Peoples Daily Newspaper, Tuesday 20, August, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 67

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Shawwal 13, 1434 AH

N150

2,000 applicants accuse civil service commission of neglect

>>Pg

Abubakar Shekau may be dead ...JTF claims

By Joy Baba, Abuja and Mustapha Isa Kwaru, Maiduguri

B

arely 24 hours after it was officially disbanded, the Joint (military) Task Force (JTF)

in Borno state yesterday claimed it shot the leader of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna lid Da’awati wal Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, Imam Abubakar Shekau.

The JTF, in a statement issued

by its spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, claimed that Shekau may have even died following gunshot wounds he sustained during an attack by some of its operatives on his hideout in Sambisa Forest on

June 30.

But the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, could neither confirm nor deny the JTF claim.

The JTF spokesman, in

a statement made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, Borno state stated that intelligence reports available to him “revealed that Abubakur Shekau, the most Contd. on Page 2

Unemployed graduates seeking employment through Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) staging a peaceful protest against alleged neglect by the commission, yesterday in front of the Federal Civil Service Club in Jabi, Abuja. They were blocked from accessing the club building by a detachment of policemen swiftly deployed to the area.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

I won’t be forced to F resign, says Tukur

By Lawrence Olaoye

...‘United PDP in Jonathan’s interest’ Again, ASUU, FG meeting deadlocked >> Pg 3

ollowing speculations that the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamange Tukur, has been instructed to resign, the PDP boss yesterday declared that he will not be forced out of his position.

Tukur, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja, claimed he maintained a good

Gunmen abduct 2 teachers, 3 kids in Edo >> Pg 2

relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan and other critical stakeholders in the PDP, whom he said, he has been strategizing with on the need to address the challenges facing the party.

The party chairman also maintained that it is in the nearest of the party and indeed that of President Jonathan to get their acts together, warning that doing otherwise would amount to yielding grounds for the opposition.

Contd. on Page 2

Abacha sugar coy kicks off 2015 >> Pg 3

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

News CONTENTS News Editorial Op.Ed

2-10 12 13

Letters 14 Opinion 15 Metro 16-18 Business 19-22 Stockwatch 23 S/Report Defence

24-25 26-27

Agric Feature

22-29 30

Keshi celebrates Omeruo’s successful surgery, Page 41

Int’l

31-34

Strange World Digest` Politics Newsxtra Sports Leisure Columnist

35 36

37-39 40 41-46 47 48

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Gunmen abduct 2 teachers, 3 kids in Edo From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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unmen suspected to be kidnappers on Sunday reportedly abducted two female public primary school teachers alongside three children in Benin City, Edo state capital.

The development came on the heels of the abduction of three female public school teachers of Orogbua in Ekenwan community in Ovia North East local government area earlier.

The first victim in the fresh

incident simply identified as Mrs. Agbaka was said to have been abducted along with her three children while going to church on Sunday morning, according to an official of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

The second victim identified as Mrs. P. O. Elebe, a teacher at Uyiosa Primary School, off Ehaekpen in Oredo local government area, was said to have been abducted while returning from church the same day.

The official said, “Mrs. Agbaka, the Headmistress of Edion Primary

School, on Old Sapele Road in BeninCity was allegedly abducted with her three children.”

The official also alleged that the private vehicle of the victim, which was earlier taken along with the victims, has been recovered.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Moses Eguavoen, confirmed the report.

State Chairman of the NUT, Mr. Patrick Ikosimi, described the situation as “embarrassing”, but admitted that the kidnappers have opened lines of communication.

Edo state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

Abubakar Shekau may be dead Contd. from Front Page dreaded and wanted Boko Haram terrorist leader may have died”.

According to Lt. Col. Musa, Shekau “died of gunshot wounds received in an encounter with the JTF troops in one of their camps at Sambisa Forest on 30 June, 2013.

“Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide – a border community in Cameroun for treatment which he never recovered,” he added.

“It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between 25 July to 3 August, 2013. He was reported to have masterminded the kidnap of the seven French citizens and that of the elder statesman Alhaji (Dr) Shettima Ali Monguno, in addition to many murders of Islamic clerics in Northern Nigeria.

“He was also responsible for bombings of many places of worship and public buildings including Police and United Nations headquarters in Abuja,” the statement said.

Explaining the recent video message purportedly sent by the Boko Haram leader, the JTF spokesman argued that it was “dramatized by an imposter to hoodwink the sect members to continue with the terrorism and to deceive the undiscerning minds.

“The JTF wishes to appeal to the sect members to lay down their arms and embrace the Federal Government’s offer for dialogue,” the statement concluded.

But the JTF statement aroused a lot of curiosity in the minds of many citizens, particularly following heightened attacks by the sect in recent times, which many thought could have waned, once the group’s spiritual leader is dead.

More so, a lot of people who saw the video message posted on the 13th of this month on the internet showing a man whose face and voice looked like Shekau’s, expressed doubts over the claim by the military task force.

Besides, when contacted by a British Broadcasting Corporation

(BBC) correspondent yesterday, the defence spokesman, Brigadier General Olukolade said he would neither deny nor confirm the JTF claim.

In addition, other people wondered why a task force that has been pronounced disbanded would be making such a claim, even as security sources said the JTF could still do that since the new Army Division is yet to take over from it.

In the meantime, there are indications that Major General Obida Ethan may have been appointed the General Commanding Officer (GOC) of the new division of the Nigerian Army established to carry on with the ongoing internal security operations in the Northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

The operation code named “OPERATION BOYANA” (an acronym derived from the names of the three states-Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) covered by the State of Emergency declaration, entered a new phase of three months into

the mission yesterday as the control of the mission reverts to the Army headquarters.

A source from the Army headquarters revealed to Peoples Daily that Ethan is due to take over Command and the assets of theheadquarters of the JTF in Maiduguri within the week.

The operation, which commenced after the declaration of State of Emergency by President Goodluck Jonathan with the aim of stamping out terrorism from the North-eastern part of the country, will now have Nigerian Army solely in charge of the operations, but still under the routine guidance of the defence headquarters.

A statement signed by General Olukolade at the weekend said the phase that was concluded yesterday was executed by a JTF composed by troops drawn from the services of the Armed Forces as well as other security agencies who conducted ‘Operation BOYANA’.

General Ethan has been a commander at the Army

I won’t be forced to resign, says Tukur Contd. from Front Page While blaming the speculations on the order for his resignation on the activities of “some black legs in and out of the PDP”, Tukur said: “Let me reiterate that I am not resigning and I have no intention of doing so as an elected national chairman of PDP. “I accepted to become chairman based on my conviction that I can use my wealth of experience to help my party and my country. I am not looking for anything at my age other than putting it on record that God has helped me, and then, I am using the opportunities he gave me to serve the rest of Nigeria to the best of my abilities.

“I will not relent in using the good office given to me by God to bring peace into the party. It is on this note that I appeal to all our members to come together to face the challenges confronting

us as a party. If we must remain the strongest party that we are in Africa, it is high time we buried the hatchets and then begin to close ranks.

“It is in our party’s interest and indeed, in the interest of President Goodluck Jonathan to have us get back on the track while regaining the grooves that have been making us tick, unbeatable and widely accepted.

“To do otherwise is to yield the grounds to the propagandists who have been masquerading as our opponents even with the nebulous interest of getting power in 2015”, he stressed.

According to him, the media have been awash with reports of his purported resignation since he assumed office as national chairman of PDP over a year ago, stressing that the predictions have always failed and its sponsors have

not relented.

Tukur said, “I had hardly settled down in office when some newspapers predicted that I would not last three months. Later, some newspapers wrote that I would resign in December. Another one said two days ago that I had been asked to resign. Well, I have spent more than one year in office and they still continue to write same and same thing all over. I really do not understand whether Bamanga Tukur is really the media’s problem, or the problem of faceless individuals who were manufacturing the miserable reports.

“It was more ludicrous that some people funded a report that I had resigned when indeed, I was on my way to Canada for an official engagement, and yet our so-called media bought the untruth without shuddering. Then I ask myself,

where is the sense of fairness and professionalism by our media in this regard?

“The problem is so bad that when members of our party meet and discuss behind closed doors, the media would say Bamanga Tukur is the issue. The media do not seem to know that we have better things to discuss in our party than issue of crises”, he said.

Tukur, however, said as a Nigerian who had served in high capacities at the global level, who had assisted in bringing business opportunities to Nigeria as the President of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Group, and who is currently heading Africa’s largest political party, he would never make a fuss by subjecting the process of his resignation from PDP to media hype and needless conjectures.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 3

News

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Hon. Isa Mohammed, Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Architect Musa Sada, during a workshop on the solid minerals sector, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

2,000 applicants accuse civil service commission of neglect

Abacha sugar coy begins operation in 2015

By Stanley Onyekwere

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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ot less than 2,000 unemployed Nigeria ngraduates seeking employment through the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) yesterday blocked the Sani Abacha Expressway Way, near Mabushi at Jabi area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) protesting alleged

neglect by the Commission.

The protest started at about 11am. It took the quick intervention of the police force to disperse the aggrieved applicants who besieged the portion of the road adjacent to the Federal Civil Service Club where they were asked to pick their employment application forms for advertised job vacancies in the some MDAs.

A representative of the applicants, Agaba G. Adeka, told our reporter that they have been visiting the FSC club premises since last week, to pick their employment forms, following the placement of advertisement notice but up till yesterday there were no any FSC staff there to attend to them.

According to him; “we been coming down to the FCS Club to

pick employment forms following the placement of advert but cannot access any.

“It is better for us not to live than to live without jobs and that is exactly what we are facing in this country.

The FCSC spokesperson, Mrs. Badejo Olubunmi, did not respond to sms sent to her telephone to respond to the allegations of the protesters.

‘Why we’re probing missing Don’t use my name to The Speaker, Hon. John Clark Dabwan, was said to have heat up polity - First Lady N5 billion’ set up an ad hoc committee of

By A’isha Biola Raji

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he Plateau State House of Assembly has launched a probe into the state’s share of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) received by the Governor Jonah Jang administration between January 2012 till date.

The probe of the suspected missing fund became necessary after an outcry by the public alleging misappropriation by the state government of the subsidy fund.

the assembly to investigate the alleged missing funds considering the fact that the programme had not taken off in the state in spite of the monthly disbursement of funds to the state.

The eight-man ad hoc committee chaired by Hon. Dalyop Mancha, while submitting its report to the House, conveyed reservation over the refusal of the state government officials, who appeared before it to disclosed details of the bank accounts of the SURE-P funds.

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he First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan on Monday appealed that her name should not be used to heat up the nation’s polity.

This is contained in a statement released in Abuja and signed by Mrs Ayo Adesugba, a Director of Information in the presidency.

According to the statement, reports that she snubbed the deputy governor on her arrival in Port Harcourt were false. ‘’It is important to set the record straight in order to prevent the

public from being misled.

“The First Lady arrived in Rivers State yesterday for a private visit, to make arrangements for the burial of her late mother with members of her extended family. ‘’It should be clear to all that for quite some time now, the First Lady has refrained from commenting on issues relating to the politics of Rivers State. ‘’Dame Patience does not want her name to be used to heat up the polity.” (NAN)

T

h e multi-billion Naira Hadejia Sugar Manufacturing Company in Jigawa state owned by the eldest son of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, is expected to commence full operations in 2O15.

The Technical Director of the company, Alhaji Umar Sanda, dropped the hint while conducting round members of the State Advisory Council on Economic Management and Investment who visited the project site on a fact finding mission yesterday.

According to Sanda, since they acquired the property, a lot of refurbishing and repairs of the neglected equipment were done in order to put live into the Company.

He told the Council that management imported new equipment so as to raise the status of the Company to compete favorably in the competitive market.

“We see our reliance on the obsolete equipment as counterproductive and that is why we resolve to improved on them and supply new ones for better results”

Strike continues as FG, ASUU meeting ends in deadlock again

By Ahmed I. Shekarau

T

he latest round of discussions between representatives of the Federal Government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ended in yet another deadlock yesterday.

The meeting, which was held

at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), got to a dead end when the lecturers turned down an offer by the government of N30 billion to settle arrears of earned allowances.

The government, through the SGF, said it was proposing to release the N30 billion to the lecturers

through the University Councils because ASUU had raised the issue of earned allowances.

But the varsity lecturers insisted yesterday that the 2009 agreement it entered into with the Federal Government is non-negotiable.

Yesterday’s meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala;

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chulwuemeka Wogu; Minister of Education, Ruquayyatu Rufai; and the Benue state governor, Gabriel Suwam, who doubles as head of the Nigerian Universities Needs Assessment and Implementation Committee, set up by President Jonathan, in the wake of the latest round of

strike action by ASUU. The government’s delegation was headed by the SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim.

On their part, the lecturers were led by ASUU President, Nasiru Isa Fagge. Others in the union’s team include Fagge’s VPs. The meeting lasted for over four hours, from 3pm to about 7:15pm.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

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News

Ribadu, Wase Emir, others meet over peace in Jos From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos

A

former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the Emir of Wase, Dr. Muhammadu Sambo Haruna and Senator Pwajok were in Jos, Plateau state yesterday to proffer solution to the lingering ethno-religious conflicts plaguing the area.

At the occasion tagged, “Intercommunal Dialogue and Conflict Mediation,” Ribadu described Plateau state as significant and should not be left to be destroyed by ethnic violence.

According to him, “indeed, we all remember that Jos was once a haven in which ethnic and religious identity were only considered as individual destines and choice rather than reasons to hate.”

The event which was organised by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and sponsored by the Canadian Embassy was aimed at strengthening relationship and reconciling the different tribes in the state.

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Chris Cooter, represented by Alexander Mackenzie, said that Canada was pleased to support any means that could help to restore peace in Plateau state.

L-R: Acting Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms. Alexandra MacKenzie, former EFCC Chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, during the opening ceremony of Inter-communal Dialogue and Conflict Mediation, yesterday in Jos, Plateau state.

Chief of Air Staff defends state of emergency in Adamawa From Umar Dankano, Yola

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hief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, has described the state of emergency slammed on Adamawa state as justifiable and has no political conations, as according to him “the emergency rule has saved the State from being annexed by insurgents”.

Badeh made the disclosure in Yola while fielding questions from journalists, shortly after

commissioning Air Lodge, 12x1 Bedroom Flats for noncommissioned officers and 6x3 Bedroom flats for officers yesterday.

Badeh said sequel to the imposition of the emergency rule on the state, it was on the verge of being completely taken over by insurgents as several local governments in the state had been routed by insurgents.

The Air Force chief said all the insinuations being bandied by some elements in the state that

there was an ulterior motive behind the imposition of the emergency rule in the state were lies by those who do not want peace to prevail in the state or those who wanted to hide their shortcomings.

“Before the emergency rule was declared on the state, many local governments had been routed by these insurgents.

“Do we have to wait till the state capital is taken over by these insurgents before we act?”

“I heard some people denying

that there exist Boko Haram insurgents here in Adamawa. It’s lie.

“We went to Farang forest, their hideouts and if anybody is telling you that there is nothing in Adamawa, he goofed.

“Madagali, Mubi, Ganye, Mayo Belwa, Hong, Song were at various times being viciously attacked by the Boko Haram elements.

“They are moving and we don’t want them to come to the state capital”, he said.

Money laundering: Gov. Akpabio’s LG boss nabbed in US

T

he Chairman Essien Udim local government area of Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Nse Ntuen, has been arrested by the Maryland State Police Department, United States of America, for smuggling $82,000.00 into that country without declaring it with the custom officials both in Nigeria and the US. When contacted, officials of the Maryland State Police Department

at the airport said the suspect only declared $5,000 when he got to the airport adding that it was further security checks that indicated that he was still having some bundles of US dollars in his bag.

The official who agreed to be quoted further said that the Chairman who flew from the United Kingdom was later taken to their investigation room where an additional $77,000 was

found in his bag.

It was established that Ntuen confessed that he smuggled the money to use it as donation at the just concluded Annual International Convention of the Akwa Ibom indigenes in the United States and Canada which was held at the Marritol Hotel in Washington, DC. The suspect was later made to write and sign a statement where he

accepted that he brought in items which he failed to declare to both the Nigerian and United States Custom Agencies.

The US official further disclosed that the Akwa Ibom state ALGON Chairman who was held for over five hours was later released after the whole $82,000 he admitted to have smuggled in to the country was confiscated by the Maryland State Police Department.

Zamfara builds more science secondary schools From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

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he Zamfara state government has concluded arrangement for the building of science boarding primary schools in all the 14 local government headquarters of the state.

The state Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Murtala Adamu Jangebe, who made the development known

while receiving members of Gusau science primary school old boys association in his office, added that, a work plan for the constructions of additional modern junior secondary schools in 3 senatorial districts have reached an advance stage.

Jangebe further disclosed that, the state government has already made steps to bridge the disturbing gap in science education, saying

efforts have been put in place for the creation of foundation for science at secondary schools up to university level, “such would help to stimulate pupils curiosity on the world around them and encourage critical and creative thinking”.

He said, “there is a general agreement that considerable progress has been made, through science education which made it possible for Zamfara state

government to make such a decision, and when completed, the schools will be equipped with modern science facilities”, Jangebe said.

According to him, the UBE program gives science syllabus highly needed attention both in respect of the effort giving to preparing primary teachers and for the curriculum implementation.

FG deploys 6,500 midwives nationwide

T

he Federal Government has deployed 6,500 midwives to 1,500 health facilities to ensure the presence of skilled attendants during childbirth particularly in rural areas.

Dr. Ado Muhammad, the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said this on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ workshop and launch of the Voluntary Obstetrician Scheme (VOS).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Society for Obstetrician and Gynecologist of Nigeria (SOGON) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the agency in March 2013 to address the issues of health care delivery.

Muhammad said SOGON would formally begin the mentoring and supervision of midwives and doctors involved in the Midwifery Service Scheme (MSS) and Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

He said SOGON would as well supervise the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) sites.

He said the federal government implemented MSS in 2000 to ensure the availability of skilled attendants at health facilities.

Muhammad said that the success of MSS scheme, informed its decision to invest part of the gains from the partial removal of petroleum subsidy in a project called SURE-P MCH. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

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News Al-Mustapha in closed-door meeting with Yero From Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

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hief Security Officer to late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza AlMustapha was in Kaduna yesterday where he held a closed door meeting with Governor, Muktar Ramalan Yero.

Although the details of the meeting of the visit was not known as at press time, it was gathered that the former CSO was in the company of the son of the former Head of state, Mohammed Sani Abacha, Senator Lado Dan Malke of Katsina state and other associates.

Peoples Daily gathered that a jeep that conveyed the CSO and four other vehicles drove into the Government House around after 9 am. Al-Mustapha declined to speak with reporters.

It was also gathered that the Major was scheduled to meet with other key politicians within the state.

Jonathan pledges more support for mines, steel sector

By Etuka Sunday

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resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday described the Mines and Steel sector as an integral part of the development template of his administration, therefore would ensure policy direction that would make it economically viable.

The President while addressing stakeholders at the Interactive Workshop on Solid Minerals Resource Development, at the State House, charge them to focus attention on the beneficial exploration and

exploitation of industrial minerals such as limestone, kaolin, silica, gypsum, gemstones, dimension stone, and ceramic clay since the development of the value chains is critical to any largescale job creation efforts.

Jonathan said that the workshop was expected to produce concrete ideas and recommendations that would unleash the economic and social potentials of the sector.

According to him, “the vulnerability of our solid minerals sector, and the need for orderly development was clearly demonstrated in the lead

poisoning incident in Zamfara state, recently. Whilst we applaud the efforts of all involved in the successful remediation of all the affected mining sites and surrounding areas, we must take every necessary step to ensure that this does not occur anywhere in Nigeria again,” he said.

He noted that, “Nigeria has about 44 varieties of minerals in more than 500 locations, 7 of which are recognized as strategic minerals owing to their high economic potential. The country has the capacity to expand the contribution of the solid mineral sector

to the economy.

“The fact that the minerals are spread across the country is a blessing as every part of Nigeria can prosper from them.

“For example, the coal resource represents an excellent opportunity for us to diversify our energy stock.

It is our intention that 30% of our electricity generation should come from coal, using environmentallyfriendly, clean technology. Nigeria is endowed with abundant coal reserves of the required quality necessary for power generation.

Respect opinion of your constituents, Tambuwal tells state legislators

By Umar Muhammad Puma

S

peaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has urged the state legislators to respect and follow the opinion of their constituents when the proposed constitution amendment bill arrive their respective assemblies.

Tambuwal stated this yesterday at a two-day workshop on fiscal discipline and public fund management for state legislators organized by the State Accountability and Voice Initiative (DFID SAVI) in Abuja.

The Speaker, who was represented by the Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Ahmed Mukhtar Mohammed, further enjoined the participants to cultivate interest in the maximization of revenue, remittance and accounting free from avoidable leakages in the state’s budgets.

“It must be ascertained that the revenue projection in the preceding budget has been efficiently collected, fully remitted and accurately accounted for at the proposed budget are realistic and sizable,” he said.

On his part, Chairman Conference of Speakers of state legislators, Hon. Inuwa Garba, expressed hope that the dialogue will improve their capacity to promote fiscal discipline and public finance management at the state level.

Garba who is also the Speaker, Gombe state House of Assembly however disclosed that the state legislators have resolved to ensure the final scaling through of the local government autonomy in the ongoing Constitution review when it reached state assemblies.

R-L: Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Hajiya Hadiza Kangiwa, Minister for Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and UNHCR Country Representative, Angele Dikongue-Atangana, during the 2013 World Humanitarian Day celebration organized by NCFRMI ,yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Special National Congress: North-central PDP affirms zoning

Niger govt. threatens contempt proceedings over alleged $20m scam

By Lawrence Olaoye

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

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eaders of the PDP in the Northcentral zone yesterday re- affirmed the three positions zoned to it in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) The meeting presided over by PDP North-central zonal Vice Chairman, Mohammed Ayitogo, asked party members to vote for persons already endorsed by the three states which got the slots.

The party had forced some of its NWC members to resign last June to pave way for fresh election in line with a report from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Accordingly, the North Central zonal executive committee of the party reviewed the three positions zoned to it and asked delegates that would vote at the August 31, 2013 special convention for the persons that had got the endorsement of their states.

The three positions are those of

the National Legal Adviser which is zoned to Plateau State, National Youth Leader zoned to Niger and Deputy National Woman Leader zoned to Benue State.

Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, was the only Governor from the zone at the meeting which had three ministers including Information Minister, Labaran Maku, Interior Minister, Abba Moro and Minister of state for Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom present.

Sleep with two eyes closed, Army Chief tells Nigerians From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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he Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Azubike Ihejirika, has assured Nigerians that they can now go to sleep with their two eyes closed without fear of attacks by any terrorist groups or insurgents.

Ihejirika spoke in an address he delivered at the 2013 Second Commanding Officers’ workshop in

Kaduna yesterday.

He said it was time for Nigerians to smile because the Army in conjunction with other security agencies are giving the terrorists and insurgents a run for their money.

“Very soon, Nigerians will smile and be able to sleep with their two eyes closed without any fear of attacks.

“The Nigerian Army in collaboration withothersecurityagentsareontopofthe

situation and we are winning the battle.

“Our men on the field are more determined and committed now than ever to see that insurgencies, terrorism and other security challenges are quickly brought to an end.”

He explained that the Second Commanding Officers’ Workshop organized for Unit Commanders is one of the ways to ensure that Commanders are up to date in their training.

T

he Niger state government has threatened to file contempt charges in response to an online publication which alleged the misappropriation of the sum of $20 million by officials of the state government.

A report published by an online medium, Universal Reporters alleged mismanagement of the N6 billion bond facility obtained from Zenith Bank and another N10 billion Hanging Funds the administration reportedly recovered from the Paris Club throughBizplus Consulting Services Ltd. In a press release made available to People’s Daily in Minna signed by the press secretary to Niger state government, Danladi Ndayebo said that a caveat written by Halal Chambers on behalf of governmentdisclosedthattheissuesraised in the online publication was a subject of ongoing litigation before High Court No. 1 in Minna, warning that any further publication or attempt to publish facts in relation to the matter shall be viewed as contempt of court proceedings.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, AUGUST20, 2013

PAGE 7

Yarima extols IBB’s virtues at 72

By Aisha Biola Raji

S

enator Sani Ahmed Yarima has extolled the leadership qualities of former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda, describing the former ruler who recently turned 72 years as a patriot, nationalist and accomplished statesman.

Yarima, in a statement in Abuja commended Babangida for

what the Senator described as his unshakeable belief in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.

Yarima noted that Babaginda is one of the few Nigerians who are steadfast and committed to the overall development and progress of the country.

He said the leadership qualities of Babaginda and his outstanding accomplishments both in the military and in public life remain indelible in contemporary

Nigeria.

“On behalf of my family and the people of my constituency, I felicitate with you as you celebrate your 72nd year on earth. I join other Nigerians therefore, in asking God to continue to guide, protect and empower you as you continue to render selfless and invaluable service to our nation,” Yarima said.

News

Power privetisation on course, says BPE

By Etuka Sunday …settles 20,000 PHCN workers The National Council on Privatization (NCP) and its implementation arm, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) yesterday reassured Nigerians that the power sector reform process was still on course.

A statement signed by the Head, Public Communications, BPE, Chigbo Anichebe, stated that in line with the agreement reached with Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) labour unions dated December 12, 2012, Federal Government has commenced payment of benefits due to the staff

on 1st August 2013.

“As at Friday, August 16, a total of 20,304 of the 40,000 staff of PHCN have so far been cleared and paid their severance benefits totaling N119, 176, 731,492.88k.

The payment is being handled by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), and commenced on Thursday August 1, 2013”, the BPE said.

“It will be recalled that all the preferred bidders for the 15 Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor companies have earlier met the deadline for the payment of the mandatory 25 percent of the offer value of their bids as at the deadline date of March 21, 2013.

The Bureau had received $559,445,573.96 from 14 bidders for 15 successor companies.

The deadline for the payment of the remaining 75% remains Wednesday, 21st August 2013, as stipulated in the Request for Proposal (RFP). In compliance with the tenets of transparency and accountability, the Bureau will continue to strictly abide by the terms and conditions in the RFP,” the statement concluded.

INEC opens citizens’ contact centre

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

L-R: Director, Administration, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Dr. Zauna Muhammad, UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Ms. Choice Okoro. and representative of Vice-President, Commodore Austeen Durola, during the 2013 World Humanitarian Day celebration organised by NEMA, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

5 killed in Katsina auto crash From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

T

ragedy struck on sunday in Katsina, as five persons were killed while several others sustained injuries in a ghastly motor accident along Kaita-Katsina road in Katsina state.

Eyewitness accounts said the accident involved a Canter vehicle and a Volkswagen Golf car.

The eyewitness said five passengers, mostly those in the Golf car died on the spot while the injured were quickly evacuated to General Hospital, Katsina.

The caretaker Chairman of Kaita local government, Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal Dankaba, has since condoled with the families of the deceased and paid a sympathy visit to those injured in the accident.

He made a cash donation for the treatment of the injured, calling on drivers and passengers to be careful and ensure drivers obey traffic rules and regulations.

Plateau: Fulani, Berom peace deal very fruitful, says Sen. Pwajok Sen. Gyang Pwajok on Sunday reviewed the May 2013 peace deal

between the Fulani and Berom in Plateau North and declared it “very fruitful”.

Pwajok, who represents Plateau North, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that “the peace agreement has been successful. It has yielded the desired fruits because there has been no gory incident since the two groups agreed to embrace and protect each other four months ago”.

NAN reports that the communities had engaged each other in guerrilla attacks for more than one decade.

Efforts by the Special Task Force (STF) had came to naught as the bloodbath persisted and claimed hundreds of lives, livestock, and also left many farms destroyed.

Pwajok initiated sessions of peace meetings between April and May, during which the warring groups agreed to bury the hatchet and live in peace.

The senator told NAN that he was particularly impressed with the resolve by leaders and the youth of both communities to respect and accept each other as one.

“I think the most impressive aspect of the resolve is the zeal to collaborate and collectively deal with conflict merchants out to disrupt the gains of the peace resolve.

The communities have also found out that cow thieves and farm destroyers should be treated as individual cases and tackled that way without involving the entire community.

