Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday, June 19, 2012 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 8 No. 62

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I’ll deal with you, Zamfara gov tells lawmaker >> PAGE 3

. . . putting the people first

Bombs, gunshots rock Damaturu >> PAGE 4

Rajab 29, 1433 AH

Principal sues Jigawa lawmaker over assault >> PAGE 10

N150

Okada ban: Bicycles take over Jos roads >> PAGE 10

Kaduna mayhem

Christians, Muslims rescue one another Makarfi chides Sambo, Yakowa

From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna & Mohammed Kandi, Abuja

s normalcy returns to Kaduna and Zaria following last Sunday’s bomb attacks and reprisals that

led to the killing of at least 70 people, revelations are being made about how residents of various parts of the two cities are resisting exploitation of religion to incite them against one another.

These revelations are coming just as the casualty figure in the Sunday’s mayhem has risen markedly from 40 to at least 70 as at press time yesterday. Also yesterday, the Kaduna state government relaxed the 24

hour curfew imposed on the crisis-hit areas of the state to a dusk-to-dawn clampdown. However, some irate youths took advantage of the reviewed movement embargo to unleash violence on residents and

commuters alike around Barnawa, resulting in confusion within Kaduna metropolis with people scampering to safety. A resident of Wusasa area of Zaria where an ECWA church Contd on Page 2

Bombings orchestrated to destroy North’s economy – Northern govs From Iliya Garba, Minna

T NEMA rescuers received Muslims who were accommodated by Christians in their homes.

he Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) has once again decried the incessant bombings across the North, alleging that most of the ugly incidents are part of a ploy to destabilize the region by whittling down its economy and setting its people against one another. Chairman of the NSGF and Governor of Niger State, Contd on Page 2

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

Op.Ed

Letters

Opinion

Metro

16-17

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

Agriculture

Yuguda’s government lacks focus, says CPC’s 2011 guber candidate, Page 37

International 31-34 Strange World 35 Digest

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

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Christians, Muslims rescue one another Contd from Page 1

was attacked on Sunday, Hauwa Abbas, narrated to one of our reporters through SMS on Sunday how Muslim and Christian residents of the area had forged a sense of unity to shield themselves from any form of violence by some misguided elements in the name of religion. She however decried that the alleged withdrawal of troops in the entire city gave a blanket cheque to the hoodlums who were bent on perpetrating mayhem. “Muslims and Christians at Wusasa, Zaria, formed a group with a Christian heading. The Christians said they strongly believe that no Muslim will bomb their church. They questioned the total withdrawal of security personnel operating at the area yesterday (Saturday) without replacing them”, the resident said in the text message. But the Army headquarters in Abuja denied withdrawing its officers and men from the streets of Zaria, insisting that the extent of violence planned by those behind the bombings in the city was largely contained by the presence of troops in the town. Other cheering news of interfaith cooperation came from different wards of Kaduna city where in separate instances Christians and Muslims harboured fleeing members of the opposite faith to shield them from attacks and possible death in the hands of rioters. Some of these incidents happened in places like Sabon Tasha, Tirkaniya and Kudenda areas of the town, investigations by our Kaduna correspondents revealed. These reports were corroborated by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who confirmed that members of the two faiths had separately rescued people of the opposite faith from the rioters. A statement issued by NEMA’s spokesman, Yushau A. Shuaib yesterday said, following the bomb explosions that occurred in some parts of Kaduna State on Sunday and the subsequent reprisals security

agents and search and rescue officers of NEMA received and safeguarded lives and properties of Muslims and Christians who were vulnerable to attacks during the violence. “NEMA’s Search and Rescue teams today (Monday) received members of the Christian faithful who took refuge in some Muslim homes just as it evacuated some Muslims that were harboured by their Christian neighbours”, the statement further stressed. It further stated that “Normalcy is gradually returning to the troubled cities as distressed people that were moved to Internally Displaced Peoples’ Camp (IDPs) have been reunited with their families.” Meanwhile, death toll from Sunday’s bombing of churches and reprisals in Zaria and Kaduna rose to well over 70. When our Correspondent visited the St. Gerald’s Hospital yesterday morning, the corpses of victims littered the entrance of the hospital’s mortuary and the accident and emergency ward overflowed with survivors receiving treatment from injuries sustained. The Public Relations Officer, Sunday John Ali, also noted that doctors from the International Committee of the Red Cross who were deployed from Abuja were in the hospital’s theatre performing operations on some other survivors. Ali said that the death toll there had risen from 10 on Sunday to 40 while officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) gave an additional number of 25 corpses evacuated from the Sabon-Tasha abattoir on Monday afternoon. Ali said that a total of 72 survivors were on admission at the hospital. At the Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital, the Matron, Mrs. Hassana Garba, confirmed the death of 12 persons there while two injured persons were on admission there. From Zaria, SEMA confirmed a total of 18 deaths from the two separate bomb attacks at Christ the King Catholic Church, Sabon Gari, and at the ECWA Good

Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa News Church, Wusasa. Meanwhile, a former Kaduna state Governor, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, has described the Kaduna incidents as “unfortunate” even as he frowned at the decision of the successive administrations of Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo and Yakowa to discontinue with the Strike Force bases he established while he was governor. Makarfi told reporters in a chat that, “first of all, the bombing that have been happening is condemnable. One cannot rationalize the number of lives of human beings that has been eliminated, the properties destroyed, lack of peace created generally that is threatening the survival of majority of citizens. “All of these are things that are very sad and I do not think any individual will support under whatever guise. “Also, the action and manner in which the ordinary souls of individuals were eliminated are things we should condemn. What happened in the first instance should not justify another individual who may even be running away for his or her life. “We should not react by visiting further violence on innocent souls. And, if you study Kaduna, the reaction

started in areas that were known even while I was in office as a governor. “Unfortunately, the discontinuation with all the Strike Force bases that were established, for me has created a vacuum because the essence for which they were set up there has been eliminated. “Before they were set up, there was a study by security agencies and it was concluded that they should be set up in those places, to secure major highways, to prevent taking away the lives of travelers who in many cases are not even from Kaduna state. “Somebody will just be passing by and because there was a crisis he falls victim on the highway. Unfortunately, that was discontinued, I think it is high time for government to bring back those Strike Force bases, man them well and equip them well so that negative reactions to any incident can be curtailed in good time,” he urged. Also yesterday, reports said that Muslim youths in Barnawa area of Kaduna metropolis trooped out in large numbers yesterday afternoon and started shooting sporadically at motorists and passersby especially around the Market area. The incident came barely two hours after the state government relaxed the 24hours curfew imposed on the state. Eyewitness accounts said that the Barnawa youths began their protest at about 4pm and started attacking people, a development which forced residents to flee for cover while motorists who were lucky enough had to divert and return to the Station Market area. As at press time yesterday no casualty figures could be ascertained from the incident. Security personnel comprising mobile police men and soldiers were said to have been mobilized to the location at about 5pm and fired several gunshots into the air ostensibly to scare the rampaging youths.

Bombings orchestrated to destroy North’s economy – Northern govs Contd from Page 1

Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu yesterday in Minna deconstructed the bombing phenomenon, saying that the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah lid Da’awati wal Jihad popularly known as Boko Haram is not solely responsible for the series of bomb attacks and killing of innocent people in the North. “Given the level of sophistication involved in the activities of the perpetrators of the bombings, it is easy to conclude that some oblique

forces are behind the violence in the North and not Boko Haram alone as widely believed”, Governor Aliyu said while reacting to the latest attacks on churches in Kaduna and Zaria on Sunday. According to a press statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Aliyu, Malam Danladi Ndayebo, the targeting of churches was a diversionary tactic used by perpetrators of the dastardly acts, knowing full well that religion is a very sensitive tool

that could easily be used to cause disaffection in the region. “If progress must be made security agencies must deal decisively with all those arrested in connection with terrorist acts, particularly bombing of churches and schools claimed by Boko Haram, to serve as deterrent to others”, the governor said on behalf of the Forum. He further emphasised that the rash of explosions currently rocking the North may just be part of a well co-ordinated

attempt to cripple the economy of the region. He warned that the continued existence of Nigeria as an indivisible entity depends largely on the quick resolution of the security challenges currently confronting the nation. The Forum urged Christians not to retaliate, emphasizing that judgement belongs to God and prayed God to grant those who lost their lives eternal rest and their families, the fortitude to bear the loss.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

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Undergraduate bags 20 years jail for ‘yahoo-yahoo’ By Lambert Tyem

ustice Mohammed L. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, has sentenced an undergraduate of the University of Ilorin, Imonina Kingsley, 25, to 20 years imprisonment. He was convicted on a fourcount charge of impersonation, possession of fraudulent documents and attempt to obtain money by false pretences preferred against

him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). One of the four count charges for which he was sent to jail reads: “That you, Imonina Kingsley “M” on or about 4th April 2008 at Ilorin, Kwara state within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did obtain by false pretence the sum of $1,000 from one Mr. Christopher De Troy through the use of a scam letter via your mail box and committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and

punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006”. Kingsley, who is to spend five years on each of the charges gave his address as at the time of his arrest as Rubby Hostel, Tipper Garage, Tanke Ilorin, Kwara state. He hails from Ndokwa East local government area of Delta state. The suspect who was arrested on April 4, 2008, during a special operation code-named, Operation Cyber Storm1 at Wave Network

Net Cyber Café located along Pipeline Road, Tanke, Ilorin, Kwara state, used the false identity of a Mr. Thomas Duke, a supposed gay from the United Kingdom with the email address given to send fraudulent mails with intent to defraud unsuspecting victims. In other instances, he also claimed to be one Muyiwa Akanbi, a Beninoise and Mary Jone. In his confessional statement, Kingsley admitted that he is into the “business” to make money and pay

his fees at the University of Ilorin, Kwara state where he was studying Geology and Mineral Sciences. He also confessed that on February 12th, 2008, he sent an e-mail to Luis Barco, attaching a photograph of an unknown man which he downloaded from the internet and claimed to be a gay by the name Muyiwa Akanbi. At another time, he mailed a message and presented himself to one Mr. Andrew Corrigan as a UKborn gay but based in Africa.

I will deal with you if you do it again, Yari tells lawmaker From Salisu Zakari Maradun, Gusau

Z Protest by commercial drivers over dilapidated Iworo-Ajido road, yesterday in Badagry, Lagos state.

Photo: NAN

Police yet to access $620,000 bribery money By Lambert Tyem

olice investigators yesterday failed to access the alleged $620,000 marked bribe money from the embattled former chairman of the House Ad hoc Committee on the Management of fuel subsidy regime, Farouk Lawan. The marked money is at the centre of a controversy in the cashfor-clearance allegation leveled against Lawan by Zenon Oil boss, Femi Otedola.

…3 cops in detention for ‘conspiracy’ Similarly, three policemen are currently in detention over their unprofessional handling of the detention of the duo of Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo. The trio – ASP Sani Sarkin Noma, CPLs Awal Musa and Alhassan Zakari were said to have allowed the lawmakers during their period in detention to sleep outside the cell as well as bath at home and return to the Force CID

in Area 10 Abuja every morning, when most officers and men were yet to resume work. Luck was said to have run out on the policemen when Lawan and Emenalo could not immediately make it back to their cells on Saturday morning. Lawan was granted conditional bail later that day. Lawan, who arrived the Force Headquarters around 10 am

yesterday had been given a police bail on Saturday with one of the conditions being that he would tender the marked dollar bills before the Ali Ahmadu Special Taskforce investigating the scandal. The absence of oil magnate, Otedola was said to have stalled the investigation and he has been slated to appear today and counter depositions by Lawan.

N90m scam: Court issues arrest warrant against suspect By Lambert Tyem

ustice E.A. Adebayo of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, yesterday ordered that a warrant of arrest be issued against Sunday Akinyemi and that once arrested, Akinyemi should be kept in prison custody until the next adjourned date. According to Wilson Uwujaren, Ag. Head, Media &

Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), "The order was sequel to the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo’s disclosure that the accused person was in Nigeria and that he was seen at a social function but failed to appear in court. "Rotimi said Akinyemi who has been in and out of the country was reportedly sighted in church by a

surveillance team from the commission. Justice Adebajo had sometimes in 2010 ordered that Sunday Akinyemi be remanded in prison custody until the charge preferred against him by the EFCC is determined. Akinyemi was arraigned alongside Olu Osho on a 30-count charge of conspiracy to steal, stealing, forgery and altering.

The accused persons were said to have conspired to steal about N90 million from Texas Connection Ferries Limited. Akinyemi’s application for bail was refused by Justice Adebajo on the grounds that with the avalanche of evidence brought against him by the EFCC including his jumping bail in America, he was not convinced that the accused person would not jump bail again.

amfara state governor, Alhaji AbdulAziz Yari Abuabkar, has threatened to deal with a lawmaker at the lower chamber of National Assembly representing Bakura/ Maradun Federal constituency, Alhaji Bello Muhammad Matawallen Maradun for daring to insult the former governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmad Sani. The lawmaker was also strongly warned to desist from uttering any abusive word against the former governor of the state, considered to be the mentor of every politician in the state. Governor Yari, who made the statement in Gusau, the state capital, while addressing thousands of party supporters who converged at the Gusau airstrip to receive some members of the opposition PDP who decamped to the ruling ANPP, told the lawmaker to also conduct himself decently it he wants to enjoy his political right with freedom not only in the state but throughout the federation. Earlier, the lawmaker Alhaji Bello made a derogatory statement against former governor and serving senator, Alhaji Ahmad Sani, which provoked the incumbent governor. The infuriated governor explained that henceforth the law maker should learn how to control his nerves otherwise he will never enjoy peace throughout his political career. The governor who visibly went wild while making the statement, warned that anybody who dares to insult Senator Alhaji Ahmad Sani should prepare for war with his government adding: “We have respect for Senator Ahmed Sani and we are ready to do everything to protect his dignity. Anyone who goes contrary will have his or herself to blame”.

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3 arrested over kidnap of Delta SSG’s son From Osaigbovo Ighuobaro, Benin

hree suspects were yesterday arrested over the abduction of the son of the Secretary to Delta state government, Comrade Ovuozorie Macauley shortly after Governor Uduaghan’s cousin Pa Samuel Uduaghan was released by his abductors. Mr. Markson Ovuosuorie, 28, who schools abroad, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen in his own village, Owheologbo where he had travelled to see his grandparents. Sources close to the victim’s family disclosed that the victim was abducted in front of his father’s house and was forced into a waiting VW Jetta car which zoomed off to an unknown destination. It was gathered that the SSG who had travelled abroad for medical treatment had been informed of the ugly incident back home by his family members and political associates. When contacted on the issue the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Charles Muka confirmed the incident, adding that the police was on top of the situation as three men have been arrested in connection with the kidnap.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

FIRS nabs Air Nigeria boss over tax evasion By Abdulwahab Isa

or failure to remit taxes totaling N4.868 billion due Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Managing Director of Air Nigeria, Mr. Kinfe Kayssay has been nabbed by tax enforcement team of the FIRS. A statement by FIRS Director of Communications, Emmanuel Obeta, issued yesterday confirmed the tax enforcement drive was led by Mr. James Binang, an assistant

director in charge of Debt Enforcement and Special Prosecution Unit (DESPU) of the Service. The statement said the arrest was aimed at recovering arrears of taxes accruing to government from Withholding Tax (WHT) and Value Added Tax (VAT). The enforcement was part of a bigger move to recover the N170. I billion (N170, 132, 089, 411:46) outstanding taxes owed to government by public and private

organisations as well as ensure that all taxpayers are captured in the tax net. Binang explained that the refusal to deduct and remit taxes as well as failure to file tax returns amount to criminal offences. Explanations were also sought from the company about the Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) alleged to have been obtained by Air Nigeria despite its tax liabilities— which was a requirement to secure their expatriate quota.

Kayssay agreed that the company actually had tax liabilities to pay but pleaded for more time to settle the liabilities and comply with the necessary legislations as regards filing of tax returns. The company lawyer, Mr. Akeem Babatunde, indicated that the company did not request for TCC to enable them secure expatriate quota. Apart from the tax liabilities against Air Nigeria, the company has also failed to file annual “Tax Returns” in 2011, as when due while the one for 2012 was still pending.

L-R: Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, his deputies, Mrs. Sarah Alade, and Mr. Tunde Lemo, during a public hearing on the expenditure of public funds by CBN without approval, organised by the House Committee on Banking and Currency, yesterday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kano High Court condemns 2 to death by hanging From Edwin Olofu, Kano

High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced two men to death by hanging having been found guilty of armed robbery. Delivering the judgment yesterday in Kano, the presiding judge, Ahmed Tijjani Badamasi, averred that the prosecution counsel has proved the case of armed robbery beyond reasonable doubt against the duo of Shehu Mohammed (alias Baban Rasha) and Nura Bello and sentenced them to death by hanging. Badamasi added that they were charged with the case of armed robbery and conspiracy, contrary to section 1 sub-section 2a of robbery fire arms special provision of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. The convicted Mohammed and Bello were said to had entered the residence of Prof. Ibrahim Ayagi on the 12 November, 2005 tied his hands down and inflicted on him some bodily injury that made him unconscious for a while. Mohammed and Bello were said to have carted away the sum of N500,000 and jewelries valued at N900,000 at the time of the robbery but were later arrested and were charged to court by the police.

Jonathan’s destiny is to bankrupt Nigeria – Bakare From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos with agency report

he Convener of Save Nigeria Group and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) vice-presidential candidate in the 2011 elections, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said “President Jonathan is on a mission to bankrupt and balkanise Nigeria.” Bakare stated this at a news conference in Lagos while commenting on the bribery scandal involving Hon. Farouk

Lawan and Mr. Femi Otedola. Bakare insisted that the scandal was a deliberate ploy by the government to divert people’s attention from the N3 trillion spent by the Jonathan administration without appropriation. Hence, he urged Nigerians not to allow the bribery allegation to take their focus from the real issue of Jonathan’s illegal spending. “President Jonathan is dancing to the drumbeat of destiny,” he said. “His destiny is to bankrupt

Nigeria. He has the full support of corporate cowboys and oil vultures. It is clear that Nigeria is a nation under divine judgment. We need cleansing in this land and if we do not stand up now to do what we ought to do, there might not be 2015 for Nigerians.” Bakare also said that the duo of Femi Otedola and Farouk Lawan are culpable in the $620, 000 bribery scandal. “Where did they get the money from? Did the money come from government? These

are oil vultures. What is the foundation of his riches; is it not corruption? Has Nigeria not been celebrating corrupt fellows? Corruption in Nigeria is now endemic. “In a decent society, both Otedola and Lawan and all the people involved would be behind bars by now. Unfortunately, Lawan’s greed and naivety got him into a terrible mess. He had the opportunity of being a hero; he ended up a villain because of naivety and greed.”

Dana crash: Coroner’s inquest Fear as explosions, gunfire grip The order was sequel to a Damaturu A witness who declined begins request made by the Falana and identification, said operatives of the From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

he Coroner of Alimosho District in Lagos, Magistrate Oyetade Alexander Komolafe, yesterday, started an inquest into what led to the June 3, 2012 Dana plane crash at IjuIshaga, in which over 153 people lost their lives. The inquest was ordered last Thursday by the Coroner-judge of Lagos State, Justice Lateefah Okunnu.

Falana Chambers. At the inaugural sitting, Mrs. Funmi Falana while addressing the court said the chambers of of Olisa Agabkoba was also interested in the matter. Both Mr. Komolafe and Mrs. Falana agreed between themselves what persons and agencies should be invited by the court. The coroner then adjourned till July 12 for the parties to be served and to enable the chambers of Olisa Agbakoba to prepare for the inquest.

From Godswill Uche, Damaturu

andemonium gripped Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, yesterday as explosions and gunshots, which began at the Sabon Pegi area of the city caused fear and anxiety among many residents. Explosions and sporadic gunshots rent the air and continued as witnessing expressed fear that the attackers were advancing towards the Yobe state Government House.

Joint Taskforce (JTF), appeared to have been overwhelmed by the attackers, suspected to be members of the extremist Boko Haram sect. Our source within the state capital who stated that gunshots began since 5 pm yesterday, stated: Damaturu is under serious fire and casualties may be unbearably high. Areas around Gwange, Pompomari demarcated by Gashua-Maiduguri road and between GashuaMaiduguri bypass have been under attack and counter military attack for hours now.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

PAGE 5

Army denies withdrawing check points from Zaria By Joy Baba

he Nigerian army has denied allegations that check points were removed from the streets of Zaria and its officers withdrawn on Saturday, prior to the deadly attack on churches on Sunday.

Reacting to the allegation in a telephone conversation, the Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Brigadier General Bola Koleoso, said it was false and the rumours are being spread by mischief makers who were not comfortable with the presence of army officers on the streets of

Zaria. Koleoso said check points or soldiers have never being withdrawn from the streets at any point, adding that it s the presence of the military that was able to curtail and stabilise the situation in the affected areas. “People spreading such false information

are those who felt the presence of the soldiers were disturbing their nefarious acts and intents”. “If they cannot praise us, they should not lie against us’ he said. He challenge whoever is spreading the rumour to come out openly and state the particular place he/she noticed checkpoints were removed

from the streets of Zaria. “The DAPR further said that “We are all Nigerians and what everyone should be working towards is the peace and unity of the Nation not try to make matters worse by spreading false information in a situation like this”.

Bombings: Mark calls for ceasefire By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

enate President David Mark has reiterated his call for the masterminds of recent bomb attacks in the country to stop the killings in the interest of the nation. Mark, who visited President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House yesterday, told State House correspondents that he had condemned Sunday’s attacks on churches and the reprisals, adding

that “vengeance is not ours, we must leave vengeance to God.” The Senate President who described his presence at the Presidential Villa as “normal visit,” said, “we will continue to appeal to the people who are behind it to reason and put this off because it is not in the interest of this country.” Contrary to speculations that the relationship between the Executive and the Parliament are not cordial, Mark insisted that the two organs still enjoyed good relationship.

Jonathan to attend UN earth summit By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

resident Goodluck Jonathan will depart Abuja today to attend the United Nations’ Earth Summit, RIO+20, opening in Brazil tomorrow. President Jonathan will participate in the summit’s four plenary meetings at Riocentro Plenary Hall tomorrow and Thursday, as well as attend a reception to be hosted by the Brazilian President for Heads of

State and Government at the summit. The President will use the opportunity of the summit to declare open the Nigerian/Brazil RIO+20 Business Forum, and also hold talks with selected Brazilian businessmen and captains of industry. While in Rio De Janeiro, the President will meet with representatives of the Nigerian Community resident in Brazil, and return to Nigeria on Friday.

Gunmen kill 2 in Gombe From Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

nknown gunmen shot two persons to death at Jakadaferi quarters in Gombe metropolis on Sunday night around 8: pm. The Gombe state Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Fwaje Atajiri, confirmed the incident to journalists in Gombe. He said that the two persons killed by the gunmen are Malam Bello Farouk, 25, and Moshood Hassan 18, adding that no, arrest has been made but investigation

is still ongoing. Speaking to newsmen, Malam Sani Mohammed nephew of one of the deceased, said the gunmen came around 8pm while the deceased were preparing to go for prayers. He said the gunmen who perpetrated the act were two in number, the one who was holding an AK 47 called one of the deceased, Bello Farouk with his cell phone, when he came out to see who was calling him, he was gunned down; the second victim Moshood Hassan was killed by a stray bullet.

R-L: Vice- President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, with Special Adviser to the President on Research and Documentation, Dr. Oronto Douglas, after an official meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

Bauchi govt to send 25 engineers for overseas training From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

auchi state government has concluded its plan to send 25 engineers for overseas training under the auspices of the Ministry for Local government in its drive to ensure service delivery to the grassroots. The state Commissioner for Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed Faggo, disclosed this while

briefing newsmen on the activities of the ministry in the last one year. According to him, the ministry has completed arrangement to pay for the training of the engineers who were drawn from all the 20 local government areas of the state. Faggo explained that the ministry in accordance with the demands of the local government councils has provided and

distributed assorted test and exercise books worth millions of naira to the 20 local governments. The gesture, he noted, has gone a long way in assisting pupils and students in their various schools, Saying, " the ministry had also paid up to date the statutory contributions to the local government service commission for the purpose of capacity building for the local government councils staff”.

IHR to NAHCON: Stop faulty aircraft from lifting pilgrims By Muhammad Nasir

he Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), has called on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON, to ensure that faulty and old aircrafts are not allowed to air lift Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year. The disclosure was made recently by the non-governmental

organisation in a statement signed by its national secretary, Ibrahim Muhammad and publicity secretary Abubakar Mahmoud who said that the lives of 95, 000 Nigerian pilgrims are too important to be toyed with by the profits-only air carriers. The statement said that “in view of the recent Dana plane crash in Lagos that killed 153 passengers on board and dozens of

others on ground, we are calling on NAHCON, which is the regulatory agency for hajj operations in Nigeria, to as a matter of national interest and urgency, ensure that only airlines that meet all the international standards of aviation safety are allowed to airlift Nigerian pilgrims to the holy land this year.” Mohammed also urged NAHCON to ensure that all

airlines interested in the airlift of the pilgrims are thoroughly scrutinised with a view to establish the airworthiness of their aircrafts as well as ensuring that they have the professional and technical expertise to handle the exercise. Muhammad reiterated that the recent Dana plane crash is an eye opener to Nigerians, which indicates that all is not well with

the aviation industry. “We have had situations in the past whereby firms with old and rickety aircrafts are allowed to handle the airlifts of our pilgrims. This is very dangerous and we are calling on the relevant authorities, particularly NAHCON to ensure that international best practice is strictly adhered to in selecting the air carriers that will convey our pilgrims, he cautioned.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

ASUU, S/West universities to stop Jonathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renaming of UNILAG From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

he national office of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and its leadership in Southwest yesterday vowed to mobilise against the passage of the bill sent to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan for the change of the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University. ASUU at a press conference held in UNILAG, restated its commitment to join forces with the university's Senate, alumni association, students and members of the public to kick against what it termed the unjust and "unreasonable" position by President Jonathan. They said all available means shall be exhausted to make the President revert the decision. The press conference which

was attended by the newly elected national treasurer of the union and former chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter, Dr. Ademola Aremu, lamented the loss of the sense of history by the country's leadership, saying the cost of changing the name of UNILAG is much weightier than renaming a structure like the Eagle Square in Abuja or even the Presidential Villa where he said there would have been no need for any effect on any certificate. "So if the president in his arbitrariness feels it is now time to recognise and honour late Abiola as an icon of democracy, he must first be regarded as a former president and any of the institutions now seen to be symbols of democracy such as the National Assembly or the Eagle Square should be named after him and not a 50-year-old institution like UNILAG," Aremu said.

