Peoples Daily Newspaper, Thursday, June 21, 2012 by Peoples Media Limited

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 8 No. 64

Thursday, June 21, 2012

. . . putting the people first

Shaaban 1, 1433 AH

Curfew: Residents 2015: Court Crisis averted under duress hears as police as CDS, IGP Jonathan’s foil Yan Daba visit Kaduna objection today clash >> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 2

N150

Insecurity: Brazil cancel Nigeria friendly >> PAGE 41

Subsidy

Reps uncover mega fraud in PEF By Lawrence Olaoye

he House of Representatives yesterday uncovered fresh fraud in the subsidy regime as it discovered that huge payments running into billions

of Naira made to some marketers by the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) as bridging claims were inflated. The House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) alleged that some of the oil marketers made false

claims in the documents submitted on importation and transportation of petroleum products to various parts of the country, for which several billions of Naira were paid. Chairman of the committee, Rep Dagogo Peterside, alongside

other members made the observation in Abuja during an interactive session with some oil marketers namely MRS Oil & Gas; Mobil, Forte Oil; Conoil; Total, Oando, Ascon Oil and Dee Jones. The chairman said: “The

House mandated this committee to look into the activities of the Petroleum Equalization Fund and to ensure that they work in accordance with the law and that Nigerians get value for money. Contd on Page 2

My critics are liars, says Jonathan By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

resident Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigeria’s political class not to sacrifice the progress and well-being of the nation on the altar of personal political ambitions. “One of the problems we have is that some Nigerians play politics with everything, but we cannot destroy our country because of personal political ambitions,” the President said while denouncing the criticism of his administration in an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday night shortly after his arrival Contd on Page 2

R-L:Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, welcoming visiting Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Abdallah Bin Aziz, yesterday to the State House, in Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

CONTENTS

Crisis averted as police foil Yan Daba clash in Kano

News

From Bala Nasir, Kano

2-11

Editorial

Op.Ed

Letters

Opinion

Metro

16-17

Business

19-22

S/Exchange

S/Report

Tribute

Earth

Newsxtra

hat could have been a major crisis was averted yesterday in Kano by the police when two rival Yan Daba (gangster) groups carried out a reprisal attack to avenge the killing of one of their members. The incident which occurred at Gobirawa in Kurnar Asabe area in the state capital, started on Monday when a member of the rival groups was attacked. Eyewitnesses say the two groups who for a long time do not see eye to eye were locked in a serious fight following a foot ball match in which one of the members was seriously injured which led to his death the following day. Yesterday’s incident was said to have started when the attacked member died following the injuries he sustained

but when his body was being conveyed to graveyard the mourners were attacked by the same rival group that were alleged to have killed him, our reporter gathered. This, according to witnesses, provoked some members of the deceased’s group who mobilised for reprisal. They were said to have ar-

rived at their rivals’ enclave around 8:00 in the morning using their weapons against people indiscriminately in which they injured many though no death was reported. One Hajiya Umma Gobirawa told our reporter that they had no option other than to alert the police as they feared that the problem could escalate

out of proportion considering the security situation in the country especially with the restive situation in Kaduna. Kano police command confirmed the incident through its spokesman, Rilwanu Dutse who stated that the police had brought the situation under control and that 10 people have been arrested.

We’ll continue to expose corruption – Mark By Lawrence Olaoye

enate President David Mark has said the Upper Chamber would neither surrender to blackmail nor relent in its resolve to expose corruption and poor administration in the country. Mark in his address at the resumption of the second session of the Seventh Assembly yesterday vowed to uphold transparency and integrity in governance. The Senate President who

commended his colleagues said “this Senate will continue to work to expose corruption and poor administration in all areas of our national life. This is our constitutional duty. We must not allow ourselves to be cajoled into slumber or succumb to blackmail in the discharge of our duties. We will do all we can to uphold transparency and integrity in governance. In this regard, all pending investigations should be speedily concluded without com-

promising thoroughness and detail. We will however continue to bring all requisite legislative pressure to bear on the right quarters to do the right things with our reports.” Commenting on the state of insecurity in the country, Mark attributed the act of terrorism and violent crimes to the handiwork of the evil ones even as he added that what is happening in the country could be likened to a struggle between light and darkness.

Reps uncover mega fraud in PEF

Why FG must implement subsidy probe report, by Rep, Page 37

International 31-34 Strange World 35 Digest

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

Columnist

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU The Peoples Daily wants to hear from you with any news and pictures you think we should publish. You can send your news and pictures to: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com pictures@peoplesdaily-online.com contact@peoplesdaily-online.com

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

Contd from Page 1 “These funds belong to the Nigerian people. Each time we stop to buy fuel, we contribute to the bridging fund. We have heard of people who collected products meant for Maiduguri, sell them in Lagos and collect billions as bridging allowance. Many people contribute to the funds but a few people want to squeeze us dry”, he further lamented. The committee is also expected to meet the major marketers and depot owners next week day with a view to addressing the problem of sale of petroleum products above government approved prices in various parts of the country. Peterside, who expressed displeasure over the abuses, said “we have listened to your

presentations where you claimed to have spent several billions of naira to import to ensure that all our people get petroleum products at the recommended government rate as long as we are under the deregulation regime. “These funds belong to the people; every time we stop to buy fuel into our cars we contribute to the bridging cost; each time we buy diesel, we contribute to the bridging cost; therefore it is imperative that we should get value for our money. It’s not that some people somewhere will constitute themselves into conduit pipes,” he said. He explained that the committee’s intervention was to ensure that the bridging funds are applied for the purpose for which they were meant,

stressing that “the era of misappropriation of public funds is over”. The committee also decried the differential in the bridging cost claimed by some major marketers for unsupplied products to some parts of the country, as well as anomalies ranging from duplication of entries, use of multiple rates for products lifted within same month, deliberate wrong entries among others. He said “in the documents submitted to us (by Forte Oil & Gas), we saw a petroleum tankers owner claiming to supply PMS from Lagos to Maiduguri twice within 24 hours but at different costs (N11.71k and N10.07k respectively)”. But in swift response to the

allegation, Forte Oil spokesman, Jide Pratt (Supply and Logistic Department), who explained the disparity, however attributed it to software problem. He said “it is not possible in the same month unless there’s a different rate; there’s standard rate, it must be a software error”. The lawmakers also accused Total Oil of suspicious entries in their claims wherein a truck was said to have left for Kano from Lagos on Monday and same truck again left Lagos for Kano on Tuesday for which bridging cost was paid by PEF. While responding to the sale of petroleum products above recommended prices, the major marketers attributed it to delayed payment of subsidy claims by PEF and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

My critics are liars, says Jonathan Contd from Page 1 for the United Nations Earth Summit. President Jonathan who said much of the criticism of his administration were based on lies, stressed that: “We now have a constitutional democracy and no one can stay in office forever. It will therefore be best for our nation if we all support whoever is there for the development of the country instead of trying to pull him down by all means”. He said that Nigeria will definitely make faster progress towards fulfilling its immense potentials if all Nigerians united in support of the sincere efforts of his administration to positively transform the country. The President further assured the gathering that the

Federal Government was working very hard to overcome Nigeria’s current security challenges. “We have challenges, but they are not insurmountable. We remain fully focused and committed to national development in spite of sponsored lies against this administration. We are ready to work together with all of our people to move the country forward. “We will work even harder to place concrete realities on the ground that will further prove our sincerity and commitment to all Nigerians”, he pledged. Thanking members of the Nigerian Community for assembling from all parts of Brazil to receive him in Rio De Janeiro, President Jonathan said that his administration will

continue to count on the support of Nigerians in the Diaspora for its efforts to build a better nation. “It is generally known and acknowledged that Nigeria has a very robust Diaspora and we will continue to explore ways of harnessing your skills and talents for the development of our fatherland,” the President said. He informed the Nigerian Community that he will meet with President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil on the sidelines of the Rio + 20 Summit to discuss the enhancement of bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and her country, including the strengthening of trade and economic relations, as well as a prisoner exchange programme that could benefit Nigerians unfortunately imprisoned in the

South American country. The President has been under strident criticisms from many quarters due to his perceived failure to effectively tackle the myriads of challenges facing the country and the citizenry. Opposition political parties like the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have in particular, been consistent in highlighting the President’s seeming incompetence and inability to find lasting solutions to the challenges of erratic power supply, insecurity, corruption and others. It would be recalled that President Jonathan’s first year anniversary last month also drew scathing criticisms from all and sundry as Nigerians gave his first 365 days a low mark.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 3

No vacuum in govt, says FG By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

L-R: Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, and Kaduna state Governor, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, during a visit to the governor, yesterday in Kaduna. Photo: NAN

he Federal Government has disagreed with critics of President Goodluck Jonathan’s trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations’ Earth Summit, RIO+20, saying his absence did not amount to negligence of duties. Minister of information, Labaran Maku while briefing State House Correspondents in the presence of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple and Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, after yesterday's Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by VicePresident Namadi Sambo, insisted that the President can rule the country from any part of the world. “The President can take

Curfew: Residents under duress as CDS, IGP visit Kaduna From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

owed by combat-ready soldiers and policemen along with other security forces who patrolled the city, residents of Kaduna metropolis yesterday observed the 24-hour curfew imposed on the area, turning the otherwise everbubbling city to a ghost town. It was under this scenario that the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, and the

Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar arrived Kaduna for an on-the-spot assessment of the security situation in the area, following series of riots which followed the suicide bombing on three churches in Zaria and Kaduna metropolis last Sunday. Both security chiefs who visited Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa at the Government House, Kaduna gave their assurances that security agents will continue to ensure that

those hiding under the guise of religion to foment trouble would be brought to face the long arm of the law. They commiserated with the government and people of Kaduna state over the riots which claimed several lives and property. Kaduna streets were virtually deserted when our correspondent went around parts of the metropolis yesterday, except for some youths who turned some of the major roads to football pitches, otherwise

residents remained indoors, as calm is gradually returning to Kaduna after three days of tension. But unconfirmed reports said that fake soldiers were at large in parts of the metropolis, where they allegedly attacked a section of residents. There was more security presence in some of the traditionally volatile areas of Sabon-Tasha, Tudun-Wada, Nasarawa, Narayi and Television, among others.

2015: Court hears Jonathan’s objection today By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

n Abuja High Court will today hear President Goodluck Jonathan’s preliminary objection in the suit filed by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Cyriacus Njoku seeking to stop him from contesting the 2015 presidential elections. The plaintiff, who is a member of the party in Zuba ward of Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja,

joined the national chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as parties in the suit. Njoku is asking the court to stop Jonathan on the grounds that “he is already in his second-term in office, having taken oath of office as president twice". He also wants the court to explain if Section 135 (2) of the Constitution, which specifies a period of four years in office for the

President is only applicable to a person elected on the basis of an actual election and that the court should also determine if the section includes when a person assumed the position of President by operation of the law as in the case of Jonathan. Njoku wants the court to hold that the section applies to Jonathan, who first took oath of office as substantive President on May 6, 2010 and took a second oath as President on May 29, 2011.

On April 18, 2012, counsel to Mr. Njoku, Osuagwu Ugochukwu had told the court that his client is willing to explore avenues of settlement out of court, stating that the PDP chapter in Zuba ward, where the plaintiff is a registered member, proposed an out of court settlement. The trial Judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi had then fixed May 30 to receive the report of the proposed out of court settlement.

decisions from anywhere in the world; his absence will not hamper his power to act. The VicePresident effectively takes charge of affairs once the President is out of Nigeria and he is in touch with the President on hourly basis.” He continued: “There is no vacuum; the most important thing is that the President and the Vice-President work harmoniously and are in constant touch.” “On Tuesday he (the VicePresident) convened an emergency security meeting with security chiefs. If the President did not travel, the same people will condemn him for not doing so.” “We should stop turning the tragedy in Northern Nigeria to politics. We are not being invaded by foreigners but it is our people that are killing themselves. The President has provided leadership on this matter; let people make meaningful contribution as to how we can end this crisis and not play cheap politics," Maku argued.

Reps to examine composition of police pension funds By Umar Mohammed Puma

he House of Representatives yesterday mandated it committees on Police Affairs and that of Pension to critically examine the laws and regulations governing the composition and management of the pension transitional departments in order to ensure adequate compliance by the relevant authorities. In a motion filed by Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, (PDP) Gombe state, said the recent revaluations uncovered by the investigation of the Senate into the management of the Police pension funds, reveals that it goes beyond the House Committee on Police affairs, and it requires the mandate of the House, as according to him, "what obtains is that the Head of service is the one who overseas the pension funds of Police instead of the Minister of Police affairs." Hon. Kumo added that the Pension Reform Act 2004 has ushered Nigeria into the committee of nations that operates contributory pension scheme, which is meant to obviate the challenges of the previous pension regime that hitherto operated in Nigeria.

FEC okays new housing policy, targets 1m houses annually By Lawrence Olaoye and Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

he Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a new national Housing Policy with a projection to provide about one million houses per year. Minister of Information, Labaran Maku who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said the new policy replaces the 1991 Housing Policy as well as the Urban Development Policy initiated in 1997.

“For almost two decades, Nigeria has been struggling to bring up a new policy to facilitate the growth of housing provision in the country, in these two decades, we have not succeeded in getting this policy through, but the last one year has seen the ministry reaching out to all stakeholders including the finance sector to come out with efforts to address the sector,” Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple, who also attended the briefing, said.

The failure of the moribund policies, the Minister noted, informed the setting up of a committee charged to come up with a new housing policy for the country. “It hopes to bring about real mass housing which the country has been dreaming of. This policy emphasises the central role of the private sector, while the government concentrates on its role as a regulator.” “We believe that when you give a man shelter, you provide him with dignity. The new policy

will bring about the development of about 1million houses annually,” he added. Meanwhile, barring any unforeseen development, the House of Representatives has perfected plans to legalise the existing National Building Code in the country by prescribing punishments for whoever flouts its provisions. As part of measure towards tackling the menace of collapsed building in the country, Federal Government yesterday unveiled plans to constitute the National

Building Code Advisory Committee in the country. Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ibrahim Maiaga proposed a N1 million fine in the proposed bill for an Act, to enforce the provision of the National Building code by providing for the punishment for non-compliance with the code and other related matters'. He explained that the draft bill was prepared by the ministry in conjunction with some professional bodies.

PAGE 4

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

FG seeks support for subsidy removal By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

L-R: Minister of State for Power, Arc. Darius Ishaku, Director-General, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Engr. Emeka Ezeh, Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Audu Umar, and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Mohammed Musa Sada, during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, yesterday at the State House, Abuja. Photo: Joe Oroye

EFCC docks bank manager over N42m fraud By Lambert Tyem

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, docked one Mr. Michael Adewole, Branch Manager of Oceanic International Bank Plc, now Ecobank Plc, and four others before Justice A. I. Chikere of the Federal High Court Uyo, Akwa Ibom state over fraud. According EFCC spokesman

Wilson Uwujaren, “They were arraigned on a twenty count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, fraudulent conversion and non compliance with KnowYour -Customer (KYC) directive. “The other accused persons are Chief Patrick Eyo Ente, Hon. Chrysanctus B. Etteh, Chief Francis B. Ekpenyong, Chief Umana Etor Umana as well as the Bank situated on 145 Ekot Ekpene

Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them, prompting the defence counsel, Francis Ekanem, Tajudeen Alade and Samuel Akpabio to immediately make an oral bail application, urging the court to allow the accused persons to continue to enjoy the administrative bail granted them

by the EFCC. While adjourning the case to September 27th, 2012 for trial, the judge ordered that the accused persons should continue to enjoy the administrative bail granted them by the EFCC. They are, however, to report at the Akwa Ibom State Police headquarters every first Wednesday of the month. The Judge also added that the bail will be revoked should any of the accused persons fail to show up in court at any time during the trial.

arely six months after the Federal Government jerked up the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called petrol from N65 to N97, there are indications that the price may soon go up to N141. It would be recalled that Nigerians vehemently resisted the complete withdrawal of fuel subsidy in January, this year, forcing the government to implement a partial removal which brought the price to the current rate of N97. Briefing State House correspondents after yesterday's Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku urged Nigerians to consider the reasons put forward by government in January and determine if it has not been vindicated by the Farouk Lawan House of Representatives adhoc committee report. Maku argued further that the issue of subsidy is a pain in the neck, urging Nigerians to support its complete removal in the oil sector. “We hope Nigerians are getting to know that subsidy is an albatross on the nation, for as long as the bag of sugar (subsidy) is on the floor, ants, cockroaches will keep coming. That is why President Jonathan called for the removal of the subsidy,” he said.

‘House has power to summon Jonathan’ Gowon Foundation gives free By Umar Mohammed Puma

ontrary to the believe by some individuals and groups that the House of Representatives has no constitutional powers to summoned Mr. President on any matters, a member of the House, Hon. Abbas Machika who is also a constitutional lawyer, Representing Faskari, Sabuwa Kankara Federal

Constituency of Kashina State, said the House has the constitutional right to summon anybody as long as it involves National Security. "The House of Representatives or the Senate can legislate on anything except that they cannot legislate against the constitution. The roles of parliamentary practice, according to the 1999 constitution section 4 as amended

provide that the House can summon the president, commander in chief of the arm forces of the federal republic to account for any break of law and order in any part of the country". It would be recalled that the House of Representatives has on Tuesday summoned the President to appear before it along with service chiefs, on the current security challenges facing the Northern region.

cancer treatment to students From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

he Chief Executive Officer of Yakubu Gowon Foundation, Mr. Dan Tenshak, yesterday, said the foundation is determined to get rid of cancer in the society and has since commenced free screening and treatment for female students in all tertiary institutions within Plateau state.

Speaking at a cancer advocacy and screening campaign organised by the foundation and Jos University Medical Students Association (JUMSA)’ Tenshak said the choice of female students was because they are vulnerable to the disease and they need to be enlightened about the dangers of the disease which prompted the foundation to embark on the awareness campaign.

FIRS charges Air Nigeria to court over N4.871bn taxes By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

he Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has charged Air Nigeria (Air Nigeria Development Company Limited), and its Managing Director, Mr. Kinfe Kahssaye before a Federal High Court, Abuja for allegedly refusing to remit N4.871 billion taxes The 11-count charge signed by Assistant Director, Tax Investigation and Special Enforcement Department, James Binang, was brought pursuant to Section 174 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 47 of the

Federal Inland Revenue Service, Establishment Act, FIRSEA 2007. The accused allegedly failed to deduct and remit Value Added Taxes (VAT) amounting to N286, 955,237 billion between JanuaryDecember 2007; N633, 548,119.00k between, January December 2008 and N1, 265,537,250.00k between January-December 2009. They also allegedly deducted and remitted N1,516,582,660.00k to the FIRS between January and December 2010 and a Withholding Tax (WHT) amounting to N394,165,820 being 10 percent of the payments for direct services.

The airline in January 2012 is also accused of presenting a counterfeit Companies Income Tax Clearance Certificate as having being issued by the FIRS, in favour of Air Nigeria Development Company Ltd. According to count eight of the charge, the Withholding Tax liabilities against Air Nigeria, between January and December 2007 is N775, 207,713.00k. FIRS, in the charge also claimed that Air Nigeria submitted a counterfeit seal of the FIRS on a Companies Income Tax Clearance Certificate purportedly issued by the tax agency, in contravention

of the Section 55 (1) of the Companies Income Tax Cap C 21 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010, an offence punishable under Section 55 (4) and (%) of the same Act. Other alleged infraction, by Air Nigeria, was that the company failed to file Annual returns for 2011 and 2012 as prescribed by Section 55 (1) of the Companies Income Tax Cap C21 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010. Count nine revealed that the company, claimed FIRS, presented the TCC to the Interior Minister to enable the company renew quota positions for Twenty (20) Pilots

and Ten (10) others. The alleged offences contradict Section 40 and 43 of the FIRS (Establishment) Act No. 13 of 2007, Section 55(1) of the Companies Income Tax Cap C21 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010 and Regulation 5 of the Companies Income Tax Regulations Cap. C21, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. No date has been fixed for the suit. It would be recalled that FIRS arrested the Managing Director, Air Nigeria last Monday at the airline’s Lagos office and took him to Abuja.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 5

Bombings: Oil workers threaten to withdraw from Kaduna F

...as Fresh crisis erupts From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

he Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has threatened to call out its members in Kaduna, “if government continues by its inaction to imperil the lives and limbs of Nigerians particularly

those residing in the northern part of the country.” PENGASSAN’s national publicity secretary, ‘Deji Kolawole, in a statement said the attacks on Christian worshippers in Kaduna and Zaria last Sunday claimed by the terrorist group, Boko Haram and the consequent reprisal attacks on innocent Muslims

represents a dangerous descent into the horrific inter-ethnic and religious war that marked the violent break-up of the former Yugoslavia. “Nigeria cannot afford to take this road to self-destruction, for when the rich make war it is the poor that suffer. We, therefore, appeal to Nigerians to exercise

great restraint in the face of the constant provocation and violence perpetrated on other innocent Nigerians by terrorists under the hood of religionists whose aim is, obviously, to precipitate an ethnic cum religious war in the country. We must note that an eye for an eye would only make us all blind,” Kolawole added.

resh crisis erupted yesterday at Kujama near Kaduna state, where armed Christian youths killed Muslims in the area. The crisis began when Christian youths reportedly tore the veil (hijab) of a Muslim lady in the Christian dominated area. However, police said the situation was under control as at press time.

NDLEA alarmed over youth involvement in drugs abuse From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Bauchi state command, has expressed worries over the increase in youths involved in drug abuse. The State Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Julius Parah stated this yesterday while briefing pressmen to mark the day for the United Nation’s Day against Drug Abuse. The NDLEA expressed worry over the high rate of trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, saying that it is threatening the well-being and security of the state. According to him, “it is pertinent to note that drug abuse has ruined the future and lives of many youths to the extent that they abandon their studies and careers. We cannot fold our hands and watch the situation go on like this. We have a responsibility to guide and re-orient our youths against drug abuse and trafficking.”

Robbers invade CISLAC boss’ home By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

rmed men on Tuesday attacked the executive director, of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Ibrahim, at his residence in Abuja, carting away valuables. A statement issued yesterday by the senior programme officer, CISLAC, Kolawole Banwo, indicated that the men, six in number, forced their way in to his residence at about 1.30am on Tuesday and made away with his laptop, external hard drive, hand set, car and cash. It expressed deep sorrow that the incident was carried out by youths who were meant to channel their energies in to productive venture. CISLAC, also blamed the criminality in the country on bad governance, visionless leadership and corruption, which it said strangled the country for the past 50 years.

Flood at Ijora causeway after an early morning rainfall, yesterday in Lagos.

Photo: NAN

Police arraign fake SIM dealers in court From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

he Benue state Police Command has arraigned five persons who were recently arrested by Nigerian Communications Commission in Makurdi for dealing in preregistered SIM cards before a Chief Magistrate Court.

Police prosecutor, Sgt. Michael Iwogave, who gave the names of the accused persons who were arrested in Wurukum and Makurdi Modern Market as Felicia Songu, Samuel Nede, Oko Chinyere, Agbe Francis and Godstime, said the accused persons confessed to have committed the crime, maintaining that the

activated SIM cards were supplied to them by one Francis Egbe and Theophilus. However, when the case came up, the accused persons all pleaded not guilty to the charges just as their counsels, Barristers A. Acka and A.O Ijeche applied for their bail promising that they would not jump bail.

The prosecuting officer however objected to the bail application but the presiding Magistrate, Dan Ogoh in his ruling, said the offence was bailable and as such granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in the same amount and adjourned the case to the July 10th 2012 for further hearing.

…as NCC arrests dealers of pre-registered SIM cards in Kogi From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

he Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has embarked on arresting people selling illegal pre-registered GSM sim cards in Kogi state. The leader of the team, Malam

Salizu Abdul of Enforce Unit (enforcement team), who disclosed this to newsmen during the exercise in Lokoja, noted that the exercise is being carried out nationwide stressing that no fewer than six persons have been arrested by the commission.

He posited that selling preregistered SIM is against the law and it is not allowed. "We identified two places where the act is perpetrated. We arrested one and we confiscated the wares of those involved. "The implication is that it can

be used to commit crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping which will be difficult for security agents to trace," he said. According to him, the essence of registration is to curb crime noting that people are sensitised on the implications.

Lafia prison officials deny torturing 2 inmates to death From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

fficials of the Lafia prisons, yesterday, denied media reports that two inmates died recently as a result of alleged torture meted out to them over their roles in the protest that broke out at the facility. State Controller of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS), Kunle Sanusi,

while denying the reports, stated that the two inmates died “from skirmishes which broke out among them during the sharing of a huge amount of money they stole from the safe at the facility”, stressing that no prison official tortured any inmate. On the information filtering from inside the prison that inmates have embarked on hunger strike to

protest the death of their colleagues, the controller denied, insisting that “they ate their food; all”. “They ate breakfast and lunch”, he said, insisting that there was no hunger strike by any inmate at the facility. The two inmates, Musa Aliyu and Godwin Francis, all on the awaiting trial list, died two days after inmates at the facility

attempted a jailbreak, claiming they were protesting meagre rations. The demonstrators also, allegedly broke a safe at the facility, and stole large sums of cash. Counsel to the two deceased, Barrister Usman Mohammed Elegu, however, alleged on Tuesday that his clients were tortured to death by prisons officers, after the failed jailbreak.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Plateau disburses N350m to 61 FADAMA groups From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

he Plateau Project Coordinator of FADAMA III, Mr. Gideon Dandam, yesterday disclosed that it has disbursed more than N350 million to 61 Fadama Community Associations (FCAs) in the state, saying they have made tremendous impacts on the lives of farmers. The Communication Officer of the Fadama III, Mr. Raphael Jahkim in a press statement made available to newsmen, said the state government's prompt payment of counterpart fund for

the project had made it easier for the state to access funds from the World Bank without hindrance. According to the statement "Plateau government has paid her counterpart contributions for Fadama III project for 2009 to 2012. The state has never defaulted in its payment since inception in 2009 to date. Because of the prompt payment of the counterpart contributions, Plateau Fadama Coordination Office has disbursed well over N350 million to 61 (FCAs) which has made tremendous impacts in the lives of the beneficiaries". The state Project Coordinator

said that the 6th Joint World Bank/FGN Supervision Mission on Fadama III Project for NorthCentral Zone which took place recently in Ilorin was full of praises for the holistic and supportive role Gov. Jonah Jang played in implementing the project. Meanwhile, the statement added that the Zonal Project Coordinator, Mr Musa Dalang, said the project disbursed N2.4 billion to beneficiaries in the zone and commended the states for the achievements recorded in executing many people-oriented projects.

Sambo urges Saudi investors to explore Nigeria By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

he Vice President, Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo has said that the Transformation Agenda of the present administration has a robust plan for the rapid development of Nigeria. Vice President Sambo stated this yesterday, when he received in audience the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdul-Aziz Ibn Abdullah, who led a high powered delegation to Nigeria. The Vice President, who noted that Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had a long standing relationship, which had spanned several years, said "the relationship

of Saudi Arabia and Nigeria has been a very old one, however, there is the need to further enhance this relationship and strengthen it so that we can add value to the socio economic status of our countries." Speaking further, Vice President Sambo called on Saudi Arabia and Saudi investors to come and tap into the various investment opportunities in the country, which according to him are in the areas of power supply, transportation, oil and gas, agriculture, solid minerals and several other viable areas of investment.

Bauchi govt to establish data bank for teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; service commission From: Ahmed Kaigama Bauchi

auchi state government has concluded plans to established data bank for Teachers Service Commission to make its services accessible online by government agencies, private individual organisations and the general public. The chairman of the commission, Alhaji Yahaya Baba, disclosed this while briefing newsmen, saying that the data bank is to make the operations easy and the recruitment of genuine and qualified number of teaching staff. He expressed dissatisfaction with the attitude of some people who use fake certificates in a bid to get employment as teachers with the state government, revealing that only six out of 56 persons that recently applied to the commission for employment have genuine credentials after thorough screening.

Students of Kaduna state Technical College going home, yesterday due to the 24 hours curfew imposed on Kaduna by the state. Photo: NAN

Kogi govt flags off sales of kerosene at subsidised rate

We want to see Nigeria G remain united - Sarah Jibril

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

By A'isha Biola Raji

igerians have been advised to strive at remaining united irrespective of the security challenge the country might be facing. Sarah Jubril, Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values,

made this call yesterday in Abuja at a press conference to launch the events of African International Cultural Festival Week, African American International Cultural Festival Week and the Nigerian International Cultural Festival Week organised by African Culture and Tourism Image Making Foundation (ACTIMF) in

collaboration with her office. Jubril congratulated the founder of the festival week for her initiative which she said will foster peace and unity, saying every religion preaches peace. "Islam is about salama (peace) and Christianity is about Shalom (peace)," she declared. As part of her plans to develop

ethics and values in the country, she said there is an ongoing plan to encourage Nigerians living in Diaspora to have a befitting place to return to in their various communities by building community transformation centres with the formula: food+ethics+skills+good governance and development.

Constitution amendment deadline for memoranda submission stands â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ekweremadu By Etuka Sunday

he Deputy Senate President and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Ike Ekweremadu, has said that the deadline for the ongoing submission of memoranda for constitution amendment still

stands, adding that there was no plan by the committee to extend it. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu said the call for fresh memoranda was necessitated by the need to update previous submissions

in view of fresh perspectives and challenges that would have emerged between the last exercise and now, explaining that it was a carryover submissions collated during the last exercise by the committee. He assured that the amendment would be transparent and people-driven

since public hearings at both national and geopolitical levels would be held to enable Nigerians make inputs into their constitution. "We are representing the people and whatever we do must be informed by the decisions of majority of Nigerians; not what we think as individuals."

overnor Idris Wada of Kogi state has flagged-off the distribution of 20, 000 liters of kerosene at subsidised rate of N50 per liter to women across the 21 local government areas of the state The flag-off ceremony began yesterday at the LGEA Primary School field, Lokoja for Lokoja local government area. 50 women from the 10 wards benefited from the gesture. The wife of the governor and financier of the scheme, Hajia Halima Wada, said her office is keying into the wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan's idea of cushioning the effect of high price of kerosene. The subsidised kerosene which is done in partnership with the Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, (the authorised dealer of kerosene for NNPC) the governor's wife said will also help to reduce the effect of deforestation which has led to the depletion of the ozone l ayer The governor's wife also stressed that her office has inaugurated local government coordinators to monitor the effective implementation of the exercise to make sure the scheme is devoid of sharp practices.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 7

Nyako swears in another acting Chief Judge From Blessing Tunoh, Yola

L-R: Executive Director, Growth and Development Monitoring Initiative (GDMI), Mr. Ogah Columba, President of GDMI, Alhaji Mohammed Musa Bagana, and Vice-President of GDMI, Malam Suleiman Shehu Bello, during a press conference on the outcome of the GDMI workshop, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Proposed Oyo varsity to be multi-campus – says Ajimobi From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state has said that the proposed state university will have its campuses spread across all the geo-political zones of the state. The governor made this disclosure during a Town Hall meeting held at the Saki Parapo Town Hall, Saki on Tuesday. According to him,

establishing a tertiary institution was capital intensive such that it would take nothing less than N5 billion therefore, Ibadan Polytechnic would be converted to a university. “Because we could not afford to put down such a huge sum of money, that is why we decided to convert The Polytechnic, Ibadan to a university, using the existing structure so that we can save some money,’’ he

said. Although the governor said that the headquarters of the university would be in Ibadan, the state capital, he, however, said that the institution would be multi-campus in nature and that each of the geo-political zones – Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun – would have a campus based on its areas of comparative advantage.