According to the Senator, “There are still some elements of suspicion because villages that are routes of cattle thieves are seen as either abodes of the suspects or their conspirators which makes some villages vulnerable to attacks. But we are changing that impression with more enlightenment in the discussions. Again, with the attacks now very rare, the security agencies now have spare time to go after cattle rustlers and other petty criminals”.

Pwajok said some gangs, suspected to be responsible for cattle rustling had been discovered and their operational tactics uncovered, and expressed optimism that the new discovery would help

to check the menace.

He said community leaders were encouraged to settle cases of farm destruction by cattle with individuals involved, rather than allow it to look like communal issue that could rope in everyone. ``We have always said that such disagreements should never be communalised otherwise they attain wide dimensions that could snowball into major crises,’’ he said.

Pwajok advised Plateau residents to always be alert as “enemies” are always out to truncate the peace.

“Peace is not something you can easily get, but where people are determined and can organise themselves to guard it, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel”, he stated.

The Senator praised leaders of both Fulani and Berom communities for living up to their resolve to protect and embrace each other.

He noted that such had confirmed that they were sincere in their pronouncements at the peace meetings.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opened a Citizens’ Contact Centre, which allows the public to constantly access and pass information to and from the Commission.

A statement issued yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu, said the INEC’s Citizens Contact Centre (ICCC) is a Situation Room that will operate daily.

The commission explained that in the meantime, the ICCC will operate between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, promising that later on, the Centre will scale up to 24hour service every day.

The statement explained that the Centre is designed to enhance transparency and public participation in the electoral process.

“As a daily Situation Room, the Centre offers the public an opportunity for getting real time responses to enquiries, incident-reports, complaints and queries about any aspect of the electoral process”, the statement read.

Meanwhile, it noted that in the immediate instance, the Centre is available for use by the public from the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) that began in Anambra State on Monday, August 19, 2013.

The Centre can also be accessed through telephone lines (07098115257, 07098117563, 07098110916), Facebook, Twitter (@inecnigeria) and INEC’s website (inecnigeria.org). www.facebook.com/ inecnigeria(INEC Nigeria)

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

News BRIEFS Group hails Aviation Minister

T

he National Committee of Yoruba Youth (NCYY) has lauded Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, for her performance in the sector.

The group in a statement by its President, Oladimeji Odeyemi and Secretary, Alhaji Bello Bashiru, said that since her appointment to oversee tarmacs are being built o being remodeled.

“The array of accomplishments that the aviation ministry is hauling into its kitty is a testimony of a determined, focused and great leadership the Minister has deployed to turn the aviation industry around for good,” the statement said.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Edo to partner FG on environmental protection

E

do state government has pledged its readiness to partner with Federal Government’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to tackle environmental problems in the country.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole who spoke when he received the NESREA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ngeri Gbenebo, in Benin-City.

Oshiomhole said that, “we need inter-ministerial approach sometimes.

“Some of the flooding disasters we are experiencing in Edo state is as a result of negligence on the part of some engineers involved in the designing of the roads.”

From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

Kogi takes measures against flooding

K

ogi state government has assured that comprehensive measures were in place to take care of any possible flooding this year.

The Deputy Governor who is also Chairman, Flood Management Committee, Yomi Awoniyi, spoke at the weekend when he received an European Union (EU) team in Lokoja.

He recalled what he described as the devasting effects of last year's flooding noting that it caused unprecedented havoc to all sectors of the economy including loss of lives.

Awoniyi who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Emergency Management, AVM Gabriel Abdul, appealed to the Technical Assistant Mission for assistance from the EU to alleviate the suffering being faced by the state.

From Omale Adama, Lokoja

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Federal Public Administration Reform Programme, Mr. Agbojo Adewale, former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, and Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Malam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, during the dialogue session on the cost of governance in Nigeria, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

‘In fl a ti o n s ta n d s at 8 . 7 % i n J u l y ’ T

he National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday that the inflation rate in July stood at 8.7 as against the 8.4 per cent rate recorded in June.

This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Dr. Yemi Kale, the StatisticianGeneral of the Federation.

“In July, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures inflation rose by 8.7 per cent (year-on-year); this was 0.3 per cent points higher than the 8.4 per cent rate recorded in June.

“While changes in the Headline Index have remained in single digits for the seventh consecutive month, prices edged higher as a result of increases in all 12 COICOP (Classification of Individual Consumption) divisions,’’ it stated

It said the increases were also exhibited in increases in both the food and core sub-indices.

It said the core sub-index recorded its largest month-onmonth change since the 1.4 per cent change recorded in January due to changes across non-food sub COICOP Divisions.

The statement said that food prices as exhibited by the Food Sub-index continued to edge higher in July. ``'While market began to observe a trickle in of newly harvested crops, their quantities have not been substantial enough to impact prices.

“It should be noted that the Headline Index is made up of the Core Index and Farm Produce items. ``As Processed Foods are included in both the Core and

Hajj: M o bil e c ourts to try e r r in g Kat si na pilgrims From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua, Katsina

K

atsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board has disclosed that it had concluded arrangements to establish mobile courts that will punish pilgrims who violate rules and regulations of Nigeria and Saudi authorities while in the Holy Land.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Aminu Danbaba, made the disclosure during a visit to Faskari, Sabuwa and Dandume local governments area where he monitored the on- going sensitisation workshop organised for intending pilgrims.

He said, “whoever misbehaves

or violates the rules will be banned from conducting Hajj exercise for a period of five years and exempted from benefitting from state government financial asistance and his/her name will be published in the media.”

Danbaba charged the pilgrims to be law-abiding while in the Holy Land and further them to always seek the advice of the Ulama and share experience with them on how to conduct proper Hajj rites.

Also speaking, Secretary of the Hajj team, Alhaji Yahaya Karawa, advised the intending pilgrims to be of good behaviour and unite in becoming good ambassadors of the country.

Food sub-indices, this implies that these sub-indices are not mutually-exclusive. ``On a month-on basis, prices rose in July from levels recorded in June albeit at a slightly lower rate in July,’’ it added.

It said the headline index increased by 0.54 per cent, marginally lower than the 0.59 per cent recorded in June.

The urban composite CPI, according to NBS, was recorded at 146.3 points in July, an 8.8 per cent increase compared with levels recorded in July 2012.

“This was also 0.4 percentage

points higher than the 8.4 per cent recorded in June 2013. ``The corresponding Rural National (CPI) recorded an 8.6 per cent year-on-year change, also higher from the 8.3 per cent recorded in June by 0.3 percentage points.

It said the average 12 month annual rate of rise of the index was recorded at 10.0 per cent for the twelve-month period ending in July 2013.

“It went down 0.7 percentage points from the 10.7 per cent recorded in June 2013,’’ the statement said. (NAN)

Bauc hi N UJ gets N 58. 5m ultra mod ern press c ent re From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

G

overnor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi state has commissioned the N58.5 million ultra modern press center of the Bauchi state council of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ).

Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, Yuguda charged the media to always champion cause of equity and justice in the country.

Also present at the programme were the NUJ National President, Muhammed Garba, Senator Babayo Gamawa, Commissioner of Information, Muhammed Damina and Chief of Staff, Alhaji Yusuf Musa Gumli.

According to Yuguda, the contract for the construction and renovation of the press centre suffered setbacks from the contractor handling the project

who embezzled the contract funds.

He said the contract was revoked after following the due process and re-awarded to the state Ministry of Special Duties through direct labour.

He enjoined the media to always be objective in their reportage.

Also speaking, Garba said that a new code of conduct had been introduced by his leadership in order to enhance professionalism among media practitioners.

The NUJ President who said that lack of wage allowance had been a major concern commended the Bauchi state government for proposing the implementation the wage allowance for journalists in the state.

He assured that members of NUJ will ensure proper utilisation of the secretariat as well as maintain the equipment there.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 11

Money Sense

Start farming with little or no capital and make profit from

I

n Nigeria, our soil is good for cultivation of plants and weather condition is also moderately suitable for growing crops.

The southern part of Nigeria has greater percentage of rainfall when compared to the northern part but both parts are good for crops and animal production. Due to this weather condition, there are crops or animals that are mostly grown in each part of the country. Cattle rearing is better done in the north while poultry keeping in the south.

Shrubs are better in the north while trees and vegetables in the south.The southern part (Rainforest) and the northern part (savannah) together make Nigeria a good farming environment.

Making money from farming depends on the people’s view of farming. Most youth in Nigeria do not see farming as a profitable business. They assume it to be meant for poor people and the illiterates. Most youth look at farming as a shameful thing/career to pursue after his/her first degree or second degree.

We love to work in Government establishments, financial institutions, academic institutions and industries. In Nigeria, most of

these industries where the youth aspire/aim to work as the manager, clerk, machine operator, accounting officer etc. make use of agricultural/farm produce as their raw materials.

You can be a supplier of raw materials to those industries either in large quantity or small quantity and make good profit out of it. Because of few numbers of farmers; industries that process agricultural/farm produce to finished goods are roaming about even going to remote villages in search of raw materials for their industries.

You can borrow farm input or get them for free from neighbours if you don’t have the capital.

Things needed to start cultivating crops or rearing animals with little or no capital. Before going into any aspect of agricultural production, check whether condition of the place you are if it is suitable for that particular production. Check internet to see how to start making money from farming as soon as possible with little or no capital.

You can also read about how to produce any crop/animal of your choice by browsing the net.

Fish farming is one of the profitable business that can be started with minimum capital

. . . also start GSM recharge card business by printing with little capital

Y

ou can start making more income from printing and selling Nigerian GSM recharge cards of all Nigerian networks like MTN, GLO, etc.

This is a fast money making

Money Tip: If you're still wondering whether or not starting a business is right for you…

The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now.

Not tomorrow. Not next week, but today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.

Quote If it really was a no-brainer to make it on your own in business, there’d be millions of no-brained, harebrained, and otherwise dubiously brained individuals quitting their day jobs and hanging out their own shingles. Nobody would be left to round out the workforce and execute the business plan – Bill Rancic

business which you can start with just a small capital like N10,000 and above. With the information you can gather from internet on how to go about it, , you will get the recharge cards at a very cheap

price, print it and sell it for more profit like N10 to N20 per card.

You should know very well that this is N10 and N20 profit business, but the quantity you will be able to supply in just a

day will tell the profit you will be making by the end of the day.

If you can print and sell 2000 copies of recharge cards in just a day, by a simple calculation, you will be making N20,000 per day.

You don't have to sell all your recharge cards by yourself, you can start printing and supplying recharge card to other GSM card dealers around you. This is just the simple and the easy ways to meet your daily target.

How to trade in forex

F

orextrading in Nigeria is becoming very relevant to a growing category of people and ranging from the middle class to Nigerians in Diaspora, students and international investors are looking for newer investments.

Everyone seems to be looking for information about Forextrading. Forex trading can be highly rewarding if the odds favour you.

What can you do with online Forextrading?

With online Forex trading, you can earn dollars or other hard currency online and you can make a profit on it even while you sleep.

It is one of the quickest ways of making money online in Nigeria How do I start Forex trading?

To start forex trading, you must first of all have a start-up capital like $200, open a domiciliary or digital currency account and then sign up online with a forex trading broker who will then give you a software for trading on their platform.

How do I get a Forex trading account?

To get a forex trading account while in Nigeria, all you need to do is to sign up with that Forex

Forex online and make a profit from it when they rise or fall.

How do I monitor my Forex

trading platform or broker who would create an account for you and allowing you to buy and sell

account online?

You can monitor your account online with a reliable internet

access plan and log into your account or trading platform and see when you are going up or coming down. If a robot is trading for you, you can know the various transaction histories and see if you are satisfied with the activities of the robots so far.

How do I add money to my Forex account?

It mostly depends on how your broker accepts it. Funding can be done via international bank transfers, credit/debit cards or ecurrencies. Bank to bank transfers are ideal for transferring larger amounts.

How do I receive my money?

You can receive your money by means of a domiciliary account in Nigeria. You can equally receive your money by means of e-currency such as Payza, if your broker supports this. This will allow your broker to transfer your fund so far to your Nigerian domiciliary account or digital currency account. To open a domiciliary account in Nigeria, you may need an international passport.

PAGE 12

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

EDITORIAL

2015: First lady’s daring of IGP, INEC Thursday’s rally was the second time the first lady would shut down Abuja. On October 15, 2010 during the launch of her NGO, Women for Change and Development Initiative, Abuja grounded to a halt following the arrival of women groups brought into the city from various parts of the country. Abuja had previously

“

O

n Thursday, August 15, Abuja, the federal capital, was literally shut down by a rally called by first lady Patience Jonathan, in collaboration with the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), in the name of celebrating women. Although the theme of the rally was “Celebration of Nigerian Women for Peace and Empowerment”, it was apparently a grand mobilisation of the womenfolk across the country to endorse her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, for another term.

The evidence that the rally was to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public was manifest. Women groups in the FCT and from beyond hired for the event were clad in wrappers of different colours, but with the photograph of the president conspicuously embossed on them.

Also, rather than restricting the rally to issues of women empowerment, speakers showered encomiums on the president. Apart from its provocative political undertone, the rally brought human and vehicular traffic on streets in the Central Business District, Maitama, Wuse, Asokoro and adjoining neighbourhoods of Abuja to a halt due to the artificial gridlock that was created. Commuters endured long treks to their various destinations.

This led to loss of valuable man hours and a drop in productivity because of the inability of workers to meet targets.

Whichever way they decide to react to the first lady’s deliberate breach of the ban will affect the buildup to the 2015 polls and beyond, for good or bad. never witnessed a traffic jam in the magnitude of what occurred then. At the Federal Secretariat Complex and the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, offices remained empty the whole day as most civil servants had to return to their homes because of the traffic congestion. Sadly, the women who attended the event were left too tired, thirsty and hungry and ended up scrambling for the meager snacks that were brought for their ‘entertainment’.

We recognize that it is the right of every individual under the law to seek public support for an elective office, but a situation whereby the ambition of an individual will subject the

OUR MISSION “To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

public to undue physical hardship is inexcusable, even if that one person is the president or his wife as was the case last week. Even if such a campaign must hold at all, it should not be on a working day, or during working hours. It is more abhorrent when such a rally has an obvious political agenda.

More disturbing is the fact that the campaign rally was held in defiance of an order by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for elective office aspirants and political parties to desist from premature campaigns for 2015. The IGP specifically has threatened to arrest anybody who violates the order. He recently summoned AIGs and Commissioners of Police across the country to an emergency meeting in Abuja where he gave an order for the arrest of any politician caught campaigning ahead of the 2015 elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had similarly warned against pre- 2015 campaigns.

The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged INEC to investigate media reports that Mrs. Patience Jonathan violated the ban on pre-2015 electioneering campaigns.

The question is: Will INEC and the police pick up the gauntlet? Will they walk their talk? Whichever way they decide to react to the first lady’s deliberate breach of the ban will affect the buildup to the 2015 polls and beyond, for good or bad.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM MANAGING EDITOR ABDUL-AZEEZ ABDULLAHI

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ALI M. ALI

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

EDITOR, DAILY AHMED I. SHEKARAU

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

DEPUTY MANAGER, PRODUCTION ABDUL-RAUF MUSA

EDITOR, WEEKEND HAMEED M. BELLO

HEAD, LAGOS BUREAU ADESOJI OYINLOLA

“To be a reputable, profitable, innovative and technologically reliant media company offering world class services and products”

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 13

Opinion IBB: A leader for all time

By Jibrin Baba Ndace

W

hen he left Government College, Bida, in 1962 to go to the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC), now Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), in Kaduna, where he trained as an officer cadet, Babangida was not known beyond the confines of Niger Province. When he returned to Minna in 1993, after stepping aside as Nigeria’s first military president, IBB had become a household name beyond the shores of Nigeria.

Today, 20 years after he left office, he has remained in the public consciousness. His Tophill villa in Minna has continuously been a Mecca of some sort for Nigerians and foreigners alike. Born on August 17, 1941 in Minna, Niger state, IBB had a fulfilling career in the elite Armoured Corps, where he rose through the ranks to the top echelon of the cadre.Like officers of his era, he was a key player in the 30 month Nigerian civil war. He served under then Colonel Mohammed Shuwa’s 1 Division and was commander 44th Infantry Battalion (nicknamed “The Rangers”). To date, the former military leader has remained with the scar of injury he sustained during the war at Uzoakoli, in April 1969.

The General was also part of every military regime since independence, playing the role of kingmaker, until destiny made him king by way of becoming Nigeria’s military president albeit a bloodless coup on August 27, 1985. He admitted in an interview with Tell magazine in 1992, saying: “I will admit for the first time that I’ve been involved, except the January 1966 coup, in all coups d’état. Somehow, I’ve been. In 1975 we were the prime movers of the coup here in Lagos”.

As the first military president,

By Ebenezer Obadare

C

onsidering its ramifications for the principles of civility and mutual respect in a democratic public sphere, it is quite surprising that Professor Wole Soyinka’s verbal assault on Mrs Patience Jonathan has not attracted greater critical attention in the media. Twice in the space of ten days- once in the company of progressive Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana- the Nobel laureate elected to call the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, to order.

Clearly, Professor Soyinka was vexed at the apparent role of the First Lady in the simmering crisis involving her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan; the Governor of Rivers state RotimiAmaechi, a personal friend of Soyinka’s; the state Commissioner of Police Joseph Mbu; and an irregular cast of political stooges and fawning sidekicks. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the eminent playwright’s intervention.

He has merely exercised his democratic right to free speech and his obvious apprehension at the turn of events in Rivers state is, I believe, shared by every alert student of Nigerian history.

No observer in his right mind can ignore the frightening possibility of the crisis in Rivers state degenerating so much as to threaten the fragile foundation of Nigeria’s budding democracy.

Yet, while Professor Soyinka is clearly within his rights to have

he assumed office prepared more than any past leader in the history of Nigeria, and made some farreaching reforms in the governance of the country.

IBB also admitted that intense strategic planning preceded his entrance into government. He said: “At the risk of being called immodest, if there is any military government that prepared itself before it went in, it’s our government. We knew what we wanted. We knew what areas to address, especially the economy. We read the barometer of the society and we knew what the people wanted.”

Babangida’s friend, the late Chief M.K.O.Abiola, also revealed the extent to which the gap-toothed General planned for political leadership far in advance of coming to power. “Of all those who have prepared for high office in this country, he is the only one who made thorough preparations… we used to have accidental presidents, people who had greatness thrust upon them. Anybody who knows my friend, as closely as I have known him since 1966, will realise that something is propelling him.”, he said. Little wonder, some have observed that Babangida was really ahead of his time in his administration’s effort at reengineering Nigeria.

Politically, since 1993, when he stepped aside, politicians of every succeeding administration have been products of his administration’s new breed politicians. Economically, he established programmes that have survived to date, either in their original form or with new names.

Some of these programmes include: Directorate of Food Road and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI), National Directorate of Employment (NDE),

MAMSER, Peoples Bank of Nigeria (PBN), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) among others.

Militarily, in line with global standard and in his desire to position Nigerian Armed Forces, in 1992, he established National War College, (NWC), which later became known as the National Defence College, (NDC). The NDC is the highest military institution in Nigeria, where officers of the rank of Colonel and its equivalents in Nigerian Navy (NN) and Nigeria Air Force (NAF) learn strategic knowledge of defence and security management.

No doubt, IBB years were synonymous with our quest for a new Nigeria, a new family, a new woman and a new youth.

Beyond all these, IBB brought a new temperament to bear on leadership. He humanized the office of the president and commanderin-chief. And, in an unprecedented manner, die-hard critics, agelong professional oppositions, even bolakaja critics served in his administration. It was also to his credit that his administration attracted more intellectuals and professionals than any other before and after it. “The National Council of Ministers included some of the most erudite and intelligent minds in Nigeria. Babangida had acquainted himself with Nigeria’s leading intellectuals while attending senior courses at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), and he later appointed many of them into his government.”

Indeed, some of the appointees were people like Professor Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel laureate, as Chairman, Federal Road Safety Corps, the respected World Bank economist, KaluIdikaKalu, Professor of virology, professor Tam David-

West, Professor BolajiAkinyemi, renowned pediatrician, Professor OlikoyeRansome-Kuti and Harvard University graduate, Dr Chu Okongwu, among others.

At 72, the Minna General has remained different thing to different people: for some people, a Nigeria without IBB seemed almost inconceivable. For this group of people, Babangida is the man, who dares to think of a new Nigeria. For them, no Nigerian has so thoroughly occupied the imagination of his people and inspire them to act, making them participants in the sheer dream of building a new nation, like IBB did.

This group of people believes, that after Lord Frederick Lugard, first Governor-General of Nigeria, after the amalgamation in 1914, the most critical and central determinant of the course Nigeria took in the 20th century is General Babangida.

To others, IBB is the prince, the generous general, the cheerful giver, the embodiment of patience and understanding, the man who has the capacity to cultivate and keep friends among the high and low strata of the society. Still, some see Babangida as a mystique that takes great pleasure in people, reaching out to know them, to pick up their emotions, who tries to put himself into own their shoes, especially, with people to whom fate had dealt a difficult hand. A warm, amiable and effusively charming personality, IBB’s spontaneous acts of kindness to colleagues and subordinates, his ever-present smile at private, official and social gatherings with both military and civilians earned him immense popularity and respect.

As part of his attribute, and with the support of his wife, late Hajiya Maryam Babangida, he was able to keep his family out of government and public glare. IBB’s children

Soyinka’s overreach weighed in, the very language of his intervention was needlessly insensitive. It wasn’t just lacking in his usual delicacy; it was shockingly incongruous with the persona of a literary giant from whom Nigerians have learnt to expect a fair mix of balance, sophistication, and prudence.

In a public statement in which the Nobel Laureate did not exactly cover himself in glory, Professor Soyinka alluded to Mrs Jonathan in the following unflattering terms: “For the rest, since beneath the surface of most Nigerian conflicts will be found inordinate greed for public resources, it is perhaps pertinent to remind ourselves that

“

Oil is not the only marvel to emerge from the Delta swamps. There are also exotic creatures – mermaids, manatees, even mammy watas and hippopotami. However, unlike crude oil, which can be refined, you can extract a hippopotamus from the swamps, but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus.”

Challenged at another forum as to the unseemly directness of his language, Soyinka reprised his original swipe at Mrs. Jonathan, reiterating, “People said I call her a domestic appendage, what’s the problem with that?

What’s the problem with Madam Shepopotamus?” Now, there are plenty of reasons to dislike Mrs.

Jonathan. It is true, for instance, that she doth tend to put herself about, and for an unelected person, her public visibility borders on the excessive. She has held up city traffic far too many times to be the favourite of many Nigerians.

She clearly has a fish to fry in the politics of Rivers state. Her speeches are not exactly models of doctoral sophistication; and, truth be told, it is difficult to imagine people turning to her for coaching on public oration. Yet, for all her innumerable personal flaws, Mrs. Jonathan still deserves to be treated with some courtesy. Clearly, Professor Soyinka disagrees, or how else does one explain the shocking

Now, there are plenty of reasons to dislike Mrs. Jonathan. It is true, for instance, that she doth tend to put herself about, and for an unelected person, her public visibility borders on the excessive. She has held up city traffic far too many times to be the favourite of many Nigerians. She clearly has a fish to fry in the politics of Rivers state.

Her speeches are not exactly models of doctoral sophistication; and, truth be told, it is difficult to imagine people turning to her for coaching on public oration. Yet, for all her innumerable personal flaws, Mrs. Jonathan still deserves to be treated with some courtesy.

have remained discipline since they left political power in 1993. It is a known fact; that Mohammed Babangida (Moha) heir apparent of the Babangida dynasty epitomizes humbleness and calmly disposition.

Indeed, many Nigerians have commended positively on the attitude of the children.

General Babangida has continued to reinvent himself.

Despite his rise to be military president, he is always at home with both the high and low members of the society in Niger state and other parts of Nigeria that has become his constituency. He has warmed his way to the heart of the people as he reaches out to his old friends who are not as blessed as he. It is not unusual to find the former military president in a remote village in any part of Niger state among his childhood friends attending naming or wedding ceremonies. In clear show of appreciation to the secondary school that set him in the path of destiny, General Babangida has been in the forefront of activities of Government College, Bida Old Boys Association (BOBA).

As he celebrates his 72 years’ sojourn on earth, eight of which he spent as the military president of Nigeria, IBB’s life is a clear testimony of Allah’s favour, unequal in many strides. On many occasions, Almighty kept the former president away from danger or save him from it. During the Nigerian civil war, he was badly wounded, but Almighty Allah kept him for the future. During the Dimka coup which claimed life of the Head of state, late General Murtala Mohammed, he was marked for death, because his elimination was seen by the coup plotters as crucial to the success of the coup. Allah still kept him for the future. “Babangida was marked for death by the coup plotters but escaped the ambush laid for him due to last minute change of route on his way to work.”

Jibrin Baba Ndace is on twitter.com intemperateness of his language?

The issue here is not whether or not one likes the First Lady.

As I have just noted, there are many reasons perhaps not to. The point however is about how we treat the very people with whom we have fundamental differences in a democratic public space. I find it interesting that Professor Soyinka advised Mrs Jonathan to borrow a leaf from Michelle Obama, the American First Lady.

Perhaps she should. But might not Professor Soyinka himself have borrowed a leaf from Michelle Obama’s husband? Presented with the same situation, Mr. Obama would certainly have chosen his words far more carefully than Professor Soyinka did.Why did Professor Soyinka react that way, going for the lowest hanging fruit?

After all, there are many parties to the Rivers state conflict, and there is enough guilt to go round.

Why go after Mrs Jonathan in such a manner? What about her husband, who is a leading player in the shameful episode? Is there perhaps a subliminal gender bias at work, something that Professor Soyinka himself, admittedly a stout defender of women’s rights, might not have been cognizant of? Is it just a simple matter of elite disdain?

Or did Professor Soyinka perhaps overreact due to his friendship with Governor RotimiAmaechi?

Professor Ebenezer Obadare (obadare@ku.edu) teaches Sociology at the University of Kansas, USA.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Opinion The products of our thoughts

By Abdullahi Musa

T

he following products resulted from the thoughts of Nigerians, the writer and reader inclusive: The Dame, Goodluck, OBJ, IBB, Anenih, Tukur, Gulak, Okupe, Jang, Yuguda, Shema, Yarima.

Institutional products are: abovethe-law armed forces, the mother of all armed forces, (police force), National Assembly, Customs Service, religious bodies etc. If the institutions our thoughts produced become defective, they produce these products for us: power failure, dry taps, closed or irrelevant higher institutions, secondary drop-outs, drug addicts, beggars, lepers, (diseased type), loafers, (social lepers) Our thoughts, or if you prefer, our lack of it, made it possible for others to create a dependence on our part for their endeavours. First stage is the creation of a banana republic: it is the same if it is crude oil republic, from whence came the power of the Dame. Our thoughts created very lethal instruments in the hands of others for our continued enslavement: BBC, VOA, CNN, you name them.

If we look at the human products in our list, they are all under the pdp umbrella. Our relationship with that umbrella is same with that of Sauna Jack, who was invited out of his shelter under the tree from rain, to accompany an owner of an umbrella who was carrying a package, which he found

the carrying of It happens as inconvenient because we while holding accept it. If the umbrella. a victim is Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, To cut the story reluctant, text messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written short, there was society ought contributions should be concise. Word limits: Letters no room for to save itself. sauna, package, How did we - 150 words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your and owner under become a name and a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be the umbrella. So banana, (crude addressed to: Sauna came to oil republic)? hold the package We did become with a hand inside so because our The Editor, the umbrella, brains found Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, while his main constructive 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. body was being thoughts tiring.

Email: opinion@peoplesdailyng.com drenched outside Export crude the umbrella; at oil, sell dollars, SMS: 08134607052 the receiving end. give grants So how did our with the largest thoughts produce OBJ, IBB, and With reference to institutional allocation going to the fattening co? These people are products of failures, we have ourselves chambers of National Assembly. an institution: the armed forces. to blame. We accept, without As business men and women They reached its pinnacle, made question, without censure, that we are comfortable that we dont hay, and continue to rule under the we cannot run refineries, and as a finance our governments. That umbrella. consequence, subsidy regime led is why a lady tenant of Aso Rock We as Nigerians did not set to subsidy scam. Recently I heard thinks she will be there forever: up the Nigerian army. Some that Senate threw out the scam indolence, (on our part) must people did, and they have ensured report! (withFarukLawan and surely be overcome by daring ( since then that the armed forces Otedola inside?) We experience on her part).Dutifully, religiously, supported the status quo. If it were power failure daily, dry taps most the masses of Northern Nigeria our parents or grand parents that of the times, and hundreds of would by 6 am, 6.30; 7am, 7.30, did not think right by accepting an thousands of secondary drop- outs will tune into VOA, BBC, DW etc. unaccountable army, we are equally in Northern states. We whine, but in order to hear the latest news.And guilty of perpetuating it through we accept it, as the inhabitants of they will dish it out to us: bombs, the acceptance of the rule of the the umbrella know that we will. If sectarian killings, terrorists, etc.