Nigerian media divided along ethnic lines- Maku By A'isha Biola Raji

he Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, has described Nigerian media as a divided one. The minister said this yesterday in Abuja at a summit on the Freedom of Information Act with the theme: 'Ensuring the Effective Implementation of

the FoI Act' organised by Media Rights Agenda in collaboration with Pact Advance. He said the problem in Nigeria is created by diverse cultural, ethnic and religious differences amongst the people, of which the media has also been part of. For freedom of information to thrive, Maku said the users particularly the media have to

be disciplined, tolerant and patient. The chairman of the summit, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kuka said the FoI was in the interest of government. "It is the only way government can overcome cynicism from the public," he said.

Adoke solicits ICCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support against terrorism By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

he Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Muhammed Bello Adoke, has called for collaborative support of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the African Union (AU) against terrorism and piracy on the Gulf of Guinea. Adoke who made the call yesterday in Abuja while declaring open the 51st session of the AsianAfrica Legal Consultative Organisation (AALGO), said there was need for the ICC to engage Africa constructively in the global effort against impunity. "As you are aware, Nigeria has

recently been grappling with the challenges occasioned by piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and terrorism in the northern parts of the country, we therefore hope to benefit from incisive analysis to effectively combat international crime," he said. According to Adoke, despite the large number of African state parties to the Rome status of the International Criminal Court (ICC) the relationship between the ICC and AU has been less satisfactory. "We must therefore continue to render support to one another and take advantage of our unique skills and competencies to enhance the well being of our people," he added.

Ochekpe urges okada riders to cooperate with govt From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

he Minister for Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe yesterday appealed to everyone aggrieved by the government's decision to ban the operations of commercial motorcycles otherwise known as okada, in Jos, the Plateau state capital to partner with the state government in order to resolve the issues in the best ways possible. The minister in a press statement signed by her Special Assistant, Ms Christiana Nyam,

noted that the state government is not unaware of the socio-economic challenges the people go through but that the ban has become necessary as it would curtail the incessant destruction of lives and properties. Ochekpe said the government's decision to ban okada was meant to tackle security challenges. She appealed to Nigerian youths to be calm and not to take the laws into their hands but to always allow government and the security agents to take control of any incident of uprising.

Nupe Foundation to launch history book By Mohammed Kandi

he Board of Trustees of Nupe Foundation has announced as part of events billed for its annual festival, the 4th Nupe Day, the launching of a book titled: "The History of The Emirate of Bida - To 1899 AD. The book launch which comes up on Saturday 23rd June, 2012, at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, Niger state, will withness personalities from different parts

of the country. Speaking on behalf the BoT, publicity chairman of the foundation, Engr. Yabagi Sanni, noted that celebrating the day was part of the emirate's efforts to revamp cultural activities in the emirate to preserve it for posterity. He said the event was an opportunity to exhibit the rich cultural influence among the people in the emirate from the Masaga brass makers to various traditional music groups.

L-R: Representative of Kogi state Governor, Air Commodore Johnson Onekutu (rtd), Director Planning, Small and Medium Scale Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Monday Ewans, and Director General of SMEDAN, Malam Umar Nadada, during the opening of the third D-8 SEMS working group conference, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Farouk Lawan saga: Prosecute those indicted, says group

By Adeola Tukuru

ollowing the alleged bribery scandal involving the chairman of the House Representatives Adhoc committee on fuel subsidy probe, Hon Farouk Lawan and the chairman of Zenon Oil and Gas Company, Mr. Femi Otedola, a

non partisan network group, NKatalyst has called on the Federal Government to ensure all the indicted individuals are prosecuted and adequately punished. The spokesperson of the group, Dr. Hussaini Abdu told newsmen yesterday that both government officials and

companies named in the alleged scam have to be made to face the music if government's anti corruption battle must be taken seriously. He pointed out that Nigerians had suffered too much on the issue of fuel subsidy and lamented the high level of corruption going on in government quarters.

committed to meeting critical areas of nutrition, reducing communicable diseases, access to essential drugs, safer water and improved sanitation that will improve women's access to

education and empowerment. Similarly the Governor called on experts to develop and deliver solutions that will address the causes of deaths during pregnancy and childbirth.

Kogi govt reduces medical fees for pregnant women, infants From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

The Kogi state government has reduced the cost of treating pregnant women and children under the age of five in all public health institutions across the state. Capt Idris Wada (rtd) gave the hint at the flag off of the 2012 maternal, newborn and child health week at Ugwolawo, Ofu local government area of the state. Capt Wada who was represented by his deputy, Arc Yomi Awoniyi, promised government attention at making reproduction and child birth safer through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the state. The governor disclosed that his administration is also

Heavy security relaxed in Kano From Bala Nasir, Kano

he heavy security mounted in Kano following the bomb attacks on some churches in Kaduna and Zaria, has been relaxed with many of the new check points removed. There were growing fears that the Sunday incident in Kaduna could spark fresh violence in the old city, if security measures were not be taken. But the gradual withdrawal of police from Kano streets

yesterday as the day progressed made it possible for people to go about their normal businesses. Speaking to our correspondent on the matter, the deputy Police Public Relations Officer of the Kano state Command, ASP Magaji Musa Majia said the heavy presence of police in Kano last Sunday had nothing to do with Kaduna incidents. He insisted that the development was a routine security measure.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

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Students attack traffic official for apprehending staff From Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, Abeokuta

n official of Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Ogun state, Olumide Odusanya, was yesterday mercilessly beaten by students of the Federal University of

Agriculture (FUNNAB), Abeokuta for arresting a management staff of the school over traffic offence. The unruly attitude of the students also took them to the unit office of the command located in the area where they vandalised the office. Our correspondent learnt that the top management staff of the

institution was alleged to have driven against traffic in his Toyota car registration number FG 199 B50 on his way to school when he was flagged down but attempted to run away. He was apprehended and his number plates seized. Few minutes after the seizure, some students arrived at the scene and descended

on the traffic official found at the scene. The students allegedly led by their leader identified as Obama also went to the agency unit office in Obantoko where they vandalised the office and forcefully took away the seized number plates. The brutalised traffic official

was receiving treatment at Olukoye Ransome-Kuti Memorial Hospital as at the time of this report. When contacted, the unit commander of the agency, Commander Abiola David Olufemi confirmed the incident adding that the case had been reported to the police.

Rejected commissioner nominee becomes Nyako’s chief of staff From Blessing Tunoh, Yola

onsolation came the way of Abdulrahman Abba Jimeta, the only commissioner nominee rejected by the Adamawa state House of Assembly with his appointment as chief of staff of Adamawa state Government House. A statement signed by Secretary to the State Government Mr. Kobis Ari Thimnu made available to Peoples Daily said the appointment takes immediate effect. Jimeta who was the only nominee rejected out of the 27 names sent by Governor Murtala Nyako is the immediate past information commissioner. It may be recalled that the state Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Ahmadu Fintri screened the nominees submitted by the executive last week; while it was a smooth ride for most nominees, Jimeta was not asked any question but was told to submit his curriculum vitae and leave the assembly complex. Jimeta’s offence was incisive and derogatory comments on the state assembly during a crisis that followed the change of leadership which culminated in closure of the assembly complex for 52 days.

L-R: Oyo state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Nigerian Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Akin Oyateru, and deputy governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo, during the ambassador's visit to the governor, yesterday in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

Dankwambo warns fertiliser distribution committee against diversion From Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

overnor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state has warned the state fertiliser distribution committee against diversion of the commodity. The governor who gave the warning while speaking at the flag off of this year’s fertiliser sale and distribution in Deba town,

said that nobody will be spared if found wanting. Dankwambo said that in order to ensure equal fertiliser distribution, he directed the Ministry of Agriculture to distribute it up to polling units as part of effort to deliver it to doorstep of farmers. He added that each polling unit would have 100 bags to support the e-wallet system of

Shagari farmers lament poor yields

armers in Shagari local government area of Sokoto state have lamented the lack of water for all year farming due to the uncultivated irrigation project in the area. They made their complaints known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Sokoto. NAN recalls that the Shagari Irrigation Project, situated in Shagari local government area, was conceived for the realisation of the full potential of the Shagari Dam, commissioned in 2006. The project, which had been stalled for lack of funds, ought to utilise water from the completed Shagari Dam for irrigation of about 220 hectares of farm land. The farmers noted that the irrigation project, if functional, would have increased farming

activities, alleviated poverty and improved the living standards of the communities in the area. They said the N847 million contract had outstanding phases of work which included the procurement of ductile iron pipes to connect the reservoirs to the intake structures. NAN reports that these pipes are to act as a link between the dam and reservoir to transfer water to the canals for farmers’ utilisation. Also, the construction of tube wells, procurement of two water pumps and construction of service centres which cost N380 million, had hindered the installation of the irrigation project for the benefit of farmers. The farmers noted that if fully completed, the project would enable the production of about 1,540 tonnes of rice and

3,300 tonnes of assorted vegetables annually while about 2,640 jobs would be created. Malam Mohammed Shagari said it was difficult to cultivate the land without water. “There would be bountiful harvest if the facility is completed on time”, he said. “We do not have enough water in some place during dry season for our crops; when this irrigation is completed, we are sure of getting enough water for good harvest. “It will benefit a lot of farmers because almost all the people in this area are farmers. Malam Bashir Mohammed, a farmer who said rice, tomatoes, peeper, wheat, maize and water melon, were some of the crops cultivated in the area, added that capacity building on how to manage the effects of birds on the farms was needed. (NAN)

distribution by the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme programme. According to him, “we believe that the provision of adequate facilities appropriate inputs extension services and incentive would greatly improve the level of agricultural production and well being of our citizens”. “We also have plans to create an enabling environment for the

establishment of agro-based industries to mop up products like grains, fruits and vegetables. We hope that these efforts will redress unemployment, ensure food security and wealth creation”, Dankwambo said. Fertiliser would be sold at a highly subsidised rate of N2, 700. per 50kg, bag of all brands (NPK and urea) for the 2012 cropping season he said.

NTDC boss commends Jonathan, FEC on new visa regime By Miriam Humbe

he Director General of the Nigerian Tourism D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has applauded President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the Federal Executive Council for the introduction of the new visa regime. In a statement issued in Abuja, Otunba Runsewe said the introduction of new visa regime was a bold step that was long awaited as it would open the floodgate for inbound tourists who are desirous of visiting Nigeria. The NTDC boss said the tourism sub-sector of the economy received the news with great joy and a sigh of relief as the country would

derive huge benefits from the international tourist traffic particularly from Asia, Europe and the Americas. “Our job has been made easier now as the old visa regime was seen as a great obstacle for potential tourists to Nigeria, as we always receive complaints each time we travel abroad on official engagements by foreigners about their inability to secure visas”, Otunba Runsewe stated. According to the new visa regime, some visitors would obtain their visas at the point of entry especially the international airports while some of them would be issued visas for short stay, long term of up to 10 years, temporary stay, permanent residence, investment and skill transfer visa.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

1 2

Bad state of Oshodi-Apapa express way at Cele bus-stop, yesterday in Lagos. Photo: NAN Yobe state governor, Malam Ibrahim Gaidam (right), waving to people, during the swear-in of newly appointed permanent secretaries, yesterday at Government House, in Damaturu.

L-R: Secretary-General, AsianAfrican Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO), Professor Rahmat Mohammad, Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, and Minister of Justice of Sri Lanka, Mr. Rauff Hakeem, during the 51st annual session of aaalco, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: NAN

L-R: Sokoto state governor, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, and Minister of State for Agriculture, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, during the launching of the sale of fertiliser to farmers, yesterday in Bodinga, Sokoto state. Photo: NAN

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Lagos, UNIDO partner on renewable energy From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

L-R: Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Malam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, and Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Malam Yunusa Ya'u, during a press conference on high level of corruption by political office holders, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Dana Air re-affirms support for families of deceased, AIB investigators From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

he management of Dana Air has restated that the primary focus of the airline is to provide support and assistance to the families of those affected by the tragic accident of Sunday, June 3, 2012. In the same vein, the airline is committed to providing full assistance to the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), in

determining the cause of the unfortunate accident. “At this time, all of the senior management team of Dana Air is focused on providing assistance to the families of the departed and also full cooperation to the authorities carrying out the investigation as the cause of the accident is yet unknown. Investigations are still on-going and it will not be right for anyone to speculate until the reports

have been submitted”, said Jacky Hathiramani, Chief Executive Officer of the airline. Dana Air, on Thursday, made fresh efforts to support families with their insurance claims. In a statement issued by the airline, the company called on relatives of the deceased, some of whom they have had difficulties reaching out to, to come forward with details of the next-of-kin for insurance purposes.

FG has no plan to repeal Land Use Act, Prof. Adeniyi From Edwin Olofu, Kano

he chairman, Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms, Prof. Peter Adeniyi, has assured critical stakeholders in land administration in the country that the Federal Government has no plan to repel the Land Use Act. Adeneyi who was speaking to newsmen in Kano yesterday, explained that the essence of the Presidential Committee is about identifying and removing bottlenecks that are embedded in the current land titling, registration procedure and process within the existing land delivery system. The former Vice-chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure, stressed that land reform is critical to the attainment of national transformation, pointing out that the essence is strengthen their capacities for efficient administrations. “It is important at this point to state categorically that the

land reform programme of the Federal Government is not intended the repeal the Land Use Act or usurp the powers of the state governors and local government chairmen in land administration or deny individuals or communities the right to their land”, Prof.

Adeniyi maintained. He revealed that the body is currently implementing a pilot scheme that involves systematic identification and registrations of titles rights. Adeniyi further disclosed that Kano and Ondo have been selected for the pilot project, adding that Ungogo and Fagge local government areas of Kano have been selected for the pilot scheme.

NDDC begins construction of Umuikukor-Ariaria road

he Niger Delta D e v e l o p m e n t Commission (NDDC), has commenced the construction of the 8.1 kilometre Umuikukor/ Ariaria road which will link Ukwa West local government area to the commercial city of Aba in Abia state. A statement in Port Harcourt yesterday, quoted Dr. Christian Oboh, the Managing Director of the commission as saying that the road will improve commercial activities in the area. It said Oboh, represented by a

member of the NDDC board Mr. Aloysius Nwagboso, said during the handover of the site in Ukwa West that the project would alleviate the problems commuters encounter on the road. The statement assured that the NDDC would not compromise on standard in the execution of the project. “We were meticulous in selecting process of the contractor and thus confident that we will not be disappointed,” the managing director was quoted as saying. (NAN)

he Lagos state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to collaborate and maintain close and continuing working relationship in all aspects of industrial development beneficial to Lagos state, particularly in the promotion of renewable energy for productive use. Signing the memorandum in his office at Alausa, Ikeja on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Engineer Taofiq Ajibade Tijani, lauded the collaborative initiative with the international organisation, noting that it will assist in

delivering the much needed dividends of democracy. The collaborative effort is expected to seek inspiration from various strategies and decisions promoting sustainable development including those emanating from major international development conferences on sustainable energy. Additional areas of cooperation as contained in the memorandum include trade capacity building, promotion of energy access for productive use in a sustainable manner, promotion and development of environmental friendly industrial strategies, energy conservation, energy efficiency initiative and energy systems policy planning and development.

Fourth Wole Soyinka media lecture to focus on security By Tobias Lengnan Dapam &, Ayodele Samuel

he Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism will host its fourth media lecture series on Friday 13 July, 2012, at the NECA Building, Alausa Secretariat Lagos by 10:00am, to discuss on Nigeria’s security challenges. This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Coordinator of the Centre, Motunrayo Alaka. The release stated that the programme themed ‘Media and Civil Liberties When the Clouds of Fear Gather’, will feature the Chief Executive of the Citizens Communication Limited and a respected political analyst, Mohammed Haruna, as the key speaker at the event which would also field representatives of the security agencies, media, academia and civil society organisations as discussants, to

allow for a robust and intellectually stimulating session whose recommendations will thereafter be published and forwarded to key stakeholders. Haruna, revealed that the lecture series is designed to periodically examine topical issues that impact on perceived performance of the media, on the health of the country, and its democracy. He said that the choice of this year’s theme was to put a searchlight on the critical issue of insecurity in the country today, especially with the insurgency of terrorist groups, and the dilemma the media faces in prosecuting its democratic obligations under delicate conditions that strain professionalism, and accountability against other values like patriotism. Attendance of the lecture programme according to the statement is open to all members of the public.

NAFDAC DG attributes high rate of cancer to poor consumption of food From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

he Director-General, National Agency for Food, Drug and Administration Control, NAFDAC Dr. Paul Orhii, has attributed the high rate of cancer in the country to the poor intake of food by Nigerians. Dr. Orhii who made this contention yesterday in Makurdi while addressing the senate of the University of Agriculture during an assessment visit on cassava production by the University Institute of Food Security, disclosed that over 350, 000 cases of cancer have been reported in the country this year. He also noted that there is high case of kidney and lung problems associated with bad food consumption by Nigerians. The NAFDAC DG said the agency is making appropriate

policies to ensure that food consumed by Nigerians are wholesome, intimating that they have created a food as well as veterinary directorate to ensure the hygiene of food and animals eaten by Nigerians. Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Daniel Vershima Uza, urged NAFDAC to collaborate with the Institute of Food Security and the university in establishing a world class laboratory for quality control of its products, ensure proper analysis of agro-chemicals and fertilisers used for crop production in Nigeria and training of farmers/groups to comply with good agricultural practices, consult with the institution on water and food quality analysis and food value chain in the agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), of FG.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

School principal sues Jigawa lawmaker over assault From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

he member representing Gagarawa constituency in the Jigawa state House of Assembly, Honourable Nasiru Mohammed Sparrow, has been dragged before a magistrate’s court in Dutse for allegedly assaulting a married woman. The lawmaker who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, has been arrested by

the police and taken to Magistrate’s Court 1 in Dutse, the state capital on two count charges. Hajiya Zainab Umar who is the principal of Model International Secondary School had earlier reported the member to the state police command accusing him of assaulting her verbally and threatening to harm her because of a disciplinary action taken against his son, who is a student in the

school. Sparrow has therefore been accused of intentional insult, intent to provoke the breach of peace and criminal intimidation that contravene sections 336 and 339 of the Penal Code. The accused was in the court with his counsel where the prosecution counsel mentioned the case and the court read the charges against him, but pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The defending counsel,

Barrister Danladi Musa therefore pleaded with court to grant his client bail wherein the prosecution counsel did not object. The presiding judge adjourned the case till 9th July 2012 for continuation of hearing. The Magistrate, Mustapha Datti Sa'ad, granted the accused bail in the sum N100,000 and a surety in the capacity of either the clerk of the House, any member or any civil servant on grade level 14.

R-L: Acting Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, with Abia state Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, test driving one of the 30 operational vehicles donated to the Abia state Police Command by the state government, yesterday in Umuahia.

Airtel partners Ecobank for easy services in Chad By Morufat Ojulari, with agency report

irtel, one of the telecommunications service companies in the country, has collaborated with Ecobank to launch a product – Airtel Money in the Republic of Chad. The launch of the new service was held at the Kempinski Hotel in the Chadian capital Ndjamena, in the presence of various dignitaries, notably Prime Minister Emmanuel Nadingar, Telecommunications Minister,

Alingue Jean Bawoyeu and members of the diplomatic corps in Chad. As the first mobile commerce product in the country, the collaboration between the duo will help customers of this mobile network carry out financial transactions, make utility payment on their mobile phones and enhance the delivery of financial services at affordable cost. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Salia Gbane, CEO of Airtel Chad, said: “This service allows customers to send money to their

relatives, pay essential bills such as electricity and water, tuition fees, bookings and even buy foodstuff without having to carry cash. The phone essentially becomes an electronic wallet,” he said. He assured of very simple and completely secure transactions in as much as all the customer has a valid identification document, fills out a registration form, a mobile phone and a personal password whenever they want to complete a transaction. Mr. Gbane reiterated that

Okada ban: Bicycles take over Jos roads

icycles, usually very rare on Jos roads, have surfaced on major highways due to the recent ban on the use of commercial motorcycles in the city. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bicycles, in different shapes and sizes, now compete for space along many highways in the metropolis as residents move about conveying relations and friends. NAN reports that before now the bicycles were only being used

mostly by school children, farmers and junior level workers. A visit to the Ahmadu Bello Way and Terminus in central Jos where the bicycles are being sold have also revealed a rise in their cost. A used bicycle in the area which usually sold for between N9,000 and N10,000 has now risen to between N13,000 and N14,000, depending on the manufacturing company. At Nasarawa Gwom and

Katako, however, a new bicycle went for N13,000 as against the old price of N10,000. Mr. Jerry Gwani, a carpenter, told NAN that he abandoned his bicycle three years ago when he bought a motorcycle. “I stopped using my bicycle when I bought a motorcycle, but with the ban, I have returned to it since it is not banned. “Usually it is the children that use it to run errands but I am back to it now”, he said. (NAN)

Airtel Money will be available in all areas covered by the network and therefore encouraged the Chadian population to enjoy the service, which will connect communities and businesses across the country.

Bauchi govt says state safe for tourism From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

auchi state government has dispelled insinuations making the rounds in other parts of the country that Bauchi is not safe for tourism, saying this negative tendency has adversely effected tourism promotion in the state. The Commissioner for Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Salihu Ibrahim Halilu attributed the negative tendencies of the people to insecurity challenges rocking some parts of the country, assuring that Bauchi is safe for any type of business to thrive. Halilu who was speaking on the state ministerial press briefing platform, however noted that Bauchi is not the only state experiencing insecurity challenges, hence people should desist from blowing the situation out of proportion. He observed that other neighbouring states view Bauchi as a state that is characterised by violence, saying the situation is not as terrible as people are painting it. Halilu remarked: “Although we cannot overrule the fact that once in a while there are insecurity problems in Bauchi as was also experienced in other states, the state government is trying all its best to ensure the security of lives and property and putting an end to a challenge of this nature cannot be achieved overnight”. The commissioner explained that despite the negative reports about the state, people are going about their normal activities while efforts are being geared to finding solutions to the insecurity problems facing the country generally. Alhaji Halilu assured that the Federal Government, security agencies, stakeholders and political leaders in the country are taking positive step to address the insecurity challenges. He urged journalists to ensure that they project the positive image of the state to the outside world, saying that they have the power to change the negative perception people have concerning Bauchi state.

Exam malpractice: Tai Solarin University expels 6, rusticates examination malpractice and 20 students cultism, adding that it would not

he Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), IjebuOde, Ogun state, yesterday said it expelled six students and rusticated 20 others for examination malpractice. Prof. Segun Awonusi, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun. He said the disciplinary action was taken against the students after they were found guilty of the offence by the Senate of the university. Awonusi said that the institution had zero tolerance for

compromise its stand on it. “Once you are caught, you are on your own because that is the way we can instill discipline in our students, who we believe, will take over from us tomorrow.” On the issue of cultism, the vicechancellor said the institution had started building hostels to curtail the menace. He said: “Research has confirmed that cultism thrives more in non-residential institutions than in the residential ones, hence the building of hostels. He, however, urged the students to desist from all acts of social vices capable of jeopardising their future. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

NGO advocates youth involvement in nation building From Ojebola Matthew, Lagos

etwork for Talent Discovery (NETAD), has said the role of young people in nation building cannot be overemphasised, thereby necessitating youths to be prepared for challenges towards strengthening their leadership skills. NETAD, an organisation committed to talent discovery and development and fostering patriotism among teenagers and youths in the African continent, is organising a Young and Emerging Leaders Summit meant to engage young people in deliberations towards exploring strategies and concepts through participation, and fostering active youth participation in decision making processes. A release signed by the Coordinator of the organisation, Aanu Damola Morenikeji, said the summit, which has the theme 'Building Tomorrow Today' is scheduled to hold on Thursday, 21st June, 2012 at the Aduke Maina Hall of Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Ogun state, commencing at 10am prompt. The keynote address titled 'Youth Participation in Qualitative Governance; Mirage or Reality' will be delivered by Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun, the wife of Ogun state governor.

Activists fault military invasion of communities in Delta, Bayelsa By Muhammad Nasir

oliticians and civil society groups from Delta and Bayelsa states have faulted the military invasion of oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region over alleged cases of illegal bunkering and operations of illegal refineries, asking the Federal Government to review its military strategy and legalise the operations of local refineries in the region. This was disclosed, in the weekend by the Ijaw People Development Initiative (IPEDI), that the activities of the operators of the illegal refineries is disturbing and creating grave environmental hazards along the waters and creeks of the region. The group, in a statement signed by its president, Comrade Austin Ozobo, said in spite of the military action against illegal bunkering along the waters and creeks of the Niger Delta, there have been rapid increases of illegal oil bunkering and illegal refineries in the Niger-Delta region. The group also noted that the recognition of the refinery will create more jobs and at same time reduce the exorbitant price of petrol products in the country. The oil bunkering, and local refineries operation should be licensed by the Federal Government, in such a way that the bunkerers and the local refineries operators will pay tax to their state governments, they enthused.

