Peoples Daily Newspaper, Wednesday 22, May, 2013

www.peoplesdailyng.com

Vol. 11 No. 3

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

. . . putting the people first

Rajab 13, 1434 AH

N150

Two poachers arrested for removing hippo teeth

>>5

Jonathan orders release of Boko Haram suspects It is welcome development — Shettima As NASS approves emergency rule

By Joy Baba, Ikechukwu Okaforadi, Umar Muhammad Puma, Abuja & Edwin Olofu, Kano

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered the release of all suspected members of the dreaded

Boko Haram Haram sect which is suspected to be behind insurgency activities in the country.

This is coming as the National Assembly yesterday endorsed the declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

According to a release from the Defence Headquarters signed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, the suspects are to be handed over to their various state governors.

He said the move was in furtherance of the Federal

Government’s position in response to requests by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Reconciliation.

The statement added that the measure which is in line with Presidential magnanimity to enhance peace efforts in the country, will result in freedom for

the suspects, including all women under custody.

It reads in part: "The details of the directives and those to benefit from this gesture have been communicated to field units and the Joint Task Force.

“The beneficiaries will be Contd on Page 2

Resign now, Buhari tells Jonathan From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

F

L-R: Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Malam Umar Yahaya; Executive Director, Lagos and South West sectors of the bank, Mr. IK Mbagwu; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Reginald Ihejiahi; Chairman of the Board, Chief Christopher Eze, during the bank's 25th Annual General Meeting, yesterday at the Transcorp Hilton, in Abuja.

ormer head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to resign due to his government’s failure to address the lingering security challenges facing the country and for his alleged gross incompetence in running the affairs of the nation.

Buhari, who gave the advise in an interview with newsmen at his Daura residence, Katsina

PDP directs govs Corruption charges: to deliver states Adoke sues Melaye in 2015 >>2 for N10bn >>3

Contd on Page 2

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

CONTENTS News

2-10

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-22

Stockwatch

23

S/Report

24-25

Property

26-27

Motoring

28

Arts

29-30

2015: Ranting of the rented crowd, Page 4

Int’l

31-34

Strange World 35 Digest

36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-45

Leisure

47

Columnist

48

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

You can send your news and pictures to: letters@peoplesdaily-online.com pictures@peoplesdaily-online.com contact@peoplesdaily-online.com

Phones for News: 070-37756364 09-8734478

Resign now, Buhari tells Jonathan Contd from Page 1 State, said "This is not good leadership to send soldiers killing innocent people and raping their women. The government should leave the stage for those who can provide good leadership “I am a soldier and I participated in the civil war. We have our code of conduct in our operations but now you allow people to just go harassing people and killing them. Just because one or two soldiers were killed, you just go out killing

everyone on sight like what happened in Baga and Bama,” he alleged.

The former Head of State, who looked visibly worried by the recent deteriorating security in situation the country, continued: "Even the soldiers that were brought to take over from police are now behaving like the police by collecting bribe from people. How can you block a whole neighbourhood, killing any one at sight?

"When the Niger Delta problem

started, late President ‘Yar’adua sent aeroplanes to bring their leaders to Abuja where they were given money and trained on some skills.

But when the Boko Haram issue began, what happened? Soldiers were sent to kill them. Their leaders Muhammad Yusuf who was captured alive was killed, his In-law was killed; their property destroyed.

We should learn to be just to all."

According to Buhari, even during the Nigerian civil war their commander, Mamman Shuwa

made sure they abide by the code of conduct given to them while independent monitors from outside visited them to make sure they abide by the rules of engagement as given to them by then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.

Buhari therefore advised all security operatives to abide by the rules of their operations, adding: "Now, you are fighting Boko Haram are you going to kill them all. The best practice is to arrest them and make them face the wrath of the law."

Jonathan orders release of Boko Haram suspects Contd from Page 1 released to the state governors who will be involved in further rehabilitation before these suspects are released to their respective community leaders/relations".

Responding to Jonathan's order to release the suspects, Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, through his spokesperson, Isa Umar Gusau, said “I am in the picture of the very welcome development and I look forward to receiving them. It is cheering news for me and the government of Borno State because it will no doubt help in fast-tracking the peaceful resolution process which like I have always said, remains the long term solution to the crisis.

"Releasing the detainees will further show the commitment and sincerity of the federal government to the peace negotiation which should attract the sect members to the negotiation table and increase community participation in the process. The state government is dutifully committed to every lawful and reasonable efforts that aims at the return of peace and security of lives and property in Borno, the Northern region and Nigeria in its entirety since no society can achieve any meaningful and steady progress in an atmosphere of violence."

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Presidential committee on dialogue with Boko Haram members, popularly called the Amnesty Committee, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has described the order for the release of some suspects as welcome development because it is in line with the recommendation of the committee for an amicable resolution of the crisis.

Turaki said when contacted by Peoples Daily yesterday that the committee received with a lot of optimism, the information of the decision of the Defence headquarters to release some vulnerable detainees with links with Boko Haram members.

The decision, he said, shows sincerity and faithfulness towards pursuing genuine reconciliation, adding that the committee has resolved not to leave any stone unturned in engaging the Boko Haram in a meaningful dialogue for amicable resolution of the crisis.

“We call on the Boko Haram members to give us an opportunity to dialogue with them for peace, because we believe that whatever dialogue cannot achieve, violence cannot achieve. With the order for the release of some suspects, there is no alternative to peace. If the Boko Haram members believe in the

Holy Qur’an and the practice of the prophet, the best option is to give peace a chance and accept dialogue. We believe that if they are after the practice of Islam, they should welcome government’s gesture and accept dialogue.”

The Senate at yesterday's plenary unanimously approved the state of emergency declared in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno by President Jonathan, urging the federal government to ensure adequate funding of the operation.

Speaking after the closed door session, the Senate President, David Mark, said it was appropriate to adequately fund the operation so as to ensure that enough medicals are sent to the affected states to reduce the sufferings of the people.

Mark also urged the Boko Haram insurgents in the states to corporate with the operation to ensure that the crisis is brought to a permanent end, adding that the Amnesty committee should also work with the authorities in the states towards resolving the problem.

He further urged the states not affected by Boko Haram and the emergency rule to corporate with the military and the government to bring the problem to an end.

While admitting that military power is not the solution to the problem, the Senate also urged the soldiers to abide by the rules of engagement, by ensuring that human rights are not abused.

Similarly, the state of emergency was unanimously endorsed in the House of Representatives but it maintained that governors and local government chairmen of the affected states should continue to be in charge of general administration of territories under emergrncy rule. Another clause also stated that the emergency rule shall only apply to the affected states with regard to the security, order and safety in the affected states and local government areas.

The House also resolved that funds accruing to the affected states and local government areas must not be tampered with by troops and security personnel enforcing the emergency rule just as it recommended that victims of terrorist attacks should be compensated by the Federal government.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal also announced the establishment of a six member conference Committee to harmonise the resolutions of the House and that of the Senate. The Committee is expected to submit its report to the House tomorrow.

Members of the committee include Sam Tsokwa (Chairman) Nkoyo Toyo, Ahmad Ali, Aminu Shagari, Ben Nwankwo and Nathaniel Agunbiade.

Meanwhile, Kano state Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said that stakeholders in the country, including government, politicians, traditional rulers, religious leaders and parents are to be held accountable for the state of insecurity facing he country.

Kwankwaso who was speaking at the Government House, Kano yesterday when he received members of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of security challenges in the North, traced the security problem to failure of the leaders to take full responsibility of governance and offer dividends of democracy to the people.

“The parents, the communities, the Local Government authorities, state government and the Federal Government are all guilty of the insurgency that is facing this country, we are all guilty.”

He also lamented what he described as the loss of family values, “parents no longer take responsibility of their family. We have a situation in this part of the country where parents give birth to 20 to 30 children, chose only two out of them and send the rest away to God knows where.

“Children are sent to places that they don’t know. They are left to fend for themselves. We have a situation where you go round the city and find garrison of children— able-bodied youths begging.

“These children were abandoned by their parents and they were sent away and brought into the state. They grow up to hate themselves, hate their parents, hate the leaders, hate the government and the society. They feel they were deprived, they feel injustice and they become enemies of the state and constituted authorities; and thereby becoming vulnerable to crime and violence.

“These are the bitter pills we must swallow—that we are all guilty of what is happening today.

We have to wake up and rise up to the challenges. What started in Yobe and Borno is everywhere in the North, it may eventually envelope the country if we don’t check it now. It is a national issue that must be addressed,” Kwankwaso stated.

The governor, who is also a former Defence Minister, called on the government and Nigerians to eschew greed and ensure that what is meant for the people goes round.

To end the Boko Haram insurgency, Kwankwaso advised, “we should keep our eyes on what is happening; our leaders must plan properly — long-term planning. We must also do away with the issue of planning for a second-term while the business of governance suffers.

“As a former Defence Minister, I advise that the rule of engagement must be strictly followed by soldiers deployed to those areas we have emergency rule. I appeal to those affected in this insurgency to come to the table and dialogue. We have to reduce the issue of greed, if we cannot eliminate it. We have to ensure that the right thing is done under the worst circumstance. We also have to control our emotion,” Kwankwaso noted.

2015: PDP directs govs to deliver states

By Lawrence Olaoye

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or the second time in one week, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday charged all governors on the platform of the party to win all their states for the party in 2015.

Tukur made this declaration after a private meeting with some former members of the National

Assembly in his Abuja residence.

The PDP Chairman also cautioned the governors on the platform of the party not to glory in their successes but return same to the party which gave them the platform to serve.

According to him, his recent reconciliation tour of the country afforded him he opportunity to assess the performances of the governors which made him to come to the conclusion that PDP

governors are actually the best in the country.

He said most of the PDP governors have indeed been implementing the party’s manifesto on Education, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Rural Development, Power Generation, Transportation, Aviation and others.

Tukur also cautioned the PDP governors never to fall pray to the antics of praise singers and adulators.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 3

Corruption charges: Adoke sues Melaye for N10bn

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

T

he Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr.Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), has dragged the AntiCorruption Network, its executive Secretary and former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Meyale, before an Abuja High court over

an alleged assassination of character.

Adoke, in his statement of claims averred that his attention was drawn by his son, Habib Mohammed Bello, his Senior Special Assistant, Prof.

Peter Akper (SAN) and his colleague and friend, Mr. Damien Dodo (SAN) to the defamatory publications on page 45 of the LEADERSHIP

Newspaper of April 12, 2013 and another online publication, Sahara Reporters on the 11th of April, 2013.”

The Minister also wants an order of perpetual injunction restraining, Melaye and his anticorruption network from further publishing libelous stories about him or from further inferring in any manner whatsoever to his reputation.

The AGF said he was hurt as Melaye described him as a dishonorable person who associates himself with criminals and economic saboteurs and that even though he (Adoke) is a top government official, he is sabotaging the efforts of the Federal Government to tackle the menace of corruption.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.

L-R: Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Amal Pepple, FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, Benue State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, President Goodluck Jonathan, and Group Chairman, Byuyan Resources Group of Companies, Dr Mathias Byuan, during the foundation laying ceremony of Paramilitary Village Housing, yesterday at Kyami District, Airport Road, Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

By Lawrence Olaoye and Adeola Tukuru

F

ederal Capital Territory Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, has said the 8,000 square kilometers of land that make up the FCT belongs to the Federation Government with the President as the trustee.

Speaking during a special presentation to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the Wadata Plaza, Mohammed explained that in his capacity as

10 killed in Plateau – Bauchi road auto crash

T

en people were killed and four others injured in a ghastly motor accident involving a lorry with registration number Lagos AA21LKJ and a Honda Civic r with registration number Plateau AE222JJN, along the Plateau – Bauchi road.

Eyewitness accounts said that the incident occurred at about 6 am when the lorry collided with the Honda Civic with eight passengers who died on the spot, along with two others from the lorry.

Confirming the incident, the Plateau state Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Bulus, said that, “I was just informed that there was a tragic incident which occurred along Jos–Bauchi road and the accident claimed 10 lives and four others injured.”

Farida Waziri wants archaic laws repealed

By Sunday Ejike Benjamin

A Abuja land belongs to FG – Minister

the Minister, he was only exercising the powers delegated to him by the President and Commander-in-Chief in allocating lands to prospective developers in line with the provisions of Section 299 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said that despite that reality, he has personally made it a prerequisite that under the land swap programme of the FCTA, the

investors from the very beginning adopt a resettlement and compensation policy that take into consideration the concerns of all critical stakeholders especially the original inhabitants.

Responding, leadership of the PDP urged the Minister to give expedited approval to its officials' application for land.

The PDP officials made the request yesterday while hosting the Minister who came to the

party's headquarters for briefing on his performance in furtherance to its manifesto and President Goodluck Jonathan's transformation agenda.

The PDP National Auditor, Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju, counseled the Minister to further educate the people on the policies of the FCT and reminded him that several of their land applications were laying on his table urging him to expedite action on their approvals.

former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri yesterday called for the repeal of the archaic laws of the country, ifdesired results in the fight against corruption must be achieved.

Speaking at the public presentation of a book titled, “S.T Hon’s Law of Evidence in Nigeria”

by Chief Sebastine Hon (SAN), held in Abuja, the former EFCC boss said unless archaic laws are repealed, Nigeria cannot meet up with the present day challenges in the fight against corruption.

She said it would be fool hardy to believe that the present laws can wipe out corruption because of the too many escape routes for corrupt people to escape from punishment.

She said, “it is a notorious fact that corruption is being fought partly with archaic laws, the laws that rae no longer suitable for the unpleasant situation we found ourselves.”

Emergency rule may trigger inflation, says CBN

By Abdulwahab Isa

T

he regime of emergency rule in parts of the north may engender inflationary pressure on the economy, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) warned yesterday as it also decided to retain the lending rate (MPR) at 12 per cent.

Speaking yesterday during the CBN Monterrey Policy Meeting (MPC), the CBN Governor, Mallam SanusiLamidoSanusi, said the recent military action in Borno, Yola and Adamawa states will resort in additional spending for the Federal Government.

Apart from MPR, the prime

rate the CBN lends to the Deposit Lending banks, other key indices like Cash Reserves Requirement(CRR) and liquidity is retained at 12 per cent and 30 per cent respectively around the corridor of + - MPR at a net open of 1 per cent.

Though the MPC in its analysis of the economy yesterday agreed some positive grounds had been covered such as , the single digit inflation rate, stable exchange rate , relative high external reserves and positive outlook; it nonetheless added that it will be pre-mature in view of potential risks factor to lower the lending rate.

Sanusi said, “the Committee

considered the merits of the option of lowering the lending rate but rejected it as being pre-mature in view of the potential risks factors in the horizon posed by the recent development which will necessitate the increase expenditure in the short medium term resulting in the resurgence in inflationary pressure”.

He said the recent emergency rule declared by government in some states in of the country occasioned by the activities of Islamic fundamentalists would resort to additional spending.

“In addition, the recent military action in North East will resort to additional funding.

“Although the government has announced there would be no supplementary budget, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr. NgoziOkonjo Iweala has already confirmed that they are working on a draw down on contingency vote already embedded in 2013 budget.

“The Committee is of the view that government spending will constitute a major risk to inflation and exchange outlook,” said Sanusi.

Asked while Nigeria’s economic growth has remained a paper growth yet to impact positively on economy, he said proper implementation of reforms in

power and oil and gas sector will bring the desired growth in the economy.

“You cannot continue importing products that can be manufactured locally.

A combination of physical structure and monetary structure will bring about the physical growth”, he said.

Meanwhile, CBN Governor has dispelled insinuations that he was rushed to overseas recently for medical treatment. Clarifying circumstance of his sickness, he said he was on vacation in Paris and he developed infection within appendicitis region which had the potential of spreading but was treated.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

2015: Ranting of the rented crowd Sycophancy has always been the refuge of the rented voice, and nowhere is that in evidence as in the Nigerian political space. But the profession of "absolute" loyalty on these shores lasts only as long as and before the next highest bidder comes along, writes Abdu Labaran Malumfashi.

Y

esterday the print media was awash with various headlines screaming that, according to Saints Clark and Alamieyeseigha, there will be no vacancy in Aso Rock come 2015. It is a song all too familiar to the ears of the Nigerian political class, and even of those of the apolitical. And it predated the current political dispensation. During late Head of State General Sani Abacha's not so subtle attempt to perpetuate his dictatorial rule by transmuting into a civilian ruler, the rented crowd had a field day telling the rest of Nigerians and whosever cared to listen that there was no vacancy in the Presidential Villa for the foreseeable future. It became the singsong of choice for many until fate dealt its hand before the late leader's dream of lifelong Presidency could come to pass. Some of the members of that infamous no -Abacha-no-Nigeria chorus group are now among the leading light in the ruling PDP. However, the phrase was resuscitated by then and current Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Tony Anenih, alias Mr. Fix it, when two years ahead of the 2003 General Elections, he infamously declared that there was no vacancy in Aso Rock and anyone nursing a presidential ambition should defer the thought to 2007. And since then the phrase has taken a life of its own with both the serious and the ridiculous from within and outside the corridors of power renting out their voice for the 'cause'.

Of recent however, an official and a threatening dimensions have been added to this Presidential election campaign with the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Amnesty, Kingsely Kuku and his fellow Niger Deltan and ex-terrorist, Asari Dokubu threatening that there would be no peace in Nigeria if Jonathan is not reelected in 2015, with neither the Presidency nor the security agencies doing anything about it. Penultimate week, Kuku had, during a trip to the US, declared that there would be no guarantee of peace in the Niger Delta region if Jonathan lost reelection. The

President Goodluck Jonathan sentiment was reechoed forcefully by the reformed (?)terrorist, Dokubo a few days later when he told a press conference in Abuja, the Federal Capital that the entire nation would know no peace if President Jonathan was not reelected in 2015. But early last year, before he was 'invited to join the national dining table', Dokubo had told President Jonathan to forget about reelection in 2015 because he had done nothing to warrant a second term as President. According to a foreign media outfit, not long after that self-serving declaration, the exNiger Delta terrorist was settled with a multi-million dollar security contract by President Jonathan.

Meanwhile, coming from the duo of Chief Edwin Clark and, especially,

former Governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepriye Alamieyeseigha, the latest battle cry for the soul of the nation did not come as a surprise; it is very much still a matter of self aggrandizement. It also carries the imprimatur of the Presidency, given the duo's closeness to the President.

While the former, who has been singing the song for long, believes it is their time with the son of the soil in charge to control the nation's till, the later has only joined the chorus to repay a debt he recently owed President Jonathan, who granted him a controversial Presidential pardon, which drew universal condemnation.

Fellow Niger Deltans like President Jonathan, both Clark and Alamieyeseigha spoke with newsmen

“

Of recent however, an official and a threatening dimensions have been added to this Presidential election campaign with the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Amnesty, Kingsely Kuku and his fellow Niger Deltan and ex-terrorist, Asari Dokubu threatening that there would be no peace in Nigeria if Jonathan is not reelected in 2015

Monday at the third conference of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, which held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

According to Chief Clark, "Movement of power or power rotation is not proper at this time. In the constitution of Nigeria, every president has two elections to contest.

Shagari did it in 1979 and in 1983, he did it again; in 1999, Obasanjo did it and in 2003, he contested again. In 2007, Umaru Yar'Adua of blessed memory did it and if he had remained alive, he would have done it again in 2011. So, Jonathan is not a different person. He's a Nigerian and he has the right to contest again," he further said.

On his part, the former Bayelsa state Governor stated that "The Northerners clamouring for the return of power to the north may have their opinion, but I can assure you that President Jonathan will remain as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, come 2015," he said.

The ongoing chorus has been on since last year when Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak and PDP Women Leader and former Minister of Aviation, Kema Chikwe lent their voice to the novacancy-in-Aso Rock-in-2015 campaign. The current resurgence of the assault on the collective sensibilities of Nigerians may not be unconnected with Mr. Fix it's political rehabilitation and subsequent reemergence as the PDP's Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT).

So, are we to believe that regardless of performance, all eligible voters MUST give him their vote just to enable President Jonathan remain in Aso Rock to complete a second term?

Even in the US, where we copied the democracy we are practicing, nobody ever told the American electorate that there would be no vacancy in the White House in any given Presidential election year.

Proof of that in recent time is the fact that Presidents Jimmy Carter and George Bush Snr of the Democratic Party and Republican Party respectively served for only one term each after which they were voted out for lack of satisfactory performance.

Therefore, Lagos state Governor Babatunde Fashola is right when he disagreed with the no-vacancy-inAso Rock choristers. According to him, "if a party is saying there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, then why are they organising an election? This is a statement Nigerians should take very seriously."

The Governor, who also spoke in Lagos Monday, added that, "The very notion that there would be a contest suggests that there would be a vacancy in 2015. It is a very important revelation to the mindset of that team and therefore it is important to those who may listen to us do not take things for granted."

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 5

Military deny withdrawing Nigerian troops from Mali

By Joy Baba

T

he Defence Headquarters has denied the allegation making rounds in some quarters that Nigerian troops in Mali have been withdrawn for internal security purpose.

This was contained in a statement signed by the

Director of Defence Information (DDI) Brig. Gen Chris Olukolade yesterday in Abuja.

According to the statement, “As the operation to rid our country of terrorist activities continues, the Defence Headquarters wishes to reassure Nigerians that the Nigerian military is quite capable and

ready to discharge this duty professionally and creditably well.

“The report therefore in a section of the press that Nigerian troops are to be withdrawn from Mali to face the ongoing insurgency is complete falsehood.

“There is certainly no need

for such action now as the human and material resources of the Armed Forces of Nigeria are being meticulously deployed and quite able to meet its present internal and external assignments”.

The statement further said that the normal and scheduled rotation of troops in various

missions will continue adding that this routine should not be misunderstood or misrepresented to misinform Nigerians and the international community.

“These times are too sensitive for anyone to engage in unnecessary sensation, speculation or rumour mongering on military affairs,” the statement added.

Yadudu Foundation viral hepatitis workshop holds Saturday

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Family members with the body of late Prof. Chinua Achebe after the body of the late author arrived Nigeria, during a reception yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Two poachers nabbed in Bauchi From Ahmed Kaigama,, Bauchi

T

wo suspected poachers were arrested for removing two teeth of a Hippopotamus at the Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi by the Police and security guards.

Our correspondent learnt that the Police, in collaboration with Games Guard during a joint patrol along Mainamaji village near Yankari in Alkaleri Local Government area of the state,

… for removing hippo teeth arrested the two suspects The interim Chairman of Yankari Game Reserve Management committee, Adamu Jibrin Aliyu stated this while speaking with newsmen in Bauchi yesterday , saying that the two suspected poachers were arrested for removing theHippopotamus’

teeth by Police in collaboration with Games Guard during a joint patrol along Mainamaji village .

He said a hunter used his local gun to shoot a bush buck to death while the other hunter used sharp knife and removed two teeth of the Hippopotamus.

He reiterated the commitment of the state government to protect

the animals and plants in the game reserve, adding that government has introduced motivation for the rangers to live up expectation towards protecting the game reserve.

The two suspects gave their names as Yahaya Yahaya and Aliyu Abdullahi, both of Lushi village in Bauchi Local Government area admitted that they indeed committed the offence.

They pleaded with authorities that, “we will never do such again, this has been our first time to encroach in the game reserve”

KRPC distributes books, furniture to host communities From Muhammad Ibrahim, Kaduna anagement Kaduna Refinary and Patrol Chemicals (KRPC) yesterday distributed 30,000 exercise books and furniture worth 8 million naira to 25 host communities’ primary schools in the area.

According to the KRPC management, the gesture was part of their social responsibility to the communities, adding that it is done every three months.

Speaking on behalf of the KRPC Management at the flag-off ceremony at LEA Mahuta in Chikun Local government area, Executive Director Services, Malam Idi Muktar said last year the company distributed about 60,000 exercise books to its host communities because of the importance they attached to education.

According to him, assisting

M

their host communities was in their blood and it is something they give priority to.

“We don’t do things like this for show off. It is in our blood to help our host communities. Just last year we combined first and second quarter and distributed 60,000 books to pupils within the communities. This year we are

By Miriam Humbe inister of tourism, culture and national orientation, Chief Edem Duke has said that one of Nigeria’s cultural landscapes, Sukur and another cultural space, the Osun Grove which plays host to a unique cultural festival called OsunOsogbo have been listed in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List with a candidature of a few others from Nigeria, still being considered for the World Heritage Listing.

The minister said this

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starting with first quarter which 30,000 books. We are also giving out furniture because we understand some of the schools don’t furniture in classrooms.

“It was not KRPC management that selected the benefiting primary schools; it was the leaders of these communities that sat down and submitted the

names to us as those that deserved it the most. We hope parents will ensure that the pupils use them judiciously,” he said.

He also stressed that the gesture was done so as to strengthen relationship between the communities and KRPC. In his remark, representatives of the Chikun Local government

UNESCO places Nigerian cultural landscapes on World Heritage listing yesterday while speaking at the 2013 World Culture Day at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

According to him, UNESCO has made it mandatory for each member country to celebrate their cultural attributes on 21st of May every year to highlight the inclusiveness of culture in global development agenda.

Director General of UNESCO,

Ms Irina Bokova described culture as a driver of development led by growth of the cultural sector and developer of the cultural sector and creative industries which enables sustainable development.

She stressed the need for intercultural dialogue which she said, was essential to making the most of diversity, to deepen the routes of diversity and culture.

he 2013 edition of the annual Capt.

Ismail Yadudu Foundation Viral Hepatitis workshop will hold on May 25, the organizers said in a statement yesterday.

According to the statement by the Foundation’s Chairman, Board of Trustees, Prof. A. H. Yadudu, the theme of the fifth workshop is a lecture on the topic “The Liver in Health and Disease,”

by Dr. Mohammed Alkali Dambam, a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Chief Medical Director of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.

According to the statement, Dr. Musa M. Borodo and Dr. Bashir Tijjani of the Department of Medicine, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano will give supporting lectures while Prof. S. S. Wali of AKTH will chair the occasion.

The statement added that “to facilitate for wider dissemination of information and engender greater public awareness, some of the lectures will be given in Hausa and there will be interactive sessions via radio phone-in programmes to be hosted by professionals”.

“Within the past four years of commencing its activities and in furtherance of its other stated objectives, the Foundation has disbursed loans totaling over N1,500,900 to about 120 needy women in Kano, Dawakin Kudu, Katsina and Funtua.

“It has also built, contributed towards the maintenance of and outsourced the management of the Capt Ismail Yadudu Islamiyya School, Masanawa, Katsina. In addition, it has drilled and regularly maintained boreholes which serve various communities in Kano and Katsina.

“In partnership with AKTH, the Foundation makes financial contribution to facilitate the holding of the above-named annual workshops and the provision of free screening for HBV/HCV viral hepatitis,” the statement concluded.

PAGE 6

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Police IG in Supreme Court over Olaitan murder

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

I

nspector General of Police, M. D. Abubakar and the Nigeria Police Force have approached the Supreme Court to challenge the recent ruling of THE Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, which ordered the Appellants to pay the sum of N5 million as damages into 'an interest yielding account' pending the determination of the suit brought before by the Police in connection to the ruling of the lower court.

The Edo State High Court presided over by Justice Esther Edigin had late last

year awarded the sum of N5 million as damages against the Nigerian Police Force, the Inspector General, and the Attorney General of the Federation for unlawful arrest and detention of the human Rights Activist, Reverend David Ugolor over the alleged murder of Olaitan Oyerinde, Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Unsatisfied with that verdict, the appellants, in a Supreme Court Appeal No: CA/ B/360/12/Suit No: B/496M/ 2012 dated May14, 2013 filed

by their Counsel, Barr. Henry Michael-Ihunde, said they were dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeal Court for granting them conditional stay of execution of the judgment of the Edo State High Court.

The Appellants said the Appeal Court erred in law in the ruling on the grounds that there was no counter -affidavit before it disputing the averments in the motion sought by the police, Inspector-General of Police and Attorney General of Federation.

The Appellants told the court that the Appeal Court ought to have granted the stay of execution of the N5 million

naira fine without condition and ordered accelerated hearing of the appeal.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Helen Ogunwumiju ordered the appellants to pay the money to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court for the Deputy Chief Registrar to remit same into an interest yielding account pending the court's judgment on the matter within a period of 60 days the ruling was given.

Prior to the appeal court ruling, counsel to the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police Force and Attorney General of the Federation, Barr. Henry Michael-Ihunde had sought a

stay of execution to the decision of the lower court without paying the money into an interest yielding account but Barr. Olayewola Afolabi, the Counsel to Reverend David Ugolor faulted the application and described it as legally virus.

Afolabi told the court that the N5,000,000 needed to be paid into an interest-yielding account first pending the appeal court judgment in accordance with the rules of the court. And after argument, Ihunde agreed to pay the money into an account and both parties agreed on stay of execution pending the appeal court judgment.

Daura attack: Shema donates N10m to slain security agents' families From Lawal Sa'idu Funtua, Katsina

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overnor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina State has donated N10 million to the families of five security agencies that lost their lives during the last week attack on Daura town where four banks and two police stations were destroyed.

Shema who announced the donation while on a sympathy visit at the Army Barracks, Katsina disclosed that each of the slain security personnel will receive N2 million while those injured will receive N500,000 each.

The Governor who expressed sadness over the incident took time to visit the families of the affected security personnel and those that were still in hospital receiving medical attention, promising to continue taking care of the cost of their treatment.

Shema similarly stressed the commitment of his government to continue promoting peace and security in the state and urged the security agencies not to be deterred by the sad event but to continue giving their best in protecting lives and property.

It would be recaledl that on Thursday last week suspected gunmen killed three soldiers and two policemen during an attack on Daura town.

From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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acts emerged yesterday that the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has ordered the investigation of the two crew of Arik Air arrested at Heathrow Airport, London in connection with drug trafficking.

According to the anti-drug agency, Temitayo Olubunmi Daramola was found in possession of 6kg of cocaine while Delita Abibimgbi was found with 60 packets of cigarettes.

The Arik Air flight

L-R: Chairman, IBTC Bank, Chief Atedo Peterside; Anambra state Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, Chairman; FORTE Oil, Chief Femi Otedola; and Chairman, Dangote Groups, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; during the National Economic Management Team's meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan; yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

Photo: Joe Oroye

NSCDC licences 30 private guard companies

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

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he Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday, licenced 30 Private Security Guards Companies (PGCs).

This is in its bid to engage other private individuals in the fight against criminality

in the country Speaking while issuing the licences at the headquarters of the Corps in Abuja, Commandant General of the Corps, Ade Abolurin, urged the beneficiaries to help in protecting government facilities and other public

infrastructures in the country.