PDP (ask the people of Kaduna the not out of sympathy, then out of The information is almost always terror they experienced when PDP revulsion, we detest the sight of the nothing we can do a thing about. wanted to impose late Yakowa in leper. Any medicine for leprosy? Of But why do they do it? Why do 2011). Gulak, Okupe, Yarima, Jang, course, there is. Then how come a they send their staff to all over the Shema, are praise singers: we will fresh case will arise, develop, and world just to give us information chorus harder, Jonathan is always reach its devastating consequences we cannot use? What do you think right. without the victim being treated? when you tune into the Hausa

WRITE TO US

service of a foreign radio station and hear the voice of a lady who is the daughter of a known cleric in your locality? No value lost?

One writer said the oppressed and the oppressor create one another. I agree totally. Another group I have not touched is that of clerics.Because their domain is emotion, they are highly devastating. A Sunday paper reported Diya of Cameroon as ordering the closure of Pentecostal churches, because of their destructive effects on people. They want myths, miracles to obscure reality. In short, they want to take leave of reason.If PDP intends to rule for 60years, I see it as possibility. If you followed the train of my thought, you will see that we are inclined to indolence; we also can easily be swayed by emotions to work against what will profit us.

When Margaret Thatcher died, many in Britain did not mourn her.

In fact they resurrected a song: ding dong, ding dong, the Witch is dead! Would we be able to sing the same song for pdp come 2015?

The death of pdp requires human action. But let us learn lessons from Kenya. When Kibaki was losing election against Odinga, postelection violence was unleashed.

Kibaki remained president. That paved the way for Uhuru Kenyatta, who now is ICC-free in the eyes of Kenya’s public. Odinga is not a trusted servant of imperialists.

Between Buhari and Jonathan, who would the imperialists prefer?

Use your reason not emotion even if you are of the APC. Abdullahi Musa via kigongabas@gmail.com

Crude theft: Between Shell and NNPC, who is right?

By Ifeanyi Izeze

T

he rate principal actors are jostling for space in the unfolding drama involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its joint venture partners over accounting for the country’s crude oil output only shows how unserious we are as a nation. Firstly, it was the “principality” in this joint venture of fraud, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) that confronted the “rulers of darkness of this nation” in Abuja at the recently concluded Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) 2013 Exhibition and Conference by challenging President Goodluck Jonathan that instead of gallivanting to European and other foreign countries to seek for help on tackling crude oil theft, the Goodluck Jonathan administration should move against “principalities and powers in high places,” who are the sponsors of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.

And barely one week from the exchange between Shell and the Presidency on the issue of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, the “power” in this spiritual wickedness against the Nigerian people, the nation’s apex oil concern- the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday 6th August 2013 in a statement in Abuja disputed claims by Shell that

their joint venture lost over $700 million (about N109.9 billion) to crude oil theft and vandalism.

Shell is one of NNPC’s major joint venture partners.

The NNPC said that contrary to the outrageous figures Shell is dangling as volume of crude oil lost to thieves, the combined efforts of the government and the international oil companies (IOCs) have resulted in a significant drop in the level of pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, with a corresponding increase in daily crude oil production. Shell and NNPC jointly own several oil blocs which the Anglo-Dutch multinational oil concern manages as the operator. As posited by NNPC’s Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, Tumini Green, “Shell’s claim that it lost over $700 million by the second quarter of 2013 to crude oil theft and other disruptions in Nigeria was wrong, as such losses

“

were not localised to the country.”

The NNPC claimed that with the repair and re-opening of some vandalised pipelines and flow stations in recent times, the country’s average crude oil production, which stood at 2.13 million barrels per day in June, increased to about 2.4 million barrels per day which is the current production figure. It would be recalled that the last arm occupying the post of “spiritual wickedness in high places/creeks” in this embarrassing act of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, The Joint Task Force (JTF) recently said Shell might have given false statistics to support its claim of increased theft of the crude it produces.

The JTF said this when Shell recently threatened to shut its Nembe Trunk Line because of rising incidents of oil theft within its pipeline network in Bayelsa state.

The JTF spokesperson,

OnyemaNwachukwu, said in Yenagoa that contrary to the claims by Shell, the security outfit is recording significant success in the fight against the illegal activities stressing that the statistics SPDC gave is suspicious.n “The statistics peddled by SPDC is very doubtful, they should look inwards as their staff possessed the expertise to crack and clamp and not the JTF,” Nwachukwu said. Two suspected surveillance workers of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) were on Wednesday arrested by soldiers of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta over oil theft.

Not too long ago, the JTF in a press statement in Port Harcourt said interrogation of two arrested oil thieves reveals they are Shell staff. According to the joint taskforce, the suspects were arrested while they were tapping crude oil from a Shell pipeline in Rivers state. Michael

It is very glaring that the dispute between Shell and the NNPC highlights the gravity of the dearth of transparency and accountability in the operations of the country’s petroleum industry. That two partners in a major joint venture find it difficult to have the same records and data of their joint operations, is a clear confirmation that this people have been taking this nation for granted over a long time.

Etete, the spokesman for the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said the workers were arrested for breaking and tapping crude oil from an SPDC pipeline located at Kporgho in Gokana local government area in Rivers. “At about 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 (2012) troops of JTF Sector 2 Pulo Shield on patrol discovered a pipe break and an illegal connection on SPDC pipeline in Kporgho in Gokana LGA. The Force said the two arrested men “working for SPDC as surveillance officers were arrested at the scene.”

Shell’s explanation was that “There are indications from the Investigation that the arrested persons are employees of one of the several community based contractors who undertake pipeline surveillance work on SPDC’s behalf in the Niger Delta.” It is very glaring that the dispute between Shell and the NNPC highlights the gravity of the dearth of transparency and accountability in the operations of the country’s petroleum industry.

That two partners in a major joint venture find it difficult to have the same records and data of their joint operations, is a clear confirmation that this people have been taking this nation for granted over a long time.

IfeanyiIzeze, an Abujabased consultant, can be reached on iizeze@yahoo. com

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 15

Comment

When democracy fails...

By Peregrino Brimah

I

n Nigeria, during the 5th republic, following the successful introduction of Sharia law in Zamfara state by Governor SaniYarima, there were demands for it in other northern states, likewise demanding for Sharia law. Surveys conducted across northern states delivered a response rate solidly in favor of the introduction of Sharia law, in the 73-97% range. The masses supported the adoption of Sharia seeing it as the solution to the triad of corruption, inequality and bad governance. Some people believe the law is used to witch-hunt the poor, while securing impunity for the rich and elite leadership. Like it or not, the law came into being compliment of democracy.

As poverty ravaged Egypt, popular protests succeeded in sacking the several decade dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak. In June, 2012, Mohamed Mursi was elected in a free and fair election as the first democratic leader of Egypt.

With 13.2 million of 26 million votes cast, he won nearly 52% of the vote, giving his closest rival a 900,000 vote lead. Exactly one year after he assumed office, an

auspicious organization, ‘Rebel,’ with links abroad, claimed it had gathered over 15 million signatures (this was never independently verified); and this claim assisted by increasing artificial poverty in an already hardship engulfed nation now being crippled further by lack of economic support from antiIslamist Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar in a grand conspiracy, paved the way for a military coup. Lack of western and Arab royal’s love for an Islamist government, albeit, democratically elected sponsored the overthrow of the popular people’s choice by gathering together another ‘popular’ people’s choice.

The two cases highlighted point to a peremptory problem with democracy to the attentive observer. Democracy is far from perfect. And the question to be asked is, when democracy fails-to give us what we want--then what should we do? If we rely on a system that at its best can present us with our worst nightmare, how intelligent are we as a thinking race? Between 1000 and 3000 lives have been lost in Egypt in its post third government changing revolution since the first that

gained its freedom from the dictator, Hosni Mubarak; and years, if not decades of anger, hate, distrust and terror threaten to define its future. It will hardly be surprising if Mubarak is laughing in his ‘prison room.’

Nigeria’s democratically elected president concedes to be the second most hated leader in the world, yet he was elected by a democratic process, and like him or not, Nigerians have to wait till his term is over, and possibly till his next term is over to then again try to choose someone they can better rely on. Yet, with the peculiar efficiency of democracy, which thrives on financial muscle, media support and the hopelessness of the hapless masses, the election and re-election of candidates that are guaranteed not to fulfill the needs of the populace at that point in time are almost always ensured.

Of a system that has been in place in its present form for over 2000 years in Europe, a former presidential candidate and wife of a U.S. president, Hillary Clinton while on visit to Nigeria said “now our democracy is still evolving…”

A. Akbar Muhammad in 2008 in his article, ‘Democracy’ fails Africa,’ said: “Africa needs a form of government that speaks to its

culture and traditions. In many areas of Africa, the influence and importance of tribal leadership cannot be dismissed. Any system of democracy that is developed must take into consideration the reality of tribalism.” Research, led

by David Dunning, a psychologist at Cornell University in 2012 found that people were simply not “smart enough” for democracy to work. Now some people quickly and almost reflexively with spinal thinking, sort of under a spell, say, “well nothing is better than democracy...do you want authoritarian rule?” I am not sure that that is the opposite of democracy. Do we know what democracy even is, as we have seen its redefinition and condemnation based on results? Have we ever sincerely considered the known flaws of democracy which include ‘tyranny of the majority’, the ‘voting paradox,’ ‘deadly divisionism’?

As we evaluate the poverty, underdevelopment and frequent bloody sectarian crises in Africa; as we notice the increasing ‘tribal’ splitting of the continent’s people, the hopelessness, mal-governance, the expanding terrorism. As we witness the protracted crises in Egypt, in Nigeria, in Ivory Coast, in Zimbabwe, in Kenya, perhaps

it is time we begin to think of and discuss revolutionizing our leader selection system in consideration of the peculiarities of our highly ethnicized clime. Before the social media era, recalcitrant dissent was easily contained so flaws in leadership systems were suppressed without everyone realizing. But now, times have changed.

Technology to coordinate dissent and objection is readily available and so also is technology for terror. In consideration of these ‘dangerous’ advances, leadership and social organization must be carefully reevaluated and if need be, overhauled. The Greek elite promoted the democracy we have today, however it is pertinent to realize and appreciate the fact that the Greek philosophers never favored public participatory democracy. Plato, Thucydides and Aristotle described democracy as a system that was by default, vulnerable to ignorant demagogues and built to expropriate the propertied. It still is. They favored systems like ‘Philosopher kings’ rule and ‘Benevolent dictatorship.’

Democracy is not our magic bullet. If it’s broke, perhaps we should leave it, or at least, give it a thought.

Dr. PeregrinoBrimah is reachable on drbrimah@ ends.ng and Twitter: @ EveryNigerian

Okonjo-Iweala’s sophistry on ASUU strike

By Biodun Jeyifo

I

think it would be a mistake not to recognise that the likes of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, our Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy do not constitute an aberration but are, rather, a part of the corps of elite bureaucrats in charge of the management and administration of the affairs of this world. She is among the most celebrated, the most sought after, a fact that she never lets anyone, her fellow cabinet members included, forget. What Okonjo-Iweala does not recognise, what in fact we must not let her and technocrats like her ever forget, is the fact that technocrats and technocracy often get things horribly wrong in our world at the cost of a lot of needless hardship and suffering of hundreds of millions of ordinary folks.

Think of the following fact that has almost entirely been missed in the justifiable outrage that the Finance Minister’s intervention in the ASUU strike has caused: the very day before Okonjo-Iweala made her statement about the federal government’s impossibility of meeting ASUU’s demands, she held a press briefing at Abuja in which she informed the world and the nation of the efforts – the technocratic efforts, I might add – that her Ministry had been making to reduce corruption, waste and mismanagement in those arms of government and parastatals known as the MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies).

In that press briefing, she was very sanguine about the successes that her Ministry was beginning to make, against all the odds. She mentioned that she had set up

two bodies that henceforth would ensure the full rationalisation of the operations of all the MDAs, all the personnel of these government units, together with their activities. Here are the names of these two bodies, both reeking with a maximum of technocratic smarminess: IPPIS – which stands for Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information Systems; and GIFMIS – which in turn stands for Government Integrated Financial Management Information Systems. [Watch out all you government employees! IPPIS and GIFMIS are watching you!]

Quite apart from the fact that at this press briefing Okonjo-Iweala did not mention the name of a single public official or MDA that had been responsible for misdeeds and/or incompetence, the figure of N53 billion naira “saved” is worse than a joke; it is the expression of a kind of intellectual fraud and professional complacency that technocrats routinely perpetrate around the world, especially in the poor countries of the global South. Last year alone, an Ad Hoc

“

Committee of the Senate on the oil subsidy scandal of 2011 found that the colossal sum of N2.58 trillion had been siphoned from the national treasury.

As I observed a few weeks ago, that sum represented more than half of the national budget for the entire country that year. The oil marketers that were illegally paid this humungous sum are not “ghost workers”; they are known, their names were published, together with how much each real or fake marketer was paid. And yet to date, not a single kobo has been paid back by these looters and not one of them has been arrested, let alone sent to jail.

As far as I am aware, OkonjoIweala has said and done nothing to recover any of that N2.58 trillion naira. Neither has she nor her Ministry gone after the huge pension funds scams that rocked the country last year and earlier this year. N53 billion saved; meanwhile the N2.58 trillions looted in the oil subsidy scam stand unrecovered and are perhaps are unrecoverable in the scheme of things.

In her defence, it could of course be argued that Okonjo-Iweala had told us exactly what to expect from her. She had told us that by 2015 to expect no more than 4% reduction of the monumental waste and corruption plaguing the land. To argue the case for this “defence” it could be said that technocrats are not police detectives; they are not enforcers of the law; and they are not moral crusaders. Their work is to make the machinery of governance work smoothly and efficiently, every cog in the wheel of management and administration moving along its apportioned groove.

Pressing the case for this “defence” further, we could accept the fact that in the modern world, we cannot do without technocrats; and Nigeria in particular needs able and conscientious technocrats to counter the deadweight of entrenched mediocrity and incompetence in the corridors of power and the halls of governance in our country. But the great flaw in the worldview of the Okonjo-Iwealas of this country and this earth is the idea, the belief that

For only by a very sophistical reasoning in which ASUU’s demands are reduced to the purely technocratic formulation of “recurrent expenditure” can Okonjo-Iweala assert that the resources are not there. In this case, the gap between sophistry and truth is bridged by the fact that her brand of technocracy is perfectly compatible with all the scams, all the looting going on in the administration of which is a major player in an alliance of technocrats with kleptocrats.

to be a good technocrat you must be “realistic”, you must content yourself with the 4% that you can reduce, leaving the moralisers, the idealists, the romantics and the would-be messiahs to worry about the 96% that remains. This in effect means keeping quiet about and acting as if unconcerned with that lion’s share of 96% that the looters get away with.

We need to anchor these generalized reflections in the specific case of Okonjo-Iweala’s extremely unconscionable intervention in ASUU’s negotiations with the federal government over the ongoing strike. Here, once we see clearly that the Finance Minister is basing herself on the assumption that only 4% of what is looted, wasted and mismanaged is recoverable, then we can perceive the fact that her assertion that “the resources are not there” is completely bogus and untenable.

For only by a very sophistical reasoning in which ASUU’s demands are reduced to the purely technocratic formulation of “recurrent expenditure” can Okonjo-Iweala assert that the resources are not there. In this case, the gap between sophistry and truth is bridged by the fact that her brand of technocracy is perfectly compatible with all the scams, all the looting going on in the administration of which is a major player in an alliance of technocrats with kleptocrats.

Biodun Jeyifo, first president of ASUU, is Professor of African and African American Studies and Comparative Literature, Harvard University.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 18

Gwarinpa Rotary Club launches N10 million community projects T he Rotary Club of Abuja, Gwarinpa, has launched six community projects value at N10 million to be executed in the 2013/2014 rotary year.

The launch was one of the high points of the investiture ceremony of Mr James Ugbeda as the 5th president of the club in Abuja at the weekend.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ceremony attracted prominent Nigerians, including the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who was represented by a senior aide, Dr Albert Okoragu.

The occasion also witnessed the presentation of humanitarian service awards to some notable Nigerians, including popular Nollywood actor, Mr Francis Duru and Mrs Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, the Executive Secretary, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) s.

In his inaugural address, the new club president listed the projects as construction of toilets, equipping of libraries and provision of desktop computers and textbooks to public primary and secondary schools in Gwarinpa, a Federal Government housing estate in Abuja.

Others, according to him, are provision of wheelchairs, clutches, mosquito nets, blankets, among others to individuals and hospitals in the community.

Ugbeda added that the club would build three additional bus stops at strategic junctions as well as construct a borehole with an overhead tank in one of the public schools in the area.

He solicited “generous contributions” from Rotarians towards achieving these goals to enhance the welfare or members of the community.

The new president commended his

immediate predecessor, Mr Jeremiah Haruna, and his board members for their “laudable achievements” with a promise to build on the foundation. ``Our challenge this rotary year with the theme “Engage Rotary, Change Lives’’, is to find new and more cost-effective ways of serving our community and to bring in quality members into our fold. ``We will find new ways to encourage networking for national development, sharing of ideas and

communicating to advance our club. ``We also need to look at ways we can work with other clubs within and outside the country to leverage our collective power to effect more positive change in our society.’’

He urged members to join hands with the new executive by contributing their ideas, time and other needed resources to take the club to greater heights.

In his valedictory speech, the immediate past president, Mr

Jeremiah Haruna, thanked members for their support and cooperation which, he said, translated into the great achievements recorded in his tenure.

He identified some of them as the provision of three incubators to the Gwarinpa General Hospital, construction of boreholes at public primary and secondary schools in the estate, among others.

Haruna urged all club members to extend the same level of support to his successor for better results. (NAN)

Engine oil retailers waiting for patronage yesterday in Apo village, Abuja. Justin

Minister assures residents on wealth creation

By Adeola Tukuru

M

inister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT) , Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, has assured residents of the territory that the Administration was committed to wealth creation and employment generation.

She stated this while commissioning of the Pottery Crank Wheel at the Pottery Centre, Giri Community in Gwagwalada Area Council.

Akinjide, who was represented by her Special Assistant on Area Councils, Alhaji Ibraheem Aminu Ibraheem, said the support of FCT Administration for employment generation, poverty alleviation, business growth and wealth creation was consistent with the aspiration of the Federal Government to create employment for the growing youth population.

“The FCT Administration is dedicated to ensuring the provision of an enabling environment for business

growth in the territory for the benefit of the people especially the residents of communities.

“It is expected that the introduction and popularization of the pottery crank wheel would facilitate the resuscitation of cottage pottery production, attract new entrants, create jobs and eradicate poverty among the residents of the

territory,” she stated.

The minister noted that the crank wheel was a mechanical device that would replace the drudgery and laborious process of traditional molding and forming techniques.

“The pottery wheel enables the pottery to quickly form in minutes shapes which would otherwise have

taken days to produce.

“The provision of this modern equipment to the Giri Pottery producers is imperative in order to create the enabling physical environment to encourage members of the cooperative group to operate under conditions that will generate ultimate productivity,” she noted.

FCTA rejects proposal on charges for FCT hospitals

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he FCT Administration under the leadership of Senator Bala Mohammed has rejected a proposal for an upward review of charges on the existing services in the FCT Hospitals; insisting that the idea is not in tandem with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

This was one of the decisions reached yesterday during the FCT Executive Meeting that new minimal charges would only be allowed in the case of new services introduced in the Hospitals such as CT-Scan.

He explained that in order to enhance the World Class Health Care Services being rendered to the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Executive Council has approved minimal charges on the new services in the hospitals.

According to him, some of the new services include Intensive Care Unit (ICU) N15,000 per day; Hemodialysis with vascular access-N14,000 per session and Hemodialysis without vascular access-N19,000 per session.

His words: “Other new Laboratory Services including Hbe Surface Antigen Test and H-Pylori Test will go for N2,600 an N2,000 respectively”.

The Minister disclosed that for the new Radiology services like Trans Vaginal Scan (TVS)-N2,500; CT Intravenous Urography (IVU)- N60,000; CT Angiography- N70,000; Trans Rectal Scam- N2,000; CT Scam (Abdomen) - N40,000; CT Scan (Brain) N30,000; Echocardiography-N10,000.

Senator Mohammed insisted that the FCT Administration as a government has a responsibility to the people dwelling in the Federal Capital Territory and would continue to do that for their utmost benefit.

Cleric tasks Muslims on pilgrimage

A

n Islamic scholar, Alhaji Mufutaudeen Ajijola-Anabi, has urged prospective pilgrims to embrace peace and good conduct while performing 2013 Hajj.

Ajijola-Anabi, who is also the Chief Imam, Dairat Jafariyat Fitorikat Tijaniyat Islamic Organisation, FCT branch, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. ``Prophet Muhammad says that one who performs Hajj for the sake of Allah, avoiding carnal desires and sins,

becomes as free from sins as on the day when his mother gave birth to him. ``So Hajj is not only a pillar of Islamic faith but it also influences every aspect and sector of moral, social, economic, political and national life of Muslims.

“This is besides being a towering symbol of the position they enjoy in the comity of nations,’’ he said.

The cleric said the purpose of Hajj was to strengthen religious communication and coordination among the Muslims from different

parts of the world.

He said it also made the pilgrims to rally round the banner of “Kalimah Tauheed” (the code of Oneness of Allah) which he said, is the pivot of Islam. ``The simple unstitched white clothing which Prophet Adam wore is proposed for pilgrims so that the Muslims who all believe in one Allah, one messenger, one book and one Ka’abah look alike.

“This is irrespective of their social ranking and status, thereby demonstrating outward religious

harmony and cohesion. ``Hajj also envisages projection of the glory and truthfulness of Islam, besides earning believers the benefits and gains of the air, land and sea travels,’’ Ajijola-Anabi said.

According to him, any pilgrim who leaves his home for Hajj and dies in the way will keep gaining the reward of every year’s Hajj till the day of judgement.

He said such pilgrim would not be made to account for actions while on earth on the judgement day. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 19

INSIDE

Isa_abdulwahab@yahoo.com, Isaabdulwahab@gmail.com 08033045613

Petroleum Minister urges oil, gas operators to comply - Pg 20

Alison-Madueke, Nebo, others for PIB confab Thursday - Pg 22

L-R: Representative of Minister of Finance, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia, Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, and the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Chief Kola Jamodu, during the official launch of the new Nigeria Trade Hub Portal and Transit Process Manual, yesterday in Abuja.

PHOTO: JUSTIN IMO-OWO

Nigeria Customs lunches hub portal, transit manual to ease cargo clearance

By Abdulwahab Isa fforts to enthrone Single Window environment in cargo clearance inched closer to realization as Nigeria Customs Service, yesterday launched Nigeria Trade Hub (NTH) Portal and the Nigeria Import, Export and Transit process manual to achieve 48 hour cargo clearance target.

Speaking at the occasion attended by business community and maritime stakeholders, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minster of Finance, Dr. Ngozi okonjo-Iweala represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Anastasia Nwobia described invention of both portal and transit process manual as timely

E

invention that will enable importers or exporters obtain correct and timely information to enable them to make decisions about doing business in Nigeria.

She said: “The Nigeria Trade hub is similarly a useful step towards improving trade facilitation in our economy. This initiative will simplify, harmonise and standardise procedures for cross border transaction in Nigeria. As a result, it will further reduce delays associated with cross border trade and enable us attain our goal of 48 hour cargo clearance time at our port”.

The NTH is the introduction of international trade in Nigeria and it is interactive portals to assist importers or exporters

with obtaining correct and timely information to enable them to make decisions about doing business in Nigeria.

Speaking at the occasion, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga noted the creation of both platforms by the Nigeria Customs Service will erase the perception by outsiders that Nigeria business environment was unfriendly.

He said: “Nigeria’s business environment has often been described as poor, unfriendly, uncompetitive and uncoordinated.

The contribution of customs process, procedures and port clearing system to this negative image was quite significant.

Albeit, such

ISPS CODE: FG orders immediate evacuation of trucks from port access roads From Dapo Olawuni, Lagos

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s part of measures to meet up with the 90 days ultimatum issued Nigeria by the United State Coast Guard on the compulsory compliance to the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) Facility Code, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transport has ordered immediate evacuation of haulage trucks from the port access roads.

To signal the expiration of the 90 days ultimatum by the US Coast Guard, there is a scheduled visit to the port this weekend by the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Consequently, the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has directed its

members to ensure compliance with the directive in order to avoid their trucks being impounded.

Speaking at the secretariat of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Apapa Lagos yesterday, chairman of the group, Chief Remi Ogungbemi confirmed that the evacuation will commence from tomorrow, Wednesday.

Ogungbemi accompanied by a frontline maritime consultant, Mr. Chris Orode, directed that truck owners should take advantage of the newly acquired expanse land at the Trade Fair Complex along Badagry expressway to relocate their trucks.

“There is a marching order that they want all the trucks evacuated from the roads, individual members having trucks that liter the roads both at Tincan and Apapa port

should go to trade fair and park” “We will not want a situation where they will bring their jamboree way of doing things, bringing Black Maria, or shooting at sight or damaging our vehicles, we don’t want that to happen, we are human beings that can communicate and can be communicated to, we will on our own tell our members to start moving these trucks” Also speaking, General Secretary of AMATO, Mr. Chiaka Nwogu warned that the marching order is not from the association but from the Federal Government.

According to him, the directive is a welcome idea because this will further portray Nigeria to the US Coast Guard and the entire world as a compliant nation.

descriptions run contrary to the spirit of the transformation agenda of the present administration.

However, given the major role that trade plays in the attainment of the transformation agenda , the Nigeria trade hub project could not have come at a better time”, said Aganga.

S[peaking , ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, Malam Abdullahi Dikko Inde , said the platforms were developed by the IT unit of the Service adding for a trader bringing goods to the country, he could use currency coveter , a window in the Hub in arriving at cost of tariff to pay.

He said that portal and the accompanying process manual would serve as invaluable guide and reliable reference tools for traders wishing to conduct legitimate and compliant business in Nigeria.

MTN subscriber base hits 300m in 20 years - Pg 21 Exchange Rates CBN

as at 19th August, 2013

Buying

Selling

$

154.76

155.76

€

242.44

£

206.69

Riyal

41.26

41.53

SDR

235.59

237.11

CFA

0.2957

0.3157

244.01 208.03

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY

If you want to lead, start now

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o become a leader, don’t wait for the fancy title or the corner office. Here are three things you can do now, even if someone else is calling the shots: Demonstrate your potential. Raise your hand for new initiatives, especially ones that might be visible to those outside your unit.

Look for opportunities outside of work, too. You can sit on the board of a

local nonprofit or organize a volunteers’ event in your community.

Support your boss in reaching her goals. Find out what keeps your manager up at night and propose solutions to those problems.

Find role models. Look for people who have the roles you want and study how they act, communicate, and dress. Identify behaviors that you can emulate while being true to yourself.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 20

Energy Company News First Registrars inaugurates products to reduce unclaimed dividends

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orried about the increasing figures of unclaimed dividends in the capital market every year, First Registrars Nigeria Limited has inaugurated a product aimed at giving investors easy access to their annual dividend.

The product called FirstDividendPlus Prepaid Card is a premium prepaid card issued to the shareholders into which dividend amounts due to them are automatically loaded/ credited on the payable date.

Lending: CBN simplifies collateral requirements for SMEs

Petroleum Minister urges oil, gas operators to comply with nuclear regulations Stories by Etuka Sunday

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he Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke at the weekend, called on operators and service providers in the oil and gas industry to work with the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), in its mandate to ensure effective monitoring of nuclear application in the industry.

A statement by the Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Tumini Green, quoted the minister to have stated this in a keynote Address at the technical meeting on Regulating Nuclear Application in the Oil and Gas Sector- Challenges

and Stakeholders Expectations, organized by the NNRA in Abuja.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke noted that as the biggest importer of radio-active materials in the country, petroleum industry operators must conform to basic safety and security standards.