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Otedola should also face trial, says activist From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

agos based lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Gabriel Giwa-Amu has said that it is not only the former chairman of the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on fuel subsidy, Alhaji Farouk Lawan, who was alleged to have received $3million bribe from businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola that should be tried, but that Otedola who offered him the bribe

should also face trial. He disclosed this in Lagos while reacting to the bribery scandal involving Farouk Lawan and Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited, Mr. Femi Otedola. According to him, "it is unfortunate that Farouk involved himself in this mess, but it is not only him that has committed an offence, the giver too should be punished. Giwa-Amu went on: "The unfortunate thing is that very

soon, the duo would be honoured as national heroes because that is what the present administration headed by President Goodluck Jonathan knows how to do. He gives honour to those that do not deserve it." The lawyer affirmed that the whole National Assembly is a citadel of fraud and corruption. "I and the majority of Nigerians saw Farouk Lawan as an intelligent fellow, but now that he has dented his image, the whole of the National Assembly

is a citadel of fraud and corruption". Giwa-Amu also disagreed that the bribery scandal is meant to cover up the fuel subsidy report, adding that Farouk and Femi have admitted that some money exchanged hands in form of bribery. He advised Nigerians to stand up for their rights by occupying the streets in a peaceful protest to communicate their condemnation of the corrupt attitude of the leaders.

L-R: Director, Centre for Information Study, University of Lagos, Professor Charles Uwadia, ViceChancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prossor Biyi Daramola, chairman, Sunshine Oil Limited, Chief Rotimi Obeisun, and president, St Charles Grammar School Old Boys Association, Alhaji Musa Ajao , during a luncheon in honour of the new ViceChancellor, Federal University of Technology Akure, on Sunday in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

Israel deports 1st planeload of African migrants

t least, 127 passengers are the first batch of African migrants deported by the Israel government, as part of the Jewish country's recent campaign to combat illegal immigrants. Each adult in the group was given 1,300 US dollars while children get 500 US dollars each.

"All those who boarded the flight back to South Sudan did so voluntarily", Amnon Ben-Ami, the director of the Population, Immigration and Borders Authority (PIBA) said. Some 300 South Sudanese nationals, detained in cities across Israel over the past week and currently held in special

facilities, will board another flight scheduled to depart next Monday, Ben-Ami said. Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who initiated "Operation Going Back Home", came to meet the migrants at the airport. The deportation of the first group of migrants came after the Jerusalem District Court last

FG assures of support for peace, national development By Muhammad Nasir

he Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the promotion of peace and national development as well as the care for the family as a whole. This was disclosed by the Vice President, Architect Muhammad Namadi Sambo at a national seminar organised by the Jama'atu Izalatil Bid'ah Wa'iqamatis-Sunnah (JIBWIS) at the conference hall of the National Mosque, Abuja. Sambo said the Federal Government has designed a programme that will address the issue of poverty and family related issues, adding that it is not only documented but it is being implemented effectively.

He maintained that government is working round the clock to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizens. Agriculture, he said, was another concern where the concept of agriculture as a programme has been changed to agriculture as a business, adding that it will address the problem of agriculture such as irrigation and mechanisation for agricultural transformation. Speaking on poverty alleviation, he said the Federal Government has established a programme called "YOU WIN", SURE and other entrepreneurship programmes that will provide jobs for the teeming Nigerian youth and women in an attempt to arrest poverty in the country.

On electricity generation, he noted that the Federal Government has constructed 10 new power plants across the country. Also speaking, Prof. Auwalu Yadudu of Bayero University, Kano, maintained that there is need for Muslim leaders to be dedicated by being truthful and steadfast to eradicate corruption in Nigeria which will eventually lead to development. Former governor of Zamfara state, Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima, said there is need for Nigeria to have a president that will allow the Muslims to practice Shari'ah, as well as the Christians to practice their faith according to their religious teachings; this will also create peace and development in Nigeria.

week heeded the state's request to suspend the "ollective protection" status granted to the South Sudanese migrants in the country. The court's ruling said they could safely return home since South Sudan has become an independent country. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was committed to preserving the dignity of the repatriated African migrants, telling his cabinet that immigration authorities were working to limit and eventually end the flood of asylum seekers that have poured across the country's border with Egypt over the past three years. Officials welcomed Monday's deportation, but noted that over 2,500 South Sudanese and more than 50,000 infiltrators from a number of African nations still reside in the country. Local organisations aiding the migrants decried the deportation, saying the migrants' were not given the opportunity to apply for refugee status. The deportation raised mixed reaction as some migrant were happy while others were not. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

The massacre in Zamfara

n Monday last week, the nation woke to the chilling news of the cold blood massacre of 23 innocent villagers by a gang of armed bandits in a suspected reprisal on Dan Gulbi, Sabuwar Kasuwa, Biya and Guru villages of Dansadau emirate in Maru local government of Zamfara state. In what is by now becoming all too familiar, although the attack was carried out by an unwieldy 80 people armed with Ak-47 rifles and riding on motorbikes in an operation that lasted for three hours, security officials did not show up at the material time. The police only showed up to evacuate corpses and the injured to hospital hours after the bandits have fled from the scene. In January, heavily armed bandits ambushed and killed 15 local traders returning from a market in neighbouring Katsina state and burnt their bodies along with the truck they were travelling in near the town of Birnin-Magaji in Zamfara state. And in October last year, robbers, armed with assorted weapons, including AK-47 rifles, attacked Lingyado village in Zamfara state, killing 19 people in suspected reprisals over the killing of fellow gang members by local vigilantes with the aid of villagers. In May, gunmen armed with explosives killed at least 34 people

when they attacked and burned to the ground the Potiskum cattle market in Yobe state in an operation that lasted upwards of five hours without the presence of security personnel. During last Monday's incident, the bandits were said to have gone in a systematic manner from door-

“

It is our belief that going after these bandits should not be as problematic as chasing the more elusive Boko Haram sect, whose precise whereabouts is only a subject of guess work to-door shooting villagers, and in some cases, slitting their throats with knives. Many people were also wounded, some graviously. As usual, the refrain from the security agencies is that the villages are too remote to be accessed in good time. "Because of the remoteness of the area, police could not deploy in good time and the attackers fled before police teams could reach the

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area," an unnamed police source claimed. This sounds more like an excuse than a reason, because it is not as if the whereabouts of the bandits is unknown. The deadly outlaws are said to have made a part of the remote forest located at the confluence of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states as their hideout. It is said that the outlaws' clandestine settlement, at an area between Birnin Gwari in Kaduna, Batsari/Faskari in Katsina and Maru in Zamfara, has even attracted unscrupulous entrepreneurs like beer sellers and their ilk, who regularly undertake nocturnal visits thereto. We believe that there is no area in the North that is too remote to be out of the reach of a highly motivated security force, especially one that has the benefit of a fleet of helicopters, which could be deployed for aerial patrol to smoke the outlaws out. It is our belief that going after these bandits should not be as problematic as chasing the more elusive Boko Haram sect, whose precise whereabouts is only a subject of guess work. If however, the police are incapable of containing these outlaws, let them say so, so that the military could be given the nod to do the job. Enough of this unnecessary loss of valuable human lives, please.

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PAGE 13

Fani-K ayode’ s funn y attempt to den y responsibilit y ani-Ka ode’s funny deny responsibility for the tr agedy of our a viation industry tragedy aviation By Willy Oghinan

hief Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister under President Olusegun Obansanjo, is a truly funny man, as his name would suggest. Funny to the extent that he thinks himself a reformer, one who did all that was humanly possible to rehabilitate Nigeria’s aviation industry as part of the great project of re-branding Nigeria. In a recent interview with Sunday Vanguard , he was asked, among other questions, why air crash reports are never released in Nigeria. In answer, Fani-Kayode claimed to have developed a blueprint for re-inventing the aviation sector. Then he lamented that his successors failed to follow his blueprint which would have forestalled future air disasters. He expressed outrage that since the tragic Dana aircrash of June 3, nobody has resigned or been fired for dereliction of duty. Which is all good talk, only that Fani-Kayode was merely posturing, telling tall tales of his heroic achievements as aviation minister all in a bid to deflect blame from himself as the aviation ministry and regulatory agencies come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the latest air disaster. But do you don’t have to take

my word for it—hear the rest of his fabrications. On the question of the working relationship between the National Transportation and Safety Board of the United States and the Nigerian aviation authorities, here is what Fani-Kayode had to say (it is worth quoting at length): “Its (the NTSB’s) reports are always factual and accurate and as Minister I relied far more on its reports about what happened in some of the crashes that took place the year before I got there than on the reports filed by my own Ministry.” As his interviewer rightly noted, that is a damning “indictment,” but given a chance to explain, FaniKayode began his selfexoneration: “The things that I discovered are best left unsaid for now but rest assured that I wrote to the President and told him the truth and asked him to do something about it at that time. For example the NTSB report on the Bellview crash said some very interesting and disturbing things about what actually brought that plane down. It had nothing to do with any failing on the part of Bellview airline but there was definitely another factor which I will not go into here. The American FBI also did a preliminary report in which they confirmed that finding and recommended a criminal

investigation into the matter because it was clear that there was more to that crash than met the eye. By way of contrast the reports filed by our own security agencies and the Ministry of Aviation under my predecessor in office omitted all this and contradicted it. There were also issues raised about the ADC and the Sosolisso crash that were kept from the public and I did everything in my power as

to it are clear. First is the average age of aircrafts in the Nigerian airspace. A recent list compiled by a blogger, revealed up to 40 years old planes (Kabo Airlines) are being flown in Nigeria! Most airlines have tokunboh airplanes flying upwards of twenty years and coming with the risk of mechanical failures. This situation is directly linked to an inept regulatory system that allows these airlines to purchase and utilize these planes (with the NCAA director now rationalizing the 22 years old age limit for aircrafts flying our space, commercially). Where government regulation has failed, it is time for the market to put companies flying old aircrafts out of business, and this is why the list now circulating is very important. Beyond regulation though is the capital adequacy and competition issues confronted by the airline industry. Indeed, the liberalization of the fledgling sector in retrospect is now looking like a terrible error. Even in better developed climes, the airline industry was heavily regulated like a utility until recently when their financial and manufacturing sector could handle the heavy capitalization required for efficient operators. It will be worthwhile for our economic planners and legislators to seriously consider reorganizing the industry, with limited licenses and competition alongside regulated airfares that ensure predictable returns to operators and robust funding mechanism to meet their needs. Our economy is not ripe for

unlimited competition, cut throat airline ticket prices and bare bone market driven airline industry! We must learn to crawl before we walk; not all theories on paper work out as planned upon practice. Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria working with the Ministry of Aviation should immediately commence credit guarantee scheme to finance purchase of new aircrafts by the few operators left under this heavily regulated regime. A rigorous operator guideline that emphasizes rigorous safety record and technical prequalification, robust financial wherewithal of sponsors and open bids for the limited licenses will ensure only four to six operators that are healthy emerge at the end of such restructuring. It will also ensure the sponsors’ collateral can be linked by the CBN to such aircraft purchase guarantee scheme to ensure Nigeria airlines can order tens of new aircrafts much like their South East Asian counterparts to service an ever growing (but more organized) domestic market. Indeed, a better organized aviation industry also requires brand new airports removed from the madness of urbanization that made the Black Sunday incident a much greater tragedy. What in heaven’s sake is an airport doing in such densely populated area like Ikeja? Aircrafts should not fall on people’s homes! The government of Nigeria and Lagos state seriously start doing something about moving the airport to much saner location

in that crash. I wrote to President Obasanjo expressing my deepest concerns about these matters, including the shabby conduct of the investigation of the Bellview crash and one or two others and in fairness to him he approved my recommendations on the one on Sossolisso. Sadly though a few unscrupulous civil servants, who had much to lose if that public hearing ever went ahead and who really hated my guts

“

Fani-Kayode has thus confessed to a heinous crime. We may never know the true extent of the crimes in the aviation sector that he and his predecessors as well successors are hiding from us; crimes that prompted America’s transport safety board to recommend criminal investigation. After all, a plot hatched in hell can’t have angels as witnesses Minister to have a public hearing on the matter and from there open a criminal investigation. You will recall that 60 children and many adults, including a dear friend and sister, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, lost their lives

conspired against me and the President and frustrated it. Consequently we never had that public hearing and after we left power in 2007 the agitation and desire for it petered out.” There we have it—a

confessional statement of commission and concealment of crimes against humanity by a former minister who, by his own account, was given a presidential order to clear the rot—“evil,” he calls it, as he is given to evangelical language—in the aviation sector that has turned our skies to the most dangerous in the world for air travellers, causing planes to fall down like rotten oranges. Again, by his own account, he did actually discover evil in the aviation industry, only that he could do nothing to eradicate it as a “few unscrupulous civil servants” benefited from it. What a buffoonish and moronic admission of guilt! Fani-Kayode is clearly hoping to be absolved of blame for the unmitigated tragedy and grief that he and others who have run and continue to run the aviation sector deserve, but he ought to be told to go and hide his head in shame. Let us examine Fani-Kayode’s preposterous claims. The head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces charges orders him to track down the people whose evil machination plague our aviation industry. As Minister, Fani-Kayode was answerable only to the president. Yet, just when Fani-Kayode was Continued on page 15

An air of error: Prevention, response & deterrence By Mike Gbemi

ir crashes in Nigeria are like coming of age ceremonies, where the attendees air their closets, stride their wares, get immolated and conclude the lessons of the day by wrapping up and behaving like it never happened. After the Dana disaster that has claimed the lives of scores of our fellow citizens, if history were to repeat itself we can guarantee nothing will come of it. Relatives will wail, government will make empty promises and we the citizens will forget! Aircraft disasters are preventable, and should not happen. Unlike road, the air is not congested and is often plied by professionals with thousands of hours logged in training. Before aircraft take to the air for one to two hour trips, they are normally subjected to rigorous checks that declare them air worthy. Under normal circumstances, only a rare incident of once in hundred-year weather condition should even be capable of disrupting normal take off and landing of aircrafts; but not in an air of error: the type that whiffs the aviation corridors of Nigeria. There three relative factors in play when aircraft accidents become common in any clime; these are the prevention, the reaction and the deterrence factors in place in such environment. Speaking about prevention, the reasons why the Dana air crash occurred may not be self evident directly at the moment but the chain of incidents that led

removed from the heart of Lagos. The airport is old; it is an eyesore and should be decommissioned as new ones are built at strategic locations away from the mess. The thousands of jobs created by such effort will more than pay off for the investment, disregarding the need, safety of travelers and image change such project will bring to Nigeria. Speaking about response, the emergency response on Sunday left much to be desired and this has been the case from time immemorial. The lack of firefighters and first aid at the site of the incident probably killed more people than should have actually died. Tales now abound of at least one person walking out conscious in the first twenty minutes when that aircraft did not explode. What if we had firefighters in every neighborhood? What will it cost the government of Goodluck Jonathan to build 2000 fire stations across Nigeria as clear evidence of democratic dividends? What will it cost the opposition to begin a mass movement for such demand much like the fuel subsidy protests and not yield till we ensure no other Dana Air tragedy occurs again, without well trained fire fighters in place? Beyond prevention and response however we have the deterrence factor that could ensure the human dimensions to the Dana Air crash never occurred. When the accident report is released, we are sure to find cases of technical and management malfeasance.

Cutting corners on aircraft maintenance, insisting clear mechanical warnings of failure be ignored, taking to the air when the aircraft clearly had given signs of giving away will be few amongst many. It is important that the usual condemnation give way to prosecution this time around. Cases of murder, manslaughter – voluntary or involuntary must be brought against anyone involved. This will ensure that next, where the choice is between losing your job and going to jail for life, the staff of airline operators in Nigeria would have learned the lessons of this air crash incidence and err on the side of being a whistleblower. Whistleblower funds should also be explored, to enable folks working inside this airlines give early warning signs to regulators about the management errors that brings this tragedy at regular intervals on our nation. Last but not the least; the government must be commended for immediately withdrawing the license of Dana Airlines. That is good enough deterrence for other airline operators; fly a plane that crash at the risk of being put out of business completely and immediately. We must go further though than these knee jerk reactions though, and ensure complete investigation and appropriate actions to prevent further loss of lives in our airline industry. God bless Nigeria and comfort the families of those whose lives were lost.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Between Governor Peter Obi and el-Rufai: Who is insulting Nd’Igbo? By Jon Chikadibie Okafo

ecently, Mallam Nasiri El Rufai published an essay in which he analysed the budget of the government of Anambra state under Governor Peter Obi. In the said article, El Rufai objectively studied the budget, made some observations; some complimentary and some, most brilliantly, uncomplementary. Most importantly, El Rufai lamented that for some time now, Anambra state which is home to the most enterprising Igbo men and women have relapsed into an uninspiring rural state. He shared his reasons. Not so surprisingly, Mr Peter Obi and his yes Sayers choose to rubbish the good intentions of El Rufai. The Governor personally exhibited the worst type of clannish worldview by proclaiming with so much distaste that El Rufia by judging his budget objectively has insulted Nd’Igbo. This is rather too sad coming from the Governor of Anambra state. By Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

o say that Nigeria is a 419 republic would be an understatement. Practically everywhere you look there is a scam. Whether in the government, the private sector and nowadays even in the once hallowed churches, there is an ongoing scam every second of the day. In the last few weeks alone, we have been regaled with a pension scam, the oil subsidy scam and the Farouk Lawan scam. To make matters worse, scamming has progressed to the trillion naira era. But of all these heinous scams, the most sinister that should bother every right thinking person is the descent of the church and other religious organisations into barefaced fraud. Scamming people in the name of God is the most vile, unconscionable and despicable crime that can ever be committed and serves as a pointer that the larger Nigerian society is fast becoming the biblical “Sodom and Gomorrah” which ended up in total destruction. Nigeria has more churches than any other country on the planet. In practically every street there is a church. They sing, they preach and, most importantly, they extort their church members who pay generously in the hope of getting a better life. The first sign of the fraudulent nature of Nigeria’s churches is the corruption, deceit, greed, lack of charity, lack of humility, hatred, bigotry and vices that pervade a society in which you can find a church in every street. Because the churches exist only for the purpose of extortion, none of the

Also, some of the media aides sagacious Hon Chukwudi Ofodile education sector. I agree with to Governor Obi rushed to town (Awollo Awka) have come out to this mind frame. All over the state, public with the wicked insinuation that deny that they felt insulted by school buildings have collapsed. since El Rufia demolished many El Rufai’s submission. ILLEGAL structures owned by Citing many erudite scholars A recent documentary aired by Igbo entrepreneurs during his and business moguls of Anambra Silverbird TV, Awka buttressed time as the Minister of FCT, he origin, El Rufai observed that the this situation most perfectly. should not be seen to be speaking budget under discussion did not Pupils study under very wicked conditions; a b o u t r o o f l e s s a n y t h i n g classrooms, Nd’Igbo. Both windowless the Governor Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text buildings, lack of and his toilet facilities, otimkpus messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written no electricity to therefore contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 power the l a b e l l e d words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and c o m p u t e rs Mallam Nasir a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed donated by the El Rufai a to: s t a t e hater of Igbos. government, W e l l , The Editor, lack of teachers nothing else Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, etc. The could be more 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. condition of all i m m o r a l , Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com the schools in petty and the Awka unethical SMS: 07037756364 metropolis will t h a n make a stone to attempting to rubbish a man for daring to hold make adequate provision for the weep! Boys’ High School, a different opinion. I read this improvement of education in the Amawbia and Kenneth Dike article over and over again and I state. He rightly reasoned that Memorial Secondary/Primary am still searching for that place public schools in Anambra state School, Awka appear to be the in it where El Rufai insulted me will continue to decay if the worst hit. While innocent and hapless as an Igbo person. Many others, government continues to including the brilliant and allocate meager funds to the children of Anambra state

WRITE TO US

public schools continue to huddle together on bare floors in roofless “classrooms”, the government of Mr Peter Obi has the cheek to insult a man for daring to say the truth. Shylock private schools are the ones providing what could be likened to decent education in Anambra, while the state government struts about with cheap lies, obscene propaganda and ugly billboards proclaiming that Governor Obi has “rebuilt all the schools in the state”. Furthermore, Mr El Rufai moaned passionately that the security situation in Anambra state is responsible for the lack of home-bound investments by many wealthy individuals from the state. He cited the spate of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state. Well, the government of Anambra state under Peter Obi felt insulted by this candid observation. In reaction, El Rufai continues to be labelled an alarmist by this same government. His crime remains that he said it the way it is. Kidnappers and dare-devil/dareContinued on page 15

The local and global franchising of 419 Nigerian churches values of honesty, love, charity or modesty ordinarily associated with the church can be found in the larger society. In other parts of the world, churches preach and practice love, charity and other general values which are immediately noticeable in those societies from the leadership to the common man. Churches also engage in extensive charity not only locally but internationally, using some of the donations they get from church members to feed the poor, build free or subsidised hospitals and schools for the under-privileged, build feeding centres, hostels and houses for the poor and homeless, provide quick relief for disaster victims, give grants to students amongst others. Indeed, the church historically started the payment of social welfare benefits to the poor and unemployed in the United Kingdom sometime in the 19th century before the government took over that function in later years. In other climes, churches also act as social critics, criticising the government and fighting for social justice. It is on record that the church led the struggle for the abolition of the slave trade; they also led the civil rights movement in America and campaigned vigorously for the cancellation of the debt of poor countries amongst others. Nigerian churches are exactly the opposite of churches

elsewhere. In Nigeria, churches become or aspire to become megabucks 419 businesses. The pastors are millionairesbillionaires and many of them ride on private jets, all from the money duped from vulnerable citizens. Some pastors even have more fleets of jets than the presidency. They build the most expensive schools and hospitals and run them as elitist business institutions that most of their church members cannot afford. They build housing estates for the super-rich. They wine, dine and collect contracts from monumentally corrupt, evil, wicked, unconscionable, sadistic, psychopathic and satanic Nigerian leaders who preside over the pauperization, oppression, dehumanization and genocide of their own citizens. Unlike churches elsewhere

that used social criticisms to free their suffering masses and bring change in their respective nations, Nigerian churches are in bed with the very destroyers of the nation. They never criticise nor stand in opposition to the government, rather they play along and partake in the corruption that has crippled the nation and impoverished the masses. In spite of Nigeria recording the highest levels of poverty in the world and in spite of the billions the churches make, they provide neither charity nor aid to the poor masses. They build neither hospitals nor schools for the poor. Like every fraud, the ultimate aim of these churches is not to help the poor, propagate love and charity, nor to practice what they preach but to use deceit to dupe the hapless citizenry and

“

Nigeria has more churches than any other country on the planet. In practically every street there is a church. They sing, they preach and, most importantly, they extort their church members who pay generously in the hope of getting a better life

profit themselves at the expense of the poor masses and wretched of the earth. Once they make the money, true to type they join the oppressors, wearing the most expensive robes, suits and jewellery, flaunting flashy cars, flying private jets when even the Pope owns no jet and living in vast opulent mansions reeking of luxury while their church members and the larger society throng the streets in abject poverty. The 419 Pentecostal church businesses have now become so profitable that it has become a franchise locally and globally. All kinds of shady characters are given licenses to operate and extort the gullible public and pay remittances to the head office. Across every street in Nigeria and across the world, in the UK, USA, CANADA, Ireland amongst others, these franchises are popping up increasingly, manned by fraudsters. They engage in the usual hullabaloo and make a handsome living from the proceeds of the scam while paying remittances to the head office. It is now time to callout these fraudulent churches and serve them notice. Thankfully, the awareness is growing. It is either they reform and practice religion the way it should be practiced or face attacks and be run out of town! Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu can be reached at Email: lawrencenwobu@yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

By Muhammad Ajah

ne is not only worried about the insecurity situation in the country, but more worried of the dimensions the situation is being handled by different ethnoreligious groups. On Tuesday, June 12, 2012, the Sun Newspaper carried a serious warning story from the South East Zonal wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). In that story, Christians in the Southeast have threatened to attack mosques and palaces of Islamic leaders in the South East in retaliation of incessant bombings on Christians and churches in the north by Boko Haram. It is clear that the Christians have resolved to show solidarity to their brethren in the north who are under attacks by Boko Haram, by nursing the idea of reprisal attacks on Igbo Muslims and their worship places. A word is enough for the wise. CAN Chairman and Bishop of Enugu Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, in the report warned that Christian leaders might begin retaliation on the mosques and also emir palaces of northern Muslims in the South East, even while lamenting that attacks on Christians in the north every Sunday has become a weekly ritual. Part of his words: “We cannot fold our arms and allow our churches and worshippers to be maimed for no just cause. This act of bombing by this Boko Haram is capable of causing another civil war because the Biafran war was not as severe as this and there was war against Biafra. We are, therefore, warning that this is capable of causing another civil war and we are ready for it. For me as the Southeast CAN chairman, I’m Continued from page 13

on the brink of exposing the evildoers, “a few unscrupulous civil servants” thwarted him and, by implication, the president as well. Mark his words: “a few unscrupoulous civil servants.” Who are these civil servants more powerful than a minister and the president? The answer is simple: none other the minister himself and the president Fani-Kayode has thus