Abolurin noted that the country is haunted by the activities of various militant groups in the country, adding that it is expedient for other private individuals to key into the agenda.

He said: "Nigeria has had

NDLEA to probe arrest of two Arik crew in London over cocaine reportedly took off from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos on Monday May 20.

The NDLEA said eight out of the ten crew that travelled with the flight have been cleared while the remaining two are still being held in London.

NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade said: "We

have received report of the arrest and I have ordered a full scale investigation of the incident.

Anyone found wanting shall be brought to book as no effort shall be spared in protecting the image of our country".

A similarl incident happened on August 8, 2007 when officials of the NDLEA arrested a Virgin Atlantic crew member with drugs in

a London bound flight.

The crew, one Mohammed Ibrahim Wudil, was caught at the Lagos airport with 1.743kg of cocaine which was concealed in a black polythene bag inside a hand luggage and hidden in the flight compartment.

The agency also vowed to beef up security checks at all entry and exit points in the country.

a turbulent time in he hands of disgruntled elements who have hijacked the peace process in the country. All private individuals and well meaning Nigerians need to key in to this agenda to put an end to the insecurity.

"Government alone cannot solve the insecurity that we are presently facing.

Therefore, I would like you to see this as a service to your father land and not a money making venture".

The NSCDC boss further called on other Nigerians to cooperate with security agencies in their locality and provide them with information at would help them arrest the situation.

Responding on behalf of the PGCs, Brig. Gen. Ojo Komolafe (rtd), urged his fellow beneficiaries to be professional in their duties and to always use intelligent gathering as a means of acquiring information.

PEOPLES DAILY, WESNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 7

Briefly Wike receives awards for best Minister of State

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inister of State for Education Bar. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, was yesterday honoured with awards for Best Minister of State in the country and for Youth Development. The awards were given

by Ben TV, UK and City People magazine respectively.

Presenting the Ben TV, UK award, General Manager, Africa of Ben TV,UK, said the management of the television station arrived at the result based on votes from Nigeria and Nigerians in diaspora. He said the award was in recognisition of the minister's effort to bring innovations to the ministry and synergy between the country and the international community.

Mr. Bamidele Ogundana, representative of City People Magazine, while presenting the award said it was in recognition of Wike's contributions to technical and vocational education inNigeria.

By Maryam Garba Hassan

NBS begins capacity building for staff on digital broadcasting

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taff of Nasarawa Broadcasting Service (NBS), the Nasarawa State government-owned broadcast station, has embarked on a one week intensive training programme on capacity enhancement and professionalism in digital broadcasting. This is aimed at meeting global challenges.

The training, which is in collaboration with an Abuja-based media consultant, Malam Yakubu Lamai, chief executive of Human Platform, began yesterday at the headquarters of the station in Lafia, with over 40 staff in attendance.

In a brief remark during the opening ceremony, Mr. Alanana Attah, director of information, who stood in for the commissioner of Information and Orientation, Malam Hamza Elayo Mohammed, said the training had become necessary because of the changes presently sweeping the broadcast industry, stressing that there was urgent need for the staff to meet up with the challenges of digitalization. He added that government spent over N2 billion to digitalize the station.

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

Kogi Assembly condemns SSG, demands apology

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embers of Kogi State House of Assembly yesterday in Lokoja condemned the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Professor Olugbemiro Jegede for attempting to hinder the State Commissioner for Education from conducting investigations into the crisis rocking the ministry.The Assembly informed its members that the SSG wrote to say his office had already mediated in the crisis and there was no longer any need for the intervention of the House.

In a sharp reaction, the House unanimously condemned the memo from the office of the SSG, calling it an affront on the powers of the House to conduct over-sight functions.

Leading the condemnation, the member representing Yagba East, Barrister Henry Ojuola averred that the SSG being the chief clerical officer of the government has no constitutional powers in any guise to stop the oversight functions of the Assembly pointing out that if the House did not assert itself on the matter, one day the same SSG would stop the House from sitting. He said the House should not be cowed from performing its constitutional duties, by any arm of government, and demanded an apology from the SSG.

R-L: Minister of State for Education, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, receiving Best Public Office Holder Award from General Manager, BEN Television Africa, Mr. Stephen Izedomi, during the award ceremony, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-Owo

Umeh accuses Gov Obi over APGA crisis

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

T

he National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has blamed the lingering leadership crisis in the party on the "selfish interest" of Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state.

Umeh alleged that Obi was foisting his candidates on the party without recourse to due process.

Briefing journalists in Abuja yesterday shortly after inaugurating the APGA rebuilding/reconciliation committee, Umeh said the APGA crisis was "traceable to

th e a c t i v i t i e s o f s e l f i s h individuals who are blind to the achievements of my leadership of the party".

He specifically accused the Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, of sponsoring various unconstitutional actions to unseat his leadership, adding that gross disrespect for the provisions of the party constitution was behind the crisis in the party.

He pointed out that the rebuilding/reconciliation committee was set up with a view to rebuilding the party, explaining that the committee's main

responsibility was to meet with stakeholders in the crisis with a view to making the party one united family once again.

According to him, "determined to save the party, the National Working Committee of the party met on May 16th and resolved to initiate steps to begin to rebuild the party.

The Committee is to recommend ways of rebuilding the party and eliminate the crisis in the party. The Committee is also mandated to source for and recommend credible Nigerians for appointment into the party's Board of Trustees."

Muslims, Christians urged to unite against terrorism From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation of Nigeria has called on Christians and Muslims to unite against all forms of terrorism acts in the land in order to restore peace and security in the country.

The President of the Foundation; Pastor Yohanna Y. D. Buru said this when he paid avisit to the destroyed Jumat Mosque at Sabo Tasha in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Pastor Yohanna Buru said he was in the Mosque to reassure the Muslim community that the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of Nigeria was working towards a project that would ensure that no Mosque or Church would be

burnt down again during any crisis.

"Mosques and Churches are places of worship and holy sanctuaries and for anybody that claims to be aggrieved by any means to vent his anger on a place of worship; it does not go with the teaching of Islam or Christianity. So, it is in view of this that our Foundation has taken steps to ensure that Muslim properties and lives are protected by Christians in the areas that they have a large number and in the same vein Christian properties and lives are protected by Muslims in areas they have a large number".

Pastor Buru who enjoined the Muslims to offer prayers in the Mosque said many of the people who destroy places of worship are nothing but terrorists who

are terrorizing people in other to scare them away from one particular area and not because of their religious beliefs.

"If you look around this Mosque now, you can see the damages done there by people who claim to belong to Christianity and if you go to other places you will see Churches brought down flat by people who claim to be Muslims, all in the name of God. This is wrong and there must be a stop to it, and if we don't do it on time, there is going to be a curse on the land; because whosoever destroys the Almighty God or Allah's places of worship is inviting a curse upon himself and the land. What we need now is prayers for forgiveness from God and let those who are hurt also forgive their fellow brothers so that we can move on".

Anyaoku, Danjuma, Soyinka, others for national summit next month

By Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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isturbed by growing insecurity and the emergency situation in the country, eminent leaders of thought, former and current leaders of governments in Nigeria are already being mobilized for a major national summit to work out political consensus on how to arrest the present insecurity in Nigeria This hint was dropped in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Secretary of the National Summit Planning Committee, Ms Modupe Odubanjo on behalf of the arrowhead of the summit conveners; Alhaji Maitam Sule, Leader, Northern Elders Forum According to Odubanjo, "the national parley is expected to fashion out a consensus on the modality of a nationwide consultation and dialogue, while assessing the controversial issues of amnesty for militants as well as the latest emergency rule imposed on three northern states by President Goodluck Jonathan".

She said those already being invited to convene various sessions of the emergency national summit included legal luminary and leader of the Patriots; Prof Ben Nwabueze, leader of the Northern Political Leaders Forum, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka and Gen. Theophilus Danjuma

PAGE 8

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Engineer John Obinna Chukwu; Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide; and Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Mr. John Kennedy Opara, during a sensitisation campaign by NCPC, yesterday in Abuja.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

L-R: Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Uzo Azubuike, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Abia state Governor, Chief Theodore Orji shortly after the conferment of chieftaincy titles on the speaker and his Deputy by Aba Ngwa Traditional Rulers Council, recently in Abia.

President Goodluck Jonathan (middle); Vice- President Mohammed Namadi Sambo (5th right); and Minister of Sports, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi (4th right); in a group photograph with members of Golden Eaglets, during a reception for the team for winning silver in 10th CAF Africa U-17 Championship, yesterday at the State House, in Abuja.

L-R: National Commandant, Community Support Brigade (CSB), Mohammed Mustapha; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Director-General, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri; and Assistant Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, during flag-off/ unveiling of CSB, yesterday in Abuja.

Youth leader, Mubi Emirate Council of Adamawa, Alhaji Ahmadu Mana (standing), enlightening people at Madagali village on security consciousness and how to conduct themselves under the present state of emergency, yesterday in Yola.

Photos: Joe Oroye Mahmud Isa, Justin Imo-Owo & NAN

PAGE 10

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Briefly Emir of Bauchi Cautions students against desperation

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he Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, has urged students not to be too desperate for leadership positions in their campus politics Rilwanu Suleiman gave the advice yesterday when the Presidential aspirant of the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS), Abdulrahaman Baba Sheba led a delegation of members of the Student Union Government (SUG) of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, on a courtesy visit to his palace.

According to him, "politics is a game of popularity and understanding among peers especially the students, so you have to be patient and tolerant while seeking for a leadership position in the campuses. You must embrace one another, not minding where you come from or whichever religion you belong to".

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

Robbers storm COE Akwanga, cart away money, vital documents

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rmed robbers at the weekend invaded the College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa state, carting away a huge amount of money in an operation that lasted hours.

Though the exact amount of money stolen by the robbers remains unknown, sources said some millions of naira contained in two safes in the cashier's office were carted away. Also, vital documents from the cashier's office, as well as Bursary and Students' Accounts documents were stolen in the robbery.

The Bursar, Mrs. Hellen Akpanva confirmed that the thieves broke into the college at the weekend, but insisted that only the Provost can speak more on the incident.

The Provost, Mr. Hosea Tsaku, however declined to comment on the incident, even as he confirmed that the robbery took place.

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

New ward head seeks peace among community members

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ew ward head of Tumu Sabon Gari Narabi ward in Tilden Fulani district of Toro Local Government Area in Bauchi state Alhaji Usman Idris Jumba has appealed for peaceful core existence among members of the community The district head stated this while talking to journalists shortly after he was elected as the district head of Tumu. He described peace as the bond that brings people together, whether muslims or Christians.

"So if we want our society and community to live in harmony we must understand and tolerate each other despite our religious and ethnic differences. There is also a need for our government to restore hope to our people. We call on them to demonstrate their sensibility to the suffering and poverty of the people by ensuring a sustainable economic empowerment for the citizens", he said.

Security operatives preventing disengaged staff of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) from gaining entrance into the National Assembly complex, during their peaceful protest, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Jonathan lays foundation for para-military village

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

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resident Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday laid the foundation for a Para-Military Village in kyami district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The village will provide affordable housing for paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior to enable them in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

Speaking at the ceremony,

Jonathan said the housing scheme embarked upon by the ministry was necessary to boost the morale of its staff in performing their duties.

He applauded the partnership with the private developers and urged other ministries, agencies and parastatals to also pick up the challenge and provide their housing for their staff.

The President noted that housing is a necessity of every individual and "that is why this administration will always do its

best to ensure that its citizens' welfare is well taken care of".

In his remark, Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, said the initiative was conceived in furtherance of the Transformation Agenda in the area of housing and urban development.

"The Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative was embarked upon to deliver decent and affordable houses to the officers and men of the Paramilitary services. It was meant to shore-up the officer's

confidence and improve their welfare.

Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ministry and Messrs Byuan Resource Limited, the company acquired land in twenty four state capitals including Abuja", the minister said.

He explained that the houses are made up of three bedroom detached and semi-detached bungalows and two bedroom detached and semi-detached bungalows.

N'Delta Ministry: Group petitions EFCC over Orubebe

By Lambert Tyem

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he Anti-Corruption Network has sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on alleged excesses and disregard for due process by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA), Elder Godsday Orubebe.

In the petition dated 17th May, 2013 and signed by the

Executive Secretary of the Network, Otunba Dino Melaye, the group called on the EFCC to investigate alleged acts of corruption, impunity, conflict of interest and disregard for the guidelines of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, by Orubebe and his staff.

Specifically, the group wants the EFCC to review the circumstances under which the Minister became the owner of a

palatial residence on a land allocated to him at Minister's Hill, Mabuchi, Abuja.

The petitioners averred that the said mansion is the product of gratification from a contractor working for the Niger Delta Ministry, contrary to the explanations of the Minister.

The network maintained that the contracts awarded by the Ministry were fraught with corruption and irregularities

leading to altercations between the Ministry and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

Transparency Initiative had earlier petitioned the Bureau of Public Procurement to protest alleged shoddy handling of the Skill Acquisition Centre projects by the Niger Delta Ministry, alleging that under Orubebe, the contracts for the eight Skill Acquisition centres were inflated

by N4.9 billion.

Emergency rule: Arewa Elders Forum blame Jonathan From David Hassan, Gombe

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rewa Elders Forum has blamed President Goodluck Jonathan for imposing a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

The Forum stated this yesterday through its spokesman, Mr. Solomon Dalong during the law week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Gombe state branch held at the banquet hall, Emerald Royal Hill Hotel Gombe.

Mr. Dalong said the state of emergency imposed in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states would not end the problem of insurgency in these states but would force it into the neighboring states.

He told journalists that recently, members of the Arewa Elders Forum were in Aso Villa to discuss with the president on how to come to bring the insurgency to an end in the north, but that the meeting suffered a set-back as the president refused to give them

audience.

He said since the federal government had finally agreed to offer amnesty to the Boko Haram sect and a committee set up and expected to submit its report, "there is no need for government to impose a state of emergency in the trouble areas but to allow the committee to come up with relevant information that will enable government tackle the issue seriously".

He said deployment of armed soldiers to the area will not solve

the problem of insurgency and urged government to go on dialogue with the insurgents as the committee had already started meeting them for reconciliation.

Speaking at the occasion, governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo who was represented by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Abdulhameed Ibrahim called on the Bar to continue its good work of ensuring peaceful coexistence in the state.

PAGE 11

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

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he recent trend in choosing a career is quite different from what was obtainable some years ago, presently when choosing a career most young people consider their relevance to the society in the future and how much they will earn instead of the relevance of their talent in building a career.

Truth be told, if you want to be guaranteed that your career will be a success, you will have to earn a degree in a field which will continue to grow well in to the future, at least a career that will remain competitive in the next couple of years.

Experts believe unprecedented revolution in the technology sector has caused rapid and almost un-predictable changes in career demand in recent times.

No doubt, careers in technology are one of the fastest growing of our age and looks to

What your career path portends to your future life

MONEY TIP:

What a startup job candidate needs?

Entrepreneurial Spirit ancy King, owner of nelking, whose firm manages every aspect of the recruiting process for startups so they can focus on building the business, sums entrepreneurialism up beautifully. "If you fear being unemployed, think twice about joining an early stage startup. The best startup employees think like entrepreneurs and know that if it doesn't work, they'll just be on to the next thing," she says. To get a sense of a candidate's pioneering side, ask a question like: "Tell me about a shift you or your company made that fundamentally changed your role, the product or the company. What did you think about the change?

How did you contribute to the change?"

"You cannot hold onto how things were done in your last company," King suggests to startup job candidates. "Granted, some of the experience and lessons you learned will be useful. If you start every sentence with 'Well, when I was with...' it's likely, you won't be adaptable to the rapid changes startups naturally embrace. Embrace change or die."

As a recruiter, keep your ears peeled for this type of behavior, as it may be an indicator that the candidate isn't quite ready to make the leap to startup Dom.

N

Quote No enterprise can exist for itself alone. It ministers to some great need, it performs some great service, not for itself, but for others... or failing therein, it ceases to be profitable and ceases to exist.

- Calvin Coolidge

Rugby is a money-spinning sport, but what does the future portends? span into the future.

For a successful career in the near future you will have to make sure that you choose a sector within the technology field that is guaranteed to progress over your lifetime experts advise.

Computer Hardware Engineer and Software Developer, Systems Software Engineer are two major careers in this sector that are high in demand presently and are even expected to rise much higher in future.

Within the sector there is also a high demand for Network Systems and Data Communications analysts. These Analysts handle the virtual nuts and bolts of an I.T. department designing, building, testing and

maintaining information systems, internal or Internetwide.

The reason for the rise in demand is believed to have been orchestrated by the rise in mobile data trend in smartphones, tablets and "cloud computing" (subscription-based or pay-peruse services like apps and data storage).

These careers require basically a four-year degree and provide a very high salary for so very little educational and technical background.

As the costs of the medical industry continue to raise, the need for quality and affordable employees within the sector also

rise.

Research has discovered some of the highest paying careers in recent times are in the medical field. Common amongst them are; Dentist, Dr. Seuss once wrote, "Teeth are always in style."

Dentists surely think so.

They make their living diagnosing and treating our teeth and gums, and counseling us on how to maintain good oral health.

Dental Hygienist according to experts is expected to grow in demand also because of the greater emphasis on health care.

Registered Nurse will always have great hiring opportunity because of its expanse (from pediatric care to geriatric care,

and everything in between) and as a substantial chunk of our population ages, the necessity for qualified Registered Nurses intensifies.

Experts also say Veterinarians are among the top careers in recent times, thanks to rising national pet population and the increasing demand for livestock as a food supply. Veterinarians have been able to boost their earnings while enjoying enhanced job security.

Medical scientist study human disease and conditions, working in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and university research centers with an overpopulation and increased international travel which have quickened the spread of known diseases and given rise to new ones; SARS, AIDS and avian flu requiring new medicines and cures has led to an increased demand of Medical scientist.

The pharmacist and the physician are also high in demand.

The Engineering field also boasts of bright future experts says, the demand for Quality assurance engineers who are involved in software testing, serving as the gateway between the software programmer and the users of the programme are expected to rise.

Aerospace engineers who design aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missile are also highly demanded presently.

Nuclear Engineer researches and develops ways to get benefits from nuclear energy and radiations also expected to rise in the near future.

Also expected to rise is the demand for Petroleum Engineer who design methods for extracting oil and gas from the earth's surface which currently is one of the world's most priced commodity.

Trading work for never-ending weekends: How to retire early?

I

'm a long way from retirement, but I've definitely had those days.

You know the ones I mean: when you're tired and irritable, when it's cold and gray and windy, when everything feels like more of the same old thing, when you haven't had time to do your laundry let alone spend time with your friends, and, on top of it all, the thought of grinding out a few more decades at the office seems utterly insurmountable.

If you hear the word "retirement" on a day like that, it probably sounds a lot more like "emancipation" (I know it does for me). After all, if you didn't have to work, you could spend more time with your family and your friends, catch up on your golf game, take up new hobbies, and travel the world...

Hold on a minute. If you're slipping away into sweet reverie, you might need a reality check.

Here it goes. Retiring early is no dream; it's a goal, and an ambitious one at that. That isn't to say you can't or shouldn't go for it. But unless you strike it rich in the lottery, succeeding at retiring early will mean careful planning, hard work, and near-superhuman selfdiscipline. Here's what you'll have to do to make it happen.

Save - a Lot You probably already know that experts recommend that

you save a lot for retirement.

Exactly how much is a matter of debate. It's also highly personal, as it depends on your lifestyle, what you want to do during retirement, and (everyone's least-favorite calculation) how long you think you'll live. This is where things get tricky in terms of retiring early. In essence, working for a shorter period of time puts you at a disadvantage on both ends of the saving equation: you'll have fewer earning years, and more

years during which you'll have to rely on your savings.

So how much might you need to save? Rather than start with someone who makes six figures, let's look at averages. The medium income in the developed nations is equivalent N800, 000.

Average life expectancy is almost 78 years. If you are 35 and would like to retire at 60 with 80% of your pre-retirement income, you will need to save a lot of money. And that's assuming you get the estimated

Social Security payment. You can check out the retirement calculator I used to figure this out, but no matter how you fiddle with the numbers, retiring early will add up to a big one.

Live Cheap Saving enough to retire early will mean living on less than you make, and you'd better get used to it; your Spartan lifestyle will become even more crucial when you stop working.

When you're working eight (or more) hours a day, a wide-open schedule can seem like a dream come true. But there's another financial benefit to working that you may not have thought of: being stuck at work all day leaves you with much less time to spend money.

So what about when you're retired and have nothing but time? Can you keep yourself occupied and keep your spending in check? This can be a real challenge, especially when expensive hobbies and travel are part of your plans. This is why having a lot of savings and using careful planning are so important. A good financial planner can help you with this, but when you don't have earning power, you need a good cushion to ensure your money lasts. After all, the last thing you need is to run up against the end of your savings when you're too old to go back to work.

Share your Money Tip: do you have a business/money idea, and you want to share it with our dear readers? Then, send it to: ikabirsule@gmail.com or (text it to 08091904890)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

Worker lock-outs by governors A

practice that was fashionable with military governors/ administrators during the 14year interregnum of abrasive military rule has caught the imagination of some of today's so-called elected civilian governors. It is the lock-out of public servants who report at their duty posts later than the stipulated reporting time of 7.30 am in most of Nigeria's 36 states.

The lock-outs were a part of the military's agenda of sanitizing the Nigerian public service considered corrupt and unproductive. Like the queue culture that was sustained by the free use of the whip, and expectedly collapsed with the military's departure from power, lock-outs failed to improve the productivity of the Nigerian worker.

It is doubtful whether they will now.

Ogun state governor, Mr. Ibikunle Amosun, elected on the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ANC), revived this military hangover less than a year after he took office in 2011. One early morning of June, the following year, he instructed his Head of Service, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, to order the gates of the civil secretaria at Oke Musan , Abeokuta, shut against late comers at 8 am. At the scene, he chided the late comers and warned them to change their lackadaisical work ethos.

Four months later (October), the governor paid another unscheduled visit to the secretariat and found many offices still under lock at 8 am. Nothing had changed. A third unannounced visit three days ago revealed something more

disturbing: his deputy, commissioners, political aides and several senior public put up a no show.

Too embarrassed, governor Amosun left it to Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, to address the late comers. "If the governor could make it to his office before 7.30 am, there is no excuse for anyone who comes

“

To change this will take more than symbolic lockouts and salary cuts. The "oga at the top" must lead by example late to work". For effect, Head of Service Adekunle warned that from then on, lateness would "be taken seriously".

Activist governor of neighbouring Edo state, Comrade Adam Oshiomhole, did a similar thing, only he followed up a warning with concrete action. Last year, he ordered the dismissal of 20 teachers who were absent from their duty posts when he paid surprise visits to their schools and reduced the salaries of others who reported in class late. Many other state governors have walked this path.

But to what effect?

It is true, public servants in this

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country are notoriously corrupt and unproductive, in sharp contrast to their counterparts in the private sector. In many cases, there are up to ten workers employed to do what one person should be doing. No wonder, nothing gets done at all at the end of the day. At best, they come to work but sit out the day doing idle talk or chatting on social media; at worse, they simply stay away and no questions are asked. Once in a while, a top official, who fancies the idea, may decide to lock out his subordinates who are truants, give out a "stern warning".

But that will be the end of it.

Why nothing changes, and will probably not, is simple. The people at the top themselves are just as guilty of absenteeism as those in the bottom or middle cadres. For instance, fewer than a third of the over 400 federal lawmakers put up full appearance in a legislative year. There are several state governors who are better known in western European metropolises and Abuja than their state capitals. The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) canceled a summit to discuss constitutional changes last August because most of the members chose to go to Saudi Arabia.

Ours is not really public service but "eye service" whereby people come to work and settle down to some real tasks because the boss is present and watching. If he is not, work stops. To change this will take more than symbolic lock-outs and salary cuts. The "oga at the top" must lead by example.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 13

Future of legal profession in the North

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

B

oobis (not real name), a lawyer in his late 40s, has practised for over 15 years in one of the cities now under emergency rule in North-east Nigeria. Over this period, he has built up a reputation as a hard working and honest professional, well regarded in and outside the courtroom. In the past 18 months his life has been turned upside down: he has been physically rough handled by uniformed military personnel for seeking access to a detained client; his car has been attacked and riddled with bullets by unknown persons; and uniformed soldiers have reportedly invaded his house on a six-hour long search during which his wife and four children were not allowed to leave the premises.

At the end of the "search", which took place without a warrant, nothing incriminating was found or removed. As a result, he has re-located his family from the city and will, before the end of 2013, re-locate his practice to another city outside the North-east.

Dogo, a younger lawyer, has worked in the same city for the past decade. His brief sometimes involves representing poor or undefended people. In the course of the past six months, uniformed military officers have twice threatened to shoot him for trying to do his work and he has been swiped with a horse-whip at a check-point. He now seeks a transfer to a less unpredictable

location and may quit his job if he can't.

These two examples illustrate the life-and-death challenges faced by members of the legal profession in Northern-eastern Nigeria. Over the period since 2009, as this crisis has deepened, our profession has somehow managed to avert its gaze. Now, our colleagues in these parts are besieged and the Bar must find a clear voice at this time to defend the law, its institutions and its relevance in a time of national emergency.

Four of the 100 branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) are located in the three states now covered by emergency rule. In Borno, there are two branches in Biu and Maiduguri; and one each in Yola, Adamawa state; and Damaturu, Yobe state. The lawyers who practised in these locations came from all parts of Nigeria. To cite just one example, Ondo state's Attorney-General, Eyitayo Jegede, took Silk from the Yola Bar before being appointed to the Attorney-General's chambers.

Maiduguri was a very well loved location for the legal profession in Nigeria. As a transnational commercial and cultural centre, it attracted professionals from within and outside Nigeria. The Bar in Damaturu has grown exponentially since, in the nearly two decades, it became a State capital.

Today, as the political economy of this region has tanked together with its safety and security indices, the wellbeing of its legal professionals and the institutions they serve

deserve urgent attention. The deepening siege on the profession has been bad for the region and the rights of its people. The livelihoods of lawyers in the region have suffered, and so have their physical wellbeing and professional freedoms.

To begin with, most lawyers who did not trace their ethnic origins to the north-east or these states have re-located their families and practice to other places. Even many from within the region have similarly relocated outside the region, especially to Kano, Kaduna or Abuja. Clients, especially families of detainees, suspected insurgents or allegedly disappeared persons, are compelled to look for or find legal representation from outside these locations. The costs involved are considerably increased without any commensurate increase in the quality of legal service. Most lawyers from outside the affected locations are too afraid or not sufficiently informed to offer effective representation. The Bar Association at the Branch levels has been reduced to irrelevance, indifference or merely surviving.

At the national level, the Bar has kept silent through it all.

Some specific developments have led to this decimation of the organised legal profession in the north-east. Detention or internment practice has been developed without clear parameters or safeguards. Few, if any, know where all detainees are or how many they are. The detaining authorities, especially, the military, appear to too willing to identify lawyers with

the cause - without any need for proof - of their clients. As a result, many lawyers are branded as insurgents and threatened with persecution or even worse, merely for being good at their jobs. Additionally, most judges have been reluctant in these places to adjudicate on these kinds of cases in the absence of effective guarantees for the wellbeing of themselves and their families.

Yet, the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers whose adoption Nigeria voted for in 1990 provides that "Lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients' causes as a result of discharging their functions", and requires governments to ensure that when "the security of lawyers is threatened as a result of discharging their functions, they shall be adequately safeguarded by the authorities." The same United Nations Basic Principles equally makes clear that professional associations of lawyers, such as the NBA, "have a vital role to play in" among other things "protecting their members from persecution and improper restrictions and infringements, providing legal services to all in need of them, and cooperating with governmental and other institutions in furthering the ends of justice and public interest."

In north-east Nigeria, the NBA has manifestly failed to demand government to fulfill this obligation. Now it must stand up to do so or struggle to justify its existence. The menu of

Nigeria must get real about its oil

By Mohammed Dahiru Aminu

T

he ultimate goal of every benign government, especially of countries so categorised as 'developing', andso intended for a keen march into 21st century modernity is to adopt global best practices as regards governance. And as regards countries with huge oil reserves, the efficient management of petroleum wealth is of utmost significance for both present and future generations.

Oil rich countries must understand that oil is a non renewable resource that will in the long run, run out. Therefore the fact of oil's non-renewability should signal to governments on how much oil to extract, and on how swiftly or slowly this is done.

It is also important for governments to decide on how much of its income from oil is enjoyed by its population in the short term, and how much could be invested for the future. These strategic controls on oil wealth management could serve as a determining factor on how long a country's proceeds from oil is expended, without being inclined to forget future generations.

The discovery of oil in Nigeria dates back to the event in the small village of Oloibiri in southern Nigeria in 1956. Most,

if not all of the discovered oil fields were pioneered by the joint efforts of Shell and BP. During the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970, there was a massive rise in global oil price, and for this, Nigeria was able to garner immediate riches from the oil it has produced. Soon, Nigeria would join the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and equally, the country founded its state-owned company with a mandate of overseeing the major activities in the upstream and downstream sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Since then crude oil production and export has played a central role in the economy of Nigeria and it has accounted for about 90 percent of the country's gross earnings. This central role to which the petroleum industry has attained has slightly driven other sectors of the economy, including agriculture; a sector that used to be the mainstay of the economy of Nigeria prior to the discovery of oil.

But then again, the story of oil in Nigeria has remained a two-pronged affair. On the one hand, oil discovery has yielded proceeds for the economy, but on the other hand Nigeria could not break away from the often familiar 'Dutch Disease'. Like the Netherlands, Norway, and Britain before her, oil discovery

in Nigeria has directly or indirectly hyped certain social glitches among these a consistent industrial stagnation, and a rising unemployment figures, plus other limited but tangible societal problems.

In an effort to curb these societal difficulties, at some point in time, governments in Nigeria have come up with pecuniary plans by establishing government interventions in the form of petroleum development funds of one kind or another. But to what extent have these funds achieved their mandates?

In an article titled 'Avoiding the Curse of the Oil-Rich Nations', Tina Rosenberg wrote in the New York Times that "every nation wants to strike oil, and after it happens, nearly every nation is worse off for it." Rosenberg continued that "it may seem paradoxical, but finding a hole in the ground that spouts money can be one of the worst things that can happen to a country."

Likewise, in an attempt to understand the proverbial 'resource curse', Stanford University professor, Terry Lynn Karl, annotated that oil dependent countries "eventually become among the most economically troubled, the most authoritarian, and the most conflict-ridden in the world."

