Peoples Daily Newspaper, Wednesday, August 22, 2012

www.peoplesdaily-online.com

Vol. 9 No. 8

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

. . . putting the people first

Shawwal 4, 1433 AH

N150

Jonathan in dilemma over Service Chiefs

By Julius Ogar

D

elicate geo-political balancing is believed to be the main reason why President Goodluck Jonathan has not named replacements for the nation's Defence and Service Chiefs which have become necessary because the incumbent holder of the office of Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petirin, is due for retirement soon.

Peoples Daily learnt authoritatively last night that the current Chief of Army Staff

(COAS), Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika, is President Jonathan's favourite to replace Petirin as CDS but he has not been named because getting his own replacement as COAS is proving a hard nut to crack for the President.

This is because the position is very sensitive, a source said, as the Army is the largest of the three armed services - bigger than the other two (Navy and Air Force) combined.

For the position of COAS, we gathered there are three prospective candidates. These are

Major General Kenneth K. J. Minimah, presently General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division of the Nigeria Army; Maj. Gen. Babagana Mongunu, Chief of Logistics, Defence Headquarters; and Maj. Gen. Sarki-Yaki Bello, National Coordinator of Counter-terrorism in the Office of National Security Adviser (NSA).

However, picking the right man from this shortlist is the horn of dilemma President Jonathan sits on right now.

Peoples Daily has learnt that Gen. Minimah's candidacy for

COAS was aggressively pushed by the former NSA, Gen. Andrew Owoeye Azazi, because he wanted a fellow south-south officer in charge of an Army he feared the President had no control over.

However, what may count against him is that he is a member of Regular Cadet Course 25 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), commissioned on December 18, 1981, along with six others.

An infantry officer, Minimah was promoted to Maj. Gen on January 3, 2010, and so were the Contd on Page 2

Strike: FG, NUPENG meet today

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

T

he Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said it is ready to dialogue with the federal government on the issues surrounding the subsidy pay out for which it has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike tomorrow.

President of the union, Comrade Achese Igwe, said yesterday in Lagos that their door is open for dialogue and promised that the union will attend a meeting with government officials today in Abuja.

Stakeholders and other workers unions have condemned the strike action and have dissociated themselves from it with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) describing it as blackmail against the government and the nation and urging government not to yield.

However, expressing the willingness of his union to Contd on Page 2

PD INDEX

21st Aug, 2012

CBN RATES $ £ • CFA RIYAL

BUYING 154.8 242.9586 191.0387 0.2704 41.2778

S ELLING 155.8 244.5281 192.2728 0.2904 41.5445

PARALLEL RATES

Governor Kashim Shettima (middle) defies heavy downpour to inspect construction works in Gajiganna in Nganze Local Government Area of Borno, during the Sallah break on Monday.

Sokoto to explore crude oil deposit >> PAGE 2

STF, police deny 95% of fed allocations rumour of Riyom- spent on wages Abuja road crises in Nasarawa >> PAGE 3

>> PAGE 5

• £ RIYAL $

BUYING 201 256 40 162

S ELLING 203 258 42 163

Robber shot dead in crossfire >> PAGE 7

PAGE 2

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

CONTENTS News

2-11

Editorial

12

Op.Ed

13

Letters

14

Opinion

15

Metro

16-18

Business

19-20

Motoring

24

Property

25-28

Arts

29-30

Plateau Muslims divided over Sallah visit to Jang T

he Muslim Ummah in Plateau State were Tuesday divided over whether to pay Sallah visitthe Governor of Plateau State Mr. Jonah David Jang, following the refusal of prominent Islamic scholars and other top Muslim community leaders in the state to honour the invitation extended to them by the Special Adviser to the governor of Islamic Affairs the Alhaji Nasiru Ibrahim Goshi.

The visit which took place at Government House yesterday, at the instance of the state governor and hosted by his deputy Amb. Ignitiuos Longjan, had in attendance the Emir of Wase who is also the Chairman of the Jama'atu Nasril Iskam. He was however not accompanied by his

state secretary Alhaji Alhassan Shuaibu as well as other top officials of the JNI. A reliable source among the Muslims clerics in Jos, said the JNI, chairman single handedly requested for the visit without consulting other JNI members and the chief Imam of Jos, who also boycotted the event.

The source further stated that, the emir's action angered the members including the National chairman of JIBWIS, sheikh Sani Yahay Jingir. The source also stressed that they rejected the invitation based on the fact that there has been an existing difference which was not resolved and causing the death as well as destruction of many properties.

Speaking at the occasion, leader

of the delegation, the Emir of Wase , called on the Government to extent its developmental projects to the areas dominated by the Muslims in Jos North and Jos South Local Governments areas, which he said were deliberately neglected by the present administration.

The emir commended the effort of the state government for its prompt assistance to the victims of the flood disaster and the awarding of the repairs of the Wase-Langtan rural electrification which was bad affected by the flood disaster in the southern part of the state.

In his remarks the deputy Governor, of the sate Amb.Ignatious called on Muslims and Christians in the State to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness fro to return to the trouble state.

He assured the Muslims community in the state for Government fairness and justice in its dealings with various within the state, further congratulated the Muslims for a successful Eid prayer devoid of crises added that, "Plateau belong to all of us."

Gov. Jonah Jang

Sokoto to explore crude oil deposits – Wamakko

G

overnor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state, said the state government had concluded plans to explore its abundant crude oil deposits.

Wamakko stated this on Monday in Sokoto while receiving the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, who paid him Sallah homage.

“We will soon write the Federal Government on the issue with a view to complying with the

Opposition can’t provide alternative to PDP govt, says Alkali, Page 37

International 32-34 Digest

36

Politics

37-40

Sports

41-47

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

necessary guidelines.

“The oil deposits, when fully explored and exploited, will certainly boost the socio economic status of the people of the state as well as the nation’s economy.''

The governor promised that the state government would soon commence implementation of a new salary structure for traditional rulers in the 23 local government areas of the state.

“A committee set up to look into the remunerations of traditional rulers in the state had completed its assignment.

“We will soon come up with a white paper on the new salary for the traditional rulers and send a bill to the House of Assembly to legalise the package”, Wamakko said.

He commended the traditional rulers for their unalloyed support and

cooperation to the state government, adding that arrangements had been concluded to introduce a special irrigation programme to boost food production.

Responding, the Sultan said the visit was to felicitate with the governor on the successful completion of the Ramadan fast.

He commended Wamakko for giving special attention to the traditional rulers. (NAN)

Jonathan in dilemma over service chiefs Contd from Page 1 others.

The one big problem for the Presidency, according to our sources, is that if Minimah is named as COAS, it will mean all his superiors, 27 in number, will have to be retired as tradition demands.

However, this mass retirement of Army Generals, over a dozen of them from the North, is something a President who suspects he does not enjoy the full confidence of the top Army hierarchy, cannot afford at this

time.

As for Maj-Gen. Mongunu, the present Chief of Logistics at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, from the North-east geopolitical zone, his strength is that he is regarded as a thorough professional and a professional as COAS is what the Army needs, said our sources.

However, what may count against him is that his no nonsense disposition has made him quite unpopular in the entire defence top hierarchy.

On his own part, Gen. SarkiYaki Bello, the counter-terrorism

coordinator in the office of the NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, fits perfectly in President Jonathan's plan to keep the North-west zone, from which this prospective comes, the relatively peaceful part of the volatile North that it has been so far.

Again, even here there is a problem for the President.

Already, two key security portfolios have gone to this zone the positions of NSA, occupied by Col Dasuki and Inspector-General of Police held by Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar.

Expectedly, there have been grumblings from the President's South-south that badly wants the position of COAS to strengthen his hand.

This zone fears that Jonathan, without realizing it, has handed over the nation's entire security apparatus to just one zone, the North-west.

Balancing this difficult equation with so many variables, some infinitesimal yet equally politically important, will occupy Jonathan's mind in the coming days, even weeks, our sources said.

Strike: FG, NUPENG meet today Contd from Page 1 dialogue with government, the President of NUPENG said the interest of Nigerians would be considered first in the decision to be taken at the meeting. He said the meeting will determine what the next move of the union will be.

"We will attend the meeting and the interest of the masses would be considered first in our decisions. The interest of the masses has always been our concern whenever we want to take any action. If the government fails to address the payment of subsidy, the union will embark on nationwide strike

on Thursday because the jobs of our workers are on the line.

"It is against this back-drop that we call on the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to pay all outstanding subsidy payments to the NNPC and private depot owners, who are being asked by the same government to import fuel", he said.

He added that failure of the minister to meet the NNPC and marketers' payment obligation was a ploy to create hardship on Nigerians.

"We also stated emphatically that if the government is sincere in its subsidy payment without

having any selfish interest, why are they not fully implementing the findings of the ad hoccommittee on subsidy set up by the House", he queried.

The union had warned it will go on a nationwide strike on Thursday over what it called the Federal Government's refusal to honour an agreement.

The union claims the Federal Government is reneging on agreements reached with the union as regards the payment of fuel subsidy claims.

Declaring the union's plan for the industrial action, Igwe at a forum in Lagos on Monday, berated the Finance Minister's

claim that the union and oil marketers were holding the Federal Government at ransom with the planned strike.

He debunked statements by the Finance Minister that government has paid some marketers and challenged it to publish names of those it has paid so far.

The Ministry of Finance last week published the names of 21 oil marketers that have been indicted in the management of the nation's fuel subsidy regime, while it claimed that those that were legitimate were paid the collective sum of N49 billion in the last four months.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Jonathan mourns Ethiopian PM

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed shock and sadness over the passing away of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.

A statement signed by Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, describes Prime Minister Zenawi’s death as a major loss for Africa. “He was a great African statesman, who is also a friend of Nigeria, a nation-builder and a great servant of the Ethiopian people.”

Jonathan further noted that Zenawi will be remembered for his vision and integrity, adding that “he held strong convictions about establishing a just and prosperous society for his people, a cause to which he devoted his considerable energies, and which deservedly earned him respect and honour among a grateful Ethiopian nation”.

PAGE 3

STF, police deny rumour of Riyom-Abuja road crises From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

T

here was palpable tension yesterday in Plateau state following the rumuor that the Riyom-Abuja road had been blocked and that hoodlums had a field day killing and maiming

motorists and destroying property.

The rumuor had it that the hoodlums blocked the highway, thereby preventing movement in and out of the state.

Reacting to the story, the Special Task Force (STF) and the

state police command denied the rumour as unfounded. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abu Emmanuel, advised members of the public to desist from the negative use of phones as it is counter-productive and detrimental to the well being and

corporate existence of the country.

Also, Captain Salisu Mustapha, Media and Information Officer of the STF in a press statement, said the highway is safe and accessible for commuters and advised the general public to disregard the rumours going round.

ACN wants NASS to enforce Salami’s return From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

O

ne year after the suspension of the erstwhile President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), has called on the National Assembly to rise above partisan politics and intervene on the side of constitutionality and rule of law by compelling President Goodluck Jonathan to uphold the recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and reinstate Justice Salami.

In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said by continuing to disregard the recommendation of the NJC to reinstate Salami, President Jonathan is sending a bad signal to the entire world that the rule of law has been supplanted by the rule of the jungle.

Police redeploys 18 CPs to states and formations

By Lambert Tyem

T

he Inspector-General of Police (IGP), MD Abubakar, yesterday, ordered the redeployment of 18 commissioners of Police to various commands and formations of the Force, across the federation.

According to force spokesman, Frank Mba, 'the postings take immediate effect.

The IGP advised the newly deployed CPs to act as agents of positive change and guard against acts inimical to the fundamental rights of the citizenry.

He enjoined citizens of the affected states to give the new command helmsmen maximum support so as to guarantee their success in their assigned roles.

Explosives laden car intercepted by JTF in Borno, on Monday.

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

T

he Joint Military Task Force, (JTF) in Borno state, said yesterday that it has averted the ‘deadliest’ suicide attack in Maiduguri, the capital city, when its operatives intercepted a Toyota Camry car, with high-calibre improvised explosive devices, (IEDs) which were suspected to be meant for a suicide attack.

Security forces had reportedly been on the trail of the vehicle since on Sallah day before it was finally intercepted yesterday.

This came less than a week after the JTF issued a statement warning residents that it had uncovered plot by terrorists to

JTF averts ‘deadliest’ suicide attack, intercepts bomb laden car in Borno

launch deadly attacks on military formations and civilian areas, in Maiduguri, during the Ed-el-Fitr festivity.

The warning had also led to the cancellation of the annual Sallah durbar usually conducted by the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi.

Spokesman of the JTF, Lt-Col. Sagir Musa, in a statement issued to newsmen, said the car, with registration number Borno AA 867 MAF, was intercepted at about 6pm in Tudun Quarters, Madgumeri Ward of Maiduguri

metropolis.

The statement reads in part: “This is the deadliest bomb laden vehicle ever captured by JTF in Maiduguri and had it been that the planned suicide mission was accomplished, the fatalities would have been very high”.

“The vehicle was heading to an unknown destination when it was intercepted as the sponsors of the car, which was to be used for suicide attack, led by a high profile terrorists’ commander are under surveillance and would soon be

arrested”.

It added that a combined team of JTF personnel succeeded in seizing the vehicle based on the information obtained from an arrested member of the Boko Haram sect and moles in one of the camps of the group.

Items recoveredin the car included assorted gas cylinders, DAF gas oil cylinders, constructed IED,18 x 9 volts batteries with two switches. Others were 4 x 25 litres of jerry cans with incendiary materials, which were arranged for bombing.

Police recover arms, uncover 2 bomb factories in Kogi From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

T

he commissioner of police Kogi state, Alhaji Mohammed Katsina, said yesterday, that the command arrested gunmen in a luxury bus at the Murtala Muhammed Bridge, Jamata, Lokoja on their way from one of the northern states.

He added that two bomb factories was discovered in Abu Limit Estate in Okene and Eyika Adagu in Okene and Okehi local government areas respectively

while rifles belonging to two slain soldiers were recovered.

Katsina said information from the arrested leader of the 21- man gang who masterminded the attack on Deeper Life Bible and killing of the soldiers led to the discovery of the factories.

He said after the attack on the soldiers, the police got the information that they were at their training camp at Eter Hill planning another attack, adding that on sighting the police, they opened fire on them but some of

the gunmen were injured in the operation while other escaped to a farm settlement in Ondo state.

According to him, the suspected gang leader was arrested at farm settlement in Ulowo in Owo in Ondo state after the exchange of fire where he sustained serious injury, saying “he was discovered hiding behind banana leaves by the police while combing the bush".

He said the gang planned to launch massive attack on Sunday which concided with Eid- el- Fitr.

"They planned the two attacks

at their hideout in Eyika. Three persons each were detailed to attack the church and the soldiers respectively. The pastor was the target of the attack but because of confusion as they entered the church, they were shooting sporadically to make sure they hit their target," he said.

Items recovered included seven AK 47 rifles,1000 live ammunition, 29 loaded magazines, six locally made guns, gas cylinder, two rocket launchers and other bomb making accessories.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

THE PAGE 4 REPORT

2015: Who is not running for President in PDP? Double speak would seem to be the stuff most politicians are made of, confirming the assertion that a politician’s ‘no’ is his ‘yes’ and vice versa.

In February, 2011 at an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Goodluck Jonathan declared that he would not seek another term in 2015 should he be elected as President in the April elections.

“I would have loved that the Diaspora will vote this year. But to be frank with you, that is going to be difficult for now. For the Diaspora to vote you have to be resident first.

“It was not planned and presently the law does not allow for voting outside Nigeria. This year, Nigerians in the Diaspora will not vote inside Nigeria but I will work towards in 2015, even though I will not be running for office,” he had said.

Now, a little over one year after his 2011 electoral triumph, the song emanating from the corridors of power has a different tune presupposing that the President may have changed his mind or had it changed for him about contesting for a second term in 2015.

With the President’s 2015 aspiration about as good as settled, the question then is who will be the other PDP’s aspirants for the presidential ticket?

By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi

L

ast week, Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, who is rarely out of the news for both the right and (often) the wrong reasons, said it was idiotic for anyone to begin to discuss 2015 now.

Speaking to THISDAYstyle Suswam said: “I consider it total nonsense that just a year after elections, the talk of 2015 has arisen! It means they are not serious about working. Any serious-minded person should know that there is time for election and time for governance.

“This is a time for good governance without which we will remain stagnant. It’s idiotic for anyone to begin to discuss 2015 now.”

But earlier official and unofficial statements from presidential aides and or confidants give the lie to Governor Suswam’s assertion about the inappropriateness of discussing the 2012 presidential election now.

The Benue state governor’s assertion came in the same week that former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was reported in the media as backing the alleged Presidential and Vice Presidential aspirations of Jigawa state Governor Sule Lamido and his Rivers state counterpart Rotimi Amaechi for the respective positions.

Long before then, the President had declared that he was serving his first term, a clear volte face from his February, 2011 Addis Ababa promise not to seek reelection after his first term. The President’s declaration prompted Mr. Cyriacus Njoku, a PDP member, to institute a legal action against the President Jonathan at

an Abuja High Court on March 20, 2011 to try to stop him from seeking re-election in 2015.

Judgement in the case has been fixed for October 18.

And on May 25, 2012, President Jonathan’s kinsman and Ijaw kingdom strongman, Chief Edwin Clark declared that the president would contest the 2015 presidential election.

Invoking Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution, Chief Clark stated that: “He has the constitutional right to seek for a second term in office. I am not aware whether he made any commitment to contest for only one term to Nigerians, which is irrelevant at the moment. Personal promises cannot override the constitution of Nigeria.”

The Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak had in June this year, also alluded to the President’s intention to go for a re-election in 2015 when he told members of the North Central Women Forum that the President would not stay more than eight years in office.

He told them to “take the gospel of peace and tolerance irrespective of your religion and ethnicity to women that this country belongs to all of us and God has given us President Goodluck Jonathan”, adding that “Goodluck Jonathan is the President today but he is not going to stay more than eight years as Nigeria belongs to all of us and not for one person”.

It is also a mute point that the Vice President Architect Namadi Sambo will give the Presidency a shot in 2015 only if his boss decides not to do so.

Another settled question is the aspiration of erstwhile Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who vied for the PDP’s ticket in

2011 with the President. But whether or not the aspiration will go beyond that is another question many people, both within and outside the party are asking because of the emergence of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur from Atiku’s home state of Adamawa as the ruling party’s National Chairman.

Although Obasanjo’s endorsement of the Lamido/ Amaechi ticket for 2015 was quickly refuted by the Jigawa state Governor, there had been kite flying in that respect lending credence to his speculated presidential aspiration.

Speaking to newsmen said in Dutse, the Jigawa state capital in reaction to the Obasanjo endorsement, Governor Lamido claimed ignorance of the reported vote of confidence on him, saying that, “my concern here is for my people whose mandate I am presently enjoying. You see I hardly go beyond this bush, you know Jigawa is a bush. I hardly go to Abuja and so I wouldn’t know anything about the story. My mandate here is to make my people happy. “ But two weeks earlier, a PDP chieftain in Katsina state and ally of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Alhaji Mati Bamba Funtua had called on the party to give its 2015 presidential ticket to the Jigawa state Governor, saying he is the best material for the office on account of his performance as governor.

Other likely aspirants, whose 2015 presidential intent has not gone beyond whispers, are Governors Ibrahim Shema of Katsina state, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Malam Isa Yuguda of Bauchi and Dr. Babangida Aliyu of Niger as well as former Kwara state Governor,

President Goodluck Jonathan

Rivers state Governor and Chairman, Governors Forum, Romiti Ameachi now Senator Bukola Saraki.

While some of the speculated aspirants are allegedly banking on the automatic support of powerful godfathers within the ruling party, others are said to be reaching out to other powerful figures in the PDP. For instance, one of the speculated aspirants, a governor from the North West, is said to become of late “excessively generous” to some notable chieftains of the PDP, lavishing them with gifts in cash and kind

at the slightest of opportunities.

Many vehicles carry his name and 2015 on their number plates.

The Niger state Governor, a.k.a. Chief Servant is not as subtle either because suggestive billboards have adorned strategic points in many parts of the state portraying him as a nationalist and achiever.

With three years still to the 2015 general elections, other aspirants may yet emerge for the presidential ticket of the ruling party.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Reclamation of Epe Marina Shoreline starts in Sept - Ajero

A

n official of the Epe local government council in Lagos state said yesterday that that work on the Epe Marina Shoreline Reclamation Project would start in September.

Mr Abiodun Ajero, Special Adviser on Markets Development and Revenue Generation to the Epe Local Government Council Chairman, who disclosed this in Epe explained that the project would be carried out in collaboration with the State government.

According to him, affected residents and businesses along the shoreline have started relocating, to pave way for the movement of equipment and personnel to the project site.

He said that the exercise would stretch from the Erepoto area to Oluwo market on the Marina at Epe. The Special Adviser said that the council had provided an area popularly called ``Chief'' for the displaced sand dredgers and other traders to continue their small-scale businesses.(NAN)

PAGE 5

“95% fed allocation goes to wages in Nasarawa�

From Ali Abare Abubakar, Lafia

N

2.3 billion out of the monthly N2.8 billion monthly federal allocation to Nasarawa state is used to pay monthly salaries of workers, with another N400million used in the servicing of debts inherited from former governor Aliyu Akwe Doma administration, leaving the state government with only

N100million to run its activities.

Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura painted the pathetic picture to show the predicament of his administration, when traditional rulers from across the state, paid him a Sallah visit at the Lafia Government House, yesterday.

Describing the traditional rulers as the "most critical stakeholders", Al-makura

lamented that with the implementation of the new minimum wage in the state, salary expenditure has increased with about 40 percent, with the bulk of the resources accruing to the 2.5 million population, used in paying the emoluments of less than 1 % of the entire population, mostly political office holders and civil servants.

The governor expressed

Commercial drivers unhappy with Aregbesola's free rail transport

S

ome commercial drivers in Osogbo yesterday decried low patronage as a result of the free rail transportation facility provided by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola during the Eid el Fitri celebration The Osun state government made rail transportation service available to all residing in Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan but wish to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr in Osun.

Hundreds of people embraced the gesture which resulted in low patronage of commercial vehicles.

A cross section of commercial drivers who shuttle between Osogbo and Ibadan, Abeokuta and Lagos told NAN that majority of commuters preferred the free rail service.

According to Mr. Dare Fasunle, the unit auditor of Olaya Motor Park in Osogbo, "the gesture of the state government has negative effect on our business''.

"Only few passengers who were not aware of the free rail service patronise the park despite the normal fare we maintained.

"We did not increase transport fares, Osogbo to Lagos still remains N1, 200 , Osogbo to Ibadan is N700 while Osogbo to Abeokuta is N1,200", Fasunle said.

A commercial driver, Biodun Alabi, who shuttle Lagos said "the free rail service is a blessing to many people but a blight to drivers that shuttle Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan".

Alabi, however, commended the Osun state government for the gesture, noting that it really assisted the masses.(NAN)

FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed briefing the State House journalists after paying courtesy visit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday.

Photo: Joe Oroye

concern over the dwindling resources of the state, adding that for the past four months, monthly allocations have continued to dwindle, further complicating the predicament of his administration towards attaining its objectives.

He stated that despite this, he would provide the dividends of democracy, urging the traditional rulers to appeal to their subjects for patience, as the state would maximize its little resources.

Al-makura however observed that his administration has not taken any loan, but could take loans under strict conditions, and tied to special projects, "so that when it is time to repay, the people will only be willing to do so, seeing the project executed."

While appealing to civil servants to tamper their demand for more pay, the governor decried the high level of unemployment among youths, saying the state government was set to employ 20 youths from each LGA as traffic warders and sanitary inspectors.

In his remarks, emir of Lafia, Alhaji Isa Mustapha Agwai II, chairman, state council of chiefs, said the traditional rulers were at the Government House to rejoice with the governor for the successful completion of the Ramadan fast, as well as the celebration of the eid-el-fitri, adding that they were there also to pledge their loyalty to the CPC administration.

Asiodu charges Oshiomhole on nation building From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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lder statesman, Chief Philip Asiodu has called on the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole to devote more attention to nation building and national integration as required of him as one of the country's leaders.

Chief Asiodu, a former super permanent secretary and former Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave the charge in a

congratulatory letter to the Governor on his re-election.

According to him, "most people agree that you deserve the landslide majority with which you won the elections as they are all witnesses to the clearly visible transformation in Benin City and other parts of Edo State".