PAGE 15

South East CAN threats over Boko Haram ready to lead people with Ogbunigwe (the Biafran bomb used during the civil war); this Ogbunigwe will be more severe than the Boko Haram bombs. And we want to warn them that they know that they are building mosques in the south and have Moslem communities in the south which we have been sparing, but if they don’t stop, we shall begin retaliation and that will be the beginning of another civil war in Nigeria.” Continuing, “We in the southern part of Nigeria, particularly Southeast, have seen civil war and I have said this so many times, we are not afraid of war anymore; and we are ready, therefore, to go to war to defend our Christian brethrens in the north and we are saying enough is enough because it is obvious now that Boko Haram is out to deal with Christians and Christians will not keep quiet anymore.” I have maintained, like many patriots, that Nigeria is a secular state with Islam and Christianity merely dominating the religious sphere of the country. Other minority religious groups including free thinkers are in existence in Nigeria. So, it is definitely a wishful thinking that threats, killings and bombings by any tiny group can break up Nigeria. Religious freedom, freedom of association and democratic liberties are enshrined in the nation’s constitution. The task on all our shoulders as Nigerians is to

continue to assist the Federal and State governments to change our collective fortunes to the better in a peaceful and developmentdriven environment. But to be frank, since the Boko Haram insurgency began, many Nigerians and international observers have expressed different views over it. Some have viewed it as a western design to destroy Nigeria. Some say the group emerged as a result of poverty and prolonged years of underdevelopment in the north. A group believes that Boko Haram is a product of the northern political establishment set it up to fight President Goodluck Jonathan who is a Christian from the south. A fourth group says that Boko Haram started as a tool for the political establishment in the Northeast that was later abandoned as the militants of the Niger Delta. Another group even interweaves Boko Haram into a perceived religious string of bigotry, extremism and intolerance in the north and link the group to al-Qaeda. There are those who claim that Boko Haram’s anger was sparked by the extra-judicial killing of its members and especially its leader in 2009. A group also believes that Boko Haram started as a non-violent Islamic group whose aims were for an Islamic state and proper implementation of Sharia, which they peacefully preached and propagated only in their mosques

and schools. However, it is pertinent to appeal to our Christian patriots and organizations to restrain from inflammatory and incisive comments and warnings over this menace that has brought no good to any religion or ethnic group in Nigeria. Last time, it was CAN president issuing a last warning to the federal government. Now it is from South East CAN chairman who has explicitly identified his targets. They should continue to assist the federal government in finding unbiased lasting solutions to the Boko Haram menace. They can work hand in hand with their counterpart Islamic groups like Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Jama’atu Nasril-Islam (JNI), among others which have proffered solutions to the peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria. In his reaction to Boko Haram, the Secretary General of NSCIA, Dr. Abdullateef Adegbite believes that corruption fuels rebellion, so government should be more combative in its war against corruption without sparing any political office holder or corrupt citizen. Reacting to the attacks on churches, the Secretary General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu frowned at the act which he condemned as sordid and dastardly, and called on the Plateau State Government to live

above board and to forestall any reprisal attacks on innocent citizens. Recently, The Muslim Congress (TMC) in a paper to Odua Muslim-Christian Youth Dialogue Group (OMC-YDG), through its Amir Luqman Abdurraheem, called on Nigerians and especially the Muslims to distance themselves from proponents of war and to refrain from violence. He enlisted the Muslim Ummah, Christian communities, civil societies and ethnic militia to embrace peace decorum in their comments and utterances at this critical period of the nation’s life. He corroborated the common view that the bombings in Nigeria today is fuelled by poverty, unemployment, bad governance, moral and economic corruption, frustration and political maneuvering of selfish elites, not Islam or Christianity. One suggestion that could end this is the screening of worshippers as done for Muslims at their national worship places by even non-Muslim security personnel. Also, the government should muster the political will to expose, rebuke and prosecute any Nigerian identified to have a hand in these inhuman activities under whatever name. Muhammad Ajah is a writer, author, advocate of humanity and good governance based in Abuja. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk

Fani-Kayode’s funny attempt... confessed to a heinous crime. We may never know the true extent of the crimes in the aviation sector that he and his predecessors as well successors are hiding from us; crimes that prompted America’s transport safety board to recommend criminal investigation. After all,

a plot hatched in hell can’t have angels as witnesses. It may be that those few unscrupulous but all-powerful civil servants have a lot to gain by plucking planes from our skies at will—perhaps so that they might enrich themselves through insurance pay-outs. But one thing is certain:

the evil that Fani-Kayode saw when he was minister continues till today. Yet in choosing to conceal the criminal acts of a few unscrupulous civil servants, thereby leaving them to stalk our skies and cause us immeasurable grief every so often, Fani-Kayode has the blood

skipper-for the six years he has been in office. Awka remains a rural state capital; the only notable development in this town remains the cluster of hotels, beer parlour/isi ewu joints (let no clown tell me about CBN, Mr Biggs, and Federal High Court). Can anyone tell me of any notable landmark in Awka, the capital of Anambra state, Onitsha, the commercial hub of our state and in Nnewi, our centre of homegrown technology? It is really absurd the thought-process of some of our “leaders”. I feel a great sense of embarrassment, shock and wonderment at the logic of the

Governor of Anambra state; the Governor is talking of “encouraging ndi Anambra to come and invest at home” while building the biggest shopping mall in Abuja. Would the heavens collapse if the shopping mall, situated opposite the Federal Ministry of Transport, Business District Abuja, was built in Awka? Anyway, a man’s true character and worth should be judged by the way he responds to criticisms. A man who expects to be courted only by court-jesters, hungry charlatans and favourseekers without any morality should be reminded that in a

democracy, human beings have the right to question those in authority. This is why majority of ndi Anambra are whining loudly that Mr Peter has remained an unpleasant surprise to them. For a man that enjoyed so much goodwill at the onset (many thanks to the Catholic Church) to suddenly be at the receiving end of scorn, apathy and ridicule, speaks volumes. It is only Governor Peter Obi that continues to see his “achievements” while the rest of the state waits patiently for his tenure to end, determined that “never again will we allow

of the victims of all the air crashes since he was minister in his own hands. This is the true interpretation of the testimony of he has given with his own mouth. His so-called blueprint for re-inventing our aviation industry is nothing more than a sham and a recipe for disaster.

Between Gov Peter Obi and el-Rufai... Continued from page 14

police armed robbers have driven away many investors and would-be industrialists from the state. The government of Anambra state should be reminded that gone are the days when it was permissible for the government to lie about unverifiable “achievements”; those were days when information dissemination was still archaic and slow. To the glory of God and science, those days are gone for good. The three major towns (they are not cities) of Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi have suffered so much neglect under Obi as the

our state to be governed by a fellow who stuffs his pockets, lies to us and continues to bore us with so much saved money in the bank which translates to zero development”. So, who is insulting Nd’Igbo between Mallam Nasir El Rufa,i who made beautiful contributions about how our state could be made better and Governor Peter Obi who trivialises serious issues by resorting to stoking the nasty embers of ethnicity, bigotry and immoral politics? Jon Chikadibie Okafo is reachable at johnteddyus@yahoo.com

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Court orders FCDA to halt demolition exercise in Kpaduma By Adeola Tukuru

Federal High Court at Apo in Abuja has granted an interlocutory injunction to Kpaduma Community, retraining the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), from demolishing residence and farmlands of indigenes of the community, pending the determination of the matter in

court. Counsel to Kpaduma Community, Barr. Nughu Mila, told newsmen after acquiring the interlocutory injunction, that the injunction will put a stop to the endless threat of demolition in the community, saying that he appreciated the fact that when he moved a motion for an interlocutory injunction the presiding Judge, Justice A. B. Mohammed granted the

community without objection. “So, in view of the imminent threats of demolishing the houses and destroying the farmlands of the indigenes of Kpaduma community, we argued before the Judge that there may be danger, if he does not issue an interlocutory injunction retraining the defendants from taking contrary actions against the indigenes of the community pending the determination of the

case in court. “What I suspect, is that I do not think the FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed is aware of what is going on. If he is aware, he should know that this people are not against the development of FCT, and they are not against resettlement, but rather they are asking for the proper thing to be done, that they should be properly resettled, rather than just forcing them out of their

homeland, while non-indigenes enter to build in their houses in their land, while they are still living there,” he said. Continuing, he added: “But thank God that FCDA has agreed to settle with Kpaduma community on proper ways of negotiation, because the federal government has to decided if they will be resettled and compensated, but if they fail to do that, the case will continue in court and the court will then be the last option to decided if the indigenes should be resettled and compensated,” he said. Councillor representing Garki Ward in Abuja Municipal Area Council(AMAC), Hon. Bala Iya, who is one of the plaintiff, commended the judiciary for defending their course and called on the Federal Government, the FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed and the members of the National Assembly to quickly act on what he described as injustice against the community before it gets out of hands. The case was adjourn to July 21, 2012 for further hearing.

Man, 33, caught with stolen cheque leaf A middle aged woman grinding grains to make ends meet, yesterday in Utako village, Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Pastor in court for enticing married woman

he Gwagwalada Police Area Command yesterday arraigned a 30year-old pastor, Joseph Nnaemeka for allegedly enticing a married woman, Mrs Ngozi Orji. Nnameka, a pastor with Christ Our Banner Ministries, Gwagwalada and oneOrji were arraigned before an Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada on a three count charge of conspiracy, theft

and enticement. The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Modupe Musa told the court that the duo were arraigned following complaint lodged at the police station in Gwagwalada by the woman’s husband, Mr Joel Aluku. The prosecution said Aluku had in 2008 stopped Nnaemeka from coming to his house to offer prayers to his wife. He added that in April 2009,

the pastor conspired to cart away Aluku’s property worth N3.2 million from the house to unknown destination. According to the prosecutor, the accused perpetrated the act when Aluku travelled to Enugu and that the case had been before the police since 2008. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and prayed the court to grant them bail through their

counsel, Mr Edet Ibok. The presiding Judge, Alhaji Babangida Hassan admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety in like sum. Hassan said the surety must be a civil servant on Grade Level 7 and residing within the jurisdiction of the court. He adjourned the case till July 25, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

PHCN vows to install adequate free prepaid metres By Adeola Tukuru

he Business Unit of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Gwagwalada has assured adequate free prepaid metres for every consumers in the unit. The Manager of the Gwagwalada Business Unit, Mr Aminu Bello in an interview,explained that the supply and installation of

prepared metre for consumers in the unit were free had cautioned against any form of payment for the services. He had expressed dissatisfaction over complaints of extortion of consumers by the contractors handling the project adding that the project was World Bank sponsored. “I have said it time without number that the project which entails free supply and

installation of prepaid metres in the unit is World Bank sponsored. “It is being run by a special unit in PHCN, Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) and the truth about the project is that the people installing the prepaid meters are contractors and not PHCN staff. “I encourage consumers not to panic about getting the metres because such panic could result

to offering money to a contractor who will be paid at the end of the project," he said. He said information available to the unit from PMU showed that more metres were still expected in the unit saying that there was no need for panic. Bello also cautioned PHCN staff especially marketers against any form of connival with contractors to extort or intimidate consumers.

he Police has arraigned one Akataka Martins, 33, of number 23, Shogunle, Surulere, Lagos, before an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court for being in possession of stolen cheque leaf. Police Prosecutor, Abdullahi Adamu, told the court that one Olumide Fadogun of Ecobank PLC, Wuse Zone 4, reported the case at Wuse Police Station, Abuja, on June 8, 2012. Adamu said the accused went to Ecobank with stolen cheque leaf number 00000129 dated June 6, 2012, with the intention to withdraw N2.5 million written on it. The prosecutor said that the accused was caught while trying to withdraw the money. The accused pleaded not guilty and the Chief Magistrate, Azubuike Okeagwu, granted him bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum. Okeagwu said the sureties must be responsible Nigerians and resident within the jurisdiction of the court. He adjourned the case to July 9, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Residents bemoan constant robbery attacks A

Kitchen Assistant accused of stealing food items

•••As robbers shoot two in Kubwa, cart away cash, property

here was pandemonium at Pipeline Extension in Kubwa, in the early hours of Saturday, when armed robbers invaded the area, shot two security men before carting away unspecified sum of money and other valuables. An eye witness, Mrs Blessing James, who wAas also a victim of the attack, told Peoples Daily that about 1.00am on Saturday morning, she heard a loud bang and when she peeped through the window, behold 10 young men were attempting to remove the burglary of her landlord. Continuing, she said that the robbers eventually, succeeded in removing the burglary proof and forced their way into the landlord’s house. “We could hear the robbers ordering the landlord to bring out money, or they will kill him and he gave them the money and valuables he had,” she said. According to her, after this, the robbers started going from houses to houses until they got to her own house. Another victim popularly

A house burgled by armed robbers in Kubwa, Abuja called Mummy Favour, said that the robbers used an Iron rod to break into their house and started demanding money and

One of the victims of the robbery incident popularly called Mummy favour. Photo: Adeola Tukuru

her jewelleries. “They took my husbands’ laptop, hard disks and money, they said if he doesn’t bring out all the money he had , that they will kill him, so we all started pleading with them until they left and went to our neighbours house. They also took away my jewelleries, money and properties which we all can’t estimate”, she explained. Our reporter gathered that it took the bold move by two security men in the area, who dared the robbers, to stop the operation which lasted for almost an hour. The security men were said to have confronted the robbers, who one of them in the arm and another on the head before fleeing the area. Many residents in the area condemned the constant

robbery incidence in the area, calling on the FCT police and other agencies to intervene in securing their lives and property. Peoples Daily gathered that this latest robbery incident came barely a week after a robbery gang went on a rampage in the area, terrorising residents. When contacted on the issue, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mr Adenrele Shinaba said his priority is to ensure that crime rates in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is reduced to the lowest level. He said that he has deployed his men to the FCT and suburbs to protect lives and property, adding that emergency numbers have been given to residents who are facing any form of distress to reach the police in the area.

Farmers get 50% subsidy on fertilizers, implements By Josephine Ella

mallholder farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are to enjoy 50 per cent subsidy on fertilizers and improved seeds of maize and rice, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide has disclosed. Akinjide, made this known at the flag-off of 2012 subsidized input distribution exercise under the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) in Gwagwalada Area Council. She explained that this is a key initiative under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) aimed at revamping the agriculture sector, ensuring food security,

diversifying the economy, and enhancing foreign exchange earnings. She said the support of the Federal Government and the FCTA to smallholder farmers in the agriculture value chain would be driven by the private sector. “Good quality agro-inputs

will be made available through the certified private agro-dealers. The era of diversion of subsidized fertilizers by middlemen has gone for good. All the needs of our farmers are being addressed through the value-chain approach in the ATA of President Goodluck

Jonathan “The ultimate goal is to ensure that agriculture is practiced as lucrative commercial enterprise that is not only sustainable but also attractive to our youths and jobless men and women r o a m i n g t h e s t r e e t , ” she noted.

Scavenger held over theft of air-conditioner

n Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada has ordered that an 18-year-old scavenger, Usman Suleiman, be remanded in custody for theft of air-conditioner fitting materials valued at N500,000. Suleiman was accused of trespassing into the premises of the Gwagwalada Ultra Modern Town Hall, which is under

construction to steal the materials. The Police Prosecutor, Modupe Musa, told the court that the incident happened on June 13, 2012 and was reported to the Police Area Command, Gwagwalada, FCT by Mr Tony Chikelu, the Site Engineer. The accused pleaded guilty

to the charges of trespass and theft brought against him by the police. He, however, added that the value of the materials was less than the N500,000 as claimed. The Judge, Alhaji Babangida Hassan, therefore, ordered that the accused be remanded in custody, and adjourned the case till July 25, 2012 for hearing.

26-year-old Kitchen Assistant working with an eatery, Calabar Kitchen in Garki, Abuja has appeared before an Upper Area Court at Karu, FCT, charged with stealing some food items. The Police Prosecutor, Mr Mohammed Garuba, told the court that one Luke Shaibu of the same address with the accused, James Ogar, reported the case to the police on June 14, 2012. Garuba said that the accused was caught with a bag containing five measures of rice, 25 onions, five stock fish heads, a packet of maggi and some wraps of Fofo valued at N4, 150, which he was trying to take away. According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes Section 289 of the Penal Code. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Judge, Umar Kagarko, granted him bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to August 15, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

NGO holds entrepreneurship workshop to mark Widows Day By Omotosho Dare

nongovernmental organization (NGO), Gathering of the Eagles Ministry (GEM), which focuses on promoting the wellbeing of widows in Nigeria, has announced a three day program aimed at empowering windows in Nigeria. The programme slated for Thursday, 21st to 23rd of June, at Apo in Abuja, will feature entrepreneurship and empowerment summit and expert on entrepreneurship is billed to speak on theme: “Money at your finger tips”. Speaking in Abuja over the weekend, at an occasion to announce the programme GEM President Ishola Folusho Emmanuel said the lecture is geared towards motivating widows to make use of the knowledge they have acquired to earn a living for themselves so that their misery did not hinder their skills. He said on day two which is Friday, there shall be a medical team raised to tackle many medical challenges confronting widows and the less privileges of the society. Folusho urged well-meaning Nigerians to support widows by showing love, support and care and urge government to collaborate with GEM to uplift the plight of the widows in the society. The GEM President lamented travails widows go through especially in getting the benefits of their deceased husband.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

PAGE 17

You can't cheat nature. Two wheelbarrow pushers taking nap, at Garki Market, in Abuja.

Young men selling wears, along a major road in Utako, Abuja. Two Almajiri children playing, at Dei-Dei, in Abuja.

Two taxi drivers with torn clothes after settling their difference with fist, at the weekend in Garki, Abuja.

A young man pushing truck to eke out a living, at the weekend in Mabushi, Abuja. Photos: Mahmud Isa and Justin Imo-owo

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Shell delivers 10GWh electricity into national grid

Mob: 08033644990

Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Headquarters

Aliko Dangote returns as NSE President C

hairman, Dangote Group of companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, will from today take over as the President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), following the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Lagos last Friday upholding his three appeals against cases that led to the nullification of his election as president of the exchange. Dangote was elected the 17th president of the NSE in August 2009 based on a unanimous acclamation by the council members immediately after the conclusion of its 48th annual general meeting (AGM). However, Dangote’s election was nullified by the Federal High Court in Lagos in March 2010 following the application made to the court by some shareholders of African Petroleum Plc (now Forte Oil Plc), who had sued him, Nova Finance and Securities Limited, NSE and others, over alleged manipulation of AP shares. But

Dangote challenged the suit and filed appeals which were upheld by the Appeal Court presided over by Justice Helen Ogunwumiju last Friday. Reacting to the judgement, Dangote said that he was very happy with the ruling, as it had vindicated his position all along that he should not have been removed as president of the stock exchange’s council. He said his first priority

CFA • £ RIYAL $

18th June, 2012 BUYING 0.2784 195.4993 242.3875 41.3001 154.9

SELLING 0.2984 196.7614 243.9523 41.5667 155.9

PARALLEL RATES • £ RIYAL $

BUYING 210 250 40 156

SELLING 212 252 42 158

be meeting the SEC appointees on the council of the stock exchange on Tuesday (today) and taking over that day,” he said. Dangote added that a new council for the stock exchange with him as its president would be reconstituted next week and that the slots allotted to stockbroker members on the council would be increased from four to six.

With the reinstatement of Dangote, he will take over from Mallam Ballama Manu, who has been the interim president of the council since August 5, 2010 when SEC intervened in the running of exchange. Prior to his election in 2009, Dangote was the council’s first vice-president. He joined the council in February 2008, as the chairman, Kaduna/Kano/ Yola Zonal Council.

Cameroon okays N17.94bn Dangote plant

onstruction of Dangote’s $115 million (about N17.94bn) new plant in the Cameroonian economic hub of Douala has restarted after land dispute was resolved, local officials said on Monday. Work on the 1.5 million tonnes-a-year plant began last September and was due to last 18 months. But it was halted earlier this year after the ethnic Sawa people filed an

injunction against the project, complaining it violated their sacred site on the banks of the Wouri River.

“Following instructions from the Presidency of the Republic, work has resumed at the Dangote cement factory,”

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said itplans to raise 100.62 billion naira

($616.60 million)worth of 91day and 182-day Treasury bills at its regular bi-monthly debt auction on Wednesday,.

When you don’t know what to do, act

ost people prepare for the future by predicting what will happen and then acting accordingly. But what do you do when the unexpected happens — you get laid off, your project is killed, a new competitor upends your industry? In the face of uncertainty, you need to act

the governor of the Littoral Region under which Douala falls, Joseph Beti Assomo told local state radio. (Reuters)

CBN to issue N100bn treasury bills

Management Tip of the Day

EXCHANGE RATES

CBN

would be to continue with the reforms started by the present NSE director-general, Oscar Onyema, improve governance and transparency, and restore confidence in the market. “You know the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had been running the NSE like it was an agency of government. But the stock exchange is a private exchange limited by guaranty. So, I will

immediately. Start by identifying what you want. Then take a smart step toward that goal as quickly as you can, using what you know, who you know, and any other information that’s available. After you act, ask: Did those

actions get you closer to your goal? Do you need additional resources to draw even closer? Do you still want to obtain your objective? Pay close attention and you’ll learn something. Then it’s time to act again. Source: Harvard Business Review

The bank said it will issue 37.49 billion naira in 91-day paper and 63.13 billion worth in 182-day bills on Wednesday. The CBN issues treasury bills regularly to reduce money supply, curb inflation and help lenders manage their liquidity. Yields on the short-dated Nigeria’s debt have continued to rise in the last three auction sessions due to concerns on rising inflation and the exiting of offshore investors from the local debt market. (Reuters)

PEOPLES DAILY,TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS

Shoprite opens in Abuja

n continuance of its aim to enhance its presence in Nigeria, Shoprite, the leading supermarket in Africa, has concluded plans to open a shopping mall at the federal capital territory, Abuja on June 21, 2012.

C & I Leasing to acquire additional 28% of Leasafric Ghana

Pollution - Reps advises shutting of Warri Refinery By Muhammad Nasir

he House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum, Downstream, has advised the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to shut down the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), due to the dangerous emission of carbon black soot on the environment. The Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum, Downstream, Hon. Dakuku Peterside made the call in a statement after a meeting with stakeholders over the lingering crisis between the refinery and

the Ekpan community. The call followed a petition written to the committee, entitled, “A Save Our Soul Appeal” written by Ajomata/ Awhakpor Landlords Association of Ekpan, dated May 24. In the petition to the committee were urged to sanction NNPC over the life-threatening carbon black soot being emitted into their environment. According to the landlords, “This appeal was necessitated by the reckless emissions of dangerous carbon black soot/ chemicals into our environment on a daily basis without due care and keeping to international best

practices. “Our continuous appeals in writing and physical visitation to the management of the said company and their supervising Ministry of Petroleum over the years have been ignored, as they have never replied any of our letters nor stopped the lifethreatening nuisance that their emissions have become.” The landlords alleged that whenever the carbon black soot is released, within a few minutes, all persons, water, air, land, clothes and even pets and domestic animals in the Ajomata/Awhakpor area would be soaked in carbon black soot.

& I Leasing plc has signed an agreement with Auroes West Africa Fund to purchase additional 28 percent of Leasafric Ghana.

Arco’s sustained cost reduction programme lifts earnings

rco Petrochemical Engineering Company announced that it recorded a profit after tax of N397 million in the 2011 financial year, compared to N279.67 million for the year ended 31st December 2010; indicating an increase of 42 per cent, the board chairman, Joseph Akpieyi said at the weekend.

Quadrant wins African consultancy award in Brussels

he Quadrant Company (TQC) emerged as one of the winners of the 2012 Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation (SABRE) awards, in Brussels, Germany.

Exchange records N81 billion transactions in one week

ast week, transactions in the equities market ended on a positive note but inched down for two days following profit taking by investors.

U.S. set to extend strategic provision for AGOA

he United States of America (USA) has concluded plans to extend the Third-Country Fabric (TCF) under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is set to expire in September 2012.

L-R: Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, Commissioner, Market Competition and Rates, Mr. Eyo Ekpo, and General Manager, Government and Consumer Affairs, Dr. Anthony Akah, during a media briefing on new electricity tariff regime, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

According to them, people could hardly stay outside their homes for 10 minutes without getting their clothes soaked with carbon black soot. They also claimed their children were the most affected as they are always in and out of hospital for sundry ailments such as respiratory infections, heart diseases and asthma attacks. They recalled that in 2006, fishes in the pond of one Sir Elijah Atomatofa all died from pollution from the carbon black soot, adding that many of the indigenes were forced to relocate from the locality thereafter. After a comprehensive meeting with all the relevant stakeholders which included the people of Ajomata/Awhakpor community; NNPC; the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR; Ministry of the Environment; National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Enforcement Agency, NESREA; the Environmental Rights Action, ERA, and the committee leaders, the lawmakers called for the suspension of operations at the plant. Speaking on behalf of members, Peterside, called on the NNPC to shut down the plant as a matter of urgency. According to him, WRPC will further be endangering human life if it continues any form of production. Peterside also condemned the obvious lack of cooperation among government agencies, which played out in the course of the meeting, and warned that nobody including NNPC is above the law.

Shell delivers 10GWh electricity into national grid By Muhammad Nasir

hell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at the weekend said it’s Afam VI Combined Cycle Power Plant in Rivers State delivered some 10 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity into the national grid in May this year. Shell’s Corporate Affairs Manager of the multinational oil

company, Tony Okonedo, said in a statement that the plant has contributed to providing four years worth of 24-hour power supply to about 760,000 residential consumers or 63,000 medium-sized commercial enterprises. The Afam V1 power plant was built by Shell Petroleum Ltd Joint Venture and achieved first power in August 2008 about three years after the contract was

awarded. Managing Director of the company, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, said the Afam V1 power plant was an evidence of Shell’s strong support for the Federal Government’s power agenda. “Since 2008, the plant has continued to impact positively on power generation in the country and we’re looking forward to more years of sustained performance.”

