 4.54 5.00 4.53 4.54 5.09 4.59 5.23 5.23 4.34 5.01 4.53 5.06 5.12 4.51 5.21 5.03 5.16 4.43 4.58 5.28 4.27 5.16 4.56

Source: Society for Propagation of Islam Kaduna

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Photo News

Why I’m angry with Amaechi –Patience Jonathan Stories by Agaju Madugba

F L-R: Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, Director-General, State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Ita Ekpenyong, Chief of Army Staff, Lt- General Azubuike Ihejirika, Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh during a security meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

R-L: Bishop of Nyanya Methodist Church, Rev. Samuel Nortey, Bishop of Kubwa Methodist Church, Rev. Rufus Babalola, Prelate Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, and Prelate’s Chaplain, Very Rev. Daniel Agbese, during the visit of the Methodist Prelate to Wesley Methodist Church, Nyanya, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

irst Lady, Patience Jonathan, yesterday openly confessed to having an axe to grind with Rovers state Governor, Rotimi Ameachi, thereby giving an indication that the Presidency might be behind the crisis rocking Rivers state.

The first lady made the confession while addressing 16 bishops from various church denominations in the Niger Delta region who had paid her a visit in Aso Rock.

“Rivers state issue is one thing I’ve committed to prayer because I believe there is nothing God cannot do,” she said.

Sermonising further, Mrs. Jonathan said: “God restored me and I’ll do His work without the fear of man. The truth will always remain the truth and what God ordains must come to pass and so Rivers issue is something we’ve handed over to God.’’ She claimed to have mediated between the governor and other parties in the crisis that has been rocking Rivers, which is her home state, in the past four years.

“This matter started as far back as four years ago at Anyugubiri in Okrika when I begged him (Amaechi) not to demolish a part of Okrika, but dialogue first with the people”, she said, adding that, “after that incident, he called the chairman of Okrika (local government) and sacked him for holding a reception in our honor. That boy was the first victim.

“He also put my people on curfew for nine months. I called him and pleaded with him but he

refused. Then I began to hear all sort of propaganda in the media against me. This is not the way”, she said.

She claimed that: “I’ve never spoken about this issue, but as men of God, I believe you’ll say the truth always because there are a lot of conflicting interests.

Some will hear one thing and say the exact opposite.

“I also want you to know the genesis of this problem and pray that God touches Amaechi’s heart as per his hot temper because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”, she noted.

The first lady said she had wanted to “appeal to Amaechi to sheathe his sword so that we can defend our state and this country with love, unity, patriotism and truth at all time.

“Amaechi is my son, I cannot fight him and I cannot kill him. He shouldn’t be used by outsiders against his own blood because this seat is vanity. One day, no matter how long it takes, we will leave this seat. Power is not forever. This seat is vanity, others sat here and left so one day I’ll also leave and we will meet at home.

“So why should I fight him?”, she said rhetorically, stressing that, “Let’s take it easy, face issues, leave non-existent matters, stop magnifying lies and respect our leaders and people in authority. Let’s give peace a chance.”

Earlier on, the chairman of the Niger Delta Bishops Forum, Bishop God-Do-Well Awomapara, intimated the first lady that their mission was “on a quest to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Rivers issue and mediate where necessary.’’

NPAN decries subtle moves to curtail press freedom

T

Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, Mrs Nimota Akanbi (3rd right), Nigeria Water and Sanitation Ambassador, Engineer Ebele Okeke (2nd right), in a group photograph with Ministry of Water Resources and high ranking embassy officials, during Okeke’s visit with the team to the embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, recently.

he Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) yesterday raised the alarm over subtle attempts to clamp down on press freedom in Nigeria, through “a clandestine move to revive the moribund Press Council, which is usually an official tool to gag the press”.

Rising from a meeting held in Abuja, the newspaper proprietors recalled that during the military era, unsuccessful attempts were made to use the Council against press freedom.

The body said that since Nigeria is currently under a democratic dispensation, it did not expect the country’s leadership “to follow the tried and failed tactics” of past dictatorships.

“Recent moves by some undemocratic elements in the federal government, indicate that there are still persons in the government who will rather not have a free and fair press but prefer to take steps to abridge the freedom of the press and the right of the people to have unfettered access to information”, NPAN said.

While recalling that a Federal High Court had in February, 2010 ruled that the Press Council was “unconstitutional”, it urged the government to respect the judgment in order to deepen the country’s democracy by encouraging the full implementation of the Freedom of Information Act passed into law by President Jonathan.

NPAN also urged the federal government to stop forthwith the trial of journalists of the LEADERSHIP group of newspapers, who were recently re-arraigned after it had withdrawn earlier charges against them.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 5

News

NUC defends tertiary education fees

By Maryam Garba Hassan

E

xecutive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof.

Julius Okojie, has defended the fees being charaged by tertiary institutions in the country.

Okojie made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja when a team from El’ Amin University Development and Implementation Committee led by the Chairman, Prof. Ibrahim .A. Kolo, paid him a visit, to submit a

request for the establishment of Al’ A min University.

According to Okojie, Ghana a country where Nigerians go to for university education has only four public universities and that the least each charges as tuition fee is $700 while Nigeria has 128 universities out of which only 50 are private institutions.

He said if the country wants to get it right in the education sector, it must go back to quality assurance and ensure that there is merit in admission procedures

NUC presents Jigawa varsity with certificate of recognition

By Maryam Garba Hassan

J

igawa state University, Kafin Hausa, was yesterday presented with a certificate of recognition by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja.

Governor of Jigawa state who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Mahmoud, was presented with the certificate by the NUC Executive Secretary.

The Deputy Governor who appealed to the Federal Government to support the university to take off fully, said one of the reasons for the establishment of the school was to complement the Federal University, Dutse, address the issue of increasing number of the state’s indigene seeking for admission into tertiary institutions in the country and lack of space in the neighboring Universities.

According to him, last year,

adding that there is no need for every student that score 180 in JAMB to be admitted into the Nigerian Universities.

In his address, Kolo said the team was there to formally pick the form for the establishment of the university and to inform the

NUC of their intention to venture into the tertiary education and to continue to give quality education to the people of Niger state.

Plateau sacks 2,000 fake teachers, 9000 more to go From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos.

T

he Plateau state government has announced the dismissal of 2,000 primary school teachers while additional 9,000 have also been slated to be sacked in due course.

The Commissioner for Information, Abraham Yiljab, who disclosed this to reporters noted

that the administration of Governor Jonah Jang is determined to provide quality education in public schools.

He explained that the measure was taken after the recent verification exercise into the educational sector which was was aimed at correcting all irregularities.

According to Yiljab, only eight teachers were with genuine

certificates out of 1, 291 who claimed to have successfully graduated from Collage of Education, Gindiri.

Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Lyop Mang, explained that some of the sacked teachers refused to upgrade their certificates to National Certificate of Education (NCE) which is the minimum requirement for primary school teachers.

only 27 per cent of the girls who applied for admission into universities from the north west zone got admission.

He said the matter has been deliberated by the state House of Assembly and a site has already been allocated for the permanent site of the university in Kafin Hausa.

He noted that and a master plan has also been developed adding that N3billion has been set aside for the take-off, with a number of structures completed within the school premises.

In his response, the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof.

Julius Okojie, urged the state government to ensure that the university has good Faculty of Science.

He said the NUC would soon visit the university for facility tour and assessment to ascertain the level of readiness of the school.

Adoke heads Nigeria Human Rights draft report committee

T

he Federal Government has constituted a committee headed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Muhammad Bello Adoke, to work on a draft report to be submitted to the United Nations on Nigeria’s Second Circle of human rights report.

This was one of the outcomes of yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over

by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The meeting also N50 billion for the completion of various constituency projects across the country.

Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting noted that Nigeria has made progress in tackling human rights issues since it last presented its report to the UN in 2009.

According to him, out of the 32 issues raised then when the government presented its report to the UN, 30 issues have been addressed including rights of women and freedom of speech, among others.

Maku said that, “human rights issues continue to improve and progress has been made in dealing with gender issues.

“Most gender issues have

received internal boost and women are represented in the government and bureaucracies.”

On issues of same sex marriage and death penalty, Maku said that they would be part of the draft report but noted that government was yet to take a position on them.

“Many Nigerians are against same sex marriage and it is difficult to impose something that is alien on a large section of the society,” he said.

R-L: Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina, and Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafiya, walking into the council chamber, before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Jonathan proposes donor conference for Guinea Bissau

By Abdulkadir Isa

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan has called on the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to consider a donor conference for Guinea Bissau.

Jonathan made this call in his opening speech at the forty-third Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority ofHeads of State and Government in Abuja yesterday.

He said, “I proposed this session considers a donor conference in early September 2013 to raised fund for the conduct for the November 2013 elections in Guinea Bissau.

“I call on the international community to intensify their assistancefor the African continent to bridge the financial gap of $25 million for the provision of critical logistical support in particular deployment of as many as possible international observers for the upcoming elections in Mali” he added.

“The challenges facing Guinea Bissau are complex in nature and require urgent attention to put pressure to bear on the African Union as well as the European Union to recognise the transitional government and lift the sanctions on Guinea Bissau.

“The economic and social conditions in Guinea Bissau has

remained in dire state despite concerted efforts by the ECOWAS commission and the transitional government in Guinea Bissau” hence the need for pragmatic intervention.”

In his welcome remarks, Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, expressed his gratitude to the entire member states especially Burkina Faso and Nigeria for the role they played in the return of peace to Mali.

He also recognised the efforts of both AFISMA and the French troops who must have lost their lives in the battle field for Mali.

President of Ivory Coast who also doubles as President of

ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Alasane Ouattara, expressed his sincere and continued support for the restoration of peace and called for a minute silence in honour of the lives lost insurgent attacks within the region lately.

Present at the meeting were presidents of all ECOWAS member states with the exception of Chad who sent a high-powered delegation to represent him, representative of the UN secretary General, Said Djinnit among others.

The session is dedicated to finding lasting solutions to the economic, political and security problems facing the region.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

News

N25.7 billion theft: Atuche victim of a plot, says Utomi From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

A

former presidential candidate under the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Prof. Pat Utomi, yesterday informed a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja that the former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, was a victim of a plot by some

public officials to take over the bank.

Utomi made the revelation while testifying before Justice Lateefat Okunnu at the trial of the former bank chief, his wife, Elizabeth alongside a former chief financial officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu.

The defendants were charged to court by the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly stealing N25.7 billion from the bank.

Utomi told the court that he was a member of PHB Board of Directors while Atuche was the Chief Executive Officer.

He said Bank PHB’s fixed assets had grown from N25 billion in 2004 to N1 trillion in 2008 before it was forcibly

taken over by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on October 2, 2009.

The witness said there was a plot to take over Bank PHB by the current CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi.

He said, “I was told that if Atuche was removed that it will be acceptable to CBN and Bank PHB will be left intact.

“The person that told me

is the current CBN governor.

He was a very good friend of mine until recently when these injustices were being carried out.

Okunnu stated that the defendants should provide explanations on the evidences provided by the prosecution and adjourned the matter to Sept. 16 for continuation of trial.

JTF reviews curfew in Borno From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

T

he Joint Military Task Force in Borno state (JTF) yesterday reviewed the 6am to 9pm curfew earlier imposed in Maiduguri and environs.

Henceforth, the new curfew hours have now been extended to take begin betweem 6am to 11am respectively.

Spokesman for the JTF, Lt-Col. Sagir Musa, in a statement said the review of the curfew followed the “tremendous” improvement in the security situation in the state.

The statement also added that the measure was adopted in the spirit of the on-going Muslims’ Holy month of Ramadan “The JTF is hereby informing the general public that the curfew in the state is extended to take effect from 6am to 11pm daily.

“The JTF however requests that all citizens should remain vigilant throughout the holy month wishes the people of the state peaceful and blissful Ramadan period.”

Gunmen kill two policemen in Kaduna From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

T

here was pandemonium yesterday night when unknown gunmen attacked a police station at the outskirts of Kaura local government area of in southern Kaduna killing two policemen, Peoples Daily gathered.

Reports from the area said the attackers also injured some policemen during the attacked that lasted for hours.

It was also gathered that the villagers could not sleep when they heard sporadic shootings around midnight and that the attackers fled the area around 3am.

There were no clear motives for the attack but eyewitness accounts noted that the gunmen robbed unsuspecting villagers before fleeing the area.

The Commissioner of Police Adenaike Olufemi has visited the area to access the level of damage.

L-R: Chairman, Local Organising Committee and Leader of Nigeria’s delegation to African, Caribbean, Pacific and European Union (ACP- EU), Hon. Mukhtar M. Ahmed, Acting Co-President of ACP- EU, Michele Rivasi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Acting Co-President of ACP- EU, Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Guelaye, during the 10th regional meeting of ACP- EU Joint Parliament Assembly, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

NGF crisis: Fashola seeks to withdraw suit against Jang

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he legal battle over the leadership of the Nigerian Governorship Forum (NGF) instituted by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state, seeking to stop Governor David Jonah Jang of Plateau state from parading himself as the chairman of the Forum assumed a different dimension yesterday as Fashola applied for the withdrawal of the suit.

At the resumed hearing of the matter, counsel to the Lagos state Governor, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo (SAN),

informed the court that Fashola has filed a notice of discontinuance and the withdrawal of the suit before the court.

According to him, “the plaintiff has decided to withdraw the suit, without prejudice to the possibility of reconstituting same. “We have filed an application for withdrawal as it is without prejudice for fresh filing.”

The court sitting before Justice Peter Affen declined to grant the application noting that, “the court cannot terminate the suit at this stage.

“Since the application for the

withdrawal of the suit has been brought to the knowledge of the court, adjournment becomes necessary to enable the respondents respond to the application.

“Consequently, the matter is hereby adjourned till September 9, 2013 for hearing of the plaintiff’s application filed on 17th July, 2013.”

Earlier, the court, having counted the affidavits sworn to by members of the Board of Trustees of the NGF, announced Friday Nwosu as the counsel representing the Board of Trustees in the suit.

accountonthepopularsocialmediasite, Facebook, with the name “AS Badeh” displaying a portrait photo of the Chief of Air Staff and interacting with the unsuspecting public in that capacity.

The suspect who was said to have connived with an information and communicationspecialist,oneWisdom RaphaelOnyebuenyi,currentlyatlarge, to commit the crime, said he created the fake CAS Facebook after he was defrauded of N30,000 by a fake NAF recruitment syndicate with a promise of enlisting him into the Force.

Anassaidtheaccusedattractedand interacted freely with a lot of people in the name CAS name while also using the same platform to deceive unsuspecting victims of possible recruitment into the NAF for a fee adding that he was later arrested at No. 3 Azikiwe Road, Aba, Abia state.

Ukaegbu told denied extorting money from anybody with the said Facebook account but confessed to the crime, blaming his action on the difficult economic situation in his base of Aba.

Man impersonates Chief of Air Staff

By Joy Baba

T

he Nigerian Air Force yesterday paraded one Israel Justice Ukaegbu in Abuja for impersonating the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh.

It was further alleged that the suspect defrauded unsuspecting applicants seeking recruitment into the Air Force.

Parading the suspect, Air Force Director of Public Relations and Information(DOPRI),AirCommodore Yusuf Anas, said the accused created an

Baga: Defence Headquarters faults Commission’s report

By Joy Baba

D

efence Headquarters has described the report by the National Human Rights Commission on the killings in Baga as a “literature review” noting that there was is no iota of truth in the said report.

Speaking with Peoples Daily, the Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, alleged that the Commission wrote the report without visiting Baga adding that a report can only be substantial if the writer visited the state he or she is writing about.

He further said Defence Headquarters would not make any comments since the Commission submitted its report to the Presidency.

A report by the National Human Rights Commission indicted the military saying between 30 to 200 civilians were killed in a fight between soldiers and Boko Haram insurgents in April.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 7

Rivers attack on northern govs: ACN fingers Jonathan From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked Nigerians to hold President Goodluck Jonathan responsible if the country slides into anarchy as a result of the worsening crisis in Rivers state.

Reacting to the reported attack on the four governors who visited Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the party said in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that the attack that took place un-

der President Jonathan’s watch is unprecedented in the country’s history. ‘’We will not accept the usual sophistry that President Jonathan is not in any way involved in the Rivers crisis. It is also not an excuse to argue that the President did not know that the visiting governors will be attacked because as the country’s Chief Security Officer, he has his ears and eyes all over the country in the persons of security agents.

“Therefore, if the argument is that he did not know of the attack,

then he is not on top of his game,’’ the statement said.

The party queried why the police could not provide adequate security for the visiting state chief executives and restrain the hired “scallywags” from their audacious action.

“The unprofessional behaviour of the police in Rivers state is the reason that Nigerians have accused the state police command of bias and called for the re-deployment of its political Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu. ‘’The visiting Governors were

right to have visited their Rivers state counterpart, in the face of the siege on him by renegades being teleguided from higher quarters.”

They are right to have expressed solidarity with Amaechi, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

“We salute the governors as true patriots and the real sustainers of our Constitution and we demand appropriate sanctions for those whose dereliction of duty put the governors’ lives in danger.”

News

JTF arrests Pastor with bags of Indian hemp in Borno From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

O

peratives of the Joint Military Task Force in Borno state, (JTF) yesterday arrested a Pastor, one Moses Edon, with 124 bags of Indian hemp, hidden inside a church in Maiduguri metropolis.

The JTF in statement signed by its spokesman, Lt-Col. Sagir Musa, said the arrest followed an intelligence report prompting its personnel to raid the premises of Celestial Church of Christ and discovered 124 bags of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.

The statement said the Indian hemp was parked in three rooms within the premises of the church and that the Pastor aadmitted acknowledge the content of the bags.

The statement added that the accused confessed that the Indian hemp was brought to the church from Ondo state for safe keeping by a member, one Mr. Segun Oni. According to the statement, “preliminary investigations revealed that the church has not been active for some time now.

“It (church) has been used as safe haven for Indian hemp business from where some unidentified partners in the business distribute the product to their customers in Maiduguri.”

UK legalises gay marriage

By Hassan Haruna Ginsua L-R: President Bai Koroma of Siera-Leone, President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, after the investiture of President Jonathan as grand patron of the West African Insurance Institute, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Alakyo killings: Probe panel begins sitting From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

T

he Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Nasarawa state government to investigate the recent killings of members of the Nigerian security forces, destruction and confiscation of security personnel’s operational vehicles and weapons in Alakyo will today hold its inaugural public sitting.

The venue for the inaugural public sitting, according to the contents of a letter emanating from the panel, signed by Abubakar Sadiq Ishaq, Secretary to the Commission, will be the Chief Magistrate Court 2, along Shendam road in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.

A source told our correspondent that, “response in terms of submission of memorandum by concerned citizens has been encouraging, with more expected to be received while the commission is sitting.”

Peoples Daily recalls that Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura while inaugurating the panel

chaired by Hon. Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan, gave its terms of reference to include, inquire into the immediate causes of the killings of over 100 security personnel at Alakyo and the extent of the involvement of the outlawed Ombatse militia group.

To inquire into how and why, despite its proscription last year, the Ombatse militia continues with its activities unabated and continues to cause a breach of the peace in the state.

The Commission is also expected to inquire into how and where

the militia group was formed, its founders, promoters, sponsors, financiers, members, and examine their roles in the killing of the said security operatives.

The commission, according to the Governor, has six weeks to submit its report.

Food poisoning kills 20 children in India, sparks protests

A

t least 20 children have died and dozens taken to hospital with apparent food poisoning after eating a meal provided free by their school in the Indian state of Bihar, the Education Minister said on Wednesday.

The development sparked violent protests across the state.

Police said the children, aged eight to 11, fell ill after eating a lunch of rice, soybean and pulses on Tuesday.

The school, in the district of Chapra, provided free meals under the Mid-Day meal scheme, the world’s largest school feeding programme involving 120 million children.

Education Minister, M.M. Pallam Raju, said a school cook also died after apparently eating the meal. The initial death toll of eight shot up to 20 on Wednesday.

The exact cause of the deaths will be known only after the postmortem examinations and food sample tests, doctors and state officials said.

“As soon as my boy returned from school, we rushed to the hospital with him.

“He was vomiting and said his stomach was aching,’’ said Raja Yadav, the father of one schoolboy.

Dozens of residents took to the streets in Chapra, pelting a police station with stones and setting

ablaze buses and other vehicles, television channels showed.

“We are currently treating 27 children here,’’ said R.K. Singh, medical superintendent at the children’s hospital in the state capital, Patna.”

Out of those on admission nine are in serious condition, 18 are stable.’’

Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, has ordered an inquiry into the incident and has offered $3,400 to the families of those who have died, the state’s Food Minister said.

Bihar is one of the most impoverished states in India, according to government data. (Reuters/NAN)

R

eports said that yesterday Britain legalised gay marriage after Queen Elizabeth II gave her royal assent to a bill approved by lawmakers, paving the way for the first same sex weddings in 2014.

Members of parliament cheered as they were told the historic bill, pushed through by Prime Minister David Cameron despite opposition within his party, had passed into law.

The first gay weddings are expected in the middle of next year as the government is sorting out issues such as the impact on pensions.

“This is a historic moment that will resonate in many people’s lives,” said Culture Minister Maria Miller, whose department was responsible for the bill.

“I am proud that we have made it happen, and I look forward to the first same sex wedding by next summer.”

Lawmakers in parliament’s lower House of Commons formally approved the bill on Tuesday night, a day after the Upper House of Lords gave it the nod.

The Queen’s assent, given in her capacity as Head of State, was then announced in both chambers of parliament on Wednesday, at which point it became law.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

M

y husband is in the process of looking for jobs online. He is just finishing up his PhD work, and is looking for work. Because we live in a rather small and secluded town, it is clear that we will have to move in order for him to find work.

This makes the internet essential to his efforts. As he searches online, he is making efforts to search more efficiently, without spending time wading through irrelevant postings on huge sites.

With unemployment stubbornly high, the way you conduct your online job hunt could make the difference between having a great job and being in one that you absolutely hate. Here are some things to consider as you work to improve your online job hunt: Look to the Source One of the best things to do is to think about which organisations you are interested in working for, and go to the source. My husband would like to work in public health, so he has been looking at postings for different state and local governments to see whether researcher and community educator positions are available.

He is also looking at research institutes and even the federal government’s USA jobs site.

If you have an idea of what you want to do, and where you could do it, go to the source and look online to see if there are job openings, or if you can put your application and resume on file.

Money Tip: Ways to save money Book your own ‘package’ holiday online The popularity of High Street travel agents is waning as more and more people warm to the benefits of researching and putting together their own holidays on the internet. If your holiday consists of flights, accommodation, transfers and possibly car hire, then take this test. Order a brochure from a leading holiday company and work out the price of your holiday including all the complicated supplements. Now go online and, starting with the flights, try to put the same package together.

Beat the ticket touts Ticket touts earn their living by getting hold of tickets that are ‘otherwise unavailable’. Well, here’s the news: they are available to everyone when they first go on sale. You just need to know when they go on sale. Simply sign up to for the free ticket alert newsletters from the main agents to ensure that you’re first in the queue.

Quote

“Common sense is genius dressed up in work clothes.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson: Philosopher, poet, politician

PAGE 11

Money Sense

Improving your on-line job hunt

Visit industry and niche job boards Rather than looking at major job sites, you can check out niche job boards. My husband is also considering that post-doc may be his best bet for riding out

the current job market troubles.

So he is looking at boards that cater to post-docs, as well as visiting the sources of jobs.

Many industries have job boards related to them, and this can be a good way to see what is available

in your specific industry.

Watch your on-line profile As you engage in your online job hunt, it is important to make sure that your online profile is professional. This is about more than just signing up for a

LinkedIn profile. It means that your other social media profiles, such as on Facebook and Twitter, are appropriate as well. More and more, employers are doing research on a wide variety of social media. What you put out there in public could be a problem. On the other hand, if you are tweeting interesting and useful information about your industry, and if the “info” section of your Facebook account offers some insight into your expertise, your social media profiles could be helpful. It’s all about creating a consistent picture of your personal brand image.

Get the word out You don’t have to beg for a job, but you can let your social network know that you are looking. Even your offline network can help you. My mom sent my husband a link to a possible job that she had heard of.

This made my husband’s online job search a little easier — and offered a possibility he hadn’t considered originally. When others know you are looking, it makes it easier for your name to come to mind if someone asks for recommendations. Don’t worry, opportunities are everywhere.

Mobile money enhancing financial inclusion

G

etting cash into the hands of a teaming populace can be a herculean task in a country as vast as ours. In spite of Nigeria’s relatively sophisticated banking sector, the over 6,000 branches that the commercial and microfinance banks have introduced are not nearly sufficient for a potential market of over 140 million people. Because of the low bank penetration, a large part of the

population is financially excluded from the formal banking system.

From informal to formal channels The primary objective of financial inclusion strategies that are being implemented across the developing world is to connect the “unbanked” population with the formal banking system. In the absence of access to the formal banking system for most Nigerians, transactions tend to be cash based,

leaving no audit trail for regulators to monitor. Mobile money will introduce more transparency and create greater visibility in transactions and money flows as remittances move from informal to formal channels.

The challenges of financial inclusion include illiteracy and a lack of awareness, a cumbersome documentation process and difficulty in proving identity or proof of address, long distances and often awkward physical access to bank branches particularly in rural and isolated locations, low income and high transaction costs.

What is Mobile money and how does it work?

Simply put, Mobile Money is a service that enables money to be transferred through a mobile phone. Once the account holder has registered and the account has been set up, subscribers can carry out a number of operations; they can deposit money, pay bills, transfer and withdraw funds and buy goods and services via text messaging and in a cost effective way.

To open a mobile money account, you will be required to take some form of identification to a mobile money outlet, which will include telecom shops, large and small retailers, for registration.

You can then deposit money, which can be transferred to a mobile phone even where the recipient uses a different service provider. The recipient receives a notification on their mobile phone via text message with which they can visit a local agent to receive the money.