"We join the great majority of Nigerians in sending you the best wishes for greater successes in moving Edo State forward and creating an example of good

governance.

As one of the leaders of Nigeria, I hope you will also devote great attention now in helping to bring about a revolutionary change in the nation's political processes, and in the motivation and objectives of those who seek political leadership and office, away from self-seeking, to helping to develop the country. I would appeal to you to help initiate a renewed drive for nation building and national

integration which seems to have ended with the conclusion of the civil war.

However, I always recall the words of the great Lee Kuan Yewof Singapore who wrote: "We cannot afford to forget that public order, personal security, economic and social progress are not the natural order of things, that they depend on ceaseless effort and attention from an honest, effective government that the people must elect", Asiodu said

religion and ethnicity among the people."

Hayab who spoke yesterday at a press conference in Kaduna said that the greatest challenge was for the people to ignore and reject such individuals whenever they come up with their pranks.

According to him, "so, the challenge today is how we can help Muslims and Christians in Kaduna state to understand these conspirators so that when they come with their rumour among Muslims, Muslims should reject them and same

thing should be applied in Christian communities".

"All of us know that few days before the Sallah, there was so much fear around the state that the Sallah will be bloody.

"We pray that it remains averted forever. These are the kind of news being spread by conspirators just to cause crisis in Kaduna state but the people want peace and unity.

"The Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa is an embodiment of peace, a very humble and sincere leader.

"This is a man you can

conveniently say that he cannot even hurt a fly because he is a man who will not like to associate with you if you come to destroy people before him.

"You will agree with me that it is because of his embodiment of peace, humility and sincerity in leadership that sometimes you hear some groups from southern part of the state saying that he is more with the north and sometimes you hear another group from the north saying he is more with the southern part of the state", he said.

Kaduna crises: Govt blames conspirators From Agaju Madugba, Kaduna

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pecial Adviser on religion (Christian Matters) to Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna state, Rev. John Joseph Hayab has identified activities of those he called conspirators as responsible for the perennial ethno-religious conflicts in the area.

He said, "these conspirators have infiltrated Christian and Muslim communities and they keep on fueling distrust and disharmony in the name of

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Ocean surge: PDP wants Eko Atlantic City stopped From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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he Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos state has blamed the frequent ocean surge in Lagos on sand filling of the ocean and lagoons.

The party spoke on the heels of an early morning ocean surge on Saturday, which sacked communities around Kuramo Beach, leaving about 10 persons dead at the last count.

In a statement signed by the state chairman, Chief Tunji Shelle, the PDP called on the Federal Government to stop people from sand-filling the ocean and lagoons in the state.

The PDP faulted the "unprofessional" manner the ocean and lagoons were encroached on without due ecological and environmental impact assessment.

"This is in the overall interest of the country and to particularly forestall further loss of lives and property arising from mismanaging the environment", the party said.

According to the party, direct government negligence caused the calamities.

The party faulted the sand-filling of land for the

purported Eko Atlantic Project, adding that business interest had undermined the safety of lives and property.

"We are very pained by the wanton loss of lives and property prevalent only along the coastal lines of Lagos beaches.We sincerely sympathise with the affected families," the party said.

The party called for a stop to

the Eko Atlantic Project and immediate compensation to the bereaved families who also lost property as a result of the surge.

The promoters of the Eko Atlantic City Project have consistently said that a proper environmental impact assessment survey was made before the project was approved by the Federal Government.

Heads to roll over Edo prison break From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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he midnight attacks on Oko prison in Benin during which eight inmates absconded has triggered discordant tunes that may lead to sack of Nigeria Prisons Service, NPS Chiefs including the State Controller of Prisons, Mr. Jimoh Ewulo.

This followed the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abah Moro's on-the-spot assessment visit to prison formations in Edo state where he issued the threat.

A prisons official privy to the meeting of the minister with the prisons authorities, hinted that the minister expressed dismay at the conflicting reports on the matter between the Prisons Controller, Mr. Jimoh Ewelo and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olayinka Balogun.

The minister blamed the controller and the prison warden for not being proactive.

According to the source, "the minister's observation indicates there was a blast during the attack even as he scolded the controller that it was his duty to inform the public on the position of the incident because it happened in his territory.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in prison formations in the state; just as all the routes leading to the prisons have been cordoned, apparently to forestall another incident.

L-R: Senator representing Rivers South-east Senatorial District, Sen. Magus Abe; programme coordinator, Free School Eye Health Programme, Dr. Chinyere Nwaneri, and chairman, L.G.A., at the launch of the programme in Port-Harcourt on Monday

Ocean tragedy: Lagos commences release of corpses to families From Bimbo Ogunnaike, Lagos

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he Lagos state government, yesterday, commenced the release of corpses to families who lost members in the of the Kuramo Beach disaster of last Saturday for burial.

Chairman of Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Abayomi Daramola, said the corpses will be released to the

families after they would have passed through screening that would be conducted by the state government.

Daramola who added that the state government will also assist the families with cash donations for prompt burial of their relatives, noted that the number of causalities would have been high if not for the intervention of the LCDA last June, where the council

demolished several structures from the beach and ordered the occupants to vacate the premises.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Saidat Oke, wife of Mr. Joseph Oke, a security officer, who died last week Saturday along with 15 others during the ocean surge at Kuramo Beach has described the death of her husband as great shock, saying "I am yet to understand that he is dead."

Council boss pledges to deal with thugery From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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auchi local government area in Bauchi state has pledged to stop the activities of dreaded 'Sara-Suka' political thugs in the area.

The council's deputy chairman, Alhaji Umar Aliyu who made the vow during a special Sallah interview he granted to newsmen, lamented that the activities of the thugs causes panic among the citizens in the local government as

innocent people are being molested by the hoodlums without any provocation.

He said the local government therefore deems it imperative to checkmate such despicable acts in order to protect the lives and property of the populace, adding that they were given support by the state government to deal decisively with the culprits who attacked, killed and maimed some people during the month of Ramadan.

Aliyu who ascribed the rate

of crimes among youths to unemployment and poverty, pledged that the council will engage the teeming restive youths of the local government in various jobs and occupations with a view to curtailing the menace.

Aliyu added that about 10,000 youths in the area will be selected to benefit from the special youths empowerment programme introduced by the Federal Government so as to make them self reliant.

NACOMYO advocates religious tolerance From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

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ollowers of different religions in Bauchi state yesterday organised an Eid-el-Fitr interactive dinner in a move to enhance mutual co-existence among them.

The dinner was organised by the state chapter of National Council of Muslim Youths Organisation (NACOMYO) where various Christian and inter-religious groups were in attendance.

Bauchi state coordinator of the organization, Engineer Muhammad Rabi'u, in a welcome address said the purpose of the dinner was to complement the efforts of government and other relevant stakeholders towards achieving lasting peace in the state.

Engineer Rabi'u used the forum to unveil plans by the group to organise a public lecture on mutual co-existence which will be delivered by Barrister Solomon Dalung of the University of Jos on the first of next month.

Speaking at the occasion, the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Dr. Shu'aibu Musa, said such institutions have greater role to play in promoting religious tolerance among the adherents of different faith.

The state chairman of the youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Mr. Simon Samuel, also in a remark, said what Nigeria needs is such fora where Muslims and Christians will come together to understand each other.

Samuel noted that had followers of the two major religions co-existed peacefully in Nigeria since the establishment of the country, there will be no reason why people of different faith and even those who do not believe in any religion, would not live peacefully.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi state Shari'ah Commission h a s commen ded NACOMYO for what it described as a good foresight which came at a time when peace and tolerance are required for the progress of Nigeria.

The chairman of the commission, Alhaji Mustapha Baba Ilela who was represented by the secretary of the commission, Alhaji Bala Ahmed, called on the organisation to extend this initiative to other parts of the state.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Kuramo Beach flooding takes toll on Bar Beach

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un seekers at Lagos Bar Beach on Monday expressed concern about the low turnout of revelers as a result of the ocean surge at Kuramo Beach which so far has killed more than 10 persons.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited both the Bar Beach and Kuramo Beach in Lagos, gathered that the level of patronage was low when compared with that of previous years.

At the Bar Beach, the few picnickers that were there were having horse rides, taking photographs and watching the waves, but nobody swam.

Mr. Effiong Ekanem, chairman of the Bar Beach Tourism Committee, told NAN that the celebration this year was done with mixed feelings.

Ekanem, who is a staff member of Iru/ Victoria Island local council development area, said the mixed feelings was as a result of the disaster which occurred at the Kuramo Beach on Friday in which lives were lost.

“The festivities is supposed to be one with celebration but it is one of disaster due to the coastal erosion at Kuramo beach and because of its closeness to the bar beach; it gives us cause for concern.

“In fact, this year’s Sallah celebration could be termed black Sallah by those of us who lost our loved ones in the ocean surge”, he said.

Mrs. Toyin Ologunde, a food seller at the Bar Beach, said that the turnout of people at the beach was definitely affected by the disaster at the Kuramo Beach.

“Last year sales were about N100, 000 every day but this year we have not been able to meet last year’s sales.

“Yesterday, this place was full by now, but for today, it may be the sad news that made people not to turn up like before.

“In fact, during previous festivals, as we are cooking, people keep buying all we cook; but today, you can see for yourself that there is nobody here,’’ she said.

NAN reports that the deserted Kuramo Beach was occupied by sand filling machines and workers of Eko Atlantic Project as well as a few policemen. (NAN)

PAGE 7

Community rejoices as notorious robber is shot dead From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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eople in Ankpa local government area of Kogi state are rejoicing over the killing of a notorious robber, a selfstyled General Achele Enjema.

The suspect reputed to be involved in for several robberies and killings along Ankpa-Makurdi road was reportedly killed in a

confrontation with security men in the area.

Though the community said he could not be killed because of his purported disappearing prowess, our reporter gathered that Achele who had four wives and nine children died in crossfire with soldiers posted to the area.

Speaking on the incident, the community leader Chief Acheneje expressed worry that

the activities of youth in the area have become worrisome and that several meetings with elders and parents have failed to yield positive results.

Sources told our man that luck ran out of Achele who has been on the wanted list of the police when he wanted to rape a woman but was challenged by forces who came for the burial of a police officer in the area.

L-R: Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Sunusi and Jigawa state Governor Alhaji Sule Lamido, during the Emir's Sallah homage to the Governor in Dutse on Monday

Kwara govt pledges to create 2,000 jobs From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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he Kwara state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has promised to create additional 2,000 jobs as part of the celebration of the first anniversary of the Kwara State Bridge Empowerment Scheme (KWABES) and to ease unemployment challenges in the state.

Governor Ahmed who gave this indication in Ilorin when the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim SuluGambari paid him the traditional Sallah homage at the Government House, disclosed that the state was also partnering with the Federal Government on the jobs creation.

The governor said his administration has also energised entrepreneurship in the state with

the disbursement of N500million micro credit intervention to over 300 small business entrepreneurs.

He added that “another set of entrepreneurs will be empowered and thousands of jobs created when the second tranch of the micro credit fund is disbursed to qualifying small business owners before the end of the year”.

The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji

U

niversity don, Prof.

Ayodele Samuel Jegede, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to order that recovered stolen funds be reinvested in the education sector.

Prof. Jegede who is the head, Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan made the call while acknowledging the contribution of

Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, in his remarks, advocated the institutionalisation of constitutionalism in Nigeria for life to be more meaningful for Nigerians.

The Emir who is the chairman, Kwara State Traditional Council, pledged the cooperation of the traditional institution and Kwarans in general with the administration.

56,350 people living with AIDS in Cross River, says SACA DG

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he Director-General of the Cross River State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (SACA), Mrs. Irene Aniyom, says that 56,350 persons in the state are currently living with the HIV virus.

Aniyom made the announcement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Calabar.

“Today in the state, we have 56,350 people living with the virus; we have to update it on a regular

basis since 2005,’’ she said.

According to her, the infected persons are receiving antiretroviral drugs at different centres in the state.

She said that SACA had formed a group known as “Cross River

Re-invest stolen funds in education, don tasks Jonathan From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

Achele whose death has become a source of joy in the community alleging he was one of those who hosted the bank robbers in Ankpa a couple of months ago was trapped by vigilant officers in Ofugo.

Confirming the development, CP Kastina said that useful information to the police could solve several criminal cases… urging the public to keep the police informed for the safety of all.

former Information Commissioner in Ogun state, Sina Kawonise, who renovated some offices in the department to the tune of N2.1million.

Jegede lamented that development in the country cannot be sustainable until leaders are passionate about the development of the nation as well as jettison personal for national interest.

He noted that virtually all former governors in the country

have one graft case or the other hanging on their necks, saying it portends danger for the future of the country.

The professor of medical sociology who asserted that Nigeria is presently sick, noted that the country can only be healed through a masses-oriented leadership.

According to him, all the billions of naira and dollars stashed away in foreign countries by corrupt former governors and public office holders

should be invested for the development of education.

“The latest of such funds are those from James Ibori running into several billions of dollars. Another is from Erastus Akingbola and many more found culpable of corrupt practices while serving in public institutions. The recovered funds should be invested in education to build young Nigerians who can make the dream of the founding fathers come to reality”, he said.

Network of People Living with HIV/ AIDS”, to monitor the infected persons.

“And in this network, we have 80 support groups of people living with the virus, with a minimum of 25 persons in each group”, she said.

Aniyom said that many people were now aware of the diseases, due to the activities of SACA and other groups involved in the campaign against the spread of the disease.

“If you go to various HIV testing and counseling centres across the state, you will find many people coming out to know their status”, she said.

The DG said that SACA had also established Local Action Committees on Control of HIV/AIDS (LACA) in each of the 18 local government areas in the state, headed by the chairmen of the councils. (NAN)

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

EMIR of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu-Gambari (L), reading his address during a Sallah homage to the Government House in Ilorin on Monday. With him are Deputy Governor of Kwara, Elder Peter Kisra (M), and Deputy Speaker, Kwara House of Assembly, Prof. Muhammed Yisa.

From left: Chairman, Enugu Muslim community, Alhaji Haruna Sule; Vice President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Adam Idoko; representative of Enugu state Governor, Mr Amechi Okolo, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr. Timothy Chime, during a Sallah homage to Gov. Sullivan Chime in Enugu on Monday.

Children playing at emir of Bauchi drive in Bauchi yesterday.

Alhaji Ahmed Shehu, riding into the Government House to pay Sallah homage to Gov. Isa Yuguda in Bauchi on Monday.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Youths urge FG to address Bakassi housing problem

By Augustine Aminu

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Gov. Shettima of Borno visits inmates of Maximum Security Prison in Maiduguri.

Photo: NAN

Don blames security challenges on improper child upbringing

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heikh Ahmed BelloDogarawa of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, has said that improper child upbringing is the cause of the country’s current security challenges.

Bello-Dogarawa made the assertion while delivering a

lecture entitled “Contributions of proper child upbringing toward addressing national security challenges”, held in Zaria on Monday.

The ‘Post Ramadan Lecture’ was organised by a Zaria-based religious organisation, Islamic Trust of Nigeria.

The don also linked improper home training with moral decadence which, according to him, leads to societal collapse.

Bello-Dogarawa urged parents to brace up to their responsibility by ensuring proper upbringing of their

girl, whose parents had concluded that she had a spiritual attack.

He said that most of the health issues being experienced by Nigerians could be avoided if they were well-informed.

He said that it had become necessary to teach local women the need for early breast cancer detection and prevention to enhance their healthcare.

Obegolu said the association was determined to effect changes in all aspects of healthcare for the people of Anambra.

Also speaking with NAN, a

member of the team, Mrs. Nkem Aboh, advised women to go for mammogram test, a procedure that uses radiation to diagnose the internal parts of the body.

Aboh said the amount of radiation was very small compared to the benefits of detecting breast cancer on time.

She said that only between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of breast cancers was caused by genetic disorder.

Aboh said women of any age could be diagnosed with breast cancer, saying, however, that older women had higher incidence than younger ones.

(NAN)

11-year-old girl diagnosed with breast cancer

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medical mission in Anambra state has detected breast cancer in an 11-year-old girl, according to one of its officials.

The mission, sponsored by the Anambra Indigenes Association in the U.S., has been providing free medicare to the people of the state in various localities since its arrival on Aug. 6.

The coordinator of the team, Mr. John Obegolu, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Nteje, Oyi local government area, that the girl had been slated for surgery.

Obegolu said the detection solved a mystery around the

Olaitan: Suspect petitions AGF over violation of court order From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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ounsel to suspected killer of Edo State governor’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Oyerinde Olaitan, being held by the police, Barr.

Olayiwola Afolabi has petitioned the Attorney General of the federation, AGF, Mohammed Adoke over alleged violation of court order by Inspector General of Police.

The petition is coming barely five days after an exparte motion sought by Afolabi was granted by a Benin HighCourt which ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to release

the Applicant, Rev. David Ugolor unconditionally pending the determination of the motion on notice, describing the applicant’s continuous detention without trial as a clear violation of Section 37 (5) of the 1999 constitution.

In the petition titled, ‘Rev. David Ugolor, Inspector Generalof Police and two others (Need to inform the Attorney General of the federation of the Refusal of the Police Authority to obey a lawful order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Legal implication of same”, Afolabi averred that the respondents were duly served by the court bailiff and a formal letter was consequently sent to

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

It explained “that as the Chief Law Officer of the federation, we are of the opinion that apart from being a party to the suit, your attention should be drawn to the non-compliance with the order of court in respect of Rev. David Ugolor’, executive Director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ who was arrested by Police on 27th of July this year.

Oyerinde was reportedly shot dead by assailants at his private residence at Ugbor on May 4, 2012.

children, “bearing in mind that you will testify before God how you brought up your children”.

The Islamic cleric also blamed relations, government and the entire society for the moral decay among Nigerians, and called for a change of attitude if the nation must record any meaningful development.

In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Sheik Salihu Abubakar, advised Muslims to redouble efforts to bring about positive change in the society.

He called on leaders at all levels to endeavour to accept advice from good people regardless of their political, tribal and religious leaning.

“In Nigeria, when you call on leaders to correct their mistakes, they will consider you as an opposition which is not supposed to be.” (NAN)

he Southern Peoples Youth Assembly (SPYA) has urged the Federal Government to urgently address the housing problems faced by displaced people from the Bakassi Peninsula ceded to Cameroun.

The group also urged the government to address the “injustices that is being meted to the government and people of Cross River State” following the ceding of 76 oil blocks to Akwa Ibom state.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, National Coordinator of SPYA, Prince Mike Ekarnon said the ceding of oil blocks to Akwa Ibom state was capable of raising tension in the region and the state.

He therefore urged the government to relist Cross Rivers state as an oil producing area so as to stop those “bent on escalating the problems of the already heated region, by wanting to create conflict and enmity between Cross River state and her sister state, Akwa Ibom”.

“We are calling for the relisting of Cross Rivers state as an oil producing state and payment of all its fiscal allocation, which was irrationally stopped by RMAFC.As a people, Cross Riverians, have in all ramifications, demonstrated her love for peace, by enduring the ceding of our major economic local government, originally known to belong to CRS, including all its oil well”, he said.

He therefore urged President Jonathan to address injustices such as that being meted to the government and people of Cross River State.

Adequate info will help to stem crimes in Kogi – Rep From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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he Member representing Okene/Ogori Magongo Federal constituency at the National Assembly, Tijani Ahmed Damisa has called on the people of Kogi central senatorial district to give useful information to the security agents that will help to subdue criminal elements in the community.

The member who made the call yesterday in Lokoja while speaking with journalists, said the current violent crimes in the area was alien to the people, saying everyone must work to stamp it out He commended security agents in the state for their efforts so far, adding that they must not relent until all criminal elements are fished out from the area.

According to the lawmaker,

“no meaningful development can take place in a community where there is no peace”, urging “you to be law abiding and be peaceful so that the area can attract the needed development and investments”.

Damisa enjoined the people to join hands with the government of Captain Idris Wada in its renewed effort to instill discipline and value reorientation to Kogi central.

He said that as the representative of the people, he would continue to work with the state government and relevant agencies to attract development to the area.

According to him, in the interim he would channel his energy towards, youth and women development, employment generation, which he said would reduce youth restiveness in the area.

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Railways to commission direct labour rolling stock From Suleiman Idris, Lagos

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On-going construction work by CCC Contruction Company to tame killer flood at UNIZIK junction along the Enugu/Onitsha expressway yesterday.

Photo: NAN

Edo NMA in disarray From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin

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he crises rocking Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Edo State chapter has produced two parallel executives.

Outgone executive of the association led by Dr. Philip Ugbodaga had on Saturday conducted election where Dr. James Kpolugbo reportedly emerged as Chairman along with other members of the executive.

But surprisingly, another election of the association supervised by the national body of the association held yesterday at the Central Hospital in Benin where another executive led by Dr.

Emmanuel Ighodaro emerged.

The National President of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said the Dr. Ighodaro-led exco was the authentic executive recognized by the national body, describing Dr. Kpolugbo-led executive as “fraudulent.”

He said, the election conducted

by Dr. Ugbodaga was “a kangaroo election not attended by more than 30 medical doctors”.

In contrast, Dr. Enabulele said, election that produced Dr. Ighodaro as State Chairman was attended by over 100 medical doctors, including former NMA President, Dr. Dominic Osaghae, Prof. Linus Ajabor and the Edo

State Director, medical Services, Dr.(Mrs.) Eboreime.

He explained that the out-gone executive of the Edo NMA was not qualified to conduct election as it had, along with NMA executives for Jigawa and Niger States, earlier been suspended from the national body by overstaying their tenures.

The situation, he said, made the election conducted by the former state executive null and void.

In his reaction, former Edo State NMA Chairman, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga said due process was followed in conducting Saturday’s election that produced Dr. James Kpolugbo, adding that those who

took part in the election of yesterday also took part in last Saturday election that produced Dr. Kpolugbo.

“What is happening now is that people who lost now running to national (body)to save face. Having lost, they formed a parallel body.”

He said some of those who were disqualified from taking part from Saturday’s election were so disqualified because they did not meet up with the financial requirement of the association, even as he described yesterday’s election supervised by the national officers of the association as “a free for all and kangaroo election” where the rules of the constitution were not applied.

s part of efforts to effectively guarantee passenger train services and comfort and affordability in the mass carriage segment, the Nigerian Railway Corporation said it will commission its rolling stock which was refurbished by direct labour.

The initial roll-out of phase one of the planned rehabilitation of the entire rolling stock in the system will be utilized on Minna-KadunaMinna Mass Transit Train Service while coaches of mass transit trains in Lagos, Ilorin, and Kaduna will be withdrawn systematically for rehabilitation without any disruption to passenger train services subsequently.

NRC told reporters that the rolling stock refurbished at various locations across Nigeria includes twelve economy class coaches, one restaurant and business class coach each at Zaria Workshop. A canteen coach, 2 sleeper coaches, 6 parcel vans, two power cars, and a business class coach at Lagos Workshop.

The others includes 3 economy class and business class coaches all in the Corporation’s Carriage & Wagon Workshop, Ebute Metta, Lagos; 49 steel wagons and 3 guard vans at Minna Workshop and another 30 hopper wagons at Apapa with additional 8 covered steel wagons at Zaria Workshop.

“The gradual nationwide rollout of refurbished rolling stock is part of NRC approach to address congestion on the mass transit trains; showcase the quality of work done by the engineering staff of the Corporation; optimize accruement of market share of the passenger traffic offer to the Corporation as well as give the commuting public value-added service”, it said.

Roads: Lagos urges public cooperation Obi laments condition of Nigerian prisons From Bimbo Ogunnaike, Lagos

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ommunities where road and other infrastructure development projects are located across the State have been urged to partner with the State Government to quickly deliver such projects.

The Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson made this call at the stakeholder’s meeting held at the Ministry in Alausa, Ikeja with residents of Yaya Abatan Street and College Road in Ifako Ijaiye area to intimate them with government’s planned upgrade and rehabilitation of the

road.

He noted that the regeneration would not only improve the quality of life but also positively affect property value thus benefitting the people.

Disclosing that the project would be executed in phases, Engr. Johnson stated that it was only when the people aligned with the government that projects would be delivered on time.

He said that the partnership involves the resolution of the various issues that may delay the take off of the project, citing the establishment of the right of way which involved the demolition of walls and some gate houses.

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overnor Peter Obi of Anambra state has called for the upgrade of facilities in prisons to acceptable standards, describing the condition of Awka and Onitsha Federal prisons as “unacceptable”.