Located at Okoloma village in Oyigbo Local Government Area, the plant has an installed capacity of 650MW and consists of three gas turbines each rated at 150MW, and 1 steam turbine rated at 200MW. The gas turbines were fully commissioned in July 2009, while the steam turbine came on stream in December 2010. The plant receives gas from SPDC’s gas plant also at Okoloma.

Solar power generation project on the way By Muhammad Sada

FC Infra Ventures, a member of the World Bank Group, and Scatec Solar, a Norwegian company specialiSing in photovoltaic solar systems, have signed an agreement to develop solar power projects that will supply renewable energy to address electricity needs in parts of West and Central Africa. IFC Infra Ventures, the Global Infrastructure Project Development Fund, and Scatec Solar will develop, design, finance, construct and operate solar photovoltaic plants generating at least 10 megawatts of power. They plan to build a portfolio of projects in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger,

and Togo. This is the first time a multilateral financial institution is partnering with a private company to develop solar power energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. The agreement will enable IFC Infra Ventures and Scatec Solar to collaborate and benefit from each other’s expertise, leveraging the world-class technical expertise of Scatec Solar and the local knowledge, networks, and funding capacity of the World Bank Group. Raymond Carlsen, Chief Executive Officer of Scatec Solar, said, “Joining forces with IFC Infra Ventures allows us to combine Scatec Solar’s know-how in photovoltaic development, installation and operations with

IFC’s expertise in financing and working with governments in a region where limited supply of electricity is one of the major challenges for growth. We believe that this partnership will be of great value to the countries we work in by reducing the time required from project development to power generation.” IFC’s Director for Infrastructure in Africa and Latin America, Bernie Sheahan said, “Solar power generation has great potential, but has had limited traction in Africa because of the lack of technical expertise and funding. Scatec Solar brings solid know-how in solar energy and a strong commitment to Africa that make it an ideal

partner for IFC to stimulate private sector investments in renewable energy.” Africa has the fastest economic growth of any region, globally, with a rapidly increasing demand for electrical power. However, the lack of infrastructure in many areas has left people with few alternatives to relatively expensive and environmentally unfriendly diesel- and oil-based generation. Given the favorable conditions, solar power is considered a better alternative to thermal generation in Africa. Furthermore, solar power is wellsuited to rural electrification as it can be installed quickly, without requiring transmission lines to deliver it to consumers.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

PAGE 31

Greece results bring relief but no remedy

Greece's centre-right New Democracy party won the largest share of the vote in elections on June 17 [AFP]

ANALYSIS

thens, Greece - The conservative victory in Greece's June 17 elections is a signal that the country still wants to remain within the eurozone and on negotiating terms with its European partners. New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras called for "a government of national salvation" and said, "the Greek people have today voted for Greece's European course and its remaining within the euro". The 50-seat bonus in parliament that goes to the top party also helps New Democracy in practical terms. It could, in theory, form a strong Europeanist coalition with the other parties that support upholding Greece's loan agreements, the socialist Pasok and the moderate Democratic Left. Together they could wield a formidable 179 seats in the 300-seat legislature, effectively a two-thirds majority. This is a far cry from the May election, when Samaras and socialist Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos were unable to make the 151-seat minimum.The impossibility of forming a coalition across ideological lines led to Sunday's rematch. Powerful Syriza But the fresh-election has also created a powerful new anti-bailout opposition in the radical left Syriza, which took

27 per cent of the vote and came just three points behind New Democracy. Its leader, Alexis Tsipras, has rejected calls for a grand coalition. "From our position as a responsible and active opposition, we shall demand that the government make full use [of our interventions] for the benefit of the Greek people," he said. Syriza has done extremely well in the past two elections. It multiplied its share of the popular vote by a factor of six and turned its 13 seats into 71. These are historic achievements for the far left, whose combined share of the vote in the past four decades has never risen above 13 per cent. Tsipras will likely now occupy the anti-austerity pulpit Samaras once did when Pasok was in power. He vows that, unlike Samaras, he will stick to the guns of opposition to what he calls an "unholy alliance of the forces of the past", a reference to the socialist and conservative parties.

His promise should be taken seriously. The 17 per cent of the vote that Syriza received in the May election was enough to freeze a privatisation programme Greece's European creditors view as a major component of its bailout obligations. Privatisation promises to be a major battleground for another reason. Much of the support that has rallied behind Syriza consists of public-sector unions that used to champion Pasok. Privatisation amounts to layoffs and lower pensions and benefits, which they are determined to fight. Their arguments are material. Syriza provides an economic theory to complement them that Greece's state enterprises are not monopolies, but require investment to compete in what are open markets. To sell them is to display a singular lack of national pride. One ascribes to these arguments, the alliance between Syriza and the unions means that Syriza controls the

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

street, even if New Democracy manages to control parliament. The power of this should not be underestimated. It was weeks of protest marches in Syntagma Square that brought the government of George Papandreou to its knees in 2011, and, after four years of recession, Greece will face perhaps its most difficult winter yet. The fact that many households are now visibly struggling to feed and heat themselves highlights another area where Syriza can seriously erode the government - taxes. The socialists followed European instructions to raise consumer taxes, which punish the poor most. Heating oil and gas, which are heavily taxed, are now beyond the reach of so many that many apartment buildings run minimal central heating. This means that those who are struggling build up arrears of hundreds or even thousands of euros. They face similar problems keeping other utilities running, and many

have only managed to do so by negotiating a payment schedule of arrears they know they cannot keep to. Battle over budget As if these problems were not enough, the government will face a major battle passing its 2013 budget in October. Unless Greece's creditors offer a major extension of one or two years, Greece has to cut public spending by an estimated 11bn euros ($13.91bn) next year and the year after. Most of those cuts come from healthcare, already struggling to cope with more than 1bn euros ($1.27bn) in cuts this year, and the public payroll, which includes state enterprises. New Democracy's strategy is to shift emphasis to growth. According to its economic plan, every percentage point of GDP creates 45,000 jobs. That in turn bolsters state revenues, making everyone happy. But it would take a very competent government underpinned by a very efficient state to begin to reverse a projected five per cent drop in GDP this year, while staying on track to eliminate the deficit in 2014. Can New Democracy manage as well under the circumstances? Syriza has softened its position to accept the bailout loan in recognition of the fact that Greece simply has no alternative source of cheap finance other than the European Union. That is a significant retreat from its May 6 position, which was to look for alternative sources of financing in Russia and China, altering Greece's orientation and loyalties. This is perhaps the biggest point in New Democracy's favour. Just as Syriza holds the nuisance value of a Greek exit from the rest of Europe, New Democracy can wield the financial pipeline from Brussels as leverage over Syriza. First, though, New Democracy has to form a government. It must convince Pasok to abandon its insistence on a government of national consensus, which would include Syriza, and join its government of national salvation. Second, it must convince the Democratic Left, a Syriza breakaway, that it will not be politically diminished by joining a pro-bailout government without dragging the mother party along. If Samaras manages this over the next three days, he will have formed the broadest coalition that can be hoped for, and achieved a strategic first blow for political stability. Source: Aljazeera

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Egypt Islamists claim presidency as army tightens grip

A Sudan police disperse student protest with teargas

Sudanese riot police on Sunday used tear gas and batons to disperse a student protest in Khartoum against the government and high prices, witnesses said. uch protests are rare in Sudan but anger has been rising over high food prices and government plans to cut fuel subsidies to plug a ballooning deficit - a move that would hit the poor. Inflation is running at 30 percent. Around 200 students staged a protest at noon outside the main university campus in the centre of the capital shouting "The people want lower prices" and "The people want to overthrow the regime," witnesses said. Riot police fired tear gas and used batons when the crowd tried to spread out on the main street outside the campus, they said. Some students threw stones at the police. The police were not immediately available to comment.

Campaigning for landmark Libya election kicks off ampaigning for Libya's

first national election in a generation will kick off yesterday ahead of July 7 polls to choose an national assembly which will re-draw the autocratic system of rule put in place by ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi. In a statement on its website, Libya's electoral commission said candidates will have 18 days to campaign, from June 18 until July 5, with 2,501 independents and 1,206 political association candidates eligible to stand. Candidates are being fielded from 142 political associations, said the commission, in polls due to be held 18 days later than originally planned because of the logistical challenges in a country still recovering from last year's revolt.

n election committee source told Reuters that Islamist Mohamed Morsy, a U.S.-educated engineer, was comfortably ahead of former air force general Ahmed Shafik with most of the votes tallied. But the count, which would make him the first civilian leader in 60 years, had yet to be officially finalised. In any event, however, the new president will be subordinate for some time at least to the military council which last year pushed fellow officer Mubarak aside to appease street protests. In the latest twist on Egypt's tortuous path from revolution to democracy, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) issued a decree as two days of voting ended on Sunday which set strict limits on the powers of head of state. On the eve of the election, it had already dissolved the Islamist-led parliament. Liberal and Islamist opponents denounced a "military coup". "Military Transfers Power, to Military," ran the ironic headline in independent newspaper alMasry al-Youm. The Brotherhood, however, expressed its joy and defiance on the

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said on Monday its candidate won the country's first free presidential election, but a sweeping legal manoeuvre overnight by Cairo's military rulers made clear the generals planned to keep control for now. streets and may challenge moves by the generals that cast doubt on their pledge to hand over to civilian

rule by July 1 - a promise supported by Egypt's U.S. and European allies, despite their deep misgivings about

the rise of political Islam in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East.

How MTN allegedly bribed its way into Iran F

or a South African telecommunications company, it represented a unique chance to seize what its chief executive called "one of the most significant 'virgin' mobile opportunities in the world." But the location, he added in a memo marked "Strictly Confidential," was "no normal country." The country was Iran. The company, MTN Group, was widely seen as a post-apartheid success story. Now, seven years after MTN and its local partners won a lucrative licence to launch a new Iranian mobile-phone carrier, the deal is swirling in controversy and raising embarrassing questions

for South Africa at a time when the Western world is trying to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions. Turkcell, an Istanbul-based rival, in March filed a federal lawsuit in Washington alleging MTN bribed its way into Iran and stole the licence from under it. It is seeking at least $4.2 billion in damages. An elite South African police unit called the Hawks is investigating. MTN has denied the allegations and called Turkcell's demands "extortionate." MTN has appointed a prominent judge in London to conduct an internal probe of the allegations surrounding what

has become one of its most valuable holdings. In 2011, MTN generated $1.3 billion, or 9 percent of its annual revenue, from its Iran venture, the company reported. The core of the Turkcell case is the sworn testimony of Chris Kilowan, a former MTN executive who guided the company's bid to win the Iranian licence and has emerged as the key witness. He has turned over to Turkcell's attorneys some 7,000 pages of internal MTN documents related to "Project Snooker" - MTN's code name for its effort, named after a billiard game popular in Britain. "We said we are going to snooker Turkcell," Kilowan testified.

MTN, now Africa's largest mobile phone carrier, has called Kilowan "a disgruntled former employee" and has termed his allegations "outlandish." During three days of sworn testimony in Washington that concluded May 2, Kilowan presented an extraordinary tale of a multinational company so intent on winning a contract, it was willing to help Tehran obtain military hardware, sway South Africa's votes before the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency and pay bribes, sometimes in the guise of consulting fees. MTN has yet to give evidence in the case, which is continuing and may go on for years.

ECOWAS has Mali force troop pledge, still lacks backing

est African military chiefs have secured troop commitments from three nations for their planned Mali intervention force, despite the mission still lacking an invitation from authorities in Bamako and backing from the United Nations. Nigeria, Niger and Senegal will provide the core of a 3,270strong force whose mission would initially be bolstering Mali's fragmented army and stabilising political institutions, and then tackling the rebel-held north if talks

fail, officials said after military chiefs met in Ivory Coast. Mali plunged into crisis after a March coup ousted the president. Separatist and Islamist rebels took advantage of the instability to seize the northern two-thirds of the country, creating a void that regional countries say an outside force may have to fill. African leaders have warned of an "African Afghanistan" due to the presence of al Qaeda cells and foreign fighters but U.N. Security Council diplomats say the council is not yet ready to

agree the African Union's request to back military intervention. Weeks after West African regional bloc ECOWAS said the standby force was ready, General Soumaila Bakayoko, head of Ivory Coast's army, said some officers would travel to Mali to work out more detailed planning in the coming days. "The hope is that we will be welcomed as brothers in arms," he said late on Saturday, underscoring potential problems with Mali's military, which wants outside help to fight rebels but has reacted

angrily to ECOWAS criticism and sanctions impoased after its power grab. Diplomats say the U.N.'s reticence to swiftly back the force is due to the lack of a clear plan to tackle the crises in both the capital and the north. Mali's interim president has not returned since seeking medical treatment in Paris after he was beaten up by a mob that broke into his office. After security forces failed to precent the attack, some diplomats say President Dioncounda Traore is reluctant to return until a regional force is in place.

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Senior Yemeni soldier killed in suicide blast

he commander of Yemen's southern military region has been killed in a suicide attack in the port city of Aden, medics and officials say. General Salem Ali Qatan was killed near his home in the Mansoura neighbourhood of Aden on Monday, a medical official told

the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. "Four others were wounded in the suicide attack," the medic said. The medic said the attacker "handed Qatan a paper, shook his hand and then detonated himself" as the general was walking to his office.

Witnesses said the bomber was wearing an explosives belt. As the chief military commander in south Yemen, Qatan had led a month-long offensive against al-Qaeda, forcing the armed group to withdraw from several towns and villages in the Abyan and Shabwa

provinces which they had controlled since last year. The latest attack came as alQaeda fled from their last bastion in the town of Azzan in Shabwa. Since last week, al-Qaeda has withdrawn from three other strongholds in Abyan, including the capital Zinjibar, and the

Iran nuclear talks resume in Moscow

Taikonauts reach Chinese space station

he latest round of talks between Iran and world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme are under way in Moscow. The two-day meeting, which began on Monday, follows a bruising May session in Baghdad during which Iran nearly walked out of negotiations aimed ultimately at keeping it from joining the exclusive club of nations with atomic weapons. In Moscow, the six powers United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - are again expected to push Tehran to address their most pressing concern, its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent fissile purity. The consequences of failure could be devastating, amid fears that Israel could bomb Iran if no diplomatic solution is found, intensifying regional tensions and pushing oil prices higher. But after two rounds of negotiations in as many months, the sides are hardly any closer to reaching an agreement than before diplomacy resumed in April following a 15-month hiatus. "We are very much determined to pursue this process as long there is momentum to pursue, and as long as there is commitment (from Iran) to pursue the nuclear issue in substance," a senior European Union diplomat said. Experts and diplomats say chances of a breakthrough in Moscow that could end the decade-long standoff are slim. The six powers, led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, hope at least to win assurances that Tehran is willing to discuss concrete solutions, opening the way to further meetings. "Ashton is willing to stay in Moscow as long as it takes," the diplomat said. "But there is a time limit also ... We will have to say 'no' to talks for talks' sake."

towns of Jaar and Shuqra. Qatan was appointed in March just days after newly elected President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi took office and pledged to destroy al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the name given to the armed group's local Yemen branch.

Qatan's killing comes as al-Qaeda's Yemen arm flees from its last bastion in Shabwa province [AFP]

Iran's chief negotiator Saeed Jalili said Iran's right to enrich uranium should be 'recognised and respected' [Reuters]

Pro-bailout party set to lead Greek coalition

olitical parties supporting Greece's international bailout have begun work towards forging a government after an election victory over leftists staved off the prospect of the debtladen country leaving the euro and brought relief to global markets. Greek President Carolos Papoulias on Monday formally instructed Antonis Samaras, the leader of the conservative New Democracy party, to set about forming a coalition after its first place finish in Sunday's elections. "There is a categorical imperative to form the government," said Papoulias. "The country cannot remain ungoverned for even an hour." "There is no time to waste," Samaras earlier told reporters in

Athens as jubilant, chanting supporters waved blue party flags. "A national salvation government must bring economic growth and reassure Greeks the worst is over." With 99 per cent of ballots counted, New Democracy had won 29.7 per cent of the vote, ahead of Syriza on 27 per cent, though it needs the backing of the Socialist PASOK, for decades Greece's largest party, to form a government. A 50-seat bonus given to the party which comes first would give New Democracy and PASOK 162 seats in the 300-seat parliament, in an alliance broadly committed to the 130-billion-euros ($164bn) bailout. Relegated to third place in an earlier, inconclusive May 6 election, PASOK has called for a

broad coalition including Syriza, but says the most important goal is to form a government and put an end to political uncertainty. PASOK officials told the Reuters news agency that party leaders would meet on Monday to decide whether to support Samaras by participating fully in government, or by voting with the coalition in parliament. The new government might receive a helping hand from its eurozone peers with Germany's foreign minister suggesting Athens might get more time to implement the cuts demanded of it. But most economists say even that would leave Greece, into a fifth year of deep recession, facing a programme it cannot hope to deliver on.

Chinese spacecraft has carried out a manned docking with an experimental space module, the latest milestone in the country's ambitious effort to build a space station. The Shenzhou-9 and its three-person crew, which includes China's first woman in space, linked with the Tiangong-1 module on Monday in a manoeuvre carried live by state television. Two of the taikonauts then successfully entered the module; the first time China has been able to transfer crew between two orbiting craft. During the 13-day mission, the taikonauts will work and sleep aboard Tiangong-1, a trial module that includes an exercise bike and a video telephone booth, according to media. Rendezvous and docking exercises between the two vessels are an important hurdle in China's efforts to acquire the technological and logistical skills to run a full space lab that can house taikonauts for long periods of time. China is still far from catching up with the established space superpowers: the United States and Russia. The Tiangong-1 is a trial module, not the building block of a space station. But the docking mission is the latest show of China's growing prowess in space and comes while budget restraints and shifting priorities have held back US manned space launches. The United States will not test a new rocket to take people into space until 2017, and Russia has said manned missions are no longer a priority. But NASA has begun investing in US firms to provide commercial spaceflight services and is spending about $3 billion a year on a new rocket and capsule to send astronauts to the moon, asteroids and eventually to Mars. China plans an unmanned moon landing and deployment of a moon rover. Scientists have raised the possibility of sending a man to the moon, but not before 2020.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Rights chief cites Syria war crimes concerns T

he United Nations' human rights chief has said that government shelling of Syrian cities may amount to war crimes and should cease immediately. Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the Human Rights Council on Monday as reports emerged of plans for Russia to send warships to the Syrian port of Tartus, the site of a Russian naval base. "The government of Syria should immediately cease the use of heavy armaments and shelling of populated areas, as

such actions amount to crimes against humanity and possible war crimes," Navi Pillay told a meeting of the Human Rights Council on Monday. Pillay said those responsible for attacks on UN observers in Syria should be brought to justice after the organisation's mission to the country was suspended last week due to what it called an intensification of violence. A UN convoy trying to reach Al-Haffe town last week came under fire and was forced to turn back by a stone-

throwing crowd. "We must make our utmost possible efforts to ensure accountability for all perpetrators, including those who have attacked UN observers in Syria," Pillay said. Russia's Interfax news agency said on Monday that two Russian navy ships would sail to Tartus to protect Russian citizens and its base there, quoting an unidentified Russian navy official, but did not give a precise date. The official said the ships would carry an unspecified

number of marines to protect Russians in Syria and evacuate materials from Tartus, Russia's only naval base outside the former Soviet Union, if necessary. Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to meet Barack Obama, his US counterpart at a G20 summit to discuss differences over what to do about the bloody conflict. Russia has shielded Syria's regime from international sanctions over its crackdown on protests as well as continuing to provide it with arms.

Activists reported renewed shelling on several neighbourhoods in the central city of Homs [AFP]

Deadly blast targets Afghan police

suicide bomber has detonated his explosives in eastern Afghanistan, killing four police officers and five civilians. Witnesses told Al Jazeera that local police appeared to be the target of Monday's attack in eastern Kapisa province, where the majority of France's 3,500 troops in Afghanistan are stationed. The explosion in Tagab, a troubled district of Kapisa, killed the local police commander, his son, and two of his guards, provincial governor Mehrabuddin Safi told the AFP news agency. Seventeen civilians were injured in the blast in the town's main bazaar, the governor said. Most of the wounded were Afghan civilians visiting the town for the weekly market day. Homayoun Rashidi, a local police spokesman, said the bombing targeted a group commander in the force known as the Afghan Local Police, which forms part of the Afghan government's security forces but does not come under the national police set-up. Monday's blast is the second in as many weeks in Kapisa province. Four French troops and two of their Afghan interpreters were killed in a suicide bomb attack last weekend, which was claimed by the Taliban. That attack led French President Francois Hollande to call for the withdrawal of French troops from the Central Asian nation starting from July.

Gunmen â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;still loose in Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; after ambush I srael has launched a search for up to four gunmen who crossed the Egyptian border and staged a deadly ambush, killing one Israeli and sparking a firefight which left two "militants" dead, the Israeli military said. Monday's incident occurred around 6am local time (03:00 GMT) when a group of up to six gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Israeli construction workers to a site where they are building part of the vast border fence, the army said. "Fire was opened at Israeli workers during routine construction work on the security fence between Israel and Egypt," a spokeswoman for the army said, indicating troops had returned fire killing two of the gunmen.

Another Israeli official confirmed an Israeli civilian construction worker was also killed in the ambush. The remaining three or

four gunmen fled the scene, with troops sealing off the area and launching a massive manhunt to find them, the army said.

Military official says up to four of a group of armed men are still loose inside southern Israel [Reuters]

"Three or maybe four terrorists are still inside Israeli territory and we are currently trying to find them," the spokeswoman told the AFP news agency, indicating that the army had declared the area a closed military zone. Local residents were ordered to stay inside their homes which lie several kilometres from the border and very close to the site of the ambush, officials said. The site of the ambush lies about 30km from the southernmost point of the Gaza Strip. General Yoav Mordechai, the army's official spokesman said a "group of terrorists" had infiltrated Israeli territory along the border and staged an ambush for the convoy. "These terrorists opened fire

and used explosive devices and also apparently used anti-tank missiles against vehicles which were transporting workers who were building the security fence along the border," he told Israel's army radio. "Soldiers then arrived at the scene and opened fire." "All the sector where the incident took place has been closed and we are carrying out searches to ensure there are no more terrorists in Israeli territory," he said. The border incident occurred 48 hours after two rockets were fired from Sinai into southern Israel, hitting close to the Negev desert town of Mitzpe Ramon and near Ovda, which lies some 40km north of Eilat, causing no damage or casualties.

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Police stand-off as Chinese man dangles daughter, 3, out of sixth-floor window after arguing with wife

his is the moment a father dangled his terrified three-year-old daughter out of a sixth-floor window after having a heated argument with her mother. The drama unfurled in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong province, just days after the family had moved into the flat. Neighbours said that the man opened the window at about 10.30am, and then calmly sat on the edge while dangling his daughter above the drop below. He would occasionally support her with his foot, but for most of the time held onto her by just one arm. The mother could be heard shouting from inside the apartment. Neighbours called the emergency services and, when they arrived, firefighters quickly set up an air cushion below. Meanwhile, police entered the apartment to reason with the man, who was allegedly under the influence of drugs. During their negotiations they suddenly rushed the offender and were able to pull the little girl to safety.