She explained that nuclear applications in the petroleum industry in Nigeria are not new, with some practitioners having about half a century of experience.

She said some companies have close to 200 radioactive sources in some instances noting that these sources are high-risk sources and may cause serious concern if control over them is lost or inadequate.

While applauding NNRA for organising the technical session,

Mrs. Alison-Madueke noted that the Regulatory Authority has responsibility for Nuclear Safety and Radiological Protection Regulation.

“The need for the NNRA to safely regulate nuclear applications by bringing them effectively under control cannot be overemphasized.

This shall also ensure the safety and health of personnel involved with their usage, as well as the safety of other members of the public,’’ She said.

The petroleum minister added that as an important and respected member of the IAEA, and as a party to a number of binding and non-binding international treaties, conventions and agreements - is under obligation to properly regulate

and control nuclear materials and radioactive sources.

“This is not only for the safety of the Nigerian public, but also to prevent these materials from diversion to illicit uses,’’ Alison-Madueke explained.

The minister remarked that since its inception, the NNRA has taken steps to emplace a proper regulatory framework, within the context of its enabling Act, to effectively fulfil its major regulatory functions.

She informed that this has been achieved through a system of registration, licensing and inspection of practices involving ionizing radiation and the overall enforcement of compliance with the provisions of the Act.

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he Central Bank of Nigeria has unveiled plans to simplify the collateral requirement for lending to Micro, Small Medium-Scale Enterprises.

This move, according to the Director, Development Finance Institution, CBN, Mr. Paul Eluhaiwe, will enable the MSMEs to use moveable collaterals to secure credits from financial institutions.

FG commits N70.2bn euro bond to gas infrastructure

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he Federal Government has announced the allocation of N70.2bn ($450m) for the improvement of gas infrastructure across the country.

This, it said, was aimed at addressing the gas supply problems, which have led to a sharp reduction in power generation in the country.

ALSCON to transfer 360MW electricity to national grid The Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria has said it will transfer 360MW of electricity to the national grid as part of its support for the development of the nation’s power sector.

The company, which said Nigeria currently occupied the 39th position among the world’s biggest economies, lamented the country’s 70th place in terms of power generation.

Foreigners invest $5.1bn in FG bonds –DMO

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he opening of access and establishment of the Nigerian sovereign bond in the International Capital Market have helped to increase foreign investors’ holding in the Federal Government securities by over 900 per cent from $500m to $5.11bn within the space of one year, figures from the Debt Management Office in Abuja have shown.

R-L: Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, Chairman, Independent Power Providers of Nigeria (IPPAN), Professor Jerry Gana, and Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Agatha Nnaji, during a working visit by members of IPPAN to the minister, recently in Abuja.

NNRA urged to ensure safety nuclear applications in oil, gas sector

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he Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) has been urged to ensure the safe application and effective regulation involving ionizing radiation sources in the oil and gas industry.

This was due to the available information placing the oil and gas sector as the largest importer and user of radioactive sources in the country. It is also the hub of activities involving ionising radiation.

Speaking at the Technical Meeting on Regulating Nuclear Applications in the Oil and Gas Sector, former Alternate Chairman of NNRA Governing Board who also doubleds as chairman, Emerald Energy Resources Limited, Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah said, the challenges of fulfilling regulatory oversight functions require a constructive engagement between the operators and the NNRA, therefore the Two-Day Technical Meeting provides a forum for such broad and frank discussions.

Dr. Egbogah added that the meeting was not only aimed at identifying problems, but also to proffer workable solutions.

According to him, “NNRA’s primary interest is to ensure safety, radiation protection of personnel, public and environment, the security of radioactive sources and the facilities where they are used and also, the cost of oversight activities.

To achieve that, he said, there was need for a good synergy between the stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of programmes for Physical Security, Radiation Protection and Emergency Response.

On why the focus on the oil and gas sector, he said, “Presently, over 80% of all radioactive sources imported into the country are used in the oil and gas sector for nuclear well-logging, industrial radiography, nuclear gauging and radio-tracing amongst others, therefore they place higher oversight challenges for the regulators,” he concluded.

FG to recover N232bn from fraudulent oil marketers- Okonjo-Iweala

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he Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister for the economy, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, has disclosed that the Federal Government would recover over N232 billion (1.5 billion dollars) over payments made to “fraudulent” oil marketers.

Okonjo-Iweala, made the disclosure at the National Council of Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) in Minna.

According to her, in 2006, the total petroleum subsidies paid to oil marketing firms amounted to N256 billion (about 1.6 billion dollars) and by 2011 the bill for petroleum subsidy payments had risen sharply to nearly N2.10 trillion (13 billion dollars).

“Even more striking was the increase in the number of oil marketing firms. While most countries have a few well-organised fuel importers, Nigeria had a total of 143 such firms as at 2011. “The certification process to verify the actual delivery of imported fuel was also very lax, resulting in widespread fraud in the operation of the scheme,’’ she said.

The minister said there were

cases where some firms submitted payment invoices for fuel deliveries in Nigeria when their stated cargo ships were actually berthed elsewhere in South America on the same dates.

She said that the subsidised prices for domestic gasoline in Nigeria also created arbitrage opportunities and resulted in widespread smuggling of fuel products to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries.

To this effect, she said, Nigeria embarked on a comprehensive reform of the downstream petroleum sector by appointing the AIG Imoukhede-led Committee, who discovered lapses in the payment processes.

“Following the discoveries, the Federal Government put in place a number of remedial measures to combat fraud in the subsidy scheme.

“First, a tighter payment regime was introduced with new auditors and stricter guidelines for disbursement of subsidy payments. The increased scrutiny has slowed down the payment process somewhat but also greatly reduced the likelihood of fraudulent payments.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 21

MTN subscriber base hits 300m in 20 years

.As management Stories by Chris Alu with agecy reports

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he lagest Telecommunication Network in Africa has said that subcribers on its network has hit 300 million. In the last 20 years of its operations in Africa and the Middle East. even as a senior manegment staff embroiled in sponsorship corruption scandal in south Africa MTN started From South Africa where it commenced its operation it said extended to South Sudan, its most recent market.

As a multinational telecommunications company operating in emerging markets, MTN has a particular opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to social development, said Sifiso Dabengwa, President and CEO, MTN Group.

“Due to the lack of access to quality education and infrastructure, and low literacy rates in most of these countries, MTN has chosen to direct a significant amount of its corporate social (CSI) spend towards education over the next two year. This will provide people with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to make positive decisions about their lives,” said Dabengwa.

He said the company will scale up its contribution towards building knowledge economies in its markets by investing in more education initiatives aimed at empowering learners and teachers using ICTs and mobile learning.

He explained that MTN is a growth company with a solid performance record and an aspirational vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to its customers.

It will continue to share the fruits of its success with customers and communities through, among others, offering affordable and innovative services, as well as investing in social upliftment and network infrastructure to improve the quality of its services,said Dabengwa.

“We are grateful to our customers

embroiled in sponsorship corruption scandal in SA

for their loyalty and contribution to the growth of the MTN brand over the years. Using that feedback, MTN is making significant investments towards improving the quality of our service, while also providing solutions designed to make a real difference in the lives of our customers,” added Dabengwa.

He said for two consecutive years, MTN emerged as the highest ranked African brand in the prestigious Millward-Brown Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2013 survey.

Looking ahead, Dabengwa said the company’s new vision, to lead the delivery of a bold new Digital World, and mission to make our customers’ lives a whole lot brighter, has positioned MTN well for further growth into the future. similarly A senior MTN figure has been suspended by the company over his

enior Director, Business Development Qualcomm Nigeria Mr. Alex Dadson has call on the major mobile telecom operators to invest more in the 3G technology space in order to drive further growth saying that voice network is gradually getting saturated.

According to him, deploying more 2G networks at this stage of telecom development in the country does not make economic sense.

“The future of telecom is in data and in this sphere; we have seen the gradual migration and adoption of 3G technology by all the operators, which is a good development. But there is also a trend of first implementing

then replied on August 5 hitting back and is considering legal action.

Madzonga writes: “It is my view that the words and phrases utilized therein by the author maybe classified as defamatory and injure my reputation as an executive member of the corporate entity and as a businessman.”

The alleged misappropriation amounts to ZAR15 million (US$1.5 million).

Madzonga added: “I humbly advise honourable chair herein of my intention to institute legal proceedings and simultaneously hereby lay a grievance against then MD, Karel Pienaar and Themba Nyathi in his capacity as HR director.”

After parliament’s ethics committee investigation, it recommended the police investigate the corruption charges laid against Pule and Mngqibisa.

Nigerian communication commission

Migrate to 3G technology for efficiency – telecom stakeholder

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alleged part in misappropriated sponsorship money meant for the Cape Town ICT indaba last year.

Human IPO reported early this month that the parliament’s ethics committee had found South Africa’s former communications minister Dina Pule “willfully misled” parliament.

It also focused its investigations on her relationship with Phosane Mngqibisa, who allegedly made millions of from the event.

Business Day now claims to have seen documents that show Robert Madzonga, MTN’s suspended chief corporate services officer, is accused of playing a role in the alleged diversion of the sponsorship money.

A letter dated February 1, 2013, shows Lilly Zondo, MTN’s general manager of business risk management, accuses Madzonga, but the latter

2G network infrastructure before migrating to 3G by some operators. I think that doesn’t really make economic sense,” said Dadson.

He noted that although Nigeria still lags behind South Africa, Egypt and Morocco in terms of data traffic in the continent, migration to the 3G infrastructure will greatly enhance data intake in the country and facilitate businessto-business transactions.

On the continued failing quality of service (QoS) by operators in the Nigerian market space, Dadson noted that Qualcomm has the technology to help operators implement seamless services.

“We do have the technology to drive high quality of service in the country.

ICT Airtel Collaborates Nokia on Asha devices

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irtel Nigeria and Nokia, have partnered to provide new data offerings for customers to access their favourite social media networks on their Nokia Asha devices, in line with Nokia’s commitment to connect the next billion users The new offering enables Airtel customers across the country to get free access to WhatsApp and Facebook Unlimited bundles on the new Nokia Asha 210, Asha 501 as well as all existing Asha devices for the first six months.

The offer is open to all new and existing Airtel customers using the new Nokia Asha 210, Asha 501 as well as all existing Asha devices for the first six months.

To activate the WhatsApp bundle, customers are to text the keyword ‘WA’ to 948 while those who wants to enjoy free Facebook service are to text ‘FB’ to 688.

Inusa Bello, chief sales officer of Airtel said: “We are proud to partner with Nokia in delivering value to Nigerians. The WhatsApp and Facebook offer on these two Nokia Smartphones provides another opportunity for Nigerians to enjoy Airtel’s robust internet services that covers the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, ” Mr. Chris Brown, general manager, Nokia West Africa, explains that this is part of Nokia’s plan to extend its Asha range of smartphones to more customers in Nigeria, especially those looking at owning their first data enabled smartphone.

“Through this partnership we are creating an opportunity for our customers to enjoy seamless social networking with friends, family and colleagues through Facebook, as well as being able to chat through WhatsApp,” he said.

The Airtel WhatsApp and Facebook bundles are unlimited.

Nokia on it part, is a global leader in mobile communications whose products have become an integral part of the lives of people around the world. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people use their Nokia to capture and share experiences, access information, find their way or simply to speak to one another

Etisalat storm Abuja for 3.75G access

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op officials of Etisalat Nigeria Limited are currently in the Federal capital Territory for its 3.75G High Speed Packet Access broad band service campaign otherwise known as Easyblaze.

The tour, billed for 24 states of Nigeria serves as an enlightenment and engagement scheme for existing and potential customers, is in line with Etisalat’s customer-centric profile to provide them an opportunity to experience the Easyblaze broadband service on a variety of internet-enabled mobile devices including Smartphones, tablets, laptops, and MiFi hotspots.

The Easyblaze 3.75G offers high

speed data of up to 42mbps, allowing Etisalat customers to enjoy quick and uninterrupted internet access, with faster file downloads, video streaming and other web-based activities.

Commenting on the engagement and enlightenment campaign, Oluwole Rawa, Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, explained that his company opted for the road show as part of efforts to showcase its superfast, high quality data services to customers.

The campaign he explained, “will afford both current and prospective customers the opportunity of firsthand experience of the network’s 3.75G Easyblaze.”

According to Rawa, “the road show will give our customers the opportunity to experience our 3.75G Easyblaze network built on Next Generation HSPA network with dual carrier technology capable of downloading speed of up to 42 Megabytes per second (Mbps).

The experiential lounge buses which will tour the cities of Abuja throughout August will be positioned at prominent, high foot-traffic areas in a bid to engage with both cities’ residents. Etisalat advisors will be on hand on the tour to demonstrate the best ways to enjoy the full potential of the EasyBlaze package, using internet enabled devices.

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Business

NRC set to commence container traffic with new locomotive From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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L-R: Executive Director, Corporate Services, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mrs Lola Abiola-Edewor, Director of Administration, Mrs Christiana Afabor, and Managing director, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, during the NDICmanagement conference with female employees, recently in abuja.

PHOTO: NAN

Alison-Madueke, Nebo, others for PIB confab Thursday From Ayodele Samuel,Lagos

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he Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, legislators and other top officials of the petroleum and power industries as well as regulators will converge in Lagos on Thursday to chart course for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and other issues. he event, which is the annual August conference of the National Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC), themed

“PIB: Harmonisation and Implementation for Economy Growth,” will hold on Thursday August 22 at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos by 9am.

The Secretary of the Association, Yunus Yusuf in a statement, said Alison-Madueke will be the special guest of honour while the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will deliver the keynote address.

The Minster of Power, Prof.

Chinedu Nebo will speak on “Driving Capacity Growth in Liberalised Power Sector,” while the PIB Team lead, Ministry

of Petroleum, Engr. Abiye Membere, will deliver the lead paper.

The Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Engr. George Osahon, will speak on “Expectations and Challenges of Effective Regulation in Deregulated Regime,” and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr.

Ernest Nwapa, will talk on “Three Years of NCDMB: Achievements and Challenges.”

The Chairman, Senate Joint Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), Sen. Emmanuel

Paulker,will present a paper on “Balancing National Interest with Investment Incentives. Other speakers include the Managing Director, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Mr. Austin Avuru, and the Chairman, Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Mr. Mark Ward.

The Chairman of the occasion will be Dr. Tony Chukwueke, Director, Transcorp Energy Limited and former Director, DPR.

he incessant gridlocks usually occasioned by activities of petrol tanker drivers across the country may soon be reduce as the Nigerian Railway Corporation announced it will flag off the movement of container freights from the APM terminal in Apapa Port to the Inland Container Nigeria Ltd (ICNL) deports in Kaduna and Kano.

The corporation explained that exercise is in line with the strategy of continuously increasing its sphere of operations with an initial 20 wagons carrying 20 to 40 containers to be moved per trip effective Friday this week with the intention to making 3 trips a week.

“The commencement of the container traffic will, no doubt, help in decongesting the ports as well as help in facilitating the establishment and use of Inland Container Depots (ICDs) along the track corridors”, NRC Managing Director Engr. Adeseyi Sijuwade told journalists.

He said the container traffic was a strategy demonstrating the carriage ability and readiness of the Corporation to further enhance the development on the nation’s economy and to enter into partnership with organizations that require the services of NRC. “Single train haulage of 20 containers is equivalent to 20 trailers or 40 trucks on the road and this goes a long way to improve the economic, health, safety and environmental sustainability of the nation”, he added.

RMFAC commissioner wants states, LGs to diversify revenue base

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Federal Commissioner, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Alhaji Saidu Fawu, has urged states and local governments to diversify their resource base to reduce over-dependence on federal allocations.

Fawu, who represent Gombe State in the commission, said this when he addressed newsmen in Gombe on Saturday.

He spoke on the forthcoming Aug. 19, North East zonal advocacy workshop with the theme, ``Economic Diversification and Enhanced Revenue Generation’’.

He said it was unwise for the country to continue to depend

on revenue from oil, which he said, would dry up one day.

According to him, Nigeria has over the years depended on oil as the main stay of revenue shared monthly as revenue allocation. ``It is a very risky business, and we feel there is the need for Nigeria to diversify so that we pay less attention on the dependence on oil and gas. ``Oil and gas cannot continue forever. The oil market is becoming more and more hostile,’’ he said.

He said three ministers, six governors, members of the National Assembly from the zone and other critical stakeholders were expected at the workshop.

Fawu said the workshop was the

last in the series organised by the commission at the zonal level, adding that it had been held in other zones.

Asked if there was special provision for states facing security challenges, he said such interventions fell under the 7.5 per cent Special funds allocation formula.

He said that Gombe State made a case for assistance to cater for the ‘’population explosion’’ caused by those displaced in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, now under the emergency rule.

Fawu appealed to all stakeholders to attendance and participate in the two-day workshop to enable them to make input before the final report to government.

(NAN)

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 23

Stock Watch

Report as at Monday, August 19, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

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Special Report

As Lagos creates database for economic planning...

The plan by the Lagos state government to register all residents of the state is meant to create a database for economic planning for the teeming populace of the state. Ayodele Samuel, reports that other states should emulate this.

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ith an estimated population of about 20 million, Lagos state is faced with the problem of adequate planning for its teeming residents. The government right now cannot give an accurate figure of duly employed residents of the state, the number of artisans and traders among others; thus, the need for fresh registration of all residents in the state becomes imperative.

In 2011, Governor Babatunde Fashola came up with the idea of fresh registration for all residents living in the state. To this end, the governor sent a bill to the state’s House of Assembly to establish the Lagos state Residents’ Registration Agency (LSRRA), and for connected purposes.

LSRRA aims to develop a working database of all residents of Lagos state, with a view to providing better services to Lagosians. The underlying principle being that with such a database, the state agencies can plan and assess their programmes and

Gov Babatunde Fashola

services in a more scientific way.

The functions of the agency are: to create a reliable database of all residents in Lagos state with a view to providing useful information for social welfare, political, security, business, employment, financial activities, housing and demography statistics for health-related matters such as provision of health insurance and facilitating unified planning and implementation of development projects; Others include: to establish the relevant infrastructure for the creation of a residents’ information database for every resident of Lagos state with a view to producing residency cards for all residents of Lagos state, ensuring easy identification of residents, generating health statistics in the state for health insurance scheme, verifying compliance with relevant laws and regulations and providing reliable information for making policy planning and implementation.

The agency also has the objective to produce guidelines for data to be contained in the registration form and advise the government on mode of collecting data from the public.

Section 14 of the law states that “(1) as from the commencement of this law(i) every person residing in the state shall register with the agency within three months; (ii) any person who moves into a long term accommodation in the state after the commencement of this law shall, within 30 days of moving into the accommodation, register with the agency.

Section 14(2) adds that

a resident shall notify the agency of a subsequent change of name or address appropriately and that “(3) every landlord (individual or corporate) in the state shall notify the agency of any new resident in their premises and shall inform the person of the need to register with the agency.”

The agency is expected to issue a certificate of registration upon registering a resident in the state. For ease of administration, the agency will establish registration centres in the local government councils and local council development areas.

Since the signing of the LSRRA bill into law

by Fashola, the agency undertook a pilot project work by capturing the database of all civil servants in the state. The agency, in the next few months will begin capturing of database of all residents of Lagos for adequate planning and formulation of policies that will benefit the populace.

According to Governor Fashola, the registration is compulsory for all residents of the state, adding that the objective of the registration was to provide a database of all residents in the state for better planning and governance.

He said the government was also carrying out the exercise in view of the security concerns raised by the influx of illegal aliens into the state lately, adding that all residents, irrespective of ethnic background or other variables would be captured in the exercise as government had the responsibility to cater for everyone, regardless of where they come from.

“I use the word ‘residents’ deliberately and advisedly,

General Manager, Lagos state Residents’ Registration Agency, Ms. Yinka Fashola

because it applies to every person of whatever faith, colour or ethnic group, who is a Nigerian, and who lives in Lagos. The benefits will be immeasurable. I have received a number of text messages and emails expressing concern about the presence in our state of people categorised as aliens from other countries.

“Until such a time as we begin to provide identification, which this programme will do, it will be difficult to separate immigrants from residents, especially as I remain mindful of our treaty obligations regarding freedom of movement within the ECOWAS sub-region.

We had commenced a pilot registration exercise with the public servants to test-run the project before coming to the larger public,” he explained, adding that the card, apart from being used as identification, would also be used by residents to access government services.

A statement from the LSRRA said that the objective of the registration was to provide a database of all residents in the state for better planning and governance, saying that “over 21 million people are estimated to be living in Lagos and there would be need for government to have their data base in its record.

The registration exercise will be carried out in view of the security situation and the influx of illegal aliens into the state”.

The exercise was supposed to have begun in January 2013 but due to logistic reasons, it could not start. The exercise is expected to capture all residents, irrespective of ethnic background, as well as foreigners, including tourists.

This is because government has the responsibility to cater for everyone residing in Lagos, regardless of the state or country they came from.

At the end of the exercise, resident identity card would be issued to those captured during the exercise, to differentiate between legal residents and illegal immigrants. With this, it is expected that the state government would be able to accurately determine the overall resources required in formulating and implementing policies, projects and programmes, after the exercise.

In preparation for the commencement of its statutory responsibility of registering the residents of the state, LSRRA held an open day for the public and

An overpopulated area of Lagos civil servants in the state to intimate them of the coming residency registration and to garner their support for the success of the exercise.

General Manager of LSRRA, Ms. Yinka Fashola, said the residents registration is necessary, in order to provide government with an up-to-date database of all those who reside in the state, to ensure effective planning and resource allocation.

According to her, the agency had earlier organised stakeholders meetings across the five divisions of the state, stressing that another one was being planned for the captains of industries to ensure that everybody was included.

“The registration exercise is for everybody, including children residing in Lagos state irrespective of their age, tribe, religion, social status or nationality as long as they reside in Lagos state.

She revealed that, in

preparation for the actual registration exercise, LSRRA had commenced the process of employing 1,000 applicants as enrolment officers to be deployed across the state to register residents.

On whether people working in Lagos, but residing outside the state can participate in the registration, she said the laws establishing the agency was being considered to determine the eligibility of such registration.

“The registration exercise is free and compulsory for people residing in the state. The two methods of registration that would be employed are the on-line and direct registration by LSRRA staff. For either of the methods, the registration would not be complete without capturing the biometrics and digital image of the applicant and signature for adults, after which a

receipt of registration would be issued.

“The registration exercise is a continuous process due to those who may not be available to register during the direct registration exercise and for residents who might have travelled abroad can also register on-line and later come for bio-metrics registration

at LSSRA office when they return,” she explained.

According to her, “Mobile registration teams are being enabled to enroll all those that live in inaccessible areas, the physically-challenged and elderly, who might not be able to easily reach the registration stations. Mobile teams will also register organisations and other

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Fashola added that sophisticated technological features, including finger prints, would be employed to authenticate and validate the registration process as well as the identity cards, which residents would be able to utilise in transactions with any government agency

business entities such as markets and factories that have large number of people on site so as not to disrupt their day to day activities.

We would however not carry out door-to-door service.”

“With the exercise, every resident will possess a highly secured unique identification card, which would also remove the veil of anonymity from every citizen of the state. The database will serve as a register that will contain all the demographic information of all residents of the state.”

Fashola added that sophisticated technological features, including finger prints, would be employed to authenticate and validate the registration process as well as the identity cards, which residents would be able to utilise in transactions with any government agency.

“It contains a unique reference number (residency number) that links every

individual to his or her own personal and biological data. The residency number serves as a reference for the prospective individual in his/her identity proved transactions with government bodies,” she explained.

She said 57 registration stations had been sited within the 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA), urging residents to take advantage of the process.

“If you currently reside in Lagos, you are required to register. If you are newly taking up residency in the state and intend to stay for more than six months, you are also required to register.

Anyone who wishes to access the services provided by Lagos state will be asked to authenticate their residency and identity,” she added.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and

Technology, Mrs. Funmilayo Animashaun said the process was not to tax residents but to authenticate the users of Lagos state Government’s services and provide an authentic database to plan for the provision of such services. vice-chairman of the Lagos state House of Assembly Committee on Science and Technology, Gbolahan Yishau said the registration process, when completed would assist government in planning as well as allocating resources where it is needed.

“This process will allow government to determine the overall resources required to formulate and implement policies, projects and programmes when the number to cater for is known.

It will also allow for proper allocation of resources to the appropriate sectors of the economy to meet the needs of residents of the state,” he stated.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20,2013

Defence

No group or insurgents control any inch of Nigeria – Brig. Gen. Olukolade Following relative peace in three states of the North-East, where a state of emergency was earlier declared as a result of incessant attacks by the Boko Haram sect, the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade told our Defence correspondent, Joy Baba that the sect is already weakened and that it is just a matter of time before it is crushed. legal structures in the name of

it was before. Our borders now

by very accurate and precise in-

Pix Caption: Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade Three months into the declaration of State of Emergency, what is the development so far? he only way we can relate the development is to compare the situation now with what it was before the declaration. Before then, for instance, we know that a part of this country, that is the North-East area were literally under the control of insurgents, who held people captive, who over-ran villages, who instituted their own ways of life to the usurpation of the nation’s Constitution and authority in such a way that government structures were denied functioning, peoples liberty were denied, their businesses were disrupted and the insurgents had a free raid of activities to the extent of hoisting flags that are counter to the nation’s plan.

So, territories were avenues, enclaves and camps for a lot of control and the insurgent’s activities were both coordinated and carried out to the disregard of the nation’s Constitution and authority. At the moment, by reason of this operation, following the declaration, all those il-

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camps and enclaves have been destroyed and they are not in existence anywhere. In other words, there is no inch of this nation at this moment that would be said to be under the control of any group of insurgents or terrorist of any faction.

At that time, bombs were flowing everywhere, even up to Abuja. Nowhere was really safe, because they had a base from which their activities were coordinated; you will notice that substantially and quite noticeably, there has been less or virtually not much of bombing outside those states; because like I said, their base for coordinating those activities is no more functioning.

They are rather on the run here and there. By reason of this development also, you will see that substantially, business activities have returned generally in all those places. Before the declaration for instance, airlines that have stopped plying Maiduguri have resumed flying. Go to the streets of Maiduguri at the moment, you will see life bubbling, the socio-economic activities have resumed, as against what

have got more attention, with a view to preventing the infiltration of arms, which we know has done so much havoc.

At the early stage of this declaration, the military took the insurgents unaware and it was so obvious that the military has strong grip in the activities within the state; but we didn’t even hear anything from the Boko Haram camp, because of the cutting off of communication. Recently communication has been restored and then last week there was an attack; does this have anything to do with the communication that was restored or is it a lapse on the part of the military?

This operation was preceded

“

telligence; that was proven by the rate of success at the beginning. The camps were well identified. There was no need for collateral damage, in that we knew the camps that we were going in for and we went straight to them.

The issue of civilian casualty was out of it. The Nigerian media was carried along; they were being informed on a regular basis of the pigment in the mission and that kind of gave way for people to appreciate information and remove all kinds of unnecessary suspicion and speculations.

What you are seeing lately is strictly indicative of what normally follows insurgency. Most of the insurgents have the tendency that when they hit the

Naturally, they want to leave the impression that they are still active and they are on ground and they must carry out activities that will draw attention to them; that’s why they could not confidently face the military force. They will rather be going in for soft targets, civilians who are defenseless; because, the more of such horrors the more attention they get from the public.

ground, they don’t yield until the last man dies. Naturally, they want to leave the impression that they are still active and they are on ground and they must carry out activities that will draw attention to them; that’s why they could not confidently face the military force. They will rather be going in for soft targets, civilians who are defenseless; because, the more of such horrors the more attention they get from the public. We call on the media not to take them too seriously because that is what they are craving for, to give the impression that they are still active and on ground. The alertness is still there on the part of the military. With the way they are being pursued you will know that there is alertness. With the recent achievement of their leadership that is being hacked down, the mission is not relenting at all, the tempo is being sustained. We are aware that until the last man among them dies, they want to give the impression that they are active. Definitely, they are not as active as they were initially.

Are you saying we should treat the recent video where their leader claimed that they have been victorious over the military with a wave of hand?

The reality is that they are not as active as they used to be.