A medium of storage Mobile money provides unbanked mobile phone users with a secure platform, which introduces easy to use menus on their phone to send messages

through an audited system; it can authenticate both sender and recipient and record the transaction in a secure way. In addition to its ability to increase transactions, mobile money is an ideal medium of storage of money for both the banked as well as unbanked subscribers.

More secure than carrying cash Many Nigerians have to travel far away from home to find work and need to send money back to their dependent extended family in rural areas to meet their daily expenses and assist with their bills.

The cost of remitting money can be very high and this forces people to depend on more informal channels such as friends or relatives to remit or physically deliver money.

Mobile technology lowers the cost of remittances as it removes the need for physical points of presence. The ability to pay for goods and services, without having to carry cash, has universal appeal.

With mobile money, travelling long distances just to deliver cash, which comes with significant risk of loss or theft, should no longer be an issue and the money will be delivered as fast as it takes a text message to arrive.

Opportunities for small retailers Retailers will be able to register their outlets as agents offering the service and in return get a commission for registering new subscribers. Naturally the retailers would also benefit from an increased number of customers visiting their stores, as they are likely to make other purchases from the store. Throughout Nigeria, with its vibrant entrepreneurial populace, there are retailers that are well placed to register their outlets so that subscribers can easily withdraw their cash.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion Simple questions for this New APC

By Anthony A. Kila

T

he most fascinating political formation in the country at the moment is the newly formed All Peoples Congress (APC). It is of interest because it is an entity still in embryo. We shall have to call it “association” and “thing” because technically APC is not a registered political party. Now the group has interim officers. We wish them all the best in their new roles and warn them right away that many of us will be keeping a very close eye on their activities and utterances.As said, it is important to note here that one of the reasons many of us greeted the amalgamation of opposition parties into one big national force is because we feel it is good for Nigeria as a whole to have an alternative party capable of truly competing with the ruling party, and by so doing forcing both sides to give their best. This desire for a truly national opposition party is not new; many of us consider it an asset for our democracy hence the support for the project from many quarters even before they have achieved or promised anything.

To whom much is given, much is expected. Some of the many things one expects from a political party formed in 2013 and those charged with leading such party is their ability to listen to observers and to truly consider

themselves accountable to voters and supporters; also important is their ability to continuously make eye contact with reality. At that, here are some reality checks for this new group. Whilst the idea of merging many opposition parties into one is noble, smart and healthy for the country, it is also true that the need to merge many opposition parties into one party in order to be able to truly compete with the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a clear proof that the PDP is evidently stronger than any of those parties.

It is also worth noting that while each of the party in the new ‘union’ might have its past, a clear programme and clear positions on every matter of national interest, all

“

that is gone now; everything needs to be rethought and rewritten in the name of the new thing called APC. Given such reality, the questions now are what is the plan of this new thing to be called APC? Does it want to be a new and maybe a stronger PDP or a different party with a clear alternative for Nigerians? There are some issues on which the PDP and those that represent it have had more than a chance in the last 14 years to let us know where they stand. As those that will lead the APC settle into their offices, we as citizens would like to know where the new party stands on some of those same issues.

Let us start from the simple but important issue of the symbolic

day of celebrating democracy in Nigeria. Will the new APC stick to May 29 or will it change course and opt for June 12 across the country?

In the last 14 years, many have being calling for the convocation of a national conference that will give the people of this country the opportunity to sit down to truly examine and discuss issues related to their sovereignty and their mode of government in order to perfect our union. As some observers have had occasions of pointing out, what we call our constitution today is in fact a military decree handed down to the people the ways military decrees are forced on people. Will the APC commit to ending such stain on the history of Nigeria and psyche of Nigerians?

Let us start from the simple but important issue of the symbolic day of celebrating democracy in Nigeria. Will the new APC stick to May 29 or will it change course and opt for June 12 across the country?

In the last 14 years, many have being calling for the convocation of a national conference that will give the people of this country the opportunity to sit down to truly examine and discuss issues related to their sovereignty and their mode of government in order to perfect our union. As some observers have had occasions of pointing out, what we call our constitution today is in fact a military decree handed down to the people the ways military decrees are forced on people.

Last year, Nigerians started the New Year with protests against the bad news the government broke to them about the removal of oil subsidies. The government claimed to have concluded to partially remove and partially maintain the subsidy. Some like Professor Tam David-West insisted there was no subsidy at all. Can the APC tell us very quickly where they stand on this matter? Will they revoke it, will they maintain the status quo or will they remove what is left of it? One of the consequences of the FGN’s removal of oil subsidy last year is to get citizens interested in the cost of governance in Nigeria.

The result is that many now believe that the cost of running the state is absolutely expensive and relatively unsustainable. Can the APC commit to reviewing and reducing the cost of governance?

Although proper electioneering has not commenced, but in view of that will the APC commit to four or five cardinal points as the keystone of its manifesto for 2015? From electricity to water, from health to education, topics abound from which they can choose their points.

These are very simply and widely discussed issues, so surely each one of those going to formulate positions for their party has had a chance to think about it. If they haven’t then we are in trouble.

Anthony A. Kila via anthonykila@mail.com

… Traducers’ never-ending dirty antics

By Muhammadu S. A. Malumfashi

R

egardless of its substance and the obvious futility of the effort, a drowning person would still reach out for any object in sight in the hope of saving dear life. And anyone in the clutches of a drowning person had better be a good and strong swimmer for down they would go together, otherwise.

To say that the ruling (perhaps) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is living on a borrowed time is to state the obvious. With the multiple crises rocking the party left, right and centre, Nigerians’ increasing disenchantment with the most corrupt and inept administration in the history of the nation and the all-but-consummated coming together of the leading opposition political parties into the All Progressives Congress (APC), the days of the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa in the driving seat of governance are without doubt coming to an end. With it would go the impunity that has stunted the progress of the nation, especially these past 13 years.

To be sure, the PDP has so progressively misgoverned the nation in the past 14 years that even after four general elections, the so-called largest party in Africa has yet to convince majority of Nigerians that democracy is indeed the better alternative to the military dictatorship it replaced

in 1999, or even that there is a fundamental difference between the two. Even the much taunted rule of law would now appear, to all intents and purposes, only in name, as the political space is suffused with intolerance to views opposed to the official line .In Aso Rock Presidential Villa as in Wadata Plaza, dissenting views are not suffered lightly, as language best suited to the denizens of the motor park is the ready medium of response to government and party critics. Presidential spokesmen Drs. Reuben Abati and DoyinOkupe and their erstwhile PDP counterpart, OlisehMetuh would shame any self-respecting motor park tout any day when it comes to using undignified presidential language to respond to criticism, no matter how constructive.

Although Nigeria’s earnings

“

in the past 13 years have been unprecedented, the level of decay of infrastructure, the pervasive insecurity and abject poverty in the country have been equally unprecedented, courtesy of the even more unprecedented level of corruption which, under the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, has assumed a new definition, becoming a byeword for governance. So pervasive is the nauseating corruption in high places that Nigerians always look back with nostalgia to preceding administrations from1999 to date.

Therefore, the response of the collapsing PDP to the opposition political parties’ re-strategising ahead of the 2015 general elections did come as a surprise only to the gullible, because it is not dissimilar to the wild panic of the drowning person.

Ever since it became obvious that there was no going back on the proposed coming together in a merger by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction each of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), the PDP has made a very poor show of concealing its panic at the prospect of having a formidable opponent to face at the polls in 2015. The merging parties had hardly revealed the name of their proposed party as the All Progressives Congress when some hungry claquers rushed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register political parties with similar APC acronym.

And now that that antic has

To be sure, the PDP has so progressively misgoverned the nation in the past 14 years that even after four general elections, the so-called largest party in Africa has yet to convince majority of Nigerians that democracy is indeed the better alternative to the military dictatorship it replaced in 1999, or even that there is a fundamental difference between the two. Even the much taunted rule of law would now appear, to all intents and purposes, only in name, as the political space is suffused with intolerance to views opposed to the official line.

failed the emerging APC has been leveled a Muslims political party, with those sponsoring this line of profiling mischievously ignoring the fact that the 35 positions in the interim EXCO are about evenly split among Muslims (18) and Christians (17).

In between and, in fact, long before these puerile attempts to undermine the oppositions’ emergent APC, some of its principal promoters have been variously profiled as strange bedfellows, religious bigots, liars, expired politicians, ethnic irredentists, etc, by both official spokespersons as well as sponsored commentators.

For most of the over 160 million Nigerians, these attempts to undermine the APC are all the more reasons why its promoters should remain resolute and steadfast even after it is successfully registered, for those willing to use religion to divide the society in order to cling to power will not give up until the results of the 2015 elections are announced. Meanwhile, proponents of progress should take consolation in the Hausa saying that “In rana ta fitotafinhannubayakare ta”, which loosely translates as “the palm cannot cover the emerging sun”. The APC is thus the emerging sun which will eventually shine regardless of the antics of its traducers.

Muhammadu S. A. Malumfashi wrote from Kongo Zaria.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Opinion & Online Comments My debt to late Senator Albert Legogie

By Efosa Uhumwangho

W

hen OmoruyiOsagiede sent a message to former Federal Government College Kwali, Abuja students in the United Kingdom that Senator Albert Legogie was dead, I immediately believed it.

Omoruyi was not one given to idle rumours. I immediately searched the internet for what information I could get about the death. As I was doing this, my elder brother, Osaretin sent me a Blackberry message confirming the death of Albert Legogie. Osaretin knew Victor Legogie, the first son of the Senator as they were in the same Faculty in the University of Benin.

Victor was the last of my “school fathers” in secondary school and I attended University of Benin with him as well. I was also friends with Jennifer Legogie, Victor’s younger sister. I visited their family house in Benin regularly but never met the senator in the house. I only met him once in 1992 when he was invited as Chairman of the prize giving day ceremony at Federal Government College Kwali, Abuja.

He was Deputy Senate President then.

Senator Albert Legogie gave his opening remark during the prize giving ceremony and it was less than 10 minutes. However, one hour later he was invited to the stage again because he had

become library to fulfil the next prefect, though agenda which was disappointitled “Chairman’s tingly, Time”. He Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, UcheOnyeama cracked a joke on text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’

All written got this. account of this. contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters Whenever The intention of results from the school was - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your tests and clear: Deputy name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be examinations Senate President, addressed to: on government please dig deep were released, into your pockets The Editor, I went round or the National each of these Assembly’s Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, classes to get pockets and leave 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. the results a legacy for the Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com of the top school. I don’t SMS: 08134607052 students. recall what he I recorded promised the these results in a notebook and this Senator Albert Legogie was no school but very much remember became a benchmark to measure longer Deputy Senate President, his other promise. He promised a performance. Chukwuka Olisekwu, and the Senate was no more. My one-off prize of N1, 500 for the best who shared the same seat with secondary school didn’t maintain student in the subject, Government me always laughed when I was the link with the senator and even for all three secondary school updating results of my colleagues Victor, his son, had finished his levels. What else does a student in my notebook. I suspect he felt education at the school. My big need to get fired up? This was my motivation was because I didn’t money dream was killed. However, enough motivation for a student to want to be beaten by a girl, as Bimbo what was more poignant for me was push the boundaries of academic Olobayo was a very formidable what I did to lay my hands on the excellence. I needed this money. ill-fated N1, 500. My competition for opponent.

N1, 500 was big money then and Thinking back now, as far as this prize was in classes D, E and F. I still remains valuable even now.

1992 I was successfully deploying went to the library regularly to read Soon the carpet was swept off feet. benchmarking as a competitive newspapers about current events in General Ibrahim Babangida struck. strategy and till date all big politics to support my examination Perhaps, you will understand corporations use benchmarks answers. I never wanted to restrict why the annulment of June 12, 1993 competitively. The strategy was myself to the standard answers presidential election by Ibrahim simple, know what the competition expected by my teacher, I wanted to Babangida meant different things was doing and get ahead of them. be different. Yes, I wanted N1, 500. to different people. Babangida’s Senator Legogie propelled me. My My love for the library made me decision meant the National motivation for Government went feel like the undisputable person to Assembly’s life was cut short,

Al-Mustapha freed, acquitted by Lagos court The deed has been done; there is nothing one can do about it, but for those that did it and the ones they have done it to, a patient dog eats the fattest bone. I am assuring you that the sky is your limit. God is ready to take you to the greatest level; after all, prisoners are the best of leaders in the country. That is my dream for you, sir and i will be the one to campaign for you, don’t worry.

Akila Joshua ……………………………

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the champion of women

WRITE TO US

than university undergrads. But why is it that university students are more respected, valued and higher paid than us polytechnic students in the labour market? Federal govt has to do some thing about it, bcos we are not happy.

Amodu Salihu Victor ……………………………………………….

Court judgement have given FAAN opportunity to develop airports, says GM It is a wicked lie and deliberate falsehood meant to mislead the business community and genuine investors.It is bait which FAAN is planning for a journey to nowhere as usual with its concessionaires. Please, beware of

dinning with the devil.

Oluwa Gbemiga It is a wicked lie and deliberate falsehood meant to mislead the business community and genuine investors.Do not be deceived.

J.O. Akins …………………………………………

Jos stadium now to cost N11.3bn Da David Jang, nobody can believe these achievements against the backdrop of lean financial resources and sustained security challenges facing the state. God is your strength and He will surely provide you with the means to also start work on the destroyed Jos ultra-modern market.

Emmanuel Tapshan

beyond the monetary offer from the Senator as I now needed to make history. Back then in our school, a brochure was produced every year detailing results of all students in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE).

From the brochures, no student had achieved an A1 (distinction) in Government in the SSSCE in the history of the school. In reverence to Legogie and his motivation, I achieved this feat.

With an emphatic success in Government, I still believed I could lay hands on the Senator’s award despite Babangida’s annulment.

I didn’t need the school to make the link as I knew his house in Benin. I visited the Senator’s house more than 5 times and I always told Victor that I wanted to see his father since he owed me money.

It was always a comic moments as we always laughed about this.

When Jennifer gained admission to University of Benin and while being introduced to her for the first time, the first comment I made was the father owed me money and I needed her help to get my money back. The fact remains that in all this, I am indebted to the late Senator. He owed me nothing as his offer motivated me to achieve what has remained invaluable – a competitive streak that remains insurmountable; a self-belief and self motivation that continues to define my being. This is more than the gift I expected from your gesture in 1992 and from the depth of my heart, I say “Thank you”.

Efosa Uhunmwangho via Efosa236@yahoo.com

Popular Yoruba actor, Olayiwola’s daughter is missing I pray she finds her daughter. May GOD help her!

Extreme Glow Beauty …………………………………………………

Let’s have more academics, professionals in politics – Alkali Sir, you have done well but still there are some little organic structures to put in place, oh.

Akila Joshua

We need help from the President.

Soroghaye Jimmy ………………………….

Kadpoly members disagree over conversion to varsity If we need to move forward in all forms of development, then we have to realize that the polytechnic system of education has a role to play in the development process and as such there should be no atom of difference amongst the poly and university folks. Do you know that polytechnic students do more reading and practical work, etc than their university counterparts?So many words to express now, these differences have to stop.

Because nothing is static.

SANMSONDRUMS I sincerely stand on my feet to declare without any doubt, that we, polytechnic students are, more vibrant in practical work

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (1st right), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd of smypathisers, supporters and relations that thronged the Kano airport to welcome him, during his arrival, yesterday at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, in Kano. In front of him is the founder, O’odua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Faseun who escorted him home from Lagos.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment Governance: The Kano, Abia paradigms

By Emmanuel Onwubiko

I

n Kano State where a professional engineer who was once defence minister holds sway as governor (Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso), in the last six or so years, over five thousand youth selected from the local councils across political, religious and ethnic divides have all but being flown to different world capitals in Europe, America and the middle East to attend on state government scholarship scheme, different specialized and professional academic trainings in the fields of rare engineering courses and other sciences with a view to returning to help build vibrant educational and academic environment in Kano in the foreseeable future.

Thus an observer can righty say that in Kano today, the youth are witnessing an upswing in positive governance paradigm shift.

In Abia state where Theodore Orji, a man who has worked for over three decades in different capacity in the State civil service and rose to become chief of staff to former governor Orji UzorKalu [OUK] before being railroaded to the prestigious office of governor, another kind of youth empowerment program has being launched with fanfare but with much emphasis on vocational skill acquisition and distribution of taxi cabs to youth for commercial activities as taxi drivers. This,

to a lot of observers is surely a fast decline in good thinking and positive visioning process of governance and thus can be classified as a negative paradigm shift in governance.

Here lies the irony: Abia is in South East Nigeria which is ranked as one of the most educationally frontline states with some of the highest secondary school leavers seeking for admissions into higher academic institutions of learning.

On the other hand, Kano state is in the North West which is ranked as educationally backward and disadvantaged. While Kano state governor takes up the issue of comprehensive investments in the educational capacity building of thousands of its youth, Abia state on the other hand is paying much attention to the production of youth artisans including commercial drivers, carpenters and tailors and apprentices in other vocational skills acquisition schemes.

In the last six years, the current Kano State governor has established what is considered as one of the best equipped science university which has attracted the attention of some very rich entrepreneurs of Kano state origin including the World’s richest Black African AlhajiAlikoDangote. But Abia state government has failed within the same period to properly fund its university and the derelict state polytechnic in Abia. Abia state polytechnic in Aba still looks like

a glorified secondary school even as students from poor homes are left to their design to fund their education without any scholarship from the state, to the best of my knowledge.

The current political leadership in Kano State has set out to build enduring legacy of good, qualitative and science-based tertiary schools for the academic and economic empowerment of the youth for a better tomorrow.

Governor Kwankwaso told a Nigerian journalist why his administration is focused basically on educational investment and anchored the reason on the sacred fact that education holds the key to radical development of the people and society. He said: “Without education it is very difficult for a society or country to develop.

Education is number one and first agenda of our administration.

We started right from primary education where we reintroduce the issue of free feeding of pupils in schools 5 times a week; we also give each pupil two sets of uniform.

In fact we have spent billions of Naira in providing infrastructure and other materials. WithN8 billion, we were able to achieve so much especially in terms of building classrooms. We have over 1,800 classrooms with reasonable amount of offices. The schools are designed in such a way that in each block there are 4 classes and two offices. The teacher- student

ratio is now reasonable. We are also converting some abandoned projects into training schools.

Training and retraining our teachers is now mandatory.”

On why his administration is spending public fund well to train Kano state youth in their thousands abroad in professional and specialized courses, the Kano state governor said the meaningful human capacity building of the youth holds the key to peace, stability and economic growth of Kano state now and in the future.

His words: “We are deliberately creating avenues for our citizens to acquire education in all fields of human endeavor owing to the fact that investing in knowledge brings about accelerated social change and sustainable technological progress”. A Japanese commercial advertisement slogan states “ good thinking; good product”.

One cannot but applaud this educational revolution going on in Kao state.

In Abia State, the reverse is the case where critical thinking and visionary leadership attributes were lacking in the formulation of the so-called youth empowerment program by the current administration which has placed so much emphasis on production of commercial drivers rather than training the Abia youth in some rare professional and scientific fields that will turn them into World class experts who will

This is a season of lying

By IkechukwuMbachu

F

ew people in Nigeria expect a saint as president, but no one expects a serial liar as president. Since the inception of his presidency, the president and his team have repeatedly told Nigerians barefaced lies. They have lied several times to Nigerians about so many issues. Media outfits like Sahara Reporters and Premium Times have caught and exposed the president and his team several times in their web of lies.

There are several instances where the president has been less than truthful to Nigerians. One can only mention the ones that readily come to mind. The president once lied to the nation about its ranking with Transparency International; when he told the nation that “Nigeria is the second most improved country in the effort to curb corruption” This was later proven to be a lie

by Premium Times who sought confirmation from Transparency International. Others lies told by the presidency includes lies about the Manitoba power contract, lies about the health of the first lady and her travel abroad, lies about the SURE Project, lies about negotiations with Boko Haram and countless other issues.

Recently, the president has perfected the act of fomenting troubles while simultaneously

washing his hands of such troubles with guile and dexterity. The president is fast becoming used to playing the role of Pontius Pilate and it seems he is getting better at it each passing day. The conduct of the president and his team in recent times reminds me of the rats in my village. These rats are very devious, they feast on your flesh while blowing wafts of cool air on your feet, before you know it they have consumed significant portion of your flesh. The president and his team belong to the special class of people who can point a loaded gun at your forehead while instantaneously denying they have any intention of harming you.

There have been instances when the integrity and sincerity of the President has been questionable, to say the least. A case in point is the removal of

“

the former governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva. Although the president stridently denied accusations of his having a hand in the affair back then, it is now clear who the orchestrated the removal of the Tim Sylvia. Lately, the president tried to distance himself from the controversial election of Nigerian Governors Forum’s chair by giving the false impression of having no interest in the matter, when evidence suggests otherwise. Some people have even accused the President of not keeping to agreements and not being a man of his word. Some Northern leaders have berated him for what they term betrayal of trust. They point to the gentleman’s agreement between them and the President that he was going to do only one term. Today, it is clear that Mr. President is reneging on

the so-called agreement because his actions and body language indicate that he is very interested in getting a second term. This may be the reason he is waging a war of attrition against Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state who he now sees as a threat to his second term ambition.

Although the president has tried to wash his hands off the crisis in Rivers State, the case still hangs around his neck like an albatross. Even though the President and his men have tried to portray an objective stance in the whole matter, it’s easy to guess the side that has the president’s support. It was even reported that the presidential adviser on political matters, Ahmed Gulak asked for Governor Amaechi to be prosecuted after his term in office. So much for not taking sides!

There have been instances when the integrity and sincerity of the President has been questionable, to say the least. A case in point is the removal of the former governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva.

Although the president stridently denied accusations of his having a hand in the affair back then, it is now clear who orchestrated the removal of the Tim Sylvia.

not only bring pride to Abia State but will create comprehensive economic spaces for its economic advancement. Does the governor wish that the state produces more commercial drivers and touts who may one day be forced by circumstances to work as commercial and private drivers of those Kano youth now being trained abroad as professionals by the Kano state government?

Here are the reasons given by Abia state government for (‘dashing’) awarding refurbished taxi cabs to the youth The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Theodore Orji, Mr.UgochukwuEmezue, said the programme was to engage the youth in the state with useful venture. He said that the government embarked on the empowerment programme in order to secure the youth of the state, insisting that it has no political attachment.My simple reply to Abia state government is that they should go back to the drawing board, put on their thinking cap and deploy public fund in training of selected Abia youth in some rare professional courses both home and abroad so they can compete favourably in the global market place with their contemporaries rather than being trained as commercial cab drivers in this increasingly globalized World.

Emmanuel Onwubiko is on Twitter.

Where is the neutrality? What else would give a commissioner of police the temerity to challenge the chief security officer of the state if not powers from above? My people say if you see a bird dancing by the road side, know that there must be a drummer somewhere in the bush. For a lawmaker to allegedly order police to shoot a governor is the height of absurdity. What could have emboldened him that much if not powers from above?

Lest one be accused of taking side with Governor Amaechi and his cohorts, it must be stated that the conduct of some pro-Amaechi lawmakers is highly condemnable and inexorable. However, it is clear that if the president and his team want to restore his honor and truly resolve the conflict he must first come clean with facts. Like they say “He who comes into equity must come with clean hands” So far there is no indication of this. The “office of the first lady” has also followed in the self-exculpation game. Just yesterday the first lady tried to act as a peacemaker when she advised the combatants to sheathe their swords. Is it that she has so soon forgotten all the inflammatory statements she made during her visit to the state? Or has she started believing her own lies?

It is one thing to lie; it is another thing to believe your lies.

Sadly it seems that the president and his men have got to this stage.

Ikechukwu Mbachu wrote in from Brandenburg Technical University, Cottbus, Germany

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 16

Kwali residents cry over deplorable roads

By Usman Shuaibu

T

he residents of Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the chairman of the area council, Hon. Daniel Ibrahim to repair the dilapidated roads in the area.

They also urged the chairman to construct bridges in some villages which were cut-off from Kwali Area Council for so long now.

A resident Mr. Samuel Emmanuel pleaded with the chairman to expedite action to provide infrastructural facilities in the area further emphasized that many villages were neglected in the area of social amenities.

Another resident, Mr. Saidu Abdullahi called on the council boss to construct boreholes in Kwali and its environs to arrest the shortage of water facing the people during dry season.

Not left out, a business woman, Mrs. Ngozi Samson, appealed to the chairman to upgrade the Kwali central market to pave way for revenue generation, noted that despite the revenue being collected by the area council nothing had been done to restructure the market.

Scene of an accident at Zuba garage in Abuja at the weekend.

Photo NAN

Traditional ruler assures of peace in Suleja

Subsidy: Beneficiaries to pay N1, 500 per annum on Health Insurance Scheme

By Usman Shuaibu

By Adeola Tukuru

T

I

he Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, Eze Chukwuchiri C. Okoli has said his administration would continue to maintain good relationship with the Igbo community as well as other tribal association in the area.

In an interview with newsmen, he said that his leadership would work hand in hand with Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the interest of peace in the area.

He called on Igbos as well as other tribes in Suleja to embrace peace irrespective of their political, religious and tribal inclinations, while advising them to be law-abiding citizens all the times.

He further appealed to Islamic scholars and pastors to preach peace among their followers, as according to him, with peace Nigeria will move forward.

The traditional ruler who recently paid courtesy visit to the Director of State Security Services (SSS), the Area Commander, Divisional Police Officers (DPO) and Eze Igbo I of Suleja in order to foster unity among them in the area, called the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Suleja chapter, Chief Eze Ugo Ahannaya Emmanuel, said that the purpose of the visit was to parley with the stakeholders to pave way for peaceful co-existence in the area.

Emmanuel said that his leadership would continue to maintain good relationship with the Igbo community as well as other tribal association in the area.

n the aim to ensure that rural populace gets unhindered access to qualitative health care delivery through the implementation of Community Based Health Insurance Scheme, the FCT Administration has announced that benefiting community members in the FCT are to pay the sum of N1, 500 per annum

as contribution while the FCT Administration pays N13, 500 for each member as subsidy.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed made this disclosure this yesterday after a meeting with some officials of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, said that the pilot scheme has commenced in 60 rural communities across the nooks and crannies of the Federal

Capital Territory.