It might be, perhaps for

reasons of trying to sidestep the resource curse that countries blessed with oil, gas, and in some cases both - that comprise Norway, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, Qatar, Algeria, Libya, Kazakhstan, USA (Alabama, Alaska, Texas), Azerbaijan, Brunei, Canada (Alberta), East Timor, Oman, Mexico, Angola, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, Gabon, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea have set up government interventionists agencies or development funds to cater for its populations.

Notwithstanding, as it is, Nigeria is not left out in the list of countries with these development funds-thanks to PTDF, NNDC, and the proposed SWF. Nonetheless as Africa's economy booms, and as Nigeria remains Africa's largest oil producer with a superb production value of more than two and half million barrels per day, the country owes its people a duty to manage its oil wealth effectively, for the benefit of all Nigerians both the living and the upcoming.

Success in managing Nigeria's oil wealth will enable the country achieve some set objectives including but not limited to assuming a prudent savings stratagem for the

what we can do is brief. Three immediately come to mind.

First, the NBA at the national level must work with the affected branches to document clearly the allegations and pattern of violations emerging. Second, working with this, the NBA can establish liaison with the Defence Headquarters and the security agencies as well as protocols for reforming detention practice and affording detainees and their families an access to effective representation. Third, the leadership of the national NBA must find a way to publicly show solidarity with lawyers in northern Nigeria at this difficult time.

The affected lawyers are our members; the affected branches are in our country and the continuing silence of our Bar cannot be excused. The search for durable solutions to the problems in north-eastern Nigeria requires lawyers and cannot be found without the law. When the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our Bar meets in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on 6 June, the well being of the rule of law and the legal profession in the north-east must be on the agenda. We must make our voice heard, loud, clear, and articulate. Silence could be construed as indifference and that is not an option that the NBA can afford to be associated with.

Professor Anselm Odinkalu, who is a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA, writes from Abuja. advantage of future generations, while down-casting the habitual splurging of proceeds realised from the country's oil exports; stabilizing oil prices in order to avoid plunging of such prices below the estimated sum in any financial year; and functioning as the superstructure that would aid the development of the country's wanting infrastructure.

As a minimum, Nigeria should be set to return to agriculture in heft given that the agronomic potentials of the country is barely drawn out. The growth of the agro-industry will arrange for food security, and the delivery of raw materials for our industries. Nigeria could also bring back to life the food processing and preservation industries; livestock and fisheries; irrigation farming and commodity trading; timber and wood processing.

Though, no reasonable socioeconomic headway can be attained without stable electricity; security of life and property; refutation of corruption and society's perception of it; and most of all, education. But by and large, whereas these initiatives are viable and worthy, its actualisation is a challenge that Nigeria must take seriously.

Mohammed Dahiru Aminu wrote in from London, United Kingdom. He can be reached at mohd.aminu@gmail.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 14

Nigeria needs attitudinal change, not draconian environmental laws

By Malik Abolagba

T

he Campaign for Environmental Rights Nigeria has been attracted by comments made by one Mr. Oladipo Fabiyi, described as environmental consultant, urging the federal government to strengthen the existing environmental laws and ensure strict compliance by the citizenry for sustainable development.

Fabiyi, in trying to score a cheap political point, went on to criticize the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) alleging that they failed to achieve on their mandate as stipulated by law.

Let's quote him verbatim: "with all these regulations and laws they are still not effective to carry out their duty as expected; our environment is filthy, unhealthy and not habitable.

Some of its existing laws are weak and not functioning", he said in a remark published in a national daily and circulated by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Judging from these reckless comments, it is clear that Fabiyi couldn't have been living in Nigeria in the last Five years otherwise he would have known that NESREA who dared and threaded where Angels feared, has been the butt of several criticism for daring to implement simple but effective environmental laws, hitherto flouted with impunity.

The campaign for Environmental Rights has followed with impressive agility the considerable gains Nigeria has made since the creation of NESREA especially with her across the nation. For the first time an Agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria with the little funds available has created so much impact in all the environmental sectors of Nigeria that one wonders which other

By OyIntiloye Olatunbosun

A

cross the world several initiatives have been targeted to 'catch them young'. Youths are believed to be tomorrow's leaders; hence the burden to equip and empower them to step in to the position of leadership and advance the course of civilisation is enormous.

Wisdom therefore dictates that those saddled with position of authority opened up themselves to ideas and innovations that will propel the actualisation of this lofty goal, that is, ensuring that youths are fully developed and equip with skills and courage to make them run with vision of greatness and carry on with the baton of civilisation. Every people in all race and climes possesses a distinctive ingenuity capable of providing a catalyst for development, this distinctiveness is often rooted in the language, arts, culture and the world view of the people.

Historically, Yoruba race, for instance, through works of Arts

observed sector is Fabiyi NESREA referring to. handling of the Were Fabiyi incessant not a portfolio Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text degradation of carrying messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written Nigeria's Consultant contributions should be concise.

Word limits: Letters 150 landscapes by seeking for Quarry words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and cheap publicity operators who a valid location.

Letters to the Editor should be addressed and crying wolf were to: where there is subsequently none, he would brought to have seen that The Editor, book. Many of NESREA has Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, them including successfully 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Julius Berger checkmated the Email: opinion@peoplesdaily-online.com and Gilmore importation of SMS: 08134607052 Construction hazardous Companies fell wastes into operators including MTN, under the agency's no nonsense Nigeria. The recent case where a AIRTEL, GLO, Helios Towers hammer. This is in addition to foreign vessel M.V. Marivia was and ETISALAT, among others. I the nationwide applause held for violating the law and can recall that when an MTN received from all Stakeholders was eventually released upon base station was sealed off by for putting artisanal mining payment of USD 500,000 bail the Agency at Efab Estate in into proper perspective by bond is still fresh in mind. Mr. Abuja, NCC in flagrant providing personal protective Fabiyi cannot feign ignorance of violation of the norm, tried to equipment for use by the this development. Due to the miners.

Agency's relentless insistence our react by unsealing the premises, which led NESREA to It would rather not go into Nigerian Ports are no longer a other catalogue of dumping ground for toxic wastes, dramatically reseal without achievements such as the which has been a big headache to fear or favour. Did Mr. Fabiyi remember to ask on whose side Chinese woman recently many. Would anyone now say NCC was working when they caught and prosecuted by the our environmental laws are not took that negative step? Today Agency for attempted effective? the safety and health of smuggling of Ivory Products in The same agency went Nigerians is assured because contravention of Convention on ahead to confront the International Trade on avalanche of complaints arising these base stations are now erected meters away from Endangered Species (CITES) from indiscriminate erection of residential areas, as prescribed provisions in Nigeria, and was masts and base stations in in relevant regulations. subsequently convicted by a Nigeria; in one instance the The Campaign for Lagos High Court. It would be agency had to seal off the base Environmental Rights also recalled that as a result of station of some telecom

WRITE TO US

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No existing environmental law is weak and not functioning.

And if our environment is filthy, unhealthy and not habitable as Fabiyi has claimed, it is our attitude that should change - not the other way round. Without holding brief for the Federal Government, they have done enough and are even now implementing a new Transformation Agenda

NESREA activities Nigeria had its 6years suspension from CITES lifted! What about the regular inspection and enforcement carried out to ensure proper waste and water treatment by facilities before discharge into the environment? Also worthy of mention is the establishment of Waste Demonstration Plants in Ilokun and Erifin areas of Ekiti state to champion the Waste to Wealth revolution that now generates composite manure for use by farmers.

No existing environmental law is weak and not functioning. And if our environment is filthy, unhealthy and not habitable as Fabiyi has claimed, it is our attitude that should change not the other way round.

Without holding brief for the Federal Government, they have done enough and are even now implementing a new Transformation Agenda.

The Campaign for Environmental Rights calls on well meaning Nigerians to ignore Fabiyi for what he is: a paid writer, sponsored in pursuance of malicious intent.

His Hagiographic effort and foray into the murky world of blackmail cannot but elicit contempt and opprobrium; his remarks should be dismissed, not only as empty but thrown into the dustbin where it rightly belongs.

The Campaign for Environmental Rights commends the federal government for its continued support of NESREA and other well meaning Agencies determined to implement its Transformation Agenda to the fullest no matter whose ox is gored. And to the Management of NESREA, continue your good works.

Chief Malik Abolagba wrote in from Benin City, Edo state

Oodua World Children Day: Youth development and cultural heritage and archaeological excavation from Ile-Ife Osun state has astonished the world with technological sophistication of objects like 'Ife head' also known as Ori Olokun. This object for instance is believed to be a supreme document of the culture that left no written record and embodied the history of African Kingdom and one of the most advanced and urbanised of its day.

Revisiting and animating the great potentials that astonished the world through Arts and discoveries in History in modern time apparently will take a new dimension, for instance, August last year, When the Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola provided a platform for young ones to showcase their talents in Callisthenic

programme, the world was dazzled at the dexterity of the pupils and inculcation of discipline, spirit of oneness and sheer zeal to accomplish a goal.

Callisthenic display, though not out rightly new but the animation, excitement and psychological triggered mark the state especially the youths as possessing a strand of greatness which if fully tapped and developed will no doubt re-define human value and dignity. Osun callisthenics, which involved 8,000 students of public schools, provided a springboard for demonstration of in built capacity and capability.

May 27 traditionally is engaged to celebrate Children in Nigeria, In the state of Osun however, the urge to add value beyond the conventional

practice, impelled the redefinition of this day, as it will provide a brilliant platform to further annex this potential and scale it up to a new genre, Oodua World Children Day.An event poise to showcase of our kids potential and celebrating a Yoruba race. It is going to be a convergence of crowns starting from the cradle and across the borders.

Oodua World Children Day promises to provide a platform for rejuvenation of cultural value, oneness of a people, the dream of a race, enterprise in human resourcefulness and capacity, leverage for authentic development, a sure path to self discovery and strengthening of affinity.

No wonder the hand of fellowships has been extended to

all Yoruba speaking states and nations to participate in this year May Day Programme.School Children from southwest states as well as Yoruba Speaking states of Kogi, Kwara, Edo, and Delta will feature in the event.To give the event its historical dynamic and International status, aside from the full participation of prominent royal fathers in Yorubaland, over thirty beaded crowns as well as prominent sons and daughters of Yoruba race from Benin Republic and beyond will be in attendance.

Oyintiloye Olatunbosun, Assistant Director (Community Forum) Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Governor's Office, Osun state (tunbosunmomi@yahoo.com)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 15

State of emergency and the critics

By Chiechefulam Ikebuiro

T

he declaration of emergency rule by the President Goodluck-led government on Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, as far as I am concerned, is in order. It is surprising that the government is getting criticisms from some quarters. It makes one think some of us do not want an end to the mayhem Boko Haram has brought on Nigeria.

I have always gone against almost all the decisions the president has taken lately most of which are at best lame; nNot beneficial to the citizens. This particular decision I think needs our backing. We just should not criticize because we want to be heard. So far nobody is offering a different solution. Let's spare thoughts for the victims (so far) of the Boko Haram insurgency.

The menace of the Boko Haram is no news to everybody.

This is a sect that wants the impossible. Nobody even know what they want. They cannot claim to be fighting against westernization because If they were they would not be using westernized weapons as well as using Youtube etal to communicate with journalists as rightly said by Professor Pat Utomi. This is a sect that for

By Ugorji O. Ugorji

W

hen I was coming of age in my part of the African continent, I was oriented to four major metaphors. The first was Zik, which I later learnt was short for the name of one of Nigeria's founding fathers nationalist and Pan-Africanist, Nnamdi Azikiwe.

Zik was a metaphor for the kind of leadership that espoused liberty and sovereignty for African people and unity amongst them. Chike Obi was said to be the first African (and/ or the first Nigerian) to earn a doctorate degree in mathematics. As students in Nigeria, every one of us in my generation who was smart, brilliant, or intelligent in our classes, was called Chike Obi. I would learn of Einstein much later in my life, but Chike Obi was and remains my representation for intelligence.

The one person or metaphor that has remained central to my yet infant life is Chinua Achebe.

More than anything else, I wanted to be a story teller and to work and associate with story tellers. This is what inspired me to get into writing and ultimately into publishing. The one business I could get myself to engage in was one that dealt with intellectual and creative property. I have never written or published for money as such or to be rich in doing either. I have simply sought to partake in art for the community and art for the sake of art itself, a vocation that has enabled me to play host to Wole Soyinka, Ngugi waThiongo, Ali Mazuri, and, of course, Chinua Achebe.

While I was introduced to Achebe, the writer, in classes at the secondary school and

flimsy excuses kill, maim and destroy innocent lives.

A state of emergency is a declaration by a government made in response to an extraordinary situation posing a fundamental threat to the country. The need to declare a state of emergency may arise from situations as diverse as an armed action against the state by internal or external elements (Boko Haram), a natural disaster, civil unrest, an epidemic, a financial or economic crisis or a general strike.Other terms for referring to emergency situations are state of exception, state of alarm and state of siege. I dare to say with the insurgency of the Boko Haram, we are in a state of alarm and siege hence the necessity of the declaration of the state of emergency.

I totally oppose the proposed amnesty programme the government wants to grant these insurgents. No sane government negotiates with terrorists.

Nothing will ever appease their quest for blood and more blood.

They do not even want the amnesty in the first place, what with Shekau saying it should be the other way round - they should be granting the FG amnesty.

What is the federal government supposed to do in this case?

Quietly sit and watch people die

on a daily basis? Should the government wait until the entire North is wiped out? The declaration of the state of emergency is the exact antidote to their insurgency.

Let's see how the state of emergency fares in these states.

Hopefully there is a significant improvement then the federal government can go ahead and make the same declaration in neighboring states (where I am sure the insurgents will run to).

The priority of the government is to make sure that the citizens are secure and I am for whatever genuine measures that are being taken to make this come to fruition.

The government however should make sure this works. It has to. I totally understand the cynicism. Would you blame the people? We have been here before.

The government should not in any way take advantage of the state of emergency to introduce restrictions of the human rights of the residents of these three states.

There should in anyway not be any political undertone in all these. People already are thinking there are, and I hope the Goodluck Jonathan-led government is really sincere about this declaration. This should in anyway not be about neutralizing political opponents (as I understand the governors of these

“

The menace of the Boko Haram is no news to everybody. This is a sect that wants the impossible. Nobody even know what they want. They cannot claim to be fighting against westernization because If they were they would not be using westernized weapons as well as using Youtube etal to communicate with journalists

states are Amaechi's men).

I don't think the government will be so stupid to trivialize the menace of Boko Haram. The safety of the people should be the only reason for the declaration of the state of emergency. The military should treat the ordinary citizens humanely.

There should be no abuse of the human rights of the people of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe in whatsoever way. I had to repeat this,because I really do not trust the mentality of our military officers.

I will like to end this piece by urging the federal government to follow professor Pat Utomi's (the only person who so far has suggested another way out) other solution to this Boko Haram menace: "So rather than spend trillions on security, the Federal Government has to look beyond the immediate and have a long term strategy to starve organized terrorist groups of the oxygen that feeds their fire. We must begin to educate the masses of the North so that they value their lives. Education increases their level of consciousness and when a man has a heightened level of consciousness he is no longer easily susceptible to manipulation using primordial sentiments".

Chiechefulam Ikebuiro (thalynxis@yahoo.ca)

Chinua Achebe as a metaphor university levels, it was the enterprise of publishing that gave me the honor to be introduced to Achebe the man.

Specifically, it was the privilege I had in publishing Achebe's close friend, Chike Momah, that brought me in contact for the first time with the now departed great spirit. Friends and Dreams was Momah's first work that I published under the Sungai Books imprint. Dr. Christie Achebe, Professor Achebe's wife, stood in for her husband at the launching of that book.

In 1999, I invited Professor Chinua Achebe to receive that year's Quintessence Award, the preeminent Pan African Leadership Award in North America, from Sungai and the African Writers Endowment (AWE). In one of the greatest honors ever done to me, the Great Spirit accepted and came in person, his health challenges notwithstanding. He later made a joke about the evident pleasant

surprise in my voice when he called to tell me he would accept and attend.

And so it was that on a date in 1999, at the then Marriott Hotel in Princeton, New Jersey, I met the metaphor in person when he came as my guest of honor and as he shared and broke bread with all who attended the event. He came, he said, because he shared the Pan-African vision of the award (we choose at least one continental African and at least one African from the Americas or the Caribbean to honor each year). He also came, he said, because he saw in my little efforts at writing and publishing, the same interests he had. Professor Ibrahim Gambari was the one who presented the award to him on behalf of our organization.

By the time of the launch of the second work by Momah, Titi: Biafran Maid in Geneva, also published by Sungai Books, I had become a respectful

“

acquaintance of the Great Spirit.

It was at this event, held at Essex County Community College in Newark, New Jersey, that Professor Achebe paid me the greatest compliment of my life.

Afa ma nma, aza ya nza na abu (when a name is good, you answer to it twice), he said. He was referring to my name Ugorji Ugorji. He explained that his title, Ugoberenorji, is the same name as Ugorji. He went on to tell me, in the presence of those who had gathered, that he had followed my efforts and "Ugorji, you are doing a good job for our people." He was simply too generous for a student who was just happy to sit at his feet.

Professor Achebe would later walk further with me when he became the biggest donor to our efforts at AWE and also accepted to serve as our honorary chairman. In addition to his interest in and support for our efforts, his donation was not unconnected to the fact that one

Achebe never hid the fact that his Igbo heritage influenced everything he did and wrote. So it would not be controversial to observe that he wrote with the traits of gumption, stubbornness, and pride in acts of truth-telling and struggles for justice and human dignity. These traits are not exclusive to Igbo people, but Achebe's homeboys and home girls, especially those conscious of and/or initiated in the values of the ancients, are particularly messianic in the manifestations of these traits

of his children came to work with us for some time.

Achebe never hid the fact that his Igbo heritage influenced everything he did and wrote. So it would not be controversial to observe that he wrote with the traits of gumption, stubbornness, and pride in acts of truth-telling and struggles for justice and human dignity. These traits are not exclusive to Igbo people, but Achebe's homeboys and home girls, especially those conscious of and/or initiated in the values of the ancients, are particularly messianic in the manifestations of these traits.

As an African student at the then Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) and Rutgers University, walking through courses in writing, black studies, and the humanities in general, I needed no introduction. Achebe had introduced me and my heritage long before I came to America.

This was what made him the most influential and perhaps the most significant of the four metaphors I mentioned earlier.

This is what has made him eternal and immortal. I will have more to say about my relationship with the Great Spirit in the future. For now, as the body of Chinua Achebe gets ready to be committed to Ala (Ani) this week in the land he considered and presented as a holy land - Ala Igbo - May his universal soul rest in peace with the ancestors and with Chukwu!

Ugorji O. Ugorji is Executive Director, African Writers Endowment, Inc. (Africanwriters@gmail.com)

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

FCTA to organise Investors Forum on primary infrastructure

By Adeola Tukuru

I

A group of Catholic Priests from the FCT, Nasarawa and Benue States during their just concluded annual retreat in Makurdi, Benue State, recently.

Bwari farmers decry nonparticipation in FG’s scheme F

armers in Bwari yesterday decried their non participation in the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the GES scheme is a Federal Government initiative under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) aimed at subsidising the cost of major agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and seeds.

One of the requirements for the scheme is the farmers’ registration where farmers’ data are captured into the ministry’s central data bank.

Some of the farmers who spoke to NAN said that no proper information was given to them on the exercise.

Mallam Zayyan Hamisu, a farmer said that he was not aware of the registration.

According to him, “if proper

sensitisation is given, no farmer will miss the opportunity.’’

“Now you can see that our other counterparts are receiving their inputs and we are not; government should please do something.”

Another farmer, Alhaji Adamu Dan- Azumi, said that he was registered but did not receive the text message to confirm his inputs were ready for collection.

He said that most of his cofarmers who were registered alongside him did not equally receive the confirmation SMS. However, Mr Abdulmumini Salihu, also a farmer, said that he was able to receive his inputs without much hassles.

Salihu said that he received a bag of NPK fertiliser, a bag of urea fertiliser and a bag of maize seedlings for N6, 500.

He said that rice seedlings

were not yet available at the redemption centre.

Salihu said: “the only thing the distributors need to improve on is time management.’’

“We are farmers and need to be on the field; as soon as we get our inputs but their process slows us down and there is no shelter here.

“All this rearrangement they are doing is unnecessary.”

Mr Abednego Jediba, the Deputy Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), FCT chapter, told NAN that the process would improve.

According to Jediba, the Federal Government’s plan to include livestock and fingerlings to farmers in the field was underway.

“Everything is in phases; this is just the first phase.

“So far, this is just for crop farmers who need to start planting within the season since

the rains are here already so that they don’t plant late.”

Commenting on the unregistered farmers, the AFAN executive said the complaint had been taken with the Federal Director of Agriculture in the Ministry.

He said that AFAN would ensure that all its members benefited from the government’s scheme.

NAN recalls that the GES was unofficially rolled out in the FCT on May 13.

Dr Charles Momo, the FCT Federal Director of Agriculture, said the ministry would use the first week to test run and check on loopholes for correction.

He said that the roll out would last for six weeks in the FCT. NAN correspondent who visited the redemption centre reports that the turnout was commendable. (NAN)

n order to raise the needed funds to fast-track the development of the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Administration will soon organize an Investors Forum.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, made this disclosure yesterday while receiving members of the Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc led by its Chairman, Chief Christopher Ezeh that paid him a courtesy visit .

The Minister explained that the purpose of the Investors Forum is to discuss and find ways of partnering with the members of the Organized Private Sector especially those at the financial sub-sector to fund primary infrastructure in Abuja.

According to him, the FCT Administration intends to establish a Land Bank where title documents of great value can be domiciled as collateral.

Senator Mohammed therefore remarked that his Administration is working assiduously to collaborate and partner with the financial institutions to achieve this lofty dream.

He specifically called on the Fidelity Bank Plc to buy into this new programme for mutual benefit of all stakeholders; adding that Banks have strategic role to play even in the Abuja Land Swap Initiative.

The Minister reiterated that the investors, Banks and the FCT Administration need to interface in achieving the provision of the infrastructure to the newly opened up districts in the Federal Capital City as well as in the Satellite Towns; insisting that this marriage is for mutual benefit.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Board of Directors of Fidelity Bank Plc, Chief Christopher Ezeh said his Bank is celebrating its 25 years anniversary in Abuja and that it deems it fit to visit the FCT Minister.

Chief Ezeh stated that the Bank is proud of all the 25 years spent doing business in Nigeria because it has added value to the economy; stressing that in 2012 alone, the Bank gave out credit facilities worth about N245 billion to finance projects.

Cleric stresses need to inculcate family values among Christians

By Emmanuel Eko A cleric, Rev. Fr. James Davo, has stressed the importance of “looking inside” the family with a view to appreciating the ties that binds them together, instead of “looking outside” in the life of a Christian.

Rev. Fr. Davo, a renowned man of God from Plateau State, spoke at the opening of a fiveday Retreat held yesterday at St. Sylvester Catholic Church, New Nyanya, and FCT. According to the cleric, the main reason for holding the retreat is to enable them teach

members of the church and other interested persons how to be strong in the lord, how to keep their faith alive, how to make them grow from baby to adult spiritually, how to strengthen and encourage the family.

Just as it is saying that

charity begins from home, Rev. Fr. James Davo said that the family is the foundation of the society.

As such love, understanding, forgiveness and brotherhood should abound in every family in imitation of the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ.

Declaring open the retreat which was attended by a mammoth crowd from all over the FCT and its environs, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Soja Anyembugu, said the feel honoured to have an accomplished man of God like Davo among them.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 17

UniAbuja gets audit panel A

five-man panel has been set up to determine the number of academic and non-academic staff and students of the University of Abuja.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, who inaugurated the panel in Gwagwalada, Abuja on Monday, said it would determine the regularity of their appointments and

programmes Ogbemudia said the panel was expected to recommend improvement in future appointments of staff and admissions of students, as well as any other issue considered relevant.

“All staff and students certified at the end this exercise should be properly identified as staff and students of the university for a

specified, renewable period and authenticated by the appropriate university authority.’’

Ogbemudia said the move was in line with the directive of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He named Prof Abdullahi Ribadu as Chairman and Dr Godwill Ogboghodo as Secretary of the panel.

He said members of the panel,

particularly the chairman and secretary, were carefully selected outside the university. ``The panel has four weeks to do its work which should commence immediately,” he said.

Chairman of the panel, Ribadu, pledged that members would live up to expectations in the discharge of their responsibilities and solicited the support of staff and students of the

university.

He commended the governing council for counting them worthy to serve.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. James Adelabu, assured members of the panel of the preparedness of the management to provide logistics required for discharge of their assignment.

(NAN)

New council chairmen to support FCTA policies

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he newly elected chairmen of the six area councils in the FCT have promised to cooperate with the FCT Administration in implementing its policies and programmes.

The Chairman of Bwari Area Council, Mr Peter Ushafa, said this while fielding questions from journalist after their inauguration on Monday in Abuja.

He expressed the need to make more funds available to the chairmen to carter for the influx of people from other states of the Federation into the territory on a daily basis. ``FCT is different from other

states because of the influx of people into the territory; we need more funds to meet the needs of our people,’’ he said.

Ushafa said that primary health care would be provided in all communities in the council and that doctors’ quarters would be built for them.

Mr Micha Jiba, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, said the council would continue to improve the standard of living of its residents. ``I will make sure I do more than I have done before; I want to let my people know that if I will improve the lives of residents of this council. ``We have touched every community, any community

that feels that it has not been attended to should come and meet me,’’ he said.

The Chairman of Kuje area council, Mr Ishiaku Shaban, said he would take Kuje Area

Council ``to the next level’’.

He said that the issue of inadequate water supply and poor electricity in the council would be given urgent attention.

``I said I will take Kuje to the next level because I know our problem, I will improve on electricity and provide adequate water to Kuje people,’’ Shaban said.

Kuje chair solicits support of opposition parties

By Adeola Tukuru

T

he newly elected Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the FCT, Mr Ishaku Tete, has appealed to members of opposition parties to forget their political differences and join hands with him to develop the area.

He made the appeal in Kuje on Monday while addressing newsmen shortly after taking the oath of office

along with his executive council members.

The chairman also solicited the support of youths in the area to achieve the administration’s developmental goals.

The former Chairman of the council, Mr Danladi Zhin, thanked the people for the support they gave his administration.

He commended the peaceful coexistence of the people during his

tenure and urged them to extend similar support to the incoming administration.

He also commended the security agencies, traditional and religious leaders for their contributions to the success of his administration. ``We have laid a solid foundation for the development and transformation of the entire Area Council and for the past six years, life in Kuje had changed for good,” he said.

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

INSIDE FCT COURTS Scavenger bags 2 months imprisonment for theft

A

n Abuja Grade Two Area Court in Kado on Monday sentenced one Isiaka Shehu, 25, to two months imprisonment over theft and selling of stolen property.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Abdullahi Alhassan, had told the court that on April 30, one Theophilus Musa of Gwarimpa Housing Estate, Abuja, lodged the complaint at the Mabushi Police Station.

Alhassan said that the complainant reported that Shehu, a scavenger at Mabushi dump area, Abuja went to his building construction site near Banex flyover and stole 86 steel poles, valued at N1.3 million He said that during police investigation, eight pieces of the steel poles were recovered from one Ibrahim Bala and two others now at large.

He said Shehu admitted selling the poles to Bala for five thousand naira.

Alhassan said that the offences contravened the provisions of section 288 and 317 of the Penal Code.

Section 288 states that, whoever commits theft in or from a building, tent or vessel....shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine or with both.

Section 317 states that, whoever dishonestly receives or retains any stolen property knowingly…..Shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 14 years or with fine or with both.

Shehu pleaded guilty.

The Presiding Judge, Mr Ahmed Ado, however, sentenced the accused to two months imprisonment with an option of a fine of seven thousand naira. (NAN)

Pupils of LEA primary School, Kabin Mangoro community, of Kuje Area Council getting ready to entertain guests during the visit of Explore Books and Readers Club to the school, recently.

Photo: Stanley Onyekwere

3 men bag 30 months imprisonment for stealing gravel A n Abuja Magistrates’ Court on Monday sentenced three men, Moses Langa, Shedrach Chidawa and Ugochukwu Obi, all of Jidu Village, Abuja, to 30 months imprisonment each for stealing gravel.

The Magistrate, Mr Christopher Oba, sentenced the convicts after they pleaded guilty to the offence of joint act, criminal trespass and theft.

The convicts, however, begged the court for leniency.

“I hereby sentence you to 18 months imprisonment for the offence of joint act, six months imprisonment for the offence of trespass and six months imprisonment for the offence of theft.

“The sentence is to run consecutively,’’ Oba said.

The magistrate did not give the convicts an option of fine.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Mr Paul Anigbo, told the court that one Ariba Lucky of Zone 7, Lugbe, Abuja, reported the matter at the Lugbe Police Station on May 15.

Anigbo said the accused persons criminally trespassed into the complainant’s construction site and stole 12 bags of gravel.

He said the accused persons were apprehended while

trying to flee the scene with their loot.

The prosecutor said that during police investigation, the convicts confessed to committing the crime, saying that gravel had been recovered from them.

Anigbo added that the offence contravened the provision of sections 79, 348 and 287 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)

Driver jailed for violating traffic rules

A

Karu Upper Area Court in the FCT on Monday sentenced a truck driver, Adekunle Banjo, to three weeks imprisonment for violating road traffic laws.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Umar Kagarko, pronounced the sentence after Banjo pleaded guilty to three out of the four-count charge filed against him by the police.

The charges include driving without a driver’s licence, left side mirror and number plate at the rear of his vehicle as well as driving on worn-out tyres.

Banjo pleaded guilty to other charges but denied the charge of his vehicle not having number plate at the rear.

He said that the plate fell off the vehicle without his knowledge, adding that it was not a deliberate act as alleged by the prosecutor.

He prayed the court to strike out the charge.

The judge sentenced him to one week imprisonment with an option of N3,500 fine on each count, bringing the total jail term and fine to three weeks and N10,500, respectively.

The judge, however, struck out the charge of not having vehicle number plate at the rear for lack of evidence.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Daniel Dominic, had earlier told the court that Banjo was arrested at Dankogi Junction, Apo, Abuja while driving his vehicle with registration number YU 402 PHC. He had said: “The accused is not expected to use such vehicle on our road, considering the number of lives at risk.

“I want the court to have this in mind when passing its judgement to serve as deterrent to other potential offenders.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened sections 25 and 4(1) of the Road Traffic Act. He also asked the court to order the convict to buy new tyres and side mirrors after serving his jail term, a request the court granted. (NAN)

NSCDC drags 2 businessmen to court over stolen items

T

he Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp has arraigned two businessmen, Izundu Nebolisa and Patrick Nedolisa, in an Abuja Senior Magistrates’ Court for allegedly being in possession of stolen items.