Like I said, they want to give the impression that they are still doing something. Taking them seriously will just be helping them achieve their mission, that’s why we say it should be seen clearly as propaganda of people who have actually lost out in a battle.

We are aware that until the last man among them dies, it will be given a semblance of strength which in reality is not there.

Can’t Shekau’s location be traced through the videos and calls he makes?

The current video is not the first he intended to release.

Last month, at one of our check points, somebody was coming on a motor cycle, he was stopped and he pretended that he wanted to stop but refused to stop and so they shot at him; he was able to escape with a bullet wound after the shot and abandoned the motorcycle and bag he was carrying.

When our men picked the bag, they found electronic materials in it, including video tapes that have been shot with a view to repost it on YouTube; everything has been set trying to warn civilians not to cooperate with the military and showing signs that they are still winning and are in charge; that one could not be posted. The military captured all the materials they were to use,

PEOPLES DAILY,TUESDAY, AUGUST 20,2013

PAGE 27

Defence

Pix Caption: A JTF commander addressing troops before an exercise that is why they were literally si- fied period that people should forest as it is being flooded by gerians, it is very possible. By the hardly hear any shot there. Nilent until recently. Has anybody be relieved. At a strategic level, military personnel; that’s why time all insurgents have either gerian soldiers were part of that said he has had a telephone con- it will be determined when the they are marauding all over the being apprehended or convinced achievement, why not in our own versation with him? No one has soldier should be changed. There place. Migrating and looking for to drop their arms and tow the country? We believe even in our path of peace, it is very possible. own country, we should be able had any telephone conversation is no standard time to say: “After attention.

Is it possible for this security There are countries in this sub- to attain that level of peace. Keep with him; these things are done this period, they must go”. and through emissaries, through par- if there is a reason to keep them situation we are facing now to region that have been even un- praying for us, keep working with der more terrible terrorism and us, keep believing in us and keep ties that are collaborators and there, they know the job they’ve come to an end?

With the help of God and Ni- insurgent attacks, but today, you encouraging us. his supporters who relay it from taken. Let it not be that anyone is hand to hand, but definitely, not inciting them to get tired. Everyby electronic contacts directly to thing is being done to ensure that the satellite. Let him continue; everyone who is out there is mohis deputy is down now. Sooner tivated sufficiently to continue working. or later, he too will be.

Has there been no confession We learnt that 20 military men are missing after the in- from the insurgents arrested so surgents attacked one of their far on the where about of Shekau? camps…

How many of them have acI cannot put it together as a matter of figure; there is no cess to Shekau? The group is doubt we suffered some attacks; organised in such a way that not but not in the spirit with which everybody in the field have acit is being narrated. I can assure cess to that leadership. Momodu, you that our troops are not that his deputy, is a very active percareless, for insurgents to have son. He’s been on the field actuthat kind of free action and get ally fighting and using one of the away with it. What we are mainly most sophisticated weapons. having with them are encounters Shekau and every other insurand in the course of these en- gent in this country are being counters, definitely, we lose men trailed. Two options, by reason and we will not shy away from of our mandate are: arrest them that. However, the figures being dead or alive. For as long as they peddled are just fabricated. Even constitute a security nuisance, if they are 20, I cannot attribute the forces would go after them to apprehend them; this could be them to one incident.

There are complains that the dead or alive, it is still operating men have over stayed in the mis- within the rules of engagement. sion. Has there been any relief They will be apprehended.

Is the military still in total since May 14th?

A soldier knows the job he has control of Sambisa forest and taken. I should be asking you: other camps that the insurgents who is it that is complaining to were hitherto occupying?

Every inch of that forest is you? If a soldier uses such a forum to complain, it’s indicative being dominated by soldiers. of indiscipline. There is no speci- They cannot hide within that Pix Caption: Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Agriculture Vegetable export: Farmers earn about N500,000 weekly

By Mohammed Kandi

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ome small-holder vegetable farmers in Lagos state have made an extraordinary breakthrough in Nigeria’s agriculture history, thanks to the Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS).

It is probably the first time of such an incredible leap forward whereby small-holder farmers, who produce an average of 40 metric tonnes of eight varieties of palatable fresh vegetables per month, are earning about $280, 000 (N44.8m) monthly from export trades.

Hitherto, vegetables were classified as perishable goods in Nigeria, just as its farmers become hopeless on a daily bases. With this revolutionary achievement on the part of only ten farmers however, imagine how much proceeds would go directly into the pockets of ordinary farmers if the government provides them with more capacities i.e. accreditations through the NAQS to export their produce.

However, in Nigeria, according to agriculturalists, getting farmers to scale through the hurdle of procedures involved in exporting their produce across the borders have been a Herculean task. This is not because the authorities incharge have not been supportive, as in this case, there are synergies between officials on both side of the borders of the transacting countries.

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xplaining some rigorous route towards accomplishing the export of edible goods, Mike Nwaneri, coordinating Director of NAQS said farmers must comply with the directives and guidelines given by the service to access the export market. He noted that they must be acquainted with the facts that “the National Agricultural Quarantine Services has the primary mandate of preventing pests and diseases of plant, animals and aquatic resources from being introduced into the agricultural economy of Nigeria.”

Nwaneri said: “NAQS also focuses on facilitating exports, just as imports, and when we ask people to submit the agricultural items they want to export for inspection, screening and certification, they look at it as a means of delaying their business transactions or introducing bottlenecks”.

“But the fact is that no country in the world wants pests and diseases to be brought from another country into their country and they would do everything possible to ensure that unless an agricultural item meets their specifications, it is not allowed

Coordinating Director, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr. Mike Nwaneri (middle), in a group photograph with vegetable farmers and exporters recently in Lagos into their country,” he explained further.

“Apart from the poor image the rejection of food in the international market gives to the exporting country, the exporter also loses a lot of money when the items get destroyed,” he stressed, adding that “this had been achieved through various efforts aimed at ensuring effective quarantine services from the farms to the ports of departure.”

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e said: “Once they have a guarantee of a good market and very good returns on their investment, we will be there to organise them and make them know what they need. The government has facilities to like the Nigeria Incentive Based RiskSharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL); the fund is sitting there with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”

“We have our operations in every international airport and all the land borders. Phytosanitary certificates accompany the exports, to certify that all that has been done on the field was actually carried out,” Nwaneri explained.

NAQS Scientist at Lagos State University (LASU) gate farm, Folorunsho Dayo, described how the service had attained success in handling the whole process of exporting the goods without encountering any row, saying “we monitor the spraying of the vegetables and other activities carried out during the farming period and ensure it complies with international standards”.

“We have farms for Soko (Celosia spp), green (Amaranthus spp), water leaf (Talinum triangulare), Ugwu, fluted pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis), bitter leaf (amagdalina). Any vegetable that has pests or chemical residues will be rejected because it would be screened when it gets to the country of destination.

“Farmers that are conforming to the standards have been accredited because their produce has not been intercepted in the country of destination since they were accredited,” he disclosed.

“About 500 cartons of each of the vegetable species of 200 metric tonnes are harvested twice weekly and bought by exporters; there are ten of them. We have some accredited exporters. The farmers sell to these exporters.

They bring these farmers to us; we interview them to ensure that they meet the international standards.

“We have the farmers already accredited by us. There are so many farmers, but not all of them are accredited. We have so many locations: Itele (Ogun state), Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, AIT station, Alagbado, in Sango area of Ogun state, Command area in Ipaja and Volkswagen area of Lagos. On the average, we have five farmers per location,” Dayo stressed.

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AQS’s Head of Public Affairs and Trade Facilitation, Nnamdi Onukwukba said “this department of the ministry of agriculture is

urging as many vegetable farmers as desired to access the export market to come to NAQS and learn the requirements. The market for fresh vegetables abroad is very huge and not fully tapped, but there are standards that must be met or else it would be rejected”.

“In Nigeria, we cook the vegetables very well, so the chemicals and organisms are destroyed, but when it gets to another country, it is not cooked before it is tested at the point of entry and would then be destroyed.

Moreover, farmers earn more profit when they export,” he said.

He urged vegetable producers to come on board to learn how to produce for the international market. “There are standards and practices you have to meet before the products are accepted outside,” he added.

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n the meantime, vegetables grown by these small-holder farmers had been exported freely into the United States, England and other European countries, following specifications given and the subsequent issuance of certificates endorsing the produce okay for export by NAQS. As for these particular farmers, what started as simple perseverance on small gardens have suddenly become major foreign exchange earnings for them. The farms now feed thousands of Nigerians and other nationals in Europe, America, South Africa, Netherland and other parts of the world.

Some of these small-holder

farmers are currently farming in Lagos along roads – on the opposite side of the LASU gate, between Iyana-Oba and Igando.

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bdullahi Abubakar, a vegetable farmer who has been into export for about 10 years, while explaining how he is able to preserve his vegetables to meet international and export standards, said: “NAQS approached me about 10 years ago and taught me the processes of producing vegetables for export.

“Now I have customers in Belgium, South Africa, England, Ireland, Italy, and so on. Every farmer has to seek for their own customers abroad or get buyers who then export.

“I sell more than 100 cartons of vegetables weekly. I take them to the airport and hand over to the agent. I am paid N500 (about $3) per carton, which contains 4kg to 5kg of vegetables. We also want leading supermarkets in Nigeria to come and buy from us, because what we sell is of international standard,” Abubakar said.

On the part of the exporters, Mrs. Esther Ariyo, who is one of the exporters, disclosed that the business had been worth their efforts. “We have very active customers in United Kingdom, South Africa and America who buy from us daily,” Ariyo said.

Ariyo added that the vegetable business had become even better with the current efforts by the NAQS to ensure that the quality of vegetables from Nigeria meet international standards.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Agriculture Grazing reserve: Miyetti Allah appeals for demarcation of cattle routes across Nigeria Mai Aliyu Usman is the Yobe state’s chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and also the Special Adviser on education to the state Governor, Alh. Ibrahim Gaidam. In this interview with Uche Uche, he sheds light on the main causes of clashes between farmers and herdsmen and possible solutions on the challenges of sustaining nomadic education in the state. Excerpts:

Wheat farming: Turning Borno state to fruitful fields, food basket Dr. Oluwasina Gbenga Olabanji is the Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), in Maiduguri, Borno state and is the team leader of the wheat Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development.

In this interview with Mohammed Kandi, the ED says that his Institute has made breakthroughs in the breeding of adaptable wheat varieties and has found the northern Nigeria suitable for the cultivation of these varieties of wheat with improved yields.

Planting wheat in Nigeria The optimum time of planting wheat in Nigeria is the middle of November. And you harvest by middle of March; which means that within four months you have harvested it. Wheat is a temperate crop. It thrives under cool temperature condition, which we have during the dry season in the northern part of the country, whereby the night temperature ranges from 8 to 13 degree centigrade, which is very good for wheat production. We have it in this country and that is why our wheat is thriving very well.

Duration of wheat on field and shelf life We have some early maturing varieties that could even mature before the four months and we are going to promote them the more.

An armed herdsman with AK 47 directing his cattle for grazing Causes of conflict ell, we have been saying this thing from time immemorial. Whenever you see conflict between herdsmen and farmers, they are competing for on land. That is the problem. The society is growing so rapidly, so the farmers need more land and the grazers are also developing their own animals and they need more places to graze. That is the number one problem.

Two, encroachment into various cattle grazing areas by farmers, especially big farmers, who take two to three kilometers as farmlands, and most of them go into such areas because of its fertile nature, as it has not been cultivated before.

The grazers are always there and so, there is a lot of manure, which makes the land fertile and that is why they encroach into the grazing reserves and this always results in conflict. Whenever you see these conflicts, it happens in the bush not in the towns; on the farms, not just in any other land.

We always tell the government that these grazing reserves should be, or must be, persevered if they want to stop clashes between farmers and herdsmen. So,

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it is a competition between farmers and the herdsmen.

Sometimes, it is even deliberate on the part of both groups. For instance, you will find that the grazers will take it deliberately just to destroy the crop; that is the problem. So, we have been telling them, we have been talking; but we don’t have the authority in our hands.

We have been talking to the authorities.

The essence of any government is to preserve the lives and properties of the entire citizens, irrespective of whether they are farmers or herdsmen. So, we are appealing to the governments, please and please, always demarcate the cattle routes so that the animals can get access from where they were living before to where they want to go and graze their animals. They have blocked the all the cattle routes.

You can see farms along the highways; they cannot leave even for 50 meters in between.

So, where do you expect the cattle breeders to move their animals to? These are some of the problems.

Besides, there are security implications of lying in the bush and the cattle breeders are not safe, so they come near the towns and that

is why they come near the farms.

Need for legislation, punishment for offenders e have laws. These cattle routes and grazing reserves are gazetted by the governments, even during the colonial periods. So, the laws are there; it is the implementation that matters. If you enact a law but cannot implement it then it is not a law.

That is the problem. These grazing reserves were really demarcated and gazetted, so there is a law that whoever encroaches into them should be punished by the law, but those who are implementing the laws are not ready to do that.

Advise for government y advice is that government should demarcate the cattle routes and the government should preserve all the gazetted grazing reserves for the herdsmen and we always tell the herdsmen that: If you have your own grazing areas, please desist from coming to the farms.

What are they even going to do in the farms? What they want in their farms are the crops. If the grass is available, why should they even

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come to the farms? That is the problem.

Advice for the herdsmen e are always advising them; that is why we are their leaders. Last year, we recorded a clash whereby somebody lost his life. So, we are always telling them that peace is the paramount thing. But if they think that peace is not something they will value then, let there be clashes and they will see what will happen.

We are seeing it in Yobe state. We are seeing what is happening. That is even why we called them this morning.

And more are coming; just to tell them to live in peace, because the state is under emergency rule. Any mistake they make to perpetuate any activity that will warrant lack of peace would land them in trouble and we won’t be there to protect them or even to talk.

So, that is why I called the herdsmen who are now in Yobe state to realize that the state is still under emergency rule, so they should desist from perpetuating any activity that will lead to a breach of peace and stability in the state. Otherwise, whatever befalls them, let them know that nobody will come to their aid.

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Good yield, good returns We, in collaboration with contact farmers, within four months, were able to produce 100 metric tonnes of wheat for NSPRI, which they put in an inert atmosphere for four years and the thing was still very viable. The best famers under the project produced 42 bags, of 4.2 metric tonnes on from 1.2 hectres and we bought at N10, 000 per bag during the project. That farmer collected N420, 000 from our institute. And that farmer went and bought a Golf car.

People came from Cameroon and Chad to buy our locally-grown wheat. This farmer was able to sell a bag for N15,000 and was able to make N1.5 million.

Insecurity There are insecurity challenges in the North-East zone, which is not far from this issue of poverty. The youth are not gainfully employed; so, they go into criminality. The efforts we were making, which we started during the wet season, were meant to empower these youth through training. We trained them on seed production.

Before then, we told the youth within our community to form youth associations.

They formed a Youth Forum; about 62 of them registered. We trained them on how to produce millet seeds.

We entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with them. We gave them our improved seeds of millet and also fertiliser. At the end of the harvest, we are going to buy the seeds they produce under our strict supervision.

We will then remove the cost of our inputs. That is what we have done for the wet season.

And during the dry season, which is the wheat production season, we are equally going to train farmers in that region, particularly in Marte local government area, where we have more than 50,000 hectres for wheat production. We are going to train these youth on how to produce wheat seeds. We shall also empower them by giving them inputs. By so doing, we have created jobs for these youth. We have also reduced poverty and also making the country self-sufficient in wheat production and, at the same time, securing our land.

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Feature

B o o m i n pl as t ic mo n e y a s N i g e r i a s pend s , s p e n d s , s p e n ds I n 2002, when Mitchell Elegbe was starting his technology business, there were few proper bank cards in Nigeria, ATMs were rare and there was no interconnectivity between banks. Drawing money meant walking into your branch, collecting a token indicating a number in the queue, and returning several hours later in the hope of being near the teller.

“People used to keep a lot of money at home,” said Mr. Elegbe. “We thought: why can’t people have cash just-in-time.”

So his fledgling company built a “switching” infrastructure to connect the different banks. Interswitch also provided the technology for ATM cards, in the hope of becoming the Nigerian equivalent of Visa or MasterCard.

A decade on, and the two American payment giants are scrambling to play catch-up in Africa’s second-biggest economy. Today, Nigeria has nearly 12,000 ATMs, 131,000 point-of-sales machines and several internet payment portals. Of the 25m bank cards in circulation, more than 18m carry Interswitch’s “Verve” brand, Mr. Elegbe says.

Its success is a clear example of the first-mover advantage is Nigeria, where for years the difficult operating conditions caused many multinationals to sit on the sidelines.

With the economy expanding steadily at between 6 and 7 per cent a year since 2007, ever more foreign companies are looking for a way in, from supermarket chains such as Carrefour, which recently announced a deal to expand into west Africa, to Ermenegildo Zegna, the luxury men’s brand. And, as data from the banking sector show, later is better than never, for there is still huge room for growth.

As in many other African countries, access to financial services has traditionally been limited to the wealthier class in Nigeria. In recent years, however, banks have courted lower-income customers.

The number of people with bank accounts grew from 18.3m in 2008 to 28.6m in 2012, according to Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access, (EFInA), an organisation that promotes financial

Shopping is a serious business and Nigerians are amongst the leading pack of top spenders. inclusion in the country.

Even so, that represents just one in three Nigerian adults, compared with the two in three who formally bank in South Africa, the continent’s largest economy.

Nearly 60 million Nigerian adults – out of

run on generators much of the day, to its reputation for fraud.

In its early years, Interswitch used magnetic stripe cards that were susceptible to being cloned. Mr Elegbe said that fighting swindlers became “my full-time

“

At the same time, spending on plastic is rising fast. According to the CBN, the volume of card purchases and ATM withdrawals nearly tripled between 2009 and 2011.

The vast majority of transactions are made using savings account or debit cards

Credit card group is rolling out a pilot scheme to launch ID cards, such as the example above, that double as e-payment cards a fast-growing population of 160 million people – do not use traditional banking services.

“We have this massive market, and that gives us a natural advantage over other countries,” said the MD of Interswitch, Mr. Elegbe, whose shareholders now include four local banks, the private equity firm Helios and the International Finance Corporation. “There’s still a huge opportunity to bring more people into the banking system.”

Nigeria presents its own unique challenges too, from the chronic power outages that require standalone ATM’s to

job”. Then Visa and MasterCard, whose presence in sub-Saharan Africa had mainly been limited to countries that drew foreign tourists, such as Kenya and South Africa, entered the market with chip-and-pin cards.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mandated that this become the new standard, and Interswitch adopted the technology for its Verve cards. Scamming has now been greatly reduced – by 90 percent, the CBN says – and is today a much smaller issue than people might imagine, said Ade Ashaye, country manager for Visa. “(By coming in later) we have not

repeated the mistakes made in other markets,” he said. “Fraud on our cards issued in Nigeria is significantly lower than global averages.”

At the same time, spending on plastic is rising fast. According to the CBN, the volume of card purchases and ATM withdrawals nearly tripled between 2009 and 2011. The vast majority of transactions are made using savings account or debit cards; since Nigeria’s banking crash in 2008, when reckless lending was common, the percentage of bank customers holding credit cards has fallen from 12 per cent to 5 per cent, according to EFInA. One reason for the surge in e-purchases is the CBN’s efforts to promote cashless transactions, which has seen handheld point-of-sales terminals installed everywhere from church donation booths to hairdressers. Another is the rise of internet shopping and sites, such as Paga and Interswitch’s Quickteller that facilitate money transfers, bill payments and airtime purchases.

MasterCard, which formally moved into the market in 2010, has seen a strong growth in revenues, according to Omokehinde Ojomuyide, its business head for west Africa, as people have become more comfortable using their cards. The company has an agreement with the government to rollout 13m MasterCardbranded national identity cards that will enable people to load money and make electronic payments.

Along with Visa and Interswitch, MasterCard is also working with overseas vendors to improve acceptance of cards issued in Nigeria, which are sometimes still rejected because of a fear of fraud.

“Like it or not, Nigerians spent a lot of money abroad,” said Mrs. Ojomuyide.

“There’s no reason that they should not get the same services as anywhere else in the world.”

Source: Financial Times

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20 2013

ANALYSIS

By Massoud Hayoun

S

ummer Nazif, an EgyptianAlgerian engineering student at Cairo University, thought the international media’s countless comparisons between Egypt’s present crisis and Algeria in the 1990s were “absurd” acts of punditry, but that was before Egyptian security forces violently cracked down on supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday, leaving more than 600 people dead.

“When [Morsi supporters] exchanged fire with the police, that’s when I started comparing the two,” Nazif, 19, told Al Jazeera.

Nazif’s mother moved to Cairo from Algeria in the 1990s, escaping what Algerians now refer to as “the black decade”. Those 10 years were immediately preceded by Algeria’s 1991 elections, in which the North African nation’s Islamist party, the Front of Islamic Salvation (FIS), won the first round. As in Egypt, the elections were held after a series of mass demonstrations.

After learning the results of that first round, Algerian military leaders cancelled the elections altogether, prompting an armed, right-wing faction of FIS to embark on a decade-long civil war with national security forces that killed an estimated 60,000 people and stymied economic development in a country rich with oil reserves.

Nazif, who returned to Cairo last week after her yearly summer vacation in Algeria, described conversations she had about the situation in Egypt while she was away.

“A lot of people in Algeria are talking about Egypt - in the street, at family gatherings,” she said. “They are afraid that the things that happened there are happening again.” She said the few “educated people” she knows in Egypt who understand what happened in Algeria in the 1990s are also talking about the infamous “black decade” and its portents.

Nazif noted that unlike in Algeria, where the FIS never had a chance to makeanimpressiononvoters,Egyptians like her were largely disenchanted with the Brotherhood’s roughly one year in power.

“The biggest thing they added was Islam,” she said, noting that social and economic discontent persisted throughout the Morsi presidency. “They claimed they had a project. They didn’t.”

But the similarities between the Algerian conflict and Egypt’s crisis are strong: The sectarian divide between Egypt’s Islamists and its military, both of which are vying for political power, mirrors the strife that brought on Algeria’s “black decade,” said Karim Emile Bitar, director of Paris-based international relations think-tank, the Institut de Relations Internationales et Strategiques (IRIS).

In both Algeria and Egypt, “we have similarities in terms of political heritage - a nationalist, authoritarian militaryindustrial complex leading the countries for the past 50-odd years” and Islamist groups whose political activity has been crushed by the military, said Bitar.

And in both cases, he added, nullifying elections inflamed longrunning tensions between the military and believers in political Islam, leading to bloodshed. In Egypt’s case, it is unclear how long the current imbroglio will persist. Nazif and Bitar say Egyptians should have maintained the legitimacy of the polls to prevent the kind of violence that broke out on Wednesday.

PAGE 31

International Will Egypt repeat Algeria’s ‘black decade’?

Egyptian security forces during a crackdown on protesters.

The idea [behind the Egypt-Algeria comparisons] is to heed the lessons of history,” Bitar said. “The best way to defeat Islamists is not to halt the electoral process. Authoritarian [military] rule only offers temporary relief to liberals and democrats. It does not answer the questions of Islamic radicalism.”

The day before Morsi was deposed

by Egypt’s military, he made a public address in which he used the word “legitimacy”, alluding to his and the Muslim Brotherhood’s electoral mandate, roughly 200 times.

His opponents mocked the speech, but it seems that many now believe abiding by the polls could have prevented thechaosthatunfoldedandthatEgyptian Health Ministry officials said killed more than 600 Morsi supporters and security personnel during Wednesday’s clashes.

“Personally, my family supports the Brotherhood,” Nazif said. “Not because they support Islamist rule. They support electoral legitimacy. We believe we could have elected someone else later.”

Mohamed Soudan of Morsi’s Brotherhood-backed Freedom and Justice Party told Al Jazeera that not

abiding by the outcome of Morsi’s election in 2012 and waiting for an opportunity to elect another president at the polls, was a major blow to “law in Egypt”.

As with Algeria’s FIS, Egypt’s Brotherhood will use the military’s deadly crackdown to build its “aura” of legitimacy, Bitar said. “Had the process not been interrupted, had Egyptians demanded early elections, that would have been a long-term defeat for political Islam. The Muslim Brotherhood will use this claim to legitimacy for a long time,” he said.

“Morsi is no Salvador Allende,” Bitar added,referringtothefirstdemocratically elected Chilean president, overthrown in a military coup in 1973. “But this will allow the Brotherhood to create a new aura.”

InAlgeria,“thefactthatthe[electoral] process was interrupted led to the radicalisation of some [FIS] fringes that became the GroupeIslamiqueArme,” an armed group that would later team up with al-Qaeda and continue armed attacks into the present day.

As for Egypt, Bitar said, “I would

“

not be surprised if radical fringes [of the Brotherhood] decide to go toward violence” now that they have no apparent politicalchannelstochallengethemilitary at their disposal.

The Brotherhood’s spokesman in Britain, HanyEldeeb, said that although the Brotherhood has renounced violence, “Now [the military] is telling [Brotherhoodmembers]thereisnohope forthemtobeinpower.Definitelyyouare provoking violence.”

Nazif said Egyptians “want to skip through” any potential “black decade”.

And other political entities are also using the Algeria-Egypt comparison as a cautionary tale.

Since Morsi’s ouster in Egypt, Tunisia’s Ennahda, another Islamist partythatcametopowerintheaftermath of the 2011 Arab revolutions, has warned repeatedly against an Egypt-style coup.

Opposition parties withdrew from the National Constituent Assembly in Tunisia’s interim government after the July 25 murder of opposition leader Mohamed Brahmi - the second such killing this year. His murder drove tens of thousands of people, upset with the

“Morsi is no Salvador Allende,” Bitar added, referring to the first democratically elected Chilean president, overthrown in a military coup in 1973. “But this will allow the Brotherhood to create a new aura.”

administration’s management of social and economic issues, into the streets.

Ennahda Vice President WalidBennani told Al Jazeera its “opposition also still wants to repeat the Egyptian scenario”, but said that a coup was not in the works.

Although Tunisia does not have a politically significant military as in Algeria and Egypt, Bitar said “polarisation” between those who believe in political Islam and secularists is “also extremely intense there”.

“Some would like to replicate what happened in Egypt,” he said, echoing Bennani.

One of the groups that orchestrated Tunisia’s protests against the current government is called the Tamarod (“Rebel”) movement, just like the movement that orchestrated the protests that ultimately resulted in Morsi’s ouster.

“I think it would be a terrible mistake, although Ennahda and [party founder] RachedGhannouchi also commit lots of mistakes,” Bitar said.

Tunisian activist Mouna Ben Halima told Al Jazeera her compatriots were protesting Ennahda’s “incompetence” with handling social and economic issues. Under the Ennahda-led government, Ben Halima noted, Tunisian authorities had jailed AminaSboui, an activist with women’s rights group Femen, and rapper Weld el 15, essentially for dissidence and disrespecting the new administration’s moral sensibilities.

“Social and economic debates are perhaps more important than identity debates”betweensecularistsandpolitical religionists, Bitar added.

Source: Al jazeera

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

International

Egypt remains on edge as killings persist

• 24 police killed in ambush, 36 detained protesters killed

E

gypt remains volatile, with 24 police officers killed in a Sinai ambush and 36 Brotherhood prisoners killed during a prison transfer, bringing the death toll to almost 850 in five days of violence since Egypt moved to crush supporters of ousted president Mohamed Mursi.

The 24 Egyptian police officers were killed after they were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades in northern Sinai, security officials say.

The officials said yesterday morning’s attack took place as the officers were driving through a village near the border town of Rafah in the volatile Sinai Peninsula.

At least two others were injured when the unknown fighters fired on the officers’ buses as they headed towards Rafah on the border with the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

The attack was the deadliest in the Sinai in years, exceeding the toll from an August 2012 attack on Egyptian soldiers that killed 16.

In continued violence, Egyptian police said at least 36 detained protesters were killed while attempting to escape from a prison convoy, but the Muslim Brotherhood has alleged that their supporters were killed in cold blood

Zimbabwe sanctions ‘should go’- SADC

S Egyptian army armoured personnel carriers are seen stationed in front of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square. and called for an international inquiry into the incident.

There were conflicting reports of how Sunday’s deaths occurred.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry said the prisoners had taken an officer hostage and died after suffocating to death after police fired tear gas.

The men, believed to be supporters of deposed President

Mohamed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood organisation, were killed while being transferred to Abu Zaabal prison near Cairo in a convoy of about 600 detainees.