Senator Mohammed reiterated that the scheme is an upscale of the Community Empowerment Agricultural Initiatives of the Federal Capital Territory where over 38,000 farmers income have increased more than 1,000 percent.

According to him, the scheme currently has over 8,000 enrollees including

the principal as well as the dependents; stressing that the number would continue to rise until all FCT communities are adequately covered.

The Minister further revealed that static Primary Health Centers and Mailafiya Mobile Healthcare currently service the scheme in tune with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

FCTA set to relocate Nyanya labour camp

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is set to commence the process of relocation of the Nyanya Labour Camp.

Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide assured that adequate financial provision has been made in the recently approved FCT budget for takeoff of the project.

Akinjide, who made this known during an over-sight visit by the House Committee on FCT to the Satellite Town Development Agency, revealed that a large expanse has been provided at Gidan daya, along JikwoyiKarsh road for the relocation of the 7,000 households presently inhabiting the camp.

She said the camp which was supposed to be a temporary abode has remained on ground for 35 years with the attendant appalling condidtion of the houses.

According to her, the relocation becomes necessary as international organisations like Habitat and the USA has certified the camp as unfit for habitation.

“A land has been provided for relocation of the Nyanya Labour Camp at Gidan daya, along Jikwoyi-Karshi road. In house engineering design has been completed and adequate provision has been made for mobilisation in the 2013 budget, “the minister told the committee members during her presentation.

In same vein, the minister inform the House members that

the FCT administration had also budgeted for the for funds in the 2013 budget for implementation of its affordable mass housing scheme in Mamusa and Wasa Districts in the Territory.

Advisement To this effect, she hinted: “The in house infrastructural design, technical and financial bid has been concluded for the Mamusa district”.

She further sought for the support of the committee for the Satellite Town Development Agency which was resuscitated in 2011 for rapid development of the FCT satellite towns saying, “the first 35 years of the FCT was city-centric but the next 35 years should be the period of development of the satellite town”.

Earlier, the Chairman, House Commitee on the FCT, HonM Emmanuel Jimeh said the visit was to assess the performance of the agency in the area of affordable housing development and infrastructural development vis-a-viz the provisions of the 2012 and 2013 budgets.

Hon. Jimeh, who emphasised the need for simultaneous development of the city and the satelite towns said the planning and development of the city and satelite towns must be simultenous for decongestion of the city.

This was as he assured that the committee would pay regular visits to the agency and monitor the procurement process to ensure that the projects are delivered.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 17

Metro

INSIDE FCT COURTS Man jailed for failing to produce accused for trial

A

n Abuja Senior Magistrates Court on Monday sentenced one Hamza Aminu of Kuchingoro Village, Abuja to three weeks in prison for failing to produce an accused for trial.

Aminu was said to have taken one Ephraim Theddeus and Zakkaria Bala on bail at the Galadimawa Police Station on an allegation of assault and causing grievous hurt to one Festus Malu of Kaura District in the FCT. The accused was also charge with the offence of attempting to escape from police custody, after he was later caught.

Senior Magistrate Binta Dongoyaro convicted and sentenced the accused to three weeks in prison after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

Dongoyaro said the court was not satisfied with the explanation of the accused but was giving the judgment in view of the plea for leniency.

The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Paul Anigbo, had earlier told the court that the accused took the accused persons on bail and was told that he would be required to produce them whenever the need arose.

Anigbo said that when the accused was asked to produce the accused persons, he was unable to produce Bala and was, subsequently, arrested.

The prosecutor also said the accused attempted to escape from police custody after he was arrested at the Lugbe Police Station.

Anigbo said the offence contravened the provisions of section 167 and 173 of the Penal Code.

Section 167 of the Penal Code says ``whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, causes any evidence of the commission of the offence to disappear with the intention of screening the offender from legal punishment shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine.’’

Also, Section 173 stipulates that ``whoever in any case not provided for in section 172 intentionally offers any resistance or illegal obstruction to the lawful arrest of himself or escapes or attempts to escape from any custody in which he is lawfully detained, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.’’ (NAN)

Bartender charged for allegedly selling drinks above recommended price

O

ne Victor Agu, a bar-man of Boulevard Garden, residing in Mpape, was yesterday arraigned before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court, Wuse Zone for allegedly selling drinks to customers above the recommended price.

Agu is standing trial on a two-count charge of criminal misappropriation and cheating.

The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Emmanuel Adikwu, told the court that one Nicholas Nze of Maitama, Abuja filed the complaint at the Maitama Police Station on July 10.

Adikwu said that Nze

employed the accused as a bar man at his Boulevard Garden sometime in December, 2012 and entrusted the sale of drinks to him.

He said that on July 5, Nze discovered that the accused had been selling drinks to customers above the recommended price.

The prosecutor said the accused had also sold drinks to customers with the bottles amounting to N28,800 without the consent of his employer.

Adikwu said the accused converted the sum to his personal use and that the offence contravened sections 308 and

322 of the Penal Code.

If convicted under these sections, the convict could be imprisoned for a maximum of five years or fined or be punished with both.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him.

His Counsel, Mr Gabriel Egbule, prayed the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms.

Egbule said his client would not jump bail and would produce reasonable surety who would take him on bail.

He said that section 36(5) declares an accused innocent

A Park ‘n’ Pay official observing siesta, in Utako, yesterday.

until proven otherwise.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mr Christopher Oba, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in like sum.

Oba said that the surety must have a reasonable means of livelihood and a traceable address within the court’s jurisdiction which must be verified by the prosecutor.

The senior magistrate thereafter, adjourned the case to July 23,2013 telling the prosecutor to be present on the adjourned date with his witnesses. (NAN)

Photo: Emmanuel Eko

Security guard docked for alleged negligence

A

staff of Monaco Security Company, Utako, Daniel Igatta, was on Monday arraigned before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for allegedly abandoning his duty post, thereby paving way for thieves to steal two million naira.

Igatta, was reported at the Wuse Police Station on July 4 by one Segun Fadile of No. 10, Gimbiya Str., Area 11, Garki, Abuja.

According to the Prosecutor,

PC. David Udeh, the complainant packed his Honda car with registration number BS 408 KWL at the Niger Delta Restaurant in Wuse 2, where the accused worked as a guard.

The prosecutor said a lack of concentration on the part of the accused at his duty post, made the thief to break into the car and steal two million naira.

Udeh said the offence contravened Section 196 of the

Penal Code.

Section 196 of the Penal Code says, ``whoever does any act in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or to be likely to cause hurt or injury to any person or property shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to N100 or with both’’.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Senior Magistrate Shuaibu Usman granted the accused bail in the sum of one million naira with one surety in like sum.

According to the magistrate, the surety must be a civil servant on grade level 10 or above and should reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

Usman also said that the address of the surety must be ascertained by the prosecutor and adjourned the matter to Aug. 13, 2013 for hearing.

(NAN)

Photographer bags 4 months in jail for causing hurt

A

Kuje Area Court in the FCT on Monday sentenced a 33-yearold photographer, Olaniran Kolawole, to four months imprisonment for causing hurt.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convict, arraigned on a two-count charge of criminal force and causing

hurt, had pleaded guilty to the charge.

The judge, Mr Nuhu Ibrahim, said Kolawole was sentenced to two months on each count and gave him the option to pay N6,000 fine and N10,000 compensation to the complainant. ``You have the option

to pay N3,000 fine for each count, totaling N6,000 or face four months in prison. You must also pay N10,000 to the complainant,’’ he said.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Ocheche Samuel, had told the court that Christiana Solomon of Godoji village in Kuje, Abuja, lodged the complaint against the

photographer on July 6.

Samuel said the convict, who resides in Sauka, a suburb in the FCT, was arrested after he attacked and injured the complainant on her head. ``During interrogation, it was discovered that the accused came out from the bush and attacked Solomon with a wood.

``As a result of the attack, she had a serious injury on her head and was rushed to Kuje General Hospital where she was treated with the sum of N10,000,’’ he said.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 266 and 241 of the Penal Code.(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Maritime operators rally support against Nigeria Customs mgt Bill - Pg 20 FG hails Dangote Cements good relationship with host communities - Pg 22

L-R: Managing Director, Lagos State Signage and Advertisements Agency (LASAA), George Kayode Noah (left); Head, Business Development and Support, LASAA, Siraj Bello (second left); Chief Executive Officer, Ideas House, Kehinde Salami (second right); and President, Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), Kayodee Olagesin, duing EXMAN’s visit to LASAA Corporate Head Office in Alausa Ikeja, Lagos yesterday.

Kenya Airways to commence direct flights to Abuja

K

enya Airways will soon commence direct flights to Abuja in Nigeria to encourage frequent exchanges in the tourism and trade sectors, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.

The President said the recent review of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between the two countries was an important milestone that allowed Kenya airways to fly direct to Abuja.

Speaking during a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at State House Abuja, the President pointed out that tourism was an untapped potential area in the bilateral relations between the two countries. He said that the Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) on cooperation in the field of tourism under consideration by the two countries will also offer other avenues for exchanges in this important sector.

The President said, “Nigeria has a large middle class population, which would enjoy the numerous tourist attractions in Kenya. We want to see Nigerians stopping in Kenya for business and tourism not just transiting through Nairobi.”

In this regard, the President encouraged Nigerian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the attractive investment opportunities available in Kenya to conduct businesses. He further called for closer interaction between business communities

from both countries through the respective chambers of commerce and relevant trade and investment institutions to facilitate and expedite trade and investments.

Kenyatta further added that trade is the key driver of economic growth and poverty alleviation, the President stressed the need for the two countries to take charge of their economic destinies through increased intra-African trade. “Whereas I am encouraged by the growth of trade between our two countries, the potential for investment and trade is still largely under exploited” President Uhuru said.

He added that the new chancery and ambassador’s residence in Abuja which he officially opened

Cash-less Nigeria: CBN partners E-PPAN for grassroots mobilisation

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has reached an agreement with the E-Payment Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN), to be their major partners in carrying out massive mobilisation and sensitisation of the grass roots as the cash-less initiative moves to Abia, Anambra, Kano, Ogun, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The mobilisation will include series of interactive sessions with non-organised markets, trade associations, market leaders and other stakeholders.

According to the Executive Secretary of the association, Onajite Regha, if the greater percentage of Nigeria’s populace embrace the alternative forms of payment, the move to transform payment life style of Nigerians could be far-reaching, “ultimately bringing more of the money in circulation into the banking sector, lowering bank costs and improving the transmission of monetary policy”.

She said further that the experience the association gathered during the cashless Lagos mobilization, will also come to bear as they move out into the other states as the main purpose

of the awareness campaign will be to educate the grass roots on the various alternatives to cash such as the Mobile Payment, PoS, Internet banking, electronic transfer etc.

She noted that the nonorganised markets, trade associations, market leaders are very important entities in the economic value chain because of the large volume of cash transactions that they carry out on a daily basis.

“We will speak to them in the language they understand explaining the various benefits and convenience of the e-payment channels”, she further stated.

earlier in the week is the largest Kenyan diplomatic establishment in Africa and a clear testament of the country’s longstanding commitment to strengthen and consolidate its bilateral relations with Nigeria. The President said the two countries enjoyed cordial and fraternal relations nurtured over the years through friendly interaction in various spheres.

The President said that the bond between the two countries was amply demonstrated by the presence of the Nigerian leader during his recent inauguration as President of the Republic of Kenya. President Goodluck, on his part, assured President Uhuru that his Federal Government will do everything possible to enhance the bilateral relations existing between the two countries.

In attendance was Cabinet Secretary, Amb. Amina Mohammed and her Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru among senior government officials from the two countries.

(Source: http://www.thestar.co.ke)

CBN

Exchange Rates

as at 17th July, 2013 Selling Buying

$

154.76

155.76

€

235.52

237.05

£

203.89

204.54

41.26

41.53

Riyal

Parallel Rates Buying

Selling

$

157.50

158.40

€

250

253.00

£

206.00

210.00

Riyal

43.00

45.00

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY

The right questions to ask your data analysts

I

n today’s business world, you’ve got to be data literate to succeed. If you aren’t trained in analytics, don’t fret. As a nonexpert, you can play a critical role by asking your “quants” the tough questions. Here are a few that almost always lead to more rigorous, defensible analyses: Where did the data come from? How well does the sample represent the population? Does the data distribution include outliers? How did they affect

the results? What assumptions are behind your analysis? Might certain conditions render your assumptions and your model invalid? Why did you decide on that particular analytical approach? What alternatives did you consider?

If you don’t understand a reply to any of these, ask for one that uses simpler language.

Source: Business Review

Harvard

PAGE 20

Commerce&Industry Company News

Bioenergy Nigeria Ltd

A

ll Power Labs, (APL) a US-based company in partnership with Envirocycles Nigeria Limited and Bioenergy Nigeria Limited has concluded plans to demonstrate a pioneering technology for making renewable energy from biomass (waste).

The free presentations and workshops will hold in Lagos and Imo States to demonstrate a new, commercially available source of energy generation, based on biomass gasification.

Ernest Onyenze, founder and President, Bioenergy and Envirocycles Ltd, said the initiative is the key that will unlock robust transformational change in the economic landscape of Nigeria.

RMRDC

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Maritime operators rally support against Nigeria Customs mgt Bill From Olawuni Oladapo, Lagos

E

ven as the Senate recently okayed the Bill for the amendment of the Nigerian Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) to be signed into law, operators in the Nigerian maritime sector have kicked against the Bill being signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan.

A maritime expert and President of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) called on freight forwarders to join forces together and kick against the bill being signed into law by the presidency.

Also condemning the Custom Bill, frontline maritime expert and

member of the Presidential Task Force on Custom Reforms, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, who has been in the fore-front of the fight against the offensive aspects of the Bill, pointed out that the Bill spells a lot of danger if it is signed into law the way the House has passed it.

Amiwero pointed out that the Customs Law is the most important after the Nigerian Constitution, because it controls the country’s economy, especially on import and export.

AREFFN President, Dr. Frank Ukor, on his part, warned that should the Custom Management Bill be signed into law, freight forwarders will be out of business and that the remaining ones will be forced to work as slaves.

Ukor stated that about seventy percent of clearing licenses in operations today belong to customs officers, even as he added that this is why Customs do not want to be controlled by any ministry, but that it wants to operate on its own.

“With CEMA, we were enjoying, but once this Bill is passed we will be in serious trouble; worse still, it is not only us, the Customs does not want to be controlled by the Ministry of Finance or by any person; it wants to be on its own, not taking orders from anybody except the President” he said.

Giving insight into a copy of the law which he claimed to have sighted, Ukor explained that the law is also unfriendly in terms of

Fashola assures SMEs of support

T

he Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has commissioned a ginger splitting and drying equipment, which it donated to Mbaitoli Ginger Growers Association (MGGA), the first ginger-growing cluster in the South-East geopolitical zone of the country.

The equipment fully installed and tested, were locally fabricated by the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, Abia State and Farm Industries Limited, an Owerri-based firm.

This is meant to help the cluster add value to their produce. The equipment has the capacity to split one ton of ginger per hour and dry two tons of ginger per hour.

Forever Living Product

F

orever Living Product (FLP), an American premium health company, has embarked on new marketing strategy to establish a strong presence of the company’s products in the South-Eastern parts of the country especially in Enugu.

The company, which paid over N1.5 billion bonus to distributors in the first five months of this year, recently held ‘Success Showcase’ event at Enugu that had distributors from Enugu, Abakaliki, Awka, Port Harcourt, Benin-City, Calabar, Nsukka, Nnewi, Owerri, Aba, Abuja and Warri showcasing their business success story.

Managing Director, Nigeria-Benin Republic, Cornelius Tay, who described the Nigerian market as the Number four leader in the FLP world, added that the company decided to open a Distribution Center in Enugu amid competitive business environment in the city.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN (2nd right) with Managing Director, Baze Nigeria Limited, Mr. Nwankolo Obodochie (left) during his inspection visit to the Yaba Industrial Estate, Sabo-Yaba, Lagos.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

L

agos State Government has pledged its support to Small and Medium Scale Industrial Clusters in the state, to enable them to surmount their operational challenges.

The state governor, Babatunde Fashola, made the pledge on Tuesday when he visited the Yaba Mini Industrial Estate.

He said that his government was conscious of the challenges, and that it was evolving appropriate solutions to surmount them.

Fashola, noting that electricity was the heart of the SMEs’ operations, said the state

government would soon establish an Independent Power Plant (IPP) at the Yaba Industrial Estate to enable the businesses to operate.

He gave an assurance that the state government was also committed to tackling the problem in other industrial clusters in the state.

Fashola pointed out that jobs would be created if businesses were doing well, adding: ``If businesses are working they will employ. But even when manufacturing concerns and businesses are working, they are faced with many challenges, including power problem. So, the intervention we plan here and in

other industrial clusters in the state is to provide cheap power.’’

The state Commissioner for Commerce, Mrs. Senapon Oworu and other government officials accompanied the governor on the visit.

Mr. Obodochina Nwokolo, who owns a furniture factory in the estate, said that no fewer than 600 persons were engaged in the cluster and gave an assurance that if the power problem was solved, the estate could create more jobs.

He lauded Fashola for his visit, and urged him to take steps to address some of the prevailing challenges in the cluster.

invoking sanctions and penalties.

According to him, anybody that is seen within Nigerian Custom areas without authorization will get ten years jail term.

Katsina partners SMEDAN on MSME development

G

ov. Ibrahim Shema of Katsina state said, on Tuesday in Katsina, that the state government would go into partnership with relevant agencies to develop Small- and MediumEnterprises (SMEs) in the state.

Shema stated this when he received a delegation of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), led by the Director-General, Alhaji Bature Masari.

A statement issued by Ibrahim Mohammed, the organisation’s Assistant Chief Information Officer, quoted Shema as saying that the state would collaborate with SMEDAN, Industrial Training Fund, and the Bank of Industry (BoI) to develop SMEs. He said that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) had been the instrument of economic growth and socioeconomic transformation globally.

The governor said that since assumption of duty six years ago, he had embarked on the development of skills acquisition centres to serve as springboard for job creation and poverty reduction among youths.

He said the state government would establish more skills acquisition centres in local government areas to add to the existing 19 centres.

On the collaboration with SMEDAN and the two other agencies, the governor promised to work with BOI by providing matching funds to enable MSMEs access to funding for business growth.

The governor also said that the collaboration and signing of an MoU with SMEDAN would ensure rapid development of entrepreneurship and enterprises in the state.

The director-general of SMEDAN had earlier said that the agency’s partnership with Katsina State would benefit the potential and existing MSMEs in the state.

Masari said that 19 state governments had signed MoUs with BoI on the creation of funds for disbursement to MSMEs at low interest rate.

The director-general said the funds, when created, would take care of most of the collateral and conditionality’s of the bank that had been impeding access to finance. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 21

Enterprenuership

A successful business is built on patience and dedication, says Fashion Designer

By Hauwa Anaja

W

ith the growing rate of unemployment in Nigeria, the drive for self employment is gradually empowering many youths.

Nigeria is said to have a huge market for business, with its over 150 million population. However, with this soaring population many challenges abound for youths.

It is believed that jobs are scarce and many youths will remain unemployed. As a result, many youths are not resigning to fate and are taken their own destiny in their hands.

For Abiodun Suraj Akinremi, a bio-chemist turned fashion designer, he took a bold step to empower himself after his one year youth service in 2009.

“I am into fashion business; I own my clothing line called RyanBio. Actually I started my fashion idea way back in 1994, when I was still in secondary school; my mum prompted me to learn how to sew but I established my business properly after my service year in 2009 because I couldn’t get a job,” he narrates.

According to Abiodun, one of the greatest challenges of aspiring entrepreneurs is capital.

“Starting was not smooth Some of abiodun’s work at all, for a fresh graduate like for some NAFDAC staff in Kame, with no job; I didn’t have duna all the way from Lagos. any money to start with.

He continues: “When Idris “To be frank, I started with later got a job with MTN in just N5,000. I bought a fabric Kano, I made a new set of emand made something good out broidered caftans for him and of it, and when I showed my with his help, many MTN Kano friends and family they made staff are still my clients today, nice comments and request- and like a joke Idris became ed that I make one for them; my marketer and supplier,’’ he that’s how I started making smiles with nostalgia. clothes for people, especially With more demand, Abiomy friends. dun needed to expand but was Making clothes for friends still faced with the challenge of was however not enough. To growing. keep him gainfully employed, “The more the demand, Abiodun sought another way the more the need to expand; out. but I didn’t have the kind of “The first person that wore my first attire, which was a shirt and trouser, happened to be a marketer, Mr. Kunle Ogunsanya. He wore it to a Trade Fair and people made good comments and thereafter people started requesting that I make one for them.

“From there he gave out my number, and when I made a new set, I called some of my friends from school who were either serving or working, and some of them placed orders.

“One of my friends, like one Idris Abubakar, who was serving with NAFDAC then, wore it to work and before I knew it I was sewing clothes

money required to expand, like getting a business outlet and employing more hands.

So, I decided to go to an established designer; I asked to do some jobs with him so that he can pay me some percentage.

Whenever I got paid, I used it to acquire some work material I needed; from there, I was able to save from the jobs I had done before, and then rent my own business outlet in Lagos Island. I hired more hands, bought some more equipments and glory be to God, business has been good.

Today, Abiodun makes

“

Indeed, there are challenges; there are marketing challenges, satisfying your clients, sometimes scarcity of specific materials you need and meeting up with a client’s deadline.

“But, if you’re doing something good, you will go far.

and supplies embroidered caftans, for male and female, both home and abroad as well as corporate shirts and he designs wedding attires for brides and grooms, including their bridal train and grooms’ attires.

He says hard work, patience and an undying passion have brought him this far.

“Sometimes I look back and marvel at the fact that I just started with only N5,000 and didn’t waste precious time looking for a white-collar job with my Bio-chemistry certificate.”

However the fashion industry appears to witness a flow of young talented designers daily and keeping up with the competition and the demand poses a challenge to many.

Abiodun notes that being unique keeps a designer at the top of his game. “Indeed, there are challenges; there are marketing challenges, satisfying your clients, sometimes scarcity of specific materials you need and meeting up with a client’s deadline.

“But, if you’re doing something good, you will go far. I do my job well the quality is

what brings clients. Some of the clothes I make, I haven’t seen the client before, and I have clients from far and near who have never seen me, but have seen my work. They place orders, send their measurements and work begins,” he notes, recounting his most memorable job.

“My most memorable and cherished job was when a foreigner called me from a helicopter making company abroad after seeing my job with someone in Lagos and said he wanted a shirt the next day. That was the first time I was paid in foreign currency and I was like wow!, so my job can actually go far; so, it really gave me the impetus to do more and believe me, today, people wear my attires in London, America and it’s just very encouraging, believe me”.

He notes that the graduate who would have been an employee is now an employer, adding, “I studied applied Bio-chemistry I loved to practice it, but you can’t neglect your calling. I have passion in fashion I don’t think I would have achieved what I have today if I didn’t follow my passion,” he notes.

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Economy

NERC designated ‘Champion of the Freedom of Information law in Nigeria’

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has been described by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Reform of Government, Honorable Mathew Omegara, as the ‘Champion of the Freedom of Information (FoI) law in Nigeria’.

Omegara made the remarks at the Committee’s interactive session with Chief Executives of Min-

istries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government on Tuesday, July 14, 2013. He praised NERC for being the first agency in Nigeria to publicly begin implementation of the FOI law and the first to proactively make the 16 mandatory disclosures as required by the FOI law.

He told the Chief Executives that it was NERC’s proactive implementation of the FOI law that goaded the committee to enhance oversight of the implementation

of the FOI law. He enjoined other agencies to seek advice from NERC on how they can comply with the requirements of the FOI law.

In his presentation, the Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi said that “the whole idea is to create an open government because Freedom of Information greatly improves the quality of governance”.

Amadi listed the various actions undertaken by the Commission in the pursuit of the prescriptions of the FOI law, including

being the first and only agency in Nigeria to publicly declare a Code of Conduct that commits every staff of the commission to the highest standards of disclosure and transparency.

He further disclosed that NERC has designated a desk officer for the FOI and has trained relevant officers locally and international in order to ensure responsiveness to FOI request.

Dr. Amadi assured the Committee that NERC, as a regulator,

would mandate complete disclosures for all licensees in the electricity industry in order to ensure effective energy audit and ensure quality services to the consumers.

In a statement by the NERC ‘s Assistant General Manager, Media, Maryam Yaya Abubakar, Amadi also told the Committee that the most difficult challenge faced was the conceptual hurdle because of the erroneous belief of what the disclosure would do to an organisation.

Microsoft cuts surface tablet prices amid weak demand

M

icrosoft Corporation is cutting the price of its Surface RT tablet by

as much as 30 percent as the device struggles to lure customers amid competition from

machines such as Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad. The least-expensive Surface

RT model costs $349 (N55,840) without a cover that doubles as a keyboard, according to Microsoft’s website, down from $499 (N79,840). The same machine with a keyboard included is being reduced to $449 (N79,840) from $599 (N95,840).

Microsoft is discounting a version with double the memory to $449 without a keyboard cover, or $549 (N87, 840) with the attachment. Surface, Microsoft’s first-ever computer, has been largely shunned by consumers and corporate customers since its debut in October, selling just 900,000 units in each of its first two quarters on the market, according to researcher, IDC. Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer, Steve Ballmer is push-

ing into hardware to bolster sales as demand for Windows software ebbs amid a global personal-computer slump.

Ballmer unveiled a sweeping revamp last week, which is intended to streamline management and rev up growth in areas like tablets and mobile computing.

Tablets, a market where 3.7 percent of machines run Microsoft’s Windows, are poised to outsell PCs by 2015, according to IDC.Frank Shaw, a spokesman for Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, declined to comment on the price cuts.