Don't look down: The drama unfurled in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong province, just days after the family had moved into the flat

Bundled: The man was detained by police after the stand-off

Dangling: He would occasionally support her with his foot, but for most of the time held onto her by just one arm

Weep for Nigeria, not ‘Mr. Integrity’

Contd. from Back Page On the eve of his suspension over his failure to properly handle the ethno-religious crisis in his state, especially his lukewarm to the Yelwan Shendam ethnic cleansing, Joshua Dariye had reportedly been advised by a Senator that he could get the president to rescind his position if he (Dariye) paid him (the Senator) a certain fee. On the night before the speech in which President Obasanjo announced Dariye’s suspension from office, I was told, the embattled governor ferried unspecified amount of money to Abuja, which was delivered to the Senator. But to Dariye’s utter disbelief the president suspended him from office despite paying the fee the Senator demanded. Although the former governor has since taken back his pound of flesh the matter was never given the sort of publicity it deserved. Several of such brazen extortions go unreported not because they are not important or the victims don’t matter but because such happenings are regarded as business as usual. This explains why, even though one finds it difficult to believe Femi Otedola’s story of “sting operation” to rope in those pressuring him to pay up and be screened out of the black list, one is also very hesitant to trust Farouk Lawan’s side of the story. Farouk Lawan, one of the longest serving members of the house, should have known better than taking the bull by its tail. Corruption in Nigeria is, indeed,

a ferocious bull. Whoever stands in its way is violently bullied and consigned to the trash bin of history. But Lawan, the once well respected ‘Mr Integrity’, has himself and his greed to blame for all this. In present-day Nigeria politicians have the easiest access to free money. Compared to the electorate, the ordinary people that defied all odds to vote them in they (politicians) live in a different world and, therefore, don’t care a hoot whether the people are hungry and dying or they survive. They don’t care whether hospitals are certified mortuaries and roads are death traps. They care not one bit whether there is electricity or people generate their own power by means of generators oozing out excessive pollutants that put generations at risk of lung

cancer. They only think of themselves and themselves alone and are very willing to steal as much as they can even when they are certain they have amassed much more than they and their successive generations ever need. This mindless greed was certainly at play when Farouk Lawan opted to play the game with people who are, as events now clearly show, clearly his superiors in evil plots. I am not one of those who would argue Farouk Lawan is innocent or suggest he was trapped by Femi Otedola or any cabal. There’s no doubting the fact that the cabal desperately wanted the subsidy report rubbished. Unknown to Lawan, however, Otedola wanted to have his cake and eat it too. So he colluded with security agencies to record his exchanges

“

The biggest victims are Nigerians, who have for the repeated time missed the opportunity to tackle those milking them dry. This is because, while everyone is busy arguing over ‘Faroukgate’, the looters are working hard to kill the report. In the end, as Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke warned earlier, no one will be prosecuted for the bigger crime, while Lawan and Emanelo would face a make-believe trial and be finally let off the hook like Bankole

with ‘Mr Integrity’ and the rest is what we all know now. But something tells me there is more to it. It is possible that many others were involved in the deal or Farouk and accomplice, Boniface Emanelo, might have disclosed the deal to some colleagues in the House in the hope that they would be given a soft landing if it boomeranged and if it didn’t they would quietly make the best of their heist. But they are now left in the cold, sacrificed for the good of the PDP family. The biggest victims are Nigerians, who have for the repeated time missed the opportunity to tackle those milking them dry. This is because, while everyone is busy arguing over ‘Faroukgate’, the looters are working hard to kill the report. In the end, as Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke warned earlier, no one will be prosecuted for the bigger crime, while Lawan and Emanelo would face a make-believe trial and be finally let off the hook like Bankole. Of course, ‘Mr Integrity’ would be temporarily relegated to some degree of political irrelevance. But before long he would bounce back and with most of us suffering from acute amnesia, the ‘comeback kid’ would be as clean as a newborn. That is the biggest tragedy. Our Sunday, Sunday blood harvest A few weeks ago someone observed on facebook that there had been a lull in the series of bombings in some parts of

Northern Nigeria. Perhaps it was because the political climate had been relatively calm. Soon came some scandals and the bombings resumed fully. It is now a Sunday, Sunday routine we have been told we must learn to live with. While innocent Christian worshippers are attacked in churches each week, misguided characters take it upon themselves to vent their anger on innocent Muslims. The big issue is when will the government act responsibly to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians? If the bombers target churches each Sunday why is the government not able to deploy troops (including policemen) to protect innocent worshippers? And even after such bombs have gone off and we all know there will be reprisal attacks, why is the government not proactive enough to prevent or minimise violent reactions? Those behind this mindless blood spill surely have a reason for it. If they are hoping to dismember the country by provoking civil war then they are almost succeeding because at the minute the government is nonchalantly watching as total breakdown of law and order spreads across the country. While the bombings and reprisal killings continued on Sunday in Kaduna, in far away Edo State suspected cultists and militants flexed muscles leading to the beheading of two. What a country! Musa Aliyu wrote from Desmond Tutu Centre for War and Peace Studies, Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool, L16 9JD, UK.

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Diesel exhaust fumes are ‘major cancer risk’, says World Health Organisation D

iesel engine exhaust fumes cause cancer and belong in the same potentially deadly category as asbestos, arsenic and mustard gas, according to the World Health Organisation. The France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO, has reclassified diesel exhausts from ‘probable’ carcinogens to a group of substances that have definite links to cancer. Research has shown that regular exposure to diesel fumes is as likely to cause cancer as passive smoking. Health officials have now called for governments to act on ‘cleaning-up’ the fumes emitted from vehicle exhausts. The experts, who said their decision was unanimous and based on ‘compelling’ scientific

evidence, urged people across the world to reduce exposure to diesel fumes as much as possible. ‘The (expert) working group found that diesel exhaust is a cause of lung cancer and also noted a positive association with an increased risk of bladder cancer,’ it said in a statement. The decision is a result of a week-long meeting of independent experts who assessed the latest scientific evidence on the cancer-causing potential of diesel and gasoline exhausts. It puts diesel fumes in the same risk category as noxious substances such as asbestos, arsenic, mustard gas, alcohol and tobacco. ‘It’s on the same order of magnitude as passive smoking,’ said Kurt Straif, director of the IARC department that evaluates

WHO have raised the status of diesel exhaust from 'probable carcinogen' to carcinogen

Why meditation helps you focus

ust a month of meditation training alters brain wiring in ways that could open the door to new treatments for mental disorders, research has shown. Scientists looked at the effects of integrative body-mind training (IBMT) on two groups of university students. After just four weeks, or 11 hours, of training scans showed physical changes in the brains of the volunteers. Nerve fibres, known as ‘white matter’, became denser, providing greater numbers of brain-signalling connections. At the same time there was an expansion of myelin, the protective fatty insulation surrounding nerve fibres. The effects were seen in the anterior cingulate cortex region of the brain, which helps regulate behaviour. Poor nerve activity in this part of the brain is associated with a range of mental problems, including attention deficit disorder, dementia, depression, and schizophrenia. The study built on previous research based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that first highlighted brain changes induced by IBMT. Scientists revisited results from two 2010 studies, taking a closer look at what the scans revealed. One involved 45 US students from the University of Oregon; the other 68 students from China’s Dalian University of Technology. The researchers found greater density of axons, or nerve fibres, after two weeks of IBMT training, but no change in myelin formation. After a month both increases in axon density and myelin were seen. Students undergoing IBMT also reported improvements in

mood, experiencing reduced levels of anger, depression, anxiety and fatigue. They also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Study leader Professor Michael Posner, from the University of Oregon, who carried out the original US research, said: ‘This study gives us a much more detailed picture of what it is that is actually changing. ‘We did confirm the exact locations of the white-matter changes that we had found previously. And now we show that both myelination and axon density are improving. ‘The order of changes we found may be similar to changes found during brain development in early childhood, allowing a new way to reveal how such changes might influence emotional and cognitive development.’ The findings are reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In their conclusions, the scientists wrote: ‘This dynamic pattern of white matter change involving the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain network related to selfregulation, could provide a means for intervention to

Becoming mindful: The study gives a much more detailed picture of what changes it is making in the brain

improve or prevent mental disorders.’ Neuroscientist Dr Elena Antonova, from the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, said: ‘The findings of this study are potentially good news for all of us. If as little as 11 hours of mindfulness training makes the brain wiring more prolific and better insulated, then simply by being mindful, which is accessible to anyone at any time, we might enjoy a lifetime of mental clarity and emotional stability.’ Dr Eva Cyhlarova, head of research at the Mental Health Foundation, said: ‘This study is another example of brain neuroplasticity in adulthood and how with some simple techniques we can affect its structure as well as its function. ‘Furthermore, these changes appear to lead to improvements in mood, which is consistent with self-regulation being a core feature of many mental health problems. ‘If such a simple and cheap method of training shows positive results, there is hope for more people with mental health problems to be able to access support through affordable interventions.’ Source: Dailymail.co.uk

cancer risks. ‘This could be another big push for countries to clean up exhaust from diesel engines.’ Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘This report, from an international panel of experts, sends a clear message that diesel fumes can cause lung cancer. ‘The evidence of harmful health effects of diesel, particularly for people exposed to high levels through their jobs, has been accumulating for many years. ‘But, the overall number of lung cancers caused by diesel fumes is likely to be a fraction of those caused by smoking tobacco. ‘In the UK there are already guidelines in place to protect employees from the harmful effects of diesel fumes. Employers and workers should take appropriate action to minimise exposure in the workplace.’ Christopher Portier, chairman of the IARC working group, said the group’s conclusion ‘was unanimous, that diesel engine exhaust causes lung cancer in humans’. ‘Given the additional health impacts from diesel particulates, exposure to this mixture of chemicals should be reduced worldwide,’ he said in a statement. The group pointed to a large U.S study published in March by the US National Cancer Institute. That paper analysed 12,300 miners for several decades starting in 1947. Researchers found that miners heavily exposed to diesel exhaust had a higher risk of dying from lung cancer. Although diesel engine exhaust was defined by IARC as probably carcinogenic to humans - group 2A - in 1989, an advisory group had repeatedly called for a reevaluation since 1998. The announcement has caused consternation among car

and truck manufacturers, who claim that diesel fuel engines are constantly being refined. The global auto industry had argued diesel fumes should be given a less high-risk rating to reflect tighter emissions standards. Reacting to the decision, Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Washington-based Diesel Technology Forum said diesel engine and equipment makers, fuel refiners and emissions control technology makers have invested billions of dollars in research into technologies and strategies to reduce emissions. ‘New technology diesel engines, which use ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel, advanced engines and emissions control systems, are near zero emissions for nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter,’ he said in a statement. Alan Baum, principal of Baum and Associates in Michigan, said it is unlikely that the IARC report will cause companies to change plans for expansion of diesel fuel in the United States. About 5.5 per cent of new autos, including light-duty pickup trucks, sold in the United States run on diesel, said Baum, and he said that figure is expected to rise to 8 or 9 percent by 2015. IARC said it had considered recent advances in technology which had cut levels of particulates and chemicals in exhaust fumes, particularly in developed economies, but said it was not yet clear how these might translate into health effects. ‘Research into this question is needed,’ it said. ‘In addition, existing fuels and vehicles without these modifications will take many years to be replaced, particularly in less developed countries, where regulatory measures are currently also less stringent.’ Source: Dailymail.co.uk

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Yuguda’s government lacks focus, says CPC’s 2011 guber candidate Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, a former member of the House of Representatives who was also the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)’s governorship candidate in the 2011 general election in Bauchi state in this interview with Ahmed Kaigama assesses the performance of Governor Isa Yuguda in the last one year and submits that his government lacks focus. INTERVIEW What is your assessment of one year after the 2011 general election? ell, it is sad to say that things have gone from bad to worse because clearly things have deteriorated over the last one year in terms of security, in terms of social services. When you look at education, health, infrastructure, and for us in this part of Nigeria we lack potable water, you know things have deteriorated and unfortunately we are not generating the same level of revenue from crude oil sales, crude oil receipt that we used to get in the past, so clearly things are bad. You think the PDP led government is not doing anything to address this problem and how would you assess their efforts? Well, even if they are, it is having the right outcome. You see, sometimes the fundamental problem is lack of planning; lack of definitive policy programme. When you aspire to a positions, particularly, elective positions it’s always good to have a programme; something that you can implement within your tenure; if it is four years, then within the four years you should focus on things that you know you can deliver within those four years and that will have an impact. There will be other things, of course that are long term that you can also initiate but Nigeria is in such a bad situation at the moment that people are looking for quick actions; you know which will instill confidence and it’s based on that that you will be able to deliver either medium or short term goals. How can you assess the efforts of the Nigerian Judiciary in ensuring credible election in Nigeria? It is unfortunate the way things are being run at the moment. One will not inspire confidence in the system and there is room for improvement in certain procedural issues that needed to be addressed. Judiciary is the bedrock for any system and particularly democratic system, so when people begin to lose confidence in the Judiciary that they can seek redress through the

judicial system, then you know it compounds the problem and I think this is where we have found ourselves today in Nigeria. Because I have been through it and I can honestly say that what I went through. If we are to continue, we will make progress in this country. The Northern part of the country, especially north east has suffered Federal Government neglect. You see, sometimes we make the mistake of summing all our problems together and placing the responsibility on the federal government; there are three tiers of government, there is the federal government, there is state and there is also the local government. Local government are the closest to the people; that is the lowest level, their roles are clearly defined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the functions they are supposed to perform impact more directly on people than the other two tiers of government. Now we have a situation where at the local government level, if you look at the six (6) states, don’t want to talk without siting facts, if you look at the 2007 survey conducted by NGOs about local government elections, virtually all the six states of the zone when local government elections were conducted, the ruling parties in those states who controlled the state government won 100%. They didn’t lose a single local government to opposition parties and this calls for concern because clearly there is dissent; if you don’t allow dissent to voice opinion’ then you undermine the system completely. Then you know in a situation where popular legitimacy does not exist, then people begin to revert to other means to avenge their dissent towards the power that is and this is where we have found ourselves today in the North East Region. Secondly, you have a situation where if you look from 1999 to present, the quantum of monies that have been disbursed to state governments, to local government, I think is more than enough to have felt the impact But now we find ourselves in a dire situation and you know we are now being distracted by the issue of revenue formula for sharing crude oil proceeds and all that. Yes it is an issue that needs to be addressed because you know it’s lopsided but even with the smaller

Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar amount of money that this zone has received, what is the impact? And this is where I think we need to task those in position of power, the governors, the state House of Assemblies, the Local Government Administrators because the problem is more often in the north. You find that those in charge of the local governments were not elected; they are appointed, by their bosses who can remove them at their will. So we need to put pressure on them to ensure democracy to being taken to the grassroot level before we start addressing revenue sharing formula issues. If you look at the 2012 Appropriation act, in almost every sectors the North East zone got the highest allocation of funds; we keep saying that Taraba state alone can feed the whole country, it can be the food basket of Nigeria but you have a situation where the North East zone is not even topping the chart in the agricultural sector. How can you assess Governor Isa Yuguda’s administration in Bauchi state I don’t think, it will be right if I asses it. Of course, because I contested against them it will appear as if I am just been biased, I think you have to look, you have

to share in what the people are saying as a journalist and I am sure you have heard, you are here in Bauchi you have heard the complaints. There is lack of focus, that is what the people are saying that their priority is not street lights and street bumps, or pedestrian bridge; their priority is water. Bauchi township itself does not have water; there is no home that you go to and open the tap and you see water running. Even though Gubi Dam is right, there is no water coming through it to Bauchi state. Now the government is saying that the alternative is drilling boreholes, I think drilling 81 or 82 boreholes or so which even the lay man who has no knowledge of water engineering will tell you that it is not available substitution for water provision, you don’t provide metropolis of a size of Bauchi town with water through boreholes. If you go out to the rural communities you will see that people are drinking the same water as their animals, you find people drinking water that has cow feaces, so you know we are getting from bad to worse. An Airport is been built, even though we have Gombe Airport that is about 4550 minutes away. So really should our focus be building an Airport now?

Where do you think Nigeria can improve in order to have a credible election come 2015? Well, if an opportunity presents itself once again to have constitutional amendments, I have said in a different forum that it would, in my opinion be a good idea to have a situation where the government steps down a few months before an election and we should have an interim administration that will oversee the conduct of elections. Not unlike what exist in Bangladesh because the situation is such that, you know it is almost impossible to have free and fair elections with an incumbent on the seat of government with all the security agencies under his control; with INEC itself being in support and dancing to the tunes of the incumbent. So if we have this sort of radical approach to it then perhaps we will begin to see changes. Because we don’t realize it but you know most of the issues that we are facing today, security, under-development and so on, all go back to the issues of lack of free and fair elections. Lack of room for dissent and the winner takes all, zero sum game; if you look at the security, the security problems are facing for instance in the North-east can all go back to the sort of unholy alliances you find being forged between people in positions of power and thugs and other groups where you know deals are struck. Are you satisfied with the method been taken by the present administration in tackling the problem of youths? I don’t have enough knowledge to answer that question because I honestly don’t see anything being done so unless there is something being done that I am not aware of, I don’t see anything and I don’t see Bauchi outperforming other states via a vis the YOUWIN programme. I know that the government has the YOUWIN programme and all of that, I don’t see the numbers soaring in Bauchi in terms of youth employment which means we are not capitalizing on them because sometime the programmes are there at least at the federal level for us to actually even capitalize on and we are not doing that so we seem to be completely a sleep.

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Accord Party in Kebbi tasks PDP govt on unemployment

he Accord Party (AP) in Kebbi has advised the PDP government in the state to embark on job creation to reduce unemployment and restiveness among the youths. Its Chairman, Mohammed Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Monday that the establishment of skills acquisition centres and necessary support for agriculture were needed to reduce unemployment. “Any investment for the youth is worthwhile, considering the fact that the youths are the heart and springboard for sustainable development.” Abdullahi said the Accord Party had recognised the success recorded within the past five years by the ruling PDP government but called for the involvement of other groups towards a harmonised governance. The chairman said the party would give commendation when necessary and would also offer objective criticisms, especially on the policies and programmes of the ruling party, devoid of selfish interests. He said the party would contest in the forth coming local government election scheduled for September 2012. “The Accord party has the capability to win elections in an atmosphere of free and fair elections and we would work towards winning at the grass roots level,’’ the chairman said.

Political party lauds renaming of UNILAG after MKO Abiola

hieftain of the National Transformation Party (NTP), Mr. John Dara, yesterday commended the Federal Government for renaming the University of Lagos after the late Chief Moshood Abiola. Dara, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NTP, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. “Honouring late Chief MKO Abiola is politically correct and it is fair. There is none of the choices being suggested that will not be criticised. “My take is that it has happened and we just have to accept it as we are a nation in search of heroes; we should make the best of it,’’ he said. Dara said that students of the university should appreciate the contributions of late Chief MKO Abiola towards democracy in the country, as the renaming had not changed the standard of the institution. “Chief MKO Abiola was a hero of democracy and that should not be taken away as he had contributed toward the progress of the country. “Although there have been different perceptions as to what Abiola stood for, that should not be the issue as the late business icon fought for the restoration of democratic governance in his country,’’ he said. He advised the students to pursue issues that would affect their education positively and forget about the renaming of the institution. NAN reports that the University of Lagos was renamed Moshood Abiola University by President Goodluck Jonathan during the national broadcast to mark the Democracy Day on May 29.

Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, addresses members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association, during his re-election campaign, recently at Ugbowo area of Benin City.

I’ ll win Edo governorship poll – Oshiomhole From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

he Governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole has vowed to ride on the good will of the electorates and return to his office as the elected governor after the July 14 2012 Governorship election in spite deliberate attempts by opposition to stop him. Oshiomhole who commended the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, ,Prof Attahiru Jega, for his transparency in conducting credible elections in the country made the assertion yesterday at a one day sensitization workshop organized

by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter Party Affairs for Edo state Political Parties and Stakeholders in the 2012 Gubernatorial Election . Oshiomhole, who described the Workshop as timely and necessary, however, tasked, the Presidency, the Police, the Army and INEC to embark on more sensitizastion in ensuring that most credible and freest election in the state come July 14th polls. “I must submit that INEC, the Police, the Army and the Presidency are the ones who need to be sensitized about issues affecting the electoral process in the state “he said. He warned that the use of Adhoc staff in

the INEC arrangement must be screened according to guidelines of the commission adding that the government and stakeholders must put Nigerians first, adding that people in some quarters have been threatening and boasting to rig the July elections with inciting statements that whoever was aggrieved should go to court. The Governor who personally wrote to diplomatic missions world over and all Civil societies and International Observers to come and monitor the election said warned against any act calculated at rigging the polls stressing that the election would be won and lost at the polling centers. He said that the winner of the election does not matter to him but the that the process that produced the winner will be the issues.

Internal democracy can curb corruption — RPN Chairman

he National Chairman, Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN), Alhaji Shittu Mohammed, said political parties must ensure internal democracy to reduce corruption and guarantee quality leadership in the country. Mohammed made the remark on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. “Internal democracy among political parties can ensure quality leadership and also curb corruption and issues of money politics “Equality of membership would give them a sense of belonging and if the leader is corrupt and candidates that wins an election

is not given the party ticket, definitely that could lead to crisis,’’ he said. Mohammed said corruption would be curbed when the leaders of the parties live by example and conduct party primaries on merit and not favouritism. According to him, political parties should be at the heart of a country’s democratic machinery, pointing out that people cannot think of democracy without parties playing crucial roles in democratic consolidation. Mohammed said electoral creditability in multi-party politics was crucial in sustaining democratic governance. The chairman added that the parties also provide the citizens with clear choices

during elections. He therefore advised politicians to regard political parties as vehicles of promoting national development and not avenues for making money. “Political parties should be set up for various ideological matters; it could be on issues affecting the society or improving their standard of living. “ If tomorrow comes and people say lets vote for this party, it will be based on ideology.” Mohammed stressed that the Federal Government has no business funding political parties, saying parties ought to go through evolutionary processes to grow.

Obi tasks council chairmen, security agencies on cleanliness of Onitsha

ov. Peter Obi has advised council chairmen in Onitsha North, Onitsha South and Ogbaru as well as security agencies to sanitise the Upper Iweka axis of the commercial city. Obi, who gave the directive yesterday after inspecting the area, said that the work would also cover km 1 of Onitsha-Enugu the Federal Highway. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Onitsha North, Onitsha South and Ogbaru council areas share a common boundary at the Upper Iweka axis of the metropolis. NAN also reports that the area had been taken over by weeds, refuse dumps and Indian hemp smoking hoodlums in recent times.

Obi said that the state government had resolved to give the axis a new look and check the dirty habits of people and traders in the area. “We are tired of complaints and people tagging this place as a dirty place due to the attitude of some people living in the area. “I have directed the chairmen within this area to ensure that their portions are kept neat; while the law enforcement agencies, including the army would go after those who refuse to do the right thing by keeping the place clean. “This is the gate way to the state and the entire South-East and we want to give it the special attention it deserves. “Those selling on the road as well as mechanics working on the road should move

into the places meant for them; while we will not tolerate parking of vehicles indiscriminately under any guise.’’ The governor warned that he would be back within one week to monitor the implementation of his directive. “When traders in Onitsha travel to other places beyond the state even to Calabar here, they behave themselves; but Onitsha is a place for all sorts of rubbish. “It will longer be business as usual within this gateway of the state.” NAN reports that the governor was accompanied on the inspection by Lt. Col. Idongesit Akpan, the Second-in-Command at the 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, and other top security officers.

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INEC not a clearing house for political parties’ fund — Official

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said it would not allow itself to be used as a clearing house for moving slush funds by any political party. Mr Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman made this known in Abuja while reacting to a report that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) had allegedly approved N13 million to host INEC auditors.

Idowu said: “INEC is disassociating itself from such gesture and any other related proposal or programme. “If anybody for whatever reason is looking for a head to tie an expenditure proposal that is within the PDP which has nothing to do with INEC, such person should look for other means. “INEC will not allow its name to be dragged into the mud by any individual or organisation, as INEC will continue to remain

an unbiased umpire.” Idowu said it was the duty of INEC to audit the financial accounts of every political party and that the exercise would soon commence. He said the commission had been conducting such exercises independently without receiving any contribution or gratification from any of the political parties. The spokesman assured Nigerians that the commission had been

conducting the auditing of the political parties within the limits of the law and based on strict ethical professional bases. I d o w u c a l l e d for investigation into the alleged N13 million earmarked by the PDP to host the INEC auditors. He said, “the report is good, as it will keep INEC on the alert to guard against possible excuses that any party may want to use for curious expenditure in the nearest future; so to a great extent it is very useful.”

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu tambuwal, with member, House of representatives for Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon. Afam Ogene, during a reception for the latter, on Sunday in Atani, Anambra state. Photo: NAN

Agency warns Kogi LG’s over funding of devt. programmes From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

ocal Governments in Kogi that fails to support and fund development offices will forfeit development projects funded by donor agencies under the auspices of the state Community and Social Development Projects Agency. Mr. James Odiba, General Manager of the agency disclosed this on Friday in Lokoja during a step-down

training programme on “Monitoring and Evaliation System Instrument/Data Collection Method” for Development Officers. Odiba decried the nonchallant attitude of some local government administrators to development the issues and warned that his office would not hesitate to stop or cancel outright on-going community projects in defaulting councils. He commended some Local Governments for keeping

functional Development Offices and accounts adding that projects meant for communities in erring areas would be diverted to areas whose councils provided the needed environment. Odiba said there was need to judiciously utilise donor agencies’ funds for development of rural communities to reduce poverty adding that benefitting Local Governments must make necessary

counterpart contributions like the development offices. Also speaking, Engr Jonah Attah, Manager Monitoring and Evaluation of the agency said monitoring was focal to the success or failure of projects.Attah stated that the training was very important saying that though the Desk Officers were managing well, there were few lapses that needed to be addressed to enable execution of quality projects

Ekiti, Gauteng provincial parliament, begin bilateral cooperation

he Ekiti state Government and the Gauteng Provincial Parliament of South Africa have begun a bilateral cooperation aimed at reviving the spirit of PanAfricanism and sharing of best practices. Receiving the Speaker, Gauteng Parliament, Mrs Lindwe Mazeko and her delegation in Ado Ekiti on Monday, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said his administration was passionate about developing the state to international standards. He welcomed the new relationship and said the global aspiration of the state stemmed from the fact that “it is bigger than some African countries, including Lesotho and Cape Verde.” Fayemi also expressed the desire of the state to expand its business relations with South Africa to include political relations. The governor told the delegation that Mantis Collection Group, a South African investment and facility company, had taken over the management of Ikogosi Resort as a fall out of the relations. He said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which the state government signed with South Africa was to deepen democratic experiment to enable the two parties share best global practices. Fayemi reiterated the commitment of his administration to make poverty a thing of the past with a view to improving the lots of the people. He said it was against this backdrop that his administration embarked on the social security scheme for the elderly, a project which, he observed, was the first of its kind in Nigeria. In her remarks, the Speaker of Parliament of the Gauteng Province, Mazeko said the parliament cherished the partnership between the two parties and promised to consolidate the relationship. In furtherance of this cooperation, she said, the Gauteng Parliament had begun work on the issues raised by Governor Fayemi during his visit to South Africa.

Omupo monarch, indigenes seek Kwara govt. patronage From Olanrewaju Lawal,Ilorin

he Traditional ruler of Omupo, a town in Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state, Oba Yaqub Adebayo Buhari and prominent indigenes of the ancient town have appealed to the Kwara state government to come to their aid in resuscitating some of its infrastructural facilities built by the community that are decaying because of lack of fund

to maintain them. The Olomu, who made the appeal at the weekend during the Omupo day celebration noted that facilities on medicare, education, water supply feeder, roads, town hall which were built by the communities are declining. ”With this state of infrastructure and facilities, I am sure you will agree with me that as the population of this town continues to grow, the existing

infrastructure and facilities have become acutely inadequate to support the well-being of the people. They, therefore, either need to be replaced or augmented. ”Furthermore, we note that no community develops by the efforts of its own people alone; the influx of non-indigenes for commerce and other social and economic activities are known to drive other development indices”.