Egypt’s Anti-Coup Alliance has called for a formal investigation into the deaths of the detained protesters The alliance, which includes the

Muslim Brotherhood, demanded yeterday “an international investigation into this horrific crime, in addition to other crimes committed by leaders of the 3rd of July coup”.

Anti-coup protesters were gathering yesterday evening for new rallies in areas including Zagazig and Gharbia.

Mubarak, who was arrested after his overthrow in 2011, still faces charges in another corruption case where he is accused of accepting gifts from state newspapers, but he has already paid back the value of the gifts.

In scenes that mesmerized Arabs, the ex-strongman appeared in a court-room cage during his trial on charges that ranged from corruption to complicity in the murder of protesters.

Mubarak is also awaiting retrial after appeals against his conviction and sentence to life in prison last year over his complicity in the deaths of protesters during the uprising.

Mubarak’s lawyer, Fareed elDeeb, told the Reuters news agency that the second corruption case

would be settled swiftly. “All we have left is a simple administrative procedure that should take no more than 48 hours. He should be freed by the end of the week,” Deeb told the agency.

More than a year on, the only legal grounds for Mubarak’s continued detention rest on another corruption case which his lawyer, Fareed elDeeb, said would be settled swiftly.

Egyptian law does not compel his incarceration while he faces retrial over the protester deaths.

However, judicial sources told the Reuters news agency that he would spend another two weeks behind bars before a final decision was made on the outstanding corruption case against him.

His release could stir more

political tension in Egypt, where at least 850 people, including 70 policemen and soldiers, have been killed since the army-backed interim government forcibly dispersed Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins in Cairo on Wednesday.

Mubarak is being held at Tora prison on the southern outskirts of Cairo, the same facility where leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are being held after their arrest following the coup against Mubarak’s successor, Mohamed Morsi.

The most populous Arab country is already enduring the bloodiest internal conflict in its modern history as the army, which deposed President Mohamed Mursi on July 3 after huge protests against him, cracks down on his Muslim Brotherhood.

Pistorius, 26, was handed a copy of the indictment and the court adjourned in Pretoria yesterday.

“MrPistorius, the matter is then transferred to the High Court and is

scheduled to start on the 3rd of March 2014 and will run until the 20th of March 2014,” Desmond Nair, the magistrate, said.

The sprint star walked into the court on Monday wearing a black suit and light blue shirt, and started praying with his sister Aimee and brother Carl, holding hands with them and crying.

The indictment papers are expected to include a list of witnesses to be called by the prosecution and detail some of the evidence police investigators have gathered in the six months since Pistorius shot Steenkamp in a bathroom in his home on Valentine’s Day. Thestatement,fromtheofficeofSouth Africa’snationalpolicecommissioner,said detectives, forensic experts, ballistics experts, psychologists and technology experts all worked on the case and are

confident that they have the evidence to convict Pistorius.

The most telling evidence may be in records on mobile hones found at Pistorius’ home and through examination of the toilet cubicle door through which Pistorius shot four bullets, hitting Steenkamp three times and killing her.

The angle or trajectory of the bullets could show if Pistorius was standing on his stumps when he shot, as he says, or if he was on his prosthetics, as the prosecution maintains.

ProsecutorstoldtheAssociatedPress news agency it is possible that additional chargescouldbeaddedtotheindictment.

South African media reports that Pistorius would face two other charges relatingtorecklesslydischargingafirearm in a public place in two separate incidents.

...Court acquits Mubarak of corruption charge

H

osni Mubarak, Egypt’s imprisoned former ruler, has been cleared in a corruption case by prosecutors.

Judicial officials told the AP news agency that a court yesterday ordered the 85-year-old be cleared in the case that alleged he embezzled funds for presidential palaces.

In its first session of hearing, the Cairo Criminal Court also decided to jail Mubarak’s two sons, Alaa and Gamal pending investigations in the same case.

The court ordered the document of the case to be returned to the prosecution for indicting another four suspects.

Mubarak and his two sons didn’t appear in the court for security reasons.

S/Africa’s Pistorius indicted for murder

Pistorius

O

scar Pistorius, the 26-year-old double-amputee Olympian, is to face trial in March next year after beingindictedonchargeofmurderinghis girlfriend ReevaSteenkamp.

outhern African leaders have called for the West to lift all sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe after endorsing President Robert Mugabe’s victory in disputed elections last month.

Zimbabweans had “suffered enough”, Malawian President Joyce Banda said.

The EU and US imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 after accusing Mr Mugabe of brutally cracking down on his opponents - a charge he rejected.

Mr Mugabe, 89, is due to be inaugurated for a seventh term on Thursday.

The European Union (EU) has a travel ban in place against President Mugabe and nine other of officials of his Zanu-PF party and has sanctions imposed on two companies.

The US also has a travel ban on Mr Mugabe and other top ZanuPF officials, and has blacklisted companies linked to them from doing business with US companies.

Mr Mugabe won with 61% of the presidential vote against 34% for Morgan Tsvangirai, the outgoing prime minister and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

On Friday, the MDC dropped plans to challenge Mr Mugabe’s victory in court, alleging it would not get a fair hearing.

The MDC had alleged that the poll was marred by widespread fraud, a view rejected by African Union (AU) and other international observers.

Ending a meeting of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, on Sunday, regional leaders said in a statement that “all forms of sanctions” imposed on Zimbabwe should be lifted following the holding of “free and peaceful” elections.

“I believe Zimbabwe deserves better, Zimbabweans have suffered enough,” said Ms Banda, Malawi’s leader and incoming chairperson of the 15-nation regional body.

In a further display of support for Mr Mugabe, regional leaders appointed him as the next Sadc chairman and said the group’s next annual summit would be held in Zimbabwe, AFP news agency reports.

Mugabe

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 33

International

India, Pakistan trade fire for 10th straight day

T

he armies of India and Pakistan yesterday once again targeted each other’s positions with heavy artillery on line-ofcontrol (LoC) in Kashmir for the tenth straight day, officials said.

The ceasefire violations took place along LoC in Hamirpur and Balakote belts of frontier Poonch district, around 185 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir.

According to officials heavy exchange between the armies started Sunday evening and continued until yesterday morning. “Pakistani army last evening again fired at our positions in Hamirpur and Balakote,” said S N Acharaya, Indian army spokesman in Jammu. “Our side also retaliated and the firing was going on until 6:15 a.m. (local time) today.”

Both sides used mortars, RPGs and automatic weapons, besides heavy machine guns to target each other’s posts on the LoC, officials said.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

Reports said some medium range mortar shells and rockets fired by Pakistani troops landed in civilian belts of Mankote and Mendhar, triggering panic among the local residents.

Acharaya said the Indian side has not suffered any damage in yesterday’s firing.

Both India and Pakistan blame each other of resorting to unprovoked firing that triggers skirmishes resulting in civilian or troop casualties on either side.

Meanwhile India said yesterday that it was running out of patience with Pakistan army-backed transgressions across disputed Kashmir as crossborder firing spread further north for the first time since the two armies agreed to a ceasefire in 2003.

Tension has been running high

along one of the world’s most militarized borders in Kashmir since August 6 when five Indian soldiers were ambushed and killed while on a patrol.

Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony said it was clear that specialist troops of the Pakistani army were involved in the attack on the soldiers whose deaths triggered criticism that the government’s posture toward the neighbor had been too soft.

Antony demanded that Pakistan act

against its troops involved in the latest incident as well as the killing of two soldiers back in January, one of whom was decapitated.

“Naturally, this incident will have consequences on our behavior on the Line of Control and for our relations with Pakistan,” he told parliament, referring to the de facto border between the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region. “Our restraint should not be taken for granted.”

D

I

Indian army soldiers run during a gun battle in the Indian portion of Kashmir.

in New Zealand,” Conrad Reyners, spokesman, said.

The amendment to the Marriage Act was passed by parliament in April but did not come into effect until Monday, after the government offices that issue marriage licences opened.

Air New Zealand staged a special flight from Auckland to Queenstown where LynleyBendall and Ally Wanikau tied the knot in the air after 14 years together, with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, American gay rights campaigner and actor from the hit comedy Modern Family, in attendance.

“To be married at 30,000 feet beneath strings of fairy lights with our children, friends and family as

witnesses makes an already memorable day that much more special,” Bendall said.

“It was surreal to have Jesse play a part in the ceremony too.”

However, Family First, the conservative lobby group, said changing the Marriage Act was “an arrogant act of cultural vandalism” that politicians had pushed through without a public mandate.

“Social engineers including politicians and activists are expecting marriage supporters to drop their deeply held convictions because of the misguided decisions of politicians,” Bob McCoskrie, national director, said.

New Zealand decriminalised homosexuality in 1986 and has allowed same-sex civil unions since 2005.

At least 31 same-sex couples had indicated they would marry on Monday, usually the least popular wedding day, while inquiries about staging same-sex weddings in New Zealand had been received from Russia, the US, Hong Kong, Britain, Singapore, Malaysia, Guyana and Belgium.

About 1,000 same-sex couples in Australia have indicated they plan to travel to New Zealand to marry, according to the Australian Marriage Equality lobby group.

More than 20,000 Syrian refugees cross into Iraq - UN

M

Tents at Syrian refugee camp.

Mid-East turmoil ‘to last decades’- UK Foreign secretary

Hague

New Zealand legalises same-sex weddings ozens of same-sex couples have said “I do” as New Zealand becomes the first Asia-Pacific country, and only the 14th in the world, to legalise same-sex marriage.

Vows were exchanged yesterday, in venues ranging from an airliner cruising at 30,000 feet to a historic bath house as gay men and women took advantage of the law change.

The Campaign For Marriage Equality said it ended a historical injustice and meant the love of all people was recognised as equal in the eyes of the law.

“A massive congratulations to the happy couples tying the knot today.

Marriage equality has finally arrived

Asia & Middle East

ore than 20,000 Syrian refugees have entered northern Iraq since Thursday in one of the largest crossings in the more than two-yearold conflict and the influx is continuing, the United Nations said yesterday.

Syrians began pouring into the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq last Thursday, taking advantage of a new bridge along the largely closed border, the U.N. says.

“It looks like the total

from last Thursday to now is somewhere in the region of 20,000 or more coming across,” Adrian Edwards of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said. “If not the biggest influx across the border at a single time then it is among the largest in the whole Syria crisis.”

Hundreds of Syrians fleeing fighting in Aleppo and other parts of northern Syria were massed along the Tigris River on Monday near the pontoon crossing, UNHCR staff said.

t will take “years or maybe decades” for the turmoil in the Middle East to “play itself out,” UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

Mr Hague said the situation in Egypt was “very bleak” and there was only a limited amount Western powers like Britain could do to help resolve it.

“We have to do our best to support democratic institutions” without taking sides, he added.

He is to meet fellow EU foreign ministers later to discuss Egypt.

Hundreds of people have died in five days of violence between supporters of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi and the Egyptian military.

Egyptian security officials have said that more than 20 police officers have been killed in an attack in the north of the country.

At least 36 Muslim Brotherhood prisoners have died while trying to escape during their transfer to a prison outside Cairo.

Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the UK government had reacted effectively to the situation in Egypt.

“What we’ve done in Britain so far is that we have suspended projects with the Egyptian security forces. We have revoked a number of export licences, and I think then among the European countries we should review together how we try to aid Egypt, what aid and assistance we give to Egypt in the future.

“So we have to respond seriously to this without excluding future assistance, nor removing all influence of the situation - foreign policy is often about striking the right balance.”

He said it was “hard to overstate the levels of hatred and mistrust between the various sides of politics in Egypt” but he did not accept that “there is nothing at all we can do about it”.

“Our influence may be limited.

It is a proudly independent country and there may be years of turbulence in Egypt and other countries going through this profound debate about the nature of democracy and the role of religion in their society.

“But we have to do our best to promote democratic institutions, to promote political dialogue and to keep faith with the majority of Egyptians who just want a free and stable and prosperous country.”

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 34

International

British warships arrive in Gibraltar amid tension with Spain

B

ritish warships arrived in Gibraltar yesterday for scheduled exercises amid tensions with Spain over fishing around the British Mediterranean enclave.

Although British, Spanish and Gibraltarian authorities have said the navy’s arrival at the British overseas territory is long-scheduled, some in Spain see it as provocative.

At about 0800 GMT (4:00 a.m.

EDT) the frigate HMS Westminster sailed into the port of Gibraltar flanked by two smaller ships.

It was followed an hour later by the auxiliary ship Lyme Bay, part of a task force of four warships and five other vessels that left Portsmouth and Plymouth about a week ago for exercises in the Mediterranean and the Gulf with various allies.

Gibraltar’s creation of an artificial reef with concrete blocks, which Spanish fishermen say blocks their access to certain waters, has prompted Spain to toughen its border checks, leading to long queues for workers and tourists entering Gibraltar.

Spain claims the territory,

A warship arriving in Gibraltar yesterday. population just 30,000, which it ceded to Britain by treaty 300 years ago.

Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo accused the Spanish government of creating conflict to distract attention from corruption allegations against the

ruling People’s Party.

“In the 19th century, gunboats were used to do politics,” he said.

“Today our aim is to improve the living conditions of our citizens by means of cooperation.

Unfortunately, Spanish politicians are currently bringing the

situation to a head and therefore making things worse for their own citizens in the surrounding regions.”

Picardo said the concrete reef was necessary to help marine life recover from overfishing.

As well as tightening border controls, Spain has threatened to charge tourists a 50 euro ($67) border levy, restrict the use of Spanish air space or block

Gibraltar’s lucrative ship fuelling business.

While Spain has threatened to take its claim to Gibraltar to the United Nations, Britain has asked the European Commission urgently to send monitors to verify whether the border checks breach EU rules.

Merkel cancels election rally after hostage taking

G

erman Chancellor Angela Merkel was forced to cancel an election rally in the southern German city of Ingolstadt yesterday after a man took several people hostage in the town hall hours before she was due to speak.

Police said they were in contact by telephone with the man who described himself as armed but had not made any demands. There was no sign of a connection with Merkel’s visit, they added.

Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) issued a statement saying her pre-election rally with Horst Seehofer, head of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), had been called off. Germany holds a federal election on September 22

and Bavaria a regional vote one week before that.

“The reason for this is the hostage taking in Ingolstadt,” the CDU said of the cancellation.

Authorities evacuated the town hall and closed off the immediate area. Television footage showed emergency vehicles waiting outside the building.

According to the city’s website the town hall is a 14th century building, home to the mayor, some administrative posts and the tourist office. Ingolstadt, a city of roughly 125,000 near Munich, is best known as the home of Audi, the luxury unit of German carmaker Volkswagen.

Merkel

Europe and Americas CIA acknowledges role in ’53 Iran coup

A

declassified CIA document acknowledges that the agency was involved in the 1953 coup that overthrew Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh.

The independent National Security Archive research institute, which published the document yesterday, says the declassification is believed to mark the CIA’s first formal acknowledgment of its involvement.

According to Foreign Policy, which reviewed the document, this is the key passage: “The military coup that overthrew Mosadeq and his National Front cabinet was carried out under CIA direction as an act of U.S. foreign policy, conceived and approved at the highest levels of government.”

The document was declassified in 2011. The institute published it Monday after obtaining it through a Freedom of Information Act request.

While this might be the CIA’s first formal nod, the U.S. role has long been known.

In 2000, then-U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright spoke of the intervention.

“The coup was clearly a setback for Iran’s political development, and it is easy to see now why many Iranians continue to resent this intervention by America in their internal affairs,” she said.

Also in 2000, the New York Times published what it said was a leaked 1954 CIA-written account of the overthrow.

Snowden’s journalist partner detained

T

he police will be asked to justify the detention of a journalist’s partnerwho published documents leaked by US whistleblower Edward Snowden under terror laws, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee has said.

Miranda

Keith Vaz said the full facts of David Miranda’s nine-hour detention at Heathrow must be established quickly.

Mr Miranda’s partner is a journalist Police have not said why Mr Miranda was held, but he said he was kept in a room and quizzed by “six agents”.

Mr Miranda was held at Heathrow on Sunday, on his way from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro, where he lives with his partner, Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald.

“I remained in a room, there were six different agents coming and going, talking to me,” Mr Miranda said.

“They asked questions about my entire life, about everything.

“They took my computer, video game, mobile phone, my memory cards, everything.”

In Germany, he had been staying with US film-maker Laura Poitras, who has also been working on the Snowden files with Mr Greenwald and the Guardian. according to the newspaper.

It is believed Mr Miranda’s flights were being paid for by the Guardian, and a spokesperson said he was not an employee of the newspaper but “often assists” Mr Greenwald with his work.

He reportedly had his mobile

phone, laptop, memory sticks, DVDs and other items seized before he was released.

Earlier, Brazil said the detention of Brazilian national Mr Miranda caused “grave concern” and was “unjustified”.

The Home Office said it was for the police to decide when to use its powers to stop people.

The Guardian said: “We were dismayed that the partner of a Guardian journalist who has been writing about the security services was detained for nearly nine hours while passing through Heathrow airport.

“We are urgently seeking clarification from the British authorities.”

Mr Greenwald said the British authorities’ actions in holding Mr Miranda amounted to “intimidation and bullying” and linked it to his writing about Edward Snowden’s revelations concerning the US National Security Agency (NSA).

“They never asked him about a

single question at all about terrorism or anything relating to a terrorist organisation,” he told the BBC. “They spent the entire day asking about the reporting I was doing and other Guardian journalists were doing on the NSA stories.

“The principal point, since they kept him for the full nine hours, is to try and send a message of intimidation and bullying.”

He added: “I don’t understand why they don’t realise that all it’s going to accomplish is the exact opposite effect - I’m going to report more aggressively and with a more emboldened mind.”

The Brazilian government issued an official statement soon after the release of Mr Miranda.

The foreign ministry document says there was no justification for detaining an “individual against whom there are no charges that can legitimate the use of that [anti-terror] legislation”.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 35

Strange World

Is this the world’s most dangerous moustache?

A ny lesser man would give in. After the kidnapping, the death threats, the forced separation from a wife and ten children, most men would just shave it off.

But Malik Amir Mohammad Khan Afridi is not “most men”.

With a moustache that would make Goliath’s father jealous, Afridi has faced down some of the scariest people on the planet.

“People give me a lot of respect. It’s my identity,” he told the AFP news agency. “I feel happy. When it’s ordinary, no one gives me any attention. I got used to all the attention and I like it a lot,” said the 48-year-old grandfather.

But the Pakistani businessman’s wonder whiskers have provoked the wrath of armed groups in the beautiful northwestern KhyberPakhtunkhwa province on the Afghan border.

Lashkar-e-Islam, an ally of the Taliban, declared his carefully groomed 30in (76cm) massive moustachios to be unIslamic. The armed group first demanded protection money of around $500 a month. In a region not known for its citizens’ private wealth, Afridi refused to pay up - and was kidnapped and held hostage by the group for a month.

They released him from his cave prison only when he took up the razor. “I was scared they would kill me, so that’s why I sacrificed my moustache,” he said.

He fled to the restive provincial capital, Peshawar, a city plagued by frequent attacks by anti-state Taliban fighters, who target both the Pakistani authorities and supplies bound for Afghanistan.

Last year, Afridi, unafraid, grew it back - spending up to 30 minutes a day waxing, combing and fortifying his facial furniture - and the death threats began again. To keep his wife and ten children safe, he left his hometown and family behind, and once again took to the road.

He now sees them only rarely.

The cocktail of oils, soaps and ointments he uses to keep his follicles fabulous cost around $150 a month - but Afridi receives help from the KhyberPakhtunkhwa administration, which pays him a “moustache bursary” of $50 a month as a symbolic gesture of the state’s appreciation for the bravery and virility supposedly associated with the manly growth.

But are the locks upon his lip truly “un-Islamic”?

Several religions have

Afridi sporting his ‘dangerous’ moustache. teachings to do with hair. The Rastafari and some Hindu holy leaders are known for their dreadlocks.

In Christian history, the Roman church prohibited beards for both laity and clergy, and required the tonsure - the shaving of the scalp - for clergy.

The Irish tonsure stipulated shaving the front of the scalp.

As for the Greeks, they required clergy to grow beards, said Richard Bulliet, professor of history at Columbia University.

“Believe it or not, there were ferocious fights over these issues,” he told Al Jazeera.

There is a hadith often cited in such matters. In Islam, these are sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, which are analysed and interpreted by scholars to become sunna, or general rules for Muslims.

“Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard,” says the famed hadith found in a collection by Muslim scholar Muhammad al-Bukhari.

Muslim men who grow out their beard and shave their lips are emulating the Prophet Muhammad’s actions, say the religiously inspired fans of the style.

And while many particularly defined groups, such as some

Salafists and Wahhabists, adhere to the teaching, the existence of clean-shaven Muslim men - and those bald-chin moustachewearers such as Afridi - prove that such teachings, like the wearing of the hijab, are not accepted universally.

Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was said to have shaved his highly recognisable beard in order to go into hiding in Pakistan (coincidentally, Abbottabad, Bin Laden’s hiding spot, is just 140 kilometres from Afridi’s hometown). And former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is known for his clean-cut look.

“As for Mr Rafsanjani, he is known in Iran as ‘the shark’ because of his natural lack of facial hair,” said Bulliet.

‘Social intimidation’ So how can groups such as Lashkar-e-Islam make such pronouncements and hound someone such as Afridi - for all intents and purposes a simple and honest Muslim man - to such lengths in the name of their specific interpretation of centuries-old sayings?

“The controversy over such a trivial matter speaks volumes of the steep decline in Islamic values of peace, compassion and tolerance in Pakistan,” said

Ishtiaq Ahmad, Quaid-i-Azam Fellow at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. “[Pakistan is] a country born in the name of religion, yet religion has now become its principal headache.

For it is in the name of Islam that Muslim-on-Muslim violence occurs on a daily basis.

“Unless the Pakistani state reshapes itself conceptually and structurally, the exclusivist, regressive form of religiousity, inspired by violent WahhabistDeobandi creed, will continue to grow. This will further narrow down space for any sort of cultural expression,” he told Al Jazeera.

Bulliet agreed. “The point of the people harassing MrAfridi is social intimidation,” he said.

“Militants want people to appear in public in conformity with their interpretation of sunna, not so much as a matter of absolute belief... as to demonstrate their sway over Muslim populations.

Their willingness to act with violence to enhance a general fear of them is well known, so usually a threat will suffice.”

‘I can never cut my moustache again’ The question of Islamic instruction on Muslim moustache maintenance and bearded benevolence is nothing

new, yet a definitive answer remains elusive.

“That’s what God gave us hair on the face - so that’s part of being a man, I guess,” one bearded Muslim told the (sadly defunct) website Phillybeard. com.

Yet his Philadelphia barber disagreed. “I don’t really like to be identified by my beard - as in: ‘Oh, you got a beard, you’re Muslim.’ Only ignorant people do that,” he told the same site.

“My stature, my character, the way I carry myself, will clearly state to you what my religion is.”

Back in Pakistan, Afridi’s family just wants him to come home. But they may be waiting a while. “Sometimes my family tell me: ‘Cut it, it would be better if you lived with us.’ I can leave my family, I can leave Pakistan, but I can never cut my moustache again,” he said.

With few other vices, this appears to be the path Afridi has chosen. “I don’t like smoking. I’m not fond of snuff, or drinking.

This is the only choice in my life,” he said.

“I’d even sacrifice food, but not the moustache. It’s my life.

It’s not part of my life. It is my life.”

Source: al jazeera

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PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Digest

Facebook use ‘makes people feel worse about themselves’

U Exercise is often recommended for sleeping difficulties, and experts say that it does have a beneficial effect

Think exercise will help you sleep?

By Emma Innes

A

hard session at the gym will not help your insomnia, according to new research.

Exercise is often recommended for sleeping difficulties, and experts say that it does have a beneficial effect.

However, researchers found the impact is not immediate and can take up to four months to kick in.

Study leader Dr Kelly Baron, of Northwestern University in the U.S., said: ‘If you have insomnia you won’t exercise yourself into sleep right away.

‘It’s a long-term relationship.

You have to keep at it and not get discouraged.’

Most previous studies have been on the effects of daily exercise and have been carried out on healthy sleepers. This is the first research to look at aerobic exercise on those with insomnia.

Dr Baron decided to analyse the

daily effect of exercise after hearing her patients with insomnia complain that the exercise she recommended didn’t help them right away.

She said: ‘They’d say, “I exercised so hard yesterday and didn’t sleep at all”. The prevailing thought is that exercise improves sleep, but I thought it probably wasn’t that simple for people with insomnia.’

She looked at data from older women - who are most likely to suffer the condition - over a 16 week period to make her findings.

The key message, she said, was persistence.

She said: ‘People have to realise that even if they don’t want to exercise, that’s the time they need to dig in their heels and get themselves out there.

‘Write a note on your mirror that says “Just Do It!” It will help in the long run.’

Dr Baron also warned that insomnia could also make people less inclined to exercise.

She said in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine: ‘Sleeping poorly doesn’t change your aerobic capacity, but it changes people’s perception of their exertion.

‘They feel more exhausted.’

Her colleague, Dr Phyllis Zee, added: ‘Patients with insomnia have a heightened level of brain activity and it takes time to re-establish a more normal level that can facilitate sleep.

‘Rather than medications, which can induce sleep quickly, exercise may be a healthier way to improve sleep because it could address the underlying problem.’

She added: ‘This new study shows exercise and sleep affect each other in both directions: regular long-term exercise is good for sleep but poor sleep can also lead to less exercise.

‘So in the end, sleep still trumps everything as far as health is concerned.’

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

sing Facebook can reduce young adults’ sense of wellbeing and satisfaction with life, a study has found.

Checking Facebook made people feel worse about both issues, and the more they browsed, the worse they felt, the University of Michigan research said.

The study, which tracked participants for two weeks, adds to a growing body of research saying Facebook can have negative psychological consequences.

Facebook has more than a billion members and half log in daily.

“On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling the basic human need for social connection. Rather than enhancing well-being, however, these findings suggest that Facebook may undermine it,” said the researchers.

Internet psychologist Graham Jones, a member of the British Psychological Society who was not involved with the study, said: “It confirms what some other studies have found - there is a growing depth of research that suggests Facebook has negative consequences.”

But he added there was plenty of research showing Facebook had positive effects on its users.

In the survey, participants answered questions about how they felt, how worried they were, how lonely they felt at that moment, and how much they had used Facebook since the last survey.

They received five text messages each day at random times between 10:00 and midnight, containing links to the surveys.

Researchers also wanted to know about how much direct interaction participants had with people - either face-to-face or by phone - between questionnaires.

Results showed that the more people used Facebook, the worse they felt afterwards. But it did not show whether people used Facebook more or less depending on how they felt, researchers said.

The team also found that the more the participants used the site, the more their life satisfaction levels declined.

The pattern appeared to contrast

with interacting “directly” with people, which seemed to have no effect on well-being.

But researchers did find people spent more time on Facebook when they were feeling lonely - and not simply because they were alone at that precise moment.

“Would engaging in any solitary activity similarly predict declines in well-being? We suspect that they would not because people often derive pleasure from engaging in some solitary activities (e.g., exercising, reading),” the report said.

“Supporting this view, a number of recent studies indicate that people’s perceptions of social isolation (i.e. how lonely they feel) are a more powerful determinant of well-being than objective social isolation.”

Colloquially, this theory is known as FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out - a side effect of seeing friends and family sitting on beaches or having fun at parties while you are on a computer.

Learning the rules According to the study, almost all the participants said they used Facebook to stay in touch with friends, but only 23% said they used the social networking site to meet new people.

More than three-quarters said they shared good things with their communities on the site, while 36% said they would share bad things on Facebook as well.

Mr Jones warned that the study’s findings were probably most relevant to people who spent too much time on Facebook, and the study did not offer a full comparison with “direct” social contact.

He also said that since Facebook was such a recent phenomenon, society was still learning to use the platform.

“As a society as a whole we haven’t really learnt the rules that make us work well with Facebook,” he said, adding some people became unable to control their experience with it.

The researchers said their study was the first to examine the effect Facebook has on its users’ well-being over time.