On its website, the company billed the discounts as “a great tablet, now at an even better price.”

(Source: Bloomberg)

Nigeria’s consumer inflation rate falls to 8.4% in June – NBS

By Abdulwahab Iisa

L-R: Minister of State for Finance, Dr.Yerima Ngama, and Akwa Ibom state Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Bassey Albert, during the Federation Account Allocation Committee meeting, on Monday night in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

N

igeria’s consumer inflation rate fell to to a five-year low of 8.4 percent yearon-year in June, from 9 percent the previous month.

The latest figures which rep-

FG hails Dangote Cements good relationship with host communities

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he Federal Government has applauded the efforts of the Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, Aliko Dangote at revitalising and growing privatised companies, despite huge challenges in Nigeria’s business climate.

Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman, gave the commendation during his visit to the Dangote Cement Plant in Gboko, Benue state, while lauding the company’s cordial relationship with its host communities.

He recalled the so many social responsibilities act in Obajana, Ibeshe in Ogun state and even in Gboko, Benue state. Usman said he was very pleased with the level of cordial relationship that exists

between the Dangote Cement and its host communities.

It will be recalled that Dangote Cement, in Ogun state, has recently commenced the construction of some roads bordering its 14 host communities within the Yewa axis of the state.

He said the Federal Government was proud that the Dangote Group, as an indigenous conglomerate had not let the country down in its acquisition of some of the privatised companies.

“I know that many privatised companies are doing well. I believe Dangote Cement is one of them. The whole essence of privatisation is to improve efficiency and promote investments and employment generation,” he said.

Dr. Shamsudeen advised the

host communities of privatised firms to cooperate with and encourage the new owners, in order to enhance optimum capacity utilisation and industrialisation in the country.

He explained that the host communities stand a chance of benefiting more if the company is given all the support to perform at optimal capacity.

“Such host communities would gain more employment opportunities and other social activities implemented by the companies,” he said.

The minister said that the visit was a fact-fiding one aimed at ascertaining the true state of already privatized public enterprises, especially in view of the feeling in many quarters that

many of them were not performing well.

Dangote Cement has upgraded the former Benue Cement Company’s capacity to 3.0 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) from the initial installed operating capacity of 0.9 MTPA, the Plant Director, Prakash Sharma said.

Sharma said the new owners have already invested $500 million in plant rehabilitation and technological convergence while an additional $50 million is being invested in the on-going expansion project, to raise its capacity to 4.0 mtpa.

With its Obajana and Ibese plants, the Dangote Cement Plc currently produces about 20 mtpa, surpassing Nigeria’s national average demand.

resent a 60 basis points decrease from May were released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Analysts had forecast the exact percentage drop in consumer price index ahead of the NBS release date.

Food inflation was up slightly to 9.6 percent, from 9.3 percent.

“Food prices increased at a faster rate compared to May as the country is deep into the planting season,” it added. “Food supplies continue to be tight as inventories decline, creating upward pressure on prices.”

The rate, the lowest since the 8.1 percent recorded in April 2008, was comfortably within the CBN’s single-digit inflation target.

The largest contributors to the increase in the food index were meats, oils and fats, potatoes, yam and other tuber classes.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) monetary policy committee will meet on Monday and Tuesday, next week, to decide on the base interest rate, which has been kept at 12 percent for the past 10 meetings.

Despite the fall in inflation this year, CBN Govenor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has resisted calls to cut interest rates to improve lending to businesses, arguing that the current hard-won economic stability cannot be taken for granted.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Wednesday, July 17, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Special Report

Addressing threat of vandalism on public infrastructure in FCT

By Stanley Onyekwere

T

he quest to stamp out the threats of vandalism on public infrastructures in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the nation at large formed the crux of deliberations, when FCT command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), organized a stakeholders Forum, in Abuja.

The event which held last weekend at the Women Development Centre, Abuja, had various stakeholders were of the views that given the present circumstances, the issue of security, criminality and crime control should never be left in the hands of one man or one agency in the country especially in the FCT, therefore all hands must be on deck, as every citizen has a role to play in ensuring a crime-free society.

According to the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin, the forum is a clarion call and wakeup call not only to officers and men of Civil Defense and other security agencies, but a wakeup call to all Nigerians

to take as priority duty issues of security especially acts of vandalism, because the issue at stake affects every single citizen including those yet unborn.

In his words:“The activity of these vandals and oil thieves affects Nigerians negatively in so many ways; when we talk of oil theft, we know it is our national revenue with which the nation earns her income to be able to provide infrastructures in all sectors including the payment of salaries.

“And because of the threat pose to our collective wellbeing by the activities of the these criminal elements in our midst, it very importantly for us not to take our eyes away from such areas but tomake sure that action is taken to stop these criminals.

“It’s a task that must be done; it’s a task that is doerable; and one that is achiever able provided all of us come to agreement that it be must be solved, because these vandals are not ghosts; they are not spirits; they live among us; they could be our brothers and sisters or uncles, relatives or whatever; we must expose

them and bring their activities to a stop before they mortgage not only our present but the future of our children; future Nigerians who are yet unborn.”

Abolurin, who was represented by the corps Assistant Commandant General (ACG), Omokoi Agim, however expressed confidence that the menace and threats of vandalism of public infrastructures and the stealing of the nation’s crude oil and petroleum resources must be brought to an end with all citizens participating in the fight, and in no distant future it will become a thing of the past.

In a remark, FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed, who was represented by his Special Adviser (S.A) on security matters, Colonel Abdullahi Saidu Kudu (rtd) also noted that security is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders in the FCT, as most often than not security actions is based on information received from the public.

While urging the NSCDC and other security agencies not to relent on their efforts

Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin

Some suspected vandals of oil pipelines arrested and paraded by the NSCDC in Abuja.

Vandalised CCTV Camera

towards reducing all forms of crime in the territory, he reiterated that his administration’s support for the activities of all security agencies in the FCT, as “collective support for them is a continuous excise in the FCTA.” Similarly, in a paper titled: “Protection of critical infrastructures, vandalism, oil theft, and private guard companies in the FCT”, the commandant in charge of the FCT command of the Civil Defense, Aminu Abdullahi Kofar Soro, said vandalism under different shades of motivation and colour of action has become a threat to economic, social and political development of the nation.

He said: “Presently, the unpatriotic activities of vandals and oil thieves have caused the FCTA and the nation a great loss of reserve, wanton destructions of public infrastructures and national

assets that have to be repaired or replaced at great cost, including loss of lives and property; and most sadly, loss of lives by law enforcement agents.

“We are presently experiencing economically and politically motivated terrorism by ethnic militia

groups purportedly fighting against perceived marginalization as well as various forms of crimes in FCT such as riots, assassination attempts, campus cultism, political thuggery, kidnapping , one chance operators and inter ethnic clashes; and for FCT that occupies a leadership

“

We believe that deepening synergy and concerted effort in collaboration with other stakeholders is unavoidable and expedient in the fight against vandalism, oil theft or destruction of public assets and critical infrastructures in FCT

position in the country, this is a dangerous trend.

“But the corps strongly believes that the war against criminals cannot be won unless the various stakeholders working in concert with one another; so also grass root information gathering through effective intelligence network and proactive security reports on same to the appropriate authority as great asset and strategy in curbing crime.

“We believe that deepening synergy and concerted effort in collaboration with other stakeholders is unavoidable and expedient in the fight against vandalism, oil theft or destruction of public assets and critical infrastructures in FCT.” Also, while regretting what he described as a very worrisome challenge, the suspicion among the various security agencies in the country arising from the

erroneous belief by some stakeholders that their roles are being usurped by the NSCDC; the commandant said it is uncalled for and a hindrance to the Corps effort to curb crime.

He therefore stressed that to fight the vandals to submission is a task that must be done by NSCDC, other spirited security agencies and all stakeholders that are supportive in the battle.

He however, submitted that the corps is facing challenges such as lack of a suitable office accommodation for the Command and Divisional offices at area councils of FCT to park vandalized exhibits and suspects; and no enough operational vehicles that can move round the territory to conduct sustained 24/7 surveillance around the city.

Furthermore, he assured the minister of FCT and all stakeholders of the corps

FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed

unflinching support in actualizing the transformation agenda of the administration, and also in curtailing crime and criminal activities within the Territory.

Also speaking, the Chairman Private Guards Companies and former FCT Commissioner of Police Mr. Lawrence Alobi, said it is very important for the civil defence to work with people and community based security

organisations as they play vital roles in security matters given their proximity to the people.

According to him, the role of the NSCDC in monitoring, training and building capacity of private guard operators will go a long way in making them do their jobs more professional and more effective, there improving security in the land, because an untrained private security

guard is a threat to the nation.

“Because they live and interact more with them, so it is very important for the civil defence to work with people and community based security organizations; so effective synergy between private Guards and Civil Defense will go a long way in strengthening security of the FCT and the country at large”, he explained.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 27

Mother Earth

Is the Earth Planet approaching tipping point?

H

umanity has essentially lived with limitless resources. But as we affect our planet more and more, history has some dire warnings for us.

Climate scientists fear we are approaching an unknown and unpredictable state. The problem is, there are disagreements over what can we do about it.

We are now living in the Anthropogenic: humans are the main driver of planetary change. We’re pushing global temperatures, land and water use beyond anything our species has experienced before. We’re polluting the biosphere, acidifying the oceans, and reducing biodiversity. At the same time, our global population is growing faster and faster.

As if to illustrate the point further, last month Arctic monitors showed the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has passed 400 parts per million (before the Industrial Age, carbon dioxide levels were 275 ppm). New data shows the rate of climate change could be even faster than thought.

Perhaps most worryingly of all, 22 scientists recently warned that we are approaching a planetary tipping point, beyond which environmental changes will be rapid and unpredictable.

Basing their alarming conclusion on studies of ecological markers from species extinction rates to changes in land use, of land is dominated by humans, these scientists fear we will enter a new, unknown state, and one which will threaten us all.

Imagine how millions of people harm their minds and bodies by using recreational drugs, abusing alcohol, and smoking tobacco. To them, life is anything.

Regrettably, a similar unhealthy attitude towards the Earth has contributed to its woes.

Lekki Segun, an 80-year-old who lives in Lagos does not need scientific reports to tell him that the Atlantic Ocean is rising. The beaches of his childhood are vanishing. Where the beaches are on Victoria Island in Lagos today tells the story.

For the people who live in Lagos and across the Niger Delta areas, Global Warming is not abstract science, but a daily reality.

And also for the people who live in the northern part of the country that has been suffering from the worst flood disasters in decades.

There are other areas that are even worst off from various ecological problems. These are evidence of global warming.

Many believe that human

Indiscriminate refuse site burning could be responsible for environmental degradation

activities are a major cause of global warming which has had catastrophic consequences for the climate and the environment.

For example, scientists claim that large-scale melting of landbased ice and the expansion of the oceans as water warms causes sea levels to rise drastically, the type that has consumed the areas that were known as Lagos and Victoria beaches in Lagos.

Scientists claim that lowing

islands such as Lagos could disappear, as could large parts of the riverside areas in the Niger Delta. Millions of people could be displaced from such places.

At the same time, rising temperatures could intensify storms, and droughts. Also at risk are thousands of species of animals. Indeed, reports already indicate that many are disappearing and some are even starving.

“

Technology and innovation has in the past saved us from plagues, low crop yields, water shortages, reliance on fossil fuels and more. But the planet is finite – there is nowhere else for us to live except Earth and we depend on it for our every need. And we have never before in the history of our species experienced living in some of the conditions we are creating; where average temperatures are on track to exceed anything humans have experienced

Researchers say that rising temperatures are fostering the spread of disease by enabling mosquitoes, ticks and other disease-carrying organisms, including fungi to spread further.

According to climatologists, “the dangers posed by climate change are nearly as dire as those posed nuclear weapons. The effects may be less dramatic in the short term….. .but over the next three to four decades climate change could cause irremediable harm to the habitats upon which human societies depend for survival.”

Even more ominous note is that some scientists believe that changes attributed to global warming are occurring faster than they had expected.

Skeptics of global warming say that such dire prediction are groundless. Others are not sure.

So, what do we make out of this?

Skeptics of human-induced

Minister tasks lawmakers on sustainable environment, economy

By Mohammed Kandi

M

inister of Environment, Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, has urged the National Assembly to formulate policies that will safeguard the environment, improve human health, promote economic growth and engender sustainable development.

The Minister made the call recently at a National Conference on the Environment organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment in Abuja.

“This is a clear reflection of the House’s commitment to the attainment of our goals towards ensuring a secure environment conducive for human growth and sustainable development,” Mailafia said.

Describing the theme of the event “Managing our

Environment for a sustainable and Secure Future” as apt, the Minister also informed that such was “in line with the outcomes of the recently held Word Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) also known as Rio+ 20 summit - which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.”

Mailafia said: “In recent years, people have become more aware of the intricate relationship between environment and economics, and the need for their integration as means to achieve sustainable development.”

She added: “Effective management of the environment is the pivot that will support growth and development of other sectors of the economy.”

“As key stakeholders in the environment sector, we owe it as a sense of duty and responsibility to keep the Nigerian public informed and abreast with the

dynamics of our environment, particularly on the contradictions of human recourse to exploitation of the environment for our daily needs and survival, and the resultant adverse impacts thereof. This brings into question the socio-economic perspective vis-a-vis the quest for national development and environmental sustainability,” she explained.

“This brings to fore the herculean task of integrating environmental concerns into the national development strategy from the onset of decision – making process, in order to align core micro-economic wants in terms of Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Forestry, Industry, Fisheries, etc with the Environment Millennium Development Goal : (Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability ),” the Minister stated.

Ambrose Inusa Sule,

mnes

ENVIRONMENT WATCH globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only)

warming, point out that earth’s temperature has undergone substantial fluctuations in the past. They point to the so-called ice ages, when the earth was supposedly much cooler than it is now; and in support of natural warming, they cite evidence that cold regions, such as Greenland at one time supported vegetation that prefers warm areas.

Of course, scientists concede that the further back they go, the more their certainty about climate diminishes. True, many agree that the earth is warming, but they are uncertain of both causes and the consequences. Human activities may be a factor they say, but not necessary the primary one.

According to a report of the United Nations sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming is “Unequivocal” or a fact; and “Very Likely” mankind is largely to blame.

Some who differ with this conclusion, especially in regard to human factor, concede that cities may be heating up because they are growing in size. Moreover, concrete and steel readily absorb the sun’s heat and tend to cool down slowly at night. But urban readings, skeptics say, do not reflect the trend in rural areas and can distort global statistics.

Technology and innovation has in the past saved us from plagues, low crop yields, water shortages, reliance on fossil fuels and more.

But the planet is finite – there is nowhere else for us to live except Earth and we depend on it for our every need. And we have never before in the history of our species experienced living in some of the conditions we are creating; where average temperatures are on track to exceed anything humans have experienced, where nitrates and other pollutants are greater than anything our ecosystems have evolved to function in, and where our own hungry population is above seven billion, for example.

A way forward was proposed in 2009 by a group of scientists, suggesting we focus on observing specific “planetary boundaries”.

Johan Rockstrom of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and colleagues, identified nine biophysical thresholds that must be observed if humanity is to remain in the “safe operating space” of Holocene-like conditions, including climate change, ocean acidification, ozone depletion, change in land and freshwater use. The concept was enthusiastically embraced by institutions such as the United Nations and large NGOs like Oxfam, who adapted the idea to include social boundaries.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 26

Feature

A white South African teenager has undergone a traditional circumcision, even though dozens of boys die each year in such ceremonies, which are seen as a rite of passage into manhood in some communities.

He told the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani it had changed him for the better. eventeen-year-old Brandon de Wet, from South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, went through with the ritual, which is not without its risks, with his Xhosa friend of 13 years, Yanelisa Somyo.

“It was a really tough road and was like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Brandon told the BBC about the three-week long experience in the mountains.

“It was challenging mentally but it was worth it,” he said proudly.

The practice of ritual circumcision is common among ethnic Xhosas and Ndebeles - two of South Africa’s most numerous communities.

“Yanelisa and I have been friends since we started school as young boys. Sharing this with him has strengthened our friendship even more,” says Brandon.

“I also have a better understanding of his culture.”

The two go to a mainly white private school in the city of East London.

They were joined by Yanelisa’s cousin Mbuzeli Somyo.

When young Xhosa boys are aged between 15 and 17, their families prepare to take them to an initiation school - where they will be under the care of an “incibi”, a traditional surgeon, and an “ikhankatha”, a traditional nurse.

This ritual is usually performed

Why a white South African risked traditional circumcision

S

L-R: -year-old Brandon de Wet, his Xhosa friend, Yanelisa Somyo, and Yanelisa’s cousin Mbuzeli Somyo, preparing for the traditional circumcision.

After the circumcision operation, the boys enter a specially built hut called an iboma, where they live together throughout the initiation period.

Their families prepare food for them and send young girls to deliver it.

have completed the ritual are allowed to wear.

In recent years many have begun to question the role of traditional circumcision in a modern society, especially with dozens of boys dying at bogus initiation schools every year.

The boys spent weeks in a hut in a secluded area where only men can visit over the June school holidays or in December.

Secrecy Deep in the mountains, they are taught the virtues of manhood and how to become upstanding men in their communities, among other things.

But it is a practice steeped in secrecy, so Brandon is careful not to give any intimate details of what he and his friend went through.

True to tradition he simply says that it was a “difficult time”.

He recalls how accommodating his incibi was throughout his time there - but said he did not receive any special treatment.

“I can understand a bit of Xhosa but my surgeon would explain the details of what was going to happen and why it was important in English,” says Brandon.

Although most aspects of the ceremony are secret, some aspects are known.

The incibi will give instructions on what food should be prepared for the initiates. He treats the boys’ wounds with herbal mixtures and is expected to monitor the healing process to make sure that there are no infections.

During this time the boys are clothed only in loincloths and covered in blankets, while white mud is smeared all over their body.

At the end of the initiation period they all bath at a river and wash off the mud - a symbol of leaving their “old selves” behind.

They burn the iboma where they had been living, another sign of leaving the old behind and beginning a new life.

The initiates then paint their bodies with red mud - this is how everyone at the homecoming knows that they have finished the entire course.

They are also given new blankets, which only those who

• More than 20,000 young boys visit initiation schools in the Eastern Cape each year • Traditional circumcision is practised by the Xhosa and Ndebele communities • Close to 300 boys were rescued from illegal initiation schools and hospitalised this winter • Almost 50 boys died in Mpumalanga and Limpopo in May from botched circumcisions while 30 died in the Eastern Cape province • Hospitals across South Africa perform circumcisions to curb the spread of HIV Source: South Africa’s Department of Health All traditional surgeons should be registered with the authorities - in the past, they were well-known members of the community but recently untrained people have seen setting up initiation schools as a way to make money, locals say.

In the current initiation season alone, more than 70 boys across the country have died from dehydration, gangrene and septic wounds and others from multiple assault after weeks of maltreatment at the hands of their supposed carers.

Knowing all this, it was an especially difficult decision for

Brandon’s parents to go along with.

“I sat him down and tried to persuade him to change his mind.

But I could tell that his mind was made up,” his mother Charlene de Wet told me.

“The only thing that gave me comfort was knowing that the Somyo family would take good care of him and they did,” she said.

“I remember the day he left, the goodbye was so abrupt. They just whisked him away. I felt both sad and anxious.”

Traditionally, women are not allowed to come into contact with the boys during their initiation period.

They are not allowed to ask questions about what happens in the mountains - a sign of the patriarchy that exists in rural South Africa.

About 20,000 boys in Eastern Cape go to initiation schools during each season, according to the province’s health department.

But those who swear by the practice say that when done in the correct way, it poses no threat to the lives of the young men.

“This is an ancient practice that has an important role in grooming our sons. I underwent it as a young man, it helped to shape me into the man I am today,” Mlibo Qoboshiyane, Eastern Cape’s local government and traditional affairs minister, told the BBC. However, families need to play a more active role in the process, he says, firstly by ensuring that they choose a reputable “incibi” and “ikhankatha” and secondly by visiting their boys regularly to make sure that they are being treated well.

A hero’s welcome Brandon’s father, Dave de Wet, agrees.

As a man, he was allowed to visit his son.

“I checked on my boy every other day. This helped me to be comfortable with what was happening,” he said.

On the day of their homecoming to G q u m a s h e v i l l a g e , t h e r e was a huge feast and euphoric celebration; the boys, now considered men, were received like kings. There was singing, ululating and dancing.

“The outpouring of love from the community was just overwhelming,” Mr de Wet told the BBC. “It was a really proud moment for us.”

Some villagers were surprised to see a white boy with the other initiates initially but Brandon says they made him feel like part of that community.

But not all initiates return to such festivities. During the June holiday season, 300 boys were admitted into hospitals across the province, 10 of whom had their penises amputated because of their wounds.

And five men have been arrested in connection with the deaths of 30 boys.

Mr. de Wet tells me that this experience was a learning curve not just for Brandon but for his entire family.

All three boys are back home in East London, and normal life has resumed.

But Brandon’s parents say they have noticed a change in their son.

“He seems a lot more placid, a lot more mature. This experience has definitely changed him,” his mother says.

His father says it has been an “invaluable lesson for him”.

“He was exposed to another way of life and now has a deeper appreciation of the luxuries that he would have otherwise taken for granted.”

Source: BBCNews.com

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 29

Emergency Update

Still on NEMA reliefs to refugees

NEMA officials delivering some relief items to the internally displaced persons in Langtang, Plateau state recently

By Ola Lookman

F

ollowing the declaration of a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe State the Federal Government deploy military and other security personnel to flush out the insurgents in the prone areas. With a State of Emergency declared with likely apprehension and fear among the ordinary citizens staying within such communities, it was expected that some palliative measures would be put in place.

The justification for the State of Emergency was very obvious when some communities and ocal government were completely under the control and administration of insurgents.

Only an irresponsible government would allow his territory to be annexed and control by militants.

Before the State of Emergency, we are all living witnesses to the unruly behaviours of militants culminated into unfortunate development in Bama and Baga.

The pictures of some of the atrocities become clearer on various interventions of the Federal Government to ameliorate the suffering of the victims of terrorists’ attacks.

While commended the Military High Command and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their swift response to his directive for immediate action

in investigating the incident and rehabilitating the victims, President Goodluck Jonathan reiterated his position that where any kind of misconduct is established, the Federal Government would not hesitate in ensuring that due sanctions are enforced and that justice is done.

The President said that what happened in Baga, was most regrettable and unfortunate. He reaffirmed his full commitment to doing all within the powers of the Federal Government to speedily end the intolerable threats to national security which have necessitated such confrontations.

The government since then continues to work with the relevant states to ensure that the people affected by the crises receive every possible relief and support to facilitate their speedy rehabilitation. While the military provides the security in the protection of lives and property, the local people have started

to support the government in the establishment of volunteer groups like Civilian JTF. On the other agencies of government whose impressive performance must be acknowledged is the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). In response to the directive of President, the agency sent teams to most of the prone areas to pave way for immediate humanitarian relief. Not only did it identified the displaced persons, it set up an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in to provide immediate succor to the affected persons with relief materials.

The agency had earlier delivered building materials to support some states in the North-East for construction of houses for communities that were displaced by the 2012 flood in the state. It also delivered building material for rebuilding and rehabilitation of schools that were destroyed by insurgency.

In tackling the needs of

the displaced people, NEMA developed a mechanism where it involves the collaboration of other stakeholders, especially the response agencies and volunteers. The volunteers assist the agency in providing medications, clothing and foods to distressed and displaced people in the affected communities.

In a statement by NEMA’s North-East Information Officer, Malam Abdulkadir Ibrahim, it said this was in line with the agency’s mandate of providing succour to Internally Displaced Persons (IEDs).

“The agency has embarked on the distribution of food items to communities affected by the state of emergency in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. The gesture is aimed at tackling acute food shortages due to the on-going military offensive against terrorists in the area.’

The items distributed included bags of rice, millet,

The DG NEMA reiterated the commitment of the Agency to provide necessary supports to Nigerians in distress within and outside the country.

beans, noodles, sugar, milk, beverages, among others.

Drinking water too was provided to the communities to ameliorate their hardship.

The North-East Zonal Cordinator, Alhaji Muhammad Kanar who mostly led the team called on the citizens to be law-abiding and go about their normal activities. He also usually advised the people to cooperate with security operatives by reporting suspicious movements and strange people in their localities. While most of the worst hit-communities affected in the three states have so far benefitted from the federal gverment gestures, other Nigerians who took refuge in neigbouring countries were also supported.

The agency deployed relief assistance to the displaced Nigerians that fled into the nearby Republic of Niger to provide them with immediate succor. Before the exercise, the basic needs of the refugees were identified by a special assessment carried out by a technical team that had been dispatched to the Republic of Niger country to ascertain the conditions of Nigerians that had crossed over the border into the country. The assessment was carried out along with officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Niamey, Nigerien authorities and resident representatives of United Nations OCHA, UNHCR and the Red Cross.

The relief intervention ease the pressure brought on local resources of the host communities by the refugees.

Most of the refugees were found to be in Bosso and its environs in the Diffa Region of the Republic of Niger.

The DG NEMA reiterated the commitment of the Agency to provide necessary supports to Nigerians in distress within and outside the country. The reliefs deployed to Niger Republic are made up of food, non-food items and medicals.

What all these effort signify is that, the response agencies in Nigeria including the military, NEMA and volunteers are conscious of their responsibilities and discharge their mandates to satisfy the yearning and aspiration of citizens.

As citizens the best we can provide is to support security and humatarian workers who risk their lives to make the rest of us happy.

Ola Lookman is member of the Youths Against Disaster Initiatives, Abuja

PAGE 28

Emergency Update

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

NEMA reactivates the Emergency Volunteer Corps

N

ational Emergency M a n a g e m e n t Agency (NEMA) has reactivated its Emergency Volunteer Corps (EVC) for effective disaster response, the Director-General, Alhaji Mohammad Sani-Sidi, said in Abuja recently.