Jonathan advised to hold national prayer for Christians, Muslims From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

resident Goodluck Jonathan has been counseled to organise a national prayer among both the Christians and Muslims communities for lasting peace in the country. Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, former chief of staff, to the Bauchi state governor, made

the call in his letter of condolence to the Bauchi state CAN chairman in which he sympathized with those who lost their lives in the recent bomb blast at Living Faith and Harvest Field churches in Yelwa suburb of Bauchi metropolis. “It is sad that despite several other similar incidents across the country, government has

failed to pursue sustainable and proactive steps to protect its citizens from such unwarranted attacks on lives and property in Bauchi”, Gabam said. The former chief of staff therefore stressed for seeking divine intervention to get Nigerians out of the current security quagmire which, he noted, is threatening the unity of the country.

3 billed for UBTH stem cell transplant From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

even months after the first successful stem cell transplant, three persons are due for the second batch of the exercise in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Benin City, Edo State. Severe sickle cell disorder patients above age 15 and victims of other kinds of cancers are expected to benefit from a similar exercise soon. Consultant Haematologist, Dr.

Godwin Bazuaye gave the indication yesterday while delivering a lecture, ‘The challenges of sickle cell transplant’ at a one-day awareness workshop to mark World Sickle cell Day in the state. The Stem cell expert said, if the right incentives are put in place, UBTH would transplant 40-50 Patients with severe complications of sickle cell annually. “Next month for example, we’re planning to have the second batch of transplant and about

three people have been lined up. We had some delay because we needed to get some back up equipment. Once we kick off, we expect that if we are doing at least four transplants every month, we would have been able to transplant 40-50 patients”. The consultant who appealed to all the state governors and non governmental organizations, coorperate organisations and privileged citizens to support the venture to reduce the sum of N5 million cost for each transplant.

South African Speaker calls for dialogue with Boko Haram

rs Lindiwe Maseko, the Speaker, Gauteng Provincial Legislature of South Africa, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to continue the process of initiating dialogue with the Boko Haram sect. Maseko, the first female Speaker of the Province, made the call on Wednesday in AdoEkiti during a visit to the Ekiti State Assembly. Condemning acts of terrorism in Africa, Maseko described the recent killings in some parts of the country as very painful and capable of hindering development. She advocated the strengthening of legislative oversight functions as a way of checking recklessness and injecting transparency into governance. Maseko, who had been a lawmaker for 16 years, also charged African leaders to strengthen their constitutions in order to tackle corruption She had earlier delivered a lecture at the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti on Tuesday evening where she called for full independence of INEC. Maseko also rated Nigeria low in terms of women representation in parliament, saying the statistics for women representation had risen to 45 per cent in South Africa. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Maseko and her team of legislators are on a five-day visit to Ekiti. (NAN)

overnor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state for the third time in one year, swore in Justice Bobbo Umaru as the new acting Chief Judge of the state. Justice Umaru replaces Justice Ishaya Banu whose three months old tenure, elapsed on Tuesday 20th June. Deputy Governor Bala James Nggillari who performed the ceremony on behalf of the governor described Umaru as a seasoned and experienced legal icon, and urged him to bring his wealth of experience to bear in the discharge of his official duties. Assisted by Justice Audu Lagire, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Adamawa state, the Governor reminded the new acting Chief Judge that his appointment was based on meritorious grounds, while advising him to work assiduously towards repositioning and strengthening the judicial system in the state. Responding, the acting Chief Judge promised to work hard with the executive, judiciary, legislature, security outfits, members of the public and other colleagues in the state judiciary to ensure that cases filed in the various law courts are heard and vacated on time without undue delay and interference.

Bauchi Muslim Pilgrims Board warns erring LG officials From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he Bauchi state Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board has vowed to deal with any erring local government Hajj officer that fails to discharge responsibilities given to him. The acting Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Umar Yayagana who disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the achievements of the board observed that some local government Hajj officers are not helping matters by not guiding their pilgrims during the religious obligation. Yayagana who warned that such undesirable could no longer be entertained, explained that local government Hajj officers were appointed to perform their obligatory role of aiding the pilgrims from their respective localities by ensuring that all the pilgrims perform their hajj exercise without any hitch. He commended the Yugudaled administration for rendering all the necessary support to the board and the state intending pilgrims to ensure successful Hajj operations.

PAGE 8

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

L-R: Counsel to former Oyo state governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Chief Mamman Osuman (SAN), Chief Alao-Akala, former consultant to Alao-Akalaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government, Mr Femi Babalola, and Senator Hosea Agboola, at the state High Court in the case of fraud brought by EFCC against Alao-Akala and two others, yesterday in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

Sympathisers helping to evacuate accident victims from a multiple motor accident, yesterday at MKO Abiola Way, in Abeokuta. Photo: NAN

Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (left), inspecting ongoing drainage work, yesterday at Uselu, in Benin City.

L-R: Assistant Corps Marshal of FRSC in charge of Zone 12, Malam Ahmed Hassan, with Deputy Corps marshal in charge of Administration, Mr Adei Abu, during a familiarisation tour of Adamawa sector office, yesterday in Yola. Photo: NAN

PAGE 9

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Resign now, Tsav urges Jonathan From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

ormer Lagos Commissioner of Police Alh. Abubakar Tsav has once again descended hard on

administration of Goodluck Jonathan describing it as ‘irresponsible’ and ‘insensitive’ to the plight of Nigerians. He condemned in strong terms the President’s trip to Rio

D’ Janiro, Brazil for the Earth Summit at the time when the country is faced with lots of terrorist attack especially the recent one in Kaduna and Yobe states.

“It is an act of irresponsibility and insensitivity for Goodluck Jonathan to travel out of the country when the nation is on fire. The reprisal attacks in Kaduna show clearly that the people have lost confidence in ability of government to protect them. We expected Jonathan to have postponed the trip to Brazil to show how concerned he is about the insecurity situation in the country occasioned by the

senseless bombings in the North”, Alh. Tsav said. He noted that the President has lost control of the country by his failure to provide adequate security and wellbeing for Nigerians and urged him to step down. “Jonathan is a failure and disappointment. What is happening in Kaduna is enough to topple his government. Nigerians are disillusioned with your government, he advised.

Prostitutes arraigned over alleged theft of N.1m gold necklace

T L-R: Special Adviser to the President on Ethic and Value, Mrs. Sarah Jibrin, President/Founder of African Culture and Tourism Image Making Foundation, Princess Olajumoke Olawuwo, and Director of the Project, Mr. Dickson Omoregie, during a press conference on partnering with the Office of the Special Adviser on Ethic and Value, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

CPJ blames security agents for assault on journalist By Etuka Sunday

ommittee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has blamed the military and police for allowing an assault on Bashir Abdullahi, a journalist with the Daily Trust Newspaper while caring out his official duty in Rivers State. Bashir Abdullahi was said to have been assaulted while covering a seminar at the Federal Secretariat in Port Harcourt, in Rivers State, when officials of the Rivers State Environmental Task Force, escorted by military personnel,

assaulted him, he told CPJ. “One of them slapped me twice on the face, hit me on my shoulder, and seized my phone. I complained to the soldiers, who told me to solve the problem myself,” he said Abdullahi told CPJ he was wearing his ID card that identified him as a journalist when he was assaulted. He also said that David Iyofo, the spokesman for the Rivers State governor, helped him recover his phone the next day. However, the CPJ Africa Advocacy coordinator, Mohamed Keita condemned the assault and

blamed the military and police officers for the negligence since the attack was committed in their presence but did not come to the journalist’s aid. He therefore called on the Nigerian authorities to investigate the assault on a Nigerian journalist and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. “We call on the authorities to investigate the attack and hold to account the officials who were involved,” he said. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the task force told CPJ he was aware of the incident but that no immediate action could be taken since the alleged assault did not involve members of the military.

Regular blood donation reduces risks of cardiovascular diseases, says doctor

he NorthCentral Coordinator, National Blood Transfusion Service, Jos, Dr. Sunday Bolorunduro, has said that regular blood donation will help reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Bolorunduro told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that blood viscosity could be reduced by 32 percent through regular blood donation. NAN reports that blood viscosity is a measure of the thickness of blood, the thinner the blood, the less it resists flow, moving smoothly throughout the body “The thicker a person’s blood is, the more likely a person is at a

risk of heart attack or other heart diseases. “If your blood is thin, it flows easily through the arteries, so little pressure is applied on the heart to keep the blood flowing; but when your blood becomes too thick, its flow becomes sluggish. “This in turn means that your heart needs to pump harder to create more pressure to keep the blood flowing. “It also results in friction in the arteries and narrows the arteries, which makes it more difficult for blood to flow properly.” According to him, when the blood is thick, it causes the heart to work harder and the arteries to

become inflamed. “Chronic inflammation of the arteries is a serious risk factor, which can lead to blood clotting thereby triggering a heart attack or stroke”. The coordinator said that donating blood on a regular basis would enable the blood to go through haemo-dilution and reduce the risk of heart disease. Haemo-dilution is when the blood becomes thinner or diluted. The doctor said that regular blood donation would also enhance blood regeneration and the newer the red blood cells in the blood, the better the blood would circulate easily. (NAN)

he Police in Lagos have arraigned two prostitutes before an Apapa Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos over alleged stealing of gold neck chain valued at N138,000. The accused are Titilayo Rasheed, 21, Bekky Olugbenga, 19, both prostitutes. The other two are Mustapha Olofin, 42, and Yusuf Olatunji, 32. They are standing trial on a four-count charge of stealing, felony, conspiracy and operating illegal brothel. The prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Inedu told the court that the prostitutes had on May 23 at No. 23, Ashodu St., Ijora-Badia, Apapa, Lagos, stole a gold necklace belonging to one Mr Ayodele Idowu. Inedu also said that Olofin

and Olatunji were operating an illegal brothel at the same address, known as Bolaji Mustapha Hotel, where prostitutes were being kept, including Titilayo and Bekky. He said that the offences contravened Sections 98, 143 (1), 285 (1) and 409 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty. Chief Magistrate Amos Adeyemi granted each of the accused N50, 000 bail with one surety each in like sum. Adeyemi ordered that each of the sureties should show proof of tax payment to Lagos State Government as part of the bail conditions. The case was adjourned till June 21 for further hearing. (NAN)

Absence of lead counsel stalls trial of ex-Bank PHB MD From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

he trial of former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), Francis Atuche was yesterday stalled as the lead defence counsel, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) was absent due to national assignment. The former bank chief is standing trial alongside Funmi Ademosun, before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of an Ikeja High Court, over alleged financial impropriety in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). When the case came up yesterday, Chief Idigbe who was represented by N.K Oragwu, through his letter asked for a short adjournment to enable him attend the national assignment, which was opposed by the prosecution lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN). Pinheiro, in opposing the adjournment argued that since there are other senior advocates in the defence team the absence of Idgbe should not stall the trial. He said there was no justification in granting the adjournment as he considered the excuse for absence as tenacious

and spurious. Pinheiro said should the court grant the request of the defence by adjourning, a cost of N100,000 should be awarded in favour of the prosecution to cover the expenses incurred for flying the prosecution witness from Abuja to Lagos and having passed the night in an hotel. Counsel to Ademosun, Chief Robert Clarke supported the request of Idigbe and urged the court to grant it. According to Chief Clarke, “Chief Idigbe said he would like to continue with the cross examination himself and I think it is important to grant his request to enable him continue with the line of thought being followed. “Breaking that line of thought especially in a criminal matter in a cross examination stage could amount to injustice.” He concluded that the defendants have rights to choose who conducts their matter. Justice Onigbanjo in his short ruling on the matter subsequently granted the defence request and adjourned the matter till July 9, 2012 for continuation of trial.

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Italian dies in EFCC custody By Lambert Tyem

52-year-old Italian, Mr. EMauro Zanin, a suspected fraudster was yesterday found dead in his detention cell at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Abuja. According to the spokesperson of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, "He was found motionless in the bathroom of the commission’s detention facility in Abuja at about 4.50 am yesterday. He had apparently committed suicide using his bed sheet. “All effort by the duty officers and a team of EFCC medical personnel led by Dr. Gideon Osi of the commission’s medical unit to revive him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation proved futile. “He was subsequently certified dead at about 5.45 am. “Though all clues point to suicide, the incident has been reported to the Nigeria Police Station, Maitama for investigation”. The commission further explained that “The deceased was arrested by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service following a complaint by one Ahamefula Chibuzor Ewuzie that he fraudulently obtained the sum of $111,000 from Gladwaters Nigeria Limited, and transferred to the Commission on 30th May, 2012 for further investigation. “His arrest was officially communicated to the Italian Embassy on 31st May, 2012. The same day, the suspect was granted provisional bail, but he could not get a surety to take him on bail.”

NOA boss tasks parents, teachers on cultural preservation By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

he Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr.Mike Omeri has called on parents, teachers and institutions of learning to always teach Nigeria’s cultures and history to their children and students, to stem the current tide of cultural erosion that threatens the country’s heritage. Omeri, who made this call when students of Dove land International School, Wuse II, Abuja visited the Agency on an excursion, stressed that “a sustained cultural exposure of Nigerian children was the only sure way to protect the future generation from the effects of westernization”, warning that if the continued trend of lack of cultural upbringing continues, the nation and its people stands the risk of losing their unique identity. Statement issued by its Chief Press Secretary Paul Odenyi, advised the visiting students to familiarize themselves with the various national symbols such as the Nigerian National Flag, the Coat-of-Arms, the National Anthem and Pledge, pointing out that they represent the symbols of Nigeria’s unity.

L-R: Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, Director, Planning, Research and Statistic, Mr. Bonat Tawagi, and Director, Director-General Office, Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoba, during media briefing on the time to embrace dialogue instead of bloodletting by violence group yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Ikeja NBA election crisis: New CJ takes over suit From Francis Iwuchukwu, Lagos

he Chief Judge of Lagos state, Justice Ayotunde Phillips has recalled the case file of the suit filed by Mr. Yinka Farounbi contesting the outcome of the May 9, 2012 election of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch. The suit which was adjourned for trial yesterday failed to hold as the trial judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke disqualified self from further hearing of the suit.

The registrar of the court told the parties to the suit on Tuesday that the file of the suit has been sent to the Chief Judge of Lagos state, Justice Ayotunde Phillips. Justice Opeyemi Oke is the second trial judge to disqualify self since the trial commenced about a month ago. The first trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo had earlier disqualified self from hearing the suit after complaints from some interested parties. They were piqued that

Justice Oke extended for another seven days the injunctions granted the claimants at the commencement of the suit by the first trial judge. Justice Taiwo had at the commencement of the trial granted the prayer of Yinka Farounbi and restrained the electoral committee and the NBA Ikeja chairman from swearing in the newly elected officers elected on May 9, 2012. Justice Taiwo had also ordered the elected officers to stop parading

themselves as officers- elect of the NBA Ikeja branch pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction. At the last hearing, Justice Oke had ordered all parties to maintain status quo and adjourned to enable them file their preliminary objections and reply on point of law to the originating summons of the claimant. The court is yet to fix a date for continuation of hearing in the matter.

Igbinedion varsity bloodbath: ‘Mere misunderstanding’ From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

he Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs, Kinsley Kuku, described last Sunday bloody clash between ex-militants and cultists which left many injured and several vehicles impounded in Igbinedion University, Okada, in Edo dtate as a ‘mere misunderstanding’ among students. Kiku, who is also the Chairman of Presidential Amnesty Programme, however, admitted that crisis has since been resolved by the University authorities and normalcy has returned to the campus. The Presidential Aide who dropped the hint when he paid on the spot assessment visit to the University, following rising tension in the ivory tower, expressed dismay. Kuku told newsmen shortly after a closed door meetings with the benefiting students alongside the university authorities, he was at the university to see things for him.

“One very clear clarification must be made that we don’t have amnesty or ex –militants on this campus, I have said this severally, I am Mr President Adviser on Niger Delta in term of development, be it Youths or women. The ministry of Niger Delta handles interventional programs on behalf of Mr President in the region. I have come here to meet with the

University management and students over what I have heard that happened on the campus. For me it is a mere misunderstanding and my students are here on the platform of the office of the special adviser on Niger Delta, not amnesty programme.” He called on the media to assist in sustaining the developmental effort of President Goodluck

Jonathan in assisting Youths under the programme. “What I know is that violence can be interpreted from the realm of any human being and it is a perception problem, the media must do all it can to help any realm of development in the country, Igbinedion University establishment is a development factor that need to be supported”.

EFCC arraigns man over $243,500 fraud By Lambert Tyem

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned one Dr. Michael Bandele Adekunle before Justice A.O. Opesanwo of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on a five counts charge which borders on conspiracy to obtain money to the tune of $243,500 under false pretences, contrary to section 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. One of the charges read:“Dr Michael Bandele Adekunle, Samuel

Nelson Nwankwo (Now convicted) and Alhaji Atta (still at large) on or about the 19th of November 2010 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division with intent to defraud, conspired to obtained the sum of $243,500 under false pretence from one Mr. Collins Ukpe Turhobo of L. S. D. P. Estate Mainland Ebute Metta Lagos under the false pretence that the money represents fees and logistics for processing of $5 million (five million Dollars) loan you claimed you secured for him which representation you knew to be false”.

He pleaded not guilty to all five charges but the prosecution counsel, S. T. Giwa prayed the court to remand the accused in prison custody and fix a date for trial. Juliet Njoku, counsel to the accused person however asked the court to remand her client in Kirikiri Maximum prison. Justice Opesanwo ordered that the accused be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum prison and adjourned proceedings to July 5, 2012 for hearing of the bail application.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

The reversal of appointment of NFF Technical Director

omplaints against the choice of the Belgian, Tom Saintfiet, as the Nigeria Football Federation's (NFF) technical director turned not a few heads, and must have touched the right cord, considering similar interest the reversal of the decision by the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, has elicited. Indeed, since March when the appointment of the former Ethiopia manager was ratified by the NFF Executive Committee following the recommendation of its technical subcommittee, indigenous coaches and several well meaning Nigerians, to whom Saintfiet's appointment represented an error in judgement, had subjected the decision to rancorous debate. The leadership of the Nigerian Coaches Association condemned the appointment as an imposition of a foreigner on Nigeria and a denial of qualified Nigerians of the opportunity to contribute their quota to the nation, adding that it would amount to wastage of tax payers' money considering the $20,000 (N3.1m) monthly salary and other entitlements earmarked for Saintfiet. They cited similar instances where Lars Lagerback and Bert Vogts who, though technical advisers and not technical directors, were paid fabulous amounts without corresponding services. They also contended that the foreigner was neither imbued with the philosophy of our grassroots football and the socio-cultural mien peculiar to Nigerians nor the desired experience (being 39 years) needed to

harness the talents that abound in the country. However, the NFF technical subcommittee had adduced the lack of interest by the indigenous coaches to apply for the post when it was advertised as one of the major reasons for giving the job to the Belgian, who was one of the nine foreigners shortlisted for

“

We believe due process should be respected and encouraged rather than arbitrarily dispensed with and thus encourage disdain for procedures the post. Peoples Daily indeed recalls that no indigenous coach applied for the post and they only took interest in it on the eve of the interview for the shortlisted candidates despite having two prominent members of their association in the technical subcommittee which placed the advertisement for the position. True, a people's philosophy cannot be properly articulated by an alien who lacks an understanding of the nuances peculiar

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”

to the people and the socio-cultural mix that binds them together just as none can develop and execute the vision that he does not possess. But if a democratic procedure was adopted in the selection of the candidate, one can hardly fault the NFF for offering the job to the Belgian. However, those who backed NFF's decision to offer Saintfiet the post argue that a foreigner is more likely to shed off any divisive tendencies than indigenous coaches some of whom had in the past manifested this weakness to a fault, and to the detriment of the nation. Nonetheless, it seems that the National Sports Commission (NSC) headed by the minister had pandered to sentiment and has consequently interfered by fiat in the termination of a process that met democratic standards. We believe due process should be respected and encouraged rather than arbitrarily dispensed with and thus encourage disdain for procedures. We believe competence, experience and technical depth and other criteria set up by the NFF should be the only basis for appointing a technical director whether indigenous or foreign. Peoples Daily believes regard for the country's image should be given more than perfunctory consideration rather than that which is likely to impinge on national integrity such as this one in order to avoid the embarrassment of being tagged unserious and ridiculed in the comity of nations to whom international best practices are ethos which are non-negotiable.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE EDITOR, DAILY AHMED I. SHEKARAU

DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ALI M. ALI

ACTING EDITOR, WEEKEND RICHARD IHEDIWA

GM PUBLICATIONS ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI MANAGER, ADMINISTRATION HASSAN HAMMANYAJI

HEAD, ADVERT/MARKETING HUSSAINI ABDULRAHMAN, CNA

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

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 13

Oil revenue: NEITI-EFCC alliance and matters miscellaneous By Ifeanyi Izeze

hen the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja last month promised to partner with the Nigerian Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in the fight against corrupt practices in Nigeria's extractive industries, the agency actually meant what it said. Also, NEITI's quest for a dedicated desk in EFCC to facilitate seamless synergy between the two agencies, was also well intended, as in the mind of NEITI people, it would make it easier for the EFCC to enforce the NEITI Act and investigate complaints arising from audit reports. It would also facilitate prompt prosecution of offenders, information sharing, capacity building and building stronger inter-agency strength. However, the problem is that NEITI is praying at the wrong altar and as a result, will either receive wrong answers or be out rightly defrauded. It is unarguable that this country seriously needs a mechanism to thoroughly investigate, prosecute and ultimately impose sanctions on erring entities in the extractive industries particularly the most organized of all the extractive sectors- the oil and gas sector where corruption, fraud and opaque business transactions are being carried out with impunity even as we talk now. Although the NEITI Act of 2007 empowers the organisation to impose sanctions on established erring business entities, it does not have the necessary capacity to By Abdul Mahmud

he campaigns for the July 14 governorship election in Edo state are reaching their crescendos. The election, coming at the heels of the shenanigans that characterise the campaigns, as most people have observed, is between those who insist on returning the state to the epicentre of Nigerian politics and those who want to root the state inside progressive politics. This observation, to the extent that it highlights the way politics is conceived as an ideological binary, masks the constitutive elements of politics and the personalities that shape the governance environment. In truth, the dominant parties in the state, Action Congress of Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party, are neither driven by progressive ideology, nor by any democratic ideals. Both parties, peopled by politicians who subscribe to the most decadent ideology of 'chop and live', and possibly die if peradventure they find themselves on the wrong side of power, invite ridicule. The notion of democracy as people-

investigate or prosecute offenders. The reports of the various audits so far conducted on the oil and gas sector appear ineffective tools against corruption because the agency has no powers to enforce proposed or intellectuallyimposed sanctions on erring operators. And as reportedly said by Zainab Ahmed, the NEITI Executive Secretary, "This is why a stronger collaboration with other anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC becomes necessary." EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde's smug response is to say "We are aware that NEITI has always voiced its concern on the generated revenue from oil and gas and projects funded with such revenues". What was the EFCC set up to do in the first instance? Are improper accounting of oil proceeds and fraudulent manipulation of joint venture budgets not economic and financial crimes? Was the EFCC not established to investigate and prosecute financial crimes, including economic sabotage? So the agency has been aware that NEITI has been shouting over misdeeds in accounting for the nation's oil earnings but has refused to do something about it, waiting for NEITI to come to it first? You see the politics! And why is NEITI begging the EFCC to give what it does not have? The anti-graft agency as packaged today also lacks the capacity to investigate and prosecute even village thieves not to talk of sophisticated foreign oil multinationals and their collaborators at the Presidency that for a long time have practiced creative accounting, fortuitously

fleecing the country of its vast oil fortunes. This is the real problem: NEITI as currently structured was merely packaged to feign aggressive transparency campaign despite its deliberate default setting and lack of teeth to bite. Also, the organization either

thing, as this callous default has been like that since NEITI was created in 2007/2008 in the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo. How do you prosecute somebody that sustains you? It's not possible at all! You see the self-deceit? We have been told how our collective wealth is being used to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

And why is NEITI begging the EFCC to give what it does not have? The anti-graft agency as packaged today also lacks the capacity to investigate and prosecute even village thieves not to talk of sophisticated foreign oil multinationals and their collaborators at the Presidency that for a long time have practiced creative accounting, fortuitously fleecing the country of its vast oil fortunes. by omission or outright mischief was tied for its day-day sustenance to the mercy of the Presidency, which also is the bigger accomplice if not the mastermind in almost all of the heinous corruption and financial crimes in the oil and gas sector. This is not a Goodluck Jonathan

subsidize petroleum products that were not even supplied in the first instance. Who paid the monies? Was the payment not among the PPPRA; NNPC and its strategic business units; CBN; and the Offices of both the Minister of Petroleum Resources and Finance? And all these agencies

The battle for the soul of Edo centred is lost to these politicians. At least, as it is still the case, both parties are deeply rooted in the culture of anything goes- so far that what goes bears the seals of approval of Anenih and Oshiomhole. Though, the Action Congress of Nigeria, Edo state presents itself as a party, if not illusionary, that takes development as the core of governance. And with Oshiomhole as its driver, the governance ethos is shaped by his personal outlook rather than that of his party. Would Oshiomhole have taken the chance to place his government in the hands of these politicians? I don't think so. Take Oshiomhole away from that party, it becomes the exact replica of the Peoples Democratic Party, or the New Peoples Democratic Party as it now calls itself. There is a finer point to be made here and it is that political parties are not be shaped by individuals, or left to the whims and caprices of individuals, no matter how

mercurial they are as politicians. The Action Congress of Nigeria, Edo state is an offshoot of the Peoples Democratic Party. Politicians who filched the resources of the state during Lucky Igbinedion's years and made it the ground zero of underdevelopment are the founding members of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Edo state. The backbone of the party is formed by that amorphous cleavage, the Grace Group, led by Pastor Iyamu, a one-time Chief of Staff of Governor Lucky Igbinedion. And at the core of government are politicians who supported the ill-fated third term and adjudged by many as corrupt. Take Lucky James, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, who was dropped by the State House of Assembly as a commissioner-designate when Oshiomhole first put his name forward in 2009, for instance. Recall that it was this same

politician members of his own community alleged was corrupt and woeful during his tenure as council chairman in 2001. Today, he sits pretty well as the commissioner superintending all revenues allocated to local councils in the state. What a joke. The difference between now and then is simply this: Oshiomhole reins in some of the most detestable politicians in his party and gets them leashed to where accesses to the resources of the state are negligible. Not that his government is immune to those transactions that take place in post-colonial governments, anyway. So, the talk about the political gladiators returning the state to national and progressive politics is bunkum. The campaigns are about power, the personalisation of power, and the challenges of political existence. The July 14 election, to borrow football pundits' clichĂŠd phrase, will be the sudden death. The loss of

and its people report directly to the Office of the President and cannot take a single decision or action without approval from whosoever sits there as the President. It has been said severally that Nigeria does not actually know how much oil produced from oil wells and fields within its shores. Who is going to ascertain this on behalf of the country-the Department of Petroleum Resources and NNPC- the same people that take orders from the Office of the President? Who does the EFCC and ICPC Chairpersons report to? Both officials take orders from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice who in turn reports directly to the President of the Federal Republic. And it is a very open secret that the bulk of corruption cases and opaque business transactions in the oil and gas sector ranging from fuel subsidy scams, blurred NNPC accountings for proceeds of produced oil and gas to transparent mis-management of even what they say they paid emanate and derive life from the Presidency. This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So how do you expect the EFCC to prosecute the President or a minister who was ordered by the President to take actions that gave rise to NEITI moving in to do its transparency business? This is pure wururu setting! As far back as 2007 Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as Chairman of the EFCC, at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;NEITI Road Show and North-East Civil Society Interactive Session, expressed Continued on Pg 15 Chief Anthony Anenih, who is fighting the gubernatorial war by proxy, will invariably bring a political career that has spanned two decades, or more, to an inglorious end. The loss of Oshiomhole will surely signal the beginning of the end of his political career; and the loss, if any sense can be made out of the presidential forces, led by the Vice President, that are arrayed against him, will point to a long and hard time ahead. Don't rule out the Timi Sylva's treatment. Oshiomhole stands on a seeming firmer ground. He has delivered and has taken the state from the ground zero of underdevelopment to some considerable developmental acclaim. Edo state is working. Same cannot be said for the Peoples Democratic Party and its 'chop and live' politics. The July 14 election is only a shout away. No re-run or fresh election has ever been won by the opposition parties under Professor Jega's watch. I fear that the Edo state's gubernatorial election will go the way of others before it. I hope I am wrong.