The governor, who made the call during an inspection of prisons in the state, in the company of the Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, said it was not just unjust, but regrettable that some people had been in prison custody for years without going to court.

According to him, it is evident that some people are incarcerated because they do not have people to speak for them.

The governor, who noted that the prisons

could no longer serve their purpose of reformation, expressed the need to relocate Onitsha and Awka prisons from the heart of the cities.

He promised to collaborate with the Federal Government to reform the prison system to serve its reformatory role properly.

Speaking, the minister described the prisons in Awka and Onistsha as “colonial heritage”, saying it had become necessary to build new ones due to congestion.

Moro assured Obi of Federal Government’s commitment to reforming the prisons, saying the visit was to ascertain the condition of the prisons in the state.

(NAN)

Skeletal services at MMIA as workers observe Eid-el-Fitri

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here have been skeletal services at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja following the twoday public holiday declared by the Federal Government to mark the Eid- El-Fitri.

FAAN, NAMA and NCAA offices were locked and only the security guards on essential services were seen at the gates

leading to the offices.

Airlines’ counter operators at the MMIA Terminal 2 building were offering skeletal services while the First Nation Airways pasted a notice in front of its counter stating that operations would resume on August 27.

NAN learnt that the airline had sent its aircraft for maintenance making it to suspend operations for some weeks.

There were also few passengers at the departure hall of the MMIA Terminal 2 waiting to board flights to other parts of the country.

Mr Mike Ojo, a passeneger travelling to Abuja, said he wanted to rest on Tuesday before resuming work on Wednesday.

“There is the likelihood of high traffic between Tuesday and Wednesday morning. That is why I am leaving for Abuja today,’’ he

said.

Malam Shehu Abubakar, another passenger travelling to Kano, said that he had an appointment in Kano and had to leave.

Mrs. Chibuzor Udom, who was travelling to Calabar, said that she had completed her transaction in Lagos and needed to return to Calabar where she lives with her family.

“With them, I would have more than enough holidays. So I have to leave now. Moreover there may be an increase in fare later,’’ she said.

NAN also observed that few Bureau De Change operators near the FAAN office were attending to customers.

There were also light human and vehicular traffic at the airport.

(NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

MONEY SENSE

PAGE 11

Tips to boost your earning potential M

oney acts as the biggest drive and best motivator in every professional's life. Money acts as the tool to get yourself all the pleasures of life and happiness.

If you are in the same mood and wish to make more money, you got to enhance your overall worth and market value. To help you enhance your earning potential, we bring you the following list of major boosters: Be a partner more than an employee Your mindset at works matters a lot. If you are yourself demotivated and feel dejected, no one else can motivate or inspire you. Instead of feeling yourself as a worker, think of yourself as a

business partner who is serving the client and playing his part for the organizational growth and in turn is accepting a salary. As a business of one, it's your responsibility to add value to the company and come up with plans and strategies to optimize the resources and bring in profits and ROI. This demonstrates your active role in the business and your understanding of the systems and thus your value for the organization.

Add on to your educational qualifications Higher education both in form of a management degree or a certification course attracts more money, adding value to the candidature of an individual.

Certifications and advanced degrees are becoming a prerequisite for management positions, especially at higher cadre. Earlier started as an initiative to get preference, it is now becoming a regular trend to do degree or certification courses.

These courses could be done both as a full time, taking a break from your job or at weekend basis or as a distance learning course as well.

Part time internships, freelancing and volunteering Undertaking this sort of part time activities increase your level of exposure and enhance your skills. Hobbies or interests such as gardening, real estate, travel or fitness can lead to side jobs at nurseries, as real-estate or travel

agents, or at local gyms. Similarly you can do freelancing jobs which could be/could not be related to you present job. This way you not only keep yourself busy and motivated earning some extra money. But your skill enrichment makes you further a more productive resource for your company.

Look out for more opportunities Analyze the job description for the position ahead of you in the hierarchy or in other departments/projects and make sure you have what it takes to perform that job. Note the skills and contributions required for that position, and try to fill in the missing gaps in your experience.

For this you may undertake any

departmental test & training, or volunteer outside your organization to get such experience. Thus you need to keep your eyes open for the possibilities further and get yourself at a point where you can do the job of the person at the next level proving that you are qualified to do it.

Follow your mentor religiously Find a mentor who can understand your set of strength and weaknesses and what is your impression within the company; a person who will show you how to go further in advancing career levels. This relationship could give you an edge in presenting yourself more effectively and ultimately increasing your earning power.

How you can make the best of your online shopping experience

N

igeria is experiencing an interesting turn-around in online shopping, several adverts are on Facebook showing different and diverse products, these colorful and attractive adverts entice you.

Although many people still shy away from purchasing products they can not see physically, merchants often use their online shops to showcase their products, and bring customers to their physical location.

To ensure you have a good shopping experience, make sure you pay attention to the following; 1) Safety first: Safety and security is the most important; before you use your debit or credit card on any site, *Be sure your card is a safe card ;chip and PIN card, Master Card and Visa card are international card that provide reasonable safety, and e business focused Nigerian banks also provide more security like secret questions, token device, and registration of your debit card before you can use it for online shopping and so on. *Always ensure the website is

safe, with safety locks and logos present. *If you have two accounts in the bank, you can link your card to only one, and move funds between accounts when you want to shop online. *Ask for other payment options if you are not comfortable with using your card on the site 2) Make sure you ask question: ask questions about the product you are about to purchase: "I once purchased a bag online, and I had imagined the size of the bag, but when the bag came, it was smaller than I imagined", ask for dimensions and sizes of the product to be purchased.

3) Pay attention to detail: Do not be carried away by the beauty of the product or by a great deal, make sure the product serves your purpose, or can be a good supplement.

4) Ask about the companies return policy; The policy should be fair, and accommodate damaged or defective goods.

5) Confirm and enquire if the company is real and not a fictitious one.

Wise methods of investing money

I

t is important to invest your money wisely. How you invest it should be based on how soon you will need the funds and how much risk you are comfortable taking. If you are just starting out, consider talking with a financial professional.

Secure Investments For investors who have a low risk tolerance and are not overly concerned about maximizing returns, banks and other financial institutions offer a number of secure investments. Certificates of deposit offer a fixed rate of return, in exchange for your agreeing to

leave your money in the account for a predetermined length of time.

You will usually receive a higher interest rate than you would with a savings account but you will have to pay a penalty if you withdraw your money early.

Mutual Funds If you are willing to accept some risk in exchange for the potential for much greater returns but do not have the expertise to invest, a mutual fund may be a good option. Mutual funds are offered by financial institutions that manage your investments for you for a fee.

Napoleon Hill's 17 Universal principles of success (III) Principle 13: Learn from Adversity & Defeat Individual success usually is in exact proportion of the scope of the defeat the individual has experienced and mastered. Hardship and adversity are a common language of nature in which she speaks to all living creatures and teaches them many things they would not learn in any other way.

Principle 14: Cultivate Creative Vision Creative vision is developed by the free and fearless use of one's imagination. It is not a miraculous quality with which one is gifted or is not gifted at birth.

Principle 15: Maintain Sound Health Sound health begins with a sound health consciousness, just as financial success begins with a

prosperity consciousness. The key that coordinates all other principles and sets all ideas into motion, sound health provides the "flavor" to the good things in life.

Principle 16: Budgeting Time & Money Time and money are precious resources, and few people striving for success ever believe they possess either one in excess. Successful people know themselves, not as

they think they are, but as their habits have made them - the use of time and money are the most vital of these habits.

Principle 17: Cosmic Habitforce Developing and establishing positive habits leads to peace of mind, health and financial security. You are where you are because of your established habits and thoughts and deeds.

Mutual funds vary in what they invest in and how risky the investments are. They are managed by professionals who work to maximize returns for investors, but they do not always achieve that goal. However, the funds are diversified compared with individual stock, which reduces risk, and they can be cashed out at any time.

Brokerage Accounts If you want to take charge of your own stock investing, consider a brokerage account. These accounts are held at financial institutions and allow you to buy and sell stocks for a transaction fees.

Some brokerage accounts come with expert advice but higher transaction fees, and others have lower fees but few resources to help you research your investments.

When considering stocks, consider how risky the company is as well as its potential for growth.

Quote The best of life is always ahead, always further on - William Mulock

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 12

EDIT ORIAL EDITORIAL

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South Africa’s mine massacre: A throw-back to Sharpeville

t is plain outrage that in postapartheid South Africa, mostly black policemen, would open fire on their compatriots. On Thursday, last week, policemen killed 34 miners and wounded 78 others protesting against low wages and other precarious workplace conditions. The workers at the Marikana mine of Lonmin, the third largest producer of platinum in the world, had been on strike since August 10 to press their wage demand, but were instead confronted by armed policemen who shot at them in a most arbitrary way reminiscent of the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, in which the apartheid police, without provocation, shot and killed almost a hundred persons.

After the shooting of the miners last week, the authorities of the South African Police Service issued a provocative statement claiming the killing, in cold blood, of the unarmed miners was in self-defence. But the video footage of the killings showed that the miners were running away from tear gas smoke when policemen opened fire at them. Had this wanton killing of workers protesting poor working conditions been carried out under the loathsome apartheid regime, perhaps it would be deemed a pattern of regime response to popular demand, but to have been carried out under supposedly democratic governance shows a serious deficit in the structure of the post-apartheid regime in South Africa.

For long, voices have been heard that beyond the political liberation that led to majority rule in the country, the economic structure essentially reflects the dominance and stranglehold of the entrenched interest of the white minority and dominant western finance capital. Apart from a sprinkle of few black businesses that have thrived in the post-apartheid era, the economy is

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President Jacob Zuma, after the massacre, declared a week of national mourning, but beyond this symbolic gesture, we call on the ruling ANC to revisit its several charters of rights, especially the ones that deal with breaking the monopoly of international finance capital and its local accomplices clearly dominated by white minority interests.

Voices in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) that have railed against this situation have been ruthlessly suppressed. The latest to be silenced is the firebrand leader of the ANC Youth League, Julius Malema, who has been expelled from the party for calling for the nationalization of the mines, a particular sector in which white interest

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

is still very much entrenched.

We are outraged, to say the least, by the wanton and unprovoked killing of protesting workers by a post-apartheid police in a South Africa, supposedly under a government built on a tripartite alliance of the ANC, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the indomitable South African Communist Party (SACP).

That a government of so-called popular democratic forces has such trigger-happy policemen in its employ points to the extent of the control finance capital and its representative white minority interest have over is South Africa’s post-apartheid political economy.

We insist that this situation must not persist, otherwise the legendary struggle of the people of South Africa with its high loss of blood and sweat would have been in vain. We condemn the insensitive ultimatum issued by Lonmin for the workers to return to work. On Sunday, the company issued a warning that the “call was the last opportunity to return to work,” and a threat that “employees could therefore be dismissed if they fail to heed the final ultimatum.”

President Jacob Zuma, after the massacre, declared a week of national mourning, but beyond this symbolic gesture, we call on the ruling ANC to revisit its several charters of rights, especially the ones that deal with breaking the monopoly of international finance capital and its local accomplices.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

CHAIRMAN MALAM WADA MAIDA, OON, FNGE DIRECTOR/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RUFA’I IBRAHIM EDITOR, DAILY ABDULAZEEZ ABDULLAHI

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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 13

Why Wamakko should back Shagari’s ambition

By Suraj Oyewale

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hen I read a recent report on the politics of succession in Sokoto state, the first thing that came to my mind was: Déjà vu! Not being a supporter of the Peoples Democratic Party, discussing the party's internal politics is a task I sacrifice my convenience to engage in. And one of the PDP states that have consistently caught my interest is Sokoto.

Fresh from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in South West Nigeria, where you can't help being politically conscious, I wheeled my bags into Sokoto state NYSC camp in March 2007, weeks to the general elections of that year.

Political activities were at their peak in the period. Incumbent Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa was bent on installing his SSG, Maigari Dingyadi, as his successor. His estranged former deputy, Aliyu Wammako (popularly known as Sai Alu), was the beautiful bride commanding suitors from other parties. He had the goodwill, Bafarawa had incumbency factor. PDP had earlier given their ticket to Mukhtari Shagari,

By Oguchi Nkwocha

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igeria's performance (or lack thereof) at the recently concluded London Olympics provides not just another sentinel event (since sentinels warn of approaching danger) but rather, a confirmation and affirmation of an already failed and self-destructing state. Leave it at that and move on to other unimaginable woes, without comment and without noticing, as the hapless masses suffering in Nigeria are wont to. But the hypocritical, sycophantic and empty cries are filling the media space: leadership failure, this; lack of patriotism, that; runaway corruption, this; incredible incompetence, that. After all, Nigeria is the "giant of Africa"-selfstyled and all. Part of their kneejerk reflexive call: Nigeria's President has to sack this or that responsible functionary; he may yet (in typical Nigerian actiontradition and response) oblige them; though, keep in mind that from some quarters, the call is also for the President to sack his own self!

How many times have these same "ideas" been floated, bandied around, preached about and harped on, as the magical medicine for Nigeria's ills? Such empty noise and sham ululation! Supposing for one moment anyone would really take these ideas seriously and work them to their logical conclusion. At the bottom of it all is what the people languishing in Nigeria already know: the structure which attempts to (is supposed to) sustain Nigeria is flawed.

Take the Olympics, for example. This is a collection of sporting events built around individual effort with regard to strength, strategy, endurance, determination, performance and skill, in all out competition. The Olympics seeks and rewards the best in these games. Countries

but they were able to substitute his name with that of Wammako, whom they had lured from ANPP. Mukhtari was relegated to running mate to Wammako. By the time all the frenzy subsided and the electorate decided at the poll, Wammako, who was clearly the most popular, won the election.

Few months into Wamakko's tenure, most of us youth corps members still had soft spot for Bafarawa. I was personally impressed with his success in terms of road construction. Most importantly to us, our state 'allawi' weren't flowing as they were during Bafarawa's tenure and there were also rumours that the monthly pittance will be slashed by 50%. As someone that was used to expressing political grievances on the opinion pages of newspapers since my Ife days, I picked my pen and did a brief letter to the editor, echoing the displeasure of the youth corps members on the turn of things since Wamakko took over. The letter was published in The Sun newspaper of August 19, 2007 and it landed me into trouble with the Wamakko government.

Since then I have actively

followed the state's politics, even from my post-NYSC base in Lagos.

Although I had issues with Wamakko's government in its early years, a re-appraisal at the end of his first tenure won me over and he is today one of the very few PDP governors I rate above average. As is usual in Nigerian politics, political intrigues and horse-trading have begun on who takes over from Sarkin Yamman Sokoto when he quits in 2016. Again, it is a wellknown fact that Wammako, due not only to incumbency but more to his popularity, holds the ace on who succeeds him.

According to the Thisday's report, Deputy Governor Shagari may not get his boss' nod in his quest to succeed him in 2016. Rather, the report stated, Governor Wamakko is throwing his weight behind his Finance Commissioner, Farouk Malami Yabo. If this is true, then I believe this is not well thought-out of the governor. I will outline my reasons.

First, Shagari did what was unthinkable in Nigerian politics by stepping aside for Wammako in 2007 despite having been given the ticket earlier. He could

have gone to court and challenge his party's decision. Personal honour dictates that Wamakko should pay this man back for such sacrifice.

Second, some of us had thought that, due to the circumstances that brought Wamakko and his deputy together, it was only a matter of time before they fell out. We had expected personality clashes in the quick marriage but we were wrong. Shagari, to the best of my knowledge, has been very loyal to his boss. He doesn't deserve the 'unusable tyre' treatment many governors have accorded their deputies.

Third, fairness dictates that the next PDP guber candidate (and almost surely, governor) should come from the camp of the old PDP - the group of PDP members that were in the party before Wamakko and his supporters' defection from ANPP. This is Shagari's camp.

The camp has sacrificed enough and Wamakko should respect that.

Fourth, is Wamakko afraid of continuity? Why is he unwilling to back his deputy, who should be in pole position to carry on his

Olympics and the giant which are successful in the Olympics seek out, support and reward the best successful competitors to represent them. In the end, the Olympiads see themselves as vying with and for the best that humanity has produced.

Athletes and contestants alone are almost, but not quite, the entire story. The Olympics demands (not just requires) excellent managers in the role of coaches. Successful countries or Olympic clubs find and retain the best coaches available. Coaches do not have to have the litheness of the athletes to do this job well; they have to be motivators at the very least.

However, trainers, another group playing an important role here, need to be able to keep up with the athletes and keep them in competition-shape: they need to know the particular sports extremely well and should have successfully participated in it to be able to act as effective trainers.

There are of course other significant factors in the Olympics, such as opportunity and sponsorship, which will not be dealt with much in this obviously neither definitive nor exhaustive write-up on the subject.

How does Nigeria fare in these areas? Nigeria's Olympics process deliberately and almost

completely works against the above. Nigeria does not seek the best athletes in their respective fields because, often, that naturally favors particular ethnic groups in Nigeria. If such endowed groups are not the "right" ethnicity, then, the athletes they produce, best in their class, will have a hard time making it into Nigeria's Olympics team. These slots not competitively filled are available for favoritism and nepotism and then, to the highest bidder.

It is the same bedeviling process for and in Nigeria when it comes to the selection of coaches and managers and trainers. In Nigeria, it starts with the so-called "Minister of Youth and Sports" or some such appellation. It is not competence, not performance and certainly not qualification that determine who fills this and other administrative or managerial positions. First and foremost, government ministries in Nigeria have been classified according to what is considered important for power, prestige and dominion by the ethnic groups that have governed Nigeria and still do.

The Olympics recognizes and rewards individual youth effort and achievement; it provides opportunity for aspiring youths on the world-stage. Most countries in the world recognize and embrace

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that. Nigeria, on the other hand, cannot bring itself to do what is right here, because most of the best athletes will come from a particular region or ethnicity; unfortunately for these talented youth, they belong to the "wrong" ethnicity or region, even if their region produces the so-called wealth of Nigeria. They cannot possibly expect to be beneficiaries of Nigeria's Olympics support and largesse, or expect deserved opportunities where the ruling / preferred ethnicities / region are outclassed. Even designated funds coming from the World Olympics organization for Nigeria's athletes' training and development reportedly disappear as soon such funds cross the money-borders into Nigeria.

So, how could any sensible person expect more from or for Nigeria in the Olympics? How can any honest or serious person expect better from Nigeria in anything?

The Olympics just served as another reminder that Nigeria is dying of its own ills. What is killing Nigeria Nigerians do not want to address. They pretend it is not fundamentally about ethnicity and yet all their decisions are based on the same ethnic calculations, only in a sickening, negative, nepotistic and racist manner. Such pretense has become nauseating.

Nigeria could not win any Olympics medals or honor by pretending and by wishful thinking; pundits, mired in the same pretense, may now do their usual song-and-dance, but it is not going to help anyone, especially the youth who have lost out again.

good work? Fifth, why is the governor interested in having the man that managed the state's Finances under him since the beginning of his tenure as his successor? While I'm not saying the fact that someone was a Finance commissioner precludes him from pursuing a bigger ambition, in Nigerian politics, it is just too curious when a governor decides to put his treasury manager as his successor.

Sixth, although I am aware that Shagari doesn't have the grassroots support Wammako had prior to 2007, the governor should not forget that the sympathy arising from the improper treatment he received from his own boss when he was deputy governor was instrumental to his widespread popularity in 2007.

Ditching his own number two man appears ill-advised to me.

All said, I do not believe in the politics of installation even if it is a reality we cannot feign blindness to in Nigerian politics. I also do not believe that Shagari must be backed if the people feel he is not the best man for the job.

Suraj Oyewale is reachable on oyewalesuraj@yahoo.com Hear Jonathan explain why he pretends that already divided Nigeria is "indivisible". To him, since Nigerians own property in other parts of the country, everything must be pointing towards unity. What proportion of Nigerians actually own property outside their own village, anyway?

Owning property in Nigeria outside of one's area is not a proof of unity of Nigeria; it is proof of idiocy and expensive pretense, because one-Nigeria has only guaranteed that such property will be destroyed or dispossessed, and the owner will lose his or her life defending it, else abandon it and run for dear life. Let the President continue to pretend.

Nigeria could not win any Olympics medals or honor by pretending and by wishful thinking; pundits, mired in the same pretense, may now do their usual song-and-dance, but it is not going to help anyone, especially the youth who have lost out again.

Nigeria cannot win anything of value any time because it is an unsound arrangement wherein the peoples are being forced to stay away from addressing the fundamental problem with Nigeria.

There are of course Olympicclass athletes here, but they cannot shine while under Nigeria wherein they are guaranteed nothing but pretense and subjugation. This is the same metaphor for the rest of life; there are decent and aspiring normal peoples with potential for ordinary and even spectacular success who are presently dispossessed and smothered under Nigeria. They perish under Nigeria. They can shine-they will shine, but-only once out of Nigeria.

The fundamental problem with Nigeria is "one Nigeria".

Nothing else. The solution is obvious.

Oguchi Nkwocha lives in Salinas, California, USA.

PAGE 14

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Massacre of 34 South African miners

By Femi Falana, SAN

L

ast Thursday was a sad day in the history of independent South Africa when black policemen opened fire on striking miners, killed 34 of them and injured 78 others. In a provocative statement issued by the Authorities of the South Africa Police Service it was claimed that the brutal attack was carried out in self-defense.

But the video footage of the incident has clearly shown that the miners were running away from teargas smoke when the police engaged in the reckless shooting and killed them.

The Police Commissioner who made the callous and insensitive statement should be fired for the desperate move to cover up the heinous crime committed by the murderers in police uniform.

The cold murder of the miners is a tragic reminder of the white police firing at anti apartheid protesters and school children in the 1960s and 1970s. Now it is a police force dominated by blacks that is killing miners and other oppressed people in South Africa

By Mike Omeri

I

n May, this year, we had the formal launch of our crusade to uphold our country's core pursuit of discipline, integrity, patriotism and commitment to national development. The "Do The Right Thing: Transform Nigeria" campaign of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) is one of the vehicles for carrying out the President's promise to effect a paradigm shift in all the sectors of our national life. We believe that this effort will engender a conscience satisfying disposition by Nigerians towards moving the nation rapidly in the right direction.

This campaign is essentially a charge which is intended to make all Nigerians everywhere to do the right thing always. It is a value reorientation campaign that seeks to create a deliberate consciousness in Nigerians to do what is right.

The logo is simply to strike the conscience of our people on the need to join hands in the development of the country. It is the beginning of a new effort that will daily remind Nigerians of the need to be part of the building of a fatherland where justice, peace and progress

By Oludare Ogunlana

W

hether or not there should be issue of state police in Nigeria has always been a controversial issue; a faction of the Nigerian Governors Forum, mainly from the south, is agitating for the creation of state police while their northern counterparts are kicking against the idea. To some Nigerians, the fear that the governor of each state might abuse the power of the police under their jurisdiction in the same manner the Federal Government has been using police power for several years is a major challenge.

The forum of retired Inspectors General of Police knows better; those in power have used the police

who are justifiably demanding for for the xenophobic attacks and should be arrested and charged the dividend of the liberation police killing of the oppressed to court for homicide. Let the struggle.

Africans in a free South África.

Police Authorities go to the court Instead of addressing the Having regard to the facts and to plead self-defense on behalf of demands of the miners for circumstances of the killing of the the suspects. improved wages and miners the setting up of a In a similar situation the nationalization of the white commission of inquiry by President Federal Government of Nigeria controlled has deployed a m i n i n g detachment of industry the the Nigerian Jacob Zuma Army to the Administration headquarters of Peoples Daily welcomes your letters, opinion articles, text ignored the the Power messages and ‘pictures of yesteryears.’ All written workers until H o l d i n g contributions should be concise.

Word limits: Letters 150 the Police Company in words, Articles - 750 words. Please include your name and decided to kill Abuja to deal a valid location. Letters to the Editor should be addressed 34 of them. The with the to: strike provides u n a r m e d a golden workers who are The Editor, opportunity for demanding for the African payment of their Peoples Daily, 1st Floor Peace Plaza, N a t i o n a l legitimate 35 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako, Abuja.