Sani-Sidi spoke at an interactive forum with members of the corps and stressed that disaster management was “everyone’s business’’.

Represented by the agency’s Director of Finance and Administration, Mr Hakeem Akinbola, the Director-General said the organisation decided to reactivate all organs that were necessary to improve disaster management in the country.

“The frequency of disaster occurrence and the pursuit of an effective approach to disasters have prompted the need to re-evaluate the agency’s mechanism and strategies for search and rescue operations and disaster response,’’ he said.

According to him, the agency considers it imperative to establish a volunteer unit which is domiciled in its Search and Rescue Department.

“This unit has the Emergency Management Vanguards (EMVs) drawn from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Grassroots Volunteers from the local communities.

“These crops of volunteers create awareness in their

NEMA officials displaying books on disaster related issues in Geneva, for the ECOSOC Humanitarian conference recently when the Agency participated in the discussions on Humanitarian perspectives on Regional Preparedness and capacity development.

communities and also serve as responders during emergencies,” he explained.

He said NEMA also

employed the services of executive volunteers made up of professionals from various sector to boost the agency’s

response capabilities.

Sani-Sidi said the forum was expected to serve as a platform for the volunteers to

keep abreast with new trends of disasters being experienced in the country and to suggest innovative ways of responding to them.

…Urges activeness in disaster management

F the

ollowing the resuscitation of the Executive Volunteer Corps (EVC) of National Emergency

Management Agency (NEMA), the agency’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Charles Otegbade, has urged volunteer groups to be

proactive in their responding to disasters.

Otegbade, who decried the poor participation of volunteers during emergencies,

NEMA officials displaying books on disaster related issues in Geneva, for the ECOSOC Humanitarian conference recently when the Agency participated in the discussions on Humanitarian perspectives on Regional Preparedness and capacity development.

urged them to see themselves as major stakeholders in disaster management and advised them to always act promptly in the event of disaster occurrence in their domains.

Otegbade said the workshop was organised in realisation of a gap created by the inactive operation of the Executive Volunteer Corps.

Otegbada said volunteer groups should ensure that they were well kitted during emergencies to avoid embarrassments from other responders.

Meanwhile as part of measures to ensure adequate mitigation and risk reduction during disaster, South-East Zonal office of NEMA in collaboration with the Imo state Emergency Management Agency have organized a one day workshop for students in secondary schools to help them gain knowledge on emergencies, risk reduction and mitigation.

The workshop,with the theme “Role of children in emergencies, risk reduction and mitigation in secondary schools in Imo state”, was held at Government Secondary school in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

The South East Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Bandele Onimode said the

workshop is aimed at ensuring that adequate measures and sensitization are put in place to ensure that there is reduction in disaster this year especially after receiving another Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) prediction on the subsequent heavy rainfall that might likely occur.

Mr. Onimode added that it is also an avenue to instill in the students how to manage emergencies, risk reduction and mitigation in their immediate environment.

He reiterated that the workshop is aimed at instilling in students who are mainly disaster risk club members what early response, early mitigation and risk identification would do to help mitigate the effect of disaster if it occurs in their immediate environment.

He added that it is the mandate of the NEMA to go to nooks and crannies of the country to sensitize and educate people on early risk reduction and disaster management.

Students who were participants at the workshop expressed delight over what they have learnt during the workshop, saying it is an eye opener for them in terms of early risk reduction and mitigation of disaster. This is the second time in three months NEMA is organising such workshop in Imo state.

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Feature

Biometric number plates and driver’s licence: Matters arising

By Folasade Folarin

C

omplaints, ranging from the nonavailability of vehicle particulars long time after applications have been made to the mode of issuance, have, in recent times, inundated the offices of the relevant issuing authorities.

In particular, shortly after the biometric driver’s licence and number plates were introduced in 2011, there were series of public complaints that the instruments were not getting to motorists in the expected way.

The people’s complaints were provoked by the deadline fixed for the acquisition of the new biometric driver’s licence and number plates by motorists.

Although the deadline was later extended, as recommended by the National Assembly, many motorists insist that they could still not acquire the documents, citing inadequate provision of the documents as the reason.

The motorists’ complaints notwithstanding, the issuing authorities; the Federal Road Safety Corps’ (FRSC) and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) insist on the Sept. 30-deadline by which all motorists must have acquired valid particulars.

With the deadline closing in day by day, motorists are making frantic efforts to ensure that they remain on the road with valid documents.

Mr Tony Azubuike, a civil servant who has since been striving to revalidate his vehicle particulars, said that he had spent several days trying to process and get the particulars.

He moaned that he had yet to obtain the documents, despite the fact that he resumed early at the VIO Office every day. ``For commercial drivers, it is a different matter altogether as they depend solely on the proceeds from their vehicles for their livelihood,’’ he said.

Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Gbenga Oke, a commercial driver, said that he had been striving to renew his driver’s licence for some months now. ``I have done all the necessary things online but at the point of capturing, a lot of problems cropped up. ``First of all, I went there for three days as early as 6.00 a.m. but I realised that they have only one or two machines to capture many applicants who are seeking their licences’ renewal. ``On the third day, they finally captured me around 2.00 p.m. because they said they were expecting confirmation and approval from their database, which didn’t come until about 1.00 p.m.,’’ he said.

Number Plate

Driving Licence Oke said he had been pursuing his licence’s renewal for the past three months, adding that he had been using temporary documents that were valid for only 60 days.

Irrespective of the numerous complaints, the issuing authorities assured motorists that they would speed up their documents’ processing.

However, Mr Yusuf Jack, the Deputy Director (Operations) in the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, otherwise known as VIO, said that some of the difficulties being encountered in the issuance of the documents were beyond the directorate’s control.

He said that the time required for obtaining new vehicle particulars or renewing old ones normally should not take long, adding that the process could, however, be delayed due to some technical glitches like system failure. ``Sometimes if there is no network; the person, who is supposed to print something, would have to wait for the pin certifying payment to drop. ``If it doesn’t drop, he has to continue the next day because he has to be sure that the necessary things have been done. ``So, once we have such problems, there’s a backlog of work to do and it becomes a problem giving out particulars,’’ he said.

Jack, however, stressed that for motorists whose particulars had not been renewed because of delays on the part of the VIO, they would be required to provide

evidence to prove that they had already started the processes to avoid being arrested. ``If you have some form of evidence like the teller which you used in making payment at the bank, everyone will know you’ve paid for processing the particulars. ``Even if the particulars have not been issued, the proof is good enough to tell any reasonable officer on the road that the person is saying the right thing. ``One problem is that some people don’t even know where to go for their driver’s licence or revalidation of documents, thinking that the VIO and FRSC perform the same functions,’’ he noted.

Putting the records straight, Jack said that it was the duty of the VIO to register vehicles and issue particulars as well as driver’s licences.

Making further clarifications, Mr Jonas Agwu, the FRSC Public Education Officer, said that the FRSC was saddled with the responsibility of designing and producing number plates for all categories of vehicles and drivers’ licence for all categories of drivers. ``It is amazing when people come to us and say they want licences; the fact that we are mandated by law to design and produce these two items does not mean that we are at the forefront of handling the processes for acquiring them,’’ he said.

Agwu, nonetheless, stressed that the new procedure for acquiring a driver’s licence was not cumbersome if people

went through the right channels. ``You can go to the website: www. nigeriadriverslicence.org and then commence the process for the renewal of driver’s licence. ``So, a lot of flexibility has been brought in, unlike what it was in the past when people to go to the VIO for everything; now, a platform has been provided to make the process easier. ``You are even allowed to choose a centre, and they will give you a date when you will go for your physical capture. ``However, for a fresher who is just applying for a driver’s licence, you don’t have that latitude because you are a person who has not been certified before. ``The new law says that if you are applying as a fresher you have to show proof that you have attended a certified driving school,’’ he added.

Agwu said that with the proof, the applicant would be presented to the VIO for a driving test, after which a certificate of proficiency would be issued and then, he or she could go to the Driver’s Licence Centre (DLC) to obtain and complete the form. ``After payment has been made online or at the bank, the application form will then be presented to the Board of Internal Revenue officer and the VIO at the DLC for endorsement. ``The applicant then proceeds to the FRSC officer at the DLC for biometric data capture and a temporary driver’s licence, which will be valid for 60 days, will be issued; at the end of the 60 days, the original licence can be picked. ``Although there are teething problems, the new system is designed to reduce the number of hours spent in trying to get these things done in the licence centres. ``We appreciate the worry of Nigerians and the problems which some of them have to go through in getting the particulars; and we are really working to make their efforts less cumbersome. ``We just need the understanding of Nigerians that it will get better because there are no deliberate plans to frustrate them; we want Nigerians to be able to walk in there and pick up their licences with ease. ``I can’t give a specific date but all I can say is that conscious of the Sept.

30-deadline that has been given, we are ensuring that the expansion is fast-tracked enough to accommodate all the applicants. ``We are working towards having different centres across the country but the issue of network and connectivity is not within the purview of the FRSC, although we are working on it,’’ he said.

Nevertheless, Agwu rejected certain notions that the cost of obtaining driver’s licence and revalidating vehicle particulars had increased tremendously. ``The official price of a licence is N6, 000, although there will be some administrative costs that will be added by states; so, you pay N6, 000 plus. ``A number plate costs N15, 000 for new vehicles while it costs N10, 000 to revalidate old numbers,’’ he said.

All the same, Agwu appealed to Nigerians to apply for their vehicle particulars and driver’s licences personally to avoid paying the extra fees, which were usually collected by touts under the guise of facilitating the process for them.

In spite of all the assurances, observers are quite sceptical about the feasibility of the Sept. 30-deadline, considering the myriad challenges currently facing the process.

Source: NAN

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

ANALYSIS

L

iving in denial never ends well, and failure to recognise Egypt’s military coup will prove counter productive for both Egyptians and Western policymakers.

The US is hard pressed to recognise the importance of calling Morsi’s removal and the appointment of leadership by the military for what it is, a coup. If mishandled by the military and interim government Egypt could be set back for at least another generation, adding to modern Egypt’s 60-year history of authoritarian rule. At the same time, it will generate anti-Western sentiment that may well become a significant security threat.

The US and Europe will be judged against their espoused principles and values, their commitment to the promotion of democracy and human rights. Thus far they are failing the test, much as they did for decades when they supported authoritarian regimes in Egypt, Tunisia, Latin America, and elsewhere. The US and EU need to act now to counter the hardening perception, based on leaks and credible reporting, that the US knew about and - both through its actions and calculated inaction supported the military coup.

Commitment to the democratic process has been undermined by the continued reluctance and equivocation of the US and others to call a spade a spade. The overthrow of a democratically elected government and its replacement by militaryappointed officials is a coup. At the heart of democracy is a commitment to the democratic process and acceptance of the notion of a loyal opposition. Political leaders are elected to office and turned out of office through recourse to the ballot box. The opposition can oppose, even despise, incumbents and employ every legal means to turn them out of office but they remain loyal to the nation and the democratic process or the entire system has no basis of legitimacy. As Mohamed Adel Ismail, a 26-year-old Egyptian social worker put it: “He [Morsi] made some catastrophic mistakes, that must be said, but my understanding of democracy is you allow him to rule and fail and then vote him out.”

Despite the “interim government,” led by former Mubarak-appointed officials, making promises of political inclusion and a more democratic process, Morsi has been held incommunicado amidst talk of future charges of sedition or other crimes. The Brotherhood has been subjected to wide spread arrests and detention and denounced as terrorists as the military guns down and beats non-violent demonstrators - most recently killing some 51 people and injuring more than 400. The military’s purpose is transparent and in line with the modus operandi of Mubarak for decades: use brute force to intimidate, repress, and provoke the opposition to violence and then say, “Look I told you they were wolves in sheep’s clothing”.

The perception of existential threat that the Brotherhood now feels must be alleviated. Immediate steps by the US and EU in this direction would include demanding to meet with President Morsi immediately, and demand his immediate release as well as that of all political prisoners and detained family members. In

PAGE 31

International

Living in denial: US policy & Egypt’s military coup

Egypt’s protesters celebrated the army’s intervention addition, the call for a national dialogue that includes the FJP, military representatives, and other political parties in order to identify a path forward that is acceptable to all.

The US and EU must also call for an independent investigation into the attacks on demonstrators and a process by which any parties that used excessive force will be held accountable. It is important the US and EU stress that any future democratic process must allow for the full inclusion of any and all political parties that have participated in post-Mubarak elections, calling for the setting and strict adherence to a date in the near future for elections in which all parties (including the FJP) are able to participate.

To have the above goals taken seriously by the military-backed government, the US and EU must use their only effective bargaining chip for leverage: the cut-off of

military aid in accordance with law, and the withholding of recognition of an interim government until the above steps are taken. At the same time, they should carefully monitor the treatment of Morsi, MB and FJP members, and their supporters and denounce in unequivocal terms the use of weapons against unarmed protestors. This would send a clear message to those currently in power and to the Arab world.

The Arab uprisings signaled a desire for a new way forward, an overthrow of the established order in many Arab countries of authoritarian governments, and a struggle to establish a new kind of democracy.

A military-backed coup is clearly a return to the past. Egypt’s first democratically elected president was bound to make mistakes, due to the “democratic deficit” in both systems and culture as a result of decades of authoritarian rule.

“

Indeed, Morsi and the Brotherhood leadership made many mistakes. They proved ill-equipped to make the transition from a movement organised and geared to survival under threat of siege to an inclusive sufficiently representative (politically and religiously) government. But they also did not control the vast majority of the government bureaucracy, including the military, intelligence, judiciary, interior ministry and police forces, which were - and remain still - remnants of the Mubarak regime. This constitutes a deep state bent on bringing down the Morsi government and likely any other that threaten their stranglehold on power and privileges behind the scenes.

The international community: US, IMF, a variety of European countries, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, were all lukewarm at best and aggressively obstructionist at worst in assisting the Morsi government

The US and EU must also call for an independent investigation into the attacks on demonstrators and a process by which any parties that used excessive force will be held accountable.

to address the daunting challenge of an inherited failed economy and high unemployment. Yet within days after the coup, Saudi and the UAE were quick to promise billions of dollars in aid.

The message the Obama administration is sending, whether intended or not, is that there is a double standard, much as there was in the decades of US support for authoritarian regimes of the past. Now, in emerging democracies, the rules of the game do not apply to a democratically elected Islamic government.

This is reflected in the Obama administration’s equivocation and, in effect, denial that the removal of Morsi was a coup just as it was reflected when the George W. Bush administration equivocated about calling water-boarding torture or the rendition programme a violation of human rights and international law. And before him, his father George H. W. Bush’s administration agreement to the Algerian military’s takeover in the face of the Islamic Salvation Front’s electoral victory, resulting in a “”dirty war” that left more than 150,000 Algerians dead in a population of about 25 million.

Long term Western nations’ interests in Egypt, and the wider region, are best served through representative governments elected through a democratic process, rule of law, and independent institutions.

Source: Aljazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

International

Guinea President appeals for calm amid deadly clashes

Conde

P

resident Alpha Conde has appealed for calm after at least 12 people were killed and 50 others injured in two days of ethnic violence in southeastern Guinea.

“The town of Nzerekore has witnessed events resulting in a loss of human life, several wounded and important damage to property,” Conde said in an address on national television.

“Faced with this situation, I call on the population for calm.

No one should take [the] law into their own hands.”

In Guinea’s second largest city of Nzerekore, which lies some 980km from the coastal capital Conakry, ethnic gangs prowled the streets for a second day.

The violence erupted on Monday, when members of

the local Guerze ethnic group beat a young Konianke man to death after accusing him of stealing from a gas station in the town of Koule, some 30km from Nzerekore.

A witness at the hospital said many of the dead were killed with machetes and one appeared to have been burned alive.

The army imposed a curfew to restore calm. “Everything is

By Hassan Haruna Ginsau

and all relevant regional and continental structures.

The meeting will be attended by the Somali National Security Agencies, troops and police from contributing countries, and representatives from a number of African countries Speaking during the opening ceremony, the AU Special Representative for Somalia-Ambassador MahamatSalehAnnadif reminded participants that the acts perpetrated by terrorists

have no boundaries. Therefore the fight against terrorism must be well coordinated.

“After suffering major setbacks, Al-shabaab has now adopted the method of asymmetric warfare. The right way to deal with this new threat is the mastering of information in terms of intelligence gathering.

And I am confident that this meeting will help you in identifying the proper mechanisms for information gathering and information sharing,” said

closed: the market, banks, shops.

People have stayed at home,” said a Nzerekore resident Guinea is preparing for legislative elections, the final step in the return to civilian rule, in September that analysts warn could be marred by ethnic violence.

After a 2008 coup, President Alpha Conde was elected in 2010 in Guinea’s first democratic transition of power.

After months of deadlock and deadly clashes, often ethnically driven, Conde and the opposition agreed this month to hold the vote on September 24.

In the mineral-rich nation, Conde draws support from the country’s second-largest ethnic group, the Malinke, while the opposition is backed by the Peul, who account for around 40 percent of the population.

Mining firms have signed multi-billion dollar deals in a bid to secure untapped mineral riches, especially iron ore, but political instability has led to some investments being frozen.

AMISOM commences meeting on information sharing

T

he African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in collaboration with its partners has started a meeting on information sharing in Mombasa, Kenya.

The three day meeting which is to last from the 17th- 19th, July, plans to set in motion and sustain a process of regular exchange of information and intelligence between AMISOM, the Somali security agencies

Ambassador Annadif.

The meeting which is a platform for information exchange, is expected to raise more awareness of the current situation in Somalia, a country facing serious security challenges linked to terrorism, organized crimes and the proliferation of weapons It also plans on strengthening of the Mission’s relevant structures as well as those in the region to exchange information and intelligence.

PM criticises ‘chaotic’ Zimbabwe polls

Z

imbabwe’s Prime minister, who is also the country’s opposition leader, has said that it has lost faith in the electoral commission after “chaotic and disorganised” special voting for security forces ahead of key polls.

Long queues and the late delivery of ballot papers marked the two-day early vote, which started on Sunday for police officers and soldiers who will be on duty on July 31 when the rest of the country votes.

Many security force agents found themselves unable to vote, drawing condemnation from Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) .

“The process is chaotic and disorganised and has exposed ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) as a body not ready to the task,” MDC secretary general TendaiBiti told a news conference.

In just over a fortnight, presidential and parliamentary

p o l l s p i t incumbent President Robert Mugabe against his arch-rival Tsvangirai, 61.

Mugabe, 89, hopes to extend his 33-yearrule in the vote that will end the pair’s unity government formed after deadly disputed polls in 2008.

As late as Tuesday, police officers waited at the city hall i n t h e c a p i t a l Tsvangirai Harare, hoping to cast their votes even though polls closed Monday night.

Presiding officers had been deployed late at most polling stations and MDC polling agents were chased away in

eastern province Manicaland, said Biti.

“It’s a clear breach of the laws of Zimbabwe,” Biti added.

“We are really worried with (the) ZEC and have lost institutional trust in them. The

junta has taken over and ZEC is no longer in charge.”

Reports of rights abuses and intimidation of political opponents have implicated the security forces, which fall under Mugabe’s control.

Ousting Mursi was a civilian coup — Egyptian Envoy

By Abdulkadir Isa

R

esident Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ashraf Salama, has refuted claims that ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi was deposed in a military coup.

The envoy said the military did not oust president Mursi, rather the Egyptian people did. He disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, where he stressed that there was need for the Egyptians to swing into a swift action and remove Mursi from power.

Salama asserted that the ousted Egyptian president got a deserving treatment as he defaulted on all his promises to the people of Egypt. He said that Egyptians could not wait for the remaining term to elapse to depose him, as the entire economic and political landscape was fed up with his leadership approach.

He reiterated that there was no economic project for the entire five-year plan to improve the lives of the Egyptian people and such accounted for the uproar.

The envoy alleged that Mursi was concentrated on how he could distribute the available wealth; positions and the companies among his cronies.

There were a lot of discriminations against women,” he said. About Mursi’s whereabouts, the envoy said, “Mursi is not in prison because it is not a military coup; he is under the national security for his own protection.” In the same vein, Mr. Salama noted that Egyptian authority is currently working out modalities to reach to the African Union (AU) to convince it to rescind its decision of suspending the country. “We had the Conference for Peace and Security and we requested that AU member states should not take a hasty decision, rather they should find out before taking a certain decision about that because it is not a military coup. Salam said it is a coup by the people and for the benefit of all.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 33

International Asia & Middle East Death penalty for leading Iran’s Rouhani dismisses Bangladesh Islamist Israeli threats A

Bangladesh tribunal has sentenced a top Islamist party leader to death for war crimes during the 1971 war of independence.

Lawyers said that Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, 65, was found guilty in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday of genocide, conspiracy in killing intellectuals, torture and abduction during the war to break away from Pakistan.

Supporters of Mojaheed, the secretary-general of Jamaate-Islam, clashed with security forces in different parts of Bangladesh, after he was found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal of five of the seven charges.

Prosecutors have described him as an architect of the killings of intellectuals by militias at the end of the war. The charges include the abduction and disappearance of a top journalist and the murder of a leading music director.

“As the president of Jamaat’s now defunct student wing, he was the chief of the notorious Al Badr militia between October and December in 1971,” prosecutor MuklesurRahmanBadal said.

Mojaheed looked defiant and

H

Mojaheed being escorted to court by Bangladeshi police.

shouted, “Wrong judgment!” when the judge handed down the sentence for him to be hanged.

Defence lawyer SaifurRahman said outside court that they would appeal against the Mojaheed’s verdict.

TanvirChowdhury, reporting from Dhaka, said that general

elections were due to be held in five months’ time, which could prompt a retrial.

Mojaheed’s son had earlier said that the crimes his father was accused of were politically motivated.

Mojaheed was an influential minister in the 2001-2006

government headed by Khaleda Zia, the present head of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

When it became clear that Pakistan was losing the war, dozens of intellectuals were abducted from their homes and murdered in December 1971 in

School meal leaves 21 children dead in India

A

t least 21 children have died and dozens are in hospital after eating the free meals provided at a primary school in eastern India, officials have said.

The children, aged between eight and 11 years old, fell ill after lunch at the governmentrun school in Masrakh, a village 80km north of Patna in Bihar’s state capital.

PK Sahi, the state education

minister, said a preliminary investigation suggested the food was contaminated by phosphorous, which is used to preserve rice and wheat.

Bihar state official AmarjitSinha told the AP news agency that 27 children and the school’s cook were taken to hospital in Patna.

KarishmaVyas, reporting from New Delhi, the Indian capital, said eight children were in a

serious condition.

The meal was cooked in the school kitchen.

Nitish Kumar, the state’s chief minister, ordered an inquiry.

Authorities have suspended a food inspector and registered a case of criminal negligence against the school headmaster.

Each of the families of the dead children are set to receive $3,375.

Vyas said the free meals were

supposed to give the impoverished parents an incentive to send their children to school.

“And in fact this worked.

Studies have shown that this programme has directly increased enrollment of children in school,” she said.

“So it is extremely concerning that, after consuming this stateprovided meal, 21 children have died and more are in the hospital.”

Kerry to hold secret Middle East peace talks

U

S Secretary of State John Kerry is due to meet with officials from Arab nations that he regards as essential to his push to get Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks.

His sixth visit to the region since taking office continued on Wednesday, but US officials declined to confirm which countries would be represented at the meeting but said they were likely to include Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

A day earlier, Kerry and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke for five hours in Amman over an Iftar dinner, the evening meal with which Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan.

When Kerry met the group last on April 29, they made a concession to Israel by saying Israel and the Palestinians could

Kerry (R) during a previous meeting with Mahmoud Abbas

swap land rather than conform exactly to their 1967 borders.

Previously, the group had insisted on a return to the 1967 lines and had not endorsed land swaps, although it has long been assumed that these would be part of any peace agreement.

Kerry and Abbas on Tuesday discussed Israeli-Palestinian peace, bolstering the Palestinian economy and the recent upheaval in the Middle East, a senior State Department official said without giving details, in keeping with Kerry’s desire to keep his

consultations secret.

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations broke down in 2010 in a dispute over Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want for an independent state.

After a round of shuttle diplomacy between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of June, Kerry has said that “with a little more work, the start of final status negotiations could be within reach”.

However, Israeli officials said they were unaware of any plans

by Kerry to visit Israel on his latest trip.

The group he will meet on Wednesday had supported a 2002 Arab League proposal that offered full Arab recognition of Israel if it gave up land seized in a 1967 war and accepted a “just solution” for Palestinian refugees.

assan Rouhani, Iran’s president-elect, has brushed off threats of military action by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Referring to the US and Israel, Rouhani said: “When some say that all options are on the table and when a miserable regional country says such things, it makes you laugh.”

In an address to Iran-Iraq war veterans on Wednesday, in which he rebuked Netanyahu, Rouhani said: “Who are the Zionists to threaten us?”

He also said that warnings of an Iranian retaliation had stopped Israel from carrying out its threats to launch strikes on the country.

According to the semiofficial Mehr news agency, the Iranian foreign ministry characterised Netanyahu’s remarks as Israel’s’s interference in the internal affairs of other countries and its attempts to damage other countries’ relations with Iran.

Netanyahu on Sunday renewed his threat to take unilateral military action to halt Iran’s nuclear programme.

“They’re edging up to the red line. They haven’t crossed it yet,” the Israeli premier told CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

“He’s [Rouhani] criticising his predecessor for being a wolf in wolf’s clothing. His strategy is be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Smile and build a bomb.”

Western nations believe Iran is seeking the means to make atomic bombs, and have demanded Tehran abandon its most sensitive nuclear work.

But Iran denies the charge and says it needs atomic power for energy generation and medical research.

The election of Rouhani, a relative moderate, on June 14 has raised some hopes for a resolution of the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear intentions.

Rowhani will succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president on August 3, but Iran’s Supreme Leader Ay a t o l l a h Khamenei has the final say on nuclear policy.

Rouhani

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

International

Cuba admits sending weapons to North Korea

C

uba has said a North Korean cargo ship seized in Panama was loaded at one of its ports with 10,000 tons of sugar and 240 tons of “obsolete defensive weaponry”.