PAGE 14

By H. Ahidjo, A. M. Umar and C.H. Ikeme

rradiation is a more general term for the deliberate exposure of materials to radiation to achieve a technical goal and the process of exposing food product to ionizing radiation to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present known as food irradiation. Further applications include sprout inhibition, delay of ripening, increase of juice yield and improvement of re-hydration. It is also used on non-food items, such as medical hardware, plastics, tubes for gas-pipelines, hoses for floor-heating, shrink-foils for food packaging, automobile parts, wires and cables (isolation), tires and even gemstones. By irradiating food, depending on the dose, some or all of the harmful bacteria and other pathogens present are thus killed. This prolongs the shelf-life of the food in cases where microbial spoilage is the limiting factor. However, opponents to food irradiation, such as consumer organizations and environmentalist groups refer to some studies suggesting that a large part of the public questions the safety of irradiated foods, and will not buy foods that have been irradiated. However, other studies indicate that the number of consumers concerned about the safety of irradiated food has decreased in the last 10 years and continues to be less than the number of those concerned about pesticide residues, m i c r o b i o l o g i c a l contamination and other food related concerns. In the early 1980s, eight feeding studies were conducted in China on human volunteers. The result shows that more than 400 people consumed irradiated food for up to 15 weeks with no sign of abnormal effects (http:// www.usatoday.com/tech/

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Irradiation: An option for Nigerian food security c o l u m n i s t / c c y a u 0 0 1 . h t m ) . Organic chickens are three at least 30% for fresh fruits Investigation shows that all times more likely than and vegetables. However, it is on the basis respected national and traditionally breed birds to be international health contaminated with a of this importance that the Government of organizations such as WHO, bacterium that causes food- Federal established the NAFDAC, American Medical poisoning. Research also shows Nigeria Association, Centers for Disease that irradiated seeds show Nuclear Technology Centre Control, American Dietetic tendencies of high yield. (NTC)-Sheda Science and Complex Association endorse the safety Investigation on the effect of Technology (SHESTCO) of irradiated A b u j a f o o d s . w h i c h Moreover, has a there are commercial international gamma standards Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text irradiation established messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written contributions facility by an should be concise. Word limits: Letters - 150 words, Articles - 750 and is one international words. Please include your name and a valid location. Letters to of the panel of the Editor should be addressed to: m o s t e x p e r t s modern concerning The Editor, commercial irradiation Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, irradiation which are 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja. plants in adopted by Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com t h e all countries world, in the world SMS: 07037756364 and only including one of its Nigeria. kind in T h e r e the West have been African more than 500 scientific papers published gamma radiation on the sub-region. It has the capacity on the safety and effectiveness germination, growth and yield to treat over 20 metric tons of daily. The of irradiation during the past of maize and groundnut was products 50 years. The amount of successively conducted at the components of the facility energy used in food irradiation Obafemi Awolowo University include; Radiation source: is not strong enough to cause Research Center. The seeds Double SS- encapsulated Co food to become radioactive. were planted after irradiation 60 with 3.7 × 10 16 Bq, Therefore, Irradiation does without the application of Conveyer capacity: 2 × 450 not change the composition of fertilizer. The results show that kg per carriage; 45 tons per food and does not leave any grain yield for irradiated d a y . The complex also has a radiation residues. For samples is increased to levels example, nobody has been above the unirradiated sample. very large production hall for reported to become radioactive Other researches equally commercial activities with after undergoing X-ray or show that through irradiation additional eleven laboratories of food materials post harvest that are made for research diagnosis in the hospital. drastically reduce. and development work. The Numerous university losses studies show that support for Surveys carried out at the laboratories available at the irradiated foods can reach as Nigerian Stored Products gamma irradiation plant high as 85%-90% when Research Institute (NSPRI) over section includes; physicallaboratory; accurate information is a period of five years estimated chemical provided. For examples the post-harvest loses to be of the dosimetry laboratory; two Danish Veterinary Laboratory order of 10% for grains, about food laboratories, one for wet in Aarhus recently found that 25% for roots and tubers, and products such as seafood,

WRITE TO US

meat and poultry and the other for dry products such as fruits and vegetables; microbiological laboratory and a culture media room; food irradiation identification laboratory; mutation breeding laboratory; sterile insect technique laboratory; two plastic laboratories, one for induction molding machines and the other for the measurement of properties of irradiated and unirradiated plastics. It is therefore pertinent that educational and awareness programmes be embarked upon through jingles on the radio, TV and newspaper to help provide the public with the information they need about the benefits derivable from irradiation technology, especially the one presently in SHESTCO. From all indication, there is low level of awareness concerning the importance, application and existence of this technology in the country. Skill acquisition should also be intensified in the irradiation technology centres in order to acquire a strong skilled labour force. All food that has been irradiated either imported or manufactured in the country needs to be comprehensively labeled. State governments, local governments and entrepreneurs should be encouraged to acquire low or high dose gamma irradiation for food security and sterilisation of medical devices in the country. H. Ahidjo, A. M. Umar and C.H. Ikeme are of the Department of Nuclear Science and Technology Energy Commission of Nigeria. hahidjo@yahoo.ca

Sickle Cell Anaemia and the Nigerian sufferer By Chidi Ikeakor

hen I was young, I was told that sickle cell anaemia was a black man's problem; there was no cure because the white man was not interested in finding one. That got me thinking; does it mean that my life is dependent on the white man? My having a good life is dependent on some white man somewhere, who if it pleases him would decide to help me or may decide not to. So it means my life is hanging on some unconcerned stranger's willingness to help or not to help me. No way; that's an error, I concluded. Consequently, I made up my mind that sickle cell will not limit me in life; it will not prevent me from being all that

God has called me to be, white man or no white man; cure or no cure. People with sickle cell anaemia are like every other members of society, with dreams and aspirations, they want to be healthy, live to succeed in life, to love and be loved. We should start seeing the people behind the condition and not just the condition. Sickle cell anaemia has remained a muted issue in our society; it is not talked about, rather it is swept under the carpet. We are treated like social lepers, people destined to die young and because of that some parents have abdicated their responsibilities to their affected children abandoning them to fate. Choosing to train the ones that 'will not die' rather than waste scarce

families' resources on the 'to die' one(s). Some families are living in denial thus denying their child the needed medical care, some say it's not in their lineage or the common 'it is not my portion' attitude of Nigerians. We were once rejoiced over, when we were considered bundles of joy at birth; we were and still are the products of love between our parents; we were answers to some prayers, when did it change? When did we become a curse or punishment rather than the blessing God designed us to be? Can we stop the stigmatization? It's hurting us! Sickle cell anaemia has been among us for over a century, it was first documented in 1909 by James Henrrick though experts are of the opinion that it has been around much longer than that.

It is predominantly, though not exclusively, a black race issue, and therefore, the onus lies on us to kick sickle cell out of our society. It's time we braced up to the challenge, nobody is going to do it for us and the white man has his own problems, in case we are yet to notice; we shouldn't wait for him to find a solution to our problem. As the most populous black nation on earth it is a responsibility we owe our future generation- a society free of sickle cell anaemia; call me a dreamer but I believe anything is possible. We could start with a national sickle cell policy, let's care for our own. The financial burden of sickle cell anaemia is tremendous; it has crippled the economy of some families. This could be ameliorated through

government policies and programs. Information is power; most of society's wrong attitude towards people with sickle cell anaemia is rooted in ignorance and fear. We fear what we don't understand. There is need for increase in awareness about sickle cell anaemia at all levels especially with regards to prevention. People should be encouraged to know their genotype. Also people need to know what to do and how to help their affected loved ones. June 19th of every year has been declared World Sickle Cell Day (WSCD), it is a day set aside by the United Nations to create awareness about sickle cell issues at the national and global levels. Chidi Ikeakor can be reached at chidyikeakor@yahoo.com

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 15

From national security to national deception By Ike Willie Nwobu

he recent upheaval and gruesome slithering of our national peace and quiet has unearthed, expectedly, a plethora of phenomena in its wake. Apart from the traditional effect of loss of lives, souls and goals, and of course property, along with its attendant inconveniences and fallouts, it is gnawing away at the economic heart throbbing of the country. For as it is now, for example, agricultural activity in most parts of the North are at a disturbing ebb due to intermittent and unprovoked attacks on innocent farmers doing legitimate daily-bread earning on their farms. The obvious chain-effect of this is better off left to one's imagination. But the greatest of these is one which is subtle, yet deadly and more far-reaching in dimension and implicationdeception. All over the world and from time immemorial, in fact as far back as administration and governance was instituted, there has never been any fairness on the governed, in the truest sense of the word, though the unfairness varies in degrees and span. The chasm between the governed and the governors has always remained, and caprice has always been the name of the driver of administration, s aptly illustrated in Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Delusions and Madness of Crowds. Taking advantage of the fact that men think and act in herds and droves, the people have always played subject to the swing of pendular activity, of course as remote-controlled by privileged and occasioned few, Nigeria being one of the worst hit. It will also be pertinent at this juncture to note that there has never been any crisis situation that has not been driven by one interest or the

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

the phenomenon of Boko Haram is a selfimposed deceptive conquest that has no bearing to religion or ethnicity, but rather a political and economic war game that has little or no regard for the damage and death accruing from their game other, not even the Armageddon that has been foretold and preordained. Nobody should be deceived into believing that what we are witnessing today has ethnic or religious underpinnings-even though the crisis is engulfing and consuming churches and religious buildings. It is simply a deception and smokescreen to divert attention from the principal aim and modus operandi of engagement. Today, on the premise of the disturbing security situation, almost everyone, overnight has turned security expert, patriot and concerned Nigerian. Insecurity has now pivoted the opening of excuse factories for the government, and every misdemeanour will be readily blamed on the prevailing

security circumstances-failure of the government to deliver on their mandates will be hinged on security, the monumental fraud eating up the system will now be effectively shielded by creation of panic and fear. Election rigging will be blamed on security, and even the home front will not be spared, in that husbands will now take advantage of the times not to deliver on their emotional and financial responsibilities and the dubious wives on their part will only be too glad to use security as a leverage to create panic to divert and deceive their spouses. General Buhari who salvoed the government as the chief Boko Haram saw that both parties for and against the argument were major suspects, in the thievery and brigandage going on.

For our leaders to carry on with impunity in decapitating our economic structure with savage corruption and greed, on the assumption of the ignorance of the people tantamounts to a gross rape of our sensibilities as a populace, for it is not hard to see what is really at play in the day-to-day dealings in our national life. What we have is a painfully insignificant few bigwigs who have decided to asphyxiate the economy and progress of the nation, at the behest of personal profit and aggradizement. The list is endless- President Jonathan warned of food importers sabotaging agricultural projects and programmes, fuel importers have long since put a knife to every effort at resuscitating the refineries to make them functional, generator importers are doing same to electricity stability in Nigeria. Our indigenous auto industries are still reeling from the lethal blows they suffered in the hands of organised bus manufacturers and importers, and there is no satiation to the billions they have been amassing ever since. Every sector is comatose. The latest port of call is now our security, which will definitely necessitate the importation and supply of arms, and which will have the net effect of swelling the pockets of these few, and creating surrogate warriors. It only takes a casual analysis of the system to infer, and accurately too, that what is at play is only a duel for the control of our national resources, and nothing more. The veil of agitation for Islamisation by the insurgents and all such peripherals is simply too transparent for the discerning eye and mind. A group of private interests are simply at each other's jugular over oil, just like the rebels-cum National Transition Council members in Libya were simply

armed for control of oil proceeds. In Kaduna, more than 40 lives were harshly transported to the other side of the great divide, with three churches blazed to ashes by suicide bombers. But it does not deter the fact that the phenomenon of Boko Haram is a self-imposed deceptive conquest that has no bearing to religion or ethnicity, but rather a political and economic war game that has little or no regard for the damage and death accruing from their game playing, as long as the inordinate aims of its progenitors is achieved. Over the years, it has been the custom of Nigerian leaders to create power blocks-all of economic, political, and even social. The records speak for themselves: in the Shagari regime, it was Umaru Dikko, and in the Buhari regime, it was Tunde Idiagbon. During Babangida's time, power was democratised, and power trickled down in an intellectual and cooperative fashion, yet the system was left none the better for it. Ernest Shonekan was the head of government but Abacha was ruling, in that era. In the real Abacha government, Hamza El Mustapha spoke and oozed power, with the likes of Gen. Useni seconding, with Ibori also having his fair share of power proceeds. Abdulsalam had little time, but the cooperative bureaucracy and peoplage that characterized the Babangida regime also held sway. The face of power in the Obasanjo regime was Andy Uba, though it was decentralized to cover the six geopolitical zones, incorporating the late Waziri, Bode George and others. Yar Adua produced Ibori in his fullest, and Michael Aondoakaa who confused powers and systemised politics of exclusion especially the Northern power brokers. It is now Jonathan's turn, and instead of constituting a departure from this ruling and ruining tradition, we all know what he has done. Sooner than soon, this deception will be addressed, with immediate and remote causes placed on the table for all to see and judge. The clock is ticking, slowly but surely. Ike Willie Nwobu can be reached at ikewillienwobu@yahoo.com

Oil revenue: NEITI-EFCC alliance and matters miscellaneous Continued from Pg 13 serious concern that the NEITI Act 2007 lacks the enforcement bite in law and needs to be amended. Ribadu had insisted that NEITI was a stakeholder in the anticorruption fight and needed a strong legislation to back its operations. Five years after, rather than seek for the amendment and strengthening of the Act, NEITI is begging for help. We are indeed making progress as a nation, are we not? Today, this same Ribadu has been appointed as head of the 21member Petroleum Revenue

Special Task Force constituted by the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke. The Special Task Force, according to the minister, was designed to enhance probity and accountability in operations of the Petroleum Industry while it is to work with consultants and experts to determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenues (taxes, royalties, etc.) due and payable to the Federal Government of Nigeria; take all necessary steps to collect all debts due and owing. Part of its function is also to obtain agreements and enforce

payment terms by all oil industry operators; design a cross debt matrix between all Agencies and Parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and develop an automated platform to enable effective tracking, monitoring, and online validation of income and debt drivers of all Parastatals and Agencies in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. The task force is also to work with world-class consultants to integrate systems and technology across the oil and gas production chain to determine and monitor crude oil

production and exports, ensuring at all times, the integrity of payments to the Federal Government of Nigeria; and submit monthly reports for Ministerial review and further action. Question: Who should the EFCC now work with on issues of transparency in the extractive industries particularly the oil and gas sector- NEITI or the Ribadu-led Taskforce since the two bodies are performing the same functions? You see the politicsPeople deceiving people (PDP)! The only proactive step for NEITI to take now is to first

aggressively pursue an amendment to the Enabling Act that established it. This will help strengthen and statutorily empower the agency to prosecute culprits whenever they are identified. And whatever synergy it wants to establish with any other anti-graft agency should be hinged on the strength that NEITI on its own has the capacity to do things for itself. If not, let them go ahead and sign whatever MoU; that would not change a single thing. Mark my words! (IFEANYI can be reached on: 234-8033043009; iizeze@yahoo.com)

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Abaji farmers get 60 % cent discount on tractors By Adeola Tukuru

he Abaji Area Council has distributed tractors to registered farmers in the council at 60 per discount. Chairman of the council, Hon. Yahaya Musa, who disclosed this yesterday, said the council would no longer

keep tractors in agricultural department but would release them to farmers for usage without long procedures. He appealed to farmers to make judicious use of the tractors in their respective association, adding that the council has set up monitoring committee to oversee the tractors that have been

released to the farmers. Responding on behalf of the farmers, Hon. Yahaya Gibe lauded the chairman for the initiative and appealed to him to make available at the council, spare parts of the tractors for farmers to buy in case of eventualities. It would be recalled that recently the Federal Capital

Territory (FCT) administration distribution 8o Holland tractors to all the six area councils of the territory at 50 per cent subsidy of the prevailing market price. The council chairmen were mandated to distribute the implement to farmers in their domains at a further subsidized rate.

FCT minister inaugurates PCRC executive today By Josephine Ella

he new executive of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) is to be inaugurated today by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed. Speaking at a conference, to herald the inaugural ceremony, the leader of the committee, Prof Nick Ezeh said the minister, who will perform the inauguration at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotels and Towers in Abuja is also expected to be the Special Guest of Honour. On his administration’s outreach policy to residents, Ezeh said his executive’s approach to service would be friendly. Also speaking, the Vice Chairman, Chief Tijani Zubair said dignitaries to grace the inauguration includes, the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), who is the Guest of Honour, the FCT Commissioner of Police , Mr Adenrele Shinaba, the Host while the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar will be the Chief Host.

Car washer accused of stealing radiator Excursion: Students of Innovative International School, New Karu, Abuja being schooled by a tourism instructor on the various tourist sites that abound in Nigeria while on excursion to the Tourism Village, on Tuesday. Photo: Miriam Humbe

Red Cross to provide aqua tabs for Kuyizhi

he Red Cross Society of Nigeria has offered to distribute aqua tabs for Kuyizhi community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Deputy Head, Disaster Management of the society, Mr Adronicus Adeyemo, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said this is to ensure that residents have safe drinking water. He said the aqua tabs would be used to purify drinking water and

make it safe for human consumption since the community did not have a reliable source of potable water. Adeyemo also said the society carried out first aid training, tree planting exercise and distributed mosquito nets to the residents of the community as part of projects aimed at uplifting the living standard of the people. ”Aqua tabs are to make water safe, because we discovered that they do not have good drinking water; we see they have

challenges, even all the hand-dug wells, the bore holes - none is working. ”Especially during dry season they have challenges; we promised to assist them with a borehole or deep hand-dug well; in the interim we are to give them aqua tabs,” he said. According to him, the society trained residents of the community on how to use the tabs depending on the hardness of the water. He added that the society procured fittings such as beddings

and other health facilities to equip the health centre under construction in the community. Adeyemo said the health centre at 80 per cent completion, was a communal effort to make healthcare easily accessible to the people. Also speaking, Dr Kemi Aderigbibe, Deputy Head health and Care, Nigerian Red Cross Society said she had trained the women of the community on proper nutrition and how to feed the children with balanced diet. (NAN)

Two arraigned for Amaging swicthes, air conditioners

he Police has arraigned two men, Osiobe Stephen, 33, and Victor Nwosu, 29, before an Abuja Senior Magistrate’s Court for allegedly damaging switches, air conditioners and compressors. Police Prosecutor, Paul Anigbo told the court that the case was reported at the Lugbe Police Station by Mrs Ewalefo Ekaniyere of the Federal Housing Authority, Lugbe,

Abuja, on May 23, 2012. Anigbo said that Stephen and Nwosu with others now at large connived and jointly entered the complainant’s business premises and damaged her electrical switches, air conditioners and compressors. He said that during investigation, the accused confessed to entering the business premises, but that the value of the property

damaged had yet to be estimated. Anigbo said the accused committed the offence of joint act and mischief, contrary to Sections 79 and 327 of the Penal Code. Magistrate Omolola Akindele granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 each and two sureties each in like sum. She said that one of the sureties must be a civil servant and must provide the originals of their first

appointment letters, last promotion letter and their last pay slip to be sighted by the court. Omolola said the sureties must live within the jurisdiction of the court. She added that the passport photographs of the accused and the sureties must be affixed on the court bail bond, and adjourned the case to July 10, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

ne Abdullahi Mohammed, residing at Tipper Garage in Nyanya has appeared before an Abuja Upper Area Court in Karu for stealing the radiator of a lorry entrusted to him. The Police Prosecutor, Silas Nanpan told the court that one Abubakar Ibrahim of the same address with the accused reported the incident to the Nyanya Police Station on June 14, 2012. Nanpan said that on June 13, 2012 Ibrahim gave a tipper lorry to Mohammed, 22, to wash the frame, before he would paint it. He added that, in the process, the accused allegedly stole the radiator of the lorry valued at N40, 000 and took it to an unknown destination. The prosecutor said that the offence contravenes Section 288 of the Penal Code. He also said that during police investigation, it was discovered that the accused had once been convicted by a Karu Senior Magistrate’s Court and served at the Keffi prison. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Judge, Umar Kagarko, granted him bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum. Kagarko adjourned the case to August 20, 2012 for hearing. (NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

‘We’ve demolished buildings owned by governors, NASS members, ministers’ FEATURE Is Development Control synonymous with demolition? evelopment Control is not all about demolition. It is about making sure that the city is being developed in line with the Abuja Master Plan. It is also about making sure that people can live, work, recreate and interact harmoniously in line with the provision of the master plan, which is the result of doing brainstorming work and detailed studies and analysis of what is required before the city was developed. So, in actualizing this master plan, the development control department has to go about, approving building plans in line with provision of that master plan. In 2011 alone, we approved 1,630 buildings. The very fact that you approve a building implies that you are facilitating the accommodation of people. More than that, you are also engaging hands away from the temptation to do the thing that are not helpful to the wellbeing of the city. What are the challenges in ensuring that there is standardisation in construction works? The challenges we are having are all tied to the desire of Nigerians to cut corners, to make it quick or get rich fast. Perhaps, one of the recurring challenges that we are having in the sense that all of a sudden, Nigerians have gone beyond forging signatures of officials who are supposed to stamp drawings, to forging a whole layout. They just design from the site because such sites are at remote areas, maybe not even having access. They go and start developing until you catch up with them and stop them, thereby making us unpopular, which is why people think that all we are about is demolition. We also have situation where even those that came to seek our approval go back to site and start amending internally, so you really have to monitor right down to the inner arrangement of the building before you know exactly what manipulation they may have put in place, some of which are aimed at changing those uses of the building later. The FCT Administration has instituted a contravention charge for those that bring up such arbitrary change of use, but that is not enough because the idea is to stop them all together. We have given a grace presently, for people who have had change of use

The development control department of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring strict adherence to the Abuja Master Plan. The Director of the department, Yahaya Yusuf, in this interview with select journalists, including Josephine Ella, addresses some key issues affecting the operations of the department.

The Director, Development Control, Yahaya Yusuf in the past and charging them high percent of the market value of such properties as a deterrent fee hoping that by the time they pay such fee which mounts every year, they would be forced to revert. Some have been done to revert but, others still tenaciously stick to the contravention. The quality of materials that are also being used by developers in the effort to cut corners is another form of challenge, which is why we have had to engage in the integrity testing of building. We go round monitoring on a day-to-day basis as you are aware, we have district officers covering the whole FCT. There has also been this tendency for developers themselves, despite the fact that these are their properties, use quack, people who are not professionally registered. They engaged them because they don’t want to pay adequate money for professional service. These are one of the reasons why we are having collapse buildings. Do we really have the census of uncompleted buildings in the city centre? Yes, we actually did an analysis, the survey of all uncompleted buildings in the

FCT and it came to about 435. We have already made submission to publish this in line with the directive by the FCT Minister, and very shortly, Nigerians will see the list and know where they are located. The whole essence of the publication is that people who have got this allocation and put up this development and suspended it after a while, have been sensitized and made to understand that look, these buildings are today constituting possible source of insecurity for the FCT and they are being urged within a given time frame to come forward and process their plan so that they can resume work and complete them in line with procedures. These will involve integrity testing of these buildings, where we found that some have developed weakness, inability to carry the load that is being put on them; we would bring the building down. But where they survive or they pass the integrity test, of course we will facilitate the further development. We will make sure our building inspectorate division will ensure that the integrity of such buildings is

not compromised as the development goes on. What of the local chiefs that are selling lands? It has come to a level where the FCT administration believes that perhaps these chiefs are not ready to listen because they are so used to the old condemned practised where they wake up and claimed the land belong to them and they sell to people, such land are illegal and any building put on such land will be demolished. That is the bitter truth, unfortunately you still discover that as you demolish, people still go back to the same spot and ask that they want to buy land and they still sell the same land to them again. The FCT administration under the leadership of Sen. Bala Mohammed has really identified with the plight of the indigenes for not having been totally resettled in line with the initial plan for the FCT. In 2012 fiscal budget as much as 80% of what was allocated to resettlement and compensation is being concentrated on making sure that at least first set of indigenous villages are resettled. At least to make it different from what we have had in the past and with that

others can easily follow. Going by the determination with which the minister is pursuing this, I expect the indigenes will also reciprocate by holding back instead of going out of desperation selling lands to the members of the public. Where they do that, it will get to a point where they may have to be prosecuted. We will not continue to tolerate the situation where you spent a lot of public funds in removing these structures and people don’t care but they still go back to buy land in such environment. There are insinuations that they are sacred cows that the Development Control shies away from touching while carrying out their task? I can tell you there are no sacred cows. Sacred cows are usually the product of lack of political will and I can tell you we have received the best of support from the present minister of the FCT, to that extent that within his administration, we have brought down buildings of serving governors, buildings of serving National Assembly members, buildings of ministers. If there is another person who has also given us a wonderful support, it is the President himself. I mean President Goodluck Jonathan; he has had course to tell us that look nobody should be on your way. If at the end of the day we are still found not been able to take a decision because of who is involved, I think the Development Control department should be held responsible. We have all the support to carry out whatever action that is necessary. What is your advice to Abuja residents as regards development generally? Perhaps, I should just let members of the public know once again that, there is only one source of securing land in the FCT and that you can be sure that the source is credible and the allocation made to you can be sustained, that is the land department. The minister of the FCT has also enabled the process where area councils will be giving layouts prepared by the FCT Administration, so that such allocation will be within an orderly environment. Everybody is advised in his own interest, to secure land only from Land Department.

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Firm produces latest steel pipes for construction

Mob: 08033644990

Minister of Petroleum, Dieziani Allison-Madueke

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-iweala

Govt resumes payment of oil subsidy next month By Abdulwahab Isa

he Federal Government has said it will resume payment of subsidy to oil marketers next month.The resumption is sequel to the submission of the subsidy claim report to the Federal Government this week. Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, said at the end of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Ibadan on Tuesday that gross revenue yield from crude oil exports for the month declined by N46.87billion from about N633.79billion received in April to about N586.92 billion. Earnings from crude oil exports witnessed another fall in May, as the Federal Government says it would resume the payment of oil subsidy claims by fuel marketers on imported petroleum products next month. Though the Minister attributed the decline to a drop in crude oil export for the month as a result of the shutdown of various oil terminals in the Niger Delta either for routine repairs and maintenance or disruptions as a result of sabotage, its consistency in

......as FG, states and LGs share N417bn in May the last three months has heightened fears that all may not be well with the country’s finances. But, the minister gave a flicker of hope as he told reporters that revenue accrual in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) at the end of last month now stands at $5.3billion (about N900billion) after about N86.39billion was transferred to

By Aminu Imam

elay in accessing the Export Expansion Grant (EEG), paucity of local raw materials and inadequate electricity may have been threatening the operations of manufacturers who secured the N200 billion refinancing/ restructuring facility from the Bank of Industry (BoI). Some of the beneficiaries, which include J. Jumac International Company Limited, Nigerian Bag Manufacturing Company Plc (BAGCO), Heroes

CFA • £ RIYAL $

SELLING 0.2984 196.7614 243.9523 41.5667 155.9

PARALLEL RATES • £ RIYAL $

BUYING 212 256 40 159

SELLING 215 262 42 162

Furniture Limited and Sunflag Nigeria Limited, visited by the House Committee on Commerce and Industry on Tuesday in Lagos, urged government to expedite action in tackling these challenges to enable full utilisation of the funds from BoI. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had made available N500 billion debenture stock to be issued by the BoI. The components were N300 billion for power projects to support infrastructural development and improvement, and a balance of N200 billion for refinancing/restructuring of

bank existing loan portfolio to manufacturers to fast-track development of the manufacturing sector in the country and N200 billion Small and Medium Enterprises Credit Guarantee Scheme (SMECGS) to promote access to credit by Small and Medium Enterprises. But the beneficiaries of the refinancing and restructuring scheme complained to the members of House Committee on Commerce and Industry, led by its Chairman, Onawo Mohammed Ogoshi that the manufacturing sector is

Management Tip of the Day

18th June, 2012 BUYING 0.2784 195.4993 242.3875 41.3001 154.9

Government got N218.24billion, or 52.68 per cent; the 36 states and the FCT would share N110.69billion, or 26.72 per cent, while the 774 local governments would share N85.34billion. Similarly, the nine oil producing states in the Niger Delta would share about N47.39billion based on the 13 per cent oil

derivation principle. In addition, he said N57.68billion was shared as Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, with N8.65billion, or 15 per cent expected to go to the Federal Government, states N28.84billion, or 50 per cent, while local government councils will share N20.18billion, or 35 per cent.

Manufacturers bemoan challenges threatening BoI’s N200bn facility

EXCHANGE RATES

CBN

the reserve by the Federal Government. Details of the revenue for the month showed that distributable statutory allocation was about N461.67billion, an increase of about N20.5billion, or 4.2 per cent when compared to the figure in April. Of this amount, the Federal

For this year’s budget, don’t rely on last year’s numbers

hen developing a budget for the coming year, the previous year’s numbers loom large. Even if you challenge every assumption and explore every figure, you’re likely to come up with numbers that only slightly vary from the last year. That’s because those numbers anchor you,

unduly influencing you. Instead of being tied to history and convention, come up with another anchor, one based on a different set of facts. Define a set of non-historical criteria. Look for objective competitor data, such as headcount or other benchmarking. Then, build a

model based on these criteria. Ask: if we didn’t know how we performed this year, but only relied on these objective criteria, what targets would we set? Use that model’s output to challenge the status quo. Source: Harvard Business Review

operating under various conditions and constraints, which have been compromising the full utilisation of the refinancing fund from BoI. Addressing members of the committee, the Assistant General Manager, J. Jumac International Company Limited, manufacturers of different designs of suit cases, Mr. Sunny Assenyi, lamented the payment of high tariff due to improper classification of the company’s raw material as finished goods. According to Assenyi, manufacturers of suitcases, who add up to 60 per cent of local content in raw materials, pay an average of 30 per cent duty, whereas those who import the product completely knocked down form pay only 10 per cent duty. He added that smuggling of substandard suitcases and bags would soon chase the company out of business, if nothing is done about the influx of the inferior bags into the country. “Lack of electricity is a big challenge to us.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS Oando, MRS, lead others in Corporate Social Responsibility

n a recently released report designed to analyse the performance of the listed petroleum products marketing companies in Nigeria, Oando Plc occupied the first place in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with charitable contributions of N72.3 million.

Guaranty Assurance rallies first time in June

uaranty Trust Assurance Plc, a Nigerian insurer, gained for the time this month, as some investors were “taking position” on the stock, according to Vetiva Asset Management Ltd.

Interstellar to receive N18.7bn as compensation from CBN

Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to deduct the sum of $117 million (N18.72 bn) from the account of the Federal Government and pay same to Interstellar Communications Limited. The order given in a landmark ruling recently by M.G Umar was aimed at enforcing a judgment entered in favour of Interstellar five years ago in its protracted legal battle with NITEL.

Afren boss awarded African business leader of the year

fren Nigeria nonexecutive chairman, Egbert Imomoh has been recognised as African Business Leader of the Year at the annual Africa Business Awards in London.

Standard Chartered facilitates strategic business network between Singapore, Nigeria

tandard Chartered Bank recently hosted representatives from 15 Singapore companies in Nigeria, part of the Singapore Business Federation’s (SBF) official tour of two West African economies, Nigeria and Benin Republic.