Izundu, 39, resides at the of back of Key Stone Bank, Kubwa, Abuja, while Patrick, 37, lives at Madala, New Site, Suleja, Niger.

The accused are charged with criminal conspiracy, dishonestly receiving stolen property and

being in possession of things suspected to be stolen.

The prosecutor, Ms Olabisi Okanlawon, told the court that officers of the corps arrested the accused on April 29.

Okanlawon said the accused conspired and dishonestly received manhole covers and rails, which they knew were stolen property of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

She said the accused also helped in selling the items knowing full well that they were

stolen property of the FCDA. Okanlawon, therefore, prayed the court to remand the accused in prison to enable the NSCDC conclude its investigations.

The counsel to the accused, Mr David Maduka, objected to the prosecutor’s demand and applied for bail for his clients.

Maduka said his application was based on the provisions of Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The section states that an accused is presumed innocent

until proven guilty.

Maduka said the corps detained the accused long enough to have concluded their investigation before bringing them to court.

The Senior Magistrate, Mr Emmanuel Iyanna, in his ruling, turned down the prosecutor’s demand for the accused to be remanded in custody.

Iyanna said the prosecutor did not give any cogent reasons why the accused should be remanded in prison custody, adding that the

corps had enough time to conclude its investigations.

“I hereby grant the accused persons bail in the sum of N500,000 each and a surety each in the like sum.

He said the sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and must have reasonable means of livelihood, in addition to providing the court with a copy of their utility bills.

Iyanna adjourned the case to June 17,2013 for further hearing. (NAN)

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Email: aminuimam@yahoo.co.uk

IOCs divest N1.12tr oil assets from Nigeria in 4yrs

By Aminu Imam with agency report

I

n the past four years, International Oil Companies (IOCs) have divested much of their oil assets in Nigeria, deriving earnings of over $7 billion (N 1.12 trillion) from the sales.

In what may have been the latest of the asset disposition by oil majors, Brazilian oil company, Petrobras, which began operations in Nigeria in 1998 in the deep waters off the coast of the Niger Delta, was recently reported to have commenced moves to sell off its stakes in Nigerian oil fields, to raise cash for domestic projects, a deal that may fetch the company up to $5 billion. But the company later said it had yet to make a decision on the potential sale of the assets.

The company, it was gathered, would sell its eight per cent stake in the offshore Agbami blocks, which are operated by United States energy major, Chevron, and a 20 per cent share of the offshore Akpo project, operated by French oil firm, Total.

Analysts believe that the divestments by some of the IOCs are linked to the uncertainties surrounding the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which has also made oil majors hold back on investments.

Shell Nigeria recently disclosed that it was holding back its planned investment of about $30 billion in two offshore deep water projects.

In 2012, Shell, Total, ConocoPhillips and Agip divested part of their stakes in the oil and gas industry.

Also last year, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Total SA and Eni, who pump about 90 percent of Nigeria’s oil through ventures with the NNPC, had said in a joint presentation to the legislature, that the proposed higher taxes in the PIB would make exploration of oil and gas uneconomical.

Total, the French giant, also sold its 20 percent stake and operating mandate of its Nigerian offshore project to a local unit of China’s Sinopec for $2.5 billion last year.

The Federal Government recently said there was no cause for alarm over the ongoing divestment of petroleum assets by multinational oil companies, maintaining that all divestments by IOCs would be taken up by local companies.

Mob: 08033644990

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 20

Airports would boost Nigeria’s GDP, says Minister

FirstBank upgrades IT infrastructure for enhanced service delivery

By Aminu Imam

F

irst Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) is currently upgrading its IT infrastructure to enhance service delivery and provide specialised financial solutions to all customer segments, the Bank’s management has said.

FirstBank’s spokesperson, Folake Ani-Mumuney said the Bank’s upgrade to Finacle 10 banking platform will simplify customer transactions, support the latest database technologies as well as improve functional and operational capabilities on its network.

“A periodic review of our

processes to seek ways of upgrading customer experience is an activity that we are passionate about in FirstBank. Consequently, our quest at any given time is to ensure the bank is better positioned to offer efficient services to its over 7 million customers across the globe,” she stated.

Ani-Mumuney said FirstBank continues to invest heavily in technology in its bid to drive service excellence and product innovation across its branches and electronic channels. “Our Finacle 10 platform will drive operations that support new lines of business and further extend our services to the under-banked and unbanked in the nation,” she added.

She explained that as is standard with such enhancements, the bank regrets that some customers may have encountered some service disruptions which may continue over the next couple of weeks when the upgrade will be concluded.

According to her, the bank had since provided several alternative platforms to ensure that customers can be serviced at any given time. She said the Bank had during the period, opened some of its branches for longer hours and on weekends increased the number of staff in its call centres who are empowered to provide onthe-spot assistance.

“We are approaching an

advanced stage of the upgrade and will like to appeal to our customers for understanding and patience as we work towards enhancing customer experience across all our touch points,” she stated.

During the transition period, customers requiring assistance can reach the Bank’s contact centre – FirstContact – via phone (0708-062-5000) or email (firstcontact@firstbanknigeria.com) for prompt24/7 resolution of transactional issues.

On Facebook, customers can receive assistance by sending direct messages to facebook.com/ firstbankofnigeria, while customers on Twitter can reach us on @firstbankngr.

L-R: Chairman Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Tunde Ayeni, Business mogul, Captain Osa Okunbor, congratulating the Chief Executive Officer of Itex Furniture, Mr. Tony Ezekiel, his wife, Mrs. Adeola Ezekiel, during a reception after Tony Ezekiel was honoured with Seminar Room in his name at Sa'id Busniess School, in Oxford University, in United Kingdom recently.

By Abdulwahab Isa

Fidelity Bank's gross earnings grows to N11.4bn

idelity Bank Plc has recorded growth in Gross Earnings by 62.3 per cent from N73.6 billion in 2011 to N11.4 billion in 2012.

Managing Director of Fidelity Bank plc Reginald Ihejiah stated this yesterday at the 25th Annual General Meeting (AGM)

of the Bank.

The bank also recorded growth in Net Interest and Discount Income of N36.8 billion in 2012, an increase of 20.5% from N30.6 billion recorded in 2011.

He said the bank's spectacular performance was driven by

F

••• declares 21 kobo dividend prudent balance sheet management that aimed to balance asset prices and low cost deposit mobilization with income growth .

Its Profit after Tax (PAT) rose

Management Tip of the Day

G

Give feedback that crosses cultures

iving critical feedback is an essential part of a manager’s job.

But people in Shanghai don’t provide feedback in the same way as people in Strasbourg or Stockholm, so how can do your job when you’re working across cultures? Here are three tips: Learn the new rules.

Read up on the values, beliefs,

and assumptions people generally hold about social interactions in this region.

Observe it in action to pick up on cues, such as how direct you’re expected to be, or how important it is to save face in group settings.

Customize your behavior. Don’t assume you have to “go native.” You can

often create a blend of styles that’s comfortable to you and effective in the new setting.

Find a cultural mentor.

Look for someone who’s worked in the area, preferably for many years. She can help you craft an approach that fits you and the place you work.

Source: Harvard Business Review

by 604% to N18.2 billion in 2012 from N2.6 billion recorded in 2011. The board approved a dividend of 21 kobo per share.

The bank also recorded increase in total assets, moving by 23.9% to N914.4 billion as at December 31, 2012, from N737.9 billion as at December 31, 2011.

Total deposit from customers was N716.7 billion.

This represents an increase of 27.2% over the N563.7 billion recorded in 2011.

The bank's net Loans and advances to customers increased by 23.7% to N345.5 billion from N279.2 billion while its total equity rose by 10.5% to N161.5 billion from N146.1 billion.

o

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS

Neimeth Intn’l Pharmaceuticals

W

ith between 20 and 25 percent of the nation’s population suffering from hypertension, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc is slashing prices of its anti- hypertensive drugs by 50 percent.

The price cut, the company said, is aimed at reducing the burden of high cost of antihypertensive treatment on patients in the country as affordability is a key factor in its drive towards the management of hypertension in Nigeria.

Neimeth’s Managing Director, Emmanuel Ekunno stated that while the cost of most antihypertensive drugs ranges from N24 to N150 per therapy, the new scheme will provide see the company’s sell its antihypertensive drugs between N2 to N8 per therapy.

Stories from Suleiman Idris, Lagos

S

trike action by aviation workers over staff welfare dispute with the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) failed to stop operations on Monday, as scheduled flights arrived and departed all Nigerian airports while over flyers operated across the nation’s airspace without any disruption.

The aviation unions, under the aegis of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) had, in a release jointly signed by their leaders last Thursday, threatened to embark on an indefinite industrial action which might led to closure of the nation’s airspace should management of Nigerian

Strike by aviation unions fails to stop flight operations Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) failed to meet their demands by 12 midnight on Sunday.

But a statement by management of NAMA claimed the union leaders had been called to a meeting for amicable resolution and urged them to refrain from their action pending the outcome of the meeting which continued till yesterday.

By 8:00 am Monday the unions had called out its members to embark on the industrial action.While most workers resumed to their duty posts , some of the union leaders were seen moving from one office to the

other mobilising their members to comply with the strike order.

But many of the workers went back to their seats expecting the next line of action.

The union leaders however, succeeded in padlocking and barricading the gate to the headquarters of NAMA l opposite Murtala Mohammed Domestic Terminal Two (MMA2), but the padlock and the barricade were soon removed by fellow workers who refused to join the strike.

The failure of the strike came to manifestation when both outboard and in-bound flights began to depart and arrive at the Lagos airport without any disruption.

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Main One Cable Coy

M

ain One Cable Company, West Africa’s leading wholesale communications services company and the first privately-owned, open access submarine fiber optic cable to land in Nigeria and Ghana, has rebranded itself as Main One. The rebranding marks the conclusion of the company’s evolution from a submarine cable company to a full-fledged communications services provider.

With its repositioning, Main One is asserting its increased capability to provide wholesale capacity, and to offer a wider range of products and services to cater to the needs of its customers.

By Chris Alu

Mansard Insurance Plc

M

ansard Insurance Plc, a provider of risk and investment management services has released its Audited Financial Results for the period ended December 31, 2012.

The company recorded Gross Premium Written of N12.44billion (against December 2011 at N10.00billion), an increase of 24percent; Net Premium Income of N7.11billion (compared December 2011: N6.08bn), an increase of 17percent.

The increase, according to the company, was largely driven by strategic reinsurance alliances and underwriting efficiency.

From Ngozi Onyeakusi, Lagos

Staff of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), outside the main gate, protecting over better condition of Service, at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja on Monday.

Airports would boost Nigeria’s GDP, says Minister

T

he Federal Governmentowned 22 airports in Nigeria has been identified as a source of huge revenue that will boost the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) when they all become operational.

The facilities, Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah said would also galvanise economic activities and enhance domestic and international travel.

According to her, “It is projected that by 2015 total domestic and international passenger movement in Nigeria would rise from the present 12 million to 16 million and with better airport facilities and commercial offerings at the airports, air travellers would be increasing by at least 10 per cent every year.

Stella said this during her opening speech at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the construction of an international terminal at the Akanu Ibiam international airport and the

commissioning of the re-modelled domestic terminal in Enugu by President Goodluck Jonathan.

She said, “Nigeria’s aviation industry must take its rightful place in our national life. The industry must become pivotal to the socio-economic development of our country as it is supposed to be and as we proclaim in our Vision, we will continue to do what it takes to deliver such an industry to Nigerians”.

The Minister explained that the international terminal project in Enugu would be completed in December 2014 alongside the perishable cargo terminal at a total cost of N13.3 billion for the project.

While describing the Enugu facility as the fastest growing airport in the country, she also disclosed that the new international terminal with a total floor area of 25,000 square meters would have capacity to handle 500,000 passengers per annum.

“On completion of the terminal, this airport will finally answer its name in the real sense of the word ‘Akanu Ibiam international airport”, Oduah said.

Again she disclosed that already two international airlines have indicated interest to operate flights into the Enugu airport, adding that discussion along these lines would continue over the next few months “as we prepare the airport’s infrastructure to meet this demand”.

The Minister affirmed that the re-modelling of the 22 federal-owned airports would be completed, including the five new international terminals coming on stream in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kano, noting that these were not the only transformation taking place in the aviation sector, but also the aerotropolis projects and the perishable cargo terminal projects.

One of the union leaders, Acting General Secretary of NUATE, Abdul Kareem Omotajo claimed that the strike recorded some level of success even as he alleged that the management of NAMA employed the services of unqualified Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) to operate the airspace.

He claimed the ATC personnel employed by NAMA to operate the airspace while the strike action persisted were rustic personnel who had not received any training in the last six years in accordance with ICAO standard However, another union leader in the aviation industry Comrade Seidu Abdulrasaq has described the action of the aviation unions as illegal and an act of mutiny.

Seidu, who is General Secretary of Nigerian Aviation Professional Association (NAPA) and. Civil Society Council representative on the Small and Medium term in the aviation sector said: “They did not give enough notification to both the NAMA management, Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in an issue that involved national interest.

“The threat by the union that they wanted to shut down the airspace is an act of mutiny, which should not be taken lightly by authority concerned. Have they employed every available option on industrial disputes? No, they have not. The issue of ultimatum is nothing but threat and not a negotiation”, he stated.

Meanwhile, a statement by the Special Assistant Media to the Minister of Aviation, Joe Obi, said the two industrial Unions in the Aviation sector-The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) which threatened to embark on strike today over dispute with the Management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on issues bordering on staff welfare have shelved the strike action.

The statement said: “The decision to shelve the strike action followed some Resolutions taken at the end of a meeting in Abuja convened at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu with the leadership of the two Unions and the Management of NAMA.” It said that, it was unanimously agreed that due notification was not given to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity in the aforementioned dispute.

“We want to assure all Nigerians, the international community and especially, the travelling public that the Nigerian airspace remains safe and secure for local and international flights,” it further said.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Nigerians import 58,786 container-loads of cargoes in Q1 From Olawuni Oladapo, Lagos

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igerian importers brought in a total of 58,786 full container loads (FCL) of different cargoes through the nation’s main economic gateways, Apapa and TinCan Island ports in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, findings have shown.

Also, a total of 19,155 units of new and used vehicles were also imported into the country within the period under review through the Tin-Can Island

1 and 11 Roll in-Roll out (RORO) ports in Lagos.

According to daily shipping position published by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), about 17,984 full container loads of cargoes were imported into the country in the month of January but the volume grew by 17.68 percent to 21,163 containers in the month of February.

However, the shipping position shows that the volume of containerised cargo declined in the month of March by 7.20

percent to 19,639.

Further breakdown shows that a total number of 3,350 new cars and 1,621 used cars amounting to 4,971 vehicles were imported into the country in the month of January.

In February, about 5,991 new vehicles and 1,250 used vehicles totaling 7,241 cars were imported into the country, while a total number of 6,943 vehicles were brought in by importers in the month of March from countries like America, Germany, Japan including other European

and Asian countries.

Also, the shipping position further disclosed that four units of tug boats, 520 truck heads and 132 trailers were brought into the country within the period under review.

The containers and vehicles were brought in through APM Terminals in Apapa, Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), Ports and Cargo Handling Service, 5 Star Logistics, Ports and Terminal Multi-purpose Services Limited (PTML), among others.

Nigeria’s economic growth slows slightly – World Bank

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igeria’s economic growth slowed slightly to 6.56 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 due to a shrinking oil sector and the effects of an insurgency in the North.

The country’s economy has been one of the continent’s most consistent performers in recent years, with annual gross domestic product increases of between 5 per cent and 8 per cent since 2003. In the last quarter of 2012, growth was 6.99 per cent.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said that GDP in the petroleum sector, which has been hampered by legislative uncertainty and industrial scale theft of crude oil, fell 0.54 per cent in the first three months. Average daily oil production was 2.29m barrels, compared with 2.35m b/d in the same period of 2012.

The non-oil sector continued to drive the economy, growing 7.89 per cent from January to March. Manufacturing, hotels and restaurants, and construction performed strongly, the statistics bureau said.

The telecoms sector grew 24.53 per cent, down from 32.44 per cent in the last quarter of 2012, due mainly to increased competition among service

providers.

A World Bank report published this week said that Nigeria’s “short term macroeconomic outlook looks generally strong, with the likelihood of higher growth, lower inflation, and reserve accumulation”. But it also noted a “puzzling contrast” between the GDP growth over the past decade, which averaged 7 per cent a year, according to official data, and the social welfare of the population.

Trade and agriculture have been responsible for much of the economic expansion, which would in normal circumstances benefit many Nigerians, but has not done so.

“Poverty reduction and job creation have not kept pace with population growth, implying social distress for an increasing number of Nigerians,” the report said, noting that Nigeria still ranks 153 out of 186 countries in the UN Human Development

Index.

Bismarck Rewane, chief executive officer of Financial Derivatives, a Lagos consultancy, said the GDP growth was below expectations.

“I thought it would have recovered a bit more, but the activities of [Islamist sect] Boko Haram, modest oil production and last year’s flooding have had an effect. Growth may still fall more this quarter,” he said.

(Bloomberg)

China to site truck plant in Calabar

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Chinese trade delegation on a visit to Cross River said on Saturday it planned to open a truck manufacturing plant within Calabar FreeTrade Zone.

Mr. Gui Guangli, leader of delegation and Deputy Mayor of Chang Chun City, China, announced this during a courtesy visit to Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River state.

Guangli said the team was in the state to explore areas of investment and decided to go ahead with the establishment of a truck plant The Deputy Mayor said that the company had 11 outlets across the world, including Japan, Germany

and U.S. According to him, the state is conducive for investments, coupled with the airport, seaport and Free-Trade Zone.

He said the trucks that would be produced in Calabar would be of high technology and class, adding that the volume of production would be determined by the economic indices of demand.

He said the trade mission would also invest in agriculture and pharmaceutical sectors.

According to him, China and Nigeria have an age-long trade relationship and commended Imoke for providing necessary infrastructure for the state’s economic growth.

Responding, Imoke commended the mission for the decision to establish the plant in Calabar, adding that it would strengthen and develop the economy of the state.

Imoke said the products of some Chinese firms doing business in the zone were of high quality.

According to the governor, Cross River is one of the states with fastest growing economies in Nigeria and its people are peaceful and hospitable.

He said it was the state’s economic thrust to build a strong system and advised that those who invested in agriculture should plant, harvest and process the produce in the state.

Imoke explained that the state would collaborate with the mission to explore areas with comparative advantage and called for more areas of support and cooperation. (NAN)

NIMET harps on early weather information in decision process From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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he Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) Dr. Anthony Anuforom has emphasised the need for the application of early warning weather climate information in planning and decision making in vital sectors of the Nigeria economy.

Speaking at a lecture on ‘Meteorology, Climate Change and the Nigerian Economy’ ,during the induction of some fellows by the Nigerian Academy of Science in Abuja, Dr. Anuforom explained that meteorological information does not only serves for early warning but could be used as a source for improving productivity in key economic sectors like agriculture.

He stated that the extreme weather events accentuated by climate change like the flood experienced in 2012 in the country, posed significant threat to achieving the goals of national and global development programmes like the country’s Vision 20 20 20 and the United Nations Development Goals in socio sectors of the economy.

The NIMET boss explained it was in recognition of climate change as a critical challenge that made the Federal Government to seek for a sustainable economic growth in the leading years up to year 2020.

He said government took a number of measures such as, the development

of National Action Plan and adaptation of policy on climate change, strengthening the operation capacity of NIMET through the provision of modern infrastructure and facilities for weather observations and forecasting as parts of measures to address the challenges.

Others include the strengthening of NEMA capacity towards responding to weather induced disasters and setting in motion the process of developing a National Framework for Application of Climate Services NFACS by inaugurating a high powered ministerial committee to develop a framework.

The NIMET boss explained that Nigeria was not immune to global warming, climate variability and change “Unfortunately, climate scientists have warned that the end of global warming and the accompanying violent weather, heat wave, sea level rise among others is not in sight.

“Mankind will continue to grapple with the effect of upsetting the equilibrium of the climate system that was triggered since the industrial revolution era”.

Dr. Anuforom suggested that the NFACS should complement the transformation agenda in order to make national economic development more resilient to the vagaries of climate change adding that it was the only way the gains of the development efforts will be stable, enduring and sustainable.

Nigeria's Sov. investment Authority plans N84bn infrastructural investment in June

By Abdulwahab Isa

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he Nigeria Sovereign I n v e s t m e n t Authority (NSIA), on Monday said it would open its investment portfolio with the injection of $525 million (N84 bn) for the take-off of projects under the Stabilisation Fund and the Future Generation Fund early next month.

NSIA is a savings fund established by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment A u t h o r i t y (Establishment) Act 2011 and financed by the Federal Government to build a savings and investments base from the country's hydrocarbon wealth.

Its ownership is spilt between the Federal Government, states and the 774 Local Governments .The NSIA Board, chaired by Alhaji Mahey Rasheed was inaugurated 9th October, 2012.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Uche Orji, said, at the maiden media briefing in Abuja, to signal the formal take-off of operations of the Authority, that the investment is in line with the allocation formula and guidelines recently approved by its Board for the three Fund's portfolio, consisting Future

Generation Fund, the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund, and the Stabilisation Fund.

According to Mr Orji, the investment allocation formula stipulates that the Future Generation Fund and the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund would each get $325 million, or 32.5 per cent of the $1billion seed funding of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), while $200 million, or 20 per cent would go to the Stabilisation Fund, leaving a balance of $150 million, or 15 per cent for future investment opportunities.

While the Stabilisation

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

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Car models back then and today T

he Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the US. It was initially based on the platform of the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car.

Introduced early on April 17, 1964, and thus dubbed as a "1964½" model by Mustang fans, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A. The Mustang has undergone several transformations to its current fifth generation.

The Mustang is also credited for inspiring the designs of coupés such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were imported to the United States. he Ford Explorer is a sport utility vehicle. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois. It was also assembled in Hazelwood, Missouri, in the USA, until the plant closed on March 10, 2006.

The Ford Explorer was instrumental in turning the SUV from a special interest vehicle into one of the most popular vehicle types on the road. The model years through 2010 were traditional body-onframe, mid-size SUVs. For the 2011 model year, Ford moved the Explorer to a more modern unibody, full-size crossover utility vehicle platform, the same Volvoderived platform the Ford Flex and Ford Taurus use. he Ford Crown Victoria (or simply Crown Vic) is a rear-wheel drive full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford Motor Company; it was produced from the 1992 to the 2012 model years over two generations.

Discontinued in the 2011 model year, it had been in production since 1991 at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant in Talbotville, Ontario, Canada.

The durability associated with its layout popularized the use of the Crown Victoria with taxicab and fleet owners going on to become one of the most commonly used police patrol/ pursuit vehicles in North America. he Chevrolet Suburban is a large sport utility vehicle from Chevrolet. It is the longest continuous use automobile nameplate in production, starting from 1934 for the 1935 U.S. model year.

For most of its recent history, the Suburban has been a station wagon-bodied version of the Chevrolet pickup truck, including the Chevrolet C/K and Silverado series of truck-based vehicles.

Cadillac offers a version called the Escalade ESV. The Suburban has traditionally been one of General Motors' most profitable vehicles although sales have gone down in recent years due to the cost of gasoline and the poor fuel economy of the vehicle. he Nissan Patrol is a fourwheel drive vehicle manufactured by Nissan in

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Japan since 1951.

Between 1988 and 1994, Ford Australia marketed the Patrol as the Ford Maverick. The Maverick was available alongside the Nissan-branded Patrol. Also, in some European countries the Patrol was, for a short while marketed as Ebro Patrol. Since 1980, in Japan, it has been known as the Nissan Safari.

The Patrol was always regarded as a tough 4×4 in Australia and New Zealand, Middle East, Europe, Japan, and the Caribbean. The second generation Y60 (GQ) platform is still manufactured as a military vehicle in the countries of Asia and the Middle East, and various versions of the Patrol are widely used by United Nations agencies. he Ford Fiesta is a supermini car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1976 to present. It has been built in Europe, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, China, India, Taiwan, Thailand and South Africa.

In 2010, the sixthgeneration Fiesta (Mark VI) had been introduced worldwide, including in the United States and Canada, making it the first Fiesta model to be sold in North America since the Fiesta Mark I was discontinued at the end of 1980.

The Fiesta has sold over twelve million units since 1976. he Nissan Micra, known i n Latin America and in most of Asia as the Nissan March, is a super-mini produced by the Japanese automaker, Nissan since 1982 and has undergone several transformations to its current fourth generation.

The latest generation Nissan Micra were unveiled on 1 October 2009, referred to as W02A, later referred to in Nissan press releases as K13, was unveiled in 80th International Geneva Motor Show.

It was sold in more than 160 countries, including Thailand in March 2010, India in July 2010, and Europe in November 2010. olls-Royce Motor Cars is an English m a n u f a c t u r e r of luxury cars based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England.

It is a wholly owned subsidiary of German automaker BMW and is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded cars, whose historical production dates back to 1904 through Rolls-Royce Limited and Rolls-Royce Motors.

The British carmaker's reliable automobiles followed its government around the world.

Rolls-Royce cars had earned a reputation for dependability; Being so far from parts and labor, the farther a car could go without worry, the more likely it was to be shipped to the corners of the globe.

(Source: SantaBanta.com)

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PEOSPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Report as at Tuesday, May 21, 2013

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

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Improving Nigeria’s transportation system via the Dutch model

By Wandoo Sombo

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y most accounts, an e f f e c t i v e transportation system is a fundamental component of any solid economy, as it enables the citizens to achieve their set goals at appointed schedules.

The Netherlands or Holland, as it is unofficially referred to, has a very organised and unique transport system that makes it easy for its citizens to move around.

The major means of transportation in the Netherlands are bicycles, cars, buses and trains.

Bicycles are the preferred means of transportation for short distances in the country and many riders usually park their bicycles at designated spots at bus or train stations while going on long journeys.

Similarly, most people often drive their cars to these stations and park there before going aboard buses or trains for longer

Heavy traffic jam in Nyanya, Abuja.

trips.

Some even haul their bicycles into trains, while setting out on long journeys, to enable them to use the bicycles to complete their journeys after disembarking from the trains.

Riding a bicycle in the Netherlands is somewhat a thing of pride and it is not restricted to any particular status of class because every citizen of Holland, from 15 years and above, owns a bicycle.

Besides, there is always a train in every 20 minutes at

every train station, while a bus leaves a bus stop in every 30 minutes.

Whenever there is going to be a delay in the arrival of a train at a railway station, the expected period of delay would be displayed on the electronic board at the station and this is usually about 5 minutes and never more than 20 minutes.

And within five minutes or ten minutes later, depending on the time indicated on the electronic board, the train arrives.

Even train or bus

commuters in the Netherlands can check arrival or departure times for trains and buses on the Internet, meaning that they do not have to linger at the stations waiting for the arrival of a train or bus.

Mr Edwin VanScherrenburg, the Public Relations Officer of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the Dutch railway company, however, conceded that the country’s weather was largely unfavourable to the transport business.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

He noted that the snow in winter and the falling leaves from trees in autumn, for instance, usually made it somewhat difficult for trains to operate efficiently during the seasons.

Van-Scherrenburg, however, said that in spite of these challenges, some measures were put in place to ensure that passengers were not delayed for too long.

One notable feature of the transportation system of the Netherlands is the synergy between buses and trains.

Information usually comes on the bus about the next train and the nearest train station and so, if you are interested in catching a train, the information becomes quite handy.

Van-Scherrenburg expatiated that the symbiotic relationship between NS and bus companies was aimed at connecting the two modes of transportation in a way that would ensure the smooth movement of passengers, while reducing travel disruptions via unnecessary delays.

He, nonetheless, acknowledged that there was still room for improvement, saying: “We are continuously looking for ways to improve the relationship.’’

Funny enough, you hardly hear anyone in the Netherlands talking about boarding a plane to another part of the country. Planes are only used by those travelling outside the country.

Some Nigerians, who have lived and worked in the Netherlands for some years, attested to the efficiency of the Dutch transport system.

They agreed that if the system was adopted by Nigeria, living in the country would be well structured, orderly and more appealing.

Mr Kingley Ogbuneke, who has lived in the Netherlands for over four years, said that the country’s

Bicycles parked at Amsterdam Central Train Station, Netherlands.

transportation system was so effective, noting that trains and buses usually kept to scheduled travel times.

“These days, you can hook on to the Internet and know the precise time you’ll be arriving at your destination; honestly, it will work exactly that way,’’ he added.

Ogbuneke, however, noted with disappointment that Nigeria’s transportation system was still facing a huge challenge, even after five decades of political independence.

“In Nigeria, we still rely heavily on private vehicles for our transportation because our public transportation system is not well organised,’’ he said.

Ogbuneke stressed that if more resources were invested in the country’s transport sector, the ordinary Nigerian would not have to rely solely of private vehicles for his or her transportation.

“Here in the Netherlands, people hardly use their cars because the public transportation system is very effective,’’ he added.

“

Photo: NAN

Ms Sylivia Oheme has been living in the Netherlands for the past 20 years.

She said that the Dutch transport sector was well structured and organised, stressing that for instance, when a person wanted to travel from Amsterdam to The Hague, he or she would know exactly how long the journey would take, barring instances where there were a few minutes’ delays.

Oheme emphasised that Holland’s transport sector was very efficient because of the constant electricity

Nigeria should make tangible efforts to take a cue from the Dutch development patterns if she is truly serious about its ambition to transform into one of the world’s 20 largest economies by the year 2020

supply in the country She particularly attributed the efficiency of the country’s railways to the stable electricity, as the trains are all electricity powered trains.

“Here the Prime Minster rides bicycles, the Prince rides bicycles; even the Queen rides bicycles and I ride bicycle too; and we all enjoy it.

“In the Netherlands, cycling is a way of life; the mere fact that you see a man riding a bicycle does not mean he is poor.

“It also takes a lot of pressure off the roads as well,’’ she added.

Oheme bemoaned the fact that road transportation was the in-thing in Nigeria, as the country’s railways was now in a derelict state.

She recalled with nostalgia how she took a train ride from Lagos to Jos in the 1970s and lamented that government and other stakeholders allowed the railways to go into a comatose state.

In the Netherlands, rail transportation is very popular, as trains are readily available. There are also trams and bus networks in

and around the major cities, while an extensive railway system connects all the cities.

Besides, there are concentric canals around the cities, especially Amsterdam, the country’s capital, where tourists could make boat trips.