The Cuban foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the Soviet-era weapons were being sent to North Korea for repair and included two anti-aircraft batteries, nine disassembled rockets, and two MiG-21 aircraft.

“The agreements Cuba has signed in these areas are based on our need to maintain our defensive

capacity to protect national sovereignty,” the statement said.

The Chong Chon Gang was detained on Tuesday after Panamanian authorities detected what appeared to be ballistic missiles and other arms, Ricardo Martinelli, the country’s president, has said.

The crew rioted and the captain reportedly had a heart attack and then tried to commit suicide when the ship was boarded as it approached the Atalantic entrance to the Panama Canal.

Javier Caraballo, Panama’s top anti-drugs prosecutor, said the cargo ship was en route to North Korea.

The vessel’s 35-man crew also rioted when police stepped aboard, according to Martinelli, who said the suspicious cargo was found within a massive consignment of sugar.

Martinelli said on Tuesday that the ship was violating United Nations resolutions against arms trafficking.

US state department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell on

Tuesday commended Panama’s search and seizure of a North Korean-flaggedship traveling from Cuba to the Panama Canal and offered Washington’s help if requested.

Panam a n i a n a u t h o r i t i e s said the ship was being held and that they had detained the crew members.

The shipment could violate harsh UN arms sanctions on North Korea intended to halt its nuclear programme, and will likely worsen relations between Havana and Washington.

so has been unable to take up asylum offers from a number of Latin American states.

Mr Putin stressed on Wednesday that Russia was “an independent country and we have an independent foreign policy”.

Responding to a question from the Interfax agency on what

he thought the difference was between human rights activism and anti-American activity, Mr Putin replied that he would not “go into details”.

A spokesman for Mr Putin previously said that the decision on whether Mr Snowden’s asylum request would be granted was not Mr Putin’s to make.

Mr Putin is clearly aware of the sensitivities involved, and the issue risks overshadowing talks with US President Barack Obama who is due to visit Russia in September, correspondents say.

On Wednesday Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer with strong links to the Kremlin who helped Mr Snowden with the paperwork for his asylum application, said he expected Mr Snowden would be able to leave the transit zone in Sheremetyevo “within days”.

MrKucherena said he expected a decision to be made on the application within a week.

MrKucherena previously said that Mr Snowden had stated in the application that he faced possible torture and execution if he returned to the US. The White House reiterated its position that the fugitive should be expelled and face trial in the US. “He is not a human rights activist. He is not a dissident.

He’s accused of leaking classified information,” spokesman Jay Carney said.

US ties outweigh intelligence ‘squabbles’ – Putin

Putin

R

ussian President Vladimir Putin has said bilateral relations with the US are more important than “squabbles between special services”.

In his latest comments on fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, Mr Putin said he had been warned against any “activity that harms Russian-

American relations”.

Mr Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia.

He is wanted by the US for leaking details of surveillance programmes.

Mr Snowden has been in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for the past three weeks.

He has no travel documents,

Costa Concordia trial reopens in Italy

T

he trial against captain Francesco Schettino over a deadly shipwreck off Italy in 2012 which cost 32 lives, has begun in Grosseto, the closest city to the accident off Tuscany’s Giglio island.

Schettino, the sole defendant, is charged with multiple manslaughter, abandoning the Costa Concordia cruise liner and causing the shipwreck.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted over the incident in which the vessel struck a jagged reef off Giglio, took on water and capsized.

Prosecutors contend that Schettino steered the ship too close to the island’s coastline in a publicity stunt for Costa Crociere, a British-American

owned Italian cruise line which owns the vessel, but the company denies that version of events.

Francesco Pepe, Schettino’s lawyer, said on Wednesday that his client had “remained on the ship for as long as it was possible and until physics forced him to jump on the boat or out to sea”.

The trial officially began last week but was suspended following a lawyers’ strike.

Hearings are also expected to take place on Thursday and Friday.

Schettino slipped through a back door and did not speak to reporters as he arrived at Grosseto’s theatre, where the trial is held to allow room for the large numbers of survivors

The Costa Concordia shipwreck claimed 32 lives.

and lawyers expected to attend.

Five other defendants successfully sought plea bargains, and their hearing

will be held in Grosseto on July 20.

Their sentences are expected to be far milder than 20 years in prison.

Europe and Americas

US orders release of justification for spying

A

US court has ordered the Obama administration to declassify a 2008 court decision justifying the PRISM spying programme revealed last month by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The ruling, issued earlier this week, will show how the state has legally justified its covert data collection programmes under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Judge Reggie Walton of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court issued the ruling to declassify the decision. The government is expected to decide by August 26 which parts of the 2008 decision may be published.

The scope and scale of PRISM, which collects millions of private foreign communications with American citizens, was leaked to the media last month by Snowden. Its operation is overseen by the FIS Court and its appeals body, the FIS Court of Review.

The ruling to declassify comes after a challenge by the internet firm, Yahoo, on the constitutionality of the programme.

It and a number of internet f i r m s including Facebook, Google, AOL and Microsoft, were compelled to provide information to the National Security Agency (NSA), which runs PRISM. A statement from Yahoo said that it was “very pleased” with the court’s ruling.

“Once those documents are made public, we believe they will contribute constructively to the ongoing public discussion around online privacy,” Yahoo said.

Meanwhile a number of major US Internet companies, including Microsoft, Google and Facebook have asked the government for permission to disclose the number of national security-related user data requests they receive.

Also, Microsoft published a lengthy letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder asking for greater freedom to publicly discuss how it turns over user information to the government.

The letter was a response to a TheGuardian newspaper report that said Microsoft had given authorities the ability to circumvent encryption of Outlook emails and to capture Skype online chats. The company says that report is inaccurate.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 35

Strange World Japanese surgically alter their palm lines to change their fortunes

P

almistry, the art of predicting the future by reading palm lines, has always been very popular in Japan, only now modern day believers are taking matters into their own hands by using plastic surgery to alter or extend their life, love and success lines, and hopefully change fate.

Do you want to live a long and healthy life, find the man/ woman of your dreams or win the lottery? Changing your fortunes may seem impossible, but an increasing number of Japanese are confident it’s as easy as altering your palm lines through plastic surgery. A reporter from The Daily Beast sat down with Takaaki Matsuoka, a plastic surgeon at the Shonan Beauty Clinic, who has so far performed 20 of these palm-line altering sur g e r i e s . M a t s u o k a k n e w nothing about palmistry until two years ago, when a client walked into his office and asked him to change some of her palm lines. Unsure he could pull off such a procedure, the doctor started searching through medical journals and found it was already practiced in Korea.

He studied the methods and after the patient confirmed what she wanted altered, he performed the surgery for ¥100,000 ($1,000). It turned

out alright, and since then 37 clients have had their palm lines changed or added at the Shonan Beauty Clinic alone.

Dr. Matsuoka says the cosmetic procedure of altering palm lines is pretty simple, if you know what you are doing.

It takes just 10 to 15 minutes

ivi Mac is an amazing artist from France who can use virtually any kind of food to create detailed celebrity portraits.

Although she has yet to display her ephemeral masterpieces in an proper art gallery, Vivi Mac has already made a name for herself online.

We’ve featured some amazing food artists on Oddity Central in the past, but none quite like this one.

Karen Eland is a master coffee painter, ElisabettaRogai uses wine as her medium, Kelly McCollam uses spices and food coloring to recreate classic paintings, but the self-taught Vivi Mac

heal but the new lines don’t form. But even with the right technique, these added lines don’t look perfectly natural, although that doesn’t seem to bother palmistry believers too much.

Apparently, most patients who decide to have their

In Japan, palm lines are altered in a hope to change fate.

Artist creates amazing portraits from food

V

and the wounds take a month to heal during which time they have to remain bandaged. But it’s imperative the surgeon use an electrical scalpel to burn the shaky lines into the skin and ensure a proper scaring remains. With a plain metal or laser scalpel the wounds

can take anything from chewing gum, to milk or crème brûlée and turn it into an awe-inspiring portrait. When working with liquids, Mac uses a simple plastic straw and her hands to guide the unusual mediums around a plastic tray which acts as a canvas.

Just how she manages to capture the finest facial features is still a mystery to me, and I’ve seen videos of her doing it dozens of times.

Vivi Mac has never attended art school. She only used online resources like blogs and Facebook to learn the basics of drawing and painting.

Bruce Lee in milk.

palm lines altered are men and women in their thirties who are strong believers in the ancient art of palmistry.

Men usually want to change their money luck line and financial line, while women are interested in altering their marriage line. Some of them don’t have a marriage line and want it added, while those who have it believe it came to early in their lives and they missed their chance, so they ask for a new one. Patients can draw the modifications they want done with a marker, but Takaaki Matsuoka studied palmistry after noticing the growing interest in palm line cosmetic surgery, and can advise clients on what needs to be changed.

But does altering your palm lines really change your fortunes? Matsuoka isn’t too sure about that, but he believes it may have a placebo effect on his patients.

If someone believes their luck will improve, it just might.

His procedures have had some success though, as he remembers a woman who had her married line changed wrote him soon after the surgery to let him now she got hitched, and two male patients who actually won the lottery after altering their money-luck lines.

Of course, he can’t say his surgeries were the cause, but it’s definitely a great way to advertise the service to new clients.

Salon uses live snails as beauty treatment

S

nail slime is believed to have an anti-ageing effect on human skin and beauty product companies have been using as an ingredient for around two decades. Now, a Japanese beauty salon is taking things to a whole new level by offering a treatment where live snails are put directly on clients’ faces to cover them in slime.

For a lot of women, having snails crawling on their faces is the stuff of nightmares, but the owners of Tokyo-based beauty salon CizLabo are hoping some will actually be willing to pay for it. According to CizLabo spokeswoman ManamiTakamura, snail slime removes old cells from a person’s skin, moisturizes it and treats sun burn effects.

The treatment, called the Celebrity Escargot Course, costs Y24,150 ($241) and involves four snails bought from an organic snail breeder in Japan and kept in sterile conditions. An assistant gently places the snails on the patient’s previously washed face and let’s them crawl freely.

The ‘slimey’ treatment is popular in Japan.

If they get too close to the person’s mouth, eyes or nostrils, she picks them up and places them back on an area where they feel less uncomfortable.

The slimy facial is a central part of this 60-minute treatment and is followed by a series of massages, masks and electrical pulse machines using creams infused with snail mucus which ensure the secretions penetrate the skin properly.

The Celebrity Escargot Course officially launched yesterday, but a Daily Telegraph correspondent had the privilege of testing it early and reported that it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Apparently the snails feel slow, heavy, cool and slightly ticklish.

The sensation is surprising when they are first placed on your skin, but you get used to it pretty fast.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Digest

Listening to a melody reduces physical pain

By Emma Innes istening to music makes people feel less pain, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Alberta have found more evidence to suggest that music decreases people’s perceived sense of pain.

Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry researcher Dr Lisa Hartling led a research team that conducted a clinical research trial of 42 children between the ages of three and 11.

L

All of the children were seen at the paediatric emergency department at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, in Alberta, and needed IVs. Some of the children listened to music while getting an IV, while others did not.

Researchers measured the children’s distress, perceived pain levels, and heart rates.

They also measured the satisfaction levels of parents, and the satisfaction levels of the healthcare providers who administered the IVs.

‘We did find a difference in the children’s reported pain – the children in the music group had less pain immediately after the procedure,’ said Dr Hartling.

‘The finding is clinically important and it’s a simple intervention that can make a big difference.

‘Playing music for kids during painful medical procedures would be an inexpensive and easy-to-use intervention in clinical settings.’

The research showed that the children who listened to music reported significantly less pain,

Listening to music really does make people feel less pain, a new study suggests some demonstrated significantly less distress, and the children’s parents were more satisfied with care.

In the music listening group, 76 per cent of healthcare providers said the IVs were very easy to administer – a markedly higher number than the non-music group where only 38 per cent of healthcare providers said the procedure

People who listen to music during medical procedures report significantly less pain and some demonstrate significantly less distress

was very easy.

‘There is growing scientific evidence showing that the brain responds to music and different types of music in very specific ways,’ said Dr Hartling.

‘So additional research into how and why music may be a better distraction from pain could help advance this field.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Fat-boosting gene mystery ‘solved’

By James Gallagher

T

he mystery of a genetic flaw which greatly increases the risk of obesity in one in six people has been solved by an international group of scientists.

A version of an obesity gene, called FTO, had been linked to a bigger belly, but the reason why was uncertain.

A study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed it made fatty foods more tempting and altered levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin.

Obesity experts said drugs targeting ghrelin might reduce weight gain.

There is a strong family link with obesity, and a person’s genetic code is thought to play a major role in the risk of them becoming overweight.

People have two copies of the FTO gene - one from each parent - and each copy comes in a high and a low-risk form. Those with

two-high risk copies of the FTO gene are thought to be 70% more likely to become obese than those with low-risk genes.

But no-one knew why.

A team, led by researchers at University College London, tested two groups of men. All were a normal weight, but one group had the high-risk FTO genes and the other was low risk.

The first tests looked at levels of the hormone ghrelin either side of a meal in 10 men from each group.

Levels of the hormone, which makes people hungry, did not fall as far in the high-risk patients after the meal. Their ghrelin levels also began to climb more quickly.

In separate tests, a series of brain scans after a meal showed further differences between the two groups. Men with the highrisk genes found pictures of highfat foods more appealing than the low-risk men.

Dr Rachel Batterham, the head of the centre for obesity

research at University College London, told the BBC News website: “Their brain is set up to be particularly interested in anything to do with high-calorie food.”

She said they were “biologically programmed to eat more”.

Help?

Dr Batterham said understanding how FTO affected the odds of becoming overweight would help patients.

She said exercise such as cycling was an excellent way to lower ghrelin levels and there was a significant amount of research from pharmaceutical companies working on the hormone.

She added: “Also protein meals do lower ghrelin more, so anything that suppresses ghrelin is more likely to be effective in FTO patients.”

The FTO mutations were probably life-saving at one point in human history when piling on the

pounds in the summer would help people survive the winter.

Commenting on the findings, Prof Steve Bloom, from Imperial College London, said: “We know the tendency to overeat in a society with too much food and no need for exercise is inherited.

“Slowly we are discovering the factors which make us overweight and this study, encompassing not only demonstration of a higher level of hunger hormone, ghrelin, but also changes in the brain associated with ghrelin’s action, is an important step forward.”

S o u r c e : Why some people find fatty foods irresistible BBCNews.com could be hidden in their genes.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 37

How Dankwambo is transforming Gombe state- Works Commissioner Engnr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad is Gombe state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. In this interview with newsmen, he said Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo prioritizes road construction and upgrade of the Airport in the state, insisting that his administration has virtually linked most communities, hitherto isolated, through the provision of road infrastructure in the last two years. Our Gombe Correspondent, David Hassan was there.

What projects did you inherit when you took over the ministry? ctually, we came on board in December, 2011, by which time His Excellency, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo was already seven or so months on seat as the governor. Apparently, it was very clear to everybody that the state of infrastructure, especially the road infrastructure network for the state was really in bad condition. Most of our townships roads, the Gombe metropolitan as well as other urban centres were really in a very poor condition. Immediately he settled down in office, he awarded road contracts for construction of various township roads as well as intertown linkages roads for our regional communities. This, he pursued vigorously. So, by the time we came in December, these contracts were already flagged off and construction works on some of the corridors had already commenced, while others were just about to start.

I came and met the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure with specific problems of working tools, the problems of inadequate personnel and there were a lot of programmmes and projects for them to monitor and supervise. I looked at the structure of their programme of considering my background events and we tried to inject some kind of new methods of approach to the procurement of contracts. The procurement process was not in the best form, that is the Federal Capital Development Authority. We thought that we had to inject some new kinds of procurement approach which will strengthen all the regulations involving the pursuance of due process in our procurement of contracts. This will ensure that we get good contractors, very capable and reputable ones, given all the various terms.

In the first instance, we thought that for His Excellency to leave a legacy of sound framework, we modify our bid for pre-qualification of contractors; our tender analysis approach for involving a successful contractor to carry out a programme or a project and we changed the style of our site monitoring and supervision drive. A situation whereby staff remained in office and give report on a site he has no knowledge of, we thought must be changed. They must be on site to actually jointly monitor works with Consultants. Some major projects had no Supervision Consultants. We made a case to His Excellency to consider and I found in the governor the willingness to

A

Engnr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad really accept new ideas, new methods of getting the same or if not better achievements. This really encouraged us.

That was the situation we met the ministry and the staff had their own portion of problems confronting them and preventing them from carrying out their work effectively such as inadequate working tools, facilities.

We made cases such that whatever they may require to undertake their assignments, it is readily made available to them. We introduced what I regard as weekly “operational briefings” on Mondays. This enables me get briefings from various directorates of the ministry and then I am fully informed of what has been done and what is to be done then we agree on our next programme.

It also gives me the insight of what I can prepare myself to defend at the EXCO on Wednesdays so that every now and then, you have a complete programme of what is to be done.

May we know how many road projects you met on ground?

The Governor had already awarded contracts for 12 Gombe township roads. He came with another additional 19 township roads, making 31.

And these works were spread across various communities and wards in Gombe metropolis. Actually, work had started in some of the corridors, like I have already mentioned. We

found a situation in which about three or four of them were already completed by the time we came in 2011.So we were having 28 roads out of which four were earmarked for dualisation. At the time we came, nothing had started along these 28 corridors. It is noteworthy that when we came in, we found a problem that had been bedeviling Gombe and that is the issue of this erosion along most of our road corridors.

So, we had to go into joint efforts with the Ministry of Water Resources and Environment where they are providing erosion control drainage channels which we thought we should be directing our road drainages to

empty into these various erosion control channels, especially within the Gombe metropolis. This worked very effectively, taking into consideration the activities we did within the Federal Low Cost area.

With the programme we came in with, we ensured that our road drainages must be directly connected and emptied to various erosion control channels. And this has significantly helped in the control of this flooding which Gombe had been facing for some time.

Another challenge that we were able to confront was the problem of most of the failed roads we met on ground. We discovered that there was the need to strengthen the roads because the traffic capacity within the metropolis had increased significantly with heavier trucks coming in.

The structure of the road that had been constructed needed to be strengthened so we replaced the laterite base, which used to be the material for the base course of the road structure, with crushed stone base and this allowed us to construct road with extended life span.

This is what we are providing within the Gombe metropolis.

Can you shed more light on the dualisation of four roads in Gombe metropolis ?

Yes, four of these roads like I mentioned, were marked for expansion to be in dual carriage ways mode. These roads are the Bello Sabon Kudi way, the Idi road from the Emirs Round About to the Eid praying ground; the road from central primary School to Kasuwan Doya and then of course, the Union Bank round-about, somewhere around the State Low Cost to link the by-pass. It was decided that the road be extended from where it has presently been terminated to pass through Madaki quarters, Barunde up to the bye-pass. Work has

“

In fact, His Excellency has opened up discussion with the Ministry of Aviation, through the Managing Director of FAAN with an effort to see to it that Gombe can key into the current remodelling programme embarked upon by the Federal Ministry of Aviation on all Federal Airports so that we can get some kind of intervention from the Federal Government to see to it that Gombe is included as one of the airports to be remodelled. And when that is achieved, I can tell you that the revenue base, internally generated revenue from the airport can also be enhanced

substantially been completed along these corridors. In fact, substantial completion has been recorded at the Bello Sabon Kudi road. More than 95 % of the road construction has been completed, what is remaining now is the installation of street lights. Then along the Idi road, we have achieved more than 80% work completion along that corridor. The remaining segment is a connection between the Eid praying ground and the junction to PZ. Then there is the state low cost road through Madaki quarters to Barunde to bye-pass. All clearance work along that road has been completed. Work on the hydraulic structures and various stream crossings is currently in progress and we are hoping that before the end of this year, we will also deliver that portion of the road and open it to traffic. Of the four roads billed for dualisation, it is only the Kasuwan Doya from Central Primary School that work is yet to commence.

We just discussed with the contractor and we are hoping that they will mobilize also along that corridor and commence with the demolition of structures affected by the expansion work so that construction work can commence along the corridor too. This will have put to rest all the roads billed for dualisation.

Then in the course of the projects implementation, we had problems with most of the roads founded within the built-up environment.

This problem pertained to the issue of compensation. It actually took a long period before we could resolve with the Ministry of Lands and Survey to see to the payment of compensation to the affected property owners.

While this lasted, his Excellency in his wisdom saw the need that we should now look into other free corridors. And because we had the issue of this erosion and flooding problems generating mostly from the Federal Low Cost, he directed that we move into that area. That is the area where we constructed additional 21 roads. When you add 21 roads to the earlier 31, we are talking of 52 roads already targeted for development within the Gombe metropolis alone.

Out of these 52 roads all the 21 roads within the Federal Low cost have been completed.

We understand there are regional and local government township roads also being built by this government?

Yes, the other township roads are the Local Government Headquarters.

Gombe State has eleven Local Governments and we have embarked Contiuned on page 38

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Politics

PDP crisis: Ex-Senator urges PDP to respect Obasanjo From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

F

L-R: CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, in a handshake with Chairman, House Committee on Banking and Currency, Hon. Jones Onyeriri, during an interactive session with stakeholders in the banking industry, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

ormer Senator and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ayo Arise, has urged members of the party to recognize President Olusegun Obasanjo as the overall leader of the party.

Arise, while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, Oyo state capital said that the only way to end the lingering crisis in the party is to realize the need to respect leaders of the party at all levels.

He stated that there is no doubt that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is the longest serving elected president of Nigeria as well as a military Headof State who handed over power to the civilian government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1979. “We must come together to realise that we have a leader. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is the longest serving president of this country and that everyone cannot be a leader including members of the party who

are still aspiring for one position or the other.”

He pointed out that though former President Obasanjo has retired as the party’s BoT chairman, he is not tired yet. Arise said that the party at this time needs selfless people; not people who want to be serve for selfish purposes but people of high integrity.

On his ambition to contest the governorship election in Ekiti state come 2014, Arise said that he is more popular in Oye Ekiti area of the state where Governor KayodeFayemi hails from, which gives him preference among other PDP aspirants in the state.

He said that it is certain President Goodluck Jonathan will prefer his candidature knowing his wealth of experience.

He called on the PDP members in the state to come together for the success of the party in the 2014 Governorship elections adding that there is a need to plan well and strategize more for the success of the party at the polls.

How Dankwambo is transforming Gombe state- Works Commissioner Contiuned on page 38

on the provision of roads in the other 10 local governments headquarters and some towns. In Balanga, we are providing township roads one each in Bambam and Cham, while in Kaltungo, we are providing about five township roads. In Billiri, we are providing four township roads and in fact, in Kaltungo and Billiri, during one of his inspection tours, His Excellency had cause to extend and add some works within the communities. In Kaltungo particularly, what we have packaged to do was the construction of failed sections of the township roads which are already in place. When he came and saw that it involves some cutting and making good the failed sections, he instructed that we should scrap the entire asphalt pavement and then reconstruct the road. So, that is what we are doing now as additional works to the township roads in Kaltungo.

Then, we are doing township roads in Kumo, the headquarters of Akko Local Government.

We are doing township roads in Deba, the headquarters of Yamaltu/ Deba Local Government as well as in Dadin Kowa and Hinna. And in recent time, he has also approved and directed that we should develop some network of roads in Liji. Liji is actually under Yamaltu/Deba local government but because of its proximity to Gombe township-it is within the radius of 15 kilometre jurisdiction for the metropolitan and we regard such communities as satellite towns of Gombe metropolis.

He has directed that we should develop various network of roads there. So you can see, four in Deba, three in Dadin Kowa and two in Hinna.

In Dukku, we are doing three township roads, which His Excellency graciously increased to four. In Funakaye, we are doing two township roads in Bajoga, where His Excellency graciously approved two more, making four. In Nafada, two township roads have been developed in Nafada

town itself, one each in Birin Bolawa and Birin Fulani as well as one each in Barwo Winde and Barwo Nasarawo.

That gives you about six township roads in Nafada local government. If you look at the outlay it means that almost all the towns and communities stretching from Balanga (down South) to Nafada (up North), have been provided with roads. From Yamaltu/Deba (at the extreme East) up to Akko (on the extreme West), have been provided with roads. So, all the communities have been provided with various township roads. And the quality really matters. The quality of our township roads is such that for Gombe metropolis, it is intended that these roads should have an extended life span that is why they are provided with these crushed stones, especially given the fact that there are much heavier traffic on these roads than will be obtained elsewhere.

Can you highlight the electrification of some of the township roads?

The other area of development in the ministry is that of electrical infrastructure. With the rising level of insecurity around the North Eastern part of the country, Gombe has its own fair share. It therefore became very evident that we had to light up the streets not only for safety but also to enhance the security surveillance along the roads. His Excellency approved that all our township roads, including the ones already in existence, especially the ones we are freshly developing, must be provided with lights. Both the ones within the Gombe metropolis and the ones in the local government townships.

Then there are the problems introduced by the new roads.

Provision of more roads in the town meant that we are introducing more intersections and therefore we are making traffic movement along the roads or streets in the metropolis a little bit more complicated. For this, manual traffic management will become too cumbersome for our traffic wardens and we decided to introduce the need for automation by installing

traffic light signal heads at about 19 critically identified intersections in the Gombe metropolis. And these have already been provided and presently Gombe, just like you go to cities like Abuja or so, you see that this traffic light has significantly reduced the rate of accidents previously being encountered with motorists at intersections, especially with our motorcyclists.

The governor has also directed that we should package and bring out contracts for the beautification of these open spaces and roundabouts.

If you look at the Mile 3 location, there is a contract going on now for the beautification of that area along with about six roundabouts in the city. The areas are Government House roundabout, Emir’s Palace roundabout, the Union Bank roundabout, Market roundabout as well as the three which are coming up again in Liji, the one in the direction of the Gombe State University and the one at FCE. The government plans to upgrade the Gombe Airport to International standard, what informed this decision?