Congress to entitlements Email: let ters@peoplesdaily-online.com arrest the from the SMS: 07037756364 g r o w i n g authorities inequality before the between a white minority of Zuma is totally uncalled for. This privatization of the company. bourgeoisie joined by a tiny black was the methodology of the Having collected about N300 elite and the majority of black apartheid regime to douse tension, million which was illegally people wallowing in abject divert attention and shield official diverted from the Federal poverty. President Zuma who had killers from prosecution. The Ministry of Power the Army based his campaign on black commission should be wound up Authorities are hell bent on empowerment should be blamed while all the murder suspects flushing out the striking workers

WRITE TO US

to pave way for the planned liquidation of the assets of the PHCN. As all efforts by the Nigeria Labour Congress and other interest groups to persuade the Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji to end the military occupation have failed the armed troops have threatened to "deal ruthlessly" with the workers. It means that the soldiers may open fire on the striking workers any moment from now.

In order to prevent the killing of unarmed electricity workers by the armed goons the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan should order the Chief of Army Staff to end the siege. The Authorities of the Ministry of Power and the Bureau of Public Enterprises should equally be prevailed upon by the Federal Government to enter into meaningful negotiations with the striking workers without any further delay.

Femi Falana is Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a former aviation minister

A new Nigeria is possible are the hallmark of our national aspiration.

It is hoped that by so doing, Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, irrespective of calling or vocation, will always examine their conscience each time they undertake a task in the name of our great country.

For instance, "Do The Right Thing" crusade will be built on the following trajectory: Be Disciplined, Be Patriotic, Be Right. This ultimately summarises the charge.

The NOA has launched the "Do The Right Thing" charge, logo and brand identity and this marks the official take off of our new value reorientation campaign.

The campaign is enlisting the buy-in of Nigerians from all works of life to support and promote national values and the objectives as contained in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution. This section stipulates that the "national ethics shall be discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance, self-reliance and patriotism.

Nigerians must cooperate with President Goodluck Jonathan to transform Nigeria by ensuring peace at all times, be our brothers' keepers, be good ambassadors of the country and promote harmony at all times. There is hope for all Nigerians if we work together to transform our country.

It is our greatest challenge yet; to uphold Nigeria and be courageous enough to stand for it and be proud of it. There is no country that is

against the interest of the citizens in the past. They understand executive rascality; the use of force to suppress the opposition, election rigging and power of the gun. They also know why a sitting IGP must comply with the order (good or bad) of the sitting president-to keep his job at all cost.

The criteria for appointing the IGPs sometimes are not based on competence but based on political or personal connections. Hence, absolute loyalty to the sitting dictator or executive president is highly imperative for survival in office. Therefore, people with this type of background can never see clearly the future and that is why

their report has become worrisome and misleading.

Of course, the citizens have never had a truly "Nigeria Police Force," but what we have is "Government Police Force." It is well understood, the fears expressed in the report to President Goodluck Jonathan by the forum of the retired IGPs. Those fears could be genuine and relevant if only we are still looking at the police as an instrument of force. The federal government wants the status quo to remain; a faction of the governors’ forum wants their own weapon of abuse like the federal government while the northern

created great. Greatness is the product of the attributes of a people.

All countries evolved as a result of the devoted efforts of their citizens.

Therefore, a new Nigeria is definitely possible. The only path of glory and honour for patriotic citizens is to resolve to do the right thing for their country. It is only a matter of time before we attain the greatness that we seek.

This campaign seeks the partnership of critical

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It is our greatest challenge yet; to uphold Nigeria and be courageous enough to stand for it and be proud of it. There is no country that is created great. Greatness is the product of the attributes of a people.

stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors. One area where this campaign will differ from similar campaigns in the past is the house to house engagement approach where agents of change will move around the neigbourhoods with the message of "Do The Right Thing, Transform Nigeria", both in the cities and the Local Government Councils. This approach will be enhanced by the massive spread of the NOA across the 774 Local Government areas as well as the Citizens' Responsibility Volunteer Scheme (CRVS) of the Agency.

It is a campaign that involves everybody. It is important to note that change begins with the individual.

Nigerians are encouraged to hold each other responsible for inappropriate acts.

Everybody must look in the mirror to make sure he or she is making that change. We can learn to love our country again and it begins with doing what is right always.

Mike Omeri is Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA).

State police: Former IGPs’ advisory faction feels their region will be at a disadvantage.

It is unfortunate that the league of Nigeria’s retired IGPs, the people supposedly in the best position to encourage and facilitate the creation of state police, view the police as an instrument of suppression.

However, 21st century policing is about service and problem solving.

I believe the creation of state and local government police will go a long way to mitigate present and future security challenges. The wealth of experience of these retire IGPs would have been needed to create, develop and nurture the state police for our nascent democracy.

In today's world, policing is not about the show or use of force; the police uniform is not a license to use to abuse or violate citizens' right. It goes beyond the use of the gun and batons. I believe that modern policing is about stopping crime before it happens; taking proactive measures against our adversaries and building a strong network among all the agencies to stop crime and enforce the law.

Oludare Ogunlana is a Security Analyst and Member of International Association for Counterterrorism & Security Professionals

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

By Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu

T

he people gave the president a resounding victory in the election expecting that his promised transformational leadership will address critical issues such as corruption, insecurity, infrastructure, unemployment and the convening of a conference of ethnic nationalities to finally address the issue of nationhood.

Unfortunately the nation is deeply disappointed as the president has yet to address any of the core issues. Indecision is the worst quality a president can have. Everyone expected a robust war against corruption, a determined effort to reorganise and reposition the police including the creation of state police to decisively tackle nationwide insecurity, a nationwide registration state by state of all unemployed youths to enable direct intervention in skills-vocational training, enterprise programs and others, a definite deal with multinational construction companies and the private sector to commence nationwide road construction, rehabilitation of public schools, hospitals, water schemes, mass housing and the setting-up of a committee to organise a conference of ethnic nationalities.

These issues remain the greatest fundamentals of the state of the nation which requires urgent attention from any president deserving of his office. Fortunately, there is still ample time left to commence action in all these sectors and show some results within the shortest possible time. The strategy is to re-strategize, refocus and relaunch by commencing immediate sectoral action as proposed below.

Corruption is the single greatest cancer that has brought the nation to her knees and the federal government should decisively tackle

PAGE 15

Mr. President, time to re-strategize it by creating special courts.

Alternatively corruption could be re- designated "economic treason" by law which would pave the way for the use of military tribunals to prosecute cases of corruption with mandatory sentences which should include capital punishment.

The terrible state of federal roads, public schools, hospitals and total absence of pipe borne water is a scandal on a democracy that in 13 years has benefitted from the longest

bunkering estimated at 180,000 barrels a day will significantly halt the stealing of crude oil thus cancelling out any loss of earnings from the deal to pay for infrastructure with crude oil. This effort should lead to an immediate and visible construction work on all federal roads and rehabilitation of public schools and hospitals across the nation which in itself will be a means of massive job creation.

The lack of jobs and opportunities

oil boom in the nation's history.

There is simply no excuse for this damming predicament beyond corruption, misrule and a deliberate decision by the leadership not to address the infrastructure crisis. Mr President must now move fast to strike a deal with multinational construction companies. If there is no money, the federal government can negotiate to pay with crude oil and accordingly set-aside 100,000 or 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily as payment for the infrastructure network.

A serious effort to combat illegal

for millions of unemployed youths who roam the streets poses a great danger to the security and social stability of the nation. The federal government should begin efforts to solve the problem by commencing a nationwide registration of unemployed youths state by state to get data for direct annual intervention in providing skillsvocational training and other job and enterprise programs. With foreign aid from the millennium development goals of the United Nations and the possibility of introducing a social security tax to

which all corporations, income earners and others can contribute together with donations from private philanthropists, local and foreign NGOs, annual funding for the youth training and employment programs should not be a problem for the government.

The amnesty should carry a cash incentive for all surrendered guns which would serve to encourage the surrender of weapons. The amnesty should also include an intensive rehabilitation, indoctrination, vocational training and enterprise programs.

Automatic government grants should be available to restive youths who complete their training programs and desire to set-up businesses. This initiative should be followed with the creation of a "civil intelligence corps" which basically will be an intelligence gathering and policing unit with should substantially recruit the amnestied youths thereby using erstwhile violent actors to police the communities and provide vital intelligence to the security services Further initiatives should include tough gun control legislation with mandatory sentences for anyone implicated in gun running and gun crime, the establishment of a free police emergency number, a comprehensive reorganization and retooling of the police by a technical committee of experts for an interim period.

Final initiative should be the creation of state police-sheriffs to be under shared control between the federal government and the state governments in order to prevent abuse. Six police colleges should be set up in the six zones to undertake the training of the state police personnel. The advantages of state police include the local content advantage of recruiting people from

advocating today, could do collateral damage to the body (comprising majority of FCT residents living in legal structures, the Abuja Master Plan, the extant Urban and Regional Planning laws and the lofty dreams of the founding fathers of the FCT). There is no doubt that the wish of most Nigerians is for Abuja to rank among the well planned, organized and beautiful cities of the world.

This explains why our judiciary deserves commendation for the mature manner in which it has handled the cases concerning illegal structures and demolition in Abuja recently. For instance, on Wednesday 15th August, 2012, a motion for an interlocutory order restraining the Minister of FCT and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) from demolishing illegal structures in Mpape, a suburb of Abuja was rejected by an Abuja High Court presided by Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf. The case was filed by the Non-indigenous Landlords of Mpape village whose illegal structures had been marked for demolition by FCDA. Justice Abubakar Kutigi at the FCT High Court sitting in Bwari

had a week earlier declined to grant an injunction restraining the Minister and the FCDA from removing the illegal structures in the same suburb settlement of Mpape.

In one of their submissions, the petitioners argued that the Minister should be mindful of the fact that FCT is a creation of law and therefore should act within the confines of the law. Against the backdrop of this assertion by the squatters, the question arises: What is that law that created the FCT within which confines the Minister and his subordinates in the FCDA are supposed to operate? What manner of physical development did the law(s) that created the FCT stipulate for residents to follow in building their residential, commercial or institutional houses?

Again, did the planned removal of illegal structures in Mpape and other affected villages amount to a total obliteration of the entire settlements? The answers to these questions are well known to all discerning and law-abiding residents of FCT. Definitely, there are some houses in Mpape and other affected areas that were built based on lawful land allocations, approved plans,

designs or specifications. Nobody has marked such houses for demolition.

The FCT is recognized by the 1999 Constitution as if it were one of the states of the Federation of Nigeria. Like the 36 states, it has local governments which are called area councils. Its six councils are Abuja Municipal, Abaji, Bwari, Kuje, Kwali and Gwagwalada.

The logical advice for the squatters in the affected villages is to relocate to the satellite towns and the area councils where they would find it relatively easier to build lawful houses. The FCTA on its part has created an enabling environment housing development in most of such places through provision of basic infrastructures like access roads, electricity, water, healthcare and schools.

Furthermore, those who might insist on living within the Abuja city metropolis rather than build their own houses in the satellite towns and area councils can opt for rental of available houses such as those in various mass housing estates in the city. These are just few examples of lawful options open to affected squatters.

“

Due to the contradictions of her creation, Nigeria has been beset by crisis from birth. This crisis has resulted in a civilwar and continuing bloodletting in frequent ethno-religious conflicts, widespread group grievances and lack of cohesion.

local communities who have a good knowledge of the area and the miscreants in the community.

Increase in police man power for increased rural and urban policing, increased means of intelligence gathering, a complement to the federal police and ultimately a means of job creation for unemployed youths.

It is recommended that each state recruit a minimum of 10,000 state police-sheriffs up to a maximum of 50,000. Populous urban centres such as Lagos and special centres such as Abuja should be able to recruit a minimum of 20,000 metropolitan police-sheriff personnel up to a maximum of 80,000. About 20-30% of recruited personnel should be trained as plain clothes undercover intelligence police officers tasked with intelligence gathering.

Due to the contradictions of her creation, Nigeria has been beset by crisis from birth. This crisis has resulted in a civilwar and continuing bloodletting in frequent ethno-religious conflicts, widespread group grievances and lack of cohesion. To seek a lasting solution to this problem the government should create a special committee that will oversee the organisation of a conference of ethnic nationalities which will assemble all ethnic, religious and social groups for an exhaustive dialogue on Nigeria's future and possible structure.

The implementation of these key issues of critical importance will positively signal a re-strategizing refocusing and relaunching of the promised transformational leadership of Mr. President.

Since the impending demolition exercise is a necessary operation to rescue FCT and restore it to the path envisaged by its founding fathers, what is needed from all residents is understanding and not threats and litigations. Happily, the FCT Minister has pledged some succor for affected residents to cushion the effects of the demolition. As he pointed out during the recent Eid-el-Fitr celebration in Abuja: "We are not doing it (demolition) to cause harm to any person or group. It is for the collective good." According to him, security challenges occasioned by the crises in some parts of the country have brought a lot of population pressure on FCT resulting in overstretch of infrastructure. The development has also heightened the need to remove possible hideouts for criminal elements in the city.

Despite the harsh realities of the time, the solace for all is that what the FCDA is doing as per the illegal structures removal is something that will be more beneficial for all and the society.

Lawrence Chinedu Nwobu is on facebook (www.facebook.com)

Demolition, illegal structures and Abuja master plan

By Nosike Ogbuenyi

I

t can hardly be doubted that the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed is a strongwilled leader. It is equally evident that he is one public officer imbued with milk of kindness when it comes to policies and issues that have bearing with the wellbeing of the people.

That explains why he is often in pains when it comes to implementing policies that superficially appear to be harmful to the people whereas they are actually more beneficial to them. The Minister literarily found himself torn between two parts when it came to deciding whether to or not to go ahead with the removal of illegal structures springing up in Mpape, Kuchingoro, Chika, Aleita, Karamajiji, Pilwoyi, Gishiri and other slums that seem to be forming a notorious ring around the Nation's Capital City.

But illegal structures are like malignant cancer which if left to stabilize or spread could overwhelm and kill the body. In the case of FCT, illegal structures, if left to thrive, as some people appear to be

Nosike Ogbuenyi can be reached through nosikeogbuenyi04@yahoo.com.

PAGE 16

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Court remands 25-year-old over alleged N3.7m fraud A

n Abuja Chief Magistrates Court has remanded one Aidamsbor Samson, 25, of Phase 2 in Jikwoyi in prison custody for joint act, criminal trespass and forgery.

Samson was said to have been reported at the Asokoro Police Station by the complainant, Aliyu Zakari Jiya.

Police prosecutor, Philips Akogwu, told the court that the petition was received at the station on August 7, 2012 from Jiya, who resides at No 4 Mujoka Close, Area 3, Garki Abuja.

He said that the complainant reported the loss of his Zenith Bank account withdrawal booklet earlier that same day at

Maitama.

Akogwu also said that the accused and another, now at large, went into a branch of Zenith Bank in Asokoro with a copy of the missing withdrawal slip.

The prosecutor said that the accused attempted withdrawing the sum of N3.7 million with a

This young man ekes a living from selling sand evacuated from streets.

forged signature of the complainant.

The Chief Magistrate, Azubuike Okeagu, said that the accused was above bail and ordered that he be remanded in prison custody.

Okeagu adjourned the case to September 17, 2012 for hearing.

(NAN)

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Fuel scarcity: Recreation centre records low patronage

T

he Abuja Millennium Park on yesterday recorded low patronage as the fuel scarcity caused by the NUPENG strike continued to bite harder in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A fun seeker, Hajiya Safia Sani, who was at the Millennium Park with her family to celebrate the Sallah holiday, told NAN that she was disappointed with the turnout of events at the park.

“I came out here to enjoy with

my family because I was bored at home, but what am seeing here now is totally disappointing. It looks like there is nothing to celebrate. The security situation and the fuel scarcity have made it difficult for us to enjoy the Sallah,” she said.

An ice cream vendor, Mr Osaretin Izekor, said the rains were not helping matters too.

He regretted that unlike other periods, this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration was surrounded by many challenges.

“Before now I thought I will make enough money from this Sallah celebration but its only God that can say what the outcome will be. The turnout was a bit impressive on Monday evening but I can’t understand what is going on today,” Izekor lamented.

The story was however different for Gabriel Obiajunwa, a photographer at the park.

Obiajunwa told NAN that nothing has changed with the fuel scarcity.

“Before this time, I exhausted

four ribbons of film and today am on the fourth one.

I make about N30,000 out of the four ribbons, so for me nothing has changed.

I thank God, the situation is not affecting me,” Obiajunwa said.

Apart from fun seekers and merchants, the security men including the State Security Service (SSS) and the Police were seen at strategic positions at the park mounting surveillance.

(NAN)

Cleric explains essence of summer camp for kids

C

oordinator of the 2012 summer camp for kids at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Gwarimpa, Abuja, held last Sunday, Rev. Fr. Cyril Odia, said the essence of the camp was to ensure that kids were morally empowered to face the challenges in life.

Odia made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at a thanks-giving mass to mark the close of the twoweek summer camp with theme; ‘David and Goliath’.

According to him, the gains from organising camp for kids

cannot be underestimated as it helps in moulding the upcoming generation.

“We chose this theme because we wanted the children not to be afraid of the issues of insecurity they hear around them that can affect them psychologically from their childhood, and may have adverse effect later in life; so they are seeing themselves as little “Davids’’ and having all these big problems of health, insecurity, tensions and economic crisis all over the world”, he explained.

The cleric disclosed that many

animators were trained for the programme and masses were celebrated on daily basis while 600 children were properly trained on prayerful life.

Odia said the kids were trained in various ways and were introduced to basic things other than the usual academic areas like cleanliness, first aid and how to manage environmental disaster.

The cleric, who is from the religious order of Salesian of St John Don-Bosco expressed hope that the programme would be sustained over the years to help in moulding

the upcoming generation.

Mr. Lawrence Adoh, a parent who told NAN that the programme was interesting, educative and good for every child at the camp said though some people were not in support of the camp, it was a good opportunity to bring the children closer to God and to reduce the influence of the new media on their lives.

Some of the participants and animators who spoke to NAN said it was a good programme and advocated that it should be sustained. (NAN)

Sallah: Lawmaker tasks Muslims, Christians on peace

By Usman Shuaibu

A

member of the House of Representatives, representing Abaji, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), at the National Assembly, Honourable Isah Egah Dobi has called on Muslims and Christians to live in peace with one another irrespective of their religious inclinations.

Dobi, who made the call in an interview with newsmen during in Dobi, said that without peace in Nigeria cannot move forward.

He further urged Muslims and non- Muslims alike to continue to pray for the progress of the country, noting that prayers were the only solution to every problem faced by any society.

He then appealed to the people of his constituency to continue to tolerant one another and warned them to desist from things that almighty God forbidden during and after the month of Ramdan.

Commenting on corruption, the lawmaker said that despite the due to process policy in Nigeria, corruption has continued to eat deep into the fabric of the nation.

While speaking on his achievements, Dobi said that he had carried out about 58 projects across his constituency.

Man accuses another of stealing trouser

T

he Police have arraigned Paul Oupe of Lugbe village, before an Abuja Senior Magistrates Court for allegedly accusing one Lawal Niran of stealing his trouser.

Police prosecutor Paul Anigbo told the court that the alleged theft was reported to the Lugbe Police Station by Niran on August 8, 2012.

Anigbo said that Niran was at the Lugbe junction where he was waiting to board a vehicle when Oupe allegedly accused him of being in possession of his trouser.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge when the First Information Report was read out to him.

Senior Magistrate Ann Akobi granted him in the sum of N20,000, with a surety in like sum.

She said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the case to August 29, 2012 for further hearing. (NAN)

PAGE 18

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Proliferation of ‘free newspaper readers’ club in Abuja N

ewspaper ‘free readers’ clubs abound at virtually all the major newspaper selling points in the city of Abuja.

It is now a common sight to see members around newspaper stands everyday especially in the mornings, beginning from 7 am.

The metropolis and its environs are often crowded by readers who are always anxious to have a glimpse of some of the catchy headlines on the front page of the newspapers.

Their underlining objective of visiting the stands is usually to get information or acquire knowledge on how changes around them affect their lives.

It also encompasses, sharing ideas, to be abreast of recent happenings or topical issues bordering on polities, health, agriculture, education, religion, sports , especially football, security among others within and outside the country.

They are mostly dominated by youth especially graduates who are either searching for job vacancies or seeking for information on current issues or events.

People refer to them as ‘free readers’ because no fee or amount is requested from them by the vendors before or after reading the newspapers. Once permission is taken from the vendors, they are free to go through the contents of the papers. They could also stay as long as they want.

A vendor in front of NNPC Towers Abuja, Philip Ohiala gives an insight into why he permits this.

“I allowed people to read my newspapers and that is why am popular here. Some people buy after going through them. You know all fingers are not equal, so I am not against those who cannot afford to buy them,” he told our reporter.

Although this is not the case with every vendor as some do not allow people to peruse the contents of the papers to prevent them from being rumpled.

The reason for this is not far fetched because potential buyers often do not like to buy rumpled newspapers.

In such cases, vendors only allow readers to they concentrate on the headlines.

These free readers, thus, do not have any other choice but to stick to this since they cannot afford to buy newspapers on daily basis but would want to be current in every aspect.

Most of them said they read from newspaper stands because of the cost factor of newspapers. Some who visit the stands to read do so because sport pages of newspapers are aesthetically attractive and also present an in-depth treatment of sporting events.

Interestingly, these daily free readers are very current and well versed in knowledge. It is also their practice to argue and analyse current and topical issues in a very logical manner that passersby

The practice of visiting newspaper stands has become a daily routine for many Nigerians across states in the country. Abuja, the nation’s capital city is not left out as the tradition has equally gained recognition and grown steadily in recent times here in the metropolis. Our reporter, Etuka Sunday takes a look at some of the positive and negative effect of these activities.

Free newspaper readers at a news stand, near wuse market, recently. cannot help but stop to have a feel of the excitement.

Samuel Awoyinfa has this to say about them: “The newsstands have also always been veritable platforms for discussing politics, sports and current affairs, among others.

For the sports lovers, most of whom prefer the European league, theirs is a different kettle of fish.

Some of them scan the headlines from major sporting newspapers and begin an endless debate on topics so treated and the ones unconnected, even remotely to them.

Fans of opposing teams, mostly Arsenal and Chelsea, see the newsstands as an extension of the ‘battlefield’. Some of them go to the extent of exchanging altercations and fisticuffs, just to press home their arguments”.

Some people who have benefited from free reading are advocating that it should be encouraged.

“It has been a culture that has been here for quite a while. I am a benefactor of free readers, I met some of my best friends there and I equally got my first two jobs from reading Tuesday and Thursday Guardian when I had no kobo on me to buy a paper of my own,” Awoyinfa said.

He continued: “Nigerians were not ‘free readers’ at the beginning but the excruciating poverty turned them to that. I remember very well while growing up in the late seventies and early eighties

that my daddy used to buy four newspapers every day (Sketch, Tribune, Daily times and any other one that takes his fancy for that day) On Wednesdays, he would add Gboungboun and Iroyin Yoruba to his favourite three newspapers.

“All the children will be asked to read the newspapers and brief him later on. When things became difficult, he cut back to two newspapers but he never stopped buying newspapers until he died.

“This practice helped me a lot in school and later on in life. I developed my love for writing from the constant exposure to reading newspapers at home.

Today, this practice is dying out and what we have is the fondness for TV, mindless video games and home videos by children”.

Although the practice may appear very good but it has a

negative effect on the economic value of newspaper production which is all about profit maximization.

It is easy to fathom the consequences of this practice of free reading to the sale of newspapers.

Many people have become accustomed to this, hence they prefer to read free-of-charge than buy newspapers.

This has impacted negatively on newspaper patronage as some people have argued that it is contributing to the low level of sales of newspapers by vendors.

Not oblivious of this ugly implication, some newspaper vendors have started trapping the newspapers with either stones or other heavy objects to prevent the readers from accessing the stories on the inside pages.

Apart from the economic implication of this act, some believe

“

It has been a culture that has been here for quite a while. I am a benefactor of free readers, I met some of my best friends there and I equally got my first two jobs from reading Tuesday and Thursday Guardian when I had no kobo on me to buy a paper of my own

that dubious people might hide under this guide to commit crimes.

However, Olatubo Ajayi, has different opinion about this claim as he told our reporter that: “We always share ideas here about current affairs. We don’t commit crime”.

Gana Emmanuel also shares Ajayi’s views. “I have been a regular reader here. Although we may not have the money to buy the papers but the way we debate on some of the issues that are contained in the papers encourage people to buy. We don’t allow violence here and it’s hard for somebody to come from outside and make trouble because we know ourselves.