In spite of the unpredictable nature of the country’s weather, the citizens of the Netherlands still ensure that everything in their country works.

The orderliness of the country will surely excite a first-time visitor and official statistics from the Dutch government reveal that not less than 10,000 Nigerians reside in the Netherlands.

Analysts, however, maintain that Nigeria stands to gain a lot by adopting the Dutch patterns of development.

They insist that Nigeria should make tangible efforts to take a cue from the Dutch development patterns if she is truly serious about its ambition to transform into one of the world’s 20 largest economies by the year 2020.

Source: NAN

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

National Assembly urged to pass housing legislations

By Udenna Orji

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ollowing the setting up of a committee by the federal government to draw up a roadmap for housing development in Nigeria, housing stakeholders have called for the passage of the various housing reform legislations at the National Assembly without further delay.

Government has also been called upon to create an intervention fund to be used for the development of housing for low income earners and the less privileged across the state capitals and local councils of Nigeria.

The Managing Director of Resort Savings and Loans Plc, Mr. Abimbola Olayinka who made these calls in Abuja recently stressed that "the three tiers of government should not shy away from their responsibility of providing primary infrastructure if we must achieve our goal of providing affordable housing. The infrastructure projects could be financed by issuing bonds and will also provide a future income stream for government through municipal fees that will be paid by home owners."

He also appealed to the federal government to set up an agency that will oversee the development and delivery of social housing in Nigeria. The agency will act as a dedicated and credible intermediary that will harness national efforts in the social housing sector as different from the existing structures set up with commercial responsibilities and intents.

According to him, "high cost of building materials is also a key factor that has led to the high construction cost in Nigeria. The restriction on the importation of cement which by account constitutes about 40 per cent of building materials has also hindered provision of social housing". He therefore advised the government to "seek for alternatives to usage of cement in the building of houses".

In her presentation, Mrs. Fatima WaliAbdurrahman, chief executive officer of The Filmo Group, a real estate company, described social housing as "an umbrella term referring to housing which is owned and managed by the state, not-for-profit organizations, or a combination of the two, usually with the aim of providing affordable rental housing. Social rented housing can be seen either as a broad concept where rented dwellings are provided for a fairly large part of the population or as a narrow concept where dwellings are provided only for the most underprivileged segment of the population. Social housing is often defined from the providers' perspective which could be government, private sector or not-for-profit organizations, etc" She called for "intervention funds targeted towards the development of social housing programmes and implementation of the social housing policy; adequate infrastructure and facilities that will improve accessibility for social housing programmes; incentives to enhance institutionalized rental housing opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups; upfront grants to meet part of the land and construction costs to providers of social housing to increase stock; comfort to avert/outlaw illegal eviction of

Senate President David Mark beneficiaries; tax incentives for Social Housing Institution; capital grants, interest-rate subsidies to create a type of "equity" which cushions the private sector loan debt; incorporate default risk insurance schemes for beneficiaries; protection for stakeholders willing to engage in this limited-profit part of the real estate sector - e.g. publicly owned companies, not-for-profit organizations, foundations etc; plus an increasing number of non-specialized actors (commercial developers and private landlord) through appropriate policies and financial incentives to encourage

“

In his contribution, the President of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Chief Olabode Afolayan, regretted that "government sees lands as another source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and not as a resource to be used for helping the citizens live a better life

Speaker, House of Reps, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal such participation".

In his contribution, the President of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Chief Olabode Afolayan, regretted that "government sees lands as another source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and not as a resource to be used for helping the citizens live a better life", pointing out that "if we must achieve success in social housing, government must provide the land". He decried "the overcharging of tax on property by government" and called on government to make land available for the construction of houses to help reduce slums and Nigeria's deficit of 16 million housing units.

In his presentation, Mr. Adekunle Abdulrazaq Oyinloye, Mananging Director of Infrastructure Bank highlighted "the fallacy in the thinking in some quarters that "Social Housing" is for poor and the poor alone" adding that "this could not be further from the truth".

According to him, "in the UK, vital professionals or "key workers" such as teachers, police officers and nurses are mass beneficiaries of Social Housing Programs that enable them to afford quality accommodation near their places of work in cities, as opposed to being forced to live in suburban areas requiring long hours of commuting. Needless to say, such arrangement speaks to household income levels directly".

In the area of financing, Oyinloye noted that "there is a clear consensus that the extent of financing required to bridge the country's housing deficit surpasses

the supply of capital available from government…there is thus a need for increased private sector participation alongside the public sector, be it from: the commercial banking sector; the contractual savings sector - which includes Insurance Premiums, Mutual Funds and Nigeria's N 2.7 trillion Pension Funds pot; private equity funds; Third Party Funds; and Development Finance Institutions both here at home and abroad; and many other sources of private capital. …The proven reality is that the provision of housing through budgetary allocations alone would fall far short of addressing the existing huge deficit, which if not quickly addressed, is capable derailing the developmental agenda of the country. The putting in place of adequate regulatory and institutional framework necessary for private sector involvement in housing development initiatives, such as the establishment of the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, the Housing and Infrastructure Finance Unit within the Development Finance Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the establishment of PPP Units within key Ministries and State Governments are all part of the necessary fundamentals to providing viable and sustainable solutions. However, there is much more to be done particularly in the areas of Land and Mortgage Legislations. …The Infrastructure Bank is working with public and private sector alike to mobilize funding specifically dedicated to the Housing Sector…"

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

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Pepple inaugurates Interim Management Team for FHA Stories by Udenna Orji

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he Honourable Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple, yesterday in Abuja inaugurated the Interim Management Team of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

The Interim Management Team which comprises a Managing Director, two Executive Directors, and four General Managers were appointed last week by President Goodluck Jonathan to re-organize and re-structure the Authority.

The inauguration saw the return of the former managing

director of the FHA, Architect Terver Gemade as the new Managing Director.

According to Pepple, the interim management team “shall be required to amongst other important tasks, computerize the operations of the FHA, develop a new Corporate Plan, operationalize the approved structure/ organogram, put in place a new Human Resource practice and work closely with the Technical Board and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to commercialize the operations of the Authority”.

She added that the inauguration was “to strengthen the FHA for effective

discharge of its mandate and to make housing delivery more robust and effective in line with the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda”.

In his response, Gemade said the new team would “draw up realizable targets and very soon, we plan to commence an aggressive land acquisition campaign as well as rev up the pace of housing delivery by the Authority” and assured the minister that “we shall not fail you. We shall not fail Nigeria”.

The new management team will work for a transitional period of only one year within which it is expected to restructure and reorganize the Authority for full commercialization.

M

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple

No plan to repeal Land Use Act – FG

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s housing development stakeholders continue to lobby for the repeal of the Land Use Act to make land more available for housing development, the chairman, Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reform, Prof. Peter Adeniyi has said the Federal Government has no plan to repeal the Act. In several presentations to the Presidency and the National Assembly, housing stakeholders, including property developers, estate surveyors and valuers had called for the repeal of the Land Use Act saying the power it gave state governors to control land allocation in their states had politicized land administration and made it cumbersome, expensive and time-consuming to obtain land and title rights for housing development. They had argued that a repeal of the Act would enhance affordable housing

President Goodluck Jonathan development and drastically reduce Nigeria’s estimated deficit of 16 million housing units.

But while speaking with

newsmen last Monday, Prof.

Adeniyi revealed that the Federal Government would not repeal the Land Use Act. According to him, “It is

important at this point to state categorically that the land reform programme of the Federal Government is not intended to repeal the Land Use Act or usurp the powers of the state governors and local government chairmen in land administration or deny individuals or communities the right to their lands”.

While noting that land reform is critical in achieving President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda, he said the federal government’s land reform was focused on identifying and removing bottlenecks hindering land titling and registration process within the current land administration system in Nigeria. He said his committee was working on pilot schemes in Kano and Ondo states involving identification and registration of title rights that may usher in a new land administration system in Nigeria.

‘Building materials production can drive industrial development’ - Poopola

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s a means of diversifying the economy and creating jobs, the General Manager of Vidson Ventures, Northern Region, Pastor Wale Popoola has called on the Federal Government to harness the abundant potentials of the aluminum industry in order to lay a solid foundation for the industrial and economic development of Nigeria”.

Pastor Popoola, an aluminum expert said, “the aluminium industry is a vast industry because people make massive use of aluminium worldwide. Much of what we see in automobiles and aircraft is aluminium. This is because the components are durable. Although it is used in large quantities abroad, in

Nigeria, it is scantily used. Even in the building industry, we are yet to use up to 10% of the potential of aluminium. We have about 4 notable aluminium extrusion plants in Nigeria and this is grossly inadequate. Billets are the primary products you work upon to get aluminium products. They are extruded to get aluminium. Nothing less than 65% of the aluminium used in Nigeria is imported from Europe.

Nigeria can accommodate 60 – 70 aluminium extrusion plants.

They say aluminium plants are capital intensive but Nigerians are wasting foreign exchange importing aluminium. This nation should invest in extrusion plants. However, the

erratic electric power supply in Nigeria will be a problem because aluminium is powerbased. If you run the extrusion plant with a generator, you may go under. Government should fix the power sector.

According to the aluminium expert, “All we are doing in Nigeria is trade in imported aluminium. But we should produce it here.

Many industries need it. It is important in our industrial development and in employment creation. It will conserve foreign exchange.

Government should do the right thing. They should back up policies with concrete action.

There are always good policies but poor implementation.

How poor infrastructure hinders housing development

When we talk about the Asian tigers, it is because these people discovered the needs of their nations. In the 80’s in Nigeria, people worked in shifts in factories but those industries are moribund today. We should focus on manufacturing to jump-start the economy and aluminium development will help industrialize Nigeria because diverse manufactured products are made with aluminium. A fraction of the money we realize from oil if judiciously spent can industrialize Nigeria. Nigerians are industrious people. If an enabling environment is created, this country will be greater than the big European countries”

ass Housing Developer and Managing Director of El-Salem Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Ben Gbade Ojo has called on the Federal Government to develop infrastructure in all areas designated for mass housing as a way of achieving government’s target of reducing the nation’s deficit of 16 million housing units.

Mr. Ojo who made the call in a chat with Peoples Daily in Abuja on Friday stated that “without prejudice to the findings and recommendations of the various committees set up by the Housing Minister to identify problems and solutions to Nigeria’s housing sector, including efforts of professional associations and other stakeholders on the way forward for the sector, I wish to call on the Jonathan administration to please tackle Nigeria’s housing problems through concerted development of infrastructure like roads, electric power and pipe-borne water in sites designated for mass housing.

Our experience in developing mass housing has shown that the absence of urban infrastructure and escalating cost of building materials have been the bane of estate developers and have effectively stunted efforts at housing development especially on mortgages. While the country waits for the development of the bond market to finance urban infrastructure, we urge the government to create a temporary and targeted intervention fund that will provide infrastructure for serious private sector estate developers and come up with some other measures that will bring down the cost of building materials in the country”.

He said “as the nation gets poised to provide adequate housing for her citizens, it has become necessary to carry out a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s mortgage sector and mortgage institutions in Nigeria” Mr. Ojo appealed to the Honourable Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple “to pursue with her legendary commitment, the issues of reviewing the Land Use Act to make land more accessible and to tackle the delays and difficulties associated with acquisition and transfer of property rights” adding that “El-Salem is committed to providing high quality and affordable housing for the generality of Nigerians. We are currently researching on how we can make houses available at N1 million or N2 million. We want to come to a point where with N1 million or N2 million, people can buy houses from ElSalem”.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Toyota RAV4 EV parades impressive resume

T

iming can be everything in the automotive world, and the allelectric 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV got its party started a little early. The gasoline-powered RAV4, you see, has been completely redesigned for 2013. But Toyota started developing the RAV4 EV when the previousgeneration RAV4 was still around.

Accordingly, the EV soldiers on for 2013 as a carryover model, a zombie RAV4 that lacks the n e w crossover's m y r i a d improvements.

Oh, but what

a zombie it is.

Let's r u n d o w n t h e R A V 4 E V ' s impressive resumĂŠ.

Cargo capacity? Check.

Despite its large battery pack, the RAV4 EV can still haul 73 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

Acceleration? Check. In fact, with the demise of the RAV4 V6, the RAV4 EV is now the quickest model

in the lineup. And although the electrified RAV4's 103-mile driving range may seem paltry by conventional standards, it's actually better than that of every other 2013 electric vehicle, except the superhero (and super expensive) Tesla Model S. Throw in the

expected array of spaceshipspec cabin technology, and you've got an unusually well-rounded electric vehicle. Indeed, aside from the RAV4 EV's previous-generation architecture, there are only two issues we want to flag. First, you'll need to be a California resident to buy a RAV4 EV, because Toyota's not selling it anywhere else.

Second, you'll need to bring upwards of $40,000 to buy a new RAV4 EV, even after government incentives and tax breaks. But if you've

got those bases covered, we encourage you to give the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV a close look. As zombies go, it's quite endearing.

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV is a five-passenger crossover SUV offered in a single well-equipped trim level.

Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting accents, a unique grille, aerodynamic mirror housings, an elongated rear spoiler, keyless entry/ignition, exclusive cloth upholstery, a heightadjustable driver seat, a leatherwrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks, cruise control, full power accessories, dual-zone automatic climate control and an EV-specific instrument cluster with a 3.5-inch information display.

Also standard are Bluetooth

phone and audio connectivity, a rearview camera, an 8-inch touchscreen display, a navigation system, Toyota's Entune smartphone app integration and a six-speaker sound system with satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB interface. EVspecific smartphone functionality, including charge status monitoring and charge schedule setting, is included as well.

The Toyota RAV4 EV is powered

Tesla Model S. The RAV4 EV needs about 6 hours for a full charge on a recommended 240-volt current.

There's another metric the EPA uses to grade electric vehicles, and that's kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy consumed per 100 miles.

The RAV4 checks in at 44 kWh per 100 miles driven (remember that the lower the number here, the better). Translated, that's 78 mpg city/74 mpg highway and 76 mpg combined in miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe). That's not great

by EV standards, as other EVs like the Ford Focus Electric, Honda Fit EV and Nissan Leaf are more energy-efficient.

Standard safety features for the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV include dual front airbags, front-seatmounted side airbags and full-length s i d e

by a 115-kW electric motor that produces the equivalent of 154 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque in Sport mode. Normal mode trims torque down to 218 lb-ft. A single-speed transmission sends all that force to the front wheels. Allwheel drive is not available.

In Edmunds track testing, the RAV4 EV zipped from zero to 60 mph in a fleet 7.2 seconds. Switch from Sport to Normal and you're looking at a still-respectable 8.6 seconds.

The electric motor gets its energy from a 41.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack located underneath the floor. According to the EPA, a single charge from this pack is good for an estimated 103 miles of driving, longer than any other EV except the

curtain airbags. The RAV4 EV also comes with antilock disc brakes; stability control; a rearview camera; and "Safety Connect," a suite of Toyota safety services comprising emergency and roadside assistance, stolen vehicle tracking and automatic collision notification. Unlike the newgeneration RAV4, however, the EV lacks any option for blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alerts.

In Edmunds brake testing, the RAV4 EV stopped from 60 mph in 126 feet, a solid showing considering the EV's extra weight (4,042 pounds on our scales, or more than 400 pounds heavier than a regular RAV4) and efficiencybiased tires.

The RAV4 EV's ho-hum dashboard materials and generally uninspired cabin design contrast with the gasoline-powered 2013 RAV4's completely updated interior.

Nonetheless, there's plenty of cool stuff inside the RAV4 EV. The shifter, for instance, is a Prius-style joystick wrapped in Toyota's distinctive deep-blue trim, while the instrument panel, a RAV4 EV original, provides a slew of attractive and helpful information displays.

Then there's the 8-inch touchscreen, another EV-only item that offers iPad-like scrolling functionality and even split-screen viewing for multitaskers. That said, the EV is missing a couple of desirable features found on the regular RAV4, namely a sunroof and a power liftgate.

Source: Edmunds.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 29

Ayim, Ibe For Abuja Literatti

U

mari Ayim and Oluchi Gerald Ibe will read from their new books to the Abuja literati at the May 25 edition of the long-running Guest Writer Session, an intervention by the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF).

Ms Ayim who is the author of Twilight At Terracotta Indigo (novel) recently published her maiden poetry collection, Inside My Head which won the 2012 Prize for Poetry(ANA). Mr Ibe, author of Road To Biafra, has now brought out a collection of short stories, After The Tears.

Ms Ayim who hails from Cross River State and is a lawyer by training has taken a daring professional move by being a fulltime writer. She attended Federal Government Girls College, New Bussa, Niger State and proceeded to the University of Lagos to study law. After graduation, she could no longer hold back her passion for writing and began work on what became her debut novel, Terracotta Indigo.

Her foray into poetry is not a surprise considering her poems have appeared in several online and print media, and she acknowledges being inspired by the likes of Maya Angelou, Okot p'Bitek, Ngugi wa Thiongo and Christopher Okigbo.

Ms Ayim enjoys several hobbies including designing, blogging and taking long walks.

She is currently working on her second novel which is tentatively titled "Khaki".

The Abuja-based Ayim belongs to a fledgling PanAfricanist feminist group, WomenUnder30 with membership currently drawn from Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia and Zimbabwe. The group seeks to promote excellence among African young women under the age of 30 through the use of Information and Communication Technology.

with Patrick-Jude Oteh 0803 700 0496, 0805 953 5215 (SMS only)

WAITING FOR GODOT

Ms Umari Ayim

Gerald Ibe Oluchi

This activist side of her is also reflected in several articles which have been published in the Guardian Newspapers.

Mr Ibe hails from Obowo Local Government Area in Imo State.

He is a historian and obtained his first degree in History from the Imo State University in 1990 and his Master's degree from the University of Lagos in 1993.

He started his working career as a management trainee with John Holt Plc in 1994 before moving over to the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture Ibadan as a management consultant in 1999. In 2001 he moved briefly to Warri where he worked with Arco Petrochemicals till 2002.

In 2003, he relocate relocated to Imo State and became involved in politics and publishing .

In June 2011, he left Imo State for Abuja to pursue a doctoral programme at University of Abuja and to develop his writing interests. He is currently a PhD

student in the traumatized University of Abuja. He is also an avowed activist he as recent as the 9th of May 2013, joined other members of the Nancy and Jennifer Ibe Centre for Public Accountability (NAJICPA) staged a global walk against corruption in Nigeria in which Nigerians in twenty six cities across the world participated.

Mr. Ibe loves research and writing and is at home with inquiries about the Igbo past. He is a Director of NISOFES - Nigerian Songs Festival, Director of One Voice Cultural Ensemble and member Mbari Literary Association - a body of writers and critics based in Owerri. He is married to Princess Edwina and has four children.

The Guest Writer Session which now holds at the prestigious Nanet Suites and runs from 47pm, includes side attractions of poetry performance, mini art exhibition, a raffle-draw for book, and a stirring dose of live music.

Tourism association plans investors' forum to promote local tourism destinations

T

he Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) said it was set to hold an investors forum to find ways of promoting local tourism destinations.

Mr Tomi Akingbogun, the Vice President of the Association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the forum was also aimed to highlighting the tourism potentials in different zones of Nigeria for investment opportunities.

He said the forum would help to strengthen the relationship between tourism investors and their service provides, showcase

tourism and hospitality products available in the country.

It will also seek to establish contact between the products, service providers and their users.

According to Akingbogun, the forum tagged: ``Nigeria Tourism Investors Forum and Exhibitions'' was in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

He said there were many tourists' attractions in the country such as game reserves and parks, amongst others, which many foreign tourists were not aware of.

He said this was due mainly the fact that these attractions

were not properly publicised and given the necessary attention by Nigerians for foreigners to become aware of. ``This is one of the reasons why some tourists do not see Nigeria as a tourism destination," he said.

Akingbogun said the forum aimed to address the problem so that more investors could key into the industry and play active roles in moving it forward.

He lamented that the Federal Government did not give much attention to the industry as it had the potential to provide immensely for the country. (NAN)

Culture expert urges Nigerians to revive community development efforts

A

culture administrator, Mr Shedrrach Golen, on Thursday advised Nigerians to revive the culture of community development efforts, to enhance national development.

Golen, who works at the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, that the culture

FR OM THE FROM LIVE ST AGE STA

of carrying out projects communally among people living together for their common good was dwindling.

Golen advised that community leaders should revive that culture.

He said that culture had played a significant role in community and national development, such as patching of roads, water projects, and health

facilities.

He said that since people were bound by the culture of language and communal spirituality, it would be easier to mobilise them to undertake community projects for their common good.

He said that such culture would go a long way in facilitating development in the communities, rather than depending on the government. (NAN)

ESTRAGON: I'm going.

POZZO: What was it exactly you wanted to know?

VLADIMIR: Why he POZZO: Don't interrupt me! .....If we all speak at once we'll never get anywhere. What was I saying? .... What was I saying?

We were in London and we had just gone to see one of the revivals of the play WAITING FOR GODOT and for the first time, I believe we all left the theatre very sober and reflective. We were five and we were all Nigerians.

Two tramps came on the stage. The stage is bare except for a tree which was growing right in the middle of the road.

There are no leaves on the tree.

It is just dead branches. The auditorium with a capacity for an audience of 550 is full. Tickets have all sold out. Some people were outside waiting for late tickets .... they could have been Waiting for Godot...because this was a production no one planned to miss.

The play was introduced as "one of the most noble and moving plays of our generation, a threnody of hope deceived and deferred but never extinguished; a play suffused with tenderness for the whole human perplexity; with phrases that come like a sharp stab of beauty and pain".

A little on the background of Samuel Beckett. He was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1906 and graduated from Trinity College.

He lived most of his life in Paris where he eventually died in 1989.

Waiting For God was originally written in French and was translated by the author. Samuel Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969. The play opened in Paris in 1953 at the tiny Left Bank Theatre de Babylone and has since become a cornerstone of 20th century theatre.

The synopsis of the play revolves around two tramps. Two homeless men waiting for someone OR something named Godot. Vladimir and Estragon wait near a tree on a barren stretch of road and the drama is borne out of their own consciousness of hopelessness. The result is a comical wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes and nonsense which has been interpreted as a somber summation of mankind's inexhaustible search for meaning. This seemingly 'nonsense' play remains one of the most magical and beautiful allegories of our time and ........Nigeria.

A lot of writers have erroneously referred to any situation that defies understanding as a 'scene form the theatre of the absurd'. The theatre of the absurd, the genre to which this play belongs not only summed up the negative philosophy of its time or the abandonment of philosophy, it was a natural culmination of the succession of pessimistic and irrational tendencies in theatre experiment between 1920 and 1950. The despair of O'Neill, the insistent irreligion, even atheism of Sartre, the wilful irrationality of the Dadaists and Surrealists, the alienation aims of Brecht - all these led towards a theatre that would demonstrate the futility of living and the impotence of man in a world within which he has no say.

The play is spare like everything else in the play. Two additional tramps drift in and once a boy appears to say that Godot will not arrive tonight but will come tomorrow night. The second act is exactly the same except that Vladimir asks the question and Estragon answers. The final curtain goes down on the two men waiting. Doing nothing is the theme, sum and substance of the play. The two tramps continue waiting giving us an element of hope which the absurdist's are not known for.

The theatre of the absurd though at first a French development, became the most advanced type of theatre internationally within the decade of the 1950's. People were seeking for a meaning after the devastation of the 2nd World War. If we were to produce Beckett's Waiting For Godot in Nigeria, a lot of the audience will either leave, sleep or demand for a refund of their ticket fare. The reason is not far-fetched - it is simply a very boring play by our standards but ....there are so many meanings in this play for us as a nation.

Does the play speak to us as a people? The play speaks volumes and volumes. But we all have to seek out the meaning of the play for our individual selves which is one of the aims of the arts in the society. They must speak to us but it is another thing for us to listen.

All in all, Waiting for Godot was an exceptionally good performance and justified its price in the ticket. But would I want to watch it again? No thanks. Like living in this country, it is a painful process. We have thrived on hope for too long and our dreams have been......deferred for too long!

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Book R evie w Re view

Chinua Achebe's ‘Things Fall Apart’: A timeless piece

By Mrs Grace Igbokwe (Phd)

C

hinua Achebe was well known throughout the thirty-six states of the federation and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements via his writings.

As a young man of twentyeight years, he had brought honour to his country by writing Things Fall Apart. Things Fall Apart was a great masterpiece which has sold more than ten million copies and has been translated into forty-five languages; from Africa to Asia and Europe.

He was called the founding father of modern African Literature in English because of the 'cumulative publication of a number of highly commended works of creative writing', among which Things Fall Apart stands out like an iroko tree.

It was this book Achebe wrote which the critics and the public agreed was one of the finest since the founding of their literary world in pre and post-colonial Africa.

(An adaptation of Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" Chapter one, Paragraph one) I had my first encounter with the literary Iroko twenty-seven years ago as a secondary school girl in Form four when we were first introduced to Literature in English.

Before then, we were engrossed in English Literature; we read foreign fictions such as Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Montezuma's Daughters'

by H. Rider Haggard, Lamb tales from Shakespeare and Merchant of Venice by Williams Shakespeare which were very alien and strange to us because we did not have first hand experience of the images, imageries, symbols presented in the novels, poems, and dramas.

It really discouraged a lot of people who would have been great poets, playwrights and novelists from literature.

The English literature classes were so uninteresting and boring that half-way through the lessons most of the students would have dozed off. It made them switch off permanently from anything literature. But those of us that like arts-for-arts sake stayed because our people say that when one is paid with what he or she likes whether it is enough or not he or she accepts without complaining so we stayed in literature classes.

It was in Form Four that we were brought home with the introduction of Things Fall Apart and literature became an interesting subject to study. May be, during that period the curriculum planners did not know that one of the fundamental principles in teaching is starting from known to unknown. In this case, starting from our own literature to foreign ones.

Things Fall Apart was home made. It was a novel made by an African for Africans. The piece portrayed our environment, our values and our culture in its

entirety. We identified with the characters, the plot, and the style.

The language was our everyday language, so it was a lot easier for us to comprehend and appreciate.

We were very familiar with the proverbs (the palm oil with which words are eaten) and the folklores.

We had no need to memorize any speech or stories. Things Fall Apart became very interesting that even the excerpts of the The Second Coming, poem by W.B. Yeats from where Achebe drew the title of his novel were unconsciously taken in. We knew every line of it and we sang it; "Turning and turning in the widening gyre, The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon

Uzowulu's everyday battery of wife that led to the wife's miscarriage. In Africa, domestic violence is still very high because of the age at which a girl is given out in marriage to a man old enough to be her father, thus the husband sees her as a child to be tamed through physical and verbal abuse; early marriage was a tradition portrayed in the novel, which has social and health implications for women.

Another issue in the book that has contemporary implication is Okonkwo's inability to adjust to change; which led to his tragic fall.

The world is in a state of flux and one does not stand at a place to watch a masquerade, one need to adjust from time to time in order to get a good glimpse of the masquerade. If we are to relate it to Nigeria and our economy we do

the world".

The literature classes became so lively and issue-based that we spent most of the time debating and discussing issues the novel raised and in most cases the issues were what formed part of our examination questions.

The issues are not only religious and socio-cultural but contemporary; there is religious intolerance exemplified by overzealous Enoch in the book who killed the python and that sparked off the fire of religious imbroglio that consumed Okonkwo.

In Nigeria today, we have a group of politico-religious fanatics, the Boko-Haram who are bent on destroying this entity called Nigeria, they should go and learn a lesson from Okonkwo.

Domestic violence was highlighted in Things Fall Apart, cases of wife battery abound, Okonkwo broke the week of peace when he tried shooting Ojiugo and

not need to depend on oil alone as our mainstay, today's economy is controlled by those who have invested in the development of intellectual property and diversified economy. If we are unable to change we will be swept off by change and its attendant consequences.

Achebe did not leave out our time-honoured values of hard work and good friendship in this timeless book. Okonkwo, though from a poor father was one of the greatest men of his time, he clearly washed his hands through hard work and solid personal achievement and so he ate with kings and elders. It is a lesson for our youths who engage in all kinds of nefarious activities that fame and wealth could only come from hard work.

Obierika was a friend at all times and a friend indeed. He stood

by Okonkwo through thick and thin, he was a friend that stuck closer than a brother. Do we have

such people now when money is the sole determinant of relationships?

Achebe's Things Fall Apart touches every segment of life with every detail making it a pure representation of life and that is what literature is all about.

Literature is life.

The second time encounter with Chinua Achebe was at the then Anambra State College of Education, Awka where we studied African Literature under the tutelage of these masters, Late Prof Ezenwa- Ohaeto and Prof. J.O.J Nwachukwu-Agbada. This time it was not just Things Fall Apart and his other works -Arrow of God, No Longer At Ease, A man of the People that we studied in deeper dimensions; but also other literary giants among whom are Wole Soyinka , Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Sembene Ousmane, Ferdinand Oyono, Elechi Amadi and other great and renowned African writers of our time. They were Africans who relayed African experiences for Africans.

Things Fall Apart was the most memorable initiation into the world of African Literature, home grown, literature made by an African for Africans.

Things Fall Apart is a lamentation of Western incursion into our culture. What Achebe is bemoaning is not the entrant of westernisation but a complete erosion of what is good in our culture. Unfortunately, it came with religion (Christianity) which I am an adherent 100 percent. It behoves on us to have the ability to sift the grain from the chaff.

Obierika laments, "... He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart".

It is the Western culture not Christianity that has put a knife on our time cherished values. Our values erode day by day because we and our children have this penchant for anything western.

Western movies, western music, western clothes, western values with its moral degradation. It is Westernization that brought homosexuality (same sex marriage), single-parenthood by choice not by death of a spouse, older women marrying younger men; even negating the very Christianity they brought to us.

God did not make it so. Now, that we have the religion, we should be able to muster the moral courage and tell the Western world that Ikwikwi, (the owl) farted and asked his kinsmen to beat the drum for him and his kinsmen said TUFIA-KWA that they do not drum for bad things. We should be bold to tell the West that they do not sing for evil as Anglican Communion in Nigeria and Africa told them in Lamberth Conference that homosexuality is an abomination.

When you had that fatal accident, you said 'yes' strongly to life and your chi (God) said yes also; and so you did not die but when death finally came you could not resist it ,you translated from 'the land of the living' to 'the domain of the ancestors' as you put it in Things Fall Apart. Adieu! Our literary icon!

POEM OF THE WEEK ANI SONG

By Ebele Chizea We are the children of Ani The great mother of life We are children swimming in the pool Of her sacred rivers We hop with the butterfly Coo with the bird Delight in the fragrance of flowers in bloom We dig our feet deep in the sand Play with ocean tides Flap our arms against the wind Pick up stones, wear or put them in jars We climb tree branches To perceive its secrets and wisdoms Collected through the rings Of time.