Operators express fears over Jonathan’s cassava policy Ayodele Samuel, in this report examine fears of stakeholders in the much touted President Jonathan Cassava policy campaign.

igeria produces 34 million metric tonnes of cassava per year and is the world leader. However, it creates no value addition. In contrast, Thailand accounts for just 10 per cent of global output but as much as 80 per cent of value addition. Cassava production in other African countries, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda appears small in comparison to Nigeria’s substantial output. Nearly 90 per cent of cassava production in Nigeria is for domestic food production and produced by subsistence farmers. Production yields are still extremely low and Nigeria could easily double its production. The agriculture ministry puts annual wheat imports at N635 billion (US$3.9 billion) and so calculates that a 50/50 mix of cassava and wheat in confectionery could save N300 billion. It assumes that such a mix would conquer the market. However, recent move by President Goodluck Jonathan for an inclusive policy which seeks to promote cassava production in its much celebrated ‘cassava policy’ may suffer setbacks, as stakeholders in the agricultural industry have kicked against the all-cassava bread policy issued form the executive arm of the government. It will be recalled that the Minister of Agriculture had projected a saving of over N250 billion in foreign

exchange which would have otherwise gone to the importation of wheat and wheat flour.

onathan said the government is putting in place measures that will stimulate the manufacturing of large scale cassava products across the country to the tune of 1.3 metric tonnes of cassava flour. One of the fears of industry watchers includes store of logistic and operational challenges were yet to be addressed by the government. The Chairman of the agricultural group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) , Prince Wale Oyekoya, argue that although the Federal Government’s initiatives was noble, a lot still needed to be done to boost the nation’s agricultural sector so that Nigeria could become selfdependent on food production and stop relying on food imports. The President, Association of Master Bakers, Confectioners and Caterers of Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Folarin, however said the government is yet to show bakers the recipe required to make the policy fly, despite facing its take-off date for July 1. “In the first place, the government, which is the driver and promoter of the new policy, has not imported any of the required equipment . We are bakers; all we do is to go to millers to procure flour. In the case of wheat flour, it has always been easy. But shifting and moving away from this, through the new policy entails many things, including total restructuring of our machinery in the areas of bakery and cassava processing into the required flour standard “Till date, the Federal

President Goodluck Jonathan launching the cassave bread recently. Government has not brought in any of the new equipment that will be needed, in the processing and blending that will produce the expected 60 per cent of wheat and 40 per cent of cassava in bread.” Besides, he said bakers had yet to receive training on the new baking techniques that would be involved in the production of the final product. Folarin recalled that the policy actually started in the dying days of the military in governance in the country, adding that former President Olusegun Obasanjo took it up and passed it to the current administration. He said the implementation

of the policy failed earlier due to poor preparation, deficient logistics and lack of the techniques involved. “This is the third era this same policy will come up. A military administration put the percentage of cassava in bread at six. Later, Obasanjo said it would be 30 per cent, which was later reduced to five per cent; but all these did not work because of these challenges,” he added.

perators and indeed Nigerians are waiting patiently on how the cassava policy will work without addressing the gray issues raise.

Firm produces latest steel pipes for construction industry

igeria Gas and Steel Limited, a manufacturer of welded steel pipes since 1976, and based in Ikeja, Lagos have gone the extra mile to add to its steel products the Hollow Structural Sections (HSS), a type of steel tube that have greater strength-toweight ratios than wide flange beams. “HSS also have excellent compression characteristics and exceptional torsional resistance” said Chief Hasib Moukarim, the Managing Director of the company who was interviewed recently. The company according to him, formerly known as Mouka Pipe is a long time experts in the manufacturing of steel tubes and pipes of various sizes for the furniture and construction industries.

The company introduced in the mid 2011 their newest product, HSS to the Nigerian market, which is a structural element in buildings, other structures and variety of

manufactured products. The Managing Director mentioned some examples of the uses of the HSS, which he said is used in constructing warehouses, terminals, billboards, buildings’

fascia, pedestrian bridges, shopping malls, towers, garages and fabricating agricultural tools. “It is also used in casing boreholes and for piling”, added Moukarim.

Sambo urges Saudi investors to explore Nigeria By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem

to Nigeria. The Vice President, who noted that Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had a long standing relationship, which had spanned several years, said "the relationship of Saudi Arabia and Nigeria has been a very old one, however, there is the need to further enhance this relationship and strengthen it so that we can add value to the socio economic status of our countries." Speaking further, Vice President Sambo called on

Saudi Arabia and Saudi investors to come and tap into the various investment opportunities in the country, which according to him are in the areas of power supply, transportation, oil and gas, agriculture, solid minerals and several other viable areas of investment. Speaking earlier, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdullah also expressed hope that their visit would be beneficial to the two countries.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 21

Nigeria LNG to offer two additional spot cargoes for July

L-R: General Manager, Maghreb and West Africa, Philips Electronics, Mr. Eric Heutinck, District Manager, Africa, Philips Health Care, Mr. Roelof Assies, General Manager, Philips Lighting, Africa, Mr. Andre Dehmel, and Channel Manager, West Africa, Mr. Samule Hailu, after a round table meeting with newsmen to introduce the clearvue ultrasound system to Nigeria health care system, on Tuesday in Lagos. Photo: NAN

DANA Air crash: Minister’s request turned down, as investigative hearing goes on By Muhammad Sada

he call made by the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah to halt the public hearing on the Dana Air crash pending the outcome of the accident investigation bureau’s investigation has been disallowed, as the joint committees on aviation, both in the House and the Senate insisted on continuing with the hearing while the bureau continues with its investigations. Investigative hearing continued yesterday, with concerned stakeholders answering questions on their responses to the disaster as well as the respective roles they

played and are playing in managing it and averting a further recurrence. The leadership of the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigeria Fire Service, among others were available to respond to questions from both the senate and house committee leadership on aviation headed by Senator Hope Uzodinma and Hon. Nkeiruka yesterday at the National Assembly. Responding to questions on the capability of NEMA to respond to disasters, the representative of Sani Sidi, the DG of NEMA explained that the agency tried

its possible best to make a rapid response to the scene as soon as it was notified of the incidence though it took them some hours before they could, due to lack of enough rescue helicopters as well as unnecessary and redundant presence of other security agencies, which led to some frictions and hinted on the need to locate helicopters in the zonal offices so that they can respond to frantic calls more quickly. While responding to questions on the delay and detailed status of report of the recent incidence, the head of the accident investigation bureau, Captain Muktar Shehu attributed the delay to awaiting of comprehensive report based on the information culled from the

flight voice recorder and the black box which are currently being processed by experts in the United States and with which the exact cause of the crash can be identified and lamented that the Country don’t have the required know how to decipher the information. He also noted that the AIB have to wait for full assessment of the crash site, the airline operators and other stakeholders before declaring how safe the site is and other issues as well. According to him “ the information will be made available to the relevant departments and by then, the real cause will be traced and further measures to avert recurrence will be devised”.

PTDF to train drilling engineers in France

By Muhammad Nasir

he Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) says it will soon start sending drilling engineers for training at the French Institute of Petroleum in France. The disclosure was made recently by PTDF’s Head of Media, Kalu Otisi in Abuja, who said that the training was part of Federal Government’s plan to boost daily oil production. He said the four-month programme, which will start in August, would enable qualified Nigerians to acquire the right training and certification to operate in the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector. “Currently, Nigerians do not have the right training and certification to operate in the oil and gas industry which is very critical, as a result of this we have now decided to start this

programme; it is a four-month programme and will take place in one of the internationally recognised drilling institutes in France.” Otisi decried the lack of trained manpower, especially in the upstream sector of the Oil and Gas industry, adding that the PTDF was committed to reversing the trend through capacity building. In his statement, he noted that the programme is critical to increasing oil reserve, and daily production to about four million barrels per day from the current 2.5 million barrels per day, adding that Nigeria have some oil fields that have not been explored and it is only through drilling that you can determine the yield of any oil field. He said the Fund had also begun the training of Nigerians in welding as part of efforts to empower them to take control

in the fabrication, repair and maintenance of oil pipelines and vessels. Otisi said PTDF was working with relevant stakeholders to enable the Nigerian Institute of Welders to build synergy with the International Institute of Welders so that Nigerians could acquire the international certificate necessary to work in the industry. “First, we needed to ensure that the national body of welders is recognised by the international body, which we have done by meeting certain mandatory obligation. “As we speak now, we have a national body that has been certified and we have been able to train over 20 welders, who have been certified to train local welders in institutions that have been certified to train welders.’’ He stressed the need for Nigerians to acquire the necessary skills to enable them

fit into the oil and gas industry, saying that the industry was still dominated by expatriates. Otisi said PTDF was working to strengthen its partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, in order to ensure that trained professionals are absorbed by the International Oil Companies in the country on completion of their training’’. Also speaking was PTDF Head of Nigerian Content, Upstream Department, Olayinka Agboola who said that 15 professionals would be trained in the first phase of training for drilling engineers in France, adding that the training would be a continuous exercise until the skills gap was filled. “The PTDF is committed to making the Nigerian oil and gas industry vibrant through training and active participation of Nigerians in the sector”, he noted.

frica’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, Nigeria LNG Ltd., tendered to sell two additional cargoes of the fuel on the spot market next month. The first shipment is scheduled to load at Nigeria LNG’s Bonny Island plant in the Niger River delta from July 9 to July 10, declining to be identified because the information isn’t public. A second tanker is due to load July 20 to July 22, they said. The shipments are worth more than $59 million each, based on the World Gas Intelligence spot prices published June 13 for northeast Asia of $17.85 a million British thermal units. Nigeria also offered cargoes on June 27, July 1 and July 5, people familiar with the tenders said last week. The deadline for bids for both cargoes is today. Each shipment is for 140,000 cubic meters of LNG, the people said, citing tender documents. The spokeswoman for Nigeria LNG, Siene Allwell-Brown couldn’t confirm the latest loadings when contacted today by telephone. Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) owns 49 percent of Nigeria LNG, while Royal Dutch Shell Plc has a 25.6 percent stake, Total SA owns a 15 percent share and Eni SpA has 10.4 percent. (Source:BusinessWeek)

Fortis Microfinance Bank to list on NSE From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

he financial services sector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has hosted a new entrant – Fortis Microfinance Bank Plc – which is prosecuting a three year strategic growth plan, commencing with a capital raising exercise that will pool in about N7 billion fresh funds to the organisation. Fortis will be listing by introduction, its issued and fully paid up share capital of 1,630,091,000 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each. The hybrid security issuance is being packaged by DEAP Capital Management & Trust plc as the issuing house/financial advisers. Fortis Microfinance Bank was incorporated as a Private Limited Company on June 18, 2007, and was subsequently provided an operational licence to operate as Microfinance Bank in October 2007 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). It was converted to a public limited company by special resolution dated 27th of October 2011.

PAGE 22

PEOPLES DAILY, THRUSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Dangote resumes in NSE, chairs Council meeting From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

einstated President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Aliko Dangote on Tuesday formally resumed his position and met some members of the of the Council at the Lagos Head Office of the Exchange. He however chaired the Council meeting, slated for the day to discuss ways of reinvigorating the capital market. Dangote was received into the

Exchange by the Director General of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema and other top management staff of the organisation amidst ecstasy by the rank and files of the staffers. Capital operators at the bourse say they expect him to focus on steps to restore investor confidence which the market currently lacks. Eroded investor confidence of both institutional and retail domestic investors is demonstrated by high foreign participation rate which

is currently hovering around the 80 percent mark. Foreign investorscurrently account for approximately 67 percent of total market transactions (or 81 percent of total inflows). Responding to this development, analysts at Sterling Capital Markets Limited, said, “The restoration of confidence is what we really need in the market at this time.” They noted that “investor confidence needs to be restored very quickly. For Dangote, it is

time for him to prove his mettle to restore confidence if he takes over. He has the clout as a successfulbusinessman.” The new President/ Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Ariyo Olushekun had lamented that domestic investors have abandoned the market having lost money in recent past. He noted the need to bring domestic investors back, and quickly enough, “we should not leave the market at the mercy of foreign portfolio investors who

have more options available to them and canquickly bring volatility to the market from their country’s allocation actions,” he said. The Exchange, which currently services approximately five million registered investors, is bedevilled by lack of investor confidence raising concerns over the possibility of attaining target $1 trillion market capitalisation by 2016.

FCTA to establish microfinance banks in area councils By Josephine Ella

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyeama, President of NSE Council, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, former President, Mr. Oba Otudeko, and outgoing Interim President, Malam Balama Manu, during the NSE Council meeting, on Tuesday in Lagos.

Community wants Mobil sanctioned for gas flaring By Muhammad Nasir

beno community, the operational base of the Mobile Producing Nigeria wants Mobile sanctioned for gas flaring in Akwa Ibom as against the latest figure on gas flaring released by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). It noted that Mobil which operates in the locality had flared 9.85 billion standard cubic feet of gas in January 2012, the highest in the industry. According to the community, this is a demonstration of the company’s non-compliance with relevant regulations in the oil sector. The latest edition of the NNPC’s monthly “Petroleum Information Bulletin showed that Mobil’s gas flaring data was the highest in the industry, during the period. It was followed by Chevron and Shell, according to the publication. In a statement by one of the community leaders, Chief Williams Mkpa, noted that the figure had corroborated the community’s agitation against the company for its violation of oil industry regulations. Mkpa commended the NNPC for the publication and said that the flared gas had contaminated the environment and affected the health of members of the community with most of them having respiratory related diseases.

He urged the NNPC and other oil industry regulatory agencies to invoke necessary sanctions against Mobil for violating standard safety regulations. “We are aware that there are regulations on it and we are sure that the company has violated them. “The laws are clear that when you flare gas, it is wrong and therefore you should pay

compensation. It also stipulates fines for those negative tendencies that come from the oil companies. “These fines are paid to the government and made to be used as compensation to communities and persons that may have suffered pains and faced hazards as a result of the flaring”, he noted. Mkpa therefore urged the Federal Government to further

address the issue of gas flaring and ensure that sanctions were enforced. Adding that Revenue from fines for unhealthy activities of oil companies must be used for the communities being impacted by the negative aspects of oil exploration, he added. He also called on Akwa Ibom state government to develop the oil communities in the state.

Chevron plugs Nigerian gas well

he Nigerian subsidiary of Chevron announced it sealed and abandoned a natural gas well damaged in a January rig collapse. The shallow-water Funiwa 1A natural gas well was abandoned after the drilling of a relief well was completed, said Chevron Nigeria Ltd. “Production at the North Apoi field, which had been shut in as a precaution, has also

been restored and the field is now producing approximately 2,000 barrels of oil per day,” the company said in a statement. A fire had burned for three months at the site after the K.S. Endeavor rig off the Nigerian coast collapsed in January. Chevron in March said the fire went out when the well stopped flowing. Chevron said initially that

a small sheen from the area represented about 13 barrels of liquid. The drilling of a relief well began in January. CNL said it hired local residents to monitor area beaches for possible contamination. Two rig workers were declared dead following a search-and-rescue operation. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. (Source: UPI)

Global mobile broadband subscribers up 50% By Muhammad Sada

otal global mobile subscribers including GSM, W-CDMA, LTE, TDCDMA, CDMA One, CDMA2000 are forecast by Infonetics to pass the 6-billion mark in 2012, and to approach 7 billion by 2016. “The number of mobile broadband subscribers jumped

nearly 50% in 2011 to 846 million and we expect that number to reach 2.6 billion by 2016, driven by Brazil, Russia, India, China and others in the developing world,” notes Stéphane Téral, Infonetics Research’s principal analyst for mobile infrastructure and carrier economics. They also note that in some

countries, the number of mobile subscribers already surpasses the population, such as in Finland, where many people have both personal and work phones. “We anticipate Asia Pacific to account for over half of the world’s mobile broadband subscribers by 2016, while Latin America will see the fastest growth.”

he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will establish microfinance banks in the six Area Councils of the territory to provide easy access to financial services for the administration’s business operators, the Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, disclosed this recently. The minister, who stated this at the commissioning of HATLAB Place in Abuja, explained that the establishment of the microfinance banks would substantially address the funding limitation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). “Needless to remind that inadequate funding of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affects positive economic growth. I once more use this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment towards the establishment of FCT Microfinance Banks in all the Area Councils of the FCT. “We are also positioned to encourage value addition and linkages and ensure the establishment of business clusters, trade zones and business incubators in the FCT through the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA),” she said. She also noted that FCTA was being strengthened in line with the FCT Trade and Investment policy aimed at meeting the current economic realities and attaining Vision 20:2020. “The AEA as one of vehicles for the delivery of the FCT Trade and Investment policy is being supported to reach all the area councils and also to maintain a functional desk in all the area councils,” she added. Akinjide assured women that the FCTA was committed to providing of an enabling environment for them to take their rightful place in the area of business. She added that the administration would partner with HATLAB Delite Limited in the area of mentorship through the AEA Facilities.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 24

PAGE 25

Boosting yam production in West Africa Yams were first domesticated by African farmers 7,000 years ago. Today, 48.1 million tons of yams are produced annually across 4.4 million hectares of land in West Africa’s “yam belt”, which extends from Cote d’Ivoire to Nigeria, representing over 90 percent of global yam production.

n one of the most ambitious efforts ever undertaken on behalf of an orphan crop like yam, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and a host of partners announced a landmark new initiative to dramatically boost yam productivity and double the incomes of three million yam farmers in West Africa. The Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project, which is supported by a US$12 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be led by IITA in collaboration with the governments of Nigeria and Ghana, the UK’s Natural Resources Institute (NRI), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The YIIFSWA project will focus on increasing yields through better seed tuber supply and improving markets for this underground, edible tuber— some of which are as small as a fist, others as tall as a man. Yams were first domesticated by African farmers 7,000 years ago. Today, 48.1 million tons of yams are produced annually across 4.4 million hectares of land in West Africa’s “Yam Belt”—which extends from Cote d’Ivoire to Nigeria, representing over 90 percent of the global production. Yams provide the most important source of dietary calories in Nigeria and Ghana. And for many people in the region, they rank above meat as a source of protein. Yams are deeply tied to the lives, livelihoods and

cultures in West Africa and among Africans in diasporas, yet their fate hangs in the balance as a variety of pests and diseases have now depressed yields to a mere 14 percent of potential harvests. But yam scientists at IITA and the national researchers are already developing a host of new yam varieties that can address these challenges and are confident that with additional investments, there is tremendous potential to rapidly boost production and income from yam. “Right now, most farmers cultivate yams mainly for household consumption, but if we can increase yields, while also

improving marketing conditions, then many of these farmers should be able to earn a steady income from growing yams,” said IITA’s Director General Dr. Nteranya Sanginga. “Yam prices have been rising in recent years because there is a strong demand for the crop in Africa, and even in places like Europe and the United States, where rapidly growing West African immigrant communities still have a big appetite for their traditionally preferred staple.” The YIIFSWA project is an ambitious, multifaceted five-year effort with a vision of doubling the incomes of three million sma ll-holder

Akinwunmi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources

farming families. The initial focus of the project is on 200,000 smallholder farm families in Ghana and Nigeria—90 percent of whom cultivate less than two acres. A key priority is to ensure that affordable pest- and disease-free seed yams are available to farmers, along with storage and handling technologies that can reduce post-harvest loss. Yam breeders will develop and widely disseminate new, higher-yielding, diseaseresistant varieties. The private sector partners are expected to play a key role by providing certified seed and working closely with efforts to link small-holder farmers, particularly those in remote areas, to markets where a strong and steady demand for yams should allow them to realize the economic benefits of increased productivity. This will be coordinated by AGRA’s Farmer Organization Support Centre in Africa (FOSCA) program. Indigenous crops like yams often are referred to as orphan crops because, even though they are vital staples for millions of people in West Africa, little is invested in improving yields, compared to major global “commodity” crops like maize, wheat and rice. As a result, yam yields fall below potential. However, as an indigenous crop, yams are better adapted to soil and climate conditions in the region than some commodity crops, and are already well-established in local diets. These factors mean successful efforts to boost yields are likely to be more sustainable and have a greater impact on food security by enhancing the preferred crop staple with good untapped potentials.

For example, creating an abundance of a locally produced nutritious staple like yams can provide insurance against crises sparked by a sudden, sharp rise in global food prices. A critical time for yam production The new yam improvement project is coming at a critical time for farmers and consumers in the region. Over the last decade, yam productivity per hectare has been stagnant or declining in the Yam Belt due to a number of factors. Researchers warn that this trend, coming in the midst of rapid population growth, could be “catastrophic” for the region without efforts to revive the crop. Today, yam production is under assault from fungal diseases, such as anthracnose that literally turns a field black, along with the yam beetle, nematodes, plant viruses, declining soil fertility and stresses caused by climate change. Post-harvest diseases such as tuber rot can by themselves claim up to 40 percent of a crop. The cost of seed tubers is onethird of the total cost of producing ware tubers for food. Seed tubers claim about 30 percent of the annual harvest. When these types of problems occur in mainstream crops like maize, rice or wheat, there is a vast global network of plant breeders available to develop new crop varieties that can withstand such stresses. But today in West Africa there are fewer than six yam breeders and fewer than 50 other researchers across the ECOWAS region. And despite yam’s importance and high commercial value, its relative obscurity (Africa accounts for about 93 percent of global yam production) has limited both the level of breeding and efforts to preserve its diversity. IITA hosts the world’s largest collection of yam varieties. In 2010, it partnered with the Global Crop Diversity Trust and

A yam market in Nigeria national researchers in the region in an effort to collect yams grown by farmers, some of whom still routinely domesticate wild tubers from the forests of Benin and Nigeria. At least 5 percent of yam germplasm is lost yearly, but new techniques needed required more funds. Of the six food crops in IITA’s mandate, only yam and cowpea originated from Nigeria and need to be zealously conserved so as not to lose this heritage nature has bestowed upon the country. From this growing diversity, IITA scientists and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) partners are developing new, high-yielding, disease- and pest-resistant yam varieties. Already, IITA has developed new varieties that yield 50 to 100 percent more than existing varieties. Among these improved yam

varieties, 19 were officially released in Nigeria and are yet to be massively multiplied for distribution to growers. Farmers in Southern Nigeria, who like others in the region celebrate yams with elaborate and colorful annual festivals, have dubbed one of these varieties “the Wonder Yam” due to its resistance to yam mosaic virus and yam badnavirus. So revered is the yam crop—Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe calls it “the king of crops”—that in Cote d’Ivoire, funerals and burials are sometimes postponed until after the local yam festival has been observed. Even some of the cruel overlords of transAtlantic slave ships spoke of the importance of provisioning their vessels with large quantities of yams for the voyage to the

New World because of their much longer storage than most other fresh root crops. Actually, there is no relation to the sweet potato that Americans call “yams,” and the dryer, grainier “true Yam.” Cultivating success in both the field and the markets A key goal of the IITA yam project is to improve not just yield and outputs in the field but also to enhance market access for smallholder farmers. Though smallholder farmers cultivate the majority of yams in the region, IITA research findings show that those benefiting from the domestic, regional and global market for yams are mainly medium to largescale producers. IITA and the local partners believe that a combination of higher yields in the fields, reduced production costs through

improved seed tuber supply, and better market access for smallholder growers will not only improve incomes for farmers, but also increase the affordability and consumption of yams in both rural and urban areas. IITA officials note that work by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) (a long-time partner to IITA’s yam research), has shown that there is a significant potential for YIIFSWA to attract private sector investment in the production of certified yam seed that are clean, healthy, available and much more affordable. For example, in different parts of Nigeria, anywhere from 66 to 97 percent of households desire to eat yams on a weekly basis. Yet, according to IITA, the domestic price of yams is well above the reach of

many such consumers, whose low income make them only able to afford to buy slices rather than whole tubers. “Yams are a very important crop to smallholder farmers in Africa, and if these farmers can grow more, and have better access to markets, it can make a real difference in their lives,” said Dr. Regina Kapinga, a program officer for the Agricultural Development initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Women will be actively engaged in this project, in part because they play an important role in yam production and marketing. We want to reach a stage where robust yam seed production techniques will use parts of the yam plant other than tubers, thereby releasing an additional 30 percent of the crop to food ware tubers.” In addition, there are

lucrative export opportunities to meet the demand of West Africans living abroad. Nigeria, for example, exported US$27.7 million worth of yams to the USA in 2011. Gender inequality is closely linked to hunger, given that women are responsible for household nutrition. And while India had seen the second fastest GDP growth rate in the world from 2000 to 2008, it has a low ranking on gender in social indicator indexes across the board—and more than 350 million people who are undernourished. According to the recent FAO report, when women control additional income, they spend more than men do on food, health, clothing and education for their children; increasing men’s income doesn’t necessarily translate into increased welfare for everyone. Unfortunately, many policies on agricultural production do not take into account who controls the income. Western agricultural norms deployed in developing countries have generally categorized agricultural production as a male area and food knowledge or nutrition as a female area, and this has also had detrimental effects in developing countries where nutrition has been devalued, according to researchers. The conference will provide examples of innovations that can address these problems, including ways of strengthening women’s empowerment, access to resources, services, and markets; innovations to reduce drudgery and improve nutrition, as well as addressing climate change. Ensuring we can feed a total of nine billion people by 2050 with crops ravaged by drought, floods, and other weather extremes is the single greatest challenge of our time. An estimated 925 million people across the world, the majority of them in developing countries, were undernourished in 2010. Two and a half billion smallholder farmers are the key for boosting global food production. However, a global agriculture system and agricultural innovations that do not pay attention to the needs of women are holding back smallholder farms and ultimately robbing millions from having enough to eat. Culled from All Africa.com

PAGE 26

By Haruna Yarima

n Thursday, 31st of May 2012, while on a windowshopping exercise with a friend in Abuja, we engaged ourselves in some political discussions, in fact, we were looking back at the 2011 General Elections in which both of us lost. While I recontested for House of Representatives seat, he contested for a seat in the Borno State House of Assembly. Somehow as the discussion progressed, we found ourselves talking about Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida. My friend who knew him very well had described him as an intelligent and astute man, his advanced age notwithstanding. Referring to a discussion they had on Biu, my friend said Damcida knew a lot about the history of Biu and has a sharp memory of events, because he was without any stress giving dates and time. My friend at the end suggested that a book should be written on him before he becomes too old to talk or remember certain things or before anything could happen to him. I told him Biu Forum was quite aware of the situation and was already working towards that, in fact a writer had already been commissioned to do that and Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida had already been contacted. I returned to Kaduna on Friday the 1st of June 2012. On Saturday the 2nd of June 2012 at 11.00 a.m, somehow my mind went back to the discussion about Damcida and I picked my phone and called the former Chairman of Biu Forum, Alhaji Mai Mamman Kogi to find out how far he has gone in trying to arrange a meeting between Alhaji Damcida and Saleh Mari who has been commissioned to write the book on him. Mai told me he was still on it and that the problem was that Alhaji Damcida was not keen about the project, but he was sure he will soon give in. That was one of the numerous times I had called Mai Mustapha on the issue. On the 3rd of June at about 6.00 p.m., somebody called me from Biu to ask if I had heard about a plane crash in Lagos with Damcida on board. I told him I did not hear about any crash. Soon a text message came in from a friend with the same information. Our fear of the worst happening to Damcida just two days ago has materialised. I probably started hearing the name Damcida in the late seventies, but the first time I saw him was in 1998 when I was working on the biography of late Alhaji Ibrahim Biu. He had asked me to meet him in his hotel in Abuja at 11.00 a.m. when I reached the hotel, few minutes to 11.00 a.m. he had already instructed somebody to wait for me in the lobby. I was also to be taken to the dinning section to have my breakfast. Few minutes after 11.00 a.m., he came to meet us, tall and slim as I am, he walked majestically like the Prince he was. I told myself "this is the famous Damcida, the rich Damcida, that super Permanent Secretary who along with his colleagues controlled almost everything during Gowon's period. When he sat down to have his breakfast with us, I immediately felt a false sense of importance, for here I was, sitting with this powerful man having breakfast in a Five Star hotel located in the heart of Abuja, the Federal Capital. All through the meal, he had kept us engaged with some form of discussions. After the breakfast he settled the bill in some currency I never saw before, dollars. I have to confess, that was the first time in my life I saw the American dollar. I had a two-hour session with him on Alhaji ibrahim Biu. He spoke the Queen's English and as my friend did observe, he had a sharp memory of events and time. Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida was born in Biu, Borno State about 80 eighty years ago. His father, Maina Yerima Damcida was a Prince of the Biu ruling

TRIBUTE

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida: The exit of the Biu prince

Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida dynasty. In fact, Yerima Damcida was Mai Ali Gurgur's brother who ruled Biu from 1935 to 1951. Both of them were the sons of Mai Garga, who was also the chief of Biu. Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida started his education at Biu Elementary School in Biu and then proceeded to the Bornu Middle School in Maiduguri. After graduation, he went to the famous Barewa college, Kaduna. He then went to Westminster College, London where he graduated in Accounting in 1956; and then to the North-West Polytechnic, London and finished in 1958. Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida started work as an Accountant with John Holt and later Under Secretary in the Ministry of Industries in 1962. He worked there for three years and within that period did an attachment with the World Bank in Washington D.C. He was a Deputy Permanent Secretary and Permanent Secretary at the Ministries of Industries, Finance, Trade and Defence. He was Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade from 1966 to 1970, Ministry of Defence from 1970 to 1975 and Ministry of Finance in 1975. His search for knowledge and work had taken him far and wide, both in and outside Nigeria. He had connected with first-class businessmen the world over and linked with the most powerful in Nigeria; the

technocrats, industrialists, businessmen and politicians parallel to no other person from Biu. No other person from Biu dead or alive has his mastery of running business and banking. Damcida lived and died in his own class, for there was nobody from Biu in that class with him. A commentator in The Nation newspapers had stated that "his accounting training and experience gave him the uncanny ability to pick determining figures ahead of the lot, while his experience at the Ministry of Trade and Defence made him understood and embraced the risks and returns that came with business, while maintaining a defensive strategy to minimise risks". As One of the largest investors in the Nigerian Banking sector, Damcida held 3rd largest equity stake among the directors of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB). There are Biu indigenes in different walks of life that have excelled in their own rights, but none is yet to reach the point raised by Damcida in terms of international connections, exposure, domestic links and investments in both human and material resources. We as a people are proud of people like Alhaji Bukar Usman, former Federal Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Madu Umar a former Director on the CBN Board, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman (Ibus), Alhaji

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Alhaji Damcida was a Permanent Secretary when civil servants served the people, when the civil service in Nigeria was almost everything; when the name Permanent Secretary connotes influence, intelligence, power and smartness.