The Chairman of Omupo day Planning Committee, Professor Raphael D. Olarinoye, also in his address urged state government to come to the rescue of the community in the area of health, education stressing that the facilities at the Cottage Hospital, a rural Health Centre was nothing to write home about. He noted that there was no drug at the center while the classrooms of the two primary

schools in the town were declining making learning difficult for the pupils. While speaking with our correspondent, the National PRO of Nigeria Prison Service, Mr. Bode Odeyemi wondered why the state government abandoned the community despite always giving prominent support for the administration stressing that most of the facilities in the town were made through indigenous efforts.

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APGA remains alive, stronger — Abia chairman

he Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia, Mr Nnanna Ukaegbu, says APGA is undaunted over the PDP design to destabilise its stronghold in the South East. Ukaegbu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba on Monday that PDP’s negative activities against APGA in Enugu and Abia

States had rather helped the party to be more alive and stronger. He said that the PDP in Abia was in the habit of celebrating false defection of some of its members to the party. Ukaegbu recalled a recent story which said that ‘APGA is dead’, saying that the story was credited to Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu

state. “If APGA is dead, according to Gov.Chime, why is he directing South East Working Committee of PDP to work hard for the success of PDP in Anambra and Imo in 2014 and 2015 respectively. “I would not like to hold brief on behalf of my party, APGA is getting stronger by the day in the South East geo-political zone, the steps taken by Enugu

and Abia state governments in recent time testified to this fact.’’ Ukaegbu said that the defectors received by PDP in Abia were APGA members suspended last year for anti-party activities. “The defectors are purely political force who brought nothing to our party. Of course, you know they are PDP torn coats. They are just

like the dogs that return to their vomits.’’ According to him, APGA is repositioning for better and would be the party to beat in 2015 general elections. Ukaegbu said that “APGA has become a mass movement that would not die just by the Enugu governor’s mere pronouncement, APGA is engraved in the hearts of our people.’’

Nigeria will survive terrorist attacks, says PDP By Lawrence Olaoye

Senate President David Mark (middle), answering questions from journalists on the state of insecurity in the country, after an official meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

Gaidam inaugurates 20-man c’ttee on special empowerment programme

n order to reduce the level of unemployment among the youths in Yobe state, with special emphasis on addressing the unemployment problems involving over 6,000 Diploma holders through training, capacity building, sensitization and development of entrepreneurship skills, Yobe State Governor Alh. Ibrahim Gaidam has inaugurated a 20 member special empowerment committee. The committee’s terms of reference includes among other things, to advise government on how best to engage the services of the Diploma holders in the state;

identify those serving or employed in any tier of government or have secured jobs elsewhere; determine those that require special skills acquisition or training for selfemployment, resettlement tools and financial support and submit quarterly reports on their activities to government. He noted that the crisis of unemployment has taken a global dimension that even the advanced economies are not immuned to the social problem as recent statistics released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) indicates that unemployment among the youths is on the

increase the world over. This reality, he said, implies that governments have to embark on serious intervention measures to reverse the trend adding that in Yobe State, the new dimension youth unemployment has attained poses serious social and security challenges which have to be contained. He pointed out that the formation of the committee is informed by the recent national survey conducted by the national directorate of employment which reveals that there are over 68,000 youths who are not gainfully employed, ranging from

secondary school leavers, diploma holders to first degree graduates, a development he described as disturbing. He emphasized that the objective of the state empowerment programme is in consonance with the its vision on youths development as enunciated in the Yobe State Socio-economic Reform Agenda (YOSERA) which aims at building a responsible, enlightened, robust and economically productive youth who may in turn become patriots and contribute to the development of the state in particular and the nation at large.

Kogi LG election holds December 8 From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

he government of Kogi state has announced that it will hold elections into the 21 local governments in the state on December 8. This was included in a press

briefing in Lokoja premises of State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, yesterday by the permanent secretary, Mr Obaje Amedu, who said that no person or group of persons should thwart the state plans. He said that "we are

prepared for election into the local councils of the state for the grassroots to feel the impact of the government", noting, when the structure is not properly laid, we all will be in trouble". Obaje said that this was a

follow up to the arrangement by the government to put in place some people at the local government area to monitor the conduct of the election rather than allowing all manners of people to high-jack the local councils

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed its dismay over the relentless terrorist activities which have resulted in the death of several innocent Nigerians. In its reaction to the coordinated incidents of suicide attacks in Zaria and Kaduna over the weekend, the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Chief Olisa Metuh said that understandably the level of killings and attack were bound to cause despondence in Nigerians but also assured them that this situation will soon end. The Party called on Nigerians to stand strong in the face of adversity. He added “we survived the civil war, we survived the military dictatorship and we have over the years overcome several challenges which would have brought a weaker country to its knees. Nigeria will remain strong and united until this too passes.” Chief Metuh also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for remaining resolute in the fight against terrorism inspite of the concerted efforts to undermine the unity and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. The PDP spokesman called on Nigerians to stand firm and defeat the agents of retrogression in Nigeria saying “it is time for all well meaning Nigerians to rise up and demonstrate the true Nigerian spirit by refusing to be provoked into taking irrational reprisal attacks against one another which will further exacerbate the problem rather than solve it.” Nigeria, according to the PDP has “advanced too far as a united, peaceful and democratic nation and can never surrender its sovereignty regardless of the challenges presented by the current rise in terrorism. The PDP restated its government’s commitment to overcome these trials and realise our God given potential. Finally, The PDP appealed to all Nigerians to remain their brother’s keepers and alert the law enforcement agencies of strange movements within their communities saying “the security of lives and property should be the concern of everyone”.

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Baribote salutes home- based Eagles By Albert Akota

he Chairman of the Nigeria premier league(NPL) Victor Baribote, has saluted the domestic league players in the Super Eagles who sealed a place in the next stage of the 2013 Nations Cup qualifier after dismissing the Wasps of Rwanda 2-0 in Calabar on Saturday. Baribote, while congratulating

the victorious the Eagles, he praised the players for adapting quickly to Stephen Keshi’s tactical apporach adding there are other good players still within the league that would delight Keshi. Baribote said that the Eagles’ victory came at the right time as it has elevated the status of the domestic league some of whom have earned raving headlines for their impressive performances.

He asserted the performance of the players has gingered the leadership of the NPL to work harder in the quest to restructure the NPL and other necessary system all to improve the quality of the league. “Now we can have a stamp of authority and claim that the players under Stephen Keshi, is taking shape, it is a gradual process and we wish that this will continue,

2013 AFCON final qualifiers draw

Super Eagles may face Senegal, Morocco, Algeria By Patrick Andrew

he Super Eagles will know their opponents for the final round of qualifiers for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations when the draw will be conducted on July 5, perhaps in Johannesburg, South Africa. The draw for the final tournament is slated for October 26, also in South Africa. According to CAF release

yesterday, 30 teams that are through to the final round of the qualifiers will be ranked based on their performances during the last three Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010, and 2012) editions. Two pots will be provided with the top 15 teams matched against the 15 teams in Pot 2 for a final playoff to be decided on knockout basis between September and October. Hosts South Africa have

automatically qualified for the final tournament, which kicks off on January 19 with the final on February 10. Stephen Keshi will avoid the likes of defending champions Zambia, Cameroon, Ghana, Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Guinea, but are likely to be drawn against Senegal or Morocco, DR Congo, Malawi, Algeria, or Uganda, among others that would be in pot 2.

Sunshine Stars promise good outing in CAF Champions League

benga Ogunbote, the Head Coach of Sunshine Stars, has said that the club would represent the country well in the Group stages of the CAF Champions League to match the expectations of fans. Ogunbote said yesterday in Lagos,

Gbenga Ogunbote, Coach of Sunshine Stars

anchester City will begin the defence of the Premier League title at home to newly promoted Southampton, while runners-up and rival Man United will keep a date with Everton. The fixtures, that was released yesterday also threw up interesting derby including December 8 clash between Manchester and Man City at the Etihad Stadium with the return leg at Old Trafford on April 6. The first Merseyside derby of

that the club has the right kind of players in its fold to do the country proud in Africa’s elite club competition. He said that the club’s slow start in the ongoing season, would not in any way affect the team’s performance and added that the club was gradually hitting its stride in the league. The coach stressed that the club still has some outstanding matches to play in the league, which could help to shore up their position in the league standings. “Our fans are so expectant against the backdrop of our outstanding performance last season, when we lost out in the league title race in the very last game of the season. “The team is coming up gradually and we hope to do well in our outstanding matches, which would help to improve our position in the league standing. “The CAF Champions League is a

different ball game and we would work hard to ensure that we represent the country well in the competition,” he said. Ogunbote also expressed confidence in Sunshine Stars players stressing that he has implicit trust in them and believes they have what is needed to effectively prosecute its the continental campaign as well as the domestic league and possibly win the league title which eluded the team last season. When asked about what the team was doing welfare wise to motivate its players, Ogunbote said that the team’s administrative officer will be in a better position to answer such a question. “I am more disposed to answering questions on technical matters, and leave administration matters to those in charge. I don’t dabble into administrative matters I can only talk on matters within my area of competence,” Ogunbote said.

since the Foreign -Based players had failed the Nation in the past, “ he said. The Chairman, while admonishing the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) to organise more international friendlies for the Eagles, said such games would further strengthen the squad and give the players the needed international exposure. He enjoined players and clubs officials in the league to cooperate with the NFF by making its players available when invited to camp build up process. However, should Egypt turn the tables and reverse a 3-2 home loss at Central African Republic in their second round qualifiers, they will make it to Pot 1, meaning Morocco will drop to Pot 2. In the meantime, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has disclosed he wishes to play an African team in August prior to the final qualifiers for the 2013 AFCON, even as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) siad it is studying a proposal for the Super Eagles to feature in an invitational tournament in India in August. But Keshi said he would prefer an African opposition leading up to the continuation of the qualifying series in September. “I will want to play against another African team in August during the FIFA free window so as to prepare the team for the final round of the qualifiers,” Keshi said. The FIFA friendly window is August 15.

Stephen Keshi, Eagles Chief Coach

348 athletes expected for Calabar Meet

he 2nd All Nigeria/Cross River State Athletics Championship will kick off in Calabar June 19 with 348 athletes to compete for available prices in the male and female category. This was disclosed yesterday in Calabar by Chief Solomon Ogba, the President Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), at a news conference, who disclosed that the AFN would spend close to N80 million on the championship, the 68th edition and the second in the three series sponsored by the Cross River Government. He said the championship would also be used as trials for the selection of Nigeria’s athletes to the London Olympic in July. According to Ogba, the AFN expects athletes to return faster time at the three-day Calabar meet billed for the U.J. Esuene Stadium. “It is an Olympic year and the AFN expects faster times from the athletes and for 2012, we are going to have fewer athletes, no time for all-comers. “We have raised the bar by insisting that athletes must perform at a particular level and get rewarded. We will only give money to those athletes who deserve them, no more grants to athletes. “We have people with a lot of talents but they keep playing with it. We are going to deal with current form, we must raise the bar. Either you are or you are not in when you are running elite sports,’’ he said. He said that Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River has given assurances that each Nigerian athlete that would make the Olympic team would get 2,500 dollars from the government. He also said that a jackpot would be won in this year’s edition. “We are going to have a jackpot. We have increased the jackpot money from N1 million to N2 million. “The jackpot for the men’s event is 9.99 seconds and 10.99 as bench mark for women. It will run across the board. The equivalent of 9.9 in the long jump will be the jackpot. There will jack pot money in 400 metres,’’ he said. Earlier, Mr Patrick Ugbe, the Cross River Commissioner for Youth and Sports, said the state was ready for the championship. “We are very ready for the championship; we have put everything in place to make sure that we host a very successful event. We will continue to improve on our performance,’’ he said.

EPL begins August 18 with Man City versus Southampton the season will take place at Goodison Park on October 27, while the north London derby between the Arsenal and Tottenham is scheduled for November 17 at the Emirates. Champions League winners, Chelsea, with Roberto di Mateo in charge travel to Wigan on the opening day and they travel to the Emirates to play Arsenal on September 29.

Liverpool’s new manager, Brendan Rodgers will begin the campaign for glory with a trip to West Brom, now managed by former Reds Coach Steve Clarke. Liverpool, whose poor home form of last season was a factor in Kenny Dalgish was sacked, face Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United in their first three home games. Sunderland and Newcastle go

head-to-head on 20 October at the Stadium of Light with the Magpies playing Manchester United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day. Manchester City face Norwich at home on the final day, with neighbours United travelling to West Brom. Chelsea take on Everton at Stamford Bridge with Arsenal finishing their season at Newcastle.

THE FIXTURES Arsenal vs Sunderland Man City vs Southampton Fulham vs Norwich City Everton vs Man United QPR vs Swansea City Newcastle Utd vs Tottenham West Brom vs Liverpool Wigan Athletic vs Chelsea Reading vs Stoke City West Ham Utd vs Aston Villa

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Chukwu, Hamilton, others hail Keshi’s technical prowess

ome football administrators in Lagos on Saturday hailed the technical prowess of Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi as his team

defeated Rwanda in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. Speaking after the Eagles defeated the Wasps of Rwanda 2-0 to advance to the next

stage of the 2013 Nations Cup qualifier, they congratulated Keshi for making the right selection, adding that his mission of rebuilding the team was

paying off. Christian Chukwu, former Super Eagle’s Coach, commended the team’s tactical performance that gave them victory over

Gabriel Reuben, Godfrey Oboabana, Uche Kalu, the new boys in Eagles

Rwanda. He also said that the rebuilding programme of Keshi was a good development, adding that his tactics of using more local players in the team was yielding good results. “I am indeed happy for the victory; Keshi put more technicalities into the match and I only hope they will sustain it in subsequent matches,” Chukwu said. Paul Hamilton, former Super Falcons Coach, also congratulated football fans and thanked Keshi for working more on the scoring chances of the Eagles. He said the result

Ahmed Musa scored the second goal in the 56th minute. Rwandan Serbian born manager, Milutin Sredojevic, said his players failed to utilise three scoring chances that came their way. “We were supposed to connect these chances but unfortunately we did not. We will rebuild the team and look forward to future tournaments.” Sredojevic said the future of Rwandan football was bright because five under-20 players made the team that lost to the Eagles. “We came with a crop of players who could not withstand the pressure of a team like Nigeria. We played a very courageous game against the Super Eagles; a good, tough team,” he said.

Benue,Nasarawa golfers organise special tourney for Suswam From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

olfers from Benue and Nasarawa States respectively at the weekend organized a special golf tournament to celebrate Governor Gabriel Suswam’s recent victory at the Supreme Court. The golfers from Makurdi Golf Club, Otukpo Golf Club, Nigerian School of Military Engineering,NASME and Nasarawa Golf Club, decided to celebrate Governor Suswam who is

Gov. Gabriel Suswam

the patron of the Makurdi Golf Club. Speaking to journalists, the co-ordinator of the two -day event, and former member of the House of Representative, Terngu Tsegba, said Suswam’s victory at the Supreme Court was a clear confirmation of the mandate given to him by the people of the state. e urged the governor to enmesh himself in the work that he willingly accepted in order to deliver democratic dividends to the people of the state. Tsegba applauded the governor for uplifting the game of golf during his tenure and added this was the reason the state had performed well in golf at the last National Sport Festival. He also recalled that the state hosted the northern zonal golf championship that boosted the economy of the state and pleaded with the state government to assist the Club in the areas of equipment, moving machinery and full engagement of some casual staff as full staff of the Club. “For now, the salary of workers is very challenging. We pay an average of about N500, 000 to N600, 000 monthly. We are also running the club on diesel as it is not every time that we have electricity supply from Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. This is a big expenditure burden and we seriously need state government assistance,” Tsegba said.

impressed with the performance of the the mid fielders and the defenders, resulting in the victory. “Keshi has shown that he is a good coach because the more we have more home-based players in the team, the better chances we have.” Fanny Amun, Nigeria’s 1993 U-17 World Cup winning coach, also praised the Eagles for the superlative victory, saying that they should concentrate on scoring goals. “The performance is a good way forward; we should work harder for more quality performances.”

I will not distract my son’s football career, says Sen Aluko

We are happy we S won, says Keshi uper Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi says the team is happy it won a crucial 2013 Africa Cup of Nations match against Rwanda. Keshi expressed the team’s happiness after the match at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, where the Eagles beat their Rwandan counterparts 2-0 in the qualifying match. ‘’The most important thing is that we won the match and the team has qualified for the next stage of the tournament. It is not important for now. We will enjoy the victory, celebrate our qualification and begin to think of working on the mistakes.” Eagles striker, Ikechukwu Uche, opened scoring with a left footer in the 10th minute while winger

now had increased the Eagles’ points, adding that the confidence reposed in Keshi was yielding results. Former NFF Technical Director, Kashimawo Laloko,said that the victory had saved Nigeria the embarrassment of being absent in the football family in Africa. He also said the Eagles showed great improvement under the tutelage of Keshi. “I think Keshi is now giving us the confidence that the team can go far in the AFCON. The team has also shown an improvement.” Ex-internatiuonal, Tunde Disu, said he was

en. Gbenga Aluko said that he would be the last person to distract his son from playing professional football for his club and country. He said that in Calabar after watching his son, Omatsone Aluko, the Glasgow Rangers of Scotland striker play for Nigeria in the 2013 African Cup of Nation’s qualifier against Rwanda at the U.J. Esuene Stadium. Nigeria’s Super Eagles defeated Rwanda’s Wasp 2-0 to qualify through goals from Ike Uche and Ahmed Musa in the match where Aluko replaced Uche Kalu in the second half. The Senator, who once represented Ekiti South constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the National Assembly, said he was in Calabar to watch the match. “I came here to watch Sone Aluko play for Nigeria against Rwanda in Calabar. If I had my way I would not even want people to know that he is my son. “This is because I would not want that to distract. I would not want to distract him by granting interviews in the media. “I realise that it is his time, it is his day. Let him enjoy it. I have been following his football since he started playing at eight,” he said. In his interview after the match, the Glasgow Rangers play-maker said

he relished his invitation to the Super Eagles. He said the team which has been undergoing a rebuilding process under Head Coach, Stephen Keshi and his coaching crew was poised to bring back the happy times in Nigeria football. “It has been nice to be here. It has been my first time here in Calabar and it is a proud moment for me and the team and for me to be invited to play for my country. “The atmosphere in camp has been positive, everybody is just happy to be here. And we are so happy that we won and got the maximum points. “Football fans should expect 110 per cent commitment from me whenever I am called upon to play for my country. Of course, I always give my best when I play for my club and country,” he said. He also said he was not seriously bothered by the worry in some quarters that Nigeria’s football has nose-dived recently, saying it is not unusual in global football. “Our football may be nose-diving; I have no problem with that because every country’s soccer goes through a bad spell. With time and through this rebuilding process the Super Eagles will fly high again. “And believe me, this team has the quality to return Nigeria’s football to previous happy times, its glory days in football,” he said.

Sone Aluko, Aberdeen and Super Eagles forward

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Portugal boss lauds team ahead of Ronaldo

ortugal coach Paulo Bento chose to praise his team’s unity rather than two-goal hero Cristiano Ronaldo after they reached the Euro 2012 last eight. Ronaldo scored both goals in a brilliant individual performance as Portugal beat Netherlands 2-1 to set up a meeting with Czech Republic. Ronaldo was the only member of the Portuguese squad to address the foreign media. His team-mates had reportedly decided to shun the press in protest at the criticism that their captain has received in recent weeks. Rafael van der Vaart put the Dutch ahead before Portugal took a grip of the game, with captain Ronaldo scoring twice as well going close with a number of chances and helping create openings for his team-mates. The victory meant Portugal finished second in Group B behind a German side they lost to in their opening game before beating Denmark and Netherlands.

PAGE 43

UERO 2012

This is our biggest ever-match, says Voronin

kraine striker Andriy Voronin has said today night’s final group game against England is the biggest in the country’s history. Victory in Donetsk would put the co-hosts into the last eight and striker Voronin believes the match is crucial not only for the players but also for the country as a whole. “For us it is the last chance,” he said. “We need to win. We want

to go to the quarter-finals, and we will try to do everything. “I think it is the biggest game in the country’s history. For us it is a very important game, not just for the whole team but for the whole country.” He said Ukraine’s players wanted to avoid the fate that befell their fellow co-hosts Poland, who crashed out at the group stage after losing their final match to Czech Republic.

Top of Form UEFA Euro 2012

Cristiano Ronaldo

Walcott resumes training

heo Walcott arrived at England’s training ground early yesterday morning as he continued his attempts to get himself fit for today’s crucial final group game against cohosts Ukraine. The Arsenal forward travelled by car to the Hutnik Stadium in Krakow, with the rest of the squad following on the team bus. Walcott, who helped against Sweden after coming on as a substitute with England 2-1 down, pulled out of training on Sunday after complaining of tightness in his hamstring. The England coach Roy Hodgson, admitted that Walcott – tipped to start against Ukraine after his Sweden heroics – was a doubt. “Unfortunately, he had a slight setback in training,” Hodgson said. “He felt the hamstring that kept him out for so long at the end of the season, and which we were slightly concerned about when he came to us. “We have been lucky nothing has occurred with that, but in a little training session today we had to take the precaution of taking him from the field because he felt some tightness there.

Theo Walcott

Bendtner punished over pants

enmark striker Nicklas Bendtner has been banned for one competitive match and fined •100,000 for showing his sponsored underwear versus Portugal. Bendtner, 24, revealed a logo of a betting company on his underpants during the celebration of his second goal in the 3-2 loss against Portugal on June 13. UEFA deemed the action as improper conduct and has subsequently punished the Arsenal forward, who has three days to lodge an appeal. When questioned afterwards about the incident, Bendtner, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland, said: “It is just a pair of lucky boxer shorts that I used in the first game as well and have used before the tournament. I didn’t know I was breaking any rules but I am aware of that now.”

Nicklas Bendtner

“When we beat Sweden (in their opening game), there was a great atmosphere in the stadium, and we won, and the whole country was very happy,” he said. “We want to do the same against England.’’ Voronin warned that Roy Hodgson’s team who need just a point to go through would be boosted by the return of Wayne Rooney after the Manchester United player completed a twomatch suspension. “We know Rooney will be playing against us, and he is a very important player for England,” he said.

Andriy Voronin

Nasri wants fans’ forgiveness

espite being in a commanding position in Group D at Euro 2012 Samir Nasri says France still have a way to go to win back fans’ trust after their World Cup 2010 debacle. Under former coach Raymond Domenech their campaign in South Africa was dominated by shoddy performances and in fighting amongst the squad, much to the disgust of Les Blues fans. New boss Laurent Blanc has galvanizes the squad and France look an unrecognizable unit two years on. They dominated against England before eventually drawing 1-1 but went top of Group D with a 2-0 win over cohosts Ukraine. Nasri, however, knows it will take a long time for those World Cup scars to finally heal. “Our fans have not forgiven us yet but we will do everything to change that,” he said. “In France the image of the national team was really bad so we have tried hard for the past

two years to change that and we are 23 games unbeaten now. “We are trying to show everyone something different, and that we are not just players with huge egos and big heads. We understand the fans but we want to give them pleasure and do something special as well.” Nasri acknowledges France are outsiders to win the tournament, with Spain and Germany both consolidating their claims as front runners, but the Manchester City star says the team are building towards World Cup 2014. “We are getting to the age of 24 and 25 and it is time to do something,” he added. “To win the tournament will be difficult but we are trying to build something to make sure we are ready for the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil. “You never know what can happen in a big tournament like this. We have done well in the first two games here and we’ll try to do something.”

Robben hints at Dutch unrest

rjen Robben has hinted towards tension in the dressing room after Netherlands were knocked out of Euro 2012 following their 2-1 defeat to Portugal. Robben and his team-mates made the World Cup final in their last major tournament but endured a difficult campaign, failing to win a game in the group stages, scoring just two goals. As is often the case, rumours of difficulties behind the scenes plagued their stay in Poland and Ukraine, and the Bayern Munich star has alluded to issues caused by the presence of so many big name players. Mark van Bommel, the son-inlaw of Bert van Marwijk, was dropped for the 2-1 defeat to Portugal that sealed Netherlands’ fate and he admitted there was a different feeling in the squad than at the 2014 World Cup. The 35-year-old said: “I am captain and will always protect my players but the atmosphere was different than two years ago. Why that was I don’t know, I can only speak for myself, not the other guys.’’ But Portugal roared back at the Dutch, with Cristiano Ronaldo in inspired form. His two goals ended

any slim hopes Netherlands had of progressing and allowed the recriminations to start flowing. Van der Vaart said: “I knew it would be difficult. We had to score two goals. We started off really well and scored one goal, but we knew we had to score another one, so we got nervous.