We are not from here or there We've existed before and forever will We come time and time gain Because of love And though we may be persecuted Tried and refined by fire We understand she is our friend Together with water and air We are the Kingdom of heaven With all its riches buried within our hearts We are the Queendom of earth Come to manifestation We are the children of Ani The great mother of life And our ammo is freedom DREAMS I dream of Africa Gold dust carried By winds with Ancient secrets Against my skin Nubian heat Darkens my neck In a land of legendary Queens And skyscrapers made Of the same dust Beneath my sandaled feet I dream of Africa Riding on a camel's back Me in a shawl A man in turban Handsome as the desert My companion In a never ending Journey on sand I dream of Places like Zanzibar A land as beautiful As its name Where black men and women Stand tall and lean Unlike in other places I've been Except maybe Ethiopia And Burundi The best names are in Africa I dream of Crowded spaces And bargaining customers Market women And area-boys Places where inscriptions On buses are common A typical west-side story In my dreams I am in a South African Safari And the animals are with me There is no invasion Of territory For here Human and beast Is evolved in unity The cries of freedom persist here The joys of freedom ring true here When I envision A dream-a goal-a destination I end up in Africa

QUO TE UOTE

I am a literary animal.

For me, everything ends in literature.

-Carlos Fuentes

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 31

DIPLOMATIC CIRCUIT

Nigeria one of the toughest places in the world to be born a girl says Lynne Featherstone Stories by Abdulkadir Isa

H

igh rates of maternal mortality and violence against women make Nigeria one of the toughest places in the world to be born a girl, Lynne Featherstone said.

The International Development minister made the comments after announcing a new ÂŁ39 million UK programme which will work with over 120,000 girls as well as local and religious leaders to shift attitudes towards women in the country.

Despite Nigeria's rapid economic growth, life for women in the country remains tough. The country has 10% of the world's maternal mortality deaths and over 80% of women in north Nigeria cannot read.

A survey of 15-24 year old women found that the

majority think it is reasonable for husbands to beat their wives if they burn food, refuse sex or go out without his permission.

Lynne Featherstone said: "Shocking rates of inequality, maternal mortality and violence against women make Nigeria one of the toughest places in the world to be born a girl. Women and girls are being shut out from the country's impressive economic growth".

What is good for girls and women is good for society as a whole. The government of Nigeria is making good progress on improving the opportunities for women in the country, yet the scale of the challenge remains huge.

That is why the UK will help women and girls across the country to come together and find a united voice, improving access to health, education and

jobs.

The 5 year Voices for Change programme will:support 120,000 girls across the country, work with men and boys as well as traditional and religious leaders and strengthen legal frameworks and increase national budget resources for women and girls.

This is in addition to the UK's existing work with women and girls in Nigeria, which includes:helping 4.1 million more women get access to financeimproving care for 600,000 mothers through family planning, antenatal care and skilled birth attendance he added.

A quarter of sub-Saharan Africa's poor live in Nigeria, which is home to 102 million people living in poverty and one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world.

Lynne Featherstone

Japan committed to work with Nigeria says envoy

T

he ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji said the people of Japan are committed to work hand in hand with the good people of Nigeria to better the lives of citizens of both countries The ambassador made this statement at the commissioning ceremony of rural projects in Abuja executed by the government of Japan under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, TICAD. While addressing the benefitting community, he said"Let me assure you that Japan is always with you as members of staff of the Embassy are working hard for the betterment of the lives of impoverished people in Nigeria and we are proud of it".

Let's work "Hand in hand with a more dynamic Africa to build on the remarkable achievements of the African countries, in order to sustain the economic growth and make the growth beneficially for a wider range of people" he

added.

Mr Ryuichi Shoji earlier confirmed in his speech that, Under the scheme 'Grant Assistance for Grassroots

Human Security Project', the Embassy has implemented a total number of 131 projects since 1998 in various areas such as primary education,

primary health and agriculture, and the total amount of grants disbursed amounts to more than 8 million dollars.

TICAD celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and the 5th TICAD will be held in Yokohama in the coming month.

Ambassador of Japan, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji pumping the newly constructed borehole by the Japanese government.

AU summit: Nigeria to officially present UN bid

N

igeria is to officially present its bid for the non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council at the African Union summit to hold in Addis ababa between 25th and 27th may 2013.

This resolved was made

know in a press release by the minister of foreign affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru.

He said Nigeria will present the bid officially to the heads of government of the African Union with great optimism considering the

support the nation has gained from different quarters of the globe.

Ashiru said, the Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS) and European Union (EU) among others havebacked Nigerias move to seek the UN membership.

The minister called on well meaning Nigerians to support the move as the images of the country will get a boost within and outside the continent. He added that the countrys' role in fostering peace and conflict resolution within ECOWAS and even the African

continent has paidoff from the support already secured.

The fourthcoming AU conference coincides with the 11th anniversary of th African Union and the 50th anniversary of the formation of OAU - Organisation of African Unity.

PAGE 32

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Feud over election dates in Zimbabwe

T

he on-going feud over election dates between President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party on the one hand and the two MDC factions he is in a coalition government with, has left many ordinary Zimbabweans bemused over when the elections will actually be held.

Several people interviewed

by Xinhua said they did not know who among the parties was giving correct information, with the confusion being exacerbated by the media which was also giving conflicting information on the date.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube (MDC) have been frustrating efforts by Mugabe to call for June elections.

"We must now just wait and see. The day will finally come, whether it is President Mugabe who is correct or it is his coalition, it'sTsvangirai or Ncube," said one Harare vendor.

Several other people echoed basically the same sentiments.

Although Mugabe said

Prime Minister Tsvangirai

Morgan

recently that he would be guided

by Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa, on when the dates could be, some of his supporters, including the state- controlled media, are still pushing for an earlier mentioned June 29 poll.

Mugabe, frustrated with the inadequacies of the inclusive government, had wanted the elections to be held on or before the expiry of the current parliament on the same date, but his coalition partners want them

delayed until some outstanding issues are resolved.

Both sides are using the law to push forward their arguments, with Zanu-PF saying that the death of the current parliament should immediately collapse the inclusive government, while the other parties are saying it is not legally possible to hold them that soon.

Secretary for legal affairs in Ncube's MDC David Coltart on Monday presented a scenario where the earliest possible time would be the end of July. But the date would be compromised by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly to be co-hosted with Zambia towards the end of August, he added.

In a statement, he said in terms of the current Electoral Act the President is obliged to allow a period of at least 14 days between the date of publication of the proclamation of an election and the date on which a nomination court shall sit for the purpose of receiving nominations of candidates.

After that, the president is then obliged to allow a period of at least 28 days from the date of the nomination day to the date on which the poll will be held.

"If the new constitution is gazetted today, that means that the election cannot under any circumstances be held before 31 July," he said.

The other major complicating factor is related to the UNWTO General Assembly which is scheduled to be held in Victoria Falls on August 24-29, he said.

According to the electoral law, if two or more candidates for president are nominated and no candidate receives a majority of the total number of valid votes cast, a second election shall be held within 21 days after the previous election.

"If we press for an election by July 31, there is a real danger that a presidential run-off election will be held slap-bang in the middle of the UNTWO assembly," Coltart said.

At a rally held by Tsvangirai on Sunday, the prime minister told party supporters that elections could only be held after

South African miners shot with rubber bullets

T

en South African miners have been injured after security guards fired rubber bullets at a crowd of striking workers, police say.

Police spokesman ThulaniNgubane said the miners had been taken to hospital.

A spokeswoman for Lanxess, which owns the chrome mine, said the guards had opened fire in self-defence.

Industrial relations remain volatile in South Africa's key mining sector after police shot dead 34 striking workers at the Marikana mine last year.

Last week, workers at Lonmin, which owns the Marikana mine, took part in a two-day strike.

The Lanxess chrome miners went on a wildcat strike in a row over bonuses last Thursday.

Police say the situation is now under control after the shooting at the Rustenburg mine, north of Johannesburg, and that none of those injured are in a critical condition.

The miners have remained defiant on high wages.

EU mission seeks to rebuild Mali army after U.S. faltered

U

nder a blazing sun and the critical gaze of British and Irish instructors, a line of 11 Malian soldiers lie prone in the dust firing AK-47 rounds at targets, one-by-one.

"One out of 10 - not very good," Captain Ibrahim Soumassa, commander of the Malian unit, tells one of the men.

"We're at 25 meters. When we're at 100, it'll be difficult."

A European Union training mission faces a considerable

challenge as it seeks to succeed where years of U.S. instruction failed by turning Mali's rag-tag army into a force capable of facing an Islamist threat stretching across the Sahara.

Years of corruption and neglect led the army to a string of defeats against al Qaeda-linked militants last year, leaving northern Mali under Islamist control and sparking a military coup by disgruntled officers in the capital, Bamako.

Only a lightning intervention in January by France - which warned that the al Qaeda enclave posed a threat to Europe - dislodged the wellarmed Islamist fighters from northern Mali's towns. Paris now plans to pull out most of its troops and hand over to a United Nations peacekeeping force.

But the EU overhaul of Mali's army - one battalion of 700 men at a time - is at the heart of longterm efforts to keep the nation's

desert north free not only of Islamist militants but also of traffickers ferrying cocaine, contraband and illegal immigrants into Europe.

General Carter Ham, speaking in January before handing over leadership of the U.S. military command in Africa, recognized the United States had failed during years of counter-terrorism training in Mali to pass on "values, ethics and military ethos".

Algeria's Bouteflika 'improving every day'

A

lgeria's prime minister has denied rumours that P r e s i d e n t AbdelazizBouteflika is seriously ill, saying he is "improving every day" in Paris.

Mr Bouteflika, 76, has not been seen in public since suffering a mini-stroke in April.

His doctors have asked him to take "complete rest" while he recuperates, Prime Minister AbdelmalekSellal told state media.

His health has raised concern about stability in the North African state.

Mr Bouteflika has been in power since 1999.

In spite of his age and apparently failing health, there are still those who believe Mr Bouteflika could stand for a fourth term in office in elections scheduled for next year, correspondents say.

Algerian prosecutors have ordered legal action against two local newspapers which reported that he is in a coma, AFP news agency reports.

France's Le Point magazine said Mr Bouteflika, who was treated for cancer in 2005, was in very poor health, with some of his vital functions damaged.

Mr Sellal said "false information carried by certain foreign media" about the president's health undermined Algeria's security and development, the Algerian Press Service (APS) reports.

"The president, whose survival has never been questioned and whose health is improving every day, has been required by his doctors to take complete rest in order to make a full recovery," he is quoted as saying.

"Soon President Bouteflika's illness will be no more than an unpleasant memory."

President AbdelazizBouteflika

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Asia and Middle East

US and Chinese leaders to hold summit in California

PAGE 33

Many children among 91 feared dead in tornado-hit Oklahoma

T

he US and Chinese presidents will hold their first summit in California in June, both sides have announced.

Barack Obama and Xi Jinping will meet from 7-8 June at an estate in Rancho Mirage, a US statement said.

Topics on the agenda are likely to include North Korea, cyber espionage, tensions in the South China Sea and Syria.

The meeting will be the first between the two since Mr Xi was named president of China in March.

Mr Xi, 61, made his first visit as president to Russia, followed by three African nations. He has visited the US in the past, and spent time there as a young man.

The two men would hold "indepth discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues", the White House said.

"They will review progress and challenges in US-China relations over the past four years and discuss ways to enhance cooperation, while constructively managing our differences, in the years ahead."

A statement on the website of China's foreign ministry from spokesman Qin Gang said the two men would have an extensive exchange of views.

"It is believed that this meeting is important to the longterm, sound and steady development of China-US relations, as well as regional and international peace, stability and prosperity," it said.

US National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon is to visit China in late May to prepare for the meeting.

Neither side gave details of topics to be discussed. But the tensions with North Korea in the wake of its third nuclear test on 12 February are likely to be on the agenda, as will Syria - an issue upon which the US is seeking China's support for tougher measures.

Rumbling tensions in both the East China and South China Seas - where China has overlapping territorial claims with multiple nations - are also likely to come up, as is the issue of cyber espionage, a subject upon which the US has become increasingly vocal in recent months.

People look through the wreckage of their neighbourhood after a tornado struck Oklahoma.

A

t least 91 people, including 20 children, were feared killed when a 2 mile wide tornado tore through an Oklahoma City suburb, trapping victims beneath the rubble as one elementary school took a direct hit and another was destroyed.

President Barack Obama

declared a major disaster area in Oklahoma, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local efforts in Moore after the deadliest U.S. tornado since one killed 161 people in Joplin, Missouri, two years ago.

Emergency crews were desperately searching the wreckage of Plaza Towers Elementary School

that took a direct hit from the tornado on Monday afternoon, Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb told CNN. There was an outpouring of grief on the school's Facebook page, with messages from around the country including one pleading simply: "Please find those little

Bulgaria's ex-PM Borisov convinced rivals can form government

T

he head of Bulgaria's largest party said on Tuesday he was convinced his rivals would be able to form a government, indicating a political stalemate that could undermine the European Union's poorest economy may soon be broken.

Former Prime Minister BoikoBorisov said that while his GERB party would not back the Socialists' attempts to form a ruling coalition, it would nevertheless lend the next

government its support to introduce crucial economic and social measures.

Bulgaria has been at an impasse since an inconclusive May 12 election, making it difficult to address unemployment close to an eight-year high and incomes of less than half the EU average and to avoid protests against low living standards.

Borisov'scenter-right GERB, which resigned during protests in February, is the largest party in a

Sharif urges Taliban peace talks

P

akistan's presumptive prime minister has called for peace talks with Taliban fighters at war with the government, potentially charting a course that could put him at odds with the country's powerful army.

Nawaz Sharif said on Monday that "terrorism" was one of the most serious problems plaguing the country and any offer by the

Pakistani Taliban to talk "should be taken seriously".

"All options should be tried, and guns are not a solution to all problems," Sharif said in a speech to newly elected members of his party in the eastern city of Lahore. "Why shouldn't we sit and talk, engage in dialogue?"

The Pakistani Taliban have been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for

new parliament but cannot secure backing to control a majority.

The Socialists and their allies, the ethnic Turkish MRF, are one seat short of a majority in the 240seat assembly.

Borisov said GERB would not support its rivals in the confidence vote they need to win to form a government. But the Socialists and MRF are widely expected to be able to form a government of technocrats with the backing or years that has killed thousands of people. The group says it is fighting to enforce Islamic law in the country and end the government's alliance with the United States.

The Pakistani army has launched multiple operations against the Taliban in their strongholds along the border with Afghanistan, but the fighters have proven resilient and continue to carry out neardaily attacks.

Car bombings hit Russia's Dagestan

A Chinas' Xi Jinping

children."

Another elementary school, homes and a hospital were among the buildings leveled, leaving residents of the town of about 50,000 people stunned at the devastation and loss of life.

The Oklahoma medical examiner said 20 of the 91 expected to have been killed were children.

The office had already confirmed 51 dead and had been told by emergency services to expect 40 more bodies found in the debris, but had not yet received them.

At least 60 of the 240 people injured were children, area hospitals said.

"We thought we died because we were inside the cellar door ... It ripped open the door and just glass and debris started slamming on us and we thought we were dead to be honest," Ricky Stover said while surveying the devastated remains of his home.

Moore was devastated with debris everywhere, street signs gone, lights out, houses destroyed and vehicles tossed about as if they were toys.

Rescuers were searching for survivors throughout the swath of devastation into the early hours of Tuesday, while the dangerous storm system threatened several southern Plains states with more twisters. Severe weather was expected through the night from the Great Lakes south to Texas.

t least three people have been killed and 12 more injured in back-to-back car bombings in the semi-autonomous Russian republic of Dagestan, Interfax news agency reports citing authorities.

The first bomb detonated on Monday in front of the Justice Ministry in the regional capital of

Makhachkala.

As police descended upon the scene, a second car bomb was detonated by remote control, authorities said.

Most of the wounded and the dead were caught by the second explosion, the investigators said.

Police agencies gave differing

death tolls, with the number ranging from three to eight. About 30 people were believed injured.

Images transmitted from the attack site depicted heavy damage.

Car bombs, suicide bombings and firefights are common in Dagestan, at the centre of an

abstentions of individual lawmakers from GERB or nationalist party Attack.

"I am convinced you will form a government," Borisov told the Socialists at the opening of parliament on Tuesday.

"Those who take up the governance now take a brave and responsible step and should be supported," he said. "You can rely on the support of GERB for the measures that need to be undertaken."

Borisov has often changed tack - insisting he would never resign just days before he stepped down as premier - and his comments are no guarantee that Bulgaria will be able to form a stable government. GERB is still seeking to have the election annulled due to what it called illegal campaigning.

The Socialists say their proposed government of experts would command support from protests groups not represented in parliament. insurgency rooted in two postSoviet wars against separatist rebels in neighbouring Chechnya.

Investigators initially said eight people were killed on Monday by the successive blasts, but Russian law enforcement officials later revised the figure down.

Twisted wreckage of a car could be seen near the building, which was cordoned off by police.

PAGE 34

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

OMBATSE AND THE ALAKYO MASSACRE

By Rayyanu Bala

said to be in their possession. The precision with which the massacre was said to have been carried out at Alakyo surpasses the thinking and action of a layman. And also the clever way which the cultists handled the situations after the brutal killings signified the fact that Ombatse cultists must have a command and well co-ordinated structure and are well prepared for any onslaught from the security operatives. No thanks, to Corporal Enugu and Co. For alleged detailing the cultists with all material information about the exercise.

T

he recent massacre by Ombatse cultist of over 65 security operatives on duty to Alakyo in Lafia East Development Area of Nasarawa state has indeed shocked not only the people of Nasarawa state but all Nigerians. This is in fact; the first time in the history of this country that security operatives got killed in a large number and in such a very cruel manner which every sensible human being must feel not only sad but disturbed about the development. The mission of these officers to Alakyo, according the then Nasarawa state commissioner of police, Abayomi Akeremale was just to invite the leader of the group to answer some questions about activities of his group which was, of course, normal and in line with functions of the police. The Police, by the constitution of this country, have the right to, at any time of the day or night, conduct search at any place they

Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura Executive Governor, Nasarawa State

The agitation by the Ombatse cultists was not however borne out of marginalization of whatever form or shade, as some would want us to believe. It is on record that the Eggons in Nasarawa dominate all the available space one can think of in the state.

From the public/civil service of both the state and the federal governments down to the

suspect of harboring criminal activity. Police were not trained to kill but rather they receive training only to detect crime and to ensure law and order. It was for this reason that we in this country have never witnessed deployment of police to any war front. They are only involved with internal security.

economy and even down to the political field; it is the people of Eggon extraction that dominate. If ofcourse, there is any tribe that can complain about marginalization or complain of being pushed out of scheme of things or complain of not being carried along by the present Al-makura led administration, then certainly that is tribe not supposed to be Eggon. If for example, today heaven falls on us In view of the above, it then becomes bunkum for anyone to in Nasarawa state, the Eggon as a tribe will be the greatest losers claim that the Ombatse cultist acted in self- defense. It also makes and likewise if it shines, Eggon as a tribe will be the greatest no sense and is uncivilized for you to attack someone to the point beneficiary. Facts are there for verification on this assertion. In this of terminating his life while still being sure his mission was not to wise, therefore, I think if there were any tribe that could cherish kill. It was equally misleading for one to claim that the cultists only peace the more in Nasarawa state then that tribe most be Eggon, used machetes not guns in carrying out this massacre. If it were since they have more at stake than must of the tribes in the state. machetes, the casualty figures would not have been as much as the police eventually discovered. However, at this point, I must Ofcourse, no one is contesting the fact that the Eggon in Nasarawa quickly commend the prompt action which Governor Al-makura state have a substantial numerical strength, but the strength is not took in providing a form of relief to the widows of the slain security massive enough that could enable them to go alone; they must enlist officers. I believe this action might go a long way in mitigating the the support and co-operation of other tribes for them to achieve agony the wives of the slain officers were forced to contend with, whatever ambition they must have nursed in mind, but resulting to through the sheer arrogance and callous action of the Ombatse terrorism and killing people will certainly not pay. This is more so as, cultists. I must also commend the president and commander-in- since we are all living today in civilized environment where the rules chief of the Nigerian armed forces, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan of the jungle have since paved way for the rule of the law and for reassuring Nigerians that the heinous crime perpetrated by democracy. Above all, unleashing terror on people will not work, the cultist would not go unpunished. especially now that, there is a global coalition against terrorism. Only The police authority must go after the perpetrators. All police/ security efforts and energy must be deplored with the view to unearthing all those behind these crimes. The souls of these security operatives must not go in vain. All those that have a hand, however remotely, in the activities of Ombatse cultism must be fished out and made to face justice not only to serve as deterrent to other cultists but to reassure Nigerians that government is alive to its responsibilities of protecting lives and properties of it citizens.

The rate at which people are taking the laws into their hands in this country today has indeed reached an alarming proportion, requiring serious and concrete steps to stem the tide or else we will wakeup one day to find ourselves in a very serious, unpleasant situations, dangerous to our survival and that of our children.

However, much as this Alakyo massacre stands condemnable, I want to agree in totality, with Sunday Trust's back page comment of May 12/05/13. Certainly Ombatse must have some powerful individuals that were behind all their activities or else, I find it difficult to locate how they (Ombatse) came about those deadly armament

last week Tuesday, President Goodluck Jonathan in a broadcast to the Nation decried the use of terror as means of achieving political objectives, when he pledged to dislodge terrorists in Nigeria.

While observing that ‘the insurgents and terrorists seek to prevent government from fulfilling its constitutional obligations to the people through fanatical agenda of mayhem, mass murder, division and separatism’, President Jonathan vowed ‘not to shy away from doing whatever becomes necessary to provide the fullest possible security for the citizens of this country in any part of the country they choose to reside’. Indeed from the commitments made by President Jonathan on issue of terrorism in Nigeria, I think the only option is dialogue, which is the best in resolving all kinds of issues now. Time has indeed come for us in Nasarawa state to put all our differences aside and work together in the interest of our beloved state. We must remember that this is a state that we all collectively fought for its creation in 1996. And doing anything contrary to this spirit is counter- productive which would in the end, benefit no one in the state.

Bala wrote from Lafia, Nasarawa state.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 35

Meet Ai Hasegawa, the woman who wants to give birth to a shark W

ith a population nearing nine billion people and food shortages becoming increasingly problematic, the human race needs sustainable solutions if it wants to survive.

Japanese designer Ai Hasegawa has come up with a very controversial approach to solving environmental and foodrelated issues - the possibility of women giving birth to various animal species and eventually eating them.

In one of her most intriguing projects yet, "I Wanna Deliver a Shark‌", Ai Hasegawa tackles "the problem of human reproduction in an age of overpopulation and environmental crisis." She envisions the possibility of humans one day giving birth to their food and satisfying both their nutritional needs and that of giving life. The 33-year-old says having a human baby isn't as simple as some people think, especially with our world about to face a major food crisis. She argues that bringing new humans into this world is definitely not the answer, but giving birth to endangered animal species might be just what we need to

survive. "We are genetically predisposed to raise children as a way of passing on our genes to the next generation but we live in an age where the struggle to raise a child in decent conditions is becoming harder with gross over-population and difficult environmental conditions," Hasegawa says. "We must also eat, and we are equally facing growing food shortages as a result of over-fishing, land use and a growing population. By giving birth to an edible animal it might place more value on that endangered species and help prevent it's extinction."

Intrigued by the Japanese designer's bizarre idea, VICE.com contacted Ai Hasegawa to learn if she thinks giving birth to an animal is even possible. "It will be, in the near future," she said.

A human uterus is just the right size to hold one fetus. I've been speaking to a gynecologist about ways of making it bigger. I believe humans could use their uterus as an aquarium or incubator."

Talking about possible compatibility issues between the human placenta and a shark's, for example, Ai said the placenta comes from the fetus, so there's no need to modify

Photo: VICE the human DNA. The real problem is that a woman wanting to carry an animal fetus in her uterus would have to stop menstruation, and the medicine for that has very unpleasant side-effects.

Hasegawa thinks the idea candidate for this unusual experiment would be a "rich,

single, and above all, menopausal woman". Asked why she chose a shark for her project, the designer said that research shows they would be the most compatible, plus they fit all her criteria: "they're endangered, their life-span is almost as long as that of a human, and most importantly, they're delicious."

Some people might think Ai's idea is preposterous, but she has thought it through. She even came up with a bonding system which works " by sharing the mother's stress with the shark embryo. When the mother feels stress, a device measures a galvanic skin response and heart pulse rate, translated as a "stress signal", that triggers the low voltage electrical signal that mimics the emergence of a predator in the sea for the shark embryo. Giving such stress works as a training device for when they are returned to the sea after delivery." Yes, the sharks would be returned to sea for some time, in order for them to taste like the wild sharks used in Japanese cuisine. Hasegawa says she loves a good piece of shark, but she always feels guilty for eating an endangered species.

This way the problem is solved, plus "it's also less costly than raising a human, and there are fewer responsibilities".

But would humans actually eat a shark carried in the womb of another person? Ai seems to think so: "after all, there are some animals who eat their own babies. And we do eat veal, which comes from inside a cow.

The party never stops with the CataCombo Sound system-equipped coffin

E

mbrace your passion for music in this life or the next with the CataCoffin - a unique coffin equipped with a high-quality sound system that will keep you rocking six feet under.

An afterlife of partying awaits.

Do you want to keep in touch with the latest trends in music, even after death? It seems impossible, I know, but Swedish company Pause has just turned your weird dream into a reality.

Introducing the CataCombo sound system, an original solution that will help you take your passion for music to the grave, literally. The unique sound installation comes incorporated in a high quality coffin with "godlike comfort and angelic interior", and features a pair of twoway speakers, tweeters, a custom-built 2.1 amplifier and "a divine 8-inch subwoofer fine tuned to the coffin's unique interior acoustics".

And it gets better - the CataCoffin comes with matching CataTomb tombstone that has a builtin upgradable music server. Powered by a 2.5 GHz Intel processor, this unique piece of technology allows your friends and family to

update your playlist through the Spotify music service, with the help of 4G connectivity.

The tombstone also has aa 7-inch LCD that displays what song is currently playing inside the coffin. It's safe to say CataCombo can take anything the afterlife throws at it.

I'm sure audiophile vampires are excited about the CataCoffin, but while The CataCoffin

Pause says the CataTomb supplies the power to the coffin six feet under, it's not yetclear how the tombstone itself will get the necessary electricity.

Solar panels or a small wind turbine work in theory, but I don't know how many cemeteries will allow that. But, that's just a small hurdle for people who can afford to pay •23,500 ($31,500) for this musical coffin.

I myself won't be getting the CataCoffin. I just couldn't decide if I want Highway to Hell or Stairway to Heaven playing on a loop. But if you're interested and aren't too spooked by lying down in a coffin before your time comes, you can drop by the Pause headquarters in Stockholm for a product demonstration.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Women live longer than men because their immune systems age more slowly

By Emma Innes

W

omen live longer than men partly because their immune systems age more slowly, a new study has revealed.

As their body defences weaken with the passing years, the increasing susceptibility of men to disease shortens their lives, it is claimed.

Life expectancy in the UK is 79 years for men and 82 for women, according to the World Health Organisation.

In Japan, where the research took place, the gap is wider. There, the average lifespan of men is the same as in the UK, but women live to 85.5.

The study involved examining blood samples from healthy volunteers with a wide range of ages.

Scientists tested the blood of 356 men and women aged between 20 and 90 and looked at levels of white blood cells and immune system signalling molecules called cytokines.

In both sexes, the number of

In both sexes, the number of white blood cells per person decreased with age but the rate of decrease was quicker in men

white blood cells per person decreased with age, but closer study revealed striking differences between men and women.

The rate of decline of most T-cell and B-cell lymphocytes, two key elements of the immune system, was faster in men.

Similarly, men showed a more rapid age-related decline in the two cytokines, IL-6 and IL-10.

Two specific types of immune system cell that actively destroy foreign invaders, CD4 T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells, increased in number with age. In this case, the rate of increase was higher in women than in men.

NK cells are believed to be one of the body's first lines of defence against cancer.

The research, led by Professor Katsuiku Hirokawa, from Tokyo Medical and Dental University, appears in the online journal Immunity and Ageing.

The scientists wrote: 'Age-related changes in various immunological parameters differ between men and women. Our findings indicate that the slower rate of decline in these immunological parameters in women than in men is consistent with the fact that women live longer than do men.'

Immune system mechanisms not only protect the body from infection and cancer, but can cause disease when not properly regulated.

Inflammation is a potentially damaging immune system response that contributes to heart and artery disease and could play a role in dementia.

Women live longer than men partly because their immune systems age more slowly The cytokine IL-10 is an important regulator of inflammation, helping to put the brakes on the immune system to keep it under control.

Its faster decline in men suggests that as men age they might more rapidly be affected by i n f l a m m a t o r y conditions.

P r o f e s s o r Hirokawa said: 'The

process of ageing is different for men and women for many reasons.

Women have more oestrogen than men which seems to protect them from cardiovascular disease until menopause. Sex hormones also affect the immune system, especially certain types of lymphocytes.

'Because people age at different rates, a person's immunological parameters could be used to provide an indication of their true biological age.'

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Forget coffee, now you can get caffeine in your toothbrush

I

t could be an important time saver for those who want an extra five minutes in bed.

Colgate has revealed plans for a toothbrush with a built in caffeine patch to deliver the morning coffee as you brush.

A patent application reveals the firm is even considering flavour patches and even drug delivery using the system.

The patent application from

the Colgate-Palmolive Company revealed technology that would allow chemicals to be embedded into the heads of standard toothbrushes and slowly released during use.

The firm showed off plans for everything from mint and apple flavoured patches to a caffeine patch to wake up the weary in the morning.

Each patch would last around three months, the

Research: Scientists say fish oil can counter the negative effect junk food has on the brain

application shows.

The firm could also expand the offering to include drugs such as aspirin, and the application even reveals a 'diet toothbrush' with a patch that releases an appetite suppressant.

In the patent application, toothbrushes would be delineated by differently shaped tongue cleaners, the drawing show - an apple shape means apple flavor, a snowflake means a cooling sensation while a mint leaf releases mint.

The patent describes the pictures as: 'An oral care implement comprising a handle and a head; a releasable sensory material that invokes a sensory response in an oral cavity during use.'