Source: BBCNews.com

Alakyo killings: Dances on the graves of victims (II) Contd. from Back Page a kind of Catch-22 situation in which he is damned if he acts, and damned if he does not. Clearly, the most likely people to be indicted by the commission of enquiry are the Ombatse cult members and their Eggon elite backers. The hope here is that if Gov Al- Makura moves against the indicted, he will lose the support of the Eggons, for whom the PDP will then spread its welcome mat, thereby tilting the balance of forces in the state in its favour; and if he does not, he will lose face and credibility with the rest of the population who want to see action.

The third aim, which is less obvious than the above, is to use the opportunity provided by the Alakyo killings to deepen, manipulate and exploit the schisms in the state as a way to undermine Gov Al-Makura’s

support base, and ensure that the existing groundswell of support for the newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC) is not consolidated into a solid voting bloc.

Today, at the federal level, the three topmost political figures from Nasarawa state - namely, Labaran Maku, information minister; Solomon Ewuga, senator; and Dauda Kigbu, permanent secretary - are all Eggons. It’s not clear if all, or one or two of these three have the president’s ear, and to what extent, if any, they have been helping to shape the federal government’s response and policy as far as the Alakyo issue is concerned.

What is clear, though, is that the powers in Abuja have been working under some false assumptions or claims that have been sold to them, namely, that the Eggon tribe forms

the majority in the state, that this majority tribe is being discriminated against and suppressed, and that the other tribes and their backers from outside the state have been conspiring to make impossible the emergence of a governor of Eggon extraction. The fourth claim, also false, is that the Christians in the state constitute the majority, but they are being oppressed and prevented from producing the state’s governor.

Ombatse itself as a word means ‘time has come’ – time for producing the governor.

While it can hardly be denied that in the years since 1996 when Nasarawa was created, one or two government policies or actions might have been targeted at, or hurt the Eggons as a tribe more than the others, it is difficult to see the basis of the claims that the Eggons form

the majority in the state and that they are being suppressed. The fact of the matter is that the Eggons are at best 20% of the state’s population, yet they are today the most favoured, largely on account of the high level of their educational attainment, in political and other appointments in the state. Of the state’s 28 distinct ethnic groups, the Eggon is the only one with up to 3 commissioners in the cabinet. In any case, if really they form the majority, who is stopping, or can stop them from getting what their numbers entitle them to get?

The point, however, is that the rhetoric or narrative of oppression and victimhood is a very powerful weapon, and exerts enormous influence on especially leaders like Jonathan whose political cosmology revolves only around the concepts of ethnicity, region and religion. It is

thus hardly a surprise that there is such callous exploitation of a tragedy, such dances on the graves of the dead and outright refusal by the federal authorities to fight and nip in the bud this new form of extremism that has begun to rear its head in Nasarawa state and which, left unchecked, may grow to be uncontrollable, like Boko Haram.

But the question needs be asked as to what Gov Al-Makura should have done, or should be doing in the situation he has found himself.

Perhaps it’s now too late in the day, but the governor’s best option would have been to insist that the federal authorities do something, and to go public and expose their insensitivity if they don’t. This way it will be very clear to all who is insensitive and who is dodging and passing the buck.

Concluded

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 37

PDP crisis: Can Tukur survive this latest onslaught?

By Lawrence Olaoye

T

he National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is undoubtedly comparable to the proverbial cat with nine lives. He has survived several attempts made to remove him but his traducers are apparently unrelenting. They are making surreptitious moves to see his exit from the helm of affairs from the self acclaimed largest party in Africa.

The latest threat to Tukur’s continued occupation of the highest seat in the PDP Wadata Plaza headquarters is coming on the heels of the meeting held recently at the nation’s seat of power between President Goodluck Jonathan, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Akwa Ibom state governor, Barrister Godswill Akpabio, and some top-notchers of this administration, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Jonathan’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Mike Oghiadomhe, and Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe.

At the meeting, Tukur’s continued stay at the helm of affairs of the party was reportedly debated and chances are that the highest echelon of the party’s leadership may have resolved to ease him out on account of old age. This development is sequel to several reports that critical stakeholders within the party may have begun to shop for his possible replacement on anticipation of his exit.

Although the PDP National Chairman would have been removed long ago but for the protective shield offered him

by President Jonathan, there are indications that Jonathan’s continued protection of Tukur may eventually work against his ambition in the run-up to the2015presidential election.

Critics are of the opinion that Tukur’s continued retention, despite the rising opposition against his leadership by some governors on the platform of the party, could spell doom for the PDP in the face of current political realities.

With the registration of the new mega opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and the latest Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) rumoured to have links with former Vice-President Atiku

President Goodluck Jonathan

Alhaji Bamanga Tukuru Abubakar, unsettling political signals have been received by Jonathan and his handlers, who are strategizing for his second term in2015.

There are fears that the party would be risking disgraceful rejection at the polls in the on-coming general elections if something urgent is not done to assuage the aggrieved stakeholders, including some governors, within the ruling party. For Jonathan to survive the tsunami expected to rage at the 2015 polls, it would be a political Harakiri for him to prosecute the election with a divided platform.

Though the ruling party has been working tirelessly to contain the APC, the sudden emergence of the PDM with the possibility of alliance of convenience between the duo has sent jitters down the spines of those who felt that 2015 would be a tea-cup contest. This is even more so when those behind the PDM are Atiku’s staunch supporters with cross-country political structure waiting only to be revived.

The lingering leadership crises in the PDP with other ancilliary ones in several other states including Adamawa and Rivers states have the potential of tearing the monolith PDP apart and serious political surgical measures must be taken to arrest the situation and sacrificing Tukur

for the survival of the party is considered not too much.

At the party’s headquarters, there has been leadership crisis first caused by a court ruling nullifying the PDP National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s election at the party’s congress. Oyinlola’s removal is seen in certain quarters as an outcome of Tukur’s manipulation to take firm control of the party with a view to running it as part of his political fiefdom. Governors on the platform of the party, who still see Oyinlola as part of them, having served as former governor of Osun state, felt that his sack was a slight on them and a surreptitious move to cut down on their influences in the running of the party.

In Adamawa, Tukur’s home state, it is believed that the factionalisation of the PDP in that state was the handiwork of the National Chairman. Critics hold that his personal ambition of having his son, Awwal Tukur, succeed Governor Murtala Nyako, which is clashing with that of the incumbent necessitated his ferocious attempt to take over the party machinery in that state.

To the governors on the platform of the PDP, an injustice done to one is tantamount to an injustice done to all. United, the governors resolved to fight against Tukur and the onslaught has never abated.

Coming closely after the

Adamawa debacle is the Rivers state brouhaha after the governor, Rotimi Amaechi, won election to retain the Chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). Although Tukur may not be directly involved in the Rivers governor’s face-off with the President, analysts believed that he played a compromising role by not making any serious attempt to resolve the issues between the duo who are members of his party.

The suspension of the Rivers state governor over his alleged roles in the crisis in his state PDP chapter’s crisis, without giving him an opportunity to defend himself, is viewed as an extreme punitive measure that is unexpected from an unbiased leader. This irked some governors on the platform of the party the more as the Sokoto state governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, was equally served the same dish few weeks later, even though his suspension was later lifted.

It is in the search for the elusive peace in the ruling party that some five northern governors took it upon themselves to embark on state of the nation tour on consultation mission to critical stakeholders in the ruling party and beyond. Those governors, otherwise known as G5, involved in the mission to stop the party and the nation from drifting further include the governors of Adamawa, Murtala Nyako; Niger, Dr. Mu’azu Aliyu Babangida; Jigawa, Alhaji Sule Lamido; Kano, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Sokoto, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.

The governors met with critical stakeholders including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and former Head of State, Abubakar Abdulsalami.

They equally met with the Second Republic President Shehu Shagari, his Vice, Dr. Alex Ekwueme as well as the former Minister of Defence under Obasanjo’s administration, Gen.

T.Y, Danjuma.

Apart from exploring ways of addressing certain issues on the state of the nation, they never shied away from telling the party elders that Tukur must be removed for the ruling party to survive. Their complaints border on the way the old man is handling the party with his attempts to overrun them in their states.

Consequent upon these concerns, former President Obasanjo attempted to intervene and they pointedly told him that they could not continue to work with the old man who turned 77 recently. They also complained about his leadership style.

Although several attempts have been made to reconcile aggrieved members of the ruling party with the recent being the one handled by the Bayelsa state governor, Henry Seriake-Dickson, the National Chairman has faced resentment among the aggrieved members especially on the way he handles party issues.

The aggrieved G5 last week met with the National Chairman but the outcome of the meeting has become unsavory as it was turned into a propaganda stunt which backfired and only succeeded in sending the traducers back into the trenches.

Tukur had claimed in a statement released on his behalf by his Special Assistant on Media, Prince Oliver Okpala that the three governors who met with him, including the governors of Jigawa, Sokoto and Kano states, apologized to him while the governors vehemently denied ever doing that.

The bad blood generated by Tukur’s attempt to inflate his ego by the governors’ visits has further fueled their discontentment against his continued leadership.

These and more, especially with unfavorable inputs from PDP stakeholders against his continued leadership may have coalesced together to make Jonathan to reconsider his support for Tukur.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Politics

Why Taraba ag. governor should become substantive governor, by youth leader INTERVIEW Comrade Mohammed Auwal Jibrin, Chairman of North-East Students Forum (NESF) and a youth leader in Taraba state, in this interview with Ayodele Samuel, said his state governor deserves some applause.

A

s you chair the North-East Students Forum, what is your observation toward Education in your home state Taraba?

As you are all aware, there are lots of changes during the administration of (Suntai) Danbaba when compared with the previous government and these changes is necessary because education is the bedrock of any meaningful development. If one is educated in a particular field of discipline, then he can be able to contribute to various economic aspect of our society.

This government established a state university cited in Jalingo; it relocated College of Education and state owned polytechnic to Zing and Suntai respectively in order to decongest the concentration of these institutions within the state capital and there are a lot of modern day structures which many students applauded. Recently, the Ag. Governor approved the recruitment of manpower, both academic and non-academic, to boost learning process in all the higher institutions of learning in the state as part of continuity of their administration priority on education. There is also the establishment of Federal university in Wukari and polytechnic in Bali by FG which will enable most parents and students to now study within the state. I also salute the effort of the scholarship board for going round all the institutions to capture students biometric data for easy identification to enable the Board with a convenient means of bursary payment and I think Taraba people need to clap for the Ag. Governor for that.

How do you assess the performance of Taraba Ag.

Governor, Garba Umar?

Let me start by thanking Almighty lord for blessing Taraba State with such a man with proven integrity and reputable character.

Since his assumption of office eight months ago, some relevant stakeholders from within PDP and the opposition parties appreciate Garba Umar for ensuring that good governance is at the door step of the masses and I am not surprised simply because all government day to day business is moving smoothly such as paying staff minimum wages to teachers, local government staff, running cost to MDAs, the Sure-P Programme under the Ministry of Youths and other capital projects like the completion of Jalingo-Sunkani-Garba Chede road, the recent approval of BaliSarti -Sardauna road by the Ag. Governor in continuation of their regime’s total commitment toward transforming the grass root to modern state.

I recently noticed the effort of the Ag. Governor to fish out bad eggs within the circle of this government which I personally appreciate, because some few individuals siphoned fund meant for displaced people as a result of last year flood disaster. It is very unfortunate that politicians who are supposed to serve the ordinary citizen want their electorate to served them. This is wrong, according to democratic principles all over the world.

You said bad eggs are been fished out by the Ag. Governor, can you shed more lights on that?

Yes, I mean the flood relief committee that was indicted by the House of Assembly for misappropriation, poor handling of the fund donated by FG to the state and you know Nigerians are

Comrade Mohammed Auwal Jibrin dubious in nature when it comes to managing public treasury as was entrusted on them by the constituted authority. What is so difficult on them to share only N400 million as support considering the caliber of the committee members in whom we now have lost confidence. I can confidently say the Ag. Governor’s action, based on the House of Assembly resolution is a welcome development if we are to combat corruption. Almost every indigene of the state is now happy with the governor’s leadership style since he says ‘no’ to corruption and we must support him for that at all cost if we are to forge ahead.

Recently, a Senator from the South Senatorial District was quoted in some national dailies that the ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai has tipped successor from Taraba south for Governorship come 2015, what is your opinion?

First of all let me answer this question in three different fronts.

First, the issue of who becomes the next governor in the state lies

in the hands of the electorates and not some few cabals. Secondly, if all the elected governors of our state in the past emerge through divine direction as he said, then the Senator is confusing himself about his ambition.

He should have waited for destiny to reveal himself and beside that, I don’t think if he has the support of the majority of the electorate in his senatorial district and even entire state in general.

Are you saying that he is not competent enough to contest?

Yes of course, is it not this man that was disgraced with a slap in the House of Representatives by his female colleague previously and you know, going by African culture, this sounds like a weakness; it shows clearly that he is having gross incompetence and negligence in his duties. In fact some people want him recall from the senate.

Taraba state is now witnessing political uncertainties based on the

absence of ailing Governor, is this right?

You know in Nigeria, we always accept things if it favours us and we tend to reject issues that serve as disadvantage to us on personal ground. Those who are saying that Suntai would be back soon authoritatively failed to prove their claims with the real status of health of the governor. Since we have different conflicting reports with regard to the ailing governor, we are always calling on the state executive council and the legislators to invoke section 189 of the 1999 constitution as amended because it is a constitutional matter and it is very clear, the acting Governor needs to become a substantive Governor if we want him to bring more dividends of democracy to the masses in order to prevent the political gladiators and disguntle element from distracting him.

How do you consider the effort of former governor, Jolly Nyame, in supporting the Acting Governor to become substantive governor in the state and criticisms against his return into the PDP by the party’s Exco in the state?

My take on Nyame’s support for the Ag. Governor is tha he is in the right direction because of his vast experience having served three terms as a governor. Talking about critism against his return to his former PDP by the state party’s Exco is purely party affairs but they need him to keep the house intact as part of the reconciliation efforts of the Bamanga Tukur led national executive.

Finally, what is your appeal to the students and youth as we approach the next general election in the state?

The task ahead of students and youth in the state is enormous because they need to consider themselves as ambassadors of change when choosing who represents them in any office by casting their vote wisely for the right person and not to engage in selling their votes. They also need to embrace peace at all times because Nigeria is faced with security challenges particularly in the north east zone.

Why NASS can’t determine LG autonomy – APC From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

T

he acting spokesperson for the newly registered All Progressive Party (APC) Alhaji Lai Mohammed at the weekend reinstated that the National Assembly cannot determine what power should be given to local government councils in terms of autonomy.

Addressing the newsmen in Ibadan at the weekend, he noted that under the nation’s constitution, only the state Houses of Assemble can legislate

for local government councils saying that the National Assembly or federal government lack the power to give autonomy.

He said any attempt to have the National Assembly issue autonomy to the local councils will result into unitary system of government.

Refuting the media report that, APC intend to disrupt federal system of government, “ I was at the Lafia meeting for progressive congress and all we said was that, we must not disrupt our federal system of government, there are

two federating unit in federal republic of government, the state and central government.”

Commenting on the influence of the strong personalities of the party, he described them as very strong personalities from their defunct political parties saying they have become more of assets than liabilities to the APC. “We wouldn’t have achieved what we’ve achieved in the merger without the sacrifices made by many of these strong personalities. I think on the contrary, these personalities would rather advance the cause

of progressive than personal interest. In any event, what is different between these people?

Very little, many of them had been cohabiting in one political party too long before, look at the old SDP and NRC; many of the people who are in APC today were in old SDP or old NRC. We have been working together in the last six months since the beginning of these merger, we find ourselves very compartable.”

Speaking on FG/ASUU crisis, Mohammed hinted that, the issue before the nation actually goes

beyond the educational system.

“The question is that, has this government been able to meet the aspirations of Nigerians? and the answer is no, I will not be surprised that the federal government would claim they cannot pay ASUU. If a government can mismanaged about N3 trillion in non-existent subsidy, you can imagine what that would have done for this country. Today, the country loses 400,000 barrel of crude oil everyday; that amounts into trillion of dollars which is more enough to pay ASUU.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

S

pokesman for the newly registered All Peoples Congress (APC) in Jigawa state and a former member of the House ofRepresentatives, Nasiru Garba Dantiye, has said that the Jigawa state governor and his colleagues in the G5 revolting against the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan are doing so for selfish reasons.

He alleged tha hey aren’t fighting for the north as they would want people to believe but that Lamido is fighting a personal battle to replace Vice President Namadi Sambo by 2015.

He said “I want to inform you that Governor Sule Lamido is not fighting for the north as some of you will want to believe. The so called G5 PDP governors are just looking for relevance. We have not forgotten

PAGE 39

Politics

2015: Lamido plotting to replace Sambo as VP – Jigawa APC ...It’s not true, says gov’s aide the role Lamido played to betray the north in 2011”.

“You see the five governors are on their way out and they are just looking for relevance, if the north is their concern what did they do in 2011”, he asked.

“As for Lamido he is just interested in replacing Namadi Sambo as VP in 2015.If Jonathan gives him the green light now, all these agitation will fizzle out” Dantiye told journalists that

the Jigawa chapter of the APC has constituted an interim management committee and 33-member Stakeholders Forum adding that very soon they will take Jigawa by the storm.

He called on the people of Nigeria and Jigawa state to get ready for emancipation from the evil of the PDP in 2015.

“With the registration of APC the coast is clear. We don’t need much the performance of the PDP

at the center has already done the campaign for us. As for Jigawa we know how to handle the PDP. Our merger is strong enough to chase the PDP out of power” When contacted on phone, the Director of Press to Governor Sule Lamido, Alhaji Umar Kyari, said there was never a time that Lamido was heard or quoted to have indicated any interest in contesting for any political position since he embarked on the campaign together

with some other state governors.

Kyari said, “Lamido has been heard to have told whoever that cares to listen that they were on a mission to salvage the party and the country’s democracy from its present stage”.

“Lamido and his other governor colleagues are all out to rescue the PDP and ultimately the country’s democracy from collapse and if Dantiye sees the contrary, it is upto him and he is entitled to his opinion”, he added.

2015: Anenih’s kinsmen rally support for Jonathan From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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oyalists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Board of Trustee (BoT) chairman, Chief Tony Anenih have re-affirmed their supports for President Goodluck Jonathan whom they claim remains the most credible democrat in the country and should be entrusted with power in 2015.

The pressure group on the platform of Esan Elders Forum, made this known in a statement signed by its protem chairman, Chief Julius Akpede, following a crucial meeting at the administrative headquarters of Esan West local government area of Edo State where the state of the nation was reviewed. ``The forum attributes these socio-economic achievements to the favourable political ambience, sustained and consistent efforts of the government of President Goodluck Jonathan’’ and insisted that the ``favourable political ambience’’, informed the reasons for endorsing him to run for the most exalted position.

Against the backdrop of oil theft in high seas, the statement highlighted the energy policy, stable petroleum products pump prices, energy, roads, education and heath sectors as unparallel areas of intervention which are visible achievements that should be etched on the ear of every right thinking Nigerian.

It urged the electorates to put on their thinking cap and vote credible representatives in 2015 presidential election, explain that the antecedent of the president in handling the intractable security challenges facing the country it noted is fast yielding positive results.

According to the group, the ``tacit support enjoyed by the Boko Haram from insensitive comments from some political leaders, leaves many Nigerians bewildered at their level of desperation and indulgence in promoting radical Islamism for cheap political gains’’.

L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Peoples Media Ltd, Malam Ali M. Ali presenting some copies of Peoples Daily to Director, Treasury, Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria (CNPDN), Mrs. Ify Oparaocha, and Director General of CNPDN, Mr. Priye Dressman, during a visit by members of CNPDN to Peoples Media Ltd head office, recently in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Sen. Pwajok accuses APC of lacking policy focus

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en. Gyang Pwajok (PDPPlateau North) at the weekend alleged that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had no policy focus ``except outright criticisms of even positive PDP programmes’’. ``The build up to the merger process was characterised by massive media blitz. ``The leaders of the new party were just enjoying that attention and did not remember to fashion out any specific routes to redirect public policy. ``So, what we have as the APC is a group of politicians seeking to replace the PDP without telling Nigerians what they hoped to do differently,’’ Pwajok said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos.

He observed that the APC had ``just crossed the first hurdle’’ and advised its leaders to speak more on what Nigerians should expect from them and not just see them as an alternative political party. ``The leaders should also focus on resolving internal wrangling usually associated with such `political marriages and alliances’.

The senator pointed out that only the PDP had survived as one major entity since 1999.

He, however, expressed happiness at the emergence of the APC, and stated that the nation was gradually moving toward a two-party system.

The senator emphasised the need to give the voters some policy options, but noted that

such might not be forthcoming from the APC. He said the party was ``largely made up of runaways from the PDP who are in a hurry to wear the toga of progressives to deceive Nigerians.’’

He agreed, nonetheless, that the challenge from the APC would re-define the PDP in terms of quality representation and internal democracy. ``With more serious challenges, the PDP will be more focused on presenting the most acceptable candidates so as to win elections,’’ he said.

Pwajok said that the PDP’s decision to revisit its congress was part of the efforts toward internal democracy, noting that such was a bold step to ensuring fair hearing to all.

``For a party to agree that it did not get it right and seek to correct itself is a huge demonstration of selfcriticism which is key to a strong democratic wisdom. ``In real practice, it means that the PDP looked at itself in the mirror and decided that it must do some internal adjustments so as to correct anomalies,’’ he said.

Pwajok called for more unity among PDP members, and harped on the need for quality representation that would instill more public confidence toward building and protecting a strong democracy.

NAN recalls that the APC is the product of a merger by three political parties: the ACN, CPC and the ANPP. (NAN)

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

News Extra

Briefs

R-L: Director, Primary Health Care System Development of National Primary Heath Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Nnenna Ihebuzor, Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer of NPHCDA, Dr. Ado Muhammad in a handshake with Dr. Ben Anyene, President, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Nigeria, Dr. Fred Achem, President, Association for Reproductive and Family Health, Professor Oladapo Ladipo, and Representative of World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Andrew Mbewe, during the workshop on Voluntary Obstetricians Scheme (VOS), yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

8 killed in auto crash

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Jigawa spends N1bn on mass literacy programme From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

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igawa state government has spent over N1 billion on its adult literacy and mass education programme in the last four years.

This was disclosed to newsmen by the Executive Secretary of Jigawa State Agency for Mass Education, Dr. Ya’u Haruna Usman, at the opening ceremony of a six day training workshop for facilitators of basic literacy centers organised by the agency in collaboration

with the National Commission for Mass Literacy and Adult Education (NMEC), MDGs and UNESCO in Dutse.

According to him, in the last five years, the agency has trained about 180,000 adults on basic literacy and constructed about 6,750 adult literacy centers across the state.

Usman explained that the sixday workshop is aimed at further equipping facilitators of adult literacy centers across the state with skills in readiness for the additional 111 adult centres the Federal government

planned to build in the state.

The Executive Secretary also commended the state government for the interest it has shown on the issue of mass literacy adding that Governor Lamido has vowed to eradicate illiteracy at all levels in the state.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agency, Prof. Sa’id Ahmed Babura, called on the participants to take the training seriously because seasoned Educationist have been invited to train them.

He commended the efforts of the state government, UNESCO and the MDGs on mass literacy in the state.

The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Haruna Wakili, who was represented by Alhaji Ali Shugurum, the Director of Science and Technology said in addition to the adult literacy programme, government had concluded arrangements to purchase equipment for the training of women in the 27 local government areas.

FCT, neighbours demand N408bn special fund From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

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our states sharing boundaries with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have urged the Federal Government to approve N408 billion for them as special intervention fund.

The states are Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa and Kaduna.

They explained that the request had become necessary due to the influx of people from all parts of the country to Abuja.

According to the Niger state

Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Dr. Peter Sale Sarki, Niger state alone which supplied the bulk of the land on which the Federal Capital sits and equally the name ‘Abuja’ will if approved get N28 billion.

Sarki said Niger state initiated the move before other states and the FCT came later.

He noted that the Federal Government had earlier described the initial request of N1.4 trillion as “too much.”

He said that if the government

granted the request, the money would be used for the upgrading of infrastructural facilities in the states that have been “overstretched” as a result of the movement of seat of government from Lagos to Abuja.

Sarki noted that as part of Federal Government’s intervention to decongest Suleja town, it has planned to build 5,000 houses to accommodate civil servants and other members of the public.

He said that the first 2000 units of the houses are being constructed at the Zariawa estate

at Dikko.

The Commissioner said that the state government would from next month commence the development of the Three Arms Zone where the offices of the Governor his Deputy, House of Assembly and the Judiciary will be constructed.

He disclosed that government has already paid a total compensation to the tune of N280m for the initial 308.6 hectares of land acquired while the remaining 271.3 hectares which will cost N335m will be paid for next year.

Foreign aides promote corruption in Nigeria, says Ibadan varsity don From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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Professor of Political Science at the University of Peace and Security, Ibadan, Oyo state, Adigun Agbaje, has observed that foreign aids contribute to corruption and under-development in Africa.

Agbaje who spoke in a keynote address he presented at the Third Biennial International Conference organised by the University of Ilorin Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies

(CPSS) noted that foreign aides to Africa are not accountable for.

Agbaje who is also of the Obafemi Awolowo Institute of Government and Public Policy, Lekki, Lagos, noted that the emerging consensus on the issue of foreign aids for economic development “is that aids meant for economic and social purposes tend to have little effect”, adding that, “reconstruction (emergency) and NGO aids tend to be more impactful.”

“Foreign aids have also become a

possible element in the consolidation of non-accountable governance on the African continent,” he said.

He said that researches had shown that aid is effective when combined with democracy and ineffective and possibly harmful in autocracies.

In his presentation entitled, “African Solution to African Problems,” Prof. Isaac Olawale Albert of the Peace and Conflict Studies Programme, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, said that Africa should

realise that the best solution is the one the continent faithfully crafts for itself.

“Africa solution is better defined

by Africans and that there is need for actionable conflict prevention measures.

“Those who see the continent as a victim of external forces must accept that parts of Asia, too, were subject to rapacious colonialism and have, within a generation after independence, established viable states and successful economies.”

ight persons including the wife of a pastor, Helen Samuel, and three children were yesterday killed in an auto crash along Bida -Minna road.

The accident reportedly occurred at Katangbagi, about thirty kilometre from Bida and 60 kilometre to Minna when the 18seater bus they were travelling in ran into a trailer around a pothole on the dilapidated Bida-Minna road.

The Family of Pastor Ibrahim Samuel of the Potter Porch Church, Minna, and the other passengers of the bus were returning from Lagos to Minna when the incident took place about 8:15 pm on Saturday.

It was gathered that the bus immediately caught fire with eight of the passengers burnt beyond recognition.

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

Sokoto NUJ begins tree planting

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he Sokoto state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has begun the planting of 3,000 trees in the three senatorial zones to help in further mitigating the menace of desert encroachment and other related environmental problems.

The NUJ Chairman, Alhaji Labaran Lumo Dundaye, disclosed this on Sunday at Sabon-Tsaro village , Gada local government area, at the flag off of the planting, for the Sokoto east Senatorial zone.

Governor Aliyu Wamakko was represented at the ceremony by by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Jabbi Kilgori.

The chairman of Gada LG , Alhaji Abubakar Altine Kyadawa and the District Head of Gada , Alhaji Kabiru Aliyu Kyari, among others were all in attendance.

From Mahmoud Muhammad

Head of Service inducts 26 directors

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lhaji Bukar Aji, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, on Monday inducted 26 for newly employed Directorate Officers.

They are on transfer from the Federal Capital Territory, Ebonyi, Bayelsa and Bauchi states.

Inducting the directors, Aji said the training was mandatory in order to acquaint and expose the directors to the rudiments, basic structures, processes, procedures and operations of the civil service.

He said the induction was also to introduce them to the subjects of code of conduct: ethics and attitudinal change in the Federal Civil Service. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY,TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 41

LMC signs 34m dollars sponsorship deal with super sport Stories by Albert Akota istory was made yesterday when the League Management Company (LMC) in charge of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in less than three months sealed another 34m dollars deal with super sport.

Presenting the sponsorship detail to the Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) Malam Bolaji Abdullahi in Abuja, chairman of the LMC Hon. Uduka Irabor, said the contract has been agreed to run for a period of four years from 2015 to 2019.

The LMC has early this year sealed a N1,896,730,000 three-year sponsorship deal with telecommunications firm, Globacom on behalf of the NPFL and received N550,000,000 for the first year, while N641,300,000 and N705,430,000 have been earmarked for the second and third year respectively.