“We are learned people so we don’t argue to the extent that it would result to fight. We are security conscious so anytime we see strange persons we will confront them. We discourage those who may want to turn violent or go into crimes with our arguments. We know those who come here regularly to read”.

Interestingly, there seems to be hope for Nigeria and indeed newspaper publishers who are often dispirited because of poor reading culture of Nigerians.

Today, there is a growing level of patronage from newspaper readers who congregate around newspaper stands everyday to be informed, educated and entertained, therefore it behoves on the newspaper publishers to be objective in their reportage.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 17

Young men evacuating zincs from a demolished house, recently in Mpape, Abuja.

An okada rider loading his motorcycle with sugar cane in Bwari, Abuja.

A man over loads his wheelbarrow with drums in Garki market, Abuja.

A man taking a nap while waiting for customers in his shop in Durumi village, Abuja.

Auto mechanics repairing a vehicle in Kabusa village, Abuja.

Photos: Justin Imo-Owo

BUSINESS

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Email: amunuimam@yahoo.co.uk

PAGE 19

INSIDE

- Pg 21

‘Why Aviation cabal is against Aviation Minister’

Mob: 08033644990

Confidence, safety of funds, growth restored in bridged banks —- AMCON

T

he Executive Director, Finance and Operations, Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), yesterday said that the bridged banks have earned the confidence of the investing public.

The bridged banks, namely: Keystone Bank Ltd., Enterprise Bank Ltd and Mainstreet Bank Ltd., are the defunct BankPHB, Spring Bank and Afribank, respectively.

Dosunmu made the assessment of the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN)-rescued banks at an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Evaluating the one year operations of the three banks, the AMCON Executive Director said that the healthy and unhealthy segregation among the banks had fizzled out.

“In the first place, we have confidence back in the industry.

Before now, we had a kind of segregation in the market, some banks were healthy, some were not healthy. Now, you don’t have

that anymore.

“Because what we saw was that initially when the bridged banks started, they did lose some depositors’ funds. But when the customers saw that anytime they walked into those institutions, they can get their money back, they started banking with them,” she said.

According to her, the bridged banks have also reduced their cost of funds as current account balances constitute the bulk of their deposits, unlike a year ago

when term deposits with high interest rates, were their major deposits.

“The bridged banks have reduced their reliance on term deposits. In terms of percentages, current account deposits increased from about 30 per cent to almost 50 per cent,” she said.

Dosunmu said that the new confidence level in the banks had also resulted in their reduced cases of fraud and improved earnings from other income sources like fees and commissions.

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, with market women, during an inspection of on-going work at the Ojumose market, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.

CBN says it’s reviewing ‘Cash-Less Lagos’ scheme before expansion to states

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it is conducting an assessment of the ‘CashLess Lagos’ scheme, to determine when to introduce it in other states of the federation.

The Director, Banking and Payments System Department of the CBN, Mr Dipo Fatokun, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.

Fatokun said that the success of the pilot scheme of the policy would assist the apex bank to determine what to do in the next phase of the scheme.

He said that an assessment of the policy carried out recently, had revealed that the policy had recorded some success.

According to him, the success of the pilot scheme will also assist the regulator in implementing the policy nationwide.

Fatokun said that the CBN had identified some challenges facing the policy, noting that the recognition of the challenges would help in identifying future problems.

He expressed optimism on the preparedness of the CBN to

confront whatever “setback” that might arise in the implementation of the policy in other states.

The director, however, did not disclose when the policy would start in other states but said that only the board and management of the CBN could determine that.

“Once we get it right in Lagos, we will get it right in other states.

“An assessment is being done to see how well we have performed in Lagos but the truth of the matter is that we are not doing badly. We are doing well.

“So, when the board and the

management choose, we can decide where to go and when to go.”

He said that the CBN would soon introduce multi-functional Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), having features obtainable in ATMs currently in use.

Fatokun explained that the new ATMs were designed to accept deposits from customers and credit their accounts immediately after transactions were done on it.

“You will now be seeing multifunctional ATMs that can take

money from customers.

“The new ATMs are designed that instead of going to banking halls to deposit, you make use of it by filling your data and your account will be credited immediately,” he said.

The director said that the innovation would assist the cashless policy and reduce man-hours wasted in attending to customers coming to banks for deposits.

He said that another advantage of the facility was that it would reduce long queues of customers, trying to deposit cash in banks. (NAN)

Management Tip of the Day

E

Handle both kinds of conflict

very team has a certain amount of conflict, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a leader you should identify whether the tension is destructive or constructive, and address it directly.

Destructive conflict, including personal attacks and scapegoating, undermines the

trust that is vital to working relationships. Manage it by acknowledging the problem, using persuasion, reminding others of the long-term perspective, or otherwise deploying your power as a leader.

Constructive conflict, on the other hand, is when team members have divergent

perspectives on your most important tasks or priorities. Ask pointed questions to draw the issues out. Then insist that your employees discuss them openly and work out solutions that can be integrated into your team's overall vision.

Source: Harvard Business Review

She said the happiness of the corporation stemmed from the fact that Nigerians do not just deposit money in the rescued banks’ current accounts, but also do business with the banks, as noticed from their commission on transactions.

NAN quotes the AMCON director as saying that the bridged banks have not only recovered, but are on the part of growth.

“A lot of waste has been stopped. Leakages have been closed. There have been some adjustments in their staffing, whereas people that were not really contributing to the bottom line of the banks have been successfully exited.

“Even the operational costs of running those institutions have come down. Now, you have in addition, more focused management teams. They have specific terms of reference. They are measured particularly against the background that what went into these banks is coming from a sinking fund that is contributed by other banks,” she added.

On whether the bridged banks had returned to profitability, she said that the lenders have broken even, returned to profitability and drastically reduced the rate of their losses. (NAN)

Airtel to expand cable transmission network

A

irtel Nigeria, will boost its services in Nigeria with expansion of its cable transmission network. The subsidiary of Indian telecom major Bharti Airtel made this known through a top official in the company.

“In the first phase, we will be adding over 2,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable to our network, raising it to 6,000 km,” Airtel Nigeria Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Rajan Swaroop said in Lagos.

He said that the company has doubled the capacity of its network since 2010, when Bharti Airtel took over the Nigerian assets of Kuwaitbased Zain Telecom.According to Swaroop, the investment and diligence being put in is transforming Airtel into a highly accepted brand by Nigerians.

Airtel Nigeria, which started operation in 2010 was awarded the best GSM operator in the country in 2012 by the sectoral regulator Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC). The NCC had arrived at the decision by using four parameters which include, Call Set-up Success Rate, Call Completion Rate, Drop Call Rate and Traffic Channel Congestion. (NAN)

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 20

COMPANY NEWS SAHCOL

T

he Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, (SAHCOL) has acquired a state of the art equipment aimed at enhancing efficiency in its service delivery.

The Rapiscan 632DV X-ray system machine with dual view is an advanced small and large parcel screening system designed for pallet and break bulk cargo screening.

SAHCOL’s acquisition of the equipment falls in line with the directives from the United States that ground handling companies should migrate from the single view screening machine for cargo items to dual view due to the heightened wave of terrorism across the world.

Air France/ KLM

A

ir France/KLM has released its first half year results in 2012 with a 44.5% rise in revenues to 6.5 billion euros with a decline in unit costs on a constant currency and fuel price basis.

The Board of Directors of Air France-KLM, chaired by Jean-Cyril Spinetta, met recently to examine the accounts for the first half of 2012.

In the second quarter of the same year, the passenger business saw an improved performance, but cargo suffered from the weak global trading environment even as the carrier said the fuel bill increased, mainly on the back of the strengthening of the dollar.

Ethiopian Airlines

E

thiopian Airlines, which also operates daily flights into Lagos, has taken delivery of Africa’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The 787, which so far is operated only by two Japanese airlines, is Boeing most advanced plane. It is made out of lighter, composite material-50 percent of the plane is carbon fibre, allowing airlines to save on fuel costs.

The Airline says the aircraft will first be used around routes on the Continent. It added that the Plane’s maiden flight is to carry 250 select customers and VIPs, who will fly around Mount Kilimanjaro on the Tanzania-Kenya border.

558 Nigerian DANA Air staff send SOS to President Jonathan Stories from Suleiman Idris, Lagos

C

lose to 90 days after the tragic DANA airline crash that claimed the lives of 153 occupants of one of its aircraft, including 7 of their colleagues, 558 Nigerians directly employed by the airline has send a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to President Goodluck Jonathan imploring him to order the reinstatement of the Air Operating Certificate (AOC) of the airline that was suspended after the June 3, plane crash in Lagos.

In an appeal letter titled: “A passionate appeal by DANA Air staff for the lifting of the suspension on DANA air operations” signed on behalf of the staff by its Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Tony Usidamen, they noted that though the tragic incident was regrettable, among other negative implications the continued suspension the airline’s AOC would inflict on the Nigerians is the possible closure of DANA thereby throwing them into the harshunemployment market.

They disclosed that no other

airline that has suffered a similar accident has responded in the way and manner the management of DANA has done after the accident.

A statement made available to our correspondent read in part: ”Besides honouring its duty to the families of the victims, the airline has also continued to fulfill its obligations to its staff by way of remuneration, which amounts to about N110 million monthly.”

“We, the over 558 directly-

employed Nigerian staff of DANA Air, hereby appeal to His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, through the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, to urgently lift the suspension on DANA Air operations in line with global best practices and international regulations guiding air accidents”, the statement read.

The embattled staff urged the

18th Aviation Allied Business Leadership Confab to hold in Sept.

O

rganisers of this year Aviation & Allied Business conference have announced that Namibia’s President, Mr. Hifikepunye Pohamba will officially declare open the 18th annual Leadership Conference, slated to take place at the Windhoek Country Club Resort & Casino i n N a m i b i a ’ s capital city, Windhoek, between 2nd and 4th September.

The 2012 meeting, organisers disclosed, will

attempt to look into how the continent’s aviation industry will put together strategies aimed at developing the infant industry in Africa.

With the theme: ‘Air Transport Development: Rethinking Africa’s Strategy’, more than 250 delegates expected at the event will brainstorm on how Africa can attract investment from across the globe, thus making it a hot-spot for investors seeking new opportunities in Africa and

‘Why Aviation cabal is against Aviation Minister’

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n alarm has been raised over plans by a faceless group to bring down the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah and stop her transformational strides in the aviation sector for "not carrying them along".

A civil society group, The Aviation Watchdog, raised the alarm in a press statement signed by it's coordinator, Capt. Oludare Wasiu and Secretary, Menshak Gabriel in Jos. The group alleged that a group masquerading as Aviation Stakeholders Roundtable have infiltrated various interventionist programmes of government and rendered it inefficient, in order to perfect it's strangulating hold. " Various laudable programmes of government like the 2009 aviation

recapitalisation project, PublicPrivate-Partnerships and concessionary agreements were infiltrated and roundly converted into drain pipes”, it stated.

According to the group, the failure of the cabal to continue it's parasitic grip in the present arrangement put in place by the current minister of Aviation, has drawn the anger of the group who have sworn to bring her down.

"These characters were key protagonists in the dismemberment of the once boisterous national carrier Nigerian Airways.

Their underhand strategy of threats, blackmail, campaign of calumny and 'settlements' had in the past put most former Ministers of Aviation under their firm grip.

The present Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah proved a hard nut to crack. The unfolding

providing a huge opportunity for industry partners to interact.

Publisher of Aviation & Allied Business Journal and organisers of the conference, Capt. Edward Boyo told journalists that this year’s focus will be on finding more innovative ways of resolving the difficulties facing aviation development in Africa and making the coordinated response to common internal and external policy challenges more achievable. vicious campaigned embarked by the cabal is therefore to draw attention to themselves and derail the transformational programmes of the Hon Minister."

Speaking further, they asserted that after more than 30 years of total neglect, the airports infrastructure is undergoing remodeling and reconstruction simultaneously in 11airports scattered around the country.

This feat should elicit commendation and applaud from aviation stakeholders that are truly concerned about the growth of the sector.

They called on the aviation minister to remain focused because the silent majority are with her. They saluted the courage of the Minister for her determination in rescuing the industry citing the Aerotropolis airport city project and her foreign investment campaign as testament of a transformational leadership.

They advised the group to swallow their pride and support the good work.

President to consider the dire situation their countless dependants and families will face in the event that they lost their means of livelihood, including large number of 3rd parties’ suppliers and agencies that also depend on the airline to survive.

While commiserating with families of the bereaved, the staff said the airline has shown commitment to safety and best practices in the country’s aviation industry since its commence operations in November 2008, winning over 25 awards both locally and internationally.

Boeing ready to partner Nigeria to re-position industry, says Ministry

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he Boeing company has reportedly agreed to collaborate and partner with Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation to reposition the country’s aviation industry as a reference point in Africa.

This assurance was contained in a statement by the Special Assistant(Media) to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Joe Obi. The partnership, according to him, would be achieved through a systematic approach that will enhance and sustain the nation’s safetyrecord, develop the industry as the hub on the continent and reposition the industry as the main engine of growth for the nation’s economy.

This development, he says, is part of an 8-Point Programme of Action between Boeing and the Aviation Ministry, which was brokered by a team of Nigerian officials on ‘’Investors’ Roadshow’’ to the United States, led by the Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and top management of Boeing Corporation of USA. Under the programme, Boeing is to play a major role in the establishment of Maintenance and Repair Organisations (MROs) in the country, the establishment of Boeing Training Hub in Nigeria and carry out technical assessment of all aircraft operated by domestic airlines in the country.

Others includes fleet renewal and acquisition programme for the airlines and also develop an aviation database for the country.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 21

The many challenges of Nigeria’s textile industry Ayodele Samuel writes on the unfortunate transformation of the Nigeria textile industry amidst the Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) price hike.

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everal years after Federal Government’s N100 billion bailout fund, textile manufacturers have attributed their woes to the hike in the price of both Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) and electricity.

The sector used to be the second largest in Africa after Egypt’s in 1997, with over 250 vibrant factories operating above 50 per cent capacity utilisation, but today, only less than 25 are still producing, as most of them have wound up due its many problems.

The Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA) said despite the intervention funds from the government, the textile sector is still finding it difficult to survive due to the challenge of power generation.

Textile manufacturers agreed that the intervention fund will not make any significant impact unless the government addresses the issue of power generation.

NTMA Director-General, Jaiyeola Olanrewaju, said the textile companies are still struggling to survive as a result of the escalating cost of LPFO and the hike in the electricity tariff.

He said “Although the intervention funds have been given to us, the situation has not improved because of these two factors, and if care is not taking, things will go worst, some of the companies that took the loans have bought new machines, some have done many things with the loan, but their situation has not improved. It is not palatable,” he lamented.

Olanrewaju said poor power supply is making it difficult for the local companies to compete with the foreign products, because their cost of production is on the high side.

“We cannot compete with imported textiles under the current business environment. If within one year the market is saturated with imported textiles, local industries will have problems selling, and many of them will certainly close down.

“The government has to do something on these increases if they want progress in the sector. I don’t really know why government should increase the cost of LPFO that we are producing locally.”

He said rising cost of Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) has combined with failing infrastructure, thereby making operation difficult for the surviving textile industries in Nigeria.

“The supply of electricity from the public source leaves manufacturer with no options than running on private

generating plants. Take, for instance, a textile company consuming 1,000,000 litres of diesel in a month and three million litres of LPFO a month, the increase in the prices of the product will definitely reflect on the price of their products,” he argued.

According to Olanrewaju, the textile sector which is currently at a stagnated level, is also faced with

…..how N100bn bailout fund failed smuggling of cheap textiles products from abroad.

The chairman of the Textile Association of Northern states chapter, Dr. Walid Jibrin have said that about 95% textile materials consumed in the country are smuggled, leaving only 5% to Nigerian Textiles manufacturers.

Dr Jibrin said that counterfeiting of Textiles Trade Marks and design coupled with massive smuggling have killed the textiles industry in Nigeria. “It is a

herculean task trying to bring to normalcy the hay days of the industry,” he said.

“In order to compete favourably with foreign fabrics, government and the private sector must collaborate to stop the influx of counterfeited and smuggled textiles. It is sad to note that the 175 textiles industries in the 80s have drastically reduced to only 24,” he lamented.

Also, reports says Nigeria loses a staggering of $325 million every

from the Far Eastern Asian countries, “that had sounded the death-knell of the textile industry in Nigeria.

“Due to the opening of the boarders, we had to cope with competitors that have infrastructural superiority – advantage in electricity, access to cheap funds, good and better road network in these countries and better transportation system”, he lamented.

“How do you compete with

year due to evasion customs duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) by smugglers of textile materials.

According to a stakeholder, Mr. Abiodun Ogunkoya, around 85 per cent of the $1.4 billion worth of textile materials that flood the nation annually are smuggled. ‘’About 85 per cent of the textiles being sold in the Nigeria markets, especially printed textiles are smuggled into the country including fake and counterfeited materials. Wax print fabrics produced in China bear counterfeit trade marks of Nigeria manufacturers and fake Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Logo printed on the labels.’’

National chairman, Nigerian Textile, Garment and Tailoring Association (NTGTA),Mr. Ibrahim Igomu dates back the problem to the moment Nigerian government signed the WTO Agreement, opening up our boarders to be flooded by textiles

these countries when we all know the environment we are working in – epileptic power supply, difficulty in accessing funds from our financial institutions, and other hassles?” he queried. “ If you succeed at obtaining the money at all, they are not long-term funds – loans of between five to 10 years, with a moratorium. Obtaining this from this fund from financial institutions has not been easy in Nigeria, except for specialized financial institutions like the Bank of Industry. Our porous boarders have also been a problem that has been responsible for the closure of our textile industry”, he stated.

Unless the Federal Government takes urgent action to revive the glory of the sector, more bad transformation awaits the textile sector, and with these challenges, the sector could be extinct in the not-too-distant future.

An industrial textile factory once vibrant is now comatose

“

The chairman of the Textile Association of Northern states chapter, Dr. Walid Jibrin have said that about 95% textile materials consumed in the country are smuggled, leaving only 5% to Nigerian Textiles manufacturers.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 22

Dangote to invest in Heritage Oil to fund tomato, palm oil production Nigeria deal by From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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s Dangote Group spread its frontiers across Africa region, its President, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has assured of his desire to invest more in manufacturing sectors.

Top among the sector the business mogul is investing includes tomato paste company as well as palm oil refinery.

He also disclosed that plans were afoot to establish another agro- sacks manufacturing company at Ibese, Ogun State, to complement Dangote Cement plant in the community.

Dangote, represented by the Group General Manager Project, Dangote Group, Mr. Joseph Alaba, at a meeting with Ibese host community members of the Yewa-North Local Government Council of Baales, which held at the cement plant, assured that eligible indigenes of the host communities would be given attention for employment.

He said the construction of the lines three and four of the Ibese plant, which will take the annual production from the present six

million to 12 million had started in earnest. He then urged the community leaders to give maximum cooperation to the firm just as it had done in the past.

The Group President thanked the host communities for the tremendous support the Dangote Cement had gotten from them, saying he was happy that the communities under-stood that it was only in the atmosphere of peace and tranquility that any meaningful development could take place.

“We have been enjoying peaceful, harmonious and conducive working environment since the time we started the construction works at Ibese here up till now that production has started. We appreciate the efforts of our baales and we pray for lasting cordial and mutually beneficial relationship.”

For this reason, Alhaji Dangote said the Dangote Cement had been motivated to invest heavily in the execution of some Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.

He said to the delight of the community leaders that the contract for the construction of a 25km cement concrete road from the Ibese plant to Itori had been awarded, while the ever busy Ibese and Ilaro road was being redesigned for rehabilitation.

The Dangote Group President disclosed further that the cement company had plans for provisions of housing estate, rehabilitation of health centers and schools in the host communities as well as provision of other facilities.

Alhaji Dangote assured the chiefs that by the time the lines three and four were completed, the entire host communities would undergo complete transformation as the level of commercial activities would go up with banks and other service providers jostling to have presence in the area.

In his remark, leaders of the baales, Chief Sunday Akinlotan, hailed Alhaji Dangote for his entrepreneurial spirit which had seen him standing out as a foremost local investor and who has been in the forefront of employment creation.

Kurdistan block sale

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eritage Oil Plc will sell part of a gas block and borrow money from Genel Energy Plc to raise $450 million, easing concerns about how it will fund oilfield purchases in Nigeria.

Heritage Oil shares jumped 18 percent after the company said it will sell a 26 percent stake in Miran Block in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region to Genel and will take a $294 million loan from the company.

The cash will partly fund Heritage Oil’s acquisition of a stake in Nigeria’s OML 30 oilfield assets announced last month.

“Miran sale price is attractive, but the cash is more welcome,” BMO Capital Markets’ Al Stanton said.

Heritage Oil earlier planned to fund a portion of the OML 30 deal through a rights issue.

“There is no need to proceed with the rights (issue) and any capital raising is dropped,”

Heritage Oil Chief Financial Officer Paul Atherton told Reuters on Tuesday.

The company will sell the Miran Block stake and an interest in a related joint operating agreement for $156 million, which would increase Genel’s holding in the block to 51 percent.

Heritage Oil can repay the loan by transferring ownership of its unit Heritage Energy Middle East Ltd, which currently operates the Miran Block, to Genel.

“After we’ve completed the acquisition of OML 30 ... either party has the right to exercise this option, and we would expect to complete the same, by way of cancelling the loan in exchange for the remaining rights in Miran,” Atherton said.

Heritage Oil, which also operates in Tanzania and Russia, will have no presence in Kurdistan after exiting Miran Block. (Reuters)

Sallah: Long queues at ATM points in Asaba

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L-R: Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, Chief Spokesperson for the Negotiation between Federal Government and Labour Union of PHCN, Dr.Tianebi Agary and the 1st Deputy President of Trade Union Congress, Comrade Musa Toby, during the meeting between Labour Minister, Negotiating team, Labour Unions and PHCN Union Leaders, recently in Abuja.

FG assures on improving rice production

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he Federal Government has said that steps are being taken to improve rice production in the country, even as it is projected that farmers would earn about $2 billion by year 2015.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwunmi Adesina disclosed this in Abuja, saying this was possible as Nigeria was rolling out an ambitious reform programme

across its agricultural sector aimed at cutting the country’s dependence on food imports, creating jobs and generating economic growth.

Adesina said that steps taken by the government to improve rice production should lead to the country becoming self-sufficient by 2015.

The minister told the global publishing, research and consultancy firm, Oxford

Business Group (OBG), that the measures, which involve boosting private sector participation and improving competitiveness, would form a key part of Nigeria’s plans to diversify the economy away from oil.

“Over the next five years, we plan to add 20 million tons of additional food to the domestic food supply to create 3.5 million jobs in the sector, and to replace up to

40 percent of wheat flour imports with high-quality cassava flour,” he said.

Adesina highlighted the results that some of the key reforms already introduced had brought, listing the move to privatise the procurement and distribution of fertiliser and seeds.

According to him, “As a result, our private sector firms are growing and foreign direct investment is increasing”.

s the people continue to celebrate Sallah, there were long queues at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) points in various banks across Asaba on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 20 persons were seen queuing up before each of the ATM points, eagerly waiting to withdraw some cash.

Some of the banks’ customers told NAN that they had exhausted their money during the weekend.

They said that they were at the ATM points to withdraw extra cash to enable them to meet their basic needs.

Mr. Philip Okoye, a teacher, said: “The money I withdrew within the week had been exhausted during the weekend; I have to withdraw more money for the upkeep of my family.’’

Miss Joy Obi, a trader, said that she wanted to withdraw some money for her sister who would be going to school on Tuesday because she had no money with her anymore.

NAN, nonetheless, observed that only the ATM machines, whose cash had been exhausted, were free from the people’s queues.

However, transport fares in the city were stable during the Sallah celebration, as there was no marked increase in the fares. (NAN)

PAGE 24

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Ford Fusion comes with dramatic new styling

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or a few years now, the Ford Fusion has been one of America's most popular midsize sedans. Ford will be hoping to keep that trend going for 2013, as the redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion will have dramatic new styling as well as an expanded model lineup that will include three different gas engines, a gas-electric hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.

The basic engine for the Fusion will be the 2.5-liter four-cylinder that carries over from the current model and makes an estimated 170 horsepower. From here, shoppers can choose between a pair of turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The economical option will be a 1.6-liter "EcoBoost" engine that will generate 179 hp and promise to deliver estimated fuel economy of 26 mpg city/37 mpg highway.