Mohammed Ibrahim (Danmasani), Hajiya Inna Ciroma, a former Minister, the Zaifadas,late Ambassador Pindar and a host of others in that generation. There are the younger ones who have so far exhibited promising dispositions. People like Alhaji Ahmed Kuru, Managing Director, Enterprise Bank; Alhaji Dauda Danladi, Nigerian Ambassador to Pakistan; T.A. Musa, Assistant Controller General of Customs; Major-General Debiro, Brigadier Buratai, Brigadier B.Y. Bukar, Rear Admirals A.G. Inusa, Audu Shettima and a host of others in medicine, police, academia and even politics. The question now is who among these sons and daughters of Biu will wear the shoes of Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida? Alhaji Damcida lived and died in his own class. Alhaji Damcida was a Permanent Secretary when civil servants served the people, when the civil service in Nigeria was almost everything; when the name Permanent Secretary connotes influence, intelligence, power and smartness. In an interview he granted The Economy in 2009, he had said their dream as civil servants at that time "was to achieve rapid development across the nation. We also discouraged corrupt practice among public officers, but today things have changed..." Talking about the series of civil service reforms he had observed that "specifically, it was intended to purge the civil service, sadly too, the plan has not changed except for the introduction of new words like downsizing, restructuring etc. In fact, according to him, the civil service has been reduced to a group of people who the government has no confidence or given serious job to do." Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida lived a life of a philanthropist. He was a board member of the Childlife Line, an international non-governmental organisation. As a Chairman of the defunct Nigerian American Merchant Bank Limited, and later a Director on the Board of FCMB, he used his position to assist innumerable number of people particularly from Biu. Narrating his experience, Mohammed Tafida Abba told me how

Alhaji Damcida in 1988 sponsored his medical trip to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford for a specialist attention. Alhaji Damcida paid for the trip, all medical expenses, accommodation and feeding. He had also placed Tafida on a weekly pocket money of two hundred pounds throughout his stay in London. To secure a visa for Tafida's journey, Alhaji Damcida wrote a letter to the British High Commission, ConsulateGeneral in Kaduna introducing himself, the patient and expressing his ability to bear the financial burden. He had stated in the letter that his ability to bear the financial burden of the medical trip could be confirmed by the National Westminster Bank Plc. and Bank of Boston. Tafida was issued the visa without delay. In 2005, Damcida established an Educational Foundation to help the underprivileged in Borno state with an initial funding of one hundred million naira. Alhaji Damcida was never known to be an active politician; while he identified himself with powerful politicians who were mostly in the ruling party. he was hardly ever in the open campaigning for any party or anybody, not even for his son who in the last elections participated in the ANPP primaries for a House of Representatives ticket, or his junior brother who was a Member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003. However, his ability to manipulate the political process to favour one interest or the other has never been in doubt. I know of an ANPP Governor in Borno State who depended on him to create and maintain some relationships with the government at the centre and also the late Alhaji Ibrahim Biu, a former minister in the 1st Republic to win the 1961 elections into the Northern parliament. In the book "Humility and Service", which I wrote on the late Wazirin Biu, both Damcida and Ibrahim Biu had narrated how the former came up with a strategy which saw Ibrahim Biu winning over a very popular NEPU die-hard Garga Ali Diwar in the 1961 Parliamentary elections. The plan saw Garga Ali Diwar leaving Biu for Kaduna twenty-four hours before the elections. On the election day he was nowhere to be seen and was announced to have withdrawn. All of us from Biu feel this great loss, but one person that would feel this loss the most is the Emir of Biu, Mai Umar Mustapha Aliyu. Apart from being a son to Damcida, by the family lineage Alhaji Damcida had been the Emir's closest adviser and confidant. He had been a source of support and strength to the Emir and had acted as a shield to him in this complicated period of modernity and politics. We the people of Biu mourn the exit of our elder statesman, our "Mallam", our Prince, our northern star. We pray Allah gives us another Damcida and another Alhaji Ibrahim Biu, the Waziri of Biu among the crop of the young promising ones that are coming up. May Allah grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and may He have mercy on all of us. Amen Dr Yarima is a senior lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU),Zariaandformermember of the House of Representatives.

PAGE 29

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

EMERGENCY UPDATE YOUTHS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY By Abubakar Jimoh abujimoh01@yahoo.com

Averting air mishap in Nigeria (1) Abubakar Jimoh

ince 1920s when Nigeria aviation industry successfully began fullfledge operations, it has witnessed over 50 air disasters that have caused severe socioeconomic losses to the nation. Like other air catastrophes that threw the country into an unprecedented agony and mourning of friends and family members, recently, the country has again been plunged into a terrifying experience following the illfated crash of the Dana Air Plane in Lagos, killing over 160 citizens onboard. It would be recalled that Nigeria had in the past witnessed several air mishaps leading heavy loss of lives and property. For instance, EAS Airline had plowed into a densely populated suburb of Kano state, killing 148 people in May, 2002. Similarly, Bellview Airlines crashed shortly after take-off from the Lagos in October, 2005, and killed 117 people onboard. There was another case of the Sosoliso Airlines, which crashed in Port-Harcourt killing at least 103 people on board including 75 school children in December, 2005. Records have also shown, an 18-seater Dornier 228 Air

Force transport plane carrying 15 senior army officers and 3 crew members crashed in Benue State but left only three survivors who sustained various degrees of injuries in September, 2006. The ADC Airline crash had killed 96 people on board minutes after take-off from Abuja's airport in October, 2006; and many more. Meanwhile, several reason have been attributed to the cause series of air mishaps in the country including issues relating to negligence on the on the part of the pilot and crew members as well as equipment failure and flamed designed. Other flimsy causes identified after series of investigation are environmental failure, inadequate technical communication, fuel and hydraulic shortage. There is obviously disobedience on the part of airline operators to the professional guideline by relevant agencies such as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), manufacturer defect, runaway incursions, inclement weather condition, and inadequate maintenance. As a result this ugly trend

“

An effective collaboration must exist between Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Ministry of Aviation to ensure safety measures are complied with.

in the country's aviation sector, NEMA has developed several measures to ensure air transport safety as well as to prevent air accidents. These include improving aviation safety facilities, modernizing aviation safety services, enhancing systems for ensuring the safety of aircraft, and boosting air traffic information systems. In order to guard against reoccurrence of air disasters and restore public confidence in air business in Nigeria, there must be constant assessment of air traffic conditions, and copious problems of congestion and delay due to the heavy inbound traffic of aircrafts in airports. It is very vital to establish a safer and more efficient air traffic system in the airports. “An effective collaboration must exist between Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Ministry of Aviation to ensure safety measures are complied with”. In various aviation fields by improving air transport environment and ensuring safety of aviation systems, safety of aircrafts, enforcing the aviation safety policies, accelerating rescue and emergency service systems, advancing Research and Development and study activities. To achieve success, these infallible measures must be comprehensively and systematically instituted and supported by the governments at all levels. The Government on its part has a key role to play so as to ensure safety of air traffic. It can facilitate improvement of the air traffic environment by steadily promoting the improvement of the Air Navigation System (ANS) as well as the improvement of the airspace, air routes, aviation safety systems like traffic control and aviation safety

Information and Communication safety facilities following the Priority Plan for Social Infrastructure Development; as this will help to aid more advanced air control based on the system. There is need proactive airspace operation in the country just as appropriately and increased capacity of airspace would help a great deal in ensuring air traffic safety. Besides, it is very important that facilities such as runways are constructed strictly in accordance with designated standards, maintained, and managed to certify that they are in perfect operating condition at all times. This will improve airport safety technology that directly influences air traffic safety including measures to ensure

air traffic safety when construction work is in progress at airports; while upgrading of airport signaling facilities, checking for tarmac deterioration, maintenance to prevent destruction of vital facilities must as well be considered. The governments must promote the improvement of advanced control systems designed to fortify control capability and safety, by linking the aviation control information processing systems to utilize various control support functions including the function of ranking passing and arriving airplanes, and to reduce the workload of the controllers by introducing an integrated interface for preventing human-errors.

Photographs obtained from the site of the recent DANA air crash in Lagos

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Rio+20, Green Economy and efforts to tackle Nigeria’s environmental challenges By Sani Adamu

orld leaders, including a high-powered Nigerian delegation, will converge on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 20 to June 22, for yet another world summit on sustainable development. The summit is being organised in pursuance of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution 64/236 (A/RES/64/236). It will mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also held in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The summit is expected to attract Heads of State and Government or their representatives, with a view to producing a focused political document on the environment. In line with the theme of this year’s World Environment Day “Green Economy: Does it include you”, the summit will focus on some specific themes. The themes include a green economy in the context of sustainable development, poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development. Other priority areas of the summit are creation of decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and preparedness for disasters. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, the green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Economists also describe the

green economy as an economy or economic development model, based on sustainable development and knowledge of ecological economies. To highlight the summit’s relevance in addressing Nigeria’s environmental challenges, the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafiya, recently addressed a pre-summit world press conference to unveil the country’s agenda for the summit. She said that Nigeria had already concluded preparations for the conference after due consultations with all stakeholders in the environment sector. Mailafiya said that Nigeria would use the opportunities presented by the summit to focus on how to harness alternative energy sources to boost power supply in the country. She stressed that such efforts were in line with the green economy model, being proposed for achieving sustainable development in the country. The minister listed the seven priority areas, which Nigeria’s negotiations at the summit would focus on, as green development, energy, city planning and development, food security, clean and safe water, disaster management and job creation. She stressed that that the key areas were selected via an articulated framework with input from various stakeholders. “The process leading to Rio+20 summit culminated in the production of a country report, which has been presented to the Federal Executive Council,’’ she said. However, the minister stressed that land and coastal resources’ degradation was a major environmental challenge which confronted Nigeria, particularly in the last three decades.

She noted further that the phenomenon had resulted in severe erosion, an environmental problem which particularly affected the South East and South West geopolitical zones of the country. To key into the global efforts aimed at addressing desertification, described by scientists as the “world’s most dreaded earth disease’’, Mailafiya said that the Federal Government had approved the implementation of the Green Wall Sahara Programme. She expatiated that the programme was aimed at curtailing desert encroachment in the 11 frontline northern states. “This initiative will provide the country access to global resources for afforestation, which is significant to the development of a green economy,’’ she assured. Underscoring the significance of the theme of the Rio+20 summit to global survival, however, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) insists that a green economy will have a more positive impact in efforts to tackle major economic, social and environmental problems than the traditional economy. UNEP says that a green economy will also ensure equitable improvement in the living standards of the people without eroding the environmental assets. Besides, two recent global surveys of consumers and leaders of thought have revealed that a green economy would boost jobs and ensure sustainable development. The poll, conducted by The Regeneration Project, in partnership with UNEP, was on 17, 000 consumers across 17 countries and 1,600 sustainable development experts from business, civil society, government and academia from 117 countries. The report said that consumers worldwide agreed that a green economy would be more effective

Rio + 20: expectations remained high point on last day of Brazil-led negotiations.

than the traditional economy in improving nearly every challenge tested. It also noted that the ratings were especially high for protecting the environment, creating a better future for children, improving the quality of life and addressing climate change. “Consumers also believe that a green economy will be more effective than today’s economy in creating high-paying jobs and increasing even short-term economic growth. “The only area where consumers doubt the effectiveness of a green economy is when it comes to generating low-paying jobs, on which opinions are split, ’’ the report said. The emerging market consumers are likely to reject the notion that environmental and economic prosperity are mutually exclusive, it added. “Consumers in lower GDP per capita countries tend to be more optimistic about the impact of a green economy on all areas, especially when it comes to improving the quality of life, increasing long-term economic growth, reducing poverty and creating high-paying jobs,’’ it said. The report, however, quoted Mr Achim Steiner, a UN Under Secretary-General and UNEP’s Executive Director, as saying: “The green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication is one of the key, top themes for Rio+20.’’ According to Steiner, the green economy initiative is not an alternative pathway or a separate universe but a potent way of realising a sustainable century. “It is clear that a transformation towards a lowcarbon, resource-efficient, jobgenerating green economy is happening in many countries across the globe. “The challenge for world leaders, cities, companies and civil society this June is to back the smart policies and creative investment flows that will fastforward, scale-up and accelerate this positive change,’’ Steiner stressed. Sharing similar sentiments, Mr. Mark Lee, UNEP’s Executive Director (Sustainability), stressed that “sustainable consumption is a necessary element of a future sustainable economy and society. ”The strong alignment of

consumer and expert stakeholders’ views on the value of a green economy provide hope that more consumers may be ready and willing to participate in the necessary transition,’’ he said. Such viewpoints inform calls by concerned Nigerians for the country to embrace the green economy concept, as part of measures aimed at protecting the country’s environment from further degradation. Mr Taiwo Adewole, a Lagosbased environmental activist, noted that Nigeria was still running a “brown economy” rather than the more sustainable “green economy”. “We are presently running a `brown economy’ and not a `green economy’ because we still run our vehicles on fossil fuel; while every single household and organisation in Nigeria operates electricity generators on a daily basis, releasing toxins into the air,’’ he said. Adewole, nonetheless, urged the citizens to plant more trees in their neighbourhoods, as this would help in absorbing the excess carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere day in, day out. However, observers note that the green economy concept is now becoming more popular among the states of the federation. For instance, the Rivers State Government has adopted the green economy model for the development of the new Port Harcourt City, being constructed by Gov. Rotimi Amaechi’s administration. Similarly, the Bauchi State Government recently launched a waste-to-wealth recycling plant, which is primarily designed to keep the environment clean and promote a green economy in the state. While inaugurating the plant, Gov. Isa Yuguda expressed the hope that the rate of environmental pollution and soil degradation in the state, basically caused by the disposal of plastic materials, would be reduced to the barest minimum. However, as Nigeria prepares to join other countries of the world at Rio, observers hope that those responsible for the environmental pollution of the oil-rich Niger Delta will be made to sign a written undertaking which will make them liable for their actions or lapses. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Controversies over oil spills compensation In the Niger Delta I

t could be said that Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has never enjoyed any mutual relationship with the communities where it operates, due to its perceived lack of corporate responsibility to the people and the environment. Early last week, a man simply called "Benjamin" walked into the NUJ Abuja Council Press Centre with a load of documents in his hands. His anger knows no bound. His grouse was over an alleged refusal of SPDC to compensate his community Ndoki people of Onyigbo Local Government Area in River State over the death of seven teenage girls and the destruction of the community as a result of a blowout from AFAM-5 Shell Crude Oil Manifold about 37 years ago. This incident was said to have happened in 1972 and since then SPDC has been dilly-dally over the issue of compensation to the community. This was what prompted the community to write series of petitions to the President, National Security Adviser, EFCC, Minister of Petroleum Resources and the National Assembly. In one of the petitions, the office of the NSA received a response from SPDC dated 24th August, 2009 on the alleged "destruction of Lives and Property by its AFAM Well-5 Oil Spill" claiming "the communities were adequately compensated for damaged resulting from the spill". And "it is on record that past spills from the facility was properly cleaned-up and remediated." But the community says it has not received a dime as compensation. So, who's telling the truth? Is it Shell or Ndoki community. After Last December oil spillage from Bonga field belonging to the same Shell Nigeria, leaders of affected communities in Bayelsa State threatened to sue the oil company both in Nigeria and Europe for environmental pollution without compensation and remediation of the affected areas. More worrisome was the claim by leaders of the communities that Shell was busy dividing the people by inciting one community against the other instead of addressing the problem, as it has always been doing in its operational areas in the Niger Delta. And the Ogoni people who have long been complaining about the environmental damage to their communities, claiming they have mostly been ignored, took Shell to court in London recently over alleged unpaid compensation for recent oil spills. Lawyers representing Bodo

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke

A view of the shore of the Atlantic ocean at Orobiri village

PAGE 27

ENVIR ONMENT ENVIRONMENT WATCH By Ambrose Inusa Sule, mnes globenviron@yahoo.com 0703-441-4410 (sms only) fishing community took Shell to London High Court; say they have resorted to legal action after negotiations broke down. Surprisingly Shell has accepted responsibility for the spillage of about 4,000 barrels in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta. But Bodo community representatives say they have to resort to legal action after negotiations broke down. The head of Shell Nigeria said that with different lawyers representing claimants it was difficult to resolve. The High Court case is said to be the first time Shell has faced claims in the UK from the developing world for environmental damage. When Shell accepted responsibility for the oil spills, which happened in 2008 and one of which continued into 2009, it said they had been caused by operational failures. The company promised it would pay compensation according to Nigerian law and would clean up the oil and restore the land. Martyn Day, of the solicitors Leigh Day, who is representing the Bodos, said the spills had devastated a once-thriving fishing community of some 50,000 people. "I've been around Bodo on a number of occasions and you just have to walk round, it looks like a World War I scene, where the oil has totally destroyed much of the local environment and the fish, which particularly thrive in the mangroves, have basically disappeared from the area," he said. Shell has argued that much more oil has been spilt as a result of illegal activity in the Niger Delta, such as sabotage and theft. Mutiu Sunmonu, managing director of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), said it was important to understand "the complexities of the Niger Delta" when dealing with these compensation payments. He claimed that, "There are a lot of people who've claimed to be impacted and a lot of intracommunal strife which is making it difficult for anyone to have meaningful negotiations with different lawyers claiming to represent them," "We did do everything possible to make sure that we pay compensation to the affected communities, but we also have to make sure that this compensation is paid to the right people. The trouble is you cannot do that as long as [different] lawyers are representing them." Shell would "not give up" trying to identify those who should be compensated, Mr

Sunmonu said. Last year, a UN environmental assessment of Ogoniland said the region would take 30 years to recover fully from the damage caused by years of oil spills. The issue of the environmental damage in Ogoniland was highlighted by the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed in 1995 by Nigeria's military government, sparking international condemnation. The campaign forced Shell to stop pumping oil out of Ogoniland but it continues to operate pipelines in the region. The Niger Delta is one of the world's most important wetland and coastal marine ecosystems and also the location of massive oil and gas deposits. It is no longer news that oil pollution caused by oil spills and gas flaring by the oil industry has devastated the area for more than half a century. It is perceived that the failure of the oil companies and regulators to swiftly deal with oil spills and the lack of effective clean-up activities has greatly exacerbate the environmental impacts of such spills. There is no doubt that oil pollution and environmental damage caused by the oil industry have serious human rights impacts for the people living in the Niger Delta. It's sufficed to say that the exploitation of oil and gas in the Niger Delta of Nigeria has brought impoverishment, conflict, human rights abuses and despair to the majority of the people in the oil-producing areas, rather than development and wealth as expected. The local population's deep rooted frustration and lack of trust in the government and in the oil companies has caused violent conflict, sabotage of oil installations, large-scale bunkering, militancy and criminality. Often, this violence is exacerbated by the divide-andrule games that oil companies and the government are perceived to be playing in local communities and by subsequent violent responses from the Nigerian security forces. It is imperative that Shell and other oil companies should endeavour to partner with both the federal and state governments, including NGOs when it comes to the issue of compensation to the communities in the Niger Delta over oil spills and other environmental problems emanating from their operations. This I believe will help to reduce the complexities over oil spills compensation in the Niger Delta.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 31

First Tahrir Square, then the classroom

Egyptians rallied in Alexandria, the country's second-largest city, on Friday, ahead of the presidential runoff election this weekend.

ANALYSIS By Thomas L. Friedman

few weeks ago, I was in Amman, Jordan, talking with educators, when I met a young American woman with the most remarkable job description. Her name was Shaylyn Romney Garrett. She introduced herself by saying that she and her husband, James, were former Peace Corps volunteers in Jordan who had stayed on to start a nonprofit, Think Unlimited. It helps Jordanian schoolteachers learn how to "teach creative thinking and problem solving" in their classrooms. "Now that," I said, "would be the real Arab Spring." Rote learning is still the dominant education method in most Arab public schools. The Garretts, with some backing from Queen Rania of Jordan's school-reform initiative, designed a program to enable and inspire Jordanian teachers to adopt a much more creative approach to education. They also conduct summer "Brain Camps" for young students to hone their problem-solving skills by creating solutions for water shortage. Garrett told me one story, though, that really stuck in my mind. "There was a 16-year-old girl in our Peace Corps village in Jordan," she said. "She came from a very conservative family, always wearing Islamic dress. When you asked

her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said 'doctor,' which is what they all say, because it is the most prestigious job. After completing our six-day summer camp, she realized, though, that she could do something else with her talent, that she could be a changeagent. So she started a girls' club in the village. [At the camp,] we teach kids the concept of 'brainstorming,' and one day we were walking together and she was running ideas past me, and she said, 'Miss Shaylyn, I stormed my brain last night to think of different ideas for what the theme of my club should be.' She eventually made it a leadership club." It was an example, said Garrett, of taking a specific creativethinking skill - brainstorming - and applying it to her community. The Arab awakenings may or may not succeed in ousting the dictators, but they will have no chance of really

empowering the new generation without this kind of revolution in education. The Arab awakening - at its core was a nonreligious event, led by young people frustrated that they lacked the space, job opportunities and educational tools to realize their full potential. That was the volcanic energy source that blew the lid off Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Yemen and Libya. While Islamist parties have seized this opening to initially take power, if they don't satisfy the aspirations of those youths who stormed their brains and then stormed the barricades, they will - sooner or later - get blown away just like the Mubaraks and Qaddafis. Dalia Mogahed runs polling in the Arab world for Gallup. She would not predict if the Muslim Brotherhood candidate would win this weekend's Egyptian presidential election, but she did note that, since January, support for the Brotherhood and Salafists in Egypt has fallen by 20 percent.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Why? Because they misinterpreted their parliamentary victory as a religious/ideological mandate, she said, "and it wasn't." When a female parliamentarian from the Brotherhood's party made statements suggesting that female genital mutilation no longer be criminalized, it triggered a backlash from Egyptians worried that this is what the Brotherhood's priorities were. In tracking polls, Gallup asked Egyptians which parties they supported and, at the same time, what their priorities were for the new government. No matter which party they voted for, said Mogahed, "there is no difference across the board - not the slightest - between liberals and conservatives on priorities for the next government. They are jobs - No. 1 - then economic development, security and stability and education, in that order. Take out security and stability, and they look just like American voters. If the Muslim Brotherhood misreads their win

The Arab awakenings may or may not succeed in ousting the dictators, but they will have no chance of really empowering the new generation without this kind of revolution in education.

as a popular ideological mandate, rather than a practical vote for good governance, they will work on the wrong things and, therefore, lose power." According to the BursonMarsteller Arab Youth Survey 2012, "Earning a fair wage and owning a home are now the two highest priorities for young people in the Middle East displacing living in a democracy as the greatest aspiration of regional youth." Democracy is now third. And no wonder. If you are not properly educated, you can't get a decent job and buy an apartment - and, without that, you can't get married. Record numbers of Arab youth today are still living with their parents after college. Indeed, 25 percent of all young Arabs ages 15 to 24 are unemployed. What makes this cohort so dangerous, though, is that they are the educated unemployed - who are not really educated. Most Arab state public schools score very low on the international math/ reading comparisons, thanks to a system that asks students to take notes, spew back what they learned and pay for private tutoring from the same teachers after school if they want anything remotely better. The dominant trend in the Arab world today remains "education for unemployment" rather than "education for employment," said Mona Mourshed, an EgyptianAmerican who leads McKinsey's global education practice. "You have a teaching method that is centuries old and a curriculum that does not support students with the competencies they need." It takes the average employer in the Arab world nine months to train a new worker to be proficient. The single most popular thing the U.S. could do right now to support the Arab Spring is to identify six or seven specific fields of work - in light manufacturing, textiles, services, word processing, etc. and establish education programs that can impart real skills for those jobs. I read the other day that a U.S. drone had killed "the No. 2 man" in Al Qaeda. I am sure the world is a better place. But I don't think President Obama realizes how much U.S. drone strikes have become his signature policy in the Middle East today. President Obama needs to remember, said Mogahed, what a radical act his election was. Every Arab knew that could never happen in their societies, and it had a huge impact on their sense of the possible. "It was such a symbolic win for American values, for the idea that it doesn't matter who your grandfather is, you can succeed on merit," she added. But we're drifting away from that story line. If we don't storm our own brains and redirect our Arab foreign aid to education for employment, we'll forever be killing the No. 2 man in Al Qaeda. Source: nytimes.com

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 32

Confusion over Mubarak adds to tension in Egypt UN report on Rwanda fuelling Congo conflict â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;blocked by USâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

he United States has been accused of blocking a UN report which examines claims that Rwanda is fuelling a violent rebellion in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Congolese government said the UN group of experts' report is being stalled by Rwanda and its allies on the security council to protect President Paul Kagame. Rwanda vehemently denies that it is sending fighters and weapons across the border. Kagame rebuked Congo and said it should take responsibility. Claims that Rwanda's military has been aiding a mutiny in eastern Congo led by the renegade general Bosco Ntaganda have been gathering momentum in recent weeks, with a leaked UN report followed by allegations from Human Rights Watch. The UN's group of experts on Congo submitted its latest report to the security council on Monday, but an annex believed to deal with the Rwanda claim was held back and its publication remains uncertain. Lambert Mende, a Congolese government spokesman, blamed Rwanda and its backers, including the US, for the delay. "I think [the report] confirms everything that has been said," he told Reuters. "I don't think the Rwandans are at all happy that it should be officially endorsed by the UN." Atoki Ileka, the Congolese ambassador to France and special envoy to the UN, said: "It seems the panel tried to submit the report and annex to the security council. I have no proof but from what I'm told one delegation, which seems to be the US, asked them to delay for two weeks. If it was the US, it would be trying to protect one of its allies, Rwanda. I think that would be a mistake because it would also be protecting Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the international criminal court." Ileka added: "There is a risk of the security council losing any credibility. We don't understand the position of the US. This will do nothing to protect the people of eastern Congo and will not bring stability to the region. The path they are taking is not intelligent." Rebel fighters captured in eastern Congo, and interviewed by Congo, Rwanda and the UN peacekeeping mission, revealed a Rwandan network supporting the mutiny, Ileka claimed. "It might go to the head of the Rwandan government."

Mohamed Messara/European Pressphoto Agency Soldiers at the Maadi military hospital in Cairo yesterday, where former president Hosni Mubarak was transferred from his prison after his health deteriorated.

new sense of political intrigue compounded the confusion over the health of Hosni Mubarak yesterday when one of his lawyers contradicted what he called false reports in Egypt's state-run media that the imprisoned former president had nearly died, insisting that Mr. Mubarak simply fell down in the prison bathroom. The new account from the lawyer, Youssri Abdel Razeq, raised new questions not only about Mr. Mubarak's condition but about possible motives within the military-led government that has been in charge since Mr. Mubarak was deposed in the Egyptian revolution last year. Until Tuesday, Mr. Mubarak,

84, had been kept in the medical wing of a Cairo prison where he had served 17 days of a life sentence for murder as an accomplice in the police killing of hundreds of demonstrators during the protests that eventually toppled him. His lawyers had complained that his deteriorating health meant he should be spared incarceration. Conflicting reports about Mr. Mubarak's deteriorating health began to circulate on Tuesday, including one that declared him "clinically dead," just as the military council was attempting to extend its hold on state power indefinitely in the face of growing street protests demanding it cede authority to a newly elected president and reinstate the

dissolved parliament. Egyptian officials, the state news agency and official media said he had been removed from the prison to a hospital after a stroke and heart attack had left him in a coma, near death and dependent on artificial life support. Mr. Abdel Razeq yesterday denied that. What really happened, the lawyer said, was that Mr. Mubarak had suffered a fall in the prison bathroom, which resulted in a blood clot on his neck, and that he had been removed from the prison at 5 p.m. - long before the reports of his near-death experience began to appear. "We were surprised at what we can call a media mania in Egypt last night," the lawyer said.

He said doctors had quickly given Mr. Mubarak medicine to remove the blood clot in his neck, he underwent an M.R.I. test, and was in stable condition. Mr. Abdel Razeq said Mr. Mubarak's legal team had filed a request with an administrative court seeking Mr. Mubarak's full release on medical grounds. And he said that they were open to sending Mr. Mubarak abroad for medical care out of the country as well, just he had traveled to Germany two years ago for intestinal surgery. "If the doctors recommend that, of course," Mr. Abdel Razeq said. Earlier, security officials said Mr. Mubarak was breathing on his own and his condition was nearly stable.

The police were not immediately available to comment. On Monday, the police said in a statement there had been "limited" clashes with students during

which several people were detained, and accused the demonstrators of trying to spark riots. Activists said small protests had also broken out at two

university campuses on Tuesday, but the claim was not immediately possible to verify independently. Social media users posted online photos and footage that purport to show the protests and the ensuing crackdown. While the Arab-African country has avoided the sort of "Arab Spring" unrest that toppled leaders in neighbouring Egypt and Libya, small demonstrations have broken out over food prices and other issues in recent months. The most recent protests have come partly in response to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's unveiling of tough austerity measures on Monday, to plug a budget deficit which the finance minister put at $2.4bn. One of the most contentious issues is a plan to gradually end fuel subsidies, a move many Sudanese fear will stoke even higher inflation. It hit 30 per cent in May.

Police clash with protesters in Sudan capital

udanese police have clashed with scores of protesters in the capital Khartoum for a third day, a witnesses said, extending demonstrations against government austerity plans to cope with an economic crisis. Sudan has faced a widening budget gap, a depreciating currency and high inflation since South Sudan split away a year ago, taking with it three quarters of the country's oil production previously the main source of exports and state revenues. On Tuesday, more than 100 demonstrators blocked a street in Khartoum and scuffled with police while chanting "no, no to inflation" and "the people want to overthrow the regime," the witness said. As on the previous two days of demonstrations, police used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, a witness added, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Demonstrators blocked a street in Khartoum while chanting 'no, no to inflation'

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 33

Samaras sworn in as Greece prime minister

ntonis Samaras, the head of the conservative New Democracy party that came first in Sunday's election, has been sworn in as the new prime minister. Wednesday's swearing-in took place just minutes after Greece's socialist PASOK party announced that the country has a new

government, ending nearly seven weeks of political uncertainty which threatened to plunge Europe deeper into a financial crisis with global repercussions. Evangelos Venizelos, a former finance minister and PASOK head, said that details of the threeparty coalition government were still being worked out and were

expected to be finalised by the end of the day. Samaras is a hawkish former foreign minister who has vowed to revise a "torturous" EU-IMF bailout deal and rid the country of undocumented migrants. The 61-year-old conservative leader of the New Democracy party, which won a narrow

victory in Sunday's elections against the anti-austerity Syriza party, was once one of the youngest politicians elected to the Greek parliament. During his campaign, he promised to do everything to keep Greece in the euro but also argued for an easing of the terms of an EU-IMF bailout - a promise that could put him on a path to confrontation with foreign creditors. He will also face pressure from

a public fed up with two years of austerity and from the many voters who only cast their ballots for him in a critical election to avert a disastrous Greek euro exit but actually dislike him. Elected member of parliament at the age of 26 after an elite education, Samaras had a meteoric career but then suffered a downfall over his stance on the crisis with the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia in the 1990s.

Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Euro 2012 quarter-final boycott by UK government

New Democracy conservative party leader Antonis Samaras has been sworn in as prime minister [EPA]

inisters will not attend England's Euro 2012 quarter-final match against Italy on Sunday because of concerns about human rights in Ukraine, Downing Street said on Wednesday. But if England win, ministers could well attend the subsequent semi-final because it is due to be played in Poland, the prime minister's spokesman disclosed. No 10 added that it has not yet been decided whether ministers should go to the final if the team gets that far because it is due to be played in Ukraine's capital Kiev. The comments follow accusations of inconsistency after the government failed to pledge to sustain the policy of staying away if England do well in the competition. Ministers have stayed away from the team's group matches amid criticism of the treatment of Ukraine's jailed opposition leader

Yulia Tymoshenko, though the UK's ambassador in Kiev did attend. England won their group on Tuesday with a 1-0 a victory over Ukraine. Asked why ministers would not be there, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: "It reflects ministers' busy schedules ahead of the Olympics and widespread concerns about selective justice and the rule of law in the Ukraine." If England win, there may be official attendance at the semi-final which is to be played in Poland. But asked if the boycott would then apply to the final in Kiev, should they progress that far, she added: "Let's see how we get on on Sunday. No decision has been made." Tymoshenko played a key role in the Orange Revolution in 2004 and says her imprisonment, for alleged corruption, is an act of political revenge by Ukraine's president Viktor Yanukovych.