This Gombe Airport, by the vantage location of Gombe State in the North Eastern part of the country, is a great potential for economic development of the state. Being in the centre, Gombe is virtually neighbouring states of the north east.

From Gombe, you can get to any of the five capitals of the states bordering it within three hours. So this gives Gombe the advantage of being a hub,

a centre for commercial, economic and even political activities. So we said that one of the principal gateways into this area should not just be by land transportation mode but should also be through the enhancement of the air transportation mode, since we don’t have a sea here. His Excellency decided that we should do everything possible to upgrade the facilities at the airport. Presently we have one of the best runways at the airport that you can think of when compared generally we are going all other airports in the country but the terminal building and other facilities at the airport are, to say the least, not up-to-date, inadequate and therefore not befitting the status of International Airport as claimed.

So, the desire of His Excellency is that we must give the airport the necessary upgrading to really take the place of being truly international.

And for this, he has approved that and we are working presently with our consultants along with technical officials of FAAN (Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria) to see to the upgrading of infrastructural facilities at the airport.

This will include a befitting terminal building both for domestic and international flight operations, to introduce General Aviation Terminal like what we have at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; to introduce a more befitting VIP Lounge. Not just like the one we have where the departure lounge is the arrival lounge. I think under the Aviation rules it should not be so.

The aviation industry is one of the

“

We have been able to broker an understanding with Messrs Arik Air Limited in which they will be operating on regular basis and since then they have started this. We are even exploring the possibility that Arik Air will start to do night stopping in Gombe

most highly regulated, so we need to make a lot of improvements to meet up with their standards. We are also introducing, for commercial, a Cargo Terminal; we are introducing a Fuel Dump and then of course support services such as ground handling services and other kinds of logistical supports.

In fact, His Excellency has opened up discussion with the Ministry of Aviation, through the Managing Director of FAAN with an effort to see to it that Gombe can key into the current remodelling programme embarked upon by the Federal Ministry of Aviation on all Federal Airports so that we can get some kind of intervention from the Federal Government to see to it that Gombe is included as one of the airports to be remodelled. And when that is achieved, I can tell you that the revenue base, internally generated revenue from the airport can also be enhanced. In this regard, we have brokered an understanding with the only airline that is currently operating between Gombe and Abuja, that is Arik Airline, through the efforts of His Excellency. We have been able to broker an understanding with Messrs Arik Air Limited in which they will be operating on regular basis and since then they have started this. We are even exploring the possibility that Arik Air will start to do night stopping in Gombe. That means that the last flight will leave Abuja on a daily basis except on Saturday and then the first flight will leave Gombe early the following morning. So the aircraft will spend the night in Gombe. This is in an effort to ensure that flight operations are really regular.

And the cargo flight, once it starts operating, people can freight in their cargoes into Gombe straight away. We will start operating a real international connection. Very soon by the grace of God and the wisdom of His Excellency, we are hoping to start flying real international flight so that from the Gombe Airport, you can fly Jeddah, Dubai, Addis.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Briefs EFCC arrests five Bauchi officials

O

fficials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested five staff of the Bauchi state Scholarship Board over missing funds.

Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Muhammad Kulloma Hardawa, stated this on Tuesday while answering question from newsmen in Bauchi.

According to him, the board noticed that certain amount of money was missing from its bank account and consequently set up investigation team.

He said that five members of staff were found to be involved in collaboration with some bank officials.

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

PAGE 39

News Extra

NEITI solicits NASS support on contracts award transparency

By Etuka Sunday

T

he Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has called on the National Assembly to ensure that contract awards transparency is embedded as key provision in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

A statement by the NEITI Director

of Communications, Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, quoted the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, as defending its position in a memo to the National Assembly at the Public Hearing on the PIB by the House of Representatives.

According to her, “in conformity with the global trends and EITI principles which Nigeria is a signatory,

Independent Petroleum marketers

T

he Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has asked the managements of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to ensure the steady supply of petroleum products to Nigerians.

IPMAN also said its members would ensure the steady supply of the products to in order to avert artificial scarcity.

In a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, the IPMAN National Secretary, Mr. Mike Osatuyi, said that, “the National Executive Committee of IPMAN is working relentlessly with all its members to sustain the distribution and retailing chain.”

By Etuka Sunday

Ilorin Varsity Vice-Chancellor

T

he Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof.

AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has said that programmes of the Federal Government would only yield the required results if attention is given to correcting the multifarious ills bedeviling the society.

Ambali spoke at the 15th annual national conference of the Nigerian Association of Educational Researchers and Evaluators (NAERE) held at the University of Ilorin.

He noted the society can only attain transformation if appropriate policies from research are implemented through a well planned development programmes and activities.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that opinions expressed about the quality of graduates of the nation’s institutions at different levels warrant a deep analysis to determine a way forward.

He commended the choice of the conference theme, “Functional Education and Graduate Employability,” the nation has witnessed increase in the rate of graduate unemployment.

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

NEITI proposes the reation of a register that will contain comprehensive information and data about holders of oil, gas and mining licenses.

“Such a register should also contain information on corporate entities of all those that bid for or invest in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

“The register should also contain identities of the beneficiary owners of oil blocks and licences including all exploration and production contracts.”

On the contentious issue of confidentiality clause which determine the nature of information that companies can share with the public on their operations, the memo noted that section 174 of the PIB contains contradictory provision on the issue of confidentiality clauses.

“This has created mix signals on what information shall or shall not be made public by the companies, the memo said, adding that “NEITI is therefore of the position that the process of maintaining confidentiality of industrial

information by the companies should be clarified in the legislation.”

It argued further that the PIB as presently drafted has no clear provision for installation of metering infrastructure for accurate measurement of the quantity of crude that Nigeria produces and requested for correction of the anomaly.

On allocation of oil blocks and mining licenses, The Executive Secretary made a clarification that NEITI supports the position being widely canvassed that the PIB should provide for transparent, open and competitive bidding process in the award and allocation of oil blocks and licenses.

She however added that NEITI should be empowered by the PIB to effectively monitor the exercise as well as scrutinise all contractual obligations and carry out other functions by widening and strengthening the scope of its responsibilities as already provided in section 190(6) of the draft legislation of the Bill.

Activists fault Senate’s resolution on underage marriage

A

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, walking into the Council Chamber holding files, before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

cross section of activists on Wednesday faulted the Senate’s resolution to alter Section 29 (a) of the constitution stipulating that a woman shall qualify for marriage only when she attains 18 years old.

The Senate, however, deleted age specification for women who were once married, claiming that a woman is deemed to be “full of age” once she is married irrespective of the age she did so.

It will be recalled that the resolution was made by lawmakers on Tuesday after a voice vote on recommendations of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Nigerian Constitution.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Executive Director of PROJECT

ALERT on Violence Against Women, Mrs Josephine Effa-Chukwuma, described the resolution as a selfish one.

She said that (the resolution) would contradict the Child Rights Act which stipulated that ``a child is anyone below the age of 18. ``That is very reckless of them and insensitive of them to the plight of young girls especially in this time and era of child sexual abuse; the implications and complications that come up from early marriage which we all know; VVF, RVF and all that. ``So, if they go to the constitution to remove the age restriction that says one cannot marry to a teen, then, they might as well throw the Childs rights acts out of the window.

Benue ministry staff bags four years jail term for drug theft From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

A

Magistrate Court presided over by Justice Cecilia Bakare on Tuesday convicted and sentenced a staff of the Ministry of Health Makurdi, Benue state, Mr. Sesugh Manasseh, to three years

imprisonment without an option of fine for theft of drugs worth over N4 million.

Bakare equally ordered the convict to also pay a fine of N5, 000, insisting that failure to do so will buy him an additional one jail term.

In her judgment, Bakare held

that the convict actually stole the drugs kept in his custody thereby frustrating the efforts of the state government in providing drugs to patients.

The prosecution had told the court that a staff of the ministry, one Mr. Terna Abuku, had

reported to the police that some drugs in the central medical store were missing.

The prosecutor explained further that during police investigation, the convict and one Dennis Obaji who received the stolen goods was also arrested.

Alleged fraud: Kaduna court adjourns case to August 1 From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

A

Kaduna Chief Magistrate court on Ibrahim Taiwo road of Kaduna North local government has adjourned till the 1st of August for continuation of hearing in alleged case of fraud and blackmail filed by the Attorney-General of the state against a businessman, Lawal Danmuliki.

The Attorney-General who was represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Yohanna

Kore, asked the court to adjourn the case because the second prosecution witness could not make it to the court.

The Chief Magistrate, Nasiru Idris, granted the request of the DPP and adjourned the case.

While giving evidence earlier, the first prosecution witness, Mr. Bela Beckara, a Hungarian who is a Director, International Trade and Commercial Company [ITCC] said he knew the accused person in 2005 when he applied to be engaged as a freelance marketer.

“The relationship grew up to 2007 and we paid him commission for freelance jobs assigned to him.

“But we discovered in 2008 that he and one Martin floated a company and were diverting job meant for ITCC. In view of this, we terminated his engagement.”

He further said that from there the accused person started writing frivolous petitions to different security agents calling his company to be defrauding Nigeria and he himself as a Director has no

valid paper to stay in the country all in attempt to blackmail himself and ITCC. The Director of Prosecution tendered one of such paper to Zamfara State House of Assembly which was marked as exhibit 2.

He also tendered a police report based on the petition of the accused which was admitted and marked as anexhibit.

The accused, Lawal Danmuliki was represented by his team of solicitors led by Barrister Auta Maisamari.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 40

News Briefs

Adamawa PDP scribe blasts Tukur

S

ecretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa state, Mr. P. P. Elisha, has warned that the leadership style of the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, may truncate the needed peace to move the nation forward ahead of 2015 general elections.

Speaking at an interactive session with newsmen in Yola on Tuesday, Elisha alleged that Tukur runs the PDP as if it were his personal estate.

According to him, “the problem of PDP is from the top because the National Chairman of our great party has also become the Chairman of the national convention committee.”

Elisha also accused Tukur of complicity in the imposition of state of emergency on Adamawa “because of his political difference with Governor Nyako.”

From Umar Dankano, Yola

Bauchi College of Nursing and Midwifery

B

auchi state Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda has appointed Gambo Santali as Provost of the Bauchi state College of Nursing and Midwifery.

According to a press by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Sani Abubakar, the Governor also approved the appointment of Malami Idris Abdullah Muhammad as the provost of the College of Heath Technology, Ningi.

The statement noted that Dr. Aliyu Gital was redeployed to the Specialist Hospital as the Chief Medical Director while Dr Mohammed Liman Sambo was redeployed to the Hospitals Managemnet Board as the Chairman and Dr Zailani Isa as the Permanent Secretary.

The Governor, according to the statement, also appointed Alhaji Usuman Salisu as Chairman of the Bauchi state College of Nursing and Midwifery Governing Council.

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

‘How Kwara council spent N70m excess crude oil fund’

T

he chairman of Baruteen local government area of Kwara state, Alhaji Lafia Sabi, has said that the council committed over N70 million of its excess crude oil fund for projects across the council.

The Chairman disclosed this on Wednesday at Kosubosu, during a projects inspection tour by the state Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development.

He said that the projects were carried out following an approval

by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and subsequent release of fund from the excess crude account.

He said that the projects would be completed within a month noting that they did not include infrastructural development projects carried out from the monthly allocation of the council.

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

Senate President David Mark paying last respect to late Senator Pius Ewherido, after the Senate valedictory session in honour of the deceased, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Hajj reporters set to monitor 2013 Umrah operation

By Nami Hassan Kadir

A

civil society o r g a n i s a t i o n , Independent Hajj Reporters, has declared its readiness to work with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in monitoring this year’s Umrah operation.

A statement by the group’s National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed, and Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud, said the civil society would work with NAHCON’s newly constituted Umrah Monitoring

Team to ensure that pilgrims are treated fairly.

According to the statement, “we will liaise with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria on how to establish pilgrims’ complaints points to be managed by both the NAHCON Inspectorate Division and Independent Hajj Reporters’ investigative team in order to supervise this year’s Umrah pilgrimage.”

The statement cautioned the 89 registered tour operators and travel agencies against any form of exploitative charges from Umrah pilgrims especially in this month of Ramadan.

It said, “previously, some unscrupulous tour operators hide under the excuse of high cost of visa to charge exorbitant fees. But the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Nigeria has said in an interview recently that both Hajj and Umrah visas are free. This got to show that some tour operators/travel agencies have been exploiting Nigerian pilgrims. Such situation will not be allowed to continue unchallenged.”

“It has become necessary to caution the NAHCON’s registered tour operators/travel agencies to ensure that they render efficient and commemorative services to

Umrah pilgrims throughout their stay in Saudi Arabia,” the civil society said.

It further enjoined the agencies to be factual to pilgrims on the kind of accommodation secured for them to avoid loss of confidence by pilgrims.

“Most of the time, pilgrims are promised that their accommodation is a five star hotel located within Haram vicinity only to end up being camped far away from the Grand Mosque.

Having paid the agreed amounts, pilgrims should be made to enjoy their right to commemorative services,” the statement said.

Minister laments plight of widows Nigeria parleys Netherlands on water supply From Mike Etim, Uyo

D

issatisfied with the plight of widows in the country, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Zainab Maina, has urged lawmakers to do more to protect Nigerian widows.

The Minister who spoke during the first Widowhood Summit organised by wives of governors from the South-South and South-East states urged federal and state legislators to enact laws against degrading practices against widows.

“In addition, I wish to call

on relevant public and private institutions to enlightenment Nigerians to adequately prepare them for meeting the challenges at bereavement,” she said.

The Akwa Ibom state Governor, Godswill Akpabio, represented by his Deputy, Lady Valerie Ebe, also noted that the National Assembly should make laws in line with the various conventions on the elimination of the rights of the child.

The Governor described Akwa Ibom as the first state in South-South to enact the Child Right Law in 2008 and also set up a task force to enforce its provisions.

By A’isha Biola Raji

T

he recent Business and Investment Forum at The Hague, Netherlands, organized by the Embassy of Nigeria in conjunction with the Nigeria-Netherlands Chambers of Commerce has begun to yield positive results.

Top officials of the Ministry of Water Resources led by Nigeria’s Water and Sanitation Ambassador, Ebele Okeke have just concluded a working visit to the Netherlands during which they met with the Dutch authorities on water partnership, management and cooperation.

The meeting which was a fellow-up to last month’s Business

Group wants Jonathan impeached

By Umar Muhammad Puma

A

coalition of civil society groups under the aegis of United Group, has call on the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President

Goodluck Jonathan.

The group in a state of the nation address yesterday in Abuja by its National Chairman, Isa Tijjani, lamented what he described as grounding of the nation’s national life.

He alleged that the President

is unable to protect the sanctity of the nation’s Constitution which guarantees the security of lives as the primary essence of government.

According to him, “the situation has reached a deplorable stage that it is threatening to

and Investment Forum is aimed at boosting water supply in Nigeria, in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

During the forum, Minister of Water Resources Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, listed some areas where Nigeria needs partnership in water supply.

Speaking on the visit, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Netherlands, Dr. (Mrs.) Nimota Akanbi, said she was optimistic that it would yield positive result as the Dutch has the best water technology in the world.

She also commended Jonathan for his efforts at ensuring that Nigerians have access to safe drinking water. rubbish our hard-earned democracy and if not checked, it is capable of igniting chaos with the potentials of dividing the country along ethnic, religious and other chauvinistic lines.”

Tijjaani announced decision of the group to lead a protest march to the National Assembly on July 24, to press home its demand.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 41

…Rejects Code of Conduct for Eagles

S Stories by Patrick Andrew

J

oseph Yobo’s days in the Super Eagles are over. This much was deduced from the comments of the gaffer of the senior national team, Stephen keshi, who declared Yobo’s form unsuitable for his present Eagles squad.

Though he acknowledged that the Fernabahce defender, who was excluded from the team’s Champions League team list

yesterday, remains the skipper of the Super Eagles, Keshi was emphatic in his declaration that the form of his present crop of defenders was superior to Yobo’s.

“It won’t be right to invite Yobo now and allow him to sit on the bench. If I am inviting him, I will want him to come and pick a shirt and play.

“But with the young lads in the team in superb form and doing great now, there’s no place for him except he shows exceptional Fed Cup results Gombe Utd 2 Taraba Utd 0 Rangers 2 Kurma 0 Heartland 1 Ingas 0

Yobo

Ameobi joins returnee Eagles Emenike, Nsofor, Ike for Mandela

S

uper Eagles Russia-based striker and top scorer at the 29th Africa Cup of Nations Emmanuel Emenike, Obinna Nsofor, and Newcastle United FC’s Shola Ameobi, who recently again made himself available for Nigeria dominated the 20-man squad Stephen Keshi listed for the annual Mandela Challenge contest.

However, there were surprises as Keshi extended invitation to former junior Eagles forward Uche Nwofor of VVV Venlo in the Netherlands. But the duo of Brown Ideye and Anthony Ujah were left as was Vincent Enyeama.

Keshi placed on stand-by for the at the Moses Mabhida Stadium is in honour of ailing former South African President, Dr. Nelson Mandela, three home boys - defenders Benjamin Francis and Solomon Kwambe and striker Muhammad Gambo and little known Norway-based Samuel Aaron.

THE FULL LIST GOALKEEPERS: Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel);

ability,” Keshi said almost choked with emotion.

Keshi, who responding to questions at a media parley yesterday, however was quick to dismiss insinuations that Yobo’s public brickbat of his person was the reason for closing the Eagles’ doors on the player and stressed that there was nothing strange in dropping a player, whose form has dipped. ‘’In our days in the Eagles, (Clemens) Westerhof would drop you without telling you. He did it to me when we played against Cote, de Ivoire in one of our World cup qualifiers,” he said in apparent response to Yobo’s allegation that the coach ought to have told him he won’t be called up for the World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia.

Nonetheless, he insisted that Yobo deserves respect for patriotic contribution to the nation. “Somebody like Yobo, who has done a lot for this country, deserves a lot of respect from us. We have to show him that respect,” he said.

He was full of sympathy for the player stressing that he had gone through similar phase in his career while wearing the skipper’s armband.

“I went through Yobo’s current phase. So, you see, I have been through that before. I understand his situation.”

uper Eagles head coach, Stephen keshi, has sneezed at the proposed Code of Conduct for senior national players.

“We already have code of conduct for players in place. However, to me any policy that tends to regulates players’ conduct in camp isn’t new.

These boys know what is obtainable in camp. So, it is not new to us,” he said.

The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, at the inauguration of the panel to probe Eagles bonus row, has specifically suggested to the panel to ‘seriously consider a code of conduct’ for national teams’ players.

The minister believes that the absence of a body of law regulating the conduct of players, their allowances and bonuses and other relevant issues may have been responsible for the friction that have existed between players and the NFF. Peoples Daily Sports recalls that the NFF’s technical subcommittee had muted the introduction of the code, but was rebuffed by senior members of the team. Besides, Keshi had insisted on instilling discipline as deterrent to such hiccups. He demonstrated that with some of the actions he has so far taken including dropping of Osaze Odemwingie, Joseph Yobo, Ezekiel Bassey and others over disciplinary issues.

Meanwhile, he has spoken glowering of Inter Milan player’s

Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria) DEFENDERS: Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea FC, England); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga, Portugal) MIDFIELDERS: Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Fegor Ogude (Valerenga FC, Norway); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra, Portugal); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Nnamdi Oduamadi (AC Milan, Italy); Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria).

FORWARDS: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow, Russia);

Ike Ameobi Obinna Nsofor (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia); Uche Nwofor (VVV Venlo, Netherlands) STANDBY Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Muhammad Gambo (Kano Pillars, Nigeria); Samuel Aaron (Sarpsborg ‘08 , Norway) Emenike

Joel Obi, stressing that he would wish to see the player return to action for Eagles.

Obi was a constant figure in Samson Siasia’s squad but had been blighted by injury. Only recently was out of action but return last month. ‘’Joel Obi is a player I want in the Eagles but the boy’s problem is the series of injuries disturbing him,” he said of the player’s susceptibility to injury.

Keshi

Eaglets relocate to Calabar tomorrow

T

he Golden Eaglets will tomorrow relocate to Calabar to begin the final phase of their preparations for the FIFA U-17 World Championship in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to its Media Officer, Morakiyo Abodunrin, the team comprising players from the silver-winning squad at the last African Under-17 Championship in Morocco and budding ones selected after two-weeks screening exercise at the NFF/ FIFA Goal Project Centre in Abuja would be heading to Calabar to continue build-up.

Head Coach, Manu Garba had screened some 70 fledglings with a view to select those that could fit into the pool especially in areas where it was observed the team needs to be shored up ahead of the world fiesta in October.

Meanwhile, the NFF’s technical subcommittee has ruled out automatic shirts for players including the regulars that dominated the headlines during the CAF U-17 Championship in Algeria.

“I hope you know we are the best country in the world at the Under-17 level. But it has been a long time that we won the trophy and that is why we are encouraging the coaches to assemble only the best players that can do us proud in the UAE. “You must have seen that the standard of this team is very high because there is no automatic shirt for any player in the Golden Eaglets or in any of the national teams for that matter, and you must have something extra to break into the team,” Chris Green said yesterday at the FIFA Goal project when he addressed them.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 42

Sports

Gay, Powell failed tests a ‘shattering double blow’

O

ne would have been bad enough. The shattering double blow places Sunday, 14 July among the most damaging days in athletics history.

Drugs scandals are measured according to the stature of the personalities involved and, with Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell first and third in the 100m rankings for the season, and second and fourth respectively on the all-time list, the stain is close to indelible.

Five of the 10 quickest men in history have now tested positive. Six, actually, but the American Tim Montgomery’s marks have been scratched from the records. Among the top four, only world record holder Usain Bolt remains unblemished.

The 10-second spectacle that stops many a nation during the Olympic Games is leaking credibility. In the past decade, Olympic champions Marion Jones and Justin Gatlin, along with British sprinter Dwain Chambers, had already given cynics reason to disbelieve.

Tyson Gay • Age: 30 • Nationality: American • Personal bests: 100m 9.69secs, 200m - 19.58 secs • Medals: Olympics: 4x100m relay - silver (2012); World Championships: 100m - gold (2007), silver (2009), 200m - gold (2007), 4x100m relay - gold (2007)

And Ben Johnson owns the copyright on seismic sporting shocks after being stripped of his 100m gold medal from the Seoul Olympics following a positive test.

In Johnson’s native Jamaica, the toll of miscreants is rising at a rate that can only be described as alarming. Powell’s disclosure comes painfully soon after the double Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell Brown failed a test at a meeting in Kingston.

London 2012 champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Yohan Blake, Bolt’s training partner and the reigning world 100m champion, are among the many Jamaicans nabbed in a shocking spell dating back to 2008.

There is much consternation about Russia’s recent record, with more than 40 athletes currently serving suspensions.

But Russians compete across a wide range of disciplines, whereas the Jamaican prowess is largely confined to sprints.

In relative terms, the Jamaican problem is equally troubling.

The scope of sanctions has to be addressed - and not just by the authorities. The decision by Gay’s key sponsor to suspend his contract is a welcome move. The curbing of athletes’ earning power might not deter them from sinning in the first place but it could dissuade them from re-entering the sport after completing their

Veronica Campbell-Brown, have all failed drugs test

Tyson Gay

sentence.

Until two years ago, drug cheats were banned from competing at most of the Diamond League and other major meetings around the world. Big pay-days were denied them. But the promoters relented in June 2011 when a court case in Switzerland established the right of athletes to ply their trade even if their profile included a drugs transgression.

Stronger support from governments, who help to fund the World Anti-Doping Agency, could close such a loophole and rob the cheats of the chance to rejoin the sometimes lucrative fray. Just last week, Wada and UK Anti-Doping warned that funding cuts would hinder their cause.

In most cases, the athletes are punished while those around them roam free. Gay’s longtime coach, Lance Brauman, and Stephen Francis, who has taken the credit for much of Powell’s success, have both been involved with other athletes who have tested positive.

They should at least be called to explain their knowledge, if any, of the process.

Chambers told me in March 2009 that what he did as part of the Balco scandal a decade ago

Asafa Powell

would be impossible to repeat in the British system of today.

That is because he believes the “whereabouts” system, which requires athletes to say where they will be for an hour a day, seven days a week, for up to three months in advance, is so efficient.

The concern among British athletes and coaches is that too few countries are as rigid in their policing.

The upside of this latest scandal may be dwarfed by the depression but the authorities deserve a salute. Often, they stand accused of cover-ups and incompetence but such criticisms are hard to uphold at the moment.

So, too, is belief in one of the world’s oldest sports. The faith of even some diehards has been blown apart by successive, seemingly relentless, explosions of bad news. And ultimately, the shrapnel in athletics ricochets onto the Olympic Games.

For all the successes of cyclist Sir Chris Hoy (six Olympic gold medals), rower Sir Steve Redgrave (five Olympic golds) and the rest, the Games is built around track and field.

Take away the showpiece arena - and nine successive nights of 80,000-strong crowds - and the Games is

greatly diluted as an attraction.

That is why the fight is worth pursuing.

Next month’s World Championships will feature Britain’s James Dasaolu, the third-fastest man in 2013 when Gay and Powell’s times are removed.

But the year’s fastest man will not be present. And those inclined to celebrate ought first to pause and consider Gay’s replacement.

Michael Rodgers finished fourth at the US trials last month, with only the first three qualifying. He can now expect an upgrade, two years after he, too, tested positive.

“He’s no druggie,” said Rodgers’ agent at the time.

Heard that one before?

Asafa Powell • Age: 30 • Nationality: Jamaican • Personal bests: 100m 9.72 secs, 200m - 19.90 secs (world record, 9.74secs, 2007) Medals: Olympics: 4x100m relay - gold (2008); World Championships: 100m - bronze (2004,2008), 4x100m relay - gold (2009), silver (2007) Culled from bbcsports

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 43

Sports

Cisse pulls out of Chelsea confirm bid for Rooney Newcastle tour Papiss

C

helsea have confirmed they have made a bid for Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, but denied reports that the offer was £10 million plus Juan Mata or David Luiz.