Replacing the 2012 Fusion's V6

performance option will be a turbocharged, 2.0-liter EcoBoost fourcylinder that will produce 237 hp and 250 pound-feet of torque. This engine will be paired with a rear-biased allwheel-drive system for enhanced handling capabilities.

Underneath, the Fusion is based on a new platform that Ford says is structurally stiffer and also safer than before. Electric-assist power steering comes standard on all models as part of the car's focus on improved fuel efficiency. A bold grille, more curvaceous sheet metal and a longer, slightly wider body give the new Fusion a sportier look than its predecessor.

Technology will again be at the forefront. The 2013 Ford Fusion will offer advanced safety features new to this market segment, including adaptive cruise control, parking assist and blind-spot detection, plus lane-

keeping assist, which beeps and sends feedback through the steering wheel to wandering drivers. Ford Sync and the latest generation of MyFord Touch will also be offered.

The 2013 Fusion goes on sale this fall. Given that the current Fusion is still one of our favorite family sedans, the new model looks as if it will continue to be a prime choice alongside other revitalized top contenders such as the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

The 2013 Ford Fusion is a fivepassenger midsize sedan available in three trim levels: S, SE and Titanium.

The Fusion S comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, full power accessories, an integrated blind spot mirror, keyless entry, cruise control, air-conditioning, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tiltand-telescoping steering wheel, a trip

computer, a 60/40-split fold-down rear seat, the voice-activated Sync audio and cell phone interface, and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player and auxiliary audio jack.

Moving up to the Fusion SE gets you 17-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors, an eight-way power driver seat (with power lumbar), rear air ducts, a rear fold-down armrest, an enhanced audio interface and satellite radio.

The SE is also eligible for additional optional equipment. The Appearance package (Equipment Group 204A) adds 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and special cloth upholstery. The Luxury package (Equipment Group 205A) adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, driver memory settings, a powerreclining passenger seat and an autodimming rearview mirror. Opting for

the Technology package equips the Fusion with dual-zone automatic climate control, the MyFord Touch electronics interface (with 8-inch center display and configurable gauge cluster display), an upgraded version of Sync, two USB ports and a rearview camera.

The Fusion Titanium comes standard with 18-inch wheels, a sporttuned suspension, keyless ignition/ entry, remote ignition, auto-dimming side mirrors, rear parking sensors, sport front seats, a 12-speaker Sony sound system, HD radio and the contents of the SE's Luxury and Technology packages.

For the SE and Titanium, Ford offers the Luxury Driver Assist package, which includes automatic high-beam control, a 110-volt power outlet, blind-spot monitoring, crosstraffic alert and lane departure warning and lane assist.

A sunroof is optional for the SE and Titanium. The rear parking sensors are optional for the SE, while the Titanium can be had with 19-inch wheels. With the Technology package selected, the Fusion SE and Titanium can also be ordered with a navigation system, an automated parallel parking system and adaptive cruise control.

The Fusion S and SE come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that's rated at an estimated 170 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

For the SE, Ford also offers two additional engine options. The first is a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing an estimated 179 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque. The second is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder generating an estimated 237 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. Both also come with a six-speed automatic. The Fusion Titanium comes standard with the 2.0-liter engine. All-wheel drive is optional for the Titanium as well.

Official EPA-estimated fuel economy has not been released, but Ford expects the 2.5-liter engine to achieve 22 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. The 1.6-liter engine, which also has automatic engine start/stop functionality (like a hybrid), is expected to get 26/37 mpg. The 2.0liter should get 23/33 mpg.

Source: Edmunds.com

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 25

By Udenna Orji 07055652553

Developers and mortgage banks seek access to pension funds for mortgage development

Pg 26

Bedrooms Bedrooms come in all styles, shapes, and sizes, so how do you design your own? We've got bedroom decorating inspiration here. We present two masterfully designed bedrooms (and styles) to inspire the creativity in you.

Go ahead. Get thinking. See what you can do about those bedrooms in your home. There's great creativity in you. And you will find out if you will only try.

A Twist on Traditional In this master bedroom, the designer Kathryn M. Ireland decided to use pattern on pattern with fabrics from her own line.

A Coastal Bedroom Designer Tom Stringer gave this antique chandelier a makeover with white paint.

The four-poster bed's headboard is in Ralph Lauren's Coastal Stripe.

Highland Estate: CitiHigh brings Maitama to New Karu

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buja residents will readily tell you that Maitama District is the most beautiful and best planned area of Abuja and also the location for

some of the most enchanting architectural wonders in Nigeria. Truth be told, Maitama District is all these. It is the exclusive abode of the

A 5 bedroom duplex (Palm) at Highland Estate

super-rich, with all the infrastructure that make life stupendously pleasurable. But the daily influx of people into Abuja has made land and

housing extremely expensive if not outright un-affordable - except to the super-rich. The vast majority of Abuja residents actually live in suburbs, satellite towns and villages bordering the Federal Capital Territory.

But they too yearn for good housing, comfort and security like those in Maitama; but at an affordable price. Now, enter Highland Estate, in the lush vegetation and virgin lands of Karu, an Abuja suburb that has of recent become the target of ferocious land speculators.

Highland Estate is designed as a "mini Maitama", an extremely beautiful, gated community, with all the infrastructure and beauty that Maitama has to offer.

The only difference is that its a r c h i t e c t u r a l

masterpieces are affordable. There are housing units for low, medium and high income earners. It has for sale, 2 bedroom detached bungalows (Pear), 3 bedroom detached bungalows (Apple), 4 bedroom duplexes (Pine) and 5 bedroom duplexes (Palm). A mixed-use development spread over 35 acres of lushly landscaped land, Highland estate on completion will accommodate Residential, Commercial, Recreational and Retail components.

There are also serviced plots on sale at the estate.

This residential haven is ideally located within the easy access of Abuja boundary (Karu LGA, Nassarawa) widely referred to as Abuja extension. The estate has as its neighbours; Goshen City/Winners Univerity (Living Faith

Church); Bingham University; Catholic University (Proposed); Wole Soyinka (FRSC) Estate, Redeemed Camp Ground; Deeper Life Camp Ground and other functional estates.

Highland Estate is another masterpiece by reputable developers, CitiHigh Property and Investment Limited which has an intimidating portfolio of posh estates spread across Nigeria. The company is engaged in the core business of providing real estate solutions and specializes in offering low, medium and high-end estate development schemes.

CitiHigh says it intends to extend its operations into several countries, with the objective of becoming the leading real estate investment and development firm within any country it operates in.

PAGE 26

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Developers and mortgage banks seek access to pension funds for mortgage development

By Udenna Orji

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ortgage banks and estate developers are currently holding meetings and presenting position papers to the federal government for approval that will enable them access pension funds for mortgage development in Nigeria.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple has also been holding stakeholder meetings with operators in the housing sector to develop strategies for increasing sources of mortgage finance in order to ensure a successful execution of the federal government's new Housing and Urban Development Policies which were approved by the Federal Executive Council last June.

Speaking on the quest by housing sector operators to tap from the pension fund, Mr. Mohammed Jibrin, Managing Director of Sun Trust Savings and Loans Limited said "the Pension Reform Act, 2004, has made it possible for people to have a contributory pension scheme in place. The pension industry has an estimated N2.4 trillion of pension funds under management. These are mostly long-term funds and are the most qualified to support the mortgage industry in attaining its millennium development goals. But these funds, understandably, are mostly locked up in government treasury bills and bonds.

These (pension) funds have to be unlocked and made available for the real estate sector. This is because the funds are basically, as I pointed out, long-term and you may not have the problem we experience today in terms of mismatch in the maturity profile of the loans we grant, because mortgage loans are long term as against the deposits we take that are mostly short-tenured. If you do an actuarial valuation of the pension funds managed by the PFAs (Pension Fund Administrators), the minimum average number of years the money will remain with the PFAs is about 20 years. This is what we call long term money. This is the type of money you expect should go into the housing and mortgage sector".

On whether the Primary Mortgage Institutions have been able to sell these ideas to policy makers, Mr. Jibrin said "there have been varied meetings and position papers to this effect. The Minister

MD, FMBN, Ya'Ukumo

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple of Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple has been holding stakeholder meetings with the sector. She has set up committees, she is doing a great job honestly and the Federal Mortgage Bank has been providing the necessary support to this effect. I am aware that the Minister of Finance and the Coordinator of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is committed to and looking at the housing sector as a catalyst for growth and employment generation. I know that the housing and finance minister have been

DG, NPC, Alhaji M.K. Ahmed

working together to ensure that the housing sector is jump-started seriously this year. It is on top of their radar. The idea is to create jobs in the economy. The Central Bank needs to get involved too by providing the necessary funds and credit guarantees to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in particular and to the sector in general. The Nigerian housing sector is one of the most diagnosed sectors of the economy. The issues that are militating against its development are very clear" Adding his voice to mortgage development, Mr. Elias Ovesuor a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and Managing Partner, U.K. Ovesuor & Partners has blamed Nigeria's shortfall of over 16 million houses on "the deficient structures of the mortgage industry in Nigeria".

In his words, "mortgage financing as an instrument for home financing for now, I can say we are having problems with it. Only a few people are benefiting from it. The housing shortage in the country is about 16 million housing units, but in the last ten years, we have not provided up to half a million housing units. So, to get the 16 million housing units that are in shortage, you will then appreciate the problem at hand in respect of housing provision. Mortgage in Nigeria, to be candid to you, is still as its infancy".

As a way out of the problem, the Federal Government has been called upon to develop mortgage policies that will encourage Nigerian banks to grant mortgage loans to Nigerians at a maximum of 9% per annum.

Government has also been urged to check the rising inflationary trend in Nigeria as the trend is causing a steady rise in the cost of building inputs in Nigeria, leading to high costs in property development and sales.

Speaking with Peoples Daily on how to boost homeownership in Nigeria and reduce the nation's estimated 16 million units housing deficit, Group General Manager of mass housing developer, ElSalem Nigeria Limited, Mr. Geoffrey Ozoani appealed to government to "come up with very definite policies on mortgage. Definite implementable policies on mortgage that make it attractive for commercial banks to offer mortgage loans to Nigerians because most commercial banks are not providing mortgage facilities".

He noted that "the fear of our commercial banks is how they can recover their money but a mortgage loan is the easiest loan to recover because the house serves as collateral and usually also rises in value over time. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) loan is at 6% but if all our commercial banks are encouraged through attractive policies to offer mortgage loans at say 8% or 9%, Nigeria's housing deficit will drastically reduce. Even in Namibia where I recently returned from, the commercial banks pursue people to come and collect mortgage loans because their mortgage system works perfectly.

According to him, "there is also the burning need to create awareness to Nigerians about mortgages and Nigerian mortgage institutions. Even contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) do not know what they are contributing for.

States and local governments should make land available to developers and encourage their workers to get loans from mortgage institutions to buy their own houses".

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 27

No plan to repeal Land Use Act – FG Stories by Udenna Orji

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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 timeconsuming to obtain land and title rights for housing development.

They had argued that a repeal of the Act would enhance affordable housing development and drastically reduce Nigeria’s estimated deficit of 16 million housing units.

But while speaking with newsmen at the weekend, 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 c a t e g o r i c a l l y t h a t 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

starting development of the new magnificent Comfort Royale Estate 1 at Dutse Apo, Abuja.

The new estate comprises terrace duplexes, semi-detached duplexes and block of flats.

The reputable developer is offering subscribers a 30%, 40%, 30% “Pay as we Build Plan”. Subscribers to the estate will enjoy perimeter fencing, security system, greenery, adequate parking space, dedicated transformers, shop rite, customized drainage system, street lighting and recreational facilities.

Available for sale in the

estate are 4 bedroom semidetached with 1 room attached BQ –all ensuite N48.5m, 4 bedroom terrace duplex with 1 room attached BQ – all rooms ensuite N35m, 3 bedroom flat –all rooms Ensuite - N15m, 2 bedroo m flat- all rooms ensuite -13.5m Outright payment attracts 10% discount while corporate mortgage is available for the block of flats. Service plots are also available on demand.

The estate is surrounded by other highbrow estates like Covenant Gardens, Copa Cabana Homes and Yayale Ahmed Estate.

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.

Aluminium extrusion plants will enhance industrial development – Popoola

Nuel Osilama begins work on Comfort Royale Estate

P

rospective homeowners are still besieging the stylishly planned Osilama Garden Estate, Phase 11 extension, Lugbe where exquisitely designed 3 bedroom with BQ is going for N17.5million and 4 bedroom duplex with BQ is selling at N29 million. Serviced plots at Phases 1 and 11 are also still on sale.

Mortgage facilities are also available for interested buyers. The wave making estate developer, Nuel Osilama and Partners has continued its successful foray into top-notch property development with its just

OSILAMA GARDEN ESTATE, Phase 2 Ext

Vidson Boss, Wale Popoola

A

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. 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”

PAGE 28

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Rental Homes: Making More Money

by Keeping Your Tenants Happy Stories By Udenna Orji

A

s an individual landlord, as opposed to a property owner with apartment buildings and an on-site manger, you have unique challenges in maximizing the money you earn on your rental property.

I work with and teach many small-scale landlords - plus I am one myself - and some common themes come up about how to make the most money with the least hassle.

And all real estate has issues and hassles, so reducing them should be your top priority.

Aim for tenants

long-term

First, treat your tenants like they are the most important people in your life. In fact, since they are likely paying for your retirement, they really are the most important people in your life. Acting and conducting yourself in a respectful manner will usually make your life a lot easier and your properties more profitable. It doesn't work every time, but hopefully if you choose this strategy it will

be successful.

Treating your tenants well helps you keep them in your property longer. Every time your rental unit turns over, even if you have a new tenant ready to move in the next day, you will probably spend a month's worth of rent fixing and repairing normal wearand-tear items, not to mention countless hours completing the whole leasing process - advertising, taking phone calls, interviewing, showing the property, getting credit reports, drafting the leases, discussing the lease, move in day, etc. It's a lot of work.

So why not just try to keep your tenants as long as possible by treating them really well? And that starts by acting toward them the way you would like to be treated.

Remember the basics Additionally, in order to keep tenants a long time, maintain your cash flow and avoid angry tenants or having to re-lease the unit: “Keep your properties well maintained and fix any issues in a reasonable period

of time. “Don't try to charge your tenants for items like plumbing or repairs - I've never had a tenant intentionally damage one of my properties - just pay for it. " Ask reasonable rents, maybe even a bit under market, so that you have a large pool of applicants and can select the best credit quality group that you think will be good tenants. " If there are problems, like a broken water pipe, deal fairly with your tenants and compensate them a reasonable amount if it ends up being a big hassle for them. That way they are happy, they stay and they keep paying rent. " If they pay on time, take care of your property and are good tenants, reward them with minimal rent increases.

Keeping these tips in mind should help you minimize vacancy and costs, plus have reasonable people in your property who will take care of it. And you'll learn over time why treating your tenants well - the ones who are paying for your golden years - is just a good idea!

Foreign News

FOR SALE URGENT SALE BY LANDLORD 2 Units of newly and beautifully finished 2 bedroom bungalows each with two toilets in a serene and secured area at Kuchikau 11, beside TOTAL Filling Station, Abuja-Keffi Expressway, near Goshen City (Living Faith Church) at only N4million and N4.5 million respectively. Call: 08033603119 for enquiries and inspection.

Undeveloped Plots of Land For Sale 1.

4,885.33m2 at CBD (Commercial) N600m 2.

4,191.45m2 at CBD (Commercial) N600m 3.

3,426m2 plot with an uncompleted structure at Aso Drive (Residential) N1.1b 4.

3,111m2 plot at Aso Villa (Residential) N350m 5.

2,100m2 plot at Aso Villa (Residential) N250m 6.

1,900m2 plot at Asokoro (Residential) N300m 7.

2.5Ha plot by AYA Asokoro (Hotel) N2.5b 8.

1,588m2 plot at Asokoro (Residebtial) N200m 9.

2.6 Hectares plot Hotel/Kukwaba N600m 10.

3,110m2 plot (Commercial) Sector Centre A N80m CALL Osas: 08033175443, 08056666642

On the Foreclosure Front

Houses for Sale 1.

F

ox News in Detroit had the scoop on a millionaire former yacht dealer who scooped up 650 tax foreclosed properties in Macomb County with one single bid of $4.8 million.

Other investors were irritated, but expediency got Bill McCachen a good deal.

Tastefully finished five bedroom duplex (2nos) comprising 2 bedroom BQ, a gate house in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

Complete with bullet proof-doors, borehole, interlocking tiles and barbed wire.

Price: N150m Asking each.

Call: Ade: 08037039006; Godwin : 07054526472 2.

Description: 3bedroom detached bungalow with 2bq, fenced, interlocking tiles, borehole, security Location: EFAB Estate, Lokogoma Price: N40m (Asking)

3.

Mini Estate with 1 Ultra-Large 3 bedroom bungalow with 2bq, 3Nos. 2 bedroom flats, 3Nos. 1 bedroom flats, 6Nos. room and parlor, 6Nos. stores in a fenced compound.

Location: Mararaba Price: N50M (Asking)

Bill McCachen snatched up 650 foreclosed homes. SOURCE: Fox News Detroit

Apple Heist

Y

ahoo! Finance reported on what police called a "runof-the-mill" burglary, only it was $60,000 worth of computers and valuables from the Palo Alto home of Steve Jobs, who died a year ago. The house, where Jobs settled down with his wife and children, was undergoing renovations.

The Palo Alto home of Steve Jobs, who died in July 2011.

SOURCE: AP

4.

Description: 6Nos. 2 bedroom flats and 2Nos. 3 bedroom flats.

Location: Madalla Price: N35m (Asking) Call: 08058850677, 07063621021

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 29

Bring Back The Book Initiative: A critical review

By Osahon Uwagboe

I

t was so heartening to see and hear the advertisements about the launch of the 'bring back the book initiative' both in the electronic and print media. This event marked the beginning of a campaign by the President to bring back the book reading culture to Nigerians, as it has become clear that the average Nigerian hardly reads books or any form printed material ,expect perhaps newspapers and so on. According to him, the initiative is established with a view to develop a book reading culture in Nigeria especially amongst the youths who have lost value for reading either for educational purposes or entertainment. Further it is the machinery for creation and distribution of knowledge.

But this joy of mine has been short lived for a number of reasons, notably the apparent demise of the effort notwithstanding the hype that accompanied it. But this is not at all surprising.

The initiative was formally launched on the 20th of December 2010 in an event in Lagos Nigeria .But much over a year on since the launch, there is virtually no mention about it in the media.

What a shame! .I mean given the noble and most desirable objective of getting Nigerians back to book reading I would think that this effort is a general programme for the entire Nigerian society; or does the conception have a lull period or 'calm before the storm' component; I would think not and without a doubt.

Ideally, this initiative is supposed to be the mother of all programmes in this country and one that would have received unprecedented publicity in terms of content, style and so on .I mean I would imagined that by now our subconscious if not concious minds would have been filled with messages in both electronic (television, radio, internet) and the print media about the initiative: the importance of reading. I mean an obvious component of such an effort would have, at least, been the importance of reading for personal development and societal growth and development. Also, this would had the added benefit of keeping the goals of the initiative fresh in the minds of people and even get people involved in the initiative by way of support, either morally or materially. But far from it! , it is only passing remembrance of it when one considers the problem .This, to me, is highly regrettable and unfortunate for this country.

Worse still, when on remembers that the literati that greeted the launch of the initiative, the notables as it were, the shame just goes up relentlessly! What has become of their association with the programme ? Was their endorsement not meant to show their support for the programme,

degree of functional reading is proportional to disposable income.

Beyond this affordability

The book front cover I think names are at stake with regard to the success or otherwise of anything when an endorsement is made. So I would have thought that they would have since either spoken out the need for government to refocus on the programme or contrariwise, distance themselves from it like a plague! But regrettably there has been none of such .I wonder if they were just naĂŻve or simply used to gain support for this component of the presidential campaign it.

Worse, could it be sunset for them: time for them to quit, hence this bungling act. Whichever way, they have fallen in one's estimation already. I mean I had expected that they would have been brought in at the ground floor concerning the initiative approach before they lent their support to it. Big brothers, I think we need some explanation for this disservice.

So the big question is how was this initiative conceptualized in the first place? And given the abysmal level to which reading of books has fallen in Nigeria, any initiative that is geared towards 'bringing back the book culture' is naturally expected to be birthed in the matrix of a the reasons for 'the departure of the book'. The gap of book reading must be the basis of the conceptualization of such an initiative. After all, the solution to any problem is difference between the actual and expected. Thus, this initiative must naturally start with what is responsible for the lack

of a reading culture vis a vis the axiom that reading has the benefit of exposure, enlightenment or enrichment. Nevertheless, it's important to make the point that the benefits of reading are not absolutes as they depend on the individual relative to their circumstances. For it is natural for one to only engage in that which will be of benefit. Thus, exposure, enlightenment and enrichmentthe possible benefits from reading are by themselves benefit driven.

Thus, in whatever context an individual finds themself these possible benefits from reading are relative to their circumstances. In the final analysis, any individual has priorities, and this will lead to a scale of preference, which will determine whether an individual would read as well what they read.

This foregoing anatomy of reading is very crucial to developing a

programme that will get people back to reading.

In the case of the Nigerian society, people have lost the reading culture because the ordinary man, who is representative of the Nigerian society, cannot even afford two square meals a day let alone buy books to read; except there is definitely something that will be of benefit to their circumstances: notably to put food on their tables, clothes and give them shelter.

Thus, in a society like ours, the first consideration is to go for books that will provide knowledge that will give the essentials of life. Thus, the nature of reading is on a sliding scale or proportional to the benefits therein. This is functional as opposed to pleasure or leisure reading. And this will largely characterize the reading of the ordinary man. Regrettably, the

“

Beyond the reasons outlined for reading disposition, pleasure is taking away the attention of many people, especially the young ones. This applies to both the rich and the poor.

Nowadays time seems to be rather.

problem, people read two main reasons: for educational purposes that is compulsory reading texts for school or personal reading for pleasure.

With regard to mandatory or compulsory reading which concerns formal educational institutions such as primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions as well professional examination bodies, most hardly read anymore. This is simply because of corruption that is entrenched in the Nigerian society in general, which has affected the education sector. Now, people just pay for their results: people could go to school and buy their results and so on. Thus people could get out of university, etc. with results that they did not work for and then go on and get jobs. Unfortunately, this has led to a situation in which people do not have the requisite skills for most jobs; quackery in the industry, etc. This is affecting our society in a terrible way as we do not have real professionals;for people cheat their way into employment. And until this culture of short-cuts and the 'back door way to getting things' is obliterated from our society people will not really see the need to read for educational purposes which is supposed to the seed bed of the book reading culture of a society.

On the other side, people cannot really afford books for personal reading; and this means that they buy second hand books, at best.

Also, for those who can afford to buy, they tend to be reading more particularly inspirational materials such as religious, motivational books, etc. But this is seen mainly among the bourgeois class. They mostly read for the purpose of improving their circumstances-spiritually or materially: reading to gain principles about how to succeed in life. Incidentally, the harsh socioeconomic environment is a very fertile ground for such a culture.

In this regard, new bookshops are springing up here and there. And with regard to other books such as fiction, etc. the rich mostly read them.

Beyond the reasons outlined for reading disposition, pleasure is taking away the attention of many people, especially the young ones.

This applies to both the rich and the poor. Nowadays time seems to be rather spent on the electronic media: vast amount of precious time is spent on watching local films, popularly called 'home video'; surfing the net (notoriously, facebooking and the likes), Cinema- going, stand -up comedy, football, etc. The creature comforts have increased as disposable income has increased. Regrettably this seems to be taking up too much time. For I am really appalled to see men and women, even young ones spend obscene amounts of time discussing premier league Contd on page 30

PAGE 30

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNWESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

The wizard in Ngugi’s craw

By Ikhide R. Ikheloa

I

did not enjoy reading Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's hefty almost 800page tome The Wizard of the Crow. This is a shame, for I love Ngugi. I remember his book Weep Not Child with much fondness. I will always remember the chemistry between the two main characters young Njoroge and Mwihaki. As a boy, I fell in love with the way those two fell in love. Ngugi is a gifted writer and a noble son of Africa. But Ngugi has always been given to quixotic journeys; I say quixotic because I am not quite sure his experiments in this book were productive, especially to the extent that he has not been able to foster a substantive dialogue on what and how we should communicate our literature as Africans. The question remains hanging in the air: What should be our language of discourse? Ngugi's latest book is short on analysis but long on theatrics.