Assange seeks asylum in Ecuador

J The man took hostages in a bank branch and fired a shot after an armed-robbery attempt went wrong [Reuters]

French police shoot hostage-taker

French police official says that armed man who had taken four people hostage in a bank in Toulouse has been captured, and the hostages released. Regional police official Frederic Tamisier says the hostage-taker was lightly injured in the operation to capture him. The hostages were unharmed, he said. The announcement came soon after a series of shots were heard from the area of the bank. "He was wounded, he was shot in the abdomen and treated at the scene," Al Jazeera's Peter Sharp reported from Toulouse. The man was then taken to hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. Authorities say the hostage taker had psychiatric problems in the past

and claimed he was acting for religious reasons. French media reports said he claimed allegiance to al-Qaeda. The man, known to police for a record of petty offences and psychological problems, released two female hostages after receiving food and water in the early afternoon, police sources said. The man took the hostages, who included the bank manager, in a branch of French bank CIC around mid-morning and fired a shot after an attempted armed robbery apparently went wrong, UNSA police union official Cedric Delage said. "The man has made clear that he is not acting for money, but for religious reasons. He want us to make that message clear," Prosecutor Michel Valet told reporters.

Police believed four hostages were involved in the latest drama to hit the Toulouse region since a young al Qaeda-inspired gunman shot dead three soldiers, a rabbi and three Jewish children in March. The hostage-taker asked for the elite RAID commando unit to come to the scene - the same squad which shot dead 23-year-old gunman Mohamed Merah lived and was shot dead by police in March. Merah was shot dead in March after a long standoff at his home, which was just metres from the site of Wednesday's siege. "By choosing to carry this out where the Merah affair took place, it shows that this makes sense for him and has a particular symbolism," said Christophe Caupenne, a former commando at the RAID.

ulian Assange, the founder of the whistleblower site WikiLeaks who is seeking political asylum in Ecuador's embassy in London, faces arrest if he emerges for breaching bail terms imposed while he battles attempts to extradite him to Sweden, British police say. A dozen supporters bearing placards declaring "Free Assange" gathered outside the five-storey redbrick building in the upmarket district of Knightsbridge where Assange sought refuge on Tuesday, causing Britain a legal and diplomatic headache. Assange's 11th-hour decision to seek refuge in the embassy was more reminiscent of Cold War-era episodes seen in authoritarian countries than of the British legal process. "He has breached one of his bail conditions which was to be at his bail address between 10pm and 8am every day ... He is subject to arrest under the Bail Act," a spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police said. Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange about allegations of sexual assault made by two women, which he denies.

The justice ministry in Stockholm said on Wednesday it expected Britain to extradite Assange, but authorities in London said he was beyond the police's reach in the Ecuadorean embassy. Ecuador said Assange had accused his native Australia of abandoning him and expressed fears that if sent to Sweden, he would be extradited onwards to the US where he believes he could face criminal charges punishable by death. It was not clear whether Assange's decision to appeal to Ecuador was connected to a recent interview he conducted with Rafael Correa, the South American country's leftist president, on Russia Today, a Kremlinsponsored English-language TV channel. "Cheer up. Welcome to the club of the persecuted," Correa told Assange at the end of the interview, which was conducted by video-link between Britain and Ecuador and posted on YouTube by Russia Today TV channel on May 22. The two men appeared to hit it off during the 25-minute interview, exchanging flattering comments and laughing at each other's jokes.

PAGE 34

s diplomats from the world's major powers and Iran gathered in Moscow for the new round of talks over the Islamic republic's disputed nuclear programme, the Iranian man -- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- who has the final word on all the state matters signalled that his country would not give in to "illogical" demands. "The enemies of the system should learn a lesson from their unsuccessful experience of confrontation with the patient and striving Iranian nation," Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told a crowd consisting of Iranian officials and Muslim countries' ambassadors in Tehran, according to quotes carried by the state English-language newspaper, Tehran Times. "[The enemies should] be aware that arrogance, sense of superiority, and unreasonable demands in dealing with a nation that has learned resistance and unity from the Quran will go nowhere," he said. Khamenei accused "the world's powers" of attempting to undermine his country's progresses by resorting to plots targeting the Islamic republic, an implicit reference to the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientists in recent years.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

We wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give in to illogical demands â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ayatollah Khamenei

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and chief Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili during nuclear talks in Moscow Photograph: Alexander NEMENOV/POOL/EPA

"Over the past 33 years, our perceptive people and our beloved country have continuously been the target of world powers' plots aimed at preventing this paradigm of resistance and progress from serving as a model in the eyes of other nations," he said. "But with the grace of God, efforts being made by all the hegemonistic powers to force the Iranian nation out of the scene will certainly be futile," he added. Khamenei, blamed the "global arrogance", a reference to the west, Israel and the US in particular, for the world's economic difficulties and offered a solution. "The source of all these problems is the dominance of the global arrogance (forces of imperialism) over the world and the existence of hegemonist and subservient poles," he said. "The solution to this (problem) is that nations opt out of the position of subservience and inaction. "

Israel continues deadly attacks in Gaza A

Palestinian fighter has been killed as Israeli air raids on Gaza enter their third day, bringing the death toll to nine.

The latest attack took place on Wednesday in the southern town of Rafah. The victim is believed to be a member of Islamic Jihad.

The raids, which started on Monday, have now killed up to nine Palestinians in separate Gaza attacks [Reuters]

The fighter died and a comrade was wounded in the attack on their motorcycle in the city located near Gaza's frontier with the Egyptian Sinai, medical officials said. Israel said the man targeted had been involved in a raid on Monday from adjacent Sinai territory into Israel, which killed an Israeli. Israeli fighter jets also carried out three raids against the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday, Palestinian security officials said. The raids targeted a training centre for the Ezzedine alQassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas at Rafah in the south of the Strip, a "workshop" in Gaza City, and Hamas naval police installations in the north. A spokesman for the Brigades said his organisation had fired 45 rockets in 24 hours at Israeli

territory, a figure confirmed by Israeli police who said four border guards had been wounded, one seriously. Hamas, which rules Gaza and has observed an unofficial truce with Israel, launched on Tuesday rocket attacks for the first time in more than a year. In a rare show of force, fighters from the Brigades said they would continue firing unless the air raids ended. "This is our answer to the Zionist crimes. It will continue if they carry out more strikes on Gaza," the group said in what was an unusual departure from their customary observance of a tacit truce with Israel. Wednesday's death raises to eight the number of Palestinians killed in the series of deadly Israeli raids which began on Monday morning, just hours after armed men from Sinai

carried out an ambush along Israel's southern border with Egypt, killing an Israeli civilian. Israel has said the sudden spike in air raids was "in no way related" to the border incident, with the military saying the air force was targeting fighters about to attack. A Gaza Palestinian official who requested anonymity told AFP news agency that Egypt was making efforts to restore calm between the Palestinian movements and Israel. The official said the Palestinian movements were "ready for a return to calm as long as Israel ends its attacks". Egypt has brokered Gaza truces in the past and an Egyptian official said renewed mediation had secured agreement by Israel and Palestinian factions on Tuesday night.

agency that Zardari was to meet polticians from his party to discuss possible picks. He said the National Assembly was likely to meet on Friday to elect a new prime minister. Gilani, the nation's first-ever sitting prime minister to be convicted, can have the verdict reviewed, but has no formal appeal process available to him. "This is bad news for the president â&#x20AC;Ś In many ways Yusuf Raza Gilani was the president's biggest supporter, now this case [Gilani's] goes back to a case involving the president in 2008, when the supreme court ordered Yusuf Raza Gilani to write to the Swiss authorities to begin a corruption [investigation]," said our correspondent. The PPP is the largest party in parliament but does not have a majority, so its coalition partners

will insist on concessions for their support for a new premier and the process may not be smooth. Whoever takes over will not have long in power as the government must call elections

before March next year. Under the constitution, polls can only be held under a caretaker government, which must be in place three months before election day.

Pakistan ruling party in talks to find new PM

he ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said it "accepted" a Supreme Court order on Tuesday that Yusuf Raza Gilani could not remain in his post. President Asif Ali Zardari held emergency talks among top leaders in the ruling PPP after the disqualification. Maula Bukhsh Chandio, a law minister in Gilani's outgoing cabinet, said on Wednesday that the coalition had given Zardari the power to choose a candidate, who has to be elected by polticians. Al Jazeera's Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from Islamabad, said that while Gilani was yet to vacate his office, there had been some speculation about the possible candidates to fill the post. Makhdoom Shahabuddin, a senior figure in the PPP, is widely seen as the candidate with a political edge, said Tyab.

"He hails from a political and religious family in southern Panjab. He is a long-time PPP supporter and served under [deceased] PM Benazir Bhutto in the 1990's," said Tyab, "He has also served under Gilani, taking up five portfolios at different times". Another candidate spoken of was Ahmed Mukhtar. "Mukhtar is a leading businessman and an industrialist from the Gujarat area of the Panjab province," said Tyab. "He also served under PM Benazir Bhutto and served under Gilani in the portfolio for defence." Tyab said that the decision was expected to be reached later on Wednesday but that there had been some suggestions that the decision may be delayed for a day or two. Khuram Jehangir Wattoo, a PPP member, told the AP news

Pakistan president Asif Ali Zaradari

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 35

The Christian answer to Boko Haram Contd. from Back Page or Christian in Kaduna or Zaria. If you can find the culprits in Kafanchan and attack them, you may have a point, he said. Islam does not sanction attacking an innocent person, he concluded. During the same episode, Ibrahim Zakzaky expressed the same view. (Ironically, the Karibi-Whyte tribunal that was set up on the crisis jailed Zakzaky for five years, despite his opposition.) It is difficult to come across any scholar, leader or informed person in Islam that holds a contrary view. So, though Boko Haram is in every sense right to become worried about the impunity with which some Christians commit barbaric actions against Muslims and go unpunished by the Nigerian authorities, the group misfired in its answer to situation even from the perspective of Islam. The Muslim community in Nigeria has repeated this objection times without number. This is not to mention the group's lack of locus standi even from the Islamic perspective since in Islam only the judge can order the killing of a criminal if so ordained by the law. By way of summary, if I were to grade the script of Boko Haram here, I would give it minus one (-1). Now let us turn to our Christian brothers. The answer of some Christians in some Northern communities is, sad to note, a mirror reflection of that of Boko Haram. They too have collectivised Nigerian Muslims, as Boko Haram generalized Nigerian Christians, and made their blood and property targets of their retaliation. If Boko Haram has attacked a church, what stops the Christians from identifying Boko Haram, if they need to, and deal with them? I question the need because the Christians have the mighty Nigerian security, law enforcement and military apparatus behind them, at their disposal, if we go by the sacred-cow treatment they enjoy from them. Why then resort to killing innocent travellers, burning mosques and shops? So if Boko Haram is wrong in attacking innocent worshippers and churches, what makes the attack by Christian fanatics on innocent Muslim travellers and burning their mosques legitimate? This is the wrong answer to the challenge of Boko Haram. It is also wrong from the point of view of practicality. In how many communities are such Christians fanatics ready to barricade the highway and cowardly kill innocent Muslims? In how many states or communities in the North can they do it? Honestly, I see that possibility only in Plateau and Kaduna, in the very communities where those atrocities against Muslims have been repeatedly committed due to ethnic reasons and where there are state governors who would mastermind their protection from the law. (I was once told Yakowa is married to Jang's sister but now I have confirmed that it is not true. The two only share the same local

Shalom Pentecostal Church in Kaduna after the bombing. government of origin, Jaba. Yakowa's wife actually has her ancestry in Tafawa Balewa, in my state of Bauchi. I apologize for the inaccurate information I earlier published on this blog about the two sisters of mine.) Man is a rational animal though he sometimes behaves stupidly at sub-human level especially when propelled by the spur of religion. Normally, he calculates his degree of safety before taking any risk on his life. Few are the fools that would dare start a fire that would consume them. Even in Kaduna State, why did not the Christian reprisal attack take place in Kaduna North or Zaria? So, I grade the Christian answer script as minus one (-1), too. When we add up the two, we end up with -2, two failures in the two negative quadrants of the Nigerian security equation. This is worse than where we were without either or both of them. That is where we are today. The fact is that retaliation could only serve as a deterrent for a short while. It often produces a vicious cycle of violence. Christians in some communities carry out war crimes against Muslims. Boko Haram says it retaliates but under the hidden tactic of bombings. Then Christians retaliate in areas they too think Muslims are weak. Both do it against innocent citizens, against places of worship, against God, though purportedly in the name of God. This circle of cowardice can continue forever except we find a way to cancel the negatives and arrive at a positive digit. And to this we turn in the remaining part of the essay. Christian leaders and opinion shapers have appealed to Muslim leaders to use their weight to restrain Boko Haram. But sincerely, which citizen would restrain any Nigerian that carries arms today? There is none. In the same vein, I have heard many Berom leaders saying that their youths are beyond their control. When some chiefs of Niger Delta

tried to stop its militants from terrorist activities in the midnineties, the youths accused them of complicity and murdered them. Righ now, Nigeria has a high deficit of willing martyrs among its leaders. The truth is that when it comes to violence, the answer lies with the law and nothing else. The law it is that can cancel those negatives. It is the instrument that stripped all citizens of the right to possess firearms. If people had the right to protect themselves adequately, some of these atrocities would not be committed. (Though think about it honestly: if all of us would possess arms, it will be 160million guns and billions of ammunitions. How would there be peace? We would be facing another form of instability.) However, in most contemporary states, the law has entrusted the security of lives and property to the state. In Nigeria, keeping that trust has been in the decline for decades now. Unless we are interested in replacing the state with anarchy, we must rise to strengthen the law. Strengthening the law means using it appropriately as an arbiter when injustice is perpetrated and getting the right people to enforce it, whenever possible. Muslims, as I have maintained, should, in the absence of any interest to bring the criminals that have been perpetrating crimes against them to justice locally, refer the matter to the International Court of Justice. They must be prepared to walk the ladder to its top. Armed with hard evidence like the ones we mentioned earlier, it is inconceivable that they will not be offered justice there. So the question of their retaliation is cancelled, ab initio. Christians on their part must also resort to the law and support it. They must ensure that the law enforcement agencies that they control have risen to the challenge. They must also be patient with them until they succeed without complicating matters through retaliation. The current President

is their making. They boasted of supporting him to victory during the last elections. In his hands lie the keys to our peace. He is the commander-in-chief. They must get him to act appropriately. Making a President is the beginning, not the end, of his service. I will be dishonest to say that the government is doing nothing about Boko Haram. Achievements are recorded daily, albeit not enough to see us through completely yet. But when the President's primary constituency dismisses him and resorts to taking the law into its hands by killing innocent travellers, I would think he has a problem at hand. He should not claim to be helpless, as he has often expressed in church services. He is not Moses. And we are not the Children of Israel on the bank of the Red Sea. Appealing to God without working hard maximally will only embolden the agents of destabilization. He must yield the stick as well as the carrot to both Boko Haram and his Christian counterparts in Plateau and Kaduna. Only this democratic distribution of justice would finally bring peace to our nation. Ordinary citizens like me who have a voice must come out and speak boldly. The Christians have often emphasized that there is not enough voice of condemnation heard among Muslims. True. But that has to do more with the lack of protection from the government for those who would dare to do so. Man is a rational animal. Again, our dear Goodluck comes into the equation. The Christians, on their part, often forget that they have been most economical with their voice against acts of sectarian violence. It is very hard, very rare, and very unusual to hear a Christian voice a leader or opinion shaper condemning the atrocities committed by his fellow Christians against Muslims, except Sam Nda-Isaiah of course, which mbay Christian fanatics say he is with Muslims. I cannot remember

even a few, specifically directed at Christians. The best I would hear, if I am lucky on those rare occasions, are general statements condemning violence and calling for peace. Has any Christian leader called for the prosecution of the massacres in Zonkwa or other villages of southern Kaduna of recent, for example? No. Have Nigerians heard the voice of any pastor on his pulpit condemning the Christians that attacked Muslims in Eid ground, roasted their bodies on vehicle bonnets and ate them in the presence of security agents? No. And so was it with every occasion of violence, including the latest killings on the Kaduna - Abuja Highway. What we only hear is the expression of shock, but not a single call for arrest. As usual, none is arrested and none will be arrested, anyway. There was never a time when any Christian cleric or traditional ruler even admitted that his people were at fault. The closest we heard was the recent statements by our Rev. Hassan Mathew Kukah. The videos are there. Let them join us in calling for the prosecution of the culprits. The truth, I must tell my Christian brothers, is that Nigeria cannot clap with one hand. There are many other ways we can express our voice to garner support for peace though. For example, someone online has suggested mass rallies for peace across Northern Nigeria. Yes. I have seen the federal government and politicians rent crowds to show their solidarity for a cause or a candidate. Why cannot the president go beyond the pulpit and march across the road to the Eagle Square for the sake of peace? Why would not state governments summon all their ulama and priests and their followers to a peace rally in the largest public square of their states? These guys enjoy free largesse to Hajj, Umra Jerusalem and Rome. This is the time to ask for a pay back. Ehe now! Let us reassure the world with the pictures of oceans of peace loving Nigerians on international television screen. It will refute the notion that majority of Nigerians are murderers. It will also tell the agents of destabilization how insignificant they are in our midst. As for the other forces that are interested for various reasons in aggravating the conflict in Northern Nigeria - those within the region and beyond - I wI'll say that it is our negligence that has given the allowance for the expression of their nefarious interests, using Boko Haram and Christian groups. The people of Northern Nigeria, and those of other regions, will continue to remain where they are, each in his own domain. In the North particularly, God has enriched us with diversity. It is a blessing, not a curse. And so shall we remain together long after the guns of Boko Haram and those of Christian fanatics are put to silence. Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde is a renowned columnist based in Jos.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Money canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make you happy... if you are only spending it to impress others competent and connected to others. However, in the latest research Howell and his colleagues found that a person's motivation for making a purchase predicts whether these needs will be met. After surveying 241 participants they found that people who choose to buy life experiences because they were in line with their desires, interests and values reported a greater sense of fulfillment and well-being. They were also less likely to feel lonely and had a greater sense of vitality. However, people who chose life experiences to gain recognition from others reported feeling unsatisfied and less connected to others. 'The biggest question you have to ask yourself is why you are buying something,' Howell said. 'Motivation appears to amplify or eliminate the happiness effect of a purchase.' The study has been published in the aptly named, Journal of Happiness Studies.

By Claire Bates

pending money on once in a lifetime experiences from luxury holidays to concert tickets won't make you happy, according to a surprise study. But before you cancel that world cruise it's worth noting that you'll only fail to find contentment if your motive is to impress others. 'Why you buy is just as important as what you buy,' said assistant profressor Ryan Howell, from San Francisco State University, who led the study. 'When people buy life experiences to impress others, it wipes out the well-being they receive from the purchase. That extrinsic motivation appears to undermine how the experiential purchase meets their key psychological needs.' Howell's previous findings showed that buying a life experience made people happier than when they bought material things, because it made them feel more

By Daniel Bates

t is kind of thing that most parents would do their best to avoid. But now it turns out that deliberately starting a row with a teenager might be good parenting and could do them the world of good. Argumentative teenagers are better off later in life than those who are more placid, researchers have found. Boys and girls who regularly get into verbal fights with their parents

Blissful holiday: As long as you're not just trying to impress someone else

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Teenagers more likely to resist drink and drugs if they row with their parents are better suited to fending off peer pressure and less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol. They are also more skilled negotiators and can 'learn to be taken more seriously' after some jousting with their elders. The researchers concluded that

Arguing gives teenagers confidence and negotiating skills

parents should consider actively starting rows with their teenagers just to hone their skills, even if it does result in an ear-bashing in the short term. The US study from the University of Virginia involved observing and making audio and

video recordings of 150 13-yearolds having an argument with their mothers. The same participants were then quizzed three years later on their lives and asked about their experiences with drugs and alcohol. Teenagers who displayed

'confidence' and used reason to back up their statements were more likely to have refused both, the researchers found. Joseph Allen, a University of Virginia psychology professor and the lead author of the study, said that the connection between resisting peer pressure and a teenager's ability to argue was 'surprising'. He said: 'It turns out that what goes on in the family is actually a training ground for teens in terms of how to negotiate with other people'. His colleague Joanna Chango, a clinical psychology graduate, added that it seemed 'counterintuitive to tell parents to let their teens argue with them' but was worth considering. She said: 'Basically, our main finding is that the more that these teens are able to openly express their own viewpoints and be assertive ... they are more likely to resist peer influence to use drugs and alcohol a few years later'. The other benefits were that teenagers were able to 'assert themselves and establish a sense of autonomy,' she said. The only caveat was that rather than slamming doors like a teenager might, a parent must have 'good reasons presented in a moderate way' during the argument if they want to set a decent example. The results were published in the journal Child Development. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 37

Why FG must implement subsidy probe report, by Rep Comrade Aminu Suleman was the immediate-past secretary of the Kano State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) and a membe of the House of Representatives representing Fagge Federal Constituency. In this interview with newsmen, including Bala Nasir, the lawmaker says the current smear on Farouk Lawan was a banana peel from the executive targeted at the Tambuwal leadership of the House.

INTERVIEW

ow would you react to the bribery allegation in which the former chairman of the House ad hoc committee on the Petroleum Subsidy Probe, Farouk Lawan, is enmeshed? You are too direct to say that he was enmeshed in a bribery scandal because it is an allegation and it remains so until proven by a court of competent jurisdiction. A speculation has no other name than a mere speculation and therefore we remain to be guided by this position. Are you saying it is still a speculation after all that have been revealed? First and foremost, I would not want to be protective of my honourable colleague in as much as I knew I can vouch for him. I can vouch for his antecedents, but the matter is assuming a subjudiced position since already the Police are investigating the issue. Unfortunately, both the House and the Executive are dominated by the same political party but Nigerians have been quite aware that we have not been on the same page with the Executive since the emergence of the current leadership and to that extent the Executive has assumed a position with a certain responsibility to ensure that this house did not succeed. How could you prove that? Let us look at the antecedents. We are talking of a monumental fraud perpetrated by just a few; this does not mean a thief of one Naira is less criminal than a billion Naira thief; but when one is talking of a genocide one does not begin to talk of a mere allegation of human rights abuse like that of denying the liberty of an individual where life is involved. I am trying to draw this analogy so that Nigerians would not be distracted, so that they will not be deceived into leaving the substance to begin to chase shadows. What are you driving at? Yes, the Executive has aversion for any question that legislators would ask on behalf of the Nigerian citizenry. Because Nigerian people cannot ask the Executive who has the power of implementation, that is why democracy instituted the

legislature to do that on their behalf so that there will be checks and balances. But unfortunately for us, we started democracy in 1999 with a symbol of dictatorship at the helm of affairs, that was Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and he has, as far as I am concerned, denigrated that office to the extent that whoever occupies it feels that he is a landlord of the nation and all the other Nigerians are tenants and therefore whoever dares ask any question is a sinner. If you say things should be done in a way that would please majority of Nigerians you are regarded as a rebel and to that extent, the Executive has devised a means that anytime we ask questions they will send a banana peel and very unfortunately, in some instances members fall prey to those peels. But this case is too glaring to be a peel or distraction? No, I will want Nigerians to view this issue from this perspective. In 2007, 16 billion dollars disappeared into the thin air in the name of a policy that would bring an end to the problem of energy in Nigeria. Nigerian people asked questions through the National Assembly about what happened to that money and who took it; and investigation subsequently followed. It was discovered that the government under former President Obasanjo appropriated that money for personal aggrandizement. In the process of that investigation, when evidences emerged that the money was misappropriated, suddenly the Executive remembered that the head of that panel, Hon Ndudi Elumelu was not upright. They now pounced on him, sent him to the gulag and

Comrade Aminu Suleman subsequently achieved their aim of blindfolding Nigerians to forget that monumental fraud. That signaled the end of that investigation and Nigerians backed the Executive to give legislators a bad name and subsequently lost that opportunity to find out what happened to our money. Just recently, the former Director General of the Stock Exchange Commission (SEC), having benefitted from the policy of the Federal Government which gave her a comfort of a house, a car, security details, cooks and the rest, decided to relocate to the Hilton Hotel and in the process, expended N880,000 per day for meals and accommodation, for a period of nine months! This excludes other misdemeanor, and Nigerians

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

But now a friend of the President, who told the whole world that he had bribed a lawmaker, was beamed on television in a very merry mood with governors and ministers at no other place but the Presidential Villa, just two days after the confession! This is somebody who should be under arrest at that time because he has admitted giving a bribe to induce public officers to perpetrate evil

shouted to which we resumed our responsibilities as lawmakers; and we queried, we instituted a probe to ask security agencies to investigate. Suddenly they came with another theory that the chairman of the panel had also asked for forty-four million Naira to travel and he did not travel. Therefore the head of the panel became the one at the receiving end, while the bigger issue was forgotten. That is the same scenario that is happening in the case of Farouk Lawanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Subsidy Probe. Are you saying what happened to Farouk Lawan was planned to scuttle the findings of the subsidy probe? With due apology, even a village headmaster will know that this is an arithmetic deliberately orchestrated to get at the House and its leadership in particular and the head of the house in person. There is no gainsaying the fact that the executive have vowed not to allow us to succeed because we have from the beginning, decided that we will assert our independence, by electing our leadership so that we will not be dictated to. Very unfortunately indeed, our member was so trusting that these people meant well, and in his honest disposition, he ferried into the fray with the intention of exposing corruption in our system, but got himself enmeshed in this thing. But I am telling you, it is not Farouk that is the issue; the target is the

Speaker of the Federal Republic. But is this not also an attempt to divert attention from your side? No, this was confirmed very early into the issue. Our laws do not provide cover for those involved in bribe so, the bribe giver is as guilty, if not more, as the bribe receiver. But now, a friend of the President, who told the whole world that he had bribed a lawmaker, was beamed on television in a very merry mood with governors and ministers at no other place but the Presidential Villa, just two days after the confession! This is somebody who should be under arrest at that time because he has admitted giving a bribe to induce public officers to perpetrate evil. In a decent and clean society he is supposed to serve twice punitive measures over the culprit that was induced to take the bribe. But here, he was frolicking with the Villa, while the person he was alleged to have induced was under arrest. So, what other evidence does one need to know that the Executive was behind this, just to get at the House leadership? But Insha- Allah they will not get at our leadership; they will not get at any of us, as we will continue to be wiser; and as it is now, we will be dealing with the executive as if we are dealing with a leprous man. With what is going on now what is the fate of the Subsidy Probe Report? If you listen to our resolution on the issue last week, we first disowned the unfortunate situation, and to show to Nigerians that we are determined to live above board, we surrendered that the accused be allowed to face judicial process as we are not like the Executive who always shields their own. Secondly we have insisted that the subsidy probe and its outcome are sacrosanct and the Executive must implement it; this time we are determined to ensure that. But what would the House do if the Executive refuses to act on the report? Look, the laws gave us the right to make this investigation, whereas the onus of prosecution lies with the Executive; if they refuse to do that, they will be drawing a battle line and on behalf of Nigerians and we will cross that line.

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

L-R: President, Etinan Federal Constituency Forum (EFCF), Abuja branch, Mr. Jackson Ndueso, with Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, during the launch of the Forum's economic empowerment programme and presentation of award to Senator Enang, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Reps bicker over move to decentralise prisons service By Lawrence Olaoye

he move to decentralise the nation’s prisons service yesterday divided the House of Representatives as members expressed divergent opinions on the matter. Te Deputy Leader of the House, Rep Leo Ogor had sponsored bill seeking to list the control of prisons in the concurrent list where the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as the Federal Government would have legislative rights on the matter. Ogor argued that the current practice where the control of prison is the exclusive right of the Federal Government as listed in the Exclusive List in the 1999 constitution as amended does not augur wellfor the country. He argued that the responsibilities of Federal Government was over-bloated

stressing that a situation where state High court would pass judgment on a criminal and such criminal would be sent to Federal Government control prisons was unacceptable. But some of the lawmakers objected to the bill arguing that stateprisons was not feasible and that the idea should be jettisoned. The Chairman House Committee on Constituency Outreach, Hon Aisha Ahmed who led a strong opposition against the survival of the bill warned against the state prisons saying that such move would amount to returning to native authority era of the 60s when perceived political opponents such as the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro, Hajia Gambo Sawaba and host of prominent Nigeria politicians were hunted into the prisons without justification by the then government. Hon Ahmed cited the case of

Chief Awolowo whom she said was jailed unjustly because he was leading a credible opposition. According to her, "before the native authority was abolished in 1968 several prominent politicians were put into jail unjustly, the case of the people like Chief Obafemi Awolowo is still fresh in our memory, in 1962 he bagged 10 years imprisonment not that he committed any offence rather than that he was leading a credible opposition and because of his sound comment on late Dr Nnamdi Azikwe's government, another one is late Pa Anthony Enahoro and that of Hajia Gambo Sawaba who was going and coming out of prisons because of her opposition to the government of the day". Ahmed who advised members that as lawmakers they should make laws that are sensitive to the political situation in the country so as to guide against being victims of their own law.

Attempts by Rep Emmanuel Jime and Abubakar Momoh to stop her from highlighting the loopholes in the amendment being sought by the proponents of the Bill was rebuffed by the Speaker, Hon Aminu Tambuwal who overruled them. The House Chairman on Interior, Hon Umar Bature also kicked against the bill saying that most of the state governments in the country could not even operate successful fire service let alone asking them to start building prisons. Other members including Hon Uzor Azubuike, Sadiq Mohammed argued that the states should face developmental projects rather than allowing them to build prisons which they may turn to political tools to witch-hunt political opponent. The bill was however stepped down by the Speaker till the next legislative day so as to allow for more contributions.

Bauchi Court discharges injunction to stop chairmen from accessing funds From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

he Bauchi State High Court 1 yesterday discharged the interim injunction restraining 20 local government caretaker committee council chairmen from using local government funds The Presiding Judge Justice Ibrahim Zango, in his ruling said he had carefully considered all submissions made by counsels of both parties. Zango said the prosecution had failed to convince the court that the

case was an emergency since the suit was instituted some months ago after the appointment of Caretaker Committee Chairmen for 20 LG’s in the state. He also granted a motion filed by Action Congress of Nigeria to join CPC in the prosecution and has since adjourned to 18th of July 2012 for hearing. The counsel therefore prayed to the court to restrain the defendants from releasing, approving or allowing any of the 20 chairmen of LG’s in the state or their councillors, to spend money from the coffers of

the LG’s except salaries or allowances of workers of the Local Governments, pending the determination of the originating summons. The plaintiff had also prayed the court to restrain the defendants from tempering with the Local Governments funds either in the name of joint Account with the state Govt or any other Account. The prosecution counsel also sought on behalf of his client, an order from the court to restrain the defendants from awarding contracts using the LG’s funds, pending the determination of the summons.