Irabor who led it members to the minister office, said the contract will commence in 2015 after the earlier contract with Global expire, noted that the LMC will be collecting two million dollars every year in advance from super sport to further develop the elite division.

“We have signed four years deal with super sports that will runs from 2015 to 2019 after

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League players in action

Keshi celebrates Omeruo’s successful surgery

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enneth Omeruo The Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has revealed that he has been on constant telephone conversation with Chelsea of England’s defence ace, Kenneth Omeruo, who underwent a successful surgery last week in England.

“We have been in constant touch and he has been very enthusiastic about the operation that was carried out last Wednesday and he is now recuperating very well which is

good news to me personally and to the entire national team, because we really missed him durinmg the Bafana Bafana game in Durban.

“The shocking thing is that while he was at the hospital for the operation, he was monitoring the game and speaking constantly to me, which shows his total dedication to the team and Nigerian football.

Keshi added that he was aware that the Alhaji Aminu Maigari led Nigeria Football Federation has also been in constant touch with

the player and the entire Nigerian football community is happy at the progress the player has made so far after the operation.

The shoulder operation is expected to keep Omeruo out of the team for some months.

But Keshi declared that the player will always be a part of his national team plans because his quality on and off the pitch, share zeal, patriotism, quality of play and consistency.

We collected our share from

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Kenneth Omeruo

he President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Alhaji Aminu Maigari said yesterday in Abuja that the federation collected it share from the League Management Company (LMC) sponsorship deal with Globalcom.

The President, who disclosed this during another sponsorship deal between LMC and super sport, said that the share was 5 percent of LMC’s total earnings from the sponsorship deal for the 2012/13 league season.

“LMC had proved that they were ready to take the league to a greater height, we are proud of you as a team and also as individuals. We gave you this appointment and we never regretted it for a day.

“The NFF approves all that the LMC is doing and we are proud of the steps that you are taking to turn the Premier League around for the better. We also note that you have been making efforts, as required, to carry along the club owners in your activities.

“Since you had given us our

our earlier contract with Global expire but we will be collecting two million dollars every year in advance to further develop the league more because both parties are satisfied with the deal.

“We want to thank NFF for chosen us to supersede the affair of the league after the elected board members were dissolved and the minister who is a strong pillar to the LMC, “he noted.

Commending the LMC, Abdullahi said without delay that his delighted with the progress the company has made within the short period they took over the affair of the league.

The minister who promised to provide enable environment for LMC to strive it activities, said that it beat his imagination seeing Nigeria players traveling to Tahiti, Syria to play football.

“I am happy to see good things are coming to our league because it my desire to see our players stop going to small country like Tahiti to play football because our league is not encouraging, with what the LMC is doing, I believe it would encourage our players to remain in our league.

“I want to thank your members and the NFF for chosen you to serve because I will take the credit as minister of sports, I want to assured you that I am taking this good news to Mr President, “he promised.

LMC sponsorship deal, says NFF

share, you have demonstrated our belief and trust in you as the way forward for our league to move greater heights.

“The NFF is equally proud of your moves to get the spectators back to the stadia so that our elite league can again become what it used to

NFF president, Maigari

be in decades gone by,” Maigari stated.

Peoples Daily Sports recalled that LMC paid N25 million to the NFF as5 per cent of the total earnings while waiting seriously for the super sport deal.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Sports Malawi coach, Tom Saintfiet

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Golden Eaglets to get royal treatment in UAE

Malawi must O play in Calabar, says FIFA

IFA has dismissed the petition by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to move the September 7 match with Nigeria from Calabar to somewhere ‘safer’.

A muted FAM chief executive officer, Suzgo Nyirenda, has confirmed that The Flames have no other option but to travel to Calabar for the much anticipated World Cup qualifying cracker.

“It is not like we said we do not want to travel to Nigeria. We are just waiting for the Nigeria Football Federation to provide us the guarantee. Once they do that, we will travel to Nigeria” he was quote by the Nation in Malawi.

Despite the back tracking such a guarantee is bound not to come as the NFF has said it deems it superfluous since nobody can tell Nigeria where to play in Nigeria but Nigeria.

Coach Tom Saintfiet, who personally called Calabar unsafe and questioned the fairness of the NFF must now look elsewhere to see if he can create any other type of advantage for his team before game time rolls around.

Nigeria meanwhile have an awesome record in Calabar haven only been beaten there once and it was in the 40’s on a Royal navy ship.

AFN ponders foreign coach T Stories by Albert Akota

he President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Chief Solomon Ogba, has for long, planned to hire a foreign coach to transform athletics in Nigeria.

But sourcing the fund to pay the wages of one or two foreign coaches has always been a problem. The sport has been suffering so much neglect by the government for many

years. Okagbare Sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi who was here in Moscow for the 14th edition of the World Championships plans to address the problem.

He has not only given the go ahead for the engagement of foreign coaches for Nigeria, he has also set in motion the process to hire one or two. He was scrutinizing some of the applications his ministry has received from top sports coaches and athletics instructors here.

“The minister already has a fund for this. He has made provision for this and we will go ahead with the plan,” Ogba said here in Moscow The minister appeared more determined to hire a foreign coach after the long sessions he had here with Mike Afulaka, the British coach of Nigerian parents. Mike, with his laptop, so analysed the races of Blessing Okagbare that the minister felt a foreign coach was needed to lift athletics in Nigeria.

rganisers of the forthcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in October have assured that the Golden Eaglets amongst others would be accorded royal treatment when they touched down in the United Arab Emirates in October, even as an official of the team have advised the public to disregard some spurious stories purportedly emanating from the team’s camp.

It is barely two months to the 15th edition of the global cadet competition and Chairman of the Higher Local Organising Committee (LOC) for FIFA U-17 World Cup 2013, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak AlbNahyan has hinted that the oil-rich country is pulling all the stops for a hitch-free tournament.

Sheikh Nahyan who doubles as the

country’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, was quoted as saying during a recent parley with FIFA delegates and the LOC. “We are a nation that is passionate about football and with the worlds best U-17 teams arriving here in two months, we are confident that this will be an unforgettable tournament for our fans, teams and the UAE as a proud host nation.”

The final 24 qualified nations will be drawn into in six groups of four-with the top two teams in each group automatically qualifying for the round of 16.

The four best third-placed teams from the group stages will also progress to the knock-out stages.

Kano Pillars get cars, gift today

Pillars celebrating with 2011/12 trophy

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he Players and officials of Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars will today be rewarded with a car each for winning the 2012/13 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title.

The Sai Masugida were confirmed champions on the last day of last season in Akure after losing 1-2 to Sunshine Stars in an entertaining duel.

The expulsion of Ocean Boys from the Glo Premier League last season also masterminded the success of the Kanobased club as champions.

Kano State governor, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankaso is expected to host the champions at the government house in Kano today.

The ceremony will start at exactly 2pm.

While confirming the events yester, Kano State sports commissioner, Professor Umar Jibril said the governor is excited for Pillars to have won the league title.

“The executive governor of Kano State is happy and I can confirm to you that all the players and officials that campaigned with Kano Pillars last season will be rewarded with a car each today at the government house.

“We should have done this before the Ramadan celebration, but due to the brutal accident that happened to Kano Pillars in Kaduna made us to postpone it,” Jibril said.

Kano Pillars at the weekend lost their top spot to Enyimba in the NPFL standings and are now second on 42 points.

Edeh shoots Enyimba to top table

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Blessing Okagbare

nyimba have toppled Kano Pillars at the top of the Nigeria league table after a hard fought 1-0 victory over Kaduna United.

Enyimba now have 42 points same with Pillars, but lead on the superior goals ‘difference.

It has been a complete turnaround for ‘The People’s Elephant’ after their pay was slashed at a point in the season because of a spate of poor results.

The six-time league champions secured the needed three points courtesy an 81st minute goal by Ifeanyi Edeh, when he pounced on a loose ball inside the Kaduna United’s 18-yard box.

Kaduna United goalkeeper Rabiu Hassan was outstanding as he was everywhere to frustrate Enyimba attack led by Bishop Onyeudo.

Enyimba match winner Edeh (L)

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 43

Falcao deny Monaco exit reports

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onaco star Radamel Falcao has rejected claims he is set to leave the Ligue 1 club less than three months after his £51m move from Atletico Madrid.

Reports in Spain suggested the Colombia striker, 27, wanted to leave the newly promoted side over proposals to cut his tax-free salary.

Falcao scored his second goal in two matches with a penalty in Monaco’s 4-1 win against Montpellier on Sunday.

The ex-Porto striker joined the big-spending French league club, who are being bankrolled by billionaire Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev, after becoming one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

He scored 32 goals for Atletico last season and was heavily linked to Premier League duo Chelsea and Manchester City, along with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The trio are reported to have renewed their interest following the latest speculation over his future, although Monaco boss Claudio Ranieri insists his prized asset, who recently became a father, is happy at the club.

Radamel Falcao (R)

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Moyes signed Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines during his time as Everton manager.

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iverpool is pushing ahead with their bid to sign Anzhi Makhachkala midfielder Willian in the face of interest from Tottenham.

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to bring in the 25-year-old, who Anzhi are prepared to sell for around £28 million.

Liverpool has opened talks with the Russian Premier League club, but Spurs are also ready to meet the Brazilian’s asking price.

He is expected to make a decision on his future later this week, with Anzhi ready to sell him as they look to cut costs, having been bankrolled for the last two years by billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov.

Meanwhile, Valencia leftback Aly Cissokho is expected on Merseyside for a medical later yesterday.

Liverpool agreed a deal in principle with the Spanish club on Friday to sign the France international on a season-long loan deal.

Mourinho keen to sign a striker

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Manchester United bid for Fellaini, Baines rejected

Liverpool to cross Spurs over Willian bid

Sports

verton have rejected out of hand £28 million joint bid from Manchester United for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines.

United offered £16 million for 25-year-old Fellaini just over a fortnight after a £23.5 million buyout clause expired.

The Premier League champions also attempted to include Baines, 28, in their bid for a further £12 million -- having had an identical offer for the England left-back rejected in late June.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez confirmed last Thursday that Fellaini’s buy-out clause expired on July 31.

Chairman Bill Kenwright has warned David Moyes off returning to Goodison Park to try to sign his former players. Moyes left Everton after 11 years in charge at the end of last season to replace Sir Alex Ferguson as United’s manager.

Everton signed Belgium international Fellaini for £15 million from Standard Liege in 2008, and is under contract until the summer of 2016.

Baines, signed from Wigan for £6 million in August 2007, has a deal that runs until 2015, although Martinez is looking to extend it.

Coloccini happy to stay at Newcastle

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ewcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini says he intends to see out his contract at St James’ Park, despite having been desperate to leave the club

Fabricio Coloccini

in January.

Coloccini, 31, struggled last season with personal problems, so much so that he tried to force the Magpies into selling him to his

hometown club San Lorenzo.

However, the Newcastle board refused to allow the move, and the Argentina international was forced to stay on Tyneside.

Coloccini, though, now insists he has overcome his difficulties and is keen to stay at the club until at least 2016, when his current deal expires.

“Newcastle is a special club for me, of course. I’ve supported San Lorenzo since I was small but I feel something for Newcastle now. I’ve been here five years and the fans are amazing. I have a contract for a long time here and hopefully I can see out that contract.

Last week, Coloccini, along with the rest of the Argentina squad, met with Pope Francis -an avid San Lorenzo supporter.

Coloccini’s first responsibility of the new Premier League season could be to mark compatriot Sergio Aguero on Monday, and the defender is well aware of the task in hand.

helsea manager Jose Mourinho has said the club will try to sign a new striker until the transfer window closes.

Mourinho, whose second spell as Blues manager started with a 2-0 win against Hull, has seen two bids for Wayne Rooney rejected by Manchester United.

Chelsea have already recruited Andre Schurrle and Marco van Ginkel, while fellow midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has returned from a loan spell with Werder Bremen and striker Romelu Lukaku has come back to the Blues after a season-long loan at West Brom.

Mourinho added that he wanted to sign more players before the 23:00 BST deadline on 2 September, adding they will do it in a proper manner.

The Portuguese celebrated his return to Stamford Bridge as Chelsea beat newly promoted Hull with goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard.

England midfielder Lampard also had a penalty saved by Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor, and an improved performance from the visitors denied Chelsea any goals in the second half.

Mourinho played attacking midfielders Oscar, Eden Hazard and De Bruyne with Schurrle and Juan Mata among the substitutes, while Victor Moses was not named among the 18.

Southampton sign Osvaldo in record deal

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outhampton broke their club record transfer fee when they paid Roma £15m, for striker Pablo Osvaldo.

The four-year deal for the 27-year-old Argentina-born Italian international betters the £12.5m Southampton paid for Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama in July.

He will now be reunited with Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino under whom he played during an 18-month spell with Spanish side Espanyol. Osvaldo, who had also played in Serie A for Atlanta and Fiorentina, should be available for Saturday’s English Premier League game against Sunderland at St Mary’s.

Southampton won their opening match of the season at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, with a late Rickie Lambert penalty securing a 1-0 victory.

Pablo Osvaldo

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Sports

Nadal beats John Isner to win Cincinnati Open

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orld number three Rafael Nadal overcame battling American John Isner to win his 26th Masters title.

The Spaniard won 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-3) to secure back-to-back titles following his success in Montreal last weekend.

Nadal, 27 saved two set points in a tight opening set and came through another tie-break to seal victory and clinch his 59th career title.

“I can certainly hold my head high when I look back at this tournament I just played against one of the best tennis players in the world.”

Nadal’s victory came one week after he beat Canada’s Milos Raonic to win the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion set up the final with Isner after a straight-sets win over Tomas Berdych - who had knocked out Wimbledon champion Andy Murray earlier in the tournament.

The American made the world number three work for his service games and missed a

Comrade Mohammed Auwal Jibrin

Cricket: Sussex set to off-load England spinner S

Monty Panesar

Cleverly may retire from boxing after title defeat

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athan Cleverly says he is considering his future in boxing after his WBO light heavyweight title defeat by unbeaten Russian Sergey Kovalev.

The Welshman was knocked down for the first time in his career and suffered his first defeat in the professional ranks in Cardiff on Saturday.

Cleverly, in his sixth title defence, went down in the third round and lost the fight 29 seconds into the fourth.

“I will have a holiday now and recover and see where I go from here and see what I want to do in life now, If I continue, I will come back and give it a go. But

the background I have got and the brain I have got, do I really need to continue? It could go either way, my career.

Kovalev, 30, has now won 19 of 22 bouts inside the distance and proved too strong for Cleverly at the Motorpoint Arena.

Cleverly had made no secret of his ambitions of unification and a career-defining fight in America against boxing great Bernard Hopkins, but his defeat

by Kovalev ends his hopes of that.

The mathematics degree holder had seen off five previous challenges to his title but the Cefn Fforest fighter could not withstand Kovalev’s onslaught.

ussex has announced that England spinner Monty Panesar will leave the club at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old was the subject of an internal club investigation after being fined by police for urinating on nightclub bouncers earlier this month.

He will be allowed to go out on loan to a club in Division Two of the County Championship and will then become a free agent on 27 September.

Panesar, who has 48 Test caps, had two years remaining

on his Sussex contract.

Panesar became an instant cult hero in 2006 when India’s Sachin Tendulkar became his first Test victim during his debut appearance in Nagpur.

He was an England regular for the next three years before Graeme Swann established himself as the team’s firstchoice spinner.

Panesar joined Sussex from Northants ahead of the 2010 season after losing his central contract and after taking 121 first-class wickets in his first two seasons for the club, he returned to the England Test team in January 2012.

Europe golfers thrash US to retain Solheim Cup

E

urope won the Solheim Cup in the United States for the first time with an 18-10 victory in Colorado.

Needing just 3.5 points to retain the trophy, Europe got off to a perfect start with 17-year-old Charley Hull’s thumping win over Paula Creamer.

Anna Nordqvist halved her match before Europe’s Carlota Ciganda and American Brittany Lang won their matches.

Caroline Hedwall’s point retained the title and Catriona Matthew’s half won the trophy.

Swede Hedwall, so impressive in the 2011 victory at Killeen Castle in Ireland, became the first player in the history of the trophy to win all five of her matches when she beat Michelle Wie with a birdie on the 18th to give Europe an unassailable 14-7 lead.

Matthew secured a par on the 18th to tie her match with Gerina Piller to earn an outright win.

Bolt seals place in World Championship with history

U

sain Bolt guided Jamaica to victory in the sprint relay in Moscow to become the most successful athlete in the history of the World Championships.

The 26-year-old added 4x100m gold to his 100m and 200m triumphs and now has a total of eight golds and two silvers.

Americans Carl Lewis and Allyson Felix also have 10 medals each eight golds, one silver and one bronze.

Jamaica won in 37.36 seconds with the United States second and Canada third after Great Britain were disqualified.

Bolt’s latest triumph meant he joined Americans Michael Johnson, Felix and Lewis on a record-equalling eight world titles overall.

The 100m and 200m world record

holder also secured a sprint triple in World Championships for the second time, matching the trebles he completed

Usain Bolt

at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

The United States team gave the Jamaicans a scare but Rakieem

Salaam’s handover to Justin Gatlin left the individual 100m runner-up off balance.

Usain Bolt’s golden collection, 100m: 2008, 2012 Olympics; 2009, 2013 World Championships, 200m: 2008, 2012 Olympics; 2009, 2011, 2013 World Championships, 4x100m: 2008, 2012 Olympics; 2009, 2011, 2013 World Championships He clearly strayed into the Jamaicans’ lane outside him but somehow escaped disqualification.

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

PAGE 45

Sports

P-i-c-t-o-r-i-a-l

1

2 1.Gab Marcotti, Steve Nicol, Paul Mariner and Chris Murphy pick out the star performers in the Premier League, and Man United players take the lead.

2. A hat-trick from Ben Smith helped New Zealand beat Australia 47-29 in the opening match of the Rugby Championship in Sydney.

3. Orlando Pirates celebrated their second consecutive victory over Egyptian opposition as they shot to the top of Group A in the CAF Champions League, while Egyptian giants Al Ahly roused their hopes with a spirited away win.

4. Darren Barker took the IBF world middleweight crown by winning a gruelling fight against Daniel Geale by a split decision in Atlantic City.

5. Arsenal fans are against Arsene Wenger being offered a new contract with the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST) hoping the money will be used to strengthen the squad.

3

4

5

PAGE 47

PEOPLES DAILY, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

Y

Some Interesting Facts

our brain is move active and thinks more at night than during the day.

Submitted by: Christina & Jessica Your brain is 80% water.

85% of the population can curl their tongue into a tube.

Your tongue has 3,000 taste buds.

Your forearm (from inside of elbow to inside of wrist) is the same length as your foot.

Submitted by: Josh A sneeze travels at over 100 miles per hour. Gesundheit!

Your thigh bone is stronger than concrete.

Your fingernails grow almost four times as fast as your toenails.

You blink your eyes over 10,000,000 a year.

There were about 300 bones in your body when you were born, but by the time you reach adulthood you only have 206.

The smallest bones in the human body are in your ear!

Submitted by: The Phoenix Your mouth uses 75 muscles when you speak!

Submitted by: Devin When you wake up in the morning you are at taller than when you go to sleep, because you have let your spine straighten back out after all the bending, sitting, and moving you have done!

Submitted by: Katie Mae It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

Submitted by: Mazda Roxx The average growth of hair is half an inch per month.

Submitted by: Amylia If hair remains uncut, it can grow up to 5 feet long.

Submitted by: Amylia Your tongue, eye, and jaw muscles are among the strongest muscles in your body.

The language of a society changes slowly but steadily with the result that an educated person will not be able to read or understand words in his language written 500 years ago.

Do you feel like you can’t talk to your parents? Maybe it’s because you belong to the Niger-Congo family.

More than 1,400 languages are spoken by different members of this family from Africa.

It has been estimated that the number of actively spoken languages

Leisure

in the world today is about 6,000.

There is no word that rhymes with orange.

Pinocchio is Italian for “pine head.”

The most common letters in English are R S T L N E. There is no word that rhymes with purple.

There was only one code during World War II that was never broken by the enemy and was used by the US Army. Navajo soldiers, called Codetalkers, developed a radio code based on their native language. It was the only way US soldiers on the battlefield could be sure that messages were from there own side and not from Japanese imitators.

Did you know that the word “typewriter” is the longest word in the English Language that can

be spelled with the the top of the keyboard?

You speak about 4,800 words a day.

HIPPOPOTOMONS TROSES QUIPPED ALIOPHOBIA is the fear of long words.

The holiday Boxing day was originally celebrated in England,for the servants to the rich people. After chrismas,the servants “boxed up” all the leftovers from the rich people and bring them home.

A palindrome is a word that is spelled the same way from both ends. For example: racec eca ar Once in England nd, beca ecause use of a water spout,, it ra aineed frog rogs! s!

Alm most tw two o-t -thir hirrds of thee ea earth rthss sur urfa fac acee is is co cove vered red d by y wa water ter. If th the he earth ear th wer eree flat flat,, wa water ter woul ould d cove c verr every veryt ythin hing g in in a la lay yer tw yer wo mile iless dee eep p!

Say what?

SUDODKU

PHOTO OF THE DAY

These 52 chefs set the world record in February 2013 for the world’s largest Cantonese fried rice in Costa Rica. It served over 7,000 people and weighed almost 3,000 pounds.

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013

SPORTS LATEST

Arsenal fans want Wenger sacked

A

rsene Wenger should not be offered a new contract as Arsenal boss, according to the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST).

The Gunners have not spent any money in the transfer window and lost 3-1 at home to Aston Villa on the opening day.

The AST is the club’s official supporter’s trust and has about 1100 members, including many small shareholders.

Wenger was appointed Arsenal manager in October 1996 and his contract ends in May 2014.

The club qualified for the Champions League in each of the past 16 campaigns but their most recent trophy was the 2005 FA Cup. After securing fourth place in the Premier League on the final day of last season, Gazidis revealed the board was ready to spend big after an “escalation in our financial firepower” created by new television and sponsorship deals.

But Arsenal’s only summer signing to date is the 20-yearold French striker Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer from Ligue 1 side Auxerre, with numerous players leaving the Emirates Stadium.

The AST has called on the club to invest some of their available money they have a reported cash balance of £154m, which is almost as much as the rest of the other 19 clubs in the Premier League combined.

Alakyo killings: Dances on the graves of victims (II) W

hen on Monday, 29th July, 2013, Vice President Namadi Sambo went to Lafia, to perform, on behalf of his boss, the official commissioning of the Federal High Court, built there by the Federal Government, family members, relations and friends of the federal agents murdered in Alakyo staged a peaceful protest.

The protestors weren’t allowed inside the court premises, much less near the Vice President. But they made their point, especially by their most appropriate choice of target and venue for the protest: the top official of the government that ought to, and be seen to have done everything in its power to ensure that the law takes its course and the wrong done to them is righted; and the very court where, were the powers in Abuja so inclined, the killers should be facing their trial.

The point must be made, though, that it is good that the federal government did not respond to the May 7th killings in Alakyo in its characteristic swift and brutal manner that would most certainly have added Alakyo village and its small population to the long list of places and peoples destroyed and massacred by our armed forces, who are usally at their most bestial and barbaric when one of their numbers, for some reason, becomes a victim of civilian violence.

In the well known case of the Ijaw town of Odi, in Bayelsa state, the killing of only 12 policemen by a gang of militants, was the excuse for the November 20th, 1999, merciless invasion of the town by soldiers that left about 2000 people dead and almost all the town’s buildings destroyed.

For the murder of 19 soldiers, allegedly by some Tiv youth, in October, 2001, the town and people of Zaki Biam in Benue state, were given the Odi treatment by

“ Arsene Wenger

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QUOTABLE QUOTE By heading for the Supreme Court the Lagos state government is exercising its right to justice…This right to appeal forms the basis of a society that is governed by the rule of law.

— Major Hamza Al-Mustapha on Lagos state government’s decision to appeal his acquittal on murder charges by Court of Appeal, Lagos

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FOR THE MASSES

By Rufa’i Ibrahim ruf585@hotmail.com the soldiers, only that the death toll here, 200 people, was much smaller.

The most recent case is that of Baga town, in Borno state, where, on Tuesday, April 16th, 2013, a massive military invasion that left in its wake over 200 people dead and over 2000 houses burnt, was waged to avenge the murder, by insurgents, of one soldier.

It is most instructive that the Baga massacre came less than one month after President Jonathan’s statement, during his visit to Borno earlier in March, that he would not as president tolerate the killing of a single security operative.

Is the federal response to the Alakyo killings a sign that the Commander- in- Chief has now become more tolerant, that in the very short period of about two months between March, when he spoke in Borno, and May, when Alakyo happened, time had worked its wonders and mellowed him?

Or have our armed forces, within this short period, fashioned and adopted new and more civilized responses to the kind of situations they were confronted with in Odi, Zaki Biam and now Alakyo?

Is the federal response in Alakyo a one-off, an anomaly occasioned by some considerations known only to the armed forces, or is it now the template for future actions and responses to similar

situations?

The mass murder in Alakyo happened barely less than two months after the Baga massacre.

And, in part at least, the outrage that the latter provoked, in Nigeria itself and the rest of the world, must have had some restraining effect on the armed forces. Without Baga, perhaps, Alakyo village and its small population would today be history. And we must thank God that it is not so.

But whatever is the case, whatever is at the root of the federal response, the fact and situation on the ground today, is that the powers in Abuja have washed their hands off the Alakyo palaver and pushed everything to the Nasarawa State governor and government.

There are arguments which, no doubt, the federal authorities are pushing and hiding under and using as the excuse for their inaction, namely, one, that the offences committed in Alakyo are not federal but state offences over which the federal government lacks jurisdiction; two, that the federal government has no jurisdiction or business setting up a judicial commission of inquiry in such situations; and, three, that any federal intervention might lead to conflict between the state and the federal governments.

These arguments are, on their face value, seductive. But they are, on closer examination,

The point, however, is that the rhetoric or narrative of oppression and victimhood is a very powerful weapon, and exerts enormous influence on especially leaders like Jonathan whose political cosmology revolves only around the concepts of ethnicity, region and religion. It is thus hardly a surprise that there is such callous exploitation of a tragedy, such dances on the graves of the dead and outright refusal by the federal authorities to fight and nip in the bud this new form of extremism that has begun to rear its head in Nasarawa state and which, left unchecked, may grow to be uncontrollable, like Boko Haram.

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wrong-headed, self-serving and have no purchase order outside the PDP circles. If the issue is that the federal government is lacking in jurisdiction to set up a judicial commission of enquiry over the Alakyo killings, what stops it from doing the next best thing: setting up a fact-finding committee whose report may be a useful guide to the authorities?

Besides, the mass murder of close to 100 federal agents performing a lawful, in whatever way it is looked at, amounts to an insurrection, which can fetch charges of treason, a federal offence, against the cult members.

And what about the sophisticated arms and ammunition the cult has amassed, which were used in ambushing and mowing down the federal agents?

Isn’t illegal possession of arms a federal offence?

And why should there be any conflict between the two governments on a matter like this that touches on our collective security and requires maximum cooperation and joint action?

No. It is to politics that we must turn in search of plausible explanations for the federal government’s inaction in the Alakyo affair. In Nigeria, as in most other countries, there is the problem of what social scientists call the totalisation of political influence, a situation in which no sphere of life or culture, and no tragedy or happy occasion, in fact, nothing at all, is exempt from politics and political influence.

Viewed against this backdrop, what becomes clear is that the PDP-led federal government has seen in the tragedy in Alakyo an opportunity worth exploiting. An opportunity that the government believes offers it sufficiently good prospects for regaining lost ground and retaking what it lost in 2011.

And it has been quick to seize the opportunity, and to fashion a grand strategy, of which its inaction is a major plank, for realizing its goals. It is a strategy, though, that is built on the basis of a faulty understanding of the political dynamics, ethnoreligious configurations and the mood of the state’s populations.

But, clearly, Jonathan and co are hoping to use it to kill many birds with one stone.

First, at the most obvious level, the strategy is aimed at decampaigning Gov Al-Makura and his government, by showing them as incompetent and incapable of securing the state and its people.

The second aim, which is no less obvious, is to ensure that the Governor is where the PDP wants him most: in a very tight corner, in Contd. on Page 36

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