Any experiment as ambitious as Ngugi's has to acknowledge that the novel as a medium is not a constant.

Africa's oral tradition breathes free and vibrant on YouTube, Facebook, and on blogs. In The Wizard of the Crow, Ngugi brings together an unlikely riot - of the voice, the written word, and the narrative on print. It simply doesn't work.

The Wizard of the Crow is a familiar, dated, perhaps tired tale.

Think of the stereotypical African novel and its recurring characters.

There is the supreme dictator (The Ruler) in an imaginary country (Abruria) teeming with long-

The book front cover suffering people, there are the fawning hangers-on, and there is the idealistic great black hope (Kamiti), scheming freedom for the masses. Throw in some magic realism and a tedious literary ride is born. Despite Africa's best efforts, Idi Amin's buffoonery is as dated as my platform shoes. We have new buffoons. This book is what happens to the writer stuck in exile for too long, living decades mummified in despair, fretting about the Africa that has moved on.

The reader wonders how Ngugi could spread tedium through almost 800 pages. The clue is in its unrelenting wordiness, displaying armies of words where a word (or blessed silence) would richly suffice.

Ngugi is understandably very unhappy with Africa; he must

process his anxieties and stress through writing because the Guinness book of Records may have just logged in the longest angriest riff on paper ever. I mean ever. It is sheer tedium, the book as a medium flies like a lead balloon under the weight of so many issues, several of them unresolved. The attempted use of humor, satire and hyperbole is grotesque and does little to mask Ngugi's overly documented rage.

Ngugi's unresolved anxieties and strong political views mar the quality of the book. The book provided absolutely no new insights into the African condition, whatever that may be and the observations appear dated - like a slide rule competing with the awesome wonders of an iPod. Africa has moved on, for good or for bad, a realization that stubbornly eludes Ngugi. Ngugi may still be stuck in the sands of his time. The reviews

by Western reviewers do not get this, they are fairly swooning. They see Africa painted as one woeful place full of exotic Ben Okri type imagery. Even at that, Ngugi's experiment with magic realism is simply farcical. Be warned: You are not going to get much in terms of hard hitting critical reviews of this book; the Western reviewers are largely patronizing. The late great John Updike provides a largely avuncular panning of the book but I agree with him when he says: "The author of this bulky book offers more indignation than analysis in his portrait of post-colonial Africa."

Readers may have difficulty relating to the notion of a lone savior

with a monopoly of good solutions walking around weighed down with his supreme sense of selfimportance.

Well meaning visionary statements are mistaken for community mandates and the anxiety is to replace the buffoon's tyranny with that of the pen. It is truly farcical when you really think about it. The African Big Man lives in the tyranny of our politics and in the tyranny of our writers' pens. Their alter egos of the African Big Man live in our writers as reflected in their idealistic do no wrong attitudes; the main characters of their books indict them as being clueless or indifferent to their role in Africa's mess. What it boils down to is that these are autobiographic fantasies that involve the ME in the author, systems be damned.

However, given Ngugi's brave fight for justice in postcolonial Kenya, his work in ensuring Africa's rightful place in the World history of literature, and the trauma of his forced exile, any assessment of his work ought to be nuanced. Ngugi put a lot of effort into this tome - six books in one, first written painstakingly in Kikuyu - and then translated into English. Ngugi remains a visionary; our writer-warriors should carry his ideas on their giant shoulders and continue the fight he started - on Facebook, YouTube and on blogs. I salute Bwana Ngugi Wa Thiong'o.

Source: Nigeria Village Square

Bring Back The Book Initiative: A critical review Contd on page 29 matches, and other foreign football leagues. To me this is most unfortunate for Nigeria-a developing country-whose citizens ought to be given to positively developing themselves via knowledge rather than this kind of leisure. I would think that this time should be spent on some productive thing that would develop this nation. Now, I am no puritan, it just that the current football mania has gone beyond the normal or hobbyhorse status level,for we just copy the western society which has developed and have a book reading culture.

However, in the past people would read books for education as well as for pleasure, for this was considered highly desirable.

Education was respected as it was seen as the real way to make progress in our society; for those who had knowledge were considered worthy to be above all.

This was largely inherited from the colonialists. This culture was largely driven by the maxim 'knowledge is power'.

The economy was good and people could afford to buy books and read. This invariably is inspired a knowledge - based society and to a degree a meritocracy. But over time things began to slide, particularly after the sack in the civil service purge in 1976, where many people lost their jobs. So people then began to

secure their future, and this saw the ascendancy of corruption in our society. For public servants used the government job to get their future .And since they interacted with the rest of the society, from here the rot spread. When in 1979 the politicians came in it became worse and this led to the coup in 1983, which saw the military back in power and then our society went down the drain, as there was really no checks ,for the military were accountable to no one. Thus, corruption became institutionalized in our society.

Now, you didn't need to get things by merit anymore, all you needed was go through the back door.

Nonetheless, this campaign is meant to be for books generally, that is, beyond text books. It is for a society that will seek to get information that will improve one and so on.This is what the aims and objectives of this initiative are: to develop a book reading culture in Nigeria especially amongst the youths who have lost value for reading either for educational purposes or entertainment.

According to Mr. President, the secrets of governance, amazing discoveries, development, progressive management principles and every other desire of any nation

are hidden in books, books written over generations and that only through reading can the leaders of tomorrow nurture dreams and values than can change society. The stated objectives are as follows: " Revitalise the reading culture, with knowledge serving as a tool for development " Project the nation's culture, for survival, sustenance and protection. the following activities were set out: " Organizing book readings in educational institutions at all levels across the country " Establishment of Bring Back the Book Clubs in educational institutions to serve as hubs for development of intellectual capacity of the youths " Support for literary events and projects " Creation of platform for national discussion on ways to develop the educational system cum reading culture " Conducting research and supporting organizations carrying out related activities " Support the production of books locally by encouraging publishers via buying of books for distribution to libraries nation wide " C o n s t r u c t i o n , refurbishment and stocking of libraries across the country

" Organizing national competitions aimed at driving the culture of book reading in the country.

It is expected that this initiative will help transform Nigeria by empowering more people to dare to be the change needed to make Nigeria a better place having discovered the strength that lies in reading.

But this initiative in my view should have been introduced as a programme in the first place. I mean there should been timelines for scheduled programmed events intended to achieve the set objectives.This must also be measurable such that it can be scientifically assessed. For as it now, it is rather open-ended. There is too much lassiez faire. And there is really no pressure on people to deliver.This should not be the attitude to this type of problem. It should be with an emergency approach .In fact, it should have come under the Ministry of Education, with the overall role.

Don't we see the alarming failure rate among the secondary school students in their school leaving examinations? There needs to be a drastic approach to this problem: you do not address a serious problem such as this with kid gloves approach as we are doing. Really, the activities must be in programme form to address this urgent problem.

Source: Nigeria Village Square

PEOPLES POEM OF THE WEEK Title: EVIL'S SOUND

By Arthur Apeh Alexandra Ojima Aye! All over the world We sound next Yes we know it all, we sound most Evil’s sound!

Evil’s sound Like a patapata of rain, Like sound of a millipedes on the move Oh! Like Oh! Oh!! Of a pregnant woman.

Evil!

Why did thou act against thy eye?

Why did thou remove the eye before action?

Evil! Sound within thy territory.

Evil! Evil!! Oh evil!!!

Remember money make man mighty.

Why did thou act against?

When thy season clock?

Oh evil!

You rang all over with tears, frighten, Agony, death and life.

Evil sound! Your sound make thy Chamber riff raff region.

Huh! Wow evil!

Why did thou make me minion?

Why did thy sound ring to my part?

For I am, shall sound back with sound of thunder

QUO TE UOTE

“Success has nothing to do with avoiding struggle but carrying on believing the struggle will ultimately pass.” –– Mark Brown.

PAGE 36

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

How stress and depression can shrink the brain

S

evere depression and chronic stress can shrink the brain by blocking the formation of new nerve connections, a study has shown.

The effect disrupts circuits associated with mental functioning and emotion.

It could explain why people with major depressive disorder (MDD) suffer from concentration and memory loss, as well as blunted emotional responses.

Several genes involved in building synapses, the connection points between brain cells, were suppressed in people with MDD, scientists found.

This was thought to contribute to shrinkage of the brain's prefrontal cortex,

which is known to occur in MDD sufferers.

Researchers in the US analysed brain tissue from patients who had died after being diagnosed with MDD. They found molecular signs of reduced activity in genes necessary for the function and structure of brain synapses.

Evidence pointed to the involvement of a single genetic "switch", or transcription factor - a protein called GATA1.

Turning on GATA1 reduced activity of the genes and triggered the loss of brain connections.

Study leader Professor Ronald Duman, from Yale University, said: 'We wanted to test the idea that stress causes a loss of brain synapses in humans.

'We show that circuits

normally involved in emotion, as well as cognition, are disrupted when this single transcription factor is activated.'

The research is published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Medicine.

Further studies on rats showed that when GATA1 was switched on, the rodents showed signs of depression. This suggests that loss of brain synapses may be linked to depressive symptoms as well as mental impairment.

'We hope that by enhancing synaptic connections, either with novel medications or behavioural therapy, we can develop more effective antidepressant therapies,' Prof Duman added.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

Common symptoms of depressive disorder are memory loss and blunted emotional responses

Daily aspirin 'cuts the risk of dying from any type of cancer'

T

Experts will need to study whether the benefits outweigh the risks of taking aspirin regularly

aking aspirin regularly cuts the risk of dying from cancer but the reduction is smaller than researchers anticipated, a new study reveals.

It found daily aspirin led to a 16 per cent lower overall risk of dying from any type of cancer.

The reduction was found in people using the drug for five years and among those taking it for shorter periods of time.

However, previous research found an estimated 37 per cent cut in cancer mortality among aspirin users - twice as much as the current study.

But the latest findings are likely to encourage healthy people who want to follow the example of increasing numbers of doctors who now take daily aspirin for health insurance.

Millions who take low dose aspirin on doctor's orders to prevent heart disease are also likely to gain from its anticancer properties, For the current study, American Cancer Society researchers analysed information from 100,139 older participants over 11 years.

Daily aspirin use was linked to an estimated 16 per cent lower overall risk of cancer mortality, both among people who reported taking aspirin daily for at least five years and among those who reported shorter term daily use.

The lower overall rate of cancer deaths was highest at 40 per cent among those with

cancers of the gastrointestinal tract such as oesophageal, stomach, and colorectal cancer.

There was a 12 per cent drop in death from cancers outside the gastrointestinal tract.

The findings are published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The reduction in cancer mortality observed in the current study is considerably smaller than the 37 per cent reduction reported in the recent pooled analysis of randomized trials.

The authors say their study could have underestimated or overestimated potential effects on cancer mortality if participants who took aspirin daily had different underlying risk factors for fatal cancer than those who did not.

However, the study's large size is a strength in determining how much daily aspirin use might lower cancer mortality.

British researchers last year found daily aspirin can cut the risk of developing cancer by as much as 60 per cent in a study of people with a family history of the disease.

A landmark study from 16 countries suggested aspirin treatment could prevent up to 10,000 cancers over the next 30 years and possibly save 1,000 lives if taken by those with a genetic susceptibility to the disease.

But it was the first proof that the humble painkiller

has a preventive action that is likely to benefit anyone using it every day, offering protection more than five years later.

Experts say healthy middle aged people who start taking aspirin around the age of 45 or 50 for 20-30 years could expect to reap the most benefit because cancer rates rise with age.

But there has been widespread concern that side effects such as stomach bleeding and haemorrhagic stroke would outweigh any advantage among healthy people.

Lead researcher Dr Eric Jacobs, lead researcher of the American study, said: 'Expert committees that develop clinical guidelines will consider the totality of evidence about aspirin's risks and benefits when guidelines for aspirin use are next updated.

'Although recent evidence about aspirin use and cancer is encouraging, it is still premature to recommend people start taking aspirin specifically to prevent cancer.

'Even low-dose aspirin can substantially increase the risk of serious gastrointestinal bleeding.

'Decisions about aspirin use should be made by balancing the risks against the benefits in the context of each individual's medical history.

Any decision about daily aspirin use should be made only in consultation with a health care professional.'

Source: Dailymail.co.uk

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 37

Opposition can’t provide alternative to PDP govt, says Alkali INTERVIEW Professor Ahmed Rufai Alkali, immediate past National Publicity Secretary to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in this interview with newsmen examines the current alliance talks among the opposition parties in the country and submits that their party cannot provide the alternative to the ruling party. Lawrence Olaoye was there. Excerpts:

Y

ou are the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the PDP. Since you left office Nigerians have not been hearing from you despite various issues that have arisen on the political turf. Why this long silence?

As you are aware the national convention of PDP took place in March this year and following the convention, new set of National Working Committee (NWC) members emerged under the leadership of Dr. Bamanga Tukur and subsequently we handed over to the new NWC. So, it is logical that having served out our time of four years, the best thing to do was to step back and step aside to give the new leadership of our party time to settle down to do the serious business of managing our great party. As you are aware managing party politics worldwide is a serious business, more so in an emerging democracy like Nigeria. The leadership of the party requires all the support, cooperation and prayers of every member of the party and also for them to build on what we left behind.

Some opposition parties like ACN and CPC are already having merger talks ahead of the 2015 general elections and they are going to root out PDP. How do you see this development?

As you are aware, one of the fundamentals of popular democracy is that there should be more than one political party in the political terrain who ought to provide options or alternatives to the ruling party. Nigeria, as I said repeatedly, in normal condition believes in multi-party system even though there was a time people tried to put a tag on PDP that we are opposed to other political parties surviving; the truth has triumphed.

PDP has always believed in multiparty system and that is what has been provided in our constitution and that has always been the bases for our interaction and relations with other groups. But no political party would also like to consign itself to the back bench. Each political party wants to struggle and fight hard to make its mark.

PDP has been in the centre in this country since 1999 and despite

the imperfections of popular democracy, it has made its own contributions. Sometimes, it is difficult to appreciate things particularly when we have them. I know the leadership of this country under PDP has made giant strides in so many levels but that does not mean that the other political parties will not try to upstage PDP. They have been trying to do that. The blessing is that they think merely being anti-PDP or fighting PDP is enough for Nigerians to accept them.

It is not enough. They have failed to come up with something that is different; something that is fresh; something to show to the country that they can do better if they are given the chance.

So far, what we have seen because of court rulings and, thanks to the dogged commitment of the government both under the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua and under our current President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in the believe in the rule of law, the judiciary has been giving window of opportunities to political parties, especially opposition, to take over power in so many states of our country. But in those states that the opposition was able to get judgment like Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Edo and the rest, you find that so far, apart from the populism that they bandy around, they have not done anything close to what PDP has done.

So, in that case they cannot pretend to be better than PDP. In fact, what they are doing in some of the states like Ogun, where they held local government election was terrible. In Lagos, the last local government election held about one and half years ago was a fiasco; it was one of the most scandalous that were ever held in this country but because they can make a lot of noise from the Lagos side, the rest of the country kept quiet. So, in that case people are not fooled.

They can continue making alliances and counter alliances but because they are not united to provide any alternative to this country, to PDP, they are not likely to make any substantial progress.

But that should not make members of PDP to be complacent or to take things for granted because one of the greatest mistakes anybody can make is to overestimate his own ability or

Professor Ahmed Rufai Alkali underestimate the capability of his enemy or his opponent.

So far, we have been having these incremental damages through these court decisions. For example Edo has gone, now he (Governor Oshiomhole) has been dancing around that he won election but we know what happened in Edo. Now, we are moving to Ondo and I am very happy to note that the people have come out very solid behind our own friend and brother, former National Legal Adviser of PDP, Chief Olusola Oke. If the kind of spirit that the people of Ondo state demonstrated in choosing the candidate is sustained; if they continue along that line, I cannot see how a third rate political party can come and overload themselves on PDP in Ondo state. But, PDP must put its house in order; that is the reality, we must unite.

President Goodluck Jonathan recently had parley with stakeholders from Plateau over the Jos crisis. What is your take on this fresh move to resolve the Jos crisis.

First and foremost we are known to be cosmopolitan people. Nigerians are historically mobile, they move from one place to another to establish businesses, to establish all kinds of relationships with other communities. Therefore it is very difficult to take a knife and cut a community and say this community is completely distinct from the other.

In the case of Plateau it is one of the darlings in northern Nigeria because by its own climate, by its own historical evolution, everything about it is makes it cosmopolitan place for everybody

to be there. Maybe you call it a melting pot just like Kaduna, Lagos, Abuja today. These are cities with people from all walks of life. The moment people begin to see themselves or see others or treat others or be treated as different, then the bases for peace are undermined.

We thought the foundation for these entire problems is this indigene/settler thing which is unknown to the Nigerian constitution. The rest of the country does not know this issue and if this issue can be detached from the lexicon of the people in Plateau state, I believe that over 50 percent of the problem has been sorted out.

When I read some of the stories, some of them are completely out of context, to talk about the Jihad that some people are trying to wage in Plateau. I don’t know where people get some of these ideas. I feel there is need for co-habitation and collaboration, everybody needs each other.

What the federal government has done in recent past is very good, especially the parley that has been started, inviting stakeholders, talk to them dispassionately, listen to their views, listen to their opinions, understand their position, understand their views, understand their fears and then listen to the other side, understand their problems and plight and subsequently bring them together as they are trying to do.

As the country is still seeking for ways out of the security changes confronting it, a member of the House of Representatives from the ACN came up with idea of impeachment of Mr. President over budget implementation.

How do you react to this?

My take on this is that Nigerians

always cherish democracy in that they believe it is the system that gives them opportunity to debate issues and then take decisions but sometimes we tend to be carried away. Democracy also means that we must also go by the rules; we must also be bound by the constitution and we must also be bound by issue of law and order. Often you find that our people have ambivalent attitude to the National Assembly. When it is working amicably with the executive, they begin to abuse National Assembly as lame duck, rubber stamp and chamber of yes men. On the other hand when National Assembly begins to define issues concerning the country, same people will say they want to bring down the roof.

So, I think the main thing is that the three arms of government, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary historically have been created to serve purposes that are mutually cooperative, sometimes competitive but most of the time cooperative. Under a popular democracy the executive executes the laws, the legislature makes the laws and of course you know the judiciary interprets the laws. But in between you also have a thin line where there is always cooperation especially between the executive and the legislature because the legislature will be happy to see that when they make laws they are implemented. But the executive will also insist that whatever laws they are going to make should be implementable. That is why sometimes in making legislation, laws can be initiated from the executive or from the legislature or even from private members outside.

Ultimately, I think the goal is to serve the people of this country.

I will not be surprised that there are people who want to see more problems between the presidency and the legislature and they will be happy to see that because that will now put the executive on the spot; but what purpose will it serve?

Ultimately our objective is that an elected government is to serve the people and since Mr. President has committed himself to transforming this country in varieties of ways, the cooperation between the executive and the legislature is the surest way to achieve this objective. So, I do not see it as beneficial for people to continue to beat drums of war between the executive and the legislature.

One good thing also is that we have the party and the party leadership. We have elders, we have leaders in the party and I am sure that even where there appears to be some tension between the executive and the legislature, the party is always there to provide the role of intermediary and will bring all those issues to quick resolution.

PAGE 38

Former Gov Idris behind Kogi problems, says ACN chairman From Sam Egwu, Lokoja

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he Kogi state chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Alhaji Haddi Ametuo, has said former Kogi governor, Ahaji Ibrahim Idris is the problem of the state because he still meddles in the affairs of the state.

Ametuo stated that Idris has not given Wada free hand to operate since the inception of the administration, noting that time is ripe for Capt Wada to assert his position as the governor According to him, most of the slow pace of development in the state was the fault of People Democratic Party, PDP, stressing, “we cannot wait any longer for developmental projects to move.”

The ACN chairman who made the allegation in a chat with journalists yesterday, said the former governor is responsible for the under development of the state.

According to him, Alhaji Idris wasted the state fund in the last nine years, adding that instead of allowing the people to choose their governor, he Wada on them. According to him, Wada executed most of the contacts under his administration.

“Governor Wada is one of the contractors that handled some of the contracts which were not executed in the state. The Eika Itakpe road was awarded to governor Wada; he never executed the job. He has awarded some road contracts last three months but nothing is happening there now. So he is just like Alhaji Idris,” he said.

He also said that the problem in central axis of the state is caused by the PDP politicians in the area who are fighting for the control of the party.

He called on the people to dump PDP and join the ACN for development in the state.

But in a swift reaction Governor Idris Wada said he is fully in-charge of the affairs of the state in its entirety, saying the people are already feeling the impact of his administration.

According to the governor, his administration welcomes constructive criticism which are issue based, noting that people must not engage in baseless criticism for the sake of it.

Wada who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Jacob Edi, noted that Kogi operates democracy, which is guided by all the democratic principles and tenets.

He advised the opposition, particularly the ACN to study the theory and practice of opposition in a democratic environment and apply same.

Edi advised the people to harness ideas capable of impacting and engendering development rather than sowing seeds of discord, disharmony and disunity within the polity,

Former Kogi governor, Ahaji Ibrahim Idris

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Political activists express diverse views on state police S ome Nigerians on Monday in Lagos expressed diverse views on the call for creation of state police.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews, that there were several advantages and disadvantages on the issue of state police.

It would be recalled that the Presidential Committee on the Reorganisation of the Nigeria Police and the Forum of Former InspectorsGeneral of Police, on Tuesday, in a report presented to President Jonathan, advocated for full autonomy for the Nigeria Police Force, instead of state police.

The Presidential Committee also called for the scrapping of the Ministry of Police Affairs to enable the hierarchy of the Police command prioritise and maximise the resources allocated to the Force by the Federal Government The committee, through its Chairman, Mr Parry Osayande, a retired DIG, said that granting full autonomy to the police would make the security agency more effective and responsive to the needs of Nigerians.

Alhaji Musa Umar, Deputy National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), told NAN that he was in support of the call for the creation of state police.

According to him, the police functions in the states should be clearly stated. ``They should not be allowed to

Mohammed Abubakar handle Federal matters like elections, economic crimes especially those that have to do with international criminology. ``They should only handle state matters. Even local government matters in the states, they should not

handle,''' he said.

Musa said this was the only way the police would be more efficient.

Mr Denis Aghanya, a party chieftain of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), said the independence of police should be advocated for instead of state police.

He said that the attitude of some governors would not allow state police to function properly. ``In as much as we understand reasons why state police has been advocated, it is better not to have a state police so that we can have uniformity in the police system. ``State police will create more dichotomy and it will be used against political opponents in various states,'' Aghanya said.

Mr Oladunjoye Craig, Director, Learning Institutions, a private consultant, also did not support the call for state police. ``I believe in the emphatic nonnegotiable autonomy of the Nigeria Police, just like the Central Bank of Nigeria, and a complementary division of the Ministry of Justice,'' Craig said.

The consultant, however, advised that the police should be funded through the security votes accruing to the 36 state governors, adding that this could be done by amending the constitution.

In his reaction, Chief Ajibade EmiAbatta, Chairman Lagos State Chapter of CPC, also supported the call for state police.

Sallah: Sokoto ARP chairman commends govt over security

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he Chairman, African Renaissance Party (ARP) Sokoto state, Alhaji Umaru Faruk, yesterday commended the state government for providing a conducive atmosphere during and after the Sallah festivities in the state.

Faruk told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto that the security measures put in place by the government would go a long way to

promote peaceful coexistence among the people.

He also commended the state government for releasing 60 Hilux patrol vehicles to the state police command for security operations.

He added that the intensive patrol embarked upon by the police command had made it possible for the people to move about their normal activities without fear.

Faruk called on the state police command to keep the tempo by sustaining the peaceful nature the seat of the caliphate was known for.

He solicited the support of members of the public to efforts in finding lasting peaceful coexistence among the people.

He said security matters should not to be left in the hands of security agencies alone hence the need for active participation of the citizens.

Nsukka residents urge FG, NUPENG to avert nationwide strike

S

ome residents of Nsukka in Enugu state have appealed to both the federal government and the striking oil workers to bend backwards and reach an agreement.

The residents, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, said this would help to avert a nationwide strike.

They said any nationwide strike at the moment would further impoverish the masses in the country.