Rooney’s future has been the subject of intense speculation since former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson claimed the club had turned down a second transfer request in three years from the striker.

The alleged inclusion of Mata or Luiz in the proposed deal came as a surprise, particularly as the Spain international scored 12 goals in

35 Premier League appearances last season, while the defender impressed during Brazil’s recent Confederations Cup success.

Chelsea have now sought to clarify the terms of their offer, releasing a statement that suggested Manchester United had misled the media.

Mourinho is a long-term admirer of Rooney, who has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain, and the Portuguese this week voiced his belief that England’s World Cup hopes could suffer if the forward is not playing regularly during the

City set for £20m bid for Real defender deal Pepe

Lewandowski

P

apiss Cisse has pulled out of Newcastle’s pre-season tour to Portugal after refusing to wear club sponsor Wonga’s logo on religious grounds.

The Senegal striker, a Muslim, told club officials he was not prepared to promote the money-lending company.

But the 28-year-old did offer to wear an unbranded shirt or one bearing a charity logo instead.

The Newcastle forward and his representatives have been in talks with club officials and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) in recent days but neither the club nor their shirt sponsor have been able to find a solution.

Cisse’s Newcastle team-mates Cheick Tiote and Moussa Sissoko are also Muslim, but have told the club they have no issue with wearing the sponsor’s logo.

Cisse will continue to train on his own as he attempts to catch up on his fitness after returning later than the majority of the squad following international duty with Senegal.

In October, high-interest pay-day lender Wonga was announced as the company to take over from Virgin Money as Newcastle’s shirt sponsor from the 2013-14 season. It is thought the contract is worth around £8m a year to the club.

Arsenal dismiss Cazorla exit talk

M Lewandowski sad to miss Bayern move

B

orussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has said he was surprised at the club’s decision to stand in the way of his move to Bayern Munich this summer.

Lewandowski, 24, was widely expected to be heading to Bayern off the back of a fine season for Dortmund last term, with some suggesting that he had an agreement with the Westfalenstadion side to join Pep Guardiola’s men.

However, following much speculation, Dortmund ruled out an exit for the Poland

international, meaning the player is likely to join the European champions next year, following the expiry of his contract.

While Lewandowski admits he was not expecting Dortmund to put their foot down, he does, though, respect their decision.

Upon hearing that Lewandowski had accepted Dortmund’s decision and was prepared to get his head down and concentrate on his football, the club’s CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, said: “That’s good. But we never doubted his character.”

anchester City is weighing up a fresh move for Real Madrid defender Pepe despite plans to offer Joleon Lescott a new contract.

City, who have closed a £24.5million deal for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo, have had a £15m bid rejected by Madrid, whose new boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to keep the Portugal centre back. He is set to lose Raul Albiol to Napoli.

But Ancelotti has been told he must sell to help finance new signings and City must decide whether to raise their offer nearer £20m for a player who turned 30 this year.

Either way, they have already decided to give Lescott a new one-year deal with director of football Txiki Begiristain set to open talks with the England defender and his representatives over the next 48 hours.

Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido warned that the Negredo deal was on the brink of collapse, but it is understood that the two clubs are close to completing a transfer worth £21.5m with £3m in add-ons.

Roma agree deal for PSV’s Strootman Campbell in Arsenal after permit boost

J

A

oel Campbell’s agent has confirmed that talks are ongoing with Arsenal about where his future lies after the forward was granted a work permit to play in England.

Campbell, 21, was signed by Arsenal from Saprissa in 2011 but has since been loaned out in order to aid his development and his cause to be granted permission to represent the Gunners.

The Costa Rica international spent time on loan with Lorient before being sent to Real Betis last season, where he scored twice in 28 Liga games.

Batica has previously said that Campbell would be open to spending another campaign at Betis, although recent reports have suggested he could be sent on loan to a side in England.

rsenal has told the Daily Mirror that there is no truth in speculation that Santi Cazorla could be on his way to Atletico Madrid.

Onda Cero and Radio Marca have claimed that Atletico have agreed personal terms with Spain international Cazorla, who only joined the Gunners from Malaga last summer but would reportedly be open to a return to his homeland.

Atletico president Miguel Angel Gil Marin is said to be in London to negotiate a transfer fee with Arsenal.

However, Arsenal has indicated that they would have no interest in selling the 28-yearold and are seeking only to enhance their squad this summer.

Strootman

R Cazorla

oma have agreed a deal with PSV Eindhoven to sign midfielder Kevin Strootman, the Dutch club confirmed.

Strootman, 23, has been targeted by Manchester United, Chelsea and Napoli this summer after an impressive season in the Eredivisie.

Since joining PSV from FC Utrecht two years ago, the Netherlands international has become a regular for the Oranje and last week revealed his future lies away from his home

country.

Strootman’s exit adds to the recent departure or Dries Mertens, who has joined Napoli, giving manager Dick Advocaat an unwanted selection headache as the new season looms.

PSV confirmed on their official website that Strootman has “travelled to Rome to undergo his medical examination and to reach a personal agreement” before he is officially unveiled as a Roma player.

Campbell

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Sports

Rangers hopeful on CAF’s ruling

T

he Management of Rangers International FC of Enugu, said yesterday that it was hoping for a fair hearing from CAF, following its disqualification from the Confederation Cup for fielding an ineligible player.

The club’s Media Officer, Foster Chime, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the club was waiting patiently for CAF’s hearing on July 20.

He said that the club will not comment further on the matter, until the continent’s football regulatory body made its final decision.

It would be recalled that CAF had announced the disqualification of Rangers on July 2, saying that the club fielded an ineligible player (Emmanuel Daniel) in its encounter against CS Sfaxian of Tunisia. ``We have tendered our appeal, and we are hoping to get a fair hearing from CAF on July 20, when they will meet on the matter. ``We are confident on our stand on this matter and we are hoping for a positive outcome. For now, we cannot comment further till after the hearing,” he said.

Eaglets can win U-17 World Cup, says Amun

F

anny Amun, a former coach of the Golden Eaglets, has expressed confidence in the ability of the current Golden Eaglets squad to win the U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The former Scribe of the NFF said the Eaglets have the depth and charm to achieve success this October because it has been impeccable and in a good shape to do the country proud at the tournament.

The former coach added that he was anticipating a good run from the team, because of their antecedents. ``This U-17 team is a strong force, in spite of losing on penalties in the African championship; we can see the hunger and passion to win in the boys. ``But we remain hopeful because they have done marvellously well, prior to this, so I have high expectations from them, but no

pressure,’’ he said.

Amun, who was at the helm when the Golden Eaglets won the 1993 edition of the U-17 World Cup, stressed that new crop of players must be produced on a regular basis. ``When there is no progression, from the U-17 to the U-20 then it’s a cause for concern, these boys are young and capable of playing at the next level. ``They deserve that option,

consistency and growth is key to rebuilding our teams,’’ Amun said.

Amun also harped on the need for positivity and support for the U-17 team, as they prepared to play in Dubai. ``Hope and positivity must not be lost, the Golden Eaglets have lots of work to do, at least to make a mark and possibly win the U-17 World Cup in Dubai,’’ he added.

Paulus ready to defend WBO title against Kameda

N

amibian, Paulus Ambunda is not afraid to go to the Philippines to defend his WBO bantamweight title against Tomoki Kameda in Cebu on August 1.

‘The Rock’ will battle against the Japanese challenger, who is undefeated after 27 professional fights and has won 18 of them inside the distance.

He is unbeaten after 20 fights; half of them ending in short-cut victories. He won the title when he beat Pungluang Sor Singyu on points in Windhoek on March 2 this year.

Kameda, a 22-year-old member of a famous boxing family from Tokyo, has been fighting and training in Mexico so often that he is known as Little Mexican. His brother Koki has held the WBA and WBC flyweight titles and the other brother, Daiki, now holds the WBA belt in the same division.

He won the vacant NABF bantamweight title in February 2011 when he beat German Meraz on points in Mexico. In April last year he won the vacant WBC silver bantamweight title by stopping Jairo Hernandez in the tenth round, also in Mexico.

Since then, he has beat Monico Laurente on points, stopped Javier Franco in the fifth round, Ray Las Pinas in the fourth and Nouldy Mankane in the sixth.

Tobias has been chosen as best trainer and promoter in Africa and Ambunda as African boxer of the year, as well as Namibian sportsman of the year.

Some members of the Golden Eaglets clamping for their colleagues

President Jonathan opens NFF Headquarters today

By Patrick Andrew

A

fter 45 years of operating in rented buildings and sometimes crammed accommodation, a new Football House that will serve as the headquarters of the Nigeria Football Federation, will be commissioned today by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The 27-room facility also

boasts of a penthouse, which is to serve as the NFF President’s Office, as well as several meeting rooms. It sits majestically beside the FIFA Technical Centre and the FIFA Football Turf.

Built from the proceeds of the 2010 World Cup Presidential Monitoring Committee headed by Governor Rotimi Ameachi, the facility affords the football federation sufficient

accommodations for various offices.

Penultimate day, the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, inspected the facility to ensure that it was ready for the commissioning by the president.

Also, NFF President Aminu Maigari said yesterday that he was looking forward to the commissioning by Mr President and added, “This epoch-making

event once again underscores our President’s keen love for, and interest in football and the Nigeria youth, which he has always demonstrated.

“The NFF and the entire Nigeria football is grateful to His Excellency for approving the project, and we also commend the Honourable Minister of Sports for his tremendous support to ensure the completion of the project.”

CHAN qualifiers: Okpala thumbs up Keshi on 24-man list

By Albert Akota

T

he Former Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles Sylvanus Okpala has endorsed the 24-man team currently in camp for the return leg of the African Nations Championship-CHAN 2014-qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire.

Stephen Keshi, who last week released the list with four new inclusions to beef up areas he

found may are in need of support in the team that whipped Cote d’ Ivoire 4-1 in Kaduna, said those objecting the inclusion of new players were unfair to the coach.

The former Ranger of Enugu coach, who stated this to Peoples Daily Sports in Abuja, is of the view that the four new inclusions would add pep to the Eagles’ squad and also put other players on their toes.

“Keshi is doing what is

required of a good coach and I’m also backing him for the new boys because he needs to qualify Nigeria for her first African Nations Championship.

“Let nobody distract his preparation or question his selection because he’s doing the right thing for the interest of the country.

“I can tell you without fear that the new four boys, Ganiyu Ogungbe, Rabiu Mohammed,

Mohammed Jiya Bayelsa, and Abdullahi Gero,will justify their inclusion for the return leg against the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire in Abidja, “he said.

The two times AFCON winner as a player and coach who refused to tell our correspondent his mission to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) headquarter warned the invited players to go all the way and beat the home team in front of it fans.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

PAGE 45

Sports

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

1. Golf star and Manchester United fan Rory McIlroy has said Wayne Rooney shouldn’t be secondchoice to Robin van Persie and that he’d understand if the England international quit Old Trafford.

2. Cardiff will host European rugby’s showpiece weekend for a record seventh time when the Millennium Stadium stages the Heineken Cup final in 2014.

3. Scott Quigg will fight Cuba’s Yoandris Salinas for the vacant WBA world super-bantamweight title later this year.

1

4. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says Wayne Rooney is his only summer transfer target after Manchester United reject a bid for him.

5. Reigning world 100m champion Yohan Blake has withdrawn from August’s World Athletics Championships in Moscow with hamstring injury.

2 3

4

5

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY| THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Sports

Youth Games future of Nigerian sports, says Akwa Ibom Sports Director

A

nedi Dickson, Director of Sports, Akwa Ibom Sports Council, said on Tuesday that the forthcoming National Youth Games (NYG) was the much-needed platform to revitalise the country’s sports.

Anedi in Lagos on tel-

Enitan-Oshodi earns praise for Knock-up Hall renovation proposal

T

ajudeen Agunbiade, a Paralympics table tennis Olympian, has lauded plans by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) to renovate the knock-up Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.

Wahid Enitan-Oshodi, the newly-elected President of the NTTF, had expressed concern over the poor state of the hall during a facility tour, a development that would ensure that the venue takes proper shape for use by ping pongers.

Agunbiade, who won two gold medals in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, added that the proposal would bring back the glory days of the country in the sport. ``It is a welcome development; every one of us is happy because it will aid the growth of table tennis, the facilities in this place are not adequate to prepare us for any international tournament. ``According to the president, the renovation will commence on Aug. 20 and I believe when completed, it will impact positively on our performance in Africa, in particular and in the world, at large, `` he said.

Agunbiade, who is also one of the athletes’ representatives in the newly-constituted NTTF board, said that the country stands the chance of winning medals in the sport at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. ``It will help us prepare adequately, particularly for the 2014 Commonwealth games, and be assured that we will get good results. ``The truth is that what we train with here in Nigeria is not what we meet outside in tournaments, and in most cases, it affects our performance in competitions. ``All we need is a good environment, providing us with good tables, it will boost our training and performance in international engagements,’’ he said.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games is slated for Glasgow, Scotland and it will hold from July 23 to Aug.3.

ephone interview yesterday said that he expects the authorities to place talents that would be discovered from the competition in special training camps. ``The National Sports Commission (NSC) should ensure that talents discovered at the Games are nurtured to become elite athletes. ``We should avoid a situation where they will be forgotten immediately after the competition, because in the youth lies the continuity of sports in the country,” he said.

The director confirmed

that Akwa Ibom was preparing intensively for the fiesta and was not under any pressure because they are not new to such competitions. ``We are used to competitions of this nature, especially from our experience from our constant participation at the National Sports Festivals (NSF). ``However, our coaches and sports officers are on ground preparing athletes for the competition and we expect to showcase a good team of young and talented athletes,” Dickson added.

Eko 2012: Plateau govt set to reward medallists

T

he Plateau Government on Tuesday said that preparations were in top gear to reward Team Plateau medallists from the 2012 National Sports Festival, tagged ``Eko 2012’’.

The Commissioner for Sports, Mr James Yakubu, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Jos. Yakubu said that the state’s athletes won 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 18 Bronze medals and were 14th on the medals table. ``The government, especially Gov. Jonah Jang, is so pleased with the performance of the athletes at `Eko 2012`. ``Preparations are in top gear to reward all the medallists, who had done the state proud. ``We are thinking of hosting

them this weekend or sometime next week, `` he said.

The commissioner disclosed that Jang had insisted on honouring the athletes this week, but the plans had to be altered because of an urgent assignment in Abuja.

He told NAN that all files relating to the reception were currently being processed at the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). ``We hope to give the medallists some inducements or rewards, in appreciation of the laurels they won for the state. ``This, we hope, will spur our sportsmen and women to do more for the state in future events, especially the forthcoming 2013 National Youth Sports Festival, `` he added.

Florentina Marincu, who won the long jump at the World Youth Championships in Ukraine

Nestlé/IAAF Kids’Athletics Programme takes off in Nigeria

I

sabella Akinseye, the Public Affairs Officer, Nestle Nigeria PLC, on Tuesday said that the company’s Children’s Athletics Programme would flag off on July 25.

Akinseye said in a signed statement that the maiden edition was being initiated through its ``Nestle Healthy Kid’s’ Programme’’. ``Nestlé is set to launch its Kids’ Athletics programme in Nigeria; this initiative aims to encourage school-age-children to develop positive physical, health and social skills by engaging in sporting

activities. ``We are partners with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and support one of the organisation’s flagship projects – Kids’ Athletics – through its ‘Nestlé Healthy Kids’ programme,’’ Akinseye said.

According to her, the maiden event will be flagged-off by the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, at the Opebi Model Primary School. ``The programme is being implemented in partnership with the

Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), which has been promoting the development of athletics in schools,’’ Akinseye said.

The report also stated that in confirming the deal with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Managing Director of Nestlé, Dharnesh Gordhon, was pleased at providing the financial support. ``We are pleased to provide financial support for the further development of IAAF Kids’ Athletics programme.

Beyond supporting the IAAF’s Kids Athletics programme, we believe that this

partnership will further enhance Nestlé’s Healthy Kids programme in Nigeria. ``The aim was improving the Nutrition, Health and Wellness of school-agechildren through better eating and greater physical activity,’’ Godhorn said.

Meanwhile, the President of AFN, Solomon Ogba, said that Nestlé’s expertise in Nutrition, Health and Wellness has always served to promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle for children. ``Nestle has also served in augmenting the development of athletics in Nigeria,’’ Ogba added.

PAGE 47

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

Some Interesting Facts

O

n December 16th 1811 the mighty Mississippi river began to flow backwards due to a powerful earthquake.

• Fires in the forest have been documented to move much faster up hill than down hill.

• Did you know that your brain has no pain receptors or pain fibers and the brain it’s self cannot feel? Your brain cannot even feel pain. Although headaches are still not all the way understood, one reason it’s believed you feel headaches is because the skull is surrounded by what’s called meninges or blood vessels which do have pain receptors.

• Human brains are estimated to be 70 – 75% h2o.

• Approximately 1 out of every 50,000 people who visit this website send us an email about interesting facts. We enjoy reading them and sometimes use them, thank you.

• Most people shed between 50 to 100 hairs every day. The question is, where do they go?

• With mammals, no animal has a longer pregnancy term than that of the african elephant which is documented at an average of 22 months.

• The Frilled Shark (Chlamydoselachusanguineus) may have a gestation period “pregnancy” of up to

3.5 years or around 42 months.

• Some sharks lose over 30,000 teeth in a lifetime.

• In 2008 the journal of Fish Biology confirmed through DNA testing the 2nd case of a virgin female aquarium shark having a pup. This is known as asexual reproduction or parthenogenesis.

• During world war 2 the Oscar award given out by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was made of wood because most common metals were very scarce.

• Breast fed babies score slightly higher on mental

Leisure

development tests than ones on formula.

• People who apply sunscreen to themselves generally apply 50-75% less than the recommended amount according to the Archives of Dermatology.

• The color of a hens earlobes will usually determine the color of the egg shell. Farmers know hens with red or darker colored earlobes are most likely to lay brown eggs and hens with lighter colored or white earlobes will usually lay white eggs.

• There are 722 miles of subway track in New York city.

• Hartsdale New York has a pet cemetery with

more than 12,000 pets buried.

• Abraham Lincoln died at age 56.

• Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th in the year 1809.

• Only one state in the United States contains only one syllable, the state of Maine.

• Everyone knows the dog in the movie “Wizard of Oz” as Toto, the dogs actual name given to it by it’s master was Terry.

• This conclud d e s t he he 105th fact on n you y o u r h om omee page off in intt e re rest stin in n g fac facts but do don n’t sttop p now, re read ad da coup co uplle mor oree page pagess iff you ca an. Ther here’ss a lot of cool stuf st ufff to uf to lea earrn.

Say what?

SUDODKU

PHOTO OF THE DAY

On fire: Kawika Singson was shooting in the volcanoes of Hawaii, which was so hot his tripod and shoes caught alight.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Chelsea will not sell stars, says Morinho

C

helsea manager Jose Mourinho has ruled out the sale of defender Branislav Ivanovic, insisting the Blues will not be forced into letting go of their star players this summer.

Ivanovic, David Luiz and midfielder Juan Mata have all been linked with exits from Stamford Bridge amidst reports they do not fit into Mourinho’s plans for the coming seasons.

Mourinho also responded to suggestions that the introduction of Marco van Ginkel and Andre Schurrle could force the likes of Juan Mata and Luiz out of the club.

Chelsea had been linked with a move for PSG-bound Edinson Cavani, while rumours of Liverpool’s Luis Suarez joining the Blues resurfaced after Ivanovic threw his support behind the Uruguayan.

With Romelu Lukaku returning to the Bridge after a successful season on loan with West Bromwich Albion, Mourinho has plenty of options up front, although he has refused to call off his pursuit for a star striker.

Arsenal defeat Vietnam in EPL historic match

A

rsenal strolled to a 7-1 victory yesterday over Vietnam’s national team in a match which saw the first English premier league club play in the Communist country.

Olivier Giroud drove home the first goal just five minutes into the game to rapturous applause from the packed stadium. He secured a hat-trick just moments before the end of the first half.

Action gathered pace in the second half, despite hot and humid temperatures, with Arsenal scoring another four goals. As the humidity turned to rain, Vietnam fought back with a goal close to fulltime, but the two minutes of extra time wasn’t enough to save them.

Arsene Wenger’s team will wrap up their pre-season tour in Japan with two more friendlies.

They beat an Indonesian team 7-0 late Sunday.

ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

0803 0805 0814 0805 0803

QUOTABLE QUOTE If our votes would count, the North has the power to continue winning elections in this country.

— Prof. Ango Abdullahi, Secretary General, Northern Elders Forum

Republica Thugg T

uesday July 16th will stand out as yet another exceptional day in this country’s Transformation into a Thug Republic. Four visiting governors arrived in Rivers state of Nigeria for a scheduled meeting with their host and colleague governor, Rotimi Amaechi. The fact that the state has been embroiled in an unusually high level political catfight between the governor and errand-boys of the President, was still not enough forewarning for the spectacle that took place that morning.

Grassroots development Governor Amaechi and some of his commissioners arrived at Port Harcourt international airport at about 9am from Nigeria’s capital Abuja. He was there early to welcome Governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano and Babangida Aliyu of Niger to his state. One can only imagine his dismay on sighting a crowd – reported to be 300 strong- that had apparently not only gained access to the airport grounds but had also barricaded the gate to the VIP lounge. Newspapers report that the protesters had been driven to the airport as early as 7am in buses mobilised by an organisation called Grassroots Development Initiative.

Before they knew it , bus carrying Rivers state commissioners had been trashed. After what must have been some frantic discussion, the entourage finally managed to make its way out of the airport to Government House after midday.

This is why some newspapers reported that the governors had been held hostage! The convoy to and from the airport transported the governors without any major incident beyond allegedly being subjected to a volley of missilesstones, water sachets, plastic bottles at the airport.

Political abuse The placards the protestors were carrying however put paid to any pretence at being a pressure group for grassroots development: “Amaechi is a disgrace to Rivers State”; “We regret that you are our son”; “Rivers State is not a northern platform” and “Wole Soyinka, leave Rivers State alone’.

The name calling and abuse contained in those messages must have made it pretty clear to Governor Amaechi that this was yet another round in a disgraceful battle for supremacy on Rivers state soil.

The obvious allusions to sectarian division in choosing to insult Wole Soyinka and ‘Northern’ governors carries the clear signature of the ultimate source of this conflict.

The peaceful atmosphere everywhere else in Port Harcourt

311 689 292 327 454

7458 1765 9046 1969 0344

CARTELOPIA With Aisha Yolah ayolah06@yahoo.com 08086296783 (text only please)

Gov. Rotimi Amaechi – i. e outside the airport – gave the game away. That this is yet another display of the dangerous games played by pretend- politicians (tyrants) in Nigeria today. It is a pattern which has a precedent in the manner in which former president OlusegunObasanjo dealt with opposition. Jonathan, we are told is a ‘godson’ of sorts.

Powers that be The security implications of this whole incident are pretty obvious.

They also carry the imprimatur of a federal government that believes the institutions and instruments of power are meant for personal use – and personal use alone.

We have explored this systemic mal-appropriation of the nation’s security apparatus ad nauseum on these pages.

Every ordinary Nigerian from

“

Port Harcourt to Borno, Zamfara to Lagos can probably tell a story or two about the generalised state of fear in which we live today. As we have said before, for the first time in the history of this great and suffering country – even our remotest, most peaceful villages are no longer safe from ‘unknown’ gunmen.

To be fair, the improper use of security personnel has always been a problem - long before the arrival of President Goodluck Jonathan.

But the constant allusion by commentators to the First Republic disturbances in South West Nigeria, when discussing the Rivers state crisis are meant as a warning. The federal government is being given some sound advice –especially from its own party men such as former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, for

I do not for one moment believe the police authorities are even attempting to ask why there were so many security breaches on that Tuesday morning – where effectively four, nay five, serving state governors of the Federal Republic might possibly have faced security risks. The incorrigible Commissioner of Police in Rivers state, Joseph Mbu, whose removal the state governor has repeatedly requested for continues to amaze the Nigerian people with his open disrespect of a governor he is supposed to be protecting.

good reason.

We are told that ‘security men’ helped prevent a bloody clash between the protestors and supporters of Amaechi last Tuesday morning. Perhaps these were state security service-men rather than the police who have repeatedly and unashamedly made it clear that they are effectively under orders from on high to make life miserable for the duly elected governor of Rivers state.

Commissioner with a difference I do not for one moment believe the police authorities are even attempting to ask why there were so many security breaches on that Tuesday morning – where effectively four , nay five, serving state governors of the Federal republic might possibly have faced security risks.

The incorrigible Commissioner of Police in Rivers state, Joseph Mbu, whose removal the state governor has repeatedly requested for continues to amaze the Nigerian people with his open disrespect of a governor he is supposed to be protecting.

He long ago began to sound strange when he insisted that not even the state governor can authorise or participate in a peaceful protest because he , Joseph Mbu, has outlawed this most fundamental democratic right.

Recall that this police commissioner was not talking about denying a particular group protest for clearly articulated reasons – rather he was proscribing the right of Rivers state people as a general rule.

This brings us to the obvious question – was this proscription lifted to allow the Grassroots Development Initiative onto secure airport grounds, on the very morning of the arrival of several state governors? One more question: were the ‘protestors’ also given a permit to smash the windscreens of Rivers state official cars?

The withdrawal of security personnel from perceived ‘enemies’ who are still public servants and so entitled, is a particularly shameful and silly action that says more about the intellect of the person giving such orders. On the extreme end of the scale we have the Obasanjo years of series of political assassinations as a precedent. All remain unsolved and unpunished. Given the bloodsoaked background in which we have been living in Nigeria today it is natural for all right-thinking Nigerians to be afraid. 2015 may be two years away but our fear is here and now. The President and his motley crowd of desperate advisers should examine their consciences.

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 814 292 9046. Cell: +234 802 443 2099; 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdailyng.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141