Arjen Robben

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Oyo soccer academicals get invitation for U.S. tourney

he Oyo State Football Academicals over the weekend in Ibadan secured invitation to represent Nigeria in the South Carolina Youth Competition in the U.S. The team secured the ticket after defeating their Bauchi counterpart in the final round of the maiden edition

Chief Segun Odegbami, Chairman of NASCOM

of the Nigeria Academicals Sports Commission (NASCOM) football competition held at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan. There had earlier been an invitation from the South Carolina Youths Association for the winner of the Nigeria Academicals football tournament to play in a series of competitions and clinics from July 31 to Aug. 21. The Oyo team defeated the Bauchi Academicals with 1-0 through a long shot from Soliu Abdullahi in the 65th minute of the tension soaked game, while the Kaduna secured the bronze medal after defeating their Edo counterpart 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a goalless full time. The Oyo and Bauchi teams qualified for the finals after defeating Edo and Kaduna 2-1 and 7-5, respectively in the semi-final matches on Saturday. Mr Dapo Lam-Adeshina, Oyo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, described the victory as an attestation of the development of sports in the state, adding that more would be witnessed in the years to

come. Lam-Adeshina said that the state had recorded tremendous achievement in sports development in the last one year, adding that it had improved on the dwindling fortunes of sports in the state. Mr Segun Odegbami, the Chairman of NASCOM, commended the Oyo State Government for a well organised competition, urging others to replicate such in their states. Odegbami said that the essence of the competition was to develop sports in Nigeria, adding that the NASCOM was concerned with all sports and not football only. He presented the invitation of the South Carolina Youth Association to Mr Dapo Lam-Adeshina, the

Commissioner of the winning state, who promised to ensure the opportunity would not be a waste. The honourary awards for contribution to sports development were presented to Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, Minister of Sports, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, former Minister of Sports, Chief Patrick Ekeji, Chief Segun Odegbami and host of others. Others present at the event are Mr Babatunde Olaniyan, Deputy Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Lowo Obisesan, Oyo State Commissioner for Establishment, Chief Kashimawo Laloko, Director, Pepsi Football Academy, and some special advisers to the Oyo State Governor.

Bekele to compete in British trials

thiopian Olympic 10 000 and 5 000 metres champion Kenenisa Bekele will head a field including his younger brother Tariku in the British Olympic trials 10 000 final in Birmingham this Friday. Tariku Bekele, a former world indoor champion, his compatriot and former world cross country champion Gebre Gebremariam and Uganda’s Commonwealth 10 000 and 5 000 gold medallist Moses Kipsiro will also run at the Alexander stadium. Britain’s world 5 000 metres champion and 10 000 metres silver medallist Mo Farah will not take

part after opting to run the 1 500 as part of his speed training. Farah beat Bekele over 5 000 in Eugene this month. “This race will be a great opportunity for me to compete against some of the best distance athletes and secure my place in the Ethiopian Olympic team,” Bekele said in a statement released by UK Athletics on Sunday. “There are not many 10 000 races on the European circuit so I’m looking forward to an exciting battle in Birmingham. I am improving with every competition this season so I will be expecting to run a very fast race.” David Nalbandian with injured umpire

Nalbandanian forfeits $56,000, faces police for ‘assault’

Kenenisa Bekele

ne rash moment was that it took Argentine power server, David Nalbandian. He had reacted in frustration to a missed serve by kicking out at a wooden advertising board which disintegrated into bits one of which slammed into an official Andrew McDougall’s left leg, and left a gash. Now, Nalbandian was docked his points, lost the prize money, will be fined $10,000 in addition to losing the prize money. Added to that, the Argentine is facing police investigation for alleged assault. The British police were alerted on the alleged assault and have according launched investigation into the complaint of assault lodged against Argentine tennis player by the official. A Scotland Yard spokesman said yesterday: “An allegation of assault has been made to us relating to an incident at the... tennis tournament and we are now investigating.” Nalbandian was leading Sunday’s match 7-6 3-3 when he dropped serve in the seventh game and reacted rather violently against a wooden advertising board. The injured McDougall was subsequently given medical attention for his cut left shin the on the court by medics before being escorted off the ground to the club’s medical centre for further treatment.. Nalbandian was later disqualified for, “unsportsmanlike behaviour” and awarded the match to his Croatian opponent Marin Cilic. Nalbandian later apologised after the incident, saying: “I know (what) I did (is) a mistake, 100 per cent. I feel very sorry for the guy. I didn’t want to do that. But sometimes you get angry and you cannot control those moments.”

Blake wins 100m tune-up, as Lemaitre clocks 9.94sec

orld champion Yohan Blake tuned up for a Jamaican Olympic trials showdown with Usain Bolt by winning the 100 metres at the Donovan Bailey Invitational in Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday. Blake clocked 10.05 seconds to defeat American Trell Kimmons and Jamaican Lerone Clarke. Kimmons ran 10.11 and Clarke 10.13. Blake will face world record holder Bolt for the first time this year in the national Olympic trials in Kingston at the end of the month. Both should advance to the London Games where they are hot picks to clash for the gold medal in the 100 final. Jamaican Sheri-Ann Brooks swept the women’s sprints, winning the 100 in 11.05 seconds just 90 minutes after taking the 200 in a wind-assisted 22.92. World champion Jason Richardson showed his form for next week’s US Olympic trials by claiming the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.16 seconds. Canadian Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep defeated a strong field to win the women’s race in 12.76. Canadian record holder Perdita Felicien was a disappointing sixth in 12.94. Canada’s top shot putter, world silver medallist Dylan Armstrong, had the day’s top three throws including a winning 21.02 metres as he defeated American world indoor champion Ryan Whiting, who threw 20.71. Meanwhile, Christophe Lemaitre retained his French national 100m title with a windassisted 9.94sec victory on Saturday. With the wind recorded at +2.6 m/s, the 22-year-old Lemaitre beat home Jimmy Vicaut, who clocked 10.05sec, with Emmanuel Biron taking third (10.10). “I’m happy,” Lemaitre said. “I came in well under 10 seconds. But the wind was too strong, it’s a shame. But 9.94sec is a good time, even if I felt a little heavy over the first part of the race.” Lemaitre, who set a French national record of 9.92sec last year, will defend his two gold medals (100m, 4x100m) in the June 27-July 1 European Championships at Helsinki, before going on to the July 27-August 12 London Olympic Games aiming for the podium. The Frenchman finished fourth in the 100m final at the World Championships in Daegu last summer, but came home with a bronze from the 200m.

Christophe Lemaitre

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

PAGE 45

Manchester City will begin the defence of their Premier League title against newly promoted Southampton at Etihad Stadium.

Chris Robshaw out of final Test against South Africa after suffering cracked thumb, with Dylan Hartley taking over as England captain.

Graeme McDowell says he has 'renewed belief' that he can win more major titles after tying for second place at the US Open.

PICTORIAL Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner has been banned for one match and fined â&#x20AC;˘100,000 for showing his sponsored underwear in the 3-2 loss against Portugal.

Cricketer Tom Maynard dies after being struck by a Tube train, shortly after it is believed he may have tried to escape from police.

Mo Farah will defend his European 5,000m title after being given special dispensation to compete in Helsinki and the Olympic trials.

The Queen will hope for a winner in Diamond Jubilee year when her horse Carlton House runs in the Prince of Wales's Stakes tomorrow.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Van Heerden retains IBO title, as Adamek joins ‘big boys’ club

hris van Heerden retained his IBO welterweight title when he beat Sebastian Lujan on points at Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, on Saturday night. The South African won by 120-109 on two cards and by 119-109 on the third against a tough, cagey opponent from Argentina. Van Heerden showed superb condition, hand speed, and confidence. He took charge in the opening round and seldom relinquished the

Chris van Heerden

initiative. His crisp punching was the main feature as the bout unfolded and the veteran from Argentina had to use his superior experience to stay in contention. His excellent head movement was, however, not enough to keep him out of trouble as Van Heerden, at 25 seven years his junior, kept digging in blows to the body. Lujan took the edge off the South African’s attacks at times by tying the champion up on the ropes but his work rate was by no means good enough to earn him victory. His lack of punching power also did not give him a chance of winning by knockout. In taking his record to 18-1-1, with 10 knockouts, Van Heerden produced one of the best performances by a South African boxer in recent times. He is by no means a finished product but he is earning respect at international level. Lujan’s record dropped to 42-7-1, including 26 stoppage wins. The referee was Thabo Spampool and the judges Pete Podgorski, Mark Streisand and Tshabala. The tournament was presented by Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions. Meanwhile, Tomasz Adamek announced himself

as a heavyweight contender when he beat Eddie Chambers on points on Saturday night. The former light-heavyweight title holder beat Chambers on points over 12 rounds in a tournament in Newark, New Jersey. Two judges scored it 116-112 and the third called it 119109. The victory took Adamek’s record to 46-2, including 29 knockouts. Chambers dropped to 36-3; 18. In another heavyweight bout on the same card, Bryant Jennings remained undefeated at 14-0; 6 by beating Steve Collins on points – 10089 on each of the cards. The victory gave Jennings the vacant USBA heavyweight title. In McAllen, Texas, Carlos Molina beat Marcos Jimenez on points over ten rounds in a lightweight bout, taking his professional record to 17-0-1, with 7 stoppage wins. Jimenez dropped to 18-4; 12. In Manchester, England, Richard Towers won the European Boxing Union’s heavyweight title when he stopped Gregory Tony in the ninth round. Towers, who is 2.03 m tall and is unbeaten after 14 fights, won ten inside the distance. But Tony, who was knocked down five times, has dropped to 17-3; 14.

Middleweight Martin Murray also retained his unbeaten status when he beat Karim Achour on points over ten rounds. Murray improved to 240-1; 10 and Achour now stands at 113-3-2; 2. Scott Quigg and Rendall Munroe had to settle for a technical draw when their fight for the vacant WBA interim belt was called off in the third round. Munroe, now 24-1; 10, was badly cut in a clash of heads. But Quigg remains unbeaten on 24-0; 17.

Tomasz Adamek

Yaba LCDA vows to win 2012 Lagos State Junior League

brahim Ishola, the Supervisory Councilor for Youth and Sports, Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), says the council is already preparing to win the 2012 Lagos State Junior League. Ishola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the council had started preparing players in secondary schools for the U-20 football tournament taking place in August. “We will win the junior league just as we won

the Lagos State Sports Festival with our early preparation which made us to get best athletes that won us medals. “Expect the same performance in the league because we have started our preparation for the league immediately we ended the state’s sports festival tagged, “Ibile Games”. “The council is committed to developing the youth within its area and investing in things that will empower them,” he said.

ECOWAS Games: Ghana lead as Nigeria struggle to maintain athletics dominance H

osts Ghana again edged defending champions Nigeria in the track and field events as both struggle for dominance of the ongoing second edition of the ECOWAS Games. The hosts, after grabbing four gold, two silver and two bronze medals on athletics’ formal opening day, led the medals table with five gold four silver and three bronze medals. The hosts had claimed one gold, two silver and one bronze medals in the events held during the opening ceremony on Saturday. Defending champions Nigeria returned to the El Wak Stadium venue of the athletics events on Sunday to play second fiddle with three gold, five silver and one bronze medal. With one gold and one bronze medals on Saturday, Nigeria who are continental athletics powerhouse now have four gold, five silver and two bronze medals to stay in second position. Nigeria’s medals haul was affected by the failure to win the women’s sprints, in spite of impressive results in the heats. Igbinesun Isoken and Josephine Omaka had won the heats with 11.22 and 11.53 seconds, respectively ahead of Ghana’s Mary Quayson (11.63) and Janet Amonsah (11.61) in heats one and two, respectively. But they faltered when it mattered minutes later, with Amonsah breasting the tape at 11.52 to win gold, leaving Omaka with the silver at 11.54 and Quayson the bronze at 12.16. Isokenon on her part was

disqualified by the Games officials. The Nigerian men did better by maintaining their heats dominance to go on and win the gold and silver medals in the final. Nmaji Jonathan won the top spot with 10.38, better than the 10.48 he ran to win heat two, while Briggs Tamunotoye, who ran 10.55 to win heat one also was slightly better with 10.53 for silver. Ghana’s Emmanuel Dasor won the bronze medal with a time of 10.69. Nigerian women proved themselves with the top two spots in the discus event, where Nkechi Chime won gold with a 33.30 mark. Priscilla Zever claimed the silver medal with a 31.74 mark, leaving the bronze medal for Christiane Zotome of Republic of Benin who threw 30.53. In the men’s category, Ghana’s Eric Amoasi threw 42.14 to pip Nigeria’s Nwoye Augustine who had 41.89. Mali’s Bouya Keite then had to contend with the bronze medal after recording a mark of 37.97. In the women’s long jump, Elizabeth Dadzie jumped 5.78 metres to win gold, while Nigeria’s Hope Jacob won silver with 5.75 and Marie Sanou of Burkina Faso the bronze with 4.77. It was the same winners for the 800 metres men, just as it was in the 1,500 metres a day earlier at the same venue, with Ghana claiming the top two spots. Sampson Azumah won gold with one

Ishola, who also supervises Agricultural, Rural, Social Development, said the council’s sports administrators had gone round schools to scout for good footballers for the league. The councilor said the selected players reported for training everyday at Abete, Iwaya ,playing ground. “Every day, we train them so as to get the best result. I also go to their training to ensure they take it seriously. We have employed the

service of well trained football coaches to help train them,” he said. Ishola lauded the chairman of the LCDA, Jide Jimoh, for his interest in sports. Tunde Philip, the LCDA’s head coach, said that the council was set to win the league to retain its glory in sport. “We went through all schools within the council area to pick the best players. We have selected 30 out of 120. We want to do it again as we did during the Ibile Games,” he said.

minute 51.75 seconds, compatriot Bright Atta-Gyamfi the silver with 1:53.47 and Nigeria’s Barnabas David the bronze with 1:54.30. The Games’ athletics events will come to an end today, while the competition

as a whole will end on Friday. Other events featuring at the Games with 11 participating countries, which will hold at the El Wak Stadium and the Accra Sports Stadium are volleyball, handball, traditional wrestling and boxing.

Josephine Omaka

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

PAGE 47

18th NSF: Scribe urges athletes, coaches to get use with electronic device

he Secretary of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Chinedu Ezeala-Ogundare, has advised athletes and referees, to acquaint themselves with the workings of the electronic device which would be used during the National Sports festival in Lagos. Ezealah-Ogundare, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos, that the athletes who are conversant with the device will not have difficulty in international competitions. “The reason for the use of electronic device during the National Sports festival is to ensure that athletes are familiar with the equipment and its application in any event,” she said. Ezealah-Ogundare gave the names of the devices to be used during the18th National Sports Festival as: Protecting Scoring System (PSS) Electronic Body Protector (EBP) Electronic Score Board (ESB) and sensors. According to her, the devices are being used for the first time in sports festival, would go a long way to ensure

fair judgment, as points would be determined by the system. “The introduction of the equipment in the festival is to promote honesty and objectivity, and to avoid officials from unduly influencing the points of athletes,” she said. She however urged states association to make the equipment available in order to enhance the progress of the preparation of their athletes, which would hold in

November. The NTF Secretary disclosed that Poomse, a demonstrative part of taekwondo would be featured at the festival, while states are to come with a maximum of five athletes each. Ezealah-Ogundare warned that States athletes to come with taekwondo complete kits called dobok for the festival, because the NTF would not accommodate any form of noncompliance and indiscipline.

A Nigerian table tennis player in action

Lafia agog as Nasarawa Utd gain promotion to premier league From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

afia, the Nasarawa state capital, at the weekend went agog with jubilation as residents poured into the streets to welcome home Nasarawa United who recently gained promotion to the Nigerian Premier League (NPL), after four years in the professional division one. The club, which won their last match against Giwa United FC of

Jos to seal their place in the elite league and on arrival from Abuja, were treated to a warm reception by a mammoth crowd that included top government functionaries that had gathered at the Lafia City Gate. After a carnival-like procession through the major streets of Lafia, the Taal Boys as they are fondly called were received by the deputy governor Hon. Dameshi Luka Barau, who expressed delight

at the feat achieved by the team and promised that government will continue to accord sports a pride of place for the overall development of the state. “Our administration will continue to make concerted efforts at sports development so that our teeming talented youths will have the avenue to develop themselves into reputable sportsmen and women.” He stated.

NSSF accuses Odegbami’s NASCOM of running parallel programme T he Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) has accused the Nigeria Academicals Sports Committee

Chief Segun Odebgami

ift Sowemimo, a former Super Falcons’ striker, yesterday urged the team to work on cohesion and blend before the African Women Championship (AWC) in Equatorial Guinea, in November. Sowemimo, who believed that the Falcons posses in abundant the qualities that would make them the standout team at the tournament, observed that what they demonstrated during the qualifiers showed that they could do with improved cohesion and blend. She advised the players to always work as a team, saying that some areas needed improvement to ensure a balanced team. “The girls still need to understand one another well because I noticed some lapses in the way they passed their ball. The defence was good, the players were fit and I think they will go places if they continue to

(NASCOM) of running a parallel programme thereby undermining its efforts to develop school sports. The federation’s President Malam Ibrahim Mohammed said yesterday that NASCOM was busy organising competitions instead of playing an advisory role and collaborative role. He added that NASCOM was duplicating the functions of the NSSF and have deviated from its original objective, and has tended to work in a manner that is capable of jeopardising the body’s grassroots initiative. “The issue is that, the people in charge of NASCOM are duplicating our job, which makes us unserious to potential

sponsors; they are supposed to get their products from us. “They should be working with our finished product, they should be counseling, promoting this budding talents, the essence of school sports is to ensure age grade talents are not compromised. “They obviously seem to have their own agenda, you will realise that, they are mostly not students, and there has being no competition held,” the NSSF president said. “I was at the basketball finals in Niger state, from what I saw they are not students because there was no preliminary competition, because we told them how to go about it which they didn’t adhere

to,” he said. Mohammed further stressed the need for the body to pick the best players from a NSSF centrally organised competition, which they would work with, which he lamented was not the case. “Instead of them to encourage school sports, there is nothing like that, instead they are competing at parallel to the NSSF. “We may not resolve this if we don’t get talking, they instead go around seeking funds from all and sundry,” he said. The president commended the consistent support the body had been receiving from its sponsors, and described them as committed partners. “For the past 13 years Nestle

Speaking earlier, the State Commissioner for Sports Mr. Daniel Ogah Ogazi, lauded the team for bringing honour to the state and applauded government for the the moral and financial support given to the team. As a mark of appreciation, the Commissioner for Health in the state Dr. Emmanuel Akabe made a donation of $2,000 to the management and players of the team. Milo has been keeping schools basketball alive, same goes for Shell, they have been dependable, and have consistently kept us afloat. “The amazing number of talent that have been discovered from our programmes, are currently playing in the National team, I mean in basketball, and in football we will get there,” he said.

Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Sports Minister

Sowemimo canvasses team work for Super Falcons play with determination,” Sowemimo said. The former international described the team as a blend of new and old players and that the squad would get better with time. Sowemimo commended the team’s technical crew and expressed support for the consistent pattern of play the Super Falcons had adopted. “The new coach is doing wonders with the girls, the tempo of their game has improved and with such consistency, the girls will be recognised,” the former Super Falcons player said. Sowemimo urged the Super Falcons to re-enact the zeal they exhibited in the qualifiers in the June 23 international friendly match with the Banyana Banyana of South Africa.

The match is scheduled for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere. “I know it is a friendly match,

Desire Oparanozie

but all these competitions also improve their ranking. They should also show the same zeal

as they did in the qualifiers in the international friendly match,” Sowemimo said.

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

Cassano, Mario send Italy into quarters

Today fixtures England v Ukraine Sweden v France Ireland Croatia

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Mario Balotelli

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Whatever may be their perceived grievances, it cannot be the justification for taking the lives of innocent people. — ACF reacting to the Sunday bombings in Zaria and Kaduna

Weep for Nigeria, not ‘Mr. Integrity’ U

ntonio Cassano's firsthalf header and a spectacular Mario Balotelli volley in the final minute sent Italy through to the Euro 2012 quarterfinals as Group C runners-up after a 2-0 victory over Ireland yesterday. Cassano glanced in Andrea Pirlo's corner on 35 minutes, the ball clearly crossing the line before Damien Duff hacked clear. Substitute Balotelli swivelled to thump in a corner from eight metres out to secure victory. Italy, who will play the Group D winners in the last eight in Kiev on Sunday, finished runners-up on five points, behind group winners Spain on seven. Ireland, already eliminated after defeats by Croatia and Spain, threatened sporadically with their best moment coming when keeper Gianluigi Buffon parried a fierce drive from Keith Andrews who was sent off on 89 minutes Meanwhile Substitute Jesus Navas tapped home two minutes from time to snatch a 1-0 victory over Croatia and send holders Spain through to the last eight of Euro 2012 as Group C winners. Croatia, who battled hard against the world and European champions, went out as Italy finished second thanks to a 2-0 win over Ireland. Spain will now face the runners-up in a Group D featuring France, England, Ukraine and eliminated Sweden.

Result Italy 2 Spain 1

. . . putting the people first

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE

ntil the current twist in the melodrama starring Farouk Lawan and the fuel subsidy cabal many Nigerians had hoped that the time hascome to name and shame, or even bring some of the looters of their commonwealth to justice. They had thought with the damning indictment of the cabal and given Farouk Lawan’s seeming uprightness President Goodluck Jonathan would have no choice but to act accordingly and ditch his allies by prosecuting those behind the subsidy fraud. None had, apparently, reckoned with a last minute snag in the magnitude of the scandal now seeking to devour the report and further deal a shattering blow on the morale of those genuinely wanting to fight corruption. But the reality has now dawned on all. ‘Mr Integrity’ is not as previously thought one of the last few men still standing up against corruption in the country’s legislative arm – a tier that has been riddled by a glut of scandals since its inauguration in June 1999. A stroll down memory lane takes us to the case of House of Representatives Speaker Ibrahim Salisu Buhari who had lied about his age and academic qualifications and was forced to resign his position and vacate the house. Then came the scandal of Senate President Evans Enwerem who was kicked out of his position and was replaced by Dr. Chuba Okadigbo. Okadigbo was to ingloriously make a tumble from Olympus in August 2000 after his colleagues impeached him on the strength of the corruption charges against him. His counterpart in the lower chamber, Ghali Na’abba survived the same plot to unseat him, as it later emerged that there were invisible hands working (allegedly with the active support of the presidency) to throw both houses into chaos, by removing their ‘uncompromising leaders’ and replacing them with rubberstamps. Yet Anyim Pius Anyim, the man that replaced Okadigbo, and Na’aba remained for the rest of the first four years of the Third Republic an effective check on the regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and to a large extent trimmed his arrogance to size. Roll back to the second four years of the Republic, where although there were few cases of scandals the most memorable was

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GUEST COLUMNIST Musa Aliyu

Hon. Farouk Lawan the one involving the then Senate President Adolphus Wabara. His election had, itself, been trailed by controversy after an Appeal Court decision annulled the election of his opponent D. C. Imo to hand him victory. While in the House the real scandal to rock his leadership leading to his resignation was the $400,000 bribe he allegedly took from Education Minister, Fabian Osuji. And despite the dust it raised the matter was finally laid to rest by a court which claimed the charges were false. Ken Nnamani remained the Senate President up until the end of its second tenure in 2007. In the whole of that time too the House of Representatives remained relatively stable under Speaker Aminu Masari. But the

next four years was particularly turbulent as the Speaker, Patricia Eteh was soon removed after her election. She was accused of appropriating more money than was needed for the refurbishment of her official residence. Yet, some analysts including the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s spin doctor, Segun Adeniyi, claimed she was toppled by those who wanted to use her as a stooge but realised she was not going to make herself as easily available for manipulation as they had hoped. Dimeji Bankole rose from the ruins of Eteh to survive till the end of that span of the regime but he was unable to return to the House and was handed corruption charges. Despite his disgraceful arrest and prosecution life has since returned to normal as the charges have been dropped. Not long ago was the corruption allegation levelled against Herman Hembe, Chairman of the Committee on Capital Market and Other Financial Institutions who had reportedly asked for bribe from Ms Arunma Oteh, the now suspended Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). When the news of the scandal first broke out and both Hembe and Oteh were trading accusations and counter accusations, I told a friend that I would hesitate to trust

“

Until the current twist in the melodrama starring Farouk Lawan and the fuel subsidy cabal many Nigerians had hoped that the time hascome to name and shame, or even bring some of the looters of their commonwealth to justice. They had thought with the damning indictment of the cabal and given Farouk Lawan’s seeming uprightness President Goodluck Jonathan would have no choice but to act accordingly and ditch his allies by prosecuting those behind the subsidy fraud

Hembe’s version of the story. My reason was simple. I knew the young man from his days of socalled student activism. It was a time anyone could just lay a claim to NANS (the National Association of Nigerian Students) leadership simply because of the anticipated financial gains. He was one of such claimants. And as it turned out, I was right he, rather than Oteh, had lied. While there has been more emphasis on some cases like those mentioned above, it suffices to cite a few major yet hardly discussed ones. In 2003 Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai came with allegations of extortion against some serving Senators who were charged with the responsibility of vetting nominees to ministerial jobs. ElRufai’s name had been sent to the upper chamber for clearance and he appeared before them for same. In a private discussion with a journalist friend afterwards, I understand, he mentioned that he had been asked to pay some money (in millions of naira) to be cleared for the job. That journalist friend later blew the lid, perhaps with elRufai’s approval. The principal bribe askers named in the scandal were Senators Ibrahim Mantu and Jonathan Zwingina. The controversy raged for a while and, although the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges probed the allegation, the matter was finally killed by 68 of the 109 members of the upper house who generally agreed to give the allegation no further seal of credence. On the day the decision was reached I accompanied a colleague to the Apo residence of one of the Senators who had voted to throw out el-Rufai’s bribery allegation. While I waited in the car my colleague went into the home of the Senator and later emerged lamenting that Nigeria was doomed. He told me that all those that had voted to discredit elRufai’s allegation against Mantu and Zwingwina knew deep down that the Senators had demanded and got money to clear el-Rufai. That they knew el-Rufai did not offer the bribe demanded but someone paid on his behalf. Yet they would not do anything about the matter because el-Rufai had refused to disclose the name of his ‘rescuer’. So the corrupt Senators had it in their favour either way. My colleague told me his source was the Senator we had visited. I believed him. Contd. on Page 35

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