It also talk about an 'elastomeric element comprising a shape that is visually representative of the sensory response,' and a 'releasable sensory material comprises one of a flavoring, a sensate, or a medication.'

It also raises the terrifying prospect of a chilli pepper version.

'As one example, a chemical known as capsaicin, found naturally in chile peppers, can be used to provide a tingle, a hot or warm massage, or a heating The morning brush could soon give you a hit of caffeine, and even painkillers according to a patent filed by Colgate

or warm, soothing sensation to a user, ' it says.

'Capsaicin is also known to provide pain relief and numbing sensations when topically applied.'

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 37

2015: Is Jonathan receding into ethnic cocoon?

By Lawrence Olaoye

W

ith two clear years to the 2015 Presidential election, the anticipated vibration of real election has commenced. Though, President Goodluck Jonathan has not openly declared his interest in retaining his seat, his footsoldiers have drummed it into the ears of whoever cared to listen that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock at the expiration of their boss’ tenure.

Opposition to Jonathan’s continued Presidency stemmed from the way he emerged in the first place. He got the presidency after the demise of his boss who had commenced the slot of the North based on rotational presidency arrangement of the party. There was agitation for the retention the presidency in the north but Jonathan was lucky to have the zoning arrangement altered in his favor.

But the alteration of the arrangement, according to the Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum and Niger state governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, was made possible consequent upon a pact he allegedly signed with the governors that he would serve for only a single term after which power would shift back to the north. This fact was further adumbrated when, during the PDP’ convention which produced Jonathan as its Presidential candidate, former President Olusegun Obasanjo told the mammoth crowd the he (Jonathan) had agreed to serve only one term and hand over power to a successor, presumably from the north.

Interestingly, the incumbent, from all his body language and the utterances coming from those perceived to be close to him, it could be safely concluded that the President may have made up his mind to retain his position come 2015.

Comments emanating from an Ijaw Leader, Octogenarian Chief Edwin Clark; the former governor of Bayelsa state who recently benefitted from state pardon, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and the founder of Niger Delta People Volunteer Front (NPDVF), Alhaji Mujahideen Dokubo-Asari have begun to constitute a source of worry to discerning minds. This is even more so when these individuals are from the same Niger Delta region with the President.

Jonathan’s supporters argue that the 1999 constitution, as

Buba Galadima, National Secretary, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)

President Goodluck Jonathan amended guaranteed him two terms of four years each even though his opponents maintained that the President had already been sworn-in twice. According to those opposed to Jonathan’s return, it is unconstitutional for him to attempt to be sworn-into office the third time having been sworn-in first as the Acting President, and later a substantive President in2011.

Alamieyeseigha while speaking recently a the 3rd General Conference of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA) said there is no vacancy in Aso Rock by 2015. He said “They may have their opinion, but I can assure you that President Jonathan will remain as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, come 2015,” he boasted.

Similarly, the former Minister of Information and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has also warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must only field President Goodluck Jonathan as the sole candidate for its Presidential primaries against the 2015 Presidential election.

Asked what would happen to the inalienable constitutional rights of other Nigerians to aspire to leadership position in the country, Clark said “There is an incumbent who have not done a second term, so northerner have no place, it’s not yet the turn of a northerner. They have the right to contest as Nigerians, but in other parties, not PDP.” “In 1979 (Former President Shehu) Shagari contested with

Chief Edwin Clark other people for the ticket but in 1983 he alone contested the primary even though there were men of timber and caliber in NPN who would have contested with him at that time, but the party gave it to him unopposed. We don’t believe in double standard.

“We of the South South believe that it is (in) the interest of Nigeria, in the unity of our country that Jonathan should contest; no one should strike him out; movement of power or power rotation is not proper at this time.

In the constitution of Nigeria,

every president has two elections to be contested. Shagari did it in 1979 and in 1983 he did it again; then in 1999 Obasanjo did it and in 2003 he contested again. In 2007, Umaru Yar’adua of blessed memory did it and if he had remained alive, he would have done it again in 2011. So Jonathan is not a different person; he’s a Nigerian; the President of Nigeria, therefore he too has the right to contest again. Nothing is new about it because Constitution says you must contest for two elections and rule for eight years.

It is only then you are disqualified,” Clark declared.

Speaking on threat of violence if President Jonathan did not return, Clark said “No one owns the country more than anybody; Nigeria belongs to all of us and there is nobody who is superior to another. If you are talking about peace, peace for who? So if a northerner does not rule this country won’t there be peace? They have ruled for over 38 years, we have only ruled from the south for less than 14 years, and when Lugard united this country, he didn’t say the north is superior to the south. We are all equal in this country, and anybody can aspire to the highest position in this country, so nobody has the prerogative to rule others.”

Dokubo added a flavor of violence to the debate when he declared that he was ready, bullet for bullet, for those who want to stop President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. According to him, nobody can stop President Jonathan from contesting for a second term in 2015.

He said “We have to demand what belongs to us, 2015 is not about Jonathan, but about our destiny, if you allow them, they will crush you when they come.

I am ready for them bullet for bullet.”

He said the battle line for selfdetermination has been drawn, as the people of the region would no longer accept being second-

Continued on page 38

PAGE 38

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

2015: Is Jonathan receding into ethnic cocoon?

Continued from page 37 class to the people of the North. His words, “The battle line is drawn, if our representatives in Abuja are trading off our destinies, we will not accept it.

The enemies are at the doorstep waiting to pounce, having NDDC, ministerial and ambassadorial positions are not enough, we want to control our resources.

He sounded even more apocalyptic when he said “When the enemies come with their gun to shoot you down, I will also hold a gun to fight back, the day will come, they will come for you, there is no sitting on the fence.

When they come, they won’t differentiate between Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Anioma, Edo, and other ethnic nations,” he asserted Dokubo-Asari said he was not afraid or ashamed to support Jonathan who is from the Niger Delta, stressing that he supported Abacha government, so why not Jonathan who is a fellow Ijaw man. ”The oil belongs to us in the Niger Delta, don’t be ashamed to stand up for your right, I supported Abacha, so why won’t I support Jonathan, the North have that mentality of born to rule but we are saying no, it has changed.”

He added, “We have to demand what belongs to us, 2015 is not about Jonathan, but about

our destiny, if you allow them they will crush you when they come. I am ready for them bullet for bullet.”

Drumming ethnic sentiments further, AsariDokubo continued,p “Every rich man that is from this region is a threat to them, which is why they use their man to crumble many of the banks owned by the southern people. Jonathan has given Nomadic and Almajiri education to the North, which is amnesty for them, a lot of things are being taken for granted before now but we won’t take it,” he said.

As the Niger-Deltans continue to beat the drum of war, stakeholders in the North have equally responded with commensurable vituperations.

Buba Galadima, National Secretary to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), who reacted in his capacity as a partisan Nigerian, said it was unfortunate that an elderstatesman of the Ijaw leader caliber could make such statement.

He said “ All Chief Edwin Clark has ever been in life has been with the support of the north. He became the Federal Commissioner of Information under the leadership of General Yakubu Gowon, a northerner, through which he climbed into national relevance. Though he

Dokubo-Asari has his inalienable right as a Nigerian to express his personal opinion, it is unfortunate that Chief Clark could, at his age, could be advocating for chaos in the country.”

According to him, the Ijaw leader and Asari Dokubo, in their disparaging statements, have only succeeded in whipping up sentiments in favour of the north and that their outbursts would only ginger the northern leaders to come together to speak with one voice ahead of the 2015 Presidential election.

He pointed out that Clark’s declaration that the PDP should not field any other candidate aside from Jonathan in 2015 only goes to show the disdain the octogenarian has for democracy and democratic tenets. Galadima concluded that Clark must have lost touch with the nation’s political realities and must enjoy the sympathy of the people due to his old age.

Meanwhile, the SNPA in communiqué released after its

Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha meeting has restated the need for a national dialogue to discuss the manner of coexistence in the country to avoid crisis. The Assembly observed that as the country was moving towards the precipice, there was the need for all the ethnic groups in Nigeria to dialogue.

Pundits have argued that all these unguarded statements coming from those considered close to the President are capable of truncating the fragile peace in the country. Adewale Yakub, a lawyer and political analyst, stated “this game coming from huge Niger Delta in dangerous and harmful even to Jonathan’s ambition if actually he is interested in the Presidency.

Jonathan is not only the President to his people in the Niger Delta but a Nigerian President. He should call the likes of Clark and Asari-Dokubo to order because he will eventually need the votes of the other regions his close allies are disparaging by 2015.”

He added “The danger is that many people are suspecting that Jonathan kinsmen are employing threat as a strategy for his re-election instead of prevailing on him to concentrate on delivery of good governance.

His good works, more than empty threats and intimidation, would serve better as a campaign issue.

Sincerely, reducing the camping for the number one position in the country to an ethnic issue is an ill wind that would blow no one any good. Receding into ethnic cocoon will not be in the interest of anybody.”

From whatever perspective it is viewed, it is pertinent to point out that the dimension the 2015 Presidential campaign is taking is indicative of the volatility expected of the exercise in due date if not immediately nipped in the bud. The President could be saved these avoidable distractions from his own kinsmen for him to deliver the fresh air he promised the people in 2011.

I’ll operate an open door policy- Taraba Speaker INTERVIEW

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hat actually informed the recent change of leadership in Taraba State House of Assembly?

It was as a result of an issue

Rt. Honourable Haruna

Newly elected Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Haruna Tsokwa, in this interview with newsmen promises to run an open door administration premised on transparency and mutual respect for members of the House and the Executive arm of government. Agaju Madugba reports. Excerpts which was read out on the floor of the House. There were some allegations and members felt that they should effect change.

As Speaker, what do you intend to do? In fact what is your vision and mission for the House?

As the new Speaker, what I intend to do is to first of all seek the cooperation of my colleagues, and also seek the cooperation of the executive because if there is no cooperation between the executive and legislative arm of government, I want to tell you that the administration of the state will not be smooth. So with mutual cooperation we will be able to move the state forward.

By May 29 2013, the nation will celebrate

Democracy Day. Do you think the country has made any significant progress towards building a democratic nation?

Of course yes. Nigeria has achieved that because we have come a long way, if look at what is happening. Before now, it was a military regime, but from 1999 to date ,you know what it means. So, it is a serious achievement for the growth and development of our democracy.

Are you saying that Nigerians have benefited from the so called democracy dividends?

It is not so called because if you compare our democracy with other countries, you will find out that we have tried our best. We are in the process.

What will you do to see that peace reigns in Taraba House of Assembly?

In my speech I said I was going to operate an open door policy. You know when you are transparent you will always go with the whole house, and that is exactly what I am going to do. It is one of the strategies I will use in making sure that the house move as a unit and work as a people on the same page and template.

One of the first assignments you carried out as Speaker was the dissolution of the House committees. What informed that decision?

You see, there is no how we can operate without a committee, and there is no how we can go ahead to operate

with the former committees because my colleagues who worked with the former leadership of the house needed to be fixed somewhere to serve as committee members and that was what made us to dissolve the committees.

What type of support do you need from the people of Taraba state?

We need their support very well. without their support we will not be able to achieve any thing because they are ones that elected us into this place.

We are their representatives, so without their support we can’t achieve anything meaningful. We need their support fully so that we can make laws that will have direct impact and meaning in their lives.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Briefs L-R: Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon. Remi Ogunnusi, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, and member of the Committee, Hon. Sani Bello Mashi, during an investigative session on tax remittance by banks, on Monday at the National Assembly, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Police arraign suspected gunmen

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ine suspected gunmen accused of attacking and killing some villagers in Guma local government of Benue state were yesterday arraigned before a Makurdi Chief Magistrate Court headed

by Justice Cecilia Tsumba charged with culpable homicide.

Police prosecutor, Sgt Patrick Sunday, told the court that the accused were arrested in Guma local government on 6 th May, 2013 by a group of army officers from the 72 Battalion, Makurdi and handed over to the police.

He said the army officers had received report that herdsmen attacked some villagers in Guma local government and killed some persons as well as burnt down several houses. Editor from Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Court restrains IGP from arresting Kogi lawmaker

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Federal High court sitting in Lokoja yesterday restrained the Inspector General of Police ( IGP), Muhammed Abubakar, from carrying out the resolution of the National Assembly to arrest a Kogi lawmaker, Hon Friday Sanni, over allegations of murder and ownership of illegal security outfit.

The House of Representatives had recently passed a resolution compelling the IGP to arrest and prosecute Sanni representing Igalamela/ Odolu constituency for setting up Ajana Mopol, a suspected militia group.

Counsels to the applicant, John Adele and Tanko Musa, in their application said allegations raised against Sanni were malicious, spurious and baseless and cannot be used to arrest him.

The trial judge, Justic, Ekwo Iyang, averred that the fundamental rights of the lawmaker must not by any way be threatened by allegations which have not been determined by the court of law.

From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

New CPC Boss gets international Peace Award

By Etuka Sunday

T

he new Director General of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs. Catherine Dupe Atoki, has been nominated for the prestigious Gusi Peace Prize for her outstanding contributions to human rights advocacy in Africa.

A statement from the CPC said CPC Atoki will receive the award along with other laureates who include President of the Republic of Mauritius, H.E Rajeshwur

Purryag and HH Jacqueline Clark, the President of the Crown Court Judges Association of England.

According to the organizers of the Award, the Gusi Peace Prize, “is considered as the Asian counterpart of the Nobel Peace Prize in dignity, integrity and respect.”

According to a notification letter to Atoki, “the Gusi Peace Prize Philippine and International Committees have decided to award the Gusi

L

agos state Governor, Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday approved the appointment of six new High Court judges.

The new judges include two magistrates, a senior state counsel in the Ministry of Justice and three private lawyers.

and Heads of State of Africa, which provided the opportunity for you to engage with other high government officials on their obligations to ensure the enjoyment of human rights by their citizens.”

The letter commended her over three decades practice in human rights, corporate and commercial laws and her contributions to the review of laws in Nigeria.

The Award ceremony will take place on November 27, 2013 in Manila, the Philippines.

NGO distributes food items to patients in Bauchi hospitals From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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Non-Governmental Organization, the Kaura Community Elders Initiatives (KACEI), distributed food items worth over N200, 000 to patients in various health

institutions in Bauchi metropolis.

The group’s Chairman, Alhaji Musa Gora, while distributing the food items on behalf of the organization, called on wealthy individuals in the state to join the NGO in offering humanitarian services to the people.

Gora said, “we want a situation

where ordinary persons in the society can feel comfortable.”

Hundreds of patients at the Specialist Hospital (Tashar Babiye), Bauchi Urban Maternity, Umar Isa Yuguda Maternity, Kainuwa Medical Clinic, Bayara General Hospital, Darussalam Medical Clinic, Local Government Maternity

Centre, Ni’ima and Reemee Clinics benefited from the gesture.

Gora explained added, “NGO encompasses a lot of projects, there are water, education and health projects, so we can embark on all these things defending on what we have in hand in terms of financial positions”.

Africa must sustain resistance against western marginalization, says Mbeki

By Stanley Onyekwere

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ormer President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, has said Africa must sustain her emerging stance against Western marginalization and dictatorship in resolving problems in the continent as demonstrated in achieving peace for oil rich Sudanese nations.

He said the success in the Sudan was because Africans

refused to be marginalized and dictated to by foreign interests, in the guise of proffering superior solution to the crisis.

Mbeki who is the Daily Trust 2012 African of the year award winner, spoke on Monday after he received the award, in Abuja.

According to him, a very important lesson from Sudan is that Africans must realize they have the capacity to indeed resolve their problems and take

Lagos appoints new judges, magistrates From Matthew Irinoye, Lagos

Peace Prize for 2013 to you, Honourable Catherine Dupe Atoki, for your untiring efforts, working for people’s amelioration, to find peaceful solutions for people’s welfare through human rights advocacy in the African Union”.

“For the record, you are the first Nigerian woman to head an AU organ being the current Chairperson of the African Commission. “In this capacity, you carried out many promotion missions across the continent and was received by several Presidents

The appointment is expected to fill the vacuum created by the retirement of Justice Inumidun Akande, the former Chief Judge, the retirement of Justice Benedicta Shitta- Bey, the elevation of Justice Habeeb Abiru to the Appeal Court and the demise of Justice Wasilat Abisoye Esther Ayo.

The statement from the office of the Chief Registrar of the High Court and signed by its Public Relations Officer, Grace Alo, noted that the Governor’s approval was sequel to the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.

charge of the continent’s destiny.

“We have the capacity as Africans to take charge of our destiny as we have demonstrated that it is possible for us to solve our problems.

“And, if we sustain the momentum, will come up with

enough solutions to our problems.

“But if we allow other people to come in, they will come in their own interest, in the guise of having the solution to our problems, which only service their interest.”

Fulani invasion: Benue assures IDPs of safety From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

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enue state government has assured over 2000 Internally Displaced Persons who fled Agatu local government to Omala local government area of Kogi state as a result of the invasion of suspected Fulani herdsmen of their safety when they return to their homes.

At a visit to the refugee camp yesterday, the Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani, lamented incident assuring that government has put in place improved security measures to

safe guard their lives and property from any further attacks.

He said government was working in collaboration with Nasarawa state government where the suspected Fulani herders are camped to provide a lasting solution to the crisis.

He expressed appreciation to the Kogi State government for their hospitality to the displaced victims.

Some 45 persons were reportedly killed recently in Agatu local government when unknown gunmen attacked about 13 villages in the area.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 41

2014 World Cup: Eagles united against all foes, says Oboabona M

embers of the Super Eagles have resolved to give their best in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia because their prospects for blossoming career depends qualification for the Brazil World Cup finals.

Godfrey Oboabona confirmed this yesterday to a wire service stressing that they have been unanimous in their commitment to brush aside all oppositions to secure the ticket to Brazil.

Nigeria lead their qualifying group for Brazil 2014, but they are hard pressed by second-placed Malawi and would need to win their next two games away in Kenya and Namibia early in June to stay on track in the qualifiers.

Oboabona has now said a World Cup ticket will go a long

way in shaping their careers both at club and country levels.

"We know the importance of clinching the World Cup ticket and the coach has us well aware this and also let us understand that our careers will be built on this ticket.

That is why we can't let it go.

We are ready to give everything so that we are victorious at the end," said the Sunshine Stars skipper.

He said he believes a good outing in a May 31 friendly against Mexico in Houston, Texas, will boost the Eagles confidence leading up to these two crunch matches.

"The Mexico game is a friendly, but we are looking beyond that.

A good performance against Mexico will give us more confidence to tackle Kenya and Namibia in the World Cup qualifiers," said Oboabona.

Super Eagles listening to instructions yesterday during the training session

Yero donates N10m to revive Kaduna Turf Club From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

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n his support to revived horse racing in the north in general and Kaduna in particular; Kaduna state Governor, Murkhtar Ramalan Yero, doled out N10m for the maintenance of the Kaduna Turf Club of Nigeria the famous Horse Racing Club in the country.

According to the governor,

the financial succour is meant to boost efforts at reviving horse racing in general in the North and Kaduna in particular.

The governor , who was represented by the Commissioner of Youth and Sport, Nazifi Jibril Mohammed, said horse racing and sports in general engage youth gainfully and thus prevent them from being used as tools for violence.

"The fact that we are gathered

here today to witness this horse racing is evidence that peace has returned to Kaduna State.

In view of this, we are making an initial donation of N10million towards sustaining horse racing and up-keeping of the Club."

Responding, the Emir of Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris who is the President of Horse Racing Association in Nigeria, said regretted the neglect of

the Kaduna Turf Club in spite the fact that it is the Headquarters of Horse Racing.

"This Race course was founded by the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto. We want to keep the tournament and the spirit alive and in the same way promoting our culture so that people will know good thing can still come out from Northern Nigeria."

S

ports medicine practitioners have called on state governments to support their respective sports councils to establish sports medicine clinics.

This was the consensus of participants at the first national Sports Medicine Course organized by the National Sports Commission Sports Medicine Department headed by Dr Abdulkadir Mua'zu.

In a communiquĂŠ signed by Dr Mua'zu, the delegates demanded that sports medicine course be adopted as part of the CME and should be recognised by medical professional bodies for renewal of practicing licence.

Also, the members agreed that the Sports Medicine Association should be resuscitated both at the national and state levels and added that the Course should be a yearly program to compliment expected major sporting programmes.

N

The delegates also urged state governments to provide to their respective states sports councils qualified medical personnel to accompany teams to all competitions, both locally and internationally.

The frown at the inadequate budgetary provisions for sports medicine and urged that the trend be reversed in order to curb incidences of unattended injuries and provision of basic facilities.

The communiquĂŠ said there is the need for the budgets for Sports Medicine in each Sports Council/ Commission in states to be made adequate and accessible to facilitate the provision of basic medical care in sporting programs.

It called on the National Sports Commission (Sports Medicine Department) to put together a curriculum that can be used as a guide to train professional Sports Medicine personnel at the NIS vis

a vis other educational institutions of higher learning in the country.

They requested that the Precompetition Medical Assessment (PCMA) should be mandatory for all athletes and officials of Sports Councils/Commissions before any major competitions as well as hammering on the introduction of HIV and AIDS intervention program at all Sports Councils and Commissions.

igeria's Supersand Eagles are drawn to play Cote d' Ivoire in an epic Group B clash in the African Beach Soccer Championship starting today in El Jadida, Morocco.

Egypt and Libya are the other opponents of the Supersand Eagles who will be aiming to qualify for this year's FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, scheduled for Tahiti in September.

Supersand Eagles, runner-up at the last tournament also held in Morocco, will play Libya in their opening match this evening, before confronting Egypt on Thursday and Cote d'Ivoire on Friday.

Host Morocco head Group A that also has Senegal, Madagascar and Ghana.

The two finalists will qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World, taking place in Tahiti from September 18th through 28th.

Nigeria reached the quarter finals at the 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup held in Ravenna, Italy, coming close to upsetting four-time world champions Brazil before losing out after extra time.

By Albert Akota

but trained to a level where they would achieve set targets.

Also, he assured that only eligible contingents would be fielded in sports where the country surely have comparative advantage over its peers at the continental and international levels,.

The former vice chairman House Committee on Sports said he would work his talks stressing that he would liaise with the minister and the National Assembly to formulate and

implement functional sports policies.

"I also asked DG and minister questions during over sight function or budget and sports policy implementation at the National Assembly because he want the best for the country.

"I will bring back loss glory in sports, before now countries fear Nigeria intense of sports but these days there are no longer afraid, I want to embark on grassroots sports development so that I can achieve

my set target, " he said He promised to work his lieutenants and added that his immediate task would be to embark on grassroots development.

Meanwhile, the former acting DG, Mustapha Mohammed, commended his colleagues in the management for rallying him during the period he held the forte.

Peoples Daily Sports recalls that the director was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan last Wednesday.

Medics urge states to establish functional sports clinics

By Patrick Andrew

Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire clash again

Elegbeleye vows to restore sports' lost glory

T

he newly appointed Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye, has vowed to traverse oceans and bend over double to restore Nigeria's declining glory in sports.

Speaking at the formal handing over ceremony yesterday, the director said he intends to ensure that talented athletes were not only spotted

PAGE 42

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Use Eagles AFCON win to lure fans back to stadium, Chukwu urges NFF, NPFL

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x-international, Christain Chukwu, has urged both the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Nigeria Professional Football League managements to urgently address the issue of declining spectators at match venues.

Chuwku, a former Green Eagles captain and later chief coach of the Super Eagles, claimed that lack of spectators at match venues does not correspond with Nigeria's rating as a football-loving country.

The ex-captain of Enugu Rangers stated that in the past, stadiums across the country were always filled to capacity, with devoted fans of the participating teams. ``The filled-up stadiums always added colour to the atmosphere of match venues. It will be wrong to compare the then and now because the situations are different.

Two Nigerian clubs playing in a near-empty stadium ``The problem we have in the league today is that some administrators are there for the wrong reasons. In my days, tickets are usually sold out days before the match, and the stadiums were usually filled to capacity,'' he said.

Chukwu then urged the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to take the advantage of the Super Eagles victory at the last Nations Cup in South Africa and re-brand itself. ``The NPFL should improve on the league quality and ensure

adequate corporate sponsorship to encourage large turn-out of spectators at the stadiums. ``The NPFL should ensure that participating clubs in the league had quality players to attract spectators to the stadiums. ``Fans will be thrilled to see a Sunday Mba play, this could attract fans to the stadium because Mba is hot in the league,'' he added.

Chukwu, who captained the Green Eagles to win the first-ever Nations Cup for the country, urged football administrators to be more professional in the execution of their duties.

Today's Matches 3SC Wikki Kano Pillars El-Kanemi

V V V V

Nasarawa Uted Warri Wolves Kaduna Utd Sharks

Maigari, other Nigerians in CAF standing committees

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o fewer than eight Nigerians have been appointed into the Standing Committees of the Africa Football Confederation (CAF) for the 2013/ 2015 soccer season.

A statement on CAF's website on Tuesday said the appointments were approved by the Executive Committee of the confederation during its meeting in Cairo between

May 15 and May 16, following a newly-introduced system of selection.

According to the statement, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari, was appointed into the Organising Committee for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

The association's 1st VicePresident, Mike Umeh was appointed

into the Organising Committee for Inter club competitions.

Another top Nigerian, Emeka Inyama and Chairman of Media and Publicity, was appointment into the Media Committee, while NFF's Technical Committee Chairman, Christopher Green, was appointed into the Disciplinary Board.

A former NFA President, Sani Lulu, would serve on the Organising

Committee for the Africa Nations' Championship.

Amanze Uchegbulam, a former Vice-President, was appointed into the Appeal Board's as Vice-President, while Mike Itemuagbor also made it into the Marketing and Television Committee.

The Technical and Development Committee would have Yusuf Ahmed as one of its members.

Ghana coach Appiah wants AFCON injury rules amended

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hana coach, Kwesi Appiah, has asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to consider amending its rules regarding injured players at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars coach made the suggestion during the recent CAF Symposium to analyse 2012 and 2013 editions of Africa's flagship football competition.

CAF regulations prevent sides from replacing their players when they injured during the threeweek competition.

Appiah was hit with a similar incident prior to this year's Nations Cup in South Africa when striker Richmond Boakye-Yiadom but could not be replaced.

GFA technical director Oti Akenteng, who attended the 3-day Symposium with Kwasi Appiah, welcomed Appiah's suggestion as did some others that attended the event. ''He (Kwasi Appiah) also came out with a wonderful suggestion which I'm sure CAF is going to sit down to deliberate on,'' said Oti Akenteng. ''He suggested that in future within the AFCON tournament whiles the matches are going on and you have injury situations, which probably rules out your key players, there should be a way for the coaches to invite players who were not originally named in the squad for the tournament.

PAGE 44

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Richard-Ross debuts as organisers improvised pole vault runway to boost fans' view

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eigning Olympic 400m r e c o r d - h o l d e r , American Sanya Richards-Ross, will up against a rich field when she debutes for the season this Saturday in the adidas Grand Prix - the first US leg of the 2013 IAAF Diamond League at Icahn Stadium.

Richard-Ross will be challenged by Shanghai winner Amantle Montsho of Botswana, who posted worldleading time of 49.88 seconds.

The 2008 Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain will equally throw her hat into the ring for a fierce contest.

Ohuruogu won the World title in 2007, Richards-Ross in 2009, and Montsho in 2011.

They will be joined by other Olympic finalists: Novlene Williams-Mills of Jamaica, Francena McCorory of the United States, and Shericka Williams of Jamaica.

And to highlight the pole vault as one the three outstanding events, organisers have opted to construct a temporary runway that would offer fans the best-possible views of the competition.

The permanent runway, which is at the south end of the infield and perpendicular to the stadium, organisers say is spectator friendly.

Accordingly to showcase what is perhaps the best women's Pole Vault field ever assembled, they have "borrowed from the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden" a runway that will be laid down in the infield along the homestretch, parallel to the main stadium.

That said, vault, 2012 Olympic champion and World indoor record-holder, Jenn Suhr will again have contend with Olympic silver medallist Yarisley Silva of Cuba.

The field also includes World champion Fabiana Murer, European champion

Blessing Jirina Svobodova of the Czech Republic, European indoor champion Holly Bleasdale and two-time European indoor silver medallist Silke Spiegelburg of Germany.

Besides, several top athletes are expected to burn the track as was the case in Shanghai and these include 2012 Olympic gold medallist and World record-holder, David Rudisha, who won last weekend in the 800m. Of course, he will up against Mohammed Aman and others.

In the men's 100m, 2007 triple World champion and American record-holder Tyson Gay, who leads the world this year with 9.86, will take on

Gay on his way to clocking 9.76seconds in New York Jamaica's Nesta Carter, USA's Ryan Bailey and 2008 Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson.

World and Olympic sprint finalist Marshevet Hooker will make her post-childbirth return in the women's 100m, where she'll face Olympic finalist Tianna MadisonBartoletta and World bronze medallist Kelly-Ann Baptiste.

Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare, second in Shanghai will dare as well.

In the longer sprint, twotime Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown takes on Olympic 4x100m champion Bianca Knight.

In the 400m, two-time

Sanya Richards-Ross

World champion Jeremy Wariner will line up against World bronze medallist Kevin Borlee and 2011 US champion Tony McQuay.

Abeba Aregawi, the current world leader will headline the women''s 1500m field, which also includes 2008 Olympic champion Nancy Langat, 2010 World indoor champion Kalkidan Gezahegn, 2009 World bronze medallist Shannon Rowbury and World and Olympic 1500m finalist Morgan Uceny.

Having started her Diamond League campaign with an astonishing 7.25m in Doha, the World and Olympic champion Brittney Reese will

Akinbobola urges athletes to combine sports, education

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ormer member of the board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and Special Adviser to Ondo Governor on Sports, Akin Akinbobola, has urged government at all levels to encourage athletes to combine sports with their educational pursuit for a multi-talented career.

Akinbobola said yesterday in Lagos that the prevailing economic situation in the country had made it difficult for athletes to pursue sports and education simultaneously. ``Before now, in Nigeria, students were able to combine their academics with sporting activities because as a matter

of fact sporting activity was part of the curriculum. ``If you are a sports man in school you will be given certain privileges as it is now virtually all schools almost all schools have killed their sporting inclination. It's more of academic even the academic activity is at the very lowest ebb. ``There is no abundant life in Nigeria anymore, to the extent that families' student and people find it difficult to survive. ``Survival in Nigeria is hard is not easy you have to be rugged you have to have the grace of God to survive in Nigeria.