NAN reports that members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have been on strike over the payment of outstanding subsidy arrears.

Few days into the strike in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), NUPENG has gone on to be calling for the strike's extension to other parts of the country on Thursday.

Mr James Nnaji, a civil servant, said any strike at the moment Nigeria was going through security challenges would put more pressure on security agents, and would adversely affect Nigeria's economy. ``Government should do everything possible to meet NUPENG's demands today, for it to shelve the proposed strike.

``Any nationwide strike, now that the country is struggling to contain the security challenges, will have adverse effect on the economy. ``The proposed strike, if allowed, will bring the economy to a standstill, since the transport sector will be paralysed. ``NUPENG officials should, in the interest of the country, shun attempts by some `money bags' to use them to achieve their selfish desires. ``The union should embrace dialogue, instead of embarking on a nationwide strike that will bring more hardship to Nigerians,'' he said.

Mr Charles Onah, a commercial bus driver, said NUPENG should consider the suffering its action would bring upon many Nigerians. ``Strike is not the best option. I plead with the union to avoid anything that will overheat the already heated polity. ``Some of us feed our families and train our children as commercial bus drivers. ``Now we are struggling to get money to enable our children go back to school in September. Any nationwide strike will be a setback to us and members of our families. ``NUPENG should consider the plight the

strike will have on the masses in the country.

It should please cancel the proposed nationwide strike,'' he said.

Mrs Vivian Agbo, a secondary school teacher, said continuing the NUPENG strike would not be in the best interest of the majority of Nigerians.

Gov. Sullivan Chime

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 39

PDP uncovers ACN’s plot to destabilize Kwara From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

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R-L Gov. Peter Obi, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe (with microphone) and other Traditional Rulers at the commissioning of Traditional Rulers' Secretariat in Awka, yesterday.

Okupe: Gbajabiamila, Ikuforiji must resign, S/West PDP insists From Inumidun Ojelade, Ibadan

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outh West zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) must first ask the House of Representatives Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila and the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji to resign their positions before the party could be taken seriously on national issues, especially those bordering on corruption.

The PDP said it was ridiculous that the ACN could claim that Ikufoji, who has been charged to court because investigation on his case had been concluded and a prima facie case established against him, cannot be asked to resign while at the party is clamouring for the sack of Dr. Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan over yet-to-be substantiated report of his investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

(EFCC) over alleged contract scam.

PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade, said in a statement issued in Ibadan today, that if anyone must be sacked or asked to resign from office, they are the Lagos Speaker, who is facing trial for alleged theft of over N7 billion public fund and the ACN Leader in the House of Representatives who was convicted by the Supreme Court of Georgia, United States of America, for defrauding his client of $25,000?

“With the seal and vigour they have been approaching this issue of Dr Okupe, it is obvious that there are more to it than meet the eyes and what we can conclude is that some people are afraid of the man, Dr Doyin Okupe, and are out to distract him.

“If not, what has the former Benue State Governor, Senator George Akume, who is now the ACN Leader in the senate done since 2007 that he left office on the alleged contract scam involving Dr. Okupe?

“A man of Dr Okupe’s standing

took your money in 2006, eloped with it and you are now talking about it in 2012, six years after; that to us put a lot of question marks on the claim.

“Again, you claimed the man was being investigated by the EFCC and his arrest and interrogation was not reported in any newspaper prior to his appointment as SSA Public Affairs to the President? All these do not simply add up and the certified fraudsters, ex-convicts, identity and documents forgers in the ACN should know that Nigerians can no longer be fooled by their antics.

“On this issue of Dr. Okupe that it has been flogging and over flogging, the ACN party should simply padlock its stinking mouth.

Most importantly that this same ACN is playing the ostrich on the criminal trial of Ikuforiji, conviction of Gbajabiamila for swindling his client of $25, 000 and other illegalities being committed by its governors in the South-West.”

PLASIEC assures of credible LG elections in Plateau

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he Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has promised the people of Plateau free, fair and credible local government elections.

Peter Dalyop, the commission's Chairman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Jos that elections into the 17 local governments in the state would hold very soon.

The commission chairman who however refused to give a date for the elections said arrangements were in top gear to produce a time-table. ``The commission is working round the clock to deliver credible, free and fair local government elections in the state. ``But the date for the polls would be arrived at after on-going consultations with the various stakeholders which are the state government, the legislature and the political parties,'' he said.

Dalyop said the polls had earlier been scheduled to hold last year but were deferred ``due to certain events in the state which were beyond PLASIEC.'' He said the delay had made it impossible for elections to hold in the local governments until the tenure of the immediate past administrations elapsed and caretaker committees were inaugurated.

"Since our inauguration, we have been preparing for elections. We have been having consultations with relevant stakeholders, which include all the political parties in the state.

"I want to say that this commission has been working for quite some time.

As you are aware, the commission was reconstituted last year.

"Our immediate mandate then really was for us to have conducted the elections before the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past administration at the local

governments.

"Since then we have been working round the clock. As of now, what we can tell the people is that PLASIEC is ready to deliver credible, fair and free elections,'' the commission chairman said.

He said the commission was already discussing with the state government because it was to fund the elections, as well as the security agencies and other relevant persons and bodies.

"We have also briefed the Plateau State House of Assembly on our preparations for the polls and, by the grace of God, the time-table will be out soon.

"We are already working on the time-table and we will soon fix a date.

It will not be long, I assure.

"As soon as those consultations finish, we shall roll out the time-table, I assure you. God willing, it is not going to be long from now,'' Dalyop said.

(NAN)

he ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state yesterday said it has discovered plots by the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria to destabilize the state by causing civil disobedience.

The PDP, in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Alh. Mas’ud Adebimpe, alleged that, “impeccable sources confirmed the clandestine mobilization by the ACN’s leadership holding secret meeting with some group suspected to be outspoken against the government of the day under the pretence that it was sympathizing with the affected workers at local government who were yet to receive their salaries”.

“The mischievous endorsement of NULGE ultimatum to the State Government on payment of outstanding salaries by the ACN confirms the clandestine plot of the party to destabilize the state and breach the public peace.

“This has always been the position of PDP in the State that in event of disruption of peace and order in the state the ACN leadership should be held responsible; this they have publicly confirmed of being the brain behind the threat to peace in the state. The PDP in the State therefore call on security agencies to as a matter of urgency and in the interest of the public peace and security of

lives and property to apprehend the leadership of ACN with immediate effect.

“It’s an open secret that nonpayment of Salaries to local government workers was not peculiar to Kwara as it’s a problem confronting majority of the states across the country including ACN controlled States like Ekiti, Osun, Edo among others; why deceive the unsuspecting public.”

The party however appealed to the leadership of NULGE in the state to seek dialogue with the government in order to find amicable resolution to the unfortunate development.

Similarly, the Special Adviser to Governor on Media, Dr. Muideen Akorede said “the late payment of some LG workers’ salary is due to reduced FAAC allocation and recent delays in the release of funds by the FG. These problems are nationwide in nature as the FG itself has acknowledged the shortfall in allocations, so It’s not peculiar to Kwara.

However, once the payments are made, Governor Ahmed has directed LGs to pay salaries immediately.

“There are also issues arising from the recent biometric verification of LG workers which is under review. For the ACN to politicise this issue reflects political opportunism which the people of Kwara can do without at this time. However, as a responsive government, we will dialogue with NULGE to resolve the issues raised.”

Senatorial Bye-Election: DPP dumps Dungs, allies with LP From Nankpah Bwakan, Jos

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trong indications have emerged yesterday that the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) may have dashed the hope of retired Colonel John Dungs of becoming a Senator in the bye-election.

The party was said to be angry with the comments credited to Dungs, who contested Plateau north senatorial zone election against late Senator Gyang Dantong, as condemning the position of the DPP National chairman General J.T Useni on the recent Jos crisis.

A source close to the party told our correspondent that the DPP is strategizing to go into allegiance with the Labour Party (LP) to join forces and challenge the government candidate Mr. Gyang Pwajok.

One of the LP chieftains in the state told our correspondent that the party will adopt Dr. Danladi Atu as its candidate. Atu is currently a Reader with the University of Abuja, a one time Tradition Committee Chairman of Jos Local Government during the

Chief Joshua Dariye’s regime as the governor of the state.

He was once governorship aspirant under the platform of Action Congress and LP respectively. Atu is widely known as the political son to Senator Dariye and currently has the support and blessings of his political father.

However, the Publicity secretary of LP Mr. Silvanus Namany in a telephone chat said the party would make its position known latest by tomorrow or next but that the LP is still strategizing on whom to fly the party’s ticket in the bye-election.

Atu hailed from Jos North Local Government Area and during his tenure treated the Hausa/Fulani community fairly and may enjoy the support of Jos East, Bassa and share Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom with the government’s candidate.

Atu may have the votes of the striking Local Government workers who have been at logger heads with the state government over the nonimplementation of the 18, 000 minimum wage.

PAGE 40

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

Ogun to recognize Sarkin Fulani From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

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he Ogun state government has agreed to recognise the Seriki Fulanis as part of the Local Government Security Council, to give the Fulani community a sense of belonging.

This consensus was reached after a peace meeting with herdsmen and community leaders in Abeokuta. Other consensus reached at the meeting includes that government should support nomadic schools that would promote formal education and reduce the use of child labour by herdsmen.

However the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Muyiwa Oladipo, expressed concern over the “25,000 cattle brought into its territory by Fulani herdsmen via Benin Republic and Northern Nigeria�.

He noted that the influx of cattle in the state was as a

result of its rich pasture, but quickly added that government will check the influx.

Oladipo said the government would establish a strong control post and monitoring task force to checkmate the mass movement of cattle from neighbouring Republic of

Benin and other countries.

The meeting however agreed that the state government should create grazing zones across the state for the animals.

The Commissioner said government had taken drastic measures to avert looming clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state.

CPC aspirant unveils youth, women empowerment scheme

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L-R Minister of State FCT Jumoke Akinjide, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe and FCT Minister Senator Bala Mohammed during their courtesy visit to the State House Abuja on Sunday.

Photo: Joe Oroye

Lawmaker advises Nigerian youths on security

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member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabiru, on Tuesday appealed to Nigerian youths to shun vices that hindered the unity and security of lives and property of the citizenry.

Kabiru made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto.

He urged youths to assist

security agencies by providing useful information that would stop the activities of criminals.

"Offering intelligence reports to our security agencies will enable them come out with formidable security measures that will deal with security threats to the country," Kabiru said.

He said youths should be advocates of peace, progress and political growth of the nation.

Kabiru said the current security challenges being experienced in the country could be addressed through the collaborative efforts between the youth and security operatives.

He urged Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic and religious affiliations to unite against perpetrators of evil by promoting peace for the overall political development of the country.

Kabiru, who is representing Kware constituency, said that as leaders of tomorrow the Nigerian youths should champion the course of peace for the sustenance of the nation. `` Nigerian youths irrespective of tribe, religious and political differences should come together in promoting peaceful coexistence, it is only through unity that development can be achieved,'' he said.

Kwara suspends implementation of urbanisation law

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ov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has suspended the implementation of the Urbanisation Law 2009, which empowered the state government to acquire lands in the public interest.

The governor, who announced the suspension on Monday in Ilorin via a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Dr Femi Akorede, said that the suspension was because of the people's opposition to the law.

Ahmed said that the government had decided to allow the lawmakers to review the law in the

interest of the people.

He said that the Ministry of Housing and the Bureau of Land had been directed to desist from implementing the law, pending its review by the lawmakers.

According to him, members of the public should not entertain any fear and misgiving about the law since the lawmakers will review the law before its application.

He said that his administration was willing suspend the law, so as to give room for the deliberations of major stakeholders on the government land policy.

Ahmed urged all the

stakeholders to maintain peace, assuring them that the government would continue to engage the people in the discussion of public issues in the overall public interest.

Former Gov. Bukola Saraki had earlier called for better public understanding of the law, saying that his administration enacted the law in the interest of the people.

He stressed that he could not have enacted a law that was injurious to the people, reiterating that the law, which would foster the state's development, was for the collective good of the people.

Also speaking, Alhaji Kwau

Baraje, a former Acting National PDP Chairman, appealed to the people to exercise patience with government on the issue.

He appealed to the people to give the government some time to take appropriate action on the matter since it had decided to review the law.

Baraje advised the people not to allow the opposition to disrupt the peace of the state over trivial issue.

He noted that the immediate-past governor had explained his reason for enacting the law, adding that the people should, therefore, show more understanding on the issue and give peace a chance.

Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) aspirant for Matazu Local Government Chairmanship in the forthcoming council elections in Katsina state, Malam Ibrahim Murtala, yesterday unveiled a youth and women empowerment scheme.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Matazu, Murtala said if elected he would ensure transparent leadership and focus on providing projects and services that would uplift the people living standard.

Murtala, who spoke through his campaign Coordinator, Malam Aliyu Jibrin, said he sponsored two persons from each of the 10 political wards in the council to attend skills acquisition training at Sani Abacha Youth Centre in Kano.

He added that motorcycles and other small business take off funds were distributed to people with a view to enhancing their wellbeing in recognition of the economic hardship people faced in the area.

According to him, more programmes are on the process and urged people to live in peace and vote wisely in the forthcoming council polls, stressing the importance of considering candidate's contribution and achievements to the development of the area.

He added that based on the designed programmes, the youth and women empowerment scheme would be expanded while improving public health and education would be accorded priority attention.

The aspirant commended the efforts of Sen. Abu Ibrahim (CPC Katsina) on distribution of cars, motorcycles, food stuffs and clothing materials to party supporters across the state.

He enjoined party loyalists to support party leadership and shun all actions capable of disrupting party unity to ensure maximum success of the local government elections.

Murtala said that CPC programmes would benefit people in all the political ward, adding that action of CPC representatives at political offices nationwide manifested the party's credibility and quality of its people.

PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

PAGE 47

Quick CrossWord (11) ACROSS

DOWN

8 Prolonged stay in bed in the morning (3-2) 9 Occupy as a place of residence (7) 10 Most suitable option (4,3) 11 Prefix meaning ‘between’ or ‘among’ (5) 12 Shaft with steps in it (9) 14 Plaything (3) 15 Female sheep (3) 16 Putting-off (9) 19 Striped equine animal (5) 21 Affinity (7) 23 Hand-held percussion instruments (7) 24 Drag a net (5)

1 Spherical maps of the Earth (6) 2 Convince (8) 3 Round handle (4) 4 Lagest foot digit (3,3) 5 Exciting work of light fiction (8) 6 Lie adjacent to (4) 7 Level in a building (6) 13 Glow (8) 14 abstinent from alcohol (8) 15 Catalyst in some washing powders (6) 17 Large woodland (6) 18 Tell tales or secrets (6) 20 Granary (4) 22 Household animals (4)

J O K ES PARKING SPACE

PAY ATTENTION

Before going to Dubai on business, a man drives his Rolls-Royce to one of the leading banks in Lagos and asks for an immediate loan of N150,000.

The loan officer, taken aback, requests collateral. "Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce," the man says. The loan officer promptly ask the car driven into the bank's underground parking for safe keeping and gives the man the N150,000.

Two weeks later, the man walks through the bank's doors and asks to settle up his loan and get his car back. "That will be N150,000 in principal, and N1,250 in interest," the loan officer says.

The man writes out a cheque and starts to walk away. "Wait, sir," the loan officer says. "You are a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow N150,000?" The man smiles, "Where else could I find a safer place to park my Rolls-Royce in Lagos for two weeks and pay only N1,250?"

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Source: Reader's Digest.com

A teacher came to the class and shouted "you must pay attention to what am about to say" a boy in the class started crying. When confronted he said "aunty I have paid my school fees, where will I get money to pay for attention" everyone started laughing.

Source: Online Nigeria Jokes

Yesterday’s answer

FACTS 38. Human lips have a reddish color because of the great concentration of tiny capillaries just below the skin.

39. Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute.

40. Like fingerprints, every individual has an unique tongue print that can be used for identification.

41. A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated.

42. It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown.

43. Humans can make do longer without food than sleep. Provided there is water, the average human could survive a month to two

months without food depending on their body fat and other factors. Sleep deprived people, however, start experiencing radical personality and psychological changes after only a few sleepless days.

The longest recorded time anyone has ever gone without sleep is 11 days, at the

end of which the experimenter was awake, but stumbled over words, hallucinated and frequently forgot what he was doing.

44. The most common blood type in the world is Type O.The rarest blood type, A-H or Bombay blood, due to the location of its discovery, has been found in less than hundred people since it was discovered 45.

Every human spent about half an hour after being

conceived, as a single cell. Shortly afterward, the cells begin rapidly dividing and begin forming the components of a tiny embryo.

46. Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than lefthanded people do.

This is largely due to the fact that a majority of the machines and tools we use on a daily basis are designed for those who are right handed, making them somewhat dangerous for lefties to use and resulting in thousands of accidents and deaths each year.

Source: Weird facts

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

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Billionaire investor, Soros, buys 78.5% stake in Man United

B

illionaire investment king George Soros is backing Manchester United to score in the financial markets as well as on the pitch – after taking a multi-millionpound punt on the club.

The US hedge fund titan bought a 7.85 per cent stake in the club’s Class A shares after it was floated on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month, The Sun of London reports.

It represents around 1.9 per cent of Man Utd’s total estimated market value. The Class B shares – which carry greater voting rights – were not included in the Initial Public Offering on August 9.

The flotation raised £148 million, which will be split equally between the club’s coffers and Manchester United’s controversial owners, the Florida-based Glazer family.

Soros, whose firm Soros Fund Management controls around £16bn in assets and is one of Wall Street’s most influential figures, announced his fund now owns 3,114,588 Class A shares in Manchester United Plc. His investment is a sign of faith in the club after a disappointing defeat in the team’s season opener against Everton, despite an appearance from star summer signing Robin Van Persie< the report said.

The club floated in New York at $14 a share, well below the expected range of $16 to $20, and the shares have slipped to just over $13 when markets closed on Monday – before Soros’s report to the SEC regulator disclosing his stake in the club.

The Glazers, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team, bought Manchester United for £790million in 2005 in a controversial deal funded with huge loans.

Fans have criticised the Glazers for over-levering the once debt-free club. Manchester United’s debt load stood at over £437million at the end of June this year.

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QUO TABLE Q UO TE UOT QUO UOTE With due respect, there is a wide margin of disagreement between us operating in the force and people like my former boss while I was in office; we had differences.

— Ex-IG Gambo Jimeta on IBB’s endorsement of State Police

Character makes the man I

n my last but one column, I ended it with a profound statement by a foremost politician and former Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide.

In a recent interview, Chief Akinjide said that the problem of this country was not so much because of our constitution; that it is not whether the parliament is bicameral or unicameral or that the system of government is parliamentary or presidential.

"The character of the people being elected is largely the drag on our democracy," he stated.

For the nearly one hundred years this country has been one, that is, from the colonial period to these years of independence, we have been writing and amending constitutions without any obvious escape or relief from the situation we are in. The problems we are grappling with only seem to get worse.

Now that we are at our wits end, it should be clear that the problem is no longer the supreme law, neither is it with the pieces of paper on which it is written. In fact, there is no amount of constitution writing or amendment that will cause Nigeria to become a better country so long as politics and leadership remain a criminal nexus and conspiracy to loot the people and the country.

To save us from further deterioration, this country needs to do a lot of introspection, and make the necessary choice of focusing on the character of those that wish to lead us from top to bottom as can be inferred from Chief Akinjide.

Character, as said by Henry Clay, is the most highly prized of all the properties which belong to man.

Unfortunately, Nigeria has been plagued by characterless men and women in political leadership and it is a difficult hole that will take generations of inspired leadership to climb out of. A President of this country once said he had no shame. Which means that he could walk the streets naked, rape or even kill without remorse. A sitting President told grief-stricken families of military victims of a bombed out barrack that they were privileged to see him on location as he had more important things to do. Yet another leader has told us that he didn't give a damn whatever anyone thought about he being corrupt or otherwise.

Nation-building is by extraordinary hard work, character and sacrifice, not by conceit, selfishness or greed. In the light of this, it would amount to negligence, if not criminality, were the task of producing a people's constitution to be left to leaders

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MUSINGS By

Garba Shehu garshehu@yahoo.co.in

Winston Churchill, British war time prime minister lacking in character as we read from Dr. Ahmed Joda.

Why can't we get men or women of exceptional character who can motivate the rest of the country to awaken this sleeping giant?

When I searched for the extraordinary tales of courage and statesmanship in far away countries, stories particularly of the character of those who built those great societies, in doing this story, I came away with the feeling that those ones may have come from Venus while we here originated from Mars.

I have been challenged and motivated at the same time by a character in a World War sibling narrative, the story of the four Ryan brothers in the United States army,three of whom were killed in the war.

The story was made into a film "Saving Private Ryan" by the highly reputed Steven Spielberg.

It was acted by Tom Cruise. The film won several awards and it grossed more money than any other in its year of release.

A diligent army records clerk had noted the commonness of the name of the Ryans from the casualties of war and went upstairs with her account.

The account went up and up, commander to commander until it got to the United States Department of War where General George Marshal was informed that three of four brothers in the Ryan family had died within days of each other and their mother would receive all telegrams same day.

The death of service personnel in

the war was announced to family members through a joint letter by the Secretary of Defence and the President or Prime Minister as the case may be. The telegram is the best family members will get since military dead are interred at military cemeteries and considered to be in the custodianship of the state.

In the consideration of the President, Abraham Lincoln and the Defence Secretary, the Ryan family had made enough sacrifices through the loss of three brothers nearly at once and decided that the last of the four Ryans at the war front must be brought home and to their mother.

General Marshal directed that the remaining Ryan, Private First Class James Francis Ryan at an unknown location at the war front in Europe be declared an MIA (missing in action) forthwith.

He set up a small band of military operatives to fight their way to the front, to where Ryan was.

He is to be found and upon reading Abraham Lincoln's letter to the mother to him, should be sent home to the mother.

This band of fighters led by a certain US Captain John H. Miller fought their way to the front, losing men and material and getting directions upon misdirections on the way until finally they arrived his station on the outskirts of Ramelle in Germany. There, Ryan was one of only three Americans defending a strategically important bridge over the Maderet River in the town.

Ryan was told of his brothers' death and their mission to bring him home.

The look on his face was distressful. He was clearly sad to have lost all three brothers. He however told Captain Miller that it will not be fair to leave the duty post to go home, asking Miller to tell his mother that "when you found me here, I was with the only two brothers I have left," looking at his colleagues, whose duty as reported, was to defend the bridge and destroy any approaching German mechanized unit.

Muslims have also read about Umar Bin Khattab, the second Caliph who led the Muslim community after the death of the

Holy Prophet Muhammad(SAW).

Umar as leader of the emergent Islamic state did not sleep until every man or woman had had dinner. He went round the city of Madina in the manner of the duty prefect in the boarding school at night to see things for himself and hear out the subjects. On a particular night, he heard a woman from behind the wall of her compound shouting out her need for a man. Umar found out that her man had been sent on a military expedition and the Caliph felt guilty about their long separation.He later obtained information from a living wife of the late Prophet as to how long a woman could endure away from her husband and that was used to set a standard rule for military postings. From that period going forward, no fighter was kept away from his family for a period exceeding 40 days.

The Anglo-American World War 11 action plan for the crosschannel airborne and amphibious attack on German expedition known as D-Day was a plan that took four years on a secret drawing board.

Although the then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill enthusiastically supported the plan, his characteristic prudence did not permit him to allow it to pass without nagging reviews and criticism; assessment and reassessment.

He got all the assurances that needed to be got but Churchill would not just give the plan a free pass. In a letter he exchanged with General Eisenhower, the Allied war commander, Churchill was informed that "the only guarantee we cannot give (for the success of the plan) is against a natural (divine) occurrence."

Yet, Churchill did not stop asking questions three months, two, one month, then down to weeks and days before the D-Day. On a final occasion, Churchill wrote a letter assuming responsibility in the event of failure. If the battle plan succeeded, however, that success would be shared by the 150,000 fighters the U.S, Britain and Italy dropped on the beaches.

Nigerians like our African brothers are too much in a hurry to build nation-states without building nations. We are not even paying attention to the building blocks. We are paying scant attention to building consensus around common institutions and to character in men or women who lead or aspire to lead us.

Constitutions and laws are required to regulate human beings but they can only be as good as their operators. Isn't it time that we began paying attention to character in the choice of leaders?

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