However, the lead state counsel Barrister Aliyu Ibn Idris called on the court to discharge the originating summons for lack of merit. It could be recalled that the Congress for Progressive Change against filed a suit against Bauchi State Govt, Local Govt Service Commission, the Accountant General of the state as well as the Auditor General of the state, the plaintiff, through its counsel Barrister Sale Bakaro, argued that constitutionally, only elected Local Government Chairmen are allowed to lead the local councils.

Ogun LG polls: Obasanjo’s PDP faction loses bid to present candidates FromDimejiKayode-Adedeji,Abeokuta

ormer President Olusegun Obasanjo alleged led faction of Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} in Ogun state yesterday in court lost its bid to present candidates for the July 21, 2012 elections in the state, following a ruling from the court. Prince Buruji Kashamu, a money bag and chieftain of the party who is also leading the other faction led by Chief Dayo Bayo had instituted a case against the Obasanjo group, praying the court to recognize their faction as the authentic PDP executive in the state. The long time intra party power tussle had put the State Independent Electoral Commission in a confusion state, in view of different injunctions presented by the two factions; hence, the electoral body had to accept both lists for screening ahead of the elections. But the crisis yesterday took a new turn as a State High Court sitting in Ilaro ruled that the Chief Bayo Dayo led faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the vested authority to nominate and submit list of candidates for the forthcoming local government election in the state. The court also dismissed the suit brought before it by the Obasanjo faction which sought to compel election umpire to accept its candidates list for the council poll, stressing that there had been a two subsisting court judgment that empowered the state ex-co under Dayo as an organ to function for PDP in the Ogun. In her judgment, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, held that section 60, sub-section 10 of PDP constitution conferred the authority to run the affairs of the state branch on the party executive committee. It also restrained the National Headquarters of the PDP from submitting any other candidates’ list apart from the one submitted by the state executive committee under Dayo. She further ruled that the party’s constitution sets up its organs with various functions and that there is no inter-lapping of functions, hence, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party should allow the state exco to perform its duties without any interference of the parent body. While acknowledging that factions exist within the party and that it would not be in the interest of equity, justice and fair play, Dipeolu restrained the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP from interfering in the affairs of Ogun state chapter of the party.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Tambuwal seeks closer economic ties between Nigeria, Saudi Arabia By Lawrence Olaoye

peaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has called for closer economic ties between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Speaking yesterday when he received Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullahi Bin Abdulaziz al Saud, who paid him a courtesy call, Tambuwal said as the two leading economies in their various continents, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have a lot to benefit from each other if they work together. According to him, the Saudi government should promote further economic activities and investment in the two countries especially in the areas of agriculture, agro-allied industry and solid minerals. While lamenting that the number of Nigerians in Saudi prisons is on the increase, Tambuwal appealed to the Saudi authorities to allow Nigerian consular and embassy officials to visit the prisoners on compassionate grounds. On the annual Hajj pilgrimage to the Holy land, Speaker Tambuwal urged the Saudi authorities to increase the number of Hajj slots allocated to Nigeria in view of the increasing number of persons who want to undertake the annual trip to the Holy land. In his remarks, Prince Abdulaziz said he was in the country to explore avenues of cooperation between his country and Nigeria.

RPN urges FG to intensify efforts on dialogue with Boko Haram

he National Chairman, Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN), Alhaji Shittu Mohammed, has urged the Federal Government to intensify its efforts to engage members of Boko Haram in dialogue. Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that dialogue was necessary to give the members the opportunities to express their grievances. Mohammed said as part of government’s initiatives, it should be prepared to grant amnesty to members of the sect if their demands were genuine and reasonable. “Federal Government should extend amnesty to other parts of the country as they did in the Niger Delta, it should intensify efforts on dialogue for us to have peace. “It is our nation first before anything, if you don’t have a country to call your own where will you be; the nation comes first.’’ Mohammed said the security of the country was paramount for any meaningful development as it would affect investments in many parts of the country.

PAGE 39

Commissioner wants RUFIN projects in more LGAs T

he Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Godwin Afangideh, wants the Rural Financial Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) extended to more Local Government Areas (LGAs). Afangideh made the call when Miss Atsuko Toda, the Country Programme Manager of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) led the RUFIN supervision mission to his house in Uyo. RUFIN is a seven-year IFADassisted programme designed to improve the performance of nonbank rural finance institutions to enable them to develop sustainable

Rural Microfinance Institutions in the programme participating states. The goal of the programme is to strengthen the income, food security and general living conditions of poor rural households, particularly women-headed households, youths and the physically challenged. The supervision mission comprised of the Federal Government officials, consultants and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The programme covers 12 states of the six geo-political zones. The states are Adamawa, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Benue, Nasarawa, Oyo, Lagos, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Edo. The programme covers Essien

Udim, Itu and Onna local government areas of Akwa Ibom. He commended RUFIN for availing rural farmers the opportunity to access funding for their farming activities. He, however, said that the state was moving from subsistence farming-based agriculture to a more sustainable and commercial agriculture. “The state government is so much concerned about the issue of commercial agriculture. We do not want to remain on the same level we are in terms of agriculture.’’ Afangideh lauded the supervision mission for taking to monitor RUFIN projects to ensure that they achieved the set goals.

He also urged IFAD to embark on a “rigorous’’ sensitisation programme of its projects. “It is all about having a new product. People should know what the product does and the benefits you can derive from the product.’’ The commissioner gave assurance that the state government would provide its counterpart fund for the programmeto. He said that people would want to cue into some of RUFIN programmes, if the size and duration of its loan facilities could e extended. Earlier, Toda recalled that RUFIN had made some remarkable achievements at the national level.

L-R: Osun state Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, with Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, professor Isaac Adewole, during the first sustainable development policy dialogue, on Tuesday in Ibadan. Photo: NAN

FG to host World Bank’s African Remittance Institute

he office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) yesterday took over the prosecution of three accused persons charged with alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. The accused persons included an ex-convict, Kazeem Fanimo, 29. Others are Sanya, Omojola, 29 and a female, Nike Akin, 24 who have all been remanded in prison for their alleged involvement in the rape saga. The legal advice from the office of the DPP recommended that they should be tried for rape. The police prosecutor, Ayodele

Atandeyi, also formally handed over the case file to officials of the Ministry of Justice. The legal advice with reference No 10/S.122410/14 dated June 8 was addressed to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ‘D’ Dept (CID), The Nigeria Police, State Headquarters, Akure. The advice, signed by the B.V. Falodun, a Senior Legal Officer, and authenticated by the DPP, Mrs A.O. Adeyemi, held that the accused persons had carnal knowledge of the 12-year-old girl. The DPP said that from the evidence adduced from their

statements, the two men had carnal knowledge of the girl, a minor in law. The advice also affirmed that Akin allegedly abducted the girl and used her as commercial sex worker. The DPP recommended that the three accused persons be charged with the offence of conspiracy to defile, contrary to Section 227 of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol. I, Laws of Ondo State 2006. The advice also recommended that Omojola be charged with the offence of rape, contrary to section 357 of the Criminal Code Cap 37,

Vol. I, Laws of Ondo State 2006. The ex-convict, Fanimo is to be charged for the offence of abducting a girl under the age of 18, contrary to section 225 of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol. I, Laws of Ondo state 2006. The female accused was recommended to be charged with the offence of procuring a girl under 18 and abduction of a girl under 18 to have carnal knowledge. The offence, the legal advice said, was contrary to Sections 223 and 225 of the Criminal Code Cap 37, Vol. I, Laws of Ondo state 2006.

Bayelsa assembly considers bill on technical institute

he Bayelsa State House of Assembly is considering a bill seeking to establish a Technical and Vocational Training Institute following its passage at the second reading. At the Wednesday sitting in Yenagoa, House leader Peter Akpe noted that the undue emphasis on formal education in the society had greatly eroded the acquisition of

valuable skills outside the formal school system. He said that though the people were traditionally inclined to non-formal education, it was necessary to develop manpower in non-formal education to help the youth acquire the knowledge and skill in technical education. Akpe noted that all developed nations placed emphasis on building

capacity through vocational and technical education on the realisation that government alone could not create employment for the population. The lawmaker said the incidence of over-bloated work force at the state and local government levels were largely due to the lack of the necessary skill. He , therefore, noted that the establishment of a technical institute

would not only help to produce the much-needed middle-level manpower, but would also create entrepreneurial spirit in the people. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the House were unanimous in their support for the bill, as many of them who spoke in support of the bill, said it would enable indigenes become drivers of local economy.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Insecurity: CPC chieftain expresses concern over killings on Kaduna-Abuja expressway By Muhammed Umar A community leader and chieftain of the Congress for Progressive Change in Katsina state, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Babbanduhu has expressed concern over what he called the repeated attacks on innocent travelers at Gonin Gora, a suburb of Kaduna. In a chat with newsmen in Abuja, Babbanduhu lamented that many innocent lives are lost whenever the Gonin Gora

community members feel like ambushing motorists along the Kaduna-Abuja road. “We are concerned because the road serves as the only link between the entire north-west and the Federal Capital Territory. When it becomes dangerous for passersby, it effectively cuts off the zone from the FCT,” he said. Babbanduhu said that the spot has become a dangerous flashpoint and proffered what he called lasting measures to

the problem. “First and foremost, is for authorities to fish out those who incite these attacks at Gonin Gora and subject them to the full wrath of the law,” Babbanduhu said. The second step, according to the community leader, is for the entire Gonin Gora settlement to be relocated into the mainstream Kaduna community. “The community should be disbanded and relocated to other mainstream

communities. Alternatively, the settlement should be opened to other cultures to break the monopoly of the present dominant ethnic linage of the settlement. In addition, a permanent military outpost should be set up immediately in the area to check the present excesses of the people of Gonin Gora,” he said. Babbanduhu described as unfortunate, the recent attacks and killings of people by

members of the Gonin Gora community for merely driving through to the FCT. “This is only an instance. On many other occasions, Nigerians have been subjected to deadly attacks at Gonin Gora in the name of reprisals for offence they knew nothing about. The area has gradually become a death trap and a serious threat to innocent Nigerians out on their respective lawful businesses,” he lamented.

Seek forgiveness for bearing false witness, PDP tells Aregbesola’s witness at Tribunal From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

L-R: Consultant of International Republican Institute (IRI), Mr. Charles Lasham, Country Director of IRI, Mrs. Rosina Namusisi, and Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, during the IRI delegation visit to the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Anambra Assembly speaker harps on safety, protection of lives

he Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mrs Chinwe Nwaebili, yesterday called on the people of the state to take issues of their safety more seriously. Speaking at a one-day seminar for safety and disaster prevention, Nwaebili said the people should work hard to protect their lives and properties. The seminar was organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Anambra Emergency

Management Agency in Awka. Also speaking, the Head of Service in the state, Mr Chidi Ezeoke, said the seminar would go a long way in educating the workers on what to do during emergencies. He said the issue of safety and disaster prevention should be taken seriously by all. In a paper on emergency evacuation exercise, the South East Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Dr Abdullali Onimode, said there was the need for preventive measures

on bomb threats and incessant fire outbreaks in Nigeria. Onimode enumerated steps to be taken during such emergency situations. Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of Anambra Emergency Management Agency, Dr Nwabufo Ifezie, expressed the determination of the agency to reduce occurrence of disasters to the barest minimum. Nwabufo gave an assurance that the agency would promptly assist victims of disasters in the state.

Orji inaugurates road maintenance agency

ov. Theodore Orji of Abia yesterday inaugurated the Abia Road Maintenance Agency with responsibility to maintain roads in the state. In a brief remark at the inauguration in Umuahia, Orji said that the agency would ensure adequate maintenance of roads in the state. He said that the body became imperative in view of the poor maintenance culture by the

people. ‘’Our response to this poor maintenance culture in our society has made us to come up with this initiative of establishing a road maintenance agency. ‘’The agency will ensure that all the roads that government constructed are adequately maintained over time for the sustainable development of our state,’’ he said. The governor urged the body

to serve with utmost honesty, integrity and determination. He enjoined the members of the agency to take the assignment seriously as they would be judged by their performance. The Chairman of the agency, Mr Joe Emesobum, said that the body would soon embark on filling of potholes in all parts of the state. Emesobum further said that the agency would carry out the clearing of drains in major cities.

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest has counseled the protesting members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) who were witnesses for Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the election petition tribunals to seek for forgiveness for bearing false witness against the PDP. The party said by neglecting them, Aregbesola was only telling the witnesses that “I did not get the judgment because of the evidences you gave at the Tribunal. Rather, Tinubu got it for me through Justice (Ayo) Salami and I am already showing gratitude to them.” The witnesses had besieged the State Secretariat in the early hours of yesterday, carrying placards with various inscriptions and chanting various songs to register their protest over the failure of Aregbesola to compensate them for testifying in his favour at the tribunal. The protesters barricaded the entrance to the state secretariat, Abere, Osogbo carrying placards with inscriptions “Aregbesola is an ingrate to the witnesses”, “Aregbesola and Assembly

members that went to the Tribunal dumped the witnesses” thereby paralyzing free-flow of traffic in and out of the State secretariat. Reacting to the incident, the PDP said; “Instead of protesting, the witnesses should go to God in prayers and seek for forgiveness because they know that the evidences they were made to give at the tribunal were false. “They should also let it register in their brains that Aregbesola does not owe them any appreciation because it was not the evidences that they gave that made him governor. “He is already showing gratitude to Tinubu and Salami, who made it possible for the Appeal Court to nullify election results even in wards where Aregbesola said in his petition that election was duly held. “Or is it not someone who does you a favour that you show gratitude to? Were the witnesses the one who made sure that votes in 10 out of the 30 Local Councils in Osun State were cancelled for Aregbesola to be governor? “Therefore, our advise to the protesting witnesses is that they should confess to Nigerians the lies they were made to tell and ask for divine forgiveness.”

19 docked for attacking PDP chairman in Katsina

he Police in Katsina on Tuesday arraigned Yusuf Lado and 18 others, before a Katsina Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly attacking the PDP Chairman of Danja Local Government, Alhaji Aminu Abdulmumini. The prosecutor, Sgt. Okolo Usman, told the court that on June 15, Abdulmumini reported to the police that on his way to his village, Jiba, the accused stopped him and started beating him with dangerous weapons. Usman said they left the victim unconscious, destroyed his car and fled. He said the accused were believed to be political associates of Yusuf Lado and Umar Abdullahi alias Tata, who was

at large. He said that they also removed Gov. Ibrahim Shema’s billboard by the junction. Usman further said that the accused were standing trial on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, inciting public disturbance, mischief and attempt to commit homicide. He said the charges were contrary to Sections 97, 106, 327, 85 and 229 of the Penal Code. The Chief Magistrate, Alhaji Nuraddeen Jikamshi, adjourned the case to July 12 for further mention. He ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 41

Pillars hold Heartland, as Rangers lead pack

ano Pillars yesterday stunned Heartland FC in front of their fans in Owerri by forcing them to drop two points but are second to Rangers who defeated Kwara United 2-0 at home. Kabiru Umar put Heartland ahead in the 31 minute, before Mustapha Musa restored parity four minutes from time to ensure that the Kano ancient city club did not leave Owerri without a point. Kano Pillars coach Baba Ganaru said after the match that they were not disappointed they could only manage a point in Owerri. “It was a good result for

us, though our mission was to come and win this match, but Heartland are no pushovers and so to get draw in Owerri was not easy. It was a good result for us and I commend my players,” Ganaru said. Pillars now have 51 points, a point behind Enugu Rangers. Rangers, who are in quest to end over 28 years without a major piece of silverware, opened scoring in the 40th minute through fullback Haliru Umar, who tucked away a rebound from a penalty taken by skipper James Okwuosa. Former Rangers hard man Okechukwu Odita was

penalised for fouling Emeka Eze inside the vital area,

Ejike Uzoenyi

FUTSAL: Humiliated Nigeria withdraw, face FIFA fine

eeling from the humiliation of conceding 8-2 to its Egyptian counterparts in 2012 FIFA FUTSAL World Cup final qualifier, Nigeria have withdrawn from the tournament and risk sanction from the world soccer ruling body. Nigeria were to host the return leg in Lagos this weekend, but according to the NFF spokesman, Ademola Olajire, “Nigeria has pulled out from hosting the reversed final leg against Egypt on Saturday in Lagos,” and have notified both CAF and FIFA to that effect. It means that then that Egypt will now represent Africa at the global fiesta. Two other teams will fly the flag of Africa in Thailand in November when the fiesta is held. Nigeria got to the final round without kicking a ball due to the withdrawal of Gabon from the qualifying race while Egypt overwhelmed their North African neighbours, Tunisia 9-3 on aggregate. Probed on the reason for the decision, Olajire cited the first leg heavy defeat in Cairo. “Well, I think the first leg defeat must have been the major consideration,” he said. However, an NFF executive member, Deji Tinubu claimed ignorance of the pull-out from the FIFA Futsal World Cup race. “I’m not aware, I’m just hearing it now, I’ll confirm the genuineness of the information. But I must say it’s shocking if it turns out to be true and on account of the first leg defeat. Things shouldn’t be done that way but I still have to confirm the story,” he said.

ECOWAS Games: Glover regrets absence of Nigeria in Handball event

r Lanre Glover, the First Vice-President of the African handball Federation (CAHB), Dr. Lanre Glover, has rue Nigeria’s absence in the handball event at the ongoing 2nd ECOWAS Games in Accra, Ghana. Glover, who described Nigeria’s inability to present a team as “unfortunate”, said the failure has robbed Nigeria of the opportunity of competing in an event she has comparative advantage. Peoples Daily Sports

recalls that Nigeria won both the male and female events at the 1st edition held in Nigeria, failed to register for the events on the grounds of paucity of funds. “Unfortunately Nigeria did not field handball but handball is on and Ghana has taken our place trying to protect the Anglophone’s interest. “It is a pity because I think the Nigerian should have won gold both male and female, especially coming from having won the

ON-GOING 2ND ECOWAS GAMES IN ACCRA, GHANA Medal table as at yesterday COUNTRY GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL NIGERIA GHANA BENIN NIGER TOGO B/FASO LIBERIA MALI SENEGAL S/LEONE C/D’IVOIRE

13 10 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

15 9 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0

5 9 2 1 0 2 0 5 2 1 0

33 28 3 2 1 3 1 5 2 1 0

Okwuosa took the resulting spot kick but it came off the

Challenge Trophy male and female, here in Ghana.” Glover, however, noted that even though Nigeria was not in the team event, the country had dominated in the sports fielded. “Nevertheless, I saw them in the athletes, and they dominated athletes, which is our usual turf but as a regional power, it would have been important to be all over the whole sports but nevertheless, you have to consider that this is the Olympic Games year and so a lot of money is needed for Olympics. “That might partly explain the meagre presence we have shown in these Games because in the past we’ve always been all over the whole sports.” Glover, who was a former president of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), praised the facilities provided by Ghana to host the Games, stressing that they pushed the frontiers of the games.

NPL Results Rangers 2 Kwara 0 ABS 3 Tornadoes 2 Heartland 1 Pillars 1 Akwa 3 Dolphin 2 Sunshine 0 3SC 0 Lobi 2 Sharks 0 Warri Wolves 1 Rising Stars 1 (Abandoned)

cross bar only for the lurking Umar to put away. Kwara protested the penalty and even walked off the pitch before they returned to the pitch. Rangers doubled their advantage on 57 minutes when Nnamdi Anyasodo connected a cross by Nigeria Ejike Uzoenyi. Former Nigeria U20 goalkeeper Kazeem Yekeen pulled off a couple of saves to ensure his team did not go down by a bigger score. In Uyo, Akwa United beat champions Dolphin 3-2 in a thrilling encounter just as Sibi Gwar netted his 15th goal for Niger Tornadoes. Johnson Omo opened the score sheet nine minutes into play, but Boris Konan equalised in 30th minute and seven minutes later Nnamdo Edo restored United’s leadership from 20-yard free kick. Abdul Jeleel Ajagun restored parity when he made it 2-2 with a power volley from 20 yards, before Johnson Omo again pounced

on a loose ball to give his side victory in the 63rd minute. Niger Tornadoes striker Sibi Gwar recorded his 15th goal of the season after scoring his team’s first goal in 3-2 loss to ABS FC in the 17th minute. He is now only five goals behind the all-time goals record in the NPL set by Jude Aneke last season. ABS enterprising forward Andrew Abalogu opened scoring after just eight minutes, before Funso Alamayo made it two in the 29th minute and bring the scores to 2-1. Ezekiel Mbah equalised for Tornadoes in the 72nd minute, before Bashir Abdulrahman scored the winner for ABS in the 87th minute and take his goals haul to 11 this season. Lobi Stars beat Sharks 2-0 with goals from Jonah Abutu and Tony Okpotu. The win pushed Lobi to third place on the table to third place with 51 points, two more than fourth-placed Enyimba, whose away game at Gombe was called off because of security fears in Gombe.

Insecurity: Brazil cancel international friendly in Nigeria By Patrick Andrew

he socio-economic consequences of the spate of bombings in the country in recent times have extended to the Super Eagles following Brazil’s cancellation of an international friendly game against the Nigerian team. The Eagles were due to face their Brazilian counterparts in a yet to be named venue in Nigeria in September, but repeated bombings and recurrent kidnappings in several parts of the country, have forced the Brazil Football Association to reconsider the scheduled friendly. Instead of Nigeria, the South American country has opted to play the Bafana Bafana of South Africa or even the USA national squad. Brazil, like Nigeria, are rebuilding mainly with domestic league players and sprinkle of foreign-based stars as they work towards the 2014 World Cup finals to be hosted by them. Similarly, Nigeria, which failed to qualify for the 2012

Nations Cup finals that was jointly hosted by Gabon/ Equatorial Guinea and won by Zambia, needed the friendly to shape up preparations for the 2013 Nations Cup and 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Brazil had originally proposed the September 11 date, but have since suggested the game be played four days earlier, but SAFA is considering Friday, September 7, with Bafana returning to South Africa to play against an African opponent on Tuesday,

Aminu Maigari, NFF president

September 11. Nigeria on the other hand are yet to settle with any team for the FIFA free day and may be compelled to accept an invitational tournament to India in August should the NFF feels unable to come up with something better. Peoples Daily Sports recalls that bombings that left scores dead in Maduguri, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Jos and Gombe as well as recurrent kidnappings in Enugu, Owerri, Asaba, Benin City and Umuahia have heighten anxiety among foreigners who feared for their security. In spite of this, cases of foreigners being attacked or directly targeted have not been reported nor are they, except in few instances, been kidnapped in recent time. However, Nigeria’s security agencies have repeatedly assured of adequate security and have vowed to arrest whatever situations may have led to recurrent cases of insecurity in the country.

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Elderson confident Eagles will qualify for South Africa, Brazil

Elderson Echiejile

igeria defender Elderson Echiejile has said the new competition in the Eagles will only make them a better team and is confident the Eagles will qualify for both the 2013 Nations Cup and 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil. “The competition in the team now between the players from overseas and those playing their football in Nigeria is good. It can only make us all better players and the team a better one,” Echiejile said. “Now we all know that no player has an automatic shirt in the national team. You have to fight for your place on the team. “Only the best should play for

Nigeria at any given time and it does not matter where or which club they are playing for. Their form should be what should earn them their place on the team.” The Sporting Braga of Portugal left back already has a first-hand experience of this competition after he was kept out of the first team by Sharks star Juwon Oshaniwa in the matches against Namibia and Malawi only to be started against Rwanda at the weekend. Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has opted to give players from the domestic league a decent run in his team and Echiejile said it is well deserved. “The players in the league in

Nigeria are good and talented. They only need to get the opportunities we got before they also moved abroad,”he said. The former Insurance of Benin star will also back the Eagles to qualify for both the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. “We will not disappoint Nigerians as we are getting to know ourselves better with each game and before long this will show in both our performances as well as the results,” he said. “It is also pleasing that we are top of our World Cup qualifying group. This will further boost our confidence and we are also not under pressure as the case was in previous qualifying tournaments to try and catch up with other teams.”

Reuben targets NPL title with Pillars

abriel Reuben has said his focus now after shinning with the Eagles is to help Kano Pillars win a second Nigeria league title. Pillars won their first Nigeria Premier League crown in 2008 and Reuben has declared that there will be no let up from action for

him even after the Eagles camp closed at the weekend. Reuben was one of only three players from the NPL who was ever-present in Nigeria’s three qualifiers against Namibia, Malawi and Rwanda and even scored the team’s only goal in the 1-1 draw in Malawi.

“My club Kano Pillars are presently topping the league table, so I have to go contribute my quota to ensure that we win the league,” the former Kaduna United and Enyimba star said. The defensive midfielder said he is challenged to do more after he was picked as the Eagles MVP for

the matches against Malawi and Rwanda “I am very grateful to Nigerians for finding me worthy of the award (MVP vs Rwanda),” said Reuben. It is the second time I am winning it. I won it in Malawi. And I see it as a charge to do more for my country.”

Mayweather earns $85m, edges Pacquiao, Federer

T Floyd Mayweather

Roger Federer

Manny Pacquiao

Maria Sharapova

he world’s highest-paid athlete is in jail. The guy in second place just lost a title fight, and the man who was first for a decade is now third. Forbes has released its list of the 100 highest paid athletes, and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. nicknamed “Money,” is number 1. Mayweather, who made $85 million for two fights last year, is serving a three-month jail sentence in Las Vegas for domestic battery. Manny Pacquiao is second on the magazine’s list at $62 million from earnings and endorsements. Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight title to Timothy Bradley earlier this month. Tiger Woods, No 1 on the list since 2001, made $59.4 million, taking third place. LeBron James of the Miami Heat is fourth on $53 million. He is one of 13 basketball players on the list. Tennis star Roger Federer is fifth at $52.7 million (almost $435 million). Thirty American football players made the top 100, with Peyton Manning tops among them at No 10. The Denver Broncos’ new quarterback made $42.4 million during his last season with the Indianapolis Colts, even though he sat out the entire season while recovering from a neck injury. David Beckham of the Los Angeles Galaxy was No 8 overall and the highest ranked soccer player at $46 million. New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was tops among baseball players and No 18 overall with $33 million. Two women, both tennis players, made the list. Maria Sharapova, at $27.9 million comes in at No 26, and Li Na at $18.4 million.

Joseph Yobo

Yobo admits Eagles’ wrangling

oseph Yobo has identified a lack of unity and discipline as the reasons why the Super Eagles have declined in recent years. “There’s been no unity, no discipline. That’s what has been the problem with the Super Eagles,” the Nigeria captain said. But he defended the players’ commitment to the cause. “Once you get that invitation to the national team and you accept to come, that is commitment. Players go through a lot to come and play for the national team and to say players are not committed is not fair.” Yobo, who has chalked up 87 caps in a 10-year international playing career, says his inability to win a trophy with the national team remains a big disappointment. “I’ve been there for 10 years and no trophy to show for it. That’s disappointing for me.” After ten years, the Fenerbahce defender says he aims to retire after leading Nigeria to the 2014 World Cup. “After the World Cup 2014, that’s my target. I’m flying right now. I’ve been to the stage where people drop but last two seasons, I only missed two games. I played every minute of all the other games.”

10 Ghana Starlets failed FIFA MRI’s test

en members of Ghana’s Under17 team failed a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) age test ahead of the 2013 African Championship qualifiers. All players must undergo the scans of the bone density of their wrists, which Fifa have found are accurate to within one percent for boys aged under18. This comes as a blow to Ghana’s Black Starlets as they play Gambia’s Baby Scorpions in October for the first leg of the qualifiers in Banjul. The Confederation African Football has ordered all federations in Africa to do the test and submit the report ahead of the start of the qualifiers. FIFA has been clamping down on the alleged widespread practice of agecheating worldwide. The news has been met with embarrassment by the Ghana Football Association. “We have done the test on the players but unfortunately 10 of them failed,” Ghana U17 coach Paa Kwesi Fabin said.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 43

Portugal battles Czech today as Rosicky suffer setback

zech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky remains a doubt with the Achilles injury he picked up against Greece in the second group match. He did return to training on Wednesday but Daniel Kolar is again on standby to deputise, as he did against

Poland. Portugal duo Bruno Alves and Raul Meireles both appear to have overcome the knocks picked up against the Dutch. Head coach Paolo Bento has no other fitness concerns and will hope to name an unchanged side.

UEFA suspends Hungarian referee from officiating

EFA refereeing Chief Pierluigi Collina has said the referee who failed to award Ukraine a goal in their 1-0 defeat to England will take no further part at Euro 2012. Ukraine believed they had equalised when Marko Devic’s shot crossed the line, but John Terry cleared and the goal was not awarded. The incident came after the officials failed to spot that Artem Milevskiy was offside, but that has done little to draw attention away from the incident. Collina has now said that, while he considers Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai to be one of the best referees in Europe, his involvement in the tournament is now over. “We can clearly say he was not responsible (for the decision) but he would have come under pressure,” Collina said. “Keeping Kassai here for another match would have been difficult for us. He is one of our best referees. It is something very unlucky for him.” FIFA president Sepp Blatter wrote on Twitter after the incident that goal-line technology is now a “necessity”, but UEFA president Michel Platini has shown little inclination to use it and has instead put his faith in ‘additional assistant referees’. Ukraine coach Oleh Blokhin said after the match that the ball had been 50 centimetres over the line, but Collina said: “This is not true. There were maybe some centimeters, a few. But it was wrong. It would be better if it had not been.”

Portugal is solid and their coach Paulo Bento realises that, if he can get the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, they are seriously going to make things happen. The only man from either camp involved in that 1996 encounter is Vladimir Smicer,

now the Czechs’ ‘sports manager’ - Michal Bilek’s assistant in layman’s terms. Portugal have hit form at the perfect time despite alarming pre-tournament form which saw them fail to win four matches, scoring only once. Though evidently inspired by Captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Bento’s men increasingly looked a real team unit as they emerged from the ‘Group of Death’ behind Germany.

Del Bosque relishing French test

Tomas Rosicky

Collina admits mistake over Ukraine goal

Pierluigi Collina

ead of referees, Pierluigi Collina, defended Uefa’s experimental system of extra goalline officials yesterday but admitted to an “unfortunate mistake” that controversially helped eliminate Ukraine from Uefa Euro 2012™. In a tournament heavy on goals and drama but relatively free of debatable decisions, Marco Devic’s disallowed effort against England on Tuesday, which television replays suggested may have crossed the line,

prompted outrage from the hosts. The goal may not have saved Ukraine from elimination anyway but the referee in charge of the game, Hungary’s Viktor Kassai, was one of four sent home on Wednesday as part of a standard pruning of officials before the quarterfinals. Collina said it would have been “unfair” to expose Kassai to additional pressure following the row, which has prompted renewed calls for the introduction of goalline

technology. The bald-headed Italian, the game’s best-known official before his retirement in 2005, insisted the decision did not undermine a system of extra officials which has been on trial in the Champions League and elsewhere for three years. This was human mistake made by a human being. Nevertheless this is the only problem we had with this experiment in roughly 1000 matches played,” Collina said.