``Having said that it's difficult for our students who have talents to want to sustain their academic pursue with their talent in football they see their talents as a shortcut to quick money.`` He said that the Ondo government would do all it could to ensure that talented athletes in the state were encouraged to combine both vocations for multi-talented career development. ``I'm realistically saying that it is a difficult one for us in Ondo State, our government is trying to balance it, but it's not that easy. ``So what we are doing now

is to balance it to find a way to inculcate into the student the philosophy and the thinking the idea. ``That they have to combine it because they will be better off, if they can combine the two but most times these boys and girls they are too much in a hurry they want to be millionaires overnight they can't wait. ``It's like a jet kind of thing in the new generation they can't wait, so it's quite difficult I must tell you I must confess to you but we are not giving up, what we have done now; we are not saying leave your academics we still want to balance it.''

face World silver medallist Olga Kucherenko and Olympic bronze medallist Janay DeLoach-Soukup.

And in the jumps, Olympic champion Christian Taylor takes on 2009 World champion Phillips Idowu in the Triple Jump, and two-time World champion Blanka Vlasic competes against Olympic silver medallist Brigetta Barrett in the High Jump.

In the women's Javelin, Olympic silver medallist Christina Obergfoll will be up against World champion Mariya Abakumova and World bronze medallist Sunette Viljoen.

Anticipation is equally in the 5000m where a trio of Ethiopians could threaten the US all-comers' record of 12:56.98 in the men's 5000m.

Olympic silver medallist Dejen Gebremeskel, World 10,000m Ibrahim Jeilan and World junior record-holder Hagos Gebrhiwet are all in the field, alongside Kenya's John Kipkoech - one of three men in the field with sub-12:50 PBs. After running a worldleading 48.02 last weekend in Ponce, Johnny Dutch will once again race against twotime World silver medallist Javier Culson. Olympic silver medallist Michael Tinsley, who was a late withdrawal from Ponce, hopes to make a return for New York.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 45

5

6

FIFA looks at the performances of Colombian forwards Jackson Martinez and Radamel Falcao in their first seasons in Europe and finds some striking statistical similarities.

2 3

pictorial 2] Ian Bell has been passed fit for England's second Test with New Zealand at Headingley, starting on Friday.

3] A dream meeting took place on the eve of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which runs from 21 June to 13 July in Turkey, as Barcelona star Lionel Messi met with Turkey U20 star Sad?k Ciftp?nar.

4] British number two James Ward has been given a wildcard to compete in the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club next month 5] Senegal and Nigeria are considered favoured to qualify this week for the upcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, but there are several teams with designs on claiming one of the two tickets to the finals.

6] Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis will open her 2013 season at Edinburgh's Meadowbank Sports Centre on 8 June.

4

1

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 43

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

DESTINY CONNECTION CHRISTIAN CENTRE

AMBASSADORS COLLEGE ILE-IFE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CENTRE HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PASTOR REGAL DESMOND STEVEN 2. MRS. RARE REGAL 3. ENG. EMMANUEL E. MGBADA 4. MRS. AMEDI EMMANUEL MGBADA 5. MRS OGECHUKWU CHUKWUMA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 2. TO REACH OUT TO THE LOST AND RECONNECT THEM TO THIR DIVINE DESTINY. 3. TO RESTORE THE AUTHORITY DESTINY AND DIGNITY OF HUMANITY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAME HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. MR. KAYODE OLANIYAN 2. TEMILADE ADEPOJU 3. MISS BUNMI ADELOYE 4. MR. OLULEKE OJEWALE 5. MRS OLUKUNBI OKEDIRAN 6. BARR. OMOTAYO ALADE-FAWOLE 7. MR. OLAMIDE TAIWO 8. MR. TOMI ORIOKE 9. MR. FELIX ONYEAGHALA 10. MR. KAYODE OKUNADE

PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY VICE SECRETARY FINANCIAL LEGAL SECRETARY SOCIAL SECRETARY CHIEF WHIP PRO I PRO II

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF MEMBERS

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS MISS OMOTUNDE MERCY FOLASHADE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS FAKUNLE MERCY FOLASHADE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS MISS MEVOWOVO OGHENEYOMA WENDY, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS CHIMA OGHENEYOMA WENDY. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME

SIGNED: BARRSITER JESSICA EFE-DANIELS OF VINEOLIVES CHAMBERS, GWARIMPA

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. OMOTAYO ALADE-FAWOLE 08033743856

I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS JUSTINA DAVID, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS JUSTINA IHIABE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

LOSS OF DECUMENT

LOGOS AFLAME MINISTRIES

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original land document bought from Thomas Yepuwi infavour of Future Jingles Investment Ltd. Plot 572 Do9 Kagini, also Land paper bought from Chief Bako Gbepuci of New Karu L.G.A Nasarawa. All effort made to trace the above proved abortive. If found please contact the nearest police station.

KING’S CITY CHURCH INTERNATIONAL THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PASTOR SUNNY OROK 2. REV. JONE OGORRY 3. PASTOR KUFRE JAMES 4. SISTER MABEL EDWARD 5. SISTER JESSICA EFE-DANIELS 6. SISTER PRECIOUS WERNER AHIAKWO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO BE A CHURCH THAT COMES THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND HAS POSITIVE INFLUENCE OF ADVISING THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN OUR COMMUNITY, CITY, NATION AND NATION OF THE WORLD. 2. TO ORGANIZE PRAYERMEETINGS AND CONDUCT PRAYER SESSION ON ANY MATTER AT ANY PLACE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARRISTER JESSICA EFE-DANIELS OF VINEOLIVES CHAMBERS GWARIMPA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAME HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 CHANGE OF TRUSTEES OLD TRUSTEES 1. GRACE OBY JOHNSON-AGOROM 2. FRANK G. N. ONUZI ONUZO 3. CHRISTOPHER U. AZIKE 4. JUSTINA O. OGUGUA 5. REMI AYIDA

REMOVED

NEW TRUSTEES ARE; 1. GRACE OBY JOHNSON 2. FRANK G. N. ONUZO 3. JUSTINA O. OGUGUA 4. CHRISTOPHER U. AZIKE 5. CLETUS C. ORGU 6. CHARLES AYO BINITIE

ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

WORLD-WIDE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY ORGANISATION

CENTRE FOR LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORT EDUCATION

CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT CULTURAL INTERCHANGE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANISATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAME HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CENTER HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. BRO. PHILIP MACHU 2. ILEGOGIE DANIEL 3. BRO MICHAEL LULUN 4. PASTOR JOSEPH INDA-JOHN 5. SISTER ANGELA UDOH

TRUSTEES 1. EMMANUEL OSHONEBOH SULE 2. KATE EMMANUEL SULE 3. JANE OSHODIN

CHANGE OF TRUSTEES OLD TRUSTEES 1. MR FRANCIS ABUMERE EHIGUESE 2. PROF. MICHAEL OLANREWAJU FILANI 3. MR. IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR JIBRIL NEW TRUSTEES ARE; 1. BARRISTER EMMUEL O. N. UCHE 2. BARRISTER (MRS) STELLA AMEDU 3. ISEKIALUONA GABRIEL, EHIMARE

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES; 1. TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2. TO PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 3. TO PROMOTE VIABLE PUBLIC POLICY. 4. TO PROMOTE BETTER HEALTH CARE 5. TO PROMOTE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: EMMANUEL SULE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) 08169426799

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

IVORY HERITAGE FOUNDATION

KINGDOM WORD INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

KINGDOM WORD INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAME HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAME HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990

TRUSTEES 1. LADY CHRISTABEL GEORGE DIDIA 2. SIR GEORGE ODINAKACHUKWU DIDIA 3. DESIRE OMASILECHI DIDIA 4. PASTOR AMAECHI HENRY OKUOSA 5. BARRISTER ANTHONY OKAFOR 6. REV. YOUNG NDUWUEZE DIDIA 7. CHRISTOPHER OBINNA

TRUSTEES 1. LADY CHRISTABEL GEORGE DIDIA 2. SIR GEORGE ODINAKACHUKWU DIDIA 3. DESIRE OMASILECHI DIDIA 4. PASTOR AMAECHI HENRY OKUOSA 5. BARRISTER ANTHONY OKAFOR 6. REV. YOUNG NDUWUEZE DIDIA 7. CHRISTOPHER OBINNA

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO TAKE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE UNREACH. 2. TO ENGAGE IN MASSIVE EVANGELISTIC WORK IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. 3. TO PRINT, PUBLISH AND DISTRIBUTE CHRISTIAN LITERATURE.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. EMEKA EMERUEM 2. EMMANUEL ONYEKWERE 3. KENNETH ODOGWU 4. IRENUS CHINMUANYA EMERUEM 5. VALENTINE UFOMBA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO HELP AND EMPOWER THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY THROUGH SKILL ACQUISITION AND PROMOTION. 2. TO INITIATE PROGRAMMES FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE NEEDY ND ORPHAN VIA SKILL ACQUISITION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRES. 3. TO PROMOTE SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NEEDY AND ORPHANS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

(FOUNDER) (SECRETARY) (ADVISER) (AUDITOR) (TREASURE)

(FOUNDER) (SECRETARY) (ADVISER) (AUDITOR) (TREASURE)

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES; 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE OUTERMOST PART OF THE WORLD THROUGH OPEN-AIR CURSADES AND PRAYER CONFERENCES. 2. TO WIN SOULS FOR JESUS CHRIST. 3. TO EMPOWER BELIEVERS IN THEIR WALK WITH THE LORD THROUGH BIBLE QUIZ QUESTIONS.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES; 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE OUTERMOST PART OF THE WORLD THROUGH OPEN-AIR CURSADES AND PRAYER CONFERENCES. 2. TO WIN SOULS FOR JESUS CHRIST. 3. TO EMPOWER BELIEVERS IN THEIR WALK WITH THE LORD THROUGH BIBLE QUIZ QUESTIONS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET. PMB 198, MATIAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 46

LOSS OF DECUMENT

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

This is to inform the general public of the loss of original land document of Plot 2, Karsana North District with File No. 106472, issued to one Amb (Dr) Yohanna Y. D Margif being issued to him by Yakudi and Sons Nigeria Limited.

All effort made to trace the above proved abortive. If found please contact the nearest police station.

NEW GENERATION SOLDIERS EVENGELICAL MINISTRY

GRACE NGO FOUNDATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PASTOR JOHN ANTHONY 2. PASTOR (MRS) MARY BOLA JOHN 3. PASTOR TOYIN ADEGBOYE 4. PASTOR SODUNKE BABATUNDE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 2. THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 3. TO ASSIST THE POOR, HELP THE SICK AND RELIEF THE NEEDY AS TAUGHT BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. MRS. GRACE NGOZI ENEMALI 2. ENGR. JOSEPH OCHEJA ENEMALI 3. PASTOR MAURICE CHUKWUJEKWU NWOKOYE

PRESIDENT SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO WORK AND LAISE WITH THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE HEAQLTH CULTURE AND WELL BEING AMONG PEOPLE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAIMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: VINCENT ODJE & CO TESTIMONY CHAMBERS 08031113411

SIGNED: MRS. GRACE NGOZI ENEMALI PRESIDENT

LOSS OF DECUMENT PUBLIC NOTICE

This is to inform the general public of the loss of the original copy of plot No 401 at Jikwoyi Extension 2 of about 1,500m2 belonging to ENGR. REUBEN OKEKE of Block 507 flat, zone 6 Wuse Abuja.

All efforts made to trace the said documents proved abortive. If found, please contact the nearest police station. General public take note.

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS MISS OKUDIYA MODINOTU SEBOLATAN, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS MRS ALONGE MODINOTU SEBOLATAN. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS AMINA ALIYU, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS AMINA DANIEL. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. N.P.F. A DIVISION DAMATURU AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS PATIENCE OKORO, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS PATIENCE NWANGWU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. N.P.F. LAGOS AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS OJIBADE OPEYEMI GIDEON, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS ABODERIN OPEYEMI GIDEON. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CHANGE OF NAME I, FORMALLY KNOWN AS ABUBAKAR SHALEWE AJOKE, NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESS AS ABUBAKAR HABIBAT YERO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

AFRICAN INDEPENDENT THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED BODY HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PETERS OMEIZA YUSUF 2. ESTHER YUSUF 3. SAMUEL AKIN ADEWOLU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ALL OVER THE WORLD. 2. TO ESTABLISH TRAINING CENTRES TO TRAIN AND EQUIP GOSPEL MINISTERS & CHRISTIANS FOR THE GOSPEL. 3. TO EDUCATE & TEACH BELIVERS & CARRY OUT RESEARCH ON CHRISTIAN MATTERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: VICTORIA UDOWA VICTORY CHAMBERS 08033553106

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

GRACE RESTORATION CENTRE MINISTRY INT'L

LIBERATION FOR LEFT-HANDERS SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL

THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

SIGNED: GENERAL SECRETARY

THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED SOCIETY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. SAMUEL PETER - CHAIRMAN JOHN BOLARINWA TOSI - SECRETARY AWUSINU TOYIN JEREMIAH - TREASURER UBA NGOZI EDELPHIWA - MEMBER ADEBOWALE MUYIBI - MEMBER ODUFUWA OLUSEYI OLUKOYA - MEMBER THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO CREATE AWARENESS AMONG PARENTS, TEACHERS, PUBLIC AND SOCIETY AT LARGE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH PROJECTS ABOUT HANDEDNESS, CEREBRAL DOMINANCE, LATERALITY AND RELATED TOPICS. TO STUDY THE PROBLEMS OF LEFT-HANDERS WORKING IN RIGHT-HANDERS’ WORLD, TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF POSSIBLE DANGERS AND TO FIND FEASIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR THEM. TO CREATE A VERY INTERACTIVE WEBSITE/DATABASE ABOUT LEFT-HANDERS AND HANDEDNESS. TO ORGANIZE COACHING CLASSES, SEMINARS COMPETITIONS OF VARIOUS GAMES AND ARTS FOR LEFT-HANDERS TO ARRANGE CLINICS FOR COUNSELING. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA, WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: UBA ESQ

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

HEAVENLY RUSHING POWER OF GOD MINISTRY

GOSPEL POWER CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. REV.DR OLALEKAN ISHOLA OLUWAKAYODE BABALOLA (GENERAL OVERSEER) 2. REV MRS ABIGAIL OYENIKE BABALOLA (RESIDENT PASTOR) 3.MR ADETUNJI FOLORUNSHO SAMUEL (GEN SEC).

4.MISS AGAPE OLUWATOBILOBA BABALOLA 5. MRS ADEKUNBI ADEYINKA OMITOOGUN (TREASURER).

6. PHILOMENA ASHINZE 7. MR OBAFEMI PHILIP FIJABI. THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO WIN SOUL AND PROPAGATION OF GOSPEL PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.2.

TO ARRANGE CLINICS FOR COUNSELING. ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA, WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THIS IS TO NOTIFY THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED BODY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PASTOR ERIC EKEMU OLOMA - PRESIDENT 2. PASTOR BIMBO DAVIES- GENERAL -SECRETARY 3. SIS. MIRACLE OLOMA- MEMBER THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ALL OVER THE WORLD 2. TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN MISSIONS IN NIGERIA AND ABROAD 3. TO SEEK AND SAVE LOST SOULS AND ESTABLISH THEM IN THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST 4. TO PRODUCE AND EQUIP MISSIONARY FOR HUMANITARIAN WORKS 5. TO ENHANCE HEALTH CARE SERVICES BY ESTABLISHMENT OF HOSPITALS AND CLINICS 6. TO ESTABLISH MISSION SCHOOLS FROM PRIMARY TO TERTIARY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DAY OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: PRESIDENT

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PASTOR IJIWADE FELIX OLUWAGBENGA 2. LADY EVANG. IJIWADE ELIZABETH OLUSHADE 3. MR. DARAMOLA PATRICK OWOLABI 4. MR ADEFISOYE HENRY AGBOOLA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO WIN SOULS TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. 2. TO ORGANISE CRUSADE AND EVANGELISM OUTREACH. 3. TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD FOR HEALING, DELIVERANCE AND SALVATION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420,TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA P.M.B 198, GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. AMOS OJOBOR SUPREMUS LEGAL CONSULT SUITE 7, HILLTOP PLAZA ZONE 4, ABUJA

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

PAGE 47

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

ABUNDANT LIFE MARANATHA FAITH GOSPEL MISSIONS

COMPLETE CHRISTIANITY AND HOLYGHOST POWER MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.

APOSTLE (DR) JOHN UGBESIA SABESTINE OKOYOMON.CHAIRMAN. 2.REV PASTOR MRS LAWRENTA GOLD OKOYOMON.VICE CHAIRMAN. 3.PASTOR KINGSLEY OMOYEKE. SECRETARY THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS ROUND THE WORLD BY ALL MEANS

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.HARTLEY EDORODION 2. TINA AGBIREMOLEN

PASTOR

DROPS OF HOPE FOUNDATION NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.CHRYSOGONUS NWAELE 2. NWACHUKWU JACINTA CHIDINMA

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO TAKE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE UNREACHED 2. TO ENGAGE IN MASSIVE EVANGELISTIC WORK IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1.TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: BARR SOLOMON AKHIGBE.08037257296

SIGNED: HARTLEY EDORODION

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

HANDS OF MERCY INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY

UDOKANMA PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION NIGERIA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED MINISTRY HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.REV JULIE UDOMA EQUERE ,CHAIRMAN 2. PASTOR DOCAS ETETAK BROWN 3. DEBRA EQUERE UDOMA,SECRETARY 4. PASTOR INNOCENT OKON 5. VICTOR IGHODARO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ROUND THE WORLD.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.IKERI CALISTUS 2. IHEJIRIKA VERNATIUS 3. DONATUS DIKE CHIGOZIE 4. OPARAJI JOSIAH CHIBUIKE 5. OFORJI CHIGOZIE JONATHAN THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PROMOTE UNITY, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG MEMBERS.

AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. JUDE OKAFOR 08033564408

DROPS OF HOPE FOUNDATION NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.CHRYSOGONUS NWAELE 2. NWACHUKWU JACINTA CHIDINMA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1.TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA,

SIGNED: BARR SOLOMON AKHIGBE .BENIN CITY .08037257296.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. VINCENT O. ENEMOSAH 08100351451

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

TWIN BROTHERS CLUB OF NIGERIA

COAL CITY TRADERS ASSOCIATION

ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. JUDE OKAFOR 08033564408

JOY AID CHARITY FOUNDATION

SIGNED: SECRETARY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.OKORIE AFAMEFUNA ALEX 2. EKENTA EMEKA CORNELIUS 3. OGBU INNOCENT 4. ONODUGO EPHRAIM 5. NWORIE CHUKWUDI ALEXANDER 6. UGWU ONYEMA NWACHUKWU 7. ARUM JOSEPH UWAKWE 8. NWACHUKWU MADUABUCHI THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1.TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS. 2. TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT, PROGRESS, WELL BEING AND UNITY OF THE PEOPLE. 3. TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT AT THE GRASS ROOT. 4. TO PROMOTE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL LEAD TO ERADICATION OF POVERTY. 5. TO PROMOTE AND INVOLVE IN DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS. 6. TO PROMOTE MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, COOPERATION PEACE AND UNITY IN OUR UNION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: UCHE NWAGU (08037193888)

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

JEHOVAH POWER MIRACLE TABERNACLE

UDOKANMA PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION NIGERIA

CENTRE FOR PROMOTION OF LOVE AND PEACE IN AFRICA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CHURCH HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ASSOCIATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PRINCESS HELEN NKECHI ISAMADE 2. MAXWELL CHIBUEZE EZENWA 3. ADAMMA CHIGOZIE ISAMADE 4. CHIJIOKE CHUKWUMA ISAMADE 5. NNADOZIE NDUJEKWU IKE THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1.TO PROMOTE LOVE AND PEACE AMONGST PEOPLE IN THE SOCIETY. 2. TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS. 3. TO UNDERTAKE PROJECT AIMED AT HUMAN CAPACITY BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: IFEOMA OKEKE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED CLUB HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. LINUS ILOANYA 2. URAMA OLIVER CHIDI 3. ONU SAMUEL 4. ODUM CHUKWUKA THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PROMOTE PEACE, LOVE & UNDERSTANDING AMONG MEMBERS. 2. TO CATER FOR WELFARE OF MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. PASTOR MIKE OLUBUNMI AGBOOLA 2) PASTOR MRS TITILAYO AGBOOLA 3) MR OLUMUYIWA AJAKAIYE 4) OLUGBEMIGA RAPHAEL BAMIDELE 5) OJEKEMI OLUGBADEBO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PREACH, TEACH AND SPREAD THE GOSPEL MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD BY ALL LEGITIMATE MEANS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1.IKERI CALISTUS 2. IHEJIRIKA VERNATIUS 3. DONATUS DIKE CHIGOZIE 4. OPARAJI JOSIAH CHIBUIKE 5. OFORJI CHIGOZIE JONATHAN THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1. TO PROMOTE UNITY, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG MEMBERS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: BARR. VINCENT O. ENEMOSAH 08100351451

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED FOUNDATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘C’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT NO. 1 OF 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE; 1. JOY JONAS 2. VICTOR CHIDI OKERE 3. SOS AAZU THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE; 1.TO HELP LESS PRIVILEGED IN THE SOCIETY. 2. TO GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE A BETTER MORAL CHARACTER BY TAKING STEPS TOWARDS ABATING SOCIAL DISORDERS SUCH AS PROSTITUTION, DRUG USE AND VIOLENCE ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

Some Interesting Facts You breathe about 10 million times a year.

The colder the room you sleep in, the better the chances are that you'll have a bad dream.

The first non-human to win an Oscar was Mickey Mouse.

Lee Harvey Oswald was booked with mugshot number 54018.

The Gulf Stream could carry a message in a bottle at an average of 4 miles per hour.

The bullseye on a dartboard must be 5 feet 8 inches off the ground.

The foot is the most common body part bitten by insects.

The doorbell was invented in 1831.

The are 255 squares on a Scrabble board.

The electric shaver was patented on November 6, 1928.

There are 500 sheets of paper in a ream.

The monkey wrench was invented by Charles Moncke.

legs.

PAGE 47

Japan is the largest exporter of frog's

There are seven points on the Statue of Liberty's crown.

There are approx. 550 hairs in the eyebrow.

The most common non-contagious disease in the world is tooth decay.

The shell constitutes 12 percent of an egg's weight.

A squid has 10 tentacles.

A snail's reproductive organs are in its head.

A cow's only sweat glands are in its nose.

The world AND appears 46 277 times in the Bible.

Napoleon was terrified of cats.

The ballpoint pen was invented in 1938 by Laszlo and Georg Biro.

The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger.

The human body weighs forty times more than the brain.

A person

swallows approx. 295 while eating dinner.

The oldest known vegetable is the pea.

The letter N ends all Japanese words not ending in a vowel.

France has the highest per capita consumption of cheese.

The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone.

4000 people are injured by teapots each year.

The shortest English word that contains the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F is feedback The most sensitive finger on the human hand is the index finger.

The giraffe has the highest blood pressure of

any animal.

The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue.

The most fatal car accidents occur on Saturday.

It takes the typical person seven minutes to fall asleep.

The Eiffel Tower has 1792 steps.

Dry fish food can make goldfish constipated.

The stall closest to the door in a bathroom is the cleanest, because it is the least used.

Toilet paper was invented in 1857.

There are more people alive today than have ever died.

The first X-rated animated cartoon was Fritz the Cat There are 5 varieties of twins.

Say what?

SUDOKU

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Music Collector: Ahmet is a record seller who loves music very much. He has a small and charming shop and he makes collection of long-play records. He spends his life on music and its changes, and he is very happy with the old melodies.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

www.peoplesdailyng.com

. . . putting the people first

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2013

SPORTS LA TEST LATEST

FIFA celebrates 109th birthday

F

ederation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) celebrates its 109th anniversary yesterday.

FIFA was founded in Paris on 21 May 1904, with a view to organising the world's most popular sport.

The foundation act was signed by representatives from France, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland that day.

Two days later, the new organisation held the first FIFA Congress, electing Robert Guerin as its inaugural President in the presence of representatives from a number of countries.

In 2007, the new Home of FIFA was officially opened, after the organisation had been based in Paris, France and later in Sonnenberg, Switzerland.

Last year, the FIFA Executive Committee welcomed FIFA's 209th member association, South Sudan, and all member associations will be present at the 63rd FIFA Congress in Mauritius later this month.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, who is celebrating the 15th year of his presidency this year, hopes to continue the reform of the organisation at the FIFA Congress, with a number of proposed amendments to the FIFA Statutes to promote ethics and to continue the fight against discrimination.

The Congress will also see the first-ever formal election of a female member of the FIFA Executive Committee.

On the pitch, FIFA remains dedicated to all levels of the game and will again organise various tournaments around the world this year.

The game includes the FIFA Confederations Cup, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup. Also, the countdown to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ enters its final year.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter ADVERT: BUSINESS: NEWS: LAGOS:

0803 0805 0814 0805 0803

QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE There is an incumbent who has not done a second term. So Northerners have no place (in Aso Rock Villa). It's not yet the turn of a Northerner — Chief Edwin Clark pushing for a second term for President Goodluck Jonathan, a fellow Ijaw tribesman

The North and its many spokesmen A

nyone who wants to understand the undertone of confusion in the Northern Nigerian political landscape needs only to pay cursory attention to the array of cacophonous spokespersons, each claiming that they are speaking for the region. What has gone wrong with them, but more importantly, who sent them?

A quick glance at two recent incidents will underscore the point I am making. One, how did it happen that the North represented by their elders, religious groups, the intelligentsia and youth associations got dragged into a shouting match with a South-South thug, Alhaji Asari Dokubo?

How did otherwise titanic men such as Professor Ango Abdullahi, former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, find themselves in the gutter engaging in a fight with an Alhaji Dokubo? I thought Ango's group, and he particular, a leader of the Yar'Adua group, scholar and gentleman, were above this kind of fray. But what is even more appalling is that Jama'atul Nasril Islam (JNI), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at some level and the mushrooming youth groups, Arewa this and that, lowered themselves by getting involved in a street fight with Dokubo and their spiritual leader, Edwin Clark. In their own statement indirectly responding to these South-South outposts, even the Northern States Governors Forum could not apparently resist the temptation to join issues with these hatchet men.

What has gone so wrong with the North's leaders, often composed and well-reasoned in their response to similar provocations when it came to national issues that they now chose to make themselves a laughing stock? They used to say that if a mad man removes your clothes while bathing in a stream, you don't jump out to go after him without anything on your body.

People will think you are the one who is mad.

I think this is what the late sage, Chief Sunday Bolarinwa Awoniyi foresaw in 2006 in the heat of Southern antagonization of the North. The height of this provocation came in the face of the stiff Northern opposition to the tenure elongation plot by former President Obasanjo. In Enugu sometime that year, the Southern

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MUSINGS By

Garba Shehu garshehu@yahoo.co.in

Prof. Ango Abdullahi Leaders Forum (or a name like that) which Secretary is a Dejo Raimi convened a meeting at which poisonous anti-Northern venom was concocted. Chief Bode George, then a powerful figure in the Obasanjo administration, was a star speaker at the event. He minced no words in saying that the North should get out of the way of Obasanjo's third term. At that meeting were leaders like Chief Alex Ekwueme, Bishop Gbonigi and Chief Olu Falae. In the resolutions that ensued, the North was asked to get ready to be

stripped naked in the market square. They said this disgrace would come with the population census figures just about being released. You, Northerners, who all the time in the past had rigged population census figures have been caged. you will no longer use false census figures as a ploy to steal federal allocations.

In reaction to these, Awoniyi as the Chairman of the Board of Governors and a leader much respected across the region sent words down the line that all Northern leaders keep quiet on this matter and they did. When the census results were published, the figures spoke for the north louder than anyone could have done for it.

Are the Northern leaders running out of ideas? Have they lost the capacity to think afresh?

Has the North lost sight of the big picture? Have they no clue about how to turn things around for the region and the country?

I just picked the information that General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Awoniyi's successor in that position, has handed down a similar instruction. Gowon should be heeded. The North is far too important for the unity and continued well-being of Nigeria to

“

What has gone so wrong with the North's leaders, often composed and well-reasoned in their response to similar provocations when it came to national issues that they now chose to make themselves a laughing stock? They used to say that if a mad man removes your clothes while bathing in a stream, you don't jump out to go after him without anything on your body. People will think you are the one who is mad

allow themselves to be dragged into altercations with base-level groups. I have learnt an important lesson from a colleague in the office who warns all the time that old men should be feared because they are dangerous. Whenever he reads the eighty-something-old Clark threatening to bring down the roof on the heads of everyone, he never fails to say that "old men are dangerous because they don't care what happens to themselves."

As for Asari Dokubo, my sense is that senior Northerners, the Governors Forum and the religious groups, should not just tango with him. Hausa people say nobody wants a mad man in the family but there are times when you wish you had your own. This is clearly one of such times. When I see what Dino Melaye and Farouk Adamu Aliyu say and do in reaction to the South-South thugs, I puzzle over the needless responses of leaders and elders of the North.

Is there a football mafia?

O

ne of Nigeria's most successful mid-field football players, Sani Kaita, committed a big blunder in one of the group stages of the World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa, precisely against Greece, three years ago. He conducted himself in a manner that did not befit a player by kicking an opponent. He was expelled after being shown a red card. It was very painful to Nigerians who rightly blamed him for the loss of that match.

Since he committed that error, his name has been struck off the national team, and this is in spite of a glorious performance he continues to put up in Europe and Asia. Out there, there is a legend around him that Sani Kaita is so formidable a player that it requires three players to cage him on the pitch, a clear indication of how well he plays and how much a danger he is to opposition teams.

There are followers of Nigerian soccer who say that Sani is barred from the national team, not because he is not an asset but because he is a threat to the slot of a dominant celebrity who equally is a mid-fielder (I won't mention names).

If this is the sentiment that happens to rule our team selection, then Nigeria might as well forget about a return to her more glorious soccer years.

I recall that in a World Cup quarter-final match against Romania, England's David Beckham scored an own-goal and that sent his team out of the competition.

England forgave Beckham.

The following World Cup, not only did he return as a player but came as team captain. Why do we treat ours so differently?

Is there a mafia in our soccer?

Published by Peoples Media Limited, 35, Ajose Adeogun Street, 1st Floor Peace Park Plaza, Utako, Abuja. Kano office: Plot 3, Zaria Road, Opposite Kano State House of Assembly. Lagos Office: No.8 Oliyide Street, off Unity Road, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234 814 292 9046. Cell: +234 802 443 2099; 803 7007 759. e-mail: contact@peoplesdaily-online.com; pmlnewsdesk@gmail.com ISSN: 2141– 6141