Sepp Blatter eyes goal-line technology after England win

ifa president Sepp Blatter has renewed his call for the introduction of goal-line technology after a controversial incident in England’s 1-0 win over Ukraine helped eliminate the co-hosts. Goal-line technology could be approved by the International Football Association Board on 5 July. 1966 - It is still unclear whether Geoff Hurst’s shot crossed the line for the third goal in England’s 4-2 World Cup final win over West Germany 2005 - Tottenham’s Pedro Mendes’ shot clearly crosses the line but Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll claws the ball away and play continues

2005 - Jose Mourinho still maintains that Liverpool’s Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’ that knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League semi-final never crossed the line 2010 - Frank Lampard’s shot crosses the line but is not given in England’s 4-1 World Cup defeat by Germany 2012 - Lampard is awarded a goal in Chelsea’s 5-1 FA Cup semi-final win over Tottenham when the ball did not appear to cross the line But he stated on Monday that he expects the IFAB meeting in Zurich to give one of two goal-line systems currently being tested the go-ahead.

Diamanti: Italy stronger than England

Alessandro Diamanti

lessandro Diamanti says Italy have no fear as they prepare to take on England in Sunday’s quarter-final. France had been expected to finish top of Group D, but England ultimately finished three points clear and earned the right to face Italy, rather than defending champions Spain. Bologna forward Diamanti, who spent one year in England with West Ham, told a press conference on Wednesday that he was confident the Azzurri would progress to the semi-finals. “We will do everything we can to get through the quarter-finals,” Diamanti said. “English football as a business with the stadiums, everything around it and the behaviour of the fans is about 30 years ahead of us. However, on the pitch, Italy is stronger than England and our football is of a higher quality. We respect England, but we don’t fear them.” Daniele De Rossi, meanwhile, was more complimentary about England and reserved particularly high praise for Captain Steven Gerrard. “Gerrard has always been my idol and has been playing at a high level for years,” De Rossi said. “England is very strong and plays in an Italian style, also being very strong in defence. Perhaps we’d have preferred to face Ukraine, but this is fine.” De Rossi said he had seen little of England at Euro 2012 but added: “They have young, very strong wingers. It won’t be easy. The coach has had a career which also brought him to Italy.” With centre-back Giorgio Chiellini ruled out of the match through injury, there are suggestions De Rossi could be moved further back into defence, as he was in Italy’s 1-1 draw with Spain.

pain Coach Vicente Del Bosque says he is looking forward to a “huge match” against France, who was pitted against the European Champions in the quarterfinals after losing 2-0 to Sweden. France had been expected to win Group D and avoid a clash with the Spanish but a wonder goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped condemn them to defeat in Kiev and the runners up spot behind England. Despite the slip by Les Bleus, Del Bosque has warned Spain against any complacency when they meet the French on June 23. Del Bosque told Radio Marca: “What I don’t want is this Spanish custom that we don’t have to be careful of the opponent. It is a huge match, a match that appeals to everyone. The two sides last met in a friendly prior to the 2010 World Cup, when goals from Sergio Ramos and David Villa handed Spain a 2-0 win at the Stade de France, but Del Bosque is aware of how much the French side has changed in the intervening two years. They have made changes that have got results. They have got the formula right and Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa, Samir Nasri, Florent Malouda and Franck Ribery are all very good players. Del Bosque was however very defensive of his side’s display in the 1-0 win over Croatia in their final group game, in which they failed to find their normal rhythm for large spells and were even thankful to Iker Casillas for a fine save from Ivan Rakitic.

Spain Coach Vicente Del Bosque

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Coach canvasses for improved cycling facilities

Chigozie Agbim, skipper home-based Eagles

Nnaji sees hope in Keshi’s Eagles

arrister Ray Nnaji, former member of the Interim Board of the Nigerian Premier League, says there is bright prospect for the present bunch of the Super Eagles under Coach Stephen Keshi. According to the former Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Keshi’s rebuilding process which the Eagles have been subjected to for some months now were gradually being to yield dividends as evident by the emergence of some domestic league players and some semblance of understanding among the players. Though Nnaji acknowledged that the Eagles were far from being a team because of obvious lack of team work and inadequate level of blending, the Eagles have some skilful players that in time would grow into big stars. Nnaji, whose ban from all football activities for incessant resort to the civil court to address dispute in football matters, praised Keshi for daring to mix both the domestic league and foreign-based players in the team and added that it was yielding good results. “The team has not played as a team. They have individual skills. If not because of some advantages we have, I do not think we have justified the fact that some of them are foreign players. “Yes, they are Eagles of hope because of the fact that 80 per cent of the players are home based, very few of the foreign based. “So, that is to tell you that our experiment is working out. When you can now use the local content to take such a match, that is to tell you that with time most of them will blend.”

uraimoh Ayilo, an Assistant Coach with the Lagos State Cycling Association, yesterday canvassed for the provision of adequate training facilities for the game to enhance development cyclists in the country. Ayilo said the provision of lighter bicycles, which are being used by cyclists from other developed countries, would facilitate improvement in the standard of cyclists and makes it easier for Nigerian cyclists to compete without hindrance against their peers elsewhere. He said that while the heavier types, which were not adequate, were still being used in Nigeria, other countries have moved on to the types that would aid faster speed. “The equipment we have on ground is not up to the standard we expect. As the National Sports Festival is approaching, we are expecting standard facilities. “There is need for the upgrading of training equipment in Lagos State to the professional standard. “The bicycles we use for training are the very heavy type, and are outdated. Athletes from the developed countries of the world now train with lighter

bicycles.” Ayilo lauded the efforts of Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, for organising various sporting activities as well as updating the dilapidated sports infrastructure,

to keep the athletes busy. The coach said the introduction of standard equipment would enhance the performance of Nigerian cyclists in international competitions.

Ayilo said that inadequate training facilities had discouraged the development of the sport in the country, and called for more competitions, to keep the cyclists in shape.

Nigerian cyclists during a competition

AHF President bemoans age-cheating at ECOWAS Games

he President of the African handball Federation, Monsourou Aremou, has expressed concern over the increasing incident of age cheating in the ongoing 2nd ECOWAS Games in Accra, Ghana. Aremou expressed the concern in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Accra, Ghana, on the sidelines of the ongoing games. He said the ugly trend had permeated all the sports being competed for at games, but

expressed optimism that the development would not diminish the status of the games. The federation president, however, called for a meeting of leaders of the various delegations to the Games to brainstorm on the issue so as not to destroy the opportunity provided for the growth of sports in the sub-region. “Since ECOWAS has come in by way of introducing the Games to assist us to grow our sports, we should do well, to talk to ourselves within the sub-region to strive to

be fair in future Games by ensuring that only the right aged athletes are brought to the Games in future.” “Small problem about age, players’ ages, we have a small meeting with leaders to explain to them to try to come with young players in future.” He, however, praised Ghana for accepting to host the games, noting that the country had so far done well as it was not easy to raise funds and other logistics needed for the Games.

“I think it is a good thing that ECOWAS Games come to help some federations to grow, I think we need to work closely with ECOWAS to do better. “I think also, I want to thank Ghana for organising the games, it is good thing, it is not easy to host a competition.” He urged all countries to be as open as possible and fair-minded so that age cheating could be contained in future Games, so as not to frustrate ECOWAS for the good job it had started.

Stop playing politics with sports, Mark warns administrators By Patrick Andrew

resident of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has warned sports administrators against playing politics with sports in the country and stressed that such attitude has been detrimental to development of sports in addition to denying Nigeria opportunities for winning laurels. Instead, Mark, who sponsors APA United and several golf tournaments, said competence, potentials and flair for the game, should be the basis for selecting athletes to represent the country rather than mundane considerations. The Senate president gave the warning when the leadership of the Swimming Federation of Nigeria honoured him with a unity trophy in appreciation of his contributions to the development of sports in the country. Mark, who discountenanced incessant resort to politics in David Mark, Senate President sports affairs, said the wrangling

in sports administration, which he largely attributed politicization of sports, has led to the country’s dwindling fortunes in sports. “Competence rather than politics should be used as a yardstick to select athletes to represent Nigeria so that we can regain our lost glory, stressing that they at the level of legislation would continue to encourage sports. “But we must devoice politics from sports. We have good sports men and women in all fields. Athletes must be selected to represent the nation based on skill, and ability and not on political considerations. “If we have 11 good players from one community and they are the best to represent us, so be it as long as they can do the nation proud,” he said in apparent objection to use of Federal Character in the selection of athletes and appointment of technical personnel. In a release signed by Paul Mumeh, the Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Senate, indicated that Mark assured that the National Assembly would provide the enabling environment for sports to thrive through adequate appropriation, adding that as “a potent tool for unity and national integration,” sports must not be treated disdain. Earlier, the President of the Swimming Federation of Nigeria, Mr. Fatai Babatunde Williams requested for government’s support to improve the game of Swimming in the country. Williams said the Swimming Federation would hold the first open water swimming competition in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State between July 18 and 22, to further create awareness about the importance of the game.

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 45

PICTORIAL A. Scott Parker says that England have enough â&#x20AC;&#x153;commitment and beliefâ&#x20AC;? to get them through a tricky quarter-final against Italy.

B. England rest Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann for tomorrow final one-day international against West Indies. C. British number one Andy Murray is seeded fourth as he looks to win the Wimbledon men's singles title for the first time. D. Nick Abendanon scores a first-half hat-trick as a young England side thrash the South Africa Northern Barbarians 57-31. E. Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn believes Michael Schumacher can become the F1 season's eighth winner from eight races in Valencia. F. Britain's Bradley Wiggins says he never imagined he would be talked about as a possible winner of the Tour de France. G. Sanya RichardsRoss heads to the US Olympic trials with illness behind her ready to prove she rules the 400m.

PAGE 46

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

C Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has ruled out breaking up the happy marriage between Manchester City and Mario Balotelli. The San Siro side has long been linked with offering the madcap striker a route back to Italy but the club’s CEO has ruled out making a summer move for Balotelli, who scored against Ireland on Monday night. The partnership of Balotelli and Roberto Mancini’s side has been far from serene with red cards and fireworks punctuating the union, but Galliani vows not to ruin the romance.

Mario Balotelli

De Jong: I’ll stay at City

igel De Jong insists he plans to see out the last year of his Manchester City contract. The Holland midfielder’s future is up in the air after talks over a new deal worth more than £100,000 a week broke down last year. City will lost the 27years old for nothing next summer. De Jong, frequently a sub last season, added: “I saw the club

change from complete mayhem at the training facilities into a real top club. “Its part of the job I occasionally warms the bench. We have a squad rotation system. “I prefer to play but it’s all about the team and we won the title, so it was worth it.” City have rejected Inter Milan’s bid to use centre-back Andrea Ranocchia, 24, as bait to land 26year-old Aleksandar Kolarov.

est Ham has agreed terms with Wigan midfielder Mohamed Diame. The Senegal international will join the Hammers on a three-year contract on July 1 after his contract expires at the DW Stadium. Diame, 25, said: “I’m very happy and very excited to have joined the club and I’m looking forward to the start of the season. “I know the fans here get behind the team all the time and I’m looking forward to showing everybody what I can do on the pitch.” West Ham boss Sam Allardyce added: “His potential is really good and he’s ready to go and compete in the first team straight away as he’s had three years in the Premier League already. “He can only get better and I hope he can go on to prove that to me and all of the West Ham fans. Diame is West Ham’s third summer signing after Stephen Henderson and Jussi Jaaskelainen joined the Premier League newcomers.

Sunderland winning race for Newcastle old boy

underland boss Martin O’Neill is winning the race to sign striker Louis Saha. O’Neill hopes to tie up a deal for the experienced forward, who is a free-agent after spending the second half of last season at Tottenham having ended a threeyear spell with Everton. The Frenchman also played for Sunderland’s bitter rivals Newcastle early in his career, but that will not be held against him by O’Neill, who wants to bring in proven players on a tight budget. The much-travelled striker, who recently revealed how Sven Goran Eriksson wanted him to play for England, has had trouble with injuries, but O’Neill is more interested in his ability to finish a knack his side lacked last season. O’Neill faces competition from a handful of foreign clubs, including a wealthy Middle Eastern outfit, but is optimistic of landing the 33-year-old. Saha, who has also played for

Sam knees to land Holt

Diame set to join Wigan

AC Milan rules out move for City star

Grant Holt

est Ham last night increased their bid for Grant Holt to £5.5million in an attempt to test Norwich’s resolve. The Hammers’ initial offer of £3m was turned down. Boss Sam Allardyce wants Holt, who scored 17 goals last season, to beef up his forward line following promotion to the Premier League. The deal starts at £3.5m but goes up by £2m on appearances. City has already turned down a transfer request made by Holt at the end of the season.

Barca eyes Vermaelen, Martinez, Kompany, Luiz

thletic Bilbao’s Martinez is the Catalans’ top target, but Kompany, Luiz and Gunners hero are alternatives if he is too expensive Vermaelen is a fall-back target for Barcelona this summer new Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova will turn his attentions to raiding the Premier League if he fails to land Athletic Bilbao defender Javi Martinez. The Spanish giants have Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen, Chelsea’s David Luiz, who they were linked with earliert this summer, and Manchester

City captain Vincent Kompany and on their hit-list if they fail to get Martinez. Barca want to sign one top-quality defender this summer, and so far Martinez - who can operate in central defence or midfield - is proving to be too expensive. Meanwhile, Vermaelen’s clubmate Carlos Vela is desperate to join Real Sociedad permanently - but claims the Gunners are driving a hard bargain. The Mexican forward, 23, spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad and would like to join them, but Arsenal are playing hardball over a fee.

QPR extends Hill contract

Manchester United and Fulham, would play on in the Premier League if the deal is right. Mohamed Diame

lint Hill has agreed a new one-year extension at QPR. The popular 33year-old defender, named both the Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Year last season, will remain at Loftus Road until the summer of 2013, with the option of a further year. Hill said: “I’m absolutely buzzing. As soon as I found out that Mark Hughes wanted to keep me for at least another year, staying here was the only thing on my mind. “It was a straightforward decision to stay. I love playing here and I love playing at Loftus Road. It’s a great ground.”

Wigan double wage to keep Moses from Chelsea

Louis Saha

igan has offered to double Victor Moses’ wages in a last-ditch attempt to keep him at the club Moses, 21, has his sights set on a summer switch to Chelsea after impressing new Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo. The Champions League winners have already had a £3.5million bid rejected but Latics chairman Dave Whelan admits he may be powerless to stop the forward leaving. Whelan said: “We’ve made him a very good offer involving a

doubling of his wages over the next three years. “It’s down to whether the lad himself listens to sense, or whether he listens to his agent. “The player has to realise that it’s his future we’re talking about not his agent’s. “If we have to sell him, we will do so reluctantly but not for the money that is currently on the table.” Despite his desire to move on, Moses has made it clear he remains fully committed to life at the DW Stadium. The former Crystal Palace ace said: “I have heard a lot of offers

are on the table. “Wigan has the final say but for me the highest bidder would take the day. While Moses believes his future lies elsewhere, Whelan is keen to see him continue his development under Wigan boss Roberto Martinez. He added: “I personally have told Victor he requires another 12 months minimum under Roberto’s guidance before he thinks about moving to a top club. “I told him when he signed for Wigan that we’d let him go when the time was right and a big club came in for him.

Drogba signs for Chinese club Shenhua

Didier Drogba

ormer Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has signed for Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on a two-and-a-half-year deal. He will team up again at Shanghai with ex-Blues colleague Nicolas Anelka. Drogba, 34, said: “I considered all the offers I have received in the past few weeks, but feel Shanghai Shenhua is the right move for me at this time. Drogba joined Chelsea from

Marseille for £24m in the summer of 2004, becoming one of Jose Mourinho’s first signings. He helped the Blues to win three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups during his eight-year spell. In that time he climbed to fourth on the list of Chelsea’s all-time goalscorers with 157 and is also the club’s leading scorer in European competition with 34. Drogba said: “I’m looking forward to a new challenge and

experiencing a new culture, and am excited about developments in the Chinese Super League. “When Chelsea went to China last year, we had a great time and I met some amazing fans. Shanghai Shenhua were the first football club in China to become independent of government control and are majority-owned by local businessman Zhu Jun. In the past they have signed well-known players including Carsten Jancker and Jorg Albertz.

Victor Moses

PEOPLES DAILY, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

PAGE 47

Gwar targets NPL Golden Boot N

Sibi Gwar, Tornadoes ace

iger Tornadoes striker Sibi Gwar says his target is to finish as the all time highest goal scorer in the 2011/ 2012 Nigerian Premier League (NPL) season. The Tornadoes player, who currently has 13 goals, hopes to dethrone Jude Aneke of Warri Wolves that holds the record of 21 goals as the highest ever scored by a player in theNPL. Gwar said he was positive about the possibility of finishing as the league’s highest goal scorer and surpass the record set by Aneke. He is currently leading the goal scoring chat with 13 goals with seven games remaining in the season. “My target is to beat the all time record of 21 goals and I have been working hard towards it and I believe it is possible,” he said. He added that his team mates had been very supportive and credited much of his goals to team effort rather than individual brilliance.

AWC: Super Falcons qualification not a fluke, says team co-ordinator S

uper Falcons team Coordinator, Henrietta Ukaigwe, has described that the team’s qualifier for the 8th African Women Championship (AWC) as a further testimony to their current top position in Africa. The Falcons on Saturday in Lagos defeated the Mighty Warriors of Zimbabwe 4-0 to qualify for the AWC in Equatorial Guinea in October. Ukaigwe said yesterday that Falcons wanton defeat of Zimbabwe has showed that they were not occupying the top position in Africa for fluke. “The Falcons remain the number one in Africa having won the title record six times since 1986 when the competition started. They will continue to remain number one as long as the competition exists,” the coordinator said. According to her, the Nigeria Football Association would continue to contribute its quota to ensure that the Falcons not only retain its African title, but also shine worldwide. “Now that the team as qualified, we will intensify efforts to ensure that the Falcons successfully defended its title in Equatorial Guinea,” she said. Meanwhile, female football fans in the country have

renewed their support for the development of women soccer in the country saying the national female teams were doing the country proud. The fans most of whom witnessed how the Falcons whip Zimbabwe to get the AWC ticket said that the female national teams should further be motivated by government. The respondents then urged government, corporate bodies and individuals to show more interest in the development of female soccer in the country. Nickson Goodluck, a businessman, said that he had always loved watching the female national teams playing, stressing that by their current standard, they were making the country proud. “I have been following the female national teams for quite a long time and they are fantastic. “The male national teams should emulate these girls because we are feeling their impact in qualifiers and other competitions,” he said. According to Goodluck, the fortunes of the male national teams have dwindled in recent times and that fans have lost interest in their inability to come back to reckoning.

Desire Oparanozie, Esther Sunday, Stella Mbachu, Super Falcons icons

“My team mates are doing greatly and their support as a team has brought me this far because it’s only as a team that I can meet my target,” he said. Gwar said that regardless of how many goals he would score, he was much more concerned about Tornadoes ending the season on a bright note. “The number of goals I score will mean nothing to me if we don’t finish the league season on a comfortable position. “This also means that if a player is in a better position than I am to score I would rather give him the ball than waste the opportunity,” he said. On the Super Eagles, Gwar said his focus was to help Tornadoes to remain in the league and getting a call up to the national team would come when the time is right. “All I want at the moment is to keep Tornadoes in the league. Getting a call up to the national team is every player’s dream. But right now my desire is to help my team end the league season on a positive note,” he said. He commended the Falcons for their determination to remain the number one in Africa, saying that with such determinations; they would go far in women football at the world level. Adeolu Balogun, a student, urged Nigerians to accord equal interest for both the male and female soccer in the country, saying that female football has come of age for equal recognition. “Our girls really put in their best in the second leg because I could see the zeal to win in them. They have shown the world that female football is here to stay in Nigeria,” Balogun said. He also commended the Super Falconets who have qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women World Cup in Japan and the Flamingoes for the U-17 World Cup in Azerbaijan. Chiwendu Opara, an undergraduate noted that the female national teams at all categories had made Nigeria proud and that she appreciate them for that. “Who says women cannot do what men can do? They can do better as far as I am concerned. I am impressed with the Falcons superiority and skill,” Opara. She then urged sponsors to embrace female football in the country, saying that the female footballers were pride to the nation and should be encouraged.

...As Warriors’ coach tips Falcons for African glory

oach of Zimbabwe’s Mighty Warriors, Rosemary Mugadza is positive Super Falcons will defend the AWC title in Equatorial Guinea in November. Mugadza’s wards were dumped from the biennial football fiesta by the Nigerian women who won the final fixture 6-0 on aggregate. Apparently overwhelmed by the flawless display by the Falcons, Mugadza told SuperSport.com that it would be a huge shock if the Nigerians failed to win the AWC title in Equatorial Guinea. “I think if they (Super Falcons) continue from where they left today (Saturday) they might pick the AWC title again. “They only need to train the team and persist in doing what they’re doing the title will be theirs just for the asking in Equatorial Guinea,” she said. Mugadza who felt let down by her backline however admitted that Falcons were the better side.

“Our defence lacked the desired bit because of the new defenders we played today, they were not at their best and that gave the Falcons forwards free room to operate. “Today (Saturday) they (Falcons) played very well unlike the previous game in Harare. They utilised their chances and scored all their goals. We didn’t play our normal game we used to play and that was why we lost. “We lost the game in the first half but later in the second half we tried, managed to play our game and we had our chances and again we failed to convert the chances. And we wish Nigerians all the best when they play in Equatorial Guinea in November,” she said. The coach said she will keep the team together for future engagements. “I’m not throwing in the towel but will reposition the team for future challenges. We’re still new, this is our second attempt at qualifying for the AWC,” she said.

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

. . . putting the people first

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

3 Nigerian boxers advance into ECOWAS Games' finals

eam Nigeria is sure of, at least, three silver medals in boxing following the qualification yesterday of three boxers to the finals of on-going ECOWAS Games in Accra. In the semi-final bouts held at the sports hall of the Accra Sports Stadium, the boxers Semiu Okerinde, Oladosu Rilwan and Adewale Masebinu - beat their opponents to qualify. Okerinde won 14-7 against Amed Sadek of Burkina Faso in the bantamweight 56kg category, while Masebinu won 15-7 against Nouhou Sangare of Mali in a middleweight 75kg category bout. In a tight fight between Rilwan and Sanon Kouesse of Burkina Faso in their lightweight 60kg fight, the Nigeria won 9-7. In Thursday’s final, Okerinde will meet Ghana’s Sulemanu Tetteh, who beat Mahamadou Bohari of Niger Republic in the other semi-final. Rilwan also has another Ghanaian awaiting him in the final as Jessie Lartey had earlier beaten Tadja Imonou of Republic of Benin in the other semi-final match. Masebinu would on his part meet the winner of the other semi-final pairing of Ghana’s Emmanuel Martey and Sawadogo Boureimi of Burkina Faso.

'I'd rather have Ronaldo than Messi'

ortugal midfielder Joao Moutinho would rather have teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in his side than Argentine great Lionel Messi. "Ronaldo and Messi, those are the two best players in the world," Moutinho said ahead of Portugal's Euro 2012 quarterfinal clash with the Czech Republic today. "I think that Cristiano is a very complete player in all aspects, Messi is too but these two players, they differ from another. I would prefer Ronaldo." Moutinho was answering just one of many Ronaldorelated questions that dominated both Czech and Portuguese news conferences at the National Stadium.

ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

0803 0805 0803 0805 0803

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE He does not have the interest of erians a t. He should ha ve Nigerians att hear heart. hav Nig stayed to show that he was touched by the loss of lives... — CNPP reacting to President Jonathan’s trip to Brazil

The Christian answer to Boko Haram L

ast Sunday, the attention of the nation was drawn to the killings of innocent Nigerian Muslims, including unsuspecting travellers on the Kaduna-Abuja Highway, by Christians as a reprisal attack to Boko Haram bombings of churches in Kaduna and Zaria. A number of Mosques and shops were also burnt that Sunday in Christiandominated neighbourhoods in the southern part of the city. In all the attacks, as at the last offical count, has killed 21 Christians, while the reprisals killed 29 Muslims and hundreds werreinsured. As a result, I will pause my series on Kano to say a word about the matter. Before we continue, however, I have a confession to make. Writing on matters of religion in Nigeria and especially where lives and places of worship are involved is very difficult for commentators that would like to remain impartial. So many times, as we try it, a writer finds it difficult to walk the tight rope of objectivity, balance and reason. Yet, the mettle of a writer is not tested by his treatment of populist topics or points of view but by how delicately he handles tough issues with equanimiyt and fearlessness. In the midst of high tension and soaring tempers, a voice of reason, even if faint, is most welcome. The fact that a group of Muslims in the name of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnati Lil Da'awati wal Jihad - popularly known as Boko Haram - has been attacking churches in Northern Nigeria is a settled one. Its leader, Malam Abubakar Shekau, has twice featured on YouTube claiming its responsibility, and so does his spokesperson, Abu Qaqa, in the aftermath of many such attacks. The fact that there are Christians found involved in church bombing activities - and there are many reported and unreported cases - or in supporting Boko Haram as I once wrote on this page does not renounce the confession of Boko Haram; it only complicates our analytical equation by introducing more variables and, thus, making it less linear than most of us would wish. Targeting churches and Christians with bombings by Boko Haram is a matter that has saddened every well meaning Muslim and Christian in this country. Attacking worshipers is not only un-Islamic but also cheap. The command of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to his companions on this is clear. A Muslim must not have a better model on religion than him. Demolition a place of worship is an act of fasad - or corruption of the

311 689 606 327 454

7458 1765 3308 1969 0344

GUEST COLUMNIST Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde

CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor world, as clearly stated in Suratul Hajj, ironically in the very verse that the leader of the group quoted in his first video to justify its resort to arms, though he did not complete it. A worshipper is a guest of God. When a delegation of Christians once paid a visit to the Prophet in Medina, he not only camped them in his mosque but also asked them to use it for their worship. That is how the sanctity of worshippers and their place of worship became a settled issue among Muslims of various sects. That is why destruction of churches are hard to find in Muslim history. Muslims have left churches and even idols in Jerusalem, Syria, Europe, Egypt and Asia intact to date. The Taliban that destroyed the idol of Buddha in Afghanistan a decade and half ago was widely condemned by Muslim scholars across the world. I am yet to come across a Nigerian Muslim - a scholar or a layman like me - that approves of the demolition of churches and attack on worshippers. That was how the first claim by Boko Haram came to the Muslim community as a great shockand shame. Of course, Muslim rioters have burnt churches before and they continue to do so, just as Christians also burn mosques when there are unrests. The difference is in organization. Those are acts of mobs. The ones of Boko Haram are organized operations of a sect that claims to be waging a holy warfor Islam, for God. But what is its justification, if we may ask? Fortunately, the group is unequivocal on its reasons. It seeks to legitimise such operations based on the principle of retaliation. It is true, as it says repeatedly, that

Muslims in the past twenty years became targets of barbarous attacks by some Christians in areas where the latter dominates. The examples of Kafanchan, Tafawa Balewa, Zangon Kataf, Kaduna, Plateau and Zonkwa cannot be denied. It is not the barbarity of such attacks that worries Muslims most, however but how Christians get away with the crimes so easily. Many accuse the Christian dominated security and law enforcement agencies of complicity. It is difficult to recall any substantial prosecution or even arrest of Christians in all these despite the presence of hardcore evidence, including videos, in the hands of security agencies and the general public. The most recent of them are the attack on Muslims on Eid ground in Jos and the cannibalization of their bodies in the presence of law enforcement personnel and that of how Muslim villagers were massacred in Southern Kaduna during the post election violence, both in 2011. On the other hand, the violent reactions of Muslims to these atrocities are greeted by severe punishments by tribunals, courts and law enforcement agents that play the prosecution and the judge at the same time. From Karibiwhyte tribunal of 1987 to the latest arrests on the Plateau, it is Muslims who consistently receive the butt. It is this selective justice and indifference of Nigerian authorities to Muslim blood, property and dignity that gives Boko Haram the pretext to retaliate on Christians. But here too, the group is wrong. No doubt, God has permitted the Prophet to retaliate against the polytheists of Arabia who transgressed against Muslims for over a dcade. In issuing that permit, however, God was specific about the target and the proportion of the retaliation: “Whoever transgresses against you, transgress (in return) against him in proportion to his transgression against you, and know that God is with those who fear Him (i.e. those who follow his command without retaliating beyond the proportion of the offence they received).” (Chapter Baqarah) In another verse He said: “And fight those who fight you and do not transgress (beyond the

proportion that you were attacked with). God doesn't like those who transgress.” (Chapter Baqarah again) This is equal to the principle of proportionality in international law. The interpretation of Boko Haram that every Nigerian Christian bears the burden of the crime that another Christian committed is absolutely untenable Islam: “And no soul would bear the burden of another soul…” (Chapter Fatir) Therefore, the actions of Boko Haram on these matters do not conform with the provisions of the Qur'an. Throughout his life, the Prophet of Islam was specific in punishing those who wronged Muslims on the few occasions he could not forgive them. For example, he never generalized punishment on the polytheists of Arabia then. When he was fighting those of Mecca, he was fighting those of Mecca alone. Neither did he treat the different tribes of Jews and Christians then in Arabia as one. He treated each on its own merit, befriending them except those who proved hostile to Islam. This is the provision against collective punishment in international law, again. In the same manner, even if we were to accord amargin for retaliation, which I will discount later in the discussion, we must accept that Nigerian Christians cannot be treated as one organic collection of murderers that deserve a carpet treatment of bombs and bullets. In this case, the task is even made easier because the communities where these atrocities are perpetrated are known; so are the names and pictures of people who committed the crimes. Why would Boko Haram then target innocent worshippers for God's sake? Why not go for the criminals specifically? If it would avenge the cannibalization of Muslims on the Eid grounds of Rukuba for example, let the it obtain the video, take the pain of identifying the attackers and go after them with a surgical precision. Why then attack a cheap target of Christian worshippers in Gombe or Kaduna and leave those in Zonkwa or Rukuba? Come on. This is not Islam. I remember the fatwa once given by Sheikh Salisu Abubakar Suntalma of Ahmadu Bello University during the Kafanchan crisis of 1987. He said, agreed that innocent Muslims were killed in Kafanchan, it does not warrant any Muslim to attack any church Contd. on Page 35

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos, Tel: +234-09-8734478. Cell: +234 803 606 3308. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com ISSN: 2141– 6141